Young Sheep Research Articles

The Use of Remote Sensing Data to Improve the Efficiency of Pastoral Sheep

in the study of agricultural land, the priority is the use of remote monitoring techniques using unmanned aerial vehicles, technological portable devices. Obtaining materials by remote methods will expand the possibilities of introducing grazing livestock, increase the yield and thereby improve the efficiency of production indicators. The article considers the issues of assessing the nutritional value of pasture fodder, in particular, the amino acid composition in combination with the vegetation index in the conditions of pasture livestock raising in the Stavropol Territory. Productive qualities of replacement young animals directly depend on the quality of feed. Monitoring the amino acid composition of feeds allows you to optimize the technology of growing sheep, taking into account their productivity direction. The combination of remote methods for assessing the vegetation index and the in-depth composition of the nutritional value of feeds makes it possible to optimize the production schedule for the use of pasture plots by various sex and age groups of animals and increase the average daily gain in live weight of young fattening groups by 8-10%. It has been shown that the introduction of top-dressing with roughage in especially dry periods contributes to preserve of animal growth energy when changing grazing areas. Remote assessment of pasture vegetation was carried out using a special camera to calculate the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), which was installed on an unmanned aerial vehicle. At the same time, the dynamics of the NDVI using a portable manual nitrogen sensor was studied in the same pasture plots. The obtained results of monitoring of the vegetative index on pasture plots were compared with the results of chemical analysis of plant feed. Information on the availability of gross amount of plant biomass in the fields was used for priority selection of a specific site for grazing animals and optimizing the use of agricultural territories. It was proven that the parameters of the NDVI for the pasture keeping of young sheep should not be lower than 0.4. The development and implementation of innovative methods of aerospace monitoring makes it possible to increase the efficiency of land use and increase the efficiency of grazing.

The old sheep: a convenient and suitable model for senile osteopenia.

Existing osteoporosis models in sheep exhibit some disadvantages, e.g., challenging surgical procedures, serious ethical concerns, failure of reliable induction of substantial bone loss, or lack of comparability to the human condition. This study aimed to compare bone morphological and mechanical properties of old and young sheep, and to evaluate the suitability of the old sheep as a model for senile osteopenia. The lumbar vertebral body L3 of female merino sheep with two age ranges, i.e., old animals (6-10years; n = 41) and young animals (2-4years; n = 40), was analyzed concerning its morphological and mechanical properties by bone densitometry, quantitative histomorphometry, and biomechanical testing of the corticalis and/or central spongious region. In comparison with young sheep, old animals showed only marginally diminished bone mineral density of the vertebral bodies, but significantly decreased structural (bone volume, - 15.1%; ventral cortical thickness, - 11.8%; lateral cortical thickness, - 12.2%) and bone formation parameters (osteoid volume, osteoid surface, osteoid thickness, osteoblast surface, all - 100.0%), as well as significantly increased bone erosion (eroded surface, osteoclast surface). This resulted in numerically decreased biomechanical properties (compressive strength; - 6.4%). Old sheep may represent a suitable model of senile osteopenia with markedly diminished bone structure and formation, and substantially augmented bone erosion. The underlying physiological aging concept reduces challenging surgical procedures and ethical concerns and, due to complex alteration of different facets of bone turnover, may be well representative of the human condition.

On the culling room floor: Butchery waste from the Early Bronze Age site of Çukuriçi Höyük

This paper discusses the remains of several young sheep and goats found in a semi-articulated state within a single room at the Early Bronze Age site of Çukuriçi Höyük, western Anatolia. Despite the relatively unusual nature of the assemblage within the context of the site, it is ultimately argued to be that of butchery waste. The interpretative value of such everyday refuse is then discussed in conjunction with site-wide zooarchaeological and ceramic information, with a particular emphasis on the effect of taphonomic factors in how such assemblages might be understood. The role of caprines both economically and socially is then explored looking at herd-management strategies, culturally contingent food preferences, butchery and cooking practices as well as inter-household interaction on the site. In particular the meaning of caprines being culled at a ‘tender meat age’ is considered in regards to what it can elucidate relating to the social organisation of the site.

