Essential oils are possible natural antibiotic alternatives for manipulating ruminal fermentation in order to improve the utilization of nutrient in ruminants. This study evaluated the effect of cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) at varying inclusion levels on in vitro gas production, nutrient degradation, and post-incubation parameters. Experimental diets consisted of Panicum maximum (Ntchisi) grass as basal diet and supplemental pellets treated with 0, 5, 10 and 15 ml/kg of cashew nut shell liquid. Proximate composition of experimental diets was analysed. In vitro experiment was carried out on experimental diets (P. maximum and concentrate pellets at ratio 70:30) for 24 hours using goat rumen liquor as inoculum. Results showed that CNSL inclusion had a significant effect (P < 0.05) on the ether extract and metabolizable energy of experimental pellets. Dietary treatment with 15 ml/kg of CNSL had the lowest (P < 0.05) in vitro gas production. Inclusion of CNSL significantly inhibited methane production at 5 ml/kg (18%), 10 ml/kg (34%) and 15 ml/kg (57%) CNSL inclusion levels (P < 0.05). Ammonia-N and TVFA decreased significantly with CNSL inclusion. Significant reduction (P < 0.05) in short-chain fatty acid, metabolizable energy, and organic matter degradability were recorded with increasing CNSL inclusion levels.

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In recent years, there has been a great increase in the interest of "emotion" and how it can be studied and translated from animals. Emotions arise when the brain receives an external stimulus, while the feeling is a response to emotion and concerns how the individual feels before that emotion. Emotional states do not exist to be locked within an individual. Emotions are expressed in some way and have great importance for the welfare of animals, especially within the farm animal production chains. The affective side of emotions is more difficult to be studied, however, it takes an effort to evaluate what is observable, registrable and measurable: behavioral and physiological measures that may indicate positive and negative emotional states. It is possible to use behavioral and even physiological information to analyze the feeling and, especially, the immediate emotion that triggers it in animals. The aim of this article is to review the concepts and researches on emotions and feelings in farm animals that may be related to the expression of emotions.

The Brazilian poultry industry is undergoing a process of increasing rigor regarding production practices related to breeding and pre-slaughter operations since animal welfare is an extremely important subject that has received great attention in the developed countries. Brazil is one of the greatest producers of chicken meat, concerns have existed in the sense of adequacy to continue attending to the demand of export and maintenance of the position of leadership, in front of the other market players. One of the key points is the necessity to improve the intensive farming, which currently has many obstacles that prejudice the basic principles of animal welfare assurance. Relatively simple problems in handling animals, litter and equipment, as well as the lack of preventive maintenance in the facilities are the main ones responsible for the thermal discomfort and quality of life of these animals. Despite all the considerations raised, a large part of the Brazilian consumers is still unaware of intensive farming and the way animals are raising on the farm until their plates, being surrounded by myths and false beliefs. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to address the main critical issues affecting the welfare of broiler chickens in intensive commercial production.

Categorical data are quite common in many fields of science including in behaviour studies in animal science. In this article, the data concern the degree of lesions in pigs, related to the behaviour of these animals. The experimental design corresponded to two levels of environmental enrichment and four levels of genetic lineages in a completely randomized 2 × 4 factorial with data collected longitudinally over four time occasions. The transition models used for the data analysis are based on stochastic processes and Generalized Linear Models. In general, these are not used for analysis of longitudinal data but they are useful in many situations as in this study. We present some aspects of this class of models for the stationary case. The proportional odds transition model is used to construct the matrix of transition probabilities and a function was developed in the R system to fit this model. The likelihood ratio test was used to verify the assumption of odds ratio proportionality and to select the structure of the linear predictor. The methodology used allowed for the choice of a model that can be used to explain the relationship between the severity of lesions in pigs and the use of the environmental enrichment. ARTICLE HISTORY