Animal最新文献

{"title":"Impacts of digestibility stalls on the welfare of growing bulls","authors":"I. Veissier,&nbsp;R. Bellagi,&nbsp;P. Nozière,&nbsp;R. Baumont","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101513","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101513","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Diet digestibility and nitrogen balance are essential indicators for studies on ruminant nutrition. Both these indicators are conventionally assessed over 1− to 2-week periods when animals are restrained in so-called digestibility stalls that largely restrict their movements. Here, we aimed to assess the welfare of bulls in digestibility stalls and to check whether stall-related welfare impacts could be limited by shortening the duration of the stay in the stall. Sixteen Charolais bulls accommodated in a large group pen were confined in digestibility stalls for 2 weeks, in two repetitions spaced 2.5 months apart. Urine and faeces were collected daily for 10 days from Day 7 in stalls. From 7 days before the bulls entered the stalls to 7 days after they exited, we measured their feed intake daily and monitored their posture (standing vs lying) and main activity patterns (eating, ruminating, other activity, inactivity) using activity sensors. External lesions (hair losses, wounds) were assessed once a week during the same period. Cortisol was determined in hair from the tail tuft at 3-week intervals from before entering the stalls to after 10 or 15 days in the stalls. Bulls responded to the digestibility stalls by eating lower amounts of feed, spending more time standing or inactive and less time eating or ruminating than when they were in the group pen. The increase in time spent inactive and the decrease in time spent eating were stronger in Repetition 2 than in Repetition 1. The time spent inactive decreased over the first few days in the stalls then increased again over the course of days when urine and faeces were collected. Bulls were more likely to be affected by lesions once they were in the stalls. Hair cortisol increased when the bulls were in the stalls, with a more marked increase after a short stay in Repetition 2. In conclusion, we find definitive evidence that digestibility and nitrogen measurements in digestibility stalls are constraining for animals, and bulls do not appear to habituate to time in the stalls. Confinement in the stalls as well as handling while in the stalls can both have negative welfare impacts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 5","pages":"Article 101513"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143908243","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":"Comparative intake, digestibility and enteric methane emissions by growing lambs and goat kids fed a medium digestibility grass nuts diet","authors":"M.R. Quail ,&nbsp;I.G. Davies ,&nbsp;J.M. Moorby ,&nbsp;M.D. Fraser","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101489","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101489","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The availability of baseline emission data across various livestock systems is an essential component of identifying suitable mitigation strategies for the future. However, the comparative CH₄ emissions of different livestock species, particularly those that represent key small ruminants globally (sheep (<em>Ovis aries</em>) and goats (<em>Capra hircus</em>)), have not been explored in the context of diet digestibility and growth potential of the animal. This study aimed to generate baseline data through comparing weaned lambs and goat kids in relation to (1) growth performance, (2) enteric methane emissions, (3) and diet <em>in vivo</em> digestibility of a common medium-digestibility diet that reflects the pasture type that the animals might be expected to graze. Ten castrated lambs (Welsh Mountain breed) and ten goat kids (Cashmere × Boer crossbreed) of an equivalent age postweaning (c. 12 months) (avg. starting weight of 15 kg ± 0.86, and 26 kg ± 1.02, respectively) were offered a grass-nuts diet <em>ad libitum</em> whilst housed in individual pens. Dry matter intake (<strong>DMI</strong>) of feed was monitored daily throughout an 8-week growth stage, whilst liveweight was assessed weekly. Enteric CH₄ emissions of each animal were recorded for 72 h in methane collection chambers. We found significantly higher liveweight gains for the sheep compared to goats (163 and 84 g/day for lambs and kids respectively; SED = 12.8; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001), as well as higher DMI (1299.8 vs 881.8 g/day; SED = 64.7; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). DM intake was comparable between species on a metabolic liveweight (W^0.75) basis. The sheep also produced higher daily CH₄ emissions (26.3 g/day, and 19.4 g/day, respectively; SED = 3.02; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01) than goats. However, no effect of species was observed on CH₄ emissions per kg W^0.75 or per kg DMI. The proportion of methane energy excreted expressed as a proportion of diet gross energy (Ym) was similar for both species (4.9 and 4.6% CH₄ E/gross energy intake for lambs and kids, respectively; SED = 0.46), as were apparent whole-tract <em>in vivo</em> DM digestibility, although the sheep had a better feed conversion ratio (<strong>FCR</strong>) than the goats (6.6 g DMI/ g W^0.75 gain and 11.5 g DMI/g