A scientific literature review and consensus of expert opinion used the welfare definitions provided by the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) Five Freedoms as the framework for selecting a set of animal-based indicators that were sensitive to the current on-farm welfare issues of young lambs (aged demeanour, response to stimulation, shivering, standing ability, posture, abdominal fill, body condition, lameness, eye condition and salivation were tested as part of the objective of developing valid, reliable and feasible animal-based measures of lamb welfare The indicators were independently tested on 966 young lambs from 17 sheep flocks across Northwest England and Wales during December 2008 to April 2009 by four trained observers. Inter-observer reliability was assessed using Fleiss's kappa (test standard observer. Latent class analysis (LCA) estimated the sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of each observer without assuming a gold standard and predicted the Se and Sp of randomly selected observers who may apply the indicators in the future. Overall, good levels of inter-observer reliability, and high levels of Sp were identified for demeanour ( 0.70, Sp = 0.57, Se = 0.30 to 0.77, Sp = 0.55, Se = 0.37 to 0.85, Sp 0.80, Sp = 0.45, Se = 0.44, Se = 0.39 to 0.98, Sp = 0.99), body condition ( 0.38 to 0.90, Sp = 0.99), lameness ( = 0.72, Se 0.98 (high) for assessments of demeanour, lameness, abdominal fill posture, body condition and eye condition. The diagnostic performance of some indicators was influenced by the composition of the study population, and it would be useful to test the indicators on lambs with a greater level of outcomes associated with poor welfare. The findings presented in this paper could be applied in the selection of valid, reliable and feasible indicators used for the purposes of on-farm assessments of lamb welfare.

The genus Macavirus, subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae, comprises ungulate viruses that infect domestic and wild ruminants and swine. They cause asymptomatic latent infections in reservoir hosts and malignant catarrhal fever in susceptible species. Lung, spleen, bronchial lymph node, and tongue were collected from 448 cattle (348 necropsied, 100 slaughtered) in Switzerland, United Kingdom, Finland, Belgium, and Germany to determine their infection with bovine herpesvirus-6 (BoHV-6) and gammaherpesviruses of other ruminants, i.e., ovine herpesvirus-1 and -2, caprine herpesvirus-2, and bison lymphotropic herpesvirus, using quantitative PCR. Only BoHV-6 was detected, with an overall frequency of 32%, ranging between 22% and 42% in the different countries. Infection was detected across all ages, from one day after birth, and was positively correlated with age. There was no evidence of an association with specific disease processes. In positive animals, BoHV-6 was detected in all organs with high frequency, consistently in the lungs or spleen. Viral loads varied substantially. In BoHV-6-positive gravid cows, organs of fetuses tested negative for infection, indicating that the virus is not vertically transmitted. Our results confirm previous data indicating that BoHV-6 is a commensal of domestic cattle not associated with disease processes and confirm that infections with other macaviruses are rare and sporadic.

Feline coronavirus (FCoV) infection initiates monocyte-associated viremia and viral persistence. Virus-infected, -activated monocytes also trigger feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a fatal systemic disease of felids typified by granulomatous (peri)phlebitis. Currently, the exact mechanisms inducing monocyte activation and FIP are unknown. This study attempted to identify the potential immediate effect of virulent FCoV on colony-stimulating factor (CSF) (granulocyte (G)-CSF, monocyte (M)-CSF and granulocyte-monocyte (GM)-CSF levels through in vitro assessment, alongside prototypical pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators (interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, IL-12p40, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and IL-10); this was assessed alongside the in vivo situation in the hemolymphatic tissues of cats euthanized with natural end-stage FIP. For the in vitro work, isolated monocytes from SPF cats were cultured short-term and infected with the FIP virus (FIPV) strain DF2. Mediator transcription was assessed by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-qPCR) at 3, 6 and 9 h post infection (hpi), and in the post-mortem samples of bone marrow, spleen, and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) of cats with FIP. We observed limited and transient changes in cytokine transcription in monocytes after infection, i.e., a significant increase of IL-6 at 3 hpi and of GM-CSF over the 3 and 6 hpi period, whereas M-CSF was significantly decreased at 9 hpi, with a limited effect of age. The findings indicate that the infection induces expansion of the monocyte/macrophage population, which would ensure the sufficient supply of cells for consistent viral replication. In natural disease, the only upregulation was of G-CSF in the MLN, suggesting either immune exhaustion or an active downregulation by the host as part of its viral response.

