Captivity should be the last resort in any attempt to conserve threatened species. However, for many species we are now at this point, particularly when we consider the lower vertebrates such as amphibians. Zoos have the potential to play a leading role in the conservation (as opposed the exploitation) of this often-neglected taxa. However, in order to do this will require two significant mind-shifts within the zoo world. Firstly we need to distinguish between those species which we maintain for exhibition purposes (i.e. large mammals) from those which have an important conservation role (e.g. amphibians) and be willing to discuss this openly with our visiting public. Second we must recognise that while educating children about the natural world is of value, our biggest impact on wildlife conservation will be through training conservation professionals worldwide and building their capacity to conserve their own wildlife.

Rearing heifer replacements that reach first calving at an age and body weight (BW) to achieve their full lifetime potential, in terms of both yield and profitability, is a key factor in dairy enterprises. Rate of growth during the rearing period has a direct effect on age at first calving (AFC) (Heinrichs, 1993). It is widely accepted that the average daily gain (ADG) of Holstein-Friesian heifers should be approximately 0.7 kg/d before puberty, and 0.8 kg/d after. However, we have previously found extreme variability in the ADG of calves both within and between commercial dairy farms; this may in part be due to the very limited use of weight or height measurements on most farms. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of growth rate during the first six months of life on AFC, and subsequent fertility and milk production during first lactation of Holstein-Friesian heifers on UK dairy farms.

4-tert-octylphenol (OP) is an alkylphenolic compound formed as metabolite of some nonionic surfactants that are widely used in industrial detergents, as plastic additives, dispersant for insecticides, etc. (Naylor et al., 1992). OP accumulates in adipose tissue. Micromolar concentrations of these compounds may constitute health hazards to animal cells. Furthermore, it has previously been shown to exert oestrogenic activity in vivo and in vitro (White et al., 1994). A growing concern about “endocrine disruptors” and their impact on oestrogen-dependent phenomena led us investigate the effects of OP on oocyte maturation. For variuos reasons bovine oocytes were chosen as the model system. We examined the effects of OP exposure on oocyte nuclear maturation in vitro and on the expression of oestrogen receptors in cumulus cells.

While there is little information in the literature on the effect of feed freshness on acceptability, feeds containing oxidised or rancid fats are thought to be unpalatable. Both free fatty acid level and peroxide level have been used as measures of fat quality and suitability for feeding especially to young animals. Neither is now considered a reliable predictor of animal performance (Carpenter, 1968). Connolly et al. (1970) found that pig performance was unaffected by high levels of peroxide in the diet or prolonged storage and concluded that it is doubtful if toxicity from lipid peroxides would arise in practical feeding. The aim of this study was the examine the effect of feed freshness on intake and growth of suckling and weaned pigs, using free fatty acid and peroxide levels as indicators of freshness.

Selection is the main tool used by animal breeders to improve the performance of their stock. Despite large gains being made at industry level in the major dairy traits (Royal et al, 2000) very few reports exist for the results of experiments on persistent selection for dairy traits in a single herd, particularly with reference to the correlated effects on other dairy traits. This paper reports one such set of results between 1980 and 2005 from SAC’s Langhill herd, which has been under maximal selection for milk production during this period.

A nutrient partitioning framework has been developed to account for host nutrition-parasite interactions in mammals (Coop and Kyriazakis, 1999). The framework puts forward a nutritional basis for the occurrence of the periparturient relaxation of immunity (PPRI) to gastrointestinal parasites in sheep. The PPRI would be expected to occur because it is proposed that the reproductive effort has a higher partial priority than the immune functions when hosts are given access to scarce nutrient resources, such as metabolizable protein (MP). This would imply that i) immune functions towards parasites will benefit from an increased MP supply, and that ii) the degree of the PPRI depends on the level of reproductive effort. We studied these predictions by comparing performance and resistance in parasitized twin- and single-rearing ewes, which were offered increasing amounts of MP.

