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ABSTRACT: Indigenous animal genetic resources should be preserved because of their well adaptation to the environment, their tolerance to low food availability and their sociocultural importance. The characterization of the quality of the products generated by heritage breeds may bring more arguments to encourage the raising of these animals. This study aimed at evaluating the egg performance and quality of Spanish indigenous Black Castellana (BC) breed as compared with a selected strain (Lohmann LSL-Classic). Four groups of 30 hens were arranged: 1) Lohmann hens fed a control diet; 2) BC hens fed the control diet; 3) Lohmann hens fed a diet including linseed at 70 g/kg (omega-3 diet); 4) BC hens fed the omega-3 diet. Egg production was higher by 12.3% for Lohmann hens but, since BC eggs were heavier by 15.4%, no effect of genetics was found on daily egg mass. Feed intake was higher by 5.0% for BC hens. Nonetheless, no difference was detected for feed conversion ratio. Eggshell was thicker by 6.78% in Lohmann eggs. Haugh units did not differ among freshly laid and stored eggs in Lohmann hens, whereas Haugh units decreased in stored BC eggs (80.5 vs. 76.7 vs. 72.3 at 0, 14, and 30 d of storage). Yolks of BC eggs contained less fat (57.5 vs. 60.8% DM), more protein (32.8 vs. 31.9% DM) and more cholecalciferol (1.25 vs. 1.22 μg/g DM), and showed lower proportion of saturated fatty acids (29.0 vs. 37.0%) and higher proportions of monounsaturated (45.7 vs. 39.6%) and polyunsaturated (25.2 vs. 23.4%) fatty acids. Feeding the omega-3 diet reduced the yolk proportions of saturated (32.5 vs. 33.5%) and monounsaturated (42.0 vs. 43.3%) fatty acids and increased those of polyunsaturated (25.4 vs. 23.2%) and ω-3 (7.05 vs. 2.42%) fatty acids. No effect due to genetics or diet was found on yolk color score or on yolk content in cholesterol, cobalamin, retinol and γ-tocopherol. This study represents the first exhaustive characterization of eggs from Spanish indigenous Black Castellana breed.

This study determined reproductive performance, milking traits and body measurements in 630 Manavlı goats that were reared purely in the Denizli province of Türkiye in six goat flocks. In this study, live weights and zoometrical body measurements of does and bucks were defined. Additionally, flock reproductive traits and milk yield were determined for six flocks. Overall, birth rate, twin birth rate, kidding rate and litter size in six flocks were determined as 98.34%, 43.42%, 1.41 and 1.44, respectively. The mean of the lactation milk yield, lactation period and daily milk yield were 160.48 kg, 198 days and 0.810 kg, respectively. The live weights of does ranging in age from 4.1 to 4.7 were between 74.59 and 86.30 kg, while the live weights of bucks ranging in age from 2.1 to 2.7 were between 101.19 and 118.23 kg . Some body measurements of does, such as height at withers, rump height, rump width, body length, heart girth, ear length, tail length, and front and back wrist girth, were measured as 92.80, 93.07, 22.86, 91.97, 105.02, 26.83, 20.19, 12.35 and 12.31 cm, respectively, before mating season. The same values at the abovementioned period were measured as 98.27, 98.71, 23.87, 100.48, 109.89, 26.97, 22.30, 14.46 and 14.41 cm, respectively. This study is the first research related to Manavlı goats, for which no features have been reported to date. The obtained results will help to contribute to livestock diversity.

The quality of pork meat directly influences the price and consumption. The genetic improvement of pigs has mainly focused on high productive efficiency, which has resulted in poor meat quality. Crossbreeds containing commercial and indigenous breeds could improve the meat quality, but identifying breed composition was difficult because of the lack of an ancestry reference panel. Therefore, we first constructed an abundant reference panel and convenient pipeline to identify ancestry/breed composition. The ancestry reference panel consisted of 517 reliable individuals, including three commercial breeds (Duroc, Landrace, and Yorkshire) and 38 indigenous Chinese breeds. The nature of the reference panel showed that the European domestic breed (EUD) and Asian domestic breed (ASD) were distinctly divided into two clusters. The evaluation of ancestry identification revealed that the reference panel performed well in identifying EUD and ASD ancestry proportions for commercial breeds, indigenous breeds, and crossbreeds. In addition, the ancestry reference panel also performed excellently in identifying breed composition for 3 commercial and 38 indigenous breeds. Specifically, the reference panel showed the outstanding identification of breed composition for crossbred individuals. These results suggested that the ancestry reference panel and convenient pipeline played a good role in identifying breed composition for pigs.

