• Title/Summary/Keyword: graze

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Efficiency of Calf Production from Twin-bearing Beef Cows on an Intensive Pasture System in Subtropical Australia

  • Hennessy, D.W.;Wilkins, J.F.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.18 no.12
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    • pp.1735-1740
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    • 2005
  • Forty-two single-bearing and 42 twin-bearing mature Angus${\times}$Hereford cows were allocated, seven per cell to 3 replications of 2 stocking rates (3.2 cows/ha; medium stocking rate [MSR], and 3.8 cows/ha; high stocking rate [HSR]) to graze summer-active and winter-active pastures from late pregnancy to the weaning of their calves. Cow liveweights and growth of calves were recorded as well as estimates of pasture quantity and forage intake. Pasture quantity did not differ in the paddocks grazed by single- and twin-bearing cows during pregnancy, nor effectively did forage intake. Subsequently, intake was higher during mid-lactation especially with twin-rearing cows (25% higher than single-rearing cows at the MSR; 9% at the HSR). However, quantity of pasture decreased for twin-rearing cows and was less than that available to single-rearing cows as lactation progressed. Liveweights of twinrearing cows decreased by 16% from late pregnancy to weaning at the MSR, and by 14% at the HSR, compared to decreases of 1% for single-rearing cows. Twin calves were lighter at birth, had slower growth rates, and were lighter at weaning than single calves. In spite of weaning smaller calves twinning increased the output (kg of calf weaned) per cow and per ha, and increased the efficiency (kg calf weaned per unit of forage eaten by the cow) over single calf production by 46% at the MSR and by 58% at the HSR. Twinning also increased the marginal returns from investment in high input pastures required by the enterprise.

Short-term grazing behavior of cattle under indoor housing for a new-bred tetraploid ruzigrass (Brachiaria ruziziensis Germain et Everard)

  • Ishigaki, Genki;Nitthaisong, Pattama;Prasojo, Yogi Sidik;Kobayashi, Ikuo;Fukuyama, Kiichi;Rahman, Mohammad Mijanur;Akashi, Ryo
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.31 no.5
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    • pp.748-754
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    • 2018
  • Objective: The preference evaluation of cattle is an important factor for estimation and improvement of the grazing amounts of newly introduced or bred grasses or cultivars in barn. This study was performed to assess the grazing behavior (the amount of grazing and/or the grazing speed) of cattle as indirect method using newly bred Brachiaria ruziziensis tetraploid strain 'OKI-1'(BR) hay as treatment group and Cloris gayana 'Callide' (CG) hay as control group. It also compared the feasibility of using behavioral differences between two groups as one criteria for evaluating preference by Japanese black cattle in barn. Methods: Three experiments were carried out using 12 growing Japanese Black cattle including 6 males and 6 females. In each experiment, the four Japanese Black cattle (2 males and 2 females) were placed in separated stall and allowed to graze BR and CG in manger that was separated into two portions for about 30 min. The position and behavior of the cattle were recorded, and weighed the residual of each gay at 15 and 30 minutes after experiment start. Results: The BR was superior to CG in chemical composition such as protein, fibers and non-fibrous carbohydrate. The cattle, over all, tended to prefer BR over CG in the first half 15 minutes in terms of the time spent and amount of grazing. Additionally, growing cattle exhibited neophilia for BR bred newly. Conclusion: These findings indicated the current approach could be applied for one of criteria to evaluate the preference of hay by Japanese black cattle under indoor housing environment.

Value-Chain Analysis of Mountain Farm Milk Products (산지 방목 유제품의 Value Chain 활성화를 위한 조사 연구)

  • Park, Seung-Yong;Kwon, Young-Woong;Sung, Kyung-Il
    • Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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    • v.35 no.3
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    • pp.184-195
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    • 2017
  • This study was carried out to investigate the micro-agribusiness realities of dairy farms by surveying both farmers' opinions and consumers' recognition of dairy farm products for in a value-chain analysis. In most cases, dairy farms produced fermented milk for sales and to prepare cheese both for sales and for providing the necessary material for farm visitors. Value-chain analysis did not seem to be a viable strategy for dairy farmers, except when assessing the quality of farmstead milk products in comparisons of dairy farm milks and commercial milk products. Consumers had a wide range of experience with milk products and had no willingness to buy products from dairy farms because of the high cost and the lack of product diversity. Our findings established three strategies for improving the economic feasibility of dairy farms. First, the price should be reduced by adopting a production balance to establish a farm-gate price, i.e., not as quota milk but as surplus milk. Second, consumers should be educated on the prescription of cheese at home. Third, a value-chain based on cooperative partnerships should be established among dairy farms. In addition, to improve the consumers' satisfaction on the diversity and quality of farm dairy products, developments of new value-added milk products made from the milk of cows allowed to graze on mountain pastures are needed.

