Monitoring distances travelled by horses using GPS tracking collars

Objective The aims of this work were to (1) develop a low-cost equine movement tracking collar based on readily available components, (2) conduct preliminary studies assessing the effects of both paddock size and internal fence design on the movements of domestic horses, with and without foals at foot, and (3) describe distances moved by mares and their foals. Additional monitoring of free-ranging feral horses was conducted to allow preliminary comparisons with the movement of confined domestic horses. Procedures A lightweight global positioning system (GPS) data logger modified from a personal/vehicle tracker and mounted on a collar was used to monitor the movement of domestic horses in a range of paddock sizes and internal fence designs for 6.5-day periods. Results In the paddocks used (0.8–16 ha), groups of domestic horses exhibited a logarithmic response in mean daily distance travelled as a function of increasing paddock size, tending asymptotically towards approximately 7.5 km/day. The distance moved by newborn foals was similar to their dams, with total distance travelled also dependent on paddock size. Without altering available paddock area, paddock design, with the exception of a spiral design, did not significantly affect mean daily distance travelled. Feral horses (17.9 km/day) travelled substantially greater mean daily distances than domestic horses (7.2 km/day in 16-ha paddock), even when allowing for larger paddock size. Conclusions Horses kept in stables or small yards and paddocks are quite sedentary in comparison with their feral relatives. For a given paddock area, most designs did not significantly affect mean daily distance travelled.     

草原红牛导入丹麦红牛血液试验效果(第二报)

为了提高草原红牛的生产性能,1985年开始在翁牛特旗海金山种牛场进行了草原红牛导入丹麦红牛血液试验。初步试验结果表明:丹红F_1毛色基本同草原红牛;尻部宽、长而平,原有斜尻缺点已明显得到改进;各阶段体重、体尺均有明显提高,尤以体躯的重量、宽度、高度和后躯的提高更为显著;适应性与草原红牛无差别;其产肉性能和产奶性能比草原红牛亦有明显提高。     

Study on the association of BoLA-DRB3.2 alleles with clinical mastitis in Norwegian Red cows

Genotyping of bovine leucocyte antigen DRB3.2 (BoLA-DRB3.2) in a total of 523 Norwegian Red (NR) cows from two groups selected for high protein yield and low clinical mastitis, respectively, identified 27 previously reported BoLA-DRB3.2 alleles across the groups. Significant differences in BoLA-DRB3.2 allele frequencies were found between the selection groups. Alleles *13, *18, *22 and *27 had a significantly higher frequency in cows selected for low clinical mastitis, while alleles *3, *9, *11 and *26 had a higher frequency in cows selected for high protein yield. Associations between BoLA-DRB3.2 alleles and clinical mastitis were analysed based on mastitis data from 741,072 first-lactation NR cows, of which 452 were genotyped. Alleles *22 and *26 were found to be associated with increased clinical mastitis, while alleles *7, *11, *18 and *24 had a favourable effect on mastitis resistance. Contradictory results from different studies investigating associations between BoLA-DRB3.2 alleles and mastitis indicate that future studies should focus on associations of mastitis with BoLA haplotypes rather than with single BoLA genes.     

葡多酚对肉鸡生产性能和免疫机能的影响

试验旨在探讨日粮中葡多酚对肉鸡生产性能和免疫机能的影响。选用1日龄健康爱拔益加(AA)肉仔鸡公雏鸡240只,随机分配到对照组及试验Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ组4个处理组中,空白对照组饲喂基础日粮(不含葡多酚),试验Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ组分别在基础日粮中添加葡多酚7.5、15、22.5 mg/kg,试验期42 d。结果表明,在0~3周龄,试验Ⅲ组采食量最高,生长速度较快;在3~6和0~6周龄,试验Ⅰ组日增重和饲料效率最佳,而试验Ⅱ组略低于对照组。葡多酚对肉仔鸡的免疫器官发育无显著影响,7.5 mg/kg葡多酚有增加肉仔鸡外周血中CD3⁺、CD8⁺、αβ和γδ T细胞数量的潜力。因此,肉仔鸡日粮中添加适量葡多酚可促进生长,调节免疫机能。     

Effect of grape pomace on fermentation quality and aerobic stability of sweet sorghum silage

