The livestock industry is undergoing significant transformation with the integration of intelligent technologies aimed at enhancing productivity, welfare, and sustainability. This review explores the latest advancements in intelligent systemization (IS), including real-time monitoring, machine learning (ML), and the Internet of Things (IoT), and their impacts on livestock farming. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of how these technologies can address industry challenges by improving animal health, optimizing resource use, and promoting sustainable practices. The methods involve an extensive review of the current literature and case studies on intelligent monitoring, data analytics, automation in feeding and climate control, and renewable energy integration. The results indicate that IS enhances livestock well-being through real-time health monitoring and early disease detection, optimizes feeding efficiency, and reduces operational costs through automation. Furthermore, these technologies contribute to environmental sustainability by minimizing waste and reducing the ecological footprint of livestock farming. This study highlights the transformative potential of intelligent technologies in creating a more efficient, humane, and sustainable livestock industry.

The effects of genotype and diet on growth performance, carcass traits and blood metabolites were investigated. The commercial Ross 308 (R) chickens genotype, a local Black Transylvanian Naked Neck (BTNN) breed, and their crosses were used in an 81-day study. A total of 720 one-d-old chicks were allotted into eight groups in a 4 × 2 factorial design with 4 genotypes: Rmale × Rfemale (R), BTNNmale × Rfemale (BTNN-R), BTNNmale × BTNNfemale (BTNN), Rmale × BTNNfemale (R-BTNN), and 2 diets: control and low-metabolisable energy (LME). Genotype affected performance parameters, namely body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), energy intake (EI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), energy conversion ratio (ECR), and production efficiency factor (PEF), irrespective of growth phase (p < 0.05). Diet had no significant effect on overall BWG, EI, ECR and PEF, except that it increased FI and FCR. Genotype influenced the carcass and organ yields (p < 0.05), except bursa weight, while diet had no significant effect. Blood parameters (total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, albumin and phosphorus) were affected only by genotype (p < 0.05). In summary, results show that from the two crossbreedings obtained between R and BTNN genotypes, the BTNN-R growth performance and carcass traits were superior to R-BTNN, even though both have had a similar improved plasma response. Lowering the ME level did not significantly affect the BWG but increased FI and FCR, whereas the production index was similar regardless of the genotype. Based on the present results, we concluded that the BTNN-R crosses are the most suitable for use in alternative rearing systems for slow-growing chickens.

This study evaluated the effects of a dietary mixture based on extruded linseed and pea (ELP; 20:80 w/w) and probiotics (L. acidophilus) on the performance, biochemical responses, breast muscle fatty acids (FA) profile, and lipid indices in broiler chickens. A total of 480 one-day-old Ross 308 broilers were assigned into four groups in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with two levels of ELP (0% and 30%) at the expense of soybean meal, corn, and vegetable oil and two levels of probiotic (0 and 20 g ton⁻¹ feed). There were no effects of ELP diet or probiotic supplementation on performance and carcass traits. Feeding the ELP diet increased plasma total protein, urea nitrogen (PUN), and creatinine (Cre) levels with no changes in the PUN/Cre ratio. A probiotic addition lowered the total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and the TC/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C ratios. The ELP diet improved the breast muscle FA profile by lowering total saturated FA (SFA) and increasing total polyunsaturated FA (PUFA), omega-3 (n-3), unsaturated FA (UFA), PUFA/SFA, and UFA/SFA ratios. Probiotics increased total PUFA, omega-6 (n-6) and decreased the n-6/n-3 ratio, total UFA, and UFA/SFA ratio. Dietary treatment interaction exhibited a synergistic effect for total PUFA and an antagonistic effect for n-3 PUFA and n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio in breast muscle. Probiotics reduced some lipid indices (PUFA/SFA ratio, desirable FA and nutritive value index) only when ELP0 was fed. In conclusion, based on these results, using ELP30 alone in broiler diets is recommended to improve meat’s nutritional value for consumers.

