Parturient behaviour and offspring-directed aggression in farmed wild boar of three genetic lines.

The farming of ‘alternative’ species such as wild boar is becoming increasingly common in western agriculture. Relatively little has been published about the behaviour of wild boar in captivity, and data about parturition and maternal behaviour are particularly scarce. Twenty-four primiparous farmed wild boar females of three genetic lines (SD, San Diego; PK, Peter Kalden; S, Scandinavian) were videotaped before and during parturition, and production data were recorded. Sows were housed in individual, well-strawed pens measuring m. The duration of parturition, duration of inter-birth intervals (IBIs), frequency of posture changes before and during parturition and nature of parturient behaviour were recorded. Offspring-directed aggression displayed by the sows was scored as 0 (none), 1 (moderate) or 2 (severe). A score of 2 indicated that a sow killed one or more of her young and/or human intervention was required to control her aggression. Mean±S.D. litter size was 5.4±1.5 young. Mean±S.D. duration of parturition was 81.4±79.2 min. Litter size and duration of parturition did not vary with genetic line. Eight sows (33.3%) showed some offspring-directed aggression; of these, two killed one or more of their young. Aggression score varied with sows’ genetic line: SD sows (62.5% of which scored 1 or 2) were more aggressive than either PK (22.2%) or S (14.3%; P<0.05), and only SD females exhibited severe aggression. Parturition lasted longer in sows scoring 2 (mean±S.E. duration=211.8±27.3 min; n=4) than those scoring either 0 (56.0±13.7 min; n=16) or 1 (52.8±27.3 min; n=4; P<0.001). Similarly, IBIs were longer in sows scoring 2 (mean±S.E. IBI=51.6±9.5 min) than those scoring 0 (13.1±4.8 min) or 1 (12.7±9.5 min; P<0.01). Sows scoring 2 changed posture more often (mean±S.E. changes=65.8±12.0) during parturition than those scoring 0 (12.3±6.0) or 1 (2.8±12.0; P<0.01). These findings contribute to our limited understanding of maternal behaviour in wild boar, and may be useful in helping to explain savaging behaviour in domestic sows

Mechanisms leading to excess alpha-amylase activity in wheat (Triticum aestivum, L) grain in the UK

The frequency and mechanisms of four modes of alpha -amylase enzyme accumulation in U.K. wheat, retained pericarp alpha -amylase activity (RPAA), pre-maturity alpha -amylase activity (PMAA), pre-maturity sprouting (PrMS) and post-maturity sprouting (PoMS), were investigated in field and laboratory experiments. Of 56 cultivar site year combinations (four model cultivars grown at up to four sites from 1994–1997), enzyme activity was detected in 32 cases, in 23 cases sufficient to reduce Hagberg falling number (the usual industry measure of alpha -amylase) below the commercial criterion (250 s). The frequency of occurrence of different modes of enzyme accumulation was in the order PoMS>PMAA>PrMS>RPAA. Both PMAA and PrMS were more common than expected and the most usual pattern was for alpha -amylase to accumulate by several modes. Although green grains are rejected as impurities, study of grain colour in relation to pericarp alpha -amylase activity showed that the enzyme could persist in non-green grains in levels sufficient to affect the Hagberg value. Two factors thought to promote PMAA, grain drying rate and transient changes in temperature in early development, were studied in the field and controlled environment cabinets. No significant difference was found in grain drying rate between samples where PMAA was or was not identified. However, out of 19 transfers from a cool (16/10 °C) to a warm (26/20 °C) temperature regime, six led to significant increases in PMAA. No transfers after 45% grain moisture increased PMAA. PrMS occurred as early as 67% grain moisture and susceptibility usually increased with stage of development, being greatest in the grain dough stage. PrMS susceptibility varied with cultivar (in the same order as PoMS sensitivity) and was affected by environmental factors

Rapid tests of wheat nutritive value for growing chickens

Two series of broiler chicken feeding experiments quantified the differences in growth performance of broiler chickens fed either six different U.K. wheat cultivars from one harvest year or six wheat samples that comprised two cultivars (Dean and Beaver) each grown in three harvest years. Differences in broiler growth performance were compared to four rapid tests of wheat quality (specific weight, Hagberg falling number, water-extract viscosity and endosperm hardness) and the determined true metabolisable energy. Broilers fed the cultivar Dean had higher (P&lt;0•001) weight gains and lower (P&lt;0•05) feed conversion ratios compared to those fed Beaver. Samples from a harvest year (1992) in which there was high rainfall in the month during which harvest occurred resulted in lower (P&lt;0•05) broiler feed conversion ratios. Endosperm hardness and water-extract viscosity were both linearly related (P&lt;0•05) to differences in broiler feed conversion ratios but there was no (P&gt;0•05) reduction in unaccountable variation from including both variables in a multiple regression analysis. The measurement of endosperm hardness by near infra-red spectroscopy is rapid and has the potential to be used to discriminate nutritive value between wheat samples on their arrival at poultry feed mills

Efficiency of utilisation of metabolisable energy for carcass energy retention in broiler chickens fed different wheat cultivars

