The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of shearing during early mid-gestation on umbilical blood flow (UBF), placental growth, fetal size, and lamb performance in Polypay ewes. Twenty-eight pregnant ewes were randomly assigned to either shorn (S) or sham-shorn control (CON) treatments on d 50 of gestation and stratified by fetal number as singleton (S: n = 4; CON: n = 4), twin (S: n = 5; CON: n = 5), or triplet (S: n = 5; CON: n = 5) pregnancies. Umbilical BF and fetal and placental measurements were obtained via Doppler ultrasonography every 10 d from d 50 to 110 of gestation. At parturition, lamb and placental weights were recorded, and cotyledonary tissue was collected. Data were analyzed for all pregnancies combined (ALL; singletons, twins, and triplets) and for multiple-bearing pregnancies (M; twins and triplets) using the MIXED procedure of SAS, with treatment, day of gestation, and their interaction included as fixed effects, and ewe included as a random effect. There was no treatment × day interaction for UBF in ALL or M (P=0.51). However, a main effect of treatment was observed (P<0.05), with UBF tending to be greater (P≤0.10) on d 90 and 100, and greater (P=0.03) on d 110, in S compared with CON ewes. Placentome size was not affected by treatment or treatment × day interactions in either analysis (P≥0.37). There was no treatment × day interaction or main effect of treatment for fetal biparietal distance (BP) in ALL (P≥0.11). In M pregnancies, BP was greater in fetuses from S ewes (main effect of treatment, P=0.01), tending to be greater on d 60 (P=0.07) and being greater on d 80, 90, and 110 (P≤0.05). Fetal abdominal distance was not affected by treatment or treatment×day interactions in ALL or M (P≥0.10). Lamb birth weight did not differ between treatments in ALL (P=0.22); however, lambs born from S ewes tended to be heavier at birth in M pregnancies (P=0.08) and tended to remain heavier at 60 d of age (P=0.10). Using DESeq2, we identified 680 DEGs between the S and CON groups (P<0.05 and |Log2FC| > 0.5). Among them, 566 genes were downregulated, and 114 were upregulated in the S group. These results demonstrate that shearing ewes on d 50 of gestation increases UBF and fetal skeletal growth, particularly in multiple-bearing pregnancies. The benefits of early mid-gestation shearing appear most relevant when fetal demand is high, suggesting this management practice may improve lamb growth and performance in prolific ewe flocks.
This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of increasing trypsin inhibitor (TI) levels in nursery diets on growth performance and intestinal function of nursery pigs. A total of 120 newly weaned piglets (5.16 ± 1.03 kg initial body weight; weaned at 18.1 ± 1.48 d of age) were allotted to 5 treatments in 6 replicates with 4 pigs per pen for a 28-d trial. Dietary treatments were increasing TI levels at 1.5, 3.1, 4.8, 6.4, and 8.0 TIU/mg, achieved by graded inclusion of raw soybean. At d 28 postweaning, blood, intestinal mucosa, intestine, digesta, and fecal samples were collected. Increasing dietary TI levels linearly decreased final body weight and average daily gain, average daily feed intake, and gain-to-feed ratio during the overall nursery period (P < 0.05) but increased diarrhea incidence up to d 21 postweaning (P < 0.05). In jejunal mucosa, increasing dietary TI levels increased interleukin-8 concentrations linearly (P < 0.05) and tumor necrosis factor-α concentrations quadratically (P < 0.05), while increasing interleukin-8 and interferon-γ linearly in ileal mucosa (P < 0.05). Calprotectin levels tended to increase linearly in colon digesta (P = 0.07) and feces (P = 0.07) with increasing dietary TI levels. In jejunum, mucosal catalase levels linearly decreased (P < 0.05) with increasing dietary TI levels, while mucosal protein carbonyl levels in ileum linearly increased (P < 0.05). Serum diamine oxidase levels tended to decrease linearly (P = 0.07) and serum urea nitrogen had a quadratic response (P < 0.05) with increasing dietary TI levels. In duodenum and ileum, increasing dietary TI levels linearly decreased villus height and increased crypt depth, resulting in a linear reduction in villus height-to-crypt depth ratio (P < 0.05). In jejunal mucosa, increasing dietary TI levels linearly increased mucin-2 (P < 0.05) levels and tended to linearly increase occludin levels (P = 0.06). Increasing dietary TI levels linearly decreased fecal acetate (P < 0.05) and total short chain fatty acid (P < 0.05) concentrations and tended to linearly decrease fecal butyrate (P = 0.07) concentrations, while fecal isobutyrate and isovalerate concentrations tended to increase quadratically (P < 0.10). In conclusion, increasing dietary TI levels negatively affected growth performance and indicators of intestinal function in nursery pigs, as evidenced by impaired gut morphology, alterations in intestinal barrier-related markers and short chain fatty acid production, and increased inflammation in nursery pigs.
