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Dr. Valentina Ferrante
Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy

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0 Animal Behaviour
0 Animal Welfare
0 Sustainability
0 Poultry Science
0 welfare assessment

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Journal article
Published: 12 August 2020 in Agronomy
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The objectives of this paper are to present the dynamic of organic food and farming (OFF) research and innovation, to outline challenges in deploying programs and accessing funding, and to define key actions to foster the development of tailored quality research on organic farming in Italy. The baseline starts from the main outcomes that emerged during the World Café held in the frame of the Salone Internazionale del biologico e del naturale (SANA Expo) in 2018, where the Italian OFF research community met to build a convergence on scope and modus operandi in the research endeavor. These outcomes were examined in the light of the key features of the research and innovation projects funded in Italy in the last 10 years, respectively by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and the regional administrations through the innovation support instruments in the Rural Development Plan programming periods. In the period 2009–2018, 70 research projects for a total funding of 21.081 million € (<0.1% of the value of the sector) were launched, addressing nine different topic areas. Over a similar period (2007–2019), 53 regional innovation projects addressing organic farming were activated for a total budget of 14.299 million € (<10% of the entire available funding). The implementation of interventions in the research and the innovation areas were often scattered in terms of the topics, disciplines, and types of supply chain/network addressed. The relatively high share of multi/interdisciplinary research and innovation projects as well as the acknowledgement of the multi-actor approach as a fundamental step toward co-research and co-innovation were upshots that emerged from our analysis. The outcomes of this study can be used by competent national and the regional authorities to design their future research and innovation policies and interventions.

ACS Style

Stefano Canali; Daniele Antichi; Simona Cristiano; Mariangela Diacono; Valentina Ferrante; Paola Migliorini; Francesco Riva; Alessandra Trinchera; Raffaele Zanoli; Luca Colombo. Levers and Obstacles of Effective Research and Innovation for Organic Food and Farming in Italy. Agronomy 2020, 10, 1181 .

AMA Style

Stefano Canali, Daniele Antichi, Simona Cristiano, Mariangela Diacono, Valentina Ferrante, Paola Migliorini, Francesco Riva, Alessandra Trinchera, Raffaele Zanoli, Luca Colombo. Levers and Obstacles of Effective Research and Innovation for Organic Food and Farming in Italy. Agronomy. 2020; 10 (8):1181.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Stefano Canali; Daniele Antichi; Simona Cristiano; Mariangela Diacono; Valentina Ferrante; Paola Migliorini; Francesco Riva; Alessandra Trinchera; Raffaele Zanoli; Luca Colombo. 2020. "Levers and Obstacles of Effective Research and Innovation for Organic Food and Farming in Italy." Agronomy 10, no. 8: 1181.

Journal article
Published: 11 August 2020 in Animals
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Although camelina [Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz] is a good source of protein, antioxidants, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, its antinutritional compounds limit its use in animal feeding. The aim of this study was to verify the effect of feeding laying hens with up to 20% of camelina cake from a breeding line containing a low level of glucosinolates on performance, welfare, and eggshell quality. Two hundred and forty Hy-Line® hens from 18 to 51 weeks of age were divided into three treatments: control (C), camelina cake 10% (CAM10), and camelina cake 20% (CAM20). Egg number was recorded daily, while egg weight, feed consumption, and mortality were recorded weekly. At 24 and 43 weeks of hen age, shell resistance to fracture was measured. Our results demonstrate no detrimental effects for CAM10 and CAM20 diets on feed intake, growth performance, and welfare. No difference in egg production was detected among the diets. The significant (p < 0.05) interaction of diet and age factors suggest that the addition of camelina cake, up to 20%, likely protects the eggshell of older hens. Our findings confirm that camelina cake might be an alternative and sustainable protein source for hens.

ACS Style

Susanna Lolli; Guido Grilli; Lorenzo Ferrari; Giovanna Battelli; Sara Pozzo; Incoronata Galasso; Roberto Russo; Milena Brasca; Remo Reggiani; Valentina Ferrante. Effect of Different Percentage of Camelina sativa Cake in Laying Hens Diet: Performance, Welfare, and Eggshell Quality. Animals 2020, 10, 1396 .

AMA Style

Susanna Lolli, Guido Grilli, Lorenzo Ferrari, Giovanna Battelli, Sara Pozzo, Incoronata Galasso, Roberto Russo, Milena Brasca, Remo Reggiani, Valentina Ferrante. Effect of Different Percentage of Camelina sativa Cake in Laying Hens Diet: Performance, Welfare, and Eggshell Quality. Animals. 2020; 10 (8):1396.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Susanna Lolli; Guido Grilli; Lorenzo Ferrari; Giovanna Battelli; Sara Pozzo; Incoronata Galasso; Roberto Russo; Milena Brasca; Remo Reggiani; Valentina Ferrante. 2020. "Effect of Different Percentage of Camelina sativa Cake in Laying Hens Diet: Performance, Welfare, and Eggshell Quality." Animals 10, no. 8: 1396.

