ABSTRACT Laying hens’ gut health and microbiota are directly linked to their productivity, egg quality, and overall welfare. This study evaluated the impact of different fiber sources on the performance Dekalb laying hens (63 to 71 weeks of age) and egg quality at 67 and 71 weeks. At the end of the trial (71 weeks), organ development was assessed, and the cecal microbiota was characterized using 16S rRNA sequencing. Birds were divided into four groups: a diet with elephant grass […]

ABSTRACT Rooster fertility has a considerable impact on reproductive efficiency in broiler breeder management, with semen quality being an important factor in fertilization success. This study evaluated the effects of age and body weight on semen quality measures in Ross 308 broiler breeder males. Twenty-four roosters were allocated into two age groups (25-29 weeks and 30-39 weeks) and three body weight categories (underweight: 3.0-3.5 kg; normal: 4.0-4.5 kg; overweight: 5.0-5.5 kg). The volume, concentration, motility, and viability of sperm samples […]

ABSTRACT This study aimed to analyze the effect of grasslands, meadows, and pastures on the efficiency of dairy farming and cattle farming in Türkiye and European Union countries. The primary data for this study included information on the production of raw milk and cattle meat, nitrogen content in treated manure, dairy cow populations, livestock standard units (LSUs), and the extent of grasslands, meadows, and pastures in both European Union countries and Türkiye. In the study, two distinct models were developed: […]

ABSTRACT Freezing is one of the fundamental preservation techniques for increasing the shelf-life of meat. However, the quality of frozen meat is highly dependent on the thawing process. Thus, the current study sought to investigate the effects of freeze-thawing processing on protein degradation, lipid oxidation, microbiological spoilage, and qualitative parameters of two types of beef muscles: Longissimus lumborum and Semitendinosus. Beef muscles were collected from ten steer carcasses of at approximately 15 months of age with a mean body weight […]

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of nitrogen (N) input via fertilizer or through the inclusion of an N-fixing legume mixed with grass on canopy structural characteristics, forage production, and stocking rate in grazing systems. Three pastures type (PT), with Marandu palisadegrass (U. brizantha), were assessed: i) monoculture without N fertilizer application (Unfertilized); ii) monoculture fertilized with 150 kg N ha⁻1 year⁻1 (N-fertilized); iii) and mixed pasture with forage peanut (A. pintoi), without N fertilizer […]

ABSTRACT The objective was to evaluate the effects of calcium oxide (CaO) and a mixture of corn heavy steep water and sugarcane molasses (HM) on the fermentation, aerobic stability, and ruminal disappearance of corn husk silage. Three doses of CaO (0, 20, and 40 g/kg of fresh matter (FM)) and three doses of HM (0, 100, and 200 g/kg of FM) were arranged factorially and applied to rehydrated corn husk (500 g/kg moisture) in a completely randomized design, with four […]

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of two different dry matter contents at ensiling on the chemical composition, fermentation products, microbial profile, and aerobic stability (AS) of wilted ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.) silages, with or without microbial inoculants. The ryegrass was wilted in the field until it reached 32 or 45% DM. In addition to DM contents, the effect of adding or not adding microbial inoculants to the forage was evaluated, resulting in the following […]

ABSTRACT The study aimed to assess the effects of pre-exposure to lavender aromatherapy on horse behavior in stalls and during therapy sessions at the Equine Therapy Center of Cavalo Crioulo/IFRS. Eight therapy horses underwent three control (water diffusion) followed by three aromatherapy trials (water + five drops of diffused lavender essential oil for 30 min) in the stalls. Each trial was on a separate day/week over six consecutive weeks. Total time spent (min) and frequency of behavior in the stalls […]

ABSTRACT To conduct an optimal breeding and selection program, it is necessary to understand the genetic underpinnings of the desired traits. Early growth is an indicator of future success in the production and reproduction of buffaloes. This study aimed to estimate the (co)variance components for growth traits of Anatolian buffalo calves in Yozgat by employing six animal models with the different combinations of additive genetic, maternal genetic, maternal permanent effects, and covariance between offspring and dam. Birth weight (BW), six-month […]