Quinoa is a cereal grain that originated in the
highlands of South America. It is high in protein (12.2% Crude Protein (CP)), and in the
limiting amino acids lysine and methionine. It also contains a number of anti-nutritional
substances, such as saponins, phytic acid, tannins and trypsin inhibitors, which can have
a negative effect on performance and survival of monogastric animals when it is used as
the primary dietary energy source. Four trials were conducted to determine what effect
different methods of processing quinoa (raw, washed, polished) and dietary CP levels would
have on the performance and survival of broiler chicks fed quinoa as compared to wheat,
maize and sorghum based diets. Raw quinoa fed broilers had reduced growth and dramatically
reduced survival rates as compared to the washed or polished treatments. Broilers fed
washed quinoa performed better than those fed polished quinoa. Chicks receiving the washed quinoa performed
nearly as well as those receiving the maize/soybean meal diets. The washing seemed to
be more effective than removing the outer hull
(polishing) in removing the anti-quality factors that were depressing performance.
Elevating the dietary protein level from (13.2 to 18 to 23 %) was shown to improve growth
and survival in the quinoa- fed groups. The results of these trials indicated that washing
and polishing the quinoa seeds prior to feeding and increasing the dietary CP or slightly
reducing the amount of quinoa present in the diet, by adding soybean meal, improved growth
and survival of broiler chicks.
Key words: Quinoa, broilers, survival, growth, anti-nutritional factors, saponins
With the
objective of studying growth characteristics in an upgrading program of Brahman (B) to
Guzerat (G) and Nellore (N), between 1977 and 1985 a total of 1560 calves, progeny of 42
sires (14 B, 12 G and 16 N), of the following
breed groups (R) were produced: B, 3/4 G, 7/8
G, 15/16 G, G, 1/2 N, 3/4 N, 7/8 N, 15/16 N and N. The experiment was carried out on a
private ranch in Carabobo State, Venezuela. Weights at birth (BW), weaning
weight ajusted to 205 days (205W) and eighteen-month weight adjusted to 548 days (548W)
were analyzed by least squares procedures using a linear model that included the
random effect of sires within breed group (P:R),and the fixed effects of: breed group of
calf (R), sex (S), year (Y) and month (M) of birth, age of dam (A) and the Y x M
interaction. The calves were born in the dry season (December to April) and were kept with
their dams until weaning (mean 243 days). After weaning, for 1 to 3 months, they received
1 kg/day of supplement and cut grass or hay
in the corral. After this period, the calves were maintained on improved pasture.
The effects of R, S, P:R and A were
statistically significant (P < 0.01) on BW, 205W and 548W, except P:R and A in 548W (P < 0.05). The effect of Y was
significant (P < 0.01) in 205W and 548W, but not in BW. The interaction Y x M was
significant in 548W (P< 0.01), and 205W (P< 0.05) but not in BW. M only influenced 548W (P < 0.01). Unadjusted
and adjusted means were 29.4, 27.9; 187, 180 and 320, 312 kg, respectively, for BW, 205W
and 548W. All crossbred calves except 1/2 N were lighter than B (P < 0.01) at all ages.
Breed group constants for B, 3/4 G, 7/8 G, 15/16 G, G, 1/2 N, 3/4 N, 7/8 N, 15/16 N and N
were for BW: 3.8, -0.6, -1.2, -1.8,
-0.9, -1.1, 0.6, 0.2, 1.2, -0.2 kg; for 205W:
16.5, -5.4, -3.7, -3.2, -8.4, 3.9, 1.8, 2.3,
0.9, -4.8 kg and for
548W: 25.2, -8.1, -9.7, -11.3, -12.7, 30.1, 5.9,-2.1, -7.1, -10.2 kg., respectively. At
548 days purebreds (G and N) were 11% lighter than B, and crossbreds between 6 and 11 %
below B. There was a trend towards lower weights as upgrading advanced, and this was
especially evident in 548W.
It is concluded that
upgrading Brahman to Guzerat and Nellore did
not improve birth, weaning and eighteen-month
weights and is not a way to improve these traits under the tropical environment of this study.
One
hundred and thirty-two 4-week old unsexed Anak-200 broiler strain chickens were used to
study the effect of feeder space allowance on agonistic behaviour and growth performance
from weeks 4 to 8. The feeder space allowances (cm/bird) were 2.4, 3.0 and 3.6. The
agonistic behaviour that was observed included head pecks, steps, pushes, threats and
chase during feeding and “non-feeding” periods.
Increasing the feeder space reduced agonistic acts
(acts/bird/hour) during the feeding period from 7.8 (at 2.4cm feeder space) to 4.5 (at 3.6
cm/bird). There was no effect of feeder space allowance on mean agonistic acts during the
non-feeding period. Feeder space allowance had no effect on growth performance parameters.
