1,721,279 research outputs found
Aspects of animal welfare in South American Camelids husbandry.
No full textThe number of South American Camelids (SAC) increased over the last years in Germany. Therefore it is important to develop guidelines regarding aspects of animal welfare. Recommendations for husbandry and feeding are given. In principal it is possible to keep llamas and alpacas under middle European conditions with respect to animal welfare. However problems do sometimes occur because of a lack of knowledge of breeders about the basic requirements of the animals. In contrast to other species it is much more difficult to get scientific based informations and to guarantee veterinarian service. Therefore more care have to be taken in the education of breeders and veterinarians
Selection for resistance to parasites - an alternative to the use of drugs?
No full textInfections with parasites are worldwide one of the most important factors causing significant economic losses in ruminant production. The increasing resistance of parasites to treatments and concerns over possible chemical residues, enviromnental impact and cost of treatments have led to an increasing interest in genetic selection for resistance to parasites as an alternative or supplement to the use of drugs. Evaluation of breeds within certain species in different breeding situations and environments has proven the possibility of breeding for parasite resistance. This will lead to a decreased number of treatments per animal
Selection for resistance to parasites - an alternative to the use of drugs?
No full textInfections with parasites are worldwide one of the most important factors causing significant economic losses in ruminant production. The increasing resistance of parasites to treatments and concerns over possible chemical residues, enviromnental impact and cost of treatments have led to an increasing interest in genetic selection for resistance to parasites as an alternative or supplement to the use of drugs. Evaluation of breeds within certain species in different breeding situations and environments has proven the possibility of breeding for parasite resistance. This will lead to a decreased number of treatments per animal
Aspects of animal welfare in South American Camelids husbandry.
No full textThe number of South American Camelids (SAC) increased over the last years in Germany. Therefore it is important to develop guidelines regarding aspects of animal welfare. Recommendations for husbandry and feeding are given. In principal it is possible to keep llamas and alpacas under middle European conditions with respect to animal welfare. However problems do sometimes occur because of a lack of knowledge of breeders about the basic requirements of the animals. In contrast to other species it is much more difficult to get scientific based informations and to guarantee veterinarian service. Therefore more care have to be taken in the education of breeders and veterinarians
Response to Ascaridia galli infection in growing chickens in relation to their body weight
No full textIt was hypothesized that chickens with extremely varying body weights (BW) from an otherwise homogeneous host sample cope differently with Ascaridia galli (Schrank 1788) infection. Small and large birds, falling into either the lower or the upper 5 % quantiles of BW distribution of a parent stock flock, were selected at an age of 4 weeks, housed separately and fed restrictively with the same amount of feed. At week 5, all the small and large birds (635 and 1,297 g/bird, respectively; P 0.05). In conclusion, large birds resist A. galli infection more effectively than do small ones, possibly through different mechanisms acting on allocation of available nutrient and body reserves under the exposure of the infection
Is the FAMACHA (c) chart suitable for every breed? Correlations between FAMACHA (c) scores and different traits of mucosa colour in naturally parasite infected sheep breeds
No full textInfections with gastrointestinal nematodes, in particular Haemonchus contortus, are worldwide one of the most important factors causing high economic losses in sheep production. Different methods for detecting infections with H. contortus have been described, such as, e.g. the FAMACHA(C) system, which categorises the colour of the conjunctivae from red to pale. When H. contortus is not the predominant parasite, the FAMACHA(C) chart might not be suitable to detect nematode infections, because of the lack of a blood feeding parasite. Otherwise breed-specific differences in the colour of the mucosa could be responsible for the limitations of the FAMACHA(C) system. The aim of the study was to compare different methods of measuring mucosa colour in the German sheep breeds Black Head Mutton (BH) and Leine sheep (LE). In a total of 232 6-months-old lambs, the colour of mucosa was measured using the FAMACHA(C) chart (conjunctivae) as well as the colour analyser Minolta Chroma Meter CR-200b (gingivae). Faeces and blood samples were taken at the same time to determine faecal egg counts per gram faeces (FEC) and the packed cell volume (PCV), respectively. Lambs grazed on contaminated pastures and no anthelmintic treatment was used. Lambs were moderately infected with gastrointestinal nematodes with no significant difference between the two breeds (P > 0.05). The prevalence of H. contortus was 23%, based on larvae differentiation of coproculture. There was no significant correlation between FEC and PCV, nor FEC and FAMACHA(C) (P > 0.05). Significant differences (P = 0.27 1/1), as shown by significant correlation coefficients between PCV and Chroma and HA, respectively. It can be concluded, that the measurement of mucosa colour with a colour analyser is more sensitive in detecting anaemic states in sheep, compared to the FAMACHA(C) chart. However, because the colour analyser is not suited for measurements in the field, an adaptation of the FAMACHA(C) colour scales for different sheep breeds might be required. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Influence of a Moxidectin treatment in ewes of two German sheep breeds on the growth rate of their lambs
