Search Results (283)

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of breed and sex (3 × 2) on the basic chemical composition, concentration of some minerals, and physicochemical properties of edible giblets of farm geese. The study material consisted of edible giblets (livers, gizzards, hearts) obtained from 42 geese from three Polish native breeds (Rypin, Suwałki, Kartuzy) at 220 weeks of age. Edible giblets were obtained during goose evisceration from seven males and seven females of each breed. Each bird was an experimental unit. Goose breed and sex had a significant effect on the chemical composition and physicochemical properties of the edible giblets. Rypin geese had higher (p < 0.05) intramuscular fat content in the gizzard and heart, as well as higher protein content in the heart and lower water content in the gizzard, compared to Kartuzy and Suwałki geese. Kartuzy geese, in turn, had higher content of water in the heart, and higher concentrations of phosphorus, calcium, iron, manganese, sodium, and chromium in the liver, compared to Rypin and Suwałki geese. In turn, Suwałki geese had higher concentrations of phosphorus in the gizzard, and potassium, phosphorus, copper, and iron in the heart compared to the hearts of Rypin and Suwałki geese, while Kartuzy and Suwałki geese higher concentrations of sodium, magnesium, zinc, and manganese in hearts than the hearts of Rypin geese. In these studies, the highest lightness (L*) was observed in the liver and heart of Rypin geese, the lowest yellowness (b*) was observed in the gizzard of Suwałki geese, and the highest pH₂₄ and EC₂₄ were observed in the heart of Kartuzy geese. Regardless of breed, males had higher protein, collagen, and intramuscular fat contents in the heart, a higher water content in the gizzard, higher concentrations of potassium, and sodium in the liver and gizzard, copper in the heart and liver, and phosphorus in the gizzard, and less water in the heart and zinc in the liver, as well as higher (p < 0.05) concentrations of iron in the liver and heart compared with females. The breed by sex interaction was significant for intramuscular fat and water content in the gizzard and heart, and protein content in the heart. Significant differences were also noted for EC₂₄ in the liver and heart, yellowness of the gizzard, and concentrations of most labeled minerals in edible giblets. The obtained results indicate that the nutritional value and suitability of edible goose giblets for the poultry industry vary depending on breed and sex. Due to the limited research on the chemical composition and physicochemical properties of goose giblets, further research in this area is necessary in the future. Full article

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of genotype and diet on geese from crossbreeding meat lines Tapphorn (T) and Eskildsen (E). This study was conducted on 240 crossbred geese assigned to two dietary groups: an SBM diet group fed a standard soybean-based diet and an LPS diet group fed a yellow lupin-based diet. Birds were reared under identical management conditions and slaughtered at 17 weeks of age. The following traits were recorded: meat colour (CIELab), pH₂₄, cooking loss, breast and thigh muscle texture (shear force and energy), and sensory traits. The results showed a significant effect of both genotype and diet on meat quality. The LPS diet lowered shear force and energy (by ~11%, p < 0.001), reduced cooking loss in breast muscles (by ~5%, p < 0.001), and improved the juiciness and flavour of thigh muscles. The ET genotype positively influenced the meat colour intensity (lower L*, higher a*), while the lupin-based diet improved technological parameters, especially the water-holding capacity. The results confirm that replacing soybean meal with yellow lupin protein is an effective nutritional strategy that can improve goose meat quality and sustainability without compromising the sensory quality. These outcomes support developing soy-free feeding strategies in goose production to meet consumer expectations and reduce reliance on imported feed. Full article

