bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of dietary source of very long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in poultry diets on the oxidative stability of chicken meat
Authors: Rymer C. , Givens D.I.
Published: June 2019

Enriching chicken meat with the very long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC n-3 PUFA) 20:5 (EPA) and 22:6 (DHA) is a possible means of increasing the human consumption of these essential fatty acids as current levels of intake of these fatty acids are extremely low. However, a potential drawback of increasing the VLC n-3 PUFA content of chicken meat is that the oxidative stability of the meat is reduced. Chicken meat is enriched with VLC n-3 PUFA by the addition of fish oil to the chickens’ diet. It is possible that using alternative dietary sources of VLC n-3 PUFA may increase the oxidative stability of the meat (Mooney et al., 1998). The objective of this experiment was to determine what the source of VLC n-3 PUFA in broilers’ diets had on the oxidative stability of their edible tissues.
Changes in rumen microbial fermentation during acidosis are due to a combined effects of fermentation substrate and pH
Authors: Calsamiglia S. , Cardozo P. , Ferret A. , Bach A.
Published: June 2019

The supply of high-concentrate diets results in the reduction in ruminal pH and the development of acidosis. Because the reduction of pH occurs at the same time as the diet is changed, the effects are confounded. For example, high-concentrate diets ferment towards propionate, and low rumen pH also results in greater propionate production. Which factor is responsible for the increase in rumen propionate? The objective of this study was to determine the effects of rumen pH and the type of diet (D) on rumen microbial fermentation, with the aim of developing simple mathematical model to describe these effects.
Comparison of starch degradation in cereal grains by incubation in vitro with rumen fluid and boiling with α-amylase solution
Authors: Guedes C. M. , Rodrigues M. M. , Oliveira A. , Lourenço A. L. , Silva S. R. , Dias-da-Silva A.
Published: June 2019

Cereal grains are the most common sources of readily available energy for dairy cows. Several in vitro and in situ studies have measured starch degradability of cereal grains. However, most of these studies compared few samples and grain species and used only one method. Compared with protein, much less information is available on this topic. Such information would allow a more efficient use of energy and protein in dairy cow diets. The objective of this study was to determine starch degradation of 32 samples of 7 cereal grains using in vitro incubation with rumen fluid and a new method based on a boiling extraction with an enzymatic (thermo stable α-amylase) solution.
Equine breed registry and type: its influence on performance on young event horse evaluation
Authors: Whitaker T. C.
Published: June 2019

European breeding schemes have for many years routinely conducted evaluation of young (mainly at four to six years of age) sport horse as a part of their integrated breed improvement schemes (Whitaker and Hill, 2005 a). Such an approach has allowed assessment of horses as to their future worth as competition animals and helped to establish the potential genetic worth of animals to the populations. Furthermore such events act as part of the validation mechanism for the establishment of estimated breeding values. The UK has historically suffered from an unstructured and disparate approach to sport horse breeding (Whitaker and Hill 2005 a). However recently (over the last five years) various organisations have introduced competitions aimed at assessment of young sport horses. An example is the British Eventing Breeding Championships established in 2004. Four, five and six year old event horse compete in qualifying competitions and then participate in a one day championship event run in October. This study investigated the effect of both breed type and registry on final rank within competition for six year old horses completing competition in 2004 and 2005 championships.
Investigating the effect of feeding space on aggression, feeding behaviour and production
Authors: Lang F.C. , Roberts D.J. , Haskell M.
Published: June 2019

Promoting feed intake of lactating dairy cattle (particularly those in early lactation) is critical in terms of improving milk production, health, body condition and welfare of the animals (Grant and Albright, 1995). Therefore a good food supply is extremely important to the modern, high producing dairy cow. Feeder design and stocking density can have a major impact on feed intake and aggressive behaviour; therefore it is an important consideration when designing housing and managing livestock. The aim of the study was to investigate if increasing space allowance at the feed-face would reduce the frequency of aggressive interactions and competition. These changes in spacing may also lead to an increase in feeding activity in the time after provision of fresh feed.
Methane output from beef cattle fed different high-concentrate diets
Authors: Martin C. , Dubbroeucq H. , Micol D. , Agabriel J. , Doreau M.
Published: June 2019

Methane (CH4) is a greenhouse gas of which the release into the atmosphere is directly linked with animal agriculture, particularly ruminant production. CH4 emissions from ruminant also represent a loss in productive energy for the animal. Development of effective strategies to mitigate these methane emissions will have not only environmental benefits for the planet but also nutritional benefits for the animal. It has been shown that concentrate-rich diets result in a decrease in methanogenesis per unit of animal product (milk, meat). However, some of these diets may have adverse effects on the efficiency of production, e.g. due to risk of acidosis. Our study focused on measuring methane emissions on young bulls fed three contrasting finishing diets characteristics of three intensive levels of production in France.
Bayesian estimation of genetic parameters of litter size at birth in crossbred Mule ewes using repeatability and multiple trait threshold models
Authors: Mekkawy W. , Roehe R. , Lewis R. M. , Davies M. H. , Van Heelsum A. M. , Bünger L. , Simm G. , Haresign W.
Published: June 2019

