Feeding Stations Research Articles

Assessing the dry matter intake and enteric methane emissions of pre-partum dairy cows offered grass clover or grass-only silage from two different silage systems

Over the winter period, the low grass growth and availability in pasture-based dairy systems results in animals being housed and predominantly fed a diet of grass silage. There is limited availability of methane (CH4) data evaluating the impact of forage type on dairy cows over the pre-partum period. The objective of the current experiment was to evaluate the impact of feeding grass clover (GC) silage and grass-only (GO) silage on the dry matter intake (DMI) and enteric CH4 emissions of dairy cows pre-partum. A complete randomised block design was utilised for the 6-week experiment over two winter periods: from December 2020 to January 2021 and from December 2021 to January 2022. In each year, 30 non-lactating pregnant dairy cows were randomly allocated to two treatments (n = 15). In both years, cows in the GC treatment were offered grass clover bale silage, while cows in the GO treatment were offered grass-only pit silage. The DMI and gaseous emissions of individual animals were monitored daily using Hokofarm RIC (roughage intake control) feed stations and the GreenFeed technology. GC silage consistently had greater (p< 0.05) organic matter (OM) digestibility and lower (p< 0.05) neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) contents when compared with GO silage. Cows in the GC treatment had significantly greater (p< 0.05) total DMI (TDMI) compared with cows in the GO treatment. The daily CH4 emissions (in grams per day) were not affected by treatment; however, cows in the GC treatment had reduced (p< 0.05) CH4 yield (in grams per kilogram TDMI). Offering dairy cows GC silage over the pre-partum period resulted in greater DMI with reduced CH4 yield when compared with cows offered GO silage.

Correlations and Variations Between the Major Biochemical Parameters of the Blood of Hybrid Swine.

In modern animal husbandry, increasing attention is given to mathematical modeling and statistical methods, especially for evaluating commercial hybrids. Our aim was to evaluate the phenotypic and genetic variability of biochemical parameters of blood serum of the 56 hybrid boars (Large White × Landrace × Duroc) raised in feeding stations (Russia) through mathematical modeling. The particular variances and covariances of traits were calculated using the limited maximum likelihood model and the REMLF90 programs. A narrow range of variability was found for major biochemical parameters in relationship with the "FFG-factor" ("fattening period × final live weight × gain"), including the majority of the metabolites (p ≤ 0.05). The highest values of the genetic correlations were observed for the "total protein" parameter with albumins (0.78), globulins (0.94), creatinine (0.99), and enzymes: AST (0.98), ALT (0.80), etc. Phenotypic and genetic relationships showed fairly high correlation coefficients (0.5-0.8). It is important to emphasize that most of the studied amino acids (alanine, arginine, aspartic acid and asparagine, glutamic acid and glutamine, glycine, isoleucine, leucine, serine, threonine, tyrosine, valine) were significantly associated with the "FFG-factor" (p ≤ 0.05). The proposed approach provides reliable data on metabolite variability and correlations.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Enterococci Isolated from Nestlings of Wild Birds Feeding in Supplementary Feeding Stations: The Case of the Canarian Egyptian Vulture.

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing concern worldwide, requiring a holistic "One Health" strategy to address the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. This study focused on Enterococci isolated from Canary Island Egyptian vulture chicks, an endangered species that feeds at supplementary feeding stations in the Canary Islands. Sampling and identification revealed the presence of several Enterococcus species, with a predominance of E. faecalis. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed resistance patterns, especially to important antibiotics such as quinolones, vancomycin, and linezolid. The prevalence of multidrug-resistant profiles was lower than that in other wild bird species. This study underscores the need for further research to understand the dynamics of antimicrobial resistance in wildlife and its implications for public health and conservation efforts, emphasizing the importance of a "One Health" approach to address this pressing problem.

Effects of Interactions between Feeding Patterns and the Gut Microbiota on Pig Reproductive Performance.