(1) Background: Understanding the distribution of Salmonella serovars in food, animals, and their environments is crucial for identifying infection sources and monitoring pathogen prevalence in the food chain. This study analysed Salmonella serovars in Poland from 2016 to 2020, focusing on their epidemiological significance. (2) Methods: Isolation of Salmonella was carried out following PN-EN ISO 6579 standards, and serotyping was performed using the White–Kauffmann–Le Minor scheme. A total of 7104 isolates were collected from food-producing animals, their environments, food of animal origin, feedingstuffs, and fertilisers. (3) Results: A total of 175 serovars were identified, with S. Enteritidis (n = 2905; 40.9%), S. Infantis (n = 1167; 16.4%), and S. Typhimurium (n = 360; 5.1%) being the most prevalent. Species-specific patterns were observed: S. Enteritidis dominated in chickens, ducks, and cattle; S. Kentucky in turkeys; S. Typhimurium in geese; and monophasic S. Typhimurium in pigs. S. Enteritidis and S. Infantis were most frequent in food of animal origin, especially broiler meat. In feedingstuffs, S. Agona was predominant, while fertilisers mostly contained S. Derby and S. Infantis. (4) Conclusions: The study highlights the source-dependent variety of Salmonella serovars and the importance of serotyping in tracing infection routes and preventing the spread of pathogens. Identifying the most common serovars supports the development of targeted preventive measures, including improved biosecurity, hygiene, and management practices to enhance food safety. Full article

FP is a detrimental behavior for chickens, ducks, and geese associated with numerous physiological and neurobiological characteristics, which have been identified in many species as regulated by the gut microbiota. However, it is unknown whether and how gut microbiota influences FP by regulating neurotransmitter systems in geese. This study aimed to investigate the phenotypic correlation between feather pecking and changes in physiological, neurobiological, and gut microbiota profiles in gosling. Three behavioral phenotypes were observed in goslings, including severe feather peckers (SFPs), victims of SFPs, and non-peckers (NFPs). The significantly lower feather scores and body weights were observed in victims compared to both SFPs and NFPs (p < 0.05). Regarding the physiological phenotype, victims had higher dopamine (DA) levels than NFPs, and SFPs had lower 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in the serum than NFPs (p < 0.001), with intermediate 5-HT levels in victims. Victims had lower glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) compared to SFPs and NFPs (p < 0.05). Moreover, higher mRNA expression levels of HTR1A, SLC6A4, and TPH2 in the 5-HT metabolic pathway were detected in NFPs than those in SFPs and victims (p < 0.05). In addition, regarding gut microbiota measured by 16S rRNA sequencing, SFPs had lower diversity and comparable cecal microbiota compared to victims and NFPs. Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Ruminococcus spp., and Bilophila spp. were enriched in SFPs, while Bacteroides and Parabacteroides were enriched in NFPs. From the predicted bacterial functional genes, the cAMP signaling pathway, cGMP–PKG signaling pathway, and pyruvate metabolism were activated in SFPs. The correlation analysis revealed that the genera Bacteroides spp. were associated with differences in 5-HT metabolism between the SFPs and NFPs. In summary, differences in the cecal microbiota profile and 5-HT metabolism drive FP phenotypes, which could be associated with the reduced gut abundance of the genera Bacteroides spp. Full article

There are few studies on the extent to which waterfowl select plant food compared with what is available in wetland ecosystems. We used a new dataset on the presence of seeds in the alimentary canal or feces to identify flowering plant species whose seeds are ingested by North American ducks or geese. These data are a proxy for dispersal interactions because an important fraction of ingested seeds survives gut passage and is dispersed by endozoochory. We compared the plant traits of species whose seeds were ingested with those of species on the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Wetland Plants List (NWPL). Using a global dataset on plant form and function and chi-squared tests, we compared four categorical traits (moisture requirements, growth form, plant height, and seed mass) between species whose seeds are ingested by North American ducks and geese with the NWPL. Our analyses identified significant differences between the trait distributions of plants whose seeds were ingested by waterfowl guilds and those of the NWPL. Geese and ducks (except whistling ducks) ingested more aquatic and semiaquatic plant species than expected from the NWPL. All guilds except sea ducks ingested more herbaceous graminoids and fewer shrubs or trees than expected. Diving ducks interacted with fewer of the taller plants (>5 m) than expected, but otherwise plant height distributions did not differ from those expected. All waterfowl guilds ingested more species of intermediate seed size (1–10 mg) and fewer species of the smallest (<0.1 mg) or largest (>100 mg) size categories than expected. These results help to explain the role of the long-distance dispersal of seeds by migratory waterfowl in plant biogeography and how plant distributions are likely to respond to global change. Full article

