Animal最新文献

{"title":"Climate resilience differs across dairy sheep populations in Europe","authors":"M.J. Carabaño ,&nbsp;V. Tsartsianidou ,&nbsp;D. Hazard ,&nbsp;H. Larroque ,&nbsp;D. Buisson ,&nbsp;C. Pineda-Quiroga ,&nbsp;E. Ugarte ,&nbsp;M. Serrano ,&nbsp;M.A. Jiménez ,&nbsp;A. Triantafyllidis ,&nbsp;G. Arsenos ,&nbsp;C. Díaz ,&nbsp;M. Ramón","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101570","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101570","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The dairy sheep sector in Europe is characterised by the wide range of breeds involved, the variety of environments and the existence of well-established selection schemes. The goal of this study was to characterise the productive response to changes in thermal load (<strong>TL</strong>) across dairy sheep breeds in Europe, both at the population and the individual levels. Milk, fat and protein test day yields data from five dairy breeds, Assaf (<strong>As</strong>), Chios (<strong>Ch</strong>), Lacaune (<strong>Lc</strong>), Latxa (<strong>Lt</strong>) and Manchega (<strong>Mn</strong>) were used. Overall, 682 972 ewes from 827 flocks participated in the study. The breeds differed in the climatic region of origin and breeding area, varying from temperate (Lc and Lt) to warm (As, Ch, Mn), and, in the intensity of the selection programmes, with As and Lc more intensely selected. Historical production data were combined with meteorological information at the date of recording. Reaction norm models with polynomial functions in mixed model settings were fitted. Substantial variability in the population response to changes in TL was observed across breeds. Mn and Ch, with similar levels of production and climatic conditions, displayed greater sensitivity to cold than to hot conditions. On the other hand, the Lt breed showed the highest tolerance to cold stress and was moderately sensitive to heat. The most productive breeds, As and Lc, showed the largest sensitivity to cold (<strong>CS</strong>) or heat (<strong>HS</strong>) stress, with As/Lc showing the greatest production loss associated with cold/heat stress. Individual variability in response to thermal stress was observed in all breeds for the two extremes. However, variability in slopes of response was substantially lower than the overall variability of the trait, ranging from 4%/°C for all traits under CS to 17%/°C for fat yield under HS, in the Lc breed. For all breeds, a negative correlation was estimated between the individual level of the traits and heat tolerance, indicating antagonism between high production and heat tolerance. However, this antagonism was mild in Mn (−0.19 or milk yield and −0.28 for fat and protein yield) and largest for Lc (−0.77, −0.96 and −0.70 for milk, fat and protein yields, respectively). Given the expected increase in temperatures associated with climate change, dairy sheep farming based on the breeds less adapted with warm conditions and also for the more intensive systems based on highly producing animals will need to implement heat abatement strategies or incorporate heat tolerance in the selection programmes to improve future adaptation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 7","pages":"Article 101570"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144549609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Towards an industry-wide, multilevel evaluation framework for pig meat inspection: potential applications and implementation challenges","authors":"A.I. Zisis ,&nbsp;C. Kagerer ,&nbsp;P. Schmidt ,&nbsp;E. Rauch","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101577","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101577","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Meat inspection (<strong>MI</strong>) data can be useful as a monitoring tool of animal health and welfare on farm, thereby enhancing the sustainability and productivity of livestock. There is also concern about certain limitations of these data, primarily related to the quality and harmonisation of inspections across various slaughterhouses. In our study, we investigated the development of a cross-slaughterhouse ranking system for farmers using MI data. The integration of new digital tools in Germany, such as the web-based database Qualifood®, offers new opportunities for collecting and utilising MI data across different slaughterhouses, enabling at the same time digital feedback of these information to livestock farmers. To accomplish our research goal, MI data over a period of 5 years (2020–2024) was exported from Qualifood®. Our analysis was conducted using MI data from both cattle and pig farms. However, this manuscript focuses on presenting the statistical analysis model using pig data and the category “respiratory health” as a representative case study. We presented an annual overview of reference values -the so-called basic risk- for respiratory health findings using generalised linear mixed