Livestock Housing Research Articles

Selenium Alleviates Ammonia-Induced Splenic Cell Apoptosis and Inflammation by Regulating the Interleukin Family/Death Receptor Axis and Nrf2 Signaling Pathway.

Ammonia (NH3) is a harmful gas in livestock houses. So far, many researchers have demonstrated that NH3 is detrimental to animal and human organs. Selenium (Se) is one of the essential trace elements in the body and has a good antioxidant effect. However, there was little conclusive evidence that Se alleviated NH3 poisoning. To investigate the toxic mechanism of NH3 on pig spleen and the antagonistic effect of L-selenomethionine, a porcine NH3-poisoning model and an L-selenomethionine intervention model were established in this study. Our results showed that NH3 exposure increased the apoptosis rate, while L-selenomethionine supplementation alleviated the process of excessive apoptosis. Immunofluorescence staining, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and western blot results confirmed that exposure to NH3 changed the expression levels of interleukin family factors, apoptosis, death receptor, and oxidative stress factors. Our study further confirmed that excessive NH3 induced inflammatory response and mediated necroptosis leading to cell apoptosis by activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway. Excessive NH3 could mediate spleen injury through oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial dynamics disorder. L-Selenomethionine could alleviate inflammation and abnormal apoptosis by inhibiting the IL-17/TNF-α/FADD axis. Our study would pave the way for comparative medicine and environmental toxicology.

Influence of displacement ventilation on the distribution of pollutant concentrations in livestock housing

Abstract Under replacement ventilation conditions, a simplified physical model of a tall space (livestock house) was established using ProSim software, and the relevant boundary conditions were set. The airflow size and direction distribution under different air supply and exhaust airflow conditions were obtained by slicing, and the simulation results showed that appropriately increasing the air supply and exhaust airflow helps to increase the pollutant emission rate so that pollutants can be discharged in time, but when the air supply and exhaust airflow were increased to a certain extent, these will cause the airflow vortex phenomenon near the pollutant source, which will enhance the mixing effect of pollutants and surrounding air, making up the pollutant concentration also. The study found that when the indoor air supply and exhaust air volume is increased by 45 times/h, the replacement ventilation effect is optimal and the indoor pollutant concentration is the lowest.

Mitigation Strategies of Air Pollutants for Mechanical Ventilated Livestock and Poultry Housing—A Review

The fast development of large-scale intensive animal husbandry has led to an increased proportion of atmospheric pollution arising from livestock and poultry housing. Atmospheric pollutants, including particulate matter (PM), ammonia (NH3), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and greenhouse gases (GHG), as well as other hazardous materials (e.g., gases, bacteria, fungi and viruses), have significant influences upon the local atmospheric environment and the health of animals and nearby residents. Therefore, it is imperative to develop livestock and poultry housing mitigation strategies targeting atmospheric pollution, to reduce its negative effects on the ambient atmosphere and to promote sustainable agricultural production. In this paper, we summarize the various strategies applied for reducing outlet air pollutants and purifying inlet air from mechanical ventilated livestock and poultry housing. This review highlights the current state of knowledge on the removal of various atmospheric pollutants and their relative performance. The potential optimization of processes and operational design, material selection, and other technologies, such as electrostatic spinning, are discussed in detail. The study provides a timely critical analysis to fill the main research gaps or needs in this domain by using practical and stakeholder-oriented evaluation criteria.

Phylodiversity of blaTEM and blaCTX-M genes of coliform isolates from ruminant mastitis in Plateau State Nigeria

