Body condition in Svalbard reindeer and the use of blood parameters as indicators of condition and fitness

2003 ◽  
Vol 81 (9) ◽  
pp. 1566-1578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jos M Milner ◽  
Audun Stien ◽  
R Justin Irvine ◽  
Steve D Albon ◽  
Rolf Langvatn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Subcutaneous Fat ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Blood Parameters ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Blood Parameter ◽  
Ecological Fitness ◽  
Svalbard Reindeer ◽  
Fat Thickness

Body condition is an important determinant of ecological fitness but is difficult to measure in field studies of live animals. Live mass and subcutaneous fat are often used as proxies for body condition and related to fitness. We investigated the relationship between blood-chemistry parameters and live mass and back-fat thickness and assessed their usefulness as predictors of ecological fitness in a wild arctic ungulate population, Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus). Female reindeer were sampled in late winter between 1995 and 2002 and concentrations of blood parameters were related to subsequent survival and successful calving. There was marked annual variation in all blood parameters, live mass, and back-fat thickness, reflecting variation in weather and food availability. At the individual level, variation in blood-parameter concentrations was not closely related to variation in live mass or back-fat thickness, instead reflecting shorter term nutritional status. Blood parameters could therefore provide useful additional information, enhancing the predictive power of fitness models based on live mass. The urea:creatinine ratio significantly improved adult survival models, while β-hydroxybutyric acid and creatinine concentrations were significant predictors of calving success. The applications for blood parameters in ecological investigations look promising and should be tested more widely in other field studies.

scholarly journals Long-term trends in the body condition of parents and offspring of Tengmalm’s owls under fluctuating food conditions and climate change

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marek Kouba ◽  
Luděk Bartoš ◽  
Jitka Bartošová ◽  
Kari Hongisto ◽  
Erkki Korpimäki
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Snow Cover ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
The Body ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Study Population ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Tengmalm's Owl

AbstractPhysical condition is important for the ability to resist various parasites and diseases as well as in escaping predators thus contributing to reproductive success, over-winter survival and possible declines in wildlife populations. However, in-depth research on trends in body condition is rare because decades-long datasets are not available for a majority of species. We analysed the long-term dataset of offspring covering 34 years, male parents (40 years) and female parents (42 years) to find out whether the decline of Tengmalm’s owl population in western Finland is attributable to either decreased adult and/or juvenile body condition in interaction with changing weather conditions and density estimates of main foods. We found that body condition of parent owl males and females declined throughout the 40-year study period whereas the body condition of owlets at the fledging stage very slightly increased. The body condition of parent owls increased with augmenting depth of snow cover in late winter (January to March), and that of offspring improved with increasing precipitation in late spring (May to June). We conclude that the decreasing trend of body condition of parent owl males and females is important factor probably inducing reduced adult survival and reduced reproduction success thus contributing to the long-term decline of the Tengmalm’s owl study population. The very slightly increasing trend of body condition of offspring is obviously not able to compensate the overall decline of Tengmalm’s owl population, because the number of offspring in turn simultaneously decreased considerably in the long-term. The ongoing climate change appeared to work in opposite ways in this case because declining depth of snow cover will make the situation worse but increased precipitation will improve. We suggest that the main reasons for long-term decline of body condition of parent owls are interactive or additive effects of reduced food resources and increased overall predation risk due to habitat degradation (loss and fragmentation of mature and old-growth forests due to clear-felling) subsequently leading to decline of Tengmalm’s owl study population.

