• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.435-439
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• 2000

Records of weight, age, body condition at calving and udder characteristics scores of 425 beef cows and birth weights and periodical weights of their offspring from birth to weaning were analyzed to study the effect of body weight, condition and udder characteristic scores of dams on birth weight and Preweaning growth of their offspring. Dam's body condition (fat reserve) at calving were scored on a scale of 1 to 5 (1=extremely thin and 5=extremely fat) and dam's udder characteristics were scored on a scale of 1 to 7 (l=udder well attached with small teats and 7=at least one quarters not functional). Dams were from three distinct breed groups and were mated in single sire mating groups within each breed group for 45 days. Within each breed group and year, the dams were classified into high, medium and low based on their weights at the time of parturition. The data were analysed using covariance analysis. In general, calves born to heavier dams were heavier at birth and had higher rate of Preweaning growth. The effect of dam's body condition score on the calf birth weight was not significant. However, cows with average body condition score of 2.5 or 3.0 gave birth to calves that had higher pre weaning growth rates up to weaning than those born to calves with higher body condition score. The udder characteristics score did not affect calf birth weight as expected; however, cows with udder score of 3 (udder well attached with large teats) produced calves with higher preweaning growth rate than those with smaller teats. Based on the results, it can be concluded that maintaining animals with average body condition and weight would result in more efficient calf production. In addition, cows with well attached udder and large teats would provide a better maternal environment for Preweaning growth rates of their calves.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.292-299
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• 2000

Forty-four Javanese thin-tail ewes were used to study the effect of superovulation prior to mating and of ration quality on lamb birth weight at parturition. Twenty-two ewes weaning at least one lamb were used to measure lamb preweaning growth. Prior to mating, the experimental ewes were injected twice with prostaglandin, with an 11 d interval between injections to synchronize the estrous cycle. At the last prostaglandin injection, 24 ewes were also injected with 700 IU of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) to stimulate superovulation and the remainder were injected with saline as control. During pregnancy and lactation, the experimental ewes were fed either on a low (12% CP and 65% TDN) or a high (15% CP and 75% TDN) quality ration. During lactation, the milk was collected twice a day and was refed to the lambs by bottle feeding immediately after collection. Superovulation or ration quality as a main factor did not significantly affect lamb birth weight. Litter size significantly affected lamb birth weight (p<0.05), and there was an interaction of superovulation and litter size. Nonsuperovulated ewes giving birth to multiple lambs had significantly lower average lamb birth weight (1.34 kg) as compared to those giving birth to a single lamb (1.97 kg) (p<0.05). However, superovulated ewes giving birth to multiple lambs had no significant difference in average lamb birth weight (1.68 kg) as compared to those giving birth to a single lamb (1.91 kg) (p>0.05). Superovulation of ewes prior to mating resulted in a significant improvement in lamb birth weight in the multiple litter size, without significant effect on average preweaning daily gain (p=0.07). Superovulation had a promising use in improving animal production through improvement of prenatal growth during pregnancy and milk production during lactation.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.253-260
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• 2024

Objective: The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the effects of once-a-day milk feeding on growth performance and routine behavior of preweaning dairy calves. Methods: At 22nd day of age, twenty-four Holstein calves were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups (n = 12/treatment) based on milk feeding frequency (MF): i) 3 L of milk feeding two times a day; ii) 6 L of milk feeding once a day. The milk feeding amount was reduced to half for all calves between 56 and 60 days of age and weaning was done at 60 days of age. To determine the increase in weight and structural measurements, each calf was weighed and measured at 3 weeks of age and then at weaning. The daily behavioral activity of each calf was assessed from the 22nd day of age till weaning (60th day of age) through Nederlandsche Apparatenfabriek (NEDAP) software providing real-time data through a logger fitted on the calf's foot. Results: There was no interaction (p≥0.17) between MF and sex of the calves for routine behavioral parameters, body weight and structural measurements. Similarly, there was no effect of MF on routine behavioral parameters, body weight and structural measurements. However, the sex of the calves affected body weight gain in calves. Male calves had 27% greater total body weight and average daily gain than female calves. There was no effect of the sex of the calves on behavioral measurements. Collectively, in the current study, no negative effects of a once-a-day milk feeding regimen were found on routine behavioral and growth parameters of preweaning calves in group housing. Conclusion: Once-a-day milk feeding can be safely adopted in preweaning calves from 22nd day of age.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.700-704
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• 2013

