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In this perspective analysis, we strive to answer the following question: how can we advance integrative biology research in the 21st century with lessons from animal science? At the University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Animal Science, we share here our three lessons learned in the two decades from 2002 to 2022 that we believe could inform integrative biology, systems science, and animal science scholarship in other countries and geographies. Cultivating multiomics knowledge through a conceptual lens of integrative biology is crucial for life sciences research that can stand the test of diverse biological, clinical, and ecological contexts. Moreover, in an era of the current COVID-19 pandemic, animal nutrition and animal science, and the study of their interactions with human health (and vice versa) through integrative biology approaches hold enormous prospects and significance for systems medicine and ecosystem health.

Capons of three genotypes (Barred Prelux, Sulmtaler, Styrian hen) were fattened outdoors and slaughtered at two ages (163, 198 days). Cockerels were caponised at age 47 days and at age 84 days were moved to grower houses with free access to pasture. Animals had ad libitum access to food and water. Ten carcasses of each genotype and age were sampled at slaughter for sensory analysis. The four trained panellist assessed three traits of raw carcasses on scale 1-5 and 19 traits on roasted carcasses on scale 1-7. Shear force was measured on cooled meat slices by appartus Texture Anayser, TA.XT plus, Volodkevich contact cell. Statistical analysis was performed by MIXED procedure in SAS/STAT. Age at slaughter affected nine, genotype five and interactions between age and genotype three sensory traits. Shear force differed among genotypes and it got worse at older age. Any of three genotypes was not superior in most of sensory traits. Thus, decision which genotype to fatten and how long depends on preferences and importance of certain sensory traits by consumers. Kopune treh genotipov (grahasti prelux, sultaler, štajerska kokoš) smo pitali v izpustih in zaklali pri dveh starostih (163 in 198 dni). petelinčke smo kastrirali pri starosti 47 dni in jih pri starosti 84 dni preseleili v hlev z izpustom. Živali so imele krmo in vodo po volji. Po deset trupov vsakega genotipa in starosti smo ob zakolu vzorčili za senzorično analizo. Štirje usposobljeni ocenjevalci so na presnih trupih ocenili tri lastnosti (skala 1-5) in na pečenih trupih 19 lastnosti (skala 1-7). Reznost smo merili na ohlajenih rezinah mesa z aparatom Texture Analyser, TA,XT plus, kontaktni nastavek po Volodkevich. Za statistično obdelavo podatkov smo uporabili proceduro MIXED v SAS/STAT. Starost ob zakolu je vplivala na devet, genotip napet ter interakcija med starostjo in genotipom na tri senzorične lastnosti. Rezna trdnost se je med genotipi razlikovala, povečala pa se je s staostjo. Noben od genotipov ni najboljši v večini senzoričnih lastnosti, zato je odločitev, kateri genotip kopunov bi bil najprimernejši, odvisna predvsem od želja in pomembnosti senzoričnih lastnosti s strani porabnikov.

Production traits and egg quality among Slovenian Brown hen, Slovenian Silver hen and Slovenian Barred hen were compared. At 18 weeks of age we encaged 162 hens of each breed in individual cages of 3 deck-batteries. Egg production, feed consumption, body weight and vitality of hens between 20 and 72 weeks of age were recorded. Every 4 weeks physical characteristics of the eggs were measured. During laying period Slovenian Brown hens were lightest, and had the most eggs (301 eggs per year, 5.63 eggs per week). The Slovenian Brown hen had the lowest daily feed consumption (114.0 g) and the best feed conversion efficiency (2.4 kg of feed/1 kg of egg weight and 137.9 g of feed/egg). The haviest eggs were laid by Slovenian Silver hen (64.33 g). The most egg mass per year was produced by Slovenian Brown hen (18.40 kg). Slovenian Silver hen laid eggs with the thickest egg shell (0.37 mm). The highest albumen height and the number of Haugh units were observed in Slovenian Silver hens compared to the other breeds. The most frequent blood and meat spots were recorded in eggs of Slovenian Brown hen (41 %), which also showed the best vitality - only 3.1% hens died during their laying period. Pri treh slovenskih tradicionalnih pasmah kokoši lahkega tipa (slovenski rjavi kokoši, slovenski srebrni kokoši in slovenski grahasti kokoši) smo proučevali nesnost in kakovost jajc. V 18. tednu starosti smo v individualne kletke trinadstropne baterije vselili po 162 jarkic vsake pasme. V obdobju od 20. do 72. tedna starosti smo spremljali nesnost, porabo krme, telesno maso ter vitalnost kokoši. Vsake 4 tedne smo merili fizikalne lastnosti jajc. V nesnem obdobju je bila slovenska rjava kokoš najlažja in je znesla največ jajc, 301 jajce letno oz. 5,63 jajc tedensko. Najmanj krme je dnevno porabila slovenska rjava kokoš (119,9 g), ki je tudi najbolje izkoriščala krmo in sicer le 2,4 kg krme/kg jajčne mase in 145,0 g krme/jajce. Najtežja jajca so nesle slovenske srebrne kokoši (64,33 g), največ jajčne mase na leto so proizvedle slovenske rjave kokoši (18,40 kg). Jajca slovenske srebrne kokoši so imela najdebelejšo lupino (0,37 mm). Višina gostega beljaka in število hughovih enot sta bila pri slovenskih srebrnih kokoših večja kot pri ostalih dveh pasmah. Največ krvnih in mesnih peg smo našli v jajcih slovenskih rjavih kokoši (41%), ki so bile tudi najvitalnejše, v nesnem obdobju jih je poginilo le 3,1%.

