Feeding Strategies to Improve Sustainability and Welfare in Fish and Poultry Production

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fish and poultry production are critical components of the world's food supply, providing a significant source of protein and essential nutrients for humans. However, traditional methods of feeding these animals often rely on unsustainable and food-competitive ingredients, which can have negative impacts on the environment and animal welfare. Developing new feeding strategies that are both sustainable and promote animal welfare is essential for the long-term success of the livestock industry. The aim of this topic is to investigate innovative feeding strategies that can improve sustainability and animal welfare in fish and poultry production. The primary objective is to highlight research that has investigated alternative feed ingredients, immunostimulants, feed formulations, and feeding systems that can enhance animal health, reduce environmental impact, and improve the overall efficiency of animal farming. In this project, original research articles and reviews are welcome.

Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Alternative feed ingredients for fish and poultry, including insects, microalgae, and single-cell protein sources.
• Innovative feed formulations that promote animal health and welfare.
• Feeding systems that improve efficiency and sustainability, such as precision feeding and automated feeding systems.
• Nutritional strategies that optimize the use of feed resources and reduce waste.
• The impact of feeding strategies on the environmental footprint of fish and poultry production.
• The economic and social implications of adopting new feeding strategies in the livestock industry.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Sihem Dabbou
Dr. Giulia Secci
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Animals animals	3.0	4.2	2011	18.1 Days	CHF 2400
Aquaculture Journal aquacj	-	-	2021	15.0 days *	CHF 1000
Fishes fishes	2.3	1.9	2016	15.7 Days	CHF 2600
Life life	3.2	2.7	2011	17.5 Days	CHF 2600
Poultry poultry	-	-	2022	25.1 Days	CHF 1000

* Median value for all MDPI journals in the second half of 2023.

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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All Animals Aquaculture Journal Fishes Life Poultry

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11 pages, 1055 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Dietary Sodium Propionate on Growth, Digestive Enzyme Activity, and Expression of Immune System Genes in Juveniles of Tropical Gar (Atractosteus tropicus)

by Jesús G. Arellano-Carrasco, Rafael Martínez-García, Alberto Asiain-Hoyos, Juan L. Reta-Mendiola, Pablo Díaz-Rivera, Susana A. Frías-Gómez, Talhia Martínez-Burguete, Gloria Gertrudys Asencio-Alcudia, Luis Daniel Jiménez-Martínez, Rocio Guerrero-Zarate, Cesar A. Sepúlveda-Quiroz and Carlos A. Álvarez-González

Aquac. J. 2023, 3(4), 227-237; https://doi.org/10.3390/aquacj3040018 - 20 Nov 2023

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Abstract

We determined the effects of sodium propionate (SP) added to the diets of Atractosteus tropicus juveniles with respect to the growth, survival, digestive enzyme activity, and expression of genes that are associated with the immune system. Five treatments (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and [...] Read more.

We determined the effects of sodium propionate (SP) added to the diets of Atractosteus tropicus juveniles with respect to the growth, survival, digestive enzyme activity, and expression of genes that are associated with the immune system. Five treatments (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0%) were evaluated in triplicate on 180 fish (3.65 ± 0.12 g) distributed among 15 (70 L) tanks. The juveniles were fed five times a day with 5% feed in relation to the biomass of the organism. The treatment with 0.5% SP showed a final weight value of 25.7 ± 4.5 g, absolute weight of gain (AWG) of 21.93 ± 4.39 g, and specific growth rate (SGR) of 3.1 ± 0.26. Treatments with 1.5 and 2.0% SP showed the highest survival (91.6%). The control group (0%) showed a greater activity of lipases. There was a tendency that the highest activity of alkaline proteases and chymotrypsin occurred in the 0 and 0.5% treatments. The maximum relative expression of the genes ocln, muc2, and nod2 occurred in the 1.5% treatment. The inclusion of SP in the diet of A. tropicus juveniles could benefit the activity of some digestive enzymes as well as the expression of genes related to the function of the intestinal barrier, therefore benefitting the survival of the organisms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Feeding Strategies to Improve Sustainability and Welfare in Fish and Poultry Production)

