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Modern pig feeding systems allow the collection of highly detailed feeding data for each animal. These data enable the examination of individual feeding behaviours to assess an animal's wellbeing. As such, four different treatments ‒ undisturbed control, starving (no feed for 24 h, restrictive feeding), feed change (changes in feed composition) and social stress (exchanging of animals between the pens and short-term reduction of accessible water) ‒ were designed to simulate typical short-term disturbances in a practical stable routine. Each treatment was conducted over 2 pens with 12 animals each. Zootechnical performance and feed intake behaviour measures were assessed for each animal. Treatments did not affect zootechnical performance. Results showed that short-term disturbances did not influence feed intake behaviours, such as daily feed intake, amount of intake per feeder visit, number of daily feeder visits and daily feeding action with highest feed intake. Animals developed individual feeding patterns that persisted through artificial short-term disturbances. However, data suggested that an individual animal's behavioural pattern was strongly influenced by the group (pen) due to group dynamics among animals.

China’s local chicken breeds, especially those in the Zhejiang Province, are rich in genetic diversity owing to environmental heterogeneity and complex ecosystems. Distinctive local breeds have emerged through long-term natural selection and domestication. We investigated the genetic diversity and population structure of local chickens in southern Zhejiang and surrounding areas using whole-genome resequencing of 129 chickens from seven populations. A total of 1.8 terabytes of raw data was obtained, and 4 802 728 single nucleotide polymorphisms were detected. The Xianju chicken population exhibited the highest genetic diversity, while Yandang Partridge chickens were genetically distant from other chicken breeds. This study provides valuable information for conserving poultry genetic diversity and informs about breeding programmes of local Chinese chicken breeds.

Dairy cows enter the negative energy balance in the early post-partum period, which negatively affects milk yield, health status and reproduction. This study aimed to determine if milk yield (MY) and fat/protein (F/P) ratio could be used as reliable indicators for predicting the quality of aspirated oocytes and their further use for in vitro fertilisation. A secondary goal was to compare different periods before oocyte aspiration to determine which period had the most significant impact on the oocyte development in donor cows. All tested Holstein cows were at their first lactation (n = 68). The first ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration in donor cows was done on average at 58.7 days in milk (DIM). Usually, a second aspiration followed a week later if no problems were detected. In total, 102 aspirations were performed. Three model equations with different F/P ratio distributions and variants of MY production were tested in statistical evaluation. On average, 3.6 oocytes were retrieved per donor per aspiration, with a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 12. The maturation rate was 62.2%, with a high probability of reaching metaphase II (90.45%). The highest number of oocytes was obtained from low-yielding cows with a low F/P ratio in all evaluated periods (P < 0.01). The quality and expansion of cumulus-oocyte complexes were unaffected by the metabolic status. However, a tendency for better quality oocytes in donors with lower MY and F/P ratios was observed in all models. Our preliminary results showed that the prediction of oocyte quality in a homogeneous group of the first-lactation cows was related to the chosen data acquisition model. Data about milk yield and F/P ratio obtained from on-farm systems provide a valuable source of information for the selection of oocyte donors.

Modern dairy farming faces the dual challenge of meeting global food demands while mitigating its environmental impact, particularly greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, such as methane (CH₄), a potent contributor to climate change. This review explores the role of Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) technologies in monitoring and reducing CH₄ emissions from dairy cattle. We evaluate state-of-the-art methods, including direct monitoring (e.g. respiratory chambers, GreenFeed systems) and indirect approaches (e.g. infrared milk spectroscopy, AI-driven analytics), alongside mitigation strategies such as nutritional optimisation, genetic selection, and ruminal additives. PLF emerges as a transformative tool, integrating real-time data on animal health, feed efficiency, and environmental conditions to optimise management practices and reduce emissions per unit of milk produced. By synthesising current research, we highlight the potential of PLF to reconcile productivity with sustainability, offering scalable solutions for the dairy sector. Critical gaps in real-time CH₄ monitoring and farm-level implementation are identified, underscoring the need for further innovation. This review provides a roadmap for aligning dairy production with global climate goals while ensuring food security for the growing population.

Environmental conditions are known to influence the dairy cow health, with most research focusing on the detrimental effects of heat stress. However, the impact of non-summer weather patterns in temperate climates on udder health carry-over between lactations is not well understood. This pilot study evaluated the effect of various weather factors (temperature, humidity, precipitation, sunshine) during 1-day to 90-day periods before dry-off on udder health in the first month post-calving (represented by somatic cell count, conductivity, lactose, and mastitis incidence) in 199 Holstein cows in Central Europe. The scope of the experiment was limited to one farm and one year of observations. Moreover, we also evaluated milk quality, milkability, and udder health parameters during the same periods before dry-off on udder health after calving. We aimed to identify viable indicators across available automatically collected data from weather stations and milking parlour analysers. We found that the long-term (30- to 90-day) exposure to colder temperatures, high humidity, and low sunshine duration before dry-off was significantly associated with worse udder health after calving. In contrast, short-term weather conditions (1- to 7-day) had no significant effect. Monitored milk quality and udder health parameters showed a significant relation to udder health after calving during the immediate periods before dry-off, while milkability parameters were insignificant. If lactose was decreased or protein content, conductivity, and somatic cell count were elevated during the 1- and 7-day period before dry-off, cows after calving showed worse udder health. These findings identify prolonged cold and damp conditions as a significant environmental risk factor for poor udder health in the subsequent lactation, expanding our understanding beyond the conventional focus on heat stress.

