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Individual Cages (individual + cage)
Selected AbstractsDensity, dispersal, and feeding impact of western flower thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on flowering chrysanthemum at different spatial scalesECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 1 2005Marc Rhainds Abstract., 1. This study evaluated the effect of dispersal on the density and feeding impact of a phytophagous insect in relation to the spatial distribution of its host plants. 2. The interaction between density, dispersal, and feeding impact of western flower thrips on flowering chrysanthemum was quantified at three spatial scales, with infested and uninfested plants either isolated in 0.25 m2 individual cages, or enclosed together in 2.25 m2 communal cages or 75 m2 greenhouses. 3. In individual cages, the rate of dispersal from chrysanthemum plants to blue sticky traps increased with the density of thrips for females but not males. Uninfested plants consistently had fewer thrips when they were individually caged rather than enclosed with plants infested with adults, indicating that dispersal mediates inter-plant distribution of thrips. 4. The feeding impact of thrips on inflorescences was evaluated using the absorbance of ethanol extracts at wavelengths characteristic of yellow carotenoid pigments associated with chrysanthemum inflorescences (415, 445, and 472 nm). Increasing absorbance of extracts with increasing density of thrips per inflorescence suggests that feeding by thrips results in ruptured cells leaching carotenoid pigments. 5. In communal cages, the distribution of thrips was uniform for infested and uninfested plants, whereas the density and feeding impact of thrips in greenhouses were higher for infested than uninfested plants. These results suggest that short-range dispersal by adults homogenises the density and feeding impact of thrips among host plants only on a small spatial scale. [source] Effect of an organic acid blend and phytase added to a rapeseed cake-containing diet on performance, intestinal morphology, caecal microflora activity and thyroid status of broiler chickensJOURNAL OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND NUTRITION, Issue 1 2010S. Smulikowska Summary The experiment was carried out on 96 female broilers, allocated to eight groups of 12 birds kept in individual cages. Two basal wheat- and soyabean meal-based diets containing 150 g/kg of rapeseed expeller cake were formulated, differing in the level of P: 7.1 g/kg in diet H or 5.9 g/kg in diet L. Rapeseed cake supplied 3.15 ,mol alkenyl glucosinolates per gram of diet. The eight treatments were: basal diets only, basal diets + phytase (1000 U/kg), basal diets + organic acid blend (OA, 6 g/kg), or basal diets + both additives. Diets were fed from day 8 to 28 of life. The results showed that the lower dietary P content and OA supplementation did not significantly affect feed intake or BWG, while both increased (p < 0.001) after phytase supplementation. Tibia ash content as well as tibia ultimate strength were lower (p < 0.001) in birds fed diets L compared with diets H, and increased (p < 0.01) with phytase supplementation of diet L, while OA had no influence on either parameter. Dietary P levels and OA supplementation had no influence on the pH of gut digesta, but the pH of jejunal digesta increased following phytase supplementation (p < 0.01). Morphological measurements of the small intestinal mucosa of chicks indicated that OA added to diet L depressed villi height (p < 0.001) and crypt depth (p < 0.001); both parameters increased after phytase supplementation (p < 0.01). The lower total SCFA as well as acetic, propionic and butyric acid concentrations in caecal digesta indicated lower activity of caecal microflora in birds fed diets L compared with H. OA supplementation had no influence, while phytase supplementation increased the concentration of acetic acid in caecal digesta. Supplementation of diets with either phytase or OA increased thyroid weight by 16% (p < 0.01) and 11% (p < 0.05) respectively. The increase in thyroid weight because of phytase supplementation was greater at the lower dietary P level, and the greatest when both phytase and OA were added to the diet. [source] Effect of feeding complete feed block containing Prosopis cineraria leaves and polyethylene glycol (PEG)-6000 on nutrient intake, its utilization, rumen fermentation pattern and rumen enzyme profile in kidsJOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 11 2005Raghavendra Bhatta Abstract A study was carried out to determine the effect of replacing the cake portion of concentrate mixture with 5 parts polyethylene glycol (PEG)-6000 in a complete feed block (CFB) containing Prosopis cineraria leaves on the performance, rumen fermentation pattern and rumen enzyme profile of kids under an intensive system of rearing. Eighteen weaners of Sirohi goat of similar body weight (16.0 ± 0.5 kg) and age (90 ± 5 days) were divided into three equal groups. They were housed in individual cages in a side open asbestos roof shed with mud floor. All the kids received CFBs containing 50 parts P cineraria leaves and 50 parts concentrate mixture. CFB offered to the first group had high protein (183.8 g kg,1; HP), that offered to the second group had low protein (131.3 g kg,1; LP) and that offered to the third group had low protein (124.7 g kg,1) but contained PEG-6000 (LP-PEG). The concentrate mixtures in LP and LP-PEG were without groundnut cake, whereas in LP-PEG, groundnut cake was replaced