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Simple Summary: Combining legumes with maize biomass or cultivated grass in silage offers a balanced source of carbohydrates and proteins, and can serve as a high-quality roughage during forage shortages. This study investigated the feed intake and growth responses of indigenous Yellow calves to diets with Guinea grass, Guinea grass–soybean, and maize–soybean silages. The results showed that replacing 30% of urea-treated rice straw with these silages significantly improved feed conversion ratios, total weight gain, and average daily gain in growing Yellow calves, although there were no significant effects on body conformation. These findings indicate that incorporating Guinea grass–soybean or maize–soybean silage into urea-treated rice straw diets can enhance growth in Yellow calves, supporting more sustainable mixed crop–livestock production systems. Combining soybeans with grass or biomass maize in silage holds promise in addressing the nutritional limitations of individual crops, providing a roughage with a good energy–protein balance. This study evaluated the effects of replacing urea-treated rice straw (UTRS) with silages made from intercropped maize–soybean and Guinea grass (GG) in calf diets on feed intake and growth performance. Sixteen native Yellow calves (130.7 ± 16.1 kg live weight and 12.8 ± 2.6 months old) were used; the experiment had a randomised complete block design with four dietary treatments: Treatment 1 (70% UTRS + 30% GG); Treatment 2 (40% UTRS + 30% GG + 30% Guinea grass silage); Treatment 3 (40% UTRS + 30% GG + 30% Guinea grass–soybean silage); and Treatment 4 (40% UTRS + 30% GG + 30% maize–soybean silage). The animals were fed 0.5 kg concentrate per 100 kg live weight daily, with unlimited access to forage and clean water, for 12 weeks after a two-week adaptation. The results indicate that silages containing soybean increased total weight gain and average daily gain (ADG) and decreased feed conversion ratio (FCR); however, silage replacements had no impact on dry matter intake and body conformation, suggesting that Guinea grass–soybean or maize–soybean silage can effectively enhance the ADG and decrease the FCR of growing calves fed UTRS-based diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Genomic selection (GS) and genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) have not been investigated in Vietnamese dairy cattle, even for basic milk production traits, largely due to the scarcity of individual phenotype recording in smallholder dairy farms (SDFs). This study aimed to estimate heritability (h2) and test the applicability of GS and GWAS for milk production, body conformation and novel heat tolerance traits using single test day phenotypic data. Thirty‐two SDFs located in either the north (a lowland vs. a highland) or the south (a lowland vs. a highland) of Vietnam were each visited for an afternoon and the next morning to collect phenotype data of all lactating cows (n = 345). Tail hair from each cow was sampled for subsequent genotyping with a 50K SNP chip at that same visit. Milk production traits (single‐test day) were milk yield (MILK, kg/cow/day), energy corrected milk yield adjusted for body weight (ECMbw, kg/100 kg BW/day), fat (mFA, %), protein (mPR, %) and dry matter (mDM, %). Conformation traits were body weight (BW, kg) and body condition score (BCS, 1 = thin to 5 = obese). Heat tolerance traits were panting score (PS, 0 = normal to 4.5 = extremely heat‐stressed) and infrared temperatures (IRTs, °C) at 11 areas on the external body surface of the cow (inner vulval lip, outer vulval surface, inner tail base surface, ocular area, muzzle, armpit area, paralumbar fossa area, fore udder, rear udder, forehoof and hind hoof), assessed by an Infrared Camera. Univariate linear mixed models and a 10‐fold cross‐validation approach were applied for GS. Univariate single SNP mixed linear models were applied for the GWAS. Estimated h2 (using the genotype information to build relationships among animals) were moderate (0.20–0.37) for ECMbw, mFA, mPR, mRE, BW, BCS and IRT at rear udder; low (0.08–0.19) for PS and other IRTs; and very low (≤ 0.07) for MILK, ECM and mDM. Accuracy of genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) was low (≤ 0.12) for MILK, ECM, mDM and IRT at hind hoof; and moderate to high (0.32–0.46) for all other traits. The most significant regions on chromosomes (BTA) associated with milk production traits were 0.47–1.18 Mb on BTA14. Moderate to high h2 and moderate accuracies of GEBVs for mFA, mPR, ECMbw, BCS, BW, PS and IRTs at rear udder and outer vulval surface suggested that GS using single test day phenotypic data could be applied for these traits. However, a greater sample size is required to decrease the bias of GEBVs by GS and increase the power of detecting significant quantitative trait loci (QTLs) by GWAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the multivariate traits in Thalli sheep for phenotypic characterization and their association with the live bodyweight of the animals for the selection of superior individuals by using the principal component analysis (PCA) technique and regression equation. Twenty-one (21) multivariate traits were taken of young Thalli sheep aged 0-12 months in Thall area of Punjab, Pakistan. Morphometric traits measured were withers height (WH), head width (HW), head length (HL), body length (BL), ear width (EW), ear length (EL), neck width (NW), neck length (NL), heart girth (HG), rump length (RL), tail length (TL), rump width (RW), barrel depth (BD), birth weight (BiW), live body weight (BW), sacral pelvic width (SPW), teat diameter (TED), teat length (TEL), testes length (TsL), scrotal circumference (SC) and testes width (TsW). Positive and highly significant (P≤0.01) correlations among different morphometric traits were present in overall animals of 0-12-month age groups of Thalli sheep such as WH, BL, HL, HW, EL, EW, NL, NW, HG, RL, BD, SPW, BiW and BW. The results of principal component analysis of data for all age groups of young Thalli sheep were showed that three principal components (PCs) were extracted as PC1, PC2, and PC3. For the 0-3-month age group, PC1 showed high variance before and after rotation (44.33% and 37.68%), for 4-6-month age group, PC1 had a high value of variance as 58.45% and PC2 had 15.17%, for 7-9-month age group, three principal components were extracted with high eigenvalues (7.56) for PC1 and high variance 50.45% and for 10-12-month age group, PC1 had a high value of variance as 50.05% and PC2 and PC3 had values as 10.67% and 9.05% respectively and their cumulative variance was 69.79%. Regression equations for all age groups of young Thalli sheep presented a very close relationship between predicted bodyweight and actual live bodyweight. The present study showed that hearth girth, body length, and withers height are very important parameters for the estimation of body weight and phenotypical characterization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crossbreeding in dairy cattle with exotic breeds continues to be an appealing practice to the dairy farmers of Bangladesh. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the impact of crossbreeding on both the physical attributes and milk quality traits of crossbred cattle in Bangladesh. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of crossbreeding Bangladeshi local cattle with the exotic Holstein breed on their body characteristics and milk quality. To achieve the goal, data pertaining to body traits and milk samples were gathered from a total of 981 cows from 19 dairy farms located in the northwestern region of Bangladesh. A trained evaluator measured body condition score (BCS), udder score, locomotion score, and body conformation traits. Milk yield information was acquired from official records, while milk composition details were determined through milk analysis. Notably, crossbred cows (Holstein × Local cattle) exhibited greater values for wither height (141 vs. 135, cm), body length (157 vs. 153, cm), heart girth (211 vs. 204, cm), BCS (3.69 vs. 3.27), and udder score (3.29 vs. 2.08) than their Bangladeshi local counterparts. Furthermore, crossbred cows produced 42.4% and 35.3% more milk (10.89 vs. 7.65, kg/d) and fat-corrected milk (10.35 vs. 7.54, kg/d) than Bangladeshi local cattle. However, milk from crossbred cows displayed lower fat and protein content, although their somatic cell score (SCS) and energy-corrected milk remained similar. Additionally, milk from crossbred cows exhibited a longer coagulation time when compared to that of Bangladeshi local cattle. In conclusion, crossbred cows (Holstein × Local cattle) had improved body characteristics with greater milk yield than Bangladeshi local cattle; however, lower fat and protein contents in milk with longer coagulation time were noted.

