ABSTRACT:Mycotoxins are commonly present in feed for farm animals. Sows and gilts are highly susceptible to mycotoxins. This article presents a review describing the main mycotoxins encountered in pig feed which have a negative impact on sow fertility and reproduction. Consumption of feed that is contaminated with these mycotoxins may cause a variety of symptoms, depending on the type of mycotoxin, quantity and duration of exposure, as well as the health status and condition of the animal at the time of exposure. Two types of fungi are recognized, field fungi and storage fungi. Field fungi such as Fusarium spp., Aspergillus spp. and Claviceps spp. may produce toxins that lead to disturbed reproductive performance. Storage fungi occur if the humidity during storage is too high. In daily practice, the symptoms related to mycotoxicosis can occur at toxin concentrations below the detection limit. Knowledge of the effects of mycotoxins is expanding rapidly. Mycotoxins may still be present in feedstuffs despite negative analytical findings and because of the presence of hot spots in feed and or feedstuffs. Clinical symptoms can be very pronounced, making the diagnosis for the practitioner quite easy but in many cases the symptoms are vague and not at all present at herd level on a regular basis. The practitioner is in the first line of raising awareness in all parties whenever the first indication exists of a possible mycotoxicosis problem causing reproductive failure in breeding pigs. The problems can be resolved only if all parties involved in pig herd health take the necessary preventive measures and actions. The main toxins causing reproductive failure discussed in this article are aflatoxins, ergot alkaloids, trichothecenes and zearalenone.

The variability of animal-based parameters was studied within a population of 41 farrow-to-finish farms. Data were collected during three visits, each corresponding to a different season within a two-year period. The largest between-farm variability was observed for stereotypic behaviour by pregnant sows, and for skin, ear and tail lesions, dirtiness and respiratory problems in growing pigs. Relationships with housing and management parameters were established to formulate advice on how to improve pigs' welfare. Group-housed sows performed less oral stereotypic behaviour than individual housed sows (18.7 versus 44.1%), but a higher proportion of skin lesions was observed in group-housed sows (15.4 versus 2.0%). Prevalence of tail-biting behaviour varied between 0 and 21%. The risk for tail biting was higher in cases of reduced levels of floor space per pig, and ear-biting behaviour occurred more often when tails were docked short. Coughing was not correlated directly with the occurrence of lung lesions, but the risk was higher in instances of reduced space availability per pig. Farms could be ranked according to these welfare parameters, ie either according to the score of each individual parameter or based on the summation of all scores. Hence, welfare status was defined in relation to farm-specific information, allowing formulation of advice on housing and management to ultimately improve pig welfare through the matching of a predefined benchmark.

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The composition of mother’s milk is considered the ideal diet for neonates. This study investigated how conserved or variable the amino acid profile of sow colostrum and milk is throughout lactation, compared with other studies in sows and other species. Twenty-five sows (parity one to seven) from one farm with gestation lengths of 114 to 116 d were sampled on d 0, 3, and 10 after parturition. The total amino acid profile of the samples was analyzed through ion-exchange chromatography, and the results were displayed as the percentage of total amino acid and compared with literature data. Most of the amino acid concentrations in sow milk decreased significantly (p < 0.05) throughout the lactation period, while the amino acid profile generally showed a conserved pattern, especially from d 3 to d 10, and was rather similar across different studies. Glutamine + glutamate was the most abundant amino acid in milk at all sampling moments, accounting for 14–17% of total amino acids. The proportions of proline, valine, and glycine in sow milk nearly accounted for 11%, 7%, and 6% respectively, and were higher compared to human, cow, and goat milk, while the methionine proportion was less than the other three. Compared to the large variations often reported in macronutrient concentrations, the amino acid profile of sow milk in the present study, as well as in others, seems well conserved across the lactation period. Similarities with characteristic differences were also observed between sow milk and piglet body composition, which might reflect the nutrition requirements of preweaning piglets. This study warrants further research exploring the link between the whole amino acid profile and the particular amino acids for suckling piglets and could facilitate insight for optimizing creep feed.

Lighting influences the circadian rhythm and physiology of animals. Yet, the influence of light on nursery pigs is not fully understood and results remain controversial. The present study investigated the effects of a prolonged photoperiod on the performance, health, and behaviour of nursery pigs. This study was conducted in one farm and included 288 hybrid nursery pigs. Long (LONG) and short (SHORT) photoperiod animals were exposed to either 16 or 8 hours of light per day, respectively. Performance, health, welfare, and behavioural parameters were monitored during a nursery period of five weeks. Short photoperiod piglets tended to have higher weights at the end of the nursery (LONG: 21.59 vs. SHORT: 22.19 kg; p = 0.064) and higher average daily gain (LONG: 385 vs. SHORT: 403 g/day; p = 0.063) compared to the long photoperiod piglets. The LONG piglets had significantly higher fecal consistency scores (0–100) than the SHORT piglets on days 7 (LONG: 21 vs. SHORT: 10; p = 0.039), 11 (LONG: 40 vs. SHORT: 14; p = 0.002), 21 (LONG: 21 vs. SHORT: 8; p = 0.008), and 25 (LONG: 26 vs. SHORT: 11; p = 0.015). The LONG piglets tended to have a slightly higher incidence of aggressive behaviour (LONG: 2.49% vs. SHORT: 2.36%; p = 0.071). No significant differences were found for the remaining parameters (p > 0.1). Under the present conditions, lengthening the photoperiod during the nursery period did not significantly improve the performance, health, and welfare of the pigs.