新西兰马鹿人工授精技术操作程序

近年来,为获得优质高产的茸鹿改良后代,诸多养鹿者积极采取了人工授精技术措施。但是,由于鹿人工授精技术实施过程中的技术缺乏规范化,加之鹿繁殖生理上具有一些特殊性,使得目前鹿人工授精的受胎率并不理想。新西兰是鹿人工授精技术应用较先进的国家,其人工授精技术具有一套完善的操作程序。我国和新西兰虽然在季节上相反,但其技术程序可以借鉴。现将新西兰目前实施的较新的马鹿人工授精技术操作程序作以介绍,希望对国内养鹿者能有所启发和收获。1母鹿输精前的饲养管理进行人工授精的母鹿应是健康、有繁殖能力的,在配种期母鹿不能过瘦或过胖…     

新西兰养鹿业概况

18世纪中叶,新西兰首次从欧洲引入马鹿,在南北二岛的森林中繁殖。从19世纪中期以来,新西兰已成功地引进了红鹿、黄占鹿、梅花鹿、马鹿、弗吉尼亚鹿、鼠鹿和麋鹿等7种鹿。在南北二岛的森林中开辟有用来养鹿的高山牧场。喔达哥大学里还专门设置养鹿和鹿病防治专业。现在新西兰约有1000个养鹿场,养鹿总头数达15万余头,成立了养鹿协会。养鹿业成为60年代后期发展起来的新兴行业。     

新西兰养鹿业考察体会

<正>中国畜牧业协会鹿业分会组织鹿业专家与企业一行5人,对新西兰养鹿业进行了考察。考察期间,参观了Fcilding鹿肉屠宰加工厂、Fcilding鹿场、新西兰鹿业局、基督城鹿场、Nutrisco鹿茸产品公司及至上鹿产品加工场,并就新西兰鹿业的发展模式、政府管理及产品开发和市场开拓等,进行了深入的交流和学习。一、新西兰养鹿历史从1851年开始,新西兰先后从英格兰和苏格兰等地,引进了赤鹿、水     

世界养鹿业概况与我国养鹿业的发展策略

重点介绍了新西兰、俄罗斯与加拿大3个养鹿大国的概况,同时详细阐述了半个世纪来我国在养鹿业的发展和驯养、育种等方面的成就,并对我国将成为养鹿大国、强国提出了一些建议。     

国际产鹿学术会议在新西兰召开

由新西兰皇家学会和动物学会主办的国际产鹿学术会议,于1983年2月13—18日在新西兰达尼丁奥达戈大学召开。奥达戈大学副校长爱尔韦尼教授主持了会议;会议组织委员会主席德尔乌博士致开幕词。各国(或地区)代表在会上宣读论文65篇,张贴论文29篇。参观了新西兰的鹿场和鹿产品加工厂以及农渔部英物迈农业研究中心和奥达戈大学。还游览了新西     

养鹿业:机遇与挑战并存

当前，我国的养鹿业面临着一个发展的问题，怎样客观地、冷静地看待、分析我国养鹿业的发展形势，是关系到这个产业生死存亡的大事，我们应勇敢地迎接养鹿业发展中所面临的机遇和挑战。 连续１０年养鹿业的高回报率，促使了国外养鹿业快速发展。新西兰、澳大利亚、加拿大、日本等国的养鹿业逐步成熟，由原来的跟在我国后面学步，到目前已成为我们强有力的竞争对手，挤占了我国鹿茸在韩国、香港和东南亚市场的占有量，影响了我国鹿茸的出口。新西兰、澳大利亚饲养的欧洲赤鹿属放牧型鹿，饲养方法粗放，养殖成本低，过去他们养鹿的目的是肉用…     

想养鹿须慎重

目前,受养鹿业高额利润的牵动,我国乃至全球掀起了养鹿热。１０年间我国梅花鹿、马鹿总数翻了一番有余,高达５０～６０万头。同时新西兰、澳大利亚、加拿大等国养鹿业后来居上,其中新西兰已发展成为全球最大的养鹿国,其饲养的赤鹿就达１８０万头,不仅出口鹿肉,而且鹿茸出口量居世界之首。故此,想涉足鹿业,使鹿产品更多地占领国内外市场,获得较高的经济效益,应着重抓好以下三项工作：１．开发利用廉价饲料资源,提高养鹿技术水平,实行规模养鹿,进而降低养鹿成本。２．进一步完善割茸技术,保证鹿茸质量,降低鹿茸生产成本,增强…     