Simple Summary: To explore the genomic variations associated with goats' body conformation traits, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on Tashi goats. We assessed eight body conformation traits in 155 Tashi goats and performed whole-genome sequencing on 100 of them. We obtained 1676.4 Gb of raw data and identified 11,257,923 qualified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). GWAS revealed 109, 20, 52, 14, 62, 51, 70, and 7 SNPs significantly associated with body height, body length, chest depth, chest width, chest girth, rump width, rump height, and cannon bone circumference, respectively. We annotated 183 genes based on the significant SNPs' physical locations. Notably, several SNPs have been identified multiple times in two regions, chr.10:25988403-26102739 and chr.11:88216493-89250659, where candidate genes such as FNTB, CHURC1, and RNF144 could be crucial for goat body conformation traits. Our findings offer significant insights into body conformation and support the use of molecular breeding in meat goats. Identifying genetic markers of economically valuable traits has practical benefits for the meat goat industry. To better understand the genomic variations influencing body conformation traits, a genome-wide association study was performed on Tashi goats, an indigenous Chinese goat breed. A total of 155 Tashi goats were phenotyped for eight body conformation traits: body height, body length, chest depth, chest width, chest girth, rump width, rump height, and cannon bone circumference. Then, 100 Tashi goats were randomly selected for whole-genome sequencing and genotyped. We obtained 1676.4 Gb of raw data with an average sequencing depth of 6.2X. Clean reads were aligned to the ARS1.2 reference genome, and 11,257,923 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified. The structure analysis showed that these Tashi goats were almost not genetically related. The 109, 20, 52, 14, 62, 51, 70, and 7 SNPs were significantly associated with body height, body length, chest depth, chest width, chest girth, rump width, rump height, and cannon bone circumference. Within the ±500 kb region of significant SNPs, 183 genes were annotated. The most significantly enriched KEGG pathway was "olfactory transduction", and the most significantly enriched gene ontology (GO) terms were "cellular process", "cellular anatomical entity", and "molecular transducer activity". Interestingly, we found several SNPs on chromosomes 10 and 11 that have been identified multiple times for all eight body conformation traits located in two fragments (114 kb and 1.03 Mb). In chr.10:25988403-26102739, the six SNPs were tightly linked, the TACTAG genotype was the highest at 91.8%, and the FNTB (Farnesyltransferase, CAAX Box Beta) and CHURC1 (Churchill Domain Containing 1) genes were located. In chr.11:88216493-89250659, ten SNPs were identified with several dependent linkage disequilibrium (LD) blocks, and seven related genes were annotated, but no significant SNP was located in them. Our results provide valuable biological information for improving growth performance with practical applications for genomic selection in goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crossbreeding in dairy cattle with exotic breeds continues to be an appealing practice to the dairy farmers of Bangladesh. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the impact of crossbreeding on both the physical attributes and milk quality traits of crossbred cattle in Bangladesh. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of crossbreeding Bangladeshi local cattle with the exotic Holstein breed on their body characteristics and milk quality. To achieve the goal, data pertaining to body traits and milk samples were gathered from a total of 981 cows from 19 dairy farms located in the northwestern region of Bangladesh. A trained evaluator measured body condition score (BCS), udder score, locomotion score, and body conformation traits. Milk yield information was acquired from official records, while milk composition details were determined through milk analysis. Notably, crossbred cows (Holstein × Local cattle) exhibited greater values for wither height (141 vs. 135, cm), body length (157 vs. 153, cm), heart girth (211 vs. 204, cm), BCS (3.69 vs. 3.27), and udder score (3.29 vs. 2.08) than their Bangladeshi local counterparts. Furthermore, crossbred cows produced 42.4% and 35.3% more milk (10.89 vs. 7.65, kg/d) and fat-corrected milk (10.35 vs. 7.54, kg/d) than Bangladeshi local cattle. However, milk from crossbred cows displayed lower fat and protein content, although their somatic cell score (SCS) and energy-corrected milk remained similar. Additionally, milk from crossbred cows exhibited a longer coagulation time when compared to that of Bangladeshi local cattle. In conclusion, crossbred cows (Holstein × Local cattle) had improved body characteristics with greater milk yield than Bangladeshi local cattle; however, lower fat and protein contents in milk with longer coagulation time were noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of cellulase supplementation in diets containing rice bran tempeh on body conformation, fat deposition, nutritional composition of broiler meat and blood biochemical concentrations in broiler chickens. This research was carried out for 3 weeks from 15 days to 35 days of age. Two hundred broilers aged 15 days were divided into 4 treatment groups with 5 replications (8 broilers for each replication) for each treatment, as follows: T1 = 0% cellulase; T2 = 0.05% cellulase; T3 = 0.1% cellulase, and T4 = 0.15% cellulase. Body conformation, chemical meat composition, fat deposition, blood pH, glucose and uric acid were measured. The addition of 0.05% or 0.15% cellulase significantly reduced leggedness (P

