Classes Of Livestock Research Articles

ANALISIS KETERAMPILAN PASSING BAWAH BOLA VOLI PADA SISWA KELAS X1 AGRIBISNIS TERNAK RUMINANSIA SMK NEGERI 1 BAWEN

This study aims to analyze the underhand passing skills in volleyball among 11th-grade students of the Agribusiness of Ruminant Livestock class at SMK Negeri 1 Bawen, as many students still struggle to perform accurate ball passes during underhand passing to their teammates. The research employs a quantitative approach using a survey method and an instrument like a volleyball underhand passing assessment rubric. The research sample consists of all 34 students in the 11th grade. Data were analyzed descriptively and presented in percentages. The study results indicate that the majority of students (88%) fall into the "Poor" category with scores ranging from 6 to 8, while 9% are in the "Fair" category with scores between 9 and 11, and 3% are in the "Very Poor" category with scores below 5. None of the students achieved the "Good" or "Very Good" categories. The variation among students is relatively low, with a standard deviation of 1.263, although there is a significant difference between the lowest score (5) and the highest score (11). This study demonstrates that students' underhand passing skills tend to fall within the low to moderate range, with the majority requiring significant improvement. The findings highlight the need for innovative teaching methods and focused training to enhance students' overall underhand passing abilities.

Soil health under forage and grazing lands in the humid United States

Abstract Soil health describes critical functions that can be influenced by land management. Some key soil characteristics are inherent and not altered appreciably, such as texture, mineralogy, and landscape position. Other soil properties and processes can be changed by land management, such as soil organic matter, nutrient concentrations, and the capacity to infiltrate and store water. How and when forage and grazing lands are harvested can modify photosynthesis and allocation of carbon to roots and exudates in soil. Grazing intensity, characterized primarily by stocking rate, is a key management strategy that alters cycling of carbon (C) and associated plant nutrients. Stocking method, nutrient amendment (source, timing, and rate), forage utilization strategy, season of grazing/deferment, type and class of livestock, and livestock distribution on the landscape are other important management strategies that can either negatively affect compaction, nutrient concentration, and greenhouse gas emissions or stimulate greater water holding capacity, slow and steady cycling of nutrients, and soil C and nitrogen (N) sequestration. Responses of soil health to pasture management can be effectively characterized by its essential functions: (i) producing plants for food and fiber, (ii) cycling nutrients, (iii) storing organically bound elements like C and N, (iv) protecting water quality, (v) supplying water and plant growth–promoting compounds, (vi) enabling animal habitat, (vii) harboring biodiversity, and (viii) buffering against toxic accumulation of trace metals and xenobiotic compounds. This review focused on soil health responses to forage and grazing land management in the humid region of the eastern United States. Areas for further research were also identified.

Applying equineRSU and seasonal livestock correction to wider equine stud farm types

ABSTRACT To adjust for potential overestimations in the nitrogen excretion by horses within Overseer®, a revised stock unit system has been proposed (equineRSU). These equineRSU were generated and validated using a medium-sized equine farm as a model farm. The aim of this study was to test the application of the equineRSU and seasonal stock number adjustment on a more complex farming model. Livestock numbers and management data were captured prospectively for the base property (128.8 ha) of a large multi-property commercial breeding stud (3 support properties, 556 ha total area) between June 2022 and May 2023. The monthly on-farm metabolisable energy (ME) requirement and pasture demand were deterministically modelled with both a customised feed budget using livestock class and weight or using the equineRSU and monthly adjusted stock numbers. There were multiple complex movements of horses on and off the property in the different stock classes across the year, with stock management reflecting seasonal periods of high stocking density. There was good agreement (6% variance) between actual ME demand (complex feed budget) and estimated feed demand (simplistic equineRSU model) of 4,387,187 MJ vs 4,102,770 MJ. This suggests that the equineRSU could be used on complex equine farm systems within Overseer®.

