Impact of short nutrient stimuli with different energy source on follicle dynamics and quality of oocyte from hormonally stimulated goats

The aim of this study was to verify the effect of the energy source for a short‐term diet supplementation on follicular dynamics, ovarian response and oocyte recovery in goats. Thirty Anglo Nubian crossbred does received a diet for 4 weeks to satisfy the nutritional requirements of breeding for adult non‐dairy goats. Seven days prior to oocyte recovery (OR), a group of does (n = 10) was supplemented with ground full‐fat linseed in the diet (Diet A), whereas a second group of does (n = 10) received crude glycerine in the diet (Diet B). The total mixed ration (TMR) diet was maintained as the Control Diet (n = 10). All animals were oestrous‐synchronized by the use of a progesterone insert for 12 days prior to OR. Follicles were stimulated by using pFSH (five 40‐mg/ml doses) during the supplementation time. At OR, follicles were counted and recovered oocytes were classified as viable or degenerated. Follicular dynamics was monitored by ultrasonography, and plasma glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride levels were measured during supplementation. Glucose was higher in Diet B and cholesterol in Diet A. Diet B had a lower proportion of small (<3 mm) and large follicles (≥3 mm; p = 0.01). The follicular growth rate was higher in Diet A (p < 0.01), with follicles emerging in the 5th day of supplementation. No differences were observed for follicles counted and oocytes recovered. Thus, the type of energy source supplemented for a short term was capable to alter the follicular dynamics, without affecting the proportion of morphologically viable oocytes upon recovery.     

Haematological and biochemical analysis of healthy neonatal puppies during the immediate foetal‐to‐neonatal transition

For the neonatal patient, precocity of diagnosis is crucial for effectiveness of medical approach. However, the newborn has its own physiological peculiarities due to ongoing adaptive mechanism for extrauterine life and deserves special attention in order to underline a specific management or clinical approach. The objective of this work was to verify clinical adaptations and biochemical balance of neonates during immediate period, with special reference to haematological, renal and metabolic functions. Neonatal puppies (n = 51) were physically examined for vitality and rectal temperature at birth, 5 and 60 min post‐birth. Blood was collected at birth and 60 min post‐birth for analysis of glucose, sodium, potassium, chlorine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), haematocrit and haemoglobin. Neonatal vitality was lower at birth compared with 5 min and 60 min post‐birth. Progressive decline in rectal temperature (36.5 ± 0.3°C, 34.2 ± 0.2°C, 32.3 ± 0.5°C) was observed at birth, 5 min and 60 min post‐birth, respectively. Puppies presented slight hyponatremia (140.7 ± 0.5 mmol/L) at birth and hypopotassemia (3.5 ± 0.1 mmol/L) and blood urea nitrogen (13.1 ± 0.7 mg/dl) during the first hour, and high haematocrit (45.1 ± 1.0%) and haemoglobin (15.3 ± 0.3 g/dl) concentration. In conclusion, puppies had rapid evolution of vitality. Marked decrease in rectal temperature occurred at 5 min post‐birth. Haematological values of neonates immediately after birth reflected mainly the dam's blood status, not being useful for a blood panel at this time point. The peculiar pattern of BUN, sodium and potassium observed during transition period, suggested that specific reference range should be considered for neonatal puppies.     

The use of multivariate analysis to characterize carcass and meat quality of goat kids protected by the PGI “Cabrito de Barroso”

Fifty five suckling kids from three genotypes and two sexes protected by the PGI “Cabrito de Barroso” European quality label were used in this experiment. Carcass quality was assessed using indices from carcass measurements, dressing percentages, refrigerated losses, higher priced joints proportion and tissue composition of the carcass. Meat pH, colour, total pigment, fat, dry matter, collagen determinations (total and soluble), cooking losses and shear force estimated in longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) and gluteobiceps (GB) muscles were used to characterize meat quality. Principal component (PC) analysis was performed in order to examine carcass quality traits (n = 16) and meat quality (n = 16) traits. The five first principal components (PCs) explained about 86% of the total variability for carcass quality and 75% of the total variability for meat quality. Compactness indices of carcass and leg, carcass weight and subcutaneous fat were the most effective variables for the PC1, whereas the higher priced joints proportion, muscle proportions of the higher priced joints and of the carcass and the muscle and bone ratio were useful to define the PC2. The first PC of the meat quality parameters was characterized by colour traits (L, b, a, C, H and total pigment) whereas collagen determinations (total collagen and collagen solubility) defined the second PC. When the carcass quality data were projected on the plane defined by the first two PCs, two separate groups of points appeared, corresponding to the animals with slaughter live weight higher or lower than 10 kg. The distribution of the meat quality data on the plane defined by the first two PCs allowed the identification of two separate groups, corresponding to the muscles GB and LTL. The differences between genotypes tend to be small and related to slaughter live weight, which implies certain constancy in carcass and meat quality of the PGI “Cabrito de Barroso”.     

