The effect of supplementary light on the productive performmance of dorper lambs fed intensively

Thesis (M. Tech.) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2010The objective of this research study was to quantify the differences in average daily gain (ADG), back fat thickness (BFT), eye muscle area (EMA), fat thickness (FT) on different body parts, the feed conversion ratio (FCR) and body dimensions (by means of body measurements) of Dorper lambs exposed to supplemented light. For this study 120 Dorper lambs (115 ± 10 days old) weighing (29.76 ± 5.01kg) were used. The lambs were randomly divided into three homogeneous groups (20 castrated and 20 intact males). The three groups were then exposed to different levels of supplemented light at 145 lux (16h, 24h and normal photoperiod). The animals were fed ad libitum with pellets containing 9.5 MJ ME/kg DM and 12% CP in open pens. The animals were weighed every 7 days while ultrasound scanning of the EMA and the BFT was done at the beginning and the end of the 35 day trial. The ADG, FCR and feed intake (FI) were calculated at the end of the trial. Linear body measurements including shoulder height, body length and heart girth were taken at day 1 and day 35 respectively. All the animals were slaughtered at the end of the trail. The carcasses were then weighed, graded and the FT was measured with a caliper. The final results of the study showed that no significant differences between the three treatment groups (consisting of wethers and rams) in terms of body measurements, ultrasound scanning ADG and FCR could be detected. However, a significant difference was found between the wethers and the rams in the whole trial for ADG. The ADG of the rams exposed to 16 hours of supplemented light was significantly better than the normal photoperiod and the 24 hour light supplementation group

Pathogens Affecting the Reproductive System of Camels in the United Arab Emirates

Brucella species, BVDV and BHV-1 are important worldwide pathogens that primarily infect cattle and other ruminants and are associated with serious economic impact to the animal production sector. Camels are indispensable domesticated animals for the people of desert areas, such as the Arabian Peninsula, and share the same environment and pasture with cattle, goats, sheep and other ruminants, which increase the likelihood of exposure to these pathogens. The investigation presented in this thesis was a serological survey conducted in Al-Ain region of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and was designed to determine the presence of antibodies against Brucella species, BVDV and BHV-1. Serum samples from 812 camels of both sexes, and different ages were collected from the local central abattoir, the camel market and 10 private farms. A commercial competitive ELISA was used to determine the presence of Brucella abortus antibodies, and a blocking ELISA, was used for the detection of antibodies to BVDV and BHV-1. Samples with suspected or non-specific positive results, were retested with confirmatory tests such as Complement Fixation and Virus Neutralization test, as required. No sera from the 812 camels in this study tested positive for any of the three pathogens. Without underestimating the progress and efforts of the local veterinary authorities, these results indicate the need for more extensive sampling and comprehensive surveys on a systematic epidemiological basis and including other pathogens. It is also necessary to reconsider the criteria for performance and validation of the assays used. This will lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of the agents involved, and consequently enhance knowledge to improve existing control and eradication programmes of infectious diseases in camels

Mapeo fino de regiones genómicas portadoras de QTL con influencias sobre caracteres de producción de leche en el ganado ovino = Fine mapping of genomic regions underlying qtl for milk production traits in sheep

278 p.El planteamiento de la presente Tesis Doctoral se realiza en un momento de transición entre la utilización de marcadores microsatélite para la localización de genes de interés en las especies domésticas y los inicios de la utilización de las herramientas genómicas derivadas de los proyectos de secuenciación de los genomas de estas especies. El objetivo final de este trabajo es el mapeo fino de algunas regiones QTL detectadas previamente en la especie ovina, concretamente en una población comercial de la raza Churra

Meat Products: From Animal (Farm) to Meal (Fork)

Meat composition and quality are not independent of the effects of animal production systems. This is important—especially as we transition into a future where meat production, quality, and value are considered within the context of sustainable feed and supplementation selection, the enhanced management of animal genetics and husbandry practices, and the improved processing and packaging of meat products. In this book, we have presented a curated collection of research investigating animal production systems and strategies for meat processing with innovative applications to the delivery of meat products that match consumer demands (i.e., from farm to fork). This book is a valuable resource to animal and food scientists, students of agricultural science, livestock producers and farmers, as well as readers with an interest in the efficient and ethical conversion of animals into meat products for human consumption

The Sustainability of Agro-Food and Natural Resource Systems in the Mediterranean Basin

Agriculture; Food Science; Environmental Science and Engineerin

Quality and Safety of Meat Products

Food safety is a major problem around the world, both with regard to human suffering and with respect to economic costs. Scientific advances have increased our knowledge surrounding the nutritional characteristics of foods and their effects on health. This means that a large proportion of consumers are much more conscious with respect to what they eat and their demands for quality food. Food quality is a complex term that includes, in addition to safety, other intrinsic characteristics, such as appearance, color, texture and flavor, and also extrinsic characteristics, such as perception or involvement

Sustainable Smart Cities and Smart Villages Research

ca. 200 words; this text will present the book in all promotional forms (e.g. flyers). Please describe the book in straightforward and consumer-friendly terms. [There is ever more research on smart cities and new interdisciplinary approaches proposed on the study of smart cities. At the same time, problems pertinent to communities inhabiting rural areas are being addressed, as part of discussions in contigious fields of research, be it environmental studies, sociology, or agriculture. Even if rural areas and countryside communities have previously been a subject of concern for robust policy frameworks, such as the European Union’s Cohesion Policy and Common Agricultural Policy Arguably, the concept of ‘the village’ has been largely absent in the debate. As a result, when advances in sophisticated information and communication technology (ICT) led to the emergence of a rich body of research on smart cities, the application and usability of ICT in the context of a village has remained underdiscussed in the literature. Against this backdrop, this volume delivers on four objectives. It delineates the conceptual boundaries of the concept of ‘smart village’. It highlights in which ways ‘smart village’ is distinct from ‘smart city’. It examines in which ways smart cities research can enrich smart villages research. It sheds light on the smart village research agenda as it unfolds in European and global contexts.