Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Evelin Török Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Husbandry, Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Natural Conservation, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary Author-Workplace-Name: Doctoral School of Animal Science, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary Author-Name: István Komlósi Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Husbandry, Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Natural Conservation, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary Author-Name: Béla Béri Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Husbandry, Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Natural Conservation, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary Author-Name: Imre Füller Author-Workplace-Name: Association of Hungarian Simmental Breeder's, Bonyhád, Hungary Author-Name: Barnabás Vágó Author-Workplace-Name: Association of Hungarian Simmental Breeder's, Bonyhád, Hungary Author-Name: János Posta Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Husbandry, Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Natural Conservation, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary Title: Principal component analysis of conformation traits in Hungarian Simmental cows Abstract: The aim of the current research was to analyze the linear type traits of Hungarian Simmental dual-purpose cows scored in the first lactation using principal component analysis and cluster analysis. Data collected by the Association of Hungarian Simmental Breeders were studied during the work. The filtered database contained the results of 8 868 cows, born after 1997. From the evaluation of main conformation traits, the highest correlations (r = 0.35, P < 0.05) were found between mammary system and feet and legs traits. Within linear type traits, the highest correlation was observed between rump length and rump width (r = 0.81, P < 0.05). Using the principal component analysis, main conformation traits were combined into groups. There were three factors having 84.5 as total variance ratio after varimax rotation. Cluster analysis verified the results of the principal component analysis as most of the trait groups were similar. The strongest relationship was observed between feet and legs and mammary system (main conformation traits) and between rump length and rump width (linear type traits). Keywords: linear type traits, cluster analysis, correlation Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 39-45 Volume: 66 Issue: 2 Year: 2021 DOI: 10.17221/155/2020-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/155/2020-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-202102-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:66:y:2021:i:2:id:155-2020-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Jing Wang Author-Workplace-Name: School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing, P.R. China Author-Name: Qinbin Zheng Author-Workplace-Name: Huailai Musk Deer Farm, Zhiyang-Tianbao Co. Ltd., Huailai, P.R. China Author-Name: Chuanmeng Xia Author-Workplace-Name: Huailai Musk Deer Farm, Zhiyang-Tianbao Co. Ltd., Huailai, P.R. China Author-Name: Yong Li Author-Workplace-Name: Sichuan Fengchun Musk Deer Group Co. Ltd., Chengdu, P.R. China Author-Name: Mi Zhou Author-Workplace-Name: Sichuan Fengchun Musk Deer Group Co. Ltd., Chengdu, P.R. China Author-Name: Yan Sheng Author-Workplace-Name: School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing, P.R. China Author-Name: Robert Bertrand Weladji Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada Author-Name: Xiuxiang Meng Author-Workplace-Name: School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing, P.R. China Title: Seasonal reproduction of northernmost endangered forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii) in China and the synchronization with climatic conditions Abstract: Reproductive rhythms, as a response to environmental seasonality, may maximize the survival possibility of both newborns and parents, which is vital for ex situ conservation and sustainable management in wildlife. Forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii) is a critically endangered ungulate of China. In order to estimate its reproduction characteristics and performance in northern China, a historical distribution area, the parturition pattern of the northernmost captive forest musk deer in Huailai Musk Deer Farm from 2017 to 2018 was analyzed. We found that the parturition of forest musk deer was highly seasonal with a peak on May 27th, and 75% of parturitions were completed within 22 days from May to June, which could be an adaptation to the seasonality of local food resources. The parturition peak was four weeks before the best hydrothermal conditions when food resources were maximally provided. The time lag between the parturition date and the peak of food availability was affected by climatic conditions during lactation as warmer temperatures in the 4th and 5th week and heavier precipitation in the 4th week of lactation shortened the time lag by five days (P < 0.05). The synchronization between parturition rhythms and seasonality of climatic conditions indicated that the forest musk deer could be farmed in Northeastern Taihang Mountains and northern China, where there is a suitable climate for the musk deer reproduction. Sustainable musk production and musk deer release into the wild where