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1.
The paper examines the notion of sustainable farm animal breeding. A brief explanation of why sustainability matters is offered first. After this, the historical development of the concept of sustainability is charted. The authors then turn to review published literature with a bearing on sustainable farm animal breeding. Little has been written directly on the subject: the requirements of sustainable farm animal breeding await serious clarification. The paper looks at SEFABAR (Sustainable European Farm Animal Breeding and Reproduction), a project designed to identify sustainable practices in farm animal breeding which ran for nearly 3 years from 2000. In this project commercial breeders and breeding scientists were required, with the professional assistance of bioethicists, economists, social scientists and NGO representatives, to develop a definition of sustainable farm animal breeding. The authors describe initial attempts to carry out this task. They then describe a general method of building a definition of sustainability—the so-called concern-criteria-indicators method—that was used in SEFABAR to good effect. They note the progress that was made once this method was introduced. Finally, the importance of communication is explained. The authors suggest that the concept of sustainability can be effectively used to organise and facilitate dialogue between stakeholders, including the breeding industry and society as a whole.  相似文献   

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3.
Using reproduction parameters as indicators for cattle welfare has limitations and, at best, these parameters should only be viewed as indirect indicators of welfare. On a farm level, measures such as fertility rates emphasize biological performance of the herd but fail to consider the welfare of individual animals. Even on an individual level, the relationship between reproductive effectiveness and animal welfare is complex. Good reproductive performance does not automatically signify good welfare, as domestication and targeted breeding programmes have led to prioritization of high productive and reproductive performance in most modern farm animal species. In this review, we synthesize literature regarding cattle husbandry, reproduction, welfare and their multidimensional relationships. We argue that practices such as artificial insemination or the use of sexed semen may provide potential welfare advantages as these practices reduce the risk of disease transmission and injury or enable selection of specific beneficial traits. Furthermore, they may offer a solution to current practices jeopardizing welfare, such as the management of surplus bull calves in the dairy industry. Conversely, the animals’ ability to perform natural behaviours such as oestrous expression, an aspect arguably contributing to welfare, is often limited on commercial farms; this limitation is particularly evident in housing systems such as tie stalls where movement is restricted. Moreover, common management practices such as oestrus manipulation may lead to negative attitudes in citizens who often regard naturalness as important element of animal welfare.  相似文献   

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Modern animal breeding programs are largely based on biotechnological procedures, including AI and embryo transfer technology. Recent breakthroughs in reproductive technologies, such as somatic cell nuclear transfer and in vitro embryo production, and their combination with the emerging molecular genetic tools, will further advance progress and provide new opportunities for livestock breeding. This is urgently needed in light of the global challenges such as the ever-increasing human population, the limited resources of arable land, and the urgent environmental problems associated with farm animal production. Here, we focus on genomic breeding strategies and transgenic approaches for making farm animals more feed efficient. Based on studies in the mouse and rat model, we have identified a panel of genes that are critically involved in the regulation of feed uptake and that could contribute toward future breeding of farm animals with reduced environmental impact. We anticipate that genetically modified animals will play a significant role in shaping the future of feed-efficient and thus sustainable animal production, but will develop more slowly than the biomedical applications because of the complexity of the regulation of feed intake and metabolism.  相似文献   

6.
C.M. Mejdell   《Livestock Science》2006,103(3):292-296
The way production animals are treated is a matter of public concern, and public opinion is often a driving force to introduce new animal welfare legislation. In Norway, a Council on Animal Ethics has been appointed by the authorities since 1993. The composition of the council is broad and it encounters both lay people and experts. The council is independent and advisory, only. It shall be a “guard dog” and follow the developments in animal production and other areas where man makes use of animals, and give advice to the authorities on the need for change in legislation and administrative practices. An important task for the council is also to contribute to and facilitate an informed public debate on animal welfare standards and animal ethics.  相似文献   

7.
The rate and structure of cattle transfers between 206 Dutch cattle herds with a ‘Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map)-free’ status by November 2002, were analyzed over a 3-year period (November 1999–November 2002). Of the 206 ‘Map-free’ herds, 184 were closed herds during the period studied. In total, 280 cattle had been introduced into 22 herds at an average rate of 0.33 animals per year per 100 cattle present in the 206 herds. Assuming a random herd-contact structure, the observed rate of cattle transfers between certified ‘Map-free’ herds was sufficiently low to relax the surveillance scheme to biennial herd examinations by pooled fecal culture of all cattle ≥2 years of age.

