H. Galbraith

A note on the effects of dietary inclusion of a yeast culture on growth and ruminal metabolism of lambs given diets containing unground pelleted molassed dried sugar-beet pulp and barley in various proportions

Twenty-eight Suffolk-cross male castrated lambs aged 7 to 8 months, initial live weight 36 (s.e. 149) kg were given four diets which contained unground pelleted molassed sugar-beet pulp and rolled barley (940 g/kg, fresh weight basis) in the following proportions either A, 0·8 to 0·2 or B, 0·5 to 0·5, with 60 g soya-bean meal per kg. Diets A and B were offered with or without a yeast culture product Yea-Sacc. Diets zvere offered twice daily to appetite with 100 g hay per head. Yeast culture had no effect on any measurement made (P > 0·05). Lambs given diet B consumed more dry matter (DM), grew faster and had superior food conversion efficiencies (all P 0·05). It is suggested that diet B supported faster growth of the lambs as a result of faster rate of digestion, higher DM intake and superior food conversion.

Growth performance and body composition of early weaned wether lambs treated with trenbolone acetate combined with oestradiol–17β

Twenty-eight Border Leicester ♂ × Scottish Blackface ♀ wether lambs aged 47 days and weighing 17 kg on average were allocated to be sham-implanted controls (group C) or implanted with trenbolone acetate (TBA) combined with oestradiol-17β (OE) as follows: 17·5 mg TBA + 2·5 mg OE (group TO1); 35 mg TBA + 5 mg OE (TO2); 52·5 mg TBA + 7·5 mg OE (TO3). The lambs were offered ad libitum a diet containing (per kg dry matter) an estimated 12·5 MJ metabolizable energy and 0·16 kg crude protein. They were slaughtered 60 days following implantation. On average hormonal treatment resulted in significant increases in (a) live-weight gain, food intake and gut fill, (b) proportions of perinephric and retroperitoneal fat in empty body, (c) carcass lean proportion, and (d) proportion of lean in shoulder and rib joints. Variable changes in the weights of m. semitendinosus, m. gastrocnemius and m. supraspinatus were recorded. Hormonal treatment, on average resulted in significant reductions in (a) killing-out proportion, (b) proportions of total fat and subcutaneous fat in carcass and (c) proportions of fat in the shoulder, rib and hind leg joints. Treated lambs had smaller thymus glands but larger accessory vesicular glands. Penile tissue was also increased in treated lambs. The proportional differences in live-weight gain and carcass fat content were 0·15 and 0·12 respectively. Differences in dose level had little effect on growth and carcass characteristics.

Comparisons of the effect of genotype and protected methionine supplementation on growth, digestive characteristics and fibre yield in cashmere-yielding and Angora goats

Ten Scottish male castrated cashmere-yielding (C) and 10 Angora (A) goats with initial live weights of 38·2 (C) and 32·1 (A) kg respectively were used in a 112-day study in the time period August to December. The goats were blocked within genotypes according to live weight and randomly assigned to one of two treatments: either no supplementation (O) or dietary supplementation (S) with 2·5 g/kg dry matter (DM) intake of rumen-protected intestinally available methionine (Smartamine™ M, Rhone Poulenc, Animal Nutrition, Antony 92164, France) in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. The goats were offered a basal diet in the proportion of 0·6, grass hay and 0·4 concentrate according to their live weight. Diet metabolizable energy (ME) and crude protein (CP) concentration per kg DM were estimated as 9·9 MJ (ME) and 107 g (CP) and DM intake was restricted to 28 g/kg live weight daily. Apparent digestibility and nitrogen (N) balance studies were conducted from days 24 to 40 and 51 to 64. Measurements were made within three time periods of days 0 to 40, 41 to 75 and 76 to 112. Angora goats excreted less urinary N than cashmere-yielding goats and had lower values for plasma urea and glucose and greater overall retention ofN, associated with a two- to three-fold greater total fibre yield. Cashmere as a proportion of total fibre by weight, (guard hair plus cashmere) varied from 0·27 to 0·43. The main effects due to methionine supplementation were improvements in live-weight gain and food conversion ratio. Reductions in urinary N excretion and increases in N retention were recorded, which were generally greater for Angora than for cashmere-yielding goats, and were again associated with the larger responses in fibre production. Clear evidence was also obtained for methionine-induced increases in the weight of raw cashmere, although not guard hair up to day 58. This response was obtained in the absence of significant effects on cashmere diameter, although methionine supplementation consistently increased the average diameter of mohair fibres.

The effect of cimaterol and oestradiol-17β alone or combined on growth and body composition of wether lambs.