A study was conducted to investigate the effects of feeding medium chain triacylglycerol (MCT) on growth performance, plasma fatty acids, villus height and crypt depth in preweaning piglets. A total of 150 new born piglets were randomly assigned into one of three treatments: i) Control (no MCT); ii) MCT with milk (MCT+milk); iii) MCT without milk (MCT+fasting). Body weight, plasma fatty acid profiles, villus height and crypt depth were measured. Final BW for the Control and MCT+fasting was lower (p<0.05) than MCT+milk. The piglets fed with MCT regardless of milk provision or fasting had greater medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) than the Control. In contrast, the Control had greater long chain fatty acid (LCFA) and unsaturated fatty acid (USFA) than the MCT piglets. The piglets fed with MCT regardless of milk provision or fasting had higher villus height for the duodenum and jejunum after 6 h of feeding. Similar observations were found in piglets fed with MCT after 6 and 8 days of treatment. This study showed that feeding MCT to the piglets before weaning improved growth performance, with a greater concentration of MCT in blood plasma as energy source and a greater height of villus in duodenum, jejunum and ileum.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.1484-1490
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• 2004

Mitochondrial DNA haplotypes from the displacement-loop (D-loop) region (436 bp) were genotyped and sequenced in Japanese Black beef cattle raised in the same herd. Correlation coefficients between mitochondrial DNA haplotypes, maternal lineage, birth weight, preweaning average daily gain, weaning weight, post weaning average daily gain and yearling weight were computed. The objective was to study the relationship between maternal and postnatal growth traits and to investigate if postnatal growth of calves to yearling age could be accurately predicted from mitochondrial DNA haplotypes. Results of the phylogenetic analysis revealed 17 maternal lineages and four mitochondrial DNA haplotypes. There were strong, positive and highly significant (p<0.001) correlations among maternal traits ranging from 0.52 to 0.98. Similarly, among postnatal growth traits, most of the correlations were also strong, positive and highly significant (p<0.001); the highest correlation of 0.94 was between preweaning average daily gain and weaning weight. However, correlations between mitochondrial DNA haplotypes and postnatal growth traits were very low, mostly negative and non-significant (p>0.05) ranging from -0.05 to 0.1. Prediction of postnatal growth from mitochondrial DNA yielded very low $R^{2}$ values ranging from 0.002 to 0.019. It was concluded that mitochondrial DNA polymorphism has no significant association with postnatal growth from birth to yearling age, and by implication, nuclear rather than cytoplasmic DNA, accounts for most of the genetic variation observed in postnatal growth of Japanese Black cattle. Therefore, mitochondrial DNA genotyping at an early age has no bearing on the accurate prediction of the future growth performance of calves.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.1378-1385
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• 2002

The importance of direct genetic, maternal, heterosis and epistatic effects were examined on post-weaning weight, height, length, girth, fat depth and muscle (ratio of stifle to hip width) with dry and wet season gains in these traits. The breeds used were two pure breeds (Jersey and Limousin), the Limousin${\times}$Jersey $F_1$, and two backcrosses ($F_1{\times}$Jersey dams and $F_1{\times}$Limousin dams). Direct genetic effects were large (p<0.001) for all traits except for length. Jersey maternal effects were large for weight, girth, fat depth and muscle in the post-weaning wet season gains which is an evidence of the impact of Jersey dam on progeny beyond weaning. There were large heterosis effects on fat depth and muscle relative to other traits. Epistatic effects were observed for post-weaning performance in weight, girth, fat depth and muscle. There are indications that there were different genetic effects for post-weaning compared to preweaning growth traits. Thus, it could be hypothesized from this study that different quantitative trait loci (QTL) affect early and late growth in Jersey and Limousin cross cattle breeds. The follow up work will examine the different chromosomal gene effects on pre- and post-weaning growth.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.113-125
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• 1969

