Animal Feed Science and Technology最新文献

{"title":"Short communication: Performance and gene expression in broilers from breeders of different ages, supplemented or not with 1,25(OH)2D3-glycoside","authors":"E.A. Iachinski ,&nbsp;T.S. Andrade ,&nbsp;N. Rohloff Junior ,&nbsp;B.A. Bebber ,&nbsp;R.A. Bombardelli ,&nbsp;J.G. Vargas Junior ,&nbsp;A.A. Calderano ,&nbsp;C. Eyng ,&nbsp;R.V. Nunes","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116571","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116571","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aimed to investigate the performance and gene expression of calbindin-D28K (CALB), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in 21-day-old broilers from breeders of different ages, supplemented or not with 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol glycoside (1,25(OH)₂D₃-glycoside). A total of 8000 AP95 (Aviagen) breeders, at 21 weeks of age, were evenly distributed between two houses. In one house, the birds received a corn and soybean meal-based diet supplemented with 100 mg/kg of 1,25(OH)₂D₃-glycoside (providing 1 µg of active 1,25(OH)₂D₃ per kg of feed), while in the other, the same diet was provided without the supplementation. When the breeders reached 30, 46, and 62 weeks of age, their eggs were incubated. After hatching, three trials were conducted, each with 384 one-day-old male broilers originating from breeders aged 30 (Trial I) 46 (Trial II), and 62 weeks (Trial III), respectively. All trials consisted of two treatments, based on whether the breeders’ diets were supplemented with 1,25(OH)₂D₃-glycoside or not. In every trial, broilers were fed a diet free of 1,25(OH)₂D₃-glycoside until 21 days of age, meeting the nutritional requirements for this phase. Breeders aged 46 and 62 weeks, supplemented with 1,25(OH)₂D₃-glycoside, produced broilers with an initial average weight superior to that of broilers from breeders without supplementation. Comparing the trials, broilers from breeders aged 46 and 62 weeks showed higher feed intake, greater weight gain, and better feed conversion at 21 days of age. Broilers from breeders aged 62 weeks, supplemented with 1,25(OH)₂D₃-glycoside, showed higher gene expression of CALB, IL-10, and IL-1β at 21 days of age compared to broilers from breeders that did not receive 1,25(OH)₂D₃-glycoside. Comparing the trials, broilers from breeders aged 46 and 62 weeks supplemented with 1,25(OH)₂D₃-glycoside had the highest gene expression of IL-10 and IL-1β. It is concluded that breeders aged 46 and 62 weeks, when supplemented with 1,25(OH)₂D₃-glycoside, produce broilers with higher weight at hatch, as well as enhanced performance and increased gene expression of CALB, IL-10, and IL-1β at 21 days of age.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"331 ","pages":"Article 116571"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145578142","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 rumen-protected betaine on performance, rumen function, nutrient digestibility, and nitrogen metabolism in heat-stressed lambs","authors":"Mostafa Bokharaeian ,&nbsp;Barış Kaki","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116576","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116576","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Heat stress impairs growth, feed efficiency, and metabolic function in lambs. Rumen-protected betaine (RPB) may alleviate these effects by enhancing thermotolerance, improving nutrient utilization, and supporting rumen function. This study evaluated the effects of dietary RPB supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation, nitrogen metabolism, microbial protein synthesis, and glucose tolerance in heat-stressed lambs. Forty crossbred lambs [Île-de-France × (Dalagh × Romanov)] with an initial body weight of 33.3 ± 2.67 kg were randomly assigned to four treatments: (i) control (CTRL, no RPB), (ii) RPBL (low dose of 2 g RPB/head/day), (iii) RPBM (medium dose of 4 g RPB/head/day), and (iv) RPBH (high dose of 6 g RPB/head/day) for 67 days. RPB supplementation improved final body weight, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio (p &lt; 0.01), without affecting dry matter intake (DMI). Apparent digestibility of crude protein and fiber fractions increased linearly (p &lt; 0.05). Ruminal NH₃-N concentrations declined (p &lt; 0.01), while total volatile fatty acids, acetate, and butyrate increased (p &lt; 0.05). RPB also enhanced nitrogen retention, reduced urinary and fecal nitrogen excretion (p &lt; 0.01), and increased microbial protein synthesis (p &lt; 0.001). Furthermore, glucose tolerance tests revealed improved glucose clearance and reduced insulin responses in RPB-fed lambs (p &lt; 0.001). In conclusion, RPB supplementation, particularly at medium levels, enhanced growth performance, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen