Cattle producers are faced with difficult decisions on how they market theircalves. This study examines the different characteristics that play a role in determiningthe price of a group of animals. Identifying characteristics that determine pricedifferentials relative to the price premium given to producers participating in CPH salesis important information when producers are making a marketing decision. The modeldeveloped in this study provides producers with evidence of what characteristics generatethe highest price, as well as relative differences between sales locations and types ofsales. The more information available to producers, the better equipped they are to makedecisions.

Kentucky plays an important role in the complex U.S. beef cattle industry. Thisstudy focused on the feeder cattle production sector of Kentucky's beef cattle industry.Primarily a cow-calf state with a substantial backgrounding sector, Kentucky is a largesupplier of feeder cattle to the cattle finishing sector. Price relationships within themarket for Kentucky feeder cattle were examined using historical price data fromKentucky livestock auction markets. This research revealed many interesting pricerelationships that Kentucky producers may use in order to increase the profitability of thecow-calf and/or backgrounding operations. A segment of this research includes aGrazing Management Decision Tool which was constructed to enable producers toevaluate the potential profitability of various grazing scenarios using current marketforecasts.

The lack of a vaccine candidate due to antigenic variation by trypanosomal parasites, the causative agents of human and animal African trypanosomiasis, requires the disease to be controlled by surveillance, diagnosis and appropriate treatment schedules. Due to the non-specific symptoms along with the toxicity and side effects of the current trypanocides, diagnosis needs to be accurate, cost effective and applicable to active case finding in mostly rural settings. Trypanosomal proteases have been identified as virulence factors as they are essential to the parasites‟ survival. Here the diagnostic potential of previously described virulence factors, oligopeptidase B (OPB), pyroglutamyl peptidase (PGP) and the full length and catalytic domain of the cathepsin L-like peptidases (CATLFL and CATL respectively) from T. congolense (Tc) as well as OPB and CATL from T. vivax (Tv), was determined. These antigens were recombinantly expressed, purified and used to generate antibodies in chickens. The purified recombinant antigens were tested in an inhibition and indirect ELISA format using two separate blinded serum panels consisting of sera from non-infected and experimentally infected cattle, one each for T. congolense and for T. vivax. The tested sera were diluted 1:10 for the TcCATLFL, TcCATL antigens whilst the TvCATL antigen used a 1:100 serum dilution. The TcCATLFL, TcCATL and TvCATL antigens had the highest diagnostic potential in the indirect ELISA format with a 90.91, 92.21% accuracy at the second cut-off and a 77.22% accuracy at the third cut-off along with 0.8084, 0.7785 and 0.8813 area under curve (AUC) values respectively. These antigens show potential for development of lateral flow tests to detect T. congolense and T. vivax infections in cattle. The recently discovered metacaspases (MCAs) have been implicated in caspase-like activity and differentiation in T. b. brucei, T. cruzi and L. major and are considered to be virulence factors. The putative metacaspase 5 gene from T. congolense (TcMCA5) was successfully cloned, expressed within inclusion bodies, resolubilised and refolded using immobilised metal affinity chromatography. Recombinant TcMCA5 was successfully refolded as evident by the hydrolysis of the synthetic peptide substrate, Z-Gly-Gly-Arg-AMC. Autocatalytic processing was observed within the inclusion bodies and the products were purified along with the full length recombinant protein. Anti-TcMCA5 IgY antibodies, raised in chickens, were able to detect the native TcMCA5 along with the autocatalytic processed products within the lysate of the procyclic T. congolense (strain IL 3000) parasites. The diagnostic potential of TcMCA5 still requires verification. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

This practicum explores the potential role that landscape planning and design can play in improving the relationship between the public and farmers whose method of production involves an intensive livestock operation. The work involves five areas of exploration: bioremediation, odor control, climate mitigation, biosecurity, and aesthetics. Bioremediation is explored in the context of constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment. A new shelterbelt design, an eco-buffer, is reviewed for its applicability in odor control and climate mitigation. Biosecurity is addressed through site planning while design interventions and vegetation selection address aesthetics. The site is that of the Glenlea Research Station (GRS) belonging to the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba. The GRS is home to a major undertaking of the Faculty, the National Centre for Livestock and the Environment. A new addition to the site is a visitor centre, The Bruce D. Campbell Food and Farm Discovery Centre.

