bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The growth of individual muscles and bones in the red deer
Authors: Wenham G. , Pennie K. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTFourteen red deer, three hinds and 11 stags, ranging from birth (8·8 kg) to 10 years of age (143·4 kg), were slaughtered and the carcasses dissected into individual muscles and bones.Regression equations relating the actual weight of each component or group of components to independent variables such as age, live weight, carcass weight, total muscle weight or total bone weight were fitted to the data, the majority of which satisfactorily conformed to simple allometric relationships. Twenty of the muscles and one muscle group exhibited a pattern of growth which was better described by the inclusion of a quadratic function. The description of the data using an additional term in the allometric equation was considered to be more biologically sound than the often-used practice of fitting different coefficients to the logarithmic form of the allometric equation for each stage of growth. The group of muscles surrounding the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae and those of the abdominal wall were the fastest growing, both having a growth coefficient of 1·08 with standard errors (s.e.) of 0·013 and 0·017 respectively. The slowest growth was found in the distal forelimb group of muscles (growth coefficient = 0·84, s.e. 0015), no individual muscle in this group having a growth coefficient greater than 0·9.The bones of the axial' skeleton increased in weight faster than those of the appendicular skeleton. The growth coefficients were, axial 1·13, forelimb 0·93 and hindlimb 0·92 (s.e. 0·025, 0013 and 0·015, respectively).The muscles of the proximal hindlimb were slightly heavier in the hind, and those of the dorsal neck and shoulder heavier in the stag.Only one minor anatomical variation was found which was related to the insertion of the m. rhomb oideus.
Reproductive performance over repeated parities of lines of mice selected for appetite, lean growth and fatness
Authors: Brien F. D. , Hill W. G. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTFemale reproductive performance over four parities was studied for lines of mice selected for one three criteria: appetite (A), total lean mass (P), or proportion of fat (F). Female mice were first bred 8 weeks of age, and thereafter at intervals of about 7 weeks until fourth parity when they were dissected in late pregnancy to measure components of litter size.The high A lines had higher litter sizes at the first three parities and higher ovulation rates, numbers of implantation sites and live foetuses at the fourth parity than the low A lines. The high P lines were also higher than the low P lines for each of these traits. In contrast, litter sizes and ovulation rates differed little between the high and low F lines. Fitting body weight as a covariate removed the high-low differences in ovulation rate and litter size between the P lines, but not all the differences between the A lines.Pre-implantation survival at the fourth parity was slightly lower in the high than in low A and in high than in low P lines. Differences in post-implantation survival were very small. No component of prenatal survival differed substantially at fourth parity between the high and low F lines.Differences in fertility at each parity and the percentages of females surviving to the end of the study were small. At each litter, dams of the high A lines produced heavier total weights of litters at 12 and 21 days than dams of the low A lines and the corresponding high-low differences in the P lines were larger. There were only small differences in these traits between the F lines. When litter size, fertility and survival were summed over parities, the average total number of young produced per female was substantially higher in the high than in the low A lines (5·0 young born alive or dead) and the P lines (7·2), but the high-low difference was small in the F lines (2-0). For all lines, litter size at first parity gave a reliable indication of reproductive rate during a major portion of the reproductive lifespan.
A note on the effect of post-parturient fatty liver on clearance rate of exogenous progesterone from blood
Authors: Watson Elaine D. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTProgesterone (6 mg) was injected intravenously into cows with mild (no. = 6) and severe (no. = 5) fatty infiltration of the liver. Clearance rates of progesterone from blood were similar in both groups of cows.
