ANIMAL SCIENCE RESEARCHES (FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE, UNIVERSITY OF TABRIZ)
Year:2015 | Volume:25 | Issue:3|Papers Count:14

BACKGROUND: Chemical composition and heat processing extent can affects fermentabality of barley grain.OBJECTIVES: The examination was conducted to investigate the effects of different time of roasting (5, 10 or 15 min at 120oC) and variety of barley grain (Sahand and Makouyi) on nutritive value and correlation between its parameter with bulk density using in vitro gas production techniques.METHODS: The data was analyzed using factorial completely randomized design.RESULTS: The result show that heat treatment decreased the degradation of DM in each variety. Gas production of soluble and in soluble fraction (A) and rapid of degradation decreased by increasing time of roasting. The obtained data from gas production at 24 h after incubation were used for estimation of metabolazable energy (ME), net energy for lactation (NEL), short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and digestible organic matter (DOM). Estimated parameters of gas production were affected by variety and heat treatment. Metabolizable energy decreased by increasing time of roasting from 9.40 to 8.29 and 9.61 to 8.77 at Sahand and Makoei variety respectively. Correlation between metabolizable energy, net energy for lactation, short chain fatty acids and digestible organic matter by BD50 was positive (r2=0.53, r2=0.52, r2=0.58 and r2=0.52 respectively).CONCLUSIONS: Results of this research showed that roasting process can be used effectively the same as other conventional heat treatment methods for decreasing degradability of dry matter in rumen and increasing digestible escaped dry matter resulting improved rumen ecosystem and decreased acidosis due to decreasing of rate of fermentation.

BACKGROUND: Reproductive efficiency of dairy cattle breeding industry needs to produce high.OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate changes in some blood parameters on postpartum anestrus in Holstein dairy cows.METHODS: Anestrus cows were divided into four groups as inactive ovary, persistent follicle, persistent corpus luteum and ovarian cyst. Blood samples were obtained from 182 lactating cows and some blood parameters including glucose, urea, total protein, phosphorus and b-hydroxybutyrate were measured by spectrophotometric method. Also, effects of some important factor on postpartum anestrus including calving season, parity, body condition score and milk production were also evaluated. Anestrus cows which had no ovulation during 50-60 days postpartum, were classified into four groups as inactive ovary, persistent follicle, persistent corpus luteum, ovarian cyst and they were compared with normal cows which showed estrus during this period.RESULTS: Sera glucose concentrations in normal cows, persistent corpus luteum and ovarian cystic were almost the same and had a significant difference (P<0.01) with cows having inactive ovary or persistent follicles. Urea levels in normal cows were lower than anestrus cows (P<0.01). Blood phosphorus concentration in normal cows, persistent corpus luteum and inactive ovary were significantly different (P<0.05) from cows with persistent follicles or cows with ovarian cysts. Although total blood protein level was almost normal in all cows, it was higher than others in persistent follicle and cystic cows. Blood b-hydroxybutyrate concentration did not differ between normal and anestrus cows.CONCLUSIONS: Accordingly, results of the present study showed there is a close relationship between postpartum anestrus with increasing or decreasing of blood concentrations of glucose, urea, total protein and phosphorus.

