Animal最新文献

{"title":"Friend or foe: effects of social experience and genetic line on responses of young gilts in a social challenge paired interaction test","authors":"L.M. Backeman Hannius,&nbsp;L. Keeling,&nbsp;D. de Oliveira,&nbsp;C. Anderson,&nbsp;A. Wallenbeck","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101349","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101349","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The increased focus on group housing of sows in commercial pig production emphasises the importance of saving appropriate gilts which later become sows that are well-adapted to group housing systems. This study aimed to assess the short-term effects of social mixing experience and genetic line on social and exploration responses of young gilts in standardised 3-min social challenge paired interaction tests. The study included 96 gilts, from 26 litters, of two different genetic lines (Swedish Yorkshire and Dutch Yorkshire). These lines were chosen because the dam lines have been selected in group-housed and individual stall systems, respectively, a background which was hypothesised to have modified their social behaviour over time. The gilts were subjected to different early (opportunity to co-mingle with piglets in the neighbouring farrowing pen vs. no opportunity to co-mingle) and late (mixed with unfamiliar piglets at weaning vs. kept with familiar littermates after weaning) social mixing treatments, to test whether the enhanced social experience was beneficial in a socially challenging situation. Paired interaction tests were conducted at 5 and 20 weeks of age, and social and exploration behaviour of the gilts was recorded and analysed. The results showed that Swedish Yorkshire gilts explored the pen fittings more than Dutch Yorkshire gilts during the 5-week test, whereas Dutch Yorkshire gilts explored the pen fittings more than Swedish Yorkshire gilts during the 20-week test. No differences in play behaviour were found during the 5-week test, but in the 20-week test, gilts with early social mixing experience in their farrowing pen showed more locomotor play behaviour than gilts without this experience. Overall, these results suggest that genetic line and early social mixing experience can influence the social and exploration behaviours of young gilts in paired interaction tests. There was no support for the hypothesis that genetic selection in different housing systems has altered social behaviour, but it may have affected the level of exploration behaviour. There was little support for our prediction that early social experience has beneficial effects in a socially challenging situation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"18 11","pages":"Article 101349"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142568332","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":"Development and validation of a model for early prediction of residual feed intake in beef cattle using plasma biomarkers","authors":"H.M. Aboshady ,&nbsp;E. Jorge-Smeding ,&nbsp;S. Taussat ,&nbsp;G. Cantalapiedra-Hijar","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101354","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101354","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Identification of plasma biomarkers for feed efficiency in growing beef cattle offers a promising opportunity for developing prediction models to improve precision feeding strategies. However, these models must accurately predict feed efficiency at early stages of fattening. Our study aimed to evaluate the reliability of candidate biomarkers previously identified in late-fattening cattle when analysed during early fattening stages and to develop diet-specific prediction equations for residual feed intake (<strong>RFI</strong>). From a total of 364 Charolais bulls across seven cohorts, we selected 64 animals with extreme RFI values. The animals were fed either a corn‑ or grass-silage diets. These animals were chosen from four out of the available seven cohorts. Animals from three cohorts (24 high-RFI and 24 low-RFI, having a mean RFI difference of 1.48 kg/d) were used for biomarker confirmation and prediction model training. Animals from a fourth cohort (8 high-RFI and 8 low-RFI, having a mean RFI difference of 0.98 kg/d) were used for model external validation. Blood samples were collected at the beginning of the feed efficiency test (333 ± 20 days), and plasma underwent targeted metabolomic for 630 metabolites, natural abundance of ¹⁵N (δ¹⁵N), insulin, and IGF-1 analysis. Seven previously identified plasma biomarkers for RFI in late-fattening beef cattle still kept their capability for discriminating low and high RFI animals when analysed during early fattening stages (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Among these confirmed biomarkers, five were common for both grass- and corn-fed animals (creatinine, β-alanine, triglyceride TG18:0_34:2, symmetric dimethyl-arginine and phosphatidylcholine PC aa C30:2) while two were diet-specific (IGF-1 for grass silage-based diet, and isoleucine for corn silage-based diet. No new plasma biomarkers of RFI were identified at early-fattening stages (false discovery rate  &gt; 0.05). Prediction models were developed based on seven confirmed RFI biomarkers analysed during early-fattening. Two logistic regression models incorporating creatinine and either IGF-1 (for grass silage-based diet) or PC aa C30:2 (for corn silage-based diet) effectively distinguished between high− and low-RFI animals with high sensitivity and specificity (area under the curve &gt; 0.80). The biomarkers used in the models showed moderate to high repeatability between early and late fattening stages (0.45 &lt; r &lt; 0.65). The models were successfully externally validated, with more than 85% of animals from the fourth cohort correctly classified. Once validated in larger cohorts and utilising cost-effective and rapid analytical methods, these models could support precision feeding and breeding programmes, aiming to reduce the cost of raising beef cattle.