In order to study the effects of long-term selection on genetic parameters, the effect of selection on selected and correlated traits and to develop lines for various physiological, biochemical and molecular genetic studies a comprehensive selection study for body weight in chickens has been conducted at the Biotechnical Faculty of University in Ljubljana. Long-term divergent selection in chickens for 8-week body weight for 31 generations produced a high weight (D+) and low weight (D-) line. Bodz weight at 8 weeks of age was the exclusive selection criterion. Selection lines were compared for body weight and for unselected traits including carcass traits, feed conversion, egg and meat quality traits, reproduction traits, muscle characteristics, nutritional and physiological traits. This paper describes the most important results of different experiments that were performed on animals from both lines in various generations of selection. Z namenom ocenjevanja učinkov dolgotrajne selekcije na genetske parametre, selekcionirane in korelirane lastnosti ter za potrebe izvajanja raziskav s področij fiziologije, biokemije in molekularne genetike je bil na Biotehniški fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani izpeljan obsežen dvosmerni selekcijski poskus na telesno maso piščancev. Enaintrideset generacij smo odbirali piščance na večjo (D+ linija) in manjšo (D- linija) telesno maso pri osmih tednih starosti, ki je bila vseskozi edini selekcijski kriterij. V posameznih generacijah smo proučevali direktne (telesna masa) in korelirane učinke selekcije (klavne lastnosti, iykoriščanje krme, kakovost jajc in mesa, reprodukcijske lastnosti, lastnosti mišičnih vlaken, prehranske in fiziološke lastnosti). V članku so zbrani najpomembnejši rezultati omenjenih raziskav.

This study was designed to investigate whether inclusions of coenzyme Q10, alpha lipoic acid and their combination into diets of hens improve egg quality characteristics. Forty-eight, 33 weeks old Lohmann Brown hens were assigned randomly to four groups of 12 hens each and fed either a basal diet or basal diet supplemented with 2 g/kg coenzyme Q10, 0.4 g/kg alpha lipoic acid and 2 g/kg coenzyme Q10 plus 0.4 g/kg alpha lipoic acid. The diets were fed for 12 weeks. Eggs were weekly examined for interior or exterior quality characteristics. There were no effects of dietary treatments on egg shape index. Coenzyme Q10 supplementation resulted in a reduction in egg shell colour (darker shells) and yolk colour (paler yolks) and higher incidence of blood and meat spots, which reduce the internal quality of the egg. Alpha lipoic acid had no effect on egg weight, egg shell colour, egg shell density, egg shell weight, egg shell thickness, yolk colour, incidence of blood and meat spots but increased shell strength, albumen height and Haugh units values were noted. Egg shell strength for hens supplemented with alpha lipoic acid was greater than for control hens. The results of the experiment indicated that alpha lipoic acid supplementation to the diet of layers may be of practical value due to the increased egg shell strength and better albumen characteristics without any adverse effect on other egg quality traits.

Namen raziskave je bil proučiti nekatere narečne izraze s področja živinoreje. Zanimalo nas je poimenovanje 18 vrst domačih živali, spolov in kategorij živali, hlevov, nekaterih reprodukcijskih lastnosti in opravil na kmetiji. Pripravili smo vprašalnik z 210 vprašanji in izbrali po eno kmetijo v posamezni narečni skupini: panonski, štajerski, dolenjski, koroški, rovtarski, gorenjski in primorski. Odgovore smo posneli in jih kasneje zapisali v nekoliko poenostavljeni obliki, brez označevanja melodičnega/tonemskega naglasa. Rezultate raziskave, to je odgovore in komentarje, smo podali za posamezni izraz po naslednjem zaporedju: pomen, ki je zapisan v Slovarju slovenskega knjižnega jezika, strokovno pojasnilo, gradivo, komentar h karti ter izvor besede, ki je zapisana v etimološkem slovarju. Nato so narečni izrazi prikazani še na karti. Proučevani strokovni izrazi za pomensko polje domače živali se v sedmih narečjih razlikujejo predvsem na glasoslovni ravnini, obstajajo pa tudi leksikalne/besedne razlike. The purpose of this research was to study some of the dialectal denominations in the field of livestock breeding. We examined the denominations of 18 species of domestic animals, the gender and the category of animals, the barns, some of the characteristics of reproduction and the farm chores. We prepared a questionnaire with 210 questions and we chose one farm in each of the following dialectal groups: Panonsko/Pannonian, Štajersko/Styrian, Dolenjsko/Lower Carniolan, Koroško/Carinthian dialect, Rovtarsko/Rovte, Gorenjsko/Upper Carniolan and Primorsko/Littoral dialect. The answers were recorded and written in a simplified form, without the tonematic accent. The results of the research, i.e. the answers and comments for each denomination were given in the following order: the word meaning written in the dictionary Slovar slovenskega knjižnega jezika/Dictionary of the Slovenian Standard Language, the technical explanation, the material, the commentaries of the map and the origin of the word written in the etymological dictionary. The dialectal denominations are also presented on a map. The studied denominations in the field of domestic animals differ mainly on the phonological level, but there are also some expressions which differ on the lexical level.