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Prof. Vicente Rodriguez-Estevez
University of Cordoba

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Research Keywords & Expertise

0 Life Cycle Assessment
0 organic livestock
0 agroforestry systems
0 Animal welfare and precision livestock farming
0 swine production

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Animal welfare and precision livestock farming
organic livestock

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Short Biography

He obtained his Bch. in Veterinary Medicine in 1995 and his PhD in Veterinary Medicine in 2008 at the University of Córdoba (Spain). His research career covers various areas of Animal Science (Animal Production), from intensive pig production to extensive and organic farming, including innovation and transfer in both systems. The developed investigations are focused on the animal welfare, sustainability, management and quality improvement of livestock systems in an interdisciplinary and interdepartmental manner. He is the principal investigator for an entire EU LIFE project Adaptation to Climate Change of Extensive Livestock Production Models in Europe (LIFE17 CCA/ES/000035).

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Journal article
Published: 18 April 2021 in Animals
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In the wake of climate change and global warming, the production systems of water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) are receiving increasing attention in the tropics, where the silvopastoral systems can improve animal welfare and production conditions. The objective of this study was to characterize the behavior of heifer buffaloes in a silvopastoral system (SPS) with Leucaena leucocephala (600 trees/ha) and in a conventional system (CVS), under intense heat stress and moderate heat stress in Cuba. We observed nine animals, with an average weight of 167.9 kg at the beginning of the study, during the daylight period, from 6:00 to 18:00 h, at 10 min intervals, for 12 days. Activities recorded were grazing, ingestion of tree leaves, rumination, water intake, walking, lying, standing, sheltering in the shade of trees, and wallowing. Sheltering in the shade of trees and wallowing were collectively considered as thermoregulatory behavior (TB). TB was different in both systems and conditions of heat stress (p < 0.05), with 4.06 in CVS and 3.81 h in SPS in the intense heat stress period, while it was 2.91 and 1.08 h for SPS and CVS, respectively, during the moderate heat stress period. The wallowing activity showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in the intense heat stress season with 1.18 and 2.35 h for SPS and CVS, respectively. Time spent on feeding behavior was highest in the SPS system (p < 0.05). Longer times of thermoregulatory and feeding behavior indicate the importance of trees in animal welfare for this species in tropical conditions, thus supporting avoided deforestation and the replanting of trees in existing production systems and landscapes.

ACS Style

Maykel Galloso-Hernández; Mildrey Soca-Pérez; Devon Dublin; Carlos Alvarez-Díaz; Jesús Iglesias-Gómez; Cipriano Díaz-Gaona; Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez. Thermoregulatory and Feeding Behavior under Different Management and Heat Stress Conditions in Heifer Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in the Tropics. Animals 2021, 11, 1162 .

AMA Style

Maykel Galloso-Hernández, Mildrey Soca-Pérez, Devon Dublin, Carlos Alvarez-Díaz, Jesús Iglesias-Gómez, Cipriano Díaz-Gaona, Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez. Thermoregulatory and Feeding Behavior under Different Management and Heat Stress Conditions in Heifer Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in the Tropics. Animals. 2021; 11 (4):1162.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maykel Galloso-Hernández; Mildrey Soca-Pérez; Devon Dublin; Carlos Alvarez-Díaz; Jesús Iglesias-Gómez; Cipriano Díaz-Gaona; Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez. 2021. "Thermoregulatory and Feeding Behavior under Different Management and Heat Stress Conditions in Heifer Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in the Tropics." Animals 11, no. 4: 1162.

Journal article
Published: 08 February 2021 in Sustainability
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The communal pastures of the Natural Park Sierra de Grazalema are grazed by a total of 23 extensive herds, of which 75% are certified as organic, although only 39% are subsidized for being organic. In a previous research work, these farms were characterized and classified into four typologies: group 1 (farms of intermediate size and without sheep), group 2 (large and very extensive farms), group 3 (farms with sheep suitable for both meat and milk) and group 4 (farms with dairy goat milk and without cattle). In this article, the sustainability of these farms is evaluated and compared based on their organic orientation (whether they are organic or conventional) and their typology (the four typologies indicated), as a tool for decision-making in the management of this natural protected area. To do so, 49 sustainability indexes have been generated, grouped into five attributes: adaptability, self-management, equity, stability, and productivity. The results indicate that, at the global level, there are no significant differences in sustainability between the organic and conventional farms studied. In contrast, depending on the typologies, the results indicate that group 3 is the most sustainable, followed by groups 1 and 4, with group 2 being the one with the lowest level of sustainability. Taking into account that there are a reduced number of herds grazing in this natural park, it is essential to solve the weaknesses of these farms in order to guarantee that they continue to maintain environmental equilibrium in the grasslands.

ACS Style

Cipriano Díaz-Gaona; Manuel Sánchez-Rodríguez; Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez. Assessment of the Sustainability of Extensive Livestock Farms on the Common Grasslands of the Natural Park Sierra de Grazalema. Sustainability 2021, 13, 1818 .

AMA Style

Cipriano Díaz-Gaona, Manuel Sánchez-Rodríguez, Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez. Assessment of the Sustainability of Extensive Livestock Farms on the Common Grasslands of the Natural Park Sierra de Grazalema. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (4):1818.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cipriano Díaz-Gaona; Manuel Sánchez-Rodríguez; Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez. 2021. "Assessment of the Sustainability of Extensive Livestock Farms on the Common Grasslands of the Natural Park Sierra de Grazalema." Sustainability 13, no. 4: 1818.