BACKGROUND: Purmorphamine is a synthetic Sonic Hedgehog pathway agonist, which plays a critical role in the regulation activity of receptors and transcription factors.OBJECTIVES: In this study, the effect of purmorphamine on sheep oocytes maturation, and the rate expression of histon deacetylase on sheep parthenogenetic embryos development were considered.METHODS: Sheep ovaries were obtained from East Poria local slaughterhouse at Varamin in 1392 and cumulus-oocyte complexes were cultured in the medium containing 250 and 500 ng purmorphamine, and without purmorphamine as a control. After 22 hours maturation, for evaluating nuclear and cytoplasmic oocyte maturation, oocytes were denuded from cumulus cells and stained with Hoechst and cell tracker blue. Also a group of oocytes entered the parthenogenetic stage and were cultured to the blastocyst stage.RESULTS: The quantative rate expression of histon deacetylase I, II, III were examined by Real-Time PCR (qPCR). In this study, In 500 ng purmorphamine, though it had no significant effect on nuclear oocyte maturation, it increased cytoplasmic maturation. Also percentage of zygotes and blastocysts per cleavage in purmorphamine treated groups was not significantly different from control group. qPCR analysis showed that in 250 ng purmorphamine the histone deacetylase II-III and histone deacetylase I rate expression were higher and lower than control group, respectively.CONCLUSIONS: According to the results, purmorphamine had positive influences on the cytoplasmic maturation.It seems that 500 ng concentration of Purmorphamine induces cytoplasmic oocyte maturation and is a good agent for oocyte cytoplasmic maturation in vitro.

BACKGROUND: Support policies in agricultural sector are inevitable that affects all segments of society and economic sectors. These policies includes the most important economic strategies in the agricultural sector in developed and developing countries.OBJECTIVES: In this study, the effects of support policies on factor productivity changes of meat during 2012-1991 is studied. The main variables of interest that can be associated with an index of total factor productivity includes single commodity transfers, capital stuck and labor used to produce the product.METHODS: For this purpose, the Tornquist index (total factor productivity index) determined for this production and SCT (Single Commodity Transfers index) has been calculated during studied period, respectively.RESULTS: Based on the results, the value of the Tornquist index is positive in the period under review. The SCT index indicates government support for meat producers. According to the stationarity and cointegration test results, Johansen cointegration test was used for estimating productivity model. Based on our findings, there isn’t a significant short-run relationship between variables in productivity model. But the long-run relationships for meat is positive and significant.CONCLUSIONS: As a result, support policies should be considered by politicians as one of the most important factors affecting the efficiency of the production of this subsection.

BACKGROUND: Purine derivatives can be used for measuring of microbial protein synthesized in the rumen.OBJECTIVES: The aim of research was compare of purine derivatives excretion and microbial protein synthesis in two breeds of Sistani and Holstein.METHODS: The rations were prepared in a completely randomized design in maintenance level and were fed to animals in 2 breeds that each composed of 7 calves as replicate. The urine was collected with spot sampling method to measure of purine derivatives for 10 days and 5 times every day. The blood samples was prepared for measuring of blood parameters (glucose, triglycerides and Blood urea nitrogen) in all of calves of two breeds from Jugular vein too.RESULTS: Results showed the amount of microbial protein synthesis in Sistani Calves was 42.87mmol/day that was more significantly than Holstein Calves (16.38 mmol/day) (P<0.01). The amount of allantoin and uric acid in both breeds was not significantly different. The concentration of glucose, nitrogen of Blood urea nitrogen and triglycerides was significantly different in both breeds (P<0.01). The amount of glucose, nitrogen of urea blood and triglyceride was more in the Sistani breed compare to Holstein breed (respectively 77.4, 23.07 and 36.57 mg/dl in Sistani breed and 67.51, 16.27 and 24.42 mg/dl in Holstein breed).CONCLUSIONS: Generally, the results of this experiment showed that efficiency of microbial protein synthesis in Sistani breed was more significantly than Holstein breed with feeding the equal ration.

BACKGROUND: For the reason of lower carcass quality because of genetic improvement, finding a natural way to improve growth and meat quality is necessary.OBJECTIVES: The present study was designed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of L-arginine on growth performance, carcass quality, and blood metabolites of female Ross 308 broiler chickens for 24 days.METHODS: In this experiment, 192- day -old female chicks were fed with 4 dietary treatments, 4 replications, and 12 observations in a completely randomized design. Dietary treatments were 100%, 153%, 168% and 183% of digestible arginine, based on the Ross broiler recommendation. Diets were fed from 1 to 24d. On 10th and 24th days of experiment, birds weighed and feed consumption were recorded. At the end of experiment, three chickens per replication were selected, blood samples were collected and were euthanized to determine meat quantity and quality, and blood metabolites.RESULTS: Results showed that diet containing 168% arginine had the highest body weight, feed efficiency, and weight of breast and thigh muscles, while diet containing 183% arginine showed the highest meat redness index and plasma thyroid hormone concentrations (P<0.05). On the other hand, increasing in arginine of the diet reduced plasma concentrations of triglyceride, and urea, shear force and pH of the meat.CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the overall results of this study showed that consumption level of 168% digestible arginine, as based of Ross broiler recommendation, had the best desirable results on growth, meat quality and plasma metabolites.

