bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Testing responses to novelty in cattle: behavioural and physiological responses to novel food
Authors: Herskin M.S. , Munksgaard L. , Kristensen A.-M. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractIn order to develop a behavioural test as well as gain information about behavioural response to novel food, we performed four experiments with cattle kept in tie-stalls and observed the behaviour (approach/avoidance, self-grooming and consummatory behaviour) for 10 (experiment 3 and 4) or 30 (experiment 1 and 2) min after provision of novel food.In experiment 1, the effects of the novelty of the feeding method were tested using nine heifers provided with 2 kg of their usual food from the usual fodder truck or from a basket made of plastic. The novel feeding method induced increased sniffing, decreased duration of eating and increased self-grooming.The effects of the degree of novelty of a food were examined in experiment 2 using heifers (no. = 8 to 12) and three concentrations of fish oil (1•5, 6 or 24 g/kg) and eucalyptus oil (5, 20 or 80 drops per kg) added to the usual food. Increasing the concentration of eucalyptus oil in the food led to changes in behaviour, while the addition of fish oil led to a less clear response. However, both suggested that the behaviour reflected the degree of novelty in the food. Behavioural responses to two novel foods (4 kg carrots v. 80 drops per kg of eucalyptus oil added to the usual food) as well as individual characteristics and repeatability within 72 h were examined in experiment 3. The behavioural responses to the novel foods differed, showing a higher level of approach and attempts to eat the carrots, and responses to the two different novel foods were not correlated. At the second provision, the acceptability of the carrots was greater, however responses to carrots showed an acceptable repeatability.Finally, the cardiac (heart rate) and behavioural responses to usual food and novel food (4 kg carrots) were compared in experiment 4. Provision of novel food led to behavioural signs of motivational conflict and neophobia while the heart rate tended to be lower than when the cows were provided with usual food.These results provide evidence that behavioural responses to novel food in cattle include signs of motivational conflict between eating motivation and neophobia, reflecting the degree of novelty in the test situation including the feeding method. However, palatability of the food might also affect the responses, and the data on heart rate suggest that novel food is not a fear-inducing stimulus.
Use ofin-vivomeasurements to estimate breast and abdominal fat content of a free-range broiler strain
Authors: Melot J. E. , Motter M. M. , Morao L. R. , Huguet M. J. , Canet Z. , Miquel M. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe objective of this work was to evaluate the ultrasound method as a tool forin-vivobreast and abdominal fat prediction on Campero-INTA broilers. Breast length (mm), width (mm), surface (mm2; ultrasound) and depth (mm; ultrasound), and abdominal fat depth (mm; ultrasound) were measured at 65-66 and 72-73 days of age on 96 males. At 79 days of age, the broilers were weighed and slaughtered. Breast and abdominal fat weights (g) were obtained. Multiple regression equations were fitted using live weight (g) andin-vivomeasurements to predict breast and abdominal fat weights and proportions (g/g). The best model for each case was selected by the Stepwise procedure. Equations fitted were verified using another set of data. Breast weight prediction using live weight and breast length in the model was as accurate as using live weight and breast depth. The former is recommended for breeding work. Abdominal fat weight prediction using ultrasound measurements of fat was less accurate than breast weight prediction. Repeatabilities for ultrasound breast measurements were higher (0·72 to 0·73) than those for abdominal fat (0·51 to 0·52). Operator effect may be important when training levels are different.
Comparison of the carcass characteristics and meat quality of lambs produced from Texel and Rouge de l’Ouest ewes and their crosses
Authors: Dawson L. E. R. , Carson A. F. , McClinton L. O. W. , Kilpatrick D. J. , Moss B. W. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractAn experiment was undertaken to compare the carcass characteristics and meat quality of lambs from crossbred ewes produced by crossing Texel sires with Rouge de l’Ouest dams and Rouge sires with Texel dams, relative to lambs from purebred Texel and Rouge ewes. The ewes were crossed with Texel or Rouge sires and the relative performance of the sires assessed in terms of lamb carcass quality. Ewe and ram genotype had a significant effect on conformation classification. Lambs from Texel ewes had a greater conformation classification (4·0) than lambs from Rouge ewes (3·4, s.e. 0·09) (P<0·001) and Texel-sired lambs had a greater conformation classification (4·0) than Rouge-sired lambs (3·6, s.e. 0·06) (P<0·001). Fat depth was significantly influenced by ewe genotype with lambs from Texel × Rouge ewes having greater fat depths compared with lambs from Texel ewes (longissimus dorsi 2·3 and 1·9 (s.e.0·12) mm respectively) (P<0·05). Chemical composition of the carcass and meat quality measurements were unaffected by ewe or ram genotype. Significant heterosis effects on lamb live-weight gain (21 g/day; 15%) (P<0·01) from birth to slaughter, age at slaughter (–37 days; –12%) (P<0·01), weight of perinephric and retroperitoneal fat (76 g; 38%) (P<0·01) and fat depth over the longissimus dorsi (0·3 mm; 16%) and gluteus medius (0·5 mm; 17%;P<0·05) were obtained. The results from this study demonstrate that significant heterosis effects, particularly in terms of lamb growth rate, can be achieved by crossing Rouge and Texel breeds. In addition lambs from hybrid ewes have similar conformation characteristics to the Texel breed which has been intensively selected for carcass characteristics.
