L'âge au sevrage est un trait d'histoire de vie qui affecte le succès reproductif des femelles. Sa détermination à partir d'observations de la tétée est limitée en raison de l'allaitement de confort ou de nuit. Le suivi de l'alimentation des nourrissons, à partir des isotopes stables de carbone et d'azote fécaux (δ13C, δ15N %N) est une alternative précise et non invasive aux méthodes comportementales. Les âges de sevrage chez le colobe magistrat (Colobus vellerosus) à BFMS, Ghana, ont été déterminés en utilisant les δ13C et δ15N fécaux, et ceux-ci ont été comparés aux évaluations comportementales du sevrage. Les différences d'âge au sevrage entre trois groupes de colobes différents ont également été comparées. Des échantillons fécaux ont été collectés auprès de 8 dyades de mères (N = 88 fèces) et de leurs enfants (N = 98 fèces). Les échantillons ont été homogénéisés et analysés dans un spectromètre de masse à rapport isotopique et un analyseur élémentaire. L'âge moyen du sevrage chez tous les nourrissons ayant utilisé des isotopes stables fécaux était de 15,75 mois, ce qui était supérieur à l'âge moyen du sevrage déterminé à partir des observations de l'allaitement (14,6 mois). Deux nourrissons ont été sevrés avant le début de la collecte des données fécales, deux avaient un âge isotopique au sevrage similaire à leur âge de sevrage comportemental, et deux avaient un âge isotopique au sevrage supérieur à leur âge comportemental. Deux nourrissons dont on a déterminé qu'ils n'étaient pas encore sevrés d'après les évaluations isotopiques n'ont pas été observés en train de téter et ont montré des différences δ15N nourrisson-mère alternativement plus grandes et plus petites entre 6 et 9 mois. Cela peut indiquer un processus de sevrage cyclique, les nourrissons devenant plus ou moins dépendants du lait au cours de la période de 4 mois. Il semblait y avoir des différences dans les âges moyens de sevrage isotopique entre les groupes. Mon étude a montré que les isotopes stables fécaux peuvent être utilisés avec succès pour surveiller le développement nutritionnel des nourrissons et les différences de niveau trophique entre le nourrisson et la mère chez les singes colobes arboricoles. / Age at weaning is a life-history trait that affects the reproductive success of females. Its determination from observations of suckling is limited due to comfort and night nursing. To monitor infant diets, fecal stable carbon, and nitrogen isotopes (δ13C, δ15N %N) provide an accurate and non-invasive alternative to behavioral methods. Weaning ages in ursine colobus (Colobus vellerosus) at BFMS, Ghana was determined using fecal δ13C and δ15N, and these were compared to behavioral weaning assessments. I also compared differences in weaning ages between three different colobus groups. Fecal samples were collected from 8 dyads of mothers (N = 88 feces) and their infants (N = 98 feces). The samples were homogenized and analyzed in an isotope ratio mass spectrometer and elemental analyzer. The mean weaning age among all infants using fecal stable isotopes was 15.75 months, which was older than the mean weaning age determined from observations of nursing (14.6 months). Two infants were weaned before fecal data collection began, two had an isotopic age at weaning similar to their behavioral weaning age, and two had an isotopic age at weaning that was older than their behavioral age. Two infants who were determined to be not yet weaned from isotopic assessments were not observed to nurse and showed alternately larger and smaller δ15N infant-mother differences between 6 and 9 months. This may indicate a cyclic weaning process, with infants becoming more or less dependent on milk over the 4-month period. There appeared to be differences in the average isotopic weaning ages between groups. My study showed that fecal stable isotopes can be successfully used to monitor infant nutritional development and infant-mother trophic level differences in arboreal colobus monkeys.

