The relationship between anxiety and maternal behavior has been explored across species using a variety of approaches, yet there is no clear consensus on the nature or direction of this relationship. In the current study, we have assessed stable individual differences in anxiety-like behavior in a large cohort (n=57) of female F2 hybrid mice. Using open-field behavior as a continuous and catego...

The ob gene encodes leptin, a hormone which induces satiety and increases energy expenditure. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma 2 isoform (PPAR gamma 2) gene encodes a transcription factor which controls adipocyte differentiation and expression of fat-specific genes. We have studied the regulation of these two genes in white adipose tissue (WAT) during the suckling-weaning tr...

Carcass composition and meat quality attributes of 55 suckling kids (27 males and 28 females) and 57 suckling lambs (28 males and 29 females) of Portuguese native breeds were investigated. These suckling kid and lamb meats are European meat quality labels produced according to "Cabrito de Barroso- PGI" and "Borrego Terrincho-PDO" specifications, respectively. Female kids were slaughtered at 9.1...

1. Ketone-body utilization in fed and starved adult and suckling rats has been investigated by measuring arterio-venous differences across the brain. Venous blood was collected from the confluence of sinuses and arterial blood from the femoral artery in adult rats and by cardiac puncture in suckling rats. 2. During starvation the arterio-venous difference of ketone bodies increased in proportio...

The aim of this study was to investigate if there is a relationship between the latency to the first suckling and udder and teat morphology and to assess the extent to which piglet and sow characteristics influence teat pair position preference. Udder morphology trait measurements, piglet suckling behavior, and sow productive and behavioral traits were recorded from a population of 74 Large Whi...

Factors affecting calving interval (CI) in double-muscled Belgian Blue (DMBB) beef cows were investigated with regard to the BW yield (BWY) of the cow-calf pair, using 834 CI records from 386 females with parities 1 to 6. The effect of parity and CI on BWY was also studied. Cow-calf pair BWY was defined as calf birth weight plus dam BWY per CI. CI (mean±s.e.: 404±1.9 days) was affected by parit...

An experiment with a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments (n = 10 sows/treatment) was conducted to investigate the effect of maternal dietary supplementation with seaweed extract (SWE: 0 vs. 10.0 g/d) and fish oil (FO) inclusion (0 vs. 100 g/d) from d 109 of gestation until weaning (d 26) on sow colostrum and milk composition, humoral immune response on d 5 and 12 of lactation, and sucklin...


 There have been few studies on the use of diets and strategies to reduce length postpartum anoestrus in dairy goats, especially tropical semi-arid regions. This review discusses factors influencing return ovarian activity goats. During period, goats are puerperal their reproductive tract is being prepared for a new conception. Anoestrus necessary tissue renewal uterus (uterine involution...