utilization, rumen fermentation efficiency, and glucose metabolism in lambs under heat stress. These findings highlight RPB as a promising nutritional strategy to improve resilience and productivity in hot climates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"331 ","pages":"Article 116576"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145578141","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":"Evaluation of phytogenic product supplementation on the growth performance, immune function, and gut microbiota composition in fingerling channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)","authors":"Ishini A. Appuhami ,&nbsp;D. Allen Davis ,&nbsp;Yoonhang Lee ,&nbsp;Abdulmalik A. Oladipupo ,&nbsp;Brent M. Vuglar ,&nbsp;Fernando Y. Yamamoto ,&nbsp;Mark Farmer ,&nbsp;Timothy J. Bruce","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116575","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116575","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Phytogenic feed additives derived from plant-based sources like essential oils and extracts are increasingly utilized in aquaculture. They have the potential to bolster immune responses, enhance disease resistance, and improve growth performance in fish. The current study investigated the effect of commercial phytogenic feed additives (Actifor Pro, Actifor Power, Fresta Protect, Syrena Boost, and Enviro QS) on growth performance, immunity and disease susceptibility of juvenile channel catfish (<em>Ictalurus punctatus</em>) within an indoor recirculating system. Over eight weeks, 750 juvenile channel catfish (14.8 ± 0.5 g, initial weight) were stocked in 30 tanks (25 fish tank⁻¹) and fed either a control or five phytogenic-supplemented diets. Growth performance, including weight gain, survival, and feed conversion ratio, was similar among treatments (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). Following the feeding trial, fish were challenged with virulent <em>Aeromonas hydrophila</em> (vAh; ML09–119; 1.86 × 10⁷ CFU mL⁻¹ immersion dose in water). Seven days post-exposure to vAh, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated improved survival probability in the phytogenic-treated groups (<em>P</em> = 0.009). Sera lysozyme activity significantly differed across the groups (<em>P</em> = 0.014); moreover, the catfish fed with Fresta Protect had higher sera lysozyme activity than the control group. Biochemical testing of an additional thirteen markers in the sera, including ions, glucose, digestive enzymes, and cholesterol, did not reveal any treatment-related differences. The expression of immune-related genes (<em>il1b, il8, tnfa</em>, and <em>tgfb</em>) was not affected after eight weeks of the feeding trial, regardless of the dietary treatment. 16S rRNA sequencing showed that <em>Cetobacterium somerae</em> was the most abundant gut microbe across all diets, with the highest prevalence in the Syrena Boost group (80.54 %). While the overall microbial diversity did not change significantly between treatments, dietary phytogenic compounds influenced the presence or abundance of certain bacterial species, such as <em>Cellulosilyticum lentocellum</em>, <em>Clostridium disporicum</em>, <em>Plesiomonas shigelloides</em>, and <em>Niameybacter massiliensis</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"331 ","pages":"Article 116575"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145616037","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 feeding corn or barley grain either in the form of whole or steam-flaked grains on growth performance, rumen fermentation, and microbial protein synthesis in Holstein calves fed forage-free starter diets","authors":"Kamal Mersadi ,&nbsp;Farshid Fattahnia ,&nbsp;Mehdi Kazemi-Bonchenari ,&nbsp;Hossein Jahani-Azizabadi ,&nbsp;Mohammad Shamsollahi ,&nbsp;Jabar Jamali ,&nbsp;Mansour Yazdanyar","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116591","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116591","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The current study evaluates the effects of particle size (physical factor) and starch availability rate (chemical factor) on the response of young dairy calves fed high-starch, forage-free starter diets. A 2 × 2 factorial design with two grain sources (corn grain [CG] and barley grain [BG]) and two delivery forms (whole grain and steam-flaked grain) was used to assess growth performance, rumen fermentation, and microbial protein synthesis (MPS). The MPS was estimated based on the urinary excretion of purine derivatives (PD). Forty-eight female Holstein calves (3 days old, with an average initial body weight of 40.5 ± 1.93 kg SD) were randomly assigned to one of the following treatments: whole corn grain (WCG), steam-flaked corn grain (SFC), whole barley grain (WBG), or