Pub Date : 2025-12-18DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105875
Pedro Henrique Cavalcante Ribeiro , Leandro Aparecido Ferreira da Silva , Daniel Moretto Casali , Ariany Faria de Toledo , Danilo Domingues Millen
The cecum harbors a microbiome adapted to synthesizing SCFA through the fermentation of post-ruminal substrates. Strategically shifting the site of partial or total digestion of specific dietary components from the rumen to the intestine affects the starch digestion rate in the GIT and the energy efficiency of the animals. However, due to its simpler epithelial structure compared to the rumen, the cecum is more sensitive to fluctuations in the luminal environment’s chemical composition. An increased fermentation rate, elevated SCFA synthesis, and reduced luminal pH can trigger cecal acidosis, leading to epithelial lesions and increased intestinal permeability that allows endotoxins to enter the bloodstream. Although the metabolic disturbance is similar to SARA, more intense disruptions are generally required to induce SARA than cecal acidosis. In contrast, disturbances in the cecum, located in the distal portion of the gastrointestinal tract, are typically more subclinical and less immediately detectable, especially in ruminants exposed to high-starch diets only during the finishing phase. In such cases, the duration of exposure may be insufficient to significantly impact productive performance or be associated with other metabolic disorders. However, when high-concentrate feeding strategies are adopted from the early stages of development or in long production phases, such as in dairy cattle, cecal acidosis may evolve into a more severe fermentative disorder, potentially compromising gut health and nutrient utilization efficiency.
{"title":"Cecal acidosis: an emergent digestive disorder in ruminants","authors":"Pedro Henrique Cavalcante Ribeiro , Leandro Aparecido Ferreira da Silva , Daniel Moretto Casali , Ariany Faria de Toledo , Danilo Domingues Millen","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105875","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105875","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The cecum harbors a microbiome adapted to synthesizing SCFA through the fermentation of post-ruminal substrates. Strategically shifting the site of partial or total digestion of specific dietary components from the rumen to the intestine affects the starch digestion rate in the GIT and the energy efficiency of the animals. However, due to its simpler epithelial structure compared to the rumen, the cecum is more sensitive to fluctuations in the luminal environment’s chemical composition. An increased fermentation rate, elevated SCFA synthesis, and reduced luminal pH can trigger cecal acidosis, leading to epithelial lesions and increased intestinal permeability that allows endotoxins to enter the bloodstream. Although the metabolic disturbance is similar to SARA, more intense disruptions are generally required to induce SARA than cecal acidosis. In contrast, disturbances in the cecum, located in the distal portion of the gastrointestinal tract, are typically more subclinical and less immediately detectable, especially in ruminants exposed to high-starch diets only during the finishing phase. In such cases, the duration of exposure may be insufficient to significantly impact productive performance or be associated with other metabolic disorders. However, when high-concentrate feeding strategies are adopted from the early stages of development or in long production phases, such as in dairy cattle, cecal acidosis may evolve into a more severe fermentative disorder, potentially compromising gut health and nutrient utilization efficiency.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"303 ","pages":"Article 105875"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145840145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-15DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105874
Lauren Radtke , Marion Magnan , Ryan Clarkson , Honglin Rong , Katie McDermott
There is growing pressure to remove farrowing crates from pig production. This study aimed to provide robust, commercial-scale data on the effect of temporarily crating on reproductive success, behaviour and welfare of sows. This study involved 666 sows crated (JLF15) for 24 h before parturition (D0) and two days of lactation (C + 2, n = 166), 24 h before parturition and four days of lactation (C + 4, n = 167), loose for farrowing and lactation (L, n = 167) or farrowed loose and then crated for four days of lactation (L + 4, n = 166). Piglets were weighed at birth, D7 and weaning. Sows were scored for body condition, lameness, shoulder sores and cleanliness upon entering and exiting the farrowing house. From one batch (n = 50) CCTV footage for behaviour analysis (D1–8 of lactation) and faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentration (D-2, D0, D2, D4, D7, D14, D28) were collected. C + 4 sows showed 4.6 % lower piglet mortality than L sows (P < 0.01) and weaned 0.6 more piglets per litter (P = 0.009). Litters from L sows were approximately 4 kg heavier at weaning than C + 4 and L + 4 litters (P < 0.05). Activity increased in the mornings and after crate opening. Once released from the crate, sows showed a similar behavioural repertoire to loose housed sows, with increased exploration and positive contact with piglets. There was no lasting effect of crating on sow stress throughout lactation or differences in physical welfare indicators. Temporary crating for four days postpartum and one day pre-partum provides an alternative to improve sow welfare in an intensive production environment whilst maximising piglet survival.
