The effect of melatonin implants administered to cashmere goats in the winter, on plasma prolactin, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) concentrations and the timing of the spring moult, was studied with the objective of identifying a method of manipulating the timing of the spring moult and increasing fibre harvesting efficiency. The effect of similar melatonin implants on prolactin concentration when administered in the increasing daylength of spring, was also measured.

In the first experiment, using 20 juvenile and 20 adult female cashmere goats, half the animals of each group received continuous release implants of melatonin (18 mg) on 11 December, 1 February and 1 April. In the adult goats the treatment significantly advanced by 7 weeks the time at which peak plasma prolactin concentrations were attained (P < 0·001) and advanced the onset (P < 0·001) of the peak. The treatment also resulted in an advance of the spring moult of cashmere in the adult goats (P < 0·01) and in an earlier initiation (P < 0·01) of the growth of both guard hair and cashmere as judged by histological examination of primary and secondary hair follicles. In the juvenile goats there were no significant effects of melatonin administration on plasma prolactin concentrations, the timing of the moult, or on any of the histological measurements compared with the controls. There were no significant effects on live weight or circulating concentrations of T3 and T4 in either age group. In the second experiment, the administration of one melatonin implant (18 mg) to three adult goats on 1 April caused a significant reduction in plasma prolactin concentrations (P < 0·05) over a period of 3 weeks compared with concentrations observed in four untreated goats.

It is concluded that treatment with melatonin implants is effective in modifying the timing of the seasonal cycle in prolactin secretion in adult cashmere goats and causing corresponding changes in hair follicle activity. However, since the treatment initiated in December caused an advance rather than a delay in the normal spring rise in plasma prolactin concentrations, it is evident that the repeated melatonin implant protocol used in this experiment cannot be used to delay the onset of the spring moult and thus facilitate the harvesting of cashmere.

A study was conducted to examine the effect of fine grinding or sodium hydroxide treatment of wheat, and increasing concentrate food level, on milk production. Two concentrates based either on ground wheat (450 g/kg, GW) or sodium hydroxide treated wheat (500 g/kg, SW) were offered at four concentrate levels of 2·5, 5·0, 7·5 and 10·0 kg dry matter (DM) per day to 24 dairy cows in a three-period, change-over design experiment. On average, across all concentrate food levels, silage DM intake was significantly (P < 0·01) higher with the SW concentrates, reflecting a significantly lower silage substitution rate with SW relative to GW concentrates (P < 0·01). Milk yield was also significantly higher with the SW concentrates (P < 0·05), although marginal responses to increased concentrate food level were similar (P > 0·05). Milk protein concentration increased linearly with increasing concentrate food level (P < 0·001), with a significantly greater response with the GW relative to the SW concentrate (0·59 v. 0·24 g/kg (P < 0·05) increase per kg additional concentrate). However, milk protein concentration was also significantly lower with the GW concentrate at low food levels (P < 0·05). Milk fat concentrations were similar with the two concentrate types with significant reductions in milk fat concentration with increasing concentrate food level (P < 0·05). Blood urea (P < 0·001) and β-hydroxybutyrate (P < 0·05) concentrations were significantly lower in animals offered the SW concentrate. Apparent digestibility coefficients were unaffected by either concentrate type or concentrate food level (P > 0·05), although modified acid-detergent fibre apparent digestibility was significantly reduced with increasing concentrate food level (P < 0·001). Results indicate that, at similar levels of concentrate feeding, silage intake and milk yield were significantly greater with SW compared with GW concentrates (P < 0·05 or greater). Increases in milk protein concentration with increasing concentrate food level were significantly greater with GW than with SW concentrates (P < 0·05).

Sugar-beet pulp as normally produced in Great Britain contains about 400 g molasses per kg dry matter (DM). It has been demonstrated that either a reduction in the amount or even the full removal of the molasses did not affect the yield or composition of the milk of cows (e.g. Ronning and Bath, 1962; Hemingway, Parkins and Fraser, 1986). The dried, shredded pulp without molasses was, however, generally less palatable.

