Heart Girth Research Articles

Discriminant Analysis Approach in Morphometric Differentiation and Characterization of Serbian Autochthonous Goats.

This study investigated the possibility of using morphometric measurements to differentiate the autochthonous Serbian White goat breed from Saanen and Balkan goats, which were used as sire and dam breeds in its creation. For this purpose, a multivariate discriminant analysis was used. A total of 11 morphometric traits were measured in 98 does of 3 breeds: Saanen (n = 28), Balkan (n = 28), and Serbian White (n = 42), aged 2 to 7 years, in 4 different locations. Univariate analysis of variance revealed a significant difference in body measurements of all three breeds, with Saanen goat being the largest in format and Balkan the smallest. Discriminant analysis extracted six out of eleven tested morphometric traits with the strongest discriminatory power: heart girth, head length, chest depth, head width, pelvic width, and body length. Mahalanobis distances were significant between all three genetic groups. The discriminant function correctly classified 95.24% of the Domestic White goats investigated to their source group. The classification accuracy of the function was cross-validated and indicated an overall success rate of 91.84%. The results of this research showed that there was a clear separation between Serbian White, Saanen, and Balkan goats. The present findings could help a more rapid field assessment of Serbian White goats.

Morphometric and physical characteristics of Indonesian beef cattle.

To assess their potential for beef production, this study describes the morphometrics, physical traits, and body weight of 1034 Indonesian beef cattle from eight breeds, namely Bali, Rambon, Madura, Ongole Grade, Kebumen Ongole Grade, Sasra, Jabres, and Pasundan. An analysis of variance in addition to cluster, Euclidean distance, dendrogram, discriminant function, stepwise linear regression, and morphological index analyses were performed to describe the differences in traits among breeds. The morphometric proximity analysis revealed two distinct clusters with a common ancestor, where the first cluster included Jabres, Pasundan, Rambon, Bali, and Madura cattle and the second included Ongole Grade, Kebumen Ongole Grade, and Sasra cattle, with an average suitability value of 93.20 %. This showed that the classification and validation methods can be used to distinguish breeds. The most important factor in estimating body weight was the heart girth circumference. Ongole Grade cattle had the highest cumulative index, followed by Sasra, Kebumen Ongole Grade, Rambon, and Bali cattle. A cumulative index value can be used as a threshold for determining the type and function of beef cattle.

IMPACT OF PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTATION AND FEEDING MANAGEMENT ON GROWTH OF SAHIWAL FEMALE CALVES

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of protein supplementation and feeding management on the growth performance of Sahiwal female calves.A total of 45 Sahiwal female calves were randomly divided into three groups: Group A (control), Group B (protein supplementation), and Group C (ad libitum green fodder + protein supplementation). The study spanned a period of 90 days, during which the calves' feed intake, weight gain, and body measurements were assessed.The results indicated that protein supplementation had a significant impact on various aspects of calf development. Calves in Group B and Group C showed improved feed intake compared to the control group. Furthermore, the weight gain of calves in the supplemented groups was significantly higher than that of the control group. The body measurements, including height at withers, body length, heart girth, and hip width, also varied among the different treatment groups, with the control group generally exhibiting smaller measurements.These findings suggest that protein supplementation positively influenced the growth performance of Sahiwal female calves. The study highlights the importance of considering protein supplementation as a part of feeding management strategies for optimizing the growth of calves.

Study on Some Conformation Traits and Indices in Shagya Arabian Bloodstock

The study involved the analysis of the mares included in the brood stock between 1989-2018 and the public breeding stallions registered in the ranking sheets ranged from 2000-2010 of the Shagya Arabian horse breed, from the Radauti Stud farm, Suceava county, Romania. The dynamics of the average values of height, heart girth, and cannon girth were studied for both breeders category, to follow the evolution of the breed within the stud. The average values of the female’s height ranged from 156.7±0.069 cm to 159.9±0.102 cm; the average values for heart girth felt within the 180.1±0.151 cm - 180.8±0.153 cm interval; the average values of cannon girth varied between the 18.0±0.11 cm to 18.8±0.09 cm. The minimal value for height at withers in stallions was 157.66±1.21 cm while the maximal was 161.22±0.84 cm; average values of the hearth girth varied between 177.25±4.09 cm and 183.33±1.83 cm; cannon girth had average values of 18.5±0.77 - 19.16±0.31 cm. On the morphometric indices, it was found that stallions had higher values of massiveness index (113.21%) vs. mares (113.06%) and for the dactylo-thoracic index, as well (stallions had 11.11% and the mares 10.55%), while the bone index was higher in females (11.93%) vs. males (11.81%).

