Keel bone damage (KBD) is a prominent concern within the realm of the egg-laying industry, exerting substantial impacts on the welfare and productivity of laying hens. This comprehensive review undertakes a detailed exploration of the diverse factors contributing to KBD, such as inadequate calcium sources in the medullary bone, genetic factors, nutritional deficiencies, and physical stressors. The consequences of KBD on production performance, stress and inflammation levels, and the physical and chemical properties of the keel are meticulously examined. Additionally, the review evaluates the existing methods for assessing KBD, including keel curvature scoring, imaging techniques, palpation, biomechanical testing, behavioral observations, and biochemical markers. Finally, management strategies, including nutritional adjustments, genetic selection, and environmental modifications, are proposed to potentially mitigate the prevalence and severity of KBD, thereby aiming to enhance the welfare and productivity of laying hens.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of fermented mixed feed (FMF) (soybean meal–rapeseed meal–corn bran (6:3:1, m/m/m)) on the growth performance, intestinal microbial communities, and metabolomes of squabs. One hundred and eighty 1-day-old squabs were randomly allocated to two groups, each containing six replicates of fifteen squabs cared for by 60 pairs of breeding pigeons secreting crop milk. Each pair of breeding pigeons cared for three squabs. The control group was fed a basal diet, while the experimental group was fed the basal diet containing 5% FMF. The results showed that daily weight gain, carcass weight, villus height, and the mRNA level of ZO-1 in the ileum were increased in the birds fed FMF compared to the control squabs (p < 0.05). Greater abundances of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus, Bifidobacteria, and Bacillus as well as fewer harmful bacteria (i.e., Enterococcus, Veillonella, and Corynebacterium) in the ilea of squabs fed FMF. Six differential metabolites were identified in the FMF-treated squabs; one metabolite was increased (ω-salicoyisalicin) and five were decreased (3-benzoyloxy-6-oxo-12-ursen-28-oic acid, estradiol-17-phenylpropionate, aminotriazole, phosphatidyl ethanolamine (22:6/0:0), and 1-arachidonoylglycerophosphoinositol). Positive correlations were observed between the abundance of Lactobacillus and villus height. Overall, FMF treatment improved both growth and intestinal health in pigeons, suggesting potential benefits for pigeon production.

To reduce subfertility caused by low semen quality and provide theoretical guidance for the eradication of human male infertility, we sequenced the bovine transcriptomes of round, elongated spermatids and epididymal sperms. The differential analysis was carried out with the reference of the mouse transcriptome, and the homology trends of gene expression to the mouse were also analysed. First, to explore the physiological mechanism of spermiogenesis that profoundly affects semen quality, homological trends of differential genes were compared during spermiogenesis in dairy cattle and mice. Next, Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment, protein–protein interaction network (PPI network), and bioinformatics analyses were performed to uncover the regulation network of acrosome formation during the transition from round to elongated spermatids. In addition, processes that regulate gene expression during spermiogenesis from elongated spermatid to epididymal sperm, such as ubiquitination, acetylation, deacetylation, and glycosylation, and the functional ART3 gene may play important roles during spermiogenesis. Therefore, its localisation in the seminiferous tubules and epididymal sperm were investigated using immunofluorescent analysis, and its structure and function were also predicted. Our findings provide a deeper understanding of the process of spermiogenesis, which involves acrosome formation, histone replacement, and the fine regulation of gene expression.

Porcine viral diarrhea has always been one of the main obstacles to the healthy development of the pig industry in China with its variety of pathogens and complexity of co-infections. Analysis of the dominant mixed-infection model is a fundamental step in boosting the prevention and control of porcine diarrhea. In this study, 3256 porcine fecal samples were collected from 17 pig herds in Shanghai, China, from 2015 to 2023 to identify novel pathogenic infection patterns. The results confirmed that porcine astrovirus (PAstV), porcine sapelovirus (PSV), and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) were the top three agents with positive rates of 28.47%, 20.71%, and 20.23%, respectively. Porcine rotavirus (PoRV) and transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) accounted for only 8.12% and 1.12%, respectively. Importantly, mixed infection rates were high and complicated. The double infection rate was higher than that of a single infection. Next, the mixed-infection model of PEDV and emerging diarrheal pathogens was explored. The predominant dual-infection models were PEDV/PKoV (porcine kobuvirus) (14.18%), PEDV/PAstV (10.02%), and PEDV/PSV (9.29%). The predominant triple infection models were PEDV/PKoV/PAstV (18.93%), PEDV/PSV/PAstV (10.65%), and PEDV/PKoV/PSV (7.10%). The dominant quadruple-infection model was PEDV/PAstV/PSV/PKoV (46.82%). In conclusion, PEDV is mainly mix-infected with PAstV, PSV, and PKoV in clinical settings. Furthermore, multiple-factor logistic regression analysis confirmed that PAstV, PKoV, bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), and PEDV were closely related to porcine diarrhea. PEDV/PKoV, PEDV/porcine sapovirus (PoSaV), PKoV/BVDV, PoSaV/BVDV, and porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV)/PoSaV had great co-infection dominance, which will be helpful for porcine co-infection research.

