ABSTRACT:The effect of feed supplementing with glutamine, glucose and/or sodium butyrate was estimated on 156 piglets. The after-effect of supplements on fattener performance, carcass traits, and meat quality was examined. Piglets were allocated to 5 groups and fed standard feed mixture alone (control -C) or supplemented with 10 g of l-glutamine, or 10 g of glucose, or 3 g of sodium butyrate per kg of diet or all of these compounds (groups GT, GC, SB, and GT+GC+SB, respectively). Six piglets from each group were slaughtered at 63 days of age, their intestines were prepared and their parts measured. Digesta from ileum and caecum was taken for analysis. Its acidity and volatile fatty acids content were evaluated. Morphological structure of duodenal and ileal epithelium was estimated. After 84 days of age 20 animals from each group were fed the standard mixture. After 100 days of fattening 8 pigs from each group were slaughtered, pH of meat was measured, and samples of the longissimus muscle were taken for analysis. Body weight gains of piglets fed diets supplemented with SB or all supplements were higher than those of controls. All supplements given together increased total intestinal weight and length. Epithelial villi in jejunum were the highest in piglets receiving all supplements. Their height in the duodenum ranged from 296 to 347 µm and in the jejunum they were higher: 336 -424 μm. After 100 days of fattening body weight of all experimental animals was higher than that of control. There was no significant difference in carcass and meat quality. Sodium butyrate added to the diet improved piglet performance probably due to changes in intestine development and in intestinal epithelium structure. This positive effect was enhanced to some extent by the addition of glutamine or glucose.

Effectiveness of Rapeseed Press Cake (RPC) in Sow Feeding in Two Reproduction CyclesThe possibility of replacing soybean meal with rapeseed press cake (RPC) in feed was determined over two reproductive cycles in an experiment with 54 pregnant and lactating sows allocated to three groups with 18 gilts per group. Group I received the standard mixture, group II received RPC as the main protein source from insemination to 100 days of pregnancy, and the control diet during late pregnancy and lactation. In group III, RPC replaced all of soybean meal protein in early pregnancy and one-half of soybean meal protein during late pregnancy and lactation. Half of the sows in each group received a iodine supplement (1 mg/kg feed). Sows were weighed at mating, farrowing and weaning. Piglets were weighed at 1 and 28 days of age (weaning). Samples of milk were collected at 14 days postpartum to determine the content of protein, fat, lactose and iodine. After the first reproductive cycle sows were mated and allocated to the respective groups as in the first cycle. Neither RPC nor iodine had any effect on body weight of the sows. RPC had a beneficial effect on body weight of piglets at birth and weaning, which could be due to a higher content of fat and amino acids in sow RPC diets. RPC, especially when given throughout pregnancy and lactation significantly lowered iodine content in sow milk. Piglets grew significantly faster in the second compared to the first reproductive cycle (184 and 178 g per day, respectively). Iodine supplemented to sows reduced piglet daily weight gain from 185 to 177 g. It is concluded that rapeseed press cake can replace soybean meal in the diets for pregnant and lactating sows without a negative effect on their performance while improving piglet body weight.

Effect of Silage from Maize and Strip-Cropped Sorghum and Maize on Dairy Cow's Yield and Milk CompositionIn an experiment conducted on 34 mid-lactation dairy cows of the Red-and-White and Black-and-White breed, in a random square design, the effect of maize or sorghum-maize silage present in partly mixed ration (PMR) on milk yield, milk composition and blood serum parameters was investigated. The PMR diet contained maize silage, which compared with PMR diet contained sorghum-maize silage made from strip-cropped plants. Both fodder plants were harvested with a 4-row precision chopper, which cut 2 rows of maize and 2 rows of sorghum, giving mixed maize/sorghum forage. The feeding experiment lasted 84 days and consisted of four sub-periods, each 21 days in length to record milk yield, feed and milk chemical composition, and blood parameters. In addition to PMR diets containing part of ration compound feedingstuffs, the cows received part of compound feedingstuffs given at feed stations to meet their nutritional requirement. The compound feedingstuffs in station were controlled by an electronic system related to actual cow's milk yield. Chemical composition of both silages and milk production efficiency were compared. The average dry matter intake in both groups was 18.80 vs 20.4±1.95 kg/day, but compound feedingstuff intake from station was 3.61 vs 4.56 (P>0.01). Milk yield was 21.8 and 20.5±0.51 kg/day, respectively (P>0.01). The amount of standardized fat and protein content of milk (FPCM) was 21.0 and 20.2 kg/g ±0.48 kg/day (P≥0.01). No significant differences were found in the fat, protein, casein, lactose, urea, total solids and solids not fat percentage of milk or in milk traits (acidity, renneting time, density) among groups (P≥0.01). Feeding cows PMR ration with maize silage significantly elevated total cholesterol (P<0.05), but decreased urea levels in blood plasma (P<0.01). It is concluded that strip cropping of sorghum and maize could be an alternative to maize grown as a pure stand in maize high-risk areas for dairy cows in mid-lactation.