bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Growth and body condition of sows given different feeding regimes during the rearing stage and through eight parities when housed in groups with straw bedding
Authors: Simmins P. H. , Edwards S. A. , Spechter H. H. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractA 2 X 3 factorial experiment was designed to study the consequences of feeding strategy during rearing and pregnancy over eight parities on sow growth and body condition. Two hundred and fifty-four gilts were group-fed on a restricted scale rising to either 2·25 (L) or 2·70 (H) kg/day (12·5 MJ/kg digestible energy (DE), 193 g/kg crude protein (CP) diet) from 70 to 175 days of age. A total of 156 of the L and H gilts were then given either 1·8 (l), 2·1 (m) or 2·4 (h) kg/day during subsequent pregnancies (12·9 MJ/kg DE; 177 g/kg CP diet). The same diet was offered to a standard scale during lactation. Sows were group-housed in pregnancy and given straw bedding. Losses of sows in rearing and each parity were not associated with treatment. After rearing, data have been presented only for those sows which completed eight parities. At 175 days of age, H gilts had grown faster (P < 0·001). From 175 days to service all gilts were given the same feeding regime but L gilts put on significantly more weight than H gilts, exhibiting more efficient utilization of food. There were no statistically significant differences in weights between L and H sows after the third pregnancy but L sows gained more weight than H sows in most pregnancies. The sows grew in each parity, indicating mature body size was not achieved. The pregnancy regimes had a significant (P < 0·05) effect on live weight, P2 backfat measurement, body length, neck circumference and condition score. Pregnancy treatment h produced the heavier and fatter animals but not all treatment l sows maintained adequate backfat levels for six parities. When housed in groups and given a generous supply of straw, the nutritional requirements of sows to sustain growth and body condition suitable for a long life may be less than has been previously identified for sows housed on concrete and slats without bedding.
Reproductive performance of F1 crossbred dairy cows used for draught: effect of work and diet supplementation
Authors: Zerbini E. , Gemeda T. , Franceschini R. , Sherington J. , Wold A. G. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractForty pregnant F1crossbred cows (20 Holstein-Friesian × Boran and 20 Simmental × Boran) were assigned to a 2 × 2 (work × diet) factorial experiment as follows: supplemented-non-working (SNW), supplemented-working (SW), non-supplemented-non-working (NSNW) and non-supplemented-working (NSW). Working cows pulled sledges 100 days/year (pull = 350 to 450 N, 4 h/day, 4 days/week). Conception and oestrus at fixed times (200 and 365 dayspost partum) were analysed using linear logistic models. Proportional hazard models were used for analysing ‘failure’ time data such as time to first oestrus or time to conception. Diet supplementation significantly decreased days to first oestrus and days to conception in non-working and working cows. SW cows had similar reproductive performance to NSNW cows. In supplemented cows, work significantly delayed days to conception. However, by 365 dayspost partum, conception rate was similar for SNW and SW cows. Body condition at calving significantly affected post-partum reproductive ability of non-working and working cows. Natural grass hay alone could not support potential reproductive ability of crossbred cows. Work output of supplemented cows may be associated with longer calving intervals. The economic trade-offs between longer calving intervals and work output should be examined in detail.
The degradation of oilseed cakes and their effects on the intake and rumen degradability of maize stover given to Ethiopian Menz sheep
Authors: Sibanda S. , Osuji P.O. , Nsahlai I. V. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractSix rumen cannulated sheep (26·1 (s.d. 2·24) kg live weight) given maize stoverad libitumwere supplemented with either sunflower (Helianthus annus) cake (SFC), decorticated cottonseed (CSC) or noug (Guizotia abyssinica) cakes (NGC) with or without crushed maize grain. The 6×6 Latin-square experiment studied the degradation properties of the oilseed cakes and their effects and that of maize on the degradation of maize, maize stover and the composite diet.Seedcakes differed in the degradability characteristics of dry matter and nitrogen: intercept (a) (P&lt; 0·001); potentially degradable fraction (b) (P&lt; 0·001); rate of degradation (c) (P&lt; 0·001); and the effective degradability (P&lt; 0·0001). The pooled sum of the degradabilities of the individual ingredients were significantly lower than that of mixed ingredients (composite diet) (P&lt; 0·001).The main effects of protein and maize were not significant on the degradation of maize stover. Maize had the tendency to depress the rates of degradation of stover by 0·52 with SFC.Although the protein × maize interaction was not significant on maize stover degradability, it is important to note that maize had the effect of increasing stover degradation rate with CSC and NGC, but a depressing effect with SFC. Hence it was concluded that the carbohydrate effect on roughage degradation rate may vary as a function of the difference between the degradation rate of the energy and protein supplements.