The reproductive performance of ewes is a major factor influencing the economic success of lowland flocks. Even so reproductive traits have not often been included in sheep genetic improvement programs because of their low heritabilities compared with other performance traits like body weight and carcass merit. Litter size is one of the most important traits affecting reproductive performance. There are two important factors to be considered in the genetic analysis of litter size. First, several authors have suggested that litter size in different parities is controlled in part by different genes, and therefore should be treated as different traits. Second, ignoring the categorical nature of litter size and analysing it using a linear model does not account for its non-normal distribution. As a consequence, threshold models are likely to be more appropriate for the analysis of categorical traits (Gianola and Foulley, 1983). Therefore, the objective of the current study was to estimate the genetic parameters for litter size of Mule ewes using both repeatability and a multiple trait threshold models for repeated observations of litter size across four different parities.
Estimation of genetic correlation between milk production and fat yield in different climates of Iran
Authors: Savar Sofla Sima
Published: June 2019

Performance of one genotype in similar climates is approximately the same but if this genotype is introduced into a different climate, its performance will be affected, based on Nizamani and Berger (1996). The function that relates phenotype to environment is unique for each genotype. Hence, the response to changes in environment may vary from one genotype to the other, based on Mulder et al. (2004). Different selection responses between environments are generally attributed to two types of genotype by environment interaction. The first type occurs when the genetic correlation between performances in two environments is substantially less than 1.0, indicating a genetic difference basis for the trait in the two environments. The second type of genotype by environment interaction results from heterogeneous variances, based on Ojango and Pollott (2002). The goal of this study was to estimate genetic (co)variances, environmental variances, and genetic parameters of milk production and fat yield among different environments in Iran to determine variables that are useful indicators of genotype by environment interaction.
Effect of raw cereal type on digestibility of starch in the weaned piglet
Authors: White G.A. , Wiseman J. , Doucet F.J. , Hill S.E.
Published: June 2019

Starch is of major importance to the young piglet, since by weight it constitutes the largest portion of the diet and is the major energy-yielding component. Usually provided in the form of cereals, the digestibility of starch is fundamental in contributing to the dietary energy requirements of the animal. Two trials were designed in order to examine the effect of variability between raw cereals on the digestibility of starch in the newly-weaned piglet.
Effect of lameness on the daily milk yield of Holstein-Friesian dairy cows
Authors: Onyiro O. M. , Brotherstone S.
Published: June 2019

As a major health problem facing dairy farmers worldwide with substantial economic, production and welfare consequences, lameness has attracted much attention over the last two to three decades (Boelling, 1999). Lameness as a linear type trait is measured by locomotion scoring as there is a high genetic correlation between lameness and locomotion score. Studies have included locomotion (as a predictor of lameness) and have associated lameness with no effect, an increase and sometimes a decrease in milk production of cows. Several reasons have been given for these differences and the need still arises for estimates of the effect of lameness on milk yield in herds with current dairy management. The objective of this study was to quantify the effect of lameness on the daily milk yield (DMY) of dairy cows.
The incidence of calf mortality on dairy farms in southern England
Authors: Brickell J. S. , Bourne N. , Wathes D. C.
Published: June 2019

Reduced reproductive performance of dairy cows is a major challenge facing the dairy industry. Many potential replacement heifers fail to reach their first lactation because they are either born dead, die as juveniles, or fail to conceive. Perinatal mortality has previously been estimated across English herds as 7.8% (Esslemont & Kossaibati, 1996), whereas neonatal mortality in the UK has been estimated at 0 to 10% (reviewed by Mellor & Stafford, 2004). Calf mortality is often poorly documented and estimates that are available are possibly underestimated because a dead calf at birth is not always recorded at the farm level. Therefore, the objective of this study was to accurately calculate the incidence of perinatal and neonatal mortality of dairy calves on commercial farms in southern England.
Breed and sex effects on muscle fibre characteristics in two contrasting sheep breeds: Scottish Blackface and Texel
Authors: Bunger L. , Navajas EA , Stevenson L. , Lambe NR , Maltin CA , Simm G. , Chang KC
Published: June 2019

Lamb production is an important part of UK agriculture, contributing more than 10% of total livestock output. It is crucial for maintaining employment and infrastructure in rural communities, and in managing and enhancing the countryside and biodiversity. For the UK sheep industry to continue as a major producer and exporter of lamb, the improvement of its economic sustainability is essential and requires high product quality.