Systems of concentrate allocation for dairy cattle. 4. A comparison of two amounts and two patterns of allocation
Authors: Taylor W. , Leaver J. D. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTFor 25 weeks starting at week 3 post partum autumn-calving dairy cows were offered either a flat rate of concentrates in which all cows received the same daily amount throughout the experiment (F), or a variable rate based on their individual milk yield at 2 weeks post partum, and which was reduced at weeks 10, 15 and 20 of the experiment (V). Two mean amounts of concentrates were compared, 11 kg/day (11) and 7 kg/day (7) and grass silage was available ad libitum. For treatments 11F, 11V, 7F and 7V respectively, mean milk yields were 26·2, 24·5, 21·5 and 21·3 kg/day, mean live-weight changes were +0·18, +0·07, -0·09 and -0·05 kg/day, and mean silage dry-matter intakes were 8·0, 7·1, 9·4 and 9·0 kg/day. Differences between systems of allocation were not significant, but differences between amounts of concentrates offered were significant. Due to the greater milk yield and milk fat concentration of the F system of allocation, milk fat yield was significantly greater than for the V system. The substitution rate of concentrates for silage dry matter was significantly greater during the first 10 weeks of the experiment than during the succeeding 15 weeks. In the residual period (3 weeks indoors and 14 weeks grazing), there were no significant effects on performance. The mean 305-day milk yields for 11F, 11V, 7F and 7V respectively were 6957, 6388, 5862 and 5901 kg.
Growth performance and body composition of early weaned wether lambs treated with trenbolone acetate combined with oestradiol–17β
Authors: Sulieman A. H. , Galbraith H. , Topps J. H. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTTwenty-eight Border Leicester ♂ × Scottish Blackface ♀ wether lambs aged 47 days and weighing 17 kg on average were allocated to be sham-implanted controls (group C) or implanted with trenbolone acetate (TBA) combined with oestradiol-17β (OE) as follows: 17·5 mg TBA + 2·5 mg OE (group TO1); 35 mg TBA + 5 mg OE (TO2); 52·5 mg TBA + 7·5 mg OE (TO3). The lambs were offered ad libitum a diet containing (per kg dry matter) an estimated 12·5 MJ metabolizable energy and 0·16 kg crude protein. They were slaughtered 60 days following implantation.On average hormonal treatment resulted in significant increases in (a) live-weight gain, food intake and gut fill, (b) proportions of perinephric and retroperitoneal fat in empty body, (c) carcass lean proportion, and (d) proportion of lean in shoulder and rib joints. Variable changes in the weights of m. semitendinosus, m. gastrocnemius and m. supraspinatus were recorded.Hormonal treatment, on average resulted in significant reductions in (a) killing-out proportion, (b) proportions of total fat and subcutaneous fat in carcass and (c) proportions of fat in the shoulder, rib and hind leg joints. Treated lambs had smaller thymus glands but larger accessory vesicular glands. Penile tissue was also increased in treated lambs. The proportional differences in live-weight gain and carcass fat content were 0·15 and 0·12 respectively.Differences in dose level had little effect on growth and carcass characteristics.
Genetic parameters of growth of Ethiopian Boran cattle
Authors: Arnason Th. , Kassa-Mersha H. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTRecords on birth weight and pre-weaning growth of 3959 Boran calves, which were progeny of 51 sires and 979 dams, were analysed by least-squares analysis of variance. The variance components for sires, dams and maternal grandsires were estimated from the data. On the basis of assumed genetic correlations −0·44 and −0·55 between direct and maternal effects on birth weight and weaning weight, respectively, the maternal genetic component and the genetic covariance between direct and maternal effects were estimated. The heritabilities for direct effects on birth weight and weaning weight were 0·11 and 0·22, respectively, while the heritabilities of maternal effects were estimated as 0·02 and 0·11, respectively for the same traits. Selection indices for direct and maternal genetic components of weaning weight were constructed for practical use. These selection indices combined information on the individual, the parents and sibs.
