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Simple Summary: Various kinds of yellow-feathered chickens are crossbred from Chinese local native chicken breeds and introduced broilers. The individual parts of yellow-feathered chickens are less suitable for sale after slaughtering than those of broilers, and they have mainly been sold as live whole chickens. With the establishment of cold chain logistics for chicken in China, chilled-type and processed yellow-feathered chicken products have appeared in the market. Xueshan chicken, a yellow-feathered chicken breed, which has high meat quality and good taste, is bred to meet the diversified needs of the market by Jiangsu Lihua Breeding Company. The present study used Xueshan chicken as an experimental model to determine the effect of sex on the slaughtering performance and meat quality. This study provides valuable breeding references for poultry producers by determining the basic production phenotypes of yellow-feathered chickens. The demand for high-quality chilled chicken has continued to increase in China. Chickens are sexually dimorphic, and to better understand the specific differences in chicken production based on sex, we examined how sex affects growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality of yellow-feathered chickens. Male and female Xueshan chickens were used as the experimental model. Although males exhibited better growth performance, including body weight (BW), body slope, keel, shank length, and shank girth (p < 0.05), as well as carcass traits, such as dressed weight, leg muscle, and lean meat, females had higher carcass and breast muscle yields (p < 0.05). Males had higher follicle density and yellowness (b*) of the skin and better skin than females (p < 0.05). Among blood biochemical parameters, the serum content of corticosterone (CORT) was higher in males, while those of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and catalase (CAT) were lower in males than in females (p < 0.05). The pH levels, shear force, and moisture content quality were better in male breast meat, while the intramuscular fat content (IMF) was lower in males than in females (p < 0.05). The redness (a*) and moisture content were higher in male leg meat, while the pH, water-loss rate (WLR), lightness (L*), and IMF were lower (p < 0.05). The muscle fiber diameter and cross-sectional area were also higher in males (p < 0.05). Consumers felt that soup of male chicken was better than female (p < 0.05), while mouthfeel and tenderness acceptance of breast meat were different between the sexes. These results indicate that female chickens can be marketed as a whole carcass, while males are more suitable for processed carcass products. This study provides significant insights into the production and processing methodologies of yellow-feathered chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Due to the fact that rabbit meat possesses high levels of proteins and polyunsaturated fatty acids with low contents of fat and cholesterol that can meet the urgent demand for a healthy diet in modern life, the meat rabbit industry in China has been rapidly developed in recent years. However, rabbits are more sensitive to seasonal changes owing to their specific physiological characteristics, such as few sweat glands, thick coats of fur, high metabolic rate, and high growth rate. In this study, we investigated the variations in productivity, health status, and gut microbiota of meat rabbits reared in semi-confined conditions between summer and winter. In the summer season, the relative high ambient temperature and humidity could trigger disturbance of the gut microbiome, potential heat stress, reduced antioxidant defense, and increased inflammation risk, which consequently deteriorated production performance. In the winter season, changes in energy demand, photoperiod, and feeding pattern should be regarded as important factors that affect the productivity of meat rabbits. Based on our findings, we not only proposed several realistic strategies to alleviate the unfavorable influences of seasonal alterations on the productivity and well-being of meat rabbits but also pointed out the future directions for this study of molecular mechanisms in adaptation physiology. In this study, we investigated the variations in production performance, health status, and gut microbiota of meat rabbits raised in the semi-confined barn during summer and winter. Compared to summer, rabbits reared in winter possessed significantly higher slaughter weight and carcass weight. Rabbits fed in the summer were more vulnerable to different stressors, which led to increased protein levels of HSP90, IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, and concentrations of MDA, but declined GSH and SOD activities. Additionally, significant differences in gut microbial communities were observed. Compared to the winter, rabbits fed in the summer had significantly lower and higher alpha and beta diversity. Both Firmicutes and Verrucomicrobiota were the dominant phyla, and they accounted for greater proportions in the winter than in the summer. At lower microbial taxa levels, several seasonal differentially enriched microbes were identified, such as Akkermansia muciniphila, the Oscillospiraceae NK4A214 group, the Christensenellaceae R-7 group, Alistipes, and Muribaculaceae. Functional capacities linked to microbial proliferation, nutrient metabolism, and environmental adaptive responses exhibited significantly different abundances between summer and winter. Moreover, strong interactions among different indicators