Livestock Science最新文献

{"title":"Feed intake, ruminal parameters, milk production and economy in Holstein cows fed reduced forage or non-forage emergency diets","authors":"C.F. Børsting ,&nbsp;D.W. Olijhoek ,&nbsp;A.L. F. Hellwing ,&nbsp;K.M. Moyes ,&nbsp;S. Østergaard ,&nbsp;M.R. Weisbjerg ,&nbsp;P. Lund ,&nbsp;B.M. Raun ,&nbsp;B.A. Røjen ,&nbsp;N.B. Kristensen","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105825","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105825","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We evaluated how to maintain dairy herds in a productive state after extreme drought episodes via substituting high quality forage (corn and grass-clover silages) with concentrate and straw. Ninety Holstein cows were allocated to a randomized trial for 11 weeks. The planned roughage-to-concentrate ratios (% of dietary DM) of the diets were: 51:49, 30:70, and 9:91. Two different concentrate palettes were used to substitute forage representing domestic (RGB) and globally (COS) available feedstuffs. The concentrate mixture RGB contained only feedstuffs that can be produced in the European Union. The RGB mixture contained starch from the feedstuffs ground barley and NaOH-treated whole wheat kernels, fibers from dried beet pulp and distiller’s dried grains (DDGS) and protein from rapeseed cake and DDGS. The concentrate mixture COS was based on globally available feedstuffs and contained starch from corn (ground kernels), fiber from soyhulls, and protein mainly from soybean meal. Treatments did not affect concentrate intake in milking robots, whereas intake of the partially mixed rations was 0.6 kg DM per day less with RGB when compared to COS. Milk fat concentrations were severely reduced with greater concentrate intake and reflected ruminal molar proportions of acetate to propionate. The study showed that it is possible to use concentrate-based emergency rations to keep dairy herds milking after severe drought episodes with a shortage of forage, however, the loss in milk fat yield implies that farmers should prioritize forage, even when prices are up to 2.5 to 3.3 times the standard production cost.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 105825"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145223269","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":"Review: Strategies to stimulate piglet creep feed intake before weaning","authors":"Malene Hald ,&nbsp;Thomas S. Bruun ,&nbsp;Trine F. Pedersen ,&nbsp;Mette S. Hedemann","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105840","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105840","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Stimulating creep feed intake in piglets is increasingly important due to larger litter sizes, which raise piglet requirements to levels above the sow milk production. Although intake is typically low during the initial weeks, piglets show exploratory behavior (nosing, rooting, and chewing) from the first week of life. Supporting this behavior in conventional farrowing environments can promote early feed engagement. This review highlights strategies to enhance creep feed intake, including housing and creep feeder design, feeding practices, feed characteristics, and management. Creep feeder design and sow confinement (crated vs. loose) affect piglet interaction with feed. Introducing solid feed between 5 and 10 days after farrowing is recommended. The physical form of creep feed (e.g., meal, pellets, crumbles, thermally processed, or liquid) plays a key role. Pellet diameter is especially important; larger pellets (≥ 8 mm) stimulate feeding behavior. Sensory properties (taste, smell, texture) are less critical in attracting piglets. While dietary complexity can influence intake, high-complexity diets do not always outperform low complexity diets, even though these may contain less ingredients and less refined ingredients. Flavor additives, either in the sow’s diet or the creep feed, may improve palatability and familiarity. Increasing the weaning age is the most efficient tool to increase creep feed intake and reduce the proportion of non-eaters at weaning. In conclusion, a multifactorial approach integrating these elements may be most effective in optimizing early feed consumption and adapting to solid feed before weaning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 105840"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145363932","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":"Genetic parameters and genomic predictions for economically important traits in Montana® composite cattle using different models","authors":"Flávia Cristina Bis ,&nbsp;Eduarda da Silva Oliveira ,&nbsp;Caroline Assis Almeida ,&nbsp;Elisângela Chicaroni de Mattos Oliveira ,&nbsp;Letícia Pereira ,&nbsp;Rafael Espigolan ,&nbsp;Joanir Pereira Eler ,&nbsp;Luís Telo Da Gama ,&nbsp;Rafael Nuñez Dominguez ,&nbsp;José Bento Sterman Ferraz ,&nbsp;Fernando Baldi","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105839","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105839","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study