Animal最新文献

{"title":"A meta-analysis on use of agro-industrial by-products rich in polyphenols in dairy small ruminant nutrition.","authors":"A Nudda, S Carta, F Correddu, M F Caratzu, A Cesarani, J Hidalgo, G Pulina, M F Lunesu","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101522","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2025.101522","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The recovery and reuse of agro-industrial by-products (AIBP) in livestock feeding fully align with the goals set by the European Union, aimed at achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The literature contains many studies related to the inclusion of these products in ruminant diets, with particular interest in those rich in bioactive substances, such as polyphenols, which can provide various benefits to both animals and productions. However, the reported results, particularly regarding milk production and quality, are highly variable, depending on numerous factors such as species, inclusion level, polyphenol dose, other diet ingredients etc. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with AIBP rich in polyphenols on milk production and composition, and fatty acid profile in dairy sheep and goat. The systematic search was conducted using Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed databases. Only studies with sheep and goat were included. The data analysed were extracted from 41 scientific papers and the considered AIBP came from grape, olive, tomato, citrus, cocoa and coffee processing. The effects of AIBP were analysed using random-effects statistical models to examine the standardised mean difference between AIBP and control treatment. The heterogeneity was then explored by a meta-regression. A meta-regression was also used to test the effect of the dosage of polyphenols in the diet (g of polyphenols/kg of diet). A test for subgroup differences was carried out through a meta-analysis considering the by-product type. Supplementation with AIBP did not affect the milk yield either in sheep and goat. Supplementation with AIBP in sheep diet led to an increase in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), oleic acid (OA, C18:1cis-9), vaccenic acid (VA, C18:1trans-11), and to a decrease in saturated fatty acids (SFA). Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), PUFA n-3, VA, and linolenic acid (C18:3 n3) increased in response to the dosage of polyphenols in sheep diet. In goat, the inclusion of by-products in the diet led to a decrease in SFA and an increase in MUFA, VA, LNA, and rumenic acid (RA, C18:2cis-9,trans-11), while the dosage was never significant. The effects of each by-product on milk production and composition are reported both in sheep and goat species. In conclusion, the addition of AIBP in the diet of sheep and goat did not modify the milk yield but clearly improves its quality through the reduction of SFA and an increase of MUFA, OA, VA, and, in goats, RA.</p>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":" ","pages":"101522"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144121442","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: Nutritional, safety, and environmental aspects of former foodstuff products in ruminant feeding.","authors":"M Tretola, P Lin, J Eichinger, M Manoni, L Pinotti","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101512","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2025.101512","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As a consequence of global population growth, rising incomes, urbanisation, and improved household economics, the demand for animal products is expected to increase. This has led to a heightened focus on the challenge of allocating natural resources between the production of human food and livestock feed. The livestock industry, particularly ruminant producers, is seeking cost-effective, human-inedible feed alternatives due to the rising costs of forage production and grains. Former foodstuff products (FFPs), derived from food industry leftovers (material remnants of food processing), represent a promising strategy for reducing feed-food competition, particularly through partial replacement of grains and concentrate feed in ruminant diets. FFPs are rich in simple sugars and fats; however, their excessive intake by ruminants may increase the risk of subacute rumen acidosis and modulate microbial protein synthesis and methane emissions. Furthermore, chemical substances present in FFPs (polyphenols and theobromine), packaging remnants, and microbiological contaminants may alter ruminal ecosystems and fermentation, methane emissions, milk quality, and animal health. This review summarises the nutritional composition of FFPs, with a focus on their potential to replace energy feeds, the risks and benefits of FFPs in ruminant nutrition, and legislation regarding the use of FFPs in livestock diets. It concludes by highlighting further research that could promote sustainable FFP practices.