W^0.75 gain, respectively; SED = 1.58; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Here, we found that sheep were more efficient than goats when offered an identical diet of grass nuts, giving a higher weight gain than the goats (resulting in a lower FCR), whilst also producing similar CH₄ emissions to the goats on a metabolic LW basis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 5","pages":"Article 101489"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143886435","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":"Early life reproductive investment affects longevity in ewes","authors":"L.S. Kierkegaard ,&nbsp;N.C. Friggens ,&nbsp;G. Steinheim ,&nbsp;Ø. Holand ,&nbsp;G. Klemetsdal ,&nbsp;L. Puillet ,&nbsp;B.A. Åby","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101504","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101504","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To increase lifetime production of ewes, it has been suggested to mate ewe lambs. However, research on the effect of age at first lambing on longevity has shown conflicting results. This study investigated the impact of early life reproduction (i.e., the effect of age at first lambing and litter size) and environmental conditions on longevity in a prolific sheep breed traditionally bred as lambs. Lifetime performance data were obtained from 550 884 Norwegian White Sheep born between 2000 and 2013 spread across Norway. All ewes lambed their first litter either as 1-year-old or 2-year-olds. Longevity was investigated using a linear mixed model with age at first lambing, litter size, county, the covariates early- and late parturition, and two categorical variables describing cross-fostering and success in weaning as fixed effects. Herd x year was fitted as a random effect. The lifespan of the ewes was affected both by age of the ewe at first reproduction and the reproductive investment (i.e., litter size). The predicted lifespan for ewes mated as lambs was 1 548 days (4.2 years) whereas the lifespan for those mated as 2-year-olds was 1 700 days (4.7 years). There was a curvilinear relationship between lifespan and litter size. Lifespan increased from 1 272 days (3.5 years) to 1 618 days (4.4 years) when litter size increased from 0 to 1 lamb. Further increased reproductive investment resulted in a decreased lifespan with a litter size of 4 having the shortest lifespan of 1 468 days (4.0 years). The relation between litter size and lifespan was similar but at different levels for both age groups of ewes, except for ewes rearing less lambs than they gave birth to. In that group, ewes mated as lambs had a peak predicted lifespan at 1 504 days (4.1 years) with a litter size of one lamb, whereas those first mated as 2-year-olds had their peak predicted lifespan of 1 650 days (4.5 years) with a litter size of two lambs. The relationship between longevity and reproductive investment was in some cases affected by environmental conditions. However, the effect was not consistent with latitude. In conclusion, ewes mated as lambs, in general, live shorter lives compared to those first mated as 2-year-olds but environmental importance for longevity and reproduction needs further investigation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 5","pages":"Article 101504"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143900002","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":"Identifying barriers to the sustainable control of gastro-intestinal nematodes in sheep: a social science perspective","authors":"A.K. Howell ,&nbsp;E.S. Beechener ,&nbsp;L. Benson ,&nbsp;P. Crawford ,&nbsp;D.A. Ewing ,&nbsp;N. Fox ,&nbsp;F. Kenyon ,&nbsp;I. Kyriazakis ,&nbsp;M. Pearce ,&nbsp;S. Strain ,&nbsp;D.J.L. Williams","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101506","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101506","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Many farmers rely on anthelmintics to control gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep. In response to concerns about rising levels of anthelmintic resistance reported in countries around the world, current advice is to adopt more sustainable practices. A small−scale survey of farmers was used to inform group discussions with farmers, veterinarians and anthelmintic prescribers, to better understand barriers to the adoption of sustainable gastro-intestinal nematode control in sheep flocks across the United Kingdom. Thematic analysis of the discussions identified four barriers to change: not seeing the need for change; lack of specific information and support in implementing changes on farm; lack of confidence in the new approaches; and practical obstacles such as time and cost. Nevertheless, there were examples of sustainable parasite control with some farmers making changes to their habitual practices, typically with the support of their veterinarian or Suitably qualified person. We reflect on the findings through the lens of the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation as drivers of Behaviour model. This draws attention to the need for a process of knowledge exchange that allows advice to be tailored to individual farms and makes use of farmer skills and experiences, rather than expecting farmers to follow generic advice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 5","pages":"Article 101506"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143890800","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":"Review: Multiobject tracking in livestock − from farm animal management to state-of-the-art methods","authors":"M.H. Nidhi ,&nbsp;K. Liu ,&nbsp;K.J. Flay","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101503","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101503","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Multi-object tracking (<strong>MOT</strong>) methods have the potential to significantly improve precision livestock farming (<strong>PLF</strong>) by enabling simultaneous tracking of multiple animals in complex environments. However, research on MOT applications in livestock monitoring is limited, with state-of-the-art (<strong>SOTA</strong>) models primarily tested on benchmark datasets of pedestrians or vehicles. This systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. We identified 111 recent papers published from January 2019 to January 2025 using a keyword search for MOT and livestock from three scientific databases. The use-cases, datasets, and algorithms of MOT applied to livestock were thoroughly examined. This review addresses the limitations in existing systems to consistently preserve individual animal identities in long sequences. Key challenges that need to be addressed include frequent occlusions and complex, non-linear motion patterns that are characteristic of livestock behaviour. We identified 21 recent open-source SOTA models currently used in other disciplines (beyond livestock) that offer solutions to these challenges. Our analysis revealed research gaps and opportunities for developing tailored MOT techniques to overcome the challenges of real-world livestock monitoring. For MOT to provide valuable data for PLF purposes, it must perform long−term video analysis and address obstacles such as frequent and long-term occlusion, similar appearances between livestock as well as their non-linear motion. Investigating SOTA models showed that while tracking-by-detection is still the most widely used paradigm, tracking-by-attention, transformer−based end-to-end tracking architecture, provides a novel approach. Improvements in detection association strategies and motion models, as well as innovations in multi-camera tracking, can lead to improved animal health, productivity, and welfare in the livestock industry. This review highlights the importance of adapting and refining MOT methods for livestock monitoring.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 5","pages":"Article 101503"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143900014","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":"Dietary sodium butyrate supplementation during mid-to-late gestation enhances reproductive performance and antioxidant capability in sows","authors":"C.L. Lu ,&nbsp;Z.F. Fang ,&nbsp;L.Q. Che ,&nbsp;Y. Lin ,&nbsp;S.Y. Xu ,&nbsp;Y. Zhuo ,&nbsp;L. Hua ,&nbsp;J. Li ,&nbsp;X.M. Jiang ,&nbsp;M.M. Sun ,&nbsp;Y.Z. Huang ,&nbsp;D. Wu ,&nbsp;B. Feng","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101516","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101516","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sodium butyrate (<strong>NaB</strong>) has been used as a feed additive in livestock production due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the effect of dietary NaB supplementation during mid− to late gestation on the reproductive performance of sows remains unclear. Thirty-two pregnant sows (Landrace × Yorkshire) at two or three parities were divided into two groups based on similar BW and backfat thickness on day 30 of pregnancy. The control group received a normal gestational diet, while the NaB group was fed a NaB-supplemented diet, of which 2 g/kg corn was replaced with an equal weight of NaB. Sows were fed an experimental diet from day 30 to day 114 of gestation and the same diet during lactation. The reproductive performance, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory capabilities of sows were analysed. Gestational supplementation of NaB tended to increase the total litter size (<em>P</em> = 0.069) and the number of piglets born alive (<em>P</em> = 0.052), significantly improve placental efficiency (<em>P</em> = 0.049), and increase feed intake during lactation (<em>P</em> = 0.004). Additionally, the stillbirth rate (<em>P</em> = 0.051) tended to be decreased by gestational NaB supplementation. NaB supplementation enhanced the antioxidant capacity of sows, as evidenced by increasing serum T-SOD activity on day 60 of gestation (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01) and CAT activity on the day of farrowing (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), along with reduced serum malondialdehyde concentration on day 90 of gestation (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), as compared to control group. Additionally, NaB supplementation tended to decrease serum 8-OHDG concentration on day 60 of gestation (<em>P</em> = 0.064), and increased serum concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Taken together, gestational sodium butyrate supplementation might enhance reproductive performance and antioxidant capability in sows. Thus, NaB is a potential additive for improving reproductive performance in sows.