The present study evaluated the effects of fennel seed meal (FSM) on performance, carcass characteristics, lengths of digestive tract parts (cm), intestinal enzyme activity, intestinal microbiology, blood parameters, and economic efficiency in broiler chickens. It is concluded that fennel seed meal can be used in up to 20 % of broiler chicken diets to reduce feed costs without adverse effects on broilers' growth performance and public health.

A total of 185 German Pomeranian Coarsewool (RPL) sheep were genotyped to evaluate their genetic diversity and assess the possibility of breeding for resistance against maedi-visna virus (MVV).  Breeding for MVV resistance is feasible without reducing genetic diversity, but it is not recommended until further studies confirm the protective effect of theTMEM154 allele K against MVV in this breed. This study pioneers research on selective breeding for disease resistance.

The mating behaviour of honeybees was studied on the small beekeeping-free island in Lake Neusiedl, Austria. Of 17 virgin queens brought to the island, 11 were available for examination of their offspring. Except for two queens, all the island-mated queen bees had both cordovan and wild-type offspring, indicating they flew to the mainland for mating. The results suggest that this island is not suitable for establishing a mating station for honeybee breeding programmes.

The objectives of this study are to identify a suitable mathematical model for determining the breeding strategies and describing the growth curve of the Kaçkar hair goat.

Using 900 Hubbard broilers, results showed that enzyme treatment and fermentation improved weight gain and FCRs (feed conversion ratios). Fermentation at 6 % and 12 % was optimal, while 18 % had negative effects. Carcass traits, nutrient digestibility, and bone strength improved, with reduced triglycerides in fermented groups, enhancing broiler productivity.

The study utilises artificial intelligence to improve buffalo recognition in livestock management. It employs facial images of 11 buffaloes to develop a dataset and utilises four CNN (convolutional neural network) algorithms to identify buffaloes based on muzzle patterns. Results indicate successful performance, with SqueezeNet achieving the highest accuracy of 99.88 %, along with high precision, recall, and F1 score.

This study was conducted to identify key welfare risks using the AWIN (Animal Welfare Indicators) protocol for extensively managed sheep farms. Each farm was visited once. A total of 702 sheep were individually assessed on the farms as part of the second-level welfare criteria. The main animal welfare risks identified were housing facilities, the provision of adequate and balanced diets to the animals, and the implementation of appropriate animal health plans in accordance with the breed requirements.

Replacing soybean meal with fermented feed led to a decrease in the abnormal egg rate during the late laying period of Hy-Line Gray laying hens as well as enhancing eggshell strength and thickness. Moreover, this replacement strategy reduced breast muscle drip loss, increased pH levels, and improved meat color. Moreover, it lowered fat and cholesterol content in muscle and facilitated amino acid deposition. Notably, replacing 10 % of soybean meal with fermented feed for 8 weeks demonstrated promising outcomes.

In this study, we found that Lin28a protein is expressed in the oocytes and granulosa cells of follicles at different development stages and is also expressed in the corpus luteum and corpus albicans. A mutation in intron 2 of Lin28a was found but without significant difference in terms of kidding number among the three genotypes of Jining Grey goats, an unique local breed with high prolificacy in China. A mutation in exon 4 of the Lin28b gene had an association with the litter size of Jining Grey goats.

We examine the effects of Booroola fecundity (FecB) gene introgression into the genome of a less prolific breed on the timing and distribution of ovulations after estrus synchronization with progestogen devices (controlled internal drug release, CIDR, vs. vaginal sponge) and reproductive indices after insemination. CIDR-treated ewes ovulated earlier than sponge-receiving ewes. FecB carriers ovulated smaller follicles than non-carriers. Reproductive indices were improved by the introgression of FecB in ewes.

In response to the urgent need for enhancing food security amidst a rapidly growing global population, our study develops new models to improve breeding programs for plants and animals. Traditional models often fall short in capturing the full genetic complexity. However, our three new models demonstrate improved performance by better predicting breeding values, thus supporting more effective breeding strategies and contributing to global food security.