Oat Hay Research Articles

Enhancing rumen microbial diversity and its impact on energy and protein metabolism in forage-fed goats.

This study explores if promoting a complex rumen microbiota represents an advantage or a handicap in the current dairy production systems in which ruminants are artificially reared in absence of contact with adult animals and fed preserved monophyte forage. In order to promote a different rumen microbial diversity, a total of 36 newborn goat kids were artificially reared, divided in 4 groups and daily inoculated during 10 weeks with autoclaved rumen fluid (AUT), fresh rumen fluid from adult goats adapted to forage (RFF) or concentrate (RFC) diets, or absence of inoculation (CTL). At 6 months of age all animals were shifted to an oats hay diet to determine their ability to digest a low quality forage. Early life inoculation with fresh rumen fluid promoted an increase in the rumen overall microbial diversity which was detected later in life. As a result, at 6 months of age RFF and RFC animals had higher bacterial (+50 OTUs) and methanogens diversity (+4 OTUs) and the presence of a complex rumen protozoal community (+32 OTUs), whereas CTL animals remained protozoa-free. This superior rumen diversity and presence of rumen protozoa had beneficial effects on the energy metabolism allowing a faster adaptation to the forage diet, a higher forage digestion (+21% NDF digestibility) and an energetically favourable shift of the rumen fermentation pattern from acetate to butyrate (+92%) and propionate (+19%) production. These effects were associated with the presence of certain rumen bacterial taxa and a diverse protozoal community. On the contrary, the presence of rumen protozoa (mostly Entodinium) had a negative impact on the N metabolism leading to a higher bacterial protein breakdown in the rumen and lower microbial protein flow to the host based on purine derivatives urinary excretion (-17% to -54%). The inoculation with autoclaved rumen fluid, as source of fermentation products but not viable microbes, had smaller effects than using fresh inoculum. These findings suggest that enhancing rumen microbial diversity represents a desirable attribute when ruminants are fed forages in which the N supply does not represent a limiting factor for the rumen microbiota.

Effects of maternal calcium propionate supplementation on offspring productivity and meat metabolomic profile in sheep.

This study determined the effect of dietary calcium propionate (CaPr) as a source of energy supplementation during the First Half of Gestation (FMG), the Second Half of Gestation (SMG), and during All Gestation (AG), on offspring post-weaning growth performance, meat quality, and meat metabolomic profile. Thirty-one pregnant ewes were assigned to one of four treatments: a) supplementation of 30 gd-1 of CaPr during the first half of gestation (day 1 to day 75, n = 8) (FMG); b) supplementation of 30 gd-1 of CaPr during the second half of gestation (day 76 to day 150, n = 8) (SMG); c) supplementation of 30 gd-1 of CaPr during all gestation (AG, n = 8); d) no CaPr supplementation (control; CS, n = 7). The ewes were ad libitum fed a basal diet based on oat hay and corn silage. Ewes were distributed in a completely randomized unbalanced design to four treatments. The FMG group had lower (P ≤ 0.05) birth weight and weaning weight than the CS group. However, the average daily gain was similar across all treatments. Empty body weight and FMG had lower values (P ≤ 0.05) than the other groups. Both FMG and AG had lower hot carcass weight (P ≤ 0.05) compared to CS, while CaPr treatments resulted in reduced hot carcass yield (P ≤ 0.05). Meat color and texture were similar among treatments. A principal component analysis between gestation stages showed a trend for separating CS and FMG from SMG and AG, and that was explained by 93.7% of the data variability (PC1 = 87.9% and PC2 = 5.8%). Regarding meat metabolomic profile, 23 compounds were positively correlated between all treatments. Only 2 were negatively correlated (eicosane and naphthalene 1,2,3); but tetradecanoic acid, hexadecane, undecane 5-methyl, (-)-alpha, hexadecenoic acid, octadecanoic acid, and octadecane had a highly significant correlation (P ≤ 0.05). Overall, dam supplementation with CaPr during different periods of gestation provoked changes in meat metabolites related to the biosynthesis of fatty acids in lambs without negative changes in lamb's growth performance and carcass quality.

The effect of increasing extruded linseed level on nutrient digestibility, growth, carcass characteristics, and non-carcass components of lambs from two genotypes.

