Excessive oral administration of iron to sheep. 1. Digestibility of rations, results of fattening and carcass yields]

4 digestibility trials (4 male sheep per group) and 2 growth trials were carried out with 24 (V 1) and 32 (V 2) fattening lambs to investigate the effect of abundant oral Fe doses on the digestibility of crude nutrients in a ration of barley + dried green feed and on the results of fattening and carcass yields. Fe supplementation (less than 1400 mg per sheep/day) did not significantly change the digestibility coefficients of crude nutrients. Increasing Fe levels in the concentrates decreased the rates of liveweight increase and food consumption in both growth trials. Well-established statistical evidence was provided for the decline in absolute carcass yields resulting from the lower weight of the lambs at the end of the fattening period after Fe supplementation.     

The vitamin A requirement and the vitamin A status of growing cattle. 1. Studies of calves

Five experiments with 18 to 36 male calves each of the black and white dairy cattle breed (age: 14-21 days, initial live weight: approximately 45 kg per animal) were carried out in order to investigate the influence of various vitamin A supply (0-80,000 IU per 100 kg LW and day) on dry matter intake and weight gain as well as the vitamin A status of liver and blood plasma over 84 days. The calves consumed a diet free of carotene and vitamin A consisting of milk replacer, concentrate and chopped wheat straw. The calves were fed in three experiments for a longer time in order to observe the further vitamin A depletion. Nine animals consumed an unsupplemented ration, nine other one got 10,000 IU vitamin A per 100 kg LW and day. Biopsies of liver and plasma samples were taken from 4 animals per group every four weeks. The various vitamin A supplementation did not significantly influence the dry matter intake (Mean: 1.67; 1.48 to 1.80 kg DM per animal and day) and the weight gain of calves (Mean: 702, 599 to 770 g per animal and day). First vitamin A deficiency symptoms (reduced feed intake, decreased weight gain, diarrhoea etc.) were observed in animals of unsupplemented group after 100 days of experiments. After 84 days the vitamin A concentration of liver of animals of unsupplemented groups decreased to 1.3-32.2% compared with the begin of experiments (60.6-155.7 mumol/kg fresh matter). Up to 51% of initial concentration were found when 10,000 IU vitamin A per 100 kg LW and day were fed. About 25,000 IU vitamin A per 100 kg LW and day were required in order to keep the initial level of vitamin A concentration of liver. The plasma vitamin A concentration is unsuitable for estimation of vitamin A status of calves. The concentration of vitamin A of liver and plasma amounted to 114 mumol per kg and 0.25 mumol per litre at the begin of experiments. The vitamin A concentration of liver of unsupplemented group decreased to 20 mumol per kg, that of plasma increased to 0.28 mumol per 1 at the end. A strong vitamin A deficiency (liver concentration: less than 10 mumol/kg) may cause a decrease of vitamin A concentration of blood.     

Fusarium oxysporum- und F. proliferatum-Isolate aus Spargel und deren Pathogenit?ts��berpr��fung in einer modifizierten in vitro-Schnelltestmethode

Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium proliferatum are important causal agents of crown and root rot of asparagus. In order to detect differences in pathogenicity and aggressiveness, two F. proliferatum and five F. oxysporum single spore isolates from asparagus spears from plantings in Austria and Germany, 55 pure cultures of F. oxysporum from asparagus roots from a planting in Hesse, Germany, and a single F. oxysporum isolate from an asparagus shoot collected in Austria were evaluated in a 28-day quick test on Hoagland??s agar in glass culture tubes. Plantlets were inoculated with spore suspensions from each respective isolate after 14 days of growth under sterile, controlled conditions in a growth chamber. A severity scale was used to assess symptoms on roots two weeks after inoculation. The effects of the single-spore isolates on root and shoot fresh weights of the plantlets were also determined. The pathogenicity of the majority of the F. proliferatum and F. oxysporum isolates included in this study was confirmed. Inoculation with pure and single-spore cultures resulted in elevated disease severity in comparison to non-inoculated controls. In particular, the two F. proliferatum isolates were found to be more aggressive than the F. oxysporum isolates. Moreover, all single spore isolates caused a reduction in fresh weight of roots and shoots in comparison to the controls. With respect to differences among asparagus cultivars, ??Ramos??, was found to be more susceptible than ??Ravel??. Overall, the quick test method was found to be capable of evaluating the pathogenicity and aggressiveness of the tested F. oxysporum and F. proliferatum isolates towards asparagus within 28 days.     

