Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Helis Luik-Lindsaar Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Economics and Social Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia Author-Name: Ants-Hannes Viira Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Economics and Social Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia Author-Name: Haldja Viinalass Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia Author-Name: Tanel Kaart Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia Author-Name: Rando Värnik Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Economics and Social Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia Title: How do herd's genetic level and milk quality affect performance of dairy farms? Abstract: The effects of genetic level and output quality characteristics on technical efficiency (TE) of dairy farms were studied. The average total relative breeding value (RBV) at herd level was considered a parameter of the genetic level and production potential of the main input (dairy cows), while somatic cell count (SCC) and milk composition characterise the quality of the main output (milk) of dairy farms. The analysis was carried out in two stages: data envelopment analysis was used in the first stage and fractional regression model in the second stage, combining the data collected by the Estonian Farm Accountancy Data Network with the data from the Estonian Livestock Performance Recording Ltd. The results showed that the TE of fully efficient dairy farms is positively affected by the total RBV (P < 0.05), number of dairy cows in the herd (P < 0.05), and negatively affected by the SCC (P < 0.001) and costs of purchased feed per kg of produced milk (P < 0.01). Among the inefficient farms, the TE was positively affected by the lifetime daily milk yield (P < 0.05), and average milk fat (P < 0.1) and protein (P < 0.05) contents. The results confirm our hypothesis that the genetic level of dairy herd and milk quality have a positive effect on the TE of dairy farms. Keywords: genetic level, dairy farm, technical efficiency, data envelopment analysis, fractional regression model Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 379-388 Volume: 63 Issue: 10 Year: 2018 DOI: 10.17221/63/2017-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/63/2017-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201810-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:63:y:2018:i:10:id:63-2017-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Xia Liu Author-Workplace-Name: College of Life Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, P.R. China Author-Name: Ibrahim Magdy Mohamed Hegab Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Hygiene, Zoonosis and Animal Behaviour and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt Author-Workplace-Name: College of Grassland, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, P.R. China Author-Name: Junhu Su Author-Workplace-Name: College of Grassland, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, P.R. China Author-Name: Xiaohua Du Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, P.R. China Author-Name: Xiping Fan Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, P.R. China Author-Name: Qiong Zhang Author-Workplace-Name: College of Life Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, P.R. China Author-Name: Yuan Gao Author-Workplace-Name: College of Life Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, P.R. China Author-Name: Haifang Wang Author-Workplace-Name: College of Life Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, P.R. China Title: Effects of different durations of fasting/re-feeding bouts on growth, biochemical and histological changes in the digestive tract of Gansu golden trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Abstract: This study was conducted to explore the outcomes of starvation/re-feeding techniques on growth performance, liver antioxidant activities, and histological changes of the gastrointestinal organs of Gansu golden trout. A total of 225 juveniles were divided into 5 treatment groups; the control group (N0) was routinely fed every day while the other groups (N7, N14, N21, and N28) were starved for 7, 14, 21, and 28 days, respectively and after the starvation session, each group was re-fed for 28 days. Compensatory growth was statistically recorded in N14. Weight gain rate and feeding ratio were the highest in the N14 group, while specific growth rate and feeding conversion ratio showed significant increases in the fish groups exposed to longer starvation periods. Liver antioxidant activities showed a significant increase and decrease in malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase levels in N21 and N28, respectively, which returned to normal levels after re-feeding. Stomach, intestine, and liver showed histological alterations in all groups and the severity was correlated with the fasting periods. Those changes were restored to a certain degree after feeding was resumed. The compensation by group N14 presents potential for economic usefulness of the fasting/re-feeding strategy in Gansu golden trout. Keywords: biochemistry, food deprivation, phenotypic changes, histology, productive traits Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 389-398 Volume: 63 Issue: 10 Year: 2018 DOI: 10.17221/107/2017-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/107/2017-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201810-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:63:y:2018:i:10:id:107-2017-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Zuzana Biniová Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Workplace-Name: NATURAL spol. s r.o., Hradištko pod Medníkem, Czech Republic Author-Name: Luděk Stádník Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Martina Doležalová Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Jaromír Ducháček Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Effect of thawing method on bull sperm survival in ejaculates frozen in 4 ml and 8 ml volumes Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different thawing protocols (slow (P1), medium (P2), and fast (P3)) on percentage of motile sperm (MOT) and percentage of sperm cells with intact membranes (INT) in Holstein (4 bulls; 72 samples) and Czech Fleckvieh (4 bulls; 72 samples) semen frozen-thawed in 4 ml and 8 ml volumes. MOT was analysed in fresh semen, as well as immediately after thawing (T0) and 30 min after thawing (T30). INT was analysed using hypoosmotic swelling test (HOS test) in fresh ejaculate (FE), after diluting (DE), and at T0. The differences between FE