This study aimed to estimate heritabilities of piglet birth-weight traits and to investigate the relationships between piglet birth-weight and litter-size traits using field data from Czech Large White and Landrace sows. Data including 86 241 piglets from 5 536 litters were analysed using repeatability, genetic, and genomic models. The investigated piglet-weight traits included arithmetic mean birth weight (MBW), within-litter standard deviation (SDBW), coefficient of variation in birth weight (CVBW), and the proportion of small piglets in the litter (SMALL). Heritability rates of piglet-weight traits were low, with the highest estimates for MBW (0.06–0.10) and SMALL (0.08–0.17), depending on the model used, while the other within-litter variability traits showed heritability rates from 0.03 to 0.05. The heritability rates of litter-size traits, including the number of piglets born alive (NBA) and the number of piglets weaned (NW), were low and ranged from 0.05 to 0.07. The realised accuracies of prediction were moderate to high, ranging from 0.50 to 0.72 for piglet-weight traits and from 0.54 to 0.77 for litter-size traits, with ssGBLUP improving realised accuracy by 4–15% in comparison to BLUP. Genetic correlations estimated using BLUP and ssGBLUP indicated that litter size at birth (NBA) tended to be negatively associated with MBW and positively or weakly associated with piglet-weight variability traits (SDBW, CVBW, and SMALL), whereas NW tended to show positive correlations with MBW and negative correlations with variability traits. However, none of the correlations were statistically significant.

Feed efficiency (FE) is one of the most essential traits in dairy cattle, primarily due to the high cost of feed, which constitutes a significant portion of dairy herd expenses. Unfortunately, assessing FE in individual cows requires precise measurement of feed consumption, a labour-intensive and expensive process that is impractical for group-fed cows on production farms. Efforts have been made to predict FE or, more precisely, dry matter intake (DMI), using predictors such as a body weight (BW), milk yield (MY), and milk composition. Recently, Fourier transform mid-infrared (FT-MIR) spectroscopy has been proposed as a tool to enhance the accuracy of DMI prediction. This paper reviews the application of FT-MIR milk spectroscopy for deriving FE phenotype in dairy cattle. FT-MIR is a reliable and widely used method for routine analysis of milk components. In FE phenotyping, predictive equations often incorporate FT-MIR alongside other traits such as BW, MY, milk composition, herd, breed, days in milk, and pregnancy. The most commonly used mathematical approaches are partial least squares (PLS) regression and artificial neural networks (ANN). Prediction accuracy varies across studies, depending on the mathematical method and model employed. Predictions based solely on FT-MIR data have demonstrated moderate accuracy (coefficient of determination), ranging from 0.19 to 0.40. However, integrating all data sources including MY, milk composition, FT-MIR, and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIR) is crucial and results in higher accuracy, with reported values ranging from 0.03 to 0.81.

Agricultural methane emissions strongly contribute to global greenhouse gas production. Under these circumstances, meeting international climate goals, including the Global Methane Pledge or the European Green Deal, requires developing targeted mitigation strategies. However, research using advanced clustering techniques in a multilevel context remains scarce and mostly limited to CO₂ emissions. This lack of time-series studies addressing regional variability hinders efforts to develop effective mitigation strategies. This study addresses three main research questions: (i) What are the main trends in agricultural methane emissions in the EU-27 countries from 2013 to 2022? (ii) How can the EU countries be classified based on agricultural methane emissions per capita? (iii) What is the impact of selected agricultural and economic indicators, including the number of live bovine animals and land use, on the clustering of methane emissions? Combining hierarchical and k-means clustering with trend analysis, this research integrates data from Eurostat and the World Bank, thereby classifying the EU-27 countries into four clusters based on their agricultural practices and methane emissions profiles. The results highlight distinct emission patterns across the EU-27 regions, with farming systems characterised by high stocking rates and intensive production generating the highest per capita emissions. By contrast, extensive systems with lower animal density exhibit reduced methane intensities. These findings underscore the need to devise effective, region-specific, data-driven policies and strategies for mitigating methane emissions.