Pampa Rocha (PR) is a breed of pig that emerged in eastern Uruguay during the 18th century. They represent an important resource for non-intensive production using purebred or crossbred animals. However, productive activities have been oriented towards intensive production using commercial breeds, abandoning, except by some academic and educational institutions, the promotion of this creole breed. Thus, a population of few animals is still maintained, which could be in danger of disappearing. This work focuses on the fecal microbiota of these animals, which is related to the animal genetic background but also to their grazing capacity and resistance to weather. The structure and diversity of bacterial communities in the intestines of four PR adult females and of other breeds, including crosses, reared under non-grazing conditions, were analyzed and compared. Results obtained indicate that PR fecal microbiota is clearly different from those of other animals analyzed. Some sequences, corresponding to particular groups apparently related to the consumption of fiber, were strongly associated with PR pigs.

The identification of the dwarf phenotype in chicken is based on body weight, height, and shank length, leaving the differentiation between dwarf and small breeds ambiguous. The aims of the present study were to characterize the sequence variations associated with the dwarf phenotype in three Italian chicken breeds and to investigate the genes associated with their phenotype. Five hundred and forty-one chickens from 23 local breeds (from 20 to 24 animals per breed) were sampled. All animals were genotyped with the 600 K chicken SNP array. Three breeds were described as "dwarf", namely, Mericanel della Brianza (MERI), Mugellese (MUG), and Pepoi (PPP). We compared MERI, MUG, and PPP with the four heaviest breeds in the dataset by performing genome-wide association studies. Results showed significant SNPs associated with dwarfism in the MERI and MUG breeds, which shared a candidate genomic region on chromosome 1. Due to this similarity, MERI and MUG were analyzed together as a meta-population, observing significant SNPs in the LEMD3 and HMGA2 genes, which were previously reported as being responsible for dwarfism in different species. In conclusion, MERI and MUG breeds seem to share a genetic basis of dwarfism, which differentiates them from the small PPP breed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous animal genetic resources should be preserved because of their well adaptation to the environment, their tolerance to low food availability and their sociocultural importance. The characterization of the quality of the products generated by heritage breeds may bring more arguments to encourage the raising of these animals. This study aimed at evaluating the egg performance and quality of Spanish indigenous Black Castellana (BC) breed as compared with a selected strain (Lohmann LSL-Classic). Four groups of 30 hens were arranged: 1) Lohmann hens fed a control diet; 2) BC hens fed the control diet; 3) Lohmann hens fed a diet including linseed at 70 g/kg (omega-3 diet); 4) BC hens fed the omega-3 diet. Egg production was higher by 12.3% for Lohmann hens but, since BC eggs were heavier by 15.4%, no effect of genetics was found on daily egg mass. Feed intake was higher by 5.0% for BC hens. Nonetheless, no difference was detected for feed conversion ratio. Eggshell was thicker by 6.78% in Lohmann eggs. Haugh units did not differ among freshly laid and stored eggs in Lohmann hens, whereas Haugh units decreased in stored BC eggs (80.5 vs. 76.7 vs. 72.3 at 0, 14, and 30 d of storage). Yolks of BC eggs contained less fat (57.5 vs. 60.8% DM), more protein (32.8 vs. 31.9% DM) and more cholecalciferol (1.25 vs. 1.22 μg/g DM), and showed lower proportion of saturated fatty acids (29.0 vs. 37.0%) and higher proportions of monounsaturated (45.7 vs. 39.6%) and polyunsaturated (25.2 vs. 23.4%) fatty acids. Feeding the omega-3 diet reduced the yolk proportions of saturated (32.5 vs. 33.5%) and monounsaturated (42.0 vs. 43.3%) fatty acids and increased those of polyunsaturated (25.4 vs. 23.2%) and ω-3 (7.05 vs. 2.42%) fatty acids. No effect due to genetics or diet was found on yolk color score or on yolk content in cholesterol, cobalamin, retinol and γ-tocopherol. This study represents the first exhaustive characterization of eggs from Spanish indigenous Black Castellana breed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ‘Pinzgau of Transylvania’ taurine breed was formed in Transylvania and Banat through the German population’s efforts in what concerns the work of amelioration and selection. The research has been carried out during 1998 – 2008. In the year 1936 there were approximately 18700 specimens of the ‘Pinzgau of Transylvania’ breed, while in 2008 there are only 875 specimens left (pure blood and half blood) and the number is still heavily decreasing. In Banat, the breeding system regarding this breed is the traditional one. The average milk production of the ‘Pinzgau of Transylvania’ breed here in Banat is 3278 kg, the fat percent is 3,23±0,01 and the protein percent 3,88±0,01. The ability for meat production is 740 – 810 g/day. In what concerns the global warming, this breed adapts very well to mountain areas as well as to plain areas. In order to preserve the traditional products of Banat, it is advisable to maintain this breed.