This research aimed to study the effect of extruded linseed level on digestibility, growth, carcass, and non-carcass components of two genotypes' lambs. For this, 36 lambs, with an average body weight (BW) of 21.3 ± 3.4 for Queue Fine de l'Ouest (QF) and 17.8 ± 2.9kg for the cross QF × D'man (QF × D), were randomly divided into three groups of 12 lambs each (six per genotype) in a 12-week experiment. Sheep in each group received individually oat hay ad libitum and one of three concentrates containing 0% (control), 15% (L15), and 30% (L30) of extruded linseed on a dry matter basis. All concentrates were isocaloric and iso-nitrogenic. In the last 2weeks, digestibility was measured, and then all lambs were slaughtered. The increasing level of extruded linseed did not affect hay and total dry matter (DM) intake as well as nutrient digestibility, except the neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility which was significantly (P < 0.05) reduced by the diet treatment (66.4, 57.8, and 53.0% for C, L15, and L30, respectively). In addition, the different linseed levels resulted in similar average daily gain, final BW, carcass traits, and non-carcass components except the rumen and liver weights which were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced by the increasing linseed level. However, the addition of extruded linseed improved (P < 0.05) the weight of the heart. The carcass tissular composition was not affected by the dietary treatment guarding a similar proportion of muscle, bone, and fat. However, the growth performance and carcass traits were higher for cross QF × D than QF lambs. In addition, the carcasses were leaner (less fat and more muscle) for the cross genotype (P < 0.05) than the pure QF breed. It was concluded that extruded linseed can be used in lamb diet without adverse effects on growth performance and carcass components. Furthermore, the cross could be planned given it resulted in higher growth and better carcass composition.

Recent advances in the treatment and prevention of equine peripheral caries.

Equine peripheral caries is a common condition characterized by demineralization and degradation of the clinical crown of equine cheek teeth. The condition can cause significant pain and morbidity, particularly in severe cases. Recent studies indicate that the condition is driven by environmental conditions within the mouth, as only the clinical crown of the tooth is affected (the reserve crown below the gingival margin remains unaffected). It is hypothesized that peripheral caries is driven by changes in oral pH, with risk factors for the condition including the intake of high-sugar feeds (oaten hay and feeding moderate levels of concentrate feed) and access to drinking water with an acidic pH. However, other identified risk factors include breed (Thoroughbred), limited pasture access, and concurrent dental or periodontal disease. Further studies have been able to show that affected teeth can recover from the condition if the inciting cause is removed and the unaffected reserve crown is allowed to replace the damaged clinical crown. Improvements in the condition can be observed within a few months. Signs of inactive (recovering) caries include a darker color and a smooth, hard, and reflective surface, and there is a new layer of unaffected cementum at the gingival margin, indicating that the newly erupted tooth is unaffected. Peripheral caries is a common and often overlooked condition in horses, which can often be treated with simple changes to equine management.

Diet Digestibility and Partitioning of Nutrients in Adult Male Alpacas Fed a Blend of Oat Hay and Alfalfa Pellets at Two Levels of Intake

Alpacas are well adapted to consume the poor-quality forages present in the arid conditions of the Andean Altiplano. However, studies focusing on understanding the relationship between diet digestibility and intake are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of two levels of dry matter intake (DMI) on a metabolic body weight (BW0.75) basis. The effects of a maintenance level of intake and an ad libitum level of intake (40 and 50 g of dry matter (DM) per kg of BW0.75, respectively) on the apparent diet digestibility and partitioning of specific nutrients (energy, carbon (C), and nitrogen (N)) of alpacas that were fed a blend of oat hay and alfalfa pellets (70:30 ratio as a percentage on a fed basis) were evaluated. Five adult intact male alpacas (BW = 62.9 ± 8.09 kg at the beginning of the study) were fed with the experimental diet and trained to be allocated in metabolism crates for 30 days. After the completion of this phase, two separate experiments for each level of intake were carried out, each lasting for twenty-six days (with the final five days taken for samples and raw data collection). In both experiments, the animals responded differently in terms of nutrient supply and changes in BW (−140 and 100 g/d for the maintenance and ad libitum levels of intake, respectively). Oat hay consumption was rather similar in both experiments, which may be explained by a reduced ingredient selectivity at the ad libitum level of intake. Diet digestibility was similar in both experiments, despite the greater fecal output of nutrients with the increased level of diet intake. In line with this, diet metabolizability, calculated as the ratio between metabolizable energy (ME) and gross energy (GE) contents, indicated a similar energy utilization of the diet. The apparent digestibility of the organic matter (OMD) ranged from 655 to 669 g/kg DM. Water consumption at the ad libitum level of intake was 21% higher than the observed mean at the maintenance level of intake. Fecal outputs of dietary energy, C, and N accounted for the largest source of excreted nutrients, regardless of the level of intake. The N retention increased from 0.439 at the maintenance level of intake, to 0.473 g of DM/kg BW0.75 when the alpacas were fed ad libitum.

Use of reclaimed urban wastewater for the production of hydroponic barley forage: water characteristics, feed quality and effects on health status and production of lactating cows.

