Analysis of Endangered Andalusian Black Cattle (Negra Andaluza) Reveals Genetic Reservoir for Bovine Black Trunk.

This comprehensive study on the Andalusian Black cattle breed reveals a substantial population decline, with the average herd size decreasing significantly from 305.54 to 88.28 animals per herd. This decline is primarily attributed to agricultural changes and the introduction of foreign meat-focused breeds. The male-to-female ratio shift is noteworthy, with more cows than bulls, impacting selection intensity for both genders. Inbreeding levels, though relatively low historically (5.94%) and currently (7.23%), raise concerns as 37.08% historically and 48.82% currently of the animals exhibit inbreeding. Positive assortative mating is evident, reflected by the increasing non-random mating coefficient (α). Key ancestors play a crucial role in shaping genetic diversity, with one ancestor significantly influencing the current genetic pool and the top 10 ancestors contributing substantially. Breed maintains a conservation index of 2.75, indicating relatively high genetic diversity. Recent conservation efforts have led to an increase in registered animals. The Cañadas Reales, historical transhumance routes, may have contributed to genetic connections among provinces. Challenges include the historical bottleneck, demographic changes, and potential impacts from reproductive practices. The Andalusian Black breed's conservation necessitates ongoing efforts in genealogical registration, targeted breeding programs, and collaborative initiatives to address the observed demographic shifts and ensure sustainable genetic diversity.

Evaluation of the effect of the addition of an olive oil-derived antioxidant (Pectoliv-80A) in the extender for cryopreservation of rooster sperm through the use of a discriminant statistical tool.

During the poultry sperm cryopreservation process, an excess of reactive oxygen species is generated resulting in oxidative stress which harms the quality of avian spermatozoa. To counteract this effect, the addition of exogenous antioxidants, such as Pectoliv-80A (a by-product of olive oil), to the cryopreservation diluent is interesting. For this purpose, 16 roosters belonging to the Utrerana avian breed were used. Six semen pools (from the 6 different replicates) were divided into 4 aliquots corresponding to different concentrations of Pectoliv-80A that were tested (0, 300, 400, and 500 µg/mL), and the cryopreservation process was carried out. To evaluate post-thawing semen quality, different parameters such as motility, membrane functionality, reactive oxygen species production, lipid peroxidation, and acrosome integrity were studied. A discriminant canonical analysis was used to determine both the differences between the Pectoliv-80A concentration groups and the discriminant power of the aforementioned parameter used for semen evaluation. Total motility and membrane functionality were reported to be the most discriminant variables for differentiating the different antioxidant enrichment groups and concluded that concentrations of 300 µg/mL showed the most desirable quality of post-thawing semen. The present study could lead to the optimization of both cryopreservation and quality evaluation techniques of the sperm of rooster species, that support the conservation program of endangered local breeds.

Discriminant canonical analysis as a tool for genotype traceability testing based on turkey meat and carcass traits.

The present study aims to develop a statistical tool for turkey breed traceability testing based on meat and carcass quality characteristics. To this end, a comprehensive meta-analysis was performed, collecting data from a total of 75 studies approaching meat and carcass attributes of 37 turkey strains and landraces since the late 1960s. A total of 22 meat and carcass traits were considered variables, grouped in the following clusters: carcass dressing traits, muscle fiber properties, pH, colorimetry, water-capacity traits, texture-related attributes, and nutritional composition of the meat. Once the multicollinearity analysis allowed the deletion of redundant variables, cold carcass weight, slaughter weight, muscle fiber diameter, sex-female, carcass/piece weight, meat redness, ashes, pH24, meat lightness, moisture, fat, and water-holding capacity showed explanatory properties in the discriminating analysis (p < 0.05). In addition, strong positive and negative correlations were found among those variables studied. Carcass traits were positively associated, particularly slaughter weight and cold carcass weight (+0.561). Among meat physical traits, pH showed positive correlations with drip loss (+0.490) and pH24 (+0.327), and water-holding capacity was positively associated with cholesterol (+0.434) and negatively associated with collagen (-0.398). According to nutritional traits, fat and ash showed a strong correlation (+0.595), and both were negatively associated with moisture (-0.375 and -0.498, respectively). Strong negative correlations were found as well between meat protein and fat (-0.460) and between collagen and cholesterol (-0.654). Finally, the Mahalanobis distance suggested a clustering pattern based on meat and carcass characteristics that report information about interbreeding and variety proximity. This study establishes a departure point in the development of a tool for breed traceability guaranteeing aimed at enhancing distinguished, local breed-based turkey meat.

