23 September 2025, Volume 46 Issue 9

    

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  Research Progress of the MSTN Gene Application in Animal Breeding

  HUANG Amei, XING Feng, XU Mengsi, GAN Shangquan

  Journal Of Domestic Animal Ecology. 2025, 46(9): 1-8. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1673-1182.2025.09.001

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  As a negative regulator of muscle development and the double-muscled phenotype, the MSTN gene has been found to play a crucial role in muscle growth, regeneration, lipid metabolism, and the formation of the double-muscled trait across various animal species. This review summarizes the expression patterns, biological functions, key signaling pathways, and molecular mechanisms of MSTN, as well as its application in gene-editing-based breeding practices and livestock genetic improvement. Additionally, the potential of MSTN in livestock and poultry genetic enhancement as well as its relevance to human metabolic disease research is discussed. Future research directions and emerging hotspots are also proposed to provide insights for biotechnology and agricultural applications.
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  Research Progress of Composting Treatment of Antibiotics, Antibiotic Resistance Genes, and Heavy Metal Pollution in Poultry and Livestock Manure

  REN Shaodong, LIU Cao, LI Simin, SHI Zhennan, YANG Xiaomeng

  Journal Of Domestic Animal Ecology. 2025, 46(9): 9-17. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1673-1182.2025.09.002

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  According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), global antibiotic use in livestock is projected to increase by 30% by 2040 compared to 2019, highlighting the issue of antibiotic overuse in contemporary livestock farming practices. It is noteworthy that most antibiotics are difficult to degrade within human or animals, leading to their excretion in their native form, thereby exerting significant selection pressure on environmental microorganisms or microorganisms. Heavy metals such as Cu and Zn are often added to poultry and livestock feed as feed additives to promote animal growth. However, most antibiotics and heavy metals are not absorbed by the animal intestines, resulting in their releases into the environment through animal feces and urine, promoting the spread of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms and genes. The predominant method for managing poultry and livestock manure currently is composting. Through statistical analysis of relevant literature, it has been found that composting can remove over 90% of antibiotic residues from poultry and livestock manure and effectively mitigate the toxicity of heavy metals. However, the efficacy of composting in removing antibiotic resistance genes remains a controversy, which requires further study and verification.
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  Analysis and Identification of Alternative Splicing Events of HBP1 Promoting Chicken Preadipocyte Proliferation

  ZOU Mengqian, FAN Siyang, JIN Zewenhui, LIU Banghua, CHEN Hongyan

  Journal Of Domestic Animal Ecology. 2025, 46(9): 18-26. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1673-1182.2025.09.003

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  The HMG box transcription factor 1 (HBP1) is a ubiquitously expressed transcriptional regulator. The previous work has shown that the HBP1 gene acts as a positive regulator of proliferation in chicken preadipocytes, playing a crucial role in the growth and development of adipose tissue. However, the molecular mechanism by which it promotes the proliferation of chicken preadipocytes remains unclear. Alternative splicing (AS), which enhances the diversity of the transcriptome, is an important mechanism for regulating gene expression and generating protein diversity. To investigate the alternative splicing events during the proliferation of chicken preadipocytes, the immortalized chicken preadipocytes were utilized as the experimental material. By employing lentiviral transduction, a stable cell line overexpressing the HA-HBP1 fusion protein (named HBLV-HA-HBP1) and a lentiviral control cell line (named HBLV-HA) were successfully established. Subsequently, RNA-seq was performed on chicken preadipocytes overexpressing HBP1 for 48 hours and on control cells, with the aim of identifying the alternative splicing events, genes, and signaling pathways associated with the proliferation of chicken preadipocytes. The results showed that a total of 28 792 alternative splicing events were identified in the six samples, occurring in 7 547 genes. The types of alternative splicing events included skipped exon (SE), mutually exclusive exon (MXE), alternative 3' splice site (A3SS), retained intron (RI), and alternative 5' splice site (A5SS). The genes involved in alternative splicing were found to be enriched in proliferation-related signaling pathways, such as the Wnt pathway. Potential genes, including CHEK1, DLG1, and PHF20, were identified as potential regulators of preadipocyte proliferation. These findings provide new insights to the alternative splicing and genes associated with HBP1-induced proliferation of chicken preadipocytes, offering novel perspectives for poultry breeding.
  