The safety of reclaimed urban wastewater (RUW) for the production of hydroponic barley forage (HBF) was evaluated in terms of effluent and forage characteristics, as well as the health and performance of lactating cows. The study was conducted on a dairy farm equipped with two hydroponic chambers producing approximately 620 kg/d of HBF as fed. For experimental purposes, HBF was produced using RUW collected from an aqueduct plant processing urban wastewater in a membrane bioreactor treatment chain. A feeding trial was carried out with HBF derived from RUW. Sixty lactating cows were randomly assigned to two balanced groups fed a standard total mixed ration (TMR) or a TMR in which 10 kg of HBF replaced 1 kg of oat hay and 0.5 kg of maize. The experimental period lasted 7 weeks, including a 2-week adaptation period, during which each cow underwent a physical examination, BCS scoring, blood sampling for a complete blood count and biochemical panel, recording of body weight and milk yield and quality, including fatty acid composition and heavy metal content. Ruminal pH was continuously monitored by reticulorumen boluses, and nutrient digestibility and N balance were determined at week 7. RUW showed an acceptable microbial load and an overall good quality as irrigation water, even though the supply of N and P did not influence the yield and quality of HBF. The characteristics of HBF reflected the quality of RUW supplied to the hydroponic chambers and no anomalous components (i.e., high ion concentration) were found. Feeding RW-derived HBF to lactating cows had no major positive or negative effects on animal health and production, including milk quality, ruminal pH, in vivo digestibility, and N balance. The use of RUW under the conditions tested appears to be safe for the health status of lactating cows and the quality of the milk obtained. Overall, the results do not reveal any major limitations for the use of tertiary wastewater as irrigation water for the hydroponic production of forage barley, so that a wider use of wastewater in hydroponic systems seems realistic.

Differences in composition and diversity of rumen fungi in buffalo fed different diets

The rumen is a complex ecosystem containing a variety of fungi, which are crucial for the digestive activities of ruminants. Previous research on rumen fungi has mainly focused on anaerobic fungi, given the rumen’s reputation as a mainly anaerobic environment. The objective of this study was to investigate rumen fungal diversity and the presence of aerobic fungi in buffalo fed on different diets. Three adult buffaloes were used as experimental animals. Alfalfa hay, oat hay, whole corn silage, sugarcane shoot silage, fresh king grass, dried rice straw, and five kinds of mixed diets with concentrate to roughage ratios of 20:80, 35:65, 50:50, 65:35, and 80:20 were used as the experimental diets. The experimental animals were fed different diets for 22 days. Rumen fluid was collected from the rumen fistula for ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) sequencing 2 h after feeding on the morning of day 22. The results indicate the presence of large quantities of aerobic fungi in the rumen of the buffaloes 2 h after feeding and suggest that Ascomycota and Basidiomycota are the dominant fungal groups under different feeding conditions. The study also identified 62 different fungal types, which showed significant differences among the 11 experimental diets.

364 The Effects of Replacing Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles with a Heat-Treated Soybean Meal in Forage-Based Growing Cattle Diets

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the effects of increased concentrations of metabolizable protein and lysine from heat-treated soybean meal (TSBM) in forage-based growing cattle diets predicted to have positive metabolizable protein balance. Seventy Angus-based steers (298 ± 16 kg initial BW) were utilized in an 85-d randomized generalized block design with animal as the experimental unit. Dietary treatments were arranged to replace a proportion of the basal protein source, DDGS included at 16% dietary dry matter (DM), with TSBM at rates of 0% (TSBM0), 4% (TSBM4), 8% (TSBM8), and 12% (TSBM12) dietary DM. Steers were provided with ad libitum access to feed and water in a monoslope barn with dry-lot access. The basal diets contained (DM basis) 44% corn silage, 37% oat hay, and 3% supplement. Steers were blocked by BW into light, medium, and heavy blocks. Daily feed disappearance was measured using an automated feed system (Insentec Roughage Intake Control, Hokofarm B.V., Marknesse, The Netherlands), with disappearance assumed to be intake. Steers were individually weighed every 28 d to calculate average daily gain (ADG) throughout the experiment. Growth performance and feed intake were analyzed utilizing the MIXED procedure of SAS with fixed effects of body weight block and TSBM inclusion level. Treatments were evaluated when the F test was significant (P ≤ 0.05). There were no differences (P ≥ 0.16) for ending BW, ADG, dry matter intake (DMI), or gain:feed (G:F) among treatments (Table 1). Therefore, in growing diets predicted to be sufficient in metabolizable protein, replacing distillers grains with a source of metabolizable protein and amino acids provided by heat-treated soybean meal did not affect growth performance.