Synthesis and Characterization of V2O - Doped Karrooite Brown Pigments (V2O5가 고용된 Karrooite계의 Brown색 안료합성과 특성)

  • Kim, Gum-Sun;Lee, Byung-Ha
    • Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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    • v.48 no.4
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    • pp.303-306
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    • 2011
  • [ $V_2O_5$ ]doped Karrooite pigments were synthesized by the solid state method to get stabilized brown pigment in oxidation and reduction atmosphere. Optimum substitution condition and limited dopant with $V_2O_5$ for Karrooite pigment was investigated. With calcination at $1250^{\circ}C{\sim}1400^{\circ}C$, compositions were designed varying $V_2O_5$ molar ratio by increasing 0.02mole to the formula $Mg_1-xTi_2-xM_{2x}O_5$(x = 0.01~0.09 mole). Synthesized pigments were analyzed by XRD, Raman spectroscopy and UV-vis. When $V_2O_5$ was doped from 0.01 to 0.05 mole, single phase of Karrooite was observed at temperature $1300^{\circ}C$ and soaking time 4h by Raman spectroscopy. However, it was found that excess $VO_2$ peak appeared with 0.07 and 0.09 mole of $V_2O_5$ doped to $MgTi_2O_5$. This result indicated that the maximum limit of solid solution is 0.05 mole $V_2O_5$. Karrooite pigments were applied as a ceramic pigment to achieve brown colors in lime magnesia glaze and lime barium graze at both of oxidation and reduction atmosphere. CIE color coordinates are $L^*$ = 40.34, $a^*$ = 9.94, $b^*$ = 21.40 in lime magnesia glaze.

Sheep-On Palm Integration : Grazing Preference, Nutritive Value, Dry Matter Intake Estimation and Digestibility of Herbage

  • Wattanachant, C.;Dahlan, I.;Alimon, A.R.;Rajion, M.A.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.12 no.2
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    • pp.209-214
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    • 1999
  • Grazing preference, voluntary dry matter intake, stocking rate and digestibility of forage were investigated or sheep grazed in mature oil palm plantations in Malaysia. Dry matter intake (DMI) was estimated using the chromium sesquioxide marker method. The sheep were allowed to graze about 5 hours/day in oil palm plantations of age ranging from 9 to 21 years old. The crude protein, crude fibre and ash contents of selected herbage were 13.1 %; 24.6 %; and 8.3 %, respectively, while the gross energy (GE) and the metabolisable energy (ME) were 16.9 and 6.0 MJ/kg DM, respectively. Broad leaf plants and grasses were normally found in plantation of all ages. Legumes and oil palm seedlings formed the smallest group in the whole mixture. Fern content increased in older plantations. Legumes, oil palm seedlings, fern, broad leaves and grasses were 0.4, 1.3, 11.4, 28.0 and 59.0 %, respectively of total herbage. Grasses showed the highest preference index followed by broad leaf plants, legumes, oil palm seedlings and ferns in that order. The DMI and the metabolisable energy intake (MEI) of sheep at 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 months of age were 64.8, 65.0, 65.3, 65.6 and 67.4 g/kg $W^{0.75}$ (p<0.05) and 0.39, 0.40, 0.40, 0.40 and 0.41 MJ/kg $W^{0.75}$, respectively. The average stocking rate was 4.3 sheep/ha. It was concluded that the performance of the sheep could be improved by increasing the daily grazing period and also by appropriate concentrate supplementation.

Seasonal Variations in Voluntary Intake and Apparent Digestibility of Forages in Goats Grazing on Introduced Leymus chinensis Pasture

