bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plasma B-endorphin and Cortisol concentrations in lambs after handling, transport and slaughter
Authors: Fordham D.P. , Rodway R.G. , Lincoln G.A. , Ssewannyana K.
Published: June 2019

There is considerable interest at present in reducing the amount of stress imposed upon farm animals. However, before this objective can be achieved it is first necessary to obtain some measurement of the stress response of the animal. Changes in plasma hormone and metabolite concentrations have been used in the past as Indicators of stress. Plasma cortisol concentrations increase after stress in all species studied. For example, after transport in calves (Kent and Ewbank, 1986), after tethering in pigs (Barnett, Winfield, Cronin, Hemsworth and Dewar, 1985) and after electrical stunning in sheep (Pearson, Kilgour, de Langen and Payne, 1977). In a recent study in the sheep B-endorphin and cortisol were released together in response to shearing and electroimmobilisation (Jephcott, McMillen, Rushen and Thorburn, 1987).

The aim of the present study was to examine the release of B-endorphin and cortisol in lambs after routine stressful stimuli such as handling, transport and slaughter at a commercial abattoir.
The effect of repeated handling on the stress response of sheep to handling
Authors: Hargreaves A.L. , Hutson G.D.
Published: June 2019

The stimuli which are most potent in eliciting a stress response to handling are often part of the management procedure itself (eg wool removal during shearing). If sheep handling is to be made less stressful, then alternative methods may have to be found which do not interfere with the procedure. Such alternatives may involve altering either the context in which sheep undergo handling procedures, or their experience of handling. This study tested whether repetition could modify the physiological response of sheep to handling.

Twenty three-year-old Merino wethers were sham shorn four times at intervals of two weeks. Sham shearing involves the noise and physical manipulations of shearing, but no wool is removed, allowing the procedure to be repeated. Two blood samples were collected via jugular catheters before sham shearing and eight were taken over the following eighty minutes. There were significant increases in haematocrit and plasma Cortisol after each exposure (p < 0.05). The Cortisol response to sham shearing was reduced by the previous experiences of the procedure (p < 0.05). This was manifested more in a diminution of the basal concentrations (23.34 ± 5.26 ng/ ml to 9.84 ± 5.50 ng/ml; n = 19) rather than a decline of the peak response (63.29 ± 5.50 ng/ml to 56.54 ± 7.25 ng/ml). There was no difference between the first and fourth exposures in the overall haematocrit response or in maximum haematocrit (33.3 ± 0.7% and 31.34 ± 0.9%; n = 17), however basal haematocrit was lower (p < 0.05) after the fourth exposure than it was after the first (23.6 ± 0.6% and 26.22 ± 0.8%) respectively.
Successful pregnancies following transfer of ovine embryos recovered 24 to 29 days after parturition
Authors: Wallace J.M. , Robinson J.J. , Aitken R.P.
Published: June 2019

Although laparoscopic intrauterine insemination enabled fertilization to occur in lactating ewes induced to ovulate 28 days after parturition, no pregnancies were sustained when the embryos were returned to their respective post-partum uterine environments (McKelvey, Wallace, Robinson & Aitken, 1989). The incidence of inadequate luteal function, as determined by daily progesterone concentrations is high in the early post-partum ewe, yet at least 60% of ewes with an induced oestrus 21 days post-partum exhibit normal luteal function (Wallace, Robinson & Aitken, 1989). This suggests that inadequate luteal function is not the only factor limiting the establishment of pregnancy in the post-partum ewe. Indeed the transfer of good quality embryos into post-partum recipient ewes induced to ovulate 21 days after parturition and exhibiting normal luteal function failed to result in the establishment of pregnancy. This suggests that the involuting uterus of the early post-partum ewe is an inappropriate environment for embryo development (Wallace et al, 1989).
Effect of restricted food intake before and/or after mating on FSH, LH and progesterone profiles in greyface ewes.
Authors: McMillen S. , Rhind S.M. , Gunn R.G. , McKelvey W.A.C.
Published: June 2019

Low levels of food intake before or after mating are associated with increased ova wastage rates (Rhind, McKelvey, McMillen, Gunn and Elston (1989). The relationship between level of food intake, circulating progesterone concentrations and ova wastage rates in the ewe during the first 2 weeks after mating are poorly understood; low levels of food intake are associated with increased circulating progesterone concentrations and rates of ova wastage while low circulating levels of progesterone have also been shown to be associated with increased ova wastage. The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effects of undernutrition on circulating concentrations of the luteotrophic hormone, LH, and on progesterone and the relationship between the profiles of the two hormones, in order to better understand the mechanisms by which undernutrition affects embryo growth and survival.
Effect of level of food intake on hypothalamo-pituitary sensitivity to ovarian Steroid feedback in ewes
Authors: Rhind S.M. , McMillen S. , McKelvey W.A.C.
Published: June 2019

Effects of level of food intake and body condition on ewe hormone status, ovulation rate and reproductive performance may be mediated either through a direct effect on hypothalamic or pituitary activity or through an indirect effect on the sensitivity of either or both of these organs to steroid feedback. The aim of this experiment was to determine the effect of level of food intake of ewes on hypothalamic activity and pituitary responsiveness to gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in the presence of ovarian steroids. Sensitivity to steroid feedback cannot be measured in an entire animal, owing to the variable and irregular nature of ovarian steroid secretion. Ovariectomised ewes were therefore used together with steroid replacement therapy.

