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New Strategies for Efficient Livestock Farming: Nutritional Regulation, Disease Prevention,...
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New Strategies for Efficient Livestock Farming: Nutritional Regulation, Disease Prevention, and Environmental Sustainability Perspectives

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal System and Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 4204

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Guoqi Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Interests: phytogenic feed additives; plant extract; milk quality; animal production; immune response; nutrition metabolism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the increasing improvement in people’s living standards, the demand for animal products of high quality is also increasing. Reasonable nutritional regulation has a positive effect on animal productivity. The occurrence of animal diseases and the use of antibiotics have caused substantial economic losses to farmers. Feed additives with bioactive functions are one of the effective measures to alleviate animal diseases and improve productivity. Regulating the microbiota improves gastrointestinal function, reduces methane emissions, enhances feed utilization efficiency, and promotes sustainable environmental development.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following topics: (1) improving animal productivity by changing feeding methods; (2) the impact of bioactive feed additives on animal health (including molecular mechanism research); and (3) changes in the gut microbiota of animals and effective measures to alleviate methane emissions.

Prof. Dr. Guoqi Zhao
Guest Editor

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. Animals 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 2400 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

  • feed additives
  • animal health
  • animal productivity
  • immunoregulation
  • immune response
  • methane emission
  • microbial community

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 745 KiB  
Article
Supplementation with Lentinan Improves the Colostrum Quality of Holstein Dairy Cows and the Immunity and Antioxidant Capacity of Newborn Calves
by Yinghao Huang, Yapeng Hu, Longfei Lv, Dian Wang, Xiao Li, Sijia Liu, Zhao Zhuo, Caiyun Fan and Jianbo Cheng
Animals 2025, 15(6), 835; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15060835 - 14 Mar 2025
Viewed by 700
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of lentinan (LNT) on the quality of colostrum produced by perinatal dairy cows and the health status of their newborn calves. A total of 40 expectant Holstein cows, matched for parity and expected [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of lentinan (LNT) on the quality of colostrum produced by perinatal dairy cows and the health status of their newborn calves. A total of 40 expectant Holstein cows, matched for parity and expected date of delivery, were selected and randomly divided into four groups: a control group fed a total mixed diet (TMR); a low LNT group (10 g/d, LLNT); a medium LNT group (20 g/d, MLNT); and a high LNT group (40 g/d, HLNT). The study commenced 21 days prior to parturition and continued for three weeks. Colostrum was collected from the cows immediately after delivery and subsequently fed to the newborn calves. The results indicated that colostrum milk protein production and IgG production in the MLNT group were significantly increased (p < 0.05). Following colostrum gavage, serum SOD and IgG in both the MLNT and HLNT groups showed significant increases (p < 0.05), while MDA and IL-1β levels were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Moreover, calves in the MLNT and HLNT groups experienced lower incidences of diarrhea, pneumonia, and overall morbidity compared to those in the control group. In conclusion, LNT enhanced the quality of colostrum in perinatal cows and contributed to the health of newborn calves through colostrum. This study offers new research avenues for improving the health of newborn calves and provides a theoretical foundation for the development of LNT as a novel feed additive. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Strategies for Efficient Livestock Farming: Nutritional Regulation, Disease Prevention, and Environmental Sustainability Perspectives)
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14 pages, 3963 KiB  
Article
Sugarcane Extract (Polygain™) Supplementation Reduces Enteric Methane Emission in Dairy Calves
by Richard Osei-Amponsah, Pragna Prathap, Frank R. Dunshea, Richard Eckard, Matthew Flavel, Muhammed Elayadeth-Meethal and Surinder S. Chauhan
Animals 2025, 15(6), 781; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15060781 - 10 Mar 2025
Viewed by 786
Abstract
Polygain™ (PG), a polyphenolic extract from sugarcane, has recently been identified as a potential additive to reduce methane (CH4) emissions in livestock. This experiment examined the effects of PG on the enteric CH4 emission from Holstein Friesian weaned calves. Calves [...] Read more.
Polygain™ (PG), a polyphenolic extract from sugarcane, has recently been identified as a potential additive to reduce methane (CH4) emissions in livestock. This experiment examined the effects of PG on the enteric CH4 emission from Holstein Friesian weaned calves. Calves were allocated to annual pasture grazing and received supplementary pellets (200 g/calf/day; Barastoc calf-rearer cubes—Ridley Corporation). The experimental design followed was a completely randomized design (CRD), comprising 24 female calves (4–5 months old) allocated to two equal groups; control (standard pellets) vs. treatment (pellets formulated by adding PG to control pellets to deliver 10 g PG/calf/day). Experimental diets were fed for three months between August and November 2023, including a two-week adaptation period. Calves were weighed at the start and at the end of the study. A GreenFeed (C-Lock Pvt Ltd.) emission monitoring unit (GEM) was used to measure GHG emissions from the experimental calves in their groups in a 2-day rotational cycle. During a visit to the GEM, the calves were encouraged to enter an enclosed area or individual feeding stall where enteric CH4, CO2, O2, H2, and H2S measurements were taken. The results indicated a significant effect of PG supplementation on enteric methane emission in calves, with a lower production of CH4 in calves supplemented with PG (26.66 ± 2.06 g/day) as compared to the control group (35.28 ± 1.39 g/day, p < 0.001). The CO2/O2 ratio in the treatment (235 ± 14) and control groups (183 ± 9.6) differed significantly (p < 0.001). Overall, PG supplementation (10 g/calf/day) reduced their average methane emission per day and did not adversely affect the growth and development of experimental calves, confirming its useful anti-methanogenic potential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Strategies for Efficient Livestock Farming: Nutritional Regulation, Disease Prevention, and Environmental Sustainability Perspectives)
