Examining the impacts of red deer hind body condition score and pasture forage mass on calf weaning weight

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 466 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. R. Stevens ◽  
B. R. Thompson ◽  
G. W. Asher ◽  
I. C. Scott

The effect of pre-calving hind body condition and the interaction with pasture forage mass during lactation on calf growth and intake to weaning were investigated. Two-hundred and forty red deer hinds (Cervus elaphus scoticus × hippelaphus) of average body condition score (BCS) 3.5 were subjected to either ad libitum or restricted feeding for the 4 weeks before the expected start of calving (31 October) to create hinds of low (2.5) or high (3.5) BCS. The hinds were then grazed continuously on pasture of either low (<1200 kg DM/ha) or high (>2400 kg DM/ha) forage mass during lactation (29 October–25 March). In a 2 × 2 crossover design liveweight, liveweight gain and pasture intake were measured in both hinds and calves. Low hind body condition score (BCS 2.5) at the onset of lactation resulted in low calf weaning weight (46.9 kg) when forage mass was low, but not when forage mass was high (57.3 kg). High BCS (3.5) in hinds resulted in intermediate calf weaning weight when on low forage mass (51.2 kg) and high calf weaning weight when forage mass was high (56.6 kg). Both BCS and forage mass influenced calculated total milk production.

2012 ◽  
Vol 52 (7) ◽  
pp. 507
Author(s):  
G. K. Barrell ◽  
M. Wellby ◽  
M. J. Ridgway ◽  
G. W. Asher ◽  
J. A. Archer

Three experiments were carried out to determine whether growth of suckling red deer calves is determined by the potential of their mothers to produce milk. In the first experiment red deer hinds (n = 10, calves 6 weeks old) were treated either with bovine somatotrophin (bST, 54 mg s.c. injected every 2 weeks for 8 weeks then 108 mg every 2 weeks for a further 8 weeks) or saline. There was no effect of bST treatment on calf or hind liveweight, calf liveweight gain or body condition score of hinds. The second experiment used red and red-wapiti crossbred deer calves (n = 8–11) suckled by red deer dams that had been treated with bST or had received excipient only for 12 weeks from when the calves were 5 weeks old. Calf liveweight was affected by genotype (wapiti-red crossbreds were heavier than their red counterparts) but there was no effect of bST treatment of the hinds on calf growth in either of the genotypes. Although bST treatment of the suckled hinds elevated their plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 concentration it had no effect on milk yield. A third experiment ruled out the possibility that bST ingested by calves in milk from treated hinds would have had any influence on growth of calves in the other experiments. From these results it is concluded that the inherent demand from suckling calves, rather than the ability of adequately nourished hinds to produce milk, determines growth rate of red deer calves from birth to weaning.


Author(s):  
Anitha Alapati ◽  
Sarjan Rao Kapa ◽  
Suresh Jeepalyam

The postpartum changes in Body Condition Score (BCS) studied from calving to four months of lactation in 40 Murrah buffaloes showed that BCS decreased from calving to two months of lactation and then gradually increased. Significant (P < 0.05) inverse relationship (r = -0.96) was observed between BCS and milk yield. The effect of BCS at calving (BCSc) on the milk production parameters were studied in 40 Murrah buffaloes divided into 4 groups of 10 buffaloes each based on BCSc (G1 – 2.5 to 2.99, G2- 3.0 to 3.49, G3- 3.5to 3.99 and G4- 4.0 to4.49). The total milk production (kg) upto 4 months of lactation, peak milk yield (kg), persistence, milk fat per cent, milk protein per cent and SNF per cent were 1030.93, 9.50, 1.65, 6.44, 3.39 and 8.99, respectively for G1 group, 1197.12, 11.60, 1.69, 7.54, 3.74 and 9.34 respectively for G2 group, 1658.67,16.50,1.77,8.62, 4.24 and 9.84, respectively for G3 and 1359.92, 13.75, 1.68, 9.37, 3.97 and 9.57, respectively for G4 group. Buffaloes of G3 group had significantly (p<0.01) more milk yield, peak milk yield, milk protein and SNF compared to the other groups where as buffaloes of G4 group had significantly (P<0.01) more milk fat.


