Journal of animal science最新文献

{"title":"Estimating standardized ileal digestible methionine requirements for gilts during gestation using whole-body nitrogen retention and describing plasma creatine, glutathione, and taurine concentrations","authors":"Cristhiam Jhoseph Munoz Alfonso, Cierra Kozole, John Kyaw Htoo, Lee-Anne Huber","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf156","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf156","url":null,"abstract":"A total of 70 gestating gilts (166 ± 13 kg initial BW on d 31 of gestation) were used to determine the standardized ileal digestible (SID) Met needed to maximize whole-body N retention and to describe the impact of dietary Met on indicators of Met utilization for roles beyond protein synthesis. Seven days prior to N balance measurements between d 38 and 41, d 53 and 56, d 87 and 90, and d 109 and 112 of gestation (periods 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively), gilts were assigned to 1 of 7 dietary treatments (n = 10) that titrated SID Met between 50 and 150% of perceived requirements of 3.5 and 5.2 g SID Met/d (before and after d 90 of gestation, respectively) using DL-Met and in the presence of excess Cys in an incomplete randomized block design. Fasted blood samples were collected on d 38, 53, 87, and 109 to assess concentrations of plasma Met-derived metabolites. Contrast statements were used to determine linear and quadratic effects of the dietary inclusion level of SID Met and quadratic polynomial (QPM), broken-line linear, and broken-line quadratic (BLQ) ascending models were evaluated for the primary response variables. Whole-body N retention did not exhibit linear or quadratic relationships with increasing SID Met content in periods 1, 2 and 3, but inflection points were observed at 0.17% (3.8 g SID Met/d; QPM), 0.19% (4.2 g SID Met/d; BLQ), and 0.16% SID Met (3.5 g SID Met/d; QPM), respectively. Whole-body N retention increased (linear and quadratic; P < 0.001) with increasing SID Met content in period 4, optimized at 0.23% (6.0 g SID Met/d; QPM). Plasma creatine concentration did not exhibit linear or quadric relationships with increasing SID Met contents, but the QPM indicated inflection points at 0.17, 0.17, 0.22, and 0.18 % SID Met (3.8, 3.8, 4.9, and 4.7 g SID Met/d) on gestation d 38, 53, 87, and 109, respectively. Plasma concentrations of GSH tended to increase then decrease (quadratic; P = 0.096) on d 53 and tended to increase (linear; P = 0.095) on d 87 as SID Met increased; inflection points were observed at 0.16, 0.17, 0.21, and 0.16 % SID Met (3.5, 3.8, 4.6, and 4.2 g/d; QPM) on gestation days 38, 53, 87, and 109, respectively. Thus, the SID Met feeding recommendations provided by the NRC (2012) gestating sow model are insufficient to maximize whole-body N retention of gilts throughout gestation in current production conditions, while the supply of SID Met might also influence Met utilization for metabolic fates beyond protein retention.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143902890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic influence on the composition of the ocular microbiome in preweaned beef calves","authors":"Andrew D Lakamp, Alison C Neujahr, Matthew M Hille, John D Loy, Samodha C Fernando, Matthew L Spangler","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf153","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf153","url":null,"abstract":"Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK), commonly known as bovine pinkeye, is a disease that infects the ocular surface and surrounding tissue which is a concern to animal health and welfare as well as producer economics. Vaccinations have been shown to have variable efficacy, while limited genetics studies using either ulcer scores or binary health phenotypes have suggested that direct genetic selection for resistance would be slow. Therefore, an investigation into the host genetic component of the ocular microbiome was conducted. Animals were genotyped using either a 50K or 100K commercial genotyping array. After filtering for common markers, there were 35,374 markers available for analysis. Ocular microbiome samples were taken on approximately 600 pre-weaned beef calves at four time points. From these, amplicon sequence variants (ASV) were extracted and taxonomy assigned using the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Four metrics of alpha diversity (observed richness, Chao1 index, Simpson index, and Shannon index) and the log-transformed relative abundance of each ASV at each sampling time point were used as phenotypes in a univariate animal model. The observed richness and Chao1 index had heritability estimates of approximately 0.15 at sample times 1 and 3 with estimates of 0 at sample times 2 and 4. Conversely, the Simpson and Shannon indices had heritability estimates ranging from approximately 0.12 to 0.03 at sample times 1 and 4, with estimates near zero for sample times 2 and 3. The relative abundances of 59% of ocular bacterial community were influenced by host genetics at various sampling times. Estimates of heritability ranged from 0 – 0.60, depending on time and level of taxonomic classification. A small collection of microbes previously associated with IBK (specifically Moraxella bovis, Moraxella bovoculi, and Mycoplasma bovoculi) had moderate to high heritability estimates at multiple sampling time points. This indicates selection for reduced pathogen load is possible.