Animal Farm Research Articles

Empowering Veterinary Herd Health Management: Insights into Education, Implementation, and Regulation Across Europe

In recent years, integrated veterinary herd health management (VHHM), improving animal health, welfare, food safety, public health, farm management, and economics, has become ever-more important in the European Union due to structural and regulatory advancements. A mixed-methods study analyzed the current state and gaps in VHHM education and training across Europe. Data from 41 European veterinary institutions showed that 83% (n = 34/41) offered VHHM education, either as standalone courses and/or integrated into other subjects. An online survey for veterinarians, primarily working with cattle, poultry, pigs, and small ruminants (75%; n = 86/114), assessed perceived training knowledge gaps and needs. The majority of respondents were unaware of VHHM training programs (69.4%, n = 43/62) or projects (59.6%, n = 59/99) and reported the biggest gaps in VHHM training certification (14%, n = 7/49), followed by soft skills (12%, n = 6/52) and demonstrating VHHM benefits to their clients (9%, n = 5/53). To conclude, while undergraduate VHHM education was generally adequate, enhancing post-graduate certified multi-species training opportunities, incl. soft skills VHHM training were perceived as essential. Our findings also underscored the urgent need for robust economic evaluations of preventive strategies across various animal species to allow veterinarians to better demonstrate VHHM’s direct and indirect benefits to farmers.

From text to allegory: ideological turns in Shamel Abatha’s translation of Animal Farm in the socio-political context of Egypt’s Pre-Arab Spring

ABSTRACT The influence of ideology on the process of translation has been one of the most controversial debates among scholars and translators who may undergo multiple challenges due to certain ideological demands, whether they be political, cultural or religious. In the Arab world, the socio-political scene has been dominated by ideological shifts since the outbreak of the Arab Spring. These shifts have influenced Arab scholars and translators in many possible ways, one of which is the reproduction of incisive narratives that not only account for the causes and effects of revolutions that swept different regions in the Arab world but also provoke political reform. In this vein, this article investigates Shamel Abatha’s translation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm (1945) to Arabic. It specifically explores Abatha’s political orientations which result in daring textual manipulations of Orwell’s text before the Arab Spring in Egypt in 2011. Following Mona Baker’s narrative theory, the article demonstrates how Abatha’s target text turns into a socio-political national allegory that embodies critical ideological implications. The corpus consists of selected comparisons between Orwell’s Animal Farm and Abatha’s مزرعة الحيوانات [mazraat alḥywānāt] (2009) to show how translation strategies expound the impact of the latter’s political environment on his translation.

Research on the Behavior Recognition of Beef Cattle Based on the Improved Lightweight CBR-YOLO Model Based on YOLOv8 in Multi-Scene Weather.

In modern animal husbandry, intelligent digital farming has become the key to improve production efficiency. This paper introduces a model based on improved YOLOv8, Cattle Behavior Recognition-YOLO (CBR-YOLO), which aims to accurately identify the behavior of cattle. We not only generate a variety of weather conditions, but also introduce multi-target detection technology to achieve comprehensive monitoring of cattle and their status. We introduce Inner-MPDIoU Loss and we have innovatively designed the Multi-Convolutional Focused Pyramid module to explore and learn in depth the detailed features of cattle in different states. Meanwhile, the Lightweight Multi-Scale Feature Fusion Detection Head module is proposed to take advantage of deep convolution, achieving a lightweight network architecture and effectively reducing redundant information. Experimental results prove that our method achieves an average accuracy of 90.2% with a reduction of 3.9 G floating-point numbers, an increase of 7.4%, significantly better than 12 kinds of SOTA object detection models. By deploying our approach on monitoring computers on farms, we expect to advance the development of automated cattle monitoring systems to improve animal welfare and farm management.

