Animals最新文献

{"title":"Origin of Polyploidy: Results of Laboratory Crosses Between Green Toad (<i>Bufotes</i>) Diploid Species.","authors":"Kseniya A Matushkina, Anton O Svinin, Dmitriy V Skorinov, Nikolai D Aksenov, Artem A Kidov, Spartak N Litvinchuk","doi":"10.3390/ani16193082","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193082","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Unreduced gametes contribute to the emergence of polyploid plant and animal species. Interspecific diploid and polyploid hybrids can utilize clonal or hemiclonal reproduction methods, in which one or all parental genomes are transmitted to offspring without recombination. To elucidate mechanisms supporting the coexistence of parental species and polyploid hybrids, we conducted artificial crossing experiments between two diploid species of green toads. We determined the ploidy levels of all hybrids resulting from the crosses. The offspring included di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-, and hexaploid individuals. In the first generation, all hybrids were generally diploid. In the second generation, many polyploid individuals appeared in the offspring. Hybrids (even in a single cross) produced tadpoles with different ploidy levels due to gametes with different genomic compositions. Males of triploid hybrids produced predominantly haploid gametes, while females produced diploid ones. We propose a model for the origin of polyploid species in the genus <i>Bufotes</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663372/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190892","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":"Ileal Digestibility of Crude Protein and Amino Acids in Bakery and Biscuit Byproducts Fed to Growing Pigs.","authors":"Chaibin Lim, Hyunjung Jung, Joeun Kim, Yejin Min, Yohan Choi, Hongjun Kim, Sungwoo Park, Hyunju Park, Jinyoung Jeong, Yongdae Jeong","doi":"10.3390/ani16193087","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193087","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study evaluated the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AAs) in three bakery and biscuit byproducts fed to growing pigs. Five crossbred barrows fitted with a T-cannula at the distal ileum were allotted to a 5 × 5 Latin square design. The AID of CP was higher in the plain bread meal (PB) and sweet bread meal (SB) than in corn (CN) and biscuit meal (BC) (<i>p</i> < 0.05), while the AID of most indispensable AAs was higher in CN and PB than in BC (<i>p</i> < 0.05), reflecting the dietary CP and total AA concentrations. After correction for basal endogenous AA losses, the SID of CP separated the ingredients more clearly, with PB and SB higher than CN, and CN higher than BC (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The SID of lysine, methionine, threonine, and tryptophan did not differ among the four ingredients, indicating that the digestible supply of these limiting AAs was maintained when corn was replaced with these ingredients. These SID values provide ingredient-level information for incorporating bakery and biscuit byproducts into growing pig diets as alternative feed ingredients alongside corn.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663336/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190931","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":"Reduced Plasma Cardiac Myosin-Binding Protein-C Concentrations in Cats with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Evidence from Chronic, Treated Disease.","authors":"Nutcha Tanakwang, Natcha Sakunasing, Sarawut Kumphune, Raktham Mektrirat, Kannika Na Lampang, Chavalit Boonyapakorn, Wanpitak Pongkan","doi":"10.3390/ani16193084","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193084","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the most common cardiac disease in cats, is associated with genetic variants, including <i>MYBPC3</i>, which encodes cardiac myosin-binding protein C (cMyBP-C), a key sarcomeric protein involved in myocardial contractility. Although circulating cMyBP-C has emerged as a biomarker of myocardial injury in humans, its clinical relevance in feline HCM remains unclear. This study characterized plasma cMyBP-C and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentrations across different stages of feline HCM, evaluated their diagnostic performance, and assessed their associations with echocardiographic parameters. A cross-sectional study included 65 cats: 25 healthy cats, 25 with subclinical HCM, and 15 with clinical HCM (chronic and treated). Plasma NT-proBNP was significantly higher in clinical HCM than in healthy cats (<i>p</i> = 0.0117), whereas plasma cMyBP-C was lower in clinical HCM than in subclinical HCM (<i>p</i> = 0.0462) and healthy cats (<i>p</i> = 0.001). At a cut-off of <1.270 ng/mL, plasma cMyBP-C showed 76.19% sensitivity and 65.38% specificity for distinguishing HCM. NT-proBNP alone showed higher overall diagnostic accuracy (76.67%) than the combined use of cMyBP-C and NT-proBNP. Neither plasma NT-proBNP nor cMyBP-C correlated significantly with echocardiographic parameters. Reduced circulating cMyBP-C concentrations in cats with chronic, treated HCM suggest a biomarker pattern distinct from that reported in acute myocardial injury and warrant further investigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663380/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190712","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":"Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Reveals Molecular Differences Underlying Meiotic Competence of Brilliant Cresyl Blue (BCB) Selected Alpaca Oocytes.","authors":"Juana Quispe, Zeze Bravo, Luz Toribio-Alomia, Samuel