As one of the major terminal sire breeds in the UK, Texel sheep (TEX) have been selected over generations for rapid growth, muscularity and lean meat content. In contrast, Scottish Blackface sheep (SBF) have been selected for their hardiness and maternal ability, with less attention being paid to carcass traits. It is clear therefore that divergent selection goals are driving the breeding of TEX and SBF. Based on work in pigs in particular, where selection for lean tissue growth rate has been used extensively, it might be predicted that these two breeds would have diver-gent muscle fibre characteristics. The proportion of muscle fibre types and their size affect muscularity as well as functional properties of the musculature and meat eating quality (MEQ). Breed differences indicate a genetic basis for these traits. This study evaluates the effects of breed and sex, together with those of birthweight and litter size on fibre type characteristics.
Seasonal changes in milk yield and fat content in Holstein dairy herds of Khorasan province
Authors: Saremi Behnam , Khosrojerdi Mehdi
Published: June 2019

Variation in milk production is depended on different factors including: temperature, humidity and day length, which are changing at different months of year (Saremi et al., 2003, Naerian et al., 2003). Dairy industry sustain loss or make profit according to amount of milk production or ingredients during year (Barbano et al., 1991). Traditional Bazaar and dairy industry are influenced by milk processing technology so that increased shelf time of products and whole milk and its products having the opportunity to distribute more effective (Erba et al., 1996). Seasonal changes in milk production leads to more processing of milk and changes in total solids of milk, which can influence price of milk (Stephenson et al., 1989). This study designed to investigate seasonal changes in milk production and its fat content in addition to investigating these changes between years (1988-2003).
Association of genetic variants of the prolactin gene with milk production traits in Russian Red Pied cattle
Authors: Alipanah Masoud , Kalashnikova Lobov , Rodionov Genadi
Published: June 2019

Prolactin plays an important regulatory function in mammary gland development, milk secretion, and expression of milk protein genes. Hence the PRL gene is a potential genetic marker of production traits in dairy cattle. The gene was mapped on chromosome 23 by Hallerman et al. (1988). It consists of 5 exons and four introns (Camper et al. 1984) encoding the 199-amino-acid mature protein (Wallis 1974). On the basis of sequence analysis of four different cDNA clones, seven possible nucleotide substitutions were described by Sasavage et al. (1982). One of them, recognized by RsaI endonuclease, has become a popular genetic marker used for genetic characterization of cattle populations by means of PCR-RFLP (Mitra et al., 1995). Two allelic variants (B and b) have been distinguished at the DNA level, based on RsaI polymorphism in the third exon of the coding region. It has been suggested that prolactin alleles correlate with milk yield (Lewin et al., 1992).
In vitro digestion and ruminal degradation of soybean hulls
Authors: Mohammadzadeh Hamid , Nikkhah Ali , Reza-Yazdi Kamran , Mehrabani-Yeganeh Hassan
Published: June 2019

Dairy producers use soyhulls, a byproduct of soybean processing, to replace either grain or forage in diets of lactating dairy cows. In view of the nutritional and economical value of soyhulls it is anticipated that this practice will continue to increase in popularity among nutritionists and producers of ruminant animals. According to the NRC (2001), SH contain 60.3% NDF and 44.6% ADF on a DM basis. Also The CP content of SH averaged 11.8%, which is within the range of 13.9± 4.6%. The objectives of this paper are to evaluate the in vitro DM and OM digestibility and in situ degradability of DM, CP and NDF contents of soybean hulls.
Enrichment of cow milk by feeding potassium iodide
Authors: Valizadeh Reza , Norouzian Mohammad Ali , Azizi Fereydoon , Hedayeti Mehdi , Naserian Abbas Ali , Eftekhari Shahroodi Fereydoon
Published: June 2019

Iodine is an essential dietary element for mammals, required for the synthesis of the thyroid hormones; thyroxin (T4, 3,5,3’,5’-tetraiodothyronine), and its active form T3 (3,5,3’-triiodothyronine) (SCF,2002). Thyroid hormones play a major role in the growth and development of brain and central nervous systems, control of several metabolic processes in body including carbohydrate, fat, protein, vitamin and mineral metabolism (EFSA, 2005). Milk and dairy products are an important source of iodine for human. Iodine concentration of cow milk can be influenced by its concentration in the diet or pasteurization process. A Linear correlation between iodine content of the diet and concentration in cow milk has been reported (Hemken; 1979, Fish & Swenson; 1982, Lysbet et. al, 2003). This study was conducted in order to increase the iodine concentration of cow milk in accordance with human requirements by examining (i) inclusion rate of iodine in the animals diet and (ii) the effect of pasteurization process.
Effect of weaning twice daily milk fed calves at low or high levels of concentrate intake on performance to 12 weeks old
Authors: Marsh S P , Hartley P R , Brown S T
Published: June 2019

Artificial rearing is a common practice for rearing calves from the dairy herd destined for beef production. In commercial practice calves are typically weaned from 5 to 9 weeks old. There are four criteria that can be used to determine weaning time: age, compound feed intake, liveweight and milk price. Late weaning systems are based on the theory of giving the calf the best possible start in life, but are costly with high milk intakes (Davis and Drackley, 1998). Hence emphasis is usually placed on early weaning of the calf and encouraging concentrate intake. A number of factors can affect concentrate intake including quality and quantity of milk fed, size of the calf and concentrate texture. Recommendations are to typically wean calves when eating 1kg concentrate per day. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of weaning twice daily milk fed calves on either a low (0.75kg) or high (1.25kg) concentrate intake on performance to 12 weeks old.
Effects of phytogenics and organic acids alone and in combination on growth performance of weaned piglets
Authors: Steiner T. , Lückstädt C.
Published: June 2019

