Search

Current feed evaluation systems often assume that fermented starch (i.e. resistant starch (RS)) yields less energy than digested starch. However, growth rates of pigs fed low and high RS diets are often the same when feed is available ad libitum. This may be explained by its effect on digestive processes changing feeding behavior, and consequently energy utilization. This study aims to investigate the effect of RS on nutrient digestion and digesta passage rate in pigs, in combination with its effect on feeding behavior and growth performance under ad libitum conditions. In experiment 1, 20 male pigs (40 ± 2.82 kg) were fed diets containing either 50% waxy maize starch (low in RS (LRS)) or high-amylose maize starch (high in RS (HRS)), and soluble and insoluble indigestible markers. After 14 days of adaptation to the diets, pigs were fed hourly to reach steady state (6 h), dissected, and digesta were collected from eight segments. From the collected samples, nutrient digestion and passage rate of the solid and liquid digesta fraction were determined. In experiment 2, 288 pigs (80 ± 0.48 kg; sex ratio per pen 1 : 1; boar : gilt) were housed in groups of 6. Pigs were ad libitum-fed one of the experimental diets, and slaughtered at approximately 115 kg. Feed intake, growth and carcass parameters were measured. Ileal starch digestibility was greater for LRS-fed than for HRS-fed pigs (98.0% v. 74.0%; P < 0.001), where the additional undigested starch in HRS-fed pigs was fermented in the large intestine. No effects of RS on digesta passage rate of the solid or liquid digesta fraction and on feeding behavior were observed. Growth rate and feed intake did not differ between diets, whereas feed efficiency of HRS-fed pigs was 1%-unit higher than that of LRS-fed pigs (P = 0.041). The efficiency of feed used for carcass gain did not differ between diets indicating that the difference in feed efficiency was determined by the non-carcass fraction. Despite a 30% greater RS intake (of total starch) with HRS than with LRS, carcass gain and feed efficiency used for carcass gain were unaffected. RS did not affect digesta passage rate nor feeding behavior suggesting that the difference in energy intake between fermented and digested starch is compensated for post-absorptively. Our results indicate that the net energy value of fermented starch currently used in pig feed evaluation systems is underestimated and should be reconsidered.

Background: Commercial pre-weaning diets are formulated to be highly digestible and nutrient-dense and contain low levels of dietary fibre. In contrast, pigs in a natural setting are manipulating fibre-rich plant material from a young age. Moreover, dietary fibre affects gastrointestinal tract (GIT) development and health in older pigs. We hypothesised that supplemental diets that contain vegetal fibres are accelerating GIT development in suckling piglets in terms of size and functionality. From d 2 of life, sow-suckled piglets had access to a low fibre diet (CON), a diet with a fermentable long-chain arabinoxylan (lc-AXOS), a diet with a largely non-fermentable purified cellulose (CELL), or a diet containing both fibres. During the initial 2 weeks, the control diet was a high-density milk replacer, followed by a dry and highly digestible creep meal. Upon weaning at 25 d, 15 piglets from each treatment group, identified as eaters and originating from six or seven litters, were sacrificed for post-mortem examination of GIT morphology, small intestinal permeability and metabolic profile of the digesta. The microbiota composition of the mid-colon was evaluated in a sub-set of ten piglets., Results: No major statistical interactions between the fibre sources were observed. Piglets consumed the fibre-containing milk supplements and creep diets well. Stomach size and small intestinal permeability was not affected. Large intestinal fill was increased with lc-AXOS only, while relative large intestinal weight was increased with both fibre sources ( P  < 0.050). Also, CELL decreased ileal pH and tended to increase ileal DM content compared to CON ( P  < 0.050). Moreover, the concentration of volatile fatty acids was increased in the caecum ( P  < 0.100) and mid-colon ( P  < 0.050) by addition of CELL. lc-AXOS only stimulated caecal propionate ( P  < 0.050). The microbiota composition showed a high individual variation and limited dietary impact. Nonetheless, CELL induced minor shifts in specific genera, with notable reductions of Escherichia - Shigella ., Conclusions: Adding dietary fibres to the supplemental diet of suckling piglets altered large intestinal morphology but not small intestinal permeability. Moreover, dietary fibre showed effects on fermentation and modest changes of microbial populations in the hindgut, with more prominent effects from the low-fermentable cellulose., Competing Interests: Competing interestsSP was previously employed by BioActor, supplier of one of the test fibres. The authors declare that they have no competing interest associated with this publication., (© The Author(s). 2019.)

