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Animals
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Frontiers in Livestock Production, Health and Environmental Effects
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Frontiers in Livestock Production, Health and Environmental Effects

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 July 2022) | Viewed by 9978

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Serkan Ates

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
Interests: evaluation of pasture forbs with high bioactive compounds for livestock production, health and environmental effects; Livestock production in agrivoltaics systems; dryland legumes; evaluation of alternative forages sources (e.g. hemp and hemp byproducts) in livestock diets
Dr. Alan Iwaasa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Swift Current Research and Development Centre, Swift Current, SK, Canada
Interests: grazing management and ruminant nutrition; tame and native grasslands; forage quality and GHG emissions of beef cattle and perennial and annual forage systems
Dr. Aklilu W. Alemu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Agriculture et Agro alimentaire Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Interests: beef production systems; management and nutritional strategies to reduce the environmental impacts of beef production; farm-based life cycle analysis of greenhouse gas emissions
Dr. Racheal Bryant

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Sciences, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand
Interests: dairy production systems and nutritional strategies for reducing the impact of dairying on the environment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Animal production has to be increased substantially if the growing demand for animal-sourced food prompted by population growth is to be met. High production costs, small profit margins, environmental pollution, and public scrutiny will continue to present major challenges in meeting targets. Overcoming these challenges will require innovative methods, targeted management practices, and decision-support tools to enable producers to reduce the environmental impacts arising from animal agriculture. Addressing these issues is expected to lead to improved sustainability, environmental health, reduced greenhouse gas emissions from ruminants, and increased carbon sequestration. Our immediate goal is a sustainable and more resilient livestock production system where the performance and wellbeing of the animals are maintained at a high level while promoting the overall health of the ecosystem. To improve livestock farming systems, concurrent work is required to address issues regarding the efficiency of production, management, and environmental issues.

This Special Issue will welcome novel research papers, literature reviews, and short note articles on production, health, and environmental effects of animal agriculture in both pasture-based and confined production systems.

Dr. Serkan Ates
Dr. Alan Iwaasa
Dr. Aklilu W. Alemu
Dr. Racheal Bryant
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. 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

  • livestock production
  • plant bioactive compounds
  • greenhouse gas emissions
  • sustainability
  • grazing management
  • systems analysis

