bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Body temperature and vasomotor responses in Scottish Blackface and Tasmanian Merino sheep subjected to slow cooling
Authors: Slee J. 
Published: September 2010

1. Scottish Blackface and Tasmanian Merino one-year-old males were exposed to cold in climate chambers. The environmental temperature fell slowly from +10°C to −15°C in the first experiment when the sheep were in full fleece and from +30°C to −5°C in the second experiment when the same sheep were closely shorn. In the second experiment each sheep received two identical exposures separated by one day spent in a cool environment. Rectal temperatures and skin temperatures on the body and the extremities were recorded.2. In experiment 1 skin temperatures on the feet and ears generally fell sharply due to vasoconstriction, especially in the Blackface sheep. The Blackface sheep showed earlier and more intense vasoconstriction than the Merinos.3. In experiment 2 foot and ear skin temperatures fell smoothly with gradual vasoconstriction. In contrast to experiment 1, both breeds were similar in the time of onset of vasoconstriction. Foot temperatures, however, were significantly higher and vasoconstriction correspondingly later during the second exposure of experiment 2 than during the first exposure.4. The skin temperature at which vasoconstriction occurred remained similar irrespective of breed, shearing or exposure occasion. But the ambient temperature at vasoconstriction was significantly influenced by all these variables.5. Cold-induced vasodilatations were more frequent in experiment 1 than in experiment 2.6. Retarded vasoconstriction among the Merinos in experiment 1 could, except for two sheep, be accounted for by their superior fleece cover. In experiment 2, the delayed foot vasoconstriction on second exposure was attributed to increased blood flow resulting from acclimatization.
The effect of protein intake during gestation on ewe and lamb performance
Authors: Robinson J. J. , Forbes T. J. 
Published: September 2010

Two experiments were carried out in which a total of sixty-four Border Leicester × Scottish Blackface ewes were each individually fed on one of eight experimental diets from six weeks after service to parturition. The eight diets supplied four intakes of crude protein (156, 119, 90 and 65 g/68-kg ewe per day) and two intakes of energy (2923 and 2468 kcal ME/68-kg ewe per day). After parturition the ewes received one of two lactation treatments supplying a standard protein intake of approximately 260 g/68-kg ewe per day at ME intakes of 4700 and 4186 kcal/68-kg ewe per day.The relationship between net body weight change (Y, kg) and ME (X1) and DCP (X2) intakes (per 68-kg ewe) was described by the equation Y = The DCP intake corresponding to maximum efficiency of energy utilization was 98 g/68-kg ewe per day. The relationship between lamb birth weight (Y, kg) and ME and DCP intake was described by the equation Y = 0·0003X1 + 0·0080 X2 + 2·8501.Ewe live-weight loss during early lactation, lamb growth rates from birth to three weeks and ewe milk yield at three weeks tended to decrease with decreasing protein intake during pregnancy.
The effect of cereal and protein source on the energy intake and nitrogen balance of fattening lambs given all-concentrate diets
Authors: Davies P. J. 
Published: September 2010

Energy intake and nitrogen balance studies have been conducted on 12 lambs fedad libitumon four all-concentrate diets of equal crude-protein content in an experiment of latin square design. Each diet contained one cereal, either barley or oats and one protein supplement, either white-fish meal or soya bean meal.Protein supplements had no influence on energy intake, but intake was significantly higher when the lambs were given barley rather than oat diets.There were highly significant differences in the degree of utilization of digested nitrogen between diets containing fish meal and soya bean meal, and between diets containing barley and oats.The energy: nitrogen ratio of urine was inversely related to the proportion of urinary nitrogen present as urea and directly related to the degree of utilization of digested nitrogen.
The effects of varying the quantity and distribution of liquid feed in lambs reared artificially
Authors: Owen J. B. , Davies D. A. R. , Ridgman W. J. 
Published: September 2010

