Frontiers in animal science最新文献

{"title":"Challenges and opportunities for improving nitrogen utilization efficiency for more sustainable pork production","authors":"G. Shurson, B. Kerr","doi":"10.3389/fanim.2023.1204863","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2023.1204863","url":null,"abstract":"Pork is one of the most consumed animal-derived protein sources around the world, but less than 45% of dietary nitrogen (N) is converted into edible lean meat. This inefficiency contributes to the 80% of human-induced N emissions that have resulted in exceeding the planetary boundaries for N. Reducing this inefficiency requires using a multifaceted approach. Swine genetic selection programs have improved the rate of lean growth in recent decades, but further improvements may be difficult because of lack of genetic variation within the global pig population. Breeding programs to increase litter size have led to intrauterine growth restriction and an increased proportion of low-birth-weight piglets which do not utilize dietary protein as efficiently as normal birth weight pigs. Intact males have greater lean growth rate and N efficiency than castrates and gilts, and the use of immunocastration technology has been implemented in some countries to capture this benefit while minimizing boar taint in pig meat. Use of other metabolic modifiers including porcine somatotropin and ractopamine, alone or in combination with immunocastration, can further enhance lean growth and dietary N efficiency, but a general lack of consumer acceptance and potential food safety concerns have led to regulatory restrictions in many countries. Because feed production contributes about 70% of N emissions in pig production systems, use of precision feed formulation and feeding practices, selected dietary feed additives, feed processing, and minimizing feed wastage appear to offer the greatest opportunity to reduce N waste and environmental footprint to improve the sustainability of pork production.","PeriodicalId":73064,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in animal science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43644393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dehydrated guava by-product in feed for slow-growing broilers","authors":"Silvia Silva Vieira, Fernando Barbosa Tavares, Ernilde Dos Santos Vieira, E. Moura, Wanderson D. Lopes, Andressa Martins Marinho, C. Reis, Luckas Thiago Oliveira Galvão, E. R. D. S. Neta","doi":"10.3389/fanim.2023.1189291","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2023.1189291","url":null,"abstract":"This study evaluated the use of dehydrated guava by-products (DGBP) in the feed of slow-growing broilers as a substitute for corn. A total of 324 one-day-old broiler Naked Neck from a slow-growing lineage were used. At 30 days of age, the broilers were distributed in an entirely randomized experimental design consisting of four treatments with nine replicates and nine birds in each replicate. The treatments were differentiated by varying concentrations of DGBP (0, 5, 10, and 15%) in the feed. Performance data [feed intake, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio (FCR)] were evaluated from 30 to 60 days and 61 to 84 days of age. At 84 days of age, the broilers were slaughtered; subsequently, the analyses of carcass and organ yield in terms of chemical composition of the breast, thigh and drumstick, and meat quality parameters (coloration, pH, weight loss by cooking and dripping, shear force, and sensory evaluation) were performed. There was no effect of DGBP on the average weight, weight gain, feed consumption, and FCR of the broilers (P > 0.05). However, there was an increasing linear effect (P < 0.05) on the gizzard yield and a quadratic effect on the liver and abdominal fat yield, where treatments with 5 and 10% DGBP obtained the highest yield percentages. There was no effect (P > 0.05) of DGBP addition on chemical composition, pH, shear force, and weight loss by cooking and dripping. A linear increasing effect on coloration (P < 0.05) was found due to dietary DGBP in all the cuts of meat. In addition, a significant difference (p < 0.05) was found in the texture of the breast meat, where the greater the amount of DGBP added, the greater the scores attributed by the tasters. In conclusion, DGBP can be included up to 15% in the diet of slow-growing broilers without altering the production performances, carcass and cut yield, and meat quality parameters. Furthermore, it promoted a reddish coloration of the breast skin and thigh skin of the birds.","PeriodicalId":73064,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in animal science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41870954","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Price-quality relationships for the main livestock feed types in the Ethiopian feed market","authors":"A. Melesse, M. Bezabih, A. Adie, Yonas Asmare, K. Prasad, Ravi Devulapalli, Chris S. Jones, M. Blummel, J. Hanson, T. Alemu, A. Duncan","doi":"10.3389/fanim.2023.1194974","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2023.1194974","url":null,"abstract":"This