The Influence of Technological Stress on the Protective Properties of Pig Skin Depending on Age

The skin performs the most important physiological functions of the body. The protective function is the main among them. This article presents the results of studies of how the technological stress affects the protective properties of pig skin depending on the animals’ age. The parameters of the skin, characterizing the epidermis, the main protective skin barrier, were studied in domestic Poltava Meat Breed pigs of different ages. The skin epidermis in animals of all studied age groups is actively involved in the performance of protective functions. Upon reaching the live weight of 100 kg, the young boars of the breed experience a great technological load, which causes tension in the skin protective systems and, thus, activation of these systems. This results in greater values of the epidermis thickness comparing to adult boars (by 17.22% (p⩽0.05)) due to an increase in its inner (underlying) layers (by 33.05% (p⩽0.001)). The stratum corneum of the young boars’ epidermis is thinner but more dense, with pronounced sudanophilia. With pigs reaching their adulthood, the tension in their protective factors decreases and stabilizes. In adult boars, the stratum corneum is thicker (a significant difference is 6.82 μm or 28.14%), but it is more susceptible to keratinization, is looser and has pronounced fibrillation. These changes probably mark the already developed adaptation to the existing natural and technological conditions.

The Usefulness of Sexual Behaviour Assessment at the Beginning of Service to Predict the Suitability of Boars for Artificial Insemination

Parameters of sexual activity were determined in 49 young boars used for artificial insemination, four times at three-month intervals. The parameters included the time from entering the arena until mounting the phantom; the time from mounting the phantom until achieving erection; the time from achieving full erection until the start of ejaculation; duration of ejaculation; and the number of times the boar mounted the phantom. Characteristics of the ejaculates were also assessed. The libido parameter associated with the greatest efficacy of artificial insemination was the effectiveness of artificial insemination service, the time from entering the arena until the start of ejaculation. The significance of this trait for predicting ejaculation performance was analysed. The libido characteristics were classified into three categories: boars with a short reaction time to the phantom, boars with an intermediate reaction time, and boars with a long reaction time. For these groups, the characteristics of ejaculates collected at the start of the period during which ejaculates were collected and after three, six and nine months were determined. The sexual experience of boars was not associated with the expression of sexual behaviour because young boars during their first three months of ejaculate collections required less time to initiate ejaculation. The ejaculates with the greatest utility were obtained after six months of service. These ejaculates had the largest volume (255.22 mL), and the most insemination doses could be prepared from these ejaculates. On average, more than 23 insemination doses were prepared from ejaculates collected after six months of semen collections, which is about four doses more than from ejaculates collected at the start of artificial insemination service (p < 0.01).The time from entering the arena to beginning ejaculation can be used to predict a boar’s future libido. A relationship was shown between the level of libido and ejaculate characteristics. The ejaculates of the boars which needed the longest time to begin ejaculation at the start of semen collections had the greatest sperm concentration and number. In group 3, the boars’ejaculates contained about 6–9 × 109 more sperm than the ejaculates of boars from group 1. After six months of the experimental period, the difference was nearly 15 × 109 sperm (p < 0.05), and after nine months, it exceeded 22 × 109 sperm (p < 0.01).

MORPHOFUNCTIONAL FEATURES OF POLTAVA MEATY BREED PIGS’ EPIDER-MAL BARRIER DEPENDING ON THEIR GENOTYPE

The accumulation of knowledge about the structure and functions of the epidermis will make it possible to solve the most important practical tasks of forming the animals’ productivity and health. Two breeding groups have been researched: 1) purebred young boars, 2) young boars with the blood of Finnish Landrace. The studies were carried out when the animals reached live weight of 100 kg, and the control slaughter was made. The results of the Poltava Meaty Breed pigs’ skin epidermal barrier research made it possible to trace significant differences in the ratio of the main epidermis layers in animals of different genotypes. The genotype influence was 15.45 %. An-imals with the blood of the Finnish Landrace have lower biological possibilities for life in the given climatic and technological conditions, that is, they are less promising for further breeding work.

