Year rather than farming system influences protein utilization and energy value of vegetables when measured in a rat model.

The aim of the study was to measure protein utilization and energy value of dried apple, carrot, kale, pea, and potato prepared for human consumption and grown in 2 consecutive years with 3 different farming systems: (1) low input of fertilizer without pesticides (LIminusP), (2) low input of fertilizers and high input of pesticides (LIplusP), (3) and high input of fertilizers and high input of pesticides (HIplusP). In addition, the study goal was to verify the nutritional values, taking into consideration the physiologic state. In experiment 1, the nutritive values, including protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score, were determined in single ingredients in trials with young rats (3-4 weeks) as recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization for all age groups.

Effect of feeding fermentable fibre-rich feedstuffs on meat quality with emphasis on chemical and sensory boar taint in entire male and female pigs.

Skatole, androstenone and other compounds such as indole cause boar taint in entire male pork. However, female pigs also produce skatole and indole. The purpose of this experiment was to minimise boar taint and increase overall impression of sensory quality by feeding entire male and female pigs with fibre-rich feedstuffs.

Any link between integrin degradation and water-holding capacity in pork?

In order to investigate a possible relationship between integrin degradation and water-holding capacity (WHC), integrin was quantified using western blot, and water mobility and distribution was measured by proton NMR T(2) relaxometry at 24h postmortem in pork (n=30) with a large variation in WHC (drip loss varying from 2.8% to 11.3%).

Invited review: crossbreeding in dairy cattle: a Danish perspective.

The value of crossbreeding in livestock species has been known for a long time; it has been used heavily within beef cattle, pig, and poultry production systems for several decades. This has not been the case for dairy production but lately there has been increased interest in crossbreeding dairy breeds. This review focuses on the practical and theoretical background of crossbreeding and describes the gain to be expected using systematic crossbreeding in dairy production.

Detection of quantitative trait loci in Danish Holstein cattle affecting clinical mastitis, somatic cell score, udder conformation traits, and assessment of associated effects on milk yield.

The aim of this study was to 1) detect QTL across the cattle genome that influence the incidence of clinical mastitis and somatic cell score (SCS) in Danish Holsteins, and 2) characterize these QTL for pleiotropy versus multiple linked quantitative trait loci (QTL) when chromosomal regions affecting clinical mastitis were also affecting other traits in the Danish udder health index or milk production traits. The chromosomes were scanned using a granddaughter design where markers were typed for 19 to 34 grandsire families and 1,373 to 2,042 sons. A total of 356 microsatellites covering all 29 autosomes were used in the scan.

Effect of graded levels of rapeseed oil in isonitrogenous diets on the development of the gastrointestinal tract, and utilisation of protein, fat and energy in broiler chickens.

The effect of feeding 0, 4, 8 and 16% rapeseed oil from 12-42 days of age was studied in broiler chickens on performance, digestibility of nutrients, and development of gastrointestinal tract, protein and energy metabolism. Thirty six female chickens (Ross 208) with initial body weight average 246 g were allocated to the four groups and kept pair-wise in metabolism cages. The chickens were fed similar amounts of metabolisable energy (ME) per day and similar amounts of essential amino acids relative to ME by adjusting with crystalline amino acids.

Hydrogeological relationships of sandy deposits: modeling of two-dimensional unsaturated water and pesticide transport.

Prediction of the movement of water and solutes in the vadose zone requires information on the distribution of spatial trends and heterogeneities in porous media. The present study describes different lithofacies origination mainly from glaciofluvial deposits. Among different lithofacies, hydrological relationships were investigated.

Improved detection of reproductive status in dairy cows using milk progesterone measurements.

This study tested a model for predicting reproductive status from in-line milk progesterone ;measurements. The model is that of Friggens and Chagunda [Theriogenology 64 (2005) 155]. Milk progesterone measurements (n = 55 036) representing 578 lactations from 380 cows were used to test the model.

Effects of supplemental dietary fatty acids on milk yield and fatty acid composition in high and medium yielding cows.