</p>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":" ","pages":"101512"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144006854","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":"Differences between facilities in horse welfare profiles: slight differences in management/working conditions may be enough","authors":"L. Gueguen ,&nbsp;R. Palme ,&nbsp;P. Jego ,&nbsp;S. Henry ,&nbsp;M. Hausberger","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101520","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101520","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Many studies focus on animal welfare in terms of specific, either behavioural or physiological, indicators or on the impact of a particular management factor. However, an animal’s welfare state results from the individual’s perception of its general environment, which has consequences at both behavioural and physiological levels. Previous research on horses has shown that different riding schools could be characterised by different emotional/cognitive profiles of horses, in relation sometimes with one single management factor. In the present study, we aimed at determining if such facility-specific horse profiles could also be found in terms of welfare, i.e. facility-specific “welfare profiles”, using a multifaceted approach where animals’ welfare state was assessed based on detailed behavioural, health and physiological measurements. A total of 59 horses from three different riding schools, with a very similar global conventional management but differed slightly in terms of turn-out frequency and riding techniques were studied. A principal component analysis and statistical comparisons showed that, despite the close similarity in management between the three sites, the horses’ welfare state was very different and specific to each structure. Thus, this study using behavioural, health and physiological measures, highlights the existence of facility horse welfare profiles and reveals that even apparently minor differences in management practices could have a major impact on the horses’ welfare state. The quality of ridden work, which is often not taken into account in studies on horse welfare, could be a major issue.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 6","pages":"Article 101520"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144090051","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":"Transcriptome analysis reveals key genes and signalling pathways related to residual feed intake in meat-type ducks","authors":"S.H. Jin ,&nbsp;F. Shui ,&nbsp;T.T. He ,&nbsp;F.M. Jia ,&nbsp;X. Wang ,&nbsp;X. Liu ,&nbsp;X.L. Liu ,&nbsp;Z.Q. Ling ,&nbsp;Z.Y. Geng","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101521","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101521","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The feed utilisation rate is a key factor that affects the economic benefits of meat-type duck breeding. In recent years, residual feed intake (<strong>RFI</strong>) has been routinely used in poultry breeding as an index for evaluating feed utilisation. However, the genetic mechanism underlying RFI in meat-type ducks remains poorly understood. In the present study, 1 000 meat-type ducks with similar BW were randomly selected to measure BW gain and feed intake from 21 to 42 d of age to assess RFI. Six high- and six low-RFI meat-type ducks were randomly selected for a transcriptome survey of livers. Protein–protein interaction (<strong>PPI</strong>) network and gene set enrichment (<strong>GSEA</strong>) analyses were used to elucidate the molecular basis of RFI. We identified 1 297 differentially expressed genes (<strong>DEGs</strong>) in the LRFI group, of which 686 and 611 were markedly up- and downregulated, respectively. Functional annotation showed that DEGs were mainly enriched in gene ontology terms related to the regulation of biosynthetic and metabolic processes. Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (<strong>KEGG</strong>) pathway analysis showed significant enrichment of insulin signalling and multiple pathways related to energy metabolism. Furthermore, the PPI network analysis revealed that <em>PRKACB</em>, <em>PRKAR2A</em>, <em>FYN</em>, <em>PTK2</em>, <em>ITGB1</em>, <em>ESR1</em>, and <em>PIK3CB</em> were primarily related to the biological processes of lipid metabolism, glucose transport, and immunological stress and may affect RFI. Moreover, the GSEA suggested that upregulated genes in the LRFI group were associated with immune, lipid transport, and insulin signalling. <em>ACLY</em> and <em>SLC50A1</em> were the most markedly upregulated and downregulated DEGs, respectively. In the PPI network, <em>PRKACB</em>, <em>PRKAR2A</em>, and <em>FYN</em> were identified as pivot genes. The aforementioned DEGs were mainly involved in lipid and glucose metabolism and inflammatory response, consistent with the KEGG and GSEA results. Therefore, these results revealed <em>PRKACB</em>, <em>PRKAR2A</em>, and <em>FYN</em> as potentially key genes for improving feed efficiency traits in meat-type ducks. Our results provide insights into the biological basis of RFI in meat-type ducks and will be useful for the selection of meat-type ducks with a greater feed efficiency phenotype in future breeding programmes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 6","pages":"Article 101521"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143942275","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 impact of the dairy cow’s position on eye and udder temperatures obtained with infra-red thermography within a walk-trough system","authors":"M.W. Little,&nbsp;J.E. Weller,&nbsp;S. Buijs","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101523","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101523","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Infra-red thermography (<strong>IRT</strong>) has the potential to detect disease, injury, and stress in dairy cows. Using IRT as a routine early warning system for such issues on-farm requires highly frequent imaging, which typically needs automation. To this end, automated systems collecting data every time an individual passes through a specified area have been developed (walk-through systems). Within these, the animal’s speed, exact path and posture affect its