Cusihuallpa-Cuchon, Gloria Levano, Jonathan LaMarre, Martha Valdivia","doi":"10.3390/ani16193081","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193081","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Identifying oocytes with high meiotic competence remains a major challenge for improving in vitro embryo production in South American camelids. Although Brilliant Cresyl Blue (BCB) staining has been used to distinguish alpaca oocytes with different meiotic and developmental competence, the biological and molecular feature associated with their meiotic competence remain poorly understood. This study characterized the transcriptomic profiles of immature alpaca (<i>Vicugna pacos</i>) oocytes classified as BCB-positive (BCB+) or BCB-negative (BCB-) using single-cell RNA sequencing. BCB+ oocytes exhibited a significantly larger ooplasm diameter, a higher proportion of condensed chromatin configurations, and higher in vitro maturation rates than BCB- oocytes. Transcriptomic analysis identified 2978 differentially expressed genes and revealed a clear separation between groups (PC1 = 64.8%). Differentially expressed genes with higher transcript abundance in BCB+ oocytes were enriched in DNA metabolism, cell cycle, oocyte meiosis, and proteasome pathways, whereas those with higher transcript abundance in BCB- oocytes were enriched in gene expression regulation, RNA metabolism, chromatin remodeling, and intracellular signaling. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis identified distinct hub genes in each group, including <i>CDK1, CCNB2, MAD2L1</i>, and <i>AURKB</i> in BCB+ oocytes and <i>EP300</i>, <i>CREBBP</i>, <i>SMARCA4</i>, and <i>ARID1A</i> in BCB- oocytes. These results provide the first single-cell transcriptomic characterization of BCB-classified alpaca oocytes and establish the molecular basis underlying the biological differences identified by BCB staining.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663546/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190857","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":"Preliminary Contrast-Enhanced CT Imaging of the Coelom in an Adult Male African White-Backed Vulture (<i>Gyps africanus</i>): A Case Study Using Maximum Intensity Projection and Three-Dimensional Volume Rendering.","authors":"José Perera, Mario Encinoso, Benedetta Marrone, Jezlia Bolaños, Alberto Arencibia","doi":"10.3390/ani16193079","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193079","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cross-sectional imaging data for the African white-backed vulture (<i>Gyps africanus</i>) are lacking, and interpretation relies mainly on general avian descriptions and studies in other birds. This preliminary case study evaluated contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) for visualising principal coelom structures and their spatial relationships in an adult male <i>G. africanus</i>. Images were assessed using multiplanar and three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction techniques. Soft-tissue images better depicted parenchymal organs and cardiovascular structures, whereas lung-window images improved visualisation of the respiratory system, air sacs, and pneumatised skeletal regions. Maximum intensity projection (MIP) and 3D volume rendering (VR) provided complementary information on vascular anatomy and spatial relationships. The observed anatomical features were generally consistent with established avian anatomy and previous imaging studies in other species. CT provided useful anatomical information in this individual and may support future comparative and clinical imaging studies in <i>G. africanus</i>. However, because only one bird was examined and no complementary anatomical sectioning or dissection was performed, the findings should be regarded as a preliminary case study rather than species-specific anatomical reference data.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"16 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663397/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149191071","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Rumen-Protected β-Alanine on Hepatic Gluconeogenesis-Related Indices and Muscle Energy Metabolism in Transported Cattle.","authors":"Boya Fu, Yitian Zang, Haoxiang Xu, Daci Fu, Guwei Lu, Kang Mao, Qinghua Qiu, Xianghui Zhao, Mingren Qu, Kehui Ouyang, Yanjiao Li","doi":"10.3390/ani16193074","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193074","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Preslaughter nutritional strategies that preserve energy reserves in transported beef cattle may help maintain normal post-mortem muscle metabolism and meat quality. β-alanine, a carnosine precursor, enhances glucose metabolism and glycogen reserves. This study evaluated the effects of rumen-protected β-alanine (RP-β-Ala) on meat quality, hepatic gluconeogenesis-related indices, and muscle energy metabolism in long-distance transported cattle. Thirty-six healthy 18-month-old Simmental crossbred bulls (627 ± 41 kg) were randomly assigned diets containing 0 (control) or 96 g/head/d RP-β-Ala. After 28 days of feeding, serum was sampled from six bulls per group. Following a 2-day rest (RP-β-Ala supplementation continued), these twelve bulls were transported, slaughtered, and sampled. Transport significantly increased serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK). The transport × RP-β-Ala interaction significantly affected serum superoxide dismutase (SOD). Post-slaughter tissue indices were analyzed solely for the effect of RP-β-Ala supplementation, as all slaughtered bulls underwent transportation. Compared to controls, the RP-β-Ala group exhibited significantly higher muscle pH_{45 min} and an accelerated pH decline rate within 24 h post-mortem in both <i>M. longissimus dorsi</i> (LD) and <i>M. semitendinosus</i> (ST) muscles. In LD muscle, hardness, shear force, gumminess, and chewiness significantly decreased, while ATP content and HK, PFK, PK, and LDH activities significantly increased. In ST muscle, lactate content and GP, HK, PFK, and LDH activities significantly increased. In the liver, glucose, lactate, ATP, and ADP contents significantly increased, alongside enhanced G-6-Pase and pyruvate carboxylase (PC) activities. Dietary RP-β-Ala supplementation may regulate energy metabolism in transported cattle by enhancing muscle glycolytic activity and indices associated with hepatic gluconeogenic capacity, thereby improving selected meat-quality traits.