Effect of supplementing algae to breeding and early gestation first calf heifers on growth and reproduction.

Fat supplementation has potential to improve reproductive performance and increase pregnancy rates in cattle by increasing the energy density of the diet. However, some of the positive effects of fat seem to be influenced by the type of fatty acid fed. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) are long-chain n-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) that have important biological effects on reproduction through their involvement in hormone and series 3 prostaglandin synthesis.

Fetal sex effects on maternal health can now be tested via randomization: A first-in-class illustration in cows on glucoregulatory outcomes.

Background: The maternal-offspring relationship, such as whether fetal sex influences maternal health, is essential to explore to advance prenatal and maternal health. While associations exist between fetal sex and maternal health outcomes, it is unclear whether these reflect a causal relationship.

Objective: To demonstrate that fetal sex can be randomly assigned to test the causal effect of fetal sex on maternal outcomes.

Low colostrum intake results in potential accumulation of peroxisome lipid substrates in vaginal tissue of 3-week-old gilts.

Low colostrum intake relates to poorer health and infertility in swine. We previously connected vaginal lipid profiles at weaning to fertility of sows. We hypothesized vaginal lipidome varied with colostrum intake.

Evaluating the temperature preferences of sexually mature Duroc, Landrace, and Yorkshire boars.

An accurate understanding of boar temperature preferences may allow the swine industry to design and utilize environmental control systems in boar facilities more precisely. Therefore, the study objective was to determine the temperature preferences of sexually mature Duroc, Landrace, and Yorkshire boars. Eighteen, 8.

Cryoprotectant effects of natural honey on spermatozoa quality of pre-freezing and frozen-thawed boar semen.

Natural honey has been successfully used in the preservation of mammalian gametes because of its beneficial properties. The objectives of this study were to determine the inclusion level of honey in extender for improving boar semen quality before freezing and to investigate the effects of honey inclusion in extender and freezing media on post-thaw quality of frozen-thawed boar semen samples. Ejaculates from six terminally crossbred boars were collected using the gloved-hand technique for two experiments.

Processed Meat Characteristics between Commercial Duroc-Sired and Heritage Breed Large Black Pigs.

This study examined the meat processing characteristics between Duroc-sired (DS) and heritage breed Large Black (LB) pigs fed high forage (FIB) or commercial diets (CON). Fifty pigs (DS, n = 25; LB, n = 25) were used in a 2 × 2 factorial design with breed and diet as fixed effects. Processing traits were measured for fresh bellies, bacon slices, and sausage patties.

Mammary Development in Gilts at One Week Postnatal Is Related to Plasma Lysine Concentration at 24 h after Birth, but Not Colostrum Dose.

Perinatal nutrition affects future milk production. The number of mammary epithelial cells affect milk production capacity. Therefore, it was hypothesized that the level of colostrum intake affects the proliferation rate and the total number of mammary epithelial cells in the gland.

Shotgun proteomics of homogenate milk reveals dynamic changes in protein abundances between colostrum, transitional, and mature milk of swine.

Milk is an easily digestible source of nutrients and bioactive factors, its composition reflects the neonate's needs, and changes from colostrum to transitional and mature milk. Our objective was to measure milk fat, lactose, total carbohydrate, and protein content in parallel with global proteome of homogenate milk samples to characterize changes across the three phases of swine lactation. Milk samples were collected from multiparous sows (n = 9) on postnatal day 0 (D0; colostrum), 3 (D3; early transitional), 7 (D7; late transitional), and 14 (D14; mature).

Biomarkers predictive of long-term fertility found in vaginal lipidome of gilts at weaning.

A marker indicative of the fertility potential of replacement gilts early in development would decrease culling rates in the sow herd, improve sow herd reproductive efficiency, and reduce production costs. The objective of this study was to determine if vaginal lipid profiles at 21 d postnatal (PN) could predict sow reproductive performance. Vaginal swabs of the anterior vagina were taken at 21 ± 4 d PN from gilts born on a commercial sow production facility for lipidomic analysis.

