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Live Weight (live + weight)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Life Sciences	39%
Earth and Environmental Science	39%
Medical Sciences	13%

Kinds of Live Weight

kg live weight

Terms modified by Live Weight

live weight gain

Selected Abstracts

Effects of herbage intake on goat performance in the mediterranean type natural pastures

ANIMAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 1 2009
Basri H. HAKYEMEZ
ABSTRACT This study aimed at identifying changes in natural pastures during the grazing season and investigating the effects of these changes on pasture feeding potential for high yielding dairy goats. During the study, 12 dairy goats were grazed on a 1.5 ha natural pasture for three months from April to June in 2003, 2004 and 2005. The goats were fed 0.5 kg/day of concentrate as a supplement during the grazing season. Botanical composition, herbage production and intake, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) contents of the pasture were determined. Live weight, milk yield, milk dry matter (DM) and fat content of the goats were monitored. The data were analyzed using a linear model, which evaluated the effects of grazing seasons in each year. Based on the three-year average, 87% of pasture was herbaceous plants and the remaining was shrubs in DM basis with Cistus creticus, Quercus ithaburensis, Pistacia atlantica and Asparagus acutifolius being the major shrub species. The herbage yield in June was significantly lower than in other months in all years (P = 0.001). In all experimental years, the CP content of the pasture decreased but the structural carbohydrates increased as the grazing season proceeded. While live weight was not affected by grazing periods except for 2004 (P = 0.001), milk yield significantly decreased with advancing grazing period (P = 0.001). The results of the present study indicate that natural pasture has a supportive effect in April and May on the milk yield of lactating goats which are in mid-lactation, and suggested that supplementary feeding is required in consecutive grazing periods. [source]

Diet selection of dry and lactating beef cows grazing extensive pastures in late autumn

GRASS & FORAGE SCIENCE, Issue 4 2006
A. Farruggia
Abstract The diet selection, made by twelve dry and twelve lactating spring-calving Salers beef cows at the end of the grazing season on an extensively grazed natural mountain pasture in central France, was compared. Sward structure, selection bites, daily grazing time and digestibility of the diet were measured in mid-October (P1) and mid-November (P2). Live weights were measured twice monthly throughout the experiment. Daily milk production was assessed in the week before the grazing behaviour measurements. Lactating cows grazed more selectively than dry cows: they took more bites on green patches (0·20 vs. 0·13 of total bites, P < 0·01; Jacob's selectivity index: 0·13 vs. ,0·25, P < 0·001), which is consistent with the higher overall nitrogen concentration in faeces (18·1 vs. 17·3 g kg,1 DM, P < 0·05). Lactating cows tended to slightly increase their daily grazing time compared with dry cows (on average 9·9 vs. 9·5 h, P = 0·07) and grazed faster in mid-November (74 vs. 69 bites min,1, P < 0·05). The lactating cows lost more live weight (,24 vs. ,12 kg cow,1, P < 0·05) between P1 and P2. A positive correlation was found between consumption of green patches by lactating cows and their daily milk production in P2 (r = 0·574, P = 0·05), whereas no correlation occurred between individual milk production and liveweight loss. Dry cows were less selective, which supports management practices that promote the use of cows with low requirements on extensively grazed pastures in late season. [source]

Population size, weight distribution and food in a persistent population of the rare medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis

FRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 8 2008
J. M. ELLIOTT
Summary 1. It is important for species recovery and conservation management projects to know the minimum viable population size for rare and endangered species, such as the medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis. Therefore, using a catch-removal method, this study estimated every two years (1986, 1988, 1990, 1992) the total number of medicinal leeches in a tarn in the English Lake District, and the number of mature adults in the population. 2. Four samples were taken each year in June and July, when water temperatures exceeded 20 °C. Population size was estimated both by maximum likelihood and regression methods. All leeches were weighed alive and size groups were separated by polymodal frequency analysis. A small sample of the blood meal in each leech gut was taken before the leeches were returned to the tarn, and was used to estimate the proportion of mammalian and non-mammalian blood in the meals. 3. Both methods of estimation produced similar values, increasing confidence in the population estimates. Values for the total population in June and July varied among years from 248 to 288, the maximum value being only 16% higher than the minimum. Values for the number of mature leeches varied from 48 to 58 (19,20% of the total population), and this was an estimate of the effective population size. 4. There were four size groups. The largest mature leeches (live weight >5 g) in group IV formed only 1% of the population, and the smallest (0.02,0.5 g) in group I 14,17%. Most leeches were in two overlapping groups of immature (64,67% of population) and mature (18%) leeches with size ranges of 0.4,3.4 g and 2.5,5 g respectively. The percentage of leeches in each size group was very consistent among years. Blood meals were found in 38,44% of the leeches in group I, 45,50% in group II, 70,75% in group III, and 100% in group IV, but mammalian blood was present only in larger mature leeches (>3.5 g). 5. Medicinal leeches were first detected in the tarn in 1980 and are still present in 2007, so the population has persisted for at least 27 years. Compared with minimum viable population sizes for other species, including many endangered species, values for this medicinal leech population are extremely low, but may be typical of some rare freshwater invertebrates in isolated habitats. [source]

Effect of supplementation with grain, hay or straw on the performance of weaner Merino sheep grazing old man (Atriplex nummularia) or river (Atriplex amnicola) saltbush