The quality of pork meat directly influences the price and consumption. The genetic improvement of pigs has mainly focused on high productive efficiency, which has resulted in poor meat quality. Crossbreeds containing commercial and indigenous breeds could improve the meat quality, but identifying breed composition was difficult because of the lack of an ancestry reference panel. Therefore, we first constructed an abundant reference panel and convenient pipeline to identify ancestry/breed composition. The ancestry reference panel consisted of 517 reliable individuals, including three commercial breeds (Duroc, Landrace, and Yorkshire) and 38 indigenous Chinese breeds. The nature of the reference panel showed that the European domestic breed (EUD) and Asian domestic breed (ASD) were distinctly divided into two clusters. The evaluation of ancestry identification revealed that the reference panel performed well in identifying EUD and ASD ancestry proportions for commercial breeds, indigenous breeds, and crossbreeds. In addition, the ancestry reference panel also performed excellently in identifying breed composition for 3 commercial and 38 indigenous breeds. Specifically, the reference panel showed the outstanding identification of breed composition for crossbred individuals. These results suggested that the ancestry reference panel and convenient pipeline played a good role in identifying breed composition for pigs.

The present study aims to review the literature on the functioning of short value chains and public perceptions regarding indigenous farm animal breeds (IFABs), local plant varieties (LPVs), and their products. Our work mainly concerns Greece, providing additional concrete examples from the wider Balkan area, which is characterized by high agrobiodiversity and richness in various IFAB and LPV, enhanced by the extensive farming systems that still operate in many parts of the area. To achieve this goal, a systematic literature search of recent relevant studies was performed, followed by a description of their results and conclusions, as well as proposed measures and policies for the conservation and utilization of biodiversity in agricultural and livestock systems. According to our findings, the Balkan region is characterized by a great wealth of local plant varieties and indigenous breeds of farm animals, which is largely recognized by consumers, who would, however, recommend stronger eco-labeling of local agricultural products. Similar data are observed in Greece, which are reinforced by the Mediterranean climatic environment. NGO organizations occasionally play an important role in promoting local agricultural products and creating awareness about the need to preserve local breeds and plant varieties. Finally, the recognition, certification, and measurements carried out by local authorities, as well as EU regulations, are of great importance in highlighting the value of agrobiodiversity from a sustainable point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pelung chicken, as one of the Indonesian indigenous chicken breeds, is known for its distinct characteristics. Pelung chicken has been an object of selective breeding programs due to its slow-growing performance, particularly in live weight gain. Through selective breeding, the backcross and its reciprocal generations have been produced. This study was aimed to identify the phenotypes, performance in live weight gain, and insulin gene (INS) single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) C1549T genotyping. The phenotypes consisted of morphometrics and morphological traits. The tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system polymerase chain reaction (T-ARMS-PCR) method was used to detect the SNP C1549T of the INS gene. The live weight gain of reciprocal backcross (RBC1) outperformed the first backcross (BC1) chickens. Morphometrics and morphological traits of BC1 and RBC1 indicated a directional selection effect towards pelung chicken. The transition mutation of SNP C1549T was only detected in RBC1 chickens as CT genotype (44.44%) and TT genotype (55.56%). The presence of SNP C1549T might have a significant association with the live weight gain of RBC1. T-ARMS-PCR method is suitable for the rapid detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms. Additional studies are required to confirm the association of INS gene polymorphism and live weight