Effects of air exposure and agitation on quality of stored boar semen samples.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of semen volume, air contact inside semen dose tubes, daily agitation of semen doses and extender type on semen quality, thermo-resistance and bacteria growth in extended boar semen doses preserved over 7 days of liquid storage. Ejaculates from 4 proven terminal cross-bred boars were collected using the gloved-hand technique for 4 weeks and used in the 3 × 2 × 2 factorial study. The effects of treatment (CON: 80 ml doses sealed at the top of the tube; 40HIGH: 40 ml doses sealed at top of tube, and 40LOW: 40 ml doses sealed at top of the liquid), agitation (agitated versus not agitated) and extender type (long-term versus short-term) were investigated on semen quality, thermo-resistance and bacteria growth in boar semen doses.

Effects of induction on the farrowing process and piglet blood parameters at the time of farrowing.

Historically, sows have been induced to farrow using prostaglandin followed by an injection of oxytocin 24 h later. Benefits of induction can include decreased rate of stillbirths, dystocia, and postnatal mortality along with increasing the likelihood of farrowings being attended. Several studies have indicated that oxytocin administration may negatively impact fetal oxygen supply during parturition, potentially from umbilical cords breaking prior to birth, resulting in increased preweaning mortality.

A standardized model to study effects of varying 24-h colostrum dose on postnatal growth and development.

Survival, feed efficiency, growth, and fertility of swine are dependent on colostrum intake in the first 24 h after birth. This study determined the effects of three doses of a homogeneous colostrum sample on 24-h body weight, rectal temperature (RT), immunocrit, and growth and survival to postnatal day (PND) 7. Three female piglets were selected from eight litters ( = 24 piglets) at birth, removed from their litter, and bottle-fed 10% (COL10, = 8), 15% (COL15, = 8), or 20% (COL20, = 8) colostrum based on birth weight over 12 bottle feedings every 2 h.

Evaluation of on-farm indicators of gilt reproductive performance potential at 21 days of age.

Selection of replacements for the sow herd is one of the most important facets in swine production. Although our current methods of selection are effective, there is still a large amount of variation in sow reproductive performance traits such as pigs per sow per year (PSY). Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine if on-farm phenotypic traits at 21 d postnatal (PN) or perinatal environmental factors could predict sow reproductive performance.

Effects of the number of sperm and site of uterine semen deposition on conception rate and the number of embryos in weaned sows receiving a single fixed-time insemination.

Reducing the number of sperm needed to produce a litter with artificial insemination (AI) allows greater use of higher genetic merit boars. Induced ovulation with single fixed-time artificial insemination (SFTAI), combined with intrauterine (IUI) or deep uterine insemination (DUI), could improve fertility with low numbers of sperm. The objectives of the study were to determine the fertility effects of sperm numbers and the site of insemination.

Shotgun proteome analysis of seminal plasma differentiate boars by reproductive performance.

There is a need to identify subfertile boars before they enter into the breeding herd. Seminal plasma proteins are essential for normal sperm function and transport and play an important role in fertilization. The objective of this study was to use liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for shotgun proteome analysis to investigate whether differences in boar fertility phenotype can be differentiated by seminal plasma protein abundance.

Auditory brainstem responses in weaning pigs and three ages of sows.

Piglet crushing is a devastating welfare concern on swine farms; however, some sows appear unresponsive to a piglet's call. Sow hearing ability is rarely considered despite the extensive body of research performed on crushing. In this study, pigs of four age groups (weaning, = 7; gilts, = 5; 2nd and 3rd parity, = 5; 5th parity and up, = 5) were anesthetized and auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) were performed to measure if pig hearing diminishes with age in a mechanically ventilated barn.

In utero heat stress alters postnatal phenotypes in swine.

The prenatal environment influences offspring health and development, and this is readily apparent when considering the well-described effects of maternal nutrition and stress on the postnatal metabolism, neural function, and stress response of progeny. Moreover, in laboratory species, sheep, and humans, the effects of in utero heat stress on offspring development have been described in detail for >50 years. Despite our extensive knowledge of the postnatal phenotypes elicited by in utero stressors, the carryover effects of in utero heat stress in pigs have only recently begun to be elucidated.