Journal article
Published: 20 May 2020 in Animals
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Currently, no specific animal-based measures (ABMs) protocols are available for geese in commercial meat production systems. Following a critical review of the literature and consultation of experts, seven ABMs, potentially valid and feasible for the on-farm welfare assessment of geese, were identified and then tested in 12 farms in Poland to assess their inter-observer reliability. Two observers conducted the assessment, which was divided into two phases. First, a handling test assessed the human–animal relationship (HAR), and a 100% inter-observer reliability was achieved by the observers when evaluating the attitudes of stockpeople and the reactions of geese to humans. Next, an animal inspection was conducted, and the observers simultaneously and independently visually evaluated 100 randomly selected geese per farm and assessed whether the selected ABMs could be identified. In terms of inter-observer reliability, high correlation coefficients were found for plumage dirtiness (ρ = 0.745; p < 0.01), twisted wings (ρ = 0.890; p < 0.001), and broken/twisted wings (ρ = 0.858; p < 0.001). The results showed that plumage dirtiness, twisted wings, and broken/twisted wings are valid and reliable measures. Further research should address the reliability of ABMs of geese in other types of production systems.

ACS Style

Carlo Tremolada; Halina Bielińska; Michela Minero; Valentina Ferrante; Elisabetta Canali; Sara Barbieri. Animal-Based Measures for the On-Farm Welfare Assessment of Geese. Animals 2020, 10, 890 .

AMA Style

Carlo Tremolada, Halina Bielińska, Michela Minero, Valentina Ferrante, Elisabetta Canali, Sara Barbieri. Animal-Based Measures for the On-Farm Welfare Assessment of Geese. Animals. 2020; 10 (5):890.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Carlo Tremolada; Halina Bielińska; Michela Minero; Valentina Ferrante; Elisabetta Canali; Sara Barbieri. 2020. "Animal-Based Measures for the On-Farm Welfare Assessment of Geese." Animals 10, no. 5: 890.

Journal article
Published: 11 May 2020 in Animals
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Under intensive rearing conditions, the welfare of broiler chickens may be at risk depending on genotype and sex, due to their different growth rates. The practice of quantitative feed restriction may also impact on welfare. This study aimed to evaluate behaviour and corticosterone content in plasma and faeces at different ages using 896 one-day-old chicks housed in 32 pens, allocated to 8 groups, i.e., 2 genotypes (standard vs. high breast yield) × 2 sex × 2 feeding plans (ad libitum vs. restricted, AL vs. FR). The feeding system affected the percentage of standing (9.84% vs. 11.7% in AL vs. FR; p ≤ 0.001), feeding (7.51% vs. 8.17%; p ≤ 0.01) and sitting/lying (67.0% vs. 64.1%; p ≤ 0.001), and the faeces corticosterone content (12.2 vs. 13.6 ng/g in AL vs. FR; p ≤ 0.10). Sex affected the percentage of pecking other chickens, standing and comfort behaviours. Changes in behaviour were recorded between high and standard breast yield genotypes with faeces corticosterone which tended to be higher in the former (p ≤ 0.10). Significant interactions between the main factors and age were observed. Major changes in behaviour were due to feed restriction, which stimulated activity during restriction.

ACS Style

Angela Trocino; Peter White; Francesco Bordignon; Valentina Ferrante; Daniela Bertotto; Marco Birolo; Giulio Pillan; Gerolamo Xiccato. Effect of Feed Restriction on the Behaviour and Welfare of Broiler Chickens. Animals 2020, 10, 830 .

AMA Style

Angela Trocino, Peter White, Francesco Bordignon, Valentina Ferrante, Daniela Bertotto, Marco Birolo, Giulio Pillan, Gerolamo Xiccato. Effect of Feed Restriction on the Behaviour and Welfare of Broiler Chickens. Animals. 2020; 10 (5):830.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Angela Trocino; Peter White; Francesco Bordignon; Valentina Ferrante; Daniela Bertotto; Marco Birolo; Giulio Pillan; Gerolamo Xiccato. 2020. "Effect of Feed Restriction on the Behaviour and Welfare of Broiler Chickens." Animals 10, no. 5: 830.

Journal article
Published: 24 April 2020 in Animals
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Coccidiosis is still one of the major parasitic infections in poultry. It is caused by protozoa of the genus Eimeria, which cause concrete economic losses due to malabsorption, bad feed conversion rate, reduced weight gain, and increased mortality. The greatest damage is registered in commercial poultry farms because birds are reared together in large numbers and high densities. Unfortunately, these enteric pathologies are not preventable, and their diagnosis is only available when the disease is full-blown. For these reasons, the preventive use of anticoccidials—some of these with antimicrobial action—is a common practice in intensive farming, and this type of management leads to the release of drugs in the environment which contributes to the phenomenon of antibiotic resistance. Due to the high relevance of this issue, the early detection of any health problem is of great importance to improve animal welfare in intensive farming. Three prototypes, previously calibrated and adjusted, were developed and tested in three different experimental poultry farms in order to evaluate whether the system was able to identify the coccidia infection in intensive poultry farms early. For this purpose, a data-driven machine learning algorithm was built, and specific critical values of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were found to be associated with abnormal levels of oocystis count at an early stage of the disease. This result supports the feasibility of building an automatic data-driven machine learning algorithm for an early warning of coccidiosis.

ACS Style

Federica Borgonovo; Valentina Ferrante; Guido Grilli; Riccardo Pascuzzo; Simone Vantini; Marcella Guarino. A Data-Driven Prediction Method for an Early Warning of Coccidiosis in Intensive Livestock Systems: A Preliminary Study. Animals 2020, 10, 747 .

AMA Style

Federica Borgonovo, Valentina Ferrante, Guido Grilli, Riccardo Pascuzzo, Simone Vantini, Marcella Guarino. A Data-Driven Prediction Method for an Early Warning of Coccidiosis in Intensive Livestock Systems: A Preliminary Study. Animals. 2020; 10 (4):747.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Federica Borgonovo; Valentina Ferrante; Guido Grilli; Riccardo Pascuzzo; Simone Vantini; Marcella Guarino. 2020. "A Data-Driven Prediction Method for an Early Warning of Coccidiosis in Intensive Livestock Systems: A Preliminary Study." Animals 10, no. 4: 747.