Two groups of 16 ewes were fed to achieve body condition scores of either 2.00 or 2.25/2.50 by 3 weeks before the period of study. Thereafter, ewes of the lower condition score were fed dried grass pellets ad libitum and 250 g hay/head/day (H) while those of the higher condition score were fed 1050 g pellets and 250 g hay/head/day (M), a ration designed to maintain liveweight and condition score so that at the time of study, ewes of the two groups had a similar level of body condition but different levels of intake.
Effects of diets differing in the proportion of sugar beet pulp and barley on growth, body composition and metabolism of entire male lambs
Authors: Galbraith H , Mandebvu P , Thompson J K , Franklin MF
Published: June 2019

Previous studies (e.g. Galbraith, McCulloch, Scalfe, Keeling and Atkinson, 1987) showed that differences in growth and metabolic responses Were obtained in sheep offered diets based on barley compared with those offered sugar beet pulp. At similar intakes of dry matter, barley based diets gave faster live-weight gain and heavier carcasses Which contained greater Weights of crude protein and fat and a higher proportion of fat in the carcass than those based on sugar beet pulp. The differences in fat and protein deposition in the carcass are of particular interest particularly in the context of the greater content of cellulose and hemi-cellulose in the fibre component of sugar beet-based diets. The objective of the present study Was to investigate the response to diets based on sugar beet pulp and supplemented With varying proportions of barley. It was Intended to study the utilisation of the diets which differed in the content of fibre and starch and to provide information on whole body, carcass and selected metabolic and endocrine parameters.
Intake of straw, alkali-treated straw and hay by Saanen goats in mid lactation
Authors: Sibanda L M , Mkumbo G , Sutton J D , Owen E
Published: June 2019

In the Uk there is a growing interest in the rearing of goats as an integral enterprise of the farming system. If feed costs are to be kept to a minimum, maximum utilization of cereal residues is imperative. Alkali treatment is a cheap and effective method of improving intake of straw and animal performance in cattle and sheep but very little is known about its value for lactating goats. The objective of the present study was to compare barley straw, alkali-treated straw (TS) and grass hay as forages for goats in mid lactation.

Twenty-two multi-parous British Saanen goats in their sixth month of lactation were allocated on liveweight basis to each of the three forages which were individually fed ad libitum through Calan gates. The Panda barley straw was treated in a solution containing 15g sodium hydroxide and 7g urea per litre, using the dip method for whole bales. The grass hay was chopped. Each goat was offered 350g dairy concentrate at both morning and afternoon milkings (700g concentrate/day). Forage intake and milk yield were recorded daily. Milk samples were taken weekly at two successive milkings and the goats were weighed twice weekly during the 4 weeks of data collection after 4 weeks of adaptation.
Effect of NaOH dip-treatment on intake, digestibility and selection of previously-refused straw by goats
Authors: Alimon A. R. , Owen E. , Hosking B. J. , Rios G.
Published: June 2019

Wahed and Owen (1986) showed that increasing the amount of straw offered to allow refusal rates of 50% instead of the conventional 20% increased straw dry matter/digestible organic matter intake by 40%. Feeding generously to allow selective feeding was suggested as an alternative to alkali treatment of straw. Such a feeding strategy would be useful to farmers in developing countries where the cost of alkali treatment of straw is high. However the strategy generates large amounts of refusals. Unless refused straw can be utilised for other purposes, feeding at such generous levels will not be acceptable. This study was carried out to establish whether refused straw, if treated with alkali, can be re-fed to goats.

Twelve Saanen-type castrated goats aged 18-24 months were used in a change-over design experiment. Goats were housed in individual metabolism crates and fed one of the following:

1.Untreated barley straw (S) offered in quantities to allow goats to refuse 50% of the amount offered.

2.Untreated previously-refused-straw (RS) offered in quantities to allow refusal of 25% of the amount offered.

3.NaOH dip-treated previously-refused-straw (DRS) offered in quantities to allow refusal of 25% of the amount offered.
Effect of rates of offer and treatment with sodium hydroxide or ammonia on intake, digestibility and selection of barley straw by goats
Authors: Alimon A. R. , Owen E. , Hosking B. J. , Rios G.
Published: June 2019

Wahed and Owen (1986) showed that intake of untreated barley straw increased by up to 40% when the amount offered was increased to allow goats to refuse 50% of the amount offered instead of the 15-20% used in conventional ad libitum intake trials. The increase was attributed to greater opportunity to select the more digestible parts of the straw. The present experiment was made to see whether similar responses occur if digestibility of the straw is increased by alkali treatment.

