Abstracts volume 52 (2009) 3, 219-342
Effect of extended lactations on cow milk and reproductive performance
Anna Sawa and Mariusz Bogucki
Arch Tierz 52 (2009), 219-229 PDF
Frequency of extended lactations and their effect on milk and reproductive performance of cows from the active population of 11891 Black and White cows with different proportions of Holstein Fresian inheritance were analysed. It was found that lactations longer than a 305-day standard lactation were quite common in the analysed population of Black-and-White cows improved with the Holstein-Friesian breed. The age of cows, the level of yield in a standard lactation and season of the year had a significant effect on the proportion of extended lactations. Lactation extension had a beneficial effect on milk yield in full lactation but was detrimental to fertility. The efficiency of lactation extension was found to increase with the increasing level of yield in the standard lactation.
Estimating lethal allele frequencies in complex pedigrees via gene dropping approach using the example of Brown Swiss cattle
Supawadee Manatrinon, Christa Egger-Danner and Roswitha Baumung
Arch Tierz 52 (2009), 230-242 PDF
A new approach to estimating the allele frequencies of lethal autosomal-recessive genetic disorders was developed based on the gene dropping method. The method was tested in the complex pedigrees of 1830125 animals of the Austrian Brown Swiss population, where carriers for 4 genetic disorders were recorded. Trends of allele frequencies of Spinal Dysmyelination and Spinal Muscular Atrophy increased while Weaver decreased, but allele frequencies of Arachnomelia fluctuated between 2 and 3%. The results were compared to the results from other methods. The results obtained from probability of gene origin were higher than the results from gene dropping in general, while the results from gene counting were lowest due to the fact that just a part of the pedigree information could be considered by the used program. The gene dropping and gene counting methods used here take lethal selection into account, while the program based on probability of gene origin does not. Therefore, gene dropping and gene counting seem to be more appropriate for estimating the lethal allele frequency of lethal autosomal-recessive genetic disorders. Applying the gene dropping approach, one can obtain the distribution of allele frequencies and confidence intervals for the allele frequency, which might be valuable for observing trends in active breeding populations.
The relationships among lumbar region width, back muscling and musculus longissimus lumborum et thoracis area in Blonde d’Aquitaine bulls and heifers during rearing period
Ludek Stádník, Alena Ježková, Frantisek Louda, Jana Dvořáková and Ladislav Štolc
Arch Tierz 52 (2009), 243-254 PDF
The objective of this study was to determine the predictive value of lumbar region width, measured with a tape (WT) and Wilkinson’s trammel (WW), and the ultrasounded musculus longissimus lumborum et thoracis (MLLT) area in the 1st lumbar vertebra, and back muscling (BM) in bulls and heifers of the Blonde d’Aquitaine (BA) breed during the rearing period for selection of breeding animals, concentrating on the MLLT area and muscling. Two generations of bulls (n=63) and heifers (n=68) of BA breed (n=61) and crossbreds Czech Pied Cattle×Blonde d’Aquitaine (C×BA) (n=70) born between December 2004 and June 2006 were included in the investigation. Measurements of the WT, the WW, the MLLT area and subjective judging of the BM were performed at 120, 210 and 365 days of age. The effects of lumbar region width in the 1st lumbar vertebra level, the level of back muscling and that of the MLLT area were used to determinate the relationships among dependent variables at the given ages of the animals. Better muscling of the back or a larger MLLT area during the entire period of rearing was determined in relation to a wider lumbar region (P<0.05-0.001), whereas more significant results were detected during measurement of the WT. Direct dependencies were confirmed by evaluation of the MLLT area at 210 and 365 days in relation to the BM at the same age (P<0.05-0.01). The trend of dependence between the MLLT at 210 and 365 days of age was stated, a larger MLLT at 210 days of age predicted a larger MLLT at 365 days of age, from 2.58 cm2 to 6.21 cm2. The values of the WT and the WW at 120, 210, and 365 days and level of the BM at 210 and 365 days of age can be also considered objective and acceptable characteristics for the selection of animals aimed at the MLLT area at the same age.
Impact of mature cow weight on farm profitability and economic weights of beef cattle traits [in German]
Krisztián Keller, Marie Wolfová, Jochen Wolf, Zsuzsanna Fekete, István Komlósi and Ferenc Szabó
Arch Tierz 52 (2009), 255-264 PDF
The impact of mature cow weight on the profitability of beef cattle farming and on the economic importance of 10 performance and functional traits was analyzed. The examined traits were: calving performance, stillbirth and calf losses till weaning, weight of calves at birth, at 120 and at 205 days of age, mature weight of cows, conception rates of heifers and cows and productive lifetime of cows. The cow weight was varied from 500 to 700 kg in 50 kg intervals. The economic efficiency of all farming systems was expressed as profit per cow and year. The economic importance of a trait (marginal economic value) was defined as partial derivative of the profit function with respect to trait mean. The program package ECOWEIGHT was used for all calculations. The results showed that beef cattle farming with all cow weight classes can be profitable when including subsidies in the incomes of a farm. Without subsidies, a positive profitability can be reached only when keeping small-framed cows (500 to 550 kg). In all modelled production systems, the most important trait was conception rate of cows followed by weaning weight of calves (at 205 days of age) for light cows or productive lifetime of cows in systems with heavy cows.
