Metallicity Floor Research Articles

Nostalgia for the Future

Nostalgia for the Future

Cage trap modifications that enhance the capture success of raccoons

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) often are considered a nuisance species in suburban and urban areas, and thus, must be removed. However, raccoons are capable of removing bait from cage traps without being captured and appear to avoid baits that are infested with fire ants (Solenopsis invicta). We modified Tomahawk® cage traps with an extended metal floor that acted as a trip device, hardware cloth wrapped around the back half of traps to reduce the potential of raccoons obtaining bait without entering the traps, and developed a hook upon which to place baits to minimize the probability of fire ants locating the bait. We then compared the proportion of raccoon captures, baits missing, and baits with fire ants between cage traps with and without the modified floor and bait hook. Twenty-five raccoons were caught, 80 baits were stolen, and 108 baits were infested with fire ants during 432 trap-nights. A greater proportion of raccoons were caught in (G=11.7, 3 df, P<0.01) and fewer baits were stolen from (G=11.0, 3 df, P<0.02) cage traps modified with the extended metal floor than without the modification. Traps equipped with hooks were minimally affected by fire ants present on the baits (i.e., 8 of 216 baits; 3.7%), which was much less (G=59.0, 1 df, P<0.0001) than traps without bait hooks (46.3%). Our modifications to cage traps enhanced the capture success of raccoons and should be considered if live-trapping of raccoons is required, especially in areas where fire ants are problematic.

Butorphanol tartrate acts to decrease sow activity, which could lead to reduced pig crushing.

The objective of this study was to determine whether administration of an analgesic to sows immediately after farrowing would allow them to lie more restfully. Sows lying on their pigs, causing them to be "crushed," is a major cause of pig mortality. Most deaths due to crushing occur during the first 3 d postpartum. For modern, lean-type sows, farrowing crates are relatively hard and unforgiving, even though they may be equipped with plastic-coated, expanded metal flooring. Indeed, many sows develop pressure sores on their shoulders, and this may contribute to the sows' discomfort. These sores may cause a sow to change position frequently to alleviate pain, thus increasing its chances of crushing pigs. Sixteen production sows were assigned to either a control group (C, n = 8) with litter size 11.71+/-.78 or an experimental group (B, n = 8) with litter size 11.63+/-1.22. Pigs born to C and B sows weighed 1.60+/-.04 and 1.37+/-.04 kg, respectively. The C sows were given no treatment, whereas the B sows were administered an i.m. injection of butorphanol tartrate at a dose of .15 mg/kg BW every 6 h until 3 d after farrowing. Data were collected on all sows using time-lapse photography (1 frame/.4 s) for a 3-d duration upon the initiation of farrowing. To assess the degree of comfort of each sow, body position changes were recorded when sows switched between lying, sitting, and standing. Data were analyzed by 12-h periods using Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney equations. During the 72-h period, B sows tended to perform fewer position changes than C sows (P = .10). Specifically, position changes were fewer for B sows from 48 to 72 h postpartum (P<.06). There were no differences in position changes between treatments from 0 to 48 h postpartum (P>.50). There was no difference in the rate of crushing between treatments (C = 5, B = 5). The butorphanol did not seem to affect pig activity or normal behaviors or to create adverse effects, such as diarrhea. Although the sows given butorphanol showed a reduced number of position changes, the dose was intermediate, and a higher dose may have a greater effect. If pig mortality can be decreased, an analgesic protocol that is simple to administer and readily available to producers can be developed. Alternatively, using of more pliable flooring or an increase in sow body fat may allow sows to lie more stationary.