Removal of both zinc oxide and avilamycin from the post-weaning piglet diet: consequences for performance through to slaughter
Authors: Broom L. J. , Miller H. M. , Kerr K. G. , Toplis P. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractAvilamycin (AGP) and zinc oxide (ZnO) are both frequently included in the post-weaning piglet diet to enhance growth performance and prevent diarrhoea. This study investigated what effect removing these compounds from the post-weaning diet would have on the growth performance and faecal microbiota of weaned piglets. Fifty-two crossbred piglets (JSR Healthbred) were allocated, at weaning, to one of two dietary treatments on the basis of weight, litter origin and gender. The diets were (i) control (no supplemented ZnO or AGP); (ii) ZnO + AGP (supplemented with 3100 mg ZnO per kg food and 40 mg avilamycin per kg food). These diets were offered ad libitum for 20 days post weaning. Thereafter, the pigs received the same non-supplemented grower and finisher diets ad libitum. All piglets were individually weighed, and faecal samples were obtained from pre-selected piglets, at various time points throughout the trial period. Ten-fold serial dilutions of faecal material were cultured on specific media to enumerate aerobes, anaerobes, Lactobacillus spp. and Escherichia coli. ZnO + AGP supplementation enhanced weaned piglet average daily food intake (ADFI) (P < 0·001), average daily live-weight gain (ADG) (P < 0·001) and food conversion ratio (FCR) (P < 0·01) during the initial 20 days post weaning. Piglets previously supplemented with ZnO + AGP gained more weight per day during the non-supplemented grower phase (days 21 to 60) than their control counterparts (741·5 v. 672·5 g per pig per day) (P < 0·01). The bacteriological data showed that ZnO + AGP piglets had lower counts of anaerobic bacteria in their faeces than control piglets (P < 0·01). These findings indicate that dietary AGP + ZnO may enhance growth by reducing gastro-intestinal bacterial populations, and that their removal from the post-weaning diet will increase days to slaughter.
Interrelationships between gut morphology and faeces consistency in newly weaned piglets
Authors: Vente-Spreeuwenberg M. A. M. , Verdonk J. M. A. J. , Beynen A. C. , Verstegen M. W. A. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractA total of 104 weanling piglets was used to study the interrelationships between faeces consistency and mucosal integrity, as assessed by specific aminopeptidase and isomaltase-sucrase activity, villus height and crypt depth. Piglets were weaned at 26 (s.d. 1·4) days of age, weighing 8·4 (s.d. 0·70) kg. On the day of weaning (day 0), dissection was performed on one group of eight piglets. The remaining piglets were given restricted amounts of diets containing different protein sources. However, during the first 7 days post weaning 72% of the piglets ate on average less than 0·9 of the amount offered and thus actually had ad libitum access to food. On days 3 or 7 post weaning pigs were weighed and euthanased. Diet composition did not effect small intestine integrity and the data were pooled for further analysis. The weight of the stomach, large intestine and pancreas increased with time post weaning (P < 0·001). Small intestine weight decreased from day 0 to 3 and was increased again on day 7, exceeding the pre-weaning value (P < 0·001). Isomaltase-sucrase and aminopeptidase activities were decreased on days 3 and 7 when compared with day 0. Villus height was decreased after weaning, followed by an increase on day 7 post weaning at the proximal small intestine, but by a further decrease at the mid small intestine (P < 0·001). Crypt depth was increased after weaning (P < 0·001). Faeces consistency was scored twice a day on a scale from 0 to 3 with increasing liquid nature. The average percentage of days during which piglets had more-liquid faeces was 26%. During the 1st week post weaning, 73% of the piglets showed a faeces score of 2 during at least 1 day. Villus height was positively correlated with food intake level, brush-border enzyme activity and dry matter content of the chyme. Villus height was negatively correlated with more-liquid faeces. Crypt depth was positively associated with the weight of various parts of the gastro-intestinal tract. It is concluded that this study supports the concept that food intake by weaned piglets determines villus height in the small intestine and brush-border enzyme production which in turn determine the risk of diarrhoea development.
