bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
In situ incubation sequence and its effect on degradation of food
components when measured in the caecum of ponies
Authors: Hyslop J. J. , Stefansdottir G. J. , McLean B. M. L. , Longland A. C. , Cuddeford D. 
Published: August 2016

Abstract
Three experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of bag incubation
sequence on the degradation of food components in situ
in the caecum of mature, caecally fistulated Welsh-cross pony geldings (mean live
weight 278 kg) offered hay ad libitum. In experiment 1
a fibre-based commercial horse concentrate was incubated in
situ using a forward (3, 5, 16, 8, 24, 48 h) or reverse (48, 24,
8, 16, 5, 3 h) incubation sequence. Dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP),
neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) and acid-detergent fibre (ADF) degradation
coefficients and calculated effective degradability (ED) values were determined.
In experiment 2 unmolassed sugar-beet pulp (USBP), hay cubes (HC), soya hulls (SH)
and a 2: 1 mixture of oat hulls: naked oats (OHNO) were incubated in
situ as for experiment 1. In experiment 3 unprocessed barley
(UB), micronized barley (MB), extruded barley (EB) and dehydrated grass (DHG) were
incubated in situ according to slightly different
forward or reverse incubation sequences of (2, 4, 6, 12, 8, 24, 48 h) and (48, 24,
8, 4, 12, 6, 2 h) respectively. In experiments 2 and 3 only DM degradation
parameters were studied.
Of the three starch-based foods studied in experiment 3 (UB, MB and EB),
incubation sequence did not significantly P > 0·05) affect any of the
degradation parameters examined. Conversely however, of the six fibre-based foods
which were examined across the three experiments, incubation sequence did
significantly P < 0·05) affect in situ degradation
parameters in the commercial horse concentrate in experiment 1, the SH food in
experiment 2 and the DHG food in experiment 3. Depending on the food or food
constituent studied (i.e. DM, CP, NDF or ADF) degradation coefficients a, b, c and
a + b along with ED values calculated at fractional outflow rates of 0·05 and
0·025 could all be statistically different CP < 0·05) according to whether a
forward or reverse incubation sequence was used. It is postulated that this effect
is related to the basic digestive physiology of the equine caecum which is small,
digesta passage rate through it is fast and digesta volumes can vary considerably.
These factors may interact to create a considerable degree of non-uniformity
within the caecal digesta pool in which in situ bags
are incubated. Consequently, it is recommended that in future in situ experiments
in the equine hindgut, animals are offered ad libitum
diets in an attempt to minimize variation within the caecum. It is also
recommended that in situ experimental protocols
incorporate more than one incubation sequence when the degradation parameters of
fibrous foods are studied in equids.
Effect of diet on amino acid composition of soft faeces and the contribution
of soft faeces to total amino acid intake, through caecotrophy in lactating doe
rabbits
Authors: Nicodemus N. , Mateos J. , Blas J. C. de , Carabaño R. , Fraga M. J. 
Published: August 2016

Abstract
Twenty-five New Zealand White × Californian lactating doe rabbits were used
to study the effect of different dietary fibre concentrations on the amino acid
contribution of soft faeces to the total amino acid intake. Five isoenergetic
diets containing 312, 334, 360, 384, and 412 g/kg neutral-detergent fibre (DM
basis) were formulated. All diets were designed to maintain the same amino acid
pattern. Soft faeces production showed a trend to increase (P = 0·07) as dietary
fibre increased. The content of isoleucine (P < 0·01), glutamic acid, leucine
and alanine (P < 0·05) in soft faeces decreased as the dietary fibre increased.
A trend to decrease with the increase of dietary fibre was also observed for
aspartic acid (P = 0·06), lysine (P = 0·07), methionine and valine (P = 0·1). As a
consequence, the soft faeces contribution to the total intake of individual amino
acids did not vary with the type of diet. The average contribution of soft faeces
to the total amino acid intake for the most limiting amino acids of lactating doe
rabbits under practical conditions, methionine, threonine and lysine, were 0·17 ,
0·21 and 0·18 g/g, respectively.