Negative energy balance (NEB) in dairy cows during early lactation significantly contributes to metabolic and infectious diseases, traditionally diagnosed via costly and time-consuming serum non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) analysis. This study aimed to develop a practical and cost-effective diagnostic test for NEB based on milk components analysed routinely. Data from 692 Holstein cows (5–35 days in milk) located at five Czech dairy farms were analysed using multiple logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results showed that 99 cows (14.3%) were classified as NEB+ (NEFA > 0.6 mmol/l). Cows in the NEB+ group exhibited a significantly higher milk fat content (P < 0.001) and milk fat-to-protein ratio (P < 0.001), and lower lactose concentrations (P < 0.001) compared to NEB− cows. Key indicators of lipomobilisation, such as C18:1, C18:0, and monounsaturated fatty acids (FA), were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in NEB+ cows, while saturated, short-chain, and medium-chain FA were lower (P < 0.001). The developed prediction models, incorporating milk fat and specific FA (e.g. C18:1, C18:0, C14:0), demonstrated high diagnostic efficacy. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) values ranged from 0.84 to 0.92 for individual farms and reached 0.83 for the combined dataset. Using the Index of Union method, optimal cut-off points yielded sensitivities between 0.72 and 0.86, and specificities between 0.72 and 0.85. For the overall model, both sensitivity and specificity were 0.76. In conclusion, the proposed diagnostic test, leveraging milk components, offers a reliable and practical tool for early NEB detection in dairy cows. This facilitates timely intervention, thereby mitigating adverse health and economic impacts. Further validation with larger and more diverse datasets is recommended.

Decision support systems (DSSs) enable dairy farmers to make informed and timely decisions on herd health management. However, the lack of a disease scoring system by category and severity limits the application of this approach. In this study, we developed an innovative approach to dairy herd health management by establishing a novel scoring system for dairy herd health management aimed at providing a more nuanced understanding of disease impact. For this purpose, we retrieved 5-year data from 2 558 disease diary records of 798 primiparous and multiparous cows housed on a Czech farm and classified 125 production diseases into six categories, namely lameness, mastitis, postpartum diseases, digestive system, reproductive diseases and other diseases. Based on this metric, we developed a data-driven DSS for farm management. Using this DSS, we identified markers of disease categories for efficient veterinary monitoring on dairy farms. This DSS highlighted a decreasing trend of average monthly disease scores, yet the prevalence of postpartum and other diseases increased during the same period, due to changes in reproduction management within the herd. These findings underscore the need for data-driven targeted interventions for promoting the herd health. Therefore, our scoring model not only provides a comprehensive framework for dairy herd health monitoring and improvement but also advances dairy farming by providing a decision support system easily applicable to dairy farms based on available data recorded in disease diaries.

At present, the low post-thaw quality of poultry semen presents a challenge to develop new strategies for its cryopreservation. The purpose of this research was to assess the impact of kaempferol (KAE) on post-thaw turkey sperm characteristics (motility, membrane and acrosome integrity, mitochondrial function), oxidative and microbial profile. Turkey semen (n = 40) was diluted and cryopreserved in modified Beltsville extender with 5, 10, and 25 µM of KAE or without it (cryopreserved control – Ctrl_C), while fresh semen served as negative control (Ctrl_N). Following thawing, parameters were evaluated including sperm motility, membrane and acrosome integrity, mitochondrial functionality, DNA fragmentation index, apoptosis status, global reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, lipid peroxidation (LPO) and protein oxidation. Bacterial identification was performed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry. Our data suggest that motility, membrane and acrosome integrity, mitochondrial activity continuously increased correspondingly to KAE concentration versus Ctrl_C (P < 0.05) while cell apoptosis, ROS generation, LPO and protein oxidation were significantly decreased in KAE treated groups versus Ctrl_C (P < 0.05). Bacterial growth was suppressed in all KAE-treated groups, which acted synergistically with penicillin to eradicate most bacterial strains from cryopreserved samples versus Ctrl_N. Finally, our results suggest that KAE possesses strong antioxidant and antimicrobial properties which may be used to improve commercially available extenders for more effective preservation of turkey spermatozoa.

