Nutrition of intensive pastures in the summer rainfall areas of southern Africa

Consideration is given to the current state of knowledge regarding the nutrition of cultivated pastures in the summer rainfall areas of southern Africa. Research efforts over the years have concentrated on the nitrogen (N) requirements of pastures, with relatively little significant work being undertaken on phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and lime. The numerous N response curves derived in cutting trials provide a useful basis for predicting N requirements under cutting‐and‐removal type utilization, but are of little value in predicting N requirements under grazing. The critical roles of P, K and lime in pasture productivity and persistence have been demonstrated in field trials undertaken in the Natal Midlands and south‐eastern Transvaal. Soil test calibrations, established for several important pasture species on Natal soils, have been found to provide a sound basis for predicting P, K and lime requirements of pastures. In considering the direction of future research, it is suggested that considerable potential exists for more efficient fertilizer and lime usage; research efforts should therefore be channelled in that direction.     

Toxoplasma gondii infections in sheep in Sicily, southern Italy

The aim of the study was to determine the burden of Toxoplasma gondii-infections in sheep in Sicily, southern Italy and the risk factors for infection. Sera from 1961 sheep were collected just before slaughtering from 62 farms located in 8 out of 9 Sicilian administrative districts. The sera were analysed for Toxoplasma-specific IgG antibodies using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Sheep less than 4 weeks old were further analysed by ELISA for Toxoplasma-specific IgM-antibodies. Data on farm size and location were obtained from slaughterhouse sanitary reports and through structured telephone interviews of the veterinary officers from public health districts. The overall seroprevalence of Toxoplasma-specific IgG-antibodies were 49.9% (937/1876) by ELISA. Eighty-seven (54/62) percent of the farms had at least one Toxoplasma-positive animal. All the farms fed the animals outdoor on pasture and only one was claiming organic farming. Having cats on the farm, age of the animals, farm size and the use of surface water sources for drinking were all significantly associated with T. gondii-infected animals on the farm. T. gondii infection in mutton used for human consumption is very prevalent, and eating unprocessed sheep and lamb meat has a high risk of transmitting infections to humans. The presence of cats on the farm, farm size and using surface water as drinking water for the animals were risk factors for infection in sheep, with age as a significant confounder.     

Area use of two sheep breeds in contrasting summer alpine grazing environments in southern Norway

In Norway, approximately 2 million sheep are released for summer grazing onto highly heterogeneous outer-fields. The crossbred Norwegian White Sheep (NWS) is dominating, whereas the lighter short-tailed gregarious Spælsau (SP) is the second most abundant of the total Norwegian sheep population. We fitted 51 ewes with GPS collars in two contrasting alpine environment, Spekedalen (poor pasture) and Brathøa sauhavnelag (rich pasture), during the summer grazing seasons 2013 and 2014. We modelled breed differences in summer area use and found no significant effect of breed or pasture quality. No breed?* pasture interaction was found. Information of pasture quality and breed characteristics is vital to understand the resource–animal interplay and may prove important for sheep management.     

Long-acting moxidectin for the control of trichostrongylid infections of sheep in south-eastern Australia

Objective   To compare the effectiveness of a single long-acting injection of moxidectin, given in either summer or winter, with a two-summer ('standard') treatment strategy for controlling gastrointestinal nematodes in spring-lambing Merino ewes.
Design   A replicated study over 2 years in the high winter rainfall environment of western Victoria.
Methods   Measures of worm infection were worm egg counts of ewes and total worm counts of tracer lambs. Measures of production were body weight, proportion of pregnant ewes and number of weaned lambs.
Results   The egg counts of ewes given the standard strategy followed a characteristic pattern, rising to 300 to 600 eggs per gram before the second summer treatment in February. During this time, ewes given long-acting moxidectin in December had zero or negligible counts. There were no consistent differences between tracer worm counts or production measures for the two groups treated in summer, but when data from both years were pooled, the total egg output from December to May was significantly lower for ewes treated with long-acting moxidectin in December. Ewes not treated during summer had lower body weights, and higher worm egg counts and tracer worm counts, showing that this was not a suitable strategy at that time of the year. However, following treatment with long-acting moxidectin in winter, ewes had rapid compensatory weight gain and lower egg output than ewes treated in summer.
Conclusion   A single injection of long-acting moxidectin in December is an effective treatment strategy for Merino ewes lambing in spring.     

