bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A note on the effects of body fatness and level of food intake on the rate of fat loss in lactating ewes
Authors: Cowan R. T. , Robinson J. J. , McDonald I. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTData from three comparative slaughter experiments involving a total of 73 ewes were used to study the influence of body fat content at the start of lactation (X1 kg) and of metabolizable energy intake (X2, MJ/day), on the rate of loss of body fat by lactating ewes over the first 6 weeks of lactation (Y, g/day). The relationship was described by the equation:Thus the rate of fat loss was greater for ewes with higher initial fat contents, but the differential became less as metabolizable energy intake increased. Since increases in body fatness depress food intake it was not possible to prevent loss of body fat during early lactation in fat ewes given high concentrate diets ad libitum. The likely response in milk yield to increase in body fatness at parturition is therefore strongly dependent on the relative levels of body fatness and metabolizable energy intake. The value of any improvement in condition of the ewe at parturition may be considerable when metabolizable energy intake during lactation is low but much less when it is expected to be high.
A note on allometric relationships in large white × landrace pigs
Authors: Petherick J. Carol 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTLinear measurements of six body dimensions were taken of Large White × Landrace pigs in the live-weight range of 1 kg to 286 kg. Logarithmic regression lines were fitted to the live-weight and measurement data. It was found that the body dimensions could be expressed as a function of live weight and that these equations agreed well with the simple allometric equation L = kW1/3, where linear dimension, W= live weight and k= an appropriate coefficient. It is suggested that these equations may provide a method of estimating the static space occupied by a pig and thus provide a basis for the development of space allocation recommendations in pig housing. It is also suggested that these principles may be applicable to other livestock.
A note on the effect of early weaning of lambs on reproductive rate of autumn lambed karakul ewes
Authors: Sefidbakht N. , Makarechian M. , Ghorban K. 
Published: September 2010

SUMMARYFrom among a group of ewes in which oestrus had been induced following progesterone and PMS treatment and which had been mated in the spring, those lambing in early October were used for this experiment. They were divided into three treatment groups: (1) reared their lambs for 24 hr, (2) reared lambs for 16 days and (3) reared lambs for 75 days.For the ewes rearing single lambs only in groups 1, 2 and 3, 100% (8 of 8), 93% (13 of 14) and 65% (11 of 17) respectively exhibited oestrus between lambing time in autumn and early winter (P<0·05). The average interval to post-partum oestrus was 29, 37, 50 days for group 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Group 3 exhibited first oestrus later than group 1 (P<0·01). These data show that lactation even during the peak of sexual activity has some suppressing effect on both the percentage of ewes showing oestrus and on delaying the onset of oestrus exhibition.
Influence of muscle location on fatty acid composition of total intramuscular lipids in the pig
Authors: Catchpole Christine , Lawrie R. A. 
Published: September 2010

SUMMARYThe relative concentration of the fatty acid components of the total intramuscular lipids from six muscle locations of pigs at 1·5 to 54 months of age were assessed by gas liquid chromatography. Although the pattern was generally similar at each location, differences between locations in the concentrations of oleic and arachidonic acids in particular were noted.Differences between animals in the relative concentration of fatty acids (other than linoleic) could not be accounted for by the pattern of dietary intake.
The influence of package size and density on the intake of dried grass wafers fed to lambs
Authors: Tetlow R. M. , Wilkins R. J. 
Published: September 2010

SUMMARYWafers made from dried ryegrass were fed to castrated male lambs in two experiments of 40 and 30 days' duration. In the first experiment, wafers of chopped feed were prepared which varied in unit density from 0·7 g/ml to 1·0 g/ml. In the second experiment, coarsely ground forage was passed through a ram press with a die of 5 cm diameter and the extruded material was then split into quarter and half wafers or left unsplit as whole wafers. Voluntary intake was measured throughout each experiment.For the wafers with density of 1·0 g/ml the daily intake of organic matter was 75 g/kg LW0·75 as compared with 64 g/kg LW0·75 for the wafers with density of 0·7 g/ml but this difference was not significant. There was a significant (P < 0·05) interaction between wafer density and sub-period of the experiment. The daily intake of low-density wafers, expressed in g/kg LW0·75, increased throughout the experiment, whereas that of the higher density wafers did not change.There was no overall effect of package size on organic matter intake, but the interaction between package size and sub-period of the experiment was significant (P · 0·001). The intake of the whole wafers was initially lower than that for the other treatments, but increased throughout the experiment, whereas the intake of the quarter and half wafers remained steady.