Aerococcus urinaeequi is an opportunistic pathogen that has been isolated from humans, pigs, and chickens, but with no reports in geese until now. This research aimed to isolate and identify A. urinaeequi from four geese, and establish a specific PCR detection method for A. urinaeequi. Strain E1 was identified as A. urnaeequi through a combination of Gram staining (Gram-positive coccus), colony morphology (α-hemolysis), and whole genome sequencing analysis. Comparative genomics was used to analyze the genome sequences of five reference strains of A. urinaeequi to screen for a species-specific genomic region (401 bp). Based on this region, specific primers were designed to establish the PCR detection method for A. urnaeequi, and the specificity and sensitivity of this assay were tested. The results showed that the target sequence was specifically amplified only for the genome of A. urinaeequi, and that the minimum nucleic acid detection concentration was 7.08 × 10⁻³ ng/μL. The mouse infection model indicated that the target fragment could be amplified from the tissue samples of dead mice in the challenge groups, verifying the applicability of PCR for clinical sample detection. Specific sequences of A. urinaeequi were detected in the lungs of three pigs using the PCR method, confirmed to be consistent through whole genome sequencing, and previously identified as A. urinaeequi or A. viridans by 16S rRNA sequencing. For the detection of fecal samples from geese, canines, and felines using the PCR method, the highest positive rate was 36.9% (31/84) of geese, followed by 21.7% (20/90) of felines, and finally 6.9% (16/230) of canines. A strain of A. urinaeequi was isolated and identified in geese for the first time, and a species-specific PCR detection method for A. urinaeequi was established with high specificity and sensitivity, which could well distinguish the bacterial species A. urinaeequi from its phylogenetically related species, A. viridans. Full article

As a crucial characteristic waterfowl breed, the egg-laying performance of Lion-Headed Geese serves as a core indicator for precision breeding. Under large-scale flat rearing and selection practices, high phenotypic similarity among individuals within the same pedigree coupled with traditional manual observation and existing automation systems relying on fixed nesting boxes or RFID tags has posed challenges in achieving accurate goose–egg matching in dynamic environments, leading to inefficient individual selection. To address this, this study proposes YOLO-Goose, an improved YOLOv8s-based method, which designs five high-contrast neck rings (DoubleBar, Circle, Dot, Fence, Cylindrical) as individual identifiers. The method constructs a lightweight model with a small-object detection layer, integrates the GhostNet backbone to reduce parameter count by 67.2%, and employs the GIoU loss function to optimize neck ring localization accuracy. Experimental results show that the model achieves an F1 score of 93.8% and mAP50 of 96.4% on the self-built dataset, representing increases of 10.1% and 5% compared to the original YOLOv8s, with a 27.1% reduction in computational load. The dynamic matching algorithm, incorporating spatiotemporal trajectories and egg positional data, achieves a 95% matching rate, a 94.7% matching accuracy, and a 5.3% mismatching rate. Through lightweight deployment using TensorRT, the inference speed is enhanced by 1.4 times compared to PyTorch-1.12.1, with detection results uploaded to a cloud database in real time. This solution overcomes the technical bottleneck of individual selection in flat rearing environments, providing an innovative computer-vision-based approach for precision breeding of pedigree Lion-Headed Geese and offering significant engineering value for advancing intelligent waterfowl breeding. Full article

