Livestock Science最新文献

{"title":"Investigating cattle responses to acoustic signals to extend the functions of virtual fencing collars","authors":"Lisa Wilms ,&nbsp;Juliane Horn ,&nbsp;Friederike Riesch ,&nbsp;Dina Hamidi ,&nbsp;Martin Komainda ,&nbsp;Masud Hamidi ,&nbsp;Johannes Isselstein","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105788","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105788","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Virtual fencing uses collars that emit acoustic signals and, if necessary, electric pulses to indicate the fence line. In Europe, legalization is lacking because of animal welfare concerns over electric pulses. This study investigated whether acoustic signals can replace electric pulses and influence grazing livestock movement. Two experiments with eight to ten Fleckvieh heifers and a prototype virtual fencing collar that emits directional acoustic signals and vibrations were conducted over 36 days in 2023 and 32 days in 2024. In the first experiment, the heifers’ responses to different acoustic signals and vibrations were analyzed. Generalized linear mixed effect models with data from behavioral observations and heart rate measurements revealed that the heifers were unimpressed by the signals, as often no response was observed and the changes in heart rate appeared to be unrelated to the signaling. Furthermore, clear signs of quick habituation were found, suggesting the need to test different signals. In the second experiment, we tested whether the heifers could be taught to adjust their walking direction to directional acoustic signals while moving toward a feed source. The training protocol used proved ineffective in teaching heifers to associate an acoustic signal with a walking direction, as generalized linear mixed effect models revealed that the heifers approached the indicated feed source in less than 50 % of the cases. Instead, side preferences were detected for some heifers. A different training protocol is recommended for further studies to test whether directional acoustic signals can influence the movement of cattle.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"300 ","pages":"Article 105788"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144722101","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":"Beef quality and expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism in Nellore bulls finished with diets containing snaplage","authors":"Edmilson H.R. Domingues,&nbsp;Thiago F. Bernardes,&nbsp;Gabrielli F. da Costa,&nbsp;Mateus P. Gionbelli,&nbsp;Daniel R. Casagrande,&nbsp;Priscilla D. Teixeira,&nbsp;Tathyane R.S. Gionbelli,&nbsp;Ana C.O. Santos,&nbsp;José Oliveira,&nbsp;Marcio M. Ladeira","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105787","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105787","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The objective of this study was to analyze beef quality through chemical composition, color, and shear force, as well as the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism, in the muscle of Nellore bulls fed snaplage. Seventy-two Nellore bulls with an initial live weight of 400 ± 27.4 kg were used in a completely randomized design. Bulls were housed in 8 pens per treatment with three animals each, with pens considered the experimental units. The experimental diets were control, snaplage + ground corn (SNAP65, with 65% snaplage), and snaplage (SNAP85, with 85% snaplage). After an experimental period of 86 days, the animals were slaughtered by concussion stunning and severing of the jugular vein. After skinning, longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle samples were taken from the left half-carcass. Gene expressions were analyzed using the RT-qPCR technique. The chemical composition of the LT muscle was not influenced by the inclusion or absence of snaplage in the diet (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). However, animals fed SNAP85 showed higher <em>PPARG</em> expression (<em>P</em> = 0.03). The muscle of young bulls fed SNAP65 and SNAP85 showed higher expression of the <em>ACACA</em> and <em>SCD1</em> genes (<em>P</em> ≤ 0.03) than the control muscle. <em>PC</em> expression in the liver was higher for the control treatment than SNAP65 and SNAP85, while <em>PEPCK2</em> had greater expression in animals fed control and SNAP85 treatments than in those fed SNAP65. We conclude that diets with snaplage can replace other types of diets and silages since they increase the expression of genes involved in lipogenesis and do not affect qualitative beef attributes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"300 ","pages":"Article 105787"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144694632","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":"Intensive vs. environmentally sustainable: The livestock dilemma","authors":"Alessia Lombardi ,&nbsp;Giovanna Bifulco ,&nbsp;Giuseppe Campanile ,&nbsp;Gianluca Neglia ,&nbsp;Nadia Piscopo ,&nbsp;Antonio Paparella ,&nbsp;Luigi Cembalo","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105789","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105789","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Agricultural intensification is central to the modernization narrative, promoting efficiency and productivity, particularly in the dairy sector. Despite potential efficiency gains, intensive farming faces criticism for its environmental impact, particularly concerning greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient runoff, raising concerns about their long-term environmental sustainability. This study empirically investigates the interplay of farm intensification, environmental sustainability, and economic efficiency in the livestock sector. It uniquely analyses how intensification and environmental