This practicum explores the potential role that landscape planning and design can play in improving the relationship between the public and farmers whose method of production involves an intensive livestock operation. The work involves five areas of exploration: bioremediation, odor control, climate mitigation, biosecurity, and aesthetics. Bioremediation is explored in the context of constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment. A new shelterbelt design, an eco-buffer, is reviewed for its applicability in odor control and climate mitigation. Biosecurity is addressed through site planning while design interventions and vegetation selection address aesthetics. The site is that of the Glenlea Research Station (GRS) belonging to the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba. The GRS is home to a major undertaking of the Faculty, the National Centre for Livestock and the Environment. A new addition to the site is a visitor centre, The Bruce D. Campbell Food and Farm Discovery Centre.

No description available.

Richtlinie 2003/99/EG des Europäischen Parlaments und des Rates legt das Ziel für die Mitgliedsstaaten fest, ein Monitoring von Antbiotikaresistenzen bei Zoonoserregern zu implementie-ren. Da die Menge verabreichter antimikrobieller Wirkstoffe im direkten Zusammenhang mit der Entwicklung von Resistenzen steht, impliziert diese Richtlinie auch die Menge der in Nutztierbeständen eingesetzten antimikrobiellen Wirkstoffe zu erfassen und zu überwachen. Zielsetzung dieser Arbeit war es, im Rahmen des Projekts VetCAb die Möglichkeiten der Datenerhebung von Verbrauchsmengen von Antibiotika bei landwirtschaftlichen Nutztieren aus gesetzlich vorge-schriebenen Nachweisen (Tierärztlicher Anwendungs- und Abgabebeleg nach §13 TÄHAV, Bestandsbuch nach ANTHV) in Tierarztpraxen bzw. landwirtschaftlichen Betrieben zu untersuchen und hinsichtlich pharmakologischer Parameter zu bewerten. Am Projekt VetCAb (Veterinary Consumption of Antibiotics) nahmen 24 tierärztliche Praxen aus fünf Landkreisen Niedersachsens (Cloppenburg, Diepolz, Emsland, Nienburg, Vechta) sowie 66 landwirtschaftliche Betriebe im Landkreis Kleve (Nordrhein-Westfalen) freiwillig teil. Daten vom Zeitraum eines Jahres (01. September 2006 – 31. August 2007) wurden erfasst und in einer zentralen Datenbank abgelegt. Für die Auswertung standen zudem epidemiologische Daten zur Vieh- und Betriebsdichte (Easystat® 2007) sowie weitergehende Informationen der zuständigen Veterinärämter der betroffenen Landkreise (HEGGER-GRAVENHORST 2010, MOLLENHAUER 2010) zur Verfügung. Insgesamt wurden 74.427 Datensätze erhoben, von denen ein Anteil von 4,18 % (entsprechend 3.114 Datensätze) als nicht-plausibel gekennzeichnet war. 68.565 Datensätze entstammten dabei der Erhebung in Praxen, 5,862 der in landwirtschaftlichen Betrieben, was einem geometrischen Mittel von 2743 Datensätzen pro Praxis bzw. 58 pro landwirtschaftlichen Betrieb entspricht. Im Rinder- als auch im Schweinebereich wurden Tetracycline mit rund 50 % der verbrauchten Mengen am häufigsten eingesetzt, β-Lactame lagen dabei auf dem zweiten Rang. Bezüglich der Betrachtung der Zahl der Einzelgaben war eine Abnahme des Verbrauchs von Tetracyclinen zu-gunsten eines Anstiegs von Makroliden und Trimethoprim (inclusive Trimetoprim/Sulfonamide) zu verzeichnen. Bezüglich des Einsatzes von Antiinfektiva wurden die Diagnosegruppen Atemwegserkrankungen (69,21 % beim Rind, 58,86 % beim Schwein, Geflügel 34,90 %) und Darmer-krankungen (4,57 % beim Rind, 14,91 % beim Schwein, Geflügel 50,12 %) am häufigsten angegeben. Die Darreichung auf oralem Wege stellte mit 81,20 % der eingesetzten Gesamtmenge beim Rind, 94,24 % beim Schwein und 99,34 % beim Geflügel die häufigste Applikationsform dar (v.a. Tetracycline, β-Lactame, Makrolide oder Sulfonamide). Im Vergleich der eingesetzten Dosierung mit der festgelegten Richtdosierung (mg/kg) lagen beim Rind bzw. Schwein insgesamt 23,10 % bzw. 23,73 % unter, 36,13 % bzw. 47,31 % über und 44,77 % bzw. 28,95 % innerhalb der Richtdosierung. Mit der im Projekt VetCAb durchgeführten Untersuchung zur Durchführbarkeit und Etablierung eines Verbrauchsmengenmonitorings in der Nutztierhaltung konnten grundlegende Erkenntnisse aufgezeigt werden, wobei Aspekte der Datenerfassung, der Pharmakologie, der Epidemiologie und der arzneimittelrechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen berücksichtigt wurden. Die Möglichkeiten überstiegen darüber hinaus die im Arzneimittelgesetz in § 47 Abs. 1b und DIMDI - Arzneimittel-verordnung dargelegten Anforderungen eines Antibiotikaverbrauchsmengenerfassungsprogramms, welches lediglich die Verkaufszahlen antimikrobieller Wirkstoffe auf Seiten des pharmazeutischen Unternehmers erfassen kann und damit keine Rückschlüsse auf den Antibiotikaeinsatz bei der jeweiligen Zieltierart gezogen werden können. Im Projekt Vet-CAb wurden die Verbrauchsmengen des freien Wirkstoffs getrennt nach Tierarten und Alters- bzw. Nutzungsrichtungen sowie nach Art der Applikation bei landwirtschaftlichen Nutztieren erfasst. Ferner kann das Dosierungsverhalten durch das Festsetzen von Richtdosen abgeleitet werden. Zudem besteht die Möglichkeit tagesaktuelle Verbrauchsmengen über eine online verfügbare Datenbank abzufragen. Aufgrund der zahlreichen Auswertungsmöglichkeiten ist das Er-fassungssystem in der Lage wissenschaftlich fundierte Daten über den Antibiotikaverbrauch bei landwirtschaftlichen Nutztieren zu liefern, die als sinnvolle Ergänzung zu Resistenzmonitoring-Systemen betrachtet werden können. Auch eine Vergleichbarkeit der erfassten Verbrauchsmen-gen mit den Daten aus Verbrauchsmengenmonitoringprogrammen anderer europäischer Länder ist gegeben. Vorraussetzung hierfür ist eine Festlegung standadisierter Auswertungsparameter für die europäischen Länder. Diese Vergleichbarkeit der Datenströme und der Ausbau vergleichbarer Arzneimittelklassifikationssysteme ist als Bestandteil präventiven Risikomanagements (PASCH et al. 2005, HELMUTH und HENSEL 2006) ein erstrebenswertes Ziel. In der vorliegenden Machbarkeitsstudie konnte gezeigt werden, dass das untersuchte Konzept diesen Anforderungen prinzipiell genügt und auch zukünftigen Anforderungen an eine Verbrauchsmengenerfassung von Antibiotika bei landwirtschaftlichen Nutztieren aus wissenschaftlicher Sicht standhalten kann.

