Influence of rabbit sire genetic origin, season of birth and parity order on doe and litter performance in an organic production system

The aim of this study was to compare both the performance of litters derived from two sire genetic origins (SGO), Vienna Blue (VB) and Burgundy Fawn (BF), along successive seasons of birth (SB; winter, spring, summer and autumn), and doe reproductive performance in an organic production system. A total of fifty-eight does consisting of a mixture of crosses of several medium-large size breeds at different parity order (P, 1 = nulliparous; 2 = primiparous; 3 = multiparous) and twelve males (6 VB and 6 BF) were housed indoor at environmental conditions that followed seasonality. An extensive reproductive rhythm was used and kits were weaned at 466 d of age. Doe reproductive performance and the data of 105 litters (55 from VB and 50 from BF SGO) were recorded throughout the SB. No statistically significant differences related to SGO effect were observed. As regards parity order, multiparous does showed higher live weights (LW) (p<0.05), total born (p<0.01), total born alive (p<0.05) per delivery, and litter weight of born alive (p<0.05), but lower milk output at 21st d than primiparous does (p<0.05). The extensive reproductive rhythm mainly increased litter performance at birth in multiparous does but was not sufficient to permit a complete recovery of body reserves lost during lactation. Autumn SB negatively affected doe LW variation between deliveries. The number of pups born and born alive per delivery (p<0.05) and litter size at 21 d of age and at weaning (p<0.01) were lower during hot SB. Due to the lower litter size of pups born in summer and autumn, their individual weight at 21st d of age and daily individual growth rate 0 to 21 d were higher than those of pups born in winter (p<0.001). Litter performance at 21st d of age and individual pup pre-weaning growth rate were poorer for those born in spring than in other seasons due to the suffering caused by the effects of increased environmental temperatures. SB affected most of the performance traits of does and young rabbits reared under the organic farming system. The rabbits seemed better suited to organic rearing conditions during winter than in other seasons. The worst results overall were obtained in the spring SB, whereas the hot SB negatively affected both doe energy balance and prolificacy. In conclusion, the pups of the 2 SGO showed good pre-weaning performance and seemed suited to the organic rabbit production system

Effect of dietary Curcuma longa L. powder on lipid oxidation of frozen pork

Introduction - Modification of the eating habits incremented the consumption of ready-to-eat, ready-to-cook and frozen foods. Meat can be store up as frozen for different time in relation to the animal species, to the cut or to a previous processing. Several researches were conducted to evaluate the use of antioxidant products as dietary supplementation in order to produce modification in chemical composition of meat and lead to a positive influence on the length of shelf life of the products. Aim - The aim of this research was to study the effect of the supplementation with Curcuma longa L. powder in pig diet on the lipid oxidation after common frozen storage (-18 °C) of meat for long time (up to 135 days). Materials and methods - Pigs were fed with two different diets, control and turmeric, for 30 days before been slaughtered. Longissimus lumborum chops were frozen at -18 °C and lipid oxidation was evaluated with the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) method after 45, 60, 75, 90, 105, 120 and 135 days of storage. Results and discussion - The addition of the natural antioxidant did not modify the meat quality of the evaluated samples (P &gt; 0.05). Nor the time of storage increased the TBARS value of the meat (P &gt; 0.05). Our results are in accordance with other similar research studies on antioxidant dietary supplementations. Conclusion - Pigs, as large animal, probably need a bigger amount of antioxidant supplementation in order to modified meat characteristics. Thus, the lack of difference in lipid oxidation of frozen meat showed by Control and Turmeric diets could be associated both to the small dose of dietary turmeric powder and to the length of the diet period

Evaluation of some habitat improvement actions in a Mediterranean area through observation of reared pheasant and red-legged partridge land uses

Red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) and pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) have suffered population decline in the last decades. Research suggested that decline is mainly related to the intensification of agricultural techniques and land abandonment. We evaluated habitat use and distribution of reared red-legged partridge pairs and cock pheasants in an estate representative of most of the agricultural Mediterranean areas from 2007 to 2012. Particular attention has been addressed to the effect of artificial habitat improvement actions (HIAs) and other management options such as supplemental feeding and hedgerows maintenance. We compared habitat use with its availability and analyzed spatial distribution by comparing points with pheasant cocks and partridge pairs with random ones. HIAs were used more than their availability by both species and resulted to have an important role in their distribution like hedgerows. Feeders resulted to have a strong effect on pheasant distribution, but not on pairs of red-legged partridges. Our results show that habitat management could be a fundamental tool for game-bird conservation, though the effects of feeders on red-legged partridge distribution need to be further investigated

Winter habitat selection by the European hare (Lepus europaeus) during feeding activity in a farmland area of southern Tuscany (Italy)

We investigated the winter habitat use by the European hare (Lepus europaeus) at the macro-habitat level in a farmland area of southern Tuscany during feeding activity using spot-light counts. Olive tree groves, cereal stubbles and winter cereals were used more than their availability, whereas ploughed fields, alfalfa and fallow fields were used less than their availability. Olive tree groves were the most used, followed by cereal stubbles. Since approximately 50% of over-wintering cereal stubbles were the result of economic agreements between the hunting district and local farmers, the study confirms the importance of this kind of agro-environmental measure for hare conservation

Reducing visual stimulations in european hares (Lepus europaeus Pallas) captured for translocation