鹿恶性卡他热

鹿恶性片他热(MCF)在新西兰的鹿场中越来越成为一种严重病患。该病1968年在新西兰坎布特里林肯学院的鹿群中首次发现,其它国家也有发生,但发生于野生鹿的病例未见有报道。 MCF的死亡率为20—50％,幼鹿和新捕获的鹿群死亡率更高。突然发病,有时看不到任何症状。全年发生,但主要流行于7—11月,各种年龄的鹿均可感染,3岁的成年鹿最易感。症状病鹿停食,困倦无力,倒伏时见拉水样粪便,甚者血痢。放牧时离群落后站立不动,两耳下垂,体温正常或低于常温,呼吸和心跳稍有加快。     

全球掀起养鹿热 中国鹿业迎挑战

中国是世界上使用鹿产品历史最久的国家,人工养鹿已有200多年。受养鹿业高额利润吸引,近10余年全球掀起了养鹿热,我国梅花鹿和马鹿总数增长一倍以上,已达50万至60万头。与此同时,新西兰、加拿大、澳大利亚、北     

中国鹿业的发展前景

总体发展趋势 :由于鹿茸受国外市场的制约 ,加之国内鹿茸、肉综合开发利用落后 ,造成当前鹿产品市场疲软 ,但随着国内人民生活水平的提高 ,保健意识的增强 ,鹿产品结构的优化 ,深加工开发 ,养鹿将有美好的前景。现状剖析 :我国所产的鹿茸有３／４是销往韩国、香港、东南亚等国家地区。但因近几年这些地方经济受到重创 ,社会购买力和人们的生活水平明显下降 ,直接影响到我国的鹿茸出口。加之新西兰、加拿大、日本等国的养鹿业逐步成熟。特别是新西兰、澳大利亚饲养的欧洲赤鹿属放牧型 ,饲养方法粗放、养殖成本低 ,他们养鹿的目的是肉用 ,鹿茸…     

Welfare of farmed deer in New Zealand. 1. Management practices

This review summarises research of management practices that potentially impact on the welfare of farmed deer. The processes of capture and initial domestication of feral deer caused many welfare problems but are now essentially complete in New Zealand. The health and production status of farmed deer, and readily visible indicators of their welfare are generally good, although preventive medicines and optimum management practices have not been universally adopted. Research into social behaviour, effects of yarding, weaning, mating, calving, shelter, shade and nutrition has identified ways of improving the welfare of farmed deer and has provided recommendations for deer industry quality assurance programmes. Research has identified transport design and practices that minimise the impact of transport on deer welfare and reduce carcass wastage caused by bruising during transport. Time in lairage prior to slaughter should be minimised and electrical stunning is a humane method of slaughter. Ongoing research is needed on management practices and farm environments to further improve the welfare of farmed deer, consistent with the goals of the New Zealand deer industry and its proactive approach to date.     

Welfare of farmed deer in New Zealand. 1. Management practices

This review summarises research of management practices that potentially impact on the welfare of farmed deer. The processes of capture and initial domestication of feral deer caused many welfare problems but are now essentially complete in New Zealand. The health and production status of farmed deer, and readily visible indicators of their welfare are generally good, although preventive medicines and optimum management practices have not been universally adopted. Research into social behaviour, effects of yarding, weaning, mating, calving, shelter, shade and nutrition has identified ways of improving the welfare of farmed deer and has provided recommendations for deer industry quality assurance programmes. Research has identified transport design and practices that minimise the impact of transport on deer welfare and reduce carcass wastage caused by bruising during transport. Time in lairage prior to slaughter should be minimised and electrical stunning is a humane method of slaughter. Ongoing research is needed on management practices and farm environments to further improve the welfare of farmed deer, consistent with the goals of the New Zealand deer industry and its proactive approach to date.     