gain with a larger population size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poultry are the most widely distributed type of livestock in Nigeria. Indigenous chickens are extremely common throughout the country. Indeed, approximately 83 million chickens are raised in extensive systems and 60 million in semi-intensive systems. To provide the first comprehensive overview of the maternal lineages in Southwest Nigeria, we analyzed 96 mitochondrial DNA control region sequences from 2 indigenous chicken ecotypes: Fulani and Yoruba. All samples belonged to the most frequent haplogroup (E) in Africa and Europe and showed noticeably low haplotype diversity. Although only 11 different haplotypes were detected, with 2 of them never found before in Nigeria, the presence of unique sequences among our indigenous samples testified to their status as an important genetic resource to be preserved. Furthermore, a total of 7,868 published sequences were included in the comparative analysis, which revealed an east-west geographic pattern of haplogroup distribution and led to the conclusion that the gene flow from Southeastern Asia mainly involved one mitochondrial clade. Moreover, owing to the extensive genetic intermixing among Nigerian chickens, conservation efforts are required to safeguard the extant mitochondrial variability in these indigenous ecotypes and establish future improvement and selection programs.

Understanding of animal growth is important for the improvement of management and feeding practices; however, little is known about the growth curve in Vietnamese indigenous chicken. This study was performed to determine the most appropriate models for describing the growth curve of Vietnamese Mia chicken. The study evaluated the performances of the Logistic, Gompertz, Richards, and Bridges models of body weights in 224 Mia chickens. Models were fitted using minpack.lm package in R software and Akaike's information criterion and Bayesian information criterion were used for model comparison. Based on these criteria, the Gompertz and Bridges were the best models for males and females, respectively. Estimated asymmetric weights (a) were ranged from 2,241.91 ± 14.74 (g) (Logistic) to 2,623.86 ± 30.23 (g) (Gompertz) for males and from 1,537.36 ± 10.97 (g) (Logistic) and 1,958.36 ± 72.92 (g) (Bridges) for females, respectively. The age at the inflection point was estimated from 9.32 to 10.5 weeks and from 8.51 to 9.86 weeks for males and females, respectively. In conclusion, the Gompertz model is the most suitable model for describing the growth curve of Mia chicken. The parameters obtained from growth models could help define feeding programs to meet nutritional needs from hatching to the age of maximum growth, reproduction programs, and marketing strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eighteen quantitative measurements and fourteen qualitative characteristics taken from 306 adult sheep (57 rams and 249 ewes) were used to characterize sheep populations of district, Ethiopia. Most traits showed significant variation by zone, sex and age groups with higher values generally recorded for rams as compared to ewes. Middle age group animals displayed highest values for several traits, reflecting the optimal production age. zone affected ewes more than rams. The highland sheep height at withers, widest shoulder points and longest hair, indicative of adaptation to their environment. Qualitative characteristics of the studied sheep populations such as tail shape, plain coat color pattern, skin, hairy fiber and the absence of horn, toggle, ruff and beard suggest that they constitute a previously sheep breed. Tan coat color differentiated high and midland sheep from lowland sheep where white and brown colors were dominant. Canon bone length, height at withers and tail length were the three most important variables used in discriminating the sheep populations. On average 66% of the animals could be classified into their respective zone. Our data suggest that highland sheep populations are distantly related to lowland sheep, while midland sheep are more closely related to lowland sheep. It can be concluded that breeding programs specific to each zone need to be designed for sustainable utilization and conservation of the studied sheep populations. Furthermore, molecular based studies might allow further characterization of Ethiopian sheep breeds.