Effect of the polyether antibiotic "monensin" on fattening and slaughtering performance as well as protein and energy retention in bulls

In an individual feeding experiment (150-500 kg live weight) the influence of the polyether antibiotic Monensin on the fattening, slaughtering and retention performances of crossbreeding dairy bulls (genotype 31) and fattening hybrids (genotype 61) was ascertained. The supplementation of the polyether antibiotic on average resulted in a decrease by approximately equal to 11% of the dry matter and energy expenditure per kg weight gain due to a lower feed intake and a higher live weight gain. The slaughtering parameter investigated and the chemical composition of the empty body remained uninfluenced. The daily nutrient retention values were positively influenced by the Monensin supplementation since the fattening bulls of the test group required 30 days less to achieve the attempted fattening weight. The additional retention of protein, fat and energy per animal and day in the dairy bulls approximately equal to 10.9; 13.5 and 16.4% and in the fattening hybrids 1.9; 3.2 and 2.6%. Due to a higher energy retention at a lower level of feed and energy intake after Monensin supplementation an average of approximately equal to 11.3 and 15.4% resp. more of the consumed digestible protein and the digestible energy resp. were retained in the empty bodies. One can conclude that Monensin improved the utilisation of feed energy; obviously the effect of the polyether antibiotic is due to its influence on processes in the rumen or directly or indirectly on metabolism.     

Diagnosis by polymerase chain reaction of Erysipelas septicemia in a flock of ring-necked pheasants

A flock of 810 pheasants experienced 6.2% mortality over 6 days. Affected birds were weak and lethargic for up to 24 hr before death. Examined birds were thin, and gross lesions consisted of thick opaque crops and cecal cores. Histologically, there was capillariasis of the crop and multifocal ulcerative typhlitis with Heterakis spp. infection, and numerous systemic intravascular monocytes were filled with clusters of blue rod-shaped organisms. The organisms were gram-positive bacilli by Brown and Brenn staining and ultrastructural analysis. Liver bacterial cultures were negative for pathogenic bacteria. Erysipelas septicemia was diagnosed by an Erysipelothrix species-specific polymerase chain reaction method with the substrate DNA isolated from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver.     

Determining of nitrogen absorption and nitrogen secretion in different sections of the pig's intestine by digesta exchange between 15N labelled and unlabelled animals

In an experiment with 3 pigs (initial live weight 30 kg, each fitted with 2 re-entrant fistulas in duodenum and ileum, one labelled with 15N), the duodenal and ileum digesta was exchanged. The N and 15N contents were estimated in faeces, urine, duodenal and ileum digesta of all experimental animals as well as in special organs and in the contents of different tract sections. The 15N excess (15N') of N compounds secreted into the gut lumen was determined using the 15N' in pancreas, gut mucosa and TCA-soluble blood serum. From measuring the digesta passage through the 3 sections of the digestive tract: 1. mouth ... duodenum, 2. duodenum ... ileum, 3. ileum ... after (Krawielitzki et al., 1989) the absorption and secretion rates of nitrogen were calculated. Secretion into the 1st section amounted to 5.3 g N/d (= 15% of intake) and the absorption to approximately 1% of intake. In the 2nd section the corresponding dates were 8.9 resp. 38.6 g N/d (= 25 resp. 110% of N intake), and in the 3rd one 1.9 resp. 8.4 g N/d (= 5.6 resp. 24% of N intake). Total absorption amounted to 134% of N intake and the over all re-absorption of endogenous N compounds secreted into the gut lumen to about 90%. During the passage the amount of endogenous N (g/d) decreased from 5.3 at the duodenum to 3.8 at the ileum to 1.6 in the faeces, but the relative portion increased (13 resp. 35 resp. 39%). An incorporation into body proteins occurred only from N compounds absorbed in the 1st and in the 2nd section. N (or 15N) absorbed in the large intestine was almost quantitatively excreted by urine. The method of digesta exchange between cannulated labelled and unlabelled pigs seems to be a suitable method to estimate absorption and secretion of exogenous and endogenous N portions in various sections of the digestive tract.     

