Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) has been a major cause of morbidity and mortality in farm animals and the recent surge of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) in developing countries poses a serious threat to public and animal health. This study aimed to assess the herd-level prevalence and associated risk factors of bovine TB in cattle in northeast regions of Bangladesh. A total of 485 dairy samples (385 from dairy milk and 100 from vendor's milk) were tested by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and indirect ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) technique at 16 Upazilas from 4 districts in the Sylhet division of Bangladesh. Genomic DNA extracted from milk samples were targeted at IS6110 and RV1506c genomic fragments for PCR. Among the 385 milk samples tested, 15 milk samples were positive for Mycobacterium genus by PCR (3.90%, 95% CI: 1.95-5.84). Also, 10 samples were found to be positive for M. bovis and the prevalence was 2.60% (95% CI: 1.00-4.19) and only 2 milk samples were positive for M. tuberculosis by PCR whose prevalence was 0.52% (95% CI: 0.00-1.24) respectively in individual milk samples. In vendor's milk sample, the trend was lowered for each bacterium and indirect ELISA results agreed with a similar pattern of prevalence. Cows having chronic cough was one of the significant risk factors of herd-level prevalence. Findings from this study necessitate a comprehensive program for TB surveillance of associated risk factors or protective factors in human, environment and animal interface.

Slaughtered swine as convergence hotspots for antimicrobial-resistant and disinfectant-tolerant Escherichia coli originating from humans and farm animals.

Although pregnant cows can be assigned an expected calving date, such forecasts remain imprecise due to individual physical and hormonal changes affecting cows' behaviour. Proper management during calving is crucial for the health of cows and calves. This study aimed to predict calving time based on behavioural symptoms in cows of two breeds: 38 Polish Holstein-Friesian (PHF) and 14 Brown Swiss cows from a single farm. Using CowManager sensors, the behaviour of the dairy cows was monitored 24h a day, with data from 3D accelerometers classified into specific activities (eating, ruminating, inactive, active, highly active). As the study was conducted on a single farm, the generalisability of the results to other herd management systems or environmental conditions may be limited. A preliminary graphical analysis identified changes in behaviour in the last hours before calving. Statistical analysis included the bootstrap method, logistic regression, and analysis of change points in the time series (separately for each cow and trait, for moving averages covering 6h). One-day periods were considered in the analysis, starting from 168h before calving. The daily period was shifted by 1h until 6h before calving. The applied methodology showed satisfactory effectiveness (recall of 81.03% and precision of 66.75% for PHF cows). Differences in precalving behaviour between breeds were observed. These findings indicate that sensor-based monitoring of behaviour can provide timely predictions of calving and highlight breed-specific behavioural differences, supporting farm management and animal welfare.

Island subsistence during the Late Bronze and Iron Age in Menorca: insights from stable isotopes and Bayesian mixing models at the Biniadrís Cave (Spain)

• ROH are valuable genomic tools for quantifying individual inbreeding and identifying regions under selection in livestock populations. • HRR are potentially maintained by balancing selection and linked to fitness-related traits, such as immunity and fertility. • Joint analysis of ROH and HRR enhances our understanding of genetic diversity patterns and supports the development of more sustainable breeding programs. • ROH and HRR have practical implications for managing inbreeding depression, maintaining adaptive genetic variation, and designing conservation strategies for local or endangered breeds. Advancements in high-throughput and cost-effective genotyping techniques, coupled with robust statistical methods, have greatly facilitated the investigation of the genomic architecture of farm animals. Runs of Homozygosity (ROH) and Heterozygosity-Rich Regions (HRR) are among the most informative features of animal genomes. ROH reflects inbreeding levels and historical population dynamics, whereas HRR may indicate loci under balancing selection that contribute to important functional traits. In this review, these two genetic parameters are described and discussed. We present an updated summary of ROH studies and applications in livestock species, as well as a comprehensive overview of the status of knowledge on HRR in livestock populations. Additionally, we discuss methods for the identification of ROH and HRR, and the insights they offer on the demographic history of animal species. We investigated the link between the presence, distribution, and specific characteristics of ROH and HRR, and the breeding and selection trajectories of farm animals. ROH- and HRR-abundant regions often harbour genes associated with economically important traits and local adaptation, underscoring the significant role of artificial and natural selection in shaping the genomic architecture of livestock. The increasing availability of high-density genotyping and whole-genome sequencing data allows for the finer-scale detection of ROH and HRR, enabling a more accurate identification of functionally relevant genomic regions. The future application of ROH and HRR in livestock genetics will likely move toward more integrated, data-driven strategies aimed at improving genetic resilience, productivity and sustainability.