The feeding mode is an important factor affecting the reproductive performance of pigs. The composition and expression of the intestinal microbiota are closely related to the physiological and biochemical indicators of animals. Therefore, to explore the impact of different feeding patterns on the reproductive performance of pigs, this study collected reproductive performance data from 1607 Yorkshire pigs raised under different feeding patterns and conducted a fixed-effect variance analysis. Among them, 731 were in the artificial feeding (AM) group and 876 were in the feeding station feeding (SM) group. Additionally, 40 Yorkshire sows in the late gestation period were randomly selected from each feeding mode for intestinal microbiota analysis. The results of the analysis showed that, in the AM group, both the number of birth deformities (NBD) and the number of stillbirths (NSB) were significantly greater than they were in the SM group (p < 0.05). Additionally, the total number born (TNB) in the AM group was significantly lower than that in the SM group (p < 0.05). The results of the intestinal microbiota analysis revealed that at the phylum level, there were significant differences in nine bacterial taxa between the AM and SM groups (p < 0.05). At the genus level, the abundance of a variety of beneficial bacteria related to reproductive performance in the SM group was significantly greater than that in the AM group. Finally, fecal metabolomic analysis revealed that the contents of butyric acid, isovaleric acid, valeric acid, and isobutyric acid, which are associated with reproductive performance, in the feces of sows in the SM group were significantly higher than those in the AM group (p < 0.05). These results indicate that different feeding methods can affect the gut microbiota composition of Yorkshire pigs and further influence the reproductive performance of pigs through the gut microbiota-metabolic product pathway. The results of this study provide valuable insights for further exploring the relationships between feeding modes, intestinal microbial composition, and host phenotypes.

Three of a kind queens: after Thyreophora cynophila and Centrophlebomyia furcata, C. anthropophaga is the third bone-skipper fly species rediscovered in France (Diptera: Piophilidae)

Summary Among the three bone-skipper fly species belonging to the Thyreophorinae sub-family in France, Centrophlebomyia anthropophaga has the most intriguing history. Robineau-Desvoidy briefly described this species in 1830 but did not collect any type specimen. It was only in 2013 that a precise description was published and a neotype was designated for the name C. anthropophaga, based on specimens collected in Italy. In France, despite the rediscovery of both Thyreophora cynophila and C. furcata, C. anthropophaga was still missing since its last sighting in 1826, almost two centuries ago. After rediscovering this species in September 2023 on a vulture feeding station, a field campaign was initiated in the Corbières, Pyrénées, Cévennes and Southern Ardèche areas in southern France: vulture feeding stations, isolated carcasses and piles of hunt remains were visited in the search for C. anthropophaga. This species has been found at several distant sites and was abundant at some sites. This study thus confirms that C. anthropophaga did not go extinct in France and is still present in a fairly large area, at least in southern France. It also advocates for changes in the way vulture feeding stations are managed, to favour the presence of the bone-skipper flies.

Supplementary bird feeding as an overlooked contribution to local phosphorus cycles

Supplementary feeding of garden birds and gamebirds is a common practice worldwide. Bird feed is rich in phosphorus (P), which plays a key role in animal health and ecosystem function. However, much of the P in bird feed originates from mined rock deposits, which is then transported thousands of kilometers to feeder stations, where it represents an external source of nutrients for recipient ecosystems. Here, we demonstrate that diffusion of P by birds and other animals from feeder stations to ecosystems can represent a nontrivial contribution to local biogeochemical cycles. Using the UK as a case study, we show that supplementary bird feeding supplies 2.4 (range: 1.9–3.0) gigagrams of P per year across the UK, a flux similar in magnitude to atmospheric deposition. Phosphorus provided to garden birds alone is equal to that supplied through the application of garden fertilizers. In natural and semi‐natural ecosystems, additional feeder‐derived P inputs may exacerbate eutrophication at the local scale and adversely impact biodiversity.

Long‐distance post‐release movements challenge the metapopulation restoration of Bearded Vultures

AbstractRestoring ecological dynamics is a key objective of conservation translocations. Exemplarily, reconnecting the reintroduced alpine populations with native Pyrenean populations through re‐establishing locally extinct populations in between, in the Causses and the Pre‐Alps, is a major goal for the long‐term conservation of Bearded Vultures in Europe. Understanding Bearded Vultures' post‐release movements and foraging behavior is critical to understanding the settlement of newly restored populations and to supporting conservation measures. The telemetric monitoring of 43 translocated and wild‐born juveniles allowed us to investigate whether differences exist in post‐release movements and foraging behavior during the first year of life between reintroduced and native populations. Medium‐ and long‐distance exploration movements start during the spring following fledging for both translocated and wild‐born individuals. However, birds translocated in the most distant release site (Causses) exhibited greater exploration distances with no clear directional movement pattern, had smaller home ranges, and had a stronger preference for supplementary feeding stations than those from other populations. Although some birds translocated in the Pre‐Alps displayed similar behaviors, the pattern is not as strong as in the Causses, likely because of the proximity to the breeding populations reintroduced in the Alps or differences in the number and management of supplementary feeding stations. Preference for supplementary feeding stations (SFS) mostly occurred in the Pre‐Alps and the native populations, but was lower in the Causses. Seasonal variations in SFS preference were consistent among populations, with a peak in the first spring following fledging. Beyond documenting post‐release movements in Bearded Vultures, we suggest better accounting for the demographic consequences of behaviors to track conservation translocation effectiveness, at both local and regional scales.

