Estudio Técnico-económico de la conversión a la producción ecológica del ganado ovino de leche

La conversión de dos ganaderías de ovino de leche con razas autóctonas a la producción ecológica, produjo una reducción de producción que se compensó con ajustes en los gastos productivos, aunque el peso de las inversiones necesarias para la adaptación supuso una pérdida de renta importante. Se encontraron tratamientos alternativos para resolver problemas sanitarios y reproductivos que aparecen al ajustar las explotaciones a las normas de producción certificada

Production, Processing, Commercialization and Analysis of Costumer Preferences of Sheep Cheese in Chile

The constant increase in the demand for dairy products and their derivatives has generated a higher consumption of dairy products (113.5 t/year). Chile has not been the exception; in 2017, it presented an average per capita consumption of 11.1 kg of cheese, making it the largest consumer in Latin America, followed by Argentina (7.5 kg) and Uruguay (5 kg). Although Chile does not have a strong tradition of consuming sheep’s milk cheese compared with other (European) countries, in recent years, there have been changes in the demands and expectations of cheese consumers, who demand higher quality and a wider range of varieties, thus establishing the potential for further products to enter the market. The global cheese industry has taken charge of these trends through the phenomenon of granting a premium value to certain products, adding new ingredients and flavors, producing limited editions of certain products, favoring traditional recipes and craft methods, and highlighting specific localities of origin. Given a greater appreciation for and popularity of locally produced cheeses and value-added products, particularly those with the highly valued “Designation of Origin” label, this would offer a potential for expansion in the Chilean market

Assessment of Sustainability of Dairy Sheep Farms in Castilla y León (Spain) Based on the MESMIS Method

A livestock system is a productive unit, but in addition, if it pursues an optimal use of natural resources, it can increase overall sustainability. In order to evaluate the fulfillment of this objective, it is necessary to carry out a diagnosis of the system to describe and evaluate its degree of sustainability. One methodological option for this diagnosis is the construction of sustainability indicators. The MESMIS method is a methodological tool that analyses the interrelations between the results of the environmental, social and economic dimensions through a battery of indicators. The aim of this work is to assess the sustainability, using the MESMIS methodology, of different management systems of a sample of dairy sheep farms in Castilla y León (Spain). In general, the semi-extensive group obtained the highest overall score (8.40), and the intensive group achieved the highest volume of productivity. In conclusion, semi-extensive systems were more sustainable than intensive or semi-intensive systems in all attributes, especially those related to stability, adaptability and equity

Prácticas de campo colaborativas en el área de producción animal

Memoria ID-041. Ayudas de la Universidad de Salamanca para la innovación docente, curso 2019-2020

Estudio técnico-económico de la conversión a la producción ecológica del ganado ovino de leche = Technical and economic study of conversion to organic production of sheep milk

268 p.Esta tesis doctoral tiene como objetivo estudiar las consecuencias técnicas y económicas de la conversión de las explotaciones de ganado ovino a la producción ecológica. La producción ecológica es una alternativa a la producción convencional, vinculada al respeto del medio ambiente y a la armonía de las producciones con el suelo y producción vegetal del entorno donde se realizan las actividades ganaderas. Actualmente, existe un aumento de las producciones ganaderas con certificación ecológica en España, siendo, en el 2008, el país de la Unión Europea con más hectáreas certificadas y número de operadores ecológicos. El planteamiento esta tesis consistió en realizar una monitorización de dos ganaderías de ovino de leche localizadas en la comarca zamorana de Sayago. El trabajo que se desarrolló a lo largo de cuatro años, incluyó su proceso de conversión al reglamento ecológico durante los dos primeros, 2003-2004, y otros dos más, 2005-2006, con la certificación ecológica. El objetivo final era identificar los aspectos técnicos y económicos que concurren en la reconversión de las ganaderías, así como el establecimiento de una base de conocimientos sobre las producciones ecológicas en la especie ovina de leche, que puedan ser extendidos a otras ganaderías que se propongan realizar dicha conversión

Evolution and predicted functions of the microbiota of the medium-slow growing chicken during the first 4 weeks of chick development

13 páginas, 6 figuras, 2 tablasChicken gut microbiota–host interactions play essential roles in the productivity and health of chickens. Deciphering the microbial composition and its functions are crucial for understanding the roles of gut microbiota within chickens. Although there are some research studies focusing on different chicken microbiota, none of them have considered medium-slow growing chicken as a model host. Here, the microbial composition of the faeces of medium-slow growing chicken, grown in an organic farming system, has been elucidated through 16S rRNA gene amplicon-based metagenomics. We found a diverse microbiota that does not present major shifts during the first 4 weeks of the animal's life, although the abundance of only 2 OTUs (Lactobacillus and Bacteroides) increase during this time. Lactobacillus appear to govern the bacterial composition, followed distantly by Clostridiales (mainly Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus and unidentified genera from the families Peptostreptococaceae and Ruminococcaceae) and Bacteroidales (Bacteroides and Parabacteroides). The roles of Redbro faeces microbiota have been revealed through in silico functional predictions. We found that Lactobacillus members may play relevant roles within its host and seem to highly influence the metabolism of fructose and mannose among other relevant functions.The authors would like to acknowledge the students, teachers and governing board of Alfonso IX High School in Zamora (Spain) for their participation in this project, with special thanks to Clodomiro Seco Muñoz, the coordinator of the collaboration. They also thank the farm El Espolon who supplied the animals and chicken feed, and especially Jorge González. Zaki Saati-Santamaría is the recipient of a Postdoctoral fellowship obtained from Regional Government of Castilla and Leon and the European Social Fund. Paula García-Fraile and Zaki Saati-Santamaría would like to acknowledge the Regional Government of Castilla and Leon for funding the project Escalera de Excelencia (CLU-2018-04) and for co-funding the facilities needed for carrying out this study (P.O. FEDER of Castilla and Leon 2014-2020). They would also like to thank Emma J. Keck for English language editionPeer reviewe

