Search Results (807)

Intensive yak fattening in cold alpine regions requires essential long-term high-concentration feeding, which disrupts rumen microbial homeostasis and causes inefficient digestion of nutrients. Lactobacillus may have probiotic potential for ruminants, yet its regulation of rumen function is poorly understood under high-energy diets. During a 120-day feeding experiment, 120 male Pamir yaks were allocated to four dietary treatments, with LEG and LLG serving as the primary comparison for evaluating 0.02% Lactobacillus supplementation to explore the regulatory effects of Lactobacillus supplementation on the rumen microbiota and host metabolism of yaks during a fattening process based on a concentrate feed diet via phenotypic data (body wight and nutrient digestibility) and multi-omics analyses (rumen microbial sequencing and rumen epithelial transcriptome) in a concentrate-based rearing yak model. The results showed that Lactobacillus intervention reduced OTU (Operational Taxonomic Unit) richness during the early fattening period and subsequently promoted microbial recovery through colonization resistance, which significantly enhanced microbial diversity (p < 0.05), and restructured the microbial community structure toward efficient energy utilization under high-concentrate feeding by reducing Prevotellaceae and Ruminococcaceae abundance, increasing the Bacillota/Bacteroidota ratio (p < 0.05). Concurrently, Lactobacillus enhanced the apparent digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, and fibrous components (p < 0.05). According to the transcriptomic analysis, there was an activation of signaling pathways related to IL-18 and TNF, and up-regulation of immune-and metabolism-related genes, in addition to strengthening the rumen mucosal barrier function. Multi-omics integration supported that dietary supplementation of Lactobacillus can optimize rumen fermentation, enhance nutrient digestion, and strengthen immune defense in Pamir yaks fed high-concentrate in cold seasons. These modifications demonstrate the positive effects of the Lactobacillus supplementation strategy on yak rumen health without interfering with the high-energy intensive rearing pattern. The present research presents a scientific basis for the use of targeted probiotic strategies to improve the rumen health and efficiency of alpine yak production systems. Full article

This study focused on dietary supplementation with flaxseed in fattening pigs to observe health benefits and important biological findings, including cell membrane integrity, proliferation, and angiogenesis. Animals received flaxseed for 6 or 3 weeks prior to slaughter. Pigs were divided into a control group (standard diet) and experimental groups F6 (6 weeks) and F3 (3 weeks), which received flaxseed in the feed. Spectroscopy followed by an electrophoretic method was used to study the levels of basic biochemical parameters, including LDH. Subsequently, gas chromatography revealed fatty acid concentrations in the pigs’ livers, and finally, immunohistochemical analysis was used to detect CD31 and PCNA antigens in the liver and jejunum. The highest weight gain was measured in the F6 group. After slaughter, blood samples revealed a decreased glucose level in the F6 group, maintained levels of basic biochemical parameters, and decreased concentrations of LDH in blood, heart, liver, and skeletal muscle extracts, thus improving cell membrane integrity. A long-term supplementation period led to better utilization of essential fatty acids, an improved n-6:n-3 ratio, and other atherogenic indices related to cardiovascular health. Flaxseed also affected the expression of CD31 and PCNA proteins in the liver and jejunum, mainly in the F6 group. Full article

With the aim of evaluating the effects of combining a natural additive composed of a blend of essential oils plus vitamin D3 (EOD3) with Bacillus subtilis (BS) or with the antibiotic virginiamycin (VM) on growth-performance and carcass traits of finishing lambs subjected to high ambient heat load, 48 intact male lambs (initial weight = 33.71 ± 3.21 kg) were used in a feeding trial lasting 61 d. Treatments consisted of supplementing (as a feed basis) a total mixing finishing diet (90:10 concentrate-to-forage ratio) as follows: (1) without feed additives (Control); (2) supplemented with EOD3 (a blend of 100 mg essential oils plus 0.10 mg vitamin D3/kg diet); (3) diet supplemented with EOD3 plus 2 g Bacillus subtilis PB6/kg diet to provide 2.2 × 10⁸ CFU (EOD3+BS); and (4) basal diet supplemented with EOD3 plus 25 mg virginiamycin/kg diet (EOD3+VM). The temperature–humidity index (THI) during the experiment averaged 82.52 ± 1.10. Compared to non-supplemented lambs, lambs that received EOD3 alone showed greater (p < 0.03) average daily gain (ADG; 15.3%), gain-to-feed ratio (GF; 12.3%), and observed-to-expected dietary NE ratio (5.9%). The combination of EOD3 with BS resulted in identical ADG but a numerically larger DMI (7.1%, p = 0.087) than the EOD3 treatment, leading to lower (p = 0.024) GF and a lower (p < 0.01) observed-to-expected dietary NE ratio. In contrast to our expectation, combining VM and EOD3 did not increase growth response (p = 0.69), GF (p = 0.49), or dietary energy utilization efficiency (p = 0.09) when compared to EOD3 alone. Because the lambs that received supplemental EOD3 alone and their combinations showed greater final weight, hot carcass weight was heavier than in controls; however, no effects were observed on the other carcass variables evaluated, including whole cuts and shoulder tissue composition. Lambs that received EOD3 and their combinations showed a lower relative intestinal mass than controls (p < 0.04). This result confirms the role of EOD3 as a tool to minimize the negative impact of high ambient temperature on the performance of fattening lambs. Combining EOD3 with Bacillus subtilis or with VM did not improve energy utilization efficiency or carcass traits compared with EOD3 supplementation alone in lambs fattening under high ambient heat load. Further research is needed to better understand the interactions among different additives and to propose more effective supplementation strategies in animals subjected to different environmental conditions. Full article