West African Dwarf goat populations of tropical rainforest zone: application of multivariate analysis tools on their characterization using morpho-biometric traits.

This research was carried out to characterize the West African Dwarf (WAD) goats using multivariate approach based on their morpho-biometric traits in the tropical rainforest zone of Nigeria. Data on four physical qualitative traits, six morphology indicators, and nine morphological characters were generated from 279 goats. Descriptive statistics, non-parametric analysis and one-way approach of ANOVA with post hoc tests, discriminant analysis (canonical), principal component analysis (categorical), and regression tree analysis were employed to discern the effects of location and sex on the parameters, as well as characterize the goats. The frequencies of the qualitative traits show black coat color predominated (60.2%) over other coat colors, plain color predominated (75.3%) over other color patterns, straight horns (38.1%) predominate over other horn shape, and beard presence (66.7%) predominated over non-beard presence among the goats in terms of locations and sexes. Location and age were significantly affected on the biometric characters (p<0.05 and p<0.001) with goats from Enugu having higher values than other states, while only head length (HL) was affected significantly by sex (p< 0.05). The morphological indicators were not significantly affected by location and sex (p>0.05 and p>0.001), while age was significant. The discriminant analysis revealed a sparse, non-intermingling populations for the physical traits, biometric characters, and body indices implying they are different distinct populations from each other. Generally, the goat populations could be characterized using heart girth (HG), rump height (RH), and body weight (BW) due to the principal components, while the CHAID and Exhaustive CHAID algorithm analysis revealed BW and HL as the genetic classifiers of the WAD goats, both in terms of locations. Basically, the goats from the 3 locations appeared to be more homogeneous in nature, implying that a deployment of specific complimentary genomics work targeted at future selection and breeding programs to improve their productivity in the tropical rainforest of Nigeria is necessary.

A farmer-friendly tool for estimation of weights of pigs kept by smallholder farmers in Uganda

Pig keeping is important to the livelihoods of many rural Ugandans. Pigs are typically sold based on live weight or a carcass weight derived from this; however this weight is commonly estimated due to the lack of access to scales. Here, we explore the development of a weigh band for more accurate weight determination and potentially increased farmer bargaining power on sale price. Pig weights and varied body measurements (heart girth, height, and length) were collected on 764 pigs of different ages, sex, and breed types, from 157 smallholder pig keeping households in Central and Western Uganda. Mixed-effects linear regression analyses, with household as a random effect and the varied body measurements as a fixed effect, were performed to determine the best single predictor for cube root of weight (transformation of weight for normality), for 749 pigs ranging between 0 and 125 kg. The most predictive single body measurement was heart girth, where weight in kg = (0.4011 + heart girth in cm × 0.0381)3. This model was found to be most suitable for pigs between 5 and 110 kg, notably more accurate than farmers’ estimates, but still with somewhat broad confidence intervals (for example, ±11.5 kg for pigs with a predicted weight of 51.3 kg). We intend to pilot test a weigh band based on this model before deciding on whether it is suitable for wider scaling.

