Growth performance, carcass, and meat quality traits in broiler chickens reared on plastic-grid flooring, wood shavings, and zeolite-supplemented wood shavings.

This study aimed to assess the growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality traits of broiler chickens raised on plastic-grid floors, traditional wood shavings, and wood shavings enriched with zeolite. The experimental design included the allocation of 504-day-old chicks to three different bedding materials, namely wood shavings, plastic-grid floors, and zeolite litter, each with four replications (42 birds per replicate). The chicks were individually weighed at birth and grouped according to their average body weights. An experiment involving 504 chicks was conducted, with each replicate consisting of 42 male chicks of similar body weight. At the end of the experiment, a total of 120 chickens were slaughtered with 10 chickens selected from each replicate for processing carcass and meat quality traits. The effects of different bedding materials on mortality (P = 0.812), body weight (P = 0.565), and body weight gain (P = 0.569) were not significant. The ANOVA test was conducted to compare the main effects of performance, carcass, and meat quality characteristics. The feed intake was significantly affected in the 2nd, and 3rd weeks (P = 0.001; 0.023); in addition, the feed conversion ratio was significant in the 2nd, 4th, and overall period (P = 0.003; P = 0.026; P = 0.038) by the bedding materials. The breast yield (P = 0.001), thigh yield (P = 0.028), and wing yield (P = 0.023) were significant. The type of bedding material used in broiler production significantly influenced the pH24 (P = 0.030), L* (P = 0.037), a* (P = 0.000), and CL (P = 0.028). It was concluded that both a plastic-grid floor and zeolite supplementation to wood shaving litter did not significantly affect overall growth performance in broiler chickens. However, the plastic-grid floor showed superior effects on breast meat yield and quality characteristics, particularly reducing cooking loss, when compared to zeolite supplementation in wood shaving litter. The plastic-grid floor led to a slight increase in the feed conversion ratio. Consequently, adopting a plastic grid floor emerges as a viable alternative to traditional wood shavings in broiler farming.

Effects of group housing and incremental hay supplementation in calf starters at different ages on growth performance, behavior, and health.

The present study examined the effects of age at group housing and age at incremental hay supplementation in calf starters from 7.5 to 15% (dry matter, DM) and their interaction on growth performance, behavior, health of dairy calves, and development of heifers through first breeding. A total of 64 calves (n = 16 calves/treatment, 8 male and 8 female) were randomly assigned to 4 treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, with age at group housing (early = d 28 ± 2, EG vs. late = d 70 ± 2, LG; 4 calves per group) and age at incremental hay supplementation of calf starters from 7.5 to 15% of DM (early = d 42 ± 2 d, EH vs. late = d 77 ± 2, LH) as the main factors. All calves (female and male) were weaned at 63 days of age and observed until 90 days of age. Heifer calves were managed uniformly from 90 days of age until first calving to evaluate the long-term effects of treatment. No interactions were observed between age at group housing and age at incremental hay to calves on starter feed intake, performance, calf health and behavior, and heifer development through first breeding, which was contrary to our hypothesis. The age at which incremental hay supplementation was administered had no effect on starter feed intake, growth performance, or heifer development until first calving. When EG calves were compared with LG calves, nutrient intake (starter, total dry matter, metabolizable energy, neutral detergent fiber, starch, and crude protein), average daily gain, and final body weight increased. In addition, frequency of standing decreased and time and frequency of eating increased in EG calves compared to LG calves. Overall, early group housing leads to improved growth performance in dairy calves with no negative effects on calf health compared to late group housing.

Integument, mortality, and skeletal strength in extended production cycles for laying hens - effects of genotype and dietary zinc source.

