Genetic associations between feed efficiency measured in a performance test station and performance of growing cattle in commercial beef herds     

Crowley JJ  Evans RD  Mc Hugh N  Pabiou T  Kenny DA  McGee M  Crews DH  Berry DP 《Journal of animal science》2011,89(11):3382-3393

Interest in selection for improved feed efficiency is increasing, but before any steps are taken toward selecting for feed efficiency, correlations with other economically important traits must first be quantified. The objective of this study was to quantify the genetic associations between feed efficiency measured during performance testing and linear type traits, BW, live animal value, and carcass traits recorded in commercial herds. Feed efficiency data were available on 2,605 bulls from 1 performance test station. There were between 10,384 and 93,442 performance records on type traits, BW, animal value, or carcass traits from 17,225 commercial herds. (Co)variance components were estimated using linear mixed animal models. Genetic correlations between the muscular type traits in commercial animals and feed conversion ratio (-0.33 to -0.25), residual feed intake (RFI; -0.33 to -0.22), and residual BW gain (RG; 0.24 to 0.27) suggest that selection for improved feed efficiency should increase muscling. This is further evidenced by the genetic correlations between carcass conformation of commercial animals and feed conversion ratio (-0.46), RFI (-0.37), and residual BW gain (0.35) measured in performance-tested animals. Furthermore, the genetic correlations between RFI and both ultrasonic fat depth and carcass fat score (0.39 and 0.33, respectively) indicated that selection for improved RFI will result in leaner animals. It can be concluded from the genetic correlations estimated in this study that selection for feed efficiency will have no unfavorable effects on the performance traits measured in this study and will actually lead to an improvement in performance for some traits, such as muscularity, animal price, and carcass conformation. Conversely, this suggests that genetic selection for traits such as carcass quality, muscling traits, and animal value might also be indirectly selecting for more efficient animals.  相似文献   

Evaluation of a breast support conveyor to improve poultry welfare on the shackle line     

Lines JA  Jones TA  Berry PS  Cook P  Spence J  Schofield CP 《The Veterinary record》2011,168(5):129

A breast support conveyor has the potential to improve bird welfare by avoiding the need to invert and suspend broilers by their legs as they move from the point of shackling to entry into the electric waterbath. To evaluate its effect on welfare under commercial conditions, a breast support conveyor was installed under the conventional shackle line of a small poultry processing plant. A structured assessment of the behaviour of the birds indicated a significant decrease in struggling and wing flapping at the point of shackling, on the straight conveyor and at entry into the waterbath. This resulted in a lower prevalence of red wing tips and bruising in the first wing joint. The shackle line and conveyor in this installation, however, passed around a 90° corner, which appeared to cause more disturbance to the birds on the conveyor than to comparable birds suspended from shackles in the traditional manner. The results indicate that a breast support conveyor has the potential to improve bird welfare on straight shackle lines and that, because struggling activity and duration following shackling are reduced, the time between shackling and stunning could also be reduced using this method, further improving bird welfare. Breast support conveyors should not be used when the shackle lines have sharp bends.  相似文献   

Genetics of animal health and disease in cattle     

Berry DP  Bermingham ML  Good M  More SJ 《Irish veterinary journal》2011,64(1):5-10

There have been considerable recent advancements in animal breeding and genetics relevant to disease control in cattle, which can now be utilised as part of an overall programme for improved cattle health. This review summarises the contribution of genetic makeup to differences in resistance to many diseases affecting cattle. Significant genetic variation in susceptibility to disease does exist among cattle suggesting that genetic selection for improved resistance to disease will be fruitful. Deficiencies in accurately recorded data on individual animal susceptibility to disease are, however, currently hindering the inclusion of health and disease resistance traits in national breeding goals. Developments in 'omics' technologies, such as genomic selection, may help overcome some of the limitations of traditional breeding programmes and will be especially beneficial in breeding for lowly heritable disease traits that only manifest themselves following exposure to pathogens or environmental stressors in adulthood. However, access to large databases of phenotypes on health and disease will still be necessary. This review clearly shows that genetics make a significant contribution to the overall health and resistance to disease in cattle. Therefore, breeding programmes for improved animal health and disease resistance should be seen as an integral part of any overall national disease control strategy.  相似文献   

Management of bovine tuberculosis in Michigan wildlife: current status and near term prospects     

O'Brien DJ  Schmitt SM  Fitzgerald SD  Berry DE 《Veterinary microbiology》2011,151(1-2):179-187