This study was conducted to examine the effects of Moringa oleifera (MO) seed powder on the performance and gut health of broilers challenged with E. coli. A total of 720 one-day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly allocated to 72 pens across two separate rooms, following a 2 × 6 factorial design. The factors per room included (i) challenge: no or yes, and (ii) feed additive: control (none), antibiotic [oxytetracycline (OTC) at 0.5 g/kg], MO 0.1%, MO 0.2%, MO 0.4%, and MO 0.8%. At 9 days old, birds in both challenged and non-challenged rooms were inoculated with 1.5 ml of E. coli-O157:H7 inoculant (3.8 × 10⁸ CFU) and 1.5 ml of saline, respectively. Performance data showed that, throughout the study, unchallenged birds had better weight gain (WG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) than challenged birds. On day 35, broilers given OTC and all MO levels showed improved WG (P < 0.001) and FCR (P < 0.003). Interactions between challenge and additives were observed on day 10 for FCR (P = 0.031); on days 24 and 35 for WG (P < 0.001); and on days 24 and 35 for FCR (P < 0.004 and P = 0.002, respectively). On day 24, challenged birds fed all MO levels exhibited higher WG and better FCR than challenged controls, while on day 35, both challenged and unchallenged MO-fed birds showed improved WG and FCR compared to control groups. E. coli significantly increased crypt depth (CD), jejunum muscle thickness, and caecal E. coli colonies. MO significantly enhanced villus height (VH), the VH : CD ratio, villous tip width, and surface area, while decreasing CD, muscle thickness, and E. coli colonies. Challenged birds had significantly lower serum total protein, albumin, and Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) titres, while serum alanine aminotransferase ALT activity was higher than in non-challenged birds. Overall, Moringa at 0.4% showed comparable or better results than OTC in preventing E. coli-induced declines in broiler performance and gut health.

Knowledge of genetic relationship is an important control mechanism for animal performance-testing schemes. Genetic relationship between and within pig herds was calculated for two dam breeds, Czech Large White (CLW) and Czech Landrace (CLA). The impacts of different field data types (production and reproduction) and various numbers of generations within the pedigrees on genetic relationship were studied. The degree of genetic relationship between analyzed herds was generally low. It ranged from 1.01% (for CLW based on reproduction data and considering three generations of ancestors within the pedigree) to 2.57% (for CLA based on production data with seven generations of ancestors in the pedigree). In contrast, relationship within herds was high and ranged from 16.62% to 44.69% (when three and seven generations within the pedigree were taken into account, respectively), both for production data of the CLA breed. When considering the type of data, an impact on the observed genetic relationship between and within herds was found. Slightly higher genetic relationship between herds was determined in both breeds when using production data (1.64%) compared to reproduction data (1.40%). In contrast, a negligible influence between herds on genetic relationship was found from the number of ancestors' generations included into the calculations. That was especially so after five or six generations. Our results show that the relationship between herds is population specific and, consequently, must be analyzed on a case-by-case basis. Knowledge of genetic relationship between and within herds should be taken into account in regard to the complexity of genetic evaluation.

The aim of this study was to analyse the conformation traits and body dimensions of Haflinger mares registered in the Czech Republic studbook. The study focused on the effects of age at studbook entry, year of birth, proportion of Arabian genes, and country of origin on various parameters. Data were collected from 825 mares, including scores obtained during the studbook entry evaluation and body measurements such as withers height measured with a stick (WHS), withers height measured with a tape (WHT), chest girth (CG), and cannon bone circumference (CBC). Based on these data, the bone index (BI) and body massiveness index (MI) were calculated. Statistical analysis was performed using multifactor analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Scheffe’s post-hoc testing method. The results showed that the age at studbook entry significantly affected conformation scores, chest girth, cannon bone circumference, and both indices (MI, BI). Mares aged 3–4 years had significantly higher conformation scores compared to mares aged 5–6 years (P = 0.001) and mares aged 7 years and older (P = 0.000). Mares aged 5–6 years and those aged 7 years and older showed higher CG values (P = 0.002, P = 0.000) and CBC values (P = 0.010, P = 0.001). Furthermore, the year of birth had a highly significant impact on all variables studied. The withers height of mares born between 2011 and 2020 was, on average, 3.49 cm higher (144.84 cm) than that of mares born between 1987 and 2000 (141.35 cm) (P < 0.000). Regarding CG, a statistically significant increase was observed in mares born in 1987–2000 and 2001–2010, with chest girth increasing from 180.45 cm to 183.76 cm (P = 0.016). However, a subsequent decrease to 179.91 cm was noted in mares born between 2011 and 2020 (P = 0.002). The influence of the proportion of Arabian genes was significant for WHS, where mares with a higher proportion of Arabian genes (>1.56%) showed lower WHS (141.74 cm) compared to mares with a lower proportion (143.86 cm) or no Arabian genes (143.01 cm). While ANOVA demonstrated a significant effect of Arabian genes on CBC, Scheffe’s post-hoc test did not confirm this finding. No statistically significant differences were observed in other body dimensions based on the proportion of Arabian genes. The influence of the country of origin was statistically significant for all variables except WHS and WHT. Regarding the conformation scores, mares from the Czech Republic scored lower (6.98) than Austrian mares (7.22, P = 0.000). Additionally, CG was significantly lower in Austrian mares (178.58 cm) compared to Czech mares (182.54 cm, P = 0.000). Austrian mares also had significantly lower MI (P = 0.000) and BI (P = 0.040), with Austrian indices at 124.71/13.31 and Czech indices at 127.77/13.41. Based on this empirical evaluation of the current and original population of Haflingers in the Czech Republic, the connections and influence of individual factors during breeding are revealed. The results of our analysis have built an objective scientific basis and they allow the breeding organisation to determine the further breeding process.

