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Effects of Dietary Interventions on Farm Animal Welfare and Production
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Schothorst Feed Research, 8218 NA Lelystad, The Netherlands
Dr. Francesc Molist
Schothorst Feed Research, 8218 NA Lelystad, The Netherlands
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Effects of Dietary Interventions on Farm Animal Welfare and Production

Abstract submission deadline
30 September 2024
Manuscript submission deadline
30 November 2024
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Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Feed and food production face issues related to animal welfare and sustainability. If, on one side, livestock-based food production is changing to maintain animal well-being, climate change is shifting dietary composition for animal production. Among the methods to improve animal welfare, a properly processed, with adequate nutrient levels, and non-contaminated diet will support gut function, decreasing locomotion problems caused by nutrient dysbalance as well as dysbiosis. Besides this, food-feed competition requires the selection of alternative nutrients, which should be produced with net-zero emissions. However, this change probably will demand feed additives to improve digestibility, e.g., enzymes, and should allow efficient growth of the livestock.

This Topic aims to provide the most up-to-date information about recent developments in livestock feeding to improve animal welfare without a negative impact on the environment. It covers a wide range of areas, highlighting the following main topics:

  • Alternative feed ingredients;
  • Feed processing;
  • Feed additives;
  • Gut health promotors;
  • Circularity;
  • Greenhouse gas emissions;
  • CO2 footprint.

Dr. Regiane Rodrigues Dos Santos
Dr. Francesc Molist
Topic Editors

Keywords

  • dietary intervention
  • livestock
  • welfare
  • environment
  • production

Participating Journals

Journal Name Impact Factor CiteScore Launched Year First Decision (median) APC
Agriculture
agriculture 		3.6 3.6 2011 17.7 Days CHF 2600 Submit
Animals
animals 		3.0 4.2 2011 18.1 Days CHF 2400 Submit
Dairy
dairy 		- 2.4 2020 24.6 Days CHF 1200 Submit
Toxins
toxins 		4.2 7.5 2009 18.4 Days CHF 2700 Submit

