Papers by Evangelia Sossidou
The number of goats is only about eight-ten % of the sheep population in the region, while the nu... more The number of goats is only about eight-ten % of the sheep population in the region, while the number of goat farms is sometimes similar that of the sheep farms. In order to evaluate the possible sustainability of the goat farming and breeding in the region a survey was developed and circulated among the countries in the region (Albania, Serbia, Slovenia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, as well as Montenegro, FYR Macedonia, Moldavia, Ukraine, Russian Federation, Belarus, Armenia, and Georgia).
Sustainability
This study evaluated the nutritional effect of dried olive pulp (OP), on broilers’ thermal comfor... more This study evaluated the nutritional effect of dried olive pulp (OP), on broilers’ thermal comfort, growth parameters and welfare in a commercial poultry farm during the hot season. A number of 108 Cobb male broilers, 19 d olds were allocated into three dietary groups: controls (CON), OP3 and OP6, based on the level of OP added to their diet (0%, 3% and 6%). The thermal comfort of broilers was assessed using the temperature–humidity index (THI). Broilers’ body temperature (BT) was determined weekly. OP beneficially affected the growth performance of broilers undergoing very severe heat stress, as indicated by the increased body weight gain (BWG) recorded in OP groups compared to CON during the first week of the experiment and the higher body weight (BW) of OP fed chickens at 26 d of age (p < 0.05). At 26 d of age, OP6 broilers had lower BT (40.55 ± 0.06 °C) than CON (40.78 ± 0.09 °C) (p < 0.05). A positive dietary effect of OP in welfare parameters like feather cleanliness and...
Sustainability
This study aims to demonstrate an integrated methodology for the valorisation of bakery former fo... more This study aims to demonstrate an integrated methodology for the valorisation of bakery former food products (FFP) as an ingredient of pig feed diets. The methodology involves: conducting a needs analysis and a full path traceability scheme based on Global Standards 1 (GS1) Organisation (Brussels, Belgium) standards, designing digital tools to support the implementation of the traceability scheme, and assessing the valorisation of FFP and, more specifically, of bakery by-products in bakery meal (BM) production, and its implementation in pig feed diet. BM production comprises various bakery by-products, which were collected, unpacked, grinded, and thermally treated. Physicochemical and microbiological analyses were conducted on BM samples, mainly focusing on nutrient composition, and the presence of aflatoxins, mycotoxins, and pathogenic microorganisms. The BM was then fed to finishing pigs (at an inclusion rate of 20% w/w), in parallel to a control group fed with a conventional pig ...
PubMed, 2022
This study aimed to determine the effects of in-feed inclusion of humic substances (HS) and/or ca... more This study aimed to determine the effects of in-feed inclusion of humic substances (HS) and/or calcium carbonate (CaCO3) on the performance and welfare of laying hens. A total number of 144 Hy-Line Brown laying hens (55 weeks old) were randomly assigned to four treatments, T1-T4 (36 birds per treatment). T1 hens were fed on a control diet without HS or CaCO3, T2 hens were fed on the control diet + 2.00 g per bird per day CaCO3, T3 hens were fed on the control diet + 0.20% HS and T4 hens were fed on the control diet + 0.20% HS + 2.00 g/bird/day CaCO3. The experiment started after 15 days of adaptation and lasted 8 weeks. The parameters evaluated were percentage of hen-day egg production, food consumption, mortality, egg quality parameters and heart rate variability (welfare indicator). Hens in the T3 group showed a significantly lower feed intake than those in the other three groups, however, significantly higher daily egg production was recorded in groups T3 and T4 compared to T1 and T2. Eggshell quality characteristics were significantly improved by HS supplementation and eggs laid by hens in groups T1, and T4 presented paler yolk and shell color than those in the other groups. In conclusion, these results indicated that in-feed inclusion of HS had a beneficial effect on laying hens' productive performance including egg production and eggshells quality.
