Intermediate Body Condition Research Articles

The analysis of the milk production and the body condition on two Saanen goat-farms

The authors carried out an examination on two Saanen goat farms during four months from May to August 2008. The body condition score and milk production of the goats were measured. In data processing analysis of variance was used to compare the data of the studied farms. They tried to find the answer for the question how the body condition scores and milk production change in each month. The changes observed in each farm were examined separately then they compared the values of the two farms.. On one of the farms the nutrition was proper therefore with an ideal, intermediate body condition (average 2.73) the goats produced a good amount of milk (2.5 milk-kg/mother/day). On the other farm the nutrition was not proper, therefore the body condition of the goats was weak (average 1.88). Their milk production decreased significantly from month to month (average 2.35 milk-kg/mother/day). The authors could conclude considering both farms that the more milk the goats produced, the lower their body condition score became. The two parameters showed negative correlation.

Condição corporal e desempenho produtivo de cabras Alpinas no início de lactação

Objetivou-se avaliar a influência da condição corporal ao parto sobre os parâmetros produtivos de cabras Alpinas no início da lactação. Sessenta e oito cabras foram distribuídas em três grupos, de acordo com o escore de condição corporal (baixo, entre 1,00 e 2,75; intermediário, entre 2,75 e 3,50; e alto, entre 3,50 e 5,00) e avaliadas do parto até a oitava semana de lactação. Realizaram-se o controle diário do consumo alimentar e da produção leiteira e avaliações semanais de peso corporal, escore da condição corporal e composição do leite. Os animais com escore corporal alto apresentaram menor consumo de matéria seca, fibra em detergente neutro e proteína bruta em comparação àqueles com escores corporais baixo e intermediário. O período médio de recuperação do consumo de matéria seca dos animais das três condições corporais foi de 16 dias (2,3 semanas) do pós-parto, com estabilização até o final do experimento. Na sexta semana de lactação, o peso corporal dos animais com escore corporal baixo se igualou ao daqueles com escore corporal intermediário. Não houve efeito da condição corporal ao parto nas variações de ECC e da produção leiteira ao longo do período. O teor de gordura do leite dos animais com escore corporal alto foi menor nas duas primeiras semanas pós-parto em comparação ao dos animais com escores corporais baixo e intermediário. Elevada condição corporal ao parto influencia negativamente o consumo voluntário de cabras leiteiras no início da lactação, mas quando se utiliza dieta de alta qualidade e com altos níveis de energia, a influência da condição corporal ao parto inexiste para variações de peso, de escore da condição corporal e produção leiteira dos animais.

Variation in food availability influences prey‐capture method in antlion larvae

Abstract 1. Larvae of a Myrmecaelurus sp. are unique among antlions because they have two prey‐capture methods; they either ambush prey at the surface, or dig pit traps that prey fall in to. It was hypothesised that larvae will use the capture method that maximises their net rate of energy gain, which will be influenced by food availability (encounter rate) and by past energy inputs (body condition).2. Costs were estimated by measuring resting and activity metabolic rates and determining the duration of pit maintenance at various encounter rates with ants that served as prey. Benefits were estimated from the energy gained per ant captured at different encounter rates.3. Net energy gained was higher with a pit than without one, and was influenced more by the differences in prey capture rate between the two capture methods, and less by the differences in energy costs associated with each method. The proportion of larvae that constructed pits was higher when they were in intermediate body condition than when in good or in poor body condition.4. Thus, the use of one capture method or the other depends on a combination of the influences of past net energy gain and the antlion’s most recent change in encounter rate with prey. Ambushing without a pit may serve as a default when physiological constraints limit the larvae’s ability to invest in pit construction and maintenance, or when larvae are sated, and saving the energy of pit construction and maintenance is worthwhile.

Efeitos do genótipo e da condição corporal sobre o desempenho de cordeiros terminados em confinamento

Avaliaram-se o desempenho e a margem bruta de lucro de cordeiros terminados em confinamento. Foram utilizados 32 cordeiros não-castrados - 16 Santa Inês (SI) e 16 ½ Dorper × ½ Santa Inês (DpSI) - com 103 dias de idade e 20,0 kg de peso corporal. Os cordeiros receberam ração completa com 30% de feno de maniçoba (Manihot pseudoglaziovii) e 70% de concentrado. O período de adaptação às instalações e à dieta foi de 14 dias. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 2 × 2, composto de dois genótipos e dois escores corporais. Não foi observado efeito significativo dos genótipos sobre nenhuma característica de desempenho estudada, contudo, os mestiços (DpSI) possibilitaram maior margem bruta de lucro. A condição corporal afetou significativamente o consumo de matéria seca, a conversão alimentar e o número de dias em confinamento. Os cordeiros com condição corporal intermediária consumiram 1,04 kg/dia e 82,64 g/kg0,75, enquanto aqueles com condição gorda consumiram 1,15 kg/dia e 86,79 g/kg0,75. Os cordeiros com condição corporal intermediária apresentaram menor consumo de matéria seca e melhor conversão alimentar, o que resultou em menor número de dias em confinamento e maior margem bruta de lucro em comparação aos cordeiros com condição corporal gorda, independentemente do genótipo.