Modeling Climate Change Effects on Genetic Diversity of an Endangered Horse Breed Using Canonical Correlations.

The historical increase in the occurrence of extreme weather events in Spain during the last thirty years makes it a perfect location for the evaluation of climate change. Modeling the effects of climate change on domestic animals' genetic diversity may help to anticipate challenging situations. However, animal populations' short life cycle and patent lack of historical information during extended periods of time drastically compromise the evaluation of climate change effects. Locally adapted breeds' gene pool is the base for their improved resilience and plasticity in response to climate change's extreme climatic conditions. The preservation of these domestic resources offers selection alternatives to breeders who seek such improved adaptability. The Spanish endangered autochthonous Hispano-Arabian horse breed is perfectly adapted to the conditions of the territory where it was created, developed, and widespread worldwide. The possibility to trace genetic diversity in the Hispano-Arabian breed back around seven decades and its global ubiquity make this breed an idoneous reference subject to act as a model for other international populations. Climate change's shaping effects on the genetic diversity of the Hispano-Arabian horse breed's historical population were monitored from 1950 to 2019 and evaluated. Wind speed, gust speed, or barometric pressure have greater repercussions than extreme temperatures on genetic diversity. Extreme climate conditions, rather than average modifications of climate, may push breeders/owners to implement effective strategies in the short to medium term, but the effect will be plausible in the long term due to breed sustainability and enhanced capacity of response to extreme climate events. When extreme climatic conditions occur, breeders opt for mating highly diverse unrelated individuals, avoiding the production of a large number of offspring. People in charge of domestic population conservation act as catalyzers of the regulatory changes occurring during breeds' climate change adaptive process and may identify genes conferring their animals with greater adaptability but still maintaining enhanced performance. This model assists in determining how owners of endangered domestic populations should plan their breeding strategies, seeking the obtention of animals more resilient and adapted to climate-extreme conditions. This efficient alternative is focused on the obtention of increased profitability from this population and in turn ensuring their sustainability.

Integrated Discriminant Evaluation of Molecular Genetic Markers and Genetic Diversity Parameters of Endangered Balearic Dog Breeds.

The genetic diversity analysis of six dog breeds, including Ca de Bestiar (CB), Ca de Bou (CBOU), Podenco Ibicenco (PI), Ca Rater (CR), Ca Mè (CM), and Ca de Conills (CC), reveals insightful findings. CB showcases the highest mean number of alleles (6.17) and heterozygosity values, with significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) observed in five markers, indicating high intra-racial genetic diversity (average observed heterozygosity (Ho) = 0.754, expected heterozygosity (He) = 0.761). In contrast, CBOU presents the lowest mean number of alleles (5.05) and heterozygosity values, coupled with moderate polymorphic information content (PIC) values and a moderate level of intra-racial genetic diversity (average Ho = 0.313, He = 0.394). PI demonstrates moderate genetic diversity with an average of 5.75 alleles and highly informative PIC values, while CR displays robust genetic diversity with an average of 6.61 alleles and deviations from equilibrium, indicating potential risks of inbreeding (average Ho = 0.563, He = 0.658). CM exhibits moderate genetic diversity and deviations from equilibrium, similar to CBOU, with an average of 6.5 alleles and moderate PIC values (average Ho = 0.598, He = 0.676). Conversely, CC shows a wider range of allelic diversity and deviations from equilibrium (average Ho = 0.611, He = 0.706), suggesting a more diverse genetic background. Inter-racial analysis underscores distinct genetic differentiation between breeds, emphasizing the importance of informed breeding decisions and proactive genetic management strategies to preserve diversity, promote breed health, and ensure long-term sustainability across all breeds studied.

A Quality Assurance Discrimination Tool for the Evaluation of Satellite Laboratory Practice Excellence in the Context of the European Official Meat Inspection for Trichinella spp.