BACKGROUND: Achillea flower and Eucalyptus including phenolic components which may affect rumen fermentation pattern.OBJECTIVES: This study carried out to evaluate effect of Achillea millefolium flower (AM) and Eucalyptus globolus leaf (EG) on alfalfa OM, CP and NDF digestibility (in vitro) at different incubation times (6, 12, 18, 24 and 48h).METHODS: Rumen liquor collected from two Sanjabi sheep fitted with permanent fistula and in vitro nutrients digestibility were measured using Tilly and Terry procedure. Treatments were alfalfa (control) and alfalfa plus different levels (5, 10, 15 and 20% of DM) of AM or EG.RESULTS: Total phenolic components of alfalfa, AM and EG were 5.9, 23.3 and 89.3 g/Kg DM, whereas total tannins were 0.4, 15.3 and 72.2 g/ Kg DM. Saponins were at the rate of 10.4, 67.5 and 174.1 g/ Kg DM, respectively. Incorporation of different levels of AM to the media containing alfalfa resulted in no significant alteration in OM, CP and NDF digestibility. Replacement of alfalfa by EG at initial stage of incubation (£18 h) had no significant effect on digestibility but following prolongation of incubation it decreased (P<0.05) nutrients digestibility. Crude protein digestibility start to decline due to partial replacement of alfalfa hay by EG and highest effect was observed at 20 percent. NDF digestibility of alfalfa also decreased (P<0.05) by incorporation of EG to the media.CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that, both herbal plants were influenced nutrients digestibility of alfalfa in different manner. Although, EG decreased nutrients digestibility of alfalfa at different percentage level but AM did not influence its digestibility.

BACKGROUND: Relative importance of traits is required in multiple traits selection index.OBJECTIVES: this study was conducted to propose a model to estimate economic value for milk persistency in Holstein dairy cattle of Iran.METHODS: Production data recorded by Animal Breeding Center of Iran were used whereas the required functional and economic data were gathered on 3 large dairy farms. Final dataset included a total of 18, 2521 records of first parity cows calved from 2003 to 2011 on 2, 581 farms. The estimated parameters of Wood function were used to calculate milk persistency. Annual profit was regressed on milk persistency to estimate an economic value for the trait using a multi-covariance analysis. All analyses were performed using different procedures of SAS 9.1 software.RESULTS: In term of economic conditions of 2011 as a base-year, discounted revenues, costs and profit were US $ 4098.82, 2317.73 and 1781.09 per cow per year on average, respectively. The economic value per kg of milk persistency was estimated to be US$0.043.CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the research can be useful to define breeding strategies for Holstein dairy cattle of Iran.