The study was designed to evaluate the effect of diet with supplementation of linseed scrap fed to Prestice Black-Pied pigs on carcass parameters, meat quality and oxidative stability. We also evaluated the effect of the diet on fatty acid profile in M. longissimus lumborum et thoracis. Barrows (30) of an indigenous breed Prestice Black- Pied pig were included in the experiment. The pigs fed with the linseed diet (L) were characterized by intramuscular fat lower by 1.1% in comparison with the control group (C). Of the saturated fatty acids, C6:0, C8:0 increased while C16:0, C17:0, C18:0 decreased in the experimental group of pigs fed with the L diet when compared to pigs of the C group. Of the monounsaturated fatty acids, a significant decrease of C18:1 n-9 was recorded in the experimental group. The most significant differences were found in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), where the L group showed an increase in C18:3 n-3, C20:3 n-3, C20:4 n-3 and also C20:5 n-3 a C22:5 n-3. These findings corresponded to higher content of n-3 PUFA and more favourable n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio in the meat of L group against the C group. A higher PUFA/SFA ratio was recorded in the experimental group.

Abstract Background Crossed beaks have been reported to occur in Appenzeller Barthuhn, a local Swiss chicken breed. The assumed causes for this beak deformity which are also seen in other bird species including domestic chickens, range from environmental influences to genetic factors. The aim of this project was to characterize the prevalence, the phenotype, and the underlying genetics of crossed beaks in Appenzeller Barthuhn chickens. Results The estimated prevalence of 7% crossed beaks in Appenzeller Barthuhn was significantly higher compared to two other local Swiss chicken breeds. A breeding trial showed significantly higher prevalence of offspring with deformed beaks from mating of affected parents compared to mating of non-affected parents. Examination of 77 Appenzeller Barthuhn chickens with crossed beaks showed a variable phenotype presentation. The deviation of the beak from the median plane through the head ranged from 1° to 61°. In more than 60% of the cases, the upper and lower beak were bent in the same direction, whereas the remaining cases showed different forms of crossed beaks. Computed tomographic scans and bone maceration of the head of two chickens with crossed beaks revealed that the maxilla and the mandibula were affected, while other parts of the skull appeared to be normal. The gene LOC426217, a member of the keratin family, was postulated as a candidate gene for beak deformity in domestic chickens. Sequencing of the coding region revealed two significantly associated synonymous variants for crossed beaks in Appenzeller Barthuhn chickens. A genome-wide association study and a comparative analysis of runs of homozygosity based on high-density SNP array genotyping data of 53 cases and 102 controls showed no evidence of association. Conclusions The findings suggest a hereditary cause of crossed beaks in Appenzeller Barthuhn chickens. However, the observed variation in the phenotype, together with the inconclusive molecular genetic results indicates the need for additional research to unravel the genetic architecture of this beak deformity.

This research examined the effects of two rearing systems (conventional versus free-range) on carcass characteristics, and cholesterol content, chemical and fatty acid properties of the backfat from Mangalitsa pigs. Depending on the rearing system utilized and live weight observed, we found important differences in the heaviness of the cold and warm Mangalitsa carcasses. The maximum total cholesterol in the backfat of pigs reared outdoors was 46.96 mg kg-1, while the maximum total cholesterol in backfat of conventionally-raised Mangalitsa pigs was 55.80 mg kg-1. The backfat from free-ranging Mangalitsa pigs contained lower levels of PUFA n-6 and greater amounts of PUFA n-3. The ratio of PUFA/SFA was remarkably different in pigs raised in the two systems, whereas the ratio of MUFA/SFA was lower in the pigs reared outdoors. Based on these results, the selection of rearing system could affect the chemical properties and carcass characteristics of Mangalitsa backfat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a companion and hunting dog, height, length, length to height ratio (LHR) and body-weight are the vital economic traits for Jindo dog. Human selection and targeted breeding have produced an extraordinary diversity in these traits. Therefore, the identification of causative markers, genes and pathways that help us to understand the genetic basis of this variability is essential for their selection purposes. Here, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) combined with enrichment analysis on 757 dogs using 118,879 SNPs. The genomic heritability (h2) was 0.33 for height and 0.28 for weight trait in Jindo. At p-value < 5 × 10−5, ten, six, thirteen and eleven SNPs on different chromosomes were significantly associated with height, length, LHR and body-weight traits, respectively. Based on our results, HHIP, LCORL and NCAPG for height, IGFI and FGFR3 for length, DLK1 and EFEMP1 for LHR and PTPN2, IGFI and RASAL2 for weight can be the potential candidate genes because of the significant SNPs located in their intronic or upstream regions. The gene-set enrichment analysis highlighted here nine and seven overlapping significant (p < 0.05) gene ontology (GO) terms and pathways among traits. Interestingly, the highlighted pathways were related to hormone synthesis, secretion and signalling were generally involved in the metabolism, growth and development process. Our data provide an insight into the significant genes and pathways if verified further, which will have a significant effect on the breeding of the Jindo dog’s population.