Trichinellosis is a parasitic foodborne zoonotic disease transmitted by ingestion of raw or undercooked meat containing the first larval stage (L1) of the nematode. To ensure the quality and safety of food intended for human consumption, meat inspection for detection of Trichinella spp. larvae is a mandatory procedure according to EU regulations. The implementation of quality assurance practices in laboratories that are responsible for Trichinella spp. detection is essential given that the detection of this parasite is still a pivotal threat to public health, and it is included in list A of Annex I, Directive 2003/99/EC, which determines the agents to be monitored on a mandatory basis. A Quality Management System (QMS) was applied to slaughterhouses and game handling establishments conducting Trichinella spp. testing without official accreditation but under the supervision of the relevant authority. This study aims to retrospectively analyze the outcomes of implementing the QMS in slaughterhouses and game handling establishments involved in Trichinella testing in southern Spain. Canonical discriminant analyses (CDAs) were performed to design a tool enabling the classification of SLs while determining whether linear combinations of measures of quality-assurance-related traits describe within- and between-SL clustering patterns. The participation of two or more auditors improves the homogeneity of the results deriving from audits. However, when training expertise ensures that such levels of inter-/intralaboratory homogeneity are reached, auditors can perform single audits and act as potential trainers for other auditors. Additionally, technical procedure issues were the primary risk factors identified during audits, which suggests that they should be considered a critical control point within the QMS.

Study of Meat and Carcass Quality-Related Traits in Turkey Populations through Discriminant Canonical Analysis.

The present research aimed to determine the main differences in meat and carcass quality traits among turkey genotypes worldwide and describe the clustering patterns through the use of a discriminant canonical analysis (DCA). To achieve this goal, a comprehensive meta-analysis of 75 documents discussing carcass and meat characteristics in the turkey species was performed. Meat and carcass attributes of nine different turkey populations were collected and grouped in terms of the following clusters: carcass dressing traits, muscle fiber properties, pH, color-related traits, water-retaining characteristics, texture-related traits, and meat chemical composition. The Bayesian ANOVA analysis reported that the majority of variables statistically differed (p < 0.05), and the multicollinearity analysis revealed the absence of redundancy problems among variables (VIF < 5). The DCA reported that cold carcass weight, slaughter weight, sex-male, carcass/piece weight, and the protein and fat composition of meat were the traits explaining variability among different turkey genotypes (Wilks' lambda: 0.488, 0.590, 0.905, 0.906, 0.937, and 0.944, respectively). The combination of traits in the first three dimensions explained 94.93% variability among groups. Mahalanobis distances cladogram-grouped populations following a cluster pattern and suggest its applicability as indicative of a turkey genotype's traceability.

Discriminant Analysis and Data Mining CHAID Decision Tree as Tools to Evaluate the Buffering Effect of Hydroxytyrosol on Reactive Oxygen Species in Rooster Sperm Cryopreservation.

Sperm cryopreservation is effective in safeguarding genetic biodiversity in avian species. However, during this process, spermatozoa are very susceptible to plasma membrane peroxidation in the presence of high concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS). To mitigate this effect, the addition of exogenous antioxidants, such as hydroxytyrosol (3,4-dihydroxyphenylethanol; HT), an antioxidant derived from olive oil, to the cryopreservation sperm diluent, could be useful. To verify this, a cryopreservation diluent was supplemented with different concentrations (0 µg/mL, 50 µg/mL, 100 µg/mL, and 150 µg/mL) of HT. For this, semen was collected in 10 replicates from 16 roosters of the Utrerana avian breed, and a pool was prepared with the optimum quality ejaculates in each replicate. After cryopreservation, spermatozoa were thawed and different in vitro semen quality parameters were evaluated. A discriminant canonical analysis (DCA) was carried out and revealed that total motility (TM; Lambda = 0.301, F = 26,173), hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOST; Lambda = 0.338, F = 22,065), and amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH, Lambda = 0.442; F = 14,180) were the variables with the highest discriminant power. Finally, a chi-squared automatic interaction detection (CHAID) decision tree (DT) was performed excluding fresh semen samples and ROS was found to be the most valuable variable to discriminate between the different established freezing groups. Samples in the absence of HT or with low concentrations of this antioxidant showed less desirable ROS values in cryopreserved rooster semen. The present study could lead to the improvement of cryopreservation techniques for the genetic material of local poultry breeds and optimize the conservation programs of endangered native avian breeds.

Transdermal Flunixin Meglumine as a Pain Relief in Donkeys: A Pharmacokinetics Pilot Study.