models. The basic risk of respiratory health findings for pigs showed a gradual decline from 14.4% in 2020 to approximately 12.0% in 2024. The calculated basic risks establish a reference for normal finding rates and provide a baseline assessment of respiratory health in southern Germany based on MI data. Furthermore, we estimated the variability of key random effects derived. Across all years, SDs for farm and delivery levels remain relatively stable between the selected and full datasets, indicating consistent variability at these levels. However, the slaughterhouse-level SDs are substantially higher in the full dataset compared to the selected slaughterhouses suggesting notable heterogeneity in reporting or detection practices across facilities. This underlines the importance of slaughterhouse selection when conducting cross-facility analyses and benchmarking. Towards a cross-slaughterhouse evaluation, we compare the farmer-specific risks and the basic risk using the concept of relative risk, also known as risk ratio. Our model demonstrates how recent advancements in digitalisation enable the evaluation of MI data across multiple slaughterhouses, underscoring the importance of region-wide, digital, and standardised MI data collection as a foundation for consistent and reliable cross-slaughterhouse assessments. By addressing inconsistencies in recording quality, our model can support a data-driven decision-making for farmers, industry stakeholders, and veterinary authorities, ultimately reinforcing the entire agricultural value chain and animal health and welfare management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 7","pages":"Article 101577"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144535657","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Associations between endometrial macrophages and persistence of endometritis in postpartum dairy cows","authors":"C. Anastácio ,&nbsp;G. Pereira ,&nbsp;E. Silva ,&nbsp;R. Bexiga ,&nbsp;L. Capela ,&nbsp;J. Dupont ,&nbsp;P. Humblot ,&nbsp;L. Lopes-da-Costa","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101581","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101581","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cows can spontaneously recover from postpartum endometritis. An early predictive diagnosis could avoid unnecessary treatment of recovery cows thus limiting the emergence of antimicrobial resistance, and provide timed treatment to persistent cases. This study first characterised the presence, proportion and phenotype of endometrial macrophages (<strong>Mφ</strong>) in postpartum dairy cows (n = 173) with distinct endometrial health status. Neutrophils (<strong>PMN</strong>) and Mφ counts were evaluated in Diff-Quickstained uterine cytology slides at 21 and 42 days postpartum (<strong>DPP</strong>). At 21 DPP, the Mφ proportion was higher in cows later recovering than in cows with persistent endometritis until 42 DPP, and the PMN:Mφ ratio was higher in persistent than in recovery cows. Immuno-labelling showed that at 21 DPP, recovery cows had higher M2 (CD163+) counts and lower M1:M2 ratio than cows with persistent endometritis, whereas M1 (CD86+) counts were not different. Immuno-labelling of tissue sections from biopsy samples collected at 42 DPP showed that total Mφ and M2 counts were higher in cows with persistent endometritis than in recovery cows. In conclusion, results evidence that the persistence of endometritis is associated with a retarded/failure of Mφ-driven, namely M2-driven, pro-resolving mechanisms. This suggests that endometrial Mφ content at 21 DPP shows the potential to assist in predicting the recovery or persistence of postpartum endometritis in dairy cows, and prompts for comprehensive validation studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 7","pages":"Article 101581"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144549608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A practical approach to assess the resilience attributes of livestock farms","authors":"A. Prat-Benhamou ,&nbsp;M.P.M. Meuwissen ,&nbsp;T. Slijper ,&nbsp;A. Bernués ,&nbsp;P. Gaspar-García ,&nbsp;J. Lizarralde ,&nbsp;J.M. Mancilla-Leytón ,&nbsp;N. Mandaluniz ,&nbsp;Y. Mena ,&nbsp;B. Soriano ,&nbsp;D. Martín-Collado","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101566","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101566","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is a growing interest in studying farm resilience. Typically, resilience assessments focus on crisis outcomes, with less attention paid to assess the system characteristics that contribute to building resilience, i.e. resilience attributes. This is partly due to a lack of practical approaches to assess these attributes. The objective of this paper is to develop a practical approach to assess and compare the status of livestock farms’ resilience attributes in different farming systems. We identified 21 resilience attributes that generally