Thirty-six individually-fed Saanen-type castrates weighing 31-65 kg were used in a 3x2 (3 straw types, 2 rates of offer) factorial design experiment. Goats were blocked according to weight (M) and allocated randomly within block to one of 6 treatments. They were offered untreated barley (var. Triumph) straw (S), ammoniated barley straw (NH3-S) or NaOH-dip-treated barley straw (NaOH-S) at either 20 g DM per g M daily (L) or 50 g DM/kg M.d (H). Straw was ammoniated on 25th August 1987 by the Stack Method (Sundstol and Coxworth, 1984) using aqueous ammonia (35 g NH3/kg straw DM). The stack was opened 30 days later. NaOH-dip-treatment (Sundstol, 1981) involved dipping in a solution containing 15 g/kg NaOH and 7 g/kg urea. Straw was dipped daily and allowed to mature 3-4 d before feeding. Goats were supplemented with concentrates (g/kg DM: milled barley, 600; soya bean meal, 180; fish meal, 180; mineral mix, 40) at 18 g DM/kgM 0.75.d. They were fed twice daily (0800 and 1600 h), offered water ad libitum and individually penned with sawdust bedding.
Effect of complete diets or separate feeding of long straw and concentrates on the performance of beef cattle
Authors: Sinclair K D , Thomas S , MacDearmid A , Nemie G
Published: June 2019

In a previous experiment, with different types of straw and different levels of concentrates in mixed diets, it was demonstrated that steers could achieve growth rates in excess of 1.2 kg/day using diets containing up to 0.45 straw, Kay et al (1988). Few farms are equipped for complete diet feeding and so an experiment was set up to ascertain whether similar performances could be achieved when feeding loose-mix concentrates with long straw.

Thirty-six Hereford x Friesian heifers of 350 kg initial mean liveweight were allocated to one of four diets. The diets contained ammonia treated or untreated straw of the spring barley variety Doublet and were offered in either a complete mixed form containing 0.45 straw, or as long straw and concentrates fed separately with the concentrate mix consisting of barley, molassed beet pulp, fishmeal, urea, molasses and minerals. Ammonia treatment was carried out in an oven with 0.03 anhydrous ammonia for 24 hours. Complete diets were effected by processing straw through a tub grinder before transfer to a mixer wagon. Complete diets were offered ad libitum. Concentrates in the other diets were offered twice daily at a rate equivalent to that consumed by animals on the complete diets. Liveweight and feed intake data were recorded.
Molasses and fish meal for growing cattle
Authors: S Thomas  , A Mahmud
Published: June 2019

There is evidence that silage may be utilised more effectively when supplemented with sugar rather than starch (Thomas and Rae, 1988). A trial was made to measure the effect of supplementing silage with a sugar-based feed (molasses) or a starch-based feed (barley), in combination with fish meal, on the performance of young growing cattle.

Sixty four castrated male calves (Limousin x Friesian and Hereford x Friesian) initially weighing 129 kg were offered grass silage (DM, 200 g/kg; ME, 10.4 MJ/kg DM; CP, 144 g/kg DM) ad libitum with four dietary supplements.

Daily supplementation was as follows:

1.0.25 kg white-fish meal

2.0.25 kg fish meal plus 0.4 kg molasses

3.0.25 kg fish meal plus 0.8 kg molasses

4.0.25 kg fish meal plus 0.75 kg bruised barley

The levels of molasses and barley in Treatments 3 and 4 supplied the same amount of dry matter.
The Response of Intensively Finished Dairy Bred Bulls to Three Levels of Protein, and the Effect of Supplementing the Low Protein Ration with Lasalocid Sodium
Authors: Rigby I , Lodge N
Published: June 2019

There is an increasing demand for heavy lean carcases and, at the same time, an increasing proportion of barley beef animals being finished as bulls. Bulls have a high potential for muscle growth and, therefore, have a high demand for dietary protein. In addition, since the banning of hormone implantation of beef animals, there has been increasing interest in the use of feed additives.

This trial was designed to measure the response of Holstein/Friesian bulls to increasing protein content in barley beef rations, and to measure the benefits of including lasalocid sodium (a feed additive). Responses were measured in terms of improved liveweight gains and feed conversioin efficiencies but also of interest was the effect of treatments on the weights at which animals reached a given fat class at slaughter.
The effect of parity age and month of calving on milk fat and protein yield fat and protein percent for the five major dairy breeds
Authors: Joanne Bellamy H , Swanson G J T
Published: June 2019

Records oolleoted from National Milk Reoords (NMR) are used by the Milk Marketing Board (MMB) to produoe genetio evaluations for bulls (Improved Contemporary Comparisons), cows (Cow Genetic Indices) and a management index for cows (Cow Production Index). It is Important to eliminate systematic environmental effects such as age at calving, month of calving and parity. The need for such adjustments and the factors involved have been documented by Schmidt and Van Vleck (1974). The purpose of this study was to calculate new adjustment factors for each dairy breed for inclusion In bull and cow evaluations.

Sire identified milk reoords of at least 200 days from cows completing laotations in 1885/8S were seleoted from the NMR data base for Ayrshires (A), Jerseys U) and Guernseys (G). Shorthorn (S) records from 1984 were also selected in order to provide sufficient data for analysis. A 10% sample of records were selected for Friesian/Holsteins (F/H) from 1987. The first five lactations were Included. The analyses were performed upon 16,878 S, 37,668 A, 38,925 J, 26,008 G and 80,445 F/H reoords respectively The data were analysed using a least square analysis of varianoe (Harvey 1977).
Effect of an intramuscular injection of folic acid on concentrations of serum folates in gestating cow
Authors: Girard C.J. , Tremblay G.F. , Matte J.J.
Published: June 2019

The ruminant is generally considered independent of an exogenous supply of folates; its synthesis by rumen microorganisms makes their inclusion in the diet unnecessary. According to Kon and Porter (1954), folates content of rumen is not affected by the quantity of folates in the diet. However, Dong and Oace (1975) reported that differences in feeding practices seem to be responsible for the variation of concentrations of folates in milk.