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  Genetic Parameter Estimation of Reproductive Traits in Shanghang Huai Pigs Based on SNP Chip Data

  YANG Wenpan

  Journal Of Domestic Animal Ecology. 2025, 46(9): 27-31. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1673-1182.2025.09.004

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  The study aimed to enhance the understanding of the genetic structure of Shanghang Huai pigs by analyzing the genetic parameters of four reproductive traits: total litter size, live litter size, healthy litter size and weak litter size, and to provide a reference for formulating sustainable and reasonable germplasm resources conservation and breeding programs for Shanghang Huai pigs. In this study, the aov function of R software was used to analyze the variance of the fixed effects affecting the reproductive traits of Shanghang Huai pigs. The fixed effects with significant effects were selected and the genetic parameters of some reproductive traits were calculated by single and multi-trait models using sommer package of R software. The heritability of total litter size, live litter size, healthy litter size, and weak litter size in Shanghang Huai pigs were 0.146, 0.128, 0.118, and 0.045, and the repeatability were 0.210, 0.253, 0.236, and 0.056, respectively. The genetic correlation of reproductive traits in Shanghang Huai pigs was between 0.800 and 0.997, and the phenotypic correlation was between 0.023 and 0.943. Strong genetic and phenotypic correlations were shown between reproductive traits such as total litter size, live litter size, and healthy litter size. The results showed that it is feasible to select a single trait among total litter size, live litter size and healthy litter size as the main selection trait for breeding performance of Shanghang Huai pigs, and it could be used as reference for making local pig breed preservation and breeding program.
  
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  Effects of Feeding Compound Chinese Herbal Medicine on Growth Performance, Diarrhea Rate and Immune Function of Habai Young Rabbits

  TIAN Shicheng, XIE Xiaofang, ZHANG Zhuoyi, WANG Xia, GUO Jieping

  Journal Of Domestic Animal Ecology. 2025, 46(9): 32-37. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1673-1182.2025.09.005

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  This study aims to investigate the effects of a compound Chinese herbal medicine preparation on the growth performance, diarrhea rate, mortality rate, and immune function of Habai young rabbits. A total of 150 healthy weaned Habai rabbits aged 35 days were selected as experimental subjects and randomly divided into five groups(I, II, III, IV, and V), with 30 rabbits in each group. Groups I, II, III, and IV were designated as the experimental groups, receiving  Chinese herbal additives at concentrations of 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0% respectively. The effects and mechanisms of these additives were explored by comparing that of Group V (control group) in terms of growth rate, feed to weight ratio, diarrhea rate, mortality rate, and immune function in order to identify the most beneficial dosage for the experimental rabbits. The pre-trial period lasted for 7 days, followed by a 28-day trial period during which the feed intake, diarrhea rate, and mortality rate of the rabbits were recorded. The results showed that the weight gain and feed conversion ratios in groups I, II, III, and IV was higher than that of group V, with group III showing a significant increase in average daily weight gain of 26.94% (P<0.05). Throughout the trial, the diarrhea rates in groups I, II, III, and IV was significantly lower than that in group V (P<0.05), while the mortality rate in group V was 6.67%, with no significant difference in mortality rates among the groups (P>0.05). The thymus index in groups III and IV was significantly increased by 22.22% and 24.64%, respectively (P<0.05), and the spleen index also showed significant increases of 24.14% and 32.76% (P<0.05). Compared to group V, the serum IgA levels in groups II, III, and IV were significantly elevated (P<0.05), while the increases in serum IgG and serum IgM levels were not significant (P>0.05). Additionally, the serum activities of GSH Px and T-AOC were significantly higher in all experimental groups compared to group V (P<0.05), and the serum SOD levels in groups II, III, and IV were also significantly increased (P<0.05). In summary, feeding this compound Chinese herbal medicine preparation significantly promotes the growth and development of weaned rabbits, enhances weight gain, and boosts immune function and disease resistance, with the optimal dosage being between 1% to 1.5%.
  
