bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The effects of days-open on milk yield and on breeding policy post partum
Authors: Bar-Anan R. , Soller M. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTThe effects of days-open on milk yields in current lactations and in following lactations were estimated from 71 911 current and 68 693 following lactation records. Yields were expressed as 305-day, total and annual records, where annual record = 365 × (total yield/days between calvings).The data were grouped according to current days-open, corrected for initial yield differences and analysed separately for heifers and cows in Moshav (moderate-yielding) and Kibbutz (high-yielding) herds. Current 305-day records increased by 15 to 18 kg milk/day-open up to 90 days-open, and 2 to 3 kg/day-open thereafter. In contrast, the effects of increasing days-open on annual yields were generally small and negative, being positive only for heifers up to 90 days-open. Thus 305-day records heavily under-rated annual yields of fertile cows. For current lactations, 70 to 100 days-open for heifers and 30 to 50 days-open for cows resulted in the highest annual production. Yields in following lactations were positively associated with days-open in the previous lactation. The effect was highest in high-yielding herds, suggesting that high-yielding cows respond positively to some rest between calvings.Combining the effects of days-open on current and following lactation yields and on the calf crop: in high-yielding herds heifers had the highest productivity when mated not earlier than 70 days post partum, while in moderately-yielding herds days-open did not affect productivity. Cows in high-yielding herds achieved highest productivity at 41 to 90 days-open, while cows in moderately-yielding herds were most productive when mated as early as possible.A comparison of the economic value of sire fertility and sire transmitting ability for milk production showed that fertility may often be over-rated.
The effects of rapid rearing and early calving on the subsequent performance of dairy heifers
Authors: Little W. , Kay R. M. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT1. One-hundred-and-ten British Friesian, British Friesian × Ayrshire or successive backcrosses to British Friesian heifer calves were allocated to three groups. Groups A and B were rapidly reared and fed a barley-beef diet which resulted in mean body-weight gains exceeding 1 kg/day (13 to 39 weeks) and group C was normally reared on summer grazing and hay plus concentrates in winter at a mean body-weight gain never exceeding 0·74 kg/day. Animals in group A were first mated at an average age of 42·9 weeks (body weight, 302 kg). Groups B and C were mated later at average ages of 78·4 and 78·1 weeks (average body weights, 443 and 353 kg respectively). After the first calving all animals were fed and managed as a single group.2. There were no significant differences between the proportion of heifers conceiving at first service in groups A (55·5%), B (66·7%) and C (72·4%).3. There were no differences in the incidence of dystocia at first calving in heifers served by an Aberdeen Angus bull but 12 out of 19 heifers in group A served by a British Friesian bull had dystocia.4. Average 305-day fat-corrected milk yields in the first four lactations in group A (18 animals) were 1959, 2918, 3545 and 3210 kg and in the first three lactations in group B were2450,3216and3310kgand in group C 3863,4694 and 4813 kg. Thus milk yield was significantly lower in all lactations for rapidly-reared animals irrespective of the age at breeding and was further significantly lowered in the first lactation of animals mated early.5. There was a high incidence of laminitis and bloat in heifers reared on the barley-beef diet, but during lactation, there was a lower incidence of mastitis in the lower-yielding, rapidly-reared groups.
A comparison of two contrasting types of grain sorghum in the diet of the growing pig
Authors: Almond M. , Smith W. C. , Savage G. P. , Lawrence T. L. J. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTA study was undertaken to compare the chemical composition of Texas No. 2 hybrid yellow sorghum with that of a traditional brown-seeded variety and also their digestibility and nitrogen retention in the growing pig. Dry matter, crude protein and gross energy contents and amino acid composition were similar in the two varieties but brown-seeded sorghum had a markedly higher tannin content. In diets containing 70% of either yellow or brown sorghum, N retention was marginally higher on the yellow sorghum diet and apparent digestibility of dry matter, nitrogen and gross energy was improved (0·07, 0·06 and 0·12 units respectively). The improvements in digestible energy and crude protein content of the yellow sorghum diet over the brown-seeded one were 10% and 6% respectively. In a subsequent trial 16 pigs were individually and scale-fed each of the diets over the live-weight range 28 to 81 kg. Growth rates and feed conversion ratios were better on the yellow sorghum diet (10%) but sorghum variety did not influence killing-out percentage, deposition of backfat or area of eye muscle in cross-section.