Intensive research has been directed to the potential of Natural Growth Promoters (NGPs) to replace antibiotics. Phytogenics and organic acids (OA) have been shown to be effective in reducing the incidence of gastrointestinal disorders, thereby improving growth performance in pigs (Steiner, 2006). The addition of OA to nonruminant diets is supposed to have beneficial effects on feed safety since OA have a detrimental impact on moulds and other feed contaminants. Moreover, due to a decrease in gastric pH, acidification of the diets creates favourable conditions for nutrient digestibility, especially in young piglets (Radcliffe et al., 1998). Dietary supplementation with essential oils originating from aromatic plants may directly affect the intestinal microflora, both in quantitative and qualitative terms. As shown under in vitro (Helander et al., 1998) and in vivo conditions (Kroismayr et al., 2005), oregano essential oils have strong antimicrobial properties. Finally, it has been confirmed that addition of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) to diets for nonruminants may stabilize the gut microflora by selectively supporting the growth of beneficial bacteria (Macfarlane et al., 2006). Depending on individual farm conditions, a well-adjusted combination of different strategies is supposed to maximize the efficacy of NGPs in antibiotic-free feeding systems. The aim of the trial was to investigate the effects of phytogenics and OA alone and in combination in comparison with a commercial diet containing no additives.
Effects of an inorganic acid blend on performance and health status in weaned piglets under Vietnamese conditions
Authors: Lückstädt C. , Steiner T.
Published: June 2019

At weaning piglets are exposed to physiological and environmental stress, which often result in reduced feed intake and little or no weight gain (Ravindran and Kornegay, 1993). During the last few decades, diets for weaning piglets have been boosted with various antibiotics in prophylactic doses against gastrointestinal disorders in order to obtain economic benefits due to improved growth rates (4 to 15%) and feed efficiency (2 to 6%; Mroz, 2003). However, growing public concern about the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture and the risk of developing cross-resistance of pathogens to antibiotics used in human therapy has prompted the pig industry to look for alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters that will give similar pig performance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of inorganic acids (phosphoric acid) for nursery pig diets in order to determine their effects on weight gain, diarrhoea and resistance to illness.
The chemical composition and ruminal disappearance of pistachio by-product
Authors: Bohluli Atiyeh , Naserian Abasali , Valizadeh Reza
Published: June 2019

Iran is the greatest pistachio producer in the world. A large quantity of pistachio by-product (at least 150,000 tons in DM) is produced from pistachio dehulling process in Iran, annually. The results of some experiments show this by¬product can be used as a feedstuff for ruminants (Shakeri and Fazaeli, 2005; VAhmani et. al., 2005). However, more information about physical and chemical compositions of this by-product is needed. Pistachio by-product is mainly consists of epicarp, peduncle, leaf and a little amount of mesocarp and kernel. The aim of this study was to determine chemical composition and in situ dry matter disappearance of each part of pistachio by-product (Ohadi variety) after 0, 12 and 24 h incubation in the rumen.
‘Grape marc’ as a source of tannins to reduce proteolysis during ensilage
Authors: Deaville E.R. , Givens D.I. , Mueller-Harvey I.
Published: June 2019

A reduction of the overall nitrogen (N) loss to the environment from intensive ruminant production systems remains a key policy and research objective. Such an outcome is essential for the development of sustainable ruminant farming systems that minimise their environmental footprints. Plant and microbial enzyme-mediated proteolysis during ensilage results in the extensively hydrolysed N fraction in grass silage (Givens and Rulquin, 2004). It is generally accepted that the highly soluble N fraction of grass silage is poorly utilised by ruminants, reflecting the low efficiency of capture of silage N in the rumen. An improvement in dietary N efficiency by ruminants is therefore a key concern. Plant tannins have in common their capacity to bind proteins and an improvement in N utilisation by ruminants has been reported for a number of tanniniferous feeds (Mueller-Harvey, 2006). Therefore, the aim of the present experiment was to study a by¬product from the wine industry, so-called ‘grape marc’, as a potential source of tannins to reduce proteolysis during ensilage.
Venous Blood Gas in Holstein steers fed diets with different concentrate to lucerne hay ratios
Authors: Vakili Alireza , Danesh Mesgaran Mohsen , Heravi Moussavi Alireza Heravi , Valizadeh Reza
Published: June 2019