This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of cellulase supplementation in diets containing rice bran tempeh on body conformation, fat deposition, nutritional composition of broiler meat and blood biochemical concentrations in broiler chickens. This research was carried out for 3 weeks from 15 days to 35 days of age. Two hundred broilers aged 15 days were divided into 4 treatment groups with 5 replications (8 broilers for each replication) for each treatment, as follows: T1 = 0% cellulase; T2 = 0.05% cellulase; T3 = 0.1% cellulase, and T4 = 0.15% cellulase. Body conformation, chemical meat composition, fat deposition, blood pH, glucose and uric acid were measured. The addition of 0.05% or 0.15% cellulase significantly reduced leggedness (P<0.05), whereas 0,1% or 0,15% cellulase addtion significantly reduced the content of meat fat and ash plus carbohydrate. In addition, the inclusion of 0.05% cellulase increased the content of meat protein (P<0.01). The inclusion of cellulase from 0.05-0.15% did not decrease fat deposition, blood concentration of uric acid, cholesterol, glucose and pH. In conclusion, the addition of 0.1% or 0.15% cellulase improved meat nutrient composition without improving body conformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The birth traits of calves are directly related to the economic benefits of the dairy farm. Predicting the birth traits of calves before they are born will benefit the breeding of cows and reduce the potential loss of pasture. Conformation traits are closely related to the reproduction of dairy cows. The objective of the present study was to examine the associations among birth traits and conformation traits in Chinese Holstein dairy cows, in order to provide a reference for understanding the birth traits of calves in advance by using the conformational traits of dam cows. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between female structure traits and calf birth traits by logistic regression and multiple comparisons. We found that there was a significant correlation between the two, which could predict the birth traits of calves to a certain extent by the body conformation traits of dams. The objective of this study was to explore the effect of dam body conformations on birth traits including stillbirth, dystocia, gestation length and birth weight of Chinese Holstein calves and to provide a reference for improving cow reproductive performance. We collected phenotype data on 20 conformation traits of Chinese Holstein cows and analyzed the impact of dam conformation trait linear scores on stillbirth, dystocia, gestation length and calf birth weight. The feet angle, set of rear legs, fore udder attachment and rear attachment height traits of the dairy cows significantly affected the risk of stillbirth. The risk of dystocia decreases with the increase in stature and pin width. The bone quality of dairy cows had a significant positive correlation with gestation length. There was a significant positive correlation between fore udder attachment and calf weight at birth. The birth weight of calves from cows with high body conformation traits was significantly higher than that of calves with a low composite score. These results suggest that improving the body conformation traits, especially the selection of mammary system and body shape total score, will be beneficial in improving the reproductive performance of dairy cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research was to reveal the variability of the morpho-productive characters that determine the development of body conformation, as well as to identify the factors that influence its optimization. The researches were carried out on the batches of lambs from the classic Karakul and Moldavian Karakul races, born in the experimental households: the state farm "Kotovschii", Dumbrăveni district and the experimental agricultural station "Tevit", Anenii Noi district, Republic of Moldova. The results of the research demonstrated that the body conformation of the Moldavian Karakul lambs is typical of the classic (Asian) Karakul sheep race, with some particularities related to the development of body mass, body length and constitution. Moldavian Karakul lambs are quite full-bodied at birth, with an average body mass of 4.7-5.0 kg, and in some years over 5.0 kg, this being a biological peculiarity of the new type of sheep. Variability of lamb body mass at birth is hereditarily determined (genotypic correlation coefficient rxy = 0.63; h² = 0.36; repeatability coefficient K0-6 months = 0.26; K0-18 months = 0.23) and influenced environmental conditions, in particular, the nutrition of pregnant ewes. The body mass of the lambs at birth is in a direct-proportional phenotypic relationship with: age of the ewes at calving, body length (rxy = 0.49), skin thickness (rxy = 0.45), fiber length (rxy = 0.22-0.31), furskin surface (rxy = 0.64), loop size and constitution; inversely proportional to: the prolificacy of the ewes in the term and the calving period; curvilinear with: the qualities of own furskin (weight in the flock at calving of the higher class Elita lambs). Lamb body length at birth is in the same similar phenotypic relationships as body mass, including with: skin thickness (rxy = 0.54), fiber length (rxy = 0.15-0.18), furskin area (rxy = 0.78). The constitution of the lamb at birth is in a phenotypic relationship: directly proportional - with its own body mass, body length, thickness and skin reserve; inversely proportional - to skin density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, no selective actions have been taken to improve milk traits in dairy donkeys, and the characteristics of the udder are not well defined in relation to the productive characteristics. This study aimed at increasing knowledge on Amiata dairy donkey body conformation, udder traits, and their relationship with milk yield and quality. Morphological, udder, and teat measurements and milk evaluations of 45 pluriparous jennies were carried out. The average wither height of the jennies was 126 cm and the chest girth was 148 cm; a large standard deviation of some body measurements was found. Forty-nine percent of the animals showed a moderately developed udder, while most of the jennies had symmetrical half-udders (96%) and the intermammary cleft was clearly visible in 53% of subjects. Correlation analysis indicated that bigger animals tend to have bigger udders, higher teat diameter, and greater distance between teat tips. A positive correlation between the teat length and the milk fat was found (p < 0.01), which suggests that jennies with longer teats have a better ability to release milk fat. The results of this paper may be useful to define the characteristics of the milking device and address selective choices of the animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying genetic markers of economically valuable traits has practical benefits for the meat goat industry. To better understand the genomic variations influencing body conformation traits, a genome-wide association study was performed on Tashi goats, an indigenous Chinese goat breed. A total of 155 Tashi goats were phenotyped for eight body conformation traits: body height, body length, chest depth, chest width, chest girth, rump width, rump height, and cannon bone circumference. Then, 100 Tashi goats were randomly selected for whole-genome sequencing and genotyped. We obtained 1676.4 Gb of raw data with an average sequencing depth of 6.2X. Clean reads were aligned to the ARS1.2 reference genome, and 11,257,923 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified. The structure analysis showed that these Tashi goats were almost not genetically related. The 109, 20, 52, 14, 62, 51, 70, and 7 SNPs were significantly associated with body height, body length, chest depth, chest width, chest girth, rump width, rump height, and cannon bone circumference. Within the ±500 kb region of significant SNPs, 183 genes were annotated. The most significantly enriched KEGG pathway was “olfactory transduction”, and the most significantly enriched gene ontology (GO) terms were “cellular process”, “cellular anatomical entity”, and “molecular transducer activity”. Interestingly, we found several SNPs on chromosomes 10 and 11 that have been identified multiple times for all eight body conformation traits located in two fragments (114 kb and 1.03 Mb). In chr.10:25988403-26102739, the six SNPs were tightly linked, the TACTAG genotype was the highest at 91.8%, and the FNTB (Farnesyltransferase, CAAX Box Beta) and CHURC1 (Churchill Domain Containing 1) genes were located. In chr.11:88216493-89250659, ten SNPs were identified with several dependent linkage disequilibrium (LD) blocks, and seven related genes were annotated, but no significant SNP was located in them. Our results provide valuable biological information for improving growth performance with practical applications for genomic selection in goats.