Surveillance and control activities for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in free-ranging Michigan white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have now been underway for over a decade. Significant progress has been made, lowering apparent prevalence in deer in the core area by >60%, primarily via reduction of deer densities through hunting, and restrictions on public feeding and baiting of deer. These broad strategies of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), implemented with the cooperation of Michigan deer hunters, halved the deer population in the bTB endemic area. However, as hunters see fewer deer, their willingness to sustain aggressive harvests has waned, and public resentment of control measures has grown. During the past four years, apparent prevalence in core area deer has held approximately steady just below 2%. After bottoming out in 2004 at an estimated 10-12 deer/km(2), deer numbers have since rebounded by ～ 30%. Public compliance with baiting and feeding restrictions has been variable. In general, hunters in the core area do not perceive bTB as a problem, in spite of 13 years of MDNR outreach. To date, MDNR has expended more than US$23 million on TB-related activities. Of late, a substantial portion of that funding has been diverted to support other programs which have suffered from budget shortfalls. Livestock herd breakdowns continue to occur sporadically, averaging 3-4 per year 2005 to present. In total, 46 cattle and 4 captive deer herds have been diagnosed bTB positive statewide, the majority yielding only 1 positive animal. Five cattle herds were twice infected, one thrice. Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) policy emphasis has shifted towards obtaining producer support for wildlife risk mitigation and farm biosecurity. Funding has proven a limiting factor, with the majority of the US$63 million spent to date devoted to whole herd testing. Nevertheless, some initiatives justify cautious optimism. Promising research to support eventual vaccination of wild deer continues. Some hunters and landowners have begun to recognize the costs of high deer densities and supplemental feeding. A peninsula-wide ban on baiting and feeding was enacted. Some cattle producers, recognizing their precarious circumstances, have begun work to change long-held prevailing opinions among their peers about farm biosecurity. Yet formidable challenges remain, and evidence suggests that eradication of bTB, if it can be achieved, will take decades, and will require greater public and political resolve than has been demonstrated thus far.  相似文献   

Reproductive success of rose‐ringed parakeets Psittacula krameri in a captive UK population     

Mark S Lambert  Giovanna Massei  Jennifer Bell  Leslie Berry  Carol Haigh  David P Cowan 《Pest management science》2009,65(11):1215-1218

BACKGROUND: Rose‐ringed parakeets Psittacula krameri (Scop.) have recently become established in several European countries, with potential for significant negative economic and ecological impacts. However, in northern Europe the potential for reproductive output is largely unknown. In 2005 the authors established a captive outdoor colony in north‐east England and examined breeding success over 2 years. RESULTS: In 2006 (19 pairs, 15 clutches) the average first clutch size was 3.6 (±0.3) eggs. Six clutches were infertile, and overall the colony produced 1.4 (±0.5) fertile eggs per pair. Eleven pairs produced a second clutch following removal of the first; seven were infertile, and overall productivity was 0.7 (±0.4) fertile eggs per pair. Unsuccessful pairs were rearranged or replaced. In 2007, overall productivity was 2.5 (±0.4) and 1.8 (±0.4) fertile eggs per pair for the first and second attempts respectively. For pairs that remained unchanged through 2006–2007, productivity was consistent between years and breeding attempts. CONCLUSION: Where food and nest sites were not limiting, clutch sizes in north‐east England were similar to those in the native range, and consistent between first and second attempts. This has implications for the future expansion and management of the species. © Crown Copyright 2009. Reproduced with permission of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

Identification of genomic regions that exhibit sexual dimorphism for size and muscularity in cattle     

Jennifer L Doyle  Deirdre C Purfield  Tom Moore  Tara R Carthy  Siobhan W Walsh  Roel F Veerkamp  Ross D Evans  Donagh P Berry 《Journal of animal science》2021,99(5)

Sexual dimorphism, the phenomenon whereby males and females of the same species are distinctive in some aspect of appearance or size, has previously been documented in cattle for traits such as growth rate and carcass merit using a quantitative genetics approach. No previous study in cattle has attempted to document sexual dimorphism at a genome level; therefore, the objective of the present study was to determine whether genomic regions associated with size and muscularity in cattle exhibited signs of sexual dimorphism. Analyses were undertaken on 10 linear-type traits that describe the muscular and skeletal characteristics of both males and females of five beef cattle breeds: 1,444 Angus (AA), 6,433 Charolais (CH), 1,129 Hereford, 8,745 Limousin (LM), and 1,698 Simmental. Genome-wide association analyses were undertaken using imputed whole-genome sequence data for each sex separately by breed. For each single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that was segregating in both sexes, the difference between the allele substitution effect sizes for each sex, in each breed separately, was calculated. Suggestively (P ≤ 1 × 10⁻⁵) sexually dimorphic SNPs that were segregating in both males and females were detected for all traits in all breeds, although the location of these SNPs differed by both trait and breed. Significantly (P ≤ 1 × 10⁻⁸) dimorphic SNPs were detected in just three traits in the AA, seven traits in the CH, and three traits in the LM. The vast majority of all segregating autosomal SNPs (86% in AA to 94% in LM) had the same minor allele in both males and females. Differences (P ≤ 0.05) in allele frequencies between the sexes were observed for between 36% (LM) and 66% (AA) of the total autosomal SNPs that were segregating in both sexes. Dimorphic SNPs were located within a number of genes related to muscularity and/or size including the NAB1, COL5A2, and IWS1 genes on BTA2 that are located close to, and thought to be co-inherited with, the MSTN gene. Overall, sexual dimorphism exists in cattle at the genome level, but it is not consistent by either trait or breed.  相似文献   

