• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.128-133
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• 2013

The objective of the study was to determine the effect of Acacia karroo supplementation on growth, ultimate pH, colour and cooking losses of meat from indigenous Xhosa lop-eared goats. Eighteen castrated 4-month-old kids were used in the study until slaughter. The kids were subdivided in two treatment groups A. karroo supplemented (AK) and non-supplemented (NS). The supplemented goats were given 200 g per head per d of fresh A. karroo leaves. The kids were slaughtered on d 60 and sample cuttings for meat quality assessment were taken from the Longistimus dorsi muscle. The supplemented kids had higher (p<0.05) growth rates than the non-supplemented ones. The meat from the A. karroo supplemented goats had lower (p<0.05) ultimate pH and cooking loss than the meat from the non-supplemented goats. Acacia karroo supplemented goats produced higher (p<0.05) $b^*$ (yellowness) value, but supplementation had no significant effect on $L^*$ (lightness) and $a^*$ (redness) of the meat. Therefore, A. karroo supplementation improved growth performance and the quality of meat from goats.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.569-582
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• 2004

Current growth in the deer industry is 20% per annum as the demand increases for venison in Europe, including the increased use in Asia of antlers as a natural medicine by humans. The deer industry in Australia has developed rapidly, but farm profitability has fluctuated markedly. The knowledge on deer farming has largely been adopted from New Zealand (NZ) and the United Kingdom (UK) although the environmental conditions in these deer growing countries differ markedly from Australia. The practice used for weaning is one of the key factors influencing the profitability of the industry. However, a wide range in weaning dates are practised by farmers leading to the question of whether deer should be weaned after mating to reduce the stress during weaning or should they be weaned in the pre-rut period to allow does to recover their body condition for the next reproduction cycle. This review examines the effect of weaning time on the performance of does and hinds and the subsequent growth rate of the fawns and calves. Gaps in knowledge of weaning procedures and nutritional management for early weaned deer are identified.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.799-806
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• 2008

This experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of feeding limestone to high and low Ca layer diets on laying performance and eggshell quality in laying hens. Five hundred and twenty-eight HyLine brown layer allotted to six treatments consisting of high and low Ca diets. Limestone added to two kinds of basal diet with 1, 2 and 3 fold compared to conventional diet. Egg production was not different regardless Ca level and amount of added limestone in overall periods. However, the increment of egg observed in high Ca diet and added 10g limestone group during later period. Ca and limestone intake were increased as increasing feeding limestone. Eggshell strength and thickness were improved in high Ca consumption group. It was concluded that feeding Ca sources to conventional diets was helpful improving eggshell quality and reducing feed cost per egg mass by increasing proportion of Ca intake.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.57-66
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• 2007

This study was conducted not only to evaluate the feed value for forests and organically produced-agricultural byproducts, but also to determine effects of different hilly pasture types on feed intake, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen retention in Korean black goats. Forty black goats were employed in the feeding trial and they were separated into four treatments (forages grown in chemical fertilizer, organic forages, native plants and browses) with 10 goats for each treatment. Furthermore, 12 goats, for nutrient digestibility trial, were allotted to few treatments of three goats per treatment with a randomized complete block design. Total body weight gain and average daily gain were significantly (p<0.05) decreased in the order of forages grown in chemical fertilizer, organic forages, native plants and browses throughout the trial. Dry matter intake (DM), digestible DMI, DM digestibility and nitrogen retention were highest in forages treatment grown in chemical fertilizer (p<0.05). From the above results, Organic Korean black goats fed forest byproducts as forage source and domestic organically produced-agricultural byproducts as supplemental diets were somewhat lowered in their performance. However, it showed high stability in the sustainable farming of organic Korean black goats. As the result, the consumption of organic Korean black goats might be more desirable for medicinal use rather than fur meat as a table food. The way to increase the low performance of organic Korean black goats for supplemental diets might be the additional supply of lacking nutrients for supplemental diets

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.159-164
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• 2006

To investigate the effects of salt contents in diet and water on the growth of broiler chicks, 288 heads of Hubbards strain chicks, were fed with com-soybean meal diets containing 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, or 4.0% salt from 1d to l4d posthatching. And 180 chicks were also supplemented with salt to their water at 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5 or 1.0%. Feed intake and weight gain tended to decrease as the salt levels in diets increased and those were the lowest in 4% group as 481 g and 168 g, however, mortality was the highest in 4% group as 75.0%. As for the salt levels in water, feed intake and weight gain were low as 427 g and 162 g in 1% group, while mortality was 77.8%. Salt poisoning chicks were shown with thirsty, appetite deficiency, rising impossibility, sleepiness, or convulsions, and in autopsy, were shown with ascites, hydropericardium, cardiac hypertrophy, hemorrhage of eyelid, hemorrhage of trachea, hemorrhage of intestine, etc. Conclusively, salt content above 4% in diet or 1% in water could reduce the performance in broiler chicks.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.255-262
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• 2006

