Search Results (132)

The use of agricultural by-products as feed is essential for sustainable animal husbandry. This study assessed the effects of substituting whole-plant corn silage with a mixed silage of cotton stalks and grape pomace on growth, serum biochemistry, and jejunal metabolomics in Suffolk rams. In this experiment, 135 rams (6-mo, 30.55 kg BW) were allocated to 0%, 50%, or 100% replacement (CG, EG50, EG100) and fed for 120 d after a 15-d adaptation. Compared with the CG, average daily gain improved by 27.3% and 17.5%, and feed conversion improved by 30.8% and 15.4% in EG50 and EG100 (p < 0.01). Compared with CG, the levels of BUN, TNF-α and IL-1β in serum of EG50 and EG100 were significantly decreased. The levels of IgG, IgM, IL-4, antioxidant enzymes and total antioxidant capacity were significantly increased (p < 0.05). Subsequently, the slaughter performance and jejunal content metabolome of CG and EG50 were further detected and analyzed. The results indicated that the live weight, eye area and muscle crude protein content of EG50 were extremely significantly higher than those of CG (p < 0.01). In jejunal contents, 31 differential metabolites (EG50 vs. CG) were enriched in ABC transporters, branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis, mineral absorption, purine and biotin metabolism, and glucagon signaling. In conclusion, substituting corn silage with the mixed silage promotes growth, improves antioxidant and immune status, reduces serum urea nitrogen, enhances muscle protein deposition (EG50), modulates intestinal nitrogen, purine, lipid, and carbohydrate metabolism (EG50), and supports sustainable meat sheep production. Full article

Drought, one of the most severe natural disasters globally, has inflicted notable impacts on animal husbandry production, yet the current research on drought impact assessment in pastoral systems is plagued by obvious gaps, such as the lack of comprehensive quantitative evaluations integrating grassland ecosystem and livestock production indicators, unclear quantitative relationships between drought severity gradients and multi-level pastoral impacts, and the absence of validated quantitative assessment frameworks linking drought indices with actual pastoral economic losses. To fill these gaps, this study takes Inner Mongolia grasslands as the research area, analyzes the spatiotemporal characteristics of drought and its impacts on grassland net primary productivity (NPP) over the 50-year period from 1961 to 2012, and quantifies the differential impacts of three representative gradient drought events (1974 moderate, 1986 severe, and 1965 extreme) on grassland NPP, standard hay yield, sheep units and livestock economic losses. The long-term analysis shows that drought frequency in the study area decreases with increasing severity, with the typical steppe having the highest drought frequency and a “nine droughts in ten years” pattern in the central and western regions; drought intensity increases westward, and duration extends with rising severity, and its spatial distribution is highly consistent with the east–west precipitation gradient. Drought is the dominant driver of NPP variation, explaining up to 84% of NPP anomalies, with meadow steppe being the most sensitive to drought and desert steppe showing stronger drought resilience due to adaptive traits such as deeper root systems. The assessment of the three representative drought events reveals that drought impacts exhibit a linear amplification effect with severity, with extreme drought causing an average NPP loss 2.8 times greater, hay yield loss 1.1 times greater, and economic loss 4.4 times greater than those caused by moderate drought, and different grassland types show distinct response characteristics to drought of varying severity. The NPP loss spatial distribution is highly consistent with severe drought areas, and sheep unit loss is directly correlated with drought severity. Most importantly, the study validates a robust quantitative assessment framework ($SPI\to NPP\to hay yield\to sheep units\to economic loss$) with relative errors of less than 9% compared with historical disaster records, which systematically links drought indices with practical pastoral economic losses. This research clarifies the quantitative relationships between drought and multi-dimensional pastoral impacts, and provides actionable scientific insights for drought risk governance in arid and semi-arid pastoral areas such as Inner Mongolia. Full article