Influence of bone growth on muscle growth and bone-muscle relationships in double-muscled and normal cattle
Authors: Shahin Karima A. , Berg R. T. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTEighteen bulls each of double-muscled (DM), Beef Synthetic (SY) and Hereford (HE) breed types, serially slaughtered from about 250 to 800 kg live weight, were used to examine muscle-bone relationships in double-muscled and normal cattle.Relative to total side bone, DM animals differed significantly from the other breed types in relative growth rate of muscles in all regions which exhibited gross muscular hypertrophy. They showed generalized and regionally differentiated muscular hypertrophy. At equal bone weight in the given anatomical region, DM/HE and DM/SY muscle:bone ratios were respectively: proximal hindlimb 1·35 and 1·24; proximal forelimb 1·25 and 117; back and loin 1·20 and 1·10; and the expensive regions 1·30 and 1·20. In the limbs of DM animals, muscular hypertrophy in the proximal region was associated with bone hypotrophy while minimal muscular hypertrophy in the distal parts was associated with relatively heavier bones. Consequently, increased muscle:bone ratios were most pronounced in the proximal region, which suggests that muscles in these animals had increased in weight without proportionate increase of bones, i.e. muscle and bone growth were to some extent independent. Bone response in the distal limbs may have been influenced by a relative increase in weight support function.
The reproductive performance of ewe lambs in a controlled environment
Authors: Ainsworth L. , Shrestha J. N. B. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTThe effects of strain, season, type of birth, age and body weight at breeding on fertility and fecundity of ewe lambs raised in a controlled environment were evaluated. Data were derived from 2776 ewe lambs of a synthetic sire strain, two synthetic dam strains and two control strains (Suffolk and Finnish Landrace breeds) mated to 719 rams over 15 breeding periods during January, May or September over 9 years. The ewe lambs were exposed to rams at a synchronized and follow-up oestrus at 6·5 to 7·5 months of age. There were significant differences among strains. Fertility and fecundity were highest for lambs of the Finnish Landrace breed, intermediate for the two synthetic dam strains and lowest for the synthetic sire strain and the Suffolk breed. Although period of breeding and season had an effect on reproductive traits, the strain differences were not consistent. Type of birth did not affect performance of lambs at the synchronized oestrus. However, overall fertility and fecundity increased progressively as the type of birth of the lambs increased from singles to triplets and greater. Increased age and body weight at the synchronized oestrus had a significant and positive effect on fertility and fecundity.
A 2-year comparison of the production, health and fertility of dairy cows given concentrates either twice daily in the parlour or through out-of-parlour dispensers
Authors: Little W. , Treacher R. J. , Reid I. M. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTMilk production, reproduction, blood composition and health were studied in two groups of British Friesian cows given food either twice daily in the parlour (IPF group) or through automatic out-of- parlour food dispensers (OOPF group) in the first 14 weeks of two consecutive lactations. The numbers of cows in the IPF and OOPF groups were 28 and 29 respectively in year 1 and 40 and 35 in year 2.There were no differences in milk production or reproduction in year 1 but in year 2 the OOPF group had significant proportional increases in the yield of fat (+0·079) and protein (+0·072) and the median time from calving to conception was reduced by 43·5 days. In the IPF group body condition score was lower than in the OOPF group in year 1 (2·27v. 2·59;P< 0·001) and in year 2 (2·37v. 2·57;P< 0·01); as were serum total protein (75·8v. 77·5 g/l;P< 0·05) and (73·9v. 75·8 g/l;P< 0·01) and plasma glucose concentration (215v. 2·32 mmol/1;P< 0·001) (2·28v. 2·42 mmol/l;P< 0·01). In year 2 only, serum urea was lower (5·52v. 6·07 mmol/l;P< 0·001) and serum copper higher (131v. 11·9 μmol/l;P< 0·001) in the IPF group; the activities of aspartate amino transferase (1·66v. 1·62 logmi.u. per 1;P< 0·05) and of glutamate dehydrogenase (1·00v. 0·70 logmi.u. per 1;P< 0·001) were higher, despite no significant difference in fat deposition in the liver. The only significant difference in the incidence of disease was fewer cases of mastitis in the OOPF group in the second year (21v. 12 cases).The similarity in concentrate intakes, together with higher concentrations of blood glucose and total protein and better condition score, indicate either a more efficient utilization of energy in the OOPF group or a lower consumption of forage in the IPF group. The increased activities of liver enzymes and the high serum copper coupled with the increased incidence of mastitis and poorer fertility may indicate the release of endotoxin following chronic lactic acidosis in the IPF group.
