Valentino Beretti

Milk production and lactation curves of Bianca Val Padana and Italian Friesian dairy cows in relation to the management system

The aim of this study was to evaluate milk production and lactation curve parameters of Bianca Val Padana (BVP) and Italian Friesian (IF) cattle reared in the same herds in relation to different housing-feeding systems. Therefore, 8488 test-day records of 103 BVP and 367 IF cows from 7 herds were used; 2 herds had free stalls and total mixed ration feeding (FS-TMR group) and 5 had tie stalls and traditional feeding (TS-TF group). Data for milk production (kg), fat, protein, lactose production (kg) and content (%), and somatic cell score (SCS) were submitted to analysis by ANOVA, using a model with breed, housing-feeding type, test day, herd within housing-feeding type, season of calving, lactation number, class of days in milk, and two- and three-way interactions as fixed factors. A mixed model according to Wood’s equation in linear form was also performed. Interactions between breed and type of housing-feeding were always significant (P<0.05), except for milk fat percentage and SCS. Daily milk, fat, protein and lactose productions were lower in TS-TF compared to FS-TMR, but the reduction was significantly higher (P<0.05) in IF than in BVP. Protein percentage showed an opposite trend in the two breeds depending on the type of housing-feeding. The lactation curves were continuously decreasing for BVP in FS-TMR housing-feeding type. In TS-TF rearing conditions, BVP showed an earlier week at peak and a lower peak production than IF. In conclusion, BVP seems to be better adapted to TS-TF rearing conditions than IF.

Reproductive parameters of “Nero di Parma” sows reared outdoor and indoor

Abstract The swine genetic type “Nero di Parma” has been obtained after a preservation programme of a local breed suitable for outdoor rearing systems in Parma province. Actually, 480 females and 35 males are registered by Italian Swine Breeders Association and are reared in 28 herds of Parma province. The study involved the analysis of the reproductive performance of 120 sows from 19 boars, born between 1999 and 2005, during 211 parities from 2002 to 2006. For each parity, the boar, the age of the sow, the length of the farrowing interval, and the litter size (number of born alive, stillborn and weaned piglets) were recorded. Two rearing systems of the farrowing sows (from the final phase of gestation to the end of lactation) were considered: indoor (sows closed off in individual stalls or farrowing cages) and outdoor (sows in individual huts inside the paddocks, with straw bedding); dry sows in both systems had access on pasture with forage and concentrate integration. Data concerning sows performance were analyzed by a GLM procedure with a mixed model containing, as fixed factors, the type of rearing system of farrowing sows (2 levels: indoor, outdoor), the parity (4 levels: 1, 2, 3, >3), the farrowing season (4 levels), 1st degree interactions and, as a random factor, the father (n=19). Data concerning litter size were analyzed with a mixed model containing, as fixed factors the type of rearing system of farrowing sows, the parity, the farrowing season and year (5 levels), the herd (n=20) nested within type of rearing system, 1st degree interactions and, as a random factor, the boar (n=30). In both models, the inbreeding coefficient of sows, calculated from pedigree analysis, was used as a covariate. Type of farrowing sows rearing system significantly affected (P<0.05) the age at parities and the length of farrowing intervals. Farrowing sows reared indoor showed lower age at parities (737 vs 834 d) and farrowing intervals (236 vs 269 d) than outdoor sows. Parity number and inbreeding coefficient significantly affected (P<0.001) age at parities but not farrowing intervals. Additive genetic effect was significant (P<0.001) for both traits. With reference to litter size, no significant effects (P>0.05) were shown by type of rearing system on number of born alive piglets (8.51 vs 7.21 for indoor and outdoor sows, respectively), as year (P<0.05), season*year interaction (P<0.05) and boar (P<0.001) significantly affected the number of stillborn; type of rearing system showed a highly significant effect (P<0.001) on the number of weaned piglets (6.57 vs 3.95 for indoor and outdoor sows, respectively). In conclusion, the sows from the genetic type “Nero di Parma” show actually a low reproductive performance, however in line with those reported for other autochthonous breeds. In addition, the traits are affected by a rearing system, in which the control by the breeder is moderate. Because genetic improvement of reproductive traits is rather difficult, it seems to be necessary an improvement of farm management.