Crushing of piglets by sows: effects of litter features, pen features and sow behaviour

Crushing of piglets by sows in farrowing pens was studied in a 2×2 experiment to evaluate the effect of different pen design features. Pens had either concrete or plastic-coated expanded metal flooring, and half of the pens were fitted with a horizontal bar 23 cm above the floor, bisecting the pen. The bar was intended to prevent the sow from rolling suddenly onto her side, a movement known to crush piglets in open pens. Ninety-eight litters were analyzed during the first 3 days after birth when most crushing occurs. Of the 927 viable, live-born piglets, 95 (10.2%) died during the study, and 75 of these deaths were due to crushing as indicated by post mortem analysis. A high incidence of crushing was associated with larger litter size at birth, lower average piglet weight gain in early lactation, and older (high parity number) sows; however, these variables were interrelated, with older sows tending to have larger litters with lower early weight gains. Pens with a bar had significantly less crushing during the last 2 days of the study (Days 2–3), but this was fully offset by a non-significant tendency for more crushing in these pens on Days 0–1. Video recordings were analyzed for 16 sows with multiple crushings. Of eight types of sow body movement recorded, two caused most of the crushing: lying down from a standing position (54% of crushings observed), and rolling from lying on the udder to lying on the side (33% of crushings observed). Pen design features influenced how often the different movements were performed and how often these movements crushed piglets, but pen design did not affect the total number of movements or the total number of piglets crushed. Although the comparisons in the study did not result in significant differences in the incidence of crushing, the method shows promise as a way to identify design features that reduce the incidence of dangerous movements.

Risk factors for the presence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in Norwegian slaughter lambs

In a study of lambs from 194 sheep flocks from different areas of Norway, 44.3% of the flocks were found seropositive against Toxoplasma gondii using an ELISA test, with antibodies found in 16.2% of the 1940 individual animals. The risk factors for the occurrence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii found in the multivariate logistic regression were: daily presence of a young cat in the sheep house (Odds ratio, OR=4.11, 95% CI=1.01–19.7); `atypical' grazing of lambs (OR=6.35, CI=2.36–17.11); use of mouse poison in the sheep house (OR=2.26, CI=1.02–5.00); farm situated at an altitude >100 meters above seal level (101–250 m: OR=1.20, CI=0.49–2.92; 251–500 m: OR=4.97; CI=2.04–12.0; >500 m: OR=3.66, CI=1.33–10.1). A lower risk was found for flocks with perforated metal floors in the sheep house (OR=0.47, CI=0.23–0.96) and timber construction of the sheep house (OR=0.34, CI=0.15–0.80). Based on these findings it was recommended that farmers avoid keeping young cats in the sheep houses, that close-to-farm grazing be kept to a minimum and that perforated metal floors be used in the sheep houses. However, with such a high seroprevalence, the proposed measures alone would not reduce the occurrence of Toxoplasma in lambs to a level where undercooked lamb can be consumed without posing an unacceptable risk for some consumer groups.

Sow preference for types of flooring in farrowing crates

A preference-testing apparatus was used to provide sows with continuous access to three identical farrowing crates, each with a different type of flooring. The crates radiated from a central hub area sufficiently large for sows to enter or leave any crate freely. In exp. 1, nine sows from a concrete-floored gestation room were offered crates over concrete, plastic-coated rod, and galvanized metal rod. In exp. 2, 18 sows were pre-exposed for a period of 1 wk to one of the three floors before entry into the preference testing apparatus. Video recording was used to determine sow position from 3 d before to 13 d after farrowing in exp. 1 and for a 3-d period before and 3-d period after farrowing in exp. 2. In exp. 1, sows showed a strong preference (P &lt; 0.05) for the concrete floor before farrowing, but this preference had diminished by the final week in the apparatus (P ≈ 0.16). In exp. 2, sows pre-exposed to metal or plastic-coated flooring made more voluntary use of these products, but the metal floor was strongly avoided during and immediately after farrowing. Overall, concrete seemed to be a preferred floor material for sows at farrowing. Key words: Sow, farrowing crate, flooring, preference testing, animal welfare

Changes in striatal dopamine release in stress-induced conditioned suppression of motility in rats

Rats received a footshock for 10 min in a chamber with a metallic grid floor, and then placed into the chamber for 30 min after 6 days. The motility of the, shocked rats showed a significant decrease (conditioned suppression of motility). In addition, the extracellular dopamine (DA) levels in the striatum were also reduced significantly in in vivo microdialysis study. Thus, dysfunction in the striatal DAergic neuronal systems is responsible for mental stress responses such as conditioned fear stress.

