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Simple Summary: Rainbow trout meat is characterized by a high nutritional value and microbial safety. The growing demand for trout meat has promoted the rapid development of modern aquaculture methods. Fish feeds are supplemented with various strains of probiotic bacteria to conform to the modern production requirements in aquaculture. Probiotic bacteria, including Carnobacterium maltaromaticum, are defined as live microorganisms that confer health benefits. The beneficial influence exerted by probiotics on fish growth and welfare is determined by the microbial species, its metabolic activity, and origin. However, commercial cultures of probiotic bacteria generally do not deliver the anticipated effects on the farming of fish and other aquatic organisms. In this study, fish feed was supplemented with a probiotic strain of C. maltaromaticum that naturally colonizes cold water in deep lake strata. Juvenile rainbow trout were fed commercial feed supplemented with the analyzed bacterial isolate. Feed supplementation significantly increased the fish biomass, improved the apparent digestibility of feed and nutrients, and contributed to a several–fold decrease in the counts of potentially pathogenic bacteria in the feed, digestive tract contents, and the skin of fish. The results of this study indicate that the C. maltaromaticum environmental strain is a promising probiotic for rearing juvenile rainbow trout in aquaculture. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of commercial feed (CF) supplemented with 0.1% of the Carnobacterium maltaromaticum environmental probiotic strain on the rearing parameters, apparent nutrient digestibility, and microbial safety of juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The fish were fed CF (control group, CG) and experimental feed (EF) supplemented with 0.1% of C. maltaromaticum (experimental group, EG) for 56 days. The final body weight and total body length of the fish were measured. The growth rate, condition factor, feed conversion ratio, viscerosomatic and hepatosomatic indices, and apparent digestibility coefficients of protein (PAD), lipids (LAD), ash (AAD), and nitrogen-free extract (NFEAD) were calculated. The total viable counts of C. maltaromaticum bacteria, mesophilic bacteria, hemolytic mesophilic bacteria, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Aeromonas hydrophila, Staphylococcus sp., and sulfite-reducing anaerobic spore-forming Clostridium sp. were determined in digestive tract contents and the skin of fish. Feed supplementation with C. maltaromaticum significantly affected most rearing parameters, as well as the PAD, LAD, AAD and NFE values, and bacterial counts. The principal component analysis (PCA) revealed significant positive correlations (p < 0.05) between fish growth rates, PAD and LAD values vs. C. maltaromaticum counts in the EF and in the digestive tract contents of the fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Channa is distributed throughout the subcontinent, highly resistive, spine less, adopted to low dissolved oxygen and is commercially important worldwide. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of different diet on growth performance of Channa marulius to develop a rearing technique for promoting it aquaculture. Four different diets i.e. chicken liver, BSF-larvae, commercial feed and beef mince-having different protein levels were administered to compare their suitability as food for the rearing of C. marulius for 45 days. The fry fed with chicken liver and BSF-larvae showed significantly better result in terms of weight and length gain. The survival rate of C. marulius fed with chicken liver, BSF-larvae, commercial feed and beef mince were estimated as 90%, 85%, 80% and 60% respectively. The absolute weight of C. marulius fed with chicken liver, BSF-larvae, commercial feed and Beef mince were estimated as 2.24 g, 2.00 g, 1.9 g, and 1.86 g respectively while the value of the absolute length of C. marulius fed with chicken liver, BSF-larvae, commercial feed and Beef mince were estimated as 0.9 cm, 0.9 cm, 0.8cm, and 0.9 cm respectively. The value of SGR in term of weight is 1.803%, 1.727% 1.5% and 1.7% on chicken liver, BSF-larvae, commercial diet and beef mince respectively. While in term of length the value of SGR is 0.32%, 0.35%, 0.36% and 0.37% on chicken liver, BSF-larvae, commercial diet and beef mince, respectively. The difference in growth performance observed were highly significant (P < 0.05). The relative growth rate was also higher on chicken liver and BSF-larvae and SGR was high on the Chicken liver. It is, therefore determined that C. marulius can be culture on animal-based protein diet for profitable farming. By creating more enticing and delectable artificial feed, changing feeding strategy, and making more attractive artificial feed, additional study is required to reduce the generation of shooters at juvenile stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This study was done to determine the best value of the total electrolyte