contribute to farm resilience based on a literature review. We operationalised resilience attributes into 85 indicators quantifiable through primary farm data, such percentage of feed produced on the farm. We assessed three small ruminant case studies in Spain: (i) meat sheep farms in Aragón; (ii) dairy sheep farms in the Basque Country and Navarre; (iii) dairy goat farms in Andalusia. We conducted farmer surveys (n = 144) to measure the indicators, and organised three workshops with farmers and other local stakeholders (n = 20) to assess the importance of the resilience attributes in the three case studies. We aggregated indicators into resilience attribute scores using a minimum–maximum normalisation procedure. Using stakeholders’ assessments, we calculated attribute weights by a budget allocation process. Attribute scores and weights were then used to calculate an overall resilience score (ranging from 0 to 100). The comparison of attribute scores revealed strengths and weaknesses for resilience in each case study. In the meat sheep system, honours legacy was a major strength, while work and quality of life was a weakness. In the dairy sheep system, sector organisation was a major strength, while the redundance of productive alternatives was a weakness. For dairy goat farms, the infrastructure of the areas where farmers live was a major strength, but feed autonomy and the attributes related to the access and use of natural resources were weaknesses. The perceived importance of attributes (weights) differed across cases. Particularly, human capital emerged as one of the most relevant ones across case studies. Farms’ overall resilience scores were significantly lower in the dairy goat system. Our approach allows to find what attributes build resilience in farms and to highlight areas of improvement to strengthen their resilience. Our findings are of importance to farmers, technicians and policymakers who are interested in assessing resilience as we provide a practical approach to quantify and compare resilience of farms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 7","pages":"Article 101566"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144517362","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pigs exposed to nitrogen, argon or carbon dioxide filled high-expansion foam: behavioural responses, stun process and blood lactate concentration","authors":"C. Lindahl ,&nbsp;E. Sindhøj ,&nbsp;M.A. Gerritzen ,&nbsp;H.G.M. Reimert ,&nbsp;C. Berg ,&nbsp;M. Blad ,&nbsp;A. Wallenbeck","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101573","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101573","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>According to the EU legislation, all animals farmed for food production must be stunned before being exsanguinated (exempt slaughter prescribed by religious rites). Stunning methods must be reliable, effective, and free from avoidable pain, distress, and suffering, warranting continuous improvement. New methods must be thoroughly evaluated from an animal welfare perspective before approval. One technology developed for on-farm euthanasia and large-scale depopulation for disease control in pigs uses high-expansion foam to create an anoxic atmosphere in a closed container. The method has previously been suggested as a potential method for stunning pigs at slaughter. This study compared the behavioural responses and stun process (e.g., loss of posture and convulsions) of pigs exposed to three different gases (N₂, Ar, and CO₂) delivered in high-expansion foam. Thirty-six pigs, approximately 12 weeks old, were placed one at a time in a container and exposed to either N₂, Ar, or CO₂ gas-filled foam for 5 min from foam start. Behavioural observations were conducted from video recordings, assessing time to loss of balance, loss of posture, last strong convulsion and last muscle contraction. Results showed that pigs in the CO₂ treatment performed escape attempts significantly earlier than in N₂ and Ar, and there were more pigs that performed this behaviour in CO₂, indicating that high concentrations of CO₂ are more aversive than Ar and N₂. Pigs exposed to CO₂ foam also avoided the foam earlier compared to the other two gases. Loss of posture occurred earlier in the CO₂ treatment, consistent with the anaesthetic effect of CO₂. A faster foam filling time for CO₂ foam may be a contributing factor to the differences found; however, filling time was adjusted for in the statistical analyses to reduce bias in the comparisons between gases. All pigs across treatments were adequately stunned after 5 min, with no corneal reflex, rhythmic breathing, gagging, or muscle contractions upon removal from the container. No indications of regained consciousness during sticking and bleeding were found. In conclusion, the gas foam method was effective in stunning the pigs regardless of the gas type used. The less aversive responses to Ar and N₂ foam are positive from an animal