Journal of Animal Science and Technology最新文献

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace mineral that plays an important role in physiological and biochemical responses by regulating the antioxidant system. Dietary Se is provided as a nutritional supplement to livestock diets in inorganic (ISe) or organic (OSe) form and has different bioavailability to animals. However, the comparison of the effects of dietary Se in different forms and levels of bioavailability are still limited. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary Se sources and levels on growth performance, carcass characteristics, proximate composition of pork loin, Se concentrations, and blood biochemistry of growing-finishing pigs. In a randomized complete block design (block = initial body weight and sex), 160 pigs (28.17 ± 3.03 kg of body weight) were allotted to five dietary treatments (4 pigs/pen; 8 replicates/treatment) and fed for 14 weeks. Dietary treatments were 1) a non-Se-fortified diet based on corn and soybean meal provided as control (CON), 2) CON + 0.3 ppm ISe (ISe3), 3) CON + 0.5 ppm ISe (ISe5), 4) CON + 0.3 ppm OSe (OSe3), and 5) CON + 0.5 ppm OSe (OSe5). Data and sample collections were conducted at the specific time points during the study. Pigs fed dietary OSe tended to have an increased (p < 0.10) gain to feed ratio in the grower phase compared with those fed dietary ISe. In addition, dietary OSe increased (p < 0.05) hot carcass weight compared with dietary ISe. In contrast, dietary ISe increased (p < 0.05) crude protein content of pork loin compared with dietary OSe. Se concentrations in the kidney and pork loin were higher when the dietary Se source was OSe (p < 0.05) and increased with increasing dietary Se level (p < 0.05). In the finisher phase, serum total protein, calcium, inorganic phosphorus, magnesium, and creatinine concentrations increased with increasing dietary Se level (p < 0.05). In conclusion, our study verified that dietary ISe and OSe each affected crude protein content of pork loin and tissue Se concentrations, respectively. Furthermore, blood biochemistry was modulated by prolonged intake with increased levels of dietary Se, regardless of the Se source.

Changes in posture and movement during the growing period can often indicate abnormal development or health in pigs, making it possible to monitor and detect early morphological symptoms and health risks, potentially helping to limit the spread of infections. Large-scale pig farming requires extensive visual monitoring by workers, which is time-consuming and laborious. However, a potential solution is computer vision-based monitoring of posture and movement. The objective of this study was to recognize and detect pig posture using a masked-based instance segmentation for automated pig monitoring in a closed pig farm environment. Two automatic video acquisition systems were installed from the top and side views. RGB images were extracted from the RGB video files and used for annotation work. Manual annotation of 600 images was used to prepare a training dataset, including the four postures: standing, sitting, lying, and eating from the food bin. An instance segmentation framework was employed to recognize and detect pig posture. A region proposal network was used in the Mask R-CNN-generated candidate boxes and the features from these boxes were extracted using RoIPool, followed by classification and bounding-box regression. The model effectively identified standard postures, achieving a mean average precision of 0.937 for piglets and 0.935 for adults. The proposed model showed strong potential for real-time posture monitoring and early welfare issue detection in pigs, aiding in the optimization of farm management practices. Additionally, the study explored body weight estimation using 2D image pixel areas, which showed a high correlation with actual weight, although limitations in capturing 3D volume could affect precision. Future work should integrate 3D imaging or depth sensors and expand the use of the model across diverse farm conditions to enhance real-world applicability.

The increasing demand for sustainable livestock production has intensified interest in phytogenic feed additives (PFAs) as viable alternatives to conventional growth promoters and antibiotics. Derived from plant-based sources such as herbs, spices, and essential oils, PFAs have demonstrated significant potential to enhance production performance, improve gut health, and mitigate environmental impact in non-ruminant systems. Bioactive compounds such as thymol, carvacrol, menthol, and anethole play a crucial role in modulating gut microbiota, strengthening immune responses, and reducing gastrointestinal disorders. Their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties further support animal health while reducing antibiotic dependence, addressing growing concerns over antimicrobial resistance. Additionally, they contribute to improved nutrient digestibility and feed efficiency, leading to enhanced growth performance. From an environmental perspective, their use is associated with lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduced waste contamination, aligning with sustainability goals in modern livestock systems. PFAs improve feed efficiency, leading to reduced feed waste and lower resource input, which in turn decreases the environmental burden of livestock production. Additionally, their antimicrobial properties may reduce the need for synthetic chemicals in animal health management, further minimizing the release of harmful substances into the environment. Despite these promising benefits, inconsistencies in research findings highlight the need for further studies to determine optimal inclusion levels and clarify their mechanisms of action. Future research should focus on developing standardized formulations, improving bioavailability, and assessing long-term effects on animal health and performance. Additionally, advancements in delivery technologies and synergistic combinations with other feed additives could enhance their efficacy. By synthesizing the latest developments, this review underscores the potential of PFAs as a strategic tool for optimizing non-ruminant productivity, ensuring animal welfare, and promoting environmentally sustainable livestock production.