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"18 11","pages":"Article 101354"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142577990","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":"Effects of oxygen levels and temperature on growth and physiology of pikeperch juveniles cultured in a recirculating aquaculture system","authors":"T. Policar ,&nbsp;J. Křišťan ,&nbsp;H.T. Thorarensen ,&nbsp;J. Velíšek ,&nbsp;J. Kolářová ,&nbsp;V. Stejskal ,&nbsp;O. Malinovskyi","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101347","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101347","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aimed to understand how environmental factors, specifically water temperature and oxygen saturation, affect the growth performance and physiology of pikeperch (<em>Sander lucioperca</em>) juveniles in recirculating aquaculture systems (<strong>RASs</strong>). Given the importance of optimising growth conditions in aquaculture to maximise efficiency, it aims to assess whether different combinations of oxygen levels and temperatures can enhance growth while maintaining the physiological health and welfare of the fish. The experimental design included the culturing pikeperch juveniles (22.7 ± 7.1 g) were exposed to hypoxia (78 ± 14%), normoxia (105 ± 12%), and hyperoxia (140 ± 18%) conditions for 72 days. This was conducted at two temperatures, 20 °C and 23 °C, each in a separate but identical RAS. The level of oxygen supply was controlled with micro bubble diffusers on the bottom of each tank. The hyperoxia at 23 °C positively affected total length, BW, specific growth rate, feed intake and feed conservation rate (<strong>FCR</strong>). The slowest growth and feed intake, along with the highest FCR, were observed in hypoxia at 20 °C. Fish reared under 23 °C exhibited significantly higher visceral-somatic index (3.54 ± 0.83 at 23 °C and 2.76 ± 0.73 at 20 °C) regardless of oxygen levels. It was primarily responsible for the observed growth difference (Final BW: 58.3 ± 18.8 g at 23 °C and 53.0 ± 18.3 g at 20 °C). The water temperature also affected haematocrit, haemoglobin, leucocyte count, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume (<strong>MCV</strong>) of the blood cells; the concentration of lymphocytes, neutrophile granulocyte bands and segments. Among biochemical markers, temperature affected cytoplasmic and mitochondrial enzymes, ammonia and triglyceride levels in blood plasma. Elevated antioxidant activity was observed in muscle, intestine and liver tissues. Oxygen levels demonstrated significant effects on growth, feed intake and conversion, the MCV of the blood cells, the concentration of the glucose, lactate and ammonia in blood plasma, and antioxidant biomarkers in the liver tissue. The analysis indicated a significant effect of oxygen on energy metabolism. The results showed hyperoxia under 23 °C create conditions for the highest growth and feed intake, high feed utilisation. There are, however, concerns about the physiological conditions and welfare of intensively cultured pikeperch juveniles, as higher feed intake led to increased visceral fat content in the body, elevated antioxidant activity in the liver, muscle and intestine tissues, morphology of blood cell, and energy metabolism.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"18 11","pages":"Article 101347"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142548759","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":"Amylase activity across black soldier fly larvae development and feeding substrates: insights on starch digestibility and external digestion","authors":"J.B. Guillaume ,&nbsp;J.L. Da Lage ,&nbsp;S. Mezdour ,&nbsp;F. Marion-Poll ,&nbsp;C. Terrol ,&nbsp;C.M.C. Brouzes ,&nbsp;P. Schmidely","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101337","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101337","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Black soldier fly larvae (<strong>BSFL</strong>; <em>Hermetia illucens</em>) hold promise for converting biowaste into proteins and lipids for feed. Dietary starch is efficiently digested by the larvae and influences larval performance, but the mechanisms of starch digestion remain poorly understood. This study investigated changes in individual weight and amylase activity in BSFL after 4, 7 and 11 days of feeding for five substrates varying in starch content and type: chicken feed (<strong>CF</strong>), corn gluten feed (<strong>CGF</strong>), wheat bran (<strong>WB</strong>), wheat distillers grain (<strong>WDG</strong>) and discarded potatoes (<strong>DP</strong>). Substrate amylase activities were also measured with and without larvae (feeding and fermenting trays, respectively) over time in order to explore external digestion. Feed conversion ratio (<strong>FCR</strong>) and estimated digestibility (<strong>ED</strong>) of DM and starch were assessed at the end of the experiment. The ranking for best FCR was CF, WB, CGF, WDG and DP. In feeding trays, ED of DM was 69.8 ± 1.8, 59.5 ± 2.9, 58.6 ± 0.7, 45.4 ± 0.6 and 19.5 ± 0.8% in CF, DP, WB, CGF and WDG, respectively. Estimated digestibility of starch reached 100% with WB and CGF, followed by CF (88.2 ± 2.3%), DP (85.2 ± 1.2%) and WDG (43.1 ± 1.0%). Larval amylase activity increased with growth for all substrates and dropped when approaching pupation. No relationship was found between larval amylase activity and substrate starch or other nutrient content, but a negative correlation was reported with the reducing sugar content of the larvae, suggesting glucose repression of amylase production. Amylase activity decreased with time in all feeding and fermenting substrates except WDG and DP. <em>In vitro</em> degradation assays indicated that BSFL amylase was nine times more efficient on raw corn or wheat starch than on raw potato starch, highlighting that starch structure is a major driver of digestibility. Western blot analysis revealed the presence of BSFL amylase in the feeding substrate, hinting at external digestion. Larval amylase was purified to identify its optimal pH (5.0–6.5) and temperature (70 °C). These results highlight that starch content is not a major driver of amylase activity in BSFL and suggest that other non-investigated factors could have had a crucial impact on the activity of larval digestive enzymes, such as microbial community of the substrate and presence of amylase inhibitors. This study also provides insights into the evolution of BSFL digestive activity during their development and the occurrence of external digestion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"18 11","pages":"Article 101337"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142548748","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":"Comparison of predictive ability of single-trait and multitrait genomic selection models for body growth traits in Maiwa yaks","authors":"Y. Liu ,&nbsp;M. Zhang ,&nbsp;B. Yue ,&nbsp;H. Wang ,&nbsp;X. Li ,&nbsp;W. Peng ,&nbsp;M. Jiang ,&nbsp;J. Zhong ,&nbsp;Y. Kangzhu ,&nbsp;J. Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101350","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101350","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Yaks are grazed extensively on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, which has a long history of semi-domestication. The predicted weight of yaks over consecutive years helps make strategic decisions when selecting yak calves for breeding. To achieve more accurate predictions of genomic estimated breeding values, we used a dataset comprising the genotype and weight records of 396 Maiwa yaks collected from 2015 to 2020. We compared the predictive accuracy of the genome best linear unbiased prediction (<strong>GBLUP</strong>) model with that of six other models. Based on the GBLUP model, we applied two prediction strategies. In the first strategy, the year was treated as a fixed effect in the GBLUP model, and the kinship from all individuals and the markers were treated as random effects. In the second strategy, all individuals were divided into six age groups, with GBLUP performed for each group, and the phenotypes of the closest age groups were treated as fixed effects. Although the GBLUP model provided better prediction accuracy than other single-trait models, most of the predictive capacity was derived from the best linear unbiased estimation. Additionally, incorporating the phenotype of the closest age group as a factor in multitrait prediction enhanced the accuracy of the model. Our findings provide a robust and credible strategy for predicting continuous economic traits in the presence of strong correlations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"18 11","pages":"Article 101350"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142548749","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":"Resolving and functional analysis of RNA editing sites in sheep ovaries and associations with litter size","authors":"X.F. Ma ,&nbsp;A.J. Liu ,&nbsp;Z. Zheng ,&nbsp;B.X. Hu ,&nbsp;Y.X. Zhi ,&nbsp;C. Liu ,&nbsp;S.J. Tian","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101342","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101342","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sheep litter size is a critical trait in mutton production. While litter size regulation in relation to DNA transcription have been rigorously investigated, the function of RNA editing remains less explored. To elucidate the mechanisms controlling sheep fecundity at the RNA editing level and identify pivotal RNA editing sites, this study scrutinised RNA editing sites (<strong>RESs</strong>) in follicular and luteal phases of ovaries from sheep with high and low fecundity, and the functions of population-specific RESs were subsequently analysed. A total of 2 182 475 RESs, 74.61% of which were A-to-I and C-to-U sites, were identified. These RESs were fairly evenly dispersed over the chromosomes, with 46.8% showing close clustering (inter-site distance &lt; 300 bp). Notably, 93% were primarily situated in intronic and intergenic regions. In the follicular phase, pivotal RESs were found in the introns of genes including LPS responsive beige-like anchor, MCC regulator of Wnt signalling, and RWD domain containing 3, among others, and in the exon region of EvC ciliary complex subunit 2. In the luteal phase, RESs were observed in the introns of genes such as H/ACA ribonucleoprotein assembly factor and SDA1 domain-containing 1, and the exon and 3′UTR regions of polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 15 and ilvB acetolactate synthase-like, respectively. High-fecundity sheep showed RESs in the follicular phase in genes such as fibrillin 1, cyclin−dependent kinase 6, and roundabout 1, and in genes such as autophagy−related 2B and versican in the luteal phase. Thirteen RESs specific to the follicular phase and eight specific