The cattle transfers were not randomly distributed over the herds. Forty-four of the 280 cattle originated from 12 other ‘Map-free’ herds. The other 236 cattle did not originate from a ‘Map-free’ herd and were introduced into a herd before it obtained the ‘Map-free’ status. No cattle were introduced into any of the ‘Map-free’ herds from which cattle were transferred to other ‘Map-free’ herds. Thus, continued propagation of the infection by cattle transfers was impossible in the group of herds studied during the study period. Therefore the surveillance scheme may be further relaxed, and may be differentiated regarding the risk herds pose to other herds.  相似文献   


8.
The implementation of sustainable breeding programs requires genetic breeding strategies that are appropriate for the reality production systems. It is also essential that the choice of animal selection criteria be based on breeders’ knowledge and objectives. This work is an ethno-zootechnical study of the Morada Nova sheep breed and its crossbreeds. The goals of this study were to register and analyze indigenous breeders’ knowledge and practices regarding animal selection criteria and to generate technical information to support a participatory breeding program of the breed. This study was conducted in the Morada Nova municipality in the state of Ceará, Brazil. Semi-structured interviews were evaluated using two groups of individuals, purebred Morada Nova sheep breeders (RMN, n = 13) and breeders of Morada Nova crossbreeds (MMN, n = 48). Interview questions were used to identify local selection criteria adopted by each group in the choice of animals for breeding. Data from the interviews were submitted to frequency distribution analysis and the Shapiro-Wilk test to verify their distribution. Later, the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the two groups of farmers based on that information, in addition to multivariate statistical analysis and evaluation of Smith salience index. Breeders in the RMN group used selection criteria related to breed standards, such as pelage color. In contrast, breeders of the MMN group used criteria related to productivity, such as body conformation and milk production. Breeders should be engaged in the development of breeding programs, and it is important to consider their preferences and objectives when evaluating breeding animals.  相似文献   

9.
Vonne Lund   《Livestock Science》2006,100(2-3):71-83
This article discusses animal welfare in organic farming systems in relation to values and aims in organic farming. It sums up experiences from a 4-year interdisciplinary project. An important finding is that animal welfare is understood somewhat differently in organic farming from what is common in conventional agriculture. It is interpreted in terms of natural living, which includes the possibility to perform a natural behaviour, feed adapted to the animal's physiology and a natural environment. Some of the criticism of animal welfare in organic farming may stem from different understandings of what “welfare” actually means. However, although welfare is an important aim in organic farming, the overall concern is to develop sustainable farming systems. This causes some welfare dilemmas. For example, a healthy system does not automatically mean good welfare for the individual. Based on available literature the actual welfare situation in organic systems was scrutinized. Unfortunately little research has been done, but a careful conclusion was that animal health is as good or better than in conventional farming—with the exception of parasitic diseases. Organic farming systems have a “welfare potential”, but organic farmers must deal with the dilemmas and take animal welfare issues seriously.  相似文献   

10.
A case–control study involving 255 small ruminants herds randomly selected was carried out in Portugal between January and December 2004, to identify risk factors associated with brucellosis seropositivity.

To achieve this objective, two groups of herds selected according their prevalence status were compared: “cases” (farms with seroprevalence higher than 5%, n = 123) and “controls” (farms seronegatives, n = 132). A carefully structured questionnaire was used to collect data from each herd. A statistical analysis to compare “case” versus “control” herds was performed with the variables obtained from the questionnaire and the seroprevalence results. The effects on seroprevalence of several variables such as: individual characteristics; farm management practices; farm characteristics; animal health; knowledge and characteristics of farmers were evaluated. Data were analysed using logistic regression. Univariable analysis was used to screen the variables used in the logistic regression model. Nine variables were associated with brucellosis seropositivity in univariable analysis p < 0.10. These variables were retained for multivariable logistic regression model. Regression model identified five variables as risk factors for seropositivity. The odds of brucellosis were increased: herds with more than 116 animals (OR = 2.99); in herds with no cleaned-watering places (OR = 3.05); in herds with insufficient manure removal and insufficient cleaning of premises (OR = 2.87); in introduction of animals from non-free brucellosis herds or from herds of unknown status (OR = 12.11). In the other hand, farmers’ age (the eldest) was related to decreased odds (OR = 0.4).