balance (BET) concerning the variables of performance and egg quality of the laying hens. We investigated 240 Hy-Line Brown laying hens, of 30 to 46 weeks of age, adopting the completely randomized experimental design, which included five treatments (1000, 1250, 1500, 1750 and 2000 µeq / kg), 8 repetitions and 6 birds per unit. The performance and quality of the birds' eggs were evaluated in the different treatments. The results were subjected to the analysis of variance and, wherever significant effect was noted, the regression equations were estimated, taking into account the electrolyte balance (µeq / kg) as a concomitant variable, applying the SAS statistical program (2001). The consumption, production, and feed conversion variables by dozen eggs, final bird weight, egg density, yolk color, Haugh Unit, albumen weight, shell weight, and egg weight, were found to be unaffected by the experimental BET values. The values of the feed conversion per egg mass, yolk weight and uniformity were affected by the different BETs. The electrolyte balance values showing minimum feed conversion, higher yolk weight, and better uniformity were, respectively, BET = 1400, 1330, and 1250 in µeq / kg of loads at the different temperatures. From the regression equations, the value indicated was BET=1390 for the 30- to 46-week-old laying hens. The electrolyte balance of the diet was found to affect the laying hens in terms of performance and egg quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

A six month feeding experiment was conducted to compare between different diets and its effect on growth performance of an indigenous carp Bangana dero. A total of 360 uniform B. dero (average weight 4.9±0.02 g) were cultured in twelve circular fibreglass tanks @ 15 fish per tank (90 W X 64 H cm.). The fishes were fed by two commercial feeds (T1, T2), formulate feed (T3) and control feed (T4) in triplicates with 4% of body weight twice a day. Fish were maintained in well aerated water system. Analysis of variance showed that the growth performance in T1 was significantly higher than other groups (p<0.05). The formulate diet also had uniform growth rate with significant positive effects on Specific Growth Rate (SGR) and final biomass gain. The present study reveals that there is potential effect of commercial and formulated fish feed on growth performances of this target species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Astaxanthin is an essential micronutrient that regulates shrimp physiology, acting as a free radical scavenger, increasing stress resistance, and enhancing the immune response, improving growth and survival in farm-raised organisms. Despite this, accumulation of astaxanthin has not been evaluated regarding rearing conditions of shrimp. Thus, this study aimed to assess the effect of rearing conditions (extensive vs. hyperintensive) in the accumulation of astaxanthin in tissues of shrimp Penaeus vannamei, using wild juveniles as a reference of the levels of astaxanthin present in the natural environment. The main oxycarotenoid found was astaxanthin, which was mostly accumulated in hepatopancreas (>90%) in esterified form, while mostly free astaxanthin was found in exoskeleton and muscle (<60%). Comparing wild and reared shrimp, the content of esterified astaxanthin was significantly higher in the hepatopancreas of shrimp reared under extensive conditions (191.45 ± 23.08 μg g-1) followed by wild shrimp (144.08 ± 13.92 μg g-1), while low values (3 ± 1 μg g-1) were found in shrimp reared under hyper-intensive conditions. Astaxanthin levels found in farm-raised shrimp were not explained by commercial feeds, since no astaxanthin (only traces of its chemical precursor β-carotene), was found in the six different commercial feeds analyzed for rearing shrimp. Thus, the results may be explained by primary productivity (i.e., phytoplankton) that is consumed as natural food by shrimp in the ponds of farming systems, or by the effect of specific rearing conditions on the microbiota associated with carotenogenesis in the gut of shrimp. In any case, commercial feeds should fulfill all nutritional requirements for shrimp, particularly under stressful conditions as it occurs in hyper-intensive farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Abstract The accelerated and disorderly expansion of aquaculture can lead to economic, social, and environmental problems. In this sense, it is necessary to prioritize the adoption of practices that aim for sustainable production. The aims of the present study were to identify the contributions from nature and economy in the system of tilapia cage farming. In addition, emergy accounting was utilized to evaluate whether the use of periphyton as a complementary food and the reduction of storage density improve the sustainability of this production system. Three different production managements were evaluated and compared: using traditional stocking density adopted by farmers (80 kg/m3) with 100% of the daily recommended feed and without substrates for periphyton (TRAD); traditional stocking density (80 