Length of docked tail and the incidence of rectal prolapse in lambs

A multistate cooperative study was conducted to study the current issue of tail length in docked lambs and its relationship to incidence of rectal prolapse. A total of 1,227 lambs at six locations were randomly allocated to two or three tail dock treatments: 1) short--tail was removed as close to the body as possible, 2) medium--tail was removed at a location midway between the attachment of the tail to the body and the attachment of the caudal folds to the tail, and 3) long--tail was removed at the attachment of the caudal folds to the tail. Short-docked lambs had a greater (P < 0.05) incidence of rectal prolapse (7.8%) than lambs with a medium (4.0%) or a long (1.8%) dock. Female lambs had a higher (P < 0.05) incidence of rectal prolapse than male lambs. At two stations, lambs were finished either in a feedlot on a high-concentrate diet or on pasture with no grain supplementation. At one station, with a very low incidence of rectal prolapse, there was no difference in incidence between lambs finished in the feedlot or on pasture; however, at the station with a relatively high incidence of rectal prolapse, lambs in the feedlot had a higher (P < 0.05) incidence than lambs on pasture. The half-sib estimate of heritability for the incidence of rectal prolapse was low (0.14). The results of this study strongly implicate short dock length as a cause of rectal prolapse in lambs finished on high-concentrate diets. Furthermore, the results of this study and the only other study known conducted on this issue strongly suggest that docking lambs at the site of the attachment of the caudal folds to the tail will result in a negligible incidence of rectal prolapse.     

抗旱保水剂在紫花苜蓿种植中应用的试验报告

用抗旱保水剂对土壤和紫花苜蓿种子处理后,进行种植试验。结果表明,使用抗旱保水剂出苗每平方米较对照地增加24.25株,存苗增加35.62株,苗高平均增加0.32cm,根长平均增长0.69cm,鲜草每平方增加0.41kg。     

Production losses in Merino ewes and financial penalties caused by trichostrongylid infections during winter and spring

SUMMARY: The productivity of Merino ewes treated with ivermectin and a controlled-release capsule containing albendazole was compared with untreated ewes grazing the same pastures on each of 3 farms. Treated breeding ewes had significantly increased greasy fleece weights (GFW, 6.5% and 7.1%) compared with untreated breeding ewes, on 2 of 3 farms but treatment caused no significant increase in the GFW of non-breeding ewes. Other benefits of treatment on all farms were a significant increase in body weight gain (from 1.7 to 3.7 kg) and a significant decrease in the weight of dag removed at crutching (from 42 to 622 g). These benefits occurred despite the presence on each farm of worms resistant to benzimidazoles. One disadvantage of treatment was an increase in mean fibre diameter of wool from treated ewes of from 0.12 to 0.41 μm. This increase reduces the value of the wool. Partial budgets indicated a net loss of from 8 to 62 cents per ewe for treatment. However, potential benefits such as increased growth rate and wool production from lambs of treated ewes were not included in the analysis. On one farm ewes were classified as ‘susceptible’ to severe dag if they had a dag score ≥ 4 at the time of capsule treatment. Ewes classified as ‘susceptible’ were about 7 times more likely to develop severe dag than were other ewes. There was no significant difference between the GFW of untreated ‘susceptible’ ewes and untreated ewes not classified as ‘susceptible’. Additionally, the response of GFW to treatment was no different to the response seen in ewes that were not classified as ‘susceptible’. The direct cost of diarrhoea and dag formation in Merino ewes was estimated to be 18, 30, 53, 86, 98 and 145 cents per head for ewes with a dag score of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively. This cost did not include potential benefits from reduced risk of breech strike, or intangible benefits associated with the improved welfare of sheep.     

A health-education intervention trial to reduce porcine cysticercosis in Mbulu District, Tanzania

We conducted a randomised community controlled trial to estimate the effectiveness of health and pig-management education intervention in reducing the incidence rate of porcine cysticercosis caused by Taenia solium in Mbulu District, northern Tanzania, between April 2002 and July 2004. We included a random sample of 827 pig-keeping households from 42 randomly selected villages in our 27-month study. We collected baseline data on the prevalence of porcine cysticercosis based on lingual examination of live pigs, and pig-management and sanitation knowledge and practices based on questionnaire interviews and observations. We allocated 21 of the villages to the health-education intervention, developed with community participation; we used stratified randomisation to balance the village-level baseline prevalence of porcine cysticercosis. From July 2003 to March 2004 following the intervention, we gave each participant household a sentinel piglet to raise (the timing was balanced between the intervention groups). Knowledge about the transmission and prevention of porcine cysticercosis was improved >42% in both groups when measured 10–12 months post-intervention. There was no improvement in observed practices in either group throughout the study period. However, the intervention had a significant reduction in the reported cases of household consumption of infected pork (a reduction by 20%). The intervention was associated with a considerable decrease in the incidence rate of porcine cysticercosis (incidence rate ratio 0.57) as measured by antigen-ELISA in sentinel pigs. Public education could lead to a reduction of the risk of infection in humans.     

Production responses and cost-benefit of long-acting pre-lambing anthelmintic treatment of yearling ewes in two commercial flocks in New Zealand

AIMS: To investigate the production responses and cost-benefit of administering a controlled-release anthelmintic capsule (CRC) to pregnant yearling ewes prior to lambing.

METHODS: Yearling ewes from two commercial sheep flocks (A, n=489; B, n=248) in the North Island of New Zealand were enrolled in the study. Prior to lambing, CRC containing albendazole and abamectin were administered to half the ewes while the other half remained untreated. Ewe liveweights and body condition scores were measured prior to lambing, at weaning and, for Flock B, prior to subsequent mating. Lambs were matched to dams shortly after birth and the weight and number of lamb weaned per ewe were determined. A cost-benefit analysis was undertaken for Flock B considering the increased weight of lamb weaned per ewe, and the weight of ewes at the next mating and the benefit in terms of lambs born.