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  Effects of Polysaccharides from Morinda Officinalis Radix on Anti-fatigue and Myocardial Injury in Exhausted Exercise Rats

  ZHAI Bingbing, ZHAO Yang

  Journal Of Domestic Animal Ecology. 2025, 46(9): 38-44. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1673-1182.2025.09.006

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  To investigate the effects of polysaccharides from Morinda officinalis radix (MOPs) on anti-fatigue and myocardial injury in exhausted exercise rat, SD rats were divided into normal group (NOR), model group (MOD) and MOPs low-dose (100 mg/kg), medium-dose (200 mg/kg) and high-dose (400 mg/kg) groups (MOPs-L, MOPs-M and MOPs-H). The exhaustive exercise model was established through weight-bearing swimming training, and the indexes of anti-fatigue, energy metabolism, myocardial injury and oxidative stress were detected after the administration of MOPs for 4 weeks, respectively. Results showed (1) compared with the MOD group, the MOPs-L, MOPs-M and MOPs-H groups showed a significant increase in swimming exhaustion time, muscle glycogen and liver glycogen contents (P<0.05), and a significant decrease in serum BUN content (P<0.05); compared with the MOPs-L group, the MOPs-H group had a significantly longer swimming exhaustion time, the MOPs-M and MOPs-H groups had significantly higher muscle glycogen and liver glycogen contents (P<0.05), the MOPs-H group had a significantly lower serum BUN content (P<0.05); the swimming exhaustion time, muscle glycogen and liver glycogen contents in the MOPs-H group were significantly higher than those in the MOPs-M group (P<0.05). (2) Compared with the MOD group, the MOPs-L, MOPs-M and MOPs-H groups showed a significant increase in the activities of Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase, Ca²⁺-Mg²⁺-ATPase and ATP content in myocardial tissue (P<0.05), and a significant decrease in serum cTnI content and the activities of CK and LDH (P<0.05); compared with the MOPs-L group, the MOPs-H group had a significantly higher activity of Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase, the MOPs-M and MOPs-H groups had significantly higher activities of Ca²⁺-Mg²⁺-ATPase and ATP content (P<0.05), the MOPs-H group had a significantly lower cTnI content, the MOPs-M and MOPs-H group had significantly lower activities of CK and LDH (P<0.05); the ATP content in the MOPs-H group was significantly higher than that in the MOPs-M group (P<0.05), while the cTnI content and the activities of CK and LDH in the MOPs-H group were significantly lower than those in the MOPs-M group (P<0.05). (3) Compared with the MOD group, the MOPs-L, MOPs-M and MOPs-H groups showed a significant decrease in MDA content in myocardial tissue(P<0.05), and significant increases in CAT and SOD activities as well as the expressions of p-AMPKα, Nrf2, and HO-1 (P<0.05); the MDA content in the MOPs-H group was significantly lower than that in the MOPs-L and MOPs-M groups (P<0.05), the SOD activities in the MOPs-M and MOPs-H groups were significantly higher than that in the MOPs-L group (P<0.05); there were significant differences in the expressions of p-AMPKα, Nrf2 and HO-1 among the MOPs-L, MOPs-M and MOPs-H groups (P<0.05). This study reveals that the MOPs has anti-fatigue effects in exhaustive exercise rats, and can reduce myocardial damage by improving myocardial energy metabolism and regulating AMPK/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway mediated anti-oxidative stress.
  