In previous studies, we observed that concentration of serum folates of calves aged 2 weeks was half the concentration in 4-month old heifers (Girard et al., 1989). Moreover, a supplement of folic acid administered by intramuscular injections from the age of 2 weeks to 18 weeks improved growth performances (Dumoulin et al., 1988). An increase of placental transfer of folates and/or of concentration of milk folates could have a beneficial effect on calf performances.
The response of creole, friesian and friesian cross cows to concentrate supplementation on village smallholdings in mauritius
Authors: Boodoo A.A. , Ramjee R. , Hulman B. , Dolberg F. , Rowe J.B.
Published: June 2019

Milk production in the villages of Mauritius can be characterised as follows: about 90% of the ‘dairy’ cows on the island are owned by villagers. Cattle-rearing is a side-line activity of the family. Most villagers own one cow With a calf. No forage is cultivated. Forage sources for the cattle include sugar cane tops from June to December (harvest season) and shrubs and mixed grasses from road sides and common lands all the year round. All forages are available free and are collected by hand. There is very little or no use of concentrate supplements.

The cattle are a mixture of the local Creole breed, Friesians and their crosses. Artificial insemination is widely used. Milk production is generally low (1200-1500 litres per lactation) when compared with European dairy cows. Lactations are normally relatively short (225-250 days) and calving intervals long (15-18 months).

Since these cattle contribute more than 90% of the national production of fresh milk it Was decided, within the context of a project financed by the United Nations Development Programme, to investigate the extent to Which their productivity could be improved.
Evaluation of a marking web device as an aid to detection of oestrus in cattle
Authors: Broadbent P J , Alfuraiji M M , Macdonald D C , Dolman D F
Published: June 2019

A simple and reliable aid to detection of oestrus in cattle would help to improve reproductive efficiency particularly where AI or embryo transfer is being used. A marking web, devised by Mr P M P Lumbar, was reported (Farmers Weekly, p40, 10 June 1988) to perform this function satisfactorily.

The marking web device is constructed simply from a piece of calico (8.5 cm x 8.0 cm) and a 8.5 cm x 2.5 cm strip of red household tape covered by a layer of black mastic stuck across the calico (Figure 1). The device is fixed to the sacral region of the heifer or cow using a suitable adhesive. Some of the devices were supplied by Mr Lumbar and the remainder were made by us. Pressure from the chest of the animal mounting peels the adhesive mastic from the underlying tape.

The marking web devices (MWD) were evaluated using two groups of maiden Hereford x British Friesian heifers. These heifers were 15 to 18 mo. old, they had a live weight of 421 kg and were in body condition score 2.4 units on average. Group I heifers (n=134) were housed in straw-bedded pens at a stocking rate of 4-5 m2 per head and fed on cut grass ad libitum supplemented with minerals and vitamins. Group II heifers (n=22) were set stocked on pasture at 6 heifers per ha.
Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms in Bovine Milk Protein Genes
Authors: Perry B. N. , Savva D. , Radley E. , Skidmore C. J. , Lovell R. D.
Published: June 2019

Genetic and technological studies have revealed correlations between different individual, or combinations of, alleles of milk proteins and parameters such as cheese yield, the compositional characteristics of milk and total lactation yield. The kappa casein B allele is better for cheese-making, for example (Table 1): the mutation may alter the mechanism by which this protein stabilises the micelles of the caldum-sensitive caseins against precipitation. When rennin cleaves kappa casein between amino acids 105 and 106 the micelle is destabilised and clotting of milk into curds ensues. Therefore, selection for defined alleles or haplotypes could be desirable.

Until now selection for milk protein alleles was only possible by the analysis of the proteins in milk. For sire selection this required analysis of milk from daughters which is time consuming and expensive. However, phenotypic variation in the proteins arises from base substitutions in the DNA, as is illustrated in Figure 1 for the kappa casein gene.
The influence of glucosinolate content on the nutritive value for pigs of diets containing rape seed meal
Authors: Davis M. , Al Mammary M. , Ellis M. , Smithard R.
Published: June 2019

In the United Kingdom, the use of rapeseed products in pig diets is limited, primarily because of the adverse effects of glucosinolates, a group of sulphur containing compounds which yield goitrogenic and toxic compounds on hydrolysis. Varieties of winter oilseed rape (B.napus) are now grown in the EC which have a much reduced level of glucosinolate in the meal. Rapeseed meal (RSM) contains other compounds principally sinapine,tannins and phytate which may reduce the nutritive value of diets into which it is incorporated.

The pig trial reported here was designed to determine the effect on growing pig performance of diets containing a range of glucosinolate contents but with a fixed amount of rapemeal. A rat metabolism study was also conducted which was designed to assess the biological value (BV) of the protein in the two rapeseed meals used.
The use of sodium hydroxide or gaseous ammonia as sources of alkali in the improvement of the nutritive value of straw by hydrogen peroxide treatment
Authors: Adebowale E. A. , Ørskov E. R. , Shand W. J.
Published: June 2019

Many different chemicals have been used for upgrading poor quality crop residues (sodium hydroxide, Jackson, 1977: ammonia, Sundstøl et al., 1988: Magadi soda, Nangole et al., 1983: organic waste ash, Adebowale, 1985: alkaline hydrogen peroxide, Gould, 1985; Lewis et al., 1987). Upgrading of crop residues by chemical treatment is the result of disruption of the cell wall structure to a point where the bacterial and fungal enzymes of the rumen can hydrolyse component of polysaccharides previously not accessible. One important constituent of cell walls acting as a barrier to the enzymes is lignin. Alkaline hydrogen peroxide is known to degrade lignin via a sequence of free radical reactions which are optimal at a pH 11.5 (Gould and Freer, 1981; Gould, 1985). An associated problem of upgrading crop residues is the low nitrogen content of such feeds. To alleviate this deficiency both ammonia and urea are commonly used to raise nitrogen.levels. In this study, the effect of sodium hydroxide alone and sodium hydroxide plus hydrogen peroxide are compared. The effect of pretreating straw with hydrogen peroxide and subsequent treatment with anhydrous ammonia was also investigated.

