Facilities

Pilot plants

Pilot feedstuff production plant: This facility is fully equipped for the preparation of all kinds of feedstuffs (granules or pellets). We cover a wide range of formulations and our scale enables us to manufacture small amounts of feedstuffs with high precision and control of the whole process.

Mobile system for indirect calorimetry: Equipped with 12 digestibility cages for small ruminants and an open circuit indirect calorimetry system. With this device we can determine oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide and methane production, and then estimate the energetic expenditure by the animal according to different physiological states.

Pilot cheese factory: Fitted with curdling tanks systems for milk pasteurising, brine bath, press and maturing chambers. We can manufacture different types of cheese, based on both lactic and enzymatic processes. Most of our creations are based on sheep and goat milk, particularly traditional cheeses from the Valencia region (cassoleta, servilleta, tronchón, …). Our facilities allow us to hold training courses for groups of roughly 10 to 20 students.

Slaughterhouse and cutting plant: We have an experimental abattoir and cutting plant equipped with all the materials necessary for carcass and meat quality analysis.

Farms

Experimental farm for small ruminants: Our herd is composed of about 20 head of Guirra sheep and some 50 Murciano-Granadina goats. The farm has a mechanical milking system and dairy plant.

Selection nucleus for rabbits: Consisting of a farm housing four rabbit breeds and managed as a closed farm. We supply animals for multiplication farms and also for commercial farms setting up their own multiplication units. Around half of the reproduction rabbits used in Spain come from these lines. We also have a laboratory to conduct laparoscopy and then evaluate ovulation embryo implantation rates.

Experimental breeding farm: On this farm we select non-commercial rabbit lines, which correspond to our fundamental research (research into litter size components and meat quality). The farm also has a laboratory to conduct laparoscopy and assess ovulation embryo implantation rates.

Experimental rabbit nutrition farm: This facility can house up to 200 rabbit does and the corresponding fattening animals in two separate buildings. We also have a climate-controlled room where 42 more rabbit does can be housed, and where we conduct our experiments on thermal response of animals. The farm is also equipped with 50 digestibility cages and a laboratory for basic sampling and drying of large samples.

Aquaculture: This laboratory has five experimental lines with independent circuits. Line 1 is composed of 8 tanks of 4000 litres each; line 2 has 14 tanks of 1500 litres each; Line 3 has 8 tanks of 750 litres each; line 4 has four tanks of 2500 litres each and line 5 has 30 fish tanks of 100 to 200 litres each. With these facilities we can conduct different experiments using both fresh and salt water species and controlling different parameters. The installation is equipped with a heat pump which allows a constant temperature throughout the year. Oxygen supply is achieved by means of an aeration system based on blower pumps. We also have an emergency oxygenation system.

Pilot plant for sea cages: This installation is located five kilometres away from the quay and consists of three cages 8m in diameter. Each cage is divided into two sections.

Laboratories

Chromatography: This lab allows us to determine amino acids, fatty acids, methane and progesterone, among others, in a wide variety of samples of animal origin. The equipment is composed of a high precision liquid chromatograph (HPLC) with an automated injector and fluorescence and ultraviolet detectors, two gas chromatographs with automatic injectors and flame ionisation detector (FID). To prepare samples we have a centrifugal vacuum lyophiliser, a rotary evaporator and equipment for sample centrifugation, filtration, agitation and homogenisation.

Bromatology: Performing several analyses, including primary feedstuff characterisation, fibres, starch and energy. We also conduct other bromatologic determinations in raw materials, by-products, faeces and products of animal origin. In vitro nutrition tests based on enzymatic activity are also carried out in this lab.

Histology: Equipped with an automatic revolver to process tissue samples and prepare paraffin cuts, manual microtomes, staining of samples and cut preservation. This lab has all the basic equipment required to conduct immunohistology tests.

Fish reproduction physiology: Kitted out for the basic manipulation of a wide variety of samples (blood and sperm among others) and elaborating dilution media: osmometer, pH-meter, centrifuges, extractor hood, incubation ovens, PCR, optic and fluorescence microscopy, etc. We can also determine sperm quality including motility and morphometry.

Production and cryopreservation of gametes and embryos: In this lab we can manipulate embryos and oocytes, conduct embryo transfers and cryopreserve them.

Genomics of reproduction: In this lab we extract and purify DNA and RNA from tissues, gametes and embryos. We can conduct a sequence analysis of nucleic acid fragments. We analyse the expression of genes related with the endocrine gonadotropic activity, the oocyte maturity and the embryo development.

Meat quality: Equipped with all the instruments and certificates required for the official analysis of milk and dairy products. The laboratory uses automated analysers commonly used in the milk industry and can certify milk quality.

Milk Lab: equipado con el material necesario para el análisis oficial de la calidad de la leche y productos lácteos así como de los equipos automáticos más empleados en la industría láctea.

Environmental simulation: In this laboratory we can conduct engineering assays to optimise livestock facilities. We apply CFD techniques to optimise the housing design and evaluate climate control systems by means of different instrumentation such as fans, pressure drop meters, anemometers and other sensors.