Vitamin E is important for animal production because of its effects on health and product quality, but the amount and form required remains controversial. Our objective was to quantify the absolute bioavailability of oral -α-tocopheryl acetate (α-TAc) in swine (22 ± 1 kg and 8 wk old, fitted with jugular catheters) adapted to a diet supplemented with 75 mg/kg -α-TAc; 75 mg/kg was chosen because this level represents the nonweighted average inclusion level in piglet diets across Western key swine-producing countries. For this, a 350-g test meal (6% fat) was supplied at time 0 containing 75 mg deuterated (D9) -α-TAc to 9 animals, and 8 animals received an intravenous () dose containing deuterated (D6) RRR-α-tocopherol (α-T) at one-eighth the oral dose and a test meal without supplemental vitamin E. Plasma samples (12 to 13 per animal) were obtained at incremental intervals over 75 h for analysis of deuterated α-T using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Surprisingly, the i.v. dose rapidly disappeared from plasma and then reappeared. The half-life for this first peak was only 1.7 ± 0.3 min. The second peak had an appearance rate (Ka) of 0.10 ± 0.06 d and a half-life of 5.9 ± 1.2 h. Oral dosing resulted, after a lag of 56 min, in a Ka of 0.91 ± 0.21 d and a half-life of 2.6 ± 0.8 h. The bioavailability for oral α-TAc was 12.5%, whereas the area under the curve was only 5.4%. This low bioavailability, small area under the curve, and short half-life are likely because of various factors, that is, the use of only 6% fat in the diet, the use of the acetate ester and , and the high dose relative to requirements. In conclusion, i.v. dosed vitamin E shows both a rapid and a very slow pool, whereas orally dosed vitamin E shows a single slow pool. The oral material has a very short half-live (44% of i.v. or 2.6 h), low bioavailability (12.5%), and a very small area under the curve (5.4%), bringing into question the efficacy of typical doses of vitamin E in swine diets for alleviating oxidative stress.

The evolution of hyper-prolific pig breeds has led to a higher within-litter variation in birth weight and in BW gain during the nursery phase. Based on an algorithm developed in previous research, two populations from a pool of 368 clinically healthy piglets at 6 weeks of age were selected: a low (LP) and a high (HP) performing population and their development was monitored until the end of the nursery phase (10 weeks of age). To understand the cause of the variation in growth between these populations we characterized the LP and HP piglets in terms of body morphology, behaviour, voluntary feed intake, BW gain, and apparent total tract and ileal nutrient digestibility. Piglets were housed individually and were fed a highly digestible diet. At selection, 6 weeks of age, the BW of LP and HP piglets were 6.8±0.1 and 12.2±0.1 kg, respectively. Compared with the LP piglets the HP piglets grew faster (203 g/day), ate more (275 g/day) from 6 to 10 weeks of age and were heavier at 10 weeks (30.0 v. 18.8 kg, all P<0.01). Yet, the differences in average daily gain and average daily feed intake disappeared when compared per kg BW0.75. Assuming similar maintenance requirements per kg BW0.75 the efficiency of feed utilization above maintenance was 0.1 g/g lower for the LP piglets (P=0.09).The gain : feed ratio was similar for both groups. LP piglets tended to take more time to touch a novel object (P=0.10), and spent more time eating (P<0.05). At 10 weeks, LP piglets had a higher body length and head circumference relative to BW (P<0.01). Relative to BW, LP had a 21% higher small intestine weight; 36% longer length, and relative to average FI, the small intestinal weight was 4 g/kg higher (both P=<0.01). Apparent total tract and ileal dry matter, N and gross energy digestibility were similar between groups (P>0.10). We concluded that the low performance of the LP piglets was due to their inability to engage compensatory gain or compensatory feed intake as efficiency of nutrient utilization and feed intake per kg BW0.75 was unaffected. LP piglets tend to be more fearful towards novel objects. The morphological comparisons, increased body length and head circumference relative to BW imply that LP piglets have an increased priority for skeletal growth.