从养猪生产中取消产仔箱的压力越来越大。本研究旨在提供可靠的、商业规模的数据，说明临时繁殖对母猪繁殖成功率、行为和福利的影响。本研究共纳入666头母猪（JLF15），分别为产前24 h （D0）泌乳2天（C + 2, n = 166）、产前24 h泌乳4天（C + 4, n = 167）、先产后泌乳（L, n = 167）或先产后泌乳4天（L + 4, n = 166）。仔猪在出生、7龄和断奶时称重。母猪在进入和离开产房时，对身体状况、跛行、肩痛和清洁度进行评分。收集1批次（n = 50） CCTV录像用于行为分析（哺乳期D1-8）和粪便糖皮质激素代谢物浓度（D-2、D0、D2、D4、D7、D14、D28）。C + 4母猪的仔猪死亡率比L母猪低4.6% (P < 0.01)，每窝断奶仔猪多0.6头（P = 0.009）。断奶时，L母猪产仔比C + 4和L + 4母猪产仔重约4 kg （P < 0.05）。在早晨和打开板条箱后，活动增加了。一旦从板条箱中释放出来，母猪表现出与松散饲养的母猪相似的行为，增加了探索和与仔猪的积极接触。在整个哺乳期，对母猪应激没有持久的影响，也没有生理福利指标的差异。产后4天和产前1天的临时板条箱提供了在集约化生产环境中改善母猪福利的另一种选择，同时最大限度地提高仔猪存活率。
{"title":"Adaptive farrowing: Piglet mortality and the lactation performance and welfare of sows","authors":"Lauren Radtke , Marion Magnan , Ryan Clarkson , Honglin Rong , Katie McDermott","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105874","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105874","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is growing pressure to remove farrowing crates from pig production. This study aimed to provide robust, commercial-scale data on the effect of temporarily crating on reproductive success, behaviour and welfare of sows. This study involved 666 sows crated (JLF15) for 24 h before parturition (D0) and two days of lactation (<em>C</em> + 2, <em>n</em> = 166), 24 h before parturition and four days of lactation (<em>C</em> + 4, <em>n</em> = 167), loose for farrowing and lactation (L, <em>n</em> = 167) or farrowed loose and then crated for four days of lactation (<em>L</em> + 4, <em>n</em> = 166). Piglets were weighed at birth, D7 and weaning. Sows were scored for body condition, lameness, shoulder sores and cleanliness upon entering and exiting the farrowing house. From one batch (<em>n</em> = 50) CCTV footage for behaviour analysis (D1–8 of lactation) and faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentration (D-2, D0, D2, D4, D7, D14, D28) were collected. <em>C</em> + 4 sows showed 4.6 % lower piglet mortality than L sows (<em>P</em> < 0.01) and weaned 0.6 more piglets per litter (<em>P</em> = 0.009). Litters from L sows were approximately 4 kg heavier at weaning than <em>C</em> + 4 and <em>L</em> + 4 litters (<em>P</em> < 0.05). Activity increased in the mornings and after crate opening. Once released from the crate, sows showed a similar behavioural repertoire to loose housed sows, with increased exploration and positive contact with piglets. There was no lasting effect of crating on sow stress throughout lactation or differences in physical welfare indicators. Temporary crating for four days postpartum and one day pre-partum provides an alternative to improve sow welfare in an intensive production environment whilst maximising piglet survival.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"303 ","pages":"Article 105874"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145786962","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-02DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105872
Mokhtar Fathi, Vahid Rezaee
This study investigated the effects of dietary black garlic powder (BGP) supplementation on growth performance, hematological and serum biochemical parameters, antioxidant capacity, and immune function in broiler chickens subjected to heat stress (HS). A total of 500 one-day-old male Ross 308 chicks were randomly assigned to six treatment groups with five replicates of 20 birds per pen. One group (100 birds) was maintained under thermoneutral (negative control) conditions, while the remaining four groups (400 birds) were subjected to HS. Heat stress was induced by maintaining the temperature at 32–35 °C for eight hours daily from day 25–42. HS group’s birds exposed to HS fed diets containing 0 (positive control), 10, 20, or 30 g/kg of BGP (BGP-10, BGP-20, and BGP-30) from day 1 to 42. Exposure to HS markedly impaired performance and physiological status, as evidenced by reduced body weight gain, feed intake, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, hemoglobin concentration, and hematocrit, alongside elevated feed conversion ratio (FCR), mortality rate, serum malondialdehyde (MDA), liver enzymes (ALT and AST), total cholesterol, triglycerides, and heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. HS also suppressed immune responses by lowering serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels. Dietary BGP supplementation significantly mitigated these detrimental effects in a dose-dependent manner. Inclusion of 20 and 30 g/kg BGP improved growth performance by increasing final body weight and reducing FCR and mortality. Antioxidant status was enhanced, reflected by higher GPx activity and lower MDA levels. Hematological indicators, including hemoglobin and red blood cell counts, were restored, and liver enzyme activity was normalized. Additionally, BGP improved immune competence through elevated IgG and IgM levels. In conclusion, black garlic powder supplementation effectively alleviates the physiological and immunological disturbances induced by heat stress in broilers, highlighting its potential as a natural feed additive to improve poultry health and resilience under thermal stress conditions.
