Development Of Animal Husbandry Research Articles

Subacute brucellosis: A case report

Brucellosis is one of the most common zoonotic diseases worldwide. The epidemiological situation of brucellosis in the Russian Federation is characterized as unfavorable. Brucellosis remains a problem in regions with developed animal husbandry. The variety of clinical manifestations and the absence of specific symptoms of brucellosis make its diagnosis challenging. The clinical case presented in this paper illustrates the delayed diagnosis of brucellosis in a 10-year-old patient presenting with fever and enlarged lymph nodes, liver, and spleen. The failure in the provision of medical care was attributed to the lack of the alertness of doctors regarding brucellosis, insufficient interpretation of epidemiological history data, and incorrect assessment of the totality of the clinical syndrome of the disease and laboratory parameters. As a result, brucellosis was diagnosed only 6 months after disease onset. Subsequent etiotropic therapy led to the stabilization of the patients condition, who was discharged from the hospital with recommendations under the supervision of an infectious disease specialist.

Silage maize as a potent candidate for sustainable animal husbandry development-perspectives and strategies for genetic enhancement.

Maize is recognized as the queen of cereals, with an ability to adapt to diverse agroecologies (from 58oN to 55oS latitude) and the highest genetic yield potential among cereals. Under contemporary conditions of global climate change, C4 maize crops offer resilience and sustainability to ensure food, nutritional security, and farmer livelihood. In the northwestern plains of India, maize is an important alternative to paddy for crop diversification in the wake of depleting water resources, reduced farm diversity, nutrient mining, and environmental pollution due to paddy straw burning. Owing to its quick growth, high biomass, good palatability, and absence of anti-nutritional components, maize is also one of the most nutritious non-legume green fodders. It is a high-energy, low-protein forage commonly used for dairy animals like cows and buffalos, often in combination with a complementary high-protein forage such as alfalfa. Maize is also preferred for silage over other fodders due to its softness, high starch content, and sufficient soluble sugars required for proper ensiling. With a rapid population increase in developing countries like China and India, there is an upsurge in meat consumption and, hence, the requirement for animal feed, which entails high usage of maize. The global maize silage market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7.84% from 2021 to 2030. Factors such as increasing demand for sustainable and environment-friendly food sources coupled with rising health awareness are fueling this growth. With the dairy sector growing at about 4%-5% and the increasing shortage faced for fodder, demand for silage maize is expected to increase worldwide. The progress in improved mechanization for the provision of silage maize, reduced labor demand, lack of moisture-related marketing issues as associated with grain maize, early vacancy of farms for next crops, and easy and economical form of feed to sustain household dairy sector make maize silage a profitable venture. However, sustaining the profitability of this enterprise requires the development of hybrids specific for silage production. Little attention has yet been paid to breeding for a plant ideotype for silage with specific consideration of traits such as dry matter yield, nutrient yield, energy in organic matter, genetic architecture of cell wall components determining their digestibility, stalk standability, maturity span, and losses during ensiling. This review explores the available information on the underlying genetic mechanisms and gene/gene families impacting silage yield and quality. The trade-offs between yield and nutritive value in relation to crop duration are also discussed. Based on available genetic information on inheritance and molecular aspects, breeding strategies are proposed to develop maize ideotypes for silage for the development of sustainable animal husbandry.