Digestion in the rumen of lactating dairy cows given mixtures of urea-treated
whole-crop wheat and grass silage
Authors: Abdalla A. L. , Sutton J. D. , Phipps R. H. , Humphries D. J. 
Published: August 2016

Abstract
To measure the effect of partially replacing grass silage with urea-treated
whole-crop wheat (WCW) four multiparous Holstein/Friesian lactating cows fitted
with cannulas in the rumen and proximal duodenum were offered four diets in a
Latin-square experiment. Grass silage (GS) was produced from the primary growth of
a perennial ryegrass sward. Spring wheat (cv. Axona) was harvested at 603 g dry
matter (DM) per kg and preserved with 20 (WCW-20) or 40 (WCW-40) kg urea per t DM.
The diets were 6 kg DM of a dairy concentrate daily with one of four forages
offered ad libitum The forage treatments were GS alone, a 2: 1 DM ratio of GS with
WCW-40 (2: 1 40), or a 1: 2 DM ratio of GS with WCW-20 (1: 2 20) or WCW-40 (1: 2
40). Each period lasted 4 weeks with rumen and duodenal samples being taken on 2
days in the last week. Concentrations of milk fat and protein were increased by
WCW inclusion. The digestibility in the rumen of DM, organic matter (OM)
neutral-detergent fibre (NDF), acid-detergent fibre and starch fell with
increasing WCW-40 inclusion in the diet. Flow of starch and non-ammonia nitrogen
to the duodenum increased with WCW inclusion. It was estimated that the amounts of
OM, starch, NDF and nitrogen digested post ruminally increased with WCW. With WCW
there were increases in the rumen in the ratio of acetic acid plus n-butyric acid
to propionic acid and in ammonia concentrations. The level of urea inclusion had
no significant effects on rumen digestion. It is concluded that the large
reduction in the contribution of the rumen to total OM digestion when WCW
partially replaces grass silage may have implications for calculations of
metabolizable protein supplies to animals given such diets. Possible means to
improve food utilization include processing of the wheat grains and inclusion of
readily fermentable carbohydrates in the diet to facilitate the utilization of the
rumen ammonia.
Selection of dairy sheep in Greece for parasitic nematode resistance: defining the aggregate genotype and evaluating selection schemes
Authors: Kominakis A. , Theodoropoulos G. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThe effects on genetic and economic responses of adding faecal egg count (FEC) in the aggregate genotype of dairy sheep in Greece were investigated. The extra responses obtained in the full aggregate genotype were expressed as a percentage change of the responses in terms of genetic gain, profit and selection response of single traits before adding the trait. The initial aggregate genotype included the traits milk fat yield (FY) and number of lambs weaned per ewe per year (NLW). Inclusion of FEC in the aggregate genotype resulted always in increased genetic gain and profit. The extra responses from adding the FEC in the index selection were variable and often very large, depending on the parameters varied i.e. the economic weight of FEC and the genetic correlation of FEC with the other production traits. For a wide range in the size of the genetic correlations between FEC and other traits, gains of FEC and no appreciable losses of responses for FY and NLW were predicted when FEC accounted proportionately for 0·10 to 0·20 of the total monetary genetic deviation. While FEC showed a wide range of change, selection responses of FY and NLW remained remarkably insensitive under various weightings of FEC and different genetic correlations of FEC with the production traits. The genetic and economic efficiency of alternative selection schemes were also evaluated. A two-stage selection procedure involving preliminary selection of rams on dam’s FEC, FY, NLW and on their own FEC and final culling on progeny’s FEC, FY and NLW was predicted to be the most efficient in both genetic and economic terms. Female replacements should be selected on dam’s FEC, FY and NLW (first stage) and their own FEC, FY and NLW (second stage). When repeated measurements of FEC are taken, the recommended number of FEC measurements was found to be 4.