These experiments were designed to study the influence of early protein undernutrition on growth, behaviors toward food, general attitude toward a new environment, brain size and body composition of the experimental rats. The following experimental groups were studied. Lactation period (3 weeks) (Diets of mother rats) 25% Casein diet 12% Casein diet 25% Casein diet 25% Casein diet 12% Casein diet 12% Casein diet After-weaning protein deprivation period None deprivation (25% Casein diet) None deprivation (25% Casein diet) 5% Casein diet (4 weeks) 5% Casein diet (8 weeks) 5% Casein diet (4 weeks) 5% Casein diet (8 weeks) After a long period of rehabilitation with 25% casein diet the following results were obtained. 1. Growth rate during lactation period is closely related with the protein levels of the diet for mother rats. The average body weight of offsprings of the mother rat fed 25% casein diet is 46.0 grams at 21 days old. However, that of the mother rat fed 12% casein diet is only 25.0 grams. 2. The group of protein undernutrition during lactation (S weeks) (offsprings of mother rat fed low protein diet, 12% casein diet) could never catch up with the normal group in its growth even after twenty-four (24) weeks of rehabilitation. 3. However, the groups of protein undernutrition during either four (4) or even eight (8) weeks after weaning could catch up with the normal group in their growth after long period of rehabilitation. 4. The absolute amounts of carcass protein and fat of the normal group are larger than those of the protein deficient groups. In terms of percent carcass, however, the normal group showed higher body fat and lower body protein than the early deficient groups. However, there is no difference between preweaning (3 weeks) and postweaning (8 weeks) deficient groups. It is assumed, from these differences in body composition, that there might be any differences in physiological and metabolic functions among these various groups, and also that the basic formation of various metabolic regulators (protein-nature) might be fixed mostly during lactation and postweaning period. 5. The groups of protein undernutrition during either three (3) weeks lactation or four (4) weeks after weaning are not so remarkably different from the normal group in their amounts of food intake and spillage. However, the groups of undernutrition during either eight (8) weeks postweaning or eleven (11) weeks (3 weeks lactation period plus 8 weeks postweaning period) showed higher amounts of food intake and spillage. In these respects, it seems that desire for food is closely related with the degree of early hunger in protein and also seems that the longer be deficient in early life the more food spillage is found. 6. Both preweaning and postweaning deficient groups showed generally nervous and restless. The normal group is staid and showed less mobilities. 7. The average size of the brains of the group subjected to protein deficiency during three (3) weeks lactation period is smaller than that of the group of the eight (8) weeks postweaning deficiency. This means that the development of the brain is made mostly during lactation period. The group of the eleven (11) weeks postnatal deficiency is significantly different from the normal group in its brain development. It is assumed, in connection with the results of various maze tests reported, that the brain size is closely related with the intellectual ability.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.1390-1393
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• 2006

Data spread over 11 years (1986-1996) pertaining to a synthetic population developed by inter se mating of half-breds of Corriedale and Russian Merino with Nali maintained at CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar were utilized for the estimation of genetic parameters for growth traits. The means for birth weight (BWT), weaning weight (WWT), six month body weight (SWT), yearling weight (YWT), preweaning daily gain (PRW) and post weaning daily gain (POW) were 3.35 kg, 10.79 kg, 13.28 kg, 18.96 kg, 82.6 gm and 27.6 gm, respectively. The effects of year and season of birth and sex of lamb were significant for all the traits under study except the effect of season of birth for WWT, SWT and PRW. No definite trend was observed over the years for the averages of body weight and gain. Lambs born during the spring season performed better for BWT, WWT and PRW while the performance of lambs born during autumn was better for the other traits included in the study. The male lambs were heavier than the females for body weight at all stages and gain in weight. The heritability estimates for WWT and PRW were low; for BWT and SWT were moderate and for YWT and POW were high. Birth weight had high heritability and high genetic correlations with subsequent body weights and gains but due to the presence of a maternal effect on BWT and WWT, a sequential selection procedure is recommended for the improvement of growth rate in sheep.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1599-1605
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• 2015