The present study tested the hypothesis that supplemental dietary fatty acids (FA) affect the energy corrected milk yield in proportion to the milk production level of dairy cows, and increase both long chain FA proportion of milk FA and milk fat globule diameter. Sixteen Danish Holstein cows were divided into four 4x4 Latin squares with two squares of medium yielding cows (32.2 kg energy corrected milk (ECM)/d; 158 days in milk (DIM)) and two squares of high yielding cows (40.

Fine-mapping QTL for mastitis resistance on BTA9 in three Nordic red cattle breeds.

A QTL affecting clinical mastitis and/or somatic cell score (SCS) has been reported previously on chromosome 9 from studies in 16 families from the Swedish Red and White (SRB), Finnish Ayrshire (FA) and Danish Red (DR) breeds. In order to refine the QTL location, 67 markers were genotyped over the whole chromosome in the 16 original families and 18 additional half-sib families. This enabled linkage disequilibrium information to be used in the analysis.

Combined use of phenotypic and genotypic information in sampling animals for genotyping in detection of quantitative trait loci.

Conventional selective genotyping which is using the extreme phenotypes (EP) was compared with alternative criteria to find the most informative animals for genotyping with respects to mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL). Alternative sampling strategies were based on minimizing the sampling error of the estimated QTL effect (MinERR) and maximizing likelihood ratio test (MaxLRT) using both phenotypic and genotypic information. In comparison, animals were randomly genotyped either within or across families.

Transfer of dietary zinc and fat to milk--evaluation of milk fat quality, milk fat precursors, and mastitis indicators.

The present study demonstrated that the zinc concentration in bovine milk and blood plasma is significantly affected by the intake of saturated fat supplements. Sixteen Holstein cows were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square design with 4 periods of 12 d, and 4 dietary treatments were conducted. A total mixed ration based on corn silage, grass-clover silages, and pelleted sugar beet pulp was used on all treatments.

Influence of dietary fiber on luminal environment and morphology in the small and large intestine of sows.

In this study, the effect of feeding different types and amounts of dietary fiber (DF) on luminal environment and morphology in the small and large intestine of sows was studied. Three diets, a low-fiber diet (LF) and 2 high-fiber diets (high fiber 1, HF1, and high fiber 2, HF2) were used. Diet LF (DF, 17%; soluble DF 4.

Effect of mild heat stress and mild infection pressure on immune responses to an E. coli infection in chickens.

Outdoor or organic farming demands robust chickens that are able to combat common infections before they spread to the flock. Priming the immune system of the chickens early in life with micro-organisms that they will encounter later in life prepares chickens to a life in environments where they are subjected to a more natural level of infection pressure. Also, exposure to non-infectious stressful situations may prepare the immune system to combat infectious challenges.

Evaluation of a lameness scoring system for dairy cows.

Lameness is a major problem in dairy production both in terms of reduced production and compromised animal welfare. A 5-point lameness scoring system was developed based on previously published systems, but optimized for use under field conditions. The scoring system included the words "in most cases" in the descriptions of the clinical signs evaluated.

On the use of milk composition measures to predict the energy balance of dairy cows.

Milk composition varies with energy status and was proposed for measuring energy balance on-farm, but the accuracy of prediction using monthly samples is not high. With automated sampling and inline milk analysis, a much higher measurement frequency is possible, and thus improved accuracy of energy balance determination may be expected. Energy balance was evaluated using data in which milk composition was measured at each milking.

Estimating degree of mastitis from time-series measurements in milk: a test of a model based on lactate dehydrogenase measurements.

The aim of this study was to test a model for mastitis detection using a logic that allows examination of time-related changes and a progressive scale of mastitis state (i.e., not using specificity/sensitivity).

Joint analysis of quantitative trait loci for clinical mastitis and somatic cell score on five chromosomes in three Nordic dairy cattle breeds.

Five chromosomes were selected for joint quantitative trait loci (QTL) analyses for clinical mastitis (CM) and somatic cell score (SCS) in 3 breeds: Finnish Ayrshire (FA), Swedish Red and White (SRB), and Danish Red (DR). In total, 19 grandsires and 672 sons in FA, 19 grandsires and 499 sons in SRB, and 8 grandsires and 258 sons in DR were used in the study. These individuals were genotyped with the 61 microsatellite markers used in any of the previous QTL scans on the selected chromosomes.

Joint axes of rotation and body segment parameters of pig limbs.

