bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fish-meal supplement for severely undernourished ewes: effects on apparent digestibility and utilization of the diet
Authors: Kabré P. , Petit M. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractEight non-pregnant, non-lactating adult ewes weighing 56 kg were fed for 26 days on a meadow hay (organic matter 937 g, crude protein 107 g, metabolizable energy (ME) 8·3 MJ per kg dry matter) to satisfy half of their daily energy and protein maintenance requirements i.e. 200 kj ME and 1·3 g truly digestible protein per kg M0·75. They were then allotted to two groups of four each. Control ewes continued to receive the initial diet for another 74 days while the others were supplemented with 60 g/day fish meal to receive 200 kj ME and 2·7 g truly digestible protein per kg initial M0·75 per day.In spite of its high nitrogen content, the digestibility of the hay was increased by the protein supplementation, e.g. from 0·56 to 0·60 for neutral-detergent fibre and from 0·54 to 0·59 for energy.The supplemented ewes lost significantly less body weight than the controls (96 v. 134 g/day) essentially because of their higher ME intake (272 v. 252 kj/kg average M0·75 during the experimental period). The measurements of blood metabolites suggest that the daily amounts of mobilized body protein increased with duration of underfeeding. The additional amino acids provided by fish meal were principally used as a source of energy and for wool growth.
Cashmere production from feral and imported cashmere goat kids
Authors: Bishop S. C. , Russel A. J. F. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractCashmere production was evaluated on Scottish feral (F) goats, on goats imported from Iceland (I), Tasmania (T), New Zealand (N) and Siberia (S), and on two- and three-way crosses between feral and imported lines. Evaluations were based on the weight of cashmere in 10 cm2 mid-side patch samples taken at 5 months of age, with annual cashmere production being predicted from sample cashmere and body weights. Data were collected on 121 purebred and 706 crossbred kids of both sexes. Mean fibre diameter for the F, I, T, N and S lines was 13-75 (s.e. = 0.82), 14·04 (s.e. 0·41), 16·13 (s.e. 0·35), 16·63 (s.e. 0·49) and 17·97 (s.e. 0·50) μm, mean estimated annual cashmere production was 37·3 (s.e. 71·3), 914 (s.e. 31·7), 227·1 (s.e. 28·1), 275·1 (s.e. 42·5) and 579·8 (s.e. 44·7) g, and mean live weight was 15·71 (s.e. 2·16), 17·65 (s.e. 0·93), 16·39 (s.e. 0·83), 16·53 (s.e. 1·28) and 21·9 (s.e. 1·28) kg, respectively. Significant positive heterosis existed between some lines for body weight and cashmere production, with the I line goats consistently showing the largest effects. Combining fibre diameter and cashmere production by their relative economic importance into an index designed to indicate the total value of the fibre produced by each genotype, the cashmere production index, reduced the large production differences between the lines, although the S line was still superior to all other lines. When the cashmere production index was adjusted to account for the economic importance of fibre colour, however, the T and N lines, the only lines which produced white fibre, were comparable to the S line. The cashmere production index for the S line was very sensitive to changes in the relative economic weight for fibre diameter, and if the price differential for high quality (i.e. fine) fibre was increased by a factor of 1·36, or greater, then the T and N lines were superior to the S line. Three-way cross means were estimated from line means and heterosis effects. No cross was consistently superior to all other genotypes, but several of the crosses showed the advantages of potentially producing white fibre as well as having high cashmere production indexes, with their indexes being insensitive to changes in the relative economic weights. Future selection for cashmere production in this population should concentrate on individuals of outstanding genetic merit, regardless of their line or cross.