GRASS & FORAGE SCIENCE, Issue 2 2008
H. C. Norman
Abstract Old man saltbush (Atriplex nummularia) and river saltbush (A. amnicola) are widely used in commercial grazing systems on saline land in south-western Australia. Three hypotheses were tested during a 3-year study aimed at understanding the performance of weaner Merino sheep grazing saltbush-based pastures. The first hypothesis, that young Merino sheep grazing river saltbush would be better able to maintain live weight, body condition and would grow more wool than sheep grazing old man saltbush, was not supported by the data. Across the 3 years of the study, sheep grazing old man saltbush lost significantly less live weight and grew more wool (proportionately 0·06) than sheep grazing river saltbush. Differences in animal performance were considered to be associated with differences between the plant species in in vitro digestibility, concentrations of fibre, sulphur and crude protein in the herbage and the architecture of the Atriplex plants. The second and third hypotheses concerned supplementation strategies for sheep grazing saltbush. Three supplements were offered, namely barley grain, cereal straw or cereal hay, at a rate that approximated to one-third of the daily metabolizable energy requirements for maintenance of live weight. The performance of the sheep was higher when the grain supplement was offered but there was no effect of feeding roughage supplements compared to no supplementation. The findings suggested that the practice of feeding saltbush with adjacent crop stubbles is unlikely to be beneficial once any fallen grain has been consumed. [source]

Effect of frequency of application of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer within a rotational paddock-grazing system on the performance of dairy cows and inputs of labour

GRASS & FORAGE SCIENCE, Issue 2 2008
C. P. Ferris
Abstract As herd sizes and labour costs increase, and the availability of skilled labour decreases, efficient use of available labour becomes more important in dairy cow systems. Two experiments were conducted to examine the effect of reducing the frequency of application of inorganic nitrogen (N) fertilizer on inputs of labour and performance of dairy cows. Experiments 1 (duration of 169 d) and 2 (duration of 179 d) involved fifty-eight and forty multiparous Holstein,Friesian dairy cows, respectively, in mid-lactation. In each experiment, in the ,infrequent' treatment fertilizer was applied to all paddocks on a single occasion at the start of each grazing cycle, while in treatment ,frequent', fertilizer was applied on three occasions each week, within 2 or 3 d of each paddock having been grazed. The experimental treatments were started from 30 March and 29 March in Experiments 1 and 2 respectively. Total N application rates were approximately 360 and 250 kg N ha,1 in Experiments 1 and 2 respectively. Concentrate feed (4·0 kg per cow) was offered daily in both experiments. With the ,infrequent' treatment, highest concentrations of crude protein and nitrate in herbage were observed in swards grazed approximately 10 d after N fertilizer was applied. Treatment had no significant effect on milk yield, milk fat and protein concentrations, and final live weight and body condition score of cows in either experiment. Milk urea and plasma urea concentrations were not significantly affected by treatment. Calculated application times of fertilizer for a herd of 100 dairy cows were 107 and 83 min week,1 for the ,frequent' and ,infrequent' treatments respectively. [source]

Effects of continuous or rotational grazing of two perennial ryegrass varieties on the chemical composition of the herbage and the performance of finishing lambs

GRASS & FORAGE SCIENCE, Issue 3 2007
C. L. Marley
Abstract Plant breeding has developed perennial ryegrass varieties with increased concentrations of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSCs) compared with conventional varieties. Water-soluble carbohydrates are major metabolic and storage components in ryegrass. Therefore, if perennial ryegrass herbage is allowed to grow to greater heights it should contain higher water-soluble carbohydrates concentrations, for example as under rotational grazing rather than continuous grazing by livestock. This study investigated this hypothesis and measured the performance of lambs grazed rotationally and continuously. Replicated plots of the variety AberDart (bred to express high WSC concentrations) or the variety Fennema were grazed by a core group of ten male Cheviot lambs for 10 weeks. Lambs were weighed and replicate forage samples were taken every 7 d. Concentrations of WSC in AberDart herbage were significantly (P < 0·05), but not substantially, higher than those in Fennema herbage. Rotational grazing did not increase the differential in WSC concentration between the AberDart and Fennema varieties. However, there was a tendency (P = 0·07) for lambs rotationally grazing the AberDart swards to have a higher final live weight than lambs grazing the Fennema swards. Overall, lamb performance was increased when either perennial ryegrass variety was rotationally rather than continuously grazed (P < 0·001). [source]

Diet selection of dry and lactating beef cows grazing extensive pastures in late autumn

Comparison of haymaking strategies for cow-calf systems in the Salado Region of Argentina using a simulation model.

GRASS & FORAGE SCIENCE, Issue 4 2005

Abstract Risk and cost estimates, calculated using a weather-driven farm simulation model, were used to evaluate the impact of different haymaking strategies in dryland cow-calf systems such as those in the Salado region of Argentina. Based on a 100-ha farm, each strategy was simulated using twenty sequences of 50 years of random weather. A risk-efficiency methodology was used, using calf live weight sold and considering the economic value of the live weight produced per year minus the cost of haymaking, as a simple measure of profit. The analysis highlighted both production and risk advantages in using hay, especially when a flexible hay management approach was implemented, although some haymaking strategies performed worse than not using hay. When calf live weight sold was considered alone, the risk-efficient set included strategies with large proportions of the areas being harvested (0.42,1.05; paddocks could be cut more that once a year in some of the strategies) and high proportions of hay not being used. The amount of hay for maximizing risk efficiency for profit was notably lower than that for maximizing cattle production. When haymaking costs were included, the proportion of area harvested for risk-efficient profit ranged from 0.28 to 0.52, depending on the target stocking rate. [source]

Effects of grass pasture and concentrate-based feeding systems for spring-calving dairy cows in early spring on performance during lactation

