Finding best exotic breed proportion in crossbred lactating sheep kept under farmers’ conditions in Ethiopia determined by use of nested Legendre polynomials with limited data

ABSTRACT

The present study was conducted to estimate milk production performance and fit lactation curves for groups of ewes of Local and of Awassi crosses, with a variable blood level, reared under farmer’s environment. The Weigh-Suckle-Weigh method plus hand milking was used to estimate milk yield for ewes. A total of 466 observations from 115 ewes were used. Estimated least-squares adjusted means for the milk production over 120 days were 0.56?kg day^?1 (Local), 0.67 (<30% Awassi), 0.86 (30–50% Awassi), and 0.96 (>50% Awassi). Groups with 30–50% Awassi and >50% Awassi ewes produced significantly (p?<?0.05) more milk than Local ewes. Significant differences were observed between <30% Awassi and >50% Awassi crossbred groups. The best crosses (>50% Awassi) produced over 70% more milk than the local ewes which demonstrates the potential that exists in increasing milk production through the initiated crossbreeding programme with sheep in Ethiopia.     

Ergovaline does not alter the severity of ryegrass staggers induced by lolitrem B

AIM: To investigate a possible interaction between lolitrem B and ergovaline by comparing the incidence and severity of ryegrass staggers in sheep grazing ryegrass (Lolium perenne) containing lolitrem B or ryegrass containing both lolitrem B and ergovaline.

METHODS: Ninety lambs, aged approximately 6 months, were grazed on plots of perennial ryegrass infected with either AR98 endophyte (containing lolitrem B), standard endophyte (containing lolitrem B and ergovaline) or no endophyte, for up to 42 days from 2 February 2010. Ten lambs were grazed on three replicate plots per cultivar. Herbage samples were collected for alkaloid analysis and lambs were scored for ryegrass staggers (scores from 0–5) weekly during the study. Any animal which was scored ≥4 was removed from the study.

RESULTS: Concentrations of lolitrem B did not differ between AR98 and standard endophyte-infected pastures during the study period (p=0.26), and ergovaline was present only in standard endophyte pastures. Ryegrass staggers was observed in sheep grazing both the AR98 and standard endophyte plots, with median scores increasing in the third week of the study. Prior to the end of the 42-day grazing period, 22 and 17 animals were removed from the standard endophyte and AR98 plots, respectively, because their staggers scores were ≥4. The cumulative probability of lambs having scores ≥4 did not differ between animals grazing the two pasture types (p=0.41).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: There was no evidence for ergovaline increasing the severity of ryegrass staggers induced by lolitrem B. In situations where the severity of ryegrass staggers appears to be greater than that predicted on the basis of concentrations of lolitrem B, the presence of other tremorgenic alkaloids should be investigated.     

Meta‐analysis of the energy and protein requirements of hair sheep raised in the tropical region of Brazil

The objective of this study was to estimate, through mathematical models, energy and protein requirements for maintenance and gain of hair sheep raised in the tropical region of Brazil. To determine the equation parameters, a meta‐analysis of seven independent experiments of nutrient requirements was performed, comprising a total of 243 experimental units (animals), which were conducted under tropical conditions, using hair sheep in growing and finishing phases and endowed of the following quantitative data for each animal: body weight (BW ), empty body weight (EBW ), average daily gain (ADG ), empty body gain (EBG ), heat production (HP ), metabolizable energy intake (MEI ), retained energy (RE ), metabolizable protein intake (MPI ) and body protein content. The regression equations generated were as follows: for Net Energy for maintenance, (NE _m): ; for Net Energy for gain, (NE _g): ; for Metabolizable Protein for maintenance,(MP _m): MPI _(g/day) = 24.8470 (±7.3646) + 560.28 (±99.6582) × EBG _(kg/day); for Net Protein for gain, (NP _g): . The NE _m requirement was 0.246 MJ EBW^?0.75 day^?1. The metabolizable energy for maintenance requirement was 0.391 MJ EBW^?0.75 day^?1. Considering an ADG of 100 g, the NE _g requirement ranged from 0.496 to 1.701 MJ/day for animals with BW ranging from 10 to 40 kg respectively. The efficiencies of use of the metabolizable energy for maintenance and gain were 0.63 and 0.36 respectively. The MP _m requirement was 3.097 g EBW^?0.75 day^?1. Considering an ADG of 100 g, the NP _g requirement ranged from 12.4 to 10.5 g/day for animals with BW ranging from 10 to 40 kg respectively. The total metabolizable energy and protein requirements were lower than those reported by the NRC and AFRC systems. Thus, our results support the hypothesis that nutrient requirements of hair sheep raised in tropical regions differ from wool sheep raised in temperate regions. Therefore, the use of the equations designed in this study is recommended.     

