One hundred and seven fattening pig units randomly selected in Catalonia (Spain) were surveyed during 2001-2003, in order to determine the frequency of the prophylactic use of antimicrobials and mass treatments against respiratory and enteric disease outbreaks. Logistic regression and regression tree analysis were done to determine the factors associated with the on-farm mass antimicrobial usag...

This experiment investigated the effect of feeding different levels of sesame oil cake on the intake and digestibility of DM, CP, crude fiber, and crude fat in Awassi fattening lambs. Sesame oil cake was incorporated into lamhs’ rafions at levels of 10 and 20% to replace similar percentages of barley and soybean. The results showed that the high level of sesame oil cake inclusion decreased DM a...

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the rearing conditions during the fattening period of Iberian pigs on the acceptance of the dry-cured hams, and to research into the relationship between acceptance and sensory characteristics, chemical composition and physical-chemical parameters. The duration of the fattening period in Montanera (outdoor system based on acorns and g...

The performance of a trivalent oil-adjuvanted FMD vac­ cine formulated with O1 Campos, A24 Cruzeiro and C3 Indaial FMD antigens has been evaluated in fattening pigs in Brazil. As previously demonstrated, a single dose of this type of vaccine injected at the time of weaning induced a rapid onset of protection against challenge and a protracted immunity lasting at least for four months, i.e. the ...

To study the effects of environmental enrichment on physiological responses to stressors and behavior in growing pigs, pigs were housed in either a poor environment (standard farrowing pens followed by standard rearing and fattening pens) or in an enriched environment (larger farrowing pens followed by larger rearing and fattening pens, provision of straw). Body temperature, heart rate and sali...

The study calculates the fork-length to round weight (L-W) relationship and condition index (K) of fattened bluefin tuna for 6-7 months in a tuna farm in western Greece and compares these morphometric parameters with those of wild bluefin tuna using the set of measurements obtained in the context of the EU-funded research projects REPRO-DOTT & SELF-DOTT. The L-W relationship and K values found ...

Serum samples from 474 domestic pigs (Sus scrofa) from Zimbabwe were tested for anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies using the indirect fluorescent antibody test. The results showed that T. gondii infection is widespread in Zimbabwean pigs. Seroprevalence was lowest in fattening pigs from large and small-scale commercial farms that practise good hygiene (19.75% of 238) and highest in backyard ...

This paper constitutes a review on the welfare aspects of piglet castration that considers the scientific literature published after 2004. Castrating during the neonatal period (1 to 3 days of age) is clearly painful. In addition, inflammatory processes may take place at the sites of incision, thus adding further pain to the procedure. Surgical castration with general and local anaesthesia, in ...

In the calidrine sandpiper red knot (Calidris canutus), the weeks preceding takeoff for long-distance migration are characterized by a rapid increase in body mass, largely made up of fat but also including a significant proportion of lean tissue. Before takeoff, the pectoral muscles are known to hypertrophy in preparation for endurance flight without any specific training. Because birds facing ...