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The use of electronic devices to improve animal health, welfare and farm efficiency in precision livestock farming is a developing area of great scientific and commercial interest. In particular, the use of on-site dairy farm instruments to detect calving is a tool in reproduction livestock farming. The primary aim of this study was to validate the ability of the Moocall device (MD) to detect calving cows. In addition, behavioural changes in parturient dairy cows were evaluated using video-based observations. The MD was applied approximately 9 days before cow delivery. Observational sessions were conducted three times a day for each cow from the day before MD application (CTR day) to calving time. The sensitivity and specificity at 3h and 24h before calving were measured to test the effectiveness of the MD. In addition, behavioural changes were investigated before and after the MD application as well as before and during calving time. The 3h sensitivity (Se) and the 3h specificity (Sp) obtained were 95.2% and 71.4%, respectively. No false negatives were observed in the 24h before delivery (24h Se =100%) while the 3h Se was 95.2%. The MD was well tolerated by the dairy cows since no change in behaviours was observed in this study among the cows with or without the MD, except for an increase in eating behaviour in the animals with the MD. As regards the behavioural pattern during calving time (8h before calving) in comparison with the previous phases, a significant increase in tail contraction frequency and raised tail position, and a decrease in eating behaviour and rumination time were observed. In fact, the first principal component (PC) was primarily explained by these variables, and calving cows best contributed to this PC. According to the results of the present study, the use of the MD can be a useful tool in detecting the moment of calving.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of dietary extruded flaxseed and/or rumen-protected lipids on growth performance and carcass quality of growing beef heifers. Sixty-three crossbreed heifers (Charolais X Limousine) were evenly distributed into seven experimental groups, balanced in terms of age and live weight. Diets fed to the groups were isoproteic and differed in both, the dietary lipid source (extruded linseed and/or rumen-protected conjugated linoleic acid) and the supplementation length (90 or 180 days before slaughtering), having the same total amount of lipids and vitamin E, during their finishing period. The results obtained in the present study confirm that in low-protein diets, the inclusion of rumen-protected CLA, alone or in combination with flaxseed, did not bring about any evident effect on feed intake, performance and carcass quality traits of growing beef heifers. As for the length of administration, the inclusion of rumen-protected CLA and/or in combination with flaxseed, has not any additional further effect.

Rumination and activity behaviours are important welfare indexes in beef-cattle housing. The main objective of the present study was to assess whether the automatic collars are able to reliably assess the rumination and activity patterns of beef heifers. For this purpose, individual rumination time and activity (RT and AT respectively) were continuously recorded using an automatic neck-collar system (Hr-Tag, SCR Engineers Ltd, Israel) on the three trials performed. For Experiment 1, 60 Italian crossbred heifers were randomly assigned to one of two experimental diets for 9 months: the corn–silage diet (CS), which included 50% forage on a dry-matter (DM) basis (43% corn–silage, 7% wheat straw) and the hay diet (HAY), with 57% forage on DM basis (28.5% grass hay, 28.5% alfalfa hay). Heifers consuming HAY diet showed greater (P < 0.05) RT (min/day) and AT (bits/day) than did those on CS diet. Rumination time per kilogram of dry matter and per kilogram of amylase- and sodium sulfite-treated neutral detergent fibre corrected for ash residue (aNDFom) intake were similar in the two experimental groups, while RT per kilogram of physical effective NDF (peNDF) intake was greater (P < 0.05) in the CS group than in the HAY one. Daily rumination and activity patterns (min/2 h and bits/2 h respectively) were significantly different between CS and HAY groups. In the second experiment, 32 beef heifers were randomly allocated in two homogeneous pens, each containing eight animals, and two non-homogeneous ones, in which animals were added at different periods. The AT of non-homogeneous pens was significantly higher than that of the homogeneous ones, suggesting a distress condition for values higher than 309 bits/day AT. In the third experiment, RT and AT of three animals with respiratory disease were collected using the automatic collar system and compared with AT and RT of the healthy animals. Sick animals presented a significantly lower RT and higher AT than did the healthy ones. The cut-off to distinguish sick from healthy heifers was set to 537 bits/day AT and 381 min/day RT. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that automatic collars can reliably monitor different rumination and activity behaviours of beef animals in various management conditions and different health statuses.