Of the 345 million people in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), 30.6% are severely food insecure, 8% malnourished and 50% live with less than US $1 per day, respectively. Livelihood, food and nutrition security have, therefore, become key priorities for the SADC region in response to these complex challenges. Given that 70% of the SADC population directly rely on agriculture for food, nutrition and income, sustained agricultural productivity may play an important role in achieving livelihood, food and nutrition security in the region. Being an important part of the agri-food system of marginalised communities in the region, cattle have great potential to contribute to the goal of reducing food and nutrition insecurity. The region has a population size of about 64 million cattle of which 75% of the population is kept under the smallholder farming systems, and primarily composed of indigenous tropical breeds. Most indigenous cattle breeds are, however, either undergoing rapid genetic dilution or at risk of extinction. At the same time, their environments, production and marketing systems are experiencing high rates of change in time and space. More importantly, indigenous cattle breeds in the region are undervalued. This makes it uncertain that future systems will have the adapted cattle breeds required for optimal livelihoods, food and nutrition security. To this end, the promotion of sustainable use of indigenous cattle for livelihood, food and nutrition security in the SADC region is strongly recommended.

Very little information about local breed goat milk is available, which is relevant for biodiversity preservation and local cheese production. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of breed and week of lactation on milk mineral profile of five Italian local breeds (Garganica, Girgentana, Jonica, Maltese and Mediterranean Red) and a cosmopolitan breed (Saanen). Sixty goats (10 per breed) from an experimental farm were enrolled in the study and sampled every 2 weeks for milk gross composition analysis. In addition, an individual milk sample was collected monthly from 42 goats (seven goats per breed) for mineral determination through inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Data were analysed using a mixed linear model with repeated measures, including breed and week of lactation as fixed effects. Week of lactation affected mineral contents, except for B, being lower in early than late lactation, whereas, breed affected only P, Mg and Zn. Mediterranean Red and Jonica breeds’ milk was richer in P than Maltese, and in Zn than Maltese, Girgentana and Saanen breeds. For Mg, only Saanen differed from Maltese. Such information might be useful for the valorisation of goat milk produced by autochthonous breeds.

