Two trials were conducted to define optimal levels of dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) for growing calves grazing either Kentucky 31 or Phyter tall fescue (TF; Lolium arundinaceum Schreb.). In Exp. 1, 48 Charolais crossbred heifers (average initial BW = 258 ± 18 kg) were randomly assigned to one of four 0.8-ha pastures of Kentucky 31 TF (9.1% CP, 60.6% NDF, 35.4% DM) with low or very low ergovaline concentrations (88 vs. 11 µg/kg, respectively) with average forage availability of 5,340 kg of DM/ha. The DDGS was supplemented at 0, 0.45, 0.91, or 1.36 kg of DDGS/d per animal. The control consisted of 0.11 kg/d of soy hulls. Supplementation of DDGS at 0.91 and 1.31 kg tended to increase ADG greater (P < 0.08) than the soy hulls control. Also, DMI of the forage as a percentage of BW tended to be greater (P < 0.10) for very low ergovaline versus low ergovaline TF. In Exp. 2, a 90-d study was conducted using 30 Angus × Simmental crossbred calves (15 steers and 15 heifers; average initial BW = 240.5 ± 1.2 kg) to evaluate level of DDGS for calves grazing endophytefree Phyter TF with average forage availability of 2,230 kg of DM/ha. The 4 treatments were 0 (control), 0.68, 1.32, and 1.91 kg of DDGS/d per animal. Overall, ADG responded in a linear (P < 0.0001) and quadratic (P < 0.06) fashion with increasing level of DDGS. Level of supplemental DDGS resulted in a linear increase (P < 0.003) in change in backfat during the grazing study. In conclusion, ADG of calves grazing Phyter TF responded in a linear and quadratic fashion with increasing level of DDGS up to 1.91 kg/d; the lack of increase in ADG in calves grazing Kentucky 31 TF above 0.91 kg of DDGS/d may be attributed to lower daily gains not requiring additional supplemental escape protein.

Background Evolutionary theory suggests that in polygynous mammalian species females in better body condition should produce more sons than daughters. Few controlled studies have however tested this hypothesis and controversy exists as to whether body condition score or maternal diet is in fact the determining factor of offspring sex. Here, we examined whether maternal diet, specifically increased n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) intake, of ewes with a constant body condition score around the time of conception influenced sex ratio. Methods Ewes (n = 44) maintained in similar body condition throughout the study were assigned either a control (C) diet or one (F) enriched in rumen-protected PUFA, but otherwise essentially equivalent, from four weeks prior to breeding until d13 post-estrus. On d13, conceptuses were recovered, measured, cultured to assess their capacity for interferon-tau (IFNT) production and their sex determined. The experiment was repeated with all ewes being fed the F diet to remove any effects of parity order on sex ratio. Maternal body condition score (BCS), plasma hormone and metabolite concentrations were also assessed throughout the study and related to diet. Results In total 129 conceptuses were recovered. Ewes on the F diet produced significantly more male than female conceptuses (proportion male = 0.69; deviation from expected ratio of 0.5, P < 0.001). Conceptus IFNT production was unaffected by diet (P > 0.1), but positively correlated with maternal body condition score (P < 0.05), and was higher (P < 0.05) in female than male conceptuses after 4 h culture. Maternal plasma hormone and metabolite concentrations, especially progesterone and fatty acid, were also modulated by diet. Conclusion These results provide evidence that maternal diet, in the form of increased amounts of rumen-protected PUFA fed around conception, rather than maternal body condition, can skew the sex ratio towards males. These observations may have implications to the livestock industry and animal management policies when offspring of one sex may be preferred over the other.

Plague in man occurred from 1968 to 1970 in mountain villages of the Boyolali Regency in Central Java. Infected fleas, infected rats, and seropositive rats were collected in villages with human plague cases. Subsequent isolations of Yersinia pestis and seropositive rodents, detected during investigations of rodent plague undertaken by the Government of Indonesia and the WHO, attested to the persistence of plague in the region from 1972 to 1974.Since 1968, the incidence of both rodent and human plague has been greatest from December to May at elevations over 1000 m. Isolations of Y. pestis were obtained from the fleas Xenopsylla cheopis and Stivalius cognatus and the rats Rattus rattus diardii and R. exulans ephippium. The major risk to man has been fleas infected with Y. pestis of unique electrophoretic phenotype. Infected fleas were collected most often in houses.Introduced in 1920, rodent plague had persisted in the Boyolali Regency for at least 54 years. The recent data support specific requirements for continued plague surveillance.

Keywords RIVERS, OUTFALLS, CHANNELS, IMPROVEMENT, WORKS, DRAINAGE, DEEPENING, SLUICES, TIDES, ESTUARIES, EXCAVATING, EMBANKMENTS, BEDS, SILT, FLOODS RIVER WITHAM, BOSTON, LINCOLNSHIRE, WASH UK... Show All