Effect of rearing autumn-born ram-lambs in contact with sexual-active adult rams or exposed to artificial long days. 1. Effect on live weight, scrotal circumference and plasma testosterone levels

International audienc

Determination of the Mineral Composition and Toxic Element Contents of Propolis by Near Infrared Spectroscopy

The potential of near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) with remote reflectance fiber-optic probes for determining the mineral composition of propolis was evaluated. This technology allows direct measurements without prior sample treatment. Ninety one samples of propolis were collected in Chile (Bio-Bio region) and Spain (Castilla-León and Galicia regions). The minerals measured were aluminum, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and some potentially toxic trace elements such as zinc, chromium, nickel, copper and lead. The modified partial least squares (MPLS) regression method was used to develop the NIR calibration model. The determination coefficient (R2) and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) obtained for aluminum (0.79, 53), calcium (0.83, 94), iron (0.69, 134) potassium (0.95, 117), magnesium (0.70, 99), phosphorus (0.94, 24) zinc (0.87, 10) chromium (0.48, 0.6) nickel (0.52, 0.7) copper (0.64, 0.9) and lead (0.70, 2) in ppm. The results demonstrated that the capacity for prediction can be considered good for wide ranges of potassium, phosphorus and zinc concentrations, and acceptable for aluminum, calcium, magnesium, iron and lead. This indicated that the NIR method is comparable to chemical methods. The method is of interest in the rapid prediction of potentially toxic elements in propolis before consumption

Estudio comparativo entre el cultivo convencional y ecológico de trigo para alimentación animal

El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar las diferencias en el rendimiento productivo y el valor nutritivo entre el cultivo ecológico y convencional de trigo invernal para su utilización en alimentación animal. La producción de forraje fue determinada en el mes de mayo de tres años consecutivos y la producción de paja y grano se determinó en el mes de julio de los dos primeros años. Las muestras fueron secadas para determinar su composición química y su digestibilidad in vitro. Adicionalmente, 500 mg de cada muestra fueron incubados con 50 mL de líquido ruminal tamponado a 39°C. En estas incubaciones se midió la producción de gas a diferentes tiempos para estimar la cinética de fermentación y se analizaron los parámetros de fermentación tras 24 horas de incubación. La producción de forraje, grano y paja fue mayor en las parcelas convencionales que en las ecológicas. El contenido en proteína bruta fue más bajo en el cultivo ecológico que en el convencional, tanto para el forraje como para el grano. La digestibilidad in vitro fue similar para los dos tipos de cultivo y no existieron diferencias en la cinética de degradación ni en la producción de ácidos grasos volátiles. Los resultados indican que el cultivo ecológico provocó una disminución de la producción y en el contenido de proteína en el forraje y en los granos de trigo, pero no se observaron efectos en la degradación ruminal. Estos resultados indican que el sistema de cultivo del trigo afecta a su composición química y por ello debe realizarse una valoración previa del mismo cuando se utilice para alimentación animal.The objective of this study was to assess the differences in yield and nutritive value of organically and conventionally grown wheat crops as animal feeds. Forage yield was determined in May in three consecutive years and straw and grain yield was determined in July in the two first years. Samples were dried to determine their chemical composition and in vitro digestibility. Additionally, 500 mg of each sample were incubated with 50 mL of buffered rumen fluid at 39°C to estimate rumen fermentation kinetics and fermentation parameters after 24 hours. Forage, grain and straw yield was greater in conventionally grown crops than in organic ones. Crude protein content was lower in organically grown wheat, both for the forage or the grain. In vitro digestibility was similar in both types of cultures and there were no differences in degradation kinetics parameters or volatile fatty acids production. Results indicate that organic cultivation lead to a decrease in yield and crude protein content in forage and wheat grain, but there were no differences in their ruminal degradation. These results indicate that cultivation system affects chemical composition of wheat and, therefore, it is necessary to assess the nutritive value of organically grown cereals intended for animal feeding

Retrospective Study of Production and Commercialization of Sheep Wool from Mexico

The purpose of this chapter is to provide information on wool production from Mexico in a period from 1980 to 2019, addressing some of the problems faced by the wool market over time. An analysis of variables such as national production of wool, cost of kg of wool, import and export of wool was performed with the aim of having a complete picture of the situation in Mexico. Also, the production of Mexico was compared with that of other countries that occupy the first places in wool production and quality, to have a starting point and propose improvement scenarios for the production of Mexican wool production. Overall, wool production in Mexico cannot cover the national demand, having to resort to the import of this product. The use of native resources of the region, such as the “Chiapas sheep breed” allows the development and maintenance of traditional ancestral culture, such as the Tzotzil, and the manufacture of handicrafts typical of each of the regions of Mexico. However, the management of long-term programs through the inclusion of dual-purpose breeds, wool, and meat can be a viable alternative for the development of the wool industry in Mexico