Transport versus on-farm slaughter of bison: Physiological stress,animal welfare,and avoidable trim losses

Ranched bison are typically less acclimated to handling than are domesticated livestock, suggesting that they might be more vulnerable to handling and transportation stressors. Grain-finished bison were slaughtered on-farm (n = 11), or held for 48 h, transported to a research abattoir, held in lairage for 18 h, and then slaughtered (n = 11). An additional group (n = 10) was sampled at a conventional fixed location abattoir. Measures included serum cortisol and corticosterone concentrations during on-farm handling and exsanguination, serum glucose, creatinine phosphokinase (CPK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and trim losses. Transport was associated with an increase in trim loss. On-farm, glucose was elevated, CPK was positively associated with handling order over 12 h, and corticosterone concentration, although lower than cortisol concentration, showed a greater response to prolonged disturbance. With appropriate on-farm handling facilities, the use of on-farm slaughter and mobile abattoir could avoid muscle damage and trim losses, and mitigate injuries sustained during handling and transport of bison.     

Recovery,conservation status,and environmental effects on arapaima populations in Guyana

1. Using population estimates that were made regularly between 2001 and 2013, the state of recovery of arapaima populations and their IUCN conservation status were assessed after they were almost extirpated from the upper Essequibo basin, Guyana. Recovery rates were compared across multiple areas with different degrees of access by fishers to evaluate effectiveness of conservation efforts.
2. Population estimates were also used to investigate the influence of environmental factors on arapaima abundance in lakes with different morphometries, vegetation, and water types and to determine the relationship between the numbers of spawning individuals and subsequent recruits (at about age 2 years).
3. The most recent census conducted in November–December of 2013 indicated a 5.6-fold increase in overall abundance compared with 2001, with 4,591 individuals, of which 1,932 were juveniles (1.0–1.5 m total length) and 2,659 adults.
4. Assessment of conservation status following IUCN criteria indicated that arapaima populations in the upper Essequibo basin in 2001 would have been considered borderline Critically Endangered, but in 2013 after conservation interventions, status would be categorized as Near Threatened.
5. Arapaima in the Essequibo basin appear to favour larger but shallow lakes with low conductivity, clear water, and abundant aquatic macrophytes. Stock–recruitment relationships suggest that the entire upper Essequibo basin population may still be growing and that there is approximately a 1:1 juvenile to adult ratio. This ratio of juveniles to adults across all areas suggests a paucity of young fishes to sustain overall population growth, which might reflect widespread illegal removals of young fishes in the basin.
6. Comparisons of arapaima densities in the upper Essequibo basin with those at four localities across the Amazon Basin, suggest that with enhanced conservation efforts in the Essequibo, populations could potentially increase two-fold or more.

     

In vitro fermentation kinetics and end-products of cereal arabinoxylans and (1,3;1,4)-β-glucans by porcine faeces

Purified and semi-purified polysaccharides characteristic of cereals were fermented in vitro with a pig faecal inoculum, using the cumulative gas production technique, to examine the kinetics and end-products of fermentation after 48 h. It was shown that arabinoxylan and mixed linkage (1,3;1,4) β-glucan were rapidly fermented if soluble, while less soluble substrates (insoluble arabinoxylan, maize and wheat starch granules, and bacterial cellulose) were more slowly fermented. Relevant monosaccharides were fermented at very similar rates to soluble polymeric arabinoxylan and β-glucan, showing that depolymerisation was not a limiting step, in contrast to some previous studies. Bacterial cellulose is shown to be a useful model substrate for fermentation of plant cellulose which is difficult to obtain without harsh chemical treatments. Fermentation end-products were related to kinetics, with slow carbohydrate fermentation resulting in increased protein fermentation. Ratios of short-chain fatty acid products were similar for all arabinoxylan and β-glucan substrates.     

Comparison of Methodologies for Field Application of Road Dust

Road dust impacts almost all terrestrial areas of the planet and may impact vegetation and nearby ecosystems. Therefore, research methods are needed for applying road dust in a controlled manner on targeted areas (e.g. plants). Three dust application methods, sifter, sieve, and sprayer, were investigated for their uniformity in applying dust in a 0.75 m × 0.75 m area. Within the treatment area 196, 37-ml cups were placed in a uniform fashion to collect dust applied at 15.8, 78.8, and 158 g. At the 15.8 and 78.8 g rates, the coefficient of uniformity for each method was >98% indicating a uniform amount of dust applied. At the 158 g rate, the sifter and sieve had coefficient of uniformities >95%, while the sprayer had a significantly lower (p < 0.05) coefficient of uniformity (46%). Although the sifter and sieve were simpler to use and the least expensive options, the sprayer may be more useful when applying dust to larger areas when the exact amount of dust entering and exiting the systems does not need to be controlled. This research is useful to anyone looking to apply road dust or similar sized particulates under controlled field or laboratory conditions.     