kg/m3) with 50% of the daily recommended feed and with substrates for periphyton (TDS); lower density (40 kg/m3) with 50% of the daily recommended feed and with substrates for periphyton (LDS). We calculated using emergy accounting the transformity (Tr), renewability (%R), emergy yield ratio (EYR), emergy investment ratio (EIR), emergy loading ratio (ELR), emergy exchange ratio (EER), and emergy sustainability index (ESI) of the distinct production managements. The results showed that tilapia cage farming is highly dependent on resources from economy, and feed is mainly responsible for this. Thus, the decrease in stocking density and feed rate, combined with the use of periphyton, improved all emergy indices evaluated. This occurred because there was a decrease in the use of resources from economy and increase in the use of renewable natural resources. The study shows through the emergy accounting that the use of periphyton to feed cultured fish combined with a reduction in artificial feed use and a decrease in the stocking density should be encouraged to promote the sustainability on tilapia cage farming. Highlights • Tilapia cage farming is highly dependent on economic resources. • Commercial feed represents the main emergy input. • Periphyton as complementary food reduces dependence on economic resources. • The higher the stocking density, the higher the system's efficiency. • The lower the stocking density, the better the emergy indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

A three-week experiment was conducted to investigate the utilisation of a diet based on cassava root meal and copra meal by finishing broiler chickens. A total of ninety-six 21-day-old Cobb broilers were used for the experiment. The birds were weighed and allotted to six pens containing 16 birds each. A finisher diet based on cassava and copra meal and a commercial broiler finisher diet were fed each to three randomly selected pens for a period of 21 days. Results showed poorer (P< 0.05) final body weight, daily feed intake, daily gain and feed: gain ratio of birds fed the test feed compared to those fed the control commercial feed, but feed cost of meat production (WST$/kg live weight) was reduced (P< 0.05) on the test feed. Birds on the commercial feed had higher (P< 0.05) carcass and breast meat yields, while the yields of thighs and drumsticks were not affected (P> 0.05) by the diet. There were no treatment effects (P> 0.05) on the weights of the liver, heart and caeca, but birds on the test feed recorded higher (P< 0.05) weights of the pancreas, gizzard and small intestine. Birds fed the control commercial feed deposited more (P< 0.05) fat than those fed the test feed. It was concluded that cassava copra meal-based finisher diets could be used to reduce cost of meat production and abdominal fat content and thus meat quality of broiler chickens. Further research into appropriate combinations of these ingredients for optimum growth and feed utilisation by broilers is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER] more...

This study compared the heavy metal concentration in water, sediment, and shrimp at different growth stages of culture and subsequently evaluated the ecotoxicological and human health risk status. Total trace element concentration in the water, sediment and shrimp ranged from not detected (ND) (Hg) to 91.05 (Fe) μg/L, 0.01 (Hg) to 19, 246.33 (Fe) mg/kg, and ND (Hg) to 13.98 (Fe) mg/kg, respectively. Toxic metals such as, Cd, Hg, and Pb in shrimps ranged from ND to 2.11 mg/kg, ND to 0.158 mg/kg, ND to 0.088 mg/kg, and ND to 0.469 mg/kg, respectively. Toxic heavy metals at all the growth stages of shrimps (days of culture (DOC)-01 to DOC-90) were found below the maximum residual limit (MRL) of 0.5 mg/kg set by the European Commission (EC). Similarly, Cu, Zn, and As concentrations in shrimp were also far below the MRLs of 30 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg, and 76 mg/kg set by the World Health Organization and Food Safety and Standard Authority of India, respectively. The concentration of heavy metals increased from DOC-01 to DOC-90 and was positively correlated with the length and weight of the shrimps (p < 0.05). The risk assessment was estimated for both Indians and Americans and found no carcinogenic (lifetime cancer risk (LCR) < 10−4) and non-carcinogenic (THQ and TTHQ<1) health risks through consumption of shrimp cultured in this region. The hazard quotient (HQ dermal < 1), hazard index (HI < 1), and LCR (<10−4) values of the heavy metals indicated that the dermal absorption might not be a concern for the local fishermen and marine fish/shrimp farmworkers. Water and sediment quality indices were applied to assess the surface water and sediment quality, and their results were found nil to low levels of heavy metal contamination at all the sampling sites. All heavy metals studied in sediments were < effect range low (ERL) and < threshold effect level (TEL), indicating no adverse biological effects on aquatic organisms. Therefore, regular monitoring of the shrimp aquaculture system throughout