Objectives: The present study aimed to determine the reference intervals for complete blood count and total protein parameters in Greek indigenous Capra prisca goats and to evaluate their associations with parasitic burden, age and reproductive stage. Methods: Two-hundred clinically health goats were grouped by parasite status (gastrointestinal nematodes, Eimeria spp., and lungworm infection), age (3–6-month-old growing kids; lactating non-pregnant goats ≤ 3 or >3 years old) and reproductive stage (non-lactating pregnant goats; lactating non-pregnant goats). Blood samples were analyzed for erythrogram, leukogram and megakaryocytic parameters using an automated analyzer and manual blood smears. Total plasma proteins were measured using refractometry. Results: Gastrointestinal nematode-infected animals (>300 eggs per gram of feces) were associated with a significant reduction in red blood cell counts and hematocrit estimation, and an increase in mean corpuscular hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentrations, while lungworm-infected animals were associated with decreased red blood cells, red cell distribution width and neutrophils, and increased lymphocytes compared to non-infected animals. Eimeria spp. affected only basophils in growing kids. Age influenced all erythrocytic and leukocytic parameters (apart from neutrophils and monocytes), as well as all megakaryocytic parameters and total proteins, with younger animals showing higher red and white blood cell counts and platelets compared to adults. Pregnant does had elevated hemoglobin, hematocrit, neutrophils and monocytes compared with lactating non-pregnant does. Conclusions: The calculated 95% reference intervals for our demographic groups of animals provide a useful diagnostic framework for assessing Capra prisca health in Greek goat farming.

This review paper provides a comprehensive overview of the use of water in livestock and poultry nutrition, focusing on both quantitative requirements and quality standards. The review is based on the evaluation and synthesis of the published scientific literature addressing water intake, physiological functions, and quality parameters in farm animals. It summarizes the physiological roles of water in key metabolic processes and examines the primary factors influencing water requirements, including animal species, stage of production, and environmental conditions. Furthermore, the article compiles available data on water intake across major livestock systems and outlines the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics required to ensure animal health and food safety. Water constitutes a large proportion of body weight, ranging from 50% to 95% depending on species, and is essential for nutrient transport, thermoregulation, and waste elimination. Water requirements are highly variable and influenced by multiple interacting factors, such as ambient temperature, humidity, and dietary composition. Ensuring continuous access to adequate quantities of safe, high-quality water is essential for optimizing animal health, productivity, and welfare and should be integrated into routine farm management and regulatory frameworks.

Introduction: Grazing dairy ewes are often heavily challenged by parasitic infections, which represent one of the most important concerns in sheep farming due to their impacts on dairy sheep production. Objectives: The objectives of the present study were (i) to compare the short (i.e., albendazole) and long (i.e., eprinomectin) persistent effect of these anthelmintics in reducing infections by gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) in ewes and (ii) to determine these effects on milk yield and quality in naturally infected with GIN dairy ewes. Methods: On each farm, 40 selected ewes were divided into four similar groups on Day 0 based on their fecal egg counts (eggs per gram of feces; epg) as follows: Group 1—control group; Group 2—albendazole-treated group; Group 3—pour-on eprinomectin-treated group; Group 4—injectable eprinomectin-treated group. Fecal egg counts and coprocultures were performed on Days 0, 15, 30, 45, 60 and 75. The milk yield and milk quality (i.e., fat and protein concentration and somatic cell counts) were estimated on the aforementioned occasions. Results: Eprinomectin outperformed albendazole in treating gastrointestinal nematode infections in dairy ewes. Both pour-on and injectable eprinomectin formulations provided long-lasting protection by reducing fecal egg counts (i.e., from 92.1% to 99.9%). Furthermore, eprinomectin-treated ewes exhibited increased daily milk yield and improved milk composition in terms of fat and protein concentrations and somatic cell counts. Conclusions: These findings highlight the benefits of long-persistent efficacy of eprinomectin as a preferred anthelmintic treatment for lactating dairy ewes, offering enhanced productivity and milk quality, while addressing parasite resistance concerns.