Context: Spirulina platensis (SP) has been found to be an important dietary supplement for boosting animal growth performance, having a high protein content (60–70% on a dry-matter basis) with minimal toxicity. Aims: The effect of Spirulina platensis (SP) supplementation on the growth and performance of two Omani goat breeds (Jabbali and Sahrawi) was investigated. Methods: Thirty-six 11-month-old bucks from two Omani goat breeds were studied for 70 days at the Livestock Research Centre, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, Oman. Each breed was divided into three groups (n = 6) and fed one of the following three rations: (1) control (CON): concentrate with 14% crude protein and 11.9% energy (MJ/kg DM); (2) Treatment 1 (T1): the same concentrate with 2 g/head.day SP; and (3) Treatment 2 (T2): the same concentrate with 4 g/head.day SP. Weekly growth, performance and body conformation data collected included live bodyweight (BWT), body condition score (BCS), average daily gain (ADG), chest girth (CG), wither height (WH) and body length (BL). Key results: The Jabbali breed had a higher feed conversion ratio for T1 and T2 than did the Sahrawi breed. During the trial, no differences in total DM intake were found between treatments for either breed. T1 and T2 SP supplementation levels significantly (P < 0.05) improved the BWT and ADG of the Sahrawi breed compared with the CON group. Analysis of all traits indicated a significant (P < 0.05) effect of feeding spirulina on all the studied traits except WH and BL. ANOVAs for fixed effects in this study (dam age and kid birth type, i.e. single, twin or triple) were not significant (P > 0.05) for any of the studied traits. However, the breed effect was highly significant (P < 0.001) on BWT, ADG, BCS and treatment effect was significant (P < 0.05) on CG traits. Conclusions: Spirulina platensis could be used as a supplement feed to improve growth, performance and morphological traits in Omani goat production. Feeding spirulina to kids led to increased growth, herd performance and buck selection facilitation at an earlier age. Implications: These findings will benefit Omani goat producers in managing productivity and product quality. Spirulina platensis (SP) is an essential dietary supplement for boosting animal growth performance, having a high protein content (60–70% on a dry-matter basis) with minimal toxicity. Supplementation is needed because of lack of nutritional resources, so as to meet the nutritional needs of goats in Oman; hence, the effect of spirulina in boosting the growth of Omani goat was studied. Feeding spirulina to kids led to increased growth, herd performance and buck selection facilitation at an earlier age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The ideal body conformation is an important part of the breeding objective of Czech Holsteins to allow high production while improving health and fitness. In this study, we aimed to identify loci that influence these traits. The genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed using the weighted single-step best linear unbiased prediction (wssGBLUP) method. The multiple comparison test was performed with the Bonferroni correction. Composite traits (dairy capacity composite, feet and legs composite, and total score) and partial linear traits (stature, body depth, angularity, and fore udder attachment) each showed associations with one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that were either statistically significant or approached the significance threshold. The association analysis without the Bonferroni correction (based on the significance level of 1.00 × 10−6) showed one significant SNP for total score, and also one for stature, angularity, and fore udder attachment. Moreover, one SNP was of near-significance threshold for the dairy capacity composite, the feet and legs composite, and body depth. The aim of this study was a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on conformation traits using 25,486 genotyped Czech Holsteins, with 35,227 common SNPs for each genotype. Linear trait records were collected between 1995 and 2020. The Interbull information from Multiple Across Country Evaluation (MACE) was included for bulls that mostly had daughter records in a foreign country. When using the Bonferroni correction, the number of SNPs that were either significant or approached the significance threshold was low—dairy capacity composite on BTA4, feet and legs composite BTA21, total score BTA10, stature BTA24, body depth BTA6, angularity BTA20, fore udder attachment BTA10. Without the Bonferroni correction, the total number of significant or near of significance SNPs was 32. The SNPs were localized on BTA1,2,4,5,6,7,8,18,22,25,26,28 for dairy capacity composite, BTA15,21 for feet and legs composite, BTA10 for total score, BTA24 stature, BTA6,23 body depth, BTA20 angularity, BTA2 rump angle, BTA9,10 rear legs rear view, BTA2,19 rear legs side view, BTA10 fore udder attachment, BTA2 udder depth, BTA10 rear udder height, BTA12 central alignment, BTA24 rear teat placement, BTA8,29 rear udder width. The results provide biological information for the improvement of body conformation and fitness in the Holstein population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was realised to investigate the effects of adding L-carnitine and probiotic on performance and carcass parameters of broiler chickens. Totally 240 one-day old broiler Ross 308 chickens randomly divided into four groups. Control group with basal diet without supplementation, experimental group 1 with probiotic in feed mixture in dose of 7.5 g/kg; experimental group 2 with L-carnitine in dose of 1ml/1.2 l in drinking water and experimental group 3 with probiotic in feed mixture in dose of 7.5 g/ kg + L-carnitine in drinking water in dose of 1 ml/1.2 l in drinking water. The results of this study indicated that supplementation with L-carnitine and probiotic statistically increased (p0.05) in feed consumption among groups in 42 days of age and broiler chickens receiving L-carnitine + probiotic had lowest mortality compared to the other groups. Furthermore, diet supplementation with L-carnitine and probiotic slightly increased (p>0.05) breast proportion of broiler chickens at the expense of a slight reduction (p>0.05) of thighs proportion in recognized statistically no significant differences (p>0.05). Further result showed statistically decreased weight of abdominal fat in broiler chickens with L-carnitine and probiotic and no significant effect in weight of giblets and carcass yield between control and other groups.

The objective of this study was to explore the effect of dam body conformations on birth traits including stillbirth, dystocia, gestation length and birth weight of Chinese Holstein calves and to provide a reference for improving cow reproductive performance. We collected phenotype data on 20 conformation traits of Chinese Holstein cows and analyzed the impact of dam conformation trait linear scores on stillbirth, dystocia, gestation length and calf birth weight. The feet angle, set of rear legs, fore udder attachment and rear attachment height traits of the dairy cows significantly affected the risk of stillbirth. The risk of dystocia decreases with the increase in stature and pin width. The bone quality of dairy cows had a significant positive correlation with gestation length. There was a significant positive correlation between fore udder attachment and calf weight at birth. The birth weight of calves from cows with high body conformation traits was significantly higher than that of calves with a low composite score. These results suggest that improving the body conformation traits, especially the selection of mammary system and body shape total score, will be beneficial in improving the reproductive performance of dairy cows.

Aseel and Kadaknath chickens are recognized for their hardiness and adaptability to warm and humid climates and are being used for genetic improvement of different breeds which are appropriate for backyard poultry farming in India. In the present study, an attempt was made for the first time in India to assess the relationship among morphological traits and to explain the body conformation of Aseel and Kadaknath breeds under backyard poultry farming using principal component analysis (PCA). Eleven different morphological traits viz., 24-week body weight, comb length, keel length, body length, back length, breast girth, breast angle, radius-ulna length, shank length, shank circumference, and tail length were measured in both breeds. In both breeds, the correlations between all morphological characteristics were found to be positive and significant (p < 0.01) and varied from 0.245 (tail length and breast girth) to 0.797 (shank circumference and shank length) in Aseel and 0.247 (shank length and 24-week body weight) to 0.768 (back length and body length) in Kadaknath. All morphological traits had a high correlation with 24-week body weight in both chicken breeds suggesting the probable use of morphometric traits in predicting body weight. The extracted two components accounted for 64.822% and 68.286% of the total variability present in the original traits in Aseel and Kadaknath, respectively. It was concluded that PCA is an interesting tool for evaluation and effective to reduce the number of variables required to explain the body conformation in Aseel and Kadaknath breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intense artificial selection has been imposed to Luzhong mutton sheep population in the past years. Improvements on growth and reproductive performance are two breeding goals in the present herd. Although some progresses were phenotypically observed possibly due to inbreeding induced by strong selection in terms of these traits, the genomic evaluation was poorly understood. Therefore, a high-density SNP array was used to characterize the pattern of runs of homozygosity (ROH), estimate inbreeding and inbreeding depressions on early growth performance and litter size based upon ROH, and scan positive selection signatures of recent population. Consequently, a low inbreeding level was observed which had negative effects on litter size, but not on early growth performance. And 160 genes were under selection, of which some were reported to be linked to several traits of sheep including body weight, litter size, carcass and meat quality, milk yield and composition, fiber quality and health, and the top genes were associated with growth (growth hormone [GH]- growth hormone receptor [GHR]- Insulin-like growth factor 1 [IGF1] axis) and litter size (bone morphogenic proteins [BMPs]-associated). The effectiveness of previous breeding measures was highlighted, but purging selection was proposed to alleviate the inbreeding depression on litter size, providing some genomic insights to breeding management of Luzhong mutton sheep.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of non-genetic factors on performance and body conformation traits along with estimation of heritability and breeding values of these traits in Harnali sheep. Nongenetic factors had significant effect on the performance and body conformation traits in Harnali sheep. Heritability estimates varied from low to moderate for performance traits indicating the presence of genetic variability which could be used for further improvement of these traits. Comparatively higher heritability estimates for body conformation traits in the present study indicated towards the presence of genetic variability which might be due to the reason that linear type traits were not included in the selection criterion of Harnali sheep so far. High genetic variability in these traits noticeably indicated the scope of improvement in these body dimensions through selection. Breeding value estimates for different performance and body conformation traits pointed the variability between the genetic merit of individuals which can be exploited through selection for making improvement in the considered traits in Harnali sheep.