{"title":"Impacts of black garlic powder on mitigating heat stress, augmenting antioxidant defenses, and enhancing broiler chicken performance","authors":"Mokhtar Fathi, Vahid Rezaee","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105872","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105872","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated the effects of dietary black garlic powder (BGP) supplementation on growth performance, hematological and serum biochemical parameters, antioxidant capacity, and immune function in broiler chickens subjected to heat stress (HS). A total of 500 one-day-old male Ross 308 chicks were randomly assigned to six treatment groups with five replicates of 20 birds per pen. One group (100 birds) was maintained under thermoneutral (negative control) conditions, while the remaining four groups (400 birds) were subjected to HS. Heat stress was induced by maintaining the temperature at 32–35 °C for eight hours daily from day 25–42. HS group’s birds exposed to HS fed diets containing 0 (positive control), 10, 20, or 30 g/kg of BGP (BGP-10, BGP-20, and BGP-30) from day 1 to 42. Exposure to HS markedly impaired performance and physiological status, as evidenced by reduced body weight gain, feed intake, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, hemoglobin concentration, and hematocrit, alongside elevated feed conversion ratio (FCR), mortality rate, serum malondialdehyde (MDA), liver enzymes (ALT and AST), total cholesterol, triglycerides, and heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. HS also suppressed immune responses by lowering serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels. Dietary BGP supplementation significantly mitigated these detrimental effects in a dose-dependent manner. Inclusion of 20 and 30 g/kg BGP improved growth performance by increasing final body weight and reducing FCR and mortality. Antioxidant status was enhanced, reflected by higher GPx activity and lower MDA levels. Hematological indicators, including hemoglobin and red blood cell counts, were restored, and liver enzyme activity was normalized. Additionally, BGP improved immune competence through elevated IgG and IgM levels. In conclusion, black garlic powder supplementation effectively alleviates the physiological and immunological disturbances induced by heat stress in broilers, highlighting its potential as a natural feed additive to improve poultry health and resilience under thermal stress conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"303 ","pages":"Article 105872"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145691346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105851
Zahra Roudbari , Abdolvahab Ebrahimpour Gorji , Krzysztof Dasiewicz , Tomasz Sadkowski
Pre-slaughter stress significantly affects beef quality traits such as tenderness, juiciness, and color, thereby influencing overall meat quality, consumer acceptance, and market value. This study investigates gene expression profiles in the Longissimus thoracis and Semitendinosus muscles of cattle exposed to moderate (MS) and limited stress (LS) conditions, aiming to identify molecular markers associated with pH regulation, water-holding capacity, and meat color. For this purpose, we analyzed transcriptomic data from the publicly available dataset GSE119912. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using the limma package in R, with a cutoff of |log2FC| > 0.3 and padj-value < 0.05. Seventy-one genes were common to both muscle types under MS and LS conditions. The pathway analysis revealed substantial activity in stress response, together with oxidative stress, alongside muscle development processes. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis disclosed FOS, SERPINE1, and ATF3 among the most important hub genes, and these proteins were substantiated by applying GGE biplot and polygon analysis. The investigated genes manifested their direct connection to key aspects of meat quality, which included pH regulation and both water-holding capacity and color variables. This research shows that the identified gene expression markers have the potential to function as predictors for meat quality assessment while revealing how beef quality changes because of stress. Combining stress-reducing methods and genetic selection of desirable traits will improve beef quality production.