The pattern of growth and carcass composition of indigenous Ethiopian fat-tailed Menz and Horro lambs were assessed through serial slaughter and carcass dissection of 147 lambs at five different growth phases. The GLM procedure of Statistical Analysis Systems Institute and allometric growth equations were used to assess the effects of various factors and differential growth of carcass components, respectively. Results showed that the growth and carcass composition of Menz and Horro lambs was significantly (P < 0.05 to P < 0.001) affected by the genotype, growth phase and season of birth of lambs. The effects of growth phase clearly showed that slower growth of the body and of carcass components was observed during the third phase (i.e. after weaning). Although there was an effect on fat to lean ratios (P < 0.05), growth phase had no significant effect on dressing out proportion, and lean to bone ratios. A significant influence of genotype (P < 0.001) and sex (P < 0.05) on lean to bone ratios indicated that the Horro sheep and ram lambs had a much more developed and heavier skeleton than the Menz sheep and ewe lambs. Higher pre-slaughter, hot carcass, lean and bone and fat weights of May/June born lambs revealed significant advantages of wet season lambing for fast growth and improved carcass composition. The log/log regression of weights of dissectible carcass components on hot carcass and empty body weight showed that the differential growth of bone was declining and that of lean was isometric relative to the growth of empty body weight. For carcass fat, the allometric growth coefficients (b) of 1.5 and 1.8 for Menz and Horro sheep, respectively indicated that fat is a late maturing body component. Moreover the growth of carcass fat relative to empty body weight in the Menz and Horro sheep is slower than that reported for tropical sheep breeds.

Fish meal is the most widely used protein source in commercial eel foods and information on the nutritive value of more economical protein sources is needed in order to improve cost-effectiveness of diets. This investigation was conducted to determine apparent digestibility coefficients of available plant and animal meals for juvenile Australian short-finned eel (Anguilla australis australis, Richardson). The suitability of a modified Guelph-type settlement faecal collector in eel digestibility studies was assessed. Animal by-product (spray-dried meat solubles; blood meal; high fat poultry meal) and plant protein (soya bean; canola; maize gluten; lupin; field pea) meals were mixed with a reference diet and marker (0·3: 0·69: 0·01) and the resultant test diets given to the juvenile eels (3·15 (s.e. 0·42) g) at 0·05 live weight per day. The reference diet and all the test diets were well accepted by the fish. Apparent digestibility coefficients for crude protein (ADCCP) for maize gluten meal (MGM), lupin meal (LM) and blood meal (BM) were found to be 0·97, 0·96 and 0·96 respectively and they were significantly (P < 0·001) higher than that for the other ingredients. However, apparent digestibilities for dry matter (ADCDM) and energy (ADCkJ) were significantly (P < 0·0001) higher for animal by-products than for plant proteins except for maize gluten meal. This was explained by the higher content of nitrogen free extractives in the former plant proteins. There was a strong positive correlation between ADCDM and ADCkJ for all ingredients (P < 0·01). Weaker positive correlations were also found between ADCCP and ADCDM and between ADCCP and ADCkJ. Similar results obtained for warm water species using similar faecal collection techniques and over limited eel digestibility data support the suitability of the modified Guelph-type settlement collector system in digestibility studies with juvenile eels.

The economic value of the goat depends upon its growth and reproductive and productive efficiency. The growth determines the meat producing ability up to a marketable age i.e. 6 months. Rapid growth during the pre-weaning period minimizes the cost of rearing, thus providing more profit to the farmer. The present investigation reports the effect of genetic groups, years and season of birth, sex of kid, type of birth and dam's weight at kidding on pre-weaning growth traits, and the extent of the genetic variability and covariability among these traits.

The densities of about 1000 limb bones, excised from 110 carcasses of four breeds of cattle ranging in age from 6 to 36 months, were measured by the method of weighing in water. The density of individual bones varied considerably ranging from 1·24 to 1·71 gcm-3 Some of this variation was due to differences between the various bone types within a limb, the cannon bones being more dense than the tibia and radius/ulna which in turn were more dense than either the humerus or femur. Age and breed also influenced density; the older the animal the more dense were its bones and the bones of Jersey cattle were more dense than those of Herefords of the same age. These findings conflict with an assumption that has been made hither to in theoretical analyses of the densitometric method of estimating the composition of carcasses, where skeletal density has been generally taken as constant.

