Journal of Livestock Science and Technology
Volume:2 Issue: 1, May 2014

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of in ovo injections of albumin, ami-no acid and dextrose into the amnion on the hatchability, growth performance and slaughter yield of Ross 308 broiler chicks. Fertile eggs (n=360) were assigned to 6 treatment groups (4 replicates of 15 eggs each) including: non-injected eggs (control), and eggs injected with 0.7 ml distilled water (sham), amino acids, albumin 20%, dextrose 20% and dextrose 10% . The injections were made on d 17.5 of the incubation period, and the hatch rate of fertilized eggs were recorded. Post-hatch performance of was determined weekly up to day 42. On d 42 of age, the weight of carcasses, thighs, wings, breast muscle, back and neck were determined. The results showed that in ovo injection of albumin increased body weight (P

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of diets having different fermentability on blood gases, blood metabolites and ruminal fermentation parameters in Holstein dairy cows. Four multiparous Holstein dairy cows (665 ± 25 kg BW, 170 ± 7.0 DIM and 15±1.5 kg of milk yield), fitted with rumen cannulae, were used in a 4×4 Latin Square design with 28-d periods. Corn starch and sucrose were added to diets and corn starch was replaced with sucrose at 0 (diet 1), 25 (diet 2), 50 (diet 3) and 75 g (diet 4) per kg diet dry matter in diets containing 600g concentrate and 400g forage. Dry matter intake (DMI), body weight changes (BWC) and milk yield were not affected by the diets (P > 0.05). Milk fat content increased by replacing starch with sucrose (P ≤ 0.05). Milk protein concentration (%) tended to increase by replacing starch with sucrose (P = 0.06). Inclusion of sucrose in the diet did not affect ruminal pH (averaged 6.41) but reduced (P ≤ 0.05) ruminal NH3-N concentration. Total volatile fatty acids (VFA) and molar proportion of most of the individual VFA were unaffected by diets except for the molar proportion of butyrate that was increased with increasing levels of sucrose (P ≤ 0.05). Total branched chain VFA also tended (P = 0.06) to increase with sugar levels. Blood gases and metabolites were not affected but blood urea N which was decreased (P ≤ 0.05) by increasing the level of sucrose in the diets. In conclusion, dairy cows fed diets containing sucrose had lower ruminal NH3 and BUN concentrations without any adverse effects on rumen fermentation characteristics, and blood gases and metabolites. This indirectly shows reduced nitrogen excretion to the environment which is critical for decreasing environmental pollution.

Sixteen rams (mean age: 13 mo; mean live weight: 40.0 ± 2.4 kg) were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments in a completely randomized design (4 rams per treatment). Diets (dry matter basis) contained 65% concentrate and 35% alfalfa hay (control diet, T1), 35% wheat straw (T2), 35% barley straw (T3) or 35% maize straw (T4). Total-tract apparent digestibility for dry matter, organic matter, neutral detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and crude fat was not affected by the diet (P > 0.05). Among straws, maize straw had the highest crude protein digestibility of 63%, compared with wheat straw (48%) and barley straw (54%). Greater nitrogen balance was recorded for diets containing alfalfa hay and maize straw. Gas production volume after 72 h incubation, was higher in the diet containing alfalfa hay or maize straw compared to that containing barley or wheat straw. Ruminal fluid pH and NH3-N were not affected by straw type. In conclusion, the diet containing maize straw was superior to diets containing either wheat or barley straw in terms of crude protein digestibility, nitrogen balance, and in vitro ruminal fermentation parameters. This associative effect of fiber type in high-concentrate diets could be important in practical sheep feeding, as it may affect the animal performance.

Degradation of dry matter (DM) and nitrogen (N) in fresh or frozen-thawed alfalfa and ryegrass was studied by using in situ technique. The forages were labeled with 15N during growth in a glasshouse, harvested at similar growth phase, and fresh (F) or frozen-thawed (FT) samples were incubated in the rumen of 3 sheep. There was no difference (P>0.05) between forage type (S) for the immediately soluble fraction (a) and the insoluble but slowly degradable fraction (b) estimates for DM and N disappearance over time. However, 15N values for a and b were significantly (Pb (c) and potential degradability of DM, N and 15N; degradation rate of b for DM, N and 15N were higher for alfalfa. There was no effect due to sample preparation (M) in degradation rate (c) for DM and 15N but FT had a significantly (P15N. Mean estimates of effective rumen degradable protein due to forage species were significantly (Pin situ degradation determination the same preparation method be used throughout.

