The Potential for Temporary Stand-Off Pads Integrated With Poplar and Willow Silvopastoral Systems for Managing Nitrogen Leaching

Intensive pastoral farming has been linked to adverse environmental effects such as soil degradation and increased fluxes of nitrogen, phosphorus, sediments, and pathogens into waterways, resulting in their degradation. Stand-off pads are engineered structures covered with bedding materials, available for occupation by stock to minimise those adverse effects to soil and water bodies. Wood chips are ideal for bedding due to their low cost, high water holding capacity, and stock preference as resting areas. While they reduce the mobility of both nutrients and pathogens, their effectiveness depends on the type of wood, size of the chips, pH, pad design, and feeding management used. Dissolved organic carbon, present in wood residue, may slow nitrogen mineralisation thereby decreasing loss via leachate. This effect depends on plant tannins and nutrients already stored within the plant tissue. Poplar and willow have high concentrations of tannins in leaves and bark with potential nitrification-inhibiting properties. When grown on-farm, these deep-rooted trees also reduce nitrogen leaching and prevent soil erosion. This review addresses the use of temporary stand-off pads within poplar or willow silvopastoral systems. Harvested trees can provide suitable wood chips for constructing the stand-off pad, while the deep rooting systems of the trees will reduce the moisture content of the pad, preventing waterlogging. A key objective is to discuss the feasibility and establishment of multiple temporary stand-off pads that allow for stock rotation from pad to pad, and subsequent on-site composting of wood-wastes into fertiliser, reducing both nutrient inputs and losses in agricultural systems. The review highlights the potential suitability of poplar and willow tree species for such a system.

Profil dan Keragaman Ayam Kub yang Dipelihara Oleh RTM Peternak dalam Program Bekerja di Kabupaten Indramayu

The aim of this study was to determine the diversity of KUB chickens raised by farmer households in Indramayu Regency in the implementation of the 2019 BEKERJA program. The BEKERJA program is carried out in 8.189 farmer households by providing 50 DOC, chicken feed during 5 weeks, maintenance support facilities include feed tray, drinking bottles, brooder cages, cables, lights, and cage subsidy for 4 weeks chickens. The parameters observed were the number of chicken mortality, age of first egg laying and the number of egg production for the first time. The observations showed that the mortality of KUB chickens increased at 3 months of raised, which was caused by the sale and slaughter of chickens and the mortality of chickens due to improper raise management. Hens that lay eggs early in the District of Anjatan and District of Bongas 7.066 and 1.041, respectively. The results of the study showed that there was diversity at the beginning of egg-laying chicken due to improper feeding management, but KUB chicken had the potential to be developed as an egg and meat producer in Indramayu Regency. Keywords: BEKERJA Program; Diversity at the beginning of egg-laying chicken; KUB chicken Abstrak Kajian bertujuan untuk mengetahui keragaman ayam KUB yang dipelihara oleh RTM di Kabupaten Indramayu dalam pelaksanaan program BEKERJA tahun 2019. Program BEKERJA melibatkan 8.189 RTM dengan memberikan bantuan 50 ekor DOC ayam KUB, pakan selama 5 minggu pemeliharaan, bantuan sarana prasarana pemeliharaan meliputi tray tempat pakan, botol tempat minum, kandang brooder, kabel, lampu, dan bantuan subsidi kandang untuk ayam umur 4 minggu. Parameter yang diamati adalah jumlah kematian ayam, umur bertelur pertama kali dan produksi telur pertama kali. Hasil pengamatan menunjukkan bahwa kematian ayam KUB meningkat pada 3 bulan usia pemeliharaan, yang disebabkan oleh penjualan dan pemotongan ayam serta kematian akibat manajemen pemeliharaan yang kurang tepat. Jumlah produksi telur pertama kali di Kecamatan Anjatan dan Kecamatan Bongas masing-masing sebesar 7.066 butir dan 1.041 butir. Hasil kajian menunjukkan adanya keragaman pada awal bertelur ayam yang diakibatkan oleh manajemen pemberian pakan yang tidak tepat, namun ayam KUB berpotensi dikembangkan sebagai penghasil telur dan daging di kabupaten Indramayu Kata kunci : Ayam KUB; Keragaman awal bertelur; Program BEKERJA

Reproductive diseases in captive Agoutis (Dasyprocta leporina)

