ABSTRACT A trial compared the voluntary water intake of 72 purchased British Friesian bull calves fed at different nutrient intake levels by varying the type and strength of the milk replacer given to 5 weeks of age. There was no control group without water on offer. Water was offered from the 1st day the animals entered the unit. All calves received 4 1/day of either cows' milk (12 calves), milk replacer with 100 g fat per kg (24 calves), milk replacer with 170 g fat per kg (24 calves) or milk replacer with 200 g fat per kg (12 calves). Standard early-weaning pellets containing 190 g crude protein per kg and hay ad libitum were on offer from the 2nd day on the unit. Results indicated that voluntary intakes of water were highest with calves fed on cows' milk and lowest on the milk replacer with 100 g fat per kg given at the lowest mixing strength, although differences were only significant in week 5 ( P ≤ 0·05). By covariance analysis, the effects of water intakes on live-weight gain and on pellet intake were examined. The regression coefficient of live-weight gain (weeks 0 to 5) (kg) on water intake (weeks 1 to 5) (1) was b = 0·056 (s.e. 0·021, P ≤ 0·01). The regression coefficient of pellet intake (weeks 0 to 5) (kg) on water consumption was: b = 0·082 (s.e. 0·031, P ≤ 0·01). There was thus a significant correlation of both live-weight gain and pellet intake with water intake. For each extra litre of water consumed per day, there was an extra pellet intake of 0·082 kg and an increase in live-weight gain of 0·056 kg. There was a significant difference in total water intake according to the initial live weight of the calf.
The nature of ruminant feeds The ruminant digestive system The nature and measurement of energy The nature and measurement of protein Minerals Vitamins Feed additives Water Metabolic profiles Feeding methods and systems Calculating rations for ruminants.
A previous trial (Brigstocke et al., 1982) had indicated that mature Jersey cows ate considerably more dry matter (DM) in relation to their body size than was currently projected from the multiple regression equations used for appetite prediction. However this trial was run on one large high-yielding herd with only a small number of animals and it was not known whether the results were applicable to the more average Jersey producer.
Epidemiological and modelling studies suggest that elimination of Onchocerca volvulus transmission (EoT) throughout Africa may not be achievable with annual mass drug administration (MDA) of ivermectin alone, particularly in areas of high endemicity and vector density.Single-dose Phase II and III clinical trials demonstrated moxidectin's superiority over ivermectin for prolonged clearance of O. volvulus microfilariae.We used the stochastic, individual-based EPIONCHO-IBM model to compare the probabilities of reaching EoT between ivermectin and moxidectin MDA for a range of endemicity levels (30 to 70% baseline microfilarial prevalence), treatment frequencies (annual and biannual) and therapeutic coverage/adherence values (65 and 80% of total population, with, respectively, 5 and 1% of systematic non-adherence).EPIONCHO-IBM's projections indicate that biannual (six-monthly) moxidectin MDA can reduce by half the number of years necessary to achieve EoT in mesoendemic areas and might be the only strategy that can achieve EoT in hyperendemic areas.Data needed to improve modelling projections include (i) the effect of repeated annual
FOLLOWING years of debate about the interpretation of the various laboratory methodologies in common use to try to determine the Johne's disease (JD) status of individual cattle and herds, and in light of new understanding of how best to interpret the results of any tests carried out, universal agreement has been reached among the members of the CHECS technical advisory group (TAG). They now note that although false-positive serological test results can occur, particularly when samples are collected during a period of up to a month, or perhaps six weeks following the administration of purified protein derivative a and b on day 1 of a single intradermal comparative cervical tuberculin (SICCT) test for bovine TB (bTB) (albeit that the predominant effect of the SICCT test is to enhance the sensitivity of JD serology rather than to reduce its specificity), an animal which has tested positive for antibodies to Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), but negative for the bacterium on faecal culture or PCR, should still be regarded as of higher risk of being infected than an animal which shows no evidence of seroconversion (although it is acknowledged that seronegative, faecal-positive animals, usually indicating infection, can be found). To reflect this, and to give the best indication of risk for those purchasing cattle from accredited herds, the CHECS TAG has advised the introduction of an additional JD risk level (RL1*) into the CHECS JD risk level certification programme. RL1* herds will be those that have satisfied all the requirements for RL1 status with a subsequently entirely negative annual herd serological screen, indicating the lowest risk of MAP infection within the herd. This status is to be caveated with the number of consecutive years it has been held, given in brackets after RL1*; for example, 'RL1* (4)' for a herd that has held this status for four consecutive years. The longer an RL1* status has been held over consecutive years, the lower the perceived risk of MAP infection being present within the herd (although this is difficult, if not impossible, to rule out with certainty and it is possible that an RL1 herd which has a long history of such a status may be 'lower risk' than a RL1* herd that has recently attained this 'lower risk' status). Note, RL1 status is already caveated with the number of seropositive animals and the total number of animals tested. "It is vital we find out what level of clinical signs farmers are seeing in their animals… and what their appetite is to vaccinate for BTV-3 in the future
In the second of an occasional series of articles for Veterinary Record produced by the Veterinary Residues Committee, Tim Brigstocke discusses the implications for producers of the finding of non‐compliant medicines residues in their animals
ABSTRACT Two trials were conducted at the BOCM Silcock Development Unit at Stoke Mandeville. The first trial evaluated the response on doe and progeny, from mating to 8 weeks after parturition, of rabbit compound diets containing 0, 100, 200 and 300 g sodium hydroxide-treated straw per kg. Performance data showed no detrimental effect of inclusion levels up to 300 g sodium hydroxide-treated straw per kg despite its high sodium concentration. A second trial was made to ascertain whether these findings were due to the treated straw itself or to increasing sodium concentrations. A standard rabbit compound diet containing 2·5 g sodium per kg was compared with diets containing either 5·0 or 10·0 g sodium per kg, and with experimental compound diets containing either 80 g sodium hydroxide-treated straw or 80 g untreated straw per kg and both containing 2·5 g sodium per kg. Peak food conversion was estimated to occur at a dietary sodium concentration of 4·6g/kg, although the slope of the dose response curve was not statistically significant at the P ≤ level. The results indicate that compound diets containing up to 80 to lOOg sodium hydroxide-treated straw per kg may be fed to rabbits and that inclusion of levels of up to 300 g sodium hydroxide-treated straw per kg are not detrimental to performance. On the other hand, an inclusion of 80 g untreated ground straw per kg in compound diets for rabbits had a growth-depressing effect.
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