During the early growth stage, lambs are highly susceptible to pathogenic microbial invasion due to an underdeveloped intestinal structure, unstable microbial colonization, and immature mucosal immune function, leading to diarrhea, growth retardation, and elevated mortality factors that severely constrain the production efficiency and economic viability of the sheep industry. This study aimed to compare the regulatory effects of compound yeast culture (CYC) and yeast polysaccharides (YPs) on intestinal barrier function in Mongolian male lambs and clarify their underlying molecular mechanisms. Eighteen lambs were randomly assigned to three groups (n = 6/group): control group (basal diet), CYC group (40 g/kg), and YP group (3 g/kg). After a 30-day feeding trial, intestinal histomorphology, tight junction proteins, immune signaling pathways, and gut microbiota were analyzed. The results showed that both additives improved intestinal villus morphology, and CYC markedly increased the villus height/crypt depth ratio (p < 0.05). At the mechanical barrier level, CYC upregulated the protein expression of occludin, claudin-1, and ZO-1, whereas YPs increased occludin and ZO-1 expression (p < 0.05). Immunologically, CYC inhibited intestinal inflammation via the TLR4/TRAF6/MyD88/NF-κB pathway, increasing interleukin-10 (IL-10) and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) while decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokines. YPs exerted similar anti-inflammatory effects through the TLR2/MyD88 pathway. Microbial analysis indicated that both additives increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria including Eubacterium, Bacillus, and Succinivibrio, while reducing the potential pathogen Mogibacterium. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that Mogibacterium was positively correlated with TNF-α and negatively correlated with occludin expression. In conclusion, CYC and YPs effectively enhance intestinal mechanical, immune, and biological barriers via different TLR-mediated pathways and microbial modulation. Both natural additives have great application potential for improving lamb health, reducing antibiotic dependence, and promoting sustainable green animal husbandry. Full article

Strengthening the carbon sequestration function of agriculture and reducing carbon emissions during production are critical for enhancing the carbon neutrality capacity of agricultural systems. This study focuses on Lanzhou City in the arid northwest region of China, and uses the emission factor method to analyze carbon emissions and crop carbon sequestration within the local agricultural production system (2000–2023). The results indicate that plastic film and fertilizers, as agricultural production inputs, contribute substantially to the total carbon emissions of the planting industry, while the annual average carbon emissions from sheep account for approximately half of the total annual carbon emissions from animal husbandry. The annual average carbon sequestration of crops is 366,057 tons, with an average annual growth rate of 1.1%. The ratio of crop carbon sequestration to the total carbon emissions from planting and animal husbandry is approximately 2.1:1. Although the carbon sequestration of crops has increased over time, its average annual growth rate remains lower than that of carbon emissions from planting and animal husbandry, resulting in an Agricultural Sustainable Development Index of 54%. Therefore, further efforts are needed to control carbon emissions and increase the carbon sequestration capacity of crops to improve the sustainability of agriculture development in the region. Finally, the Monte Carlo algorithm is used to simulate and predict future carbon emissions from animal husbandry within the agricultural production system, thereby obtaining the relative trends in total carbon emissions from pigs, cows, and sheep over a given period. Limiting the scale and growth rate of major livestock populations can help limit the increase in carbon emissions from animal husbandry. Full article

Toxic environmental contaminants, such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) occur differentially in animal tissues. This study examined paired liver and muscle tissues from the same animals, reducing the uncertainty inherent in other studies that source tissues from different animals. Investigations were carried out on cattle and sheep from two separate herds in Southern Italy. As all animals experienced the same environmental impacts, husbandry, and feed regimes, contaminant distribution between tissues would result from physiological considerations, which would also allow for better examination of the effects of age. In both investigations, PCDD/F and PCB concentrations were significantly higher (p < 0.01) in the liver relative to muscle. A characteristic occurrence pattern showed PCBs dominating the combined toxic equivalence (TEQ) by >95% in cattle tissues and 78% and 67% in sheep muscle and liver, respectively. A majority of liver samples exceeded regulated maximum limits, and the herds were excluded from the food supply. Subsequent regional monitoring showed regulatory compliance of cattle/sheep meat and liver, but prominence of PCB-TEQ persisted. Concentrations of both contaminants declined strongly in the tissues of both species with increasing age of juveniles but stabilized in older animals (>one year in sheep; 2/3 years in cattle). Although weight gain might partly account for this pattern, the initial decline may also relate to inadequate levels of CYP enzymes in the youngest juveniles, but this would need to be confirmed in both species by targeted toxicokinetic studies during this perinatal period. The expression of these detoxifying enzymes is reported to rise rapidly with increasing postnatal age in many animal species, including sheep. Full article

