Animal最新文献

{"title":"Applying recursive modelling to assess the role of the host genome and the gut microbiome on feed efficiency in pigs","authors":"P. Nuñez ,&nbsp;G. Martinez-Boggio ,&nbsp;J. Casellas ,&nbsp;L. Varona ,&nbsp;F. Peñagaricano ,&nbsp;N. Ibáñez-Escriche","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101453","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101453","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The gut microbiome plays an important role in the performance and health of swine by providing essential nutrients and supporting the immune system. Recent studies have demonstrated that the gut microbiome can explain part of the variation observed in growth, health, and meat quality. Feed efficiency is crucial in swine production, as feed cost account for more than 60% of total production costs. This study aimed to assess the relationships between the host genome, gut microbiome, and feed efficiency in Iberian pigs raised under intensive conditions. The specific objectives were to assess the mediating effects of the gut microbiome on feed efficiency and to estimate the direct and total heritability of feed efficiency. The data set included the feed conversion ratio (<strong>FCR</strong>) and residual feed intake (<strong>RFI</strong>) from 587 Iberian pigs, as well as the 16S rRNA gut microbial abundance from 151 of those pigs raised in a nucleus of selection. We reparametrised variance components from standard bivariate mixed models into recursive models to disentangle the microbiome’s mediating effect on feed efficiency. In our models, the host genome has direct effects on both the phenotype (G→P) and the gut microbiome (G→M). Additionally, there is an indirect effect of the host genome on the phenotype mediated by the microbiome (G→M→P). We identified a total of 14 taxa with relevant effects on FCR and 16 taxa with relevant effects on RFI. We categorised the gut microbiome into groups for potential practical application in pig farming. The gut microbes with relevant causal effects and low heritability can be manipulated through management interventions, while those microbes with relevant causal effects and moderate heritability can be targeted through selective breeding. Our findings indicate that incorporating microbiome data leads to a reduction in total heritability for both FCR and RFI. This study provides new insights into the link between the gut microbiome and feed efficiency, presenting practical methods to target microbes that can be influenced through selective breeding or management interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 3","pages":"Article 101453"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143551266","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"The value of using multilevel performances (from recreational to international) to the genetic evaluation for show jumping performance in Warmblood horses","authors":"L. Chapard ,&nbsp;W. Gorssen ,&nbsp;R. Meyermans ,&nbsp;K. Hooyberghs ,&nbsp;N. Buys ,&nbsp;S. Janssens","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101455","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101455","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Show jumping is a popular equestrian sport that requires a unique combination of jumping capacity and rideability. It has been shown that genetics play an important role in show jumping performance that has significant implications for horse breeding programmes. This gives an important opportunity for studbooks to breed horses with the potential to perform at the highest level in show jumping competitions. However, show jumping competitions are performed at various levels (from recreational to international level) but only national competition results are used by Warmblood studbooks in most genetic evaluations due to limited access to performances at international level. Moreover, the differences between levels have not been quantified which complicates a fair comparison of horses performing at different levels. Furthermore, it is questioned whether performance data at international level is of added value for predicting genetic merit for show jumping performance. Thus, the aims of this study were twofold. First, to estimate the variance components for show jumping performance at various levels in Belgian Warmblood horses. Second, to investigate the possible effect of the inclusion of show jumping performances at international level on the genetic evaluation for show jumping performance in Belgian Warmblood horses. This research analysed 1 967 358 show jumping competition records, and 118 175 pedigree records were used in genetic analyses to estimate heritabilities and genetic correlations between show jumping performance at different levels in Belgian Warmblood horses. Genetic analyses were performed including recreational or national or international level, Belgian data (recreational and national), and data of all levels combined. Pedigree data were provided by the Belgian Warmblood horse and Zangersheide studbooks. Competition records were provided by three organisations: Landelijke Rijverenigingen (recreational level), the Royal Belgian Equestrian Federation (national level) and Hippomundo (international level). Our results indicate that show jumping performance is lowly heritable at all levels (0.09–0.19) and performances at different levels are highly genetically correlated (0.63–0.93). Our research also shows that focusing on performances at international level only might be biased and is less informative to breeders. More importantly, a genetic evaluation combining performances at all 3 levels (recreational, national, and international) resulted in more accurately estimated breeding values. In conclusion, the use of multilevel performances is advised for not only Belgian but all Warmblood studbooks to provide more helpful information for breeders.