Different modes of food restriction and compensatory growth in double-muscled Belgian Blue bulls: animal performance, carcass and meat characteristics
Authors: Hornick J. L. , Eenaeme C. van , Clinquart A. , Gerard O. , Istasse L. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractFifty double-muscled Belgian Blue bulls were divided into five groups. The first group (control, CG) was given, on an ad libitum basis, a fattening diet based on sugar-beet pulp. In G2 and G3, fattening was interrupted 103 and 187 days, respectively after the beginning of the experiment, by approximately a 2-month period of food restriction during which the animals received a maintenance ration. The last two groups, namely G4 and G5, received for about 4 months a limited amount of the restriction diet to support growth of 0·5 and 0 kg/day, respectively, before being fattened as CG. The average daily gain was 1·48 kg/day in CG v. 1·33, 1·30, 1·43 and 1·61 kg/day during the period of ad libitum feeding in G2, G3, G4 and G5. Higher nitrogen (N) balance during compensatory growth in G2, G4 and G5 (78·8, 81·0 and 74·6 v. 53·3 g N per day in CG, P < 0·001) resulted mainly from a higher efficiency of N retention. In G3, however, compensatory growth was characterized by lower N digestibility and efficiency of N retention. Muscle proportion in the carcass was higher in G3 while fat plus connective tissue proportion was lower (P < 0·05). Muscle pH values in CG were lower than in the other groups (P < 0·01) but ether extract values were higher. The intramuscular fat of G2 and G3 was characterized by higher proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
A time series model of daily milk yields and its possible use for detection of a disease (ketosis)
Authors: Lark R. M. , Nielsen B. L. , Mottram T. T. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractA time series model was used to describe the daily milk yield of healthy cows in the first 48 days of lactation. A moving average (MA) model of order 1 on the first-order differences of the data was selected — the same chosen in a previous study by Deluyker et al. (1990). When the model was used to generate predicted daily yields in a second data set, for cows in which clinical ketosis had been diagnosed, it was found that significant deviations of actual yield below the daily forecast occurred from 3 days before the day of diagnosis. The model appeared to be transportable to healthy cows from another herd. Threshold values were defined to identify ailing animals by their deviation from predicted yield. However, the thresholds were not very sensitive, and required that a fairly high level of false positives be accepted (25% of a healthy herd over a 5-day period).
Egg weight and reproduction traits in laying hens: estimation of direct and maternal genetic effects using Bayesian approach via Gibbs sampling
Authors: Sewalem A. , Johansson K. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractFertility, generally considered as a trait of the two parents, is perhaps best defined as the interaction between the male and female gametes in the production of a viable zygote. Although zygote development and hatchability are traits of the embryo influenced by maternal effects, in most previous studies they have been considered to be female reproductive traits. The aim of this work was to study the influence of sire on fertility and hatchability traits and to estimate the (co)variance components of direct and maternal genetic effects under a Bayesian settingviaGibbs sampling. We measured the fertility of 6396 eggs and the hatchability of 5393 embryos on an individual basis. In addition, egg weight from 42 to 63 weeks of age (EW63) was recorded on an individual egg basis. The sire accounted for a significant amount of the variation infertility and hatchability. For direct heritability, the marginal posterior mean, for fertility and hatchability were almost equal (0·24). The maternal heritabilities for fertility and hatchability were 0·20 and 0·18, respectively. The direct heritability value for the egg weight trait was high. The direct-direct genetic correlation between egg weight and hatchability was negative and significant. The genetic correlations between the direct effect of the egg weight trait and maternal effects for fertility and hatchability were low, with variable signs, and were not significant. On the other hand, significant negative genetic correlations between direct and maternal effects of fertility and hatchability were obtained (the posterior means were –0·56 for FE and –0·55 for HC).
