bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sewage sludge as a potential source of lead in liver, kidney and muscle tissues of growing lambs
Authors: Wilkinson J.M. , Hill J. , Livesey C.T. , Stark B.A. , Curran M.K. , Lean I.J. , Hall J.E. 
Published: November 2021

Addition of sewage sludge to grassland may be reflected in ingestion of lead by animals with implications for the human food chain. The research reported here was part of a series of experiments conducted to investigate the possible risk to the health of livestock and humans associated with the use of sewage sludge in agriculture. The transfer of several elements to the body tissues of lambs was examined, including that of cadmium, copper, zinc and lead. The results for lead are reported in this paper.Weaned Kent lambs (6/treatment, 20 to 45 kg liveweight) were given dried grass ad libitum (Trial 1, indoor feeding) either as the sole feed (C) or with 100 g/kg DM of one of two soils (CM, sandy -pH 6.18; or RM, a calcareous loam - pH 7.55) which had been amended historically with sewage sludge and which contained 102 (CM) and 130 (RM) mg Pb/kg DM.
The influence of different rates of oxalic acid administration on the rate at which oxalic acid is degraded in the rumen of sheep and goats
Authors: Frutos P. , Duncan A.J. , Young S. 
Published: November 2021

Oxalic acid is present at high concentrations in certain plants such as Beta vulgaris L. and Rumex spp. and may cause renal toxicity following consumption by ruminants. Oral dosing of animals with free oxalic acid leads to an increase in the rate of oxalic acid breakdown in the rumen (Allison and Reddy, 1984). However, information is lacking on the extent to which the rate of administration of oxalic acid affects the capacity of ruminants to degrade the compound. Moreover, different species with different foraging habits may show different ability to detoxify the oxalic acid.This experiment was carried out in order to determine the extent to which the rate of exposure to oxalic acid affects the capacity of the rumen of sheep and goats to degrade the compound.
The effect of different dietary energy substrates on performance and behaviour of outdoor sows
Authors: Edwards S A , Riddoch I , Buckner L J 
Published: November 2021

Outdoor sows are subject to a variable climatic environment and to competition within the group for food. High fibre diets, with greater bulk and heat increment, might be beneficial in pregnancy whilst the converse properties might favour high oil diets during lactation.A 2x2 factorial design compared 2 pregnancy diets, cereal based [C] (122 g/kg NDF, 38 g/kg AEE, 13.0 MJ/kg DE, 157 g/kg CP) or high fibre [F] (222 g/kg NDF, 11.5 MJ/kg DE, 138 g/kg CP), and 2 lactation diets, diet C (as in pregnancy) or high oil [O] (72 g/kg AEE, 14.5 MJ/kg DE, 174 g/kg CP). 231 reproductive cycles of Camborough 12 sows were studied over an 18 month period. Pregnancy diets were fed to paddocks of 8-13 sows at a treatment level providing the same daily intake of DE and protein, adjusted to maintain body condition as appropriate to the time of year.
Comparison of different digesta collection methods and indigestible markers to determine the apparent ileal nutrient digestibility
Authors: Yin Y-L , McEvoy J , Souffrant W-B , McCracken K J 
Published: November 2021

Since the 1970's, many studies have been performed to estimate ileal digesibility using different methods for digesta collection. The methods frequently applied for quantitative collection are re-entrant cannulation or ileorectal anastomosis (IRA). Methods involving the use of a marker include the post- valve “T” caecal (PVTC) and simple ileal “T” cannula. Recent studies showed that PVTC has a number of advantages over the simple “T” cannulation methods (van Leeuwen et al, 1991; McCracken et al, 1996). The present study afforded the opportunity to (1) compare the PVTC with the IRA method, (2) compare the use of Cr2O3and TiO2as indigestible markers (3) evaluate the PVTC method for quantitative collection of digesta, using a range of diets of different fibre content.The PVTC experiment was performed in Belfast. Twelve pigs, approximately 20kg, fitted with post valve “T” caecal cannulae according to the procedure introduced by van Leeuwen et al(1991), were randomized to 4 diets based on wheat (W, 760 g wheat/kg), wheat/middlings (WM, 380g wheat, 380 g middlings/kg), wheat/bran (WB,380 g wheat, 380 g bran/kg) or recombined wheat (WR,570 g flour, 130 g middlings, 60 g bran/kg) using a four period cross-over design.
The effects of concentrate energy source on energy utilisation by lactating dairy cows offered a range of grass silages
Authors: Keady T.W.J. , Mayne C.S. 
Published: November 2021