Focus of this study was to evaluate the most suitable breed/crossbred and the appropriate nutritional strategies to increase marbling in beef muscle and to improve its healthy properties, in particular the n-3 fatty acids content. One hundred and seventy-six heifers of three crossbreed commonly reared by Emilia-Romagna farmers: 48 Bleu Belge × Freisian (ITA), 48 Charolais × Aubrac (FRA), and 80 Angus (ANG) were used. Animals of each breed were randomly subdivided in two experimental groups that received two diets, differing for the dietary lipid source. Control group (C) received a basal diet containing protected vegetable fats, whereas treated one (T) received the same basal diet supplemented with 0.9 kg/head/day of extruded flaxseed. After slaughtering, a sample of Longissimus thoracis was collected from each animal for meat quality analysis. Our results demonstrated that, in a shorter fattening period, ANG animals obtained the best dry matter intake, average daily gain and the best fattening scores. ITA and ANG meat presented the highest marbling scores. ANG breed had the highest amount of C18:1, the highest unsaturated/saturated fatty acids ratio and the lowest n-6/n-3 ratio. The T animals, independently from breed, showed the highest amount of α-linolenic acid (ALA). In addition, ANG-T meat presented the highest ALA content.

The effects of four light intensities (1000 lx, 500 lx, 50 lx, 3 lx) on growth, survival and feeding activity in common sole (Solea solea L.) larvae were studied from 4 to 51 days post hatching (dph). During the pelagic larval stage (4–12 dph), larvae reared at 3 lx showed a lower growth. From 19 onwards, the larvae reared under 3 lx displayed a significant (P ≤ 0.05) higher SGR than the other treatments and a higher final weight compared to 1000 lx and 500 lx. Survival rate was higher under intermediate light intensities (500 and 50 lx). Larvae reared at 3 lx displayed a significant delay in the degree of metamorphosis compared to the other treatments, while at 33 dph metamorphosis was completed under all treatments. Histological examination revealed the importance of vision and light in the first feeding of this species, while after metamorphosis, the full development of other sensory organs indicated that feeding activity is also mediated by chemosensory perception. Results indicate that high light intensity seems to be more suitable during the pelagic larvae, while the opposite would ensure better growth from the onset of metamorphosis to the benthic phase.

The aim of the authors is to make a summary of indissoluble relationships between Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and its production area: how to improve the quality of hay and then that of milk destined for the making of cheese, as well as the yield of cheese. The quality of a cheese product with a designation of origin is the result of close links among production territory, dairy cow nutrition, and human knowledge. The evolution of production processes involving the daily agricultural and zootechnical world and the continuous progress of acquisitions in this area require continuous updates of required operational techniques that are the basis of correct cattle feeding. The focus will be on nutrition and feed characteristics, especially forages; the techniques of production, conservation, and administration to animals have been widely described as being able to positively influence the native lactic microflora of an area, which is essential to cheese-making and ripening.

A study was conducted on a total of 240 primiparous does and their 1184 kits. Does were divided into two experimental groups of 120 each and their kits into four groups. Does were all submitted to artificial insemination on the same day; both groups were fed commercial diets supplemented respectively with coconut oil (2 g/kg) and dehydrated alfalfa (2 g/kg) (Group D−) or cultivated single-cell marine algae (4 g/kg) characterized by a high content of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) (primarily docosahexaenoic acid, DHA) (Group D+). Kits born from the 200 does that became pregnant (100 in the first group and 100 in the second) were assigned to 4 experimental groups (2 treated and 2 controls) and received, like their mothers, commercial diets with or without LCPUFA supplementation. Results showed a substantial similarity in the reproductive efficiency of does and zootechnical and slaughtering performances of growing–fattening rabbits. The quality of loin and thigh lipids also were influenced not only by the presence of algae in the feeds administered to weaned and finishing rabbits, but also by n-3 LCPUFA supplementation in the mothers' diet.

