Animal最新文献

{"title":"Assessing genotype-by-environment interaction in dairy cattle in case of a wide range of production environments, unstructured crossbreeding and no pedigree information","authors":"M. Spoelstra ,&nbsp;G. Duguma ,&nbsp;A. Ebro ,&nbsp;J. van der Lee ,&nbsp;J. ten Napel","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2026.101760","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2026.101760","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Genetic variation in environmental sensitivity (<strong>ES</strong>) among breeds underscores the importance of accounting for genotype-by-environment (<strong>G × E</strong>) interactions in breeding programmes. This is especially true for countries where there is a large variation in location production systems and environmental conditions and where farms use crossbreeding. We present a systematic framework for assessing G × E by combining genomic reconstruction of an individual animal’s breed composition with characterisation of production environment diversity, using factor analysis of mixed data (<strong>FAMD</strong>) and linear mixed models. Data from 288 farms in Ethiopia were analysed as a case study, which included weekly performance records, household parameters, daily meteorological data, and genotypes from 780 crossbred cows. To test G × E, the following context parameters were considered: agroecological zone (<strong>AEZ</strong>), market proximity, and farm size. Results showed that the best performances for milk yield (<strong>MY</strong>), age at first calving (<strong>AFC</strong>), and calf BW were generally observed on large, urban farms. However, MY, number of services per conception (<strong>NSC</strong>), and AFC improved with increasing exotic ancestry up to about 60%, beyond which these traits levelled off or declined. Antagonistic relationships among performance traits and their interactions with breed composition were also observed. While MY, calf BW, and AFC generally improved with increasing exotic ancestry, NSC was negatively affected by some ancestral breeds. Specifically, Holsteins exhibited consistently high NSC (3.52–4.66 ± 1.12) across all AEZ and market proximities, highlighting a limitation of their use in crossbreeding strategies with respect to fertility. Our study demonstrates that breed−by−environment interactions can be assessed using field data and genotypes collected from crossbred animals in highly diverse production systems. However, the study design is inevitably unbalanced for breed composition, which limits the ability to assess the performance of breed combinations not well represented in the studied population.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"20 3","pages":"Article 101760"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146147525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Co-supplementation of xylooligosaccharides and Bifidobacterium animalis can regulate the blood parameters and rumen microbiota of calves, improving growth performance","authors":"H. Li,&nbsp;J.J. Han,&nbsp;Y. Li,&nbsp;T. Yang,&nbsp;K.Z. Liu,&nbsp;L.Y. Zhang,&nbsp;T. Fu,&nbsp;C.Y. Su","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101741","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101741","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global attention to food safety and antimicrobial resistance issues continues to rise, and the need for green, efficient antibiotic alternatives in the livestock industry has become urgent. Prebiotics and probiotics, owing to their significant efficacy in regulating intestinal health and enhancing host immunity, are regarded as promising alternative approaches. Xylooligosaccharides (<strong>XOS</strong>), as a high-efficiency prebiotic, can specifically promote the metabolism and proliferation of beneficial bacteria such as <em>Bifidobacterium</em>. Based on this, this study uses Holstein calves as research subjects. It systematically investigates the effects of XOS and <em>Bifidobacterium animalis</em> (<strong>BA</strong>), used alone or in combination, on growth performance, immune-antioxidant function, rumen fermentation characteristics, and microbial composition. It aims to reveal the synergistic effects of the two and to provide a scientifically based, antibiotic-free nutritional strategy to promote healthy calf breeding. Thirty-two 2-month-old male calves were allocated to four dietary treatments (n = 8): (1) control diet (<strong>CON</strong>), (2) CON with 2 g/d XOS (XOS), (3) CON with 5 g/d BA (BA), and (4) CON with 2 g/d XOS with 5 g/d BA (XOS-BA). The 63-day trial consisted of a 7-day adaptation period followed by a 56-day sampling period. Daily feed intake was recorded. On day 63, jugular blood was collected for serum biochemistry, immune and antioxidant analyses, and rumen fluid was sampled for volatile fatty acids, 16S rRNA sequencing, and metabolomics analyses. The XOS-BA group increased final BW (<em>P</em> = 0.004) and average daily gain (<em>P</em> = 0.024), and decreased the feed−to−gain ratio (<em>P</em> = 0.002). Furthermore, XOS-BA supplementation positively affected the ruminal microbiota, increasing the abundances of beneficial taxa, including <em>Acidobacteria, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium</em>. Further analyses revealed that XOS-BA effectively alleviated oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. This was evidenced by increased plasma immunoglobulin A and glutathione levels (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) and