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 3","pages":"Article 101455"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143509899","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"How to assess litter uniformity in pigs: comparing metrics and investigating associations with sow and litter factors","authors":"K. Hooyberghs ,&nbsp;S. Goethals ,&nbsp;W. Gorssen ,&nbsp;L. Chapard ,&nbsp;R. Meyermans ,&nbsp;N. Aerts ,&nbsp;S. Millet ,&nbsp;S. Janssens ,&nbsp;N. Buys","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101454","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101454","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Variation in piglet BW may affect animal welfare and the environmental and economic aspects of pig production. Higher within-litter weight uniformity is often associated with improved preweaning survival. Conversely, lower within-litter uniformity is often linked to a higher prevalence of lightweight piglets that encounter various challenges during the neonatal phase. To date, there is no consensus on how to quantify within-litter uniformity in literature due to the use of various metrics. The objectives of this study were: (1) to examine metrics for assessing litter uniformity in pigs (i.e., CV, SD, range in weights, average z-score and the percentage of lightweight piglets (&lt; 0.8 kg and &lt; 1 kg)), (2) to investigate possible alternatives to weighing all piglets at birth in order to compute the CV, (3) to assess the repeatability of the above metrics per sow and (4) to explore the associations between the different uniformity metrics and factors related to sow and litter. This study used data from 732 litters of 190 hybrid sows mated with 42 Piétrain boars. In total, 11 574 piglets were weighed at birth to assess the within-litter uniformity. The CV, SD and range in weights (r = 0.81–0.91) could be used interchangeably to a certain extent. Additionally, assessing the percentage of lightweight piglets per litter might offer pig farmers a valid method to evaluate within-litter uniformity with reduced labour intensity (r = 0.33–0.70). Our results indicate that it is possible to compute the CV of birth weight of a litter without including the weight of the four lightest piglets (r = 0.80–0.95) and that 8–63% of the within-litter variation is linked to the features of each individual sow. This points to the importance of individual sow characteristics to enhance within-litter uniformity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 3","pages":"Article 101454"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143520261","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Genomic prediction of bone strength in laying hens using different sources of information","authors":"M. Sallam ,&nbsp;H. Wall ,&nbsp;P.W. Wilson ,&nbsp;B. Andersson ,&nbsp;M. Schmutz ,&nbsp;C. Benavides ,&nbsp;M. Checa ,&nbsp;E. Sanchez‑Rodriguez ,&nbsp;A.B. Rodriguez‑Navarro ,&nbsp;A. Kindmark ,&nbsp;I.C. Dunn ,&nbsp;D‑J. de Koning ,&nbsp;M. Johnsson","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101452","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101452","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bone damage in laying hens remains a significant welfare concern in the egg industry. Breeding companies rely on selective cross-breeding of purebred birds to produce commercial hybrids, which farmers raise for table-egg production. Genomic prediction is a potential tool to improve bone quality in laying hens. Because commercial layers are crossbred and kept in different environments than pure lines, the question arises whether to use within-line purebred selection or whether to use crossbred data. While selection based on pure line data is common, achieving optimal bone strength in hybrids may require incorporating hybrid data to account for heterosis and housing-specific effects. This study aims to evaluate how combining pure line and hybrid data could affect the accuracy of breeding values for bone strength. Genotypes and phenotypes were available from two types of white hybrids (Bovans White and Lohmann Selected Leghorn Classic) housed in two housing systems (furnished cages and floor housing). This resulted in four hybrid-housing combinations (n ∼ 220 for each). Tibia strength and genotypes for pure breeding lines of White Leghorn (<strong>WL</strong>, n = 947) and Rhode Island Red (<strong>RIR</strong>, n = 924) were also included. Each of the hybrid-housing combinations and pure lines was fitted separately into (1) single-trait Genomic Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (<strong>GBLUP</strong>), then simultaneously via multitrait GBLUP, (2) within hybrids across housing, (3) across hybrids within housing, (4) across hybrids and housing, (5) the latter in combination with WL and/or RIR data. Including hybrid data slightly increased the accuracy of the genomic estimated breeding value (<strong>GEBV</strong>) of other hybrids, but not that of pure lines. Pure line data increased the GEBV accuracy of hybrids over and above that of combining hybrid information. Combining data from two pure lines improved the GEBV accuracy of both. In comparison to the combination of data across lines and/or houses, combining tibia strength