Sustainability
Food systems and, to an extent, the pig sector are major contributors of greenhouse gas (GHG) emi... more Food systems and, to an extent, the pig sector are major contributors of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally. At the same time, significant amounts of waste are produced from the food sector. The aim of this study is to examine the implementation of circular bio-economy practices in the Greek pig sector to improve its environmental performance. More specifically, in collaboration with a pig farm in Northern Greece and a waste management company, the collection and processing of bakery by-products was organized to produce bakery meal (BM) to integrate it in the diets of fattening and growing pigs. Using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, the environmental performance of 20% BM inclusion in pig diets was examined in comparison with the conventional feedstock. BM experimentally replaced corn, wheat, barley, and soya bean from conventional feedstock. The Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) was based on the yearly average values of feed and energy consumption to produce 1 kg of living w...
World's Poultry Science Journal, 2011
The use of pasture-based systems for poultry production is growing due to consumer demand for spe... more The use of pasture-based systems for poultry production is growing due to consumer demand for specialty ‘natural’ and ‘welfare-friendly’ meat and eggs. This paper discusses the various meanings of the term ‘pastured poultry’ and defines the different pasture-based poultry production systems. Considerations of poultry welfare standards provided through the specific system are also discussed. Production topics such as poultry genetics, outdoor access and pasture management are presented together with potential problems. Finally, various aspects of sustainability are analysed to estimate the environmental, economical and social benefits promoted by the pasture-based poultry production systems.
Sustainability
The objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of producing eggs enriched in omeg... more The objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of producing eggs enriched in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) while also increasing the oxidative stability of egg yolk. Here, 432 68-week-old Isa Brown layers were split into two groups of 216, consisting of three subgroups of 72 each. Group C was fed a standard corn–soybean meal diet, while Group P received the same basic diet with an additional 24 g of fresh purslane. In the drinking water of hens of the three subgroups of group C and the three subgroups of group P, either no essential oil (C-0, P-0) or 100 ppm of oregano essential oil (C-ORE, P-ORE) or 100 ppm of a blend of oregano, sage, and fennel essential oils (C-BLEND, P-BLEND) was administered. The purslane supplementation resulted in increased egg weight, improved yolk color, higher levels of α-linolenic and linoleic acids, and an improved omega-6/omega-3 nutritional index. The addition of essential oils resulted in a significant increase in the oxi...
Animal Welfare, 2015
Sheep transport within Europe involves 9.5 million animals yearly, 63% of which travel over long ... more Sheep transport within Europe involves 9.5 million animals yearly, 63% of which travel over long journeys (> 8 h). Livestock transport, particularly over long journeys, gives rise to concern about the welfare of transported animals. The European Commission stimulates the development of market-oriented animal welfare standards for all phases of livestock production, providing an alternative to the ‘regulatory approach’. This study aimed to develop and test a new sheep welfare assessment protocol to be used following transport, irrespective of the journey purpose. The protocol included outcome (animal-based measures) and input variables (resource-based and management-based measures), being welfare-relevant aspects of both transport and unloading procedures. Weighted Cohen's Kappa and Fleiss’ Kappa index of agreement were calculated to evaluate the raters accuracy and the inter-observer reliability. Overall, good agreement levels were found. The protocol was tested on 40 commerc...
In this paper various welfare aspects of long distance transport of animal are introduced. Scient... more In this paper various welfare aspects of long distance transport of animal are introduced. Scientific evidence ispresented together with ethical and public concerns, as well as enforcement problems with examples from currentpractice and research. The on-going project on ‘Renovation and promoting high quality control posts in the EuropeanUnion’ is presented as it foresees a significant improvement of the equipment as well as the management of 12Control Posts (CPs) located at the cross roads of important flows of animals transported over long journeys in theEU. The aim is to conclude with a model to assure quality and welfare during all phases of long distance transportand mainly when animals are uploaded and housed at a control post.