PSII-1 Determining Appropriate Numbers and Times of Daily Measurements to Estimate Ruminal Methane Emission of Meat Goats Using a Greenfeed System

Abstract The study was conducted to determine appropriate numbers and times of daily measurements to estimate methane production by meat goats using a GreenFeed (GF) system. Sixteen Boer wethers with an initial age of 7.4 ± 0.08 months and BW of 20.02 ± 0.71 kg were situated in a 12.4 × 12.4 pen. Oat hay, which was the major dietary constituent, was offered twice daily in individual Calan Gate feeders. Concentrate-based pellets were used as bait feed to attract animals to visit the GF regularly. The system was programed using C-Lock Inc. software to automatically dispense a small amount of pellets (120 g/day) and to measure methane production using sensors in the system. Each animal had a unique RFID tag identified by RFID reader in the system. There were 3, 4, and 6 equally spaced 1-h feeding and measurement periods (i.e., 0600-0700, 1400-1500, and 2200-2300 h for GF-3T, 0700-0800, 1300-1400, 1900-2000, and 0100-0200 h for GF-4T, and 0800-0900, 1200-1300, 1600-1700, 2000-2100, 0000-0100, and 0400-0500 h for GF-6T, respectively). The study was a Latin square with each feeding period assigned to each animal for a 2-wk period. Data were analyzed with mixed model procedures of SAS. Methane emission in g/day and g/kg dry matter intake (DMI) were not impacted by feeding period (P &amp;gt; 0.05). When expressed in g/min, g/visit, and g·visit-1·min-1, differences in CH4 production between feeding schedule were significant (P &amp;lt; 0.02). The GF-6T treatment resulted in greatest emission of CH4 in g/min (5.7, 5.9, and 6.6 for GF-3T, GF-4T, and GF-6T, respectively; P &amp;lt; 0.04). On the other hand, CH4 emission in g/visit ranked (P &amp;lt; 0.05) GF-3T &amp;gt; GF-4T &amp;gt; GF-6T (12.8, 10.9, and 7.3, respectively). Regarding CH4 intensity (g/kg BW), the differences between treatments were not significant (1.10, 1.17, and 1.16 for GF-3T, GF-4T, and GF-6T, respectively; P = 0.24). Heat production (MJ/day), which was calculated from CH4, CO2, and O2 production, was greater (P &amp;lt; 0.05) for GF-3T (8.1) than for GF-6T (7.6), with that for GF-4T intermediate (7.6; P &amp;gt; 0.05). Animals of GF-3T, GF-4T, and GF-6T visited the GF 2.1, 2.8, and 3.8 times per day, which significantly (P &amp;lt; 0.001) differed from each other. Average visit length was similar for GF-3T and GF-4T (P &amp;gt; 0.05) and greater (P &amp;lt; 0.05) than for GF-6T (4.6, 4.6, and 4.1 min for GF-3T, GF-4T, and GF-6T, respectively). In conclusion, results of the study indicate that at least 3 daily feeding or measurement periods should occur between 0600 and 0700, 1400 and 1500, and 2200 and 2300 h to accurately estimate methane production using a GF system in a confinement setting.

Evaluation of the nutritional value and presence of minerals and pesticides residues in agro-industrial by-products to replace conventional ingredients of small ruminant diets

Fruit and vegetable production across the Mediterranean generates large volumes of by-products that can potentially lessen the livestock feeds deficit in some regions due to climate change effects and other socio-economic factors. However, the utilisation of agro-industrial by-products to their full potential is hindered by several factors such as variability in composition, limited development of preserving technologies and the presence of undesirable substances that may represent a risk for the animal or the final consumer. This work was conducted to study the nutritive value of a range of different alternative by-products from the Spanish agro-industry, assessing the potential to replace conventional ingredients often used in diets for small ruminants and the risk associated with the presence of pesticide residues and minerals. A total of 15 agro-industrial by-products commonly available in different regions of Spain were tested: three different types of apple pomace from three different varieties of apples (Perico, Regona, and Solarina), lemon pulp, avocado seed, broccoli, watermelon silage, olive cake, avocado cake, and six types of silages made with straw and a combination of different by-products (80/20 on fresh matter basis) from the intensive greenhouse horticulture: cucumber, tomato, pepper-cucumber mix (Pep-Cuc silage), aubergine-tomato mix (Aub-Tom silage), tomato-pepper-watermelon mix (Tom-Pep-Wat silage), and watermelon-melon-tomato mix (Wat-Mel-Tom silage). The study involved chemical characterization, including minerals and pesticides residues, and in vitro assessment of the ability to partially replace (10%, 20%, 30%, 50% and 100%) conventional ingredients in a diet for adult sheep (oat hay, barley and sunflower meal), depending on their chemical composition. The inclusion of by-products up to 30% replacement had not effect or improved some of the fermentation parameters and cucumber silage and apple pomace could successfully replace 100% of oat hay and barley, respectively, with only a significant reduction (P < 0.006) of rumen ammonia concentration. The mineral content was highly variable among the by-products with high values of Al in watermelon silage, Cu in olive cake and avocado by-products and Ni and Cr in olive cake. The pesticide residues assessment included 45 different types of compounds commonly used in crop production and three by-products had levels of pesticides residues above the legal limit: watermelon silage had traces of Chlorpyrifos (0.06 mg/kg DM), lemon pulp had Imazalil (0.09 mg/kg DM), and cucumber silage and Wat-Mel-Tom silages had Thiabendazole (0.04 mg/kg DM). Although all by-products showed potential to replace conventional ingredients from a nutritional perspective, the presence of high levels of some minerals and pesticides residues in some by-products requires regular analyses throughout the year or across batches before feeding them to animals.