  • Sun, Zewei;Wang, Zaisen;Zhong, Qingzhen;Zhou, Daowei
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.27 no.6
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    • pp.818-824
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    • 2014
  • The nutrient composition of pasture, voluntary intake and digestibility of diet ingested by goats grazing on an introduced Leymus chinensis pasture were measured across spring (May), summer (July), autumn (October) and winter (March). In each season, 12 Inner Mongolian Cashmere goats (6 wethers and 6 does with an average live weight of $22.2{\pm}1.3$ kg and $19.5{\pm}0.8$ kg, respectively) were used to graze on a 2 hectares size paddock. Diet selection was observed and the plant parts selected by grazing goats and whole plant L. chinensis were sampled simultaneously. The alkane pair $C_{32}:C_{33}$ and $C_{36}$ were used to estimate intake and digestibility, respectively. The results showed that the plant parts selected by goats had higher crude protein (CP) and lower acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) than the whole plant, especially in the autumn and winter. The voluntary intake of dry matter (DM), CP, ADF, NDF, and metabolizable energy (ME) by goats was highest in summer (p<0.05). The goats ingested more CP, ME, and less ADF in spring than in autumn (p<0.05). The intakes of DM, CP, and ME were lowest in winter (p<0.05). There were significant differences in nutrient intake between wethers and does in each season, except for the ADF and ME intake per metabolic weight ($LW^{0.75}$). The nutrient digestibilities were higher in spring and summer, and decreased significantly during the autumn and winter (p<0.05). Goats, especially wethers, had a relative constant NDF digestibility across seasons, however, the apparent digestibility of CP in both wethers and does, decreased to negative values in winter. The grazing goats experienced relatively sufficient nutrients supply in spring and summer, and a severe deficiency of CP and ME in winter.

Environmentally Friendly Phytal Animal Removal for Re-use of Holdfasts of Sargassum fusiforme (Harvey) Setchell: pH and Salinity (갈조류 톳의 포복지 재활용을 위한 친환경적 해적생물 구제: pH와 염분)

  • Hwang, Eun Kyoung;Yoo, Ho Chang;Kim, Se Mi;Yoo, Hyun Il;Baek, Jae Min;Park, Chan Sun
    • Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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    • v.32 no.4
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    • pp.306-310
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    • 2014
  • The brown seaweed Sargassum fusiforme is an edible and highly valued in Korea. During the summer season, phytal organisms graze heavily on young algal blades and holdfastsof the species and substantially reduce harvestable biomass. Here, in this study, we investigated the effects of pH (range: 2~13) and salinity (range: 0~44 psu) on the removal of two major phytal animals, Caprella scaura and Gammaropsis utinomi, associated with S. fusiforme. We also examined the optimum quantum yield (Fv/Fm) of algae in the same experimental conditions to quantify the tolerance of algae to acid and salinity treatments. It was observed that the phytal animals showed more than 80% mortality at pH lower that pH 4 and the extreams of salinity (0~10 psu and 44 psu) after a 5 min of immersion. However, the quantum yield of S. fusiforme was not significantly different from controls within the pH 3~11 range, and the 0~44 psu salinity range. Precisely, if the pH and salinity conditions outside these ranges were used in comercial Sargassum culture, the removal of the animal species would be higher, but with reduced quantum yield of algae. Taken together, our study results indicated that the pH and salinity treatments could allow multiple harvests from the same holdfast of S. fusiforme.

Growth and ingestion rates of heterotrophic dinoflagellates and a ciliate on the mixotrophic dinoflagellate Biecheleria cincta

  • Yoo, Yeong Du;Yoon, Eun Young;Lee, Kyung Ha;Kang, Nam Seon;Jeong, Hae Jin
    • ALGAE
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    • v.28 no.4
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    • pp.343-354
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    • 2013
  • To explore the interactions between the mixotrophic dinoflagellate Biecheleria cincta (previously Woloszynskia cincta) and heterotrophic protists, we investigated whether the common heterotrophic dinoflagellates Gyrodinium dominans, Gyrodinium moestrupii, Gyrodinium spirale, Oxyrrhis marina, and Polykrikos kofoidii, and the ciliate Strobilidium sp. were able to feed on B. cincta. We also measured growth and ingestion rates of O. marina and Strobilidium sp. on B. cincta as a function of prey concentration. In addition, these rates were measured for other predators at single prey concentrations at which the growth and ingestion rates of O. marina and Strobilidium sp. were saturated. All grazers tested in the present study were able to feed on B. cincta. B. cincta clearly supported positive growth of O. marina, G. dominans, and Strobilidium sp., but it did not support that of G. moestrupii, G. spirale, and P. kofoidii. The maximum growth rates of Strobilidium sp. and O. marina on B. cincta (0.91 and 0.49 $d^{-1}$, respectively) were much higher than that of G. dominans (0.07 $d^{-1}$). With increasing the mean prey concentration, the specific growth rates of O. marina and Strobilidium sp. on B. cincta increased, but either became saturated or slowly increased. The maximum ingestion rate of Strobilidium sp. (1.60 ng C $predator^{-1}\;d^{-1}$) was much higher than that of P. kofoidii and O. marina (0.55 and 0.34 ng C $predator^{-1}\;d^{-1}$) on B. cincta. The results of the present study suggest that O. marina and Strobilidium sp. are effective protistan grazers of B. cincta.

