Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify through infrared thermal imaging technology the facial surface temperature (FST) of laying hens in response to the variations in their thermal environment, and to identify the regional differences in FST to determine the most stable and reliable facial regions for monitoring of thermoregulatory status in chickens. Methods: Thirty Hy-Line Brown hens (25-week-old) were sequentially exposed to three different thermal conditions; optimal (OT, 22°C±2°C), low (LT, 10°C±4°C), and high temperature (HT, 30°C±2°C). The mean values of FST in five facial regions including around the eyes, earlobes, wattles, beak and nose, and comb were recorded through infrared thermography. The maximum FST (MFST) was also identified among the five face-selective regions, and its relationship with temperature-humidity index (THI) was established to identify the range of MFST in response to the variations in their thermal environment. Results: Hens exposed to OT condition at 15:00 displayed a higher temperature at wattles and around the eyes compared to other regions (p<0.001). However, under LT condition at 05:00 to 08:00, around the eyes surface temperature showed the highest value (p<0.01). In HT, wattles temperature tended to show the highest temperature over almost time intervals. Main distribution regions of MFST were wattles (63.3%) and around the eyes (16.7%) in OT, around the eyes (50%) in LT, and wattles (62.2%) and comb (18.3%) in HT. The regression equation between MFST and THI was estimated as MFST = 35.37+ 0.2383×THI (R2 = 0.44; p<0.001). Conclusion: The FST and the frequency of MFST in each facial region of laying hens responded sensitively to the variations in the thermal environment. The findings of this experiment provide useful information about the effect of the thermal conditions on the specific facial regions, thus offering an opportunity to stress and welfare assessment in poultry research and industry.

Objective: This study investigated the effects of vitamin A (VA) supplementation during late-stage pregnancy on longissimus dorsi muscle tissue development, birth traits, and growth performance of postnatal Korean native calves.Methods: In the preliminary experiment, twenty-six pregnant cattle (initial body weight [BW] = 319 kg (standard deviation [SD] = 30.1; 1st parity) were randomly assigned to the control and treatment groups. The treatment group received VA supplementation at 24,000 IU/d from gestational day 225 until delivery. In the main experiment, twelve pregnant cattle (initial BW = 317 kg [SD = 31.3]; 1st parity) were treated with VA supplementation at 24,000 IU/d (gestational days 150 to 225) and at 78,000 IU/d (gestational day 225 until delivery). Serum VA levels were analyzed in pregnant cattle, and the growth performance, gene expression, and serum VA levels were analyzed in the offspring.Results: Serum VA levels in pregnant cattle decreased the late gestation in both experiments (p<0.001). In the main experiment, pregnant cattle at parturition and offspring at birth in the treatment group had higher serum VA levels than those in the control group (p<0.05). In the treatment groups, an increased birth weight was observed in the main experimental group (p = 0.022), and a tendency (p = 0.088) toward an increased birth weight was observed in the preliminary experimental group. However, no differences were observed in the feed intake, average daily gain, gain-to-feed ratio, or BW of 31-day-old calves. Gene expression was analyzed in longissimus dorsi muscles of 31-day-old calves. VA supplementation in pregnant cattle stimulated postnatal muscle development in offspring by elevating myogenic factor 5 (MYF5), MYF6, and myoblast determination levels (p<0.05). Moreover, preadipocyte-related marker genes such as extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 and krüppel-like factor 2 were higher in the treatment group than in the control group (p<0.05).Conclusion: VA supplementation (78,000 IU/d) in late-stage pregnant cattle maintained serum VA levels. In addition, 78,000 IU/d VA supplementation increased the birth weight and expression of genes related to muscle and preadipocyte development in offspring. Overall, 78,000 IU/d VA supplementation in pregnant cattle is beneficial to newborn calves.

Journal of Animal Science and Technology (JAST) is a peer-reviewed, open access journal publishing original research, review articles and notes in all fields of animal science. Topics covered by the journal include: genetics and breeding, physiology, nutrition of monogastric animals, nutrition of ruminants, animal products (milk, meat, eggs and their by-products) and their processing, grasslands and roughages, livestock environment, animal biotechnology, animal behavior and welfare.

