Housing system and welfare of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) cows

Twenty-eight buffalo cows were used to evaluate the effect of housing system on a range of behavioural and physiological variables. Fourteen cows were group-housed in a loose open-sided barn with a concrete floor and 10 m2 per head as space allowance (group IS). Fourteen others were group-housed in a similar barn but they could also benefit from an outdoor yard with 500 m2 per head as space allowance, free access to potholes for wallowing and spontaneous vegetation (group TS). Animals were subjected to six sessions of instantaneous scan sampling at 10-day intervals. Behavioural variables were expressed as proportions of subjects observed in each category of posture and activity. Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) was used to perform a skin test based on non-specific delayed type hypersensitivity, whereas 20 mg of ovalbumin were injected subcutaneously to evaluate humoral immune response. Blood samples for evaluation of cortisol concentration were collected immediately prior to exogenous porcine ACTH injection and 1, 2 and 4 h after. The metabolic status of the animals and milk production were also monitored. The proportion of idling animals was higher in group IS than in group TS (P< 0·001). More IS buffalo cows were observed eating at the manger than TS animals (P< 0·001). A higher proportion of TS animals were observed in the sun (P< 0·001). Grazing and bathing activities were recorded only for TS animals. Our findings suggest that buffalo cows kept in intensive conditions and having no access to ample yards and potholes may extend their periods of idling with negative effects on the state of welfare. Immune responses, metabolite concentrations and milk production were not affected by treatment, whereas cortisol levels were higher in IS animals (P< 0·05). The provision of a housing system similar to natural conditions was able to improve the welfare of buffalo cows as indicated by the expression of some species-specific natural behaviours. Such conditions were also associated with lower adrenal cortex response to ACTH injection, possibly as a consequence of the higher degree of initiative allowed to TS cows

Welfare implications of artificial rearing and early weaning in sheep

In the present review the formation and resolution of the ewe–lamb bond under natural conditions are described . Thereafter, the effects of premature dam–lamb separation, performed through artificial rearing or early weaning on behavioural, endocrine and immune responses of ewe and lamb are discussed . The techniques that may be used to mitigate the effects of a premature separation of lambs from mothers are also suggested

SPIDER X - Environmental effects in central and satellite early-type galaxies through the stellar fossil record

A detailed analysis of how environment affects the star formation history of early-type galaxies (ETGs) is undertaken via high signal to noise ratio stacked spectra obtained from a sample of 20,977 ETGs (morphologically selected) from the SDSS-based SPIDER survey. Two major parameters are considered for the study: the central velocity dispersion (sigma), which relates to local drivers of star formation, and the mass of the host halo, which relates to environment-related effects. In addition, we separate the sample between centrals (the most massive galaxy in a halo) and satellites. We derive trends of age, metallicity, and [alpha/Fe] enhancement, with sigma. We confirm that the major driver of stellar population properties in ETGs is velocity dispersion, with a second-order effect associated to the central/satellite nature of the galaxy. No environmental dependence is detected for satellite ETGs, except at low sigma - where satellites in groups or in the outskirts of clusters tend to be younger than those in the central regions of clusters. In contrast, the trends for centrals show a significant dependence on halo mass. Central ETGs in groups (i.e. with a halo mass >10^12.5 M_Sun) have younger ages, lower [alpha/Fe], and higher internal reddening, than "isolated" systems (i.e. centrals residing in low-mass, <10^12.5 M_Sun, halos). Our findings imply that central ETGs in groups formed their stellar component over longer time scales than "isolated" centrals, mainly because of gas-rich interactions with their companion galaxies.Comment: 22 pages, 19 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

A self-consistent test of Comptonization models using a long BeppoSAX observation of NGC 5548

