A diet formulated from by‐products and indigenous foodstuffs for laying hens

1. The performance of six commercial stocks of laying hens fed on a diet composed of home‐produced foodstuffs, not usually used for human consumption, was compared with that of birds fed on a conventional diet.

2. The experimental diet was calculated to be low in energy and methionine and high in fibre by conventional standards. Birds ate up to 12% more of this diet, but the calculated intakes of energy and methionine were less than those of the corresponding controls.

3. White stocks fed on the experimental diet produced seven eggs less per bird than controls while the production of brown stocks was essentially unaffected.

4. The gross efficiency of energy utilisation for egg production was better with the experimental diet.     

Habituation by the immature fowl in response to repeated injections of corticotrophin.

1. Immature birds treated for 7 d with corticotrophin (30 IU/kg, one injection per day) had significantly poorer growth rates and decreased adrenal cholesterol concentrations. Plasma glucose, corticosterone and cholesterol concentrations and adrenal weight were within the normal range 24 h after the last injection.

2. The responses of birds pretreated as described above to a single injection of corticotrophin (30 IU/kg) were determined.

3. A similar degree of hyperglycaemia had developed in both groups after 2 h but thereafter the responses differed: the concentration of plasma glucose did not increase further in those pretreated with corticotrophin and had begun to decrease at 6 h, whereas that of the birds pretreated with saline increased progressively.

4. The concentrations of plasma corticosterone had increased similarly in the two groups to a peak at 2 h but there was a significantly more rapid decrease in the birds pretreated with corticotrophin.

5. Both groups showed a transient hypercholesteraemia but the increase was significant only in the group that had previously received saline.

6. There were decreases in the concentrations of adrenal cholesterol in both groups. The decrease, in absolute terms, was 2–4 times greater in the group receiving corticotrophin for the first time: percentage changes were similar, however.     

Rotaviral diarrhea in pigs: brief review.

Rotavirus is a name given to a group of viruses that have similar characteristics and are generally capable of causing diarrhea in the young. Infection of pigs with porcine rotavirus is common and widespread and can result in diarrhea, especially in 1- to 4-week-old pigs. This virus is frequently associated with a diarrheal syndrome popularity known as "white scours," "milk scours," or "3-week-old scours." Pigs less than 1 week old are infrequently infected, presumably because of adequate passive immunity. The infection resembles enzootic transmissible gastroenteritis. Diagnosis can be made by immunofluorescent staining of mucosal scrappings from the small intestines.     

AN OESOPHAGEAL DIVERTICULUM IN A DOG

An 11-month-old male Miniature Poodle was found to regurgitate small volumes of fluid and food particles due to a diverticulum in the thoracic oesophagus. The diverticulum was removed surgically. Histologically the wall contained extensive scar tissue. Longterm recovery was uneventful and 5 months after surgery the dog is in good health     

Experimental infection of eastern cottontail rabbits Sylvilagus floridanus) with infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus.

Experimental infection of eastern cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus) with infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus caused acute keratoconjunctivitis and a fatal systemic infection. The clinical syndrome was characterized initially by blepharospasm and ocular discharge. The rabbits were markedly depressed on post-exposure day (PED) 5 and were dead or moribund on PED 6. The virus was readily recovered from liver and adrenal gland tissue on PED 6 and from conjunctival swabs on PED 1 to 6. Histopathologic studies revealed a few necrotic foci in the liver and multiple focal to diffuse necrosis of the adrenal glands. Viral isolation and immunofluorescence tests were used to demonstrate a direct association between infectious bovine rhinotracheitis viral antigens and the lesions.     

Influence of a mycoplasma respiratory tract infection on sheep erythrocyte and complement receptor-bearing cell composition in the respiratory tract of swine.

Pulmonic and peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations in healthy and Mycoplasma suipneumoniae-infected pigs were compared. The T- and the B-lymphocyte populations were counted, the B cells by the complement receptor (zymosan-complement rosettes) technique and the T cells by the ED-rosette technique (sheep RBC-dextran rosettes). The T cells were found to predominate among pulmonic, as well as blood, lymphocytes. Pulmonic B-cell and blood T-cell percentages were increased after mycoplasma respiratory tract infection. However, blood B-cell and pulmonic T-cell percentages were not significantly affected. A significant (P less than 0.001) correlation between pulmonic and blood T-lymphocyte compositions was found; conversely, no correlation was observed between blood and pulmonic B-cell percentages. These data could imply that pulmonic B cells are predominantly involved in local immune reactions after a mycoplasma respiratory tract infection.     

Responses of immune and nonimmune adult rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) to adenovirus SV-20.

Adenovirus SV-20 (ASV-20) was inoculated subcutaneously into adult rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), and various immunologic parameters were studied. Similar changes were observed in macaques that had anti-ASV-20 serum-neutralizing antibodies prior to inoculation and in those lacking detectable antibodies. There were absolute decreases in numbers of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), erythrocyte-rosetting lymphocytes, complement-receptor lymphocytes, and Fc-receptor lymphocytes. These changes were most significant (P less than 0.05) on postinoculation days (PID) 3 and 7. Mitogenic responsiveness to concanavalin A, phytohemagglutinin, and pokeweed mitogen in cultured PBL from immune and nonimmune macaques was depressed on PID 3, 7, and 14. Ultraviolet-inactivated ASV-20 caused moderate suppression of phytohemagglutinin-induced mitogenesis when viral particles and lectin were added simultaneously to PBL cultures. Plasma cortisol (hydrocortisone) values were not significantly altered following inoculation of ASV-20. High titers of anti-ASV-20 antibody developed by PID 7 in nonimmune macaques, and previously immune macaques showed a booster effect in the same time period. Antibody titers were still increased 120 days after inoculation. There was no clinical evidence of an adverse effect of ASV-20 infection in these macaques.