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143902921","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"ASAS-NANP SYMPOSIUM: MATHEMATICAL MODELING IN ANIMAL NUTRITION: Application of modeling innovations to support satellite remote sensing for sustainable grazing cattle management","authors":"Marcia Helena Machado da Rocha Fernandes, Luis Orlindo Tedeschi","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf137","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf137","url":null,"abstract":"Integrating modeling innovations and satellite remote sensing technology offers a transformative approach to sustainable grazing cattle management. Mathematical models, which translate real-life situations into mathematical formulations, are becoming critical components in livestock production, especially for describing patterns and predicting behaviors. Mathematical models are categorized by their purpose and methodology and include descriptive, prescriptive, static, dynamic, deterministic, and stochastic types. Grazing lands, covering 24.6% of the world’s land area, provide essential ecosystem services such as soil stability, nutrient cycling, and climate regulation. Sustainable management of these lands is necessary to optimize grazing performance and prevent degradation. Given its ability to rapidly scan vast expanses, satellite remote sensing has become indispensable for monitoring grassland conditions over large areas, surpassing traditional field methods in coverage and efficiency. Modeling approaches using satellite imagery include parametric and nonparametric artificial intelligence-based regression and physically based models. Parametric models, such as those based on vegetation indices, offer simplicity but may struggle with high vegetation cover and soil background interference. Nonparametric models, including machine learning algorithms like random forest and support vector regression, provide flexibility and improved accuracy in estimating forage mass and nutritional attributes. Physically based models, like canopy radiation transfer models, integrate satellite data to simulate vegetation dynamics. Practical applications of satellite-based vegetation data support real-time, continuous grazing management by adjusting stocking rates and predicting average daily gain. Studies demonstrate that integrating satellite data with field observations and mechanistic models can optimize forage use, improve livestock productivity, and enhance the sustainability of grazing systems. This comprehensive review highlights the pivotal role of satellite remote sensing in revolutionizing grazing cattle management, providing a detailed exploration of the technologies and models that drive sustainable practices in this field. Through continuous advancements, satellite-based approaches promise to enhance precision livestock farming further, contributing to ecological and economic sustainability.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"280 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143902925","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Heat Abatement During the Pre-Weaning Period: Effects on the Nasal Microbiota of Holstein Male Calves.","authors":"Ana B Montevecchio,Kristi L Jones,Klibs N Galvão,Segundo Casaro,Fiona Maunsell,Ting Liu,Kwangcheol C Jeong,Ricardo C Chebel","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf121","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf121","url":null,"abstract":"Housing strategies to alleviate the negative effects of heat stress on the performance of pre-weaned dairy calves have become a focus of research in recent years. Experiments evaluating such strategies have focused on thermoregulatory responses, behavior, and performance. To date, no experiments have evaluated their effects on the microbiota of the upper respiratory tract. Understanding this relationship is crucial for assessing its impact on respiratory health, disease susceptibility, and calf well-being. We conducted an experiment to characterize nasal microbiota from calves housed outdoors, under a naturally-ventilated barn, with and without the provision of fans. The experiment was conducted in a commercial dairy in southern GA. Male Holstein calves (n = 60) were assigned randomly at birth (d 0) to 1 of 3 treatments: hutch outdoors with 50% of its area covered with plywood (control = 20), hutch in an open-sided barn with no supplemental cooling (SH = 21), and hutch in an open-sided barn with ceiling fans (SHF = 19), and followed until 68 d of age. Following the removal of obvious debris of the nostrils, nasal swabs were collected from all calves on week 5 (35 ± 8.9 d) and 9 (63 ± 3.2 d) of life and qPCR and 16S rRNA sequencing were performed. Treatment did not affect total bacterial 16S gene copy numbers or alpha diversity (i.e., Shannon and Simpson indexes) at 5 or 9 weeks of age. We observed differences, however, in the nasal microbiome structure at weeks 5 and 9 among treatments, with variations in the mean relative abundance (MRA) of certain bacterial genera. On week 5, SHF treatment had reduced MRA of Mycoplasma compared with control and SH treatments and greater MRA of Acinetobacter than calves in the SH treatment. On week 9, control calves had reduced MRA of Escherichia compared with SHF calves and greater Moraxella MRA compared with those in the SH and SHF treatments. We observed differences in nasal microbiome structure of pre-weaned dairy calves as a result of housing strategy. While the results presented herein suggest a potential link between housing conditions and the risk of respiratory disease, further research is necessary to investigate this hypothesis. Improved understanding of the impact of housing environment on respiratory health as well as on heat stress could help producers make informed management decisions to improve calf health and wellbeing.