Expt. 1. Solutions of hydrogen peroxide were adjusted to pH 11.5 by addition of NaOH and added to straw to give 1 g H2O2/100 g straw. In order to achieve this pH 0.5 g of NaOH was used/g H202. In the second treatment therefore the NaOH was added without the H2O2- For treatment 3 10 g H2O2 was added per kg of straw and in order to achieve a pH of 11.5 5.5 g NaOH had to be used. Consequently in treatment 4 5-5 g NaOH was added without the H2O2.
Effect of forage type on the digestion of whole barley grain by ewes
Authors: Chestnutt D M B
Published: June 2019

The feeding of whole barley grain to breeding ewes is widely recommended yet it is recognised that a proportion of the grain fed in this form is usually passed intact in the faeces. It is claimed that whole grain improves the rumen fermentation process because it is broken down more slowly than milled grain and this, together with the saving in the cost of processing, means that a loss of up to 0.10 of grain intake in the faeces is considered acceptable. However there have been claims that on silage-based diets the proportion of grain passing intact in the faeces may be higher than 0.10 (Vipond, Hunter and King, 1985). In a preliminary study at this Institute with ewes on silage based diets in late pregnancy 0.18 of grain consumed was recovered intact in the faeces.

In 1988 45 ewes in late pregnancy were fitted with faecal collection bags as described by Vipond, Hunter and King (1985) during two 4-day periods 5 and 3 weeks before lambing and during a further 4-day period 3 weeks after lambing. In the two pre-lambing collection periods ewes were allocated at random from uniform groups to one of 5 forages (4 silages and 1 hay). Three of the silages were made from primary growths of a ryegrass pasture, one cut on 25 May with a single-chop harvester (SI) and two cut on 8 June, one with a single-chop (S2) and one with a precision-chop (S3) harvester. The fourth silage was a second cut, harvested on 29 June with a precision-chop harvester (S4). Hay was of medium quality and was bought in. All forages were offered. ad libitum so that intake was 0.9 of forage offered. Ewes were offered 250 and 600 g/d whole barley 5 and 3 weeks before lambing respectively and 800 g/d 3 weeks after lambing. In the faecal collection after lambing all ewes received the same roughage (silage S4) and values for the proportion of intact grain in the faeces at this stage were used to adjust values 5 and 3 weeks pre-lambing by covariance.
A system for analysing the buffer system in the developing rumen of the young calf
Authors: Frost A.I. , Nevison I.M.
Published: June 2019

The feeding of rapidly fermentable, high energy, diets to young calves stimulates a rapid development of microbial fermentation. High concentrate diets may not, however, stimulate a corresponding development of salivary flow (Kay, 1966). A number of factors affect the buffering system of ruminal contents, besides saliva, such as the concentration of the end products of fermentation and the rate at which these products are absorbed through the rumen epithelium (Turner and Hodgetts, 1955). Counotte, van Klooster, van der Kuilen and Prins (1979) presented the analysis of the buffer system in the rumen using the first derivative of the titration curve. The results showed that bicarbonate and VFA are the main chemical components of the buffer system in the rumen fluid of adult dairy cattle. The ability to buffer against potentially large deterimental fluctuations, ie rumen pH, may improve rumen stability and be benefical to stimulate solid food intake in the early weaned calf. The present experiment describes a system for analysing the buffer system in the developing rumen of the young calf.
The effect of dose and method of administration of recombinant bovine somatotropin on fleece growth and body composition in young, fattening lambs
Authors: Johnsson I.D. , Butler-Hogg B.W. , Hathorn D.J. , Wilde R.
Published: June 2019

Daily injections of bovine pituitary somatotropin (growth hormone) can markedly increase growth and muscle deposition in fattening lambs, although the optimal dose range for these effects is not known.

This experiment was designed to assess the anabolic and lipolytic activities of biosynthetic somatotropin (produced by genetically-modified bacteria) in fattening lambs, and to determine the effects of dose and method of administration.