The effects of feeding 1,3/1,6 β-glucans on the innate and the adaptive immune responses of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) was investigated. Two experiments were carried out during the study. In the first, a number of non-specific immune parameters were examined at 4, 7, 10, 14, 21 and 25 days of feeding fish with a semipurified diet containing Macrogard ©, a commercially available form of 1,3/1,6 β-glucans. The respiratory burst activity of head kidney macrophages isolated from the different groups of fish fed the immunostimulant peaked and subsequently decreased at different times during the experiment. Head kidney macrophages from fish fed 250 ppm β-glucans had a statistically higher level of respiratory burst activity at Day 21 of feeding compared with fish fed no immunostimulant. No statistical differences were observed in lyzozyme activity during this trial. In the second experiment, the effect of feeding 1,3/1,6 β-glucans on the immune response of fish to an alginate-encapsulated Vibrio vaccine administered orally was examined. Respiratory burst of head kidney macrophages and serum lysozyme activity decreased in all fish over the course of the trial, while serum lysozyme activity was considerably lower than values obtained in the first experiment. Fish vaccinated orally had significant increases in antibody response by Week 2 post-vaccination, but β-glucans did not appear to affect these levels. Vaccination may have resulted in activating the immune system as a whole, thus masking any difference in immunostimulation by the β-glucans. It may be that the optimal doses and timing of β-glucans administration is different when the immunostimulant is administered alone or in combination with the vaccine. In conclusion, European sea bass can be immunomodulated with oral administration of β-glucan. Optimal doses and administration times have been established when β-glucans are fed alone, although further studies are needed to establish ideal feeding regimes for glucans administrated in combination with vaccination. Questo studio è stato condotto per determinare l’effetto che i 1,3/1,6 β-glucani possono esercitare sul sistema immunitario specifico e aspecifico del branzino Dicentrarchus labrax. A questo scopo sono stati effettuati due esperimenti. Nel primo, alcuni parametri relativi al sistema immunitario aspecifico sono stati esaminati dopo 4, 7 10, 14, 21 e 25 giorni di alimentazione con diete semi-purificate contenenti il prodotto commerciale a base di β-glucani Macrogard®. L’attività relativa allo scoppio respiratorio dei macrofagi del rene craniale isolati dagli animali di tutti i gruppi sperimentali ha mostrato un picco di attività seguito da un decremento, ma con temporalità differenti a seconda del dosaggio. I macrofagi dei pesci alimentati con la dieta contenente 250 ppm di glucani hanno mostrato differenze statisticamente significative rispetto agli altri gruppi al giorno 21 di somministrazione. Nessuna differenza è stata riscontrata per quanto riguarda l’attività del lisozima. Nel secondo esperimento, gli effetti della somministrazione orale di β-glucani sono stati valutati quando somministrati insieme ad un vaccino orale contro la vibriosi. L’attività relativa allo scoppio respiratorio dei macrofagi e l’attività del lisozima sono calati lungo tutto il periodo di osservazione, con quest’ultimo valore considerevolmente più basso rispetto a quello ottenuto nel primo esperimento. I pesci vaccinati oralmente hanno mostrato un aumento della risposta anticorpale dopo 2 settimane dalla somministrazione di vaccino anche se i β-glucani non hanno mostrato effetti sul sistema immunitario specifico dei pesci. La vaccinazione, stimolando l’attività del sistema immunitario, può aver mascherato l’effetto dei β-glucani. La dose ottimale di β-glucani potrebbe essere differente quando questi vengono somministrati insieme ad un vaccino. In conclusione, il branzino sembra poter essere immunomodulato mediante la somministrazione oral dei β-glucani. È stato possibile stabilire la dose e il tempo di somministrazione ottimali quando i β-glucani vengono utilizzati singolarmen-te; al contrario, sono necessari ulteriori studi per stabilire la dose ottimale quando questi vengono somministrati insieme ad un vaccino.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary vitamin E or EconomasE™ supplementation on the growth of several background/pathogenic bacteria on rabbit carcasses and hamburgers during refrigerated storage. For 51days, 270 New Zealand rabbits received either a basal diet, or experimental diets enriched with 100 or 200mg/kg of vitamin E or EconomasE™. The bacteria studied were Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas, Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, coagulase-positive staphylococci, plus both mesophilic and psychrotrophic aerobes. The growth of Listeria monocytogenes on contaminated patties was evaluated through a challenge test. The potential protective or antimicrobial effect of vitamin E or EconomasE™ on Listeria monocytogenes or Pseudomonas aeruginosa was assessed in vitro. Diet did not influence the concentrations of bacteria found on rabbit carcasses and developing on hamburgers. Vitamin E (in vivo and in vitro) and EconomasE™ in vivo had a protective antioxidant role, while EconomasE™ in vitro had strong antibacterial activity against Listeria monocytogenes, but not against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Barrows and gilts (n = 128) from four breed crosses were used to investigate the effect of age at slaughter on carcass traits, proteolytic enzyme activity, and meat and fat quality. Pigs were blocked by breed cross into four blocks, and within blocks, one pen (eight barrows and eight gilts) was assigned randomly to be slaughtered at either 8 or 10 mo of age. Pigs were fed a corn-barley-soybean meal finisher diet from 104 +/- 2.5 d of age (37.7 +/- 0.33 kg BW) to the appropriate slaughter age. Carcasses from older (10 mo) pigs had lower (P < 0.01) muscularity indexes and lean cut yields than those of younger (8 mo) pigs, but dressing percentage and longissimus muscle area increased (P < 0.01) with age. Older pigs produced a redder (P < 0.01) and darker (P < 0.05) semimembranosus, with lower (P < 0.01) ultimate pH and cathepsin B and B + L activities, as well as higher (P < 0.01) aminopeptidase hydrolyzing activity than younger pigs. Moreover, the longissimus muscle of pigs slaughtered at 10 mo of age had lower (P < 0.01) drip and cooking loss percentages than that from pigs slaughtered at 8 mo of age. Ham subcutaneous fat from 10-mo-old pigs had greater (P < 0.05) percentages of oleic acid and lower (P < 0.01) proportions of moisture, linoleic, and linolenic acids than subcutaneous fat from pigs slaughtered at 8 mo of age. Results from this study indicate that fresh hams from pigs slaughtered at 10 mo of age would be more suitable for the production of high-quality, Italian, dry-cured hams.