welfare perspective, but the longer time to loss of consciousness compared to CO₂ is a disadvantage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 7","pages":"Article 101573"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144549066","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Determination of urinary creatinine excretion and estimation of urinary nitrogen and purine derivatives in Wagyu, high-marbling fattening cattle","authors":"M. Matamura,&nbsp;M. Kondo","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101576","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101576","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To improve the efficiency of nitrogen (<strong>N</strong>) utilisation in Wagyu (Japanese Black cattle), which are characterised by a distinct muscle-to-fat ratio, accurate estimation of urinary N and purine derivatives (<strong>PD</strong>) excretion is essential for researchers to evaluate and optimise feeding strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the use of creatinine-based spot urine sampling as a practical alternative to total urine collection for estimating urinary N and PD excretion in fattening Japanese Black cattle. Two experiments were conducted: a 4 × 4 Latin square design with four heifers and a 3 × 3 Latin square design with three heifers. These experiments evaluated the effects of various dietary treatments and sampling times on urine volume, creatinine, N, and PD concentrations. A total of 125 daily urine samples were collected from all seven heifers to determine creatinine excretion. Results showed that daily creatinine excretion in Japanese Black cattle averaged 24.7 mg/kg BW per day, lower than the 26.3 mg/kg BW per day calculated from literature data for other breeds (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). This difference can be attributed to breed-specific variations in muscle mass and fat deposition related to feeding practices aimed at improving marbling. The highest estimation accuracy for N (R² = 0.92, RMSE = 8.5 g/day) and PD (R² = 0.38, RMSE = 16.9 mmol/day) was observed in spot urine samples collected between 0500 and 0900 h. These findings, based on comprehensive total urine collection from seven heifers, suggest that spot urine sampling using creatinine can reduce the labour and cost associated with total urine collection, making it a viable approach for monitoring N metabolism in large-scale fattening operations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 7","pages":"Article 101576"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144535656","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Estimates of genetic parameters and genetic trends for milk production traits in Murciano-Granadina goats","authors":"J. Ehsaninia ,&nbsp;M.B. Zandi ,&nbsp;M. Taned ,&nbsp;A. Bagheripour","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101582","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101582","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dairy goat production plays a vital role in meeting nutritional needs and supporting rural livelihoods. This study estimated variance components and genetic parameters for daily milk yield (<strong>DMY</strong>), daily milk fat yield (<strong>DMFY</strong>), and daily milk protein yield (<strong>DMPY</strong>) in Murciano-Granadina goats. The study used data collected from 2015 to 2021 in Ghaleh-Ganj dairy goat farm in Kerman province, Iran. R software was used to evaluate environmental effects, examine genetic and phenotypic trends, and determine genetic-phenotypic correlations. The best model was determined based on Akaike’s Information Criterion. (Co)variance components and heritability were estimated using the AIREMLF90 software. For DMY, DMFY, and DMPY, the estimated heritability was 0.21 ± 0.02, 0.13 ± 0.01, and 0.17 ± 0.02, respectively. The repeatability estimates were moderate, ranging from 0.40 for DMPY to 0.46 for DMY. The contribution of animal permanent environmental effect to the total phenotypic variance was estimated as 21, 48, and 17% for DMY, DMFY, and DMPY, respectively. The estimates of genetic correlations between DMY-DMFY, DMY-DMPY, and DMFY-DMPY were 0.62 ± 0.0140, 0.67 ± 0.010, and 0.85 ± 0.009, respectively. Estimates of phenotypic correlations among traits ranged from −0.12 ± 0.006 for DMY-DMFY and DMY-DMPY to 0.35 ± 0.005 for DMFY-DMPY. This investigation revealed moderate heritability and positive and moderate genetic correlations among the observed dairy traits. These results can be used to establish a breeding plan to improve the production level of Murciano-Granadina goats.