Journal article
Published: 12 September 2019 in Sustainability
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Ammonia (NH3), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from livestock farms contribute to negative environmental impacts such as acidification and climate change. A significant part of these emissions is produced from the decomposition of slurry in livestock facilities, during storage and treatment phases. This research aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of the additive “SOP LAGOON” (made of agricultural gypsum processed with proprietary technology) on (i) NH3 and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, (ii) slurry properties and N loss. Moreover, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method was applied to assess the potential environmental impact associated with stored slurry treated with the additive. Six barrels were filled with 65 L of cattle slurry, of which three were used as a control while the additive was used in the other three. The results indicated that the use of the additive led to a reduction of total nitrogen, nitrates, and GHG emissions. LCA confirmed the higher environmental sustainability of the scenario with the additive for some environmental impact categories among which climate change. In conclusion, the additive has beneficial effects on both emissions and the environment, and the nitrogen present in the treated slurry could partially displace a mineral fertilizer, which can be considered an environmental credit.

ACS Style

Federica Borgonovo; Cecilia Conti; Daniela Lovarelli; Valentina Ferrante; Marcella Guarino. Improving the Sustainability of Dairy Slurry by A Commercial Additive Treatment. Sustainability 2019, 11, 4998 .

AMA Style

Federica Borgonovo, Cecilia Conti, Daniela Lovarelli, Valentina Ferrante, Marcella Guarino. Improving the Sustainability of Dairy Slurry by A Commercial Additive Treatment. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (18):4998.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Federica Borgonovo; Cecilia Conti; Daniela Lovarelli; Valentina Ferrante; Marcella Guarino. 2019. "Improving the Sustainability of Dairy Slurry by A Commercial Additive Treatment." Sustainability 11, no. 18: 4998.

Journal article
Published: 08 May 2019 in Animals
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Welfare of animals significantly depends on how stakeholders perceive their needs and behave in a way to favor production systems that promote better welfare outcomes. This study aimed at investigating stakeholders’ perception of the welfare of equines, small ruminants, and turkeys using text mining analysis. A survey composed by open-ended questions referring to different aspects of animal welfare was carried out. Text mining analysis was performed. A total of 270 surveys were filled out (horses = 122, sheep = 81, goats = 36, turkeys = 18, donkeys = 13). The respondents (41% veterinarians) came from 32 different countries. To describe welfare requirements, the words “feeding” and “water” were the most frequently used in all the species, meaning that respondents considered the welfare principle “good feeding” as the most relevant. The word “environment” was considered particularly important for turkeys, as well as the word “dry”, never mentioned for other species. Horses stakeholders also considered “exercise” and “proper training” important. Goat stakeholders’ concerns are often expressed by the word “space”, probably because goats are often intensively managed in industrialized countries. Although the sample was too small to be representative, text mining analysis seems to be a promising method to investigate stakeholders’ perception of animal welfare, as it emphasizes their real perception, without the constraints deriving by close-ended questions.

ACS Style

Emanuela Dalla Costa; Vito Tranquillo; Francesca Dai; Michela Minero; Monica Battini; Silvana Mattiello; Sara Barbieri; Valentina Ferrante; Lorenzo Ferrari; Adroaldo Zanella; Elisabetta Canali. Text Mining Analysis to Evaluate Stakeholders’ Perception Regarding Welfare of Equines, Small Ruminants, and Turkeys. Animals 2019, 9, 225 .

AMA Style

Emanuela Dalla Costa, Vito Tranquillo, Francesca Dai, Michela Minero, Monica Battini, Silvana Mattiello, Sara Barbieri, Valentina Ferrante, Lorenzo Ferrari, Adroaldo Zanella, Elisabetta Canali. Text Mining Analysis to Evaluate Stakeholders’ Perception Regarding Welfare of Equines, Small Ruminants, and Turkeys. Animals. 2019; 9 (5):225.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Emanuela Dalla Costa; Vito Tranquillo; Francesca Dai; Michela Minero; Monica Battini; Silvana Mattiello; Sara Barbieri; Valentina Ferrante; Lorenzo Ferrari; Adroaldo Zanella; Elisabetta Canali. 2019. "Text Mining Analysis to Evaluate Stakeholders’ Perception Regarding Welfare of Equines, Small Ruminants, and Turkeys." Animals 9, no. 5: 225.

Journal article
Published: 01 April 2019 in Poultry Science
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Previous research has shown that the transect walks (TW) method provide a practical and effective approach to welfare assessment in broiler and turkey farms. This method for turkey welfare assessment is reasonable in terms of time demands within minimal costs. Furthermore, TW approach resembles the routine checks used by farmers. The overall aim of this study was to verify the feasibility of the TW method as potential practical tool for on-farm welfare assessment in turkeys during the fattening period. A total of 14 commercial turkey farms (8 male and 6 female flocks) of the same genetic strain (British United Turkeys [B.U.T.] - Big 6) with similar management standard procedures were evaluated. Bird ages at evaluation ranged from 122 to 138 D and 90 to 103 D old, for males and females, respectively. Two independent assessors walked slowly on randomized longitudinal paths (transects) within each house, while recording the prevalence of birds showing any of the 12 welfare and health indicators considered: immobility, lameness, wounds, small size, featherless, dirtiness, sick, terminally ill, dead, and behavioral indicators, such as, aggression towards mate, interaction with humans and mating. The effect of assessor, gender, and interaction assessor by gender was evaluated by using ANOVA. Reliability of the method was noted by the effect of gender (P < 0.001) for immobility, lameness, wounds, and dirtiness indicators. Male flocks showed higher prevalence of immobility (0.035±0.004% vs. 0.004±0.001%), lameness (2.269±0.108% vs. 1.253±0.051%), wounds (0.288±0.014% vs. 0.127±0.009%), and dirtiness (0.050±0.004% vs. 0.022±0.004%) as compared to female flocks. Differences among assessors were relatively minor, with differences detected only for back and tail wounds, dirtiness, aggression towards mate, and interaction with humans. This study reports advantages and limitations of this method for welfare assessment on-commercial turkey flocks and it is the first description of the Italian welfare profile of turkey's commercial flocks.

