Growth Rate Of Animals Research Articles

Multi-omics revealed the long-term effect of ruminal keystone bacteria and the microbial metabolome on lactation performance in adult dairy goats

BackgroundThe increased growth rate of young animals can lead to higher lactation performance in adult goats; however, the effects of the ruminal microbiome on the growth of young goats, and the contribution of the early-life rumen microbiome to lifelong growth and lactation performance in goats has not yet been well defined. Hence, this study assessed the rumen microbiome in young goats with different average daily gains (ADG) and evaluated its contribution to growth and lactation performance during the first lactation period.ResultsBased on monitoring of a cohort of 99 goats from youth to first lactation, the 15 highest ADG (HADG) goats and 15 lowest ADG (LADG) goats were subjected to rumen fluid microbiome and metabolome profiling. The comparison of the rumen metagenome of HADG and LADG goats revealed that ruminal carbohydrate metabolism and amino acid metabolism function were enhanced in HADG goats, suggesting that the rumen fluid microbiome of HADG goats has higher feed fermentation ability. Co-occurrence network and correlation analysis revealed that Streptococcus, Candidatus Saccharimonans, and Succinivibrionaceae UCG-001 were significantly positively correlated with young goats’ growth rates and some HADG-enriched carbohydrate and protein metabolites, such as propionate, butyrate, maltoriose, and amino acids, while several genera and species of Prevotella and Methanogens exhibited a negative relationship with young goats’ growth rates and correlated with LADG-enriched metabolites, such as rumen acetate as well as methane. Additionally, some functional keystone bacterial taxa, such as Prevotella, in the rumen of young goats were significantly correlated with the same taxa in the rumen of adult lactation goats. Prevotella also enriched the rumen of LADG lactating goats and had a negative effect on rumen fermentation efficiency in lactating goats. Additional analysis using random forest machine learning showed that rumen fluid microbiota and their metabolites of young goats, such as Prevotellaceae UCG-003, acetate to propionate ratio could be potential microbial markers that can potentially classify high or low ADG goats with an accuracy of prediction of > 81.3%. Similarly, the abundance of Streptococcus in the rumen of young goats could be predictive of milk yield in adult goats with high accuracy (area under the curve 91.7%).ConclusionsThis study identified the keystone bacterial taxa that influence carbohydrate and amino acid metabolic functions and shape the rumen fluid microbiota in the rumen of adult animals. Keystone bacteria and their effects on rumen fluid microbiota and metabolome composition during early life can lead to higher lactation performance in adult ruminants. These findings suggest that the rumen microbiome together with their metabolites in young ruminants have long-term effect on feed efficiency and animal performance. The fundamental knowledge may allow us to develop advanced methods to manipulate the rumen microbiome and improve production efficiency of ruminants.CFkFrpUn9s69m82LGb2Mf6Video

On the exponential growth rates of lattice animals and interfaces

AbstractWe introduce a formula for translating any upper bound on the percolation threshold of a lattice$G$into a lower bound on the exponential growth rate of lattice animals$a(G)$and vice versa. We exploit this in both directions. We obtain the rigorous lower bound${\dot{p}_c}({\mathbb{Z}}^3)\gt 0.2522$for 3-dimensional site percolation. We also improve on the best known asymptotic bounds on$a({\mathbb{Z}}^d)$as$d\to \infty$. Our formula remains valid if instead of lattice animals we enumerate certain subspecies called interfaces. Enumerating interfaces leads to functional duality formulas that are tightly connected to percolation and are not valid for lattice animals, as well as to strict inequalities for the percolation threshold.Incidentally, we prove that the rate of the exponential decay of the cluster size distribution of Bernoulli percolation is a continuous function of$p\in (0,1)$.