The study was conducted to determine the genetic characteristics, antibiotic susceptibility, and genetic relatedness of blaTEM-type and blaCTX-M-type ESBLs producing coliforms from ruminants suffering mastitis. In a cross sectional study, a total of 1052 milk samples were collected aseptically from ruminants across Plateau State, Nigeria. Bacterial culture and biotyping were performed according to standard guidelines. Phenotypic assay for ESBL production was carried out using the Brilliance ESBL Chromogenic Culture Medium (Oxoid, UK). Conventional PCR was used for amplification and detection of blaCTX-M, blaSHV, blaTEM genes as described previously. Sequencing reactions were also performed in the Master Cycler pro 384 (Eppendorf) using the ABI BigDye® Terminator v3.1 Cycle Sequencing Kit (Applied Biosystems), following the protocols supplied by the manufacturer. Sequences obtained were aligned with sequences deposited in the GenBank using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) and phylogentic analysis performed MEGA software version 10.1.8. Coliforms isolated from milk samples included Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Serratia marcescens. 677 coliforms were isolated from the 1052 milk samples across Plateau State, where Escherichia coli had the highest prevalence of 44% while Serratia marcescens had the least with 1.8%. Plateau South had the highest prevalence of 82.3%, followed by Plateau North and Plateau Central with 72.9% and 20.5% prevalence respectively. E. aerogenes recorded the highest resistance (85.71%) against Gentamycin, followed by Serratia marcescens with an 81.82% resistance against Gentamycin. The blaCTX-M was more frequently isolated than blaTEM having 24.39 and 12.19% prevalence respectively. The high-level of phylodiversity observed among ruminants means that there is transfer coliform harboring the blaCTX-M and blaTEM genes which might have been transmitted from clones of varying origins. The relatedness of the genes among organisms in different animals from diverse geographical locations demand a quick intervention that would reduce mortality and morbidity of animals and zoonotic transmissions. Sustained hygienic standards of livestock housing, milking procedures and processes, culling of chronically affected livestock, regular laboratory screening of pastoralists for infections can serve as good interventions.

Energy impact of climate control in pig farming: Dynamic simulation and experimental validation

Pig farming is one of the most energy consuming activities of the livestock sector. A considerable amount of energy, in fact, is needed to maintain the adequate indoor climate conditions in mechanically ventilated pig houses. This energy consumption is remarkably increasing due to the boost of pork demand -+45% between 2010 and 2050- enhanced by socio-demographical changes. Consequently, the improvement of the energy performance of this building type is becoming more and more a primary target in the path toward an energy-smart food production. Energy simulation models are essential to achieve such ambitious target by enhancing the analysis of energy consumption patterns and the evaluation of potential energy-efficient measures. A well-established and shared energy framework for this specific aim is not present in literature as well as simulation models for the efficient-energy design of pig houses, outlining an important gap that hinders the transition toward an energy-smart agriculture. In this work, a new dynamic energy simulation model is developed for the estimation of the energy consumption for climate control of mechanically ventilated growing-finishing pig houses. This model contributes to the current body of knowledge by providing stakeholders with an innovative and effective simulation model for energy analyses, especially at the design stage. In addition, this work faces an innovative and challenging energy modelling activity that can contribute to the development of an energy-smart food production by proposing a structured energy simulation framework for livestock houses. Furthermore, this model contributes to bridge the gap between energy and agricultural engineering simulation models by modelling in detail the pig-environment interactions and their effects on the energy consumption of the livestock house. The reliability of the model was performed through an experimental validation against real monitored data in compliance with international protocols. The developed model could represent an effective decision support tool for stakeholders, especially in the design stages of pig houses by favouring the adoption of new technologies in this sector. Through this model, in fact, the impact of new energy-efficient solutions on the energy performance of pig houses can be evaluated in standardized conditions, considering the specific features, such as building layout, geographical location, and farming features.

Remote monitoring system for livestock environmental information based on LoRa wireless ad hoc network technology

The environmental quality of livestock houses is key to livestock breeding and directly affects the growth and health of animals. To target the characteristics of long application cycles and large coverage areas for environmental monitoring in large-scale livestock breeding, the current study designed a remote monitoring system to provide livestock environmental information based on LoRa wireless ad hoc network technology. The system consisted of collection terminals, control terminals, LoRa gateways, and Alibaba Elastic Compute Service. It realized real-time collection, wireless transmission, storage of multi-sensor node data, and remote control. The system was not limited by the selected time or region, because data interaction was achieved by accessing cloud servers using GPRS technology. Users could browse and obtain data from computers and a WeChat mini program from any location with network coverage. Additionally, the system used the improved receiver-based auto rate (RBAR) rate-adaptive algorithm in the LoRa wireless communication component. After application on a dairy farm, the results showed that the whole system collected 6140 sets of environmental data from four dairy houses. The packet loss rate was less than 1% within a communication distance of 604 m, and the communication success rate was greater than 99%. The control instructions were real-time and accurate, and the response time was less than 10 s, which met the remote control needs of large farms. The system provided powerful data and technical support for precision animal production. Keywords: remote monitoring, LoRa wireless ad hoc network, livestock environment, environment information, system DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20221504.6708 Citation: Fu X, Shen W Z, Yin Y L, Zhang Y, Yan S C, Kou S L, et al. Remote monitoring system for livestock environmental information based on LoRa wireless ad hoc network technology. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2022; 15(4): 79–89.

