口感化及颗粒化开食料对早期断奶羔羊生长和胃肠道发育的影响

分析探讨口感化及颗粒化开食料对早期断奶羔羊生长和胃肠道发育的影响。选取新生健康的双羔湖羊公羔42只,随机分为两组,分别饲喂颗粒化和口感化开食料,试验期42 d。两组羔羊21日龄之前的采食量、体重和绝对生长的变化趋势相似。21日龄以后,口感化开食料组羔羊的采食量、体重、绝对生长和相对生长均明显高于颗粒化开食料组,42日龄体重、后两周的采食量及15～21日龄的相对生长率在两组间有显著差异(P < 0.05)。口感化开食料还显著提高(P < 0.05)了羔羊42日龄时的育肥指数、体长指数、胸围指数、管围指数和断奶前的瘤胃质量和瘤胃/胴体。以上结果表明,与颗粒化开食料相比,口感化开食料更有利于羔羊早期断奶前后的瘤胃发育、采食量提高、体重和体尺的发育,但对其他胃室及肠道发育没有影响。     

1株库蠓源版纳病毒的分离与全基因组序列分析

为分析云南省虫媒病毒的种类与遗传特征,在云南省师宗县采集库蠓进行病毒的分离与鉴定;通过全长cDNA扩增与高通量测序技术获取病毒全基因组序列,进行序列比对与系统发生树构建。结果显示,从采集的库蠓样本中分离出1株可在C6/36细胞上引起细胞病变的毒株（YNSZ043）,病毒基因组为分节段双链RNA,琼脂糖凝胶电泳呈"2-4-3"的带型特征;电镜观察可见直径为70~80 nm,呈"指环状",表面具有纤维突起的病毒粒子。全基因组测序结果显示,YNSZ043毒株为版纳病毒（Banna virus,BAV）,基因组大小为20 683 bp,由Seg-1（3 762 bp）至Seg-12（861 bp）12个基因节段组成,与中国BAV毒株各基因节段的核苷酸序列相似性在64.8%~99.6%之间,氨基酸序列相似性在58.8%~100%之间,在系统发生树上YNSZ043毒株与中国分离的BAV聚为一簇,形成独立的中国进化支系。对决定BAV基因型的Seg-12分析结果显示,YNSZ043毒株属于A2基因型,该毒株的Seg-5/VP5与越南分离BAV毒株的核苷酸和氨基酸序列相似性高达97.1%和97.6%,表明该毒株的Seg-5基因节段很可能与越南毒株之间发生了基因重配。研究结果丰富了中国BAV的基因组序列,为开展云南省BAV的流行病学研究提供了参考。     

Impact of variation in structure of condensed tannins from sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) on in vitro ruminal methane production and fermentation characteristics

Our study investigated the effects of condensed tannins (CT) on rumen in vitro methane (CH₄) production and fermentation characteristics by incubating lucerne in buffered rumen fluid in combination with different CT extracts at 0 (control), 40, 80 and 120 g CT/kg of substrate DM. Condensed tannins were extracted from four sainfoin accessions: Rees ‘A’, CPI63763, Cotswold Common and CPI63767. Gas production (GP) was measured using a fully automated GP apparatus with CH₄ measured at distinct time points. Condensed tannins differed substantially in terms of polymer size and varied from 13 (Rees ‘A’) to 73 (CPI63767) mean degree of polymerization, but had relatively similar characteristics in terms of CT content, procyanidin: prodelphinidin (PC: PD) and cis:trans ratios. Compared to control, addition of CT from CPI63767 and CPI63763 at 80 and 120 g CT/kg of substrate DM reduced CH₄ by 43% and 65%, and by 23% and 57%, respectively, after 24‐h incubation. Similarly, CT from Rees ‘A’ and Cotswold Common reduced CH₄ by 26% and 46%, and by 28% and 46% respectively. Addition of increasing level of CT linearly reduced the maximum rates of GP and CH₄ production, and the estimated in vitro organic matter digestibility. There was a negative linear and quadratic (p < 0.01) relation between CT concentration and total volatile fatty acid (VFA) production. Inclusion of 80 and 120 g CT/kg of substrate DM reduced (p < 0.001) branched‐chain VFA production and acetate: propionate ratio and was lowest for CPI63767. A decrease in proteolytic activity as indirectly shown by a change in VFA composition favouring a shift towards propionate and reduction in branched‐chain VFA production varied with type of CT and was highest for CPI63767. In conclusion, these results suggest that tannin polymer size is an important factor affecting in vitro CH₄ production which may be linked to the CT interaction with dietary substrate or microbial cells.     