Replacement of high starch with high digestible fibre ingredients in the concentrate has resulted in inconsistent effects on silage intake and milk yield and composition of lactating dairy cattle. These differences in animal performance may reflect effects of concentrate energy source on energy utilisation. The present study was undertaken to examine the effect of concentrate energy source on energy utilisation in lactating dairy cows offered a diverse range of grass silages.Three silages were harvested from perennial ryegrass swards after 39 day regrowth intervals. Silages A and C were produced from primary regrowths and Silage B from a secondary regrowth. Silages A, B and C were ensiled after 24, 0 and 0 h wilting intervals, treated with an inoculant, untreated or an inoculant respectively. Concentrates containing starch concentrations of 50, 209 and 385 g/kg DM, were prepared using barley, wheat, maize gluten, sugar beet pulp and citrus pulp as energy sources. The concentrates were formulated to contain similar concentrations of crude protein, effective rumen degradable protein, digestible undegradable protein, metabolisable energy and fermentable metabolisable energy and were offered at 10 kg/head/d in four equal feeds accounting for 0.57 of DM intake. The diets (3 silages x 3 concentrates) were offered to 18 lactating dairy cows, in a completely randomised experiment, for a minimum period of 28 days prior to the main recording period. Prior to entering open circuit respiration chambers, described by Gordon et al. (1995), cows were housed in individual stalls during a 6 day diet digestibility and nitrogen utilisation study.
The effects of offering sucrose and fishmeal to dairy cows receiving different levels of concentrates on food intake and animal performance
Authors: Keady T.W.J. , Murphy J.J. 
Published: November 2021

Quota restricts the volume and butterfat content of milk at farm level. However there is no restriction on milk protein concentration. In a previous study in the present series, sucrose supplementation of cows in late lactation offered grass silage based diets increased milk protein concentration, while supplementation with sucrose and fishmeal increased protein concentration and the yields of milk, protein and fat plus protein equivalent to, or greater than, that obtained from the parent herbage. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of partially replacing a concentrate supplement with sucrose and/or fishmeal, over a range of concentrate feed levels, on forage intake, milk production and composition.Herbage was harvested from the primary growth of a predominantly perennial ryegrass sward, unwilted, precision chopped and treated with a formic acid based additive (Add-Safe, Trouw Nutrition) at 2.85 l/t. A concentrate was formulated consisting of unmolassed sugar beet pulp, barley, soyabean meal and minerals and vitamins. Four complete diets were prepared consisting of the silage and either concentrate (20 g/kg fresh silage) (SC), concentrate and sucrose (each at 10 g/kg fresh silage) (SCS) concentrate and fishmeal (each at 10 g/kg fresh silage) (SCF) or sucrose and fishmeal (each at 10 g/kg fresh silage) (SSF).
The response by high genetic merit dairy cows to source and concentration of protein in the concentrate
Authors: Carrick I.M. , Patterson D.C. , Gordon F.J. 
Published: November 2021

Dairy cow genetic merit continues to increase in the dairy herd. These animals require a higher level of nutritional input than lower genetic merit cows if higher performance levels are to be sustained. The high cost of ingredients for ruminant diets highlights the need for greater precision in ration formulation in order to improve the efficiency of feed utilisation. This experiment was carried out to assess the effect of DUP supplementation on the performance of dairy cows with ad libitum access to grass silage.An experiment was conducted to investigate the response by high genetic merit Holstein Friesian dairy cows (PTA90 fat plus protein = 61 kg) to both source and concentration of protein in the concentrate, given in addition to ad libitum grass silage (metabolisable energy (ME) = 10.9 MJ/kg DM; crude protein (CP) = 166 g/kg DM). Twenty-four cows, including 12 first parity animals (mean days calved 37.5, s.d. 22.3), were blocked according to milk yield, calving date and parity. The experimental design was a balanced changeover with four 4-week periods.
Comparison of high starch and high fibre diets and the development of subclinical laminitis syndrome in dairy heifers
Authors: Livesey C. T. , Metcalf J. A. , Marsh C. , Johnston A. M. , May S. A. 
Published: November 2021