1. This study on long-life layers, covering the period 20-100 weeks of age, investigated longitudinal effects on mortality, layer integument, and skeletal properties in Bovans White (BoW) and Lohmann Selected Leghorn Classic (LSL), with or without supplementation with dietary organic zinc (Zn).2. Two experiments, using 1440 layers in furnished small group cages (FC) and 1836 layers in a traditional floor housing system (Floor), were run in parallel. Each replicate consisted of five adjacent cages containing eight hens in each FC, or a pen with 102 layers in the Floor group.3. Mortality was recorded daily. Integument and keel bone condition were scored at 35, 55, 85, and 100 weeks of age on 20% of the layers. Tibial strength was recorded from 933 layers at 100 weeks. Statistical analyses were performed on replicate means, with four to five and nine replicates per combination of hybrid and diet in Floor and FC groups, respectively.4. Cumulative mortality was 9.6% and 16.3% in FC and Floor, respectively, and increased in the latter part of the production cycle, particularly in the Floor group.5. In FC, LSL had inferior feather cover, less keel bone deviation, and shorter claws than BoW. In Floor, LSL had superior feather cover, less severe vent wounds, more bumble foot, and cleaner plumage than BoW. In both production systems, claws grew longer and keel bone deviation became more severe with age.6. In FC, layers fed organic Zn had lower body weight and less keel bone deviation at 100 weeks of age.7. In conclusion, keel bone integrity, claw length, and mortality rate are potential threats to welfare in long-life layers. Feather pecking is a problem that needs addressing at an early stage in the production period. On the whole, organic Zn did not improve welfare conditions in long-life layers.

Effects of long-term social isolation on central, behavioural and metabolic parameters in middle-aged mice.

Social isolation gained discussion momentum due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whereas many studies address the effects of long-term social isolation in post-weaning and adolescence and for periods ranging from 4 to 12 weeks, little is known about the repercussions of adult long-term social isolation in middle age. Thus, our aim was to investigate how long-term social isolation can influence metabolic, behavioural, and central nervous system-related areas in middle-aged mice. Adult male C57Bl/6 mice (4 months-old) were randomly divided into Social (2 cages, n = 5/cage) and Isolated (10 cages, n = 1/cage) housing groups, totalizing 30 weeks of social isolation, which ended concomitantly with the onset of middle age of mice. At the end of the trial, metabolic parameters, short-term memory, anxiety-like behaviour, and physical activity were assessed. Immunohistochemistry in the hippocampus (ΔFosB, BDNF, and 8OHDG) and hypothalamus (ΔFosB) was also performed. The Isolated group showed impaired memory along with a decrease in hippocampal ΔFosB at dentate gyrus and in BDNF at CA3. Food intake was also affected, but the direction depended on how it was measured in the Social group (individually or in the group) with no alteration in ΔFosB at the hypothalamus. Physical activity parameters increased with chronic isolation, but in the light cycle (inactive phase), with some evidence of anxiety-like behaviour. Future studies should better explore the timepoint at which the alterations found begin. In conclusion, long-term social isolation in adult mice contributes to alterations in feeding, physical activity pattern, and anxiety-like behaviour. Moreover, short-term memory deficit was associated with lower levels of hippocampal ΔFosB and BDNF in middle age.

Comparison of litter quality, performance, and some welfare parameters of broilers reared on the sepiolite-supplemented paper waste sludge.

Waste management is the protection of the environment and the health of the population. Paper waste sludge is produced during paper production and sepiolite is a natural clay mineral. The aim of the study was to investigate the usability of sepiolite-added paper waste sludge as a bedding material in the broiler production. Two hundred eighty-eight 1-day old male broiler chicks were divided into the 6 bedding material groups (wood shavings (control), paper waste sludge, sepiolite, mix of 25% paper waste sludge and 75% sepiolite, mix of 50% paper waste sludge and 50% sepiolite, and mix of 75% paper waste sludge and 25% sepiolite) with 6 replicate pens per group. Litter quality, performance, and some welfare parameters of broilers were assessed during the 6 weeks' period. Body weight at 42 days of age and body weight gain from 0 to 42 days of broilers reared on the wood shavings and mix of 50% paper waste sludge and 50% sepiolite were found higher than those of the sepiolite and paper waste sludge groups. Feed consumption and feed to gain ratio from 0 to 42 days, yields of carcass and carcass parts, percentages of organs and abdominal fat, IgG, percentage of bursa Fabricius, burns of foot pad and breast, litter pH and meat properties of broilers reared on the wood shavings, paper waste sludge, and sepiolite litter groups were not found to be statistically different. Litter moisture was found higher in the paper waste sludge group than that in the sepiolite group at the 42 days of rearing. As a conclusion, usage of mix of 50% paper waste sludge and 50% sepiolite as a litter does not have any negative effects on performance, welfare, and litter quality. This result is important in terms of utilizing a waste product.

