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2. Endoparaziti pri govedu- dejavniki invadiranosti in razlike med pasmami : magistrsko deloMaja Motaln, 2025, master's thesis Abstract: Zajedavci igrajo pomembno vlogo pri domačih živalih. Različni dejavniki vplivajo na njihov pojav in stopnjo infestacije. Namen naloge je bil preučiti, kakšen vpliv ima sezona, leto, območje in pasma na pogostost pojavljanja zajedavcev. V nalogi smo najprej analizirali podatke parazitoloških preiskav za obdobje štirih let (2021–2024) na kmetijah, ki so bile v ukrepu dobrobiti živali – »paša«. Vpliv pasme pa smo dodatno analizirali še z individualnim vzorčenjem blata na izbranih kmetijah, ki redijo dve ali več pasem. Za parazitološko diagnostiko so bile opravljene analize z metodami sedimentacije in flotacije. Rezultati so pokazali, da je bila infestacija z večino zajedavcev višja v spomladanskem obdobju, z izjemo trematod iz rodu Paramphistomum sp., ki je bila v jeseni, kljub spomladanskemu tretiranju živali z antiparazitiki, višja. Pri večini zajedavcev se je pojavnost skozi leta zmanjševala, razen pri zajedavcih Moniezia sp., Paramphistotum sp. in Strongyloides papillosus se je v letu 2024, ki je bilo najtoplejše leto, z največ padavinami, močno povečala. Pri večini parazitov nismo ugotovili razlik v invadiranosti glede na območje paše, razen pri treh taksonih. Od teh sta bila dva (Fasciola hepatica in Paramphistomum sp.) značilno višja na vlažnih območjih, izjema pa je bil parazit vrste Strongyloides papillosus, ki ga je bilo na izrazito vlažnem območju značilno manj (p < 0.05). Invadiranost s paraziti je bila izrazitejša pri črno-beli pasmi, le Fasciola hepatica in zajedavci iz rodu Paramphistomum sp. so bili pogostejši pri lisasti pasmi. Na osnovi rezultatov se kaže, da je pri obravnavi in ukrepih, povezanimi z notranjimi zajedavci pri govedu, poleg dosledne uporabe antiparazitikov, pomembno vzeti v obzir tudi vlažnost območja/obdobja (padavine ter vodnatost), zanemariti pa ne gre niti pasme, ki lahko ima določen vpliv.
Keywords: zajedavci, govedo, dejavniki, pasma
Published in DKUM: 06.05.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 8
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3. Suckling behaviour of piglets affected by body weight and sexMartina Dobaj Gomboc, Janko Skok, Dejan Škorjanc, Maja Prevolnik Povše, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: Piglet suckling behaviour has been extensively studied, but surprisingly, there are not many studies that specifically consider body weight and sex in this context. These two basic individual characteristics have been considered more as supporting data but not as main factors. Therefore, the objective of the present research was to examine the effect body weight on suckling behaviour of piglets during lactation separately by sex. The study comprised 14 litters with a total of 158 piglets (85 male, 73 female, litter size 6−15 piglets). Suckling behaviour was described in terms of suckling position (the teat at which the piglet suckled during suckling), suckling territory (the range two outermost suckling positions of the piglet encompasses) and suckling
stability (the tendency to suckle successively at the same position), and was observed in six periods: 0−3, 4−7, 8−10, 11−14, 15−21 and 22−32 days of age. In each period, piglets were also weighed. The udder was divided into three areas: anterior (1st-2nd teat pair), middle (3rd-5th teat pair) and posterior (6th-8th teat pair). Body weight affected suckling behaviour differently in male and female piglets (i.e., all traits in females, suckling stability only in males). The relative body weight of females decreased significantly from the anterior towards the posterior part. Heavy females (but not males) suckled considerably more frequently on the anterior area. Heavier piglets (male and female) established more stable suckling order. Suckling territory of males was quite large, but did not differ among body weight classes. Interestingly, light females visited significantly larger suckling territory than heavy females. The present results fill a gap in the otherwise broad knowledge of pig suckling behaviour, which is of great importance for litter management during lactation, especially when cross-fostering is implemented. In this context, knowledge of the detailed role of sex and body weight is of particular importance because breeders rely mainly on basic body traits when managing litters.
Keywords: pig, lactation, body weight, sex, suckling position, suckling stability, suckling territory
Published in DKUM: 25.04.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 0
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4. The parasite-mediated domestication hypothesisJanko Skok, 2023, other scientific articles Abstract: Based on the premise that parasites indirectly influence literally all of the main processes that otherwise underlie the domestication syndrome, it is hypothesised here that endoparasites (helminths and protozoa) have played an important mediating role in the process of (proto)domestication. The hypothesis predicts that the frequency of domestication syndrome traits such as tameness, depigmentation, mottling, piebaldism, floppy ears, short and curled tail, reduced size of the adrenal gland, etc. in the (wild) population increases i) with decreasing genetic resistance to parasites and/or ii) with increasing parasite load. According to the parasite-mediated domestication hypothesis, the features of the domestication syndrome could be genetically linked to genes related to resistance/tolerance to parasites, the role of miRNA in the process of epigenetic inheritance or the transgenerational inheritance of stress pathology.