Interest in contextualised care in veterinary medicine is growing. As yet, there has been little explicit research in relation to farm animals. Here we report on findings from six in-depth, online focus groups with UK farmers (n = 19) and vets (n = 4) exploring sheep lameness management. Transcripts of the focus groups were analysed qualitatively, via a code-book thematic analysis approach. We use the findings to, 1) explore contextualised care for sheep, 2) present evidence of the concept in practice, 3) identify challenges which limit its effectiveness in practice. Much of what is discussed as contextualised care was already done as part of vets' good practice and due to the need to reprofessionalise their role in response to a changing industry. The work vets do was as much to do with caring for farmers as it was caring for animals. Vets carefully considered farmers’ lives, farming setups and systems when providing advice and treatment, making use of both ad hoc and more formalised moments. Vets worked to build long-lasting relationships based on secure trust with farmers to impart advice and encourage lameness management. Farmers and vets acknowledged that relationships need to be reciprocal to be effective. Care for lame sheep was thus most effective when co-developed by farmers via sharing information and feedback with vets. Challenges to providing contextual care included farmers only using the vet as a last resort, or when encountering a novel issue. This was often due to the high cost of veterinary services versus the low value of individual sheep. • Much of what is understood as contextualised care is already practiced by vets. • Vets' work to manage sheep lameness involved caring for both farmers and animals. • Care for lame sheep was most effective when co-developed by farmers and vets. • Challenges to care were due to the high cost of vets versus the low value of sheep.

Diet composition and processing have a major impact on its utilisation by the animal, as is known from farm and pet animal species. This includes effects on energy and nutrient digestibility, the intermediary metabolism, and the intestinal microbiome, with all the resulting impacts. For laboratory animals, data is scarce on influencing factors on diet digestibility. In experiments using special diets, either standard diets are used for the control group, or purified control diets. The aim of the present study was to compare a standard diet and a purified control diet (both pelleted) fed ad libitum to C57BL/6J mice and to investigate the potential effect on body weight development, feed conversion, energy and nutrient digestibility and indicators of intestinal fermentation (pH, short-chain fatty acids). Thus, 21 mice each were fed the standard diet (STD) and the purified diet (PD). Results showed a significantly higher apparent digestibility of gross energy and the crude nutrients in group PD (p < 0.001). The weight of the filled cecum and colon was significantly lower in group PD than STD (p < 0.001; p < 0.01). The pH of ingesta was significantly higher in stomach, cecum and colon of group PD (p < 0.0001), likely influenced by the significantly lower concentration of total short-chain fatty acids measures in cecum and colon of PD mice. The high apparent digestibility of the PD implied a lower influx of fermentable substrate into the hindgut, resulting in lower concentrations of microbial metabolites and altered pH milieu.

SSMOT: a self-supervised multi object detection and tracking for indoor farm animals.