Subclinical laminitis syndrome is associated with the appearance of haemorrhages in the sole and white line (Vermunt 1992). Feeding diets with a high proportion of concentrates to forage has been associated with an increased severity or incidence of sole haemorrhages (Weaver 1979; Livesey and Fleming 1984). It is widely accepted that using high levels of starchy feed ingredients may increase the risk or severity of subclinical laminitis syndrome. This experiment was designed to study the development of subclinical laminitis syndrome by feeding diets which differed in starch and fibre content when animals were bedded on chopped straw or wood shavings.A total of 40 Holstein heifers were divided into 4 groups in a 2 x 2 factorial experiment. The duration of the study was from shortly before calving until 12 weeks after calving. Heifers were housed in cubicles on rubber mats with either chopped straw or wood shavings as bedding.
Cassava chip as an energy source for lactating dairy cows fed rice straw
Authors: Sommart K. , Wanapat M. , Parker D.S. , Rowlinson P. 
Published: November 2021

Cassava (Manihot esculenta, Crantz) is an important root crop in tropical climates for both human consumption and animal feed as a source of energy (ME, R 12.2 MJ/kg). Cassava produces high yields of dry matter and therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the effects of including cassava as a source of energy replacing to corn on intake, rumen fermentation and animal performance in lactating dairy cows fed a diet based on rice straw.Thirty-six crossbred cows (˃75% Holstein Friesian) in mid-lactation were randomised to 4 dietary treatments. They were individually tethered and offered ad libitum rice straw together with concentrate twice a day after milking. The diets were iso-nitrogenous (155 g/kg CP). The dietary treatments were concentrate containing 13.5, 27, 40.5 and 54% of cassava replacing corn meal. Milk yield and feed intake were measured daily. Composited milk samples were collected and the components analysed.
The effect of increasing slaughter weight on growth performance of pigs and on meat quality
Authors: Weatherup R.N. , Beattie V.E. , Moss B.W. , Walker N. 
Published: November 2021

Slaughter weights for pigs in the United Kingdom have traditionally been much lower than in most other European countries and in North America (Ellis and Avery, 1990). The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of increasing slaughter weight on growth performance of pigs and on meat quality.Ninety-six ¾ LR/LW 50 kg live weight pigs were allocated to a 3 x 4 factorial design with eight replicates. The variables were carcass weight which had four levels, 70, 80, 90 and 100 kg (corresponding live weights 92, 103, 114 and 125 kg) and gender with three levels, boars, castrates and gilts. Pigs were individually penned and offered feed ad libitum (DE 13.9 MJ/kg, lysine 10.5 g/kg). Feed intake and live weight gain was recorded over the experimental period and sample joints from the left L. dorsi muscle were obtained at slaughter. Cross sectional area of L. dorsi muscle and fat, lean and bone content of joint was determined and a number of meat quality assessments performed.
Matching grass supply to grazing patterns for dairy cows under strip-grazing management
Authors: Orr R.J. , Rutter S.M. , Penning P.D. , Yarrow N.H. , Atkinson L.D. , Champion R.A. 
Published: November 2021

Grazed herbage is the cheapest feed available for dairy cows but total intake of nutrients from grazed pasture alone is generally insufficient to allow high yielding dairy cows to reach their production potential. Cows have their main daily meal following afternoon milking in the period up to sunset (e.g. Rook et al., 1994 ). In addition, both the DM content and water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) concentration of grass increase over the day (e.g. Orr et al., 1997) due to the loss of moisture and the accumulation of the products of photosynthesis. Based on this evidence, this study tested the hypothesis that dairy cows receiving strip-grazing allocations following the afternoon rather than the morning milking would show higher intake rates and consequently higher milk yields.Twenty Holstein-Friesian cows (median calving date 10 February 1997) were each supplemented with 4 kg concentrates day-1 and strip-grazed a perennial ryegrass pasture in four groups of 5 cows.
Effect of environmental and social enrichment during lactation on the response of piglets to weaning
Authors: Foster E , Edwards S A , Davidson F M , Duncan J 
Published: November 2021

