On pig farms, the highest mortality rate is observed among nursing piglets. To reduce this mortality rate, farmers need to carefully observe the piglets to prevent accidents such as being crushed and to maintain a proper body temperature. However, observing a large number of pigs individually can be challenging for farmers. Therefore, our aim was to detect the behavior of piglets and sows in real-time using deep learning models, such as YOLOv4-CSP and YOLOv7-E6E, that allow for real-time object detection. YOLOv4-CSP reduces computational cost by partitioning feature maps and utilizing Cross-stage Hierarchy to remove redundant gradient calculation. YOLOv7-E6E analyzes and controls gradient paths such that the weights of each layer learn diverse features. We detected standing, sitting, and lying behaviors in sows and lactating and starving behaviors in piglets, which indicate nursing behavior and movement to colder areas away from the group. We optimized the model parameters for the best object detection and improved reliability by acquiring data through experts. We conducted object detection for the five different behaviors. The YOLOv4-CSP model achieved an accuracy of 0.63 and mAP of 0.662, whereas the YOLOv7-E6E model showed an accuracy of 0.65 and mAP of 0.637. Therefore, based on mAP, which includes both class and localization performance, YOLOv4-CSP showed the superior performance. Such research is anticipated to be effectively utilized for the behavioral analysis of fattening pigs and in preventing piglet crushing in the future.

This study was designed to investigate the effect of parity and lactation stage of sows on the behavior of nursing sows and their suckling piglets. In total 18 Yorkshire × Landrace F1 sows (range of parity: 1 to 6) and their litters (range of litter size: 10 to 14 piglets) were assigned according to the sow's parity (1-2, 3-4 and 5-6) and lactation stage (early, middle, and late). The sows were housed in farrowing crates (0.8 × 2.1 m) located in pens (2.1 × 1.75 m) with totally perforated flooring. The behaviors of the sows and their piglets were recorded over a 72-h period for each parity and lactation stage. The sows and piglets were conventionally managed. All nursing sows in both group showed lying behavior for more than 80% of the experimental period, regardless of parity and lactation stage. The behavioral frequency of sows was, in descending order, as follows: lateral lying, ventral lying, eating, standing, and sitting. The parity of sows did not affect their behavior, but the lactation stage did. Ventral lying showed decreased frequency in late stage compare to that in the early or middle stage. The lying, standing, sitting, and eating behavior of sows were not affected by their parity. Sow parity did not affect the behavior of suckling piglets, but the lactation stage did. The behavioral frequency of piglets for the whole lactation period was, in descending order, as follows: lying, suckling, and walking. The lying frequency of piglets was higher in the sow's middle lactation stage than in the early or late lactation stage. It is concluded that the sow parity did not affect the behavior of nursing sows and suckling piglets, but the lactation stage did.

This study was conducted to clarify behavior and body weight of weaned piglets between different social experiences during suckling period. Control (no social experience) and treatment (social experience) groups of weaned piglets were housed and observed with the aid of video technology for 8 consecutive hours in early (days 1 and 2) and late (days 22 and 23) periods after mixing. Inactive, locomotion and exploration were significantly different between control and treatment groups in early mixed period. Feeding differed between groups in late mixed period. In social behaviors, agonistic and interaction with adjacent pen were significantly higher in treatment group than in control group during early mixed period. However, social behaviors dramatically decreased in late mixed period. There was negative correlation between average daily gain of body weight and agonistic behavior. In social experienced weaned piglet groups, there were less agonistic behavior and more daily gain of body weight in this study. Social experience during suckling period would be useful for stable group management in swine industry.

