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The aim of this study was to reveal the reconstitution dynamics of alfalfa microbiota and their contribution to the fermentation quality of Napier grass silages. Napier grass was harvested at approximately 20% dry matter content, chopped to a theoretical length of cut of 2 to 3 cm, and ensiled in laboratory polyethylene plastic bags (400 × 250 mm) for 30 d. The Napier grass was treated with the following: natural fermentation and distilled water (NG), inoculum of alfalfa microbiota (AM), gamma-ray irradiation and distilled water (IR), and gamma-ray radiation and alfalfa microbiota (IR+AM). Three milliliters of inoculum (containing 8.93 log cfu/ mL lactic acid bacteria, 9.76 log cfu/mL Enterobacteriaceae, 5.94 log cfu/mL yeast, and 6.53 log cfu/mL mold) eluted from equivalent fresh alfalfa (450 g) was added to each silo of AM and IR+AM treatments, and 3 mL of distilled water was added to the silo of the NG and IR treatments. Three triplicate silos per treatment were opened on d 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, and 30 for sampling and analysis of fermentation quality and bacterial community. Relative to the NG silages, IR+AM silages exhibited a higher lactic acid concentration. The higher acetic acid concentration in NG than in IR+AM silages after 7 d of ensiling was attributed to the dominant genus of Leuconostoc (64.29-49.04%). Adding alfalfa microbiota to sterile Napier grass could increase ammonia-N concentration compared with NG and IR silages after 3 d of ensiling. Leuconostoc was the most predominant genus in NG silages, followed by Lactobacillus. Pediococcus had a greater relative abundance than the indigenous microorganisms and was exclusively found in AM and IR+AM silages, whereas Lactobacillus exhibited a slight increase after 30 d of ensiling (relative abundance in each silage: 6.29 vs. 3.82%, respectively). Lactobacillus was the predominant genus in IR silages since the onset of the ensiling. These results suggest that alfalfa microbiota affected bacterial community succession in Napier grass silages, which in turn affected the fermentation products. Adding alfalfa microbiota to sterile Napier grass could decrease acetic acid concentration compared with NG silages; however, it increased ammonia-N concentration compared with IR silages after 3 d of ensiling.

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The objective of the study was to investigate the differences in eggshell quality, bone quality and serum bone biochemistry markers associated with changes in age and dietary soybean oil levels in laying hens. A total of 54, 19-week-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were housed in 18 battery cages (3 birds/cage) and randomly divided into three diet treatments for 90 d: control-fat (CF, 1.9% soybean oil), moderate-fat (MF, 7% soybean oil) and high-fat (HF, 10% soybean oil). The hens' body weights (BW), egg production, egg weights, eggshell thickness and femoral diameter were higher at d 90 than at d 60 or d 30. Meanwhile, feed intake, relative bone weights, all bone strength parameters and serum Ca were lower at d 90 or 60 than at d 30. Compared to the CF hens, the feed intake, BW, abdominal fat pad weights and serum alkaline phosphatase activity were elevated in MF or HF hens. The eggshell thickness, relative femoral and tibial weight, femoral stiffness, femoral modulus, tibial mixed force and serum calcium and phosphorus levels were lower in MF or HF hens than CF hens. These findings suggest that bone loss in caged hens starts from an early stage of the laying period, and dietary oil (particularly with diets over 10% soybean oil) has harmful effects on eggshell quality, bone strength and bone mineralisation from an early stage of the laying period.