Lipidome profiles of postnatal day 2 vaginal swabs reflect fat composition of gilt's postnatal diet.

We hypothesized that postnatal development of the vagina is impacted by early nutritional environment. Our objective was to determine if lipid profiles of vaginal swabs were different between postnatal gilts suckled by sow or fed milk replacer the first 48 h after birth, with or without a lard-based fat supplement. Gilts (>1.

Temporal analysis of vaginal proteome reveals developmental changes in lower reproductive tract of gilts across the first two weeks postnatal.

In swine the upper reproductive tract undergoes early postnatal development, however little is known about the lower reproductive tract. Our objective was to measure cytology and proteome of vaginal swab samples taken on postnatal day (PND) 2 and 16 in gilts to determine if temporal changes occurred in cell and protein profiles during the first two weeks after birth. The posterior vagina was swabbed using a cytology brush on PND 0, 2 and 16 and slides were prepared.

The impact of farrowing room noise on sows' reactivity to piglets.

Despite much interest in sow welfare, the impact of the acoustic environment on sow reactivity to her piglets is rarely considered. The objective of this study was to understand the impact of noise produced by mechanical ventilation and other sows on a sow's reactivity to her piglets. Sows were farrowed in one of three environments: 1) with eight other sows exposed to constant fan noise (GROUP-FAN; = 10), 2) alone with fan noise present (ISO-FAN; = 10), and 3) alone without fans running (ISO-QUIET; = 10).

Comparison of Vocalization Patterns in Piglets Which Were Crushed to Those Which Underwent Human Restraint.

Though many studies focused on piglet crushing utilizing piglet vocalizations to test sow response, none have verified the properties of test vocalizations against actual crushing events. Ten sows were observed 48 h after parturition, and crushing events were recorded from all sows. When a crushing event occurred, a second piglet within the same litter was used to solicit a vocalization through manual restraint to compare restrained piglets' call properties to those of crushed piglets'.

Diet Impacts Pre-implantation Histotroph Proteomes in Beef Cattle.

In ruminants, the period from fertilization to implantation is relatively prolonged, and the survival of embryos depends on uterine secretions known as histotroph. Our objective was to determine if the pre-breeding diet affected histotroph proteomes in beef cattle. Cows were assigned to one of four diets: a control diet (CON), a high-protein diet (PROT), a high-fat diet (OIL), or a high-protein and high-fat diet (PROT + OIL).

In utero heat stress causes reduced testicular area at puberty, reduced total sperm production, and increased sperm abnormalities in boars.

In utero stress has been shown to negatively affect intact male rats and mice, though very little research has been conducted in boars. The objectives of the present studies were to determine the effects of in utero heat stress (IUHS) on postnatal development and the response to postnatal heat stress of boars. Ten boars were selected at weaning from litters subjected to IUHS or in utero thermoneutral (IUTN) during 30-60 days of gestation.

Blocking ligand occupancy of the αVβ3 integrin inhibits the development of nephropathy in diabetic pigs.

Hyperglycemia stimulates secretion of αVβ3 ligands from vascular cells, including endothelial cells, resulting in activation of the αVβ3 integrin. This study determined whether blocking ligand occupancy of αVβ3 would inhibit the development of diabetic nephropathy. Ten diabetic pigs received an F(ab)2 fragment of an antibody directed against the extracellular domain of the β3-subunit, and 10 received a control IgG F(ab)2 for 18 weeks.

Therapeutic benefits of helium-oxygen delivery to infants via nasal cannula.

Objective: The benefits of helium-oxygen (heliox) administration for pediatric upper and lower respiratory disorders have been well described. However, while most studies advocate delivery via a sealed or semisealed facemask system, such systems may not be tolerated in the young child. This report describes the successful and efficacious delivery of heliox via nasal cannula to 5 infants.