Study of vortex pneumatic sprayer for liquid disinfection

The production of high-quality livestock products can be achieved by upgrading livestock breeds and complying with zootechnical requirements of ensuring sanitary well-being in animal houses. Different ways are applied to gain the proper clean condition of livestock houses and equipment, disinfection preparations for working surfaces. Besides, non-compliance with the requirements for operating devices and standards for disinfectant consumption leads to increased antimicrobial resistance of microorganisms [1]. The efficiency of disinfection depends mainly on the technical capabilities of the units, mainly on the spray devices. Many researchers solve complex problems by optimizing spray devices' design and technological parameters to improve their spray quality [2]. The authors developed a vortex pneumatic sprayer for liquids for the disinfection process. The dispersion composition of disinfectant liquid aerosols was obtained in different operating regimes of the proposed sprayer design. Based on experimental data, dependencies of the influence working pressures of disinfectant liquid and compressed air in their supply channels on the dispersion were obtained. The flow rates of the vortex pneumatic sprayer during its operation in various regimes were determined. Dependencies of disinfectant liquid flow rate through the sprayer were constructed at different pressure ratios in supply channels of working fluids (disinfectant liquid and compressed air) and the angle between them. Optimal design parameters of the vortex pneumatic sprayer for aerosol disinfection of livestock houses and equipment were determined.

Regulating of LncRNA2264/miR-20b-5p/IL17RD axis on hydrogen sulfide exposure-induced inflammation in broiler thymus by activating MYD88/NF-κB pathway

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an environmental pollutant. Chronic exposure to H2S can damage the immune system of birds, but the detailed mechanisms of H2S-induced thymus toxicity have not been determined. Competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism participates in many pathophysiological processes by regulating gene expression, including environmental pollutant-induced injury. Therefore, we investigate the specific mechanisms of ceRNA in the process of H2S-induced thymic immune damage in broiler chickens. In the current study, 120 one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers were randomly divided into two groups (n = 60 chickens/group), raising in the control chamber (0.5 ± 0.5 ppm) or H2S-exposed chamber (4.0 ± 0.5 ppm at 0–3 weeks of age and 20.0 ± 0.5 ppm at 4–6 weeks of age groups) to replicate the H2S-exposed broilers. NaHS (3 mM or 6 mM) was used to treat chicken macrophages (HD11) to establish an in vitro. Histopathology and ultrastructural changes of thymus were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Gene expression profiles were analyzed by using transcriptomics. The underlying mechanisms of thymic injury were further revealed by dual luciferase reporter gene assay, qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Research results showed that H2S exposure induced an inflammatory response in thymus, with the expression of LncRNA2264 was significantly down-regulated. LncRNA2264 could competitively bind to miR-20b-5p and caused downregulation of the IL17RD. H2S could activate inflammatory factors through the LncRNA2264/miR-20b-5p/IL17RD axis. In summary, this study suggested that LncRNA2264 acted as a miR-20b-5p molecular sponge to regulate the expression of IL17RD involved in H2S exposure-induced thymic inflammation, which has positive implications for guiding the prevention and control of H2S gas poisoning in livestock housing and ensuring animal welfare.

