Effect of Genotype, Gender, and Feed Restriction on Slaughter Results and Meat Quality of Broiler Chickens

Slaughter results and meat quality were evaluated in 768 broilers according to genotype (standard breast yield vs. high breast yield), gender, and feeding systems (ad libitum vs. feed restriction from 13 to 21 d of age). Standard-yield chickens had higher carcass weights (2358 g vs. 2319 g; P < 0.001) and hind legs proportion (31.1% vs. 30.6%; P < 0.01), and lower dressing out percentage (73.6% vs. 74.0%; P < 0.01) compared to high-yield birds, besides lower meat L* index (45.3 vs. 46.2; P < 0.05), higher final pH (5.89 vs. 5.85; P < 0.05) and thawing losses (10.5% vs. 9.43%; P < 0.05). Males showed higher carcass weight (+24%), dressing percentage (+0.7%), and hind leg yield (+4%) (P < 0.001) than females. Restricted birds had lower carcass weight (\u20132%; P < 0.001) and dressing percentage (-0.3%) (P < 0.05) than those always fed ad libitum. As what concerns meat quality, gender and feeding system aff ected only meat final pH, lower in ad libitum group than in restricted one and in females than males. In conclusions, slaughter results and carcass traits changed especially with genotype and gender, coherently with slaughter weight whereas meat quality was mostly affected by genotype

Influence of group housing, lactation system and floor type on performance and injuries in rabbit does

To evaluate the effect of group housing, lactation system, and floor type, 40 crossbred multiparous pregnant rabbit does were transferred to individual pens (0.5 m x 1.0 m); 8 does were kept individually during all the trial (I; n=8); the other 32 does were kept in 8 collective pens (2.0 m x 1.0 m, by joining 4 individual pens) in stable groups of 4 individuals (G; n=8) from 8 d until 2 d before kindling and from 2 d until 33 d after kindling. Half pens had wire net floor covered with plastic mats (W; n=8) and the other half plastic slatted floor (P; n=8). Within G does, in half pens (n=4) each doe nursed its own litter (fixed lactation, F); in the remaining half, each doe randomly nursed the litters of the group (random lactation, R). Doe performance at kindling and during lactation, litter performance from standardization until weaning (33 d), and skin injuries on G does (5, 12, 19, 26 and 34 d after kindling) were controlled. The effect of the housing system on performance was tested by PROC GLM of SAS. Within G does, the effect of the lactation system and floor type was evaluated by PROC MIXED (pen as random effect); the injury frequency was analysed by PROC FREQ according to observation day, lactation system, and floor type. Housing system did not affect doe kindling or lactation performance; litter weight at standardization was higher for G than I does (680 vs 619 g, P<0.05), but differences disappeared at weaning. The lactation system showed some residual effects when controlled lactation finished, nests were opened, and kits free of moving. In fact, from 19 to 33 d after kindling, does and litters had higher feed intake (679 g/d vs 602 g/d; P<0.05) and, at 33 d, kits were heavier (775 vs 748 g, P<0.05) in R than in F pens. Floor type (W vs P pens) affected milk production (244 vs 225 g/d; P=0.06), and kit weight at the end of controlled lactation (301 vs 290 g; P<0.05), without residual effects at weaning. The injury frequency changed after the group formation: 34% at 5 d, 47% at 12 d, 13% at 19 and 26 d, and 10% at 34 d of lactation (P<0.05). In conclusion, under our conditions, group housing did not negatively affect doe performance; lactation system and floor type had minor effects; aggressiveness among does was evident after group formation during early lactation but decreased in the late lactation. Further recordings on more reproductive cycles would be necessary to confirm the present results

Effects of the feeding system on performance and myopathy occurrence in two broiler chicken genotypes