GRASS & FORAGE SCIENCE, Issue 3 2005
E. Kennedy
Abstract The effect of offering a total mixed ration of silage and concentrate (proportionately 0·44 silage) system [indoor feeding system (IF)] was compared with grazing at a high daily herbage allowance with a low level of concentrate supplementation [early grazing system (EG)] in early spring on the performance of spring-calving dairy cows in Ireland. Sixty-four spring-calving Holstein,Friesian dairy cows (mean calving date, 2 February) were allocated to one of two systems between 16 February and 4 April 2004. An equal number of primiparous and multiparous cows were assigned to each system. The dairy cows on the IF system were housed for a 7-week period and offered a diet of 10·9 kg DM cow,1 d,1 (s.d. 2·3) of concentrate, the remainder of the diet was 8·6 kg DM cow,1 d,1 (s.d. 1·9) of grass silage. The dairy cows on the EG system were offered a mean daily herbage allowance of 15·1 kg DM cow,1 d,1 (s.d. 3·7) and were supplemented with 3·0 kg DM cow,1 d,1 (s.d. 1·0) of concentrate. There was no difference in milk yield between the two systems but the cows in the EG system had a higher milk protein concentration (2·9 g kg,1) and a higher milk protein yield than in the IF system. Milk fat concentration was higher for cows in the IF than EG system (3·0 g kg,1). There was no difference in total daily dry-matter intake between the systems, measured in week 6 of the study. Mean live weight of the cows in the IF system was greater than in the EG system. The results of the study suggest that a slightly greater performance can be achieved by a system offering a high daily herbage allowance to spring-calving dairy cows in early lactation compared with a system offering a total mixed ration containing a high proportion of concentrate with grass silage. [source]

The effect of Calluna vulgaris cover on the performance and intake of ewes grazing hill pastures in northern Spain

GRASS & FORAGE SCIENCE, Issue 4 2000
K. Osoro
The effect of the proportion of Calluna vulgaris cover on diet composition, intake and performance of sheep grazing hill vegetation communities in northern Spain is examined. A total of 591 non-lactating Gallega ewes grazed for five consecutive grazing seasons (June to September) on replicated plots of hill pastures (1700 m.a.s.l.) composed principally of Festuca, Agrostis, Nardus and Calluna spp. but with different proportions of Calluna vulgaris cover, either 0·3 (C0·3) or 0·7 (C0·7) of the total area. In 1 year, twenty-eight ewes suckling single lambs also grazed the plots. The mean stocking density over the 5 years was 8·7 ewes ha,1. On treatment C0·3, daily liveweight gains (33 g d,1) of non-lactating ewes were significantly (P < 0·001) greater than on treatment C0·7 (12 g d,1). Likewise in lactating ewes the difference in mean daily liveweight change was 40 g d,1 (,5 vs. ,45 g d,1 for C0·3 and C0·7 treatments respectively; P < 0·001). Liveweight gains of lambs were only 80,100 g d,1 from June to August and lambs only maintained live weight during August and September. The effect of lactational status on liveweight changes was not significant. Liveweight gains of non-lactating ewes increased significantly (P < 0·001) from the first to the last year of the experiment on both treatments. The composition of the diet was significantly affected by treatment (P < 0·001), with a higher proportion of grass species on the C0·3 treatment and a higher digestibility of the diet in the first half of the grazing season (P < 0·001). The proportion of C. vulgaris in the diet was significantly (P < 0·001) higher on the C0·7 treatment and increased significantly (P < 0·001) from July to September on both treatments. There were no significant differences in the composition of the diet selected by lactating and non-lactating ewes. The results demonstrate that on hill vegetation communities, in which the grass components (Festuca rubra, Agrostis capillaris, and Nardus stricta) cover at least 0·3 of the area and on which the preferred grass component (Festuca and Agrostis spp.) is maintained at a sward height of at least 2·5 cm, non-lactating ewes can increase their live weight and body condition, but this increase is influenced by the proportion and quantity of species of grass in the diet, which is affected in turn by the species of grass available and their nutritive quality. However, ewes suckling lambs were not able to maintain their live weight and body condition except when Calluna cover was 0·3 and grass height was more than 3·5 cm. It is concluded that these indigenous vegetation communities can be used in sheep production systems to complement the use of improved pastures at other times of year. In particular, they can be utilized during the non-lactating period (summer) to increase body condition before the beginning of the mating period in autumn. [source]

The effect of herbage allowance on daily intake by Creole heifers tethered on natural Dichanthium spp. pasture

GRASS & FORAGE SCIENCE, Issue 3 2000
Boval
Two experiments were carried out in Guadeloupe to estimate the organic matter intake (OMI) and digestibility (OMD) of a Dichanthium spp. sward, grazed by tethered Creole heifers [mean live weight (LW) 202 ± 2·0 kg], at three daily herbage allowances. Experiment 1 examined herbage allowances of 16, 25 and 31 kg of dry matter (DM) d,1 on a fertilized sward at 21 days of regrowth whereas, in experiment 2, lower allowances of 11, 15 and 19 kg DM d,1 were examined on the same sward, which was unfertilized and grazed at 14 days of regrowth. In each experiment, the herbage was grazed with three groups of two heifers in a 3 × 3 Latin square design. Sward characteristics were described before grazing. OMI was calculated from total faecal output, and OMD was predicted from the crude protein (CP) content of the faeces. The amount of herbage defoliated by the heifers was also estimated on tillers selected at random. Organic matter intakes were on average 26 g and 19 g OM kg,1 LW, and OMD values were 0·740 and 0·665 for Experiments 1 and 2, respectively, and were not affected by allowance. In Experiment 1, the herbage quality was high [0·50 of leaf and 116 g CP kg,1 organic matter (OM)] for a tropical forage, whereas in Experiment 2, the quality of the herbage (0·27 of leaf and 73 g CP kg,1 OM) was lower. These differences were reflected in differences in intake and digestibility in the two experiments. The experimental tropical Dichanthium spp. swards can have intake characteristics similar to those of a temperate sward. [source]

Argentine rangeland quality influences reproduction of yearling pregnant heifers?

