The shortage of feed in dry season is the main factor restricting animal production in tropics and subtropics. Although the potential amount of crop by-products produced in Africa is enormous, the preparation of feed for silage has not progressed, and the shortage of feed continues to be a problem for animal production. We analyzed the factors affecting the silage fermentation of various crop by-products and grasses, which are produced in large quantities every year in Africa, and established a high-quality preparation technology by adding microbial inoculants. In addition, fermented TMR (total mixed ration) prepared using locally available forage resources such as crop by-product and grasses improved feed intake, dry matter digestibility, milk yield and profitability of dairy cows. Furthermore, by exploring the complex relationship between the co-occurrence microbial network and the fermentation mechanism of woody plants, and the impacts of various additives on the interaction between the microbial community structure and metabolites, the basic and important findings that will lead to the control of silage fermentation were clarified. These series of studies will contribute to basic and applied research for building a sustainable livestock industry in tropical and subtropical regions.

Recently, ruminant production has been criticized due to feed-food competition and methane emission produced by enteric ruminal fermentation. Solving the problems is indispensable for sustainable ruminant production in the future. The review provides the descriptions of food by-products and methane-inhibiting feeds which have attracted a lot of attention as a strategy to solve the problems. Food by-products, including vegetable, fruits, and seasoning by-products, were useful as feeds for ruminants due to the nutritive values. Moreover, utilization of the by-products leads to decrease their disposal costs as well as reducing environmental impacts. Fats have the potential to reduce methane production from ruminants although those may have an adverse effect on ruminal microbes and fermentation. To avoid the adverse effects, it is important to carefully determine the dose and the type of fats.

Systems approach has been used to incorporate essential components and their relationships in modeling and generate predictions and recommendations in simulation for complex animal production systems. On the other hand, precision livestock farming (smart livestock farming) has advanced in the last 20 years and has been used to quantify and predict animal production using sensor technologies. This review aims to highlight opportunities for the integration of two approaches in animal science fields. We exemplify the estimation and utilization of the energy expenditure of grazing animals using sensing data from global positioning system (GPS) and accelerometer in systems analysis framework. The integration of systems approach and precision livestock farming approach would lead to new findings and future success in animal science fields.

For robust modelling of heat load, a plateau-linear regression analysis was performed using 52,668 farrowing records from 10,320 purebred Landrace female pigs reared in six farms in Japan obtained during 2007 and 2022 and public weather data. Daily maximum temperature data observed at Japan Meteorological Agency meteorological stations nearest from the farms were downloaded. Traits studied were total number born (TNB), number born alive (NBA), number stillborn (NSB), total piglet weight at birth (LWB), mean piglet weight at birth (MWB), and piglet survival rate at birth (SVB). Coefficient of determination of the plateau-linear regression model was obtained with varying the breakpoint value was changed from 10.0°C to 25.0°C at 0.1°C intervals, and the value showing the greatest model fitting was reported as the threshold temperature. Daily maximum temperature data at mating day was used for TNB, NBA, and LWB; those at farrowing day was used for NSB, MWB, and SVB. The threshold temperature detected was 17.7°C for TNB, 16.6°C for NBA, 22.9°C for NSB, 17.1°C for LWB, 10.0°C for MWB, and 22.9°C for SVB, and the estimated regression coefficient was negative for TNB, NBA, LWB, and SVB and positive for NSB and MWB. The analysis seemed not to perform well for MWB in this study. The results could give the fundamental information on developing the statistical model for national breeding value evaluation for pigs to cope with global warming.

A sensory evaluation was performed on an untrained panel (n＝34) to investigate the characteristics that contribute to the consumers’ recognition of “preference” and “jidori-like traits” of chicken. Patties of minced thigh and breast meat prepared using two breeds of jidori and broiler chicken were subjected to sensory test. The “overall preference” was lower for breast meat than for thigh meat regardless of the chicken type (P<0.05). Both the chicken type and the part of meat tasted had a significant effect on the “degree of jidori-like traits” score. The “degree of jidori-like traits” of jidori thighs was significantly higher than that of all types of breast meat, indicating that the panel recognized jidori thighs as “jidori-like”. Furthermore, sensory terms corresponding to “preference” and “jidori-like traits” of chicken meat were analyzed using a check-all-that-apply question. Factors that decreased the “overall preference” for chicken included two terms for aroma and one each for texture and taste. “Jidori-like traits” was characterized by two terms for aroma, three for texture, and two for taste.