{"title":"Impact of pre-slaughter stress on meat quality in beef cattle: A gene expression analysis","authors":"Zahra Roudbari , Abdolvahab Ebrahimpour Gorji , Krzysztof Dasiewicz , Tomasz Sadkowski","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105851","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105851","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pre-slaughter stress significantly affects beef quality traits such as tenderness, juiciness, and color, thereby influencing overall meat quality, consumer acceptance, and market value. This study investigates gene expression profiles in the <em>Longissimus thoracis</em> and <em>Semitendinosus</em> muscles of cattle exposed to moderate (MS) and limited stress (LS) conditions, aiming to identify molecular markers associated with pH regulation, water-holding capacity, and meat color. For this purpose, we analyzed transcriptomic data from the publicly available dataset GSE119912. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using the limma package in R, with a cutoff of |log2FC| > 0.3 and padj-value < 0.05. Seventy-one genes were common to both muscle types under MS and LS conditions. The pathway analysis revealed substantial activity in stress response, together with oxidative stress, alongside muscle development processes. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis disclosed <em>FOS, SERPINE1,</em> and <em>ATF3</em> among the most important hub genes, and these proteins were substantiated by applying GGE biplot and polygon analysis. The investigated genes manifested their direct connection to key aspects of meat quality, which included pH regulation and both water-holding capacity and color variables. This research shows that the identified gene expression markers have the potential to function as predictors for meat quality assessment while revealing how beef quality changes because of stress. Combining stress-reducing methods and genetic selection of desirable traits will improve beef quality production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"302 ","pages":"Article 105851"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145681373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-26DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105856
Natasha Jørgensen, Long Chen, Vivi M. Thorup, Martin R. Weisbjerg, Søren Østergaard
Dietary fat supplementation is widely recognized as a mitigation strategy for enteric methane (CH4) emissions in dairy production, yet limited information exists on its impact at the herd level and its implications for farm profitability. Here, we used a herd simulation model to assess the impact of fat supplementation on herd-level CH4 intensity (g CH4/kg ECM) and gross margin. The simulation was conducted in digital twins of two real dairy herds - one organic and one conventional. For each herd, we simulated four scenarios combining two levels of supplemental fatty acids (FA), namely 10 (FA10) and 15 (FA15) g/kg DM, with two application periods: the full lactation period and from week 5 of lactation. The results showed that supplemented FA reduced herd-level enteric CH4 intensity by 3.8 to 7.2 %. This reduction was influenced by both the basal diet's FA content and the amount supplemented. The gross margin decreased across all scenarios in both herds, with a greater reduction observed in the conventional herd. Supplementing FA from week 5 of lactation had a minor effect on both herd CH4 intensity and gross margin compared to full lactation application. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the change in ECM as a result of fat supplementation influenced both herd CH4 intensity and gross margin, whereas the variation in milk price impacted gross margin, highlighting the need for cautious practice. Our findings emphasised the importance of analysing the cost-effectiveness of emission mitigation strategies to support informed farm decision-making.
{"title":"Effects of dietary fat supplementation on enteric methane mitigation and farm profitability: A case study of an organic and a conventional dairy herd","authors":"Natasha Jørgensen, Long Chen, Vivi M. Thorup, Martin R. Weisbjerg, Søren Østergaard","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105856","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105856","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dietary fat supplementation is widely recognized as a mitigation strategy for enteric methane (CH<sub>4</sub>) emissions in dairy production, yet limited information exists on its impact at the herd level and its implications for farm profitability. Here, we used a herd simulation model to assess the impact of fat supplementation on herd-level CH<sub>4</sub> intensity (g CH<sub>4</sub>/kg ECM) and gross margin. The simulation was conducted in digital twins of two real dairy herds - one organic and one conventional. For each herd, we simulated four scenarios combining two levels of supplemental fatty acids (FA), namely 10 (FA10) and 15 (FA15) g/kg DM, with two application periods: the full lactation period and from week 5 of lactation. The results showed that supplemented FA reduced herd-level enteric CH<sub>4</sub> intensity by 3.8 to 7.2 %. This reduction was influenced by both the basal diet's FA content and the amount supplemented. The gross margin decreased across all scenarios in both herds, with a greater reduction observed in the conventional herd. Supplementing FA from week 5 of lactation had a minor effect on both herd CH<sub>4</sub> intensity and gross margin compared to full lactation application. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the change in ECM as a result of fat supplementation influenced both herd CH<sub>4</sub> intensity and gross margin, whereas the variation in milk price impacted gross margin, highlighting the need for cautious practice. Our findings emphasised the importance of analysing the cost-effectiveness of emission mitigation strategies to support informed farm decision-making.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"303 ","pages":"Article 105856"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145733585","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-26DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105859
Johanna M.C. Brans , Carol-Anne Duthie , Colin Mason , Jenna M. Bowen , Marie J. Haskell , Eamon Donnelly , Veena Adityan , Jose Chitty
In recent years, technology advancements and miniaturisation of sensors have made it possible to develop management systems mounted on ear-tags but the development of these systems has not focussed specifically on younger calves, and has rarely documented the impact of device shape, size, and material on calf ear injury and position. The current paper documents the steps taken to develop a “smart” ear-tag, reporting these impacts. To achieve this, a series of bench tests (phase 1), expert assessments and four animal experiments were conducted. Selected from phase 1, five shapes were tested in phase 2 on five calves, and suitability for the intended purpose assessed, alongside maximum tag weight (8 calves) and anatomical placement of the tag (6 calves). Finally, a longer-term assessment was conducted using the best prototype attached to 14 calves (phase 3). The optimum tag was a 20 g coin-cell shaped female receiver tag, made of polycarbonate-acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (PC-ABS) and thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) mixed material, placed in the inner third of the ear, between the two auricular ridges. This specific shape and weight presented minimal ear-droop and the highest retention rate.
