No abstract

Forage technology has been successfully introduced into smallholder cattle systems in Cambodia as an alternative feed source to the traditional rice straw and native pastures, improving animal nutrition and reducing labour requirements of feeding cattle. Previous research has highlighted the positive impacts of forage technology including improved growth rates of cattle and household time savings. However, further research is required to understand the drivers, challenges and opportunities of forage technology for smallholder cattle households in Cambodia to facilitate widespread adoption and identify areas for further improvement. A survey of forage-growing households (n = 40) in July-September 2016 examined forage technology adoption experiences, including reasons for forage establishment, use of inputs and labour requirements of forage plot maintenance and use of forages (feeding, fattening, sale of grass or seedlings and silage). Time savings was reported as the main driver of forage adoption with household members spending approximately 1 h per day maintaining forages and feeding it to cattle. Water availability was reported as the main challenge to this activity. A small number of households also reported lack of labour, lack of fencing, competition from natural grasses, cost of irrigation and lack of experience as challenges to forage growing. Cattle fattening and sale of cut forage grass and seedlings was not found to be a widespread activity by interviewed households, with 25 and 10% of households reporting use of forages for these activities, respectively. Currently, opportunities exist for these households to better utilise forages through expansion of forage plots and cattle activities, although assistance is required to support these households in addressing current constraints, particularly availability of water, if the sustainability of this feed technology for smallholder cattle household is to be established in Cambodia.

Hendra virus (HeV), a potentially fatal zoonotic disease spread by flying foxes, to date has always infected humans via a spillover event from equine HeV infection. In a theoretical case study, we compared the impacts of two different HeV prevention strategies - vaccination and flying fox roost removal - using a recently developed framework that considers different stakeholder group perspectives. The perspectives of the four selected stakeholder groups regarding intangibles were inferred from public discussions and coverage in the media. For all stakeholder groups, the option to vaccinate horses was found to add value to the economic results when the intangible impacts were included in the analysis, while the option for roost removal unanimously detracted from economic analysis value when the intangible impacts were included. Both the mean and median stakeholder-adjusted value ratios (2.25 and 2.12, respectively) for vaccination were inflated when intangible impacts were included, by value-adding to the results of a traditional economic analysis. In the roost removal strategy, these ratios (1.19 and 1.16, respectively) were deflated when intangible impacts were included. Results of this theoretical study suggest that the inclusion of intangible impacts promotes the value of a two-dose initial vaccination protocol using a subunit vaccination considered to offer complete protection for horses, as a strategy to control HeV, whereas roost removal becomes an even more costly strategy. Outcome of the analysis is particularly sensitive to the intangible value placed on human health. Further evaluation - via sociological methods - of values placed on intangibles by various stakeholder groups is warranted.

RESUMEN El objetivo fue evaluar algunas características morfológicas de pavos de traspatio (n=248) provenientes de 126 unidades rurales de producción localizadas en 75 municipios de 24 estados de la República Mexicana. El modelo estadístico incluyó sexo, estado y municipio anidado en estado. Las tres variables explicativas afectaron a todas las variables de respuesta (P<0.01), excepto municipio, que no afectó circunferencia de la pechuga (P>0.05). Los machos tuvieron mayor (P<0.001) longitud corporal (10.4 cm más), envergadura (11.4 cm más), circunferencia de la pechuga (13.8 cm más), longitud de tarso (2.5 cm más), peso corporal (2.5 kg más), robustez (9.0 puntos porcentuales más) y solidez (2.8 puntos porcentuales más) que las hembras. Peso corporal mostró estar altamente correlacionado fenotípicamente (P<0.01) con circunferencia de la pechuga tanto en machos (r=0.74) como en hembras (r=0.71). En machos, longitud corporal mostró una correlación baja con longitud del tarso (r=0.25; P<0.01), pero en hembras no estuvo correlacionada (r=0.05; P>0.05). El peso corporal aumentó 143 g (P<0.01) en machos y 113 g en hembras (P<0.01) por cada centímetro que aumentó la circunferencia de la pechuga. Los colores predominantes en el plumaje, la piel y el tarso fueron negro, blanco y café, respectivamente. El pavo de traspatio mexicano presentó dimorfismo sexual significativo y alta correlación fenotípica entre circunferencia de la pechuga y peso corporal. ABSTRACT The objective was to evaluate some morphological characteristics of backyard turkeys (n=248) coming from 126 rural production units located in 75 municipalities of 24 States of the Mexican Republic. The statistical model included sex, state, and municipality within state. The three explanatory variables affected all the response variables (P<0.01), except municipality, which did not affect breast circumference (P>0.05). Male turkeys had greater (P<0.001) body length (10.7 cm more), wingspan (11.4 cm more), breast circumference (13.8 cm more), shank length (2.5 cm more), body weight (2.5 kg more), stockiness (9.0 percentage units more) and massiveness (2.8 percentage units more) than female turkeys. Body weight showed to be highly correlated phenotypically (P<0.01) with breast circumference in both males (r=0.74) and females (r=0.71). Body length was lowly correlated with shank length (r=0.25; P<0.01) in males, but it was not correlated with shank length in females (r=0.05; P>0.05). Body weight increased 143 g in males (P<0.01) and 113 g in females (P<0.01) for each centimeter increment in breast circumference. The predominant colors in the plumage, skin and tarsus were black, white and brown, respectively. The Mexican backyard turkey presented significant sexual dimorphism and strong phenotypic correlation between breast circumference and body weight.