Monika Greguła-Kania

There has been a growing interest in alternative rearing systems, including free-range rearing. This is particularly important in the case of indigenous pig breeds, which are prized for the high quality of their meat and traditional products, and whose importance in the production of high-quality food is steadily increasing. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the rearing system (pen/free-range), genotype at the RYR1 locus and sex of fattening pigs on cortisol and β-endorphin concentrations, as well as the parameters of protein, lipid and electrolyte metabolism, and indicators of liver and kidney function. This study was carried out on 120 Złotnicka Spotted breed fattening pigs raised under two rearing systems: pen housing (n = 60) and free-range (n = 60). The rearing system had the greatest impact on the biochemical indicators analysed in relation to the assessment of pig welfare. In free-range pigs, the observed changes included increases in total protein (8.04%), albumin (4.7%), Ca (3.4%), total cholesterol (11.7%), and triglycerides (107%), but lower urea (44.4%) and glucose (10.7%) concentrations compared with pen-reared pigs. The effect of the rearing system on the selected biochemical parameters was dependent on the RYR1 genotype, sex or body weight of the animals, while for cortisol and β-endorphin, no significant interactive effects were demonstrated. By contrast, the effect of sex on the biochemical parameters analysed was minor.

Introduction: Staphylococcus aureus is ubiquitous as a commensal bacterium and a frequent opportunistic pathogenic one in animals including livestock. The aim of this study was to analyse the expression levels of ovine cytokine genes and acute-phase proteins in response to the presence of S. aureus . Material and Methods: Four different anatomical swabs, milk and blood samples came from 50 ewes from the native Uhruska and Świniarka breeds. The Uhruska breed exhibits high fertility and meat performance and the Świniarka breed is considered a primitive breed. Isolation and identification of S. aureus , haematological analysis, and analysis of cytokine and acute phase protein gene expression levels were performed. Results: Staphylococcus aureus strains were isolated from swabs and milk from sheep of both breeds. A significant increase in IL6 and Hp (haptoglobin) gene expression was observed in leucocytes in samples from Uhruska sheep in which the presence of S. aureus was detected. Conclusion: The expression level of selected cytokine and acute-phase protein genes have shown that even local carriage of S. aureus in small ruminants can lead to a systemic immune response, manifested by increased expression of IL6 and Hp genes in leucocytes.

Microsatellite markers were employed to determine the genetic diversity and structure of eight goat breeds kept in the Czech Republic (White Shorthaired goat, Brown Shorthaired goat, Alpine, Anglo-Nubian) and Poland (Polish White Improved, Polish Fawn Improved goat, Sandomierska, Toggenburg). Across 398 individuals analyzed using 15 microsatellite markers, a total of 191 alleles were detected, with a mean of 7.108 alleles per locus. The average of observed and expected heterozygosity, fixation index, and Shannon’s information index were 0.684 ± 0.014, 0.696 ± 0.013, 0.014 ± 0.012, and 1.476 ± 0.037, respectively. The mean of overall genetic differentiation (F_ST) was 0.110, heterozygote deficiency among populations (F_IT) was 0.125, and the inbreeding coefficient within the goat population (F_IS) was 0.018. Analysis of molecular variance showed that 10% of the total genetic variation was attributed to differences among populations, 3% among individuals within populations, 86% within individuals, and 1% was observed among regions. A phylogenetic dendrogram and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) revealed three main clusters, while STRUCTURE analysis identified two main gene pools. These findings provide critical insights for future genetic improvement, breeding program optimization, and conservation strategies for local landrace goat breeds, whose genetic resources are pivotal for maintaining livestock biodiversity.