The complex of veterinary and sanitary measures on motor transport, intended for the transportation of animals is aimed on the prevention and elimination of the spread of infectious and parasitic diseases, in order to ensure the safety of both animals and people. The causative agents of infections with resistant strains are characterized by high resistance to disinfectants, which significantly increases the requirements for both the drugs and the quality of disinfection. The purpose of the researches is to develop modes, parameters and methods of preventive disinfection, while complying with the requirements of sanitary cleaning and bacteriological control of the vehicle for the transportation of farm animals. Based on the results obtained, provide scientifically-based recommendations on the use of the product. Materials and methods. In production conditions, preventive disinfection was carried out, using the wet method, by spraying smooth and rough surfaces with disinfectant solutions. The scientific novelty consists in the improvement of veterinary and sanitary measures and the effect of new generation disinfectant on the disinfected surfaces of vehicles, used for transporting of farm animals. The article presents the results of production tests of new generation disinfectant on vehicles, used for transporting of animals in the farm of Aliyev in Buynaksky District of Dagestan Republic. Results. It has been established, that the product has high disinfectant activity on all treated surfaces, of the cattle truck and can be recommended for disinfection measures on vehicles, intended for transporting of animals, with quality control of disinfection, based on the isolation of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus . Complete disinfection of surfaces from E.coli and St.aureus by solutions of new-generation disinfectant with washing effect was achieved in the following modes: on smooth surfaces (metal body, rubber) - 0,7 % and 1,0% solutions, with an exposure 1 and 3 hours, in consumption rate 0,25-0,3 l/m2. On rough surfaces (wooden flooring and tarpaulins), disinfection was achieved with 1,5% solution, with an exposure 1 and 3 hours, respectively, in consumption rate 0,3-0,5 l/m2 on all surfaces.

This article presents the results of a study examining the effects of a combined feed additive consisting of nanostructured bentonite and a probiotic on blood biochemistry in cows. Experiments were conducted on five groups of animals (one control group and four experimental groups) over a period of 120 days. The cows' basal diet was supplemented with various combinations of bentonite and an acidifier, allowing for the evaluation of their effects on hematological and biochemical parameters. The results showed that cows fed nanostructured bentonite in combination with a probiotic showed a significant improvement in blood parameters: an increase in hemoglobin levels by 1.93-4.21%, erythrocytes by 1.23-6.54%, and leukocytes by 1.30-8.41%. There was also an increase in total protein content by 2.99-6.22%, glucose by 9.12-10.71%, inorganic phosphorus by 10.00-10.49%, and total calcium by 9.13-9.89%. The concentration of trace elements: iron, copper, and zinc also increased significantly. The study confirmed that the use of nanostructured bentonite in combination with a probiotic helps stimulate hematopoiesis, improve protein and carbohydrate metabolism, and normalize mineral homeostasis in cows. The data obtained may be useful for the development of effective feed additives aimed at improving the productivity and health of farm animals.

Abstract Introduction Leptin, a class I helical cytokine, regulates growth, appetite, energy homeostasis and reproductive functions in fish. The leptin gene ( lep ) is a candidate gene for growth trait influence in both farm animals and teleost fish. Material and Methods This study investigated variations in the lep gene and their associations with growth-related traits in European sea bass ( Dicentrarchus labrax ) using DNA sequencing. Results Twelve novel single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified in the first and second introns and the third exon of the gene, including a non-synonymous third exon variant (g.11004767C&gt;T) causing an arginine-to-tryptophan substitution. This locus was significantly associated with multiple growth traits, including total and fillet weights and standard, body and post-anal lengths (P-value &lt; 0.05). Analysis revealed two haploblocks; block 1 having four haplotypes (GCG, GTG, ACA and GTA), with GTA associated with the highest total and fillet weights and body length measurements (P-value &lt; 0.01). Block 2 comprised three haplotypes (AG, GG and AA), where AG carriers exhibited superior growth to GG and AA carriers (P-value &lt; 0.01). In silico analysis of the non-synonymous third exon variant (g.11004767C&gt;T) suggested its potential effects on local protein conformation and receptor binding. Conclusion These findings indicate that lep gene polymorphisms, particularly the g.11004714G&gt;A locus and specific haplotypes, are associated with growth variability in European sea bass. The identified SNPs and haplotypes may facilitate molecular marker–assisted selection in growth performance breeding programmes in economically important aquaculture species.

