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ABSTRACT
[ Vol. XXII, Part IV
at frequent intervals, amounted to 19 per cent but the losses were reduced to 7 per
cert after the use of (soiled) built-up floor litter. Coccidia-infested birds were
present in all the pens irrespective of management of the floor litter. By old built-
up floor litter is meant the litter that was used for previous broods of chicks, indoors.
It requires two or three broods of chicks before the litter may be considered as
sufficiently old and suitable to bring down the mortality percentage in chicks. The
continuous use of the floor litter for about a year, is required, before the full beneficial
effect upon the livability of chicks can be realised.
In three of the four experiments conducted, the mortality of the chicks from all
causes was less on old litter. When the chicks received an incomplete ration, i.e.,
an all plant diet deficient in riboflavin and the unidentified animal protein factor
necessary for the normal growth of chickens raised indoors, the effects of the different
kinds of floor litter upon the amount of mortality were pronounced. The authors
draw the attention of research workers to the urgent need for fundamental research
relating to the chemical and biological processes that take place in the old built-up
litter.—[S.G.I.].
A Study of Meat Characteristics of Karakul sheep. HANKINS, O. G., HINGER, R. L.
AND SIMMONS, V. L. (1951). J. Anim. Sci. 10,2, 399-410.
K ARAKUL sheep are mainly a fur-producing breed, but those falling short of
the fur standards are used for meat and wool production. This study with 57
purebred and high-grade Karakùl ewes at the Agricultural Research Centre, Belts-
ville (U.S.A.), provides a basis for improving the meat producing qualities of the
Karakul sheep. Conformation, slaughter, measurement of carcass, its cuts and
their eating qualities namely aroma, flavour of fat and lean, juiciness, tenderness and
resistance to shearing, and the role of separable fat, lean, total edible meat and bone
in the production of marketable meat, are described and their effects discussed.
Results showed that dressing percentage varied directly with fatness and live
weight at slaughter, the fattest lot dressing more than 50 per cent. Also, carcasses
of fatter ewes graded better. Body length and fatness were not correlated. Among
the three most popular cuts, loin and rib cuts increased rapidly with fatness to a
farther extent than leg cuts. The deposition of large amount of fat in the tail was
a major factor for loss in trimming. Increase in fatness had a decrease in lean and
bone, but increase in total edible meat. Fatness helped tenderness much more
than aroma, but juiciness was little affected.—[S.V.C.].
The Influence of Nutritional Level on Verminosis in Merino Lambs. LAURENCE,
G. B., GROENEWALD, L. W., QUIN, J. L, CLARK, R., ORTLEPP, R. J., AND BOSMAN,
S. W. (1951). J. Vet. Res. (Onderstepoort), 25, 121.
A MASS mixed infestation of Haemonchus Contortus and Oesophagostomum,
Columbianum larvae dosed to 7 to 8 month old merino lambs kept on two
different planes of nutrition caused a peracute fatal verminosis in all the infested
animals. A similar infestation when dosed to 10 to 11 month old lambs under
identical conditions caused a chronic verminosis. This finding demonstrates the
greater susceptibility of young lambs to worm infestation, regardless of their diet,