The effect of winter shearing of housed pregnant ewes on food intake and animal performance
Authors: Vipond J. E. , King Margaret E. , Inglis D. M. , Hunter E. A. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTThe effects of winter shearing on the food intake and performance of housed ewes was studied in a series of three experiments. Winter shearing resulted in a proportional increase of dry-matter intake in ewes of 0·16 and 0·43 on two silage-based diets, of 0·09 on swede-based diets, but of only 0·02 on a hay-based diet. Shearing increased intake by a greater amount in smaller ewes and a similar trend occurred on diets containing a greater proportion of barley. Shearing increased average lamb birth weight by about 600 g (4·65 kg v. 4·06 kg), apparently as an effect of shearing per se rather than as a result of the increased energy intake. An increase in gestation length of around 1·8 days accounted for one-fifth of this increased birth weight. The effect on gestation length of shearing was to increase the unnaturally short gestation of housed unshorn ewes, this short gestation being attributed to problems of heat stress in late pregnancy. Results indicated management advantages of winter shearing in favourable climatic environments.
Rumen degradation of straw 3. Botanical fractions of two rice straw varieties and effects of ammonia treatment
Authors: Walli T. K. , Ørskov E. R. , Bhargava P. K. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTTwo varieties of rice straw, long variety — no. 370 Basmati traditional (L) and short variety — no. PR106 hybrid (S) were separated into botanical fractions giving the proportion of leaf plus leaf sheath, internode, node and chaff (g/kg dry matter) as 633, 247, 83 and 37 for L and 680, 156, 76 and 88 for S, respectively. Samples of whole plants, leaves plus leaf sheaths and internodes were subjected to ammonia treatment. The chemical composition and the rumen degradability of dry matter and organic matter determined by the nylon bag technique were ascertained for treated and untreated samples of whole plants and botanical fractions of plants from both varieties. The ash and silica content were higher in leaf plus leaf sheath, 211 and 102 g/kg for the L and 190 and 67 g/kg for the S, than in internodes, 160 and 29 g/kg for L and 184 and 29 g/kg S, respectively.The potential degradability (a + b) value from the formula p = a + b(−e−ct) for dry-matter loss (DML), organic-matter loss (OML) and degradability of organic matter in dry matter (DOMD) were significantly higher for the S being 622, 659 and 544 g/kg, than for the L being 561, 586 and 500 g/kg, respectively (P < 0·01). The degradation rate too was significantly higher for the S than for the L for DML, OML and DOMD (P < 0·01). The ammonia treatment significantly improved the potential degradability for DML, OML and DOMD for both the varieties and their fractions (P < 0·01).
Allometric growth patterns of limb bones in rabbits
Authors: Deltoro J. , López Ana M. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTRelative growth of length and thickness of femur, tibia, humerus and radius-ulna was studied using data from 320 rabbits from both sexes of two lines (New Zealand White and California). A cross-sectional design was used with slaughter points fixed at weekly intervals from 1 to 20 weeks of age. Carcass length was chosen as independent variable and two models were fitted to the data. Model 1 assumed the existence of one allometric change at some moment of the post-natal development and model 2 of a continuous change of the allometric coefficient throughout the experimental period.Most of the bone measurement showed allometric changes and in all the cases they were not abrupt but continuous. The theoretical and practical implications of the existence of these changes are discussed. The allometric coefficients of all the bone measurements showed a decreasing rate of change except radius-ulna thickness. While the coefficients for bone lengths were positive tending to isometry, for bone thickness they were always negative.