Occurrence of endoparasites in heifers imported to Poland from the Netherlands (Short Communication)
Bogumila Pilarczyk, Aleksandra Balicka-Ramisz, Wojciech Kozak and Alojzy Ramisz
Arch Tierz 52 (2009), 265-271 PDF
Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites was studied in 106 heifers imported to Poland from the Netherlands. Prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes and Eimeria protozoans was determined from coproscopic examinations using Willis-Schlaf flotation. The species composition of coccidia was determined from morphological characters and the time of oocyst sporulation. Fluke liver eggs were detected by decantation. The study showed the mean prevalence of Eimeria protozoans in the heifers imported from the Netherlands to Poland to be 17.92%; the mean prevalences of Cryptosporidium sp. (11.32%), gastrointestinal nematodes (55.66%) and Fasciola hepatica (32.08%), respectively. The following 6 coccidia species were isolated from faecal samples: E. bovis, E. aubernensis, E. ellipsoidalis,E. subspherica E. zürni, and E. brasiliensis. The prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in the cattle imported from the Netherlands to Poland was very high, therefore it is purposeful to mandatorily examine the imported cattle for the presence of those parasites.
Control charts applied to pig farming data
Julia Engler, Karl-Heinz Tölle, Hans Hermann Timm, Edgar Hohls and Joachim Krieter
Arch Tierz 52 (2009), 272-283 PDF
Statistical control charts are effective tools to reveal changes in a production process. The CUSUM (cumulative sum) and the EWMA (exponentially weighted moving average) control chart are used to detect small deviations in a process. Data from two sow herds, herd A and herd B, were collected from 1999 to 2004. Farm A had an average number of 530 breeding sows, Farm B had an average of 370 breeding sows. Both herds were diagnosed with Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS). The weekly means of the number of piglets weaned (NPW), the pre-weaning mortality (PWM) and return to service rate (RSR) were analysed with different settings of the CUSUM as well as the EWMA control chart to reveal a shift in the production process. For the pre-weaning mortality and the number of piglets weaned, the two charts detected a change in the process 4 weeks (Farm A) and 2 weeks before (Farm B) PRRS was diagnosed. The CUSUM and the EWMA chart revealed a shift in the return to service rate on Farm A 3.5 months before PRRS was detected. On Farm B, the signal occurred 6 weeks before the infection was detected. The CUSUM and the EWMA control charts were effective tools for detecting small deviations in sow herd data. Compared with EWMA, the use of the CUSUM chart is more straightforward and the settings are more easily handled. The CUSUM chart is therefore the preferred option for use in practice.
Comparative investigations of selected criteria of energy metabolism in skeletal muscle, plasma and lymphocytes in healthy and in piglets with congenital myofibrillar hypoplasia [in German]
Andrea Bull, Petra Engel and Vlado Dzapo
Arch Tierz 52 (2009), 284-298 PDF
Carnitine contents of skeletal muscle, plasma and lymphocytes, the capacity of ATP- synthesis in muscle mitochondria and lymphocytes, and the enzyme activity of carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT I) in muscle mitochondria were determined in piglets with congenital myofibrillar hypoplasia (CMH) in comparision to their clinical healthy siblings and piglets from CMH-free litters. Tendentious differences in the relation of acylcarnitine to free carnitine in healthy piglets and piglets suffering from CMH could be detected. Healthy piglets showed in tendency superiority in the ATP-production of their lymphocytes compared with diseased animals. Depending on the applied substrate, muscle mitochondria showed tendentially differences in the ATP-production between CMH-affected and healthy litters, so that a connection between CMH and the lipid metabolism, particular the β-oxidation, is supposed. Differences in the carnitine palmitoyltransferase I-activity as a possible cause for CMH could be excluded.