Estimating vegetation index for outdoor free-range pig production using YOLO

  • Sang-Hyon Oh;Hee-Mun Park;Jin-Hyun Park
    • Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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    • v.65 no.3
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    • pp.638-651
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    • 2023
  • The objective of this study was to quantitatively estimate the level of grazing area damage in outdoor free-range pig production using a Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) with an RGB image sensor. Ten corn field images were captured by a UAV over approximately two weeks, during which gestating sows were allowed to graze freely on the corn field measuring 100 × 50 m2. The images were corrected to a bird's-eye view, and then divided into 32 segments and sequentially inputted into the YOLOv4 detector to detect the corn images according to their condition. The 43 raw training images selected randomly out of 320 segmented images were flipped to create 86 images, and then these images were further augmented by rotating them in 5-degree increments to create a total of 6,192 images. The increased 6,192 images are further augmented by applying three random color transformations to each image, resulting in 24,768 datasets. The occupancy rate of corn in the field was estimated efficiently using You Only Look Once (YOLO). As of the first day of observation (day 2), it was evident that almost all the corn had disappeared by the ninth day. When grazing 20 sows in a 50 × 100 m2 cornfield (250 m2/sow), it appears that the animals should be rotated to other grazing areas to protect the cover crop after at least five days. In agricultural technology, most of the research using machine and deep learning is related to the detection of fruits and pests, and research on other application fields is needed. In addition, large-scale image data collected by experts in the field are required as training data to apply deep learning. If the data required for deep learning is insufficient, a large number of data augmentation is required.

National Genetic Evaluation (System) of Hanwoo (Korean Native Cattle)

  • Park, B.;Choi, T.;Kim, S.;Oh, S.H.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.26 no.2
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    • pp.151-156
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    • 2013
  • Hanwoo (Also known as Korean native cattle; Bos taurus coreanae) have been used for transportation and farming for a long time in South Korea. It has been about 30 yrs since Hanwoo improvement began in earnest as beef cattle for meat yield. The purpose of this study was to determine the trend of improvement as well as to estimate genetic parameters of the traits being used for seedstock selection based on the data collected from the past. Hanwoo proven bulls in South Korea are currently selected through performance and progeny tests. National Hanwoo genetic evaluations are implemented with yearling weight (YW), carcass weight (CW), eye muscle area (EMA), backfat thickness (BF) and marbling score (MS). Yearling weights and MS are used for selecting young bulls, and EMA, BF, and MS are used for selecting proven bulls. One individual per testing room was used for performance tests, and five individuals per room for progeny tests. Individuals tested were not allowed to graze pasture, but there was enough space for them to move around in the testing room. Feeds including roughages and minerals were fed ad libitum, and concentrates were provided at the rate of about 1.8% of individual weight. Overall means of the traits were $352.8{\pm}38.56$ kg, $335.09{\pm}44.61$ kg, $77.85{\pm}8.838\;cm^2$, $8.6{\pm}3.7$ mm and $3.293{\pm}1.648$ for YW, CW, EMA, BF and MS. Heritabilities estimated in this study were 0.30, 0.30, 0.42, 0.50 and 0.63 in YW, CW, EMA, BF and MS, respectively, which are similar to results from previous research. Yearling weight was 315.54 kg in 1998, and had increased to 355.06 kg in 2011, resulting in about 40 kg of improvement over 13 yrs. YW and CW have improved remarkably over the past 15 yrs. Breeding values between 1996 and 2000 decreased or did not change much, but have moved in a desirable direction since 2001. These improvements correspond with the substantial increase in use of animal models since the late 1990s in Korea. Hanwoo testing programs have practically contributed to the improvement in aspects of quality and quantity. In sum, the current selection system is good enough to accommodate circumstances where fewer sires are used on many more cows. Although progeny tests take longer and cost more, they seem to be appropriate under the circumstances of the domestic market with its higher requirement for better meat quality. Consequently, accumulative data collection, genetic evaluation model development, revision of selection indices, as well as cooperation among farms, associations, National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, universities, research institutes, and government agencies must be applied to the Hanwoo selection program. All these efforts will assist the domestic market to secure a competitive position against imported beef under Free Trade Agreement trade system and will provide farmers with higher profits as well as the public with a higher quality of beef.