Confinement Rearing of Sheep

There is a greater need for increased efficiency in sheep industry than there has been at any other time. Increased costs for labor, equipment, feed, marketing etc. take more of the producers dollar while at the same time production remains about the same. The average lamb crop for this year in the United States is 92%, 2% below 1966. Lambing percentage must be stepped up and overall efficiency increased if we are to meet the increased operating cost

The Effect of RAL Implants on Lamb Performance

One way to improve rate and efficiency of lamb production is by the use of growth stimulating compounds. Resorcylic Acid Lactone (RAL) is a relatively new growth stimulating compound that has been shown to improve weight gains and feed efficiency of growing and finishing beef cattle. South Dakota researchers have reported 13% faster gains on 9.7% less feed for yearling steers implanted with 36 mg. RAL when compared to control steers. Two trials were conducted to determine if a 12 mg. implant of RAL would be effective in improving performance of young growing lambs

Estrous Synchonization, Crossbreeding and Antibiotic Feeding for Improved Ewe and Lamb Performance

Increased productivity and more efficient management of the ewe flock will enable the sheep industry to better compete with other livestock operations. Improved lambing percentage, decreased mortality of lambs from birth to weaning and a more uniform lamb crop will assure a greater return on ewe investment. Controlled breeding would achieve a shortened lambing period and a more uniform lamb crop. The better management necessary for a shortened, more rapid lambing may result in more lambs saved and marketed. More vigorous lambs and a lower death loss may be expected from crossbreeding and the use of antibiotics in the ewe ration at lambing time

Effects of Confinement on Ewes and Lamb Performance

Mechanization in the sheep industry has been slow, while the use of confinement or semi-confinement management systems, labor saving equipment and special constructed housing has increased rapidly in the production of cattle, poultry and swine. Confinement rearing of sheep presents the opportunity to use labor saving equipment and to intensify production. By increasing the overall efficiency and stepping up the lambing percentage, we will be able to help meet the increasing operating costs

The Influence of Feedlot Weight on Market Lamb Peformance and Body Composition

In the last five to ten years, trimness has become very important in all species of livestock. During this time the size and scale of the market lamb has increased with a trimmer market lamb being produced. Light weight lambs tend to gain more rapidly and produce a leaner, trimmer carcass which may sell at a premium. The packer\u27s slaughtering and processing costs are prorated on a per head basis, therefore, it costs the packer the same amount to slaughter and process a 90 pound lamb as it does a larger one. With new techniques for processing, such as prepackaging, it may become desirable for the packer to purchase lambs which are larger than current market weights. Lambs are now produced which at these heavier weights are trim, heavily muscled and have a high percentage of edible portion. The production of more lambs of this type will assure a greater return on investment to both the packer and producer

Effect of Flushing and Gonadotropin on Ovulation Rate of Yearling Ewes on Range

Improvement of the reproduction rate of range ewes is of the utmost importance to the range sheep producer. Good grazing management and proper supplementation have been shown to be important. Flushing range ewes has given conflicting results. Gonadotrophic hormones have been used to increase ovulation rates but have been less successful with yearlings than with older ewes

Characterization of Contaminants from a Sanitized Milk Processing Plant

Milk processing lines offer a wide variety of microenvironments where a diversity of microorganisms can proliferate. We sampled crevices and junctions where, due to deficient reach by typical sanitizing procedures, bacteria can survive and establish biofilms. The sampling sites were the holding cell, cold storage tank, pasteurizer and storage tank - transfer pump junction. The culturable bacteria that were isolated after the sanitation procedure were predominantly Pseudomonas spp., Serratia spp, Staphylococcus sciuri and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. We assayed several phenotypic characteristics such as the ability to secrete enzymes and siderophores, as well as the capacity of the strains to form biofilms that might contribute to their survival in a mixed species environment. The Pseudomonas spp. isolates were found to either produce proteases or lecithinases at high levels. Interestingly, protease production showed an inverse correlation with siderophore production. Furthermore, all of the Serratia spp. isolates were strong biofilm formers and spoilage enzymes producers. The organisms identified were not mere contaminants, but also producers of proteins with the potential to lower the quality and shelf-life of milk. In addition, we found that a considerable number of the Serratia and Pseudomonas spp. isolated from the pasteurizer were capable of secreting compounds with antimicrobial properties

Maintenance N-acetyl cysteine treatment for bipolar disorder : a double-blind randomised placebo controlled trial

Background N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is a glutathione precursor that has been shown to have antidepressant efficacy in a placebo-controlled trial. The current study aimed to investigate the maintenance effects of NAC following eight weeks of open-label treatment for bipolar disorder.Method The efficacy of a double blind randomized placebo controlled trial of 2 g/day NAC as adjunct maintenance treatment for bipolar disorder was examined. Participants (n = 149) had a Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Score of [greater than or equal to]12 at trial entry and, after eight weeks of open-label NAC treatment, were randomized to adjunctive NAC or placebo, in addition to treatment as usual. Participants (primarily outpatients) were recruited through public and private services and through newspaper advertisements. Time to intervention for a mood episode was the primary endpoint of the study, and changes in mood symptoms, functionality and quality of life measures were secondary outcomes.Results There was a substantial decrease in symptoms during the eight-week open-label NAC treatment phase. During the subsequent double-blind phase, there was minimal further change in outcome measures with scores remaining low. Consequently, from this low plateau, between-group differences did not emerge on recurrence, clinical functioning or quality of life measures.Conclusions There were no significant between-group differences in recurrence or symptomatic outcomes during the maintenance phase of the trial; however, these findings may be confounded by limitations. Trial Registration The trial was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12607000074493)

Characterization of S3Pvac Anti-Cysticercosis Vaccine Components: Implications for the Development of an Anti-Cestodiasis Vaccine

Background: Cysticercosis and hydatidosis seriously affect human health and are responsible for considerable economic loss in animal husbandry in non-developed and developed countries. S3Pvac and EG95 are the only field trial-tested vaccine candidates against cysticercosis and hydatidosis, respectively. S3Pvac is composed of three peptides (KETc1, GK1 and KETc12), originally identified in a Taenia crassiceps cDNA library. S3Pvac synthetically and recombinantly expressed is effective against experimentally and naturally acquired cysticercosis.Methodology/ Principal Findings: In this study, the homologous sequences of two of the S3Pvac peptides, GK1 and KETc1, were identified and further characterized in Taenia crassiceps WFU, Taenia solium, Taenia saginata, Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus multilocularis. Comparisons of the nucleotide and amino acid sequences coding for KETc1 and GK1 revealed significant homologies in these species. The predicted secondary structure of GK1 is almost identical between the species, while some differences were observed in the C terminal region of KETc1 according to 3D modeling. A KETc1 variant with a deletion of three C-terminal amino acids protected to the same extent against experimental murine cysticercosis as the entire peptide. on the contrary, immunization with the truncated GK1 failed to induce protection. Immunolocalization studies revealed the non stage-specificity of the two S3Pvac epitopes and their persistence in the larval tegument of all species and in Taenia adult tapeworms.Conclusions/ Significance: These results indicate that GK1 and KETc1 may be considered candidates to be included in the formulation of a multivalent and multistage vaccine against these cestodiases because of their enhancing effects on other available vaccine candidates