to the luteal phase were identified in high-fecundity sheep ovaries. These RESs offer promising molecular targets and enhance understanding of multiple births in sheep from the perspective of posttranscriptional alterations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"18 11","pages":"Article 101342"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142548760","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 birthday problem: repeated sampling of animal populations and ethics of experimental design","authors":"D.M. Green ,&nbsp;C.G. Mitchell","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101352","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101352","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Researchers who use animals in science must balance statistical power with the need to satisfy the three Rs, whereby researchers are required to <em>reduce</em> numbers of animals, <em>refine</em> what they experience, and use alternatives to (<em>replace</em>) higher animals where possible. In repeated sampling over time-series studies, there is potential loss of power as well as ethics implications posed by repeated sampling of individual animals, where this cannot be managed or avoided. Here, we consider the mathematics of repeated sampling from three perspectives: that of the population at large, from the experience of the individual, and the conditional probability of sampled individuals being sampled again. The calculations are illustrated using four theoretical case studies across veterinary epidemiology with different practical implications and a provided R Shiny tool for researchers. Despite the availability of exact calculations, it is necessary to also consider the biological factors which may affect capture and recapture rates in sampling studies such as animal personality and response to capture. Researchers must also choose their question carefully to avoid inappropriate framing of ethical concerns around repeated sampling.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"18 11","pages":"Article 101352"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142592028","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 effect of protease supplementation in broiler chicken diets containing maize from different batches on growth performance and nutrient digestibility.","authors":"V A B Zavelinski, V I Vieira, L S Bassi, L M de Almeida, V G Schramm, A Maiorka, S G de Oliveira","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101363","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2024.101363","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Maize is the primary energy source in poultry diets. Nutritional and physical traits related to maize composition can affect nutrient utilization, as well as the efficacy of exogenous enzymes. A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of maize from different batches and protease supplementation on growth performance and ileal nutrient digestibility of broiler chickens from 1 to 40 days of age. A total of 1 920-day-old Ross 308 male chicks were assigned in a complete randomized design distributed into a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement comprising maize from two different batches (A and B) without and with protease (0 and 200 g/t), totaling 4 treatments and 12 replicates of 40 broiler chickens each. Experimental diets were divided into starter, grower I, grower II, and finisher phases. Both maize types were analyzed for nutritional composition, hardness, and structural differences in the starch granules via scanning electron microscopy. Feed intake, weight gain (WG), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were evaluated. Ileal digesta was collected at 35 days to determine the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of DM, CP, and ileal digestible energy (IDE). Hardness was higher in maize grains from batch A (P < 0.05), which may be associated with the denser and compact starch granules observed in electron microscopy. Broiler chickens fed maize from batch B and supplemented with protease showed greater WG and better FCR from 9 to 19 days (P < 0.05). From 1 to 40 days, birds fed the maize B diet had greater WG and lower FCR compared to those fed the maize A diet (P < 0.05). In the total period, protease supplementation reduced FCR (P < 0.01). No differences were found for AID of DM and CP, but broilers fed maize B diets had greater IDE (P < 0.05). In conclusion, although nutrient ileal digestibility was unaffected by treatments, the use of maize B led to superior growth performance and energy utilization due to its softer endosperm and starch composition, and protease supplementation reduced FCR and increased IDE regardless of maize batch.</p>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"18 12","pages":"101363"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142683207","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":"Yellow mealworm: effects of adults breeding density on adults and larvae performances from an industrial perspective","authors":"B. Palumbo,&nbsp;M. Cullere,&nbsp;Y. Singh,&nbsp;E. Pontalti,&nbsp;A. Dalle Zotte","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101360","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101360","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A key aspect to optimise the <em>Tenebrio molitor</em> (<strong>TM</strong>) farm productivity is to find an optimal breeding density for adults. To this purpose, this study investigated, from an industrial perspective, the impact of four breeding densities (<strong>D1, D2, D3</strong> and <strong>D4</strong>, equal to 0.8, 1.1, 1.3 