steam-flaked barley grain (SFB) (n = 12 per treatment). The milk feeding schedule was identical among treatments until weaning (day 53), after which calves received their respective experimental diets until day 73. Grain type did not affect starter intake, average daily gain (ADG), or feed efficiency in dairy calves. Calves fed the BG diet had greater ruminal butyrate concentrations (P = 0.009) and lower ruminal acetate concentrations (P = 0.029) compared to those fed the CG diet. Regarding processing method, flaking the grain, compared to feeding whole grain, improved starter intake during the pre-weaning period (P = 0.041). Calves fed the SFB diet had greater ADG compared to other treatments (P = 0.039) during the pre-weaning period and, accordingly, had the greatest feed efficiency (P = 0.048) and withers height (P = 0.049) during the same period. The concentration of total volatile fatty acids (VFA) was greater when calves were fed flaked grains compared to whole grains (P &lt; 0.05). The greatest urinary excretions of allantoin and PD were observed in calves fed the SFB diet compared to the other diets (P &lt; 0.05). Feeding SFB resulted in the greatest urinary urea nitrogen concentration, indicating the lowest nitrogen efficiency (P = 0.037). Feeding whole grains reduced blood glucose and beta-hydroxybutyrate concentrations but increased blood urea nitrogen concentration compared to steam-flaked grains (P &lt; 0.05). Steam-flaked barley yielded greater ADG than whole barley. In conclusion, under the conditions of the current study, although the particle size distribution was relatively similar between steam-flaked grains and whole grains, the greater fermentation rate in steam-flaked grains can improve animal growth performance, which is mostly related to optimized rumen fermentation and MPS. Our findings indicated that the rate of starch availability can be more crucial than grain particle size in young calves. The effect of different processing methods on ruminal microbial species activity needs further evaluation in future studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"331 ","pages":"Article 116591"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145616038","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 the dietary proportions of lipids and carbohydrates on milk fat, blood metabolites, and the fecal microbial community in lactating jennies","authors":"Shu-xian Zhang ,&nbsp;Tao Xu ,&nbsp;Qiong-xian Yan ,&nbsp;Liang Deng ,&nbsp;Allan Degen ,&nbsp;Li-lin Liu ,&nbsp;Lei Fang ,&nbsp;Xiao-ling Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116588","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116588","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The donkey has been receiving increasing attention due to its milk production, and the manipulation of milk fat content has become one of the key current topics. We tested the hypothesis that the dietary proportions of lipids, non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC) and neutral detergent fibers (NDF) affect milk composition in jennies. Twenty-four lactating jennies of similar age, weight (180 ± 4.1 kg) and foaling date were assigned randomly into three dietary groups: high lipids and NDF with low NFC (HLF); medium lipids and NDF with intermediate NFC (MLF); and low lipids and NDF with high NFC (LLF). The three diets were isoenergetic and isonitrogenous, and the study consisted of 14 days of adaptation and 56 days of measurements. Milk, blood and fecal samples were collected to determine the effects of dietary intake on milk composition, blood metabolites, and fecal short-chain fatty acids and microbiota. The percentage (<em>P</em> = 0.007) and yield (<em>P</em> = 0.013) of milk fat in the HLF group were greater than in the MLF and LLF groups, while the percentages of milk protein (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) and lactose (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) were greater in the MLF group than in the HCS and LLF groups. The concentrations of milk medium-chain fatty acids (FA) (<em>P</em> = 0.047), polyunsaturated FA (<em>P</em> = 0.021) and unsaturated FA (UFA) (<em>P</em> = 0.036) were greater in the HLF than LLF group, and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) of ∑≤ C14 FA was greater (<em>P</em> = 0.003) in the HLF and MLF groups than the LLF group, while the FCR of ∑≥ C18 FA in the LLF group was greater (<em>P</em> = 0.046) than in the HLF group. Most differential blood metabolites between HLF and MLF or between HLF and MLF groups were related to lipid metabolism. Fermentation parameters in the rectal feces did not differ among groups. The abundances of the phylum Spirochaetes (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) and the genus <em>Treponema</em> (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) in the feces of the MLF and LLF groups were lesser, but the abundances of <em>Prevotella</em> (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) and <em>Ruminococcus</em> (<em>P</em> = 0.009) in the MLF and LLF groups were greater than in the HLF group. A high proportion of dietary lipids and NDF increased milk fat content, UFA concentrations, feed conversion ratio of ∑≤ C14 FA, and abundance of fecal cellulolytic bacteria; whereas, a high proportion of dietary NFC increased blood FA metabolites and the abundance of pro-inflammatory bacteria. Dietary composition can influence milk composition in jennies, and high proportions of lipids and NDF can increase milk fat content.