Classical, Molecular, and Genomic Cytogenetics of the Pig, a Clinical Perspective

The chromosomes of the domestic pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) are known to be prone to reciprocal chromosome translocations and other balanced chromosome rearrangements with concomitant fertility impairment of carriers. In response to the remarkable prevalence of chromosome rearrangements in swine herds, clinical cytogenetics laboratories have been established in several countries in order to screen young boars for chromosome rearrangements prior to service. At present, clinical cytogenetics laboratories typically apply classical cytogenetics techniques such as giemsa-trypsin (GTG)-banding to produce high-quality karyotypes and reveal large-scale chromosome ectopic exchanges. Further refinements to clinical cytogenetics practices have led to the implementation of molecular cytogenetics techniques such as fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH), allowing for rearrangements to be visualized and breakpoints refined using fluorescently labelled painting probes. The next-generation of clinical cytogenetics include the implementation of DNA microarrays, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies such as DNA sequencing to better explore tentative genome architecture changes. The implementation of these cytogenomics techniques allow the genomes of rearrangement carriers to be deciphered at the highest resolution, allowing rearrangements to be detected; breakpoints to be delineated; and, most importantly, potential gene implications of those chromosome rearrangements to be interrogated. Clinical cytogenetics has become an integral tool in the livestock industry, identifying rearrangements and allowing breeders to make informed breeding decisions.

Performance, Carcass and Relative Organ Weights of Young Boars Fed Graded Dietary Levels of Raw Icacinia manni (Earth Ball)

A study conducted for a period of fifty (50) days to determine the growth performance, carcass and organ weight of growing boars fed graded dietary levels of raw Icacinia manni tuber meal. Four experimental diets were formulated with Icacinia manni (Earth ball) replacing maize at 0, 5, 10 and 15% levels designated as T1(control), T2, T3 and T4, respectively. Forty-eight (48) young boars (Landrace x Large white) each weighed 7.72+ 0.35kg were assigned to the four dietary treatments and replicated three times of four boars each in a completely randomized design. Carcass traits and relative organs weights were evaluated. These traits were; dressed weight, dressing percentage, head, shank, trotter, belly, thick rib chop, rib chop, loin, chump chop, leg fillet end, Leg shank end, liver, lungs, kidney spleen and heart. The results indicated that apart from T4, diets T1, T2 and T3 did not differ significantly (P>0.05) in terms of feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio. This implies that Icacinia manni did not affect growth performance except at 15% level of inclusion Similarly, Pigs fed diets T2 and T3 showed significant (P<0.05) increase in dressed weight, dressing percentage as well as certain primal cuts such as breast, rib chop, loin and chump chop. However, relative organs weight did not differ (P>0.05) across dietary treatments except the lungs in T4 (15%) signifying the non-deleterious effect of raw icacinia manni, at 10%. To attain optimum performance and carcass characteristics in young boars therefore, inclusion of raw Icacinia manni in young boars’ diet at 10 percent is recommended.

Breeding and Economic Aspects of Cytogenetic Screening Studies of Pigs Qualified for Reproduction

Cytogenetic monitoring allows the identification and early removal of pigs affected by inherited karyotype defects from breeding herds. These abnormalities cause developmental anomalies, considerably reducing the fertility (by several dozen to 100%) and performance parameters of breeding herds, resulting in substantial financial losses. This mainly concerns reciprocal translocations, typical of pigs, which are highly prevalent (about 0.46%), generally occur de novo, and normally result in low breeding soundness of the carriers. Due to the potential spontaneous occurrence of chromosomal aberrations and the rapid spread of these genetic defects in the population, especially under artificial insemination conditions, it is necessary to perform routine karyotype screening of animals qualified for reproduction. The cytogenetic screening program for young boars, carried out using continually refined diagnostic techniques, permits a precise and reliable karyotype assessment, identification of chromosomal abnormalities, and formulation of specific selection guidelines.