and 1.6 adults/cm², respectively) on mortality and reproductive performances of TM adults and larvae. Two weeks after pupae emergence, TM adults were randomly assigned to the four groups and housed in 48 breeding crates (60 × 40 × 14.5 cm; 12 crates/group). The trial consisted of 4 consecutive weeks of adult breeding (each week represented one oviposition), and 8 weeks of larvae growth. From each week of oviposition, a batch of larvae was obtained for a total of four batches of larvae (48 crates/batch). Larvae of each batch were grown until 8 weeks of age, corresponding to the period required to reach the selling size. Larvae were kept in the original crates until the 5^th weeks of age, after which they were divided into additional crates to ensure a density of 4.2 larvae/cm² and a final weight of 1 500 g of larvae/crate (0.6 g of larvae/cm²). For each oviposition week, TM adult’s mortality, egg hatchability, BW, feed intake, chemical composition and fatty acid profile were evaluated, while ovary weight was measured at weeks 1 and 4. The number of larvae was monitored at week 5 of age while their chemical composition was determined at week 5 and 8. Larvae feed intake and BW were monitored over the 8-weeks growth period. Individual feed intake and BW of adults increased with increasing breeding density (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.0001 and <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05, respectively). With increasing adult breeding density, the number of larvae per crate increased (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) while the grams of larvae/gram of adults decreased (R² = 0.8856). Larvae from groups D2, D3 and D4 showed higher feed intake per crate and higher individual and total final BW than D1 (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). However, the feed conversion ratio (<strong>FCR</strong>) worsened with increasing breeding density (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). D4 larvae had higher percentages of protein (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001), lipids (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) and cholesterol (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) compared to larvae from other groups. Concluding, a breeding density of 0.8 adults/cm² maximised both grams of larvae produced/grams of adults and larvae FCR. However, breeding densities above 0.8 adults/cm² resulted in a higher number of produced larvae per crate with a greater final mass weight making a density of 1.6 adults/cm² the preferable choice from and industrial perspective.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"18 12","pages":"Article 101360"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142649700","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 does finishing duration on lucerne pasture influence the muscle and fat spectro-colorimetric properties and dorsal fat firmness in lambs?","authors":"S. Prache,&nbsp;B. Graulet,&nbsp;L. Rey-Cadilhac","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101361","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101361","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There are a number of differences in the meat and carcass quality traits between pasture-raised and concentrate-raised lambs that may further be used to trace back the diet, but the extent to which these differences are modulated by pasture-finishing duration is unknown. In this study, we investigated the changes in <em>longissimus thoracis et lumborum</em> muscle and fat spectrocolorimetric properties, and dorsal fat firmness, in lambs switched from a stall-fed concentrate-based diet to grazing on lucerne for various durations (0, 21, 42, 63 days) pre-slaughter. Stall-fed lambs from the different treatment groups were managed in a single group and lucerne pasture-finished lambs from the different treatment groups also co-grazed in a single group. The level of concentrate fed to stall-fed lambs was adjusted to maintain a similar mean pattern of growth between lucerne pasture-fed and stall-fed lambs. The trial used a total of 141 lambs over two successive years. Dorsal fat was firmer in lambs finished on lucerne pasture, even for the shortest finishing duration (21 days), the difference being of commercial importance. Dorsal fat colour and carotenoid content showed changes at 21 days on lucerne pasture but did not change further for longer lucerne pasture-finishing durations. In contrast, perirenal fat lightness, yellowness, chroma and carotenoid content showed changes at 21 days on lucerne pasture and increased consistently with lucerne pasture-finishing duration. Although these changes in fat spectrocolorimetric properties were not, or barely, visible to the naked eye, they could be of interest for authenticating the duration of lucerne pasture-finishing. Muscle redness increased consistently with the duration of lucerne pasture-finishing, the change becoming significant from 42 days on lucerne pasture and being visible to the naked eye. We observed a consistent decrease in muscle hue angle and perirenal fat redness and a consistent increase in perirenal fat hue angle with lucerne pasture-finishing duration, but these changes only became significant from 63 days on lucerne pasture. The pattern of change in the lamb carcass and meat quality traits measured according to lucerne pasture-finishing duration therefore varied between the tissues and quality traits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"18 12","pages":"Article 101361"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142649698","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}