study assessed the price-quality relationships for the major feed products in Ethiopia with a view to informing policy makers on possible avenues to develop the livestock feed sector in the country. A survey of livestock feed markets was conducted from April to May 2019 in five regions (Amhara, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR), Oromia, Tigray and Addis Ababa). A total of 1700 feed samples with their respective price information were collected from 202 marketplaces. The collected samples were analyzed for their crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) and metabolisable energy (ME) content. Results showed considerable variability in quality within the same feed type. Pearson correlation and regression analyses showed that price-quality relationships for the feed samples were either very weak or non-existent. Wheat bran showed a weak price to quality correlation for CP (r= 0.200 at P<0.01), ME (r= 0.202 at P<0.01) and IVOMD (r= 0.221 at P<0.01). Among the roughages, grass hay showed slight positive price to ME correlation (r= 0.382 at P<0.001) and a slight negative relationship with ADF (r=-0.336 at p<0.005). The results of this study indicated that quality attributes have no, or a limited role in setting market prices for most feed types in the Ethiopian feed market. The fact that both good and poor-quality feeds are sold under the same label and market value affects both traders and livestock producers. Therefore, it is important to build national feed analytical capabilities to allow quality of feeds to be checked against national feed standards, particularly for concentrate feeds.","PeriodicalId":73064,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in animal science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48810901","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hypoxia exacerbates heat stress effects on the porcine intestinal epithelium in vitro","authors":"S. Pearce, N. K. Gabler","doi":"10.3389/fanim.2023.1204152","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2023.1204152","url":null,"abstract":"Heat stress (HS) negatively impacts human health, as well as animal agriculture. The mechanisms underlying HS-induced intestinal dysfunction in vivo are still not fully elucidated. However, HS has been shown to cause intestinal ischemia/hypoxia, which contributes to reduced barrier integrity. The objective of this study was to examine hypoxia alone, HS alone, and a combination using IPEC-J2 cells. We hypothesized that hypoxia is a critical factor and important step in the pathway to HS-induced barrier dysfunction. Porcine IPEC-J2 cells were grown in Transwell™ plates and then treated either under thermal neutral (TN; 38°C) or heat stress (HS; 42°C) and either normoxia (NX; ~21% O2) or hypoxia (HX; 1% O2) conditions for 24 h. Transepithelial electrical resistance, paracellular permeability marker, FITC-dextran, media interleukin 8, cell HSP70 and 90, CLDN4, ZO-1, and EEA1 were all analyzed. Results showed that HS did not increase intestinal permeability in this model and elicited a reduction in IL-8 while still exhibiting a robust HSP response. In this model, hypoxia was required to induce intestinal barrier dysfunction and TJ redistribution. The combination of HS and hypoxia caused even more severe tight junction disruption. This was accompanied by the absence of an IL-8 response under HS.","PeriodicalId":73064,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in animal science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43723521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gene expression profiling indicates a shift in ammonia assimilation capacity along the hepatic acinus induced by different forms of selenium in vitamin–mineral mixes fed to beef steers grazing on toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue","authors":"Yang Jia, K. Son, J. Matthews","doi":"10.3389/fanim.2023.1165321","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2023.1165321","url":null,"abstract":"Recently, we demonstrated that supplementing (with 3 mg Se per day) the diets of growing beef steers grazing on Se-deficient toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue-based forage with either organic Se (OSe, SEL-PLEX) or a 1:1 blend (MIX) of OSe and inorganic Se (ISe, sodium selenite) in vitamin–mineral mixes, rather than inorganic forms of Se, ameliorated several classic serum symptoms of fescue toxicosis. Importantly, higher levels of hepatic glutamine synthetase activity were observed in MIX and OSe steers. Accordingly, transcriptome level and targeted mRNA expression analyses were conducted on the same liver tissue to determine if Se treatments affected other hepatic metabolic pathways, especially those that are responsible for supplying substrates of glutamine synthetase. The effect of ISe, OSe, and MIX treatments (n = 8/treatment) on the relative abundances of mRNA [determined using microarray and real-time reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR)] and protein (determined using Western blotting) in liver tissue was assessed by