Digestibility and metabolic utilization of diets containing whole-ear corn silage and their effects on growth and slaughter traits of heavy pigs1

Zanfi, C.; Colombini, S.; Mason, Federico; Galassi, G.; Rapetti, L.; Malagutti, L.; Crovetto, G. M.; Spanghero, M.

doi:10.2527/jas.2013-6507

Cited by 16 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…The lack of linearity in the response when increased amount of WECS was fed may be attributed to an excessive pH decrease in 30WECS. This could be partially confirmed by the decrease in fecal pH with a diet containing ear corn silage and with a higher animal weight (Zanfi et al, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 53%

“…The increased inclusion of WECS, reducing P intake and fecal P excretion but also reducing retained P (Zanfi et al, 2014), did not affect plasma inorganic P as much as the plasma activities of ALP and TRAP, 2 enzymes generally affected by reduced P availability. As outlined by Gutzwiller et al (2011), the P requirement to achieve the optimal bone mineralization in pigs is greater than that for the maximum growth rate; therefore, the good growth obtained in WECS groups (Zanfi et al, 2014) was not a reference per se for P availability or animal welfare.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They considered this effect to be the result of the increased expression of adipose triglyceride lipase in adipose tissue, and they linked this response to a different effect of dietary fiber source on lipid absorption, thus stimulating a repartitioning of body lipid stores. In our case, without differences in fiber intake or fiber digestibility between groups (Zanfi et al, 2014), a possible explanation relies on a different partition in nutrient digestion throughout the gut. This difference could be hypothesized from the different granularity of the diets due to the presence of WECS, which was characterized by a higher percentage of particles in the upper sieving fraction.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As reported in a companion paper (Zanfi et al, 2014), the particle size measured by the Penn State Particle Separator (Nasco, Fort Atkinson, WI) showed that about 73% of WECS was retained by the 2-mm sieve, 14% was collected at the bottom, and 12% was retained by the 8-mm sieve. A fraction of about 1% was collected by the 19-mm sieve.…”

Section: Animals and Dietsmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…The animals, with an average BW of 98.2 (±5.6) kg, were randomly housed in 9 pens with 3 animals per pen and 3 pens per treatment. As reported in our previous companion paper (Zanfi et al, 2014), to determine diet digestibility, 2 pigs per each of the 3 dietary treatments were moved from the pens to individual metabolic cages for 3 consecutive periods. Each period lasted 14 d, and blood was collected at the start (before the transfer from pens to metabolic cages) and at the end (before the transfer from metabolic cages to pens) of the periods.…”

Section: Animals and Dietsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Blood parameters in fattening pigs fed whole-ear corn silage and housed in group pens or in metabolic cages1

Abeni

Petrera

Prà

et al. 2015

Journal of Animal Science

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ABSTRACT:The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of the inclusion of whole-ear corn silage (WECS) in diets for advanced fattening heavy pigs (substitution for part of the dry corn and wheat bran) allocated or not in metabolic cages on the main blood parameters. The high-moisture shelled corn is largely used in pig feeding while WECS is less often used despite the fact that it increases the DM crop yield. Three experimental diets were fed to 27 barrows (Italian Large White × Italian Duroc), with an average BW of 98.2 (±5.6) kg at the start of the trial, and randomly allotted to 3 experimental groups including a control diet (CON) containing cereal meals (corn, barley, and wheat, 80.2% DM in total), soybean meal (9% DM), wheat bran (8% DM), minerals and supplements (2.8% DM), and 2 diets containing WECS (15 or 30% DM referred to as 15WECS and 30WECS, respectively) in partial or complete substitution for wheat bran and corn meal. The pigs were randomly housed in 9 pens with 3 animals per pen and 3 pens per dietary treatment. Six pigs per each of the 3 treatments were moved from the pens to individual metabolic cages for 3 consecutive periods (2 pigs per treatment per period). Each period lasted 14 d, and blood was collected at the start and at the end of the periods. Blood was drawn from the jugular vein before feed distribution in the morning, at 14 d intervals, and analyzed for hematological, metabolic, and serum protein profiles. The effect of the metabolic cage housing was included in the statistical model to compare the results obtained in the 2 different environments of restrained and group-housed barrows. The WECS affected the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration. The main diet effect on plasma metabolites was recorded for plasma NEFA, with higher values in WECS diets compared with the CON. The metabolic cage housing affected both hematological (red blood cell count, hemoglobin, hematocrit) and metabolic (protein and its fractions) items, which can be markers of hemodilution. These results indicate the possibility to use this feed in the diet of heavy pigs without negative effects on physiology. The absolute values from metabolic profile of pigs in metabolic cages must be considered with caution for possible comparisons with values obtained on-field in group pens, particularly because a different hemodilution may affect the results.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 53%