Vitamin A requirement of growing swine. 2. Effect of the vitamin A supply on the vitamin A concentrations in the liver and plasma of piglets and fattening swine

In 9 experiments the vitamin A content of the livers of 64 newborn (still births and deaths up to 48 h p.p.) and 69 weaned piglets, 122 growers and 110 fattening pigs was investigated after slaughtering or autopsy. Liver samples were taken from 78 growers by means of biopsy after latarotomy. A fluorometric analysis of the plasma vitamin A level was made. At the time of birth the vitamin A content of the piglet livers was less than 100 IU/g and did not show any differences between the experiments. At the time of weaning, however, the livers of piglets from large-scale production showed a three times higher content (175 IU/g liver) in comparison to those from traditional production. Highly significant linear relations were established between the vitamin A content of the feed and the liver. According to these, a liver content of vitamin A of approximately equal to 30 IU/g is ensured by approximately equal to 2,000 IU in weaning piglets and by approximately equal to 800 IU vitamin A/kg feed in fattening pigs. The vitamin A activity of the beta-carotene in weaners was ascertained as less than 100 IU/mg. The plasma vitamin A level indicated the vitamin A status only in the range of deficient supply. A different plasma content could not be detected between 1,000 and 4,000 IU vitamin A/kg feed. According to this, a semilogarithmic relation was calculated according to the model of a saturation curve between the vitamin A content of the plasma and the liver. The threshold value for the decrease of the plasma level under 45 IU vitamin A/dl is 35 IU/g liver. Due to the low definiteness measure (B = 0.52) the relation cannot be applied to the individual animal. A contamination of 1,000 mg nitrite/kg feed had a low, and in the course of the experiment decreasing, influence on the vitamin A content of plasma and liver.     

Determination of the transit rates in different sections of the pig's intestine

An experiment was carried out using pigs weighing approximately 30 kg. The animals were fitted with two re-entrant cannulas in duodenum and ileum. During a 5 day period the passage of digesta through duodenum and ileum as well as the excretion by urine and faeces was estimated, taking an aliquot of 5% for N analysis. Transit of digesta amounted to 12.4 ... 13.2. kg/d in the duodenum and 2.7 ... 3.6 kg/d in the ileum. The appertaining N passage rates were 36.8 ... 42.4 resp. 8.7 ... 11.2 g N/d, corresponding to 108 ... 120% and 27 ... 32% of the N intake. The transit rate of duodenal digesta was highest immediately after feeding (1.4 ... 1.5 kg/h), decreased thereafter strongly, reaching a second lower maximum of 0.85 ... 1.0 kg/h 2 ... 3 h after feeding and then going down to 0.3 ... 0.4 kg/h just before the next feeding. The daily mean value was about 500 g/h. Endogenous N content of duodenal digesta varied between 10% after feeding and 50% 6 ... 12 h after feeding, with an average of 18.1%. In contrast the endogenous N content of ileal digesta was relatively constant amounting about 42% during the whole day. These findings correspond with those found by other authors using other rations and other live weights of the pigs. They refer to a clear diurnal rhythm of digesta transit and to the enormous dynamics of absorption and secretion processes in the intestinal tract of pigs during digestion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effect of iodine, copper and zinc additions to the diet with a high proportion of coarse rape meal extract on the growth and thyroid function of fattening pigs. 1. The effect on fattening performance

In three experiments with fattening pigs the supplementation of a ration with 8% rapeseed oilmeal (RSO) with 1 mg J/kg resulted in an increased weight gain per day of 31, 94 and 87%. On the other hand, only 83, 76 and 84% of the weight gain of the soybean oilmeal control groups were achieved. The additional supply with 250 mg Cu (experiments II and III) increased the weight gain to 84 and 96% in comparison to the unsupplemented control groups. The combination of J + Cu + Zn lead to the same performance as that of J + Cu (experiment III). In the RSO groups without J-supplement changes in body proportions and parakeratosis could be observed after approximately equal to 7 weeks. After the sole supplementation of Cu these symptoms occurred approximately equal to 4 weeks later. In vitro, the supplementation of RSO with a CuSO4 solution resulted in a decrease of vinylthiooxazolidon and isothiocyanate in line with the CuSO4-concentration. 0.2 mg J/kg feed (experiment III) resulted in the same fattening performance as the supplementation of the ration with 1 mg J and outwardly visible deficiency symptoms. The results show that Cu, depending on its quota, results in a decrease of goitrogenics in the feed and that J and Cu supplementation to rations with rapeseed oilmeal have an additive effect and that parakeratosis can be prevented by J-supplementation.