Using ANI 35/L approach to evaluate the welfare status of locally adapted Anatolian Black cattle.

In this study, it was aimed to determine of the shelter conditions and welfare levels of Anatolian Black cattle grown in two different regions of Turkey. Accordingly, welfare assessment was made at the farm level according to the Animal Needs Index (ANI 35L/2000) method, a total of 76 in Ankara and Antalya provinces. The material of the research was composed of Anatolian Black cattle farms within the scope of the Project on Conservation of Domestic Genetic Resources. According to the ANI welfare assessment method, scoring was composed of a total of 30 criteria in 5 different categories, namely, locomotion, social interaction, flooring, light air and stockmanship. In the study, the average of all farms was determined as 22.73 points in winter and 41.36 points in summer. These values were found to be 22.00 and 23.98 in winter and 40.87 and 42.20 in summer, respectively, in Ankara and Antalya provinces. As a result of the study, it was found that the opportunity for animals to go to the courtyard and pasture has positive contributions to animal welfare. Moreover, it determined that factors such as stall size, available floor area, flooring and lighting adversely affected animal welfare in winter. The ANI 35L method can be recommended to determine the welfare levels of farms that have production by traditional methods and not possible to examine many animal-based parameters.

Investigating current welfare status of the buffalo farms by ANI evaluation method.

The Animal Needs Index (ANI) method is used in the study to determine the welfare levels of 58 buffalo farms in the Marmara region of Turkey. The enterprises were divided into 3 subgroups according to their size; (i) small-scale enterprises (n: 19), which have 5 to 19 buffalo cows, (ii) medium-scale enterprises (n: 20), which have 20 to 39 buffalo cows, and (iii) large-scale enterprises (n: 19), which have more than 40 buffalo cows. The farms were visited and evaluated in two seasons according to ANI system. Thirty criteria for locomotion, social interaction, flooring, light and air, and stockmanship categories were evaluated. Most of the farms were determined to be highly suitable for animal welfare according to the ANI method. Although many differences were observed among the enterprises during the visits, it was thought that the buffalo enterprises could not be evaluated with sufficient sensitivity with the help of the ANI method, since these differences cannot be revealed when the total ANI scores were compared. The enterprise scale had no direct effect on the investigated parameters in the study. Considering the deficiencies of the criteria in the study to evaluate the physical characteristics and needs of the buffaloes, it has been concluded that the evaluation methods to be developed to determine the welfare level of buffaloes should consider the species-specific characteristics of the buffaloes.

Carcass characteristics and meat quality of goat kids according to the Colomer - Rocher carcass fatness and conformation classes.

Classifying kid carcasses according to their fatness and conformation scores guides producers toward higher quality and income-generating production methods and determines the ideal slaughter time. This study aimed to determine the effects of Colomer-Rocher fatness and conformation classes on carcass and meat quality characteristics in goat kids. A total of 102 male kid carcasses were used in the study. Carcasses were divided into fatness (1-, 1, 1+, 2-) and conformation (P-, P, P+; O-) classes according to the Colomer-Rocher classification, and these groups were accepted as the experimental group. Hierarchical clustering analysis divided the kid carcasses into 5 clusters using certain carcass characteristics. Differences between clusters in most of the carcass characteristics were significant. The difference between the cluster groups in terms of meat colour and sensory characteristics was also significant. Fatness and conformation classes significantly affected most characteristics except kidney knob and channel fat (KKCF) percentages and carcass joints percentages. The Colomer-Rocher conformation classification was found to be more discriminatory in terms of meat quality than the fatness classification.

Comparison of Nonlinear Growth Models to Estimate Growth Curves in Kivircik Sheep under a Semi-Intensive Production System.

The Kivircik is an indigenous sheep breed from Turkey, and it has superior meat quality compared to other indigenous breeds. Therefore, farmers prioritize Kivircik lamb fattening instead of milk production. Here, we aimed to determine the best nonlinear growth model, i.e., Gompertz, Logistic, Von Bertalanffy, and Brody, to describe the growth curve of Kivircik lambs. The body weight data from birth until 150 days of age belonging to 612 lambs were used as the material of this study. The best fitting model was selected by considering the adjusted coefficient of determination (R2adj), residual mean square, and Akaike's (AIC) and Bayesian information criteria (BIC). Even though the Brody model had a better statistical fit, considering its biological interpretation, the Gompertz model was identified as an appropriate model for describing Kivircik lamb growth. Male lambs, twin lambs, and lambs born in winter had higher mature live weights (44.2 kg, 71.2 kg, and 38.5 kg, respectively) and rate of weight gain (2.1, 2.6, and 2.0, respectively). However, our subgroups revealed a similar rate of maturity (0.01). Growth models are important tools for deciding the optimal slaughter age and they provide valuable information on the management practices of both sexes, birth types, and birth seasons. These results can be applied to breeding programs for early selection, enabling intervention strategies when needed.

Carcass Characteristics and Meat Quality of Karacabey Merino lambs Reared under Triticale and Oat Pastures Compared with Stall-Fed Lambs.

Fifty-eight Karacabey Merino lambs were used to study the effects of feeding system (triticale pasture, oat pasture, or stall-fed), birth type (single or multiple), gender (male or female), and birth year (2016 or 2017) on various carcass and meat quality characteristics. Stall lambs had higher conformation (CS) and fatness (FS) scores, and higher meat L* and h* values than the two pasture groups, possibly due to higher fat content, while oat pasture lambs had the most tender meat. Single-born lambs had higher CS, FS, and Longissimus thoracis muscle section area, while females had higher subcutaneous and non-carcass fat deposits than their counterparts. Both single-born lambs and 2016-born lambs had higher meat a* and C* values than their counterparts. In conclusion, a pasture-based feeding system is more suitable for Karacabey Merino lambs than a stall feeding system, if lean meat and/or meat products are preferred. However, it should not be ignored that stall-fed lambs showed a better fattening performance in terms of conformation and fatness, during the same period.

Characteristics of Buffalo Farming Systems in Turkey Based on a Multivariate Aggregation of Indicators: A Survey Study.

This study aimed to determine the heterogeneity that exists in water buffalo husbandry systems in Marmara Region, Turkey. A questionnaire containing a total of 60 indicators was submitted to 52 farmers. A Principal Component Analysis was performed to reduce original variables into a simplified and latent structure, which was characterized by six orthogonal components: milk productivity, economic efficiency, roughage management, dual-purpose farming, concentrate supply, and fodder production. An ANOVA model was applied to the six components to investigate the effects of the province, investment levels, grazing type, milk production, and profitability. Differences in milk productivity, roughage management, concentrate supply, and fodder management were significant according to the province and grazing type, which indicated a difference in intensification levels among the cities. Economic efficiency and dual-purpose farming differed significantly for milk production levels as well as milk productivity, and economic efficiency differed for profitability levels. We found a tendency regarding the impact of roughage management on profitability. The results conclude that profitability was associated with improving the milking traits of buffaloes and roughage management of the farms.