Weaning is a time at which many different stressors are imposed on the piglet and poor health and performance are significant commercial problems. It is therefore important to understand which factors influence a piglet's adaptation to weaning, and how this might be improved. UK national recording scheme data demonstrate consistently better post-weaning performance for piglets from outdoor breeding herds than for indoor-bred piglets. There are many differences between the outdoor and indoor situation, and these are being systematically investigated. One potential difference which might influence the response to weaning is the greater degree of environmental and social diversity typically experienced by outdoor piglets during lactation.Fifty-four sows and their litters were allocated according to farrowing date and parity to one of three enrichment treatments: treatments were (1) Control (C) in which litters remained in fully slatted farrowing pens with crates throughout lactation, (2) Socially enriched (SE) in which two adjacent litters were allowed to co-mingle from 12 days of age by removal of the dividing partition, and (3) Environmentally enriched (EE) in which piglets in similar housing were presented with a variety of small moveable objects and a rooting substrate.
Behaviour and production of sows and piglets in crates and oval pens
Authors: Bradshaw R. H. , Broom D. M. 
Published: November 2021

Farrowing crates are widely used in commercial practice but restrict sow movement. Pens have therefore been developed which allow the sow greater freedom of movement but this may result in piglets being exposed to events likely to cause injury or death due to crushing. This is particularly the case immediately after farrowing. The behaviour of sows during lying and piglet aggregation behaviour may be factors contributing to these problems. We therefore wished to compare these behaviours and production performance in crates and oval pens.The subjects were 18 Large White x Landrace sows; 10 farrowed in crates and 8 in oval pens (balanced for parity and time of year; c. half farrowed Aug. - Nov. 1996 and half April - July 1997). Sows entered the accommodation five days before the farrowing date. Feeding was manual, daily at 08.00h and 15.00h. Crates and oval pens were cleaned and shavings (crate) or straw (pen) were added daily. There was a piglet drinker in each accommodation and creep feed was available 14 days post-partum. Piglets were teeth-clipped and iron-injected within 48h post-partum.
Welfare of finishing pigs after mixing in kennelled or unkennelled accommodation
Authors: Spoolder H.A.M. , Corning S. , Edwards S.A. 
Published: November 2021

The Codes of Recommendation for the Welfare of Livestock (pigs) recommends “Pigs should be kept in stable groups with as little mixing as possible”. In practice, mixing can not always be avoided, particularly towards the end of the finishing period. The present study investigated welfare aspects of mixing finishing pigs in two different types of accommodation.A total of 240 finishing pigs (weight: 29.0 kg, SD=2.6 kg), housed in groups of ten, were subjected to a 2 x 4 factorial designed study. The factors were housing (two treatments) and mixing / moving (four treatments). The mixing treatments were applied at 55 and 75 kg average group weight, by either mixing half the group with half the pigs from another group in a pen unknown to both groups (MIX), or moving the pigs to a new pen (MOVE). The four mixing treatments therefore were: A (control). MOVE at 55 and 75 kg, B: MIX at 55 and MOVE at 75 kg, C: MOVE at 55 and MIX at 75 kg and D: MIX at 55 and 75 kg. The housing treatments were: scrape-through dunging area with strawed kennel (KEN) and strawed sloping floor without kennel (NO). Agonistic behaviour was recorded during the first two hours after MIX or MOVE, of four focal pigs in each group.
The use of organic acids as potential inhibitors of bacterial growth in minced beef
Authors: Vega L. , Bruce J. , Crawford S. , Humpheson L. 
Published: November 2021

Several organic acids have been accepted by the EU as non toxic food grade additives, to control spoilage and maintain fresh appearance in raw meat. Research has confirmed the antibacterial effect of certain organic acids such as acetic, propionic, sorbic, fumaric and citric acids on fresh beef (Anderson 1992; Dickson and Siragusa, 1994, Podolak et al., 1996). However many of these trials have been focused on spraying the acids onto the surface of meat, while little attention has been given to evaluating their effectiveness when mixed into ground beef. The work described here deals with the effect of a mixture of organic acids on the microbial contamination and appearance of minced meat.Forequarter muscles from three beef carcasses were removed 48h after slaughter. The meat from each carcass was cut into cubes and kept separate during storage for a further 24h at 2 °C. Half of the meat from each carcass was treated with a commercial preparation (BOMBAL, Van Hees; FISPAK Ltd.) containing the following organic acids; sodium acetate, sodium ascorbate, citric acid and ascorbic acid at a rate of 5g BOMBAL/kg of diced meat.
Comparisons of ubiquitin system function in muscle of broiler and layer breeds of chicken
Authors: Harper J.M.M. , Mee M.P. , Arnold J.E. , Boorman K.N. , Buttery P.J. , Mayer R.J. 
Published: November 2021