ACS Style

Valentina Ferrante; Susanna Lolli; Lorenzo Ferrari; Tatiane Terumi Negrão Watanabe; Carlo Tremolada; Joanna Marchewka; Inma Estevez. Differences in prevalence of welfare indicators in male and female turkey flocks (Meleagris gallopavo). Poultry Science 2019, 98, 1568 -1574.

AMA Style

Valentina Ferrante, Susanna Lolli, Lorenzo Ferrari, Tatiane Terumi Negrão Watanabe, Carlo Tremolada, Joanna Marchewka, Inma Estevez. Differences in prevalence of welfare indicators in male and female turkey flocks (Meleagris gallopavo). Poultry Science. 2019; 98 (4):1568-1574.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Valentina Ferrante; Susanna Lolli; Lorenzo Ferrari; Tatiane Terumi Negrão Watanabe; Carlo Tremolada; Joanna Marchewka; Inma Estevez. 2019. "Differences in prevalence of welfare indicators in male and female turkey flocks (Meleagris gallopavo)." Poultry Science 98, no. 4: 1568-1574.

Review
Published: 05 January 2019 in Renewable Energy
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This literature review was built upon recently published articles on Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) of agricultural biogas plants, to: enhance understanding of the relevant literature in the field and the related question by readers worldwide. It was designed to highlight methodological issues and impact indicators, which best represent this research field; consequently, they should be considered in performing environmental assessments of agro-biogas derived energy systems. The literature review highlighted the wide variability of environmental results due to the ways the feedstock mixtures were produced, managed, and supplied; and due to the regions in which the anaerobic digesters were located and operated. Differences were found to be related to the aim and function of the study and to the methodological approach used, especially for the development of the environmental impact assessments. Other differences resulted from the ways the energy produced was utilised, whether it was used as an input to the natural gas national grid, and/or if it was used within the production system. The authors of this review concluded that, although much progress has been made, many unsolved challenges and methodological choices must be addressed to further improve the robustness of LCA in relation to AD and to related approaches.

ACS Style

Carlo Ingrao; Jacopo Bacenetti; Janusz Adamczyk; Valentina Ferrante; Antonio Messineo; Donald Huisingh. Investigating energy and environmental issues of agro-biogas derived energy systems: A comprehensive review of Life Cycle Assessments. Renewable Energy 2019, 136, 296 -307.

AMA Style

Carlo Ingrao, Jacopo Bacenetti, Janusz Adamczyk, Valentina Ferrante, Antonio Messineo, Donald Huisingh. Investigating energy and environmental issues of agro-biogas derived energy systems: A comprehensive review of Life Cycle Assessments. Renewable Energy. 2019; 136 ():296-307.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Carlo Ingrao; Jacopo Bacenetti; Janusz Adamczyk; Valentina Ferrante; Antonio Messineo; Donald Huisingh. 2019. "Investigating energy and environmental issues of agro-biogas derived energy systems: A comprehensive review of Life Cycle Assessments." Renewable Energy 136, no. : 296-307.

Short communication
Published: 02 January 2019 in Italian Journal of Animal Science
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In organic farms, hens can freely access the outdoor areas, a potential source of helminth infections. This study aimed to evaluate the effective use of free-range access in organic laying hen’s farms located in Italy. The other objective was to quantify the major risk factors for endo- and ectoparasite infestation and its effect on performance, health and welfare, correlated to the use of free-range access. Fifteen organic farms of laying hens were assessed and visited twice. The total number of hens in the three zones was counted and recorded three times daily. Indirect indicators (characteristics of vegetation cover, amount and weight of droppings) were recorded. To evaluate parasite infestation, 15 fresh faecal samples per flock were collected from the ground/floor or perches. From seven farms, 15 gastrointestinal tracts from end-of-lay hens were qualitatively and quantitatively examined for the presence of endoparasites at different developmental stages. The percentage of hens observed outdoors in zone 3 was affected by free-range features. As expected, zone 1 was more frequented by hens than the others. The correlations among number and weight of droppings collected outside, vegetation score and the percentage of hens showed interesting results. Only three species of parasites were found during faecal samples analysis. There was a significantly and positively correlation between the number of Capillaria and Ascaridia eggs. The results showed that the presence in the free-range area of mounds, trees and bushes attracted more animals outside and allowed them to show their natural behaviour.

ACS Style

Susanna Lolli; Guido Grilli; Lorenzo Ferrari; Paolo Ferrari; Valentina Ferrante. Effect of range use on endo- and ectoparasite infestation in italian organic egg production. Italian Journal of Animal Science 2019, 18, 690 -695.