<p dir="ltr">Newborn animals undergo a lot of early-life stress that heavily impact on their long-term growth, performance, and welfare. Typically, the stress would indirectly interfere with the capacity of these neonates to utilize dietary nutrients and consequently impact tissue growth and development. In piglets, weaning is a stressful situation characterized by disruption of intestinal epithelial cell development which causes poor digestion of solid feed and a negative impact on absorption of nutrients especially in the post-gastric region. In addition, weaning in piglets could cause an increase in cellular assault by reactive oxygen species thereby potentially causing gut leakiness and paracellular loss of nutrients along the intestinal tract. In broiler chickens, access to feed may take up to 72 h following hatching which may affect their gut development as well as their gut microbiota. After the first feed ingestion, there is a sharp increase in the gut microbiota which triggers an increase in the development of the immune system as well as the gut. There is continuous attention on the strategies and nutritional interventions to mitigate or ameliorate the adverse effects of early life stressors in these food animals, especially in broiler chickens and piglets. In the studies described in this dissertation, myo-inositol (purely supplemented or phytase-induced) and luteolin were tested as nutritional strategies to mitigate the effects of early-life stressors on growth and the potential mechanisms by which myo-inositol and luteolin regulate growth were investigated.</p><p dir="ltr">In study I, the effect of myo-inositol on growth in 128 postweaning piglets fed protein-deficient corn-soy diets was tested. There were 4 dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design with body weight as the blocking factor. The treatments consisted of 1 positive control (PC) diet formulated to meet all the nutrient requirements of the piglets with a 20% crude protein (CP); the remaining 3 diets were the negative control (NC) diets with a 3% reduction in CP, a 2 g/kg myo-inositol supplemented negative control diet (NC+INO), and phytase (3,000 FTU/kg) supplemented negative control (NC+PHY) diet. The results showed that phytase enhanced the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of P in the weanling pigs. Myo-inositol supplementation in a protein-deficient diet improved (P < 0.05) porcine plasma myo-inositol concentration while an in vitro myo-inositol incubation with intestinal epithelial cells increased the expression of genes that encode for Claudin-1, Claudin-3, Claudin-4, ZO-1, NaPiIIb, GLUT2, and SLC7A2. The in vitro analysis of tight junction integrity in the IPEC-J2 cells indicated by the transepithelial electrical resistance and FITC-Dextran permeability showed an enhancement in response to myo-inositol treatment. Although the in vivo study found that myo-inositol did not improve growth performance or ATTD, the in vitro myo-inositol enhanced markers of gut health and function.</p><p dir="ltr">In study II, the effect of myo-inositol on the growth of broiler chickens was tested. In this study, there were 6 experimental treatments based on two dietary protein levels (PC and NC) and three supplement types (BASAL, INO, and PHY) resulting in a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design. A total of 384 broiler chickens comprising 6 treatments with eight replicates per treatment and 8 birds per replicate were used. The birds were fed a common starter diet for the initial 7 days after they arrived at the poultry unit followed by a 14-day trial. The protein-deficient diet decreased the feed efficiency of the birds. Phytase addition increased (P < 0.05) the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and ATTD of P and Ca in both PC and NC groups. The jejunal gut morphology was enhanced by supplemental phytase as indicated by an increase in villus height and the ratio of the villus height-to-crypt depth, coupled with an increase in serum myo-inositol concentration caused by both myo-inositol and phytase. In conclusion, myo-inositol showed a differential influence on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and gut morphology.