Adaptive, multi-paddock, rotational grazing management alters foraging behavior and spatial grazing distribution of free-ranging cattle

Sustainable management of grazinglands depends upon understanding how management practices influence livestock movements in space and time. We conducted a ranch-scale (2,600-ha) social-ecological experiment to examine how foraging behavior of cattle differs between a single large herd rotated adaptively among paddocks (collaborative, adaptive rangeland management; CARM) versus continuous, season-long grazing of paddocks by small non-rotational herds (traditional rangeland management; TRM). We analyzed how differences in cattle movement patterns may be linked to reductions in cattle growth rates and diet quality in the CARM treatment, relative to TRM. Cattle in the CARM treatment exhibited more linear grazing pathways, moved at lower velocity while grazing, and exhibited longer grazing bouts early in the growing season compared to TRM cattle. Grazing time within any given 10 × 10 m area was distributed more unevenly across TRM vs. CARM paddocks in years with average or above-average precipitation, but not in dry years. In all years, areas of high and low grazing intensity were more spatially clustered in TRM than CARM paddocks. Movement patterns of cattle managed using adaptive, multi-paddock rotations at high stock density (CARM) are consistent with less selective foraging. Such cattle form a “grazing front” that moves across the paddock and distributes grazing pressure in a more spatially homogeneous fashion. In years with substantial forage production, TRM cattle spent more time than CARM cattle in preferred areas of the paddock and foraged in more circular patches. In dry years, however, both treatments resulted in similarly even grazing distribution, likely due to limited intra-paddock variation in forage quality and quantity. At the ranch scale, these different intra-paddock movement patterns led to reductions in animal growth rates and no overall effect of grazing management on forage production.

Biological features of the formation of meat productivity of rabbits of chin-chilla breed depending on crossing with meat breeds

Rabbit breeding is a special branch of animal husbandry characterized by high fertility and growth intensity. The main way of intensification of rabbit farming involves such selection measures that adapt rabbit populations of keeping in industrial conditions, ensure high reproductive properties of female rabbits, preservation of rabbits in nests, high growth rate, fattening and meat qualities of animals. The research was conducted on the basis of the experimental rabbit farm of the Cherkasy Research Station of Bioresources of the National Academy of Sciences on the population of female chinchilla (Chinchilla) rabbits and males of the Gray giant rabbit (Gray giant rabbit), New Zealand white rabbit (New Zealand white rabbit) and young rabbits obtained from these three combinations. As the result of the conducted research, it was found that under the conditions of intensive production of rabbit meat, the reproductive qualities of female chinchilla rabbits in combination with males of the Gray giant and New Zealand white rabbits breeds increase, namely: high fertility – on 1.8–5.2 %; milk yield – on 1.8–7.4 %. The weight of the nest at weaning was probably (P < 0.001) higher in female rabbits of the combination Chinchilla x New Zealand white rabbit and was 5.29 ± 0.13 kg, which is 869 g more than the purebred peers of the chinchilla breed and 380 g more than the combination Chinchilla x Great giant rabbit. The best indicators of fattening and meat productivity were found in young rabbits of 1/2Chinchilla 1/2Gray giant rabbit and 1/2Chinchilla 1/2New Zealand white rabbit origin. The fattening indicators of the rabbits of these groups compared to the rabbits of the control group accordingly increased: live weight at 90 days of age – on 4.0 and 3.8 % (Р < 0.05); average daily increases – on 4.7 and 5.4 % (Р < 0.05; Р < 0.01); waist width – on 5.6 and 8.7 % (Р < 0.01). The research also revealed that the group of young rabbits 1/2Chinchilla 1/2New Zealand white rabbit by origin had a higher slaughter yield and the indicators of which exceeded and rabbits of the second group ( 1/2Chinchilla 1/2Gray giant rabbit on 3.6% and the first (Chinchilla) – on 4.1 %, and the expenses of feed per 1 kg of increase by group was 3.85 accordingly; 3.75; 3.7 kg. Crossbred rabbits 1/2Chinchilla 1/2New Zealand white rabbit and 1/2Chinchilla 1/2Gray giant rabbit according to this indicator prevailed over purebred peers (Chinchilla) on 2.6 and 3.9 %, accordingly.

