small ruminant

Abstract The aim of this work was to identify the main species of Enterobacteriaceae present in two different varieties of raw ewe’s milk cheese, to study their evolution during manufacturing and ripening, and to assess their potential to produce gas from lactose. Enterobacteriaceae activity may influence cheese ripening; it can even be responsible for some specific characteristics of artisanal cheeses. Nevertheles some of these microorganisms are potential pathogens. Enterobacteriaceae growth and disappearance were different between the soft and the semi–hard cheese variety, as well as the proportions of the species detected. Citrobacter freundii, Citrobacter braakii and Klebsiella oxytoca were the predominant species in milk and curd, whereas Hafnia alvei was predominant throughout ripening. The highest gas production was generated by Enterobacter nimipresuralis , C. braakii and Enterobacter cloacae strains, followed by Enterobacter aerogenes, H. alvei, K. oxytoca and C. freundii strains. According to the species found, their levels during the initial ripening stages and gas production ability, C. braakii, C. freundii, K. oxytoca and H. alvei can be considered as responsible for early blowing in soft and semi–hard ewe cheeses. The identification of the Enterobacteriaceae species most likely responsible for early blowing can lead to a better understanding of raw milk cheese ripening, and therefore, to the improvement of its quality.

A total of 587 kidding records of West African Dwarf (WAD) goats over 10 years (1982–1991) were used. Mean kidding interval and litter size at birth were 275.68 ± 6.08 days and 1.79 ± 0.05 kids, respectively. Effects of parity, season and year of birth were significant (P

This paper reviews genetics of fibre production and fleece characteristics in small ruminants, Angora rabbit and South American camelids with a special distinction between single-coated (SC) and double-coated (DC) species. Considering the biology of fibre production, there are variations in coat composition and structure, fibre growth pattern and fibre structure and quality between these two main kinds of fibre-producing animals. In SC species, all fibres are nearly similar in dimensions and are produced from individual follicles that have a very long period, essentially permanent, of active growth without a synchronous phase of rest between follicles. In contrast, in DC species the fleece comprises a coarse outer coat and a fine inner coat with variations of coat composition and structure, and fibre growth pattern according to the season with a well-defined duration of fibre growth. Genetic basis of hair growth pattern, coat composition and fibre structure are different between spe...

Abstract The characterization of milk from red deer (Cervus elaphus, ReD), fallow deer (Dama dama, FaD) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus, RoD) was carried out in this study, focusing on mineral contents and their distribution between the soluble and colloidal phases of milk. Individual milk samples were collected from 23 ReD hinds, 31 FaD does, and 5 RoD does. The concentrations (mg/100 g) of minerals in milk were as follows (mean±SD): Ca, ReD = 273 ± 33, FaD = 234 ± 46, RoD = 418±101; P, ReD = 191 ± 15, FaD = 158 ± 16, RoD = 316 ± 46; Mg, ReD = 18 ± 2, FaD = 29 ± 7, RoD = 24 ± 2; Na, ReD = 41 ± 7, FaD = 41 ± 8, RoD = 45 ± 3; K, ReD = 126 ± 6, FaD = 120 ± 17, RoD = 140 ± 16. The % of minerals in the soluble phase of milk were as follows (mean ± SD): Ca, ReD = 27 ± 6, FaD = 27 ± 3, RoD = 22 ± 3; P, ReD = 30 ± 6, FaD = 28 ± 6, RoD = 30 ± 1; Mg, ReD = 57 ± 10, FaD = 55 ± 9, RoD = 51 ± 15. At micellar level, the contents of Ca, P and Mg (mmol/100 g casein) resulted as follow: Ca, ReD = 0.79 ± 0.12, FaD = 0.68 ± 0.16, RoD = 0.96 ± 0.15; P, ReD = 0.65 ± 0.10, FaD = 0.54 ± 0.09, RoD = 0.83 ± 0.08; Mg, ReD = 0.05 ± 0.01, FaD = 0.08 ± 0.01, RoD = 0.06 ± 0.02.

... Kadim et al., 2003 IT Kadim, O. Mahgoub, DS Al-Ajmi, RS Al-Maqbaly, NM Al-Saqri and A. Ritchie, An evaluation of the growth, carcass and meat quality characteristics of Omani goat breeds, Meat Sci. 66 (2003), pp. 203–210. View Record in Scopus | Cited By in Scopus (1). ...

ABSTRACT Milk productivity was evaluated throughout lactation and throughout the productive life of Maghrebi camel.•Weekly peak yield, 55 ± 3.5 l and the number of weeks to reach peak yield, 12.•The highest average yield recorded was for camels at sixth parity.•The wide range of milk yield indicates that the potential for dairy development could be facilitated by long-term selection programs to select high yield camels.

... Phenotypic and genetic description of fibre traits in South American domestic camelids (llamas and alpacas) star, open. ... The objectives of this review are to describe the phenotypic traits that determine fibre quality, and to identify the genetic mechanisms governing them. ...

... livestock from the hill-country to the marketplace have also affected the drive for more breeding and raising of goats. ... criticized on the ground that they provide historical descriptions with little policy guidance for agricultural development and small farmers welfare improvement ...

