Three on-farm studies were conducted in Nicaragua during three consecutive years (1999–2001) to assess the impact of natural helminth infections on growth performance of free-range chickens aged 3–4 months. On all participating farms, half of the chickens were treated regularly with anthelmintics (Trifén avícola – a combined formulation of piperazine, phenothiazine and dichlorophen – or albendazole) to express the growth potential of non-infected birds, whereas the other half served as non-treated controls. In 1999, treated chickens had a 39% higher weight gain compared to the control group 6 weeks after the first treatment on 15 farms. In 2000 and 2001, treated chickens had similar weight gain as the control group 10 weeks after the first treatment on 7 farms and 12 farms, respectively. The main reason for the very-different weight gain figures seems to be the weather conditions. In 1999, the study site experienced a rainy season with precipitation far above average, whereas in 2000 and 2001 the rainy seasons had precipitations far below average. Based on these findings, routine use of anthelmintics in the study area would only be recommended in wet years when production losses due to helminth infections seem to be pronounced.
In 2001, the study set-up included an assessment of the effect of protein supplementation (soybean) on growth on six farms. Supplemented chickens (treated and non-treated with anthelmintics) had 17% higher weight gain than non-supplemented. Protein supplementation affected neither worm burdens nor faecal egg counts for any of the studied helminths.
The post-mortem examinations showed that Trifén reduced burdens of Ascaridia galli, Heterakis gallinarum, and cestodes (efficacies of 100, 100 and 67%, respectively). Albendazole reduced burdens of H. gallinarum (efficacy of 100%). Efficacies against other helminths were difficult to assess due to low worm burdens. Chickens treated with albendazole had lower Ascaridia and Heterakis faecal egg counts than non-treated chickens. 相似文献
Models were developed for predicting the dry matter content of single Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] stems from non-destructive field measurement data such as tree height, diameter and age. The material under study comprised 1612 stem discs originating from 235 trees grown at nine locations in Denmark and southern Sweden. In total, 153 trees (1054 discs) originating from a thinning experiment in southern Denmark were used for establishing the models, which were later validated on independent material. Results of the validation were that the 95% confidence interval for single stem density was ±9 to ±16% when based on average ring width at breast height, but within ±7% when based on wood samples taken at breast height. The density models were combined with standard volume models in order to predict dry matter content. Validation on independent material showed that in general the dry matter content of single stems can be estimated with less than 10% error (RMSE). 相似文献