The physiological basis of the widely differing growth rates between broiler and layer chickens is still poorly understood. Recurrent findings have included differences in rates of protein breakdown, especially in young birds (1.2- fold to 10- fold higher in layers e.g. Muramatsu et al., 1987; Flannery and Beynon, 1991). Ubiquitin is abundant in many tissues including muscle. It has important functions including the tagging of proteins for degradation by ATP-dependent and lysosomal pathways, and a role in cell surface receptor down-regulation; transcription of its mRNA is increased in many catabolic states in mammals (Attaix et al., 1994; Strous et al., 1996). The aim of this experiment was to test the hypothesis that differing regulation of ubiquitin pathways might be responsible in part for the divergence of growth rates seen in chicken breeds.Week-old male broiler (Ross No.l) and layer (ISAbrown) chicks were randomly assigned to cages, as pairs of the same breed. Chicks had free access to water and a standard crumb starter diet. Birds were slaughtered at four weeks and rapidly dissected. Tissues were snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -70°C until use.
Urinary Excretion of Purine Derivatives in Fed and Fasted Yaks (Bos gruniens)
Authors: Long R. J. , Chen X. B. , Dong S. K. , Zhang D. G. , Ørskov E. R. , Hu Z.Z. 
Published: November 2021

Previous studies in sheep and cattle have demonstrated that the urinary excretion of purine derivatives (PD) provides an index of the intestinal flow of microbial protein (Chen et al. 1990). Yak is the most important ruminant species in Tibetan Plateau. It was of interest to establish whether the approach of PD excretion to estimate microbial protein supply is applicable in yaks. The objective of this work is to measure the effect of fasting and different levels of feeding on PD excretion in yaks.The feeding experiments were carried out in Xi-ning, China at an altitude of 3100m and a latitude of 36.8° N. Six 5-year old female yaks were used and 3 experiments were completed.
Calibration of the near infra-red spectroscope for the casein content of Malagueña goats milk
Authors: Johnson S.C. , Serradilla J.M. , Garrido Varo A. , Margerison J K 
Published: November 2021

In southern Spain the manufacture of goats milk cheese represents a large proportion of total the dairy production. Throughout the whole of Andalucia and the Malaga province the Malagueña breed of goat is of particular importance, due to its ability to produce high milk yields with a high protein content.The proportion of casein in milk is one of the most important factors determining the quantity and quality of cheese which can be made from that milk. It is therefore essential to be able to rapidly measure the milk casein levels prior to commencing the expensive process of cheese making.
Effects of sow, udder section and time on colostrum immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations and piglet colostrum intake
Authors: Jones G. , Edwards S.A. , Jagger S. , Hoste S. 
Published: November 2021

Relationships between sow nutrition, milk yield, milk composition and piglet performance during lactation have been studied in numerous experiments. However, the subsequent effects of these pre-weaning factors on post-weaning piglet performance are less well studied. Commonly a growth check in piglets in response to weaning is noted, but to date it is unknown why some piglets do better than others in this period. The present experiment explored some of the pre-weaning factors that could explain the variability in piglet post-weaning growth.The performance of piglets from 41 litters was monitored during a lactation period of 26 days. Litter size was standardised to 10 piglets, which were not offered creep food. Piglets were weighed individually on a weekly basis from farrowing to weaning at 26 days. Daily litter milk intake was estimated by a weigh-suckle-weigh technique in 24 litters on 4 occasions at 5 day intervals across lactation. On the day after each of these days, the composition of milk was determined from milk samples obtained by hand milking following oxytocin injection. Litter milk intake and composition of milk were used to calculate the mean daily piglet nutrient intakes during lactation. After weaning some piglets were sacrificed for the analysis of body composition and 310 piglets out of the 41 litters were penned in litter groups in controlled environment flat decks for two weeks to monitor daily group feed intakes and weekly individual growth rates.