Characterization of a unique Sikkimese yak population of India: a multivariate approach

Native Sikkimese yak in Sikkim state of India is a pastoral treasure being raised through centuries-old transhumance practices and has evolved in response to natural and man-made selection. Currently, the population of Sikkimese yak is at risk with about five thousand total headcounts. Characterization is essential for taking appropriate decisions for conservation of any endangered population. In an attempt to phenotypically characterize the Sikkimese yaks, this study recorded phenotypic morphometric traits information, viz., body length (LG), height at withers (HT), heart girth (HG), paunch girth (PG), horn length (HL), horn circumference (HC), distance between horns (DbH), ear length (EL), face length (FL), face width (FW), and tail length with switch (TL), on 2154 yaks of both sexes. Multiple correlation estimation highlighted that HG and PG, DbH and FW, and EL and FW were highly correlated. Using principal component analysis, LG, HT, HG, PG, and HL were found to be the most important traits for phenotypic characterization of Sikkimese yak animals. Discriminant analysis based on different locations of Sikkim hinted at the existence of two separate clusters, however, broadly, phenotypic uniformity could be observed. Subsequent genetic characterization can offer greater insights and can pave the way for future breed registration and conservation of the population.

Relationship of body mass index with meat production and energy reserves in yearling bucks

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship of body mass index (BMI) with meat traits, primal cuts of meat, and body energy reserves in yearling bucks. Live weight, heart girth, neck girth, paunch girth, wither height, rump height, and body length were measured on twenty-four bucks. Using these morphological traits, seven body mass indices were computed, all with the unit of g cm−2. Data were analyzed using the general linear model procedure of SAS software. Meat traits and primal cuts of meat were significantly (P < 0.001) correlated with all BMIs (r = 0.49–0.86) except for BMI5. Back fat thickness (BFT) had a strong relationship (r = 0.57–0.67, P < 0.001) with most of BMIs. The internal fat (IF) was moderately associated with BMI1, BMI2, and BMI3. The most important predictor variable for hot carcass weight was BMI7 (R2 =0.748, P < 0.0001). BMI1 was the most important predictor variable for rib-eye muscle area (R2 =0.542, P < 0.0001) and empty body weight (R2 = 0.719, P < 0.0001). BMI7 was the most important variable for the estimation of most primal cuts of meat (thin, ribs, and loin cut). One point of BMI6 increase corresponded to a 0.68 mm (P < 0.0001) increase in BFT. The combination of BMI2 and BMI3 was able to predict IF significantly. BMI can be employed as a phenotypic marker in bucks to determine meat productivity, primal cuts of meat, and body energy reserves.

Body and milk production traits as indicators of energy requirements and efficiency of purebred Holstein and 3-breed rotational crossbred cows from Viking Red, Montbéliarde, and Holstein sires

This study aimed to compare rotational 3-breed crossbred cows of Viking Red, Montbéliarde, and Holstein breeds with purebred Holstein cows for a range of body measurements, as well as different metrics of the cows' productivity and production efficiency. The study involved 791 cows (440 crossbreds and 351 purebreds), that were managed across 2 herds. Within each herd, crossbreds and purebreds were reared and milked together, fed the same diets, and managed as one group. The heart girth, height at withers, and body length were measured, and body condition score (BCS) was determined on all the cows on a single test day. The body weight (BW) of 225 cows were used to develop an equation to predict BW from body size traits, parity, and days in milk, which was then used to estimate the BW of all the cows. Equations from the literature were used to estimate body protein and lipid contents using the predicted BW and BCS. Evidence suggests that maintenance energy requirements may be closely related to body protein mass, and Holstein and crossbred cows may be different in body composition. Therefore, we computed the requirements of net energy for maintenance (NEM) on the basis either of the metabolic weight (NEM-MW: 0.418 MJ/kg of metabolic BW) or of the estimated body protein mass according to a coefficient (NEM-PM: 0.631 MJ/kg body protein mass) computed on the subset comprising the purebred Holstein. On the same day when body measurements were collected, individual test-day milk yield and fat and protein contents were retrieved once from the official Italian milk recording system, and milk was sampled to determine fresh cheese yield. Measures of NEM were used to scale the production traits. Statistical analyses of all variables included the fixed effects of herd, days in milk, parity, and genetic group (purebred Holstein and crossbred), and the herd × genetic group interaction. External validation of the equation predicting BW yielded a correlation coefficient of 0.94 and an average bias of -4.95 ± 36.81 kg. The crossbreds had similar predicted BW and NEM-MW compared with the Holsteins. However, NEM-PM of crossbreds was 3.8% lower than that of the Holsteins, due to their 11% greater BCS and different estimated body composition. The crossbred cows yielded 4.8% less milk and 3.4% less milk energy than the purebred Holsteins. However, the differences between genetic groups were no longer significant when the production traits were scaled on NEM-PM, suggesting that the crossbreds and purebreds have the same productive ability and efficiency per unit of body protein mass. In conclusion, measures of productivity and efficiency that combine the cows' production capability with traits related to body composition and the energy cost of production seem to be more effective criteria for comparing crossbred and purebred Holstein cows than just milk, fat, and protein yields.