The cold tolerance of beef and dairy type calves in the first weeks of life
Authors: Webster A. J. F. , Gordon J. G. , McGregor R. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT1. British Friesian (F) and Hereford × British Friesian (H × F) male calves were raised from about 3 days to 8 weeks of age at air temperatures of 5, 10 or 15°C. They were given a milk replacer diet supplying 950 kJ metabolizable energy/kg M0·75.24 h.2. There was no effect of environmental temperature on weight gain in calves of either type.3. Total heat loss measured in a direct calorimeter, increased by about 5 kJ/kg M0·75.24 h per °C fall in air temperature. It was the same whether calves were penned singly or in pairs. Heat loss from F calves was slightly, but not significantly, greater at all temperatures than from H × F calves.4. The proportion of heat lost by evaporation (a measure of environmental warmth) increased with increasing air temperature and was greater for H × F than for F calves at 15°C.5. Tissue insulation and external insulation values were similar for H × F and F calves. The calculated lower critical temperatures of the F and H × F calves were 10 and 8°C respectively.6. The results are discussed in relation to the housing requirements of young calves.
The influence of body condition at calving and dietary protein supply on voluntary food intake and performance in dairy cows
Authors: Garnsworthy P. C. , Jones G. P. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTFour groups of 12 cows were fed from between 12 and 18 weeks before calving to achieve condition scores at calving of 2·0 (T) or 3·5 (F). For 20 weeks after calving all cows were offered 10 kg/day of a dairy concentrate (metabolizable energy (ME) 13 MJ/kg dry matter (DM)) containing 74 g undegradable dietary protein (UDP) per kg DM (groups TH and FH) or 45 g/kg DM UDP (groups TL and FL), 2 kg/day sugar-beet pulp, 5 kg/day brewers' grains and hay ad libitum.Milk yields were similar for all groups over the first 20 weeks of lactation, but slightly lower for cows in group FL than for other cows. Cows in group FH lost condition over the first 15 weeks and cows in group FL lost proportionally more condition over the first 12 weeks of lactation. Cows in groups TH and TL increased in condition slightly over the first 20 weeks of lactation. After calving, cows in groups TH and TL had significantly higher intakes of DM, digestible DM and ME than did cows in groups FH and FL (P < 0·001). Cows in group TL had higher intakes than did cows in group TH.Groups TH and FH were in negative energy balance until weeks 10 and 11 respectively. Group FL was in negative energy balance between weeks 4 and 7 and group TL was only in negative energy balance in week 5. The biological efficiency of milk production (energy output in milk/energy intake) was 0·37, 0·35, 0·40 and 0·38 for groups FH, FL, TH and TL respectively.It was concluded that cows which are thin at calving produce more milk directly from food than cows which are fat and are biologically more efficient; higher UDP levels in the diet led to increased negative energy balances but in thin cows this was due to lower food intakes whereas in fat cows this was due to higher milk yields which led to greater losses of condition.
The direct and residual effects of giving fish meal to dairy cows receiving differing levels of concentrate supplementation in addition to grass silage
Authors: Gordon F. J. , Small J. C. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTSeventy-eight British Friesian type cows, mean calving date 13 January, were used in a 3 × 2 factorial design experiment to examine the direct and residual responses to replacing 0·8 kg/day of a concentrate containing 184 g/kg crude protein with an equal quantity of fish meal when using three levels of total supplement feeding (0·8, 4·0 and 7·2 kg/day). In addition, all animals had access ad libitum to a high-quality grass silage (in vivo digestible organic matter 750 g/kg dry matter) during the treatment period. Treatments were applied from day 8 post partum until 22 April, when all animals went to pasture, giving a mean treatment period of 91 days. At pasture the animals were rotationally grazed as three groups, based on the three levels of total supplement offered during the treatment period, at the same stocking rate. The effects of treatments in terms of direct effects during the treatment periods, residual effects at pasture and also total lactation were assessed. Also during the treatment period the effects on rumen volatile fatty acid contents and blood composition were monitored. In addition, total diet digestibility and food utilization studies were carried out on six animals per treatment.Level of supplementation significantly influenced milk output during both the treatment and full lactation periods with the total lactation responses being 2·0 and 1·0 kg milk per kg additional supplement between the food levels of 0·8 to 4·0 and 4·0 to 7·2 kg/day respectively. Level of supplementation also significantly influenced milk fat concentration during the treatment, residual and full lactation periods and milk protein concentration during the treatment period only.The replacement of 0·8 kg conventional concentrate by 0·8 kg fish meal significantly increased milk yield during the final 21 days on treatment (mean yield per day 20·6 and 21·9 (s.e. 0·44) kg for without and with fish meal treatments respectively) but there were no significant residual or total lactation effects. From the data it was calculated that at low levels of supplementation 0·8 kg fish meal could be used to replace 1·9 kg conventional concentrate but at more moderate levels of nutrition any substitution would be much lower and uneconomic.