Evolution of condition-dependent dispersal under kin competition

Dispersers often differ in body condition from non-dispersers. The social dominance hypothesis explains dispersal of weak individuals, but it is not yet well understood why strong individuals, which could easily retain their natal site, are sometimes exposed to risky dispersal. Based on the model for dispersal under kin competition by Hamilton and May, we construct a model where dispersal propensity depends on body condition. We consider an annual species that inhabits a patchy environment with varying patch qualities. Offspring body condition corresponds to the quality of the natal patch and competitive ability increases with body condition. Our main general result balances the fitness benefit from not dispersing and retaining the natal patch and the benefit from dispersing and establishing somewhere else. We present four different examples for competition, which all hint that dispersal of strong individuals may be a common outcome under the assumptions of the present model. In three of the examples, the evolutionarily stable dispersal probability is an increasing function of body condition. However, we found an example where, counterintuitively, the evolutionarily stable dispersal probability is a non-monotone function of body condition such that both very weak and very strong individuals disperse with high probability but individuals of intermediate body condition do not disperse at all.

What Makes a Host Profitable? Parasites Balance Host Nutritive Resources against Immunity

Numerous host qualities can modulate parasite fitness, and among these, host nutritive resources and immunity are of prime importance. Indeed, parasite fitness increases with the amount of nutritive resources extracted from the host body and decreases with host immune response. To maximize fitness, parasites have therefore to balance these two host components. Yet, because host nutritive resources and immunity both increase with host body condition, it is unclear whether parasites perform better on hosts in prime, intermediate, or poor condition. We investigated blood meal size and survival of the ectoparasitic louse fly Crataerina melbae in relation to body condition and cutaneous immune response of their Alpine swift (Apus melba) nestling hosts. Louse flies took a smaller blood meal and lived a shorter period of time when feeding on nestlings that were experimentally food deprived or had their cutaneous immune response boosted with methionine. Consistent with these results, louse fly survival was the highest when feeding on nonexperimental nestlings in intermediate body condition. Our findings emphasize that although hosts in poor condition had a reduced immunocompetence, parasites may have avoided them because individuals in poor condition did not provide adequate resources. These findings highlight the fact that giving host immunocompetence primary consideration can result in a biased appraisal of host-parasite interactions.

The effect of level of feeding, genetic merit, body condition score and age on biological parameters of a mammary gland model

An evolutionary algorithm was applied to a mechanistic model of the mammary gland to find the parameter values that minimised the difference between predicted and actual lactation curves of milk yields in New Zealand Jersey cattle managed at different feeding levels. The effect of feeding level, genetic merit, body condition score at parturition and age on total lactation yields of milk, fat and protein, days in milk, live weight and evolutionary algorithm derived mammary gland parameters was then determined using a multiple regression model. The mechanistic model of the mammary gland was able to fit lactation curves that corresponded to actual lactation curves with a high degree of accuracy. The senescence rate of quiescent (inactive) alveoli was highest at the very low feeding level. The active alveoli population at peak lactation was highest at very low feeding levels, but lower nutritional status at this feeding level prevented high milk yields from being achieved. Genetic merit had a significant linear effect on the active alveoli population at peak and mid to late lactation, with higher values in animals, which had higher breeding values for milk yields. A type of genetic merit × feeding level scaling effect was observed for total yields of milk and fat, and total number of alveoli produced from conception until the end of lactation with the benefits of increases in genetic merit being greater at high feeding levels. A genetic merit × age scaling effect was observed for total lactation protein yields. Initial rates of differentiation of progenitor cells declined with age. Production levels of alveoli from conception to the end of lactation were lowest in 5- to 8-year-old animals; however, in these older animals, quiescent alveoli were reactivated more frequently. The active alveoli population at peak lactation and rates of active alveoli proceeding to quiescence were highest in animals of intermediate body condition scores of 4.0 to 5.0. The results illustrate the potential uses of a mechanistic model of the mammary gland to fit a lactation curve and to quantify the effects of feeding level, genetic merit, body condition score, and age on mammary gland dynamics throughout lactation.

Effects of body condition score and score change on the reproductive performance of dairy cows: a meta-analysis