PHENOTYPIC CONSOLIDATION COEFFICIENTS OF BIRTH-WEIGHT INDICATORS IN SOWS OF WELSH BREED

The aim of the research was to study the effect of sow and boar age on average weight of newly born piglets, considering the season of the year and the age of the animals. The studies were conducted in the research farm of SE “Gontarivka”, Volchansky district, Kharkiv region. Natural breeding of sows is used for reproduction on the farm. The insemination of sows was carried out according to the scheme of studies. 35 head of sows and 4 boars of different ages and live weights were selected. Four groups of sows were formed. In order to study the impact of the season of the year on sow productivity, the first series of studies were conducted in the autumn, the second series - in the spring according to the same scheme. In different groups of animals, average weight of newly born piglets ranged from 1.10 to 1.21 kg. The average value of this indicator for all sows for both studied seasons was 1.16 kg. The magnitude (for all sows of the period) in winter farrowing was 1.74 % higher than the summer farrowing (for all sows of the period), although the difference between these groups was not probable. Between the sows of different ages, inseminated by boars of different ages, in winter, the higher values were given to young sows that were inseminated by young boars (p<0.01 compared to young sows that were inseminated by full-grown boars). Among the sows of different ages, inseminated by boars of different ages, in the summer, the highest values were middle-aged, which were inseminated by middle-aged boars (p<0.01 compared to young sows in winter, inseminated by full boars and p<0.05 compared to young sows in summer, which were inseminated by adult boars). During the summer period the middle-aged sows, which were inseminated by middle-aged boars, received maximum values of average weight of newly born piglets, which were higher than sows of other groups by 10.00-0.83 %. The most consolidated high-birth-weight rates were obtained in winter for young sows that were inseminated by adult boars. In the summer, the most consolidated were young sows inseminated by young boars.

SARKOCYSTOSIS OF BOARS AND WILD DUCKS IN THE NORTH OF THE NON-BLACK EARTH AREA

Sarcocystosis (sarkosporidiosis) is a widespread, but insufficiently studied, protozoal disease of farm animals and humans, wild animals and birds. Sarcocystosis was not registered in wild animals in the territory of the Kirov region.Samples from 218 carcasses of wild boars caught in various parts of the Kirov region from 2011 to 2019 were examined for spontaneous defeat by sarcocystosis. Samples were taken from various muscle groups and the heart. They were examined by visual inspection methods and using a compressor. In the selection of muscle samples, we took into account the area, age, sex, fatness of the animal.In a study of 191 boar carcasses in 2012–2017, we did not identify sarcocysts in the muscles and heart. Sarcocistosis in wild boars in the north of the Non-Black Earth Region was registered in the last hunting season of 2018–2019 in the study of 27 carcas boars. The extensiveness of invasion was 25,9%, the intensity of invasion is low – 4,3±1,3 (1–14) cysts in the compressor. The length of the sarcocysts is 0,5–1,36 (0,88±0,1) mm, the width is 0,12–0,18 (0,15±0,01) mm. The infection rate of young boars was 57,1%.Sarcocystosis in wild duck mallards was registered by us in May 2011. Cysts were 4x1 mm, white colored. The intensity of invasion in wild ducks was high. We found Sarcocystis rileyi in wild ducks from the Nizhny Novgorod and Vologda regions.

The effect of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) vaccination of male piglets on sperm quality at the age of puberty

The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) vaccination in piglets on sperm quality of young boars. A total of 136 sows were divided in four groups of 34 animals each (17 vaccinated with Circovac®, Merial and 17 unvaccinated in each group). A total of 1 200 piglets were selected, half of which were vaccinated against PCV2 on the 21st day (Porcilis® PCV, MSD) and the other half was left unvaccinated. Four groups of 300 pigs each were formed as follows: PS group (vaccinated sows + piglets), S group (vaccinated sows + unvaccinated piglets), P group (unvaccinated sows + vaccinated piglets), C group (unvaccinated sows + piglets). Furthermore, 80 boars (20 piglets per group) were selected and slaughtered at the age of 5.5 months and weight of 95 ± 5.5 kg and their epididymal sperm was collected and evaluated for motility and kinetics, concentration and morphology. Additionally, 10 pigs from each group were used for blood sampling and serological testing for PCV2 IgM and IgG antibodies at the age of 21, 70, 110 and 150 days. The IgG and IgM patterns suggested that the piglets were coming into contact with PCV2 early in life. The S group demonstrated significantly lower curvilinear velocity (VCL, μm/s), amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH, μm) and significantly higher head abnormalities (%) compared to other groups (P < 0.05). In conclusion, vaccinated young boars showed some improved epididymal sperm kinetic indices and head morphology.