Intensive sheep and goat farming in hot-arid regions faces unique welfare challenges that differ substantially from those encountered in cooler climates; however, few practical and validated assessment tools are specifically designed to assess welfare under such extreme conditions. In this study, the term practical refers to field feasibility under routine farm conditions, limited assessment time, and suitability for reliability-based application, rather than comprehensive validation of welfare outcomes. This study aimed to develop and pilot-test a simplified welfare assessment protocol, based on a reduced set of clearly defined, field-applicable indicators supported by explicit operational definitions and standardized scoring criteria, tailored for the United Arab Emirates, with a specific focus on extreme heat and intensive husbandry conditions. Candidate indicators were identified from validated international sources and screened for applicability to arid climates, meat-oriented production, and intensive systems. The refined indicator set was converted into operational scoring sheets and applied by trained undergraduate animal science students as assessors to 100 animals at an intensive research farm. Inter-observer reliability was calculated using Fleiss’ Kappa to evaluate consistency across assessors. Most behavioural and health indicators demonstrated substantial to almost perfect inter-observer agreement (κ-based), while environmental and some tactile indicators, such as body condition and hydration tests, showed moderate reliability. Based on the most reliable indicators, a climate-sensitive Arid-Hot Small Ruminant Welfare Index (ASR-WI) was developed by weighting four welfare domains—Behaviour and Mental State, Environment, Nutrition, and Health. The findings confirm that a simplified welfare assessment protocol can be reliably implemented under intensive hot-arid conditions when clear scoring criteria and structured assessor training are provided. The resulting protocol and index offer a practical foundation for routine welfare monitoring under intensive hot-arid conditions, as well as for policymaking and future longitudinal research. Full article

Pain associated with routine husbandry procedures in sheep can persist for several days or even weeks, yet current analgesic options, such as the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) meloxicam, typically provide only 24–36 h of analgesia. This mismatch between pain duration and analgesic coverage represents a fundamental limitation of current pain-management strategies in sheep. Sustained-release (SR) formulations are emerging as a promising approach to deliver longer-lasting pain relief from a single dose, reducing the need for repeated handling, and improving both animal welfare and farm efficiency. Emerging evidence highlights both the promise and limitations of different strategies to extend therapeutic coverage beyond 72 h. While preliminary results are encouraging, challenges remain in achieving consistent pharmacokinetic profiles and optimal peak concentrations. Advancing SR meloxicam formulations could support widespread uptake of welfare-focused innovations in the sheep industry. Although not yet widely available, sustained-release meloxicam represent a promising step towards making routine husbandry procedures more humane and efficient. Full article

Tail docking, serving as an important management intervention in animal husbandry, plays a significant role in regulating tail fat deposition and improving production performance and health status in fat-tailed sheep. This study systematically revealed the reprogramming effects of tail docking on the epigenetic landscape and transcriptome of fat-tailed sheep by integrating whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and RNA m6A methylated immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq). At the DNA level, the tail-docked group exhibited a pronounced trend of hypomethylation across multiple functional genomic regions, including promoters, exons, and introns. Differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were significantly enriched in pathways related to tissue development and stress response, such as the Hippo signaling pathway and adherens junctions. Pyrosequencing validation of the promoter region of the key gene DGAT1 further confirmed the reliability of the WGBS data. At the RNA level, RNA m6A modifications showed an overall up-regulated pattern: the tail-docked group displayed higher numbers of m6A peaks, greater total peak length, and increased genomic coverage compared to the control group, along with better overall prediction of modification sites. Genes associated with differential m6A peaks were closely related to processes such as stem cell pluripotency and cytoskeleton regulation. qPCR validation of several methylation-related enzyme genes (e.g., METTL3, FTO, YTHDF1) yielded results consistent with the sequencing trends. Through integrated analysis of DNA methylation and RNA methylation, we identified 143 genes with concurrent changes in methylation and mRNA expression, among which 41 genes were regulated by both DNA and RNA methylation. These genes were primarily enriched in the adherens junction pathway. Notably, two core genes CITED4 and ZNF644 showed significant changes across all three levels: DNA methylation, RNA methylation, and mRNA expression. This study systematically elucidates the epigenetic mechanism by which tail docking stress induces coordinated DNA hypo-methylation and RNA m6A hyper-methylation to regulate transcriptomic reprogramming in response to environmental intervention. The findings provide novel insights into the molecular basis of trait formation in livestock. Full article