distance and angle from the camera. While such variation in positioning is known to impact recorded temperatures, the extent of this impact is rarely quantified. If the error due to suboptimal positioning is sufficient to obscure temperature changes associated with the condition to be detected, the reliability of an early warning system is greatly impaired. This study aimed to quantify the impact of positioning on IRT-derived temperatures. Multiple IRT images were obtained from 197 lactating Holstein-Frisians using a walk-trough system. We assessed specific body parts chosen for their practical relevance: the eye centre (used to detect stress or general ill-health) and udder and teat area (used to detect mastitis or teat stress). The location of the body part within the IRT image (“position category”) was used as a measure for combined changes in distance and angle of incidence. Minimisation of each of these two factors results in a maximisation of recorded temperature but was expected to occur at different position categories. Position category affected the recorded temperature of all three body parts on both sides of the cow (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.0001). Temperatures peaked in position categories where distance was not yet fully minimised, underlining the importance of the angle of incidence. In images taken from the left side, recorded eye temperature showed a 2.2 °C (± 0.17 SEM) difference between the position where it peaked and the position where it bottomed out. This difference was 2.0 (± 0.07) and 1.5 (± 0.08) °C for maximum udder temperature and maximum teat area temperature, respectively. On the right side, these differences were 2.2 (± 0.28), 1.1 (± 0.11) and 0.6 (± 0.14) °C. The differences in temperature due to dairy cow positioning could mask the onset of a health problem, as these result in an approximately equal temperature rise. This suggests that even though walk-through systems standardise positioning to some extent, further standardisation is required. Our findings are not only of direct importance for the further development of walk-trough systems but also provide an insight into the optimisation of positioning when imaging freely moving animals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 6","pages":"Article 101523"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144116342","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":"Analysis of factors predisposing dairy Assaf ewes to marine lipid-induced milk fat depression","authors":"A. Della Badia ,&nbsp;K.J. Harvatine ,&nbsp;P.G. Toral ,&nbsp;C. Matamoros ,&nbsp;P. Frutos ,&nbsp;G. Hervás","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101517","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101517","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In sheep, diet-induced milk fat depression (<strong>MFD</strong>) results from ruminal alterations when ewes are fed marine lipids to modulate milk fatty acid profile and secretion. However, there is little available information on the relationship between characteristics existing before the consumption of MFD-inducing diets and response to those diets. Understanding predisposing factors for this condition may provide additional insight into the mechanisms of MFD and allow better predictions of its occurrence. Thus, a meta-analytical approach was used to identify traits that may predetermine the extent of marine lipid-induced MFD in individual Assaf sheep (a dairy breed with high genetic potential for milk production). Data were collected from 10 trials in which 160 ewes were fed 16 diets that included fish oil or marine algae until sustained MFD was observed. The decrease in milk fat concentration and yield was calculated using three approaches: absolute change (final – initial), relative change as a percent of pre-trial value, and potential change relative to the maximal expected MFD (assuming a maximal decrease to 3% milk fat). First, using bivariate analyses, there was a relationship between initial milk fat concentration and the absolute (<em>R</em>² = 0.46; partial <em>R</em>² of 0.08), relative (<em>R</em>² = 0.39; partial <em>R</em>² of 0.06), and potential changes in milk fat concentration during MFD (<em>R</em>² = 0.17; partial <em>R</em>² = 0.03). This finding was supported by a second approach that categorised ewes by initial milk fat concentration and yield and additionally by multivariate analyses. In addition, bivariate and multivariate analyses suggested that high MFD responsiveness in Assaf ewes was related to pre-trial milk yield and protein concentration, and to milk concentrations of candidate antilipogenic metabolites and the sum of preformed fatty acids. However, relationships were weaker than for initial milk fat concentration. Overall, when Assaf ewes were fed marine lipids, the higher the initial milk fat concentration, the greater the extent of MFD. The role of other performance traits and milk fatty acids as predisposing factors for marine lipid-induced MFD remains unclear.