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Marín MF, Naya H, Espasandin AC, Navajas E, Devincenzi T, Carriquiry M. Energy efficiency of grazing Hereford heifers classified by paternal residual feed intake. Transl Anim Sci 2024; 8:txae005. [PMID: 38525300 PMCID: PMC10960596 DOI: 10.1093/tas/txae005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Residual feed intake (RFI) has become a widely spread index of feed efficiency. Although most of beef cattle systems in the world are pasture based, RFI evaluation and research is usually performed in confinement conditions. In this context, residual heat production (RHP) estimated as the difference between actual and expected heat production (HP), could allow to identify efficient animals. Thus, the aim of this work was to evaluate the relationship between paternal estimated breeding values (EBV) for RFI and beef heifer efficiency, measured as RHP, as well as its association with heifers' productive and reproductive performance on grazing conditions. Seventy-one 25 ± 0.8-mo-old and seventy-four 24 ± 0.7-mo-old Hereford heifers were managed as contemporary groups in spring 2019 and 2020, respectively. Heifers were sired by 10 RFI-evaluated bulls and classified into three groups according to the paternal EBV for RFI: five bulls of low RFI (high efficiency, pHE), two bulls of medium RFI (medium efficiency), and three bulls of high RFI (low efficiency, pLE). The experimental period lasted 70 d prior to their first insemination where HP was determined by the heart rate-O2 pulse technique. In addition, reproductive performances during the first and second breeding and calving seasons were recorded. Heifers' RHPs expressed as MJ/d and kJ/kg of body weight (BW)0.75/d were positively correlated with paternal RFI EBVs (P < 0.05; r > 0.60). Moreover, BW and average daily gain (ADG) were greater (P < 0.01) for pHE than pLE heifers while expressed as units of BW0.75/d, neither total HP nor metabolizable energy (ME) intake differed between groups, but pHE heifers had greater retained energy (RE; P < 0.01) and lower RHP (P < 0.05) than pLE ones. Gross energy efficiency (RE/ME intake) was greater (P < 0.001) for pHE than pLE heifers while the HP/ADG and RHP/ADG were reduced (P < 0.05) and feed-to-gain ratio (ADG/DM intake) tended to be greater (P = 0.07) for pHE than pLE heifers. In addition, during the first breeding and calving seasons, small but significant (P < 0.01) differences in reproductive responses between groups suggested an earlier pregnancy in pHE heifers than the pLE group, differences that disappeared during the second breeding and calving seasons. Thus, heifers sired by high-efficiency bulls measured as RFI were more efficient measured as RHP in grazing conditions, without significant differences in reproductive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- María F Marín
- Departamento de Producción Animal y Pasturas, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 12900, Uruguay
| | - Hugo Naya
- Departamento de Producción Animal y Pasturas, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 12900, Uruguay
| | - Ana C Espasandin
- Departamento de Producción Animal y Pasturas, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 12900, Uruguay
| | - Elly Navajas
- Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), Estación Experimental INIA Las Brujas, Canelones 90100, Uruguay
| | - Thais Devincenzi
- Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), Estación Experimental INIA Tacuarembó, Tacuarembó 45000, Uruguay
| | - Mariana Carriquiry
- Departamento de Producción Animal y Pasturas, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 12900, Uruguay
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He Z, Liu R, Wang M, Wang Q, Zheng J, Ding J, Wen J, Fahey AG, Zhao G. Combined effect of microbially derived cecal SCFA and host genetics on feed efficiency in broiler chickens. MICROBIOME 2023; 11:198. [PMID: 37653442 PMCID: PMC10472625 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01627-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Improving feed efficiency is the most important goal for modern animal production. The regulatory mechanisms of controlling feed efficiency traits are extremely complex and include the functions related to host genetics and gut microbiota. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), as significant metabolites of microbiota, could be used to refine the combined effect of host genetics and gut microbiota. However, the association of SCFAs with the gut microbiota and host genetics for regulating feed efficiency is far from understood. RESULTS In this study, 464 broilers were housed for RFI measuring and examining the host genome sequence. And 300 broilers were examined for cecal microbial data and SCFA concentration. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) showed that four out of seven SCFAs had significant associations with genome variants. One locus (chr4: 29414391-29417189), located near or inside the genes MAML3, SETD7, and MGST2, was significantly associated with propionate and had a modest effect on feed efficiency traits and the microbiota. The genetic effect of the top SNP explained 8.43% variance of propionate. Individuals with genotype AA had significantly different propionate concentrations (0.074 vs. 0.131 μg/mg), feed efficiency (FCR: 1.658 vs. 1.685), and relative abundance of 14 taxa compared to those with the GG genotype. Christensenellaceae and Christensenellaceae_R-7_group were associated with feed efficiency, propionate concentration, the top SNP genotypes, and lipid metabolism. Individuals with a higher cecal abundance of these taxa showed better feed efficiency and lower concentrations of caecal SCFAs. CONCLUSION Our study provides strong evidence of the pathway that host genome variants affect the cecal SCFA by influencing caecal microbiota and then regulating feed efficiency. The cecal taxa Christensenellaceae and Christensenellaceae_R-7_group were identified as representative taxa contributing to the combined effect of host genetics and SCFAs on chicken feed efficiency. These findings provided strong evidence of the combined effect of host genetics and gut microbial SCFAs in regulating feed efficiency traits. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengxiao He
