Correction: Gut microbiome modifications over time when removing in-feed antibiotics from the prophylaxis of post-weaning diarrhea in piglets.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Using Expert Elicitation for ranking hazards, promoters and animal-based measures for on-farm welfare assessment of indoor reared beef cattle: an Italian experience.

On-farm welfare assessment gives the opportunity to monitor and improve the quality of the animal life on the farm. In order to build the first Italian public standard for the welfare of indoor reared beef cattle, a list of 25 potential hazards and 22 potential promoters of beef cattle welfare was judged by a group of national experts by taking into account their negative or positive impacts on the welfare-state of the target population. In addition, the experts were asked to rank a list of 11 animal-based measures for identifying the most appropriate and important for measuring negative welfare outcomes in beef cattle.

Effect of a Blend of Essential Oils, Bioflavonoids and Tannins on In Vitro Methane Production and In Vivo Production Efficiency in Dairy Cows.

Two trials were performed to evaluate the efficacy of a blend of essential oils, bioflavonoids and tannins on methane (CH4) emissions (in vitro) and on the production efficiency of dairy cows (in vivo). The in vitro trial tested the production of total gas and CH4 at 16, 20 and 24 h of incubation, and volatile fatty acids (VFA) at 16 and 24 h, through biochemical methane potential (BMP) assays. In the in vivo trial, milk yield, dry matter intake (DMI), feed conversion rate (FCR), milk quality and apparent total tract digestibility (aTTD) were evaluated in 140 lactating Holstein Friesian cows.

Gut microbiome modifications over time when removing in-feed antibiotics from the prophylaxis of post-weaning diarrhea in piglets.

Post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) in pigs has mainly an infectious basis and control strategies are centred on antibiotics added to the diet. Given concerns on the spread of multi-resistant bacteria, it is necessary to develop alternative prophylactic approaches to control PWD in piglets. The most promising alternative strategies are based on substances that act indirectly on the bacteria by stimulating the immune system or by improving gut health.

Supplementation of Live Yeast, Mannan Oligosaccharide, and Organic Selenium during the Adaptation Phase of Newly Arrived Beef Cattle: Effects on Health Status, Immune Functionality, and Growth Performance.

The effect of a nutraceutical mixture, based on live yeast (LY), mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) and organic selenium (Se) on health status, as well as immune functionality and growth performance in the fattening of newly received beef cattle, was evaluated. A total of 1036 Charolaise heifers were allocated into two experimental groups: (i) control group, without any nutraceutical support ( = 487; initial weight = 325 ± 21 kg); and (ii) treatment group, supplementation during the first 30 days, with LY (5 g/head/day), organic Se (3 mg/head/day), and MOS (10 g/head/day) ( = 549; initial weight = 323 ± 23 kg). The incidence of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and other health issues was monitored, as well as the mortality rate.

Effect of Slow-Release Urea Administration on Production Performance, Health Status, Diet Digestibility, and Environmental Sustainability in Lactating Dairy Cows.

The effects of partially replacing soybean meal (SBM) with a slow-release urea source (SRU) on production performance, feed efficiency, digestibility, and environmental sustainability of dairy cows were evaluated. A total of 140 lactating Holstein Frisian cows were allocated into two study groups: (i) control (diet entirely based on SBM), and (ii) treatment (diet of 0.22% on dry matter basis (d.

Serological dynamics and risk factors of Besnoitia besnoiti infection in breeding bulls from an endemically infected purebred beef herd.

Bovine besnoitiosis has been deemed a re-emerging disease in Western Europe and considered endemic in Spain, Portugal, France and in some areas of Northern Italy. This report refers to an infection outbreak in a purebred beef herd from Northern Italy involving a large number of bulls. In October 2013, 544 animals were serologically tested with an in-house ELISA followed by a confirmatory Western blot to evaluate Besnoitia besnoiti seroprevalence.