Welfare assessment methods and techniques developed as a result of great interest of scientific and consumer populations regarding the welfare of animals housed in farms. In view of the fact that ...welfare by definition includes both physical and mental health, the welfare quality assessment includes an extensive number of measures. Welfare assessment was performed in two stables in which cows are kept in tie-stall by using the specific method described in the Welfare Quality® Assessment Protocol for Cattle. The measures included body condition score, qualitative behaviour assessment and body hygiene. The welfare assessment confirmed the importance of quality housing for ensuring better performance from animals, thus also affecting their health and productivity. It also pointed out the necessity of freeing animals by providing them with the possibility of free movement, whereat they can exhibit their physiological behaviour. It is definitely important to continue research, expand the number of researched measures in order to confirm the most useful indicators for welfare assessment and to identify the factors that within the animals’ physical and social environment affect the increase of their welfare.
Prevalence and aetiology of subclinical mastitis in goats Kostelič, Antun; Cergolj, Marijan; Tariba, Bruna ...
Italian Journal of Animal Science/Italian journal of animal science,
01/2009, Letnik:
8, Številka:
sup3
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The study was conducted in 2006 on 20 French alpine goat farms in Croatia. Milk samples were taken from each udder half, for the mastitis test and the bacteriological test, 2120 samples in total. ...Subclinical mastitis was diagnosed in 211 out of 1060 goats, or in 20% of the studied population. Mastitis of one udder half was diagnosed in 84% of the affected population, while mastitis of both udder halves was diagnosed in 16% of the affected goats. A positive mastitis test reaction was identified in 605 samples (28%), and the pathogenic bacterium was isolated from 244 of these samples (36%). From 22 samples (1.5%) which were negative to mastitis test, pathogenic bacteria, namely S. aureus (21 samples) and Streptococcus D (1 sample), were isolated. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 72% mastitis test positive samples, coagulase-negative staphylococci in 16%, other bacteria were isolated from a smaller number of samples: Streptococcus D (6%), Bacillus spp. (2%), and E. coli (2%). The results of the study lead to the conclusion that the subclinical mastitis in goats has a prevalence of 20% on average which increases with higher lactation number. Staphylococcus aureus is the primary causative agent of the inflammations.
Reliable traceability system in animal production is a crucial part for protection of animal and human health. Small ruminants are usually ear' tagged but this tagging system especially in extensive ...production systems is not reliable. The use of Radio Frequency Indentifying Devices (RFID, or electronic identification) is more suitable. Ruminal boluses (Rumitag 20 gr, HDX) are first chosen for ruminant tagging because they are easy and early applicable, easy to read and fraud resistant but they encounter some problems, mainly reading failure. In our trial we investigated reading failure on one sheep dairy farm. Six hundred and eight sheep have been milked during the trial and read for four times during milking. In all four readings we had quite high reading failure in comparison to other author findings. Probable cause for this very high failure could be the use of hand held readers in crowded environment which caused lot of double reading. This means that reading protocol should be improved. Unfortunately we did not have fixed reader so we could not compare readings.
This work investigated the bone, muscle and fat tissue shares in Simmental breed. The trial comprised 917 young bulls, progeny of 81 sires, during the period of 18 years. Sires were in their progeny ...testing for meat production traits. Average young bulls final body weight was 557.73±1.78kg in range between 385 and 729kg. Average body tissue share was as follows: bone 19.21±0.10%, muscle 61.91±0.15% and fat 14.13±0.11%. Significant (P<0.001) phenotypic correlations existed between final body weight and share of muscle (0.34) and fat (0.16), and between shares of bone and muscle (-0.13), bone and fat (-0.42) and muscle and fat (-0.28). Trend of increase in final body weight, muscle and bone share followed by slight decrease of fat share in investigated period was noted. It is suggested that was due to selection of large and robust sires.