Effect of water restriction on milk yield and quality in Lacaune breed ewes

The effect of water restriction on body weight, body condition score, milk yield, and milk composition and rheological characteristics in intensively reared Lacaune ewes was evaluated. After 7 days of adaptation, the trial lasted 28 days. Thirty lactating ewes (48 ± 5 months of age; mean value ± standard deviation) at the beginning of third lactation month were divided into three groups (n = 10), corresponding to the following water restriction treatment: a group control received no drinking water restriction (W100), and two groups received water to the extent of 80% and 60% of W100 daily consumption (W80 and W60 group respectively). The effects of water restriction were assessed at the beginning of experiment (D0), at D14 and D28. The W60 group resulted in a significant decrease in body weight, body condition score, milk yield and feed consumption of hay due to the experimental treatment; whereas a marked increase in both W60 and W80 groups of milk lactose, urea, sodium, sodium chloride content and titratable acidity was observed. Rheological parameters of milk, rennet coagulation time and curd‐firming time were positively affected by water restriction treatments, with a decrease in both experimental groups of the time required for the formation of a stable and firm curd. Results highlight the importance of water consumption in dairy sheep. The scarce availability of water, significantly affecting ewes milk production, is worthy of particular attention in arid area where water stress‐resistant breeds should be considered. This study underlines that milk yield, being closely linked to the availability of water of the breeding habitat due to its high water content (about 81%), could be reached in area where water is not a limiting factor without reducing the genetic expression of the animals. Less severe water restrictions, such as 20% of daily voluntary water intake, produce no detrimental effect on milk yield.     

Gas and short‐chain fatty acid production from feeds commonly fed to red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) and incubated with rumen inoculum from red deer and sheep

Efficient red deer supplementary feeding depends on estimations of the nutritive value of offered feeds, frequently estimated with the use of equations derived from domestic ruminants. The aim of this study was to compare the 24‐hour in vitro true dry matter degradability (ivTD₂₄), in vitro gas production (GP) kinetic parameters, GP in 24 hr of incubation (GAS₂₄) and short‐chain fatty acid (SCFA) and microbial biomass (MBS) produced after 24‐hour incubation of feeds in inoculum prepared from sheep and red deer rumen fluid. Eleven feeds, frequently consumed by red deer in Slovenia, which occur either naturally (two fresh grasses, chestnut fruits and common and sessile oak acorns) or are fed as winter supplemental feeds (two grass hays, two grass silages, apple pomace, fresh sugar beetroot), were investigated. The in vitro GP kinetic parameters, GAS₂₄ and ivTD₂₄, did not differ between animal species. Amounts of SCFAs were greater (p < 0.05) when feeds were incubated in sheep inoculum, while molar proportions of acetic and propionic acids did not differ. Molar proportions of butyric acid produced during incubation of high fibre feeds did not differ between animal species, but were higher (p < 0.05) when feeds high in starch or sugar were incubated in red deer inoculum. Greater production of SCFA by sheep rumen microbes suggests better coverage of host animal with energy precursors, while greater production of MBS by red deer rumen microbes suggests better coverage of host animal with protein. Results also suggest that rumens of sheep and red deer are inhabited by different microbial communities, which did not affect the extent of in vitro GP and degradation of feeds used in the present experiment. However, the possibility exists that the divergent nutrient use could be a consequence of different priming by different feeds of the donor animal diets.     

靖边县2010年—2012年羊布鲁菌病血清学调查

为了解陕西省靖边县羊布鲁菌的感染及分布状况,自2010年1月—2012年12月,采集陕西省靖边县羔羊、种羊等55 059只的羊血清样品,通过试管凝集反应对布鲁菌病抗体进行检测,分析羊布鲁菌的分布情况。结果显示,55 059份羊血清样品共检出阳性样品78份,其中羔羊样品阳性71份。种羊养殖场和养殖户因引进布鲁菌隐性种公羊造成2个养殖场出现77只病羊,4个养殖户出现117只病羊。羔羊布鲁菌抗体阳性率呈增高趋势,由2010年的0.04%上升到2012年的0.29%;由于引种造成的布鲁菌感染率较高。     

VEGF在绵羊生殖管道中的表达规律

以不同发情周期雌性绵羊子宫、输卵管为研究对象,采用免疫组织化学技术,针对血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）在绵羊子宫、输卵管的表达、定位和变化规律进行了检测,同时应用相关图像分析软件对抗原染色强度进行了定量分析。结果表明：输卵管在发情0～15d,VEGF表达量在第9天达到峰值后经历波动逐渐下降过程,输卵管内膜上皮细胞是VEGF抗原的主要靶细胞;而子宫角在发情0～15d,VEGF表达量在第5天达到峰值后经历波动逐渐下降过程,子宫内膜固有层及腺体周围细胞为VEGF抗原的主要靶细胞。该研究结果为绵羊生产中进一步提高受胎率和妊娠率及频密产羔等技术的应用提供了科学依据。