Effects of supplementing organic microminerals and methionine with or without limiting growth during the rearing phase of replacement gilts on lameness, growth, and body composition1

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Previous research suggested that lameness in growing pigs could be reduced using feeding strategies, such as limiting growth rate and supplementing trace minerals (TM) and (or) methionine (Met). The present study evaluates effects of 1) TM and Met and 2) limiting total lysine (Lys) during the rearing phase (90 d) of gilts (as a means to limit growth rate) on lameness, performance, and sow claw health and productivity (to first parity). Gilts (n = 240; 58.0 ± 11.1 kg body weight [BW]) were blocked, distributed into pens of 10 gilts, and pens were allocated to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Factors were: 1) control or TM plus Met, which provided additional 10, 20, and 50 mg/kg of chelated copper, manganese, and zinc, respectively (0.1%, Aplomotec Plus, Tecnología &amp; Vitaminas, S.L.; Alforja, Spain), and a 1.01 Met:Lys ratio and 2) standard Lys was formulated to meet growth requirements or low Lys to 19% below growth requirements. Feeding was provided through two phases, first between 119 and 163 d of age (phase I) and the second between 163 and 209 d of age (phase II). Diets had 2.43 and 2.31 Mcal net energy/kg for phases I and II, respectively, and were offered ad libitum. Low Lys did not affect feed intake but rather reduced average daily gain (ADG) by 6.35% and the final BW by 3.80% compared with standard Lys (P &amp;lt; 0.001). Low Lys reduced ADG (P &amp;lt; 0.001) and gain:feed (P = 0.012) during phase I but not during phase II. Lameness prevalence was 7.92% during rearing and increased with time (P &amp;lt; 0.001). Final BW (151 kg) and ADG (989 g) were similar (P &amp;gt; 0.05) whether gilts displayed lameness or not. Lameness was low in severity and not affected by dietary factors. However, TM- plus Met-fed gilts were 19.2 kg heavier (P = 0.016) than were control at lameness detection. On the sow farm, there was no evidence for differences in lameness or claw lesions among previous dietary treatments. In conclusion, lameness prevalence during the rearing phase was similar, independent of TM plus Met supplement, low Lys, or the interaction. Insufficient reduction of ADG and low severity in lameness may have limited the potential of dietary treatments. Moreover, a greater deficiency of Lys would be needed to achieve the degree of growth reduction previously reported to lessen lameness through feed restriction.</jats:p>

Lameness in fattening pigs – Mycoplasma hyosynoviae, osteochondropathy and reduced dietary phosphorus level as three influencing factors: A case report

“…As metabolic bone diseases are usually reversible, any typical histologic changes might had been present at an earlier point in time and would most likely have been superimposed by the degenerative processes at the time of examination. Some studies support the multifactorial pathogenesis of osteochondropathy but there is lack of evidence for an interaction with mineral de ciency [54,55]. Under experimental conditions, hypophosphataemia was found to cause focal cartilage lesions, which were different from cartilage degeneration typical of osteochondrosis [56].…”

Lameness in fattening pigs – Mycoplasma hyosynoviae, osteochondropathy and reduced dietary phosphorus level as three influencing factors: a case report

“…As metabolic bone diseases are usually reversible, any typical histologic changes might had been present at an earlier point in time and would most likely have been superimposed by the degenerative processes at the time of examination. Some studies support the multifactorial pathogenesis of osteochondropathy but there is lack of evidence for an interaction with mineral deficiency [ 54 , 55 ]. Under experimental conditions, hypophosphataemia was found to cause focal cartilage lesions, which were different from cartilage degeneration typical of osteochondrosis [ 56 ].…”

Lameness in fattening pigs – Mycoplasma hyosynoviae, osteochondropathy and reduced dietary phosphorus level as three influencing factors: A case report

“…De ciencies in Ca, P or vitamin D lead to an impaired bone growth, modeling or remodeling characterized by distinct morphologic entities as trabecular bone rarefaction, enlarged thickness of osteoid tissue, failure of newly formed osteoid to mineralize, thin trabeculae and increased osteoclasts [52,53]. and amino acids did not in uence the prevalence of lameness [56]. In another study, mineral supplementation alone did not improve locomotion scores, but in combination with female-only rearing, a signi cant bene cial effect on bone mineralization and joint lesions was shown [57].…”