The effect of restricted feeding on growth hormone (GH) secretory patterns in genetically lean and fat wether lambs
Authors: Francis S. M. , Littlejohn R. P. , Stuart S. K. , Veenvliet B. A. , Suttie J. M. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThe aim of this work was to determine whether developmental changes in growth hormone (GH) secretory patterns and carcass composition were influenced by nutrition and genotype in sheep. Four-month-old wether lambs from lean (low backfat), fat (high backfat) and control selection lines were nutritionally restricted to maintain a 28 kg live weight or given food ad libitum for 24 weeks. Plasma concentrations of GH and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) were measured at predetermined times and carcass composition of the animals determined at the end of the trial.From week 3 on, restrictions in dry matter (DM) intake were observed as the ad libitum treatment group had a significantly greater intake than the restricted treatment group (7·70 v. 5·80 kg DM per week, s.e.d. = 0·81). Differences in live weight between the feeding treatments were significant (P < 0·05) at week 9. The restricted feeding regime was associated with significant reductions in plasma levels of IGF-1 but had no effect (P > 0·05) on carcass weight-adjusted carcass fat proportion at the close of the trial. The effect of food restriction on GH secretory patterns was variable. Although there was initially a suppression in mean plasma GH, there was subsequently significantly higher mean plasma GH in the restricted feeding treatment. Periodogram analysis indicated that both the absolute levels of GH and the GH secretory pattern were altered by restricted feeding. In all animals, mean and basal GH concentrations, as well as the frequency and amplitude of pulses, declined from February to March and then increased from May to July (P < 0·001).DM intake and live weight did not differ (P > 0·05) between genotypes, however the fat genotype had greater carcass fatness than lean or control genotypes (P < 0·01). There were no consistent differences between genotypes in plasma IGF-1 concentrations. In the ad libitum treatment, the lean and control genotypes had higher plasma GH levels than the f at genotype but the pattern of GH release did not vary. Under restricted feeding, both the pattern and the level of plasma GH varied between genotypes.It is concluded that the developmental change in GH secretory patterns is affected by nutrition but not in a consistent manner. Although restricted feeding resulted in higher mean plasma GH concentrations later in the trial, this did not result in a change in carcass composition. The biological cues which lead to increased fat deposition in older lambs need further study but plasma GH levels may not he an important mechanism in this process.
The effect of season and level of concentrate on the voluntary intake and digestibility of herbage by outdoor sows
Authors: Rivera Ferre M. G. , Edwards S. A. , Mayes R. W. , Riddoch I. , Hovell F. D. DeB. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractThe intake and the digestibility of herbage, and the effect of level of supplementary concentrate food, were measured in late spring and late summer in two studies, each with eight multiparous, pregnant sows. In the spring study sows were nose rung to prevent rooting but only four nose-rung sows were available for the summer study; the remaining four were unrung. In both cases, sows had access to a plentiful (>2·5 t organic matter (OM) per ha) ryegrass/clover sward in a paddock of 1922 m2. After a week of adaptation to the herbage in the experimental paddock, sows were offered 1·5 or 3·0 kg/day concentrate for consecutive 2-week periods in a change-over experimental design with four sows on each treatment in each period. Samples of herbage were also taken to measure the sward density, chemical composition and n-alkane content. Herbage intake and digestibility estimates were calculated using the n-alkanes technique, with the marker dosed on small food pellets. In the spring study, the herbage intake ranged from 0·9 to 1·8 kg OM per day in the first period (herbage neutral-detergent fibre(NDF) content 439 (s.e.41·6) g/kg OM) and 0·2 to 1·4 kg in the second (475 (s.e.29·3) g NDF per kg OM). The intake was affected by the level of concentrate only in the second period. The results obtained during the summer study with the rung and unrung sows showed an intake between 0·9 and 2·4 kg OM per day in the first period (524 (s.e. 16·0) g NDF per kg OM) and between 1·3 and 4·8 kg in the second (526 (s.e. 21·8) g NDF per kg OM). A high intake estimation for certain unrung individuals appeared to reflect their frenzied feeding behaviour and possible loss of some marker pellets. There were no differences between level of concentrate treatments in either period. Digestibility of the diet was affected by the intake of herbage and the level of fibre consumed (P< 0·01). These herbage intakes equated to proportionately 0·50 (s.e. 0·05) and 0·66 (s.e. 0·1) (or 0·49 (s.e. 0·07) excluding problem sows) of the maintenance energy requirement in each season. Faeces of unrung sows indicated a high ingestion of soil or stones by some individuals: one of the sows produced a bulked faeces sample containing 450 g/kg fresh weight of stones, whilst another sow had a faecal ash content of 937 g/kg DM. The results indicate that the intake of nutrients from herbage by grazing sows is highly variable between seasons and individuals.