To overcome negative energy balance during the peripartal period of sows, an ad libitum feeding strategy (ADLIB) as alternative for commonly used restricted feeding (STANDARD, on average 3kg feed/day) was evaluated. Plasma metabolites and thyroid hormones, change of back fat thickness (BF), reproductive traits, and piglet performance were monitored. Voluntary feed intake of ADLIB sows declined at farrowing but was still more than twice the amount of what was offered to STANDARD sows. Consequently, ADLIB sows lost less BF than STANDARD sows (P=0.041). Additionally, BF change was affected by body condition. LEAN sows (BF<18mm on d 105 of gestation) lost less BF than MODERATE sows (18mm≤BF≤22mm) which lost less BF than FAT sows (BF>22mm) (P<0.001). Except for a decreased percentage of stillborn piglets for MODERATE sows (P=0.044), reproduction results were not affected. Piglet weaning weight of ADLIB-FAT and STANDARD-MODERATE sows was reduced in comparison with that of ADLIB-LEAN sows (P=0.005). Regardless of body condition, all metabolites and thyroid hormones measured showed a time dependent profile (P<0.001). On d 112 of gestation increased concentrations of creatinine (P=0.004), non-esterified fatty acids (P=0.039), and serum crosslaps (P=0.016) for STANDARD sows were observed. Triglycerides were increased for FAT sows (P<0.001), and decreased faster over time for ADLIB (P=0.013) and for FAT (P=0.012). Although ad libitum feeding during the peripartal period only resulted in less mobilization of muscle, fat, and bone reserves on d 112 of gestation, results of BF change and piglet weaning weight indicated that ad libitum feeding is beneficial for sow performance provided that BF is below 22mm., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Piglets are highly susceptible to gut health-related problems. Intravenously administered chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) affects gut health mediated through glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2). To test whether CDCA is a suitable feed additive for improving gut health, a trial was performed with newly weaned (21 d) piglets offered a diet with or without 60 mg CDCA/kg feed (n = 24/treatment). Upon weaning, piglets were fasted for 16 h and then intragastrically dosed with 20 g test feed in 40 g water. Subsequently, a jugular blood sample was taken on 45, 90, 135, or 180 min for analysis of GLP-2, peptide YY (PYY), and glucose. Afterwards, piglets were offered the experimental diets ad libitum. On days 3.5, 7.5, and 10.5 after weaning, serum responses to an intragastric dose of lactulose and Co-EDTA were tested at 2 h after dosing in 8 piglets per treatment. Immediately thereafter, piglets were euthanized, intestines were harvested, and permeability was measured ex vivo using the everted gut sac technique with 4 kDa fluorescein isothiocyanato (FITC)-dextran as marker at 25, 50, and 75% of the length of the small intestine. Dietary CDCA did not affect (P > 0.05) ADFI, ADG, G:F, blood glucose, and plasma GLP-2 and PYY. Serum cobalt and lactulose at day 10.5 tended to be lower in CDCA pigs compared with control pigs. Serum cobalt and lactulose concentrations were positively correlated (r = 0.67; P < 0.01). In conclusion, CDCA tended to reduce intestinal permeability at 10.5 d after weaning when fed to newly weaned piglets, implying that CDCA deserves further study as a means for improving intestinal health. The positive correlation found between Co-EDTA and lactulose indicates that both marker molecules measure similar change in permeability.

