Livestock Science最新文献

{"title":"Estimating daily fat percentage from single samples in herds with automatic milking system using a regression model","authors":"Julia S. Gerke ,&nbsp;Martin Kammer ,&nbsp;Andreas Werner ,&nbsp;Ralf Köstler ,&nbsp;Jörg Piepenburg ,&nbsp;Martin Mayerhofer ,&nbsp;Florian Grandl ,&nbsp;Jürgen Duda","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105649","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105649","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Constant access to the automatic milking system (AMS) leads to varying milking frequency of cows and subsequently varying milking interval lengths (MI) and milk yield (MY) of single milkings. This influences milk production and can result in variable milk composition in individual milkings during the day.</div><div>In this study, different effects of animal and milking frequency associated characteristics on the milk components fat and protein from herds milked with AMS were explored and analyzed with respect to their influence on daily content. From this, a new regression model was developed to enable the estimation of daily fat percentage from single sampled milkings on test day. Collectively, 909,922 test day records from 176,926 cows in Germany and Austria milked two to three times within 24 h with AMS were assembled. As the complex process of fat production in the udder is notably affected by MI and MY, common regression models address this issue by mainly relying on fat%, MY and MI of two preceding milkings. The new regression model increases the number of included preceding milkings up to four covering a timespan of &gt;24 h. Moreover, the model is complemented by lactation stage, parity, and daytime of the sampled milking. Its performance was compared to those of two regression models from literature. With a root mean squared error of 0.275, a mean absolute error of 0.195 and R² = 0.816 the new model outperformed these reference models. For 62.6 % of test day records, the developed model estimated a more precise daily fat content than the measured fat content from a single milking.</div><div>Therefore, this model is an adequate solution for estimating the daily fat content for AMS herds, which are not able to take more than one sample on test day.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"293 ","pages":"Article 105649"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143155603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inferring effects of barn emissions, housing conditions and genetics on specific dermatitis digitalis diagnoses in dairy cows","authors":"Niklas Sölzer,&nbsp;Kerstin Brügemann,&nbsp;Petra Engel,&nbsp;Sven König","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105650","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105650","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of the present study was to infer effects of housing systems, cow phenotypes and genomics on specific stages of the claw disorder dermatitis digitalis (<strong>DD</strong>) of dairy cows kept in compost bedded pack barns (<strong>CBPB</strong>) and conventional cubicle barns (<strong>CCB</strong>) applying structural equation models (<strong>SEM</strong>). Housing system characterisations, herd hygiene status determination and greenhouse gas emission recordings considered 11 farms, whereas 6 farms represented the CBPB system, 2 farms represented the CCB system, and 3 farms “mixed farming” system with CBPB for sub-herd A and CCB for sub-herd B. In these 11 farms, 1,047 Holstein-Friesian and Fleckvieh-Simmental cows (1,611 observations) were phenotyped for the DD stages DD sick, DD acute and DD chronic. Cows from 4 further farms without housing and greenhouse gas emission data were considered for DD phenotyping and SNP genotyping, implying the availability of 2,980 DD observations from 1,710 cows for genomic studies of DD traits. In a first step, generalized linear mixed models were applied to identify the most relevant housing characteristics on DD sick, DD acute and DD chronic. Least-squares-means for infection probabilities were generally smaller in CBPB than in CCB. With regard to compost, barn air and barn emission characteristics in CBPB, a bedding temperature in the range &lt; 28°C, a C:N ratio in the bedding material &gt; 21, a pH-value in the bedding material &gt; 8.8, small NH₃ concentrations (&lt; 0.55) in the barn air, as well as small as moderate air humidity, were associated with the highest DD health status. The single-step GWAS indicated similar Manhattan plots for DD sick and DD acute, and respective shared potential candidate genes based on gene annotations from the <em>Bos taurus</em> ARS1.2 genome assembly. Three same SNPs were significantly associated (according to normative significance threshold) with DD acute and DD sick, but no overlaps in this regard were identified for other DD stages. Strong association signals in the Manhattan plots according to strict pBF were identified for DD chronic including three further SNPs, and for DD acute including the SNP <em>Hapmap47993-BTA-56668</em> (HAP) located on BTA 23. These SNPs together with latent variables for the cow DD individuality (<strong>DD indiv</strong>, including phenotypes and estimated breeding values for DD stages), cow productivity before and after a DD diagnosis, and the relevant barn and housing characteristics (as identified via mixed model applications), were simultaneously considered in SEM for DD sick, DD acute and DD chronic. Housing and barn characteristics played a predominant role with