The present study evaluated whether feeding laying hens high levels of trivalent chromium in different chemical forms modified egg production and egg quality or resulted in chromium accumulation in the yolk. The diets of 32 laying hens per each of four treatments were supplemented without chromium (control) or with chromium chloride (CrCl 3 ), chromium yeast, or chromium aminoniacinate. After 5 weeks, health status, feed intake, egg deposition, egg and yolk weight, and Haugh unit score did not differ between experimental and control treatments. Chromium in the yolk did not increase regardless of the chromium source, and averaged 0.48±0.10 mg kg −1 DM. At the end of the study, the chromium content of the excreta of birds fed the control diet or the diets supplemented with CrCl 3 , chromium yeast, or chromium aminoniacinate increased linearly as a function of the chromium intake, regardless of the chemical form used. These data indicate that short-term feeding of laying hens with a diet high in chromium does not influence egg production or egg quality and does not result in abnormal levels of chromium in the yolk.

Weaning is a critical phase characterized by social stress (establishment of a new hierarchy), environmental stress (removal of and from the sow) and nutritional stress for the piglet. From a nutritional standpoint, weaning corresponds to a change from a liquid to a dry form of feed; in addition to this, post-weaning formulations commonly contain vegetable ingredients. To limit the problems arising from nutritional changes, piglets must be fed highly digestible diets containing high biological value proteins. The aim of the present trials was to investigate the effects on piglet growth and health of different diets containing some animal proteins that are not commonly used in post-weaning pig formulations (i.e. whole egg meal and dried plasma).