Multiparous cows were assigned before calving to three calving to first insemination intervals. Records of cows conceiving at first or second insemination, were used to construct a model of the lactation curve which incorporated peak production and the effect of progressing pregnancy. The model was used to simulate milk yield during a 4-year period for three production levels and five calving intervals. The model separated the descending part of the lactation curve into a linearly and an exponentially declining component, with the latter becoming distinct at about 20 weeks after conception. Peak yield was negatively correlated with the slope of the linear decline. Within a simulated 4-year period, cumulative milk yields at fixed time periods after calving depended upon the period chosen and the calving-to-conception interval of the cow. Late conceptions resulted in higher cumulative yields at the end of the 1st year, and in lower yields at the 2nd year end, with respect to early conceptions. Smaller differences were found between the intermediate calving intervals. During the 3rd and 4th years the early conceptions had a distinct advantage. Different rates of the linear decline, obtained for the different production levels, changed the magnitude of the yield differences between the calving intervals but not their relative ranking. The model presented offers a means for the suitable choice of the calving cycle according to the length of the period for which a cow is expected to remain in the herd.

Dietary effects on the host are mediated via modulation of the intestinal mucosal responses. The present study investigated the effect of an enzymatically modified starch (EMS) product on the mucosal expression of genes related to starch digestion, sugar and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) absorption and incretins in the jejunum and cecum in growing pigs. Moreover, the impact of the EMS on hepatic expression of genes related to glucose and lipid metabolism, and postprandial serum metabolites were assessed. Barrows (n=12/diet; initial BW 29 kg) were individually fed three times daily with free access to a diet containing either EMS or waxy corn starch as control (CON) for 10 days. The enzymatic modification led to twice as many α-1,6-glycosidic bonds (~8%) in the amylopectin fraction in the EMS in comparison with the non-modified native waxy corn starch (4% α-1,6-glycosidic bonds). Linear discriminant analysis revealed distinct clustering of mucosal gene expression for EMS and CON diets in jejunum. Compared with the CON diet, the EMS intake up-regulated jejunal expression of sodium-coupled monocarboxylate transporter (SMCT), glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP1) and gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) (P<0.05) and intestinal alkaline phosphatase (ALPI) (P=0.08), which may be related to greater luminal SCFA availability, whereas cecal gene expression was unaffected by diet. Hepatic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) expression tended (P=0.07) to be down-regulated in pigs fed the EMS diet compared with pigs fed the CON diet, which may explain the trend (P=0.08) of 30% decrease in serum triglycerides in pigs fed the EMS diet. Furthermore, pigs fed the EMS diet had a 50% higher (P=0.03) serum urea concentration than pigs fed the CON diet potentially indicating an increased use of glucogenic amino acids for energy acquisition in these pigs. Present findings suggested the jejunum as the target site to influence the intestinal epithelium and altered lipid and carbohydrate metabolism by EMS feeding.

Leg weakness (LW) issues are a great concern for pig breeding industry. And it also has a serious impact on animal welfare. To dissect the genetic architecture of limb-and-hoof firmness in commercial pigs, a genome-wide association study was conducted on bone mineral density (BMD) in three sow populations, including Duroc, Landrace and Yorkshire. The BMD data were obtained by ultrasound technology from 812 pigs (including Duroc 115, Landrace 243 and Yorkshire 454). In addition, all pigs were genotyped using genome-by-sequencing and a total of 224 162 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were obtained. After quality control, 218 141 SNPs were used for subsequent genome-wide association analysis. Nine significant associations were identified on chromosomes 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 and 18 that passed Bonferroni correction threshold of 0.05/(total SNP numbers). The most significant locus that associated with BMD (P value = 1.92e−14) was detected at approximately 41.7 Mb on SSC6 (SSC stands for Sus scrofa chromosome). CUL7, PTK7, SRF, VEGFA, RHEB, PRKAR1A and TPO that are located near the lead SNP of significant loci were highlighted as functionally plausible candidate genes for sow limb-and-hoof firmness. Moreover, we also applied a new method to measure the BMD data of pigs by ultrasound technology. The results provide an insight into the genetic architecture of LW and can also help to improve animal welfare in pigs.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of feeding two transgenic corn lines containing the mCry1Ac gene from Bacillus thuringiensis strain (BT-799) and the maroACC gene from Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain (CC-2), respectively, on growth, egg quality and organ health indicators. Expression of the mCry1Ac gene confers resistance to Pyrausta nubilalis and the maroACC gene confers tolerance to herbicides. Healthy hens (n=96 placed in cages; 3 hens/cage) were randomly assigned to one of four corn–soybean meal dietary treatments (8 cages/treatment) formulated with the following corn: non-transgenic near-isoline control corn (control), BT-799 corn, CC-2 corn and commercially available non-transgenic reference corn (reference). The experiment was divided into three 4-week phases (week 1 to 4, week 5 to 8 and week 9 to 12), during which hens were fed mash diets. Performance (BW, feed intake and egg production) and egg quality were determined. Following slaughter at the end of 12 weeks of feeding (n=8/treatment), carcass yield and organ weights (heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidneys, stomach and ovary) were recorded; organs and intestines were sampled for histological analysis. Analysis of serum biochemistry parameters to assess the liver and kidney function were performed. No differences in BW, egg production and production efficiency were observed between hens consuming the control diet and hens consuming the BT-799 or CC-2 diet. Haugh unit measures and egg component weights were similar between the control and test groups. Carcass yield was not affected by the diet treatment. Similar organosomatic indices and serum parameters did not indicate the characteristics of organ dysfunction. All observed values of the BT-799 and CC-2 groups were within the calculated tolerance intervals. This research indicates that the performance, egg quality, organ health and carcass yield of laying hens fed diets containing the BT-799 or CC-2 corn line were similar to that of laying hens fed diets formulated with the non-transgenic near-isoline corn with comparable genetic backgrounds.