Sustained predation pressure may prevent the loss of anti-predator traits from havened populations.

Conservation havens free of invasive predators are increasingly relied upon for fauna conservation, although havened populations can lose anti-predator traits, likely making them less suitable for life 'beyond the fence'. Sustaining low levels of mammalian predator pressure inside havens may prevent the loss of anti-predator traits from havened populations. We opportunistically compared behavioural and morphological anti-predator traits between four woylie (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi) populations- one haven isolated from all mammalian predators, one haven containing a native mammalian predator (chuditch; Dasyurus geoffroii), and their respective non-havened counterparts (each containing both chuditch and invasive predators). Havened woylies existing without mammalian predators were smaller (shorter hindfeet, smaller body weight) and less reactive (consumed more food from fox-treated and control feeding stations, less agitated during human handling) than a non-havened reference population. However, in the haven containing chuditch, we found no difference in behaviour or morphology compared to the adjacent non-havened population. Across populations, anti-predator responses tended to appear stronger at sites with higher predator activity, suggestive of an adaptive response across a gradient of predation pressure. Our findings suggest that maintaining mammalian predation pressure in conservation havens could be effective for preventing or slowing the loss of anti-predator traits from these populations.

Temporal and behavioural niche partitioning underlies coexistence within a native‐exotic rodent assemblage exploiting a high‐value limited resource

AbstractNiche partitioning is a common strategy species use to avoid competition for limited resources, allowing them to coexist. Rodent species often reduce competition by spatial segregation and trophic differentiation, but behavioural differences, particularly related to foraging, can also be important. Therefore, temporal segregation can also be an important mechanism for species coexistence, as it helps them avoid sub‐optimal habitats. We found three rodent species (the native Octodon degus and O. lunatus, and the exotic Rattus rattus) foraging on endemic palm Jubaea chilensis seeds, a highly valuable but limited resource. We hypothesized that these rodent species could coexist by segregating foraging in time, showing behavioural differences. To test this, we used camera traps to monitor the fate of J. chilensis seeds and rodent activity at 25 feeding stations. From 596 photographic records, we identified 128 as O. degus, 232 as O. lunatus and 236 as R. rattus. Octodon degus had a diurnal activity, while O. lunatus and R. rattus were nocturnal, showing significant temporal segregation. However, we found no spatial association among these rodents. We found significant behavioural differences in decision and handling times and seed removal rates, with O. degus having the greatest seed removal rate. Nevertheless, we found some nocturnal O. degus records in which the three rodent species were co‐foraging, which may suggest that the resource is limited but valuable enough to shift from exploitation to interference competition. Our results suggest that temporal and behavioural differentiation are more important than spatial segregation and trophic differentiation. Thus, niche partition over multiple dimensions might allow for species coexistence.

Are you ready for a challenge? Personality traits influence dairy calves' responses to disease, pain, and nutritional challenges

Dairy calves routinely experience disease, pain, and nutritional stressors such as diarrhea, dehorning, and weaning early in life. These stressors lead to changes in behavioral expression that varies in magnitude between individuals, where a greater magnitude change would suggest lower resilience in individuals to a stressor. Thus, this study first aimed to quantify the individual variation in magnitude change in feeding behaviors and activity in response to a bout of diarrhea, dehorning, and weaning. The next objective was to then investigate if personality traits were related to this magnitude of behavioral response in dairy calves, and thus their resilience toward these stressors. Calves were followed with 2 precision livestock technologies (e.g.: an automatic feeding system (AFS), and leg accelerometer) to track behavioral changes in response during the time when the stressors were present. The AFS provided daily measures of milk intake, drinking speed, rewarded and unrewarded visits to the milk feeding station, and calf starter intake. The leg accelerometer provided daily measures of steps, activity index, lying time, and lying bouts. At 23 ± 3 d of age, Holstein dairy calves (n = 49) were subjected to a series of standardized personality tests that exposed calf to novelty and fear stimuli. Factors extracted from a principal component analysis on the behaviors from the personality test were utilized to represent personality traits: Factor 1 ('Fearful'), Factor 2 ('Active') and Factor 3 ('Explorative'). The magnitude change in behaviors from the precision livestock technologies were calculated relative to the behavior performed on the day the stressor occurred (i.e., day of diagnosis; day of dehorning; day weaned). Linear regression models were utilized to determine if calf scores on each factor were associated with magnitude change in behavior for each of the stressor periods with day relative to the stressor included as a repeated measure. Models were run independently for the period leading up to and following each stressor. We found that calves varied in their behavioral responses to diarrhea, dehorning, and weaning stressors, despite being reared in the same environment and experiencing consistent management procedures. Additionally, personality traits measured from standardized tests were associated to both the direction and magnitude of change in behaviors around each stressor. For instance, with diarrhea, calves that were highly 'Fearful' had a greater magnitude change in milk intake and drinking speed following diagnosis than the least 'Fearful' calves. With dehorning, calves that were highly 'Explorative' had a greater magnitude change in lying time when dehorned, but a smaller magnitude change in lying bouts and drinking speed following dehorning, than the least 'explorative' calves. With weaning, calves that were highly 'Active' had a smaller magnitude change in unrewarded visits leading up to and following weaning than calves that were the least 'Active'. Each of the personality traits had a significant association with change in behavior surrounding each of the stressors evaluated, although these associations depended on the type of stressor. These results have implications for how individual calves experience each stressor and therefore individual animal welfare.

