Effects of THI changes on milk production and composition of three dairy cattle farms in Mugello from 2010 to 2018: a preliminary study

Submitted 2020-07-03 | Accepted 2020-09-09 | Available 2020-12-01https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2020.23.mi-fpap.167-173Global warming is already affecting several areas and a further increase of 1.5°C is expected by 2050. Dairy cattle are particularly sensitive to high temperature. So, the aim of this study was to examine the effect of temperature-humidity index (THI) on milk traits, considering changes of climatic parameters in the different seasons from 2010 to 2018. The study was conducted in 3 farms located in a hilly-mountainous area of Tuscany, the Mugello, situated from 220 to 450 m above sea level. Data on average daily milk yield and composition were monthly collected in the 3 farms from 2010 to 2018, while climatic parameters were recorded by a climatic station located in the area of the farms. As regards the climatic parameters, no significant variations have been observed in the last decade. The THI calculated thanks to the recording of temperature and humidity of the weather station, during the warmest months, was high enough to cause heat stress. The milk quality traits declined when THI increased. In conclusion, there was not any evidence that global warming has been affecting Mugello, but, despite its altitude, high THI usually reached during spring and summer seasons are already high enough to cause heat stress and a further increase could worsen farm productivity.Keywords: climate change, milk quality, heat stress, dairy cowReferencesAmamou, H. et al. (2019). Thermotolerance indicators related to production and physiological responses to heat stress of Holstein cows. Journal of Thermal Biology, 82, 90–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2019.03.016André, G. et al. (2011). Quantifying the effect of heat stress on daily milk yield and monitoring dynamic changes using an adaptive dynamic model. Journal of Dairy Science, 94(9), 4502–4513. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2010-4139Bartolini, G. et al. (2012). Mediterranean warming is especially due to summer season. Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 107, 279–295. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-011-0481-1Baumgard, L. H. and Rhoads, R. P. (2007). The effects of hyperthermia on nutrient partitioning. In: Proceedings of Cornell Nutrition Conference, Ithaca, New York, 93–104.Bertocchi, L. et al. (2014). Seasonal variations in the composition of Holstein cow’s milk and temperature-humidity index relationship. Animal, 8(4), 667–674. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731114000032Bohmanova, J., Misztal, I. and Cole, J. B. (2007). Temperature-humidity indices as indicators of milk production losses due to heat stress. Journal of Dairy Science, 90(4), 1947–1956. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2006-513Bouraoui, R. et al. (2002). The relationship of temperature-humidity index with milk production of dairy cows in a Mediterranean climate. Animal Research, 51(6), 479–491. https://doi.org/10.1051/animres:2002036Das, R. et al. (2016). Impact of heat stress on health and performance of dairy animals: A review. Veterinary World, 9(3), 260–268. https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2016.260-268Fabris, T. F. et al. (2019). Effect of heat stress during early, late, and entire dry period on dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science, 102(6), 5647–5656. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2018-15721Gauly, M. and Ammer, S. (2020). Review: Challenges for dairy cow production systems arising from climate changes. Animal, 14(S1), S196–S203. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731119003239Hossein-Zadeh, N. G., Mohit, A. and Azad, N. (2013). Effect of temperature-humidity index on productive and reproductive performances of Iranian Holstein cows. Iranian Journal of Veterinary Research 14(2), 106-112. https://dx.doi.org/10.22099/ijvr.2013.1583Herbut, P., Angrecka, S. and Godyń, D. (2018). Effect of the duration of high air temperature on cow’s milking performance in moderate climate conditions. Annals of Animal Science, 18(1), 195–207. https://doi.org/10.1515/aoas-2017-0017Javed, K. et al. (2004). Environmental factors affecting milk yield in Friesian cows in Punjab, Pakistan. Pakistan Veterinary Journal, 24, 4-7.Polsky, L. and von Keyserlingk, M. A. G. (2017). Invited review: Effects of heat stress on dairy cattle welfare. Journal of Dairy Science, 100(11), 8645–8657. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2017-12651Renaudeau, D. et al. (2012). Adaptation to hot climate and strategies to alleviate heat stress in livestock production. Animal, 6(5), 707–728. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731111002448Rhoads, M. L. et al. (2009). Effects of heat stress and plane of nutrition on lactating Holstein cows: I. Production, metabolism, and aspects of circulating somatotropin. Journal of Dairy Science, 92(5), 1986–1997. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2008-1641Rojas-Downing, M. M. et al. (2017). 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Global assessment of heat wave magnitudes from 1901 to 2010 and implications for the river discharge of the Alps. Science of the Total Environment, 571, 1330–1339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.07.008