Effects of the Oat Hay Feeding Method and Compound Probiotic Supplementation on the Growth, Antioxidant Capacity, Immunity, and Rumen Bacteria Community of Dairy Calves.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the oat hay feeding method and compound probiotics (CMP) on the growth, health, serum antioxidant and immune indicators, rumen fermentation, and bacteria community of dairy calves from 3 to 5 months of age. Forty-eight female Holstein calves (80 ± 7 days of age, 93.71 ± 5.33 kg BW) were selected and randomly divided into four groups. A 2 × 2 factorial design was adopted for the experiment, with the factors of the oat hay feeding method (fed as free-choice or 16.7% in the diet) and compound probiotics (CMP) inclusion (0.15% or 0%) in the pelleted starter. The results showed that, compared with giving oat hay as free-choice, feeding a diet of 16.7% oat hay increased the pelleted starter intake at 1-84 d (p < 0.05), with an average daily gain (ADG) at 61-84 d (p = 0.02); adding CMP to the pelleted starter did not significantly affect body weight, and reduced the fecal index (p < 0.05). Feeding 16.7% oat hay increased the concentration of IgA, IgG, and IgM (p < 0.01), while adding CMP increased the catalase (p < 0.01) and decreased the concentration of malondialdehyde (p < 0.01) in serum. Feeding 16.7% oat hay increased the ruminal concentration of propionic acid (p < 0.05) and isobutyric acid (p = 0.08), and decreased the ruminal pH (p = 0.08), the concentration of acetic acid (p < 0.05), and the ratio of acetic acid to propionic acid (p < 0.01). Feeding 16.7% oat hay reduced the relative abundance of ruminal Firmicutes, Unidentified-Bacteria, Actinobacteria, Prevotella, NK4A214-group, Olsenella, and Actinobacteriota (p < 0.05); adding CMP increased the relative abundance of ruminal Prevotella, Rikenellaceae-RC9-gut-group, Ruminococcus, NK4A214-group, and Ruminococcus (p < 0.05), and decreased the abundance of Desulfobacterora, Prevotella-7, and Erysipelotricaceae-UCG-002 (p < 0.05). In conclusion, feeding a diet of 16.7% oat hay increased the pelleted starter intake and average daily gain, while slightly reducing the ruminal pH values; adding CMP to the pelleted starter resulted in reduced diarrhea incidence, increased serum antioxidant capacity and immunity, as well as ruminal richness and diversity of microorganisms in dairy calves from 3 to 5 months of age.

Effect of Diet Supplementation with Oat Hay and Whole Carrot on Rabbit Growth and Productive Efficiency.

Is it possible to reduce feeding costs in rabbit meat production without compromising rabbit health and productive yield? The study tested four feeding strategies: Control group (CC) fed exclusively with concentrate feed; group CT supplemented with whole carrot; group OH supplemented with oat hay; and Group CO supplemented with oat hay and whole carrot. Each feeding strategy was tested in 20 rabbits, randomly allocated in five cages with four rabbits each. The average daily weight gain (ADG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and the amount of concentrated feed consumed daily were estimated in all experimental groups. Group CC displayed the best ADG (37.1 g/rabbit/day), carrot had no significant influence on ADG (34.2 g/rabbit/day), but oat hay had a negative impact (p < 0.05), either used alone or in combination with carrot (33.0 and 32.6 g/rabbit/day, respectively). Supplementation with carrot, oat hay, or both increased the FCR (p < 0.001). Nevertheless, there were no significant differences in final live weight or carcass weight between the rabbits in the different experimental groups. In conclusion, supplementation with oat hay, carrot, or both can be a valid approach to reducing production costs by decreasing concentrate feed without affecting rabbit's health and meat yield. The combined supplementation with oat hay and carrot proved to be the best option in reducing the amount of concentrate feed ingested by rabbits (less than 1107 g/animal), but at current market values, supplementation exclusively with oat hay was the less expensive feeding strategy (less 14% than fed exclusively with concentrate feeding).