Electrocardiogram of young sheep of different genotypes

The method of electrocardiography was used to study the electrical activity of the heart of purebred and crossbred young sheep of the Pechora Experimental Station at the age of 70-90 days. Statistically significant differences between groups of young sheep of different genotypes which were probably related to the constitutional features of animals were found in the amplitude of the R-wave and T-wave on the ECG in the III sagittal lead as well as in the position of the electrical axis of the heart. The results of the studies should be considered when assessing the functional state of the cardiovascular system of the offspring of sheep received from parents with different genetically determined constitutional productive qualities.

The Influence of Mechanochemical Technology on Anthelmintic Efficacy of Supramolecular Complexes of Fenbendazole with Licorice Extract

The purpose of the research is studying the effect of mechanochemical technology on anthelmintic efficacy of supramolecular complexes of fenbendazole with licorice extract. Materials and methods. Tests of the supramolecular complexes of fenbendazole (SMCF) with licorice extract (LE) were carried out on 127 heads of young sheep spontaneously infected by Nematodirus sp. and other types of gastrointestinal strongylates. For each helminthosis, animals of different groups of 8–11 animals each were given single oral administration of SMCF with LE in a dose of 2.0 mg/kg in AD in the form of 10 and 17 % powders and 2.4 and 4.5% suspensions in comparison with the basic drug – fenbendazole (FBZ) in a dose of 2.0 mg/kg. SMCF with LE was developed according to mechanochemical technology for 2 hours. The baseline was a group of sheep that did not receive the drug. The anthelmintic efficacy of the preparations was taken into account according to the results of coproovoscopic studies of sheep by flotation before and 16 days after the preparations were used. Accounting for the effectiveness of drugs was carried out according to the "control test" type. Results and discussion. SMСF with LE in a dose of 2.0 mg/kg by AD in the form of 10 and 17% powders and 2.4 and 4.5% suspensions showed respectively 89.2; 83.12; 82.09 and 83.59% effectiveness against Nematodirus spp. and 88.73; 67.3; 83.87 and 86.38% activity against other types of Strongylata when receiving 22.7 and 21.9% effect of the base drug – FBZ.

Presence of wheat straw in soil influences nutrient availability and leaching in soil mulched with high or low C/N organic materials

ABSTRACT The study aimed to determine nutrient availability in soil mulched with organic materials and how this is influenced by the presence of high C/N residue in the soil. Three organic materials were used: mature wheat straw (W, C/N 81), young faba bean shoots (FB, C/N 7) and sheep manure (SM, C/N 8). There were eight treatments: unamended control, soil containing W, soil containing W and mulched with W, FB or SM and soil only with W, FB or SM mulch. Soils were leached on days 4, 12, 20 and 28 and sampled 8 days after each leaching. Cumulative respiration over 36 days was influenced by mulch type: FB > W > SM and higher in soil mixed with W and mulched than in soil with only mulch. Microbial biomass N was two-fold higher in soil mixed with wheat and mulched than in soil with only mulch. Available N was between 0.2 and two-fold higher in soil with only mulch than soil with mulch and mixed with W. Available N increased over time with FB mulch but changed little with SM or W mulch. In conclusion, W in the soil can enhance N immobilisation and thus reduce N leaching from FB mulch.

Is there competition between Haemonchus contortus and Haemonchus placei in a pasture grazed by only sheep?

This study aimed to evaluate the dynamics of Haemonchus contortus and Haemonchus placei infections and hybridization between these species in grazing sheep without contact with cattle. On January 14, 2014, sixteen young sheep were infected with 4000 infective H. placei third-stage larvae L3; 11 days later, another group n = 16 was infected with 4000 H. contortus L3. The establishment rates of H. contortus and H. placei L3 were, on average, 61.6 % and 56.8 %, respectively, in the permanent sheep. After the establishment of patent infections, all permanent sheep were allocated together in the same clean pasture where they grazed for the next 12 months. Euthanasia of a sample of the permanent sheep was performed every three months: in May, August, November and February. Two weeks before the sheep were removed for euthanasia, 2 worm-free tracer sheep were introduced to the pasture to evaluate the larval population in the field. The tracer sheep grazed alongside the permanent sheep for 2 weeks. Then, they were housed indoors for 20 days; at the end of this period, they were euthanized. Parasites were recovered from the permanent and tracer sheep and identified using morphological and molecular techniques. A total of 432 worms (from permanent and tracer animals) were analyzed by PCR using species-specific primer pairs. Of these specimens, only two (0.46 %) male worms were identified as hybrids: one was recovered from a permanent animal euthanized in August and the other from a tracer sheep that grazed in May. The last detection of adult H. placei worms occurred in sheep euthanized in May (approximately 3.5 months after the beginning of the grazing period). The morphological evaluation of the L3 produced in fecal cultures showed that H. placei were progressively replaced by H. contortus populations starting in March. The last trace of H. placei L3 was found in August, when a small percentage (0.5 %) of infective larvae with H. placei morphology was identified in a fecal culture. In conclusion, hybridization between H. contortus and H. placei can occur in the field during coinfection. It was demonstrated that H. placei established successfully in artificially infected worm-free sheep; however, with concomitant natural reinfection with H. contortus, the H. placei population showed a rapid decrease and was eliminated within a few months in an environment without cattle.