Feeding time is a modifiable management factor that regulates nutrient digestibility and circadian physiological rhythms in ruminants. Twelve 7-month-old Dorper × Hu crossbred rams with an initial body weight of 47 ± 2.42 kg were individually housed in metabolism crates and randomly allocated to two feeding groups provided with an identical basal diet: daytime feeding (DP, feed available 08:00-20:00, n = 6) and nighttime feeding (NP, feed available 20:00-08:00, n = 6). Each ram served as the experimental unit. After a 7-day adaptation, feces and urine were collected for 7 days by total collection. Blood was sampled over 4 consecutive days, and ruminal, cecal, and longissimus dorsi samples were collected after slaughter. Non-omics outcomes were analyzed using Student's t-test; microbial relative abundances were compared using Welch's t-tests, and community-level differences were evaluated using analysis of similarities and permutational multivariate analysis of variance. Differential metabolites were identified using a variable importance in projection value > 1 and Student's t-test at P < 0.05. Descriptive co-variation patterns between differential microbiota and metabolites were visualized via Spearman's rank correlation. Ether extract digestibility (P = 0.012), nitrogen digestibility (P = 0.041), and plasma urea concentration (P = 0.011) were greater in DP than NP sheep. Concentrations of malondialdehyde, total antioxidant capacity, interferon-γ, interleukin-10, tumor necrosis factor-α, glucagon-like peptide-1, serotonin, and melatonin were greater in NP sheep (P ≤ 0.017). Feeding schedule was also associated with different ruminal and cecal microbial taxa and metabolite profiles. Carcass traits and physical meat quality did not differ between treatments. Thus, feeding time markedly remodeled nutrient digestibility, circulating biomarkers, and gastrointestinal profiles, but longer trials are required to determine effects on growth performance and feed efficiency.
Early detection of lameness is difficult in dairy farms as clinical signs may be subtle. This study aims to identify key changes in milking and behavioral data before and after lameness identification, to assess their potential as early-warning indicators. Data were collected on a dairy farm in Northern Italy, with 600 Holstein cows milked twice daily in a rotary parlour, equipped with sensors and pedometers. A total of 67 cows (Days in milk: 177±104; parity: 2.62±1.57) with at least one farmer-detected lameness event between 2022 and 2023 were included. Daily data on milk yield, duration, flows, lying time, bouts, and steps were analysed in a 60-day window around the detection day (Δ -30 to + 30), using Generalized Additive Mixed Models (GAMMs) accounting for parity and stage of lactation. Daily milk yield began to decline 12-16 days before detection, with losses of up to 16% in multiparous cows. Before lameness detection, milking duration shortened, and average milk flow slowed in multiparous cows, particularly between 60-120 s after cluster attachment. Lying time increased by 8-11% in the days before detection, while steps differed by parity: primiparous cows reduced their activity, whereas multiparous cows showed increased steps. After hoof trimming, most of the traits returned toward pre-lameness levels. Although the magnitude of changes was moderate, timing and consistency indicate that deviations in milking performance and behaviour can be detected before lameness becomes visible. These findings provide a basis for developing predictive algorithms to identify cows at risk earlier, using standard farm infrastructure, without additional sensors.
While the impact of physiological stage on nutrient utilization in sows is recognized, data on specific feed ingredients remain limited. Research has evaluated soybean meal (SBM) in mid-to-late gestation, but information is lacking across other stages. Furthermore, the available energy and nutrient digestibility of rapeseed meal (RSM) and dried distillers' grains with solubles (DDGS) are largely unknown during gestation, lactation, and the post-weaning period. To fill this gap and expand the database of feed ingredient values for sows, this study aimed to evaluate the available energy and nutrient utilization of DDGS, SBM, and RSM in sows across gestation, lactation, and the post-weaning period. A total of 24 multiparous sows (initial body weight: 286.58 ± 11.35 kg) were used across gestation (50 d), lactation, and the post-weaning period, using a randomized complete block design with 4 dietary treatments (basal, DDGS, SBM, and RSM), with 6 replicates per treatment. The basal diet was a corn-soybean meal basal diet, and the three test diets were formulated by replacing part of the basal diet with 30% DDGS, 20% soybean meal, or 20% rapeseed meal, respectively. The results showed that for DDGS, the digestible energy (DE) in multiparous sows during lactation was greater than that during gestation and the post-weaning period (P < 0.05). The apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter (DM), ether extract (EE), and gross energy (GE) during lactation was also greater than that during gestation (P < 0.05). For SBM, the DE and the ATTD of DM, crude protein (CP), and GE during gestation and the post-weaning period were greater than those during lactation (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the ATTD of EE and organic matter (OM) during gestation was greater than that during lactation (P < 0.05). For RSM, the DE and the ATTD of OM and GE during lactation were greater than those during the post-weaning period (P < 0.05). Physiological stage significantly affected the available energy and nutrient digestibility of DDGS, SBM, and RSM in multiparous sows. Specifically, for DDGS and RSM, higher digestibility of DE and nutrients was observed during lactation, whereas for SBM, higher digestibility of nutrients and DE was observed during gestation and the post-weaning period. These findings highlight the importance of accounting for both physiological stage and feed ingredient characteristics when evaluating feed ingredients and formulating diets for multiparous sows.