Metabolic and thermoregulatory responses of the rat maintained in acrylic or wire-screen cages: Implications for pharmacological studies

Because of differences in thermal conductivity, it is likely that a rodent's thermoregulatory requirements and their response to drugs and other stimuli will vary in metal and acrylic cages. To address these issues, thermoregulatory responses were measured in rats housed in an envirommental chamber with a floor made of either solid metal (aluminum) or acrylic materials (Plexiglas). Metabolic rate ( M), evaporative water loss ( E), thermal conductance ( C), and tail skin ( T sk) and core temperature ( T c) were measured at ambient temperatures ( T a) of 10, 20, 28, 30, 32, and 34°C. These thermoregulatory variables were essentially unaffected by floor type at T as of 20 and 28°C. The acrylic floor showed greater increases in M, E, T c, and T sk, but a smaller elevation in C as T a increased from 28 to 34°C. At a T a of 10°C, rats on the acrylic floor had a smaller M compared to that measured on the metal floor. Rats were then injected with saline or 30 mg/kg (SC) of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and placed in an acrylic cage with wood chip bedding or a wire-screen cage at a T a of 20°C. The MDMA caused T c to increase > 2.0°C in rats in the acrylic cage but had no effect on T c of rats in the wire-screen cage. The marked effect of cage type on basal thermoregulatory processes and thermogenic response to MDMA should be useful in the design and interpretation of many pharmacological studies.

Prenatal oxazepam effects on cocaine conditioned place preference in developing mice

The positively reinforcing and activity enhancing effects of IP cocaine (0, 5, or 25 mg/kg) were assessed at three ages (14–17, 21–24, and 28–31 days) in outbred CD-1 mouse pups treated prenatally by either oxazepam (OX, 15 mg/kg PO twice/day on days 12–16 of pregnancy) or vehicle (VEH). A 4-day unbiased conditioned place preference (CPP) procedure was used with combined visual and tactile cues (white walls and wide-mesh metal floor versus black walls and narrow-mesh floor) (11). A single 25 mg/kg cocaine dose produced CPP in both prenatal groups of 28–31 day-old mice. At the two younger ages, a significant cocaine CPP was found in prenatal OX mice but not in vehicle animals; the latter apparently developed CPP less readily than the offspring of indisturbed dams in a previous experiment (11). On the other hand, prenatal OX did not produce substantial changes in the developmental profile of cocaine effects on locomotor activity, consisting of a dose-related response enhancement which is much more marked at 22 and 29 days than before weaning (11).

A comparison of a straw-based and slatted floor housing system for the weaned pig

Little objective information is available on the relative merits of straw based and slatted floored systems for the weaned pig in terms of performance and indices of welfare. A controlled experiment was conducted in an attempt to obtain relevant information.The following 3 systems were compared: (1) straw bedded pens (SB), conventional flat decks (FD) and identical flat decks with environmental enrichment (FD+). The FD pens had fully perforated expanded metal floors with an ad lib feeder across the front of the pen and 2 nipple drinkers on the opposite wall. The enriched FD pens had a variety of ‘recreational’ objects added - a metal chain and tyre suspended from the ceiling within the pigs’ reach, a concrete block, a tyre and an assortment of rounded stones of different size placed on the pen floor. There were 3 pens per room but only 2 were used in the trial, one each for the FD and FD+ treatments. Temperature control was by means of 2 gas heaters and a fan assisted ventilation system which was thermostatically controlled. The straw pens were located in a large cattle court which had a concrete floor; within each pen there was a kennelled lying area and an open outrun. The whole floor surface was kept liberally covered with good quality dry barley straw. An identical ad lib feeder to that in the flat decks was provided in the outrun area and 2 nipple drinkers were provided adjacent to the feeder. In all treatments for the first 3 days of the trial a box drinker was placed in each pen to allow the pigs time to familiarise themselves with the nipple drinkers.