A retrospective evaluation of the weights in the cow genetic index
Authors: Brotherstone Susan , Hill W. G. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTThe fat plus protein yield of 70 011 records of pedigree British Friesian/Holstein cows was regressed on various components of their dam's Cow Genetic Index (CGI) in order to obtain the regression coefficients for comparison with the index weights currently used in the calculation of the CGI. For the first and later (2 to 5) lactation components of the CGI, the regression coefficients obtained by analysis were consistent with the tabulated index weights, but the coefficients for the sire component tended in some cases to be lower than the table values. The analysis was repeated using only dams that had widely used sires. The partial regression coefficients for the first and later lactation components were again consistent with the tabulated weights, and the coefficient for the sire component lay within one s.d. of the table values. In all cases, a cow's CGI is shown to take full account of her first and later lactation information and her sire's and dam's transmitting abilities.
The effect of sward height on beef cow performance and on the relationship between calf milk and herbage intakes
Authors: Wright I. A. , Russel A. J. F. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTGroups of 12 spring-calving cows and their calves were allocated to each of three continuous grazing treatments: cows and calves grazed a 4- to 5-cm sward (LI), cows grazed a 4- to 5-cm sward and their calves grazed an 8- to 10-cm sward (Lh) and cows and calves grazed an 8- to 10-cm sward (Hh). In each case cows and calves grazed separately. Sward height had a large effect on both cow and calf performance and intake. The short swards reduced cow herbage intake proportionately by 0·2 compared with that of the taller sward. Cow live-weight gains were −0·60, −0·59 and 0·42 (s.e.d. 0·103) kg/day on treatments LI, Lh and Hh respectively while calf live-weight gains were 0·80, 0·95 and 1·14 (s.e.d. 0·040) kg/day. Calf milk intakes were 7·05, 5·78 and 9·34 (s.e.d. 0·508) kg/day respectively while daily herbage intakes were 17·2, 22·0 and 19·8 (s.e.d. 1·35) g organic matter per kg live weight for treatments LI, Lh and Hh. There was a negative association between calf herbage and milk organic matter intakes in the treatments where the calves had access to a more generous sward height (treatments Lh and Hh), the regression coefficient being −0·89 (s.e. 0·381), indicating the calves' ability to increase herbage intake in response to a reduction in milk intake. On the LI treatment there was no significant relationship between milk and herbage intakes. The ability of grazing suckled calves to compensate for a reduction in milk intake is thus dependent on sward conditions, and may also depend on herbage digestibility. The increase in herbage intake cannot however compensate fully for a restriction in milk supply.
Lysine supplementation of diets for pigs between 7 and 56 days of age
Authors: Leibholz Jane , Parks J. R. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTSixty entire male pigs between 7 and 28 days and 60 entire male pigs between 28 and 56 days of age were given ad libitum basal diets using peanut meal and wheat gluten with or without dried milk as the protein supplements. The diets contained between 7·0 and 10·7 g lysine per kg. These diets were supplemented with graded additions of synthetic L-lysine hydrochloride.It was found that the lysine required for maximum performance and nitrogen retention was at least 12·7 g/kg dry matter (DM) between 7 and 28 days of age and not greater than 12 g/kg DM between 28 and 56 days of age. These values are 4·7 and 5·3 g/kg dietary crude protein for the two ages or 0·81 and 0·79 g/MJ digestible energy.A method is discussed for the calculation of the most economical level of lysine supplementation. This is dependent on the cost of the basal diet and lysine, and the value of the weight gain.The concentration of free lysine in the blood plasma did not give a clear indication of lysine requirement of the pigs.
Effect of ambient temperature on energy metabolism in growing pigs
Authors: Verhagen J. M. F. , Kloosterman A. A. M. , Slijkhuis A. , Verstegen M. W. A. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTGroup-housed young growing pigs, given food ad libitum, were exposed to two temperatures, one within thermal neutrality (25°C) and one around the lower critical temperature (15°C). Pigs at 15°C had daily gains reduced by 57 g for 6 days after initial exposure. Food intake was increased significantly after 6 days at 15°C but not at 25°C. Maintenance requirement was increased by 58 kJ/kg M0·75 and energy retained as protein was decreased by 49 kJ/kg M0·75 for the first 6 days after exposure to the treatment of 15°C and thereafter both became equivalent to those of pigs at 25°C afterwards. It is concluded that animals were acclimatized after 6 days exposure.