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 6","pages":"Article 101517"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144090050","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":"Animal board invited review: A biocultural perspective of animal farming systems in Europe","authors":"C. Heindorf ,&nbsp;B. Altmann ,&nbsp;E. Varela ,&nbsp;N. Zafra-Calvo ,&nbsp;G. Cortés Capano ,&nbsp;L.M. Kmoch ,&nbsp;L. Flinzberger ,&nbsp;M.C. Camporese ,&nbsp;A.B. Polas ,&nbsp;T. Guo ,&nbsp;T. Plieninger","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101515","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101515","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Europe’s landscapes have evolved through the intricate interplay of natural processes and human activities, one of which is animal farming; thus, historically creating biocultural landscapes rich in biological and cultural diversity. However, agricultural intensification has neglected and altered the role of animals within landscapes, and undermines the potential of more extensive animal farming systems to create sustainable landscapes, as an alternative to highly industrialised and high-density animal production, which is responsible for a wide range of environmental trade-offs. We present a biocultural diversity (<strong>BCD</strong>) framework to emphasise the contributions of animal farming systems to landscape sustainability from a social-ecological perspective. By applying a biocultural lens across three European case studies —peatland restoration in Germany, wildfire control in the Mediterranean, and hay milk production in the Alpine region— we demonstrate how animal farming systems can contribute to biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and cultural values. We discuss the need for evolving scientific approaches using a BCD Framework to shift the perception of animal farming from a threat to a solution for sustainability. Our cases highlight how a biocultural approach allows for a comprehensive evaluation of human-nature relationships, promoting sustainable practices and addressing environmental challenges. Benefits include creating multifunctional landscapes, conserving biodiversity, enhancing genetic diversity, and preserving traditional knowledge and cultural heritage. However, a decline in traditional practices jeopardises these benefits. To unlock the potential of animal farming systems within landscapes in Europe and beyond, we call for more integrated and transdisciplinary approaches in animal sciences. Biocultural-grounded assessments can inform the transformation of animal farming systems towards animal-based solutions for achieving landscape sustainability on a global scale.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 6","pages":"Article 101515"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143922858","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 supplementation with carnosine reduces the prevalence of breast muscle myopathies without altering performance, meat yield or quality in broiler chickens","authors":"A. Askri ,&nbsp;Y. Martel-Kennes ,&nbsp;E. Pouliot ,&nbsp;L. Saucier ,&nbsp;N. Alnahhas","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101518","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101518","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Breast muscle myopathies such as White striping and Wooden breast represent a major challenge for the poultry industry due to the deterioration of breast meat quality induced by these myopathies. Previous research has demonstrated that oxidative stress and subsequent oxidative damage in the <em>Pectoralis major</em> muscle were predisposing factors for the development of breast muscle myopathies. More specifically, research has shown that myopathic muscle content of histidine-containing dipeptides such as carnosine that is well-known for its antioxidant properties was almost entirely depleted, exposing the muscle to oxidative stress and predisposing it to the development of myopathies. The aim of the present study was thus to investigate the effect of dietary carnosine supplementation on growth, meat yield, meat quality and the prevalence of breast muscle myopathies. To achieve this, a total of 1 080 1-day-old male Ross 308 chicks were distributed into two treatment groups in a randomized complete block design with 12 replicates per treatment. The experimental groups included a basal diet and the same basal diet supplemented with 500 mg of carnosine/kg that were fed from d 1 to d 35. The data analysis revealed that apart from a slightly lower (<em>P</em> = 0.03) BW at d 21 in the carnosine group compared to the control, final weight, growth and feed conversion were not influenced by the experimental diet. Similarly, carcass weight, carcass yield, yield of carcass cuts and technological quality traits of breast meat did not differ between groups. However, carnosine supplementation was associated with a reduction of the prevalence of White striping (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001), Wooden breast (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) and the co-occurrence of these two myopathies (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). Moreover, carnosine supplementation increased (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) the antioxidant potential of breast muscles while malonaldehyde and carbonyl concentrations remained similar in the experimental group relative to the control group. In conclusion, carnosine supplementation provided promising results with regard to breast muscle myopathies. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the effect of carnosine on these myopathies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 6","pages":"Article 101518"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143942298","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":"Effects of early access to feed and water in hatchers on growth performance in broiler chickens","authors":"M. Boyner ,&nbsp;E. Ivarsson ,&nbsp;E. Wattrang ,&nbsp;L. Sun ,&nbsp;A. Wistedt ,&nbsp;H. Wall","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101519","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101519","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Conventional hatchers do not provide feed or water to chicks during hatch, which may negatively affect chick development, especially in early hatchlings subjected to prolonged feed deprivation due to biological variation in hatch time. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of early access to feed, water and a synbiotic product on performance, caecal microbiota development, organ development, intestinal morphology, total serum immunoglobulin (<strong>Ig</strong>) Y and antibody response to vaccination in Ross-308 chickens. A total of 330 chicks hatched in a specialised hatcher were divided into three hatch treatment groups: access to feed, water and synbiotic additive (<strong>PS</strong>); access to feed and water (<strong>PosC</strong>); no access to feed and water (<strong>NegC</strong>). Ten birds per hatch treatment were euthanised for organ sampling at placement, and the remaining 300 chicks were randomly allocated to 30 pens. All chicks received feed and water, and half the chicks in each treatment group received the synbiotic additive for 3 consecutive days (giving three hatching treatments and two postplacement treatments). All chicks were vaccinated against avian pneumovirus (<strong>APV</strong>) at 10 days of age. Blood sampling was performed weekly on three focal birds per pen for analysis of total serum IgY and antibodies to APV. Organ sampling was performed on days 11 and 32. Feed intake (<strong>FI</strong>) and BW were recorded weekly. The NegC group exhibited reduced early growth and lower FI throughout the study. At 25 days, they also demonstrated an inferior feed conversion ratio (<strong>FCR</strong>) compared with the other groups. At 4 and 25 days chickens that did not receive any postplacement treatment, None had superior FCR compared to those receiving PS also postplacement. There was also an effect of postplacement treatment where the None group weighed more compared to the PS group on almost all occasions. The NegC group had higher concentrations of IgY in serum compared to the PosC group at 3 days of age, an effect that remained a tendency until 25 days of age. No differences between treatments were found for antibody responses to APV vaccination. Some differences in relative weights of digestive organs between hatching groups were detected at the end of study, while no persistent effects on caecal microbiota composition were observed. In conclusion, delayed access to feed and water had adverse effects on productivity traits, lasting throughout the study. These findings warrant further validation in a practical context with higher stocking densities and pathogen loads.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 6","pages":"Article 101519"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144138950","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":"Effect of antioxidant and osmolyte enriched or energy-dense diet on heat−stressed fattening pigs","authors":"L. De Prekel ,&nbsp;D. Maes ,&nbsp;A. Van den Broeke ,&nbsp;M. Aluwé","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101514","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101514","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Heat stress negatively affects pig welfare, health and production. Osmolytes and antioxidants are considered potential mitigators of heat stress-induced damage. Modification of feed composition, specifically lower CP, also aims to reduce internal metabolic heat production. This study investigated the effect of an enriched or energy-dense (<strong>E-dense</strong>) diet on heat-stressed fattening pigs (n = 192 in total). Dietary treatments were administered (<em>ad libitum</em>) when pigs reached ± 80 kg. The control diet comprised 15% CP, 3.6% crude fat, 9.1 MJ/kg net energy, 0.4 mg/kg inorganic selenium (<strong>Se</strong>), and 100 ppm vitamin E; the enriched diet contained the same chemical composition but was supplemented with 0.2 mg/kg inorganic Se, 0.2 mg/kg selenomethionine, 200 ppm vitamin E, 200 ppm vitamin C and 0.1% betaine; the E-dense diet featured 13.6% CP, 6.6% crude fat, and increased energy (9.7 MJ/kg) and lysine content. The lysine:energy ratio of all three diets was the same. A 1-week heat wave (± 30 °C and Temperature-Humidity Index of ± 78.4) was induced 2 times when pigs were 20 and 22 weeks old. Physiological parameters and performance parameters were assessed weekly. At the end of the trial, carcass and meat quality were evaluated. Additive enrichment of the diet resulted in a numerically increased daily gain over the 6-week trial compared to the control group (925 vs 891 g/day), <em>P</em> = 0.090). The E-dense group had a higher increase in rectal temperature during heat load compared to the control group (0.38 vs 0.28 °C, <em>P</em> = 0.018). Over the entire trial, the E-dense group had a higher feed conversion ratio than the control group (2.95 vs 2.67, <em>P</em> = 0.006). Carcass traits revealed increased fat thickness of 0.9 mm in the E-dense group (<em>P</em> = 0.035), along with lower lean meat content (−1.1%, <em>P</em> = 0.002). The meat of the enriched group displayed elevated vitamin E and Se levels (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001), which may be beneficial for the consumer. Overall, the nutritional strategies did not significantly prevent physiological heat stress or enhance performance, but the supplementation of antioxidants and osmolytes tended to ameliorate daily gain over the entire trial.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 6","pages":"Article 101514"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144071718","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}