The accuracy and precision of the National Research Council (NRC), Gesellschaft für Ernährungsphysiologie (GfE) and Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) systems for predicting the digestible energy (DE) value of hays were determined from the results of 15 digestibility trials with natural grassland hays and 9 digestibility trials with lucerne hays that all met strict experimental and a tight corpus of methods. The hays were harvested in the temperate zone. They covered broad ranges of chemical composition and DE value. The INRA system was more accurate than the other two systems, with the bias between the predicted and measured DE values of natural grassland and lucerne hays averaging −0.11 and −0.04 MJ/kg DM with the INRA system, 0.34 and −0.70 MJ/kg DM with the NRC system and −0.50 and −1.69 MJ/kg DM with the GfE system (P < 0.05). However, the precision of the three systems was similar; the standard error of prediction corrected by bias was not significantly different (P > 0.05). The GfE system underestimated the DE value of hays, especially of lucerne hays. The differences between the predicted and measured DE values resulted mainly from the errors in the prediction of organic matter digestibility and energy digestibility for both natural grassland and lucerne hays. Discrimination according to botanical family (grassland v. lucerne) can help improve the prediction of the DE value of hays. The choice of appropriate predictive variables is discussed in the light of differences in chemical composition and digestibility of the various cell wall components of grassland and lucerne hays. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) may thus be preferable to ADF in the prediction equation of the DE value of lucerne hays, whereas ADF and NDF may both be relevant for natural grassland hays.

Heritability is a central element in quantitative genetics. New molecular markers to assess genetic variance and heritability are continually under development. The availability of molecular single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers can be applied for estimation of variance components and heritability on population, where relationship information is unknown. In this study, we evaluated the capabilities of two Bayesian genomic models to estimate heritability in simulated populations. The populations comprised different family structures of either no or a limited number of relatives, a single quantitative trait, and with one of two densities of SNP markers. All individuals were both genotyped and phenotyped. Results illustrated that the two models were capable of estimating heritability, when true heritability was 0.15 or higher and populations had a sample size of 400 or higher. For heritabilities of 0.05, all models had difficulties in estimating the true heritability. The two Bayesian models were compared with a restricted maximum likelihood (REML) approach using a genomic relationship matrix. The comparison showed that the Bayesian approaches performed equally well as the REML approach. Differences in family structure were in general not found to influence the estimation of the heritability. For the sample sizes used in this study, a 10-fold increase of SNP density did not improve precision estimates compared with set-ups with a less dense distribution of SNPs. The methods used in this study showed that it was possible to estimate heritabilities on the basis of SNPs in animals with direct measurements. This conclusion is valuable in cases when quantitative traits are either difficult or expensive to measure.