This study was conducted to investigate potential regulatory mechanisms of hybridization increased the meat production performance in sheep. Thirty-six 3-month-old male lambs of Suffolk sheep (SFK, n = 12), Hu sheep (HH, n = 12), and their F₁ hybrids (SH, n = 12) were selected and raised in individual pens under identical nutritional supply and husbandry management regimes over a 95-day (including a 15-day pre-trial period) experimental period. At the end of the feeding trial, six sheep closest to the average body weight were selected from each group for the subsequent trial, involving the collection of Longissimus dorsi samples and the determination of production performance, muscle fiber characteristic and transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis. The results showed that the SH sheep had significantly higher pre-slaughter live weight and carcass weight than the HH sheep, while lower than those of the SFK sheep (p < 0.05). The muscle fiber density of the SH group was significantly higher than that of the parental groups, while the muscle fiber diameter and cross-sectional area were significantly smaller (p < 0.05). The collagen fiber content of the SH group was intermediate between the two parental groups and significantly higher than that of the SFK group (p < 0.05). Transcriptomic analysis identified 2920 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), which were mainly enriched in the AMPK, PI3K-Akt, and PPAR signaling pathways. Metabolomic analysis detected 1617 differential metabolites (DMs), which were enriched in the fatty acid degradation and steroid hormone biosynthesis pathways. Integrated analysis revealed that core genes SESN3 and metabolites (malate, testosterone) enhance energy supply capacity through AMPK pathway, thereby promoting muscle fiber proliferation and increasing meat yield in the hybrid sheep. In conclusion, the heterosis of the SH group originates from the remodeling of muscle fiber structure and the synergistic regulation of related pathways, which provides a theoretical basis for sheep crossbreeding. Full article

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)-induced mastitis poses a significant threat to animal husbandry. This condition triggers sustained mammary inflammation, oxidative stress, and disrupts mitochondrial homeostasis, ultimately impairing mammary gland function and milk yield. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a long-chain fatty acid found in meat and dairy products derived from ruminants. It exhibits multiple biological activities, including anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative stress-alleviating effects. Thus, this study sought to determine whether CLA alleviates S. aureus-induced mastitis in Hu sheep through the PPARG-UCP2 axis. Fifteen lactating Hu sheep were randomly allocated into three groups (n = 5): control group, model group, and CLA group. The CLA group received 1 mg/mammary gland of CLA via intramammary infusion for seven days, followed by S. aureus challenge (5 × 10⁷ cells/mL, 2 mL/mammary gland) in the model and CLA groups, while the control group received saline. Venous blood and mammary tissue samples were collected at two days post-infection. The results demonstrated that S. aureus infection significantly upregulated the expression of inflammatory factors (IL-1β, IL-6, and NF-κB) in the mammary tissue of Hu sheep, p < 0.01. Relative to the control, the model group showed increased ROS and MDA levels, a diminished NAD+/NADH ratio, and downregulated expression of the antioxidant factors SOD, Nrf2, HO-1, and SIRT3, p < 0.01. Furthermore, the expression of p-AMPK and mitophagy-related factors (PARKIN, PINK1, and LC3b) showed a statistically significant increase in the model group than in the control group, p < 0.01. S. aureus infection also suppressed the expression of PPARG and UCP2, p < 0.01. In contrast, the CLA group showed lower levels of inflammatory factors (IL-1β, IL-6, and NF-κB), ROS and MDA, while the NAD+/NADH ratio and the expression of antioxidant factors (SOD, p-Nrf2, HO-1, and SIRT3) were elevated compared with the model group, p < 0.01. Moreover, the expression of p-AMPK and mitophagy-related factors (PARKIN, PINK1, and LC3b) was reduced in the CLA group relative to the model group, p < 0.05. Concurrently, the expression of PPARG and UCP2 was higher in the CLA group than in the model group, p < 0.001. These findings demonstrated that S. aureus infection induced mastitis in Hu sheep mammary tissue, whereas CLA alleviated the infection by upregulating the PPARG-UCP2 pathway, thereby reducing inflammation, oxidative stress, and mitophagy levels. This study offers a novel perspective on mammary tissue repair during mastitis and expands the understanding of UCP2’s biological role. Full article