AMA Style

Susanna Lolli, Guido Grilli, Lorenzo Ferrari, Paolo Ferrari, Valentina Ferrante. Effect of range use on endo- and ectoparasite infestation in italian organic egg production. Italian Journal of Animal Science. 2019; 18 (1):690-695.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Susanna Lolli; Guido Grilli; Lorenzo Ferrari; Paolo Ferrari; Valentina Ferrante. 2019. "Effect of range use on endo- and ectoparasite infestation in italian organic egg production." Italian Journal of Animal Science 18, no. 1: 690-695.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2018 in Biosystems Engineering
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Nowadays, the preventive use of antibiotics in intensive farming system is common and this management practice lead to the spreading of drugs in the environment, contributing to the phenomena of antibiotic resistance. For this reason, different professional figures work on the development of drug reduction strategies. Due to the high priority of this issue, early detection of any health problem is of great importance in intensive farming. Precision Livestock Farming (PLF), through the combination of cheap technologies and specific algorithms, can provide valuable and rapid information for farmers starting from the huge amount of data that can be collected in real time at farm level. A prototype, able to give information about air fingerprint, was developed and tested in an experimental poultry farm in order to observe if air quality data were related to the presence of coccidiosis. Air samples were collected once a week in Nalophan® bags and transported to the laboratory for instrumental analysis. The prototype was able to discriminate between infected and not infected pens at a very early stage, when only 250 oocysts g−1 [faeces] (opg) were present in one pen. These results were also confirmed by analysing air samples in a commercial poultry farm, since all samples were correctly classified by the prototype in infected or not infected pen. This pilot study has shown that this technology could be installed in farms to continuously monitor health status of broilers, supporting farmers in the sustainable management of their activities.

ACS Style

Guido Grilli; Federica Borgonovo; Emanuela Tullo; Ilaria Fontana; Marcella Guarino; Valentina Ferrante. A pilot study to detect coccidiosis in poultry farms at early stage from air analysis. Biosystems Engineering 2018, 173, 64 -70.

AMA Style

Guido Grilli, Federica Borgonovo, Emanuela Tullo, Ilaria Fontana, Marcella Guarino, Valentina Ferrante. A pilot study to detect coccidiosis in poultry farms at early stage from air analysis. Biosystems Engineering. 2018; 173 ():64-70.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Guido Grilli; Federica Borgonovo; Emanuela Tullo; Ilaria Fontana; Marcella Guarino; Valentina Ferrante. 2018. "A pilot study to detect coccidiosis in poultry farms at early stage from air analysis." Biosystems Engineering 173, no. : 64-70.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2018 in Science of The Total Environment
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On-farm production of hay and high-protein-content feed has several advantages such as diversification of on-farm cultivated crops, reduction of off-farm feed concentrates transported over long distances and a reduction in runoff during the winter season if grown crops are perennial. Among those crops cultivated for high-protein-content feed, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the most important in the Italian context. Nevertheless, up to now, only a few studies have assessed the environmental performance of alfalfa hay production. In this study, using the Life Cycle Assessment approach, the environmental impact of alfalfa hay production in Northern Italy was analyzed. More in detail, two production practices (without and with irrigation) were compared. The results show that alfalfa hay production in irrigated fields has a better environmental performance compared to non-irrigated production, mainly because of the yield increase achieved with irrigation. In particular, for the Climate Change impact category, the impact is equal to 84.54 and 80.21kgCO/t of hay for the scenario without and with irrigation, respectively. However, for two impact categories (Ozone Depletion and Human Toxicity-No Cancer Effect), the impact of irrigation completely offsets the yield increase, and the cultivation practice without irrigation shows the best environmental performance. For both scenarios, the mechanization of harvest is the main environmental hotspot, mostly due to fuel consumption and related combustion emissions. Wide differences were highlighted by comparing the two scenarios with the Ecoinvent process of alfalfa hay production; these differences are mostly due to the cultivation practice and, in particular, to the more intensive fertilization in Swiss production.

ACS Style

Jacopo Bacenetti; Daniela Lovarelli; Doriana Tedesco; Roberto Pretolani; Valentina Ferrante. Environmental impact assessment of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) hay production. Science of The Total Environment 2018, 635, 551 -558.

AMA Style

Jacopo Bacenetti, Daniela Lovarelli, Doriana Tedesco, Roberto Pretolani, Valentina Ferrante. Environmental impact assessment of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) hay production. Science of The Total Environment. 2018; 635 ():551-558.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jacopo Bacenetti; Daniela Lovarelli; Doriana Tedesco; Roberto Pretolani; Valentina Ferrante. 2018. "Environmental impact assessment of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) hay production." Science of The Total Environment 635, no. : 551-558.

Review
Published: 01 February 2018 in Atmospheric Environment
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ACS Style

P. Guffanti; V. Pifferi; L. Falciola; V. Ferrante. Analyses of odours from concentrated animal feeding operations: A review. Atmospheric Environment 2018, 175, 100 -108.

AMA Style

P. Guffanti, V. Pifferi, L. Falciola, V. Ferrante. Analyses of odours from concentrated animal feeding operations: A review. Atmospheric Environment. 2018; 175 ():100-108.

