Animals最新文献

{"title":"Genetic Parameters and Genome-Wide Association Analysis of Reproductive and Calving Traits in Jersey Cattle.","authors":"Xubin Lu, Hao Zhu, Rui Cui, Huali Wu, Tianqi Zhao, Zhangping Yang","doi":"10.3390/ani16193059","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193059","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study characterized the genetic basis of reproductive and calving traits in Jersey cattle at different physiological stages and identified potential candidate genes. After quality control, 2716 records were available for heifer reproductive traits, 2707 for multiparous cow reproductive traits, and 5423 calving records for calving ease (CE) and calf birth weight (CBW). CE and CBW were analyzed from the maternal perspective, with records assigned to the corresponding dams. Genetic parameters were estimated using AI-REML in DMU with animal, repeatability, and bivariate models. Genome-wide association analyses were performed using a mixed linear model based on 1,660,477 SNPs from 1578 genotyped Jersey cattle. Heritability estimates for age at first service (AFS) and age at first calving (AFC) were 0.416 and 0.380, respectively, whereas estimates for reproductive traits in multiparous cows were generally low (0.072-0.154). Calving interval (CI) and days open (DO) showed a strong positive genetic correlation (0.781). GWAS identified five significant loci associated with AFC, number of services per conception in heifers, CI, and dam-associated genetic variation in CE. Candidate genes included <i>PIK3C2G</i>, <i>DGKI</i>, <i>ABCC1</i>, <i>CCDC85A</i>, <i>CRMP1</i>, <i>EVC</i>, and <i>EVC2</i>. Exploratory KEGG enrichment suggested potential involvement of phosphatidylinositol signaling, Hedgehog signaling, ABC transporters, and inositol phosphate metabolism. Overall, reproductive traits showed distinct genetic characteristics between heifers and multiparous cows, and AFS and AFC exhibited relatively greater potential for genetic improvement. The identified genomic regions provide preliminary candidates for further validation and potential future application in genomic breeding.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663428/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190846","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morphometric Analysis of the Mandibular Canal in Van Cats: A Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) Study.","authors":"Veysel Delibaş, Sema Kaya","doi":"10.3390/ani16193073","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193073","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to determine the morphometric characteristics and sex-dependent variations in the mandibular canal (MC) in Van cats using Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT), thereby establishing breed-specific baseline values. CBCT scans of 14 healthy adult Van cats (7 males, 7 females; all aged 4 years old; mean body mass 3.3 ± 0.49 kg) were analyzed. DICOM files were oriented into a standardized head position by aligning the hard palate parallel to the horizontal plane and ensuring the sagittal plane was perpendicular to the reference line, and internal canal dimensions, cortical distances, ventral height (Bh), depth, and total mandibular dimensions were measured across eight standardized transverse planes using Multiplanar Reconstruction (MPR) software (Version 3.10, Carestream Dental LLC). Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank and Mann-Whitney U tests. No statistically significant differences were found between right and left mandibles, demonstrating high bilateral symmetry. Similarly, internal canal dimensions also showed no significant differences by sex. However, in males, the canal ran significantly higher from the ventral border (Bh parameter), placing it closer to tooth roots. In both sexes, the MC ran closer to the lingual cortex in the molar region and shifted toward the vestibular cortex in the premolar region. Clinically, this high bilateral symmetry allows the intact side to serve as a reliable surgical reference in trauma cases. Buccal surgical approaches offer wider safety margins than lingual ones. Males Van cats carry a higher iatrogenic risk during dental procedures due to tooth root proximity, whereas female Van cats require a higher needle insertion point for inferior alveolar nerve blocks. In conclusion, this study provides a comprehensive, CBCT-based morphometric baseline of the mandibular canal in Van cats, offering essential data to enhance surgical precision and minimize iatrogenic risks during feline maxillofacial procedures.