Nathalia de Oliveira Telesca Camargo

Modern pig farming practices, characterized by highly-productive and fast-growing genetics, early weaning, and uncontrolled factors such as heat stress and various nutritional challenges, impose cumulative stress on the animal. Elevated concentrations of reactive oxygen species within cells can compromise cellular function and decrease reproductive performance of breeding stock and the growth of progeny up to market age, and deteriorate pork quality, ultimately causing economic losses. Antioxidants and micronutrients can be supplemented in animal feed to alleviated the adverse impact of oxidative stress on pig health and production performance. Selenium is an essential micronutrient required for an efficient antioxidant defense system. Se-enriched yeast serves as a natural source of organice selenium. Its effectiveness in improving selenium (Se) assimilation and oxidative status in modern pigs, especially under intensee stress conditions, has been well documented. This review aims to address oxidative stress challenges encountered by pigs during commercial production and elaborate on the capacity of organic Se to mitigate oxidative stress in pigs. Se-enriched yeast provides biologically and nutritionally important amounts of SeMet and SeCys. The review summarizes evidence that, compared wtih inorganic Se, dietary Se-enriched yeast effectively alleviates oxidative stress in pigs while enhancing production performance and pork quality.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a scalable feeding strategy based on daily diet adjustments to predefined group feeding curves for growing-finishing pigs, on growth performance, nutrient efficiency, and environmental sustainability responses. Six hundred thirty 64-day-old male pigs were allocated to 30 pens (21 animals per pen), which were randomly assigned to the following treatments: control (conventional phase-feeding program) or daily adjusted diet (same diets but provided in predefined mixing ratios adjusted daily for a gradual transition between feeding phases). Growth performance and nutrient efficiency were assessed using body weight and feed intake records. Serum biochemical responses were analyzed in a representative subsample of the population. Environmental impact was inferred based on estimates of the global warming, terrestrial acidification, freshwater eutrophication, and land use associated with feeding practices. All data were tested using analysis of variance, and the results were interpreted at a significance level of 5%. No differences were observed in growth performance or backfat thickness between the treatments. However, daily adjusted feeding program allowed a 5% reduction in standardized ileal digestible (SID) lysine intake ( p < 0.05), consequently improving SID lysine efficiency by 6% ( p < 0.05). Serum urea concentrations were consistently lower in the daily adjusted feeding program ( p < 0.05), indicating more efficient protein utilization. Daily adjusted feeding program also mitigated ( p < 0.05) the potential impacts of global warming (up to 6%), acidification (up to 3.5%), eutrophication (up to 9%), and land use (up to 3%). These findings demonstrate that a scalable precision feeding strategy can improve nutrient efficiency and metabolic responses without compromising growth performance, representing a practical solution for enhancing sustainability in commercial pig production systems.

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of β-mannanase and probiotic on the performance, serum biochemistry, gut morphometric traits, and fresh egg quality of laying hens. A total of 120 cages, housing light-weight laying hens (36 weeks old), were randomly assigned to four different treatments. These treatments included a control group fed non-supplemented diets; diets supplemented with 300 g/ton of beta-mannanase; diets supplemented with 50 g/ton of probiotic; or diets containing both 300 g/ton of β-mannanase and 50 g/ton of probiotics. The trial spanned a duration of 26 weeks and was divided into three productive phases, each lasting 28 days. The inclusion of β-mannanase resulted in a significant improvement in the laying rate by 11% (p < 0.05) compared to the control treatment. Similarly, the addition of probiotics also enhanced the laying rate by 7% (p < 0.05), as well as the supplementation with combined additives (11.5%). Combined additives showed an increase in egg masses, and additive association improved by 13.9% (p < 0.001) in contrast to the control treatment. Overall, β-mannanase and combined additives used during the supplementation period resulted in improvements in the weight of fresh eggs. These benefits were observed after a period of 14 weeks without supplementation (p < 0.05). Furthermore, significant differences were observed in the serum biochemistry and egg masses of birds that were fed diets containing both additives (β-mannanase + probiotics) compared to the control group. Parameters such as uric acid, total cholesterol, and triglycerides displayed notable variations. The villi height: crypt depth showed differences with combined additives (β-mannanase + probiotics). The β-mannanase improved specific gravity, yolk height, length, and pH, and yolk color traits compared to the control treatment. The use of probiotics helped to improve yolk height, pH, and color score. Besides, combined additives (β-mannanase + probiotics) improve yolk height, length, weight, pH, and better traits in yolk color. Hence, incorporating β-mannanase and probiotics into laying hen diets proves to be a highly effective strategy for enhancing laying rate and overall health status, while simultaneously elevating certain quality attributes of fresh eggs.