To evaluate whether performance and myopathy occurrence differed according to genotype (Cobb 500 vs. Ross 308) and feeding system (AL: ad libitum vs. ER: early restricted from 13 to 23 d of age, vs. LR: late restricted from 27 to 37 d; restriction rate: 80% of ad libitum), 828 day- old male chicks were assigned to 6 groups (2 x 3 arrangement), housed in 36 pens, and controlled for: individual live weight (weekly) and pen feed intake (daily) until slaughter (48 d); white striping and wooden breast occurrence at slaughter. Individual data were analysed by PROC MIXED of SAS (fixed effects: feeding system, genotype, and interaction; random effect: pen); pen feed intake and myopathy occurrence were analysed by PROC GLM and CATMOD, respectively. The feeding system affected performance: at the end of the first period (1-22 d), ER chickens showed lower weight gain (40.5 g/d vs. 47.8 g/d and 48.0 g/d), feed intake (50.8 g/d vs 61.0 g/d and 60.2 g/d) and weight (903 g vs 1056 g and 1059 g) than AL and LR broilers (P<0.001); at the end of the second period (23-48 d), ER chickens showed higher weight gain (98.3 g/d vs 93.6 g/d and 90.2 g/d) and feed intake (182 g/d vs. 177 g/d and 171 g/d) compared to AL and LR chickens (P<0.001). Final live weight was the highest in AL group, intermediate in ER group, and the lowest in the LR one (3482 g, 3454 g, and 3399 g; P<0.01). Feed conversion in the whole period did not change with the feeding system. At gross examination, white striping occurrence changed from 77.8% to 67.1%, and 81.7% in AL, ER and LR broilers (p<0.10). Differences between genotypes were evident from the first day and, at the end of the trial, weight gain (74.3 g/d vs 70.1 g/d), feed intake (126 g/d vs 114 g/d), feed conversion (1.69 vs 1.64), and live weight (3548 g vs. 3342 g) were higher in the Ross than in the Cobb chickens (P<0.001). At slaughter, the rate of white-striped breasts was similar (on average 75.5%), but the occurrence of severely white-striped breasts was higher in the Ross than in the Cobb chickens (25.9% vs. 7.41%; P<0.001). Wooden breast occurrence (on average 5.1%) did not change with the feeding system or the genotype. In conclusion, under our conditions, a late feed restriction did not permit to recover performance at the end of the trial nor to control white striping occurrence. Moreover, the genotype affected growth rate and white striping degree: the highest the growth rate, the highest the severity of white striping

\u3cem\u3eHurst v. Florida\u3c/em\u3e’s Ha’p’orth of Tar: The Need to Revisit \u3cem\u3eCaldwell, Clemons, and Proffitt\u3c/em\u3e

In Hurst v. Florida, the Supreme Court held Florida’s death penalty scheme violated the Sixth Amendment because judges, rather than juries, found sentencing facts necessary to impose death. That Sixth Amendment ruling has implications for Florida’s Eighth Amendment jurisprudence. Under the Eighth Amendment rule of Caldwell v. Mississippi, capital juries must appreciate their responsibility for death sentencing. Yet, Florida has instructed juries that their fact-findings merely support sentencing recommendations, while leaving the ultimate sentencing decision to a judge. Because Hurst clarifies that the Sixth Amendment requires juries to find the operative set of facts on which sentences are actually determined, Florida must revisit whether its capital juries have felt the full weight of their proper constitutional role. Under the Eighth Amendment rule of Clemons v. Mississippi, appellate courts may reweigh sentencing facts and conduct harmless error analyses after finding an invalid aggravating factor was used at sentencing. Florida has permitted Clemons review on judge-found facts. After Hurst, Florida must revisit whether such review required sentencing facts found by juries. Florida’s pre-Hurst death penalty scheme was held to satisfy the Eighth Amendment in Proffitt v. Florida. That holding relied on the involvement of juries in finding sentencing facts and automatic review by the Florida Supreme Court. Hurst makes clear that Florida juries had no involvement in finding sentencing facts, and appellate review was based on facts improperly found by judges. Hurst, therefore, requires that Florida revisit Proffitt. Repairs to Florida’s Eighth Amendment jurisprudence should be made in the immediate aftermath of Hurst, while the finality of pre-Hurst death sentences already must be disturbed to satisfy the Sixth. In other words, Florida can repair today at little expense Eighth Amendment problems that may prove catastrophic tomorrow. And Florida, full as it is of able sailors, should know not to spoil the ship for a halfpennyworth of tar

Effect of stocking density of fish on water quality and growth performance of European Carp and leafy vegetables in a low-tech aquaponic system

Aquaponics (AP) is a semi-closed system of food production that combines aquaculture and hydroponics and represents a new agricultural system integrating producers and consumers. The aim of this study was to test the effect of stocking densities (APL, 2.5 kg m-3; APH, 4.6 kg m-3) on water quality, growth performance of the European Carp (Cyprinus carpio L.), and yield of leafy vegetables (catalogna, lettuce, and Swiss Chard) in a low-technology AP pilot system compared to a hydroponic cultivation. The AP daily consumption of water due to evapotranspiration was not different among treatments with an average value of 8.2 L d-1, equal to 1.37% of the total water content of the system. Dissolved oxygen was significantly (p < 0.05) different among treatments with the lowest median value recorded with the highest stocking density of fish (5.6 mg L-1) and the highest median value in the hydroponic control (8.7 mg L-1). Marketable yield of the vegetables was significantly different among treatments with the highest production in the hydroponic control for catalogna (1.2 kg m-2) and in the APL treatment for Swiss Chard (5.3 kg m-2). The yield of lettuce did not differ significantly between hydroponic control and APL system (4.0 kg m-2 on average). The lowest production of vegetables was obtained in the APH system. The final weight (515 g vs. 413 g for APL and APH, respectively), specific growth rate (0.79% d-1 vs. 0.68% d-1), and feed conversion (1.55 vs. 1.86) of European Carp decreased when stocking density increased, whereas total yield of biomass was higher in the APH system (4.45 kg m-3 vs. 6.88 kg m-3). A low mortality (3% on average) was observed in both AP treatments. Overall, the results showed that a low initial stocking density at 2.5 kg m-3 improved the production of European Carp and of leafy vegetables by maintaining a better water quality in the tested AP system

