ANIMAL PRODUCTION

Blood Mineral Profile During Late Gestation, Pre-Pregnancy Reproductive Characteristics, and Birth Outcomes in Indonesian Local Cattle

Faisal Amri Satrio — 2026-10-12

This study descriptively characterized blood mineral profiles, pre-pregnancy reproductive characteristics, and birth outcomes in Indonesian local cattle during late gestation under uniform management conditions. An observational descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a total sampling approach, with no intention of performing comparative evaluation between breeds or parity groups. Eleven pregnant Indonesian local cattle comprising Ongole Grade (PO) (n = 7) and Pasundan (n = 4) cattle were enrolled. The collected data included reproductive history, serum calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and magnesium (Mg) concentrations during late gestation, and birth outcomes. The recorded pre-pregnancy reproductive characteristics, including service per conception, calving interval, and days open, generally reflected normal reproductive performance among the enrolled animals, although individual variation associated with parity and reproductive history was observed. Serum macromineral concentrations remained within published physiological reference values (Ca: 8.98–9.26 mg/dL; P: 5.18–5.30 mg/dL; Mg: 2.95–3.24 mg/dL), indicating stable mineral homeostasis during the periparturient period. Gestation length and birth weight were within the expected physiological ranges, while two postpartum events (one retained placenta and one stillbirth) were recorded in the study population. In conclusion, the enrolled cattle exhibited physiological serum macromineral concentrations during late gestation under the observed management conditions. The recorded reproductive characteristics and birth outcomes generally reflected normal physiological conditions, although individual variation and isolated postpartum events were observed. These findings provide preliminary descriptive baseline information for the enrolled cattle under the observed management conditions and may serve as a reference for future studies involving larger and more homogeneous populations.

Japanese Quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) Eggs’ Quality after Treatment with Moringa oleifera Leaf Flour as Feed Supplement

Indri Setyorini — 2026-10-14

Quail egg quality is influenced by feed nutrition. Phytogenic feed supplements may improve egg quality. Moringa leaves (Moringa oleifera Lam.) contain phytonutrients that may improve quail egg quality. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Moringa leaf flour on quail egg quality. Sixty female quails were used in this study and randomly divided into five treatment groups: P0 (quails fed a standard diet), P1 (quails fed a diet containing 97.5% standard feed and 2.5% Moringa leaf flour), P2 (quails fed a diet containing 95% standard feed and 5% Moringa leaf flour), P3 (quails fed a diet containing 92.5% standard feed and 7.5% Moringa leaf flour), and P4 (quails fed a diet containing 90% standard feed and 10% Moringa leaf flour). Egg samples were collected and evaluated at 55, 62, and 76 days of age. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) at a 5% significance level. The results showed that Moringa leaf flour supplementation had no significant effect on egg weight, egg shape index, yolk weight, yolk index, Haugh unit, eggshell thickness, or eggshell weight. However, albumen weight differed significantly among treatments (P < 0.05). Eggshell pigmentation may be influenced by the antioxidant compounds in M. oleifera. This study concluded that Moringa leaf flour supplementation could help maintain quail egg quality.

Nutrient Content and In Vitro Digestibility of Moringa Leaves (Moringa oleifera) Fermented Using Trichoderma koningiopsis

Orgy Iswanti — 2026-10-14

Moringa oleifera leaves have remarkably high nutritional value, yet their use as ruminant feed remains suboptimal because high crude fiber levels limit nutrient bioavailability. This study investigated whether solid-state fermentation with a locally isolated Trichoderma koningiopsis AA1 (STk-AA1) strain could enhance nutrient availability and in vitro digestibility of moringa leaf flour. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was employed, with three fermentation durations (0, 4, and 8 days), each replicated three times. This experimental design yields 6 degrees of freedom, which is acceptable, although the statistical power to detect a significant difference is not particularly strong. Parameters evaluated were Dry Matter Digestibility (DMD), Organic Matter Digestibility (OMD), Gross Energy (GE), and soluble protein content. Contrary to the initial hypothesis, fermentation with STk-AA1 for 4 and 8 days significantly (P<0.05) reduced DMD, OMD, GE, and soluble protein compared to the unfermented control. These outcomes suggest that T. koningiopsis AA1 under the applied conditions does not improve, but rather diminishes, the nutritional quality of moringa leaf flour, indicating that fermentation parameters such as duration, inoculum density, and incubation conditions require further optimization before this strain can be recommended for practical feed application.