The use of fruit by-products in animal feed can reduce costs and competition between human and animal feed. This study evaluated the effect of dietary inclusion of yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa) seed meal (PSM) on growth performance, in vitro fermentation, and feed costs in beef steers. A total of 36 steers (Bos indicus; initial BW 416 ± 30 kg) were randomly assigned to three treatments: a control diet (CON) and diets containing 5 or 10% PSM for 45 days. Feed intake and average daily gain (ADG) were measured. An in vitro fermentation assay evaluated gas production and pH changes. Steers fed with 5% and 10% PSM showed numerically higher group-level fresh matter intake (1.10% and 9.34%, respectively), and significantly greater ADG over the entire trial (p = 0.00015) compared to CON. In addition, diets containing 10% PSM produced the highest cumulative gas (17.00 ± 1.00 mL vs. 10.00 ± 1.00 mL for CON and 10.33 ± 2.52 mL for 5% PSM; p = 0.003), indicating high fermentability. Feed cost was reduced by 57% and 46% when using diets containing 5% and 10% PSM, respectively. In conclusion, this study reveals that dietary inclusion of up to 10% PSM improves feed intake and growth performance in steers while reducing feed costs, supporting its value as a sustainable feed ingredient for beef cattle. Full article

Optimizing protein nutrition in ruminants is vital for enhancing growth performance, meat quality, and overall production efficiency. However, the precise protein requirement for ruminants remains unclear. Two experimental trials were conducted to investigate the impact of varying levels of rumen-undegradable protein (RUP) on in situ feed degradability, growth performance, meat quality, and rumen fermentation parameters in fattening Hu sheep. In EXP 1, six Hu sheep were fitted with rumen fistulas to measure rumen degradation characteristics of diets varying levels of crude protein (CP) (13%, 14%, 15%, and 16% X RUP: CP 40%, 45%, 50%). The results showed that the ruminal DM and GE degradation had no difference between the experimental diets (p > 0.05). However, the CP degradation rate gradually decreased as the dietary RUP proportion increased (p < 0.05). In EXP 2, a double factorial experiment was conducted using 720 male Hu sheep, divided into twelve dietary treatments with varying levels of crude protein (CP) (13%, 14%, 15%, and 16%) and RUP (40%, 45%, and 50%). Key performance indicators such as body weight gain (BWG), average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were measured at the beginning and end of the trial. Post-slaughter, meat quality attributes, including drip loss and initial pH of the longissimus dorsi muscle, were assessed after 40 days of the trial. Rumen fluid samples were analyzed for volatile fatty acid (VFA) profiles to evaluate rumen fermentation efficiency. The results demonstrated that increasing RUP levels significantly improved BWG and ADG (p < 0.05) without affecting ADFI and FCR. Although dietary protein levels had minimal impact, higher RUP levels were associated with a trend toward increased final body weight (p = 0.09). Dietary protein levels and the RUP: CP ratio had no significant effect on meat quality (p > 0.05). Ruminal acetate, valerate, and iso-valerate concentrations were reduced as RUP: CP increased (p < 0.05), and propionate concentration showed a similar trend (p = 0.062). In conclusion, optimizing RUP levels in the diets of fattening Hu sheep significantly enhances growth performance without compromising feed efficiency or the overall rumen fermentation process. These findings provide a foundation for developing feeding strategies that maximize production efficiency in sheep farming. Full article