Gypsum Karst in the CrotoneProvince (Calabria, Southern Italy)

 Področje Kalabrije v južni Italiji predstavlja izreden primer krasa v sadri, ki vključuje tudi evaporitne kamnine triasne do miocenske starosti. Triasni evaporiti se pojavljajo v sekvenci debeli okrog sto metrov na področju obmorskega hrbta na zahodni obali Kalabrije. Na drugi strani pa evaporiti mesinske starosti obširno izdanjajo na vzhodu, v krotonskem bazenu. Pričujoči prispevek opisuje glavne značilnosti krasa v sadri (od površinske kraške morfologije do razvoja jam) na vzhodnem predelu Kalabrije. Krotonski bazen je med najbolj zanimivimi področji evaporitnega krasa v Italiji: tam najdemo različne površinske kraške oblike kot so vrtače, slepe doline, zaprte depresije, globoke in ozke soteske, kjer zasledimo intenzivna pobočna gibanja. Številni vhodi jam so na dnu vrtač. Jama Grave Grubbo, dolga prek 2.500 m, je ena daljših jam v Italiji v evaporitih. Na raziskovanem področju je prišlo do številnih sprememb, še posebno zaradi kmetijske dejavnosti in zaradi nezadostne pozornosti lokalnih oblasti do te izjemne pokrajine. Posebna vrednost krasa v sadri v Kalabriji še ni v celoti ovrednotena. Prišlo je namreč do onesnaženja številnih jam in posledično do znižanja kakovosti vode, ki teče v kras. The Calabria region of southern Italy presents remarkable examples of gypsum karst, involving evaporite rocks ranging in age from Trias to Miocene. Triassic evaporites are limited to a sequence of about one hundred meters of thickness in the Coastal Chain, on the western Calabrian coast. Messinian evaporites, on the other hand, extensively crop out to the east, in the Crotone Basin. The present contribution intends to describe the main features of gypsum karst in the latter area, from the surface karst morphology to the development of caves. The Crotone Basin is among the most interesting areas as regards evaporite karst in Italy: a variety of surface karst landforms is there present, including dolines, blind valleys, closed depressions, and deep and narrow canyons intensely affected by slope movements. Many caves are located at the bottom of the dolines, as Grave Grubbo which, with a length over 2,500 meters, is one of the longest Italian caves in evaporites. The study area has experienced several transformations, mostly due to agricultural activity and to scarce attention paid by local administrators toward this unique naturalistic landscape. The high value of Calabrian gypsum karst is thus not fully exploited, and several cases of degradation of the caves have been registered, even with consequences for the quality of water flowing in the karst systems

\u3cem\u3eHurst v. Florida\u3c/em\u3e’s Ha’p’orth of Tar: The Need to Revisit \u3cem\u3eCaldwell, Clemons, and Proffitt\u3c/em\u3e

In Hurst v. Florida, the Supreme Court held Florida’s death penalty scheme violated the Sixth Amendment because judges, rather than juries, found sentencing facts necessary to impose death. That Sixth Amendment ruling has implications for Florida’s Eighth Amendment jurisprudence. Under the Eighth Amendment rule of Caldwell v. Mississippi, capital juries must appreciate their responsibility for death sentencing. Yet, Florida has instructed juries that their fact-findings merely support sentencing recommendations, while leaving the ultimate sentencing decision to a judge. Because Hurst clarifies that the Sixth Amendment requires juries to find the operative set of facts on which sentences are actually determined, Florida must revisit whether its capital juries have felt the full weight of their proper constitutional role. Under the Eighth Amendment rule of Clemons v. Mississippi, appellate courts may reweigh sentencing facts and conduct harmless error analyses after finding an invalid aggravating factor was used at sentencing. Florida has permitted Clemons review on judge-found facts. After Hurst, Florida must revisit whether such review required sentencing facts found by juries. Florida’s pre-Hurst death penalty scheme was held to satisfy the Eighth Amendment in Proffitt v. Florida. That holding relied on the involvement of juries in finding sentencing facts and automatic review by the Florida Supreme Court. Hurst makes clear that Florida juries had no involvement in finding sentencing facts, and appellate review was based on facts improperly found by judges. Hurst, therefore, requires that Florida revisit Proffitt. Repairs to Florida’s Eighth Amendment jurisprudence should be made in the immediate aftermath of Hurst, while the finality of pre-Hurst death sentences already must be disturbed to satisfy the Sixth. In other words, Florida can repair today at little expense Eighth Amendment problems that may prove catastrophic tomorrow. And Florida, full as it is of able sailors, should know not to spoil the ship for a halfpennyworth of tar