The Latvian Dark-head (Latvijas tumšgalve; LT) is the only sheep breed developed in Latvia. It is fully adapted to the country’s climatic conditions. As the sole national breed, it holds notable cultural importance by supporting traditional husbandry practices, landscape preservation, and regional identity. However, the dominance of commercial breeds threatens local genetic resources. Small-scale farms, where the LT population is concentrated, are especially vulnerable to population decline and possible extinction. This study assesses the genetic diversity within the LT breed and compares it with that of other major sheep breeds in Latvia. For the first time, lambs from sire rams of major breeds in Latvia underwent genotyping using the Illumina Ovine SNP50 BeadChip^® (San Diego, CA, USA). Genetic diversity was assessed with minor allele frequency (MAF) analysis. Breed-specific markers were identified by detecting fixed SNPs (MAF = 0) unique to each breed. In total, 27,561 highly polymorphic SNPs (MAF 0.3–0.5) were identified in the LT breed. This indicates substantial genetic differentiation from other sheep breeds raised in Latvia. Among the analyzed SNPs, 2668 (5.45%) were fixed in the LT breed. Of these, 55–131 were unique compared with other breeds. The OvineSNP50 panel is an effective tool for characterizing the genetic structure of the LT breed. It enables the detection of distinct genetic traits and interbreed differences. These results establish a genomic basis for targeted conservation and selective breeding strategies. Such strategies maintain the genetic integrity and competitiveness of the Latvian Dark-head. Full article

The Ulansuhai Basin stands as the most crucial ecological and economic zone in northern China. Resource and environmental planning serves as a core strategy, aimed at mitigating the consumption of environmental resources induced by economic expansion within the Ulansuhai Basin and facilitating the synergistic development of the economy and the environment. In this paper, by taking the data of the economy, resource and water environment of the Ulansuhai Basin during the period from 2010 to 2022 as the research basis, a fuzzy multi-objective programming model for the resource–environment and socio-economic system was constructed. The results showed that within the planting industry, giving priority to the cultivation of sunflowers and corn will enable the model results to remain in an optimal state. In the field of animal husbandry, the quantity ratio of cows to pigs should be maintained at 1.5:1, and the quantity ratio of sheep to cows should be controlled at approximately 20:1; these ratio settings were conducive to ensuring the model remains in an optimal state. When the ratio of planting industry to animal husbandry was set at 13.16:1 (with the unit of “head” for livestock quantity and “hm²” for planting area), the model arrived at the optimal solution. This study, by virtue of its analysis of the coordination mechanism of economic development with environmental protection in typical watersheds, can provide meaningful policy references for realizing the synergistic enhancement of ecological quality and economic benefits in arid and semi-arid basins, fragile ecological carrying capacity, and the balance between agricultural production expansion and environmental pollution control in these regions. Full article