Author(s):  
Hilal Tozlu Çelik ◽  
Fatih Ahmet Aslan ◽  
Yeliz Kaşko Arıcı ◽  
Metehan Eser Kahveci ◽  
İbrahim Kiper

In this study, it was aimed to determine the number of pregnancies and infants by B-Mod Real Time 3.5 MHz linear transabdominal probe ultrasonography device on the 50th day of pregnancy in 126 head Karayaka sheep. In addition, the relationship between body condition score and fry birth weight was tried to be determined on the 50th day of pregnancy and sheep age. The findings obtained by ultrasonography device were compared with the lambing records. In this study, the accuracy of ultrasound examination was 84% and sensitivity was 93%. The correlation coefficient between the average body condition score of the sheep on the 50th day of pregnancy and birth weight of the offspring was calculated as 0.234 and it was found to be statistically significant. It was determined that there was a significant relationship between the sheep age and the body condition score at the 50th day of pregnancy.


Author(s):  
Hannu Tapio Korhonen ◽  
Juhani Sepponen

The aim was to find out effects of maximum and restricted feeding intensity with high and normal diet fat content on production performance and welfare in growing-furring blue foxes. Study groups were: (1) high fat, 60% of metabolizable energy (ME), maximum feeding; (2) high fat, 60% of ME; restricted feeding 20%. (3) normal fat, 50% of ME, maximum feeding; (4) normal fat, 50% of ME, restricted feeding 20%. Maximum fed animals grew better, and their final weights were significantly higher compared to restricted ones (P<0.001). Body condition score was affected by feeding intensity (P<0.001) but not by the amount of fat in the diet. Animals fed maximum feeding level had highest body condition score. The amount of diet fat did not influence on feed consumption.  Breaking strength of ulna was not affected by the amount of diet fat or feeding intensity. Breaking strength of radius, on the other hand, was higher in animals fed restricted (P<0.001). Feeding intensity significantly affected on foot condition, i.e. foot bending was highest at maximum feeding groups (P<0.05). Ash content of bones was higher in maximum feeding groups compared to restricted ones (P<0.001). Ash content was higher in restricted than ad libitum animals (P<0.05). Liver weights were heaviest in animals of maximum feeding level (P<0.001). Condition of liver was best in restricted fed animals with lower amount of diet fat (P<0.05).  According to live animal grading, fur mass, cover, purity and overall impression were poorer in restricted fed animals. Animals fed high fat diet were found to have better fur properties than restricted ones.


Behaviour ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 155 (10-12) ◽  
pp. 915-939 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilya A. Volodin ◽  
Olga V. Sibiryakova ◽  
Nina A. Vasilieva ◽  
Elena V. Volodina ◽  
Vera A. Matrosova ◽  
...  

Abstract In female terrestrial mammals, vocal aging has only been studied in humans and pandas. In cervids displaying convergent sex dimorphism of vocal apparatus with humans, vocal aging is only investigated in males. This cross-sectional study examined acoustic variables of nasal (closed-mouth) and oral (open-mouth) contact calls of 32 farmed Iberian red deer hinds (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) aged of 4-18 years and their relationships with caller´s age, weight, social discomfort score (bites of other hinds on hind pelt) and body condition score (fat reserves). Decrease of fundamental frequency was associated with age in both oral and nasal calls, but more prominently in the nasal calls. An increase in call duration, peak frequency and power quartiles was associated with a higher degree of bites due to social aggression. Weight and body condition weakly influenced acoustic traits. We discuss that vocal aging of hinds parallels that of vocal aging in human females.


2012 ◽  
Vol 52 (7) ◽  
pp. 483 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. R. Kenyon ◽  
R. E. Hickson ◽  
P. G. Hutton ◽  
S. T. Morris ◽  
K. J. Stafford ◽  
...  

This study aimed to investigate the effects of ewe body condition score and nutrition on twin-bearing ewes and their offspring. At maximum Day 112 of pregnancy (range 96–112 days), 185 twin-bearing ewes were allocated to either a ‘Medium’ or ‘ad libitum’ (Adlib) feeding treatment for the following 25 days (P112–P136). Each feeding treatment included ewes of body condition score: 2.0 (CS2.0, Medium n = 32, Adlib n = 28), CS2.5 (Medium n = 31, Adlib n = 33) or CS3.0 (Medium n = 30, Adlib n = 31). After P136 ewes were offered Adlib feeding conditions. Medium treatment ewes were lighter (P < 0.05) than Adlib ewes at P136 and P142 and displayed lower (P < 0.05) body condition score at P136 and back-fat depths at P142. CS2.0 ewes had lower (P < 0.05) liveweights and body condition score at P112, P136 and P142 than CS2.5 ewes, which in turn had lower (P < 0.05) liveweight and body condition scores than CS3.0 ewes. Ewe feeding treatment had no effect (P > 0.05) on lamb liveweight or apparent colostrum intake. Ewe body condition score had no effect (P > 0.05) on lamb birthweight or apparent colostrum intake. Lambs born to CS2.0 ewes had greater (P < 0.05) survival than lambs born to CS2.5 ewes. At the end of the study lambs born to CS2.0 ewes were lighter (P < 0.05) than those born to CS2.5 and CS3.0 ewes although, there was (P > 0.05) no effect of condition score on total litter liveweight. In conclusion, these results suggest twin-bearing ewes of body condition 2.0–3.0 can be offered restricted feeding levels to at least Day 136 of pregnancy with few implications for their lambs.