Pregnancy effects on carcass and meat quality attributes of cows
Authors: Wythes J. R. , Shorthose W. R. , Fordyce G. , Underwood D. W. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTThe effects of pregnancy status (non-pregnant, early to mid (1 to 5 months) and late (> 6 months)) and month of pregnancy on live weight, carcass weight, dressing proportion, bruising and muscle properties were examined in 237 Shorthorn and Brahman crossbred cows (mean live weight 424 kg, 62% pregnant). The cows were transported 1155 km to an abattoir and given access to food and water until slaughter. Mustering to slaughter periods were 5, 6 or 7 days.The mean gross hot carcass weights for the 89 non-pregnant, 108 early to mid pregnant and 40 late pregnant cows were 207, 199 and 187 kg (P < 0·05). Their respective dressing proportions were 487, 469 and 443 g/kg (P < 0·05). Among the pregnant cows, carcass weight and dressing proportion decreased by 2·95 kg and 6 g/kg, respectively, for each month of pregnancy (P < 0·05).Cows in late pregnancy had lower mean initial yield (IY) and peak force (PF) shear values for m.longissimus dorsi (LD) than non-pregnant cows. The late-pregnant cows also had the greatest mean pH 24 h post mortem (pH24) and ultimate pH (pHu) values (P < 0·05). They also had a greater proportion of carcasses with high pHu values than the early to mid-pregnant and non-pregnant cows (0·30 v. 0·157 v. 0·079; (P < 005). Among the pregnant cows, mean pH24 increased by proportionately 0·038 and the proportion of high pH24 carcasses by 0·055 for each month of pregnancy (P < 0·05). Pregnancy status had no significant effect on mean fat depth, bruise score, PF-IY value or cooking loss.
The effect of formic acid treatment and the duration of the wilting period on the digestion of silage by young steers
Authors: Charmley E. , Gill M. , Thomas C. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTFour silages were prepared from perennial ryegrass: two unwilted, ensiled either without (UWN) or with formic acid additive (UWA) and two wilted for either 19 (WS) or 43 h (WL) prior to ensiling. The influence of conservation method on digestion in the rumen and the flow of organic mater (OM) and nitrogen (N) to the small intestine was studied using young steers fitted with rumen and duodenal T-piece cannulae. The silages were well preserved and of similar chemical composition despite a 1·5-fold increase in dry matter (DM) following wilting. The unwilted silages had a higher concentration of fermentation acids and a lower concentration of soluble N in the DM. Polyester bag studies showed that significantly more DM was potentially degradable but the degradation rate was slower in the rumen of steers fed UWA and WS silages (P < 0·05), however, rate of passage was not significantly different for the four treatments. Conservation method had little effect on post-feeding rumen ammonia concentration but feeding unwilted silages caused a greater depression in post-feeding rumen pH (P < 0·05). Wilting lowered N digestibility in the whole tract (P < 0·05), but had no effect on apparent digestion or degradability of N in the rumen as measured by the polyester bag method. Apparent OM digestibility in the whole tract was lower in steers given wilted rather than unwilted silages (P < 0·05), but disappearance of apparently digestible OM in the rumen was greatest for the 19 h wilted silage (WS, P < 0·05). It is concluded that, provided unwilted silage is well preserved, the use of formic acid has little effect on digestion of silage by steers and the effects of wilting are confined to a reduction in whole tract digestibility.