ANOVA. Fisher’s protected LSD procedure was used to separate treatment means, with significance being declared at p ≤ 0.05. Microarray analysis identified (p< 0.01, false discovery rate of< 33%) 573 annotated differentially expressed gene (DEG) transcripts. Canonical pathway analysis identified the DEGs that are central to glutamine and glutamate biosynthesis/degradation and proline biosynthesis. Targeted RT-PCR analyses found that MIX and OSe steers had lower periportal ammonia-assimilation and urea-synthesizing capacities (lower glutaminase 2, key ornithine cycle enzymes, and mitochondrial ornithine/citrulline exchanger mRNA) than ISe steers. In addition, MIX and OSe steers had a higher capacity for pericentral ammonia assimilation (higher glutamine synthetase activity) and a higher capacity for the production of glutamate in pericentral hepatocytes from α-ketoglutarate (higher levels of glutamine dehydrogenase, and decreased levels of arginase 2 and ornithine aminotransferase and mRNA). The form of supplemental Se also affected steers’ capacity for hepatic proline metabolism, with OSe steers having a higher capacity for proline synthesis and MIX steers having a higher capacity for pyroline-5-carboxylate synthesis. In conclusion, supplementing the diets of growing beef steers grazing on toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue with MIX and OSe in vitamin–mineral mixes, rather than with inorganic forms of Se, shifts hepatic ammonia assimilation from periportal urea production to pericentral glutamine production, thus potentially increasing whole-animal N efficiency by increasing the supply of hepatic-synthesized glutamine.","PeriodicalId":73064,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in animal science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44519277","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inheriting the sins of their fathers: boar life experiences can shape the emotional responses of their offspring","authors":"Leandro Sabei, Marisol Parada Sarmiento, Thiago Bernardino, C. Çakmakçı, Sharacely de Souza Farias, D. Sato, Márcia Inês Grapeggia Zanella, R. Poletto, A. Zanella","doi":"10.3389/fanim.2023.1208768","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2023.1208768","url":null,"abstract":"The welfare of breeding boars is often overlooked, resulting in limited scientific data to foster discussion of the topic. We aimed to investigate the effect of different boar housing conditions on their offspring’s emotionality.Eighteen boars were housed in three different conditions: crates (C; n = 6), pens (P; n = 6), or enriched pens (E; n = 6). Boars were distributed by semen quality (SQ; high, medium, or low). Three semen pools were used to inseminate 13 gilts housed in outdoor paddocks. At 25 days of age, 138 suckling piglets were subjected to open field (OF), novel object (NO), and elevated plus-maze (EPM) tests. Saliva was collected before and after the OF and NO tests to measure cortisol concentrations. At the end of the experiment, hair samples were collected for DNA paternity tests. Piglets were classified based on their behavioral responses using hierarchical cluster analysis of the principal components extracted from factor analysis of mixed data. The variables were reduced to seven principal components (dimensions, Dims), which explained 73% of the total variation, and were analyzed using linear mixed models. The models included each Dim as a dependent variable, paternal treatment and body weight (BW) as fixed effects, and paternal SQ as a random effect. Kruskal−Wallis and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were used to compare the cortisol concentration ratios (before and after the OF and NO tests) between groups.There was an effect of treatment on Dim 3 (EPM; activity/fear), with higher values in C piglets than E piglets (p = 0.047). Although C piglets had significantly higher values than P piglets in Dim 4 (EPM; anxiety; p = 0.029) and Dim 6 (NO; inactivity far from the object/exploration; p < 0.0001), the effect of the paternal treatment × BW interaction was significant in both dimensions (p < 0.05). The cortisol ratio in E piglets was greater than that in P and C piglets (p < 0.05).Our findings indicate that boar breeding environments affect the stress response and emotionality (anxiety, fear, and exploration) of their offspring.","PeriodicalId":73064,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in animal science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42878407","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy using a portable instrument to measure the nutritive value of oilseed meals as livestock feed","authors":"Mulugeta Walelegne, Fentahun Meheret, M. Derseh, M. Dejene, Yonas Asmare, K. Prasad, Chris S. Jones, Robert M. Dixon, A. Duncan","doi":"10.3389/fanim.2023.1203449","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2023.1203449","url":null,"abstract":"Measurement of the nutritive value of feedstuffs with near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) laboratory benchtop spectrometers is well-established. The aim of this study