Re-used progesterone devices efficiently synchronise oestrus and ovulation after autoclaving process in Toggenburg goats during the breeding season

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

B-Mode and doppler sonography of the mammary glands in dairy goats for mastitis diagnosis

Contents This study aimed to evaluate the sonographic characteristics of the udder and teats and to determine the Doppler indexes of mammary artery in healthy and undergoing subclinical and clinical mastitis goats. Thirty animals among Saanen and Alpine Brown goats were arranged in three groups, healthy goats (HG), goats with subclinical mastitis (SMG) and goats with clinical mastitis (CMG). Using the B-mode, the sonographic characteristics (echotexture and echogenicity) and biometry (diameter and area of the udder cistern, diameter and area of the teat cistern and thickness of the teat wall) were evaluated. Using Doppler ultrasonography, the vascular indexes of the mammary artery were obtained. It was observed hyperechogenicity with solid component in the gland cistern when comparing animals with clinical mastitis and healthy mammary tissue. Regarding the echotexture of the breast tissue, there was heterogeneity in the mammary parenchyma on the three groups, for the milk, it was observed homogeneity for animals on HG and SMG and heterogeneity for animals on CMG. Grey-scale quantitative assessment revealed increase in echogenicity (mean value) for all the structures when comparing the three groups. Biometry did not reveal statistical difference between groups, for none of the evaluated structures. Doppler examination of the mammary artery showed the decrease of end diastolic velocity and raise of pulsatility index between groups. The association of B-mode and Doppler ultrasonography is useful for the evaluation of the udder of dairy goats with mastitis. It is a sensitive and specific method for the study of this disease. Doppler mode was unable to establish reliable criteria for diagnosis of subclinical mastitis. Moreover, the quantification of echogenicity is a useful technique for the evaluation of the milk in animals with mastitis; therefore, it is suggested that it can be used as complementary technique for the diagnosis of mastitis in goats.

Changes in maternal body composition and metabolism of dairy goats during pregnancy

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Mineral metabolism in singleton and twin-pregnant dairy goats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Contribution of different segments of the gastrointestinal tract to digestion in growing Saanen goats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Protein and energy requirements of castrated male Saanen goats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Ingestive behavior of dairy goats fed increasing levels of sugarcane in replacement of corn silage

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Thermoregulatory responses of goats in hot environments

Notwithstanding the solar radiation is recognized as a detrimental factor to the thermal balance and responses of animals on the range in tropical conditions, studies on the amount of thermal radiation absorbed by goats therein associated with data on their production and heat exchange are still lacking. Metabolic heat production and the heat exchange of goats in the sun and in the shade were measured simultaneously, aiming to observe its thermal equilibrium. The results showed that black goats absorb twice as much as the white goats under intense solar radiation (higher than 800 W m(-2)). This observation leads to a higher surface temperature of black goats, but it must not be seen as a disadvantage, because they increase their sensible heat flow in the coat-air interface, especially the convection heat flow at high wind speeds. In the shade, no difference between the coat colours was observed and both presented a lower absorption of heat and a lower sensible heat flow gain. When solar radiation levels increases from 300 to 1000 W m(-2), we observed an increase of the heat losses through latent flow in both respiratory and cutaneous surface. Cutaneous evaporation was responsible for almost 90 % of the latent heat losses, independently of the coat colour. Goats decrease the metabolic heat production under solar radiation levels up to 800 W m(-2), and increase in levels higher than this, because there is an increase of the respiratory rate and of the respiratory flow, but the fractions of consumed oxygen and produced carbon dioxide are maintained stable. The respiratory rate of black goats was higher than the white ones, under 300 W m(-2) (55 and 45 resp min(-1)) and 1000 W m(-2) (120 and 95 resp min(-1), respectively). It was concluded that shade or any protection against solar radiation levels above 800 Wm(-2) is critical to guarantee goat's thermal equilibrium. Strategies concerning the grazing period in accordance with the time of the day alone are not appropriate, because the levels of radiation depend on the latitude of the location.

Energy requirements for growth of pubertal female Saanen goats

Previous research on energy requirements of female Saanen goats, using the factorial approach, has not considered the specific requirements for maintenance and growth during the pubertal phase. Thus, the purpose of this study was to estimate energy requirements for maintenance (Trial 1) and growth (Trial 2) of non-pregnant and non-lactating female Saanen goats at the pubertal phase from 30 to 45 kg. In Trial 1, the net energy requirements for maintenance (NEm ) were estimated using 18 female Saanen goats randomly assigned to three levels of intake: ad libitum, and 70% and 40% of ad libitum intake. These animals were pair-fed in six slaughter groups, each consisting of one animal for each level of intake. In Trial 2, the net energy requirements for growth (NEg ) were estimated using 18 female Saanen goats, which were fed ad libitum and slaughtered at targeted BW of 30, 38 and 45 kg. The NEm was 52 kcal/kg(0.75) of BW. The NEg increased from 3.5 to 4.7 Mcal/kg of BW gain as BW increased from 30 to 45 kg. Our results suggest that the guidelines of the major feeding systems for the entire growth phase may not be adequate for females at pubertal phase.

Molecular identification of food sources in triatomines in the Brazilian northeast: roles of goats and rodents in Chagas disease epidemiology

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Macromineral requirements in male and female Saanen goats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Reproductive parameters of dairy goats submitted to estrus synchronization with prostaglandin F2a associated or not to hCG at estrous onset

Coodernação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior(CAPES)

Effect of feed restriction on body composition and metabolism of goats of different genders

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Effect of feed restriction on body composition and metabolism of goats of different genders

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Spermatogenesis in goats with and without scrotum bipartition

The objective of the present research was to quantify the seminiferous epithelium cells, spermatogenesis efficiency and characterize the ultrastrucure of Sertoli cells in goats. Eighteen goats were used and divided into three groups: Group I - goats without bipartition of the scrotum; Group II - animals with bipartition of the scrotum in up to 50% of the testicular length; Group III - goats with bipartition of the scrotum in more than 50% of the testicular length. The goat testes in Group III had a greater number of primary spermatocytes (25.37 +/- 4.55 cells per cross sections), spermatids (112 +/- 15.12 cells per cross sections), and Sertoli cells (9.46 +/- 1.74 cells per cross sections) than the animals in Groups land (P <0.05). The spermatogenic mitotic, meiotic, and general efficiency were greater in animals in Group III (1.25 +/- 0.28; 5.12 +/- 1.63; 6.44 +/- 1.96) when compared to those in Groups I and II. Sheet-like processes originated from the Sertoli cell body as simple and smooth structures which involved almost all the surface of germ cells. Slender cord-like processes originated from Sertoli cells and also from the sheet-like processes. The relative frequency of the cycle stages showed differences among the groups of goats studied, and the highest frequency was in Stage 3 (20.68% for goats in Group I, 21.15% for those in Group II, and 16.89% for the animals in Group III). In conclusion, goats with bipartition of the scrotum have a greater number of germ and Sertoli cells per cross section of seminiferous tubule, that indicated a greater sperm production when compared to the other groups, and the ultrastructure of the Sertoli cell process did not present any relationship with bipartition of the scrotum. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.