Animal最新文献

{"title":"Development of an innovative intravaginal model of probiotic inoculation in dairy ovine flocks: positive effects on the vaginal microbiota, vaginitis and fertility","authors":"M. Toquet ,&nbsp;J. Gomis ,&nbsp;E. Jiménez-Trigos ,&nbsp;E. Bataller ,&nbsp;M. Barba ,&nbsp;A. Sánchez ,&nbsp;P. González-Torres ,&nbsp;Á. Gómez-Martín","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101417","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101417","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>In vitro</em> studies have reported the antimicrobial effect of an inoculum (<strong>L2</strong>) made from commercial probiotic strains of <em>Lactobacillus</em> spp. (<em>Lactobacillus (L.) crispatus</em>, <em>L. brevis</em> and <em>L. gasseri</em>) against some ruminants’ pathogens. However, their possible beneficial effects on controlling the vaginosis caused by the use of intravaginal sponges for oestrus synchronisation have not been evaluated in <em>in vivo</em> models. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to perform an intravaginal double inoculation of this same non-lyophilised (non-freeze-dried) L2 inoculum, in 120 ewes from four dairy commercial ovine flocks using straws similar to those used in artificial insemination. Globally, in the entire study population, the fertility percentage (65%) of the inoculated groups increased by 10% compared to the control groups (55%). Specifically, increases in the percentages of pregnant sheep in flocks 1 and 4 (10.7 and 5.7% respectively; <em>P</em> &gt; 0.05) and flock 3 (27.3%; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) were observed in inoculated ewes. Overall, the administration of L2 on the day of intravaginal sponge insertion decreased the number of ewes with vaginitis by 11.13% at the time of sponge removal (<strong>T1</strong>). In the first flock, the administration of the probiotic positively modulated the microbiota with an increased richness and presence of Lactobacillales accompanied by a reduction in <em>Mycoplasma</em> spp. Genera such as <em>Fusobacterium, Streptobacillus, Campylobacter or Trueperella</em> were linked to the presence of vaginitis at T1. Genera belonging to Lactobacillales, including some genera previously reported to be beneficial for pregnancy, significantly increased at the time of pregnancy diagnosis but significantly decreased at T1. The results of this study suggest that the use of probiotics via intravaginal inoculation as a strategy to positively modulate the microbiota and vaginal inflammation, derived from the use of intravaginal sponges, is also associated with improved fertility. This novel approach could improve animal welfare in oestrus-synchronisation protocols and represents an alternative to the prophylactic use of antibiotics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 2","pages":"Article 101417"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143082008","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Temporal changes in plasma and milk lipids in response to an esophageal bolus of rumen-protected fish oil in lactating Holstein dairy cows","authors":"J.E. Rico ,&nbsp;V. Sáinz de la Maza-Escolà ,&nbsp;N.D. Senevirathne ,&nbsp;P. Deme ,&nbsp;N.J. Haughey ,&nbsp;R. Gervais ,&nbsp;J.W. McFadden","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101381","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2024.101381","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Feeding very-long-chain omega-3 (<strong>VLC n-3</strong>) fatty acids (<strong>FA</strong>), which are found in fish oil, may have beneficial effects on health, fertility, and milk production in the dairy cow. Rumen-protected technologies aim to prevent the ruminal biohydrogenation of VLC n-3 FA. To test the effects of these technologies on circulating FA and phospholipid concentrations, and milk FA concentrations, six mid-lactation, multiparous, pregnant Holstein dairy cows (mean ± SD: 155 ± 19 days in milk; 3.0 ± 0.5 body condition score; 3.2 ± 1.1 lactations; 644 ± 23 kg BW) were randomly assigned to treatments in a study with a replicated 3 × 3 Latin Square design. Cows were unsupplemented (control) or supplemented with a single esophageal bolus of a gelatin capsule containing a fish oil product coated in palm oil triglycerides or modified starch (<strong>TAG</strong> and <strong>STR</strong>, respectively). The provision of either fish oil product provided 10 g equivalent of VLC n-3 FA including 20:5 n-3 and 22:6 n-3. Cows were fed a total mixed ration to meet or exceed nutrient requirements and were milked thrice daily. Blood was sampled at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 18, 20, 24, and 36 h, relative to bolus administration. A 7-d washout period was utilized between each bolus delivery. Extracted plasma was analyzed for individual FA and phospholipid concentrations using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Separated milk fat was analyzed for individual milk FA using gas–liquid chromatography and a flame-ionization detector. Data were analyzed under a mixed model with the random effect of cow, and the fixed effects of treatment, hour, and period. Plasma concentrations of 20:5 n-3 and 22:6 n-3 increased over time by TAG and STR, relative to control. Plasma concentrations of lysophophatidylcholine-20:5, −22:5 and −22:6, and phosphatidylcholine (<strong>PC</strong>)-38:5 and −38:6 were higher in TAG and STR by h 10, relative to control. Plasma PC-40:5 and −40:6 concentrations were greater in cows administered STR by h 10, relative to TAG. Total milk n-3 increased over time in treated cows compared to control. We conclude that triglyceride- or starch-encapsulated fish oil increases the plasma and milk concentrations of VLC n-3 FA and phospholipids containing these acyl chains in lactating cows.