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  Effects of Age at First Mating on Reproductive Performance of Danish Yorkshire Sows

  BAI Yunzhi, YANG Wenpan, LIU Xiangjie, WANG Junhui, LIN Tingyan, PENG Weijun, WANG Xin, JI Tao, ZHANG Zhenglin, DENG Zheng, DING Nengshui

  Journal Of Domestic Animal Ecology. 2025, 46(9): 45-49. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1673-1182.2025.09.007

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  To investigate the effects of age at first mating on the reproductive performance of Danish Yorkshire sows, this study used a mixed linear model to analyze 8 086 reproductive records of 2 821 Danish Yorkshire sows with initial mating week-age between 31 to 43 weeks, and compared the effects of different initial mating week-age on the reproductive performance of the first litter, the lifetime reproductive parity and the total reproductive performance of the 1 to 4 parity of Danish Yorkshire sows. The results showed that the age at first mating had a highly significant impact on the total number of births, the number of mummies, the total number of births and the total number of born alive in the first four parities (P<0.01). It had a significant impact on the number of live births and the parities utilized (P<0.05), but had no significant impact on the number of stillbirths, total number of stillbirths and the total number of mummies in the first four parities (P>0.05). In addition, the total number of litters and mummies in the first litter of the Danish Yorkshire sows was the highest at 43 weeks of age at first mating, and was lower at 31~33 weeks of age at first mating. Total litter size and live litter size were lower at 41~43 weeks of age, and the number of mummies was higher at 41~43 weeks of age. As the age of initial mating increases, the number of delivered parity used shows a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, with the highest at 36 weeks of first mating. The total number of born and the total number of born alive in the first four parities were the highest at the age of 34 weeks of first mating. The results of this study indicate that there are differences in reproductive performance among sows of different initial mating weeks, with sows of 33 to 38 weeks of age exhibiting the best overall reproductive performance. 
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  Zearalenone Reduces the Quality and the Antioxidant Capacity of Porcine Sperm Stored at Room Temperature

  YAO Pingbo, MA Xiaowen, YAO Qichun, TANG Youxue, ZHANG Yuhong, LIU Wei, LI Wanying, CAI Rui, PANG Weijun, ZHENG Yi

  Journal Of Domestic Animal Ecology. 2025, 46(9): 50-57. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1673-1182.2025.09.008

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  Zearalenone (ZEN) is a common feed pollutant that has potential negative impacts on porcine fertility, which may result in miscarriage and low pregnancy rates in sows, and feminization and decreased libido in boars. However, little is known about the direct effects of ZEN on boar semen quality. In this study, 0, 2, 10 or 50 mmol/L ZEN was added to the semen storage solution, and the sperm viability, movement parameters, the integrity of plasma membrane acrosome, the antioxidant enzyme activity, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, the malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and the ATP level were measured at 48 h and 72 h after storage at 17 ℃ in each group. The results showed that the addition of ZEN significantly declined the sperm motility and movement parameters (P<0.05), and that the sperm motility in the 50 mmol/L ZEN treatment group decreased to 11.08±0.61% after 72h (P<0.01). The addition of 50 mmol/L ZEN also significantly reduced the integrity of the sperm plasma membrane, the integrity of the acrosome, the antioxidant capacity, the antioxidant enzyme activity, the ATP level, as well as the mitochondrial membrane potential (P<0.05), while significantly enhanced the ROS level and the MDA content (P<0.05). Hence, the addition of ZEN to the semen storage solution could markedly reduce the sperm quality and the antioxidant capacity during storage at 17 ℃. These results lay the theoretical foundation for delving into the mechanisms for ZEN toxicology and also for prevention and alleviation of the ZEN-induced fertility decline in boars.
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  Screening of Strains for Vitamin B₂ Industrial Fermentation Tail Liquid for Feed

  ZHANG Yitian, LI Zhenzhen, XIAO Pan, HE Weixian, YANG Mingming

  Journal Of Domestic Animal Ecology. 2025, 46(9): 58-62. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1673-1182.2025.09.009

