Three methods for predicting difficult births were tested on 4,140 yearling heifers measured before breeding and(or) at pregnancy check approximately 6 mo later. These heifers were from 115 beef herds in Alberta and British Columbia. The overall incidence of dystocia for normal presentations was 26.5%, which included 17.2% easy assists, 7.7% hard pulls, and 1.6% Caesarean sections. In Method 1, heifers were predicted as difficult (hard pull and Caesarean section) or easy (unassisted and easy pull) calvers by dividing their pelvic area (PA) by previously calculated PA to calf birth weight (PA/BWT) ratios. The ratio used depended on heifer weight and age. Method 1 predicted 63.7% to be difficult calvers. Of these only 10.4% were actually difficult calvers. The accuracy of this method was 40.0% and was not a useful on-farm method for predicting difficult births in first-calf, 2-yr-old heifers. In Method 2, 3,278 heifers measured before breeding and 1,125 heifers measured at pregnancy check were predicted as difficult or easy calvers by dividing their PA by 4.19 at prebreeding or 5.51 at pregnancy check. These values were PA/calf BWT ratios previously determined to be threshold levels. The accuracy of Method 2 was 78.5% and culling by this method would have reduced difficult birth rate by 9.6%. However, of the 738 heifers (16.8%) predicted to be difficult calvers, 86.0% actually calved easily. Heifers predicted to be easy calvers by Method 2 were heavier (P < .001), had a larger PA (P < .001), had more PA per kilogram of BW (P < .001), and had heavier (1.0 kg) calves at birth (P = .05) than heifers predicted to be difficult calvers. In Method 3, 3,269 heifers measured before breeding and 1,087 heifers measured at pregnancy check were predicted as difficult or easy calvers by dividing their PA by their BW. Heifers having ratios that were among the lowest 16% of the herd were predicted to be difficult calvers, and the rest were predicted to be easy calvers. The accuracy of Method 3 was 79.4% and culling by this method would have reduced difficult birth rate by 9.5%. However, of the 677 (15.5%) heifers predicted to be difficult calvers, 85.7% actually calved easily. Heifers predicted to be easy calvers by Method 3 were lighter (P < .001), had a larger PA (P < .001), had more PA per kilogram of BW (P < .001), and had lighter (1.2 kg) calves at birth (P = .04) than heifers predicted to be difficult calvers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

. 1998. A preliminary evaluation of growth and carcass traits in Alpine and Boer goat crosses. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 78: 229-232. Birth weights of Boer (BO) sired kids were 9% higher than Alpine (AL) sired kids. Weaning, 160 d weight and preweaning average daily gain (ADG) were similar for the AL × AL, AL × SA and BO × AL. Breed of dam was significant (P < 0.02) for birth, weaning, 100-d weight, and preweaning ADG. Similar dressing percentage (DP) and ribeye muscle area (REA) were observed among AL × AL, AL × SP, and BO × SP crosses. Key words:Crossbreeding, Boer, Alpine, growth, carcass, ultrasound Goonewardene, L. A., Day, P. A., Patrick, N., Scheer, H. D., Patrick, D. et Suleiman, A. 1998. Évaluation provisoire des caractères de croissance et de carcasse des chèvres issues de croisement avec les races Alpine et Boer. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 78: 229-232. Le poids à la mise bas des chevreaux de pèr Boer était 9 % supérieur à celui des chevreaux de pèr Alpine. Le poids au sevrage et à 160 j et le GMQ en présevrage étaient semblables chez les sujets des croisements ALP × ALP, ALP × SAANEN, BOER × ALP. La race de la mère avait un effet significatif (P < 0,02) pour les poids à la naissance, au sevrage, à 100 j et à 160 j, ainsi que pour le GMQ en présevrage. Le rendement à l'abattage et la surface de la noix de côte étaient sensiblement les mêmes dans les croisements ALP × ALP, ALP × SESP, BOER × ALP et BOER × ESP.Mots clés: Croisement, Boer, Alpine, croissance, carcasse, écographieThe Boer, a goat breed selected for meat production, is recognized as hardy and adaptable to many climates (Barry and Goodke 1991). Among BO × SP crossbred wethers, the superior rate of gain has been shown to be directly proportional to the percentage of BO breeding (Machen et al. 1996). Waldron et al. (1995) have shown that the BO × SP crossbreds had significantly higher birth weights and slightly higher weaning weights compared with purebred SP goats, while there were no significant differences in postweaning rates of gain, feed intake, subcutaneous fat thickness and REA. Post-weaning gains to slaughter of BO × SA crosses were shown to be lower than for SA and higher than for the Anglo Nubian goats (Gibb et al. 1993). Carcasses from BO × SA crosses had more fat than SA when slaughtered at lower weights (<33 kg) while at higher weights (38 kg) the amount of fat among the crossbreds remained the same (Gibb et al. 1993).Although Boer goats were introduced into Alberta and multiplied using embryo transfer technology during the past 5 yr, their performance and production for meat has not been evaluated. The objective of the study was to compare the growth performance, selected ultrasound measurements and carcass traits of progenies of Alpine and Boer bucks crossed with Alpine, Saanen and Spanish does.Three bucks each of AL and BO were bred to 94 SP, 33 AL and 15 SA does to produce all possible two-way crosses. The bucks used in the study were unselected, and would be similar to those available for breeding in the goat industry. All does selected f...