the crop will provide evidence of heavy metals bioaccumulation in shrimps. This research will provide baseline data to help farmers establish the optimal aquaculture practices and regulatory authorities to formulate legislation and strategies to reduce heavy metal biomagnification in shrimps from farm to fork. • Heavy metals concentrations in shrimps were below the maximum residual limit •Total heavy metal concentration in shrimps increased from day 1 to 90 (p<0.05) •Heavy metals in shrimps positively correlated with their length and weight (p<0.05) •Target hazard quotient (THQ) and total THQ (<1) revealed shrimp consumption is safe •Shrimps cultured in India and exported worldwide are safe for consumption [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

We compared performance (growth, survival, condition, and health indices) of largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, fin-gerlings (10.3 g fSE ± 0.5 gl and 92 mm [SE ± 1 mm] total length) fed one of four commercial grower feeds: Purina Aquamax Grower 400 (PAG; PMI Nutrition International LLC), Bio-Oregon BioDiet Grower (BDG; Bio-Oregon), Silver Cup Steelhead (SCS; Silver Cup), and Richloam Bass Fry Diet 12 (RBF; Silver Cup). Sixteen 833-L circular tanks, connected in parallel to a recirculation system, were initially stocked with 2.25 kg offish (219fish each, 0.32 fish ID with four replicates per feed treatment. Water temperature was 25° C, and photoperiod was 15 h light:9 h dark. Feed sizes (2.4-30 mm) were comparable, and protein compositions ranged from 49% to 61%. Fish were fed to satiation multiple times per day (trial duration = 100 days). Overall, performance was best for fish fed RBF, followed by PAG and BDG, and then SCS. The SCS feed resulted in significantly lower growth and survival (P ⩽ 0.05). The PAG and BDG feeds resulted in significantly lower growth than the RBF feed (P ⩽ 0.05); however, survival did not differ (P > 0.05). Performance measures were positively correlated with protein, and protein to energy ratio and negatively correlated with fat and carbohydrate compositions. The four commercial grower feeds resulted in highly varied growth, survival, and health indices, and this research should facilitate feed choice for various largemouth bass production strategies as well as increase contribution of stocked fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

We compared performance (growth, survival, and condition) of northern largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides salmoides fingerlings fed one of three commercial starter feeds: Otohime Marine Weaning (OMW; Marubeni Nisshin Feed), Bio-Oregon BiVita Fry (BVF; Bio-Oregon), and Purina Aquamax Starter (PAS; PMI Nutrition International LLC). Nine 833-L circular tanks, connected in parallel to a recirculation system, were stocked with 465 fish (1.4 kg), each to provide a rearing density of 1.1 fish/L. Water temperature was maintained at 27°C, and photoperiod was 15:9 h light:dark. Feed sizes (1.5-1.6 mm) were comparable and had similar protein composition (48%-50%). Feed was dispensed by vibratory feeders at a rate of 5% BWPD from 0730 h to 2130 h every 0.5 h for a total of 29 feedings per day (trial duration = 22 days). Overall performance was best for fish fed OMW, followed by BVF, then PAS. The PAS feed resulted in significantly lower growth, survival, and condition factor (P ⩽ 0.05). Though not statistically significant, the BVF feed resulted in lower growth, condition factor, and survival than OMW (P > 0.05). Performance measures were positively correlated with crude fat and negatively correlated with protein to energy ratio of feeds. The OMW or BVF diets may be more appropriate for intensive culture when the artificial feed is the sole food supply, while the PAS diet may be more suitable for extensive culture as a supplemental food source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Abstract: Juvenile shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (3.5g initial weight) and green seaweed Ulva clathrata were co-cultured in outdoors tanks (2000L) for 45days; co-cultured Ulva was suspended on a mesh stretched on the water surface. Four dietary treatments were evaluated: Ulva alone, Ulva+55% feed ration, Ulva +90% feed ration, and 100% feed ration (control group without co-cultured Ulva). The control group was fed a commercial pellet (30% protein, 8% fat) at a daily ration of 3.5% shrimp biomass. Water turbidity in co-culture tanks was lower than that in control group. Survival was similar among the experimental groups (>80%). The Ulva intake by shrimp improved the artificial feed conversion ratio and the growth rate: with 10 or 45% less commercial feed, growth rate improved by 60%. Additionally, U. clathrata intake diminished lipids content in shrimp carcass and also modified the fatty acids profile. Shrimp body carotenoids content was significantly higher in the co-culture groups, suggesting that Ulva carotenoids were efficiently assimilated and metabolized, and also may be involved in growth enhancement. [Copyright &y& Elsevier] more...