Post-Weaning Growth Performance of Belgian Blue Crossed with Brahman Cross

This study was conducted to observe the post-weaning growth performance of Belgian Blue-Crossed (BB-crossed) and Brahman Cross (BX) calves. This study used a total of eighteen calves (BB-crossed = 6 heads and BX = 12 heads) aged 6 months. Calves were reared for six months under the same conditions and management. Calves were observed and measured their growth performance (body weight, body length, heart girth, and withers height). Data were analyzed using One-Way Anova, and for body weight gain and body size gain were analyzed by Ancova with initial body weight and initial body size as covariates. BB-crossed calves in this study had a body weight and body size greater than BX calves (P<0.05). BB-crossed calves also had increasing in body weight (BB-crossed 0.87±0.06 vs BX 0.63±0.04 kg/day) and body length (BB-crossed 0.23±0.01 vs BX 0.12± 0.01 cm/day) was greater (P<0.05) than BX calves, while the increasing in body height (BB-crossed 0.09±0.01 vs BX 0.07±0.01 cm/day) and heart girth (BB-crossed 0.16±0.02 vs BX 0.18±0.01 cm/day) did not differ. In conclusion, BB-crossed calve had post-weaning growth performances greather than BX calves, except increasing in withers height and heart girth. Thus, crosses with Belgian Blue cattle can improve post-weaning growth performance of BX calves.

2 Effects of extra-label bisphosphonate use on growth parameters and endocrine biomarkers of bone health in juvenile horses

Extra-label bisphosphonate use in juvenile horses is widespread despite limited scientific understanding of biological and welfare impacts on skeletally immature, exercising horses. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of bisphosphonate (clodronate disodium; CD) on endocrine regulation of bone growth, hypothesizing there would be no effect. To test this, 32 Quarter Horses were stratified by age (500 ± 13 d of age), BW (336 ± 26 kg), sex (n = 16 males, n = 16 females), and initial bone optical density by aluminum equivalence into 4 treatment groups for a 168-d trial. The experimental period was divided into 2 phases mimicking sales preparation (Phase I: d 0–83) and early performance training (Phase II: d 84–168). Horses were housed in individual stalls (3.6 m × 7.3 m) and fed diets formulated to meet nutrient requirements. Investigators were blinded, and all horses received iso-volumetric intramuscular injections of either 1.8 mg/kg BW CD (OSPHOS®) or saline (placebo) on d 0, 42, 84, and 126. Treatments consisted of control (CON; n = 8), single-dose CD (1X; n = 8; d 84), 2-dose CD (2X; n = 8; d 0, 84), and 4-dose CD groups (4X;n = 8; d 0, 42, 84, 126). Physical measurements including BW, wither height (WH), hip height (HH), body length (BL), and heart girth (HG) circumference were recorded every 42 d from d 0. Likewise, serum samples were collected every 42 d before treatment administration to quantify growth hormone (GH), calcitonin (CT), parathyroid hormone (PTH), and ionized calcium. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS. All physical growth measurements increased over time (P ≤ 0.01) but were not affected by treatment (P ≥ 0.62). Similarly, there was no effect of treatment (P = 0.44) for GH, but concentrations tended to decrease over time as growth rate slowed (P = 0.09). A treatment ´ time interaction was observed for PTH (P = 0.05) where concentrations increased following 2 clodronate doses. Specifically, concentrations increased on d 84 in 4X and on d 126 in 2X following the second administration of clodronate while 1X and CON remained unchanged. There was no effect of treatment (P = 0.98), time (P = 0.33), nor treatment × time interaction (P = 0.61) for CT despite the increase in PTH. Ionized calcium concentrations decreased over time (P < 0.01) with no effect of treatment (P = 0.26) or treatment × time interaction (P = 0.32). These results suggest that while administration of bisphosphonate has no effect on growth morphometrics, its repetitive use alters PTH concentrations after 2 doses.