To enable a quantification of net joint moments and joint reaction forces, indicators of joint loading, this study aimed to locate the mediolateral joint axes of rotation and establish the body segment parameters of the limbs of pigs (Sus scrofa). To locate the joint axes of rotation the scapulohumeral, humeroradial, carpal complex, metacarpophalangeal, coxofemoral, femorotibial, tarsal, and metatarsophalangeal joints from 12 carcasses were studied. The joints were photographed in three positions, bisecting lines drawn at fixed landmarks with their intersection marking the joint axes of rotation.

Lipid composition of lactational diets influences the fatty acid profile of the progeny before and after suckling.

The purpose of the present study was to compare the influence of adding no or 8% fat of varying sources (coconut oil, fish oil, rapeseed oil and sunflower oil) to diets for sows 1 week prior to farrowing and during lactation on the composition of fatty acids in plasma and tissues of the progeny while sucking and 3 weeks after weaning from the sow. A control diet without supplemental fat and four diets supplemented with 8% of coconut oil, rapeseed oil, fish oil or sunflower oil were provided to lactating sows (n = 15), and during the post-weaning period the same weaner diet was provided to all piglets (n = 15 litters), which were housed litterwise. The dietary ratio of n-6:n-3 fatty acids of the maternal diets largely influenced the progeny, as the ratio varying from 1.

Consequences of two or four months of finishing feeding of culled dry dairy cows on carcass characteristics and technological and sensory meat quality.

Finishing feeding was evaluated as a way to improve carcass-, meat- and eating quality of culled dairy cows. In total, 125 Danish Friesian cows were purchased from commercial dairy herds. Cows were culled for various typical reasons at different stages of lactation, were non-pregnant and had milk yield at culling ranging from 1 to 25kg/d and had LW varying from 330 to 778kg.

n-6 and n-3 fatty acids ratio and vitamin E in porcine maternal diet influence the antioxidant status and immune cell eicosanoid response in the progeny.

Five groups of lactating sows were fed diets containing 8% of either added rapeseed oil, fish oil or sunflower oil and 60 mg vitamin E/kg feed, or the diets with sunflower oil and fish oil, respectively, supplemented with 500 mg vitamin E/kg. Supplementation of vitamin E to the sows increased the concentration of alpha-tocopherol of the muscle, and addition of sunflower oil decreased the activity of glutathione peroxidase in liver cytosol compared to fish oil and rapeseed oil. The composition of fatty acids of alveolar macrophages (AM) of piglets was influenced by the dietary fat sources provided the sows, i.

Ranking of simultaneously presented choice options in animal preference experiments.

We considered experiments where animals chose one of all possible simultaneously presented options. The animals might be observed at repeated occasions. In the ethological literature the analysis is often focused on testing the global hypothesis of no difference in preferences by non-parametric methods.

Milk intake and carbon dioxide production of piglets determined with the doubly labelled water technique.

The present study was undertaken to study different methodological aspects of quantifying CO2 production and milk intake of suckling piglets using the doubly labelled water (DLW) technique. In total, 37 piglets were enriched intraperitoneally with DLW to study equilibration time of 18O (n = 3), to validate the estimation of milk intake and CO2 production (n = 10) of piglets fed milk replacer and to quantify milk intake and CO2 production of piglets nursed ordinarily by sows (n = 24). Enrichment of 18O in expired air was analysed without any sample preparation, whereas enrichment of 18O in serum was analysed after a minimum step of sample preparation, which included pipetting of the sample, blowing gaseous CO2 into the vial for 3 s and equilibrating for 24 h.

Effect of starch level and straw intake on animal performance, rumen wall characteristics and liver abscesses in intensively fed Friesian bulls.

The objective was to reduce the incidence of liver abscesses (LAs) in young bulls by reducing the starch content of the concentrate and increasing the straw intake by adding molasses without reducing performance. Eighty-five Danish Friesian bulls (146 ± 2.6 kg live weight (LW)) were allocated to four treatment groups in a 2 × 2 factorial design and were ad libitum fed either a high (H) (43%) or a low (L) (25%) starch concentrate, and either chopped barley straw (S) or a mixture (Sm) of chopped barley straw and sugar-beet molasses (75:25).