Review
Published: 28 December 2020 in Critical Reviews in Analytical Chemistry
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The global emission and accumulation of gases due to livestock farming is estimated to contribute to about 14.5% of the global warming effect due to greenhouse gases (GHG). Pig farming represents 9% of global livestock GHG emissions, without considering other activities of pork production process, such as feed production. Most of information about pig farms GHG emissions is based on theoretical calculations with not too much accuracy. Hence, there is a critical need to study the best sampling and analytical techniques (portable or not) that can be used to map their contribution to GHG emissions. The selection of the best analytical detection method becomes important for public policies on climate change, and in order to evaluate animal and manure handling practices to reduce GHG and to combat global warming. In this article, different techniques, which could be used to measure the emissions of GHG from livestock, are reviewed, showing the advantages and disadvantages of each technique, with special emphasis on those already used in studies about GHG from pig farms and those that allow the simultaneous determination of several species of gases. Open chambers equipped with photoacoustic multi-gas monitor have been the techniques most employed in intensive pig farms studies. Gas Chromatography coupled to different detectors has been only widely used in pig farms to monitor simultaneously several GHG species using previous sampling devices. However, there are no studies in the literature based on extensive pig farms. In these systems, micrometeorological techniques could be a promising strategy.

ACS Style

María José Cardador; Carolina Reyes-Palomo; Cipriano Díaz-Gaona; Lourdes Arce; Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez. Review of the Methodologies for Measurement of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Livestock Farming: Pig Farms as a Case of Study. Critical Reviews in Analytical Chemistry 2020, 1 -19.

AMA Style

María José Cardador, Carolina Reyes-Palomo, Cipriano Díaz-Gaona, Lourdes Arce, Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez. Review of the Methodologies for Measurement of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Livestock Farming: Pig Farms as a Case of Study. Critical Reviews in Analytical Chemistry. 2020; ():1-19.

Chicago/Turabian Style

María José Cardador; Carolina Reyes-Palomo; Cipriano Díaz-Gaona; Lourdes Arce; Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez. 2020. "Review of the Methodologies for Measurement of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Livestock Farming: Pig Farms as a Case of Study." Critical Reviews in Analytical Chemistry , no. : 1-19.

Review article
Published: 12 November 2020 in Critical Reviews in Analytical Chemistry
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Volatilome analysis is growing in attention for the diagnosis of diseases in animals and humans. In particular, volatilome analysis in fecal samples is starting to be proposed as a fast, easy and noninvasive method for disease diagnosis. Volatilome comprises volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are produced during both physiological and patho-physiological processes. Thus, VOCs from a pathological condition often differ from those of a healthy state and therefore the VOCs profile can be used in the detection of some diseases. Due to their strengths and advantages, feces are currently being used to obtain information related to health status in animals. However, they are complex samples, that can present problems for some analytical techniques and require special consideration in their use and preparation before analysis. This situation demands an effort to clarify which analytic options are currently being used in the research context to analyze the possibilities these offer, with the final objectives of contributing to develop a standardized methodology and to exploit feces potential as a diagnostic matrix. The current work reviews the studies focused on the diagnosis of animal diseases through fecal volatilome in order to evaluate the analytical methods used and their advantages and limitations. The alternatives found in the literature for sampling, storage, sample pretreatment, measurement and data treatment have been summarized, considering all the steps involved in the analytical process.

ACS Style

P. Rodríguez-Hernández; M. J. Cardador; L. Arce; V. Rodríguez-Estévez. Analytical Tools for Disease Diagnosis in Animals via Fecal Volatilome. Critical Reviews in Analytical Chemistry 2020, 1 -16.

AMA Style

P. Rodríguez-Hernández, M. J. Cardador, L. Arce, V. Rodríguez-Estévez. Analytical Tools for Disease Diagnosis in Animals via Fecal Volatilome. Critical Reviews in Analytical Chemistry. 2020; ():1-16.

Chicago/Turabian Style

P. Rodríguez-Hernández; M. J. Cardador; L. Arce; V. Rodríguez-Estévez. 2020. "Analytical Tools for Disease Diagnosis in Animals via Fecal Volatilome." Critical Reviews in Analytical Chemistry , no. : 1-16.

Journal article
Published: 31 August 2020 in Animals
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The external morphological traits of the mammary gland, and their relationships with somatic cell count (SCC) and the presence of intramammary infection (IMI), were studied in 30 Serrana goats, Transmontano ecotype. Globular-shaped udders were the most predominant, with slightly separated and symmetrical halves, presenting some degree of suspension. Funnel-shaped teats were the most prevalent shape with an opening of 120° to 160° degrees. Significant differences were observed between healthy group and the coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS)-infected group for udder cleft, teat perimeter and distance between teats parameters; and between healthy group and CNS or Staphylococcus aureus groups for degree of separation, teat shape and udder shape (p < 0.05). The udder shape, symmetry, degree of suspension and degree of separation parameters showed to be different depending on SCC (p < 0.05). The udder perimeter and udder depth traits showed differences between the lowest and the middle SCC group. We concluded that bifurcated pendular udders, with vertical loose teats and located close to each other, are more likely to have IMI, and have the highest SCC. The inclusion in breeding programs of certain mammary conformation traits would not only help to improve milk production, but would also decrease the susceptibility to IMI of the herd.

ACS Style

Gisele Margatho; Hélder Quintas; Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez; João Simões. Udder Morphometry and Its Relationship with Intramammary Infections and Somatic Cell Count in Serrana Goats. Animals 2020, 10, 1534 .

AMA Style

Gisele Margatho, Hélder Quintas, Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez, João Simões. Udder Morphometry and Its Relationship with Intramammary Infections and Somatic Cell Count in Serrana Goats. Animals. 2020; 10 (9):1534.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gisele Margatho; Hélder Quintas; Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez; João Simões. 2020. "Udder Morphometry and Its Relationship with Intramammary Infections and Somatic Cell Count in Serrana Goats." Animals 10, no. 9: 1534.