Currently, Japanese farmers’ greatest interest is in increasing productivity. Animal welfare concern is not yet widespread. Nevertheless, lower animal welfare might reduce productivity by increased risk of cattle diseases and their costs. This study investigated the correlation of animal welfare scores with the number of disease treatments and livestock insurance premiums per animal. Using an assessment system developed by the Japan Farm Animal Welfare Association (JFAWA), 10 dairy farms were evaluated. The JFAWA assessment system comprises 45 criteria of three categories: animal, facility, and management. Finally, a score for each category and a total score are obtained. Higher scores reflect better welfare. The annual treatments for displaced abomasum, follicular cysts, milk fever, and arthritis were tended to be more numerous on farms with lower total scores (P < 0.10). The annual treatments for right displaced abomasum and puerperal fever were significantly more numerous on farms with lower animal scores (P < 0.05). The annual treatments for right displaced abomasum and milk fever were significantly more numerous on farms with lower facility scores (P < 0.05). The annual treatments for right displaced abomasum and arthritis were significantly more numerous on farms with lower management scores (P < 0.05). Also, Annual mutual insurance premiums for death and disuse per insured animal showed negative correlation with total score (P < 0.10). These findings suggest that improving dairy cow comfort and increasing scores can improve dairy cow health. Disease prevention is expected to reduce productivity losses and economic losses attributable to health difficulties.

Chicken breast meat was mixed with salt, rice koji mold, tap-water and an enzyme agent. Eight types of moromis were prepared by mixing these ingredients (i) in the absence of heat and (ii) by heating at 85°C for 30 min with unheated cheese whey (CW) and soy sauce yeast (Zygosaccharomyces rouxii) (SSY). The prepared mixtures were fermented at 35°C for 24 weeks. After fermentation, the moromis samples were heated to 85°C for 30 min and filtered through No. 5C filter paper. The physicochemical properties of the fermented mixtures and fermented seasoning products as well as the extractive components of the latter were investigated. In addition, measurements of the latter using a multichannel taste sensor (MTS) were performed. A decline in the L* and pH values and an increase in the b* value and salt-soluble nitrogen content of the moromis during fermentation were observed in the fermented seasonings of chicken (CFS) with CW (CW-CFS). This tendency was particularly prominent in unheated CW moromis. The total amino acid content and total organic acid content were both positively correlated (r＝0.936−0.953) with the strength of the umami taste in the final products. Differences in taste were distinguishable among products prepared using the fermented seasonings of CW (CWFS), CFS and CW-CFS based on principal component analysis (PCA) biplots of the MTS data. The PCA biplots indicated differences in the umami, bitterness originated from raw materials, sourness, and saltiness among the products, depending on the inoculation of SSY.

Overseas, capsaicin is used as a measure against agricultural and forestry damage to Cervidae animals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of spraying capsaicin solution adjusted to three concentrations on the growth of pasture grass. orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and timothy (Phleum pratense L.) were subjected to the following treatments: pure capsaicin at three concentrations (1000 µM, 3000 µM, and 5000 µM), ethanol, and control water). Both the pasture grass species showed a significant reduction in plant length of pasture grass when subjected to 3000 µM and 5000 µM capsaicin (orchardgrass, timothy: control ; 19.5 ± 4.0 cm, 19.7 ± 2.0 cm, ethanol ; 19.7 ± 4.2 cm, 20.9 ± 3.0 cm, 1000 µM ; 17.4 ± 3.1 cm，16.4 ± 3.3 cm，3000 µM ; 13.3 ± 2.7 cm, 13.4 ± 2.2 cm, 5000 µM ; 7.3 ± 3.1 cm, 6.4 ± 2.3 cm, P<0.05) ; also, the reduction in plant length was more significant in the pasture grass subjected to 5000 µM treatment than that of the 3000 µM treatment (P<0.05). We observed a gradual reduction in ratio relative dry weight of both the pasture grass with increasing capsaicin concentrations when compared with that of the control and ethanol treatments (P<0.05). Our results show that capsaicin at 3000 µM concentrations effective as wildlife damage management significantly affects the initial growth of pasture grass.