Towards community-based in situ conservation strategies: a typological analysis of Borgou cattle herding systems in northeastern Benin

A thorough knowledge of cattle herding systems is very important for planning sustainable genetic improvement and conservation strategies. This paper is initiated to characterize Benin native Borgou cattle farming systems in its department of origin by mean of survey including 180 cattle farmers owning at least one phenotype of that breed. Using multiple correspondence analysis and hierarchical ascending classification, four groups of Borgou cattle farms have been identified. The first group qualified as “semi-intensive purebred Borgou cattle farming” own high numbers (87.2 ± 3.95 heads) purchased and reared with the view to promote its genetic improvement, its production, and its conservation as Benin animal genetic resource. The second group (sedentary purebred Borgou cattle farming) is represented by Bariba ethnic group with small numbers (22.18 ± 0.71 heads) of purebred Borgou cattle used mainly for draught. Cattle farmers of the third group are “large transhumant of Zebu and Borgou crossbred cattle farmers” represented by Fulani and Gando ethnic groups whose herds are generally composed of high numbers (75.20 ± 3.43 heads) of cattle acquired by purchasing, inheriting, and fostering. The last one is the “small transhumant of Zebu and Borgou crossbred cattle farming” with an average herd size of 31.98 ± 0.72 heads. Cattle farming is their main activity and animals are used for the production of milk and cheese. These distinctions between Borgou cattle farmers can be an anchorage point for designing sustainable community-based in situ conservation strategies for safeguarding this local breed in its original cradle.

     

Estimation of genetic parameters for preweaning growth traits of Brahman cattle in Southeastern Mexico

The genetic parameters for Brahman cattle under the tropical conditions of Mexico are scarce. Therefore, heritabilities, additive direct and maternal correlations, and genetic correlations for birth weight (BW) and 205 days adjusted weaning weight (WW205) were estimated in four Brahman cattle herds in Yucatan, Mexico. Parameters were estimated fitting a bivariate animal model, with 4,531 animals in the relationship matrix, of which 2,905 had BW and 2,264 had WW205. The number of sires and dams identified for both traits were 122 and 962, respectively. Direct heritability estimates for BW and WW205 were 0.41?±?0.09 and 0.43?±?0.09, and maternal heritabilities were 0.15?±?0.07 and 0.38?±?0.08, respectively. Genetic correlations between direct additive and maternal genetic effects for BW and WW205 were ?0.41?±?0.22 and ?0.50?±?0.15, respectively. The direct genetic, maternal, and phenotypic correlations between BW and WW205 were 0.77?±?0.09, 0.61?±?0.18, and 0.35, respectively. The moderate to high genetic parameter estimates suggest that genetic improvement by selection is possible for those traits. The maternal effects and their correlation with direct effects should be taken into account to reduce bias in genetic evaluations.     

Prevalence of Neospora caninum antibodies in dairy cattle and water buffaloes and associated abortions in the plateau of Southern Peninsular India

A seroprevalence study of bovine neosporosis was conducted among 1,927 dairy cattle and 341 water buffaloes from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh states in plateau of southern peninsular India by employing competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Overall, 12.61 and 9.97 % sera samples were found positive for the presence of Neospora caninum antibody, respectively, among cattle and water buffaloes. Out of 1,927 sera samples from cattle, 912 and 1,015 samples were collected from unorganized and organized herds, respectively. The cattle screened were of upgraded Holstein–Friesian and water buffaloes were of graded Surti breed. Significantly (p?<?0.05) higher prevalence was found in the cattle in unorganized herds (16.66 %) in comparison to organized herds (8.96 %). The highest seroprevalence was recorded in the age group of 4 years and above in both type of cattle herds and water buffaloes. There was a significant variation of seroprevalence (p?<?0.05) observed between different age groups of cattle. The rate of seroprevalence increased with the increment in the age of the animals suggesting a possibility of horizontal mode of transmission of the infection from the environment. The percentage of abortion history was more in seropositive group (51.65 %) in comparison to the seronegative group (5.84 %) and the seropositive cattle were 8.84 times more likely to experience abortion than the seronegative cattle. The occurrence of abortion among different age groups varied significantly (p?<?0.05). The findings revealed the presence of neosporosis in the southern peninsular India among cattle and water buffaloes and a strong association between the seroprevalence and abortion.     

