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Animals, Volume 15, Issue 11 (June-1 2025) – 5 articles

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11 pages, 205 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dietary Inclusion Effects of Dried Mealworm, Hydrolyzed Mealworm, Fermented Poultry By-Product, and Hydrolyzed Fish Soluble Protein on Weaning Pigs’ Performance, Fecal Score, and Blood Profiles

by Usman Kayode Kolawole, Kye Jin Lee and In Ho Kim

Animals 2025, 15(11), 1507; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15111507 (registering DOI) - 22 May 2025

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of the addition of dried mealworm, hydrolyzed mealworm, fermented poultry by-product meal (FPBM), and hydrolyzed fish soluble protein (HFSP) on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal score, and blood profiles of weaning pigs. A total of 40 (21-day-old) weaned piglets ([Yorkshire × Landrace] × Duroc) with an initial average body weight (BW) of 7.14 ± 1.29 kg were randomly assigned to one of four treatments for 35 days. There were four treatment groups with five replicates and two pigs (male and female) per pen. The dietary treatment included TRT1, a basal diet + 10% dried mealworm; TRT2, a basal diet + 10% hydrolyzed mealworm; TRT3, a basal diet + 10% fermented poultry by-product meal (FPBM); and TRT4, a basal diet + 10% hydrolyzed fish soluble protein (HFSP). The inclusion of FPBM in weaning pig diets had a significant effect on the blood profile with blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels (p < 0.05), but not on other blood profiles of serum IGF-1, IgG, and IgA concentrations. BUN concentration decreased in response to the dietary inclusion of FPBM (p = 0.019). BUN concentration decreased and was at its lowest with FPBM (6.3 mg/dL), followed by hydrolyzed mealworm (7.3 mg/dL), while increasing with dried mealworm and HFSP (8.5 mg/dL). There was no significant difference in the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and fecal score of piglets fed a basal diet with dried mealworm, hydrolyzed mealworm, FPBM, and HFSP. Hence, the addition of fermented poultry by-products in weaning pigs’ diets decreases the blood urea nitrogen, without any detrimental effect on performance, nutrient digestibility, or fecal score. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feed Additives in Animal Nutrition)

16 pages, 1369 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Conditioning of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Broodstock in a High-Altitude Recirculating Aquaculture System: First Spawning at 3000 m.a.s.l. in Northern Chile

by Renzo Pepe-Victoriano, Piera Pepe-Vargas, Jordan I. Huanacuni, Héctor Aravena-Ambrosetti, Germán Olivares-Cantillano, Felipe Méndez-Abarca, Sheda Méndez and Luis Espinoza-Ramos

Animals 2025, 15(11), 1506; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15111506 (registering DOI) - 22 May 2025

Abstract

This study monitored the conditioning of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) broodstock in a closed culture system at 3000 m above sea level (m.a.s.l.) to evaluate the feasibility of this culture method and assess the first spawning of the species under these conditions as an alternative production route for the communities present in the foothills of Cordillera de los Andes, northern Chile. A total of 120 specimens with an initial weight of 170 g were used. They were maintained in a recirculation aquaculture system (RAS) composed of protected circular tanks, decanters, a biofilter, and oxygenation equipment. Fish growth was monitored through parameters such as specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and percent weight growth (PWG), parameters that were maintained within those reported by other authors for this species. The first successful spawning occurred after 12 months of broodstock conditioning, yielding 8570 eggs, of which 6569 hatched successfully. The success of this conditioning and spawning not only broadens the understanding of adaptability to high-altitude environments, but also provides evidence for the potential diversification of productive activities in foothill areas through aquaculture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Aquatic Animals)

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19 pages, 7248 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Construction of Coexpression Networks Affecting Litter Size in Goats Based on Transcriptome Analysis

by Yifan Ren, Junmin He, Guifen Liu, Chen Wei, Xue Li, Jingyi Mao, Guoping Zhang, Wenhao Zhang, Li Long, Ming Wang, Kechuan Tian and Xixia Huang

Animals 2025, 15(11), 1505; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15111505 (registering DOI) - 22 May 2025

