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Veterinary Sciences
Special Issues
Health and Welfare of Farm Animals and Their Impact on...
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Health and Welfare of Farm Animals and Their Impact on the Quality and Safety of the Derived Products

A special issue of Veterinary Sciences (ISSN 2306-7381).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 2631

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Panagiotis Simitzis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Animal Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
Interests: milk quality; dietary antioxidants; animal welfare
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Athanasios I. Gelasakis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Anatomy and Physiology of Farm Animals, Department of Animal Science, Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece
Interests: animal health and welfare; herd health management; veterinary epidemiology; One Health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Farming systems are continuously evolving to satisfy the growing consumer demands for high-quality and safe products derived from animals reared under enhanced health and welfare standards. Moreover, it is increasingly evident that the viability of the modern livestock sector is intrinsically linked to the principles of sustainable production, the circular economy, and the conservation of natural resources. Within this framework, animal health and welfare, food safety, and public health have emerged as paramount concerns for consumers and producers. In recent years, the concept of quality has evolved to encompass more than just sensory attributes. Indeed, a broad range of criteria is now utilized to assess product quality, including the quality of life and the overall well-being of farm animals as determined by the occurrence of infectious and non-infectious diseases and welfare issues. The aim of this Special Issue is to present original research and reviews on the effects of farm animal health and welfare challenges on the intrinsic and extrinsic quality and the safety of the derived products.

Dr. Panagiotis Simitzis
Dr. Athanasios I. Gelasakis
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. Veterinary Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2100 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