Endometritis and Infertility in the Mare – The Challenge in Equine Breeding Industry–A Review

Most major infertility problems are complex and several factors can cause failure to produce offspring. In the last few years, much of the efforts of practitioners and researchers working in equine breeding industry have been directed to individuate the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying poor reproductive performances in mares. Endometritis is on the talk in much of the recent research as the most frequent cause of subfertility in mares that cycle normally but do not conceive and in mares that cycle normally and conceive but then suffer early embryonic death. Post-breeding persistent endometritis, bacterial and other infective endometritis and poor uterine clearance have all been discussed in an attempt to define risk factors and a diagnostic algorithm. The aim of this chapter is to perform a thorough review of recent literature about endometritis. The diagnostic algorithms are carefully examined, highlighting pros as well as pitfalls of each diagnostic aid. Suggested therapeutic protocols are examined in the effort to detect what is actually recommended and what would better benefit from further corroboration. The idea that a better etiopathogenetical understanding of the endometritis remains the key to access to a correct diagnostic protocol and to a successful therapeutic plan will inspire this chapter

Screening of grated cheese authenticity by nir spectroscopy

Parmigiano–Reggiano (PR) cheese is one of the oldest traditional cheeses produced in Europe, and it is still one of the most valuable Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) cheeses of Italy. The denomination of origin is extended to the grated cheese when manufactured exclusively from whole Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese wheels that respond to the production standard. The grated cheese must be matured for a period of at least 12 months and characterized by a rind content not over 18%. In this investigation the potential of near infrared spectroscopy (NIR), coupled to different statistical methods, were used to estimate the authenticity of grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese PDO. Cheese samples were classified as: compliance PR, competitors, non-compliance PR (defected PR), and PR with rind content greater then 18%. NIR spectra were obtained using a spectrophotometer Vector 22/N (Bruker Optics, Milan, Italy) in the diffuse reflectance mode. Instrument was equipped with a rotating integrating sphere. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was conducted for an explorative spectra analysis, while the Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) were used to classify spectra, according to different cheese categories. Subsequently the rind percentage and month of ripening were estimated by a Partial Least Squares regression (PLS). Score plots of the PCA show a clear separation between compliance PR samples and the rest of the sample was observed. Competitors samples and the defected PR samples were grouped together. The classification performance for all sample classes, obtained by ANN analysis, was higher of 90%, in test set validation. Rind content and month of ripening were predicted by PLS a with a determination coefficient greater then 0.95 (test set). These results showed that the method can be suitable for a fast screening of grated cheese authenticity

Application of Virtual Fencing for the management of Limousin cows at pasture

A potential use of pasture-based systems requires an efficient grazing management strategy. Thanks to the Virtual Fencing (VF) physical fences are replaced by virtual ones and, when the animals approach the boundaries, they receive a paired stimulus: an audio cue followed by a low electrical pulse if animals cross over the fences. This study aims to i) to evaluate the animal’s ability to learn, and then respond positively, to VF ii) VFs’ efficiency to manage the herd within grazing areas virtually delimitated; iii) to assess the chronic stress related to the VF, evaluating the hair cortisol concentration (HCC), during the experiment. Twenty Limousine cows were fitted with a commercial VF-GPS collars (Nofence AS, Batnfjordsør, Norway). The experiment was divided into four trials: Trial zero (T0) with inactive collars to let the animals get acquainted with them; Trial one (T1) where three of the four virtual boundaries coincided with the physical ones, while the virtual one was set across the pasture to restrict the grazing area; Trial two (T2) in which the grazing area was further extended moving forwards the virtual board; Trial three (T3) in which the virtual line was set longways to the pasture. Results show a significant decrease of stimuli delivered (i.e., sounds and electrical pulses) (p < 0.001), among trials. Moreover, a reduction (p < 0.0250) in the ratio between sounds and electrical pulses was observed between T1 and T3, with T2 being like both. Regarding the cows’ learning capacity, the events in which the sounds were followed by electrical pulses were significantly less in T3 (p < 0.001). Furthermore, in T3 the duration of the audio tones was lower than T1 and T2 (p < 0.0005). Animals were increasingly kept inside the inclusion zones during the trials, with the lowest number of escape events from the inclusion zone registered in T3 (p < 0.001). No differences were observed in the HCC before and after the VF treatment. The progressive reduction of the studied parameters between following sessions, indicates an increase in associative learning through time. VF virtual fencing has proven to be an effective tool in managing Limousin cows at pasture. However, future research is needed to evaluate the animals’ performances in terms of grazing activities and on the assessment of chronic stress conditions as well

