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A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Small Ruminants".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2023) | Viewed by 13551

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Dr. Gema Romero Moraleda

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Guest Editor

Department Agro-Food Technology, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Orihuela, Spain
Interests: small ruminant production; alternative feeds; machine milking; welfare; milk quality; dairy products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Stephen J. G. Hall

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School of Life and Environmental Sciences, College of Science, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool Campus, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK
Interests: livestock biodiversity; animal behaviour; sustainable development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Small ruminants are very important for human societies and have an exciting future in the current climate and energy emergency situations with the consequent need to optimize existing resources. The existence of extensive biodiversity in the form of a multitude of breeds adapted to different climates and ecosystems and their high efficiency in the transformation of inputs into foods of high biological value such as meat and milk make these species a clear priority for scientific research.

Today’s society needs alternatives to the currently dominant livestock species, and a better understanding of the opportunities offered by small ruminants should be a priority objective for modern animal science.

We are pleased to invite you to submit articles on small ruminants, which will help to increase our knowledge of these species and their breeds and to optimize food production and the use of resources. Studies on milk and meat production, product quality, welfare, labor-saving technologies, sustainable rural livelihoods, traditional breeds and their adaptations, and alternative feedstuffs will be particularly welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Gema Romero Moraleda
Prof. Dr. Stephen J.G. Hall
Guest Editors

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Keywords

small ruminant
sheep
goat
milk
meat
product quality
alternative feeding
welfare
sustainability

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1693 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Supplement Type Impact on the Performance and Nutrient Dynamics of Nursing Does and Kids Raised in Woodlands

by Bhuwan Shrestha, Uma Karki, Santoshi Chaudhary, Anand Tiwari and Lila B. Karki

Animals 2024, 14(1), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14010068 - 23 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1230

Abstract

The influence of different supplement types on the performance and nutrient dynamics of goats stocked in woodlands is not known. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of supplement type on the performance and the concentration of fecal nutrients of nursing does and the performance of kids raised in woodlands. One group of goats (SG, 9 does; 18 kids) was allowed supplemental grazing in adjacent silvopasture plots for 3–4 h daily and another group (SF, 8 does; 15 kids) was supplemented with corn (0.5% of metabolic weight) and ad libitum hay. Vegetation samples were collected and analyzed for productivity and quality (crude protein, CP; acid detergent fiber, ADF; neutral detergent fiber, NDF). The quality of the hay (N, ADF, NDF) and fecal samples (N, P, Ca) was analyzed. The animals’ live weight, FAMACHA score, and body condition score were collected. The browsing height for does consuming woodland vegetation was measured. Data were analyzed using the GLM procedure, Mixed procedure, and MEANS procedure in SAS 9.4. SG does showed better FAMACHA scores vs. SF does (p < 0.05). Fecal N and ADF were greater (p < 0.0001) in SG does vs. SF does. The findings showed a better performance and greater concentration of fecal nutrients in SG does vs. SF does, suggesting grazing quality pastures is a better option than using feedstuffs to supplement nursing does in woodland. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in the 'Small Ruminants' Section)

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13 pages, 980 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Comparative Analysis of Carbon Footprint in the Andalusian Autochthonous Dairy Goat Production Systems

by Juan Manuel Mancilla-Leytón, Eduardo Morales-Jerrett, Sara Muñoz-Vallés and Yolanda Mena

Animals 2023, 13(18), 2864; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13182864 - 09 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 927

Abstract

The small ruminant livestock sector faces the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Carbon footprint (CF) studies on dairy goats, the most widely used indicator to quantify the impact of livestock farming on global warming, are still few. The aim of this study was to calculate the CF of the different production systems of autochthonous dairy goat breeds presently occurring in Andalusia (S Spain) and identify systems and practices that can minimize their environmental impact in these terms. Twenty-one farms were monitored during a year, obtaining valuable information that allowed the CF calculation on a “cradle-to-gate” approach, taking into account both GHG emissions at the farm level and carbon sink by vegetation associated with land-based systems. Results showed similar CF values for the analyzed systems (1.42, 1.04, 1.15, and 1.17 kg CO₂-eq kg⁻¹ fat–protein corrected milk for indoor systems without associated crops, indoor systems with associated crops, grazing systems with high feed supply, and pastoral systems, respectively). To minimize their environmental impact, specific actions must be developed for each system, particularly regarding genetic improvement, reproductive and feeding management, including pasture management, and the integration of livestock activity into the bio-circular economy with the help of professional advice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in the 'Small Ruminants' Section)