Influence of sward height on bite dimensions of horses
Authors: Naujeck A. , Hill J. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe management of pastures used by horses poses various problems: swards are often grazed down rapidly, patches of bare ground and refused areas develop. In order to gain a better understanding of the plant-animal interaction behind this problem the influence of sward height on bite dimensions (bite depth, weight, volume, area) of horses was investigated. Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) microswards were grown on artificial substrate to four different heights (3, 8, 15, 19 cm) but the same plant density. Biomass and bulk density for each sward height was determined. Eight horses (predominantly Thoroughbred ×) were allowed to take six bites of each grass height. Bite depth, weight, volume and bite area were calculated.Bite depth, weight, volume and area were not fixed, but increased with sward height (P< 005). For all sward heights, the horses removed between 51% and 68% of the initial grass length. The horses adjusted their bite dimensions to sward height but did not maximize food intake per bite. The response to sward height might be explained by a preference for easily digested food or the trade-off between energy intake and the cost for food processing.This experiment suggests that grass height has a major influence on bite dimensions of horses. However there may be more complex factors influencing ingestive behaviour of horses (e.g. age, dietary experience and social behaviour) that have to be considered when horses are grazing pasture.
Subpopulations and accuracy of prediction in pig carcass classification
Authors: Engel B. , G. Buist W. , Font i Furnols M. , Lambooij E. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractClassification of pig carcasses in the European Community (EC) is based on the lean meat percentage of the carcasses. The lean meat percentage is predicted from instrumental carcass measurements, such as fat and muscle depth measurements, obtained in the slaughterline. The prediction formula for an instrument is derived from the data of a dissection experiment. When the relationship between percentage lean and instrumental carcass measurements differs between subpopulations, such as sexes or breeds, accuracy of prediction may differ between these subpopulations. In particular for some subpopulations predicted lean meat percentages may be systematically too low and for other subpopulations systematically too high. Producers or buyers that largely specialize in subpopulations where the percentage lean is underestimated, are put at a financial disadvantage.The aim of this paper is to gain insight, on the basis of real data, into the effects of differences between subpopulations on the accuracy of the predicted percentage lean meat of pig carcasses. A simulation study was performed based on data from dissection trials in The Netherlands, comprising gilts and castrated males, and trials in Spain, comprising different genetic types. The possible gain in accuracy, i.e. reduction of prediction bias and mean squared prediction error, by the use of separate prediction formulae for (some of) the subpopulations was determined.We concluded that marked bias in the predicted percentage lean meat may occur between subpopulations when a single overall prediction formula is employed. Systematic differences in predicted percentage lean between subpopulations that are overestimated and underestimated may exceed 4% and for selected values of instrumental measurements may run up to 6%. Bias between subpopulations may be eliminated, and prediction accuracy may be markedly improved, when separate prediction formulae are used. With the use of separate formulae the root mean squared prediction error may be reduced by 13 to 26% of the expected value when a single prediction formula is used for all pig carcasses.These are substantial reductions on a national scale. This suggests that there will be a commercial interest in the use of separate prediction formulae for different subpopulations. In the near future, when the use of implants becomes more reliable, subpopulations will be recognized automatically in the slaughterline and use of different prediction formulae will become practically feasible. Some possible consequences for the EC regulations and national safeguards for quality of prediction formulae are discussed.
Effect of variety, growing region and growing season on digestible energy content of wheats grown in Western Australia for weaner pigs
Authors: Kim J. C. , Mullan B. P. , Simmins P. H. , Pluske J. R. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractAn experiment was conducted to examine the digestible energy (DE) content for weanling pigs in a cohort of wheats grown in Western Australia, and to establish relationships between DE content and their chemical composition. The 3 ✕ 3 ✕ 2 factorial experiment examined the wheat variety (Arrino, Stiletto and Westonia), growing location (high, medium and low rainfall zone) and harvest year (1999 and 2000). Pigs (no. = 5 per diet) aged about 28 days were given a diet at a level of 0·05 ✕ live weight containing 900 g/kg of the wheat and an acid-insoluble ash marker for 10 days, with samples of faeces collected from each pig for the final 5 days. The average live weight of pigs was 6·6 (s.d. 0·77) kg. The DE content of wheats harvested in 1999 varied by up to 1·3 MJ/kg, while wheats harvested in 2000 varied by up to 1·8 MJ/kg. When the 2 years’ data were combined, the DE content ranged from 12·5 to 14·4 MJ/kg. Both the variety and growing region significantly influenced (P < 0·05, P < 0·001, respectively in year 1999; P < 0·001, P < 0·01, respectively in year 2000) the DE content of wheat. Also, DE content of wheat differed significantly due to growing season (P < 0·001). Correlation studies between chemical composition and DE content of the wheats found significant inverse relationships between DE content and total xylose (r = –0·719, P < 0·05), insoluble xylose (r = –0·742, P < 0·05), neutral-detergent fibre (r = –0·839, P < 0·01), total-P (r = –0·833, P < 0·01), and phytate-P (r = –0·753, P < 0·05) contents with the wheats harvested in 1999. However, such relationships were not significant (P > 0·05) with the wheats harvested in 2000. In addition, the precipitation level (mm) during the growing season of wheats was strongly correlated (r = –0·821, P < 0·01) to the DE content of wheat in year 1999, but was not correlated in 2000. The results indicate that the genetic and environmental conditions during the growth of wheat have a significant impact on the utilization of plant energy in weaner pigs, and that greater attention needs to be paid to these influences in the assignment of energy values for wheats given to weaner pigs.