decreased malondialdehyde concentrations. Meanwhile, compared with other treatments, the rumen fermentation function of calves supplemented with XOS-BA was significantly improved, as reflected by elevated rumen fluid acetic acid concentration (<em>P</em> = 0.036). In-depth analyses indicated that XOS-BA enhanced systemic antioxidant capacity by elevating endogenous antioxidant indices and reducing oxidative products, while modulating retinol metabolism, unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis, and mTOR signalling. Synbiotic supplementation of XOS-BA synergistically improves growth performance, enhances immune–antioxidant capacity, and modulates rumen microbiota and metabolism in calves, thereby offering a practical antibiotic-free strategy for calf production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"20 1","pages":"Article 101741"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145919091","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The importance of sow functional teat assessment and provision of supplementary milk to enhance performance of piglets reared in large litters","authors":"S. Icely,&nbsp;S.C. Mansbridge,&nbsp;A.M. Mackenzie,&nbsp;A.H. Stewart","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101737","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101737","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rearing piglets in large litters where there are supernumerary piglets compared to functional teats presents a challenge in maintaining piglet health by avoiding successive fostering, whilst minimising mortality caused by starvation. Supplementary milk (<strong>SM</strong>) provision to litters during the suckling period has been shown to reduce preweaning mortality, but there has been no characterisation of which piglets consume SM and the subsequent performance effects. Using electronic identification (<strong>RFID</strong>) tags and an antenna at the SM bowl, it was possible to record the duration of each visit for each individual piglet. Multiplying individual piglet weight and duration of SM visits for each day, and summing for the litter showed a positive relationship with daily weighed litter SM consumption during lactation, yielding a regression equation with r² = 0.84. Therefore, the daily duration of visits to the SM bowl was considered a proxy measure of daily individual piglet SM consumption. Litter SM consumption during lactation, measured both by weighing SM and by calculation using the regression equation, was greater in litters where there were supernumerary piglets compared to functional teats (<strong>IS</strong>), than in litters where there were no supernumerary piglets (<strong>S</strong>). Litter weight at each timepoint was greater for IS litters than for S litters, but average piglet weight was lower. Piglets with very high duration of SM visits/d during the final week of lactation were lightest at weaning, and at d 54 postweaning, with the lowest postweaning average daily gain (<strong>ADG)</strong>. Piglets suckling posterior teats had a higher duration of SM visits/d than piglets suckling anterior teats, throughout lactation. Piglets observed as non-sucklers on d 14 had the highest du/d throughout the suckling period and were lightest at weaning. The SM DM feed conversion ratio for non-suckling pigs predicted using the regression equation was 0.88. This was higher than the predicted 0.70 for piglets suckling sow milk, indicating lower efficiency of piglet growth from SM. This may be due to reduced fat and protein content of SM compared to sow’s milk; therefore, further investigation of the composition of SM and refinement of the formulation is warranted. Validation of the methodology employed to estimate SM consumption from the duration of SM visits/d is also necessary.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"20 1","pages":"Article 101737"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145935988","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating loose materials and space allowance to improve welfare in commercial weaner and finisher pigs","authors":"M. Cupido ,&nbsp;S. Mullan ,&nbsp;L. Boyle ,&nbsp;K. O’Driscoll","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101743","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101743","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The welfare of commercial pigs, especially concerning the reduction of tail biting, is an ongoing topical issue in current farming systems. Inadequate space allowance and lack of suitable loose material have been identified as two of the main risk factors for tail biting in pigs. This study evaluated the effectiveness of four manipulable loose materials (Straw, Haylage, Hay, and Grass) in reducing tail biting in pigs reared in pens containing either 8, 10, or 12 pigs (weaner: 0.62, 0.49, 0.41 m²/pig; finisher: 1.24, 1.00, 0.83 m²/pig, respectively). Although the study design conflates stocking density, space allowance, and feeder space, making it impossible to evaluate each factor independently, this confound allows for on-farm application. At weaning (approx. 