Identification of key immune and stress related genes and pathways by comparative analysis of the gene expression profile under multiple environmental stressors in pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

Water salinity, pH, and nitrite concentration are considered environmental factors affecting the growth rate, survival, health, and physiological conditions of aquatic animals. The identification of key genes that are involved in the response to environmental stressors is essential for controlling stress in aquatic animals and sustainable aquaculture. In this study, RNA sequencing was performed to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and biological pathways that are involved in the response of the hepatopancreas to environmental stressors, including low salinity stress, nitrite stress, low pH stress, and high pH stress. The DEGs were enriched in biological pathways related to immune response, energy metabolism, oxidative stress response, hemostasis, and enzymatic activity of the hepatopancreas. In addition to the identification of DEGs related to each stressor, some DEGs were found to be expressed among all groups. The most important overlapping DEGs under multiple stressors were juvenile hormone esterase-like protein 2 (JHE-like), myosin light chain, C-type lectin 2, myosin-9-like, anti-lipopolysaccharide factor 1 (ALF-1), peroxisomal acyl-coenzyme An oxidase 1-like (ACX1), hepatic lectin-like, venom phosphodiesterase 2-like, hemolymph clottable protein-like (CP), cathepsin L, and Ras-like protein 2. The results of the present study provide additional information regarding the transcriptional response of the hepatopancreas to low salinity, nitrite, low pH, and high pH stress. Moreover, the discovery of several overlapping DEGs among different stressors provided a better understanding of the molecular function of the hepatopancreas.

The Role of Digital Agriculture in Mitigating Climate Change and Ensuring Food Security: An Overview

Digital agriculture involving different tools and management practices has advanced considerably in recent years, intending to overcome climate risk and reduce food insecurity. Climate change and its impacts on agricultural production and food security are significant sources of public concern worldwide. The objective of this study was to provide an overview of the potential impact of digital agriculture technologies and practices that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance productivity while ensuring food security. Based on a comprehensive survey of the previously published works, it was found that due to global warming, altered precipitation patterns, and an increase in the frequency of extreme events, climate change has negatively impacted food security by reducing agricultural yields, slowing animal growth rates, and decreasing livestock productivity. The reviewed works also suggest that using digital technology in agriculture is necessary to mitigate the effect of climate change and food insecurity. In addition, issues regarding creating sustainable agricultural food systems, minimizing environmental pollution, increasing yields, providing fair and equitable food distribution, and reducing malnutrition leading to food security were discussed in detail. It was shown that while digital agriculture has a crucial role in mitigating climate change and ensuring food security, it requires a concerted effort from policymakers, researchers, and farmers to ensure that the benefits of digitalization are realized in a sustainable and equitable manner.

Single and combined effects of microplastics and cadmium on the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus

Microplastic pollution of the ocean has received extensive attention as plastic pollution increases globally, but the potential ecological risks caused by microplastic interactions with trace metals still require further research. In this study, Apostichopus japonicus was used to explore the individual and combined toxicities of cadmium (Cd) and microplastics and their effects on growth, Cd tissue accumulation, digestive enzymes, and gut microbes. The body weight gain and specific growth rate of animals exposed to a combination of high concentrations of Cd and microplastics decreased. The addition of high concentrations of cadmium to the diet led to an increase in cadmium content in the respiratory tree, digestive tract and body wall. Amylase, lipase and trypsin decreased to different degrees in the group treated with high concentrations of Cd/microplastics. Firmicutes were significantly reduced across multiple treatment groups, with the order Lactobacillales being the most significantly affected. Cd is the pollutant causing the greatest negative impact, but the presence of microplastics undoubtedly increases its toxicity.