A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of body condition score (BCS) at parturition and at first AI, and of body condition change during the early lactation period on the variables pregnancy rate at first AI and number of days open in dairy cattle. Inclusion criteria for the publications were: comparison of at least two groups of animals of different categories of BCS or change (independent variables) and consideration of pregnancy rate at first AI or number of days open (dependent variables). Fifteen papers were selected and 23 excluded. Data corresponding to 7733 cows from 11 studies described in 10 papers were included in the analysis of pregnancy rate at first AI, and those derived from 4529 cows from 11 studies described in 10 papers were used to analyze effects on the number of days open. Analyses were stratified according to study design and milk production characteristics. We defined low, intermediate and high categories of BCS for values lower than 2.5, from 2.5 to 3.5, or higher than 3.5, respectively. The categories of body condition change were increase (gain in score), slight loss (0–0.5 point loss), moderate loss (0.6–1 point loss), and severe loss (over 1 unit loss). Intermediate body condition at parturition and at first AI, and a slight loss during the early lactation period were used as reference categories. The effects of body condition on the variable pregnancy rate at first AI were highly heterogeneous, while all the studies considering the number of days open presented homogeneous results. A clear association between body condition category and pregnancy rate at first AI was detected only when the effect of a low score at parturition was analyzed: pregnancy rate at first AI significantly decreased by about 10% in cows delivering in poor condition. Animals with a high BCS at parturition showed a significant reduction in the number of days open of 5.8 or 11.7 when compared with animals with an intermediate or low body condition, respectively. In animals in the high body condition category at first AI, the variable days open showed a significant drop of 11.9 or 24.1, compared to animals in the intermediate or low categories, respectively. A severe loss in score during early lactation was related to a significant (10.6) increase in the number of days open, while a slight or moderate body condition change, either loss or gain in score, was not significantly related to the variable days open. We found that the number of days open was a good indicator of the effects of BCS or change in score on reproductive performance in dairy cattle. The variable pregnancy rate at first AI, however, yielded heterogeneous results among studies.

Compactação no intestino grosso de eqüinos: estudo comparativo de três protocolos de indução

Avaliou-se a associação de amitraz (formamidina) e furosemida, administradas em eqüinos sob jejum hídrico e alimentados com feno ad libitum, para induzir compactação reversível do intestino grosso. Utilizaram-se 18 eqüinos de ambos os sexos, sem raça definida, idade de 3 a 16 anos, escore corporal médio ( 3,0 ) e clinicamente saudáveis. Os eqüinos foram divididos em três grupos com seis animais. Cada grupo foi submetido a um dos seguintes protocolos: I - amitraz (0,5mg/kg IV, três aplicações de 12/12h), furosemida (1mg/kg IV, duas aplicações de 12/12h) e jejum hídrico por 48h; avaliações na 0, 12, 24, 36 e 48ª hora; II - amitraz (0,5mg/kg IV, quatro aplicações de 12/12h), furosemida (1mg/kg IV, quatro aplicações de 12/12h) e jejum hídrico por 48h; avaliações na 0, 12, 24, 36 e 48ª hora; III - amitraz (0,5mg/kg IV, sete aplicações de 8/8h), furosemida (1mg/kg IV, quatro aplicações de 8/8h) e jejum hídrico por 72h; avaliações na 0, 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48 e 72ª hora. A avaliação clínica constou de tomadas da temperatura retal e das freqüências cardíaca e respiratória, e verificação do tempo de enchimento capilar, da motilidade intestinal, da distensão do abdome, das características das fezes, da dor e do grau de compactação. Na avaliação de laboratório foram mensurados o hematócrito e as proteínas plasmáticas totais. Concluiu-se que o protocolo III foi o mais eficiente para induzir compactação reversível, podendo ser utilizado como modelo para estudos controlados na área de gastrenterologia.

Case control study of risk factors for toxic mastitis in 26 dairy herds

A retrospective case control study of farm level risk factors for toxic mastitis was carried out in November and December 1996. Twenty-six farms from mid-Somerset were visited: 13 case farms...

Pre-mating herbage intake and the reproductive performance of north Country Cheviot ewes in different levels of body condition

ABSTRACTOver 4 years, a flock of mature North Country Cheviot ewes was grazed on different swards between weaning in August and mid October to achieve a range of condition scores at 5 weeks before mating (post-weaning period). During the subsequent 5 weeks before a synchronized mating (pre-mating period), all ewes were grazed on a perennial ryegrass/white clover sward, provided at high (H) or low (L) herbage masses (1600 to 2100 or 1200 to 1400 kg dry matter (DM) per ha, respectively). Ovulation rate was derived from the number of corpora lutea in 101 ewes slaughtered after first mating. Conception and lambing rates were derived from the number of lambs born to first mating of 406 ewes. In 2 out of the 4 years, 79 ewes were used to estimate herbage intake.There was no effect of post-weaning management on reproductive performance. Herbage intake and reproductive performance were examined in relation to the body condition of the ewes at 5 weeks before mating. On an H herbage mass pre-mating, herbage intake in the period immediately prior to mating was greatest in ewes in low body condition and declined significantly with increasing condition. On an L herbage mass pre-mating, herbage intake did not vary significantly with condition. Ovulation rate was low in ewes in low body condition (scores =≤·25) at 5 weeks before mating, increased significantly with increasing condition up to scores 2·50/2·75 but did not change significantly above such intermediate scores. Conception and lambing rates increased significantly with increasing body condition up to scores 2·50/2·75 and then decreased significantly as condition increased above these levels. These effects of body condition were greater on an L herbage mass pre-mating than they were on an H herbage mass. Ewes in the intermediate body condition scores of 2·50 and 2·75 at 5 weeks before mating had a low sensitivity to contemporary nutrition pre-mating. Such condition levels are therefore considered to be above the range of condition in the North Country Cheviot breed within which reproductive response is affected by contemporary nutrition pre-mating.The lower reproductive performance of ewes in high body condition (scores 3=3·00) at 5 weeks before mating was related to an increase in estimated ova and embryo loss and may be associated with a reduced herbage intake.