scholarly journals Effects of Reduced Space Allowance and Heat Stress on Behavior and Eye Temperature in Unweaned Lambs: A Pilot Study

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3464
Author(s):  
Laura Menchetti ◽  
Leonardo Nanni Costa ◽  
Martina Zappaterra ◽  
Barbara Padalino

Current European animal transportation law contains only a few and vague indications concerning how to move lambs of less than 26 kg. Moreover, little information is available in the literature about factors affecting these lambs’ welfare. We investigated the effect of space allowance and ambient temperature on the welfare of unweaned Lacaune lambs during a simulation of long-distance transportation (19 h). Three groups of lambs (N = 130) were housed in equally sized pens for 19 h, Control (C; n = 39; 0.27 m2 per head), Low Space Allowance (LSA; n = 52; 0.20 m2 per head), and Heat Stress (HS; n = 39; 0.27 m2 per head) groups. LSA lambs had lower space allowance than C but were tested at the same temperature, within their Thermoneutral zone (range = 12–18 °C). The HS lambs were, instead, subjected to higher temperatures (range = 19–30 °C). Scan sampling of behavior was conducted, eye temperature and body weight were also recorded. LSA and HS lambs showed more discomfort behaviors (p < 0.05) and higher eye temperatures (p < 0.001) compared to C lambs, while HS lambs additionally showed a decrease in body weight over the experimental period (p < 0.001). This study indicates that lower space allowances and higher temperatures impact negatively the welfare of lambs transported for slaughter suggesting that the regulation should be implemented taking these factors into account.

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victory O. Sumanu ◽  
Tagang Aluwong ◽  
Joseph O. Ayo ◽  
Ngozi E. Ogbuagu

Abstract There is dearth information on the role of fisetin as an antistress agent in ameliorating heat stress in broiler chickens. Here, we experimentally compared probiotic, an antioxidant and antistress agent, with fisetin, an antioxidant agent with little or no report on its antistress effect. Sixty-day-old broiler chickens (Arbo Acre breed) were allotted into 4 groups of 15 birds each as follows; control, fisetin, probiotic, and fisetin + probiotic groups, respectively. All administrations were performed orally through gavage for the treatment groups. The environmental and cloacal temperature (CT) parameters were measured bi-hourly at Days 21, 28, and 35 from 7:00 to 7:00 hr, during the period of study. The environmental parameters exceeded the thermoneutral zone for broiler chickens. The probiotic-supplemented group had the least overall mean CT values all through the experimental period. Based on our findings, fisetin was not a potent antistress agent in mitigating heat stress in birds.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1511
Author(s):  
Joseph P. Gulizia ◽  
Kevin M. Downs

Two trials were conducted to determine feed color effects on broiler performance. A completely randomized design was used. Trial 1 included four treatments: control (complete broiler starter diet), red, green, and blue; and Trial 2 included four treatments: control, orange, yellow, and purple. Each trial had 4 treatments with 4 replicates (60 birds/treatment) fed to 240 male Cobb 500 broilers during a 21 d grow out. Data were analyzed using the GLM procedure. In Trial 1, there were no treatment effects on average body weight, body weight gain, and feed consumption (p > 0.05). Adjusted feed conversion for control (1.23) was less than red (1.27; p = 0.001) and green (1.26; p = 0.009), with blue (1.25; p = 0.056) tending to be different during the experimental period. In Trial 2, there were no treatment effects on average body weight, feed consumption, and adjusted feed conversion during this study (p > 0.05). Body weight gain between d 1 to 14 for purple (490.78 g/bird) was more than orange (467 g/bird; p = 0.013) and yellow (461 g/bird; p= 0.004), with control (474 g/bird; p = 0.052) tending to be different. Results indicate that these feed colors had some, albeit limited, influence on broiler performance parameters.


