scholarly journals Monitoring body condition score of reintroduced banteng (Bos javanicus D’Alton, 1923) into Salakphra Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e9041 ◽  
Author(s):  
Praeploy Kongsurakan ◽  
Rattanawat Chaiyarat ◽  
Seree Nakbun ◽  
Nikorn Thongthip ◽  
Panat Anuracpreeda

Background Banteng (Bos javanicus d’Alton 1823) are an endangered species, highly sensitive to habitat structure and quality. In many areas, banteng were extinct and needed to be reintroduced to restore their population. Thus, understanding the responses of body condition of reintroduced banteng to their habitat was important for ensuring the sustainability of a reintroduction program. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the body condition of banteng after reintroduction into the Salakphra Wildlife Sanctuary in Thailand based on photographs from camera-traps carried out between July 2016 and November 2018. Methods Seven banteng were bred at the Khao Nampu Nature and Wildlife Education Center and systematically reintroduced into the Salakphra Wildlife Sanctuary in December 2015 (four) and July 2016 (three). The seven reintroduced adults and two newborns (from the 2015 group) were captured via camera traps in 2018. The body condition scoring (BCS) obtained from these photographs was used to identify the individual performance of all seven adults after their reintroduction. Results The BCS scores in reintroduced adult banteng, both males and females, (between 5 and 7 years old) increased significantly over time after reintroduction into a natural habitat (p < 0.05), although the BCS scores in females were not significantly different between the second and third years (p > 0.05). Conclusions The results from the present study suggest that camera traps are a practical tool to assess the BCS of reintroduced banteng, and can be used to monitor their condition post-release. These techniques may be appropriate for translocation programs elsewhere.

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1873
Author(s):  
Joan Maria Rosell ◽  
Luis Fernando de la Fuente ◽  
María Teresa Carbajo ◽  
Xosé María Fernández

In this study, we determined the occurrence of reproductive diseases in does on 1373 visited farms in Spain and Portugal, between 1994 and 2019. The retrospective information obtained was entered in a database classified as follows: apparent infertility (≤70% pregnancy rate), abortions (≥2% of serviced does), high fetal death risk at parturition (≥10%) or dystocia, amongst others. Infertility was the reason for 181 visits. The median of prevalence of apparent infertility in these cases was 35% (minimum to maximum: 25–90%) and the mean, 37.4%. We performed a prospective study to determine risk factors at the individual and farm level, with a second database corresponding to 2014–2019. We carried out pregnancy checks, assessed sanitary status and body condition, and recorded the age of 17,297 rebred lactating does on 142 farms. The median size of the farms was 800 does, and the examined cohorts, 350 does. Predisposing risk factors for infertility were observed: e.g., mastitis had an effect. During the 5-year study, we made a third database with the results from 190,508 does palpated by producers in a subset of 134 farms. In this case, the median of the prevalence of apparent infertility was 14.5% (minimum to maximum: 4.1–50%), which could be considered baseline occurrence when monitoring the theriogenology of rabbit doe farms. Reproductive rhythm was an enabling risk factor: does serviced ≤25 d postpartum were less fertile than at ≥32 d. We made a database with the body condition score (BCS) on a linear scale from 1 (emaciated) to 9 (obese). The pregnancy rate (PR) of underweight and borderline does (4/9) was 73.1%. The PR of overweight and borderline does (6/9) was 82.6% and those classified with a mean BCS (5/9): PR = 79.3%. We may infer that the optimum BCS for reproduction is 6/9, rather than 5/9. Some changes in female rabbit health and husbandry to improve reproductive performance and welfare are highlighted.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1414
Author(s):  
Ramūnas Antanaitis ◽  
Vida Juozaitienė ◽  
Dovilė Malašauskienė ◽  
Mindaugas Televičius ◽  
Mingaudas Urbutis ◽  
...  

