Biochemical blood analysis along pregnancy in Martina Franca jennies

Lactation curve and effects of milking regimen on milk yield and quality, and udder health in Martina Franca jennies (Equus asinus).

Three experiments were conducted on Martina Franca jennies. Experiment 1 tested Wood's model for evaluating the lactation curve. Data from the entire lactation period of 12 jennies were used. The results showed that Wood's model was able to recognize the shape of the lactation curve from pooled data (r(2) = 0.11; P < 0.01), with the lactation peak occurring at 48 d. Individual curves showed wid...

Monitoring of genetic diversity in the endangered Martina Franca donkey population.

The Martina Franca (MF) donkey, an ancient native breed of Apulia, was mostly famous for mule production. The breed was at serious risk of extinction in the 1980s following the decrease in demand for draft animals because they were increasingly replaced by agricultural machinery. Much has been done in the last few decades to safeguard the existing donkey breeds, but the situation remains critic...

Effect of the season on some aspects of the estrous cycle in Martina Franca donkey.

The Martina Franca (MF) donkey breed, with 48 jackasses and 515 jennies, is considered an endangered breed according to the data from the Monitoring Institute for Rare Breeds and Seeds in Europe. The knowledge of the estrous cycle characteristics has a great impact for assisted reproduction, especially in endangered species. In this study, the estrous cycle characteristics were investigated in ...

Correlation between some arterial and venous blood gas parameters in healthy newborn Martina Franca donkey foals from birth to 96 hours of age.

In neonatology, blood gas analysis is a useful tool in the evaluation of the health of newborns and plays a key role in early detection of critically ill subjects. Because blood gas analysis parameters have not previously been studied in any depth in donkey foals, this study was performed on 16 healthy Martina Franca donkey foals born after an uncomplicated delivery. Arterial and venous blood s...

Martina Huber KTH report