Wheat silage partially replacing oaten hay exhibited greater feed efficiency and fibre digestion despite low feed intake by feedlot lambs

This study aimed to investigate the feeding effect of wheat silage on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation, and microbiota composition in feedlot lambs. Sixty-four male crossbred Chinese Han lambs (BW = 27.8 ± 0.67 kg, 3 months of age) were randomly assigned to four ration groups with wheat silage replacing 0% (WS0), 36% (WS36), 64% (WS64), and 100% (WS100) of oaten hay on forage dry matter basis. The concentrate-to-forage ratio was 80:20 and the feeding trial lasted 52 d. Increasing wheat silage inclusion linearly decreased dry matter intake by 4% to 27% (P < 0.01). However, increasing the wheat silage replacement of oaten hay by no more than 64% improved the feed efficiency by 14% as noted by the feed-to-gain ratio (P = 0.04). Apparent digestibility of organic matter (P < 0.01), neutral detergent fibre (P = 0.04) and acid detergent fibre (P < 0.01) quadratically increased. Ammonia nitrogen (P = 0.01) decreased while microbial protein production (P < 0.01) increased with the increase of wheat silage inclusion. Total volatile fatty acids concentration increased quadratically with the increase of wheat silage inclusion (P < 0.01), and the highest occurred in WS64. The molar proportion of acetate (P < 0.01) and acetate-to-propionate ratio (P = 0.04) decreased while butyrate (P < 0.01) and isovalerate (P = 0.04) increased. Increasing wheat silage inclusion increased the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidota ratio by 226% to 357%, resulting in Firmicutes instead of Bacteroidota being the most abundant phylum. The relative abundance of cellulolytic Ruminococcus numerically increased but that of amylolytic Prevotella (P < 0.01) decreased as increasing wheat silage inclusion. Taken together, increasing wheat silage replacement of oaten hay by no more than 64% exhibited greater feed efficiency and fibre digestion despite low feed intake by feedlot lambs due to the change of Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidota ratio in the rumen.

Apparent Dry Matter and Nutrient Digestibility of Different Varieties of Vetch Hay Supplemented to Arsi Bale Sheep Fed a Basal Diet of Fodder Oat Hay

Apparent Dry Matter and Nutrient Digestibility of Different Varieties of Vetch Hay Supplemented to Arsi Bale Sheep Fed a Basal Diet of Fodder Oat Hay

Multi-omics in vitro study of the salivary modulation of the goat rumen microbiome.

Ruminants are able to produce large quantities of saliva which enter into the rumen and salivary components exert different physiological functions. Although previous research has indicated that salivary immunoglobulins can partially modulate the rumen microbial activity, the role of the salivary components other than ions on the rumen microbial ecosystem has not been thoroughly investigated in ruminants. To investigate this modulatory activity, a total of 16 semi-continuous in vitro cultures with oats hay and concentrate were used to incubate rumen fluid from four donor goats with autoclaved saliva (AUT) as negative control, saliva from the same rumen fluid donor (OWN) as positive control, and either goat (GOAT) or sheep (SHEEP) saliva as experimental interventions. Fermentation was monitored throughout 7days of incubation and the microbiome and metabolome were analysed at the end of this incubation by Next-Generation sequencing and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, respectively. Characterisation of the proteome and metabolome of the different salivas used for the incubation showed a high inter-animal variability in terms of metabolites and proteins, including immunoglobulins. Incubation with AUT saliva promoted lower fermentative activity in terms of gas production (-9.4%) and highly divergent prokaryotic community in comparison with other treatments (OWN, GOAT and SHEEP) suggesting a modulatory effect derived from the presence of bioactive salivary components. Microbial alpha-diversity at amplicon sequence variant (ASV) level was unaffected by treatment. However, some differences were found in the microbial communities across treatments, which were mostly caused by a greater abundance of Proteobacteria and Rikenellacea in the AUT treatment and lower of Prevotellaceae. These bacteria, which are key in the rumen metabolism, had greater abundances in GOAT and SHEEP treatments. Incubation with GOAT saliva led to a lower protozoal concentration and propionate molar proportion indicating a capacity to modulate the rumen microbial ecosystem. The metabolomics analysis showed that the AUT samples were clustered apart from the rest indicating different metabolic pathways were promoted in this treatment. These results suggest that specific salivary components contribute to host-associated role in selecting the rumen commensal microbiota and its activity. These findings could open the possibility of developing new strategies to modulate the saliva composition as a way to manipulate the rumen function and activity.