The nutritional requirements of mammalian embryos changes throughout pre-implantation period, coincident with changes in the secretion of the female reproductive tract. Therefore, it has been suggested that sequential culture media may support nutritional requirements for optimal growth of the mammalian embryos. In this study, we investigated the effect of two different concentrations (10 or 100 ng/ml) of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in sequential media on bovine embryo cleavage rate and blastocyst formation. Oocytes were aspirated from 2- to 6- mm follicles and transferred to maturation media. After 24 h incubation in a CO2 incubator, matured oocytes were inseminated. Presumptive fertilized oocytes after 22 h incubation were cultured in human sequential G1/G2 media containing 0, 10 or 100 ng/ml EGF. The experiment was performed in three replicates and the data were recorded as percentage of cleaved embryo and blastocysts formed. EGF did not significantly affect the cleavage rate but more blastocysts were formed in media containing 100 ng/ml EGF (p

The current study investigated the effect of short-term selection for four week body weight (BW) on performance of divergent lines of Japanese quail and their crosses. The mean of BW at hatching time, one, two, three and four week oldand BW at sexual maturity time, age at sexual maturity, number of eggs (from 50 to 100 days old), mean of egg weight, percentage of fertility and hatchability in each group (two lines and their crosses) were compared to explore the maternal and heterosis effects. The results indicated that there were significant difference between two lines for all the measured productive and reproductive traits (P

Prophet of POU1F1 (PROP1) plays direct or indirect important roles in the morphogenesis of pituitary gonadotropes as well as lactotropes, somatotropes and caudomedial thyrotropes. It also controls the expression of growth hormone, prolactin and thyrotropin subunits through regulatory PIT1 factor. These hormones have important influences on production traits in most animal species including the goat. Therefore, PROP1 gene could be considered as a candidate gene for milk production. The objective of this study was to determine the polymorphism of PROP1 gene and its association with milk yield and growth traits in Mahabadi goats. We investigated the mutation (GenBank accession number: AY533708.1) within exon 2 of PROP1 gene by using the Hin6I PCR-RFLP method.This polymorphism alters the amino acid at codon 79 from alanine to valine in PROP1 protein. Only two genotypes CC and CT (frequencies 0.9 and 0.1 respectively) were observed. Polymorphism of PROP1-Hin6I locus showed significant relationship with milk production (P

Body weight (BW) and carcass traits are complex and important economic traits that may benefit from the implementation of MAS. The objective of the current study was to identify QTL associated with BW and carcass traits in an experimental half-sib cross of Japanese quails selected for BW at 4 weeks of age. Body weight and carcass traits were measured in the F2 population. Total F2 individuals and their parents were genotyped by 6 informative microsatellite markers on chromosomes 1, 2 and 9. Interval mapping was conducted to identify putative QTL. Two QTL for BW at hatch were detected on chromosomes CJA02 and CJA01 at the 1% chromosome wide and the suggestive levels, the significant QTL explained 1.24% of the phenotypic variance. For BW at 4 wk of age three QTL were identified on chromosomes CJA01, CJA02 and CJA09 at the 1% chromosome wide and the suggestive levels, the significant QTL explained 1.21% of the phenotypic variance. A QTL for carcass weight (CW) at 4 wk of age was identified on chromosome CJA01 at the suggestive level. Three QTL for breast weight (BRW) at 4 wk of age were identified on chromosomes CJA02, CJA01 and CJA09 at the 5% chromosome wide and the suggestive levels, the significant QTL explained 1.08% of the phenotypic variance. A QTL for breast percentage (BRP) at 4 wk of age was identified on chromosome CJA02 at the 5% chromosome wide; the significant QTL explained 1.10% of the phenotypic variance. The present study identified chromosome regions harboring significant QTL effecting BW and carcass traits. The results provide a useful reference for further candidate gene research and MAS for BW and carcass traits.