The Influence of Environmental Factors on Farming Animals

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Farm Animal Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 November 2024) | Viewed by 10826

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Materials Engineering, College of Natural Sciences, University of Rzeszow, ul. Pigonia 1, 35-310 Rzeszow, Poland
Interests: honey bee; interactions of environmental factors; bioelectromagnetism; zoohygiene; animal welfare

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Guest Editor
Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Rzeszów, Pigonia 1, 35-310 Rzeszów, Poland
Interests: environmental threats to bees; insect physiology; pesticide toxicology; expression of detoxification genes; interactions of environmental factors
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A significant percentage of farms run activities related to animal production, which provides nearly 50% of global production and an even greater percentage of agricultural commercial production. This production is related to the use by humans of a small number of animal species, called farm animals, which include equines, cattle, cervids, pigs, sheep, goats, fur animals, poultry and honeybees. These animals are bred solely to obtain commercial production or draft power and to obtain reproductive material.

Over thousands of years of breeding, farm animals have been bred in such a way that desirable traits (milk production, meatiness, fur quality, number of eggs laid, etc.) are strengthened and undesirable ones (aggression, phenotypic variability, low productivity) are eliminated from the population. As a result of human selection, farm animals have also lost the genes responsible for many traits, including resistance to unfavorable environmental factors. This phenomenon is a particular threat in cases of intensive animal breeding in small areas, where parasites and pathogens can easily spread, and in the face of threats posed by human activity, such as climate change, chemical pollution (e.g., plant protection products, antibiotics, heavy metals), physical alterations of environments, (electromagnetic fields, lighting or temperature disturbing the natural cyclicity) or globalization (spread of pathogenic factors to new areas).

In this Special Issue, we intend to focus on the threats posed by environmental factors (both natural and anthropogenic) to farm animals. This is a particularly current and very broad topic, covering many fields of science, such as biology, chemistry, parasitology, veterinary medicine, biophysics, toxicology, etc. Therefore, we invite you to submit manuscripts to our Special Issue. Both original research articles and reviews will be accepted.

Dr. Anna Koziorowska
Dr. Bartosz Piechowicz
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • farming animals
  • environmental factors
  • natural or anthropogenic factors
  • animal production
  • influence on animals