The relationship between starch chemistry and intestinal nutrient transporters is not well characterized. We hypothesized that inclusion of slowly instead of rapidly digestible starch in pig diets will decrease glucose and increase short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) transporter expression in the distal gut. Weaned barrows (n = 32) were fed 4 diets containing 70% starch [ranging from 0 to 63% amylose and from 1.06 (rapidly) to 0.22%/min (slowly) rate of in vitro digestion] at 3 × maintenance energy requirement in a complete randomized block design. Ileal and colon mucosa was collected on day 21 to quantify mRNA abundance of Na(+)-dependent glucose transporter 1 (SGLT1), monocarboxylic acid transporter 1 (MCT1), and Na(+)-coupled monocarboxylate transporter (SMCT). Messenger RNA was extracted and cDNA manufactured prior to relative quantitative reverse transcription PCR. Data were analyzed using the 2(-Δ ΔC)(T) method, with β-actin and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase as reference genes, and regression analysis was performed. As in vitro rate of digestion decreased, SGLT1 linearly increased (P < 0.05) in the ileum. Contrary to SGLT1, MCT1 tended to linearly decrease (P = 0.08) in the ileum and increased quadratically (P < 0.001) in the colon with decreasing rate of digestion. Starch digestion rate did not affect SMCT in the ileum; however, colonic SMCT quadratically decreased (P < 0.01) with decreasing rate of digestion. In conclusion, in contrast to our hypothesis, slowly digestible starch increased ileal glucose and decreased ileal SCFA transporter mRNA abundance, possibly due to an increased glucose in the luminal ileum. Effects of starch on colonic SCFA transporter mRNA abundance were inconsistent.

Traditionally in swine nutrition, analyses of starch and fiber have focused on assessing quantity; however, both have a wide range of functional properties making them underappreciated nutrients. Starch ranging from low to high amylose changes from rapidly digestible in the upper gut to poorly digestible but fermentable in the lower gut thereby changing from a source of glucose to VFA source. Likewise, fibers ranging from low to high viscosity affect digesta flow and from slowly to rapidly fermentable alter production of VFA serving as energy for the gut or whole body. Our hypothesis is that total extent, kinetics, and site of digestion or fermentation of starch and fiber are important for whole body nutrient use and intestinal health. To elucidate their effects, we developed in vitro, lab-based methodologies to describe kinetics of digestion and fermentation and linked these with in vivo models including i) ileum cannulation to collect digesta, ii) portal-vein catheterization to sequentially sample blood, iii) slaughter method to collect site-specific intestinal tissue and digesta, and iv) indirect calorimetry. Using these methods, kinetics of nutrient absorption was associated with pancreatic and intestinal hormones released into the portal vein, intestinal microbiota, and gene expression in intestinal tissue and microbiota. These studies confirmed that slowly digestible starch is partially degraded in the distal small and large intestine and fermented into VFA including butyrate (10-fold increase in net portal appearance), which reduces insulin responses by 60% and whole body energy use. Starch entering the distal intestine altered mRNA abundance of nutrient transporters and was bifidogenic. Extremely viscous purified fiber dampened glycemic responses and reduced digesta passage rate by 50% thereby increasing ileal digestion of dietary nutrients whereas increased fiber in feed grains reduced nutrient digestibility. Fermentable fiber increased butyrate and insulin production. These methods will therefore support elucidation of mechanisms that link starch and fiber properties to whole body nutrient use and intestinal health.