Irresponsibility in the Exercise of Political Power: A Marxist Analysis of Animal Farm

Irresponsibility is the quality of not being trustworthy or dependable. In political arena, it has more to do with the traits of a leader who lacks a sense of responsibility and does not feel accountable for their actions. Indeed, irresponsibility in politics leads mostly to the abuse of power, that is, the misuse of a position of power to take unjust advantage of individuals, organizations, or governments. What is irresponsibility and how is it depicted in Animal Farm? Who are the characters involved in the misuse of political power in Animal Farm? How is this power used abusively and what are the consequences of it? These are the questions that this paper analyses through the lenses of the Marxist criticism and proposes clues of good conduct for the benefit of society.

An Analysis of Narrative Relationships in Animal Farm

The purpose of this paper is to explore in depth the narrative relationships in George Orwell's classic work Animal Farm. By analyzing the novel's narrative structure, character setting, plot development, theme and symbolism, as well as narrative technique and language style from multiple perspectives, it reveals the profound political and social allegory behind the work, analyses the methods of global analyze and micro analyze in the novel, further analyses the novel's writing characteristics, and discusses the wonderful use of these coherent relationships and rhetorical techniques in the novel. An analysis of the narrative relationships in Animal Farm not only reveals the profound political and social allegory of the work, but also demonstrates author George Orwell's remarkable literary talent and profound insight. By analysing various aspects of narrative structure, character setting, plot development, theme and symbolism, as well as narrative technique and language style, this paper provides readers with a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of Animal Farm.

From Utopia to Dystopia: The Cyclical Nature of Power in Orwell’s Animal Farm

This article explores the cyclical nature of power as depicted in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, focusing on the progression from utopia to dystopia. Initially a critique of the Russian Revolution and Stalinist Russia, Orwell’s novella illustrates the corrupting influence of centralized authority and the betrayal of revolutionary ideals. Through the characters of Napoleon and Snowball, Orwell reflects the historical figures of Stalin and Trotsky, showing how revolutions driven by ideals of equality often devolve into new forms of tyranny. The article examines Orwell’s use of allegory and symbolism to convey his broader critique of totalitarianism and the universal dangers of unchecked power. The final transformation of the pigs into human-like oppressors underscores the tragic cycle in which the oppressed become indistinguishable from their former rulers. Orwell’s message remains relevant today, offering a timeless warning about the fragility of freedom and the corrosive effects of absolute power.

Development of a cloud-based IoT system for livestock health monitoring using AWS and python

The agriculture industry is currently facing significant challenges in effectively monitoring the health of livestock. Traditional methods of health monitoring are often labor-intensive, inefficient, and insufficiently responsive to the needs of modern farming. As the number of IoT devices in agriculture proliferates, issues of scalability and computational load have become prominent, necessitating efficient and scalable solutions. This research introduces a cloud-based architecture aimed at enhancing livestock health monitoring. This system is designed to track critical health indicators such as movement patterns, body temperature, and heart rate, utilizing AWS for robust data handling and Python for data processing and real-time analytics. The proposed system incorporates Narrow Band IoT (Nb IoT) technology, which is optimized for low-bandwidth, long-range communication, making it suitable for rural and remote farming locations. The architecture's scalability allows for the effective management of varying numbers of IoT devices, which is essential for adapting to changing herd sizes and farm scales. Preliminary experiments conducted to assess the system's performance have demonstrated its durability and effectiveness, indicating a successful integration of AWS IoT Cloud services with the deployed IoT devices. Furthermore, the study explores the implementation of predictive analytics to facilitate proactive health management in livestock. By predicting potential health issues before they become apparent, the system can offer significant improvements in animal welfare and farm efficiency. The integration of cloud computing and IoT not only meets the growing technological needs of modern agriculture but also sets a new benchmark in the development of sustainable farming practices. The findings from this research could have broad implications for the future of livestock management, potentially leading to widespread adoption of technology-driven health monitoring systems in agriculture. This would help in optimizing the health management of livestock globally, thereby enhancing productivity and sustainability in the agricultural sector.