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143914793","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In vitro fermentation characteristics of acacia fiber using canine fecal inoculum.","authors":"Vanessa M De La Guardia-Hidrogo,Elizabeth L Geary,Sofia M Wilson,Laura L Bauer,John R Menton,Elena Vinay,Mathieu Millette,Melissa R Kelly,Ryan N Dilger,Kelly S Swanson","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf152","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf152","url":null,"abstract":"Acacia fiber is a highly concentrated source of soluble fiber extracted from the natural resin of acacia trees. This fiber is frequently utilized in the pet food industry as a processing aid to improve texture and stability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the fermentation characteristics of acacia fiber, inulin, pectin (positive control), and cellulose (negative control) using an in vitro fermentation system and canine fecal inoculum. Triplicate samples of each fiber were fermented for 0, 6, 12, and 18 h. Blank-corrected data were analyzed using PROC GLIMMIX of SAS to evaluate the effects of fiber, time, and fiber ×time interactions; significance was declared at P≤0.05. Significant fiber ×time interactions were observed for pH change, gas and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, and microbiota populations. Pectin and inulin had greater (P<0.01) gas production than acacia fiber and cellulose. Inulin had the greatest (P<0.01) pH reduction, followed closely by pectin. Acacia fiber had a small reduction in pH, being lower (P<0.01) than cellulose after 18 h. Pectin and inulin had greater (P<0.01) acetate, propionate, butyrate, and total SCFA production than acacia fiber and cellulose. Acetate and total SCFA production were also greater (P<0.01) in acacia fiber than cellulose. Bacterial alpha diversity increased (P<0.01) during acacia fiber fermentation but decreased (P<0.01) during inulin fermentation. Beta diversity shifted over time and showed separate clustering of bacterial communities among the different fiber sources. The relative abundances of approximately 40 bacterial genera were affected by fiber ×time interactions. Specifically, acacia fiber had a greater (P<0.01) increase in Bacteroides, Faecalibacterium and Ruminococcus torques group abundance than other fibers. Inulin had a greater (P<0.01) increase in Prevotella, while pectin tubes had a greater (P<0.01) increase in Bifidobacterium than other fibers. Overall, the results of this study suggest that acacia fiber is a moderately fermentable fiber, producing low levels of gas and SCFA, increasing bacterial richness and diversity, and modifying several bacterial taxa. Although these data suggest beneficial responses in vitro, research in live animals is needed to confirm potential benefits in dogs.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"65 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143914913","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of genomic selection for growth and carcass traits on foot structure in Angus cattle","authors":"Zuleica Trujano, Jorge Hidalgo, Gopal Gowane, Kelli Retallick, Andre Garcia, Daniela Lourenco, Ignacy Misztal","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf158","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf158","url":null,"abstract":"Genomic evaluation improves accuracy and enables shorter generation intervals, accelerating genetic changes, possibly strengthening the antagonism between performance and less-selected traits. Our objective was to evaluate the impact of genomic selection for performance on foot structure in Angus cattle. Variance component estimation was done under the Bayesian approach (VCE) with partial or no genotypes, and with a new method based on predictivity (PRED) using all genotypes, this to examine changes in genetic parameters over time. The performance trait groups were growth (GT), carcass (CT), ultrasound carcass (uCT), and marbling (MT). Foot structure traits (FT) were foot angle (FA) and claw set (CS). Genetic parameters through VCE over 5-year intervals and using genotypes were obtained. From 2011-2015 to 2019-2022, changes in heritability were observed for CS (0.12 ± 0.01 to 0.16 ±, FA (0.18 ± 0.02 to 0.14 ± 0.01), carcass weight (0.30 ± 0.03 to 0.35 ± 0.04), marbling (0.43 ± 0.02 to 0.60 ± 0.04), and ultrasound backfat thickness (0.32 ± 0.01 to 0.38 ± 0.01). Changes in genetic correlations were found for CS-carcass weight (0.25 ± 0.15 to -0.04 ± 0.08), CS-rib eye area (0.20 ± 0.11 to -0.12 ± 0.08), and CS-weight at ultrasound scanning (0.12 ± 0.06 to 0.0 ± 0.03). For PRED, estimates from two 2-year slices showed that most GT and uCT heritabilities were lower than those from the last VCE interval (e.g., birth weight: 0.34 vs. 0.26). In comparison, FT heritabilities were higher (e.g., CS: 0.16 vs. 0.29). In general, all genetic correlations from PRED ranged from -0.15 to 0.10, whereas the values were between -0.15 and 0.05 in the last interval based