RESULTS: The mean weight at weaning of treated ewes was greater for treated than untreated ewes by 2.76 (95% CI 0.64–4.88)?kg in Flock A (p<0.001) and 2.35 (95% CI ?0.41–5.12)?kg in Flock B (p=0.003); the weight of lamb weaned per ewe was greater for treated than untreated ewes by 1.43 (95% CI ?0.71 to –3.49)?kg in Flock A (p=0.041) and 3.97 (95% CI 1.59–6.37)?kg in Flock B (p<0.001), and ewe liveweight prior to subsequent mating was greater for treated than untreated ewes in Flock B by 4.60 (95% CI 3.6–5.6)?kg (p<0.001). There was no difference in the percentage of lambs reared to weaning between treated and untreated ewes in either flock (p>0.8). The overall cost-benefit of treatment for Flock B was NZ$9.44 per treated ewe.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Pre-lambing CRC administration to yearling ewes resulted in increased ewe weaning weights and weight of lamb weaned in both the flocks studied. There was an economic benefit in the one flock where this was assessed.     

Studies on the biology of black mould (Aspergillus niger) on temperate and tropical onions. 2. The effect of treatments on the control of seedborne A. niger

Treatment of A. niger -inoculated onion seed with benomyl dust (1 g a.i./kg), or a foliar spray of thiram (0·4% a.i./ha) applied to plants grown from inoculated seed under temperate (UK) conditions reduced the incidence of A. niger in harvested crops. Treatment of naturally contaminated Sudanese onion seed with a benomyl + thiram mixture at a rate of 2·5 + 2·5 g a.i./kg or soaking the seed in hot water (15 min at 60°C) reduced the incidence of black mould on bulbs grown in the Sudan in field soil that had not previously been used for onion production. The seed treatments were less effective in crops produced in fields regularly used for onion production. However, incubation of harvested bulbs in moist chambers showed that damage to the internal storage tissue of onion bulbs caused by A. niger was reduced by seed treatment.     

Effects of transportation during the hot season,breed and electrical stimulation on histochemical and meat quality characteristics of goat longissimus muscle

The effects of transportation and electrical stimulation (90 V) on physiological, histochemical and meat quality characteristics of two breeds of Omani goats were assessed. Twenty 1‐year‐old male goats from each breed (Batina and Dhofari) were divided into two groups: 3 h transported during the hot season (42°C day time temperature) and non‐transported. Animals were blood‐sampled before loading and prior to slaughter. Electrical stimulation was applied 20 min postmortem to 50% randomly selected carcasses of both breeds. Temperature and pH decline of the Longissimus was monitored. Ultimate pH, shear force, sarcomere length, myofibrillar fragmentation index, expressed juice, cooking loss and colour were measured from samples of Longissimus dorsi muscles. Electrical stimulation and transportation had a significant effect on most biochemical and meat quality characteristics of Longissimus dorsi. The transported goats had higher plasma cortisol (P < 0.01), adrenaline, nor‐adrenaline and dopamine concentrations (P < 0.05) than non‐transported goats. Electrical stimulation resulted in a significantly (P < 0.05) more rapid muscle pH fall during the first 12 h after slaughter. Muscles from electrically‐stimulated carcasses had significantly (P < 0.05) longer sarcomeres, lower shear force value, a lighter colour (higher L* value), higher expressed juice and myofibrillar fragmentation index than those from non‐stimulated ones. Meat from transported goats had significantly higher pH, expressed juice and shear force, but contained significantly lower sarcomere length and L* values than non‐transported goats. The proportion of the myosin ATPase staining did not change as a function of stimulation, transportation or breed. These results indicated that subjecting goats to transportation for 3 h under high ambient temperatures can generate major physiological and muscle metabolism responses. Electrical stimulation improved quality characteristics of meat from both groups. This indicates that electrical stimulation may reduce detrimental effects of transportation on meat quality of Omani goats.     

Effectiveness of small workshops for improving farmers knowledge about ovine footrot

OBJECTIVE: To determine sheep farmers' attitudes to and beliefs about ovine footrot, and to improve their knowledge about the diagnosis, control and eradication of this disease. METHOD: Eighteen workshops, involving 291 farmers, were conducted across Victoria in the spring of 1996. The workshops were designed as small-group discussions with a maximum attendance of 20 farmers to encourage active participation. All participants completed questionnaires before each workshop and 12 to 40 weeks after the last workshop. RESULTS: Before the workshops the farmers had a poor understanding of the principles of diagnosis, control and eradication of footrot. For example, only 50% knew the footrot organism survived in soil for less than 7 days, over two-thirds did not know the reason for paring sheep's feet during an eradication program, and only 31% realised cattle were a potential source of footrot infection for sheep. After the workshops, understanding about footrot was significantly improved; 87% said Dichelobacter nodosus survived in soil less than 7 days, 71% knew the reason for paring sheep's feet and 64% realised that cattle were a potential source of footrot infection. As well as improved knowledge, change of attitude among farmers is fundamentally important if virulent footrot is to be successfully controlled and eradicated. The workshops successfully initiated this process; 40% of farmers thought the workshops changed their attitudes to footrot, while 37% said they gained an increased understanding of other people's opinions about the disease. CONCLUSION: Farmers' poor understanding of ovine footrot is a constraint to the programs aimed at controlling this disease. Small group workshops may be an effective way to influence farmers' attitudes and beliefs, and could facilitate the effectiveness of regulatory disease control programs.