Welfare evaluation of fat-rumped lambs under stall feeding condition with different feeder design

Animal welfare is directly related to animal performance and farm profit. It is associated with their autonomy to take feed and water along with a lack of discomfort. Feeding welfare determines farm profit as major cost of a farm is associated with feed. The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of feeder design on lamb welfare evaluated through feeding behaviour and lamb performance. Sixteen growing fat-rumped lambs of 3-4 months of age were categorized into two groups with an average weight of 23.20±0.25 kg. Group I lambs were fed in conventional feeder, i.e. without divider and group II in designed feeder, i.e. with divider, respectively. The eating time was significantly low in group I with longer and strong agonistic behaviour suggesting intense competition within the group. This group showed minimal weight gain and maximal feed wastage due to extreme struggle for food during the period of the study. The time spent in comfort behaviours like lying rumination was more and agonistic behaviour was less in group II lambs. They showed significantly higher bodyweight gain. It can be concluded from the study that group feeding of growing lambs in feeder with divider allocates designated space for individual lamb, reduces agonistic behaviour and brings better growth in lambs under stall feeding conditions.

Investigating the genomic background of calving-related traits in Canadian Jersey cattle

Traits related to calving have a significant impact on animal welfare and farm profitability in dairy production systems. Identifying genomic regions associated with calving traits could contribute to refining dairy cattle breeding programs and management practices in the dairy industry. Therefore, the primary objectives of this study were to estimate genetic parameters and perform genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and functional enrichment analyses for stillbirth, gestation length, calf size, and calving ease traits in North American Jersey cattle. A total of 40,503 animals with phenotypic records and 5,398 animals genotyped for 45,101 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were included in the analyses. Genetic parameters were estimated based on animal models and Bayesian methods. The effects of SNPs were estimated using the Single-step Genomic Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (ssGBLUP) method. The heritability (standard error) estimates ranged from 0.01 (0.01) for stillbirths (SB) in heifers to 0.11 (0.01) for gestation length (GL) in cows. The genetic correlations ranged from -0.58 (0.11) between calving ease (CE) and SB in heifers to 0.44 (0.14) between calving ease and calf size (CZ) in cows. CE showed the highest genetic correlation between heifers and cows, 0.8 (0.22) respectively. The candidate genes identified, including MTHFR, SERPINA5, IGFBP3, and ZRANB1, are involved in key biological processes and metabolic pathways related to the studied traits. Reducing environmental variation and identifying novel indicators of reproduction traits in the Jersey breed are needed given the low heritability estimates for most traits evaluated in this study. In conclusion, this study provides a characterization of the genetic background of calving-related traits in Jersey cattle. The estimates obtained can be used to improve or build selection indexes in Jersey cattle breeding programs in North America.

Orwell’s Animal Farm and Golding’s Lord of the Flies: A Comparative Study

The main aim of this article is to compare two emblematic works of 20th century British literature: George Orwell's Animal Farm and William Golding's Lord of the Flies. This comparative study adopts a New Critical analytical approach, focusing exclusively on the textual aspects of the novels independently of any external context or ideology. We examine in depth the plots, characters and settings of both works. The study is structured around three main themes. First, it examines the societies represented in the two novels. Secondly, it explores the power dynamics within these societies. Finally, it highlights the ultimate collapse of the societal ideals depicted in the two works. At the end of this analysis, several conclusions emerge: both works explore the creation of new societies emerging from those that have shown their limitations. The animals' ideal of society in Animal Farm and the children's societal project in Lord of the Flies fail because of similar power dynamics. Orwell's animals and Golding's children end up becoming the exact opposite of their initial aspirations. The animals in Animal Farm gradually adopt human behaviour, while the children in Lord of the Flies regress towards more animal behaviour. So, paradoxically and ironically, Animal Farm and Lord of the Flies share the same fundamental concern: the fragility of human society and the fine line between humanity and animality. By exploring in detail the themes and connections between the two novels, this analysis aims to provide an in-depth understanding of how literature reflects and critiques the complexities of human social dynamics and the fragility of the societal structures.

Livestock and poultry breeding farms as a fixed and underestimated source of antibiotic resistance genes.

