• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.516-517
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• 1989

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.165-172
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• 2012

This study was designed to determine the effect of different floor space and type of finishing building on performance, behaviour and carcass quality of finishing pig. Three hundred and thirty six finishing pigs were alloted into two space allowance ($1.0m^2$and $2.5m^2$/pig) and two floor type (concrete slat and bedded with sawdust) of finishing building. There was no significant difference between the different space allowance in the body gain, feed intake and feed per gain. And also floor type of finishing building was not affected by the performance of finishing pig. Space allowance per pig affected the maintenance behaviour, but there was no significant difference between the floor type of finishing building in the spent time on lying, sitting and standing. Floor type was affected by the occurrence of standing behaviour, the finishing pigs in the bedded with sawdust showed less occurrence of standing. Carcass traits did not show any significant difference due to the difference of space allowance and floor type of finishing building. There was no significant difference in the chemical compositions of pork loin between the space allowance and floor type of finishing building.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.951-955
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• 2001

The behaviour of 6 Toggenburg and 6 Saanen female goats, grazing on natural vegatation in a modified sub-humid tropical environment of Kenya, was studied during the dry (January and February) and wet (April and May) seasons in 1997. The two exotic breeds grazed for 12 h daily. Observation on feeding, standing, lying and ruminating was done chronometrically at five minute intervals between 0600 and 1800 h. These grazing times were based on the current practice of small holder farmers. During the dry period, the average feeding, standing, lying and ruminating time per 12 h period for Saanens was 5.63, 4.57, 1.80 and 1.50 h respectively while that for Toggenburgs was 7.26, 3.21, 1.53 and 1.96 h, respectively. In the wet(Green) season, the mean feeding, standing, lying and ruminating time for Saanens was found to be 5.08, 4.63, 2.29 and 0.72, respectively.Toggenburgs spent more time feeding (p<0.05) than Saanens in both seasons. It was also observed that standing occured more often in Saanens than the Toggenburgs in the dry season. During the wet period, Saanens ruminated significantly longer than the Toggenburgs. The health status of the animals was determined by analyzing the respiratory frequency, heart rate, rectal temperature, hemoglobin, erythrocytes and leucocytes of the experimental animals. All the clinical and physiological parameters were within the normal physiological range of healthy goats. It was concluded that differences in the grazing behaviour of Saanens and Toggenburgs in the modified tropical environment of Kenya, do exist.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.157-161
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• 1988

To study the effect of moisture content of the diet on drinking behaviour and the amount of water drunk, observations were made on 8 Holstein steers fed either fresh cut forage or first cut hay. The observations were made in a barn with a mean temperature of about $13^{\circ}C$. Drinking occurred mainly within 3 hours after feeding for the steers fed hay, while those fed soilage drank casually. Frequency of drinking (F) was related to the dry-matter concentration (DMC, %) of herbage: F = 0.47 (${\pm}0.09$) DMC - 6.5, $SE={\pm}0.4$, r = 0.86, P<0.01. Intake of drinking water for each 100 kg of live weight (IDW/100kg) for steers fed soilage was related to the dry-matter concentration: IDW/100kg = 0.55 (${\pm}0.06$) DMC - 8.7, $SE={\pm}0.3$, r = 0.94, P<0.01. The intake of water in each drinking period for animals fed fresh forage was curvilinearly related to the drinking frequency; for the hay-fed steers there was a negative linear relationship. When the drinking frequency for steers fed the fresh forage increased to the same as that observed for the hay, water intake in each drinking period was the same as found for the hay-fed steers.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.477-480
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• 1995

The effects of formic acid and formaldehyde treatment and methionine supplementation to ladino clover fibrous residue silage on eating and rumination behaviour were studied in sheep. From the ladino clover fibrous residue, two silage were prepared, either untreated or treated with formic acid and formaldehyde. Four experimental diets: untreated silage, treated silage, untreated silage with supplementation of methionine and treated silage with supplementation of methionine, were offered to four sheep at a restricted level of DM intake (2% of BW/d) twice daily in a two-way layout design. Methionine supplementation with the treated silage significantly (p < 0.05) reduced daily time spent eating, and consequently, markedly increased rate of eating. However, there was little effect of methionine supplementation on the daily time spent eating and eating rate for sheep offered untreated silage. Methionine supplementation with the treated silage reduced daily time spent ruminating, although the same effect was not observed for untreated silage. The rumination index (time spent ruminating/100 g DM eaten) was remarkably smaller (p < 0.05) with methionine supplement in feeding treated silage, although it did not differ for sheep offered untreated silage. There were no clear effect of methionine supplementation on the rumination efficiency (i.e. number of chews/bolus, bolus time and rumination chewing rate) both feeding untreated silage and treated silage.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.187-193
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• 1990

In the present experiment, the relationship between rumination and the amount of roughage eaten by sheep was investigated in detail. Daily time spent eating was obviously changed along with an increase or decrease in daily hay intake. Daily time spent ruminating and daily number of boli regurgitated was also linearly increased or decreased with an increase or decrease of daily hay intake, and there were regression lines between daily amount of hay eaten and daily ruminating time or daily number of boli with statistical significant coefficients. Cyclic rate (total rumination time(s)/number of boli regurgitated) and daily number of rumination periods did not change in an outline along with the changes in daily hay intake. From these results, it can be suggested that daily dry matter intake by sheep could be presumed by measuring daily time spent ruminating when they were fed only roughage feed.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.119-124
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• 2017