Incremental crop tolerance to weeds: A measure for selecting competitive ability in Australian wheats

Total reliance on herbicides for weed control is unsustainable with the spread of herbicide resistance and the environmental need to reduce pesticide use. Strongly competitive wheat crops that have high tolerance to weed pressure and therefore maintain high yields in the presence of weeds are a low-cost option for reducing dependence on herbicides. We examined the feasibility of selecting for wheat tolerance to weeds by crossing varieties differing for traits associated with competitiveness. Competitive ability and yield potential must be treated as separate traits for selection. Current measures of crop tolerance to weed competition do not separate the two traits so that selection based on these measures is often synonymous with selection for yield potential rather than pure tolerance. We propose a new measure, termed Incremental Crop Tolerance (ICT) that reflects the incremental yield difference between genotypes associated with tolerance, over and above differences in underlying yield potential.     

Biochemical basis for wheat seedling allelopathy on the suppression of annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum)

The chemical basis for wheat seedling allelopathy on the growth of annual ryegrass was investigated by the identification and quantification of multiple allelochemicals from wheat seedlings. Results indicated that 58 wheat accessions differed significantly in seedling allelopathy and inhibited the root growth of ryegrass from 10 to 91%, depending on accession. Analysis of allelochemicals by GC/MS/MS indicated that allelopathy was significantly correlated with the levels of measured allelochemicals in the shoots and roots of young wheat seedlings. Ryegrass root growth was also negatively correlated with the levels of p-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, and trans-ferulic acids in root exudates. Wheat allelopathic potential was negatively correlated with the levels of the eight known allelochemicals quantified in the shoots, roots, and water-agar medium, with multiple regression coefficients (r) of -0.61, -0.71, and -0.71, respectively. In comparison with weakly allelopathic accessions, strongly allelopathic accessions produced significantly higher amounts of allelochemicals in the shoots and roots of the wheat seedlings and also exuded larger quantities of allelochemicals into the growth medium. Wheat accessions with strong seedling allelopathy might be useful for management of weeds during the establishment stage, thereby reducing the need for commercial herbicides in early-season application.     

Effect of hexoestrol on the response of finishing steers to treatment with trenbolone acetate

The relative effectiveness of implanting 300 mg trenbolone acetate alone or in combination with either 15, 30 or 45 mg hexoestrol was studied in three 90-day experiments using 64 Friesian steers. In experiment 1 hexoestrol was shown to improve live-weight gain and efficiency of feed conversion in steers implanted with trenbolone acetate. In experiments 2 and 3 trenbolone acetate in combination with 30 mg hexoestrol gave a better growth response than when combined with either 15 or 45 mg. However, in experiment 3 trenbolone acetate plus 15 mg hexoestrol was shown to improve live-weight gain by about 36 per cent compared with untreated controls. In experiment 2 small differences between treated groups in mean values for plasma urea, serum albumin, plasma glucose and free fatty acids were recorded.     

Feline adrenal disorders

Although only recently discovered, feline adrenal disorders are becoming increasingly more recognized. Feline adrenal disorders include diseases such as hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing's syndrome) and hyperaldosteronism (Conn's syndrome). The clinical signs of feline hyperadrenocorticism, which include unregulated diabetes mellitus and severe skin atrophy, are unique to the cat. Other signs of feline hyperadrenocorticism, such as potbellied appearance, polydipsia, polyuria, and susceptibility to infections are also seen in dogs with hyperadrenocorticism. Conn's syndrome has only recently been described in the cat and is in fact more common in cats than in dogs. Characterized by severe hypokalemia, hypertension, and muscle weakness, Conn's syndrome may be misdiagnosed as renal failure. The clinician should become familiar with the clinical signs of adrenal disorders in cats and the common diagnostic tests used to diagnose these syndromes in cats as they differ from those in the dog. Treatment of feline adrenal disorders may be challenging; the clinician should become familiar with common drugs used to treat adrenal disorders in cats.