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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9 pages, 478 KiB  
Article
Effects of Palm Oil Deodorizer Distillate on the Ruminal Environment of Sheep
by Diego Assis das Graças, Eziquiel de Morais, Alyne C. S. Lima, Shirley M. de Souza, Luciano F. Sousa, Diego C. Franco, Artur L. C. Silva and André G. Maciel e Silva
Animals 2024, 14(9), 1269; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14091269 - 24 Apr 2024
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Abstract
This study aimed to assess the impact of palm oil deodorizer distillate (POD) on the ruminal environment, including (i) microbial community, (ii) ruminal degradability, and (iii) apparent digestibility in sheep. The data used were derived from twenty rumen-cannulated sheep fed five isoproteic and [...] Read more.
This study aimed to assess the impact of palm oil deodorizer distillate (POD) on the ruminal environment, including (i) microbial community, (ii) ruminal degradability, and (iii) apparent digestibility in sheep. The data used were derived from twenty rumen-cannulated sheep fed five isoproteic and isofiber diets based on elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum. cv. Roxo) silage supplemented with 0, 25, 50, 75, or 100 g kg−1 POD on a dry matter (DM) basis. Rumen fluid samples were collected three hours after feeding directly from the ventral sac of the rumen via a cannula and then subjected to DNA extraction, which was subsequently used for 16S rDNA amplification, followed by sequencing and diversity analysis. In this study, the microbial diversity was dominated by Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, followed by Euryarchaetoa, Actinobacteria, and Tenericutes, in the ruminal environment, and was slightly modified when supplemented with the POD up to 100 g/kg (10%), leading to only a slight decrease in the diversity index. The ruminal degradability, ruminal fermentation parameters, and apparent digestibility were slightly compromised by the inclusion of up to 25 g of POD per kg of DM, and larger inclusions interfered with the ruminal degradability of fibrous fractions and the apparent digestibility of dry matter. This lipid supplement showed good results for feeding sheep and is an inexpensive and abundant alternative in the regional market. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Effects of Dietary Interventions on Farm Animal Welfare and Production)
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10 pages, 483 KiB  
Article
Willow (Salix acmophylla Boiss.) Leaf and Branch Extracts Inhibit In Vitro Sporulation of Coccidia (Eimeria spp.) from Goats
by Manal Haj-Zaroubi, Nariman Mattar, Sami Awabdeh, Rawad Sweidan, Alex Markovics, Joshua D. Klein and Hassan Azaizeh
Agriculture 2024, 14(5), 648; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14050648 - 23 Apr 2024
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Abstract
Willow (Salix spp.) trees, found worldwide, contain secondary metabolites that are valuable as dietary supplements for animal feed and as antiparasitic compounds. We quantified secondary metabolites (phenolics, flavonoids, and salicylic acid) in ethanolic extracts from leaves and branches of three Salix acmophylla [...] Read more.
Willow (Salix spp.) trees, found worldwide, contain secondary metabolites that are valuable as dietary supplements for animal feed and as antiparasitic compounds. We quantified secondary metabolites (phenolics, flavonoids, and salicylic acid) in ethanolic extracts from leaves and branches of three Salix acmophylla Boiss. genotypes and investigated their potential to inhibit Eimeria sp. sporulation, a major concern in ruminants. The total phenolic content of willow leaves and branches was similar in two of three different genotypes. The total flavonoid content of the branches was significantly higher than that of leaves of the same genotype; however, the salicylic acid content was significantly higher in leaves than in branches. Importantly, all extracts exhibited significant inhibition of Eimeria sporulation, where over 70% inhibition was obtained at concentrations as low as 750 mgL−1. The sporulation inhibition by branch or leaf extracts exceeded 80% for leaves and 90% for branches at concentrations above 1250 mgL−1. The study highlights the potential of using Salix extracts as bioactive compounds for biological control of coccidiosis in ruminants. We conclude that all parts and all investigated genotypes of S. acmophylla can provide secondary metabolites that act as a coccidiostat to treat Eimeria in goats. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Effects of Dietary Interventions on Farm Animal Welfare and Production)
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13 pages, 921 KiB  
Article
The Effect of N-Carbamylglutamate Supplementation during the Last Third of Gestation on the Growth and Development of Fetuses Born to Nutrient-Restricted Twin-Bearing Ewes
by Víctor H. Parraguez, Susan McCoard, Camila Sandoval, Francisca Candia, Paul Maclean, Wade Mace, Xinqi Liu and Francisco Sales
Animals 2024, 14(6), 946; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14060946 - 19 Mar 2024
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Abstract
N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) is postulated to improve fetal growth in nutrient-restricted gestations when supplemented from day 35 to 110 of gestation, but the effects of supplementation from 100 days of gestation to birth have not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to [...] Read more.
N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) is postulated to improve fetal growth in nutrient-restricted gestations when supplemented from day 35 to 110 of gestation, but the effects of supplementation from 100 days of gestation to birth have not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of oral NCG supplementation from 100 days of gestation (dga) to term in naturally nutrient-restricted grazing twin-bearing ewes, on the maternal body weight (BW), body condition score (BCS), placental morphology, fetal body and organ weights and blood biochemistry and antioxidant status in the ewe and fetuses. Eighteen twin-bearing ewes maintained under grazing management were randomly allocated to either a treatment group (NCG; n = 10), orally dosed once daily with 60 mg/kg of NCG from day 100 until 140 dga, or an unsupplemented control group (CON; n = 8). At 140 dga, blood gases, redox status, maternal and fetal plasma and fetal biometrics were obtained after caesarian section. The serum concentration of NCG was increased 15-fold in the NCG ewes compared to the CON. No major effects on dam or fetal body weight nor on blood biochemistry or antioxidant parameters were observed. These results indicate that NCG supplementation in mid-to-late gestation to grazing ewes was unable to rescue the negative production effects of severe natural nutritional restriction on both the dam and fetuses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Effects of Dietary Interventions on Farm Animal Welfare and Production)
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