Nutritional Characterization of Hay Produced in Campania Region: Analysis by the near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) Technology

: Since the dietary characteristics of hays can be very variable, it is of great importance for nutritionists to know their chemical composition in order to formulate adequate rations for the animals. Laboratory analyses are time-consuming and expensive while the Near Infrared Spectroscopy offers several advantages, including obtaining information on feeds nutritional characteristics very quickly and in situ at the farm, thanks to portable NIRS. In this trial, over 400 hay samples collected in the Campania region (Italy) were analyzed with portable NIRS device. The final aim was to analyze the differences in hay quality in different production areas, highlighting the possible factors involved and suggesting possible corrective measures. All the analyzed hays (polyphite, Gramineae and alfalfa) were significantly (p < 0.05) influenced by the area of cultivation/preservation. In particular, the polyphite and Gramineae hays produced in most of the areas of Campania region showed poor nutritional value due to the low protein content and high structural carbohydrate that significantly reduced its digestibility. The use of high-quality forages in the ration represents a pivotal factor to allow the production of high-quality products of animal origin. The use of NIRS seems to be a valuable strategy to select potential treatments that can increase feed digestibility and to avoid long chemical analysis

The “Noble Method®”: A One Health Approach for a Sustainable Improvement in Dairy Farming

The Noble Method® has been successfully introduced in the last few years in Italy and in some foreign countries. This novel livestock management provides, among other rules, a high forage/concentrate ratio, no use of silage and supplements, no GMOs and the availability of outdoor paddocks. One of the goals is to achieve high-quality milk in terms of nutritional properties. Other benefits have been reported; amongst them, the forage/concentrate ratio of the diet was shown to reduce the amount of methane produced by animals, also, the system provides economic benefits, mainly for small breeders, in terms of the sustainability and market placement of milk. Thus, the method represents a sustainable approach to improve the production and the supply chain, from the land to the final product. In this review, the most recent studies on Noble Method® are depicted, showing that, besides the nutritional proprieties of dairy products, the method is able to improve animal welfare, human health and environmental sustainability, thus falling within a “One Health” approach

Growth Performance of Buffalo Calves in Response to Different Diets with and without <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> Supplementation

The aim of the present trial was to evaluate the growth performance of buffalo calves fed on diets characterized by different forage/concentrate ratios, with or without Saccharomyces cerevisiae supplementation (CBS 493.94, Yea-Sacc®). Twenty-four male buffalo calves (mean age of 145.1 ± 16.1 days; mean weight of 108.0 ± 18.7 kg) were assigned randomly to 4 groups, homogeneous in age, that were fed four different diets: diet 1, F:C ratio 50:50; diet 2, F:C ratio 30:70; diet 3, F:C ratio 50:50 + Yea-Sacc®; and diet 4, F:C ratio 30:70 + Yea-Sacc®. Buffalo calves were individually weighted before the start of the experiment and the data were used as a covariate, being taken monthly until the end of the trial. Dry matter intake (DMI), daily weight gain (DWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were calculated. The differences in diets composition significantly (p ® at the dosage of 1 × 10E8 did not affect buffaloes’ growth performance

Serum Oxytocin, Cortisol and Social Behavior in Calves: A Study in the Impossible Task Paradigm

In this study, we explored the correlations between circulating levels of oxytocin, cortisol, and different social behaviors toward humans in 26 Italian Red Pied calves (all females, with an average age of 174 ± 24 days) using the impossible task paradigm. This paradigm has proved fruitful in highlighting the effect of socialization on the willingness to interact with humans in several domesticated species. The test consists of the violation of an expectation (recovering food from an experimental apparatus) while a caregiver and a stranger are present. Immediately after the end of the test (less than one minute), blood was collected from the coccygeal vein. Statistics were performed by the Spearman’s rank correlation; significant differences were adjusted according to Bonferroni’s correction. Cortisol correlates positively (ρ = 0.565; p p p < 0.05). Contrary to what is reported in the literature on cows, no correlations were found between oxytocin levels and direct behaviors toward the caregiver. This highlights a different behavioral strategy between calves and cows when placed in front of an impossible task