China faces enormous challenges in generating sustained and inclusive agricultural and rural development. However the rapid growth occurring both inside and outside the agricultural sector provides new opportunities to meet the challenges. The development of higher value agrifood chains may provide opportunities for rural households to increase their levels of specialisation, scale and incomes, and for rural areas to broaden their employment and tax revenues bases. Facilitation of these developments effectively forms an agricultural modernisation strategy that is becoming increasingly described and prescribed by Chinese policy makers, researchers and development agencies. Despite the attention that has been given to this agricultural modernisation strategy, it has not proceeded without problems in China and has been subject to little rigorous scrutiny. This thesis uses a detailed industry case study approach to examine the way that Chinese agriculture is modernising and, as an applied study, to identify areas where China’s agricultural modernisation strategy can be refined. China’s agricultural modernisation strategy is analysed through the window of a particular Chinese agricultural and rural industry, namely the beef industry. The beef industry resembles many other agricultural and livestock industries that are commercialising, modernising and segmenting with important implications for food safety, the environment and rural incomes. In addition to providing insights into developments in the broader agricultural and livestock sectors, the Chinese beef industry is also worth examining in its own right because of its significant place in the world beef industry and in China’s livestock sector, and because it is used as a “pillar industry” in the development of many poor areas. While the thesis focuses predominantly on the beef industry, differences and similarities with other livestock industries are noted throughout the analysis. The use of an industry case study allows for a detailed analysis of a cross section of China’s markets, agribusiness and production sectors, and the integration of the sectors that form the industry. One novel aspect of the thesis is that the industry modernisation process is seen as a movement from low to high value agrifood chains in all of these sectors and for the industry as a whole. The thesis examines the drivers of and constraints to the movement from low to high value agrifood chains, the sustainability of the development of the higher value agrifood chains, and the implications for industry participants. The study draws on multiple forms of data, including extensive interview and fieldwork data over a ten year period across China, budget and scenario analyses; and macro-level data and policy documents. The cross-verification of this data allows for a rigorous, multi-disciplinary and “grounded” form of analysis that can complement other studies which draw on fewer sources of data. The thesis also provides a longitudinal and diachronic perspective of the agricultural modernisation process in contrast to a shorter term snapshot. The thesis examines the reasons and the measures by which China is attempting to move the agricultural sector beyond its primary reliance on traditional, low value agrifood chains. While the logic of these reasons and measures can be discerned, it is argued that China has attempted to “skip” development stages by over emphasising the development of large scale modern high value agrifood chains. The attempt to force the pace of modernisation has led to significant distortions and detrimental impacts. The thesis argues the need for China to refine its agricultural modernisation development strategy to be both more market conforming and to bring more benefits to industry participants in rural areas. This is best done by taking a more incremental approach to agricultural modernisation with an increased emphasis on mid value agrifood chains and the development of market facilitating policies. The analysis, findings and recommendations of the thesis may be of interest to policy makers, development agencies and researchers working on China’s agricultural and livestock sectors.