This study investigates the effect of monochromatic light on the body weight (BW), melatonin concentration and its receptors expression levels, intestinal health, and gut microorganisms of Yangzhou geese. Green light (GL) significantly increased BW, melatonin and its receptor expression levels, villus height (VH) and villus height/crypt depth (VH/CD) ratio, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) activities, as well as the abundance of Synergistota and Prevotellaceae_UCG-001, compared with white light (WL). Blue light (BL) significantly increased the mRNA expression of melatonin membrane receptor 1a (Mel1a) and nuclear receptor 1α (RORα), VH and VH/CD ratio, CAT activity, cecal microbes diversity, and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Red light (RL) significantly decreased average daily feed intake, reduced the abundances of Synergistota and Prevotellaceae_UCG-001, and increased Mel1a and RORα mRNA expression levels, MDA content, and cecum microbial diversity. Moreover, melatonin levels were significantly higher in the GL and BL groups compared to RL. Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels of Claudin-10, Occludin, and occludens-1 (ZO-1) were significantly upregulated under GL or BL exposures compared to the WL group, whereas RL only enhanced the expression levels of ZO-1. Spearman’s correlation analysis revealed that the relative abundance of Prevotellaceae_UCG-001 exhibited positive correlations with BW, melatonin and its receptors expression, gut health, and antioxidant capacity. Overall, these findings suggested that GL exposure enhanced melatonin synthesis and its receptors expression, modulated intestinal homeostasis and microbial ecology, and ultimately increased goose BW. Full article

Since its emergence in the United States in February 2022, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has caused significant losses for poultry operations, particularly in Iowa between February 2022 and December 2023. Branta canadensis (Canada goose), an abundant North American waterfowl species, is considered a potential reservoir host for H5N1. This study examined the relationship between Canada goose abundance and H5N1 occurrence in Iowa counties. Although counties with H5N1 cases comprised 13% of the state’s Canada goose population—and 32% of those counties had high goose abundance—an inverse relationship was observed. Bivariate analysis indicated that counties with high goose abundance were significantly less likely to report HPAI cases (χ² = 4.29, p = 0.04). Notably, intermediate goose abundance was associated with a 79% lower likelihood of HPAI occurrence (RR = 0.21, 95% CI [0.05, 0.90], p = 0.04). These findings highlight the limitations posed by the lack of accessible, high-resolution poultry farm location data, which hinders a definitive understanding of Canada geese’s role in H5N1 transmission. To address this gap, stakeholders should consider adopting next-generation surveillance tools like the Biothreats Emergence Analysis and Communication Network (BEACON) AI platform, or AI-integrated chemical sensors that generate real-time, actionable data for biosecurity decision-making. Given the uncertainty surrounding Canada goose role transmission dynamics, the species remains a relevant One Health concern. Full article

An enhanced snow geese algorithm (ESGA) is proposed to address the problems of the weakened population diversity and unbalanced search tendencies encountered by the snow geese algorithm (SGA) in the search process. First, an adaptive switching strategy is used to dynamically select the search strategy to balance the exploitation and exploration capabilities. Second, a dominant group guidance strategy is introduced to improve the population quality. Finally, a dominant stochastic difference search strategy is designed to enrich the population diversity and help it escape from the local optimum by co-directing effects in multiple directions. Ablation experiments were performed on the CEC2017 test set to illustrate the improvement mechanism and the degree of compatibility of their improved strategies. The proposed ESGA with a highly cited algorithm and the powerful improved algorithm are compared on the CEC2022 test suite, and the experimental results confirm that the ESGA outperforms the compared algorithms. Finally, the ability of the ESGA to solve complex problems is further highlighted by solving the robot path planning problem. Full article