Sound feeding signal for gestating sows: Evaluation of an individual learning strategy and its beneficial effects in groups.

Competition for feed in a group of gestating sows leads to aggression around feeding stations, which has a negative impact on their welfare. This study investigates the potential of teaching gestating sows an individual sound signal to reduce aggression resulting from competition for feed access, and thus improve their welfare in a group. A total of 32 sows were used. In a test room, “learning” sows (n = 16) went through 4 individual learning phases (27 days in total) to associate the individual sound signal with an invitation to feed from a one-way feeding station and to discriminate this individual sound signal from other unknown sound signals. After the learning phases, sows were subjected to a 3-day evaluation phase in groups of 4 sows. The "naive" sows (n = 16) were also introduced to the test room individually for 18 days, and in groups of 4 for 3 days without following the learning procedure. Learning sows correctly responded to 100% of their individual sound signal after only 8 days of individual learning, suggesting that they successfully associated the sound signal with feed access. Distinguishing between different sounds was harder as shown by only 18.8% of success after an unknown sound emission at the end of the individual learning phases. Naïve sows reduced the time spent in the feeder compared to learning sows (P < 0.001). On the second day of the group phase, learning sows were less aggressive than naïve sows (P < 0.05). Compared to high-ranking sows, low-ranking sows displayed a reduced number of spontaneous approaches to the feeder during the last individual learning phase (P < 0.001), and higher success rates in the group phase (P < 0.05). The study suggests that, for group-housed sows fed by an individual feeder, teaching sows an individual sound signal can modify their feeding and social behaviors, enhancing their overall well-being during feeding time. Furthermore, the results suggest that this individual learning may be particularly beneficial for low-ranking sows.

Carrion insects living within the bones of large mammals: insect conservation and forensic entomology implications.

Succession patterns of carrion insects on large mammal's carrion has been widely studied, notably to estimate the post-mortem interval in forensic investigations as accurately as possible. However, little attention has been paid to the carrion insects living inside these bones once a carcass is skeletonized. One very recent study documented flies emerging from pig carcasses, and only scarce authors reported the presence of other carrion insects taking advantage of the bone marrow. We, thus, aimed to (1) estimate the frequency of inner-bone space colonization by carrion insects, with particular attention to bone-skipper flies; (2) identify the insects living inside the carrion bones; and (3) determine whether or not carrion insects found within the bones can successfully exit the bones and complete their development. We extensively sampled 185 large mammals' bones collected from twelve vulture feeding stations and four isolated carcasses in southwest France and northern Spain. Sampled bones were opened, and the insects found inside were identified. For two bones, foramen, i.e., the holes providing a natural entrance and exit to the bone's inner cavity, was monitored with a camera to assess the insect's putative exit. We describe the entomofauna, i.e., the set of insect species, living within the bones, and illustrate insects' ability to exit the bones for their subsequent development and maturity. These results are discussed in the framework of carrion insect conservation and forensic entomology perspectives.