The aim of the study was to examine the rabbit consumption habits and opinions of people living in countries that regularly consume rabbit meat. Snowball sampling of data collection was used, a total of 1 860 error-free questionnaires were evaluated. Most of the completed questionnaires came from Hungary, Italy, Spain, China, Poland, France and Mexico. It is to note that 21.3% of respondents have not yet consumed rabbit meat: China (32.1%), Hungary (24.7%), Poland (22.4%), and France (4.8%). The main reasons for not consuming rabbit meat were emotional reasons (22.3%), it does not fit their dietary habits (15.7%). There are 28.7% of respondents who consume rabbit meat once or twice a year, 18.6% less often and 21.9% monthly. It was most often (weekly and monthly) consumed in Spain (25.3% and 36.8%), in Italy (15.3% and 36.2%), in France (1.6% and 38.7%, respectively). Men, aged 40 to 59, secondary school graduates, and those having a higher income eat rabbit meat more often than other groups. The highest scores (near to 4.5 on a 1-5 scale) were given for the health aspects of rabbit meat, such as high protein, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins, and low fat and cholesterol contents. In order to encourage the consumption of rabbit meat, different marketing campaigns should be carried out in each country, depending on the standard of living, production intensity (large-scale or small-scale) and place of purchase (supermarket or local market). It is paramount to make the younger generation aware of the excellent and health-protective properties of rabbit meat.

Abstract: Management of inbreeding is one of the crucial parts of breeding programs in livestock populations. Traditionally, the inbreeding coefficient is calculated using pedigree data; however, it can also be estimated from genomic data. Nowadays, various approaches to estimating genomic-based inbreeding coefficients are increasingly integrated into research and breeding practices. These genomic estimators can supplement or replace pedigree-based coefficients. Each genomic-based inbreeding coefficient has its own properties and different ranges of values, and some of them need specific settings for calculation. Moreover, depending on the methodological approach, genomic estimators are sensitive to the population structure, genotyping technology applied, and the quality control of obtained genomic data. It is important to consider all these factors when calculating and especially when interpreting the final genomic inbreeding values. For these reasons, using genomic-based inbreeding coefficients can be more challenging than using pedigree-based ones. In this review, we comprehensively evaluate the most commonly used genomic estimators of individual inbreeding in livestock, providing an in-depth analysis of their advantages and limitations while offering insights into the methodological considerations and best practices for their accurate calculation and interpretation.

Industrial dairy farms boast highly advanced health monitoring and disease diagnosis systems. But without easily accessible, user-friendly web platforms for real-time decision-making, most dairy farmers cannot proactively manage herd health management and optimize treatments based on disease prediction and prevention. To bridge this gap, we have developed a web application of a Decision support system (DSS) for dairy health management based on machine learning. The system architecture combines a Flask backend with a React frontend and scalable cloud data storage and includes preprocessing, data integration, predictive modelling, and cost analysis. DSS forecasts herd diseases with an accuracy 6.66 mean absolute error and 2.35 median absolute deviation across predictions. Its core predictive capabilities rely on long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks to forecast disease progression from historical records and on a linear trend model to project cuts in treatment costs. The system calculates medication dosages and cost per disease, streamlines supplier selection, and simulates various treatment scenarios, thereby identifying high-cost diseases with potential savings. In other words, this DSS application processes disease and treatment data by incorporating veterinary records into advanced data analytics and neural networks, thereby predicting diseases, optimizing disease prevention and treatment strategies, and reducing costs. As such, this DSS application provides dairy farmers with a tool for strategic decision-making, veterinary treatment planning, and cost-effective disease management towards improving animal welfare and increasing milk yield.

Puerperal diseases are major postpartum complications in dairy cattle and may compromise both survival and production performance. This study evaluated how specific puerperal diseases influence early culling risk and standardised 305-day milk traits in Slovak Spotted cows. A total of 792 animals were clinically assessed during early postpartum and classified as healthy or affected by ketosis, metritis, retained foetal membranes, parturient paresis, or by comorbid diseases, defined as the concurrent occurrence of two or more disorders. Logistic regression models indicated that ketosis was associated with the highest odds of culling compared with healthy cows (odds ratio = 2.23; P = 0.05). The multivariable model had a predictive discrimination of 0.75, as indicated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, suggesting moderate performance. After excluding the cows culled during the puerperium to avoid bias from incomplete lactation data, the dataset was restricted to 546 animals. Within this group, metritis was associated with the lowest 305-day milk yield, with an average decrease of 1 124 kg compared with healthy cows (P < 0.05). Protein content was slightly lower in cows affected by puerperal disease (P < 0.05), with no significant differences in milk yield, fat or lactose content, nor lactation persistency index. Parity and sire line still remained the primary determinants of variation in milk traits. The results can be used to support decision-making in herd health management and genetic improvement strategies aimed at enhancing cow longevity and production efficiency.