The excessive use of antibiotics, disinfectants, and drugs in livestock and poultry breeding has resulted in a rise in the presence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and ARGs have been widely found in animal feces, farm wastewater, and farm air. ARGs can not only spread across media through adsorption and migration, but also transfer resistance across bacterial genera through horizontal gene transfer. Livestock breeding has become a fixed and unavoidable source of ARGs in the environment. Existing technologies for controlling ARGs, such as composting, disinfection, and sewage treatment, are not efficient in removing ARB and ARGs from waste. Furthermore, the remaining ARGs still possess a strong capacity for dissemination. At present, antibiotics used in animal husbandry are difficult to replace in a short period of time. The growth and potential risks of resistance genes in livestock and poultry breeding sources in the receiving environment are not yet clear. In this paper, we summarize the current situation of ARGs in the livestock and poultry breeding environment. We also explain the key environmental processes, main influencing factors, and corresponding ecological risks associated with ARGs in this environment. The advantages and disadvantages of current technologies for the removal of ARGs are primarily discussed. There is a particular emphasis on clarifying the spatiotemporal evolution patterns and environmental process mechanisms of ARGs, as well as highlighting the importance and urgency of developing efficient pollution control technologies.

Spatiotemporal distribution of environmental microbiota around animal farms adjacent to produce fields in central coast California

This study aimed to identify different environmental microbiota in animal farms adjacent to produce fields and to understand their potential flow pattern. Soil and water samples were collected from 16 locations during the winter, spring, summer, and fall seasons. In addition, a high-resolution digital elevation model helped to create a stream network to understand the potential flow of the microbiome. Metagenomic analysis of the 16 S rRNA gene revealed that soil and water samples from the four seasons harbor diverse microbiome profiles. The phylogenetic relationship of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) is separated by a maximum of 0.6 Bray-Curtis distance. Similarly, the Principal Component Analysis (P = 0.001) demonstrated the soil and water microbiome clustering across different locations and seasons. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes was higher in the water samples than in the soil samples. In contrast, the relative abundance of Actinobacteria and Chloroflexi was higher in the soil compared to the water samples. Soil samples in summer and water samples in spring had the highest abundance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, respectively. A unique microbial community structure was found in water samples, with an increased abundance of Hydrogenophaga and Solirubrobacter. Genera that were significantly abundant at a 1% false discovery rate (FDR) among seasons and soil or water samples, include Nocardioides, Gemmatimonas, JG30-KF-CM45, Massilia, Gaiellales, Sphingomonas, KD4-96, Bacillus, Streptomyces, Gaiella, and Gemmatimonadaceae. The relative abundance of pathogenic genera, including Mycobacterium, Bacteroides, Nocardia, Clostridium, and Corynebacterium, were significantly (at 1% FDR) affected by seasons and environmental type. The elevation-based stream network model suggests the potential flow of microbiomes from the animal farm to the produce fields.

Identification of Predictive Biomarkers of Lameness in Transition Dairy Cows.

The aim of this study was to identify with a high level of confidence metabolites previously identified as predictors of lameness and understand their biological relevance by carrying out pathway analyses. For the dairy cattle sector, lameness is a major challenge with a large impact on animal welfare and farm economics. Understanding metabolic alterations during the transition period associated with lameness before the appearance of clinical signs may allow its early detection and risk prevention. The annotation with high confidence of metabolite predictors of lameness and the understanding of interactions between metabolism and immunity are crucial for a better understanding of this condition. Using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with authentic standards to increase confidence in the putative annotations of metabolites previously determined as predictive for lameness in transition dairy cows, it was possible to identify cresol, valproic acid, and gluconolactone as L1, L2, and L1, respectively which are the highest levels of confidence in identification. The metabolite set enrichment analysis of biological pathways in which predictors of lameness are involved identified six significant pathways (p < 0.05). In comparison, over-representation analysis and topology analysis identified two significant pathways (p < 0.05). Overall, our LC-MS/MS analysis proved to be adequate to confidently identify metabolites in urine samples previously found to be predictive of lameness, and understand their potential biological relevance, despite the challenges of metabolite identification and pathway analysis when performing untargeted metabolomics. This approach shows potential as a reliable method to identify biomarkers that can be used in the future to predict the risk of lameness before calving. Validation with a larger cohort is required to assess the generalization of these findings.

