The introduction of sexually active bucks at different moments of the oestrous cycle does not modify the NEFAs or the IGF-1 concentrations

Non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) and Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1) concentrations are modified after the induction of a "male effect". The present study examined the effect of the introduction of males into a group of females that were previously isolated from males, during different phases of the sexual cycle, to determine the changes to the NEFAs and IGF-1 concentrations. Sixty-four does were divided into six groups. The males were introduced with the females at different points after sponge removal. Introduction was carried out 48 h (n=10, Group 48H), 72 h (n=12, Group 72H), 4 days (n=10, Group 4 D), 13 days (n=10, Group 13 D) or 18 days after sponge removal (n=10, Group 18 D), and a control group was implemented that had no contact with males (n=12, Control Group). Plasma samples were taken every day to determine daily progesterone (P4) and NEFAs concentrations, and every second day for IGF-1 determination. No effects from the experimental groups were observed on the mean NEFAs or IGF-1 concentrations (p>.05). No differences between the time before male introduction and after male introduction were observed on the NEFAs concentrations (p>.05) or IGF-1 concentrations (p>.05). On the whole, only differences were observed in the NEFAs concentrations between the follicular and the luteal phases (9.48 ± 0.38 vs 8.15 ± 0.15mg/dL for follicular and luteal phases, respectively, p<.01). The results of the present experiment demonstrated that the introduction of sexually active males at different moments of the oestrous cycle does not modify the NEFAs or the IGF-1 concentrations.This study was funded by Grant [AGL2016-75848-R] from MINECO-AEI-FEDER (Spain)

Using dried orange pulp in the diet of dairy goats: effects on milk yield and composition and blood parameters of dams and growth performance and carcass quality of kids

Although dried orange pulp (DOP) may conveniently replace cereals in ruminant diets, few studies have considered similar diet substitution for goats. We hypothesised that DOP could replace cereal-based concentrate in goat diets without detrimental effects on growth performance and carcass quality of suckling kids and milk performance and blood biochemical parameters of dams in early lactation. We also hypothesised that DOP substitution may increase the levels of antioxidants, such as phenolic compounds and vitamin E, in milk and improve its total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Therefore, 44 primiparous Payoya dairy goats were allocated to three experimental groups, each fed a different diet: control (CD, n = 14) based on a commercial concentrate with alfalfa hay as forage; and DOP40 (n = 16) in which 40% and DOP80 (n = 14) in which 80% of the cereal in the concentrate were replaced by DOP. The experiment lasted from the final month of pregnancy to 55 days postpartum. The DOP diets did not affect suckling kids’ carcass quality, but at 28 days, led to improvement in live weight (LW) and average daily gain (ADG) from birth, although no differences were found between DOP40 and DOP80 (for CD, DOP40 and DOP80, LW at 28 days was 8.00, 8.58 and 8.34 kg and ADG was 184, 199 and 195 g/day, respectively). Diet had no significant effect on milk yield (average daily milk yield and total yield at 55 days were 1.66 l/day and 90.6 l, respectively) and commercial and fatty acid composition. Nevertheless, α-tocopherol, total phenolic compound (TPC) and TAC concentration in milk increased with substitution of cereals by DOP (for CD, DOP40 and DOP80, concentration of α-tocopherol was 21.7, 32.8 and 42.3 μg/100 g, TPCs was 63.5, 84.1 and 102 mg gallic acid equivalents/l, and TAC was 6.63, 11.1 and 12.8 μmol Trolox equivalents/ml, respectively). Every plasma biochemistry parameter considered was within reference values for healthy goats; therefore, no pathological effect was detected for these variables due to dietary treatment. However, DOP diets caused a reduction in plasmatic creatine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase, implying reduced oxidative damage to muscles. In conclusion, DOP may be an interesting alternative to cereals in early lactation goat diets for increasing farmers’ income and the healthy antioxidant capacity of milk

Supplementing the Diet of Dairy Goats with Dried Orange Pulp throughout Lactation: II Effect on Milk Fatty Acids Profile, Phenolic Compounds, Fat-Soluble Vitamins and Antioxidant Capacity