The influence of global warming on the productivity and quality of cow's milk

The objective of this research was to analyze the dynamics of productivity, quality composition and energy value of cow's milk obtained during three periods (3 years each) in central Ukraine by various technological housing variants. Over the last 20 years, there has been a global trend towards of increasing in the average annual temperature, which is especially felt in winter and affects to the cattle body, their productivity and the energy value of milk. To more effectively overcome the consequences of changing weather conditions, various continentally-achieved spatial composition and types of facility for livestock housing are used, the impact of which is not sufficiently studied. We analyzed the main weather indicators for the last decade in the central part of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine (Kyiv region). The time period from 2011 to 2019 was conditionally divided into three periods (3 years each): I moderate, whose main weather indicators corresponded to the average long-term (30 years) values inherent in this natural and climatic zone; II (with a deviation of +0.6 °C from normal values) and III (with a deviation of +0.9 °C from normal values). During cubicle housing in low cost facilities was observed that productivity increased by 0.19 and 0.97 kg in II and III periods compared to I. During cubicle housing in facilities with insulation systems productivity gradually increased by 0.47 kg during II periods and by 0.92 kg during III periods. The most uniform productivity indicators were observed by housing on a deep litter among low cost facilities. Thus, productivity increased by 0.24 kg during II periods period, and in III period it increased by 0.47 kg compared to the I period. The dynamics of average daily productivity have a slightly more uniform by housing in capital facilities compared to low cost facilities. During tie housing productivity increased by 0.18 kg in II periods, and in III periods it increased by 0.32 kg. Productivity increased by 0.19 and 0.43 kg in reconstructed capital facilities during II and III periods.

Pilot Plant for the Capture of Ammonia from the Atmosphere of Pig and Poultry Farms Using Gas-Permeable Membrane Technology.

Gas-permeable membrane (GPM) technology is a possible solution to reduce ammonia (NH3) emissions from livestock housing. This paper presents the results obtained with an NH3-capture prototype based on the use of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membranes in real conditions in a gestating sow house and a free-range laying hen house, comparing them with the results obtained in controlled laboratory conditions for the same type of waste. The NH3 present in the air of the livestock housing was captured by reaction with an acidic solution flowing inside the membranes. The periods of continuous operation of the pilot plant were 232 days at the pig farm and 256 days at the poultry farm. The NH3 recovery rate at the end of those periods was 2.3 and 0.4 g TAN·m−2·d−1 in the pig and the poultry farms, respectively. The limiting factor for the capture process was the NH3 concentration in the air, with the highest recovery occurring in the most concentrated atmosphere. Differences in NH3 capture were observed between seasons and farms, with capture efficiencies of 1.62 and 0.33 g·m−2·d−1 in summer and 3.85 and 1.20 g·m−2·d−1 in winter for pig and poultry farms, respectively. The observed differences were mainly due to the higher ventilation frequency in the summer months, which resulted in a lower NH3 concentration inside the houses compared to the winter months. This is especially important when considering the real applicability of this technology. The results obtained suggest that GPM technology holds promise for limiting NH3 emissions from livestock housing with NH3 ambient concentrations close to 20 ppm or as part of manure storage facilities, given that it allows for recovery of nitrogen in a stable and concentrated solution, which can be used as a fertilizer.

개방형 축사의 암모니아 배출량 산정 방법 및 배출 특성 분석

In this study, methods for estimating ammonia emissions in livestock houses were reviewed, and ammonia concentrations were measured and characteristics analyzed in chicken house. There are three major methods of calculating ammonia emissions of livestock houses, the Portable Monitoring Units (PMU) method, the Saraz Method for Determination of Ammonia Emissions (SMDAE), and the Tracer gas method. Comparing the average ammonia concentration of laying hen and broiler houses, that of broilers was higher than that of laying hens, but the effect of open winch curtain was greater than that of measurement time. The concentration of ammonia emission differed over time for laying hens and for broilers, and no consistent trend was found. The internal ammonia concentration of the closed operation type was higher than that of the open operation type, and the ammonia concentration increased with age of the chickens.

Effects of ammonia on hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis in female rabbits

BackgroundAs one of the most harmful gases in the livestock house, ammonia is recognized as an environmental stressor by Environmental Protection Agency (United States). The study aimed to explore the effect of ammonia on hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis of rabbits. A total of ninety two-month-old female IRA rabbits were randomly divided into three groups, and were kept in animal environment control rooms for four weeks at college of animal science and technology, Hebei Agricultural University (Baoding, China). The rabbits in the control group were kept under ammonia concentration of < 3 ppm. The two treatment groups were kept under ammonia concentration of 30 ppm and 50 ppm. Hypothalamus, pituitary, and ovary were collected for hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, immunohistochemistry, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Serum was collected for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). ResultsHistopathological examination revealed that exposed to excess ammonia damaged the morphology and structure of hypothalamus, pituitary, and ovary. TUNEL assay revealed that apoptosis rate increased in hypothalamus, pituitary, and ovary. The protein expression levels of Bcl-2associated X protein (Bax) and Caspase-9 increased, while B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) decreased, resulting in apoptosis. Moreover, the concentration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E2), and progesterone (PROG) reduced in plasma. The mRNA expression of FSH and LH in pituitary and follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), E2, PROG in ovary as well as decreased, indicated hormone secretion disorder. ConclusionsThe results indicated that ammonia exposure damaged hypothalamus, pituitary, and ovary, caused hormone secretion disorder and apoptosis.

