Animal - Open Space最新文献

Feed Passage Syndrome (FPS) in broilers is a multifactorial condition characterized by wet excreta and decreased feed efficiency, which can be triggered by various contributing factors. Alternatives to antimicrobials, including phytogenics, are being studied to control this process. This study assessed oregano essential oil (OEO) in broilers subjected to a FPS challenge model. Three treatments (negative control, neomycin-fed positive control, and OEO-fed group) were included. All treatments were challenged with reused litter, inoculums of Eimeria spp. and Clostridium perfringens, and excess dietary CP. OEO-fed birds showed improved performance, better excreta characteristics, lower frequency of congested mucosa, reverted hyperplasia of the bursa of Fabricius, better antioxidant status, and higher breast and carcass weights and dietary protein and energy efficiencies. The OEO treatment was shown to influence the growth pattern of the broilers. In conclusion, the OEO showed positive effects in broilers challenged with a FSP model.

Damaging behaviours, such as tail biting, are common problems in pig production, compromising animal welfare and causing economic losses. Detailed studies are impeded by laborious direct observations. Tail biting is a broader phenomenon that begins long before lesions manifest, and behavioural problems caused by various stressors present themselves weeks before they escalate to damaging behaviour. Therefore, we collected detailed data on behaviours considered precursors to tail biting, such as oral and nasal manipulation of conspecifics. Dietary protein reduction is a promising way to reduce nitrogen emissions in pig manure, but its implications for animal welfare are not yet clear. The CP content in the diet was reduced to 80% of the recommendations. Pigs differ in their ability to utilise dietary proteins; therefore, there might be individual differences in how they cope with the protein reduction. Here, we present detailed data of focal observations of 95 pigs at an experimental farm with undocked tails. Pigs were observed directly by the same person for five minutes on four different days. All actions directed towards objects in the pen, interactions with and confrontations among pen mates, straw rooting behaviour and general activity were recorded. After the behavioural observations, wounds on different body parts and the cleanliness were noted by the same person observing the pigs. The protein efficiency of 94 pigs was obtained. The data set comprises six tables. The first table contains information on the animals, including the identities of their parents, farrowing group, sex, and protein efficiency. The other data tables contain four 5-min observations of each pig on 10 object-manipulation behaviours; 150 interaction behaviours, including reactions; 14 confrontation behaviours and their outcomes and reactions; 10 mounting behaviours, including reactions; two rooting behaviours; seven basic behaviours; and an index of general activity. The observations took place under comparatively good housing conditions. Pigs were given fresh straw daily, ad libitum access to feed, floor space above the legal requirements, and daily cleaning of pens, and they were closely monitored for signs of damaging behaviour; all of these are favourable conditions as they limit stress and the risk of damaging behaviour. These data can be used to further explore the relationships of specific behaviours and phenomena and their association with protein efficiency. The ethogram can be used as a template for further observations. Practitioners could use the data to support pigs’ need for occupation, such as by providing sufficient straw.

The objective of the current on-farm trial was to assess the impact of feeding extruded flaxseed on milk yield and composition. Thirty commercial dairy herds located in the province of Québec, Canada were recruited. The experiment began with a baseline period of 2 months during which each cow received their regular diets. Data collected during this period were used as covariate. Farms were then randomly allocated into a control group (n = 15; 767 cows) which continued to receive their regular diets, or a treatment group (n = 15; 863 cows) which received diets supplemented with extruded flaxseed (0.7 kg/d per cow) during an experimental period of 7 months. Significance was declared at P ≤ 0.05 and tendencies at 0.05 < P ≤ 0.10. Feeding extruded flaxseed did not affect feed intake but increased milk yield by 1.1 kg/d per cow, and feed efficiency by 6.5%. Dietary addition of extruded flaxseed increased milk fat (tendency) and lactose yield, whereas milk protein yield was similar between treatments. Estimated CH₄ intensity were reduced by 1.3 g/L of milk (−9.2%) in herds receiving extruded flaxseed. Feeding extruded flaxseed increased milk fat concentration of cis-9, cis-12, cis-15 18:3 and total n-3 fatty acids. Results of the current on-farm trial confirm observations made under experimental conditions that feeding moderate levels of extruded flaxseed improves production performance in dairy cows.