Chicago/Turabian Style

P. Guffanti; V. Pifferi; L. Falciola; V. Ferrante. 2018. "Analyses of odours from concentrated animal feeding operations: A review." Atmospheric Environment 175, no. : 100-108.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2018 in Animal
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Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as promising biomarkers for several disorders and related pain. In equine practice, acute laminitis is a common disease characterised by intense pain that severely compromises horse welfare. Recently, the Horse Grimace Scale (HGS), a facial expression-based pain coding system, was shown to be a valid welfare indicator to identify pain linked to acute laminitis. The present study aimed to: determine whether miRNAs can be used as biomarkers for acute pain in horses (Equus caballus) affected by laminitis; integrate miRNAs to their target genes and to categorise target genes for biological processes; gather additional evidence on concurrent validity of HGS by investigating how it correlates to miRNAs. Nine horses presenting acute laminitis with no prior treatment were recruited. As control group, nine healthy horses were further included in the experimental design. Samples were collected from horses with laminitis at admission before any treatment ('pre-treatment') and 7 days after routine laminitis treatment ('post-treatment'). The expression levels of nine circulating miRNAs, namely hsa-miR-532-3p, hsa-miR-219-5p, mmu-miR-134-5p, mmu-miR-124a-3p, hsa-miR-200b-3p, hsa-miR-146a-5p, hsa-miR-23b-3p, hsa-miR-145-5p and hsa-miR-181a-5p, were detected and assessed as potential biomarkers of pain by quantitative PCR using TaqMan® probes. The area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) was then used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of miRNAs. Molecular data were integrated with HGS scores assessed by one trained treatment and time point blind veterinarian. The comparative analysis demonstrated that the levels of miR-23b-3p (P=0.029), miR-145-5p (P=0.015) and miR-200b-3p (P=0.023) were significantly higher in pre-treatment and the AUCs were 0.854, 0.859 and 0.841, respectively. MiR-200b-3p decreased after routine laminitis treatment (P=0.043). Combining two miRNAs in a panel, namely miR-145-5p and miR-200b-3p, increased efficiency in distinguishing animals with acute pain from controls. In addition, deregulated miRNAs were positively correlated to HGS scores. Computational target prediction and functional enrichment identified common biological pathways between different miRNAs. In particular, the glutamatergic pathway was affected by all three miRNAs, suggesting a crucial role in the pathogenesis of pain. In conclusion, the dynamic expression of circulating miR-23b-3p, miR-145-5p and miR-200b-3p was detected in horses with acute laminitis and miRNAs can be considered potentially promising pain biomarkers. Further studies are needed in order to assess their relevancy in other painful conditions severely compromising horse welfare. An important implication would be the possibility to use them for the concurrent validation of non-invasive indicators of pain in horses.

ACS Style

Cristina Lecchi; Emanuela Dalla Costa; D. Lebelt; Valentina Ferrante; E. Canali; Fabrizio Ceciliani; D. Stucke; Michela Minero. Circulating miR-23b-3p, miR-145-5p and miR-200b-3p are potential biomarkers to monitor acute pain associated with laminitis in horses. Animal 2018, 12, 366 -375.

AMA Style

Cristina Lecchi, Emanuela Dalla Costa, D. Lebelt, Valentina Ferrante, E. Canali, Fabrizio Ceciliani, D. Stucke, Michela Minero. Circulating miR-23b-3p, miR-145-5p and miR-200b-3p are potential biomarkers to monitor acute pain associated with laminitis in horses. Animal. 2018; 12 (2):366-375.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cristina Lecchi; Emanuela Dalla Costa; D. Lebelt; Valentina Ferrante; E. Canali; Fabrizio Ceciliani; D. Stucke; Michela Minero. 2018. "Circulating miR-23b-3p, miR-145-5p and miR-200b-3p are potential biomarkers to monitor acute pain associated with laminitis in horses." Animal 12, no. 2: 366-375.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2017 in Animal Welfare
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Feather-pecking and cannibalism may reduce the potential of organic husbandry to enhance the welfare of laying hens. We report risk factors for these issues based on a large survey of 107 commercial flocks in eight European countries. Information was collected regarding housing, management and flock characteristics (age, genotype). Near the end of lay, 50 hens per flock were assessed for plumage condition and wounds. Potential influencing factors were screened and submitted to a multivariate model. The majority of the flocks (81%) consisted of brown genotypes and were found in six countries. Since white genotypes (19%) were found only in the two Scandinavian countries, a country effect could not be excluded. Therefore, separate models were made for brown and white genotypes. Feather damage in brown hens could be explained by a model containing a lower dietary protein content and no daily access to the free range (30% of the variation explained). For feather damage in white hens, no model could be made. Wounds in brown hens were associated with not having daily access to free range (14% of the variation explained). Wounds in white hens were explained by a model containing not topping-up litter during the laying period (26% of the variation explained). These results suggest that better feeding management, daily access to the free-range area and improved litter management may reduce incidence of plumage damage and associated injurious pecking, hence enhancing the welfare of organic laying hens. Since this was an epidemiological study, further experimental studies are needed to investigate the causal relationships.

ACS Style

M Bestman; C Verwer; C Brenninkmeyer; A Willett; Lk Hinrichsen; F Smajlhodzic; Jlt Heerkens; S Gunnarsson; V Ferrante. Feather-pecking and injurious pecking in organic laying hens in 107 flocks from eight European countries. Animal Welfare 2017, 26, 355 -363.

AMA Style

M Bestman, C Verwer, C Brenninkmeyer, A Willett, Lk Hinrichsen, F Smajlhodzic, Jlt Heerkens, S Gunnarsson, V Ferrante. Feather-pecking and injurious pecking in organic laying hens in 107 flocks from eight European countries. Animal Welfare. 2017; 26 (3):355-363.

Chicago/Turabian Style

M Bestman; C Verwer; C Brenninkmeyer; A Willett; Lk Hinrichsen; F Smajlhodzic; Jlt Heerkens; S Gunnarsson; V Ferrante. 2017. "Feather-pecking and injurious pecking in organic laying hens in 107 flocks from eight European countries." Animal Welfare 26, no. 3: 355-363.