Spatio-Temporal Modeling of Land and Pasture Vulnerability in Dairy Basins in Northeastern Brazil

The objective of this study is to evaluate the spatio-temporal dynamics of land vulnerability and pasture areas in the dairy basins of the states of Pernambuco and Alagoas, which are part of the Ipanema River Watershed (IRW) in the Northeast Region of Brazil. Maps of the Land Use and Land Cover (LULC); the Index of Vulnerability to Degradation (IVD); the Land Vulnerability Index (LVI); time series of Effective Herd (EH), Milked Cows (MC), and Milk Production (MP); and Pasture Cover (PC) and Quality (PCQ) were created as parameters. An opposite pattern was observed between the land use classes of Livestock, Agriculture, and Forest. The IRW area has predominantly flat terrain with a very high risk of degradation. The analysis of MC was consistent with the information from the EH analysis as well as with MP. When assessing Pasture Quality, Severe Degradation areas increased from 2010 to 2014, decreased after 2015, and rose again in 2020. Moderate Degradation areas remained high, while Not Degraded pasture areas were consistently the lowest from 2012 to 2020. Over the 10 years analyzed (2010–2020), the area showed a strong degradation process, with the loss of approximately 16% of the native vegetation of the Caatinga Biome and an increase in pasture areas and land vulnerability.

Quantification of relative stock units for horses to permit correct application within pasture-based production systems

Context Overseer® is the primary software tool used to estimate farm-level nutrient cycle and management for regulatory purposes in New Zealand. The model compares feed demand among different livestock by using ‘revised stock units’ (RSUs, the annual energy requirement of a mature ewe to raise a single lamb to weaning; 6000 MJ metabolisable energy). The RSUs for several common equine stock classes are not yet available, while those currently available within the model are based on the linear scaling of feed demand to liveweight, which does not consider allometric scaling of metabolism to liveweight or the differences in digestive physiology and nutrient metabolism between ruminants and monogastric hindgut fermenters (horses). Aim To compare the current RSU values used in Overseer® for different equine stock classes, with the equineRSU values calculated using equine-specific models. Methods Weighted average estimates of the bodyweight for the different equine livestock classes were calculated from the published literature. These weighted average estimates of bodyweight were used to estimate the energy requirements on the basis of data published by National Research Council. The resulting dry-matter intake and N intake from the equineRSU values and the current RSU values in use within Overseer® were modelled using published data on diet composition, crude protein content and the digestibility of the different feeds offered. Results The current RSUs in Overseer were 2.5–6.8 units higher than the equineRSU values obtained from the equine-specific models. This overestimation in feed demand resulted in N-intake estimates at an animal level being 52–108% higher than values derived using the equine-specific estimates. Conclusion The use of RSUs based on linear scaling of feed demand from ruminants on the basis of liveweight overestimates feed demand and N intake in horses. If horses are to be included within nutrient management models, feed demand must be based on published equine data for energy requirements to avoid over-inflation of N excretion. The equineRSUs calculated in this study reduce the risk of over-inflation of N intake and excretion, and subsequently the N leaching estimations. Implication Failure to accurately model feed demand of horses within nutrient management software would unfairly compromise stocking density and horse management on large commercial breeding farms. The implication for these errors on economic impact and restricted livestock number is greatest for the Thoroughbred breeding industry due to the scale of the operations.

Optimising stocking rates on livestock farms neighbouring wetlands for sustainable productivity and ecological stability

Uganda’s wetlands, especially in south-western Uganda are increasingly being invaded by cattle herders, particularly during droughts. Such uncontrolled grazing is accelerating wetland degradation. The objective of this study was to assess seasonal forage availability on farms neighbouring Ekigaaga wetland in south-western Uganda, and to determine their optimum stocking for sustainable productivity and ecological stability. The grazed area on each side of the virgin wetland was taken as a block, giving two blocks. In each block, three square metre sampling plots were demarcated along a transect line cutting across farms adjacent to the wetland. Some of these plots were fenced and others were left open to grazing by livestock. Two months after setting up the study, vegetation samples were collected from the fenced and unfenced plots in each block once every month, for a period of six months. Livestock classes and numbers grazing on each block were established and standardised into Tropical Livestock Units (TLU); where one TLU is equivalent to a cow weighing 250 kg. During wet and dry seasons, Cynodon dactylon was the most abundant forage species in the unfenced plots in both blocks. Fencing increased the prevalence of Chloris gayana and Themeda triandra in block 2. Sporobolus pyramidalis was the most abundant weed in both blocks. Fenced and unfenced plots in block 1 had higher grazeable forage yields (488.05 and 399.97 kg ha-1, respectively) than block 2 (432.08 and 371.97 kg ha-1, respectively). The TLU that could be safely grazed on blocks 1 and 2 were 121 and 107, respectively compared to the TLU being grazed on blocks 1 (279) and 2 (381). Therefore, to sustain the productivity and ecological stability of these grazing areas, there is need to control weeds/thickets, improve forage resources by oversowing with quality forages, and to adjust livestock numbers to match with forage quantities available for grazing.