Potential risk factors identified in this study were consistent factors associated with brucellosis seropositivity and support current recommendations for the control of brucellosis. Considering the paucity of epidemiological reports on brucellosis in the Northeast of Portugal and the absence of any data concerning factors related to either the prevention or the spread of the disease, our results could make a useful contribution towards the prevention of small ruminants brucellosis in the area.  相似文献   


11.
Ectoparasite infestations of sheep can result in serious animal welfare and financial losses. Many of the veterinary medicines used in their control can be harmful to humans and other species. These undesirable side-effects mean that trade-offs may be necessary and make it difficult to determine ‘the best’ control strategy. This problem is common to many animal health/welfare concerns, and must be addressed if progress is to be made under the Animal Health and Welfare Strategy for Great Britain. This paper describes an approach to such cases using a disease model to identify the financially optimal ectoparasite control strategies at the farm level for Scottish conditions in a climate of changing control restrictions. Our approach takes a wider systems perspective than is usual in cost-benefit studies of animal disease. The findings demonstrate that both flock size and ectoparasite risk are determinants of optimal control strategies. In addition the benefits of livestock biosecurity practices (isolation and treatment of incoming stock) for the control of sheep scab are demonstrated. The importance of dip products for the effective control of ectoparasites is discussed and possible implications if these become unavailable or the cost of their usage increases. Interdependence between stakeholders is highlighted, indicating a need for regional co-operation between farmers and a more integrated approach to control of some farm animal diseases.  相似文献   

12.
Conjoint analysis is a technique well known in marketing research to elicit consumer preferences and opinions. This paper describes the results of an experiment which explores the potential application of conjoint analysis in the field of veterinary epidemiology and economics. In this experiment, the method of conjoint analysis was used to elicit the opinion of experts about the relative importance of risk factors concerning contagious animal diseases. Diseases studied were: African Swine Fever (ASF), Classical Swine Fever (CSF), Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), Swine Vesicular Disease (SVD), Newcastle Disease (NCD) and Avian Influenza (AI). Risk factors included were import of livestock, import of animal products, feeding of swill, tourists, returning livestock trucks and air. The conjoint analysis technique was used to draw up a questionnaire which was handed out during the 7th ISVEE held at Nairobi, Kenya, from 15 to 19 August 1994. According to the experts approached, the factors ‘import of livestock’ and ‘import of animal products’ were the major sources of risk for all diseases. For ASF, CSF and FMD, the risk factor ‘swill feeding’ ranked third. For FMD and the two poultry diseases NCD and AI, only the risk factor ‘air’ was important. Overall conclusion was that conjoint analysis could be a useful method for eliciting the opinion of experts about risk factors concerning contagious animal diseases. In further research, special attention should be given to the selection of experts and the presentation of the conjoint questions.  相似文献   

13.
The effects of weaning age, type of creep diet and the classification of piglets as ‘eaters’ or ‘non eaters’ of creep feed on weight gain to weaning were examined. Four antimicrobial-free diets were offered from day 14 of lactation: (i) wheat-soy based diet with animal and vegetable (‘mixed’) protein sources (COMM), (ii) heat-processed rice (HPR) with barley hulls and potato starch and mixed protein sources (RBPS), (iii) HPR with sugar-beet pulp and mixed protein sources (RSBP), and (iv) HPR with mixed protein sources (R). Pigs were weaned at an average of either 27 (early) or 33 (late) days of age. A dye (indigo carmine) was added to each diet at day 24 of lactation in both groups to classify piglets as ‘eaters’ or ‘non eaters’ of creep feed, based on appearance or non-appearance, respectively, of dye in faeces. Pigs weaned late weighed 1.4 kg more (P < 0.001). Weaning age interacted with diet type and eating classification for weaning weight (P < 0.001). Of the 1067 piglets where classification of the faecal dye was possible, 829 (77.7%) were ‘eaters’ and 238 (22.3%) were ‘non eaters’. This qualitative estimate of creep feed consumption did not influence weight gain to weaning (P > 0.05).  相似文献   