4 weeks), forty-seven litters with undocked tails were assigned as litter groups to enrichment and stocking density treatments using a 4 × 3 experimental design. The fully slatted pens were equipped with single−space feeders. Manipulable materials were provided <em>ad lib</em> via a mesh rack hung on the front wall of the pen. Pens were observed twice daily for any indication of tail biting. Lesion scoring at the individual pig level was performed weekly. Pig behaviour was observed at the group level directly every fortnight, and by video on four occasions (1, 6, 10, and 18 weeks postweaning). Weights were taken one day prior to weaning, 63 days postweaning, and at 22 weeks of age, at which time pigs were slaughtered. Carcass characteristics were obtained from the slaughterhouse. Greater space per pig benefited welfare, as indicated by physical and behavioural measurements. Pigs stocked in groups of 8 and 10 displayed significantly less aggressive and damaging behaviour, fewer and more manageable tail biting outbreaks, and had more undamaged tails than pigs in groups of 12. In addition, pigs in lower−stocked pens were heavier at the end of their lives, creating potential to sell pigs earlier. Interestingly, the type of loose material had no significant impact on most measures, but pigs provided with grass engaged significantly more with the rack than those with other loose materials, and had fewer, more manageable tail biting outbreaks. This study contributes to existing research that suggests the current European Union legal minimum requirement for space allowance should be increased to improve pig welfare, reduce damaging behaviour, and tail biting outbreaks in pigs, especially with undocked tails.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"20 1","pages":"Article 101743"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939259","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatio-temporal genomics of goats: recent evolution, adaptation, and future vulnerability","authors":"A. Bionda ,&nbsp;A. Negro ,&nbsp;M. Barbato ,&nbsp;L. Liotta ,&nbsp;S. Grande ,&nbsp;P. Crepaldi","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101732","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101732","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Italy hosts a rich biodiversity of local goat breeds, shaped by its wide variety of climates, landscapes, and traditional farming systems, making the preservation of these locally adapted populations critical for maintaining genetic resources. This study aimed to explore the genomic biodiversity of Italian goats, track recent temporal changes through comparison with samples collected about two decades ago, and investigate the genomic mechanisms underlying environmental adaptation, as well as identify hotspots of possible climatic vulnerability. Demographic data over the last 15 years show that only five breeds are currently considered not at risk of extinction according to FAO criteria, while 22 breeds are classified as critical or formally extinct (no registered animals in 2024). Medium-density single-nucleotide polymorphism (<strong>SNP</strong>) data from 685 goats representing 31 populations were analysed for population structure, genomic background, and genetic diversity. Comparison with historical samples revealed changes over time, exemplified by Bianca Monticellana and Capestrina, which now display a highly similar and uniform genetic background and higher inbreeding. Genomic analyses revealed a clear separation between northern and central-southern breeds, with northern populations exhibiting more distinct genomic backgrounds while central-southern populations are generally more admixed. Landscape genomic analyses were conducted on a subset of 693 goats from 32 populations, using latent factor mixed model and partial redundancy analysis approaches together with present and projected (SSPs 2–4.5 and 5–8.5, 2080–2100) climatic variables from WorldClim 2.1. A total of 468 SNPs were identified as putatively adaptive, including five detected by both methods, encompassing genes such as <em>KPNA1</em>, <em>PARP9</em>, and <em>LRP8</em>. Genomic offset analyses highlighted vulnerable areas in the northern fringes of the Alpine region, the eastern Po Valley (unsampled due to limited presence of local goat populations), and the Murgia-Gargano region of Apulia, home to the Garganica breed. Overall, these results reveal the impact of breeding practices and environmental pressures on Italian goat genomes, provide insights into adaptive genetic variation of goat species, and identify populations and regions at greatest risk, emphasising the need for targeted conservation and management strategies to preserve this unique component of livestock biodiversity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"20 1","pages":"Article 101732"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Thankyou to reviewers, 2025","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/S1751-7311(26)00006-6","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S1751-7311(26)00006-6","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"20 1","pages":"Article 101759"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146037603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Temporary versus permanent crating: free movement of mother sow enhances piglet play behaviour","authors":"M. Špinka ,&nbsp;V. Sekyrová ,&nbsp;Š. Hulmáková ,&nbsp;A. Bennettová ,&nbsp;G. Illmann","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101734","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101734","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Farrowing crates drastically restrict behavioural opportunities for lactating sows. Temporary crating (<strong>TC</strong>) systems restrain the sow for the first few days after farrowing and then allow free sow movement in the farrowing