Abstract. We aimed to evaluate the usefulness of biometric measurements for determining the individual condition of the European red deer Cervus elaphus. The study included 54 doe red deer obtained in autumn 2007 in Warmia-Mazury and Lubelszczyzna County, Poland. General measurements characterizing the development of particular body parts were taken into account during the evaluation: chest depth, chest width, and chest circumference. The measurement-based calculations allowed us to determine the chest capacitance index (CI) and we determined the variability between particular biometric measurements by calculating correlation coefficients. Division into 3 weight classes was accepted for this study. We confirmed differences in chest weight among doe red deer from the Lubelszczyzna and Warmia-Mazury areas of Poland. The correct estimate of the selection condition is very difficult, so divide for into 3 classes will very helpful. The chest capacitance index (CI) will be useful to evaluate individual red deer condition.
Abstract. The research concerned 170 mares of the noble breed of the age of 3 to 11 years registered in Kujawy-Pomerania province Horse Breeder's Association. These mares were the subject of the evaluation of the bravery test of the noble breed of horses in years 2002–2007 and the point evaluation was the source of the data. It has been proved influence of the age on the final notes during the bravery test. It has been shown that older mares of the noble breeds obtained higer points during the bravery test and the worked out rank correlation coefficient ranged between 0.90** to 0.867**. Slightly lower agreement of rank occured between riding and free-jumps and between gaints and free-jumps.
Abstract. Aspirations to simultaneously increase the level of production and improve the quality of chicken meat create a necessity to jointly assess commercial lines of broiler chickens with respect to many different characteristics. Carrying out separate assessment for each examined characteristic most often leads to obtaining each time different results of comparisons. Because of this, there increases the role of an application of multidimensional comparative analysis, that is methods and techniques of comparing multi-characteristic objects. In the present work the multidimensional comparative analysis was applied to simultaneously compare eight commercial lines of broiler chickens according to seven characteristics. It was found that the best ranks were obtained for the Cobb 500 line. The lowest rank was assigned to the Ross 508 line.
Abstract. An experiment was carried out to compare the slaughter value of male kid goats and lambs offered a balanced feed supplemented with a 10% addition of flax seed. After weaning, at about 60 days of age, the animals were divided into two groups: I composed of male kids and II including male lambs. Daily body weight gains were recorded over the period from birth to weaning, and from weaning to the end of fattening. Statistically significant differences (P ≤ 0.01) between the groups were confirmed for both study periods. The slaughter performance was at a similar level and amounted to about 47%. As for the shares of primal cuts in the carcass, the flax seed-supplemented feed in most cases significantly influenced the weight of the cuts (P ≤ 0.01). An assessment of carcass quality on the basis of parentage tissue composition of a carcass side and a leg revealed a higher share in the leg of examined young male goats of meat tissue (70.10%), and a lower share of fat tissue (12.78%) compared with young rams (respectively 68.80% and 16.13%). A statistically significant difference (P ≤ 0.05) was found only for the bone tissue content from a carcass side. The share of bone tissue was 23.87% for group I and 20.37% for group II.
Abstract. The aim of his study was to compare the behavior of porkers maintained on deep bedding form sawdust and traditional straw. The observation of 36 individuals divided into 4 groups (two for each breeding system) was conducted. Time of duration of different forms of behavior (food and water intake, motion, fighting and playing, defecation, lying), frequency of changes in those forms in successive days of box homing and hours of the day were evaluated. Social behavior and the mass increase were monitored. Porkers spent 14% to 17% of the day actively. The reduction of the time of activity in successive days after box homing was faster when animals were maintained on deep bedding in comparison with the traditional straw. Also the time of food intake was shorter in porkers maintained on the deep bedding. This data shows that the maintenance on deep bedding from sawdust can be more beneficial for the porkers. Also the daily mass increase was higher in this system.
Abstract. The investigation was carried out on the population of 104 Konik horses and 24 Konik cross-bred ponys. Among ponys there were 14 cross-bred horses of the first generation and 10 cross-bred ones of the second generation. Each individual was characterized by 25 measurements. On the basis of the Principal Components Analysis it was stated that there is a distinct metric differentiation between pure Konik horses and ponys of the second generation. A few ponys of the first generation were metrically similar to some individuals of Konik horses. Thanks to the one-way ANOVA and the LSD – test some features of the greatest importance for differentiation horses were found. Ponys of the first and second generation have significantly longer lower parts of legs than Konik horses. These body parts were mainly forearm, fore autopodium (the whole segment of manus), crust and hind autopodium (the whole segment of pedis). In turn the length of the trunk became absolute shorter in the second generation of cross-bred ponys.
Abstract. The aim of the study was an assessment of hematological parameters and acid-base balance in blood of calves depending on an iron level in the first week of their life. Parameters of iron balance, hematological parameters and acid-base balance were determined in 20 calves in 7th, 14th and 21st day of life. Calves were divided into 2 groups depending on the level of iron in blood at 7th day of life: group I (<15 µmol.l-1), group II (>15 µmol.l-1). Observed in the present study content of Fe in calves from group I was on a level of 10.39 µmol.l-1. The increase in iron level and transferin saturation with an iron, and a decrease in TIBC and UIBC were observed with the age of calves. Without an additional supplementation (milk replacer, concentrate, hay) level of iron on blood of calves of both groups significantly (p ≤ 0.01) increased in a period of 2 weeks. Differences in level of hematological parameters were not confirmed statistically. A significant (p ≤ 0.01) correlation was observed between pH of blood and a percentage value of transferin saturation with iron, and HCO3−/pCO2 ratio.