performance, the latter measured by the Agri-Environmental Footprint Index, influence the technical efficiency of buffalo dairy farms. To this end, this research employs the Stochastic Frontier Analysis to a sample of 198 buffalo farms within Italy's Protected Designation of Origin area, using the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) for the period 2010 to 2022. Results highlighted that the adoption of intensive practices in buffalo farming represents a winning solution from the standpoint of technical efficiency, while acting sustainably does not pay off from a technical and economic point of view. These results stimulate reflections on the effectiveness of policies supporting livestock farms, offering insights for both practitioners and policymakers to improve agricultural practices while maintaining economic viability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"300 ","pages":"Article 105789"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144770583","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":"The effect of hemp leaves on intake, digestion, and rumen fermentation parameters in beef steers","authors":"G. Fruge ,&nbsp;R. Jessup ,&nbsp;J. Suter ,&nbsp;S. Fortunatti ,&nbsp;M.L. Drewery","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105782","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105782","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hemp (<em>Cannabis sativa</em> L.) cultivation creates by-products (i.e., seedcake and leaves) that, if not placed in an existing market, may be wasted. This waste could be mitigated by feeding these by-products to livestock. Hempseed meal (HSM) has been approved for poultry feed in the U.S. at ≤20 % dietary inclusion. However, HSM is also used in human markets, reducing its economic viability as livestock feed. Research has indicated that hemp leaves have similar nutritive value to conventional forages and may be a suitable feed for ruminants; however, <em>in vivo</em> digestibility studies are lacking. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of hemp leaf supplementation at a dose of 3.9 mg/kg body weight (BW) cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) on intake, digestion, and rumen fermentation in beef steers. Ruminally cannulated beef steers (<em>n</em> = 5) were fed hay and alfalfa cubes for 15-d then fed the same diet supplemented with hemp leaves at 3.9 mg/kg BW CBDA per day for 14-d. Hemp supplementation significantly increased forage intake and total tract digestion of organic matter and neutral detergent fiber (<em>P</em> ≤ 0.01). There were no effects of treatment on ruminal ammonia, total volatile fatty acid concentrations, or ruminal pH (<em>P</em> ≥ 0.60). Hemp supplementation affected molar proportions of acetate, propionate and butyrate (<em>P</em> ≤ 0.01). These data indicate that hemp leaves can be supplemented to cattle at the dose provided (3.9 mg/kg BW CBDA) without negatively impacting diet utilization or rumen fermentation. Future research should confirm these findings at higher levels of hemp inclusion and/or in total mixed rations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"300 ","pages":"Article 105782"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144623685","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":"The effect of neighbouring cows within the milking parlour on a cow's daily milk yield","authors":"Ida Hansson ,&nbsp;Hector Marina ,&nbsp;Freddy Fikse ,&nbsp;Per Peetz Nielsen ,&nbsp;Lars Rönnegård","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105785","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105785","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Social interactions in a dairy herd are essential to maintain the herd's structure. Disturbances in social relationships can be stressful and may impact both animal welfare and production. Pathological and physiological changes, biological variations, but also the social environment induced by surrounding cows can affect variation in the daily milk production. This study aims to investigate the social interplay between cows during milking by examining the milking order in a milking parlour and determining if the individuals a cow stands next to will affect its daily milk yield. Milking order data from 234 individuals was collected from a two-sided herringbone parlour twice a day for 35 days. The indirect effect of the neighbour cows in the milking parlour was studied by fitting a linear mixed model to the daily milk yield residuals. The estimated indirect effects on milk yield ranged from -1.07 kg to 0.85 kg. We described a weak negative correlation of -0.26 (SE: 0.09) between direct and indirect effect estimates. The average of the indirect effects of neighbouring cows differed between different lactation stages and regrouped cows changed to a more negative estimated indirect effect in their new group. Our results show individual variation in the average indirect effect on the milk yield of the neighbour, with some individuals having a positive effect on their group mates, while others have a more negative effect. Further investigation of these effects would be helpful in selecting the best individuals in a herd and optimising group composition and milking routines.