Brucellosis and Q-fever seroprevalences of nomadic pastoralists and their livestock in Chad

As a part of a research-and-action partnership between public health and veterinary medicine, the relationships between the seroprevalences of brucellosis and Q-fever in humans and livestock were evaluated in three nomadic communities of Chad (Fulani cattle breeders, and Arab camel and cattle breeders). Nomad camps were visited between April 1999 and April 2000. A total of 860 human and 1637 animal sera were tested for antibodies against Brucella spp., and 368 human and 613 animal sera for Coxiella burnetii. The same indirect ELISA was used for livestock and human sera, and the test characteristics for its use on human sera were evaluated. Twenty-eight people were seropositive for brucellosis (seroprevalence 3.8%). Brucella seroprevalence was higher in cattle (7%) than other livestock, and brucellosis seropositivity was a significant factor for abortion in cattle (OR=2.8). No correlation was found between human brucellosis serostatus and camp proportions of seropositive animals.

Q-fever-seropositive blood samples were taken from 11 Arab camel and 4 Arab cattle breeders (seroprevalence 1%). Being a camel breeder was associated with Q-fever seropositivity in humans (OR=9). Camels had the highest Q-fever seroprevalence (80%) among livestock species.

Although there was high-risk human behaviour for the acquisition of brucellosis and Q-fever from livestock through raw-milk consumption (98%) and contact with placentas of livestock (62%), we concluded that seroprevalences in humans were relatively low (likely due to limited active foci in livestock).     

Seroprevalence and factors associated with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection in dairy cattle in three milksheds in Ethiopia

This work was conducted to estimate the seroprevalence, to identify potential factors that influence seroprevalence of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), and to investigate the association between BVDV serostatus and occurrence of reproductive disorders in dairy cattle in three milksheds in Ethiopia. A total of 1379 serum samples were obtained from cattle randomly selected from 149 herds from three milksheds representing central, southern, and western Ethiopia. Sera samples were examined for bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) antibodies using commercial competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Logistic regression analysis was employed to investigate associations between risk factors and the risk of BVDV seroprevalence, and BVDV serostatus and reproductive disorders. Seroreaction to BVDV antigens was detected in 32.6% of the 1379 cattle and 69.8% of the 149 herds sampled. Factors associated with BVDV seroplevalence were age, breed, and herd size (P?<?0.05). Adult cattle ≥?18 months old had 2.1 (95% CI 1.5, 3.1) times the odds of BVDV seroreaction than younger cattle. Holstein-Friesian (HF) local crosses (OR?=?2.1, 95% CI 1.3, 3.4) and HFs (OR?=?1.3, 95% CI 0.9, 1.9) were more likely to be seropositive than Jersey and the odds of seropositivity in cattle in large herds with 11 or more animals were higher (OR?=?1.8, 95% CI 1.3, 2.5) than the odds of BVDV seropositivity in smaller herds. Seroprevalence was not associated with geographical region (P?>?0.05). Risk of reproductive disorders was not affected by BVDV serostatus, except for repeat breeding (P?>?0.05). The present study demonstrated that BVDV has wide distribution in the country being detected in all the 15 conurbations and 69.8% of herds involved in the study.     

Practice on improving fattening local cattle production in Vietnam by increasing crude protein level in concentrate and concentrate level

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of crude protein (CP) level in concentrate (experiment 1) and concentrate level (experiment 2) on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen (N) retention, ruminal pH and NH₃-N concentration and average daily gain (ADG) of Vietnamese local fattening cattle. Animals (24 cattle, initial live weight (LW) 150.3?±?11.8 kg in experiment 1 and 145.1?±?9.8 kg in experiment 2) were allotted based on LW to one of four treatments in a randomised complete block design. In experiment 1, concentrate with four levels of CP (10, 13, 16 and 19 %) was fed at 1.5 % of LW. In experiment 2, concentrate was fed at 1.0, 1.4, 1.8 and 2.2 % of LW. In both experiments, roughage was 5 kg/day native grass and ad libitum rice straw (fresh basis). Results showed that the CP level in concentrate significantly affected dry matter (DM) intake (P?<?0.05), N retention, ADG and ruminal NH₃-N concentration (P?<?0.01), but it had no significant effect on DM, organic matter (OM) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) digestibility (P?>?0.05), whereas CP digestibility increased (P?<?0.001) along with the CP level. DM intake, N retention and ADG increased (P?<?0.001) linearly with concentrate intake. DM and CP digestibility were not significantly affected by concentrate intake (P?>?0.05). OM digestibility and NH₃-N concentration increased linearly (P?<?0.05), whereas NDF digestibility and ruminal pH declined linearly with increased concentrate consumption (P?<?0.01). These results indicate that 16 % CP in concentrate and feeding concentrate at the rate of 2.2 % of LW are recommendable for fattening local cattle in Vietnam.     