A intensificação do sistema de produção avícola trouxe profundas mudanças no ambiente físico e social das aves domésticas. O manejo dessas aves tem recebido considerável atenção nos últimos anos devido às novas demandas por parte dos consumidores, principalmente aquelas relacionadas ao bem-estar. O comportamento é a maneira como os animais respondem aos diferentes estímulos que encontram em seu ambiente. As expressões comportamentais das aves domésticas e a aplicação desse conhecimento no cuidado dos animais desempenha um papel importante na maximização da eficiência de produção da cadeia avícola. Assim, definir limites éticos e diretrizes para a produção avícola é fundamental para fomentar o desenvolvimento de novas práticas produtivas, e assim garantir qualidade e produtividade sem colocar em risco o bem-estar dos animais. Esta revisão destacará as principais expressões comportamentais das aves domésticas, dentre elas as expressões sociais, alimentares, reprodutivas, além de estereotipias, e identificará as estratégias de adaptação social. Assim, promovera ao leitor e a comunidade científica uma melhor compreensão de assuntos pouco discutidos para assim auxiliar em análises comportamentais.

A trend toward animal welfare improvement is observed in animal production, in addition to restrictions imposed on the use of antimicrobials. This study's objective was to evaluate whether β-mannanase and probiotic supplementation can change hen's behavior. Light weight laying hens (36 weeks old) were housed in cages randomly allocated to one of four different treatments: control group, fed non-supplemented diets; diets supplemented with 300 g/ton of β-mannanase; diets supplemented with 50 g/ton of probiotic; or diets containing both 300 g/ton of β-mannanase and 50 g/ton of probiotic. The behavior of 24 birds was recorded for a week using video cameras. The frequency and time of main behaviors (eating, walking, standing, sitting, drinking, and exploring) were analyzed in three periods per day (from 09:00 to 09:15; from 01:00 to 01:15, and from 04:00 to 04:15), as well as the time of other behaviors (leg-stretching and wings, scratching, wing-flapping, aggressive and non-aggressive pecks). Frequency and lesion scores were also analyzed using a visual score of three body regions: neck, tail, and cloaca; as well as comb injuries. β-mannanase was able to increase the frequency of feeding behavior by 49% (P < 0.05) and hens also spend 20% (P < 0.05) more time in this behavior compared to the control treatment. The use of probiotics also enhanced by 39% (P < 0.05) the frequency and 19% the time (P < 0.05) and the supplementation with combined additives was able to increase by 29% (P < 0.05) the frequency and 25% (P < 0.05) the time in feeding behavior. β-mannanase and probiotics also increased the frequency and time spent exploring behavior (P < 0.05) and promoted a higher frequency in standing behavior (P < 0.05) and decreased the time spent on sitting behaviors (P < 0.05). The combined additives showed less frequency and time in sitting behaviors (P < 0.05), while increased wing-flapping behavior (P < 0.05). All the treatments were able to reduce pecking (P < 0.05). Therefore, the addition of β-mannanase and probiotics to laying hen diets is an effective strategy to improve bird welfare.

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether probiotic supplementation to laying hens can improve the quality of eggs during storage. The trial was developed in a commercial farm, in which light-weight laying hens (36 weeks old) housed in cages were randomly selected for one of two different treatments: a control group fed non-supplemented diets, or birds fed with diets supplemented with 50 g/ton of probiotics. The trial lasted for 84 days, comprising three productive phases of 28 days each. The fresh egg quality was evaluated and then the eggs were stored and randomly separated for quality assessment at each storage interval (7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 days). Means were compared using variance analysis considering differences at 5 and 10%. The probiotic was able to improve albumen weight, yolk length, yolk height, and yolk index (p < 0.05) during storage. Yolk color (fan) was also improved by 3.9% (p < 0.001), while increases of 1.35% (p < 0.001) in luminosity, 8.05% (p < 0.001) in red intensity, and 3.4% (p < 0.001) in yellow intensity were observed in comparison to the control group. Probiotic treatment was able to reduce by 2.03% (p < 0.001) yolk pH, and by 19.65% (p < 0.05) TBARS levels when compared to the control treatment. Therefore, the addition of probiotics to laying hen diets is an effective strategy to improve egg quality during storage.