Journal article
Published: 24 March 2016 in Italian Journal of Animal Science
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ACS Style

Valentina Ferrante; Cecilia Mugnai; Lorenzo Ferrari; Stefano Paolo Marelli; Enrico Spagnoli; Susanna Lolli. Stress and reactivity in three Italian chicken breeds. Italian Journal of Animal Science 2016, 15, 303 -309.

AMA Style

Valentina Ferrante, Cecilia Mugnai, Lorenzo Ferrari, Stefano Paolo Marelli, Enrico Spagnoli, Susanna Lolli. Stress and reactivity in three Italian chicken breeds. Italian Journal of Animal Science. 2016; 15 (2):303-309.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Valentina Ferrante; Cecilia Mugnai; Lorenzo Ferrari; Stefano Paolo Marelli; Enrico Spagnoli; Susanna Lolli. 2016. "Stress and reactivity in three Italian chicken breeds." Italian Journal of Animal Science 15, no. 2: 303-309.

Comparative study
Published: 01 January 2015 in Poultry Science
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Currently, no animal-based protocol for on-farm welfare assessment of commercial turkeys is available. The birds’ size and flighty nature make obtaining a representative sample using traditional methods difficult. The transect walks (TW) approach provides a potential alternative for on-farm assessments of turkey welfare. We compared the TW approach with a traditional method, and data collected as the birds were moved out of the house during the load out process (L). Ten commercial 19- to 20-week-old Hybrid turkey flocks were evaluated (1 flock/house/farm). Half of the flocks were housed on farms deemed as “faring well” by the company, the other half were on “suboptimal” farms. Each house was subdivided longitudinally into 4 transects. Two observers walked the transects in random order, recording the total number of birds per transect that were immobile; lame; aggressive towards a mate; interacting with humans; with visible head, vent, or back wounds; engaging in mounting behaviors; small; featherless; dirty; sick; terminal; or dead. Flocks were re-evaluated on the same day using the individual sampling method (S), where randomly selected birds were scored as they took 10 steps. Flocks were re-assessed within 48 h of the transect evaluation, as birds were funneled out of the house during load out. Using ANOVAs we determined the effects of observers, method, management, and their interactions on proportions of turkeys per house within each category. Outcome parameters were not affected by management (P > 0.05 for all) or observer (P > 0.05 for most), but an assessment method effect was detected (P < 0.05). S differed from the 2 other methods (P < 0.05) for most parameters except aggression towards a mate, back wounds, dirty, sick, and vent wounds. Differences were not detected between data collected using TW and during L, except for dead (P = 0.0007) and immobile (P = 0.007). Results suggest that the TW method is a promising tool for on-farm turkey welfare assessment as it produced results similar to those obtained at L when all birds could be scored individually.

ACS Style

Joanna Marchewka; Inma Estevez; Giuseppe Vezzoli; Valentina Ferrante; Maja M. Makagon. The transect method: a novel approach to on-farm welfare assessment of commercial turkeys. Poultry Science 2015, 94, 7 -16.

AMA Style

Joanna Marchewka, Inma Estevez, Giuseppe Vezzoli, Valentina Ferrante, Maja M. Makagon. The transect method: a novel approach to on-farm welfare assessment of commercial turkeys. Poultry Science. 2015; 94 (1):7-16.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Joanna Marchewka; Inma Estevez; Giuseppe Vezzoli; Valentina Ferrante; Maja M. Makagon. 2015. "The transect method: a novel approach to on-farm welfare assessment of commercial turkeys." Poultry Science 94, no. 1: 7-16.

Journal article
Published: 01 November 2013 in Poultry Science
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The objectives of this study were to 1) identify determinants of poor welfare in commercial broiler chicken flocks by studying the associations between selected resource-based measures (RBM, potential risk factors), such as litter quality and dark period, and animal-based welfare indicators (ABM), such as foot pad dermatitis and lameness, and 2) establish the breadth of effect of a risk factor by determining the range of animal welfare indicators associated with each of the risk factors (i.e., the number of ABM related to a specific RBM). Eighty-nine broiler flocks were inspected in 4 European countries (France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands) in a cross-sectional study. The ABM were contact dermatitis (measured using scores of foot-pad dermatitis and hock burn, respectively), lameness (measured as gait score), fear of humans (measured by the avoidance distance test and the touch test), and negative emotional state (measured using qualitative behavior assessment, QBA). In a first step, risk factors were identified by building a multiple linear regression model for each ABM. Litter quality was identified as a risk factor for contact dermatitis. Length of dark period at 3 wk old (DARK3) was a risk factor for the touch test result. DARK3 and flock age were risk factors for lameness, and the number of different stockmen and DARK3 were risk factors for QBA results. Next, the ABM were grouped according to risk factor and counted. Then, in a second step, associations between the ABM were investigated using common factor analysis. The breadth of a risk factor’s effect was judged by combining the number (count) of ABM related to this factor and the strength of association between these ABM. Flock age and DARK3 appeared to affect several weakly correlated ABM, thus indicating a broad range of effects. Our findings suggest that manipulation of the predominant risk factors identified in this study (DARK3, litter quality, and slaughter age) could generate improvements in the related ABM and thereby enhance the birds’ overall welfare status.

ACS Style

A. W. Bassler; C. Arnould; Andrew Butterworth; L. Colin; Ingrid de Jong; Valentina Ferrante; P. Ferrari; S. Haslam; F. Wemelsfelder; Harry Blokhuis. Potential risk factors associated with contact dermatitis, lameness, negative emotional state, and fear of humans in broiler chicken flocks. Poultry Science 2013, 92, 2811 -2826.