The amount of attention paid to the welfare of animals and their maintenance conditions has grown considerably in recent years. This paper examines the effects of extensive and intensive housing systems on the environmental, behavioural, health, nutritional and social aspects of sheep welfare. It presents the current state of knowledge regarding this welfare, and its significant contributing factors, based on a search of PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Scopus using defined keywords. It compares the impact of the two systems on the physical, psychological and social comfort of the animals, and identifies husbandry practices conducive to improving welfare. In doing so, it pays particular attention to the role of social bonding and the importance of grooming interventions. The paper reviews the factors shaping welfare in different production systems, with a particular focus on extensive and intensive rearing. It demonstrates that while the extensive system is conducive to the realisation of natural behaviour and the formation of social bonds, it can also be associated with a higher risk of nutritional deficiencies and environmental stressors. In contrast, an intensive system allows better control of health and nutrition, but often limits the ability to meet behavioural needs. The study also discusses the importance of feeding strategies, herd structure and thermal comfort, as well as the impact of routines such as shearing and hoof correction. It demonstrates that high levels of welfare can be achieved in both extensive and intensive systems, provided that husbandry practices are appropriately adapted to the needs of sheep as a species. Full article

The utilization of proper fermentation techniques is a widely recognized, efficacious approach in animal husbandry for enhancing the feed quality. However, research on vegetable waste, particularly that of roots, stems, leaves, fruits, and peels, has been rarely reported. To this end, the present study was carried out to examine the impact of vegetable leaf fermentation on growth performance, immune function, antioxidant levels, intestinal morphology, and microbial composition in sheep. Fifty-four male sheep (Oula) with an average age of 6 months and an average body weight of (21.53 ± 2.03) kg were randomly divided into three treatment groups, with six replicates each. The groups were fed with a basal diet (CON), 30% commercial fermented concentrate (CFC), and 30% vegetable leaf fermented concentrate (VFC). The results showed that compared to the CON group, both the commercial fermented concentrate and the vegetable leaf fermented concentrate improved the final weight (8.93%), average daily gain (30.67%), and dry matter intake of the sheep (1.62%). VFC increased the serum T-AOC (34.45%) and significantly increased the activities of serum and liver GSH-PX (10.95%). Meanwhile, the addition of vegetable leaf fermented concentrate increased the levels of serum IgA (63.21%), IgG (73.06%), and IgM (69.41%). VFC increased the villus height of the jejunum by 87.4% and the ileum by 185.5% and improved the villus height/crypt depth (V/C) ratio of the duodenum and ileum. CFC can also increase the villus height of the duodenum and jejunum, but has no effect on the morphology of the ileum. In addition to its other regulatory effects, VFC can further improve the richness and diversity of the rumen microbial community in sheep, with a notable enhancement in the relative abundance of key phyla, including Bacteroidetes, Ascomycota, Zygomycota, Chytridiomycota, and Basidiomycota. At the same time, the relative abundance of Succinivibrio was reduced. It can thus be concluded that the vegetable leaf fermented concentrate improves the growth performance and intestinal health of sheep. Full article

In recent years, animal welfare has become a high priority in livestock production systems owing to the pressure to balance environmental sustainability, productivity, and ethics as demand continues to grow. This review presents the latest advances in small ruminant welfare, with emphasis on the effects of climate change, the main new innovative managerial and husbandry methods, and the use of precision livestock farming (PLF) technologies. In the first part, this review will examine how climate change is already re-shaping environmental and physiological conditions for farmed sheep and goats, with rising heat stress and negative impacts on both productive and reproductive performance. Secondly, more recent advances in small ruminant management will be presented, including improved housing systems, nutritional strategies, and behavioral monitoring, aimed at enhancing animal resilience and performance. Finally, particular focus will be given to the use of PLF tools for assessing milk quality and monitoring animal welfare. Evidence suggests that real-time monitoring technologies and sensor systems can accurately capture physiological and production parameters and provide an early sign of stress or health issues. Overall, the findings suggest that an integrated approach, combining climate adaptation strategies, welfare management, and the integration of precision technologies can serve as a key driver toward more ethical, sustainable, and resilient livestock production systems. Full article