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Effects of New Feeds or Additives on Farm Animal Performance...
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Effects of New Feeds or Additives on Farm Animal Performance and Carcasses Composition

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Farm Animal Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 April 2025) | Viewed by 3184

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Asta Racevičiūtė-Stupelienė

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Animal Rearing Technologies, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania
Interests: feed efficiency; animal performance; animal production; meat quality; sustainable livestock; feed alternatives
Prof. Dr. Vilma Vilienė

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Animal Rearing Technologies, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės Str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania
Interests: feed additives; animal nutrition; productivity; animal production quality; physiology; animal biotechnology; sustainable livestock; feed alternatives; animal science

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Exploring new feeds and additives is critical in modern farm animal husbandry in order to meet worldwide demand while also addressing the growth of populations. In the context of depleting traditional feed supplies and environmental problems in agriculture, innovative formulations and feed additives exhibit potential. These developments seek to enhance animal performance and meat quality through specific diets and biotechnology. Furthermore, the emphasis on sustainability encourages the development of alternative feed supplies and sustainable additives, mitigating the environmental impact of animal husbandry. This comprehensive strategy aims to balance the increasing consumer demand, enhance animal welfare, and reduce environmental impact. Through joint research and innovation, these approaches pave the way for a more sustainable and ethical future in livestock, aligning production with changing societal and environmental demands.

This Special Issue will investigate the influence of innovative feeds and additives on the performance of farm animals, their carcass quality, and meat quality. We encourage the submission of articles that provide novel insights into the productivity enhancements and alterations in carcass composition resulting from these advancements. Topics include growth rates, feed efficiency, nutrient utilization, and meat quality parameters. Both original research articles and reviews are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Asta Racevičiūtė-Stupelienė
Prof. Dr. Vilma Vilienė
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • new feeds
  • additives
  • farm animals
  • performance
  • meat quality
  • nutrition
  • growth rates
  • carcass composition
  • feed efficiency
  • sustainability