GRASSLAND SCIENCE, Issue 2 2009
Liliana G. Hidalgo
Abstract The Flooding Pampa natural grasslands are gradually being transformed into croplands to increase the economic returns of ranches. It is therefore becoming necessary for stockmen to increase beef cattle efficiency to compete with crops and to maintain the native grassland and its associated fauna. However, natural grasslands during winter have the lowest content of nutrients of the year. We intend to demonstrate that, with breeding weights of over 65% of cow mature weight, low forage quality of rangelands during winter does not have a negative effect on reproduction. These higher breeding weights were obtained by selecting early born female calves and by grazing annual and cultivated pastures. Pregnant Aberdeen Angus yearling heifers (n = 90) were evaluated using a pregnancy test (May 2005) until the second calving (July 2006). At the beginning of the experiment, yearling heifers with live weight ranging 360,514 kg (mean, 425 kg ± 3.5 SE) were used. Cattle grazed native grasslands (humid mesophytic meadows and humid prairie grasslands) and old mixed pastures. The second pregnancy was high (100%), with the same mean calving date as in the first pregnancy (227 Julian days). Heifers which calved later in the first calving year were early calvers in the second year, resulting in the relatively constant average calving dates across the animals. [source]

Genetic description of a divergent selection experiment in Angora rabbits with overlapping generations

JOURNAL OF ANIMAL BREEDING AND GENETICS, Issue 3 2009
S.A. Rafat
Summary The chief aims of this paper were the following: (i) to describe the demography and genetic structure in two divergent selected lines for total fleece weight (TFW) of French Angora rabbits with overlapping generations; (ii) to describe the effects of inbreeding during an experiment of divergent selection. A study of longevity with the survival kit showed that there was no significant difference in the risk of death or culling between the low line (LL) and high line (HL). A significant effect of inbreeding (p < 0.05) was observed with a 30% higher risk factor in the highest class of inbreeding coefficient compared with the other classes. The means of generation interval were 562 and 601 days in LL and HL, respectively. The numbers of generations for LL and HL were 3.90 and 3.64, respectively. Generation intervals decreased significantly from 1995 to 2000 (p < 0.05). The number of daughters in HL was very variable. The number of animals per generation was higher in HL than in LL. Each buck left nearly three daughters to the next generation (2.52 in LL, 3.24 in HL). In both lines, the effective number of ancestor genomes still present in the genetic pool of the generation was around eight from the reference population of 1995 to that of 2001. Inbreeding in HL was always higher than in LL. The effect of inbreeding was also significant (p < 0.05) on TFW and live weight. The animals with the lowest inbreeding category produced a higher TFW (p < 0.05) than the others. The observed selection differentials were lower than that expected owing to the breeding animal management rules in order to control inbreeding increase. [source]

Genetic parameters for dry matter, energy and protein intake, and their relationships with performance and carcass traits in Japanese Black cattle

JOURNAL OF ANIMAL BREEDING AND GENETICS, Issue 1 2009
M.A. Hoque
Summary Genetic parameters for feed intake and performance traits of 514 bulls and carcass traits of 22 099 of their progeny, and the relationships of measures of feed intake with performance and carcass traits were estimated. Feed intake traits were dry matter intake (DMI), concentrate intake (CONI), roughage intake, ratio of roughage intake to DMI, metabolizable energy intake (MEI) and digestible crude protein intake (DCPI). Performance traits included daily gain, metabolic weight, live weight at the end of test, dry matter conversion ratio and residual feed intake. Progeny carcass traits were carcass weight, percentage of meat yield, rib eye area (REA), subcutaneous fat, marbling score, meat colour (MCS), fat colour (FCS) and meat quality grade. All the feed intake and performance traits were moderately heritable. The heritabilities for REA and MCS were moderate, and that for FCS was low, while those for the other carcass traits were high. Selection against DMI, CONI and DCPI would reduce excessive intake of feed, but would have undesirable effects on growth and most of the carcass traits. Selection against MEI would lead to improvements in feed efficiency and growth traits. Selection against DCPI would also improve feed efficiency; however, responses in growth traits would decrease. Results indicate that selection against MEI might be better than any other measures of feed intake to improve feed efficiency with simultaneous improvement in growth and most of the carcass traits. [source]

Linkage and QTL mapping for Sus scrofa chromosome 11

JOURNAL OF ANIMAL BREEDING AND GENETICS, Issue 2003
M. Dragos-Wendrich
Summary Linkage and QTL maps of Sus scrofa chromosome 11 (SSC11) have been produced based on four microsatellite markers genotyped in three F2 families from Wild Boar (W), Meishan (M) and Pietrain (P) crosses. The maps were similar across the families and in agreement with already published maps. Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) were identified in the W × M family and not in the M × P and W × P families. The QTLs affected live weight, loin and neck meat weight, back-fat depth and food consumption, and explained up to 4.7% of the F2 phenotypic variance. Additive and dominance effects were similar in size. The Wild Boar QTL alleles led to higher trait values in comparison with Meishan alleles. Zusammenfassung Kopplungskarten für Chromosom 11 (SSC11), die durch Analyse von vier Mikrosatelliten-Markern in drei F2 -Familien aus Kreuzungen von Wildschwein (W), Meishan (M) und Pietrain (P) erstellt wurden, zeigten eine gute Übereinstimmung zwischen den Familien sowie mit Literaturergebnissen. Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) waren in der Familie W × M nachzuweisen, jedoch nicht in den Familien M × P und W × P. Sie beeinflussten Lebendgewicht, Kotelettstranggewicht, Rückenspeckdicke und Futteraufnahme und erklärten bis zu 4,7% der phänotypischen Varianz in der F2 -Generation. Additiv- und Dominanzeffekte waren ähnlich groß. Wildschwein-QTL-Allele führten im Vergleich zu Meishan-Allelen zu höheren Merkmalswerten. [source]

Effect of different liquid cultures of live yeast strains on performance, ruminal fermentation and microbial protein synthesis in lambs