An arterial or venous blood gas is a clinical tool for determining pulmonary and metabolic status. Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) or Venous Blood Gas (VBG) methods provide a direct measurement of partial blood pressures of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) and oxygen (PaO2), hydrogen ion activity (pH), total hemoglobin (Hbtotal), oxyhemoglobin saturation (HbO2) and bicarbonate ion concentration (HCO3-). Most blood tests are done on a sample of blood taken from a vein due to: 1-Collecting blood from an artery is more painful than collecting it from a vein because the arteries are deeper and have more nerves, 2-Artery may be inaccessible due to periarterial tissues (overlying muscle, connective tissue, or fat). In ruminants, feeding diets high in grain and other highly fermentable carbohydrates increases the risk of ruminal and blood acidosis. Although ruminal pH varies considerably within a day, cows possess a highly developed system to maintain ruminal pH within a physiological range. However, if the acid production from fermentation is more than the system can buffer, ruminal pH compensation fails and it may drop drastically (Marie Krause & Oetzel, 2005). The importance of arterial or venous blood gas measurements in the diagnosis of ruminal acidosis is prevented some health problems such as ruminal parakeratosis, erosion and ulceration of the ruminal epithelium (Garry, 2002), laminitis, sole abscesses and sole ulcer (Nocek, 1997). The objective of the present experiment was to investigate the effect of diets providing different concentrate: lucerne hay ratios on venous blood gas in Holstein steers.
Effect of different levels of pigment and fat sources on blood and egg yolk cholesterol and yolk colour of laying hens
Authors: Zaefarian Faegheh , Shivazad Mahmood , Abdollahi Mohammad Reza , Taherkhani Reza
Published: June 2019

Egg yolk colour has always been regarded as an important egg quality characteristic and recently has had an even more important role in the marketing of eggs. One of the dietary factors influencing egg yolk colour is dietary fat. Dietary fat has been reported to have a positive or negative effect. Mackay et al (1963) reported that the addition of 4% animal fat improve egg yolk pigmentation. Hamilton and Parkhurst (1990) found that fats with lowering melting point resulted in higher oxycarotenoid level in yolk. An investigation of the role for dietary fat in yolk pigmentation appeared worthwhile because the sources of fat are different in the formulation of diets and because yolk pigmentation is an economically important quality factor. The objective of the present study was to investigate the influence of three sources of fat and levels of pigment on yolk colour and performance of laying hens.
The UK National Action Plan on Farm Animal Genetic Resources
Authors: Simm G. , Woolliams J .A. , Alderson G. L. H. , Brigstocke T. , Roper M. , Hambling P.
Published: June 2019

The UK’s Farm Animal Genetic Resources (FAnGR) – its farm animal breeds, strains and varieties, and the variability within them-are of great economic, social and cultural importance. For these reasons alone it is important that we care for them, but we also have national and international obligations to do so.
Robust Chickens: Improving productivity, health and welfare by including social effects in the selection decisions
Authors: Bijma P. , Muir W M , Ellen E D
Published: June 2019

The usual approach in livestock genetic improvement is to consider the phenotype as a sum of a heritable component and a residual non-genetic component, referred to as environment, P = A + E. However, when individuals are kept in groups, the environment that an individual experiences contains a social component due to its group members. In contrast to the physical environment, this social component may have a heritable basis and therefore respond to selection. Thus, for traits affected by social interactions among individuals, current selection strategies can be improved by including the social effects of individuals in the selection decisions. Here we present some basic theory for improving traits affected by interactions, and first empirical results in three populations of layer chickens.
Measuring and preventing lameness in dairy cows
Authors: Weary D.M.
Published: June 2019

In this presentation I review recent results from our research group on the assessment and prevention of lameness in dairy cows.
Social play and its initiation in an established group of young domestic horses
Authors: McCallum L , Dumbell L C
Published: June 2019

Although ethograms of social play behaviour have been formulated (McDonnell & Poulin, 2002; Zharkikh, 2003) few studies focus on equine social play (Christensen et al., 2002). Social play studies have largely focussed on the time budgets and generalised interactions between herds (for example Boyd, 1988) rather than specific social behaviour sequences between limited numbers of horses. However, by observing pairs or small groups of animals, much may be learned about the dynamics of social communication in a particular species (Kalmus, 1969; Poole, 1972). Although play appears to be considered as either functionless or as serving different roles depending on species, age and even sex of individuals Burghardt (2006) speculated that 5 selected advantages in the performance of play within the behavioural repertoire of an animal existed, control, adaptive function, development, evolution and private experience. Further knowledge of equine social play may be of benefit to equine welfare and performance. The aim of the current study was to describe and quantify the involvement in social play and its initiation within an established group of young horses.
The effects of digestive enhancer supplements on digestibility in leisure horses
Authors: Tucker L , Thomas D , Weidgraaf K , Taylor-Pickard J
Published: June 2019

Certain commercial horse feed supplements based on active yeast and its derivatives, and have been shown to improve digestion of feed (Medina et al, 2002), although this data is very limited and is mostly derived from studies in other species, such as pigs or cattle. Yeast-derived compounds are known to improve digestibility via different mechanisms, depending on their composition. Live yeasts interact at a gut level by removing any oxygen present, which can unbalance the fermentative microflora by promoting aerobic bacterial populations. This can lead to an increase in nonfermentative or pathogenic species, which increases the potential for diarrhoea or other digestive upsets. Yeast cell wall material (mannan-oligosaccharides) have been shown to bind pathogenic bacteria in the digestive tract, inhibiting their ability to reproduce, thereby stabilising the microflora and optimising fermentative capacity for fibre digestion, promoting animal growth and efficiency (Rosen, 2005). As horses rely on anaerobic fermentation to liberate energy from their natural high fibre diets, a stable and appropriate microflora is essential. The aim of the experiment was to investigate the benefits of feeding commercial digestive enhancers in horses with a history of gastric problems.
Quantification of greenhouse gas emissions from a beef feedlot system in south-east Australia during summer conditions
Authors: Bai M , Muir S , Rowell D , Hill J , Chen D , Naylor T , Phillips F , Denmead T , Griffiths D , Edis R
Published: June 2019