2008 ◽  
Vol 62 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 3-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Horea Samanc ◽  
Velibor Stojic ◽  
Danijela Kirovski ◽  
Milijan Jovanovic ◽  
Horia Cernescu ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of energy status of cows, estimated by body condition score, on the incidence and the degree of hepatic lipidosis during the early stage of lactation. Cows were divided into four groups: dry, early puerperal, early lactation and late lactation period. Each group consisted of 60 cows. Body condition was scored by the method established in Elaco Animal Health Buletin Al 8478. According to this method, body condition score is represented numerically from 1 to 5 points. Liver samples for pathohistological analyses were taken by biopsy from early lactation cows (60. day of lactation). Fat content in hepatocytes was determined morphometrically and results were compared with criteria based on total lipid and triglyceride content in liver tissue. On farm A, average body condition scores were in a range from 3.31, at sixty days of lactation, to 3.86 points in the dry period. Nevertheless, the range was wider on farm B, and was from 2.18 points at sixty days of lactation to 4.15 points at the dry period. Besides, differences in average body condition scores were higher than 1 point, and in some cases (between late lactation or dry period to sixty days of lactation) were almost 2 points. The incidence and the degree of hepatic lipidosis strongly differ between the two examined farms. On farm A the incidence of hepatic lipidosis was 18.33 percent, while on farm B that percent was much higher (43.32). A significant difference was established in the degree of hepatic lipidosis between those two farms. On farm A diffuse hepatic lipidosis was determined in 5.0 percent of cows, while on farm B that percent was 18.33. According to these results, most of the cows on farm B had uncontrolled lipomobilisation and severe fatty liver during the early lactation period, probably due to the obesity of these cows in late lactation and the dry period.


2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 53-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Pivko ◽  
P. Makovický ◽  
A. Makarevich ◽  
A. Sirotkin ◽  
P. Makovický ◽  
...  

Abstract The aim of this study was to demonstrate the histochemical and histopathological alterations in the livers of cows with a tendency to become emaciated (body condition score - BCS1 and 2) and a tendency to become fattened (BCS4 and 5) in comparison to the cows of average body condition (BCS3) presented as a control. The histochemical analysis (PAS reaction) showed that the influence of emaciation and fattening in our study was manifested by a decreased occurrence of glycogen and a decreased level of the PAS-positive matter in the hepatocytes of dairy cows with BCS1, 2, 4 and 5. An abundant accumulation of lipids in the form of large lipid droplets, liposomes and lipoproteins observed in the hepatocytes of emaciated and fattened (BCS1 and 5) cows may be related to moderate-severe steatosis. These observations suggest a relationship between liver steatosis and the occurrence of lipoproteins in cows with a tendency toward emaciation and fattening.


2009 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 619
Author(s):  
G. K. Barrell ◽  
J. A. Archer ◽  
M. Wellby ◽  
M. J. Ridgway ◽  
M. J. Evans

To determine its potential as a tool for studies of growth in suckling red deer calves, bovine somatotrophin (bST) was administered to lactating red deer hinds. The present study used twice-daily machine milking of bST-treated hinds (n = 10, 54 mg bST for 2 weeks then 108 mg for 1 week) and compared the milk yield with that of saline-treated controls (n = 9). Treatment with 54 mg bST tended to increase milk yield by ~16% and the 108-mg dose increased (P = 0.013) milk yield by ~32%. Both doses of bST increased (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively) plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 concentration but did not affect total solids or fat content of the milk, nor was there any effect on body condition score or liveweight of the hinds. This shows that milk production in red deer hinds is increased by administration of bST, which makes it a suitable experimental technique for investigating the lactational biology of red deer.


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