Effect of naturally occurring and synthetic androgens on growth, body composition and muscle glucocorticoid receptors in wether lambs
Authors: Gallbraith H. , Berry A. D. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractTwenty-five Border Leicester ♂ × Blackface ♀ wether lambs aged about 4 months and weighing on average 28·5 kg were allocated to be treated with the naturally occurring steroid testosterone or trenbolone acetate or nandrolone phenylpropionate which are steroids synthetically produced. Treatment groups were as follows: untreated controls (C); 50 mg testosterone (T); 50 mg trenbolone acetate (TA); 50 mg testosterone + 50 mg trenbolone acetate (TTA) or 50 mg nandrolone phenylpropionate (N). Implants were given at 100 and again at 63 days before slaughter. The lambs were offered to appetite a good quality diet containing, per kg dry matter, an estimated 11·0 MJ metabolizable energy and 185 g crude protein. Comparisons were made for the main effects of T and TA and also interactions between T and TA. Effects due to N were assessed statistically against untreated controls. Treatment with T, on average, increased live-weight gain (LWG), empty body weight (EBW) and reduced backfat thickness and the weight (g/kg EBW) of perirenal and retroperitoneal fat. Main effects due to TA were increases in killing-out ratio and depth of the gigot joint and reductions in backfat thickness. Treatment with N increased the empty body weight and (g/kg) carcass ash. Non-significant (P > 0·05) trends were suggested for increases in carcass crude protein due to T and TA treatments. T and TA but not N treatments exhibited marked androgenic activity in increasing the weight (mg/kg EBW) of the accessary vesicular gland. TA and N, but not T, reduced the weight (g/kg EBW) of the thymus gland.The maximum binding capacity of post-morte m skeletal muscle (m. gluteus) for (3H)-dexamethasone was reduced by TA but increased by T and N. These results suggest differences in the binding capacity of corticosteroid receptors which may be related to differences in the effects of T and TA on protein metabolism in skeletal muscle.
MOET breeding schemes for wool sheep 1. Design alternatives
Authors: Wray N. R. , Goddard M. E. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractBreeding schemes for ivool sheep based on natural service (N), MOET (multiple ovulation and embryo transfer) in adults (A) and MOET in juveniles (J) are compared using Monte Carlo simulation allowing overlapping generations and selection across age groups. In all schemes parents can be a maximum of 6 years old when their offspring are born, and can be a minimum of 2 years in N or A schemes or 1 year in f schemes. Embryo transfer success rates follow realistic distributions (only 70% of flushes resulting in live lambs) with a mean of 2·13 or 345 6-month-old lambs per donor per flush for current or ‘future’ situations. Under natural mating an average of 1·09 6-month-old lambs per ewe mated is assumed. The trait under selection has a heritability of 0·4 and is measurable on both sexes by 18 months of age, which is before selection in N and A schemes but after the initial opportunity for selection in f schemes where selection is based on a pedigree index. Two culling policies for males are considered in J schemes: all sires culled if not selected (J), or all sires available for selection after their record is collected even if they were not selected on their pedigree index in the previous year (f o ). Comparison of schemes is made on the basis of response depressed by the effect of inbreeding and cumulated and discounted over a medium time horizon. For a given population size (constant expected number of lambs per year and therefore numbers of dams dependent on fertility rates) different numbers of sires were utilized. The optimum number of sires was determined as the number which maximized the response criterion. N, A, J and J° schemes have different optimum numbers of sires (5, 8,30 and 20 respectively) which occur at different rates of inbreeding and which are approximately independent of population size. Advantages in the response criterion of A, J and J° over N schemes are 23%, 33% and 47% respectively for ‘future’ embryo transfer success rates and mass selection. Increasing the number of lambs born per donor ewe from 2·13 to 13·8 (by increasing embryos per flush and number of flushes) increases the response criterion by up to 25% in A and up to 11% in J schemes (assuming donor ewes are mated to a different sire for each flush) with 345 lambs born per year. Use of best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) estimated breeding values increases response by 8%, 3% and 3% in N, A and J schemes respectively. The advantages off over A and N schemes, of increased lambs per donor and of BLUP over mass selection all increase as population size increases. Insemination of the poorer ewes with semen which gave only female offspring gave 5% increase in the N scheme and no benefit in A or f schemes.