were presented. Based on our findings, we not only proposed several potential strategies to ameliorate the undesirable effects of seasonal changes on the productivity and health of meat rabbits but also underscored the directions for future mechanistic studies of adaptation physiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flammulina velutipes is one of the most consumed mushrooms mainly produced in China but their stem base, which is a waste resource in production usually not used, but has revealed reducing cholesterol effects and preventing fatty liver. Considering the important role of ovarian development in poultry production and the unclear mechanism of dietary nutrition in ovarian development, the effect of F. velutipes stem waste (FVS) on ovarian follicle development in laying hens and its potential mechanism were investigated by adding 2%, 4% and 6% FVS to the diet of laying hens and the production performance, biochemical parameters, hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis hormone level, mRNA and protein changes on laying hens at sexual maturity and peak laying period were evaluated. FVS significantly improved the egg white weight and eggshell strength of laying hens, and markedly reduced the levels of lipid and abdominal fat. In addition to regulate lipid metabolism, FVS also inhibited the ovarian apoptosis pathway, reduced follicular atresia, increased the genes and proteins expression related to follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) and steroid hormone synthesis signal pathway, and increased the level of serum hormone. FVS could thus promote ovarian development by reducing cholesterol and other lipid levels, stimulating steroid hormone signalling pathway as well as improve the production performance of laying hens, suggesting that FVS could be added to poultry feed as a nutritional supplement. Flammulina velutipes stem waste can improve egg white weight and eggshell strength; Flammulina velutipes stem waste reduces ovarian apoptosis and inhibits follicular atresia; Flammulina velutipes stem waste can be used as a feed supplement to improve ovarian health in poultry; [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Mammals have circadian rhythms that regulate their behavior and physiology. Improper feeding can disrupt these rhythms and harm animal health. This study looked at the effects of feeding time and amount on growing rabbits in northern China during spring. Four groups of rabbits were given different feeding regimens, and the results showed that nighttime diet-unrestricted feeding had the best outcomes. This regimen improved the rabbits' growth, circadian rhythm, and body temperature while reducing the risk of diarrhea and death. The group that had whole day diet-restricted feeding had higher daytime body temperatures but no significant difference in feed conversion rate. The study aimed to explore the impact of feeding timing (whole day vs. nighttime) and feeding amount (unrestricted vs. restricted) on the growth, behavior, circadian rhythm, and overall well-being of growing rabbits in northern China during spring. It is essential to consider feeding methods when raising animals to maintain their health and well-being. Mammals exhibit circadian rhythms in their behavior and physiological activities to adapt to the diurnal changes of the environment. Improper feeding methods can disrupt the natural habits of animals and harm animal health. This study investigated the effects of feeding amount and feeding time on growing rabbits in northern China during spring. A total of 432 healthy 35-day-old weaned rabbits with similar body weight were randomly assigned to four groups: whole day diet-unrestricted feeding (WUF), whole day diet-restricted feeding (WRF), nighttime diet-unrestricted feeding (NUF), and nighttime diet-restricted feeding (NRF). The results showed that nighttime diet-unrestricted feeding improved performance, circadian rhythm of behavior, and body temperature, while reducing the risk of diarrhea and death. WRF group increased daytime body temperature but had no significant difference in feed conversion rate. The study suggests that nighttime diet-unrestricted feeding in spring can improve the growth and welfare of rabbits in northern China. Our study underscores the pivotal role of feeding timing in enhancing animal health. Future investigations should delve into the underlying mechanisms and expand the application of this strategy across seasons and regions to improve rabbit husbandry practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical stimulation has emerged as a promising technique to save crushed piglets. But only the individual parameter of electrical stimulation was considered in the excessive response of sows. In this study, a systematic investigation was conducted to determine the response of the effectiveness and startle index of sows under different body positions and stimulated voltages. An evaluation was made to clarify the electrical stimulation on the production performance of sows. The field experiment was conducted at a farrowing house in Shandong Province, China, between November and December of 2022. A total of 72 healthy first-born sows were selected and then randomly assigned to 12 treatment groups, with six sows in each group. The waist, flank, and thigh root were selected as the stimulated positions. Electrical stimulation was applied at voltages of 1200, 1600, 2000, and 2400 V, resulting in a total of 12 treatments. The hair was removed from the stimulated positions of all experimental sows, in order to ensure that the