Exploring individual responses to welfare issues in growing-finishing pig feeding behaviour

The feeding behaviour of individual growing-finishing pigs can be continuously monitored using sensors such as electronic feeding stations (EFSs), and this could be further used to monitor pig welfare. To make accurate conclusions about individual pig welfare, however, it is important to know whether deviations in feeding behaviour in response to welfare issues are shown only on average or by each individual pig. Therefore, this study aimed (1) to quantify the individual variation in feeding behaviour changes in response to a range of welfare issues, and (2) to explain this individual variation by quantifying the responses to welfare issues for specific subgroups of pigs. We monitored four rounds of 110 growing-finishing pigs each (3–4 months per round). We collected feeding behaviour data using IVOG® EFSs and identified health issues and heat stress using climate sensors and twice-weekly health observations. For each pig, a generalised additive model was fitted, which modelled feeding behaviour through time and estimated the effect of each welfare issue that the pig had suffered from. The range of these effect estimates was compared between pigs to study the individual variation in responses. Subsequently, pigs were repeatedly grouped using physical and feeding characteristics, and, with meta–subset analysis, it was determined for each group whether a deviation in response to the welfare issue (i.e. their combined effect estimates) was present. We found that the range in effect estimates was very large, approaching normal distributions for most combinations of welfare issues and feeding variables. This indicates that most pigs did not show feeding behaviour deviations during the welfare issue, while those that did could show both increases and reductions. One exception was heat stress, for which almost all pigs showed reductions in their feed intake, feeding duration and feeding frequency. When looking at subgroups of pigs, it was seen that especially for lameness and tail damage pigs with certain physical characteristics or feeding strategies did consistently deviate on some feeding components during welfare issues (e.g. only relatively heavier pigs reduced their feeding frequency during lameness). In conclusion, while detection of individual pigs suffering from heat stress using feeding variables should be feasible, detection of (mild) health issues would be difficult due to pigs responding differently, if at all, to a given health issue. For some pigs with specific physical or behavioural characteristics, nevertheless, detection of some health issues, such as lameness or tail damage, may be possible.

Aggressive interactions among white-tailed deer (Artiodactyla: Cervidae) at 4-poster devices for host-targeted tick control.

White-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus Zimmermann (Artiodactyla: Cervidae), are the primary wildlife host for adult stages of blacklegged ticks (Acari: Ixodidae: Ixodes scapularis Say) and an important host for lone star ticks (Acari: Ixodidae: Amblyomma americanum Linnaeus), both of which are vectors of numerous tick-borne pathogens. The 4-poster passive deer treatment device is a topical, host-targeted method to control free-living tick populations and has been proven to successfully reduce tick abundance in several states. Aggressive behavior of white-tailed deer at concentrated feeding stations is hypothesized to interfere with the effective use of 4-poster devices and deer contact with acaricide applicators. We analyzed images collected by camera traps at 4-poster feeding stations deployed at 3 sites in Maryland and found a negative relationship between some aggressive interactions and contact with applicators. Our results emphasize the need for further investigation into whether deer social dynamics can impact 4-poster efficacy for tick control. This study serves as a reminder that intraspecific interactions are important to consider when using host-targeted acaricide approaches.

PSVI-18 Low and high feed efficiency grower-finisher pigs fed three different levels of dietary crude protein showed no immediate difference in blood metabolomics profile

Abstract Improving feed efficiency (FE) of grower-finisher pigs is of great importance considering its impact on production economy, nutrient excretions as well as carbon-footprint. The biological background describing variation in FE between pen mates, is difficult to establish as feed intake (FI) and FE are not estimated on an individual level. In this study advanced feeding stations were used to estimate FI and further calculate feed conversion ratio (FCR) on individual level. The study aimed to investigate the possible difference in the blood metabolic profile between low and high FE grower-finisher pigs fed three different levels of dietary crude protein (CP). The study included 60 newly weaned gilts divided in two series, housed as 10 pigs/pen. The 30 pigs per series were distributed between three pens (10 pigs/pen) and were balanced by body weight and litter. Throughout the entire weaner period all pigs had ad libitum access to the same diet. Pigs were redistributed among the grower-finisher pens to balance FCR levels between dietary treatments (CP levels) and to reduce any carry over effect from the weaner to the grower-finisher pens. From 30-115 kg body weight (BW), pigs were fed either a low (L; 14.8% CP), standard (15.2% CP) or high (H; 15.8% CP) CP diet equal in energy, where BW, average weekly gain (AWG), and FCR were determined on weekly basis, while FI was estimated on daily basis. Three low FE (20% least) and three high FE (20% greatest) pigs were selected based on the final 4 wk of growth within station and CP level. On the final day of the experimental period all low-FE and high-FE pigs within each dietary treatment were euthanized and blood plasma was sampled and subjected to a nontargeted LC-MS metabolomics analysis. Growth performance and metabolite data were, respectively, analyzed in R and MetaboAnalyst 5.0 with FE and CP as fixed effects. High-FE and H-CP pigs continuously displayed numerically greater BW, while AWG and FCR were, respectively, numerically greater, and less in L-CP than H-CP group during last 2 wk of the experimental period. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed no grouping (P &amp;gt; 0.05) of metabolites and no specific pattern of the metabolic profile from either the two FE categories or the three dietary CP levels. Furthermore, no correlation (P &amp;gt;0.05) of metabolites to any other observation was found, and only little variation, measured by distance to model showing deviation of each pig to overall model, was observed. In conclusion, at first glance the metabolomics profile did not appear to present any specific pattern between low and high feed efficiency grower-finisher pigs or between pigs exposed to different levels of dietary CP in the grower finisher period.