Variance component estimations for race performance of thoroughbred horses in Brazil by random regression model

A total of 306,698 racing performance data recorded between 1992 and 2002 from 25495 Brazilian Thoroughbred horses was analyzed to estimate the variance components using the Random Regression Model (RRM) compared to the Classical Repeatability Animal Model (CRAM). The performance was evaluated using the race time (in seconds) to run distances of 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500 or 1600 meters. The pedigree of each horse was extended as far as possible, with a total of 36,659 animals. The simple correlation between Breeding Value (BV) for the race time estimated by both procedures was high (r = 0.963) when the data were expressed at the mean level of all distances. However, with the RRM it was possible to estimate the genetic parameters and the BV of all animals at the trajectory of each one of the seven distances. Also, results clearly showed that a single BV estimated by CRAM, is neither an adequate nor a sufficient indicator for the selection of the best horses throughout the trajectory of distance performance. We concluded that the RRM procedure is highly recommended for the evaluation of racehorse performance.     

Effectiveness of whey against zucchini squash and cucumber powdery mildew

The effectiveness of whey against powdery mildew (Podosphaera xanthii) of cucumber and zucchini squash was tested in greenhouse experiments. Plants were sprayed once or twice a week with whey at concentrations of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30% in water. Severity of powdery mildew was estimated weekly by visual assessment of individual leaves and scored as percentage of leaf area affected. Effectiveness of treatments did not differ significantly when applied weekly compared to twice a week. In each instance, powdery mildew severity correlated negatively with whey concentration. For cucumber, the rate of the disease progress in the control ranged from 0.45 to 0.75. Disease progressed more slowly in plants treated with 25–30% whey than when lower concentrations were used. The rate of disease progress varied from 0.12 to 0.33 in plants treated once a week and from 0.13 to 0.17 when applied twice a week. Similar tendencies were observed for zucchini, but disease progressed more rapidly and the final disease severity was higher than in cucumber. Effectiveness of whey applied twice a week at concentrations of 15–30% did not differ significantly among treatments; in these treatments the rate of disease progress was about 0.23 and significantly higher than the value for the water controls (about 0.80). Plants treated with 30% whey often exhibited symptoms of phytotoxicity. The data indicated that whey effectively controlled powdery mildew in cucumber and zucchini. Further studies are needed to optimize the concentration and timing of whey applications for mildew management in commercial crops.     

Serological surveillance and factors associated with influenza A virus in backyard pigs in Southern Brazil

Backyard pig populations are not monitored for influenza A virus (IAV) in Brazil and there are limited data about seroprevalence and risk factors in these populations. Our goal was to assess possible factors associated with IAV seroprevalence in backyard pig populations using an indirect ELISA protocol based on a recombinant nucleoprotein. Following the IAV screening using NP‐ELISA, subtype‐specific serology based on hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay of the ELISA‐positive pigs was conducted. The survey comprised a total of 1,667 sera samples collected in 2012 and 2014 in 479 holdings and the estimated seroprevalence was 5.3% (3.84%–7.33%) and 2.3% (1.34%–3.71%) in the respective years. In both years, H1N1pdm09 was the most prevalent subtype. The multivariable analysis showed main factors such as “age,” “sex,” “number of suckling pigs” and “neighbours raising pigs” that presented the greatest effect on IAV seroprevalence in these pig populations. These factors may be associated with the low biosecurity measures and management of backyard holdings. In addition, the low IAV seroprevalences found in these backyard pig populations could be related to a low number of animals in each pig holding and low animal movement/replacement that do not favour IAV transmission dynamics. This low frequency of H1N1pdm09 seropositive pigs could also be due to sporadic human‐to‐pig transmission of what is now a human seasonal influenza A virus; however, these factors should be explored in future studies. Herein, these results highlight the importance of IAV continued surveillance in backyard pig holdings, since it is poorly known which IAVs are circulating in these populations and the risk they could pose to public health and virus transmission to commercial farms.     

