Leucine is a key regulator that stimulates catabolism of branched-chain AA (BCAA; i.e., Leu, Ile, and Val) in skeletal muscle and liver. If diets fed to pigs contain excess Leu, catabolism of all 3 BCAA may increase because of...
At weaning, pigs have to cope with abrupt withdrawal of sow milk, and this often causes appetite suppression due to marked changes in diet form and composition. Feed flavor and sweetener are believed to increase feed palatability, and subsequently...
When it comes to porcine reproductive and respiratory virus (PRRSV) it’s important for the veterinarian and farm personnel to know the health status of a herd or barn. Today, serum is the “gold standard” for antibody detection; however, it...
Recent research conducted at the University of Illinois Swine Research Center demonstrated positive effects of feeding copper hydroxychloride to weanling pigs, including improved growth performance and positive changes in intestinal health. It is, however, not known if copper hydroxychloride...
Many animal feeds contain crystalline amino acids, nitrogen-based building blocks for protein synthesis. Often, crystalline amino acids are manufactured by genetically engineered bacteria, which do not trigger any safety concerns but are capable of producing mass quantities of the...
Genetic effort to improve
pork sensory traits
Dr. Chunyan Zhang, Genesus Geneticist
czhang@genesus.com
Pork quality is an important factor influencing consumers purchasing decisions. Consumers` willingness to pay more or re-purchasing pork is driven by past eating satisfaction, which is mainly associated with juiciness,...
Garth Braun, General Manager
at Canadian Centre of Gene Transfer – Genesus Inc.
One must consider the boar as a very important part of the farm’s reproduction success, so special attention is needed when it comes to boar management, considering nutrition, vaccinations...
Dr. Dinesh Thekkoot, Genesus Inc.
Sow longevity is a key economic component in commercial pig farming, as it is directly proportional to the herd replacement rate and to the total number of piglets weaned per sow lifetime.
Even though sow longevity...
Swine diets are primarily formulated and tested in growing pigs. Studies show the ideal ratio of nutrients, specifically the ratio of calcium to phosphorus, changes slightly but predictably as pigs progress through the growing stage. What’s not well-understood is...
Recently a high-protein distillers dried grains (HP-DDGS; ProCap DDGS, Marquis Energy, Hennepin, IL) was developed and the HP-DDGS has greater concentrations of CP and fat, but contains less fiber compared with conventional DDGS, which may affect the digestibility of...