Prediction of the spread of African swine fever through pig and carcass movements in Thailand using a network analysis and diffusion model.

Background: African swine fever (ASF) is a serious contagious viral disease of pigs that affects the pig industry. This study aimed to evaluate the possible African swine fever (ASF) distribution using network analysis and a diffusion model through live pig, carcass, and pig product movement data. Material and Methods: Empirical movement data from Thailand for the year 2019 were used, and expert opinions were sought to evaluate network properties and the diffusion model. The networks were presented as live pig movement and carcass movement data at the provincial and district levels. For network analysis, a descriptive network analysis was performed using outdegree, indegree, betweenness, fragmentation, and power law distribution, and cutpoints were used to describe movement patterns. For the diffusion model, we simulated each network using spatially different infected locations, patterns, and initial infection sites. Based on expert opinions, the initial infection site, the probability of ASF occurrence, and the probability of the initial infected adopter were selected for the appropriated network. In this study, we also simulated networks under varying network parameters to predict the infection speed. Results and Conclusions: The total number of movements recorded was 2,594,364. These were divided into 403,408 (403,408/2,594,364; 15.55%) for live pigs and 2,190,956 (2,190,956/2,594,364; 84.45%) for carcasses. We found that carcass movement at the provincial level showed the highest outdegree (mean = 342.554, standard deviation (SD) = 900.528) and indegree values (mean = 342.554, SD = 665.509). In addition, the outdegree and indegree presented similar mean values and the degree distributions of both district networks followed a power-law function. The network of live pigs at provincial level showed the highest value for betweenness (mean = 0.011, SD = 0.017), and the network of live pigs at provincial level showed the highest value for fragmentation (mean = 0.027, SD = 0.005). Our simulation data indicated that the disease occurred randomly due to live pig and carcass movements along the central and western regions of Thailand, causing the rapid spread of ASF. Without control measures, it could spread to all provinces within 5- and 3-time units and in all districts within 21- and 30-time units for the network of live pigs and carcasses, respectively. This study assists the authorities to plan control and preventive measures and limit economic losses caused by ASF.

The utilisation of domestic goats in rural and peri-urban areas of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Goats are a common ruminant in livestock husbandry systems in communal areas of southern Africa, but less so in peri-urban areas. While dynamics of goat farming in the former are relatively well-understood, little is known about it in peri-urban environments. We investigated the contribution of small-scale farming of goats to household livelihoods in rural and peri-urban areas in KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. We used a semi-structured questionnaire survey to elicit views of 115 respondents on the contribution of goats to household income at two rural (Kokstad, Msinga) and two peri-urban (Howick, Pietermaritzburg) locations. Goats contributed to household income as a source of cash and meat in various sociocultural contexts such as at weddings, funerals and festive period gatherings (e.g. Easter and Christmas), including payment for household needs and expenses including food, school fees and medico-cultural consultations. These findings were more pronounced in rural areas, where more goats were kept than in peri-urban areas, which also had smaller herds per household. Goats were a source of cash in numerous ways including sales of their skins after slaughter and use of skins through value addition to make household craft items such as stools that could be sold for cash. None of the farmers milked their goats. Goat famers also kept cattle (52%), sheep (23%) and chickens (67%). Goat ownership appeared to be more profitable in rural areas and contributed to a lesser extent as a source of income in peri-urban areas where goats were largely kept for sale. There is potential for increased value addition of goat products to increase returns from small-scale goat farming in rural and peri-urban settings. Artefacts and cultural symbols derived from goat products are pervasive amongst Zulu people, and represent an additional avenue of research into 'hidden' valuation of goats.

Gut microbiome transitions across generations in different ethnicities in an urban setting-the HELIUS study.