{"title":"Implication of “smart” ear-tags material, shape, weight, and placement on calves’ ear injury and position","authors":"Johanna M.C. Brans , Carol-Anne Duthie , Colin Mason , Jenna M. Bowen , Marie J. Haskell , Eamon Donnelly , Veena Adityan , Jose Chitty","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105859","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105859","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent years, technology advancements and miniaturisation of sensors have made it possible to develop management systems mounted on ear-tags but the development of these systems has not focussed specifically on younger calves, and has rarely documented the impact of device shape, size, and material on calf ear injury and position. The current paper documents the steps taken to develop a “smart” ear-tag, reporting these impacts. To achieve this, a series of bench tests (phase 1), expert assessments and four animal experiments were conducted. Selected from phase 1, five shapes were tested in phase 2 on five calves, and suitability for the intended purpose assessed, alongside maximum tag weight (8 calves) and anatomical placement of the tag (6 calves). Finally, a longer-term assessment was conducted using the best prototype attached to 14 calves (phase 3). The optimum tag was a 20 g coin-cell shaped female receiver tag, made of polycarbonate-acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (PC-ABS) and thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) mixed material, placed in the inner third of the ear, between the two auricular ridges. This specific shape and weight presented minimal ear-droop and the highest retention rate.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"303 ","pages":"Article 105859"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145691408","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-25DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105858
Laya Kannan Silva Alves , Camila Raineri , Monique Danielle Pairis-Garcia , Cesar Augusto Pospissil Garbossa
The use of gestation crates in pig production has been increasingly questioned due to their restrictive nature and the growing demand for improved animal welfare. In response, various countries have implemented group housing and space allowance regulations, yet the economic impacts of transitioning to these systems remain underexplored, despite being crucial for producer adoption and long-term sustainability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the economic implications of transitioning to welfare-compliant housing systems for gestating sows, with particular attention to increased space allowance required in group housing. Specifically, we compared three housing systems: conventional stalls, group housing fully implemented after breeding (AB-GH), and group housing with limited stall use until pregnancy confirmation (PPC-GH), in terms of production costs and profitability. The study combined farm data, benchmark information, and expert opinions with a deterministic cost model to calculate key economic indicators and conduct sensitivity analyses in four stages: selection and characterization of farms using each housing system, collection of productive and economic data, application of a cost model to calculate key economic indicators, and a sensitivity analysis simulating incremental improvements in reproductive performance. Results showed that while the conventional stall system had the lowest production costs and highest economic profit under baseline conditions, both PPC-GH and AB-GH systems maintained profitability, with returns on investment exceeding 55 %. Cost increases in group housing systems were mainly attributed to infrastructure, maintenance, and opportunity costs related to expanded space allowance. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that modest improvements in reproductive efficiency—such as a 1 % increase in the number of weaned piglets per sow per year—significantly enhanced economic outcomes in both group housing systems, increasing economic profit by 1.64 % in the AB-GH system and 1.63 % in the PPC-GH system. In conclusion, the study confirms that compliance with animal welfare regulations through the adoption of group housing systems can be economically viable. When coupled with improvements in management and productivity, these systems offer a sustainable path for swine producers aligning with welfare standards and maintaining competitiveness in the global market.
