Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: J.A.M. Missotten Author-Workplace-Name: Laboratory for Animal Nutrition and Animal Product Quality, Department of Animal Production, Ghent University, Melle, Belgium Author-Name: J. Michiels Author-Workplace-Name: Laboratory for Animal Nutrition and Animal Product Quality, Department of Animal Production, Ghent University, Melle, Belgium Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Applied Biosciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium Author-Name: A. Ovyn Author-Workplace-Name: Laboratory for Animal Nutrition and Animal Product Quality, Department of Animal Production, Ghent University, Melle, Belgium Author-Name: S. De Smet Author-Workplace-Name: Laboratory for Animal Nutrition and Animal Product Quality, Department of Animal Production, Ghent University, Melle, Belgium Author-Name: N.A. Dierick Author-Workplace-Name: Laboratory for Animal Nutrition and Animal Product Quality, Department of Animal Production, Ghent University, Melle, Belgium Title: Fermented liquid feed for weaned piglets: impact of sedimentation in the feed slurry on performance and gut parameters Abstract: In two experiments with weaned piglets, the effects of fermented liquid feed (FLF) (produced with probiotic strain Pediococcus acidilactici, Bactocell®, Lallemand S.A.S.) on performance and some bacteriological and morpho-histological parameters of the gut were investigated, and the impact of sedimentation of the solids in the FLF thereon. In experiment I, FLF or the same dry feed (DRY) was offered ad libitum for 28 days to two groups of 15 weaned piglets (28 days of age) each (3 replicates of 5 pigs). Performance was negatively affected by feeding FLF and concomitant with that the group fed the FLF diet showed shorter villi (501 vs 550 µm) and smaller crypts (264 vs 289 µm) in the small intestine at 3 m proximal to the caecum (P < 0.05). It was assumed that these poorer results were due to sedimentation of the solids in the FLF and therefore a second experiment was conducted with sepiolite (10 g/kg) added to the feeds. Sepiolite tends to slow down the segregation of particles in slurry. The three feeding groups (weaned piglets, 27 days of age) in this experiment were DRY, DRY with probiotic (DRY+), and FLF. The group fed FLF (body weight gain (BWG) 254 g/piglet/day; feed : gain ratio 1.38) did now perform better (P < 0.05) than the groups fed the DRY (BWG 184 g/piglet/day; feed : gain ratio 1.52) and DRY+ (BWG 185 g/piglet/day; feed : gain ratio 1.48) diets, which did not differ. Villus length in the small intestine at 3 m proximal to the caecum was also higher for the group fed FLF (558 µm) compared with the group fed the DRY+ diet (490 µm; P < 0.05). It was concluded that feeding FLF is beneficial to freshly weaned piglets on condition that sedimentation of the solids in the feed slurry can be controlled. Keywords: probiotic, wet feed, spig, sepiolite, performance, gut flora, gut morpho-histology Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 195-207 Volume: 60 Issue: 5 Year: 2015 DOI: 10.17221/8169-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/8169-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201505-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:60:y:2015:i:5:id:8169-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: J. Polák Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Workplace-Name: National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic Author-Name: V. Mareš Author-Workplace-Name: Union of Sheep and Goat Breeders, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: R. Konrád Author-Workplace-Name: Union of Sheep and Goat Breeders, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: D. Frynta Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Offspring sex ratio in domestic goats: Trivers-Willard out of natural selection Abstract: The Trivers-Willard hypothesis (TWH) predicts the ability of mothers to adaptively adjust offspring sex ratio through differential maternal investment based on their relative body condition. In the present study we have analyzed an extensive data set on the secondary sex ratio (SSR) including 59 335 goat kids born in 30 633 litters to 11 644 mothers on farms all over the Czech Republic during the years 1992-2004. We found a male-biased SSR 0.568, which significantly deviates from the predicted balanced Fisherian equilibrium 1 : 1 (P < 0.0001). A generalized estimating equation model controlled for mother's identity revealed a significant effect of maternal age and season of conception (P < 0.001). Conversely, neither paternal age, gestation length, nor litter size were found to explain the sex ratio variation. We also failed to prove any effect of variables associated with maternal condition, particularly her body weight, breed, arbitrary ranking of genetic quality, and hornedness that were available in a data subset. Thus, unlike in some other ungulate species, our findings do not support the TWH in the domestic goat despite the tendency for male-biased litters and we discuss some alternative adaptive and proximate mechanism of the mammalian SSR. Keywords: maternal age, parental investment, sex allocation, sex ratio manipulation, Trivers-Willard hypothesis, ungulates Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 208-215 Volume: 60 Issue: 5 Year: 2015 DOI: 10.17221/8170-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/8170-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201505-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:60:y:2015:i:5:id:8170-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: K.M. Huson Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom Author-Name: W. Haresign Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom Author-Name: M.J. Hegarty Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom Author-Name: T.M. Blackmore Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom Author-Name: C. Morgan Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom Author-Name: N.R. McEwan Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom Title: Assessment of genetic relationship between six populations of Welsh Mountain sheep using microsatellite markers Abstract: This study investigated the genetic relationship between 6 populations of Welsh Mountain sheep: 5 phenotypic breed-types within the Welsh Mountain (WM) sheep breed, which have each been bred in specific geographic areas of Wales, and the Black Welsh Mountain sheep breed. Based on DNA analysis using 8 microsatellite markers, observed heterozygosity levels were similar to those expected in livestock populations subjected to selective breeding (0.530-0.664), and all but one population