parameters and frozen-thawed ejaculate parameters, expressing changes that occur during cryopreservation, were calculated. Apart from the effect of thawing protocol, the effect of breed and the effect of quality of FE expressed by MOT immediately after collecting were evaluated, too. Unlike thawing of semen cryopreserved in straws (0.25 and 0.5 ml), thawing using the slow protocol (P1) was the most appropriate (P < 0.05) for both observed volumes. There were found significantly higher MOT in the volume of 8 ml in both T0 and T30 and in the volume of 4 ml in T30 in samples thawed using P1 and P2. MOT in T0 was significantly affected by breed in samples frozen in 8 ml and in T30 in samples frozen in 4 and 8 ml. There were found no significant differences in INT in all reported volumes, however decrease of INT during cryopreservation was affected by breed. Keywords: bovine semen, large volumes, semen processing, sperm quality parameters Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 399-407 Volume: 63 Issue: 10 Year: 2018 DOI: 10.17221/117/2018-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/117/2018-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201810-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:63:y:2018:i:10:id:117-2018-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Zuzana Krupová Author-Name: Marie Wolfová Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Author-Name: Emil Krupa Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Author-Name: Josef Přibyl Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Author-Name: Ludmila Zavadilová Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Title: Claw health and feed efficiency as new selection criteria in the Czech Holstein cattle Krupová Z., Wolfová M., Krupa E., Přibyl J., Zavadilová L. Abstract: The objective of this study was to calculate economic weights for ten current breeding objective traits and for four new traits characterising claw health and feed efficiency in Czech Holstein cattle and to investigate the impact of different selection indices on the genetic responses for these traits. Economic weights were estimated using a bio-economic model, while applying actual (2017) and predicted (2025) production and economic circumstances. For the actual situation, the economic weights of claw disease incidence were -100.1 € per case, and those of daily residual feed intake in cows, breeding heifers, and fattened animals were -79.37, -37.16, and -6.33 €/kg dry matter intake per day, respectively. In the predicted situation, the marginal economic weights for claw disease and feed efficiency traits increased on average by 38% and 20%, respectively. The new traits, claw disease incidence and daily residual feed intake, were gradually added to the 17 current Holstein selection index traits to improve the new traits. Constructing a comprehensive index with 21 traits and applying the general principles of the selection index theory, a favourable annual genetic selection response was obtained for the new traits (-0.008 cases of claw disease incidence and -0.006 kg of daily residual feed intake across all cattle categories), keeping the annual selection response of the most important current breeding objective traits at a satisfactory level (e.g., 73 kg of milk yield per lactation, 0.016% of milk fat). Claw health and feed efficiency should be defined as new breeding objectives and new selection index traits of local dairy population. Keywords: dairy cattle, breeding objective, selection index, economic weights, prognosis Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 408-418 Volume: 63 Issue: 10 Year: 2018 DOI: 10.17221/44/2018-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/44/2018-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201810-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:63:y:2018:i:10:id:44-2018-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Lihui Liu Author-Workplace-Name: College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, P.R. China Author-Name: Yujing Xu Author-Workplace-Name: College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, P.R. China Author-Name: Xiurong Xu Title: Effect of supplementation with two combinations of alternative to antimicrobials by stages on cecal fermentation in rabbits Abstract: Antimicrobials inhibit cecal fermentation when preventing rabbit from infection. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of supplementation with two combinations of alternative to antimicrobial (combination I: 1 × 109 cfu/kg Bacillus subtilis + 2 g/kg fructooligosaccharide; combination II: 2 g/kg acidifier and 0.6 g/kg essential oil) by stages on rabbit's growth performance and cecal fermentation. Two hundred and forty 15-day-old male kits with similar body weight were distributed randomly to five groups, which were control (basal diet), ZnB (addition of 0.1 g/kg bacitracin zinc in basal diet), II (addition of combination II), I-II (addition of combination I during days 15-35, addition of combination II during days 36-77), and I-II-I (supplemented with combination I during days 15-35 and 57-77, supplemented with combination II during days 36-56). Each group had 6 replicates. One healthy rabbit from each replicate was slaughtered at day 35 and day 77. The results showed: (1) at day 35, the two combinations and bacitracin zinc all inhibited ileal Escherichia coli (P < 0.05), decreased cecal pH, and increased total volatile fatty acid concentration (P < 0.05). Combination І decreased duodenal crypt depth and increased duodenal villi height to crypt depth ratio (VCR) (P < 0.05); (2) at day 77, I-II-I group had more cecal total bacteria than control (P < 0.05). Mode I-II or I-II-I increased cecal Bacteroides-Prevotella (P < 0.05) compared with ZnB. Mode I-II-I shortened duodenal crypt depth and increased VCR compared with control or ZnB (P < 0.05); (3) after weaning, modes I-II-I and I-II had better or similar effect on decreasing diarrhoea and mortality rate compared with ZnB. In conclusion, both modes had better or similar effect on decreasing diarrhoea and mortality rate compared with inclusion of antimicrobial or combination II alone during the whole trial, and mode I-II-I showed better effect than mode I-II. Keywords: Bacillus subtilis, acidifier, essential oil, fructooligosaccharide, fermentation trait Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 419-427 Volume: 63 Issue: 10 Year: 2018 DOI: 10.17221/121/2017-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/121/2017-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201810-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:63:y:2018:i:10:id:121-2017-CJAS