Although dried orange pulp (DOP) as a short-term dietary supplementation has been proven an effective substitute for cereals in goat diets–without impairing milk quality–there have been no studies considering its use over the full lactation period. This study evaluated replacing cereal with DOP in goat diets for the full 180-day lactation period on milk’s fatty acid (FA) and antioxidant composition. Payoya goats were assigned to three diet groups: a control group consuming a commercial concentrate with alfalfa hay as forage; a DOP40 or DOP80 group, wherein 40% or 80% of the cereal in the concentrate was replaced by DOP. The -tocopherol and phenolic compounds levels and the antioxidant capacity in the milk increased as the DOP percentage increased. Including DOP might improve the FA indices of milk in the context of human health, especially when included at the end of lactation because it contributes to reducing the thrombogenicity index and increasing both the monounsaturated/saturated FA and polyunsaturated/saturated FA indices and the amounts of indispensables -C18:3 n-3 and C18:2 n-6 cis. Ultimately, DOP presents a plausible alternative to cereals in the diet of goats throughout lactation to improve the nutritional milk quality, especially the healthy antioxidant capacity.Excma. Diputación Provincial de Huelva, Spain and the University of Huelva entitled “Aprovechamiento de Subproductos de las Empresas Agroalimentarias para Alimentación del Ganado”

The Use of Concentrates Rich in Orange By-Products in Goat Feed and Its Effects on Physico-Chemical, Textural, Fatty Acids, Volatile Compounds and Sensory Characteristics of the Meat of Suckling Kids

We analysed how replacing cereal concentrates with dehydrated orange pulp (DOP) in the diet of mother goats affects the meat quality of suckling kids. Three experimental diets for mother goats were designed. The DOP-0 diet contained commercial concentrates and alfalfa hay. In the DOP-40 and DOP-80 diets, 40% and 80% (respectively) of the cereal in the concentrate was replaced with pellets of DOP (the alfalfa hay component was unchanged). We evaluated the chemical composition, texture, water holding capacity, colour, fatty acids (FAs) profile, volatile compounds, and sensorial appraisal of the meat from 30 male suckling kids (cold carcass weight 4.74 kg, 4.82 kg, and 4.65 kg for DOP-0, DOP-40, and DOP-80, respectively) of the Payoya breed (n = 10 for each diet). Meat from kids in the DOP-40 and DOP-80 groups exhibited characteristics favourable for human health, including the meat’s thrombogenicity index, PUFA/SFA ratio (0.60 index), and n-6 PUFA/n-3 PUFA ratio (approximately 7.50). The meat also exhibited reduced MUFA content (around 460 mg/100 g fresh meat). An increase in ethyl furan, dimethyl disulphide and heptane was observed in grilled meat from goats that were fed using DOP. The inclusion of DOP in goat feed improved consumers’ sensory appreciation of the kid’s meat

The use of photoperiod-treated bucks to induce a “male effect” does not compensate for the negative effects of nutritional restriction of the females in Mediterranean goats

This work examined the effect of acute nutritional restriction or supplementation one week before male introduction on the reproductive performances of the “male effect” when using photostimulated or control males in goats. On 22 March, 84 anoestrous does were placed with photostimulated bucks or with bucks which had received no treatments. One week before male introduction, the females were provided with different nutritional regimes: Supplemented, restricted or control females. The non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) and Insulin Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) concentrations were measured in the same samples. Fecundity, fertility, prolificacy and productivity were also determined. No interaction between both sources of variation was observed in any of the reproductive variables studied. Treatment of the bucks increased the percentage of females expressing behavioural oestrous associated with ovulation (71% vs 90% for Natural and Photo groups, respectively, P < 0.05). The Supplemented females showed higher ovulation rate than Restricted females (1.77 ± 0.13 vs 1.05 ± 0.05, P < 0.001), fecundity (71% vs 43%, P < 0.05); fertility (76% vs 29%, P < 0.05) and productivity (1.00 ± 0.15 vs 0.29 ± 0.11 kids per female, P < 0.01). In the Supplemented females, the higher reproductive results could be due to the lower NEFAs and higher IGF-1 concentrations at ovulation and at the time of oestrus compared to the Restricted females. Thus, the present experiment results demonstrate that nutrition is an important factor in the response to the “male effect” at Mediterranean latitudes, and its negative effect cannot be counterbalanced by using photostimulated bucks.This study was funded by Grant AGL2016-75848-R from MINECO- AEI-FEDER (Spain).The authors wish to thank the farm staff of Huelva University for their technical support. Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Huelva/CBUA

