Dietary iron or inulin supplementation alters iron status, growth performance, intramuscular fat and meat quality in finisher pigs.

Forty LW × L pigs (20 boars and 20 gilts) (51.1 ± 0.41 kg) were allocated to a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design with the respective factors being supplemental organic iron (Fe, 0 and 500 mg/kg), inulin (In, 0 and 50 g/kg) and sex (boars and gilts).

A comparative analysis of gastrointestinal tract barrier function and immune markers in gilt vs. sow progeny at birth and weaning.

Progeny born to primiparous sows (gilt progeny; GP) have lower birth, weaning and slaughter weights than sow progeny (SP). GP also have reduced gastrointestinal tract (GIT) development, as evidenced by lower organ weights. Therefore, the aim of this experiment was to quantify changes in GIT barrier function that occur in birth and weaning, representing two major challenges to the young piglet.

Assessing Decision Support Tools for Mitigating Tail Biting in Pork Production: Current Progress and Future Directions.

Tail biting (TB) in pigs is a complex issue that can be caused by multiple factors, making it difficult to determine the exact etiology on a case-by-case basis. As such, it is often difficult to pinpoint the reason, or set of reasons, for TB events, Decision Support Tools (DSTs) can be used to identify possible risk factors of TB on farms and provide suitable courses of action. The aim of this review was to identify DSTs that could be used to predict the risk of TB behavior.

Reducing Weaning Stress in Piglets by Pre-Weaning Socialization and Gradual Separation from the Sow: A Review.

The weaning of pigs in most commercial pork production systems is an abrupt event performed at a fairly young age, i.e., mostly between 2.

Development of an In Vivo Extended-Spectrum Cephalosporin-Resistant Model in Post-Weaned Pigs and Its Use in Assessment of Dietary Interventions.

Current interventions targeting antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a major impact on commercial pork production, focus on reducing the emergence of AMR by minimising antimicrobial usage through antimicrobial stewardship and a range of alternative control methods. Although these strategies require continued advancement, strategies that directly aim to reduce or eliminate existing antimicrobial resistant bacteria, specifically bacteria resistant to critically important antimicrobials (CIAs), need to be investigated and established. This study established an in vivo model for examining the effects of postbiotics, in the form of fermentation products (LFP) and fermentation products (SFP), on the shedding of extended-spectrum cephalosporin (ESC)-resistant .