Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of including liquid lactose (LL) and molasses (M) in swine diets on pellet quality and pig performance. In experiment 1, a total of 194 nursery pigs (DNA 241 × 600, initially 6.7 ± 0.4 kg at 27 d of age) were used in a 33-d experiment evaluating the effects of LL (SweetLac 63; Westway Feed Products, Tomball, TX) or cane molasses on nursery pig performance and pellet quality. Pelleted experimental diets were fed from d 0 to 21, and a common pelleted diet fed from d 21 to 33. Dietary treatments consisted of a control diet containing 19.1% total sugars from whey powder and whey permeate and experimental diets with a percentage of whey permeate replaced by either 5% or 10% LL or 9.4% cane molasses (5 LL, 10 LL, and 9.4 M, respectively). Hot pellet temperature and production rate decreased (P < 0.05) from the control to 9.4 M treatments with 5 LL and 10 LL having intermediate effects. Pellet durability index (PDI) increased (P < 0.05) in 5 LL, 10 LL, and 9.4 M, respectively. From d 0 to 7, pigs fed the 10 LL and 9.4 M treatment had the best G:F followed by the control and 5 LL treatments. From d 0 to 21, ADFI had a marginally significant improvement (P < 0.10) in pigs fed up to 10 LL in the diet. Fecal consistency scores at d 7 were also firmer (P < 0.05) in pigs fed 9.4 M compared with pigs fed the control or 5 LL treatments with pigs fed the 10 LL treatment being intermediate. There was no evidence for differences in fecal consistency scores for d 14. In experiment 2, a total of 289 finishing pigs (DNA 241 × 600; initially 53.5 ± 0.5 kg BW) were used in a 53-d experiment evaluating the effects of LL on pellet quality and finishing pig performance. Experimental diets were fed in pelleted form from d 0 to 53 divided into three phases. Dietary treatments were a corn-soybean meal control diet with 0%, 2.5%, 5%, and 7.5% LL added in the place of corn. PDI improved (linear, P < 0.01) with increasing inclusion of LL. There were no differences in ADG, ADFI, final BW, or carcass characteristics. Pigs fed diets with increasing levels of LL tended to have improved (quadratic, P = 0.070) G:F.

The study aimed to investigate and characterize the maternal effects of feeding Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boularddii (Scb) to sows from late-gestation through lactation on progeny cortisol, immune status, and stress responsiveness from birth to 14 days post-weaning. Eighty-four piglets were born to sows fed control (CON) or probiotic (PRO) boluses twice daily for 59 days. Blood samples were obtained at birth and 24 h later to assess prenatal effects; 7, 14, and 21 day-of-age to assess potential developmental effects; and at 24 h, 7, and 14 days post-weaning to assess the effects of weaning stress on immune and cortisol responses. Pigs born to PRO sows had less robust cortisol response and enhanced immune parameters at birth and 24 h later, indicating less stress. In response to weaning, pigs born to and nursed by PRO sows displayed unique cortisol and immune profiles than CON pigs. These results indicate that feeding sows Scb probiotics during late gestation reduces stress responsiveness to farrowing stress while increasing immune cell populations. Pigs nursed by PRO sows had a more robust initial cortisol response and enhanced neutrophil function and B-cell lymphocyte proliferation in response to weaning stress. These data imply it may be possible to maternally alter immune and stress responses in utero and during suckling in the short-term and up to 14 days post-weaning. However, more research is needed to optimize this strategy.

thank you for providing me the opportunity to continue my education, providing support and challenging me. To Dr. Wickersham, thank you for adopting me as one of your graduate students and for inviting me to spend holidays with your family.To Dr. Leslie Frenzel, Del Rio would not have been as entertaining without you, your advice and knowledge were tremendous. To Mike Penn, I mostly drove you crazy out at the farm but I know that you loved it.To my fellow graduate students, thank you for making Texas feel like home, I am better for knowing all of you. I look forward to seeing what life has in store for each of you and hope that one day our paths will cross again. The Swine Nutrition and Production (SNaP) Team -Sarah, Logan and Lily -thank you for all of the laughs and support in good and challenging times. You are all rock stars for helping my projects run smoothly. Jessica, Emily, and Amelia, thanks for fielding all of my questions, being listening ears, great roommates (pseudo-roommates) and friends.I am thankful to have had many mentors thus far in my life and for each I am grateful. My achievements are a testament to you and the guidance and wisdom you have shared. To Coach Ben Williamson, thank you for encouraging me to undertake this graduate school journey and believing in me when I had doubts. To my friends that v I consider family, while we are spread from coast to coast pursuing our dreams, please know that I think of you often and appreciate your love and support. Thank goodness for modern technology that we are able to remain so close when we live so far. To my family, they say you cannot pick your family but I would choose all of you, every time.I truly hit the family jackpot. Thank you for supporting all of my endeavors and cultivating my passion for agriculture. To my grandmothers and grandfather, I was only given you for a chapter of my life but your memory still lives in me every day. I hope I am making you proud. To Mom and Dad, my pillars, your love and support are unmatched. Dad, I have never met anyone that works harder than you, you are my inspiration to never give up and to figure it out when things get tough. You may say that "It's all about the money" but you do it all for your family and for others. Mom, you are so self-sacrificing for my happiness and the best cheerleader around. All that I am and hope to be, I owe to my mother. Above all, I thank God for giving me the courage to pursue my dreams, wherever they may lead.