The aim of this study was a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on conformation traits using 25,486 genotyped Czech Holsteins, with 35,227 common SNPs for each genotype. Linear trait records were collected between 1995 and 2020. The Interbull information from Multiple Across Country Evaluation (MACE) was included for bulls that mostly had daughter records in a foreign country. When using the Bonferroni correction, the number of SNPs that were either significant or approached the significance threshold was low—dairy capacity composite on BTA4, feet and legs composite BTA21, total score BTA10, stature BTA24, body depth BTA6, angularity BTA20, fore udder attachment BTA10. Without the Bonferroni correction, the total number of significant or near of significance SNPs was 32. The SNPs were localized on BTA1,2,4,5,6,7,8,18,22,25,26,28 for dairy capacity composite, BTA15,21 for feet and legs composite, BTA10 for total score, BTA24 stature, BTA6,23 body depth, BTA20 angularity, BTA2 rump angle, BTA9,10 rear legs rear view, BTA2,19 rear legs side view, BTA10 fore udder attachment, BTA2 udder depth, BTA10 rear udder height, BTA12 central alignment, BTA24 rear teat placement, BTA8,29 rear udder width. The results provide biological information for the improvement of body conformation and fitness in the Holstein population.

Eighteen different biometric traits (body length, height at wither, heart girth, paunch girth, arm length, elbow length, fore-shank length, thigh length, hind shank length, pes length, tail length, switch length, ear length, head length, eye to eye space, circumference of horn, space between horn and horn length) in 50 bulls of Tripura local cattle were recorded from 3 districts (viz. North Tripura, South Tripura and West Tripura) of Tripura, India and analyzed by Principal component analysis to explain body conformation. The average of these various traits indicates that local cattle Tripura is of smaller type of cattle breed. Factor analysis with promax rotation revealed six factors which explained about 76.64% of the total variation. Factor 1 described the general body conformation and explained 21.85% of total variation. It was represented by significant positive high loading of body length, height at wither, head length, circumference of horn, distance between horns and horn length. The communality ranged from 0.535 (head length) to 0.890 (fore-shank length) and unique factors ranged from 0.465 to 0.110 for all the 18 different biometric traits. The result suggests that principal component analysis (PCA) could be used in breeding programs with a drastic reduction in the number of biometric traits to be recorded to explain body conformation.

The Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire) hybrid pigs (DLY) are the most popular commercial pigs, providing consumers with the largest source of pork. In order to gain more insights into the genetic architecture of economically important traits in pigs, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using the GeneSeek Porcine 50 K SNP Chip to map the genetic markers and genes associated with body conformation traits (BCT) in 311 DLY pigs. The quantitative traits analyzed included body weight (BW), carcass length (CL), body length (BL), body height (BH), and body mass index (BMI). BMI was defined as BMICL, BMIBL, and BMIBH, respectively, based on CL, BL, and BH phenotypic data. We identified 82 SNPs for the seven traits by GEMMA-based and FarmCPU-based GWASs. Both methods detected two quantitative trait loci (QTL) on SSC8 and SSC17 for body conformation traits. Several candidate genes (such as TNFAIP3, KDM4C, HSPG2, BMP2, PLCB4, and GRM5) were found to be associated with body weight and body conformation traits in pigs. Notably, the BMP2 gene had pleiotropic effects on CL, BL, BH, BMICL, and BMIBL and is proposed as a strong candidate gene for body size due to its involvement in growth and bone development. Furthermore, gene set enrichment analysis indicated that most of the pathway terms are associated with regulation of cell growth, negative regulation of cell population proliferation, and chondrocyte differentiation. We anticipate that these results further advance our understanding of the genetic architecture of body conformation traits in the popular commercial DLY pigs and provide new insights into the genetic architecture of BMI in pigs.

The Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire) hybrid pigs (DLY) are the most popular commercial pigs, providing consumers with the largest source of pork. In order to gain more insights into the genetic architecture of economically important traits in pigs, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using the GeneSeek Porcine 50 K SNP Chip to map the genetic markers and genes associated with body conformation traits (BCT) in 311 DLY pigs. The quantitative traits analyzed included body weight (BW), carcass length (CL), body length (BL), body height (BH), and body mass index (BMI). BMI was defined as BMICL, BMIBL, and BMIBH, respectively, based on CL, BL, and BH phenotypic data. We identified 82 SNPs for the seven traits by GEMMA-based and FarmCPU-based GWASs. Both methods detected two quantitative trait loci (QTL) on SSC8 and SSC17 for body conformation traits. Several candidate genes (such as TNFAIP3 , KDM4C , HSPG2 , BMP2 , PLCB4 , and GRM5) were found to be associated with body weight and body conformation traits in pigs. Notably, the BMP2 gene had pleiotropic effects on CL, BL, BH, BMICL, and BMIBL and is proposed as a strong candidate gene for body size due to its involvement in growth and bone development. Furthermore, gene set enrichment analysis indicated that most of the pathway terms are associated with regulation of cell growth, negative regulation of cell population proliferation, and chondrocyte differentiation. We anticipate that these results further advance our understanding of the genetic architecture of body conformation traits in the popular commercial DLY pigs and provide new insights into the genetic architecture of BMI in pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Qira black sheep is a famous indigenous sheep breed in China. The objectives of this study are to identify candidate genes related to body size, and to estimate the level of inbreeding depression on body size based on runs of homozygosity in Qira black sheep. Here, 188 adult Qira black sheep were genotyped with a high density (630 K) SNP chip and genome‐wide association study for body weight and body size traits (including withers height, body slanting length, tail length, chest girth, chest width, and chest depth) were performed using an additive linear model. In consequence, 12 genome‐ and chromosome‐wide significant SNPs and, accordingly, six candidate genes involved in muscle differentiation, metabolism and cell processes were identified. Of them, ZNF704 (zinc finger protein 704) was identified for body weight; AK2 (adenylate kinase 2) and PARK2 (parkin RBR E3 ubiquitin protein ligase) for tail length; MOCOS (molybdenum cofactor sulfurase) and ELP2 (elongator acetyltransferase complex subunit 2) for chest width; and MFAP1 (microfibril associated protein 1) for chest girth. Additionally, inbreeding depressions on body size were observed in the current herd. These results will provide insightful understandings into the genetic mechanisms of adult body size, and into the conservation and utilization of Qira black sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurements from 13 different morphological traits of importance in the Pura Raza Español (PRE) horse were used to estimate genetic and environmental parameters following a heteroscedastic model in which data were assigned to stallions. Data sets used ranged from 20,610 (height at withers) to 48,486 measurements (length of shoulder), and the number of animals analysed in the pedigrees varied from 17,662 (height at withers) to 23,962 (dorsal–sternal diameter). Results of heritabilities of the traits varied from 0.09 (width of chest and upper neck line) to 0.30 (muscular development). Further, genetic correlations between traits and their environmental variability were estimated, obtaining values from −0.56 (muscular development) to 0.69 (height at withers). Also, predicted breeding values for the mean and for the environmental variability were obtained for all horses in the pedigrees, providing individual information about not only the expected phenotypic value of their offspring but also the expected heterogeneity among them. Results proved the possibility of improving morphological traits and reducing the heterogeneity of offspring at a time by the selection of animals and levels of systematic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linear type traits are important in terms of reflecting breed standards and in giving information about the developmental ability of the animals. For data analysis, principal component analysis (PCA) is most important technique when variables are correlated. The aim of present study was to make linear type traits unrelated and reduce their number to the extent which could be used in explaining body conformation in Murrah buffaloes. Measurements were recorded on a total of 81 adult Murrah buffaloes maintained at Buffalo Farm, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar for 11 linear type traits (top wedge angle, rump slope, rump width, hip bone distance, navel flap length, brisket distance, height at wither, body length, skin thickness at neck region, skin thickness at ribs region and skin thickness at rump region). Phenotypic correlations were calculated for considered traits and significant positive correlations varied from 0.26 to 0.67 in the present study. All 11 linear type traits were subjected to varimax rotated PCA with Kaiser Normalization to explain body conformation of Murrah buffaloes. Principal component analysis resulted into four components which described 69.522% of total variation and out of this, first component explained 28.678% variation. The communality ranged from 0.882 (rump slope) to 0.390 (naval flap length) and unique factors ranged from 0.118 to 0.610 for 11 different linear type traits. It was concluded that PCA was effective to reduce the number of variables required to explain the body conformation in Murrah buffaloes.