Fatty acid composition of muscle and internal fat depots of organic and conventional Payoya goat kids

Interest in the preservation of autochthonous breeds such as the Payoya goat (dairy breed), raised using extensive or semi-extensive grazing, has also recently increased among Spanish farmers. A study of the possibilities of transformation to organic production needs to analyze the quality of their products, specially the suckled kids. The objective of this study was to evaluate the fatty acid (FA) composition of Payoya goat kids under organic and conventional grazing�based management system. Forty-eight goat kids were selected (12 males and 12 females from each management system). The FA profile was determined in the Longissimus thoracis muscle, kidney and pelvic fat. Few gender differences were observed in the muscle and in the fat depots. The ratios of C14:0, C18:1 trans-11-(VA), and several n-3 FA were higher in organic kid meat than in conventionally reared kid meat. Conventional kid fat depots have presented higher percentage of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), lower CLA desaturase index, lower percentage of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty-acid (PUFA) and, consequently, higher n6:n3 PUFA ratio than organic kids. In conclusion, significant differences were found only in some FA percentages of muscle and adipose tissues of suckling kids raised in organic and conventional livestock production systems, probably due because the dams, in both experimental farms, were raised with similar semi-extensive system based on the grazing of natural pastures. Due to this reason, conventional grazing�based management farms could easily be transformed into organic production facilities

Artificial long days in addition to exogenous melatonin and daily contact with bucks stimulate the ovarian and oestrous activity in Mediterranean goat females

One experiment was conducted to determine whether the treatment with artificial long days and exogenous melatonin can induce reproductive activity during spring (seasonal anoestrus) in Mediterranean goats that are in daily contact with bucks and whether this treatment causes a variation in the reactivation of the reproductive activity in the normal breeding season. The experiment started on 4 November 2005 and finished on 27 October 2006. Thirty-four adult and barren does were used, distributed into two groups balanced according to their live weight (LW) and body condition score (BCS). Seventeen females were exposed to long days (16 h of light/day) from 14 November 2005 to 20 February 2006. On 20 February, they received one s.c. melatonin implant (LD-M group) and were exposed to natural photoperiodic changes in an open shed. The other females during the experiment were placed in an open shed under natural photoperiod and remained as the control group (C group). The C and LD-M groups were keeping in contact with males during the whole experiment. During the experiment, the LW, BCS and plasma progesterone concentrations were measured weekly, oestrous activity was tested daily using entire aproned bucks, and ovulation rate was evaluated by laparoscopy 7 days after positive identification of the oestrus. A clear treatment–time interaction was observed for plasma progesterone concentrations ( P,0.001), with a period of high progesterone concentrations during the natural seasonal anoestrus in the LD-M group. Although 94.1% of females in the LD-M group presented ovarian activity during this period, no female in group C did. Resumption of ovarian activity in the subsequent natural breeding season was 2 weeks later in the LD-M group in comparison with group C ( P,0.05). We can conclude that in Mediterranean goat breeding systems, when females are in daily contact with bucks, the treatment with 3 months of long days and melatonin implant at the end of the light photoperiodic treatment can induce ovarian and oestrous activity during the seasonal anoestrus. Finally, this treatment causes a short delay in the subsequent reactivation of ovarian activity in the natural breeding season

Exogenous melatonin does not improve the freezability of Blanca Andaluza goat semen over exposure to two months of short days

This paper compares the effects of exposure to exogenous melatonin (MEL), short days (SD, 8 h of light) and long days (LD, 16 h of light), on reproductive activity, sperm motility and other reproductive variables, in Blanca Andaluza bucks. Fourteen males were spilt into two groups of seven animals (G1 and G2). They were subjected to five alternations of 2 months of LD followed by 2 months of SD or MEL before the experimental period of three consecutive intervals of: (1) 2 months of SD (G1, N = 7) or MEL (G2, N = 7); (2) 2 months of LD (G1 + G2, N = 14); and (3) 2 months of SD (G2, N = 7) or MEL (G1, N = 7). Plasma testosterone concentration, live weight, testicular weight and fresh semen quality were determined weekly. Semen was also cooled and frozen–thawed every fortnight, and the same quality variables measured as for fresh sperm. When the bucks were under LD treatment, the testosterone concentration was lower than when under MEL or SD treatment (P < 0.01); values for the semen concentration and total number of sperm per ejaculate were also higher (P < 0.001). No differences were observed between the MEL and SD treatments in terms of fresh, cooled or frozen–thawed sperm quality. Only some quality variables on fresh semen were improved by MEL and SD treatment (P < 0.05). In conclusion the results of the present experiment showed that MEL improved the fresh semen motility variables, but this did not improve the motility of frozen–thawed sperm over that recorded for either SD or LD treatment

