"Experientia docet" - Experience is the best teacher
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…
Effect of chronological age of beef steers of different maturity types on their growth and carcass characteristics when finished
In the arid sweetveld regions of South Africa producers are marketing beef steers increasingly as long weaners (ca. 12 months of age) or finishing them on the natural grazing to a ready-to-slaughter stage at between 18 and 30 months of…
Comparison of different protein sources in enriched grain mixture for fattening lambs
A triticale/oat grain mixture (2: 1) was enriched with either a commercially available formula or a locally composed supplement in addition to different protein sources (urea, urea plus fish-meal, urea plus cottonseed oilcake, urea plus bitter lupins or bitter lupins…
The effect of thermo-ammoniation on the nutritive value of maize residues (Short communication)
Thermo-ammoniated maize residues supplemented with 1% urea (Diet 2) or 4.5% fish-meal (Diet 3) and untreated maize residues supplemented with 2% urea (Diet 1), were compared on an isonitrogenous base. The in vitro dry matter digestibility for Diets I, 2…
Nutritional value, for pigs and rats, of sunflower oilcake meal processed to contain different concentrations of protein
Different amounts of hull were removed from sunflower oilcake to obtain oilcake with a protein content of 40% (SFOC 40), 42% (SFOC 42), 44% (SFOC 44) and 46% (SFOC 46). respectively. The increase in crude protein content from 40% to…
Prediction of the chemical composition and in vitro dry matter digestibility of a number of forages by near infrared reflectance
The chemical composition and in vitro dry matter digestibility of a number of forages, namely lucerne (Medicago sativa), Italian rye grass (Lolium multiflorum), triticale (Triticale hexaploide), oats (Avena sativa), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), babala (Penniseturn typhoides), forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolour…
Suckling behaviour and fertility in beef cows on pasture. I. Suckling behaviour
The suckling behaviour of one- to three-month-old calves, suckled by 66 Hereford, Simmentaler and Hereford X Simmentaler cows, was studied. The most common frequency of suckling in 24 h was 4, and the mean duration of each suckling event was…
A comparison of the performance of Holstein and Friesian bulls in the South African Progeny Testing Scheme
The performance of 92 Holstein-Friesian bulls, which were accepted for progeny testing under the South African National Dairy Animal Performance and Progeny Testing Scheme during 1982, 1983 and 1984, was compared. Bulls which were locally bred for more than one…
Sire breed and breed genotype of dam effects in crossbreeding beef cattle in the subtropics 1. Birth and weaning
The influence of sire breed and breed genotype of dam on birth and weaning mass in calves of Afrikaner, Hereford, Simmentaler and Bonsmara cattle, as well as F1 and two- and three-breed rotational crosses between Afrikaner, Hereford and Simmentaler were…
Sire breed and breed genotype of dam effects in crossbreeding beef cattle in the subtropics 2. Calving interval and cow producti
The influence of sire breed and breed genotype of dam on calving interval (CI) and cow productivity (CP) in Afrikaner, Hereford, Simmentaler and Bonsmara cattle, as well as in Fl, and two- and three breed rotational crosses between Afrikaner, Hereford…
Between-flock genetic differences in 40 Merino studs
Breeding values of production traits, relative to a genetic control flock, were estimated for 40 registered Merino studs. Breeding values, expressed as a percentage deviation from the control flock, varied from -16.7 to 31.2 for body mass, -6.4 to 28.1…
Age trends in economically important traits of Merino ewes subjected to 10 years of divergent selection for multiple rearing abi
Data were recorded for annual reproduction, wool traits and pre-joining live weight of between 992 (for staple strength) to approximately 1200 production records of Merino ewes over the period from 1997 to 2002. The resource population has been divergently selected…
Cloning and SNP screening of the TLR4 gene and the association between its polymorphism and somatic cell score in dairy cattle
Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is a cell-surface receptor that activates innate and adaptive immune responses. Recognizing a broad class of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), TLR4 is implicated as a receptor mediating cellular activation in response to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a…
Procedures for estimation of genetic persistency indices for milk production for the South African dairy industry
Procedures have been developed for calculation of a Persistency Index for South African dairy breeds. This index is based on the Canadian Persistency Index, which is simple and easy to understand. Data used in this study were test-day records of…
Acceptability of chevon from kids, yearling goats and mature does of indigenous South African goats: A case study
Consumer sensory evaluations of oven-roasted goat and sheep m. longissimus dorsi samples were conducted in two series to determine the acceptability of chevon from indigenous South African goats to consumers. Chevon samples were from goat carcasses of known description. In…
