Broiler welfare index based on slaughter-house variables

The purpose of this study was to develop a welfare index which is suitable for Finnish broiler production. Animal welfare problems in broiler production are connected to fast growth and production environment

Calf health from birth to weaning. III. housing and management of calf pneumonia

Calfhood diseases have a major impact on the economic viability of cattle operations. A three part review series has been developed focusing on calf health from birth to weaning. In this paper, the last of the three part series, we review disease prevention and management with particular reference to pneumonia, focusing primarily on the pre-weaned calf. Pneumonia in recently weaned suckler calves is also considered, where the key risk factors are related to the time of weaning. Weaning of the suckler calf is often combined with additional stressors including a change in nutrition, environmental change, transport and painful husbandry procedures (castration, dehorning). The reduction of the cumulative effects of these multiple stressors around the time of weaning together with vaccination programmes (preconditioning) can reduce subsequent morbidity and mortality in the feedlot. In most studies, calves housed individually and calves housed outdoors with shelter, are associated with decreased risk of disease. Even though it poses greater management challenges, successful group housing of calves is possible. Special emphasis should be given to equal age groups and to keeping groups stable once they are formed. The management of pneumonia in calves is reliant on a sound understanding of aetiology, relevant risk factors, and of effective approaches to diagnosis and treatment. Early signs of pneumonia include increased respiratory rate and fever, followed by depression. The single most important factor determining the success of therapy in calves with pneumonia is early onset of treatment, and subsequent adequate duration of treatment. The efficacy and economical viability of vaccination against respiratory disease in calves remains unclear

The impact of early life nutrition and housing on growth and reproduction in dairy cattle

Contentious issues in calf rearing include milk feeding practices and single versus group housing. The current study was performed on a high producing 170 Holstein cow dairy farm, to investigate the impact of nutrition and housing on growth and reproduction. Heifer calves (n = 100) were allocated in birth order to one of two commonly used management strategies. All calves received 3-4 litres of dam specific colostrum within 6 hours of birth. Group A calves were group housed from birth and fed milk replacer (MR) ad libitum via a computerised machine utilising a single teat, with weaning commencing at 63 days of age. Group R calves were initially housed in individual pens and received 2.5 litres of MR twice daily via a bucket until 21 days of age when they were group housed and fed 3 litres of MR twice daily via a group trough with weaning commencing at 56 days. From 12 weeks of age onwards, calves in both dietary groups were subject to common nutritional and husbandry protocols. All breeding of heifers was via artificial insemination with no hormonal intervention. Calves were weighed, body condition scored and morphometric measures recorded weekly up till 12 weeks of age then monthly until conception. Pre-weaning growth rates (kg/day) were significantly higher in Group A calves compared to Group R (0.89, 95% CI 0.86-0.93 vs 0.57, 95% CI 0.54-0.6 kg/day P 0.050) in any of the mean values of measured reproductive parameters, multivariable Cox regression suggested that there was a weak trend (P = 0.072) for Group A animals to achieve first service earlier than their Group R counterparts (62.6 weeks versus 65.3 weeks). Irrespective of dietary group, the hazard for achievement of all measured reproductive parameters, apart from time to puberty, was 20-40% less for heifers borne from multiparous dams compared to heifers from primiparous dams

Tar Reforming in Model Gasifier Effluents: Transition Metal/Rare Earth Oxide Catalysts

The removal of tars from syngas generated in biomass or coal/biomass gasifiers plays an important role in syngas cleanup. Rare earth oxides (REOs, e.g., Ce/LaOx) mixed with transition metals (e.g., Mn, Fe) were synthesized by various methods and in some cases supported on a thermally stable alumina. These catalysts were applied to tar removal in the temperature range \u3c1100 K using synthetic syngas mixtures with C H as a tar model compound, both with and without H S. Some commercial Ni reforming catalyst formulations were examined comparatively. Fresh and used catalysts were characterized by XANES, XAFS, XRD, TPO, and BET. We found that the C H is reformed to at least methane, although further reforming to CO and H is not always achieved. While CO , H S, and coke formation all inhibited or deactivated the catalysts at certain temperatures and to different extents, it was determined that Fe- or Mn-doped supported REOs are promising tar cleanup catalysts. They exhibited higher sulfur tolerance, less coking, and less methanation than typical Ni-based high temperature reforming catalysts. This behavior is in part attributed to enhanced generation of oxygen vacancies in the doped REOs. © 2014 American Chemical Society. 10 8 2 10 8 2 2