Before slaughter, lambs may experience several stressors such as feed and water deprivation, handling and transport that have the potential to negatively impact welfare and meat quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of pre-slaughter handling, exercise and the presence of a dog on the behaviour and physiology of lambs and meat quality at slaughter. At 6 months of age, 60 lambs (n=20 lambs/replicate; three replicates) were allocated to one of the two treatment groups (n=30 lambs/treatment): low (LOW) intensive handling or high (HIGH) intensive handling. LOW lambs were moved short distances, quietly and without the use of a dog before transport. HIGH lambs were moved quickly, long distances and with a dog present before transport. Lamb behaviour (standing, lying, rumination and panting) was recorded for 1 h before (post-treatment) and after transport (post-transport), and for 30 min before slaughter (pre-slaughter). Blood samples were collected before (baseline), after transport (post-transport) and at exsanguination (at slaughter) to assess cortisol, lactate and non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations. At slaughter, lamb carcases (M. longissimus lumborum) were evaluated for pH levels, drip and cook loss, and tenderness. HIGH lambs spent more time standing (P<0.001) and panting (P<0.001) and less time lying (P<0.001) and ruminating (P<0.001) post-treatment than LOW lambs, but more (P<0.001) time ruminating post-transport. All lambs spent more time standing (P<0.001) and less time lying (P<0.001) and panting (P<0.001) post-transport and pre-slaughter than post-treatment. Cortisol concentrations were greater (P<0.001) in lambs post-transport and at slaughter compared with baseline values. Lactate concentrations were lower (P=0.002) in HIGH than LOW lambs. In addition, NEFA concentrations were higher (P<0.001) post-transport and at slaughter in HIGH compared with LOW lambs. Ultimate pH was higher (P<0.001) in HIGH than LOW lambs and pH declined quicker (P=0.012) in LOW than HIGH lambs. Cook loss, drip loss and shear force were lower (P⩽0.05) in HIGH than LOW lambs. The HIGH intensive pre-slaughter handling regime used in the present study caused stress in lambs and increased ultimate pH that could potentially negatively impact welfare, product quality and consistency.

Broiler eggs were either incubated at 37.8°C during the whole incubation period (control), or at higher (38.8°C, group H) and lower temperatures (36.8°C, group L) from embryonic day (ED) 7 up to ED 10 (ED 7 to 10) or from ED 10 up to ED 13 (ED 10 to 13). Before and after this temperature treatment the eggs were incubated at 37.8°C. The day-old chicks were weighted, sexed and fed up to day 35. On days 1 and 35 samples were taken from the breast and leg muscles for analyzing of the mitochondrial respiratory activity (MRA) and from the breast muscles for analysis of the cross-sectional areas (CSA) and the glycogen phosphorylase (GP), phosphofructokinase (PFK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), citrate synthase (CS) and cytochrome oxidase (COX) activities. Statistical analysis showed that treatment (control, group H, group L), sex and their interaction, but not the treatment period (ED 7 to 10; ED 10 to 13), significantly influenced the results. Group H chicks had lower (P⩽0.05) body and heart weights but higher (P⩽0.05) liver weights, CSA values, leg MRA as well as PFK, LDH, CS, GP and COX activities compared with the group L chicks. The results of the control chicks differ (P⩽0.05) from those of the group H (body, heart weight, COX), the group L chicks (liver weight, PFK, LDH, CS, GP) or the birds of both other groups (CSA). The group H broiler had higher (P⩽0.05) body and leg weights as well as LDH, CS, COX and GP activities than the group L broilers. The BWs and the LDH and GP results of the control broiler differ (P⩽0.05) from those of both other groups or from the results of the group H (CS) and group L broiler (COX). Female broilers had lower (P⩽0.05) body, breast and leg weights, but higher (P⩽0.05) CSA, LDH, CS and GP activities than the male animals. Analysis of treatment×sex interaction showed that group H hens had higher (P⩽0.05) body and breast weights, LDH and GP activities compared with the group L hens, whereas in the male broiler no effect of the interaction could be found, except for the lower (P⩽0.05) CSA values in the group H than group L cocks. The treatment effects are probably due to altered embryonic activity and related molecular mechanisms. The sex-related differences in the broiler indicate that these alterations already occur in the embryos and chicks, but become significant with the sexual dimorphism after hatch.