Recent approval of transdermal flunixin meglumine (FM) (Banamine®) in cattle has opened the door for the drug's potential application in other species. Transdermal FM could provide a safe and effective form of pain relief in donkeys. In order to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and effects of FM on anti-inflammatory biomarkers in donkeys, a three-way crossover study design was employed. In total, 6 healthy donkeys were administered transdermal (TD) FM at a dosage of 3.3 mg/kg, and oral (PO) and intravenous (IV) doses of 1.1 mg/kg body weight. Blood samples were collected over 96 h to determine the concentration of flunixin, 5OH flunixin, and eicosanoids (TXB2 and PGF2 alpha) using LC-MS/MS. The results indicated that both flunixin and 5OH flunixin were detectable in blood samples collected during TD. The elimination of the drug was slower following the TD route compared to PO and IV. TD administration significantly decreased TXB2 levels in non-stimulated serum from 1 to 96 h post-administration, while IV and PO resulted in TXB2 reduction for 1 to 8 h. A significant reduction in PGF2 alpha was observed in PO and IV 1 h after administration, while TD resulted in a gradual decline from 4 to 72 h. The study concluded that the off-label use of transdermal FM at 3.3 mg/kg could be effective in controlling inflammation in donkeys.

Lunar Cycle, Climate, and Onset of Parturition in Domestic Dromedary Camels: Implications of Species-Specific Metabolic Economy and Social Ecology.

Given energy costs for gestating and caring for male offspring are higher than those of female newborns, external environmental conditions might be regarded as likely to affect the timing of delivery processes differentially depending on the sex of the newborn calf to be delivered. The aim of the present paper is to evaluate the association between environmental stressors such as the moon phase and weather-related factors and the onset of labor in female dromedaries. A binary logistic regression model was developed to find the most parsimonious set of variables that are most effective in predicting the probability for a gravid female dromedary to give birth to a male or a female calf, assuming that higher gestational costs and longer labor times are ascribed to the production of a male offspring. Although the differences in the quantitative distribution of spontaneous onset of labor across lunar phases and the mean climate per onset event along the whole study period were deemed nonsignificant (p > 0.05), a non-negligible prediction effect of a new moon, mean wind speed and maximum wind gust was present. At slightly brighter nights and lower mean wind speeds, a calf is more likely to be male. This microevolutionary response to the external environment may have been driven by physiological and behavioral adaptation of metabolic economy and social ecology to give birth to cooperative groups with the best possible reduction of thermoregulatory demands. Model performance indexes then highlighted the heterothermic character of camels to greatly minimize the impact of the external environment. The overall results will also enrich the general knowledge of the interplay between homeostasis and arid and semi-arid environments.

Analysis of the Genetic Parameters for Dairy Linear Appraisal and Zoometric Traits: A Tool to Enhance the Applicability of Murciano-Granadina Goats Major Areas Evaluation System.

Selection for zoometrics defines individuals' productive longevity, endurance, enhanced productive abilities and consequently, their long-term profitability. When zoometric analysis is aimed at large highly selected populations or in those at different levels of selection, linear appraisal systems (LAS) provide a timely response. This study estimates genetic and phenotypic parameters for zoometric/LAS traits in Murciano-Granadina goats, estimating genetic and phenotypic correlations among all traits, and determining whether major area selection would be appropriate or if adaptability strategies may need to be followed. Heritability estimates for the zoometric/LAS traits were low to high, ranging from 0.09 to 0.43, and the accuracy of estimation has improved after decades, rendering standard errors negligible. Scale inversion of specific traits may need to be performed before major areas selection strategies are implemented. Genetic and phenotypic correlations suggests that negative selection against thicker bones and higher rear insertion heights indirectly results in the optimization of selection practices in the rest of the traits, especially those in the structure, capacity and mammary system major areas. The integration and implementation of the strategies proposed within the Murciano-Granadina breeding program maximizes selection opportunities and the sustainable international competitiveness of the Murciano-Granadina goat in the dairy goat breed panorama.

Do Pharaohs' cattle still graze the Nile Valley? Genetic characterization of the Egyptian Baladi cattle breed.

