To differentiate between the effect of cold and hydrostatic pressure on hormone and cardiovascular functions of man, a group of young men was examined during 1-h head-out immersions in water of different temperatures (32 degrees C, 20 degrees C and 14 degrees C). Immersion in water at 32 degrees C did not change rectal temperature and metabolic rate, but lowered heart rate (by 15%) and systolic and diastolic blood pressures (by 11 %, or 12%, respectively), compared to controls at ambient air temperature. Plasma renin activity, plasma cortisol and aldosterone concentrations were also lowered (by 46%, 34%, and 17%, respectively), while diuresis was increased by 107%. Immersion at 20 degrees C induced a similar decrease in plasma renin activity, heart rate and systolic and diastolic blood pressures as immersion at thermoneutrality, in spite of lowered rectal temperature and an increased metabolic rate by 93%. Plasma cortisol concentrations tended to decrease, while plasma aldosterone concentration was unchanged. Diuresis was increased by 89%. No significant differences in changes in diuresis, plasma renin activity and aldosterone concentration compared to subjects immersed to 32 degrees C were observed. Cold water immersion (14 degrees C) lowered rectal temperature and increased metabolic rate (by 350%), heart rate and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (by 5%, 7%, and 8%, respectively). Plasma noradrenaline and dopamine concentrations were increased by 530% and by 250% respectively, while diuresis increased by 163% (more than at 32 degrees C). Plasma aldosterone concentrations increased by 23%. Plasma renin activity was reduced as during immersion in water at the highest temperature. Cortisol concentrations tended to decrease. Plasma adrenaline concentrations remained unchanged. Changes in plasma renin activity were not related to changes in aldosterone concentrations. Immersion in water of different temperatures did not increase blood concentrations of cortisol. There was no correlation between changes in rectal temperature and changes in hormone production. Our data supported the hypothesis that physiological changes induced by water immersion are mediated by humoral control mechanisms, while responses induced by cold are mainly due to increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system.

Estimated breeding values (EBV) for first-lactation milk production of Holstein cattle in the Czech Republic were calculated using a conventional animal model and by single-step prediction of the genomic enhanced breeding value. Two overlapping data sets of milk production data were evaluated: (1) calving years 1991 to 2006, with 861,429 lactations and 1,918,901 animals in the pedigree and (2) calving years 1991 to 2010, with 1,097,319 lactations and 1,906,576 animals in the pedigree. Global Interbull (Uppsala, Sweden) deregressed proofs of 114,189 bulls were used in the analyses. Reliabilities of Interbull values were equivalent to an average of 8.53 effective records, which were used in a weighted analysis. A total of 1,341 bulls were genotyped using the Illumina BovineSNP50 BeadChip V2 (Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA). Among the genotyped bulls were 332 young bulls with no daughters in the first data set but more than 50 daughters (88.41, on average) with performance records in the second data set. For young bulls, correlations of EBV and genomic enhanced breeding value before and after progeny testing, corresponding average expected reliabilities, and effective daughter contributions (EDC) were calculated. The reliability of prediction pedigree EBV of young bulls was 0.41, corresponding to EDC=10.6. Including Interbull deregressed proofs improved the reliability of prediction by EDC=13.4 and including genotyping improved prediction reliability by EDC=6.2. Total average expected reliability of prediction reached 0.67, corresponding to EDC=30.2. The combination of domestic and Interbull sources for both genotyped and nongenotyped animals is valuable for improving the accuracy of genetic prediction in small populations of dairy cattle.

No abstract

Farrowing pens with temporary crating have been developed as a compromise between conventional farrowing crates and pens to better accommodate the welfare of both sow and piglets during lactation. However, not much is known about the behavioral and physiological consequences of early removal of confinement on the sow and piglets during lactation. The aim of this study was to assess the effects on sow and piglet performance of temporary crating until 3-d postpartum at 2 times points, immediately after confinement removal and 25 d into lactation. Sows were crated from 5-d prepartum either to weaning (permanently crated-PC group; N =14) or to D3 (83.0 ± 1.3 h) postpartum (Temporarily crated - TC group N = 13). Sow postural changes, activity, cortisol and IgA concentrations, and piglet body weight gain and behavior were assessed on D4 and on D25 postpartum, whereas piglet mortality was assessed throughout lactation. Data were analyzed using PROC GLM and PROC GENMOD of SAS. On D4 postfarrowing, TC sows were more active (10.9% vs. 7.1%; SEM: 0.8; P = 0.002), rolled more frequently (21.3% vs. 14.4%; SEM: 1.6; P = 0.008), and had lower IgA concentrations (139.7 vs. 75.2 µg/mL; SEM: 20.3; P = 0.040) than PC sows. No effects of housing were found (P > 0.05) on standing-to-lying movement or cortisol concentrations. No differences for any variables were found (P > 0.05) on D25. Mortality, body weights, and activity levels at the udder or in the pen of pigs born to PC sows did not differ (P > 0.05) from those of piglets born to TC sows on D4 nor on D25. This study indicates that removal of confinement on the 4th-d postpartum may have had small short-term positive effects on sow behavior and stress levels (as measured by IgA), and that it did not impair piglets' behavior and performance during lactation. Therefore, this work suggests that temporary crating limited to the first 3-d postpartum might be a feasible alternative to improve welfare under intensive production conditions.

Nest building is an important part of maternal behavior in domestic pigs. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of nesting material sawdust vs. straw on sow behavior 24 h before and after birth of the first piglet (BFP) and piglet production. Sows, housed in farrowing crates, were randomly divided into 2 treatments: sawdust (n = 12) and straw (n = 13). Sawdust and straw were provided during the pre- and parturient period; after parturition, straw was given to both experimental groups. The prepartum nesting period (the time interval between the first and last nest-building records, including all other activity and resting before BFP), the nesting records (number of nesting records), nesting duration (duration of all nesting records), the start and termination of nesting, and the frequency of prepartum postural changes were collected 24 h before BFP. After BFP, number of nesting records and time to first sucking of the litter were collected. Frequency of postural changes and duration of udder access were collected 24 h after BFP during 3 time periods (during parturition, from the end of parturition to 12 h after BFP, and 12 to 24 h after BFP) and the frequency of nursing during 2 time periods (from the end of parturition to 12 h after BFP, and 12 to 24 h after BFP). Piglet BW gain and mortality were estimated 24 h after BFP. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED and the probability of the piglet mortality using PROC GENMOD in SAS. Nesting material did not affect (P > 0.10) most of sow prepartum nesting behavior and had no effect (P > 0.10) on the prepartum frequency of postural changes. Sows from the sawdust treatment had a longer nesting period (P < 0.05), and nest building tended to start sooner (P < 0.10) than in the straw treatment. Nesting material had only a small effect on later maternal behavior. Sows from the straw treatment tended to have more nesting records after BFP (P < 0.10). The frequency of postural changes was affected by the interaction (P < 0.01) between treatments and time period: sow from the straw treatment had more postural changes during parturition compared with other time periods and sawdust treatment. No effect (P > 0.10) of the nesting material on piglet BW gain and mortality was found. The results suggest that sawdust compared with straw as nesting material provided to sows before and through parturition does not negatively affect maternal behavior during the 24 h before and after parturition or piglet production. Therefore, sawdust can be recommended as a suitable nesting material for farrowing sows when straw is not available.