Bee pollen product supplementation to horses in training seems to improve feed intake: A pilot study

The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of supplementation of Dynamic Trio 50/50, a bee pollen-based product, to improve physical fitness, blood leukocyte profiles, and nutritional variables in exercised horses. Ten Arabian horses underwent a standardised exercise test (SET), then were pair-matched by sex and fitness and randomly assigned to BP (receiving 118 g of Dynamic Trio 50/50 daily) or CO (receiving 73 g of a placebo) for a period of 42 days. A total collection was conducted from days 18 to 21 on six geldings to determine nutrient retention and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) digestibility. Horses were exercise conditioned and completed another SET on day 42. V160 and V200 were calculated from SET heart rates (HR). Lactate, glucose, haematocrit (HT) and haemoglobin (HB) concentrations were determined from SET blood samples. Total leukocyte count, and circulating numbers of various leukocytes and IgG, IgM and IgA concentrations were determined in rest and recovery blood samples from both SETs. Geldings on BP (n = 3) ate more feed than CO. BP had less phosphorus excretion, and tended to retain more nitrogen. BP tended to digest more NDF and ADF while having lower NDF digestibility and tending to have lower ADF digestibility. No treatment differences existed for V160 and V200, HR, lactate, HT and HB. There was a trend for lymphocyte counts to be lower in BP than CO on day 42. Dynamic Trio 50/50 supplementation may have a positive effect on performance by helping horses in training meet their potentially increased nutrient demands by increasing feed intake and thus nutrient retention.     

In situ disappearance of neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen from alfalfa and eastern gamagrass at three maturities.

In situ digestion kinetics of neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen (NDIN) from alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) harvested at one-tenth bloom and eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides L.) harvested at the boot (GGB), anthesis (GGA), and physiological maturity (GGM) stages of growth were determined with nonlinear regression techniques. Whole-plant tissue and associated leaf and stem fractions were incubated in the ventral rumen simultaneously. On a wholeplant basis, potential extents of degradation were particularly high (> or =904 g/kg NDIN) for GGB and GGA, relative to those of GGM and alfalfa (772 and 658 g/kg NDIN, respectively). For all plant parts, degradation rates of NDIN were faster (P<.05) for alfalfa than for all gamagrass forages. Degradation rate of NDIN did not differ (P>.05) across maturities for any gamagrass tissue type. These results indicate 1) that phenological development and lignification do not limit the rate of NDIN degradation in gamagrass forages but do markedly limit the potential extent of NDIN availability and 2) that most of the NDIN in these forages is potentially available in the rumen and can contribute to the ruminal N supply. Our secondary objective was to compare estimates of N escaping ruminal degradation that were determined on the basis of NDIN degradation kinetics (NDIN method) with those determined traditionally, on the basis of total residual N. The NDIN method mathematically eliminates all neutral detergent soluble N from consideration as part of the pool of dietary N potentially escaping the rumen intact. Estimates of rumen escape nitrogen determined on the basis of degradation rates of NDIN were consistently less than corresponding estimates that were determined on the basis of total residual N. When ruminal escape N that was determined with the NDIN method was regressed on corresponding estimates with the total residual N method, the slopes of the regression lines were .53 and .66 for assumed passage rates of .02 and .06 h(-1), respectively. For the forages evaluated in this study, these results indicate that neutral detergent soluble N may make important contributions to the pool of N escaping ruminal degradation.     

Lag screw fixation of avulsion fractures of the second phalanx in the horse.

Avulsion fractures of the posteromedial eminence of the 2nd phalanx were repaired, using an ASIF cortex screw in 3 reining Quarter Horses. Within 9 and 11 months, respectively, 2 horses were sound and back in competition as reining horses. The other horse was sound for pleasure class showing at 7 months after surgery.     

SIMULATED NATURAL INFECTION OF CHICKENS WITH AUSTRALIAN LENTOGENIC NEWCASTLE DISEASE VIRUS AND SUBSEQUENT CHALLENGE WITH VIRULENT VIRUS

A total of 291 eight-week-old chickens were exposed to chickens infected with either of two Australian lentogenic strains (V4 and AVL NDV-1) of Newcastle disease virus (NDV). At 3 weeks after exposure, all chickens exposed to V4 infected chickens had developed haemagglutination-inhibition (HI) antibody. All chickens exposed to AVL NDV-1 virus infected chickens had developed HI antibody 5 weeks later. This sudden late appearance of HI antibody, to titres higher than those observed with V4 chickens, was explained by V4 virus being introduced to the AVL NDV-1 group of chickens. When groups of these chickens were challenged with Roakin virus (mesogenic NDV) at 3 weeks and Fontana 1083 virus (viscerotropic velogenic NDV) and Texas GB virus (neutrotropic NDV) at 3, 5, 10 and 21 weeks only three chickens developed clinical illness one of which died. These chickens were one AVL NDV-1 chicken contact challenged with Fontana 1083 virus at 3 weeks, one V4 chicken oronasally challenged with Texas GB virus at 5 weeks and one V4 chicken challenged oronasally with Fontana 1083 virus at 10 weeks. Susceptible non-vaccinated chickens died soon after challenge. Challenge by oronasal infection with 10(7.0) ELD50 of virus or contact with susceptible infected chickens enabled virulent virus to be isolated from most chickens and was accompanied by a large anamnestic increase in serum HI antibody.