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 8","pages":"Article 101582"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144604934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characterising nosing behaviours in pigs after mixing using social network analysis","authors":"S.L. Jowett ,&nbsp;M.J. Silk ,&nbsp;V. Lee ,&nbsp;S.P. Turner ,&nbsp;I. Camerlink","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101585","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101585","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Affiliation as indicated by proximity has, to date, been used as the principal measure of positive relationships in farm animals. However, intensive housing may present a caveat to using proximity as a representation of affiliation as animals may be forced into proximity by stocking densities. To investigate affiliation patterns, this study examined differences in the expression of proximity and contact behaviours following regrouping in pigs. Animals (61 males and 56 females) were observed across eight groups (14.6 ± 0.69 SD pigs/group). Each group comprised a mix of familiar and unfamiliar finishing pigs (12 weeks old). Video observations occurred for two consecutive days following regrouping. Individuals were continuously observed for social nosing behaviour for 2 h in total, balanced across days. Social network analysis of directed networks provided group-level information including weighted degree centrality and density. Exponential Random Graph Models fitted to these networks were used to consider the underpinning social processes including reciprocity, homophily, and the effect of individual attributes. Groups differed in the expression of behaviours, whilst, at the global level, density was significantly lower (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) for the snout-snout (0.68 ± 0.15 SD) than snout-head (0.92 ± 0.04 SD) proximity networks. Statistically significant differences were also shown in the density across the contact networks (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) with the lowest cohesion in the snout-snout (0.33 ± 0.14 SD), compared to the snout-head (0.52 ± 0.07 SD), and snout-body (0.66 ± 0.09 SD) contact networks. Familiarity was a predictor of interaction (<em>P</em> = 0.0001) across behaviours. Familiar pigs were nearly twice as likely to assort in the contact networks and three times more likely to assort in the snout-snout and snout-head proximity networks. Sex was not a predictor of snout proximity; however, females received significantly less behaviour than males in the snout-snout (odds ratio (<strong>OR</strong>): 0.78, <em>P</em> = 0.046), and snout-head (OR: 0.69, <em>P</em> = 0.001) contact networks. Snout proximity behaviours showed significant reciprocity (snout head: OR = 2.56; <em>P</em> = 0.008; snout-snout: OR = 2.80; <em>P</em> = 0.0001). Contact behaviours showed significant reciprocity in the snout-snout (OR = 2.40; <em>P</em> = 0.0001), and snout-head (OR = 1.55; <em>P</em> = 0.004) networks. Our study highlights behavioural nuances, with groups differing in snout proximity and contact patterns, in which reciprocation is normal behaviour, and snout-snout proximity and snout-snout contact are the least observed. Furthermore, it shows the influence of attributes on network structure to inform grouping strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 8","pages":"Article 101585"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144604947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Partially replacing baleage with grazed forage canola in a component feeding system: Effects on production performance, enteric methane emissions, and nutrient utilization in dairy cows","authors":"L.H.P. Silva ,&nbsp;Y. Zang ,&nbsp;S.L. Dillard ,&nbsp;K.J. Soder ,&nbsp;A.F. Brito","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101583","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101583","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Forage canola is an annual crop with the potential to extend the grazing season and reduce enteric CH₄ emissions due to its low fiber concentration. We aimed to evaluate the effect of partially replacing alfalfa-grass mix baleage with grazed forage canola on production performance, ruminal fermentation, enteric CH₄ emissions, and nutrient utilization in dairy cows. Twelve multiparous Jersey cows averaging 131 ± 63 days in milk (<strong>DIM</strong>) and 462 ± 26 kg of BW and 6 primiparous Jersey cows averaging 175 ± 64 DIM and 418 ± 38 kg of BW were used in a randomized complete block design study. Treatments were formulated (DM basis) as follows: (1) 60% alfalfa-grass mix baleage, 38% concentrate pellet, and 2% roasted soybean (control = <strong>CON</strong>), and (2) 30% alfalfa-grass mix baleage, 30% grazed forage canola, 38% concentrate pellet, and 2% roasted soybean (forage canola = <strong>CAN</strong>). Cows in the CAN treatment had access to the forage canola pasture after the afternoon milking. The experiment consisted of a 2-week covariate period and a 5-week experimental period with samples collected during weeks 3 and 5. Although DM intake was greater in cows fed CAN than CON, milk yield was lowest in CAN. Milk true protein concentration, milk lactose yield, feed efficiency (milk yield/DM