The effect of yeast and chromium yeast on gilthead seabream (Sparus auratus L) performance, carcass indices and body composition was studied. Whether supplementation affected liver microsomal mixed function oxidases using either multibioprobes (testosterone) or highly specific substrates to cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoforms was also investigated. Seabream juveniles (35‐37 g initial weight) were allocated into 12 800 L tanks of 50 fish each for 87 days and fed pelleted experimental diets, i.e. control, yeast supplemented (1.6%) and chromium yeast supplemented at both low (800 p.p.b.) and high chromium level (53 810 p.p.b.). At the end of the experiment, growth, feed conversion ratio, thermal-unit growth coefficient, carcass yield, hepatosomatic index, and carcass and fillet proximate compositions were similar among treatments and only condition factor was statistically different. Organic chromium at both doses affected CYP-catalysed drug reactions slightly, as shown by the modest effect on the regio- and stereoselective hydroxylations of testosterone, as well as the metabolism of the selected probes. Overall, we found that chromium yeast did not change performance substantially, nor carcass indices, carcass and fillet chemical compositions, or hepatic xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes of gilthead seabream.

The aim of the trial was to evaluate the effects of the dietary addition of a 3% sunflower oil containing high-oleic and low-linoleic acid levels (HOSO), supplemented or not with vitamin E, on heavy pig production parameters (growth, meat quality and fatty acid composition of ham subcutaneous fat). 64 Duroc x Large White pigs were allotted to four group (Control, Control plus vitamin E, 3% HOSO and 3% HOSO plus vitamin E). Regardless of vitamin E supplementation, our results indicate that a 3% addition of HOSO has no effect both on growth parameters and carcass and fresh meat quality. HOSO dietary addition resulted in a higher (P

The quality of raw and cured hams as affectedby the dietary replacement of soya bean mealwith alternative protein sources A. L. Mordenti & R. Boccuzzi & G. Martelli & G. Zaghini & L. Sardi Published online: 8 July 2009 # Springer Science + Business Media B.V. 2009 Keywords Ham.Heavypig.Proteinsources.QualityIntroductionProtected Designation animal foods (PDOs) and animal products deriving from organic systemsare both strongly tied to local agricultural tradition and territory. Due to this fact, and withparticularregardtoanimalfeeding,aclearpreferenceshouldbegiventolocallygrownvegetableingredients. Italy, as well as many other European countries, imports up 90 % of its soyarequirement from the United States a nd Brazil (Mordenti and De Castro 2005). Since the mostpart of imported soya is genetically modified, some Italian and European associations ofproducers have taken a cautions stance towards these organisms (GMOs) and have banned theiruse in some animal production chains (Van Vliet 2004). With respect to organic production, theuse of GMOs is forbidden by law (EEC 1991). The current trial was aimed at studying the mainqualitative parameters of raw thighs and cur ed hams derived from heavy pigs fed a diet inwhich soya bean meal was totally replaced by non- conventional vegetable protein sources.Materials and methodsFifty-sixrightthighsderivedfrom56Italianheavypigs(LargeWhitexLandrace)werestudied.During the growing phase (body weight range from 55 to 160 kg), pigs were allocated to thefollowing two experimental groups:Group 1: “Control group” in which pigs received a conventional diet containingsoya bean meal as the main protein source (from 50 to 80 kg body

Twenty Friesian dairy cows were used in an experimental trial to study the effects of extruded full-fat soybean and flaxseed dietary supplementation, at the level authorized by Consorzio of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (CPRC) feeding guidelines (1.0 and 0.4 kg/cow/day), on milk production and fatty acid composition. Diet was typically based on alfalfa and mixed hays and cereals. Compared with the concentrations before trial start, CLA and DHA were significantly increased by dietary treatment. These results confirm that the inclusion of extruded full-fat soybean and flaxseed, in the amount authorized by CPRC rules, in the diet of dairy cows is a possible strategy to enhance milk fat composition.

