Investigation of Body Development in Growing Holstein Heifers With Special Emphasis on Body Fat Development Using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis

This study analyzed skeletal development, body condition, and total body fat development of growing heifers. A total of 144 female primiparous Holstein cattle from four commercial dairy farms with different degrees of stillbirth rates were examined during the rearing period. This included measurements in body condition, fat tissue, metabolic, and endocrine factors. Pelvic measurements and the sacrum height were analyzed to assess skeletal development. The body condition was classified via body condition scoring, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), back fat thickness measurements, and the body mass. For the first time, BIA was used as an appropriate method to evaluate the fat tissue content of cattle throughout the rearing period. This analysis technique can be performed on heifers aged 8–15 months. Throughout that period, the fat content decreased while the skeletal development increased. In addition, high free fatty acid concentrations in serum of the animals with high frame development were found, supporting our hypothesis that stored energy of body fat deposits is used for skeletal growth. Furthermore, we were able to demonstrate complex endocrine relationships between fat metabolism and skeletal growth by using specific markers, such as leptin, insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and estradiol (E2). Food analysis showed high crude protein (CP) levels in the total mixed ration above recommendation for daily protein intake of all farms. However, there was a positive correlation between CP and the body frame measurements in our study. In summary, we established a novel regression formula for BIA analysis (“BIA-Heine”) in heifers to evaluate the body composition throughout different ages and physiological stages in the development of heifers. This special formula allows the evaluation of fat tissue without a whole-body analysis and therefore provides an innovative technique for animal welfare support

Tierschutzgerechte Schlachtung Afrikanischer Welse: Untersuchungen zur Erprobung von geeigneten Betäubungsverfahren für die Schlachtung Afrikanischer Welse (Clarias gariepinus)

Der Afrikanische Wels (Clarias gariepinus) ist ein robuster Warmwasserfisch, der sich gut für die Aufzucht in Warmwasserkreislaufanlagen eignet. Seine Vermarktung ist erschwert, weil dieser Fisch mit den nach Tierschutzschlachtverordnung zulässigen Betäubungsverfahren nicht erfolgreich betäubt werden kann. Es waren deshalb sowohl die tierschutzrechtlich zulässigen als auch andere potenziell geeignete Betäubungsverfahren zu untersuchen, zu kombinieren und zu modifizieren. Mit der Eiswasserbehandlung wird die Wahrnehmungs- und Empfindungslosigkeit nicht ausreichend schnell erreicht. Für kleine Schlachtzahlen bzw. als Alternative zur Betäubung per Kopfschlag erscheint die untersuchte Methode der Elektrobetäubung per Kopfdurchströmung durchaus geeignet. Zur Validierung der Kombination von Vorkühlung, Elektrobetäubung und Eiswasserbehandlung sind weitere Untersuchungen erforderlich

Altered energy partitioning across terrestrial ecosystems in the European drought year 2018

Drought and heat events, such as the 2018 European drought, interact with the exchange of energy between the land surface and the atmosphere, potentially affecting albedo, sensible and latent heat fluxes, as well as CO(2)exchange. Each of these quantities may aggravate or mitigate the drought, heat, their side effects on productivity, water scarcity and global warming. We used measurements of 56 eddy covariance sites across Europe to examine the response of fluxes to extreme drought prevailing most of the year 2018 and how the response differed across various ecosystem types (forests, grasslands, croplands and peatlands). Each component of the surface radiation and energy balance observed in 2018 was compared to available data per site during a reference period 2004-2017. Based on anomalies in precipitation and reference evapotranspiration, we classified 46 sites as drought affected. These received on average 9% more solar radiation and released 32% more sensible heat to the atmosphere compared to the mean of the reference period. In general, drought decreased net CO(2)uptake by 17.8%, but did not significantly change net evapotranspiration. The response of these fluxes differed characteristically between ecosystems; in particular, the general increase in the evaporative index was strongest in peatlands and weakest in croplands. This article is part of the theme issue 'Impacts of the 2018 severe drought and heatwave in Europe: from site to continental scale'