Agriculture system: structure and features of functioning

The article examines the theoretical foundations of the agro-food system (AFS) formation and a comprehensive description of its constituent elements, which include the evolution of scientific concepts, principles, and priority tasks in the aspect of implementing the principles of sustainable development. Approaches to understanding the category of AFS are summarized, a system that covers the processes of production, distribution, exchange and consumption of goods, as well as connections and relations between producers and consumers of material goods and services. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the principles of the formation and development of the AFS in the context of sustainable development paradigm and sustainability in order to ensure food security of the country and the world based on the structural and functional definition of its constituent elements and highlighting the interdependence and interrelationships between them. The general concept of AFS is presented and it is roposed to determine its sustainability on the basis of the concept of sustainable development, provision of conditions for the extended reproductive process of resources, rational placement of agricultural production and balanced development of crop and animal husbandry. AFS models are summarized and similarities and differences between them are highlighted in terms of organization of activities, consumer behavior, etc. The AFS is considered on the basis of the structural and functional content of its components and the main participants are characterized, whose activities are aimed at ensuring the reproduction process, the formation of a self-sufficient food balance and a reasonable amount of export potential. The classification features of the AFS as an integrated multi-sectoral system are summarized and its main characteristics are outlined in the aspect of realizing the socio-ecological and economic goals of sustainable development. The definition of the AFS as a set of business entities that carry out business processes and activities from the production of agricultural products to their consumption, processing and disposal of waste in accordance with the principles of sustainable development, which contributes to the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), is proposed. A multi-level system of the AFS is presented, which allows for a comprehensive analysis to identify dependencies, connections and influences between its participants. Key words: agro-food system (AFS), production and marketing chain, sustainable AFS, AFS participants, business processes, traditional AFS, modern AFS, mixed AFS.

Animal Husbandry Development in the Vladimir Region

The article presents an analysis of the livestock sector of the economy of the Vladimir region. The analysis showed an increase in the number of sheep and goats and a decrease in the number of birds. The leader of meat production in the region is Vladimir. The main suppliers of milk and eggs were enterprises of Yuryev-Polsky and Sоbinsky municipal districts.

Mapping the forage nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents of alpine grasslands by integrating Sentinel-2 and Tiangong-2 data

Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) contents are crucial quality indicators for forage in alpine natural grasslands and are closely related to plant growth and reproduction. One of the greatest challenges for the sustainable utilization of grassland resources and the development of high-quality animal husbandry is to efficiently and accurately obtain information about the distribution and dynamic changes in N, P, and K contents in alpine grasslands. A new generation of multispectral sensors, the Sentinel-2 multispectral instrument (MSI) and Tiangong-2 moderate-resolution wide-wavelength imager (MWI), is equipped with several spectral bands suitable for specific applications, showing great potential for mapping forage nutrients at the regional scale. This study aims to achieve high-accuracy spatial mapping of the N, P, and K contents in alpine grasslands at the regional scale on the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The Sentinel-2 MSI and Tiangong-2 MWI data, coupled with multiple feature selection algorithms and machine learning models, are applied to develop forage N, P, and K estimation models from data collected at 92 sample sites ranging from the vigorous growth stage to the senescent stage. The results show that the spectral bands of both the Sentinel-2 MSI and Tiangong-2 MWI have an excellent performance in estimating the forage N, P, and K contents (the R2 values are 0.68–0.76, 0.54–0.73, and 0.74–0.82 for forage N, P, and K estimations, respectively). Moreover, the model integrating the spectral bands of these two sensors explains 78%, 74%, and 84% of the variations in the forage N, P, and K contents, respectively. These results indicate that the estimation ability of forage nutrients can be further improved by integrating Tiangong-2 MWI and Sentinel-2 MSI data. In conclusion, integration of the spectral bands of multiple sensors is a promising approach to map the forage N, P, and K contents in alpine grasslands with high accuracy at the regional scale. This study offers valuable information for growth monitoring and real-time determination of forage quality in alpine grasslands.

The Impact of Internet Use on Production Efficiency of Animal Husbandry: Based on the Evidence of 340 Herdsmen in Inner Mongolia, China

Production efficiency is a standard to evaluate the high-quality development of animal husbandry. As an important tool for herdsmen to collect and use information for animal husbandry production and innovation, the internet is not only an inner motivation for improvement of production efficiency but also an important engine for transformation of animal husbandry modernization. It is of practical significance to analyze the impact of internet use on the production efficiency of animal husbandry from the micro-level. This paper, based on the survey data of 340 herdsmen in Inner Mongolia, adopts the Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) model to measure the production efficiency of animal husbandry and selects the Tobit model and moderation effect model to analyze the relationship between internet use and animal husbandry production efficiency under the influence of different capitals. Results show that the production efficiency of animal husbandry is relatively low and internet use has a positive and statistically significant effect on production efficiency; moreover, social capital and financial capital have a negative moderation effect when internet use affects production efficiency. Our findings suggest that the use of internet technology should be paid more attention in order to increase the production efficiency of grass-based animal husbandry in Inner Mongolia.