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of spirulina levels and 100 mg kg−1 astaxanthin supplementation in the diets replaced with 50% of fishmeal by black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) on growth performance, survival rate (SR) and skin color of discus fish Symphysodon sp.. Fish were randomly distributed into 18 tanks at 10 fish/tank for each of the 6 experimental diets, treatments of which consisted of frozen beef-heart (T1), commercial feed for discus fish (T2), with the remaining four diets being supplemented with dried spirulina at 0 g (T3), 3 g (T4), 6 g (T5) and 9 g kg−1 feed (T6) and 100 mg kg−1 astaxanthin for 10 weeks. Fish fed the frozen beef-heart treatment had the highest growth rate and lowest FCR that differed significantly from the other treatments (p < 0.05). After the 10-week trial, skin color intensity from four locations on the fish evaluated using the CIE LAB color space method. There was an increasing trend for the L* value (brightness) at the four positions on the body from T1 to T6; particularly, increasing spirulina levels in the diets increased brightness. The lowest color value a* (redness) at all points were found in the T1 and T2 treatments and differed significantly from the other diets supplemented with 100 mg kg−1 astaxanthin (T3–T6) (p < 0.05). There was an increasing trend in the color value b* (yellowness) from the four locations on the body when spirulina levels were increased in the diets. In conclusion, the diets for those that replaced 50% of fishmeal by BSFL and supplemented with astaxanthin and spirulina enhanced the SR and color intensity of the fish body but had no effect on growth performance. • Replacement of 50% of fishmeal with black soldier fly meal had no effect on growth performance of the discus fish. • Carotenoid supplementation had no positive or negative effect on the growth and survival rates of the fish. • The addition of carotenoid in the diets significantly enhanced skin coloration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Simple Summary: In modern society, the quality, the nutritional value and the environmental impact of foods are factors acquiring a relevant position from the consumers' perspective. In this sense, horsemeat perfectly meets the current market requirements and is arousing great interest, since not only is it claimed as a healthier red meat alternative, but also due to its sustainable image. Nevertheless, it has been demonstrated that meat quality could be affected by several factors. In this sense, the purpose of our study is to assess the impact of breed (Jaca Navarra and Burguete) and type of finishing diet (conventional diet and silage with organic feed) on the composition and quality attributes of meat from Navarre endangered foals. Moreover, considering the shortage of information about the meat quality of these two autochthonous breeds, especially in the case of Jaca Navarra foals, this research could be considered a starting point to revalue and characterize these valuable equine breeds. Data showed that meat belonging to Burguete and traditional diet groups presented the highest intramuscular fat contents conferring ameliorate quality attributes, as marbling, tenderness and juiciness, which are some of the most required by meat consumers. Moreover, lower amounts of cholesterol were detected. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of breed, Jaca Navarra (JN) vs. Burguete (BU), and finishing diet, conventional concentrate and straw, diet 1 (D1), vs. silage and organic feed, diet 2 (D2), on chemical composition and quality parameters of the longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle from forty-six foals. Animals were reared under a semi-extensive system and slaughtered at a mean age of 21 months. The results reported that both studied effects had a significant (p < 0.05) impact on meat quality; however, it was the breed to strongly influence the majority of the parameters evaluated. In particular, BU foals reported the highest amounts of intramuscular fat, positively affecting the meat properties of marbling and texture traits. Moreover, this group presented higher values for L* and b* and the lowest cholesterol contents. As regards the diet, D1 increased the fat content in foals supplemented with this diet, improving the organoleptic properties of this group. On the other hand, the combination of silage and organic feed (D2) had an opposite trend. Thus, both BU and D1 groups presented enhanced quality attributes, such as marbling, juiciness and reduced hardness, which are some of the most demanded by meat consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The fatty acid composition was determined for 14 feeds commonly available in Turkey for marine fish species, particularly sea bream and sea bass (juvenile, adult, and broodstock). Nine of the juvenile and adult fish feeds and 1 of the broodstock fish feeds were imported. The other feeds were produced in Turkey. The n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (n-3 HUFA) levels in the feeds of juvenile, adult, and broodstock fish were 2.5%-3.9%, 1.5%- 3.5%, and 2.1%-4.9% of the dry weight of diets, respectively. Similarly, the docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) levels of these feeds were 1.4%-2.3%, 0.5%-1.8%, and 1.2%-3.0% of the dry weight of diets, respectively, and the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) levels of the dry weight in the diets were 1.1%-1.5%, 1.0%-1.6%, and 0.8%-1.8%, respectively. In addition, the arachidonic acid (ArA) levels in the feeds of juvenile, adult, and broodstock fish were 0.5%-0.9%, 0.5%-0.8%, and 0.6%-0.9% of total fatty acids, respectively. The results showed that the DHA, EPA, or ArA levels and DHA/EPA ratios in the feeds of juvenile or adult sea bass and sea bream were sufficient for good growth and development. The broodstock feeds also had adequate levels of EPA, DHA, or ArA and ratios of ArA/EPA or DHA/EPA for normal reproductive performance of sea bass or sea bream broodstock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

