Chronic exposure to high ambient temperatures is detrimental to laying hen performance and egg quality. Plant secondary metabolites may alleviate effects, partly due to their antioxidant activities. Herein, we investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with a phytonutrient solution (PHYTO) consisting of a plant extract combination of Scutellaria baicalensis and Curcuma longa on young layers (25–32 wk of age) raised under naturally elevated temperature conditions. Four hundred, 24-wk-old Lohmann hens were allocated in 50 cages and, after a week of adaptation, were offered a diet either containing 2 g/kg of PHYTO or not, for 8 wk. Hen BW was measured at the beginning and end of the trial, and egg production and feed intake were recorded weekly. At week 32, four eggs per cage were collected to determine egg quality characteristics as well as the rate of lipid and albumen oxidation in fresh eggs. At the end of the trial, two hens per cage were blood sampled for assessment of biochemical markers, one of which was euthanized for histopathological evaluation of the liver and intestine and assessment of intestinal histomorphometry. The herbal mixture supplementation significantly increased egg production rate at weeks 28 and 29 and for the overall production period, and feed efficiency at weeks 26–29. In addition, the degree of liver necrosis and microvascular thrombosis was lower (P < 0.05) whereas intestinal villosity was greater in duodenal and jejunal segments (P < 0.05) in the PHYTO compared to the control group. Supplementation also reduced (P < 0.05) blood concentrations of corticosterone, alanine aminotransferase activity, and TBARS, and a reduction in catalase activity was observed. Egg quality characteristics were not affected, except for eggshell thickness, egg diameter, and eggshell breaking strength that were superior in the PHYTO group (P < 0.05). PHYTO supplementation significantly improved egg lipid oxidation status of fresh eggs. In conclusion, supplementation with PHYTO improved laying hen productivity and egg quality, which was associated with an improvement in laying hen thermotolerance.

The objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of producing eggs enriched in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) while also increasing the oxidative stability of egg yolk. Here, 432 68-week-old Isa Brown layers were split into two groups of 216, consisting of three subgroups of 72 each. Group C was fed a standard corn–soybean meal diet, while Group P received the same basic diet with an additional 24 g of fresh purslane. In the drinking water of hens of the three subgroups of group C and the three subgroups of group P, either no essential oil (C-0, P-0) or 100 ppm of oregano essential oil (C-ORE, P-ORE) or 100 ppm of a blend of oregano, sage, and fennel essential oils (C-BLEND, P-BLEND) was administered. The purslane supplementation resulted in increased egg weight, improved yolk color, higher levels of α-linolenic and linoleic acids, and an improved omega-6/omega-3 nutritional index. The addition of essential oils resulted in a significant increase in the oxidative stability of the egg yolk, with the BLEND being the most effective. In conclusion, the combined administration of fresh purslane and essential oils of aromatic plants could be suggested for the production of eggs enriched in omega-3 PUFA, protected with natural antioxidants of plant origin.

This paper aims to examine the current state of dairy cattle farming in Greece, to identify factors that aff ect its profitability, and to analyse the efficiency of farms, using the non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method. It also assesses the economic viability of dairy cattle farms by quantifying the technical efficiency of their processes, with a view to suggesting measures that may serve to improve competitiveness. Results have shown that the mean technical efficiencies estimated for the CRS and VRS DEA approaches are 0.693 and 0.754 respectively, indicating that 30.7% and 21.6% equiproportional decreases in inputs are feasible, given the level of outputs and the production technology.

The aim of this study was the detailed characterization of the existing zootechnical and financial management applied in broiler poultry farms in the Region of Epirus, Greece. The current situation was captured through the formation of a typology on the structural characterization of broiler farming system. The variables were recorded based on data from a stratified random sample according to Neyman’s methodology of 110 poultry farms. In the typology, hierarchical cluster analysis was applied to identify differences between farms and to support most of this differentiation. Chebyshev distance was used to maximize the effect of the cluster elements distance, as well as Ward’s clustering method, which aims to achieve greater homogeneity within the clusters. Bonferroni multiple comparison tests were used to evaluate the differences. Four clusters of different farm types were identified from the hierarchical cluster analysis. In conclusion, the production system of broiler farms in Epirus is intensive, especially in large farms that have made significant investments in fixed capital and implement successful management. However, the poultry sector in Epirus has further margin for improvement in both its productivity and profitability.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with organic oregano (Origanum vulgare) essential oil (OEO) on the rumen microbial population, with a focus on methanogenic archaea, in lactating dairy goats. A total of nine age-matched goats (mean body weight 49 ± 1.8 kg) were assigned to three experimental groups (n = 3 per group) in a completely randomized design. All animals were fed a basal diet consisting of a corn-based concentrate and a forage mix composed of alfalfa hay, wheat straw and corn silage. Group 1 was the control group while Groups 2 and 3 received an OEO supplement at dosages of 1 mL/day and 2 mL/day per animal, respectively, incorporated into the concentrate feed. Rumen fluid samples were collected on days 15, 30 and 45 of the feeding trial and their microbial profile was assessed using NGS analysis. The results demonstrated a reduction in the relative abundance of methanobacteria in both OEO-supplemented groups compared to the control group. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between feeding groups and days of sampling. These findings suggest that OEO has the potential to modulate the rumen microbiome by reducing methane-producing archaeal populations. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with OEO may serve as a natural strategy to mitigate enteric methane emissions in Alpine dairy goats.

Lean Meat Percentage (LMP) is a key index for assessing pork carcass quality as well as determining carcass classification and price. This framework offers to farmers the incentive to achieve the desired organoleptic features; therefore LMP must be measured objectively online, by means of various measuring instruments. The aim of this work was to assess two different methods for predicting the lean meat percentage of pig carcasses in Greece in comparison to the European reference method. For this reason, the same 130 pig carcasses (65 males and 65 females) were measured using 2 prediction devices (Optiscan-TP and Optigrade-MCP) and subsequently were assessed according to European reference method. A formula corresponding to each device was constructed using the ordinary least squares (OLS)method and excluding the same outliers. Calculated RMSEP for all 130 carcasses was 2.46518 for Optiscan-TP and 2.48489 for Optigrade-MCP. It can be concluded that both methods perform entirely according to EU legislation (Commission Regulation (EC) 1249/2008, European Union, 2008), and results obtained are similar regardless of different measurement points and technologies.