Data from 61 broiler farms (each one comprising 6 flocks) located in Mardan Division, NWFP, Pakistan were collected during the year 1997-98 to investigate some factors affecting cost of production and net profit. Average cost of production and net profit per broiler were Rs.51.38±1.08 and Rs.7.92±0.85, respectively. Per cent mortality had a negative effect on net profit per broiler but did not affect cost of production. Market age and flock size were negatively and positively associated (b=-1.06±0.536; and b=0.40±0.127, respectively) with net profit. Net profit was lower when the flock size was less than 1500 birds. Cost of production was reduced in optimally utilised sheds, on concrete type floors and for broilers maintained under average hygienic conditions. Net profit per broiler was higher on concrete floors, and in optimally utilised sheds and from broilers maintained under good hygienic conditions. Higher flock size, reduction in mortality and in market age, better utilisation of the available shed capacity, appropriate hygienic measures and use of concrete floors were suggested as important factors for increasing net profit for broiler production in the subtropics.
Restricted
suckling before and after milking is used in most dual purpose cattle systems of Latin
America, but many strategies exist that can alter milk fat and yield. An experiment was
carried out to evaluate the influence of stimulation with calf suckling before milking on
milk fat, yield of saleable and consumed milk and liveweight gain of calves in dual
purpose systems with restricted suckling. Brahman x Holstein cows (n = 24) of 2 or more
parities were used. They were machine milked twice daily. Their calves suckled their dams
for 30 minutes after the morning milking. They received chopped forage ad libitum and up to 1 kg/day of concentrate
before weaning, which occurred at 90 kg liveweight. A
completely randomized design was used to compare three treatments: W, without suckling before milking; AM, suckling
before milking in the morning; and AM+PM, suckling both before morning and afternoon
milking.
In treatments W, AM and AM+PM, saleable milk yields before weaning were 7.0, 8.9 and 8.1 kg/day; the quantities of milk consumed by the calves were 2.9, 2.5 and 1.7 kg/day; and total milk yields were 9.8, 11.4 and 9.9 kg/day. Milk fat was 6.0, 7.4 and 7.0 % in the milk consumed by the calves, and 2.1, 2.4 and 2.6 % in saleable milk. The liveweight gains of the calves in the same treatments were 0.54, 0.50 and 0.47 kg/day.
These
results show that restricted suckling before milking to stimulate “let-down”
increases saleable milk yield and its fat content without affecting calf growth rate,
provided a feed supplement is given.
In vitro digestibility (pig pepsin/pancreatin) and water-soluble nitrogen (N) (by water extraction during three 30 minute cycles in a commercial washing machine) were determined in samples from seventeen tropical forage feeds available in Indochina (N range: 0.90 to 5.33 % on dry basis).
Aquatic macrophytes revealed a high in vitro N digestibility (average of 67.6%) and a high water-soluble value of N (average of 51.5%). In vitro N digestibility of several trees and shrubs foliage was variable, with a minimum for N. fruticans (1.0%) and a maximum for H. rosasinensis (67.8%). The corresponding water-soluble N values for these two types of forages were 0.8 and 51.8% respectively. Crop residues exhibited variable values for in vitro N digestibility, with a minimum for rice straw (O. Sativa) of 0.2%) and a maximum for cassava (M. Esculenta) leaves of 57.8%. In all cases the values for in vitro N digestibility (range from 0.2 to 69.0%) were higher (P=0.001) than the water-soluble N values (range from 0.1 to 52.0%). A close, linear relationship (R2 = 0.98; P=0.001) was established between the in vitro N digestibility (Y in %) and the water-soluble N values (X in %), the equation being: Y = 0.693 + 1.283X (SExy ±0.051).
It is suggested that in vitro digestibility (estimated with pig pepsin / pancreatin) and water-soluble N (measured by repeated water extraction during three 30 minute cycles in a commercial washing machine) are closely related. It is concluded that the water-soluble N measurement is an adequate first approximation on which to predict the true digestibility of protein in tropical forages for monogastric animals.
Key words: in vitro digestibility, water-soluble, nitrogen, tropical forages, aquatic plants, shrubs and tree leaves, pigs
A
three-year experiment was carried out to study different agro-ecological livestock:crop
systems under different soils and climates, without irrigation and using on-farm resources
for animal and plant nutrition. Five farms, four in the process of conversion and the
fifth with twelve years of establishment were studied. Eight sustainability indicators
(reforestation, total species, food products, labour
intensity, production of organic
fertilisers, yields, energy efficiency and milk production) were defined, which relate to
the main productive and environmental problems faced by the livestock sector due to the
specialised agricultural model that has prevailed in Cuba over the last few years. These
indicators were weighted, represented on a radial graph and evaluated through an
analytical description and multivariate analysis.