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1340 KiB  
Article
Brewer’s Grains on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Blood Metabolites, and Fecal Microbiota in Simmental Crossbred Cattle Finished in Feedlot
by Zitao Fan, Sha He, Qingjie Lin, Shiying Lin, Luwei Zhu, Rui Yang, Bingxia Chen, Dingcheng Ye and Pingting Guo
Agriculture 2025, 15(9), 977; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15090977 - 30 Apr 2025
Viewed by 140
Abstract
This study was conducted to evaluate the impacts of brewer’s grains (BG) on growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, immunity, antioxidant capacity, and fecal microbiota of Simmental crossbred cattle and the economic benefits. A completely randomized design was adopted in our study. Twenty-four 15-month-old [...] Read more.
This study was conducted to evaluate the impacts of brewer’s grains (BG) on growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, immunity, antioxidant capacity, and fecal microbiota of Simmental crossbred cattle and the economic benefits. A completely randomized design was adopted in our study. Twenty-four 15-month-old finishing Simmental crossbred male cattle (body weight, 433.43 ± 32.47 kg) were randomly assigned to three groups: control group (basal diet), 10% BG group (supplemented with 10% BG on a dry matter basis), and 15% BG group (supplemented with 15% BG on a dry matter basis). The trial lasted for 48 days, with serum samples collected on days 24 and 48 and fecal samples collected from days 46 to 48. Diets did not influence the average daily gain, dry matter intake, feed efficiency, and serum antioxidant parameters (p > 0.05). The 15% BG group showed significantly higher acid detergent fiber digestibility (p < 0.01) and elevated serum albumin levels on day 48 (p = 0.047) compared with the control group. As for fecal microbiota, there was a lower Chao index (p = 0.040) and a higher abundance of Romboutsia in the 15% BG group (p = 0.025). Moreover, the feed costs of cattle fell by 9.34% and 14.66% after 10% and 15% BG supplementation, respectively. On the whole, BG supplementation demonstrated no significant effects on growth performance or animal health in finishing cattle. The 15% inclusion level demonstrated the greatest cost reduction potential. We, therefore, recommend adopting 15% BG supplementation as the optimal strategy to enhance economic returns in cattle production systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of New Feeds or Additives on Farm Animal Performance and Carcasses Composition)
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16 pages, 741 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Mineral Supplementation in Rapeseed Cake Diet on Thyroid Function and Meat Quality in Broiler Chickens
by Tamás Tóth, Rita Éva Horváth, Ottó Dóka, Mihály Kovács and Hedvig Fébel
Agriculture 2024, 14(12), 2333; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14122333 - 19 Dec 2024
Viewed by 727
Abstract
Rapeseed is a high-quality protein source; however, its quality primarily depends on the variety, origin, and processing method. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a mineral supplement (“Peelko”; 27% Ca, 3.5% Mg, 800 mg/kg Fe) in terms of whether it is [...] Read more.
Rapeseed is a high-quality protein source; however, its quality primarily depends on the variety, origin, and processing method. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a mineral supplement (“Peelko”; 27% Ca, 3.5% Mg, 800 mg/kg Fe) in terms of whether it is suitable for reducing the remaining antinutritional substances in cold-pressed rapeseed cake, thereby improving the nutrient content and digestibility of rapeseed. The experiment was carried out with 600 Ross-308 broilers divided into three feeding groups: the control diet contained extracted soybean meal, the R treatment included 10–15% cold-pressed rapeseed cake (in grower and finisher phases), and the R+ treatment consisted of the mineral supplement in addition to the cold-pressed rapeseed cake. R+ had a beneficial effect on the FCR in the grower and finisher feeding phases; moreover, it increased the weight of thyroid glands and the T3 and T4 hormone levels in the blood serum to a lesser extent than R when compared to C (p < 0.05). Diet-specific changes could be observed through the histological examination of thyroid glands, where the acini became larger when the unsupplemented cold-pressed rapeseed cake was fed (R group). Using the mineral supplement (R+ diet) decreased the acinus diameter compared to the R diet, with a similar value to that observed in control birds. The protein content in the breast and fat content in the thigh showed milder changes in R+ than R, compared to C (p < 0.05). The relative ratio of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids narrowed in both R and R+ meat samples compared to C (p < 0.05). R+ may have a more favorable effect on oxidation processes according to the better MDA values in fresh meat (p < 0.001) and samples after 1–2 months of storage (p < 0.05) than R when compared with C. The negative modifications in the color parameters (L*, a*, and b*) and the organoleptic properties of the meat were less significant with R+ than R, compared to the control (p < 0.05). According to the results of this study, the R+ treatment was able to reduce the antinutritional effects of rapeseed, as evident from the properties of the resulting animal products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of New Feeds or Additives on Farm Animal Performance and Carcasses Composition)
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14 pages, 861 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Herbal Anticoccidials on Growth Performance in Experimentally Infected Broiler Chickens
by Vilma Vilienė, Asta Racevičiūtė-Stupelienė, Daria Murawska, Michał Gesek, Paulius Matusevičius, Zoja Miknienė and Monika Nutautaitė
Agriculture 2024, 14(12), 2261; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14122261 - 10 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1294
Abstract
Avian diseases, especially coccidiosis, represent a significant threat to poultry production, demanding research into the use of herbal supplements in birds’ diets. So, the aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of selected herbal components in mitigating coccidiosis in broilers and [...] Read more.
Avian diseases, especially coccidiosis, represent a significant threat to poultry production, demanding research into the use of herbal supplements in birds’ diets. So, the aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of selected herbal components in mitigating coccidiosis in broilers and to examine their overall impact on the productivity traits of broilers. A 35-day feeding trial was conducted with 1200 male ROSS 308 broiler chickens in two poultry facilities, one non-infected, using either usual coccidiostats (UC−) or 500 g/t herbal additive (consisting of Holarrhena antidysenterica, Ficus religiosa, Berberis aristata, Allium sativum, Embelia ribes, and Azadirachta indica; HA−) and the other intentionally exposed to Eimeria via drinking water at 7 days old, with corresponding control and experimental groups (UC+ and HA+). Dietary interventions significantly influenced broiler chicken body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG) throughout the trial, notably on day 21, with UC+ treatment yielding the highest values. Herbal supplements did not affect the feed conversion ratio (FCR) or liveability. Under infection, litter dry matter (DM) content differences were notable on days 14 and 21, favouring herbal additive treatments (HA− and HA+). Herbal supplements also impacted Eimeria presence in the duodenum and jejunum on day 21, with notable differences between treatments. Despite several limitations, the study reveals that herbal additions may effectively manage Eimeria infection and enhance litter quality in broiler production, since control treatments demonstrated improved development and anatomy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of New Feeds or Additives on Farm Animal Performance and Carcasses Composition)
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