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663499/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190872","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comprehensive Proteomics Reveals Acute Osmoregulatory Responses in the Intestine of <i>Oreochromis mossambicus</i> Under Salinity, Alkalinity, and Combined Saline-Alkaline Stress.","authors":"Huanhuan Su, Dongmei Ma, Jiajia Fan, Zaixuan Zhong, Huaping Zhu","doi":"10.3390/ani16193069","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193069","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Osmotic stress induces pleiotropic physiological disruptions in aquatic organisms; however, the intestinal proteomic responses of euryhaline teleosts to salinity, alkalinity, and saline-alkalinity exposure remain insufficiently characterized. In the present study, intestinal histopathology, antioxidant enzymatic activities, and proteomic profiles were investigated in <i>Oreochromis mossambicus</i> (Peters, 1852) subjected to 24-h acute individual and concurrent salinity-alkalinity challenges. Pronounced histopathological lesions and significant alterations in enzymatic antioxidant defenses were observed, as reflected by elevated glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels alongside diminished catalase (CAT) activity. Proteomic analysis identified multiple differentially abundant proteins implicated in osmoregulation across all treatment groups, and subsequent pathway enrichment analysis indicated that stress exposure perturbed oxidative phosphorylation and immune-related signaling cascades, particularly under alkalinity and combined conditions. Collectively, this work provides the first comparative proteomic characterization of intestinal acute stress responses to osmotic stress in <i>O. mossambicus</i>, thereby enhancing our understanding of the molecular regulatory networks governing osmoregulation in euryhaline fish confronted with multifactorial environmental fluctuations.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663361/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Emerging and Novel Ovine Viruses: Molecular Diagnostics, Genomic and Metagenomic Surveillance, and One Health Perspectives.","authors":"Gul Muhammad Shahbaz, Zeeshan Ashraf, Shuxin Chen, Chaofan Wang, Chenglong He, Huiping Sun, Lexiao Zhu, Lei Liu, Mingcheng Wang, Linglong Wu, Ruohuai Gu, Wei Li, Feng Xing","doi":"10.3390/ani16193066","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193066","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Emerging and novel ovine viruses pose increasing threats to animal health, livestock productivity, trade, food security, and public health preparedness. Their emergence is driven by complex interactions among animal movement, mixed-species production systems, wildlife-livestock interfaces, arthropod vectors, environmental changes, and viral evolution. This review critically compares current strategies for identifying major, emerging, re-emerging, zoonotic, and newly recognized ovine viruses, with emphasis on their analytical sensitivity, turnaround time, throughput, operational cost, accessibility, field applicability, validation status, and capacity for novel-virus detection. Conventional diagnostic approaches, including virus isolation, serology, antigen detection, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry, remain essential for confirmation and flock-level surveillance but may be limited by slow turnaround, dependence on specialized facilities, reduced sensitivity at low viral loads, and an inability to identify highly divergent or unknown viruses. Targeted molecular assays, including PCR, RT-PCR, qPCR, multiplex assays, digital PCR, isothermal amplification, and CRISPR-based diagnostics, have improved detection speed and sensitivity but generally require prior knowledge of viral genomic targets. Genomic and metagenomic approaches, including whole-genome sequencing, next-generation sequencing, nanopore sequencing, viral metagenomics, bioinformatics, and phylogenetic analysis, provide broader detection capabilities by enabling characterization of viral diversity, outbreak tracing, co-infection identification, and discovery of previously unrecognized viruses. However, their interpretation remains challenging due to low viral abundance, poor sample quality, host nucleic acid background, contamination, incomplete reference databases, limited computational capacity, and the inability of sequence detection alone to confirm disease causality. Therefore, future ovine virus surveillance requires integration of molecular diagnostics with active, passive, outbreak-based, risk-based, vector, wildlife, and animal-movement surveillance within a One Health framework. Linking genomic information with ecological, epidemiological, and environmental data will be essential for transforming ovine virus surveillance from reactive diagnosis toward proactive preparedness. Advances in standardized sampling, validated field diagnostics, affordable sequencing, curated databases, bioinformatics capacity, and cross-sector data sharing will strengthen early recognition, risk assessment, and preparedness against emerging viral threats in sheep.