assessed the impact of breed effects, heterosis, and recombination on genomic predictions for growth, reproduction, and body composition traits in Montana® cattle. The database included 124,547 records for Birth Weight (BW), 111,103 for Weaning Weight (WW), 87,740 for Weight at 12 months (W12), 49,249 for Post-weaning Weight Gain (WG), 87,740 for Scrotal Circumference (SC), and 44,873 for Muscularity (MUSC), with 3911 genotyped animals from the Montana® composite program. Models M1 to M5 included fixed effects of contemporary group, embryo transfer, and cow age at calving (linear and quadratic). The effects of direct and maternal breed composition, heterozygosity, and recombination varied across models. From model M2 onward, covariates for biological type, heterosis (direct, maternal, specific), and recombination (direct, maternal, specific) were added. All genomic analyses used the ssGBLUP method, and the LR (Linear Regression) validation method was used to assess predictive ability and model effect influence. Heritability estimates ranged from 0.19 to 0.22 for WW, 0.15 to 0.20 for WG, 0.36 to 0.37 for BW, 0.23 to 0.29 for W12, 0.28 to 0.29 for SC, and 0.17 to 0.19 for MUSC. The most parameterized models showed the best fit by AIC, with M5 best for WW, W12, WG, and SC; M4 for BW; and M3 for MUSC. Model M1 showed the best prediction ability for WW and W12, with the highest accuracies (0.407 and 0.456), best dispersions (1.01 and 0.897), and lowest biases (0.098 and 0.068), respectively. For WG, M1 had the highest accuracy (0.452), M5 the best dispersion (0.940), and M4 the lowest bias (0.028). For BW, M5 showed the highest accuracy (0.452), M4 the best dispersion (1.001), and M3 the lowest bias (-0.006). For SC, M1 had the highest accuracy (0.501), M3 the best dispersion (1.004), and M4 the lowest bias (0.092). For MUSC, M4 had the highest accuracy (0.415) and lowest bias (0.057), while M2 showed the best dispersion (0.979). More parameterized models provided a better fit for variance component estimation. In general, genomic predictions with M1 displayed the highest accuracies for WW, W12, WG, and SC, and lower bias for most traits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 105839"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145364637","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":"Excitable temperament impairs oocyte quality and in vitro embryo production efficiency in Nellore donors","authors":"Samuel Rodrigues Bonamichi do Couto ,&nbsp;Nicolas Moreira Piedras Monnerat Caparelli ,&nbsp;Thiago Souza Vieira ,&nbsp;Daniela Cristina Rocha de Freitas ,&nbsp;Mateus Gonçalves Costa ,&nbsp;Mellyssa Sad Rodrigues Gomes ,&nbsp;João Paulo Nascimento Andrade ,&nbsp;Rondineli Pavezzi Barbero ,&nbsp;Felipe Zandonadi Brandão ,&nbsp;Marco Roberto Bourg de Mello","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105827","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105827","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aimed to evaluate the effects of temperament and reactivity on oocyte recovery and in vitro embryo production (IVEP) efficiency in Nellore females. We hypothesized that stress from an excitable temperament would impair IVEP outcomes. This study was conducted on a commercial farm in Paraná, Brazil, involving 133 Nellore females, yielding 3,820 oocytes. Temperament was scored on a scale of 1–4 based on behavior during handling, categorizing animals into calm (ADQ; score ≤ 2) or excitable (EXC; score &gt; 2) groups. Cortisol concentrations were measured to validate the temperament assessments. Oocytes were morphologically evaluated and subjected to a commercial IVEP protocol. Statistical analyses were performed using the GLIMMIX procedure in SAS (<em>P</em> ≤ 0.05). Excitable females (n = 32) had higher cortisol levels than calm ones (n = 101) (62.5 ± 7.2 vs. 42.2 ± 3.8 ng/mL; <em>P</em> = 0.008). The ADQ group had a higher proportion of viable oocytes (79.3%¦vs. 75.5%; <em>P</em> = 0.01) and lower degeneration rates (20.6%¦vs. 24.4%; <em>P</em> = 0.01). The cleavage (74.9%¦vs. 64.7%; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) and blastocyst (25.4%¦vs. 19.2%; <em>P</em> = 0.02) rates were also higher in calm females, with greater blastocyst production per donor (6.2 vs. 3.0 embryos; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). In conclusion, excitable temperament negatively affects oocyte quality and IVEP efficiency, suggesting that temperament-based selection and management can enhance IVEP success in Nellore cattle.