Keywords: domestication syndrome, endoparasites, genetic resistance, neural crest cells, endocrine system, miRNA
Published in DKUM: 23.04.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 0
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5. Evaluation of heifer welfare in two different rearing systemsErnest Plemenitaš, Dejan Škorjanc, Janko Skok, Maja Prevolnik Povše, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: The welfare of domestic animals, which is a core part of livestock farming today, depends strongly on the rearing system. While free-stall systems are encouraged, tied rearing systems are still the most widely used in cattle farming, although considered less suitable due to restricted freedom of movement. As an alternative to this system, free-stall rearing, which allows movement, is proposed as a minimum standard. Although it seems self-evident that free-stall rearing is better than tied rearing system, there is still a lack of research on whether this is true for all categories of cattle or whether it might be appropriate for some of them (e.g. depending on age). The aim of the present study was therefore to compare the welfare of heifers in tied and free-stall rearing during the fattening period (at different ages). In general, we have suggested higher welfare scores in free-stall system, with the tied stall being more problematic for younger animals. The study comprised five heifers in each system per repetition (20 animals in total). Data were collected using the Welfare Quality® protocol, which involves the assessment of four main principles: feeding, housing, health and behaviour. The assessments were carried out approximately every three months during the fattening period (from 6 to 27 months of age). The results showed significant differences in animal welfare scores between tied and free-stall systems only in
terms of housing and the tendency of differences in behaviour. For both principles, the scores were relatively low compared to feeding and health, where no differences were found between the rearing systems. In terms of temporal dynamics, differences were only found for housing, with values decreasing with age in both rearing systems. In the free-stall system, the scores were almost optimal in young animals (>90), but decreased rapidly with increasing age, while in the tied housing system, a suboptimal welfare scores were already observed in young animals (≈40). This means that tied rearing system is a clear disadvantage for the welfare of younger animals, which are generally more exploratory and active. Our results confirmed tied stall as less suitable in terms of animal welfare, especially for young animals. It is therefore encouraged that young animals should primarily be housed in a freestall pens if both systems are available in the breeding facilities.
Keywords: animal wefare, cattle, heifer, rearing system, assessment protocol
Published in DKUM: 23.04.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 0
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7. Enrichments adjusted to the number of litters: simple approach to improve the welfare of weaned piglets under farm conditionsNejc Kuri, Janko Skok, Dejan Škorjanc, Maja Prevolnik Povše, 2024, original scientific article Keywords: pig, weaning, welfare, aggresion, behaviour, injuries, environmental enrichment
Published in DKUM: 16.04.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 0
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8. Pre-conception nutrition estimated from milk composition characterises the sex ratio of offspring in cattleJanez Belšak, Janez Jeretina, Maja Prevolnik Povše, Dejan Škorjanc, Janko Skok, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: In livestock breeding, offspring of a particular sex are often favoured. Various biological mechanisms influence the offspring sex ratio (OSR). It has been hypothesised that maternal bodycondition/nutritional status influence OSR. We analysed the relationship between the nutritional status of the cow and OSR. The analysed dataset contained 40,913 milk recordings of 39,192 cows from 3625 farms. Nutritional status was estimated based on the fat-to-protein (F:P) ratio and urea content in milk in the seven to fourteen days prior to conception. Somatic cell count (SCC) was
also considered. Cows with > 150,000 SSC were analysed separately. When SSC was normal (≤150,000), high urea with high F:P resulted in a higher probability of male offspring (61 %), with OSR significantly deviating towards male (1.47). Conversely, a high urea level and low F:P resulted in a higher probability of female offspring (57 %), with OSR significantly in favour of females (0.79). At normal or low milk urea, the sex of the offspring did not change within F:P classes. The sex ratio did not deviate from 1:1 when F:P and urea were in the normal range. When
SCC was high, the probability of particular sex did not change significantly in either combination of F:P and urea, but OSR showed a tendency toward males (OSR>1) when F:P and urea were low or normal. Our results confirmed the influence of maternal nutritional status on the offspring sex. Thus, adjusting nutrition in the pre-insemination period seems to be a way to influence the sex ratio of offspring in dairy cows.
Keywords: cattle, sex ratio, nutrition, composition of milk, sex allocation
Published in DKUM: 16.04.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 1
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9. Effect of gonadotropin administration on reproductive performance in relation to the age at first conception, time of application, and body condition of weaned sowMarija Vogrin Bračič, Maja Prevolnik Povše, Janko Skok, Dejan Škorjanc, 2025, original scientific article Keywords: sow, gonadotropin administration, application time, body condition, age at conception, reproductive performance
Published in DKUM: 26.03.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 3
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10. Agonistic interactions between littermates reappear after mixing multiple litters at weaning in pigsMaja Prevolnik Povše, Nikolina Mesarec, Janko Skok, Dejan Škorjanc, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: Weaning involves mixing of unfamiliar litters and is accompanied by an outbreak of aggression, which is usually attributed to between-litter (BL) interactions. In the present study, we thus focused on post-weaning agonism (fighting and mounting) between littermates (within-litter, WL). Two litters were weaned into two pens separated by an empty pen and connected by narrow passages that were opened 24 h after weaning. WL interactions accounted for 38% and 68% of all fights and mounts, respectively, during a 7-day experimental period. After the passages were opened, not only BL, but also WL interactions increased significantly (by 6- to 7-fold on the first day of mixing). WL fights then gradually decreased, while WL mounts continued to increase. During the experimental period, the proportion of both WL fights and mounts decreased. The majority of WL fights (%80%) and mounts (%65%) occurred in home pens. A significantly higher percentage of draws was found in WL fights (50% of initiator wins and 41% of draws) compared to BL fights (80% of initiator wins and 11% of draws). Results also showed less asymmetry in the body weight of piglets involved in WL interactions. Mixing of litters at weaning was shown to involve not only intense interactions between unfamiliar piglets but also the recurrence of agonistic interactions between littermates, which is something we should keep in mind when pursuing the highest standards of weaner welfare.
Keywords: pig, weaning, within-litter interactions, fighting, mounting
Published in DKUM: 06.12.2024; Views: 0; Downloads: 11
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