A Contrastive Study of the Deontic Modality in George Orwell’s Animal Farm

A Contrastive Study of the Deontic Modality in George Orwell’s Animal Farm

Impact of age at first calving on fertility and production performance in Murrah buffalo.

The present study analyses the effect of age at first calving (AFC) on future fertility and productivity in Murrah buffaloes. The data of 314 buffalo heifers of animal farm section, ICAR-CIRB, Hisar were collected over a period of 9 years from 2010 to 2018. The buffalo heifers were categorized into six groups according to the AFC named as 30-35, 36-41, 42-47, 48-53, 54-59 and 60-65 months. The influence of AFC on standard lactation milk (SLMY), peak yield (PY), days in milk (DIM), calving to first service, service per conception, calving to conception interval (CCI) and calving interval till fifth lactation were studied. The study revealed poor productive traits in buffalo heifers calved at younger age (30-35 months) during first parity. The productive value positively corresponded with increase in AFC. During successive lactations, higher mean milk yield (SLMY and PY) was found in groups with 36-41, 42-47 and 48-53 months. The mean number of services per conception was lower in buffalo heifers with 36-41 and 42-47 months following first calving till fifth lactation. Similarly, the said groups had lower mean calving to first service, CCI and CI up to fifth lactation. The survival rate was higher in heifers with AFC 36-41, 42-47, 48-53 and 54-59 months than with AFC 30-35 and 60-65 months. The buffalo heifers with 36-41 and 42-47 months of AFC had higher survival rate and better productive and reproductive traits till fifth parity in the current study. The study concluded that a minimum ideal AFC of 36-41 months yielded the highest productive gain.

George Orwell's Animal Farm: Power Hunger leading to Depravation

George Orwell's novella Animal Farm, published in 1945, is a masterpiece of political satires. The book is a fable which sets in the animal farm of Mr. Jones of England. The book is symbolic as it targets the socialism in Russia under Stalin's leadership. The animals of the Manor Farm inspired by the words of Old Major the oldest boar, revolt against the tyranny of Mr. Jones and expel him out of the farm. After the rebellion, the hold of farm comes in the hands of two senior boars Snowball and Napoleon. Snowball is a vivacious, quicker in speech and more inventive while Napoleon is large, fierce-looking and with habit of getting his own way. Napoleon being more ambitious rears puppies secretly. At every point he shows his disagreement with Snowball. In the matter of windmill, the hostility reaches on the highest point when Napoleon lets his dogs to attack over Snowball and compels him to leave the farm forever. With the help of Squealer and dogs, Napoleon becomes the dictator. He including other pigs enjoys luxury and distorts all the commandments that were established just after rebellion. Thus, the power that was at first in the hands of one tyrant i.e., human being now transfers into the hands of another tyrannical dictator i.e., Napoleon, the boar. The paper analyses how power hunger leads to the depravation and subjugation of fellow beings.

Linguistic Manipulation in Orwell’s Animal Farm: A Pragma-Stylistic Perspective

Orwell’s (1945/2013) Animal Farm is a rich source of manipulative discourses, especially as embodied in the character Squealer, who masterfully exploits the peripheral entities. Despite its critical and widespread acclaim, the systematic exploration of specific pragma-stylistic strategies that Orwell uses to depict manipulation and propaganda are understudied in the literature. Utilizing an eclectic theoretical framework incorporating Johnson’s (2000) manifest rationality theory and the deceptive principle posited by Merzah and Abbas (2020), this study performs a qualitative intra-analysis to unearth the distinct employment of a myriad of fallacies, such as scapegoating, ad nauseam, false dilemma, domino fallacy, historical negationism, and ad ignorantiam. This research aims to explore manipulative rhetoric from the viewpoint of pragma-stylistics. The significance of this research lies in its potential to deepen our understanding of rhetorical strategies in allegorical literature, offering insights into how language can be used to manipulate and influence. This study addresses the central question: How do specific pragma-stylistic strategies enable characters in Animal Farm to manipulate and propagate fallacies, and what implications does this have for understanding similar manipulative techniques in political discourse? The findings suggest a contrast between Squealer’s and Napoleon’s manipulative strategies: Napoleon, akin to the uncharismatic communication style of Stalin, leverages scapegoating to undermine his adversaries, while Squealer, Napoleon’s rhetorical extension, focuses on distorting historical events, exaggerating consequences, and perpetuating falsehoods

Low-cost uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) as a novel tool for welfare assessments on open pen commercial crocodile farms.