The influence of some paratypical factors on the reproductive qualities of sows

Relevance. The live weight of pigs is closely related to the process of growth and development of their organism. It varies depending on the growth rate of animals, is determined by genetic factors and environmental conditions. The aim of the article is to study the influence of live weight and age on the productive qualities of sows.Methods. On the basis of FGUP "Kolos" of the Tsivilsky district of the Chuvash Republic, 50 sows of a Large white breed were evaluated according to a set of characteristics: exterior, development, live weight, productivity. To identify the rating of the sow, the instructions for pig bonitization were used. The pigs were fed according to the rations in accordance with the feeding standards.Results. According to the milk content, the difference between the first and fifth farrowing is 5.3 kg, according to the weight of the nest in 2 months — 16.6 kg. The mortality in the first and second farrowing was 11%, in the third — 10%, and in the fourth and fifth farrowing the livability was 96 and 95%. With an increase in prolificacy the milk yield and nest weight increase in 2 months, the difference between multiple births with 9 and 12 pigletsby the milk yield was 4.3 kg, by nest weight in 2 months — 25.1 kg. With an increase in the live weight of sowsincrease prolificacy , milk production, and nest weight in 30 days and in 2 months. The difference in prolificacy between the first and third groups was 1.8 heads, in milk production — 6.3 kg, in nest weight at 30 days — 9.31 kg, and at 2 months — 23.95 kg. In our studies, the cost of one newborn piglet of sows on 3rd, 4th, 5th farrowings and with a live weight of over 180 kg was 10–18% lower than of a piglet received from sows on 1st, 2nd farrowings and weighing up to 180 kg.

Mannan Oligosaccharides Promoted Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy through the Gut Microbiome and Microbial Metabolites in Mice.

Mannan oligosaccharides (MOSs) have been implicated in the animal growth rate, health indices, and lipid oxidative stability. MOSs have been indicated to maintain intestinal health and anti-inflammatory effects via modulation of gut microbiota. Furthermore, the role of MOSs in modulating skeletal muscle function is largely unknown. Here, this study aimed to investigate the effects of MOS supplementation on muscle function and muscle mass in mice. Additionally, the possible underlying mechanisms, including the contributions of gut microbiota and microbial metabolites, were explored. In our study, 3-week-old C57BL/6J male mice (body weight of approximately 10.7 ± 1.1 g) were given pure water or pure water with 1% MOS. To study the effect of MOSs on gut-microbiota-derived metabolites, serum metabolic profiles were analyzed through untargeted metabolomic profiling. Moreover, we detected the downstream signals of differential metabolites, and decanoic acid (DA) was selected as our target spot. Then, DA was used to treat C2C12 cells, and we found that DA promotes C2C12 cell differentiation via the GPR84 and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. In conclusion, these results showed that MOS supplementation improves muscle function and muscle mass. Additionally, gut microbiome and microbial metabolites were regulated by MOSs, and DA may be one of the most important links between the gut microbiome and skeletal muscle function regulation.

Characteristics of rabbits of domestic breeds and ways to increase their productivity in the region of the Middle Urals

Russia today occupies one of the last places in the world in the production of rabbit meat (about 10–15 thousand tons per year). In order to increase the production of rabbit meat in Russia imported meat breeds and crosses are being bred, existing domestic breeds are being improved. The housing of imported breeds and crosses requires the construction of expensive rabbit houses with climate control. The most popular domestic breeds in different regions of Russia are White giant – 12,87 % and Soviet chinchilla – 9,35 %, which are acclimatized to the harsh climatic conditions of our country and do not require large costs for housing. The purpose of the research was to characterize rabbits of domestic breeds and analyze ways to increase their productivity in the region of the Middle Urals. It has been proved on the base of comprehensive studies that rabbits of Soviet chinchilla and White giant breeds have changed the parameters of the conformation, live weight, and the intensity of growth of young animals in the direction of meat productivity. The influence of the quantitative and qualitative composition of the intestinal microfl ora of young rabbits on the dynamics of live weight has been proved. The positive effect of the use of line breeding on the growth rate of young animals under the conditions of the Middle Urals has been established. The analysis of economic data showed that the profit from the sale of meat of rabbits of Soviet chinchilla breed grown up to 3 months of age and was 4,09 % higher compared to herdmates of White giant breed. At the same time, when slaughtered at the age of 110 days, the indicators were higher in White giant rabbits, which should be taken into account when conducting breeding work with these breeds.