111 Relationship among gullet size, body weight, and body condition score in stabled geldings

Saddle fit is likely influenced by body weight, body condition score, exercise routine and nutrition. Current recommendations are to adjust saddle fit at least twice a year. The objective of this study was to determine the amount of change in gullet size (GS), body weight (BW) and body condition score (BCS) at 2 riding stables with moderate-heavy working hunter/jumper horses. The data were collected from 12 geldings in the fall of 2021 and 2022 and spring of 2022. Demographic information, including age, breed, sex, exercise routine, and housing, were recorded. Estimates of BW were calculated using length and heart girth measurements. Two observers independently evaluated BCS by averaging 6 body regions. Gullet size was measured using a gullet gauge protractor (Easy-Change Gullet System, Saddlery Brands International, AUS) according to manufacturer's instructions. Gullet sizes were categorized as narrow (0), medium-narrow (1), medium (2), medium-wide (3), and wide (4). Results were tabulated in excel and analyzed using GraphPad Prism Software LLC. vs. 9.3.1.A 2-way ANOVA was used to evaluate the effects of season and horse on GS, BW and BCS, with the means separated using Tukey Multiple Comparison tests. Body weight and BCS did not differ (P > 0.05) among seasons, but BW and BCS did differ among horses (P < 0.001). Gullet size decreased by 1 size from spring of 2022 to fall of 2022 (P < 0.001) and tended to be lower by approximately 1/2 size from fall of 2021 to fall of 2022 (P = 0.06). However, no difference in GS was evident from fall of 2021 to spring of 2022 (P = 0.23). Differences in BW and BCS were too minimal to observe a seasonal effect in this group of horses. However, a decline in GS across seasons is evident and still likely attributed to these factors. For these reasons, the relationship among BW, BCS, and GS for horses at well-managed equestrian facilities warrants further investigation.

Assessment of Body Condition Score of Ganjam Doe and its Relationship with Physical Attributes

The present work was designed during March to June, 2021 to study the Body Condition Score (BCS) of Ganjam doe in its native tract and to find out its relationship with various physical attributes such as body weight (BWT), pin shoulder length (PS), height at withers (HW), heart girth (HG), abdominal girth (AG) and thigh circumferences (TC) in the villages of Nayagarh district, Odisha, India. The study was conducted on 102 Ganjam does maintained in the farmers’herd. BCS scale of 1 to 5 with 0.5 increments was used to score the does. The does were divided into groups according to their age (up to 3 yrs and above 3 yrs). The number of does with BCS of 2.00, 2.50, 3.00, 3.50, 4.00 and 4.50 were 25, 10, 21, 4, 22 and 20, respectively. The mean BCS, BWT, PL, HW, HG, AG and TC of Ganjam goats were 3.24, 27.80 kg, 59.73 cm, 64.40 cm, 70.62 cm, 88.28 cm and 28.24cm, respectively. All the physical parameters showed an increased trend from BCS range of 2.00 to 4.50. However,does having BCS ranges within 3 to 4.5 were maximum in the population. The BCS, BWT and all physical parameters were significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher in the flock above 3 yrs. The BCS was positive and significantly (p&lt;0.01) correlated with BWT (0.974), PS (0.889), HW (0.919), HG (0.955), AG (0.833) and TC (0.509). BCS was used to evaluate feeding programs, judge health status, and make management decisions to maximize reproduction and output.

Documentation of Genetic Diversity by Insulin-Like Growth Factor1 Receptor (Exon2) Gene for Fallow Deer (Dama dama) in Iraq.