Data from: Seasonal and urban effects on the endocrinology of a wild passerine

In order to maximize their fitness, organisms in seasonal environments rely on external cues to optimally time their life-history stages. One of the most important zeitgeber to time reproduction is the photoperiod, but further environmental cues are assessed to fine-tune reproduction due to year-to-year variation in environmental conditions. However, in urbanized environments, the pervasive artificial light at night has altered the natural signal of light and darkness. Accordingly, artificial light at night was repeatedly shown to affect avian reproductive physiology and to advance seasonal reproduction in birds. However, these experiments were mainly conducted in the absence of further environmental cues to facilitate the investigation of the mechanisms which are still poorly understood. Here, we investigate whether the endocrine system of free-ranging European blackbirds (Turdus merula) correlates with the amount of artificial light at night along a rural to urban gradient while the birds still encounter complementary environmental cues including seasonal variation in day length and temperature. Testosterone and estrone were assessed as metabolites in fecal samples and corticosterone in blood from mist-netted blackbirds. We demonstrate that seasonal fluctuations in abiotic factors, individual conditions, but also light at night affect the reproductive and stress physiology of wild European blackbirds. Elevated artificial night light intensities were significantly positively correlated with corticosterone and negatively with female estrone levels. No effects of artificial light were found for testosterone levels. Our results suggest that female blackbirds in particular perceive even low levels of artificial light at night as a weak but chronic stressor that interacts with the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and leads to a reduced secretion of reproductive hormones. These findings point out that the impacts of light pollution are diverse and we only slowly disentangle its multiple effects on physiology, ecology, and biodiversity

Tierschutzgerechte Schlachtung Afrikanischer Welse: Untersuchungen zur Erprobung von geeigneten Betäubungsverfahren für die Schlachtung Afrikanischer Welse (Clarias gariepinus)

Der Afrikanische Wels (Clarias gariepinus) ist ein robuster Warmwasserfisch, der sich gut für die Aufzucht in Warmwasserkreislaufanlagen eignet. Seine Vermarktung ist erschwert, weil dieser Fisch mit den nach Tierschutzschlachtverordnung zulässigen Betäubungsverfahren nicht erfolgreich betäubt werden kann. Es waren deshalb sowohl die tierschutzrechtlich zulässigen als auch andere potenziell geeignete Betäubungsverfahren zu untersuchen, zu kombinieren und zu modifizieren. Mit der Eiswasserbehandlung wird die Wahrnehmungs- und Empfindungslosigkeit nicht ausreichend schnell erreicht. Für kleine Schlachtzahlen bzw. als Alternative zur Betäubung per Kopfschlag erscheint die untersuchte Methode der Elektrobetäubung per Kopfdurchströmung durchaus geeignet. Zur Validierung der Kombination von Vorkühlung, Elektrobetäubung und Eiswasserbehandlung sind weitere Untersuchungen erforderlich

Tierschutzgerechte Schlachtung Afrikanischer Welse: Untersuchungen zur Erprobung von geeigneten Betäubungsverfahren für die Schlachtung Afrikanischer Welse (Clarias gariepinus)

Der Afrikanische Wels (Clarias gariepinus) ist ein robuster Warmwasserfisch, der sich gut für die Aufzucht in Warmwasserkreislaufanlagen eignet. Seine Vermarktung ist erschwert, weil dieser Fisch mit den nach Tierschutzschlachtverordnung zulässigen Betäubungsverfahren nicht erfolgreich betäubt werden kann. Es waren deshalb sowohl die tierschutzrechtlich zulässigen als auch andere potenziell geeignete Betäubungsverfahren zu untersuchen, zu kombinieren und zu modifizieren. Mit der Eiswasserbehandlung wird die Wahrnehmungs- und Empfindungslosigkeit nicht ausreichend schnell erreicht. Für kleine Schlachtzahlen bzw. als Alternative zur Betäubung per Kopfschlag erscheint die untersuchte Methode der Elektrobetäubung per Kopfdurchströmung durchaus geeignet. Zur Validierung der Kombination von Vorkühlung, Elektrobetäubung und Eiswasserbehandlung sind weitere Untersuchungen erforderlich

Feed Intake Patterns and Immediate Glycaemic and Insulinaemic Responses of Horses Following Ingestion of Different Quantities of Starch From Oat, Barley and Grains

BACKGROUND: Relevant literature indicate that more than 0.8 g starch/kg body weight from compounded feed composed of different starch sources induces disproportionate glycaemic and insulinaemic responses in horses. OBJECTIVE: It should be investigated whether crushed oats, barley and maize also cause a disproportionate increase in plasma glucose and insulin when fed as the only concentrate in quantities equal to and above 0.8 g starch/kg body weight. METHOD: Four mares received hay plus oats, barley and maize, respectively, in quantities equal to 0.8, 1.0 and 2.0 g starch/kg body weight. At the test days, chewing parameters were detected and blood sampled before and 30, 60, 90 and 120 min after the concentrate meal. Plasma glucose and insulin were measured and areas under the curve were calculated. RESULTS: Maize was ingested particularly slowly (dry matter basis; P < 0.05), but glycaemic and insulinaemic responses were particularly low (starch basis; P < 0.05). In general, the glycaemic responses were highest with 1 g starch/kg body weight (P < 0.05). The quantity of starch had no effect on the insulinaemic response (P > 0.05). A defined increase in plasma glucose induced the highest insulinaemic response with oat grains. CONCLUSION: Oats and barley are ingested faster and induce higher glycaemic and insulinaemic responses than maize. Until 120 min postprandial, elevated quantities of starch from these grains seem to induce no disproportionate or at least linear increase of plasma glucose and insulin. The insulinaemic response to a defined increase of plasma glucose is particularly pronounced with oats