Enteric methane research and mitigation strategies for pastoral-based beef cattle production systems.

Ruminant livestock play a key role in global society through the conversion of lignocellulolytic plant matter into high-quality sources of protein for human consumption. However, as a consequence of the digestive physiology of ruminant species, methane (CH4), which originates as a byproduct of enteric fermentation, is accountable for 40% of global agriculture's carbon footprint and ~6% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Therefore, meeting the increasing demand for animal protein associated with a growing global population while reducing the GHG intensity of ruminant production will be a challenge for both the livestock industry and the research community. In recent decades, numerous strategies have been identified as having the potential to reduce the methanogenic output of livestock. Dietary supplementation with antimethanogenic compounds, targeting members of the rumen methanogen community and/or suppressing the availability of methanogenesis substrates (mainly H2 and CO2), may have the potential to reduce the methanogenic output of housed livestock. However, reducing the environmental impact of pasture-based beef cattle may be a challenge, but it can be achieved by enhancing the nutritional quality of grazed forage in an effort to improve animal growth rates and ultimately reduce lifetime emissions. In addition, the genetic selection of low-CH4-emitting and/or faster-growing animals will likely benefit all beef cattle production systems by reducing the methanogenic potential of future generations of livestock. Similarly, the development of other mitigation technologies requiring minimal intervention and labor for their application, such as anti-methanogen vaccines, would likely appeal to livestock producers, with high uptake among farmers if proven effective. Therefore, the objective of this review is to give a detailed overview of the CH4 mitigation solutions, both currently available and under development, for temperate pasture-based beef cattle production systems. A description of ruminal methanogenesis and the technologies used to estimate enteric emissions at pastures are also presented.

Transcriptomics and Lipid Metabolomics Analysis of Subcutaneous, Visceral, and Abdominal Adipose Tissues of Beef Cattle.

Fat deposition traits are influenced by genetics and environment, which affect meat quality, growth rate, and energy metabolism of domestic animals. However, at present, the molecular mechanism of fat deposition is not entirely understood in beef cattle. Therefore, the current study conducted transcriptomics and lipid metabolomics analysis of subcutaneous, visceral, and abdominal adipose tissue (SAT, VAT, and AAT) of Huaxi cattle to investigate the differences among these adipose tissues and systematically explore how candidate genes interact with metabolites to affect fat deposition. These results demonstrated that compared with SAT, the gene expression patterns and metabolite contents of VAT and AAT were more consistent. Particularly, SCD expression, monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and triglyceride (TG) content were higher in SAT, whereas PCK1 expression and the contents of saturated fatty acid (SFA), diacylglycerol (DG), and lysoglycerophosphocholine (LPC) were higher in VAT. Notably, in contrast to PCK1, 10 candidates including SCD, ELOVL6, ACACA, and FABP7 were identified to affect fat deposition through positively regulating MUFA and TG, and negatively regulating SFA, DG, and LPC. These findings uncovered novel gene resources and offered a theoretical basis for future investigation of fat deposition in beef cattle.