Autophagy is a lysosomal degradation pathway with a role in the turnover of cell components via self-digestion. Over the past decade, it has been recognised as an essential process to maintain cellular and energy homeostasis. Nevertheless, little attention has been paid to this process in farm animals. In pigs, the role of autophagy in skeletal muscle homeostasis and more specifically on the formation of multinucleated muscle fibres needs to be determined. Primary culture of satellite cells, the resident muscle stem cells, is an appropriate model to investigate macroautophagy (hereafter autophagy), the main autophagy process. The objective of the current study was to evaluate tools to monitor autophagy in this cell model and to specify the role of autophagy on cell differentiation. Samples of longissimus muscle were collected from 3- to 4-day-old piglets. After isolation, satellite cells were plated in growth medium, allowed to proliferate up to 80% confluence and then placed in an appropriate culture medium to differentiate into myotubes. Cells were explored from day 0 to day 3 of differentiation. Autophagy-related proteins and Adenosine Mono Phosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a major sensor for cell energy, were detected by Western blotting. Expression of genes related to autophagy were also quantified by qPCR. The Microtubule-associated protein 1 light-chain 3β forms ratio increased during cell differentiation whereas phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and sequestosome 1 proteins decreased significantly. Mitochondrial protein expression also decreased significantly with satellite cell differentiation. Then, cell treatment with an inhibitor of autophagy flux, Bafilomycin A1, confirmed that autophagy was activated during the conversion of myoblasts into myotubes along with AMPK activation in our satellite cell culture model. In conclusion, we provided tools for porcine autophagy investigation in tissues or cells and demonstrated that basal autophagy and energy metabolism are concomitantly modulated during porcine myogenesis in vitro.

This study aimed to investigate factors that influence the use of concentrate in dairy farms based on farmers' perceptions of dairy system characteristics and relationships with the dairy industry. Data were collected through questionnaires administered on-site to 155 dairy farmers in Paraná State, Brazil. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Dairy farmers' perceptions were measured by the theoretical constructs, concentrate feeding, forage, genetics, management, and market. The results revealed that dairy farmers' decision to adopt concentrate feeding was mainly determined by the genetic construct (defined by herd genetics and breeding technology) and the market construct (defined by the ability of farmers to negotiate milk prices with the industry and the number of interested buyers). Concentrate feeding was also found to be influenced by farmers' perceptions of the management construct (management of costs and animal performance) and the forage construct (forage source and farmers' self-confidence in providing forage to cows throughout the year). These findings suggest that strategies aimed at stimulating concentrate feeding in dairy farms should focus on the following factors (listed in order of importance): genetic improvement, farmer–industry relations, financial and herd management, and forage supply and availability.

The relational database SOWELL was created to better understand the behaviour and individual responses of gestating sows facing different short-term events induced: a competitive situation for feed, hot and cold thermal conditions, a sound event, an enrichment (straw, ropes and bags available) and an impoverishment (no straw, no objects) of the pen. The data were collected on 102 crossbred sows equipped with activity sensors, group-housed in video-recorded pens (16–18 sows per pen), with access to automatons. Feeding and drinking behaviours were extracted from the electronic feeders and drinkers’ recordings. Social behaviours, physical activities and locations in the pen were recorded thanks to manual video analysis labelling at the individual scale. Accelerometer fixed on the sows’ ears also recorded individual physical activities. The physical activity was also determined at a group scale by automatic video analysis using deep learning techniques. BWs, back fat thickness, and body condition (cleanliness, body damages) were recorded weekly during the whole gestation. Last gestation room data regarding environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, noise level) were recorded using automatic sensors. The database can fulfil different research purposes, namely sows’ nutrition for example to better calculate the energy requirements regarding environmental factors, or also on welfare or health during gestation by providing indicators.

Vulnerability has been a recurring theme in animal production research around the world, as it can lead to a series of outcomes, such as abandonment of the activity. Nevertheless, in Brazil, the fifth-largest milk producer in the world, studies assessing dairy farmers' vulnerabilities are scarce. Better understanding of dairy farm vulnerability may contribute to reducing the consequences of vulnerability. In view of these limitations, we sought to analyze the typology of dairy farms based on vulnerability characteristics. We applied on-site questionnaires to 128 dairy farmers located in Paraná State, Brazil. Structural, productive, and socioeconomic data were collected and subjected to factor analysis. Two vulnerability indicators were identified: F1, productive and economic indicator; and F2, feed self-sufficiency indicator. Hierarchical cluster analysis of factor scores revealed three groups of dairy farms: Group 1, highly vulnerable; Group 2, less vulnerable; and Group 3, non-vulnerable. Dairy farms with higher vulnerability represented most of the sample, followed by less vulnerable and non-vulnerable dairy farms. Our findings indicated that the productive and economic characteristics of farms contributed the most to explaining differences in vulnerability, followed by feed self-sufficiency characteristics. Social characteristics of farmers were not important in differentiating the analyzed sample. There was an interdependent relationship between vulnerability indicators, namely productive and economic characteristics and feed self-sufficiency.