Journal article
Published: 13 November 2019 in Animals
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Several reproductive factors may affect milk yield in goats. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of reproductive disorders, parity, and litter size, and their interactions on the 150-day standardized milk yield (SMY150) of low-producing dairy goats extensively raised. A total of 148,084 lactations between 1993 and 2015 were obtained from data of the Genpro pedigree records of the Transmontano ecotype of Serrana goat breed. The presence or absence of reproductive disorders (RD) from late (>half) pregnancy (abortions followed by lactation) or at kidding, number of fetuses (single vs. multiple), and parity (primiparous vs. multiparous) of the Transmontano ecotype of Serrana goat were used as fixed effects to fit a general linear model for a SMY150 output. A significant effect (p < 0.001) of all factors on SMY150, as well as three-way interactions, were observed. The SMY150 reduction subsequent to RD was 3.7% for multiparous and 9.6% for primiparous goats carrying singletons, and 14.1% for multiparous and 18.8% primiparous goats carrying multiple fetuses. It was concluded that a new lactation following abortion occurrence is viable for production purpose in low-producing dairy goats under pastoralism. Nevertheless, the impact of RD on SMY150 varied according to the number of fetuses and the parity of the Transmontano ecotype of Serrana goats. This information should be used in decision-making practices regarding reproductive and herd health management.

ACS Style

Gisele Margatho; Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez; Hélder Quintas; João Simões; Rodríguez- Estévez. The Effects of Reproductive Disorders, Parity and Litter Size on Milk Yield of Serrana Goats. Animals 2019, 9, 968 .

AMA Style

Gisele Margatho, Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez, Hélder Quintas, João Simões, Rodríguez- Estévez. The Effects of Reproductive Disorders, Parity and Litter Size on Milk Yield of Serrana Goats. Animals. 2019; 9 (11):968.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gisele Margatho; Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez; Hélder Quintas; João Simões; Rodríguez- Estévez. 2019. "The Effects of Reproductive Disorders, Parity and Litter Size on Milk Yield of Serrana Goats." Animals 9, no. 11: 968.

Journal article
Published: 28 October 2019 in Sustainability
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This paper describes the typological characterization of the Natural Park Sierra de Grazalema (NPSG) livestock farms using its communal pastures (N = 23, 100% of population) in order to study their sustainability from 160 technical, economic and social variables (from direct on-farm data collection). A principal components analysis (PCA) produced four principal components related to size, livestock species, main productions and intensification level, explaining 73.6% of the variance. The subsequent cluster analysis classified the farms into four groups: C1 (medium size farms without sheep), C2 (large size and very extensive farms), C3 (farms with multipurpose sheep) and C4 (farms with dairy goat and without cattle). Forty-eight-point-seven percent of the surface was registered as organic but none of the farms’ commercialized products were organic. C2 and C3 (both having three ruminant species) are those farms that have more economic differences, the former generating the lowest profit, and the latter generating the highest; however, there is a risk to grasslands conservation from the current tendency that leads dairy farms to rapid intensification. Nevertheless, the very extensive farms are the most interesting for NPSG conservation and the administration should help to maintain the profitability of this sustainable traditional activity, which is necessary to conserve communal pastures.

ACS Style

Cipriano Díaz-Gaona; Sánchez- Rodríguez; Thais Rucabado-Palomar; Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez. A Typological Characterization of Organic Livestock Farms in the Natural Park Sierra de Grazalema Based on Technical and Economic Variables. Sustainability 2019, 11, 6002 .

AMA Style

Cipriano Díaz-Gaona, Sánchez- Rodríguez, Thais Rucabado-Palomar, Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez. A Typological Characterization of Organic Livestock Farms in the Natural Park Sierra de Grazalema Based on Technical and Economic Variables. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (21):6002.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cipriano Díaz-Gaona; Sánchez- Rodríguez; Thais Rucabado-Palomar; Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez. 2019. "A Typological Characterization of Organic Livestock Farms in the Natural Park Sierra de Grazalema Based on Technical and Economic Variables." Sustainability 11, no. 21: 6002.

Review
Published: 18 July 2019 in Animals
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Due to its distinct properties, wild boar meat is considered a highly desirable consumer product, in a market that is expanding. Outdoor production is also favoured by consumers who value animal welfare and environmental sustainability when choosing meat products. There is evidence that farms that include pasture for grazing typically have reduced feeding costs. Such production systems can also be more environmentally sustainable as the input (pasture) is inedible to humans, compared to conventional indoor systems, which use human-edible feeds (e.g., soya). However, some wild boar farms have performed poorly compared to those rearing other swine such as hybrid wild boar and domestic pigs. Diet is central to all livestock production and is likely a significant influencing factor of wild boar performance, both in terms of forage consumption and nutritional composition. Other factors may also influence performance, such as weather, behaviour and grazing management. Wild boar production systems hold their own intrinsic value in a growing marketplace. However, information gathered through the study of wild boar has external applications in informing outdoor domestic pig production systems to encourage the use of pasture as part of the habitat of domestic pigs.

ACS Style

M. Jordana Rivero; Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez; Silvana Pietrosemoli; Cecilia Carballo; Andrew S. Cooke; Anne Grete Kongsted. Forage Consumption and Its Effects on the Performance of Growing Swine-Discussed in Relation to European Wild Boar (Sus scrofa L.) in Semi-Extensive Systems: A Review. Animals 2019, 9, 457 .

AMA Style

M. Jordana Rivero, Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez, Silvana Pietrosemoli, Cecilia Carballo, Andrew S. Cooke, Anne Grete Kongsted. Forage Consumption and Its Effects on the Performance of Growing Swine-Discussed in Relation to European Wild Boar (Sus scrofa L.) in Semi-Extensive Systems: A Review. Animals. 2019; 9 (7):457.