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663559/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190877","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An Exploratory Analysis of Genetic Structure and Introgression in <i>Salmo trutta</i> Populations from Campania Rivers.","authors":"Angela Michela Immacolata Montone, Andrea Fulgione, Anna Cutarelli, Alberto Gentile, Roberta Brunetti, Francesco Paolo Serpe","doi":"10.3390/ani16193061","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193061","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The <i>Salmo trutta</i> complex exhibits high genetic and phenotypic diversity due also to the historical climatic events and colonization processes. In Europe, several evolutionary lineages have been identified, including the Atlantic and Mediterranean. In Italy, native Mediterranean trout populations have been threatened by restocking practices involving hatchery-reared fish of Atlantic origin, thus resulting in widespread hybridization and genetic introgression. This study aimed to genetically characterize trout populations from selected river basins of the Campania region (southern Italy) and to assess whether the observed morphological characteristics, consistent with standard morphological descriptions of Mediterranean trout, were supported by genetic evidence (i.e., <i>LDH-C1* locus</i> and microsatellite markers analyses). The results revealed a complex genetic structure of <i>Salmo trutta</i> populations in Campania, with evidence of Atlantic introgression in several river systems. Differences between <i>LDH-C1*</i> genotyping and microsatellite data highlighted the importance of using multiple genetic markers to accurately detect hybridization and identify lineage composition. These explorative results have also evidenced that specific populations (i.e., those from Imperatore, Sava, and Volturno rivers), showed genetic features consistent with Mediterranean ancestry. The findings highlight the importance of genetic analyses not only for accurate species identification beyond morphology but also for supporting conservation strategies to protect native Mediterranean trout and guide restocking based on local genetic resources.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663513/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190693","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Effects of Chicory Aqueous Extract on Antioxidant Capacity, Immune Response, and Intestinal Function in Broilers.","authors":"Mingyu Wei, Mengfei Li, Zehao Li, Hao Liu, Yongzhan Bao, Ruixi Zhang, Wanyu Shi, Dou Dou, Xiao Wang","doi":"10.3390/ani16193063","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193063","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In the broiler production industry, antibiotics such as florfenicol are widely used. Although these antibiotics exert therapeutic effects against bacterial diseases, they can induce a series of physiological alterations in broilers under certain exposure scenarios. This study aimed to investigate the effects of chicory aqueous extract (CAE) on broiler growth performance, immune function, and intestinal health, and to compare the impacts of CAE and florfenicol exposure on the physiological status of broilers. A total of 200 one-day-old broilers were randomly divided into five groups (5 replicates per group): the blank control group (NC) drank tap water freely, the florfenicol group (FFC) was given 0.15 g/L of florfenicol solution in the drinking water, the CAE groups were given 1.25 g/L (LCAE), 2.5 g/L (MCAE), and 5 g/L (HCAE) of CAE in the drinking water, respectively. The experimental period was 42 days. The results showed that the addition of CAE to drinking water could significantly improve the growth performance of broilers, specifically manifested as increased body weight and a significantly decreased feed-to-gain ratio (F/G) (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Regarding immune function, CAE enhanced immune capacity by increasing immune organ indices, serum antibody titers, and serum levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) (<i>p</i> < 0.05). In terms of intestinal function, CAE significantly increased villus height (VH) and villus-crypt ratio (V/C), elevated activities of digestive enzymes including chymotrypsin, α-amylase, and lipase, and raised both secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) content and Occludin mRNA relative expression levels (<i>p</i> < 0.05), thereby improving intestinal digestion and absorption. Additionally, CAE enhanced serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) content (<i>p</i> < 0.05), effectively enhancing the antioxidant capacity of broilers. Notably, compared with the NC group and all CAE-treated groups, broilers in the FFC group exhibited significantly reduced growth performance, suppressed immune function, and evident damage to intestinal tissue structure and physiological functions. Comprehensive analysis indicates that CAE can effectively promote broiler growth and development, enhance immune status and intestinal digestive-absorptive function, and enrich gut bacteria such as <i>Lactobacillus</i> and <i>Bifidobacterium</i>, thus optimizing intestinal microbiota composition. Among the gradient doses tested in this study, the 2.5 g/L dose of CAE demonstrated the best overall effect, suggesting that CAE may exert beneficial physiological effects under the present experimental conditions, and further investigations are needed to assess its practical application potential.