Capacitation is the process by which sperm undergoes physical, biochemical, and molecular changes to acquire the ability to fertilize an oocyte. The first stage occurs after ejaculation with the removal of cholesterol from the cell membrane, reorganization of the cell membrane, and permission of ion entry into the cell. Intracellular alkalization leads to signaling, resulting in the basic capacitation cascade (sAC-cAMP-PKA-PTP). Consequently, the process of hyperactivation and preparation for the acrosome reaction is completed. Significant interspecies differences are observed in farm animals, and identifying these differences will make important contributions to the development of reproductive technologies. Bull sperm is mostly dependent on heparin-like glycosaminoglycans; however, in ram, seminal plasma proteins are shown to play important roles during capacitation. In goat, the rapid and stress-sensitive capacitation mechanism and the tight zinc-dependent in vivo control of boar sperm are important. Furthermore, early and premature capacitation caused by cryopreservation is called cryocapacitation and directly affects fertilization success. Species-specific capacitation mechanisms have been investigated; however, understanding differences will be beneficial using omics approaches in fertilization prediction and in developing cryopreservation strategies. Moreover, this review compares the molecular mechanisms of sperm capacitation in bulls, rams, bucks, and boars. It highlights species-specific differences and their impact on reproductive technologies.

Abstract Soybean farming—providing protein-rich feed for farm animals worldwide—is the third largest driver of tropical deforestation and expanding. Importing economies are considering regulating the trade of soybeans and other deforestation-driving commodities, and trading companies will be required to conduct due diligence to ensure compliance. However, complex supply chains obscure provenance, and origin declarations may be falsified. Here, leveraging Gaussian Process modelling and a georeferenced dataset of isotopic and elemental composition of soybeans from across the main soy growing areas of South America, we identify soybean origin to within 192.52 ( ± 23.51) kilometres from the true harvest location. The average 95% Credible Regions reduces prediction uncertainty to within 3.8% of the area considered for prediction. Our spatially explicit model is a leap forward in commodity traceability, enabling both origin determination and verification of origin claims in true geographical space. Applicable to many commodities, this framework provides transparency regardless of supply-chain complexity, and facilitates effective regulation of commodity supply chains to tackle illegal deforestation.

In recent decades, the spectrum of pathogens has shifted, with an increasing proportion of opportunistic and rare fungi involved in the development of skin infections in animals. The aim of this study was to investigate the biological properties of rare opportunistic mold fungi isolated from the skin of farm animals in Kazakhstan. 760 biomaterial samples collected from cattle, sheep, and horses in six regions of Northern and Central Kazakhstan were analyzed. Mycological analysis yielded 281 fungal isolates, including rare representatives of the genera Chaetomium, Trichoderma, and Trichothecium. Isolates were identified using culture-morphological and molecular genetic methods. The enzymatic (proteolytic, urease, saccharolytic), keratinophilic, and keratinolytic activities of the strains were studied. It was established that the rare isolates possess pronounced enzymatic potential associated with pathogenic factors. Chaetomium globosum exhibited high keratinophilic and keratinolytic activity. Trichoderma citrinoviride exhibited high carbohydrate digestion activity and moderate keratinolytic activity. Trichothecium roseum exhibited high overall enzymatic activity and the ability to actively destroy hair.