This study aims to investigate using different ratios of urea-molasses in silage of food in vitro fermentation, feed value and quality production in feed. After being withered a little, the fodder plant was fragmented into 2–3 cm long pieces. 0, 2 and 4% molasses and 0, 0.5 and 1% urea were added. The treatment groups were UM1 (control), UM2, UM3, UM4, UM5, UM6, UM7, UM8 and UM9 supplemented with 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1.5, 1.5, 1.5% urea and 0, 2, 4, 0, 2, 4, 0, 2, 4% molasses respectively, and a total of 54 silage samples, 9 × 6 parallel, were prepared, vacuumed in ready-made silage bags, and stored at 25 ± 2 °C for 60 days. After the silages were opened, pH, nutrient contents, Fleig scores (FS), in vitro digestibility parameters, energy contents, feed value and feed quality were determined, then the data were subjected to analysis of variance. The effects of urea and molasses additives added to the mixed forage plant silage on all parameters were found to be significant (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The crude protein (CP) increased its application by UM7. Cell wall component (insoluble fibre in acid detergent (ADF) and neutral detergent insoluble fibre NDF) reduced its application by UM9. All these applications increased the FS. The addition of molasses increased the in vitro gas production, while the addition of urea decreased the production. True organic matter digestibility increased with the addition of molasses. As a result, it was concluded that UM9 application in silages would be appropriate for increasing feed value and feed quality, and the UM3 application in silage would be appropriate for improving true organic matter digestibility (TOMD).

This research was carried out to evaluate the pedigree data of the Debrecen White rabbit breed. Pedigree information was supplied by the Debrecen White Rabbit Breeder Association. The final dataset contained all available information on animals registered by the breeding association up to 2023. The reference population was the active breeding stock in 2023. The estimated complete generation equivalent was 7.8, while the mean of maximum generations was 16.29 for the present stock. All individuals within the current population were inbred, with a 5.37% mean inbreeding coefficient. The division of the inbreeding coefficient showed that homozygosity is increasing in the current population. The genetic conservation index (GCI) was higher than 30 for 10.11% for the total population, and was above 38.69% for the current population.

The aim of this study was to validate selected precision livestock farming (PLF) methods of nutrition and feeding management of high-yielding Holstein dairy cows. In a feeding trial with 36 dairy cows, the effect of replacing 0.1 kg of sodium bicarbonate in the control total mixed ration (TMR-C) with 1 kg of wheat straw in the experimental total mixed ration (TMR-S) on the physiological status of cows and the amount of milk produced (milk yield, MY) was investigated. Feed intake time (FT), as measured using tensometric feed troughs (TFT), was significantly longer with TMR-S (188 min) than with TMR-C (157 min). Differences between TMR-C and TMR-S were not significant for FT or rumination time (RT), as measured by a sensor in the collar (VSC). There was only a weak correlation between the two technologies (TFT vs. VSC) for FT (r = 0.27). Differences between TMR-C and TMR-S were not significant for values measured in rumen fluid (pH, acid and ammonia levels) nor for values measured by sensors in the milking parlour (MY, fat and protein percentage of milk). Milk analysis in the laboratory showed that the cows fed TMR-C had higher urea (26.6 vs. 22.7 mg/100 ml) and free fatty acid (0.87 vs. 0.33 mmol/100 g) levels in milk. Moderate correlations were between TMR intake and MY (r = 0.55); between MY and milk fat (r = –0.46); between milk fat and milk protein (r = 0.63); and between milk fat and milk protein measured by sensors and in the laboratory (r = 0.47 and r = 0.42, respectively). In view of the above results, further research and data validation for each technology are needed.

In the actual scenario of increasing demand of animal food and the need to develop sustainable production systems, rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and quail (Coturnix japonica) represent animal species of undeniable potential, profoundly linked to human’s eating habits in several parts of the World, yet not fully exploited. Given the remarkable adaptability of quail and rabbit to different farming contexts, they can be successfully farmed both in specialised and technologically advanced production systems targeting market diversification, as well as in such areas of the World where malnutrition is a severe issue and technological limitations are present. Together with the above-mentioned socio-cultural aspects, rabbit and quail possess intrinsic traits that make them meat species of interest to improve the sustainability of the livestock sector, challenge of utmost importance for present and future development strategies. Furthermore, available nutritional data indicate that quail and rabbit provide food (meat) that has the potential to improve the nutritional adequacy of any diet. It also emerged that about 130 g of rabbit and quail meat are sufficient to meet the daily dietary recommendations for essential amino acids provided by the World Health Organization. Despite the dietary quality of the meat obtained from these two animal species, the present review also unveils that, while the factors affecting meat quality have been extensively studied, little focus has been devoted on those specifically affecting the protein content and quality, thus emphasising that this is a key aspect for future researches.