This study evaluated the effects of dietary sea buckthorn flavonoid (SF) supplementation on growth performance, serum biochemical, antioxidant, and immune indices, rumen fermentation, and ruminal bacterial composition in Hu sheep fed a high-concentrate diet. Thirty 6-month-old fattening Hu sheep were randomly assigned to a high-concentrate control diet (HC) or the same diet supplemented with 0.30% SF (HT; n = 15 per group) for 45 days. Compared with the HC group, SF supplementation increased average daily gain (p = 0.04) and reduced the feed conversion ratio (p = 0.01) without affecting average daily feed intake. Serum total protein, alanine aminotransferase, total antioxidant capacity, IgA, IgG, IL-2, IL-8, and IL-1β were increased in the HT group (p ≤ 0.05). Ruminal acetate and valerate concentrations increased (p = 0.01 and p = 0.03, respectively), and total volatile fatty acid concentration showed an increasing tendency (p = 0.06), whereas rumen pH was unaffected. The relative abundances of Succiniclasticum and Acidaminococcus increased in the HT group (p < 0.05), indicating modulation of specific ruminal bacterial taxa. In conclusion, supplementation with 0.30% SF improved growth efficiency, antioxidant status, selected immune indices, and specific rumen fermentation and bacterial responses in Hu sheep fed a high-concentrate diet. However, the isolated increase in serum alanine aminotransferase may indicate hepatic metabolic adaptation or mild liver stress. Dose–response and time-course studies incorporating liver-specific biomarkers and histopathological evaluation are required to clarify the hepatic safety of sea buckthorn flavonoid supplementation. Full article

Clostridium perfringens type A causes neonatal clostridial enteritis, hemorrhagic enteritis, and sudden death syndrome in cattle. This study examined a fatal outbreak at a fattening farm housing 58 adult yaks in Southwest China, with an incidence of 22.41% (13/58) and a 100% case fatality rate. Histopathology of deceased yaks showed widespread multi-organ hemorrhage and severe hemorrhagic enteritis. A specific PCR assay amplified the alpha-toxin gene of Clostridium perfringens, while no other pathogens were detected. Clostridium perfringens was isolated from small intestinal contents using TSC agar, designated strain CQ1, and identified as type A through toxinotyping. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that strain CQ1 carries the core alpha-toxin gene along with key accessory virulence determinants (pfoA, colA, and cloSI). Phylogenomic analysis based on core single-nucleotide polymorphisms revealed that strain CQ1 is clustered into a distinct, independent evolutionary lineage with an existing historical yak isolate and a canine-origin isolate. Intraperitoneal challenge in mice confirmed its extreme lethality, causing 100% mortality within 36 h with severe intestinal necrosis. These findings provide fundamental genetic resources for understanding the virulence mechanisms and genetic background of this pathogen and offer critical insights for preventing and controlling clostridial diseases in high-altitude yak farming. Full article

The sustainability of agricultural systems is linked to soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N) dynamics, both of which are influenced by fertilization management. To investigate the long-term effects of pig slurry, a 10-year field experiment was conducted in a Mediterranean semi-arid rainfed cereal system. Four N treatments were compared: mineral fertilizer (MN), slurry from fattening pigs (FS), slurry from gestating sows (SS), and a zero-N control. Grain and straw yields, SOC and its fractions, microbial biomass and activity, and N mineralization were measured after the final cropping season. Slurry increased grain yield by 21% compared with MN. The FS treatment also increased SOC by 24% compared with the MN treatment, mainly through the mineral-associated organic matter fraction (<0.05 mm). Soil basal respiration dynamics (Gompertz model) and the N mineralization rate (0.04382 day^–1; Stanford–Smith model) did not differ among N-fertilized treatments. However, the potentially mineralizable N pool increased under N fertilization, from 19% in MN to 51% in FS relative to the control. These results indicate that repeated applications of pig slurry can replace mineral fertilizer while maintaining or improving crop productivity and soil C storage. Incorporating N mineralization models into fertilization planning could further optimize slurry application rates and timing. Full article