SUMMARY1. An experiment to test the effects on growth rate of lambs to 15 kg live weight of 5, 7 or 9 kg of milk replacer powder given according to four systems of daily restriction is described and the results are discussed.2. Although the average age at weaning varied from 18 to 50 days according to treatment, the quantity of milk replacer did not affect the lambs' overall growth rate. Lambs deprived of milk consumed extra concentrates at a rate of 1·75 ± 0·219 kg per kg of milk powder.3. Although severe restriction of the daily allowance markedly reduced the growth of lambs during the milk-feeding period, they subsequently grew at a faster rate and there was no resultant major depression of overall growth rate. The lambs first consumed a measurable quantity of solid food when they were on average 21 days old and this varied little according to treatment.4. It is concluded that under the conditions of this experiment it was not economic to give more than 5 kg of milk powder and that it was not advantageous to adopt distribution systems that delayed weaning much beyond 20 days.5. The applicability of these findings to practice is discussed in relation to the possibility of treatment effects from the rearing period being carried over to the period beyond 15 kg live weight, and also to the possible effects of single penning versus grouping on lamb behaviour.
The repeatability of maternal performance in inbred, outbred and linecross large white sows
Authors: King J. W. B. , Gajić Z. 
Published: September 2010

SUMMARYRepeatability estimates for various maternal characteristics were calculated for 301 inbred, 150 outbred and 135 linecross Large White sows each with two litters. The estimated repeatabilities did not differ significantly between the three kinds of sow and the arithmetic average of the values obtained were as follows: number of pigs born alive 0·24; number of pigs born dead 0·05; total birth weight of litter 0·25; average individual birth weight 0·41; number of pigs alive at 50 days 0·07; total litter weight at 50 days 0·14; average individual weight at 50 days 0·15.The linecross sows produced and weaned more pigs than the outbred sows, which in turn performed better than the inbred sows. Changes in performance from the first to the second litter were similar for all three groups of sows.
Sheltering behaviour at lambing by Welsh Mountain ewes
Authors: Winfield C. J. , Brown W. , Lucas I. A. M. 
Published: September 2010

SUMMARYFrom observations made over 3 years on a flock of Welsh Mountain sheep kept at 210 to 330m above sea level there was no indication that ewes especially sought shelter for lambing when wind speed was under 8 km/hr or the Kata cooling power was below 20 millical/cm2 per sec. When wind speed or cooling power rose, lambing sites chosen by the ewes were progressively more sheltered. Average wind speed and Kata cooling power at sheep height at lambing sites were about 14 km/hr and 35 millical/cm2 per sec.Variability in wind speed and cooling power at an unsheltered site accounted for only 24% and 18% of the variability in these measures at the lambing sites, thus the lambing sites chosen depended to a considerable extent upon other factors, which are discussed.The environment at lambing sites chosen by ewes cannot be taken as the optimum. No attempt was made to correlate lambing site environment with ewe or lamb performance.
A note on the body composition of a double-muscled female and a normal female from a linebred Aberdeen Angus herd
Authors: Rollins W. C. , Julian L. M. , Carroll F. D. 
Published: September 2010

SUMMARYBody composition of a pair of related double-muscled and normal Aberdeen Angus females was analysed. The following ratios of weights of body components of the double-muscled individual to the normal were found: empty body, 1·0; carcass, 1·1; total muscle, 1·4; carcass fat, 0·7; offal fat, 0·9; viscera, 0·9; hide, 0·8; ash (in carcass), 1·0. The data supported an hypothesis of generalized muscular hypertrophy. The empty body weight of the normal female was 474 kg.
Effect of replacing rolled barley with swedes or potatoes on the intake and rumen volatile fatty acid composition of lambs
Authors: Ørskov E. R. , Andrews R. P. , Gill J. C. 
Published: September 2010