Aerobic training associated with an active lifestyle exerts a protective effect against oxidative damage in hypothalamus and liver: The involvement of energy metabolism.

BACKGROUND: Oxidation resistance protein 1 (OXR1) is of scientific interest due its role in protecting tissues against oxidative stress, DNA mutations and tumorigenesis, but little is known regarding strategies to increase OXR1 in different tissues. As an improved antioxidant defense may result from a high total amount of physical activity, the present study was designed to determine whether an active lifestyle including aerobic training exercise and spontaneous physical activity (SPA) can increase OXR1. We have built a large cage (LC) that allows animals to move freely, promoting an increase in SPA in comparison to a small cage (SC). METHODS: We examined the effects of aerobic training applied for 8 weeks on SPA and OXR1 of C57BL/6 J mice living in two types of housing (SC and LC). OXR1 protein was studied in hypothalamus, muscle and liver, which were chosen due to their important role in energy and metabolic homeostasis. RESULTS: LC-mice were more active than SC-mice as determined by SPA values. Despite both trained groups exhibiting similar gains in aerobic capacity, only trained mice kept in a large cage (but not for trained mice housed in SC) exhibited high OXR1 in the hypothalamus and liver. Trained mice housed in LC that exhibited an up-regulation of OXR1 also were those who exhibited an energy-expensive metabolism (based on metabolic parameters). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that aerobic training associated with a more active lifestyle exerts a protective effect against oxidative damage and may be induced by changes in energy metabolism.

The effects of farming systems (organic vs. conventional) on dairy cow welfare, based on the Welfare Quality® protocol.

Animal welfare in livestock production is of great interest to consumers. The organic farming approach strives to ensure animal welfare based on preventive measures, but there are very few scientific studies that compare the actual differences in animal welfare between organic and conventional farms. Those studies that have been carried out frequently focus on specific aspects of animal welfare, mostly health issues. The aim of the present study, therefore, was to investigate the effects of the farming system on the welfare of dairy cows in a more holistic way. Although this study was carried out in just two federal states of Germany, the results could serve as a suitable model for the whole country. We used the Welfare Quality assessment protocol to measure welfare for dairy cattle (Welfare Quality®, 2009) and the results showed significant differences (P < 0.05) between organic and conventional farms, but there was also considerable variance between individual farms of the same farming system. Organic farms scored higher in all four Welfare Quality® principles: "Good Feeding", "Good Housing", "Good Health" and "Appropriate Behavior" compared to conventional farms. In particular, organic farms obtained higher scores with respect to Welfare Quality® measures of resting comfort, which contributes to a lower percentage of lameness; organic farms also implemented less painful methods for disbudding, or indeed carried out no disbudding, and provided access to pasture and outdoor exercise. However, organic farms still have room for improvement, especially with respect to animal health. Therefore, outcome-based specifications should be included in the current (purely action-oriented) European regulation of organic production (EC, 2008; EU, 2018) to safeguard the health-related aspects of animal welfare.

Comparative analysis of the morphology, chemistry and structure of the tibiotarsus, humerus and keel bones in laying hens.

