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Ben Moula A, Moussafir Z, Hamidallah N, El Amiri B. Heat stress and ram semen production and preservation: Exploring impacts and effective strategies. J Therm Biol 2024; 119:103794. [PMID: 38330855 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2024.103794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
As global warming persists, heat stress (HS) continues to affect animals, particularly those raised in extensive systems such as sheep. As a result, there is a growing body of research investigating the physiological and biological consequences of HS on these animals. Recent studies have specifically examined the effects of climate change, global warming, and HS on gametes. Heat stress has been shown to affect ram semen production, resulting in decreased sperm quality and volume in both fresh and stored samples. This is attributed to the effect of heat on hormone production in the testicles, which is critical for successful spermatogenesis. Such effects can have significant consequences on the fertility of female sheep, which could affect the farmers' revenue. Therefore, farmers and researchers are utilizing various strategies and laboratory techniques to mitigate these negative effects. This review aims to comprehensively evaluate the impact of HS on ram semen production and conservation and analyze the different mitigation strategies at various levels, including management and nutritional interventions. The findings of this review will serve as a critical foundation for the development of targeted interventions and sustainable practices in sheep farming, ensuring resilient and profitable operations in the face of ongoing global climate challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anass Ben Moula
- Department of Life Sciences, Polydisciplinary Faculty of Larache, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, 745 BP, 92004, Larache, Morocco.
| | - Zineb Moussafir
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Errachidia, Moulay Ismail University, Meknes, Morocco
| | - Naima Hamidallah
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Hassan 1 University, BP 577, 26000, Settat, Morocco
| | - Bouchra El Amiri
- INRA-Regional Center for Agronomic Research of Settat, BP589, Settat, Morocco; African Sustainable Agriculture Research Institute (ASARI), Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), 70000, Laayoune, Morocco
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2
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Cloete SWP, Greeff JC, Nel CL, Scholtz AJ. Breeds and lines of sheep suitable for production in challenging environments. Anim Front 2023; 13:33-42. [PMID: 37841763 PMCID: PMC10575318 DOI: 10.1093/af/vfad053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Schalk W P Cloete
- Department of Animal Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa
- Department of Agriculture, Western Cape, Elsenburg 7607, South Africa
| | - Johan C Greeff
- Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Perth, South Perth, WA 6151, Australia
- Institute of Agriculture, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Cornelius L Nel
- Department of Animal Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa
- Department of Agriculture, Western Cape, Elsenburg 7607, South Africa
| | - Ansie J Scholtz
- Department of Agriculture, Western Cape, Elsenburg 7607, South Africa
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3
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Nel CL, van der Werf JHJ, Rauw WM, Cloete SWP. Challenges and strategies for genetic selection of sheep better adapted to harsh environments. Anim Front 2023; 13:43-52. [PMID: 37841765 PMCID: PMC10575306 DOI: 10.1093/af/vfad055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cornelius L Nel
- Directorate: Animal Sciences, Western Cape Department of Agriculture, Elsenburg 7607South Africa
| | | | - Wendy M Rauw
- Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal, INIA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Schalk W P Cloete
- Department of Animal Science, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa
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4
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Mota-Rojas D, Braghieri A, Ghezzi M, Ceriani MC, Martínez-Burnes J, Lendez PA, Pereira AMF, Lezama-García K, Domínguez-Oliva A, Casas-Alvarado A, Sabia E, Pacelli C, Napolitano F. Strategies and Mechanisms of Thermal Compensation in Newborn Water Buffaloes. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2161. [PMID: 37443964 PMCID: PMC10340076 DOI: 10.3390/ani13132161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypothermia is one of the principal causes of perinatal mortality in water buffaloes and can range from 3% to 17.9%. In ruminants, factors affecting hypothermia in newborns may be of intrinsic (e.g., level of neurodevelopment, birth weight, vitality score, amount of brown fat, skin features) or extrinsic origin (e.g., maternal care, environmental conditions, colostrum consumption). When newborn buffaloes are exposed to cold stress, thermoregulatory mechanisms such as peripheral vasoconstriction and shivering and non-shivering thermogenesis are activated to prevent hypothermia. Due to the properties of infrared thermography (IRT), as a technique that detects vasomotor changes triggered by a reduction in body temperature, evaluating the central and peripheral regions in newborn buffaloes is possible. This review aims to analyze behavioral, physiological, and morphological strategies and colostrum consumption as thermal compensation mechanisms in newborn water buffalo to cope with environmental changes affecting thermoneutrality. In addition, the importance of monitoring by IRT to identify hypothermia states will be highlighted. Going deeper into these topics related to the water buffalo is essential because, in recent years, this species has become more popular and is being bred in more geographic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Mota-Rojas
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico
| | - Ada Braghieri
- Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| | - Marcelo Ghezzi
- Animal Welfare Area, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences (FCV), Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (UNCPBA), University Campus, Tandil 7000, Argentina
| | - María Carolina Ceriani
- Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (UNCPBA), Tandil, Veterinary Research Center (CIVETAN), CONICET-CICPBA, Arroyo Seco S/N, Campus Universitario, Tandil 7000, Argentina
| | - Julio Martínez-Burnes
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Victoria City 87000, Mexico
| | - Pamela Anahí Lendez
- Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (UNCPBA), Tandil, Veterinary Research Center (CIVETAN), CONICET-CICPBA, Arroyo Seco S/N, Campus Universitario, Tandil 7000, Argentina
| | - Alfredo M. F. Pereira
- Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development (MED), Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554 Évora, Portugal
| | - Karina Lezama-García
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico
| | - Adriana Domínguez-Oliva
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Casas-Alvarado
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico
| | - Emilio Sabia
- School of Agricultural, Forest, Food, and Environmental Sciences, University of Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| | - Corrado Pacelli
- Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| | - Fabio Napolitano
- Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy
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Bienboire-Frosini C, Muns R, Marcet-Rius M, Gazzano A, Villanueva-García D, Martínez-Burnes J, Domínguez-Oliva A, Lezama-García K, Casas-Alvarado A, Mota-Rojas D. Vitality in Newborn Farm Animals: Adverse Factors, Physiological Responses, Pharmacological Therapies, and Physical Methods to Increase Neonate Vigor. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13091542. [PMID: 37174579 PMCID: PMC10177313 DOI: 10.3390/ani13091542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Vitality is the vigor newborn animals exhibit during the first hours of life. It can be assessed by a numerical score, in which variables, such as heart rate, respiratory rate, mucous membranes' coloration, time the offspring took to stand up, and meconium staining, are monitored. Vitality can be affected by several factors, and therapies are used to increase it. This manuscript aims to review and analyze pharmacological and physical therapies used to increase vitality in newborn farm animals, as well as to understand the factors affecting this vitality, such as hypoxia, depletion of glycogen, birth weight, dystocia, neurodevelopment, hypothermia, and finally, the physiological mechanism to achieve thermostability. It has been concluded that assessing vitality immediately after birth is essential to determine the newborn's health and identify those that need medical intervention to minimize the deleterious effect of intrapartum asphyxia. Vitality assessment should be conducted by trained personnel and adequate equipment. Evaluating vitality could reduce long-term neonatal morbidity and mortality in domestic animals, even if it is sometimes difficult with the current organization of some farms. This review highlights the importance of increasing the number of stock people during the expected days of parturitions to reduce long-term neonatal morbidity and mortality, and thus, improve the farm's performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Bienboire-Frosini
- Department of Molecular Biology and Chemical Communication, Research Institute in Semiochemistry and Applied Ethology (IRSEA), 84400 Apt, France
| | - Ramon Muns
- Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Hillsborough BT 26 6DR, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Míriam Marcet-Rius
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare Department, Research Institute in Semiochemistry and Applied Ethology (IRSEA), 84400 Apt, France
| | - Angelo Gazzano
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Dina Villanueva-García
- Division of Neonatology, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
| | - Julio Martínez-Burnes
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Victoria City 87000, Mexico
| | - Adriana Domínguez-Oliva
- Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Hillsborough BT 26 6DR, Northern Ireland, UK
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Xochimilco Campus, Mexico City 04960, Mexico
| | - Karina Lezama-García
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Xochimilco Campus, Mexico City 04960, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Casas-Alvarado
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Xochimilco Campus, Mexico City 04960, Mexico
| | - Daniel Mota-Rojas
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Xochimilco Campus, Mexico City 04960, Mexico
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Gómez-Quispe O, Rodríguez E, Benites R, Valenzuela S, Moscoso-Muñoz J, Ibañez V, Youngs C. Analysis of alpaca (Vicugna pacos) cria survival under extensive management conditions in the high elevations of the Andes Mountains of Peru. Small Rumin Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2022.106839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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Nel CL, Swan AA, Dzama K, Scholtz AJ, Cloete SWP. Genetic parameters and trends for lamb survival following long-term divergent selection for number of lambs weaned in the Elsenburg Merino flock. ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/an21198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
Mortality of new-born lambs is well known to have important implications for both animal production and welfare. Improving survival rates by genetic selection is very desirable, but the low heritability of survival traits challenges the prospect of useful genetic gain.
Aim
This study aimed to derive genetic and environmental parameters for lamb survival in the Elsenburg Merino resource flock. It also investigated correlations to possible indicator traits birthweight and birth coat score and reported genetic progress in breeding values for lamb survival following 33 years of divergent selection.
Methods
The flock was divergently selected for number of lambs weaned and was separated by the High (positive) and Low (negative) selection groups. The pedigree file identified 8138 lambs as the progeny of 273 sires and 2062 dams. The study considered total survival from birth to weaning (Tsv) that was also partitioned into perinatal survival to 3 days of age, and the remaining period. Variance components were derived by linear mixed models by using the ASREML® program. Genetic trends were derived by predicting mean breeding values for selection groups within each year and evaluated by fitting linear and broken-stick regression models.
Results
Predicted Tsv of H-line lambs (0.81 ± 0.01) was higher (P < 0.01) than that of L-line lambs (0.68 ± 0.01). Heritability was significant but low for survival traits (0.03–0.07), moderate for birthweight (0.16) and high for birth coat score (0.54). Genetic trends of the H-line trended divergently (P < 0.01) to the L-line for survival traits, but a changepoint (P < 0.01) in trend suggested that the H-line reached a selection plateau following 19–22 years of selection. Preceding this period, the rate of genetic change equalled ~1% of the mean for Tsv.
Conclusions
Despite the low heritability of survival, the genetic trends reported in this study contradicted the premise that genetic selection is not a worthwhile method to reduce incidences of lamb mortality.
Implications
It is recommended that lamb survival phenotypes should be recorded and incorporated into indices individually where possible, but composite traits are a viable alternative.
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