Intestinal barrier function in pigs after weaning is almost exclusively determined in terminal experiments with Ussing chambers. Alternatively, the recovery in urine of orally administered lactulose can be used to assess intestinal permeability in living animals. This experiment was designed to study the barrier function of the small intestine of pigs over time after weaning. The aim was to relate paracellular barrier function (measured by lactulose recovery in the urine) with macromolecular transport [measured by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) using Ussing chambers] and bacterial translocation to assess whether lactulose recovery is related to possible causes of infection and disease. Forty gonadectomized male pigs (6.7 ± 0.6 kg) were weaned (d 0) at a mean age of 19 d, fitted with urine collection bags, and individually housed. Pigs were dosed by oral gavage with a marker solution containing lactulose (disaccharide) and the monosaccharides l-rhamnose, 3-O-methylglucose, and d-xylose at 2 h and at 4, 8, and 12 d after weaning. The recovery of sugars in the urine was determined over 18 h after each oral gavage. The day after each permeability test, the intestines of 10 pigs were dissected to determine bacterial translocation to the mesenteric lymph nodes and jejunal permeability for HRP in Ussing chambers. Recovery of l-rhamnose in urine was affected by feed intake and by the time after weaning (P ≤ 0.05). Recovery of lactulose from the urine was greater (P ≤ 0.05) at 4, 8, and 12 d after weaning compared with the first day after weaning and was negatively correlated with feed intake (r = -0.63, P ≤ 0.001). The mean translocation of aerobic bacteria to the mesenteric lymph nodes was greater at 5 and 13 d after weaning compared with d 1 (P ≤ 0.05). Lactulose recovery showed no correlation with permeability for HRP nor with bacterial translocation (P > 0.05). Although both lactulose recovery and bacterial translocation increased over time after weaning, lactulose recovery did not correlate with the permeability for HRP nor bacterial translocation within a pig (P > 0.05). Therefore, we conclude that lactulose recovery in the urine of pigs after weaning is not associated with risk factors for infections. However, it appears to be possible to measure paracellular barrier function with orally administered lactulose in pigs shortly after weaning. Further studies will reveal whether this variable is relevant for the long-term performance or health of pigs after weaning.

The experiment was designed to assess whether corn fractions or extrusion of corn can result in feed ingredients with a greater nutritional value than corn. Corn grain (8.0% CP, 0.21% P, 9.8% NDF) was processed by extrusion (82.8 degrees C, 345 kPa steam pressure for 12 s) or by dry milling to derive fractions rich in germ (13.1% CP, 1.19% P, 17.2% NDF), hulls (8.1% CP, 0.27% P, 32.6% NDF), and endosperm, namely tails (6.6% CP, 0.07% P, 3.6% NDF) and throughs (7.4% CP, 0.15% P, 4.5% NDF). Relative recovery in each fraction was 16, 20, 44, and 20%, respectively. Ileal digestibility of DM, P, and amino acids was determined using diets containing 7.0% CP from soybean meal and 5.3% CP from one of the test products. To allow for determination of standardized ingredient, ileal digestibility, basal endogenous AA losses were determined using a protein-free diet (74.6% cornstarch and 18.7% sucrose). Soybean meal ileal digestibility was determined using a diet (12.3% CP) based on soybean meal (23.3%). Eight barrows (27 +/- 2 kg) fitted with T-cannulas were fed 8 experimental diets (5-d adaptation and 2-d collection period) such that each diet was evaluated in at least 5 barrows. Relative to corn (77.9 +/- 1.2%), ileal digestibility of DM was greater for extruded corn (82.5%; P = 0.02), tails (85.9%; P < 0.01), and throughs (85.0%; P < 0.01), but it was lower for hulls (62.2%; P < 0.01) and germ (51.1%; P < 0.01). For P, corn (41.6 +/- 9.5%), throughs (47.2%), and hulls (57.3%) had similar ileal digestibility, but germ (7.9%) had lower ileal digestibility (P = 0.02) than corn; tails (27.6%) and extruded corn (23.5%) were not different from corn or germ but were lower than throughs and hulls. For total AA, corn (84.7 +/- 2.4%), throughs (84.3%), and hulls (85.8%) had similar ileal digestibility, but germ (76.6%) had lower ileal digestibility (P < 0.01) than corn; tails (82.0%) and extruded corn (81.7%) were intermediate. In conclusion, germ and hulls have a low ileal DM digestibility; germ also has low AA and P digestibility. Extrusion improved the ileal DM digestibility of corn. To maximize the ileal digestibility, removal of germ and hull from corn or extrusion of corn may thus be of interest.

