Risk Indicators Associated with Subclinical Mastitis in Smallholder Dairy Cows in Tanzania

Smallholder dairy farmers in Tanzania appear to be unaware of the subclinical mastitis situation in their cows. A cross-sectional study was carried out between June and September 2002 on smallholder dairy herds in the Dar es Salaam region. The study objectives were to establish the prevalence of subclinical mastitis and related risk indicators, and to assess their contribution to the occurrence of subclinical mastitis. Three field procedures based on the principles of herd health and production management were followed: clinical, farm and data inspection. The California mastitis test (CMT) was carried out on quarter milk samples to determine the prevalence of subclinical mastitis. A total of 182 lactating cows from 62 herds were investigated. Clinical inspection indicated that 3.8% of the lactating cows had clinical mastitis. Subclinical mastitis was detected in 90.3% of lactating cows screened. Farm inspection revealed that water scarcity, barn size, residual suckling, single udder-towel and dairy labourers as the most substantial (p < 0.05) risk indicators. Although most of the risk indicators studied were not found to be statistically significantly associated with the occurrence of subclinical mastitis, possibly owing to sample size and the presence of confounders, the epidemiological need to address such risk indicators cannot be overemphasized.     

牛烂蹄坏尾病致病弯角镰刀菌代谢产物分离鉴定

取金寨县耕牛烂蹄坏尾病致病弯角镰刀菌的玉米培养物，用丙酮提取，硅胶净化，制备型硅胶大板分离，得到无色针状结晶体，经质谱和红外光谱分析，并经相关谱图数据库联机检索、甄别，按其分子量、化学式及结构式确定为麦角甾醇，从而证实了致牛烂蹄坏尾病的弯角镰刀菌可产生麦角甾醇。     

ANGIOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF BOVINE FOOT ABNORMALITIES

Angiography of normal and diseased feet in cattle was carried out. In osteomyelitis of distal phalanx there was a narrowing of the digital artery with diminished vascular supply to the affected digit. An area of bone necrosis was found to be avascular. With overgrown hooves, narrowing of both the medial and lateral digital arteries with ill-defined laminar vessels was seen. The vascular pattern in cattle with cork screw claws was characterized by a dilated tortuous digital artery and a crowded arterial network resulting in increased vascular supply in the affected claw. Abrupt stricture of common digital artery, a crowded vascular network in the area of the middle phalanx and filling defects of terminal arches were demonstrated in animals with exostosis     

Growth of Preimplatation Bovine Embryos

Development of mammalian embryos in vitro is functionally and temporally inferior to embryo development as it occurs inside the female reproductive tract. The deficiencies of cultured embryos range from slow cleavage rates to complete developmental arrests or blocks, occurring at particular stages in many species. A variety of approaches have been used to overcome the blocks, including most extensively the coculture of preimplantation embryos with various somatic cells. However, even with coculture, development of embryos in vitro is still not equivalent to that in vivo. In most laboratories, only 25–40% of inseminated oocytes develop into morulae and blastocysts in spite of numerous variations on the basic technique. A better understanding of the factors governing embryonic growth is required before we can hope to achieve results comparable with those occurring in vivo.     

肉牛冷冻胚胎洲际引种试验

从加拿大分两批引进夏洛来和西门塔尔良种肉牛胚胎共３４枚,解冻后我国荷斯坦受体母牛,“借腹怀胎”生产人用种牛后代,以代替引进活牛。将进口保存液和自制保存液对移植妊娠率的影响进行比较,结果进口保存液（５３．３％）优于自制保顾液（２１．２％）,将不同营养状况受体牛对移植妊娠率的影响比较,结果营养良好埂优于营养较差乾;将进口冷冻胚胎“借腹怀胎”生产肉用 牛与直接进口活种牛的成本进行比较,结果前者显著低于后     

Decreased blood cell counts were not observed in cattle living in the “difficult‐to‐return zone” of the Fukushima nuclear accident