positive and negative electrodes of the electrical stimulation device were in close contact with the pig's skin. An electrical stimulation was administered, when the sow side lying. Their body behaviors (lie, sit, stand, and jump) and sounds (silent, grunt, bark, squeal, and bite) were synchronously recorded by a mobile phone camera. An optimal combination was determined for the most appropriate electrical stimulated position and stimulated voltage. The feed intake and growth rate of piglets were measured to verify the impact of appropriate electrical stimulation on the production performance of sows. Two treatment groups of five sows were randomly assigned to the total of 10 healthy first-born sows with a minimum of 12 functional nipples. The newborn piglets were fostered within the first 24 hours after birth. There was no significant difference in the litter weights (P>0.05). Furthermore, the electrical stimulation was applied daily on each lying sow between 08:00-17:00 in the treatment group within the first three days post-partum. There was no intervention in the control group. All sows were fed three times per day from day 8 to 21 of the lactation (weaning age). The results demonstrate that the effective response rate and the startle index of the test sows showed an upward trend, as the voltage increased. The effective response rate of the test sows was below 50% at stimulated voltages of 1200 and 1600 V. However, the effective response rate exceeded 75% in 2000 and 2400 V. Compared with the voltage of 1 200 V, the probability of effective response of the sows under these voltages (2000 and 2400 V) increased by about 21.645 and 52.366 times, respectively, which was extremely significant (P<0.01). The effective response rate of the waist was 70.8% for the stimulated positions, which was higher than the flank and thigh root by 20.8%. The probability of effective response of the waist was nearly 3 times higher than the flank. Lower voltage was negligible to stimulate the standing response of sows. But, the maximum startle index of the sows exceeded 60% at a stimulated voltage of 2400 V. It inferred that the risk of stress reactions of saws increased their production performance. The maximum startle index was lower than 60% at 2000 V. Therefore, electrical stimulation of 2000 V can be recommended to place the electrical stimulation device on the waist, according to the effective response and startle index. The production experiment demonstrated that the feed intake per day (5.50 kg) and weaning litter weight (58.91 kg) of the experimental group under the appropriate electrical stimulation parameters were slightly higher than the control group, which were the average daily feed intake (5.45 kg) and weaning litter weight (58.42 kg). But the differences were not significant (P>0.05). The appropriate parameters (2000 V, waist) had no statistically significant effect on the reproductive performance of sows. These findings can provide valuable reference and data support for the development and application of equipment to rescue piglets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Simple Summary: Chinese Holstein cattle are the main breed of dairy cows in China. This work performed an association analysis between polymorphisms of three candidate genes (ABCG2, CD44, SPP1) and milk production performance on Chinese Holstein cattle. The results showed that the different genotypes of these 10 SNPs from the ABCG2, CD44, and SPP1 genes significantly affected the milk production performance of Chinese Holstein cattle in terms of milk yield, milk fat percentage, milk protein percentage, somatic cell score, and urea nitrogen content. The ABCG2, CD44, and SPP1 genes could be selected for marker-assisted selection, which is of great significance for future precise molecular breeding. Based on our results of genome-wide association analysis, we performed gene ontology (GO) annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis; three candidate genes (ABCG2, CD44, SPP1) were screened in this study for SNPs association analysis with production traits in 999 Holstein cattle. In this research, flight mass spectrometry genotyping was used to detect the polymorphism of SNP seats. It was shown that four, four, and two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) loci were detected for the ABCG2, CD44, and SPP1 genes, respectively, and the different genotypes of these 10 SNPs significantly affected the milk production performance of Chinese Holstein cattle in terms of milk yield, milk fat percentage, milk protein percentage, somatic cell score, and urea nitrogen content. Among them, ABCG2-G.80952G > T locus, ABCG2-G.120017G > A locus and CD44-G.2294G > C locus had significant effects on somatic cell score (p < 0.01). Cows with GG genotypes at ABCG2-G.80952G > T locus, AA and GG genotypes at ABCG2-G.120017G > A locus, and GG genotypes at CD44-G.2294G > C locus had lower somatic cell scores. The present study elucidated that ABCG2, CD44, and SPP1 could be selected for marker-assisted selection and will benefit for future precise molecular breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study investigated greenhouse gas (GHG) emission characteristics of lactating Holstein dairy cows in East China and provided a basis for formulating GHG emission reduction measures. GreenFeed system was used to measure the amount of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by the cows through respiration. Data from a commercial cow farm were used to observe the effects of parity, body weight, milk yield, and milk component yield on CH4 and