BACKGROUND: During the course of history, various important lifestyle changes have caused profound transitions of the gut microbiome. These include the introduction of agriculture and animal husbandry, a shift from a nomadic to a more sedentary lifestyle, and recently increased levels of urbanization and a transition towards a more Western lifestyle. The latter is linked with shifts in the gut microbiome that have a reduced fermentative capability and which are commonly associated with diseases of affluence. In this study, in which 5193 subjects are included, we investigated the direction of microbiome shifts that occur in various ethnicities living in Amsterdam by comparing 1st and 2nd generation participants. We furthermore validated part of these findings with a cohort of subjects that moved from rural Thailand to the USA. RESULTS: The abundance of the Prevotella cluster, which includes P. copri and the P. stercorea trophic network, diminished in the 2nd generation Moroccans and Turks but also in younger Dutch, whilst the Western-associated Bacteroides/Blautia/Bifidobacterium (BBB) cluster, which has an inverse correlation with α-diversity, increased. At the same time, the Christensenellaceae/Methanobrevibacter/Oscillibacter trophic network, which is positively associated with α-diversity and a healthy BMI, decreased in younger Turks and Dutch. Large compositional shifts were not observed in South-Asian and African Surinamese, in whom the BBB cluster is already dominant in the 1st generation, but ASV-level shifts towards certain species, associated amongst others with obesity, were observed. CONCLUSION: The Moroccan and Turkish populations, but also the Dutch population are transitioning towards a less complex and fermentative less capable configuration of the gut microbiota, which includes a higher abundance of the Western-associated BBB cluster. The Surinamese, whom have the highest prevalence of diabetes and other diseases of affluence, are already dominated by the BBB cluster. Given the continuous increase in diseases of affluence, this devolution towards low-diversity and fermentatively less capable gut microbiome compositions in urban environments is a worrying development. Video Abstract.

Environmental change or choice during early rearing improves behavioural adaptability in laying hen chicks.

Laying hens are typically moved to a novel environment after rearing, requiring adaptability to cope with change. We hypothesized that the standard rearing of laying hen chicks, in non-changing environments with limited choices (a single variant of each resource), impairs their ability to learn new routines, use new equipment and exploit new resources. On the contrary, rearing in a changing environment that also offers a choice of resource variants could better prepare chicks for the unexpected. To explore this hypothesis, environmental change and choice were manipulated in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment. Compared to standard rearing, greater change during early rearing, through repeatedly swapping litter and perch types, reduced initial freezing when exposed to a novel environment suggesting a lower fear response. Greater choice during rearing, through simultaneous access to multiple litter and perch types, resulted in shorter latencies to solve a detour task, more movement in novel environments and less spatial clustering, suggesting improved spatial skills and higher exploration. However, combining both change and choice did not generally result in greater improvement relative to providing one or the other alone. We conclude that environmental change and choice during rearing have different positive but non-synergistic effects on later adaptability potential.

Egg-laying capacity of parent flock geese at different stocking densities.

This article presents the results of studies aimed at establishing the optimal stocking density of purebred and hybrid geese of the parent flock, taking into account the indicators of their live weight and egg production. When conducting research, the stocking density of geese was established depending on the breed and shape. Different stocking densities of geese in groups were achieved due to their different numbers in groups: Kuban 1.2; 1.5; 1.8 birds/m2 , large gray 0.9; 1.2; 1.5 birds/m2 , hybrid bird 1.0; 1.3; 1.5 birds/m2 . It was revealed on the basis of the analysis of the productive qualities of adult geese that the optimal planting density of the Kuban geese is 1.8 heads/m2 , large sulfur = 0.9, hybrid = 1.3. The safety of geese at a given stocking density ensured an increase in the safety of geese of the Kuban breed by 95.3%, large gray = 94.0%, hybrid = 97.0%. The live weight of Kuban geese increased by 0.9%, large gray geese = 0.10, hybrids = 1.2, egg production by 0.6%, 2.2% and 0.5%, respectively.

Mixed management in growing and finishing pigs: Differences between gender and their impacts on behavior, growth performance, and physiological parameters.