This study investigated the effects of lasalocid supplementation on the diet of goats to improve carcass characteristics, meat quality traits, and fatty acid content. Sixty intact male Ardhi goats were used. The kids were divided into four treatment groups, each with 15 animals, and further subdivided into five subgroups, each with three goats, in a completely randomized design. Data on carcass characteristics, meat quality, and fatty acid profiles were obtained. The LAS treatment significantly affected the chill shrinkage and dressing percentage on the empty body weight. Saturated fatty acids decreased, whereas essential polyunsaturated fatty acids increased with the addition of supplements. In conclusion, including lasalocid in the diets of Ardhi goats enhanced the carcass characteristics of the animals, whereas meat quality traits were not negatively affected by the supplement.

In recent years, the pig industry has experienced an alarming surge in piglet mortality shortly after farrowing due to crushing by the sow. This issue has been exacerbated by the adoption of hyperprolific sows and the transition to loose housing pens, adversely affecting both animal welfare and productivity. In response to these challenges, researchers have progressively turned to artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) to address various issues within the livestock sector. The primary objective of this study was to conduct a comparative analysis of different versions of object detection algorithms, aiming to identify the optimal AIoT system for monitoring piglet crushing events based on performance and practicality. The methodology involved extracting relevant footage depicting instances of piglet crushing from recorded farrowing pen videos, which were subsequently condensed into 2-3 min edited clips. These clips were categorized into three classes: no trapping, trapping, and crushing. Data augmentation techniques, including rotation, flipping, and adjustments to saturation and contrast, were applied to enhance the dataset. This study employed three deep learning object recognition algorithms-- You Only Look Once (YOLO)v4-Tiny, YOLOv5s and YOLOv8s--followed by a performance analysis. The average precision (AP) for trapping detection across the models yielded values of 0.963 for YOLOv4-Tiny, and 0.995 for both YOLOv5s, and YOLOv8s. Notably, trapping detection performance was similar between YOLOv5s and YOLOv8s. However, YOLOv5s proved to be the best choice considering its model size of 13.6 MB compared to YOLOv4-Tiny's 22.4 MB and YOLOv8's 21.4 MB. Considering both performance metrics and model size, YOLOv5s emerges as the most suitable model for detecting trapping within an AIoT framework. Future endeavors may leverage this research to refine and expand the scope of AIoT applications in addressing challenges within the pig industry, ultimately contributing to advancements in both animal husbandry practices and technological solutions.

Male infertility in dogs is a significant concern in veterinary reproductive medicine, with sperm quality being a key determinant of reproductive success. Traditional herbal medicine, particularly Panax ginseng, is widely recognized for its potential to enhance male reproductive function. However, its effects on canine reproduction remain unexplored. This study investigated the impact of different processed forms of Panax ginseng-white ginseng (WG), red ginseng (RG), and black ginseng (BG)-on sperm motility, testosterone levels, and biochemical parameters in dogs. Beagle dogs were administered WG, RG, or BG daily for 60 days in a crossover design. Serum testosterone levels and biochemical markers were measured at predefined intervals, while sperm motility and velocity parameters were assessed using computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA). The results demonstrated that BG supplementation significantly improved sperm motility and velocity parameters compared to WG and RG, with no adverse effects on biochemical markers. However, testosterone levels remained unchanged across groups. These findings suggest that BG may enhance canine sperm quality through mechanisms independent of testosterone regulation. Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying molecular pathways and optimize dosing strategies for clinical applications.