Efficacy trial of an irradiated cattle lungworm vaccine in red deer (Cervus elaphus)

Lungworm (Dictyocaulus sp.) is the parasite of most concern to the New Zealand deer industry. Although lungworm can be controlled by anthelmintics there is an increasing concern over excessive drenching programmes and reliance on chemicals for parasite control. A live irradiated larval vaccine developed for cattle has been available in Europe for the past 40 years but has never been evaluated in red deer in New Zealand. Four groups of red deer and two of cattle were hand reared from birth in parasite-free conditions. The cattle acted as a control group to ensure that the vaccine was still efficacious on arrival in New Zealand. Two groups of deer were vaccinated, and all four groups were challenged with either D. viviparus or deer origin Dictyocaulus, tentatively identified as D. eckerti. The vaccine provided excellent protection to cattle under New Zealand conditions, there was no larval output in the vaccinated cattle and no adults were found in their lungs at necropsy. In red deer, patency was delayed in the vaccinated groups regardless of challenge species and larval output was lower but was not prevented. Adult lungworms were found in the lungs of all deer at necropsy but fewer were recorded in the vaccinated deer. Although Huskvac provided a degree of protection for red deer it was not effective enough to recommend its use.     

Use of a polymerase chain reaction to subtype Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis, an increasingly important pathogen from farmed deer in New Zealand

AIMS: To review the number of microbiologically-confirmed cases of Johne's disease in farmed deer since 2000, and determine the prevalence of the bovine and ovine subtypes of Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis (M. paratuberculosis), using a highly specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on samples from infected herds. METHODS: The number of cases of M. paratuberculosis in farmed deer identified by culture or IS900 PCR was documented. A highly specific PCR test was applied to subtype M. paratuberculosis from BACTEC 12B cultures selected on the basis of one culture per deer herd, to give a wide coverage of herds in New Zealand. RESULTS: From January 2001 to October 2005, M. paratuberculosis was isolated from 1,141 farmed deer, and has now been identified by microbiological testing in over 600 deer herds in New Zealand. The bovine subtype of M. paratuberculosis was shown by a highly specific PCR test to be present in 91/95 herds examined; the ovine subtype was found in the remaining four herds. CONCLUSIONS: Since 2000, there has been a substantial increase in both the number of microbiologically-confirmed cases of Johne's disease in farmed deer and the number of infected herds. Johne's disease is now widespread and common in deer herds throughout New Zealand. Whilst the bovine subtype of M. paratuberculosis predominates in deer herds in New Zealand in which Johne's disease has been confirmed, the occasional finding of the ovine subtype highlights the need to consider both sheep and cattle as potential sources of infection for farmed deer.     

Mycobacterial diseases of deer

The most significant mycobacterial diseases of free-living, captive and farmed deer are bovine tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium bovis, Johne's disease (paratuberculosis), caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis (basonym M. paratuberculosis), and avian tuberculosis, caused principally by M. avium subsp avium. The first case of M. bovis infection in farmed deer was identified in New Zealand in 1978. In 1983, a voluntary scheme was introduced in New Zealand to control tuberculosis in farmed deer, followed by a compulsory tuberculosis control scheme in 1990. The primary control measure is the slaughter of infected animals, detected by skin testing and blood testing, together with movement control and vector control. The number of infected deer herds peaked in the mid 1990s at over 160 herds, but by 30 June 2002 this had been reduced to 79 (1.45%), and to 67 (1.23%) by June 2003. Deer-to-deer transmission occurs, but the majority of herd breakdowns are believed to be from infected vectors. Factors likely to affect the susceptibility of deer include age, environment, population density, exposure and genetics. Avian tuberculosis occasionally causes clinical disease in wild, captive and farmed deer in New Zealand and overseas. Mycobacterium intracellulare, and subspecies of M. avium other than M. paratuberculosis, are widespread throughout New Zealand and are thought to be largely responsible for the high level of sensitisation to avian purified protein derivative (PPD), which is used for comparison purposes in tuberculosis skin testing of deer in this country. Infections with these organisms are usually subclinical in farmed deer, although M. avium subsp avium commonly causes lesions in retropharyngeal, mesenteric and ileocaecal lymph nodes. These lesions cause problems because of their gross and microscopic similarity to those due to M. bovis infection. Birds and domestic animals are most likely to become infected via environmental contamination of food, water, bedding litter or soil, while carnivores or scavengers may also become infected by ingesting infected carcasses. Johne's disease has been reported in deer in the wild and in zoos, especially in North America, the United Kingdom (UK) and Europe. Since first being confirmed in farmed deer in New Zealand in 1979, the incidence of Johne's disease has increased steadily. To date, M. paratuberculosis has been identified in >600 farmed deer on 300 properties. The majority of cases have been identified from suspected tuberculous lesions submitted from deer slaughter plants. Clinically, Johne's disease in deer is similar to the disease in sheep and cattle, with typical signs of loss of weight and condition, and diarrhoea. However, outbreaks of Johne's disease frequently occur in young red deer, 8-15 months of age, whereas the clinical disease in sheep and cattle is sporadic and usually affects adults 3-5 years of age. The disease is characterised by a chronic granulomatous enteritis and lymphadenitis, especially affecting the jejunum and ileum and the mesenteric lymph nodes. Deer affected subclinically may have lesions in these lymph nodes at slaughter, which are grossly indistinguishable from those due to bovine tuberculosis. Because of the antigenic similarity between M. intracellulare and all the subspecies of M. avium, including M. paratuberculosis, the diagnostic tests for Johne's disease lack sensitivity and specificity, making control difficult.     

