59 research outputs found
When changing the hay makes a difference: A series of case reports
Dry hay (composed of grass, legumes, or a mixture of the two) provides the primary source of
alimentary fiber in stabled horses with limited access to fresh pasture. However, hay can also give rise
to health problems in the horse, depending on the quality and quantity of its components. Pathologies
may be rooted in biological problems, such as inadequate digestion disturbances, or reflect mechanical
difficulties – for example, due to the presence of sharp plant parts that irritate the oral mucosa, or due
to physical intake problems that inhibit consumption. Unwanted plants in the hay may cause stomatitis
and affect the oral mucosa, resulting in inappetence, hemorrhagic drooling, gingival hyperemia,
edema, and ulcerative lesions, as reported in case 1 of the present study. Horse dysphagia, defined as a
difficult in ingesting feed through the mouth and esophagus, is another important cause of malnutrition
in the horse, and identifying the site of its origin is important in order to provide practical advice for
nutritional management, as reported in case 2. Free fecal water syndrome (FFWS) is a condition where
the horse exhibits two-phase feces expulsion, with an initial solid phase followed by a liquid phase.
Although the etiology of FFWS is still unknown, hay quality seems to play a key role, as the outcome
of case 3 suggests. This case series highlights the importance of hay quality and of providing an
appropriate and adequate fiber intake. Moreover, good hay management becomes crucial when horses
are affected by contextual pathologies, such as stomatitis, dysphagia, or FFW
Maternal and Neonatal Behaviour in Italian Mediterranean Buffaloes
The aim of this study was to describe the neonatal and maternal behaviour of Italian Mediterranean buffaloes. Thirty primiparous buffaloes were moved into individual pens 12.5 (±2.5) days before
calving. Maternal and neonatal behaviours were recorded for 48 h after calving and the analysis was
performed in continuous sampling with the software BORIS. Calves’ clinical evaluations (temperature,
weight, and heart and respiratory rates) were performed at different time intervals and correlated with
behavioural data from the dam. Data were analysed with parametric and non-parametric methods after
controlling their distribution. The maternal behavioural pattern found highlighted buffaloes’ priorities
during the post-partum period: firstly, they stand and start grooming to ensure proper care for the calf; it
is only after this that they dedicate time to maintenance behaviours (feeding and lying). The dams mainly
groomed the calf during the first six hours after calving (average time in the 1–6-h interval: 7.7 ± 2.5 min.,
F = (2.5, 60.2) = 75.0; p < 0.001) to ensure the formation of the mother–infant bond; thereafter, the behaviour
decreased over time. As reported in the literature, inexperienced mothers could sometimes delay the
calf’s first suckling with aggressive or rejection behaviours. In this regard, 16 buffalo dams showed at
least one maternal rejection behaviour, which was found to negatively correlate with calves’ daily weight
gain (DWG) at 14 (rs = −0.5, p = 0.02) and 21 days (rs = −0.7, p < 0.001). The calves took on average
212.0 ± 110.0 min to suckle, and this behaviour was mainly shown during the first six hours. Overall,
suckling behaviour was correlated with standing: (rs = 0.6, p < 0.001) and walking (rs = 0.9, p < 0.001).
The calves’ live weight and DWG were consistently higher than the values reported in the literature.
Our results present a detailed description of maternal and neonatal behaviour in the early post-partum
period in Italian Mediterranean buffaloes. We also found that maternal rejection behaviours can negatively
influence the calves’ growth. Finally, we think that such results can improve the management of buffaloes
during the period around parturition
Effects of 00-rapeseed meal inclusion in Parmigiano Reggiano hay-based ration on dairy cows’ production, reticular pH and fibre digestibility
Hay-based diets are typically used in Parmigiano Reggiano cheese production. Parmigiano
Reggiano feeding regulation prohibits 00-rapeseed dietary inclusion. The objectives of this study
were to investigate the effects of substituting soybean-meal with different levels of 00-rapeseed-meal in dairy cows’ diets, to evaluate the possibility to include it in Parmigiano Reggiano
regulation. The study had a Latin square design with 8 tie stall dairy cows. The isoenergetic and
isoproteic dietary treatments differed in protein source (% of DM): S (0.0% 00-rapeseed-meal,
9.3% of soybean-meal), LR (3.8% 00-rapeseed-meal, 6.8% of soybean-meal), MR (8.5% 00-rapeseed-meal, 3.4% of soybean-meal), and HR (13.2% 00-rapeseed-meal, 0.0% of soybean-meal).