Cereal grains, such as wheat, have been regarded as one of the most affordable ingredients to supply dietary energy for fast growing broilers. However, broilers compete with humans for wheat to satisfy their nutritional needs and also they cannot effectively utilise wheat due to the limited ability of their gut enzymes to utilise dietary fibre. The efficiency of wheat utilisation can be increased by adding exogenous enzymes into cereal based diets for these birds (Annison and Choct, 1993). These enzymes can also reduce fermentation in the small intestine and so help maintain the gut health. Therefore, we compared the effect of adding a commercial fibrolytic enzyme to wheat and barley-based diets on the utilisation of either diet by broilers from 0 to 35 days of age.

Information on the responses in meat and eating quality to selection for components of lean growth rate is important to the British pig breeding industry when evaluating alternative selection strategies. The current study determined responses in meat and eating quality traits to selection for components of lean growth rate.

The ingestion of creep feed by piglets depends upon them displaying suitable exploratory behaviours away from the sows udder. However, sows milk has an excellent FCR and it may be argued that, where the udder is available, exploration away from it is a failure to optimise the use of available food resources. A corrolary to this is that those piglets displaying exploratory behaviour away from the sows udder will be those piglets for which further udder massage shows no net gain i.e. those exploiting the maximum potential of the udder and those for whom the udder shows very little benefit. The former group will be characterised by heavier weights and faster growth rates. The latter group will be characterised by lighter weights and slower growth rates. It may be assumed that animals exist on a continuum between these two states. In commercial conditions the latter group is typically fostered off or culled. This project tested the hypothesis that, in healthy litters (thus excluding the latter group), exploratory behaviour away from the udder will be displayed proportional to the weight of the piglet.

Feed is a major cost in beef production during the winter feeding period. One potential method of reducing cost is to purchase grain at harvest. However, grain must be processed either by rolling or milling prior to feeding and this is a labour intensive process. Currently labour is an expensive and scare resource on many beef units. Recently different techniques have been developed for storing and feeding grain to beef cattle, which involve the processing of the grain prior to storage. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effects of grain storage and processing method, and grain feed level on the meat quality of beef cattle offered two contrasting grass silages.

Chemical analysis have been useful in characterising both nutrient content and digestibility of forages but less useful in predicting voluntary intake by animals (Ward et al., 1982). Faeces is the product of eroding and synthesising digestive processes and consists of residues of feed and plant tissue, component of microbial and animal origin, for this reasons faeces should contain information about the amount and characteristics of the diet. Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) is widely used to predict quality characteristics in forages and several reports (Lyons and Stuth, 1992; Leite and Stuth, 1995, Coates, 1999) indicated that useful prediction of dietary digestibility in grazing ruminants using faecal NIRS analysis. It is assumed for different authors that rangeland herbivore faeces contains chemical bonds resulting from undigested residues and microbial fermentation and host animal digestion end products which can provide NIRS spectral information highly correlated with dietary crude protein and digestibility (Lyons and Stuth, 1992). The objective of this work was to develop NIRS equation calibrations to estimate acid detergent fibre (ADF), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and nitrogen in faecal samples to be used as a tool to estimate diet composition in ruminant animals under grazing conditions.

Phosphorus (P) is an essential mineral for pigs and deficiency can cause rickets, osteomalacia or osteoporosis and has been associated with poor fertility and production performance. Traditionally P has been supplied in the inorganic form as the organic form found in cereal grain (phytic acid) is unavailable to pigs as they lack endogenous phytase. Dietary phytases have been shown to play a major role in pig diets, releasing P from phytic acid thus decreasing the need for supplementary P and reducing P excretion (Harper et al 1997). Phytase supplementation has also been reported to improve digestibility of nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, zinc and copper (Jongbloed et al 1993). Some researchers (e.g. Jongbloed and Kemme 1990) suggest that diet processing may reduce enzyme activity and therefore liquid enzyme products have been developed which can be applied after processing. The aims of this study were to examine the effectiveness of several phytase products (including dry vs. liquid) in improving overall digestibility and reducing excretion of P and other nutrients.

Tail-biting is an adverse behaviour which can lead to injury in the recipient pig, reducing welfare and causing abscesses in the carcass. A survey in abattoirs in the UK found that 5 percent of pigs at slaughter have their tails bitten (Guise & Penny, 1998). Work by Fraser (1987) suggested that tail-biting is linked to a deficiency in dietary minerals. This study investigated whether finishing pigs were more attracted to salt after being offered a diet deficient in salt for two weeks.