Nitric oxide (NO) plays numerous essential physiological functions in terrestrial animals. In mammals, NO production from l-arginine is catalysed by the enzyme NO synthase (NOS). In recent years, data have begun to emerge on NOS expression and the physiological significance of NO in ectothermic vertebrates such as fish. However, there are relatively fewer data compared to the mammalian system. Although it is already well known that animal molybdoenzymes can convert nitrate and nitrite into NO, there is almost no information on the content and properties of molybdoenzymes in fish organs in the scientific literature. In this regard, the objectives of the present work were to detect the activity of classical molybdoenzymes xanthine oxidase (XO) and aldehyde oxidase (AO) in the liver and to study their possible activity to reduce nitrate and nitrite to nitrogen monoxide. In this work, the intrinsic activity of XO and AO was examined by using their substrates. At the same time, their nitrate (NR) – and nitrite reductase (NiR) activity were determined. It was determined that XO and AO in the fish liver are mainly represented by the molybdenum-free forms. The presence of an additional source of molybdenum can activate both the intrinsic and the NR and NiR activities. The NiR activity of XO and AO was higher than their NR activity. The data shows that treatment at a concentration of sodium molybdate and glutathione of 1.0 mM increases all activities of XO and AO. The optimal conditions for maximum activation of exogenous molybdate for XO and AO were reached by heating at 70 °C for 5 minutes. The activity of XO increased almost 4.7 times, and the activity of AO 7.7 times compared with its intrinsic activity without heat treatment. NO is formed from nitrite by the enzymes XO and AO much more than from nitrate.

Modern single space feeding systems for fattening pigs allow the detailed assessment of an individual animal's feeding behaviour. In an experiment involving 96 fattening pigs, the influence of deoxynivalenol (DON) contaminated feed (> 4 500 µg/kg DON) on the zootechnical performance and feeding behaviour was compared with a feed with low DON concentration (< 900 µg/kg DON), this served as the control group. Additionally, in separate treatments, two commercial mycotoxin binders were added to the DON-contaminated feeds to assess if an expected DON effect could be attenuated. The high DON content significantly (P < 0.03) reduced daily feed intake (500-600 g/day). The DON group showed 240 g less daily gain compared to the control with 728 g/day. Both mycotoxin binders were seen to additionally depress weight gain by approximately 65 g/day (P < 0.01). The treatment did not affect the individual feeding behaviour as assessed by daily visits to the feeder, feed intake per visit and the highest feed intake per visit per day. These were influenced only by the pig and its pen, indicating that the animals developed a distinct behaviour within their respective groups. Behaviour analyses of persistency and day-to-day variation showed that the persistency was reduced and variation was increased when DON without or with binder was present. The DON contents therefore seemed to lead to a more erratic and less consistent behaviour that remained dependent on the animal group.

Czech local poultry breeds face high risks of extinction. Because these populations are closed, they are more likely to lose genetic diversity. The aim of this analysis was to determine the loss of genetic diversity in three Czech autochthonous poultry breeds. Pedigree data from a total of 1 932 Czech Gold Speckled Hens, 325 Czech White Geese and 111 Czech Crested Geese registered in studbooks between 2000 and 2018 were evaluated. Data were analysed to determine the major factors that affect the genetic variability of these breeds. The average numbers of equivalent complete generations ranged from 2.53 to 4.82. The effective numbers of founders were from 29 to 59, representing from 43% to 62% of the total number of founders. The effective number of ancestors was estimated in the range of 21 to 41. The average inbreeding coefficient and relatedness coefficient (in parentheses) for the reference populations were 2.0% (6.5%), 1.9% (4.9%) and 2.1% (9.3%), respectively. The results showed that the effective population size derived from the rate of inbreeding ranged from 46 to 108 and if derived from the rate of coancestry it ranged from 35 to 74. With regard to these results, the analysed breeds showed a high probability of allele loss and consequent loss of genetic diversity.

The use of genomic data makes it possible to examine genetic variability and calculate the genetic parameters of the population in an efficient and precise way. The aim of this research was to analyse linkage disequilibrium (LD), contemporary effective population size (Ne_c), haplotype block structure, minor allele frequency (MAF), observed (H_O) and expected heterozygosity (H_E), calculate the genomic relationship matrix and perform a principal component analysis (PCA) in the Serbian Holstein-Friesian cattle population using SNP data from the GGP Bovine 100K chip. After quality control (QC), 83 208 SNPs and 1 575 cows were retained for further analysis. LD on autosomes had an average value of ≥ 0.2 up to a distance of 50–60 kb (r² = 0.211), while on BTX r² ≥ 0.2 was represented at distances of 80–90 kb (r² = 0.211). LD differed between chromosomes. The average H_O for autosomes and X chromosome SNPs was 0.412 and 0.422, respectively. 81.30% of SNPs that passed QC had MAF > 0.2. The total number of haplotype blocks in the studied population was 15 642. On average, blocks contained 2.932 SNPs. The average block length was 32.657 kb and ranged from a minimum of 0.019 kb (BTA21 and BTA26) to a maximum of 999.562 kb (BTX). The estimated value of Ne_c in the this cattle population was 142. The results of PCA showed a significant variability of genotypes in the population, but there was no clear stratification of the population. The obtained results will serve as a basis for future genomic analyses such as the detection of QTLs for important economic traits and the implementation of genomic selection.