Organic and conventional dairy goat production systems in Andalusian mountainous areas

Organic goat production is poorly developed in Spain. Conventional dairy goat production systems located in Andalusian mountainous areas greatly depend on pasturing which implies that its transformation to organic model is not difficult. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the viability of organic dairy goat farms –as compared to conventional–, and to study the possibilities of transitioning from conventional to organic goat production. This study was carried out in 2006 in Sierra de Cádiz (Andalusia) with the autochthonous breed Payoya. To monitor technico-economic aspects of goat farms, FAO-CIHEAM method was implemented. Results indicate that organic farms are economically viable, due mainly to low costs of external feeds and income from European Union subsidies. For transitioning from conventional to organic dairy goat production a reduction of consumption of concentrates per animal and per year and/or cultivate grain on the farm are necessary.La production caprine biologique est encore peu développée en Espagne. Les systèmes caprins laitiers dans les zones de montagne de l’Andalousie disposent de grandes surfaces pour le pâturage, et, par conséquent, il est assez facile de transformer ces systèmes en systèmes biologiques. L’objectif de ce travail est d’évaluer la viabilité des systèmes caprins biologiques par rapport aux systèmes caprins conventionnels et d’étudier les possibilités de conversion des systèmes conventionnels en systèmes biologiques. L’étude a été réalisée en 2006 dans la Sierra de Cádiz (Andalousie) avec une race autochtone (Payoya). On a utilisé la méthodologie FAO-CIHEAM pour le suivi technico-économique des exploitations caprines. Les résultats montrent que les systèmes biologiques sont économiquement viables compte tenu surtout des moindres coûts alimentaires par rapport aux systèmes conventionnels et des aides de l’Union Européenne. Pour réussir la transformation des systèmes laitiers caprins conventionnels en systèmes biologiques, il faut réduire l’apport de concentrés et essayer de les produire dans l’exploitation.Junta Andalucí

Supplementing the Diet of Dairy Goats with Dried Orange Pulp throughout Lactation: I. Effect on Milk Performance, Nutrient Utilisation, Blood Parameters and Production Economics

Dried orange pulp (DOP) can be incorporated into ruminant diets, but no reports have considered this strategy during the entire lactation period in goats. Two experiments were performed using lactating Payoya goats. In experiment 1, to study the effect, over 180 days, of DOP on milk yield and composition, blood metabolites and economic values, 44 primiparous goats were allocated into three groups: control diet (concentrate plus lucerne) and DOP40 and DOP80 diets, in which DOP replaced 40% and 80%, respectively, of the cereals. Nutrient digestibility and rumen fermentation were also studied (experiment 2). The DOP diets did not affect milk yield and composition. DOP triggered lower intake and digestibility of ether extract and crude protein. Ruminal fermentation was unaffected by DOP, except for a decrease in butyrate for DOP80. The energy balance was unaltered by diet while the balance and retention of nitrogen decreased. Regarding plasma biochemistry, DOP supplementation caused changes that could indicate an improvement in hepatic function and reduced muscular damage and oxidative muscular stress. Moreover, DOP80 provided a profit increase of EUR 3.27/goat. In conclusion, the partial replacement of cereals by DOP is a profitable and healthy nutritional strategy in dairy goats and is suitable for the entire lactation period without compromising productivity.The authors are grateful to Excma. Diputaci ón Provincial de Huelva (Spain) for their financial support, Cítricos del Andévalo, S.A. (García Carrión) for supplying pellets of dehydrated orange pulp and OVIPOR, Soc. Coop. for their contribution to the preparation of diets. The authors wish to thank the farm staff of Huelva University for their technical support and the Servicio General de Investigaci ón Agraria (Universidad de Sevilla, Spain) for technical assistance with laboratory analysi