"Experientia docet" - Experience is the best teacher
Observations on litter size, parturition and maternal behaviour in relation to lamb mortality in fecund Dormer and South African
Dormer (n = 166) and SA Mutton Merino (n = 147) ewes were observed continuously during lambing in the autumn lambing seasons of 1989-1991. Although SA Mutton Merino ewes had larger (P ≤0.01) litters at birth than Dormers (2.08 vs…
Long-term selection experiment with Afrikaner cattle 1. Environmental factors affecting calf growth traits
A selection and line x environment interaction study with grade Afrikaner cattle was established in 1956 at Matopos Research Station, Zimbabwe. Two selection lines of 100 cows each were reared in different management environments. The non-supplemented (NS) line relied on…
Sprout selection and performance of goats fed Acacia karroo coppices in the False Thornveld of the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Acacia karroo Hayne is the dominant invading species in semi-arid savannas of South Africa and is an ecological threat of our modern era. This study investigated the preference and intake rates by goats when fed A. karroo coppice sprouts of…
Effects of dietary oil sources on egg quality, fatty acid composition of eggs and blood lipids in laying quail
This study was performed to investigate the effects of different oils in the diets of laying quail on their performance, egg quality, serum lipids and fatty acid composition of egg yolk. One hundred and ninety two 12-wk old Japanese quail…
Quantitative aspects of semen imports for South African dairy breeds
Dairy cattle semen imported from January 1979 to June 1989 consisted of 72% Holstein-Friesian, 13.6% Jersey, 11.5% Ayrshire and 2.8% Guernsey semen. There has been a significant increase in the importation of Holstein-Friesian semen and, to a lesser extent, in…
Germination analysis of a seed bank along a degradation gradient in a semi-arid grassland
The germination potential of seed banks along a degradation gradient in a semi-arid grassland in South Africa was quantified in a greenhouse experiment. Soil samples were collected to a depth of 50 mm in late June 2000 from four sample…
Broilers (Gallus gallus) are less stressed if they can smell a mother odorant
Performance, physiological and behavioural parameters of two groups of domestic chickens were compared. Chickens were raised in classical commercial conditions in buildings housing 12000 birds. One group acted as a control, while the environment of the other was perfused with…
Systematic factors that affect ostrich egg incubation traits
Data obtained from a pair-mated ostrich flock maintained at Oudtshoorn, South Africa, were used to estimate environmental and genetic parameters for egg weight (EWT), water loss of incubated eggs up to 21 days (WL21), water loss up to 35 days…
