Effects of feeding ensiled kale (Brassica oleracea) on the performance of finishing lambs     

Vipond  Duncan  Turner  Goddyn  & Horgan 《Grass and Forage Science》1998,53(4):346-352

The use of forage brassicas, such as kale, in diets of ruminants is typically constrained by the presence of anti-metabolites that break down in the rumen to cause detrimental effects after absorption including haemolytic anaemia and tissue damage. Ensilage of kale before feeding may provide conditions that favour the degradation of potentially toxic anti-metabolites, thereby improving the nutritive value of the feed. An experiment was conducted with eighty Scottish Blackface housed lambs, in which four levels of kale silage were used to replace grass silage and in which the forage component comprised around 60% of the finishing diet. Productivity of lambs was not affected other than to increase the killing-out percentage of the lambs. Glucosinolate concentrations in kale were markedly reduced by the ensiling process. Haematological parameters, such as packed cell volume, haemoglobin concentration and the presence of Heinz−Ehrlich bodies, were not significantly affected by replacing grass silage with kale silage. Similarly, there were no significant effects arising from the dietary treatments on the blood plasma components, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, blood urea nitrogen, tri-iodothyroxine and thyroxine, which are conventional measures of glucosinolate toxicity.
The results indicated that the ensilage of kale reduces its toxicity and hence removes constraints on the maximum inclusion levels in the diet. Also, it was possible to reduce the potential contamination of carcasses with soil by lambs not grazing the crop and thus keeping fleeces clean.  相似文献   

Noninvasive assessment of nitrate‐induced stress in koi Cyprinus carpio L. by faecal cortisol measurement     

Samuel J. Lupica  John W. Turner Jr 《Aquaculture Research》2010,41(11):1622-1629

This study determined effects of nitrate (NO₃^?)‐induced stress on faecal cortisol levels in koi (Cyprinus carpio). NO₃^? was presented in two formats: (1) bulk increase followed by dilution to assess cortisol response and recovery and (2) bulk increase followed by incremental increases to assess cortisol response limit. Fish were maintained group‐wise in treatment and control aquaria (n=6 per group), and 0.5 g L^?1 NO₃^? (as NaNO₃) was added to the water. Faecal samples were collected daily and blood samples were taken pretreatment and 72‐h posttreatment and were assayed for cortisol via ELISA. NO₃^? increased plasma and faecal cortisol 4.4‐fold and 3.9‐fold respectively. Plasma cortisol was not measured further. After a 74% NO₃^? decrease by dilution, faecal cortisol decreased to baseline within 24 h, and restimulation by NO₃^? (1.0 g L^?1) elevated faecal cortisol to maximal study levels. In a separate experiment, exposure to 0.4 g L^?1 NO₃^? increased faecal cortisol 6.9‐fold. However, three additional 0.4 g L^?1 NO₃^? increments across 9 days did not further increase cortisol. This study demonstrates that faecal cortisol measurement in fish via an ELISA can be useful as an indicator of NO₃^?‐induced stress in the aquatic environment.  相似文献   

Effects of feeding a probiotic blend on live performance of broiler chickens from 0 to 49 days of age     

J. Summers  B. Turner  N. Tillman 《The Journal of Applied Poultry Research》2022,31(3):100273

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