{"title":"Economic perspective of expanded space allowance for group-housed gestating sows: Aligning profitability and welfare compliance","authors":"Laya Kannan Silva Alves , Camila Raineri , Monique Danielle Pairis-Garcia , Cesar Augusto Pospissil Garbossa","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105858","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105858","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The use of gestation crates in pig production has been increasingly questioned due to their restrictive nature and the growing demand for improved animal welfare. In response, various countries have implemented group housing and space allowance regulations, yet the economic impacts of transitioning to these systems remain underexplored, despite being crucial for producer adoption and long-term sustainability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the economic implications of transitioning to welfare-compliant housing systems for gestating sows, with particular attention to increased space allowance required in group housing. Specifically, we compared three housing systems: conventional stalls, group housing fully implemented after breeding (AB-GH), and group housing with limited stall use until pregnancy confirmation (PPC-GH), in terms of production costs and profitability. The study combined farm data, benchmark information, and expert opinions with a deterministic cost model to calculate key economic indicators and conduct sensitivity analyses in four stages: selection and characterization of farms using each housing system, collection of productive and economic data, application of a cost model to calculate key economic indicators, and a sensitivity analysis simulating incremental improvements in reproductive performance. Results showed that while the conventional stall system had the lowest production costs and highest economic profit under baseline conditions, both PPC-GH and AB-GH systems maintained profitability, with returns on investment exceeding 55 %. Cost increases in group housing systems were mainly attributed to infrastructure, maintenance, and opportunity costs related to expanded space allowance. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that modest improvements in reproductive efficiency—such as a 1 % increase in the number of weaned piglets per sow per year—significantly enhanced economic outcomes in both group housing systems, increasing economic profit by 1.64 % in the AB-GH system and 1.63 % in the PPC-GH system. In conclusion, the study confirms that compliance with animal welfare regulations through the adoption of group housing systems can be economically viable. When coupled with improvements in management and productivity, these systems offer a sustainable path for swine producers aligning with welfare standards and maintaining competitiveness in the global market.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"303 ","pages":"Article 105858"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145622416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-25DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105857
Francisco J. Novais , Carolyn J. Fitzsimmons , Hailey Bolen , Le Luo Guan , Changxi Li , John A. Basarab , Amir Behrouzi , Cameron N. Carlyle , Sydney G. Lopes , Ankhtsetseg Battur , Sangweon Na , Temitope Oloyede , Graham Plastow , Valentine Udeh , Edward W. Bork
This study evaluated the effects of age, genomic retained heterozygosity (gRHET), and residual feed intake corrected for back-fat thickness (RFIfat) on weight gain in heifers, cows, and calves grazing native pasture over three years (2021–2023), during summer and fall in a northern temperate region. Three groups were studied: A) annual cohorts of 1-year-old heifers and 3-year-old Kinsella Composite (KC) crossbred cows (n= 182); B) a multi-aged purebred Angus cow herd (3–11 years; n= 133) monitored for one year; and C) a multi-aged KC crossbred cow herd (3–9 years; n= 132) tracked for one year. Average daily gain (ADG) was generally higher in summer than fall, except in 2023 within the multi-aged cattle when increased fall precipitation influenced ADG in crossbred cows. Pre-weaning calves gained more weight in summer (P < 0.001). Among crossbred cows, age and RFIfat were key predictors of ADG, with older cows (>9 years) consistently gaining less weight (3 yr old = 0.49 ± 0.073; 9 yr old = 0.22 ± 0.15; P < 0.05). RFIfat measured as heifers was negatively associated with their ADG (β = -0.0937; P= 0.02) in multi-aged cattle, particularly during fall, suggesting moderate life-stage consistency. In purebred Angus cows, fall ADG also declined with age, and cow and calf performance were linked: higher cow ADG often correlated with lower calf weaning weights, especially in older cows (>10-yr old), indicating a trade-off in energy allocation. Additionally, higher maternal gRHET in crossbreds was associated with increased calf ADG in fall (β = 0.63; P= 0.022), supporting the value of retained heterozygosity in grazing-based production systems. These results highlight the importance of intrinsic traits, age, genomic diversity, and early-life feed efficiency, in optimizing productivity in pasture-based beef systems.