Protein and lysine retentions were investigated in typical Italian heavy pigs in order to provide a more accurate assessment of amino acid requirements for this type of pig. Results of dissection and chemical composition of 144 pigs, ranging from 80 to 160 kg live weight, from two different genotypes (Duroc X (Large White X Landrace) and Landrace X (Large White X Landrace)) were used. In order to evaluate the practical performance of heavy pigs, data obtained in literature from 523 animals were analysed. A mathematical model (allometric relationship) for calculating daily nitrogen retention in pigs was developed, by using body weight, muscle percentage, and average daily gain as independent variables ( R 2 = 0.95). The requirement for true digestible lysine was assessed by the factorial approach, for different classes of body weight and muscle percentage. The model allows also to calculate total N excretion in heavy pigs, from criteria easily accessible at farm level.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a diet containing non-conventional (i.e. alternative to soybean meal) vegetable protein sources on fattening performance, and meat and dry-cured ham quality of heavy pigs. Fifty-six (Landrace x Large White) castrated males with an initial average body weight of 50 kg were allocated to two experimental groups: a control group in which pigs received a traditional soybean meal-based diet, and a treatment group in which soybean meal was replaced by vegetable protein sources (i.e. sunflower meal, potato protein, corn gluten feed, faba beans and dehydrated alfalfa meal), mainly locally grown and not genetically modified. Pigs were slaughtered at approximately 160 kg body weight. Dietary treatment had no significant effect on fattening performance, or meat, fat or dry-cured ham properties. Results suggest that it is possible to feed heavy pigs a soybean-free diet without impairing fattening performance or the quality of meat and Italian PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) hams.

The objective of the present study was to assess the nutritional value of three diets containing commercial preserved microalgae pastes and the relationship of their biochemical composition to the growth rate and fatty acids profile of juve- nile Tapes philippinarum. The feeding period was 6 weeks. At a daily ratio of 1% dry weight live weight of the clams–1, the trispecific diet with 40% of I. galbana, 20% of T. suecicaand 40% of C. muelleri supported greater growth of animals than either a mixture of 80% of I. galbanaand 20% T. suecicaor I. galbanaalone (P< 0.05). Even the fatty acid profile was significantly modi- fied depending on the composition of the diets. In particular a decrease of EPA was observed in clams with the lowest growth rate.

We conducted an experiment to determine the efficiency of dietary tryptophan (Trp) for protein and Trp accretion in 4-kg (live weight) pigs. Five Trp-deficient diets were fed for 18 d after weaning. The basal diet contained 23.4% protein and .14% Trp. The four other diets were similar to the basal diet but were supplemented with .06 or .12% free or protected crystalline Trp. No differences were found between the two crystalline Trp forms for all variables under study. Equal amounts of all diets were fed by intragastric tube feeding. Daily weight gain (P < .10), gain:feed (P < .05), and daily protein retention (P < .01) increased linearly as dietary Trp increased. Similarly, retention and gross efficiency (retained: intake) of almost all amino acids increased. Tryptophan retention also increased linearly (P < .05), but gross efficiency was maximal (40.1%) with protein-bound Trp from the basal diet, and it decreased linearly as dietary Trp increased. This important reduction was the result of a low marginal efficiency for crystalline (13.6 +/- 3.3%) free or protected Trp.

Two homogeneous groups of dairy cows were fed the same base diet added with a concentrate containing 10 % of soybean meal or 10.1 % of faba bean and 10.1 % of pea. The substitution of soybean meal with faba bean + pea reduced dry matter intake (−0.83 kg/head/day equivalent to 3.5%) and milk yield (−1.29 kg/head/day equivalent to 3.9%), but increased fat and casein concentrations in milk and, as a consequence, cheese yield at 32 hours (P

The present research is part of a larger project aimed to investigate the effects of diets low in protein, devoid of soybean and supplemented with industrially-produced amino acids on milk production and cheese-making properties. These objectives aim, through an increased utilization of alfalfa, to reduce environmental pollution and to eliminate soybean, often GM, from the diets of animals used in the dairy production. Providing that an intake of raw protein equal to 16 % (dry weight) is fair to meet the protein requirements of milking cows of large size (650-700 kg of weight) producing 30-35 kg/day of high quality milk (NRC, 2001), a reduction of the protein content to 13 % (dry weight) can be viewed as an interesting objective, but may cause problems as to the critical aminoacids in a ruminant species, especially for methionine.