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2717 KiB  
Article
Supranutritional Selenium-Yeast Supplementation of Beef Cows during the Last Trimester of Pregnancy Results in Higher Whole-Blood Selenium Concentrations in Their Calves at Weaning, but Not Enough to Improve Nasal Microbial Diversity
by Jean A. Hall, Anitha Isaiah, Ened R.L. McNett, Joseph J. Klopfenstein, T. Zane Davis, Jan S. Suchodolski and Gerd Bobe
Animals 2022, 12(11), 1360; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12111360 - 26 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1464
Abstract
We previously reported that feeding Se-biofortified alfalfa hay to weaned beef calves in a preconditioning program increases whole-blood Se (WB-Se) concentrations and nasal microbiome abundance and diversity during the preconditioning period, decreases morbidity and mortality during the feedlot period, and increases carcass weight [...] Read more.
We previously reported that feeding Se-biofortified alfalfa hay to weaned beef calves in a preconditioning program increases whole-blood Se (WB-Se) concentrations and nasal microbiome abundance and diversity during the preconditioning period, decreases morbidity and mortality during the feedlot period, and increases carcass weight and quality at slaughter. The objective of the current study was to see whether similar improvements can be achieved through Se supplementation of dams during various pregnancy trimesters. In a two-year experimental study, 80 Angus-cross cows received once-weekly Se-yeast boluses containing 105 mg of Se, during either the first (TR-1), second (TR-2), or third (TR-3) pregnancy trimester, or were not bolused (CTR). Whole-blood Se concentrations were higher from CTR, to TR-1, to TR-2, and to TR-3 in newborn calves (all p < 0.01). At weaning, only calves from TR-3 mothers had higher WB-Se concentrations compared with calves from CTR mothers (p = 0.02), and no significant differences in nasal microbiome abundance and diversity or nasal microbiota were observed. In the feedlot period, morbidity was low, and no differences were observed. At slaughter, no differences in carcass weight and quality were observed. In conclusion, Se supplementation of pregnant cows is effective for increasing WB-Se concentration of newborn calves, and the increase can be sustained until weaning for calves born to TR-3 dams. However, the increase in WB-Se concentrations is small and does not result in beneficial changes in the nasal microbiome. Thus, calves should be fed Se-biofortified forages again at weaning in a preconditioning program in order to diversify the nasal microbiome prior to entering the feedlot. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Livestock Production, Health and Environmental Effects)
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15 pages, 980 KiB  
Article
Beef Steer Performance on Irrigated Monoculture Legume Pastures Compared with Grass- and Concentrate-Fed Steers
by Lance R. Pitcher, Jennifer W. MacAdam, Robert E. Ward, Kun-Jun Han, Thomas C. Griggs and Xin Dai
Animals 2022, 12(8), 1017; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12081017 - 14 Apr 2022
Viewed by 1441
Abstract
Fall- or spring-born steers grazed monoculture irrigated birdsfoot trefoil (BFT; Lotus corniculatus L.) or cicer milkvetch (CMV; Astragalus cicer L.) pastures for approximately 12 weeks for 3 years and were compared with steers on concentrate diets. In the 3rd year, an irrigated meadow [...] Read more.
Fall- or spring-born steers grazed monoculture irrigated birdsfoot trefoil (BFT; Lotus corniculatus L.) or cicer milkvetch (CMV; Astragalus cicer L.) pastures for approximately 12 weeks for 3 years and were compared with steers on concentrate diets. In the 3rd year, an irrigated meadow bromegrass (MBG; Bromus biebersteinii Roem. and Schult.) pasture treatment was added for further comparison. Steer average daily gain (ADG) was 1.31, 0.94, 0.83 and 0.69 kg d−1 on concentrate, ‘Norcen’ BFT, ‘Oberhaunstadter’ BFT, and ‘Monarch’ CMV diets, respectively; ADG on grass pastures was 0.43 kg d−1. The ADG on the concentrate diet was greater than ADG on legume or grass pastures, ADG was greater on BFT than CMV in every year (p < 0.03), and ADG on BFT was greater than ADG on grass (p < 0.03). The rate constant of gas production of an in vitro rumen fermentation demonstrated a slower rate of microbial digestion for CMV than for BFT. The elevated ADG on BFT pastures may be due to greater non-fiber carbohydrate (NFC) concentration and reduced neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentration combined with condensed tannins that protect proteins in the rumen but do not impede protein digestion in the abomasum and intestines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Livestock Production, Health and Environmental Effects)
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15 pages, 734 KiB  
Communication
Effect of a Blend of Essential Oils, Bioflavonoids and Tannins on In Vitro Methane Production and In Vivo Production Efficiency in Dairy Cows
by Carlo Angelo Sgoifo Rossi, Silvia Grossi, Matteo Dell’Anno, Riccardo Compiani and Luciana Rossi
Animals 2022, 12(6), 728; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12060728 - 14 Mar 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3610
Abstract
Two trials were performed to evaluate the efficacy of a blend of essential oils, bioflavonoids and tannins on methane (CH4) emissions (in vitro) and on the production efficiency of dairy cows (in vivo). The in vitro trial tested the production of [...] Read more.
Two trials were performed to evaluate the efficacy of a blend of essential oils, bioflavonoids and tannins on methane (CH4) emissions (in vitro) and on the production efficiency of dairy cows (in vivo). The in vitro trial tested the production of total gas and CH4 at 16, 20 and 24 h of incubation, and volatile fatty acids (VFA) at 16 and 24 h, through biochemical methane potential (BMP) assays. In the in vivo trial, milk yield, dry matter intake (DMI), feed conversion rate (FCR), milk quality and apparent total tract digestibility (aTTD) were evaluated in 140 lactating Holstein Friesian cows. Animals were allocated into two groups: (i) Control, standard diet; (ii) Treatment, standard diet plus 10 g/head/d of a powder with a 10% concentration of a blend of essential oils, bioflavonoids and tannins. Statistical analysis was performed using the mixed procedure of SAS either for single or repeated measures. For all the parameters a p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The blend significantly reduced the in vitro total gas and CH4 emissions at 16, 20 and 24 h of incubation (p < 0.001). In addition, acetic acid was reduced (p < 0.001), while propionic acid concentration was increased (p < 0.001) at 16 h and 24 h. In the in vivo trial, the Treatment group showed significantly raised milk yield, DMI, FCR (p < 0.001), and of the aTTD of cellulose and starch (p ≤ 0.002), while the milk quality traits were not affected. Overall, the results from the study indicated that the blend of essential oils, bioflavonoids, and tannins significantly reduced in vitro total gas and CH4 production and improved the production efficiency of lactating dairy cows in vivo. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Livestock Production, Health and Environmental Effects)
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16 pages, 475 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Fat Quality in Cow Milk from Alpine Farms as Influenced by Seasonal Variations of Diets
by Annalaura Lopez, Federica Bellagamba, Giovanni Savoini, Vittorio Maria Moretti and Donata Cattaneo
Animals 2022, 12(4), 515; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12040515 - 19 Feb 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2213
Abstract
The production systems linked to mountain animal husbandry have had an environmental, social and cultural role in recent years. Zootechnical systems based on feeding strategies, such as pasture grazing and grass-fed strategies, contribute to a significant increase in the relative amounts of favorable [...] Read more.
The production systems linked to mountain animal husbandry have had an environmental, social and cultural role in recent years. Zootechnical systems based on feeding strategies, such as pasture grazing and grass-fed strategies, contribute to a significant increase in the relative amounts of favorable fatty acids (FAs) in animal products, indicating their ability to improve the long-term health of consumers. In this study, we compared different feeding strategies in two small mountain farms in the Piedmont Alpine region, Italy. Particularly, during the summer season, the two farms were distinguished by the exclusive employment of Alpine pasture (farm A), assumed as the best way to improve the quality of the FA profile in milk vs. the supply of daily fresh cut mountain grass plus a reduced implementation with hay and concentrates directly in the barn (farm B). The milk fatty acid profile was analyzed using gas chromatography. The results showed the high quality of alpine milk collected in the two farms. Even with some differences, particularly evidenced when comparing the summer diets, the milk FA profiles in farm A and farm B were favorable from a nutritional point of view in both seasons. Milk samples obtained using the exclusive employment of alpine grazing during summer were represented by an FA profile of higher quality (lower saturated FAs, higher branched FAs and monounsaturated FA, favorable n6/n3 ratio). However, milk obtained using the integrated strategy (fresh grass plus concentrates in the barn farm B) resulted in a more homogenous composition during the summer season, with a higher concentration of polyunsaturated FAs. These outcomes suggested that the integrated strategy, even if related to a lower ability in improving milk FA profile, could represent a valid and cost-effective alternative for mountain farmers to obtain an overall superior quality of milk, which was not strictly linked to the grazing practice. The multivariate analysis showed that information contained in the milk FA profile may provide a valuable tool that can distinguish mountain-grass-based diet. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Livestock Production, Health and Environmental Effects)
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