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 1515 KiB  
Article
Influence of a Modified Drinking System and Barn Climate on the Behavior of Fattening Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo)
by Stephanie Schäfers, Katje Kulke and Nicole Kemper
Agriculture 2024, 14(7), 1126; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14071126 - 11 Jul 2024
Viewed by 874
Abstract
Agonistic behavior is a problem of animal welfare in commercial turkey fattening. In this study, possible influences of the barn layout and the climate of the barn on the behavior of fattening turkeys on a commercial farm were investigated. The study was conducted [...] Read more.
Agonistic behavior is a problem of animal welfare in commercial turkey fattening. In this study, possible influences of the barn layout and the climate of the barn on the behavior of fattening turkeys on a commercial farm were investigated. The study was conducted on a turkey farm with two comparable barns. A modified ventilation system was installed in the trial barn to improve the removal of NH3 and CO2. The drinkers were rearranged to increase the animals’ free floor area. In each barn, 3600 male turkeys (B.U.T. 6) were housed. Videos were recorded continuously from housing until removal for three consecutive fattening periods. NH3 and CO2 values were recorded. Turkeys showed increased activity (p < 0.001) and comfort behavior in the trial barn during late fattening (p = 0.002). Agonistic behavior increased during late fattening, particularly around the drinkers (p < 0.001). NH3 levels differed at the beginning of fattening. The study shows that extending the resting area contributes to increased activity and comfort behavior. The rearrangement of drinkers showed no positive effects on agonistic behavior, as the distance between individual drinkers was too small. Due to behavioral differences being most evident in late fattening, no conclusions can be drawn concerning the influence of CO2 and NH3. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Influence of Environmental Factors on Farming Animals)
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10 pages, 1164 KiB  
Article
Dust and Bacterial Air Contamination in a Broiler House in Summer and Winter
by Ivica Ravić, Mario Ostović, Anamaria Ekert Kabalin, Matija Kovačić, Kristina Matković, Željko Gottstein and Danijela Horvatek Tomić
Agriculture 2024, 14(5), 778; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14050778 - 18 May 2024
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Abstract
This study aimed to investigate dust and bacterial air contamination in a broiler house during different seasons. The study was carried out in commercial housing conditions during five weeks of the rearing cycle in summer and winter. The total dust concentration ranged from [...] Read more.
This study aimed to investigate dust and bacterial air contamination in a broiler house during different seasons. The study was carried out in commercial housing conditions during five weeks of the rearing cycle in summer and winter. The total dust concentration ranged from 1.90 to 4.50 mg/m3 in summer and from 2.80 to 5.10 mg/m3 in winter. The total bacterial count ranged from 2.85 × 104 to 1.03 × 105 CFU/m3 in summer and from 2.12 × 104 to 2.28 × 105 CFU/m3 in winter. The study results showed the dust concentration to be increased in winter as compared to summer, yielding a significant correlation (r = 0.602, p < 0.05) with a significantly higher airborne bacterial count in winter (p < 0.001). Furthermore, dust concentration showed significant correlations (p < 0.05) with air temperature (r = −0.418), relative humidity (r = 0.673), and broiler activity (r = 0.709), while bacterial count yielded significant correlations (p < 0.05) with air temperature (r = −0.756), relative humidity (r = 0.831), and airflow rate (r = 0.511). The results obtained in the study can prove useful in the field. Seasonal variability in dust and bacterial air contamination should be considered in the development of guidelines or standards of air quality in broiler housing and evaluation of the effectiveness of remedial strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Influence of Environmental Factors on Farming Animals)
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22 pages, 2300 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Soil and Water Pollutants Released from Poultry Farming on the Growth and Development of Two Plant Species
by Magdalena Krupka, Ewa Olkowska, Agnieszka Klimkowicz-Pawlas, Leszek Łęczyński, Maciej Tankiewicz, Dariusz J. Michalczyk, Lidia Wolska and Agnieszka I. Piotrowicz-Cieślak
Agriculture 2024, 14(1), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14010087 - 31 Dec 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3908
Abstract
Intensive poultry production may result in substantial emissions of pollutants into the environment, including pharmaceuticals and other chemicals used in poultry farming. The objective of this study was to verify the presence of ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, carbamazepine, metoclopramide, trimethoprim, diflufenican, flufenacet, and p,p′-DDE in [...] Read more.
Intensive poultry production may result in substantial emissions of pollutants into the environment, including pharmaceuticals and other chemicals used in poultry farming. The objective of this study was to verify the presence of ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, carbamazepine, metoclopramide, trimethoprim, diflufenican, flufenacet, and p,p′-DDE in soil and water in the immediate vicinity of a poultry manure heap. The influence of soil contaminants on the growth and selected physiological parameters of seed peas and common duckweed (as indicator plants) was tested. It has been proven that the cultivation of pea plants on soil coming from the close proximity of a heap of manure results in a deterioration of both morphological parameters (root length, shoot length) and physiological parameters (chlorophyll absorption, aminolevulinic acid dehydrogenase (ALAD) activity, aminolevulinic acid (ALA) content, lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial damage or production of HSP70 proteins). Similarly, water extracts from cultivated soils had a significant effect on duckweed, and it was found that contaminant leachates are indeed detectable in soil, groundwater, and deep water. Special attention should, therefore, be paid to the location, methods of storage, and use of poultry fertilizer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Influence of Environmental Factors on Farming Animals)
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Review

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16 pages, 2012 KiB  
Review
The Impact of Heat Stress on the Physiological, Productive, and Reproductive Status of Dairy Cows
by Dorin Țogoe and Nicoleta Andreea Mincă
Agriculture 2024, 14(8), 1241; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14081241 - 27 Jul 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4069
Abstract
Climate change is a global problem with an important influence on farm animals, so the entire veterinary medical industry is working to combat the effects of heat stress. In recent years, global warming has been correlated with physiological changes in adaptation that lead [...] Read more.
Climate change is a global problem with an important influence on farm animals, so the entire veterinary medical industry is working to combat the effects of heat stress. In recent years, global warming has been correlated with physiological changes in adaptation that lead to a decrease in milk production and quality. We have chosen to study these mechanisms that are based on hormonal imbalances (LH, TSH, and prolactin) and general imbalances (apathy and lack of appetite). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Influence of Environmental Factors on Farming Animals)
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