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 105827"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145223228","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":"A diet containing Cyberlindnera jadinii yeast as a protein source demonstrates comparable benefits to a formic acid and probiotic supplemented diet in post-weaning piglets","authors":"Özgün C Onarman Umu ,&nbsp;Henning Sørum ,&nbsp;Anne Stine Ekker ,&nbsp;Peng Lei ,&nbsp;Purushothaman Kathiresan ,&nbsp;Charles McLean Press ,&nbsp;Kari Ljøkjel ,&nbsp;Liv Torunn Mydland ,&nbsp;Nils Petter Kjos ,&nbsp;Margareth Øverland","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105835","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105835","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The increasing demand for sustainable protein sources in livestock production necessitates the evaluation of novel feed ingredients that can reduce environmental impact while maintaining animal health and performance. The effects of replacing soybean meal with <em>Cyberlindnera jadinii</em>, a locally produced microbial yeast protein, in the diet of post-weaning piglets under commercial production conditions were analyzed. A total of 840 piglets were enrolled in a field experiment conducted over 3 consecutive production periods. Piglets were allocated to 2 dietary treatments: a control diet containing soybean meal, formic acid products and a probiotic, and an experimental diet where <em>C. jadinii</em> yeast replaced 45% of the dietary protein. Growth performance, fecal consistency, and gut microbiota composition were evaluated over a 4 wk post-weaning period. Piglets fed the yeast-based diet exhibited an overall lower average daily gain (ADG; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01) and average daily feed intake (ADFI; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01) compared to those on the control diet, while feed conversion ratio (FCR) remained similar between groups. No differences in fecal consistency or clinical signs of diarrhea were observed, indicating maintained gut health despite reduced feed intake. Microbiota profiling revealed dietary effects on microbial diversity and composition in both the ileum and colon. Notably, the yeast-fed piglets showed greater relative abundances of <em>Lactobacillus johnsonii, Streptococcus gallolyticus</em>, and members of the Prevotellaceae family, while the control-fed piglets had greater abundances of <em>Lactobacillus amylovorus</em> and <em>Blautia hansenii</em>. These findings indicate that <em>C. jadinii</em> yeast can partially replace soybean meal and formic acid in weaner pig diets without compromising health status, although some reduction in growth performance was observed. The altered gut microbiota, including enrichment of beneficial taxa such as <em>L. johnsonii</em>, suggests functional modulation of gut health, supporting the potential of yeast-based proteins as a sustainable feed strategy in pig production systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 105835"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145321715","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 pre-slaughter stress on meat quality in beef cattle: A gene expression analysis","authors":"Zahra Roudbari ,&nbsp;Abdolvahab Ebrahimpour Gorji ,&nbsp;Krzysztof Dasiewicz ,&nbsp;Tomasz Sadkowski","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105851","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105851","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pre-slaughter stress significantly affects beef quality traits such as tenderness, juiciness, and color, thereby influencing overall meat quality, consumer acceptance, and market value. This study investigates gene expression profiles in the <em>Longissimus thoracis</em> and <em>Semitendinosus</em> muscles of cattle exposed to moderate (MS) and limited stress (LS) conditions, aiming to identify molecular markers associated with pH regulation, water-holding capacity, and meat color. For this purpose, we analyzed transcriptomic data from the publicly available dataset GSE119912. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using the limma package in R, with a cutoff of |log2FC| &gt; 0.3 and padj-value &lt; 0.05. Seventy-one genes were common to both muscle types under MS and LS conditions. The pathway analysis revealed substantial activity in stress response, together with oxidative stress, alongside muscle development processes. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis disclosed <em>FOS, SERPINE1,</em> and <em>ATF3</em> among the most important hub genes, and these proteins were substantiated by applying GGE biplot and polygon analysis. The investigated genes manifested their direct connection to key aspects of meat quality, which included pH regulation and both water-holding capacity and color variables. This research shows that the identified gene expression markers have the potential to function as predictors for meat quality assessment while revealing how beef quality changes because of stress. Combining stress-reducing methods and genetic selection of desirable traits will improve beef quality production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 105851"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145681373","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":"Exploratory study of the potential use of a novel pooled phenotype to select against boar taint","authors":"Alice Markey ,&nbsp;Anaïs Rodrigues ,&nbsp;Pierre-Hugues Stefanuto ,&nbsp;Jean-François Focant ,&nbsp;Anne-Catherine Huet ,&nbsp;José Wavreille ,&nbsp;Katrien Wijnrocx ,&nbsp;Nicolas Gengler","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105844","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105844","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Meat quality traits are economically important in pig production. Breeding strategies can help prevent meat defects such as boar taint, usually characterized by quantified indole, skatole and androstenone (ISA) in back fat. This exploratory study investigated the genetic potential of a novel boar taint phenotype, pooling volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which were recently identified as phenotypically discriminant. Fat samples were collected from 1272 Pietrain × Landrace crossbred boars. Phenotypes for boar taint on these samples were: lab sensory score (LSS; <em>n</em> = 1269), ISA quantification (<em>n</em> = 308), and VOC profiles (<em>n</em> = 127). Given the limited amount of data, a selection index-based approach was used to pool traits in trait groups, ISA and VOC, considering LSS as reference trait. (Co)variance components were estimated with a full multi-trait model, and index equations were adjusted to account for uncertainty in estimated parameters. Index coefficients were then applied to ISA and VOC phenotypes to generate two pooled phenotypes, ISA and VOC indices. Estimates from the 3-trait model (LSS, ISA index and VOC index) confirmed high expected correlations with LSS. Genetic parameter estimates showed higher significance demonstrating the interest of pooling multiple partially informative traits together. Moreover, using the VOC index would generate a higher expected correlated genetic response in LSS (192 %) than the ISA index (160 %) compared to the direct response when using only LSS. Despite limited data, this exploratory study showed the potential of this novel broad phenotype based on pooled VOCs to improve genetic selection for reduced boar taint risk, although further validation in larger populations is required.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 105844"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145517003","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":"Towards a balanced view of livestock: Benefits of grazing farming systems to produce meat","authors":"Jean-Louis Peyraud ,&nbsp;Jean-François Hocquette","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105829","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105829","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Debates about livestock and meat consumption are generally fragmented, and to date no study has simultaneously analyzed all the dimensions affected by livestock farming. The environmental impacts of livestock are well described and often emphasized in the media as the negative effects of methane emission from ruminants, but the associated benefits are poorly described in scientific literature thus giving an unbalanced picture of livestock farming. Based on various findings from research, this review aims to propose a multidimensional view on this topic.</div><div>Firstly, most of the environmental or nutritional arguments generally put forward against meat are provided without enough nuances. Without ignoring the negative impact of livestock on the climate and the environment, we show they need to be better deciphered. We provide examples dealing with the competition between feed and food, the water footprint of livestock, and the carbon footprint of meat production and consumption.</div><div>On the other hand, livestock farming produces several ecosystem services beyond human food production that are not well known. Indeed, livestock production is the basis of agricultural activities and rural vitality in many parts of the world. Herbivores contributes to valorize large grassland areas that are not suitable for crop production and are hotspot of biodiversity. Livestock, notably ruminants, plays a key role in maintaining soil carbon content and soil fertility, and manure from livestock is a source of organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus.</div><div>An original service-bundle methodology designed to capture European livestock production in a global manner highlights antagonism between certain services. Thus, it is not possible to summarize livestock effects and impacts in a single indicator, be it positive or negative. Finally, we show that different scenarios exist to reduce the negative impacts of livestock. More global actions are needed on all fronts: improving meat production and supply, reducing demand, losses and waste of food. Eating less meat on average in developed countries and lowering the proportion of animal protein in diets may also be part of a global solution. Improving livestock farming systems in favor of grassland-based systems, which rely on natural resources without competing with human food production and which provide environmental services is also an essential strategy. In any case, a world without meat–producing livestock is unlikely to be sustainable