Transient stray voltage: Is it detrimental to growth performance, health status and welfare of market pigs?

The effects of transient stray voltage associated with an alternating current were evaluated in growing-finishing pigs from 9 to 22 weeks of age. Seventy-two pigs were assigned to 9 blocks of 8 animals each. In each block, the following treatments were randomly distributed: a constant voltage differential created between the feeder or drinker and the metallic floor (woven wire), at a level of 0 volt plus 2-volt pulses (0 V-2 V), 2 volts plus 3-volt pulses (2 V-5 V), 5 volts plus 3-volt pulses (5 V-8 V), and a control treatment without any voltage differential (0 V-0 V). The constant voltage was applied 24 h per day. The pulses of 3 s duration were in the form of an increase in the amplitude of the constant 60-Hz signal. One pulse appeared every 20, 40 and 100 s during the hour following feed distribution and every 60, 120 and 300 s during the rest of the day. The animals were fed ad libitum and received fresh feed twice per day. Once during the 2-week periods at 9-10, 13-14, 17-18 and 21-22 weeks of age, the behaviour of the pigs was recorded during the hour following the two daily feed distributions. Animal weights and blood samples were taken every 2 weeks, from 9 to 21 weeks of age. No significant effect of transient stray voltage on any of the variables measured for the feeding, drinking, sitting or lying activities was found (p > 0.05). At 9-10 weeks of age, the number of rooting bouts was higher for the 5 V-8 V treatment (p = 0.03) and the number of events of butting the penmate was higher for the 2 V-5 V treatment (p = 0.05). Although the water and feed intake did not differ between treatments (p > or = 0.39), the average daily gain of the control group was lower than that of treated groups (p = 0.04) at 9 and 10 weeks of age, while the pigs submitted to a 2 V-5 V treatment had a higher daily gain than the pigs in the other treatment groups (p = 0.05) at 17 and 18 weeks of age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Stray voltage: its influence on swine production during the fattening period

The effects of continuous stray voltage were evaluated on growing-finishing pigs between the ages of 10 and 12 wk. Seventy-two pigs were assigned to six blocks of 12 animals each. The following treatments were randomly distributed in each block according to a 2 × 3 factorial design: feeding level (A) (restricted or ad libitum) and voltage level (0, 5 or 8 volts) as a continuous difference of potential between feeder or drinker and the metallic floor). The total drinking time (P &lt; 0.10) and the number of drinking bouts (P &lt; 0.05) were lower in the 8-V group than in the 0-V group for restricted-fed pigs during the hour after feed distribution. The percentage of observation time spent drinking during light hours was reduced in the 5-V and 8-V groups at 18 (P &lt; 0.01) and 20 wk (P &lt; 0.05). However, it was only between 14 and 16 wk of age that water intake was lower in the voltage groups (P &lt; 0.05). There was no effect of voltage on mean daily feed intake and average daily gain over the whole fattening period (P &gt; 0.3). Nonetheless, the mean eating frequency during light hours from 10 to 20 wk of age was higher in the 8-V than in the 0-V and 5-V groups of restricted-fed pigs, while it was similar in the three groups fed ad libitum (A × V lin; P &lt; 0.05). Stray voltage at 8 V increased sitting time and decreased resting time in restricted-fed groups during light hours (A × V lin; P &lt; 0.05) but the occurrence of aggressive encounters was very low in the three treatment groups throughout the study. Finally, the metabolic profile, the frequency and the severity of gastric ulcerative lesions and the meat color were similar among the treatments (P &gt; 0.10). Key words: Stray voltage, growing-finishing pigs, behavior, growth performance, health

Ontogeny of cocaine hyperactivity and conditioned place preference in mice.