Pharmacokinetics and urinary excretion of sulphadimidine in sheep during summer and winter

Pharmacokinetics and urinary excretion of sulphadimidine were investigated in sheep during summer and winter seasons. Average minimum and maximum environmental temperature in the summer ranged from 22.6 to 40.2 degrees C and in winter from 4.5 to 21.1 degrees C. The determination of plasma volume, plasma protein and packed cell volume during summer and winter revealed a significant decrease in plasma volume and a significant increase in plasma protein in the summer indicative of haemoconcentration. Packed cell volume did not differ significantly between the seasons. The pharmacokinetics of sulphadimidine were determined following a single intravenous injection (100 mg/kg) in summer and winter. Zero time plasma concentration of the drug was higher during summer than in winter. The elimination half-life of the drug was similar in summer and winter, but the apparent volume of distribution was lower in summer. Likewise, total body clearance was significantly lower in summer. Based on these studies a satisfactory intravenous dosage regimen might consist of 86 and 100 mg/kg for priming and 78 and 88 mg/kg as maintenance doses during summer and winter, respectively, the doses being repeated at 12 hour intervals. Twenty four hours after sulphadimidine administration 90 and 73 per cent of the dose was excreted in urine during summer and winter, respectively. The drug was excreted mainly as free amine.     

Renal clearance of endogenous creatinine and urea in sheep during summer and winter

Simultaneous measurement of the renal clearance of endogenous creatinine and exogenous inulin in eight sheep showed similar mean +/- SD (n = 32) values of 13.8 +/- 1.3 and 13.2 +/- 2.0 ml min-1 (10 kg)-1 bodyweight respectively. These results demonstrate that the renal clearance of endogenous creatinine is a satisfactory measure of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in sheep. The plasma concentrations of endogenous creatinine and urea were significantly higher because of haemoconcentration during summer, resulting in lower GFR than in winter. Besides glomerular filtration and back diffusion, the renal handling of urea in sheep seems to involve mechanisms analogous to active tubular secretion.     

Coccidia in sheep in South Australia

Faecal samples from 136 sheep from four different locations in South Australia were examined to determine the types and numbers of Eimeria spp. present. Coccidian oocysts were detected in 80% of the sheep and 11 different species of Eimeria were identified. The species detected (and their prevalence) were E. crandallis/E. weybridgensis (76%), E. ovina (55%), E. ovinoidalis (54%), E. granulosa (49%), E. parva/E. pallida (44%), E. intricata (37%), E. ahsata (31%), E. faurei (24%), and E. punctata (1%). No major differences were observed in the patterns of infection between the four locations examined. Faecal samples were also collected each month for a year from 48 lambs at two of the locations and oocyst counts were found to decrease markedly in all lambs after 6 months of age but to persist at low levels until the end of sampling at 17 months of age.     

Pasteurella haemolytica infections in sheep

Summary Pasteurella haemolytica causes two distinct disease syndromes in sheep. P. haemolytica biotype A causes septicaemia in young lambs and pneumonia in all ages of sheep. Biotype T produces an acute systemic disease affecting principally the upper alimentary tract and lungs in young adult sheep. The bacteriology, epidemiology and clinical and necropsy findings of the two diseases are described and the current situation regarding their experimental reproduction and immunology is reviewed.     

Pasteurella haemolytica infections in sheep

Summary

Pasteurella haemolytica causes two distinct disease syndromes in sheep. P. haemolytica biotype A causes septicaemia in young lambs and pneumonia in all ages of sheep. Biotype T produces an acute systemic disease affecting principally the upper alimentary tract and lungs in young adult sheep. The bacteriology, epidemiology and clinical and necropsy findings of the two diseases are described and the current situation regarding their experimental reproduction and immunology is reviewed.     

