Farm conditions and production methods in Chios sheep flocks

Στόχος της εργασίας ήταν να περιγραφούν τα χαρακτηριστικά των εκτροφών και οι μέθοδοι εκτροφής εντατικάεκτρεφόμενων προβάτων της φυλής Χίου στην Ελλάδα. Για την έρευνα χρησιμοποιήθηκε το σύνολο των 66 εκτροφών τουαγροτικού συνεταιρισμού προβατοτρόφων φυλής Χίου «Μακεδονία». Η συλλογή των στοιχείων έγινε με τη χρήση ερωτηματολογίου,το οποίο συμπληρώθηκε κατά την επίσκεψη του ίδιου κτηνίατρου σε κάθε εκτροφή. Από τα στοιχεία που προέκυψανδημιουργήθηκε μια εκτενής βάση δεδομένων, από την οποία επιλέχθηκαν τέσσερις ανεξάρτητες μεταβλητές: μέγεθος ποιμνίου,εμπειρία του κτηνοτρόφου, διαθεσιμότητα βόσκησης και αριθμός ημερήσιων αρμεγμάτων. Στη συνέχεια, έγινε ανάλυση διακύμανσηςκατά έναν παράγοντα, προκείμενου να διαπιστωθεί η επίδραση τους στη γαλακτοπαραγωγή. Τα αποτελέσματαέδειξαν ότι ο μέσος όρος των ζώων στα ποίμνια ήταν 314 πρόβατα (16 κριάρια, 210 προβατίνες και 88 ζυγούρια). Διαπιστώθηκευψηλή θετική συσχέτιση μεταξύ του μεγέθους του ποιμνίου και του ύψους της γαλακτοπαραγωγής (Ρ<0.05). Επιπλέον, σταμεγάλα ποίμνια απασχολούνταν περισσότεροι εργάτες και εφαρμόζονταν τρία αρμεγματα την ήμερα (Ρ<0,05). Οι εκτροφέςστην πλειονότητα τους διέθεταν αρμεκτήρια (83,3%) και η μέση γαλακτοπαραγωγή ανά προβατίνα ήταν 276,6±55,6 λίτρα. Οικτηνοτρόφοι ήταν σχετικά νέοι (41,2±8,9 ετών), με σχετικά μικρή εμπειρία στην εκτροφή προβάτων. Ωστόσο, το μορφωτικότους επίπεδο ήταν υψηλό και έδειχναν ιδιαίτερο ενδιαφέρον για την εντατικοποίηση και την εξειδίκευση των μεθόδωνπαραγωγής. Η ιδιόκτητη γη ήταν γενικά περιορισμένη (κατά μέσο όρο 7,6 εκτάρια) και χρησιμοποιείτο κυρίως για την ιδιοπαραγωγή ζωοτροφών, ενώ η χρήση της ως βοσκότοπος ήταν δευτερεύουσας σημασίας. Στις περισσότερες εκτροφές τα χορηγούμενασιτηρεσια δεν ήταν ισορροπημένα και επικρατούσε η υπερκατανάλωση συμπυκνωμένων ζωοτροφών. Σε επίπεδοπρόληψης ασθενειών γίνονταν εμβολιασμοί (για κλωστήριο ιάσεις στο 100% των ποιμνίων) και χορήγηση αντιπαρασιτικώνφαρμάκων (τουλάχιστον μία φορά το χρόνο). Συμπερασματικά, οι εφαρμοζόμενες μέθοδοι εκτροφής στα ποίμνια πουμελετήθηκαν ήταν ικανοποιητικές, ενώ από την έρευνα αναδείχθηκαν οι δυνατότητες για περαιτέρω βελτιώσεις οι οποίεςσυζητούνται διεξοδικά.The objective was to describe farm conditions and production methods in intensively reared flocks of Chios sheep in Greece. The total of 66 farms of the Chios sheep Breeders Cooperative "Macedonia" were included in the study that was carried out using a purpose-built questionnaire and farm visits for onsite assessment by an experienced veterinarian. A detailed databasewas constructed using the information obtained from individual farms. Thereafter, four parameters concerning structural and management components were selected (flock size, sheep breeding experience, pasture use and application of three milkings daily) and their effect on milk production was estimated using one-way ANOVA. The results showed that the average flock comprisedof 314 sheep (16 rams, 210 ewes and 88 lamb ewes), whereas flock size was positively correlated to milk production (P<0.05). Inaddition, large flocks had more personnel and practiced three milkings per day (P<0.05). The majority of farms (83.3%) had milking parlours and the average milk yield per ewe was 276.6±55.6. The majority of farmers were relatively young (41.2±8.9years old) with limited experience in sheep production. However, they had a good level of education and showed increased interest in intensification and specialization of production methods. The acreage of private land was generally small (7.6 hectares) and was used mainly for production of feedstuffs; grazing was a secondary objective. In most farms, the feeding management wasinappropriate; overfeeding of concentrates and unbalanced rations was the dominant practice. Preventive measures included vaccinations (100% of farms vaccinated for clostridial diseases) and anthelminthic treatments (at least once a year in all flocks). In conclusion, farm conditions and production methods in studied flocks were considered satisfactory and revealed the potential for further improvements that are discussed here