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"300 ","pages":"Article 105785"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144680571","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 black garlic powder on immunoglobulin protein levels, hematological indicators, antioxidant capacity, and growth performance in broiler chickens","authors":"Mokhtar Fathi ,&nbsp;Kianoosh Zarrinkavyani ,&nbsp;Zahra Biranvand ,&nbsp;Shiva Maleki","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105791","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105791","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Black garlic (BG), a fermented form of <em>Allium sativum L</em>., is produced under carefully controlled conditions of temperature, humidity, and time. It contains numerous bioactive compounds that contribute to its medicinal properties, including anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. A total of 500 one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chickens were randomly assigned to five treatment groups, each with five replicate pens (20 birds per pen). Dietary treatments were as follows: (1) control (fed a basal diet), (2) BGP-10 (basal diet + 10 g/kg black garlic powder), (3) BGP-20 (basal diet + 20 g/kg black garlic powder), (4) BGP-30 (basal diet + 30 g/kg black garlic powder), and (5) BGP-40 (basal diet + 40 g/kg black garlic powder). Results showed that birds in the BGP-20 group exhibited significantly higher body weight gain (BWG) and feed intake (FI), along with improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) and lower mortality rates compared to other groups (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Additionally, supplementation of garlic powder at 20 g/kg and more led to increased red blood cell (RBC) counts, hemoglobin (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, while reducing triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), aspartate transaminase (AST), and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels in serum (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Antioxidant analysis revealed that birds receiving up to 20 g/kg of black garlic powder had higher glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, along with lower malondialdehyde (MDA) levels than those in other treatments (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Furthermore, supplementation with black garlic at levels up to 20 g/kg significantly increased immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) concentrations compared to other groups (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). In conclusion, incorporating 20 g/kg of black garlic (the fermented form of garlic) into poultry diets may enhance oxidative balance, growth performance, and immune in broiler chickens.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"300 ","pages":"Article 105791"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144779345","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":"Assessment of welfare in pigs with docked and undocked tails during the weaner stage","authors":"Aloma Zoratti ,&nbsp;Isabella Pividori ,&nbsp;Mirco Corazzin ,&nbsp;Gianluca Chiarelli ,&nbsp;Luigi Faucitano ,&nbsp;Anna Zuliani ,&nbsp;Edi Piasentier","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105792","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105792","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tail integrity is a key welfare target in European pig farming. This study evaluated the welfare condition of weaner (28–84 days old) pigs with docked (D) and undocked (UD) tails on a commercial farm, following National Reference Center for Animal Welfare and WelfareQuality® standards. Animal-Based Measures and the hormonal quantification of cortisol (CORT) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA(S)) in bristle samples were assessed in 295 pigs distributed in 16 pens. Pigs were born from 24 homogenous sows, distributed across four consecutive weekly batches, and were balanced by sex. Compared with D pigs, UD pigs presented more injuries in the tail (<em>P</em> = 0.02) and on the body (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01), with tail biting occurrences peaking halfway through the post-weaning phase. Body injuries increased over time, particularly in UD pigs, correlating with rising stocking density. D pigs displayed a straight tail posture more frequently (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01), suggesting a more positive emotional state. Regardless of tail condition, the use of environmental enrichments declined over time (<em>P</em> = 0.03) as novelty diminished. Hormonal analysis revealed sex-related differences in resilience, with females showing higher CORT and CORT/DHEA(S) ratio and lower DHEA(S) levels than castrated males (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01). There was a tendency toward higher CORT/DHEA(S) ratio in UD pigs than D ones (<em>P</em> = 0.06), indicating a greater activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis to restore homeostatic conditions. Multivariate analysis linked body lesions, stress markers, and negative interactions, highlighting welfare’s multifactorial nature. Tail integrity alone may be misleading as a welfare indicator. A holistic assessment, integrating physical, emotional, and physiological factors, is crucial for improving management strategies for UD pigs on commercial farms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"300 ","pages":"Article 105792"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144770582","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":"The effect of rearing strategy on the dry matter intake of pasture-based dairy heifers","authors":"H. Costigan ,&nbsp;L. Delaby ,&nbsp;S. Walsh ,&nbsp;R. Fitzgerald ,&nbsp;M. Liddane ,&nbsp;N. Galvin ,&nbsp;E. Kennedy","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105760","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105760","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although dry matter intake (DMI) is important in terms of achieving heifer weight-for-age targets and the utilization of pasture, the DMI of pasture-based heifers has not been widely researched. In order to quantify pasture-based heifer DMI and to determine the effect of different rearing strategies on DMI, data were collected from Holstein-Friesian (HF; <em>n</em> = 124), and Jersey (JE; <em>n</em> = 56) heifers weaned at either eight or 12 weeks and subsequently offered either a low or high post-weaning feeding regime. The n-alkane technique was used to measure the DMI of the heifers on nine occasions throughout the rearing period. Nutrition and management in the post-weaning period had a greater effect on DMI than that of weaning age. Although HF heifers had a higher total DMI than JE, JE heifers had a higher DMI when expressed as a percentage of BW. The results from this study indicate that rearing strategy may be used to manipulate DMI, and thus optimize the attainment of weight-for-age targets in pasture-based heifers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"300 ","pages":"Article 105760"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144604710","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":"Evaluation of a wood-based feed supplement as an alternative to zinc oxide: Effects on growth, antioxidant and inflammatory status, and gut integrity in weaned piglets","authors":"Juan Orengo ,&nbsp;Daniel Serrano ,&nbsp;Francisco Murciano ,&nbsp;Christine Potthast ,&nbsp;Stefan Hirtenlehner ,&nbsp;Maria José Carrión-López ,&nbsp;Guillermo Ramis","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105784","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105784","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>From July 2022, the European Union banned therapeutic doses of zinc oxide (ZnO) in animal feed, prompting interest in alternative dietary supplements with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The study examined the effects of adding a wood-based feed supplement, rich in lignans and phenolic acids, to pre-starter and starter diets on piglet growth performance and intestinal integrity post-weaning. A total of 126 piglets were randomly assigned to three treatments: positive control (PC) and negative control (NC) diets with or without high doses of ZnO in the pre-starter diet (Zn levels exceeding 2500 mg/kg vs. 150 mg/kg), and a diet containing a wood-based supplement (WBS) at a dosage of 1500 mg/kg. Growth parameters were assessed weekly during the post-weaning period. Moreover, blood and fecal samples were collected at 14 days to analyze antioxidant parameters, acute phase proteins, and gene expression related to gut integrity and immune response. No differences in feed conversion ratio were observed among dietary treatments. However, PC and WPS piglets had higher feed intake than those from NC. The growth rate in WPS piglets was intermediate and not different from both control groups. The PC group showed higher relative quantification for <em>IL1β, IFNα, TNFα</em> and <em>occludin</em> than the NC group, whereas piglets fed WBS treatment showed intermediate figures. Overall, the study suggests that dietary inclusion of the wood-based supplement showed promise in promoting increased feed intake and moderate anti-inflammatory activity in weaned piglets, potentially mitigating production losses resulting from the ban on therapeutic levels of ZnO in the early post-weaning period.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"300 ","pages":"Article 105784"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144653856","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 inbreeding on reproductive, growth and morphological traits of Mertolenga cattle in Portugal","authors":"Andreia Vitorino ,&nbsp;George Stilwell ,&nbsp;José Pais ,&nbsp;Nuno Carolino","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105786","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105786","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Inbreeding is a common issue in small breeds under conservation and larger breeds under selection, leading to genetic diversity loss, increased homozygosity, and inbreeding depression. This study estimated the effect of inbreeding (F_i) and inbreeding rate (ΔF_i) on productive, reproductive and morphological traits and assessed the impact of including these parameters in the animal model used to estimate their genetic parameters. Genealogical and production data from the Mertolenga herdbook were analyzed using MTDFREML software and mixed models to estimate the effect of F_i and ΔF_i on different traits and their genetic parameters. Inbreeding depression was evaluated through trait regressions on individual and maternal inbreeding coefficients, with genetic parameters estimated with and without inbreeding as a covariate. Significant negative effects (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01) of inbreeding were found for reproductive traits, weaning weight, and carcass weight per day. Among morphological traits, F_i affected only MT2 (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01), while ΔF_i significantly impacted most traits (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01), except MT16 (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). Inbreeding had an unfavorable effect on all the reproductive and growth traits analyzed. The largest differences in estimates of variance components and heritability between models with and without F_i were observed for productive longevity and total number of calvings. The results obtained suggest that ignoring inbreeding may lead to under- or overestimation of heritability and that the ΔF_i can provide a more accurate assessment of the cumulative negative impact of inbreeding over time, particularly where there are some gaps in the pedigree. Livestock improvement programs should balance genetic progress and genetic diversity to mitigate inbreeding effects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"300 ","pages":"Article 105786"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144702492","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}