Chicago/Turabian Style

M. Jordana Rivero; Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez; Silvana Pietrosemoli; Cecilia Carballo; Andrew S. Cooke; Anne Grete Kongsted. 2019. "Forage Consumption and Its Effects on the Performance of Growing Swine-Discussed in Relation to European Wild Boar (Sus scrofa L.) in Semi-Extensive Systems: A Review." Animals 9, no. 7: 457.

Journal article
Published: 15 June 2019 in Toxins
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A survey including 228 pig feed samples from Spain has been developed, exploring the occurrence of 19 mycotoxins (aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2, ochratoxin A, fumonisins B1 and B2, citrinin, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, fusarenon X, sterigmatocystin, T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, enniatins A, A1, B and B2, and beauvericin). The samples were analysed by solid-liquid extraction followed by liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence or mass spectrometry detection. Enniatin B was found in 100% of the samples (up to 1200 µg/kg) and beauvericin in more than 90%. Moreover, 40% of samples were contaminated with more than five mycotoxins. This high occurrence is insurmountable and surpasses all previous studies, probably due to the inclusion of emerging mycotoxins, scarcely explored. The majority of the samples (96.9%) were in accordance with EU regulations, which do not address emerging mycotoxins or co-occurrence. These results show that in order to ensure mycotoxin absence, emerging mycotoxins should always be considered.

ACS Style

Natalia Arroyo-Manzanares; Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez; Plácido Arenas-Fernández; Ana M. García-Campaña; Laura Gámiz-Gracia. Occurrence of Mycotoxins in Swine Feeding from Spain. Toxins 2019, 11, 342 .

AMA Style

Natalia Arroyo-Manzanares, Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez, Plácido Arenas-Fernández, Ana M. García-Campaña, Laura Gámiz-Gracia. Occurrence of Mycotoxins in Swine Feeding from Spain. Toxins. 2019; 11 (6):342.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Natalia Arroyo-Manzanares; Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez; Plácido Arenas-Fernández; Ana M. García-Campaña; Laura Gámiz-Gracia. 2019. "Occurrence of Mycotoxins in Swine Feeding from Spain." Toxins 11, no. 6: 342.

Review
Published: 03 February 2014 in Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research
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Somatic cell count (SCC) in monitoring udder health has been described in numerous studies as a useful method for the diagnosis of intramammary infection (IMI), and it is considered in standards of quality and hygiene of cow’s milk in many countries. However, several authors have questioned the validity of SCC as a reliable IMI diagnosis tool in dairy goats. This review attempts to reflect the importance of different infectious and non-infectious factors that can modify SCC values in goat milk, and must, therefore, be taken into account when using the SCC as a tool in the improvement of udder health and the quality of milk in this species. In dairy goats, some investigations have shown that mammary bacterial infections are a major cause of increased SCC and loss of production. In goats however, the relationship between bacterial infections and SCC values is not as simple as in dairy cattle, since non-infectious factors also have a big impact on SCC. Intrinsic factors are those that depend directly on the animal: time and number of lactation (higher SCC late in lactation and in aged goats), prolificity (higher SCC in multiple births), milking time (higher SCC in evening compared to morning milking) and number of milkings per day, among others. Extrinsic factors include: milking routine (lower SCC in machine than in manual milking), seasonality and food. In addition, milk secretion in goats is mostly apocrine and therefore characterized by the presence of epithelial debris or cytoplasmic particles, which makes the use of DNA specific counters mandatory. All this information is of interest in order to correctly interpret the SCC in goat milk and to establish differential SCC standards.

ACS Style

Rocío Jiménez-Granado; Manuel Sánchez-Rodríguez; Cristina Arce; Vicente Rodriguez-Estevez. Factors affecting somatic cell count in dairy goats: a review. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research 2014, 12, 133 .

AMA Style

Rocío Jiménez-Granado, Manuel Sánchez-Rodríguez, Cristina Arce, Vicente Rodriguez-Estevez. Factors affecting somatic cell count in dairy goats: a review. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research. 2014; 12 (1):133.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rocío Jiménez-Granado; Manuel Sánchez-Rodríguez; Cristina Arce; Vicente Rodriguez-Estevez. 2014. "Factors affecting somatic cell count in dairy goats: a review." Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research 12, no. 1: 133.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2013 in Journal of Dairy Science
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Organic producers, traders, and consumers must address 2 issues related to milk: authentication of the production system and nutritional differentiation. The presence of hippuric acid (HA) in goat milk samples has been proposed as a possible marker to differentiate the feeding regimen of goats. The objective of this work is to check the hypothesis that HA could be a marker for the type of feeding regimen of goats by studying the influence of production system (conventional or organic) and feeding regimen (with or without grazing fodder). With this purpose, commercial cow and goat milk samples (n = 27) and raw goat milk samples (n = 185; collected from different breeds, localizations, and dates) were analyzed. Samples were grouped according to breed, feeding regimen, production system, and origin to compare HA content by ANOVA and honestly significant difference Tukey test at a confidence level of ≥95%. Hippuric acid content was obtained by analyzing milk samples with capillary electrophoresis. This method was validated by analyzing part of the samples with HPLC as a reference technique. Sixty-nine raw goat milk samples (of the total 158 samples analyzed in this work) were quantified by capillary electrophoresis. In these samples, the lowest average content for HA was 7 ± 3 mg/L. This value corresponds to a group of conventional raw milk samples from goats fed with compound feed. The highest value of this group was 28 ± 10 mg/L, corresponding to goats fed compound feed plus grass. Conversely, for organic raw goat milk samples, the highest concentration was 67 ± 14 mg/L, which corresponds to goats fed grass. By contrast, the lowest value of this organic group was 26 ± 10 mg/L, which belongs to goats fed organic compounds. Notice that the highest HA average content was found in samples from grazing animals corresponding to the organic group. This result suggests that HA is a good marker to determine the type of goats feeding regimen; a high content of HA represents a diet based mainly or exclusively on eating green grass (grazing), independently of the production system. Hence, this marker would not be useful for the actual organic policies to distinguish organic milk under the current regulations, because organic dairy ruminants can be fed organic compound feed and conserved fodder without grazing at all.