JOURNAL OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND NUTRITION, Issue 6 2008
M. K. Tripathi
Summary Three yeast strains, Kluyveromyces marximanus NRRL-3234 (KM), Saccharomyces cerevisiae NCDC-42 (SC) and Saccharomyces uvarum ATCC-9080 (SU), and a mixed culture (1:1:1 ratio) were evaluated for their value as probiotics in lamb feeding in two experiment. In experiment I and II, 20 and 30 pre-weaner lambs were fed for 63 and 60 days in two and three equal groups respectively. All lambs were offered ad libitum a creep mixture and Zizyphus nummularia leaves, and yeasts were dosed orally. In experiment I, one group received no yeast, the other of the mixed culture (1.5,2 × 1010 live cells/ml). In experiment II, yeast cultivation was modified yielding 1.5,2 × 1013 live cells/ml. Lambs of the three experimental groups received 1 ml/kg live weight of one of the individual yeasts. Feed intake did not differ among groups of both experiments with the exception of SC-supplemented lambs in experiment II which showed a trend to higher intakes per kg metabolic body weight and in percentage of body weight when compared with KM- and SU-supplemented lambs. Supplementation of the mixed yeast culture had no effect on intakes of digestible crude protein and metabolisable energy, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance and rumen fermentation characteristics (pH, ammonia, volatile fatty acid concentration, protozoa count) and urinary allantoin as an indicator of microbial protein synthesis. The same was true for comparisons in experiment II except ciliate protozoa counts, which showed a trend to be the highest with SU and the lowest with SC. The results of present study show that the response of lambs to supplemented live yeast cultures is inconsistent, as it lacked to have an effect in the present study, and that differences among strains were small, even when supplemented at a much higher live cell count. [source]

Concentration of copper, iron, manganese and zinc in muscle, fat and bone tissue of lambs of the breed German Merino Landsheep in the course of the growing period and different feeding intensities

JOURNAL OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND NUTRITION, Issue 3-4 2007
G. Bellof
Summary A growth experiment with 108 lambs (breed German Merino Landsheep) was carried out in order to examine how gender, body weight and feeding intensity affect trace element concentrations in tissues and carcass. The lambs (50% male and 50% female) were fattened at three levels of feeding intensity (,low', ,medium' and ,high' by varying daily amounts of concentrate and hay) and slaughtered at different final body weights (30, 45 or 55 kg). Six male and six female animals were sacrificed at 18 kg live weight at the beginning of the comparative slaughter experiment. The left half carcass of each animal was divided into muscle tissue, fat tissue as well as bones and sinews and analysed for the trace elements copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) as well as zinc (Zn). The body weight level influenced the Zn concentrations significantly in all tissues. In addition, the Fe concentration in the fat tissue was influenced by the body weight as well as the Cu content in the bone tissue. An influence due to gender could be seen for the Zn concentration in the muscle and fat tissue and for the Fe content in the fat and bone tissue as well as for the Cu concentration in the bones. The feeding intensity affected the Cu content in the muscle and bone tissue and also the Zn content in the muscle tissue. In the present study with lambs at body weight range from 18 to 55 kg on an average, 127 mg Fe, 87 mg Zn, 1.5 mg Cu as well as 1.1 mg Mn per kilogram dry matter were found in the bone tissue. In lamb muscle tissue combined from all parts (body weight range from 18 to 45 kg, both genders) the highest concentrations were for Zn and Fe [3.42 and 1.31 mg/100 g meat (wet weight basis)], while Cu remained far below these levels (0.08 mg/100 g meat and Mn was even below the detection limit of 0.025 mg/kg). Lamb muscle is a valuable source for highly available haem-Fe as well as for Zn and Cu in human nutrition. [source]

Relationship between plasma leptin concentrations and carcass composition in fattening mutton: a comparison with ultrasound results

JOURNAL OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND NUTRITION, Issue 9-10 2005
M. Altmann
Summary Positive relationships between circulating leptin concentrations and body fat content have been established in sheep when covering a rather broad range of age and/or body weight. The usefulness of leptin measurements for predicting carcass fat has yet to be evaluated specifically in fattening lambs. We therefore measured plasma leptin concentrations in 56 male lambs half and half Merino Mutton and Blackheaded Mutton. Subcutaneous fat thickness was measured by ultrasound 1 day before the lambs were slaughtered at 35 or 45 kg live weight. Carcass composition was determined by tissue dissection. The coefficients of correlations between leptin and the different amounts in fat depots ranged from 0.40 to 0.56 within the two live weight groups, and from 0.53 to 0.64 when taking the two groups together. Carcass fat percentage was estimated by leptin concentrations with the same accuracy (R2 = 0.34) as with ultrasound fat thickness. The accuracy was higher for leptin in the 35 kg-group whereas the accuracy was higher for ultrasound fat thickness in the 45 kg-group (R2 = 0.26 vs. 0.31). A combination of leptin and ultrasound fat thickness clearly enhanced the precision of estimation in all groups. Further investigations on the influence of factors such as breed, gender, duration of feed withdrawal or photoperiod on the association between leptin and carcass composition are necessary before the suitability of plasma leptin concentration for practical application can be evaluated. [source]

Diurnal rhythm in heat production and oxidation of carbohydrate and fat in pigs during feeding, starvation and re-feeding

JOURNAL OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND NUTRITION, Issue 7-8 2004
A. Chwalibog
Summary Diurnal rhythm in heat production (HE), oxidation of carbohydrate (OXCHO) and fat (OXF) was calculated from daily measurements of gas exchange in 12 pigs [20,40 kg live weight, (LW)] during 6 days of near ad libitum feeding, followed by 4 days of starvation and 4 days of re-feeding. All measurements, divided in five times intervals from 12.00 to 8.00, showed the highest values of HE, reflecting the animals' energy requirements, between 12.00 and 16.00 gradually declining to the lowest values between 4.00 and 8.00. The values measured in the interval 4.00,8.00 were considered as a basal metabolic rate (BMR), being in all measurements 25% lower than during 12.00,4.00. The lowest BMR was measured on the fourth day of starvation (21.7 kJ/h·kg0.75). By transition from feeding to starvation, OXCHO declined gradually, but was for 16 h able to cover the energy requirement with no contribution from OXF. The decline in OXCHO proceeded for 40 h and reached zero between 4.00 and 8.00 on the first day of starvation with the energy requirement being covered by OXF. The HE during starvation was 25,30% lower than during feeding caused by absence of feed-induced thermogenesis and by the transition from OXCHO to OXF. Immediately after re-feeding dietary carbohydrates were oxidized, however, there was still a substantial OXF, proceeding until the next feeding. From the second day of re-feeding the contribution of substrates to the total HE was re-established with no OXF and the same level of HE as during feeding. [source]