Gonadal and stress hormone concentrations of urban European blackbirds

These data describe the levels of certain hormones in faeces and blood of adult urban European blackbirds (Turdus merula) and further conditions associated with the sampling. The samples were collected between March 2011 and May 2013 by Anja Russ, Terézia Lucenicová, Sarah Effertz, Rebecca Thier-Lange, Diana Höhlig, Simon Dietzel, Tobias Köhler, Alexandra Erbach, and Daniela Dunger. The analyses of hormone concentrations were conducted at the Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University of Leipzig, by Susanne Reitemeier, Anne Weissmann, and Jutta Gottschalk. These data have been collected with support of the research project „Birds in illuminated landscapes (BILL)“ funded by the German Federal Ministery of Education and Resarch (BMBF) under the grant: FKZ 033L038E Please note: as decimal marker commas are used

Investigation of Body Development in Growing Holstein Heifers With Special Emphasis on Body Fat Development Using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis

This study analyzed skeletal development, body condition, and total body fat development of growing heifers. A total of 144 female primiparous Holstein cattle from four commercial dairy farms with different degrees of stillbirth rates were examined during the rearing period. This included measurements in body condition, fat tissue, metabolic, and endocrine factors. Pelvic measurements and the sacrum height were analyzed to assess skeletal development. The body condition was classified via body condition scoring, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), back fat thickness measurements, and the body mass. For the first time, BIA was used as an appropriate method to evaluate the fat tissue content of cattle throughout the rearing period. This analysis technique can be performed on heifers aged 8–15 months. Throughout that period, the fat content decreased while the skeletal development increased. In addition, high free fatty acid concentrations in serum of the animals with high frame development were found, supporting our hypothesis that stored energy of body fat deposits is used for skeletal growth. Furthermore, we were able to demonstrate complex endocrine relationships between fat metabolism and skeletal growth by using specific markers, such as leptin, insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and estradiol (E2). Food analysis showed high crude protein (CP) levels in the total mixed ration above recommendation for daily protein intake of all farms. However, there was a positive correlation between CP and the body frame measurements in our study. In summary, we established a novel regression formula for BIA analysis (“BIA-Heine”) in heifers to evaluate the body composition throughout different ages and physiological stages in the development of heifers. This special formula allows the evaluation of fat tissue without a whole-body analysis and therefore provides an innovative technique for animal welfare support

Investigation of Body Development in Growing Holstein Heifers With Special Emphasis on Body Fat Development Using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis

This study analyzed skeletal development, body condition, and total body fat development of growing heifers. A total of 144 female primiparous Holstein cattle from four commercial dairy farms with different degrees of stillbirth rates were examined during the rearing period. This included measurements in body condition, fat tissue, metabolic, and endocrine factors. Pelvic measurements and the sacrum height were analyzed to assess skeletal development. The body condition was classified via body condition scoring, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), back fat thickness measurements, and the body mass. For the first time, BIA was used as an appropriate method to evaluate the fat tissue content of cattle throughout the rearing period. This analysis technique can be performed on heifers aged 8–15 months. Throughout that period, the fat content decreased while the skeletal development increased. In addition, high free fatty acid concentrations in serum of the animals with high frame development were found, supporting our hypothesis that stored energy of body fat deposits is used for skeletal growth. Furthermore, we were able to demonstrate complex endocrine relationships between fat metabolism and skeletal growth by using specific markers, such as leptin, insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and estradiol (E2). Food analysis showed high crude protein (CP) levels in the total mixed ration above recommendation for daily protein intake of all farms. However, there was a positive correlation between CP and the body frame measurements in our study. In summary, we established a novel regression formula for BIA analysis (“BIA-Heine”) in heifers to evaluate the body composition throughout different ages and physiological stages in the development of heifers. This special formula allows the evaluation of fat tissue without a whole-body analysis and therefore provides an innovative technique for animal welfare support