regard to infection risks for DD sick and DD acute. In contrast for DD chronic, path coefficients on DD indiv were quite large for DD chronic EBVs, as well as for single SNP effects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"293 ","pages":"Article 105650"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143155604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of a ten-week lactation period on sow and litter performance in organic outdoor production","authors":"T.F. Pedersen ,&nbsp;M. Eskildsen ,&nbsp;A.G. Kongsted","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105647","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105647","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent years the average lactation period for organic pigs reared outdoors has been extended to improve piglet robustness at weaning and to eliminate the need for a separate weaner facility. This study aimed to investigate the performance of outdoor sows and litters after lactation periods of seven and 10 weeks. Twenty litters comprising a total of 251 pigs were assigned to one of two weaning strategies: weaning at seven weeks or weaning at 10 weeks. Post-weaning, the piglets were transferred to outdoor weaner paddocks and monitored until they reached 17 weeks of age. Sows' body weight (BW), back fat thickness (BF), udder, and teat condition were assessed after seven and 10 weeks of lactation. Piglets were weighed at the end of week 7, 10, 14, and 17 post-partum. Sow feed intake was recorded from weeks 8 to 10, while piglets' feed intake was monitored from weeks 8 to 10, 11 to 14, and 15 to 17. There were no changes in sow BF, teat, and udder condition during the three-week extended lactation period (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). Sows exhibited an increase in BW by 8.8 kg during the three-week extended lactation period (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01). The weaning strategy did not affect piglets' average daily gain (ADG), feed intake (ADFI), or feed conversion ratio (FCR), in terms of kg feed per kg gain, from week 10 to 14, as well as ADG and ADFI from week 15 to 17 (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). Overall, pigs per litter after 17 weeks and total gain (sow and pigs) from week 8 to 17 did not differ between weaning strategies (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). When including feed use for sows, piglets, and weaners, overall FCR in terms of kg feed per kg gain was numerically higher for litters weaned after 10 weeks of lactation (<em>P</em> <em>=</em> 0.11). However, overall FCR in terms of kg crude protein (CP) and metabolizable energy (ME) per kg gain did not differ between weaning strategies (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). In conclusion, extended lactation had no detrimental effects on outdoor sows’ body condition and udder condition at weaning. On the other hand, when the piglets are weaned in outdoor conditions, in small group sizes and sorted according to size, weaning at seven or 10 weeks of age seems to be equally suitable strategies to obtain good pig health and high growth rates until 17 weeks of age.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"293 ","pages":"Article 105647"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143155685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of oregano essential oils and probiotics supplementation on growth performance, immunity, antioxidant status, intestinal microbiota, and gene expression in broilers experimentally infected with Eimeria","authors":"Ahmed M. Elbaz ,&nbsp;Eman S. Ashmawy ,&nbsp;Disouky M. Mourad ,&nbsp;Shimaa A. Amin ,&nbsp;Eman Kamel M. Khalfallah ,&nbsp;Zangabel S. Mohamed","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2024.105622","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2024.105622","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The poultry industry has several disease challenges; coccidiosis is considered one of the most dangerous parasitic diseases. Six-hundred Ross 308 male broiler chicks (average initial body weight 41.5 g) were allocated to six groups: negative control uninfected (NCO); positive control infected with <em>Eimeria</em> (PCO); or positive control supplemented with diclazuril (0.2 g/kg diet, DIC); two-strains probiotic (2 g/ kg diet, PRO); oregano essential oil (300 mg/ kg diet, OEO); a combination of 2 g probiotic and 300 mg oregano essential oil (POE). At day 15, all groups except NCO were inoculated via oral gavage with oocysts of mixed <em>Eimeria</em> spp. Our results indicated that the infected chickens with mixed <em>Eimeria</em> (PCO) exhibited lower growth performance, higher mortality rate, and increased oocyst shedding (<em>P</em>&lt; 0.05), in addition to deterioration of immune-oxidative status in broilers on 35 d. On the contrary, <em>Eimeria</em>-infected chickens fed on a diet supplemented with DIC, PRO, OEO, and POE showed improved growth performance (<em>P</em>&lt; 0.05) and decreased mortality and oocyst shedding. Moreover, feeding chickens on POE enhanced body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, crude protein digestibility, and dressing. Furthermore, POE supplements supported immunity and antioxidant status by increasing IgA, IgG, IL-10, and SOD levels (<em>P</em>&lt; 0.05) and reducing IL-6 and MDA levels. Additionally, adding POE altered the gut microbiota structure via an increasing <em>Lactobacillus</em> count and decreasing <em>C. perfringens, E. coli</em>, and <em>Coliforms</em> count. Notably, POE supplements also