Rumen degradability of organic matter, nitrogen and fibre fractions in forages
Authors: Susmel P. , Stefanon B. , Mills C. R. , Spanghero M. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTRumen degradability of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), nitrogen (N), neutral-detergent fibre (NDF), hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin was evaluated with the in situ technique for maize silage and cocksfoot, timothy, fescue, lucerne and meadow hays. The degradability of each of the six forages was studied separately, each forage being used in turn as the main component of the diet offered to four fistulated cows. For each forage 300 g were mordanted with sodium dichromate and placed in the rumen when the same forage was studied. Faecal grab samples were collected to measure the forage transit time. Digestibility was evaluated using both lignin as an indicator and by an in vitro method.Rumen outflow rate was higher for cocksfoot and lucerne hays than for maize silage and the meadow, timothy and fescue hays (P < 0·01). The effective degradabilities of DM and OM were higher in maize silage, fescue and lucerne than in cocksfoot, timothy or meadow hay (P < 0·01). Effective degradability of N was highest in lucerne and lowest in timothy and meadow hay (P < 0·01). The degradability of NDF, hemicellulose and cellulose for fescue was always the highest of the six forages (P < 0·01; P < 0·05; F < 0·01 respectively).Rumen outflow rate was statistically correlated with the c value of DM (r = 0·47), N (r = 0·54), NDF (r = 0·43) and hemicellulose (r = 0·43). High correlations were observed between rate constants of degradation of NDF and hemicellulose, cellulose or lignin (0·93, 0·75 and 0·79 respectively). The regression between in vitro and lignin-derived digestibility was highly significant (P < 0·001, r2 = 0·902 residual s.e. 0·017). The multiple regression analysis between lignin-based digestibility and degradability coefficients, effective degradability and coefficients of faecal chromium excretion was highly significant (r = 0·748; residual s.e. = 0·03).
Evaluation of hypotheses regarding mechanisms of action of growth promotants and repartitioning agents using a simulation model of lamb metabolism and growth
Authors: Sainz R. D. , Wolff J. E. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTResponses of lambs to cimaterol (CIM), diethylstylbestrol (DES) and ovine growth hormone (GH) were examined using a mechanistic model of growing lamb metabolism. All three compounds increase growth of lean tissue (protein) and decrease fat gain, although the magnitudes of these responses vary. Our working hypothesis was that observed changes in nutrient partition between lean and fat gain were caused by alteration of rate constants for turn-over of muscle protein and fat. Individual experiments were simulated whilst varying values of the protein degradation constant (Kprolein) and Vmax for lipolysis (Kfat). Optimal parameter values were found by minimizing residual errors, calculated as the deviations of model predictions from experimental values for carcass protein and fat. Fitted values of Kfat and Kprotein (expressed as proportions of controls) for each simulation were: CIM (grazing), 1·20 (s.d. 0·05) and 0·86 (s.d. 0·025); CIM (pellet-fed), 1·11 (s.d. 0·115) and 0·87 (s.d. 0·032); DES, 1·33 (s.d. 0·111) and 0·94 (s.d. 0·024); GH, 1·77 (s.d. 0·139) and 0·97 (s.d. 0·025) respectively. These results demonstrate that different mechanisms may be responsible for the changes in carcass composition due to 3-adrenergic agonists, anabolic steroids and growth hormone. CIM probably exerts its effects via changes in protein and fat metabolism, whereas DES and GH appear to act mainly through changes in adipose tissue, with little or no effect on the rate constant for protein turn-over. Carcass composition is less sensitive to manipulation of adipose tissue metabolism than to changes in muscle protein metabolism.