In the developed world, the last fifty years has seen a great convergence of breeding objectives and strategies in all farmed species. This is part of the effects of globalisation, which has led to ever increasing specialisation of livestock producers. A general consequence is that breeding goals and structures of dairy, beef, pig and poultry production are now very similar throughout the developed world.

After some decades of successful concentration on narrow breeding goals (yield of milk solids in the dairy sector, growth, feed conversion and lean yield in meat animals) objectives have now broadened to take in product quality, reproduction and disease traits.

The relationship between conformational structure and function in the equine is thought to be important in the judgement of the future soundness and performance of the horse (Holmstrom et al 1990). Holmstrom et al (ibid ) demonstrated that elite dressage and show jump horses possess a more horizontal shoulder enabling the horse to demonstrate an improved forelimb technique. Holmstom et al (ibid ) further related this difference as a contributory factor to the higher levels of performance observed in the elite groups he studied. Furthermore Holmstrom and Philipsson (1993) showed a positive correlation between ‘good’ gaits and a sloping shoulder. Additionally Holmstrom and Philipsson (1993) found that those horses which had a more vertical position of the scapula and a straighter shoulder joint suffered more concussion and are, therefore, at a greater risk of developing lameness. This study investigated the relationship between shoulder angle and performance within three groups of event horses.

Digesta passage rate may have influenced previously reported work on the intakes, apparent digestibilities and nutritive values of complete pelleted diets containing unmolassed sugar beet pulp (USBP) at levels ranging from 0-800 g/kg dry matter (DM) when offered to ponies (Hyslop, 2002). This study’s objective was to compare total tract mean retention time (TMRT) of digesta using two algebraic calculation methods in the same ponies.

Methane formation in the rumen represents a substantial loss of energy to the animal and is also a major source of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. Methanogenesis is the main means of disposal of hydrogen during rumen fermentation. The formation of propionate represents an alternative route of hydrogen disposal, providing sufficient propionate precursors are available. Theoretically, adding propionate precursors should stimulate propionate production and decrease methane production. In the present experiment, the effects of two potential precursors of propionate, fumarate and acrylate, on rumen fermentation and methane production were investigated in a rumen simulating fermentor.

The quality of protein supplied from grass silage is poor in relation to it's ability to sustain satisfactory levels of milk production and it is therefore necessary to use protein supplements in order to increase protein supply. However responses at the highest level of inclusion can be marginal with excess nitrogen being excreted and causing an increased environmental threat. The aim of this experiment was to examine the effect of six different concentrates fed in conjunction with grass silage, supplying two levels of dietary crude protein (CP) at three levels of degradability, on nitrogen partitioning by lactating cows.

Lameness in the dairy cow results in large financial losses to the industry and severely compromises the welfare of the cows affected. A large proportion of lameness involves haemorrhage and lesions of the solar horn of the hoof. Deterioration of hoof horn quality may involve inadequate keratinisation, with differences in the amount of specific keratins present in the horn. Few studies of the keratin composition of solar horn have been carried out. The present study examines specifically the expression of the type I, acidic cytokeratin 9 (CK9). since this protein appears to be a major constituent of hardened epidermal structures. In human epidermal studies, CK9 has only been identified in the calloused palmar and plantar sites (Langbein et al, 1993). A comparable cytokeratin has been demonstrated in the epidermis of the bovine heel pad, but not at other body sites studied (Knapp et al, 1986). CK9 has not previously been reported in the solar horn.

Bovine hoof soles from adult cows were obtained from abattoirs. Samples of cornified Stratum comeum material from below the pedal bone (the commonest site of solar lesions) were taken and the proteins extracted in 8M urea.

Ruminant adipose tissue differs from that of monogastric species in having a high proportion of saturated fatty acids which gives it a high melting point. This difference results from the hydrogenating action of bacteria in the rumen which convert a high proportion of the dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of forage and cereals into saturated fatty acids or unsaturated fatty acids with fewer double bonds, some of which are in the trans configuration. Although the ruminant is well adapted to this pattern of fatty acids for humans the consumption of such fat is nutritionally undesirable and in the case of lamb fat, organoleptically unsatisfactory since the lipid may congeal in the mouth. Any procedures to manipulate the fatty acid composition of ruminant lipids must reduce or avoid the. hydrogenation in the rumen.