Accuracy of genomic prediction using imputed whole‐genome sequence data in white layers

There is an increasing interest in using whole‐genome sequence data in genomic selection breeding programmes. Prediction of breeding values is expected to be more accurate when whole‐genome sequence is used, because the causal mutations are assumed to be in the data. We performed genomic prediction for the number of eggs in white layers using imputed whole‐genome resequence data including ~4.6 million SNPs. The prediction accuracies based on sequence data were compared with the accuracies from the 60 K SNP panel. Predictions were based on genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) as well as a Bayesian variable selection model (BayesC). Moreover, the prediction accuracy from using different types of variants (synonymous, non‐synonymous and non‐coding SNPs) was evaluated. Genomic prediction using the 60 K SNP panel resulted in a prediction accuracy of 0.74 when GBLUP was applied. With sequence data, there was a small increase (~1%) in prediction accuracy over the 60 K genotypes. With both 60 K SNP panel and sequence data, GBLUP slightly outperformed BayesC in predicting the breeding values. Selection of SNPs more likely to affect the phenotype (i.e. non‐synonymous SNPs) did not improve the accuracy of genomic prediction. The fact that sequence data were based on imputation from a small number of sequenced animals may have limited the potential to improve the prediction accuracy. A small reference population (n = 1004) and possible exclusion of many causal SNPs during quality control can be other possible reasons for limited benefit of sequence data. We expect, however, that the limited improvement is because the 60 K SNP panel was already sufficiently dense to accurately determine the relationships between animals in our data.     

A review of factors influencing litter size in Irish sows

Many factors influence litter size. These include genetics, gilt management, lactation length, parity distribution, disease, stress and boar fertility. In the past 20 years, litter size in Irish sows has increased by only one pig. Born alive figures now average at 11.2 pigs per litter. In this regard, Ireland is falling behind our European competitors who have made significant advances over this time. Denmark, for example, has an average figure of 12.7 pigs born alive per litter and France an average of 12.5. The single area that could be improved immediately is sow feeding. It is important that sows are fed correctly throughout pregnancy. If over-fed during pregnancy, sows will have depressed appetite during lactation. If underfed in pregnancy, sows will be too thin at farrowing. The correct way to feed a pregnant sow is to match her feed allocation to her requirement for maintenance, body growth and growth of her developing foetuses. During lactation, sows should be given as much feed as they can eat to prevent excessive loss of body condition. Liquid-feed curves should be such that lactating sows are provided with a minimum mean daily feed supply of 6.2 kg. A small proportion of sows will eat more and this could be given as supplementary dry feed. Where dry feeding is practised in the farrowing house, it is difficult to hand-feed sows to match their appetite. Ideally ad libitum wet/dry feeders should be used. From weaning to service, sows should once again be fed ad libitum. If liquid feeding, this means giving at least 60 MJ DE (digestible energy) per day during this period. If dry feeding, at least 4 kg of lactation diet should be fed daily. The effort spent perfecting sow feeding management on units should yield high dividends in the form of increased pigs born alive per litter.     

Effects of Alternative Molting Programs and Population on Layer Performance: Results of the Thirty-Fifth North Carolina Layer Performance and Management Test

A study involving 7 white-egg and 3 brown-egg commercial layer strains was conducted at the North Carolina Piedmont Research Station to assess the effects cage population 3-bird vs. 4-bird cages and alternative molt programs on performance through 113 wk of age (791 d). The flock was divided into 3 groups; not molted (NM), maintained in continuous production; molted using feed restriction (FR), an industry-type 14-d feed withdrawal molting program initiated at 463 d of age; and molted using a nonfasted/anorexic program (NF), in which an ad libitum supply of a low protein, low energy molt feed was provided. Productivity, egg size, and egg quality were monitored at 28-d periods throughout the test providing the performance data for the white-egg and brown-egg strains with regard to these management factors. Detailed results by strain are available on the following Web site: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/poulsci/tech_info.html#layer. The performance for the 3-bird or 4-bird cage groups for either type of layer was similar, except that birds in 4-bird cages had higher feed consumption in the first production phase than did the birds in 3-bird cages. In the same time period the white-egg birds in the 3-bird cages had a greater percentage of cracked eggs and a smaller percentage of Grade A large eggs than those in 4-bird cages. No differences were observed in egg income for the 2 population sizes for either type of layer. However, due to their higher feed consumption, the white egg birds in the 4-bird cages had higher feed cost per hen for the first cycle, which was offset by the egg income component due to their increased production rate. The molted layers outperformed the nonmolted layers for both types of layers in terms of overall income over feed costs. The FR molted hens, under a program that has traditionally been used by commercial producers, outperformed NF-molted hens, indicating that further refinements are needed to make the NF program economically competitive with the FR molting program.     

不同粒度猫尾草对羔羊体外发酵特性和微生物数量的影响

通过Rusitec-s体外发酵系统研究不同粒度猫尾草对羔羊体外发酵参数与微生物数量的影响,选取6种不同粒度(1.00、2.36、3.35、4.75、8.00和12.50 mm)的猫尾草作为试验饲粮的纤维来源,按照猫尾草的粒度将试验分为6个处理组,每个处理4个重复,利用Rusitec-s型人工瘤胃模拟装置进行48 h体外发酵,测定养分降解率、发酵参数及发酵液中6种微生物菌群的拷贝数。结果表明：与其他处理组相比,2.36 mm组显著提高了体外中性洗涤纤维降解率(IVNDFD)、丁酸、异丁酸、戊酸、异戊酸摩尔比和溶纤维丁酸弧菌(B. f)数量(P<0.05),且显著降低总产甲烷菌(TMe)数量(P<0.05)。总菌(TB)与氨态氮(NH3-N)浓度、乙酸摩尔比呈正相关(R²=0.84,P=0.038;R²=0.88,P=0.021);B. f数量与丙酸摩尔比呈正相关(R²=0.82,P=0.045),且与pH呈负相关(R²=-0.98,P=0.001);TMe数量与体外粗蛋白质降解率(IVCP...