reduced oocyst shedding and lesion scores. Moreover, the up-regulated nutrient transporters, including the expressions of cationic amino acid transporter-1 (CAT-1) and mucin-2 (MUC-2) were up-regulated (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) in the POE group compared to other groups. Therefore, our study concluded that a combination of probiotics and oregano essential oils was preferred as an effective choice for protecting broilers against coccidiosis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"291 ","pages":"Article 105622"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143170373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of different arginine-to-lysine ratios and guanidinoacetic acid supplementation on the growth performance, carcass characteristics and breast myopathies in broiler chickens","authors":"Edwin Westreicher-Kristen ,&nbsp;Roger Davin ,&nbsp;Piero Agostini ,&nbsp;Behnam Saremi","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2024.105624","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2024.105624","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of increasing the digestible arginine-to-lysine ratio (dig Arg:Lys) (Experiment 1), and to evaluate the Arg sparing effect of guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) (Experiment 2) on growth performance, carcass composition and breast myopathies in broiler chickens. In experiment (Exp) 1, a total of 672 male Ross 308 birds were assigned to 4 experimental groups provided in a 4-phase feeding scheme. The Control treatment had a dig Arg to Lys ratio (Arg:Lys) of 1.06, 1.06, 1.07 and 1.08 in starter, grower I, grower II and finisher diets, respectively; the other three experimental treatments had a dig Arg:Lys ratio of 1.15, 1.25 and 1.35 across all feeding phases by adding L-Arg to Control diets. In Exp 2, 504 male Ross 308 birds were fed using the same feeding scheme and assigned to 3 experimental groups: the Control diet had a dig Arg:Lys ratio of 1.05, and the other two treatments were supplemented with 0.6 g/kg GAA using two different dig Arg equivalency: 77% (GAA77) or 149% (GAA149). In Exp 1, body weight (BW), BW gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were affected in a quadratic fashion (<em>P</em> ≤ 0.03 for all) at cumulative phases 0-10 and 0-20 d when increasing the dig Arg:Lys ratio. In these phases, the highest BW, BWG and best FCR were obtained with the highest dig Arg:Lys ratio (1.35). The latter effects were not observed for the phases 0-30 and 0-44 d. In Exp 2, the replacement of Arg by GAA did not affect the productive performance (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.13) in the phases 0-20, 0-30 and 0-44 d, but GAA77 impaired FCR compared to control (<em>P</em> = 0.05) in phase 0-10 d. For carcass traits, only breast yield was increased in both GAA groups compared to Control (<em>P</em> = 0.01) at 35 d, and breast meat redness (a*) was decreased (<em>P</em> = 0.01) with GAA77 compared to CON. Skin scratches, breast myopathies, litter score and foot pad dermatitis were not affected by dietary treatments in any of the 2 Exps. In conclusion, increasing the dig Arg:Lys ratio to 1.35 has a positive effect on growth performance from 0-20 d of age without affecting breast myopathies incidence. Dietary supplementation of GAA could replace 77% of Arg without affecting performance parameters in broilers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"291 ","pages":"Article 105624"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143170372","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic relationships between male and female reproductive traits in Retinta beef cattle","authors":"José M. Jiménez ,&nbsp;Rosa M. Morales ,&nbsp;Sebastián Demyda-Peyrás ,&nbsp;Antonio Molina","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2024.105610","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2024.105610","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Scrotal circumference (SC) is an indirect measure used to predict the reproductive fitness of beef cattle raised in an extensive regime with limited seasonal breeding. It stands out for having a moderate to high heritability and favorable correlations, with seminal and reproductive quality traits in both the bull and its daughters. In the present study, we analyzed 2634 SC records of young bulls evaluated in testing stations for future bulls of the Retinta cattle Breed. The data was collected from 828 young bulls which produced 3,616 daughters. Monthly measurements of live weight, average daily gain, feed consumption, and SC were also performed in the bulls during testing. In addition, reproductive controls were performed in the daughters to estimate age at first calving (AFC) and reproductive efficiency (RE). We also estimated genetic parameters for the traits using a classical REML repeatability animal model. Average SC was 34.04 ± 2.43 cm. at 12 months, showing a heritability of 0.282 ± 0.052. Phenotypic (−0.05, 0.11, 0.42) and genetic (0.12, 0.15, −0.09) correlations were obtained between AFC and Reproductive Efficiency (RE) at 3, 6, and last calving and SC. These results suggest a strong environmental influence on the reproductive variables of daughters, probably motivated by the breeding model and the farmer's decision on the date of reproduction of the heifers. However, it can be seen that the AFC, RE3 and RE6 are more favorable for individuals with SC &gt;37 cm, and more unfavorable for SC ≤32 in relation to SC &gt;32 and ≤37. Finally, 85 of the bulls underwent sperm analysis using computer-assisted sperm analysis (C.A.S.A.) technology, using frozen semen samples belonging to the Retinta Breeding Program. Residual phenotypes for SC showed positive correlations with progressivity (0.11 in STR and LIN) and longevity (0.2 in L40 and 0.1 in L50). The highest r² was obtained using a canonical correlation, suggesting that a higher SC may improve sperm quality in bulls. It can therefore be confirmed that the use of this selection criterion (SC) in the breeding program of this breed will determine a response to positive selection, both for the fertility of the bull and its daughters.