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  To identify probiotic strains capable of effectively processing vitamin B₂ industrial fermentation tail liquid and to lay the groundwork for tail liquid utilization as feed and industrial emission reduction, this study used vitamin B2 fermentation tail liquid as the culture medium and conducted continuous serial passaging, domestication, and screening of Lactobacilli from the gut of Guanzhong Black pigs. Candidate Lactobacillus strains were isolated, and the fermentation potential of these candidates was assessed. After seven successive passages, one strain of Lactobacillus equicursoris capable of robust growth in the vitamin B2 fermentation tail liquid was obtained from the porcine intestinal Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolates in Guanzhong Black pigs. When this strain was employed for anaerobic fermentation of the vitamin B2 fermentation tail liquid, the supernatant chemical oxygen demand (COD) decreased by 28.2% after 24 h of fermentation, reducing sugar content decreased by 35.8%, and crude protein content decreased by 22.5%. These results indicate that the Lactobacillus equicursoris can enhance the flocculation of the vitamin B2 industrial fermentation tail liquid and substantially reduce the organic matter and reducing sugar contents in the fermentation tail liquid supernatant, which shows potential as a feed strain for vitamin B2 industrial fermentation tail liquid.
  
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  Research Status quo and Hot Topics of Livestock Grazing Behavior Based on CiteSpace

  JU Xin, WU Qian, CHEN Chen, WANG Yuxin, WANG Xinya, HAN Guodong

  Journal Of Domestic Animal Ecology. 2025, 46(9): 63-71. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1673-1182.2025.09.010

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  As the primary consumers of the grassland ecosystem, grazing animals affect the structure and function of the grassland ecosystem through feeding, excreting, walking and trampling, ruminating and resting, which is an important part of the grassland ecosystem. Therefore, in recent years, domestic and foreign scholars have carried out a lot of researches in the field of domestic animal husbandry and feeding behavior, accumulating a large number of academic paper results which timely summarized the development frontier and trend of domestic animal husbandry and feeding behavior. It could provide reference for the future development of domestic animal husbandry and feeding behavior research. Based on the core collection of Web of Science from 2002 to 2022 and the database of China National Knowledge Network, this study drew the knowledge structure map of grazing behavior research of grazers based on the visualization tool CiteSpace software, and analyzed the current situation and hot topics of relevant papers. The results showed that from 2002 to 2022, the number of publications related to grazing behavior was on the rise, and the development of relevant researches in CNKI database was relatively slow compared with the core collection of Web of Science. Current research mainly focuses on four aspects, namely, the monitoring of livestock activities (foraging, rumination, wandering and rest, etc.), the feed intake and feeding choice of grazing livestock, the effects of foraging, excretion and trampling on grassland ecosystem, and the development of monitoring methods of grazing behavior.
  
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  Effect of Behavioral Sensitization and Administration Route on Anti-fatigue Effect of Areca Nut and Its Anti-fatigue Mechanism

  LIU Shuwei, WANG Yan, ZHANG Tiantian, WU Tianming

  Journal Of Domestic Animal Ecology. 2025, 46(9): 72-80. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1673-1182.2025.09.011