Kazakh white-headed breed of cattle: the contribution of its creator K.A. Akopyan to the development of zootechnical science and adaptive animal husbandry

Relevance. One of the creators of the Kazakh white-headed breed of cattle, which has become widespread in the arid steppes from the Volga region to Mongolia, is Doctor of Agricultural Sciences K.А. Akopyan. Despite the fact that the scientist made a significant contribution to the development of Russian animal science, no major biographical monographs have been written about his innovative achievements, his scientific works are a bibliographic rarity. Scientific heritage of K.A. Akopyan requires a deep and comprehensive analysis.Methods. The use of problem-chronological and comparative-historical methods makes it possible to trace certain important stages in the life of a scientist. The published scientific works of K.A. Akopyan, as well as research work on the creation of the Kazakh white-headed breed of cattle.Results. The study showed that Hakobyan?s scientific heritage is unique, and the range of scientific activities is wide and varied. In addition to creating a new valuable breed, he developed methods for the accelerated intensive cultivation and fattening of young cattle, a rational system for obtaining high meat productivity. Further improvement of the Kazakh white-headed breed, indispensable for breeding in extreme natural and climatic conditions of dry steppes and deserts, should be based on knowledge of economically useful, biological, breeding qualities of animals and scientifically based methods for their improvement

The Host Protein CAD Regulates the Replication of FMDV through the Function of Pyrimidines' De Novo Synthesis.

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is a single-stranded picornavirus that causes economically devastating disease in even-hooved animals. There has been little research on the function of host cells during FMDV infection. We aimed to shed light on key host factors associated with FMDV replication during acute infection. We found that HDAC1 overexpression in host cells induced upregulation of FMDV RNA and protein levels. Activation of the AKT-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway using bpV(HOpic) or SC79 also promoted FMDV replication. Furthermore, short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-induced suppression of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase 2, aspartate transcarbamylase, and dihydroorotase (CAD), a transcription factor downstream of the AKT-mTOR signaling pathway, resulted in downregulation of FMDV RNA and protein levels. Coimmunoprecipitation assays showed that the ACTase domain of CAD could interact with the FMDV 2C protein, suggesting that the ACTase domain of CAD may be critical in FMDV replication. CAD proteins participate in de novo pyrimidine synthesis. Inhibition of FMDV replication by deletion of the ACTase domain of CAD in host cells could be reversed by supplementation with uracil. These results revealed that the contribution of the CAD ACTase domain to FMDV replication is dependent on de novo pyrimidine synthesis. Our research shows that HDAC1 promotes FMDV replication by regulating de novo pyrimidine synthesis from CAD via the AKT-mTOR signaling pathway. IMPORTANCE Foot-and-mouth disease virus is an animal virus of the Picornaviridae family that seriously harms the development of animal husbandry and foreign trade of related products, and there is still a lack of effective means to control its harm. Replication complexes would generate during FMDV replication to ensure efficient replication cycles. 2C is a common viral protein in the replication complex of Picornaviridae virus, which is thought to be an essential component of membrane rearrangement and viral replication complex formation. The host protein CAD is a key protein in the pyrimidines de novo synthesis. In our research, the interaction of CAD and FMDV 2C was demonstrated in FMDV-infected BHK-21 cells, and it colocalized with 2C in the replication complex. The inhibition of the expression of FMDV 3D protein through interference with CAD and supplementation with exogenous pyrimidines reversed this inhibition, suggesting that FMDV might recruit CAD through the 2C protein to ensure pyrimidine supply during replication. In addition, we also found that FMDV infection decreased the expression of the host protein HDAC1 and ultimately inhibited CAD activity through the AKT-mTOR signaling pathway. These results revealed a unique means of counteracting the virus in BHK-21 cells lacking the interferon (IFN) signaling pathway. In conclusion, our study provides some potential targets for the development of drugs against FMDV.