Dorset Down x Finn-Dorset lambs were individually penned, fed a barley/soyabean meal diet ad libitum (C.P.=155g/kg DM) and allocated to one of six treatment groups, each containing 5 ewe and 5 wether lambs, such that each group had the same initial mean live weight (18 kg). Between 10 and 21 weeks of age, the lambs of each group received one of the treatments shown in Table 1, comparing 3 doses of somatotropin (0.025, 0.1 or 0.25 mg/kg live weight), dissolved in bicarbonate buffer and injected subcutaneously once each day, with the intermediate dose (0.1 mq/kg/day) given by continuous subcutaneous infusion or by daily subcutaneous injection as a suspension in olive oil.
Recombinant bovine somatotropin is growth promoting and lipolytic in fattening lambs
Authors: Pullar R.A. , Johnsson I.D. , Chadwick P.M.E. , Hart I.C.
Published: June 2019

Recombinant-DNA-derived bovine somatotropin has similar metabolic activities to pituitary-derived hormone in both laboratory animals (growth promotion), and in dairy cows (milk stimulation), but anabolic effects have not been investigated in ruminants. Although there is some controversy as to whether recombinant somatotropin has intrinsic lipolytic activity, the release of non-esterified fatty acidsin vivofollowing a single injection (Hartet al. 1984) and the reduction in carcass fat after long-term treatment periods in sheep (Johnssonet al. 1986) indicate lipolytic and/or antilipogenic activity. This study was initially planned to examine these activities during long-term administration of recombinant bovine somatotropin in lambs. However, four cases of uriolitholiasis caused the proposed study of fat turnover to be abandoned and the following data are from those lambs which showed no symptoms of this problem.
The effect of the β agonist clenbuterol on the composition of body gain of veal calves
Authors: Williams P. E. V. , Pagliani L. , Innes G. M. , Pennie K.
Published: June 2019

Clenbuterol, a β adrenergic agonist, acts as a repartitioning agent increasing the ratio of protein to fat in the carcass. Recent reports on the action of clenbuterol in the bovine have indentified the repartitioning action but body composition has been estimated from sample joints and regression equations based on untreated cattle. Such data may not be appropriate for use with animals treated with repartitioning agents. A comparative slaughter experiment was designed to study the effects of clenbuterol on body composition and energy content of weight gain in the bovine. Veal calves were chosen as the model since they exhibit rapid weight gain, and in the latter stages of growth, prior to slaughter, a high proportion of the gain is fat; such animals may therefore be sensitive to the effects of a repartitioning agent.
Fractionation of barley plant components other than grain and their evaluation in vivo and in sacco
Authors: Davis M. , Greenhalgh J. F. D. , Boyd J. E. L. , Shiach J. G.
Published: June 2019

Manual separation of both barley and wheat into distinct botanical fractions, with assessment by laboratory techniques, has shown the fractions to have widely different digestibility coefficients (Manley and Wood, 1978). Whole crop cereal harvesting followed by separation of the chopped whole crop into fractions could thus be of benefit to livestock producers. Claims have been made in the farming press (Power Farming, September 1978) by a Swedish company, that one of the straw fractions produced in their centralised separation plant had a higher energy protein content than unfractionated straw. The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate two barley straw fractions produced by a simple air blast separation system, which would lend itself to on-farm use,thus significantly reducing transport costs.
Nutrient supply in browing cattle offered straw diets supplemented with barley or fishmeal
Authors: Ortigues I. , Smith T. , Oldham J.D. , de Courtenay M.B. , Siviter J.W.
Published: June 2019

The effects of supplementing straw based diets with either a protein-rich (fishmeal) or a starch-rich (barley) concentrate or a combination of both were investigated using growing Friesian heifers. Digestion and feeding trials were run in parallel to determine the extent to which the growth rate responses to supplementation could be attributed to changes in nutrient supply.
Behavioural Processes underlying Retardation of Growth in Fostered Piglets
Authors: Horrell Ian , Hodgson Jane
Published: June 2019

Fostering piglets at 7 days of aye influences the behaviour of ootn piglets and foster sow in many ways (ilorrell, 1932) and retards growth over the next week (Horrell & Bennett, 1981). The growth retardation is persistent and can occur to lesser degree in piglets fostered at 1 day and in resident piglets in the recipient litter (Horrell, Hodgson & LUNB, 1985). This investigation was designed to determine (a) tne behavioural effects in greater detail, and (b) the behavioural mechanisms retardation underlying the growth

Pairs of sows-(Landrace/Large White derived hyurid) which had farrowed 3-12 piglets within 14 h of each other had equal numbers of piglets exchangeu between them. They were then observed for 3 n immediately afterwards and for 1.5 h on each of 1, 3 and 7 d later.
Prediction of the proportion of lean from measurement of the speed of ultrasound in hot beef and lamb carcasses
Authors: Fisher A V , Page S J
Published: June 2019

Compared with pigs, cattle and sheep lay down much of their carcass fat between the muscles (intermuscular fat) and a smaller proportion on the carcass outer surface (subcutaneous fat). The skin is also removed from cattle and sheep during the dressing process, and this results in surface irregularities on the subcutaneous fat. Because of these species differences, simple methods of estimating carcass lean proportion, based on the depth of subcutaneous fat, have been less successful in ruminants. In particular, there has been no counterpart in the beef and sheep carcass classification schemes to the optical probe used so successfully in the pig sector. But there is a need for an objective method of classifying beef and sheep carcasses according to their lean meat proportion, and in this study the speed of ultrasound technique was examined as a possible contender for this role.
The effect of growth promoters on the composition, rate of cooling and eating quality of beef carcasses
Authors: Lowman B G , Neilson D R , Scott N A , Hunter E A
Published: June 2019

