Effect of Winter Feeding Frequency on Growth Performance, Biochemical Blood Parameters, Oxidative Stress, and Appetite-Related Genes in Takifugu Rubripes

We evaluated the effect of winter feeding frequencies (F1: one daily meal; F2: two daily meals; F3: four daily meals; F4: continuous diurnal feeding using a belt feeder) on the growth performance, biochemical blood parameters, oxidative stress, and appetite-related genes in Takifugu rubripes held at a constant temperature (18.0 ± 1.0°C) for 60 days. The results showed that the final weight, weight gain rate, specific growth rate, and survival of tiger puffer in the F3 group showed the best growth performance. The total cholesterol, triglyceride, and glucose levels were significantly higher with the increased feeding frequency. We also observed the antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione, and glutathione peroxidase) and the digestive enzyme activities (trypsin, amylase, and lipase) in tiger puffers cultured in the F1 group were significantly higher than those in the F3 and F4 groups. In addition, the tiger puffers in the F1 group exhibited the highest expression of orexin and the lowest contents of glucose, tachykinin, cholecystokinin, and leptin among all the groups. In contrast, the mRNA levels of tachykinin, cholecystokinin, and leptin in the tiger puffers in the F4 group may be attributed to the negative feedback mechanism in the brain-hypothalamus-neuropeptide axis. All parameters exhibited relatively optimal levels in the F3 group. In conclusion, inappropriate feeding frequencies could have negative effects on growth and physiological indicators. The optimal feeding frequency for enhanced growth performance while maintaining a relatively good physical condition in juveniles of this species was four times a day.

BIOTECHNOLOGIES FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF WINTER FOOD FOR THE WINTER POPULATION OF THE SIBERIAN ROE

To preserve the high number of roe deer in the territories of protected areas, it is not enough to apply disparate methods of winter feeding. It is necessary to develop a system for organizing winter meals. This requires the creation of large forage areas, the implementation of the principle of availability of forage crops in the period of high snow, mobile castling of forage resources in the protected area.

Changes of Physicochemical Properties of Starch Syrups Recommended for Winter Feeding of Honeybees during Storage

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of storage temperature and time on physicochemical parameters of starch syrups recommended for the winter feeding of bee colonies. The studies included commercially available three starch syrups and an inverted saccharose syrup that were stored at different temperatures: ca. 20 °C, 10–14 °C, and ca. 4 °C. Physicochemical parameters of fresh syrups (immediately after purchase) and syrups after 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, and 24 months of storage at the abovementioned temperatures were measured. It was observed that the rate of unfavorable changes in chemical composition of starch syrups and the inverted saccharose syrup, mainly the changes in the 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content, depended on the type of a syrup and storage conditions (temperature, time). Properties of tested starch syrups intended for winter feeding of bees stored at ca. 20 °C maintained unchanged for up to 6 months, whereas the same syrups stored at lower temperatures (10–14 °C) maintained unchanged physicochemical parameters for about 12 months. In higher temperatures, the HMF content increased. To date, the influence of this compound on bees has not been thoroughly investigated.

Growth, Condition, and Swimming Performance of Juvenile Pacific Herring with Winter Feeding Rations

Juvenile fish winter mortality, whether through starvation, predation, or disease, depends in part on feeding history. Assessing mortality risk thus requires metrics that can distinguish well-fed from poorly-fed individuals. To investigate the effects of winter feeding and spring re-feeding after winter fasting on young-of-the-year Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii), captive herring were maintained on different feeding rations for 20 weeks under ambient winter and spring conditions and evaluated for differences in size, gut mass, RNA/DNA ratio, body composition, and swimming performance. Lipid and moisture levels were inversely related indicators of feeding history, differing most between full-ration and fasted herring. Fasted herring that were re-fed in spring had evidence of compensatory growth without impacting swimming performance. Minimal growth and reduced gut mass observed even among fully-fed herring suggest limits to winter feeding benefits. Metabolically processing stored fat rather than foraging and incurring greater predation risk may thus be an advantageous strategy regardless of winter food availability. Mortalities due to starvation and possibly disease were highest among small herring across rations, supporting the importance of size-dependent winter mortality.