The effect of a change in blood acid-base status on body composition and mineral retention in growing lambs
Authors: Damir H. Abu , Scott D. , Thomson J. K. , Topps J. H. , Buchan W. , Pennie K. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTThree groups of lambs of about 25 kg live weight were given a concentrate diet either on its own (eight lambs) or supplemented with 10 g/kg ammonium chloride (eight lambs) or 20 g/kg sodium bicarbonate (12 lambs). At about 45 kg live weight the lambs were killed and their body composition was determined. The composition of their gains was also determined using information obtained from a fourth group of lambs (eight lambs) which were killed at the start of the experiment. Lambs given the ammonium chloride diet showed a reduction in blood pH while those given the sodium bicarbonate diet showed an increase to levels seen in lambs given forage diets. There were also marked effects on calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P) and magnesium retention with retentions being reduced in those given the ammonium chloride diet and increased in those given the bicarbonate diet. The average rates of retention of Ca and P in lambs given the bicarbonate diet were 9·1 and 5·9 g/kg empty-body weight gain and are comparable with rates seen in lambs given forage diets. These results suggest that dietary induced changes in blood acid-base status is a major factor contributing to the lower rates of retentions of these minerals in lambs given cereal-based diets.
Speed of ultrasound in Hereford bulls and its correlation with carcass composition
Authors: Fursey G. A. J. , Miles C. A. , Page S. J. , Fisher A. V. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTMeasurements were made of the speed of ultrasound transmission through sites in the hind limbs of 125 pedigree Hereford bulls. Twenty-five of these were measured twice at weekly intervals on three occasions prior to slaughter to assess the short-term repeatability of the measurement and the magnitude of long-term changes. Analyses of variance of the means of the measurements at two sites showed that the residual standard deviation (within animal and occasion), was 0·01 (μs/cm. There was a decrease of 0·01 (μs/cm in the group mean over the 2-week period and a significant time × animal interaction. This showed that lipid concentration at the measurement sites decreased as the bulls adjusted to their new surroundings following delivery to the Institute's farm. When a separate group of 64 bulls was measured at the farm at which they were being reared an increase in the group mean of 0·006 iμs/cm was recorded over a 30·day period, indicating an increase in lipid concentration. The residual standard deviation for that group was 0·007 μs/cm, similar to that recorded above.The mean of the reciprocal speeds at the two sites, when used in a multiple regression with live mass, yielded a residual standard deviation in predicted proportion of lean in the side of 20·0 g/kg and in total fat proportion of 22·1 g/kg. These corresponded to population standard deviations, adjusted for live mass, of 29·7 and 34·1 g/kg respectively. It was concluded that the measurement of ultrasound speed in the hind limbs of Hereford bulls could be used to predict lean proportion in the carcass. The method does not require subjective interpretation and responds equally to subcutaneous and interand intra-muscular fat.
The effects of dietary supplements of fish meal on the voluntary food intake of store lambs
Authors: Tan P. V. , Bryant M. J. 
Published: September 2010

AbsstractThirty-six male and thirty-six female lambs (mean live weight 31·6 kg) were used to investigate the effect of fish-meal supplementation upon voluntary intake of NaOH-treated straw in a 3 × 3 factorial experiment with three levels of fish meal (0, 45 and 90 g/day) and three allowances of concentrate (57, 10·0 and 14·3 g/kg live weight) (experiment 1). The fish meal × concentrate allowance interaction was significant (P < 0·05) for straw dry matter (DM), total DM and metabolizable energy (ME) intake. Thus, as concentrate allowance increased, straw DM intake remained largely unchanged when fish meal was included in the diet whereas concentrate progressively substituted for straw DM intake when fish meal was not included in the diet. Increasing concentrate levels increased total DM intake linearly for all levels of fish meal but the rate of increase was positively associated with level of fish meal.In experiment 2, 24 castrated male lambs (mean live weight 40·7 kg) were used to measure apparent digestibilities and nitrogen (N) balance on four of the diets used in experiment 1. The overall effects of concentrate and fish-meal levels upon voluntary intake were similar to those found in experiment 1 but the interaction term was not significant either for intake or for the digestibility coefficients. Increasing fish-meal level increased apparent digestibility of DM, organic matter (OM) and aciddetergent fibre (ADF) (P < 0·01) while increasing concentrate allowance increased apparent digestibility of DM (P < 0·001) and OM (P < 0·01) but decreased that of ADF (F < 0·01). Nitrogen (N) retention was improved by the inclusion of fish meal in the diet (P < 0·001) and by high allowance of concentrate (P < 0·001).The voluntary intake response observed in experiment 1 could not be explained by the digestibility and N balance results obtained in experiment 2.