Pampa Rocha (PR) is a breed of pig that emerged in eastern Uruguay during the 18th century. They represent an important resource for non-intensive production using purebred or crossbred animals. However, productive activities have been oriented towards intensive production using commercial breeds, abandoning, except by some academic and educational institutions, the promotion of this creole breed. Thus, a population of few animals is still maintained, which could be in danger of disappearing. This work focuses on the fecal microbiota of these animals, which is related to the animal genetic background but also to their grazing capacity and resistance to weather. The structure and diversity of bacterial communities in the intestines of four PR adult females and of other breeds, including crosses, reared under non-grazing conditions, were analyzed and compared. Results obtained indicate that PR fecal microbiota is clearly different from those of other animals analyzed. Some sequences, corresponding to particular groups apparently related to the consumption of fiber, were strongly associated with PR pigs., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper, (© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Simple Summary: The height, length and body-weight are the economic traits of Jindo dogs and it is necessary to study their underlying genetic basis. Thus, a post-genome-wide association enrichment study on four body-size traits of Jindo dog including height, length, length to height ratio and body-weight was carried out here. The results revealed several potential single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and genes which were significantly associated with the traits of interest. Furthermore, we have found several pathways to be significantly associated with the traits of interest and these pathways are generally involved in the growth and development process. The findings of this study may help to use the identified SNPs and genes as possible biomarkers for Jindo breeding. As a companion and hunting dog, height, length, length to height ratio (LHR) and body-weight are the vital economic traits for Jindo dog. Human selection and targeted breeding have produced an extraordinary diversity in these traits. Therefore, the identification of causative markers, genes and pathways that help us to understand the genetic basis of this variability is essential for their selection purposes. Here, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) combined with enrichment analysis on 757 dogs using 118,879 SNPs. The genomic heritability (h2) was 0.33 for height and 0.28 for weight trait in Jindo. At p-value < 5 × 10−5, ten, six, thirteen and eleven SNPs on different chromosomes were significantly associated with height, length, LHR and body-weight traits, respectively. Based on our results, HHIP, LCORL and NCAPG for height, IGFI and FGFR3 for length, DLK1 and EFEMP1 for LHR and PTPN2, IGFI and RASAL2 for weight can be the potential candidate genes because of the significant SNPs located in their intronic or upstream regions. The gene-set enrichment analysis highlighted here nine and seven overlapping significant (p < 0.05) gene ontology (GO) terms and pathways among traits. Interestingly, the highlighted pathways were related to hormone synthesis, secretion and signalling were generally involved in the metabolism, growth and development process. Our data provide an insight into the significant genes and pathways if verified further, which will have a significant effect on the breeding of the Jindo dog's population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hematological studies of Gaolao cattle (10 animals each of calves, heifers and cows) showed that values of hemoglobin, total erythrocyte count, packed cell volume and lymphocytes were low in cows than calves and heifers while low eosinophil per cent in calves and heifers than cow were observed. [Veterinary World 2008; 1(4.000): 113-114]

This study investigated the effects of different feeding systems (free-range versus conventional rearing) on carcass characteristics, chemical composition, fatty acid profile and cholesterol content of the musculus longissimus lumborum et thoracis (MLLT) of Mangalitsa pigs. Depending on the rearing system employed and live weight observed, we found statistically significant differences in the weight of the warm and cold Mangalitsa carcasses. Furthermore, we observed that conventionally reared Mangalitsa pigs weighed more. Measurements showed that the free-range-fed pigs had a lower total backfat thickness in comparison with the group reared in the conventional system, but that these differences were not significant. Outdoor rearing of the pigs led to higher protein, ash and water contents, and to a decrease in total fat content and pH values of the MLLT. The choice of rearing system did not significantly affect the cholesterol content. The fat of the free-range pigs had a higher concentration of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), while the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio was significantly lower than in conventionally reared pigs. The proportion of PUFA/SFA (saturated fatty acids) was not significantly different, whereas the proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA/SFA) was significantly lower in the free-range group. It is concluded that the rearing system affects the carcass properties and chemical characteristics of Mangalitsa meat; it does so in particular by improving the fatty acid composition in free-range pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Of the 345 million people in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), 30.6% are severely food insecure, 8% malnourished and 50% live with less than US $1 per day, respectively. Livelihood, food and nutrition security have, therefore, become key priorities for the SADC region in response to these complex challenges. Given that 70% of the SADC population directly rely on agriculture for food, nutrition and income, sustained agricultural productivity may play an important role in achieving livelihood, food and nutrition security in the region. Being an important part of the agri-food system of marginalised communities in the region, cattle have great potential to contribute to the goal of reducing food and nutrition insecurity. The region has a population size of about 64 million cattle of which 75% of the population is kept under the smallholder farming systems, and primarily composed of indigenous tropical breeds. Most indigenous cattle breeds are, however, either undergoing rapid genetic dilution or at risk of extinction. At the same time, their environments, production and marketing systems are experiencing high rates of change in time and space. More importantly, indigenous cattle breeds in the region are undervalued. This makes it uncertain that future systems will have the adapted cattle breeds required for optimal livelihoods, food and nutrition security. To this end, the promotion of sustainable use of indigenous cattle for livelihood, food and nutrition security in the SADC region is strongly recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding of animal growth is important for the improvement of management and feeding practices; however, little is known about the growth curve in Vietnamese indigenous chicken. This study was performed to determine the most appropriate models for describing the growth curve of Vietnamese Mia chicken. The study evaluated the performances of the Logistic, Gompertz, Richards, and Bridges models of body weights in 224 Mia chickens. Models were fitted using minpack.lm package in R software and Akaike's information criterion and Bayesian information criterion were used for model comparison. Based on these criteria, the Gompertz and Bridges were the best models for males and females, respectively. Estimated asymmetric weights (α) were ranged from 2,241.91 ± 14.74 (g) (Logistic) to 2,623.86 ± 30.23 (g) (Gompertz) for males and from 1,537.36 ± 10.97 (g) (Logistic) and 1,958.36 ± 72.92 (g) (Bridges) for females, respectively. The age at the inflection point was estimated from 9.32 to 10.5 weeks and from 8.51 to 9.86 weeks for males and females, respectively. In conclusion, the Gompertz model is the most suitable model for describing the growth curve of Mia chicken. The parameters obtained from growth models could help define feeding programs to meet nutritional needs from hatching to the age of maximum growth, reproduction programs, and marketing strategies., (© 2021 Japanese Society of Animal Science.)