Conditioned place preference (CPP) procedures using jointly visual and tactile cues (white compartment with a wide-mesh metal floor versus black compartment with a narrow-mesh floor) were employed to assess the ontogenetic pattern of cocaine reinforcing properties in outbred CD1 mice. A classical 11-day-long schedule, in which the drug experience occurred in the initially less-preferred compartment ("biased" procedure, Spyraki 1988), served to study cocaine (0, 1, 5, or 25 mg/kg IP repeated four times at 48 h intervals) during the early postweaning stage (21-32 days). The result was a fully-fledged CPP at all cocaine doses. A subsequent experiment used a shortened (4-day) "unbiased" CPP schedule (animals assigned at random to drug experience in one or the other compartment); this enabled an assessment of the ontogenetic pattern of the drug action (single treatment, same dose range) in pups of both sexes at three different developmental ages (14-17, 21-24, or 28-31 days). At the 25 mg/kg dose, CPP developed in animals of all ages, while the 5 mg/kg dose was effective only in 21-24 day pups and the 1 mg/kg dose was ineffective. No significant sex differences were found, but the use of the unbiased procedure enabled a demonstration of an interaction between treatment, age, and type of CS. At the preweaning stage, CPP was due mainly to an increased preference for the black/narrow-mesh compartment, while at the early postweaning stage it consisted mainly of an increased preference for the white/wide-mesh compartment; at the late postweaning stage the cue and the treatment factor did not interact.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Thermoregulatory behaviour of sheep housed in insulated and uninsulated buildings

The objective of this study was to investigate the thermoregulatory behaviour of sheep in confinement. In Experiment 1, two groups of 8 lambs in both an insulated (IN) and uninsulated (UN) house (total 32 animals) were studied; the durations of lying with and without body contact and standing were recorded (24 h time-lapse video recording) for five selected days before and after shearing (40 24-h periods). Before shearing the lying time was significantly longer in IN than UN (917.2 min day −1 and 862.1 min day −1 respectively). The first day after shearing the lying time was reduced by 39%, but approached the level before shearing around 25 days later. There was no difference between IN and UN. In Experiment 2, the body and head posture and the number of physical contacts (huddling) when lying was recorded at noon every day. Around 90% of the sheep before shearing were lying with all legs hidden under the body, and there was no difference between IN and UN. Huddling was more pronounced in UN. In Experiment 3, a group of 12 lambs could choose between two pens (Pen A with wooden slatted floor and Pen B with an expanded metal floor). Before shearing the lambs showed no preference. The first day after shearing the lambs did not lie down at all, and later they almost exclusively preferred to lie at the wooden slats. This study shows that the main thermoregulatory strategy for sheep exposed to low temperatures, especially after shearing, is to reduce the lying time. Huddling was exploited to some extent, but the results showed that the sheep did not utilize the strategy of changing lying posture and time of day for lying.

AC Voltages on Water Bowls: Effects on Lactating Holsteins

Water intake, milk yield, feed consumption, and milk composition of lactating cows were monitored before, during, and after 21-d exposures to voltage. Fifteen first parity and 15 multiparous cows were divided equally among five treatments (0, .5, 1, 2, and 4V) in which voltages were applied continuously between water bowls and metal floor mats. Initial application of voltage caused delays in drinking, which increased with voltage. Two animals receiving 4V did not drink for 36h, at which time their voltages were disconnected. All other animals drank within 36h and showed no significant long-term difference in the monitored parameters. Drinking behavior in the presence of voltage was investigated further by exposing 44 first parity and 40 multiparous cows to voltage (3, 4, 5, or 6V) for 2 d. Four first parity cows receiving 5 or 6V did not drink for 36h while all other animals did. Delays in resumption of drinking increased with voltage. In total, all 42 animals exposed to 3V or less adapted within 36h, as did 60 of the 66 Holsteins (91%) exposed to 4 to 6V. Adaptation may have been enhanced by the continuous presence of the voltages.