ACS Style

A. Carpio; D. Bonilla-Valverde; C. Arce; V. Rodríguez-Estévez; M. Sanchez-Rodriguez; L. Arce; M. Valcárcel. Evaluation of hippuric acid content in goat milk as a marker of feeding regimen. Journal of Dairy Science 2013, 96, 5426 -5434.

AMA Style

A. Carpio, D. Bonilla-Valverde, C. Arce, V. Rodríguez-Estévez, M. Sanchez-Rodriguez, L. Arce, M. Valcárcel. Evaluation of hippuric acid content in goat milk as a marker of feeding regimen. Journal of Dairy Science. 2013; 96 (9):5426-5434.

Chicago/Turabian Style

A. Carpio; D. Bonilla-Valverde; C. Arce; V. Rodríguez-Estévez; M. Sanchez-Rodriguez; L. Arce; M. Valcárcel. 2013. "Evaluation of hippuric acid content in goat milk as a marker of feeding regimen." Journal of Dairy Science 96, no. 9: 5426-5434.

Journal article
Published: 31 May 2012 in Small Ruminant Research
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Organic dairy sheep farms have been analyzed by multivariate analysis to identify and characterize typological groups in organic dairy sheep systems; with the aim of evaluating their technical and economic performance, and social implications, to propose the corresponding measures of improvement or support. This analysis was conducted on 30 farms in the Spanish region of Castilla-La Mancha, where 164 technical, economic and social variables were analyzed. This analysis allowed the selection of 4 principal components related to size, use of labour, land use, level of supplementation and productive and economic performance. The subsequent cluster analysis classified the farms into three groups. Group I called the Family of Subsistence, has the smallest flocks (24.9 LU) with the lowest stocking rate (0.12 LU/ha) and the lower productivity of labour per animal (0.72 UTA/100 sheep). Group II with larger flocks (138.7 LU) is a system semi-intensive commercial, with higher levels of technology and less use of family labour (51.9%). Group III consists of family farms with a commercial profile, medium-sized flocks (72.6 LU), which has the best performance in terms of global sustainability, given the ability of farmers in organic productions with competitive vision. These systems show notable technical weaknesses due to the lack of agriculture and livestock integration; besides, the high stocking rates exceed carrying capacities and lead to an increased of supplementary feed and, consequently, of feeding cost. Hence the studied farms have a high cost of production and low profitability. As a result of this, the continuity of Groups I and II depends on a profitable result, enough to support the family economy, and is dependent on subsidies.

ACS Style

P. Toro-Mujica; A. García; A. Gómez-Castro; J. Perea; Vicente Rodriguez-Estevez; Elena Angón; C. Barba. Organic dairy sheep farms in south-central Spain: Typologies according to livestock management and economic variables. Small Ruminant Research 2012, 104, 28 -36.

AMA Style

P. Toro-Mujica, A. García, A. Gómez-Castro, J. Perea, Vicente Rodriguez-Estevez, Elena Angón, C. Barba. Organic dairy sheep farms in south-central Spain: Typologies according to livestock management and economic variables. Small Ruminant Research. 2012; 104 (1-3):28-36.

Chicago/Turabian Style

P. Toro-Mujica; A. García; A. Gómez-Castro; J. Perea; Vicente Rodriguez-Estevez; Elena Angón; C. Barba. 2012. "Organic dairy sheep farms in south-central Spain: Typologies according to livestock management and economic variables." Small Ruminant Research 104, no. 1-3: 28-36.

Journal article
Published: 31 October 2011 in Small Ruminant Research
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ACS Style

Paula Toro-Mujica; A. García; A.G. Gómez-Castro; R. Acero; J. Perea; Vicente Rodriguez-Estevez; C. Aguilar; R. Vera. Technical efficiency and viability of organic dairy sheep farming systems in a traditional area for sheep production in Spain. Small Ruminant Research 2011, 100, 89 -95.

AMA Style

Paula Toro-Mujica, A. García, A.G. Gómez-Castro, R. Acero, J. Perea, Vicente Rodriguez-Estevez, C. Aguilar, R. Vera. Technical efficiency and viability of organic dairy sheep farming systems in a traditional area for sheep production in Spain. Small Ruminant Research. 2011; 100 (2-3):89-95.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paula Toro-Mujica; A. García; A.G. Gómez-Castro; R. Acero; J. Perea; Vicente Rodriguez-Estevez; C. Aguilar; R. Vera. 2011. "Technical efficiency and viability of organic dairy sheep farming systems in a traditional area for sheep production in Spain." Small Ruminant Research 100, no. 2-3: 89-95.

Erratum
Published: 31 August 2011 in Livestock Science
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ACS Style

Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez; Manuel Sánchez-Rodríguez; Antón García; A. Gustavo Gómez-Castro. Corrigendum to ‘Feed conversion rate and estimated energy balance of free grazing Iberian pigs’ [Livestock Science 132 (2010) 152–156]. Livestock Science 2011, 139, 285 -285.