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663376/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190894","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rediscovery of the Lost and Critically Endangered Dehradun Stream Frog, <i>Amolops chakrataensis</i>.","authors":"Vishal Kumar Prasad, Saurav Chaudhary, Sky T Button, Sumbul Gill, Amit Badola, Devendra Singh, Sandeep Kumar Gupta, K P Dinesh, Amaël Borzée","doi":"10.3390/ani16193072","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193072","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Dehradun Stream Frog, <i>Amolops chakrataensis,</i> is a Critically Endangered stream-dwelling amphibian endemic to Uttarakhand in the western Himalayas of India and the species was previously known only from a single holotype collected in 1985. Despite repeated surveys, the species remained undetected for more than four decades, raising concerns that it went extinct. Here, we report the rediscovery of <i>A. chakrataensis</i> from the Maneri landscape, Uttarakhand, approximately 65 km on a straight-line east of the type locality. We confirmed the species identity using an integrative taxonomic approach combining morphological comparisons with the holotype, and we sequenced the mitochondrial 16S rRNA DNA gene fragment. Our analyses recovered <i>A. chakrataensis</i> as a distinct clade. Extensive field surveys covering 14 sites and 424 person-hours detected only two individuals, highlighting the rarity of the species. Using environmental characteristics of the three known localities, we developed a habitat envelope that identified additional priority areas for future surveys and potential conservation management. Our findings confirm the continued persistence of <i>A. chakrataensis</i>, provide the first molecular reference for the species, extend its known distribution, and establish an important foundation for future monitoring and conservation planning in the western Himalayas.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663422/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Beyond Co-Occurrence: A Framework for Interpreting Antibiotic-ARG Decoupling in Aquatic Systems and Its Implications for Aquatic Animal Health in a Changing World.","authors":"Dong Liu, Lingzhi Huang, Mingjun Yan, Ying Huang, Chongrui Wang, Qianqian Ku, Yaocheng Deng, Xiping Yuan","doi":"10.3390/ani16193070","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193070","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are widespread in aquatic ecosystems affected by climate variability, urbanization, and intensifying aquaculture. Yet parent-antibiotic concentrations and resistance-related genetic endpoints do not always vary in parallel across seasons, sites, or environmental compartments. This discrepancy matters for aquatic animals as ecological receptors, potential vectors, and targets for antimicrobial resistance monitoring and management. To examine whether transport, retention, and biological processes may contribute to these mismatches, we conducted a structured narrative review. We screened studies retrieved from Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and PubMed for paired measurements in aquatic systems. Of 98 field studies, 25 provided sufficient paired data for matched chemical-genetic assessment. Among these, 16 provided Moderate evidence and 9 provided Suggestive evidence for coupled, mismatched, or compartment-dependent responses. No study met the stricter criteria for field-supported legacy persistence. Seasonal reversals, spatial divergence, and differences among water, particles, and sediments suggest that water-column antibiotic concentrations alone are incomplete proxies for ARG abundance. Such measurements alone cannot assess ARG mobility or host context. Potential contributors include sediment and biofilm retention, extracellular DNA, hydrodynamic redistribution, horizontal gene transfer, transformation products, and co-selective stressors, although their relative roles remain unresolved. These findings support monitoring that combines chemical and genetic endpoints with information on sources, hydrology, compartments, and hosts to inform aquatic-animal risk assessment and management.