Department of Animal Resource and Science, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, South Korea.
J Anim Sci. 2021 Apr 1;99(4). doi: 10.1093/jas/skab077.
The specialization of swine production and the market demand for pigs at different growth stages makes road transportation inevitable. However, road transportation usually causes a stress response in pigs. It is reported that homeopathic remedies supplementation could alleviate the stress response in pigs. This study investigated the effects of road transportation with or without homeopathic remedy (Convermax) supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal microbiota, and serum cortisol and superoxide dismutase (SOD) concentrations in growing pigs. A total of 180 crossbred 49-d-old growing pigs [(Yorkshire × Landrace) × Duroc] with an initial body weight of 13.17 ± 0.02 kg were randomly allotted to 2 groups based on the initial body weight, containing 18 replicates with 5 pigs (mixed sex) in each. The pigs were fed dietary supplementation of a homeopathic remedy (Convermax) (0 or 200 mg/kg of feed, as-fed) for 35 d. On day 21, 45 pigs (70-d old; 25.25 ± 0.37 kg) were randomly selected from each group and assigned to either 2 hr of road transportation or no road transportation, resulting in a 2 × 2 factorial design. We found that road transportation led to an increase in the fecal coliform bacteria counts (P = 0.023) and serum cortisol concentration (P = 0.039) and a decrease in the serum SOD concentration (P < 0.001). However, supplementing homeopathic remedy (Convermax) to the diet of growing pigs increased gain to feed ratio (P = 0.042), apparent nitrogen digestibility (P = 0.019), and serum SOD concentration (P = 0.007), whereas decreased serum cortisol concentration (P = 0.022). In brief, road transportation induced stress response for growing pigs and increased harmful bacteria counts in their intestines. Dietary supplementation of homeopathic remedy (Convermax) alleviated stress response, improved apparent nitrogen digestibility, and increased gain to feed ratio. However, no significant interactive effects between road transportation with or without dietary homeopathic remedy (Convermax) levels were observed on the detected parameters in growing pigs.
猪生产的专业化和市场对不同生长阶段猪的需求使得道路运输成为必要。然而，道路运输通常会导致猪产生应激反应。据报道，顺势疗法补充剂的添加可以缓解猪的应激反应。本研究调查了在生长猪中添加或不添加顺势疗法补充剂（Convermax）的道路运输对生长性能、养分消化率、粪便微生物群和血清皮质醇和超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）浓度的影响。总共 180 头杂交 49 日龄生长猪[(约克夏×长白)×杜洛克]，初始体重为 13.17±0.02kg，根据初始体重随机分为 2 组，每组 18 个重复，每个重复 5 头（混合性别）。猪在饲料中添加顺势疗法补充剂（Convermax）（0 或 200mg/kg 饲料，实际喂养量），共 35 天。第 21 天，从每组中随机选择 45 头猪（70 日龄；25.25±0.37kg），分为道路运输 2 小时或不运输 2 小时，采用 2×2 析因设计。我们发现，道路运输导致粪便大肠杆菌计数增加（P=0.023），血清皮质醇浓度升高（P=0.039），血清 SOD 浓度降低（P<0.001）。然而，在生长猪的日粮中添加顺势疗法补充剂（Convermax）增加了增重与采食量的比值（P=0.042），提高了表观氮消化率（P=0.019）和血清 SOD 浓度（P=0.007），而降低了血清皮质醇浓度（P=0.022）。简而言之，道路运输导致生长猪产生应激反应，增加其肠道内有害细菌数量。日粮补充顺势疗法补充剂（Convermax）可缓解应激反应，提高表观氮消化率，增加增重与采食量的比值。然而，在生长猪中，道路运输与日粮顺势疗法补充剂（Convermax）水平之间没有观察到显著的互作效应。