{"title":"Influence of individual animal characteristics on beef cattle performance while grazing northern temperate rangeland","authors":"Francisco J. Novais , Carolyn J. Fitzsimmons , Hailey Bolen , Le Luo Guan , Changxi Li , John A. Basarab , Amir Behrouzi , Cameron N. Carlyle , Sydney G. Lopes , Ankhtsetseg Battur , Sangweon Na , Temitope Oloyede , Graham Plastow , Valentine Udeh , Edward W. Bork","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105857","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105857","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluated the effects of age, genomic retained heterozygosity (gRHET), and residual feed intake corrected for back-fat thickness (RFI<sub>fat</sub>) on weight gain in heifers, cows, and calves grazing native pasture over three years (2021–2023), during summer and fall in a northern temperate region. Three groups were studied: A) annual cohorts of 1-year-old heifers and 3-year-old Kinsella Composite (KC) crossbred cows (<em>n</em>= 182); B) a multi-aged purebred Angus cow herd (3–11 years; <em>n</em>= 133) monitored for one year; and C) a multi-aged KC crossbred cow herd (3–9 years; <em>n</em>= 132) tracked for one year. Average daily gain (ADG) was generally higher in summer than fall, except in 2023 within the multi-aged cattle when increased fall precipitation influenced ADG in crossbred cows. Pre-weaning calves gained more weight in summer (<em>P</em> < 0.001). Among crossbred cows, age and RFI<sub>fat</sub> were key predictors of ADG, with older cows (>9 years) consistently gaining less weight (3 yr old = 0.49 ± 0.073; 9 yr old = 0.22 ± 0.15; <em>P</em> < 0.05). RFI<sub>fat</sub> measured as heifers was negatively associated with their ADG (β = -0.0937; <em>P</em>= 0.02) in multi-aged cattle, particularly during fall, suggesting moderate life-stage consistency. In purebred Angus cows, fall ADG also declined with age, and cow and calf performance were linked: higher cow ADG often correlated with lower calf weaning weights, especially in older cows (>10-yr old), indicating a trade-off in energy allocation. Additionally, higher maternal gRHET in crossbreds was associated with increased calf ADG in fall (β = 0.63; <em>P</em>= 0.022), supporting the value of retained heterozygosity in grazing-based production systems. These results highlight the importance of intrinsic traits, age, genomic diversity, and early-life feed efficiency, in optimizing productivity in pasture-based beef systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"303 ","pages":"Article 105857"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145622368","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-19DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105855
Sina Sakhaeifar, Sven König
The aim of the present study was to apply alternative modelling approaches for genetic evaluations of stillbirth (SB) and calving ease (CE) from the dam perspective, enabling consideration of a longitudinal data and genetic covariance structure across lactations. We considered a comprehensive dataset including 435,489 calf records for CE and 477,800 calf records for SB from the birth years 2001 to 2017, and genotype data including 41,304 SNPs from 24,133 animals. The calves with phenotypes were offspring from 184,012 Holstein Friesian (HF) cows for SB, and from 177,162 HF cows for CE. The calves and cows were kept in 45 large-scale German dairy contract herds. The applied three genetic-statistical models based on single-step methodology considering both pedigree and genomic relationship matrices. In the “classical” model 1, we allocated SB and CE observations to the calf by considering direct and maternal genetic effects with their respective covariances. Model 2 was a multiple-trait model (MTM) by allocating the observations to the dam and considering same traits in different parities as different traits. Accordingly, in the random regression model (RRM), SB and CE were defined as a trait of a dam and analyzed on a continuous parity scale by considering random regression coefficients for additive-genetic effects of intercept and slope. From both models MTM and RRM, we observed a gradual decrease of additive genetic variances and maternal heritabilities with increasing parity. Genetic correlations between same traits from different parities were larger than 0.80 for adjacent parities, but declined with increasing parity distance. Correlations between maternal genomic breeding values (GEBV) from the two different models MTM and RRM for the same trait and parity were throughout larger than 0.80, and in the range from 0.68 to 0.88 with the maternal GEBV from model 1. Genetic and breeding value correlations close to zero were found between the direct and maternal genetic effects. Correlations between maternal GEBV from the RRM and maternal GEBV from official genetic evaluations were throughout larger than 0.82, and the large rank correlations indicate only minor changes in top lists for sires.