AMA Style

Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez, Manuel Sánchez-Rodríguez, Antón García, A. Gustavo Gómez-Castro. Corrigendum to ‘Feed conversion rate and estimated energy balance of free grazing Iberian pigs’ [Livestock Science 132 (2010) 152–156]. Livestock Science. 2011; 139 (3):285-285.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez; Manuel Sánchez-Rodríguez; Antón García; A. Gustavo Gómez-Castro. 2011. "Corrigendum to ‘Feed conversion rate and estimated energy balance of free grazing Iberian pigs’ [Livestock Science 132 (2010) 152–156]." Livestock Science 139, no. 3: 285-285.

Short communication
Published: 31 May 2011 in Livestock Science
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ACS Style

Vicente Rodriguez-Estevez; Manuel Sánchez-Rodríguez; Antón R. García; A. Gustavo Gómez-Castro. Average daily weight gain of Iberian fattening pigs when grazing natural resources. Livestock Science 2011, 137, 292 -295.

AMA Style

Vicente Rodriguez-Estevez, Manuel Sánchez-Rodríguez, Antón R. García, A. Gustavo Gómez-Castro. Average daily weight gain of Iberian fattening pigs when grazing natural resources. Livestock Science. 2011; 137 (1-3):292-295.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vicente Rodriguez-Estevez; Manuel Sánchez-Rodríguez; Antón R. García; A. Gustavo Gómez-Castro. 2011. "Average daily weight gain of Iberian fattening pigs when grazing natural resources." Livestock Science 137, no. 1-3: 292-295.

Journal article
Published: 31 October 2010 in Applied Animal Behaviour Science
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Vicente Rodriguez-Estevez; Manuel Sánchez-Rodríguez; Antonio Gustavo Gómez-Castro; Sandra A. Edwards. Group sizes and resting locations of free range pigs when grazing in a natural environment. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 2010, 127, 28 -36.

AMA Style

Vicente Rodriguez-Estevez, Manuel Sánchez-Rodríguez, Antonio Gustavo Gómez-Castro, Sandra A. Edwards. Group sizes and resting locations of free range pigs when grazing in a natural environment. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2010; 127 (1-2):28-36.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vicente Rodriguez-Estevez; Manuel Sánchez-Rodríguez; Antonio Gustavo Gómez-Castro; Sandra A. Edwards. 2010. "Group sizes and resting locations of free range pigs when grazing in a natural environment." Applied Animal Behaviour Science 127, no. 1-2: 28-36.

Journal article
Published: 31 August 2010 in Livestock Science
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ACS Style

Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez; Manuel Sánchez-Rodríguez; Antón García; A. Gustavo Gómez-Castro. Feed conversion rate and estimated energy balance of free grazing Iberian pigs. Livestock Science 2010, 132, 152 -156.

AMA Style

Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez, Manuel Sánchez-Rodríguez, Antón García, A. Gustavo Gómez-Castro. Feed conversion rate and estimated energy balance of free grazing Iberian pigs. Livestock Science. 2010; 132 (1-3):152-156.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez; Manuel Sánchez-Rodríguez; Antón García; A. Gustavo Gómez-Castro. 2010. "Feed conversion rate and estimated energy balance of free grazing Iberian pigs." Livestock Science 132, no. 1-3: 152-156.

Ce and cec
Published: 30 June 2010 in ELECTROPHORESIS
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Organic foods have lately aroused interest by virtue of their quality and their essential, exclusive characteristics. In this study, we assessed the potential of CE to detect a marker that is able to identify the particular food given to the goats and develop an effective method to determine directly the most abundant organic acid in goat's milk (viz. hippuric acid). In addition, we examined the use of the hippuric acid content of goat's milk as a general marker for authenticating organic goat's milk. The feeding of these goats can be influenced by the time of the year. For this reason, we have collected samples from 20 conventionally fed goats and 20 organically fed goats over a period of 2 months. A threshold value dependent on the hippuric acid content was thus established for the first time with a view to discriminating between conventional and organic goat's milk. Organic acids in goat's milk were separated in a running buffer consisting of 120 mM sodium tetraborate decahydrate and 0.5 mM CTAB set to pH 8. The precision of the ensuing method is acceptable for hippuric acid; thus, the RSD for peak area and migration time was less than 10 and 4%, respectively. Also, calibration curves were linear throughout the studied concentration range.

ACS Style

Azahara Carpio; Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez; Manuel Sánchez-Rodríguez; Lourdes Arce; Miguel Valcárcel. Differentiation of organic goat's milk based on its hippuric acid content as determined by capillary electrophoresis. ELECTROPHORESIS 2010, 31, 2211 -2217.

AMA Style

Azahara Carpio, Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez, Manuel Sánchez-Rodríguez, Lourdes Arce, Miguel Valcárcel. Differentiation of organic goat's milk based on its hippuric acid content as determined by capillary electrophoresis. ELECTROPHORESIS. 2010; 31 (13):2211-2217.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Azahara Carpio; Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez; Manuel Sánchez-Rodríguez; Lourdes Arce; Miguel Valcárcel. 2010. "Differentiation of organic goat's milk based on its hippuric acid content as determined by capillary electrophoresis." ELECTROPHORESIS 31, no. 13: 2211-2217.