Mixing, a common management strategy used to regroup pigs, has been reported to impair individual performance and affect pig welfare because of the establishment of a new social hierarchy after regrouping. In this study we aimed to determine whether mixing management (non-mixed vs. mixed) and gender (gilts vs. barrows) affect the social and non-social behavior, performance, and physiological parameters of pigs. A total of 96 growing pigs (48 barrows and 48 females) were separated into two treatments: control (CT)-pigs that were mixed once during the growing-finishing period; and social stress (SS)-pigs that were mixed thrice during the growing-finishing period. We recorded social and non-social behaviors, injury score, performance, and physiological parameters during the experimental period. Data were grouped by the period, based on each mix performed, and overall values. The statistical analysis performed considered gender and treatment. For treatment, during period-II and III, the SS group presented the highest frequency of agonistic interactions (AI), stayed longer lying laterally (LL) and sternly (LS), and explored more enrichment material (ER) than the CT group. Furthermore, SS pigs presented the highest injury score in the ear, head, and middle and posterior regions. Compared to the females, the barrows spent more time at the electronic feed station and initiated most of the agonistic interactions during period-II, and they presented a higher injury score for the ear and head regions during period-III. In conclusion, repeated regrouping significantly affected social and feeding behavior without severely altering performance and physiological parameters. Furthermore, different patterns of social and feeding behavior, agonistic interactions, and injury scores between barrows and females were observed. This study provides an understanding of the impact of mixing management and gender differences on pigs, and this knowledge can be used to improve swine productivity and welfare.

What Is a School Farm? Results of a Scoping Review.

As school farms become more prominent programs to teach food education, research is needed to support school farms' implementation and sustainability. This scoping review included 94 articles on school farms from three bibliometric databases covering broad international literature. Vocational agricultural training, animal husbandry, and crop production were common characteristics of school farms across 103 years of publications. Themes of sustainability, healthy eating, and food systems were more prominent in recent literature. Peer-reviewed studies (1985-2019) provided some empirical research showing school farms' impact on students. This review discusses school farms' structures and objectives as promising food education and production programming.

Calves peak-end memory of pain.

In humans, the 'peak-end' rule states that recollection of an experience is most often influenced by the peak (the most intense moment) and end of the experience. We investigated whether calves followed the peak-end rule in their memory of a painful procedure: disbudding. As proxies for retrospective and 'real-time' reports of pain, we used conditioned place aversion, and reflex pain behaviours. In two separate trials, calves were subjected to two disbudding conditioning sessions (one horn per treatment), acting as their own control. In the first trial, calves (n = 22) were disbudded and remained in a pen for 4 h, and disbudded and left in another pen for 4 h with an additional 2 h following an analgesic treatment. In the second trial, calves (n = 22) were disbudded and left in pens for 6 h during both treatments, receiving the analgesic at either 2 h or 4 h after disbudding. Calves were then tested for place aversion. For both trials we did not observe a preference for the pens where calves received analgesic treatment towards the end of the session. We did not find an association between aversion and the sum, peak or end of pain behaviours. Results are not consistent with a peak-end effect in calves' memory of pain.

Tracking floor eggs with machine vision in cage-free hen houses.

Some of the major restaurants and grocery chains in the United States have pledged to buy cage-free (CF) eggs only by 2025 or 2030. While CF house allows hens to perform more natural behaviors (e.g., dust bathing, perching, and foraging on the litter floor), a particular challenge is floor eggs (i.e., mislaid eggs on litter floor). Floor eggs have high chances of contamination. The manual collection of eggs is laborious and time-consuming. Therefore, precision poultry farming technology is necessary to detect floor eggs. In this study, 3 new deep learning models, that is, YOLOv5s-egg, YOLOv5x-egg, and YOLOv7-egg networks, were developed, trained, and compared in tracking floor eggs in 4 research cage-free laying hen facilities. Models were verified to detect eggs by using images collected in 2 different commercial houses. Results indicate that the YOLOv5s-egg model detected floor eggs with a precision of 87.9%, recall of 86.8%, and mean average precision (mAP) of 90.9%; the YOLOv5x-egg model detected the floor eggs with a precision of 90%, recall of 87.9%, and mAP of 92.1%; and the YOLOv7-egg model detected the eggs with a precision of 89.5%, recall of 85.4%, and mAP of 88%. All models performed with over 85% detection precision; however, model performance is affected by the stocking density, varying light intensity, and images occluded by equipment like drinking lines, perches, and feeders. The YOLOv5x-egg model detected floor eggs with higher accuracy, precision, mAP, and recall than YOLOv5s-egg and YOLOv7-egg. This study provides a reference for cage-free producers that floor eggs can be monitored automatically. Future studies are guaranteed to test the system in commercial houses.