CO2 emissions. Results: Mean herd responses throughout the study were as follows: 111 cows completed all experimental processes, while 42 cows were rejected because they were sick or had not visited the GreenFeed system 20 times. On average, lactating days of cows was 138 ± 19.04 d, metabolic weight was 136.5 ± 9.5 kg, parity was 2.8 ± 1.0, dry matter intake (DMI) was 23.1 ± 2.6 kg/d, and milk yield was 38.1 ± 6.9 kg/d. The GreenFeed system revealed that CH4 production (expressed in CO2 equivalent, CO2-eq) was found to be 8304 g/d, C H 4 ( C O 2 − e q) /DMI was 359 g/kg, C H 4 ( C O 2 − e q) /energy-corrected milk (ECM) was 229.5 g/kg, total CO2 production (CH4 production plus CO2 production) was 19,201 g/d, total CO2/DMI was 831 g/kg, and total CO2/ECM was 531 g/kg. The parity and metabolic weight of cows had no significant effect on total CO2 emissions (P > 0.05). Cows with high milk yield, milk fat yield, milk protein yield, and total milk solids yield produced more total CO2 (P < 0.05), but their total CO2 production per kg of ECM was low (P < 0.05). The total CO2/ECM of the medium and high milk yield groups was 17% and 27% lower than that of the low milk yield group, respectively. Conclusions: The parity and body condition had no effect on total CO2 emissions, while the total CO2/ECM was negatively correlated with milk yield, milk fat yield, milk protein yield, and total milk solids yield in lactating Holstein dairy cows. Measurement of total CO2 emissions of dairy cows in the Chinese production system will help establish regional or national GHG inventories and develop mitigation approaches to dairy production regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The transition period (3 wks before to 3 wks after calving) is an important period in the lactation cycle of dairy cows. During this period, dairy cows undergo a series of physiological and metabolic changes due to the demands of pregnancy, parturition and postpartum lactation, which can easily lead to a negative energy balance (NEB). Therefore, the energy balance and nutritional regulation mechanism of dairy cows during the transition period are the focus of dairy cow nutrition and physiology research. However, crossbred cows have received less attention to date. Our study showed that feeding a prenatal concentrate mix at a rate of 0.6% of the body weight of Montbéliarde–Holstein crossbred cows has no negative effect on the performance and rumen fermentation of postpartum dairy cows and can satisfy the energy needs of dairy cows in the prepartum period. Furthermore, our data provide a theoretical basis for further revisions to the feeding standard and to alleviate the NEB of Montbéliarde–Holstein crossbred cows in China. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of three rates of prepartum dietary concentrate feeding on the milk performance, energy balance, and rumen fermentation of Montbéliarde–Holstein crossbred cows. Eighteen transition Montbéliarde–Holstein crossbred cows with similar days of gestation (258 ± 12 day) and body weights (622 ± 44 kg) were selected and randomly divided into three groups. In the prepartum period, the addition of concentrates accounted for 0.3% (low concentrate, LC), 0.6% (medium concentrate, MC), and 0.9% (high concentrate, HC) of the cow's body weight. The forage was corn stover, which was fed to the cows ad libitum with free access to water. Postpartum, all of the cows were fed a common lactation total mixed ration. The experimental period lasted from 21 days prepartum to 28 days postpartum. The energy balance (EB), net energy intake (NEI), and dry matter intake (DMI) of the HC group were greater than those of the other groups (p < 0.05). Likewise, the non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA), and total bilirubin (TBIL) in the blood of the LC group had significantly higher concentrations than they did in the other groups (p < 0.05). Moreover, the increase in the level of dietary concentrate had no significant effect on the rumen fermentation parameters (p > 0.05), and the total intestinal digestibility of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), and ether extract (EE) in the HC group was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than it was in the other groups during the prepartum period. In conclusion, the administration of the MC diet in the prepartum period had no negative effect on the performance and rumen fermentation of postpartum dairy cows and can satisfy the energy needs of prepartum dairy cows. Therefore, under our experimental conditions, the 0.6% prenatal concentrate feeding amount was the most appropriate for Montbéliarde–Holstein crossbred cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbonate gas reservoirs in China are rich in reserves. In the development process, there are many reserves with low permeability, low efficiency and low recovery degree. It is difficult to stabilize gas well production and prolong its life cycle. Under the condition of original water saturation (Sw) of 0%, 20%, 40%, 55% and 65%, respectively, the physical simulation experiment of gas reservoirs depletion development was carried out by using long core multi-point embedded pressure measuring system. The long cores with average gas permeability of 2.300 mD, 0.485 mD and 0.046 mD (assembled from 10 carbonate cores) were used to carry out this experiment. During the experiment, the pressure dynamics at different positions inside the long core and the gas production dynamics at the outlet were recorded in real time to reveal the production performance and reserves utilization law of