Factors affecting pregnancy rate in Holstein-Friesian cattle mated during summer in a tropical upland environment

SUMMARY The relationships between some environmental factors and reproductive rates of dairy cattle during summer in a tropical upland area were studied using records for Holstein-Frieslan milking cows and non-lactating growing helfers maintained at the Kalri Research Station on the Atherton Tableland in north Queensland. The Station is situated in a tropical upland environment with warm, wet summers and dry, cool winters. Data were collected over a 12-year-period (1977 to 1988) for cows grazing nitrogen (N)-fertilised grass pastures and receiving either no supplement or about 3.5 kg molasses/cow/day. Cattle were mated over a 10-week period starting from mid-January to early February, with 32 to 36 cows and 5 to 42 heifers used in each year. There was considerable variation among years in the pregnancy rate after 3 Inseminations, with a low of 39% and a high of 94% pregnancy. This variation from year to year was reduced for cows grazing pastures receiving 300 kg N/ha/yr after molasses feeding commenced in 1984–85. Pregnancy rates after molasses Introduction were higher for cows grazing pastures receiving 300 compared with 100 kg N/ha/yr. Pregnancy rate in cows and heifers was reduced from 80 to 55% as mean daily maximum temperature increased from 26°C to 27.5°C. At mean maximum temperatures above 27°C for cows and 27.6°C for heifers pregnancy rates to 3 Inseminations were consistently below 60%. Much of the year to year variation in pregnancy rate was related to rainfall during the mating period. There was a positive association between pregnancy rate and rainfall up to 1000 mm, and this was associated with differences in growth rate of pasture. In years of very high rainfall, above 1500 mm, there was a depression in pregnancy rate, which may be related to the intense humidity in very wet years causing heat stress in cows and associated problems such as feet infections, or a deterioration in pasture quality. We conclude that much of the variation in pregnancy rate during summer may have been related to heat stress and the level of feed supply in the form of pasture and supplements.     

The spread of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection to unvaccinated and vaccinated sheep

SUMMARY The decrease in the prevalence of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis after two generations of vaccination against the disease it causes, was used to estimate the rate of control of caseous lymphadenitis (CLA). Three groups of 150 sheep, of which 50 in each group were artificially infected with C pseudotuberculosis and 100 in each group were uninfected sheep, were run separately for 40 months and shorn 5 times to promote the spread of CLA. One lot of 50 infected sheep and 2 lots of 100 uninfected sheep were vaccinated against CLA. The rate of spread of CLA was recorded. Sheep vaccinated against CLA and naturally exposed to infection had a 74% lower infection rate than unvaccinated sheep. Sheep vaccinated against CLA and exposed to only vaccinated infected sheep had a 97% lower infection rate. Unvaccinated sheep had a 76% infection rate, with 77% of the transmission occurring at the 4th and 5th shearings, without any discharging CLA abscesses being observed. This study supports the view that in Australian wool producing flocks, CLA spreads mainly from sheep with discharging lung abscesses to sheep with shearing cuts. Vaccinated sheep infected with CLA have 96% fewer lung abscesses compared with unvaccinated infected sheep and are therefore less likely to spread this disease to other sheep .     

New infection with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis reduces wool production

SUMMARY The effect of natural Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection on wool production and quality in sheep was examined in light of evidence that artificial C pseudotuberculosis infection causes wool production loss. A toxin ELISA was used to identify sheep that had been infected with C pseudo tuberculosis. Greasy and clean fleece weights and fibre diameter were compared in infected and uninfected sheep. C pseudotuberculosis infection caused a 3.8 to 4.8% decrease in greasy wool production and a 4.1 to 6.6% decrease in clean wool production. C pseudotuberculosis infection did not affect fibre diameter. The effects of caseous lymphadenitis (the disease caused by C pseudotuberculosis infection) cause an annual loss of about $17 million in wool production to the Australian wool industry.     

Acute renal failure following Bull ant mass envenomation in two dogs

Acute renal failure was diagnosed in a German Short Haired Pointer bitch and a Kelpie cross-bred dog following envenomation by Bull ants. Both dogs had been tethered over a Bull ant nest and had experienced mass envenomation. There was local reaction at the envenomation sites and each dog had experienced vomiting that was poorly controlled by symptomatic therapy. Intensive treatment of renal failure was successful in the German Short Haired Pointer and the bitch remains well 19 months after envenomation. The Kelpie cross-bred deteriorated despite intensive treatment and was euthanased 36 hours after presentation. Necropsy examination revealed haemorrhage and necrosis of the small intestine and myocardium, bilateral nephrosis with tubular necrosis, and patchy haemorrhage of the lung alveoli, pancreas and adrenal cortices. Electron microscopy revealed necrosis of the small intestine and hydropic swelling of proximal renal tubules with necrosis of medullary tubules.     

The Solar Acoustic Spectrum and Eigenmode Parameters

The Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) project estimates the frequencies, amplitudes, and linewidths of more than 250,000 acoustic resonances of the sun from data sets lasting 36 days. The frequency resolution of a single data set is 0.321 microhertz. For frequencies averaged over the azimuthal order m, the median formal error is 0.044 microhertz, and the associated median fractional error is 1.6 x 10(-5). For a 3-year data set, the fractional error is expected to be 3 x 10(-6). The GONG m-averaged frequency measurements differ from other helioseismic data sets by 0.03 to 0.08 microhertz. The differences arise from a combination of systematic errors, random errors, and possible changes in solar structure.