by barley and 5 parts PEG-6000 were incorporated. CFBs were similar in their nutritive value except for crude protein (CP). Prosopis leaves utilized in the CFB contained (g kg,1 dry matter) 129.1 CP, 535.5 neutral detergent fibre, 395.8 acid detergent fibre and 222.8 acid detergent lignin. There were significant differences in dry matter intake (g day,1) between HP (1102), LP (1108) and LP-PEG (1194); the trend in Metabolizable energy intake was similar. During the growth trial, LP kids consumed maximum amount of feed (76.91 kg) followed by HP (75.73 kg) and LP-PEG (73.12 kg). However, maximum feed efficiency (feed consumed kg,1 live weight gain) was recorded in LP-PEG kids (9.59) followed by HP (10.64) and LP (11.60). These differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Although there was no significant difference in the digestibility of dry matter among the groups, there was significant difference in the digestibility of CP, neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre. The digestibility of CP was 0.591, 0.484 and 0.645, that of neutral detergent fibre was 0.397, 0.308 and 0.499 and that of acid detergent fibre was 0.168, 0.154 and 0.282 in HP, LP and LP-PEG, respectively. Rumen metabolites studied 6 h after feeding revealed that there were significant (p < 0.05) differences in the concentrations of ammonia N, tri-chloro acetic acid precipitable N and total volatile fatty acids among the three groups, but not pH. The rumen enzyme concentrations showed significant (p < 0.05) differences for ,-amylase, whereas the differences were non-significant for CMcase and protease. After 90 days of feeding trial, the maximum weight gain was recorded in LP-PEG (7.62 kg) followed by HP (7.23 kg) and LP (6.53 kg). It can be concluded that, when kids are reared under an intensive system on complete feed blocks containing Prosopis leaves, high protein concentrate can be replaced with a low protein concentrate containing 5 parts PEG, which would not only alleviate the negative effects of tannin but would also spare expensive groundnut protein. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Effects of feeding fermented fish on egg cholesterol content in hensANIMAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 1 2009Teck-Chwen LOH ABSTRACT This study was conducted to investigate the effects of feeding fermented fish (FF) to layers on laying performance, and polyunsaturated fatty acid and cholesterol levels in eggs and plasma. A total of 96, 13-week-old Babcock B380 pullets were used in this study. They were randomly assigned to four numerically equal groups with eight replicates per treatment, three birds per replicate. All the birds were housed in individual cages. The dietary treatments were: Control diet, without FF; FF3 diet containing 3% (w/w) FF, FF6 diet containing 6% (w/w) FF and FF9 diet containing 9% (w/w) FF. The study was carried out for 16 weeks inclusive of two weeks of adjustment. Weekly feed intake and egg production were recorded. Blood plasma cholesterol and fatty acid profiles were assayed at the end of the experiment. FF did not enhance (P > 0.05) egg mass but (P < 0.05) decreased egg weight slightly. However, egg yolk cholesterol and plasma cholesterol concentrations were reduced (P < 0.05) by FF. The n-6:n-3 fatty acids ratio in the egg yolk (Control = 7.9, FF9 = 6.2) and plasma (Control = 10.6, FF9 = 6.2) were decreased by feeding FF. Moreover, FF was able to increase (P < 0.05) the docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) concentrations in egg yolk and plasma. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that FF increased DHA and reduced egg yolk cholesterol in poultry eggs. [source] Effects of Cacao Liquor Polyphenols on Cardiovascular and Autonomic Nervous Functions in Hypercholesterolaemic RabbitsBASIC AND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY, Issue 6 2008Megumi Akita This study tested the hypothesis that cacao liquor polyphenols have the properties to restore the cardiovascular and autonomic nervous function in an animal model of familial hypercholesterolaemia. Male Kurosawa and Kusanagi-hypercholesterolaemic rabbits were housed in individual cages in a room where a 12-hr light:dark cycle (lights-on at 8:00 and lights-off at 20:00) was maintained. At 3 months of age, they were divided into two groups (standard diet and cacao liquor polyphenol) and the animals received 100 g of the respective diets per day and were provided with tap water ad libitum. Heart rate and blood pressure were measured by a telemetry system. To clarify the autonomic nervous function, power spectral analysis of heart rate variability, baroreflex sensitivity and autonomic nervous tone were measured. After 6 months of dietary administration of cacao liquor polyphenols, heart rate and blood pressure were lowered but plasma lipid concentrations were unchanged. The area of atherosclerotic lesions in the aorta in the cacao liquor polyphenol group was significantly smaller than that in the standard diet group. The high-frequency power of heart rate variability in the rabbits in the standard diet group was significantly decreased with ageing, but that in the cacao liquor polyphenol group was not different between short-term and long-term treatment. Moreover, cacao liquor polyphenols preserved parasympathetic nervous tone, although that in the standard diet group was significantly decreased with ageing. We conclude that cacao liquor polyphenols may play an important role to protect cardiovascular and autonomic nervous functions. [source] | ||||||||||