Utilising dual-purpose crops in an Australian high-rainfall livestock production system to increase meat and wool production. 2. Production from breeding-ewe flocks

Context The use of dual-purpose crops (for grazing and grain) has increased in the high-rainfall zone in southern Australia. Aim A systems experiment examined the impact on livestock production and supplementary feeding when dual-purpose crops were incorporated into a production system based on Merino ewes producing yearling lambs for sale. Methods The experimental site near Canberra, ACT, was subdivided into nine experimental units (‘farmlets’) with three replicate farmlets for each of three production-system treatments. Each farmlet was managed as a self-contained unit with six Merino ewes and their progeny during 2013–16 (4 years). Ewes were joined in February, lambed in July and shorn in spring; the original cohort of ewes (born 2009) was replaced by a new cohort (born 2012) at the midpoint of the experiment. Six weaners were retained after weaning in each farmlet and sold as yearlings. Control farmlets were sown to pasture based on phalaris (Phalaris aquatica L.) and subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) and comprised sub-paddocks to allow rotational grazing. Farmlets in treatments that included dual-purpose crops comprised six sub-paddocks (0.231 ha), with two sown to permanent pasture, and four supporting a rotation of pasture–pasture–dual-purpose canola (Brassica napus L.)–dual-purpose wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). In one of the crop–pasture production system treatments, crop-grazing was prioritised for ewes (ECG treatment); in the other, crop-grazing was prioritised for their progeny weaners (WCG treatment). Key results Greasy fleece weight from ECG (5.3 kg) and WCG (5.1 kg) ewes was higher (P < 0.001) than from control ewes (4.7 kg) averaged over the 4 years. The final sale weight of yearling weaners from the WCG system (44.3 kg) was higher (P < 0.001) than from the control (39.2 kg) or ECG (39.1 kg) systems when averaged over the 4 years. The benefit was predominantly due to greater weight gain during the period when weaners grazed the crop during late autumn and winter. Sale weight of lamb per hectare was higher (P = 0.003) in the WCG treatment (216 kg) compared with the ECG treatment (186 kg) when averaged over the 4 years of the experiment but did not differ (P > 0.05) to the control (201 kg). Meat production over the 4 years was higher (P < 0.001) in the WCG system (226 kg/ha) than other treatments when weight gain from wethers in 2014 was included. The impact of including dual-purpose crops on supplementary feeding was variable and depended on seasonal conditions. Conclusions Incorporation of dual-purpose crops into the high-rainfall production system can increase meat and wool production, with the highest meat production being obtained when crop grazing was prioritised for young carry-over livestock. Implications Prioritising dual-purpose crops for young growing livestock can increase meat production from the system while allowing other livestock classes (wethers or ewes) to graze the crops in better seasons when there was excess forage that would otherwise have been under-utilised.

Species selection tool: Soil‐specific forage species selection for New York State

AbstractSelection of forage species that are best suited to a particular soil type and forage use provide the most efficient land use. This program was developed to provide recommendations for perennial forage species in New York State, based on soil type and intended forage use through a web interface (http://www.forages.org). Forage species uses include both pasture and stored feed for different livestock classes as well as soil conservation uses. A database was developed that contains potential yields for more than 30 species and more than 40 species mixtures on each of 612 agricultural soil types in New York State. The database has potential forage yields based on native soil drainage as well as yields for optimal artificial drainage. Potential yields are modified by the program based on soil pH and the optimal pH range for each forage species. Species are recommended based on potential yield, intended forage use, and soil type. The program also provides pasture yield distributions, a summary of species traits, and potential corn grain and silage yields for a selected soil type. Computer‐based species recommendations agree with current published recommendations. The program has been used successfully by the National Resources Conservation Service and New York extension personnel for more than 20 years. Although the soil type/species yield relationships will not apply directly to other regions of the world, the method utilized to develop the database could be used to create similar species selection programs for other regions.