1. Bone properties are adapted to their specific functions in the animal, so various types of bones develop different characteristics depending on their location in the skeleton.2. The aim of this research was to compare the chemical composition, mineral characteristics and structural organisation in tibiotarsus, humerus and keel bones as representatives of hen skeletal mineralisation. Complementary analytical techniques, such as X-ray radiography, optical and electron microscopy, thermogravimetry and 2D X-ray diffraction, were used for characterisation.3. The humerus had a thinner cortex and cortical bone mineral had higher crystallinity and a greater degree of crystal orientation than the tibiotarsus. The humerus generally lacks medullary bone although, when present, it has a higher mineral content than seen in the tibiotarsus. These differences were attributed to the different forces that stimulate bone formation and remodelling.4. The keel cortical bone had a lower degree of mineralisation than the tibiotarsus or humerus. Its degree of mineralisation decreased from the cranial to the distal end of the bone. This gradient may affect keel mechanical properties, making it more prone to deformation and fractures.5. Data from studying different bones in laying hens can help to understand mineralisation as well as finding solutions to prevent osteoporosis-related fractures.

Effects of high-intensity interval training in more or less active mice on biomechanical, biophysical and biochemical bone parameters.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is of scientific interest due its role in improving physical fitness, but the effects of HIIT on bone health need be carefully explored. Further, it is necessary to know whether HIIT effects on bone health are dependent on the physical activity levels. This may be experimentally tested since we have built a large cage (LC) that allows animals to move freely, promoting an increase of spontaneous physical activity (SPA) in comparison to a small cage (SC). Thus, we examined the effects of HIIT on biophysical, biomechanical and biochemical parameters of bone tissue of C57BL/6J mice living in cages of two different sizes: small (SC) or large (LC) cages with 1320 cm2 and 4800 cm2 floor space, respectively. Male mice were subdivided into two groups within each housing type: Control (C) and Trained (T). At the end of the interventions, all mice were euthanized to extract the femur bone for biophysical, biomechanical and biochemical analyses. Based a significant interaction from two-way ANOVA, trained mice kept in large cage (but not for trained mice housed in SC) exhibited a reduction of tenacity and displacement at failure in bone. This suggests that long-term HIIT program, in addition with a more active lifestyle correlates with exerts negative effects on the bone of healthy mice. A caution must also be raised about the excessive adoption of physical training, at least regarding bone tissue. On the other hand, increased calcium was found in femur of mice housed in LC. In line with this, LC-C mice were more active (i.e. SPA) than other groups. This implies that an active lifestyle without long-term high intensity physical training seems to play a role in promoting benefits to bone tissue. Our data provides new insights for treatment of osteo-health related disorders.

Krill Oil Supplementation Reduces Exacerbated Hepatic Steatosis Induced by Thermoneutral Housing in Mice with Diet-Induced Obesity.

Preclinical evidence suggests that n-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA (Omega-3) supplemented as phospholipids (PLs) may be more effective than triacylglycerols (TAGs) in reducing hepatic steatosis. To further test the ability of Omega-3 PLs to alleviate liver steatosis, we used a model of exacerbated non-alcoholic fatty liver disease based on high-fat feeding at thermoneutral temperature. Male C57BL/6N mice were fed for 24 weeks a lard-based diet given either alone (LHF) or supplemented with Omega-3 (30 mg/g diet) as PLs (krill oil; ω3PL) or TAGs (Epax 3000TG concentrate; ω3TG), which had a similar total content of EPA and DHA and their ratio. Substantial levels of TAG accumulation (~250 mg/g) but relatively low inflammation/fibrosis levels were achieved in the livers of control LHF mice. Liver steatosis was reduced by >40% in the ω3PL but not ω3TG group, and plasma ALT levels were markedly reduced (by 68%) in ω3PL mice as well. Krill oil administration also improved hepatic insulin sensitivity, and its effects were associated with high plasma adiponectin levels (150% of LHF mice) along with superior bioavailability of EPA, increased content of alkaloids stachydrine and trigonelline, suppression of lipogenic gene expression, and decreased diacylglycerol levels in the liver. This study reveals that in addition to Omega-3 PLs, other constituents of krill oil, such as alkaloids, may contribute to its strong antisteatotic effects in the liver.