World's Poultry Science Journal, 2015
Outdoor access is a defining characteristic of organic poultry that provides poultry with fresh g... more Outdoor access is a defining characteristic of organic poultry that provides poultry with fresh grass, insects and worms that may lead to enhanced product quality. There is evidence that meat from pastured-based poultry may contain some additional nutritional benefits through lower fat content, as well as higher vitamin and mineral contents. At the same time, under good pasture management, bird health and welfare can be achieved. This review gives an overview on the pasture management practices that can be employed to prevent potential risks in organic poultry systems such as uncontrolled weather conditions or mortality due to predators. This paper discusses the various effects of pasture management on (a) poultry health and welfare, including physical comfort, absence of hunger and disease, possibilities to perform motivated behaviours and (b) meat quality, including both consumer and nutritional quality and sensory attributes as related to pasture synthesis and intake.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Feb 17, 2023
HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Aug 26, 2013
Journal of the Hellenic Veterinary Medical Society, 2021
Avian influenza is a contagious viral disease, affecting several species of birds, and poses a si... more Avian influenza is a contagious viral disease, affecting several species of birds, and poses a significant public threat. During 2016-2017, there were 2,224 high pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks in Europe, which led to the destruction of 9,663,770 birds, and 72 low pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks in 5 European countries, which caused 276,584 bird fatalities. The majority of the epidemics were in wild and backyard birds, except for France and Hungary, where the majority of outbreaks were in duck-goose farms. Notably, there were a total of 100 outbreaks in turkey farms and 37 outbreaks in layer farms, while in broiler farms there were only 10. It is indisputable that wild birds are natural hosts and reservoirs for all types of avian influenza viruses. However, the role of poultry farms on the AI intra-country epidemiology has not been fully clarified. Based on the official reports of OIE for AI, this study indicates that poultry farms, especially fattening turkey and layer chicken farms, are high-risk factors concerning the introduction of the disease into an area and its spread into other poultry farms.
Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2022
Damaging behaviors (DB) such as tail and ear biting are prevalent in pig production and reduce we... more Damaging behaviors (DB) such as tail and ear biting are prevalent in pig production and reduce welfare and performance. Anecdotal reports suggest that health challenges increase the risk of tail-biting. The prevalence of tail damage and health problems show high correlations across batches within and between farms. There are many common risk factors for tail-biting and health problems, notably respiratory, enteric and locomotory diseases. These include suboptimal thermal climate, hygiene, stocking density and feed quality. The prevalence of tail damage and health problems also show high correlations across batches within and between farms. However, limited evidence supports two likely causal mechanisms for a direct link between DB and health problems. The first is that generalized poor health (e.g., enzootic pneumonia) on farm poses an increased risk of pigs performing DB. Recent studies indicate a possible causal link between an experimental inflammation and an increase in DB, and ...
This paper describes the framework and the results derived from WELFOOD Networked Academic Societ... more This paper describes the framework and the results derived from WELFOOD Networked Academic Society towards the collaborative development of an e-Learning course on the domain of farm animal welfare, environment and food quality. It has been concluded that developing courses in this way has outstanding benefits: wider knowledge and better e-Learning training skills for each of the members of Networked Academic Society and a higher quality course as compared to similar courses delivered locally by one or only few academics.
The CoreOrganic2 research project ProPIG is carried out in 75 organic pig farms in 8 European cou... more The CoreOrganic2 research project ProPIG is carried out in 75 organic pig farms in 8 European countries (AT; CH; CZ; DE; DK; FR; IT; UK) to improve animal health, welfare and nutrition using farm customised strategies. For future on-farm application (e.g. advisory/certification activities, which are mostly carried out during one day visits), a practical, automatic recording and feedback tool was developed. This should allow on-farm data collection, import of data into a database and the possibility for benchmarking, including a printed output for the farmer to facilitate immediate discussion of results and improvement strategies. To document not only animal health and welfare, but also integrate diet composition and productivity data, it was important to choose key indicators from all areas, which would be available across all eight countries. Based on existing on-farm welfare assessment protocols (e.g. WelfareQuality®, CorePIG) indicators were selected by the consortium, which were...
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Papers by Evangelia Sossidou