Keep Garfagnina alive. An integrated study on patterns of homozygosity, genomic inbreeding, admixture and breed traceability of the Italian Garfagnina goat breed

The objective of this study was to investigate the genetic diversity of the Garfagnina (GRF) goat, a breed that currently risks extinction. For this purpose, 48 goats were genotyped with the Illumina CaprineSNP50 BeadChip and analyzed together with 214 goats belonging to 9 other Italian breeds (~25 goats/breed), whose genotypes were available from the AdaptMap project [Argentata (ARG), Bionda dell'Adamello (BIO), Ciociara Grigia (CCG), Di Teramo (DIT), Garganica (GAR), Girgentana (GGT), Orobica (ORO), Valdostana (VAL) and Valpassiria (VSS)]. Comparative analyses were conducted on i) runs of homozygosity (ROH), ii) admixture ancestries and iii) the accuracy of breed traceability via discriminant analysis on principal components (DAPC) based on cross-validation. ROH analyses was used to assess the genetic diversity of GRF, while admixture and DAPC to evaluate its relationship to the other breeds. For GRF, common ROH (more than 45% in GRF samples) was detected on CHR 12 at, roughly 50.25-50.94Mbp (ARS1 assembly), which spans the CENPJ (centromere protein) and IL17D (interleukin 17D) genes. The same area of common ROH was also present in DIT, while a broader region (~49.25-51.94Mbp) was shared among the ARG, CCG, and GGT. Admixture analysis revealed a small region of common ancestry from GRF shared by BIO, VSS, ARG and CCG breeds. The DAPC model yielded 100% assignment success for GRF. Overall, our results support the identification of GRF as a distinct native Italian goat breed. This work can contribute to planning conservation programmes to save GRF from extinction and will improve the understanding of the socio-agro-economic factors related with the farming of GRF

