Tritordeum and DDRR in Sheep Welfare

Short summary

Doctoral thesis studying the effect of feeding sheep with new cereal-based forages — Tritordeum and DDRR — compared with traditional cereals. The work evaluates animal welfare, physiology, metabolic status, immunity and productive performance in Merino sheep.

Scientific abstract

This doctoral thesis investigates the use of new drought-resistant cereals, particularly Tritordeum and DDRR, in sheep feeding systems under the context of climate change, rising temperatures and the need for more resilient forage crops.

The research compares diets based on these new cereals with traditional cereal feeds and evaluates their impact on animal welfare, physiological status and productive performance. The thesis includes two experimental trials. The first compares Tritordeum pasture with oat pasture in pregnant Merino ewes, assessing haematological, metabolic, immune and stress-related welfare indicators. The second evaluates DDRR silage against maize silage in Merino ewes, including welfare-related blood parameters, zootechnical performance, mycotoxin load and histopathological assessment.

Overall, the work supports the potential of Tritordeum and DDRR as alternative cereal forages with relevance for animal welfare, livestock health and sustainable livestock production.

Why this publication matters

This thesis is important because it extends Tritordeum research beyond human food applications and into animal nutrition and forage systems.

It provides evidence that Tritordeum pasture can support physiological welfare indicators in pregnant Merino ewes and positions Tritordeum as a climate-resilient cereal with potential value in sustainable livestock feeding.

For Vivagran and Tritordeum communication, this publication helps show that Tritordeum is not only a cereal for bakery, pasta or brewing, but also a potential ingredient for more resilient and functional animal feeding systems.

Key findings

The thesis includes 2 experimental trials: one comparing Tritordeum pasture vs oat pasture in pregnant Merino ewes, and another comparing DDRR silage vs maize silage.

Tritordeum pasture positively influenced physiological indicators of animal welfare in pregnant Merino ewes.

The thesis reports benefits related to liver function, nutritional status, immune response, IgA concentration, productive performance and antioxidant capacity.

Tritordeum pasture is described as a potential functional feed for pregnant ewes, offering benefits beyond basic nutritional value.

The work also highlights Tritordeum’s relevance in sustainable production systems, partly due to its agronomic resilience and suitability under challenging environmental conditions.

In the second experimental trial, DDRR silage showed better animal welfare-related outcomes than maize silage, which was associated with organic liver damage and higher mycotoxin-related concern.

Practical takeaway

Tritordeum pasture may be considered a promising alternative forage for sheep feeding, especially in livestock systems looking for climate-resilient cereals with potential benefits for animal welfare, immune status and productive performance.

For the Tritordeum knowledge base, this publication supports the positioning of Tritordeum as a multi-use cereal crop with applications in food, feed and sustainable agriculture.

Full citation

Requena Domenech, L. 2023. Estudio sobre la fisiología aplicada del bienestar animal del ganado ovino alimentado a base de nuevos cereales — Tritordeum y DDRR — frente a cereales tradicionales. Doctoral thesis, Universidad de Córdoba.