Validation of body condition score based on subcutaneous fat thickness measurements in primiparous Gyr cows

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catiúcia Oliveira Miranda ◽  
Ana Carolina Almeida Rollo de Paz ◽  
Ricardo Dutra do Bem ◽  
Glayk Humberto Vilela Barbosa ◽  
Maria Eugênia Zerlotti Mercadante ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Subcutaneous Fat ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Subcutaneous Fat Thickness ◽  
Fat Thickness ◽  
Thickness Measurements

scholarly journals Estimating the daily dry matter intake of Svalbard reindeer in late winter

Rangifer ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Tyler
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Subcutaneous Fat ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Energy Requirements ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Substantial Part ◽  
Svalbard Reindeer ◽  
Fat Reserves ◽  
Alternative Suggestion

Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) store large reserves of subcutaneous fat during summer and autumn which, it has been suggested, might be sufficient to meet a substantial part of their energy requirements during winter. An alternative suggestion, however, is that fat is not their main source of energy after all and, moreover, that the principal role of their fat reserves is for enhancing reproductive success rather than for substituting for forage (Tyler, in press). Is it realistic to suggest that these high arctic herbivores could meet the greater part of their energy requirements in winter by feeding, given that the aerial biomass of available forage in Svalbard in late winter is very low? This question was investigated by using a simple model to predict what rate of food intake Svalbard reindeer would have to achieve to maintain energy balance in late winter. The results were surprisingly low: pregnant and nonpregnant females could mett their daily energy demands by consuming 3.1 and 1.7 g dry matter per grazing minute, respectively. This supports the suggestion that Svalbard reindeer could live principally off forage in winter.

Relationship between body condition scores and ultrasound measurements of subcutaneous fat and m. longissimus dorsi in dairy cows differing in size and type

2000 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 465-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Schwager-Suter ◽  
C. Stricker ◽  
D. Erdin ◽  
N. Künzi
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Subcutaneous Fat ◽  
Longissimus Dorsi ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Breed Type ◽  
Stage Of Lactation ◽  
Ultrasound Measurements ◽  
Fat Thickness ◽  
Management Factors ◽  
Body Condition Scores

AbstractIn the present study body condition scores (BCS), ultrasound fat thickness and ultrasound m. longissimus dorsi thickness as well as body measurements and management factors were recorded repeatedly during lactation in 71 Holstein-Friesians, 71 Jerseys and 71 Holstein-Jersey F1-crosses (first to ninth lactation) on four feeding regimens. BCS were analysed with ultrasound measurements as explanatory variables by mixed models. A compound symmetry structure for the variance components was applied. The models were also tested for an autoregressive error structure [AR(1)]. Ultrasound fat thickness and ultrasound m. longissimus dorsi thickness explained most of the variability in BCS. Coefficients of determination were between 0•84 and 0•85. Management factors such as feeding group and stage of lactation (week of taking measurements) and the breed type ✕ lactation interaction were, although significant, not relevant for the fit. Holsteins tended to have lower scores than F1-crosses and Jerseys and younger cows tended to have higher scores than older cows. Despite small differences between breeds, Edmonson’s BCS proved to be consistent within each breed type; thus BCS can be applied to various dairy breeds.

A comparison of different pre and post-slaughter measurements for estimating fat reserves in Spanish Blanca Celtibérica goats

2010 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. 437-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
J A Mendizabal ◽  
R. Delfa ◽  
A. Arana ◽  
A. Purroy
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Subcutaneous Fat ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Carcass Weight ◽  
Fat Depots ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Fat Thickness

Five pre-slaughter measurement values and four post-slaughter measurement values were used to estimate the weight of fat in the omental (OM), mesenteric (MES), perirenal (PR), subcutaneous (SC), and intermuscular (IM) fat depots in goats. The pre-slaughter measurements were: live weight (LW), sternal body condition score (BCSs), lumbar body condition score (BCSl), sternal fat thickness (FTs) and lumbar fat thickness (FTl) measured by ultrasound. The post-slaughter measurements were empty live weight (ELW), hot carcass weight (HCW), adipocyte diameter in the sternal subcutaneous fat (ADSCs) and adipocyte diameter in the lumbar subcutaneous fat (ADSCl). Linear and multiple regressions were fit to data collected from 22 adult, non-pregnant and non-lactating Blanca Celtibérica does. The results obtained showed BCSs, ranging from 1.5 to 4.5 (scale: 0-5) to be the best pre-slaughter estimator of an animal's total fat (R2 = 0.90, RSD = 2.252 kg) and HCW to be the best post-slaughter estimator (R2 = 0.92, RSD = 1.972 kg). Additionally, multiple regression using HCW and ADSCl together yielded estimates of the total amount of fat in all five of the depots considered here with an R2 = 0.95 and an RSD = 1.542 kg. Therefore, the use in vivo of BCSs is the best method for predicting nutritional status in does in extensive production systems in the Mediterranean region.Key words: Fat reserve, body weight, carcass weight, body condition score, ultrasound, adipocyte, goat