The study analyzed three SNP polymorphisms located in exon 2 of the corticotropin-coding genes (rs110167397, rs381116984, rs109244394), later referred to as CRH1, CRH2, CRH3, respectively. The research was conducted in a Salers cattle herd. Identification of genotypes of individual animals was carried out using polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragments length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The heterozygous genotypes of all analyzed polymorphisms they determined the most extensive body mass of the analyzed animals. Other traits, such as cow size, muscularity, hip height and chest girth, were the most favorable for homozygous GG individuals concerning CRH1 polymorphism. Studying the relationship between CRH2 polymorphism and the animals with the genotype TT was preferred for traits such as muscularity and chest girth. It was shown that the CRH3 polymorphism significantly affected the muscularity and higher values of the zoometric measurement (hip height, chest girth) in the case of cows with the genotype CC. Significant differences were found in the study (p ≤ 0.01; p ≤ 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim of study: Severe and frequent droughts have resulted in loss of thousands of rangeland cattle worldwide. The objectives of the current study were to assess the reduction in dimensionality of seven conformation traits and to determine the relationships between extracted constructs and haematological parameters associated with drought resilience in beef cows. Area of study: Muzarabani district, Zimbabwe. Material and methods: Fifty multiparous Mashona cows kept on natural rangelands were used. The collinearity of seven conformation traits of the cows was reduced using principal component analysis. The relationships between the principal components and hematological profiles of the cows were subsequently determined using regression analysis. Main results: First extracted principal component described body capacity (body depth, flank circumference, chest girth). The second component described the frame size (stature and body length) of the cows and the third component was comprised of sheath height and dewlap size. Cows characterised by deep bodies, large flanks and chest girths had low percent haematocrit (HCT), mean capsular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and red cell distribution (RDW) (p

The consumption behavior of fodder in kg dry substance (SU) per day was followed for the duration of the fodder consumption in minutes per day, and the duration of the rumination in minutes per day, at 6 first-calf heifers in each group for 3 consecutive days. During the stall period, the group 1 first-calf heifers had higher fodder consumption than the group 2 first-calf heifers. The SU consumption was 19.5 kg/day in the group 1 and 17.2 kg/day in the first group 2. The duration of fodder consumption was higher in group 1 (robust first-calf heifers) compared to the duration of fodder consumption in group 2 (256 vs. 236 minutes per day). The average time to consume one kg of SU was on average 13.12 minutes for group 1 of animals and 13.70 minutes for group 2 of animals. The ideal cow for pasturing systems is the cow that consumes large quantities of green mass and efficiently transforms it into high milk production per kg live weight. The first-calf heifers in group 2 are slightly more efficient in pasturing than the robust first-calf heifers. Grass consumption was, on average, 16.4 kg Dry Substance in group 2 of animals compared to group 1 of animals 14.2 kg SU. The difference between the two consumptions 22.2 kg SU is statistically significant (p<0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study assessed the effects of dietary L‐arginine supplementation from days 85 to 115 of gestation on sow performance, litter quality, piglet physiology and survival variables in the first 24 hr of life. Twenty multiparous sows, with a history of hyperprolificacy (more than 14 piglets per litter), were used. A completely randomized experimental design was used, consisting of two treatments: feed supplemented or not with 1% L‐arginine from days 85 to 115 of gestation. The experimental unit consisted of the sow and its respective litter, using 10 replicates per treatment. The sows were distributed into the treatments based on body condition and parity. Supplementation with L‐arginine reduced the within‐litter standard deviation and the within‐litter coefficient of variation of piglet weight at 24 hr by 54 g and 4.14 percentage points respectively (p =.029; p =.035). Supplementation with 1.0% L‐arginine decreased the percentages of piglets weighing less than 800 g by 5.60 and 5.08 points at birth and at 24 hr of life respectively. Piglets from sows supplemented with L‐arginine had higher (p =.088) average rectal temperatures at birth and lower (p =.030) rectal temperature at 24 hr of life in comparison with control piglets. No significant differences in placental weight or estimated colostrum production and intake were observed in the first 24 hr of life. At 24 hr of life, piglets weighing less than 1,000 g and from supplemented sows had lower (p =.048) surface/mass ratios and higher body mass index (p =.070). Piglets from supplemented sows and who weighed 1601 to 1,800 g had lower body mass index and ponderal index (p =.002; p =.003). Supplementation with L‐arginine during the final third of gestation reduces the incidence of unviable piglets (<800 g) and improved litter uniformity and piglets' body conformation within the first 24 hr of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Sheep, an important source of meat, dairy products and wool, play an essential part in the global agricultural economy. Body weight and body conformation are key traits in the sheep industry; however, their underlying genetic mechanisms are poorly understood. In this study, a GWAS was implemented to identify promising genes possibly linked to birth weight (BW) and body conformation traits in neonatal sheep, using a high‐throughput chip (630 K). After quality control, 277 individuals and 518 203 variants were analyzed using gemma software in a mixed linear model. A total of 48 genome‐wide suggestive SNPs were obtained, of which four were associated with BW, four with withers height (WH), 11 with body length (BL) and 29 with chest girth (CG). In total, 39 genes associated with BW and body conformation traits were identified by aligning to the sheep genome (Ovis aries_v4.0), and most of them were involved in the cell cycle and body development. Promising candidate genes found included the following: FOS like 2 or AP‐1 transcription factor subunit (FOSL2) for BW; potassium voltage‐gated channel subfamily D member 2 (KCND2) for WH; transmembrane protein 117 (TMEM117), transforming growth factor beta induced (TGFBI), and leukocyte cell‐derived chemotaxin 2 (LECT2) for BL; and trafficking kinesin protein 1 (TRAK1) and LOC101102529 for CG. These results provide cues for similar studies aiming at uncovering the genetic mechanisms underlying body development, and marker‐assisted selection programs focusing on BW and body conformation traits in sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different feed formulations, fattening period and sex of broiler chickens on absolute carcass conformation measurements (metatarsus length, keel length, breast depth, breast angle and thigh girth) and conformation indices of medium-growing Master Gris chickens. The results showed that, as induced by intensive fattening, body weights were greater and carcass quality, expressed through conformation measurements, was better than the values characteristic of this hybrid (as the hybrid is designed for extensive farming). Regardless of the time of slaughter (at 49 or 63 days of the fattening trial), male chickens had better carcass conformation values (P