Fostering is a process used by sheep farmers for the rearing of abandoned lambs or in the incidence of triplets, providing the surplus lamb a surrogate ewe. Historically, research has assessed the varying success rates of different fostering methods and evaluated them using the latency to accept the alien lamb. There are no current studies on the frequency of use

Background Since 2002, an active surveillance program for transmissible spongiform encephalopathy in small ruminants in European Union countries allowed identification of a considerable number of atypical cases with similarities to the previously identified atypical scrapie cases termed Nor98. Case presentation Here we report molecular and neuropathological features of eight atypical/Nor98 scrapie cases detected between 2002 and 2009. Significant features of the affected sheep included: their relatively high ages (mean age 7.9 years, range between 4.3 and 12.8), their breed (all Latxa) and their PRNP genotypes (AFRQ/ALRQ, ALRR/ALRQ, AFRQ/AFRQ, AFRQ/AHQ, ALRQ/ALRH, ALRQ/ALRQ). All the sheep were confirmed as atypical scrapie by immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting. Two cases presented more PrP immunolabelling in cerebral cortex than in cerebellum. Conclusions This work indicates that atypical scrapie constitutes the most common small ruminant transmissible spongiform encephalopath...

The relationships between goat milk constituents and cheese (Chevre, a fresh goat’s milk cheese) yield were determined to develop formula for predicting the moisture-adjusted yield of Chevre. Samples of commingled goat milk shipped to a commercial manufacturer of Chevre were collected weekly over a 12-month period and analyzed for milk fat, crude protein (CP), casein, total solids (TS), and mineral contents. The yield of Chevre made from the sampled milk was measured and adjusted to a 60% moisture content. There was a definite trend in the 60% moisture-adjusted yield of Chevre during the year, which ranged from 14% in June to 20% in December and January. Milk TS and CP contents were the most significant predictors of Chevre yield (Y): Y=2.64TS−15.48 (r2=0.81, P<0.01) and Y=8.6116CP−12.7598 (r2=0.79, P<0.01), respectively.

Progesterone is essential for maintaining pregnancy in goats, and embryonic losses may be a consequence of the reduction in circulating progesterone levels close to the time of implantation. Some evidence exists regarding social dominance affecting the plasma progesterone levels in several species—where dominant females conceive earlier. The objective of this research was to determine whether serum progesterone levels differ in goats of different social status. A behavioural study was conducted for 10 days in a herd of 57 does and an individual success index (SI) was calculated according to the result of aggressive interactions. Goats were classified as high (SI: 1–0.67), medium (SI: 0.66–0.34) and low-ranking (SI: 0.33–0.0). Ovulation was synchronized using two injections of prostaglandin 11 days apart, and the plasma progesterone levels determined daily for a period of 20 days. The area under the plasma progesterone curve during the entire study was greater in the high than in the medium and low-ranking does (96.2±5.8, 79.5±5.3 and 81.3±5.3ng/ml, respectively, P<0.05). During days 11–17 following prostaglandin synchronization, the plasma progesterone levels were higher in the high-ranking (P<0.05), compared to the low-ranking does. Plasma progesterone levels were significantly correlated with SI at days 14 and 15 (r=0.26; P<0.05). Results suggest a relationship between social ranking of goats and the plasma progesterone production from the corpus luteum and other possible sources.

An experiment was carried out to compare the use of fresh cactus with cactus ensiled with and without a microbial inoculant in sheep diets by examining their feed intake, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance, and microbial protein synthesis and counting fecal enterobacteria. Twenty uncastrated mixed-breed sheep at approximately six months of age, with an average initial weight of 23.48 ± 2.40 kg, were used in the study. The animals were assigned to four treatments [fresh spineless cactus processed twice daily at the time of supply (FC2); fresh spineless cactus processed only once, in the morning, and supplied twice daily (FC1); spinelesscactus silage without inoculant (CS); and spineless-cactus silage with microbial inoculant (CSI)] in a completely randomized design with five replications per treatment. The experimental period was 21 days. The use of spineless cactus in the form of silage (CS and CSI) resulted in higher (P < 0.05) intakes of dry matter, organic matter, neutra...

Although Cryptosporidium spp. have been associated with diarrhea and mortality in sheep and goats, this is the first study to estimate the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in small ruminants in Southern Africa. Between August 2003 and February 2004, a cross-sectional study with single random sampling was carried out in three Zambian provinces: Central, Southern and Lusaka province. Faecal samples from lambs and goat kids less than 3 months of age were collected and examined using the TechLab Cryptosporidium ELISA. Faecal samples of 257 animals were collected: 152 lambs on 18 farms and 105 goat kids on 13 farms. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in lambs and goat kids was 12.5% and 4.8%, respectively and 30% of the sheep and goat farms had at least one positive animal at the time of the visit. A subset of the positive samples was withheld for molecular characterisation. Based on sequences obtained after amplification of the 70 kDa heat shock protein and the Cryptosporidium 18S...

Sixteen crossbred rams were allotted to four groups with four animals in each. Rams in the control group were supplied requisite quantity of standard ration consisting of maize 32%, groundnut cake 32%, wheat bran 33%, mineral mixture 2% and common salt 1%. All animals were offered green fodder at the rate of 200 g and ad lib. wheat straw. Ten

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the replacement of the Cynodon dactylon L. (Pers.) cv.“coast cross” hay (CCH) by dehydrated pineapple by-product (DPB-P) on performance, nutrients intakes and apparent digestibility coefficient with growing goats. Twenty-four crossbreed Saanen female goats were used, with average weight of 19.2kg. The experimental design was completely randomized with four treatments,

... since the more mobile traders are better informed on market prices, and are in a better position during price negotiation (Solomon et al ... and grading and low purchasing power of buyers are major constraints affecting the efficiency of livestock marketing (Ajala and Adesehinwa ...

The premier purpose of the present investigation was to appraise the impact of season and the sampling period, the transport of K from soils and forages to sheep grazing in the semi-arid region of Punjab. The ultimate aim was to enhance animal production by employing a balanced ...