A previous investigation, reported at the Winter Meeting 1985, showed significant effects of growth promoters on carcass composition and on the eating quality of sirloin steaks. The growth promoters investigated factorially were (a) hormonal implants (heifers, Zeranol; steers, Zeranol + Trembolone acetate), (b) feed additive (Avotan) and (c) fishmeal. The experiment was repeated during the winter of 1984/85, with the eating quality investigation expanded to cover some 192 households, using sirloin steaks from all 64 cattle involved in the investigation. In addition, the rate of carcass cooling in the left-hand side of each animal was measured using electronic probe thermometers placed in the longissimus dorsi immediately after slaughter. This data was used to test the hypothesis that rate of carcass cooling was negatively related to the fat content of the carcass and with overall eating quality due to the effects of cold shortening.
Effects of gross organic discharges to fresh waters
Authors: Solbe J F
Published: June 2019

In 1984 the water authorities reported 2961 serious cases of freshwater pollution caused by farming, ca 75% by dairy farming. Liquor from insufficiently wilted silage, farmyard runoff and slurry washed off land or escaping from overflowing or leaking lagoons have all been implicated. The effects of these rich organic wastes on life in streams are described below.

Farm wastes can place an enormous demand on the dissolved oxygen (DO) content of the stream water. Cow slurry is 40-80 and silage liquor 200 times stronger than untreated domestic sewage, so that one volume of silage liauor is capable of completely deoxygenating 40 000 volumes of previously air-saturated water. The wastes also (i) increase turbidity, which reduces the effective penetration of light and thus restricts photosynthesis and primary productivity, (ii) smother the stream bed with a layer of decomposing silt or solids resistant to degradation and (iii) are toxic due to ammonia.
Avoiding pollution from cattle units
Authors: Grundey J K
Published: June 2019

Increasing public interest and more anti-pollution legislation sharpen the need to avoid pollution. Soil, water and air are at risk.

Apart from plant nutrient considerations, secondary effects of water-logging and oxygen depletion of the soil can occur. Slurry tankers can cause damage to the field surface by rutting. Some tankers exert pressures of 70 psi on the soil and then are often used on wet soils. Such malpractices create extra costs to rectify extra problems created.
Grazing behaviour
Authors: Penning P D
Published: June 2019

Intake of herbage by grazing animals is determined by the weight of herbage harvested per bite and the number of bites taken. A knowledge of ingestive behaviour can, therefore, play a valuable role in understanding animal responses to changes in sward conditions and management practices and thus aid the interpretation of results from grazing experiments. This paper will firstly consider briefly some methods of recording behaviour and, secondly, present some results illustrating the use of behaviour recording within a grazing experiment.

Direct observation is the most frequently used method of recording behaviour. It is, however, laborious and often carried out under unpleasant conditions; it is difficult to record activities continuously and in some cases it is not possible to directly observe a particular behaviour. These limitations have led to numerous attempts to record grazing behaviour automatically.
Nutritional manipulation of fertility and fecundity
Authors: Cole D.J.A. , Close W.H.
Published: June 2019

An examination of the influence of nutrition on the series of chronological events in the breeding lifetime has suggested that satisfactory breeding animals can be produced on a range of regimens in early life. For example, nutrition during the rearing phase has to be fairly severe (50% of ad libitum or less) to significantly delay puberty.

Nutrition needs to serve the immediate reproductive needs of the animal and to ensure that the animal is in satisfactory body condition to reproduce throughout its breeding lifetime. Consequently, at certain stages there will be competition for energy and nutrients between the products of conception or lactation on the one hand and the maternal body tissues on the other.
The me system : The biological basis
Authors: Thomson D.J. , Haines M.J. , Cammell S.B. , Dhanoa M.S.
Published: June 2019

The Starch Equivalent (SE) system devised by Kellner for expressing the energy requirements of ruminants and the energy value of feeds was used in Britain from 1912. Metabolizable energy (ME) was proposed (Agricultural Research Council, 1965) and adopted (MAFF, DAFS and DANI, Technical Bulletin 33, 197S), as a basis for a new system relating diet to the energy requirements of animals. Additional information was incorporated in the extensive Technical Review (The Nutrient Requirements of Ruminant Livestock, 1980). Metabolizable energy was retained, and animal performance it was claimed, was predicted more precisely with ME than SE. Results presented in this paper are for the comparison, and interpretation, of observed and predicted (Technical Bulletin 33) rates of gain, and other components of the ME system, for growing lambs and cattle fed forage and mixed forage and concentrate diets.
Breeding ewes using natural service or artificial insemination
Authors: King Margaret E. , Keeling Beverly J.
Published: June 2019

Artificial insemination of ewes has become commercially available in Britain on a small scale over the last few years. It allows the farmer to benefit from MLC recorded rams which have been selected for growth rate and more recently for carcass quality. However, proximity to an A.I. centre is an important consideration as A.I. of ewes requires the use of fresh semen. Frozen semen has not vet achieved the quality and reliability necessary on a commercial scale. Insemination is carried out at a fixed time after the removal of Intra-vaginal pessaries and an injection of Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotrophin (PMSG). Synchronisation of oestrus using sponges and PMSG adds to the cost of using a commercial A.I. service. If A.I. is not used then one ram per ten ewes is necessary for a synchronised mating which either requires a ram sharing group or considerable financial investment if rams of equivalent quality to those used in A.I. centres are to be purchased.
British rapeseed meals in the diets of pregnant and lactating mature suffolk-mule ewes
Authors: Vincent Isobel C. , Hill R. , Williams H. LI.
Published: June 2019

To investigate the suitability of using high levels of British (high glucosinolate) rapeseed meal (RSM), 80 adult Suffolk-Mule ewes of mean live-weight 64.8 kg (s.e. 0.5) were divided into four balanced groups. Three of the groups were allocated to a concentrate diet containing 20% RSM as the major protein supplement: extracted (B), expeller (C) and extruded (D). The control group (A) was given a diet containing 16.5% soyabean meal (SBM) as the only protein supplement. The remainder of these pelleted diets consisted of barley, molassine meal, oat husks, minerals and vitamins. All four diets contained similar levels of protein and energy.