PSVI-19 No apparent association between the microbiome in the distal part of the small intestine and feed efficiency in grower-finisher pigs fed three different levels of dietary crude protein

Abstract Improving feed efficiency (FE) of grower-finisher pigs is important considering its production, environmental and climate impact. The biological background describing variation in FE between pen mates, is difficult to establish as feed intake (FI) and FE is not estimated on an individual level. In this study advanced feeding stations were used to estimate FI and further calculate feed conversion ratio (FCR) on individual level. The study aimed to investigate the possible association between FCR and microbiome (alpha and beta diversity; observed features and Shannon index, and Bray-Curtis dissimilarity and Jaccard Distance) in the distal part of the small intestine (SI) in grower-finisher pigs fed three different levels of dietary crude protein (CP). The study included 60 newly weaned gilts divided in two series, housed as 10 pigs/pen. The 30 pigs per series were distributed between three pens (10 pigs/pen) and were balanced by body weight (BW) and litter with ad libitum access to the same diet. Pigs were redistributed among the grower-finisher pens to balance FCR levels between dietary treatments (CP levels) and to reduce any carry over effect from the weaner to the grower-finisher pens. From 30-115 kg BW, pigs were fed either a low (L; 14.8% CP), standard (Std; 15.2% CP) or high (H; 15.8% CP) CP diet equal in energy, where BW, average weekly gain (AWG), and FCR were determined on weekly basis, while FI was estimated on daily basis. Three low FE (20% least) and three high FE (20% greatest) pigs were selected based on the final 4 wk of growth within station and CP level. All low-FE and high-FE pigs within each dietary treatment were euthanized around 115 kg BW and content and mucosa scrabe from the distal part of the SI was sampled and subjected to 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Data were analyzed in R using a generalized linear mixed-effects model with FE, CP, and their interaction as explanatory variables, start BW of weaner and grower phase as covariables, and series as random effect. High-FE and H-CP pigs continuously displayed numerically greater BW, while AWG and FCR were, respectively, numerically greater, and less in L-CP than H-CP group during last 2 wk of the experimental period. While FE and CP individually had no significant impact [Pr(&amp;gt; Chisq] &amp;gt; 0.05), their interaction could be important in explaining the variation (Chisq = 6.42, Df = 2, Pr(&amp;gt;Chisq) = 0.04) as expressed by observed features. But a pairwise comparison with a Benjamini–Hochberg correction showed no difference between groups. Concerning the Shannon index, no significance was found between groups, and no difference with respect to beta diversity was observed. In conclusion, the microbiome as expressed by alpha and beta diversity did not explain the variation between low and high FE in grower-finisher pigs.

274 Socialization of piglets during suckling enhanced feed intake after weaning but did not alter their response to dietary amino acid concentration