Prevalence and risk factors of mycobacterial infections in farm and trade cattle in southwestern Nigeria

We evaluated the prevalence of mycobacterial infections (i.e., Mycobacterium bovis and non-tuberculous mycobacteria [NTM]) and their associated risk factors among cattle herds and trade cattle in southwestern Nigeria. Through cross-sectional study design, cattle herds from three locations were screened using the single intradermal comparative cervical tuberculin test based on two diagnostic standards; more than 4 mm (? 4 mm) and more than 2 mm (? 2 mm) cut-off points. Abattoir study involved screening trade cattle for tuberculous lesions. Overall, 515 cattle from 45 herds were screened. Using >?4 mm, animal level and herd prevalence of 11.7 and 46.7% were recorded, respectively. Applying the ? 2 mm cut-off, animal level and herd prevalence increased to 31.1 and 60.0%, respectively. Significantly, using the ? 2 mm cut-off, cattle in medium size herds/extensive management system (OR?=?1.6; 95% CI 1.1–2.5) and Sokoto Gudali (OR?=?2.3; 95% CI 1.4–3.8) were more at risk of being positive reactors, while Rahaji (OR?=?0.3; 95% CI 0.1–0.7) breeds of cattle and cows in the peri-urban area (OR?=?0.4; 95% CI 0.2–0.9) were less at risk of being positive reactors. Again, M. avium reactor of 21.7% was observed. In the abattoir, 1797 cattle were examined with 126 lesions suggestive of tuberculosis (TB). Culture/molecular analyses confirmed 2.2% M. bovis and 0.9% NTM infections. Risk factors associated with bovine TB among trade cattle were sex (OR?=?4.0; 95% CI 1.2–13.5) and age (OR?=?0.3; 95% CI 0.1–0.9). We confirm 11.7% prevalence of mycobacterial infections among populations of cattle screened with breed and herd size being major risk factors.     

Activity patterns of free-ranging beef cattle in Norway

The aims of this study were to: 1) build a model to classify cattle activities based on locomotion and neck movement data and 2) study the daily time budget of non-native beef cattle in the boreal forest of southeastern Norway. We used GPS collars programmed to take positions and activity measures every five minutes on 18 cows during the grazing seasons 2015–17, together with behavioural observations in the field. The model classified the collar data into Grazing, Low (resting behaviours) and High (other active behaviours) activity with an accuracy of 79.4%. The cows spent 8.1?±?0.5 (mean?±?SD) hours per day grazing, corresponding to 34%?±?0.5% of their daily time budget. Daily grazing time increased during summer and was longer for lactating than dry cows and at low compared to high stocking density.     