Insulin-Like Growth Factor1 Receptor (Exon2) (IGF1R) gene plays a vital role in physiological impacts, such as growth, development, reproduction, and metabolism. A significant difference was noted between the IGR1R (exon 2) gene and the body weight of Dama dama. In addition, the heterozygosity pattern (AB) was significantly higher than the other pattern (AA). There are three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; 144G>C, 147A>G, and 210A>C) within the IGF-1R (exon 2) locus. The statistical analyses indicated the presence of three different haplotypes (GAA, CAA, and GGC). The analysis of relative frequencies indicated that the most frequent haplotype in the studied Dama dama population was Hap3 (GGC) (43.4782%) out of the three observed haplotypes. The results of SSCP-PCR revealed the variability of the target gene between the genotype frequencies in Fallow deer (Dama dama) with a high level of significance (P≤0.01) with two patterns (AA and AB) and an absence of BB pattern. The allele frequency of AA record a high level (71.74%) than the other genotype (AB) (28.26%), with a high-frequency level of the A allele (0.86) than the B allele (0.14). In current findings, SSCP genotyped in the Dama dama DNA observed an estimated 72% monomorphic loci and 28% polymorphic loci approximately. Hardy Weinberg equilibrium test (HW) was applied to the SSCP-PCR data matrix, and the statistical test was based on a chi-square (χ2) test. Chi-square was (55.928%) with a highly significant level (P≤0.01) recorded in the present study. As related to AA and AB genotypes mean, a significant difference (P≤0.05) was noted between IGF1R (exon 2) gene with a body weight of Dama dama, as well as the heterozygosity pattern (AB), was significantly (P≤0.05) higher than the other pattern (AA) (30.34±3.01kg versus 24.85±1.94kg), respectively. A significant impact (P≤0.05) between IGF1R (exon2) polymorphism and heart girth was founded to be related to the AB pattern (heterozygous) (76.92 ± 3.20 cm), whereas the lower value was related to the AA pattern (71.33 ± 2.49 cm). No significant differences in effects were shown in relation to body length and height at the shoulder. The present study is also interested in genetic characterization by calculating (Ne) as a tool for genetic diversity. Therefore, the number of alleles detected (Na) indicates that two alleles only were unique in the population of the study, with (1.3204) being the number of efficient alleles (Ne). Moreover, Shannon's Information index was recorded at 0.4073. The observed homozygosity (O.Hom.) and heterozygosity (HO) were (0.7174 and 0.2826), respectively. The values of expected homozygosity (E.Hom.) and heterozygosity (HE) were 0.7547 and 0.2453, respectively. The genetic diversity of Nei was 0.2427. The results showed an unexpected influx of IGF1R diversity measured by Fis and recorded the value (- 0.1646). In this sense, the results of the current study may be considered an approximation to the total genetic diversity of the population of Dama dama in Iraq, but the information obtained is relevant to proposing the strategies of conservation for the genetic diversity observed.

Digestibility, Growth Performance, Body Measurement and Hormone of Sheep Fed with Different Levels of Brachiaria decumbens Diets.

Limited data are available regarding the effects of Brachiaria decumbens on sheep's growth performance at different times. Therefore, this current study focused on sheep's nutrient apparent digestibility, feed efficiency, body index, and growth hormone when they are fed with low and high levels of B. decumbens diets. A total of 30 six-month-old male Dorper cross sheep were divided randomly into three treatment groups with 10 sheep per treatment. Treatment 1 (control) sheep were fed with Pennisetum purpureum and pellets as the basal diet, whereas Treatment 2 and 3 sheep were fed with feed mixed with low (10%) and high (60%) levels of B. decumbens, respectively. The study was conducted in two phases consisting of short-term feeding (seven days) and long-term feeding (90 days). Throughout the experiment, daily fecal voided were collected in the morning for seven days continuous before the end of each feeding phases for the determination of nutrient apparent digestibility. The amount of feed offered and refusals plus body weight gain were recorded daily to determine the feed efficiency (FE). Besides, the body measurements of each sheep from every treatment were measured weekly and blood samples were collected for the analysis of growth hormone (GH) concentration. There were significant differences (p < 0.05) in the nutrient apparent digestibility, growth performance, body measurement, and GH concentration among treatment sheep throughout the study period. Treatment 3 sheep fed with 60% of B. decumbens diet revealed the lowest dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) digestibility during the long-term feeding. Likewise, Treatment 3 (T3) sheep had the lowest total bodyweight gain, average daily gain, total feed intake, and daily feed intake among treatment sheep. The heart girth index (HGI) of T3 sheep was also significantly lower during the short-term feeding. Moreover, the GH concentration of T3 sheep was significantly lower as compared to the control that decreases steadily throughout the study period. In conclusion, high levels of B. decumbens showed the most significant results out of all three treatments indicating the presence of saponins, which produce negative effects on the sheep's overall performance.

