Jan Udała

Red deer farming: breeding practice, trends and potential in Poland – A Review

Abstract Red deer farming has started to play a greater role in modern agriculture and today is an interesting alternative for pig or cattle breeders. With regard to the low effort and high efficiency of maintenance, it may be expected that keeping these animals in fenced enclosures will be more popular over time. This trend is warranted by the fact that the demand on two main deer products: venison and antlers, is constantly rising, due to the quality of deer meat and prices of antler hunting trophies. Several countries of the world have already realized the scale of advantages to be derived from deer farming and today are world leaders in this area. Despite this expansion, the market still remains opened for deer products. Poland is a country with the climatic conditions, vast plain areas and varied vegetation that are fully sufficient to undertake large-scale deer farming, and to become a European leader. Therefore the aim of this review is to detail deer farming within the Polish framework and environmental conditions, and to illustrate its potential in sustainable modern agriculture and the economy.

Plasma progesterone analysis by a time-resolved fluorescent antibody test to monitor estrous cycles in goats

The objective of the current study was to evaluate whether blood plasma progesterone (P4) measurements with a time-resolved fluorescent antibody test (TR-FAT) kit designed for humans was applicable for goats. The first experiment was designed to verify whether the concentrations of P4 measured by TR-FAT can be used to monitor the estrous and ovarian activity in goats (n = 14). Blood samples (322) were collected, and the ovaries were scanned using ultrasonography. The second experiment was carried out on 4 goats (60 samples) and designed to compare the TR-FAT with radioimmunoassay (RIA). The time interval between the lowest concentrations of P4 assayed by TR-FAT was 21 ± 0.3 days and did not differ significantly from the length of the interestrous interval. The highest concentrations of P4 were confirmed by detection of corpus luteum. During estrus, the mean concentration did not differ significantly between both methods. Significant differences were present during the luteal phases; however, the profiles of P4 assayed by both methods followed a similar pattern. Regression analysis showed a correlation between the 2 methods (r = 0.98; r 2 = 0.96; P < 0.0001). The Bland-Altman plot showed that all averages were within the 95% limits of agreement; however, the differences between both methods tend to be greater as the average increases. The results demonstrated that the TR-FAT method can be applied to monitor estrous cycles in goats through measurements of plasma P4 concentrations. Moreover, not only does the TR-FAT meet the requirements for safety, but it is also a method of high throughput, rapidity, and simplicity.

The bioaccumulation of lead in the organs of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L.), red deer (Cervus elaphus L.), and wild boar (Sus scrofa L.) from Poland

The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of lead (Pb) in the livers and kidneys of free-living animals from Poland, with regard to the differences in tissue Pb content between the species. The research material consisted of liver and kidney samples collected from roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), red deer (Cervus elaphus), and wild boar (Sus scrofa) that had been hunted in 16 voivodeships of Poland. The concentration of lead had been measured using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) method. The results show that differences in lead concentration in the organs depended on the geographic location. In roe deer and red deer, the highest mean lead concentrations in the livers and kidneys, observed in the central region of Poland, were twice as high as the lowest concentration of Pb in these animals from the northeastern region of the country. In wild boar, the highest mean concentration of Pb was noted in the livers of animals from the central region of Poland and in the kidneys of animals from the northwestern region, while the lowest lead concentrations in both organs were typical for wild boar from the southeast part of the country. Our results show that areas located in the center and in the north of Poland carry most of the burden of lead bioaccumulation.

Bacterial Contamination of Boar Semen and its Relationship to Sperm Quality Preserved in Commercial Extender Containing Gentamicin Sulfate.

This study was designed to determine the degree and type of bacterial contamination in boar semen (79 ejaculates from Large White and Landrace boars) and its consequences for sperm quality during storage (27 extended semen samples, 16°C for five days) under practical conditions of artificial insemination (AI). The results revealed the presence of aerobic bacteria in 99% of the ejaculates (from 80 to 370 ×106 colony-forming units/mL). Most of the ejaculates contained two or three bacterial contaminants, while the Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Pseudomonas bacterial genera were most frequently isolated. Also detected were Enterobacter spp., Bacillus spp., Proteus spp., Escherichia coli, P. fluorescens, and P. aeruginosa. In general, the growth of certain bacterial types isolated prior to semen processing (Enterobacter spp., E. coli, P. fluorescens, and P. aeruginosa) was not discovered on different days of storage, but fluctuations (with a tendency towards increases) were found in the frequencies of Bacillus spp., Pseudomonas spp., and Staphylococcus spp. isolates up to the end of storage. Semen preserved for five days exhibited decreases in sperm motility and increases in the average number of total aerobic bacteria; this was associated with sperm agglutination, plasma membrane disruption, and acrosome damage. We inferred that, due to the different degrees and types of bacterial contaminants in the boar ejaculates, the inhibitory activity of some antimicrobial agents used in swine extenders (such as gentamicin sulfate) may be limited. Because such agents can contribute to the overgrowth of certain aerobic bacteria and a reduction in the quality of stored semen, procedures with high standards of hygiene and microbiological control should be used when processing boar semen.

Circannual changes in serum concentrations of thyroxine, calcitonin and parathormone in immature and mature red deer females (Cervus elaphus).

The aim of this study was to determine circannual changes in the serum concentrations of thyroxine, calcitonin and parathormone in mature and immature red deer females. Blood samples from 8 hinds were collected monthly for 26 months. Secretions of thyroxine and calcitonin showed circannual rhythms with significantly higher levels in the immature hinds compared to the mature animals (p<0.05). For thyroxine, the concentration was higher in the winter/spring period than in summer/autumn (p<0.05), while for calcitonin the concentration profile was the opposite (p<0.05). The concentration of parathormone was significantly higher in summer/autumn that in the other months of the experiment (p<0.01). These results may indicate that the hormones investigated may be involved in the regulation of seasonal reproductive activity and in processes contributing to entering puberty in red deer females.