Six different wheat cultivar grain samples were grown in both the 1993 and 1996 harvest years, and their concentrations of nitrogen-corrected, apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) were determined and carcass energy retentions compared when fed nutritionally complete diets for broiler chicks. The AMEn protocol involved a 14 d feeding period with growing chickens, with all excreta collected for the final 96 h. The carcass energy retention protocol involved a comparative slaughter technique in which growing chickens were given a wheat sample in a nutritionally complete diet at 90% of ad libitum intake. There was a significant (P = 0.023) linear relationship between energy retention and AMEn, although an r2 = 0.42 indicated that there was a substantial amount of unexplained variation. The ratio of energy retained per kg of additional wheat (kcal kg–1) eaten to AMEn (kcal kg–1) intake ranged from 0.49 – 0.56 in the 12 wheat samples. There were no significant (P &gt; 0.05) relationships between the proximate nutrient or polysaccharide compositions of the wheat samples and the ratio of energy retained to AME intake. However, there was a significant, (r2 =0.40; P = 0.028) negative, linear relationship between the water extract viscosity of the wheat sample (log transformed) and this ratio.</P

Effects of pericarp alpha-amylase activity on wheat (Triticum aestivum) Hagberg falling number

Pericarp alpha‐amylase activity in wheat has largely been ignored as a potential cause of low Hagberg falling number (HFN) in the UK, because pericarp alpha‐amylase enzymes have been thought too temperature‐sensitive to affect HFN and are usually degraded by harvest. Nevertheless, there are several circumstances where immature grains may be present in harvested grain. Therefore, we tested the hypotheses that pericarp alpha‐amylase enzymes in immature grains could lower HFN, but also that inactivation of the enzymes during drying and storage could ameliorate the effect. The first hypothesis was tested by addition of large amounts of pericarp alpha‐amylase activity from freeze‐dried, defrosted or fresh green grains to high HFN flours of low alpha‐amylase activity, followed by HFN measurement. Enzyme assay and HFN analysis assessed the effect of drying on pericarp alpha‐amylase activity after different storage treatments. Addition of pericarp alpha‐amylase, from all three sources, to high HFN flours caused an exponential decrease in HFN. A drop in HFN from over 470 s to below 250 s resulted from addition of 5–10% by weight of green grains. Between 35–70% of the α‐AMY‐2 activity in immature grains was eliminated by air‐drying at 20°C over 8–10 days, although the residual activity could still lower HFN. Thus, pericarp alpha‐amylase activity may be a cause of low HFN in some UK wheat crops

Increasing available space in a farrowing crate does not facilitate postural changes or maternal responsiveness in gilts.

A study was designed to test the effects of gestation and farrowing accommodation on the postural behaviour and maternal responsiveness of gilts. It was hypothesized that increasing available space would allow gilts to move more easily, facilitating maternal responses. Twenty-four gilts were allocated to either an individual stall or small group for gestation, followed by either a narrow crate (42.5 cm wide), wide crate (80 cm wide) or pen (2.4 m×2.4 m) for farrowing and lactation. Postural time budget and standing and lying behaviour were observed on seven occasions during farrowing accommodation occupancy. Maternal responsiveness was tested on d 2 after farrowing by observing each gilt's response to a tape recorded piglet distress squeal, played while she was in the process of lying down. Five days before farrowing (d-5) and one day before farrowing (d-1), postural behaviour indicated restlessness: 65% of time was spent lying laterally, compared to over 80% immediately after farrowing (d 1), and gilts spent about twice as much time standing and sitting on d-5 and d-1 as they did on d 1. Gilts changed posture more than four times as often in the prepartum period than postpartum. This prepartum restlessness was more marked in the wide crate than in the narrow crate or pen, particularly when gilts had gestated in groups. On d-1, gilts in the wide crate spent less time lying in lateral recumbency (55% of time vs. 76%, p<0.01) and more time lying in sternal recumbency (20% of time vs. 10.5%, p<0.05) than gilts in the narrow crate or pen. Occupants of the wide crate displayed more bouts of both kinds of lying (p<0.01) than other gilts, and shorter bouts of lateral lying (p<0.05) than gilts in the pen on d-1. In the wide crate, gilts that had gestated in groups lay sternally for 30% of time prior to farrowing, compared to 10% of time in previously stalled animals (p<0.01), and displayed more bouts of sternal lying (p<0.01). Gilts in the wide crate lay down more slowly (18.2 s) than those in either the narrow crate (13.1 s) or pen (12.0 s), (p<0.05). Wide crate occupants also used the crate side for support during lying down less than half as often as gilts in the other two kinds of farrowing accommodation (on 35% vs. 72–89% of occasions, p<0.01), but use or non-use of a support did not affect time taken to lie down in the wide crate. Maternal response to the squeal playback was very variable, and was not affected by gestation or farrowing accommodation. The widened farrowing crate appeared less comfortable than either the narrow crate or pen, particularly when it followed gestation in a group. Contrary to expectations, increasing the available space in a crate did not facilitate posture-changing behaviour. The importance of controlling for type of gestation accommodation when examining the effects of farrowing housing on behaviour is emphasized

Field Boundaries in Anglesey, Gwynedd

Distributed widely in North Wales, especially in Anglesey (where some of the best examples are to be found), cloddiau (or clawddai) are an often unrecognized component of the North Waleian agricultural landscape. This is largely due to the decline in the care and management of these traditional boundaries in favour of the greater flexibility offered by 'wire' stock fencing. Landscape survey work currently being undertaken in Anglesey has highlighted the range and condition of these features and the extent to which they influence field and ultimately landscape patterns