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Feature Papers of Ruminants 2024–2025
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Feature Papers of Ruminants 2024–2025

A special issue of Ruminants (ISSN 2673-933X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 5492

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Leilson Rocha Bezerra

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Saúde e Tecnologia Rural, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Patos, Brazil
Interests: feeding; fermentation; goat; sheep; meat; milk; nutrition; rumination
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Phillip Lancaster

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Beef Cattle Institute, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
Interests: energy metabolism; feedlot nutrition; grazing management; liver abscess; production systems; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ruminant animals play a crucial role in sustainable agriculture by converting abundant resources, like rangelands, pastures, and crop residues, into food for humans. This has been a practice for thousands of years, aligning with farming principles; however, there has been debate over using human-edible food for ruminants. Critics question to what degree this is necessary or beneficial. Some argue that focusing solely on gross calorie or protein values overlooks the fact that much of the feed used in animal production is not suitable for direct human consumption, and that this can increase food costs. The efficiency of converting human-edible energy and protein into meat or milk varies based on factors like diet and countries' farming practices.

For this Special Issue of Ruminants, we are seeking the submission of manuscripts from all ruminant-related fields from our international readers, aiming to compile research that sheds light on the efficiency and significance of ruminant animals in food production in addition to the relationship between animal production and the different diets of ruminant animals, including their contribution to environmental impact.

You are welcome to send short proposals for feature paper submissions to the Editorial Office (ruminants@mdpi.com) before submission.

We look forward to receiving your manuscripts.

Dr. Leilson Rocha Bezerra
Dr. Phillip Lancaster
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. Ruminants is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly 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 1000 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

  • cattle
  • feeding
  • fermentation
  • fiber
  • goats
  • greenhouse gases
  • protein production
  • sheep
  • ruminant
  • sustainability