Egyptian Baladi cattle is one of the few native taurine breeds which remain in the original domestication area of Bos taurus, the Nile Valley (Upper Egypt). Apart from its evolutive relevance, the breed is well-adapted and integrated into the traditional family farming systems, with great potentialities for local sustainable rural development. The diversity and structure of the Baladi population were assessed using 28 genetic microsatellite markers. Within and between-breeds diversity, its relations with other cattle breeds, and an inference on its origin and evolution, were analyzed. Results reported high levels of diversity, with an average number of alleles (Na) of 11.39, observed heterozygosity (Ho) of 0.68, and expected heterozygosity (He) of 0.75. The studied population was in Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium, which could be ascribed to its internal structure. The comparison between breeds using factorial correspondence analysis, Reynolds genetic distance evaluation, and genetic structure analysis suggested slight influences of Bos indicus. Upper Egypt's rural communities have preserved the Baladi cattle breed, protecting this historical and biological heritage against the constant and indiscriminate introduction of exotic genetic resources along the history of development of the breed. Developing and implementing conservation and breeding programs is crucial for the preservation and improvement of the breed.HIGHLIGHTSBaladi cattle breed is a well-defined and highly diverse breed.Higher diversity levels are found in northern and central governorates.A clear geographical cluster is formed around the Nile Delta.Baladi cattle may be reminiscent of the ancient 'pharaoh' cattle.Assiut's population acted as the most ancestral population nucleus.

Thermographic ranges of dromedary camels during physical exercise: applications for physical health/welfare monitoring and phenotypic selection.

Despite the relatively wide knowledge of camel biomechanics, research into the immediate functional response that accompanies the execution of physical exercise remains unapproached. Therefore, selective breeding programs lack an empirical basis to achieve genetic improvement of physical stress tolerance traits and monitor camel welfare in this regard. Given the fact that physical exercise increases net heat production, infrared thermography (IRT) was selected to study the temperature changes at the skin surface of the different body areas in clinically normal dromedary camels, mostly relegated to leisure activities. Specifically, a lower dispersion at the individual level of the surface temperature at the scapular cartilage region, shoulder joint, and pelvis region, as well as lower values for Tmax and Tmin at the region of the ocular region, pectoral muscles, semimembranosus-semitendinosus muscles, and hind fetlock after exercise, have to be considered as breeding criteria for candidate selection. Such thermophysiological responses can be used as indirect measures of tissue activity in response to exercise and hence are reliable indicators of animal tolerance to physical exercise-induced stress. Additionally, sex, castration, age, and iris pigmentation significantly impacted the thermo-physiological response to exercise in the study sample, which can be attributed to hormones, general vigor, and visual acuity-mediated effects. These specific factors' influence has to be considered for the evaluation of physical performance and the design of selection schemes for physical-related traits in dromedaries.

Determination of breeding criteria for gait proficiency in leisure riding and racing dromedary camels: a stepwise multivariate analysis of factors predicting overall biomechanical performance.

To date, the biomechanical dynamics in camelids have not been addressed, although it might be a factor that can affect selection and breeding in this species. Therefore, the aim of this article is to conduct curve fitting and discriminant canonical analysis to identify the mathematical function that best captures the dynamics of camel locomotion and to study the impact of kinematic, morphometric, physiological, and phaneroptic variables on gait performance in leisure riding and racing activities in dromedaries, respectively. The cubic function emerged as the most suitable mathematical model to represent the locomotive behavior of camels. Various factors were found to play a pivotal role in the athletic performance of leisure riding and racing dromedary camels. Concretely, angular measurements at the distal fore and rear extremity areas, pelvis inclination, relative volume of the hump, impact forces of the front limbs, post-neutering effects, and the kinematic behavior of the scapula, shoulder, carpus, hip, and foot are the factors that greatly impact gait performance in leisure riding and racing camels. The biomechanical performance at these specific body regions has a profound impact on weight absorption and minimization of mechanic impact during camel locomotion, static/dynamic balance, force distribution, energy of propulsion, movement direction and amplitude, and storage of elastic strain in leisure riding and racing dromedaries. In contrast, other animal- and environment-dependent factors do not exert significant influence on camel gait performance, which can be attributed to species-specific, inherited adaptations developed in response to desert conditions, including the pacing gait, broad foot pads, and energy-efficient movements. The outcomes of our functional data analysis can provide valuable insights for making informed breeding decisions aimed at enhancing animal functional performance in camel riding and racing activities. Furthermore, these findings can open avenues for exploring alternative applications, such as camel-assisted therapy.

Camel (Camelus spp.) Urine Bioactivity and Metabolome: A Systematic Review of Knowledge Gaps, Advances, and Directions for Future Research.