Serbia’s nominal exchange rate has remained near 117 RSD/EUR since 2018, while domestic inflation has persistently exceeded the euro-area rate, producing real appreciation and raising concerns about agricultural competitiveness. This paper assesses dinar misalignment over 2010–2024 using three complementary but non-equivalent benchmarks: purchasing power parity (PPP), the behavioral equilibrium exchange rate (BEER, estimated through Johansen cointegration), and the fundamental equilibrium exchange rate (FEER). The PPP and FEER benchmarks indicate dinar overvaluation of approximately −23% and −13% by end-2024, whereas the fundamentals-based BEER places the dinar close to equilibrium over 2016–2024. These results are interpreted as layered diagnostics of price competitiveness, fundamentals consistency, and external sustainability, rather than as a single jointly identified equilibrium range. Sectoral simulations show strong asymmetry: depreciation raises IRR in export-oriented fruit/IQF production from 3% to 12%, while reducing livestock-fattening IRR from 9% to 6% through higher imported feed costs. Monte Carlo checks confirm these qualitative rankings across plausible pass-through and cost-share ranges. Maintaining the nominal corridor also carries a quasi-fiscal burden: NBS official interest expenses linked to sterilization amount to RSD 111.4 billion over 2021–2024, or 0.07–0.57% of GDP annually. The findings suggest that exchange-rate policy has simultaneous competitiveness, sectoral-distributional and quasi-fiscal dimensions, requiring gradual, transparent and exposure-differentiated policy responses. Full article

Indigenous pig breeds in China possess distinct biological characteristics, yet their growth dynamics and feeding behaviors remain inadequately characterized. This study compared growth performance, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and feeding behavior in four Hunan indigenous pig breeds, Dongshan (DS), Longtan (LT), Pushi (PS), and Taoyuan (TY), during the fattening stage (approximately 50–90 kg, over 60 days). Automated feeding stations were used to continuously monitor body weight, feed intake, and feeding behavior over 60 days in 48 pigs (12 per breed). Linear mixed model and generalized additive mixed model (GAMM) were employed to analyze growth trajectories, FCR dynamics, and temporal feeding patterns. The PS breed exhibited the highest daily gain (0.785 kg/day) and lowest FCR (3.98), whereas the DS breed showed the poorest feed efficiency (FCR 4.83). GAMM revealed significant non-linear changes in FCR and feeding rate across growth stages, with breed-specific critical windows of divergence. Notably, the TY breed achieved comparable growth to DS and LT with superior feed efficiency, suggesting adaptive metabolic characteristics. Diurnal feeding rhythms were conserved across breeds, despite marked differences in absolute feeding rates. These findings provide a fundamental database for precision feeding management and genetic improvement of indigenous pig breeds. Full article

The study evaluated the effects of feeding strategies on growth performance, health laboratory biomarkers, and antioxidant protection of slow-growing pigs, fed finisher diets containing alternative protein sources (local and by-product), as an element of sustainable pig production. The study involved 40 fattening pigs (Pulawska native breed), fed the same grower mixture, while dietary treatment was applied during the finisher phase (90–135 kg BW). The diet in all groups was isoenergetic and isoprotein, but differing in additives. Control pigs—mixture without additives; experimental groups—feed supplemented with 3% flaxseed together with 2% dried herbs (H), or 2% dried fruit (F), or 2% herbs with dried beetroot (HB). The experimental finisher diets did not change the fattening results, carcass, and physico-chemical traits of meat quality. Summarized, the tested feeding strategies can be proposed for the production of native (local) pork with higher PUFA n-3 and dietetic added value combined with the oxidative stability of the meat, with the diet containing flaxseed together with dried herbs proving particularly effective for inhibiting the negative effects of oxidative stress in pigs (higher CAT, SOD, GSH and lower MDA, LOOH observed in blood and meat, p ≤ 0.05), and improving their immune blood indices (higher IgA, IgG, IgM, lysozyme, lower Il6 and Il8, p ≤ 0.05). Full article

Including oilseeds in the diet is a widely studied strategy to reduce CH₄ emissions in ruminants, but the effects on ruminal fermentation depend on oilseed composition. This study compared the effects of including three oilseeds (soybean, sunflower and cardoon) differing in fiber content and lignification on in vitro ruminal fermentation and CH₄ production of dairy and fattening diets. Oilseeds were included to achieve two dietary lipid levels: low (3.5–4.0%) and high (5.5–6.0%). Diets were incubated in vitro with buffered ruminal fluid from sheep for 17 h. The high lipid level reduced microbial activity only in the fattening diet, particularly after 6 h of incubation, although this effect largely disappeared by 17 h. The most consistent differences among oilseeds were observed in NH₃-N concentrations, with soybean yielding lower values than sunflower and cardoon, suggesting reduced protein degradation due to soybean processing. In the fattening diet, cardoon at the low lipid level reduced CH₄ production compared with soybean and sunflower (44.9, 50.5 and 52.3 mL/g incubated dry matter) but also reduced total volatile fatty acid production and fermented organic matter, whereas no differences were detected for dairy diets. At equal lipid supply, sunflower and cardoon can replace soybean in dairy diets without negatively affecting ruminal fermentation, whereas cardoon may reduce CH₄ production and fermentation in fattening diets at low lipid levels. Full article