Direction of selection and breeding work on the formation of a new competitive factory type of yorkshire pigs using and genetic techniques and methods

For modern domestic breeding programs to be implemented, population genetic techniques and methods must be applied in order to create new types of lines with superior performance characteristics, the use of which will contribute to the efficient pedigree livestock farming. Genomic selection use in domestic breeding programs accelerates genetic progress in herds by determining the breeding value of animals at an early age, and thereby contributes to the development of local animal husbandry and to the reduction of dependence on imports of foreign pedigree material. The article contains the data of the studies that were aimed at forming breeding herds of a new competitive factory type of Yorkshire pigs with the use of genetic techniques and methods. The study included the analysis of productivity marker genes and DNA testing by microsatellite markers of the initial genotypes. It was found that in the populations, young animals with preferred genotypes outperformed their peers in productive traits by 1.95–42.3 % (p ≤ 0.05). The use of the DNA-MS analysis of the animals tested at basic breeding enterprises allowed determining their genetic affiliation with the Belarusian population of the Yorkshire breed on the basis of the genetic distance and allele frequency in the loci under study that were in the range 5.665–11.084.

Northern Crimea in the late XIX – early XX centuries

This article examines the territory of the Northern Crimea, which was part of the Perekopsky district of the Tauride province, in the late XIX – early XX centuries, the time when the province turned into one of the rapidly developing regions of the Russian Empire. The subject of this study is the economic development of the territory of the Northern Crimea, the northern border of which was the Perekop Isthmus, and the northeastern outskirts were washed by the waters of the Gulf of Sivash. At the same time, special attention is paid by the author to the development of the agricultural sector of the economy, first of all, the development of crop production and animal husbandry, as well as individual industries that have become widespread in the specified territory. The scientific novelty of the study is an attempt to give a more complete picture of the economic development of the northernmost Crimean district of the Tauride province, Perekopsky district, since this topic has not been widely studied in Russian historiography. To achieve this goal, the author has attracted a wide array of sources, represented by various statistical data and reference materials. As a result of this work, the author comes to the conclusion that in the late XIX – early XX centuries, the development of the agricultural sector of the economy prevailed on the territory of the Northern Crimea, represented primarily in the form of growing grain crops, which pushed the development of sheep breeding in this region into the background. At the same time, the industry was represented mainly only in the form of enterprises engaged in brick-tile and pottery production, flour milling and salt fishing.

Геоботанические обследования поймы реки Надым

Within the framework of the priority national project "Development of the agro-industrial complex", one of the main directions of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Region is the accelerated development of animal husbandry. In this regard, there is a need to create sustainable, productive and long-term meadows based on valuable species of native grasses with productive longevity, a high degree of adaptability to the natural and climatic conditions of the region and stress factors. The purpose of this study was to provide a geobotanical description of the floodplain meadows of the Nadym River in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Region. The results of geobotanical surveys have shown that sphagnum-grass and shrub-sphagnum groups of communities predominate in the floodplain of the Nadym River, but their use for fodder lands without preliminary reclamation is not possible. Grass and grass-shrub groups of communities are more promising for fodder production, the average hay yield is 17-33 c/ha. Keywords: FLOODPLAIN MEADOWS, FODDER, GRASS STAND, PLANT ASSOCIATIONS, HAY YIELD

Foreign research experience of the effect of probiotic agent on the intestinal microbiome of poultry