was to examine the reliability and accuracy of a handheld low-cost Tellspec NIRS spectrometer for measurement of the nutritive value of oilseed meals.Samples (n=142) comprising byproduct meals from processing linseed, noug seed, cotton seed, groundnut, rapeseed, soybeans, and sunflower seeds were collected from farms, oil factories, wholesalers, and retail shops in central Ethiopia. Samples were scanned ‘as received’ (UGr) and also following drying and grinding (Gr), and were scanned once, twice, and ten times in a 2x3 factorial experimental design. Laboratory analyses of total nitrogen (TN), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) provided reference measurements. Calibration models were developed using a subset of 2/3 of the spectra and validated using the remaining 1/3 of sample spectra.The sample form and the number of scans, and their interactions, all significantly affected the accuracy of the calibration models (P<0.001). The most accurate calibrations were with Gr samples scanned 10 times, where the coefficient of determination of both calibration and validation sets (R2cal and R2val) were ≥ 0.90 for most attributes. The respective standard errors of prediction (SEP) (g/kg DM) for Gr, and ‘as received’, samples respectively that were scanned ten times were: TN (3.2 and 4.7), IVOMD (11.7 and 20.1), NDF (26.9 and 43.8), ADF (25.3 and 44.6), and ADL (6.8 and 10.7). Also, the SEP for each attribute was reduced (P<0.05) by drying and grinding the sample before scanning. The ratios of the standard deviation of the calibration samples to the SEP (RPD) g/kg DM were 2.68, 2.30, 3.17, 3.05, and 4.06 for TN, IVOMD, NDF, ADF, and ADL, respectively, for Gr samples scanned ten times. Nevertheless, the SEP of samples scanned ‘as received’ would often be acceptable for routine analyses in the field and market-place under east African circumstances.In conclusion, NIRS calibrations for a portable handheld Tellspec NIRS spectrometer could be developed to measure important nutritional attributes of oilseed cake samples as feeds.","PeriodicalId":73064,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in animal science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43804126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The repeatability and heritability of traits derived from accelerometer sensors associated with grazing and rumination time in an extensive sheep farming system","authors":"F. Almasi, M. Stear, M. Khansefid, H. Nguyen, A. Desai, J. Pryce","doi":"10.3389/fanim.2023.1154797","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2023.1154797","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction The automated collection of phenotypic measurements in livestock is of interest to both researchers and farmers. Real-time, low-cost, and accurate phenotyping can enhance precision livestock management and could lead to the optimized utilization of pasture and breeding of efficient animals. Wearable sensors provide the tools for researchers to develop novel phenotypes across all production systems, which is especially valuable for grazing conditions. The objectives of this study were to estimate the repeatability and heritability of traits related to grazing and rumination activities and their correlations with other traits. Methods This study was conducted on a commercial Merino farm in the west of Victoria, Australia, from 4 May 2020 to 29 May 2020. A total of 160 ActiGraph sensors embedded in halters were attached to the left side of the muzzles of Merino sheep (M = 74, F = 86) aged 10–11 months while the sheep were grazing on pasture. Support vector machine (SVM) algorithms classified the sensor output into the categories of grazing, rumination, walking, idle, and other activities. These activities were further classified into daily grazing time (GT), number of grazing events (NGE), grazing length (GL), rumination time (RT), number of rumination events (NRE), rumination length (RL), walking time (WT), and idle time (IT). The data were analyzed using univariate and bivariate models in ASReml-SA to estimate the repeatability, heritability, and phenotypic correlations among traits. Results The heritability of GT was estimated to be 0.44 ± 0.23, whereas the other traits had heritability estimates close to zero. The estimated repeatability for all traits was moderate to high, with the highest estimate being for GT (0.70 ± 0.03) and the lowest for RT (0.44 ± 0.03). The intraclass correlation or repeatability at a 1-day interval (i.e., 2 consecutive days) was high for all traits, and steadily reduced when the interval between measurements was longer than 1 week. Discussion The estimated repeatability for the grazing traits showed that wearable sensors and SVM methods are reliable methods for recording sheep activities on pasture, and have a potential application in the ranking of animals for selective breeding.","PeriodicalId":73064,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in animal science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43683975","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Economic sustainability