Measures of immune function in birds, while routine in traditional areas of pathology and physiology of domestic fowl (e.g. Goto et al. 1978; van der Zijpp 1983; Laudert, Sivanandan & Halvorson 1993;Chu et al. 1995), have now been recognized as valuable tools to study behaviour, ecology and toxicology of wild species (e.g. Lochmiller, Vestey & Boran 1993; Dufva & Allander 1995; Saino, Calza & M...

Heifers produced from sires of seven breeds (Hereford, Angus, Belgian Blue, Piedmontese, Brahman, Boran, and Tuli) and Angus, Hereford, and MARC III (four-breed composite) cows were evaluated. Weaned heifers were placed in three treatment groups of moderate nutrition (15.8 Mcal ME/d), 80% of moderate nutrition (12.6 Mcal ME/d), or fed as a mixed-breed group (16.3 Mcal ME/d). Average daily gain ...

Postweaning growth, feed efficiency, and carcass traits were analyzed on 1,422 animals obtained by mating F1 cows to F1 (Belgian Blue x British breeds) or Charolais sires. Cows were obtained from mating Hereford, Angus, and MARC IIIHereford, 1/4 Angus, 1/4 Pinzgauer, and 1/4 Red Poll) dams to Hereford or Angus (British breeds), Tuli, Boran, Brahman, or Belgian Blue sires. Breed groups were fed ...

Trypanotolerance is the capacity of certain West-African, taurine breeds of cattle to remain productive and gain weight after trypanosome infection. Laboratory studies, comparing Trypanosoma congolense infections in trypanotolerant N'Dama cattle (Bos taurus) and in more susceptible Boran cattle (Bos indicus), confirmed the field observations. Experiments using haemopoietic chimeric twins, compo...

Background: Equids, especially zebras and donkeys, and cattle (bovids) share habitats in many savanna ecosystems in Africa. The issue of competition for food between these ungulate guilds remains largely unresolved. Resolving it will provide insights into how wild zebra are likely to interact with cattle on shared landscapes and suggest best practices for cattle owners who must decide whether t...

Reproductive traits were measured for 234 bulls and 1184 heifers from matings of three dam breeds (Angus, Hereford, and MARC III) with six sire breeds (Angus, Hereford, Brahman, Boran, Tuli, and Belgian Blue) from the Germ Plasm Evaluation (GPE) Program at Roman L. Hruska US Meat Animal Research Center. Male traits were yearling scrotal circumference (YSC), height (YH), and yearling BW; age at ...

Context Planted grasses are becoming an increasingly important feed resource for tropical smallholder ruminant production; yet, limited research has been conducted to quantify productivity or enteric methane (CH4) production of animals consuming these grasses. Aim An experiment was assess yields and nutritional attributes the following three grasses: Cenchrus purpureus var. Kakamega 1 (Napier),...