carbonate gas reservoirs. The results show that the stable production period of tight reservoir in carbonate gas reservoirs is short, and the low production period is relatively long. The stable production time and recovery rate of gas reservoir increase with the increase of reservoir permeability and decrease with the increase of water saturation. The production of tight carbonate gas reservoirs with permeability less than 0.1 mD is greatly affected by pore water, and the reservoir pressure distribution shows a steep pressure drop funnel, and the reserves far from well are rarely used. Therefore, the reserves far from well should be utilized by closing well to restore formation pressure balance, densifying well pattern or transforming reservoir. The variation range of water saturation in the development of carbonate gas reservoirs is influenced by reservoir permeability and water saturation, and closely related to formation pressure gradient in production process. It decreases with the increase of reservoir permeability and increases with the increase of original water saturation. The research results provide a theoretical basis for understanding the relationship between physical properties of carbonate gas reservoirs and production performance, reserves utilization law, and realizing balanced utilization, efficient development and long-term stable production of carbonate gas reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A traditional Chinese medicine formula based on the Coix seed and Lotus seed has been used as a general treatment of malnutrition, excessive fatigue, dysfunction of the spleen and stomach, and disorders of water transport in humans in China. However, there is limited information on its effects on the gut microbiota of piglets in vivo. In this study, the mix of Coix seed and Lotus were added the diet of forty weaned piglets (local piglets), and then evaluated it's affected on the gut microbiota of piglets and on the relations within the gut bacterial community. The results indicated that this traditional Chinese medicine formula (LM) and the extract of the traditional Chinese medicine formula (LMT) downregulated pH of succus gastricus and raised pH of the ileum, and LMT obviously decreased the feed conversion ratio. Further study showed LMT and LM also significantly increased the thick and long of gastrointestinal villi. And then, 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing revealed that groups LMT and LM have higher relative abundance of the genus Lactobacillus in the colon, succus gastricus, and jejunum, which are beneficial bacteria sold as dietary supplements to aid digestion or to augment health. Meanwhile, the relative abundance levels of Prevotellaceae, Alloprevotella, and Prevotella in the colon and Clostridium in succus gastricus and jejunum were lower. These experiments highlight the usefulness of the traditional Chinese medicine formula based on the Coix seed and Lotus seed for decreasing pH in succus gastricus, for improving the structure of intestinal villi and gut microflora, and then for achieving improvements in pig production performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Songliao black pig is a lean black maternal breed in northern China, which has good roughage-resistance. In order to systematically describe the tolerance of Songliao black pigs to roughage. The paper reviews the research progress on the effects of silage corn stover, fermented corn stover, alfalfa grass meal and other roughages on growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, intestinal health, carcass traits, immune ability, reproductive performance and other aspects of Songliao black pigs. The tolerance of Songliao black pigs to different forage types and crude fiber levels was summarized, in order to provide a reference for the application and development of forage in pig industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with taurine on production performance, serum biochemistry, immunoglobulin, antioxidant and hormones of Angora rabbits. A total of 160 8-month-old Angora rabbits with similar body weight were randomly assigned to one of four dietary groups, with 40 animals per group. The dietary groups consisted of the following different taurine supplementation levels: 0 (control), 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3% (air-dry basis). The 73-d feeding trial (from July 31 to October 11, 2016 in China) included a 7-d adjustment period and a 66-d experimental period. The results showed that taurine dietary supplementation had effects on feed consumption, hair follicle density and wool yield of the Angora rabbits (P<0.05), and adding 0.2% taurine could improve the wool yield. Compared with the control group, serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels in supplemented groups were decreased (P<0.05). Dietary supplementation with taurine could improve the activity of superoxide dismutase, enhance total antioxidant capacity and reduce the content of malondialdehyde in serum (P<0.05). Besides, the serum level of thyroid (T4) hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 in experimental groups was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). In conclusion, taurine dietary supplementation could reduce the lipid metabolism, enhance the antioxidant capacity and hormone level of Angora rabbits, and adding 0.2% taurine could achieve the effect of increasing wool production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the sensitivity to different reservoir parameters can help optimize the use of a designated reservoir. Four key