as suggested by several studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 105829"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145321713","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":"Calf presence in the cow herd: Associations with growth, health, and herd horn status in a cow-calf contact system","authors":"Romane Gillet ,&nbsp;Marie Schneider ,&nbsp;Kerstin Barth","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105834","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105834","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Prolonged cow-calf contact in dairy farming is receiving considerable attention. However, research on systems that allow calves to access the whole dairy herd has been limited. This study investigated the time that German Holstein calves spent daily within the dairy herd of their dams, its association with calf growth and health, and the effect of herd (horned vs. polled). The calves with whole-day contact (WDC, <em>n</em>= 23) could enter the herd at any time during the day, except during milking; the calves with daytime contact (DTC, <em>n</em>= 26) had only access between morning and evening milking. Calves with no herd contact (NOC, <em>n</em>= 42) served as a control. Calves were weighed weekly and their health status was assessed. Between the 2nd and 11th weeks of life, the time spent in the cow herd decreased in WDC calves (h d^-1, horned WDC: - 10.9, polled WDC: - 3.7, <em>P</em>&lt; 0.001), but did not differ in DTC calves (<em>P</em>&gt; 0.1). More time in the herd was associated with higher growth rates (<em>P</em>= 0.003). However, no effect of the herd was observed on calf growth or health. WDC calves had the highest growth rate compared to DTC and NOC (g d^-1, 991 ± 36, 718 ± 35, 869 ± 28, respectively, <em>P</em>&lt; 0.05). Unrestricted access to the cow herd resulted in individual variation in the time calves spent within the herd, with no observed effects on growth or health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 105834"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145321712","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 pre-weaning nutrition on the epigenetic and transcriptomic regulation of mammary gland development in Holstein heifers","authors":"Ewelina Semik-Gurgul ,&nbsp;Klaudia Pawlina-Tyszko ,&nbsp;Artur Gurgul ,&nbsp;Tomasz Szmatoła ,&nbsp;Justyna Rybińska ,&nbsp;Iwona Furgał-Dzierżuk ,&nbsp;Barbara Niwińska","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105838","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105838","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dairy calves require a balanced diet that ensures adequate nutrient intake to support optimal growth and physiological development, which may subsequently influence future lactational performance and reproductive capacity through favourable epigenetic modifications in body tissues. This study aimed to investigate the impact of pre-weaning nutritional strategies on the epigenome and transcriptome of the mammary gland tissues in Holstein heifers. Twelve Holstein-Friesian heifer calves were included in the experiment. During their first two weeks of life, all calves received a milk replacer (MR) that met their nutritional requirements, along with unlimited access to concentrate feed and water. At 14 ± 1 days of age, the calves were randomly assigned to one of two feeding treatments. The applied diets involved restricted milk replacer intake (R, <em>n</em> = 6) and ad libitum milk replacer intake (AL, <em>n</em> = 6). Feeding treatments lasted for 48 days, after which all calves were euthanised at 62 ± 1 days of age. Mammary parenchyma (PAR) and mammary fat pad (MFP) tissues were collected and analysed using RRBS, miRNA-seq, and RNA-seq approaches. When comparing two diets, 268 differentially methylated sites (DMSs) were identified in the PAR, and 288 DMSs were found in MFP tissue. The obtained data allowed identification of four differentially expressed miRNAs (DE miRNAs) in PAR and 35 DE miRNAs in MPF tissue. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis revealed that mammary fat pad tissue reacted to varying diets with a higher number of differentially expressed genes, indicating that parenchyma tissue is less responsive to nutritional changes. Based on integrative omics analysis, specific genes were identified in MFP tissue, whose expression levels were correlated with the level of CpG methylation and miRNA expression, revealing enriched biological processes. However, several important limitations should be considered when interpreting these results, including the relatively small sample size and the absence of long-term follow-up. These findings suggest that pre-weaning feeding strategies have a significant influence on the epigenetic regulation of gene expression, potentially determining the future lactation potential of dairy heifers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 105838"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145321710","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}