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Effects of chop length of alfalfa hay on growth performance, daily behavior, and hypothalamic transcriptome in Small-tailed Han sheep
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DOI：10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2026.116753.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
This study aims to investigate the effects of alfalfa hay chop length on growth, behavior, and hypothalamic function in Small-tailed Han sheep. Twenty-one female sheep were randomly divided into three dietary groups: long (natural length), medium (<16 mm), and short (<6 mm) chop lengths of alfalfa hay. Over the experimental period, growth performance metrics were recorded, and animal behaviors were monitored via video recording. Sheep had been fed short alfalfa significantly increased final body weight and average daily gain, alongside a reduced feed-to-gain ratio. Meanwhile, the sheep in short alfalfa group had spent more time lying and less time moving, with a decreasing trend in adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol levels. Transcriptomic analysis revealed distinct hypothalamic gene expression profiles in the long alfalfa group compared to the medium-and short-chop groups. Functional enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes indicated that short alfalfa intake notably upregulated pathways related to synaptic signaling, including the dopaminergic and serotonergic synapse pathways. This was supported by a significant increase in hypothalamic 5-hydroxytryptamine concentration and the downregulation of corticotropin-releasing hormone in the short alfalfa group. The results suggest that the effects of short chopped alfalfa may be associated with the modulation of hypothalamic activity, specifically via the activation of dopamine and 5-HT signaling pathways and a concomitant reduction in stress-associated neuroendocrine activity.
Keywords:
Alfalfa hay length
Growth performance
Daily behavior
Hypothalamus
Small-tailed Han sheep
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2.7
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473
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1.5W
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