Estimation of body weight using body measurements in female water buffaloes reared in southeastern Mexico

Buffalo farming is an important livestock activity in Mexico. However, the low technological level of the farms makes it difficult to monitor the growth rates of the animals. The objectives of this study were to analyse the body measurements of 107 adult female Murrah buffaloes, to estimate the interrelationships between those measurements and body weight, and to develop equations to predict body weight (BW) using body measurements including withers at height (WH), rump height (RH), body height (BH), heart girth (HG), abdominal girth (AG), pelvic girth (PG), body length (BL), girth circumference (GC), diagonal body length (DBL), pelvic circumference (PC), and abdomen circumference (AC). The study was conducted on two commercial farms in southern Mexico. Pearson correlation and stepwise regression techniques were used for the data analysis. To find out the best regression models, we used model quality criteria such as coefficient of determination (R2), adjusted R2 (Adj.R2), root mean square error (RMSE), Mallow's Cp, Akaike's information criteria (AIC), Bayesian information criteria (BIC), and coefficient of variation (CV). Correlation results indicated that BW had a positive high correlation (P < 0.01) of all the measured traits. Model 4 (-780.56 + 311.76GC + 383.51DBL + 51.82PC + 47.65AC-106.78BL) was the best regression model with a higher R2 (0.87), Adj. R2 (0.86) smaller Cp (4.24), AIC (749.19), BIC (752.16), and RMSE (36.91). The current study suggests that GC, DBL, PC, AC, and BL might be used in combination to estimate BW of adult female Murrah buffaloes.

Maternal treatment with pegbovigrastim influences growth performance and immune-metabolic status of calves during the pre-weaning period

This study aimed to investigate the immune-metabolic status and growth performance of Simmental calves born from cows subjected to pegbovigrastim administration 7 days before calving. Eight calves born from cows subjected to pegbovigrastim administration (PEG group) and 9 calves born from untreated cows (CTR group) were used. Growth measurements and blood samples were collected from birth to 60 d of age. The PEG group had lower body weight from 28 up to 60 d of age (P < 0.01), lower heart girth (P < 0.05), lower weekly and total average daily gain values (P < 0.05) than the CTR group throughout the monitoring period. A decrease in milk replacer (MR) intake was observed in the PEG group compared with the CTR group around 20–28 d of age (P < 0.01). The PEG group had lower values of γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT) at d 1 of age (P < 0.05), Zn at 21 and 28 d of age (P < 0.05), hemoglobin, MCH and MCHC at 54 and 60 d of age (P < 0.01), and higher urea concentration at 21 and 28 d of age (P < 0.05) compared with the CTR group. Lower values of retinol (P < 0.05), tocopherol (P < 0.01), mean myeloperoxidase index (P < 0.05) and higher total reactive oxygen metabolites (P < 0.05) and myeloperoxidase (P < 0.05) were also detected in the PEG group. In light of the results gathered in the current study, it can be speculated that activation of the cow's immune system by pegbovigrastim could have influenced the immune competence, growth performance as well as the balance between oxidant and antioxidant indices of the newborn calf.