and BW within-lines increased tibia strength GEBV accuracy. The maximum GEBV accuracy obtained for tibia strength ranged from 0.42 to 0.65 for hybrids and from 0.63 to 0.78 for pure lines. Further study is required to test whether modelling the interactions of genotype by environment could help to breed hybrids for specific housing systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 3","pages":"Article 101452"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143551267","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Editorial: Values shared by journals of learned societies, associations and scientific institutions in animal science","authors":"I. Ortigues-Marty ,&nbsp;I. Louveau ,&nbsp;G. Bee ,&nbsp;J.W. Oltjen ,&nbsp;P.J. Kononoff ,&nbsp;J.A.A. McArt ,&nbsp;C. Thomas ,&nbsp;B.D. Fairchild ,&nbsp;M. Kogut ,&nbsp;E. Huff-Lonergan","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101388","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101388","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 3","pages":"Article 101388"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143538070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Genomic insights into racing camels: inbreeding levels and positive selection linked to athletic traits","authors":"H. Bahbahani ,&nbsp;Z. Mohammad ,&nbsp;A. Alfoudari ,&nbsp;M. Al Abri","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101467","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101467","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Racing dromedary camels are widely distributed across the Arabian Peninsula, predominantly concentrating in its northern and southeastern regions. Phenotypically, they are differentiated from other dromedary types, characterised by their smaller body size, longer limbs, reduced hump size, and thinner chest girth. In this study, the whole genome sequences of 34 racing camels were analysed to assess their genetic relationship with non-racing populations, estimate levels of inbreeding, calculate Wier and Cockerham’s fixation index (<strong>Fst</strong>), assess effective population size (<strong>N_e</strong>), and identify candidate regions with signatures of positive selection. Both racing and non-racing camels exhibited comparable levels of genomic inbreeding (F_ROH = 0.21), with no significant genetic differentiation detected between them. The estimated Fst value between the two camel groups also revealed minimal genetic differentiation. A declining trend was observed in N_e estimations of both groups over the past 5 000 years, with slightly lower recent N_e in racing camels compared to their non-racing counterparts. Signatures of positive selection in the genomes of racing camels were identified through the application of two haplotype-based statistics, namely the integrated haplotype homozygosity score (<strong>iHS</strong>) and extended haplotype homozygosity between-populations (<strong>Rsb</strong>), along with runs of homozygosity (<strong>ROH</strong>) analysis. A total of 33 regions under selection were detected via iHS, 19 via Rsb, and 24 through ROH. Candidate regions under selection were found to overlap with genes involved in diverse biological pathways potentially linked to athletic performance, e.g., musculoskeletal development, lipid metabolism, stress response, bone integrity, as well as endurance and power. These findings provide a foundation for further exploration of the racing dromedary genome, with the goal of defining variants and haplotypes that might be associated with athletic traits. Such insights could assist the development of genetically informed breeding programmes aimed at developing specialised racing dromedary lines, contributing to the broader understanding and preservation of animal athletic performance and selection in domesticated species worldwide.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 4","pages":"Article 101467"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143593819","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Evaluation of nutritional and techno-functional aspects of black soldier fly high-protein extracts in different developmental stages","authors":"J.A. Khan ,&nbsp;X. Guo ,&nbsp;R. Pichner ,&nbsp;K. Aganovic ,&nbsp;V. Heinz ,&nbsp;C. Hollah ,&nbsp;S.V. Miert ,&nbsp;G.R. Verheyen ,&nbsp;A. Juadjur ,&nbsp;K.U. Rehman","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101463","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101463","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The global need for sustainable protein sources has contributed to the search for alternatives to conventional livestock and aquaculture feed. The black soldier fly (<strong>BSF</strong>) is a potential option for sustainable protein production due to its ability to convert organic waste into high-value biomass efficiently. To maximise its feed, food application, and resource recovery potential, the nutritional composition and techno-functional properties must be analysed in different developmental stages. This research assesses BSF as a sustainable protein source by an analysis of its growth, nutritional profile, and techno-functional characteristics. This study aims to evaluate the biomass conversion efficiency, analyse the nutritional composition, and examine the high-protein extract’s techno-functional properties of BSF at various life stages. BSF eliminated 49.3 ± 0.44% of the DM of the substrate throughout the 12-day development period. Notably, BSF had a 93.6 ± 11.11% survival rate and a food conversion ratio of about 1.6 ± 