Sustainability and welfare of Podolian cattle

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the sustainability and welfare of extensively farmed Podolian cattle. A trained interviewer visited 50 farms and filled in a checklist which included four cards corresponding to the following animal categories: calves, replacements, feeders and adults. The analysis of the farming system showed that animals were able to express their main behavioural patterns. In addition, recorded animal-related variables indicated that Podolian cattle could benefit from high standards of welfare. Sustainability of the Podolian farming system in terms of human edible returns was evaluated for two production systems producing 10-month-old calves (10 month) and 18-month-old young bulls (18 month), respectively. Edible returns for humans were low when all animal intakes were considered for both production systems. However, if returns were computed using not only the amount of food used by the animals but also consumable by humans, yields were much higher for 18-month systems [103% crude protein (CP) and 37.1% gross energy (GE)] and so high that they could not be computed for 10-month systems. These results indicate either a low degree of competition (18-month system) or no competition (10-month system) between humans and Podolian cattle. Perceptions of sustainability and welfare of Podolian cattle may promote a favourable positioning of products in premium-price markets and help preserving this breed and the related traditional farming system

A Compact Solid State Detector for Small Angle Particle Tracking

MIDAS (MIcrostrip Detector Array System) is a compact silicon tracking telescope for charged particles emitted at small angles in intermediate energy photonuclear reactions. It was realized to increase the angular acceptance of the DAPHNE detector and used in an experimental program to check the Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn sum rule at the Mainz electron microtron, MAMI. MIDAS provides a trigger for charged hadrons, p/pi identification and particle tracking in the region 7 deg < theta < 16 deg. In this paper we present the main characteristics of MIDAS and its measured performances.Comment: 13 pages (9 figures). Submitted to NIM

The qualitative assessment of responsiveness to environmental challenge in horses and ponies.

The responsiveness of 10 horses and 10 ponies to environmental challenge (represented by an open field test) was assessed using a qualitative approach based on free choice profiling methodology (FCP), which gives observers complete freedom to choose their own descriptive terms. Data were analysed with generalised Procrustes analysis (GPA), a multivariate statistical technique associated with FCP. A cross-validation of the outcomes of this approach to data recorded through quantitative behaviour analysis, and through a questionnaire given to the animals’ owner/riding instructor, was also performed using principal component analysis (PCA). Twelve undergraduate students generated their own descriptive vocabularies, by watching 20 horse/pony video clips lasting 2.5 min each. GPA showed that the consensus profile explained a high percentage of variation among the 12 observers, and differed significantly from the mean randomised profile ( p < 0.001). Two main dimensions of the consensus profile were identified, explaining 60% and 5.2% of the variation between animals, respectively. The 12 observer word charts interpreting these dimensions were semantically consistent, as they all converged towards the same meaning, albeit using different terms. The most used term to describe the positive end of axis 1 was ‘‘quiet’’, whereas ‘‘attentive’’ was the best positive descriptor of axis 2. The most frequently used descriptors for the negative ends of axes 1 and 2 were ‘‘nervous’’ and ‘‘bored’’, respectively. Thus, axis 1 was labelled as ‘‘quiet/nervous’’ and axis 2 was named as ‘‘attentive/bored’’. A marked effect of animal category was observed on the scores of the animals on the first dimension ( p < 0.001). Horses received significantly higher scores, and were thus assessed as more quiet and calm, than ponies. Conversely, ponies tended to receive lower scores on the second dimension ( p < 0.12), therefore they appeared less curious and attentive. The results of the PCA showed that the variables from different types of measurement clearly had meaningful relationships. For instance, the variables with the highest loading on the positive end of axis 1 were all indicative of tractable and docile animals, whereas axis 2 showed high loadings on the positive end for variables indicating attentive animals. Qualitative behaviour assessment proved to be an appropriate methodology for the study of horse behavioural responsiveness, in that it provided a multifaceted characterisation of horse behavioural expression that was in agreement with other quantitative and subjective assessments of the animals’ behaviour

Effect of information about organic production on beef liking and consumer willingness to pay

The present study was aimed to assess the effect of information about organic production on beef liking and consumer willingness to pay. Mean scores of perceived liking were higher for organic beef (OB) as compared to conventional beef (CB). Expected liking scores were higher for OB than for CB. For OB the expected liking was significantly higher than the perceived liking expressed in blind conditions (negative disconfirmation), whereas for CB no difference was observed. Consumers completely assimilated their liking for OB in the direction of expectations. Consumers showed a willingness to pay for OB higher than the suggested price (P < 0.001), the latter corresponding to the local commercial value for organic beef. We conclude that the information about organic farming can be a major determinant of beef liking, thus providing a potential tool for meat differentiation to traditional farms

The hidden costs of livestock environmental sustainability: The case of Podolian Cattle