Despite growing interest in human–animal interactions in livestock, limited information is available on whether differences in routine human contact in the home flock have lasting effects on sheep behaviour and physiological stress responses after transfer to a new herd. This study evaluated behavioural and cortisol related responses in 191 Polish Mountain sheep from five farms that were seasonally combined into one traditional Carpathian grazing flock. Before grazing, farms were classified according to selected characteristics of farmer contact with sheep, including, time spent with the flock, handling style, consistency of interaction, and farmer behaviour towards the animals. Sheep behavioural responses during milking were assessed by the shepherd and an independent observer using a five point scale in two observation periods and serum cortisol concentration was measured in ten sheep per farm. Behavioural scores were analysed using a cumulative link mixed model, with evaluator and season as fixed effects and farm and sheep identity nested within the farm as random effects. Descriptive mean behavioural scores ranged from 2.18 to 4.38, and mean cortisol concentrations ranged from 2.49 to 4.86. Farm level patterns suggested that sheep from farms with more favourable human contact tended to show calmer behaviour during milking and lower cortisol concentrations. These findings indicate that routine human contact in the home flock may be associated with later behavioural and physiological responses under communal grazing conditions.

Introduction: Kisspeptin (KiSS), neurokinin B (NKB) and dynorphin A (Dyn A) participate in the neuroendocrine regulation of reproductive system development and functioning; however, their roles in the onset of sexual maturity and pathomechanism of delayed puberty have not yet been fully elucidated. The aim of the study was to determine changes in the kisspeptin-10 (KiSS-10), NKB and Dyn A concentration in blood plasma collected from ewe lambs during puberty in relation to the first ovulation time, and to examine the relationship between these neuropeptides. Material and Methods: Twenty-four ewe lambs were divided into two groups: from single (S) pregnancies and from twin (T) pregnancies. To determine the KiSS-10, NKB and Dyn A concentration with ELISA, blood was collected from all sheep at 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 months of age. Singletons and twins had their first ovulations at 8 and 10 months of age, respectively. Results: Changes in the KiSS-10 and NKB concentrations were positively correlated with age in both S (r = 0.86) and T ewes (r = 0.89). A negative correlation was found between KiSS-10 and Dyn A (r = –0.55 and –0.98, for S and T, respectively) and between NKB and Dyn A (r = –0.89 and –0.94, for S and T, respectively). Conclusion: The initiation of ovarian activity is associated with concurrent increases in plasma KiSS-10 and NKB concentrations with age and reduced Dyn A concentrations in both groups. Our results show that these neuropeptides may regulate the timing of reproductive activity onset in sheep.

Staphylococcus are common bacteria that can be a component of the natural microbiota of the body of human and animal hosts or cause serious infections. The aim of this study was to analyze the presence of S. aureus in samples from two sheep breeds (Świniarka and Uhruska), assess the antimicrobial susceptibility and virulence profile of these microorganisms, and perform molecular comparative analysis of these bacteria. One hundred and three isolates of S. aureus strains were obtained (including five MRSA strains) and the highest phenotypic resistance to tetracycline (46.6%), clindamycin (45.6%), erythromycin (39.8%), and penicillin (31.1%) was confirmed. The tetL gene (27.2%) and the seB gene (44.7%) were the most frequently detected in strains. Three new sequence types in the MRSA isolates (ST 9313, ST 9314, ST 9315) were identified. In conclusion, our results confirm that sheep are significant reservoirs of S. aureus, especially MRSA strains, varying in terms of both resistance and virulence and with the potential to spread between individuals in the same herd, which may pose a potential health problem.

Introduction: Staphylococci are still a challenge in veterinary medicine, as they are one of the aetiological factors causing clinical and subclinical mastitis in small ruminants. The aim of the study was to analyse the occurrence of staphylococci in milk obtained from Świniarka (SW) and Uhruska (UHR) sheep and to characterise their drug resistance and virulence. Material and Methods: In total, 50 milk samples were collected from ewes seven days after parturition. Drug susceptibility analysis was performed based on Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute standards and demonstration of the presence of resistance genes was attempted. Results: Staphylococcus spp. strains were identified in 70% of the samples, and 57.2% of the strains were S. aureus. Most of the tested strains (88.6%) were resistant to at least one antimicrobial, and resistance to tetracycline and erythromycin was the dominant type in S. aureus strains. Coagulase-negative species (CoNS) exhibited resistance predominantly to penicillin, cefoxitin and tetracycline (86.6%, 73.3% and 46.6%, respectively).The presence of the mecC gene was detected in four cefoxitin resistant strains. In tetracycline- and chloramphenicol-resistant strains, phenotypic and genotypic resistance was statistically significantly more common among strains isolated from UHR than SW. Conclusion: The present study highlights the problem of potential subclinical mastitis caused by drug-resistant strains of S. aureus and other CoNS species in lambed ewes. However, the occurrence of virulence factors in these strains is very rare.