Protein composition and variation of caprine colostrum (Murciano-Granadina breed) by means of polyacrylamide-sds gel electrophoresis
Authors: Quiles A. J. , Gonzalo C. , Fuentes F. , Hevia M. , Sanchez J. M. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTThe variation in the content of total protein, total casein, whey protein, α-casein, β-casein, k-casein, α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin and ‘other’ whey proteins of the mammary secretion was studied in 44 goats of the Murciano-Granadina breed (Spain) from the 1st to the 4th day after parturition.The concentration of all the protein variables showed a marked decrease from the 1st to the 4th day after parturition (P< 0·001). In whey proteins this decrease was more marked from the 1st (67·1 g/1) to the 2nd day after parturition (21·6 g/1), whereas the total caseins sharply decreased from the 2nd (62·6 g/1) to the 3rd day after parturition (39·0 g/1).Stepwise discriminant analysis revealed that, except for the k-casein, all the proteins resulting from the electrophoretic fractionation had a discriminant power between the dates of sampling (P< 0·001). The multivariant analysis did not show statistical differences in the electrophoretic fractions corresponding to the samples on the 3rd and 4th days after parturition. According to such fractionation, the transition from colostrum to milk should take place on the 2nd day after parturition.
A note on the comparison of methods for estimating the ileal digestibility of amino acids in pigs
Authors: Leterme P. , Pirard L. , Théwis A. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTA comparison was made between the Heal digestibility of the amino acids in pigs obtained by the use of a basal diet, the apparent Heal digestibility obtained with a semi-synthetic diet where peas were the sole protein source and the true Heal digestibility obtained with synthetic and nitrogen-free diets.
The effect of level of protein supplementation on the performance and carcass composition of young bulls given grass silage ad libitum
Authors: Steen R. W. J. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTTwo experiments have been carried out to examine the effects of the level of protein supplementation given with grass silage-based diets on the performance and carcass composition of bulls, and to compare diets based on silage and dried forage. The five treatments used consisted of grass silage offered ad libitum and supplemented with 2·5 kg dry matter (DM) of barley-based concentrates containing (1) zero (2) 200 (3) 400 and (4) 600 g soya-bean meal per kg and (5) artificially dried grass and hay supplemented with 3·2 kg concentrate DM. The silages used in both experiments were well preserved, containing on average 200 g DM per kg; 140 g crude protein (CP) per kg DM; 63 g ammonia-nitrogen per kg total N and 731 g digestible organic matter per kg DM. The bulls were of late-maturing breed type and were initially 12 months old and 412 and 405 kg live weight in experiments 1 and 2 respectively. For treatments 1, 2, 4 and 5 in experiment 1 respectively (treatment 3 was not used) total DM intakes were 8·3, 8·3, 81 and 110 (s.e. 0·21) kg/day; CP intakes 1063, 1271, 1664 and 1539g/day; metabolizable energy intakes (MEI) 98, 99, 96 and 87 MJ/day; carcass weights 317, 316, 317 and 316 (s.e. 3·2) kg; carcass saleable meat concentrations 714, 712, 718 and 716 (s.e. 5·8) g/kg and carcass fat trims 73, 81, 73 and 68 (s.e. 3·9) g/kg. In experiment 2 for treatments 1 to 5 respectively total DM intakes were 8·3, 8·5, 8·3, 8·4 and 11·2 (s.e. 0·26) kg/day; CP intakes were 1090, 1329, 1504, 1720 and 1561 g/day; MEI 102, 106, 103, 103 and 94 MJ/day; carcass weights 318, 331, 330, 327 and 321 (s.e. 3·3) kg; carcass saleable meat concentrations 726, 721, 725, 721 and 732 (s.e. 60) g/kg and fat trims 71, 77, 78, 80 and 64 (s.e. 4·5) g/kg. It is concluded that protein supplementation of a silage-based diet did not affect performance or carcass fatness in experiment 1 or carcass fatness in experiment 2, but including 200 or 400 g soya-bean meal per kg concentrate increased performance in experiment 2. Animals given silage produced fatter carcasses than those given dried forage in experiment 2 but not in experiment 1.