</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/PMC13663470/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190815","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":"Soil Fauna Accelerate Litter Decomposition of <i>Cry1Ac</i> Transgenic Maize Independently of Microbial α-Diversity: A Multi-Year, Multi-Region Field Study.","authors":"Baifeng Wang, Shijie Li, Zhilei Jiang, Fengci Wu, Junqi Yin, Xinyuan Song","doi":"10.3390/ani16193064","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193064","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The return of Bt transgenic maize litter to farmland may affect soil fauna and litter decomposition. From 2015 to 2018, we carried out a multi-year, multi-region litterbag experiment in three major maize-growing regions of China using <i>Cry1Ac</i> transgenic maize Bt-799 and its non-transgenic hybrid. We used litterbags with mesh sizes of 5, 2, and 0.02 mm to control soil fauna access. Soil fauna communities and litter decomposition rates were examined in all regions, and bacterial and fungal communities were additionally examined in the third year at Gongzhuling. The results showed that the introduction of <i>Bt</i> gene had no significant effect on soil fauna community composition, microbial α-diversity, or litter decomposition. Decomposition rates were significantly higher in large- and medium-mesh litterbags than in small-mesh litterbags across all regions and years, demonstrating that soil fauna substantially accelerated litter decomposition. Soil fauna abundance was significantly positively correlated with decomposition rate (r = 0.847, <i>p</i> < 0.001), whereas maize variety and microbial α-diversity indices showed no significant correlation. These findings indicate that soil fauna promote litter decomposition of <i>Cry1Ac</i> transgenic maize, with no detectable association with microbial α-diversity, and that the <i>Bt</i> gene has no detectable effect on the measured soil biological processes.</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/PMC13663423/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190851","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":"Prevalence of Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV) in Wild and Captive Bornean Elephants (<i>Elephas maximus borneensis</i>) Sampled During Conservation Management Activities in Sabah, Malaysia.","authors":"Navaneetha Roopan, Nur Alwanie Maruji, Nur Nabila Sarkawi, Mei-Ho Lee, Thunyamas Guntawang, Worapong Kosaruk, Sharon S Glaeser, Kidsadagon Pringproa, Symphorosa Sipangkui, Tom Hughes, Carlos R Sanchez, Chatchote Thitaram","doi":"10.3390/ani16193065","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193065","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV) is a leading cause of fatal hemorrhagic disease in juvenile Asian elephants and represents a significant concern for elephant conservation. However, information on the epidemiology of EEHV in Bornean elephants (<i>Elephas maximus borneensis</i>) remains limited. This study investigated the prevalence and subtype distribution of EEHV in wild and captive Bornean elephants in Sabah, Malaysia, using samples collected during conservation management activities including rescue operations, translocation, GPS collaring, necropsies and routine veterinary examinations between 2009 and 2026. A total of 240 samples, comprising 100 whole-blood and 140 tissue samples from 110 elephants, were analyzed by conventional polymerase chain reaction (cPCR) targeting EEHV1 and EEHV4. EEHV DNA was detected in 6.4% (7/110) of elephants. Most positive cases were identified post-mortem, indicating a possible association of EEHV infection with mortality. EEHV1 was the only subtype detected, and sequence analysis showed close similarity to previously reported EEHV1A cases from Sabah. No EEHV4 was detected. Although no significant associations were observed between EEHV detection and population type, age group, sex, or sampling location, the detection of EEHV in both wild and captive elephants indicates that the virus is circulating in this endangered population. These findings provide baseline epidemiological data and support the need for continued surveillance and strengthened diagnostic capacity to inform EEHV management and conservation strategies in Sabah.