Effects of different forage proportions in fermented total mixed ration on muscle fatty acid profile and rumen microbiota in lambs.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of different forage proportions in the fermented total mixed ration (FTMR) on growth performance, muscle fatty acid profile, and rumen microbiota of lambs. Thirty 6-month-old small tail Han sheep × Ujumqin lambs with initial body weight (BW) of 27.8 ± 0.90 kg were selected for the test and divided into two groups of 15 sheep in each treatment (three pens per treatment and five lambs per pen) according to the principle of homogeneity. Two isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets were formulated according to the NRC. The diet treatments were designed as (1) OH treatment containing 25% alfalfa hay and 35% oat hay, and (2) AH treatment containing 35% alfalfa hay with 25% oat hay. The forage-to-concentrate ratio for both diets was 65: 35 (DM basis). Three replicates were randomly selected from each treatment to determine growth performance, fatty acid profile and rumen bacterial communities in lambs. Results revealed no statistically significant (p > 0.05) differences in dry matter intake and average daily gain between the two diet groups. Cholesterol and intramuscular fat were significantly (p > 0.05) higher in the AH group, while no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) was found in pH24 value. The muscle fatty acid compositions of lambs were obviously (p < 0.05) influenced by the diet treatments. Compared with the OH group, the C16:1, C17:0, and C20:3n6 contents were higher (p < 0.05) in the AH group, whereas the content of C18:1n9c, C20:1, C18:3n3, and C22:6n3 was obviously (p < 0.05) increased in the OH group. The monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) contents were significantly higher in the OH group, whereas no significant differences (p > 0.05) were detected in saturated fatty acid (SFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) contents among the two diet treatments. Bacterial composition was generally separated into two clusters based on principal coordinate analysis, and the OH group had a higher Shannon index. The relative abundance at the genes level of the Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group was obviously (p < 0.05) increased in the AH group and the relative abundances of Prevotella_1, Fibrobacter, and Bacteroidales_UCG_001_unclassified were obviously (p < 0.05) enriched in the OH group. Integrated correlation analysis also underscored a possible link between the muscle fatty acid compositions and significantly altered rumen microbiota. Overall, oat-based roughage in FTMR could promote a beneficial lipid pattern in the Longissimus lumborum muscles of lambs. These findings provide a potential insight into diet effects on fatty acid profile and the rumen microbiome of lambs, which may help make decisions regarding feeding.

Evaluation of different ensiling methods for Saccharina latissima preservation: influence on chemical composition and in vitro ruminal fermentation

ABSTRACT Saccharina latissima is a brown seaweed that could be used in ruminant feeding, but its fast deteriorating and seasonal growth nature limit their utilisation in the practice. Ensiling could be used as a preservation method, but information of its effects on the nutritional value of the seaweed is limited. This study evaluated the in vitro ruminal fermentation of different S. latissima silages using ruminal inoculum either from goats fed a mixed diet (60:40 oat hay:concentrate) or from sheep fed a high-forage diet (90:10 alfalfa hay:concentrate) to simulate different small ruminant production systems. S. latissima was ensiled in vacuum bags without additives (Control), with formic acid (4 g/kg seaweed; FA), with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) or with LAB after a pre-wilting treatment to reach a seaweed dry matter (DM) content of 30% (30LAB). Ensiling S. latissima decreased (p < 0.05) the content in DM, neutral detergent fibre and total extractable polyphenols, but nitrogen and fat content were unaffected. For both ruminal inoculums, ensiling decreased (p < 0.05) the asymptotic gas production after 120 h of fermentation (excepting for FA silage with goats’ inoculum), but the total volatile fatty acid (VFA) production was unaffected. The VFA profile shifted towards greater (p < 0.05) acetate and lower (p < 0.05) propionate proportions in all silages compared with the pre-ensiling S. latissima. When goats inoculum was used, greater (p < 0.05) CH4 production compared with pre-ensiling S. latissima was observed in all silages, except Control one, which led to greater (p < 0.05) CH4/total VFA ratio. In contrast, no differences among samples (p > 0.05) in either CH4 production or CH4/total VFA ratio were observed when sheep’ inoculum was used. Fermentation of all samples started earlier with goats’ inoculum than with sheep’ inoculum, which was attributed to the different diet fed to the animals. These results suggest that ensiling S. latissima with either formic acid or lactic acid bacteria could be a viable conservation method to preserve the nutritive value.

Modulation of Murrah Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Rumen Functions for In Vitro Fatty Acid Bio-Hydrogenation, Methane Production and Fermentation Pattern of Total Mixed Ration Supplemented with Allium sativum (Garlic) Essential Oils