This study was conducted to investigate effects of feeding fermented milk on growth, intestinal microorganisms and fecal noxious gas emission in suckling pigs. A total of a hundred birth piglets (Landrace×Yorkshire×Duroc) were randomly assigned into feeding group and control group during suckling period that ten pigs per sow. Fermented milk contained 3.0×108/g of Bacillus and 3.5×108/g of Lactobacillus, and was supplied by top dressing method. Fermented milk fed to the sulking pigs indicated tendency to increase weaning body weight (p=0.052) and average daily gain (p=0.094). Total microbial flora and Escherichia coli in the feces were lower (p<0.05) in the feeding group than the non-feeding group. Reversely, Lactobacillus was higher (p<0.01) in feces of the pigs fed fermented milk than the pigs of the control group. Hydrogen sulfide emitted in feces was decreased in feeding group compared with control group (p<0.05). Similarly, fecal total mercaptans was diminished in the feeding group than the control group (p<0.01). Therefore, the fermented milk fed to the sulking pigs may improved growth and can influence positively intestinal microorganisms and fecal noxious gas emission.

본 연구는 식물성 불포화지방산 복합제로 이루어진 보조사료를 첨가하여 이유자돈의 균일성과 증체성적에 미치는 효과를 구명하기 위하여 수행하였다. 공시동물은 일반 종돈장의 Landrace 모돈 110두와 포유자돈 248두를 공시하였다. 시험구는 모돈시험에서는 장쇄지방산 복합제제를 분만사입식부터 이유시까지 약 4주간 급여하였고 자돈시험에서는 액상 중쇄지방산 complex를 포유기간 중 2회 구강투여 하였다. 모돈 시험에서 복당생존자돈수와 복당생시체중은 처리구간 차이를 보이지 않았으나, 복당이유자돈수와 복당이유체중에서는 시험구가 대조구에 비해 유의적으로 높았다(P<0.01). 모돈의 사료섭취량은 시험구가 유의적으로 높았으며, 발정재귀일령은 유의적으로 차이는 없었으나 시험구에서 평균 0.3일 정도 빠르게 나타났다. 포유기간내 일당증체량 역시 이유체중과 양의 상관관계를 갖고 있어 유의적인 차이가 있는 것으로 나타났다. 자돈시험 결과 시험구는 포유기간내 이유체중이 대조구에 비해 유의적으로 높았으며 생시체중 대비 증체량도 같은 기간에 많은 차이를 나타내었다. 자돈의 이유체중에 대한 변이의 지표를 보면 시험구와 대조구간 변이의 차이는 없는 것으로 나타나 개체간의 균일성에 대해서는 처리간차이는 나타나지 않았다. 결론적으로 포유기의 장쇄지방산 급여는 모돈의 젖에서 올레인산, 리놀산 등불포화지방산의 함량을 증가시키고, 젖 분비량과 사료섭취량을 증가시켜 자돈의 초기증체에 기여하는 것으로 나타났고, 자돈에 대한 중쇄지방산의 급여도 이유체중을 증가시키는 효과를 가져왔다.

Although several enteric viral pathogens including the porcine groups A, B and C rotaviruses (PGARV, PGBRV, and PGCRV), sapovirus (PSaV), and torovirus (PToV) are known to cause endemic diarrheas in weaning and post-weaning piglets, their precise prevalence in Korea is not clear. Therefore, we examined 1,222 diarrhea stools obtained from 627 farms during 2004～2009 by RT-PCR and/or nested PCR for evaluating their precise prevalence in Korea. PGARV was the predominant pathogen during 2004～2007 but its prevalence was markedly reduced during 2008～2009. PGBRV infections caused endemic diarrhea during 2004～2007, but was hardly detected during 2008-2009. PGCRV was detected at 27.0%, 14.5%, 42.4%, 28.8%, 7.3%, and 54.2% during each year of 2004～2009, respectively, indicating its high prevalence in Korea throughout the years. PSaV induced with high prevalence (32.4-39.2%) during 2004～2005 but its detection rate was markedly decreased during 2006～2009. PToV caused sporadic infections only during 2006 (1.0%) and 2007 (6.9%). These enteric viruses were detected in diarrhea specimens in piglets usually in combination with each other and/or together with bacterial pathogens including the Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Brachispira hyodysenteriae, and Lawsonia intracellularis. Infections with PGARV, PGCRV, PSaV, and PToV were more prevalent in fecal samples collected in cold seasons. These results provide important epidemiological data for the control and establishment of a surveillance system for the prevailing enteric viruses in Korea.