Abstract The present study hypothesized that pre-weaning socialized piglets would reduce damaging behavior and when fed an increased dietary standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys (and amino acids) to net energy (NE) ratio post-weaning would increase early post weaning feed intake (FI) and growth performance, and in nursery pigs. Socializing included two groups of five sows and their litters for which farrowing pen walls were removed allowing piglets to co-mingle for 10 d before weaning (S) whereas traditionally housed piglets pertained to housing a single sow with her litter (T; n = 15). At weaning, 120 mixed-gender piglets [7.2 ± 0.7 kg body weight (BW)] were allocated based on litter origin, sow parity, and piglet BW to 12 pens equipped with single-space electronic feeding stations with 10 pigs/pen for a 41-d study. In this 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, factors were litter background (socialized vs. traditional) and dietary SID Lys: NE (High 1.32 vs. Low 1.15 SID Lys:NE MJ/kg). Daily individual FI and BW and skin injuries at different timepoints after weaning were determined. Wheat-barley based diets were isoenergetic (10.6 MJ/kg) and offered in two phases (i.e., d 0-14 and d 14-41). The day after weaning, socializing reduced the proportion of piglets with more than five skin injuries from 45.7% to 3.0% compared with traditional housing (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Early post-weaning, daily FI was 50% greater for S-LowLys:NE pigs than S-HighLys:NE on d1, then, T-LowLys:NE was greatest (~25% above other treatments) during d 3-6 (all P &amp;lt; 0.05). The trend maintained during d 6-8 with T-LowLys:NE and S-HighLys:NE being similar each other (P &amp;gt; 0.05). The average number of visits per day during the first 10 d was greater (P &amp;lt; 0.01) for S-HighLys:NE and T-LowLys:NE (33 visits each) compared with T-HighLys:NE (24 visits). Overall, S-HighLys:NE pigs tended (P &amp;lt; 0.10) to have a greater end BW (23.8 vs. 22.1 kg) and a greater d 0-41 average daily gain (ADG) than T-HighLys:NE (530 vs. 472 g/d). For d22-29, the average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and feed efficiency (FE), were greater for S-HighLys:NE and T-LowLys:NE compared with S-LowLys:NE and T-HighLys:NE (P &amp;lt; 0.05). No other meaningful interactions were observed between socializing and Lys:NE on growth performance. However, looking at main factors, socializing increased ADG during d 29-41 by 9% (P = 0.01) coinciding with a 4% greater FE (P = 0.09). The data suggest that traditionally housed piglets fed a HighLys:NE diet post-weaning had lower daily FI and growth performance compared with T-LowLys:NE and socialized piglets irrespective of the Lys:NE contrast. In conclusion, the present study led to a better understanding of nutritional requirements and FI in situations with different pre-weaning housing schemes of piglets. In the present conditions, pre-weaning socialization of pigs may stimulate feed intake earlier post-weaning and allow a better transition independently from the Lys (and amino acid) to NE ratio.

216 Is weaning body weight more important than early post-weaning feed intake? A meta-analysis exploring electronic feeding stations data

Abstract The present meta-analysis investigated the effects of initial voluntary post-weaning feed intake (FI) and weaning body weight (BW) on daily FI and body weight (BW) development in nursery pigs housed in electronic feeding stations (EFS). In total, 18 studies (2006-2017, Trouw Nutrition, The Netherland) were used containing 1,177 mixed-sex pigs weaned at ~25 d (7.3 ± 1.5 kg BW). Studies lasted for 14 d (3 studies;162 pigs), 21 d (3 studies; 154 pigs), 31 d (7 studies; 467 pigs), or up to 38 to 52 d (5 studies; 394 pigs) post-weaning. Pigs were housed in pens with single-space EFS with 10 to 12 pigs/pen. Daily individual FI and BW at different timepoints were determined. Across studies various dietary treatments were applied by EFS with a feed phase change on d 4-8 (13 studies) or d 14 (5 studies). Classes were created with pigs above or below their respective study median on a) cumulative FI over the initial 4 d post-weaning (Fid 0-3; Hfi and Lfi), and b) BW0 (Hbw and Lbw). Mixed models were used to analyze data including FId0-3 and BW0 classes, time post-weaning, and their interactions as fixed effects while study and pen were random effects and pig was repeated measure over time. In a separate model, the FI before and after change from phase 1 to phase 2 was studied in the 2 × 2 with the diet change day as covariate. Pigs with Hfi showed greater (P &amp;lt; 0.05) daily FI until d 14 than their Lfi counterparts (Figure 1). Thereafter, LfiHbw pigs showed a greater FI to an intermediate level with HfiHbw being greatest and LfiLbw least (P &amp;lt; 0.001). Between d 20-28, LfiLbw pigs had the least FI among groups (P &amp;lt; 0.001). From d 28 onward, HfiHbw showed greater daily FI than the other groups (P &amp;lt; 0.05) with LfiLbw often having the lowest FI (P &amp;lt; 0.05) or similar to HfiLbw and LfiHbw (P &amp;gt;0.05). The BW0 was similar between FId0-3 classes (P &amp;gt;0.05), i.e., 8.26, 8.26, 6.85 and 6.77 kg BW for HfiHbw, LfiHbw, HfiLbw and LfiLbw, respectively whereas final BW were all different (i.e., 23.9, 21.8, 20.8 and 18.4 kg BW, respectively; P &amp;lt; 0.001). In absolute figures, all groups had 10 g similar decrease of FI the day of feed phase change followed with 8 g increase the day after (P &amp;gt; 0.05). Time spent eating per feeder visit, steadily increased from d0 (14 min) to d5 (170 min), being greater for Hfi than Lfi (P &amp;lt; 0.05). From d 6 onward, it remained ~172 min/visit showing some tendencies (P &amp;lt; 0.10) for HfiHbw spending less time. In conclusion, the present study pointed out the relevance of weaning BW and initial post-weaning FI as independent factors influencing both daily feed intake behavior and growth performance for the nursery phase.