Twenty-four Finn ♂ × Dorset Down ♀ wether lambs about 10 weeks and weighing on average 18 kg were allocated to treatment groups as follows: untreated controls (U); 15 mg oestradiol-17β (OE) implanted subcutaneously (O); cimaterol (2 mg/kg dry matter (DM)) in the diet (C); and 15 mg OE implant + cimaterol (2 mg/kg DM in the diet) (OC). The lambs were offered a diet, restricted to 38 g/kg live weight (LW), and which contained an estimated 12·5 MJ metabolizable energy and 137 g crude protein per kg DM for the experimental period of 62 or 63 days. Comparisons were made for the main effects of OE and cimaterol and also interactions between OE and cimaterol. Treatment with OE, on average, resulted in greater LW gain, DM intake, empty body weight (EBW), body length and chest depth, weight of shoulder and loin joints and carcass crude protein, but had no effect on fat deposition in carcass or depots. As a proportion of EBW, the weights of the pituitary gland and accessory vesicular glands were increased, as was teat length in lambs treated with OE. Cimaterol treatment, on average, increased LW gain, EBW, killing-out ratio, carcass weight and its weight of crude protein and, unlike OE, decreased the weight of the pituitary gland as a proportion of EBW and reduced the weight and proportion of fat in the carcass and perirenal and retroperitoneal depots. Increases in the cross-sectional area of m. longissimus dorsi and in the weight of selected major and minor commercial joints were also obtained in cimaterol-treated lambs. The presence of significant interactions indicated that there was incomplete or no additivity between the effects of cimaterol and OE for LW gain, cross-sectional area of m. longissimus dorsi and weights of carcass and carcass crude protein, omental fat and of certain of the dissected joints. These results suggest either that the mechanisms of action of oestradiol-17β and cimaterol are not independent or that they are affected by similar metabolic or physiological processes which limit the ability of castrated male sheep to exhibit a positive response.

A note on the concentrations of steroidal residues in tissues of mature female sheep implanted with trenbolone acetate

Thirty-two Blackface female mature sheep weighing 45 kg on average were blocked by weight and randomly allocated 60 days before slaughter to be untreated controls (C) or subcutaneously implanted with 20 (TA1), 40 (TA2) or 60 (TA3) mg trenbolone acetate (TBA). Samples of blood were collected throughout the study and post-mortem samples of selected body tissues were analysed residues. Concentrations in blood of 17β-hydroxy-trenbolone (TBOH) peaked within 1 to 2 weeks of implantation and declined thereafter. Concentrations in blood of oestradiol-17β (OE) were elevated and generally increased with increasing dose levels of TBA. The highest concentrations of solvent extractable residues (TBOH for group TA3) ranged from 613 ng/kg in kidney to 130 ng/kg for rib muscle. Trenbolone-17β- glucuronide was detected in liver and kidney at maximum concentrations of 157 ng/kg and 94 ng/kg respectively. Implantation with TBA had no effect on concentrations of OE in any of the post-mortem tissues examined.

Growth performance and body composition of mature female sheep implanted with trenbolone acetate

The effect of the anabolic steroid trenbolone acetate (TEA) on growth and body composition was studied in Scottish Blackface mature female sheep weighing 45 kg. The sheep were blocked by weight and randomly allocated to be untreated controls (C) or subcutaneously implanted with 20 (Tl), 40 (T2) or 60 (T3) mg TBA 60 days before slaughter. The sheep were offered to appetite a loose-mix diet which contained an estimated 11 M] metabolizable energy and 120 g crude protein per kg dry matter. Live-weight gain and food intake, on average, were not significantly affected by the hormonal treatment which significantly reduced gut fill and significantly increased empty body and chilled carcass weights. Of the carcass tissues which were dissected only weights of total lean and intermuscular fat were significantly increased following TBA implantation. The relative development of fat, lean and bone in the carcass in the hormonally treated compared with control sheep was not significantly altered. The only effects on weights of organs and body parts associated with TBA implantation were increases in fat deposition in omental and perinephric and retroperitoneal depots. There was some evidence of an increasing response to TBA treatment with increasing dose level for weights of chilled carcass, carcass lean and the ratio of subcutaneous fat to intermuscular fat.

The effect of including Colombian rice polishings in the diet on rumen fermentation in vitro

Garcia, D. C., Newbold, J., Galbraith, H., Topps, J. H. (1992). The effect of including Colombian rice polishings in the diet on rumen fermentation in vitro. Animal Production Science, 54 (2), 275-280.

Influence of trenbolone acetate, zeranol and oestradiol-17β implantation on growth performance and reproductive function in beef heifers

Twenty-four Hereford ♂ × Friesian ♀ heifers were divided into four equal treatment groups and given subcutaneous ear implants as appropriate 14 days after prostaglandin treatment for the induction of synchronized cycles. Subsequently, they were observed for 75 days. One group was an untreated control, one was given 300 mg trenbolone acetate, one 36 mg zeranol and one 45 mg oestradiol-176. Growth and ovarian cyclicity, assessed by periodic progesterone measurement, were monitored. Trenbolone acetate-treated heifers grew faster (P

Rice polishings as an alternative to sugar cane molasses as a supplement with urea to low-quality forage diets for ruminants

Garcia, D. C., Newbold, J., Galbraith, H., Topps, J. H., Chen, X. B., Rooke, J. A. (1993). Rice polishings as an alternative to sugar cane molasses as a supplement with urea to low-quality forage diets for ruminants. Animal Production, 56 (1), 85-92.