Times of high metabolic activity in gestation and lactation, as well as periods of stress at weaning, can lead to greater incidences of oxidative stress in the dam and offspring during the suckling and postweaning period. Oxidative stress is an imbalance between prooxidant molecules and the antioxidant defense system that can negatively impact growth and/or reproductive performance. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of whole yeast cell, peppermint oil, and ɤ-tocopherol in gestation and lactation on maternal oxidative status and offspring growth from birth to market. In study 1, 45 sows and gilts were assigned to one of four diets [control diet (CON), control + whole yeast cell (YC), control + mint oil top dress (MO), and control + yeast cell and mint oil top dress (YCMO)] provided from d110 of gestation through to weaning. A total of 481 weaned offspring were randomly allotted to pens balanced by weight and litter within maternal treatment and received the same dietary treatment as the sow for 35 days postwean in a four-phase feeding regimen. In study 2, 53 sows and gilts were allotted to four diet regimens similar to study 1 [CON, YC, MO, and control + ɤ-tocopherol (GT)] from d5 postbreeding to weaning. At weaning, 605 piglets were randomly allotted to pens, balanced by weight and litter within maternal treatment and fed a common diet for 126 days postwean in a nine-phase feeding regimen. Maternal dietary treatment did not impact sow body weight, piglet birth weight, and litter size in either study. In study 1, piglets from YC sows were heavier (p < 0.05) at weaning than CON animals. In the postwean period, overall daily gain was greater (p < 0.05) for CON-fed pigs than YCMO pigs, with overall feed intake greater (p < 0.05) for YCMO- than MO-fed pigs, resulting in lower (p < 0.05) Gain to Feed (G:F) in YCMO-fed pigs. In study 1, glutathione content in milk tended to be lower (p < 0.10) in MO than in YCMO sows. In study 2, piglets from GT-fed sows tended to be heavier (p < 0.10) at weaning than YC piglets. Lightweight pigs from CON sows tended to be lighter (p < 0.10) than pigs from all other treatment groups at weaning and day (d) 29 postwean. Lightweight MO and GT pigs were heavier at d42 (p < 0.05) than CON and YC pigs. At d70 postwean, GT pigs tended to be heavier than CON pigs. Lightweight MO pigs had greater gain (p < 0.05) during the finishing period than all other treatment groups. With respect to sow oxidative status in study 2, glutathione content in colostrum and d4 and 14 milk samples did not differ by maternal treatment. Superoxide dismutase activity in sow sera, colostrum, and milk did not differ between diets in either study. Whole yeast cell and ɤ-tocopherol supplementation in sow lactation diets resulted in heavier offspring. However, pre- and postnatal exposure to mint oil benefited lightweight pigs up to market weight.

During preconditioning, modified-live vaccines are frequently administered to beef calves before weaning. In this study, we began to characterize the immune phenotype of calves that received a modified-live vaccination at 3–4 months of age and then either received the same modified-live or an inactivated vaccine upon arrival at the feedlot (weaning) and 28 days post-arrival (booster). Innate and adaptive immune measures were assessed before revaccination and 14 and 28 days post. Heifers that received three doses of the modified-live vaccine exhibited a relatively balanced immune response based on increases in mean cytokine concentrations (IL-17, IL-21) and total immunoglobulin-G (IgG) and subsets IgG1 and IgG2, which are related to both arms of the adaptive immune system. Conversely, heifers that received one dose of modified live and two doses of the inactivated vaccine had a more robust neutrophil chemotactic response and greater serum-neutralizing antibody titers, resulting in an enhanced innate immune and a skewed proinflammatory response. These results indicate that the revaccination protocol used after initial vaccination with a modified-live vaccine differentially influences the immune phenotype of beef calves, with three doses of modified live inducing potentially immune homeostasis and a combination of modified live and inactivated vaccines inducing a skewed immune phenotype. However, more research is needed to determine the protective efficacy of these vaccination protocols against disease.

