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Simple Summary: This review highlights the benefits of using valuable alternative feeds such as crop residues, silage, grasses, hay, browse, plant leaves, shrubs, and agro-industrial by-products in small ruminants' diets. Alternative feeds can significantly improve the productivity and reduce carbon footprints and GHG fluxes of small ruminant farms, making them both environmentally friendly and cost-effective. Additionally, these alternative feeds possess antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiseptic properties that can enhance the quality of the meat and milk produced. Small ruminants, such as sheep (Ovisaries) and goats (Capra hircus), contribute to approximately 475 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for approximately 6.5% of the global emissions in the agriculture sector. Crop residues, silage, grasses, hay, browse, plant leaves, shrubs, agro-industrial by-products, poultry litter, and other alternative feed sources are frequently utilized for small ruminant production. The use of these valuable alternative feeds can significantly improve animal productivity and reduce carbon footprints and GHG fluxes, making it both environmentally friendly and cost-effective. Additionally, these alternative feeds possess antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiseptic properties that can enhance the quality of the meat and milk produced. By impacting the bacteria involved in ruminal biohydrogenation, alternative feeds can reduce methane emissions and contribute to a decrease in the carbon footprint. Overall, the use of alternative feed sources for small ruminants generally improves their apparent nutrient digestibility and productivity, and has an impact on the production of greenhouse gases, especially methane. Finally, this review recommends evaluating the economic analysis of reducing methane emissions in small ruminants by utilizing different feed sources and feeding techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Climate change presents significant nutritional challenges to animal breeding, demanding resilience and efficiency for survival and productivity. In this study, we investigated the effects of body reserves dynamics (mobilization and accretion) on the production and reproduction parameters of fat-tailed Barbarine and thin-tailed Queue Fine de l'Ouest ewes over two production cycles under semi-intensive conditions. The results show that all reproductive traits were similar among breeds; however, they depend on ewes' body reserves. Similarly, lambs' growth parameters depend on ewes' body condition scores (BCSs) at lambing and weaning, with higher growth for ewes with BCS > 2 at lambing. In conclusion, regardless of the breed, ewes have evolved adaptive mechanisms by mobilizing body reserves to effectively cope with environmental challenges and successfully rear their offspring. Additionally, to sustain a high growth rate in offspring, it is advisable to carefully plan the flock nutritional needs during the suckling period. Under climate change, animal breeding faces severe nutritional challenges, exhibiting their resilience and efficiency to survive and produce. The animals' robustness can be evaluated through the use and reconstitution of body reserves (BR). This study investigated the dynamics of ewes' BR, measured through body weight (BW) and the body condition score (BCS), and their effect on production performances of 480 ewes belonging to fat-tailed Barbarine (BB) and thin-tailed Queue Fine de l'Ouest (QFO) ewes over two consecutive years. The BW and BCS were recorded across physiological stages. Reproductive parameters and lambs' growth were calculated. For both years and breeds, the decrease in the BCS between mating and lambing showed BR mobilization to balance nutritional restrictions, which continues until suckling; after weaning, a BR accretion was noted. The lambs' birth weight was similar regardless of the dams' BCS at lambing, though it was lower in the second year (3.5 vs. 4 kg). Lambs' growth parameters depended on ewes' BCS at lambing and weaning. Fertility rates changed with BCS changes and the higher values (80%) were recorded for ewes with BCSs between 2 and 2.5. However, prolificacy was similar for both breeds and years (p > 0.05). In conclusion, ewes have developed adaptative capacities through BR mobilization to cope with environmental challenges and successfully rear their offspring. To maintain a high offspring growth rate, it is recommended to plan correct flock nutrition during suckling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to distinguish between the Tunisian Djebel lamb meat and meat from typical Tunisian production systems (PSs) through the fatty acids (FAs) profile and the stable isotope ratio analysis (SIRA). Thirty-five lambs from three different regions and PSs (D = Djebel, B = Bou-Rebiaa, and O = Ouesslatia) were considered for this purpose. The results demonstrated that the PS and the geographic origin strongly influenced the FA profile of lamb meat. It was possible to discriminate between the Djebel lamb meat and the rest of the dataset thanks to the quantification of the conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) and the branched chain FAs. Moreover, statistically different concentrations of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated FAs and a different n-6/n-3 ratio were found for grazing (D and BR) and indoor (O) lambs, making it possible to discriminate between them. As for the stable isotope ratio analysis, all parameters made it possible to distinguish among the three groups, primarily on the basis of the dietary regimen (δ(13C) and δ(15N)) and breeding area (δ(18O) and δ(2H)). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the inclusion of rosemary residues (RR) and protein sources on lamb meat quality. Twenty-four male Barbarine lambs were divided into three homogeneous groups receiving individually: 600 g of oat hay as a roughage supplemented with 600 g of commercial concentrate for the control group (C), concentrate containing rosemary residues (RR) plus soybean meal for the RRS group, and RR plus faba bean for the RRF group. The inclusion of RR did not affect meat lipid oxidation, but improved meat nutritional properties by increasing its polyphenol and polyunsaturated FA content. The source of crude protein did not affect any parameter studied. The shortage of some ingredients and, consequently, the continuous increase in the price of feed encourage the search for other alternatives to maintain animal production and enhance its products. In this line, the use of aromatic plant by-products in animal diet has been recently and widely considered, given their richness in bioactive compounds. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the inclusion of rosemary residues (RR) and protein sources on lamb meat quality. The experiment was carried out on 24 male Barbarine lambs (3 months old) with an average body weight (BW) of 17.8 ± 2.6 kg, which were divided into three homogeneous groups according to BW. The diet comprised 600 g of oat hay and 600 g of concentrate. Three types of concentrate were evaluated: commercial concentrate as the control group (C); rosemary residues (RR) plus soybean meal as the RRS group, and RR plus faba bean as the RRF group. After an experimental period of 65 days, lambs were slaughtered. The inclusion of RR in both concentrates increased the α-tocopherol and total polyphenol content in meat and protected meat against discoloration (high red index and chroma after 9 days of storage) but did not affect meat lipid oxidation, which was similar for all groups. The FA profile was affected by the inclusion of RR, with no effect from the source of protein (faba bean or soybean). The inclusion of RR in the concentrate increased the C18:2 n-6, C18:3 n-3, C20:4 n-6, C20:5 n-3, and C22:5 n-3 content (p < 0.05). Consequently, the inclusion of RR also increased the total polyunsaturated FA (p < 0.05) and the ratio of polyunsaturated FA to saturated FA (p < 0.05). The results of this study demonstrate that concentrate based on RR could be useful for lamb meat production by improving the nutritional quality of meat, especially the fatty acid profile. In addition, soybean meal can be replaced by faba bean in lamb concentrate without affecting meat quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This work aims to analyze flocks' management practices and sheep breeders' perceptions of the impact of climate change to enhance the resilience of the sheep production systems in the Tunisian semi-arid region. The results revealed three main sheep production systems: the agro-pastoral rain-fed system (AGPRF), the agro-pastoral irrigated system (AGPI), and the agro-sylvo-pastoral system (AGSP). Each production system is characterized by specific management and productive parameters that are used by farmers to build resilience actions. However, farmers' climate change perceptions are mostly the same across the three sheep production systems: a decrease in precipitation and an increase in temperatures and extreme events, which negatively influence feedstuff availability and costs. Global climate change inflicts unambiguous risks on agricultural systems and food security. Small ruminants are known for their ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions. This paper aims to characterize sheep production systems in a vulnerable agricultural zone and the breeders' perceptions of climate change to apprehend challenges that they are confronting, and formulate resilience actions. The data analysis is based on 94 semi-structured surveys of sheep farmers carried out in the Tunisian semi-arid region. The PCA analysis results revealed three main sheep production systems. The agro-pastoral rain-fed system (AGPRF) is dominant (55%), with large farms and common pastures integrating cereals and fodder. The agro-pastoral irrigated system (AGPI: 20%) is characterized by small-area and forage irrigation (1.8 ha) and a smaller number of ewes but a greater use of animal feed supplementation. The agro-sylvo-pastoral system (AGSP: 25%) is a system where grazing is based on common lands and using tree sub-products, while the agricultural area is exclusively used to cultivate cereal crops. Sheep breeders' climate perceptions are summarized as unpredictable climate events, a decrease in precipitation, and an increase in temperature. Resilience actions principally consist of reducing flocks' numbers, using alternative local feed, fodder, and water resources, and building more shelters and planting more trees in the grazing areas. Nevertheless, cost-effectiveness should be considered in such vulnerable zones to insure the sheep production systems' sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]