Assessment of Structural Traits and Management Related to Dairy Herds in the Peri-urban Area of Bobo Dioulasso (South West of Burkina Faso)

To define mean herd size, structural traits, animal sourcing and use, management and aspects related to the milk production, 118 dairy herds, involved in a FAO dairy development project were studied. The mean herd size after allocation to clusters: Small (≤38 heads), Medium (>38, ≤61 heads) and Large (>61 heads) was 52.8±25.8, ranging from 7 to 134 heads of cattle. The following genotypes: Cross bred (CR) 58.8%, Zebu (ZB) 23.2% and Taurine cattle (TA) 18.0% which were not uniformly distributed neither across nor within herds were identified. Sex ratio was two thirds of females (70.6%), one third of males (28.1%) and a low proportion (1.3%) of castrated males. No mature TA males compared to 53.3% of the male ZB and 31.4% of the male CR, were indicated as potential sires. Investments in purchase of animals were higher in Small than in Medium and Large herds; of all purchased sires 53.8% were found in Small herds vs. 28.2% and 18.0% in Medium and Large. Herd property was equally distributed between single (56.8%) and multi property (43.2%). There was more manpower available per 100 cows in Small, being almost double and triple than in Medium and Large herds. Although milk extracted, was similar in all clusters averaging 2.4±0.5 litres/day/cow, milk off take rate, due to higher proportion of lactating cows, appeared higher in Small herds

Modelling the effect of changes in vaccine effectiveness and transmission contact rates on pertussis epidemiology

AbstractThe incidence of the highly infectious respiratory disease named pertussis or whooping cough has been increasing for the past two decades in different countries, as in much of the highly vaccinated world. A decrease in vaccine effectiveness over time, especially when acellular vaccines were used for primary doses and boosters, and pathogen adaptation to the immunity conferred by vaccines have been proposed as possible causes of the resurgence. The contributions of these factors are not expected to be the same in different communities, and this could lead to different epidemiological trends. In fact, differences in the magnitude and dynamics of pertussis outbreaks as well as in the distribution of notified cases by age have been reported in various regions.Using an age-structured mathematical model designed by us, we evaluated how the changes in some of the parameters that could be related to the above proposed causes of disease resurgence – vaccine effectiveness and effective transmission rates – may impact on pertussis transmission.When a linear decrease in vaccine effectiveness (VE) was assayed, a sustained increase in pertussis incidence was detected mainly in infants and children. On the other hand, when changes in effective transmission rates (βij) were made, a dynamic effect evidenced by the presence of large peaks followed by deep valleys was detected. In this case, greater incidence in adolescents than in children was observed. These different trends in the disease dynamics due to modifications in VE or βij were verified in 18 possible scenarios that represent different epidemiological situations. Interestingly we found that both incidence trends produced by the model and their age distribution resemble the profiles obtained from data reported in several regions. The implications of these correlations are discussed

Effect of slaughter age on meat qualitative traits of veals calves

Scopo del presente lavoro è stato quello di verificare alcune caratteristiche organolettiche e chimico bromatologhe della carne di 15 vitelli di razza Frisona. I vitelli sono stati macellati a 140, 160 e 190 giorni. I parametri analizzati non sono stati significativamente influenzati dall'età di macellazione se non per una riduzione del tenore proteico della sostanza secca a 160 giorni. Pertanto la scelta dell'età di macellazione, per il periodo studiato, può essere fatta sulla base di criteri di natura economica piuttosto che riferita ad aspetti qualitativi della carn