Abstract

Optimal litter size on goat farms is an important trait for production and economic efficiency. The ovary and uterus, key components of the reproductive system, play essential roles in reproductive performance. In recent years, numerous genes linked to goat reproductive performance have been identified. However, reliable marker genes that are specifically associated with litter size require further exploration. In this study, eight Jining Grey goats were divided into high-yield (n = 4) and low-yield (n = 4) groups on the basis of their kidding records to identify key regulatory genes associated with litter size. Ovarian and uterine tissues were collected during oestrus for RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). After two outlier uterine tissue samples were excluded, the remaining 14 samples were subjected to WGCNA and differential expression gene (DEG) analysis. A total of 1224 DEGs were identified (|log2(fold change) ≥ 1|, p ≤ 0.05), including 912 in ovarian tissues (monozygotic vs. polyzygotic, MO vs. PO) and 312 in uterine tissues (MU vs. PU). Through WGCNA, we identified 15 coexpression modules, among which four key modules were significantly correlated with litter size. Our analysis focused on the magenta and green modules, as they contained 11 and 3 candidate genes overlapping with the DEGs, respectively. Notably, three genes—FOXC1, FOSB, and FGL2—were found to play important roles in both ovarian and uterine tissues. These genes mainly participate in regulatory processes such as RNA polymerase II transcription factor activity, calcium ion binding, and extracellular space organization, highlighting their potential as key candidates for future research. Overall, we identified several gene modules associated with litter size in goats, providing potential molecular markers for investigating litter size traits in Jining Grey goats. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Small Ruminants)

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12 pages, 985 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Survival Outcomes and Predictive Factors of Mortality in Feline Epilepsy: A Comprehensive Retrospective Study

by Kreevith Prompinichpong, Nirut Suwanna, Vachira Hunprasit, Amonrat Thongbai, Wutthiwong Theerapan, Naris Thengchaisri and Panpicha Sattasathuchana

Animals 2025, 15(11), 1504; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15111504 (registering DOI) - 22 May 2025

Abstract

Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder in cats. However, information on the long-term outcomes and predictive survival factors based on neurological and clinicopathological findings is limited. We aimed to evaluate the clinical manifestations, survival rates, and hazard factors influencing survival in cats with epilepsy by analyzing the medical records of 90 cats diagnosed via brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The cats were divided into the survival and non-survival groups. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the significant survival factors. The mortality rates at one and two years were 33.2% and 37.8%, respectively. The median age of cats in the non-survival and survival group were 3 and 1 years, respectively. Age over 7 years (p = 0.002), paresis (p = 0.001), structural brain lesions (p = 0.015), leukocytosis (p = 0.001), neutrophilia (p = 0.001), hyperproteinemia (p = 0.037), hypoalbuminemia (p = 0.001), hyperglobulinemia (p = 0.003), and an elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (p = 0.041), were associated with an increased mortality rate. A multivariable analysis identified several predictors of early mortality in cats with epilepsy, including age over 7 years (p = 0.045), presence with paresis (p = 0.012), structural brain lesions (p = 0.042), leukocytosis (p = 0.005), and hypoalbuminemia (p = 0.030). Older age and structural brain lesions were shown to be key predictors of mortality and were important for prognosis prediction and management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Companion Animals)

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15 pages, 269 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Relative Humidity on Heat Stress Responses in Early-Lactation Holstein Cows

by Janghoon Jo and Honggu Lee

Animals 2025, 15(11), 1503; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15111503 (registering DOI) - 22 May 2025

Abstract

High relative humidity can increase the risk of heat stress in dairy cows, but its effects in humid continental climates are not well defined. This study evaluated how humidity levels influence dry matter intake, milk yield and composition, physiological response, blood hematology, metabolites, hormones, and heat shock protein gene expression in hair follicles. Sixteen multiparous early-lactating Holstein cows were assigned to four groups in a 2 × 2 factorial design with two temperatures (25 °C and 31 °C) and two humidity levels (50% (LRH) and 80% (HRH)). All cows were housed in climate-controlled chambers. Compared with LRH, HRH at both temperatures reduced dry matter intake, milk yield, milk fat, energy-corrected milk, and 3.5% fat-corrected milk. HRH also increased rectal temperature, heart rate, glucose, blood urea nitrogen, cortisol, and heat shock protein 90 in hair follicles. These results show that HRH, even at moderate temperature, affects dairy cow performance and alters physiological and metabolic functions. These findings emphasize the importance of precise management strategies to reduce the effects of humid heat stress on dairy performance. A comprehensive understanding of these responses is crucial for developing effective, sustainable solutions to ensure the viability of the dairy industry under increasing temperature and humidity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Animal Physiology)

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