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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9 pages, 200 KiB  
Article
The Relationship Between Stature and Live Weight of Dairy Cows Between Birth and Maturity
by Michaela J. Gibson, Nick W. Sneddon, Chris W. Rogers, Penny J. Back, Keren E. Dittmer and Natalia P. Martín
Ruminants 2025, 5(1), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/ruminants5010007 - 5 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 735
Abstract
Lactational and reproductive performance are strongly associated with cow live weight and capacity. However, there are limited data published describing capacity (thoracic) growth and the prediction of final stature and capacity from measurements at birth. Therefore, the aim of this study was to [...] Read more.
Lactational and reproductive performance are strongly associated with cow live weight and capacity. However, there are limited data published describing capacity (thoracic) growth and the prediction of final stature and capacity from measurements at birth. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the relationship between stature and live weight of female dairy cattle between birth and maturity. Forty dairy cows, with records of stature and capacity from birth up until two years of age, underwent follow-up measurements for live weight, height at withers, wither-rump length, girth circumference and leg length on four occasions between 42 and 52 months of age. Measures of wither height, leg length and wither rump length at fourth mating had the strongest association with measures at birth (R2 > 0.90) compared to girth and live weight (R2 = 0.88 and 0.82, respectively). The weaker association between birth and maturity measures for girth is likely a reflection of the stronger relationship with live weight resulting in a later maturity (approximately 810 days) compared to linear measures such as height (approximately 730 days). Therefore, to maximise capacity, adequate nutrition is required until approximately 810 days of age when capacity growth is most sensitive to environmental input. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers of Ruminants 2024–2025)
11 pages, 526 KiB  
Article
Feed Intake and Growth Performance of Vietnamese Yellow Calves Fed Silages from Intercropped Maize–Soybean and Guinea Grass
by Don V. Nguyen, Beth Penrose, Ngoc B. T. Tran, Huyen T. T. Le, Hong T. Trinh and Stephen Ives
Ruminants 2024, 4(4), 602-612; https://doi.org/10.3390/ruminants4040041 - 12 Dec 2024
Viewed by 859
Abstract
Combining soybeans with grass or biomass maize in silage holds promise in addressing the nutritional limitations of individual crops, providing a roughage with a good energy–protein balance. This study evaluated the effects of replacing urea-treated rice straw (UTRS) with silages made from intercropped [...] Read more.
Combining soybeans with grass or biomass maize in silage holds promise in addressing the nutritional limitations of individual crops, providing a roughage with a good energy–protein balance. This study evaluated the effects of replacing urea-treated rice straw (UTRS) with silages made from intercropped maize–soybean and Guinea grass (GG) in calf diets on feed intake and growth performance. Sixteen native Yellow calves (130.7 ± 16.1 kg live weight and 12.8 ± 2.6 months old) were used; the experiment had a randomised complete block design with four dietary treatments: Treatment 1 (70% UTRS + 30% GG); Treatment 2 (40% UTRS + 30% GG + 30% Guinea grass silage); Treatment 3 (40% UTRS + 30% GG + 30% Guinea grass–soybean silage); and Treatment 4 (40% UTRS + 30% GG + 30% maize–soybean silage). The animals were fed 0.5 kg concentrate per 100 kg live weight daily, with unlimited access to forage and clean water, for 12 weeks after a two-week adaptation. The results indicate that silages containing soybean increased total weight gain and average daily gain (ADG) and decreased feed conversion ratio (FCR); however, silage replacements had no impact on dry matter intake and body conformation, suggesting that Guinea grass–soybean or maize–soybean silage can effectively enhance the ADG and decrease the FCR of growing calves fed UTRS-based diets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers of Ruminants 2024–2025)
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10 pages, 550 KiB  
Article
Behaviour of Cows with Johne’s Disease (Paratuberculosis)
by Gemma L. Charlton, Jeanette Churches, Emma C. L. Bleach and Vivi M. Thorup
Ruminants 2024, 4(4), 533-542; https://doi.org/10.3390/ruminants4040037 - 11 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1102
Abstract
Johne’s disease (JD) significantly reduces the welfare of cattle worldwide. As changes in lying and feeding behaviours are considered important tools for assessing health and early detection of diseases, the aim of this study was to compare lying and feeding behaviours of JD-positive [...] Read more.
Johne’s disease (JD) significantly reduces the welfare of cattle worldwide. As changes in lying and feeding behaviours are considered important tools for assessing health and early detection of diseases, the aim of this study was to compare lying and feeding behaviours of JD-positive (JD5) and JD-negative (JD0) cows around peak lactation. The cows were fitted with an accelerometer-based sensor to record step counts and lying behaviour. They were also fitted with a pressure-based halter from approximately 56 d post-partum to collect feeding and rumination data. Every 3 months, the cows were milk sampled to test for naturally occurring JD using an ELISA. JD5 cows [n = 14 (two positive results in any four consecutive ELISAs)] were matched to JD0 cows [n = 14 (consecutive negative ELISAs)] based on lactation stage, parity, age, and milk yield. Of the 28 cows, 9 JD5 and 9 JD0 cows provided sensor data for analysis. JD5 cows spent 1.7 h/d less lying compared to JD0 cows. No differences in time spent eating were found; however, JD5 cows spent 1.1 h/d longer ruminating and produced 80 more feed boluses/d than JD0 cows around week 8 of lactation. The reason JD5 and JD0 cows behave differently around peak lactation is unclear and therefore warrants further investigation focusing on behaviour, milk yield, and feed intake among cows with JD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers of Ruminants 2024–2025)
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15 pages, 851 KiB  
Article
Changes in the Fatty Acid Composition of Vegetable Oils Affect the Feeding Behavior, Feed Preference, and Thermoregulatory Responses of Sheep
by Évyla Layssa G. Andrade, José M. Pereira Filho, Kevily Henrique de O. S. de Lucena, Yuri C. S. Barreto, Ronaldo L. Oliveira, Bonifácio B. de Sousa, Antônio Fernando de M. Vaz, Juliana Paula F. de Oliveira, Mozart A. Fonseca and Leilson R. Bezerra
Ruminants 2024, 4(3), 433-447; https://doi.org/10.3390/ruminants4030031 - 7 Sep 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1678
Abstract
This research evaluated the effects of energy supplementation on sheep’s feeding behavior, feed preference, and thermoregulatory responses using technical cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL) and different vegetable oils with different unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) compositions. The experiment was completely randomized with five treatments: a [...] Read more.
This research evaluated the effects of energy supplementation on sheep’s feeding behavior, feed preference, and thermoregulatory responses using technical cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL) and different vegetable oils with different unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) compositions. The experiment was completely randomized with five treatments: a mixture of CNSL (0.5%) + vegetable oils [canola (high in monounsaturated fatty acids—MUFA), and corn, soybean, sunflower, or cottonseed oil (high in polyunsaturated fatty acids-PUFA) at 1.5%] based on total diet dry matter, with eight replications. Forty uncastrated male sheep, with an average initial BW of 24.44 ± 1.5 kg, were evaluated for 70 days. The CNSL + vegetable oil blend did not affect DM and neutral detergent fiber (aNDF) intake (p > 0.05). However, diets with canola oil resulted in higher SFA intake (p < 0.05) than other oils. The canola oil + CNSL blend led to a higher intake of UFA and MUFA and lower PUFA intake than other oil blends (p < 0.05). Sheep fed canola oil ruminated fewer boli per day than those fed soybean and sunflower oils. Using three sieves (pef1.18) reflected in higher sheep aNDF intake. Respiratory frequency and surface temperature of sheep were lower before feeding than 3 h after, without effects of the type of oil. Higher serum creatinine and cholesterol levels were observed in sheep fed CNSL with corn and canola oils compared to other oils. Serum calcium was lower in sheep fed CNSL with soybean and canola compared to sunflower and corn. Including CNSL with vegetable oils with different FA compositions did not affect physiological and thermographic variables. However, sheep showed better diet selectivity and lower bolus rumination with higher MUFA (canola oil) content. Including CNSL with canola oil in sheep diets is recommended, as it increases dietary energy content, enhances diet selectivity, reduces PUFA intake, and does not impact animal health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers of Ruminants 2024–2025)
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Review