on VCE. The predictivity method provides updated genetic parameters for young animals, whereas VCE estimates refer to the base population. Including genotypes had a strong impact on some estimates. Our results indicate that heritability estimates in recent generations for strongly selected traits have decreased compared to older generations. However, genetic correlations between foot structure and performance traits have consistently remained close to zero, likely due to the differences in selection intensity between these traits. While no strong antagonistic correlations were found, selecting multiple traits is crucial to maintain conformation while improving performance. Since the population structure changes due to genetic or environmental factors, updating the genetic parameters is vital for achieving expected genetic gains.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"54 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143902891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"ASAS-NANP SYMPOSIUM: MATHEMATICAL MODELING IN ANIMAL NUTRITION: Synthetic Database Generation for Non-Normal Multivariate Distributions: A Rank-Based Method with Application to Ruminant Methane Emissions","authors":"Luis O Tedeschi","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf136","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf136","url":null,"abstract":"This study addresses the challenge of limited data availability in animal science, particularly in modeling complex biological processes such as methane emissions from ruminants. We propose a novel rank-based method for generating synthetic databases with correlated non-normal multivariate distributions aimed at enhancing the accuracy and reliability of predictive modeling tools. Our rank-based approach involves a four-step process: (1) fitting distributions to variables using normal or best-fit non-normal distributions, (2) generating synthetic databases, (3) preserving relationships among variables using Spearman correlations, and (4) cleaning datasets to ensure biological plausibility. We compare this method with copula-based approaches to maintain a pre-established correlation structure. The rank-based method demonstrated superior performance in preserving original distribution moments (mean, variance, skewness, kurtosis) and correlation structures compared to copula-based methods. We generated two synthetic databases (normal and non-normal distributions) and applied random forest (RF) and multiple linear model (LM) regression analyses. RF regression outperformed LM in predicting methane emissions, showing higher R² values (0.927 vs. 0.622) and lower standard errors. However, cross-testing revealed that RF regressions exhibit high specificity to distribution types, underperforming when applied to data with differing distributions. In contrast, LM regressions showed robustness across different distribution types. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding distributional assumptions in regression techniques when generating synthetic databases. The study also underscores the potential of synthetic data in augmenting limited samples, addressing class imbalances, and simulating rare scenarios. While our method effectively preserves descriptive statistical properties, we acknowledge the possibility of introducing artificial (unknown) relationships within subsets of the synthetic database. This research uncovered a practical solution for creating realistic, statistically sound datasets when original data is scarce or sensitive. Its application in predicting methane emissions demonstrates the potential to enhance modeling accuracy in animal science. Future research directions include integrating this approach with deep learning, exploring real-world applications, and developing adaptive machine-learning models for diverse data distributions.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143902924","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"ASAS-NANP SYMPOSIUM: MATHEMATICAL MODELING IN ANIMAL NUTRITION: Harnessing Real-Time Data and Digital Twins for Precision Livestock Farming","authors":"Tami M Brown-Brandl, Jian Tao","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf138","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf138","url":null,"abstract":"The increasing population and urbanization have intensified livestock production, raising concerns about sustainability, animal welfare, and disease transmission. There is a need to improve the sustainability of animal production. Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) emerges as a promising solution, utilizing sensors, Internet of Things (IoT), and data analytics to enhance animal management. Digital twins create virtual replicas of physical entities such as animals, buildings, and overall farm operations. This paper highlights the transformative potential of PLF and digital twin technology. The integration of real-time data with digital twins represents a frontier of technological innovation with the potential to transform PLF. The future of PLF looks promising with advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), blockchain, and augmented reality, which are expected to drive further innovations and enhance the capabilities of digital twins. In this review, we provide a brief overview of the current state-of-the-art developments in the field of precision livestock agriculture and highlight the potential for digital twin technologies to transform the agricultural sector.