The effects of food level during lactation and early gestation on the reproductive performance of mature sows
Authors: Hughes P. E. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractSeventy-six Large White × Landrace sows from parities 2 to 6 were allocated to one of four treatments at day 110 of gestation on a parity and live-weight basis. The four treatments involved food levels of either 3 or 6 kg/day during a 28-day lactation followed by either 1·75 or 3·50 kg/day during the first 28 days of gestation. Litter size suckled was standardized at 10 piglets wherever possible. Live weight and backfat changes were monitored in all sows and litter growth and survival rates were recorded. Post weaning all sows were given daily boar contact and mated twice at the first observed oestrus. A single blood sample was collected from each sow at days 7, 14, 21 and 28 of gestation for determination of plasma progesterone concentration. Data on litter size and piglet birth weights were collected at the subsequent parturition. Sows low-fed during lactation lost significantly more live weight (31·2v.5·8 kg,P&lt; 0·01) and P2 backfat (3·6v.1·9 mm,P&lt; 0·05) in lactation than did high-fed sows. Underfeeding the lactating sow also significantly reduced the weaning weight of the litter (62·3v.68·7 kg for low-v.high-fed sows,P&lt; 0·05), but did not significantly change either creep food intake by the litter or pre-weaning mortality rate. Parity 2 sows weaned significantly heavier piglets and litters than did sows from parities 3 to 6 (7·48 and 74·9 kgv.6·72 and 63·8 kg respectively,P&lt; 0·01). Food level in lactation did not significantly influence the length of the rebreeding interval (6·3v.7·3 days for high-v.low-fed sows) and although there was a two-fold difference in the proportion of sows failing to exhibit oestrus post weaning (0·08v.0·16 for high-v.low-fed sows) this difference was also not significant. Lactation food level did not significantly influence either sow live-weight or backfat change in gestation, plasma progesterone concentrations during early gestation or subsequent litter size. However, sows low-fed in lactation did tend to produce fewer piglets in the subsequent litter (9·54v.10·75 piglets born alive for low- and high-fed sows respectively,P= 0·062). Post-weaning reproductive performance was significantly affected by sow live weight (P&lt; 0·05) and backfat (P&lt; 0·01) at parturition, and live weight (P&lt; 0·01) and backfat (P&lt; 0·05) at weaning, but not by changes in these parameters during lactation. Food level in early gestation did not significantly influence either plasma progesterone concentrations, the size of the subsequent litter (10·09v.20·29 piglets born alive for high- and low-fed sows respectively) or mean piglet birth weight (1·27v.2·22 kg for high- and low-fed sows respectively). It is concluded that (1) both lactation food level and parity may alter pre-weaning piglet growth, and (2) the effects of lactation food level on the subsequent reproductive performance of mature sows appear to be different from those seen in parity 1 sows.
Growth, abdominal fat content, heat production and plasma hormone levels of naked-neck and control broiler chickens
Authors: Decuypere E. , Buyse J. , Mérat P. , Zoons J. , Vloeberghs J. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThe depressing effect of high rearing temperature (30°C) on body weights of heterozygous naked-neck broiler chickens was apparently less pronounced than in control broiler chickens but no effect of genotype, rearing temperature or interaction on abdominal fat pad content was found. Both genotype and rearing temperature affected plasma tri-iodothyronine but not growth hormone or insulin-like growth factor 1 levels in plasma. Rearing temperature of 20°C or 30°C had effect neither on the slope of the thermoregulatory heat production curves nor on the lower critical temperature in either genotypes except at 4 weeks of age.