The Aviary Transect-a practical welfare assessment tool to improve the management of cage-free laying hens.

The Aviary Transect (AT) is a method for assessing welfare in cage-free laying hen flocks, and comprises standardized walks along each aisle screening the flock for selected welfare indicators: feather loss (FL) on head, back, breast, and tail, wounds on head, back, tail, and feet, dirty plumage, enlarged crop, sickness, and birds found dead. The method is quick (20 min for a flock of 7,500 hens), has good interobserver agreement and shows positive correlations with individual bird sampling methods. However, it is less clear whether AT can be used to detect differences in flock health and welfare related to housing and management. The aim of this study was to evaluate how AT findings varied in relation to 23 selected housing, management, environmental, and production factors. The study was conducted on 33 commercial nonbeak-trimmed, white-feathered layer flocks of similar age (70-76 wk) kept in multitiered aviaries in Norway. The most prevalent findings across flocks were feather loss on the back (mean 0.97% of flock) and breast (0.94%) followed by feather loss on the head (0.45%) and tail (0.36%) with differences in feather pecking damage according to the hybrid used (P < 0.05). Better litter quality was associated with a lower prevalence of feather loss on the head and breast (P < 0.05), and addition of fresh litter during the production cycle resulted in fewer birds with feather loss on the head (P < 0.05) and tail (P < 0.001). Lower dust levels were linked to a lower prevalence of feather loss on the head, back, and breast (P < 0.05), and when access to the floor area underneath the aviary was provided at an earlier stage of production, fewer birds had wounds (P < 0.001), but more birds were observed with an enlarged crop (P < 0.05) and found dead (P < 0.05). In conclusion, findings from AT showed that results of the assessment varied according to housing conditions. These results support the validity of AT as a relevant welfare assessment tool for evaluating cage-free management practices.

Effects of Extended Cage Component Sanitation Interval on the Microenvironment, Health, and Gastrointestinal Microbiome of Rats (Rattus norvegicus).

Washing and sanitizing rodent cage components requires costly equipment, significant personnel effort, and use of natural resources. The benchmark frequency for sanitation of individually ventilated caging (IVC) has traditionally been every 2 wk. In this study, we investigated the effects of extending this interval on the cage microenvironment, basic markers of health, and the gastrointestinal microbiota of rats. We compared our institutional standard of changing the sanitation interval for rat cage lids, box feeders, and enrichment devices from every 4 wk to an interval of 12 wk. The cage bottom and bedding continued to be changed every 2 wk for both groups. We hypothesized that we would find no significant difference between our current practice of 4 wks and continuous use for 12 wk. Our data showed that intracage ammonia levels remained below 5 ppm for most cages in both groups, with the exception of cages that experienced a cage flood. We found no significant difference between groups in bacterial colony forming units (CFU) on cage components. We used 3 novel methods of assessing cleanliness of enrichment devices and found no significant effect of continuous use for 12 wk on the number of CFU. In addition, we found no significant differences between groups for animal weight, routine blood work, or fecal and cecal microbiomes. These data indicate that a sanitation interval of up to 12 wk for components of rat IVC caging has no significant effects on the microenvironment or health of rats. Using the longer interval will improve efficiency, reduce the use of natural resources, and decrease costs while maintaining high-quality animal care.