Yucca schidigera extract decreases nitrogen emission via improving nutrient utilisation and gut barrier function in weaned piglets.

Yucca schidigera extract (YE) can decrease ammonia concentration in livestock housing, which could be associated with the inhibition of urease. The aim of this study was to investigate the other possible reasons of dietary YE supplementation reducing nitrogen emission in weaned piglets. A total of 14 crossbred weaned barrows were allotted into two groups fed the diets supplementing 0 and 120 mg/kg YE for 14 days. The YE administration decreased F/G ratio and hindgut NH3 -N production in weaned piglets (p < 0.05). Dietary YE supplementation decreased serum urea nitrogen levels, and increased nutrient digestibility, which could be related to the improvement of morphology, digestive and absorptive enzyme activities, and nutrient transporter mRNA expression in jejunal mucosa of weaned piglets (p < 0.05). The mRNA expression of tight junction proteins, mucins and apoptosis-related genes was also improved by YE treatment in jejunal mucosa of weaned piglets (p < 0.05). In addition, dietary YE supplementation regulated the microbiota structure and volatile fatty acid content in distal intestine of weaned piglets (p < 0.05). These results suggest that YE administration can decrease hindgut NH3 -N production in weaned piglets, which is associated with the increased nutrient utilization and gut-barrier function.

Spread of airborne antibiotic resistance from animal farms to the environment: Dispersal pattern and exposure risk

Animal farms have been considered as the critical reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB). Spread of antibiotic resistance from animal farms to the surrounding environments via aerosols has become a growing concern. Here we investigated the dispersal pattern and exposure risk of airborne ARGs (especially in zoonotic pathogens) in the environment of chicken and dairy farms. Aerosol, dust and animal feces samples were collected from the livestock houses and surrounding environments (upwind and downwind areas) for assessing ARG profiles. Antibiotic resistance phenotype and genotype of airborne Staphylococcus spp. was especially analyzed to reveal the exposure risk of airborne ARGs. Results showed that airborne ARGs were detected from upwind (50 m/100 m) and downwind (50 m/100 m/150 m) air environment, wherein at least 30% of bacterial taxa dispersed from the animal houses. Moreover, atmospheric dispersion modeling showed that airborne ARGs can disperse from the animal houses to a distance of 10 km along the wind direction. Clinically important pathogens were identified in airborne culturable bacteria. Genus of Staphylococcus, Sphingomonas and Acinetobacter were potential bacterial host of airborne ARGs. Airborne Staphylococcus spp. were isolated from the environment of chicken farm (n = 148) and dairy farm (n = 87). It is notable that all isolates from chicken-related environment were multidrug-resistance (>3 clinical-relevant antibiotics), with more than 80% of them carrying methicillin resistance gene (mecA) and associated ARGs and MGEs. Presence of numerous ARGs and diverse pathogens in dust from animal houses and the downwind residential areas indicated the accumulation of animal feces origin ARGs in bioaerosols. Employees and local residents in the chick farming environment are exposed to chicken originated ARGs and multidrug resistant Staphylococcus spp. via inhalation. This study highlights the potential exposure risks of airborne ARGs and antibiotic resistant pathogens to human health.