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 5","pages":"Article 101516"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143908242","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":"Development of hepatic steatosis in normal and veinous livers of overfed female mule ducks","authors":"S. Trehiou ,&nbsp;E. Atallah ,&nbsp;V. Alquier-Bacquie ,&nbsp;F. Lasserre ,&nbsp;J. Arroyo ,&nbsp;C. Molette ,&nbsp;H. Remignon","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101502","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101502","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Following the various recent avian influenza crises, the shortage of male mule ducklings has led to the use of females, although these are not normally used mainly because of defects in the presentation of the final product. The aim of this study was to examine the evolution of hepatic steatosis induced by overfeeding in female mule ducks with or without a visible network of veins on the surface of lean or fatty livers. The overall evolution of hepatic steatosis (weight gain, gross biochemical composition) was strikingly similar in both types of liver. Histological observations confirm that in both types of livers, there is a steady increase in the accumulation of lipid droplets in hepatocytes throughout the period of overfeeding. At the same time, other parameters (fibrogenesis, measured by the accumulation of hydroxyproline; oxidative status, measured by the activities of the enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase; contents of reduced and oxidised glutathione and level of hypoxia, measured with Hypoxia 1 and 2 Induced Factors) are also altered similarly in all samples. Nor did the overall activities of genes belonging to different metabolic pathways reveal any major differences when normal and veinous livers were compared. In conclusion, hepatic steatosis induced by overfeeding developed under very similar conditions in the normal and veinous livers of female mule ducks. However, these visible anatomical differences degrade the visual quality of the final product and make veinous livers less attractive to processors and consumers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 5","pages":"Article 101502"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143873963","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":"Oleic acid promotes lipid accumulation in bovine adipocytes: the role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) signaling","authors":"U. Abou-Rjeileh ,&nbsp;A.L. Lock ,&nbsp;G.A. Contreras","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101505","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101505","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Excessive lipid mobilization due to negative energy balance in periparturient dairy cows increases their risk for diseases and decreases their productivity, highlighting the importance of enhancing energy availability during the immediate postpartum to limit negative energy balance. Oleic acid (<strong>OA</strong>) supplementation increases the energy density of the diet and holds promise in addressing metabolic challenges. In periparturient cows, OA limits lipolysis and improves adipose tissue (<strong>AT</strong>) insulin sensitivity. However, the mechanisms behind these effects are still unknown. Our objective was to characterize the effects of OA, alone and in combination with palmitic acid (<strong>PA</strong>), on lipogenic function and identify a mechanism of action in bovine adipocytes. We hypothesized that OA enhances lipid accumulation in bovine adipocytes via peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (<strong>PPARα</strong>)-dependent activation of lipogenic pathways. Pre-adipocytes were isolated from AT of Holstein dairy cows and induced to differentiate into adipocytes. Mature adipocytes were cultured with standard differentiation media (<strong>CON</strong>) supplemented with PA or OA (100, 200, and 300 µM), and mixtures of PA-OA (60-40, 50-50, and 40-60 ratios at 300 µM) for 4 or 7 d. To evaluate the effect of PPARα signaling, adipocytes were treated with or without a PPARα−specific antagonist (GW6471; 10 µM) for 7 d after induction. Compared with CON, fatty acid treatments had no effect on preadipocyte differentiation (<em>P</em> = 0.65). The treatments 300PA, 200OA, 300OA, 60-40, 50-50, and 40-60 increased lipid accumulation compared with CON (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.0001). At d 4, 300PA and 300OA increased PPARα protein expression compared with CON (<em>P</em> = 0.04). PPARα inhibition decreased triglyceride levels in OA and 60-40 (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) but not in PA (<em>P</em> = 0.26). Our results show a direct effect of OA supplementation on bovine adipocyte metabolism, resulting in lipid accumulation, mainly through PPARα signaling, which in turn activates lipogenic networks. Hence, providing mechanistic evidence for the use of OA, along with PA, in dairy cow diets during the periparturient period to enhance lipid accumulation and limit lipolysis. Improving energy balance will ultimately minimize health disorders and improve the production of early postpartum cows.