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  To explore the effect of behavioral sensitization and different administration routes of mice on the anti-fatigue effect of areca nut and the anti-fatigue mechanism, this study analyzed the effects of areca nut ethanol extract on the exercise endurance, the concentration of blood lactate, malondialdehyde, blood urea nitrogen, hemoglobin, muscle glycogen, liver glycogen, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and dopamine, and the permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) of forced swimming mouse by constructing the animal behavioral sensitization model and administrating by gavage or oral sustained-release. The results showed the exhaustive time of both groups of behavioral sensitization mice was extremely longer than that of non-sensitization group and swimming control group (P<0.01); the administration methods of areca nut also affect the exhaustive swimming time of sensitization group, with oral administration being extremely significant greater than oral administration (P<0.01). Areca nut can effectively inhibit the accumulation of metabolic products such as blood lactate, malondialdehyde, and blood urea nitrogen in swimming mice, hinder the reduction of oxygen transport protein (hemoglobin) levels, delay the depletion of energy substances such as muscle glycogen and liver glycogen, improve BBB permeability, alleviate the increase in 5-HT concentration and the decrease in dopamine concentration in brain, inhibit the increase in the ratio of 5-HT to dopamine, and thus exert the anti-fatigue effect. Moreover, behavioral sensitization in mice and oral sustained-release administration can significantly enhance the anti-fatigue effect of areca nut. This study may provide theoretical support for the development of anti-fatigue products of areca nut.
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  Association Analysis of Gene SNPs and Follicular Cysts Disease in Sheep

  WANG Haotian, ZHAO Ruixia, ZHANG Tianwen

  Journal Of Domestic Animal Ecology. 2025, 46(9): 81-87. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1673-1182.2025.09.012

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  To investigate the genetic SNPs of the Aohan fine-wool sheep and their association with ovarian cystic disease, the PCR-RFLP technology was used to detect the genotype of GHR，GH，PROP1，FecB，GDF9 SNPs in 240 diseased and 432 healthy Aohan merino sheep. The genotyping results were then analyzed for associations with ovarian cystic disease. The results showed that one enzyme-digested SNP was identified in each of the GHR, GH, PROP1, FecB, and GDF9 genes, namely, HpaII, PvuII, Hin6I, AvaII, and Hpy166II SNPs. The GHR-HpaII SNPs, an exonic mutation, exhibited moderate polymorphism in the diseased sheep population and low polymorphism in the healthy sheep population, and it was significantly associated with ovarian cystic disease (P<0.05). The GH-PvuII SNPs, an intronic mutation, showed moderate polymorphism in both the diseased and healthy sheep populations, but it was not significantly associated with ovarian cystic disease (P>0.05). The PROP1-Hin6I SNPs, an exonic mutation, exhibited low polymorphism in both the diseased and healthy sheep populations, with no significant association to ovarian cystic disease (P>0.05). The FecB-AvaII SNPs, a coding region mutation, showed moderate polymorphism in both populations, but it was not significantly associated with ovarian cystic disease (P>0.05). The GDF9-Hpy166II SNPs, a promoter mutation, exhibited low polymorphism in both populations and was not significantly associated with ovarian cystic disease (P>0.05). The study concludes that the GHR-HpaII SNPs is associated with ovarian cystic disease in Aohan fine-wool sheep and could serve as a key molecular marker for reproductive management and disease prevention in this breed.
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  Land Carrying Capacity of Livestock and Poultry Manure in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region under the Agricultural-Pastoral Circular Model

  CHAI Chunfang, WANG Qingtao, HAO Xuzhao, JIA Aiqin

  Journal Of Domestic Animal Ecology. 2025, 46(9): 88-96. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1673-1182.2025.09.013

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  Massive livestock and poultry farming generates manure that poses a major test to regional land carrying capacity. By treating crops as the disposal pathway and progressively increasing organic fertilizer substitution for chemical fertilizer, this study offers a potential approach to alleviate land carrying pressure. Nutrient balance method and excretion coefficient method were comprehensively applied to systematically calculate the nutrient demand of major crops and the nutrient supply from livestock and poultry manure in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region, enabling an assessment of land carrying capacity for livestock and poultry manure in the region. The results show that in the central-southern parts of BTH, crop nutrient demands are relatively large, whereas manure nutrient supply is higher in the eastern and southwestern parts. Using nitrogen as the baseline, the overall land carrying capacity index for the BTH region is at Level II (light warning), but certain cities exhibit Level IV (severe warning) risk, indicating a state of serious overloading with environmental threats to a certain extent. Using phosphorus as the baseline, the overall land carrying capacity index is at Level I (no warning). In summary, the BTH region is generally controllable in terms of manure land carrying capacity and possesses conditions suitable for modest expansion of livestock scale. Yet substantial regional disparities exist; some cities show overloading and thus require targeted, differentiated management policies and the vigorous promotion of an agro-pastoral circular ecological model.
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  Effects of Different Composting Treatments on the Decomposition of Sheep Manure in Alpine Pastoral Areas

