Effects ofCrypthecodinium cohnii,Chlorelaspp. andIsochrysis galbanaaddition to milk replacer on goat kids and lambs growth

Milk supplemented with dried seaweed affects the systemic innate immune response in preweaning dairy calves

Intact seaweed or seaweed extracts are used as feed supplements to improve the gut microbiome in young animals. Seaweeds provide functional polysaccharides, and they are a good source of vitamins, minerals, and phenolic compounds, all of which are relevant for immune system development. However, literature on the effects of dried seaweed supplementation on immune system development is limited, especially in calves. This experiment aimed to study the effect of feeding milk supplemented with Ulva lactuca, Ascophyllum nodosum, or Saccharina latissima on the systemic immune status of preweaning dairy calves. Forty male Holstein calves with birth body weight 41 ± 4 kg and plasma Brix percentage ≥8.7% at d 2 after birth were used in this study. Calves were fed 4 L of cow milk twice a day (total 8 L/d). From d 2 to d 28, calves in the control group (n = 10) received milk without seaweed supplementation. Over the same period, experimental calves received milk supplemented with Ulva lactuca (SW1; n = 10), Ascophyllum nodosum (SW2; n = 10), or Saccharina latissima (SW3, n = 10). Dried and ground seaweeds were offered at a daily allowance of 50 g/8 L of milk (i.e., approximately 5% inclusion rate on a dry matter basis). Blood samples were collected from a jugular vein on d 2, 4, 7, 14, 21, and 28 after birth. Plasma concentrations of total protein, albumin, immunoglobulins, and acute-phase proteins (i.e., serum amyloid A, fibrinogen, and haptoglobin) were measured. We detected no differences in average daily gain, plasma immunoglobulins, albumin, or total protein. However, the contrast analysis revealed that plasma concentrations of fibrinogen (SW1 and SW2) and serum amyloid A (SW2 and SW3) were significantly higher in the seaweed groups compared with the control group. We also found a tendency for high plasma haptoglobin in the seaweed groups (SW1 and SW2) compared with the control group. Differences in acute-phase protein concentrations could be partially explained by the large differences in micromineral intake between control and seaweed-supplemented calves. Feeding milk supplemented with dried seaweed increased plasma concentrations of variables related to the innate immune response in preweaning dairy calves.

Establishment of the biochemical and endocrine blood profiles in the Majorera and Palmera dairy goat breeds: the effect of feed restriction

Feed restriction, and seasonal weight loss (SWL), are major setbacks for animal production in the tropics and the Mediterranean. They may be solved through the use of autochthonous breeds particularly well adapted to SWL. It is therefore of major importance to determine markers of tolerance to feed restriction of putative use in animal selection. Two indigenous breeds from the Canary Islands, Palmera and Majorera, are commonly used by dairy goat farmers and, interestingly, have different phenotype characteristics albeit with a common ancestry. Indeed, Majorera is well adapted to feed restriction whereas the Palmera is susceptible to feed restriction. In addition, regardless of their importance in dairy production, there are only a limited number of reports relating to these breeds and, to the best of our knowledge, there is no description of their blood metabolite standard values under control conditions or as affected by feed restriction. In this study we analysed the blood metabolite profiles in Majorera and Palmera goats aiming to establish the differential responses to feed restriction between the two breeds and to characterise their metabolite standard values under control conditions. We observed significant differences in creatinine, urea, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs), cholesterol, IGF-1 and T3 due to underfeeding. Furthermore, a PCA analysis, revealed that animals submitted to undernutrition could be distinguished from the control groups, with the formation of three separate clusters (Palmera individuals after 22 d of subnutrition (PE22); Majorera individuals after 22 d of subnutrition (ME22) and animals assigned to control conditions (MC0, MC22, PC0 and PC22)), highlighting different responses of the two breeds to undernutrition.

Diet inclusion of devil fish (Plecostomus spp.) silage and its impacts on ruminal fermentation and growth performance of growing lambs in hot regions of Mexico

The aim of this study was to evaluate the inclusion of devil fish (Plecostomus spp.-DF) silage in Criollo × Blackbelly lamb diets in hot region of Guerrero state of Mexico. Rumen fermentation including pH, volatile fatty acids (VFA) and ammonia-N (NH3-N) and productive variables including feed intake (FI), average daily gain (ADG), and feed conversion were determined. Twenty lambs with 18 ± 1.2 kg body weight in a completely randomized design were fed a total mixed ration (TMR) of concentrate (based on soybean meal, whole oat hay, ground corn cob, vitamins-minerals supplement) with DF silage at 0 % (DF0), 9 % (DF9), 18 % (DF18), and 27 % (DF27) of the TMR for 75 days. The ruminal pH showed no difference (P > 0.05) between treatments: ranging between 6.21 and 6.36. Propionic acid molar proportions showed an irregular pattern between experimental groups, which only differed (P < 0.05) between DF9 and DF27, without differences between the other treatments. A greater molar proportion of butyric acid was noted (P < 0.05) in DF27 when compared to the other treatments. The ruminal concentration of NH3-N showed some insignificant differences (P > 0.05) among treatments. The daily FI was increased (P < 0.01) in DF27 (1.131 g) when compared with DF0, while DF9 and DF18 showed intermediate consumption with no differences (P > 0.05) among them. The ADG showed only difference (cubic effect, P = 0.02) between DF9 and DF18. The highest feed conversion was observed (cubic effect, P < 0.01) with DF18, with a value of 4.7 kg of feed to gain 1 kg of body weight. It could be concluded that the inclusion of up to 18 % of DF silage in the TMR of growing lamb diets, in hot regions of Mexico, may improve productive performance and ruminal fermentation kinetics, without any negative effects.