{"title":"Modelling approaches for the estimation of genetic parameters for calving ease and stillbirth in German Holstein dairy cattle","authors":"Sina Sakhaeifar, Sven König","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105855","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105855","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of the present study was to apply alternative modelling approaches for genetic evaluations of stillbirth (SB) and calving ease (CE) from the dam perspective, enabling consideration of a longitudinal data and genetic covariance structure across lactations. We considered a comprehensive dataset including 435,489 calf records for CE and 477,800 calf records for SB from the birth years 2001 to 2017, and genotype data including 41,304 SNPs from 24,133 animals. The calves with phenotypes were offspring from 184,012 Holstein Friesian (HF) cows for SB, and from 177,162 HF cows for CE. The calves and cows were kept in 45 large-scale German dairy contract herds. The applied three genetic-statistical models based on single-step methodology considering both pedigree and genomic relationship matrices. In the “classical” model 1, we allocated SB and CE observations to the calf by considering direct and maternal genetic effects with their respective covariances. Model 2 was a multiple-trait model (MTM) by allocating the observations to the dam and considering same traits in different parities as different traits. Accordingly, in the random regression model (RRM), SB and CE were defined as a trait of a dam and analyzed on a continuous parity scale by considering random regression coefficients for additive-genetic effects of intercept and slope. From both models MTM and RRM, we observed a gradual decrease of additive genetic variances and maternal heritabilities with increasing parity. Genetic correlations between same traits from different parities were larger than 0.80 for adjacent parities, but declined with increasing parity distance. Correlations between maternal genomic breeding values (GEBV) from the two different models MTM and RRM for the same trait and parity were throughout larger than 0.80, and in the range from 0.68 to 0.88 with the maternal GEBV from model 1. Genetic and breeding value correlations close to zero were found between the direct and maternal genetic effects. Correlations between maternal GEBV from the RRM and maternal GEBV from official genetic evaluations were throughout larger than 0.82, and the large rank correlations indicate only minor changes in top lists for sires.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"303 ","pages":"Article 105855"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145622417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-17DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105854
Inonge Reimert , Tanja Peric , Matilde Giombolini , Ewa Sell-Kubiak , Mathilde Coutant , Paolo Ferrari , Anita Zaworska-Zakrzewska , Alberto Prandi , Bas Kemp
Understanding how husbandry practices affect chronic stress in growing-finishing pigs is essential to improve their welfare. The objective of this study was therefore to investigate the effect of two important practices, i.e., stocking density and enrichment, within different husbandry systems by studying concentrations of hair cortisol and hair dehydroepiandrosterone (sulphate) (DHEA(S)) and their ratio, as markers for chronic stress. Hereto, in six experiments, various organic and conventional systems were studied in which the stocking density and the level of enrichment varied. We found that a lower stocking density generally resulted in lower hair cortisol and DHEA(S) concentrations, but the effect of stocking density on the hair cortisol/DHEA(S) ratio was less clear. Access to enrichment only tended to result in higher DHEA(S) concentrations in one of the experiments. Furthermore, sex tended to affect or affected hair cortisol, DHEA(S) and/or the ratio only in some of the experiments. These results suggest that a lower stocking density is beneficial for growing-finishing pigs as they seemed to be less chronically stressed. That the enrichment items did not beneficially affect hair cortisol and DHEA(S) was likely due to the relatively small contrast between the control and enriched condition, as the pigs in the control condition already had access to straw. As not much studies have investigated hair DHEA(S) concentrations in pigs, more research is needed to get more insight of this hormone in relation to chronic stress and the effect of sex in pigs.
{"title":"The effect of stocking density and enrichment on hair cortisol, hair dehydroepiandrosterone (sulphate) and their ratio in growing-finishing pigs","authors":"Inonge Reimert , Tanja Peric , Matilde Giombolini , Ewa Sell-Kubiak , Mathilde Coutant , Paolo Ferrari , Anita Zaworska-Zakrzewska , Alberto Prandi , Bas Kemp","doi":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105854","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105854","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding how husbandry practices affect chronic stress in growing-finishing pigs is essential to improve their welfare. The objective of this study was therefore to investigate the effect of two important practices, i.e., stocking density and enrichment, within different husbandry systems by studying concentrations of hair cortisol and hair dehydroepiandrosterone (sulphate) (DHEA(S)) and their ratio, as markers for chronic stress. Hereto, in six experiments, various organic and conventional systems were studied in which the stocking density and the level of enrichment varied. We found that a lower stocking density generally resulted in lower hair cortisol and DHEA(S) concentrations, but the effect of stocking density on the hair cortisol/DHEA(S) ratio was less clear. Access to enrichment only tended to result in higher DHEA(S) concentrations in one of the experiments. Furthermore, sex tended to affect or affected hair cortisol, DHEA(S) and/or the ratio only in some of the experiments. These results suggest that a lower stocking density is beneficial for growing-finishing pigs as they seemed to be less chronically stressed. That the enrichment items did not beneficially affect hair cortisol and DHEA(S) was likely due to the relatively small contrast between the control and enriched condition, as the pigs in the control condition already had access to straw. As not much studies have investigated hair DHEA(S) concentrations in pigs, more research is needed to get more insight of this hormone in relation to chronic stress and the effect of sex in pigs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18152,"journal":{"name":"Livestock Science","volume":"303 ","pages":"Article 105854"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145578469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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