We investigated changes in nitrogen metabolism and chemical, fatty acid (FA) and amino acid (AA) composition in tissues (longissimus dorsi (LD) and semitendinosus (ST) muscles, heart, spleen, liver and cecum) following the dietary addition of extruded linseed and walnut meal (50:50 mix). Plasma creatinine and urea nitrogen were determined as well. Two trials were designed using barrows (five replicates) allotted in two groups [(control, (SM) and experimental, (LEW))] in metabolic cages. The experimental diet rich in n-3 FA led to a significant increase of retained nitrogen (>8.09% in the LEW group). The biological value of feed protein was 14.8% higher in the LEW group than in the SM group. LD muscles from the SM group and liver from the LEW group had greater nitrogen contents, whereas the heart and spleen had lower concentrations of nitrogen in the LEW group. Diet had a pronounced effect on n-3 FA, particularly on α-linolenic fatty acid (ALA) (p < 0.0001). The highest levels of ALA were recorded in the cecum (>6.06 times in LEW) and heart (>5.44 times in LEW). The highest level of lysine was noticed in the LD muscle (>2.1% in SM). An n-3-rich diet significantly reduced the amount of nitrogen excreted; greater than 40% nitrogen was retained, thus improving the meat composition.

The study aimed to assess the effects of the dietary supplementation of microencapsulated L. acidophilus and L. plantarum and their combination on the growth performance, organ development, diarrhoea incidences, blood profiles, intestinal histomorphology and microflora in weaned piglets. For that, 160 piglets with an average body weight (BW) of 8.52 ± 0.15 kg were divided into four groups (40 piglets/group) and allotted to one of the four dietary treatments as follows: a basal diet (C diet) or a basal diet containing 1 × 10⁸ CFU/g of L. acidophilus (LA diet), or a diet containing 3 × 10⁸ CFU/g of L. plantarum (LP diet) and a diet with the combination of both bacterial strains (LA + LP diet) for 21 days. On day 14, probiotics significantly increased ADFI, while FCR was higher in the LA and LP groups than the C and LA + LP groups. No effects (p > 0.05) on visceral organs weight, intestinal pH and biochemical parameters among treatments were noticed. Treatments significantly lowered diarrhoea incidence compared to control. Villus width was greater (p < 0.05) in all small intestinal segments in piglets fed probiotics. In the jejunum and ileum villus length, crypt length, and total villi length were higher (p < 0.05), particularly in the LA + LP group. The probiotics, particularly the LA + LP group, modulated the cecal, jejunum and ileum microbial community structure and increased (p < 0.05) the amount of Lactobacillus spp. while decreasing the populations of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus. Our results indicated that dietary supplementation of microencapsulated probiotics, particularly the combination of L. plantarum and L acidophilus strains, maintained growth performance, lowered diarrhoea incidence and beneficially altered the intestinal architecture and microbial populations of weaned piglets.

Semi-natural grasslands are particularly important in mountainous areas of Romania, being the only source of forage for many farmers. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in forage quantity and quality as a result of Urea Ammonium nitrate (UAN) liquid fertilization. The experiment was carried out in the eastern part of Apuseni Mountains, Romania on a Festuca rubra L.-Agrostis capillaris L. grassland located at 1240 m altitude. Studies were made over three years of experimental trial (2014–2016) and covered four experimental plots in three replicates, as follows: V1–control plot, unfertilized; V2–plot fertilized with 50 kg UAN ha⁻¹ year⁻¹; V3–plot fertilized with 75 kg UAN ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, and V4–plot fertilized with 100 kg UAN ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. The experimental plots were harvested once per year and the botanical composition, dry matter yield and forage quality were assessed. Our results showed important changes in forage quantity, quality and diversity as a result of UAN fertilization. Starting from the second experimental year the dominance/co-dominance ratio changed favoring the species from Poaceae family. Dry matter increased as a result of UAN fertilization but forage quality was negatively affected by the higher percentage of participation of species from other botanical families which have higher crude fiber content and lower crude protein. Based on our results we recommend moderate fertilization with UAN up to 50 kg UAN ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ for semi-natural grasslands located in soil-climatic conditions similar to those in our experiment.