Phytobiotics in pig feeding architecture for the organic animal husbandry development

The article presents an analysis of possibility for the use of additives based on vegetable raw materials in pig feeding architecture as an alternative to antibiotics. Until recently, feed antibiotics have been widely used as adaptogens and growth stimulants. Considering the numerous negative consequences, the feasibility of using phytobiotics as an alternative has been proven. The relevance of this scientific field is increasing due to development of organic animal husbandry and the Law on Organic Products adopted in Russia. Numerous research results confirm the important place of herbal supplements in the modern concept of animal feeding. Phytogenic feed components help to control and improve digestion process, contribute to formation of a balanced intestinal microflora, and improve general condition of gastrointestinal tract of farm animals. They are an extremely complex mixture of bioactive components and differ both in biological characteristics and production technology. Natural herbal supplements are used to enhance antioxidant protective mechanisms and reduce intensity of oxidative processes. The complex mechanism of their absorption in intestine minimizes impact of oxygen free radicals and positively affects the growth rate of animals. To reduce feeding and weaning stress in piglets, it is advisable to use adaptogens, for example, phytobiotics, which simultaneously stimulate growth and immune functions of body. The use of phytobiotics contributes to the greening of agricultural production and improving quality of life of the population. Thus, in a complex approach to the problem of piglets and sows productivity, diets with the use of phytobiotics are of great importance.

Impact of face mask microplastics pollution on the aquatic environment and aquaculture organisms

Microplastic pollution in our environment, especially water bodies is an emerging threat to food security and human health. Inevitably, the outbreak of Covid-19 has necessitated the constant use of face masks made from polymers such as polypropylene, polyurethane, polyacrylonitrile, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyethylene, or polyester which eventually will disintegrate into microplastic particles. They can be broken down into microplastics by the weathering action of UV radiation from the sun, heat, or ocean wave-current and precipitate in natural environments. The global adoption of face masks as a preventive measure to curb the spread of Covid-19 has made the safe management of wastes from it cumbersome. Microplastics gain access into aquaculture facilities through water sources and food including planktons. The negative impacts of microplastics on aquaculture cannot be overemphasized. The impacts includes low growth rates of animals, hindered reproductive functions, neurotoxicity, low feeding habit, oxidative stress, reduced metabolic rate, and increased mortality rate among aquatic organisms. With these, there is every tendency of microplastic pollution to negatively impact fish production through aquaculture if the menace is not curbed. It is therefore recommended that biodegradable materials rather than plastics to be considered in the production of face mask while recycle of already produced ones should be encouraged to reduce waste.

The Effects of Climate Change on Animal Nutrition, Production and Product Quality and Solution Suggestions

This article has been prepared to examine the effects of heat stress on livestock nutrition, yield and product quality, and to reveal strategies for adaptation and mitigation of climate change. Global climate change is primarily caused by greenhouse gas emissions, which result in warming of the atmosphere. Therefore, soil, air, water pollution and reductions in biodiversity may occur. At the same time, climate change can directly and indirectly affect livestock and animal nutrition. Heat stress results from inability to dissipate enough heat to maintain homeothermy of the animals. High ambient temperature, relative humidity and radiant energy compromise ability to dissipate heat of the animals. Ruminants, pigs and poultry are susceptible to heat stress due to their species-specific characteristics such as their metabolic rate and growth, high yield levels, rumen fermentation, sweating disorder and skin insulation. The indirect effects of climate change on livestock are changes in crop and forage production and quality, decrease in pasture/rangeland quality as a result of decrease in biodiversity and decrease in water availability. The direct effects are on the feed and water consumption, growth, milk, meat, egg, wool/hair and honey yield and product quality of the animals. These effects are primarily the result of a combination of temperature and increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, variation in precipitation, and relative humidity. Heat stress can cause significant losses in animal production, some of these may be immediate and some may be delayed. Animals under heat stress can decrease feed consumption to reduce metabolic heat. The decrease in feed consumption may cause a decrease in the growth rate of animals, decrease in milk, meat, egg, wool/hair yield and quality. The rations of animals can be manipulated to mitigate the negative effects of climate change.