Use of thermal imaging for identification of foot lesions in dairy cattle

The objective of this study was to investigate the use of infrared thermography (IRT) for detection of foot lesions in dairy cattle. Thermal images of the rear feet of 139 lactating dairy cows were taken with a thermal camera and evaluated using imaging software. Foot lesions identified in the study included white line disease (WLD), sole ulcer (SU) and digital dermatitis (DD). Temperatures at the coronary band (CBT) and the skin (ST) were recorded. Cows were scored for locomotion on a scale of 1–5 (1?=?normal and 5?=?severely lame). CBT was higher for all types of foot lesion (34.1?±?2.3, 33.8?±?1.6 and 33.1?±?1.6°C for WLD, SU and DD, respectively) than for healthy (32.6?±?1.9°C) feet. ST was higher only for WLD (33.2?±?2.0°C) compared to healthy feet (31.5?±?1.7°C). ΔT (temperature difference between CBT and ST) was higher for SU (2.1?±?0.8°C) than healthy feet (1.1?±?0.9°C). Locomotion scores (LSs) were similar between healthy cows (2.2?±?0.7) and DD (2.4?±?0.7) but greater for SU and WLD cows (3.0?±?0.9, 3.0?±?0.8) than healthy cows. The threshold values established for CBT and ST were 33.5°C (sensitivity?=?77.8%, specificity?=?65.2%) and 33.7°C (sensitivity?=?44.4%, specificity?=?92.9%) for SU, and 34.4^oC (sensitivity?=?28.1%, specificity?=?88.6%) and 31.8°C (sensitivity?=?60.7%, specificity?=?55.4%) for overall lesion, respectively. These results indicate that IRT can be a useful tool for detection of SU, but not WLD and DD. In addition, CBT and ΔT were the best indicators for the detection of foot lesions.     

Characterization of smallholder pig production system: productive and reproductive performances of local and crossbred pigs in Sikkim Himalayan region

The present study was conducted to know the smallholder pig production system in tribal areas of Sikkim State, India. Two hundred tribal farmers were selected randomly from the North and East District of the state. Information on socio-economic characteristics of farmers (gender, occupation, educational status, and farming experience), management practices, disease prevalence, and economics in pig production was collected. The study recorded the mean land holding as 1.2?±?0.8 ha, and the number of pigs per farm was 5.0?±?0.28. Pigs were mainly kept as a source of income, and 70 % of farmers reared crossbreed pigs. Ninety percent (90 %) of respondents practiced the intensive system of management whereby kitchen wastes along with cooked mixture comprising maize bhusa, mustard oil cake, pseudostem of banana, tuber, stem, and plant leaves were used to feed their animals. About 40.5 % of farmers procured their breeding stock from government farms that had good records and utilized veterinary services like timely vaccination and deworming. The diseases prevalent in the study area were swine fever, diarrhea, helminthoses, sarcoptic mange, pneumonia, etc. The litter sizes at birth (local, 4.3?±?0.45; crossbreed, 7.2?±?0.33), at weaning (local, 2.79?±?0.24; crossbreed, 6.1?±?0.21), and age at first farrowing (local, 365.39?±?7.96 days; crossbreed, 337.24?±?8.79 days) were recorded. Production costs of meat extracted from local and crossbred pigs were 1.08 $/kg and 0.86 $/kg, respectively.     

Performance of camels (Camelus dromedrius) kept by pastoralists with different degrees of experience in camel keeping in Borana, Southern Ethiopia

The aim of the present study was to investigate the performances of camels kept by pastoralists with different degrees of experience in camel production. The study was conducted on 60 selected camel herds twice a year; during wet and dry seasons of 2003 and 2004 in Borana, Southern Ethiopia. The average ages at first parturition and calving intervals of breeding females were 68.1 ± 0.5 and 25.5 ± 0.4 months (LSMean ± SE), respectively. Age at first parturition was significantly reduced by use of veterinary services, while variation was not observed among Borana, Guji, Gabra and Somali herds. Calving intervals were significantly shorter (P < 0.05) in Borana (24.8 ± 0.6) and Guji (24.5 ± 1.5) than Somali herds (27.0 ± 0.5). Calving intervals were also prolonged (P < 0.05) by fixing breeding time. Annual calving, abortion and calf mortality rates were similar for the four populations and averaged 37.3%, 9.3%, 20.3% in 2003, and 41.3%, 8.2%, 14.9% in 2004, respectively. The overall mortality rate was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in Borana (10.0 ± 2.1) than in Gabra herds (4.2 ± 0.8). However, mortality was not statistically different for use of veterinary services and other managemental practices. The study showed an increase in annual herd growth by 5.7% in 2003 and 11.6% in 2004 with similarity of herd dynamics between the two years. Daily milk yield differed significantly (P < 0.05) depending on veterinary services, watering frequency and the season (7.6 L during wet and 4.3 L during dry season). Similarly, milk yield was significantly higher (P < 0.01) in Somali herds than in Borana and Gabra herds. In conclusion, the study revealed that some production and reproduction performances in camel herds have showed significant variation with varying levels of herding experience and veterinary services. This may suggest performance in pastoral camels can be enhanced with learning more about and using traditional management practices as well as improving animal health service delivery.     