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"331 ","pages":"Article 116588"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145616039","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":"Encapsulation of slow-release urea in stearic acid microspheres: Effects on nutrient digestibility, nitrogen utilization, and performance in lambs","authors":"Everton C. de. Medeiros ,&nbsp;André L. da Silva ,&nbsp;José Morais Perreira Filho ,&nbsp;Kevily H. de O.S. de Lucena ,&nbsp;Gildênia A. Pereira ,&nbsp;Mônica T. Cavalcanti ,&nbsp;Juliana P.F. de Oliveira ,&nbsp;Elzania S. Pereira ,&nbsp;Edson C. Silva Filho ,&nbsp;Leilson R. Bezerra","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116593","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116593","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;The objective of this study was to produce and characterize a slow-release urea (SRU) coated in stearic acid microspheres and compare it to uncoated urea (U) and a commercial rumen-protected urea in the diet of lambs. In the first phase, SRU microspheres were produced using a 2:1 ratio of stearic acid to urea and evaluated in a completely randomized 2 × 2 factorial experiment. The factors included two drying methods [lyophilization (LYO) and oven drying (OD)] and the presence or absence of a sulfur (S) source. This resulted in four treatments: oven-dried without sulfur (OD), oven-dried with sulfur (ODS), lyophilized without sulfur (LYO), and lyophilized with sulfur (LYOS). Thermogravimetric (TG) analyses revealed that the addition of sulfur reduced (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &lt; 0.05) urea protection capacity regardless of the drying method. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the LYO microspheres exhibited a more intact surface structure compared to the other treatments. An interaction between drying method and sulfur presence was observed for total nitrogen (N), crude protein (CP), and water activity (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &lt; 0.05). All treatments showed similar production yields (88.6–89.4 %) and encapsulation efficiency (99.7–101 %), with no significant effect from drying method or sulfur inclusion. However, sulfur-enriched microspheres (ODS and LYOS) had higher moisture contents (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &lt; 0.05) compared to their non-sulfur counterparts (OD and LYO). Additionally, water activity was lower (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; = 0.043) in the OD treatment. Based on thermal stability and urea retention, the lyophilized microspheres without sulfur (LYO) were selected. In the second phase, the LYO microspheres were tested in a feeding trial with 30 uncastrated crossbred lambs (Santa Ines × Dorper), aged approximately 6 months and with an average body weight of 23.2 ± 1.0 kg. The animals were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments in a completely randomized design: (1) control diet with 1.5 % free urea (U), (2) diet with 1.5 % commercial SRU, and (3) diet with 4.5 % LYO (on a dry matter basis). The study evaluated performance, ingestive behavior, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels. Lamb fed SRU-LYO and commercial SRU presented higher nutrients intake, eating time, chews number, N-intake and N-digested compared to U. In contrast, lamb fed SRU-LYO exhibited lower spent idling time, chewing activity, N-urinary excretion and NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;-N concentration compared to U and commercial SRU (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &lt; 0.05). Lambs fed SRU-LYO presented higher ruminating time, N-total excreted, final BW, total weight gain, and ADG compared to those receiving U and commercial SRU (&lt;em&gt;P&lt;/em&gt; &lt; 0.05), and U and SRU-LYO presented higher feeding efficiency than commercial SRU. Slow-release urea was successfully microencapsulated using stearic acid and lyophilization (SRU-LYO). Compared to uncoated urea and commercial SRU, the inclusion of 4.5 ","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"331 ","pages":"Article 