The Role of Climate Control in Monogastric Animal Farming: The Effects on Animal Welfare, Air Emissions, Productivity, Health, and Energy Use

In the last decades, an engineering process has deeply transformed livestock houses by introducing fine-tuned climate control systems to guarantee adequate indoor climate conditions needed to express the maximum genetic potential of animals and to increase their productivity. Climate control, hence, has strong relation with productivity but also with other livestock production domains, outlining a web of mutual relations between them. The objective of this work is to understand the actual role of climate control in intensive livestock houses by unpicking this web of mutual relations through a literature review. The results show that climate control plays a key role in intensive livestock houses since it has strong relations with animal welfare, air emissions, productivity, health, and energy use. These relations make it essential to adopt an integrated approach for the assessment of the effectiveness of any proposed improvement in the different domains of livestock production. This is especially true considering aspects such as the expected increase of livestock production in developing countries and global warming. For this purpose, integrated climate control models of livestock houses are needed, representing a challenging opportunity for performing investigations in this research field.

THE INFLUENCE OF KEEPING TECHNOLOGY ON THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG CATTLE

Technology factors of keeping young cattle that influence the growth and development are considered in this work.&#x0D; The research was conducted during 2020 in the conditions of Ukrainian farms for cattle breeding. Five experimental groups of five one-week-old calves in each and one control group were formed. Calves were kept separately in the same conditions, diet, but fed probiotics (1×109) Bacillus amyloliquefaciense, Bacillus mucilaginosus, Bacillus coagulans, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus pumilus in the colostrum substitute for five grams per animal. The strains are deposited and produced by «Kronos Agro», Ukraine. The calves had free access to water and hay. Determination of live weight of calves was performed by individual weighing on scales with an accuracy of 1 kg. Weighing of animals was performed at the beginning of the study and every 10 days.&#x0D; The task of the experiment was to create the most favorable housing conditions, so the calves of the experimental and control groups were kept in the same livestock house but in different cattle pens. According to the results of the research, it was established that the temperature and relative humidity in the room corresponded to the normative indicators and fluctuated only with the change of seasons. As the ventilation system in the calf is natural, the microbial pollution and the content of gases (carbon dioxide, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide) decreased or increased according to the change of the season. Summarizing the results, we can conclude that the microclimate in the livestock house for keeping calves met sanitary and hygienic standards.&#x0D; After ten days of the experiment, the difference in mean live weight between groups did not exceed 5-7% and was not statistically significant. At 30 day of the study in the experimental group, where calves were given B. coagulans, the live weight was probably higher on 22,16 % and the average daily gain was higher on 24%, compared with the control group (* – р≤0,05). Slightly less difference in the group of calves which were feeding В. mucilaginosus, the live weight was higher by 18,5 % and the average daily gain by 16,9 %, compared with the control group (* - p≤0,05).&#x0D; Studies have shown that the microclimate in the room for keeping calves met sanitary and hygienic standards and have not a negative impact on the growth and development of animals. It has also been shown that feeding the cultures of B. coagulans and В. mucilaginosus increased live weight of calves and average daily gain in young cattle.

Sociodemographic, behavioral, and environmental factors associated with the incidence of leptospirosis in highlands of Ponorogo Regency, Province of East Java, Indonesia

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease that globally spreads and has the potential to become an epidemic. In Indonesia, the incidence of leptospirosis tends to increase with case fatality rate ranged from 5 to 12%. Ponorogo is one regency in Province of East Java, Indonesia that has high incidence of leptospirosis. The objective of this study was to identify sociodemographic, behavioral, and environmental factors associated with incidence of leptospirosis in highlands of Ponorogo regency. The study used case control design conducted in 15 villages in the highlands of Ponorogo regency. The sample was composed of 28 cases of leptospirosis and 112 nonleptospirosis. The variables of this study were sociodemographic, behavioral factors, environmental factors, and incidence of leptospirosis. Data was collected by interview using questionnaire and observation of environmental conditions. Data was analyzed using chi square and logistic regression. The result showed that factors associated with the incidence of leptospirosis were education (p = 0.019), occupation (p = 0.003), health practice (p = 0.007), house density (p = 0.013), livestock ownership (p = 0.004), distance from house to cowshed (p = 0.024), cow ownership (p = 0.010), and the presence of rats in the house (p = 0.050). The result of logistic regression analysis showed that the variables dominantly associated with the incidence of leptospirosis were livestock ownership, education (low), house density (crowded), and distance from house to cowshed (less than 10 m). In conclusion, sociodemographic, behavioral, and environmental factors were associated with the incidence of leptospirosis in highlands of Ponorogo Regency.