Trypanosomiasis in different breeds of cattle from Benin.

Blood of different breeds of cattle, namely Lagune from the Atlantic province, Borgou and Borgou x Zebu from the Borgou province, and Somba and Zebu from the Atacora province of Benin, were examined for trypanosome infection. Thick and thin blood smears for trypanosomes, the card agglutination test (CATT), indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and trypanolytic test for antibodies to trypanosomes were used. Trypanosomes were detected in 19.3% (range 9.8-31.4%) of animals by examination of blood smears; antibodies to trypanosomes were found in 89.8% (range 88.4-100%) of samples by IFAT, 50.6% (range 34-87.5%) by CATT and 3.4% (range 1.1-7.1%) by trypanolytic test. Trypanosoma vivax and Trypanosoma congolense were the main species in Benin with a low number of Trypanosoma brucei. Zebu had lower infection rates than trypanotolerant breeds of Benin. The infection rates of various trypanotolerant breeds were not significantly different.     

Genetic analyses of early-expressed reproduction traits of Boran and their crosses with Holstein Friesian and Jersey in Central Highlands of Ethiopia

The study was conducted to assess early-expressed reproductive traits of Boran cattle and their crosses with Jersey and Holstein Friesian (HF). The traits studied were age at first services (AFS), number of services for first conception, age at first calving (AFC), first dry period (FDP), first calving interval (FCI), and first service period (FSP). Genetic group and period of birth/calving had a significant (p?<?0.05) effect on reproductive traits. The Boran cattle were inferior to HF or Jersey crosses. First crosses (F ₁) for Jersey and Boran (50 % Jersey: 50 % Boran) showed a significantly (p?<?0.05) younger AFS (by 7.25 months) and AFC (by 10.75 months), had shorter FCI (by 63.27 days), FDP (by 61.13 days), and FSP (by 60.3 days), and needed less (by 0.35) numbers of services per first conception as compared to the Boran cattle. The F ₁ for Jersey and Boran (50 % Jersey: 50 % Boran) crosses showed better performance than the F ₁ for HF and Boran (50 % HF: 50 % Boran). Heritability values for AFS and AFC were the highest and were estimated at 0.51?±?0.10 and 0.49?±?0.13, respectively, and lowest heritability was recorded for FDP (0.02?±?020) and FSP (0.10?±?0.29). The genetic correlation was highest (0.10?±?0.20) between AFS and AFC and was lowest (?0.01?±?0.66) between FCI and FSP. The breed additive for Jersey was only significant (p?<?0.01) for AFS and AFC. The crossing of HF with Boran cattle has desirably reduced 9.16?±?2.88 months in AFS; the corresponding reduction in AFS was 3.49?±?3.59 months by crossing with Jersey. The performance comparisons and genetic and crossbreeding parameters indicated that crossbreeding of Boran with HF or Jersey can improve reproductive performance.     

Morphological Quality of Oocytes and Blood Plasma Metabolites in Repeat Breeding and Early Lactation Dairy Cows

The objectives of the study were to evaluate the morphological quality of oocytes in repeat breeder and early lactation cows and to determine the possible associations between the quality of oocytes and a range of blood metabolites. Oocyte quality and a range of metabolites were compared between 29 repeat breeder and 13 early lactation cows. The yield of oocytes from the repeat breeders was lower than that from the early lactation cows (4.4 ± 0.2 vs 5.4 ± 0.6, p < 0.05). Percentages of abnormal oocytes for the repeat breeders and the early lactation cows were 52.5% and 37.9%, respectively (p < 0.001). An excess of abnormal oocytes to normal was found in 55.2% of the studied repeat breeders (65.8% vs 34.2%, p < 0.05). Total protein, glucose and aspartate aminotransferase did not differ (p > 0.05) between the repeat breeders with an excess of abnormal oocytes (81 ± 1.0 g/l, 3.5 ± 1.0 mmol/l and 68.5 ± 3.7 U/l), those with the prevalence of normal oocytes (84 ± 1.0 g/l, 3.6 ± 0.1 mmol/l and 73.2 ± 3.5 U/l) and the early lactation cows (83 ± 2.0 g/l, 3.7 ± 0.1 mmol/l and 74.5 ± 3.6 U/I). The repeat breeders with an excess of abnormal oocytes had higher (p < 0.05) urea (5.2 ± 0.2 mmol/l) level than in those with the prevalence of normal oocytes (4.8 ± 0.2 mmol/l) and the early lactation cows (4.7 ± 0.2 mmol/l). A trend for higher total cholesterol and lactate dehydrogenase activity was found in the repeat breeders with an excess of abnormal oocytes. In conclusion, it is suggested that possible causes of repeat breeding in dairy cows may include impaired oocytes. An excess of abnormal oocytes in the repeat breeder cows was associated with elevated blood plasma levels of urea.     