Effect of humate supplementation to feed and/or litter on performance, intestinal viscosity, litter quality, and occurrence of footpad dermatitis in broilers fed barley-based diets.

We investigated the effect of in-feed and/or in-litter supplemental humate against footpad dermatitis (FPD) in broilers fed diets based on barley. Three hundred and sixty 1-day-old Ross 308 broiler chickens were randomly distributed to 24 floor pens (4 treatments, each consisting of 6 replicate pens; 15 chickens per pen) as a completely randomized design with 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of two levels of supplemental humate in feed (0 and 1 g/kg feed) and litter (0 and 5 g/kg litter). Growth performance, intestinal viscosity, litter quality, and incidence and severity of FPD in broilers were measured. In addition, malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were determined in blood and footpad tissues of broilers with different FPD scores. The results revealed that there was no interaction between humate supplementation to feed and litter. Neither dietary nor litter supplementation of humate had a significant effect on growth performance, intestinal viscosity, litter quality, and occurrence of FPD. And also, MDA and SOD levels in serum and footpad tissue did not affect by either dietary or litter supplementation of humate. The presence of FPD (score 1) had no effect on MDA and SOD levels in serum, however, increased the MDA and SOD levels (P < 0.001, P = 0.001, respectively) in footpad tissue of broilers. The intestinal viscosity did not differ between FPD scores 0 and 1. In conclusion, findings of this experiment suggest that humate supplementation to feed and litter did not alleviate FPD development in broilers fed diets based on barley. In addition, the presence of FPD lesions increases the MDA and SOD levels in the footpad tissues.

Influence of individual or group housing of newborn calves on rotavirus and coronavirus infection during the first 2 months of life.

Bovine rotavirus A (RVA) and bovine coronavirus (CoV) are the two main viral enteropathogens associated with neonatal calf diarrhea. The aim of the present work was to study the impact of group and individual housing systems in the epidemiology of RVA and CoV infection. Eleven calves reared in individual housing (FA) and nine calves in group housing (FB) were monitored during the first 7 weeks of life. Stool and serum samples were screened for RVA and CoV antigens by ELISA. IgG1 antibodies (Ab) to both antigens were also measured. From the 160 fecal samples collected, the proportion of positive samples to RVA and CoV was significantly higher in FB (23.6%) than in FA (9%) (p = 0.03). The geometric mean of colostral IgG1 Ab titers to CoV and RVA in FA (IgG1 anti-CoV 1024 and anti-RVA 1782.9) was lower than in FB (IgG1 anti-CoV 10,321.2 and anti-RVA 4096) at birth. Calves less than 2 weeks of life from FB had a higher risk of being infected by RVA (OR = 4.9; p = 0.01) and CoV (OR = 17.15; p = 0.01) than calves from FA. The obtained results showed that there was higher RVA and CoV shedding in group-housed calves than in individual-housed animals.

The acoustic startle reflex as a tool for assessment of odor environment effects on affective states in laboratory mice.

Apart from self and conspecific odors, odors from other species also influence the affective states in laboratory mice (Mus musculus musculus) in their home cages and during experimental procedures, possibly inducing confusion and inconsistency in experimental data. Thus, it is important to detect the types of animal odors associated with housing, husbandry, and laboratory practice that can arouse different types of affective changes in mice. Here, we aimed to test the effectiveness of the acoustic startle reflex (ASR) in detecting changes in the affective states of laboratory mice due to animal-derived-odor as it has a non-zero baseline, and can be enhanced or attenuated by positive or negative affective shifts, respectively. We used ASR to examine the affective changes in mice that were induced by bedding odors and an alarm pheromone. The odor of bedding obtained from the mice' home cages significantly attenuated the ASR, suggesting positive affective shifts in the test mice, whereas that from bedding obtained from rat cages significantly enhanced the ASR, suggesting negative affective shifts. No significant changes in ASR were observed in mice presented with the odor of bedding obtained from cages of unfamiliar conspecifics. In contrast, there was significant ASR enhancement in mice exposed to volatile components of alarm pheromones trapped in water, suggesting negative affective shifts. Thus, our findings show that ASR may be a valuable tool in assessing the effects of odors on the affective states in laboratory mice.