0.07, demonstrating its outstanding ability to transform organic materials into useful biomass. Protein content varied significantly between life stages, ranging from 31.1 ± 0.31w/w% in larvae, 39.0 ± 0.15 w/w% in pupae, and 65.5 ± 0.18 w/w% in adults. Adults had a fat level of 22.3 ± 0.45 w/w%, whereas larvae and pupae had a fat content of 32.5 ± 0.32 w/w% and 25.8 ± 0.60 w/w%, respectively. The ash content of larvae, pupae, and adults was 6.1 ± 0.03 w/w%, 9.8 ± 0.21 w/w%, and 4.5 ± 0.01 w/w%, respectively. The percentage of carbohydrates ranged from 6.2 ± 0.50 w/w% in adults to 19.3 ± 0.50 w/w% in pupae and 13.6 ± 0.12 w/w% in larvae. Notably, BSF adult protein showed improved solubility in the pH range of 9–10. The oil holding capacity of BSF larvae high-protein extracts was lower than that of pupae, which was lower than adults. Pupae of the BSF had the maximum foam volume, whereas larvae and adults had somewhat lower values. The high-protein extracts from BSF larvae had the best emulsifying ability. The gelling capabilities of BSF high-protein extracts were investigated using a heat-induced technique, which revealed the commencement of gelation at different temperature ranges for larvae, pupae, and adults. This study highlights the diverse potential of BSF as a sustainable protein source, providing solutions for organic by−product management, resource recovery, and food sector innovation. Moreover, the different techno-functional properties of the BSF proteins in different life stages could indicate diverse applicability in various food products and the creation of novel products based on BSF-derived proteins.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 4","pages":"Article 101463"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143601309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Detecting the footprint of selection on the genome of Girgentana goat, a popular ancient breed","authors":"A. Criscione ,&nbsp;S. Ben Jemaa ,&nbsp;G. Chessari ,&nbsp;S. Riggio ,&nbsp;S. Tumino ,&nbsp;G. Cammilleri ,&nbsp;A. Lastra ,&nbsp;F. Carta ,&nbsp;M.T. Sardina ,&nbsp;B. Portolano ,&nbsp;S. Bordonaro ,&nbsp;A. Cesarani ,&nbsp;S. Mastrangelo","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101466","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101466","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Girgentana goats are an ancient breed with distinctive morphological, adaptive, and production traits, making this population an interesting model for studying the genetic architecture underlying these traits. These special features result from natural and human-mediated selection. In this study, we aimed to detect potential signatures of selection in the Girgentana genome by combining the following statistical methods: the integrated haplotype score (<strong>iHS</strong>), the standardised log-ratio of the integrated site-specific extended haplotype homozygosity test between pairs of populations (<strong>Rsb</strong>), the runs of homozygosity (<strong>ROH</strong>) islands and the population differentiation index (<strong>F_ST</strong>). A composite dataset of 206 Girgentana and 334 animals from 13 goat populations across Northern and Southern Italy was analysed. All animals were genotyped using an Illumina Goat medium-density BeadChip. Multidimensional scaling and neighbour-joining analyses revealed a clear separation of the three major clades, coinciding with Girgentana, Northern, and Southern Italian goats. Twelve regions putatively under selection were detected using iHS and Rsb, whereas 16 hotspot regions were identified using F_ST and ROH. Notably, a candidate region on chromosome 01 was consistently identified in all four tests. This region, along with other candidate regions, includes several genes associated with adaptive immunity, reproduction, and body size traits. The Girgentana breed showed signals of ongoing selection in a region of chromosome 6 encompassing several milk quality genes, such as caseins (<em>CSN2</em>, <em>CSN1S2</em>, and <em>CSN3</em>). Our study provides a glimpse into the genomic regions harbouring genes that presumably affect the desired features of Girgentana. This highlights the importance of ancient breeds in providing essential genetic traits for adapting livestock to increasing climate change challenges.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 4","pages":"Article 101466"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143593818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"How molting of laying hens influences body composition and blood parameters","authors":"L.M. van Eck ,&nbsp;E. Margaria ,&nbsp;M. Newcomb ,&nbsp;H. Enting ,&nbsp;R. Kwakkel","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101462","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101462","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The physiological and metabolic changes laying hens undergo during molt are poorly understood, but could aid in understanding why hens stop egg production during the first cycle of lay. We therefore induced a molt and studied how this influenced body composition, blood parameters and production performance. Additionally, four diets postmolt were fed in a 2 × 2 factorial design with two levels of metabolisable energy lay (<strong>ME Lay</strong>; low = 11.0 MJ and high = 11.9 MJ) and two apparent faecal digestible lysine levels (<strong>AFD</strong>; low = 0.58% and high = 0.72%). Data were subjected to mixed model analyses. A molt was successfully induced at 58 weeks of age, during which hens stopped consuming feed and producing