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"69 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143902926","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Circulating microRNAs associated with immune competence in Angus cattle","authors":"Annaleise Wilson, Ryan J Farr, Brad C Hine, Enrique Sanchez-Molano, Christina L Rootes, Jenny Su, Georgios Banos, Cameron R Stewart, Aaron B Ingham","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf144","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf144","url":null,"abstract":"An immune competence (IC) trait has been developed in livestock to combat infectious diseases through selective breeding. Here, we investigate whether circulating host-encoded microRNAs (miRNAs) are associated with immune responses to a commercial multivalent clostridial and leptospiral vaccine in Australian Angus steers, a proxy measure for IC. A total of 332 animals from two herds in New South Wales, Australia—Herd 1 (n = 168) and Herd 2 (n = 164)—were IC phenotyped on the day of yard weaning. Within herd, animals were ranked by their antibody- (Ab-IR) and cell-mediated (Cell-IR) immune responses, and animals identified as “high” or “low” were in the top or bottom 7% of animals for each, respectively. A total of 47 steers that were identified as either low Cell-IR (n = 12), high Cell-IR (n = 11), low Ab-IR (n = 12) or high Ab-IR (n = 12) were selected for miRNA analysis. The IC score, a weighted average incorporating both Ab-IR and Cell-IR rankings, was calculated for selected steers. Our results indicate that the IC phenotype is associated with differences in circulating miRNA profiles. Linear regression modelling identified a potential association between pre-vaccination miR-150 levels and IC scores, while logistic regression modelling suggested that pre-vaccination miR-150 may differentiate IC high and low steers. Machine learning classification models further identified a five-miRNA signature (miR-192, miR-150, miR-2285co, miR-155, and let-7a-5p) that classified high IC steers with 94% accuracy in this dataset. The findings of this pilot study suggest that circulating miRNAs warrant further investigation as potential predictors of immune response to vaccination and may provide insights into miRNA-regulated pathways involved in vaccine-induced immunity.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143901816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Crated Sow Breeding Values for Mothering Ability Reduce Piglet Mortality in Free Farrowing Pens.","authors":"C Lipori,I Reimert,E F Knol,Eam Graat,I M van As,B Kemp,N M Soede","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf134","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf134","url":null,"abstract":"Selecting sows with a high genetic merit for mothering ability to ensure the survival of liveborn piglets may be a promising strategy to reduce piglet mortality in free farrowing (FF) systems. This genetic merit, reflected in the Estimated Breeding Value for Mothering Ability (EBVma), is currently estimated based on information from sows housed in conventional crated farrowing systems. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to assess the predictive ability of crated sow breeding values for mothering ability on early piglet mortality, litter characteristics, and farrowing performance in a FF environment. This was achieved by comparing the performance of sows during early lactation in FF with those that were temporarily crated (TC) for the first five days of lactation. A total of 56 healthy TN70 sows were assigned, to either TC (crated from approximately 2 days pre-farrowing to day 5 of lactation, n=28) or FF (n=28). Overall, higher EBVma were associated with reduced liveborn piglet mortality within the first 5 days of lactation (P = 0.04). In FF, liveborn piglet mortality was higher in low EBVma sows (14.8%) compared to high EBVma sows (6.1%) (OR: 3.4, 95% CI: 1.5-7.4, P = 0.003). Additionally, piglet crushing rates were higher in low EBVma sows (9.8%) versus high EBVma sows (3.3%) (OR: 2.9, 95% CI: 1.3-7.6, P = 0.01). In TC, the association was less pronounced for liveborn piglet mortality (OR: 2.4, 95% CI: 0.8-7.0, P = 0.11) but present for piglet crushing (OR: 8.4, 95% CI: 1.5 - ∞, P = 0.02). Higher EBVma values were also associated with a reduced probability of stillbirths (P = 0.02). However, no significant association was found between EBVma and farrowing duration in either housing system, nor was there an effect of housing system on farrowing duration (FF: 251 ± 48.5 min, TC: 251 ± 51.3 min, P = 0.96). As anticipated, piglet mortality was higher in FF (14.2%) compared to TC (5.9%), with piglet crushing being the predominant cause of piglet mortality in FF (11.8%), while deaths of nonviable piglets were more common in TC (4.2%). This study demonstrates that EBVma retain their predictive value in FF, and suggests a stronger association with piglet survival in this environment. The significant association between higher EBVma and lower piglet mortality, particularly due to reduced piglet crushing, highlights the potential of genetic selection to enhance piglet survival in FF systems, through selection for maternal influence on survival.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"71 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143897386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}