Acid Mine Drainage Treatment by Potential Carbon Mineralization: A Step Toward a Circular Economy

Acid Mine drainage is produced mainly from the two sources such as mineral and mining industries and there are a factors to enhance the AMD formation: i) atmospheric moisture, ii) pH, iii)temperature, and iv) surface area of sulfide minerals exposed to the oxygen. Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) is formed with the outflow of extremely acidic water from the mine dumps or abandoned mine sites, which contains the dissolved heavy metals such as Copper (Cu), Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), Nickel (Ni), Arsenic (As), Cobalt (Co), Cadmium (Cd), and other some common metals are Manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe), and Zinc (Zn). AMD is a major pollutant that causes a severe threat to the aquatic and ecosystem. There are a few major issues associated with this AMD including contamination of drinking water, lowering the reproduction growth rate of plants and aquatic animals, etc. In this paper, we discussed a new technical solution carbon mineralization technology for the treatment of acid mine drainage, and also promoting the possible circular economy was proposed. A carbon mineralization technology was studied for the stabilization of heavy metals in soil and ashes as well as hardness removal of water. The proposed carbon mineralization is an alternative technical solution for the treatment of AMD which leads the AMD wastewater to be a resource to achieve a circular economy.

Consequence of Environmental Change on the Animal’s Health and Productivity: A Brief Review

The effects of climate change, especially global warming, can greatly affect the production performance and health of animals around the world. The national average temperature has increased by 1°C since 1970. Most livestock owners in the country feel that weather change is affecting farm animal production and health. The main impacts of weather change on animal production include feed shortages, water shortages, reduced livestock genomic resources, decreased productivity, and reduced mature weight and/or longer time to reach mature weight based on their significance. High temperatures resulting from environmental alteration may increase the level of development of few pathogens or parasites that found one or more life cycle levels outside the mammalian host. Besides, the spatial disposition and visibility of pasture and water are largely depending on the pattern and visibility of rainfall. Food and water shortages bestow to deduced livestock abundance and reproductive execution. These include slow growth rate of animals, loss of body condition, decreased milk yield, and poor reproductive performance of mature animals. Drought bulls that are debilitated and in poor physical condition cannot provide sufficient drought energy for plowing and thus hinder crop cultivation. Bush encroachment, as well as population pressure, leads to reduced availability of good pastures thus environmental change will have far-reaching consequences for animal yield and health, especially in vulnerable parts of nature where it is essential for nutrients and maintenance. Once more, the environmental change affects farm animal health through various mechanisms; which are effects on parasites, effects on hosts, and vectors, such as alters in precipitation and temperature schemes that can influence both the placement and ample of disease careers; and effects on micropaleontology, such as alteration of transmission levels between hosts. This study has focused to investigate the inherent impacts of environmental alteration on livestock health and productivity.

Growth and development of young sheep of Edilbaev breed under the conditions of farm in the Republic of Kazakhstan

The features of growth and development of young animals of Edilbaev breed obtained from sheep bred under the production conditions of the farm “Birzhanov” in the Auliekolsky area in the Kostanay region of the Republic of Kazakhstan have been studied in the paper. In a comparative aspect the live weight was studied, the conformation features of the young sheep of Kazakh fat-tailed rough-haired and Edilbaev breeds were determined. Two groups of sheep were formed for the research: a control group (Kazakh fat-tailed rough-haired breed) and an experimental (Edilbaev breed) with 15 heads in each group. Studies have shown that with the same housing and feeding of animals of diff erent breeds, the gain in live weight was diff erent. The largest absolute gain in live weight was shown by young rams and young ewes of Edilbaev breed 11,3 and 10,0 kg, while young rams and young ewes of Kazakh fat-tailed rough-haired breed only 10,3 and 8,8 kg. The highest growth rate in sheep of the experimental groups was observed until the age of one month. In other age periods the growth rate was signifi cantly infl uenced by feeding conditions, however, in general, the growth rate of young animals was high. When studying the conformation features of the experimental young sheep, it was found that with age the conformation of the lambs of the experimental group changed in the same way as in the control group, however, high indices of blockness and massiveness allow us to state that the lambs of the experimental group have well-developed meat forms. Studies have shown that there is a significant difference in the experimental young animals of the compared groups in terms of live weight, body measurements and conformation indices in favor of sheep of Edilbaev breed.