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition; Key Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193 China
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ranran Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition; Key Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193 China
| | - Mengjie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition; Key Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193 China
| | - Qiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition; Key Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193 China
| | - Jumei Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition; Key Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193 China
| | - Jiqiang Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition; Key Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193 China
| | - Jie Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition; Key Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193 China
| | - Alan G. Fahey
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Guiping Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition; Key Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193 China
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Romanzin A, Degano L, Vicario D, Spanghero M. Feeding efficiency and behavior of young Simmental bulls selected for high growth capacity: Comparison of bulls with high vs. low residual feed intake. Livest Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2021.104525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Batalha CDA, Tedeschi LO, de Araújo FL, Branco RH, Cyrillo JNDSG, Bonilha SFM. Animals selected for postweaning weight gain rate have similar maintenance energy requirements regardless of their residual feed intake classification. J Anim Sci 2021; 99:6154856. [PMID: 33674822 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skab067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Data of comparative slaughter were used to determine Nellore bulls' net energy requirements classified as efficient or inefficient according to residual feed intake (RFI) and selection lines (SL). Sixty-seven Nellore bulls from the selected (SE) and control (CO) lines of the selection program for postweaning weight gain were used. The animals underwent digestibility trials before being submitted to the finishing trial. Sixteen bulls were slaughtered at the beginning of the finishing trial, and their body composition was used as the baseline for the remaining animals. For body composition determinations, whole empty body components were weighed, ground, and subsampled for chemical analyses. Initial body composition was determined with equations developed from the baseline group using shrunk body weight, fat, and protein. The low RFI (LRFI) and CO animals had a lower dry matter (DMI) and nutrient intake (P < 0.05) than high RFI (HRFI) and SE animals, without alterations in digestibility coefficients (P > 0.05). During the finishing trial, DMI remained lower for LRFI and CO animals. Growth performance was similar between RFI classes, except for empty body weight gain that tended to be higher for LRFI than HRFI (P = 0.091). The SE animals had less fat content on the empty body (P = 0.005) than CO. Carcasses tended to be leaner for LRFI than HRFI (P = 0.080) and for SE than CO (P = 0.066) animals. LRFI animals retained more energy (P = 0.049) and had lower heat production (HP; P = 0.033) than the HRFI ones. Retained energy was not influenced by SL (P = 0.165), but HP tended to be higher for SE when compared to CO (P = 0.075) animals. Net energy requirement for maintenance (NEm) was lower for LRFI than HRFI (P = 0.009), and higher for SE than CO (P = 0.046) animals. There was an interaction tendency between RFI and SL (P = 0.063), suggesting that NEm was lower for LRFI+CO than HRFI+CO (P = 0.006), with no differences for SE (P = 0.527) animals. The efficiency of ME utilization for maintenance (km) of LRFI and HRFI animals were 62.6% and 58.4%, respectively, and for SE and CO were 59.0% and 62.1%, respectively. The breeding program for postweaning weight has not improved feed efficiency over the years, with RFI classification not being a promising selection tool for SE animals. Classification based on RFI seems to be useful in animals that have not undergone the breeding program, with LRFI animals having lower energy requirements than the HRFI ones.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luís Orlindo Tedeschi
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2471, USA
| | - Fabiana Lana de Araújo
- Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Ambientais e Biológicas, Cruz das Almas, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Renata Helena Branco
- Instituto de Zootecnia, Centro Avançado de Pesquisa de Bovinos de Corte. Rodovia Carlos Tonani, Sertãozinho, SP, Brazil
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