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"291 ","pages":"Article 105610"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143170370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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 high-protein distiller's dried grains with solubles (HP-DDGS) on early growth benefits and carcass quality trade-offs in pigs","authors":"Pollyana Leite Matioli Garbossa ,&nbsp;Mirele Daiana Poleti ,&nbsp;Cesar Augusto Pospissil Garbossa ,&nbsp;Laya Kannan Silva Alves ,&nbsp;Rhuan Filipe Chaves ,&nbsp;Vinícius de Souza Cantarelli ,&nbsp;José Bento Sterman Ferraz","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2024.105621","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2024.105621","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite the limited adoption of DDGS in South America, its potential benefits in pig nutrition have not been thoroughly evaluated, we assessed the effects of increasing levels of HP-DDGS in corn/soybean meal-based diets fed to pigs from the initial I nursery phase to the finishing phase on performance, health parameters, and quality characteristics of carcass, pork, and belly. Five hundred piglets were distributed in randomized blocks to five HP-DDGS inclusion levels. HP-DDGS was introduced 14 days into the experiment and maintained until the end of the 147-day experimental period. It replaced corn and soybean meal in isoenergetic diets at increasing levels of 0 %, 10 %, 20 %, 30 %, and 40 %. Increasing levels of HP-DDGS positively affected average daily feed intake (<em>P</em> = 0.001), average daily gain (<em>P</em> = 0.0002), and body weight (<em>P</em> = 0.0003) in the nursery phase, while in the growing and finishing phase negatively impacted feed conversion ratio (<em>P</em> = 0.002 and <em>P</em> &lt; 0.0001, respectively) and body weight (<em>P</em> = 0.018 and <em>P</em> = 0.0003, respectively). HP-DDGS inclusion also positively influenced fecal score; animals fed 40 % HP-DDGS in the nursery phase and 30 % and 40 % HP-DDGS in the growing and finishing phase had highest proportion of well-formed feces (fecal score 1), while those fed 10 % or no HP-DDGS showed more mild diarrhea (fecal score 2) (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.0001 to <em>P</em> = 0.0024). Increased HP-DDGS inclusion levels had a negative impact on body weight at slaughterhouse (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.0001), hot carcass weight (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.0001), chilled carcass weight (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.0001), backfat thickness (<em>P</em> = 0.042), belly weight (<em>P</em> = 0.0002), belly thickness (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.0001), belly external flexibility (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.0001), belly internal flexibility (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.0001), and a* color component (<em>P</em> = 0.037), but had a positive effect on L* color component (<em>P</em> = 0.044). Overall, increased HP-DDGS levels in pig diets modified the fatty acid profile of belly fat. Although this belly fat shows increased oxidation rates and flexibility, it is rendered more suitable for human consumption in terms of health benefits. In this sense, including HP-DDGS in pig diets benefits early growth by improving gut health and reducing diarrhea, enhancing weight gain and fecal consistency. However, high HP-DDGS inclusions levels negatively affected carcass traits. While HP-DDGS improved the polyunsaturated lipid profile of pork, its overall impact on meat quality varied. Therefore, HP-DDGS should be used early in growth, with a transition to a low-fiber diet during finishing to mitigate these effects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"291 ","pages":"Article 105621"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143170371","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Grower-finisher gilts with high and low feed conversion fed diets with varied crude protein content differ in pancreatic enzyme activity and gut morphology","authors":"J.M. van der Linden ,&nbsp;M.E. van der Heide ,&nbsp;M. Barszcz ,&nbsp;A. Konopka ,&nbsp;A. Tuśnio ,&nbsp;E. Święch ,&nbsp;K. Gawin ,&nbsp;J.V. Nørgaard ,&nbsp;J.G. Madsen","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2024.105626","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2024.105626","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reducing the feed conversion ratio (FCR) in pigs during the grower-finisher phase is crucial for improving the herd's economy, while also reducing nutrient excretion and carbon footprint. Therefore, understanding the biological factors contributing to FCR is important. In this study, sixty grower-finisher gilts were divided between three dietary treatments and fed a low (LCP; 148 g CP/kg), standard (SCP; 152 g CP/kg), or high (HCP; 158 g CP/kg) crude