parameters, namely, fracture permeability, well spacing, injection temperature, and injection rate, are considered in this study. The effects of various factors on the thermal performance of the 4300–4700 m granodiorite reservoir in the Zhacang geothermal field in Guide Basin, Qinghai Province, China is analyzed via numerical simulation and artificial neural network (ANN). The ANN models are designed to develop an effective system in less time. The training and test data of the ANN models are the results of numerical simulation. The prediction accuracy is measured by the coefficient of determination and the root mean squared error. Results demonstrate that the use of ANN for predicting the production temperature has high prediction accuracy. Finally, the effects of various factors on the total heat extraction are further analyzed. The results show that the injection rate exerts the largest influence on total heat extraction, followed by the injection temperature and well spacing, and fracture permeability is the least relevant. Increasing the injection flow rate, lowering the injection temperature, increasing the distance between the injection and the production well, and reducing the fracture permeability can improve heat production within certain ranges. In this study, the combination of an injection temperature of 30°C, injection flow rate of 60 kg/s, fracture permeability of 1 × 10−12 and well spacing of 600 m was chosen as the best scheme for the heat production.The accumulative total energy produced in 30 years period is 4.08 × 1016 J based on the simulation results, which can save 1.7 × 109 kg of the coal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During lactation period, body mass and backfat loss of lactating sows were relatively severe, improving the feed intake of lactating sows is the key to improving performance of lactating sows and piglets. With the rapid development of large-scale and intensive breeding pig farms in China, the demand for intelligent feeding equipments have been increased, intelligent feeding equipments can not only save labors but also can increase the feed intake of lactating sows. In order to explore the effect of intelligent feeding on feed intake, body condition and production performance of lactating sows, different feeding modes of feed intake, reproductive performance, water consumption of sows and growth rate of piglets were measured and analyzed. 40 healthy first-born sows, including 13 Landrace pigs and 27 Large White pigs, were selected and randomly divided into 3 groups, there were 15 sows in the test group 1(5 Landrace pigs and 10 Large White pigs), 13 sows in the test group 2(4 Landrace pigs and 9 Large White pigs) and 12 sows in the control group (4 Landrace pigs and 8 Large White pigs).Test group 1 was fed with intelligent feeder (6 times per day), test group 2 was fed artificial (6 times per day) and control group was fed artificial (3 times per day). Sows in control group were fed at 7:00, 10:30 and 17:00, respectively, the amount of feeding per meal was same and was 1/3 of the total amount of feeding per day, from 1 to 7 d after farrowing, sows were fed with restricted feeding, from 8 to 21 d of lactation(weaning age), sows were fed with step up feeding scheme, the feed offered at each meal was adjusted according to the condition of the former meal, if there was no residue of feed in the feeder, the feed offered at this meal would be added within 200 g, the total feeding amount of the next day was 300-500 g more than that of the previous day in all. If there was residue more than 50% of the feed offered, a small amount of feeding or no feeding was required in the next meal. Sows in teat group 1 were fed at 5:00-7:00, 8:00-10:00, 11:00-13:00, 14:00-16:00, 17:00-19:00 and 20:00-22:00, respectively, the percent of each meal was 30%, 10%, 10%, 10%, 30% and 10% of the feed should be offered in one day, respectively. From 1 to 21 d of lactation, feed offered each day was given according to the setting feed offered. The feed offered at each meal was adjusted according to the condition of the former meal and the feed offered previous day, If the first feeding was finished according to the setting value, the feeding amount would be increased by one grade (10% of the feeding amount on the same day) and reduced by one grade if there was leftovers. Sows in test group 2 were fed at 7:00, 8:30, 10:30, 14:00, 17:00 and 20:00, respectively, and the feed offered at each meal was 1/6 of the feed offered one day. From 8 to 21 d of lactation, the feed offered at each meal was adjusted according to the condition of the former meal, if there was no residue in the feeder, the feed offered at this meal would be added within 100 g，feed offered one day would be 300～500 g more than that of the previous day in all. If there was residue more than 50% of the feed offered, no feeding was offered for the next meal. The results showed that the feed intake of artificial feeding for 3e times per day (6.46 kg) was significantly higher than that of intelligent feeding for 6 times per day (5.78 kg) under the experimental environment during the lactation days of 8-21 d (P<0.05). If only consider the daily feeding intake of lactating sows, artificial feeding for 3 times per day was better than intelligent feeding for 6 times per day. The change of body mass, backfat change, water consumption, number of total piglets, days of estrus after weaning and average daily gained of body mass of one piglet had no significant difference (P>0.05). But intelligent feeding for 6 times per day was slightly better than artificial