Developing and Implementing Animal Welfare Assessments on Extensive and Intensive Grassland Systems: An Overview

While several definitions of animal welfare exist, in this paper we use the concept of the Five Freedoms. The Five Freedoms are freedom from hunger, thirst and malnutrition; freedom from discomfort; freedom from pain, injury and disease; freedom from fear and distress; freedom to perform normal behavior. While the idea of the Five Freedoms has limitations, it is still a widely-used conceptualization of animal welfare and we use it here to discuss the welfare of cattle in intensive and extensive management systems in Vietnam and Australia. Compared to extensive pasture systems, intensive management systems do result in heightened animal welfare concerns. These relate particularly to metabolic diseases, discomfort due to high humidity and inadequate bedding, increased prevalence of lameness and respiratory disease and an inability to satisfy normal behavioural requirements such as manipulation of feed and access to grooming. However, an understanding of these limitations will allow increased attention to possible welfare compromise

Artificial Manipulation of Oestrus and Ovulation in Post-Partum Beef Cattle

This thesis examines factors influencing responses to artificial manipulation of oestrous and ovulation in post-partum beef cows. To serve as background two main chapters are devoted to reviewing the literature on the physiology of important reproductive processes related to the oestrous cycle and the post-partum period and on methods for inducing and synchronising oestrus and ovulation in female cattle. The experimental chapter reports three field trials which were carried out on two pasture-based seasonally calving beef enterprises. These experiments examined the efficacy of several drug regimes, the influence of nutritional status and reproductive state of animals and the effect of protected lipid supplementation on reproductive responses to oestrous synchronisation. It was found that the Crestar (progestogen plus oestrogen) produced better reproductive responses than the CIDR-B (progesterone plus oestrogen) in nutritionally deprived post-partum suckled beef cows. Short term (7-9 day) CIDR-B (without oestrogen) in combination with PMSG and prostaglandin can result in acceptable responses under favourable nutritional circumstances. However, this was dependent on AI occurring at detected oestrus since neither progesterone alone nor progesterone-oestrogen combination in the present treatments completely suppressed the effect of follicular wave development on the synchrony of responses. When a second CIDR-B treatment was applied beginning two weeks following the first AI, overall pregnancy rate to both cycles of AI was increased significantly. A low dose of PMSG (450 i.u.) proved to be suitable for cycling cows while a higher dose (550 i.u.) was good for non-cycling cows. The cycling state seemed to influence only the expression of behavioural oestrus but not pregnancy rates in the present treatments which were initiated after one month post-partum. The post-partum interval from calving to treatment commenced after one month post-partum had no significant effect on the response, but long term nutritional status, as reflected by pasture conditions and body condition, was of significance in determining the level of responses. A short term feeding of a protected supplement showed potential for increasing responses to oestrous synchronisation in post-partum suckled beef cows

Effects of Crossbreeding and Feed Supplementation on Meat Productivity of Goats in Laos: 2. Body Composition and Meat Quality

A 5 month long 2x2 factorial feeding trial was carried out to determine effects of crossbreeding and feed supplementation on meat productivity of goats in Laos. The indigenous goat breed (Lat) was used as the control to compare with the F1 (BT x L) as a result of crossbreeding Lat does with bucks of Bach Thao, an improved goat breed imported from Vietnam. For each genotype, 30 growing male goats at 7 months of age were chosen and equally divided into 2 groups, each being raised under either the traditional feeding regime (free grazing only) or an improved feeding regime including dried cassava hay and mineral block provided ad libitum in addition to the free grazing regime. Observations included feed intake, live weight gain, dressing percentage, body composition, carcass parts, and meat quality. This paper presents body composition and meat quality of the goats as affected by crossbreeding and feed supplementation. Results showed that although there existed significant differences in weight percentage of some organs (legs, lungs and liver) in the body, no significant diferences were observed for meat quality (tenderness, color, pH, drip loss and cooking loss) between Lat and F1 goats under the two different feeding regimes. It was therefore concluded that crossbreeding with Bach Thao bucks imported from Vietnam and feed supplementation (cassava hay and mineral block) well improved meat yield without negative effects on meat quality of goats in Laos.Peer reviewe