The use of therapeutic and heat-insulating properties of siliceous gaize in the agricultural sector of the Republic of Kazakhstan

The unsatisfactory environmental situation in the regions of Kazakhstan has a significant impact on the health of farm animals, and livestock products are contaminated with heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, and zinc. Taking into account the ecological state of the environment of the regions, it is necessary to introduce sorbents as feed additives that have a positive effect on the health and quality of meat products. In addition, alimentary diseases associated with the use of poor-quality deficient feed and improper organisation of sanitary measures cause significant economic damage to livestock farming. This explains the relevance of this study. The object of this study is the selection of a natural environmentally friendly raw material and its comprehensive use for obtaining a mineral feed additives and heat-insulating ceramic materials suitable for thermal insulation of the enclosing structures of agricultural buildings. To achieve this goal, gaize rocks of the Taskalinsky deposit in the West Kazakhstan Region are of the greatest interest as a natural, environmentally safe raw material. To determine the local elemental composition of the samples, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive microanalysis was performed. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was carried out to determine the chemical composition, and mineralogical composition was determined using X-ray diffractometry. Experimental analysis of gaize rocks from the Taskalinsky deposit found that the basis of the mineral part is silicon (Si), which is one of the necessary minerals for the animal body. The mineral part of gaize also contains Na, Mg, Ca, K, and Fe, which are also useful for the animal body. The resulting material can be used as a heat-insulating and structural material for the construction of external and internal walls, for the construction of a warm and chemically resistant floor and as a heater for the roof of agricultural buildings and livestock housing.

Analytical Study of the Automatic Ventilation System for the Intake of Polluted Air from the Pigsty

The microclimate of a pigsty is determined by the combination of temperature, relative humidity, chemical and mechanical composition of the air, which have a significant impact on animal productivity and must be maintained within strict limits due to the physiological needs and capabilities of animals. An appropriate ventilation system has been created to ensure the removal of air from the pigsty. The purpose of the study is to establish the dependence of the operating parameters of the automatic ventilation system on the air quality in the pigsty, taking into account the permissible concentrations of gases. The developed automatic ventilation system for polluted air intake is located in the middle of the livestock house under the ceiling and consists of a central air duct, to which air intake pipes are connected. Air intake pipes are placed in the middle above each pen where animals are kept. Intake dampers with servomechanisms, temperature, humidity, and air quality sensors are installed at the inlet of the air intake pipes. The outlet of the central air intake duct is connected to the exhaust fan. Intake dampers with servomechanisms and sensors of temperature, humidity, and air quality are connected to the control unit by electrical wires. As a result of analytical studies of the automatic ventilation system for polluted air intake from a pigsty, the conditions for its effective operation have been mathematically substantiated. The developed technique and the algorithm implemented based on the Mathematica software package allows calculating the area of holes that form intake dampers with servomechanisms in the air intake pipes. The distribution of velocities in the air intake pipes and the distribution diagram of the area of holes that form intake dampers with servomechanisms in the air intake pipes are determined taking into account the design and technological parameters of the ventilation system and the distribution of the gas concentration (carbon dioxide, ammonia, and hydrogen sulphide) over the pens

A low-cost deodorizing spray net device for the removal of ammonia emissions in livestock houses

Ammonia (NH3) originating from high-intensity pig farms has caused a global air pollution problem. In this study, a deodorizing spray net device (DSND) is designed, which is inexpensive and achieves a good deodorizing effect. The DSND comprises a steel frame, three spray layers, two 12-needle nylon mesh layers and a backflow device. The device exerts the least impact on the wind speed at a given pig farm when installed at a distance of 2.5 m from blower fans. The device reaches an NH3 reduction rate of 73 %. To further reduce operating costs, microbial liquid is collected and sprayed in cycles according to the peak pig farm NH3 emissions. After two microbial liquid recycling steps, the NH3 reduction rate still reaches 71 %. The construction cost of the device is $3200, and the annual operation cost reaches $2600. Through microbial diversity determination and redundancy analysis (RDA), we find that the reasons for the higher NH3 reduction rate of the device may include the higher dust removal rate and both the higher denitrifying bacterial abundance and lower pH and electrical conductivity (EC) values of the sprayed microbial liquid. The device provides a practical solution to resolve the NH3 problem in mechanically ventilated livestock housing system.