Seroepidemiological study of Caseous lymphadenitis in sheep from the Northeast region of Brazil using an indirect ELISA

The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of seropositivity Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis in sheep in five states of northeastern Brazil, using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (i-ELISA). Young and adult sheep of both sexes were used. Blood samples were collected from 2638 sheep from 223 herds across all states. For the i-ELISA, antigens produced from the strain of C. pseudotuberculosis BRM 029971, a bacterial isolate from the Northeast region of Brazil, were used. Sensitivity and specificity indexes were calculated for the validation of the test, using as reference 49 and 134 serum samples from sheep known to be positive and negative, respectively. The i-ELISA presented four false-negative and four false-positive results, showing a specificity of 97.01%, a sensitivity of 91.84%, and an accuracy of 95.63%. These results were calculated based on an optical density (OD) cutoff point = 0.138. Of the 2638 sheep tested, 996 (37.76%, 95% CI = 35.93-39.62%) were seropositive, and of the 223 evaluated herds, 210 (94.17%, 95% CI = 90.28-96.56%) seropositive. The i-ELISA showed adequate sensitivity and specificity, proving to be a useful tool in the diagnosis of caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) in sheep. Infection by C. pseudotuberculosis, determined by serology, is disseminated in the sheep herds in the states of Northeast Brazil. Thus, there is a need to implement effective control measures that prevent the spread of infectious agents.

Toxoplasma gondii infection in meat-producing small ruminants: Meat juice serology and genotyping

The consumption of ovine and caprine meat is considered one of the major transmission routes for Toxoplasma gondii infection in humans. The present study aimed at obtaining epidemiological and molecular data on T. gondii infection in small ruminants slaughtered or commercialized in Italy. Meat juices from 227 sheep and 51 goats were analyzed with a commercial ELISA and antibodies were detected in 28.6% sheep and 27.5% goats. A significant difference was highlighted between adult sheep and the other considered categories (young sheep, young and adult goats) concerning the detection of antibodies (94.1%; p-value = .008). Muscles of positives samples were submitted to molecular analysis, and T. gondii DNA was detected in 15 sheep and three goats; sequencing of B1 gene showed that all belonged to Type II. The present study confirmed small ruminants' meat as a possible source of T. gondii infection for consumers eating raw or undercooked meat, particularly in those countries where the consumption of sheep and goats' meat products is a traditional gastronomic habit.

Prenatal Testosterone Exposure Disrupts Insulin Secretion And\xa0Promotes Insulin Resistance

Hyperandrogenemia and metabolic disturbances during postnatal life are strongly linked both to polycystic ovary syndrome and other conditions that arise from prenatal exposure to androgen excess. In an animal model of this condition, we reported that insulin sensitivity (IS) was lower in young female sheep born to testosterone-treated mothers versus sheep born to non-exposed mothers (control). This lower insulin sensitivity remains throughout reproductive life. However, it is unknown whether abnormal postnatal levels of testosterone (T) further decrease IS derived from prenatal exposure to testosterone. Therefore, we assessed the effects of an acute testosterone administration (40 mg) on IS and insulin secretion during an intravenous glucose tolerance test performed at 40 weeks of age (adulthood) in previously ovariectomized sheep at 26 weeks of age (prepuberty), that were either prenatally exposed to testosterone (T-females, n = 6) or not (C-females, n = 6). The incremental area under the curve of insulin was greater in C-females both with or without the acute testosterone treatment (P < 0.05). The ISI-Composite was lower after an acute testosterone treatment, only in T-females. We conclude that prenatal exposure to testosterone disrupts pancreatic insulin secretion in response to glucose and that in this setting further hyperandrogenemia may predispose to lower insulin sensitivity.