Seroepidemiology of Leptospira serovar Hardjo and associated risk factors in smallholder dairy cattle in Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Smallholder dairy farming is crucial for the Tanzanian dairy sector which generates income and employment for thousands of families. This is more evident in the northern and southern highland zones where dairy cattle and milk production are core economic activities. Here we estimated the seroprevalence of Leptospira serovar Hardjo and quantified potential risk factors associated with its exposure in smallholder dairy cattle in Tanzania. METHODS: From July 2019 to October 2020, a cross-sectional survey was carried out in a subset of 2071 smallholder dairy cattle. Information about animal husbandry and health management was collected from farmers, and blood was taken from this subset of cattle. Seroprevalence was estimated and mapped to visualize potential spatial hotspots. The association between a set of animal husbandry, health management and climate variables and ELISA binary results was explored using a mixed effects logistic regression model. RESULTS: An overall seroprevalence of 13.0% (95% CI 11.6-14.5%) for Leptospira serovar Hardjo was found in the study animals. There was marked regional variations with the highest seroprevalence in Iringa 30.2% (95% CI 25.1-35.7%) and Tanga 18.9% (95% CI 15.7-22.6) with odds ratios of OR = 8.13 (95% CI 4.23-15.63) and OR = 4.39 (95% CI 2.31-8.37), respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed the individual animal factors that were a significant risk for Leptospira seropositivity in smallholder dairy cattle were: animals over 5 years of age (OR = 1.41, 95% CI 1.05-1.9); and indigenous breed (OR = 2.78, 95% CI 1.47-5.26) compared to crossbred animals SHZ-X-Friesian (OR = 1.48, 95% CI 0.99-2.21) and SHZ-X-Jersey (OR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.43-1.63). Farm management factors significantly associated with Leptospira seropositivity included: hiring or keeping a bull for raising purposes (OR = 1.91, 95% CI 1.34-2.71); distance between farms of more than 100 meters (OR = 1.75, 95% CI 1.16-2.64); cattle kept extensively (OR = 2.31, 95% CI 1.36-3.91); farms without cat for rodent control (OR = 1.87, 95% CI 1.16-3.02); farmers with livestock training (OR = 1.62, 95% CI 1.15-2.27). Temperature (OR = 1.63, 95% CI 1.18-2.26), and the interaction of higher temperature and precipitation (OR = 1.5, 95%CI 1.12-2.01) were also significant risk factors. CONCLUSION: This study indicated seroprevalence of Leptospira serovar Hardjo, as well as the risk factors driving dairy cattle leptospirosis exposure in Tanzania. The study showed an overall high leptospirosis seroprevalence with regional variations, where Iringa and Tanga represented the highest seroprevalence and risk. The study highlighted the urgent need to understand the human exposures and risks from this important zoonosis to develop control measures and awareness of the problem and quantify the economic and production impacts through abortion and milk loss. In addition, given that the available data was limited to Leptospira serovar Hardjo, the study recommends more studies to identify serologically the most common serovars in cattle for targeted vaccination and risk reduction.

A comparative survey of veterinarians, equine owners, and equine keepers regarding the knowledge and implementation of legal requirements in Germany for the use and documentation of veterinary medicines in equines intended for slaughter.

In Europe, equines destined for human consumption (hereafter called slaughter equines) are subject to the same restrictions of usage of veterinary drugs as other food-producing animals, with amendments regulated in the so-called 'positive list', Regulation (EC) No. 1950/2006. Due to the complex legal requirements for drug administration in slaughter equines, it might be that specific knowledge regarding the legislation of slaughter equines may be insufficient among veterinarians, equine owners, and equine keepers. To study this assumption, three target group-specific surveys were conducted in 2021. Answers from 153 equine treating veterinarians, 170 equine owners, and 70 equine keepers were included in the analysis. In total 68.4% (91/133) of the participating veterinarians, the regulations of the 'positive list', Regulation (EC) No. 1950/2006, were 'rather complicated' to 'complicated'. Among the participating veterinarians, 38.4% (58/151) did not or could not answer correctly how to proceed if a slaughter equine is scheduled to receive phenylbutazone, usage of which is prohibited in all livestock by Regulation (EU) No. 37/2010. Simultaneously, 56.2% (86/153) of the participating veterinarians named phenylbutazone as the, or one of the, most often used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Altogether, 41.2% (70/170) of participating equine owners and 42.9% (30/70) of equine keepers did not know under which circumstances an equine can legally be slaughtered for human consumption. In total, 34.3% (24/70) of the equine keepers classified their knowledge of national regulations for animal keepers regarding the documentation of drug usage in equines as 'poor' to 'nonexistent'. This lack of knowledge in all three surveyed groups, combined with the complex legal regulations regarding the usage and documentation of drugs in slaughter equines, could result in missing and false documentation, treatment of slaughter equines with prohibited substances and therefore pose a risk factor for drug residues in equine meat.

Citrullinemia is a suitable biomarker for post weaning performance in piglets under intensive farming.