116593"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145616040","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 social contact (individual vs pair housing) and weaning age on growth, health and behavior of Holstein calves fed intensified milk feeding program","authors":"Mohammad Javad Mohammad Aghaei,&nbsp;Mehdi Hossein Yazdi,&nbsp;Mehdi Kazemi-Bonchenari,&nbsp;Mehdi Mirzaei","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116590","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116590","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Early-life social environment and weaning strategy play a critical role in shaping the development, health, and welfare of dairy calves. This study investigated the interactive effects of housing system (individual vs. pair) and weaning age (50 vs. 65 days) on feed intake, growth, health, behavior, and metabolic indicators in pre-weaned Holstein calves. A total of 66 four-day-old calves (33 males, 33 females) were randomly assigned to four treatments: individual housing with weaning at 50 days (IN-WA50, n = 11), individual housing with weaning at 65 days (IN-WA65, n = 11), pair housing with weaning at 50 days (PA-WA50, n = 11 pairs), and pair housing with weaning at 65 days (PA-WA65, n = 11 pairs), resulting in 22 individually and 44 pair-housed calves. Calves remained in their assigned housing until 80 days of age. Total dry matter intake (TDMI) tended to be higher in pair-housed calves (PA; P = 0.09), while final body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG) tended to be greater in calves weaned at 65 days (WA; P = 0.09 and P = 0.06, respectively). Starter intake also tended to be higher in WA50 (P = 0.06) and PA (P = 0.09) groups. Feed efficiency (FE) improved significantly in WA65 calves (P = 0.03). At day 80, WA65 calves had greater withers and hip heights (P = 0.03), and a tendency for longer body length (P = 0.09). While average fecal and respiratory scores were unaffected, PA-WA50 calves had significantly fewer days and episodes of diarrhea (P &lt; 0.01). Pair housing also tended to reduce both the number (P = 0.07) and duration (P = 0.09) of respiratory episodes. PA calves spent more time standing (P &lt; 0.01), whereas IN calves spent more time lying (P = 0.01). Calves weaned at 50 days exhibited more feeding activity (P = 0.02) and a tendency for increased rumination time (P = 0.09) than those weaned at 65 days. WA65 calves showed higher serum glucose concentrations throughout the trial (P = 0.046), while WA50 calves had higher overall BHB levels (P &lt; 0.01). PA calves exhibited the highest BHB at day 80 (P = 0.04), with a significant interaction observed at day 50 (P = 0.045). Cortisol levels showed only a trend toward increase in WA65 calves at weaning (P = 0.09). In conclusion, delayed weaning improved growth and metabolic adaptation, whereas early social housing enhanced behavioral activity and contributed to a lower incidence and shorter duration of specific health symptoms. Stress indicators showed only mild and non-significant trends.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"331 ","pages":"Article 116590"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145616041","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":"Dynamics of bacterial community and fermentation quality of wheat straw silage treated with lactic acid bacteria and/or sucrose","authors":"E. Li ,&nbsp;Na Na ,&nbsp;Nier Wu ,&nbsp;Wencan Ke ,&nbsp;Chunsheng Bai ,&nbsp;Yanlin Xue","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116598","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116598","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aimed to investigate the impact of lactic acid bacteria and sucrose on the bacterial community dynamics and fermentation quality of wheat straw silage. Wheat straw was chopped into 1–2 cm pieces, moistened to 60 %, and ensiled with no additives (CK), <em>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</em> (L, 1 × 10⁵ colony-forming units/g fresh weight), sucrose (S, 1 % fresh weight), or their combination (LS). The silages were stored at room temperature and sampled at 1, 3, 6, 15, 35, and 150 days. The S treatment exhibited higher concentrations of lactic acid (LA), acetic acid (AA), and ammonia nitrogen (AN) between days 15 and 35 compared to other treatments. <em>Lactobacillaceae</em> predominated in the CK and L treatments from days 3–35, while <em>Lactobacillaceae-noname</em> became the dominant group by day 150. In contrast, <em>Pantoea</em> remained the dominant genus throughout the fermentation period in the S and LS treatments. Additionally, <em>Enterobacteriaceae</em> abundance fluctuated significantly during fermentation. The abundance of lactic acid bacteria was positively correlated with lactic acid and acetic acid concentrations, and negatively correlated with pH. In conclusion, the addition of <em>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</em> and sucrose to wheat straw silage improved both the microbial community structure and fermentation quality, providing new strategies for agricultural waste utilization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"331 ","pages":"Article 116598"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145733294","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":"Performance, feed efficiency, methane emission and rumen microbiome in lactating dairy cows fed a grass-clover silage-based diet supplemented with an essential oil blend","authors":"Christian Friis Børsting,&nbsp;Samantha Joan Noel,&nbsp;Saman Lashkari,&nbsp;Anne Louise Frydendahl Hellwing","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116592","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116592","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Emission of enteric methane from cattle is a challenge for sustainable milk production. Blends of essential oils (EO), as a feed additive, have the potential to reduce enteric methane from cattle. The aim of the present study was to evaluate dairy cow performance, methane emissions and rumen microbiome, when fed a grass-clover silage-based diet supplemented with a blend of EO from the company Agolin SA (AR). Thirty-six Holstein cows were allocated to one of two treatment groups and were fed either a standard TMR diet, or the same diet added 1 g per cow per day of the AR product, which contained 200 mg active blend of EO. The experiment was conducted for a period of 10 weeks in a continuous design plus a pre-period of 1 week. The cows had free access to GreenFeed methane measurement devices throughout the experiment. Individual dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield, milk composition, rumen volatile fatty acids (VFA) were measured. Rumen microbiome was analyzed from metagenomic sequencing of DNA from rumen samples and quantitative PCR targeting total Bacteria, Archaea, Fungi and Protozoa. There was no effect of AR on DMI (<em>P</em> = 0.25), energy-corrected (ECM), milk yield (<em>P</em> = 0.47), or feed efficiency (<em>P</em> = 0.64). Furthermore, there was no significant effect of AR on production of methane per day (<em>P</em> = 0.67), per kg DMI (<em>P</em> = 1.00), or per kg ECM (<em>P</em> = 0.71). In conclusion, adding 200 mg of EO to diets with a high proportion of grass-clover silage had no significant effect on dairy cow performance, methane emissions, rumen fermentation or rumen microbiome.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"331 ","pages":"Article 116592"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145681924","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":"Evaluation of concentrate feeding strategies in an intensive grass silage-based dairy production system","authors":"Sari Kajava,&nbsp;Auvo Sairanen,&nbsp;Marketta Rinne","doi":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116595","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116595","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Environmental and societal pressures are encouraging to reduce the proportion of concentrate feeds in grass-based dairy production systems. The objective of this experiment was to compare two concentrate feeding strategies to reduce the concentrate use in dairy cow diets: 1) a constant concentrate proportion of 35 % throughout the lactation period, and 2) an adjusted strategy with 45 % in early lactation (EL) and 25 % in late lactation (LL). The strategies were simulated in two separate and parallel 8-week sub-experiments for EL and LL, each including a common concentrate level of 35 %. In EL, the comparison was made against 45 %, and in LL against 25 %. The strategies were indirectly compared based on production responses. Sub-experiments were conducted with 20 multiparous Nordic Red cows per lactation stage. Higher concentrate in EL (EL-45) increased energy-corrected milk, fat and protein yields compared to EL-35, with no significant differences in body weight change, energy balance or plasma BHBA and NEFA concentrations. The production response to concentrate supplementation was greater in EL than LL (1.3 and 0.9 kg ECM per kg additional concentrate, respectively). In LL, feed efficiency was higher, and body weight gain was lower with the lower concentrate diet. These findings suggest that under current feed prices, prioritising concentrate use in early lactation and reducing it in late lactation is more cost-effective and helps limit excessive body weight gain in late lactation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7861,"journal":{"name":"Animal Feed Science and Technology","volume":"331 ","pages":"Article 116595"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145681926","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}