pen for the rest of lactation. TC housing systems are promoted because they improve sow welfare in comparison with permanent crating (<strong>PC</strong>) systems that restrict the sow for the whole lactation. How TC affects piglet welfare is less well understood, as it may be associated with higher mortality by crushing but also with increased positive piglet behaviours. Specifically, it has not yet been investigated whether the free movement of the mother sow, all other things being equal, influences the play behaviour of her piglets. This study compared play behaviour in 10 litters housed in PC pens with 10 litters housed in TC pens shortly after the crate removal (Days 3–6 <em>postpartum</em>, Period 1) and then during the 4th week of lactation (Days 18–27 <em>postpartum</em>, Period 2). The only difference between the two treatments was the free sow movement in TC while all other parameters of the two housing systems (e.g., pen area, floor quality, bedding) were equal. Total play behaviour, piglet-piglet social play and piglet-sow play were substantially more frequent in the TC system in both Period 1 and Period 2. This is the first study to show that giving the sow the freedom of movement within a farrowing pen early in lactation promotes piglet play behaviour. Thus, temporary crating is superior to permanent crating not only in relation to sow welfare but also when it comes to aspects of piglet welfare.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"20 1","pages":"Article 101734"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145884714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association of inflammatory cytokine profiles in the cervical mucus with the mode of calving ease after induction of parturition in overdue cows","authors":"T. Hashiguchi ,&nbsp;G. Kitahara ,&nbsp;K. Kanemaru ,&nbsp;M. Uematsu ,&nbsp;T. Osawa","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101731","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101731","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>During normal cervical ripening in cows, there is an increase in the concentrations of various cytokines in the cervical mucus, which may be a marker of the progression of cervical ripening. However, the cytokine dynamics during abnormal delivery remain unclear. We aimed to clarify the relationship between the concentrations of various cytokines in the cervical mucus of cows past the expected date of calving and the occurrence of dystocia after calving. Cervical mucus was collected from 145 Japanese Black cows with a gestational period of 295 days or longer (overdue cows), and calving was induced immediately after collection. Interleukin (<strong>IL</strong>)-1α, 1β, 6, 8, 10, and tumour necrosis factor (<strong>TNF</strong>)α concentrations in the mucus were determined. Cytokine concentrations were compared between the eutocia (n = 121) and dystocia (n = 24) groups. Concentrations of IL-1α, IL-8, and TNFα were lower in the dystocia group than in the eutocia group (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). To evaluate the accuracy of dystocia prediction, the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for IL-1α, IL-8, and TNFα were calculated, with values of 0.638, 0.712, and 0.709, respectively. In conclusion, IL-1α, IL-8 and TNFα concentrations in cervical mucus of overdue cows may be suitable indicators for screening animals at risk of dystocia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"20 1","pages":"Article 101731"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145884713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early weaning in pregnant Nelore cows as a foetal programming strategy in Nelore cattle: 2. Effects on feedlot phase offspring growth, and skeletal muscle gene expression in beef cattle","authors":"M.S.P. Carlis ,&nbsp;G. Abitante ,&nbsp;T.K. Nishimura ,&nbsp;V.T.L. Rozin ,&nbsp;T.R.S. Gionbelli ,&nbsp;J.M. Oliveira ,&nbsp;C.R. Dahlen ,&nbsp;G.D.R. Zamudio ,&nbsp;S.L. Silva ,&nbsp;M.H.A. Santana ,&nbsp;A.S. Netto ,&nbsp;P.R. Leme ,&nbsp;G. Pugliesi ,&nbsp;R.P. de Arruda ,&nbsp;R.S. Goulart","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101736","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101736","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nutritional stress during gestation in tropical grazing systems can impair maternal performance and foetal development. This study evaluated the effects of weaning strategy and dam parity on the feedlot performance, carcass traits, and mRNA abundance profiles of Nelore young bulls that were <em>in utero</em> at the time of the weaning intervention. A randomised 2 × 2 factorial design was utilised with 57 Nelore bulls. The treatments were composed of early (<strong>EW</strong>; 150 d lactation) versus conventional weaning (<strong>CW</strong>; 240 d lactation) and dam parity (multiparous (<strong>MP</strong>) or secundiparous (<strong>SP</strong>)). The data were analysed considering the animal as an experimental unit by using the Mixed procedure, considering the WS, DP as a fixed effect, and the two-way interaction in the model. There was an interaction between WS × DP on performance measures in the feedlot, with CW-SP bulls showing smaller initial BW (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) and a trend for smaller final BW (<em>P</em> = 0.07) compared to other groups. For carcass traits, there was only a tendency (<em>P</em> = 0.09) for WS × DP interaction on subcutaneous fat thickness, which was small in