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663438/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190778","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Small Ruminant Farms as Managed Ecosystems: A Conceptual Framework for Components and Interactions, and the Role of Health Management.","authors":"Eleni I Katsarou, Dimitrios C Chatzopoulos, Maria V Bourganou, Natalia G C Vasileiou, Ilektra A Fragkou, Vasia S Mavrogianni, George C Fthenakis","doi":"10.3390/ani16193067","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193067","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Livestock farms are a distinctive type of agricultural ecosystem wherein farmed animals interact continuously with other living organisms and with the physical environment of the farm under the influence of human management. The objectives of this paper are the proposal of a framework in which small ruminant farms are considered as managed ecosystems, the identification, definition and characterization of the principal biotic components and abiotic environmental compartments, the examination of interactions occurring within and between these components and the description of the role of health management in modifying interactions within these systems. Within the proposed approach, the ecosystem of small ruminant farms can be considered to be characterized by five principal elements: components and compartments, interactions and flows and their directionality, inputs and outputs crossing the physical or functional boundaries of the system, and human management and feedback. Small ruminant farms can function as networks of ecosystem interactions, in which complex interactions occur among and between their biotic components and abiotic environmental compartments. In brief, the biotic components of the farm ecosystem include the livestock (sheep, goats), other domestic or synanthropic animals on farms, wildlife near farms, people working on farms or visiting, vegetation and other primary producers, pathogens, arthropods and other biotic communities. The abiotic environmental compartments include animal housing and associated areas and materials, farm systems, machinery and light equipment, feed and water, climate variables and farm waste. Various interactions connect those components. Health management acts upon ecosystem components and their interactions and is a principal means through which humans deliberately modify the farm ecosystem; it is based on human decisions, which influence multiple components of the ecosystem and direct the interactions within the system. Health management can modify interactions throughout the farm ecosystem, with effects that may extend beyond their immediately intended targets. The consideration of these wider relationships can support better-informed and integrated health management of sheep and goat farms and their animal populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663406/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integration of Digital Technologies into Goat Management in North-Eastern Kazakhstan.","authors":"Shaikenova Kymbat, Shauyenov Saukymbek, Assanbayev Tolegen, Sadenova Miram, Ibrayev Dulat, Omarova Karlygash, Mukhametzharova Ilmira, Doldasheva Gulzhainar, Sharapatov Tlekbol, Ismagulov Dalen, Aisar Mali","doi":"10.3390/ani16193060","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193060","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Precision livestock farming is increasingly applying digital tools to improve industry productivity and resource efficiency. This study evaluated the integration of a suite of digital technologies-RFID identification with electronic ear tags, the Sheep Auto Drafter automated weighing and sorting system, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS, FOSS DS 2500), and the \"Korall\" diet-balancing software-into the flock management system of 6000 Altai Mountain down goats under the agro-ecological conditions of north-eastern Kazakhstan. The chemical composition of six feed types was determined by NIRS: roughages contained up to 35.6% crude fiber and 35.6 mg/kg carotene; concentrate feeds provided up to 14.6% crude protein and 50.5% starch. Digital diets covered the metabolizable energy requirements of does (BW 34 kg) at 12.84 MJ/day and of bucks (BW 48 kg) at 16.86 MJ/day, in accordance with NRC (2007) norms. Over a two-month period 30 2.5-year-old does and 30 2.5-year-old bucks were monitored, and the live weight of the does increased by 4.2% and that of bucks by 5.3%, with average daily gains of 23 g and 42 g respectively. Assessment of exterior conformation and body indices of these 60 animals revealed pronounced sexual dimorphism: bucks had a significantly higher chest index (70.6% vs. 51.2% in does), while does showed a higher leg length index (51.2% vs. 43.8%). Digital diet analysis identified estimated dietary inadequacies relative to nutritional requirements of vitamin D, copper, and cobalt, justifying targeted premix correction. The results confirm the feasibility and potential benefits of integrating these technologies into goat management systems in Central Asia.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663509/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190911","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}