Controlling the microclimate in pig housing is essential for ensuring animal welfare and optimizing production efficiency. However, the dynamic, non-linear interactions of environmental and animal variables make microclimate management a complex undertaking. To better understand these interactions and develop predictive models to improve microclimate conditions in swine housing, in this study we analyzed indoor and outdoor temperature, CO₂ concentration, and animal activity in a naturally ventilated pig-fattening house using wavelet analysis, cosine models and coherence analysis. The wavelet analysis identified dominant periods of 24 and 12 h for temperatures, along with a relevant contribution from animal activity for the 8 h period. CO₂ concentration showed no persistent oscillatory pattern during the production cycle. The three harmonic cosine models provided satisfactory results for outdoor temperature (RMSE = 0.09–0.10; R² = 0.65–0.84), indoor temperature (RMSE = 0.08–0.10; R² = 0.52–0.78) and animal activity (RMSE = 0.06–0.16; R² = 0.43–0.61), but they were not suitable for CO₂ modelling. The wavelet coherence analysis revealed temporal phase differences among variables, notably with outdoor temperature and animal activity leading indoor temperature. Full article

This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional composition and fermentation quality of feed fermented by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus licheniformis as well as their effects on growth performance, meat quality, blood parameters, and gut microbiota in fattening pigs. A total of 72 healthy Duroc × Landrace × Large White crossbred barrows (68.78 ± 1.41 kg, p > 0.05 for initial body weight among groups) were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments, with four replicates pens per treatment and six pigs per pen. The pigs were fed one of three diets: (1) CK: 100% basal diet; (2) YR1: 50% basal diet + 50% feed fermented with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens YR3.2; and (3) YR2: 50% basal diet + 50% feed fermented with Bacillus licheniformis YR3.1. The experiment consisted of a 7-day adaptation period and a 50-day treatment period. The results showed that the crude protein, starch, lactic acid, acetic acid, and propionic acid contents were significantly higher in the treatment groups than in the control group (p < 0.05). The final body weight of fattening pigs, serum superoxide dismutase activity, and redness value of the longissimus dorsi muscle were significantly higher in the treatment groups than in the control group (p < 0.05). The carcass weight of the YR1 group was significantly higher than that of the other groups (p < 0.05). Moreover, the shear force of pork was significantly lower in the treatment groups than in the control group (p < 0.05). Microbial analysis showed that Firmicutes dominated the jejunum and cecum in all groups (>80%). In the YR1 group, the abundance of Clostridium increased in the jejunum, whereas the abundance of Terrisporobacter decreased. In the YR2 group, the abundances of both Clostridium and Terrisporobacter increased in the jejunum and cecum. In conclusion, fermented feed prepared with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus licheniformis has a positive effect on the growth performance of fattening pigs, but fermented feed prepared by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens YR3.2 has a more significant effect on improving growth performance, feed conversion efficiency and some meat quality indicators. Full article

Litter quality is a key factor influencing broiler welfare, particularly footpad health, yet the effects of loose versus pelleted natural litter formulations are not fully understood. This study assessed the impact of six treatments, composed of wheat straw, wood shavings, and peat in loose or pelleted forms, on litter moisture, pH, and footpad lesions during a 42-day fattening period. Litter condition was monitored weekly through scoring, moisture content, and pH measurements, while footpad integrity was assessed on a weekly basis throughout the fattening period. Loose litter exhibited higher moisture accumulation, greater pH variability, and earlier onset and more severe footpad lesions compared to all pelleted materials as well as wood shavings, which maintained more stable conditions and delayed lesion development. The initial physical properties and formulation of the litter materials contributed to these differences, with coarser textures potentially contributing increased mechanical stress on the footpads. Litter pH values converged and stabilized toward the end of the production cycle across all treatments. These results demonstrate that both litter composition and form significantly influence litter conditioning and broiler welfare. Careful selection and management of natural litter, with attention to moisture retention and pH stability, are essential to reduce footpad dermatitis and support optimal performance in intensive broiler production. Full article