Effect of sex and season of birth on Gompertz growth curve parameters in "Nero di Parma" pigs

Abstract The growth curves of “Nero di Parma” pigs were studied by applying the Gompertz equation to 1069 body weight (BW) records from 285 pigs (156 females, 129 castrated males) born in 11 outdoor and 5 indoor herds; pigs were fed commercial complete feeds offered ad libitum and, on a limited basis in the outdoor system, diets were integrated with pasture. The parameters of the Gompertz equation were compared with reference to sex and season of birth. Mature BW for castrated males (229.0 kg) was 3.5% greater than that for females (221.3 kg) (P<0.05), but growth rate was 7.6% lower (7.38*10-3 vs 7.99*10-3, respectively) (P<0.05) and age at maturity (205.7 vs 189.6 d, respectively) was 16.1 d greater (P<0.05). Summer and winter born pigs showed a lower mature BW (P<0.05) than those born in other seasons. Summer born pigs grew slower than those born in spring (9.57%), winter (9.58%) and autumn (21.47%) (P<0.05). Earlier maturing pigs were those born in autumn, followed by those born in winter, spring and summer, respectively. Regardless of sex and season of birth, pigs showed their maximum ADG (ADGmax) of 635 g/d at 82.6 kg BW. Castrated males have a lower ADGmax than females (622 vs 650 g/d) at a heavier weight (84.2 vs 81.4 kg). Autumn born pigs showed the highest ADGmax (695 g/d), reached at 84.9 kg BW. The growth performance of “Nero di Parma” pigs is greater than those reported for Italian domestic pig breeds. The significant effect of the studied environmental factors on the growth curve in this genetic type will make it possible to choose the best rearing conditions in relation to its usual weight at slaughter (>180 kg).

Application of different growth models to "Nero di Parma" pigs

Abstract The growth curves of 280 “Nero di Parma” pigs from birth to maturity were calculated by applying nine different models (regressions from 1st to 4th degree and nonlinear regressions following the Brody, Logistic, Janoschek, Bertalannfy and Gompertz models) to 1109 individual records of body weight (BW) from two different data sets. The goodness of fit of experimental data was calculated by means of Residual Variance, Akaike Information Criterion, Residual Standard Deviation and R 2. The best fit was obtained by Gompertz equation, as follows: BW(kg)= 240.2±2.4 * esp (-exp (-0.0069±0.0001*(age(d)–213.5±3.1))). Regardless to the model, all correlations between actual and estimated BW were highly significant (P<0.001): the highest correlation (0.980) was obtained by the application of the Gompertz equation. In conclusion the growth of “Nero di Parma” pigs can be well described by applying the Gompertz model to field data.

Effect of the proportion of Duroc genes in crosses with Large White and Landrace pigs on the characteristics of seasoned Parma ham

