The effect of pregnancy and lactation on digestive processes in sheep

The average passage time, the rumen fluid volume and the digestibility of the organic matter were determined in addition to 3 individual feeding experiments with fertility oriented crossbreed ewes, which received pelleted straw-concentrate mixtures. The average passage time of the feed particles through the digestive tract is shorter in pregnant animals than in lactating ones. It is longest in non-pregnant sheep. High quotas of straw and coarse particles prolong the passage time, increasing feed intake and supplements of long straw shorten it. The volume of rumen fluid is lower in ewes fed ad libitum in the stage of late pregnancy and after lactation than during lactation. The rumen fluid volume is also lower in restrictively fed animals during the stage of late pregnancy than during lactation. In animals in the stage of late pregnancy it correlates negatively with the weight of the litter. On an average of all experiments at maintenance level the digestibility of the organic matter in ewes in the 4th month of pregnancy gravidity amounted to 56.6%, in the 2nd month of lactation to 59.8% and in wethers to 59.5% Due to an increase of energy intake from maintenance to 2. maintenance digestibility of the straw-concentrate mixture with 40% straw decreased by 5.5 units and of that with 60% straw by 17.8 units in the period before delivery. Pregnancy in the 4th month resulted in a digestion depression of between 3.0 and 5.8 units.     

A Prospective Study Of Intravenous Catheter Contamination

A one year prospective study was conducted to determine the association between intravenous catheter contamination and increased dwell time, and to identify any related risk factors. Intravenous catheters obtained from 23 cats and 98 dogs in the Intensive Care Unit at the Ontario Veterinary College with dwell times > 72 hours for the test group (n=58) and < 72 hours for a corresponding control group (n=63) were cultured between April 1991 and March 1992. One hundred and twenty one catheters were cultured, 16 jugular, 99 cephalic, and 6 saphenous. The overall contamination rate was 13 out of 121 catheters cultured (10.7%); 9/63 (14.3%) control and 4/58 (6.9%) test catheters. The bacteria isolated were E.aerogenes, S.aureus (3), P.aeruginosa, P.multocida, and Bacillus sp (7). The Bacillus sp positive catheters (5 control and 2 test) were placed during a five day period, and contaminated gauze squares were identified as the source of infection in these catheters. After these were removed from the study, the group infection rate was 6.9% control and 3.6% test. There was no significant difference between groups and no associated risk factors were identified. We conclude that intravenous dwell time need not be restricted to <72 hours.     

The relationships between the internal and external pelvic measurements of Schwartzbunt cows]

1118 Friesian cows and 101 Friesian heifers were investigated in internal pelvic measurements and their relationships to external measurements. The mean of the pelvic vertical and the medium diagonally diameter of the pelvis are 19.8 cm and 18.3 cm. 363.9 square centimetres and 76.3 centimetres were found for the pelvic surface and pelvic circumference. The difference between the biggest and smallest pelvis was 295.0 square centimetres. Medium to high coefficiences of correlation were detected between the internal pelvic measurements but relationships between internal and external pelvic measurements were low. From determined external pelvic measurements only the hip breadth provides usefull informations of the pelvic shape.     

Diagnostic value of intestinal alkaline phosphatase in horse serum

Antiserum directed against equine intestinal Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) was produced in rabbits and used to develop a sensitive and quantitative assay for the detection of intestinal ALP in equine serum. This assay was then used to measure the half-life of intravenously injected intestinal ALP and to determine if the intestinal ALP was present in normal horse sera, sera from horses presented for lesions not involving the gastrointestinal tract and sera from horses presented with lesions involving the gastrointestinal tract. The results suggest that intestinal ALP is not likely to appear in equine serum even when gastrointestinal disease is present and, therefore, appears to be of no diagnostic value.     

The effect of dose and concentration on D-xylose absorption in healthy,immature dogs

Nine combinations of dosages and concentrations of D-xylose were given orally to eight clinically normal, immature dogs. The concentrations and dosages of D-xylose consisted of 5%, 10%, and 20% at 250 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg, and 750 mg/kg. Serum samples were collected at 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 180 minutes. Serum xylose was quantitated using the phloroglucinol microassay technique. A peak in serum xylose concentration was seen for each treatment combination at 60 or 90 minutes after dosing. The dosage effect was important in influencing serum xylose values (P < 0.0001). As the test solution dosages increased from 250 mg/kg to 500 mg/kg and 750 mg/kg, serum xylose values (when dosage was analyzed over the length of the entire test) rose linearly (R(2) = 0.98). The treatment combinations of 5% and 20% xylose solutions dosed at 750 mg/kg produced the highest serum xylose values at the 60- and 90-minute peak intervals. The independent effect of concentration was significant (p < 0.001) but was overridden by the stronger dosage effect. Serum xylose concentrations varied little statistically (p > 0.05) when the 5%, 10%, and 20% solutions were compared at a specific dosage.     