The objective of the present study was to identify the Prolactin Receptor (PRLR) gene polymorphism related to litter size traits. The study included 101 Topigs 20 line of sows with 426 litters. The ...traits studied were: Total Number of Born (TNB), Number of Born Alive (NBA), Number of Still Born (NSB), and Number of MUMmified (NMUM) piglets. Polymorphism was identified with the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Allelic and genotype frequencies and deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were verified with the chi-square test. Analysis of litter size traits was performed using the General Linear Model, which included the potential environmental effects. Additive and dominant allele variances were observed by the regression procedure. In the studied population of sows, the frequency of heterozygotes (0.5149) for PRLR gene exceeded the total number of AA (0.0198) and BB (0.4653) homozygotes, which resulted in a high proportion of B allele (0.7228). The results for PRLR showed statistically significant (
<0.05) differences in first parity sows between BB and AB genotypes for TNB and NBA. Significant differences
<0.05) were recorded in third parity sows between BB and AB genotypes for NBA, and in AA genotype
AB and BB genotypes for NMUM. The fourth and subsequent parity sows of AA genotype had a significantly higher (
<0.05) rate of NBA as compared with those of AB and BB genotypes. In all parities analysed, the difference between the BB and AB genotypes for NBA was statistically significant (
<0.05). Interpretation of the results at the levels of phenotypes and either additive or dominant variance was quite difficult due to the small number of AA homozygous sows. The calculation model yielded a significant effect (
<0.05) as well as tendency (
<0.1) for the mentioned effects except for age at first farrowing.
Abstract
The objective of the present study was to identify the Prolactin Receptor (PRLR) gene polymorphism related to litter size traits. The study included 101 Topigs 20 line of sows with 426 ...litters. The traits studied were: Total Number of Born (TNB), Number of Born Alive (NBA), Number of Still Born (NSB), and Number of MUMmified (NMUM) piglets. Polymorphism was identified with the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Allelic and genotype frequencies and deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were verified with the chi-square test. Analysis of litter size traits was performed using the General Linear Model, which included the potential environmental effects. Additive and dominant allele variances were observed by the regression procedure. In the studied population of sows, the frequency of heterozygotes (0.5149) for PRLR gene exceeded the total number of AA (0.0198) and BB (0.4653) homozygotes, which resulted in a high proportion of B allele (0.7228). The results for PRLR showed statistically significant (
P
<0.05) differences in first parity sows between BB and AB genotypes for TNB and NBA. Significant differences
(P
<0.05) were recorded in third parity sows between BB and AB genotypes for NBA, and in AA genotype
versus
AB and BB genotypes for NMUM. The fourth and subsequent parity sows of AA genotype had a significantly higher (
P
<0.05) rate of NBA as compared with those of AB and BB genotypes. In all parities analysed, the difference between the BB and AB genotypes for NBA was statistically significant (
P
<0.05). Interpretation of the results at the levels of phenotypes and either additive or dominant variance was quite difficult due to the small number of AA homozygous sows. The calculation model yielded a significant effect (
P
<0.05) as well as tendency (
P
<0.1) for the mentioned effects except for age at first farrowing.
Livestock production systems are the result of an interaction between domestic animals and the environment, modulated by man, that dates back to Neolithic times. As a consequence of this interaction ...among the wide diversity of animal resources, natural habitats and population needs, very different farming systems have developed across the Mediterranean Basin. Understanding the mechanisms and effects of these relationships is key to design the farming systems best adapted to each condition, guaranteeing an adequate balance between target animal production and environmental outcomes provided by these systems. This is indeed a multidimensional topic, influenced by animal genetics, feeding resources, flock management, and economic and social aspects inside and outside the household. Therefore, this book focuses on the basis of the animal-environment interactions and the impact of human activities on the type and magnitude of these interactions. In this context, the issue of sustainability of livestock production is evaluated considering economic, social and environmental aspects. This book contributes to upgrade the state of the art in Mediterranean conditions, providing indicators and procedures of application across a wide range of systems, and hence of interest for researchers, students and professionals concerned with livestock production and the environment.
PDF