The study examined the effects of harvest time of red and white clover silage on eating and ruminating activity and particle size distribution in feed boli, rumen content and faeces in cows. The clover crops were harvested at two stages of growth and ensiled in bales. Red clover crops had 36% and 45% NDF in dry matter (DM) at early (ER) and late (LR) harvest, respectively, and the white clover crops had 19% and 29% NDF in DM at the early (EW) and late (LW) harvest, respectively. The silages were fed restrictively (80% of ad libitum intake) twice daily to four rumen cannulated non-lactating Jersey cows (588 ± 52 kg) in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Jaw movements (JM) were recorded for 96 h continuously. Swallowed boli, rumen mat, rumen fluid and faeces samples were collected, washed in nylon bags (0.01 mm pore size) and freeze-dried before dry sieving through 4.750, 2.360, 1.000, 0.500, 0.212 and 0.106 mm into seven fractions. The length (PL) and width (PW) values of rumen and faeces particles within each fraction were measured by use of image analysis. The eating activity (min/kg DM intake; P < 0.05) was higher in LR compared with the other treatments. The eating activity (min/kg NDF intake; P < 0.05) was affected by clover type with highest values for white clover silage. The mean ruminating time (min/kg DM), daily ruminating cycles (P < 0.001) and JM during ruminating (P < 0.05) were affected by treatment with increasing values at later harvest time. The proportion of washed particle DM of total DM in boli (P < 0.001), rumen mat (P < 0.001), rumen fluid (P < 0.01) and faeces was (P < 0.001) highest by feeding LR. There were identified two peaks (modes 1 and 2) on the probability density distribution (PDF) of PW values of rumen mat and faeces, but only one peak (mode 1) for PL values. There was no difference in the mean and mode 1 PW and PL value in rumen mat between the four treatments. The mean PL, mode PL, mode 2 PW and mean PW in faeces were highest for LR (P < 0.05). The mean particle size in boli measured by sieving was higher at white clover compared with red clover treatments (P < 0.001) and the highest value in faeces was found in LR (P < 0.01). The two peaks on PDF for width values of rumen mat and faeces particles are most likely related to the leaves and the stems/petioles. In conclusion, the mean total chewing activity per kg DM was lowest for the white clover silage and increased for both silages due to later harvest time. The mean particle size in boli was smallest for LR, whereas the mean PL and PW in faeces were highest for the LR.

This study comprises two trials that investigated the effects of feeding time and time-restricted feeding on the fattening traits and plasma metabolite levels of White Roman geese. In Trial I, 24 geese aged 8 weeks of each sex were allowed free access to a fattening diet for 1 h either in the morning (morning-feeding group) or afternoon (afternoon-feeding group). At 12 weeks of age, blood samples were collected hourly for 4 h, beginning 1 h after feeding to determine the plasma levels of glucose, triacylglycerols and uric acid. The results showed a lower (P<0.05) daily feed intake (DFI) and daily gain (DG) and higher (P<0.05) feed efficiency (FE) for the morning-feeding group compared with those of the afternoon-feeding group. In addition, the postprandial plasma levels of glucose, triacylglycerols and uric acid did not differ (P>0.05) between groups. In Trial II, 12 geese aged 8 weeks of each sex were randomly assigned to either the ad libitum feeding group (control group) or time-restricted feeding group (restricted group). The geese in the control group were fed a fattening diet ad libitum, whereas those in the restricted group were allowed access to the diet for 2 h every morning. All geese were killed at 13 weeks of age and their carcass traits were evaluated. The results showed a lower DFI and DG and higher FE for the restricted group compared with those of the control group (P<0.05). In addition, the restricted group exhibited lower visceral and abdominal fat and higher empty digestive tract and liver weights than those of the control group (P<0.05). The results showed that time-restricted feeding in the morning resulted in superior DG and FE compared with feeding in the afternoon. Moreover, time-restricted feeding implemented in the morning during the fattening period reduced DFI and increased FE in geese compared with ad libitum feeding.

