Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Nqobile Lungile Buthelezi Author-Workplace-Name: Tshwane University of Technology, Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Science, Private bag X680, Pretoria 0001, South Africa Author-Workplace-Name: Topigs Norsvin- Animal Genetic Centre, Farm Bossemanskraal 538 JR, Bronkhorstspruit 1020, South Africa Author-Name: Bohani Mtileni Author-Workplace-Name: Tshwane University of Technology, Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Science, Private bag X680, Pretoria 0001, South Africa Author-Name: Khathutshelo Agree Nephawe Author-Workplace-Name: Tshwane University of Technology, Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Science, Private bag X680, Pretoria 0001, South Africa Author-Name: Peter Ayodeji Idowu Author-Workplace-Name: Tshwane University of Technology, Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Science, Private bag X680, Pretoria 0001, South Africa Author-Name: Mamokoma Catherine Modiba Author-Workplace-Name: Tshwane University of Technology, Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Science, Private bag X680, Pretoria 0001, South Africa Author-Name: Hezekiel Mpedi Author-Workplace-Name: Topigs Norsvin- Animal Genetic Centre, Farm Bossemanskraal 538 JR, Bronkhorstspruit 1020, South Africa Author-Name: Takalani Judas Mpofu Author-Workplace-Name: Tshwane University of Technology, Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Science, Private bag X680, Pretoria 0001, South Africa Title: The impact of parity, litter size and birth weight variations within a litter on piglet pre-weaning performance Abstract: Sows are selected for their prolificacy. Therefore, assessing difficulties that can be associated with large litters is crucial. This review aims to highlight the factors that can affect reproductive performance such as breed, parity, litter size, environment, and nutrition. Understanding these factors can help producers make informed decisions about sow management and other aspects. Higher within-litter variation is the result of  a  high number of piglets born. It has been determined that large litter sizes pose a risk to animal welfare in the pig industry. Moreover, large litters bring more piglets with low birth weight leading to high pre-weaning losses. Lighter littermates struggle to get enough colostrum due to the competition with heavy littermates, which lowers their chances of survival causing high mortality. Larger litters may cause greater stress and discomfort of the sow. Therefore, applying stress-free environment and treating the sow with anti-inflammatory compounds may enhance the sow performance and consequent survival of piglets. The litter size is positively correlated with the variation in birth weight within a litter, while the average weight at birth is negatively related to litter size. Producers should therefore focus on potential management strategies that can improve piglet performance, survival and welfare such as proper supervision and adequate colostrum intake. This review highlights the historical development of the pig industry and literature on the variation in piglet weight at birth within a litter, factors influencing weight at birth, and the potential effects on the piglet performance before weaning. Also, the difficulties amongst large litters and possible strategies for managing survival in large litters were also reviewed. Keywords: colostrum, cross-fostering, littermate, mortality, swine production Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 255-268 Volume: 69 Issue: 7 Year: 2024 DOI: 10.17221/36/2024-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/36/2024-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-202407-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:69:y:2024:i:7:id:36-2024-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Adrián Halvoník Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Nutrition and Genomics, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Nitra, Slovakia Author-Name: Nina Moravčíková Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Nutrition and Genomics, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Nitra, Slovakia Author-Name: Monika Chalupková Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Nutrition and Genomics, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Nitra, Slovakia Author-Name: Radovan Kasarda Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Nutrition and Genomics, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Nitra, Slovakia Title: Commonly used genomic estimators of individual inbreeding in livestock Abstract: Abstract: Management of inbreeding is one of the crucial parts of breeding programs in livestock populations. Traditionally, the inbreeding coefficient is calculated using pedigree data; however, it can also be estimated from genomic data. Nowadays, various approaches to estimating genomic-based inbreeding coefficients are increasingly integrated into research and breeding practices. These genomic estimators can supplement or replace pedigree-based coefficients. Each genomic-based inbreeding coefficient has its own properties and different ranges of values, and some of them need specific settings for calculation. Moreover, depending on the methodological approach, genomic estimators are sensitive to the population structure, genotyping technology applied, and the quality control of obtained genomic data. It is important to consider all these factors when calculating and especially when interpreting the final genomic inbreeding values. For these reasons, using genomic-based inbreeding coefficients can be more challenging than using pedigree-based ones. In this review, we comprehensively evaluate the most commonly used genomic estimators of individual inbreeding in livestock, providing an in-depth analysis of their advantages and limitations while offering insights into the methodological considerations and best practices for their accurate calculation and interpretation. Keywords: genomic relationship matrix, inbreeding coefficient, PLINK, runs of homozygosity, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 269-279 Volume: 69 Issue: 7 Year: 2024 DOI: 10.17221/91/2024-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/91/2024-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-202407-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:69:y:2024:i:7:id:91-2024-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Abdulkareem Mohammed Matar Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Production, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Author-Name: Faisal Ahmed Alshamiry Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Production, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Author-Name: Ramzi Ahmed Amran Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Author-Name: Riyadh Salah Aljumaah Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Production, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Author-Name: Muneeb Musthafa Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Biosystems Technology, Faculty of Technology, South Eastern University of Sri Lanka, University Park, Oluvil, Sri Lanka Author-Name: Massimo Todaro Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Science, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy Title: How the milk chemical composition and fatty acid profile are influenced by physiological factorsin Najdi dairy sheep Abstract: Sheep milk production is a complex process that is influenced by various factors. This study aims to investigate how the litter size (single vs. twins), birth type (male vs. female), age of the ewes and body weight affect the milk composition and fatty acid profile of milk fat. Milk samples were collected from 119 Najdi ewes that were the subject of this study. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MASS) was used to quantify the fatty acids (FAs). The results showed that the twins birth type (female/female) has a significant influence (P < 0.05) on the concentration of linoleic acid (LA), alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), behenic acid (C22:0) and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). On the other hand, saturated fatty acids (SFA), docosahexaenoic acid (C22:4; DHA), and odd-chain fatty acids (OCFA), such as C15:0-antiso and C19:1-cis 10, increased significantly (P < 0.05) with the increasing age and body weight of the ewes, while the ALA and unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) significantly decreased (P < 0.05). The principal component analysis (PCA) revealed a positive association between the age and the OCFA, ALA and small-chain fatty acids (C6:0 and C8:0). In addition, the type of birth showed a positive association with the fat, lactose and palmitoleic acid C16:1 cis9. Conversely, there is a negative association between the UFA, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and PUFA. In addition, the body weight (BW) and litter size were negatively associated with the protein, SFA and medium-chain fatty acids (C10:0, C12:0, C14:0 and C16:0). The physiological factors generally suggested that the milk quality and essential FA, such as ALA, were influenced by the type of the lamb's birth and the age of the ewes. Keywords: birth type, ewes age, ewes body weight, fatty acids, litter size, Najdi ewes Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 280-291 Volume: 69 Issue: 7 Year: 2024 DOI: 10.17221/37/2024-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/37/2024-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-202407-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:69:y:2024:i:7:id:37-2024-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Elihasridas Elihasridas Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Andalas University, Padang, Indonesia Author-Name: Roni Pazla Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Andalas University, Padang, Indonesia Author-Name: Novirman Jamarun Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Andalas University, Padang, Indonesia Author-Name: Gusri Yanti Author-Workplace-Name: Science Faculty, Bukittinggi Prima Nusantara University, Bukittinggi City, Indonesia Author-Name: Sharli Asmairicen Author-Workplace-Name: Research Center for Animal Husbandry, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jakarta, Indonesia Author-Name: Leni Marlina Author-Workplace-Name: Research Center for Agroindustry, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jakarta, Indonesia Author-Name: Maureen Chrisye Hadriatry Author-Workplace-Name: Research Center for Animal Husbandry, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jakarta, Indonesia Author-Name: Ratna Wylis Arief Author-Workplace-Name: Research Center for Agroindustry, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jakarta, Indonesia Author-Name: Hadriana Bansi Author-Workplace-Name: Research Center for Animal Husbandry, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jakarta, Indonesia Author-Name: Shahid Ullah Khan Author-Workplace-Name: Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China Science City and Southwest University, Southwest University, Chongqing, P.R. China Author-Name: Faheem Ahmed Khan Author-Workplace-Name: Research Center for Animal Husbandry, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jakarta, Indonesia Author-Name: Ezi Masdia Putri Author-Workplace-Name: Research Center for Animal Husbandry, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jakarta, Indonesia Author-Name: Antonius Antonius Author-Workplace-Name: Research Center for Animal Husbandry, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jakarta, Indonesia Author-Name: Zaitul Ikhlas Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Andalas University, Padang, Indonesia Author-Name: Zahlul Ikhsan Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agroecotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Andalas University, Padang, Indonesia Author-Name: Laily Rinda Ardani Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Andalas University, Padang, Indonesia Author-Name: Anggela Titania Siva Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Andalas University, Padang, Indonesia Author-Name: Hileri Yendrita Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Andalas University, Padang, Indonesia Author-Name: Fezi Zelinea Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Science, Andalas University, Padang, Indonesia Title: Effect of tannin degradation of mangrove (Sonneratia alba) fruit on nutrient digestibility, protozoa population and methane gas production Abstract: This study examined the fermentation duration in relation to the effectiveness of tannin levels in mangrove (Sonneratia alba) fruit during the fermentation process using Aspergillus niger. The tested durations were 7, 10, 13, and 16 days in anaerobic conditions. The outcomes measured included crude fat, crude fibre, and nitrogen-free extract digestibility. Microbial biomass, protozoa population, and methane gas production were also recorded as responses to the rumen microbial activity. The results showed that 16 days of fermentation gave the highest average for all responses. The protozoa population reached around 4.07 × 105 cells/ml and methane gas amounted to 33.9 ml/g of dry matter (DM). This is caused by a decrease in the anti-nutrient tannin content in mangrove (S. alba) fruit due to fermentation by A. niger according to treatment. The conclusion of this research is that the 16-day fermentation treatment (T4) of mangrove fruit is the optimal time to be used as a source of concentrate feed for livestock in terms of the increase in nutritional value and gastrointestinal microbes represented by total protozoa population, crude fibre digestibility, crude fat digestibility, and the highest nitrogen-free extract digestibility. However, microbial biomass and methane gas production were not significantly different in this study. Keywords: animal feed, Aspergillus niger, fermentation, in vitro, rumen Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 292-301 Volume: 69 Issue: 7 Year: 2024 DOI: 10.17221/38/2024-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/38/2024-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-202407-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:69:y:2024:i:7:id:38-2024-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Saro Jan Title: Corrigendum: A decision support system based on disease scoring enables dairy farmers to proactively improve herd health Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 302 Volume: 69 Issue: 7 Year: 2024 DOI: 10.17221/111/2024-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/111/2024-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:69:y:2024:i:7:id:111-2024-CJAS