CW-SP bulls compared to other groups. Additionally, there was a WS × DP interaction (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) with CW-MP bulls showing a small number of muscle fibres than EW-SP and CW-MP offspring, but no significant differences with EW-MP offspring. Furthermore, bulls from CW dams exhibited greater cross-sectional area and diameter compared to EW. Regarding gene regulation, a WS × DP interaction with the <em>GSK3B</em> gene (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) showed smaller expression in CW-SP compared to CW-MP and EW-MP. Conversely, the <em>SCD1</em> gene (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) showed greater expression in EW-MP bulls compared to CW-MP and EW-SP offspring. The genes <em>PAX7</em>, <em>MYF5</em>, <em>IGFR1</em>, and <em>PPARG</em> showed a tendency (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.10) for greater expression in MP bulls than the SP group. The gene <em>EIF4E</em> showed significantly greater expression (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) in bulls from the EW group compared to the CW group, while the gene <em>MTOR</em> tended (<em>P</em> = 0.10) to have greater expression in the EW group compared to the CW group. These findings indicate that early weaning improves maternal reserves and positively programmes offspring growth. The observed alterations in gene expression profiles suggest that alleviating maternal nutritional stress during gestation has long-term consequences on the molecular machinery regulating muscle growth and turnover in the offspring.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"20 1","pages":"Article 101736"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145884715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early weaning in pregnant Nelore cows as a foetal programming strategy: 1. Effects on cow-calf and backgrounding offspring growth, and skeletal muscle gene expression in beef cattle","authors":"M.S.P. Carlis ,&nbsp;G. Abitante ,&nbsp;T.K. Nishimura ,&nbsp;T.R.S. Gionbelli ,&nbsp;J.M. Oliveira ,&nbsp;C.R. Dahlen ,&nbsp;G.D.R. Zamudio ,&nbsp;S.L. Silva ,&nbsp;M.H.A. Santana ,&nbsp;A.S. Netto ,&nbsp;P.R. Leme ,&nbsp;G. Pugliesi ,&nbsp;R.P. de Arruda ,&nbsp;R.S. Goulart","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101735","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101735","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In tropical beef systems, the dry season coincides with mid-to-late gestation, creating a nutritional conflict between lactation and foetal development. Early weaning (<strong>EW</strong>) mitigates this stress, but its impact on <em>Bos indicus</em> offspring muscle development via foetal programming remains unclear. This study evaluated the effects of weaning strategy and dam parity on maternal performance and offspring postnatal growth and skeletal muscle gene expression. A randomised 2 × 2 factorial design was utilised with 58 Nelore cow-calf pairs. The treatments were composed of early (EW; 150 d lactation) versus conventional weaning (<strong>CW</strong>; 240 d lactation) and dam parity (multiparous (<strong>MP</strong>) or secundiparous (<strong>SP</strong>)). The data were analysed considering the animal as an experimental unit by using the Mixed procedure, considering the WS, DP as a fixed effect, and the two-way interaction in the model. Maternal BW and body condition score (<strong>BCS</strong>) were monitored during gestation. Offspring growth was assessed from birth to 18 months, and Longissimus thoracis mRNA abundance was analysed at 5, 13, and 18 months. During gestation, MP dams had greater BCS (<em>P</em> = 0.01) and BW (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) compared to SP dams. During the dam’s gestation, EW and MP dams had greater BCS (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001), BW (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001), non-pregnant empty BW (<em>P</em> = 0.002) and pregnant compound (<em>P</em> = 0.034) compared to CW and SP dams (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). The EW calves increased birth BW (<em>P</em> = 0.054), weaning BW (<em>P</em> = 0.034), and average daily gain (<strong>ADG</strong>; <em>P</em> = 0.015) compared to CW calves. Calves born to MP dams increased weaning BW (<em>P</em> = 0.005) and ADG (<em>P</em> = 0.008) compared to SP calves. There was a WS × DP interaction for the mRNA abundance of MTOR (<em>P</em> = 0.011) and EIF4E (0.017), where EW-SP calves showed smaller mRNA abundance compared to CW-SP calves at 18 months. The CW calves showed greater mRNA abundance of <em>PAX7</em> (<em>P</em> = 0.05) at weaning, <em>TRIM63</em> (<em>P</em> = 0.006) at 13 months of age (<em>P</em> = 0.006), <em>PAX7</em> (<em>P</em> = 0.04), NFB1 (<em>P</em> = 0.01) and IGRF1R (<em>P</em> = 0.05) at 18 months of age compared to EW calves. In conclusion, early weaning effectively improves maternal nutritional status during gestation, which positively programmes offspring’s prenatal and pre-weaning growth. Furthermore, this strategy induces long-term alterations in the expression of genes related to muscle hypertrophy and atrophy, indicating that alleviating maternal nutritional stress via early weaning can modulate the physiological potential of the progeny.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"20 1","pages":"Article 101735"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145884716","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}