Electrocardiograms as an aid in assessing the stunning of cattle and pigs

Electrocardiograms (ECG's) were made from cattle and pigs after slaughter using only the left arm and right arm recording electrodes of a portable electrocardiogram with 12 recording electrodes. Functional heart activity was demonstrated in cattle after stunning with a captive bolt, nonpenetrative percussive methods and a head-only electrical technique. Recordings compatible with ventricular fibrillation were made in the majority of cattle and pigs subjected to a head-to-chest form of electrical stunning. In cases where the placement of stunning electrodes was defective, functional cardiac activity could be detected. Movement artefact on the ECG trace associated with epileptiform seizures following head-only electrical stunning was a technical problem. This was reduced by restunning the animal with a captive bolt before taking an ECG. The examination of ECG's made subsequent to slaughter could form an important component of the quality control of Halal slaughter or a slaughter process using the head-to-body electrical stunning techniques. Adoption of this would be facilitated by the development of a more simple and less sensitive electrocardiograph than that used in the present investigation.     

The detection and measurement of stray electrical leakages on dairy farms: effects on performance

Sources of stray electrical leakage from Power Supply Authority alternating current (AC), fence energiser pulses and randomly generated pulses and spikes on 55 dairy farms in the Waikato area were identified between December 1986 and March 1988. The electrical measurements were made using a specifically designed voltmeter able to detect voltages between 0.1V and 1500V, from single voltage spikes of two microseconds or greater duration from direct current (DC) as well as 50 Hz AC. Ninety-five sources of stray voltage were identified, and 53 per cent of properties had more than one source of >0.5V. The major source was from electric fence energisers. Rotary platform parlours were among the commonest sources of random or transient voltage spikes. Leakage of AC into one or other of the components of the milk transport system such as vat, plate cooler, milk lift pump and milk line was common. Owners acknowledged the improvements in milk production, reproductive performance and growth rate of calves after reduction of the exposure of dairy cattle to stray electrical leakage. A representative summary of five case records helps define the range of improvements that may possibly be achieved.     

Effect of saturated fat on growth,body fat composition and carcase quality in chicks

1. The effects of feeding two fats with different degrees of saturation on skin tearing, carcase quality and body fat composition were examined in male and female chickens.

2. No differences in growth or efficiency of food utilisation were apparent on feeding the more saturated fat. Skin tearing was slightly reduced and carcase quality slightly improved on feeding the more saturated fat for 28 d.

3. Decreases in linoleic acid content in intra‐abdominal fat were apparent after 14 d feeding the diet containing saturated fat. These decreases were greater after feeding the saturated fat for 28 d.     

The problem of the pathomorphological diagnosis "death by drowning"--case histories

The paper describes pathomorphological findings in two dogs and one cat with the intention to clarify whether these animals died by drowning. The investigations are supplemented by experimental results of water instillation into the lung to induce signs of emphysema aquosum post mortem. Additionally, histopathology of the skin lesions due to water exposition after death are demonstrated by systematic investigations of four different localizations for 10 days. Critical evaluation of the results and literature references in human forensic pathology indicate that post mortem findings as described in this paper, especially those of the so called "drowning lung" can be attributed to death by drowning.     

Organochlorine insecticide problems in livestock

1. Antidotal therapy for acute OC intoxications is symptomatic and supportive. Use sedatives to control convulsions and AC to adsorb any pesticide remaining in the gut, and wash topical exposures. 2. Published kinetics should be applied to field situations with caution. In general, residues decline relatively quickly immediately following the last exposure; thereafter, the rate slows considerably. The elimination-rate constant and, hence, the half-life of any given OC is dependent on many variables that usually are not known under field conditions. This fact may result in serious errors if literature values are relied on too heavily in predicting the outcome of "natural" contamination. As a rule of thumb, elimination data derived from animals experimentally fed to plateau concentrations may be regarded as fairly conservative for such purposes, if the contaminated animals are maintained in a normal fashion. Probably the least risky method of predicting return to marketability is using frequent samples, taken at regular intervals (for example, 1 to 2 weeks) during the first month after last exposure, to adjust literature values. 3. Residues from larger dosages and shorter exposures tend to be smaller in proportion to dose and are eliminated more quickly than those resulting from longer exposures and smaller doses. 4. Activated charcoal is of universal benefit only if given immediately after exposure. 5. Pharmaceutical modifiers of xenobiotic metabolism such as phenobarbital are of very limited value. The particular type and amount of residual OC and the potential economic benefit of therapy should be considered thoroughly before undertaking such therapy. In most cases, the expense won't be justified. 6. Mineral oil increases the fecal excretion of some OC. Fecal excretion, however, is so small in relation to total body burdens that even a several-fold increase may not be useful economically except when residue concentrations are low to start with. 7. Nutritional strategies have the advantage of being very cheap. Practitioners should remember, however, that tissue concentrations actually may increase as body fat decreases. The costs of maintaining animals for an extra 6 to 10 months should be considered before undertaking such an effort.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

The use of computers in dairy herd health program: A review

This review of the literature covers the changes in the approach to veterinary health management that led to the introduction of computerized herd health programs and the various other applications of the computer in the practice of dairy herd medicine. The role that production recording systems, mainframe computers, minicomputers, and microcomputers have played in the evolution of herd health programs are also reviewed.     

Mortality in near‐term ostrich embryos during artificial incubation

1. The ostrich industry in South Africa (and elsewhere) experiences a high rate of embryo mortality during artificial incubation of eggs. Most of this mortality takes place in the last 10–14 d of incubation.

2. We carried out post‐mortem examinations on 111 embryos that died within this period to assess the causes of this mortality.

3. Malpositioning and severe oedema were the predominant symptoms of dead‐in‐shell embryos with 55% being malpositioned and 41% showing severe oedema. Of these, 22 embryos (24%) showed both symptoms. Malpositioning generally results from incorrect setting of the eggs or inadequate turning and oedema was significantly correlated with the amount of water lost from the eggs which in turn was correlated with egg size.

4. Myopathy, gross lesions of internal organs, haemorrhage, bacterial infections and congenital deformities were found in less than 10% of chicks examined for these symptoms.     

Influence of temperature during growth on responses of hens to high or low temperatures during lay

1. Commercial pullets were grown at cool (10°‐20°C) or hot (25°‐35°C) temperatures to similar bodyweights at 18 weeks of age. Between 18 and 50 weeks the birds were either kept at the same temperatures as during growth or transferred to the alternate temperature.

2. Birds kept at the cool temperatures throughout life ate most food and gave the best production during lay. Minimum food intake and poorest performance were obtained with birds kept at the hot temperatures throughout life.

3. Performance in the hot environment during lay was improved by rearing birds in the cool environment, the response being related to an increased food intake. Food intake in the cool environment during lay was reduced, with only minor effects on performance, in birds which had been reared in the hot environment.

4. The results of the present study show that production responses during lay are affected by the temperatures experienced by hens during both growth and lay.