The carbon cost of impaired welfare on sheep farms.

In the face of global climate threats, farm and land-management decisions must balance climate concerns with profitability, animal welfare, and ecosystem health. However, few comprehensive studies have quantified the relationship between animal welfare and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and no study focuses specifically on sheep farms. The present study aims to quantify the effects of impaired welfare on GHG emissions for common welfare challenges faced in UK lowland (L) and hill (H) sheep farming systems.

Evolutionary dynamics of PRRS virus in Italian Pig farms: a retrospective study.

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) causes huge economic losses to pig farms worldwide. Currently available vaccines do not always offer complete protection, due to the extreme variability of the virus. Therefore, good farming practices must be improved to prevent the disease from spreading across the pig production system.

Heavy Pigs Reared for Italian Dry-Cured Products: Does Immunocastration Influence the Fatty Acid Profile of Loins and Backfat?

The Italian pig sector requires heavy pigs (raised for at least nine months and slaughtered at >160 kg). In order to avoid boar taint and lower the impact on welfare, immunocastration provides an alternative to surgical castration. This study investigated the effects of immunocastration compared to surgical castration on the chemical composition and fatty acid profile of loins ( muscle) and adipose tissue in Italian heavy pigs raised for dry-cured ham.

Identification of Putative Novel Rotavirus H VP7, VP4, VP6 and NSP4 Genotypes in Pigs.

Rotavirus H (RVH) has been detected in humans, pigs and bats. Recently, RVH infections were reported in different porcine farms worldwide, suggesting epidemiological relevance. However, to date, the genome information of RVH strains has been limited due to the scarcity of deposited sequences.

Events with Different Emotional Valence Affect the Eye's Lacrimal Caruncle Temperature Changes in Sheep.

Infrared thermography (IRT) has been recently applied to measure lacrimal caruncle temperature non-invasively since this region is related to the sympathetic response, and it seems a promising technique that is able to infer negative emotions in sheep (e.g., fear).