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 2","pages":"Article 101381"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143178072","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Short communication: Including genomic information increases accuracy of breeding value estimation in a small outdoor organic pig population","authors":"R.M. Zaalberg,&nbsp;A.J. Buitenhuis,&nbsp;J. Jensen,&nbsp;T.T. Chu,&nbsp;T.M. Villumsen","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101434","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101434","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To optimise organic pig breeding, we studied the effect of including genomic information for predicting breeding values (<strong>EBVs</strong>) in a small organic pig population. The recorded traits were the number of functional teats (n = 16 494), BW at birth (n = 36 995) and on day 10 (n = 29 744), and litter size on day 0, 4, or 11 (n ≈ 5 900 litters). Genomic information from 18 929 SNPs was available for 1 394 pigs, including Landrace sows and boars, and Yorkshire x Landrace crossbred sows. Throughout the study, a purebred- and crossbred correlation of 1 was assumed. Univariate mixed models that either included pedigree information or both pedigree and genomic information were used to estimate parameters and EBV. The prediction accuracy of the EBV was based on a forward prediction of data from the final 11 months of data. For the number of functional teats, the direct additive genetic component was considered, whereas for the other traits, the maternal genetic component was considered. The accuracy of predicting EBV for individuals without their own phenotype increased for all traits when genomic information was included, especially when the heritability was low. In conclusion, including genomic information can improve EBV prediction accuracy, which can optimise the genetic improvement in small breeding programmes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 3","pages":"Article 101434"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143403290","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The interaction between slaughter weight and sex on carcass composition and nutrient efficiencies in Piétrain crossbred pigs","authors":"S. Millet,&nbsp;F. Leen ,&nbsp;C. De Cuyper,&nbsp;M. Aluwé,&nbsp;J. Van Meensel,&nbsp;A. Van den Broeke","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101432","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101432","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pig farming plays a vital role in converting human inedible protein sources into edible animal protein. A significant portion of ingested nitrogen (<strong>N</strong>) and phosphorus (<strong>P</strong>) is excreted in the manure; however; this poses environmental challenges, particularly in regions with intensive pig production. Accurate estimation of nutrient excretion is crucial when assessing the environmental impact of pig production and management strategies. To this end, understanding how management influences BW composition is important. In the current study, the influence of sex and slaughter weight on body composition and nutrient efficiency in Piétrain crossbreds was examined in two experiments. Four sex categories were tested: entire male pigs (<strong>EM</strong>), barrows (<strong>BA</strong>), immunocastrates (<strong>IC</strong>), and gilts (<strong>GI</strong>). Experiment 1 occurred under experimental conditions (individual housing, nutrient−rich diet) while experiment 2 represented controlled farm circumstances (group housing, commercial diet). Slaughter weight in experiments 1 and 2 were 110–148 kg and 99–138 kg, respectively. Body composition was analysed at the beginning and end of the growing-finishing phase. Nitrogen efficiency, based on the conversion of ingested N into body N, was calculated. In general, slaughter weight had a clear effect on body composition and nutrient excretions in BA and a lesser effect in GI. In contrast, no effect of slaughter weight on body composition and N excretions was observed in EM and IC within the tested weight range. As slaughter weight increased in BA, CP and water content decreased while fat content increased. This resulted in increasing N excretion and decreasing N efficiency at higher slaughter weights. Only weak correlations between estimated lean meat content and N content in the body were observed. No significant