The effect of the maturity and prior breeding activity of rams and body condition score of ewe hoggets on the reproductive performance of ewe hoggets     

PR Kenyon  SL Smith  PCH Morel  ST Morris  DM West 《New Zealand veterinary journal》2013,61(5):290-294

Abstract

AIM: To determine the effect of age and prior use of mature rams at a given ram-to-ewe ratio, and the effect of body condition on breeding performance and pregnancy rate of ewe hoggets.

METHODS: Ewe hoggets (n=733) aged 7–8 months were weighed and their body condition scored, then randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups (Day 0) and joined with either four two-tooth rams (20 months of age) not used previously (n=244; Two-tooth), four mixed-aged mature rams that had not been used earlier in the season (n=244; Mature-fresh), or four mixed-aged mature rams that had been used with mature ewes immediately prior to joining with hoggets (n=245; Mature-used). The breeding period was 34 days. Ewe hoggets were identified as having been marked during the first 17 days only, during both 17-day periods, during the second 17 days only, or not marked. Hoggets were re-weighed on Day 34, and pregnancy status determined using ultrasound on Day 92. The breeding soundness of the rams was assessed on Days ?34 and ?1.

RESULTS: Semen samples obtained from the rams did not differ significantly in any of the parameters measured (p>0.05). Ewe hoggets joined with Mature-fresh rams were less likely (p<0.05) to be marked in the second 17 days of breeding only than those joined with either Two-tooth or Mature-used rams. No other breeding parameters were affected by breeding group (p>0.05). Hoggets marked in the first 17 days only were heavier (p<0.05) at Day 0 than those marked in the second 17 days only or not marked. Hoggets diagnosed as twin-bearing were heavier (p<0.05) than non-pregnant or single-bearing hoggets. Those hoggets marked in the first 17 days only had a greater (p<0.05) body condition score (BCS) than those marked in the second 17 days only or not marked at all. These differences were no longer apparent after correction for liveweight (LW).Correction for LW at Day 0 or change in LW during the breeding period did not affect the results for breeding performance.

CONCLUSIONS: Under the conditions of this study, two-tooth rams and mature rams that had been used previously were just as suitable as mature rams that had not been used previously for breeding with ewe hoggets. Further studies are warranted to verify this result. The re-use of rams without reducing breeding performance would reduce breeding costs and may make breeding hoggets a more viable option for farmers. The BCS of ewe hoggets affected breeding performance, and can thus be used to identify those animals most suitable for breeding.  相似文献   

Sensitivity of boreal forest carbon balance to soil thaw   总被引：6，自引：0，他引：6  

ML Goulden  SC Wofsy  JW Harden  SE Trumbore  PM Crill  ST Gower  T Fries  BC Daube  S Fan  DJ Sutton  A Bazzaz  JW Munger 《Science (New York, N.Y.)》1998,279(5348):214-217

We used eddy covariance; gas-exchange chambers; radiocarbon analysis; wood, moss, and soil inventories; and laboratory incubations to measure the carbon balance of a 120-year-old black spruce forest in Manitoba, Canada. The site lost 0.3 +/- 0.5 metric ton of carbon per hectare per year (ton C ha-1 year-1) from 1994 to 1997, with a gain of 0.6 +/- 0.2 ton C ha-1 year-1 in moss and wood offset by a loss of 0.8 +/- 0.5 ton C ha-1 year-1 from the soil. The soil remained frozen most of the year, and the decomposition of organic matter in the soil increased 10-fold upon thawing. The stability of the soil carbon pool ( approximately 150 tons C ha-1) appears sensitive to the depth and duration of thaw, and climatic changes that promote thaw are likely to cause a net efflux of carbon dioxide from the site.  相似文献   

Effect of antidotal N-acetylcysteine on the pharmacokinetics of acetaminophen in dogs     

V. E. V. ST. OMER  F. K. MOHAMMAD 《Journal of veterinary pharmacology and therapeutics》1984,7(4):277-281

The effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on the pharmacokinetic parameters of acetaminophen (AP) in adult female beagles were studied. Each of eight dogs received a single i.v. injection of 150 mg/kg of AP as a 5% solution in a vehicle of 40% aqueous propylene glycol at 0 h. Each of four AP-treated dogs (Group I) received an oral dose of 140 mg/kg NAC as a 20% aqueous solution at 0 h, and 70 mg/kg at 30 min and 1 h post-AP administration. Four dogs (Group II) served as controls and received isotonic saline orally. Mild signs of AP toxicosis seen in both groups within 2-3 h of AP administration including depression, weakness, recumbency and methaemoglobinaemia. Relative to Group II, treatment with NAC (Group I) enhanced the elimination of AP from the body as indicated by the decreased plasma half-life (t1/2 = 1.06 h for Group I v. 1.78 h for Group II) and a higher elimination rate constant (beta = 0.67/h for Group I v. 0.40/h for Group II). Changes in the area under plasma concentration curve data (AUC = 0.39 mg.h/ml for Group I v. 0.65 mg.h/ml for Group II) were associated with a 61% increase in total body clearance of AP in Group I. The apparent volume of drug distribution Vdarea was not affected.  相似文献   