A peripheral mononeuropathy in rat that produces disorders of pain sensation like those seen in man

A peripheral mononeuropathy was produced in adult rats by placing loosely constrictive ligatures around the common sciatic nerve. The postoperative behavior of these rats indicated that hyperalgesia, allodynia and, possibly, spontaneous pain (or dysesthesia) were produced. Hyperalgesic responses to noxious radiant heat were evident on the second postoperative day and lasted for over 2 months. Hyperalgesic responses to chemogenic pain were also present. The presence of allodynia was inferred from the nocifensive responses evoked by standing on an innocuous, chilled metal floor or by innocuous mechanical stimulation, and by the rats' persistence in holding the hind paw in a guarded position. The presence of spontaneous pain was suggested by a suppression of appetite and by the frequent occurrence of apparently spontaneous nocifensive responses. The affected hind paw was abnormally warm or cool in about one-third of the rats. About one-half of the rats developed grossly overgrown claws on the affected side. Experiments with this animal model may advance our understanding of the neural mechanisms of neuropathic pain disorders in humans.

The effects of method of processing of starters, tallow inclusion and roughage supplementation on the performance of early-weaned calves

Two experiments involving 63 Friesian calves were carried out to investigate the effect of fat inclusion and method of processing of starters on the performance and roughage requirements of the early-weaned calf. Milk replacer was fed at the rate of 0.41 kg DM per calf daily for 23 days. Three starters, WP T, GP N, GTP N, based on 63.5% barley and 25% soya-bean meal, were fed ad libitum throughout each experiment. WP T and GP N were identical in composition, but differed in that whole barley was used in the production of an 8-mm pellet in WP T, whereas the barley was ground prior to the production of a 5-mm pencil in GP N. Starter GTP N differed from starter GP N in that it contained 3.5% tallow in place of 3.5% cassava. In Experiment 1, 18 calves were kept on expanded metal floors without access to long roughage for 62 days, followed by 10 days when they were bedded on straw and had free access to hay; in Experiment 2, 45 calves were bedded on straw and had free access to hay for a 58-day period. Apparent digestibility coefficients, based on a total 10-day collection (Days 49–58) in Experiment 1 were significantly different in the case of fat, where GTP N was higher ( P < 0.001) than GP N and in N-free extract where WP T was lower ( P < 0.05) than the others; otherwise differences failed to reach significance. Whole barley voided in the faeces for WP T, expressed as a percentage (± SE) of dietary barley, amounted to 4.27 ± 1.03% in Experiment 1 and 4.56 ± 1.13% in Experiment 2. Rumen fluid pH values were significantly higher at four sampling dates in the post-weaning period with WP T than with the other starters when no supplementary roughage was provided in Experiment 1. Provision of long roughage during the final 10 days of Experiment 1 and in Experiment 2 resulted in a significant increase in rumen fluid pH values on all starters. Bloat was not observed on WP T in either Experiment 1 or 2, or on any starter in Experiment 2. Persistent bloat occurred with GP N when no long roughage was provided in Experiment 1; bloating almost completely disappeared when long roughage was introduced towards the end of Experiment 1. In Experiment 2, liveweight gains were not significantly affected by starter type, except during the post-weaning period when GTP N gave lower gains than GP N ( P < 0.05). In contrast, in Experiment 1, when no long roughage was provided, WP T fed calves gained 14.1 and 9.1 kg more than calves fed the pencils with (GTP N) or without tallow (GP N) over a 62-day period. In both experiments, intake of WP T was highest and intake of GTP N was lowest.