The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of different levels of Lysine (Lys) on early growth, body conformation and immune response of three varieties of Aseel chicken. Five hundred and forty day old chicks were used in this experiment. Experimental treatments were three verities i-e Mianwali (MW), Peshawari (PW) and Lakha (LK) and three level of Lys i-e L1 (1.35), L2 (1.30) and L3 (1.25%). Treatments were arranged in factorial arrangement under randomized complete block design (RCBD) with sex as block. Each experimental group was replicated 6 times with 10 birds in each. Results indicated that PW variety showed a greater feed intake (FI) throughout the experiment, however, body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were remained unchanged within varieties. Lower FI was observed in birds fed diets containing 1.35, 1.30% digestible Lys. Birds fed diets containing 1.35, 1.30% digestible Lys showed higher (BWG (P<0.05) and improved FCR (P<0.05). Mianwali variety with 1.35, 1.30% digestible Lys diets, showed (252.0±17.4 and 251.4±7.15; 2.37±0.17 and 2.35±0.06) an interaction for BWG and FCR. Birds fed amino acid dense diets depicted improved body conformation traits (length of body, drum stick, shank keel bone, circumference of drumstick and shank, wing spread and breast width), whereas immune responses (were not influenced by the dietary treatments. In conclusion, it was found that 1.30% digestible Lys level with ideal amino acid ratio was better for improving early BWG and FCR in Mianwali Aseel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to test the association of the variation in a 360 bp region in exon 2 of the ovine bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) gene with growth performance (birth weight, pre-weaning average daily gain, weaning weight, post-weaning average daily gain and marketing weight) and body conformational traits (height at withers, height at hips, body length, heart girth, thigh circumference, body mass index, skeletal muscle index, body index and relative body index) in 242 Barki lambs using polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP). Two variants (A and B) and three genotypes (AA, AB and BB) were detected. The BMP4 genotype significantly affected (p <.05 or p <.01) post-weaning daily gain, marketing weight, height at hips, thigh circumference, body mass index and skeletal muscle index. The results provided valuable information indicating selection for the BMP4 genotype might increase growth and muscularity in Barki lambs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out at the Poultry Farm of Poultry Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, through two successive generations to study the effect of selection for high body weight at eight weeks of age on body weight and body conformation measurements (shank length and keel length) in Dandarawi chicken. The study involved 2932 pedigreed chicks obtained by mating 96 sires with 935 dams through two successive generations. The chicks in each generation divided into two lines, line (S) selected for high body weight and line (C) is the control line. Chickens were weighed from 0 to 20 weeks of age, shank length from 4 to 20 weeks of age and keel length from 8 to 20 weeks of age was measured for the two lines over generations. The results showed that body weightsat zero,4, 8 and 20 weeks of agewere significantly different (P≤0.01) between the two generationsthat improved by the individual selection. Also, there were highly significant differences between linesin body weight from zero to 20 weeks of age (P≤0.01) and the selected line had higher body weight than the control line over generations.There were highly significant differences between sexesin body weight from 4 to 20 weeks of age (P≤0.01) which male body weights from 4 to 20 weeks of age were higher than that of females in the two lines over generations. Sexual dimorphism was gradually increased from 4 to 20 weeks of age.There were highly significant differences (P≤0.01) between generations, lines and sex in shank lengthand keel length at all agesin the present study. It found some significant interactions between the main effects considering the different studied traits which mean that the effect did not due to the main effects, but it may refer to other factors than the main effects. Also, there were insignificant interactions between the main effects which mean that the variations between the studied traits were due to the main effects. It concluded that by using selection at 8 weeks of ageled to improve body weight and body conformation in Dandarawi chicken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of our work was an objective evaluation of mares of the Czech warmblood horse based on the linear description, as well as the evaluation of the benefits of stallion breeding based on the linear description of their daughters and – for specific stallions – the evaluation of certain individual exterior traits which are passed on by stallions to their offspring. Stallion horses with at least 7 descendants were used for the evaluation and determination of the values, mares which underwent a linear description of traits at the age of 3 years. For this evaluation we used available data from the year 1996 to 2012, a total including 251 stallions and 4709 mares and more than 500 000 records related to the linear description. The data were gathered from the database of the Central Register of Horse Breeding at Slatińany in the Czech Republic. These data were manually compiled using Excel 2007 and then processed and evaluated according to the objectives of the present study using the linear model GLM as well as the statistical programme Scheffe. The results of the study showed a convincing statistical influence of the stallions on all the monitored exterior traits analyzed on the mares for the father‑factor, and after evaluating all the general exterior traits the statistical difference among the stallions was seen as convincing. We found out that in most cases the breed had no convincing statistical influence on the analyzed traits of the linear description. On the contrary, in terms of the other effects (father and year of measurement) we found a convincing statistical influence on all traits of the linear description. For some stallions we evaluated particular traits of linear description, which they pass on to their female offspring using charts and graphics. Afterwards we compared reciprocally certain stallions according to the traits of the linear description.

This study was conducted to analyze the effect of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the equine chromosomes (ECA) 3 for the body conformations of 12 month of age in Jeju crossbred (Jeju horses × Thoroughbred). A total of 199 Jeju crossbred horse samples were obtained from the National Institute of Subtropical Livestock Research Institute for this study. To correctly estimate the body conformations, we measured thirteen elements relevant to the body conformation such as body weight, wither height, body length for all the 199 horses at 12 month of age. Furthermore, all the horses were genotyped using four SNPs including the BIEC2-808466, BIEC2-808543, BIEC2-808967, BIEC2-809370, of which genomic coordinates range approximately from 105.1Mbp to 110 Mbp in the ECA3. For the phenotypic data sets, the average body weight was 193.7 ± 24.5㎏ and the height was 124.5 ± 4.0㎝. As for the genotypic data, the miner allele frequencies of the SNPs were shown to be varied from 0.01 to 0.291. Using the phenotypic and genotypic data sets, analysis of covariance was performed to find any association between those SNP genotypes and body conformations, using year of birth, month of birth, sex, and parity as the covariance components. The result showed that alternative genotypes in the BIEC2-808967 and BIEC2-809370 SNPs were significantly associated with the body length (p

The effect of supplementing neonatal heifer calves with varying levels of ECAB on pre-weaning growth performance was investigated. Post-weaning growth was also measured, to determine any carry-over effect of pre-weaning supplementation of ECAB. Forty-eight heifer calves (7 ± 0.4 days old, average liveweight of 39.3 ± 5.3 kg) were utilized in a complete randomised experimental design, comprising 16 calves per pen, randomly allocated to one of the following three treatments: (1) Basal commercial calf starter mix without ECAB (Control); (2) control plus 4 kg/ton of ECAB (Low); and (3) control plus 6 kg/ton of ECAB (High). Calves were group-fed ad libitum for 77 days (11 weeks, pre-weaning period) with free choice access to water and 5.5 L of milk per head per day through an automated feeder. Calves were weighed weekly during the pre-weaning period, after which all calves were then weaned onto the same ryegrass pasture as one group. At approximately 9 months of age, calves were weighed to estimate post-weaning body weight gain. During the pre-weaning period, average daily dry matter feed intake was similar for 4 kg/ton and 6 kg/ton calves (649 g versus 688 g, respectively) and both were greater than that of the control calves (382 g). Average daily gain (ADG) was significantly higher for 4 kg/ton calves compared to 6 kg/ton calves or control calves (0.83 ± 0.03 kg, 0.74 ± 0.03 kg and 0.71 ± 0.03 kg, respectively; p = 0.0001). Similarly, 4 kg/ton calves had significantly increased chest girth (95.9 ± 0.7 cm), withers height (88.9 ± 0.5 cm), body length (82.9 ± 0.6 cm), and body condition score (1.99 ± 0.12) compared to 6 kg/ton calves (93.4 ± 0.7 cm, 87.4 ± 0.7, 81.5 ± 0.6 cm, and 1.67 ± 0.10, respectively) or control calves (92.9 ± 0.7 cm, 88.2 ± 0.5 cm, 80.1 ± 0.6 cm, and 1.30 ± 0.08, respectively). There was significant treatment × week interaction for all pre-weaning growth parameters. Breed differences were detected but there was no treatment × breed interaction. Post-weaning, 4 kg/t calves and 6 kg/t calves had significantly higher ADG compared to control calves (0.80 ± 0.03 kg, 0.85 ± 0.03 kg versus 0.70 ± 0.03 kg, respectively; p = 0.0047). It is concluded that under the conditions of this study, supplementing heifer calves with ECAB during pre-weaning period resulted in improved growth performance and there appears to be a post-weaning carry-over effect.

