The aim of this experiment was to study the effects of substituting dietary barley grain with orange pulp or soybean hulls on energy, nitrogen and carbon balance, methane emission and milk performance in dairy goats. Twelve Murciano-Granadina dairy goats in midlactation were selected and divided into three groups based on similar body weight (42.1 ± 1.2 kg) and milk yield (2.16 ± 0.060 kg/goat/day). The experiment was conducted in an incomplete crossover design where one group of four goats was fed a mixed ration of barley grain (BRL), another group of four goats replaced barley grain with orange pulp (OP) and the last group of four goats with soybean hulls (SH). After adaptation to diets, the goats were allocated to individual metabolism cages and intake, faeces, urine and milk were recorded and analysed. Then, gas exchange measurements were recorded by a mobile open-circuit indirect calorimetry system using a head box. Dry matter intake was similar for all three groups (2.03 kg/d, on average). No influence of the diet was observed for energy balance and the efficiency of use of metabolizable energy for milk production was 0.61. The OP and SH diets showed greater (P < 0.05) fat mobilization (-42.8 kJ/kg of BW^0.75, on average) than BRL (19.2 kJ/kg of BW^0.75). Pentadecanoic acid (15:0) and heptadecanoic acid (17:0) were potential biomarkers of rumen function because the higher contents found in the milk of OP and SH goats than BRL suggest a negative impact of these diets on rumen bacterial metabolism; probably linked to the lower nitrogen supply of diet OP to synthesize microbial protein and greater content of fat in diet SH. Replacement of cereal grain with fibrous by-products did not increased enteric methane emissions (54.7 L/goat per day, on average). Therefore, lactating goats could utilize dry orange pulp and soybean hulls diets with no detrimental effect on milk performance.

The objective of this experiment was to find out the effect of lemon leaves on energy and C–N balances, methane emission, and milk performance in dairy goats. Lemon leaves were used to replace alfalfa as forage in a diet for Murciano-Granadina goats. Ten Murciano-Granadina dairy goats (44.1 ± 4.47 kg of BW) in late lactation (185 ± 7.2 d) were selected in a crossover design experiment, where each goat received 2 treatments in 2 periods. One group was fed a mixed ration with 450 g of pelleted alfalfa per kilogram of DM (ALF diet) and, the other group replaced alfalfa with 450 g of pelleted lemon leaves per kilogram DM (LEM diet). The concentrate was pelleted, being the same for the two groups (forage to concentrate ratio was 45/55). The goats were allocated to individual metabolism cages. After 14 d of adaptation, feed intake, total fecal and urine output, and milk yield were recorded daily over a 5-d period. Then, gas exchange measurements were recorded individually by an open-circuit indirect calorimetry system using a head box. Higher dietary lipids in LEM diet reduced DMI (200 g/d) and energy intake (251 kJ/kg of BW^0.75), although no differences between treatments were observed for ME intake (998 kJ/kg of BW^0.75, on average) and oxidation of nutrients (64% and 25% for carbohydrates and fat oxidation, respectively, on heat production from oxidation basis). Greater (P < 0.05) milk fat values for C18:2n6t and CLA 9c11t + 9t11c were found in LEM compared with ALF diet. Goats fed LEM diet produced significantly fewer CH₄ emissions than ALF diet (18%). Likewise, the use of lemon leaves as forage reduced the amount of CH₄ in 2.7 g/kg of milk. Results suggest that lemon leaves are effective in reducing CH₄ emission without detrimental effect on milk yield.

The objective of this experiment was to study the effect of substitution of corn by beet pulp on energy partitioning, substrate oxidation, nitrogen and carbon balance and milk performance in dairy goats during late lactation. Twelve multiparous lactating Murciano-Granadina goats were fed two diets. Six goats were fed a mixed ration with 310 g/kg DM of ground corn (diet CORN) and in the other diet the corn was substituted with 302 g/kg DM of beet pulp (diet BP) in a cross-over design. No significant differences between diets were observed for milk production (1.36 kg/day, on average) and differences were found for milk fat (5.39 and 4.21% for BP and CORN, respectively). The metabolisable energy intake was higher (P < 0.05) in the CORN diet than BP (1320 vs 1044 kJ/kg0.75 BW, respectively). The difference in methane emissions between treatments was significant (P < 0.05) with values of 92 vs 61 kJ/kg0.75 BW for BP and CORN, respectively, indicating that greater levels of starch in diet reduce methane production. Replacing corn with BP reduced significantly the energy body fat deposition (300 vs 44 kJ/kg0.75 BW for CORN and BP diets, respectively). This reduction in energy retention for the BP diet did not compromise milk yield and milk energy output.