Feedlot management systems for beef cattle are becoming a more common practice in Australia reflecting opportunities to ensure quality of product whilst maintaining cost efficiencies within production. However, feedlot systems have been identified as point sources of greenhouse gases emissions (GGE: methane, nitrous oxide and the indirect greenhouse gas ammonia). It has been estimated that feedlot systems contribute 3.5% of total direct methane emissions (Alford et al. 2006), and 30% of total emissions from livestock wastes. Furthermore, approximately 1% of total N2O emissions from agriculture are attributed to livestock. This paper reports methane, N2O and NH3 emissions from an Australian feedlot system managed under summer climatic conditions. It compares actual measured emissions with estimated from three recognised models used by national governments to estimate total GGE per annum from livestock agriculture.
Using values economics to add mitigation of greenhouse gases to dairy selection tools
Authors: Wall E , Moran D
Published: June 2019

The economic appraisal of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions is complex. The shadow price of carbon (SPC) is derived from the best estimate of the present value of damages associated with a tonne of GHG emission in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2 eq). The SPC rises with time, reflecting the increasing marginal damage of a tonne of GHG when added to a growing stock of atmospheric GHGs. There are many possible technical mitigation options for livestock systems, one of which includes harnessing selection tools. The study of Stott et al. (2005) describes how relative economic values (REVs) are calculated for traits included in the UK dairy profit index (£PLI) using dynamic programming tools to model a whole farm system. The REV for each trait is calculated by examining the consequence of a unit change in a trait of interest on net farm revenue, while keeping all other traits in the index fixed. The SPC provides a useful mechanism of considering the costs of GHG emissions in an economic index framework, such as £PLI. This study outlines methods for incorporating the environmental value of emissions mitigation into breeding goals.
A comparison of the gut microbiota in indoor and outdoor reared pigs
Authors: Brunton L , Knapp J S , Heritage J , Miller H M
Published: June 2019

The bacterial populations present in the porcine gut play an important role in pig health. A number of factors may influence these populations including diet, medication and environment. To identify what effects rearing environments have on the gut microbiota, this study compares the numbers of four common groups of gut organisms – enterococci, Bacteroides spp., lactobacilli and coliforms – in faecal samples taken from pigs reared either indoors or outdoors. The presence of three zoonotic bacteria – Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium difficile, and Verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli O157 -was also assessed to determine whether rearing environment might influence the threat of zoonotic infections.
In vitro anthelmintic activity of Chicory extracts from plants of different vegetative stages on Teladorsagia circumcincta L3
Authors: Parrisi Z , Athanasiadou S , Houdijk J G M , Kyriazakis I
Published: June 2019

The consumption of plants rich in plant secondary metabolites has been associated with improved resilience of parasitised hosts, i.e. their ability to perform under parasitic infection, compared to animals fed conventional feeds (Athanasiadou et al., 2007). Furthermore, such bio-active plants can improve host resistance, which refers to the host ability to regulate gastrointestinal nematode establishment, development, fecundity and survival (Athanasiadou et. al. 2008). Chichorium intybus L. (chicory) is such a bio-active forage and its potential anthelmintic activity is currently investigated as an alternative means to control parasitism in sheep production systems. In the present study we employed an in vitro assay to study a possible mechanism of anti-parasitic action arising from chicory, and to test whether this anthelmintic activity is affected by the vegetative stage of the plant.
Investigation of the variation in lamb meat quality on three winter finishing systems
Authors: Phillips K , Wheeler K P A , Fisher A V , Nute G
Published: June 2019

Consumer purchasing decisions are, to a large part, governed by the level and consistency of meat quality and there is a need to identify systems of production that deliver consistent lamb eating quality through the winter months that will restore retailer confidence in British lamb outside the main grazing season.. The Vipond et al. (2005) report on lamb eating quality highlighted the deterioration in lamb flavour post-Christmas and recommended that dietary effects be investigated with a specifically designed experiment.
Influence of sex type on tenderness of beef as measured by slice shear force and Warner-Braztler shear force
Authors: Moss B W , Richardson R I , Gordon A , Matthews K , Hadley P , Homer D
Published: June 2019