Effects of late-gestation heat stress independent of reduced feed intake on colostrum, metabolism at calving, and milk yield in early lactation of dairy cows.

The objective of this study was to differentiate the effects of acute heat stress (HS) from those of decreased dry matter intake (DMI) during the prepartum period on metabolism, colostrum, and subsequent production of dairy cows. Holstein dairy cows (n = 30) with similar parity and body weight were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments on 45 d before calving: (1) cooled (CL, n = 10) conditions with ad libitum feed intake, (2) HS conditions with ad libitum feed intake (n = 10), and (3) pair-fed cooled (CLPF, n = 10) with reduced DMI similar to the HS group while housed under cooled conditions. The reduction in the amount of feed offered to the CLPF cows was calculated daily as the percentage decrease from the average DMI of HS cows relative to the CL cows. For CLPF and CL cows, barns provided shade, sprinklers, and fans, whereas the HS cows were provided only with shade. Cows in all groups received individually the same total mixed ration. Cows were dried off 60 d before the expected calving. Cows in the HS group and, by design, the CLPF cows had reduced DMI (~20%) during the experiment. Heat stress decreased gestation length, first colostrum yield, and calf birth weight compared with CL and CLPF cows. Milk yield decreased 21% (5 kg) in the HS and 8% (2 kg) in CLPF cows, indicating that reduced feed intake during late gestation accounted for 60% of the total reduced milk yield. The CLPF cows exhibited an elevated NEFA concentration compared with the CL and HS cows. The HS cows had a greater mRNA abundance of HSP70 in the peripheral blood leukocytes at 21 d prepartum compared with the other groups. At calving, the mRNA abundance of HSP70 was greater in HS cows, followed by CLPF, compared with the CL cows. In conclusion, HS during the late gestation period caused metabolism and production differences, which were only partially attributed to reduced feed intake in dairy cows.

Cage bedding modifies metabolic and gut microbiota profiles in mouse studies applying dietary restriction.

Experiments involving food restriction are common practice in metabolic research. Under fasted conditions, mice supplement their diet with cage bedding. We aimed at identifying metabolic and microbiota-related parameters affected by the bedding type. We exposed mice housed with wooden, cellulose, or corncob cage beddings to ad libitum feeding, caloric restriction (CR), or over-night (ON) fasting. Additionally, two subgroups of the ON fast group were kept without any bedding or on a metal grid preventing coprophagy. Mice under CR supplemented their diet substantially with bedding; however, the amount varied depending on the kind of bedding. Bedding-related changes in body weight loss, fat loss, cecum size, stomach weight, fecal output, blood ghrelin levels as well as a response to glucose oral tolerance test were recorded. As fiber is fermented by the gut bacteria, the type of bedding affects gut bacteria and fecal metabolites composition of CR mice. CR wood and cellulose groups showed distinct cecal metabolite and microbiome profiles when compared to the CR corncob group. While all ad libitum fed animal groups share similar profiles. We show that restriction-related additional intake of bedding-derived fiber modulates multiple physiological parameters. Therefore, the previous rodent studies on CR, report the combined effect of CR and increased fiber consumption.

Management practices that influence the welfare of calves on small family farms.