Determination of progesterone directly in milk fat as an improved method for fertility control in cattle

A simple and reliable method for the determination of progesterone in milk fat by radioimmunoassay has been developed. Application of the assay under field conditions has shown that all samples diagnosed " questionable" in the former milk progesterone test (MPT) could be characterized as positive or negative. Thus the total figure of animals daignosed correctly rose from 72.3% to 85.8%. The borderlines (ng progesterone / 10 mcl milk fat) set up for this assay were (1) pregnant and (1) nonpregnant (Day 20) and (.3) in estrus and (.3) not in estrus ( Day 0). Within the application for diagnosis of pregnancy, 81.4% were diagnosed correctly as pregnant while 96.3% were diagnosed correctly as not pregnant. The latter figure is somewhat lower than in the MPT (100%), but under the practical conditions the error lies within the range of false diagnosis due to problems with sample identification.     

Relationship between energy and protein intakes and laying characteristics in individually‐caged broiler breeder hens

1. Individually‐caged broiler hens, which had been reared on an advised rationing programme, were fed allowances of 1.88, 1.61, 1.32 or 1.13 MJ apparent metabolisable energy/bird d at four different protein intakes (27, 23, 19.5 or 16.5 g crude protein per bird d) from 21 to 60 weeks of age.

2. Age at first egg, body‐weight gain and egg production were affected by energy allowance. Birds on the lower energy allowances came into lay later than birds on the higher energy allowances and at a lower body weight.

3. Body‐weight gain decreased with decreasing energy allowance. The decrease in egg output in response to decreasing energy allowance resulted from more birds ceasing to lay and fewer birds laying on more than 3 d per week. Similar changes in the distribution of rates of lay were observed on each treatment as the flock aged.

4. The relationship between body‐weight gain and egg number on each treatment was negative from 21 to 36 weeks, but became less consistent with age.

5. Protein intake had little effect on body weight. At the lowest energy allowance, egg number and egg weight decreased with increasing protein allowance. This effect was not observed on the higher energy allowances.     

30 years of swine health services in Bavaria

A Pig Health Service in Bavaria was established in 1958, there was one veterinary-officer working. The department Pig-Health Service of the "Tiergesundheitsdienst Bayern" has twenty-one veterinary-officers now. They mostly are working in the pig health scheme, doing stress susceptibility test, giving advice and expert evidence.     

Effects of energy and protein allowances during lay on the reproductive performance of broiler breeder hens

1. Broiler parent stock were fed daily allowances of 1.88, 1.73 or 1.52 MJ apparent metabolisable energy (AME) per bird at two different daily protein intakes (27, 21.3 g crude protein (CP) per bird) or daily protein intakes of 24.6 and 19.4 g CP per bird at a daily energy intake of 1.88 MJ AME per bird from 21 to 64 weeks of age.

2. Body‐weight gain and carcass fat and water content increased and fertility decreased with increasing energy allowance. Maximum egg production occurred at an energy intake of 1.73 MJ AME/bird d.

3. Differences in egg weight and hatchability were related to differences in both energy and protein intake. The highest egg weight occurred at the highest allowance of energy and protein. Hatchability was depressed where the daily allowances of protein and energy were in a ratio of more than 15 g protein: 1 MJ AME.

4. Apart from egg size no significant effects on reproductive performance were observed when dietary protein intake was varied from 27 to 19.5 g/bird d.

5. Requirements of broiler breeder hens for protein during lay may be lower than previously thought. For the strain used a protein intake of 19.5 g/bird d appeared adequate provided essential amino acid concentrations were maintained.

6. The close relationships between body weight and energy allowance and the latter and egg production make body‐weight gain a useful guide to management. A body‐weight gain of about 1.1 kg from 21 to 36 weeks of age was associated with optimum performance in this study.     

Feeding standards during lay and reproductive performance of broiler breeders

1. Broiler parent stock (Marshall) were supplied with energy and protein from diets in amounts defined as percentages of an allowance such that nutrient intake increased or decreased in three consecutive periods from 23 to 63 weeks of age.

2. A 20% reduction in energy allowance from 23 to 34 weeks was associated with reduced body‐weight gain, egg weight and carcass constituents except ash, but had no significant effect on egg production or hatchability.

3. Increases in nutrient intake after 34 weeks were associated with an increase in body‐weight gain and carcass fat.

4. Moderate decreases in energy intake after 34 weeks were associated with reduced body‐weight gain, and a 15% reduction in nutrient intake resulted in a decrease in body weight and egg weight.

5. It is suggested that a feeding allowance which controls body‐weight gain during early lay, and then allows for a gradual increase in body weight over the breeding period may be the most efficient way of feeding the broiler breeder hen.