The standard instrumental method for measurement of texture, Warner Bratzler shear force (WBSF), involves shearing six ‘good’ cores taken from a cooked sample of meat, with coring parallel to the fibre direction (AMSA, 1995), which is a time consuming and destructive methodology. A new, more rapid method, the slice shear force (SSF) test was developed which involves measuring the shear force of a single slice per sample (Shackelford et al 1999a). Shackelford et al. (1999b) reported that SSF was strongly correlated with sensory scores for 14d aged meat. The aim of the current investigation was to study the effect of sex differences on instrumental meat quality and to identify the relationship between SSF measured at 2 days and WBSF values measured at 14 and 21 days post slaughter.
A comparison of the performance of Holstein-Friesian and Norwegian Red dairy cattle on commercial dairy farms over five lactations
Authors: Ferris C P , Patterson D C , Kilpatrick D J
Published: June 2019

Norway has adopted a multi-trait selection programme within its Norwegian Red (NR) dairy cow population for over thirty years, in contrast to breeding programmes with the Holstein-Friesian (HF) breed, which have, until recently, focused primarily on milk production. As a result, evidence from Norway suggests a dairy cow population with high levels of fertility and a relatively low incidence of mastitis. Consequently, there is considerable international interest in the NR breed as a means of overcoming some of the fertility, health and longevity problems that currently exist within the HF breed. To examine the potential of the NR breed, an experiment was established on 19 commercial dairy farms to compare the production, fertility and longevity of animals of the NR and HF breed across a range of production systems.
Effect of rearing season on heritability of cocoon traits in silkworm
Authors: Mirhosseini S Z , Ghanipoor M , Seidavi A , Mavvajpour M , Bizhannia A
Published: June 2019

Silkworms are agricultural insects producing silk fibres. Because of economic importance of sericulture, breeding programs are performed in order to improve bio-economic traits of lines (production and resistance traits) and also developing new lines containing interesting characteristics. Silkworms in Iran are reared twice a year, in spring and autumn. Spring is the natural rearing period of silkworms because of good environmental conditions. In autumn the quantity and quality of the cocoon produced by silkworm lines decreases due to increasing mortality and access to mulberry leaves with low nutritive quality. This decrease in performance will be lower in the lines which are genetically resistant to severe environmental conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to breed and develop new silkworm lines suitable for such a situation. It is obvious that silkworm lines having lower performance but higher resistance can be introduced for autumn season rearing. Appropriate breeding programs have to be defined and conducted for the autumn rearing lines. Thus, we have to estimate genetic parameters of autumn and spring lines separately when reared in each season. The present study was undertaken to identify heritability of important traits in the spring and autumn seasons for 6 silkworm lines.
Investigation of indigestible markers in dogs
Authors: Singh I , Hendriks W , Tucker L , Thomas D G
Published: June 2019

Digestibility trials enable researchers to determine the amount of nutrients an animal absorbs and utilises from feed. There are a number of methods available, with the most common being the measurement of total feed intake and total collection of faeces. However, in situations where it is not practical to conduct a total collection trial, indigestible markers are used in conjunction with grab-sampling or sub-sampling techniques. To date, the most common marker used in dog studies has been chromium oxide (Cr2O3; Hill et al., 1996), with little data available on the suitability of other markers such as titanium dioxide (TiO2). A major problem in using Cr2O3 as an indigestible marker is poor repeatability and agreement between laboratories in the determination of Cr2O3. This has led to variable results due to incomplete and inconsistent recovery in excreta (Sales and Janssens, 2003). However work on other species comparing the use of TiO2 and Cr2O3, has demonstrated that TiO2 was a more accurate marker (Jagger et al., 1992). This study was performed to determine the digestibility of two diets, a low (LN) and a high nutrient (HN) diet using TiO2 or Cr2O3 as indigestible markers. The two different quality diets were used to investigate if digestibility affected marker recovery.
Effects of altering the plane of nutrition during the rearing phase and pregnancy of 2-tooth ewes, of two genotypes, on ewe and subsequent lamb performance
Authors: Keady T W J , Hanrahan J P
Published: June 2019

Ewe replacements are a major cost in sheep production. This cost is influenced by replacement rate and rearing expense which is a function of plane of nutrition offered during the first winter, subsequent grazing season prior to joining at 18 months of age and during pregnancy prior to lambing as 2-tooth ewes. There is a paucity of data on the impact of plane of nutrition between 6 months of age and first lambing as 2-tooth ewes on body size and subsequent productivity. The weight of lamb carcass produced per ewe, which is influenced by litter size, lamb survival and growth rate, is the main factor affecting output per ewe. Plane of nutrition at different stages during the rearing phase, genetic potential for prolificacy and their potential interactions may be important. The aim of the current study was to evaluate effects of plane of nutrition during the first winter, subsequent grazing season and during first pregnancy, and potential interactions, on ewe body size and productivity and subsequent lamb performance using two breed types with contrasting prolificacy potential.
Lifetime performance of crossbred ewes in the hill sheep sector
Authors: Annett R W , Carson A F , Dawson L E R , Irwin D , Kilpatrick D J
Published: June 2019