Exterior and interior indicators of development of Tsigai breed young sheep on the background of diet supplement with iodine in liposomal form

The effect of the liposomal form of antioxidants with the inclusion of organic iodine on the growth of young Tsigai sheep was described in the article. The liposomal form allowed increasing average daily gain of young animals by 11.9 % and live weight by 10.8 % compared to the control one-year age group. The animals of the experimental group were characterized by more embodied meat forms according to the analysis of their exterior. Interior indicators were represented by the increased content of RBC that reached 1.8×1012 cells per liter or 25.7 % (p≤0.001), and WBC – 1.80×10⁹ cells per liter or 20.0 % (p≤0.01) at 7-months age; 1.9×1012 cells per liter (p≤0.001) and 1.74×10⁹ cells per liter (p≤0.05) at 12 months, respectively. This fact was due to the increased content of monocytes and neutrophils: the difference between the control and experimental groups of animals was within 1.1% and 0.6% at the age of 12 months.

Features of polymorphism of calpastatin and somatotropin genes in young sheep, obtained from crossing ewes of Kalmyk fat-rumped sheeps and dorper rams

The article presents the study of polymorphism of the CAST and GH genes, which determine the features of the manifestation of the productive and biological characteristics of sheep with ½ Kalmyk + ½ Dorper blood system. Calpastatin gene polymorphism represented by alleles M and N, whose frequency was 0,65 and 0,35; genotypes MM, MN – 30 and 70% accordingly. The desired NN genotype has not been identified. A relatively uniform incidence of allele N (0,35) CAST gene and B (0,40) GH was established, what contributed to an almost equal distribution of allele frequencies М (0,65) and А (0,60) genes of calpastatin and somatotropin accordingly. The frequency of heterozygous genotypes occurrence by CAST gene composed 0,7. By GH gene the following distribution of genotype frequencies is observed. Frequency of occurrence homozygous АА and heterozygous AB genotypes was equal to and is 0,4, wherein the frequency of occurrence advised homozygous ВВ genotype was 0,2. Among the animals studied, sheep with a complex genotype are most common CASTMNGHAB (40 %). The amount of percent CASTMMGHAA and CASTMNGHAA is in 22,2%. 10% is for genotypes CASTMMGHBB and CASTMNGHBB.

Evaluation of the commercial characteristics of sheep pelts of rams of Dzhalginsky merino breed under different technologies of rearing

Balanced feeding providing the needs of animals for basic nutrients is a crucial factor in rearing. One of the eff ective methods of rearing of young sheep with a lack of feeding under the ewes is considered to be drinking lamb milk replacer (LMR). It is known that in sheep breeding with some methods of rearing young animals early weaning of lambs and rearing them on lamb milk replacer is of particular importance. In addition some breeds of sheep are multi-fertile and give from 2 to 5 lambs in one lambing. Providing the off spring with their own milk in such cases is not possible, so a full-fl edged not only in protein, but also in energy, LMR is of big importance when rearing young sheep. For lambs, the orphans and two and three lambing we need to apply when feeding a variety of recipes LMR. One of these is Servakid Pro in the production of French company Serval, which not allows the lamb to become weak due to the high level of sugar. It is used as a complete or partial milk replacer during the most important stages of growth during the fi rst 15 days of life and due to the natural taste is well used by young animals. The experiment on the use of this milk replacer has been shown that drinking during the preweaning period of LMR Servakid Pro not only did not aff ect negatively the qualitative characteristics of the skin of sheep pelts, but, thanks to the vitamin complex that is part of LMR even had a positive eff ect, which has been expressed in superiority over herdmates reared by standard technologies. Thus, according to histological parameters in the 2nd experimental group of rams with virtually identical parameters of density and thickness of the skin, the pilar layer (where the follicles are located) was developed more by 3,2 and 0,7 %, and the total thickness of the skin was biger by 16,0 and 2,5 % in comparison with herdmates of the control and 1st experimental groups, respectively. Sheep pelts of all groups of young animals participating in the experiment are a typical fur raw material, so we recommend that when incomplete consumption of mother’s milk by off spring (twins, triplets, orphans, small-milk ewes) use the above-mentioned lamb milk replacer.