Journal article
Published: 30 June 2009 in Livestock Science
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This paper deals with the efficiency of Iberian pigs when shelling acorns ( Quercus ilex fruits) during the free ranging fattening period in the dehesa . The amount of kernel wasted per acorn (18.9 ± 1.2%) presents a high degree of variation influenced by differences in the morphology and size of the acorns. A positive correlation is observed between the weight of the waste kernel and the weight of the whole acorn, and the diameter. However, the percentage of waste correlates negatively with the weight of the kernel and its DM percentage, with the ratio kernel weight/shell weight, and with the percentage of kernel. On the other hand, the percentage of kernel wasted, correlates positively with the percentage of kernel. Oppositely to the traditional knowledge and opinion of farmers, it has been found that the bitterness of the kernel, assessed sensorially by humans, does not influence the amount of kernel wasted. The results indicate that it is possible to make predictions about wastage based on two simple linear regression models: dry kernel wasted = 0.404 × fresh shell weight ( R 2 = 0.898; P = 0.000) and percentage of fresh kernel wasted = 0.893 × percentage of fresh shell ( R 2 = 0.875; P = 0.000). It would be necessary to consider the kernel wastage in acorn conversion rate calculations. Also in the processes of acorn selection for tree repopulation in dehesas for pig finishing it would be convenient to consider the correlations between the characteristics of the acorns and the amount of kernel waste, using the regression models defined. Keywords Acorn consumption Daily intake Efficiency Feed selection Grazing Montanera Sustained production Waste 1 Introduction Iberian pigs used for the production of cured products have traditionally eaten the natural resources available in the dehesa (pastureland with evergreen oaks and cork trees) in the final fattening stage, which takes place during the montanera (mast-feeding) season. During this period, pigs only eat grass and fallen acorns; Rodríguez-Estévez et al. (2008a) suggest a daily DM intake of 3.1–3.6 kg of acorn kernel and 0.38–0.49 ± 0.04 kg of grass. According to most authors ( Carbonero et al., 2003; García et al., 2003; López-Carrasco et al., 2004 ), throughout the fruiting period, the characteristics and kernel composition for acorns from the evergreen oak ( Q. ilex rotundifolia ) remain constant for a tree. Furthermore Carbonero et al. (2002) did not detect size differences in crown position. Acorn kernel is very easy for the pigs to digest ( Torrent et al., 1961; Varela et al., 1965; Nieto et al., 2002 ), but the shell has no nutritional value. However, Iberian pigs are capable of shelling acorns and consuming only the kernel, discarding the shell ( Aparicio Macarro, 1964; Laguna Sanz, 1998 ). However, a certain amount of the kernel is wasted. Waste is defined as the amount of kernel that, once in the mouth of the pig, is spat out onto the ground because it is stuck to the shell or for other reasons. Since the pigs do not move whilst they are shelling and chewing the acorns, the remaining shell and kernel are dropped around the point of consumption ( Rodríguez-Estévez et al., 2007 ). Hence, once the ratio between the weight of the shell and the weight of the acorn has been established, based on the weight of the present shells, the amount of acorn (as well as kernel) consumed can be established and the efficiency of the pigs when shelling acorns can be calculated based on the leftover kernel found at the point of consumption. The aim of this paper is to quantify the kernel wastage and to study if the characteristics of acorns could have any influence on the peeling efficiency of the Iberian pigs. 2 Materials and methods The experimental procedures and animal care conditions were approved by the Animal Experimentation Ethical Committee of the Universidad de Córdoba, Cordoba, Spain. 2.1 Animals and handling The study was performed using a herd of 86 Iberian pigs castrated. During 30 d, since October first, the flock grazed in an adaptation enclosure of 10 ha of dehesa beside the experimental paddock, receiving a daily commercial feed ration (500 g per head and day). Pigs aged 13 ± 0.5 mo and with an average weight of 110 ± 2.4 kg of BW when they were put out to graze on fodder (on first November), with no supplementary feed, in a dehesa containing evergreen oaks ( Q. ilex rotundifolia ) (27 ± 0.8 adult trees/ha), located in Fuenteobejuna (Sierra Morena, Cordoba, Spain). 2.2 Sampling the oak trees and recording the acorns consumed Sampling was done 9 d after the pigs had been put in the experimental paddock. Samples of acorns and waste of their consumption (wasted kernel and shells) were gathered from beneath the canopy of 40 non-adjacent evergreen oaks (there were at least two trees between one sampling tree and another), located on a strip of land approximately 30 m wide. Under each of these trees, approximately 300 g of acorns (≈ 50 acorns) were randomly collected. From each tree a subsample of 20 acorns was and subjected to the following measurements were taken: length ( L ), maximum diameter ( D ), L / D ratio, fresh acorn weight, fresh kernel weight and fresh shell weight. Once these acorns were weighed, they were dried at a temperature of 103 °C with forced ventilation for 24 h and then weighed to obtain the dried weights of the kernel (KD) and the shell (SD). Using another sample of the acorns from each oak tree, which had been conveniently peeled and chopped, a sensorial analysis was performed in a tasting room in accordance with the procedure defined by Costell (2002) , by 4 trained tasters, who classified the acorns into one of three categories: 0 = no bitter (“sweet”); 1 = few bitter and 2 = bitter . Also under each of these trees, using a 1 m × 1 m frame placed randomly, all the...

ACS Style

V. Rodríguez-Estévez; A. García; A.G. Gómez-Castro. Intrinsic factors of acorns that influence the efficiency of their consumption by Iberian pigs. Livestock Science 2009, 122, 281 -285.

AMA Style

V. Rodríguez-Estévez, A. García, A.G. Gómez-Castro. Intrinsic factors of acorns that influence the efficiency of their consumption by Iberian pigs. Livestock Science. 2009; 122 (2):281-285.

Chicago/Turabian Style

V. Rodríguez-Estévez; A. García; A.G. Gómez-Castro. 2009. "Intrinsic factors of acorns that influence the efficiency of their consumption by Iberian pigs." Livestock Science 122, no. 2: 281-285.