The study assessed the relationship between rib fat thickness and carcass price among different carcass weight groups in Korean native cattle (Hanwoo), taking into account changes in the beef grading system. Data from 8 926 Hanwoo steers, with an average age of 30.6 ± 1.88 months and slaughtered between 2017 and 2019, were analysed. The variables considered included rib fat thickness, carcass weight, eye muscle area, marbling score, and carcass price. Steers were categorised into eight carcass weight groups ranging from 250 kg to 650 kg in the original system, rib fat thickness consistently had a negative impact on carcass price, with partial coefficients of rib fat thickness on carcass price ranging from –1.96 to –46.5 depending on the carcass weight groups. Conversely, in the revised system, the impact of rib fat thickness varied from negative to positive, turning positive at the 450 kg carcass weight group. These findings may guide decision-making in beef cattle production and feeding strategies under the revised grading system.

The inclusion of animal genotype data has contributed to the development of genomic selection. Animals are selected not only based on pedigree and phenotypic data but also on the basis of information about their genotypes. Genomic information helps to increase the accuracy of selection of young animals and thus enables a reduction of the generation interval. Obtaining information about genotypes in the form of SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) has led to the development of new chips for genotyping. Several methods of genomic comparison have been developed as a result. One of the methods is data imputation, which allows the missing SNPs to be calculated using low-density chips to high-density chips. Through imputations, it is possible to combine information from diverse sets of chips and thus obtain more information about genotypes at a lower cost. Increasing the amount of data helps increase the reliability of predicting genomic breeding values. Imputation methods are increasingly used in genome-wide association studies. When classical genotyping and genome-wide sequencing data are combined, this option helps to increase the chances of identifying loci that are associated with economically significant traits.

The present study aimed to evaluate the use of biochar as a feed additive on nutrient utilization and livestock performance by employing a meta-analysis method. Various in vitro and in vivo studies regarding the effects of biochar on rumen fermentation, nutrient disappearance, total gas, methane production, microbial population, feed intake, growth performance, blood constituents, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen retention were tabulated in a database. Data were analysed using the mixed model method in which the different studies were considered as random effects while the biochar addition was treated as a fixed effect. The addition of biochar reduced methane production (quadratic pattern; P < 0.05), but increased the total gas production (P < 0.001). Addition of biochar decreased (quadratic pattern; P < 0.05) volatile fatty acids and acetic acid in the in vitro rumen fermentation data. In the in vivo data, a reduction in feed conversion ratio (quadratic pattern; P < 0.05), as well as a reduction (P < 0.05) in the feed intake parameters of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, and neutral detergent fibre were observed with biochar addition. Ammonia production and propionic acid tended to increase linearly (P < 0.05) with the biochar supplementation. The biochar supplementation increased (P < 0.05) the nutrient digestibility (dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fibre) and nitrogen retention. In conclusion, biochar supplementation of ruminant diet modulates rumen fermentation by increasing propionic acid but decreasing methane emissions, and enhances livestock performance by increasing nutrient digestibility, growth performance as well as nitrogen retention.

Autochthonous cattle breeds represent important resources of genetic diversity. The Busha cattle breed is reared in the Balkan Peninsula and is characterised by high adaptability, resilience, longevity, small body size, and low maintenance and production requirements. During the 36-year observation period, the total population of the autochthonous Busha cattle breed in the Republic of Croatia amounted to 10 411 animals. Pedigree completeness for the total population, considering the first parental generation, was 97.1%. The average inbreeding coefficient was 2.44%, ranging from zero to 42.6%, while the average relatedness coefficient was 3.56% in the total population. The effective population size, calculated in the reference population based on the individual increase in inbreeding, was 63.3. The probabilities of gene origin in the reference population were f_e – 38.0, f_a – 33.0, and f_g – 25.4, indicating a loss of genetic variability due to genetic drift (f_g/f_e – 0.66) and a bottleneck (f_e/f_a – 1.15). In the population of the autochthonous Busha cattle breed, the effective number of ancestors (f_a) was smaller than the effective number of founders (f_e). Increased relatedness among animals was observed, which could affect the long-term conservation of the population.