PSIV-3 Effect of winter-feeding system and roughage level in feedlot ration on subsequent spring grazing behavior and dry matter intake of beef growing heifers

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of winter-feeding system (grazing, GFS vs. feedlot, FFS) and ration roughage level (RL), on subsequent spring grazing behavior and forage dry matter intake (DMI). Thirty-two Hereford female calves (149 ± 13 kg) were assigned to four winter dietary treatments (110 days) in a randomized block design (n = 2/treatment): three feedlot rations differing RL (Setaria italica) (0%, 35% or 70% DM) or oats grazing (5 kg DM/100 kg LW). In spring (84 days) all treatments grazed a mixed grass-legume pastures (4317 ± 1009 kg DM/ha; 6 kg DM/100 kg LW). During weeks 1, 3 and 5 after changing diets, diurnal behavior activity (effective/search grazing, rumination, idling or water intake) was visually recorded and DMI estimated from the in vivo DM digestibility (DMD) and fecal production. Data were analyzed according to a block design with repeated measures, with general model including block, treatment (T), week (W) and T×W effects. Means were compared through orthogonal contrasts (Table 1). Spring DMI varied with T (P = 0.0084) regardless of W effect (P = 0.1619), with higher values for GFS compared to FFS (1.55 vs. 1.16 kg/100 kg LW, P = 0.0034) and for 70RL compared to 35RL (P = 0.0286). DMD did not differ between treatments (P = 0.2488) but was lower on W1 than W5 (55 vs. 64 %, P = 0.0150). T×W was significant (P < 0.0001) for effective grazing, rumination and idling. On W1, heifers from GFS grazed less (0.40 vs. 0.49, P = 0.0268) but tended to ruminate more (0.26 vs. 0.18, P = 0.0591) than FFS. As pasture DMD improved (W5) GFS grazed more (0.64 vs. 0.51, P = 0.0020) but ruminated less (0.14 vs. 0.21, P = 0.0450) than FFS. Transition from FFS to spring grazing might reduce pasture DMI modifying animal ingestive behavior compare to animals from GFS. Impact could be higher when ration RL is below 70%.

Cow–calf performance, forage utilization, and economics of warm-season annual baleage in beef cattle winter feeding systems1

A 52-d winter feeding trial was conducted to determine animal performance, utilization, and economics of pearl millet (PM) baleage, sorghum × sudangrass (SS) baleage, and “Tifton 85” bermudagrass (B) hay for lactating beef cow–calf pairs. Cone (C) and open-shaped (O) rings were evaluated for potential to minimize forage wastage. The experiment was a completely randomized design with a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments for each forage type × hay ring (3 cow–calf pairs per treatment; 2 replications per treatment). Animal response measures included cow body weight (BW) change and body condition score (BCS) over the 52-d trial, initial and final calf BW, and cow milk production at the midpoint and end of the study. Forage nutritive value parameters evaluated for each forage type included ash, crude protein (CP), in vitro true digestibility (IVTD), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber, and acid detergent lignin (ADL). Forage wastage was estimated for each forage × ring treatment as the percentage of the bale weight remaining in feeding rings at the time of bale replacement. An economic evaluation of the relative costs associated with production and utilization of each forage type was calculated. There were no differences (P ≥ 0.10) in cow BW change or BCS change among forage types, between ring shapes, or an interaction observed for these response variables. Proportion of waste from PM and SS baleage was greater (P < 0.10) than for B hay, although there was no forage type × hay ring interaction or differences between O and C hay ring treatments for forage waste (P ≥ 0.10, respectively). Cow milk production and calf BW gain did not differ among forage type (P ≥ 0.10, respectively); however, beef calves in pens containing the O ring feeder weighed 6 kg more (P ≤ 0.05) than calves whose dams were fed using C rings. The economic analysis implies that it is more costly to feed warm-season annual forage baleage to cow–calf pairs than dry hay, largely due to greater costs of production, lack of difference in animal performance responses, and less utilization of baleage compared with feeding bermudagrass hay in this trial.