The accuracy of predicting Thoroughbred heart scores

Veterinarians commonly predict mature heart scores for yearling and 2-year-old horses to aid clients in assessing a horse's racing potential. Sixty-six thoroughbreds were assessed as a yearlings or 2-year-olds, then re-assessed as a mature horse (over the age of 3). Of these horses, 82% of the yearlings and 87% of the 2-year-olds had a correctly predicted mature heart score within one heart score range (i.e. three points).     

Perch length in cages for medium hybrid laying hens

1. ISA Brown hens were housed as groups of 4 from 18 to 72 weeks in 24 cages 450 mm deep, each with a softwood perch of rectangular cross‐section fitted across the rear. There were 4 treatments, each with 6 cages: cage widths and perch lengths were 480, 520, 560 or 600 mm.

2. Daytime perching did not differ significantly between the treatments. At night, over the whole year, 81% of birds in the 480 mm cages and 86% in the 520 mm cages roosted on the perch. This figure reached about 95% in the 560 and 600 mm cages, significantly more at most ages than in the 480 mm cages.

3. Feather damage was slightly less, but claw problems slightly more, in the 2 wider treatments than in the 2 narrower treatments. Birds in the wider cages were calmer when approached or handled by humans than those in the narrower cages. This may have been associated with variation in space allowance between the treatments.

4. There was a trend for lower production in the 480 mm cages than in the other treatments which may have been associated with the reduced feeding space in this treatment. There were few other treatment differences in production traits.

5. The balance of the evidence from this study is that when perches are provided in laying cages for medium weight hybrids, 140 mm of perch space per hen is adequate. For the amelioration of a number of the welfare problems of conventional cages, provision of perches should be combined with other modifications.     

Evidence that the eumelanin restrictor genes (Co) and (Db) are present in the genome of the Buff Rock bantam

1. An investigation was conducted among the progeny from crosses between Buff Rock and Light Sussex bantams, and between Buff Rock and Gold‐Pencilled Hamburgh bantams in order to ascertain whether the eumelanin restrictor genes Columbian (Co) and Dark‐brown (Db) were present in the genome of the Buff Rock.

2. The Light Sussex and Gold‐Pencilled Hamburgh bantams used in this study were known to be Co/ Co db⁺ / db⁺ and co⁺ / co⁺ Db/ Db respectively.

3. In both F₂ generations the least eumelanin restricted segregants were as the parent mated with the Buff Rock, thus demonstrating the Buff Rock bantam tested to be Co/ Co Db/ Db, or possess similar alleles at these loci.

4. The Buff Rock bantam male was found to be heterozygous for a eumelanin inhibitor gene which appears to be dominant white (I).     

Efficacy of doramectin against experimental infections by some nematode parasites in cattle in New Zealand

A study was undertaken to determine the efficacy of the novel avermectin, doramectin, against experimental larval and adult infections of three species of nematode parasite important to cattle production in New Zealand. Eighteen worm-free dairy bull beef calves were randomly allocated on live weight to three similar treatment groups. Each calf was given 30,000 Ostertagia ostertagi, 20,000 Cooperia spp. and 10,000 Trichostrongylus axei infective larvae as a single dose. One group was treated with doramectin 6 days after infection while the remaining groups received saline or doramectin 27 days after infection. Given as a single subcutaneous injection behind the ear, doramectin at 200 microg/kg removed 99.9-100% of adult and larval stages of O. ostertagi, Cooperia spp. and T. axei when compared to infections established in untreated controls (p<0.001). No adverse reactions were observed following treatment in the doramectin-treated animals. No injection site lesions were found by palpation following treatment or by injection site examination at necropsy.     

Detectability of supernova neutrinos with an existing proton decay detector

The 8000-ton water IMB nucleon decay detector has good sensitivity to the neutrino burst associated with the collapse of stars. It is particularly sensitive to the v(e) charged current interactions with protons but can also record other neutrino interactions through ve scattering. Signal, noise, physics objectives, and detector modifications that would enhance burst detection are discussed. The objectives include astrophysical questions about the pulse structure and power. It also may be possible with a distant source to study neutrino masses and neutrino oscillations.