Objective: The study sought to estimate the relationship between body surface temperature (BST) and temperature humidity index (THI) and to present the validity of THI as a heat stress index in the field.Methods: Eight Hanwoo heifers (20 to 32 month) were examined in a field trial, with a space allowance of 10 m2 per head. The BST was measured using an infrared thermographic camera. The BST of five body regions (eyes, hindquarters, nose, part of horns, and ears), ambient temperature (AT), and relative humidity (RH) were measured 7 times daily (07, 09, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19 h) during each season with three replicates.Results: The THI ranged 34.0 to 56.9 during spring (AT, –1.0°C to 13.4°C), 75.1 to 84.7 during summer (AT, 24.9°C to 33.6°C), 55.8 to 70.9 during autumn (AT, 13.0°C to 26.0°C) and 17.5 to 39.2 during winter (AT, –10.4°C to 1.0°C). In the regression analysis, the coefficient of determination (R2) between THI and BST was 0.88, 0.72, 0.83, 0.86, and 0.85 for the eyes, hindquarters, nose, part of horn, and ears area, respectively. This indicates that BST has a strong correlation with AT and RH. Expression equations were estimated as Y (THI) = 31.54+0.1085X (BST of eyes) and Y (THI) = 30.48+0.1147X (BST of hindquarters) by simple linear regression analysis in this experiment.Conclusion: Consequently, the upper bound for heat stress estimation can be specified ranging from THI of 65 (eyes) to 70 (hindquarters). From this we can expect a precise feeding system for Korean native cattle in the field.

The monitoring of pre-weaned calf behavior is crucial for ensuring health, welfare, and optimal growth. This study aimed to develop and validate a machine learning-based technique for the simultaneous monitoring of multiple behaviors in pre-weaned beef calves within a cow–calf contact (CCC) system using collar-mounted sensors integrating accelerometers and gyroscopes. Three complementary models were developed to classify feeding-related behaviors (natural suckling, feeding, rumination, and others), postural states (lying and standing), and coughing events. Sensor data, including tri-axial acceleration and tri-axial angular velocity, along with video recordings, were collected from 78 beef calves across two farms. The LightGBM algorithm was employed for behavior classification, and model performance was evaluated using a confusion matrix, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC), and Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r). Model 1 achieved a high performance in recognizing natural suckling (accuracy: 99.10%; F1 score: 96.88%; AUC-ROC: 0.999; r: 0.997), rumination (accuracy: 97.36%; F1 score: 95.07%; AUC-ROC: 0.995; r: 0.990), and feeding (accuracy: 95.76%; F1 score: 91.89%; AUC-ROC: 0.990; r: 0.987). Model 2 exhibited an excellent classification of lying (accuracy: 97.98%; F1 score: 98.45%; AUC-ROC: 0.989; r: 0.982) and standing (accuracy: 97.98%; F1 score: 97.11%; AUC-ROC: 0.989; r: 0.983). Model 3 achieved a reasonable performance in recognizing coughing events (accuracy: 88.88%; F1 score: 78.61%; AUC-ROC: 0.942; r: 0.969). This study demonstrates the potential of machine learning and collar-mounted sensors for monitoring multiple behaviors in calves, providing a valuable tool for optimizing production management and early disease detection in the CCC system

This study compared the effects of two C3 forages (Italian ryegrass [RG], Timothy grass [TG]) and two C4 forages (Klein grass [KG], Bermuda grass [BG]) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and nitrogen (N) balance in Korean crossbred black goats to evaluate C4 warm-season forages as alternatives under changing climate conditions. Sixteen castrated goats (10 months old) were allocated to four treatments using a randomized complete block design. Diets contained 40% treatment-specific forage and 60% commercial concentrate. After adaptation periods, a 5-day metabolism trial measured performance and digestibility parameters. No significant differences occurred among treatments for growth performance or digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, ash, and non-fiber carbohydrate. C4 grasses showed significantly lower acid detergent fiber and ether extract digestibility than C3 grasses, with KG having the lowest ether extract digestibility. The KG group had higher N intake and absorption than the TG group, while BG showed lower urinary and total N excretion than KG. No differences existed in retained N, utilization efficiency, or biological value among groups. Both C3 and C4 forages supported comparable goat growth performance, providing a reference for utilizing different photosynthetic pathway forages under changing climatic conditions.