  YIN Xianhe, YAO Buqing, LI Yongxiao, Shanren Qianjie, DUAN Peng, GONG Xiaotong, MA Liping, LEI Yutian, MA Zhongwu, WANG Fangping, ZHOU Huakun, GAO Jiamin

  Journal Of Domestic Animal Ecology. 2025, 46(9): 97-103. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1673-1182.2025.09.014

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  To address the challenges of resource utilization of sheep manure in high-altitude pastoral areas, this study introduces a low-investment and easy-to-operate composting technology for small and medium-sized livestock farmers. Composting experiments were conducted on sheep manure using four treatments: natural composting (CK), turning the pile (T1), adding microbial inoculants (T2), and adding wheat straw (T3). The effects of these treatments on the composting process were evaluated by measuring temperature, moisture content, pH, electrical conductivity, HA/FA ratio, organic matter, seed germination index, and nutrient variations over time. The results indicated that over time, the composting materials darkened to a deep brown color, while objectionable odors and the presence of flies decreased. The maximum temperature and pH in the CK treatment were lower than in the other treatments, and the electrical conductivity was relatively high, leading to a greater loss rate of organic carbon. The T2 and T3 treatments demonstrated a prolonged duration of high temperatures by an additional 1 to 2 days compared to the other treatments. The moisture content and organic matter decreased most rapidly in the T1 and T2 treatments, and at the end of the composting process, the organic carbon, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus content in the compost from these treatments were higher than those in the CK treatment. There were no significant changes in the HA/FA ratio among the different treatments; however, seed germination indices for all treatments, except T3, exceeded 100%, indicating that the compost products were non-toxic to seed germination. In conclusion, the composting effect of the T2 treatment was superior to that of the other methods, as it not only prolonged the duration of high temperatures and accelerated moisture evaporation and organic matter decomposition but also effectively reduced nutrient loss and promoted compost maturity. These results provide scientific evidence for the resource utilization of sheep manure in high-altitude pastoral areas.
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  Determination of Nutrient, Heavy Metal Content and Microbial Index in Feces of Guiqian Semi-Fine Wool Sheep of Different Ages

  GUO Zhengang, WU Ying, WU Ping, WU Daoquan, SONG Derong

  Journal Of Domestic Animal Ecology. 2025, 46(9): 104-108. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1673-1182.2025.09.015

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  To understand the status of feces pollution in the production of Guiqian semi-wool sheep, 20 healthy Guiqian semi-wool sheep were selected and divided into two groups: adult sheep and growing sheep, with 5 males and 5 females in each group.The experiment involved measurements of feed and water intake, fecal and urinary excretion, as well as nutrient and heavy metal contents in feces Results showed that the average water intake and fecal and urine excretion were 3.52 kg/d, 1.12 l/D, 1.19 kg/D and 0.60 kg/d, respectively. The fresh food intake and fecal quality of adult sheep were higher than those of growing sheep, although the differences were not significant (P>0.05) , whereas the water and urine volumes were significantly lower than that of growing sheep (P<0.05) . Regarding nutrient content, the organic matter (OM) content in the faeces of Guiqian semi-wool sheep averaged 74.15% . The total potassium (TK) content in adult sheep was lower than that in growing sheep, with no significant difference (P>0.05) , but the  organic matter (OM) , total nitrogen (TN) , total phosphorus (TP) , ammonia nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) and nitrate nitrogen (NO₃^--N) were significantly higher in adult sheep than that in growing sheep (P<0.05). In terms of heavy metal content, total arsenic (As) and total cadmium (CD) were not detected in the feces of Guiqian semi-fine wool sheep. Adult sheep had higher total copper (Cu) , total zinc (Zn) , total mercury (Hg) , total lead (PB) and total chromium (CR) levles in the feces compared to growing sheep, with only Zn showing a significant difference (P<0.05) at 64.25 g/kg,  while the other indexes showed no significant differences (P>0.05) . Additionally, regardless of whether they were adult sheep or growing sheep, no roundworm eggs were detected in their faces, with a mortality rate of 100%. The coliform count in feces of adult sheep was 15.28 MPN/g,  higher than in growing sheep, but the difference was not significant (P>0.05) . These results provide a basis for fully understanding the pollution status of the new breed of semi-fine wool sheep, scientific formulation of feed formula, and development planning for the industry. 
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  Advances in Influencing Factors and Reduction Technology of Odor Emission in Poultry Farms

