Influence of genotype and environment on piglet vitality and metabolic state during the suckling period of divergent birth weight classes.

The high mortality rate of suckling piglets in commercial farms is a cause for concern and requires the adoption of innovative breeding and management approaches for effective mitigation. Piglets are particularly vulnerable during the first days of life, which concerns especially neonates with a low birth weight. In this study, neonatal adaptation was analysed regarding genotype and housing conditions following hormonally induced farrowing.

Genetic regulation and variation of fetal plasma metabolome in the context of sex, paternal breeds and variable fetal weight.

Metabolic processes in fetuses can significantly influence piglet weight at birth. Understanding the genetic determinants of systemic metabolism is crucial for uncovering how genetic and molecular pathways impact biological mechanisms, particularly during the fetal phase. We present data on 1112 plasma metabolites using untargeted ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry methods, of 260 backcross (BC) fetuses from two sires' breeds at 63 days post-conception.

Microbial profiling of black soldier fly larvae reared on substrates supplemented with different mineral sources originating from phosphorus recycling technologies.

Background: Innovations to establish agricultural value chains utilising side streams and their reintegration into the feed and food supply are of great importance. Recyclates derived from biomass and waste are therefore becoming increasingly important as sources of nutrients. The larvae of the black soldier fly (BSF; Hermetia illucens) demonstrate considerable potential as livestock feed due to their ability to utilise a wide range of organic substrates.

Effects of a transient lack of dietary mineral phosphorus on renal gene expression and plasma metabolites in two high-yielding laying hen strains.

Background: There is an emerging body of evidence that current poultry feed is formulated in excess for phosphorus (P), which results in unnecessarily high P excretions. Sustainable concepts for agricultural P flows should trigger animal-intrinsic mechanisms for efficient P utilization. In the current study, Lohmann Brown (LB) and Lohmann Selected Leghorn (LSL) laying hens were fed either a high P diet (P+) with 1 g/kg mineral P supplement or a low P diet (P-) with 0 g/kg mineral P supplement for a period of 4 weeks prior to sampling.

DNA methylation dynamics in the small intestine of egg-selected laying hens along egg production stages.

Decades of artificial selection have markedly enhanced egg production efficiency, yet the epigenetic underpinnings, notably DNA methylation dynamics in the gut, remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigate how breeds and developmental stages influence DNA methylation profiles in laying hens, and their potential relationship to laying performance and gut health. We compared two highly selected laying hen strains, Lohmann Brown-Classic (LB) and Lohmann Selected Leghorn-Classic (LSL), which exhibited similar egg production but divergent physiological, metabolic, and immunological characteristics.