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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: 3
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Keywords: cattle, magnetic alignment, stall equipment, animal welfare
Published in DKUM: 04.12.2024; Views: 0; Downloads: 7
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Abstract: Dobro počutje domačih živali, ki je premisa sodobne živinoreje, je močno odvisno od sistema reje. V govedoreji je sistem vezane reje še vedno zelo pogost, čeprav zaradi omejene možnosti gibanja velja za manj primernega. Alternativa temu sistemu je kot minimalni standard predlagana hlevska prosta reja, ki živalim omogoča prosto gibanje na omejenem območju. Čeprav se zdi samoumevno, da je prosta reja boljša od vezane, še vedno ni raziskav o tem, ali to velja za vse kategorije in starosti govedi. Namen raziskave je bil primerjati dobro počutje telic v vezani in prosti reji v obdobju pitanja pri različnih starostih. Raziskava je vključevala pet telic v vsakem sistemu na ponovitev (skupaj 20 živali). Počutje telic smo ocenili z uporabo protokola Welfare Quality®, ki vključuje oceno štirih opazovalnih področij: krmljenje, bivalni pogoji, zdravje in obnašanje. Meritve in opazovanja živali in hleva se pretvorijo/preračunajo v ocene dobrega počutja od 0 (neprimerno stanje) do 100 (optimalno stanje). Ocenjevanja so bila izvedena sedemkrat v obdobju pitanja (7–27 mesecev starosti) v trimesečnih intervalih. Rezultati so pokazali značilne razlike v ocenah dobrega počutja živali med vezano in prosto rejo le pri bivalnih pogojih ter tendenco razlik pri obnašanju. Pri obeh področjih so bile ocene razmeroma nizke v primerjavi s področjem krmljenja in zdravja živali, kjer med sistemoma reje ni bilo ugotovljenih razlik. Tudi časovna dinamika ocen meril in področij je bila značilno različna le pri bivalnih pogojih. Pri obeh sistemih reje so se vrednosti s starostjo zmanjševale. V sistemu proste reje so bile ocene pri mladih živalih skoraj optimalne (> 90), a so se s starostjo hitro znižale, v sistemu vezane reje pa ocene niso bile optimalne že pri mladih živalih (≈ 40). Rezultati kažejo, da je vezana reja manj primerna z vidika dobrega počutja živali zlasti za mlade živali. Zaradi tega je priporočljivo, da se mlade živali, če sta v vzrejnih objektih na voljo oba sistema, nastanijo v ograde s prosto rejo.
Keywords: dobro počutje živali, govedo, telice, sistem reje, protokol ocenjevanja
Published in DKUM: 07.10.2024; Views: 0; Downloads: 12
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Abstract: Among domestic animals, the domestic cat (Felis catus) probably has the highest proportion of free-ranging individuals in the population and as such is an important component (i.e. predator) in ecosystems. Due to their potential impact on wildlife, the management of domestic cats is a hot topic today. However, there are few studies on the chronobiology and activity of domestic cats in relation to natural cycles. Therefore, the aim of our research was to investigate their circadian, lunar and seasonal rhythms. We monitored the activity of free-ranging cats in a selected corridor within an approximately 800 m2 patch of shrubs and trees in an agricultural landscape that is regularly used by wildlife in the surrounding area. Monitoring was carried out for two consecutive years using a trail camera. Data collection was based on video analysis of all recorded video clips (n = 2081 from 732 camera trap nights). A total of at least 15 individuals were identified in the area. Cats were most frequently observed in spring and summer (a total of 70% of all observations). Cats with prey were mostly observed in summer (∼56%) and never in winter. Circadian activity of domestic cats was nocturnal/crepuscular (p < 0.0001) with two peaks of activity, one in the late evening (∼21.00 h) and another in the early morning (∼5.00 h). The appearance of the cats with the prey corresponded to the general circadian activity. Slight shifts in activity due to day length (sunset/sunrise) were observed when comparing circadian rhythms in relation to seasons, especially in winter when there was a pronounced peak in activity in the early evening. For cat activity in relation to the lunar cycle, we found a tendency for higher nocturnal activity around new moon (p = 0.065), with this pattern being significant in spring (p < 0.05). However, the appearance of cats with prey was not related to the lunar cycle. Understanding the circadian, lunar and seasonal activity rhythms of domestic cats is an important prerequisite for developing an optimal cat management strategy that takes into account both welfare aspects (especially natural behaviour) and minimising the impact of domestic cats on wildlife.
Keywords: domestic cat, farm cat, chronobiology, free-roaming, cat management, activity
Published in DKUM: 11.04.2024; Views: 193; Downloads: 13
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Abstract: Increasing antimicrobial resistance has caused a great interest in natural products as alternatives or potentiators of antibiotics. The objective of this study was to isolate individual tannins from crude chestnut extract as well as to determine the influence of both crude extracts (tannic acid extract, chestnut extract) and individual pure tannins (gallic acid, vescalin, vescalagin, castalin, castalagin) on the growth of Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Their antibacterial activity was monitored by measuring the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) as well as the duration of the lag phase, growth rate and generation time. The effect of growth medium strength on the MIC of different tannins was also investigated. Bacterial growth was followed spectrophotometrically, and MIC values were determined by the microdilution method. The MIC values of various isolated compounds allowed us to determine the bioactive compounds and their contribution to antimicrobial activity. It was found that MIC values increase with increasing growth medium strength and that the lag phase lengthens with increasing tannin concentrations, while the growth rates decrease. Comparing the results of the two studies, the antimicrobial activity of tannins against S. aureus was not as pronounced as in the case of E. coli, which may indicate that a different mechanism of action is responsible for the antimicrobial effects of tannins on Gram-positive than on Gram-negative bacteria, or that a different mechanism is more pronounced.
Keywords: tannins, antibacterial activity, MIC, MBC, Staphylococcus aureus, lag phase, generation time
Published in DKUM: 20.02.2024; Views: 363; Downloads: 66
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