The Waring Distribution as a Low-Frequency Prediction Model: A Study of Organic Livestock Farms in Andalusia

Although the numbers are relatively small with respect to non-organic livestock, the importance of organic livestock farms lies in their sustainable coexistence with the natural environment and in the high-quality food products obtained. In this type of production, no artificial chemicals or genetically modified organisms are used, therefore there will be less impact on the environment and, in most cases, native breeds are employed. This paper describes a geostatistical study of organic livestock farms in Andalusia (southern Spain), conducted using information from the 2009 Agricultural Census, by classes of livestock. This region currently records the highest output in Spain for organic livestock farming. The number of farms was fitted according to the univariate generalized Waring distribution, which is presented as a means of analyzing this type of discrete measurement, using agricultural or livestock data. The Waring distribution is used when the frequency of occurrence of a phenomenon is very low and allows one to divide the variance. The most important outcome of this study is the finding that livestock data variability is mainly due to external factors such as the proneness component of the variance.

PHENOTYPIC VARIATION OF SOME QUALITATIVE TRAITS IN WEST AFRICAN DWARF GOATS

Each class of livestock has some peculiar qualitative traits and in goats some of these are coat pigmentation, horned/polled, beard/non-beard, wattled/non-wattled. Since the impact of environment is important in phenotypic expression of qualitative traits, it becomes expedient to examine these features in West African Dwarf Goats (WADG) from every climatic region of the world. To accomplish this, a total of 623 WADGs aged between 3 and 4 years reared extensively in Ekiti state region of Nigeria were purposively selected from the three agricultural zones in the state for the examination. Data were collected on coat pigmentation, horns, wattle and beard on sex basis. The commonest pigmentation was black at 31.29%, 35.43% and 34.18% in the three zones and the least encountered was mixed pigmentation at 11.66%, 07.62% and 08.44% respectively. The number without wattles (57%) outnumbered those with wattles (43%). 88% had no beards and 87% were horned. 30% of does had wattles and 59% were horned as against 13% and 29%, respectively in bucks. In all, 2% of doe and 9% of buck had beards. The levels of variation in the traits surveyed in the three Districts indicated that WADGs in the region are predominantly black, not wattled, not bearded and horned.

Soil properties in northern temperate pastures do not vary with management practices and are independent of rangeland health

Studies examining the influence of disturbance and management history on pasture soils across a large sampling area are uncommon. We report on the soil properties found in 102 northern temperate pastures sampled in central Alberta, Canada, and relate these attributes to ongoing pasture management practices compiled from producer surveys and aboveground measures of rangeland health (RH). Tame pastures, typically seeded to introduced forages, were associated with higher soil fertility (total carbon, nitrogen, and organic matter) than semi-native grasslands, which were associated with coarse-textured soils. Soil properties remained independent of most grazing and pasture management practices, including the grazing systems, class of livestock, fertilization, and stocking rate. However, manure application, often combined with harrowing, was associated with improved soil fertility and increased electrical conductivity (salinity). Soils with a fire history reported by land managers, largely in the Boreal natural region, were characterized by a greater soil C:N ratio. Soil surface properties (litter cover, litter depth, and bare soil) were responsive to grazing management, with growing season and year-round grazing associated with a thinner litter layer having less cover, and bare ground twice as high under continuous grazing compared with pastures rotationally grazed. Further, variation in soil surface cover was associated with contrasting RH classes (healthy, healthy with problems, and unhealthy), whereas soil attributes remained unrelated to RH. This study demonstrates that soils within these northern temperate grasslands are relatively insensitive to many pasture management practices, and highlights that existing RH assessments may provide limited insight into differences in mineral soil properties.

Characterizing Livestock Markets, Primary Diseases, and Key Management Practices Along the Livestock Supply Chain in Cameroon.

Live animal markets are common hotspots for the dispersal of multiple infectious diseases in various production systems globally. In Cameroon livestock trade occurs predominantly via a system of livestock markets. Improving the understanding of the risks associated with livestock trade systems and markets is, therefore, key to design targeted and evidence-based interventions. In the current study, official transaction records for a 12-month period were collected from 62 livestock markets across Central and Southern Cameroon, in combination with a questionnaire-based survey with the livestock markets stakeholders. The available information collected at these markets was used to characterize their structural and functional organization. Based on trade volume, cattle price and the intensity of stakeholder attendance, four main classes of livestock markets were identified. Despite an evident hierarchical structure of the system, a relatively limited pool of infectious diseases was consistently reported as predominant across market classes, highlighting homogeneous disease risks along the livestock supply chain. Conversely, the variable livestock management practices reported (e.g., traded species, husbandry practices, and transhumance habits) highlighted diverse potential risks for disease dissemination among market classes. Making use of readily available commercial information at livestock markets, this study describes a rapid approach for market characterization and classification. Simultaneously, this study identifies primary diseases and management practices at risk and provides the opportunity to inform evidence-based and strategic communication, surveillance and control approaches aiming at mitigating these risks for diseases dissemination through the livestock supply chain in Cameroon.