protein (CP) diet from 30 to 115 kg of body weight, for a period of 10 weeks. Feed intake and weight were measured individually. Within each diet, pigs were categorized based on their FCR during the final four growing weeks as the 30 % highest (high FCR), medium 40 %, and 30 % lowest (low FCR). The pigs categorized as low and high FCR were euthanized at 20 weeks of age where pancreatic as well as small (SI) and large intestinal samples were collected, and subsequently subjected to an analysis of enzyme activity and morphological characteristics. Differences with respect to enzyme activity in low compared with high FCR pigs included lower (<em>P</em> = 0.05) trypsin activity, and greater (<em>P</em> <em>=</em> 0.02) alanine aminotransferase activity. There was a tendency for a diet and FCR interaction with respect to aspartate aminotransferase (<em>P</em> <em>=</em> 0.06) and lactate dehydrogenase (<em>P</em> = 0.08) activity. In addition, differences in gut morphology between low and high FCR pigs were found, where a thinner (<em>P</em> <em>=</em> 0.04) caecal muscular layer and a tendency (<em>P</em> = 0.07) for shorter distal SI villous height were observed in the low FCR pigs. In conclusion, the results indicate a possible link between the level of feed efficiency of grower-finisher gilts and their pancreatic enzyme activity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"291 ","pages":"Article 105626"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143170379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Supplementing steers up to 43 % canola meal had no negative effects on either ruminal parameters or the degradation characteristics of lucerne hay","authors":"E.E.M. Lynch ,&nbsp;G.L. Krebs ,&nbsp;J.W. Piltz ,&nbsp;R.G. Meyer ,&nbsp;E.H. Clayton ,&nbsp;M.A. Campbell ,&nbsp;M.A. Friend","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2024.105627","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2024.105627","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Interpreting <em>in sacco</em> and <em>in vitro</em> results needs to be undertaken with caution, as many variables, such as diet, can influence the rate of degradation and degradation kinetics. Four ruminal fistulated donor steers were fed rations based on low quality cereal roughages with one of four inclusion levels of canola meal, <em>viz.</em> 0 % (control), 13 %, 27 % or 43 % on a DM basis. Two degradation methods, <em>in sacco</em> and <em>in vitro</em> Ankom Daisy™ incubation, were used to determine the degradation kinetics of ground lucerne hay (lucerne standard) over 72 h Supplementing donor steers up to 43 % canola meal had no negative (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05) effects on the degradation of the ground lucerne standard, regardless of which incubation method was used. The average ruminal NH₃-N concentration increased (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) with increasing levels of canola meal in the ration, while total volatile fatty acid concentrations and molar proportions were within the normal range for microbial synthesis. Average ruminal pH was not affected (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05) by the ration fed to the steers and did not decrease below 6.3, indicating canola meal was safe to include at 43 % in a basal, low-quality ration for cattle.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"291 ","pages":"Article 105627"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143170374","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Infrared thermography of different tear staining scores in pigs","authors":"Zdeňka Vacušková ,&nbsp;Dominik Vacuška ,&nbsp;Irene Camerlink","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2024.105623","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2024.105623","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tear staining is increasingly suggested as a potential indicator for pig welfare. However, current research outcomes on tear staining are inconclusive. There is therefore a need for more information on this potential indicator. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between tear staining scores and infrared thermography (IRT) of the inner canthus of the eye (with eye temperature relating to emotional states). We expected that pigs with a more severe tear staining score would have a higher eye IRT value. Pigs of a high-welfare research herd were assessed for tear staining using a 6-point scoring scale. Twenty-four female pigs with tear staining scores from 0 to 3 were selected, while scores 4 and 5 did not occur. Pigs were subjected to IRT of the right eye, in a test area specially constructed for IRT. Data were analysed in a generalised linear mixed model with IRT value as response variable and tear staining score, age and temperature-humidity index as predictor variables. The results showed no significant relationship between tear staining score and IRT values. The average IRT value was 37.1 ± 0.34, with the highest IRT values in tear staining score 3. The pigs’ age did not influence the outcomes. In this small-scale study we did not find a relationship between tear staining and eye IRT. Nevertheless, the outcomes show that tear staining is prevalent also in high welfare systems and we therefore urge for caution in using tear staining as a welfare indicator.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"291 ","pages":"Article 105623"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143170391","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}