eggs, and lost on average 21% BW. Most of this BW loss was due to body breast weight loss (−56 g, time effect <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) and ovary loss (–33.6 g, time effect <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) and to a lesser extent due to fat pad loss (−7.1 g, time effect <em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). Early laying rate and egg mass production of hens fed the high AFD Lys diets postmolt were significantly higher compared to hens fed the low AFD Lys diet. Egg weights of hens fed high AFD Lys diets were lower. Both effects were only short-term in weeks 59–62 and indicated that high amino acid intake is important for early laying rate in the second cycle of lay, potentially related to feather growth and restoration of body protein. Hens fed low ME Lay diets increased average daily feed intake (ADFI) in weeks 62–65, compared to hens fed high ME Lay diets (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). This resulted in higher ME Lay and AFD Lys intake (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Hens fed these low ME Lay diets had a higher egg mass production in weeks 62–65 (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), due to higher egg weights (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), without a difference in laying rate (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). Average daily gain was also significantly higher, mostly due to higher breast percentage (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Hens fed low ME Lay diets probably needed a higher lipoprotein production in the liver to meet the egg production demand, indicated by higher plasma cholesterol (<em>P</em> = 0.07) and triglyceride (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) levels, and heavier liver weights (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). In conclusion, molting significantly influenced the body composition of laying hens, with reduced breast, liver and ovary weights. Lower postmolt ME Lay diets increased breast, liver and ovary weights and increased egg weights and egg mass production. High AFD Lys diets only showed a short-term positive effect on the laying rate.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 4","pages":"Article 101462"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143563416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Influence of genotype and environment on piglet vitality and metabolic state during the suckling period of divergent birth weight classes","authors":"H. Lickfett ,&nbsp;M. Oster ,&nbsp;A. Vernunft ,&nbsp;H. Reyer ,&nbsp;S. Görs ,&nbsp;C.C. Metges ,&nbsp;H. Bostedt ,&nbsp;K. Wimmers","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101460","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101460","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The high mortality rate of suckling piglets in commercial farms is a cause for concern and requires the adoption of innovative breeding and management approaches for effective mitigation. Piglets are particularly vulnerable during the first days of life, which concerns especially neonates with a low birth weight. In this study, neonatal adaptation was analysed regarding genotype and housing conditions following hormonally induced farrowing. A total of 96 piglets from 27 farrowings of German Landrace (<strong>GL</strong>; birth induction at day 115 of gestation) and German Saddleback sows (<strong>GS</strong>; birth induction at day 112 of gestation), kept either in crates (1.0 square metre) or pens (6.5 square metre) were studied. The piglets were assigned to birth weight categories (hypotrophic: 800–1 100 g; eutrophic: &gt; 1 100–1 500 g; hypertrophic: &gt; 1 500 g) and examined via repeated blood analyses on the following time period: 0–6 h, day 1, day 4, day 20 <em>postnatum</em>, and one−day <em>post</em>weaning. Analysed plasma metabolites included albumin, ammonia, chloride, cortisol, creatinine, fructose, glucose, haptoglobin, inositol, insulin, lactate, non-esterified fatty acids, sodium, total protein, triglycerides, triiodothyronine, urea, and uric acid. Eutrophic and hypertrophic piglets were grouped as controls due to metabolic similarities (<em>P</em> = 0.272), whereas hypotrophic piglets could be discriminated from heavier littermates (<em>P</em> = 0.025). The GS piglets appeared to have higher tissue maturity compared to GL piglets, as indicated by improved clearance of plasma ammonia and creatinine levels. This suggests that inducing birth in GS sows at gestation day 112 corresponds to the physiological gestation length of this breed. The housing environment during farrowing influenced plasma glucose and inositol levels during the neonatal adaptation period, which might be attributed to differences in physical activity in farrowing pens compared to crates. Results suggest a higher risk for hypotrophic neonates to exhibit a hypoglycaemia-hypothermia complex at birth, which can have significant implications for neonatal health and development but might be mitigated by the observed increased release of cortisol. These findings highlight that piglet vitality and plasma metabolite dynamics during the suckling period are shaped by genetic background, housing conditions, and birth weight, reflecting differences in tissue maturity, physical activity, and energy reserves.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 4","pages":"Article 101460"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143571479","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}