The importance of glucan additives has been widely recognized in farm animals. Yet the precise role of POLYCAN, a β-glucan derived from the black yeast Aureobasidium pullulans SM-2001, remains limited in companion animals. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate its effect on performance, nutrient digestibility, hematology, and the gut microbiome and serum metabolites in beagle dogs. Eight healthy male beagle dogs (8months old; 10.70 ± 1.79kg body weight; 3.00 ± 0.15 body condition score) were enrolled in a 10-week study comprising two phases: Phase 1 (weeks 0-4) and Phase 2 (weeks 6-10), separated by a 2-week washout period. The dogs were divided into two groups and fed a control (CON), basal diet and CON diet supplemented with 1,000mg/d of POLYCAN. Each of two diets were provided using a cross over design for eight weeks, with four beagles assigned to each treatment. During the washout period, all dogs were fed only the commercial basal diet. Throughout the experimental period, POLYCAN supplementation did not affect growth performance, nutrient digestibility, or fecal pH in beagles. However, serum calcium, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), growth hormone, and immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the POLYCAN-supplemented group. Alpha-diversity indices of microbial richness and evenness, as well as beta-diversity based on Bray-Curtis dissimilarity and unweighted UniFrac distances, showed no significant differences between treatment group. At the phylum level, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria were more abundant in the POLYCAN group, followed by Fusobacteria and Bacteroidota. At family level, Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, Coriobacteriaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Peptostreptococcaceae, and Erysipelotrichaceae exhibited higher relative abundances. Furthermore, the core gut microbiota at genus level was dominated by Micrococcus and Fusobacterium. Untargeted metabolomic analysis also revealed distinct group separation, identifying key metabolites including lumichrome, D-mannitol, and 2'-deoxycytidine. Pathway enrichment analysis indicated alterations in pyrimidine, histidine, and bile acid metabolism with higher metabolite abundance observed in the POLYCAN-treated group. Overall, our findings validate that adding 1,000mg/d POLYCAN to canines' diet could serve as a functional nutraceutical to enhance their immune and gut health without affecting growth and digestion.

The article examines the modern features of premix production in Ukraine in the context of the transformation of the agroindustrial complex and integration into the European market. It is substantiated that premixes are a key element in ensuring balanced feeding of farm animals and poultry, as they allow for accurate dosing of biologically active substances, in particular vitamins, micro- and macroelements, amino acids, enzymes and other functional components. The structure of the domestic premix market is analyzed, the main trends in its development are identified, including: growing demand for highly concentrated and functional premixes, orientation towards import substitution, increasing the role of local producers, as well as adaptation to EU standards for the safety and quality of feed additives. It is established that the production of premixes in Ukraine is characterized by significant dependence on imported raw materials (vitamins, amino acids, microelements in chelated form), which makes the industry sensitive to currency fluctuations and logistical risks. Attention is paid to the technological and risk-economic aspects of premix production. The impact of military operations on the functioning of the industry is highlighted, in particular, the destruction of logistics chains, energy restrictions, the increase in production costs and the need to diversify raw material supplies. At the same time, the prospects for the development of premix production in Ukraine are identified, including: the introduction of innovative microencapsulation technologies, the use of organic and bioavailable forms of trace elements, the digitalization of recipe optimization processes, as well as the expansion of export potential. It is summarized that increasing the competitiveness of Ukrainian premix producers requires an integrated approach, which includes the modernization of production, the implementation of quality management systems (HACCP, GMP +), the development of a research base and close integration with livestock enterprises. The results obtained can be used to improve premix production technologies and form an effective strategy for the development of the industry in Ukraine.

Broiler chicken production is a cornerstone of global food security, yet monitoring animals in commercial farms remains challenging due to high stocking densities and variable environmental conditions. Progress in automated monitoring is hindered by the scarcity of domain-specific, publicly available datasets. To address this gap, we present Poultry Images for Object detection (PIO), a dataset designed to support the development and evaluation of computer vision models for poultry farming. PIO comprises 1,487 manually annotated images containing 327,289 instances of broiler chickens, collected from both commercial and prototype poultry houses across different growth stages. The dataset reflects realistic conditions such as variations in morphology, lighting and bird density. Annotations were generated using the LabelImg tool, with bounding boxes normalized to image dimensions for compatibility with state-of-the-art detection frameworks. To illustrate its utility, three YOLOv10 variants were trained and evaluated on PIO, demonstrating its suitability for benchmarking object detection models in precision livestock farming contexts, as shown in figure 1.