We investigated the effects of nest box climate on early mink kit mortality and growth. We hypothesised that litters in warm nest boxes experience less hypothermia-induced mortality and higher growth rates during the 1st week of life. This study included data from 749, 1-year-old breeding dams with access to nesting materials. Kits were weighed on days 1 and 7, dead kits were collected daily from birth until day 7 after birth, and nest climate was measured continuously from days 1 to 6. We tested the influences of the following daily temperature (T) and humidity (H) parameters on the number of live-born kit deaths and kit growth: Tmean, Tmin, Tmax, Tvar (fluctuation) and Hmean. The nest microclimate experienced by the kits was buffered against the ambient climate, with higher temperatures and reduced climate fluctuation. Most (77.0%) live-born kit deaths in the 1st week occurred on days 0 and 1. Seven of 15 climate parameters on days 1 to 3 had significant effects on live-born kit mortality. However, conflicting effects among days, marginal effects and late effects indicated that climate was not the primary cause of kit mortality. Five of 30 climate parameters had significant effects on kit growth. Few and conflicting effects indicated that the climate effect on growth was negligible. One exception was that large nest temperature fluctuations on day 1 were associated with reduced deaths of live-born kit (P<0.001) and increased kit growth (P=0.003). Litter size affected kit vitality; larger total litter size at birth was associated with greater risks of kit death (P<0.001) and reduced growth (P<0.001). The number of living kits in litters had the opposite effect, as kits in large liveborn litters had a reduced risk of death (P<0.001) and those with large mean litter size on days 1 to 7 had increased growth (P=0.026). Nest box temperature had little effect on early kit survival and growth, which could be due to dams’ additional maternal behaviour. Therefore, we cannot confirm that temperature is the primary reason for kit mortality, under the conditions of plenty straw access for maternal nest building. Instead, prenatal and/or parturient litter size is the primary factor influencing early kit vitality. The results indicate that the focus should be on litter size and dam welfare around the times of gestation and birth to increase early kit survival in farmed mink.

Recent findings suggest there is a complex interaction between the IGF system and the inflammatory immune response. The objective of this study was to determine whether gene expression of growth factors (IGF-1, IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and growth hormone receptors (GHR)) in the liver is associated with gene expression of immunomodulators in the liver, including C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin (Hp), interferon-α (IFN-α), IFN-γ, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-18, as well as with the presence of Salmonella spp., Lawsonia intracellularis, Brachyspira spp., enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, swine influenza virus, and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) in nursery pigs (n=74) from commercial farms (n=4). Gene expression was quantified using reverse transcription quantitative-PCR (RT-qPCR) and the data were modelled using logistic regression methods. Pigs with elevated IGF-1 expression were less likely to have increased expression of TNF-α (odds ratio (OR)=0.14, P<0.01) and IL-18 (OR=0.19, P<0.05), and less likely to be colonized with PRRSV (OR=0.03, P<0.01). Pigs with increased expression of IGFBP-3 were more likely to have elevated IL-6 expression (OR=8.5, P<0.05). It was also observed that IGFBP-3 and IGF-1 were significantly associated when Hp expression was low (OR=30, P<0.05), but this association was not significant when Hp expression was high (P=0.54). Pigs with increased expression of GHR were less likely to have elevated expression of SAA (OR=0.01, P<0.05) and IL-1β (OR=0.03, P<0.05), but more likely to have increased expression of CRP (OR=290, P<0.01). Overall, there appears to be an inverse association between the hepatic expression of the IGF system (IGF-1, IGFBP-3, GHR) and certain cytokines (IL-1β, IL-18, TNF-α) and acute-phase proteins (SAA, Hp).

A deterministic, dynamic model was developed, to enable predictions of phosphorus (P) digested, retained and excreted for different pig genotypes and under different dietary conditions. Before confidence can be placed on the predictions of the model, its evaluation was required. A sensitivity analysis of model predictions to ±20% changes in the model parameters was undertaken using a basal UK industry standard diet and a pig genotype characterized by British Society Animal Science as being of ‘intermediate growth’. Model outputs were most sensitive to the values of the efficiency of digestible P utilization for growth and the non-phytate P absorption coefficient from the small intestine into the bloodstream; all other model parameters influenced model outputs by <10%, with the majority of the parameters influencing outputs by <5%. Independent data sets of published experiments were used to evaluate model performance based on graphical comparisons and statistical analysis. The literature studies were selected on the basis of the following criteria: they were within the BW range of 20 to 120 kg, pigs grew in a thermo-neutral environment; and they provided information on P intake, retention and excretion. In general, the model predicted satisfactorily the quantitative pig responses, in terms of P digested, retained and excreted, to variation in dietary inorganic P supply, Ca and phytase supplementation. The model performed well with ‘conventional’, European feed ingredients and poorly with ‘less conventional’ ones, such as dried distillers grains with solubles and canola meal. Explanations for these inconsistencies in the predictions are offered in the paper and they are expected to lead to further model development and improvement. The latter would include the characterization of the origin of phytate in pig diets.