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the relation of automatically determined body condition score (BCS) and inline biomarkers such as β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), milk yield (MY), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and progesterone (mP4) with the pregnancy success of cows. The cows (n = 281) had 2.1 ± 0.1. lactations on average, were 151.6 ± 0.06 days postpartum, and were once tested with “Easy scan” ultrasound (IMV imaging, Scotland) at 30–35 d post-insemination. According to their reproductive status, cows were grouped into two groups: non-pregnant (n = 194 or 69.0% of cows) and pregnant (n = 87 or 31.0% of cows). Data concerning their BCS, mP4, MY, BHB, and LDH were collected each day from the day of insemination for 7 days. The BCS was collected with body condition score camera (DeLaval Inc., Tumba, Sweden); mP4, MY, BHB, and LDH were collected with the fully automated real-time analyzer Herd Navigator™ (Lattec I/S, Hillerød, Denmark) in combination with a DeLaval milking robot (DeLaval Inc., Tumba, Sweden). Of all the biomarkers, three differences between groups were significant. The body condition score (BCS) of the pregnant cows was higher (+0.49 score), the milk yield (MY) was lower (−4.36 kg), and milk progesterone in pregnant cows was (+6.11 ng/mL) higher compared to the group of non-pregnant cows (p < 0.001). The pregnancy status of the cows was associated with their BCS assessment (p < 0.001). We estimated that cows with BCS > 3.2 were 22 times more likely to have reproductive success than cows with BCS ≤ 3.2.


2008 ◽  
Vol 53 (No. 9) ◽  
pp. 357-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Jílek ◽  
P. Pytloun ◽  
M. Kubešová ◽  
M. Štípková ◽  
J. Bouška ◽  
...  

The objective of this study was to confirm the relationship among body condition score at the time around parturition, milk yield in subsequent lactation, reproductive efficiency and BCS development in Czech Fleckvieh dairy cows. The BCS and milk yield were measured once a month and the cows were divided into groups according to their BCS before and after calving. Next, data from the database of cattle reproduction of the Czech Fleckvieh herd book were used. The dataset was analyzed by multifactorial analysis of variance using procedures COOR and GLM of the statistical program SAS. Cows with lower BCS in the 1<sup>st</sup> month after calving showed an increase in both milk yield and fat and protein corrected milk (FPCM) yield. No significant relationship was found between the BCS level before calving and subsequent milk yield. The body condition level in the last month before parturition influenced its subsequent decrease in the first phase of lactation. The group of cows with the highest BCS level before calving retained a high BCS level in the first five months of lactation. Adequately, the group of cows with the lowest BCS in the first month of lactation had the lowest BCS in the next four months. BCS before calving was not related to reproduction indicators, but the significant effect of BCS in the 1<sup>st</sup> month after calving on the length of calving to the first service interval was confirmed. The group of cows with BCS > 3.5 in the 1<sup>st</sup> month after calving had the most favourable reproduction indicators, also when the milk yield level was taken into account.


2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 467-468
Author(s):  
Fernanda F Santos ◽  
Luciano Brochine ◽  
Vanderlei Benetel Junior ◽  
Maria Laura R Coelho ◽  
Augusto H Gameiro ◽  
...  

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the milk production, body weight, and body condition score (BCS) of ewes fed with different energy levels. Seventy-one ewes were used and distributed in three treatments according to the metabolizable energy (ME, Mcal/kg) levels in the diet: CTL = according to the NRC (2007) recommendation for each stage (gestation and lactation); PLUS = CTL plus 10% of ME per kilogram of dry matter; LESS = CTL less 10% ME per kilogram of dry matter. Body weight and body condition score were evaluated a week before the expected date of parturition, a week after giving birth, and at weaning (60 days). Dairy production was evaluated at 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 days after giving birth by the indirect method of the two weighing. The experimental design was analyzed as randomized complete blocks. There were no differences on milk production during almost all the lactation curve. Only on day 50 (P = 0.051), CTL was still at peak, while LESS and PLUS had already decreased their production. However, at 60 days, all treatments were already with low production, justifying weaning in this period. Results of weight and BCS showed a significant difference in all periods evaluates. Ewes in the PLUS diet had greater BW and BCS. The BCS before giving birth is expected to be over 3.5 and treatment LESS was the only one that did not achieve this score (2.66, 3.37, 3.83 for LESS, CTL, and PLUS, respectively). At weaning, ewes fed PLUS and CTL had BCS of 3.51 and 2.92, respectively, but treatment LESS had only 1.82. That is prejudicial for the next mating seasonal and this animal. We concluded that LESS diet interfered with the body reserves of sheep.


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