In this Research Reflection we review management practices in small family farms with less than 100 cows. Small farms represent the majority of farms in the EU and the world, and they are of great importance for the economy of a country. On cattle farms, the welfare of calves is of primary importance for the profitability of the herd, and poor management is one of the main factors influencing calf health and survival. Data on the risk factors for calf welfare issues in small-scale farms are limited. For this purpose, the literature data from six world countries were presented and compared, including Serbia and Slovenia where a survey related to the issue was carried out within the COST Action FA1308, DairyCare. Some practices within the following areas in calf management were considered: calving management, care for new-born calves, use of painful procedures, colostrum management, cow-calf separation, calf feeding, weaning, calf housing, and general monitoring. In each of the countries, the health and welfare of calves are threatened by some omissions in rearing practices and the major are related to the new-born calf management, the feeding and watering management, and the application of hygienic measures. Many farmers are well aware of the importance of proper calf rearing; others would need more incentive to improve calf management. Each country should pay attention to the education of farmers about the most common deficiencies in calf management.

Stimbiotic supplementation improved performance and reduced inflammatory response via stimulating fiber fermenting microbiome in weaner pigs housed in a poor sanitary environment and fed an antibiotic-free low zinc oxide diet.

This study investigated whether the inclusion of a stimbiotic (STB) can improve performance, influence intestinal microbiota and fermentation activity, and reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines in piglets fed a low zinc oxide diet without antimicrobial growth promotors compared to fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) and mannan-oligosaccharide (MOS) when housed either in good sanitary (GS) or poor sanitary (PS) environments. One hundred forty-four male pigs (28-day-old) were sorted by initial body weight (BW) and allocated to one of six experimental treatments: 1) GS environment without any additive (GS-CTR); 2) GS environment with 0.01% stimbiotic (GS-STB); 3) PS environment (without cleaning and disinfection of a previously populated room) without any additive (PS-CTR); 4) PS environment with 0.01% STB (PS-STB); 5) PS environment with 0.1% MOS (PS-MOS); and 6) PS environment with 0.2% FOS (PS-FOS). Each treatment had six replicates, with four animals each. Three feeding phases, based on corn, wheat, and soybean meal were available ad libitum for the 42-days of the study. Housing piglets under PS conditions negatively influenced performance, increased plasma tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), affected the fecal microbial populations and increased concentrations of branched-chain fatty acids (BCFA) compared to GS. Stimbiotic improved 42-d-BW under PS conditions (P < 0.05) whereas MOS or FOS had no effect. On d35, plasma TNF-α was reduced with STB in PS (P < 0.05). The ratio between VFA:BCFA increased (P < 0.05) with STB, MOS or FOS in PS, and under GS condition, STB also increased the ratio. Stimbiotic increased the proportion of Clostridiales Family XIII Incertae Sedis and Clostridiaceae, while MOS and FOS increased Selenomonadaceae, Catabacteriaceae and Fibrobacteraceae. These results indicate that STB shifted the intestinal microbiome to favor fiber fermentation which likely contributed to reduced inflammatory response and improved performance, particularly in piglets reared in PS conditions.

Inulin Supplementation Disturbs Hepatic Cholesterol and Bile Acid Metabolism Independent from Housing Temperature.

Dietary fibers are fermented by gut bacteria into the major short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) acetate, propionate, and butyrate. Generally, fiber-rich diets are believed to improve metabolic health. However, recent studies suggest that long-term supplementation with fibers causes changes in hepatic bile acid metabolism, hepatocyte damage, and hepatocellular cancer in dysbiotic mice. Alterations in hepatic bile acid metabolism have also been reported after cold-induced activation of brown adipose tissue. Here, we aim to investigate the effects of short-term dietary inulin supplementation on liver cholesterol and bile acid metabolism in control and cold housed specific pathogen free wild type (WT) mice. We found that short-term inulin feeding lowered plasma cholesterol levels and provoked cholestasis and mild liver damage in WT mice. Of note, inulin feeding caused marked perturbations in bile acid metabolism, which were aggravated by cold treatment. Our studies indicate that even relatively short periods of inulin consumption in mice with an intact gut microbiome have detrimental effects on liver metabolism and function.