2000 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. 434-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
C E M van Gelderen ◽  
J A Bijlsma ◽  
W van Dokkum ◽  
T J F Savelkoull

Because from earlier experiments in rats and a pilot study in humans a no effect level of glycyrrhizic acid could not be established, a second experiment was performed in healthy volunteers. The experiment was performed in females only, because the effects were most marked in females in the pilot study. Doses of 0, 1, 2 and 4 mg glycyrrhizic acid/kg body weight were administered orally for 8 weeks to 39 healthy female volunteers aged 19-40 years. The experimentlasted 12 weeks including an adaptation and a “wash-out” period.Ano-effectlevel of2 mg/kgis proposed from the results ofthis study, from which an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 0.2 mg/kg body weight can be extrapolated with a safety factor of 10. This means consumption of 12 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day for a person with a body weight of 60 kg. This would be equal to 6 g licorice a day, assuming that licorice contains 0.2% of glycyrrhizic acid. The proposed ADI is below the limit advised by the Dutch Nutrition Council of 200 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day. This reflects the relatively mild acute toxicity of glycyrrhizic acid, which is also emphasised by the “generally recognised as safe” (GRAS) status of glycyrrhizic acid in the USA in 1983. However, the long-term effects of a mild chronic intoxication (causing, for example, a mild hypertension), although not immediately lethal, justify special attention to the amount of glycyrrhizic acid used daily.


Author(s):  
Sadanandan Rajapriya ◽  
Arumugam Geetha

Abstract Objectives Nod-like receptor pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) is one of the well characterized inflammasome that controls the maturation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and thereby the inflammation in pancreas which could be a promising target for anti-inflammatory drugs. The present study is aimed to explore whether luteolin can target the NLRP3 inflammasome and modulate its activity through the signaling protein, HSP70 in the ethanol-cerulein model of experimental pancreatitis. Methods Male albino Wistar rats were divided into four groups. Groups 1 and 2 rats received normal diet. Groups 3 and 4 rats received isocalorically adjusted diet containing ethanol for 5 weeks and cerulein (20 μg/kg body weight i.p., thrice weekly for the last 3 weeks of the experimental period). Additionally, group 2 and 4 rats received 2 mg/kg body weight of luteolin orally from third week. Results Luteolin co-administration decreased the serum levels of HSP70, oxidative stress markers, myeloperoxidase, GSH/GSSG and GST with concomitant downregulation in the mRNA expression of HSP70, caspase-1, ASC-NLRP3 and NF-κB. Spearman’s rank correlation test showed that serum HSP70 has positive correlation with the expression of ASC-NLRP3, caspase-1, NF-κB and 4-hydroxynonenal and negative correlation with GSH:GSSG ratio. Conclusions The modulating effect of luteolin on the expression of HSP70, NF-κB and thereby on ASC-NLRP3 complex may be claimed for its pancreato-protective activity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 40-48
Author(s):  
A. J. Atansuyi ◽  
U. C. Ihendu ◽  
C. A. Chineke

This study was conducted to determine the growth performance, correlation and regression estimates of seven-chicken strains in South-western Nigeria using a total of 300 day-old chicks. The birds were divided into seven groups based on their strain. The seven strains are Normal feather (NF), Fulani ecotype (FE), Frizzle feather (FF), naked neck (NN) and Transylvania indigenous strains while Hubbard and Marshal were meat-type exotic chickens. There were forty- five (45) unsexed day-old chicks in each strain except the Frizzle feather that were 30 in number. Completely randomized design (CRD) was used for the trial that lasted for 8 weeks. The birds were fed experimental diets ad libitum throughout the period of the study. Results showed that there were significant differences (p<0.05) in the initial and final weights of the birds. It was observed that exotic strains weighed heavier (3569.73gHB) than their indigenous counterparts (1391.11gNF). However, the Fulani ecotype weighed heaviest (1840.99g) among Nigeria indigenous strains during the experimental period. This showed that FE strains are generally heavy breed chicken and could be incorporated into a meat producing indigenous chicken if improved upon. The result of the correlation coefficients showed that a very strong, positive and highly significant (P<0.001) relationship existed between body weights and linear body measurements as most of the values are (>0.40). All the body parameter examined had significant (p<0.01) and direct relationship with the body weight. Shoulder-to-tail length (STL) had the highest coefficient of 0.98.The high correlation estimates obtained in this study could be as a result of pleiotropy, heterozygosity or linkage of genes in the birds. The three functions were highly significant (p<0.05) for all the parameters studied. This shows that the functions well described the parameters. On the basis of coefficient of determination (R ), the body weight of poultry birds at any age can be predicted most accurately with BRG using cubic function.


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