International Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics

International Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics ISSN 2756-3650, Vol. 14 (1), pp. 001-007, January, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Stocking Rate Effects on Lamb Performance and Barley Stubble Biomass in Semi-Arid Tunisian Conservation Agriculture

Nizar MOUJAHED1*, Sourour ABIDI2, Salah BEN YOUSSEF2, Cyrine DAREJ1, Mohamed CHAKROUN2 and Hichem BEN SALEM3

1LRGAA, Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie, 43 AV. Ch. Nicolle, 1082, Tunis, Tunisia.
2Institute National de Recherche Agronomique de Tunisie, Rue HédiKarray 2049 Ariana, Tunisia.
3ICARDA Bldg No. 15, Khalid Abu Dalbouh St. Abdoun. P. O. Box 950764, Amman 11195, Jordan.

Received 17 September, 2024; Accepted 15 October, 2024

The integration of livestock in the practices of conservation agriculture (CA) was assessed in Tunisian semi-arid conditions. Forty five Barbarine lambs (aged 220 ± 10 days, average body weight 20 ± 2.5 kg) were used in a performance trial, carried out in the experimental station of INRAT. During the experiment, lambs were grazing on a plot of barley stubble cultivated according to CA was divided into 6 fenced equal subplots and to each subplot was assigned a stocking rate of animals (15 and 30 lambs per hectare, SR15 and SR30 respectively). The biomass of stubble and its botanical composition were estimated 2 times, using quadrats sampling technique. Live weight was determined 3 times after the start of the experiment (three 15-days successive periods) to calculate live weight gain (LWG) and daily live weight gain (DLWG). The amount of biomass varied (P <0.05) from 2204 to 2067 kg DM / ha for SR15 plots and from 2404 to 1826.5 kg DM/ha for SR30 ones. This decrease was higher with SR30 (P<0.05). Heads proportion decreased first, then leaves and finally stems. Biomass chemical composition declined with sampling period. During the first grazing period, lambs assigned to both treatments lost LW (P<0.001), mainly SR30 lambs as compared to SR15 (P<0.05, -610 and -110 g, respectively). The same trend was observed in DLWG (P<0.05). In the second period, the two groups exhibited similar LWG (about 2 kg) and DLWG (about 171 g/d). In the third period, SR15 lambs maintained their body weight, while SR30 group lost (P<0.001) about 400 g comparatively to the second period. It was concluded that under the studied feeding system, stubble grazing without supplementation allowed Barbarine sheep to maintain body conditions.

Key words: Lambs, barley stubble, stocking rate, conservation agriculture.
 

International Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics ISSN 2756-3650, Vol. 14 (1), pp. 001-010, January, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Utilization of Ginger Lily (Hedychium gardnerianum) as Animal Feed: Effects of Urea Application on Nutritional Quality

J. P. R. Borba, C. S. A. M. Maduro Dias, H. J. D. Rosa, C. F. M. Vouzela,
O. A. Rego and A. E. S. Borba*

Agricultural Science Department, University of the Azores, CITA-A, Rua Capitão João d’Ávila, 9700-042 Angra do Heroísmo, Açores, Portugal.

Received 26 June, 2024; Accepted 15 October, 2024

Fiber availability is not always ensured in all year long grazing systems. In this context, low quality fiber feeds may be of relevance for bovine feeding. We propose, thus, to study the effect of adding 5% of urea (on a dry matter basis) on the chemical composition and nutritional value of Hedychium gardnerianum, Sheppard ex Ker-Gawl (ginger lily or Kahili ginger), a traditional fiber source used by Azorean farmers. Treatments were: green ginger lily as a control, addition of 5% urea on a DM basis to green ginger lily, with treatments lasting 0, 5, 10, 15 and 30 days and addition of 5% urea on a DM basis to previously dried ginger lily, at day 0. The treatment afforded a significant (P<0.05) increase in crude protein, while maintaining the neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) contents, and a variation in the acid detergent lignin (ADL) content. No significant improvement in in vitro dry matter digestibility. The treatment with urea of the green forage does not have the same effect as in other low quality fiber feeds, namely straw, since ginger lily has much higher a Crude Protein value than those other fibrous feeds.

Key words: Hedychium gardnerianum, in vitro digestibility, urea treatment, roughage.

International Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics ISSN 2756-3650, Vol. 14 (1), pp. 001-006, January, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Impact of Lactation Stage, Calving Order, and Genetic Background on Milk Quality

Ruthele Moraes do Carmo, Marco Antônio Pereira da Silva*, Gustavo Machado Pereira, Guilherme Henrique de Paula, Thiago Vilela Abdelnoor Marques, Letícia Aparecida de Morais, Vanessa Souza Silva, Edmar Soares Nicolau, Rodrigo Balduíno Soares Neves and Moacir Evandro Lage

Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Goiano, Câmpus Rio Verde, Caixa Postal 66, 75.901-970 - Rio Verde - GO, Brazil.

Received 9 April, 2024; Accepted 19 November, 2024

Milk production and quality are influenced by environmental factors such as nutrition, genetic factors such as breed and physiological. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of lactation stage, delivery order and genetic group on the quality of milk from crossbred cows 3/4 Gyr, 7/8 Gyr and 15/16 Gyr. Fresh milk samples were collected from crossbred cows. Fat, protein, lactose, non fat dry extract (NDE) and somatic cell count (SCC) of milk according to lactation stage, delivery order of calving and genetic groups were evaluated. The experimental design was completely randomized. Tukey test at 5% probability was used. Animals at the final third of lactation (201 to 305 days) showed higher fat, protein, NDE and SCC levels when compared to animals of other lactation stages. First delivery animals produced milk with higher content of solids compared to animals with 2 deliveries and above three deliveries. First calving the animals produced milk with higher solids content compared to animals with two calving and above three calving. Fat, protein and NDE results of fresh milk were consistent with limits established by the Brazilian legislation for milk quality, regardless of lactation stage, delivery order of calving and genetic group. Milk SCC was higher in cows in advanced lactation stage, The results were however below limits required by law. 3/4 crossbred Gyr cows showed higher SCC, with average values above limit established by current legislation.

Key words: Somatic cell count (SCC), fat, non fat dry extract (NDE), fresh milk.
 

International Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics ISSN 2756-3650, Vol. 14 (1), pp. 001-010, January, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Review

Mitigation Measures for Air Pollution in Poultry Production in Brazil

Felipe Santos Dalólio¹*, Jadir Nogueira da Silva¹, Luiz Fernando Teixeira Albino², Joerley Moreira³ and Luciano Barreto Mendes⁴

¹Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n, Viçosa, Minas Gerais,
36570-000, Brasil.
²Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Viçosa, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-
000, Brasil.
³Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Vales of Jequitinhonha and Mucuri, Campus Diamantina, Rodovia
MG 367, nº 5000 – Alto do Jacuba, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, 39100-000, Brasil.
⁴Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research Technology and Food Science - Agricultural Engineering, Burg. Van
Gansberghelaan 115 bus 1 - 9820 Merelbeke – Belgium.

Received 27 August, 2024; Accepted 15 October, 2024

Abstract

The Brazilian broiler industry is the most prominent branch in farming, due to its high levels of productivity. However, there is a growing concern about the environmental damages caused by such an activity, in special the atmospheric air pollution, as a consequence of the high volume of residues generated and the damages made to the environment. Air pollution, despite being most of the time detected by undesirable odoriferous substances, can be caused by numerous atmospheric pollutants such as particulate matter, odorless gases, non-volatile compounds, amongst others. This negatively impacts the health of both humans and animals, as well as of the surrounding ecosystem. Broiler production can be understood as a range of steps necessary to poultry meat production. Hence, their emissions can be computed all the way from the grain production, the feed fabrication, the poultry farming to, finally, the slaughtering and recycling of animal based products. As the poultry chain is well-segmented in its functions, it is necessary to establish and quantify the real impacts caused by its sectors and define mitigation controlling measures in regards to air pollutants.

Keywords: Air quality, atmospheric pollutants, control, environment, productivity.
 

International Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics ISSN 2756-3650, Vol. 14 (1), pp. 001-006, January, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Serogroup Identification and Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns of Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli Strains Causing Colibacillosis in Broiler Farms in Eastern Algeria

Chafik Redha Messaï^1,2, Khatima Aït-Oudhia^1,2, Djamel Khelef^1,2*, Taha Mossadek Hamdi^1,2, Nadia Safia Chenouf³ and Mohamed Ramzi Messaï⁴

¹High National Veterinary School of Algiers, BP 161 Hacène Badi, EL Harrach, Algiers, Algeria.

²Research Laboratory, Food Hygiene and Quality Assurance System (HASAQ), High National Veterinary School of Algiers, BP 161 Hacène Badi, EL Harrach, Algiers, Algeria.

