This study aimed at validating the anatomical sites for the measurement of infrared (IR) body surface temperature as a tool to monitor the pigs’ response to handling and transport stress. The selected anatomical sites were the neck (infrared neck temperature—IRNT), rump (infrared rump temperature—IRRT), orbital (infrared orbital temperature—IROT) and behind ears (infrared behind ears temperature—IRBET) regions. A total of 120 pigs were handled from the finishing pen to the loading dock through a handling test course. Two handling types (gentle vs. rough) and number of laps (1 vs. 3) were applied according to a 2 × 2 factorial design. After loading, pigs were transported for 40 min and returned to their home pens. Animal behavior, heart rate, rectal temperature and salivary cortisol concentration were measured for validation. Increased IR body temperature, heart rate and salivary cortisol levels were observed in response to rough handling and longer distance walk (P < 0.05 for all). The greatest correlations were found between IROT and IRBET temperatures and salivary cortisol concentration at the end of the handling test (r = 0.49 and r = 0.50, respectively; P < 0.001 for both). Therefore, IR pig’s head surface temperature may be useful for a comprehensive assessment of the physiological response to handling and transport stress.

Nutritional values of ingredients have been and still are the subject of many studies to reduce security margins of nutrients when formulating diets to reduce feed cost. In most studies, pigs are fed a limited amount of feed in a limited number of meals that do not represent how pigs are fed in commercial farm conditions. With free access to feed, pigs follow their intrinsic feeding behaviour. Feed intake is regulated by satiety and satiation signals. Reducing the feed intake level or feeding frequency can affect digestibility and transit time and induce metabolic changes. To reduce feed costs, alternative ingredients that are frequently rich in dietary fibre are added to diets. Fibre acts on the digestion process and transit time by decreasing energy density and causing viscosity. Various analyses of fibre can be realised, and the measured fibre fraction can vary. Exogenous enzymes can be added to counteract the effect of fibre, but digestive tract conditions, influenced by meal size and frequency, can affect the efficiency of supplemented enzymes. In conclusion, the frequency and size of the meals can affect the digestibility of nutrients by modulating gastrointestinal tract conditions (pH and transit time), metabolites (glucose and short-chain fatty acids) and hormones (glucagon-like peptide 1 and peptide tyrosine tyrosine).

Apple pomace is a by-product from the apple processing industry and can be used for the production of many value-added compounds such as enzymes, proteins, and nutraceuticals, among others. An investigation was carried out to study the improvement in the protein content in apple pomace by solid-state fermentation using the fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium by tray fermentation method. The effect of this protein in terms of how it enriched apple pomace as animal feed for pigs has also been studied. There was a 36% increase in protein content in the experimental diet with 5% w/w fermented apple pomace. The efficiency of conversion of ingested food was increased from 43.5 ± 2.5 to 83.1 ± 4.4 in the control group and the efficiency of conversion of feed increased from 55.4 ± 4.5 to 92.1 ± 3.6 in the experimental group during the animal feed experiment. Similarly, the effect of a protein enriched diet on odor emission and greenhouse gas emission has also been studied. The results demonstrated that the protein enrichment of apple pomace by solid state cultivation of the fungus P. chrysosporium makes it possible to use it as a dietary supplement for pigs.