BACKGROUND: There is the possibility of using some plant protein sources such as cottonseed meal and canola meal and animal protein sources such as poultry by-product meal as a substitute for fish meal in formulating rainbow trout diets.OBJECTIVES: The current study was conducted to investigate the possibility of formulating fish meal-free diets for rainbow trout considering growth performance, carcass traits and carcass chemical composition.METHODS: Four experimental diets similar in terms of digestible energy and crude protein were formulated to meet the nutrient requirements recommended by NRC (1999). Diet 1 (control diet) was based on 50% fish meal and diets 2, 3 and 4 had 24.66%, 16.14% and 0% fish meal, respectively. The fish fed four experimental diets in a completely randomized design with four replications of four treatments in 60 days in 16 pools. Water flow rate was 2 liters per second with the volume of one cubic meter. Nine hundred sixty rainbow trouts weighing approximately 150 ± 9 g were used. With increasing substitution of fish meal with plant and animal protein sources from 0 to 100%, no significant difference was observed in specific growth rate and feed conversion ratio of fish. Average weight and carcass efficiency along with viscera weight and viscera index showed no significant differences between diets. Increasing substitution of fish meal with animal and plant protein sources from 0 to 100% showed significant reduction in liver weight and liver index (P<0.05). Replacing fish meal with plant and animal protein sources had no effect on average amount of protein and carcass fat.RESULTS: It was concluded that poultry by-product meal along with cottonseed meal and canola meal can replace fish meal up to 100% in rainbow trout feeds without having any significant difference in growth performance, carcass traits and carcass chemical composition of rainbow trout.

BACKGROUND: Body Condition Score (BCS) is a subjective metod for evaluating the nutritional status of the flock that provided the profitable information of productive trait and body ingridients. OBGECTIVES: The Effect of BCS at lambing on ultrasounography, biometry measurement and productive traits of Afshari breeds were investigated.METHODS: 169 Afshari ewes 2 to 7 years old were selected from experimental flock of Zanjan University. BCS of ewes at lambing were categorized to 5 groups of 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5 and 4. The numbers of each Group were 12, 50, 45, 27 and 35 respectively. Traits in this study included: ultrasounography and biometry measurements, body weight and body temperature, wool production and some productive traits.RESULTS: BCS have significant effect on Longissimus muscle depth, body length, chest circumference, length tail, middle and bottom of the tail and body weight, while skin thickness, fat thickness, withers height and depth of the chest have no significant difference (P<0.05). Average wool production in ewes with a score of 3.5 more than other groups, and ewes with BCS 2 was lower than other treatments (P<0.05). Birth weight of lamb from ewes with different BCS, have no significant. This study showed that type of birth and sex of lamb in birth weight was significant (P<0.05). Ewe Body condition score, sex, birth weight and type of birth were effective on weaning weight and average daily gain to weaning.CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that positive effect of BCS, ewes with BCS of 3 to 4 had better performance than other groups in the flock, therefore complementary feeding of ewes in late pregnancy is recommended.

BACKGROUND: Mustard seed contains considerable amounts of energy and protein and can be used in quail's diets. OBJECTIEVES: This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different dietary levels of wild black mustard seeds on growth performance, blood metabolites, carcass characteristics and meat quality of Japanese quails.METHODS: A total of 240 7-day-old Japanese quails were allotted to 4 treatments. Each treatment group consisted of 4 replicates of 15 birds. The mustard seed was incorporated in to the Japanese quail diets at 0, 5, 10 and 15% from 7 to 35 days of age.RESULTS: The AMEn value of the mustard seed was 4167 kcal/kg and it contained 28.6% crude protein, 40.3% ether extract, 5% ash and 14.8% crud fiber (as-fed basis). The results indicated that feed intake, except in 21-28 d period, and weight gain, except in 21-28 and 28-35 d periods, decrease linearly (P<0.05) with increasing dietary levels of mustard seed. Also, feed conversion ratio in 7-35 d period (P<0.01) and the relative weights of liver (P<0.01) and pancreas (P<0.05) tended to increase linearly with increasing dietary levels of mustard seed. Dietary treatments had no effect on meat quality parameters including thiobarbituric acid value, pH, drip loss, water holding capacity and cooking loss. Feed costs to produce one kg of live quail was more economic for birds were fed diet containing 10% mustard seed (P<0.05).CONCLUSIONS: The use of mustard seed at more than 10% is not recommended, because it has a negative effect on feed intake and weight gain.