OBJECTIVE: To describe citrullinemia profiles during the weaning transition and correlate citrulline production with stress and growth in a commercial pig farm. ANIMALS: 240 healthy piglets of homogenous weight, weaned from second and third parity sows, were selected at weaning and subjected to the farm's routine management practices in May to July 2020 and May to July 2021. PROCEDURES: Piglets were weighed at weaning, then 15 and 49 days later in order to calculate daily weight gain during the first 15 and 49 days after weaning. Blood samples were collected from each piglet to determine citrulline and cortisol profiles during the early postweaning period. RESULTS: Citrullinemia decreased dramatically during the first week postweaning and then increased progressively to reach preweaning values by 15 days postweaning. Citrulline production during the first 2 weeks postweaning was negatively correlated with cortisol production (r: -0.2949) and positively correlated with mean daily weight gain during the first 15 (ρ: 0.5450) and 49 (ρ: 0.6603) days postweaning. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Citrullinemia profile of piglets during the early postweaning period showed a temporal negative impact of stress (assessed by plasmatic cortisol levels) on intestinal enterocytes' mass and function, which resulted in a lower average daily weight gain. We demonstrated that a single biomarker, plasmatic citrulline, is useful to describe intestinal metabolism during the early postweaning period and that the greater the citrulline production during the first days after weaning, the higher the weight gain during the entire postweaning period.

Combining beef cattle and sheep in an organic system. I. Co-benefits for promoting the production of grass-fed meat and strengthening self-sufficiency.

Numerous advantages of combining cattle and sheep have been demonstrated at the grazing-season level, but the effects of this practice on system self-sufficiency require system-level and longer-term studies. We established three grassland-based organic systems as separate farmlets: one mixed system combining beef cattle and sheep (MIX) and two specialised systems, beef cattle (CAT) and sheep (SH), to serve as reference points. These farmlets were managed for 4 years, to assess the benefits of combining beef cattle and sheep in promoting the production of grass-fed meat and strengthening system self-sufficiency. The ratio of cattle to sheep livestock units in MIX was 60:40. The surface area and stocking rate were similar across all systems. Calving and lambing were adjusted to grass growth to optimise grazing. Calves were pasture-fed from 3 months old on average until weaning in October, fattened indoors with haylage and slaughtered at 12-15 months. Lambs were pasture-fed from 1 month old on average until slaughter; if lambs were not ready for slaughter when the ewes mated, they were stall-finished with concentrates. The decision to supplement adult females with concentrate was based on the achievement of a target body condition score (BCS) at key periods. The decision to treat animals with anthelmintics was based on mean faecal egg excretion remaining below a certain threshold. A higher proportion of lambs were pasture-finished in MIX vs SH (P < 0.001) due to a higher growth rate (P < 0.001) which led to a lower age at slaughter (166 vs 188 days, P < 0.001). Ewe prolificacy and productivity were higher in MIX vs SH (P < 0.02 and P < 0.065, respectively). The levels of concentrate consumption and number of anthelmintic treatments in sheep were lower in MIX vs SH (P < 0.01 and P < 0.08). Cow productivity, calf performance, carcass characteristics and the level of external inputs used did not differ between systems. However, cow BW gain during the grazing season was higher in MIX vs CAT (P < 0.05). These outcomes validated our hypothesis that the association of beef cattle and sheep promoted the self-sufficient production of grass-fed meat in the sheep enterprise. It also promoted better ewe and cow BCS and BW at key stages of the reproduction cycle and better development of the females used for replacement, which may enhance animal and system resilience.

Combining beef cattle and sheep in an organic system. II. Benefits for economic and environmental performance.