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15 pages, 1007 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Differentiation of Hair Sheep Breeds Based on the Physiological and Blood Biochemical Changes in Response to Different Stressors Using Multivariate Analysis Techniques

by Dereje Tadesse, Amlan Kumar Patra, Ryszard Puchala, Ali Hussein and Arthur Louis Goetsch

Animals 2023, 13(16), 2643; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13162643 - 16 Aug 2023

Viewed by 807

Abstract

Physiological and blood measurement changes due to high heat load, restricted feed intake, and limited drinking water availability in 135 animals of three hair sheep breeds (Dorper, Katahdin, and St. Croix) were subjected to multivariate analysis techniques. The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the ability of these variables to separate individual hair sheep into groups based on adaptation characteristics in response to three physiological stressors and identify variables with greater discriminatory power. There were 16, 8, and 13 physiological and blood variables obtained from high heat load, restricted feed consumption, and water intake studies, respectively, for multivariate analysis. Physiological variables such as respiration rate, rectal and skin temperature, and panting score were measured only in the heat stress study. The results of the cluster and canonical discriminant analyses showed the presence of wide divergence (p < 0.05) between St. Croix and other breeds in their responses to high heat loads and restricted-feed- and -water-intake conditions. Dorper and Katahdin were grouped (p > 0.05) together based on the changes in physiological variables, which were separated (p < 0.05) from those of St. Croix as a resilient group. The stepwise discriminant analysis indicated that skin temperature, panting score, rectal temperature, respiration rate, and blood urea nitrogen and oxygen concentrations were the significant (p < 0.05) discriminating variables in clustering individual sheep into groups based on their responses to the high-heat-stress condition. Under the limited feed intake condition, the significant (p < 0.05) traits responsible for the separation of St. Croix from Dorper and Katahdin were blood triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations, whereas blood hemoglobin, osmolality, protein, and albumin were most important discriminating variables under the limited water intake condition. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest that the stress responses of Dorper and Katahdin are similar and different from that of St. Croix. This finding can be useful information for future decisions in developing climate-resilient sheep through selective breeding. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in the 'Small Ruminants' Section)

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10 pages, 461 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Discriminant Analysis Approach in Morphometric Differentiation and Characterization of Serbian Autochthonous Goats

by Nevena Maksimović, Bogdan Cekić, Ivan Ćosić, Dragana Ružić Muslić, Violeta Caro Petrović, Nenad Stojiljković and Nikola Stanišić

Animals 2023, 13(12), 1952; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13121952 - 10 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1430

Abstract

This study investigated the possibility of using morphometric measurements to differentiate the autochthonous Serbian White goat breed from Saanen and Balkan goats, which were used as sire and dam breeds in its creation. For this purpose, a multivariate discriminant analysis was used. A total of 11 morphometric traits were measured in 98 does of 3 breeds: Saanen (n = 28), Balkan (n = 28), and Serbian White (n = 42), aged 2 to 7 years, in 4 different locations. Univariate analysis of variance revealed a significant difference in body measurements of all three breeds, with Saanen goat being the largest in format and Balkan the smallest. Discriminant analysis extracted six out of eleven tested morphometric traits with the strongest discriminatory power: heart girth, head length, chest depth, head width, pelvic width, and body length. Mahalanobis distances were significant between all three genetic groups. The discriminant function correctly classified 95.24% of the Domestic White goats investigated to their source group. The classification accuracy of the function was cross-validated and indicated an overall success rate of 91.84%. The results of this research showed that there was a clear separation between Serbian White, Saanen, and Balkan goats. The present findings could help a more rapid field assessment of Serbian White goats. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in the 'Small Ruminants' Section)

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17 pages, 331 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of the Onset of Intramammary Infection on the Electrical Conductivity of Ewe’s Milk and Study of Various Algorithms for Its On-Line Detection

by Amparo Roca, Raquel Muelas, Manuel Alejandro, Gema Romero and José Ramón Díaz

Animals 2023, 13(11), 1808; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13111808 - 30 May 2023

Viewed by 817

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the onset of intramammary infection (IMI) on the electrical conductivity (EC) of ewe milk and assess the detection capability of various algorithms based on daily glandular milk EC measurement. An experiment was carried out with 26 Manchega sheep located at the farm of the Miguel Hernández University, Elche, Spain. The variables in milk from the gland (production, EC) were monitored daily for 2 weeks during the morning and evening milking; once infection was established in the gland, the variables were measured for a further 4 weeks. In addition, the SCC, sodium, potassium, chloride and milk macro-compositions were analysed. The sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values for IMI detection of different algorithms were calculated using the EC variable. It was observed that the onset of IMI resulted in an increase in SCC and a significant decrease in yield, and EC rose significantly when infection occurred bilaterally. The best results for IMI detection were obtained with the algorithm that detected deviations greater than 3σ of the conductivity ratio between collateral glands with respect to a moving average calculated with a time horizon of 10 days (50% sensitivity and 100% specificity). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in the 'Small Ruminants' Section)