The use of probiotics in swine production may be an alternative to antibiotics for both disease prevention and growth promotion. Limited data exist on their potential to modulate offspring immune function when fed solely to the dam. A study was designed to assess the potential immunomodulatory effect of maternal supplementation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii (scb) from gestational day 84 until the end of lactation (21-d period) on the immune status of the progeny in short- and long-term. A total of 84 female piglets born to 18 sows (n = 9/treatment) fed two boluses at 0600 h of either Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii CMCN-1079 (probiotic; PRO) or sugar (control; CON) were randomly selected at farrowing (n = 42/sow treatment). Blood samples were taken at birth (0), 1, 7, 14, 21 (weaning), 28, and 35 days-of-age to assess cortisol and descriptive and functional measures of the immune system of the progeny. Data were analyzed using MIXED procedure of SAS 9.4 with repeated measures. At birth, pigs born to CON-sows had greater (P< 0.001) plasma cortisol and % lymphocytes, but pigs born to PRO-sows had greater % neutrophils (P< 0.001). Progeny from PRO-sows had a greater (P< 0.001) percent natural killer (NK) cytotoxicity at 14 days-of-age, whereas progeny from CON-sows had greater (P< 0.001) concanavalin-A induced proliferation index at 21 days-of-age. Despite limited treatment x age effects, overall treatment effects with PRO progeny had greater (P< 0.001) C5a- and IL-8 neutrophil chemotaxis than CON. Conversely, progeny from PRO-sows had greater (P< 0.001) NK cytotoxicity and lipopolysaccharide-induced proliferation index than CON. These data imply that there are few short- and long-term effects of scb on the immune status of the progeny, and maternal supplementation may be an opportunity to modulate the immune status of the progeny up to 35 days-of-age.

Times of high metabolic activity can lead to increased incidence of oxidative stress in gestating and lactating sows which may impact suckling piglet performance. Identifying products that could help alleviate this stress would be beneficial. A study assessed yeast cell, mint oil, and ɣ-tocopherol supplementation in gestation and lactation diets on sow antioxidant status and offspring performance to weaning. A total of 53 sows and gilts (206.2 ± 35.3 kg at breeding) were assigned to one of 4 diet regimens: Control (CON), control + yeast cell at 0.15% (YC), control + mint oil at 10 ppm (MO), and control + ɣ-tocopherol at 200 ppm (GT). Diets were provided from breeding through weaning (lactation day 21 ± 2). Control diets were formulated to meet nutrient requirements in gestation (3279 kcal ME/kg, 0.63% SID Lys) and lactation (3279 kcal ME/kg, 1.06% SID Lys). Yeast cell, mint oil and ɣ-tocopherol were added as a top dress once daily. Sow variables evaluated were weight at beginning and end of each period, feed intake, litter characteristics at birth, and antioxidant status in serum, colostrum and milk. Piglet growth during suckling was determined. Data were analyzed as randomized complete block and Tukey’s adjustment as means separation test. Maternal diet had minimal impact on gestation or lactation feed intake or sow body weight. There was no effect on litter size or piglet birth weight. Piglets from GT-fed sows tended to be heavier at weaning than YC piglets due to differences in daily gain. Glutathione content in colostrum and d14 milk samples did not differ by maternal treatment. D14 milk Glutathione content was 40%, 59%, 62%, and 51% greater in CON, YC, MO, and GT sows, respectively, compared to colostrum. No difference in superoxide dismutase content in serum and d14 milk observed. Inclusion of ɣ-tocopherol in sow gestation and lactation diets enhanced suckling piglet growth; connection to sow antioxidant status remains unclear.

Weaning is a period of pig growth associated with increased incidence of oxidative stress which can impact post-weaning performance. Inclusion of feed additives with antioxidant activity in sow diets has been reported to improve offspring growth beyond the suckling phase. A study assessed yeast cell, mint oil, and ɣ-tocopherol supplementation in sow gestation and lactation diets has on offspring post-weaning performance. A total of 605 piglets (6.14 ± 2.53 kg BW) from 53 sows were randomly allotted to 62 pens, balanced by weight and litter within maternal diet [Control diet (CON), control + yeast cell at 0.15% (YC), control + mint oil at 10 ppm (MO), and control + ɣ-tocopherol at 200 ppm (GT)]. Pens of pigs were given a common diet for 126 d post-wean in a 9-phase feeding regimen. After d29 post-wean, performance of pigs deemed light (< 5.10 kg) and heavy (>7.25 kg) at weaning were followed to d126. Performance was analyzed as randomized complete block with pen as experimental unit and Tukey’s adjustment as means separation test. Pigs from CON sows tended to be lighter pigs from all other treatment groups at weaning and d29 post-wean due to differences in daily gain. Lightweight MO and GT pigs had a heavier weight at d42 (P=0.002) than CON and YC pigs (16.8, 16.7, 19.3, and 19.9 ± 0.77 kg in CON, YC, MO, and GT, respectively). At d70 post-wean, GT pigs tended to be heavier than CON pigs, with YC and MO intermediate. Lightweight pigs from MO sows had greater gain (P=0.04) during the finishing period than all other treatment groups, with GT pigs gaining less. There were no detectable differences in BW during the finishing phase among treatments in heavyweight pigs, however, CON pigs tended (P=0.07) to gain the least. Exposure to mint oil and ɣ-tocopherol during the prenatal and suckling period may provide lasting benefits to light-weight pigs post-wean.