feeding for 3 times per day in backfat change, days of estrus after weaning and average daily gained of body mass of one piglet. Ad libitum fed after farrowing perhaps could lead to anorexia which can affect the feeding intake and body condition negatively. It was necessary to use intelligent feeders under such conditions like simulating excellent experienced workers when excellent experienced workers were not easy to hire and in research work which need to collect feed parameters. Under the existing equipment investment and wage level, the intelligent feeder could replace an excellent breeder with the normal use of 4.5 a. The results can provide reference for intelligent feeding to replace experienced artificial feeding and to select feeding methods according to feeding conditions in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plant height, tiller number, yield of three warm-season forage varieties in Southern China were studied for consecutive two years. The result showed that the three varieties all adapted to the environmental conditions. The annual fresh grass yield of Penniselum purpureum Schum ev. Taiwan, Guimu-1 hybrid P. purpureum and P. sinese Roxb were 220.85, 163.18, 186.20 t/hm2; the crude protein content were 17.39%, 19.02% and 20.91%; the crude fat content were 6.37%, 5.37% and 4.69%; and the crude fiber content were 33.49%, 32.22% and 33.58%, respectively. P. pur-pureum Schum ev. Taiwan had stronger cold resistance, fast growth after overwintering and strong resistance, and no plant diseases and insect pests were found during the test. P. purpureum Schum ev. Taiwan is a high yield and high quality forage variety, which is worth popularizing and applying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Juema pig, a native pig in China, is produced in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and recognized as a national animal conservation germplasm. In this study, production performance, slaughter weight and meat quality of the Juema pig slaughtered at different slaughter weights (25, 30, 35, 40 and 45kg) were determined in order to explore the relationship between meat quality and body weight. The results showed that the dressing percentage was the highest (66.13%) at 40kg slaughter weight. Pork quality analysis showed that the range of meat pH1 was 6.30 to 6.50; marbling scores ranged from 3.50 to 4.05. The amino acid content of main flavor was the highest (23.91%), and the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids was the highest (1.30) at 40kg slaughter weight. The gray correlation comprehensive assessment demonstrated that the meat quality of the Juema pig was the best when slaughtered at 40kg slaughter weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Forty Chinese Holstein cows were randomly divided into 4 groups according to birth, milk yield, and close lactation. The cows in 4 groups were fed with basic diet, basic diet plus 200, 300, 400mg/day daidzein, respectively; and the experimental period was 60 days. The milk yield in all cows was monitored everyday and the quality of milk was examined regularly. Blood was collected on days 0, 10, 30, 60 of experiment to isolate serum, and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in the serum were measured. Results showed that the milk yield and the percentage of milk fat were significantly higher after feeding daidzein (P<0.01), and the percentage of milk protein was significantly elevated on day 60 in three daidzein groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01), especially in 400mg/day daidzein group (P<0.01). Compared with the control group (basic diet), the TAC and activities of SOD, GSH-Px and CAT were markedly elevated in three daidzein groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01), while the MDA content was significantly reduced in three daidzein groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). All data suggest that daidzein has positive effects on increasing the production performance and antioxidative activity in late lactation cows, and enhancing the body adaptability and resistance to heat stress. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Characteristics and performance of Tianfu goat, a new meat goat population resulting from Chengdu Ma goats crossbred with Saanen, Toggenburg, Nubian and Boer goats, were revealed in the study. The results showed that this population has a physique good for mutton production. The average body weights (BW) at 6 months and adult were 29kg and 77kg for males, 26kg and 54kg respectively for females. Pre-weaning average daily gain (ADG0–60) and post-weaning average daily gain (ADG60–180) were 173g/d and 127g/d for males, 146g/d and 119g/d for females. The growth inflection points of age and BW were 5 months and 24kg for males, 4 months and 19kg for females. The average live weight, dressed weight and dressing percentage of castrated males slaughtered at 6 months and 12 months were 27kg, 14kg, 50% and 41kg, 21kg, 52% respectively. By crossbreeding with Tianfu goats, performance of indigenous goats was improved by 24–51%. Comparative study showed the breed has excellent production performance with magnificent prospect for promotion of the mutton supply in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Simple Summary: Eggs are a valuable source of protein and fat in the human diet. Due to continuous improvement in the production performance of laying hens, the requirements regarding the feed energy of laying hens are increasing. Oils, which are the main energy sources in feed, exert a substantial effect on the production