SUMMARYThe effect of gradually replacing barley with swedes or potatoes on intake of digestible dry matter and on the volatile fatty acid (VFA) composition of liquor was measured in an experiment with eight female and four castrated male sheep approximately six months old. The total intake of digestible dry matter was greatest when rolled barley was given at two-thirds of estimated maximal intake and roots given ad libitum. The intake of digestible dry matter was reduced to 80% of the highest intake when all the barley was substituted with swedes and to 70% of the highest intake when all the barley was substituted with potatoes. Replacing barley with roots had little or no influence on VFA composition.
A note on the use of distillers' by-products in diets for growing pigs
Authors: Livingstone R. M. , Livingston D. M. S. 
Published: September 2010

SUMMARYA by-product of the distilling industry designated ‘distillers’ grains plus solubles' was evaluated using forty-eight growing pigs. The product was included at 0, 14·7 and 25% in three diets in which the proportion of other constituents was adjusted to give similar concentrations of TDN, dry matter and crude protein.The performance and carcass quality of pigs receiving 0% and 14·7% of the by-product in the diet was similar, but inclusion at 25% significantly reduced growth rate (g/day) from 632 for the 0% diet to 578.
A note on the voluntary feed intake of lactating ewes, their milk yield and the growth rate of their lambs
Authors: Forbes J. M. 
Published: September 2010

SUMMARYVoluntary hay intake and milk yield were measured in 11 singlesuckling and 4 twin-suckling ewes for the first seven weeks of lactation. There was no significant difference between the intakes of the two classes of ewe and milk yield differed only in the seventh week. Variations in milk yield and live-weight change were significantly associated with variations in voluntary intake. Lamb weight gain was correlated with milk yield and voluntary intake of the dam.
The relative size of calf and dam and the frequency of calving difficulties
Authors: Monteiro L. S. 
Published: September 2010

SUMMARYThe frequencies of calving difficulties were computed for 458 calvings of first and second parity Friesian, Ayrshire and Jersey dams with pure and crossbred progeny in all possible combinations. It was found that heavier breeds of dams have higher frequency of difficult calvings. For each breed of dam there is also a direct relationship between the mean birth weight of the calves and the frequency of calving difficulties associated with the breed or cross of calf.An index of calving difficulties calculated in the form of a discriminant function which combined both the birth weight of the calf and the calving weight and parity of the dam was:
Z = log BW−0· log DW−0·10 P,where Z is the index of calving difficulties, BW and DW are respectively the birth and dam weight and P the parity variable withthe values of one for second parity and zero for the first.
A study of the energy requirements of weaned lambs
Authors: Forbes T. J. , Robinson J. J. 
Published: September 2010

