Reproductive efficiency of heifers in the new guinea highlands

Summary Bos indicus × Bos taurus heifers were exposed to bulls at four different liveweights. The age and weight at first and second conception and first calf growth rates were studied to examine the effects of uncontrolled mating prior to or at a target mating weight of 295 kg. Initial conception rate was not affected although lighter conception weights were recorded for three groups of heifers that were served when below the target weight. However, at subsequent calving only the two heavier groups calved within the 36-month trial period. The results indicated a seasonal effect on conception, 94% of the heifers conceiving during the wet season. The effect of season also influenced post-partum body weight loss, calf growth rate to weaning and subsequent conception. It is therefore an advantage to have heifers conceiving during the latter part of the wet season so that they calve early in the following wet season, provided a minimum target weight of 285 kg is reached prior to initial conception.

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Eficiencia Reproductiva De Terneras En La Sierra De Nueva Guinea

Resumen Se cruzaron ternerasBos indicus ×Bos taurus de diferentes pesos con toros reproductores. Se estudiáron así los pesos y edades a la primera y segunda parición y las tasas de crecimiento de los recién nacidos, para medir los efectos de cruzamientos incontrolados versus controlados al alcanzar las hembras un peso de 295 kg. La tasa de concepción inicial no se afectó, aunque los recién nacidos de los grupos de hembras servidas cuando tenían pesos inferiores a 295 kg, pesaron menos. Sinembargo en pariciones sucesivas, solamente las hembras servidas con pesos de 295 kg, parieron en el lapso de 36 meses que duró el experimento. Los resultados indicaron también, que la estación del año afectó las pariciones, el 94% de las hembras concibieron durante la época lluviosa. La época del año también afectó el peso posparto de los recién nacidos, la tasa de crecimiento hasta el destete y las concepciones posteriores. Es por lo tanto ventajoso cruzar las hembras durante el final de la estación lluviosa para que paran en la siguiente estación lluviosa, procurando que éstas alcancen un peso mínimo de 285 kg, antes del apareamiento.

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Efficacite Reproductrice Des Genisses Des Hautes Terres De Nouvelle Guinee

Résumé Des génisses métissesBos indicus ×Bos taurus ont été mises en présence de taureaux à 4 poids vifs différents. L'age et le poids à la première et la seconde conception ainsi que les taux de croissance du premier veau ont été étudiés pour déterminer les effets l'accouplement incontrôlé avant ou à un poids cible d'accouplement de 295 kg. Le taux initial de conception n'a pas été affecté bien que des poids plus faibles à la conception aient été observés chez trois groupes de génisses qui étaient en dessous du poids cible au moment de la saillie. Cependant, lors du vêlàge suivant, seuls les deux groupes les plus lourds ont mis bas pendant la période d'observation de 36 mois. Les résultats montrent que la saison a une influence sur la conception. 94 p. 100 des génisses conçoivent pendant la saison des pluies. La saison a aussi influencé la perte de poids après la mise-bas, le taux de croissance des veaux jusqu'au sevrage et la conception suivante. Il est donc avantageux de faire féconder les génisses pendant la seconde moitié de la saison des pluies afin qu'elles mettent bas au début de la saison des pluies suivante pourvu qu'un poids cible minimum de 285 kg soit atteint avant la fécondation.

     

THE DISTRIBUTION OF CARBOHYDRATES, NITROGEN AND LIGNIN IN SOLUBLE FRACTIONS OF THE STEMS AND LEAVES OF LUCERNE HAY

The nitrogen-free extractive (or soluble carbohydrate) and total nitrogen contents of the stems and leaves of lucerne hay were separated into three fractions, soluble in (a) 90% ethanol, (b) cold water, and (c) acid + alkali of the same concentrations as used in the crude fibre determinations. Total and "soluble" lignin contents were also determined.
The soluble carbohydrates in the stems comprised a lower proportion of the simpler types (90% ethanol soluble) and a higher proportion of a more complex nature (acid + alkali soluble) than in the leaves. The differences between the 90% ethanol soluble fractions were not due to the sugars but to unidentified materials which would include oligosaccharides, acids, saponins and possibly other constituents of an unknown nature.
The lignin content of the stems was more than three times that of the leaves, but, in both parts of the plant, the amount of "soluble" lignin was small.
In the stems, "protein" nitrogen constituted a lower proportion of the total nitrogen, and was possibly of a less digestible type than that in the leaves.
These results added emphasis to the importance of preventing leaf loss during the conservation of lucerne hay, not only to prevent actual loss of material but also in order to preserve its nutritive value.     

Stellar feedback in dwarf galaxy formation

Dwarf galaxies pose substantial challenges for cosmological models. In particular, current models predict a dark-matter density that is divergent at the center, which is in sharp contrast with observations that indicate a core of roughly constant density. Energy feedback, from supernova explosions and stellar winds, has been proposed as a major factor shaping the evolution of dwarf galaxies. We present detailed cosmological simulations with sufficient resolution both to model the relevant physical processes and to directly assess the impact of stellar feedback on observable properties of dwarf galaxies. We show that feedback drives large-scale, bulk motions of the interstellar gas, resulting in substantial gravitational potential fluctuations and a consequent reduction in the central matter density, bringing the theoretical predictions in agreement with observations.