performance and egg quality of laying hens. In this review, we discuss the classification of oils commonly used in the diets of laying hens and the process of lipid metabolism in laying hens. We further look at the effects of adding different oils on the nutritional composition of eggs with a focus on the mechanism through which dietary oils affect the production performance and egg quality of laying hens, the effects of adding different types of animal and plant oils to the diets, and the potential effects of different types of oils on the health of laying hens. With the development of a large-scale and intensive production industry, the number of laying hens in China is rapidly increasing. Oils, as an important source of essential fatty acids, can be added to the diet to effectively improve the production performance and absorption of other nutrients. The present review discusses the practical application of different types and qualities of oils in poultry diets and studies the critical effects of these oils on production performance, such as the egg weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and various egg quality parameters, including the albumen height, Haugh units, yolk color, and saturated/unsaturated fatty acids. This article reviews the effects of different dietary oil sources on the production performance and egg quality of laying hens and their potential functional mechanisms and provides a reference for the selection of different sources of oils to include in the diet with the aim of improving egg production. This review thus provides a reference for the application of oils to the diets of laying hens. Future studies are needed to determine how poultry products can be produced with the appropriate proper oils in the diet and without negative effects on production performance and egg quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time, cost and resource usage are some of the most important production performance issues in the construction industry. This paper investigates the impact of using different construction methods or techniques on production performance in the context of high-rise public housing construction in Hong Kong. Three different construction schemes with the same standard “Harmony” design were investigated. These schemes differ in the floor slab construction methods and the material handling plant input. Cycle duration, labour resource usage and costs in three schemes are analysed and examined. The findings have revealed that Scheme 2 with a six-day floor cycle duration is the most economical option on the basis of manpower and cost. However, Scheme 3 with four-day floor cycle duration is the preferred option because the speed of construction is of paramount importance in Hong Kong. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In coal seam gas (CSG) reservoirs, hydraulic connectivity usually exists between the coal and overlying permeable formation, which results in the delay of the dewatering process and a large volume of produced water. The cross-formational water flow can dramatically influence the production of CSG reservoirs, reduce the economic viability of production and increase the impact on the environment. To assess the cross-formational water flow of a CSG well, this study investigates the effects of cross-formational water flow from the overlying permeable formation on gas production. Simulation models are constructed to represent the water crossflow in four connection scenarios, including contact zone with and without penetrated fracture, and no-contact zone with and without penetrated fracture. The penetration ratio, defined as the ratio of fracture height in permeable formation to the formation thickness, is employed to characterize the extension degree of hydraulic fracture in the overlying formation. The effects of cross-formational water flow on CSG production are analyzed using dimensionless production curves and relative permeability curves calculated from the production history. The field application of this study is demonstrated by the production history of fractured CSG wells in the Qinshui Basin, China. The simulation results show that if the overlying formation is directly connected to the coal seam (contact zone scenario), the hydraulic fracture leads to the decrease of the peak gas production rate with the cumulative water production increasing dramatically. If the overlying formation is connected to the coal seam by hydraulic fractures only (no-contact zone scenario), gas production increases in two stages. Initially, the gas production rate exhibits a slow increase, followed by a fast increase before reaching the peak rate. When the hydraulic fracture penetrates the overlying formation, a 10% increase of the penetration ratio results in 0.55% and 1.82% increase of cumulative water production in the indirect and direct connection scenarios, respectively. In both scenarios, 10% penetration ratio increase leads to 7.41% reduction of gas production rate. The methods and simulation results presented in this work can be used to evaluate the impacts of cross-formational water flow on gas production and identify the cross-formational water flow in CSG wells from production history. • The hydraulic fracture always penetrates the overlying formation in CSG reservoirs. • Production performances in four scenarios of hydraulic connection are studied. • The signature of cross-flow is mainly shown using calculated relative permeability. • The presented methods are applied to water cross-flow in field cases successfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]