there are suitable climatic conditions has been proved to be practicable, which can benefit the ex situ conservation of endangered forest musk deer and musk resources sustainability. Keywords: ex situ conservation, parturition rhythm, reproduction characteristics, musk resources sustainability Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 46-54 Volume: 66 Issue: 2 Year: 2021 DOI: 10.17221/202/2020-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/202/2020-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-202102-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:66:y:2021:i:2:id:202-2020-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Filipp Georgijevic Savvulidi Author-Name: Martin Ptacek Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Anezka Malkova Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Jakub Beranek Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Ludek Stadnik Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Optimizing the conventional method of sperm freezing in liquid nitrogen vapour for Wallachian sheep conservation program Abstract: The aim of the present study was to optimize the conventional method of sperm freezing in liquid nitrogen (LN2) vapour for successful cryopreservation of Wallachian ram sperm, the genetic resources of the Czech Republic. Sperm in straws were frozen using the conventional freezing method via a static exposure of sperm doses to LN2 vapour, or by four different modified freezing methods. Under modified freezing, straws were frozen by a discontinuous, time-dependent decremental change in the distance between the straws and the surface of LN2. The viability of sperm was evaluated by flow cytometry after sperm equilibration, and immediately after thawing. Besides the observed inter-sire and daily variation, the obtained results suggest the methodological weakness of the conventional freezing method via the static exposure of sperm doses to LN2 vapour. With the use of the optimized freezing procedure, all parameters of thawed sperm were significantly (P < 0.05) improved in comparison with the conventional method: percentage of thawed sperm viability increased up to 48.3%, percentage of sperm with plasma membrane damage after thawing decreased to 6.58%, percentage of sperm with acrosome damage decreased to 24.4%, and percentage of sperm with deteriorated mitochondrial activity decreased to 6.28%. In conclusion, our results suggest that an optimized freezing procedure should be routinely used instead of the conventional method to cryopreserve Wallachian ram sperm. Keywords: cryopreservation, flow cytometry, multicolour analysis, sperm doses, static exposure Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 55-64 Volume: 66 Issue: 2 Year: 2021 DOI: 10.17221/226/2020-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/226/2020-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-202102-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:66:y:2021:i:2:id:226-2020-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Vinícius Machado dos Santos Author-Workplace-Name: Laboratory of Poultry Science, Federal Institute of Brasília - Campus Planaltina, Brasília, Brazil Author-Name: Gabriel da Silva Oliveira Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine (FAV), University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil Author-Name: Cristina Amorim Ribeiro de Lima Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Nutrition and Pasture, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Brazil Author-Name: Fernando Augusto Curvello Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Production, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Brazil Title: Broiler chick performance using Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cell wall as an anti-mycotoxin additive Abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of using the Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cell wall (YCW) as an aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) adsorbent in broiler chicken feed on performance and carcass characteristics. The present study used a randomized complete block with four treatments in a 2 (with or without AFB1) × 2 (with or without YCW) factorial design. No interaction effect (P > 0.05) between AFB1 and YCW was found on the studied performance variables. The addition of YCW to the diets stimulated the feed intake of chickens during 1-21 days of age. However, YCW did not significantly increase (P > 0.05) weight gain nor did it change feed conversion. The presence of AFB1 in the diet did not affect (P > 0.05) performance parameters. The addition of YCW to the feed containing AFB1 significantly increased (P < 0.05) the post-fasting live weight (781.12 g), chilled carcass weight (554.41 g), and leg weight (163.34 g) compared to feed without AFB1 and YCW (764.84 g; 533.41 g; 161.88 g), feed with only YCW (764.22 g; 546.87 g; 159.34 g), and feed with only AFB1 (735.41 g; 510.56 g; 152.75 g). In conclusion, YCW effectively reduced some of the deleterious effects of AFB1 in broilers. Keywords: adsorbent, aflatoxin, organ weight, poultry, poultry farming, poultry feed Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 65-72 Volume: 66 Issue: 2 Year: 2021 DOI: 10.17221/237/2020-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/237/2020-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-202102-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:66:y:2021:i:2:id:237-2020-CJAS