Reproductive diseases have been well documented in domestic livestock such as sheep, goat, cattle and pigs. However, there is very little information on these diseases in the agouti (Dasyprocta leporina). The agouti is used for its meat in South America and the Caribbean. More recently, intensive farming of this animal is being practiced in the Neotropics. There is dearth of information on dystocia and vaginal prolapses in the agouti. This document reports on three cases of reproductive diseases in captive reared agoutis in Trinidad and Tobago. The first case was a female agouti weighing approximately 3 kg that was in the last stage of pregnancy, which was found dead in its cage. The vulva of the mother had the protruding hind-limbs of the fetus. Necroscopic evaluation of carcass revealed little fat tissue and the mother had two fetuses in the right horn of the uterus. Each fetus weighed approximately 200 g. The fetuses were well formed with fur, teeth and eyes. The placenta was attached to each fetus. The pathological findings suggested that dystocia resulted from secondary uterine inertia which was the cause of death of the adult female agouti. The second case was that of an adult female agouti weighing 2.5 kg. This female had given birth to an offspring three weeks prior and was observed to have had a vaginal prolapse. Surgery was performed and the prolapsed vagina was placed back into the pelvic cavity. Further to this intervention, the vagina prolapsed twice. Subsequent to the re-insertion of the vaginal tissue the agouti was euthanized. The third case was also that of a dystocia. However, the fetuses weighed 235 g and 165 g respectively and were in normal presentation, posture and positioning. The fetus however was unable to pass via the vagina and was trapped in the pelvic cavity. This caused secondary uterine inertia which was the cause of death. The causes of reproductive diseases in these cases are unknown but the feeding management and space allowance given to the agouti in late gestation may be contributing factors.

Scientific Management Practices Followed by Sheep Rearing Farmers in Raichur District of Karnataka, India

Livestock is one of the most remunerative enterprises among the farming community the present study was undertaken to know the scientific sheep management practices by sheep owners in Raichur and Lingasugur taluks of Raichur district. For this purpose, 6 villages from each taluks were selected on the basis of highest sheep population. Ten respondents drawn from each selected village with 120 sample size. The data was collected through structured schedule and the data were analyzed by using appropriate statistical methods. The findings of the study indicated that a large majority of the sheep owners (85.00%) administer the drugs for de worming in lamb management, followed by providing of fresh and clean water (83.33%) and proper bedding material (80.00%) in winter season. With regards feeding management of the sheep, a large majority of the respondents (85.00%) allowed their sheep for grazing in community land Nearly one fifth of the respondents provided green fodder throughout the year as their land comes under the canal irrigation provision, in addition to bore well facilities. Further, 100% of the respondents had proper floor space for the sheep size with cleaning padlock regularly in housing management practices. It is worth to note that 83.00 per cent of them monitor heat detection in sheep and provided treatment to the animals which were suffering from reproductive disorder (87.50%).This is mainly due to the availability of veterinary services in the locality. With regards health management practices, cent percent of the respondents check up the health of the sheep regularly and administer vaccination as scheduled (4/annum) and disinfection of the padlock in order to prevent the disease.

Age and Body Condition Influence the Post-Prandial Interleukin-1β Response to a High-Starch Meal in Horses

Older horses and those prone to obesity may be at a higher risk for inflammation than younger and leaner counterparts. Previous research indicated a postprandial elevation in plasma concentrations of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, after consuming 1.2 g of non-structural carbohydrates/kilogram of body weight. However, these studies utilized horses of mixed age and body condition. The current study evaluated post-prandial IL-1β concentrations in horses specifically comparing lean to over-conditioned and middle aged to older. Our results suggest that at least two weeks of daily consumption of a high non-structural carbohydrate diet is required to induce a post-prandial increase in IL-1β concentrations in younger and leaner horses. In opposition to this, older and over-conditioned horses experience plasma increased on the first day of feeding and thereafter. Feeding management practices of older and over-conditioned individuals should emphasize lower non-structural carbohydrate intakes and further research should elucidate mechanisms of IL-1β activation.

Varied diets: Implications for lamb performance, rumen characteristics, total antioxidant status, and welfare

Intensive pastoral systems have moved away from diverse and varied diets towards overly simple monotonous diets. Feed choice through time is an obsolete way of providing forage to animals, as intensive management schemes generally allocate a single herbage or a dyad mixed sward. Monotonous feeding regimes impose nutritional repetition, which may impair animal performance and welfare. The objective of this experiment was to determine the impact of a diverse diet [DIV; free choice from perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), and chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) at all times], a varied diet [VAR; choice from ryegrass and plantain in the AM (0700 – 1600 h), and chicory and alfalfa in PM (1600 – 0700 h)], and a single forage diet of alfalfa [SFA; alfalfa at all times], on DMI, performance, and welfare of lambs. Six-month-old Coopworth ram lambs (n=21) were offered their respective fresh-forage treatment (n = 7) diet indoors for 20 days. The DIV lambs consumed 1.64 ± 0.03 kg DM/d (mean ± SEm), which was 6% more (P < 0.05; 1.54 ± 0.03 kg DM/d) than the SFA and were not different (P > 0.05; 1.59 ± 0.03 kg DM/d) to the VAR lambs. Average daily gain (ADG) of DIV (296 g/d) and VAR (378 g/d) was 30 and 67 % greater (P < 0.05) compared with the SFA lambs (227 g/d), respectively. The VAR lambs had 28% greater (P < 0.05) ADG than the DIV lambs. Differences among treatments were detected (P < 0.05) for the proportion of the day spent conducting the following behaviors: eating, ruminating, idling, lying, and standing. In addition, the number of bouts of stereotypic behaviors recorded from the SFA lambs (13.2 ± 2.2) was 150% greater (P < 0.05) than the DIV (5.1 ± 1.0) and VAR (5.5 ± 1.0) lambs. Our results suggest that the varied diet offered can improve animal performance and welfare compared to a monotonous SFA diet. Feeding management to provide a varied diet can improve performance relative to giving lambs free choice from taxonomically diverse forage options. Moreover, performance is affected by more than the primary chemical composition of the diet consumed, but how the diet is presented through time and the herbage species and quantities of each that are consumed to reach that chemical composition.