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) fruit consumption and preference by cloud forest birds: Implications for woody native species regeneration

Secondary forests from abandoned shade coffee plantations are commonly found close to Neotropical cities. These peri-urban forests provide important environmental services; however, their abandonment and proximity to the city can promote an increase of exotic species that could potentially change the structure and function of the system by creating novel ecosystems. The loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) is a tree native to Asia and is recognized as a potentially invasive species in the tropical montane cloud forest region of Central Veracruz, Mexico. We analyzed the consumption of and preference for loquat fruits in cloud forest frugivorous birds. In November 2020, we established six feeding stations with camera traps in a peri-urban cloud forest fragment in Xalapa, Mexico. To determine which bird species could consume and disperse E. japonica, fruits of this and another four native species (Psychotria nervosa, Hoffmannia excelsa, Picramnia antidesma, and Xylosma flexuosa) were exposed separately. After 444 camera-days, we recorded eight frugivorous bird species, seven of which consumed E. japonica fruits. Chlorospingus flavopectus was the only species to present a level of loquat fruit consumption greater than that expected by chance. We conducted experiments to assess whether the birds preferred to consume E. japonica fruits compared to those from three native species (Cestrum miradorense, P. nervosa, and X. flexuosa) that were offered simultaneously. All bird species exclusively consumed E. japonica fruits when contrasted against P. nervosa or X. flexuosa. The only native species fruits that were consumed were those of C. miradorense, although the birds also preferred to consume loquat fruits rather than this native species. The loquat therefore represents an important food resource and could act to influence the consumption and dispersal of native cloud forest plant species. The implications for cloud forest management are discussed.

Genome-wide Association Studies of Novel Resilience Traits Identify Important Immune QTL Regions and Candidate Genes in Duroc Pigs

Resilience traits in pig populations allow animals to deal better with infectious disease and suboptimal production environments. The data on daily weight, feed intake and feed behaviors in pigs are collected in test period by automated feeding stations, which facilitate to evaluate the resilience traits. In this study, we adopted the mean square error roots (RMSE) of ordinary least squares (OLS) and the negative residuals of quantile regression (QR) to generate four different novel resilience traits using daily records of feed intake and feed duration between 90 and 180 days of age in a population of commercial Duroc pigs. The genome-wide association studies (GWAS) based on single- and two- trait mixed models were carried out on 550 pigs using 48,603 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to identify genomic regions associated with resilience traits in growing pigs. We further focused on the GWAS signals to conduct gene annotation, colocalization with multi-tissue eQTL summary statistics of PigGTEx project and identification of enhancers and promoters using the publicly available data. The genomic heritabilities of four novel resilience traits ranged from 0.09 to 0.41. The pairwise genetic and phenotypic correlations ranged from 0.16 to 0.95 and from 0.05 to 0.36, respectively. Twenty-seven SNPs were identified to be significantly associated with these resilience traits. They were distributed on nine chromosomes (SSC1, SSC2, SSC6, SSC7, SSC8, SSC12, SSC14, SSC16, and SSC17). After annotation, 39 QTLs and 49 candidate genes were identified. Several of these are functionally relevant candidate genes including OTUD4, TIFA and CARD14, which are involved in the host immune response, disease susceptibility and signal transduction. Eight unique SNPs were found to be causal in both GWAS and eQTL analyses across 15 tissues. Notably, one SNP (rs80794541) was associated with eQTLs identified concurrently across seven tissues/cell types, including the macrophage cell type. Furthermore, four significant SNPs (rs81467127, rs81356029, rs80794541, and rs81305085) were linked to the function of the primed enhancer, active element, and poised promoter in five pig tissues. Using the porcine fibroblast HiC dataset, SNP (rs81356029) on SSC2 regulates the CARNS1 and SSH3, while SNP (rs80794541) on SSC7 regulates the H2AC6. In this study, we generated four novel resilience traits and identified SNPs significantly associated with these resilience traits in a Duroc pig population. GWAS signals were associated with candidate genes involving in the immune traits, and were linked to the crucial regulatory elements as well. Our findings will contribute to elucidating the genetic mechanism that can enhance genome-enabled breeding and inform further research on resilience in domestic pigs.