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12 pages, 5109 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Changes in Growth and Feeding Characteristics during Early Ontogenesis in Threadsail Filefish, Stephanolepis cirrhifer

by Wengang Xu, Jun Zeng, Weiping Mei, Lianglong Jiang, Soichiro Manabe, Yanqin Wu and Liming Liu

Animals 2023, 13(21), 3420; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13213420 - 04 Nov 2023

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Abstract

Background: We investigated the growth and feeding characteristics of threadsail filefish, Stephanolepis cirrhifer, during early ontogenesis. Methods: The growth indices of hatchlings fed compound feed were measured from 0 to 50 days post hatching (dph). The absorption time of the yolk sac [...] Read more.

Background: We investigated the growth and feeding characteristics of threadsail filefish, Stephanolepis cirrhifer, during early ontogenesis. Methods: The growth indices of hatchlings fed compound feed were measured from 0 to 50 days post hatching (dph). The absorption time of the yolk sac and oil globule, as well as the rate of first feeding were measured to characterise the early growth stage and determine the point-of-no-return (PNR). Feeding characteristics and rhythms were investigated under a light/dark cycle and under continuous light. Results: Growth indices increased significantly at 24, 28, 30, 40, 45, and 50 dph. The yolk sac and oil globules were completely absorbed before 4 dph, indicative of a short mixed-nutrition period at 3–4 dph. Under starvation conditions, the first feeding rate was highest (86%) at 0.5 dph and then decreased to 53.3% at 1.5 dph and 26.2% at 2 dph, suggesting that the PNR occurs at 1.5–2 dph. The feeding peak appeared at 15:00–18:00 and under light conditions, while the feeding trough appeared at 0:00–3:00. Conclusions: Compound feed supplied adequate nutrition for early growth and development. The peaks and troughs of feeding times were indicative of daytime feeding behaviour. These results provide guidance for successful rearing of filefish seedlings and juveniles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Feeding Strategies to Improve Sustainability and Welfare in Fish and Poultry Production)

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16 pages, 4338 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Adaptive Regulation of Light on the Stress Response of Mandarin Fish (Siniperca chuatsi) with Re-Feeding after Starvation

by Jian Zhou, Qiang Li, Zhipeng Huang, Lu Zhang, Chengyan Mou, Zhongmeng Zhao, Han Zhao, Jun Du, Xiaojun Yang, Xufang Liang and Yuanliang Duan

Animals 2023, 13(16), 2610; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13162610 - 13 Aug 2023

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Abstract

Light influences the stress response to environmental stimuli and feeding behaviors of Siniperca chuatsi and, thus, is an important regulator of normal growth and development. In this study, we first explored the important role of light on the digestive and stress capacity of [...] Read more.

Light influences the stress response to environmental stimuli and feeding behaviors of Siniperca chuatsi and, thus, is an important regulator of normal growth and development. In this study, we first explored the important role of light on the digestive and stress capacity of S. chuatsi by studying the changes in physiological and biochemical indicators of S. chuatsi, taking the re-feeding after starvation as the constant environmental stimulus and the light intensity as the adjustable environmental stimulus. The activity of protease and lipase was generally higher in the stomach tissues than in the intestinal tissues, especially lipase, which was higher in stomach tissues under all light conditions, and the protease and lipase activity peaked in the stomach tissues of S. chuatsi at a light intensity of 18.44 ± 3.00 lx and in intestinal tissues at 11.15 ± 2.01 lx, respectively, indicating that greater light intensity increased the digestive capacity of stomach tissues, whereas lower light intensity facilitated the digestive capacity of intestinal tissues. The tissues of the gill, stomach, and intestine had relatively high activity of stress-related enzymes, whereas the tissues of the brain, kidney, liver, and plasma samples had relatively low activity of enzymes. Collectively, the results show that light intensity at 11.15 ± 2.01 lx promoted digestive capacity in the intestine and enhanced the anti-stress ability of S. chuatsi in response to stress induced by re-feeding after starvation. These findings should prove useful for artificial breeding of S. chuatsi. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Feeding Strategies to Improve Sustainability and Welfare in Fish and Poultry Production)

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