A malignant catarrhal fever-like disease in red deer (Cervus elaphus) in New Zealand

Two case histories are presented to illustrate the clinical and pathological findings of a malignant catarrhal fever-like disease as seen in farmed red deer in New Zealand. Attention is drawn to the similarities with some exotic diseases and the suggestion is made that deer may act as a reservoir for the aetiological agent.     

Another challenge for the profession

Extract

The veterinary profession is being offered an unique opportunity to extend its activities to encompass a new concept of animal production; the farming of deer. New Zealand is pioneering techniques of deer farming on a large scale and is considered to possess the most advanced deer farming operation in the western world. The farming of deer was established after the enactment of the Deer Farming Regulations 1969.     

A malignant catarrhal fever-like disease in red deer (Cervus elaphus) in New Zealand

Two case histories are presented to illustrate the clinical and pathological findings of a malignant catarrhal fever-like disease as seen in farmed red deer in New Zealand. Attention is drawn to the similarities with some exotic diseases and the suggestion is made that deer may act as a reservoir for the aetiological agent.     

Journal standards

Despite its many imperfections, the peer review process is a firmly established quality control system for scientific literature. It gives readers some assurance that the work and views that are reported meet standards that are acceptable to a journal. Maureen Revington's editorial in a recent issue of the Australian Veterinary Journal (Revington2002) gives a good concise warts and all overview of the process and is well worth reading. I have some concerns about several articles in the December 2002 issue of the New Zealand Veterinary Journal (Volume 50, Number 6), devoted to the health and welfare of farmed deer, that relate to extensive citing of non-peer reviewed papers. I can understand the need for information to flow from researchers to the wider community but that need is already satisfied by publications such as the proceedings of the Deer Branch of the New Zealand Veterinary Association and Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. Non-peer reviewed papers have been cited in the Journal in the past but never to the extent displayed in this particular issue. It degrades the peer-review process and creates an added burden for reviewers who are forced to grapple with the uncertainties of the science in non-peer reviewed citations. One of my fears is that this process allows science from non peer reviewed articles to be legitimised by its inclusion in a peer reviewed journal and perhaps go on to be accepted as dogma. This is a real danger given the difficulties associated with tracing back to original citations and the increasing volume of scientific literature. It also affords opportunities for agencies to pick up questionable and doubtful science and tout it as support for their products or particular points of view. If deer researchers choose to publish most of their work in proceedings then so be it. However this approach, which seems to becoming increasingly prevalent in the deer sector, is questionable from an established science point of view. For my part, I am increasingly reluctant to spend time reading non-peer reviewed material, despite its appeal. At present there are two distinct baskets for scientific literature, one for non-reviewed articles and another for peer reviewed information. I would sincerely hope that we are not going to need another basket as a halfway house for issues that fall in between that classification.     

Malignant catarrhal fever in a swamp buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) calf in New Zealand

Malignant catarrhal fever was diagnosed in a newly imported swamp buffalo calf. This disease is prevalent in deer and cattle in New Zealand and causes sporadic losses in these species. The disease is recognised as a problem in buffaloes overseas and this paper records the first case in a swamp buffalo in New Zealand.