We test accurate models of Comptonization spectra over the high quality data of the BeppoSAX long look at NGC 5548. The data are well represented by a plane parallel corona with an inclination angle of 30$^{\circ}$, a soft photon temperature of 5 eV and a hot plasma temperature and optical depth of $kT_{\rm e}\simeq$ 360 keV and $\tau\simeq$ 0.1, respectively. If energy balance applies, such values suggest that a more ``photon-starved'' geometry (e.g. a hemispheric region) is necessary. The spectral softening detected during a flare, appears to be associated to a decrease of the heating-to-cooling ratio, indicating a geometric and/or energetic modification of the disk plus corona system. The hot plasma temperature derived with the models above is significantly higher than that obtained fitting the same data with a power law plus high energy cut off model for the continuum. This is due to the fact that in anisotropic geometries Comptonization spectra show "intrinsic" curvature which moves the fitted high energy cut-off to higher energies.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the proceedings of the conference "X-ray Astronomy '99", Bologna, Italy, September 199

Qualitative behaviour assessment of dairy buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis)

This study applies qualitative behaviour assessment (QBA) for the first time to dairy buffaloes, using three groups of observers with different cultural backgrounds and different levels of experience in animal behaviour observation and buffalo farming. Eight buffalo heifers aged 16–18 months were subjected to two isolation tests, one performed in the indoor part of their home environment, and one in a novel outdoor paddock. Animals were filmed individually for 2.5 min, and the resulting 16 video clips were shown to three observer panels, consisting of 11 applied animal behaviour scientists from 6 European countries, 11 Italian animal scientists with a background in buffalo farming but no experience in behavioural observation, and 14 Italian undergraduate animal science students with no particular experience. A free choice profiling method was used to instruct observers in QBA, and data for the three panels were analysed separately using Generalised Procrustes Analysis. All three panels showed significant inter-observer agreement (p < 0.001) and generated two main consensus dimensions characterised as ‘calm-agitated’ and ‘curious-shy’. There were significant correlations between buffalo scores provided by each of the three observer panels on both these dimensions (dim1: Kendall W = 0.96, n = 3, 2 = 43.28, p < 0.001; dim2: W = 0.68, n = 3, 2 = 30.73, p < 0.01). Buffaloes viewed in the familiar indoor pen were assessed by all three panels as more calm and less agitated (dimension 1) than animals viewed in the novel outdoor pen (Wilcoxon z = −2.52, p < 0.01, z = −2.52, p < 0.01, z = −2.38, p < 0.01 for Panels 1, 2, and 3, respectively). Scores on dimension 1 for the same animals viewed in either indoor or outdoor pen were correlated at r = 0.60 (p < 0.10), 0.74 (p < 0.05) and 0.71 (p < 0.05) for Panels 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Quantitatively, buffalo in the outdoor pen displayed longer bouts of running and higher frequencies of sniffing (both p < 0.05) than those in the indoor pen. Principal component analysis showed meaningful associations between qualitative and quantitative assessments, allowing qualitative dimensions to play a valuable role in interpreting the animals’ state. The main outcomes of this study are that QBA can be usefully applied to scientific studies of dairy buffalo, and that substantial differences in observer background do not appear to diminish the reliability of QBA

Resistance to eyespot (Pseudocercosporella herpotricoides) and distribution of biochemical markers in hexaploid lines derived from double cross (Triticum turgidum x Aegilops ventricosa) x T. aestivum

There are not good intraspecific sources of resistance to the eyespot disea se of wheat, aaused by Cercosporella herpotrichoides Fvon . The -ínterspecifia transfer of genes for resistanoe from Aegitops ventricosa into hexaploid wheat has been only partially achieved, because the degree of resistanoe attained is not as high as that of the donor. We report here on the transfer of resistanoe in a double oross (Triticum turgidum var. rubroatrwv H-1-1 x Ae.ventricosa AP-D x T.aestivum cv. Almatense H-10-15. The high level of resistanoe in a high proportion of the lines strongly suggests a simple genetic control for this oharacter (possibly by one major gene). The gene(s) responsible for resistanoe in the selected lines must be associa ted with the D genome of Aegilops ventricosa on the basis of a detailed study of the distribution of biochemioal markers in the H-93 lines. These results do not exelude that genes with similar effeets might be looated in the M° genome