Twenty Holstein calves were used to investigate the effects of mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) supplementation in the whole milk on growth performance, faecal score, faecal pH, selected faecal bacterial populations and health during the preweaning period. Healthy calves selected by clinical examination were allocated to one of the two groups (control [CG] and experimental [EG]) at 5 days old. Each group consisted of 5 male and 5 female calves. Each calf in EG was supplemented with 7 g/d of a MOS product (Celmanax) from 5 days to 56 days of age. MOS supplement was mixed with the whole milk once in the morning and administered to the calves in EG via nipple bottle, whereas the calves in CG were fed the whole milk without MOS. Calves were weaned at 56 days of age. The final body weight, average daily weight gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) were statistically similar (p>0.05) but were higher by 3.70%, 6.66%, and 10.97%, respectively, in MOS than in control calves. Feed efficiency (ADG/ADFI) was also similar in two calves group. While faecal scores did not differ on day 5, 7, 14, 21, 28, 42, 49, and 56 between groups, EG had a higher faecal score (p = 0.05) than CG on day 35. Faecal concentration of Lactobacillus was lower (p<0.05) in EG compared with CG. No differences (p>0.05) in faecal concentrations of Bifidobacterium, Clostridium perfringens, and Escherichia coli were found between groups. Although there were no significant differences (p>0.05) in the incidence of diarrhoea, treatment days for diarrhoea and the costs associated with diarrhoea treatments between groups, collectively, the observed reductions in treatment days and the cost of diarrhoea treatments accompanying increases in final body weight, ADG and ADFI for EG may indicate potential benefit of MOS in treatment of diarrhoea.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.173-186
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• 2000

This experiment was carried out to investigate the tendency of incident diseases in pre- and post- weaning piglets which ages were 1 to 7 weeks old by laboratory diagnosis and in order to minimize death in preweaning piglets and of stunted growth in postweaning piglets. The result of this experiment used as the basic data for the preventive programs in pre- and post- weaning piglets and were as follows: 23 different diseases diagnosed in 331 cases were studied in relation to age, season, and etiology. The most prevelent diseases of pre- and post- weaning piglet were Colibacillosis(79 case, 23.9%) and the major diseases were Salmonellosis(44 cases, 13.3%), Anemia(37 cases, 11.2%). Unknown viral disease(20 case, 6.1%), Rota viral infection(19 case, 5.8%), Porcine reproductive & respiratory syndrome(PRRS; 15 case 4.5%), Transmissible gastroenteritis(TGE; 12 case, 3.6%). The gastrointestinal disease, such as Colibacillosis, Salmonellosis, Swine dysentery, Clostridial infection, Rotaviral infection, TGE, Porcine epidemic diarrhea(PED) and Ballantidiosis occured pro- dominently in the period of pre- and post- weaning, which were 178 cases(53.8%) and not related to occurrence according to age and season. The respiratory diseases were Atrophic rhinitis(AR), Swine enzootic pneumonia, Pneumonic pasteurellosis, Pleuropneumonia, Branchopneumonia, PRRS and which were 48 cases(14.5%) and higher prevalent in spring and summer. The viral diseases was 73 cases(22.1%) that occurred in the period of 5 weeks piglet and prevalent mainly in spring. The bacterial diseases were 188 cases(56.8%) that were not related to occurrence according to age and season. Salmonellosis was prevalent in 3 to 5 weeks piglet and mainly occurred in summer. Viral septicemia and rotaviral infection occurred after 5 weeks piglets intensively and 3 to 5 weeks, respectively. And the both occurred without relation with season. PRRS occurred after 4 weeks piglet and prevalent in summer. TGE occurred 1 to 7 days old piglets and prevalent in spring and winter. Hematologic values of anemia was decrease in number of Red Blood Cell, concentration of Hemoglobin and Hematocrit. Amikacin, cephalothin, colistin, norfloxacin were effective to E coli, and amikacin, cephalothin, nortloxacin, neomycin were effective to Salmonellra spp. but clindamycin, erythromycin, penicillin, sulfonamides were resistant to E coli and Salmonella spp.