scholarly journals 1. Clean, Green, Ethical (CGE) Management: What Research Do We Really Need?

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graeme B Martin ◽  
Teuku Reza Ferasyi
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Improvement ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Small Ruminants ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Reproductive Process ◽  
World Food Supply ◽  
Reproductive Events

Industries based on small ruminants are major contributors to world food supply but, in many production systems, reproductive technology is not directly relevant. In addition, there is a general need to embrace the vision for products that are ‘clean, green and ethical’ (CGE). In the concept of CGE management, the environment of the animal is used to control reproduction rather than technological tools. Nutrition is the primary factor but, rather than feeding ruminants with potential human food, we need to focus on forages with occasional ‘smart supplements’. This focus also opens up opportunities – new forages can supply energy and protein whilst improving animal health and welfare, and reducing carbon emissions.Nutritional inputs must be accurately coordinated with reproductive events to ensure that the metabolic signals are appropriate to the stage of the reproductive process. To control the timing of reproduction, we begin with simply managing the presence of the male but then seek more precision through the greater use of ultrasound.Finally, genetic improvement should be part of every industry strategy and it is critical in the long-term development of CGE management. Most aspects of CGE management have a strong genetic component, as evidenced by variation among genotypes, and among individuals within genotypes. For example, a combination of nutritional management with genetic improvement in the rate of muscle accumulation can accelerate sexual maturity, potentially leading to simultaneous improvements in meat production, reproductive efficiency and environmental footprint.For each local situation, we need to introduce the various elements of the CGE package in stages, adapting the process to cover variations in genotype and in geographical and socio-economic environments. Some concepts might need further research and development for local conditions. Ultimately, CGE management is a simple and cost-effective way to improve productivity whilst safeguarding the future of the livestock industries.

023. Biotechnology and reproduction in mainstream animal industry - a perspective

2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 68
Author(s):  
G. B. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Small Ruminants ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Embryo Survival ◽  
Reproductive Process ◽  
Increase Productivity ◽  
Or Gene ◽  
Reproductive Events

This paper considers strategies to improve the reproductive performance of small ruminants in ways that lead to production systems that are ‘clean, green and ethical’. This view arises from feedback from consumers, particularly in attractive export markets, and from a need to refocus on the needs of Australian producers, most of whom operate large, extensive enterprises. These people cannot use ‘high-tech’ systems but need low-cost, low-labour solutions to their problems. First, to control of the timing of reproductive events, they can use the socio-sexual inputs of the ‘male effect’ to induce synchronised ovulation in females that would otherwise be anovulatory (seasonal, lactational, prepubertal). Second, they can use nutritional stimuli for ‘focus feeding’, in which short periods of nutritional supplements are precisely timed and specifically designed for individual events in the reproductive process: gamete production, embryo survival, ‘fetal programming’ and colostrum production. Third, they can use simple behavioural observations to genetically select for temperament – this will maximize offspring survival, product quality and animal welfare. All of these approaches involve non-pharmacological manipulation of the endogenous control systems of the animals and complement the detailed information from ultrasound that is now becoming available.1 The use of such clean, green and ethical tools in the management of our animals can be cost-effective, increase productivity and, at the same time, greatly improve the image of meat and milk industries in society and the marketplace. This does not mean, however, that they will not benefit from the opportunities that evolve from breakthroughs in reproductive technology or gene research. On the contrary, if this ‘high-tech’ research is done within the context of the needs of a ‘clean, green and ethical’ industry, first class science can have very direct and immediate benefits to our livestock industries. (1)Martin GB, Milton JTB, Davidson RH, Banchero Hunzicker GE, Lindsay DR and Blache D. (2004). Natural methods of increasing reproductive efficiency in sheep and goats. Anim. Reprod. Sci. 82–83, 231–246.

scholarly journals Carcass and meat lamb and kid quality and development of consumer acceptability

2008 ◽  
Vol 37 (spe) ◽  
pp. 143-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Sañudo Astiz
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Ageing Time ◽  
Small Ruminants ◽  
Consumer Acceptability ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
World Population ◽  
Local Market ◽  
Artificial Fibre ◽  
Human World ◽  
Sheep Production

Small ruminants have been one of the first domesticated species and from their origins have produced multiple benefits to humans. In the last two centuries, world sheep production has become more and more specialised upon geographical areas. But, recent changes in consumer attitudes, together with the increment in artificial fibre industries and human world population, some crisis related with the international wool market and some increments in lamb prices, have provoked that lamb meat has increased its relative importance inside the global sheep income. Also, sheep production systems vary considerably across the world, and reflect the different local environmental conditions, which determine, to a large extent, breeds, housing, levels of intensification and, at the end, local market requirements and qualities. However, among all the meats, sheep meat remains the most internationally traded (16 % of total world production is exported), which explains the potential existence of different lamb products in the same market. Then, the new requirements have created a higher interest for meat production, including its quality and quality marks. This interest from producers and the industry should be reflected in a proportional higher interest from the researches towards sheep and goat, where it exists, in general, important lacks of knowledge and, in particular, in lamb and kid meat Science. In the present speech we will made a special incidence on the relationship between carcass quality and lamb acceptability and on some factors like breed and species, diet and production system, slaughter weight and ageing time and their importance on the variation of the carcass and meat quality, including consumer acceptability.