As environmental constraints become more important issues for the animal industry, selecting feed ingredients that yield good animal performance but also minimize environmental impact of animal production becomes critical. The objective of this research was to identify which compositional features would be desirable for soybean meal to maximize nutritional value and minimize animal waste. Eight soybean samples were selected from a database of 72, such that maximal variability for CP, NDF, and ADF content was obtained. Samples were subsequently processed into meal using standardized procedures. In Experiment 1, 8 cannulated pigs were used to determine ileal digestibility following a Latin square design. In Experiment 2, 5 of the samples were used in complete feeds and 10 pigs were used in a crossover Latin square design to determine the total tract digestibility, odorants in fresh and 5-d-old manure, and ammonia emission from manure. Differences up to 6% in ileal DM digestibility and 8% in ileal CP digestibility were observed. This difference was reduced to 1.1% for total tract DM digestibility and 4% for total tract CP digestibility. Differences in odorant concentration were 3-fold and for in vitro ammonia emission were 42%. The only compositional variable with a significant effect on digestibility was stachyose, which negatively affected ileal digestibility of DM (r = -0.80, P = 0.02) and energy (r = -0.73, P = 0.04). None of the compositional variables measured affected ileal CP digestibility. Ileal CP digestibility, however, was correlated with estimated CP fermentation in the large intestine (r = -0.86, P = 0.06) and with in vitro ammonia emission after 48 h (r = -0.81, P = 0.09). In conclusion, nutritionally relevant variability exists in soy varieties. Low stachyose content is important for maximizing ileal energy digestibility of soybean meal. Although no compositional variable was identified that explained differences in ileal CP digestibility, maximizing ileal CP digestibility is of interest for maximizing the nutritional value of soybean meal and possibly for reducing ammonia and odor emissions.

The objective of this study was to compare three infrared spectroscopy techniques for routine evaluation of AA in animal meals. Animal meals (n = 54) with known AA contents were scanned with a near (NIRS), mid (FTIR), and Raman infrared spectrometer. For NIRS and Raman, samples were scanned "as is", whereas for FTIR, samples had to be finely ground before scanning to obtain reasonable spectra. Both FTIR and Raman data suffered from noise; for Raman, this prevented the development of calibrations. Using derivatized spectral data and a standardized outlier removal procedure, calibrations for nutritionally relevant AA could be developed that were equivalent for both NIRS and FTIR. The variation across AA tested explained (r2) by these calibrations was 70% for NIRS and 68 + 3% for FTIR. Removing spectral data between 4,000 and 2,000 cm(-1) from the FTIR data improved calibrations (P = 0.09) and explained an average of 77% of the variation with prediction errors lower than obtained with NIRS (P < 0.01). However, FTIR calibrations based on the entire or the shortened spectrum contained fewer samples than did NIRS calibrations (41 and 39 vs. 48, respectively; P < 0.01) because more samples were removed as outliers. In conclusion, Raman did not yield acceptable spectra for animal meals. For FTIR, sample preparation was more time-consuming because the samples required grinding before analysis. Using the entire mid-infrared range, FTIR calibrations were comparable to NIRS calibrations. Calibrations for FTIR were improved by eliminating wave numbers that exhibited more noise, resulting in prediction errors better than those for NIRS. Thus, FTIR has the potential to yield better calibrations for AA in animal meals than NIRS, but it requires greater care in sample preparation and scanning.