White blood cells, especially lymphocytes, are susceptible to radiation exposure. In the present study, red blood cell, total white blood cell, and lymphocyte counts were repeatedly measured in cattle living on three farms located in the “difficult‐to‐return zone” of the Fukushima nuclear accident, and compared with two control groups from unaffected areas. Blood cell counts differed significantly between the two control groups, although almost all the values fell within the normal range. The blood cell counts of the cattle in the “difficult‐to‐return zone” varied across sampling times even on the same farms, being sometimes higher or lower than either of the two control groups. However, neither a statistically significant decrease in blood cell counts nor an increase in the rate of cattle with extremely low blood cell counts was observed overall. The estimated cumulative exposure dose for the cattle on the most contaminated farm was within a range of 500–1000 mSv, exceeding the threshold for the lymphopenia. Because of the low dose rate on these farms, potential radiation damages would have been repaired and have not accumulated enough to cause deterministic effects.     

青海省门源县石头沟地区牛羊胃肠线虫病的调查

石头沟地区放牧的牛羊每年一到秋末或冬季便出现消瘦、贫血、浮肿、被毛脆弱,容易脱落。为此笔者进行调查,走访14户农户,采集了58头牛羊粪便。结果表明,牛羊的胃肠线虫种类很多,往往混合感染,对牛羊危害极大。结果检查出牛羊的线虫感染率为39.01%。     

益生菌发酵红薯渣对肉牛生长性能、养分表观消化率的影响

为研究益生菌发酵红薯渣对肉牛生长性能、养分表观消化率的影响,采用单因素随机设计试验,选择体重相近、健康的育肥肉牛40头随机分成4组,每组10个重复,每个重复1头,试验1组饲喂基础日粮,试验2、3、4组分别用10%、15%、20%益生菌发酵红薯渣替代饲粮中的玉米,预试验10 d,试验期60 d。结果表明:(1)试验3、4组的平均日增重较1组比分别提高16.9、14.1%(P<0.05),试验2、3、4组的平均采食量均高于1组(P>0.05);试验3、4组的料重比较1组比分别降低14.9%、12.4%(P<0.05);(2)试验2、3、4组干物质、蛋白质、钙、磷的表观消化率均高于1组(P 0.05);试验3、4组的中性洗涤纤维、酸性洗涤纤维表观消化率较1组比分别提高12.7%、11.0%、18.9%、16.4%(P<0.05)。综上,益生菌发酵红薯渣替代饲料中15%玉米,可以提高肉牛的生长性能和养分表观消化率。     

辽宁普兰店地区利木赞改良母牛体况参数调查分析

自1974年从法国引进原种利木赞牛改良当地复州牛以来,辽宁省普兰店市现已形成存栏量12万头年出栏量5万头的利木赞改良牛规模。调查发现,普兰店地区多年通过推广利木赞牛人工授精技术,母牛群的外貌和体尺指标都与利木赞原种牛相接近,而显著优于复州牛。但由于长期缺乏完善的系谱登记制度,且饲养管理水平低,使得改良牛系谱混乱,遗传潜力未得到充分发挥。因此,建议当地有关部门应当尽快建立利木赞改良牛个体身份标识系统,同时加强营养供应,为我国利木赞牛品种或专门化品系的培育打下基础,并为实施全国肉牛追溯体系提供可用的信息,以推动肉牛业的健康和可持续发展。     

Effects of maize (Zea mays L.) silage feeding on dry matter intake and milk production of dairy buffalo and cattle in Tarai, Nepal

To identify the effects of whole crop maize silage (MS) as a substitute for rice straw (RS) on feed intake and milk production of mid-late lactating buffalo and cattle in Tarai, Nepal, eight Murrah and eight Jersey-Hariana were fed the basal diet, RS ( ad libitum ) with concentrate (0.68% of bodyweight [BW] on a dry matter [DM] basis). A 4 × 4 Latin square design experiment was conducted in each animal species with graded levels of MS substitution for RS (0%, T1; 33%, T2; 67%, T3 and 100%, T4). The MS had higher digestibility and total digestible nutrient (TDN) than RS. The DM intake per BW of the both species was highest in T3. The substitution of MS for RS increased the crude protein intake and the TDN intake in the both species. Although the buffalo showed the highest milking performance in T4, the cattle showed no significant differences in their milking performance among the treatments. The substitution of MS for RS improved the feed intake and milk production in the buffalo. On the other hand, the milk yield was not raised in the cattle, though the feed intake was increased by the substitution.