Effect of grain processing on the performance of early-weaned lambs and kids
Authors: Hadjipanayiotou M. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTThe effect of grain processing and form of the concentrate mixture were studied on early-weaned Chios lambs (42 days of age) and Damascus kids (56 days of age). Forty-five, 36, 33 and 33 animals were used in trials 1 (lambs), 2 (lambs), 3 (kids) and 4 (kids), respectively. Within trials animals were divided on the basis of live weight and age into three groups. Treatments (three forms of concentrate mixture) were randomly allocated to one of the three groups. The treatments were: whole cereal (WGP) grains mixed with pellets made from the other ingredients of the concentrate mixture; pelleted (P), where all ingredients were ground and pelleted in 5-mm cubes; rolled cereal grains (RGP), where cereal grains were rolled and then mixed with pellets (5-mm cubes) made from the other ingredients of the concentrate mixture. Cereal grains comprised 774 g/kg concentrate mixture. Fattening diets were based on ad libitum feeding of concentrates and a daily allowance of 01 kg per animal of long lucerne hay. Digestion coefficients, outflow rate of small particles from the rumen and rumen metabolites were measured using five animals per species per treatment.There were no significant differences between diets for live-weight gain in lambs. On the other hand, kids on the P diet gained more weight and had better food to gain ratio than the other two diets. Feeding the P diet resulted in a significant decrease of acetate and butyrate molar proportion ( P < 0·001) and an increase (P < 0·001) of propionate molar proportion. Similarly, feeding the P diet resulted in a significant reduction in ruminal pH (P < 0·01) and NH,-N (P < 0·05) concentration. Outflow rate (% per h) of small particles from the rumen was lower from lambs and kids on the P diet (P < 0·001). There were no significant differences between species and/or among diets for apparent digestion coefficients and nitrogen balance.
The effect of different proportions of carob pod meal in the diet on the performance of calves and goats
Authors: Louca Avraam , Papas Andreas 
Published: September 2010

SUMMARYFour trials with 24 and 38 British Friesian male calves, 39 male Damascus kids and 36 lactating Damascus goats were conducted over a period of 9 months, 6·5 months, 3 months and 12 weeks respectively to study the effects of carob pod meal on growth rate or milk yield. Carob pod meal was used to replace barley at rates from 0 to 30% of the diet. Urea was added to the diets of some of the treatments as a source of supplementary nitrogen.The final weights and average daily gains of the calves and kids fed on carob pod meal were as good as those of the controls but their feed intakes and feed conversion ratios were higher. The differences in fat-corrected milk between the goats fed on carob pod meal and the controls were not significant. The results showed that carob pod meal constituting up to 30% of the diet had no depressing effects on the growth rate of calves and kids or on the performance of dairy goats, and that the calves and kids could compensate for the lower energy content of carob pod meal by increasing their feed intake.
The digestibility by Friesian steers of dry and acid-treated moist barley offered either whole or rolled in diets containing roughage
Authors: Ahmed F. A. , Topps J. H. , Dempster D. G. 
Published: September 2010

SUMMARY1. The digestibility of dry barley and acid-treated moist barley was studied with eight Friesian steers in two consecutive trials each of a duplicated, 2x2 factorial design. In the first trial the diet consisted of either dry or moist (30%) acid-treated barley in the rolled or whole form together with chopped hay; in the second trial rolled or whole, moist (24%) acid-treated barley was given with either chopped hay or silage.2. No significant difference between the diets in dry-matter intake was observed in the first trial, but in the second trial there was a significantly greater (P< 0·001) intake of dry matter with the hay than with the silage diets.3. For diets containing either of the moist barleys the digestibility of crude protein was higher when the grain was rolled than when it was whole, the differences being significant (P<0·05) for diets with the 24%-moisture barley. Dry-matter digestibility also was higher for diets containing rolled rather than whole, moist (24%) barley, the difference being significant (P < 0·05) for diets based on silage.4. Digestibility of starch was significantly greater (P<0·05) when acid-treated moist (24 or 30%) barley was given in the rolled rather than the whole form. Differences in starch digestibility between whole and rolled dry barley were not significant.5. For all diets the digestibility of crude fibre was greater when the barley was whole than when it was rolled, the difference being significant (P < 0·05) for diets containing hay.