Combining several animal species to optimise the performance of the whole farming system is one of the core tenets of agroecology. Here, we associated sheep with beef cattle (40-60% livestock units (LU)) in a mixed system (MIXsys) and compared its performances to those of a specialised beef cattle-only system (CATsys) and a specialised sheep-only system (SHsys). All three systems were designed to have identical annual stocking rates and similar farm areas, pastures and animals. The experiment was conducted for four campaigns (2017-2020) in an upland setting exclusively on permanent grassland under certified-organic farming standards. The young animals were fattened almost exclusively with forages: at pasture for lambs and indoors with haylage in winter for young cattle. Abnormally dry weather conditions led to hay purchases. We compared between-system and between-enterprise performances based on technical, economic (gross product, expenses, margins, income), environmental (greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), energy consumption) and feed-food competition balance indicators. The mixed-species association only benefited the sheep enterprise, with +17.1% meat production per LU (P < 0.03), -17.8% concentrate used per LU (P < 0.02), +10.0% gross margin (P < 0.07) and +47.5% income per LU (P < 0.03) in MIXsys vs SHsys, as well as environmental performance benefits via a reduction of 10.9% in GHG emissions (P < 0.09) and 15.7% in energy consumption (P < 0.03), and a 47.2% improvement in feed-food competition (P < 0.01) in MIXsys vs SHsys. These results are due to both better animal performance and lower concentrate consumption in MIXsys, as presented in a companion paper. These benefits outweighed the additional costs of the mixed system, especially for fencing, in terms of net income per sheep LU. There were no between-system differences in productive and economic performance (kilos live-weight produced, kilos concentrate used and income per LU) for the beef cattle enterprise. Despite good animal performances, the beef cattle enterprises in both CATsys and MIXsys had poor economic performance due to large purchases of conserved forages and difficulty selling the animals, which were ill-adapted to the traditional downstream sector. This multiyear study at the farming-system level, which has thus far been underresearched for mixed livestock farming systems, highlighted and quantified the benefits for sheep when combined with beef cattle on economic, environmental, and feed-food competition performance.

Diagnostic applications and limitations for the use of cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) in animal husbandry and wildlife management.

In animal breeding, a species sex can influence the value of the animal. For example, in the horse breeding industry, mares are preferred as polo horses, while in wildlife breeding males with larger horns are more valuable. Therefore, the economic advantages of knowing the unborn fetus' sex are important to successful animal management. Ultrasonography is used to determine the sex of unborn fetuses, but this method places additional stress on the animal and require specialized equipment and expertise. Conversely, molecular-based sexing techniques require less invasive sampling and can determine sex more reliably. Although in humans, various studies have evaluated the use of cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) for prenatal sexing, very few animal studies have been published in this field. Several factors can affect the sensitivity of cffDNA-based sex determination, for example the gestational age. These factors are often not optimized and validated when establishing a protocol for prenatal sexing. In this review, we summarize the current literature on cffDNA in animals. We discuss the diagnostic applications and limitations in the use thereof in animal husbandry and wildlife management. Lastly, the feasibility of implementing diagnostic tests is evaluated and solutions are given to the current drawbacks of the technology.

Perception of laying hen farmers, poultry veterinarians, and poultry experts regarding sensor-based continuous monitoring of laying hen health and welfare.

Daily farm management practices play an essential role in determining and steering health, welfare and productivity of laying hen flocks. Optimal management requires expertise of farmers and coworkers, especially when hens are kept in complex, large-scale aviary systems. Relatively little sensor-based support is available to farmers, even though numerous research groups are working on developing technologies to continuously detect deviations in layer health and welfare. A survey with laying hen farmers, poultry veterinarians and poultry experts from Western Europe and Canada was conducted to identify and prioritize indicators of optimal and suboptimal laying hen health and welfare in commercial farms. The status-quo of sensor technology and the advantages, wishes, and concerns regarding sensors were additionally assessed to contribute to the future development of a predictive monitoring tool that continuously monitors laying hen health and welfare. A total of 45 stakeholders were interviewed, of which 41 filled in an online questionnaire. Although the prioritization of indicators differed between stakeholders, the majority identified the use of feed and water intake, egg production and quality, sound, activity, and movement of hens as important indicators to assess health and welfare. Currently collected (sensor) data were not used to their full potential, and stakeholders missed the integration and storage of data into one monitoring system with easy visualization tools. Most interest was observed in the use of cameras and microphones to detect deviations in health and welfare at an early stage, to reduce subjectivity of the assessment and to gain more knowledge on layer behavior. It can be concluded that these results could steer research efforts towards the development of continuous monitoring techniques, and enhance their adaptability and acceptability by stakeholders.