MOET breeding schemes for wool sheep 2. Selection for adult fleece traits
Authors: Wray N. R. , Goddard M. E. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractBenefits of collection of annual versus a single fleece record are investigated for breeding programmes of Australian Merino sheep. Breeding scheme alternatives are based on natural mating (N) or multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET). The breeding objective is assumed to be an adult fleece trait which is expressed annually from a minimum of age 2 years, with a unity genetic correlation between annual records. Initial selection of parents can occur prior to the availability of their adult records, based on records collected at 6,12 or 18 months which have a maximum genetic correlation of 0·8 with the adult trait. Monte Carlo simulation is used to compare breeding programme alternatives, which allows overlapping generations and selection across age groups. MOET schemes select parents of minimum age 19 months in adult (A) schemes, 7 months in juvenile (J) schemes or 13 months when there are two breeding seasons per year. Natural mating results in an average of 1·09 lambs per ewe mated, whilst embryo transfer success rates follow realistic distributions (only 70% of donors giving live lambs) with an average of 3·45 lambs per donor flushed. Estimated breeding values, on which selection is based, are calculated by multiple trait selection index of an individual's own records or by multivariate best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP). In J schemes 7-month-old lambs may be selected on the basis of a pedigree index if no individual record has been collected at 6 months of age. Breeding scheme alternatives are compared on the basis of genetic response, rate of inbreeding and economic ‘income’ which is calculated as genetic response reduced for inbreeding depression, cumulated and discounted over a medium time horizon (14 years). The quantitative benefits of the collection of annual records are dependent on the choice of genetic and phenotypic parameters between traits, but these were chosen from the literature to be representative of annual fleece weight records in Merino sheep. Genetic response to selection and ‘income’ associated with the adult trait is increased by at least 15% in N, A and J schemes compared with when only a single record is collected at 18 months. The advantage of MOET over N schemes and the optimum number of sires to use is unchanged, but the average age of sires is increased. Both annual rate of inbreeding and average age of dams are unchanged. In N schemes, 80% of the benefits of collecting annual records on both sexes can be achieved by collecting records on males alone, whilst in MOET schemes measurement of dams contributes up to 50% of the benefit of the measurement of both sexes. Since MOET schemes have fewer dams to be recorded, the cost-effectiveness of collecting records on females is much higher than in natural mating schemes. Breeding programmes operating two mating seasons each year are found to be a viable alternative to J schemes: although genetic response is less, rate of inbreeding is also less, so that ‘income’ response is approximately equal.
The effect of climatic environment and relocating and mixing on health status and productivity of pigs
Authors: Hessing M. J. C. , Tielen M. J. M. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractTwo similar style experiments were carried out in a climate-controlled pig house to determine the effects of adverse climatic conditions and relocating and mixing on the health status and productivity of pigs. In both experiments, 120 pigs were used. The climate-controlled pig house consisted of two fully separated but identical rooms (experimental and control) with five pens each (12 pigs per pen). Pigs exposed to draught and low environmental temperature had lower daily gain (experiment 1: 45 g/day; experiment 2: 25 g/day) and higher food conversion (food: gain ratio) than pigs housed under optimal climatic conditions (control). Moreover, clinical disease signs (i.e. diarrhoea, coughing, sneezing and haemorrhagic ear lesions) were more pronounced in the experimental than in the control group. In experiment 1, pigs were relocated and mixed at 10 weeks of age either within or between the experimental and control room. Data showed clear negative effects on daily gain and clinical disease signs especially among pigs that were relocated to suboptimal climatic conditions. In experiment 2, pigs were either relocated and mixed between both rooms or they remained in their own pens. Data on daily gain and clinical disease signs revealed that the health of the pigs was strongly affected by mixing. Therefore, the present work emphasizes the importance of climatic environment and social factors in intensive pig production.