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of dietary organic selenium levels on performance and selenium retention in broiler chickens and laying hens. In experiment 1, the effects of dietary organic selenium levels on the weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion, and selenium retention of meat and liver in broiler chickens were investigated. For each growth phase, the basal diet was supplemented with 0 (control), 0.60, 1.20, 1.80 and 2.40 ppm Se from selenium yeast(SY). Weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion were not affected by the selenium addition in diets. Breast muscle Se levels were linearly increased (P<0.05) as dietary Se level increased by SY. Selenium concentration of liver tissue was increased (P<0.05) in supplemental SY compared to the control, and was increased (P<0.05) in supplemental 1.20, 1.80 and 2.40 ppm SY compared to the 0.60 ppm SY. In Experiment 2, 12-week-experiment using Hy-Line laying hens (68 wk of age) was conducted to examine the effects of dietary organic selenium on egg Production, egg weight, daily egg mass, feed intake, feed conversion, egg quality, and selenium concentration of eggs. A corn-soybean meal basal diet was supplemented with 0 (control), 0.30, 0.60, 0.90 and 1.20 ppm Se from selenium yeast (SY). Egg Production was significantly improved(P<0.05) in supplemental 0.30 and 0.90 ppm SY compared to the control and 0.60 ppm SY during week 1 to 12, but daily egg mass, feed intake, and feed conversion showed no difference in supplemental SY and control. Haugh unit, yolk color and eggshell breaking strength showed no difference in supplemental SY and control. Eggshell thickess was significantly (P<0.05) higher in supplemental 0.60 and 1.20 ppm SY compared to the 0.90 ppm SY in week 9. Egg Se levels were linearly increased (P<0.05) as dietary Se level increased by SY.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.889-896
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• 2006

This study was arranged to investigate effects of maternal nursing potential on immune metabolites in blood, body weight gain and occurrence of disease in Hanwoo calves. Forty experimental calves were used and allocated into two groups with different maternal nursing potential. Thus, high or low maternal nursing potential group had twenty calves, respectively. The concentrations of IGF-I, RBC, Ca and IP in blood were similar between two groups, except for RBC. RBC concentration in blood from high maternal nursing potential group was significantly higher compared with low maternal nursing potential group at 5 days after birth (p<0.05). The concentrations of IgG, albumin, total protein and GGT in blood were similar between two groups during the whole experimental period. The days from birth had no effects on the concentration of IgG, albumin and GGT in blood from two groups, except for total protein. Similarly, the maternal nursing potential had no direct effect on body weight of calves, but body weight in high maternal nursing potential group tended to be higher compared with low maternal nursing potential group at 6 months age. The occurrence of respiratory disease and diarrhea in high maternal nursing potential group was relatively lower compared with low maternal nursing potential group. Therefore, the present study indicating that maternal nursing potential had effect on growth, and immune system in relation to disease in calves.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.331-337
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• 1993

In order to understand the effect of duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) on the economic performance of ducks, Three groups (DHBV congenitally infected, experimentally infected and DHBV negative) Brown Tsaiya ducks (Anas platyrhyncha) were used for experimental animals. Artificial insemination and pedigree hatching were applied in the propagation of ducklings, and the efficiency of vertical transmission and experimental infection was analyzed through the detection of DHBV DNA in the sera of 8-week-old offspring. The observation of the records of the first year indicated that the persistent infection had no significant effects on the performance of ducks, except the egg number of survival ducks up to 40 week of age. Thus DHBV infection did not appear to give ill effects to the economic performance of ducks in first laying year. A higher infection rate (85.3%) was obtained in congenital transmission than that (75.5%) of experimental infection. Both modes of infection did not reach 100% infectious rate, although some ducks developed transient viraemia in a tracing of DHBV DNA for 24 weeks to 11 challenged ducklings.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.113-132
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• 2005

With the demand for free-range products increasing and the pressure on the intensive poultry industry to improve poultry welfare especially in western countries, the number of free-range poultry farms has increased significantly. The USA, Australia and European countries have developed Codes of Practice for free-range poultry farming which detail the minimum standards of husbandry and welfare for birds. However, the performance and liveability of free-range birds needs to be improved and more knowledge is required on bird husbandry, feed supply, disease control and heat wave management. This review examines the husbandry, welfare, nutrition and disease issues associated with free-range poultry systems and discusses the potential of incorporating free-range poultry into a crop-pasture rotation system.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.674-681
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• 2012

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of supplemental glutamine on growth performance, plasma parameters and LPS-induced immune response of weaned barrows after castration. In experiment 1, forty-eight weaned male piglets were used and fed maize and soybean meal diets supplemented with 0 (Control) or 2% L-Gln (Gln+) for 25 days. The results indicated that the Gln+ group tended to increase average daily gain compared to control in stages of days 7 to 14 and 0 to 25. The Gln+ had significantly better feed efficiency than the control group did during days 14 to 25 and 0 to 25. The plasma blood urea nitrogen and alkaline phosphatase contents of Gln+ group were higher than those of the control group on day 14 post-weaning. In experiment 2, sixteen weaned male piglets were injected with E. coli K88+ lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on day 14 post-weaning. The results showed that the Gln+ group had lower concentrations of plasma adrenocorticotrophic hormone and cortisol than the control group on day 14 pre-LPS challenge. In addition, Gln+ group had higher plasma IgG concentration than the control group for pre- or post-LPS challenged on day 14 post-weaning. In summary, dietary supplementation of Gln was able to alleviate the stressful condition and inflammation associated with castration in weaned barrows, and to improve their immunity and growth performance in the early starter stage.