Study of nitrogen fluxes across conventional solid floor cubicle and compost-bedded pack housing systems in dairy cattle barns located in the Mediterranean area: Effects of seasonal variation.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of housing system (or manure management system) and season on manure N recovery and volatilization using an N mass balance. Dietary, milk, and manure N were monitored together with outside temperatures in 6 dairy barns. Three barns were designed as conventional freestalls (cubicle, CUB) with an automatic manure scraper system and concrete floor, in which the gutter in the middle was continuously scraped (every 2-4 h) and the slurry was conveyed toward an open-air concrete pool. The other 3 barns were designed as a loose housing system (HS) with a compost-bedded pack (CB) and conventional confinement housing provided with a feed alley that was cleaned mechanically (2-3 times per day). The farms under study were located near Lleida in the center of the Ebro valley, in northeastern Spain. Nitrogen recovery was measured twice under farm-like conditions either during spring-summer (3 mo of increasing temperatures) or fall-winter (3 mo of decreasing temperatures). The number of cows per barn ranged from 99 to 473, and average age, mean lactation, and parturition intervals were 4.1 yr, 2.43 lactations, and 426.6 d, respectively. In spring-summer, animals ate more [26.3 vs. 23.8 kg of dry matter (DM)/d] and produced more milk (34.6 vs. 31.3 kg/d ± 0.68). However, milk composition did not change. Stored manure from the CB system showed a higher DM concentration with respect to the CUB system (379.15 vs. 97.65 g/kg of fresh matter); however, N (31.45 vs. 40.2), NH3-N (5.3 vs. 18.9) and its ratios with phosphorus (NH3-N:P, 3.52 vs. 5.2) and potassium (NH3-N:K, 0.615 vs. 2.69) showed the opposite trend. No differences were found in N intake (653 vs. 629.5 g/d) or milk N secretion (190 vs. 177.8 g/d for CUB and CB barns, respectively) although net N recovery of the excreted N (Nintake - NMilk) was significantly lower in manure in CB barns than in CUB systems (193.8 vs. 389.3 g/d). The proportion of N irreversible loss in relation to the N intake was higher in CB than in CUB barns (42.3 vs. 11.0%). There was no clear association between season and irreversible N losses; however, the housing system was pivotal in the association between N recovery in manure and irreversible losses by volatilization.

Consequences of various housing systems and dietary supplementation of thymol, carvacrol, and euganol on performance, egg quality, blood chemistry, and antioxidant parameters.

The present work was carried out to investigate the influences of housing system and dietary essential oils (EOs) supplementation to laying hens on the productive performance, egg quality, immunity, antioxidant parameters, and hematology. A factorial arrangement (2 × 4) was performed, including 2 housing systems and 4 different types of EOs (without EOs, thymol, carvacrol, and euganol) during the production stages (from 28-78 wk of age). Birds were randomly divided into 2 groups with each of 2,000 birds. The first group was moved to laying cages while the second group was a floor reared. Each group was randomly divided into 4 groups (5 replicates of 100 birds each): The first were considered as a control group, and the second, third, and fourth groups were treated with thymol, carvacrol, and euganol EO, respectively. The results showed that hens reared in cage system had higher egg weight (P < 0.05), egg production, egg mass, and feed intake and better feed conversion ratio (P < 0.001) than those reared in the floor system. Blood picture values (except white blood cells), phagocytic index, phagocytic activity, and blood chemistry parameters (except calcium, phosphorus, and urea values) of laying hens were not affected (P > 0.05) by housing system. The groups fed EOs showed a rapid improvement (P < 0.001) in the egg production%, egg weight, egg mass, and egg quality. Thymol group had the highest egg production (P < 0.001). Thymol and eugenol groups had the highest egg weight, egg mass, and egg quality (P < 0.001). The groups fed diets containing thymol or eugenol consumed lower feed and had better feed conversion ratio (P < 0.001) than the control group. Immunity indices (phagocytic activity [P < 0.05], avian influenza [AIH5 and AIH9], P < 0.001) were improved with the presence of EOs in the laying hen diet. These results strongly suggest that dietary EO supplementation could be a successful attempt to improve the productive performance, egg quality, and immunity of laying hens.