The intensive development of industrial animal husbandry and poultry farming, along with the ban on the use of antibiotics for non-medicinal purposes, requires a revision of stimulating and therapeutic and preventive approaches aimed at increasing productivity, protecting against infections and improving other production parameters, such as feed digestibility and improving the efficiency of digestion, stimulating growth and development, the quality of meat, milk, eggs. In this regard, probiotic, prebiotic and synbiotic drugs and feed additives have become widespread. Funds based on antagonistic bacteria and representatives of symbiotic microflora are actively being introduced into poultry technology, a wide domestic research experience reveals their prospects. Used mainly to maintain the balance of the intestinal microbiota, they turn out to be an effective method of combating opportunistic pathogens.At the same time, in the countries of developed industrial poultry farming, products based on probiotic cultures have not been widely used, and a number of sources are skeptical about the ability of probiotics to influence the intestinal microbiome of poultry. This article discusses various modern studies that carry the opinions of foreign authors about the effectiveness of probiotics and their effect on the intestinal microbiome of poultry.

Protective Immunity against Chlamydia psittaci Lung Infection Induced by a DNA Plasmid Vaccine Carrying CPSIT_p7 Gene Inhibits Dissemination in BALB/c Mice.

Chlamydia psittaci (C. psittaci), a zoonotic pathogen, poses a potential threat to public health security and the development of animal husbandry. Vaccine-based preventative measures for infectious diseases have a promising landscape. DNA vaccines, with many advantages, have become one of the dominant candidate strategies in preventing and controlling the chlamydial infection. Our previous study showed that CPSIT_p7 protein is an effective candidate for a vaccine against C. psittaci. Thus, this study evaluated the protective immunity of pcDNA3.1(+)/CPSIT_p7 against C. psittaci infection in BALB/c mice. We found that pcDNA3.1(+)/CPSIT_p7 can induce strong humoral and cellular immune responses. The IFN-γ and IL-6 levels in the infected lungs of mice immunized with pcDNA3.1(+)/CPSIT_p7 reduced substantially. In addition, the pcDNA3.1(+)/CPSIT_p7 vaccine diminished pulmonary pathological lesions and reduced the C. psittaci load in the lungs of infected mice. It is worth noting that pcDNA3.1(+)/CPSIT_p7 suppressed C. psittaci dissemination in BALB/c mice. In a word, these results demonstrate that the pcDNA3.1(+)/CPSIT_p7 DNA vaccine has good immunogenicity and immunity protection effectiveness against C. psittaci infection in BALB/c mice, especially pulmonary infection, and provides essential practical experience and insights for the development of a DNA vaccine against chlamydial infection.

Economic evaluation of the effectiveness of therapy for purulent-catarrhal endometritis of cows with drugs of various pharmacological groups

Ensuring the food independence of the population of Russia, reducing the consumption of imported food products is one of the priority tasks of our economy. Achieving this goal is impossible without a comprehensive solution of many important issues of conservation and development of animal husbandry, a significant increase in the productivity of various animal species. Prosperous development is hindered by obstetric and gynecological diseases, which cause significant economic damage due to a decrease in milk productivity and reproductive potential, and premature culling of cows. A predisposing factor in the development of the inflammatory process is the weakening of the body's resistance as a result of inadequate feeding, lack of exercise, keeping animals in rooms where the main parameters of the microclimate are violated. The use of the preparation containing silver nanoparticles argovit allows to reduce the duration of treatment in the absence of damage from the rejection of milk after therapy. The study was carried out in order to study the cost-effectiveness of the treatment of mastitis in cows with drugs of various pharmacological groups. Animals were divided into experimental and control groups according to the principle of analogues. During the treatment of purulent-catarrhal endometritis of cows, the experimental group was injected intrauterine with the drug argovit in the form of a 10% aqueous solution at a dose of 100 ml 1 time in 48 hours and uteroton intramuscularly 10 ml once every 48 hours. The control group was administered intrauterine metrobiotic 1 tablet 1 time in 24 hours and uteroton intramuscularly at a dose of 10 ml, once 1 time in 48 hours. The results of the research established a high economic efficiency of veterinary measures per 1 rub. costs in the treatment of purulent catarrhal endometritis of cows with Argovit (16.2 rub).