Abstract The aim of this study was to estimate the linear and quadratic effects of the proportion of Duroc genes on the characteristics of seasoned Parma hams by means of a covariance model. The study was carried out on 167 pigs (87 castrated males, 80 females) from different crosses among Duroc (D), Large White (LW) and Landrace (L) breeds, slaughtered at 300 d of age (live weight 170 kg). All pigs were raised under similar conditions. The curing period was 380 days. The proportion of Duroc genes was 0% (LWxL; n. 33), 25% [(LWx(DxL); n. 31 and Lx(DxLW); n. 35)] and 50% [Dx(LWx(LWxL)); n. 68]. The increase in the proportion of Duroc genes had a positive linear effect (P<0.01) and a negative quadratic effect (P=0.01) on the yield of deboned ham while ham fat thickness decreased linearly (P=0.07) and increased quadratically (P<0.01). A higher proportion of Duroc genes was also linearly associated with a lower lightness (P<0.01) and a less yellow color (P=0.09) of the biceps femoris muscle; positive quadratic coefficients have been shown for lightness (P<0.01), yellowness (P=0.01) and hue (P=0.03). The chemical composition of the semitendinosus muscle featured a linear increase in moisture (P<0.01) and decrease in fat (P=0.03) and non protein nitrogen (P=0.01) content, in addition to significant quadratic effects with an increase in the proportion of Duroc genes. In conclusion, crossbreeding with the Duroc breed (up to 50%) makes it possible to obtain positive quality characteristics of cured Parma ham.

Carcass and meat parameters in Cornigliese sheep breed as affected by sex and age-class

Abstract A total of 72 animals from Cornigliese sheep breed were reared under homogeneous conditions, with the aim to assess the effect of sex (males, females) and age-class (heavy lambs, adults) on carcass and meat parameters. A model with fixed effects of herd, sex, slaughtering session, age-class and interaction (sex*age-class) was used; for slaughter data, the carcass weight was used as a covariate. The age-class effect was significant for most of the carcass measurements, indicating a late development in animals. Also, slaughter performance was significantly affected by age-class, with higher values (p<0.05) of hot carcass yield shown by heavy lambs than by adults. Carcass compactness index was lower in heavy lambs than in adults (p<0.001), and the lowest value (0.283; p<0.05) appeared in female heavy lambs. The percentage of fat trimmings in carcass and the tissue composition of sample cut were influenced by a significant interaction between age-class and sex (p<0.05): in males the age-class never affected the tissue composition of sample cut, as in females the muscle and fat percentages increased with age while the bone percentage decreased. The fat content of loin meat increased with age in females (p < 0.05) and decreased in males (p < 0.05). The poly-unsaturated fatty acids (FA) content of loin meat was higher in males than in females (p < 0.001), with saturated FA and mono-unsaturated FA revealing significant interactions between age-class and sex (p < 0.05). In conclusion, future implementation of genetic selection, oriented towards the improvement of meat production characteristics that are potentially present in the breed, is important.

Natural zeolite (chabazite/phillipsite) dietary supplementation influences faecal microbiota and oxidant status of working dogs

Abstract We evaluated whether chabazite/phillipsite dietary supplementation might affect the faecal microbiota, oxidant and antioxidant status of working dogs at rest undergone to a trial test. Forty English Setter dogs were involved in two replicate trials. At each replicate, dogs were divided into two homogeneous groups (10 dogs/group). During a period of 28 days, diet was supplemented (Z group) or not supplemented (C group) with chabazite/phillipsite at the dose of 5 g/head/day. On day 29, dogs were subjected to a trial test. Faecal characteristics were assessed at 0 and 29 days (within two hours from the end of the trial test). Faecal consistency was not affected by dietary supplementation (p > .05). On day 29, Lactobacillus spp. and Enterococcus spp. counts were higher and Enterobacteriaceae were lower in Z than in C group (p < .05). At day 0 and at day 29, immediately before and within one hour from the end of the trial test, blood samples were recorded to evaluate the oxidant and antioxidant status. A reduction of 40% in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels was observed in Z compared to the C group (p < .05). Differences in nitric oxide and antioxidant enzymatic system levels were not significant (p > .05). Our results suggest that chabazite/phillipsite dietary supplementation, improves the intestinal microbiota ecosystem and may counteract the oxidative damage caused by physical stress in hunting dogs at the beginning of the working season.

Modulation of the Bifidobacterial Communities of the Dog Microbiota by Zeolite.