This paper presents research results on the effect of protease on the dressing percentage of conventionally dressed carcass and body conformation in broiler chickens. Broiler diet was supplemented with 0.2% protease (group E-I) and 0.3% protease (group E-II), and protein content in the feed was reduced by 4% (E-I) and 6% (E-II) through a decrease in soybean meal content. Fast-growing Cobb 500 broilers were used for a 63-day fattening trial. Body conformation measurement included absolute carcass conformation measures (metatarsus length, keel length, breast depth, breast angle, thigh girth) and relative body conformation measures - conformation indices (body weight/metatarsus length, body weight/keel length, body weight/breast depth, body weight/thigh girth). Results showed a significant effect of sex on the dressing percentage of conventionally dressed carcass and all body conformation measures, whereas diet had a significant effect on the dressing percentage of conventionally dressed carcass and breast angle values.

To investigate the correlation coefficients among the anatomical body structure and udder characteristics with each of body weight and milk production, 54 lactating Meriz does were randomly selected, kidded within 2 weeks in March, 2018. At weaning body weight as well as 6 body measurements and 8 udder and teat measurements were recorded. Also, Milk yield was recorded at weekly intervals till the does are dried-off. Results revealed moderate positive correlations between body measurements and milk production, while highest correlations were observed between udder measurements and milk production. Also, there was a strong positive correlation between body weight and body measurements. Four components were found meaningful; the first component was labeled as the ‘teat dimensions’ factor, ‘udder dimensions’ factor is a second component and the combination of the third and fourth component was interpreted as the ‘body dimensions’ factor. Therefore, the best predictors for body weight was rump height, heart girth and body length. Also, udder length, udder width, distance between teats and teat dimension were best predictors for milk production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of enriched omega-3 oil supplemental pellets, breed and gender on lamb liveweight (LWT), body conformation and carcass characteristics, and to assess the relationships between body conformation and growth under an intensive finishing condition. Sixty ewe and weather prime lambs 7 months old were randomly allocated to one of five dietary treatments: no oil inclusion (Control); 2.5% canola oil; 5% canola oil; 2.5% flaxseed oil and 5% flaxseed oil, balanced by breed (purebred Merinos (M × M) and Corriedale × Merino (C × M) and White Suffolk × Corriedale (W × C) first crosses). Lambs were individually supplemented with 1 kg pellets per day and had free access to lucerne hay and water throughout the 7-week feeding trial, after a 3-week adaptation. Dietary oil inclusion did not cause significant differences in daily feed intake, growth performance and carcass characteristics (P > 0.05). However, first-cross W × C lambs had significantly higher feed intake, chest girth and body conformation score (P < 0.05) than M × M and C × M lambs. Carcass weight, dressing percentage and fat depth of crossbred lambs were significantly higher than those of M × M (P < 0.05). Significant interactions between oil inclusion and breed on average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio were observed. There were positive and highly significant correlations among LWT, ADG and body conformation measurements (P < 0.01). These findings suggest that prime lamb producers can better manage and match their breeding goals with feed resources by supplementing first-cross C × M lambs with pellets containing 5% canola oil or feeding first-cross W × C lambs with 5% flaxseed oil pellets during the 10-week intensive finishing period. Can growth and carcass traits be enhanced in prime lambs using omega-3 oil supplements? Crossbreds had better carcass weight, dressing percentage and fat depth than purebred Merinos. Prime lamb producers can better match genetics with feed resources by supplementing first-cross lambs with pellets containing 5% canola oil or 5% flaxseed oil pellets in an intensive finishing period of 10 weeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Our aim was to investigate the genetic correlations between CH4 production and body conformation, fertility, and health traits in dairy cows. Data were collected from 10 commercial Holstein herds in Denmark, including 5,758 cows with records for body conformation traits, 7,390 for fertility traits, 7,439 for health traits, and 1,397 with individual CH4 measurements. Methane production was measured during milking in automatic milking systems, using a sniffer approach. Correlations between CH4 and several different traits were estimated. These traits were interval between calving and first insemination, interval between first and last insemination, number of inseminations, udder diseases, other diseases, height, body depth, chest width, dairy character, top line, and body condition score. Bivariate linear models were used to estimate the genetic parameters within and between CH4 and the other traits. In general, the genetic correlations between CH4 and the traits investigated were low. The heritability of CH4 was 0.25, and ranged from 0.02 to 0.07 for fertility and health traits, and from 0.17 to 0.74 for body conformation traits. Further research with a larger data set should be performed to more accurately establish how CH4 relates to fertility, health, and body conformation traits in dairy cattle. This will be useful in the design of future breeding goals that consider the production of CH4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper is focused to use of the Fleckscore system for evaluation of main body conformation traits – body frame, musculature, feet & legs and udder in the Slovak Spotted dairy cows in the first lactations (n = 15,779), in the second lactations (n = 2,138) and in the group of older ones in the third and other lactations (n = 3,694). The score for the main trait body frame have been calculated by the Fleckscore system from the recorded data. The dairy cows in the first lactations reached average level 76.54 points of body frame score, 78.8 points in the second lactations and 72.75 points reached the older dairy cows in the third and others lactations. Based on the results can be stated the Slovak Spotted dairy cows in the first lactations but particularly in the second and the third lactations had smaller body frame in comparison with dairy cows of Simmental breed in the first lactations in European countries. It was found increasing the feet & legs conformation average score from 80.25 in the first lactation to 81.02 in older dairy cows in the third and others lactations. The trait udder average score was 80.09 points for cows in the first lactations, 80.31 points in the second and 79.8 points in older cows, by Fleckscore system calculation. The results showed better udder conformation in younger cows of the Slovak Spotted breed, in the first and second lactations, than older dairy cows.

The objective of this study was to estimate the parameters of Gompertz growth curves with the measurements of body conformation, real-time ultrasound longissimus dorsi muscle area (LMA) and backfat thickness (BFT) in Hanwoo cows. The Hanwoo cows (n = 3,373) were born in 97 Hanwoo commercial farms in the 17 cities or counties of Gyeongbuk province, Korea, between 2000 and 2007. A total of 5,504 ultrasound measurements were collected for the cows at the age of 13 to 165 months in 2007 and 2008. Wither height (HW), rump height (HR), the horizontal distance between the top of the hips (WH), and girth of chest (GC) were also measured. Analysis of variance was conducted to investigate variables affecting LMA and BFT. The effect of farm nested in location was included in the statistical model, as well as the effects of HW, HR, WH, and GC as covariates. All of the effects were significant in the analysis of variance for LMA and BFT (p