</p><p dir="ltr">In study III, the effects of luteolin on weanling pigs and IPEC-J2 cells were examined. A total of 48 piglets were randomly allotted to two dietary treatments consisting of a control group and a luteolin (LUT)-supplemented dietary group for a 4-week trial. A weekly assessment of the growth performance and expression of specific proteins in the jejunal mucosa was performed. In each dietary group, 8 piglets were slaughtered at weeks 1, 2, and 4 postweaning to collect blood, jejunal and ileal mucosa, and tissues. Luteolin supplementation numerically improved the ADG and G:F of the pigs. Luteolin feeding altered the jejunal and ileal gut morphology with increased villi height (P < 0.05) and villus height-to-crypt depth ratio (VCR, P < 0.05) in the jejunum and decreased crypt depth in the ileum. The effect of luteolin on IPEC-J2 global proteome and phosphor-proteome showed that luteolin could potentially improve intestinal barrier integrity by enhancing the abundance of proteins important in cell growth and survival. </p><p dir="ltr">In summary, dietary supplementation with myo-inositol and luteolin could regulate growth and nutrient digestibility in broiler chickens and weanling pigs by enhancing the integrity of intestinal cells and facilitating the expression of nutrient transporters that are significant in the uptake of nutrients across the lining of the gastrointestinal tract. Phytase supplementation improves the P release from phytate in the diets thereby alleviating its loss.</p>

There is little evidence that the productivity of New Zealand beef herds has improved over time. Data from the NZ Meat and Wool Board’s Economic Service (2006) suggest that the average national calving percentage has declined over the last two decades. During the same period cattle carcass weights have increased but so too has the average cow live-weight which has resulted in increased maintenance costs of the cow herds. It is unclear whether production efficiency in the industry has improved or declined over time. The aim of this research was to develop means of improving productivity in commercial beef herds through practical methods of performance recording. The objectives were firstly to establish current management practices in commercial herds and secondly to develop an objective system for cow selection and culling which would have practical application in commercial herds. Beef management survey Ninety two commercial beef producers with more than 100 breeding cows from the greater Canterbury region of New Zealand were surveyed. Pasture control was the main reason given for owning a beef herd. Size and conformation were the main selection criteria for choosing replacement heifers and bulls. Over 80% of herds retained their own heifers as replacements and >60% mated yearling heifers to first calve at two years of age. Fertility was poor in the surveyed herds. In-calf rates at pregnancy testing averaged 88% for maiden heifers, 92% for rising second calvers and 93% for mixed age (m.a.) cows. There was no significant difference between in-calf rates of maiden heifers mated to first calve at two or three years of age; nor was there any significant difference between the re-breeding success of the two groups. Heifers mated at least one week earlier than m.a. cows, achieved a re-breeding success 4.7% greater (P<.01) than those mated at the same time. Reasons for cows not weaning a calf included wet dry (9.3% of pregnant cows wintered), pregnancy tested not-in-calf (7.4%) and dam death (2.6%). Only 87.9% of pregnant females wintered weaned a calf (89.4% of m.a. cows and 84.9% of heifers). Reasons why cows exited the herds included diagnosed empty (37.2% of all exits), involuntary culls (25.4%), sold wet dry (16.2%), deaths (13.1%) and poor calf production (5.1%). Vaccination was infrequent with clostridial vaccines the most common in m.a. cows (15.2%) and in calves (40.7%); vaccination against Leptospirosis was much less common. Very few of the surveyed farms used any system of performance recording; as a result there was very little performance-based selection or culling practiced. Evaluation of alternative measures of cow productivity Data from four performance recording beef herds were used to compare alternative measures of cow productivity with the industry standard which is calf weaning weight adjusted for sex (SOC) and age of calf and age of dam (AOD), i.e. the “200 day weight.” None of the alternative measures evaluated required knowledge of calving date and all were relatively easily obtainable in extensively managed beef herds. The assessment of cows was based not on their estimated breeding values but instead on their most probable producing ability which, as the sum of all of the permanent, repeatable