This study aimed to assess the impact of citric acid (CA) and heat-treated soybean meal (SBM) on rumen fermentation characteristics, methane production, and microbiota through an in vitro experiment. Untreated SBM, heat-treated SBM (HSBM), CA-treated SBM (CSBM), and SBM treated with a combination of heat and CA (HCSBM). Parameters assessed in in vitro were gas production, methane emissions, dry matter degradability (IVDMD), crude protein degradability (IVCPD), ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N), microbial crude protein (MCP), volatile fatty acids (VFA), pH, and microbiota composition. The HCSBM exhibited the lowest gas production and theoretical maximum gas production (p < 0.01). Methane production (%) was significantly reduced in both CSBM and HCSBM (p < 0.01), with the lowest methane emissions (mL/g dry matter, DM) observed in HCSBM (p < 0.01). The IVCPD was significantly reduced in both the HSBM and HCSBM groups (p < 0.01). HCSBM had the lowest NH₃-N and MCP concentrations (p < 0.01). Total VFA production was the lowest in HCSBM (p < 0.01), with a higher proportion of acetate and lower proportions of propionate (p < 0.01). HCSBM reduced the enrichment of Thermoplasmatota compared to HSBM (p < 0.05) and decreased the enrichment of the coenzyme M biosynthesis pathway in the microbial functional profiles compared to SBM and CSBM (p < 0.05). Additionally, an increase in fiber-degrading bacteria, particularly Fibrobacterota, was observed in HCSBM (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that the HCSBM may effectively reduce ruminal protein degradation and methane emissions. Further in vivo studies are necessary to validate these results and assess their practical application in ruminant nutrition.

A smart livestock farm is a livestock farm where information and communication technology systems are used. Based on the measured data, these systems can make decisions regarding all processes, including stocking, breeding, shipping, and evaluation. The data generated from smart livestock farms have increased the complexity and diversity of phenotypes. Fused data that integrate environmental and phenotypic information from smart livestock farms with genetic data are valuable for detailed applications in breeding and specifications, as they help understand complex and organic phenotypes and environments. However, their effectiveness is limited by restrictions on data sharing and non-standardized formats. This limitation leads to other restrictions against researchers, such as restrictions on the range of projects, the supply of new technologies or farm species, and policy development or application restrictions. Therefore, promoting a recirculating environment to increase productivity, developing climate-adapted livestock, and implementing policies are necessary. We discuss the smart livestock farm from the perspective of 'Phenotype = Genetic value + Environment value'. The dissemination of smart livestock big data and essential components, such as data warehouses, is outlined.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.5187/jast.2023.e31.].

This study aimed to evaluate the digestibility and palatability of cat diets by substituting poultry meals (PM) with black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) reared on different organic substrates. The experimental treatments are as follows; CON, a basal diet based on the PM; AF3, 3% PM substituted with BSFL reared on animal-based substrates; AF6, 6% PM substituted with BSFL reared on animal-based substrates; PF3, 3% PM substituted with BSFL reared on plant-based substrates; PF6, 6% PM substituted with BSFL reared on plant-based substrates. In vitro and in vivo methods were used in this study. The in vitro experiment simulated gastric digestion using pepsin and small intestinal digestion using bile and pancreatin, with 6 replicates per diet. The in vivo experiment used 30 and 16 mixed-sex cats to assess digestibility and palatability, respectively. Fecal samples were collected over 3 d for nutrient digestibility and palatability was assessed in a 1 d. In the in vitro experiment, the AF3 had higher in vitro ileal digestibility (IVID) of crude protein (CP) than the CON and PF6, and diets supplemented with BSFL groups had higher IVID of gross energy and ether extract (EE) than the CON. In the in vivo experiment, the AF3 showed higher CP digestibility than the CON, and diets supplemented with BSFL groups had higher EE digestibility than the CON. In palatability evaluation, the AF6 had a lower intake ratio than the CON. The 3% substitution of BSFL showed a significantly higher first sniffing bout than the 6% substitution in animal and plant-based substrates. Additionally, except for the CON, the AF3 exhibited a higher first sniffing bout than the other groups. In conclusion, the AF3 improved CP digestibility in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. Also, the AF3 did not show negative effects on palatability. Therefore, this result indicated that substituting 3% of PM with BSFL reared on animal-based substrate in cat diets was the most efficient alternative.