  DING Lin, GAO Hui, LIU Yali, JIANG Yongjian, ZHOU Weidong, ZHU Yinchu, XU Xing

  Journal Of Domestic Animal Ecology. 2025, 46(9): 109-115. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1673-1182.2025.09.016

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  With the increasing scale of poultry farms, the issue of odor emissions has attracted growing attention. The paper focuses on the main components and production mechanisms of odor emissions in poultry farms, and systematically reviews the influencing factors of odor emission and the research progress on reduction and control technologies. The aim is to provide theoretical references for the development of comprehensive and effective odor control solutions for poultry farms.
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  Research Status and Development Trend of Solid-liquid Separation Device for Pig Manure

  BAO Qi, ZHANG Min, LI Ju, WANG Xiuzhang, LIU Xiao, SUN Guotao

  Journal Of Domestic Animal Ecology. 2025, 46(9): 116-122. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1673-1182.2025.09.017

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  Pig manure solid-liquid separation devices have undergone extensive development, including diverse forms of research, design, testing, and development efforts. Compared with conventional biochemical treatment methods, this technology demonstrates significant improvements in energy efficiency, processing time, and cost, thereby not only reducing environmental pollution but also increasing economic returns. Nevertheless, current mainstream pig manure solid-liquid separation equipment still faces issues such as high vibration amplitudes, substantial noise, and strong odors when treating manure-containing wastewater. To achieve high efficiency, low pollution, and high utilization in pig manure solid-liquid separation systems for manure management, it is essential to understand the development and current status of solid-liquid separation devices domestically and internationally. Accordingly, this paper reviews the research status and development trends of pig manure solid-liquid separation devices both at home and abroad, and further identifies the existing problems in China's current pig manure solid-liquid separation devices, while proposing hypotheses to address these issues to provide directions for subsequent development.
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  Research Progress on Mechanisms of Oocyte Spindle Assembly and Migration

  XU Haoze, GAO Mengying, GUO Yaoyao, GAO Lei

  Journal Of Domestic Animal Ecology. 2025, 46(9): 123-128. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1673-1182.2025.09.018

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  The proper assembly of the oocyte spindle is critical for the accurate segregation of chromosomes. In mammalian oocytes, which lack centrioles, spindle assembly and bipolar structure formation predominantly rely on acentriolar microtubule-organizing centers. Additionally, Ran GTPase and liquid phase spindle domains surrounding chromosomes facilitate efficient spindle assembly. The spindle ensures precise chromosome segregation through kinetochore-microtubule attachments, but errors in these connections are prone to occur in oocytes. Aurora B/C kinases and spindle assembly checkpoint proteins play essential roles in correcting such attachment errors. After assembly, the first meiotic spindle migrates toward the cortex to mediate chromosome segregation and extrusion of the polar body. Cyclin-dependent kinase 1 is crucial for spindle migration. This review mainly summarizes the mechanisms of spindle assembly and migration in mammalian oocytes, aiming to provide insights for research on meiotic division in these cells.