intake), milk N efficiency (milk N yield/N intake), ruminal pH and molar proportion of propionate, milk proportion of n-6 fatty acids, and enteric CH₄ emissions were all lower in CAN versus CON. Treatment−by−week interactions were observed for the concentrations of milk urea N, plasma urea N, and ruminal NH₃-N, apparent total-tract digestibilities of DM and organic matter, urinary excretion of urea N (g/day and % of urinary N excretion), ruminal molar proportion of butyrate, and milk proportion of n-3 fatty acids. For all these interactions, values were greater in CAN versus CON, but the magnitude of treatment differences varied from week 3 to week 5. A treatment by week interaction was also detected for the ruminal molar proportion of acetate, which decreased more pronouncedly in CAN than CON diet from week 3 to week 5. Intake of digestible energy and metabolizable energy (<strong>ME</strong>), and the efficiency of converting digestible energy into ME were greater in CAN than CON. Contrarily, the efficiency of converting ME into milk energy was lower in CAN versus CON cows. In brief, greater ME intake and nutrient digestibility in CAN compared with CON did not improve milk yield.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 8","pages":"Article 101583"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144623639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Group housing increases alertness and social interaction compared to traditional single stabling in two-year-old sport horse stallions during pretraining","authors":"L. Kroschel ,&nbsp;F. Pilger ,&nbsp;J. Aurich ,&nbsp;C. Nagel ,&nbsp;C. Aurich","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101584","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101584","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Horses in training are often stabled individually, but this is increasingly questioned. We have investigated the effects of different stabling systems in Warmblood stallions during a 12-week pretraining programme. Stallions were 24 months old and housed either in a group stable (<strong>Group 24</strong>, n = 9) or in individual boxes (<strong>Box 24</strong>, n = 10), or they were 30 months of age and housed in individual boxes (<strong>Box 30</strong>, n = 10). Cortisol, heart rate, heart rate variability (<strong>HRV</strong>), body development, injuries and selected behaviour patterns were analysed (1) at transfer from pasture to stable and (2) thereafter, repeatedly during pretraining. Salivary cortisol concentration increased immediately after stabling (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). This increase was most pronounced in Group 24 stallions (<em>P</em> = 0.044). A diurnal cortisol rhythm was re-established after 2–3 days, but occasional irregular increases in salivary cortisol concentration occurred in Group 24 stallions throughout the pretraining period. In response to stabling, also heart rate increased for approximately 3 h (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) with a most pronounced rise in Group 24 stallions (time × group <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). BW decreased transiently after stabling (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). Skin lesions were mainly superficial abrasions, and they were more frequent in group-housed vs individually stabled stallions (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). Lying bouts were more frequent in individually housed than in group-housed stallions (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). Mutual grooming occurred only in Group 24 stallions (group <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). Playing was seen in Group 24 stallions predominantly in the morning (time <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001, group <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). Agonistic behaviour was more evident in individually housed than in group-housed stallions but was seen occasionally in individually housed stallions (group <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). Pawing the ground was mainly observed in individually housed stallions in the morning before feeding and was close to absent in the afternoons (time <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001, group <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). In conclusion, cortisol concentration, heart rate, HRV and behaviour suggest that group-housed stallions, to some extent, were more challenged during the pretraining period than individually housed stallions. Under the conditions of this study, both individual and group stabling are acceptable for two- to three-year-old stallions and there was no evidence for a major advantage of one housing system over the other.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 8","pages":"Article 101584"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144572692","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}