Biodiversity
increased after the establishment of integrated systems. Starting from specialised milk
production systems, diversification allowed for between 30 and 40 more products. The
integrated systems increased the energy efficiency from 3 to 10 joules produced per joule
of input. Labour intensity decreased yearly after a greater initial labour demand required
for establishing the system. Production of high quality organic fertiliser (2 to 4
tonnes/ha) was a major resource to cover the crop nutrient requirements. Productivity
increased by up to 9.7 tonnes/ha including both animal and crop production. There was some
fluctuation between animal and crop production, but the final result was higher system
productivity.
The
results of the study show that integrated ecological livestock:crop systems can provide
sufficient capacity and potential to sustain
intensive production based on available natural resource management alternatives.
Key words: Ecological farming, integrated systems, biodiversity, sustainability indicators, organic fertilizers
Surveys were made of rural artisan cheese factories located in the region of Olancho, Catacamas, and Juticalpa in Honduras (n=10) and in Esquipulas and Muy-Muy in Nicaragua (n=13). The objective was to analyze the milk market of small rural artisan cheese factories in livestock watersheds of Honduras and Nicaragua to determine if:
The main buyer of the milk from small and medium scale farmers in Honduras and Nicaragua is the rural artisan cheese industry, which absorbs almost 80% of the milk produced in both countries. Total milk production during the rainy season is about twice that during the dry season, causing an over-supply and scarcity of milk, respectively. The shortage of fluid milk during the dry season leads to an unsatisfied market. The artisan cheese factories in Honduras and Nicaragua would be willing to buy 76% and 55% more milk during the dry season, but this supply is not available due low milk productivity. This fact suggests that an aggressive program for the promotion of shrub legumes with sugarcane to supplement the herd during the dry season would have more impact that the promotion of grasses or legumes for the rainy season when there is little market for additional milk produced. In addition, rural artisan cheese factories in Honduras and Nicaragua, that consider the milk they collect is of bad quality, would be willing to pay a higher price if the option to collect milk of better hygienic quality exists. In Honduras this price would be about 9% higher during the dry season and 11% higher during the rainy season. In Nicaragua the cheese factories would be willing to pay a milk price which is 17% higher, but only during the rainy season. As a result, large incentives exist in both countries to increase milk production during the dry season and to improve the hygienic quality of milk in the studied areas.
An experiment was carried out at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production
of the University of Yucatán to evaluate the effect of temporary weaning of the calves on
the reproductive performance of crossbred Brown Swiss / Zebua cows. The cows (n=21) were
assigned to the fpolllowing treatments:
T (control): The cows were milked by the restricted suckling method (stimulation of the udder by calf sucking before milking, and of residual milk after milking) once daily in the morning and suckled their calves (without milking) for one hour in the afternoon. Afternoon suckling was discontinued after 45 days.
DT (Temporary weaning): This was similar to "T" but the calves were separated completely from their dams during 48 hours every two weeks until the tenth week.
The cows grazed African Star grass pastures during the night-time and were housed during the day with free access to water and a mineral mixture. At milking and again in the afternoon the cows received 2 kg of a 15% crude protein concentrate (4 kg/cow/day). The calves were kept in Star grass paddocks and had free access to a 16% crude protein concentrate until 45 days of age thereafter had restricted amounts of 1 kg/day until weaning.
Mean values for interval from calving to first corpus luteum were 88.5±16 and 76.9±12 days for "T" and : "DT" , respectively (P>0.05). "DT" had no effect on presence of corpus lutea at 45, 90 and 180 days post-calving but reduced the interval from calving to first oestrus (determined up to 365 days post-calving). There were 58% more cases of oestrus up to 180 days post-calving in the "DT" treatment. Duration of the first oestrus cycle post-calving, and the number of luteal phases before the first oestrus, did not differ between treatments. Daily liveweight gain to weaning and weaning weight were not affected by the temporary weaning.
Two surveys were conducted during the
wet and dry seasons on Lombok Island, Indonesia to study feeding and management practices
for goats raised under the small-scale production system. It was found that a wide range
of forages was fed to goats with 40 and 30 different types being used during the wet and
dry seasons, respectively. Native grasses and fodder trees, particularly Sesbania grandiflora, were the most readily
available feeds and these were offered to goats both as a mixed and as the sole diet.
Other fodder trees such as Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala, Hibiscus tilliaceus and Eythrina lithosperma, and some agricultural
byproducts such as cassava and sweet potato leaves, were also fed to goats but to a lesser
extent. Only a very few farmers offered rice straw, the most abundantly available
agricultural byproduct, to goats both during wet and dry seasons.