Typically, in vitro methods used for estimating the amount of ileal digestible AA do not exhaustively digest samples, and arbitrary methods for separating digestible from indigestible protein are used. This may lead to over- or underestimation of digestibility coefficients. A method that exhaustively digests proteins using pepsin and pancreatin was developed, and the first objective of this research was to confirm that exhaustive digestion was indeed appropriate and to determine the fractionation method for separating digestible from indigestible proteins. For this, three homoarginine-labeled animal proteins were prepared. Samples were subsequently digested in vivo and in vitro to determine which fraction should be considered indigestible, and in vitro followed by in vivo to determine whether the extent of digestion in vivo was improved by predigestion. In vivo, soluble but unabsorbed peptides were smaller than 1 kDa, suggesting that the size of soluble peptides is not what prevents their absorption. Thus, all in vitro-soluble proteins should be considered digestible. In vitro, 88 +/- 3% of the soluble peptides were smaller than 1 kDa, with the remainder between 1 and 5 kDa, suggesting that in vitro digestion is less complete. Predigested samples were digested in vivo to the same size distribution as the nonpredigested samples. The second objective was to test whether in vitro digestibility assays based on these principles equaled in vivo digestibility. For this, digestibility data for 25 animal proteins were compared. Results showed a lack of correlation between lysine digestibility coefficients; however, across samples, the extent of digestion did not differ for lysine (P = 0.71), threonine (P = 0.26), methionine (P = 0.18), or valine (P = 0.66), whereas in vitro digestibility coefficients were lower for (the less water-soluble) histidine (P = 0.05), isoleucine (P < 0.01), leucine (P < 0.01), and phenylalanine (P = 0.05). In conclusion, in vitro digestibility assays should exhaustively digest proteins to mimic in vivo digestibility. All in vitro-soluble peptides could be considered digestible, because in vivo, no large soluble peptides were observed whose size prevented them from being absorbed. However, an in vitro assay based on these principles lacked precision for highly water-soluble AA, and underestimated digestibility for other AA. Better solubilization of the digesta and more replicates may improve the in vitro assay further.

An educational program was developed for extension agents, faculty, and graduate students to illustrate the effect of diet composition on odor from swine manure. Participants in this program first received a 2-h detailed review on odorous compounds in manure and the effect of diet on odor. For the second portion of the training, nine manure samples were used from pigs fed diets formulated with feed ingredients predicted to have different effects on odor emission or a nutritionally adequate corn-soybean meal diet. Participants were instructed to rate the odor from these samples for pleasantness, irritation, and intensity on a scale of 0 (best) to 8 (worst), using manure from the corn-soybean meal fed pig as the reference with a score defined as 4 for each variable. Results obtained were summarized and discussed before concluding the program. Participants were Cooperative Extension Agents (n = 13) with swine responsibilities and graduate students and faculty (n = 8). The manure from the diet with the worst odor scores (1% garlic) was rated at 70% more odorous across the three odor variables (P < 0.05) than the diet with the least odorous manure (purified diet). Even though a reference sample was used, individual participants differed in their perception of irritation across samples (P < 0.05), ranging in average score across diets from 2.4 (moderately better than reference) to 5.0 (slightly worse than reference). With extension agents, a 1 to 7 scale (very interesting to not at all interesting) was used for evaluation of the training session. Participants found the material to be interesting (mean = 1.7, SD = 0.7) and the training exercise to be well organized and coherent in its presentation (mean = 1.8, SD = 0.7). Participants enjoyed this training and learned that differences in odor are achievable through altering diet composition, and that the response to swine odor depends on individual odor perception.

Quantifying odor is important for objectively assessing the impact of animal production systems on surrounding areas. A possible method that has received little attention is Fourier transform (mid) infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Gases that contribute to odor have unique infrared spectra, and the advantage of FTIR over electronic nose technology or gas chromatography is that theoretically all these gases can be analyzed instantaneously. To determine the feasibility of FTIR for predicting odor, 71 air samples analyzed by olfactometry were scanned in a spectrometer using an 84-m path-length gas cell. Scans were obtained over a period of about 1 min and from 4,000 to 740 cm(-1) with a resolution of 0.5 cm(-1). Calibrations for predicting odor were developed using partial least squares regression with full cross-validation. Air samples were obtained from experiments with pigs fed diets formulated to alter odor emission or from stored manure. Odor threshold dilution ratios averaged 676+/-491 units, with a range from 120 to 2,161. Using these samples, a prediction error for odor sensation of 344 units (R2 = 0.51) was obtained. Log transformation of the odor data improved the R2 to 0.61. Based on the olfactometry data, it is estimated that the measurement error of olfactometry is 250 units, which limits the R2 of any method to approximately 0.74. Thus, this calibration is very encouraging. In conclusion, FTIR shows promise as a practical means for objectively assessing swine odor.