Objective: The death of animals during transport for slaughter is a major factor indicating the level of welfare in transported animals. The aim of this study was to assess mortality related to the commercial transport of finisher pigs for slaughter in the Czech Republic. Methods: The inspectors of the State Veterinary Administration of the Czech Republic recorded the numbers of finisher pigs transported to processing plants in the Czech Republic for slaughter and the mortality in these pigs in relation to transport in the period from 2009 to 2014. Results: Our results show that the likelihood of death losses in transported pigs increases with increasing transport distance. The transport-related mortality ranged from 0.049% in pigs transported for distances below 50 km to 0.145% in pigs transported for distances exceeding 300 km. The impact of external air temperature on the transport-related mortality found in our study clearly shows that current transport practices fail to ensure the welfare of pigs transported under other than moderate weather. Particularly cold temperatures below $-2^{\circ}C$ were associated with increased death losses in winter transport. Conclusion: Despite a decreasing trend in the mortality of finisher pigs transported for slaughter in Europe, our study suggests that current transport conditions are not efficient at ensuring the welfare of pigs during transport for longer distances and the protection of pigs against the negative impact of extreme ambient temperatures. Further research should focus on developing practical guidelines to improve the welfare of pigs in transit accordingly.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.9
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• pp.1552-1558
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• 2021

Objective: This work was carried out to evaluate the effects of zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) and ractopamine hydrochloride (RH) combined with immunocastration on the welfare traits of feedlot Nellore cattle. Methods: Ninety-six Nellore males (average body weight [BW] = 409±50 kg; average 20 mo of age) were divided into two groups according to BW; half of the animals in each group received two doses of an immunocastration (ImC) vaccine in a 30 day interval, and the other half did not receive the vaccine (NoC). Afterward, the animals were housed and fed a common diet for 70 days. Then, they were split into three groups and fed one of the following diets for 30 additional days: control (CO) diet, with no β-AA; ZH diet, containing 80 mg/d ZH; and RH diet, containing 300 mg/d RH. Welfare traits were assessed by monitoring body surface temperature using infrared thermography (IRT) and plasma cortisol and temperament measurements. Results: There was no interaction between sexual condition and diet for any trait. The ImC and NoC groups did not differ in rectal and ocular temperatures. The ImC animals had higher flight speeds (p = 0.022) and tended to have higher cortisol levels (p = 0.059) than the NoC animals. Animals fed ZH and RH did not differ in cortisol levels, respiratory rate, rectal temperature, temperature measured by IRT, or temperament behaviour. Conclusion: The ImC animals showed a less stable temperament during handling practices than NoC, whereas ZH and RH supplementation had no adverse effects on animal welfare.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.344-350
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• 1998

Seasonal variations in the feeding behaviour of Jamunapari and Barbari goat breeds and their utilization of browse and grass nutrients was evaluated in a promising 3-tier (Leucaena leucocephala- Dichro-stachys nutan-Cenchrus ciliaris) reconstituted pasture during summer, rainy and winter season of the years 1987 and 1988. Distinct diurnal pattern of feeding was observed with both the breeds. Jamunapari goats spent significantly more time foraging during winter season (352.0 min) followed by summer (306.0 min) and least in rainy season (277.0 min). Though no significant difference was observed in the relative time spent by Barbari goats on grazing activities during summer and winter season, they spent significantly more (p < 0.05) time during rainy season as compared to other two seasons. The preference of grazing goats for certain plant species in relation to others was evident with distinct seasonal and breed variations. DM intake (g/kg $BW^{075}$) varied significantly (p < 0.05) from season to season. Among the browse. L. leucocephala was prefered over D. nutan irrespective of breed over the seasons. There was no breed difference in DM intake, or proximate composition and nutrient digestibility of ingested herbage. The available nutrient content of ingested forage was found sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of adult goats for maintenance (NRC, 1981). The reconstituted 3-tier pasture dominated by plant species like L. leucocephala and Cenchrus species appear to have great potential to sustain the nutrient requirement of goats without adverse seasonal fluctuations in pasture quality.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.491-495
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• 2001

The behaviour of 5 Jersey and 5 Guernsey heifers, grazing on natural vegetation in a sub-humid tropical environment in Kenya, was studied during the dry (January and February) and wet (April and May) seasons in 1999. The heifers grazed for 12 hours daily in both seasons. Observations on feeding, standing, lying and ruminating were done chronometrically, at five-minute intervals, between 0600 and 1800 h. During the dry season, the average feeding, standing, lying and ruminating times per 12 h period for Jerseys was 8.0, 3.13, 0.87, and 1.40 respectively, while those for Guernseys were 8.6, 3.26, 0.4, and 1.35 respectively. In the wet (green) season, the mean feeding, standing, lying and ruminating times for Jerseys were found to be 7.54, 3.07, 1.39, and 1.27 respectively, and for Guernseys were 8.42, 3.10, 0.48, and 0.44 respectively. In both seasons Guernseys spent more time feeding (p<0.05) in comparison with the Jerseys. It was also observed that lying occurred more often in Jerseys than the Guernseys (p<0.05) in both seasons. During the wet season, Jerseys ruminated longer (p<0.05) than the Guernseys. The health status of the animals was determined by examining the respiratory frequency, heart rate, rectal temperature, haemoglobin erythrocytes and leucocytes of the experimental animals. All the clinical and physiological parameters were within the normal physiological range of healthy cattle. It was concluded that there are differences in grazing behaviour between Jerseys and Guernseys in the sub-humid tropical environment of Kenya and Jerseys seem to be more adapted to the tropical climatic conditions.