Up to the present day, studies on the therapeutic properties of camel (Camelus spp.) urine and the detailed characterization of its metabolomic profile are scarce and often unrelated. Information on inter individual variability is noticeably limited, and there is a wide divergence across studies regarding the methods for sample storage, pre-processing, and extract derivatization for metabolomic analysis. Additionally, medium osmolarity is not experimentally adjusted prior to bioactivity assays. In this scenario, the methodological standardization and interdisciplinary approach of such processes will strengthen the interpretation, repeatability, and replicability of the empirical results on the compounds with bioactive properties present in camel urine. Furthermore, sample enlargement would also permit the evaluation of camel urine's intra- and interindividual variability in terms of chemical composition, bioactive effects, and efficacy, while it may also permit researchers to discriminate potential animal-intrinsic and extrinsic conditioning factors. Altogether, the results would help to evaluate the role of camel urine as a natural source for the identification and extraction of specific novel bioactive substances that may deserve isolated chemical and pharmacognostic investigations through preclinical tests to determine their biological activity and the suitability of their safety profile for their potential inclusion in therapeutic formulas for improving human and animal health.

Bayesian evaluation of the effect of non-genetic factors on the phenomics for quality-related milk nutrients and yield in Murciano-Granadina goats.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of non-genetic factors on the variability of milk production and composition using Bayesian linear regression. We analyzed 2594 milk records from 159 dairy goats from the breeding nucleus of the Murciano-Granadina breed. Bayesian linear regression was used to determine the effects of non-genetic factors on the phenomics for quality-related milk nutrients and yield. Multivariate regression model significantly explained 21.5%, 40.0%, 41.5%, 44.3%, 44.6%, and 47.5% of the variability in somatic cell count (SCC, sc/mL), lactose (%), protein (%), milk yield (kg), fat (%), and dry matter (%), respectively. Although the aforementioned factor combination significantly conditions milk production and composition, SCC may be particularly affected by collateral factors. Milking routine and drying period factors are reference predictors to be considered in the evaluation of milk production and composition progression. Drying period extensions positively repercussed on milk yield and lactose content, but negatively affected fat, protein, dry matter contents, and somatic cell count. Variability across drying years may depend on the drying season rather than the drying month course, except for milk yield, for which an increasing trend was reported from winter to summer. Including drying period-related non-genetic factors in genetic evaluations improves the accuracy of the regression models and permits to boost the commercial possibilities and profitability of local breeds.

Discriminant Canonical Analysis as a tool to determine traces of endangered native hen breed introgression through egg hatchability phenomics.

Objective: The main objective of this study was to develop a pipeline to detect phenogenomic introgression across different multivariety breeds and to validate such classification focusing on external egg and hatchability-related traits using a discriminant canonical analysis approach. Methods: For this, 1368 eggs belonging a flock of 94 endangered Spanish autochthonous breed breeding hens (Andalusian Tufted, Blue Andalusian, Spanish White-Faced, and Utrerana) and a control outgroup comprising 32 eggs belonging to 4 Araucana hens were considered. Multicollinearity analysis of hatchability-related traits revealed embryonic mortality, embryonic mortality in the second stage of incubation, viable hatching chick, major diameter, and minor diameter should be discarded from the analysis (VIF≤5) given they did not significantly contribute to variability explanation potential of the discriminant model. Results: A stepwise discriminant canonical analysis was developed and egg weight, shape index, hatchability, and fertility variables reported the highest discriminant power (Wilks' Lambda values of 0.7861, 0.7871, 0.8076, and 0.9457, respectively). The first two functions explained 85.25% intergroup variability. Interbreed and varieties proximity was evaluated using Mahalanobis distances representation and data mining cross-validation allowed to detect genetic introgression between different genotypes. Conclusion: Easily collectable traits as egg weight and shape index must be considered for the development of breeding programs as a measure to ensure breed protection. The model may be translatable to other endangered breeds to optimize avian breeds conservation plans worldwide.

Data Mining as a Tool to Infer Chicken Carcass and Meat Cut Quality from Autochthonous Genotypes.