The ewes were fed 0.7 kg/day during maintenance, 1 kg/day durino mating and increasing amounts from late pregnancy up to a maximum of 2.5 kg/day during lactation. Barley straw was available ad libitum. The ewes were weighed twice monthly. Jugular blood samples were taken monthly for thyroxine (T4) and thiocyanate (-SCN) analyses of plasma, also every five days during mating and the first two months of pregnancy for profiles of progesterone in plasma. The ewes were exposed to raddled entire rams for six weeks during November and December.
The nutrition and performance of lambs on rape and hybrid turnip (cv typhon) leaf crops
Authors: Burnett Fiona , Milne J A
Published: June 2019

Apart from the kale crop, there is no information on the amounts of nutrients absorbed from lambs ingesting forage brassica crops. In particular, knowledge of the amounts of OM apparently digested in the rumen and of the non-ammonia N (NAN) flows at the abomasum are important in predicting the amount of nutrients absorbed and consequently carcase gains. One experiment was conducted using the leaf components of rape and hybrid turnip to describe nutrient supply and to identify whether carcase gains would be limited by the supply of energy substrates or protein to the tissues. A second experiment was conducted with lambs grazing the leaf of both crops and given supplements to test the hypothesis that carcase gains were limited by the supply of energy substrates.
The effect of supplementing silage with fish meal for finishing store lambs
Authors: Hughes G J , Mansbridge R J
Published: June 2019

As the performance of store lambs on silage alone is often disappointing and feeding cereals reduces margins considerably, supplementing with fish meal offered an economic alternative for investigation.

The aim of the system was to finish lambs indoors (gaining 8 - 10 kg over 3-4 months ie 90 g/day DLWG) on a mainly forage diet to achieve a gross margin of at least £5 per lamb.

80 Suffolk x Scotch halfbred store lambs (AV 35 kg) were offered good quality precision chop grass silage at grass for three weeks. They were then divided into Control (C) and Treatment (T) groups at housing in mid November.
The effect of winter shearing welsh mountain ewes in the hill environment
Authors: Glanville J.R.D. , Phillips C.J.C.
Published: June 2019

Previous work on winter shearing has concentrated on lowland ewes in mild conditions. With increased emphasis in hill areas on housing ewes before lambing and resting hill pastures, the possibility of shearing ewes before lambing, rather than in the summer now exists. A review of work with lowland ewes has shown that winter shorn ewes produce lambs with a heavier birthweight (average +0.55kg) and increased liveweight gain (average +15g day-1) (Phillips, 1980), but it is not clear whether these benefits would be obtained with less prolific ewes under hill conditions.

The experiment was carried out from February to July 1985. Twenty-two Welsh Mountain ewes were housed 45 days pre-lambing in a fully enclosed but well-ventilated shed with slatted flooring. At 42 days pre-lambing ewes were randomised for weight and age and half the ewes were shorn with a normal comb, and half left unshorn until the summer.

Ewes in both treatments were offered and consumed the same level of concentrates (0.25kg ewe-1 day-1 post-shearing increased to 0.5kg ewe-1 day-1 before lambing). Medium quality hay was offered ad-libitum to both treatments. Water intake was measured daily. Ewe liveweight was measured weekly on five occasions between shearing and one week before lambing. Respiration rates of ewes were measured on 4 different occasions at 4 extreme environmental temperatures. Maximum and minimum house temperatures were recorded for the whole of the housed period. Lamb birthweights, liveweight gains and 84 day weights were corrected to male singles using additive correction factors derived from the mean of the flock over the previous two years.
Breed of ewe effects on the utilisation of pasture maintained at two sward heights
Authors: Doney J M , Smith A D M , Sim D A , White I R
Published: June 2019

An experiment was carried out at the Glensaugh research station to investigate the effects of breeds of ewe, differing in mature body size on the utilisation of a long-established reseed maintained at sward heights of 3.5 and S.5 cm until weaning.

The experimental area, dominated by Lolium perenne (40%), Poa spp (30%) with other grasses (10%) and weed species (20%), was divided into 12 plots each of 0.7 ha. When the mean sward height reached at least 3.5 cm in every plot (13.5.85) they were each stocked with 9 ewes + 15 lambs from one of 3 ewe genotypes (Border Leicester x Blackface, GF; East Friesland x Blackface, EFX; Cheviot x Shetland, SHX) in two replicates. All lambs were sired by Suffolk rams.

Mean sward height, herbage mass and estimated herbage accumulation rate were measured weekly and ewes and lambs were weighed weekly. Sward heights were maintained on each plot by movement of an electric fence to vary the grazing area. The area behind the fence was maintained at an equal sward height by non-experimental ewes and lambs to permit movement in any direction. The lambs were approximately 6 weeks old at the beginning of the trial and were weaned after 13 weeks on the plots.