Introduction: The hypothalamic neuropeptides kisspeptin-10 (KiSS-10), neurokinin B (NKB), and dynorphin A (Dyn A) play roles in the endocrine regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–ovarian (HPO) axis in puberty. Livestock’s timely attainment of sexual maturity increases reproductive efficiency and raises profitability. The pituitary relationship between these neuropeptides and gonadotropins in puberty in ewes being undercharacterised. The aim of the study was to analyse their direct effect on gonadotropin secretion by pituitary cells isolated from pubescent ewes. Material and Methods: Cells were incubated in McCoy’s 5A medium, either without neuropeptides (as the control) or with 10 ⁻¹¹ , 10 ⁻¹⁰ , 10 ⁻⁹ , 10 ⁻⁸ and 10 ⁻⁷ M of KiSS-10, NKB and Dyn A. After 4, 12 and 24 h, the luteinising hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) concentrations were analysed by ELISA using species-specific antibodies. Results: Greater LH and FSH secretion was observed after the 4–24 h exposure to respective 10 ⁻¹¹ –10 ⁻⁸ M and 10 ⁻¹¹ –10 ⁻⁷ M concentrations of KiSS-10. Moreover, NKB and Dyn A applied in the concentration range elevated the secretion of both LH and FSH throughout the experiment. Dynorphin A had the most significant effect on gonadotropin secretion at all the concentrations used. In contrast, the most pronounced dose-dependent neuropeptide effect throughout the experiment on the FSH secretion was attributed to NKB. Conclusion: Kisspeptin-10, NKB and Dyn A had a direct impact on gonadotropin secretion by ovine pituitary cells. However, a detailed explanation of their role in gonadotropin secretion by the anterior pituitary gland in sheep and of their impact on the regulation of the HPO axis during sexual maturation or in the pathomechanism of delayed puberty require further studies.

The Sandomierska goat is one of three native breeds of goats living in Poland. A characteristic feature of Sandomierska goats is their colorful coat. Currently, four types of coat color are distinguished: gray-piebald, black-piebald, brown-piebald and three-colored. The color of the skin and fur is one of the forms of adaptation to relevant climate, because the thermoregulatory reaction varies depending on the color of the coat. Therefore, the aim of the study is to analyze the frequency of types of coat color in Sandomierska goats, and the general characterization of goat hair. Both sexes of the Sandomierska goat are dominated by black-piebald color. The least common color is brown-piebald. In turn, the three-colored coat was identified only in females registered in breed registry. The hair analyzed showed the presence of an intermittent, fragmented and a spongy medulla. Hair scale pattern are regular and unregular wave with rippled scales margin in Sandomierska goats.

Currently, goats provide many ecosystem services in Europe. This study analyzed the trends in goat rearing in Poland over recent years, as well as the ecosystem services provided by them. Data was obtained from ARiMR and GUS. A survey was conducted, which enabled the collection of data directly from farms. In the analyzed years from 2016 to 2022, a slow increase in the goat population in Poland was observed (36 percentage increase). In 50.3% of the surveyed farms, 10–50 goats were kept, small herds of 1 to 10 females accounted for 45.7%, and only in 4% of the herds were there more than 50 females. Among the ecosystem services stated by the surveyed breeders providing services in the form of milk/meat obtained from goats were noticed, as well as products from processed milk. A common reason for rearing goats was also cultural services – their companionship and the desire to enhance the attractiveness of the surroundings through their presence. Regulatory services provided by goats are marginally recognized by surveyed breeders.