Effect of time of supplementary feeding on intake, apparent digestibility and rumen fermentation of grass hay by sheep
Authors: Carro M. D. , Mantecón A. R. , Wright I. A. , Gordon I. J. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractEffects of time of supplementation on forage intake, nutrient apparent digestibility and rumen fermentation were studied with 12 mature castrated male sheep (wethers) offered grass hay from 16.30 h to 09.30 h and supplemented with a cereal-based concentrate given at either 09.30 or 16.00 h. Voluntary intake of hay organic matter (OM) was decreased by feeding the concentrate (P< 0·01). Offering concentrate at 09.30 h after hay was available, increased intake of hay and total OM compared with offering it at 16.00 h before hay was available (P< 0·05). Daily pattern of hay intake was not changed when concentrate was offered at 09.30 h compared with feeding hay alone, but concentrate given at 16.00 h resulted in a lower hay intake between 16.30 and 18.00 h. Sheep offered concentrate at 09.30 h had higher rumen ammonia levels than those offered concentrate at 16.00 h, but there were no differences in the apparent digestibility of the nutrients, rumen pH and molar proportions of the main volatile fatty acids. There were also no differences between groups in the blood plasma concentrations of 3-hydroxybutyrate (30HB), nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) and glucose. It is concluded that feeding supplement after rather than before a period of intake of forage or a bout of grazing may offer a means of minimizing reduction of forage intake as a consequence of feeding concentrate.
Genetically size-scaled growth and composition of Dorset and Suffolk rams
Authors: Oberbauer A. M. , Arnold A. M. , Thonney M. L. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractThirty-four Dorset and 34 Suffolk rams were slaughtered in pairs within breed at birth, weaning, at monthly intervals to 420 days and then at bimonthly intervals until 600 days to compare factors used to estimate mature size and to determine how genetic size-scaling affects the comparison of body composition between breeds. At equal empty body weights there were no detectable differences between the breeds in amounts of water, protein or ash but Dorsets contained more lipid. Dorset and Suffolk asymptotic values of water (40 and 61 kg), water-plus-protein-plus-ash (51 and 77 kg), metacarpal bone length (127 and 147 mm) and metacarpal bone weight (59 and 101 g) were used to estimate mature size. Regardless of the estimator of mature size, there were no significant differences between breeds in degree of maturity at a given metabolic age. At the same degree of maturity within the estimators of mature size, there were no differences between breeds in the degree of maturity of water, protein or ash, with the exception of small differences in protein for two of the mature size indicators. Because lipid appeared to accumulate without limit in these sheep, the mature body was assumed to contain 300 g lipid per kg. Using this proportion to estimate amount of mature lipid, there was a higher degree of maturity of lipid for Suffolk than for Dorset rams at equal degrees of maturity of water, water-plus-protein-plus-ash or metacarpal bone weight. Thus, Dorsets with greater lipid content at equivalent empty body weights were leaner than Suffolks when adjusted for mature size.
Milk production from grass silage diets: the relative importance of the amounts of energy and crude protein in the concentrates
Authors: Sutton J. D. , Aston K. , Beever D. E. , Fisher W. J. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractTo identify the separate and combined effects of energy and crude protein (CP) from concentrates on responses to concentrate feeding, 42 multiparous Friesian cows were given fixed amounts of concentrates with primary growth grass silage (194 g CP per kg dry matter (DM)) ad libitum for weeks 4 to 22 of lactation. A basal treatment of 3 kg DM per day of a standard concentrate (197 g CP per kg DM) was compared with 6 kg DM per day of the same concentrate (doubling energy and CP intake), 6 kg DM per day of a low-protein concentrate (106 g CP per kg DM) (doubling energy intake alone), or 3 kg/day of a high-protein concentrate (383 g CP per kg DM) (doubling CP intake alone). Results are presented in terms of main effects as interactions were not significant except for energy apparent digestibility. Silage intake was reduced by energy but increased by CP; in consequence extra energy from concentrates increased digestible energy (DE) intake but reduced CP intake and concentration whereas extra CP from concentrates increased not only DE intake but also CP intake and concentration. The ratio of the responses to CP compared with the responses to energy were 1·7 for milk yield, 0·9 for fat yield, 3·2 for protein yield and 1·4 for lactose yield. Energy reduced milk protein concentration and tended to increase milk fat concentration whereas CP had the opposite effect. The efficiency of converting food nitrogen to milk nitrogen was unaffected by extra CP but was increased, from 0·195 to 0·229, by extra energy. The poor response in milk protein yield and the reduction in its concentration with extra energy reflected the lower CP intake due to the reduced silage consumption. The experiment emphasizes the importance of concentrate CP supply in stimulating silage intake and yields of all milk constituents for diets containing fairly small amounts of concentrates.