Field data analysis of cytoplasmic inheritance of dairy and fitness-related traits in cattle
Authors: Schnitzenlehner S. , Essl A. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractField data of the Austrian Simmental population were analysed using restricted maximum likelihood (REML) with an animal model where additive direct, additive maternal and cytoplasmic effects were treated as random and the effect of the year of first calving as fixed. Traits analysed were milk yield, fat and protein content, persistency, days open and herd life. All dairy traits were pre-adjusted for best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) herd-year effects, milk yield additionally for season, age at first calving and days open. After applying specific data restrictions, the number of records for the various traits ranged from 3360 to 51889. Identification of cow lineages was based on pedigree information from the official milk recording scheme, with a span of at least four and up to 16 generations. The number of lineages per trait varied and ranged from 484 to 3195, with an average size of 15 members (for herd life 7). Evaluations of the relevant variance components for the dairy and fitness-related traits investigated were separate for the first three lactations.The estimated variance components for cytoplasmic effects were close to zero for all dairy traits with the exception of first lactation milk yield, where a significant value of 2.0% of the total phenotypic variance was found. Significant contributions of cytoplasmic lineages to total variance in all lactations, however, were estimated for persistency (2·6 to 3.8%), days open (1·8 to 2.9%) and for both true and functional herd life (4.6% each). The portions of additive maternal variance and covariance between additive direct and additive maternal effects on total variance were very close to zero for all traits investigated. The maximum differences between BLUP lineage effects were 373 kg for first lactation milk yield, 44 days for days open (first lactation), 1·6 and 2·8 years for true and functional herd life and, on average, 1·0 kg for standard deviation of test day milk yields (persistency) of the first three lactations.Removing the cytoplasmic effect from the model led to increased estimates of the additive direct heritability. Further model aspects such as interaction between additive and cytoplasmic gene effects and possible confounding between cytoplasmic and herd effects are discussed.
Follicular dynamics during the oestrous cycle in dairy goats
Authors: Gonzalez de Bulnes A. , Santiago Moreno J. , Gomez-Brunet A. , Inskeep E. K. , Townsend E. C. , Lopez-Sebastian A. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractDevelopment of all follicles with antral diameter ≥2 mm during the oestrous cycle was characterized in goats of the Murciana-Granadina dairy breed by daily transrectal ultrasonography. Of nine does initially synchronized in oestrus, six returned to oestrus and three did not. In the first six does, mean cycle length was 21·2 (s.e. 2-3) days. There were mean total numbers of 6·2 (s.e. 0·6) small (2 to 3 mm), 1·9 (s.e. 0·3) medium (4 to 5 mm), and 1·0 (s.e. 0·2) large follicles (≥6 mm) each day but only numbers of large follicles differed with day of cycle (P < 0·01). The diameters of the largest follicle (LF1), the second largest (LF2) and the remaining follicles (RF) varied with day of cycle (P < 0·01). The LF1 and LF2 varied with day in similar patterns but the difference in diameter between them (P < 0·05) was greatest on days 7 and 9 (2·3 mm) and days 19 to 23 (2·2 to 3·8 mm), and least on days 2, 15, 16 and 18 (0·5 to 0·8 mm). The relationship between the LF1 and LF2 to the RF differed only early or late in the cycle when concentrations of progesterone were low (P < 0.05). There was some evidence to support follicular growth in waves. Although the number of apparently new follicles detected (4·8 (s.e. 0·4) per day) did not vary with day of cycle, follicles emerging at 3 mm over a 48-h period that grew to a diameter of ≥6 mm were distributed non-randomly in three of six cyclic does. The three cystic does that did not return to oestrus by day 25 had large follicles (16 to 28 mm), fewer new follicles (3·3 (s.e. 1-1) per day; P < 0·01) than cyclic does (4·8 (s.e. 0·4) per day) and fewer follicles that became largest (4·0 v. 8·8 in cyclic does; P < 0·01).