The crude protein requirement of the early-weaned calf given urea, meat meal or soya bean meal with and without sulphur supplementation
Authors: Leibholz Jane , Kang H. S. 
Published: September 2010

SUMMARYTwo experiments were conducted with 84 male British Friesian calves to estimate their nitrogen and sulphur requirements between 5 and 11 weeks of age. A basal 12 % crude protein (CP) diet was supplemented with meat meal, soya bean meal or urea to 15 or 18 % CP, and with sulphur to reduce the nitrogen to sulphur ratios of the diets to about 10 to 1.The weight gains and feed conversion ratios of the calves given the 12% CP diets were significantly poorer than those of the calves fed on the diets containing 15 or 18% CP, irrespective of the CP supplement used. The supplementation of the urea-containing diets with sulphur caused a significant increase in feed intake and weight gain.The digestibility of nitrogen and dry matter increased with increasing CP content of the diets and was greater for the diets supplemented with urea than for those supplemented with meat meal or soya bean meal. Sulphur additions also increased the nitrogen digestibility. The retention of nitrogen, when corrected for feed intake, was greater in the calves fed on the diets containing 18% CP than in those fed on the 15% and 12% CP diets.The supplementation of the diets with sulphur increased the digestibility of sulphur, its excretion in urine and its retention. The concentration of urea in the blood plasma increased with increasing dietary CP content, and was higher in calves given urea.
Cereal processing and food utilization by sheep 2. A note on the effect of feeding unprocessed barley, maize, oats and wheat on food utilization by early-weaned lambs
Authors: Ørskov E. R. , Fraser C. , McHattie I. 
Published: September 2010

SUMMARYAn experiment was carried out with 64 lambs to determine the digestibility and efficiency of food utilization of barley, maize, oats and wheat when they were offered whole and loose, or roughly ground and pelleted.Apparent digestibilities of the organic matter (%) for the four cereals in the order given above were 81·1, 84·3, 69·9 and 82·7 for the whole and 77·2, 82·1, 67·5 and 86·6 for the ground and pelleted grains. The corresponding live-weight gains (g/day) were 340, 345, 241 and 303, and 347, 346, 238 and 323. The corresponding conversions of dry matter (kg) to live-weight gain (kg), over the growth period from 15 to 35 kg weight, were 2·75, 2·52, 3·07 and 2·97 and 2·79, 2·62, 3·33 and 2·56.
Effects of crossbreeding and inbreeding on the frequencies of blood groups in three breeds of sheep
Authors: Rasmusen B. A. , Hall J. G. , Hayter Susan , Wiener G. 
Published: September 2010

SUMMARYBlood groups were determined for eight loci in a total of 742 sheep and for theTf(transferrin) locus of 512 sheep comprising the Scottish Blackface, the Cheviot and the Welsh Mountain breeds and their crosses. Each breed and cross was represented by a non-inbred F2generation and by three stages of inbreeding (25, 37½ and 50%). The loci for which all genotypes were distinguished were Hb, M, and Tf, and those for which partial description (including the recessive homozygote) was made were A, B, C, D, R and i.There were large differences among the three pure breeds only for the frequencies at the Hb and Tf loci. The homozygote frequencies of the Blackface-Welsh and Cheviot-Welsh crosses were approximately half-way between their respective pure breeds. For the Blackface-Cheviot cross the homozygote frequency was considerably lower than either parental breed, suggesting that over all loci there were greater differences in gene frequencies between these two breeds than between the Blackface and Welsh or Cheviot and Welsh.On average over all loci (except Tf) inbreeding had the effect of decreasing heterozygosity roughly in relation to expectation. Individually this effect was statistically significant only forii, MbMb, HbAHbAandHbbHbb. For the Tf locus there was no average decrease in heterozygosity as a result of 25% inbreeding but thereafter there was a greater decrease in the purebreds than in the crosses.There were small (< 0·20) but significant residual correlations between R-O-iiblood types and genotypes at several other loci, and betweenddand the M system genotypes.