effect of BW on whole−body P content or P excretion was observed. The measured body composition values can be used for future research and modelling of nutrient excretions in pig production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 3","pages":"Article 101432"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143402666","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of fish oil in Iberian sow diets on fatty acid, oxylipins and immune traits of colostrum and milk, and suckling piglets’ growth performance","authors":"E. Llauradó-Calero ,&nbsp;J. García-Gudiño ,&nbsp;F.I. Hernández-García ,&nbsp;M. Izquierdo ,&nbsp;R. Lizardo ,&nbsp;D. Torrallardona ,&nbsp;E. Esteve-Garcia ,&nbsp;N. Tous","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101430","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101430","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Iberian sow productivity is characterised by a low number of weaned piglets with higher within-litter variation in piglet birth BW compared with conventional breeds. To overcome this, nutritional strategies, such as the dietary addition of n-3 fatty acids (<strong>FAs</strong>), are being studied to improve sow performance, as well as colostrum and milk composition. In addition, n-3 FAs and their derived oxylipins could also be beneficial for the offspring due to their anti-inflammatory roles. The present study was conducted in an outdoor production system where sows were group-fed during the mating and gestation periods, while feed intake was provided individually during lactation. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of including fish oil rich in eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (<strong>EPA</strong> and <strong>DHA</strong>, respectively) in Iberian sow diets on litter size, piglet growth during lactation, and the concentrations of anti-inflammatory molecules in colostrum and milk. Forty sows were randomly assigned to either a control or fish oil diet during pregnancy and lactation. Sow performance and litter traits were monitored until weaning. Colostrum and milk were collected after the birth of the first piglet and at weaning, respectively. Their FA composition, oxylipin profile, and immune indicators were analysed. Despite the piglets from the control group having greater average birth BW than those from the fish oil litters (<em>P</em> = 0.016), the fish oil piglets were heavier at weaning (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.028). Total n-3 FA concentration was increased in the colostrum and milk of fish oil-fed sows (all <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001), mainly due to increases in EPA and DHA concentrations (all <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). In the same way, most of their oxygenated derivatives were also increased in both colostrum and milk (<em>P</em> ≤ 0.045). The colostrum from fish oil-fed sows also presented higher concentrations of immunoglobulins (<strong>Ig</strong>) G and A than that from control sows (<em>P</em> = 0.025 and <em>P</em> = 0.026, respectively). In conclusion, the inclusion of fish oil in sow diets increased the levels of IgG and IgA in colostrum, n-3 FAs and their derived oxylipins in colostrum and milk, and piglet BW at weaning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 3","pages":"Article 101430"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143403292","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Growth rate, either through genetics or diet, mainly determines the outcome concerning broiler welfare","authors":"J.A.J. van der Eijk ,&nbsp;J. van Harn ,&nbsp;H. Gunnink ,&nbsp;T. van Hattum ,&nbsp;M. Wolthuis-Fillerup ,&nbsp;S. Melis ,&nbsp;D.E. te Beest ,&nbsp;I.C. de Jong","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101431","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101431","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is a trend towards broiler production systems with higher welfare requirements, which often use a combination of factors to improve broiler welfare. This makes it difficult to entangle whether improvements are due to housing conditions, diet, genetics or a combination of these factors. Therefore, it remains unknown to what extent differences in welfare can be attributed to breed (i.e., genetics), growth rate (i.e., diet) or the interaction between the two. We compared fast- (Ross 308, <strong>R</strong>), medium- (Ranger Classic, <strong>RC</strong>) and slower-growing broilers (Hubbard JA757, <strong>H</strong>) receiving diets differing in balanced protein (<strong>BP</strong>) content (i.e., 80, 90 and 100%). We identified effects on behaviour, responses to behavioural tests and litter quality at three target body weights (<strong>TBW</strong>s, 0.2, 1.2 and 2.4 kg), and welfare scores and litter DM content at TBW 2.6 kg. The experiment had a 3 × 3 factorial design with four replicates (pens) per treatment (a total of 36 pens). We hypothesised that reducing the growth rate will improve the welfare of all breeds and that breeds will not differ in welfare if they have a comparable growth rate. Indeed, reducing