Phenotype, Husbandry and Performance of the Taggar Goats in Eldaleng Area, South Kordufan ٍ ◌State, Sudan

Tagger goats are a promising meat breed, with excellentconformation and meat quality, in Nuba Mountains, where it is raisedunder extensive farming conditions. The objectives of this study were tostudy the phenotypic characteristics, husbandry and reproductive andlactation performance of this genotype in Eldaleng area. Mean bodyweight was 22.5 kg. Mean body measurements (cm) were 58.75, 65.9,78.4 and 38.55 for height at withers, heart girth, barrel circumference andback length, respectively. Body weight and measurements were generallysignificantly (P ≤0.001) higher in males than in females and significantly(P ≤0.001) increased with age. Phenotypic correlations between bodyweight and measurements were generally high, and different regressionequations accurately predicted body weight with no significantdifferences at all ages. Animal colours varied greatly. Most animals werekept in all goat ages. Flock size was 21.1 and females dominated flocksand their longevity was higher than males. The animals depended onnatural pastures and grazed on village outskirts. They kidded all the yearround with peaks in April and October. They were weaned at 4.1 monthsold and most of the males were castrated. Puberty, age at first service andage at first kidding were 7.15, 8.4 and 13.1 months, respectively. Kiddingrate was 87%, twining rate was 52.8% and kidding interval was 245.4days. Mean birth weight was 1.35 kg. Mortality rate was 26.5% in kidsand 10.1% in adults. Milk yield was 0.64 kg/day in 156 days.

Using Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines to Estimate the Body Weight of Savanna Goats

The Savanna goat breed is an indigenous goat breed in South Africa that is reared for meat production. Live body weight is an important tool for livestock management, selection and feeding. The use of multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) to predict the live body weight of Savanna goats remains poorly understood. The study was conducted to investigate the influence of linear body measurements on the body weight of Savanna goats using MARS. In total, 173 Savanna goats between the ages of two and five years were used to collect body weight (BW), body length (BL), heart girth (HG), rump height (RH) and withers height (WH). MARS was used as a data mining algorithm for data analysis. The best predictive model was achieved from the training dataset with the highest coefficient of determination and Pearson's correlation coefficient (0.959 and 0.961), respectively. BW was influenced positively when WH > 63 cm and HG >100 cm with a coefficient of 0.51 and 2.71, respectively. The interaction of WH > 63 cm and BL < 75 cm, WH < 68 cm and HG < 100 cm with a coefficient of 0.28 and 0.02 had a positive influence on Savanna goat BW, while male goats had a negative influence (-4.57). The findings of the study suggest that MARS can be used to estimate the BW in Savanna goats. This finding will be helpful to farmers in the selection of breeding stock and precision in the day-to-day activities such as feeding, marketing and veterinary services.

Potentiality of Growth Traits for Selection to Improve Productivity in Nilotic Cattle

Selection for traits of economic importance is crucial for improving productivity and reproductivity in livestock, including cattle. We investigated the prospects of using growth traits; viz: live-body weight (BW), absolute growth rate (AGR), relative growth rate (RGR), absolute maturing rate (AMR), and Kleiber ratio (KR) as bases for selection in Nilotic cattle, by examining the phenotypic correlations among these traits, using 125 male and 136 female calves reared under traditional husbandry system. In the experimental procedure, the heart girth (HG) and body length (BL) of each calf was measured at birth, and at the age of 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 months; then the BW at each age was derived, and used for estimating AGR, RGR, AMR, KR, and dry matter intake for maintenance (DMIm). AGR, RGR, AMR, or KR was calculated from 0~8 months (AGRα, RGRα, AMRα, KRα), 8~12 months (AGRβ, RGRβ, AMRβ, KRβ), and 12~16 months (AGRγ, RGRγ, AMRγ, KRγ). Phenotypic correlations were determined using the Pearson's correlation method. The results revealed that, BW, AGR, RGR, AMR, KR, and DMIm were inter-correlated. In particular, calf weaning weight (CWW at 8 months), and post-weaning AGRβ, RGRβ, AMRβ, and KRβ (all at 8~12 months` interval) were positively correlated among themselves and with post-weaning BW, but negatively correlated with birth weight and DMIm, and thus, considered the most appropriate selection indices in Nilotic cattle, since these would decrease calf birth weight, thereby reducing dystocia incidences, and increase post-weaning growth, with less DMIm. These results provide the first evidence for possible selection using growth traits to improve productive efficiency in Nilotic cattle.