AMA Style

A. W. Bassler, C. Arnould, Andrew Butterworth, L. Colin, Ingrid de Jong, Valentina Ferrante, P. Ferrari, S. Haslam, F. Wemelsfelder, Harry Blokhuis. Potential risk factors associated with contact dermatitis, lameness, negative emotional state, and fear of humans in broiler chicken flocks. Poultry Science. 2013; 92 (11):2811-2826.

Chicago/Turabian Style

A. W. Bassler; C. Arnould; Andrew Butterworth; L. Colin; Ingrid de Jong; Valentina Ferrante; P. Ferrari; S. Haslam; F. Wemelsfelder; Harry Blokhuis. 2013. "Potential risk factors associated with contact dermatitis, lameness, negative emotional state, and fear of humans in broiler chicken flocks." Poultry Science 92, no. 11: 2811-2826.

Comparative study
Published: 01 October 2013 in Poultry Science
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Current scientific approaches to welfare assessment in broilers are based on individual sampling that can be time consuming under field conditions. On the other hand, farmers conduct routine checks based on walks through the house to screen birds’ health condition. We adapted the walks through following line transect methodology used in wildlife studies to explore their feasibility as a welfare assessment tool. The aim of this study was to compare broiler welfare assessed by individual sampling and transect walks. We evaluated 6 identically managed flocks. For individual sampling, we collected measures on 150 birds, including weight, breast dirtiness, hock and footpad dermatitis, lameness, and immobility. Transect observations were conducted by slowly walking on randomized paths within each house recording: immobility, lameness, back dirtiness, sickness, agony, and dead. Transect walks allowed detection of small variations (P < 0.003) in the prevalence of most welfare indicators considered with consistency in interobserver reliability (P ≥ 0.05). In addition, assessments across transects were highly consistent (P ≥ 0.05). Individual sampling was also sensitive to differences across houses (P < 0.01) with the exception of immobility (P = 0.783). No differences were found across sampling locations (P ≥ 0.05). However, both methods differed greatly in the frequency of the incidence of the parameters considered. For example, immobility varied from 0.2 ± 0.02% for transect walks to 4 ± 2.3% for individual sampling, whereas lameness varied between 0.8 ± 0.07% and 24.2 ± 4.7% for transect and samplings, respectively. It is possible that the transect approach may have overlooked walking deficiencies because a large number of birds were scored, although if this was the case, the consistency obtained in the scoring across observers and transects would be surprising. Differences may also be related to possibly biased individual sampling procedures, where less mobile and passive individuals may be more likely to be caught. Furthermore the procedure may cause fatigue and fear reactions reducing mobility. Current study provides new insights into constraints and advantages of broiler on-farm assessment methods, which should be considered for designing on-farm welfare assessment protocols.

ACS Style

Joanna Marchewka; T. T. N. Watanabe; Valentina Ferrante; I. Estevez. Welfare assessment in broiler farms: Transect walks versus individual scoring. Poultry Science 2013, 92, 2588 -2599.

AMA Style

Joanna Marchewka, T. T. N. Watanabe, Valentina Ferrante, I. Estevez. Welfare assessment in broiler farms: Transect walks versus individual scoring. Poultry Science. 2013; 92 (10):2588-2599.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Joanna Marchewka; T. T. N. Watanabe; Valentina Ferrante; I. Estevez. 2013. "Welfare assessment in broiler farms: Transect walks versus individual scoring." Poultry Science 92, no. 10: 2588-2599.

Review
Published: 01 June 2013 in Poultry Science
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In modern rearing systems, turkey producers often face economic losses due to increased aggression, feather pecking, cannibalism, leg disorders, or injuries among birds, which are also significant welfare issues. The main underlying causes appear to relate to rapid growth, flock size, density, poor environmental complexity, or lighting, which may be deficient in providing the birds with an adequate physical or social environment. To date, there is little information regarding the effect of these factors on turkey welfare. This knowledge is, however, essential to ensure the welfare of turkeys and to improve their quality of life, but may also be beneficial to industry, allowing better bird performance, improved carcass quality, and reduced mortality and condemnations. This paper reviews the available scientific literature related to the behavior of turkeys as influenced by the physical and social environment that may be relevant to advances toward turkey production systems that take welfare into consideration. We addressed the effects that factors such as density, group size, space availability, maturation, lightning, feeding, and transport may have over parameters that may be relevant to ensure welfare of turkeys. Available scientific studies were based in experimental environments and identified individual factors corresponding to particular welfare problems. Most of the studies aimed at finding optimal levels of rearing conditions that allow avoiding or decreasing most severe welfare issues. This paper discusses the importance of these factors for development of production environments that would be better suited from a welfare and economic point of view.

ACS Style

J. Marchewka; T.T.N. Watanabe; Valentina Ferrante; I. Estevez. Review of the social and environmental factors affecting the behavior and welfare of turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo). Poultry Science 2013, 92, 1467 -1473.

AMA Style

J. Marchewka, T.T.N. Watanabe, Valentina Ferrante, I. Estevez. Review of the social and environmental factors affecting the behavior and welfare of turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo). Poultry Science. 2013; 92 (6):1467-1473.

Chicago/Turabian Style

J. Marchewka; T.T.N. Watanabe; Valentina Ferrante; I. Estevez. 2013. "Review of the social and environmental factors affecting the behavior and welfare of turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo)." Poultry Science 92, no. 6: 1467-1473.