showed evidence of inbreeding. Using Bayesian cluster and Neighbor-joining analyses, the Black Welsh Mountain sheep were identified as being the outlier group, and the remaining groups could be categorized into five distinct sub-populations, which reflects the geographical separation seen between these populations. Keywords: sheep, interbreed relationship, population biology, phylogeography Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 216-224 Volume: 60 Issue: 5 Year: 2015 DOI: 10.17221/8171-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/8171-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201505-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:60:y:2015:i:5:id:8171-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: P. Ghasempour Dehaghani Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Fisheries Science, College of Agriculture, Khuzestan Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran Author-Name: M. Javaheri Baboli Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Fisheries Science, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran Author-Name: A. Taghavi Moghadam Author-Workplace-Name: Research Lab of Biological Products, Razi Research Vaccine and Serum Institute, Ahvaz, Iran Author-Name: S. Ziaei-Nejad Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Fisheries, Natural Resources Faculty, Khatamalanbia Industrial University of Behbahan, Behbahan, Iran Author-Name: M. Pourfarhadi Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Fisheries Science, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Title: Effect of synbiotic dietary supplementation on survival, growth performance, and digestive enzyme activities of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fingerlings Abstract: Effects of different levels of Biomin® IMBO synbiotic, including Enterococcus faecium (as probio-tic), and fructooligosaccharides (as prebiotic) on survival, growth performance, and digestive enzyme activities of common carp fingerlings (Cyprinus carpio) were evaluated. The experiment was carried out in four treatments (each with 3 replicates), including T1 = control with non-synbiotic diet, T2 = 0.5 g/kg synbiotic diet, T3 = 1 g/kg synbiotic diet, and T4 = 1.5 g/kg synbiotic diet. In total 300 fish with an average weight of 10 ± 1 g were distributed in 12 tanks (25 animals per 300 l) and were fed experimental diets over a period of 60 days. The results showed that synbiotic could significantly enhance growth parameters (weight gain, length gain, specific growth rate, percentage weight gain) (P < 0.05), but did not exhibit any effect on survival rate (P > 0.05) compared with the control. An assay of the digestive enzyme activities demonstrated that the trypsin and chymotrypsin activities of synbiotic groups were considerably increased than those in the control (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in the levels of α-amylase, lipase, or alkaline phosphatase (P > 0.05). This study indicated that different levels of synbiotic have the capability to enhance probiotic substitution, to improve digestive enzyme activity which leads to digestive system efficiency, and finally to increase growth. It seems that the studied synbiotic could serve as a good diet supplement for common carp cultures. Keywords: additive, prebiotic, probiotic, growth, survival, digestive enzyme Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 224-232 Volume: 60 Issue: 5 Year: 2015 DOI: 10.17221/8172-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/8172-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201505-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:60:y:2015:i:5:id:8172-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: R. Shi Author-Workplace-Name: College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, P.R. China Author-Name: D. Liu Author-Workplace-Name: College of Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, P.R. China Author-Workplace-Name: College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, P.R. China Author-Name: J. Sun Author-Workplace-Name: College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, P.R. China Author-Name: Y. Jia Author-Workplace-Name: College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, P.R. China Author-Name: P. Zhang Author-Workplace-Name: College of Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, P.R. China Title: Effect of replacing dietary FeSO4 with equal Fe-levelled iron glycine chelate on broiler chickens Abstract: Iron (Fe) is an essential mineral for animal development and function. The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of replacing FeSO4 with iron glycine chelate (Fe-Gly) in the equal Fe level in diets on broiler chickens. The broilers were randomly allotted to 6 dietary treatments with 5 replicate pens and 10 birds per pen. The treatments consisted of: Control group (100 mg Fe from FeSO4/kg diet), Experimental group 1 (80 mg Fe from FeSO4 + 20 mg Fe from Fe-Gly/kg diet), Experimental group 2 (60 mg Fe from FeSO4 + 40 mg Fe from Fe-Gly/kg diet), Experimental group 3 (40 mg Fe from FeSO4 + 60 mg Fe from Fe-Gly/kg diet), Experimental group 4 (20 mg Fe from FeSO4 + 80 mg Fe from Fe-Gly/kg diet), and Experimental group 5 (100 mg Fe from Fe-Gly/kg diet). The results showed that replacing FeSO4 with Fe-Gly in the diets did not significantly improve broiler growth performance (P > 0.05). But it significantly (P < 0.05) improved the blood biochemical parameters. Xanthione oxidase activity in blood serum showed no significant difference between all treatments at day 21 except for Experimental group 5 (P > 0.05). In addition, catalase activity in blood serum and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase activity in liver were increased with the increasing replacement level of Fe-Gly (P < 0.05). But for all of the above indicators, the observed values of Experimental groups 3, 4, and 5 did not significantly differ (P > 0.05). This study indicates that replacing FeSO4 with Fe-Gly in the equal Fe level in the diets cannot improve the growth performance of broilers. But it can effectively improve the blood biochemical parameters and antioxidative enzyme activity. The least substitution ratio for low feeding cost and beneficial effect on the broilers was 60%. Keywords: broiler, iron glycine chelate, growth performance, blood biochemical parameters, antioxidant enzyme activity Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 233-239 Volume: 60 Issue: 5 Year: 2015 DOI: 10.17221/8173-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/8173-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201505-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:60:y:2015:i:5:id:8173-CJAS