Characteristics of indigenous chickens of Malawi

1997 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 61-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. C. L. Safalaoh
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Management System ◽  
Genetic Improvement ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Free Range ◽  
Indigenous Chickens ◽  
Range Type ◽  
Animal Health Services

SummaryIndigenous chickens (1C) are the commonest type of chickens raised in Malawi, especially in the rural areas. The management system is primarily of the free range type which is characterised by lack of supplementary feeding, minimal housing and little or no animal health services. This in turn results in low bird production in terms of egg and meat production when compared to modern breeds. Cross breeding the 1C with improved breeds such as the Black Australorp is one avenue through which productivity of the indigenous chickens may be improved. The advantages of the indigenous Malawi chicken and issues for their conservation and genetic improvement are discussed.

Genetic improvement of meat production in sheep and cattle -current industry schemes and future possibilities

1988 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 202-220
Author(s):  
G Simm ◽  
D E Steane
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Improvement ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Carcass Composition ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
The Past ◽  
Structural Problems ◽  
Early Results ◽  
Beef Carcasses ◽  
Terminal Sire

ABSTRACTOverfatness of lamb and beef carcasses is a problem in many countries. Genetic improvement of carcass composition, particularly in specialised terminal sire (meat) breeds, should lead to permanent, cumulative, and cost-effective improvements. In the past, selection in these breeds has been mainly on liveweight. However, the use of in vivo estimates of carcass composition is expected to lead to higher rates of progress. In ruminants index selection is likely to be most useful, and early results from selection experiments are encouraging. Although schemes for recording performance and estimating breeding values are in operation in many countries, structural problems such as small herd or flock sizes, and lack of comparisons between herds or flocks impede progress. To some extent, these problems could be overcome by cooperation amongst breeders and wider use of new statistical techniques. Genetic improvement of meat production could be further enhanced by improved techniques for in vivo estimation of carcass composition, and by use of embryo transfer to increase “annual selection intensity” of females.

scholarly journals Sustainable animal genetic improvement

2022 ◽  
Vol 335 ◽  
pp. 00001
Author(s):  
Julius H. J. van der Werf
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Improvement ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Poultry Production ◽  
Breeding Programs ◽  
Genomic Technologies ◽  
Breeding Objectives ◽  
Definition Of

Well designed and targeted animal breeding programs allow a sustainable genetic improvement of livestock with increases in animal productivity of 1-2% per annum. Over time, massive improvements have been achieved, e.g. in dairy and pig and poultry production systems, now resulting in higher production that requires much fewer input of resources. Although reproductive and genomic technologies contribute nowadays to increases in rates of genetic improvement, the key to successful breeding programs lies in a strong focus on simple and well-defined breeding objectives, effective investment in trait measurement, a clear understanding of the structure of the breeding program, and efficient systems for genetic evaluation, selection and mating of elite animals. The dissemination of the genetics of selected animals to the wider population also needs consideration, requiring commercial farmers or smallholders to have the means to have access to improved genetics as well as an understanding of the value of using improved bulls. Definition of the breeding objectives as well as evaluation of genetic merit needs to be based on the local environment. Compared with other interventions to improve productivity and stability, genetic improvement is a critical and cost-effective approach as genetic gains are permanent and cumulative.

Оrganic Meat Production of Broiler Chickens Hubbard Redbro Cross

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Broiler Chickens ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Meat Products ◽  
Poultry Meat ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Environmentally Safe ◽  
The Impact

This article presents the results of studying the impact of housing and feeding conditions on broiler chickens of Hubbard RedBro cross, as well as the quality of products obtained when using floor and cage content, in a farm. It established that when receiving a mixed feed of own production using feed raw materials grown on a farm without the use of pesticides, a statistically significant decrease in potentially dangerous substances for animal health is recorded. Compared with factory feed, it has reduced the content of pesticides by 14 times, and mercury and arsenic by 24 times, cadmium by five times, and lead by ten times. The results of the study of economic indicators of growing Hubbard RedBro cross broiler chickens, as well as the chemical composition and quality of carcasses, indicated that there was no significant difference between the floor and cell conditions of keeping. Still, the use of a diet based on eco-feeds contributed to a statistically significant decrease in the concentration of toxic metals in the muscles of the poultry of the experimental groups. As a result, it found that the use of the studied compound feed in the diets of broiler chickens increased the indicators of Biosafety and ensured the production of environmentally safe ("organic") poultry meat products.