Individually assessed creep food consumption by suckled piglets: influence on post-weaning food intake characteristics and indicators of gut structure and hind-gut fermentation
Authors: Bruininx E. M. A. M. , Schellingerhout A. B. , Binnendijk G. P. , Peet-Schwering C. M. C. van der , Schrama J. W. , den Hartog L. A. , Everts H. , Beynen A. C. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractIndividual food intake characteristics and indicators of gut physiology of group-housed weanling pigs were measured in relation to pre-weaning consumption of creep food. Additionally, the effects of creep food consumption on pre-weaning body weight and gain were assessed. A total of 48 litters was used in two trials. From 11 days of age until weaning (day 28), all 48 litters were given a creep food (12·7 MJ net energy (NE) per kg, 15·2 g lysine per kg) supplemented with 10 g chromium III oxide per kg. Piglets showing green-coloured faeces on three sampling days were designated as good eaters, whereas piglets that never showed green faeces were labelled as non-eaters. Piglets having green faeces once or twice were designated as moderate eaters. Based on availability, body weight, litter origin, genotype and gender 29 good eaters, 32 moderate eaters and 29 non-eaters were selected in the first trial. In the second trial there were 30 good eaters, 33 moderate eaters, and 27 non-eaters. In each trial eight piglets of each creep-food eating type were immediately killed to serve as a reference group. The remaining piglets of each eating type were weaned and placed in pens equipped with computerized feeding stations so that distributions of body weight, litter origin, and gender were similar within pens. In each trial, eight pigs of each eating type were killed 5 days after weaning in order to determine villous heights and crypt depths in the proximal small intestine and volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations in the colon. While being suckled, body weight was not related to the pre-weaning consumption of creep food (P > 0·1) whereas average daily gain of the good eaters during the creep feeding period was higher (P 0·05) than that of the moderate and non-eaters. Both morphology measures and VFA concentrations on the day of weaning were unaffected (P > 0·1) by the pre-weaning food consumption. After weaning, food intake and gain of the total group of good eaters were higher (P 0·05) than that of the non-eaters, whereas villous height and villous height: crypt depth ratios did not differ (P > 0·1). Neither total VFA concentration nor the proportion of branched-chain VFA were affected by creep food consumption while being suckled. Total VFA concentration in the colon was positively associated with body-weight gain (P 0·001). This study confirms earlier findings that consumption of creep food while being suckled stimulates food intake and growth after weaning. However, the beneficial effects were not associated with a prevention of damage to morphology of the small intestine.
Genetic parameters for reproductive performance of breeding cows and carcass traits of fattening animals in Japanese Black (Wagyu) cattle
Authors: Oyama K. , Katsuta T. , Anada K. , Mukai F. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractReproductive performance is receiving increased attention from beef cattle producers. There are concerns that intensive selection for carcass traits might reduce the reproductive performance of females. Genetic parameters among six carcass traits and, age at first calving (AFC), gestation length (GL), days open (DO) and calving interval (CI) under year-round artificial insemination were estimated. Reproductive traits were extracted from 174005 calving records of Japanese Black cows and were analysed with 31364 carcass records. The restricted maximum likelihood procedure under animal models was used to estimate the parameters. Heritabilities of AFC, GL, DO and CI were estimated to be 0.20, 0.40, 0.05 and 0.05, respectively, and those of carcass traits were higher, ranging from 0.38 to 0.56. Genetic correlations of CI with AFC and GL were 0.25 and 0.16, respectively, while no relationship was observed between AFC and GL. Correlations among carcass traits were generally favourable and a slightly negative estimate was obtained between subcutaneous fat thickness and marbling score. Genetic correlations for AFC were -0.27 with carcass weight and -0.24 with marbling score. In contrast, GL, DO and CI were genetically independent of carcass traits. Genetic relationships between reproductive and carcass traits were generally low, and therefore serious antagonism was not observed. The results suggested that selection for carcass traits would not compromise genetic progress in reproductive traits.