Effect of restricted suckling time on milk components and sucking behavior of lambs
Murat Cimen and Musa Karaalp
Arch Tierz 52 (2009), 299-308 PDF
The experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different suckling systems in non-dairy sheep on the production and components of milk, sucking behavior and lamb growth from day 4 after lambing until the lambs were 4 weeks old. The sixteen ewes with their lambs were used to compare restricted suckling time (R) and free suckling time (F) methods. The F lambs were maintained with mothers and suckled ad libitum during day. The R lambs were removed from their dams and allowed to suckle their dams for 15 min during morning and afternoon period. After two weeks of age, all lambs were encouraged to consume roughage alfa alfa as ad libitum to stimulate their ruminal activity. Daily milk intakes of R lambs were low, while F lambs consumed more milk in 1st and 3rd weeks. Therefore, F lambs gained more weight in these weeks. The R lambs have been shown to result in lower sucking duration and higher frequency as compared to F lambs until 4th week. There were no significant differences between treatments in change of milk protein during study. However, the milk fat concentrations were higher in the F group than in R group until 4th week
Rearing, fattening performance and slaughter indicators of lambs after selenium, zinc and vitamin E supplementation
Miroslaw Gabryszuk, Karina Horbańczuk and Józef Klewiec
Arch Tierz 52 (2009), 309-320 PDF
The experiment was conducted on 80 Polish Merino ewes, their 82 lambs and 40 fattening rams. Merino ewes were divided into two groups: experimental (E) and control (C), each composed of 40 animals. Four weeks before lambing, 1 day, 3 weeks and 6 weeks after lambing 40 ewes of the experimental (E) group received intramuscular injection of 5 ml 0.1% Na2SeO4 (selenium [Se]: 2.09 mg), 10 ml 10% ZnSO4 (Zinc [Zn]: 227 mg) and 250 mg vitamin E (α-tocopherol), and control group (C) – no received. From birth all the lambs were maintained with their dams and then weaned at the age of 8 weeks, placed in individual straw-bedded pens and fattened individually with a granulated concentrate mixture until reaching a body weight about 32 kg. During fattening 20 lambs from experimental group (E) was given per os 1 ml 0.1% Na2SeO4, 3 ml 10% ZnSO4 and 60 mg vitamin E (α-tocopherol) daily, and control group (C) – no administered. The levels of Se, Zn and vitamin E in the blood plasma of ewes and ram- lambs were within the reference values. The lambs born by the treated ewes (E) experienced much lower body live weight at birth (P≤0.05), body weight on day 28 and 56 (P≤0.01), compared to lambs born from group (C). Also the daily live weight gain from birth to 4 week and from birth to 8 week were significantly lower (P≤0.05) in lambs born by the treated ewes. Se, Zn and vitamin E treated rams contained less fat in leg (P≤0.05), less fat thickness over ribs (P≤0.01) and less fat thickness over loin-eye than non treated rams.
Effects of dietary vegetable oil supplementation on fillet quality traits, chemical and fatty acid composition of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus)
András Szabó, Róbert Romvári, Lászlo Szathmári, Tamás Molnár, László Locsmándi, György Bázár, Eszter Molnár, Péter Horn and Csaba Hancz
Arch Tierz 52 (2009), 321-333 PDF
The effects of dietary fish oil (FO), soybean oil (SO) and linseed oil (LO) (12% crude fat content each) in African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) diets were tested on the fillet flesh quality, chemical and fatty acid (FA) composition, after 3 and 6 weeks of feeding. The bodyweight gain of fish and the fillet dry matter, crude protein and crude fat content was not different among the divergent treatments. High (>20%) total n3 FA supplementation significantly increased the moisture loss of fillet (FO, LO). Applying the simple FA dilution model (JOBLING 2004a, b), the incorporation dynamics of the most largely dosed FAs were accurately predictable after 3 weeks (R² between observed and estimated data for total n3 FAs: FO 0.95, LO 0.73 and for α-linolenic acid, LO 0.97). In the fillet FA composition the metabolism of n3 acids was more pronounced. The large provision of α-linolenic acid (LO) had a pronounced effect on the longchain, polyunsaturated n3 FA proportions (eicosapentaenoic and docosapentaenoic acids), while no effect was experienced on docosahexaenoic acid. This study suggests that daily bodyweight gain is not, while fillet flesh quality and FA composition is slightly compromised when fish oil is substituted for vegetable oils.
A novel mutation of the GLI2 gene associated with body weight in bovine (Bos taurus) (Brief Report)
Xinlei Wang, Xianyong Lan, Xinsheng Lai, Keyi Wang, Hui Yu, Mou Wang, Yikun Guo, Chuzhao Lei and Hong Chen
Arch Tierz 52 (2009), 334-336 PDF
The GGT1 and IGFBP5 genes are associated with fat deposition traits in the pig (Brief Report)
Bin Fan, Suneel K Onteru and Max F Rothschild
Arch Tierz 52 (2009), 337-339 PDF
Cytogenetic and radiation hybrid mapping of the bovine interleukin 4 induced 1 (IL4I1) gene to cattle chromosome 18 (Brief Report)
Albrecht Rief, Manfred Schwerin and Tom Goldammer
Arch Tierz 52 (2009), 340-342 PDF