Cryptosporidia are coccidian parasites of the suborder Eimeriorina. They have been found inhabiting the mucosa of the stomach, small and large intestine, gall bladder and bile ducts, pancreatic ducts and respiratory tract of a wide variety of animal species. A clinical syndrome of watery diarrhea, often severe and sometimes fatal, has been reported in guinea pigs, (bovine) calves, pigs, Arabian foals, rhesus macaques, and man.'-'The cases reported here are from three species of macaques-two Macaca mulatta (I and 11), and one each M. radiata (111) and 1M. fascicularis (IV). All were born and maintained at the California Primate Research Center. All were juveniles, ranging from three to ten months of age at necropsy. Monkeys I, 111, and IV had been housed at some time in the colony nursery-two concurrently (111 and IV). Monkey I1 was housed in an outdoor field cage and died after 12 hours hospitalization. Monkeys I and I11 became ill within one week of weaning; monkey IV was a small weak baby and was hand reared with onset of diarrhea at one week of age. Onset of diarrhea was not noted in monkey 11. Clinical signs generally were limited to depression, dehydration, weight loss, and diarrhea which persisted despite fluid and nutritional therapy in monkey I and, in addition, oral antibiotic therapy in the other three macaques. All had fecal cultures at weaning, during their illness, and at necropsy which were negative on selective media for Salmonella, Shigella, and Yersinia spp. Examination for fecal parasites by fecal smear also was negative during the clinical illness of all but monkey I1 in which a few Trichomonas sp and rare Chilomastix sp were reported.All had complete blood counts (red blood cells, white blood cells, and differential) at weaning which were within normal limits for this colony. Monkeys I and I1 died despite intensive fluid therapy. Monkeys I11 and IV were killed painlessly due to continued loss of condition despite therapy.At necropsy all four macaques were underweight for age and dehydrated with dried fecal material staining the perianal region. The intestines were distended variably with fluid and gas, and the content remained liquid throughout the tract. Grossly, the mucosa of the small intestine was normal. In three of the macaques enlargement of the mesenteric lymph node was noted-up to double normal size. Monkeys I and 111 lacked a visible thymus; a few lobules of white tissue were found in the mediastinum but the total weight was less than a gram. These same macaques had consolidated, hemorrhagic lung lobes.Histologically, the lesions seen in the small intestine were mild to moderate blunting and fusion of villi, variation in height of enterocytes, necrosis of individual enterocytes, and increased numbers of mitotic figures in crypts. There were variable numbers of round, irregularly sized, lightly basophilic, bodies ( 1 to 4 pm) adherent to enterocytes along the tips and side of villi as well as within the crypts where they sometimes were accompanied by cellular debris ( fig. 1). Many e...

. 2002. Effects of feeding high energy or high energy-protein diets to goats. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 82: 119-121. Growth, efficiency and carcass traits were evaluated for goats fed barley or a concentrate mix (CM). Goats on the CM showed higher (P < 0.01) average daily gain (ADG) (27.5%), end of test weight (11.6%), hot carcass weight (HCW) (14.9%) and rib-eye area (REA) (14.7%), lower (P < 0.02) concentrate to gain ratio (CG) ratio (22.5%) and no differences (P > 0.05) in concentrate intake (CI) and dressing percent (DP), compared to those on barley. Although feeding the CM improved ADG, CG, HCW and REA, it may be relatively more economical to finish goats on whole barley grain. Les animaux recevant le concentré présentaient un meilleur (P < 0.01) gain quotidien moyen (27,5 %), poids spécifique final (11,6 %), poids de la carcasse chaude (14,9 %) et faux-filet (14,7 %) que ceux nourris uniquement d'orge, mais un plus faible (P < 0,02) ratio concentré/gain (22,5 %). Ils n'ont pas relevé d'écart (P < 0,05) pour l'ingestion de concentré et les pertes au parage. Bien que l'utilisation de concentré améliore le gain quotidien moyen, le ratio concentré/gain, le poids de la carcasse chaude et la grosseur du faux-filet, il semble relativement plus rentable de finir les caprins uniquement à l'orge.

G. 1998. Efficacy of tetrachlorvinphos insecticide dust against darkling beetles in commercial broiler chicken barns. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 78: 723-725. Residual application of tetrachlorvinphos dust (Debantic 50WP) was evaluated against darkling beetles in commercial broiler chicken barns. The dust formulation was applied using an electrostatic duster after clean out of old litter at the start of a new broiler cycle. Tetrachlorvinphos dust provided adequate control of beetle larvae and adults up to 5 wk. One time of application is adequate for one commercial broiler chicken production cycle only.