Immunisation of cattle with a recombinant togavirus-vaccinia virus strain   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  

C A Franke  E S Berry  A W Smith  D E Hruby 《Research in veterinary science》1985,39(1):113-115

Genetic engineering techniques have been used to construct a vaccinia virus recombinant which contains and expresses togavirus (Sindbis) genetic information. Intradermal inoculation of this recombinant strain into calves caused a transient pock-type lesion at the site of inoculation and elicited the production of substantial levels of anti-Sindbis virus neutralising antibodies. These results suggest that recombinant vaccinia virus vaccines may have potential for use in veterinary medicine.  相似文献   

Golden Shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas× Rudd Scardinius erythrophthalmus Hybrids: Gonad Histology and Spawning Trials     

Andrew E.  Goodwin John M.  Grizzle  Douglas  Tave  Mike D.  Gibson  Jimmy  Barnett  Don H.  Fiegel Berry F.  Beavers 《Journal of the World Aquaculture Society》1994,25(2):230-235

Hybrid fish were produced in ponds by crossing golden shiners × rudd ( Notemigonus crysoleucas × Scardinius erythrophthalmus ) and rudd × golden shiners. Histologically, testes from the hybrids contained spermatocytes that resembled those of the parental species, but no sperm were observed. Lack of sperm in hybrids could have been a seasonal effect. The ovaries of both types of hybrids contained variable numbers of morphologically normal, vitellogenic oocytes and numerous abnormal oocytes in the chromatin nucleolar stage. Abnormal oocytes were necrotic or had irregularly shaped nuclei and clumped chromatin. Many oocyte nests contained infiltrating macrophnges. Spawning trials with F₁ hybrids did not result in spawning behavior or production of F₂ generation fish. Colden shiner × rudd hybrids are of reduced fecundity, but sterility was not conclusively demonstrated.  相似文献   

Influence of temperature and age on the recovery of pseudorabies virus from houseflies (Musca domestica)     

J J Zimmerman  W J Berry  G W Beran  D P Murphy 《American journal of veterinary research》1989,50(9):1471-1474

In laboratory experiments, pseudorabies virus was readily recovered from within the body of houseflies (Musca domestica L) that had ingested the virus. Age of the fly and ambient temperature affected the rate of virus inactivation within the houseflies. Virus half-life in 3-day-old flies was 6.36 hours vs 2.81 hours in flies 8 or 13 days old. Half-life in 5-day-old flies was 12.92 hours at 10 C, 5.95 hours at 20 C, and 2.69 hours at 30 C. Virus half-life in dead flies was 9.06 hours at 10 C, 4.28 hours at 20 C, and 1.71 hours at 30 C. The data did not provide any evidence of virus replication in either living or dead flies.  相似文献   

RADIOGRAPHIC FEATURES OF AORTIC BULB/VALVE MINERALIZATION IN 20 DOGS     

James P.  Douglass  DVM  MS  Clifford R.  Berry  DVM  Donald E.  Thrall  DVM  PHD  David E.  Malarkey  DVM  PHD  Kathy A.  Spaulding  DVM 《Veterinary radiology & ultrasound》2003,44(1):20-27

The radiographic features of aortic bulb/valve mineralization in 20 dogs were reviewed. Extent, shape, number, and location of mineralization were recorded. Five of the dogs had additional alternate imaging examinations, including bone scintigraphy, echocardiography, and thoracic computed tomography. A necropsy was done on one dog, and the area of mineralization was evaluated using routine histology. The median age was 10 (mean 9.7; SD +/- 2.7) years. There were five males, seven neutered males, one female, and seven neutered females. The breeds were: Irish setter (6); rottweiler (7); chow-chow (1); miniature dachshund (1); borzoi (1); English setter (1); English springer spaniel (1); great Dane (1); and greyhound (1). Dogs with both right and left lateral radiographs (n = 17) had mineralization visible on both views, more conspicuously on the right lateral radiograph (n = 12). Aortic bulb mineralization was identified on the ventrodorsal radiograph of only one dog. On lateral radiographs, the aortic bulb mineralization was localized within the 4th intercostal space and in the craniodorsal quadrant of the cardiac silhouette. In nine of the dogs, there were complex or multiple mineralizations and in 11 dogs, there was a single curvilinear mineral opacity oriented in a caudoventral to craniodorsal direction. In all radiographs, the mineralization was in the expected position of the aortic bulb, and echocardiography (n = 4), spiral computed tomography (n = 2), and necropsy (n = 1) confirmed that the mineralization was within the aortic bulb. Clinical pathologic data of the dogs suggested no reason for metastatic mineralization. Exact etiopathogenesis of the lesions were not determined in this study. Based on the histologic findings in one dog, the mineralization seen in the aortic root is similar to a form of dystrophic mineralization called Monckeberg's calcific arteriosclerosis in humans. No clinical signs attributable to the mineralization were observed.  相似文献