Hill sheep flocks in the UK are dominated by purebred ewe genotypes, with the Scottish Blackface being the most common. However a long term decline in economic returns, combined with recent changes to the Common Agricultural Policy, has lead many hill sheep producers to consider keeping crossbred ewes to exploit the benefits of hybrid vigour for lamb survival and to introduce beneficial traits for prolificacy, ease of lambing and carcass quality. In 2001, a major on-farm research programme was initiated to evaluate the performance of a range of crossbred ewe genotypes for the Northern Ireland hill sheep sector. Provisional data has already identified that retaining Lleyn X Blackface and Texel X Blackface ewes can improve lamb output at weaning by up to 10% relative to purebred Blackface ewes (Speijerset al., 2007). However, ewe longevity is a major issue for hill flocks, where the annual replacement rate often exceeds 20%. Therefore it is inappropriate to evaluate crossbred ewe genotypes based on average annual performance alone, and the aims of this study were to investigate the lifetime performance of a range of crossbred genotypes under hill conditions.
Effects of early-and mid-pregnancy under-nutrition on maternal and foetal plasma free amino acid concentrations in Scottish Blackface and Suffolk sheep
Authors: Rooke J A , Werkman M , McIlvaney K , Dwyer C M , Ashworth C J
Published: June 2019

Nutrient intake during pregnancy affects foetal development and placental function in a range of species, often with long-term effects on offspring viability. Maternal supply and placental transport of amino acids are key to delivering amino acids for foetal metabolism. Maternal under-nutrition has been shown to reduce both maternal and foetal amino acid concentrations even after a period of re-feeding (Kwon et al. 2004). Intriguingly whether sheep have been adapted to a harsh environment or not appears to influence the extent of any reduction (Jobgen et al. 2008). The present study therefore tested whether plasma amino acid concentrations differed between Scottish Blackface (B) sheep adapted to a hill environment and a lowland breed (Suffolk, S) selected for lean tissue growth when challenged by a period of under-nutrition.
The effect of dairy cow breed and cross on milk production and fatty acid composition under grazing conditions
Authors: Palladino R A , Buckley F , Murphy J J , Prendiville R , Callan J , Kenny D
Published: June 2019

Dietary intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been recognized as having potential positive effects on human health (Lock and Bauman, 2004). Furthermore, alteration of the fatty acid (FA) composition of milk through targeted manipulation of dairy cow diets can be achieved (Dewhurst et al., 2006). Although breed effects on the FA composition of milk have previously been reported (Kelsey et al., 2003), most work to-date has been conducted under high input TMR based systems. Furthermore, little is known on the effects of heterosis on concentrations of FA in milk. The objective of this study was to examine whether differences in milk FA concentration exist between two contrasting breeds of dairy cow and their F1hybrid managed under a grazing based production system.
In vitro degradability of different fractions of Solanum lycocarpum St Hil
Authors: Neto H R Lima , Chaudhry A S , Khan M M H , Virk M R
Published: June 2019

Naturally grown in the vast majority of Brazilian territory, Solanum lycocarpum (SL, popularly known as wolf’s apple) can be used as alternative feed additive for ruminants. Despite its significant amount of secondary metabolites, it is known to be eaten by cattle and a specific species of wild wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus). However the effects of these organic compounds on ruminal fermentation are still unclear and a dose-response is expected to turn a potential feedstock into an undesirable baneful aliment (Goel et al., 2008). As a result scientific investigation regarding this highly promising plant is needed to test its potential as a supplement to support sustainable livestock production systems. Thus this study compared the effects of different dried meal-like fractions (fruit, leaf, flower, root, stem) of this plant at two different levels (0.2 and 0.4 g) on the in vitro dry matter (DM) degradability (IVD) at three different times of incubation.
The effect of terminal sire breed on the fatty acid profile of pork
Authors: Magowan E , Fearon A , McCann M E E , Beattie A
Published: June 2019

The fatty acid profile of pork can be easily manipulated via the diet of the pig. The most common aim is to increase the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, in particular omega 3 fatty acids. Kim et al. (2008) reported that the breed of pig can have an effect on the fatty acid composition of pork. The aim of the current experiment was to investigate the effect of terminal sires of different breed commonly used in Northern Ireland on the fatty acid profile of pork.
Heavy metal uptake, bioaccumulation and histopathological responses in gills of freshwater fish from the Indus River, Pakistan
Authors: Jabeen F , Chaudhry A S
Published: June 2019

The high nutritional value of fish makes it an ideal component of a healthy and balanced diet. Elevated levels of heavy metals in fish represent both an ecological and human health concern. Fish species are often the top consumers in aquatic ecosystems and thus metal concentrations in fish can act as an indicator of the state of the aquatic environment. Fish are known to bio-accumulate metals and are considered as one of the most indicative factors, in freshwater systems, for the estimation of trace metals pollution potential (Rashed, 2001). Histopathology can be an indicator of the effects of various anthropogenic pollutants on organisms and so could be used as a reflection of the overall health of the entire population in an ecosystem. This study aimed to assess the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in gills and muscles and their effects on histopathology of gills of Oreochromis mossambicus from the Indus River, Pakistan which receives potential pollutants from the domestic, municipal and agricultural runoffs.