On the variation of urinary excretion of creatinine and purine derivatives in pregnant and lactating ewes given diets with different protein contents
Authors: Dapoza C. , Castrillo C. , Balcells J. , Martín-Orúe S. , Guada J. A. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThe effect of the physiological state and dietary protein level on urinary excretion of creatinine (C) and purine derivatives (PD) was studied in two experiments carried out with pregnant and lactating ewes to evaluate whether the PD/C ratio in urine can he confidently used as an index of PD excretion. In both experiments ewes were given ammonia-treated straw and concentrates including different levels of fish meal and the excretion in urine and milk and the plasma concentration of C, allantoin (AL), xanthine, hypoxanthine and uric acid was measured.Creatinine excretion (in urine and milk) was higher in pregnant ewes than in those lactating (492 and 420 (s.e. 10.0) μmol/kg maternal live weight0.75) and no significant differences were found due to number of foetuses and dietary protein level. The coefficient of variation was 0·10 in both pregnancy and lactation and individual variation accounted for proportionately 0·78 and 0·93 of total variation. The AL/C ratio in urine was highly correlated with daily AL excretion (r = 0·90 and 0·78 in pregnant and lactating ewes, respectively). Changes in PD excretion with experimental treatments were mainly reflected in AL, as the main component (0-83) of total PD. Most of the variation in AL excretion was explained by differences in rumen fermentable organic matter intake (RFOMI) (R2 = 0·79) and AL excretion did not differ between treatments when expressed per kg of RFOMI. In contrast to this the ratio AL/digestible organic matter intake decreased with increasing levels of fish meal in the diet. Urinary PD excretion was better related to estimated PD kidney tubular load (r = 0·76) than to PD plasma concentration (r = 0·64).The results suggest that creatinine excretion is scarcely affected by the number of foetuses in pregnancy and dietary protein level but if the AL/С in urine is used instead of total collection as an index of purines absorbed in the duodenum, differences in urinary creatinine excretion due to physiological state must be accounted for.
The effects of group size on the ingestive and social behaviour of grazing dairy cows
Authors: Rind M. I. , Phillips C.J. C. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractAn experiment was conducted with 48 dairy cows grazed in treatment groups of four, eight or 16 cows per group, whose grazing, social and resting behaviour was recorded over a 53-day period. Cows in groups of four stayed closer to their nearest neighbour, moved their head more rapidly from side to side during grazing and spent more time ruminating than cows in larger groups, suggesting that they were more vigilant against a perceived prédation risk. Cows in the group of 16 were more aggressive, maintained a greater distance to their nearest neighbour and had a faster rate of stepping while they grazed, compared with cows in smaller groups, suggesting increased inter-cow competition. They also spent longer grooming themselves, which normally acts as a displacement activity and may indicate increased stress. Cows in groups of eight had a faster biting rate when grazing than cows in small or large groups and they spent the longest time lying down. There were no effects of group size on milk production but across treatment groups the high yielding cows were the first to initiate grazing and to enter the milking parlour.
Lactation performance of purebred Arsi cows and Friesian × Arsi crosses under pre-partum and post-partum supplementary feeding regimes
Authors: Kurtut M. Y. , Tawah C. L. , Rege J. E. O. , Nega-Alemayehu  , Mesfin-Shibre  
Published: August 2016

AbstractA study was conducted at the Asella Station in the Arsi Region of Ethiopia to investigate the dairy performance of indigenous purebred Arsi and Friesian × Arsi crosses under different pre-partum and post-partum supplementary feeding regimes. A total of’343 first-lactation animals were involved in the experiment. Lactation performance was not significantly affected by pre-partum supplementation. Post-partum supplementary feeding significantly affected total lactation milk and butterfat yields of the crosses but not the purebred Arsi. Arsi crosses produced more milk (1873 (s.e. 65·1) v. 258 (s.e. 31·7) kg) and butterfat (92 (s.e. 4·0) v. 25 (s.e. 2·8) kg) than purebred Arsi. The crosses stayed in lactation longer (474 (s.e. 13·0) v. 179 (s.e. 15·4) days) than the latter. Purebred Arsi manifested much more variation in total lactation milk yield (CV: 1·27 v. 0·37), lactation length (0·91 v. 0·30) and butterfat yield (0·71 v. 0·42) than Arsi crosses. F1 crosses produced slightly more milk (+266 kg) and butterfat (+19·3 kg) but had shorter (-30 days) lactations than the backerosses.