14.
We evaluated stillbirth risk factors in two commercial swine farms of the Rio Grande do Sul State (south of Brazil). The study was conducted during 1 month in Farm A and during 2 months in Farm B, both during 1999. Data for all farrowings that occurred during the study period were recorded (101 for Farm A and 373 for Farm B), without interference in the farm management. In Farm A, 39% of all litters born during the period of interest had stillborn piglets and the stillborn risk for piglets was 12%. In Farm B, 25% of all litters had stillborn piglets whereas the stillborn risk was 2%. Variables considered as potential risk factors for stillbirths were: parity (1, 2–3, 4+); breed (purebred or crossbred); sow body-condition (normal or fat); use of oxytocin during parturition (yes or no); obstetric intervention through vaginal palpation (yes or no); farrowing duration (<4 or ≥4 h); mummified fetuses (yes or no); total litter size (<12 or ≥12 piglets); and litter birth weight (<11 or ≥11 kg). All stillborn piglets had their classification validated by necropsy. In multivariable logistic-regressions, the cases were the litters having at least one stillborn piglet. In Farm A, litters having at least 12 pigs and in which oxytocin was used during the parturition had 20.8-times-higher odds of stillborn occurrence. In Farm B, litters from sows having parity ≥4 had 2.2-times-higher odds of stillborn occurrence than litters from parity 2 to 3 females, litters having ≥12 pigs had 2.0-times-higher odds of a stillborn piglet than smaller litters and farrowings in which vaginal palpation was performed had 8.0-times-higher odds. Farrowing room management to minimize stillborn risk should target higher-parity females, large litters and optimization of practices of obstetric interventions.  相似文献   

15.
Sixty-one Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis isolates from cattle and deer from the Buenos Aires province, an important livestock region in Argentina, were typed by restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) analysis based on IS900. Four different RFLP patterns (designated ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘E’) were identified in BstEII digests of genomic DNA. The most frequently observed type, pattern ‘A’, was found in 46 isolates (75%). The second, pattern ‘E’, included 8 isolates (13%), while the third, pattern ‘B’, included 6 isolates (10%). Pattern ‘C’ was found for only one isolate. All of the deer isolates were classified as pattern ‘A’, while cattle isolates represented all four RFLP patterns. Twenty-one isolates representing the four different BstEII-RFLP patterns were digested with PstI. Twenty isolates showed identical PstI-RFLP pattern. BstEII-RFLP patterns from Argentine cattle and deer were compared with patterns found in cattle, goat, deer, rabbit, and human isolates from Europe. The most common pattern in Argentina, pattern ‘A’, was identical to a less frequently occurring pattern R9 (C17) from Europe. The other Argentine patterns ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘E’, were not found in the Europe. These results indicate that the distribution of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis genotypes in the Buenos Aires province of Argentina is different from that found in Europe.  相似文献   

16.
The liberalization of European animal breeding legislation and an increasing diversity of equestrian sports have led to a constant rise in the number of horse breeds and breed registries. In addition to the trend towards more and smaller breed registries, there is another trend towards an international expansion of the bigger established sport horse breeds. Regional breeds, at least in smaller countries, may no longer be able to run an independent breeding programme. The typical horse breeder, in the future, will be a female and qualified in equestrian sports. Artificial insemination (AI) mainly with fresh or cooled-transported semen has become a major breeding tool, allowing breeders all over Europe to benefit from the best stallions of most breeds. New AI techniques such as low-dose insemination may remain restricted to individual stallions and also the interest of breeding programmes in sex determination of foals via semen sorting is limited. Embryo transfer and associated techniques, although allowed by most breeds, have not contributed significantly to genetic progress in European sport horses so far. A potential use of cloning may be to produce gonad-intact copies from geldings that have performed to a superior level. With a more open and international structure of horse breeding and increased use of AI, equine reproduction and biotechnology should be emphasized by veterinary curricula and continuing professional education programmes.  相似文献   

17.
We developed three different knowledge-dissemination methods for educating Tanzanian smallholder farmers about mastitis in their dairy cattle. The effectiveness of these methods (and their combinations) was evaluated and quantified using a randomised controlled trial and multilevel statistical modelling. To our knowledge, this is the first study that has used such techniques to evaluate the effectiveness of different knowledge-dissemination interventions for adult learning in developing countries.