Reproductive performance of the nucleus herd of stress negative Piétrain and Duroc swine raised at the animal farm of Hanoi University of Agriculture

peer reviewedA study was carried out from December 2011 to August 2012 to evaluate reproductive performance of nucleus herd of stress negative Piétrain (Piétrain) and Duroc pigs raised at the experimental farm of Hanoi University of Agriculture. A total of 35 gilts, including 21 Piétrain (11 with halothane genotype CC and 10 with CT) and 14 Duroc CC gilts were monitored for their reproductive performance. Piétrain boars (3 CC and 5 CT) were mated to Piétrain and Duroc gilts to produce Piétrain purebred and crossbred Piétrain x Duroc pigs. Results showed that genotype of the boar and the sow affected body weight and litter weight at birth and at weaning (P<0.05). Total number of pigs born, number born alive, number alive to weaning, individual bodyweight at birth, individual bodyweight at weaning, litter weight at birth, litter weight at weaning, survival rate at birth, survival rate to weaning were 9.91, 9.26, 8.11 piglets, 1.4, 6.4, 12.97, 51.96kg, 94.32 and 88.55%, respectively. Body weight and litter weight at birth and at weaning of piglets from Piétrain CC boars were higher than those of piglets from Piétrain CT boars (P<0.05). Reproductive performance was highest for Duroc CC sows, followed by Piétrain CC and lowest for Piétrain CT sows (P<0.05). Reproductive performance of the nucleus herd could be improved by using Piétrain CC boars mated to Piétrain CC sows and Duroc CC sows

Effects of genotype and nutrition on growth performance,carcass characteristics, and meat properties of goats in Laos

peer reviewed【Objective】A 2×2 factorial trial was carried out to determine effects of genotype and nutrition on improved growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat properties of goats in Laos. 【Method】The indigenous goat breed (Lat) was used as the control in comparison with F1 (BT×L) as a result of crossbreeding Lat does with Bach Thao bucks imported from Vietnam. For each genotype, 30 growing male goats at age of 7 months were chosen and equally divided into 2 groups, one was raised according to the traditional feeding regime (free ranging only) and the other with an improved feeding regime including cassava hay and mineral block provided ad libitum in addition to free ranging. The animals were observed for the average daily gain (ADG) and at the end, three animals per group were slaughtered to determine carcass characteristics (physical composition, primal cuts), and meat properties (shear force, color, pH, drip loss, and cooking loss). 【Result】The results showed that the ADG of F1(60.02 g/head/day) was very much higher (56.09%) than that of the indigenous goat (38.45 g/head/day). The ADG of goats supplemented with cassava hay and mineral block (55.45g/head/day)was also significantly higher (28.89%) than that of those not supplemented (43.02 g/head/day). No significant (P >0.05)effects of the crossbreeding and supplementation were found for dressing percentage and percentages of shoulder-foreleg, rump-rearleg, and breast-rip cuts in the carcass; however, the F1 had a bigger neck (P<0.01) but a smaller loin-abdomen cut (P<0.01) compared with the indigenous goat. No significant differences were observed for the parameters of meat characteristics between Lat and F1 goats under the two different feeding regimes. 【Conclusion】It was therefore concluded that crossbreeding with Bach Thao bucks and supplementation of cassava hay and mineral block improved meat yield without negative effects on meat quality of goats in Laos

Factors affecting utilization of rice straw and maize stover as feeds for buffaloes and cattle in North Vietnam

peer reviewedA survey was carried out in 4 ecological zones (Northeastern, Northwest, the Red river delta and North central coast) of Vietnam to examine influence of ecological zone, education level, extension activity, household economy and herd size on utilization of rice straw and maize stover as feeds for buffaloes and cattle. A total of 720 households, of which 497 raised buffaloes and cattle, were interviewed. Results showed that the proportion of household using rice straw and maize stover as feed was significantly different among ecological zones and education levels. All of the studied factors, except the economic level, significantly influenced the utilization of rice straw and maize stover as feeds for buffaloes and cattle