Journal article
Published: 30 June 2009 in Livestock Science
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Acorn weight, size, shape and composition vary a great deal among evergreen oaks ( Quercus ilex rotundifolia ); however these characteristics remain constant for a tree throughout the fruiting period. The number of consumed acorns under the canopy of a tree could be an indicator of preference for its acorn characteristics. This paper analyses the characteristics of the acorns selected by free-ranging Iberian pigs at the start (November) and end (February) of the montanera or acorn mast-feeding season, when these are sustained fattened. At these two stages, acorn samples were taken from 20 oak trees ( Q. ilex rotundifolia ) that had been rejected by the pigs (only eating between 2 and 9 acorns from the ground underneath the tree) and from 20 oak trees that were actively sought out by the pigs (eating at least 40 acorns). The differences observed between the sought out and rejected acorns at the start and end of the montanera season are too great to be only a matter of chance, suggesting that Iberian pigs must form associations between variables when choosing to eat or reject the acorns from a specific oak tree. The results show that pigs tend to select heavier acorns at the start of the montanera season, while at the end their selection is based more on the composition of the acorns. The greatest number of significant differences between the groups of acorns were found in the sought out acorns in November and February, owing to all the variables related with the composition of the acorns: crude fat (10.8 ± 0.3 vs. 7.4 ± 0.3), starch (58.3 ± 1.0 vs. 50.3 ± 0.4), sugars (6.8 ± 0.4 vs. 13.2 ±0.3); most of the fatty acids; dimensions: length (38.1 ± 0.8 vs. 31.9 ± 0.7) and diameter (16.6 ± 0.4 vs. 13.9 ± 0.1); acorn weights: fresh whole acorn (6.9 ± 0.3 vs. 3.4 ± 0.1) and kernel DM (2.5 ± 0.2 vs. 1.7 ± 0.1). Pigs prefer acorns with larger kernel. This selective consume goes along with the theory of Optimal Foraging and suggest that pigs learn to use visual stimuli when grazing. In conclusion, this study shows a constant selective acorn consumption and a variation in acorn preferences throughout the montanera period; consequently it is proven that acorn diet is not homogeneous and varies over the fattening period. Keywords Food discrimination Food preference Diet selection Agroforestry system Optimal Foraging 1 Introduction The traditional system of Iberian pig farming is linked to the sustained use of the dehesa pasturelands of Quercus ilex rotundifolia and Q. suber in the southwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula; acorns are used to fatten the pigs during the montanera or acorn mast-feeding season, which runs from early November to late February. During the montanera season, the pigs feed exclusively on fallen acorns and grass. Rodríguez-Estévez et al. (in press) suggest a daily DM intake of 3.1–3.6 kg of acorn kernel and 0.38–0.49 ± 0.04 kg of grass, which is achieved thanks to the functional characteristics of this breed as well as its ability to select and shell acorns ( Aparicio Macarro, 1988; García et al., 2003 ). Studies that assess the quality of the products derived from Iberian pork using the fatty acid profile of subcutaneous and muscle fat (for example, Rey et al., 2006 ) assume that the pigs' diet is homogeneous throughout the montanera season, and that the acorns have similar characteristics, disregarding variations between trees and species of Quercus ( Rodríguez-Estévez et al., 2007 ). Even the controls that are carried out to determine the feeding regime and the end quality of the process and Iberian pork products are based on the achievement of a pre-established standard fatty acid profile of subcutaneus fat at slaughter ( MAPA, 2007 ). Traditionally, pigs are thought to prefer larger and sweeter acorns ( Aparicio Macarro, 1988; Acosta et al., 2001 ); but the characteristics that most influence their preferences are unknown. Aparicio Macarro (1988) , Vázquez (1998) and García et al. (2003) indicate that pigs eat larger acorns first; this goes along with the theory of Optimal Foraging ( Emlen, 1966 ), which states that animals try to maximise their net rate of energy intake per unit time through the selection of their food intake. Also it is well known that protein is scarce in montanera diet due to the low protein content in acorns ( Nieto et al., 2002 ). So, according to Emmans (1981) , who suggests that it is better to replace the statement “animals eat for energy” with an alternative one: “animals attempt to eat for the first limiting feed resource”, pigs would choose acorns with the highest protein level. The olfactory capacity of pigs is well known ( Ewbank et al., 1974; McGlone et al., 1987; Jensen, 2002 ) as well as their sense of taste ( Hellekant and Danilova, 1999 ); for example, they can select food with the right nutritional contents to meet their needs in terms of crude protein ( Kyriazakis et al., 1990, 1991; Bradford and Gous, 1992; Nam et al., 1995 ), lysine ( Henry, 1987, 1993; Fairley et al., 1993; Kirchgessner et al., 1999 ), threonine ( Ettle and Roth, 2005 ), methionine ( Roth et al., 2006 ) and tryptophan ( Rose and Fuller, 1995; Ettle and Roth, 2006 ), and detect the presence of anti-nutritional compounds such as glucosinolates ( Lee et al., 1984; Kyriazakis and Emmans, 1993 ). Therefore these sensorial capacities should enable pigs to differentiate and select acorns from different oak trees. Acorn weight, size, shape and composition vary a great deal among evergreen oaks ( Q. ilex rotundifolia ) ( Gea-Izquierdo et al., 2006; Rodríguez-Estévez et al., 2008 ); however, according to most authors ( Carbonero et al., 2003; García et al., 2003; López-Carrasco et al., 2004 ), throughout the fruiting period, these characteristics and...

ACS Style

V. Rodríguez-Estévez; A. García; A.G. Gómez. Characteristics of the acorns selected by free range Iberian pigs during the montanera season. Livestock Science 2009, 122, 169 -176.

AMA Style

V. Rodríguez-Estévez, A. García, A.G. Gómez. Characteristics of the acorns selected by free range Iberian pigs during the montanera season. Livestock Science. 2009; 122 (2-3):169-176.

Chicago/Turabian Style

V. Rodríguez-Estévez; A. García; A.G. Gómez. 2009. "Characteristics of the acorns selected by free range Iberian pigs during the montanera season." Livestock Science 122, no. 2-3: 169-176.