R.E. Musser

Sorting growing-finishing pigs by weight fails to improve growth performance or weight variation

A trial was conducted to determine the effects of sorting pigs by body weight at placement on growth performance and weight variation at finishing. Unsorted pigs and heavy sorted pigs had higher ADG than medium or light sorted pigs. By the end of the trial, final body weights ranked in the following descending order: heavy sorted, unsorted, medium sorted, and light sorted. Final weights of unsorted pigs were heavier than the average final weight of all sorted pigs. Additionally, differences in body weight variation were not detectable by the end of the study. These data suggest that sorting pigs uniformly by weight to pens has little effect on final variability in individual body weights and placing pigs into pens regardless of weight may increase the amount of pork produced from a system and reduce turnaround time in barns.

Effects of l-carnitine supplementation on quality characteristics of fresh pork bellies from pigs fed 3 levels of corn oil1

Crossbred pigs (n = 216) were used to test the effect of supplemental L-carnitine (CARN) on the fatty acid composition and quality characteristics of fresh pork bellies from pigs fed diets formulated with different inclusion levels of corn oil. Pigs were blocked by BW (43.6 ± 1.0 kg) and allotted randomly to pens of 6 pigs within blocks. Then, within blocks, pens were assigned randomly to 1 of 6 dietary treatments in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement, with either 0 or 100 mg/kg of supplemental CARN and 3 dietary inclusion levels (0, 2, or 4%) of corn oil (CO). When the lightest block weighed 125.0 kg, all pigs were slaughtered, and left-side bellies were captured during carcass fabrication for quality data collection. Fresh pork bellies were evaluated for length, width, thickness, and firmness (bar-suspension and Instron-compression methods) before a 2.5-cm-wide strip of belly was removed and subsequently dissected into subcutaneous fat, primary lean (latissimus dorsi), secondary lean (cutaneous trunci), and intermuscular fat for fatty acid composition determination. Although belly length, width, and thickness of fresh pork bellies were not affected by CARN (P ≥ 0.128) or CO (P ≥ 0.073), belly firmness decreased linearly (P < 0.001) with increasing dietary CO, but there was no (P ≥ 0.137) effect of CARN on any belly firmness measure. Dietary CARN increased (P < 0.05) the proportion of total SFA in the intermuscular fat layer, increased (P < 0.05) the proportion of total MUFA in the primary and secondary lean layers, and decreased (P < 0.05) the proportion of total PUFA in the intermuscular fat and secondary lean layers of pork bellies. Moreover, the SFA and MUFA compositions decreased linearly (P < 0.001) with increasing dietary CO, and the rate of the decrease in SFA composition was greater (P < 0.001) in the fat layers than the lean layers. Conversely, the PUFA content increased linearly (P < 0.001) with increasing dietary CO, and the rate of the increase in PUFA was greater (P < 0.001) in the fat than the lean layers, and greater (P = 0.022) in the primary than secondary lean layer. Results from this study would indicate that differences in the amount and rate of fatty acid deposition associated with feeding increased amounts of CO, along with moisture differences among the belly layers, combine to negatively affect fresh pork belly firmness.

Effects of L-carnitine in the Gestating Sow Diet on Fetal Muscle Development and Carcass Characteristics of the Offspring

Abstract Musser, R.E., Dritz, S.S., Davis, D.L., Tokach, M.D., Nelssen, J.L., Goodband, R.D. and Owen, K.Q. 2007. Effects of L-carnitine in the gestating sow diet on fetal muscle development and carcass characteristics of the offspring. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 31: 105–111. A total of 232 sows were used to determine the effects none or an additional 50 ppm of L-carnitine in the gestation diet on sow and offspring performance. Sows were fed dietary treatments from breeding until d 110 of gestation. Offspring from sows were ear-notched according to maternal treatment at birth and carcass data were obtained at slaughter. Sow plasma IGF-I concentration was similar (P>0.10) between control and L-carnitine supplemented sows on d 30 and 60 of gestation at 2 h after feeding. No differences were observed in either the immediate or subsequent number of pigs born per litter. No differences were observed in a sub-sample (n = 181) of pig weight at birth, weaning or d 59 of age between control and treatment offspring. Analysis of newborn pigs revealed no differences in semitendinosus cross-sectional area or primary (slow-twitch, red) fibers. Offspring of sows fed L-carnitine had a numerical tendency (P = 0.11) for a lower ratio of secondary:primary fibers compared with offspring of control sows. No differences were observed in hot carcass weight (87.6 kg); however, loin depth (57.0 < vs 59.4 mm; P < 0.01) and percentage lean (54.45 vs 55.10; P < 0.01) were increased, and backfat decreased (18.4 vs 17.8 mm: P < 0.01) in offspring of sows fed L-carnitine during gestation. Therefore, while feeding L-carnitine during gestation had no effect on the number of pigs born, it improved carcass leanness of the offspring at market weight and tended to lower ratio of secondary.—primary fibers at birth.

Determining the optimal isoleucine:lysine ratio for the 25 to 50 lb pig

This report is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for inclusion in Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports by an authorized administrator of New Prairie Press. Copyright 1996 Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service.

Additional L-carnitine in the gestating sow diet improves carcass characteristics of the offspring

A total of 232 sows was used to determine the effects of an additional 50 ppm of Lcarnitine in the gestation diet on sow and offspring performance. No differences were observed in either the immediate or subsequent number of pigs born or born alive per litter (P>.10). No differences were observed in pig weight at birth, weaning, or d 60 of age. Muscle fiber analysis of newborn pigs indicated a tendency for a larger cross-sectional area of the semitendinosus muscle; increased primary (slow-twitch, red) fibers; and a higher ratio of primary to secondary fibers (fast-twitch, white). No differences were observed in the hot carcass weight, but loin depth and percentage lean were increased in offspring of sows fed L-carnitine during gestation. Therefore, although feeding L-carnitine during gestation had no effect on the number of pigs born, it improved carcass leanness of the offspring consistent with changes in muscle fiber characteristics. More research is needed to determine the optimum level of L-carnitine to use in the gestation diet.

Ovulation and fertilization rate of gilts provided additional L-carnitine and chromium nicotinate

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Effects of increased dietary lysine on sow and litter performance.

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Effects of increased feed intake or additional corn from day 30 to 50 of gestation on performance of sows and growth performance and carcass characteristics of offspring

This report is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for inclusion in Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports by an authorized administrator of New Prairie Press. Copyright 1997 Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service.

Effects of time of introduction and level of soybean meal on performance of segregated early-weaned pigs

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Effects of different specialty protein sources on growth performance of starter pigs.

This report is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for inclusion in Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports by an authorized administrator of New Prairie Press. Copyright 1996 Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service.