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25 pages, 933 KiB  
Review
Influence of Virtual Fencing Technology in Cattle Management and Animal Welfare
by Ishaya Usman Gadzama, Homa Asadi, Qazal Hina and Saraswati Ray
Ruminants 2025, 5(2), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/ruminants5020021 (registering DOI) - 29 May 2025
Abstract
Virtual fencing (VF) technology represents an innovative approach to livestock management, utilizing GPS-enabled collars to establish invisible boundaries through auditory and mild electrical stimuli. While VF offers potential benefits such as enhanced pasture management flexibility and reduced labor costs, its widespread adoption faces [...] Read more.
Virtual fencing (VF) technology represents an innovative approach to livestock management, utilizing GPS-enabled collars to establish invisible boundaries through auditory and mild electrical stimuli. While VF offers potential benefits such as enhanced pasture management flexibility and reduced labor costs, its widespread adoption faces challenges including high initial investment costs, connectivity issues, GPS accuracy limitations, potential device durability concerns, and individual animal variability in learning and response. Furthermore, despite studies showing rapid learning and generally minimal long-term welfare impacts, questions remain regarding optimizing training protocols, addressing occasional short-term behavioral disruptions and collar abrasions, assessing long-term welfare effects across diverse systems (especially intensive and dairy), and improving scalability. To comprehensively assess the potential and limitations of this technology and guide its future development and implementation, a review integrating existing knowledge on the efficacy, welfare implications, and practical applications of VF in cattle production systems is essential. This review examines the efficacy, welfare implications, and practical applications of VF in cattle production systems. Studies demonstrate that cattle rapidly learn to associate auditory cues with electrical pulses, achieving high containment rates (≥90%) within days, with minimal long-term welfare impacts as indicated by stable cortisol levels. However, short-term behavioral disruptions and occasional collar-related abrasions have been reported, particularly in dairy cattle. While VF enhances pasture management flexibility and reduces labor costs, challenges such as connectivity issues, individual animal variability, and high initial investment costs limit its widespread adoption. The findings suggest that VF is a promising tool for precision livestock farming, though further research is needed to optimize training protocols, assess long-term welfare effects, and improve scalability across diverse farming systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers of Ruminants 2024–2025)
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26 pages, 407 KiB  
Review
Enhanced Animal Welfare and Labeling in Cattle, Sheep, and Goats
by Maria Papageorgiou, Agori Karageorgou, Ouranios Tzamaloukas and Panagiotis Simitzis
Ruminants 2025, 5(2), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/ruminants5020019 - 13 May 2025
Viewed by 247
Abstract
In 2020, the European Union endorsed its “Farm-to-Fork” strategy, emphasizing the need for transparency in the food production chain and communication of the sustainability level and nutritional value of food products to the consumer through labeling. For animal-based products, this also includes information [...] Read more.
In 2020, the European Union endorsed its “Farm-to-Fork” strategy, emphasizing the need for transparency in the food production chain and communication of the sustainability level and nutritional value of food products to the consumer through labeling. For animal-based products, this also includes information about the husbandry systems under which the animals are raised. At the same time, people are becoming increasingly concerned both as citizens and as consumers about animal welfare issues in production species, as animal welfare is considered an integral part of sustainability and food security. This has led to the development of various enhanced animal welfare labeling schemes, initiated by public or private entities, or even as a partnership of both. Specifically for cattle, sheep, and goats, various standards have been developed and implemented in Europe, all establishing higher welfare standards compared to conventional farming, and in some cases exceeding the minimum requirements for organic farming as set by Regulation (EU) 2018/848. Most of these standards, especially those developed by NGOs advocating for animal welfare or through public initiative, were developed for semi-intensive to extensive systems. They primarily incorporate animal-based measures, including positive welfare indicators, offering a holistic approach to animal welfare evaluation. Although there is significant heterogeneity in European animal welfare standards, nearly all of them promote access to pasture, comfort, environmental enrichment, and, in some cases, even mother–young bonding. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers of Ruminants 2024–2025)
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