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is an early organism in the colonization of mucosal tissue and has an influence on the development of mucosal and systemic inflammatory responses. To understand the impact of transfer of Immunoglobulin G (IgG), E. coli-specific antibody and general immune factors to the calf on the gut microbiota, an observational study that followed the temporal colonization of the intestine with E. coli as correlated with the total quantity of IgG and the antibody recognizing E. coli, was conducted in newborn Holstein calves. The calves were subjected to the “gold standard” of colostrum management, including dam vaccination prior to delivery to prime colostrum. Twenty Holstein dams, producing an adequate quantity of good-quality colostrum following uncomplicated deliveries of healthy female offspring, were utilized in this study. Each calf was monitored and scored daily for diarrhea. Blood and fecal samples were collected from calves on day (D) D1 (before colostrum intake), then D3, D7, D14 and D28 after colostrum feeding. E. coli isolated from fecal samples of the calves were assessed for virulence genes and the quantity per gram of feces using conventional Polymerase chain reaction and Real-time polymerase chain reaction quantitative, respectively. The total quantity of plasma IgG and the titer of E. coli-binding antibody were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The peak in diarrhea in the calves was observed on D12. No IgG or E. coli-binding antibody were detected prior to colostrum intake (D1). Both total IgG and binding antibody sharply increased by D3. Total and binding IgG declined with calf age. The total number of bacteria (16S rRNA) in feces was similar between D1 and D14. The number of total bacteria increased over the period from D14 to D28. The number of E. coli was minimal on D1. The number of E. coli increased during the period D3-D7. A decrease in the number of E. coli per gram of feces declines between D14and D28. The stable toxin gene was frequently identified in the E. coli isolated from the calves. Further, E. coli K99 was not identified in this study. While the gut was colonized by E. coli early in life corresponding to the peak level of IgG and specific antibody, a decreasing number of E. coli were observed as the passive immunity waned. This suggests that the function of the passive antibody may be to control colonization and seed innate immune function that then stabilizes the level of E. coli in the digestive tract of calves.

Providing rabbits with outdoor access allows them to express a large repertoire of behaviours and addresses societal expectations surrounding animal welfare in livestock systems. The aim of this work was to study rabbit growth, health, and behaviour according to genetic type and pasture area size. We distributed 192 weaned rabbits into two groups with different pasture sizes, i.e., a large pasture (LP): 60 m² (n = 4 × 24) and a small pasture (SP): 30 m² (n = 4 × 24). Each group contained half Californian 1001 × New Zealand 1777 rabbits (1001) and half PS119 × New Zealand 1777 rabbits (PS119). Rabbits were reared from 31 to 73 days of age. Rabbit growth and morbidity were measured individually weekly for 36 days (from 31 to 67 days of age). The rabbits’ behaviours were assessed three times a day on days 44, 58, and 70 by a direct visual scan, and the use of space was evaluated six times a week based on the rabbits’ spatial distributions. The available biomass was evaluated on days 35, 50, and 73. Finally, the amount of corticosterone was measured in hair samples from 18 rabbits of each genotype in LP and SP on day 72. PS119 rabbits were heavier than 1001 rabbits on day 67 (2 444 vs 2 113 g, respectively; P < 0.05) but we observed no effect of genotype on mortality or morbidity. The animals expressed a large variety of specific behaviours on pastures, with grazing and resting being predominant. We found a lower level of corticosterone in PS119 rabbits than in 1001 rabbits (2.19 vs 6.34 pg per mg of hair, respectively; P < 0.05). LP pastures offered herbage until the end of the fattening period, enabling the rabbits to express grazing behaviour until the end of the experiment, and grazing behaviour was more frequent in LP-group rabbits (25.4 vs 21.5% of occurrences in LP vs SP; P < 0.05). This study found that a pasture of 60 m² for 24 rabbits enables the animals to express grazing for the entire fattening period. The rabbit genotype was found to influence some of their behaviour.

Milk lipolysis is defined as the hydrolysis of triglycerides, which are the main component of milk fat. Short-chain fatty acids (FAs) released in milk are responsible for rancid flavour. In addition, the presence of partial glycerides impairs the functional properties of milk, such as foaming and creaming abilities. Milk lipolysis, a key criterion used to assess milk quality, depends on animal parameters and breeding factors. Low-energy diets are associated with higher levels of spontaneous lipolysis, particularly in late lactation. In this study, dairy cows were fed a restricted diet (i.e. 65% of their ad libitum DM intake (DMI)) to induce spontaneous lipolysis in milk and to study milk composition associated with lipolysis. Two groups of 22 cows each received a control diet (100% of ad libitum DMI) or the restricted diet according to a 2 × 2 crossover design. The restricted diet was fed for five days. As expected, feed restriction increased milk spontaneous lipolysis which was associated with an increase in lipoprotein lipase activity. At the same time, milk yield and protein content decreased and no effect was observed on milk fat content. The increase in spontaneous lipolysis was associated with an increase in milk fat globules diameter, without influencing casein micelles diameter. Feed restriction altered the parameters of dairy cow metabolism, with increases in plasma non-esterified FAs, triglycerides and urea, indicating body fat mobilisation and protein catabolism associated with feed restriction. Feed restriction also altered hormonal parameters, with decreases in plasma insulin, insulin-like growth factor 1 and prolactin. As expected, lipolysis was higher in evening milk and was associated with a larger diameter of milk fat globules. This zootechnical approach will be completed with proteomic, lipidomic and transcriptomic studies of milk and/or mammary gland of animals selected for their extreme lipolysis.