  • animal welfare
  • animal diseases
  • milk
  • meat
  • egg

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1492 KiB  
Article
Residual Black Wolfberry Fruit Improves Meat Quality of Sheep by Enhancing Immune and Antioxidant Capacity
by Pingping Duan, Yuxia Yang, Liangzhong Hou, Ying Wu, Jinlong Li, Congbin Xu and Tongjun Guo
Vet. Sci. 2025, 12(4), 324; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12040324 - 1 Apr 2025
Viewed by 341
Abstract
The residual black wolfberry fruit (RBWF), rich in nutrients and active substances, has the potential to serve as an antibiotic alternative. This study evaluated the concentration-dependent effects of RBWF on serum biochemistry, immunity, antioxidant capacity, and meat quality of fattening sheep. Forty 3-month-old [...] Read more.
The residual black wolfberry fruit (RBWF), rich in nutrients and active substances, has the potential to serve as an antibiotic alternative. This study evaluated the concentration-dependent effects of RBWF on serum biochemistry, immunity, antioxidant capacity, and meat quality of fattening sheep. Forty 3-month-old sheep were randomly assigned into four groups with 10 replicates in each group and fed experimental RBWF-supplemented diets (0%, 2%, 5%, and 8%). The results showed that RBWF supplementation significantly increased the serum levels of TP, BUN, ALT, AST, IgA, IgM, T-AOC, SOD, and GSH-Px in sheep (p < 0.05), while significantly decreasing the levels of LDH, TG, LDL-c, IgG, and MDA (p < 0.05). Furthermore, dietary RBWF significantly increased the VB1 and IMP levels in the longissimus dorsi muscle of sheep (p < 0.05) and significantly decreased the contents of fat and cholesterol (p < 0.05). Finally, RBWF increased the contents of C20:4 and Glu (p < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with RBWF can improve the immune and antioxidant capacity of sheep and has a certain effect on improving the flavor of meat, of which 5% is the best. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health and Welfare of Farm Animals and Their Impact on the Quality and Safety of the Derived Products)
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11 pages, 273 KiB  
Article
Effect of Transportation Time on Weaner Pigs’ Welfare and Productive Losses in a Semi-Arid Region
by Ana Letícia Vieira e Silva, Nítalo André Farias Machado, José Antonio Delfino Barbosa-Filho, Carla Renata Figueiredo Gadelha, Jordânio Inácio Marques, Patrício Gomes Leite, Andressa Carvalho de Sousa, Wellington Cruz Corrêa, Maria Gabriela Marcineiro Araújo, Andreza Maciel de Sousa, Telmo José Mendes and Marcos Vinícius da Silva
Vet. Sci. 2025, 12(3), 214; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12030214 - 1 Mar 2025
Viewed by 1034
Abstract
Reducing losses during pig transport is essential for breeders and transporters, particularly in semi-arid regions, where high temperatures exacerbate transport-related stress and risk of losses. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of transport duration (short vs. long trips) on animal welfare and [...] Read more.
Reducing losses during pig transport is essential for breeders and transporters, particularly in semi-arid regions, where high temperatures exacerbate transport-related stress and risk of losses. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of transport duration (short vs. long trips) on animal welfare and production losses during the commercial transport of weaner pigs in a semi-arid region. A total of 20 commercial journeys were monitored, with transport times of 30 min (15 km) and 150 min (170 km). Upon arrival, physiological and behavioral stress indicators were assessed in 960 weaner pigs (26.4 ± 2.8 kg body weight, 48 per journey). Production losses were determined by calculating the percentage of injured pigs (NAI), fatigued pigs (NANI), and those that were dead on arrival (DOA), whereas the total loss was expressed by the sum of NAI + NANI + DOA. Weaner pigs transported for 30 min exhibited significantly higher (p < 0.05) rectal temperature, respiratory rate, and stress biomarkers (cortisol and creatine kinase levels). Additionally, this group showed a higher percentage (p < 0.05) of “sitting” pigs and a lower percentage of “lying” pigs in transit, as well as a higher frequency of agonistic behavior after transport compared to those transported for 150 min. Furthermore, higher production losses were recorded in the 30 min transport group, primarily due to the increased percentage of fatigued pigs and DOA pigs. Therefore, shorter transport operations in the Brazilian semi-arid region increased the risk to animal welfare and productive losses, likely due to handling-induced stress during loading. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health and Welfare of Farm Animals and Their Impact on the Quality and Safety of the Derived Products)
18 pages, 1332 KiB  
Article
Microencapsulated Escape Lysine with Tannin as an Adjuvant in Sheep Diets
by Roberto Matheus Oliveira, José Morais Pereira Filho, Claudiney Inô, Évyla Andrade, Kevily Henrique Lucena, Juliana Paula Oliveira, Elzania Pereira, Ronaldo Oliveira, Ricardo Edvan and Leilson Bezerra
Vet. Sci. 2025, 12(1), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12010014 - 1 Jan 2025
Viewed by 992
Abstract
The use of escape protein, which is absorbed in the small intestine, can improve the production of ruminant animals because it meets their protein requirements better. This study hypothesized that wax lipid matrices are effective encapsulants for escape lysine in ruminants and tested [...] Read more.
The use of escape protein, which is absorbed in the small intestine, can improve the production of ruminant animals because it meets their protein requirements better. This study hypothesized that wax lipid matrices are effective encapsulants for escape lysine in ruminants and tested tannin extract as an adjuvant. Forty intact male Santa Ines × Dorper sheep (~4 months old, BW 23 ± 1.2 kg) were allocated, in a randomized block design, to four treatments: control group (no lysine addition), supplementation with free lysine, escape lysine, and escape lysine + tannin extract. The ether extract intake was higher in the sheep fed escape lysine + tannin compared to the control and free lysine group. The sheep fed escape lysine presented higher DM and aNDF eating efficiency (p ≤ 0.05) compared to the free lysine and control groups. Escape lysine with and without tannin presented greater TDN compared to free lysine and control. The NFCs were lower in the free lysine diet, and the crude protein digestibility was higher in the sheep fed lysine + tannin and the control group compared to the escape and free lysine groups. The lysine treatments did not affect (p > 0.05) the performance, ingestive behavior, and blood parameters. The rectal temperature was higher in the sheep fed lysine escape compared to those fed free lysine. The sheep fed escape lysine + tannin exhibited reduced (p ≤ 0.05) large particles and improved peNDF 12 h after feeding. The escape lysine diet, regardless of the addition of tannin, improved the total digestible nutrients and eating efficiency, without affecting the performance, feed conversion, and blood variables of the sheep. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health and Welfare of Farm Animals and Their Impact on the Quality and Safety of the Derived Products)
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