Effect of dietary supplementation with vitamin E on characteristics of vacuum-packed lamb

JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 4 2007
Jesús de la Fuente
Abstract The effect of dietary vitamin E supplementation on lamb during vacuum-packed storage was studied. Thirty-six weaned male Manchego breed lambs were offered four dietary treatments (20, 270, 520 and 1020 mg vitamin E kg,1 feed). Lambs were fed the vitamin E-supplemented diet from 13 until 26 kg live weight. Pieces of M. longissimus dorsi were stored under vacuum at 2 ± 1 °C in the dark and meat quality was assessed after 5, 14 and 28 days of storage. Dietary supplementation significantly increased the ,-tocopherol concentration in the muscle (P < 0.001). Initially, lipid oxidation, meat colour and bacterial load were similar in all groups. In meat of non-supplemented lambs the thiobarbituric acid reactive substance value increased throughout storage, whereas in meat of supplemented lambs it did not increase. Meat pigments and discolouration proportion were significantly affected by storage time (P < 0.001). The bacterial load was low initially, but after 28 days of storage it was close to 7 log10 colony-forming units (cfu) cm,2 and Enterobacteriaceae surpassed the limit of acceptability of 2.5 log10 cfu cm,2, making the lamb unsuitable for human consumption. Meat of supplemented lambs displayed less lipid oxidation than that of their non-supplemented counterparts, while meat colour and bacterial load were not affected by supplementation. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry [source]

Influence of lipase and/or emulsifier addition on the ileal and faecal nutrient digestibility in growing pigs fed diets containing 4% animal fat,

JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 12 2004
NA Dierick
Abstract Information on the addition of lipase and/or emulsifiers to less digestible or saturated fat sources, such as tallow or other animal fats, used in swine feeding is very limited. Therefore, in a 4 × 4 Latin square design, the effects of adding lipase (0.05% L5, microbial source) and/or an emulsifier (0.3% Lysoforte) on the apparent ileal (AID) and faecal (AFD) digestibility of the main nutrients and fatty acids in particular were studied with four ileal-cannulated growing pigs (female, initial live weight 20 kg) fed diets containing barley/soybean meal supplemented with 4% animal fat. The fat source contained 35% saturated (S) and 65% unsaturated (U) fatty acids. All diets were free of antibacterial substances (antibiotics, copper sulphate or zinc oxide beyond requirements), in order to avoid interactions between the parameters studied and the gut flora. Lipase addition did not affect the AID or AFD of fat. However, the digestibility of minor fatty acids (C6:0, C14:0) was significantly improved by lipase at both ileal and faecal level. On the other hand, lipase supplementation (P < 0.05) improved the AID of dry matter (DM) and energy as well as the AFD of DM, organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), ash and energy. Addition of an emulsifier did not have any significant influence on the AID or AFD of fat, while the AID values of DM, OM, CP and energy as well as the AFD values of DM, OM, CP and ash were significantly (P < 0.05) improved. Adding lipase in combination with an emulsifier to the diets decreased (P < 0.05) the AID and AFD of fat, with minor effects on the AID and AFD of the non-fat components of the diet. The lack of improvement in the digestion of fat by exogenous lipase and/or emulsifier may be related to the rather high U/S ratio (0.65:0.35) of the animal fat source used and to the mode of incorporation of the emulsifier (no pre-dispersion in the fat source). Furthermore, during the trial the diets, stored at room temperature, showed a steady increase in their content of free fatty acids (to more than 700 g kg,1 fat), due to endogenous lipase activity, leaving less room for upgrading the digestion of animal fat by exogenous lipase and/or emulsifier. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry [source]

Impact of antimicrobial drug usage measures on the identification of heavy users, patterns of usage of the different antimicrobial classes and time-trends evolution

JOURNAL OF VETERINARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 4 2008
C. CHAUVIN
Several measurement units are available to quantify antimicrobial usage in veterinary medicine, to obtain diverse measures such as the weight of active substance used, the live weight (LW) treated, the fraction of animals exposed, the number of treatments recorded or the cost represented. These measures can be applied to study practices variability between farms, to characterize patterns of usage of the different antimicrobial classes or to follow evolution of antimicrobial usage with time. An investigation was carried out to specifically explore the influence of measurement units on the conclusions obtained from such studies. Antimicrobial exposure was explored in a sample of turkey and chicken broiler flocks, using six different units [kg of active compound, treatments, days of administration, kg of LW treated, animal daily dose to treat 1 kg of LW (ADDkg) and euros] to compare flocks usage variability and patterns of use of the different antimicrobial classes. Time-trends evolutions of macrolides usage in turkey broilers, characterized by percentage of flocks exposed and LW treated, were also compared. In all analyses, the measure gave different results without equivalences, highlighting the necessity for care in choosing the measurement unit and caution in interpreting the figures obtained. [source]

Effect of X-Radiation on Lipid Peroxidation and Antioxidant Systems in Rats Treated with Saponin-containing Compounds

PHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2008
Omer Yalinkilic
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of three saponin-containing plant species extracts (Aesculuc hippocastanum L. seed extract [AHE], Medicago sativa L. extract [MSE] and Spinacia oleracea L. extract [SOE]) on lipid peroxidation and on antioxidant systems in rats exposed to X-rays (XR). The rats were divided into three categories. The first category served as controls and received only a standard diet. The second category served as the radiation group and received 5 and 10 Gy XR dose. The third category (XR+extract-treated) received plant extracts (25.0 or 50.0 mg kg,1 live weight) and 5 or 10 Gy XR dose. Blood samples were analyzed for their content of malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), plasma vitamin C, ,-carotene and retinol. In animals receiving XR, the plasma MDA (P < 0.001) value significantly increased but the level of GSH (P < 0.01), vitamin C (P < 0.001), retinol and ,-carotene (P < 0.001) decreased significantly with increasing XR doses. In the XR+extract-treated groups, the concentrations of MDA increased significantly with increasing radiation but their concentrations decreased significantly with increasing extract concentrations. Plasma concentrations of GSH, ,-carotene, retinol and vitamin C in XR+extract-treated groups decreased significantly with increasing XR dose but their concentrations increased with increasing extract doses. Further, comparison of blood samples of XR+extract-treated groups with those from the control group showed that GSH, ,-carotene, retinol and vitamin C values increased significantly but that MDA values decreased significantly. The results showed that all extracts have enhanced the antioxidant status and decreased the incidence of free radical-induced lipid peroxidation in blood samples of rats exposed to XR. However, the antioxidant effect of AHE-administered animals was more effective than that of MSE- and SOE-administered whole-body XR rats. We conclude that the supplementation with saponin-containing extracts may serve to reinforce the antioxidant systems, thus having protective effect against cell damage by XR. [source]

Age-dependent quantitative trait loci affecting growth traits in Scottish Blackface sheep

ANIMAL GENETICS, Issue 2 2009
G. Hadjipavlou
Summary To dissect age-dependent quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with growth and to examine changes in QTL effects over time, the Gompertz growth model was fitted to longitudinal live weight data on 788 Scottish Blackface lambs from nine half-sib families. QTL were mapped for model parameters and weekly live weights and growth rates using microsatellite markers on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 5, 14, 18, 20 and 21. QTL significance (using , = 0.05 chromosome-wide significance thresholds, unless otherwise stated) varied with age, and those for growth rate occurred earlier than equivalent QTL for live weight. A chromosome 20 QTL for growth rate was significant from 4 to 9 weeks (maximum significance at 6 weeks) and for maximum growth rate. For live weight, this QTL was significant from 8 to 16 weeks (maximum significance at 12 weeks). A nominally significant chromosome 14 QTL was detected for growth rates from birth to week 2 in the same families and location as an 8-week weight QTL. In addition, at the same position on chromosome 14, a QTL was significant for growth rate for 17,28 weeks (maximum significance at 24 weeks). A chromosome 3 QTL was significant for weights at early ages (birth to week 4) and a growth rate QTL on chromosome 18 was significant from 8 to 12 weeks. Fitting growth curves allowed the combination of information from multiple measurements into a few biologically meaningful variables, and the detection of growth QTL that were not observed from analyses of raw weight data. These QTL describe distinct parts of an animal's growth curve trajectory, possibly enabling manipulation of this trajectory. [source]

Quantitative trait loci associated with AutoFOM grading characteristics, carcass cuts and chemical body composition during growth of Sus scrofa

ANIMAL GENETICS, Issue 5 2006
M. Mohrmann
Summary A three-generation full-sib resource family was constructed by crossing two commercial pig lines. Genotypes for 37 molecular markers covering chromosomes SSC1, SSC6, SSC7 and SSC13 were obtained for 315 F2 animals of 49 families and their parents and grandparents. Phenotypic records of traits including carcass characteristics measured by the AutoFOM grading system, dissected carcass cuts and meat quality characteristics were recorded at 140 kg slaughter weight. Furthermore, phenotypic records on live animals were obtained for chemical composition of the empty body, protein and lipid accretion (determined by the deuterium dilution technique), daily gain and feed intake during the course of growth from 30 to 140 kg body weight. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) detection was conducted using least-squares regression interval mapping. Highest significance at the 0.1% chromosome-wise level was obtained for five QTL: AutoFOM belly weight on SSC1; ham lean-meat weight, percentage of fat of primal cuts and daily feed intake between 60 and 90 kg live weight on SSC6; and loin lean-meat weight on SSC13. QTL affecting daily gain and protein accretion were found on SSC1 in the same region. QTL for protein and lipid content of empty body at 60 kg liveweight were located close to the ryanodine receptor 1 (RYR1) locus on SSC6. On SSC13, significant QTL for protein accretion and feed conversion ratio were detected during growth from 60 to 90 kg. In general, additive genetic effects of alleles originating from the Piétrain line were associated with lower fatness and larger muscularity as well as lower daily gain and lower protein accretion rates. Most of the QTL for carcass characteristics were found on SSC6 and were estimated after adjustment for the RYR1 gene. QTL for carcass traits, fatness and growth on SSC7 reported in the literature, mainly detected in crosses of commercial lines × obese breeds, were not obtained in the present study using crosses of only commercial lines, suggesting that these QTL are not segregating in the analysed commercial lines. [source]

Collagen content and architecture of the pectoralis muscle in male chicks and broilers reared under various nutritional conditions

ANIMAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 2 2010
Chamali DAS
ABSTRACT Varying chicken growth rates were induced with different nutritional regimes, and the collagen content and architecture of M. pectoralis (PT) were compared among 21-day-old chicks and broilers at 80 or 95 days of age. The percentage of muscle weight to live weight was higher in rapid growing chicks (8.4%) than slow growing chicks (6.3%). The 80-day-old broilers engaged in compensatory growth after the early slow growth period producing PT muscle at 11% of live weight. The 80- and 95-day-old chicks with restricted late growth after an early rapid growth period showed PT weight at 8% and 9% of live weight, respectively. Collagen content of the PT muscle markedly decreased from the chicks to the broilers. The collagen concentration was higher in the late-growth restricted broilers (1.67,1.88 mg/g) than the compensatory growth broilers (1.01,1.10 mg/g). Collagen concentration did not differ between the rapid and slow growing chicks (2.72 and 2.94 mg/g). Scanning electron micrographs showed thick and thin perimysia, and honeycomb endomysia. In the perimysia, a stack layer of collagen platelets and a reticular layer of collagen fiber cords were distinguished and collagen baskets of adipocytes were observed. The perimysial collagen fibers became thicker during growth of the chicks to broilers. However, in the late-growth restricted broilers, the perimysial collagen fibers seemed to have retarded development compared with the compensatory growth birds. The PT muscle of chickens develops optimally when body growth is enhanced. The PT muscle of the compensatory growth broilers had improved collagen architecture regardless of the marked decrease in collagen content. [source]

Effects of herbage intake on goat performance in the mediterranean type natural pastures

The effect of Eucommia ulmoides leaf supplementation on the growth performance, blood and meat quality parameters in growing and finishing pigs

ANIMAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 1 2009
Sung Dae LEE
ABSTRACT The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Eucommia ulmoides leaf (EUL) supplementation on the growth performance, blood and meat quality parameters in growing and finishing pigs. Ninety gilts (L × LW × D, 20 kg initialBW) were housed 10 per pen in a front-open building with three replicate pens per treatment. Experimental treatment was started from the beginning of the growing stage (20 ± 3 kg) by supplementing EUL at 0(C), 3(T1) and 5% (T2) to the growing and finishing diet. Pigs were slaughtered by electrical stunning at 105 ± 3 kg live weight. Average daily feed intake (ADFI, kg/day) decreased (P < 0.05) by addition of EUL in growth performance, average daily gain (ADG, kg/day) was lower (P < 0.05) in T1 and T2 than in C. In hematology, leukocytes (WBC, 103/mm3) decreased (P < 0.05) in T1 and T2 than in C. Erythrocytes (RBC, 106/mm3), hemoglobin (HGB, g/dL) and hematocrit (HCT, %) increased (P < 0.05) in T1 and T2 than in C. Platelet (PLT, 103/mm3) was lower (P < 0.05) in T2 than in C and T1. In biochemical composition of serum, total protein (g/dL), r-GTP (,/L), total cholesterol (mg/dL) and triglycerides (mg/dL) were lower (P < 0.05) in T1 and T2 than in C. On longissimus dorsi muscle, crude protein was higher (P < 0.05) in T1 than in C. Crude ash was higher (P < 0.05) in T1 and T2 than in C. Yellow to blue color scale (CIE b*) in meat color was higher (P < 0.05) in T2 than in C. CIE b* in back fat color was higher (P < 0.05) in T2 than in the other treatments. In sensory evaluation scores for fresh meat, the values of meat color, fat color, drip loss and marbling were not significantly affected by addition of EUL. In cooked meat, the values of chewiness and overall acceptability were higher (P < 0.05) in T1 and T2 than in C. The results indicate that the addition of EUL affected growth performance, blood parameters and meat quality parameters in growing and finishing pigs. [source]

The effect of fermented apple diet supplementation on the growth performance and meat quality in finishing pigs

ANIMAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 1 2009
Sung Dae LEE
ABSTRACT The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of fermented apple diet (FAD) supplementation on the growth performance and meat quality in finishing Berkshires. The FAD was made from dropped apple mixed with rice bran and barley bran. Until 81 ± 1 kg live weight at 133 ± 1 days, the animals were fed a growing diet, after which experimental samples were fixed at 0, 2, 4 and 6% FAD as C, T1, T2 and T3 in the finishing diets. Growth performance, ADG, ADFI and feed efficiency were improved in T1 than other groups. In carcass parameters, carcass weight was higher (P < 0.05) in T1 than in other groups. In meat quality, moisture and crude protein contents decreased (P < 0.05) by addition of FAD. pH24 and WHC were higher (P < 0.05) in T1 than other groups. In sensory evaluation, marbling of fresh meat and tenderness, juiciness, flavor and overall acceptability of cooked meat were improved by the addition of FAD. According to the results of our experiment, FAD can be used for improvement of meat quality parameters. [source]

Influence of dietary protein levels on growth performance and body composition of African bonytongue fingerlings, Heterotis niloticus (Cuvier, 1829)

AQUACULTURE NUTRITION, Issue 2 2010
S.-E. MONENTCHAM
Abstract Two experiments were conducted to examine the influence of dietary protein levels on growth and carcass proximate composition of Heterotis fingerlings. Four isoenergetic practical diets were formulated to contain dietary protein levels from 250 to 400 g kg,1 diet. Replicate groups of young Heterotis (initial live weight 3.96 and 26.40 g in experiments 1 and 2 respectively) were handfed twice daily to apparent satiation for a period of 42 and 28 days respectively. Statistical analysis revealed that growth rate was significantly affected by dietary protein level (P < 0.01). The highest weight gain was observed in fingerlings fed with 300 and 350 g protein kg,1 diet for fish size ranging between 3,15 and 26,62 g respectively. There was no significant difference between groups fed with 300, 350 and 400 g protein kg,1 diet for Heterotis fingerlings (3,15 g) in the one hand; in the other hand, significant differences were found between fish (26,62 g) fed with 350 g protein kg,1 diet and those receiving 300 and 400 g protein kg,1 diet, with no significant difference between each other. The specific growth rate varied from 2.4% to 3.1% day,1. The whole-body protein, lipid, moisture and ash contents were not significantly affected by dietary protein levels (P > 0.05). The relationships between percentage weight gain and dietary protein levels suggested very similar dietary protein requirement (about 310 g crude protein kg,1 diet) for Heterotis ranging from 3 to 62 g. The maximum growth occurred at about 345 g protein kg,1 diet. [source]