Category fluency tasks involve producing words constrained by a semantic field (animals). Subcategory fluency involves producing words from categories that are semantically related to a superordinate category but form a restricted set of items (farm animals). Here, we study whether people produce different patterns of words in category versus subcategory fluency by looking at differences in the total number of words produced, the properties of the words produced (e.g., frequency) and how people group words together (clusters/switches and network metrics). Forty-eight Dutch-speaking university students responded to three category fluency tasks (animals, foods, transport) and three subcategory fluency tasks (farm animals, fruits, bike parts). Also, we queried a large language model (LLM) to provide responses for 50 "pseudo-participants" for the same six categories. People in category (versus subcategory) tasks produced more words; words of higher frequency, with fewer orthographic and phonological neighbors, and shorter in length. They also produced fewer cluster switches and bigger clusters. The category and subcategory networks had different structure (e.g., number of nodes, edges, clustering coefficient). With the LLM we simulated the results regarding word properties and cluster size, but found differences regarding correct words, number of switches, and overlapping clusters between foods and fruit fluency. The differences between category and subcategory fluency may stem from differences in mental search in the lexico-semantic system. However, category and subcategory fluency tasks may be different tasks altogether. The LLM simulation provides novel insights (e.g., how words relate, task-order effects) and suggests caution when used to understand human fluency data.

Escherichia albertii and Escherichia fergusonii have recently been recognized as emerging pathogens in humans and animals. E. albertii is a causative agent of foodborne infections in humans, but many aspects of its transmission routes and its prevalence in farm animals remain unclear. E. fergusonii has been isolated mainly from extraintestinal infections in humans and various animal species, but no large-scale surveys of its prevalence in farm animals have been reported. In this study, we isolated E. albertii and E. fergusonii from 3,975 fecal samples collected from farm animals throughout Japan. The prevalence of E. albertii was 3.1% (57/1,838) in swine, 2.2% (12/548) in poultry, and 0.4% (7/1,589) in cattle, while that of E. fergusonii was 37.4% (688/1,838) in swine, 46.2% (253/548) in poultry, and 17.1% (272/1,589) in cattle. We also isolated E. coli from fecal samples from which E. albertii or E. fergusonii was isolated and compared the antimicrobial resistance profiles of the E. albertii/E. fergusonii strains with those of the E. coli strains that were presumed to have experienced the same antimicrobial selection pressure in the farm animals. The antimicrobial resistance profiles of the E. fergusonii and E. coli strains isolated from the same swine fecal samples were similar, but those of the E. albertii and E. coli strains differed significantly (the former strains were highly susceptible). This suggests that E. albertii has not coexisted with E. coli for as long as E. fergusonii.

This paper describes how animal management was done in the past and how we evolved to continuous animal monitoring by using technology. Based upon peer-reviewed literature, we show several technologies (cameras, microphones, sensors) developed and used for monitoring and managing indoor farm animals applied to different animal species: broilers, pigs, dairy cows, and horses. The main idea in developing precision livestock farming (PLF) technology is continuous 24/7 monitoring to generate objective data for farmers, veterinarians, and other stakeholders (pharma, feed company, equipment, climate control, etc.). Development started in laboratory settings and evolved to data collection in commercial farms. This paper shows that PLF monitoring allows us to measure objective data in each term of the fundamental process equation in producing animal products: the transfer from feed energy into animal product (meat, milk, eggs, fiber, and reproduction). The accuracies obtained are impressive in several examples. Regarding where to go with PLF, we show the great importance of animal welfare in the efficiency of the production process. Improving process efficiency is key in avoiding the need for even more farm animals to be slaughtered every year to fulfill the increasing worldwide demand for animal products. Field implementation of PLF technology for continuous objective measurements on indoor farm animals, to improve the efficiency of the production process, is an important contribution to feeding the worldwide increasing demand for animal products without a high increase of the number of farm animals.