Non-contact devices have been used in the measurement of body temperature in livestock production as a tool for testing disease in different species. However, there are few studies about the variation and correlations in body temperature between rectal temperature (RT) and non-contact devices such as non-contact infrared thermometers (NCIT) and thermal imaging/infrared thermography (IRT). The objective of this work was to evaluate the accuracy of non-contact devices to measure the body temperature in sheep, considering six body regions and the possibility of implementing these systems in herd management. The experiment was carried out at the experimental farm of the Catholic University of Valencia, located in the municipality of Massanassa in July of 2021, with 72 dry manchega ewes, and we compared the rectal temperature with two types of non-contact infrared devices for the assessment of body temperature in healthy sheep. Except for the temperature taken by NCIT at the muzzle, the correlation between RT vs. NCIT or IRT showed a low significance or was difficult to use for practical flock management purposes. In addition, the variability between devices was high, which implies that measurements should be interpreted with caution in warm climates and open pens, such as most sheep farms in the Spanish Mediterranean area. The use of infrared cameras devices to assess body temperature may have a promising future, but in order to be widely applied as a routine management method on farms, the system needs to become cheaper, simpler in terms of measurements and quicker in terms of analyzing results.

The ovine respiratory complex significantly affects lamb welfare and production efficiency, necessitating accurate diagnostic methods for pulmonary lesions. This study explores the relationship between clinical scoring, auscultation, ultrasonography, and macroscopic post-mortem evaluation to assess respiratory disease in 111 lambs. A standardized clinical scoring system, adapted from bovine models, evaluated ocular and nasal discharge, head tilt, cough, and rectal temperature. Auscultation categorized pulmonary sounds, while ultrasonography identified lung abnormalities, including B-lines, consolidations, pleural effusion, and abscesses. Macroscopic post-mortem examinations confirmed lesion extent. Kendall–Tau-B correlation coefficient analysis revealed significant associations between the methods (p < 0.01), with a high correlation between auscultation and clinical scoring τ of 0.634 (95% CI: 0.489 to 0.765), auscultation and ultrasonography τ of 0.611 (95% CI: 0.500 to 0.710), and ultrasonography and post-mortem findings τ 0.608 (95% CI: 0.460 to 0.731). While auscultation and clinical scoring provided useful insights, ultrasonography exhibited superior sensitivity in detecting subclinical and early-stage lesions, aligning closely with post-mortem evaluations. These findings emphasize ultrasonography as an effective tool for diagnosing respiratory disease in lambs, improving diagnostic accuracy and enabling timely interventions to mitigate disease impact and reduce antimicrobial use.

The horse is a herbivorous animal that is used for various purposes, one of them is the production of meat intended for human consumption. Worldwide, horse meat production is led by Asia, leaving Europe in third place. Spain is not a country with a great tradition of consumption of this meat, even so, 18,275 farms are dedicated to it, sacrificing 52,908 horses per year. Specifically, 6,368 horses are slaughtered approximately in a year in the Valencian Community. The objective of the present study is to determine, through antemortem and postmortem inspection, the causes of the main seizures produced in equine livestock destined for human consumption, recognizing the lesions and taking the pertinent decision in each of the organs and parts of the animal. To this end, an experimental study was carried out in 794 horses in 2016 and during the months from January to April 2017. Data have been collected from the inspections carried out during the working day in the so-called “Daily Equine Inspection Part’’, where each of the generated seizures and their causes are recorded. Knowing the sacrifices and the amount of seizures made, it is observed that total confiscation is relegated to a second plane and partial seizure is the predominant one. The lung is the most common partial seizure, followed by the liver. The main pathologies causing seizures are pneumonias, and a large number of cases are seized by decision of the official veterinarian.