To assess differences in soybean meal quality related to region of production, researchers in Illinois, Kansas, North Carolina, The Netherlands, and Ohio collected four soybean meal samples processed locally at least 15 d apart. These samples were assayed for ileal amino acid digestibility by pigs using a common soybean meal and a soy protein concentrate as references, and a low-protein casein diet for determination of endogenous amino acid losses. Digestibility was determined at each university using seven barrows surgically fitted with ileal cannulas in a 7 x 7 Latin square design. The experimental diets contained 17% CP from the test material except for the low-protein casein diet. Animals were fed twice daily, 12 h apart, at a level of 45 g x kg(-0.75) BW for each meal. Following a 5-d adaptation period, ileal digesta were collected for two 12-h periods for 2 d to be used for determination of ileal digestibility. Variation in amino acid digestibility was very small among and within sites and was much smaller than variation in the concentration of amino acids. Among sites, samples from The Netherlands had less total and thus digestible lysine and methionine than the U.S. samples (P < 0.05). The soybean meals tested in this experiment were approximately 4% higher in amino acids than that reported in the NRC (1998). True (standardized) digestibilities, however, were very similar to NRC values except for cysteine and threonine, which were 5 and 3 percentage points lower in this experiment, respectively. In conclusion, soybeans grown in the United States and locally processed into soybean meal were very similar in nutritional composition. Soybean meals produced in The Netherlands were lower in lysine and methionine (P < 0.05) but had a digestibility similar to that produced in the United States.

This study was designed to determine the effects of hydrolyzed feather meal inclusion on growth performance, carcass characteristics, nutrient digestibility and fecal odorous compounds in modern lean growth genotype pigs. Two hundred forty pigs (BW = 23.2 +/- 1.3 kg) were allotted based on BW and sex to a 2 x 6 factorial arrangement of treatments (four pens per treatment; five pigs per pen) in a randomized complete block design. Factors consisted of 1) sex (barrows or gilts) and 2) dietary treatment (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10% hydrolyzed feather meal). Diets were formulated to contain 1.00, 0.90, 0.75, or 0.60% apparent ileal digestible lysine for phases 1 to 4, respectively, with other amino acids provided at an ideal ratio. Available P and ME were kept constant within each phase. No significant interactions between feather meal inclusion and sex were observed for growth performance (P > 0.15). Body weight gain was reduced (P < 0.05) for pigs fed 10% feather meal compared to pigs fed 0, 4, or 8% feather meal. Feed intake of pigs fed 10% feather meal was reduced (P < 0.05) compared to pigs fed 0 or 4% feather meal. Ultrasound backfat measurements tended (P = 0.12) to increase with increasing levels of feather meal. Daily lean gain was less (P < 0.05) in pigs fed 10% feather meal than in pigs fed either 0, 2, 4, or 8% feather meal. Digestibility of N measured on wk 9 decreased quadratically (P < 0.001) with increasing levels of feather meal. Phosphorus digestibility increased in a linear fashion (P < 0.02), however, the improvement in P digestibility with increasing levels of feather meal was more pronounced in barrows compared to gilts (interaction, P < 0.05). Fecal samples obtained from pigs fed 0, 4, or 8% feather meal were analyzed for odorous compounds. Concentrations of butanoic, pentanoic, and 3-methylbutanoic acid were greater (P < 0.05) and concentrations of 3-methylphenol, 4-methylphenol, indole, and decane were less (P < 0.05) in feces from pigs fed feather meal. These results suggest that feather meal can be included in diets for growing-finishing pigs at a rate of 8%. Excretion of N in feces increased but P excretion decreased with increasing levels of feather meal. Odorous compounds in feces can be affected by the inclusion of hydrolyzed feather meal, but the exact impact of these changes on odor perception remains to be elucidated.