scholarly journals Evolution in Configuration and Productivity of New Zealand Hill Country Sheep and Beef Cattle Systems

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 531
Author(s):  
Januarius Gobilik ◽  
Stephen Todd Morris ◽  
Cory Matthew
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Conversion Efficiency ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Metabolic Energy ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Feed Conversion Efficiency ◽  
Hill Country ◽  
Cattle Systems

Metabolic energy budgeting (MEB) was used to evaluate evolution over 30 years (1980–1981 to 2010–2011) in New Zealand southern North Island ‘hill country’ sheep and beef cattle systems. MEB calculates energy required by animals for body weight maintenance, weight gain or loss, pregnancy, and lactation to estimate the system feed demand and thereby provide a basis for calculating feed conversion efficiency. Historic production systems were reconstructed and modeled using averaged data from industry surveys and data from owners’ diaries of three case-study farms and reviewed for patterns of change over time. The modeling indicated that pasture productivity was 11% lower and herbage harvested was 14% lower in 2010–2011 than in the early 1980s. This productivity decline is attributable to warmer, drier summer weather in recent years. However, primarily through increased lambing percentage, feed conversion efficiency based on industry data improved over the study period from 25 to 19 kg feed consumed per kg lamb weaned, while meat production rose from 137 to 147 kg per ha per year. Similar improvements were observed for the three case farms. The New Zealand MEB model was found effective for analysis of tropical beef production systems in Sabah, Malaysia.

scholarly journals Life Cycle Assessment to Highlight the Environmental Burdens of Early Potato Production

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 879
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Timpanaro ◽  
Ferdinando Branca ◽  
Mariarita Cammarata ◽  
Giacomo Falcone ◽  
Alessandro Scuderi
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Organic Farming ◽  
Ecological Model ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Potato Production ◽  
Conventional Agriculture ◽  
Production Models ◽  
Real Performance

Climate change, food security, and the protection of the planet’s resources require the adoption of sustainable production models. Achieving sustainable development in the agri-food sector enables the creation of new opportunities for operators, guiding farmers towards more environmentally friendly practices and offering cost-effective results. Organic farming paradigms are promoted by the transformation of some harmful practices of conventional agriculture, such as the wide use of chemical products of synthesis, the deep workings that favor the erosive processes, the excessive use of nitrogenous fertilizers. There are still gaps in the knowledge of the real performance of some products that strongly support the local economic system of Sicily (Italy). The research aims to highlight the differences in environmental impact caused by the cultivation of organic early potatoes compared to the conventional regime and the same per kg of product obtained. To this end, the widely used methodology for comparing the environmental impacts of agricultural production systems is the Life Cycle Assessment, which allows us to highlight the phases in which environmental criticalities are most concentrated. An interesting agroecological picture of knowledge emerges, since organic farming is by definition an ecological model that supports the principles of the Green Deal, it often requires interventions to improve the yields obtained in order to achieve a positive result both in terms of cultivated surface and kg of product obtained.

BioWorma as an Aid for Controlling Ruminant Nematode Parasites

2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 36-36
Author(s):  
James E Miller ◽  
Joan M Burke ◽  
Thomas H Terrill
Keyword(s):  
Delivery System ◽  
Control Method ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
The United States ◽  
Gastrointestinal Nematodes ◽  
Mineral Supplement ◽  
Larval Stages ◽  
Nematode Parasites

Abstract Nematode-trapping fungi are biological control agents used against the larval stages of gastrointestinal nematodes in livestock feces. These fungi are normal soil inhabitants where they feed on a variety of non-parasitic soil nematodes. Of the various fungi tested, Duddingtonia flagrans spores (BioWorma, International Animal Health Products, Australia) have been shown to survive passage through the gastrointestinal tract of ruminants. After defecation, the spores germinate and grow in the feces to form sticky, sophisticated traps/loops which are able to trap the developing larval stages in the fecal environment. This form of control has been successfully applied under field conditions and is an environmentally safe biological approach for forage-based feeding systems. BioWorma has recently been approved for use in the United States. The primary delivery system is mixing BioWorma into supplement feedstuffs daily where each animal has the opportunity to consume an adequate amount of the mixture. To achieve optimum control of larvae during the transmission season (May–October), BioWorma needs to be fed for a period of no shorter than 60 days, starting at the beginning of the grazing season (especially young after weaning). Feeding BioWorma to dams during late pregnancy and lactation will also help to reduce pasture contamination, especially for growing young that will graze the same pasture. Another delivery system is mixing BioWorma into loose mineral supplement where animals will consume it free choice. The mineral needs to be kept covered and dry. The spores cannot be incorporated into pellets as the heat of the pelleting process will kill the spores. One drawback in using BioWorma is the relatively high cost. Research is being conducted to evaluate other delivery schemes that could be more cost effective. This product is the only control method that targets nematodes on pasture, where a majority of the total population reside.

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