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of grape pomace (GP) with different adding levels (0%, 5%, 10% and 15%, fresh matter basis), alone (GP‐LAB) or in combine with an inoculant LAB (GP+LAB), on the fermentation quality and aerobic stability of sweet sorghum silage. After 90 days of ensiling in vacuumized mini‐silos, silages were subject to a 7‐day aerobic stability test, in which chemical, microbial and polyphenol composition were measured. In the GP‐LAB group, adding GP decreased (P < 0.05) concentrations of water‐soluble carbohydrate (WSC) and butyric acid in silage. In the GP+LAB group, adding GP increased (P < 0.05) concentrations of lactic acid, WSC and crude protein, decreased (P < 0.05) final pH value, NH₃‐N ratio and butyric acid concentration in silage. Polyphenol level was reduced (P < 0.05) after silage fermentation. During aerobic exposure, the fungi count, pH value and silage temperature increased (P < 0.05), the levels of lactic acid, acetic acid and polyphenols (quercetin 3‐O‐glucoside and quercetin 3‐O‐glucuronid) decreased (P < 0.05) in silage. GP+LAB treated silage had a lag phase for aerobic spoilage. When the fermentation products, microbial counts, chemical and polyphenol composition were considered, the use of 10% GP+LAB at ensiling could provide a valuable source for improved fermentation quality and aerobic stability of sweet sorghum silage.     

红三叶的研究和利用

结合国内外有关红三叶研究和利用的科研成果，对红三叶的价值，品种分类，生长特性，混播和施肥技术及利用特点进行了综合分析，指出红三叶在我国，特别是南方地区具有很大的栽培推广潜力。     

葡萄籽粉替代玉米对成年母羊体重和经济效益的影响

本试验旨在研究日粮中添加不同剂量葡萄籽粉替代玉米对成年母羊体重和经济效益的影响。试验选取年龄相近(15~16月龄)、健康状况良好的成年母羊32只,根据体重相近原则随机分为4组,对照组饲喂基础日粮,试验Ⅰ、Ⅱ和Ⅲ组分别用葡萄籽粉替代基础日粮中7%、14%和21%玉米。结果表明,试验各组间羊增重差异不显著(P＞0.05),但试验Ⅰ组平均日增重比对照组提高了14.50%,且经济效益比对照组平均提高了37.74%。提示,本试验中在基础日粮中使用葡萄籽粉替代7%玉米对成年母羊的增重效果和经济效益最佳。     

氮肥对红三叶和鸭茅草地生产性能影响的研究

本文对红三叶和鸭茅单、混播草地对施氮肥的反应情况进行了研究，发现氮肥对鸭茅的株高、分蘖及产草量具明显的促进作用，而红三叶对氮肥的反应则不十分明显。同时施肥后，单播处理牧草的产量增幅比混播处理大。试验结果还表明，鸭茅和红三叶产量与施氮肥量均呈指数关系。通过对单播鸭茅和混播草地总产对氮肥的反应规律进行分析，可以把混播草地对氮肥的利用情况及氮肥对该草地中红三叶固氮作用影响的变化规律分为３类：第１类为混播草地投入最低氮肥量，草地生产力较低，此时红三叶能提供较高氮素价值量；第２类，混播草地投入中等氮肥量，草地生产力中等，但红三叶提供氮素的价值量减小；第３类，投入较高氮肥量，但红三叶失去提供氮素价值。本试验显示，从经济效益角度考虑，对混播草地以少施氮肥为好，特别是在０～０．３ｔ／ｈａ范围内较为适宜。     

祁连山南麓高寒灌丛GPP变化特征及对生长季积温的响应

全球气候变化背景下气温逐渐升高,将会对陆地生态系统碳循环产生重要影响.研究利用2003-2016年的涡度相关系统观测资料,研究了祁连山南麓高寒灌丛生长季(5月-9月)总初级生产力(gross primary productivity,GPP)在不同时间尺度上对生长季有效积温(growing season degree ...     

Accuracy of the TurfTrax Racing Data System for determination of equine speed and position

Reasons for performing study: The speed and position data collected by TurfTrax Racing Data Limited during UK Thoroughbred racing have potential to benefit equine science and welfare. The size (the 2006 data set alone consists of 30,932 individual horse starts across 2667 races) and nature (speed and 2D position for each horse at 4 updates per second) of the data make it a unique resource for questions in equine safety, welfare, performance, and animal locomotion. Objective: To determine the accuracy of the TurfTrax tracking system in estimating the speed and position of horses during racing. Methods: Measurements from the TurfTrax wireless tracking system were compared with those of a survey‐grade global positioning system (GPS) receiver. Results: The TurfTrax system was found to give position measurements to within ± 11 and ± 64 cm in the fore‐aft and lateral directions, respectively, averaging ± 38 cm (interquartile range) and speed to within 0.15 m/s. Potential relevance: The data collected by the TurfTrax system are of sufficient accuracy to inform new diagnoses, training regimens and basic locomotor scientific studies. The position data can provide the precise distance, going, inclination, rate of turn and pack positioning through which each horse has raced. The speed profile can be used to examine the level of exertion, effect of training regimens and influence of racecourse features on performance. A first clinical application would be to analyse retrospectively these factors on occurrence of injury to compare with past training regimens, levels of exertion, and/or racecourse conditions.