Five different combinations of knowledge-dissemination method were compared: ‘diagrammatic handout’ (‘HO’), ‘village meeting’ (‘VM’), ‘village meeting and video’ (‘VM + V’), ‘village meeting and diagrammatic handout’ (‘VM + HO’) and ‘village meeting, video and diagrammatic handout’ (‘VM + V + HO’). Smallholder dairy farmers were exposed to only one of these interventions, and the effectiveness of each was compared to a control (‘C’) group, who received no intervention. The mastitis knowledge of each farmer (n = 256) was evaluated by questionnaire both pre- and post-dissemination.

Generalised linear mixed models were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the different interventions. The outcome variable considered was the probability of volunteering correct responses to mastitis questions post-dissemination, with ‘village’ and ‘farmer’ considered as random effects in the model. Results showed that all five interventions, ‘HO’ (odds ratio (OR) = 3.50, 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 3.10, 3.96), ‘VM + V + HO’ (OR = 3.34, 95% CI = 2.94, 3.78), ‘VM + HO’ (OR = 3.28, 95% CI = 2.90, 3.71), ‘VM + V’ (OR = 3.22, 95% CI = 2.84, 3.64) and ‘VM’ (OR = 2.61, 95% CI = 2.31, 2.95), were significantly (p < 0.0001) more effective at disseminating mastitis knowledge than no intervention.

In addition, the ‘VM’ method was less effective at disseminating mastitis knowledge than other interventions. Combinations of methods showed no advantage over the diagrammatic handout alone. Other explanatory variables with significant positive associations on mastitis knowledge included education to secondary school level or higher, and having previously learned about mastitis by reading pamphlets or attendance at an animal-health course.  相似文献   


18.
We investigated the farm factors associated with the prevalences of brucellosis and border disease (BD) in small-ruminant herds in the Madrid region of Spain. These infections were used as models of diseases of well-known and totally unknown distribution, respectively, to assess the association between the perception of the importance of a given disease on the relative contributions of veterinary services and the farmer's attitudes to its prevention. Sera, farming-management information and data concerning veterinary assistance and farmer characteristics were collected from 60 sheep or goat herds. The overall sero-prevalence of brucellosis was 5.7% (complement fixation) and for BD was 17.9% (ELISA test). The relationship between sero-positivity and the variables in the questionnaire was assessed by multivariable analysis using random-effects logistic-normal regression. ‘Availability of veterinary services' was a major protective factor for brucellosis. In contrast, no association with veterinary services was observed for BD, whereas ‘membership in a farmers' organization' (a variable associated with good farming practice and animal care) was a protective factor. ‘Membership of a farmers' organisation' and two other farmer variables indicative of good husbandry (‘youth' and ‘schooling') were associated with a lower sero-prevalence of brucellosis in univariable analysis but they did not remain significant in the multivariable model. Our observations suggest that veterinary-activity variables predominate over non-specific protective farm factors related to good husbandry in the case the disease is subject to disease surveillance. This underscores the importance of organized control programs for veterinary services to be effective in terms of animal disease prevention.  相似文献   

19.
A state-transition model was developed to examine the control of bovine virus diarrhoea (BVD) virus (BVDV) infections epidemiologically and economically at the farm level, using a computer spreadsheet program. The model offers the possibility of comparing and evaluating the alternatives ‘no intervention’ and ‘culling carriers’. All input variables can easily be modified to suit different conditions and areas, making it a flexible tool for policy making and decision support. Results of calculations with the most likely input values for Dutch conditions showed that culling the carriers which were persistently infected after an outbreak of BVD was economically unattractive (especially if there was any risk of reinfection). Further research is desired (1) to model the losses due to immunosuppression caused by BVDV infection, and (2) to predict more precisely the spread of BVDV after culling the carriers.  相似文献   

20.
《家畜育种学》课程是动物生产学科重要的一门专业基础课程。近年来,由于生物技术、信息技术、计算机科学等领域的发展迅速以及在动物育种中的应用,动物育种领域又出现了不少新理论和新技术。为了使教学更好跟上家畜育种学及其相关领域发展的步伐,本文对我国《家畜育种学》教材中存在问题进行分析,并重点阐述了《家畜育种学》教材更新内容。  相似文献   

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