BACKGROUND: Studding price transmission is very important because of its application to study the efficiency of the market and its important role in determining the welfare of producers, marketing agents and agricultural consumers.OBJECTIVES: Therefore, this study seeks to introduce new and advanced techniques to model the nonlinear price adjustments in agricultural markets especially mutton market in East Azerbaijan Province.METHODS: Therefore, Lo-Zivot (2001), Hansen-Seo (2002) and recently Seo (2006) approaches has been discussed and threshold cointegration tests has been studied. Then, with an emphasis on recent two tests, studied vertical price transmission and nonlinear price adjustment in mutton market of East Azerbaijan with weekly prices over 1380:1-91:52 periods.RESULTS: Nonlinear test results, Sup-LM and Sup-Wald, confirmed existence nonlinear price adjustment and threshold behavior in the mutton market. After proving the existence of non-linear behavior of price adjustment, in order to investigate how price transmission in this market, Hansen-Seo (2002)’s two-regime TVECM model and Seo (2006)’s Band-TVECM model were estimated and Finally Hansen-Seo’s two-regime model was selected as the appropriate model.CONCLUSIONS: Results showed that there is significant difference between the speed of price adjustment at the farm and retail level and either in increasing regime or in decreasing regime that confirmed that price adjustment in the under study market is nonlinear.

BACKGROUND: Whole Milk Thistle plant grows in wide regions of Iran, and regardless to its medicinal properties, it used as a feed by local grazers such as sheep, goat, cattle, buffalo and camel.OBJECTIVES: This experiment was conducted to investigate the possibility of using Milk Thistle in diet of goats and its effect on fermentation and digestion of dietary fiber (wheat straw) and protein (soybean meal) when fed with diets containing barley or corn.METHODS: The experimental diets were included adding 20% Milk Thistle to barley or corn diets. In this experiment, native male goats from Cashmere goat of southern Khorasan or Birjandi strain (35±1.22 kg BW) were used. Dry matter intake (DMI), digestibility, rumen pH and ammonia nitrogen and blood urea nitrogen and glucose were measured. In vitro gas production parameters and digestibility of wheat straw and soybean meal incubated with rumen of animals fed with Milk Thistle also measured.RESULTS: In both barley and corn diets, DMI, ruminal ammonia nitrogen and pH, blood glucose and urea nitrogen significantly decreased compared with control (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between corn and barley diets. The digestibility of nutrients was not affected by the presence of Milk Thistle in diets. Gas production of wheat straw and soybean meal in barley diet was more than corn diet (P<0.05).CONCLUSIONS: The results revealed that the using 200 g kg-1 Milk Thistle in diet of goats had no negative effect on health, digestion, and there was no difference between the diets containing corn or barley.

BACKGROUND: Including plant oils rich in unsaturated fatty acids in lactating cow diets can be used as a nutritional strategy to alter milk fatty acid composition for long-term human health.OBJECTIVES: Effects of dietary plant oils rich in 18:2n-6 (POLA) on digestion, milk production and composition in lactating cows, using meta-analysis and meta-regression approach were evaluated.METHODS: Twenty-five experiments containing 38 comparisons between treatment (with plant oils) and control (without plant oils) group, which met the selection criteria, were used. Two levels of supplementing POLA were evaluated: £ and > 30 g/kg diet DM.RESULTS: Overall, plant oils decreased dry matter intake (DMI) and increased milk production and the weighted mean differences were –0.30 and 0.32 kg/d, respectively, but the results were heterogeneous. Forage type of basal diet was the source of heterogeneity for standardized mean difference (SMD) of DMI, whereas dietary 18:2n-6 content differences between treatment and control diets explained the variation in results of milk yield. Feeding POLA up to 30 g/kg diet DM improved organic matter and fiber total-tract digestibility. Milk fat content and secretion lowered at both level of POLA inclusion, but milk protein and lactose output did not change. Amount of plant oil in the diet and milk yield differences between groups showed negative and positive influences on SMD of milk fat content and yield, respectively. CONCLUSION: Feeding POLA improved milk production efficiency with decreased DMI and increased milk production.