Poultry are the most widely distributed type of livestock in Nigeria. Indigenous chickens are extremely common throughout the country. Indeed, approximately 83 million chickens are raised in extensive systems and 60 million in semi-intensive systems. To provide the first comprehensive overview of the maternal lineages in Southwest Nigeria, we analyzed 96 mitochondrial DNA control region sequences from 2 indigenous chicken ecotypes: Fulani and Yoruba. All samples belonged to the most frequent haplogroup (E) in Africa and Europe and showed noticeably low haplotype diversity. Although only 11 different haplotypes were detected, with 2 of them never found before in Nigeria, the presence of unique sequences among our indigenous samples testified to their status as an important genetic resource to be preserved. Furthermore, a total of 7,868 published sequences were included in the comparative analysis, which revealed an east-west geographic pattern of haplogroup distribution and led to the conclusion that the gene flow from Southeastern Asia mainly involved one mitochondrial clade. Moreover, owing to the extensive genetic intermixing among Nigerian chickens, conservation efforts are required to safeguard the extant mitochondrial variability in these indigenous ecotypes and establish future improvement and selection programs., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Simple Summary: This study quantified major and trace minerals in milk of five Italian local goat breeds and a cosmopolitan goat breed throughout lactation. Significant differences were detected in milk minerals composition across week of lactation, with greater concentration at the end than at the beginning of the lactation for almost all minerals, while only P, Mg and Zn milk content differed among breeds. Due to the growing interest of consumers in goat milk and derived products, the characterisation of milk mineral contents could contribute to valorise autochthonous breeds. Very little information about local breed goat milk is available, which is relevant for biodiversity preservation and local cheese production. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of breed and week of lactation on milk mineral profile of five Italian local breeds (Garganica, Girgentana, Jonica, Maltese and Mediterranean Red) and a cosmopolitan breed (Saanen). Sixty goats (10 per breed) from an experimental farm were enrolled in the study and sampled every 2 weeks for milk gross composition analysis. In addition, an individual milk sample was collected monthly from 42 goats (seven goats per breed) for mineral determination through inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Data were analysed using a mixed linear model with repeated measures, including breed and week of lactation as fixed effects. Week of lactation affected mineral contents, except for B, being lower in early than late lactation, whereas, breed affected only P, Mg and Zn. Mediterranean Red and Jonica breeds' milk was richer in P than Maltese, and in Zn than Maltese, Girgentana and Saanen breeds. For Mg, only Saanen differed from Maltese. Such information might be useful for the valorisation of goat milk produced by autochthonous breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]