aspects of the calf-rearing ability of the cow, explains considerably more of the variance of weaning weight than does breeding value alone. SOC and AOD-adjusted marking weight, weaning weight and average daily gain (ADG) between marking and weaning were the traits mostly highly correlated with the 200d wt of calves (r = 0.68, 0.90 and 0.74. respectively). An Extensively- Grazed-Cow-Weaning-Index of these three indicator traits was found to be more highly correlated than any of the individual traits on their own (r = 0.94). Index weights for the three indicator traits were calculated within each herd and then those within-herd index weights were regressed on readily obtainable herd descriptive variables to obtain a regression equation that could predict index weights for any herd. When the model was applied to data from two additional herd years not included in the original model, the EGCW Index was highly correlated with the 200d weights (r>0.90). Performance-based culling of previously unselected commercial beef herds based on the EGCW Index will result in improved productivity due to the moderately high repeatability of calf weaning weight. Objective data from extensively grazed commercial herds will also make possible the use of commercial herd data in genetic evaluations of herd sires.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T15:13:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Lillian Pascoa.pdf: 1515217 bytes, checksum: 2cddf8e0acaa3cd41225727107c6f820 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-07-08 / Data from 72,731 Nelore calves were used to estimate (co)variances and predict breeding values for actual and adjusted weight for 120 and 210 days of age using different contemporary group structures. Males and females calves born from 1985 to 2005 belonging to 40 herds participating in the Nelore Brasil Program were analysed. Ten models were used including five different contemporary group (GC) structures, judged by coefficient of determination, residual variance and by the Akaike (AIC), Bayesian (BIC) and modified Akaike (CAIC) information criteria. The GLM procedure of SAS was used to carry out the analyses. All effects in the model were significant (P<0.001) for the traits analyzed. The inclusion of semester or trimester of birth in the composition of GC was more appropriate than when it was estimated independently as this took into account interactions with the other effects in the GC. Sex of calf (SB) and age of cow at calving (CIVP) had similar effects across models suggesting independence from other effects in these models. In all models, the effect of age of the calf was greater than the other effects tested. The use of actual weights in models without SB in GC allowed for better genetic connectivity between GC, and higher accuracy in the genetic evaluations. The estimates of (co)variance and genetic parameters were similar among models but the information criteria (BIC, CAIC) indicated that the most adequate model considered GC as a random effect, constituted by the effects of herd, year of birth, management group and the effect of trimester of birth with the effect of calf sex independent from GC. For each model animals were classified by their genetic value (VG), subdivided into categories (animals without progeny, bulls and cows). For both weights (actual and adjusted) VG were similar considering contemporary group as fixed or random, with sex included or not in its composition and with greater differences between models with actual and adjusted weights. Accuracy was similar among compared models within each category, bulls having more accurate VG predictions than cows. Spearman correlation coefficients for animal rank using direct and maternal VGs and simple (Pearson) correlations for accuracies among different models were all high and significant (P<0.001) with the greatest difference observed comparing models with actual and adjusted weights. For bulls, the classification of individuals with actual weights in models with random GC was more adequate. Removal of animals without adjusted weights or in contemporary groups with less than five individuals would lead to the elimination of animals which would contribute to the genetic gain in the population. / Com o objetivo de estimar (co)variâncias e predizer valores genéticos de pesos reais e padronizados aos 120 e 210 dias de idade sob modelos com diferentes estruturas de grupos de contemporâneos, analisaram-se dados de 72.731 