No full textThe aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of an anthelmintic treatment in ewes (n = 133) of two German sheep breeds (German Black Head Mutton and Leine sheep) on the average daily weight gains (ADW) of their lambs (n = 180). Eight weeks prior to the lambing season ewes were randomly divided into two groups: (1) no anthelmintic treatment, (2) Moxidectin (Cydectin (R), Forte Dodge, USA) treatment. Starting at birth, body weights of lambs were recorded every other week until 12 weeks of age. Ewes faecal egg count (FEC) was measured 8 weeks after lambing to monitor the efficiency of anthelmintic treatment. Log FEC was significantly lower (P < 0.001) in Moxidectin-treatecl ewes compared to Moxidectin-untreated ewes. German Black Head Mutton tended (P = 0.212) to have higher log FEC compared to Leine sheep (3.08 +/- 0.29 vs. 2.46 +/- 0.39). Average daily weight gains were significantly higher in German Black Head lambs compared to Leine lambs (P < 0.001), and in single born lambs compared to multiples (P < 0.001). Furthermore, in single born German Black Head Mutton lambs average daily weight gains were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the Moxidectin-treated group compared to single born lambs in the untreated group. Gastrointestinal nematode infections tended to be less severe in Leine sheep. The anthelmintic treatment did not influence growth rates of Leine lambs, suggesting a potentially higher nematode resistance or tolerance in this breed. In German Black Head Mutton, single born lambs from Moxidectin-treatecl ewes had higher growth rates compared to single born lambs from untreated ewes, whereas no differences could be observed between lambs from treated and untreated ewes that had more than one lamb. These findings may be a consequence of differences in intake of milk, concentrate, and hay. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
One-step dilution of open-pulled-straw (OPS)-vitrified mouse blastocysts in sucrose-free medium
No full textEmbryos vitrified by the open-pulled-straw (OPS) method are only briefly exposed to cryoprotectants and not fully equilibrated with the cryoprotectant. That being the case, conceivably the post-thawing de- and rehydration processes may be omitted. This would render thawing and dilution in a single step and direct transfer to recipients possible without the need for a microscope and other laboratory equipment. Morphologically intact mouse blastocysts from superovulated 5- to 8-week-old virgin female NMRI mice were vitrified according to a protocol [6] slightly modified from the classical OPS-procedure of Vajta et al. [29] consisting of exposure to 10% dimethyl-sulfoxide (Me(2)SO) + 10% ethylene glycol (EG) for 1 min, followed by 20% Me(2)SO + 20% EG for 20 s before loading into straws that are plunged into liquid nitrogen. In Group 1, 75 blastocysts were exposed to the standard thawing and dilution regimen involving exposure to three solutions of decreasing sucrose content (Control). In Groups 2, 3 and 4, 75 blastocysts each were transferred, in a single step, to medium at 37 degrees C containing 0.66, 0.33 or 0 M sucrose, respectively. After 48 h of in vitro culture the proportion of hatched blastocysts; was determined. In Group 1, this proportion amounted to 82.7%, in Groups 2, 3 and 4 to 76.0%, 7:3.3% and 78.7%, respectively (P > 0.05). To examine their potential to continue development in vivo, OPS-vitrified blastocysts thawed according to the regimens of Groups 1 and 4 were transferred to recipients (10 embryos/recipient). In Group 1, 9/10 recipients got pregnant with 4.7 +/- 0.6 (mean +/- SEM) fetuses, in Group 4, 8/10 recipients with 5.0 +/- 0.5 fetuses. The overall embryo survival rate per group was 42% for Group I and 40% for Group 4. All fetuses were normally developed and viable and there were no significant differences between groups (P > 0.05). It may be concluded that warming and transfer of OPS-vitrified mouse embryos in a single step in medium devoid of sucrose is feasible, which is tantamount to a substantial simplification of embryo transfer operations. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD); Egyptian governmen
Use of FAMACHA (R) Eye-Colour-Chart in the context of breeding for parasite resistance in lambs exposed to an artificial Haemonchus contortus infection.
No full textThe control of gastro-intestinal nematodes in sheep has almost entirely been based on the use of anthelmintics and pasture management. Therefore anthelmintic resistance escalated in the past. One way of reducing this problem may be the limitation of anthelmintic treatment to those animals with clinical symptoms only. The FAMACHA(R) Eye-colour-chart is based on the principle knowledge that the colour of mucous membranes are correlated with the anaemiae situation of an animal. To monitor anaemic animals they are identified and classified in a 1 to 5-color scale based on the colour of the conjunctiva, and anaemic animals can be selectively treated. It helps to reduce treatments and therefore the development of drug resistance. The objective of this study was to estimate the correlation between FAMACHA(R)-scores, haematocrit values, faecal egg counts, plasma albumin level and worm burden following an experimental infection with Haemonchus contortus in lambs. The estimated correlations have been low. This proofs the limits of the FAMACHA(R) system under a situation of low parasite pressure
Influence of fence type on the paddock use of horses
No full textThe aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of paddock fence type (electric fence vs. metal tube) in single stabled horses (box stall with enclosed paddock) on the occurrence and frequency of paddock use as well as behaviour in the paddock. For this purpose horses (5-16 years old) were rotationally observed in both systems. The size of each box was 3.2 m x 3.8 m, whereas the size of each paddock was 3.8 m x 6.0 m. After a period of one week, behaviour of horses was indirectly observed in both systems each for 3 days. The following parameters were measured: duration and frequency of paddock use, closeness to the fence, as well as direct social contacts between horses in adjacent paddocks. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the duration of paddock use between the two fence types, electric fence and metal tube. When metal tube fence was used, more than half of all stays in the paddock (52.9%) were observed nearby the fence. In comparison to the electric fence system, where only 11.6% of all paddock stays were close to the electric fence and 57.9% were observed in a distance of 50 cm to the fence. In addition, the rate of social contacts decreased from 19.1% in the metal tube system to 0.6% in the electric fence system. It can be concluded that the fence type metal tube is more suitable for horses in the paddock regarding paddock use and social contacts. These results should be considered when planning and evaluating paddocks for horses
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