ОСОБЕННОСТИ РАЗВИТИЯ ОСНОВНЫХ МЫШЦ ПЛЕЧЕВОГО ПОЯСА ОСЕВОГО ОТДЕЛА МОЛОДНЯКА ОВЕЦ ЦИГАЙСКОЙ ПОРОДЫ

The article presents the results of studying the growth and development of the shoulder girdle muscles of the axial section of young sheep of the qigai breed, depending on the gender and physiological state.

СКОРОСПЕЛОСТЬ И МЯСНАЯ ПРОДУКТИВНОСТЬ ОВЕЦ РАЙОНИРОВАННЫХ ПОЛУТОНКОРУННЫХ ПОРОД

The assessment of growth intensity and meat productivity of young sheep of the southern meat breed (YM) in comparison with peers of the North Caucasian meat and wool breed (SK), Soviet meat and wool breed (SMSH) and Kuban Lincoln (KL) is given in order to determine their eff ectiveness in purebred breeding. The advantage of young YUM breed in live weight – by 9.5-12.0%, growth intensity – by 9.2%, slaughter weight – by 10.0%, feed payment – by 7.2% compared to peers of zoned semi-fi ne-wool breeds was determined.

Formation of meat productivity of young sheep of Askanian fine-wool breed

Formation of meat productivity of young sheep of Askanian fine-wool breed

ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТЬ ПРОИЗВОДСТВА МОЛОДОЙ БАРАНИНЫ ПРИ НАГУЛЕ И ОТКОРМЕ МОЛОДНЯКА ОВЕЦ КАЛМЫЦКОЙ КУРДЮЧНОЙ ПОРОДЫ И ПОМЕСЕЙ F1 КАЛМЫЦКАЯ × ДОРПЕР

The article presents data on the effi ciency of production of young lamb when feeding and fattening young sheep of the Kalmyk kurdyuchnaya breed and crossbreeds Kalmyk kurdyuchnaya × dorper

ПРОДУКТИВНОСТЬ ЯРОК КАВКАЗСКОЙ ПОРОДЫ С РАЗНОЙ ТОНИНОЙ ШЕРСТИ

The paper contains the wool and meat productivity depending on their wool fi neness of young sheep of the Caucasian breed.

Age-Specific Meat Productivity of Young Edilbay Sheep

Among breeds of sheep meat-greasy directions productivity one of the prospective is edilbaevskoy breed. Due to the high maturing-STI, meat productivity and adaptability to arid conditions edilbaevskoy sheep are the most competitive. Young sheep are characterized by high slaughter qualities, especially lambs, slaughtered at an early age. This makes it possible to use them to produce high-quality lamb (lamb). The article analyzes the regularities of growth and development of young edilbaevskoy breed, it is established that the chemical composition of mutton affect the breed, age, sex, fatness, conditions of co-holding. With the age of animals at slaughter yield increases. Thus, the increase in slaughter yield in the period from 2 to 4 months of age was 2.9%, from 4 to 7 months of age-was 4.5%, from 7 to 10 months of age – was 6.7%, from 10 to one year of age-the increase was 1.6%. And for the entire period of cultivation from birth to one year of age - the increase in slaughter yield was 10.7%.A positive correlation was established between the pre-slaughter live weight of animals with total protein in blood serum at 4-month age it was 0.54, and at 7-month - 0.51. Studies have found that the strongest correlation with a high level of reliability (P&gt;0.99) is between total protein, albumins and pre-slaughter live weight at 4 months of age. A globulin fraction of proteins has no significant correlation with the live weight of rams in different periods of growth (P&gt;0.99). Consequently, with increasing concentration of total protein in serum increases pre-slaughter live weight. Thus, in order to obtain mutton, complete in biochemical and morphological composition and in high demand on the market, it is recommended to slaughter sheep of the edilbaevsky breed at the age of 4 months when they reach a live weight of at least 40 kg and a carcass weight of at least 16 kg.

Wool productivity and quality of young sheep of a new type of Caucasian breed

The article presents the results of studies of wool productivity and the main technological indicators (length, wool finess, output of washed fiber, the area of contamination)of sheep of a new intrabreed type of Caucasian breed. It is shown that the technological properties of the wool of a new type of sheep are of fairly high quality and meet the requirements of the domestic textile industry.&#x0D;