The potential for plant-origin essential oils to modulate rumen functions for reducing bio-hydrogenation of fatty acids and methane production has been a significant area of research in recent times. This study investigated the effects supplementation of garlic (Allium sativum) essential oils have on in vitro bio-hydrogenation of fatty acids, methanogenesis and fermentation characteristics of total mixed ration in buffalo with the aim of enhancing conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content in animal products as well as reducing environmental pollution. Allium sativum (AS) essential oils were examined at four levels [0 (Control), 33.33 µL (AS-1), 83.33 µL (AS-2) and 166.66 µL (AS-3) per litre of buffered rumen fluid] in a radio-frequency based automatic gas production system (ANKOM-RF). Two bottles per treatment per run over two incubation runs were undertaken to gain representative results. Oats hay and concentrate mixture (1:1) was used as a substrate (500 ± 5 mg) and incubated with 60 mL of buffered rumen fluid in 250 mL ANKOM bottles fitted with automatic an gas recording system at 39 °C for 24 h, following standard in vitro gas production protocols. The results demonstrated a reduction (p &lt; 0.01) in lipid bio-hydrogenation, measured by lowered saturated fatty acids and enhanced unsaturated fatty acids on the supplementation of AS essential oils, irrespective of the dose levels. Moreover, the increased (p &lt; 0.01) production of trans vaccenic (trans C18:1) acid (TVA) following graded dose supplementations of the AS essential oils increased the production of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) in animal products. Although, reduced methane production (p &lt; 0.01) was evidenced, the decrease in total gas production and feed digestibility (TDDM) demonstrated the strong antimicrobial properties of AS at all dose levels. The study reveals that the Allium sativam (Garlic) essential oils have the potential to be an agent for the reduction of the rumen biohydrogenation of fatty acids and methanogenesis. However, in vivo examination is necessary to validate the findings and confirm its suitability for use as an additive to enhance nutraceutical and organoleptic properties in animal products.

Bioactive compounds in yogurt obtained from Alpine goats fed with seagrass debris

The use of alternative feeds in dairy goat farming in the Mediterranean region could be a very promising solution to ensure the sustainability of this activity. These feeds can not only reduce production costs, but also improve product quality and market value. The objective of this study is to compare the quality of yogurt obtained from milk of dairy goats fed with oat hay (group C) or Posidonia oceanica seagrass debris (group E). Results showed that yogurt samples from group E had higher fat content and viscosity (P < 0.05) than the control group, whereas protein and lactose levels, as well as pH and acidity, were similar for both batches. A significant richness (P < 0.05) in total polyphenols, flavonoids, antioxidant agents DPPH, ABTS and ferric reducing antioxidant power, was observed in yogurt samples of group E. No differences were observed for total lactic microflora and L. delbrueckii subsp. Bulgaricus counts, but a significant increase of S. thermophilus count was detected (P < 0.05) when goats were fed Posidonia oceanica. The sensory analysis showed that yogurt from group E had a significant improved quality, which was reflected by higher scores for odor, flavor, texture and overall acceptability than group C. These findings reveal the positive role of feeding Posidonia oceanica to dairy goats and the remarkable improvements it has made to the nutritional properties and flavor of yogurt.

Substitution of soyabean meal by faba bean improves body weight, sperm production and testosterone concentration in mature Queue Fine de l'Ouest rams.

The current study aimed at investigating the effects of partial or total substitution of soybean meal with faba bean on reproductive parameters of Queue Fine de l'Ouest rams. Eighteen adult rams (49.8 ± 3.7 kg and 2.4 ± 1.5 years old) were divided into three homogenous groups. Rams received oat hay ad libitum and 3 types of concentrate (33 g/BW0.75) where soybean meal was the main protein source (SBM diet, n = 6), partially (50%, SBMFB diet, n = 6) or totally (100% FB diet, n = 6) substituted in nitrogen basis by local faba bean. The volume of ejaculate, sperm concentration and sperm mortality rate were measured weekly by collecting semen using an artificial vagina. Serial blood samples were collected 30 days and 120 days after the beginning of the experiment in order to assess plasma testosterone concentrations. The results showed that hay intake was affected (P < 0.05) by the nature of the nitrogen source incorporated (1032.3 ± 12.2; 1026.8 ± 56.6 and 972.8 ± 39.05 g DM/d for SBM, FB and SBMFB respectively. The average live weight of the rams increased from 49.8 ± 0.4 (week 1) to 57.3 ± 0.9 kg (week 17) without effect of the diet. A positive effect of faba bean incorporation in the concentrate was observed on ejaculate volume, concentration and spermatozoa production. All these parameters were significantly higher in SBMFB and FB groups than in SBM group (P < 0.05). The protein source did not affect the percentage of dead spermatozoa and the total abnormalities which were similar for the three diets (38.7; 35.8 and 38.1% for SBM; SBMFB and FB, respectively). The mean testosterone concentration was higher (P < 0.05) in rams fed with faba bean (1.7 ± 0.7 to 1.9 ± 0.7 ng/ml for the SBMFB and the FB groups respectively) than in rams fed SBM diet (1.06 ± 0.5 ng/ml). It was concluded that the substitution of soybean meal by faba bean improved the reproductive performance and did not affect sperm quality in Queue Fine de l'Ouest rams.