of extending lay cycle in the supply-managed Canadian egg industry","authors":"Ousmane Z Traoré, M. Doyon","doi":"10.3389/fanim.2023.1201771","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2023.1201771","url":null,"abstract":"The productivity levels of the Canadian egg industry have increased over the years, including hen productivity and feed conversion efficiency. Moreover, genetic improvements combined with improved feed and light management have recently resulted in hens potentially being able to produce 500 eggs in an 80-week laying cycle. Nevertheless, most egg farms in Canada are still on a 51-week production cycle despite high hen productivity levels at culling. Lack of economic impact information, combined with the fact that egg production is under supply management in Canada and that farmers are paid their cost of production reduces the incentive to extend laying cycles despite the savings associated with lower rates of flock replacement. On the other hand, a greater percentage of large eggs is beneficial to the value chain, and the use of fewer resources per egg associated with longer laying cycles generates environmental benefits. This article analyzes the economic sustainability of extending laying cycles in Canada by combining partial budgeting analysis based on farm-level data with a non-linear mathematical programming model to assess the economic costs and benefits of extending laying cycles, while taking into consideration the policy context of supply management in Canada. The results suggest that, for hens housed in an aviary, extending the laying cycles from 51 to 64 weeks would increase profits by approximately 6% per year over a 5-year period. Our optimization model forecast that a laying cycle of 71 weeks would be economically optimal, with an average productivity of 6.7 eggs per hen per week and a cumulative mortality rate of 5.53%. This article, through an innovative methodological approach that combines partial budgeting and non-linear mathematical programming models, generates information to help the egg industry stakeholders to make informed decisions on extending laying cycles while considering the policy context of supply management in Canada.","PeriodicalId":73064,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in animal science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45818382","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploration of gender dynamics in the production and marketing of forage technologies in Kenya","authors":"N. Njiru, A. Galiè, F. Wanyoike, Mashonganyika Tawanda, B. Boonabaana, J. Bisikwa, E. Njuguna-Mungai, Chris S. Jones, I. Baltenweck","doi":"10.3389/fanim.2023.1113243","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2023.1113243","url":null,"abstract":"Inadequate and poor-quality feed resources are a key constraining factor in livestock production that compromises the livelihoods of many women and men dependent on livestock, who can be found in most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Several forage varieties have been developed, which are targeted to smallholder farmers in developing countries, yet the level of adoption remains low, particularly among women farmers. Adoption of varieties could enhance livelihoods by increasing livestock productivity and also by providing an income from the sale of surplus forage. However, evidence on gendered barriers to and incentives for the adoption of forage varieties is scarce. This study explores the gender dynamics influencing the uptake and commercialization of a forage variety, Brachiaria (syn. Urochloa), among women and men farmers in four subcounties in Kenya. Through a mixed-methods approach, 260 individuals (59 women and 201 men) belonging to a household where at least one individual is a member of a dairy cooperative were interviewed. Complementary data from qualitative interviews engaging 16 single-sex focus group discussions (FGDs) and 8 key informant interviews (KIIs) were collected. Results reveal that Brachiaria is accessible to both women and men. Dairy cooperatives are important means for women and men to access extension services, useful information, and planting materials, but only a few women are cooperative members. Men face constraints owing to small land areas, rather than the ownership and access problems that constrain women. These challenges privilege men as de facto owners of resources while subordinating women and disenfranchising them in terms of adopting this technology. Complex yet important pathways for women’s and men’s empowerment exist through the sale of planting materials, hay bales, and an increased volume of milk obtained when cows are fed with Brachiaria. We conclude that cooperative membership for men should be supported, while at the same time gender norms that reduce women’s engagement with cooperatives, and their access to and control over land, should be challenged.","PeriodicalId":73064,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in animal science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44534642","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}