A cost/benefit study of paratuberculosis certification in French cattle herds

Paratuberculosis has received increasing attention in France because of the important losses this disease may provoke. The use of certification schemes has proven its effectiveness for the protection of healthy herds against diseases transmitted mainly by trade. The economic justification of such schemes in the particular case of paratuberculosis is studied, for French cattle herds, using a cost/benefit approach. The basic economical hypotheses and estimates have been proposed and carefully examined by a working group composed of paratuberculosis experts and field specialists. By adopting the point of view of a breeder that buys animals, we first estimated the benefits resulting from the non-introduction of the disease. They were then compared with the costs resulting from the fact that the vendor reports its own certification costs on the price of the animals he sells. Two average herds (the mean French beef herd and the mean French dairy herd), and two certification levels were studied. The results show that, currently, the use of the certification is not very economically profitable in French cattle herds. This conclusion, however should be reappraised if the certification costs decrease, for example with the commercialization of diagnostic tests on mixtures.     

Application of DNA markers in parentage verification of Boran cattle in Kenya

Boran cattle provide livelihood to thousands of households in the arid and semiarid lands of Kenya. Due to their superior adaptive and productive traits in comparison to other breeds of cattle, they have also become a popular choice for breeders in Eastern and Southern Africa. Continued genetic improvement of the breed is important, and therefore accurate performance and pedigree records are required. One hundred seventy-eight pedigree records and blood samples of four Boran stud herds were evaluated for accuracy of parentage allocation using 11 microsatellite markers recommended by ISAG for parentage verification. The panel of the 11 microsatellite markers was found to be highly polymorphic (PIC of 0.6901) with a combined probability of exclusion of 0.9997. The dam misidentification was low ranging between 0% and 5% for the herds tested. The estimated rate of mispaternity however ranged between 4.3% and 80% among the four stud herds, and more than 50% of the offspring of some herds were misidentified. The high rate of mispaternity will have a negative impact on the response to selection. The use of DNA markers for parentage assignment will improve the accuracy of the pedigree records of Boran stud cattle in Kenya and contribute to more accurate selection of superior animals.     

Analysis of longitudinal data of beef cattle raised on pasture from northern Brazil using nonlinear models

This study was undertaken to aim of estimating the genetic parameters and trends for asymptotic weight (A) and maturity rate (k) of Nellore cattle from northern Brazil. The data set was made available by the Brazilian Association of Zebu Breeders and collected between the years of 1997 and 2007. The Von Bertalanffy, Brody, Gompertz, and logistic nonlinear models were fitted by the Gauss?CNewton method to weight?Cage data of 45,895 animals collected quarterly of the birth to 750?days old. The curve parameters were analyzed using the procedures GLM and CORR. The estimation of (co)variance components and genetic parameters was obtained using the MTDFREML software. The estimated heritability coefficients were 0.21?±?0.013 and 0.25?±?0.014 for asymptotic weight and maturity rate, respectively. This indicates that selection for any trait shall results in genetic progress in the herd. The genetic correlation between A and k was negative (?0.57?±?0.03) and indicated that animals selected for high maturity rate shall result in low asymptotic weight. The Von Bertalanffy function is adequate to establish the mean growth patterns and to predict the adult weight of Nellore cattle. This model is more accurate in predicting the birth weight of these animals and has better overall fit. The prediction of adult weight using nonlinear functions can be accurate when growth curve parameters and their (co)variance components are estimated jointly. The model used in this study can be applied to the prediction of mature weight in herds where a portion of the animals are culled before they reach the adult age.