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is currently one of the most widely used methods for assessing the environmental impacts and performance of livestock products. According to this procedure, intensification of animal production is generally advocated to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions compared with extensive grazing systems due to the use of selected breeds, with enhanced productivity, and the significant reductions in CH4 emissions consequent to the use of concentrates rather than forages. In addition, the impact of intensive systems on land use is much lower. However, free-ranging Podolian cattle show a number of positive environmental effects, such as increased climate stability, improved soil functionality, water quality and footprint and preservation from fires along with maintaining an economically active social community in otherwise unproductive, marginal areas. Other beneficial effects of extensive Podolian farming system include low competition with human nutrition and high level of animal health and welfare. An economic evaluation of these non-commodity outputs should be indirectly estimated by the avoided costs (e.g. reduced veterinary interventions and therapy treatments) or the lack of profits (e.g. direct payments for the enhancement of environmental performance) that would have incurred in their absence. These economic evaluations should be used in order to allocate them as further outputs to be included in the LCA in order to achieve a more accurate estimation of the impact of the Podolian farming system

Sensory Properties and Consumer Liking of Buffalo Stracchino Cheese

The present study aims to characterize buffalo Stracchino cheese (BS) from a sensory point of view and verify how much consumers like it compared with the standard Stracchino cheese obtained from cow milk (CS). Nine panelists specifically trained to evaluate Stracchino cheese were used to conduct a quantitative descriptive sensory analysis, whereas 80 untrained consumers balanced for gender participated in the hedonic consumer test. Stracchino appearance was affected by milk type with higher intensities perceived for BS in terms of whiteness (P&lt;0.0001) and shininess (P&lt;0.001). As to taste and texture, BS showed higher sourness and oiliness intensities than CS, respectively (P&lt;0.0001). Milk type did not affect the overall liking or the liking in terms of taste/flavor, texture, and appearance, but consumers rated both products at scores well above the neutral point. In addition, the liking expressed in blind conditions (i.e., without information on the milk type) was significantly lower as compared with the liking elicited by the expectations (i.e., based only on the information on the milk type) (P&lt;0.05 and P&lt;0.10, for CS and BS, respectively). We conclude that the good eating quality of buffalo Stracchino cheese as assessed by the consumer panel and the lack of differences between CS and BS in terms of a consumer may anticipate a possible good positioning of this novel product in the market of fresh cheese

consumer preference for chicken breast may be more affected by information on organic production than by product sensory properties

ABSTRACT Conventional chicken from a fast-growing strain (CC), organic chicken from a slow-growing strain (OSG), and organic chicken from a fast-growing strain (OFG) were used to assess descriptive sensory differences between organic and conventional breasts, to verify whether differences were perceived by consumers and to evaluate the effect of information about organic production on liking. A conventional quantitative–descriptive analysis was performed by a trained panel of 10 members on breast slices (1 cm thick) grilled at 300°C. A 150-member consumer panel (from southern, central, and northern Italy) rated CC, OSG, and OFG breasts according to 3 types of evaluation: tasting without information (perceived liking), information without tasting (expected liking), and tasting with information (actual liking). Breasts from different sources were clearly discriminated by the trained panel as meat from CC was perceived more tender than OFG (

Dairy buffalo behaviour and welfare from calving to milking

This review integrates recent scientific findings on the behaviour and welfare of buffalo dams during calving and the subsequent milking phase. These issues are discussed in relation to the level of welfare that buffalo dams and calves experience under different production systems. Key aspects are addressed including welfare issues related to dystocic parturitions and uterine prolapses, the formation of a selective dam-calf bonding, the habituation of inexperienced animals to the milking routine and the appropriate relationship to be developed with stock-people. All these aspects are also discussed in relation to farm profitability, in terms of calf vitality and milk production, and safety of the personnel involved in farm operations

The Effect of the Short-Range Correlations on the Generalized Momentum Distribution in Finite Nuclei

The effect of dynamical short-range correlations on the generalized momentum distribution $n(\vec{p},\vec{Q})$ in the case of $Z=N$, $\ell$-closed shell nuclei is investigated by introducing Jastrow-type correlations in the harmonic-oscillator model. First, a low order approximation is considered and applied to the nucleus $^4$He. Compact analytical expressions are derived and numerical results are presented and the effect of center-of-mass corrections is estimated. Next, an approximation is proposed for $n(\vec{p}, \vec{Q})$ of heavier nuclei, that uses the above correlated $n(\vec{p},\vec{Q})$ of $^4$He. Results are presented for the nucleus $^{16}$O. It is found that the effect of short-range correlations is significant for rather large values of the momenta $p$ and/or $Q$ and should be included, along with center of mass corrections for light nuclei, in a reliable evaluation of $n(\vec{p},\vec{Q})$ in the whole domain of $p$ and $Q$.Comment: 29 pages, 8 figures. Further results, figures and discussion for the CM corrections are added. Accepted by Journal of Physics