不同降水格局下填闲种植对旱作冬小麦农田夏闲期土壤温室气体排放的影响

田间盆栽试验研究了不同降水格局下填闲种植对冬小麦农田夏闲期土壤温室气体排放的影响。试验采用控制降水格局(自然降水和减半降水)和填闲作物(黑麦草单播、长武怀豆单播、黑麦草和怀豆混播、裸地对照)双因素处理设计, 利用静态箱-气相色谱法对土壤CO₂、N₂O和CH₄排放通量进行观测。结果表明:1)各处理土壤是CO₂、N₂O的排放源, 是CH₄的弱吸收汇。2)降水格局和填闲种植对土壤温室气体排放均具有显著影响。与自然降水相比, 减半降水的土壤CO₂日均排放通量降低了33%, N₂O日均排放通量降低了17.9%, 但对CH₄通量影响不大。3)与裸地对照相比, 单播黑麦草、长武怀豆和二者混播日均CO₂排放通量提高了140.8%、135.6%和137.7%, 不同填闲处理间差异不显著。而日均N₂O排放通量分别降低了8.0%、21.8%和27.4%, 其中单播长武怀豆和混播处理与单播黑麦草处理差异显著。单播长武怀豆处理土壤日均CH₄吸收通量较裸地对照、单播黑麦草和混播处理分别降低了65.8%、63.7%和68.9%。4)与自然降水相比, 减半降水农田综合增温潜势平均下降了26.1%, 温室气体排放强度平均提高了47.2%。而与裸地对照相比, 单播黑麦草、单播长武怀豆和二者混播处理综合增温潜势平均分别提高了67.9%、65.5%和67.8%, 且各填闲作物处理间差异不显著。与单播黑麦草和混播处理相比, 在冬小麦夏闲期单播长武怀豆具有更高的地上生物量和更低的温室气体排放强度, 在自然降水条件下能够兼顾经济效益与生态效益, 适宜在本地区加以推广种植。     

Scrapie in sheep in central and southern Italy

Seven cases of scrapie were encountered in six flocks of local breeds of sheep in central and southern Italy. Scrapie has never been reported in these areas, in which the great majority of the Italian sheep population is concentrated. The diagnosis was based on clinical and histopathological findings.     

Pre-embarkation risk factors for sheep deaths during export by sea from Western Australia

Truck-drivers and previous owners of sheep from 133 farms (lines of sheep) were asked for information on possible risk factors for inappetance during lot-feeding and for shipboard mortality during 5 voyages to the Middle East. There was no consistent association between a number of factors prior to trucking or during trucking to the feedlot and inappetance during lot-feeding or mortality aboard ship. The factors included: whether sheep were bred or purchased by the owner, whether sheep were mixed with sheep from another farm in the previous 2 or 6 months, previous experience of trucking, frequency of yarding, experience of supplementary feeding, age, rainfall zone of the farm of origin, distance trucked, time on the truck and time off feed on arrival at the feedlot. Inappetance during lot-feeding was significantly associated with total deaths aboard ship for individuals and for lines of sheep. Failure to eat late in the feedlot period was also a risk factor for individuals that died with inanition (relative risk = 6.9) or salmonellosis (relative risk = 5.9). In 2 voyages, there was no significant difference in shipboard death rate between groups that were previously lot-fed in sheds or in paddocks. This was despite significantly more non-feeders in the sheds than in the paddocks prior to one voyage. This finding suggested that some nonfeeders commenced eating pellets aboard the ship. Although inappetance in the feedlot was a risk factor for shipboard deaths, there was no difference in shipboard weight change between feedlot non-feeders and feeders in 2 voyages. It was concluded that most non-feeders began eating pelleted feed aboard ship.     

Serological survey for Toxoplasma infections in sheep

SUMMARY: A factorial-design survey was performed to determine the prevalence of specific antibody against Toxoplasma in young and adult sheep from 6 areas in 3 different geoclimatic zones in South Australia. Serum samples obtained from 1,159 sheep belonging to 59 flocks were tested by a conventional indirect haemagglutination test (IHAT) as well as by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) which used class-specific conjugates to detect both IgG and IgM against Toxoplasma. Titres > 64 were detected In 7.4%, 9.2% and 25.2% of the sheep by the IHAT, IgG-ELISA and IgM-ELISA respectively. A significant positive correlation was found between the results of the IgG-ELISA and the IHAT with identical results obtained for 1,050 samples. Antibody detected by all 3 tests was more prevalent and higher in titre in adult sheep than in lambs as well as in sheep from Kangaroo Island than in those from mainland South Australia. Although the regional differences in prevalence suggested a relationship with climate, no significant correlations were detected between the prevalence results and any single climatic factor; namely, average annual rainfall, average annual evaporation or mean temperature range.