Utilization of the sex-determining region Y gene in beef cattle breeding schemes
Authors: Bishop S. C. , Woolliams J. A. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractIn mammals ‘maleness’, i.e. the presence of testes, is thought to be controlled by a single gene on the Y chromosome. Recently, a candidate gene termed the SRY (sex-determining region Y) gene has been located. If the SRY gene is the gene causing maleness then a transgenic male with the SRY gene on an autosome would produce a greater proportion of male offspring than a normal male. This would be advantageous in situations where male offspring are more valuable than females. Such transgenic males have a reduced probability of propagating their genotype and an effort has to be made to avoid their extinction. This is at the cost of genetic progress which must be made to enable the transgenics to remain competitive with normal males.In a simulated beef cattle breeding scheme if half of the annual matings were made to transgenics then after 15 years of selection the transgenic males fell the equivalent of 2·6 years of selection behind males in a traditional herd. If all matings were made to transgenics they fell over 9 years behind. Selection for lean food conversion ratio was considered as an example. After 15 years of selection the gain in biological efficiency from more male offspring outweighed the loss from reduced genetic progress only when more than 0·5 of the bulls used in the breeding scheme were normal males. In practice, the difficulty of maintaining a small population of transgenic males along with other costs not included in the calculations suggest that breeding schemes in beef cattle with an SRY transgene would not be practicable without further technology.
The effect of energy and nitrogen supply pattern on rumen bacterial growthin vitro
Authors: Henning P. H. , Steyn D. G. , Meissner H. H. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractThe effect of energy and nitrogen (N) supply pattern on rumen bacterial growth was investigated in vitro. In experiment 1, glucose was was fed to batch cultures of mixed rumen bacteria according to three patterns namely a pulse dose at time zero (P); even increments at 0·5-h intervals (G) or an intermediate pattern (I), whilst N was supplied in excess. In experiment 2, glucose and N (not in excess) were fed to batch cultures according to four patterns namely glucose and N as pulse doses at time zero, (EPNP); glucose as a pulse dose at time zero and N in 24 even increments at 0·5-h intervals (EPNG); glucose in 24 even increments at 0·5-h intervals and N as a pulse dose at time zero (EGNP) or both glucose and N in 24 even increments at 0·5-h intervals (EGNG). Fermentaton was studied over a 12-h period for both experiments.In experiment 1, bacterial growth efficiency and specific growth rate (39·8,35·5 and 29·9 (g bacterial dry matter (DM) per mol glucose utilized) and 0·33, 0·27 and 0·20 (fraction per h) for treatments P, I, and G respectively) differed significantly between glucose supply patterns. In experiment 2, bacterial growth efficiency and specific growth rate (33·8, 34·7, 25·9 and 22·5 (g baterial DM per mol glucose) and 0·21, 0·18, 0·14 and 0·13 (fraction per h) for treatments EPNP, EPNG, EGNP and EGNG respectively) differed significantly only between glucose supply patterns.It is concluded that the pattern according to which a given amount of energy becomes available affects bacterial growth efficiency, with the fastest supply rate giving the highest efficiency and that, within accepted levels of N supply, synchronization between energy and N availability may be of less importance to bacterial growth efficiency than the energy supply pattern.
An evaluation of the effects of incisor dentition and of age on the performance of lactating ewes and their lambs
Authors: Dove H. , Milne J. A. 
Published: September 2010

AbstractNinety-six Border Leicester × Scottish Blackface ewes, aged 2 to 6 years, grazed perennial ryegrass pastures during lactation. The state of their incisor teeth was assessed at parturition on a scale from score 1 (sound teeth) to score 4 (poor teeth). Their live weights and condition scores during lactation were then related to incisor score and age by regression analysis. Lamb growth was similarly analysed. Herbage intakes and milk production were measured in a subset of 24 ewes.Ewe live weights were significantly lower, per unit incisor score, by 2·2, 2·5 and 2·1 kg at days 22, 50 and 96 of lactation respectively. In ewes with twin lambs, the equivalent reductions were 1·6, 2·8 and 2·1 kg respectively. Reductions in condition score, whilst still significant, were less marked. After adjusting for the effects of incisor dentition, there was no effect of age on ewe live weight or condition score.Incisor dentition did not markedly affect herbage intake or milk production, except in measurements at day 53 of lactation, where higher incisor scores resulted in significant reductions in the production of milk and its components. Effects on lamb performance were confined to twins, where live-weight gain to day 50 was reduced by 12·2 g/day, per unit increase in ewe incisor score. This resulted in reductions of 0·7 kg (day 50) and 0·9 kg (weaning) in the live weight of twin lambs.