11 pages, 558 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Lameness on Milk Production of Dairy Goats

by Natasha Jaques, Sally-Anne Turner, Emilie Vallée, Cord Heuer and Nicolas Lopez-Villalobos

Animals 2023, 13(11), 1728; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13111728 - 23 May 2023

Viewed by 1294

Abstract

Lameness on dairy goat farms is a welfare concern and could negatively affect milk production. This study’s objective was to evaluate the effects of clinical lameness on the daily milk production of dairy goats. Between July 2019 and June 2020, 11,847 test-day records were collected from 3145 goats on three farms in New Zealand. Locomotion scoring of goats used a five-point scoring system (0 to 4). The dataset was split into two groups by lactation type, where goats were classified as being in seasonal lactation (≤305 days in milk) or extended lactation (>305 days in milk). A linear mixed model was used to analyze datasets using milk characteristics as the dependent variables. Severely lame goats (score 4) in seasonal and extended lactation produced 7.05% and 8.67% less milk than goats not lame, respectively. When the prevalence of severe lameness is between 5 and 20% of the herd, the estimated average daily milk income lost was between NZD 19.5 and 104 per day. This study established the negative impact of lameness on milk production and annual income in dairy goats on three farms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in the 'Small Ruminants' Section)

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12 pages, 275 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimal Parameters to Milk Murciano-Granadina Goats in Mid and Low-Line Milking Parlours

by Joel Bueso-Ródenas, Gema Romero, Amparo Roca, Francisco Moya, Manuel Alejandro and José Ramón Díaz

Animals 2023, 13(7), 1155; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13071155 - 24 Mar 2023

Viewed by 979

Abstract

Recent short-term studies on Murciano-Granadina goats have established that the optimal parameters to set up the milking machines are different according to the milk pipes height. Two groups of 52 fresh goats each were employed in 2 different experiments to confirm during an entire lactation period the best combinations of system vacuum pulsation rate and pulsator ratio in low-line and mid-line milking parlours. The experiment performed in the low-line milking parlour included one group milked with 40 KPa vacuum system level, 90 puls/min pulsation rate and 60/40 pulsation and a second group milked with 38 KPa vacuum system level, 90 puls/min pulsation rate and 60/40 pulsation ratio. The experiment carried out in mid-line included one group milked with 40 KPa vacuum system level, 90 puls/min pulsation rate and 60/40 pulsation ratio and a second group milked with 40 KPa vacuum system level, 120 puls/min pulsation rate and 60/40 pulsation ratio. Variables studied included milking efficiency, milk composition, cortisol, SCC and intramammary infections, teat-end oedema after milking and vacuum dynamics during milking. Considering the results of an entire lactation period, it was confirmed that when milking in mid-line, the combination of 40 KPa system vacuum, 90 cycles/min pulsation rate and 60/40 pulsator ratio showed optimal results of the above-mentioned variables. On the other hand, the use of 40 KPa in a low-line system increased the milk cortisol values (0.34 ± 0.1 vs. 0.44 ± 0.1 ng/mL) without any other advantage. Thus, the recommendation is to use a combination of 38 KPa system vacuum, 90 cycles/min pulsation rate and 60/40 pulsator ratio to enhance animal welfare. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in the 'Small Ruminants' Section)

21 pages, 682 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Nutritional Plane at Breeding on Feed Intake, Body Weight, Condition Score, Mass Indexes, and Chemical Composition, and Reproductive Performance of Hair Sheep

by Raquel Vasconcelos Lourencon, Amlan Kumar Patra, Ryszard Puchala, Lionel James Dawson, Luana Paula dos Santos Ribeiro, Fabiola Encinas and Arthur Louis Goetsch

Animals 2023, 13(4), 735; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13040735 - 18 Feb 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1709