Simulation of growth in pigs: evaluation of a model to relate thermorégulation to body protein and lipid content and deposition
Authors: Knap P.W. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractA dynamic model for simulation of growth in pigs was extended by a module to assess maximum and minimum heat loss (HLcold, HLhot) for a given pig, to compare these figures to heat production (HP), and to take thermoregulatory action when HP< HLcold(cold conditions) or HP> HLhot(hot conditions).HLcoldand HLhotwere largely determined according to algorithms obtained from the literature, hut HLcold was made dependent on body fat depth through tissue insulation. Data to establish the relation (Ύ = 0.05 + 0.002 x X) between cold tissue insulation (Ύ in °C.m2per W) and backfat depth (X in mm) independent of body weight were obtained from the literature. The same data showed that HLhotis not related to backfat depth in pigs.Cold thermoregulatory action included an increase of ad libitum food intake. Hot thermoregulatory action included reduction of physical activity, increase of body temperature, wetting of a proportion of the skin and reduction of dia libitum food intake.A sensitivity analysis showed that the model’s output in terms of ãd libitum food intake, HP, protein deposition (Pdep) and lipid deposition (Ldep) is strongly sensitive to the characterization of the genotype being simulated. The model was used to simulate trials from the literature. Although the model does not explicitly calculate lower and upper critical temperatures, these could be adequately predicted from its output. Comparison of model output with experimental data revealed an adequate prediction of ad libitum food intake and of the partitioning of ad libitum ingested metabolizable energy (ME) into HP, Pdepand Ldepin cold, thermoneutral and hot conditions. At restricted ME intake, and especially in cold conditions, the model tends to overestimate HP and underestimate Ldep, probably because it does not take account of long-term acclimatization.
The relationship between placental and piglet birth weights and growth traits
Authors: Biensen N. J. , Haussmann M. F. , Lay D. C. , Christian L. L. , Ford S. P. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractOur laboratory recently reported that the ratio of a piglet’s weight to that of its placenta (RATIO) varies approximately three-fold within a litter, due predominantly to variation in placental size which is known to be a limiting factor in litter size. It was further determined that selection of boars and gilts with a higher than average RATIO for breeding resulted in an increased litter size and reduced placental weights. The objective of this experiment was to examine the effects of RATIO on economically important production traits (piglet survival to weaning, 21-day weights, days to 105 kg, backfat depth and loin muscle area at 105 kg) in a purebred breeding stock herd of Finnish Yorkshire and Landrace pigs. Sows were monitored throughout farrowing and each piglet was matched to its placenta. Each piglet and its placenta were individually weighed and a RATIO determined. Placental weight but not piglet birth weight exhibited a strong (P < 0·001) negative correlation with RATIO (r = -073). Up to three-fold differences in RATIO were observed within a single litter. These differences were much greater than the variation noted between litters and litter mean RATIO was not significantly associated with litter size. The distribution of individual piglet RATIOS across the entire group of pigs ranged from 2·8 to 11·4 suggesting a marked difference in placental efficiencies. No significant association was seen between RATIO and 21-day weight, days to 105 kg, backfat depth or loin muscle area. Thus, an above average ratio of a piglet’s weight to that of its placenta is indicative of a smaller more efficient placenta and appears to have no subsequent detrimental effects on growth efficiency.
Glucose challenge in early lactating dairy cows selected for high or low milk-fat concentration
Authors: Åkerlind M. , Emanuelson M. , Dahlborn K. , Holtenius K. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractResponses to intravenous glucose challenge (no. = 26) and basal metabolite and hormone concentrations (no. = 68) were determined in dairy cows selected for high (HFI) or low (LFI) milk-fat concentration but with similar 40 g/kg fat-corrected milk (FCM) yields. All cows were given a mixed diet ad libitum. Following a glucose challenge the insulin release was higher (P < 0·05) and the glucose clearance rate faster (P < 0·05) in the HFI cows compared with the LFI cows. Basal plasma concentrations of the metabolites alanine, β -hydroxybutyrate, glucose, non-esterified fatty acids and urea and the hormones insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), insulin and leptin were not influenced by selection line.