Various floor systems are used in cattle housing with different characteristics in terms of roughness, abrasion, wetness, bedding material, ease of cleaning, etc. Thus, the activity and welfare of the animals are greatly influenced by the type of floor. The floor of the barn can influence the development of health diseases, technopathies and the production and quality of animal products. Therefore, in the present case study, we studied the effects of two different flooring systems on the performance and on some behavioral and cleanliness parameters in heifers. Two floor systems (concrete slatted flooring (CSF) and high welfare flooring (HWF)) and two breeds (Charolais and Limousin) were used in the experiment. Heifers on HWF tended to show a higher frequency of grooming, rubbing and aggression than those on CSF, but not of standing, lying, eating, drinking, rumination, resting, stereotypies and covering of the animals. In addition, animals housed on HWF also appeared to show higher cleanliness than those housed on CSF. Results indicated that animals housed on HWF exhibited more social and self-care behaviors, suggesting that animals housed on such floors show more species-specific behaviors and have higher welfare.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani12070859 | DOI Listing |
J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl)
January 2025
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Braunschweig, Germany.
Bone damages in laying hens are of great concern in poultry farming. Besides various risk factors like housing systems or nutrient supply during egg production, it has often been hypothesized that genetically high-performing laying hens may be more prone to bone damages. The relevance of dietary support during the rearing period of pullets for optimal bone development has been little addressed so far.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Exp Zool A Ecol Integr Physiol
January 2025
Zoological Programs, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Noninvasive evaluations of hormones can contribute to the assessment of health and welfare of animals. Variations in insulin levels and sensitivity, for example, have been linked to health concerns in non-human and human primates including insulin resistance, diabetes, and heart disease, the leading cause of death in zoo-housed gorillas. Few published studies have assessed insulin concentrations in western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), and all did so using serum.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnim Reprod
January 2025
Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
This study aimed to develop a non-surgical method to neutralize reproduction in female dogs. Female Beagle puppies, aged 6 days, were treated with pellets designed to release estradiol benzoate (EB; 1.0 mg) and progesterone (P4; 5.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPeerJ
January 2025
Medical section, Jiang Ling County People's Hospital, Hubei, Jiangling County, Jingzhou City, China.
Background: This study investigates the protective properties of melatonin in an Parkinson's disease (PD) model, focusing on the underlying mechanisms involving heat shock proteins (HSPs).
Methods: Twelve adult male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups (normal control, melatonin control, Parkinson's model, and melatonin treatment; = 3 per group) and housed in a single cage. 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) was injected intraperitoneally in the Parkinson's model and treatment groups to establish a subacute PD model, while controls received saline.
Ann Med
December 2025
Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated Changsha Central Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Objective: The prognosis for severe asthma is poor, and the current treatment options are limited. The methyl-CpG binding domain protein 2 (MBD2) participates in neutrophil-mediated severe asthma through epigenetic regulation. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) play a critical role in the pathogenesis of severe asthma.
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