Daily Rhythms of Serum Vitamin D-Metabolites, Calcium and Phosphorus in Horses

Many physiological processes of domestic animals exhibit daily rhythmicity. The goal of the present study was to investigate the daily rhythms of calcium, inorganic phosphorus and 24,25-(OH)2-D3, 25-(OH)-D3 and 1,25-(OH)2-D3 in the blood serum of horses. Five Thoroughbred mares from the same farm, clinically healthy and placed in individual stalls, at the same environmental temperature and photoperiod were used. For 30 days prior to the study, the animals underwent the same pattern of daily activity. Blood samples were collected at 4 h-intervals for 48 consecutive h, starting at 08:00 h of the first day and finishing at 04:00 h of the second day, via intravenous cannula inserted into the jugular vein. Each individual sample was assessed for serum concentration of calcium and inorganic phosphorus by means of a UV spectrophotometric test, and serum concentration of 24, 25-(OH)-D3, 25-(OH)-D3, and 1,25-(OH)2-D3 were assessed by means of HPLC method. Data analysis was conducted by one-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and by the single cosinor method. ANOVA showed a significant effect of time on all the variables studied (p < 0.0001) and post-hoc test (SNK) showed significant differences (p < 0.001) comparing all the time intervals of 4 h, on either day. The application of the periodic model and the statistical analysis of the cosinor procedure allowed defining the periodic variables and their acrophases (expressed in hours) during the 2 days of monitoring. Calcium showed diurnal acrophases at 15:00 h for the 1st day and at 15:48 for the 2nd day; inorganic phosphorus showed diurnal coincident acrophases at 14:32 h both for the 1st and 2nd day and 25-(OH)-D3 showed diurnal acrophases at 14:08 h for the 1st day and at 15:04 h for the 2nd day. The results obtained could be useful for standardizing blood sampling according to the time of day and for optimizing the administration of these substances according to their circadian or other rhythms

The synergistic effect of prebiotics, probiotics and antioxidants on dogs with chronic kidney disease

The use of probiotics, prebiotics and antioxidants could be found beneficial for dogs with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of our case-control study is to evaluate the synergistic effect of a diet integrated with a supplement containing probiotics (Lactobacillus acidophilus), prebiotics (fructoligosaccharides) and antioxidants (Olea Europaea extract) on the nutritional status and on serum and urinary parameters of dogs with CKD. A total of 30 dogs classified with IRIS CKD stage 3 were enrolled and randomly assigned to a control (CG, n = 15) and a treated (TG n = 15) group. The trial consisted in a 7-days adaptation period, followed by 90 days where animals in the TR group received the supplement, while in the CG group the placebo. No significant changes in body weight and body condition score were recorded. We recorded a significant improvement of the protein plasmatic level and a decrease in blood phosphorus, systolic pressure, BUN, proteinuria and urine protein-to-creatinine ratio throughout the trial in the TG compared to the CG group. Furthermore, the parameters related to inflammation and oxidative stress (C-reactive protein and Reactive Oxygen Metabolite- derived compound, respectively) were lower in the TG than in the CG group throughout the study. Our results showed that the supplement allows to maintain the correct nutritional status and to improve blood and kidney parameters in dogs with advance stage of CKD. This supplement could be considered as a new nutritional approach for treating this condition.HIGHLIGHTS Diet supplemented with prebiotics, probiotics and antioxidants is safe for dogs with CKD. The synergic effect of prebiotics, probiotics and antioxidants included in the supplement under study shows the maintenance of a good nutritional status and the improvement of blood and urinary parameters in dogs with CKD

Effects of low doses of dexamethasone on productive traits and meat quality of veal calves