Detection of HEV in naturally infected swine from central Argentina by an optimized HEV/MS2 duplex RT‐qPCR

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is currently considered as a global health concern due to the recognition of its zoonotic transmission to humans, mainly from swine, and its association with the development of severe cases of hepatitis in human risk populations. The lack of updated data on HEV state of infection in swineherds of Argentina, and the necessity of robust technologies for its detection in complex biological samples, positions HEV as an emerging issue in public health. Here, we have optimized a RT‐qPCR with internal control for a more precise and accurate HEV RNA detection in swine stool samples. We implemented this optimized molecular tool to analyse the current epidemiological scenario of HEV infection in swine from the core region of commercial activity of Argentina. A total of 135 stool samples were collected from 16 different farms and tested for HEV presence, resulting in 11 positive cases (8.1%). Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that all of them correspond to HEV genotype 3 and that different subtypes circulate in the region. Moreover, two of the detected strains presented a high nucleotide similarity with a previously identified isolate from human sewage discharges, suggesting the zoonotic transmission of HEV to humans. Collectively, this work provides a better understanding of HEV epidemiology in Argentina while contributes to the improvement of HEV detection technologies.     

Prevalence of lameness and hoof lesions in all year-round grazing cattle in Brazil

Lameness is a growing concern to the dairy industry worldwide. However, little is known about lameness and its causes in grazing cattle, especially in tropical climates. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of hoof lesions and lameness in dairy herds of all year-round grazing cattle under tropical condition, and to identify the main lesions associated with lameness. We visited 48 farms located in the Minas Gerais state, Brazil, equally divided into four groups based on daily milk production. All lactating cows in the visited farms were locomotion scored, and a representative sample was randomly chosen for hoof inspection. Among the 2267 lactating cows evaluated, 16% were scored as lame and 7% as severely lame. Nearly all cows presented at least one type of hoof lesion, of which heel horn erosion (90%), white line fissure (50%), and digital dermatitis (33%) were the most prevalent. Heel horn erosion was present in all farms and digital dermatitis was present in 96% of the farms. Sole ulcer was observed in a single animal. Additionally, digital dermatitis and white line fissure were correlated to a 2.5 times increase in the odds of a poor mobility score. Collectively, our results demonstrate that digital dermatitis and white line fissure are the main concern and the biggest cause of lameness in grazing cattle under tropical conditions.     

Environmental factors that influence milk production of Pantaneiro ewes and the weight gain of their lambs during the pre-weaning period

The main objective of this research was to conduct an exploratory study of the lactation curve in order to characterize the productive potential of Pantaneiro ewes and lambs. Fifty ewes were bred using four rams in two different mating seasons. The ewes were kept with their lambs on pasture of Brachiaria brizantha. Ewe body score, ewe weight, and lamb weight were evaluated. Milk sampling was performed every week. In the morning for milk collections, the ewes were treated with 1 UI of oxytocin (intramuscular) for complete milking. Lambs were separated from the ewes for 4 h and milk collections were performed. The total milk production over 24 h was estimated by multiplying the production of this period (4 h) by 6. The data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure (P?<?0.05) in SAS. Milk production data were fitted to the curve using the incomplete gamma function of Wood, and lamb growth data were fitted using the Gompertiz equation. The average milk production of the ewes was 1.03 kg/day^?1. Younger ewes had the lowest milk production (18?=?798?±?330, 24?=?1001?±?440, 36?=?1100?±?490, and 48?=?1106?±?490 g/day^?1). Ewe body score at lambing affected initial milk production (1.0?=?816?±?660, 1.5?=?1089?±?105, and 2.0?=?1424?±?1600 g/day^?1). Lambs were weaned with an average weight of 20.3 kg. Daily weight gain from birth to weaning was 181 g. Locally adapted Pantaneiro ewes showed a linear decreasing lactation curve, with reduced production from the second week of lactation. Overall, evaluation of the dairy production and lamb performance revealed great variation, denoting potential for selection.     

Low occurrence of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica in pig tonsils at slaughter in Southern Brazil

Tropical Animal Health and Production - Yersinia enterocolitica is a foodborne pathogen and pigs are the main reservoir of it in their tonsils. As Brazil is a large producer and exporter of pork...