SUMMARYTwo experiments were carried out to study the energy requirements of young fattening lambs for maintenance and production. Forty weaned lambs were used in each experiment, 20 being allocated to a high level of feeding (900 g air-dry feed per day) and 20 to a low level (540 g). The animals used in Experiment 1 were approximately 12 months of age and their mean live weight was 35·3±4·03 kg. Those in Experiment 2 were approximately seven months of age and their mean live weight was 36·7 ± 4·57 kg. Experiment 1 continued for 100 days and Experiment 2 for 47 days. Three digestibility trials, involving three animals from each feeding level, were carried out during the course of each experiment to obtain precise estimates of digestible organic matter intake (DOMI). The estimated mean DOMI required for maintenance for a 45-kg lamb was 400 g (0·88 lb) or 1500 kcal metabolizable energy per day. The estimated maintenance requirement was not affected by the age of the animal. The DOMI required for production ranged from 1·55 kg per kg live-weight gain for the younger animals to 1·71 kg for the older animals. Both these requirements were lower than those obtained by other workers and those suggested by the Agricultural Research Council (1965).
Fleece characteristics and the wool follicle population of the Merilin, a Uruguayan sheep breed
Authors: Clarke W. H. J. , Donnelly J. B. , Lombardini A. , González R. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTTotal follicle density, primary follicle density, secondary follicle density, secondary/primary ratio and incidence of medullated fibres were studied in skin specimens from 78 2-year-old Merilin rams representing nine parent studs in Uruguay. The limited data available suggest that the studs sampled may fall into various groups, although separation into distinct groups is not equally well defined for all variables measured. Consequently, a firm conclusion about the Merilin awaits further information on fleece weight, staple length and body weight.
Derivation of improvement lags in a livestock industry
Authors: Guy D. R. , Smith C. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTA simple and general procedure for calculating the equilibrium improvement lag in a livestock dissemination system is presented. The lag is conveniently measured in terms of the number of years of genetic change that it represents, and depends on the age and on the genetic superiority of the parents used in each step of the dissemination system. The total lag is the sum of the lags in all steps, weighting each step by the proportion of genes going through it.
A note on the use of Dexamethasone to induce parturition in the ewe
Authors: Webster G. M. , Haresign W. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTA single intra-muscular injection of either 6mg or 12 mg Dexamethasone on day 142 of gestation resulted in a high degree of synchrony in the time of lambing compared with untreated controls, with no increase in lambing difficulty or perinatal mortality. Birth weight and growth rate of lambs born to treated ewes were not significantly different from those of untreated control ewes.A single intra-muscular injection of 12 mg Dexamethasone on day 125 of gestation resulted in abortion in nearly half of the ewes, and their lambs were either stillborn or died soon after birth.These data demonstrate the need to know precise mating dates if parturition is to be induced in this way.
The utilization of dietary cellulose by growing pigs
Authors: Partridge I. G. , Keal H. D. , Mitchell K. G. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACT1. The objective was to determine to what extent pigs can make use of energy yielded by fermentation of cellulose in the hindgut.2. Two groups of 12 pigs were grown from 20 to 80 kg live weight on diets based on barley and soya bean meal. In treatment 1 energy intakes were restricted to approximately 085 of that required for maximum growth rate but intakes of other nutrients were adequate. Treatment 2 provided the same intake of all nutrients as treatment 1, but cellulose (‘Solka-floc’) was given in addition at a level of 150 g/kg food intake.3. There were no significant differences between treatments in average daily gain or carcass linear measurements but dressing proportion was lower with added cellulose.4. At 35 and 65 kg live weight, apparent digestibility of fibre and energy was measured in 5-day periods on each pig. The weight of the fibre digested in treatment 2 was considerably higher than for treatment 1; the digestibility of added neutral-detergent fibre was 0·40. However, the quantity of energy apparently absorbed was the same for both treatments. In treatment 2, either none of the energy released from digestion of added cellulose was absorbed or, if any was absorbed, it was offset by reduced absorption of energy from other sources.
‘Flight distance’ in Merino sheep
Authors: Hutson G. D. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTThe ‘flight distance’ of Merino sheep was examined in three experiments. In experiment 1 a man moved towards flocks of sheep confined at the end of a 2-m wide laneway, and the speed of approach, flock density and flock size were varied. In experiment 2, single sheep were tested and, in experiment 3, the width of the laneway was doubled.The critical distance at which sheep started moving past the man was proportional to the width of the laneway. In the 2-m wide laneway the flight distance was 5·7 (s.e. 0·3) m compared with 11·4 (s.e. 0·6) m in the 4-m laneway. Flight distance was not affected by flock size, density or speed of approach, except for individual sheep, who had a greater flight distance than flocks, but this was reduced at fast approach speeds.Analysis of head orientation showed that the proportion of the flock facing towards or away from the handler could be a useful predictor of the flight distance of confined flocks. On the edge of the flight zone approximately half the flock was facing towards the handler and half was facing to either side or away from him.