Simulation Tool for Livestock Feeding: SIMFEED

The aim of this paper is to propose a simulation tool: SIMFEED which can formulate balanced livestock feed mix as well as can fulfill the other objectives of the livestock industry such as nutrient variability inclusion, simultaneous achievement of multiple objectives, simulated feed mix etc. Besides the standard problem of formulating balanced livestock feed mix at minimum cost, SIMFEED can also compute feed mix to fulfill different objectives of the user. In SIMFEED, different mathematical models, algorithms and techniques were embedded to formulate balanced livestock feed mix with the consideration of various other needs of the user. SIMFEED can formulate feed mix for different weight classes of livestock. It works on the data stored in the data base as well as on the real world data. The graphical interface is also developed to compare the values of objective function achieved using different techniques. Genetic algorithm is implemented for obtaining more practical feed mix. The artificial neural network is implemented for fine tuning of the feed ingredients present in the feed mix. A simulation technique is also developed for the formulation and computation of the model on the basis of real world data.

Effects of growth stage and growing degree day accumulations on triticale forages: 1. Dry matter yield, nutritive value, and in vitro dry matter disappearance

The use of triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) in dairy-cropping systems has expanded greatly in recent years, partly to improve land stewardship by providing winter ground cover. Our objective was to establish relationships relating indices of nutritive value with growth stage or accumulated growing degree days >5°C for triticale forages grown in central Wisconsin. Replicated 3.7-m × 9.1-m plots were established following removal of corn for silage (fall 2015) and soybeans (fall 2016) and then harvested at various growth stages the following spring. Plants were assigned a numerical growth stage based on a linear staging system suitable for use as an independent regression variable. Response variables [e.g., dry matter (DM) yield, indices of nutritive value, and parameters from in vitro DM disappearance kinetics] were regressed on growth stage and growing degree days using linear, quadratic, cubic, or quartic models. For spring 2016, the mean DM yield at the boot stage (3,804 kg of DM/ha) was only 30% of that observed at the soft dough stage of growth (12,642 kg of DM/ha). Although yields were reduced during spring 2017, primarily due to spring flooding, the relationship between respective yields at these growth stages was similar (1,453 vs. 5,399 kg of DM/ha). Regressions of DM yield (kg/ha) on growth stage for 2016 were explained by a cubic model (Y = 0.0663x3 - 9.44x2 + 595x - 9,810) compared with a simple linear response for 2017 (Y = 103x - 3,024); in both cases, coefficients of determination were very high (R2 ≥ 0.934). Many nutritional and in vitro DM disappearance characteristics were affected by the juxtaposition and balance of 2 generally competing factors: (1) increased concentrations of structural plant fiber coupled with concurrent lignification as plants matured and (2) the accumulation of highly digestible carbohydrate during seed head development. A comparison of respective energy yields between the boot and soft dough stages of growth for 2016 (2,488 vs. 8,141 kg of total digestible nutrients/ha) and 2017 (1,033 vs. 3,520 kg of total digestible nutrients/ha) suggests that yields of energy are greater at soft dough stage and are mostly driven by DM yield. An informed harvest management decision for lactating cows may still favor a boot-stage harvest because of superior nutritional characteristics, a need to plant double-cropped corn expeditiously, or both. Harvest timing of triticale forages for other livestock classes would appear to be more flexible, but prioritizing a subsequent double crop may reduce the effects on DM yield to a secondary consideration.