the growth rate improved hock burn scores in all breeds. R broilers also had improved cleanliness scores and RC broilers improved gait scores. Reducing the growth rate increased the number of R broilers approaching a human and novel object and showing running behaviour in the free-space test, while it reduced the number of RC broilers approaching a human and showing comfort behaviour and did not affect behaviour in H broilers. In addition, litter quality was improved for R broilers (wetness and DM), while reduced for H broilers (DM) with reduced growth rate, and no effects of growth rate on litter quality were found for RC broilers. Thus, reducing growth rate (i.e., reducing BP in diets) improves welfare in all breeds, but breeds did respond differently concerning behaviour and litter quality, with more beneficial effects for fast-growing broilers compared to medium- and slower-growing broilers. Hardly any differences in behaviour, welfare scores and litter quality were found between breeds when they had a comparable growth rate (R80 vs RC100 and RC80 vs H100), except for R80 having better scores for cleanliness and gait scores (only males) and higher litter DM content compared to RC100. These findings suggest that growth rate, either through genetics or diet, is mainly determining the outcome concerning broiler welfare.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 3","pages":"Article 101431"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143403293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The development of a tool to assess cow quality of life based on system-level attributes across pastoral dairy farms","authors":"S.J. Hendriks ,&nbsp;K. Saunders ,&nbsp;K. DeWitt ,&nbsp;P. Timmer-Arends ,&nbsp;J. Jago","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101429","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101429","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Progress has been made in developing cow welfare assessment protocols that focus on the cow; however, system-level assessment has received less attention. This paper presents a process undertaken to develop a tool to identify opportunities and risks for cow quality of life at the system level across pastoral dairy farms and piloting the tool in New Zealand. The Farm System Welfare Assessment Tool incorporates elements from the Five Domains Model and is based on four domains (nutrition, health, physical environment, and behavioural interactions) and a fifth area ‘people’ with 21 system attributes captured under these areas that are assessed through on-farm visits. Overall, 222 farms were visited, and attributes were allocated a score based on the degree of risk posed to cow welfare at the system level. Results were summarised to provide an overall score for New Zealand dairy farm systems for each attribute within season. An attribute was defined as low risk when opportunities for neutral or positive experiences were provided, while negative experiences were minimised; moderate risk when some opportunities for neutral or positive experiences were provided, but negative experiences may still exist, and; high risk when opportunities for neutral or positive experiences were restricted and negative experiences exist. Overall, 85% of attributes (n = 66/78) across all seasons (19 attributes assessed across four seasons, plus one attribute which was only relevant in spring and one scored year-round) were classified as low risk, 10% were classified as moderate risk (n = 8/78) and 9% were classified as high risk (n = 7/78). From the 15 attributes that scored moderate or high risk, physical environment (40%; n = 6/15), people (27%; n = 4/15), and behavioural interactions (20%; n = 3/15) were the highest-risk areas followed by nutrition and health (both 7%; n = 1/15). Six attributes including health prevention, provision of quality feed, adequate space, good ventilation, natural lighting, and well-designed infrastructure were scored low risk across all seasons indicating neutral experiences are likely. Higher risk attributes with the potential to restrict opportunities for positive experiences included inadequate staffing, exploration and grooming during winter, and expression of maternal behaviour, while lower risk attributes with the possibility to provide opportunities for positive experiences included foraging, daily routine, and social contact. The tool was able to identify aspects of New Zealand farm systems that are likely to provide opportunities for neutral or positive experiences, where opportunities for positive experiences are restricted, and where negative experiences may occur. Future research could investigate the wider application of our approach within other dairy farm systems and countries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 3","pages":"Article 101429"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143395890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Beef cattle performance and hair cortisol accumulation in silvopastoral and pastoral systems: a 2-year assessment","authors":"A. Ripamonti ,&nbsp;G. Foggi ,&nbsp;A. Mantino ,&nbsp;L. Turini ,&nbsp;J. Goracci ,&nbsp;A. Silvi ,&nbsp;M. Finocchi ,&nbsp;M. Mele","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101425","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101425","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Mediterranean area is highly vulnerable to climate change. Silvopastoral practices, such as integrating trees into pastureland or grazing in woodland areas, are potential mitigation strategies to improve microclimate conditions and reduce heat stress risks. We conducted a 2-year on-farm experiment to compare growth performance, measuring average daily gain (<strong>ADG</strong>), hair cortisol accumulation, and blood glucose concentration in Maremmana breed steers and heifers reared in either a silvopastoral (<strong>SP</strong>) or pastoral (<strong>PA</strong>) system during spring and summer. Additionally, we monitored microclimate conditions in both systems via the black globe humidity index (<strong>BGHI</strong>) as a heat stress proxy for outdoor-reared animals. In both years, the highest ADG values were recorded in spring: 1.49 kg/day in PA and 1.25 kg/day in SP in 2021 and 1.24 kg/day in PA and 1.17 kg/day in SP in 2022. During spring, PA-reared animals performed best, likely because of favourable microclimate conditions and abundant pasture, making tree shade unnecessary. Conversely, in summer, as heat stress risk increased—indicated by higher BGHI levels—tree presence in the SP system mitigated heat stress impacts on ADG, resulting in superior SP performance over PA. The hair cortisol levels increased in both groups during the summer, with a significantly greater increase in the PA animals. In 2021, cortisol levels reached 35.04 pg/mg in PAs and 26.62 pg/mg in SPs. In 2022, cortisol levels rose further to 46.56 pg/mg in PAs and 42.94 pg/mg in SPs. A decrease of glucose levels in PA group was determined but further research is needed to clarify the effects of heat stress on physiological mechanisms that lead to a change in glucose levels. Effective pasture and system management have been shown to increase productivity, with higher spring stocking rates in open pastures improving animal performance in both years.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 3","pages":"Article 101425"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143349459","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Review: Cross-breeding, advanced reproductive technologies, and genetic selection in twelve dairy production systems in Africa","authors":"E.K. Kathambi ,&nbsp;T.S. Sonstegard ,&nbsp;P.A. Larsen","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101424","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101424","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The supply and demand for milk in Africa have been rising due to factors such as population growth, urbanization, increasing incomes, and improved living standards. Dairy production significantly impacts the economic and social development of African countries, contributing over 10% to the agricultural gross domestic product in countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania. The ongoing development of the African dairy industry can be attributed, to a certain extent, to the utilization of cross-breeding strategies and advanced reproductive technologies such as artificial insemination, embryo transfer, and the implementation of genomic selection programs. This review evaluates historical dairy breeding practices in twelve African countries and examines the use of advanced breeding tools to enhance and sustain cattle breeding programs across Africa. Eighteen cases from twelve African countries are reviewed to highlight the successes and reported positive impacts on dairy production, revenue, livelihoods, and genetic diversity. We have pinpointed the challenges of integrating new breeding approaches and technologies for African dairy programs, such as insufficient funding, low return on investment in biotechnology, poor monitoring and evaluation of breeding programs, and lack of developed legal frameworks on biotechnological operations. We have recommended strategies to overcome these barriers that may be employed in dairy systems to improve the adoption of breeding technologies across the region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 3","pages":"Article 101424"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143395889","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Opinion paper: Applying agroecological principles allows assessing the multidimensionality of input-use efficiency in ruminant production systems","authors":"H. Nguyen-Ba,&nbsp;P. Veysset,&nbsp;I. Ortigues-Marty,&nbsp;V. Monteils,&nbsp;G. Cantalapiedra-Hijar,&nbsp;B. Dumont,&nbsp;A. Ferlay","doi":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101423","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.animal.2025.101423","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50789,"journal":{"name":"Animal","volume":"19 3","pages":"Article 101423"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143377823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}