This study investigated the effects of dietary sweet sorghum (SW) inclusion (0%, 4%, 8%, or 12%) on the growth performance, plasma biochemistry, antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology, and duodenal digestive enzyme activity of geese. A total of 144 male geese (28 days old) were randomly divided into four groups (36 birds/group; six replicates). Experimental diets were formulated to contain 0%, 4%, 8%, or 12% SW to replace corn. The geese’s body weight and feed intake were recorded at 49 and 70 days, with samples collected at 70 days. The results showed that as SW levels increased, the geese’s average daily gain decreased during days 28–49 (p < 0.05), while their average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed/gain ratio (F/G) increased during days 28–70 (p < 0.05). The cost of feed decreased with increasing SW levels, but the 12% SW group exhibited a higher feed cost/kg gain than the other groups (p < 0.05). The plasma biochemical parameters, antioxidant capacity, and duodenal digestive enzyme activity did not differ among the groups (p > 0.05). Geese fed 12% SW had higher duodenal villus heights than those in the 0% group (p < 0.05), and the jejunal muscularis thickness peaked in the 4% group (p < 0.05). The ileal morphology was unaffected (p > 0.05). SW increased the ADFI and F/G but had no adverse effects on plasma biochemistry, antioxidant status, or enzyme activity. Additionally, it improved duodenal and jejunal morphology. Based on the observed growth performance, feed cost/kg gain, and intestinal morphology, 8% dietary inclusion of SW is recommended. Full article

Microsporidiosis is a zoonotic disease that derives from disparate sources. Most of the microsporidial agents are host-specific but some are capable of interspecies transmission, causing disease in various animals including humans. Human microsporidiosis may be caused by 17 species, with Encephalitozoon cuniculi, E. intestinalis and E. hellem mostly being responsible for human infections worldwide. Wildlife and migratory waterfowl can serve as reservoirs of these human-infectious agents and play a significant role in disseminating these pathogens into the environment. The aim of the study was to detect E. cuniculi, E. intestinalis and E. hellem in wild, migratory greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons) and other Anatidae members in feacal samples obtained in north-western Poland, using a molecular method. We collected 189 fecal droppings from Anatidae species (75 samples from greater white-fronted geese and 114 from other Anser spp.) during autumn migration. New species specific primers for PCR amplification were used to amplify a fragment of the small subunit ribosomal (SSU) rRNA of E. cuniculi, E. intestinalis and E. hellem. All fecal droppings were negative for E. intestinalis and E. hellem whereas E cuniculi was detected in 6 of 189 fecal samples (3.2%; 95% CI: 1.3–6.3%). In total, 1 of 75 tested fecal samples of greater white-fronted geese was positive (1.3%; 95% CI: 0.08–5.7%) while 5 of 114 (4.4%; 95% CI: 1.6–9.1%) tested fecal samples without exact species affiliation (only Anser sp.) were also positive. The phylogenetic analysis placed the sequences obtained from the birds’ droppings in the clade E. cuniculi from various rodents, wild carnivores and humans. Our results provide the first description of the occurrence and genotyping of the microsporidian E. cuniculi in greater white-fronted geese and in other members of the Anserinae Subfamily. Our findings support the results of other authors that E. cuniculi may originate from diverse sources, including common waterfowl. Our results are important in a One Health context, as wild migrating waterfowl may disseminate this zoonotic agent in remote regions through their migratory behaviour. These species should be considered significant sources of zoonotic pathogens, potentially hazardous to domestic and farmed animals as well as humans. Full article