The relationship between protein nutrition, reproductive effort and breakdown in immunity toTeladorsagia circumcinctain periparturient ewes
Authors: Houdijk J.G. M. , Kyriazakis I. , Jackson F. , Coop R. L. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractA nutritional hypothesis for the occurrence of the periparturient relaxation of immunity (PPRI) to gastrointestinal nematodes was tested within the bounds of a nutrient partitioning framework. It was hypothesized that at times of a scarce supply of metabolizable protein (MP), an increase in MP supply or a reduction in MP demand (having singles instead of twins) should lower the extent of PPRI in sheep. Twenty-one single- and 21 twin-bearing and -rearing Finn-Dorset ewes, 2 to 7 years old, and repeatedly infected withTeladorsagia circumcincta, were given one of three pelleted foods (no. = 7). The foods were formulated to supply 0·8 (L), 1·0 (M) and 1·2 (H) times the MP requirements during lactation, and were offeredad libitumfrom d–21to d35(d0 is day of parturition). Faecal egg counts (FEC) were assessed twice weekly as an indicator for host resistance. Dry-matter intake (DMI) during late pregnancy was higher than expected, and MP supply did not limit performance at this stage. In accordance with the hypothesis, there were no indications of a breakdown of immunity toT. circumcinctaduring late pregnancy. DMI during lactation did not differ between the single- and twin-rearing ewes. Calculated milk production was lower for the L than for the M and H ewes, especially for the twin-rearing ewes. A temporarily elevated FEC was observed during the first few days in lactation, which was probably mainly due to changes in faecal output rather than to PPRI. The FEC returned to low, late pregnancy levels at d12and remained low for the single- but not for the twin-rearing ewes (P< 0·001). Overall, the L ewes had higher FEC than the M and H ewes from d19onwards; this effect was more pronounced for the twin- than for the single-rearing ewes. It was postulated that DMI achieved overcame MP scarcity and thus prevented breakdown in immunity in the single-rearing ewes. The data support the view that, at times of MP scarcity, an increase in MP supply and reduction in MP demand can lower the extent of the breakdown in immunity towardsT. circumcincta.
Genetic parameters of pathogen-specific incidence of clinical mastitis in dairy cows
Authors: Haas Y. de , Barkema H. W. , Veerkamp R. F. 
Published: August 2016

AbstractData from 274 Dutch herds recording clinical mastitis (CM) over an 18-month period were used to quantify the genetic variation for overall and pathogen-specific CM. Analysed pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS), Escherichia coli, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Streptococcus uberis and other streptococci. The data set contained 47 563 lactations of 28 695 cows of different parities. Cases of overall and pathogen-specific CM were treated as all-or-none traits. Variance components for the sire, maternal grandsire and permanent environmental effect were estimated using generalized linear mixed models with a logit link function for the binary traits. Average number of days at risk and in milk on trial was 198 days. The estimated heritability for overall CM was 0·04, and similar heritabilities for the pathogen-specific CM were estimated. Repeatability across lactations was low for overall and pathogen-specific CM (0·10 to 0·14). Genetic correlations with milk yield and somatic cell score (SCS) differed according to pathogen. For instance, the incidence rate of clinical E. coli mastitis was slightly unfavourably correlated with milk yield at 150 days (0·13) but stronger with SCS (0·74). Whereas, the genetic correlations with clinical Str. dysgalactiae mastitis were 0·70 and 0·16, respectively. The expected correlated responses showed that current selection practices (using milk yield and SCS) will be effective in reducing the incidence of E. coli and CNS but less effective in reducing the incidence of S. aureus and Str. dysgalactiae, even with a large relative weight for SCS in the selection index.