Asthma has been extensively studied in humans and animals, but the molecular mechanisms underlying asthma in Meishan pigs, a breed with distinct genetic and physiological characteristics, remain elusive. Understanding these mechanisms could provide insights into veterinary medicine and human asthma research. We investigated asthma pathogenesis in Meishan pigs through transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses of blood samples taken during autumn and winter. Asthma in Meishan pigs is related to inflammation, mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle disorders. Related genes include CXCL10, CCL8, CCL22, CCL21, OLR1, and ACKR1, while metabolites include succinic acid, riboflavin-5-phosphate, and fumaric acid. Transcriptomic sequencing was performed on panting and normal Meishan pigs, and differentially expressed genes underwent functional enrichment screening. Metabolomic analysis revealed differential metabolites and pathways between groups. Combined analyses indicated that lung inflammation is influenced by genetic, allergenic, and environmental factors disrupting oxidative phosphorylation in lung mitochondria, affecting the TCA cycle. Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, glutathione S-transferases, arginase 1 and RORC in immune regulation, the Notch pathway, YPEL4 in cell proliferation, and MARCKS in airway mucus secretion play roles in asthma pathogenesis. This study highlights that many cytokines and signaling pathways contribute to asthma. Further studies are needed to elucidate their complex interactions.

Clutch persistence, defined as the ability to sustain consecutive egg-laying cycles, is a pivotal determinant of profitability in the poultry industry, particularly for aging laying hens (≥65 weeks). However, the molecular mechanisms governing this trait remain elusive, largely due to the traditional “ovary-centric” paradigm that overlooks systemic regulation by the gut microbiota. To address this knowledge gap, the present study aimed to dissect the comprehensive regulatory network governing clutch persistence using integrated multi-omics analyses. A total of 20 sixty-five-week-old Rhode Island Red (RIR) laying hens with cumulative egg production exceeding 300 eggs but distinct clutch persistence were stratified into a high-clutch persistence group (HCP, ≥25 clutches, n = 10) and a low-clutch persistence group (LCPLCP, ≤15 clutches, n = 10). Multi-omics profiling, including ovarian transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics; serum metabolomics; and cecal microbiota 16S rRNA sequencing was performed. Data integration and association mining were conducted via Spearman correlation analysis with stringent thresholds (r > 0.6, p < 0.01). Integrated analyses revealed a “gut–ovary axis” regulatory model mediated by a lipid mediator network, operating through a three-tiered mechanism: (1) Gut Initiation: The HCP group exhibited enriched cecal γ-Proteobacteria, which promoted biosynthesis of lipid precursors. (2) Serum Transport: Key serum lipid mediators, most notably LysoPC (22:6) (VIP = 4.5) and cholesterol ester CE (20:4), served as critical carriers transducing gut-derived signals to the ovary. (3) Ovarian Execution: These lipid signals activated a core ovarian metabolic pathway centered on the PLA2G6-ALOX15B-AGPAT3 axis, which coordinated follicular development and ovulation by supplying steroid hormone synthesis substrates, exerting anti-inflammatory effects, and stabilizing membrane structures. Collectively, this study demonstrates that gut microbiota modulates clutch persistence in aging laying hens via lipid mediators, orchestrating a systemic “gut–serum–ovary” regulatory cascade. These findings provide a novel molecular framework for extending the economic egg-laying cycle through the targeted manipulation of intestinal microbiota or serum lipid metabolism.