scholarly journals Evaluation of ultrasound scanning as a method for measuring subcutaneous fat in Svalbard reindeer

Rangifer ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Audun Stien ◽  
R. Justin Irvine ◽  
Rolf Langvatn ◽  
Erik Ropstad
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Subcutaneous Fat ◽  
Ultrasound Scanning ◽  
Ecological Studies ◽  
Reliable Measure ◽  
Svalbard Reindeer

The fitness of an animal is generally strongly dependent on its body condition. A reliable measure of body condition is therefore valuable in ecological studies.

Correlates of visceral and subcutaneous fat thickness in non-diabetic obese and morbidly obese patients

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ozen Oz Gul ◽  
Murat Pekgoz ◽  
Sumeyye Gullulu ◽  
Soner Cander ◽  
Ahmet Tutuncu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Subcutaneous Fat ◽  
Morbidly Obese ◽  
Obese Patients ◽  
Subcutaneous Fat Thickness ◽  
Fat Thickness

The Use of Ultrasonic Measurements on Subcutaneous Fat Thickness in Breeding of Japanese Shorthorn Cattle

1988 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 335-343
Author(s):  
Yoshitaka NAGAMINE ◽  
Takashi HAYASHI ◽  
Hiroshi SATO ◽  
Akira NISHIDA ◽  
Shigeki KOMATSU
Keyword(s):  
Subcutaneous Fat ◽  
Ultrasonic Measurements ◽  
Subcutaneous Fat Thickness ◽  
Fat Thickness

Estimation of the carcass composition of different cattle breeds and crosses from fatness measurements and visual assessments

1986 ◽  
Vol 106 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Kempster ◽  
J. P. Chadwick ◽  
D. D. Charles
Keyword(s):  
Subcutaneous Fat ◽  
Visual Assessment ◽  
Carcass Composition ◽  
Beef Breed ◽  
Percentage Unit ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Fat Thickness ◽  
Substantial Bias ◽  
Visual Assessments ◽  
Thickness Measurements

SUMMARYCarcass data for 1053 steers from the Meat and Livestock Commission's beef breed evaluation programme were used to examine the relative precision of alternative fatness assessments for predicting carcass lean percentage. The data were from four trials and comprised both dairy-bred and suckler-bred cattle by a wide range of sire breeds.A visual assessment of carcass subcutaneous fat content to the nearest percentage unit (SFe) was the single most precise predictor both overall (residual S.d. = 2·28) and within breed (residual S.d. = 2·05). Precision was improved by the addition in multiple regression of the percentage perinephric and retroperitoneal fat (KKCF) in carcass, a visual score of the degree of marbling in the m. longissimus and selected fat thickness measurements taken by calipers on cut surfaces (residual S.d. = 2·11 (overall) and 1·90 (within breed)).When the best overall equation was applied to the breed means, there was substantial bias (predicted – actual carcass lean percentage). Biases ranged from +2·5 (purebred Canadian Holstein and Luing) to – 1·3 (Limousin crosses).Breeds differed significantly in carcass lean content when compared at equal levels of fatness measurements. The differences depended both on the precision with which the measurements predicted carcass lean content and the observed differences in carcass composition that existed before adjustments to equal fatness were made.The robustness of prediction equations was examined by applying them to independent sets of data (a total of 334 carcasses) from four other trials involving steers, heifers, cows and young bulls. Equations were stable for cattle of the same breed, sex and similar levels of fatness but important bias was found between more extreme types of cattle.

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