During last decades canine health and well being is becoming an important issue for human owners. In dogs, several factors including diet, pathogenic bacterial and stress conditions can affect the composition of the gut microbiota. In this study, we evaluated the effect of dietary chabazitic zeolitite (CZ) supplementation on the contribution of bifidobacteria to the fecal microbiota in training hunting dogs. Fecal microbiota cataloging based on 16S rRNA microbial profiling analyses highlighted an increase of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in animals treated with CZ, with a simultaneous decrease of pathogens associated with dog gastrointestinal infections, such as Klebsiella and Enterobacter. A detailed profiling of the bifidobacterial population of dogs receiving CZ based on the ITS-based sequencing approach, revealed an enhancement bifidobacterial of species typical of animals such as Bifidobacterium animalis and B. pseudolongum. Moreover, these analyses identified the occurrence of putative new bifidobacterial taxa in both treated and untreated samples.

Body measures and milk production, milk fat globules granulometry and milk fatty acid content in Cabannina cattle breed

Aim of the study was to achieve scientific information about body measures and milk production of Cabannina cattle, a local breed reared in northern Italy. Fourteen body measures and five morphologic indexes were recorded from 86 heads enrolled in the herd book. Low differences between males and females of the same age-class were shown. Body measures were generally greater than those reported in previous studies, probably due to recent crosses. With reference to milk production, 991 test-day records from 128 lactations of 59 cows were analysed. Average milk daily production was 8 kg/d in 1st lactation to 10.61 in 3rd (P<0.05); the parameters of the Wood equation draw atypical curves with the exception of curves from spring calving cows. Only 74.5% of lactations with an adjusted R2>0.75 showed a standard curve, with low persistence (7.7%), high value of d at peak (103 d) and peak production of 20.18 kg of milk. Moreover, 100 milk samples (40 to 220 d of lactation) were submitted to a granulometric survey by laser scatter technique in order to evaluate the dimensions of fat globules; then milk fat was analyzed by gas chromatography, and desaturase indexes were determined. Cabannina cows showed small fat globules with high specific surface. Furthermore mean diameter of milk fat globules decreased during lactation then rose. Milk fat contained high levels of cis-MUFA, and high desaturase indexes. In conclusion, the low size of Cabannina cattle orients for a limited meat production. Instead milk production has a higher economic potential, aimed at cheese production and human nutrition.

Hydrolyzable and fermentable carbohydrates in North Italian pastures for horses

Digestive and metabolic disorders in the horse were previously associated with hydrolyzable and nonhydrolyzable but rapidly fermentable components of nonstructural carbohydrates, particularly fructans. Aim of the study was to assess the contribution of the carbohydrate fractions to the composition of pastures in specific areas of Italy ordinarily designed for horses feeding. Seventy-seven samples from 11 pastures differing for floristic composition were collected across two growing seasons from April 18th2008 to May 10th2009 in the foothills (380 m a.s.l.) of the province of Parma (Italy). All samples were collected during the vegetative growth phase. To identify the bioclimatologic conditions of the growth, the average fortnightly thermohygrometric index (THI) was used. Slow fermentable carbohydrates mean concentration (NDF: 510.6, ADF: 274.7, ADL: 31.5 g/kg DM) reflected the typical chemical composition of high-quality grass and grass-legume mixtures. Among the nonstructual carbohydrates (NSC: 199.9 g/kg DM), hydrlolyzable carbohydrates content accounted for about the 18%. Nonhydrolyzable but rapidly fermentable carbohydrates were constituted for about the 23% by fructans (37.7 g/kg DM, range 15.5 to 138.2). The environmental conditions significantly affected the carbohydrate concentration in forages. Among NSC, fructans concentration in pastures was affected by bioclimatologic conditions (P<0.05). The floristic composition influenced the fructans content at a lesser extent. These results indicate a high variability of fructans concentration and reflect what previously observed in other areas. In any case the high levels observed for fructans in some geographic areas are not been achieved. Further interdisciplinary studies in this area between veterinarians and forage researchers are clearly warranted.