Socially-mediated arousal and contagion within domestic chick broods

Emotional contagion – an underpinning valenced feature of empathy – is made up of simpler, potentially dissociable social processes which can include socially-mediated arousal and behavioural/physiological contagion. Previous studies of emotional contagion have often conflated these processes rather than examining their independent contribution to empathic response. We measured socially-mediated arousal and contagion in 9-week old domestic chicks (n = 19 broods), who were unrelated but raised together from hatching. Pairs of observer chicks were exposed to two conditions in a counterbalanced order: air puff to conspecifics (AP) (during which an air puff was applied to three conspecifics at 30 s intervals) and control with noise of air puff (C) (during which the air puff was directed away from the apparatus at 30 s intervals). Behaviour and surface eye temperature of subjects and observers were measured throughout a 10-min pre-treatment and 10-min treatment period. Subjects and observers responded to AP with increased freezing, and reduced preening and ground pecking. Subjects and observers also showed reduced surface eye temperature - indicative of stress-induced hyperthermia. Subject-Observer behaviour was highly correlated within broods during both C and AP conditions, but with higher overall synchrony during AP. We demonstrate the co-occurrence of socially-mediated behavioural and physiological arousal and contagion; component features of emotional contagion

The effect of cold stress on the pathogenesis of necrotic enteritis in broiler chicks

Cold stress is a physical environmental stressor with significant effect on the poultry industry. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of cold stress as a predisposing factor for necrotic enteritis in broiler chicks. The experimental challenge model included an oral inoculation with 10-fold dose of attenuated anticoccidial vaccine and multiple oral inoculations with a specific strain of Clostridium perfringens. Birds were either challenged or not as described above, and either exposed or not to repeated cold stress (15 degrees C for 12h/day for 4 days). From each bird, intestinal gross lesions were scored and intestinal digesta pH and viscosity were measured. C. perfringens was counted in the caecum. The statistical analysis and evaluation of the experimental data revealed that the cold stress in challenged birds significantly increased the incidence and the severity of necrotic enteritis lesions (?0.05), while causing no lesions in unchallenged birds. Moreover, the cold stress caused a significant increase (?0.05) in the pH and C. perfringens counts in the caeca. The study provides evidence that cold stress increased the susceptibility to necrotic enteritis in a subclinical experimental model and thus should be regarded as a physical environmental stressor that could significantly affect the welfare, health and intestinal ecosystem of broiler chicks

High stocking density as a predisposing factor for necrotic enteritis in broiler chicks

Stocking density is a management factor which has critical implications for the poultry industry. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of high stocking density as a predisposing factor in an experimental model of necrotic enteritis in broiler chicks. The experimental challenge model included an oral inoculation with 10-fold dose of attenuated anticoccidial vaccine and multiple oral inoculations with a specific strain of Clostridium perfringens. Two hundred and forty as hatched day-old broiler chicks were randomly allocated to four treatment groups according to the following experimental design: group N, with normal stocking density (15 birds/m(2)) and no challenge; group D, with high stocking density (30 birds/m(2)) and no challenge; group P, with normal stocking density and positive challenge; and group DP, with high stocking density and positive challenge. From each bird, the intestine, gizzard and liver were collected and scored for gross lesions. The intestinal digesta was collected for pH and viscosity determination. One caecum from each bird was taken for microbiological analysis. The statistical analysis and evaluation of the experimental data revealed significant interaction effects between "stocking density" and "challenge", regarding gross lesion scores in intestine and liver, pH values in jejunum, ileum and caeca as well as C. perfringens counts in the caeca (P <= 0.05). High stocking density in challenged birds increased the gross lesion score in the intestine (P <= 0.05), contrary to unchallenged birds. It can be concluded that high stocking density affects unfavourably the welfare and gut health of broiler chicks, predisposes to necrotic enteritis in a subclinical experimental model and increases further its importance as a management factor for the poultry industry