</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/PMC13663577/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149191042","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":"Chromium Propionate and Zilpaterol Hydrochloride Supplementation in Finishing Lambs: Growth Performance, Body Composition, Carcass Characteristics, and Meat Quality.","authors":"Anselmo Hernández-Tovar, Esaúl Hernández-García, Rosalba Lazalde-Cruz, Daniel Rodríguez-Cordero, Pedro Hernández-Briano, Oliver Yaotzin Sánchez-Barbosa, Alejandro Rivera-Villegas, Octavio Carrillo-Muro, Alejandro Plascencia","doi":"10.3390/ani16193068","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193068","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of chromium propionate (Cr-Pr) and zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) supplementation on growth performance, performance-derived estimates of dietary energy utilization, body composition, carcass traits, wholesale cut distribution, and meat quality of finishing lambs. Forty intact male Dorper × Katahdin lambs were blocked by initial body weight (38.21 ± 1.72 kg) and assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement (<i>n</i> = 10/treatment): Control (0 Cr-Pr + 0 ZH), ZH (0 Cr-Pr + 7.2 mg ZH/lamb/d), Cr-Pr (1.2 mg elemental Cr/lamb/d + 0 ZH), and Cr-Pr + ZH (1.2 mg elemental Cr/lamb/d + 7.2 mg ZH/lamb/d). The experimental period lasted 45 d; Cr-Pr was supplemented throughout d 1-45, whereas ZH was administered during d 15-42, followed by a 3 d withdrawal period (d 43-45). Under the conditions evaluated, Cr-Pr, ZH, and their interaction did not affect growth performance or performance-derived estimates of dietary energy utilization (<i>p</i> > 0.05); however, both compounds produced specific changes in body composition and carcass traits. Supplementation with Cr-Pr reduced omental, visceral, and perirenal fat by 21.8, 18.6, and 18.7%, respectively (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.044), and increased <i>longissimus</i> muscle area (LMA) by 5.3% (<i>p</i> = 0.013). An interaction between Cr-Pr and ZH was detected for rib fat thickness (FAT) (<i>p</i> = 0.050), with the ZH and Cr-Pr individual treatments showing lower FAT than Control and Cr-Pr + ZH. Supplementation with ZH increased dressing percentage by 7.2% (<i>p</i> = 0.048). Regarding wholesale cuts, classified according to Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications (IMPS), Cr-Pr increased shoulder (IMPS 206) and loin (IMPS 231) proportions by 10.3 and 10.6%, respectively, and reduced shoulder (IMPS 207) by 3.3% (<i>p</i> = 0.043), whereas ZH increased breast (IMPS 209) weight by 15.0% and its proportion of cold carcass weight (CCW) by 9.7% (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.042). Interactions between Cr-Pr and ZH were also detected for ribs (IMPS 209A) and flank (IMPS 232) weights (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.047). Supplementation did not affect meat quality traits (<i>p</i> ≥ 0.217). Overall, Cr-Pr was associated with reduced internal fat deposition and increased LMA and loin (IMPS 231) proportion, whereas ZH modified dressing percentage and breast (IMPS 209) weight and proportion of CCW. These responses occurred without changes in growth performance or performance-derived estimates of dietary energy utilization and without detectable changes in the evaluated meat quality traits. The interactions observed for FAT, ribs (IMPS 209A), and flank (IMPS 232) were trait-specific and did not indicate a consistent benefit of the combination.</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/PMC13663348/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Pecking Materials Provision and Edibility on Productivity Indicators in Laying Hens: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.","authors":"Woo-Do Lee, Yejin Mun, Youngjun Na, Han Tae Bang, Chan Ho Kim","doi":"10.3390/ani16193062","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani16193062","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Feather pecking and cannibalism arise when laying hens' foraging needs are not satisfied, reducing productivity, increasing stress, and elevating mortality. Providing pecking materials is a welfare measure that redirects pecking from conspecifics to the provided material, and this meta-analysis evaluated its effects on productivity and mortality in laying hens. Following the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search of PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect identified 18 articles comprising 24 experiments that examined the effects of pecking materials on body weight (BW), egg production rate (EPR), egg mass (EM), average daily feed intake (ADFI), egg weight (EW), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and mortality (MORT). Risk of bias, assessed using the SYRCLE tool, was generally low to unclear across most domains, though blinding of caregivers was rated as high risk in all studies. A random-effects model was used to pool standardized mean differences (SMD) across studies, and subgroup analysis based on material edibility was conducted through meta-ANOVA to explore potential sources of heterogeneity. Overall, pecking materials provision decreased both BW (SMD = -0.59; 95% CI: [-1.03, -0.14]) and MORT (SMD = -1.10; 95% CI: [-1.79, -0.42]). Subgroup analysis revealed contrasting BW patterns by edibility (edible: decreased; non-edible: increased), whereas MORT decreased consistently regardless of edibility. Publication bias was detected for EPR and ADFI, but trim-and-fill adjustment did not alter the overall conclusions. These findings indicate that pecking materials provision is a useful strategy that reduces mortality without compromising productivity, and suggest that material edibility may partly explain the inconsistent results reported in previous studies. However, given the substantial heterogeneity and unclear risk of bias observed in several domains, further studies incorporating a broader range of material types and rearing conditions are needed to clarify the sources of variability.</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/PMC13663427/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149190717","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}