Stress may be an important variable affecting the survival of the captured hares, for this reason the Authors studied the effect of the use of a blindfolding hood applied to the hares immediately after net trapping. A total of 119 hares were captured by coursing with 3-4 dogs (greyhounds or lurchers) in no hunting areas of Tuscany. Immediately after net trapping 38 hares were blindfolded with a hood and 81 were normally handled to the wooden darkened capture- boxes without blinding their eyes (control). From all the hares a sample of blood was collected within 1-2 min by the auricular vein. Blood samples were analyzed for haemocromocytometry and metabolic profile determination. Data were analyzed by ANOVA. Sub-clinically stressed hares were discriminated from nonstressed hares by the use of the discriminant function based on CK, AST and glucose and the differences were tested by chi2c Results showed that body temperature, heart and respiratory rates, glucose, cholesterol, CK, AST, ALT, BUN, total protein and some haemocromo-cytometric parameters were significantly higher in captured hares without blindfold. The incidence of subclinically stressed hares was 26% in the hares equipped with the blindfold and 81% in the hares without blindfold (chi2c=32.98, P<0.0001) (presence of subclinical stress discriminated by the use of a discriminant function based on CPK, AST and glucose). For this reason the procedures designed for the translocation of the hares could take advantage by the use of a blindfold which should be applied to the hares immediately after their trapping

Genetic variability in Bracco Italiano dog breed assessed by pedigree data

The Bracco Italiano is one of the oldest pointing dog breed, used for hunting ever since the Renaissance time. The complete electronic record of the breed was downloaded from the ENCI database [whole population (WP) = 24,613 animals registered since 1970 to 2011] with the aim to estimate genetic variability in Bracco Italiano dog breed using pedigree records. Up to 97% of the individuals had registered parents and 86% registered grand-fathers. Average generation interval was 4.68±0.545 for stallions and 4.08±0.321 year for dams. Reference population (RP) was defined as the population of interest that include living reproductive animals approaching the last three generations and include 9006 dogs of which 34% were inbreds. The number of ancestors was 564 in WP and 188 in RP, while the effective number of ancestors was 46 and 34 respectively. To explain 50% of the genetic variability, a total of 18 and 9 ancestors enough, respectively in the WP and RP. The average inbreeding coefficient in the RP resulted 6.7% while the average increase in inbreeding was estimated to be 1.29% (Ne=38.86). Nevertheless a regular monitoring of genetic variability of the population is important and must be adopted, in order to avoid the danger of an excessive increase of inbreeding in the future, which would result in significant inbreeding depression and in significant loss of genetic variation

Genetic variability in Bracco Italiano dog breed assessed by pedigree data

The Bracco Italiano is one of the oldest pointing dog breed, used for hunting ever since the Renaissance time. The complete electronic record of the breed was downloaded from the ENCI database [whole population (WP) = 24,613 animals registered since 1970 to 2011] with the aim to estimate genetic variability in Bracco Italiano dog breed using pedigree records. Up to 97% of the individuals had registered parents and 86% registered grand-fathers. Average generation interval was 4.68±0.545 for stallions and 4.08±0.321 year for dams. Reference population (RP) was defined as the population of interest that include living reproductive animals approaching the last three generations and include 9006 dogs of which 34% were inbreds. The number of ancestors was 564 in WP and 188 in RP, while the effective number of ancestors was 46 and 34 respectively. To explain 50% of the genetic variability, a total of 18 and 9 ancestors enough, respectively in the WP and RP. The average inbreeding coefficient in the RP resulted 6.7% while the average increase in inbreeding was estimated to be 1.29% (Ne=38.86). Nevertheless a regular monitoring of genetic variability of the population is important and must be adopted, in order to avoid the danger of an excessive increase of inbreeding in the future, which would result in significant inbreeding depression and in significant loss of genetic variatio

Relationship between habitat, densities and metabolic profile in brown hares (Lepus europaeus Pallas)

Some habitat traits and haematic parameters were studied to understand the relationships between the hare densities, habitat characteristics and physiological and nutritional condition of the animals. A total of 33 protected areas, reserved for wild game reproduction, located in the Province of Florence (Central Italy), were monitored during a 2-year period. In each protected area the hares were submitted to census. The habitat features of the protected areas were studied and the following parameters were categorised: altitude; cleared-land/total-land ratio; main exposure; main ground composition; water availability; main slope; anthropogenic presence; predator presence; wooded borders; presence of trees and shrubs; surveillance against hunting; demographic predator control; kind of cultivation; unharvested crops for game. After the census the hares were captured for translocation outside in "free" hunting areas. During capture the hares were put in darkened, wooden capture-boxes and remained inside for a variable period of time (10min to 3h). A sample of 3 to 7 hares, captured per year and per each protected area, were removed from the boxes (physically restrained, with covered eyes) for blood sample collection, sex, age and live weight determination. The following analyses were performed on frozen plasma samples: ALanine aminoTransferase (ALT), ASpartate aminoTransferase (AST), glucose, cholesterol, Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN), Ca, P, Mg, Na, K, and Cl concentrations. The relationship between hare density and habitat characteristics was analysed by single regressions analysis. Then the habitat characteristics were subjected to multivariate analysis in relationship to hare body condition. The haematic parameters were analysed by least square means considering habitat traits, animal density, age and sex, as main categorical factors, interaction sex*age, and "pregnant and non-reproducing" nested within sex. Results showed that the highest density and best body conditions can be found in highlands, open fields with low tree presence and wooded borders, medium mixture soils, scarce predator presence and limited anthropogenic presence and with abundant water availability and shrubbiness. The study of the absolute values of metabolic profile, indicator of the physiological and nutritional condition of the reared animals, did not show any nutritional winter deficiency in wild hares and, as census data, should be repeated for several years since, probably, only their variations can be used as indicators of preliminary problems