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an escalating concern in both human and veterinary medicine, particularly in the poultry sector, where antibiotic usage is substantial. Streptococcus spp. and Staphylococcus aureus are important pathogens in waterfowl, causing systemic infections. However, there is a significant lack of data regarding their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in waterfowl populations. This study aims to address this gap by determining the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of isolates from Hungarian waterfowl farms and evaluating resistance patterns in clinical isolates. Methods: A total of eight S. aureus and 19 Streptococcus isolates were collected from ducks and geese between 2022 and 2023. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed for 15 antimicrobials using the broth microdilution method. Potential associations between MIC values were analyzed using Spearman’s rank correlation test. Results: High MIC values were observed for tetracyclines, phenicols, and fluoroquinolones, in the case of Streptococcus, with 89.5% of isolates exhibiting resistance to doxycycline, 63.2% to florfenicol, and in the case of S. aureus, 25.0% to enrofloxacin. In the case of Streptococcus, a strong positive correlation was identified between tylosin and tiamulin (0.88, p < 0.001), as well as between tylosin and lincomycin (0.75, p < 0.001). A moderate correlation was observed between doxycycline and spectinomycin (0.72, p = 0.03), suggesting potential co-selection mechanisms. Conclusions: Our findings emphasize the necessity of continuous AMR surveillance in the waterfowl industry, particularly for multidrug-resistant strains. Understanding cross-resistance patterns is crucial for developing targeted control measures, and future studies should incorporate whole-genome sequencing to elucidate resistance determinants and co-selection mechanisms. This study highlights the potential public health and veterinary risks associated with AMR in waterfowl and reinforces the importance of responsible antibiotic use and the development of alternative therapeutic strategies in veterinary practice. Full article

China is home to a rich diversity of goose genetic resources, with more than 30 distinct breeds. These breeds are widely distributed in various environments with high annual mean temperature differences ranging from about 3.5 °C to 23 °C and annual precipitation differences ranging from about 230 mm to 2200 mm, positioning them as excellent models for studying environmental adaptability. With three genetic–environment association methods, the LFMM, Samβada, and RDA analysis, a total of 447 genes were selected by at least two methods. These genes are significantly enriched in three pathways, including the polycomb repressive complex pathway, the alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism pathway, and the GnRH signalling pathway. The scanning of all candidate single-nucleotide polymorphism variations found that only two variants located in a non-coding region (chr3:38968547, chr13:23863699) showed stronger positive selection in breeds living in a high-temperature environment. This research not only deepens our understanding of the genetic basis of goose adaptation to diverse environments but also provides a valuable resource for future selective breeding programs in the goose industry facing rapid global climate change. Full article

Strong broodiness is an important reproductive characteristic of Magang geese, manifested by periodic laying–incubation activities during the breeding season. To investigate the changes in ovarian activity, follicular development, and gonadal reproductive regulators during the laying–incubation cycle, this study examined ovarian morphology, follicular development, blood reproductive hormones, and the expressions of reproductive regulators in the gonadal stroma, follicular granulosa, and membranous layer of the follicles during the laying, early broodiness, depth of broodiness, and end of broodiness periods of Magang geese. The results showed that ovarian activity degenerated and atrophied with the onset of brooding: the number of LWFs and SYFs decreased rapidly; LFY disappeared; PRL in the blood increased significantly; FSH, P4, E2, and INH decreased significantly; and the mRNA levels of GnIH and steroidogenic factors were up-regulated in the ovarian stroma. With the termination of brooding, the ovarian activity was gradually restored: the numbers of LWFs and SYFs increased gradually; LYF began to appear; PRL in the blood decreased; FSH and E2 increased; P4 remained low; and expressions of GnIH and steroidogenic factors were down-regulated in the ovarian stroma. During the laying period, with the rapid development of follicles, the expressions of FSHR and GnIH were significantly up-regulated; GnIH expression peaked in the SY granulosa layer, while FSHR expression peaked in the F6 granulosa layer. As LYF developed and ovulation occurred, the expressions of FSHR and GnIH were significantly down-regulated, LHR expression was significantly up-regulated, the expression of GnIHR peaked in the F3 granulosa layer and then declined, PRLR expression was the lowest in the F1 granulosa layer, steroidogenic factor StAR was up-regulated, CYP19A1 was down-regulated, and 3β-HSD peaked in the F3 granulosa layer and then declined. The results indicate that GnIH/GnIHR, FSHR, LHR, and PRLR in the gonad correspond to the upstream reproductive hormones and the jointly regulated steroid hormone production and follicular development, which leads to periodic changes in ovarian activity during the laying–incubation cycle of the breeding season of Magang geese. GnIH/GnIHR might play an important regulatory role for FSHR, LHR, and PRLR in the gonads. Full article