Relationships Between Rearing Enrichments, Range Use, and an Environmental Stressor for Free-Range Laying Hen Welfare.

Enrichments during pullet rearing may improve adaptation and welfare of hens as they move from indoor rearing to a free-range system. Individual variation in outdoor ranging may also affect welfare. This study assessed the effects of rearing enrichments and an imposed environmental stressor on hen welfare and egg quality along with the association of welfare with ranging.

Rearing Enrichments Affected Ranging Behavior in Free-Range Laying Hens.

Within Australia, free-range systems are prevalent, but pullets destined for range access are reared indoors. This mismatch between rearing and layer housing may hinder adaptation to the free-range environment. Rearing enrichments could enhance pullet development.

Minimal Effects of Rearing Enrichments on Pullet Behaviour and Welfare.

In Australia, free-range pullets are typically reared indoors, which may hinder later adjustment to outdoor access. Rearing enrichments could optimise pullet development. Hy-Line Brown chicks ( = 1700) were reared indoors across 16 weeks with 3 enrichment treatments: (1) a standard control; (2) novel objects (novelty) provided weekly or (3) perching structures (structural) provided.

Metabolic fate of intravenously administered N-acetylneuraminic acid-6-14C in newborn piglets.

Background: Sialic acid (N-acetylneuraminic acid), a component of gangliosides and sialylglycoproteins, may be a conditional nutrient in early life because endogenous synthesis is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the metabolic fate of intravenously administrated N-acetylneuraminic acid-6-14C (sialic acid) in piglets.

Method: Three-day-old male domestic piglets (Sus scrofa) were injected via the jugular vein with 5 microCi (11-12 x 10(6) cpm) of N-acetylneuraminic acid-6-14C (specific activity of 55 mCi/mmol).

A review of the effects of supplementary nutrition in the ewe on the concentrations of reproductive and metabolic hormones and the mechanisms that regulate folliculogenesis and ovulation rate.

This paper discusses the phenomenon of nutritional flushing in ewes whereby increased nutrition stimulates folliculogenesis and ovulation rate. In addition the paper reviews recent findings on the effects of increased levels of nutrition on the blood concentrations of reproductive and metabolic hormones in the ewe and some of the intraovarian changes that take place in response to nutritional stimulation. Finally, in the paper, we propose a model of the physiological mechanism for the nutritional stimulation of folliculogenesis and we review how closely the model fits recent published and unpublished evidence examining the mechanism of flushing.