The present research aims to develop a carcass quality characterization methodology for minority chicken populations. The clustering patterns described across local chicken genotypes by the meat cuts from the carcass were evaluated via a comprehensive meta-analysis of ninety-one research documents published over the last 20 years. These documents characterized the meat quality of native chicken breeds. After the evaluation of their contents, thirty-nine variables were identified. Variables were sorted into eight clusters as follows; weight-related traits, water-holding capacity, colour-related traits, histological properties, texture-related traits, pH, content of flavour-related nucleotides, and gross nutrients. Multicollinearity analyses (VIF ≤ 5) were run to discard redundancies. Chicken sex, firmness, chewiness, L* meat 72 h post-mortem, a* meat 72 h post-mortem, b* meat 72 h post-mortem, and pH 72 h post-mortem were deemed redundant and discarded from the study. Data-mining chi-squared automatic interaction detection (CHAID)-based algorithms were used to develop a decision-tree-validated tool. Certain variables such as carcass/cut weight, pH, carcass yield, slaughter age, protein, cold weight, and L* meat reported a high explanatory potential. These outcomes act as a reference guide to be followed when designing studies of carcass quality-related traits in local native breeds and market commercialization strategies.

Traditional sexing methods and external egg characteristics combination allow highly accurate early sex determination in an endangered native turkey breed.

Early sex determination methods are not only crucial in the worldwide massive poultry industry, but also for small-holder producers. The profitability of sexing techniques must be accounted for when aiming to boost management, nutrition, and conservation practices in endangered poultry breeds. This becomes pivotal when the local breed dealt with belongs to an understudied species, such as the turkey. So, the main objective of this study is to identify which method combination may report a higher likelihood of successful sex determination in poults across the three-pattern varieties of the Andalusian turkey breed. A total of 84 one to two days old Andalusian turkey poults (42 black, 28 black-roan, and 14 bronze-roan) were evaluated in this study. Sex determination was performed using 15 methods, which included testing external egg metrics and eggshell color, poult morphological appraisal and phaneroptics, and behavioral traits. Possible differences across plumage varieties and the interaction between sex and plumage were observed when external egg quality was measured. Sex determination through behavioral methods in black base feathered (black and black-roan) male sex individuals showed seven times higher sensitivity when compared to the rest of the studied individuals (χ2 = 7.14, df = 1, P < 0.01). In contrast, for the black-roan plumage females, the method based on the color of down feathers was approximately four times more sensitive (χ2 = 3.95, df = 1, P ≤ 0.05). For the bronze-roan pattern, none of the sexing techniques was reported to efficiently predict sex itself. However, the most proper method combination to determine sex, independent of plumage color, was physical external egg characteristics, the color of down feathers, and behavioral approaches ("English method" and "slap technique"). The specificity values were found to be 49.12, 93.33, and 100%, while the sensitivity values were observed to be 74.64, 91.03, and 100%, which translated into accuracy of 63.10, 92.26, and 100% in black, black-roan, and bronze-roan poults, respectively. Our results suggest that the method combination tested in this study could be considered a highly accurate, simple, and affordable alternative for sex determination in turkeys. This could mean a pivotal advance for small producers of turkeys, as early sex detection can help to plan timely conservational management strategies, which is of prominent importance in the context of endangered poultry breeds.

Data mining-based discriminant analysis as a tool for the study of egg quality in native hen breeds.

Despite the wide biodiversity of avian species of zootechnical interest in Spain, projects aimed at characterizing these genotypes and their products are necessary. External and internal egg quality traits were measured in 819 eggs laid by hens of 10 different genotypes: White, Franciscan, Black and Partridge varieties of Utrerana, Blue Andalusian, Spanish White-Faced, Andalusian Tufted White and Black varieties, Araucana; and Leghorn Lohmann LSL-Classic lineage (commercial hybrid line) hen breeds. After multicollinearity analysis of egg quality-related traits was performed (VIF ≤ 4), major diameter, minor diameter, egg weight, and albumen height were deemed redundant explanatory variables and discarded. A stepwise discriminant canonical analysis was developed to cluster eggs across hen genotypes considering egg quality attributes. Shell a* and b* variables reported the highest discriminant power (Wilks' lambda: 0.699 and 0.729, respectively). The first two discriminant functions captured 60.48% of the variance across groups (F1: 39.36%; F2: 21.12%). Clear quality differentiation signs are evidenced for Mediterranean native breeds' eggs when compared to Leghorn's eggs. Consequently, this evidence of egg quality differentiation may favor the standardization of breed- and variety-linked distinctive products, which may open new market opportunities based on the existence of a wide spectrum of diet or culinary applications.