Effect of two rearing systems on quality of Cinta Senese sausages

Submitted 2020-07-02 | Accepted 2020-09-04 | Available 2020-12-01https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2020.23.mi-fpap.124-131Meat and fat of 24 Cinta Senese pigs were used to produce frankfurter-type sausages. The animals were raised in two rearing systems: i) fenced area with concentrate as exclusive feed (C, n=12) and ii) wood/pasture fenced area and grazing on natural available resources (acorn and herbaceous pasture) (P, n=12). Physicochemical characteristics, fatty acid composition and sensory attributes of the frankfurter-type sausages were assessed. Both sausages from C and P groups showed high fat content (> 23%) likely due to the high level of intramuscular fat of Cinta Senese meat. Frankfurter-type sausages obtained from P group had higher percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids and lower percentage of saturated fatty acids than the C group, probably due to the availability of grazing resources during the fattening period. However, in both types of sausages, the polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids ratio was higher than the recommended lower limit of 0.40. Regarding the physical traits, differences between groups were found for the colour traits: P frankfurter-type sausages had lower lightness and higher redness and yellowness than C frankfurter-type sausages, likely due to the physical exercise associated to grazing activity of P animals. Texture parameters did not differ between groups for hardness and cohesiveness, whereas chewiness and springiness were higher in C than P samples. Feeding systems changed the perception of some sensorial properties, in particular taste and odour. Overall, Cinta Senese frankfurter-type sausages could represent an innovative product for local farms, allowing, in addition, the use of second-choice meat portions, once acquitted some improvements in the recipes.Keywords: frankfurter-type sausage, extensive farming, pasture, meat quality, pigReferencesAlirezalu, K. et al. (2019). Combined effect of natural antioxidants and antimicrobial compounds during refrigerated storage of nitrite-free frankfurter-type sausage. Food Research International, 120, 839–850. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2018.11.048Andrés, A. I. et al. (2001). Oxid stability and fatty acid composition of pig muscles as affected by rearing system, crossbreeding and metabolic type of muscle fibre. Meat Science, 59, 39–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0309-1740(01)00050-xAOAC. (2019). Official methods of analysis. 21th ed., Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Washington, DC, USA.Ayo, J. et al. (2007). Effect of total replacement of pork backfat with walnut on the nutritional profile of frankfurters. Meat Science, 77(2), 173–181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2007.02.026Cavestany, M. et al. (1994). Incorporation of sardine surimi in bologna sausage containing different fat levels. Meat Science, 38, 27–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/0309-1740(94)90093-0Daza, A. et al. (2009). Physical activity-induced alterations on tissue lipid composition and lipid metabolism in fattening pigs. Meat Science, 81, 641–646. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2008.11.001Dominguez, R. et al. (2017). Effect of the partial replacement of pork backfat by microencapsulated fish oil or mixed fish and olive oil on the quality of frankfurter type sausage. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 54, 26–37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-016-2405-7Estévez, M. et al. (2006). Extensively reared Iberian pigs versus intensively reared white pigs for the manufacture of frankfurters. Meat Science, 72, 356–364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2005.08.003Folch, J. et al. (1957). A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipides from animal tissues. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 226, 497–509.Font-i-Furnols, M. and Guerrero, L. (2014). Consumer preference, behaviour and perception about meat and meat products: An overview. Meat Science, 98, 361–371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2014.06.025Franci, O. et al. (2007). Performance of Cinta Senese pigs and their crosses with Large White 2. Physical, chemical and technological traits of Tuscan dry-cured ham. Meat Science, 76(4), 597–603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2007.01.020Monteiro, G. M. et al. (2017). Partial substitution of pork fat with canola oil in Toscana sausage. Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies, 44, 2–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2017.07.013Nilzén, V. et al. (2001). Free range rearing of pigs with access to pasture grazing – effect on fatty acid composition and lipid oxidation products. Meat Science, 58, 267–275. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0309-1740(00)00164-9Okuyama, H. and Ikemoto, A. (1999). Needs to modify the fatty acids composition of meat for human health. In: the Proccedings of the 45th ICoMST, Yokohama, Japan. Vol. II, 638–640.Parrini, S. et al. (2020). Effect of replacement of synthetic vs. Natural curing agents on quality characteristics of Cinta Senese frankfurter-type sausage. Animals, 10, 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10010014Pugliese, C. et al. (2005). Performance of Cinta Senese pigs reared outdoors and indoors. 1. Meat and subcutaneous fat characteristics. Meat Science, 69, 459–464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2004.09.001Pugliese, C. et al. (2009). Effect of pasture in oak and chestnut groves on chemical and sensorial traits of cured lard of Cinta Senese pigs. Italian Journal of Animal Science, 8(2), 131–142. https://doi.org/10.4081/ijas.2009.131Pugliese, C. and Sirtori, F. (2012). Quality of meat and meat products produced from southern European pig breeds. Meat Science, 90(3), 511–518. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2011.09.019Pugliese, C. et al. (2013). Quality of fresh and seasoned fat of Cinta Senese pigs as affected by fattening with chestnut. Meat Science, 93(1), 92–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2012.08.006Ranucci, D. et al. (2018). Frankfurters made with pork meat, emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum Schübler) and almonds nut (Prunus dulcis Mill.): evaluation during storage of a novel food from an ancient recipe. Meat Science, 145, 440–446. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2018.07.028SAS. (2007). SAS/STAT® 9.3 User’s Guide. SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC.Sirtori, F. et al. (2011). Effect of sire breed and rearing system on growth, carcass composition and meat traits of Cinta Senese crossbred pigs. 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Population Structure and Genetic Diversity of Italian Beef Breeds as a Tool for Planning Conservation and Selection Strategies

The aim was to investigate the population structure of eight beef breeds: three local Tuscan breeds under extinction, Calvana (CAL), Mucca Pisana (MUP), and Pontremolese (PON); three local unselected breeds reared in Sardinia, Sarda (SAR), Sardo Bruna (SAB), and Sardo Modicana (SAM); and two cosmopolitan breeds, Charolais (CHA) and Limousine (LIM), reared in the same regions. An effective population size ranges between 14.62 (PON) to 39.79 (SAM) in local breeds, 90.29 for CHA, and 135.65 for LIM. The average inbreeding coefficients were higher in Tuscan breeds (7.25%, 5.10%, and 3.64% for MUP, CAL, and PON, respectively) compared to the Sardinian breeds (1.23%, 1.66%, and 1.90% in SAB, SAM, and SAR, respectively), while for CHA and LIM they were <1%. The highest rates of mating between half-siblings were observed for CAL and MUP (~9% and 6.5%, respectively), while the highest rate of parent–offspring mating was ~8% for MUP. Our findings describe the urgent situation of the three Tuscan breeds and support the application of conservation measures and/or the development of breeding programs. Development of breeding strategies is suggested for the Sardinian breeds