No description available.

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) have important public health and food safety implications. Cattle are the primary reservoir for STEC, which are transmitted to humans via contact with cattle or related food products. Dairy farms in particular have been incriminated as an important source of STEC. The broad aim of this study was to examine in depth the epidemiology of STEC on the dairy farm. The presence of STEC on three Australian dairy farms was surveyed. This aimed to provide data on the prevalence and nature of STEC on Australian dairy farms, as well as to examine in more detail the pre-harvest/slaughter ecology of STEC. STEC, E. coli O157:H7 and E. coli O26:H11 prevalences were similar to those from dairy farms in other countries. Replacement heifers were the most important source of STEC on the farms. Calves excreted STEC from an early age, with faecal prevalence peaking at weaning. Higher STEC prevalence was also associated with group housing of calves during weaning. Calf isolates were potential human pathogens based on serotype and virulence markers. Clonal relationships between isolates were analysed. Calf isolates were diverse and had a high clonal turnover. STEC isolated from within the same farm had a higher genetic similarity than those from different farms. Vertical and horizontal transmission were both identified among cattle. The farm environment was also identified as an important source of STEC. Reasons for increased levels of STEC excretion by calves were investigated. Two broad hypotheses for higher faecal shedding were proposed and examined individually. The first was that an animal is more likely to excrete STEC when its exposure to STEC is greater, thus promoting inoculation of the gastrointestinal tract. Calves were experimentally inoculated with a traceable STEC strain to examine the infection dynamics of STEC within cattle groups, and explore the effect of calf management procedures. Calves which were housed in groups and co-jointly fed and managed had a higher prevalence of the inoculation strain than animals housed individually. The test strain was readily isolated from the hides and saliva of inoculated calves, as well as their immediate environments. Calves become infected with STEC via the faecal-oral route, iv either by direct contact with other calves, or indirectly through contact with faecally contaminated materials. The second hypothesis was that individual animals are variably susceptible to intestinal colonisation by STEC, which leads to differing magnitudes and durations of STEC carriage. Factors influencing colonisation susceptibility to STEC and the mechanisms behind these factors were also examined. In order to compare enteric colonisation under a range of different conditions, a suitable experimental system was developed. In vitro organ culture of explanted ruminant colonic tissues provided a laboratory model that was representative of in vivo bacterial-mucosal attachment. The degree of STEC colonisation was enumerated using an immunofluorescent filtration technique. The quantitative colonisation assay was applied to determine the effects of host-dependant variables on STEC colonisation. Colonic tissues from weaning calves and adult cattle did not differ significantly in their susceptibility to colonisation; nor did tissues from cattle fed either high forage or high grain diets. Colonic explants from sheep, however, demonstrated significantly higher numbers of adherent STEC than bovine explants. It was therefore concluded that while species-specific differences in host tissues may mediate STEC carriage differences, this did not explain in vivo variability in age and diet related excretion. Factors that indirectly affect the susceptibility of host tissues to colonisation were examined. E. coli O157:H7 cultured in media designed to represent the enteric contents of a well-fed ruminant colonised the colonic mucosa in reduced numbers, indicating that age and diet may be correlated with differences in STEC carriage and excretion because of differing physiological augmentation of the intra-enteric environment. In conclusion, while group dynamics and management practices may increase STEC shedding prevalences for cattle via increased STEC exposure, factors that modulate an individual ruminant’s gastrointestinal carriage of STEC have a significant role in mediating STEC excretion. Either directly or indirectly, species, age and diet can affect the numbers of STEC that colonise the bowel wall, thereby influencing the magnitude and duration of STEC excretion. Both of these features of ruminant STEC ecology should be addressed in order to reduce the pre-slaughter/harvest presence of STEC.