Development of low carbon agriculture and animal husbandry in Thekelan Hamlet, Indonesia using the participatory rural appraisal approach method

Thekelan Hamlet has residents with the majority working in the agricultural and livestock sector. Village development through agricultural education and low-carbon animal husbandry is a strategy for utilizing natural potential. Biomasses of livestock manure can be used as liquid organic fertilizer which will increase the selling price of agricultural products and be beneficial to the environment. The potential for the use of livestock manure has not been fully exploited because of the low education, knowledge, and capital that residents have. The Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) method is used to develop agriculture and low-carbon farms in Thekelan Hamlet. There are three aspects; biogas as the treatment of livestock gas waste, the use of liquid organic fertilizer from livestock manure, and the use of organic pesticides. The results of this study indicate that the community in Thekelan District can apply agriculture and low-carbon farms. The technology used by utilizing livestock manure can reduce household gas emissions in the production process, increase production yields, and increase the level of the community economy. Therefore, the community agrees to contribute and join the development of this program because this can improve the welfare of farmers and benefit the environment.

Cattle Disease Studies Via Geographical Information System in Bowi Subur Village, Masni District, Manokwari Regency, West Papua Province

Geographical Information System(GIS) and remote sensing provide real-timedata to stakeholders.GIS is new and modern tool that are essential for mapping, monitoring, and surveillance of animal diseases.This study aims to provide a digital map of cattlepopulation and diseasedistribution. Usingsatellite imaging as mapping apparatus, this study map the distribution of cattle diseases.Animal health is key to livestock production and productivity. This study can be used as prevention and treatment measures efficiently and effectively.Based on theresults of the study, the cattle population in Bowi Subur Village was 455 heads. About 78% of respondents grazetheir cattle extensively in a forage land while the other 22% keeptheir cattle intensively in the barn,31 respondents (31%) stated that their cattle had health problems.The study showed that cattle diseases, such as helminth infestation, external parasite infestation, dystocia, and abortus, are varied. Both primary and secondary data showed that helminth infestation was the most common case. Bowi Subur Village has great potential for animal husbandry development especially ruminantsin Manokwari Regency.

A dataset of grass yield estimation with 30m resolution in Mongolia during 2017-2021

Grassland is the dominant vegetation type on the Mongolian Plateau. It is not only an important part of the ecological environment of the Mongolian Plateau, but also an important resource base for the development of animal husbandry in the Mongolian Plateau. As one of the evaluation indicators of grassland productivity, the grass yield has guiding significance for striking the balance between grassland and livestock. However, due to the long-term dependence on artificial investigation, there is a shortage of products for estimating grass yield in a large range, high spatial resolution and continuous time. Taking Mongolia as the research area, in this paper, we used Landsat8 remote sensing image, MODIS remote sensing data and meteorological data in combination with the measured sample data of grass yield in the field survey to obtain the relationship between the measured grass yield and the vegetation index NDVI, surface temperature and precipitation through the depth neural network. In this way, we constructed the estimation model of Mongolia's domestic grass yield suitable for the characteristics of the region. Moreover, we establish a deep neural network estimation model for grass yield, and retrieved the temporal and spatial distribution map of grass yield in Mongolia from 2017 to 2021. The precision verification experiment shows that the model based on deep learning has a high precision, with an RMSE of 12.14 g/m2 and an estimation accuracy of 81%, which can provide a method and data reference for the estimation of domestic grassland in Mongolia.