Performance and Carcass Quality of Broilers Reared on Wire Flooring, Plastic Inserts, Wood Slats, or Plastic-Coated Expanded Metal Flooring Each with or Without Padded Roosts ,

Commercial straight-run broilers were reared on raised flooring in two experiments to study the effects on broiler performance and carcass quality of padded roosts and four raised floor types – wire, wood slats, plastic inserts over wire (Experiment 1) and plastic-coated expanded metal – and added dietary zinc bacitracin (Zb) at a level of 40 g per ton (909 kg) of feed (Experiment 2).In both experiments mean body weights, feed conversion ratios, percentages of mortality, and percentages of deformed legs were not significantly different among floor types. Floor types did not affect incidence of foot pad dermatitis or percent of body fat in Experiment 1 or folliculitis in Experiment 2.Feather soilage and folliculitis were significantly greater (P<.05) in broilers reared on wood slats with and without padded roosts than in birds reared on wire and plastic inserts. Occurrence of breast blisters was greater (P<.05) in broilers reared on wire without padded roosts than in birds reared on wood and plastic insert floor types. Feather soilage scores were significantly lower (P<.05) in broilers reared on wire both with and without padded roosts than for birds reared on expanded metal. Foot pad dermatitis scores and percentages of breast blisters were significantly higher (P<.05) in broilers reared on wire without padded roosts than for birds reared on wire with padded roosts or on expanded metal with and without padded roosts. Incidence of indented keels was significantly higher (P<.05) in broilers reared on wire and extended metal floors with roosts than for birds reared without roosts. The feeding of Zb did not affect broiler performance and carcass quality. Wood slats and plastic-coated expanded metal flooring with padded roosts showed some promise as raised floor types for rearing broilers.

GENETIC AND PHENOTYPIC PARAMETERS OF CARCASS TRAITS IN RAM LAMBS REARED ARTIFICIALLY IN A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT

Genetic and phenotypic relationships among carcass traits were calculated for 654 ram lambs from 210 sires of three synthetic strains developed at the Animal Research Centre. Lambs were housed indoors in a controlled environment on expanded metal floors and reared artificially with milk replacer and solid diets. Paternal half-sib estimates of heritability at 36-kg body weight and 116 of age were moderate to high ranging from 0.38 to 0.67 for shoulder and leg (trimmed and lean), total trimmed retail cuts, total lean, chilled carcass weight and lean weight per day (P &lt; 0.01). Estimates of phenotypic and genetic correlations between the above traits showed a significantly favorable relationship indicating their usefulness as criteria in selection for meatiness. Heritability estimates for front, back and total in rough retail cuts, trimmed loin cuts, lean in rack and loin, kidney fat weight and dressing percentage ranged from −0.19 to 0.27 (P &gt; 0.05). Estimates involving loin, rack, front, back, total retail cuts, kidney fat wt, dressing percentage and chilled carcass weight per day showed lower and nonsignificant relationships with total trimmed retail cuts or total lean. Key words: Sheep, heritability, genetic and phenotypic correlations, lamb carcass traits

The effect of floor type in farrowing pens on pig injury. I. Leg and teat damage of suckling piglets.

Abstract Knee and teat damage were scored for 1376 suckling piglets from 140 litters on six different types of floor surface. Both knee and teat damage were present from the day of birth, increased over the first week of life and then started to heal in the second and third weeks. Overall knee damage levels were low with 41% of piglets having no damage and only 11% having significant damage. Knee damage incidence and severity were worse on an old cement screed than on more recently laid cement, fibrocem or latex screeds. Damage on solid floors was related to their skid resistance value. Lowest levels of knee damage were observed on fully perforated floors of plastic-covered woven wire, but punched metal floors gave damage levels similar to solid floors. Teat damage also showed a low incidence overall, with 92% of males and 76% of females unaffected. Incidence and severity of teat damage were again significantly lower on plastic-covered wire than on other floor types. Knee and teat damage were not related to piglet birth-weight and had little effect on live-weight gain.