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12 pages, 257 KiB  
Article
Effects of Substitution of Wheat Straw by Giant Reed on Growth Performance, Serum Biochemical Parameters, Nutrient Digestibility, and Antioxidant Properties of Sheep
by Kai Zhang, Yibo Yan, Rui Zhao, Xianyi Song, Liying Du, Bochi Zhang, Chunlei Yang and Xiaopeng Tang
Animals 2024, 14(24), 3678; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14243678 - 20 Dec 2024
Viewed by 608
Abstract
The development and utilization of unconventional forage resources is crucial to alleviating the current situation of shortage of forage resources. Giant reed (Arundo donax) is a promising forage resource from the Poaceae family, one of the largest herbaceous plants globally, with [...] Read more.
The development and utilization of unconventional forage resources is crucial to alleviating the current situation of shortage of forage resources. Giant reed (Arundo donax) is a promising forage resource from the Poaceae family, one of the largest herbaceous plants globally, with fast growth, high biomass yield, and strong ecological adaptability. However, there are still very few reports on the use of giant reed in livestock and poultry production. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of adding giant reed instead of wheat straw in total mixed ration (TMR) diets on growth performance, blood biochemical indexes, nutrient digestibility, and antioxidant properties of sheep, thereby providing a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of giant reed herbage resources. A total of 24 fattening sheep (Han × Duper) with similar body weight (20 kg), age (2 months), and health status were randomly divided into four groups with six replicates per group. Sheep in the control group were fed a basal diet (CON), and those in the experimental groups were fed giant reed Lvzhou No. 1 instead of wheat straw, with replacement proportions of 10% (GR10), 20% (GR20), and 30% (GR30) of the total diet, respectively. The results showed that (1) the body weight (FBW) and average daily gain (ADG) of sheep in the GR20 and GR30 groups were higher than those of sheep in the CON and GR10 groups (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the feed to gain ratio (F/G) of sheep in the GR20 and GR30 groups was lower than those sheep in the CON and GR10 groups (p < 0.05), and the F/G of the GR30 group was lower than that of the GR20 group (p < 0.05). (2) The apparent digestibility of DM and CP in groups GR10, GR20 and GR30 was significantly higher than that in group CON (p < 0.005). The digestibility of NDF and ADF in groups GR20, and GR30 was significantly higher than that in the CON and GR10 groups (p < 0.05). (3) dietary substitution of giant reed for wheat straw had no effect on serum biochemical indices, except serum glucose (GLU, p = 0.014) of sheep. In addition, the substitution of giant reed for wheat straw had a tendency to decrease serum urea content of sheep (p = 0.098). (4) Dietary substitution of giant reed for wheat straw significantly improved serum T-SOD (p < 0.001) and T-AOC (p < 0.001), and significantly decreased MDA (p < 0.001) of sheep. In conclusion, replacing wheat straw with giant reed can significantly enhance growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and antioxidant capacity in sheep without adverse effects on their normal physiological functions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Strategies for Efficient Livestock Farming: Nutritional Regulation, Disease Prevention, and Environmental Sustainability Perspectives)
15 pages, 2199 KiB  
Article
Effects of High-Grain Diet on Performance, Ruminal Fermentation, and Rumen Microbial Flora of Lactating Holstein Dairy Cows
by Kexin Wang, Damin Song, Xuelei Zhang, Osmond Datsomor, Maocheng Jiang and Guoqi Zhao
Animals 2024, 14(17), 2522; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14172522 - 30 Aug 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1671
Abstract
The objectives of the current study were to evaluate the fluctuations in production performance, rumen fermentation, and microbial community in lactating dairy cows fed a high-grain diet (HG). In this study, 16 healthy Holstein lactating dairy cattle with similar milk yields of 16.80 [...] Read more.
The objectives of the current study were to evaluate the fluctuations in production performance, rumen fermentation, and microbial community in lactating dairy cows fed a high-grain diet (HG). In this study, 16 healthy Holstein lactating dairy cattle with similar milk yields of 16.80 ± 4.30 kg/d, days in milk 171.44 ± 23.25 days, and parity 2.2 ± 1.5 times were selected and randomly allocated into two groups. One group was fed a low-grain diet (LG; 40% concentrate, DM basis; n = 8), and the other group was fed a high-grain diet (HG; 60% concentrate, DM basis; n = 8). The experiment lasted 6 weeks, including 1 week for adaptation. The experimental results showed that the milk fat content in the milk of lactating cows in the HG group was significantly reduced (p < 0.05), and the milk urea nitrogen (MUN) content showed an increasing trend (0.05 < p < 0.10) compared with the LG group. Compared with the LG group, rumen fluid pH was significantly decreased after feeding a high-grain diet, and contents of total volatile fatty acids (TVFA), acetate, propionate, and butyrate were significantly increased (p < 0.05). The acetate/propionate significantly decreased (p < 0.05). HG group significantly increased the abundance of Prevotella and Bacteroides in rumen fluid while significantly reducing the abundance of Methanobrevibacter and Lachnospiraceae ND3007_group (p < 0.05). Microorganisms with LDA scores > 2 were defined as unique, with the bacterial genus Anaerorhabdus_furcosa_group identified as a biomarker for the LG group, and the unique bacterial genus in the HG group were Prevotella, Stenotrophomonas, and Xanthomonadaceae. The prediction results of microbial function showed that a total of 18 KEGG differential pathways were generated between the two treatment groups, mainly manifested in metabolic pathways, signal transduction, and the immune system. In conclusion, the HG group promoted rumen fermentation by altering the microbial composition of lactating cows. Our findings provide a theoretical basis for the rational use of high-grain diets to achieve high yields in intensive dairy farming. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Strategies for Efficient Livestock Farming: Nutritional Regulation, Disease Prevention, and Environmental Sustainability Perspectives)
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