A partial adjustment model to describe the lactation curve of a dairy cow
Authors: Dhanoa M. S. , Du Y. L. P. Le 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTA new model is proposed to describe the lactation curve of a dairy cow. It uses the fact that milk yield at a given stage of lactation is largely determined by the yield in the preceding stage. The model is written as: yt = λ(m0 – m1t) + (1 – λ)yt–1. t ≥ 1, 0 ≤ λ ≤ 1, where y1, and yt–1 are the current and preceding milk yields in kg/week, and the constant × estimates the fraction (1–λ) by which milk yield adjusts to the level at the next stage. The fraction (1–λ) by which the milk yield persists at the preceding level is used to define a measure of persistency, P = (1–λ)m0/m1 weeks, where m1 is the rate of decline in kg/week and m0 is a constant.
An economic assessment of pale, soft exudative musculature in the fresh and cured pig carcass
Authors: Smith W. C. , Lesser D. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTA study was undertaken to determine the magnitude of any financial loss incurred in the utilization of pale, soft exudative (PSE) pigmeat. Twenty pairs of first-grade bacon-weight carcasses were selected on the slaughter line. Members of each pair were of the same sex and weight but one had an m. longissimus dorsi pH at 45 min post mortem (pH1) of 5·4 to 5·8 (PSE) and the other a pH, of 6·2 to 6·5 (normal). One side of each carcass was processed for Wiltshire bacon and the other was cut into retail joints, which were packaged, placed in a refrigerated cabinet and measured for drip loss 72 h later. PSE, compared with normal carcasses, had a lower bacon yield (16g/kg) and drip loss from fresh PSE meat was more than double (17·0 v. 7·0g/kg trimmed carcass weight). In shop testing, the sales of bacon from the two types of carcass were similar; with the fresh meat fewer PSE cuts were sold (0·23) but mainly during the final test day. It would appear that an economic assessment of PSE meat in Wiltshire curing need consider a reduced bacon yield only (= £1·13 per carcass at the present difference of 0·8 kg). The reduced financial return on a PSE carcass of similar weight for fresh meat was calculated to be zero to £8·74, depending upon the type of retailing operation and effort devoted to ensuring an early sale of PSE cuts.
Effect of pregnancy and lactation on growth of linear measurements in Ayrshire cattle
Authors: Russell W. S. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTThe effects of pregnancy and lactation on growth were investigated in Ayrshire cattle, from data on 12 linear body measurements at 3-monthly intervals up to 4 years of age. In all, 9 888 sets of 12 measurements were obtained. There were 675 first and 518 second calvings.When expressed as a percentage of the size of animals of the same age but in a non-pregnant, non-lactating state, the total set-back to normal growth due to pregancy and lactation ranged from 2% in withers height to 18% in forerib width in heifers, and from 1% to 3% for the same characters in cows.All 12 measurements were affected significantly by first pregnancy (including parturition), the average retardation being 3%. For several measurements, a check to growth during pregnancy was largely obscured by progressive distention of the body, especially in measurements of width, until parturition had occurred. Thus a retardation of 9% in forerib width became apparent only after calving.First lactation affected significantly most measurements, especially the later-maturing six, which were set-back in their normal growth over the lactation period by 3% to 9%. Thus, there was effectively zero- growth in width at forerib and only one-sixth of normal growth in foregirth, whilst growth rate in width at pins and hooks was approximately halved by lactation.Calving at an earlier than average age affected growth adversely and thereby involved some increased risk of calving difficulties.