MODELAGEM TEMPORAL DINÂMICA DO USO E OCUPAÇÃO DO SOLO BASEADO EM SIG PARA A BACIA DO RIO TAPACURÁ (PE)

Este estudo teve por objetivo simular cenários de uso e ocupação do solo para t4 (2035), tendo como base as mudanças no uso do solo ocorridas em t1 (1989), t2 (2007) e t3 (2015) para a bacia do Rio Tapacurá, localizada no Estado de Pernambuco. Foi realizada a previsão do uso do solo para t3 (2015), usando três métodos: (a) Rede Neural Multi-Layer Perceptron (RNMLP), (b) Similarity-Weighted Instance-Based Machine Learning Algorithm (SimWeight) e (c) Regressão Logística (RL) e para a metodologia que mostrou melhor desempenho, foi realizada a predição dos cenários futuros para t4 (2035). Os cenários futuros simulados foram: (a) Cenário 1: de continuidade das transições e (b) Cenário 2: de continuidade das transições e intensificação da classe pecuária e expansão da área urbana, usando o módulo Land Change Modeler (LCM) do Idrisi TerrSet e imagens da cobertura do solo. Os resultados da previsão do uso do solo para 2015 mostraram que o melhor desempenho foi obtido usando o método RNMLP com treinamento de 84,22% e 10.000 iterações. A simulação dos cenários futuros para t4 mostrou intensificação das transições observadas nos três anos analisados, com previsão para expansão de cerca de 3% da classe pecuária para os dois cenários simulados.

Updating the genomic taxonomy and epidemiology of Campylobacter hyointestinalis

Campylobacter hyointestinalis is a member of an emerging group of zoonotic Campylobacter spp. that are increasingly identified in both gastric and non-gastric disease in humans. Here, we discovered C. hyointestinalis in three separate classes of New Zealand ruminant livestock; cattle, sheep and deer. To investigate the relevance of these findings we performed a systematic literature review on global C. hyointestinalis epidemiology and used comparative genomics to better understand and classify members of the species. We found that C. hyointestinalis subspecies hyointestinalis has an open pangenome, with accessory gene contents involved in many essential processes such as metabolism, virulence and defence. We observed that horizontal gene transfer is likely to have played an overwhelming role in species diversification, favouring a public-goods-like mechanism of gene ‘acquisition and resampling’ over a tree-of-life-like vertical inheritance model of evolution. As a result, simplistic gene-based inferences of taxonomy by similarity are likely to be misleading. Such genomic plasticity will also mean that local evolutionary histories likely influence key species characteristics, such as host-association and virulence. This may help explain geographical differences in reported C. hyointestinalis epidemiology and limits what characteristics may be generalised, requiring further genomic studies of C. hyointestinalis in areas where it causes disease.

TRIENNIAL LACTATION SYMPOSIUM/BOLFA: Mammary growth during pregnancy and lactation and its relationship with milk yield.

The number of secretory cells in the mammary gland is often cited as a major determinant of milk production. However, literature data for proxy measures of secretory cell number do not fully support such a claim. In particular, measurements of total mammary DNA in livestock explain only <25% of variation in milk yield, probably because of tissue heterogeneity for DNA concentration. Relative to BW, measurements of udder size in dairy cattle, as total DNA or udder weight, are approximately double those seen in most other livestock classes. Therefore, selection for dairy production, not surprisingly, has resulted in cows with greater secretory capacity. There is limited evidence that genetic selection is still increasing udder size in some cattle populations, but more recent data are needed. It is contended that the most important period of mammary growth for determination of milk yield is that occurring in pregnancy and early lactation. Mammary development is largely complete, at term, in sheep, goats, and cattle, but in pigs, the udder continues to grow during the first 3 wk of lactation, depending, in part, on litter size. Increased litter size in sheep and goats will enhance the extent of mammary development at the end of gestation (and milk yield) by 20 to 25%. However, twinning in dairy cattle does not affect milk production and, by inference only, is not likely to affect numbers of secretory cells at term. Milking frequency and suckling intensity in very early lactation will increase milk yield in cows and increase mammogenesis and milk yield in sheep, indicating that even at term, the ruminant gland retains some capacity for further development, if demand requires it. There is limited understanding of the hormonal signals in pregnancy that regulate mammary development relative to the number of young carried. Furthermore, the genetic differences between dairy and beef cattle that lead to substantially greater udder size in the dairy breeds have not been identified. During lactation, the drivers for secretory cell loss in relation to milking frequency and nutritional status are still not known. Measurement of mammary development and using this phenotype in genomewide association studies to identify key genetic variants for mammogenesis will provide knowledge that is fundamental to understanding the quantitative regulation of milk production.

