Skin and plumage changes in domestic birds. II. Plumage changes]

The study describes plumage modifications and specific feather malformations, as related to the domestication process of different poultry species. The modifications include naked necks, leg feathering, frizzle feathering, silky feathering, fat quills, and feather abnormalities caused by behavioural hypertrophies. Most of these plumage modifications correspond to the breed standard for exhibition poultry fancy. However, they impair the normal function of these animals. The negative influences comprise disorders in social behaviour, loss of typical plumage functions and disabilities of normal mobility, as well as genetic defects and pathogenic predispositions.     

Effectiveness of Cabergoline for Termination of Pregnancy in Silver Fox (Vulpes vulpes fulva)

Red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) are a major pest species in Europe and Australia. Traditional methods of control such as hunting or poisoning are no longer sufficient or feasible. As with domestic dogs and cats, prolactin (PRL) in the vixen is an essential luteotropin during the second half of gestation. Hence, PRL inhibitors such as cabergoline have been used to induce abortions. Eighteen mated silver fox vixens (three groups of six foxes each) were treated orally with a placebo of paraffin oil (I), or with 15  μ g/kg cabergoline in feed once (II) or twice (III), on day 30 (I and II) or days 30 and 32 (III) post-coitum. Blood samples were taken prior to and after treatments and concentrations of PRL and progesterone (P₄) were determined. Normal parturitions were observed in five of six, five of six and two of six vixens in groups I, II and III, respectively. In group III plasma concentrations of PRL and P₄ decreased significantly but only temporarily. This drop in hormone concentrations was more pronounced in the vixens that did not carry to term. In conclusion, doses in excess of 15  μ g/kg of cabergoline are likely to prevent the development of fetuses to term in pregnant vixens.     

Expression of β2-integrin on monocytes and blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the periparturient period in dairy cows

The hypothesis that an altered expression of CD11/CD18 on bovine circulating monocytes, polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN), or both, contributes to an increased mastitis susceptibility in periparturient cows was tested. Expression of CD18 and CD11a, -b, -c on bovine monocytes and PMN were assessed in 8 Friesian-Holstein cows by flow cytometry from 2 wk before calving to 5 wk after calving. Minor changes in adhesion molecule expression levels were detected throughout the experimental period. Compared with PMN, monocytes exhibited an expression level that was similar for CD18, higher for CD11a and CD11c, but lower for CD11b. Differences in density may reflect the relative importance of these adhesion molecules on both leukocyte types. In this study, the decreased number of milk resident macrophages and PMN observed during the periparturient period could not be attributed to changes of CD11/CD18 levels on circulating leukocytes.     

Some serum parameters of first lactation cows in relation to their supply of macro and trace elements as well as of vitamins

At the Institute of Animal Nutrition of the Federal Agricultural Research Centre (FAL) in Braunschweig a feeding trial with 30 first lactating cows (German Holstein) was realised in 2004 for a complete lactation. All animals received a diet based on maize- and grass-silage ad libitum at the rate of 60:40 (DM-base) and concentrate depending on their milk yield.The animals were fed with energy and protein as recommended (GfE 2001) and were kept in loose housing. After calving they were split randomly into two feeding groups with 15 animals each. Group 1 was fed a concentrate according to the recommendations of the GfE (2001), whereas group 2 was offered the same concentrate with roughly the double amount of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, beta-carotene and vitamins A and E. To study the influence of the different concentrates on the serum concentrations of minerals and vitamins, blood, feed and milk samples were regularly taken and analysed in the course of lactation. Significantly higher blood concentrations were detected for phosphorus, zinc and vitamin E in group 2, but therefore a direct influence of the feeding on the blood concentrations was detected only for zinc and vitamin E. Over the whole lactation the average milk yield of group 1 was 2.6 kg/day higher and the average milk fat content was reduced about 0.6 percent points compared to group 2.     

High caudal epidural anaesthesia with local anaesthetics or alpha(2)-agonists in calves

The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy of a caudal epidural anaesthesia using lidocaine or xylazine in a high volume for analgesia of the flank, navel and hamstring tendon. Fourteen calves weighing 57.7 +/- 5.1 kg and 37.9 +/- 9.3 (mean +/- SEM) days old were randomly divided into two groups of seven calves each. Calves belonging to the lidocaine group were given a 2% lidocaine solution in the sacrococcygeal vertebral space epidurally at a volume of 0.4 ml/kg (8 mg/kg) body weight (BW). Animals of the xylazine group were administered an epidural anaesthesia with xylazine at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg BW, diluted with a 0.9% saline solution to a corresponding final volume of 0.4 ml/kg BW. Heart rate and respiratory rate were measured and the degree and duration of analgesia was determined by the response to a skin prick with a hypodermic needle over a period of 350 min after epidural injection. After epidural anaesthesia with lidocaine the mean heart rate increased during dorsal recumbency, whereas after xylazine both heart rate and respiratory rate decreased significantly (P < 0.05). The epidural injection of xylazine compared with lidocaine caused longer (P < 0.05) analgesia at the hamstring tendon (mean +/- SEM, 120.7 +/- 29.7 min versus 93.6 +/- 3.5 min) and at the flank (100.7 +/- 24.4 min versus 78.3 +/- 11.1 min). There were no differences in the intensity of analgesia between groups. After xylazine application analgesia at the navel was achieved for 95.0 +/- 14.1 min whereas after lidocaine injection sufficient analgesia at the navel was found in just two of seven calves for 55 and 95 min respectively. Based on above experiences, a second study was performed, in which a combination of xylazine and local anaesthetics was used and the injection volume was increased to prove the efficacy of caudal epidural anaesthesia in 15 calves (26.3 +/- 26.7 days; 57.1 +/- 19.5 kg) submitted to the clinic for regular umbilical surgery. In these cases the xylazine (0.1 mg/kg BW) was diluted with 2% lidocaine (n = 7) or 2% procaine (n = 8) to a corresponding final volume of 0.5-0.6 ml/kg BW. In all cases complete anaesthesia of the surgical area was achieved and no adverse effects were observed. Overall the high volume caudal epidural anaesthesia represents an effective, safe, cheap and easy to perform alternative for anaesthesia of the navel, flank and hamstring tendon in calves without major side effects.