Abstract

This study was conducted to assess effects of the nutritional plane before and during breeding on feed intake, body weight (BW) change, reproductive performance, body condition score (BCS), body mass indexes (BMI), and body composition of three breeds of hair sheep. Twenty-five Dorper, 27 Katahdin, and 33 St. Croix ewes were allocated to groups and treatments based on initial BW and age. Supplementation treatments were soybean meal fed at 0.16% BW (LS) and a mixture of 25% soybean meal and 75% ground corn given at 0.8% BW (HS; dry matter basis) for 88 to 102 days including 17 days after breeding. Wheat straw intake (% BW) was greater (p < 0.01) for LS than for HS. Average daily gain and BCS change were similar among breeds, but both were greater for HS vs. LS. Birth rate, litter size, total litter birth weight, gestation length, and number of services were similar among breeds (p > 0.05), although individual lamb birth weight was lower for St. Croix than for Katahdin (p < 0.05). None of these reproductive variables were influenced by treatment or the breed × treatment interaction (p > 0.05). There were no breed differences in whole body concentrations of water, fat, protein, ash, or energy in week 0 or 4, but in 8 week concentrations of water, protein, and ash were greatest among breeds for St. Croix (p < 0.05) and levels of fat and energy were lower for St. Croix than for Dorper (p < 0.05). In week 8, total amounts and concentrations of fat and energy were greater for HS vs. LS and those of water, protein, and ash were less for HS (p < 0.05). There were interactions (p < 0.05) between treatment and period in blood concentrations of cholesterol and non-esterified fatty acids and between breed, treatment, and period in level of triglycerides and total antioxidant capacity. The concentration of cortisol was greater for HS vs. LS (p < 0.05). In conclusion, supplementation did not influence reproductive performance despite differences in BW and BCS change, which may be due to the initial moderate BCS and greater wheat straw intake for the LS treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in the 'Small Ruminants' Section)

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19 pages, 3087 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Type I and Type III Collagen in the Intramuscular Connective Tissue of Wuzhumuqin Sheep

by Xige He, Qiong Wu, Wenjun Xue, Rihan Wu, Yajuan Huang, Lu Chen, Yunfei Han, Jindi Wu, Gerelt Borjigin and Rina Sha

Animals 2023, 13(3), 395; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13030395 - 24 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2203

Abstract

Intramuscular connective tissue (IMCT) collagen is an important factor in meat quality. This study analyzed the characteristics of type I and III collagen in the IMCT of the semitendinosus (SD) and longissimus dorsi (LD) of Wuzhumuqin sheep at different growth stages (6, 9, 12, and 18 months). Utilizing sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), collagen types I and III were successfully isolated and shown to contain an intact triple helix structure. Immunofluorescence revealed that these collagens were located in the endomysium and perimysium. Collagen-related genes were significantly expressed in sheep aged 9 and 12 months. The amino acid content increased with age in type I collagen whereas it decreased in type III collagen. Furthermore, type III collagen contained more hydroxyproline (Hyd) than type I collagen. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed that the thermal stability of collagen increased with age, accompanied by a decrease in solubility. Semitendinosus muscle had more collagen cross-linkages than LD muscle due to the high pyridinoline (Pyr) content in the endomysium. Finally, a correlation analysis highlighted the multiple correlations between characteristics in different types of collagen during sheep growth. In summary, the collagen characteristics in the IMCT of sheep were impacted by collagen type, muscle type, and age. Furthermore, the various correlations between these characteristics may play an important role in the development of IMCT. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in the 'Small Ruminants' Section)

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16 pages, 1177 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Ovine Monocyte-Derived Macrophage Infection by Recently Isolated Toxoplasma gondii Strains Showing Different Phenotypic Traits

by Raquel Vallejo, Julio Benavides, Noive Arteche-Villasol, Mercedes Fernández-Escobar, María Del Carmen Ferreras, Valentín Pérez and Daniel Gutiérrez-Expósito

Animals 2022, 12(24), 3453; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12243453 - 07 Dec 2022

Viewed by 1244

Abstract

Ovine toxoplasmosis is one the most relevant reproductive diseases in sheep. The genetic variability among different Toxoplasma gondii isolates is known to be related to different degrees of virulence in mice and humans, but little is known regarding its potential effects in sheep. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of genetic variability (types II (ToxoDB #1 and #3) and III (#2)) of six recently isolated strains that showed different phenotypic traits both in a normalized mouse model and in ovine trophoblasts, in ovine monocyte-derived macrophages and the subsequent transcript expression of cytokines and iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase). The type III isolate (TgShSp24) showed the highest rate of internalization, followed by the type II clonal isolate (TgShSp2), while the type II PRU isolates (TgShSp1, TgShSp3, TgShSp11 and TgShSp16) showed the lowest rates. The type II PRU strains, isolated from abortions, exhibited higher levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines and iNOS than those obtained from the myocardium of chronically infected sheep (type II PRU strains and type III), which had higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The present results show the existence of significant intra- and inter-genotypic differences in the parasite-macrophage relationship that need to be confirmed in in vivo experiments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in the 'Small Ruminants' Section)

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