Enzymes and their application in the diets of pigs

Complete and nutritionally balanced feed is an essential factor in increasing the productivity of farm animals at the current stage of animal husbandry development. Feed must satisfy the animals' need for nutrients and biologically active substances (BAS) because the lack of certain nutrients leads to increased feed consumption per production unit and failure to achieve the planned productivity. Adding exogenous enzymes to pig diets is an alternative solution to increase nutritional energy and fiber digestibility to improve pig production at low production costs and reduce environmental impact through reduced nitrogen and phosphorus emission. Feeding enzymes as part of enzyme preparations in the formula of compound feed improves its assimilation. As a result, enzymes positively affect the productive characteristics of farm animals and poultry. Enzyme preparations are used to increase the efficiency of feed nutrients in animal husbandry. They supplement the body's enzymes and significantly accelerate the breakdown of feed nutrients, increasing the completeness of the assimilation of feed components. Moreover, enzyme substances positively affect the health of animals, reducing the risk of disease and strengthening their immunity. Unlike hormones and biostimulants, enzymes do not affect the body of animals and birds. However, they directly affect feed components in the gastrointestinal tract, where they accumulate in poultry and livestock products. Including enzyme preparations in the composition of the compound, feed helps reduce the effect of substances that interfere with the assimilation of nutrients. Today, modern fodder enzyme preparations help realize animals' genetic potential by supplementing the enzyme activity of their enzymes of animals and poultry in the gastrointestinal tract. As a result, animals and poultry receive additional nutrients, so the livestock becomes more uniform in terms of live weight and productivity. Thus, when used and added to feed farm animals and poultry, enzymes have no disadvantages. They increase the digestibility and assimilation of feed nutrients, eliminate or reduce the negative impact of anti-nutrients, and contribute to the replenishment of digestive enzymes in young animals and poultry. Future studies should focus on the interaction between production steps, diet composition, enzyme origin, and the number of added enzymes.

Factors influencing Chinese public attitudes toward farm animal welfare.

A comprehensive understanding of current Chinese public attitudes toward farm animal welfare and the relevant influencing factors is essential for improving farm animal welfare and promoting further development of animal husbandry. The attitudes of 3,726 respondents in China were investigated using paper and online questionnaires. Three components (affective, cognitive, and behavioral) of attitudes toward farm animal welfare were assessed using 18 items designed based on the literature review. Influential factors of attitudes toward farm animal welfare were explored via tobit regression. The results revealed that the Chinese public not only considers farm animals to be emotional and sentient but are also sympathetic toward farm animals that suffer inhumane treatment. Although they have limited knowledge about farm animal welfare, the public believes improving farm animal welfare is beneficial, especially for food safety and human health. The Chinese public prefers regulation policies to incentive policies for improving farm animal welfare. The main factors influencing attitudes toward farm animal welfare included gender, age, education, monthly household income, area of residence, farm animal raising experience, and attention to farm animal welfare events. The effect of these influencing factors on attitudes varied. These findings provide a basis for improving Chinese public attitudes toward farm animal welfare. The implications of formulating and implementing effective policies to improve the Chinese public attitudes toward farm animal welfare were discussed.

Biological properties of essential oil emphasized on the feasibility as antibiotic substitute in feedstuff

The discovery and application of antibiotics in animal feeds have boomed the development of intensive animal husbandry in the last century, until the emergence of antibiotics-resistant bacteria. To alleviate the risks aroused by antibiotics-resistant bacteria, effective antibiotic substitutes are urgently needed to replace antibiotics. Essential oils (EOs) derived from plants are illustrated as the promising antibiotic substitutes used in animal feeds, as same as their current views for poultry and livestock industries in the future. It has been widely demonstrated that the phytochemicals in EOs show multiple biofunctionability and are less likely to induce resistance in bacteria. The beneficial effects of EOs feed supplementation on the intestinal inflammation, intestinal flora, immunity, digestion, and growth performances have been already extensively examined. However, the cost-effectiveness, odor, volatility, instability and bioavailability are the challenges in effectively utilizing EOs in animal intestines. Based on previous researches, and these challenges can partially be resolved by microencapsulation and nanotechnology are promising techniques to deal with these challenges. This article presents the feasibility and foundation of EOs application as antibiotic substitutes in animal feeds, and illustrates the mechanisms, functional performances and superiority of EOs compared with antibiotics.