Development of Bovine Gastric Organoids as a Novel In Vitro Model to Study Host-Parasite Interactions in Gastrointestinal Nematode Infections.

Gastro-intestinal nematode (GIN) parasites are a major cause of production losses in grazing cattle, primarily through reduced growth rates in young animals. Control of these parasites relies heavily on anthelmintic drugs; however, with growing reports of resistance to currently available anthelmintics, alternative methods of control are required. A major hurdle in this work has been the lack of physiologically relevant in vitro infection models that has made studying precise interactions between the host and the GINs difficult. Such mechanistic insights into the infection process will be valuable for the development of novel targets for drugs, vaccines, or other interventions. Here we created bovine gastric epithelial organoids from abomasal gastric tissue and studied their application as in vitro models for understanding host invasion by GIN parasites. Transcriptomic analysis of gastric organoids across multiple passages and the corresponding abomasal tissue showed conserved expression of tissue-specific genes across samples, demonstrating that the organoids are representative of bovine gastric tissue from which they were derived. We also show that self-renewing and self-organising three-dimensional organoids can also be serially passaged, cryopreserved, and resuscitated. Using Ostertagia ostertagi, the most pathogenic gastric parasite in cattle in temperate regions, we show that cattle gastric organoids are biologically relevant models for studying GIN invasion in the bovine abomasum. Within 24 h of exposure, exsheathed larvae rapidly and repeatedly infiltrated the lumen of the organoids. Prior to invasion by the parasites, the abomasal organoids rapidly expanded, developing a ‘ballooning’ phenotype. Ballooning of the organoids could also be induced in response to exposure to parasite excretory/secretory products. In summary, we demonstrate the power of using abomasal organoids as a physiologically relevant in vitro model system to study interactions of O. ostertagi and other GIN with bovine gastrointestinal epithelium.

Growth and meat qualities of young Black-and-White breed in different age periods depending on the feeding level

By regulating the nutritional level of young animals in the postembryonic period, it is possible to change the growth rate of animals, the forming of meatiness and the ratio of the most important tissues in the carcass. The aim of the work was to establish the influence of different nutritional levels on the growth, development, meat productivity of Black Pied young cattle of different ages. The scheme of young animals growing was as follows: group 1– increased nutritional level up to 14 months of age; group 1-a – young animals were grown in the same way as young animals of group 1 up to 8 months (increased nutritional level), and from 8 to 14 months they were on average nutrition; group 2 – average nutrition was up to 14 months; group 2-a – average nutrition was up to 8 months, and from 8 to 14 months – an increased nutritional level. During 14 months of growing, it was spent on each head in group 1 – 2114.8; in 2-a – 1888.1; in 1-a – 1919.0; in group 2 – 1692.3 energetic feed units. During 18 months of growing, it was spent respectively: in group 1 – 3673.2; in 2-a – 3345.6; in 1-a – 3197.4 and in group 2 – 3240.0 energetic feed units. Young animals of group 1, which had improved nutrition, on average gained 837 g daily for the entire period, which is more than young animals of groups 2-a, 1-a and 2 by 124, 161 and 170 g (B> 0.999), respectively. With a high nutritional level of young cattle for meat, there is a dramatic increase in meat productivity and an improvement in the quality of meat. Moreover, the cost of feed for the output is reducing and the economic efficiency of livestock breeding is increasing. Nutritional level has a differentiated effect on the development of individual organs and tissues. The growth of the same tissue in different parts of the carcass with insufficient nutrition is delayed to varying degrees.