SummaryBackground: An in vitro study has been undertaken to determine whether liquidized normal food might prove a satisfactory alternative to commercial feed for patients dependent on PEG feeding. Methods: Five different recipes (A to E) were compared with Nutrison Standard in terms of nutritional content, cost, ease of preparation, microbiological safety and flow characteristics. Results: Nutritional content of the recipes was broadly comparable with Nutrison, whilst the most expensive of the recipes was only 58% of the cost. The maximum preparation time, excluding cooking time, was only 15 min and the flow characteristics of recipes B, D and E were comparable to that of Nutrison Standard. Aerobic plate counts of the recipes after 24 h refrigeration were within acceptable limits for nonimmunocompromised patients and no specific pathogens were cultured. Conclusions: Recipes B, D and E might prove satisfactory alternatives to commercial feeds for some PEG-dependent patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Forty-eight male Guinea pigs of pure lines were used to assess the use of rustic Saccharina as forage alternative in the feeding of these animals through the partial replacement of Axonopus sp forage supplemented with commercial feed. The animals were distributed in four treatments, with four repetitions each and three animals per repetition. A completely randomized design and the multiple comparison Tuckey test were applied. Three levels of forage replacement by rustic Saccharina (20, 40 and 60 %) and a control treatment without Saccharina were used. There were differences (P < 0.05) between the treatments 1 and 3; 1 and 4; 2 and 3; 2 and 4 for the variable feed intake. The treatments 1 and 4 differed for the concentrate intake. There were differences between all treatments for the variables forage (Axonopus sp) intake and Saccharina intake. As the forage replacement by rustic Saccharina increased, the rejection to the diet (represented in rustic Saccharina) was higher. At the same time, the amount of commercial feed supplied decreased. The use of rustic Saccharina in diets for Guinea pigs allows obtaining productive parameters similar to those reached with traditional diets, with lower production costs. Continuing this type of study on Cavia pocellus is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Simple Summary: Nowadays, populations are more health conscious and pay more attention to the environmental impact of their food choices. In this context, horsemeat plays a significant role, since it is claimed as "dietetic" meat by researchers. In addition, equine meat production is arousing interest due to its relevant environmental potential. However, several factors have been shown to affect carcass and horsemeat quality. In this sense, our study evaluates the impact of breed (Jaca Navarra and Burguete) and type of finishing diet (conventional diet and silage with organic feed) on carcass traits from Navarre endangered foals. Moreover, considering the limited information about Jaca Navarra foals from a meat production perspective, this work represents a starting point to improve the handling of these equids. Data reported Burguete predominance in growth and in most carcass traits, confirming its remarkable aptitude as a meat producer. However, finishing diet showed to improve Jaca Navarra features. A conventional diet showed a positive effect on the majority of variables studied in comparison with the other diet. Thus, breed and the type of finishing diet demonstrated a crucial role in the improvement and optimization of the majority of productive and carcass traits of these endangered equids. This research was conducted to study the effect of breed, Jaca Navarra (JN) vs. Burguete (BU), and finishing diet, conventional concentrate—diet 1 vs. silage and organic feed diet 2—on growth parameters and carcass characteristics from forty-six foals. Parameters as live weight (LW), average daily gain (ADG), body condition score (BCS), and fat depots were monitoring. In addition, the carcass parameters assessed were: carcass weight (CW), conformation, degree of fatness, morphology, and pH. Moreover, hindquarters of the left-half carcasses were sectioned in the main commercial primal cuts of leg. Results showed a clear "breed effect" in favor of BU foals, recording the highest productive values and carcass traits compared with JN foals. On the other hand, finishing diet contributed to improving the productive and carcass features of JN foals. In particular, diet 1 showed to affect positively the features analyzed compared with diet 2. Nevertheless, the meat primal cuts resulted in being unaffected by the breed and diet effects (except for knuckle), obtaining similar values among the groups of animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...