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 5","pages":"Article 101505"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143878945","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":"The effect of neck strap positioning relative to dairy cow body size on rising, lying down, and defecation behaviour in lying cubicles","authors":"S.P. Brouwers ,&nbsp;A.F.E. Schug ,&nbsp;M. Simmler ,&nbsp;P. Savary","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101507","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101507","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In cubicle housing systems for dairy cows, neck rails/straps/chains are used to limit bedding soiling by faeces and urine. Flexible neck straps are an alternative to rigid neck rails, which are associated with animal welfare issues such as painful collisions, injuries, and atypical behaviours. However, no literature exists on the positioning of flexible neck straps in relation to their effectiveness in limiting soiling of the bedding material and their effect on cow behaviour. In a research barn with 40 cows, we experimentally investigated how neck strap positioning relative to cow body size affects rising and lying down behaviours, general lying behaviour, and defecation behaviour in lying cubicles. To expand the range of body-relative positioning beyond that resulting from the herd’s variation in body size, we varied the neck strap height (105, 120, and 135 cm) and its distance from the curb (155 and 170 cm) in two experiments. The resulting ratios of neck strap height to withers height (<strong>NSH</strong> ratio) ranged from 0.65 to 0.96, and the ratios of neck strap distance from the curb to diagonal body length (<strong>NSD</strong> ratio) ranged from 0.85 to 1.11. With the exception of sideways head lunging, atypical rising and lying down behaviours were rare throughout the study. A higher (less restrictive) NSH ratio was associated with a reduced probability of crawling backwards on the carpal joints during rising. We found no statistical support for an effect of neck strap positioning relative to cow body size on the probabilities of other atypical rising and lying down behaviours, or daily lying time and frequency. For defecations within a 120 s time window around rising events while in the lying cubicle, a higher (less restrictive) NSH ratio was associated with a higher probability of faeces landing in the cubicle. This probability also increased with a higher (less restrictive) NSD ratio. Overall, our results indicate that the positioning of flexible neck straps relative to cow body size, as tested in this study, does not considerably affect dairy cow behaviour, suggesting that flexible straps can accommodate cows of different sizes. The effectiveness of positioning cows in the lying cubicle in such a way that limits soiling of the bedding around rising events increased with a lower (more restrictive) NSH ratio. Thus, flexible neck straps can be a viable alternative to rigid neck rails by limiting soiling of lying cubicles around rising events without considerably impeding dairy cow movements during rising and lying down.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 5","pages":"Article 101507"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143879132","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":"CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing to assess the role of RF-amide−related peptide 3 in ovine seasonal breeding","authors":"C. Richard ,&nbsp;A. Allais-Bonnet ,&nbsp;M. André ,&nbsp;V. Gelin ,&nbsp;M-C. Deloche ,&nbsp;D. Thépot ,&nbsp;E. Canon ,&nbsp;L. Laffont ,&nbsp;O. Dubois ,&nbsp;P. Congar ,&nbsp;O. Lasserre ,&nbsp;T. Aguirre-Lavin ,&nbsp;G. Gomot ,&nbsp;C. Moussu ,&nbsp;S. Barbey ,&nbsp;E. Pailhoux ,&nbsp;H. Dardente","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101508","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101508","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Seasonal breeding is an adaptive strategy that ensures the birth of the offspring during the best time of year and allows energy saving in times of food scarcity and adverse environmental conditions. At temperate and polar latitudes, photoperiod is the main synchroniser of seasonal functions, which exerts its action through melatonin. Within the <em>pars tuberalis</em> of the anterior pituitary, melatonin triggers a series of events that lead to enhanced local triiodothyronine (<strong>T3</strong>) production in the medio-basal hypothalamus specifically under long days and ultimately drive the appropriate GnRH output at the median eminence. How T3 governs GnRH output is mostly unknown but neuronal populations that respectively produce KISS1 and RFRP3 appear to be involved. However, while the role of KISS1 as a major GnRH secretagogue is undisputed, the function of RFRP3 in the control of (seasonal) breeding remains enigmatic, with conflicting results hinting at elusive mechanisms. Therefore, we launched an extensive series of experiments in sheep, aimed at invalidating the NPVF gene, which encodes RFRP3, using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Here, we report on the generation of six sheep for which the NPVF gene has been successfully edited. Four of these animals bear at least one allele expected to behave as a null and constitute founders for distinct ovine lines. These founder sheep will now enter a standard breeding scheme in order to obtain male and female homozygotes for distinct mutations. These animals are expected to provide a clear delineation of the function of RFRP3 in seasonal breeding.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 5","pages":"Article 101508"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143879133","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}