The partition of body fat in British Friesian and Jersey steers
Authors: Butler-Hogg B. W. , Wood J. D. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTNinety-two British Friesians and 62 Jersey castrated male cattle were slaughtered serially in five age groups at 13, 89, 170, 339 and 507 days, and dissected fully into lean, bone, intermuscular fat, subcutaneous fat, perirenal-retroperitoneal fat (kidney knob and channel fat), omental fat and mesenteric fat. The aim was to investigate the partition of body fat in these dairy breeds and the role of the partition of fat in determining carcass value.Relative to live weight, Friesians had more lean, subcutaneous fat and carcass fat (subcutaneous and intermuscular) at most ages, and Jerseys had more kidney knob and channel fat, and intra-abdominal fat. Friesians had a higher killing-out proportion and lean:bone ratio, and thicker subcutaneous fat.The order of increasing relative growth of fat depots with total body fat as the independent variable was, for Friesians: intermuscular < mesenteric < kidney knob and channel fat < subcutaneous < omental. In Jerseys the order was: intermuscular < mesenteric < subcutaneous < kidney knob and channel fat < omental. There were only small breed differences in the distribution of subcutaneous fat between eight regions. t I is suggested that, between breeds, there is a physiological link between the capacity for milk-fat production and the partition of fat within the body, with relatively high milk-fat producers depositing proportionately more fat intra-abdominally.Since the timing of slaughter is often determined by level of external finish in beef production, the breed difference in the partition of fat, which caused Jerseys to have a higher proportion of kidney knob and channel fat, and intermuscular fat, at the same proportion of subcutaneous fat, would reduce carcass value in Jerseys compared with Friesians.
Carcass and meat quality of ram and ewe lambs
Authors: Butler-Hogg B. W. , Francombe M. A. , Dransfield E. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTCarcass composition and quality and eating quality of the m. longissimus dorsi (LD) were compared in 15 entire male (ram) and 15 female (ewe) pure bred Dorset Down lambs (carcass weight range 12 to 23 kg).Rams grew 28 g/day faster than ewes, taking on average 2 weeks less to achieve 35 kg live weight. At the mean carcass weight of 16-8 kg, ram carcasses contained more lean (42 g/kg carcass weight) and bone (19 g/kg) and less fat (subcutaneous, 33 g/kg; intermuscular, 28 g/kg; perirenal-retroperitoneal, 14 g/kg) than ewe carcasses.At the same level of fat cover in the commercially prepared side, ewe carcasses required more trimming of subcutaneous fat than rams. However, there was more intermuscular fat (which is not removed by conventional cutting) in the ewes; consequently their saleable meat contained 51 g/kg more fat and 37 g/kg less lean than that from rams.The roast LD was invariably tender and the eating quality of LD from rams was as desirable as that from ewes, while overall eating quality compared favourably with that of animals studied previously. There was no evidence of an undesirable sexual odour or flavour in ram meat.With early maturing breeds, which can be finished off grass, non-castration of entire males offers the opportunity of improving the efficiency of lean meat production whilst retaining good carcass and eating quality.
The effects of long-term administration of bovine growth hormone on the lactational performance of identical-twin dairy cows
Authors: Peel C. J. , Sandles L. D. , Quelch Kaylene J. , Herington A. C. 
Published: September 2010

ABSTRACTThe effect of chronic administration of bovine growth hormone (GH) on milk production, food intake and live-weight change was evaluated in five sets of monozygotic twin cows on pasture. Purified bovine pituitary GH (specific activity, 0·78 IU/mg) was administered by daily subcutaneous injections (39 IU/day) for a period of 22 weeks (weeks 5 to 26 of lactation). GH treatment resulted in significantly higher yields of milk (23·3 kg/day), fat (0·97 kg/day), protein (0·74 kg/day) and lactose (115 kg/day) compared with the control group (19·8 kg/day, 0·79 kg/day, 0·63 kg/day, 0·99 kg/day). Milk composition did not differ between treatment groups. There was no difference in the intake of cut grass in week 8 but the voluntary intake of the GH group had increased by week 22 (controls, 15·4 kg dry matter (DM) per day and GH group, 17·5 kg DM per day). There were no differences in the rate of live-weight change for the two groups. Serum somatomedin concentrations were significantly elevated in the GH group on weeks 20 to 22 of treatment (0·043 v. 0·135 U/ml). This experiment indicates that cows chronically treated with GH were able to adjust their food intake upwards to sustain a substantial increase in milk production on a diet composed solely of grass.