EEL (Anguilla bicolor bicolor) Rearing Techniques at the UPTD for Conservation and Supervision of Marine Fishery Resources of Sicincin, West Sumatra

Eel has a savory meaty taste and contains high levels of Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The purpose of this observation was to determine intensive rearing techniques for eel (Anguilla bicolor bicolor) at the UPTD KPSDKP for Conservation and Supervision of Marine Fishery Resources of Sicincin, West Sumatra. The preparations conducted for rearing the eel consist of providing seeds, pond preparation, water supply, feed management, water quality control, disease control, growth sampling, and harvesting eel for consumption size. The eel seeds were obtained from natural catches of glass eel in the Cimandiri river, Pelabuan Ratu, West Java. Preparation of the eel pond included cleaning the concrete pond, filling the water by observing the water input into the eel pond. The provision of water for eel rearing was obtained directly from the Kapalo Ilalang Sicincin irrigation channel to the holding tanks before flowing to the eel rearing pond. Feeding management was carried out 2 times a day, namely the percentages of feeding in the morning (35 %) and at night (55%) with a feeding rate of 3%-5%. The feed provided to these eels was in the form of a paste made of powdery pellets. Measurements of water quality for eel rearing during observations were temperature (27-29°C), pH (6-7), DO (5.9-7.8 ppm), salinity (3-4 ppt) and NH3 (0.02-0.07 mg/l). In our observations, parasites shaped like cotton were discovered, which attacked the eel body, causing death. In growth sampling, the measurement of the length and body weight of the eel once a month is necessary to be done.

Fungal dermatitis by Scopulariopsis brevicaulisin Guinea pig (Cavia porcellus)

Fungal dermatitis is classified into superficial, cutaneous and subcutaneous mycoses. However, the incidence of fungal dermatitis in small mammals is relatively low. Among rodents guinea pig the most affected specie, however it usually has an asymptomatic pattern. The present text reports an unusual case of fungal dermatitis in Caviaporcelluscaused by Scopulariopsis brevicaulis. The animal was received with complaint of alteration of coat around the neck, as well as report of incorrect feeding management. During the physical examination the presence of a dry and crusty dermatitis, negative on fluorescence test of wood. Samples of blood, skin, scabs and hair were collected for parasitic and mycological analysis. The hematological evaluation showed only a discrete eosinophilia; no ectoparasites were observed, but it was noticed the presence of Scopulariopsis brevicaulis. The animal underwent terbinafine and griseofulvin protocol, with total regression of the lesions after 30 days. S. brevicaulis is an unusual geophilic fungus causing animal mycosis, presenting more pathological reports in human mycoses, thus, representing a zoonotic potential. According to the clinical findings and results obtained from mycology assay, it was diagnosed dermatitis by Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, secondary to nutritional deficiency. The combined use of topical terbinafine with systemic griseofulvin was efficient in the treatment. Finally, it was recommended a dietary correction.

Analysis of the Non-genetic Factors Influencing the Performance of High-grade and Inter se Mated Crossbred Dairy Cows at Holetta Dairy Research Farm, Ethiopia

Background: The effect of non-genetic factors including feeding, management, climate, calving year, season and others on animal production improvement has attracted considerable attention in recent years. In addition to improving animal genetics, the importance of optimum environmental conditions in enhancing animal production is recognized. Methods: Data collected from 2008 to 2018 on 2036 records from crossbreeding dairy cattle herd at Holeta Agricultural Research Center were analyzed to evaluate the genetic and non-genetic environmental effect on lactation milk yield (LMY), lactation length (LL) and calving interval (CI). The fixed effect used in the data analysis were breed group, parity, years group of calving and seasons of calving. GLM procedure of SAS was used to analyze the data. Result: Results of data analysis indicated that breed group and year group of calving had a significant (P less than 0.05) effect on LMY, LL and CI. Parity significantly (P less than 0.05) affected LMY and CI but had no significant effects on LL. While, season of calving had no significant influence on all traits. Least square mean LMY was significantly (p less than 0.05) highest (3191 kg) for 75% first generation breed group and significantly (P less than 0.05) lowest for pure Ethiopian Borena breed (124 kg LMY). Mean LL was significantly (p less than 0.05) highest (354 days) for 75% first generation breed group and significantly (P less than 0.05) lowest for pure Ethiopian Borena breed (178 days). Least square mean CI was significantly (p less than 0.05) longest (477 days) for 75% first generation breed group and significantly (P less than 0.05) shortest (422 days) for 75% inter se mated breed group. Among 75% crosses, the 75% inter se mated breed group had lower LMY (2553 kg) and shorter CI (422 days) compared to 75% first generation breed group. The decline in LMY and CI for 75% inter se mated breed group by 637 kg (25%) and 54 days (13%), respectively compared to 75% first generation, which can be attributed to recombination effect.