bezerros Nelore, machos e fêmeas, nascidos de 1985 a 2005, em 40 rebanhos integrantes do Programa Nelore Brasil da ANCP. Foram comparados 10 modelos incluindo cinco diferentes estruturas de grupos de contemporâneos (GC), julgados pelo coeficiente de determinação, variância residual e pelos critérios de informação de Akaike (AIC), Bayesiano (BIC) e modificado de Akaike (CAIC). O procedimento GLM do SAS foi utilizado para as análises. Todos os efeitos incluídos nos modelos foram significativos (P<0,001) para as características analisadas. A inclusão do efeito do semestre ou trimestre de nascimento na composição dos GC resultou mais apropriada que sua estimativa independente por levar em conta as interações com os demais efeitos no GC. Os efeitos de sexo do bezerro (SB) e idade da vaca ao parto (CIVP) mostraram-se estáveis nos modelos, indicando independência dos demais efeitos. Em todos os modelos, a contribuição do efeito de idade do bezerro foi maior em relação aos demais efeitos testados. O uso de pesos reais sob modelos sem o efeito SB no GC constitui alternativas que permitiriam melhor conexidade genética entre GC, e maior acurácia das avaliações genéticas. As estimativas de (co)variâncias e parâmetros genéticos foram similares entre os modelos, porém os critérios de informação (BIC, CAIC) indicaram que o modelo mais adequado foi o que considerou o grupo de contemporâneos como efeito aleatório, sendo este constituído pela concatenação dos efeitos de rebanho, ano de nascimento, grupo de manejo e efeito de trimestre de nascimento, e com efeito do sexo do bezerro independente do GC. Para cada modelo os animais foram classificados por seus valores genéticos (VG), subdivididos por categorias (animais sem progênie, touros e vacas). Para ambos os pesos, reais e padronizados, os VG foram semelhantes entre os modelos com grupo de contemporâneos fixo ou aleatório, incluindo ou não sexo em sua composição e com diferenças maiores de VG entre modelos com pesos reais ou padronizados. As magnitudes dos valores de acurácia entre os modelos comparados foram similares dentro de cada categoria, sendo que os touros apresentaram predições de VG mais acuradas e as vacas menos. Os coeficientes de correlação de posto na classificação dos animais pelos seus VG diretos e maternais e de correlação simples para valores de acurácia por diferentes modelos foram todos altos e significativos (P<0,001) e maior diferença foi observada entre a comparação de modelos com pesos reais ou padronizados. Para touros, a classificação dos indivíduos que possuem pesos reais em modelos com GC aleatório foram mais adequadas. Desconsiderar das análises animais sem pesos padronizados ou pertencentes a grupos de contemporâneos com menos de cinco indivíduos, promove a exclusão de animais que contribuem para o ganho genético da população.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-20T14:38:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao_alvaro_carlos_menezes_arteche.pdf: 1268541 bytes, checksum: 48cb8939395a534c09b30fdb0ec17ef9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-11-21 / This study analyzed, by reaction to indirect immunofluorescence and individual weighting, the levels of protection and weight-gain in beef calves from birth to the age of eight month, which received two doses of vaccine against tick fever and were maintained free from ticks, compared to naturally infested calves in extensive management conditions with continuous grazing in a rural property situated in the municipality of Santana do Livramento Espinilho / RS. Two groups were randomly gathered, n=30, from which Group I (test) was kept free from ticks from birth to weaning and received two doses of the attenuated, trivalent, refrigerated vaccine against tick fever. Groupe II (control) followed the property s traditional management, which reflects the one used in the region, allowing the tick infestation by the animals. Weight control was accomplished in the first day (d0) and in the last day of the experiment (d180). The serology revealed that 100% of the vaccinated animals presented titles equal to 1:5120 for the three parasites Anaplasma marginale, Babesia bovis e Babesia bigemina (p≤0,025), whereas in the control group the highest titles were 1:2560 in four animals for A. marginale, 1:1280 in four animals for B. bovis and 1:1280 in two animals for B. bigemina (p≤ 0,025). Group I got a mean weight-gain of 30,5 kg more than the control group at the end of the experiment (p≤0,025). The results obtained show that keeping animals free from tick, from birth to weaning, and maintaining them vaccinated against tick fever is safer, more efficient and economically and technically more advantageous than the traditional management system carrapateamento (natural tick infestation). / Avaliaram-se, pela reação de imunofluorescência indireta (RIFI) e de pesagens individuais, os níveis de proteção e ganho de peso de terneiros de corte do nascimento ao desmame com oito meses de idade que receberam duas doses de vacina contra tristeza bovina e foram mantidos livres de carrapatos em comparação a terneiros naturalmente infestados em condições de manejo extensivo com pastoreio contínuo em propriedade rural localizada no município de Santana do Livramento-Espinilho/RS. Formaram-se dois grupos aleatóriamente, n=30, sendo o GRUPO I (teste) mantido livre de carrapatos desde o nascimento até o desmame e com duas doses da vacina atenuada, trivalente e refrigerada contra tristeza bovina. O GRUPO II, controle, seguiu o manejo tradicional da propriedade, que reflete o da região, permitindo que os animais fossem infestados por carrapatos. As pesagens foram realizadas no primeiro dia do experimento (d0) e no último dia do experimento (d180). A sorologia revelou que 100% dos animais vacinados apresentaram títulos maiores ou iguais a 1:5120 para os três parasitos Anaplasma marginale, Babesia bovis e Babesia bigemina (p≤0,025) enquanto que no grupo controle os títulos máximos foram 1:2560 em quatro animais para A. marginale, 1:1280 em quatro animais para B. bovis e 1:1280 em dois animais para B. bigemina. Houve diferença significativa entre os dois grupos (p≤0,025). O grupo I obteve 30,5 Kg a mais de ganho médio de peso que o grupo controle no final do experimento (p≤0,025). Com os resultados obtidos, conclui-se que é mais eficiente, seguro e vantajoso econômica e tecnicamente manter os animais livres de carrapatos, desde o nascimento até o desmame, e vacinados contra tristeza bovina, do que com o manejo tradicional carrapateamento .

<p>Испитивање повезаности особина из перформанс теста назимица са<br />величином легла крмача, обављено је на седам генотипова животиња (чистих<br />раса: дански ландрас, холандски ландрас, немачки ландрас, шведски ландрас и<br />велики јоркшир и програмских мелеза: мелеза чија је мајка ландрас и мелеза чија<br />је мајка велики јоркшир).<br />Фенотипска повезаност особина из перформанс теста (ектеријер, маса на<br />крају теста, старост на крају теста, дневни прираст у тесту, дебљина сланине<br />у слабинском делу, дебљина сланине у леђном делу, дубина МЛД-а, број легла,<br />приплодна вредност назимица процењена селекцијским индексом и проценат меса<br />у трупу) и два основна репродуктивна параметра (број живорођене прасади и број<br />залучене прасади), статистички је анализирана софтверским пакетом &bdquo;Статистика<br />13&ldquo; и &bdquo;SPSS верзија 23&ldquo;. Испитано је постојање/непостојање утицаја сваке<br />појединaчне особине из перформанс теста на репродуктивне особине<br />Није утврђена општа повезаност свих особина перформанс теста и<br />репродуктивних особина<br />Анализиране особине показале су велику зависност од генотипа<br />испитиваних животиња.</p> / <p>Ispitivanje povezanosti osobina iz performans testa nazimica sa<br />veličinom legla krmača, obavljeno je na sedam genotipova životinja (čistih<br />rasa: danski landras, holandski landras, nemački landras, švedski landras i<br />veliki jorkšir i programskih meleza: meleza čija je majka landras i meleza čija<br />je majka veliki jorkšir).<br />Fenotipska povezanost osobina iz performans testa (ekterijer, masa na<br />kraju testa, starost na kraju testa, dnevni prirast u testu, debljina slanine<br />u slabinskom delu, debljina slanine u leđnom delu, dubina MLD-a, broj legla,<br />priplodna vrednost nazimica procenjena selekcijskim indeksom i procenat mesa<br />u trupu) i dva osnovna reproduktivna parametra (broj živorođene prasadi i broj<br />zalučene prasadi), statistički je analizirana softverskim paketom &bdquo;Statistika<br />13&ldquo; i &bdquo;SPSS verzija 23&ldquo;. Ispitano je postojanje/nepostojanje uticaja svake<br />pojedinačne osobine iz performans testa na reproduktivne osobine<br />Nije utvrđena opšta povezanost svih osobina performans testa i<br />reproduktivnih osobina<br />Analizirane osobine pokazale su veliku zavisnost od genotipa<br />ispitivanih životinja.</p>

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