An experimental administration of dexamethasone was carried out on 15 veal calves in order to assess the rôle of low doses of exogenous glucocorticoids on productive traits and meat quality. Three groups, of five veal calves each, were formed : one group received oral dexamethasone (0.4 mg per calf per day for 25 days), another intramuscular (i. m.) dexamethasone (2 mg at days 14 and 21), and the third was the control. Calves were slaughtered at 165 days of age (day 31). Food conversion ratio (FCR), hot dressing percentage (HDP), chilled dressing percentage (CDP) and shrinkage were determined. From all carcasses, samples of m. longissimus thoracis (between the 8th and 10th rib) were taken in order to evaluate the chemical composition and some organoleptic characteristics : meat colour, water-holding capacity and tenderness. The animals treated with oral dexamethasone showed the lowest daily weight gain (P < 0.05) and the poorest FCR (P < 0.05). Hot dressing percentage, cold dressing percentage and shrinkage were not affected by the oral treatment. The i. m. injections of dexamethasone did not influence the overall performance. Muscle chemical composition and pH were not affected by the treatments; the meat of calves treated with oral dexamethasone was significantly lighter (P < 0.05) and tended to be paler, while i. m. treatment induced intermediate characteristics. The shear force of the meat was rather low. Shear force of cooked meat from animals treated with dexamethasone (both oral and i. m.) was significantly lower than the control (P < 0.05). Treatment with dexamethasone i. m. induced a decrease in water-holding capacity; the oral treatment had no effect on this parameter

Time-budget of horses reared for meat production: Influence of stocking density on behavioural activities and subsequent welfare

Horses reared for meat production can be kept in intensive breeding farms where they are housed in group pens at high stocking densities. The present study aimed to evaluate whether the expressed behaviours correlated with stocking density, and to compare their time-budget with that of wild-living horses. An ethogram of 13 mutually exclusive behavioural activities was developed. Behavioural observations were performed over a 72 h period on group pens selected on the basis of stocking density and the homogeneity of breed, age, height at the withers, and time since arriving at the farm. Scan sampling (n = 96 scans/horse/day) was used on 22 horses. The mean frequency (%) standard deviation (SD) for each behavioural activity was calculated to obtain the time-budget. The associations between time-budget and stocking density were evaluated using a bivariate analysis. The relationships were analysed by Pearson’s correlation coecient (r). Our results show that locomotion, playing, and self-grooming positively correlated with a reduction in stocking density, indicating the potential to use these behaviours as positive welfare indicators for young horses kept in group pens. The data also revealed an unusual time-budget, where the main behavioural activity expressed was standing (30.56% 6.56%), followed by feeding (30.55% 3.59%), lying (27.33% 2.05%), and locomotion (4.07% 1.06%)

Management of feline hyperthyroidism and the need to prevent oxidative stress: What can we learn from human research?

Feline hyperthyroidism is a clinical syndrome related to an excessive production of thyroid hormones, and it is considered as a spontaneous animal model for human thyrotoxicosis. Many shared features between the feline and the human disease have been identified so far, including pathogenesis, clinical signs, and treatment options. Although methimazole is considered the first-choice drug in both species, several side effects have been described. Furthermore, methimazole could interfere with the oxidative status, already perturbated by the disease. It has been reported in humans that dietary management, mainly through antioxidant supplementation, could mitigate this oxidative burden. The purpose of the review is to describe current therapeutic options in the course of feline hyperthyroidism and to summarize the state of the art relationship between dietary antioxidants administration and the reduction of methimazole side-effects in humans to support the use of this approach also in cats

Comparison of in vivo and in vitro digestibility in donkeys

We compared in vivo and in vitro dry matter (DM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility in donkeys using feces as microbial inoculum. Four donkeys were used in a 4 &times; 4 Latin square design with a 2 &times; 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. The animals were fed two types of hay, with or without flaked barley. For the in vivo procedure, total feces were collected for 6 days from each donkey; digestibility was calculated as the difference between ingested and excreted DM and NDF. For the in vitro procedure, donkey feces were buffered and used as microbial inoculum in an Ankom DaisyII Incubator; digestibility was estimated after 60 h of incubation. In vivo results showed that the addition of barley to hays did not change the digestibility values. In vivo estimates were higher than in vitro ones. The equations used to predict in vivo estimates from in vitro data were not reliable (R2 = 0.47 and 0.21; P = 0.003 and 0.078 for NDF and DM digestibility, respectively). Further studies need to evaluate different sample size and digestion times