THE ISOLATION OF D'AGUILAR VIRUS FROM A COW     

T. D. ST  GEORGE M.V.Sc. CORINNE K. DIMMOCK B.Sc. 《Australian veterinary journal》1976,52(12):598-598

  相似文献   

THE TRANSMISSION OF THE CSIRO 19 STRAIN OF BLUETONGUE VIRUS TYPE 20 TO SHEEP AND CATTLE     

T. D. ST GEORGE  C. I. McCaughan 《Australian veterinary journal》1979,55(4):198-199

  相似文献   

THE ISOLATION OF A BLUETONGUE VIRUS FROM CULICOIDES COLLECTED IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA     

T. D. ST. GEORGE  H. A. STANDFAST  D. H. CYBINSKI  A. L. DYCE  M. J. MULLER  R. L. DOHERTY  J. G. CARLEY  CHRISTINA L. FRAZIER 《Australian veterinary journal》1978,54(3):153-154

  相似文献   

A rate equation model of stomatal responses to vapour pressure deficit and drought     

D Eamus  ST Shanahan 《BMC ecology》2002,2(1):8-14

Background  

Stomata respond to vapour pressure deficit (D) – when D increases, stomata begin to close. Closure is the result of a decline in guard cell turgor, but the link between D and turgor is poorly understood. We describe a model for stomatal responses to increasing D based upon cellular water relations. The model also incorporates impacts of increasing levels of water stress upon stomatal responses to increasing D.  相似文献   

片形吸虫病病原的研究概况   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

顾有方  沈永林 《中国兽医寄生虫病》2000,8(2):55-59

片形吸虫病是反刍动物的一种重要的寄生虫病之一，可引起严重的经济损失。近年来有关片形吸虫病病原的研究较为迅速，尤其是病原的种类以及病原代谢的研究更为热烈。本文将从病原的种类及分布、病原的糖类代谢、脂类代谢和蛋白质代谢作一简单概述。  相似文献   

PHYSICAL BREAKDOWN IN RELATION TO SOIL DEVELOPMENT     

R. J. ST. ARNAUD  E. P. WHITESIDE 《European Journal of Soil Science》1963,14(2):267-281

  相似文献   

Identification of Polymorphisms in the Osteopontin Gene and Their Associations with Certain Semen Production Traits of Water Buffaloes in the Brazilian Amazon     

ST Rolim Filho  HFL Ribeiro  GMF de Camargo  DF Cardoso  RR Aspilcueta‐Borquis  H Tonhati  KB Nunes  WG Vale  EM Barbosa  KC de Sousa 《Reproduction in domestic animals》2013,48(5):705-709

The osteopontin gene may influence the fertility of water buffaloes because it is a protein present in sperm. The aim of this work was to identify polymorphisms in this gene and associate them with fertility parameters of animals kept under extensive grazing. A total of 306 male buffaloes older than 18 months, from two farms, one in the state of Amapá and the other in the state of Pará, Brazil were used in the study. Seven SNPs were identified in the regions studied. The polymorphisms were in gene positions 1478, 1513 and 1611 in the region 5′upstrem and positions 6690, 6737, 6925 and 6952 in the region amplified in intron 5. The SNPs were associated with the traits, namely scrotal circumference, scrotal volume, sperm motility, sperm concentration and sperm pathology. There were significant SNPs (p < 0.05) for all the traits. The SNP 6690 was significant for scrotal circumference, sperm concentration, sperm motility and sperm pathology and the SNP 6737 for scrotal volume. The genotype AA of SNP 6690 presented the highest averages for scrotal circumference, sperm concentration and motility and the lowest total number of sperm pathologies. For the scrotal volume trait, the animals with the largest volume were correlated with the presence of the genotype GG of SNP 6737. These results indicate a significance of the osteopontin gene as it seems to exert a substantial influence on the semen production traits of male buffaloes.  相似文献