The welfare of crocodiles on commercial farms in southern Africa requires precise assessment, focusing on stocking densities and pen conditions. However, disputes between animal welfare groups and farm owners persist due to inadequate methodologies for quantifying these factors. This study aimed to address these disputes and enhance crocodile welfare assessment by introducing a novel technique using a low-cost consumer uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) and open-source photogrammetry software. The objective was to quantify key welfare parameters accurately and efficiently. The study involved applying the UAV-based technique to two large Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) farms in South Africa. The approach enabled the mapping and surveying of crocodile pens, facilitating the determination of stocking densities, biomass indicators, and other pen-related attributes. Comparisons were made between UAV-derived crocodile counts and farmer estimates. The UAV-based crocodile counts significantly differed from the estimates provided by farmers, underscoring the need for a more precise assessment method. The technique's cost-effectiveness was evident, with implementation expenses totalling less than R10 000, a fraction of the cost associated with commercial UAV surveys. The introduced UAV-based technique offers a valuable solution to the ongoing debates regarding crocodile welfare on commercial farms. By quantifying key parameters accurately and economically, it empowers farmers and animal welfare groups to make informed decisions. The method's ease of adoption, demonstrated through its use by some Southern African crocodile farmers, signifies its potential for widespread application, ultimately contributing to improved crocodile welfare.

Understanding Visitor Experiences and Motivations Through an Importance-Satisfaction Analysis of a Protected Area in Ghana

ABSTRACT The study assessed visitor experiences through an importance-satisfaction analysis of an ecotourism site. Data were obtained from visitors (n=290, response rate 82%) to the Shai Hills Resource Reserve (SHRR) from February to May 2021. Gap and grid analysis of visitor activities, their importance and satisfaction with visitor experience were performed to identify areas of management concern. Generally, visitors were satisfied with their experience with a visit to the animal farm, overnight camping, and hiking/nature walk being the top visitor activities. Hanging out with family/friends, being close to nature and seeing wildlife were the top motivations. Resources in SHRR are not over-used, with no visitor activity in the ‘Possible Overkill’ quadrant. However, management can improve activities performing well to attract more visitors. Less patronised products like birdwatching and video filming should be marketed, while highly patronised ones should be managed appropriately to maintain standards to ensure visitor satisfaction and boost ecotourism.

Full-Length Transcriptome Analysis of Skeletal Muscle of Jiangquan Black Pig at Different Developmental Stages.

Skeletal muscle grows in response to a combination of genetic and environmental factors, and its growth and development influence the quality of pork. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms regulating the growth and development of skeletal muscle is of great significance to both animal husbandry and farm management. The Jiangquan black pig is an excellent pig breed based on the original Yimeng black pig, importing the genes of the Duroc pig for meat traits, and cultivated through years of scientific selection and breeding. In this study, full-length transcriptome sequencing was performed on three growth stages of Jiangquan black pigs, aiming to study the developmental changes in Jiangquan black pigs at different developmental stages at the molecular level and to screen the key genes affecting the growth of skeletal muscle in Jiangquan black pigs. We performed an enrichment analysis of genes showing differential expression and constructed a protein-protein interaction network with the aim of identifying core genes involved in the development of Jiangquan black pigs. Notably, genes such as TNNI2, TMOD4, PLDIM3, MYOZ1, and MYH1 may be potential regulators of muscle development in Jiangquan black pigs. Our results contribute to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of skeletal muscle development in this pig breed, which will facilitate molecular breeding efforts and the development of pig breeds to meet the needs of the livestock industry.