Liver fluke infections in cattle and sheep

The trematode, Fasciola hepatica, is a cosmopolitan parasite of temperate regions that can infect a wide variety of wild and domestic mammalian species, including man. Host-responses differ amongst different species and this article focuses on the contrast between cattle and sheep, the two classes of livestock in which fasciolosis assumes the greatest economic importance. In the sheep, acute fasciolosis resulting from parenchymal damage to the liver and haemorrhage caused by migrating juvenile flukes is a severe and potentially fatal disease. In contrast, the parenchymal stages have limited effects in cattle and the acute form of the disease is extremely rare. Though there is no evidence for a functional, acquired immune response to Fasciola hepatica, cattle provide a less hospitable environment, probably due to the profound changes in parasitised bile ducts, which render them as unsuitable habitats for feeding fluke. Consequently, in untreated cattle, many liver fluke die within 18 months of infection, though some can survive for 2 years or more. In the sheep, essentially, the fluke can live as long as the sheep; up to 11 years has been reported. These differences lead to the need for different treatment approaches in cattle and sheep with respect to juvenile fluke, but do also provide some opportunities for novel control approaches, based on the relative tolerance of cattle and their ability to limit parasitic damage to the liver parenchyma.

Abortions in Thoroughbred mares associated with consumption of bulbosus buttercups (Ranunculus bulbosus L).

Unexplained clinical signs of weight loss and emaciation were reported in a herd of Thoroughbred horses grazing spring pastures on a central Kentucky farm, even though supplemental grain and hay were provided. A buttercup plant, Ranunculus bulbosus L, was abundantly present in all pastures and paddocks on the farm. All horses, especially lactating mares and their foals, had mild to severe weight loss as assessed by body condition. Seven mares on the farm had been confirmed pregnant between 30 and 45 days of gestation, but were later found to have aborted. Two 2-year-old fillies developed severe diarrhea, incoordination, recumbency, and paralysis and were euthanized. Necropsy of these horses revealed ulcers and erosions in the stomach and large intestine. The findings were considered consistent with buttercup toxicosis. The horses were moved from the buttercup-infested pastures to a farm free of the weed. All horses made an uneventful recovery, and clinical signs resolved after the horses were transferred to buttercup-free pastures. Mares that had aborted conceived successfully in the next breeding season. The buttercup plant is toxic for all classes of livestock. The clinical signs associated with buttercup toxicosis may mimic other disease syndromes affecting the gastrointestinal tract of herbivores. On-farm epidemiological investigations are an essential part of the diagnosis of this condition. Consumption of buttercups has previously been associated with abortions in cattle, but to the author's knowledge, this has not previously been described in horses.

Nutritional Evaluation and Palatability of Major Range Forbs from South Darfur, Sudan

The nutritive value of rangelands in Southern Darfur, Sudan could be improved by introduction and multiplication of nutritious forbs with the objective of increasing livestock production in the area. The present study was conducted to evaluate the nutritive value and palatability of eleven range forbs collected at flowering stage from Gahzal Gawazat, Southern Darfur, Sudan using chemical analysis. The crude protein (CP) ranged from 6.8% in Oxygonum atriplicifolium with lowest digestible crude protein (DCP) 2.8% to 16.4% in Zornia diphylla with highest DCP 11.73%. The highest and the lowest crude fiber (CF) values were obtained in Commelina spp (56.4%) and Sesamum alatum (25.9%), respectively. NDF and DMI values were maximum and minimum for Zornia diphylla (44.9 and 2.67%) and Alysicarpus glumaceus (35.3 and 3.4%), respectively. The total digestible nutrients (TDN) ranged from 57.1% in Blepharis linariifolia to 69.3% in Tribulus terrestris with highest digestible energy (DE) in later while the lowest DE was obtained in Commelina spp (2.4%). The calculated in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) was highest for the Canavalia ensiformis (50.27%) and lowest value (43.17%) for Commelina spp. Zornia diphylla, Tribulus terrestris and Sesamum alatum showed highest nutritive value, while Alysicarpus glumaceus, Oldenlandia senegalensis and Chrozophora brocchiana showed highest palatability. It is concluded that these rangeland forbs are palatable and their CP and energy contents are sufficient to support different classes of livestock in South Darfur, Sudan.