DMI, milk production and composition, rumination and reticular-pH were recorded daily. Dietary
fibre digestibility was evaluated by in vitro fermentation and milk gointrin content was quantified by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Statistical analysis was performed by
mixed model. Milk yield, protein and casein content increased for incremental 00-rapeseed-meal
dietary levels. MR treatment compared to the others resulted in higher daily reticular-pH (5.92),
and fewer minutes with pH below 5.8 (467) and 5.5 (72). Goitrin was detectable in milk when
00-rapeseed-meal was included in the diet. Overall, the inclusion of 00-rapeseed-meal in the
Parmigiano Reggiano type ratio did not compromise the performances of cows pointing to it as
a reliable substitute for soybean-meal. Our results suggest that 00-rapeseed-meal should be
tested in feeding studies to determine its effects on milk organoleptic characteristics and cheese
production and quality to see if it can be included in the Italian PDO cheese regulation
Combined Inclusion of Former Foodstuff and Distiller Grains in Dairy Cows Ration: Effect on Milk Production, Rumen Environment, and Fiber Digestibility
Simple Summary One-third of the global food produced for human consumption is wasted every year. This leads to the wasting of economic, environmental, and social resources. The reallocation of some unconventional agro-industrial by-products, such as former foods or distiller grains, into the animal feed chain, can contribute to increasing the sustainability of livestock production, reducing the need for natural resources such as arable soil, water, fertilisers, and fuels, and consequentially reduce the impact of animal requirements. Many agro-food industrial by-products are already used in animal feeding, but the potential of these feed ingredients has not yet been fully investigated, especially in ruminant nutrition. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the substitution, in dairy cow rations, of traditional protein and starch sources with more sustainable "circular" feeds to increase the sustainability of dairy production. For this purpose, eight multiparous mid-lactating cows were blocked and assigned to one of four treatments and were used in a replicated 4 x 4 Latin squares design with 21-days periods (14 days of adaptation and 7 of data collection). Two different circular feedstuffs were tested: a bakery's former foodstuff (FF) and a wheat distiller's grain with solubles (WDGS). These ingredients were used, alone and in combination, in three experimental diets (FF, WDGS; FF + WDGS) and compared to a standard ration (CTR). Dry matter intake and rumination time were not influenced by these diets. Conversely, dietary treatments partially influenced the milk yield, rumen pH, Volatile Fatty Acids (VFA) production, and fibre digestibility. In particular, the combined inclusion of FF and WDGS increased milk production (37.39 vs. 36.92, 35.48, 35.71 kg/day, for FF, WDGS and CTR diets, respectively) and reduced milk urea content (13.14 vs. 16.19, 15.58, 16.95 mg/dL for FF, WDGS, and CTR diets, respectively). No effects of this association were found in the milk composition, acetic and propionic production, and fibre digestibility. These results suggest that the association of former foodstuff and wheat distillers' grains could be safely included in dairy cow rations to increase the sustainability of cow nutrition and improve milk production without impairing animal health, dry matter intake, and fibre digestibility
Oxidative status of Marchigiana beef enriched in n-3 fatty acids and vitamin E, treated with a blend of oregano and rosemary essential oils
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of basal dietary supplementation with
linseed and linseed plus vitamin E in Marchigiana young bulls on the instrumental color,
oxidative stability, and fatty acid composition of beef steaks with and without treatment
with a blend of essential oils (oregano and rosemary) after storage times of 0, 3, 6,
and 9 days. The fatty acid composition was evaluated in meat after 0 and 9 days of
storage. No variation in the fatty acid composition of each type of meat was observed
after storage. The use of dietary linseed and vitamin E, compared with linseed alone,
significantly improved the oxidative stability, lightness (L∗), and redness (a∗) of the meat.
A higher degree of oxidation was observed in meat samples from animals in the group
fed linseed (L) followed by the control group (C) and the group fed linseed and vitamin E
(LE). Moreover, the essential oils treatment (O) exerts a significant effect on beef oxidative
stability of the group LE more than groups C and L during storage. The fatty acid
composition of the meat was also affected by the diet: levels of healthful fatty acids
(PUFA, n-3 PUFA, and CLA) were higher in meat from the groups that received linseed
than the control group. Our results suggest that dietary vitamin E and treatment with
essential oils are effective approaches to preserving the stability of beef cattle receiving
a diet enriched in unsaturated fatty acids for up to 9 days of storage
effects of three different diets on the fatty acid profile and sensory properties of fresh pecorino cheese primo sale
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Contrasting effects of water salinity and ozone concentration on two cultivars of durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) in Mediterranean conditions
This paper reports the results of an Open-Top Chambers experiment on the responses of two durum wheat
cultivars (Neodur and Virgilio) exposed to two different levels of ozone (charcoal-filtered air and ozoneenriched
air) and irrigation water salinity (tap water as control and a 75 mM NaCl solution once a week).
The stomatal conductance of the flag leaves was measured on four dates during May. Flag leaf samples
were collected to detect ozone visible leaf injuries. At the end of the growing season, the yield/biomass
and grain quality parameters were assessed. Saline irrigation caused significant reductions in gs, yield
and grain quality in Neodur, while Virgilio was more tolerant. The yield response to ozone was almost
negligible, with Virgilio, despite the higher susceptibility to visible leaf injuries, being more productive
than Neodur.
The responses to the combined stress were not consistent, with the main tendencies undoubtedly
driven by the saline irrigation factor
Il controllo del bilancio energetico per il contenimento delle patologie mammarie nella bovina ad inizio lattazione
Il bilancio fra la quantità di energia apportata dalla razionee fabbisogni di produzione è di fondamentale importanza per prevenire l’insorgenza di numerosi eventi morbosi che minano la salute ed il benessere della bovina da latte.Le tecniche più diffuse di razionamento solo di rado soddisfano questa esigenza: più di frequente, all’interno dello stesso allevamento, si hanno animali per i quali gli apportisono eccedenti, oppure inferiori rispetto alle necessità di mantenimento e di produzione. Nel primo caso l’energia viene accumulata di preferenza nel tessuto adiposo e la bovinarecupera peso e condizione corporea; nella seconda evenienza le riserve sono mobilitate anche con intensità e, nei casi estremi, la stessa sopravvivenza può essere messa in pericolo. [...
Analysis of Digestibility, Glycemic Index and Gut Microbiota in Vitro Activity in Different Formulations of Complete Dog Dry Food
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