³Exploration laboratory and recovery of steppe ecosystems, University of Ziane Achour Djelfa, Algeria.

⁴SAND George Hospital Centre, Service Chopin Bourges, France.

Received 28 May, 2024; Accepted 25 September, 2024

Abstract

In East Algeria, 100 Escherichia coli strains were isolated from livers and spleens of 120 broiler carcasses that presented colibacillosis lesions at autopsy. Serogrouping of these strains demonstrated that 83% of their serogroups belong to the most pathogenic serogroups of Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC): O1 (14%), O2 (53%) and O78 (16%). In vitro susceptibility to antimicrobials of veterinary significance was determined by disc diffusion test. Antibiogram demonstrated a high level of resistance to enrofloxacin (82%), trimethoprim-sulfmethoxazole (82%), ampicillin (89%) and amoxicillin/ Ac clavulanic (90%), nalidixic acid (99%) and tetracycline (100%). There were moderate levels of resistance to neomycin (49%) and nitrofurantoin (53%). There were low levels of resistance to gentamicin (2%), chloramphenicol (13%) and no resistance to colistin sulfate (0%). All strains were multi-drug resistant and more than half (58%) of the isolates were resistant to seven antibiotics at least. Thus, thirty one antibiotic resistant patterns of E. coli strains were detected, of which 11 were present significantly. Co-resistance was found in eight of the eleven most common multidrug resistant patterns, 62% of the strains expressed this co-resistance. E. coli strains isolated expressed resistances to molecules that are routinely used in the field. It is clear that these are less effective against colibacillosis. It is more than ever necessary to perform antibiotic susceptibility testing prior to treatment in order to prescribe the molecule of choice, and set up a monitoring program in Algeria to monitor antimicrobial resistance in pathogenic bacteria that could be potentially transmitted to humans from animal food.

Keywords: Algeria, antibiotic resistance, colibacillosis, Escherichia coli, serogroups.
 

International Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics ISSN 2756-3650, Vol. 13 (6), pp. 001-007, June, 2024. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Impacts of Stocking Rate on Biomass Variation and Lamb Performance in Tunisian Semi-Arid Regions under Conservation Agriculture

Nizar MOUJAHED¹*, Sourour ABIDI², Salah BEN YOUSSEF², Cyrine DAREJ¹, Mohamed CHAKROUN² and Hichem BEN SALEM³

¹LRGAA, Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie, 43 AV. Ch. Nicolle, 1082, Tunis, Tunisia.
²Institute National de Recherche Agronomique de Tunisie, Rue HédiKarray 2049 Ariana, Tunisia.
³ICARDA Bldg No. 15, Khalid Abu Dalbouh St. Abdoun. P. O. Box 950764, Amman 11195, Jordan. *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: +216 98225949.

Received 17 September, 2023; Accepted 15 October, 2023

Abstract

The integration of livestock in the practices of conservation agriculture (CA) was assessed in Tunisian semi-arid conditions. Forty five Barbarine lambs (aged 220 ± 10 days, average body weight 20 ± 2.5 kg) were used in a performance trial, carried out in the experimental station of INRAT. During the experiment, lambs were grazing on a plot of barley stubble cultivated according to CA was divided into 6 fenced equal subplots and to each subplot was assigned a stocking rate of animals (15 and 30 lambs per hectare, SR15 and SR30 respectively). The biomass of stubble and its botanical composition were estimated 2 times, using quadrats sampling technique. Live weight was determined 3 times after the start of the experiment (three 15-days successive periods) to calculate live weight gain (LWG) and daily live weight gain (DLWG). The amount of biomass varied (P <0.05) from 2204 to 2067 kg DM / ha for SR15 plots and from 2404 to 1826.5 kg DM/ha for SR30 ones. This decrease was higher with SR30 (P<0.05). Heads proportion decreased first, then leaves and finally stems. Biomass chemical composition declined with sampling period. During the first grazing period, lambs assigned to both treatments lost LW (P<0.001), mainly SR30 lambs as compared to SR15 (P<0.05, -610 and -110 g, respectively). The same trend was observed in DLWG (P<0.05). In the second period, the two groups exhibited similar LWG (about 2 kg) and DLWG (about 171 g/d). In the third period, SR15 lambs maintained their body weight, while SR30 group lost (P<0.001) about 400 g comparatively to the second period. It was concluded that under the studied feeding system, stubble grazing without supplementation allowed Barbarine sheep to maintain body conditions.

Key words: Lambs, barley stubble, stocking rate, conservation agriculture.