Research Articles (Animal Sciences)
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The effect of extensive human presence at an early age on stress responses and reactivity of juvenile ostriches towards humans
(MDPI, 2018-07)The effect of extensive human presence and regular gentle handling performed at an early age (0–3 months old) on stress responses and reactivity of juvenile ostriches towards humans was investigated. A total of 416 ostrich ... -
Direct PCR offers a fast and reliable alternative to conventional DNA isolation methods for gut microbiomes
(American Society for Microbiology, 2017)The gut microbiome of animals is emerging as an important factor influencing ecological and evolutionary processes. A major bottleneck in obtaining microbiome data from large numbers of samples is the time-consuming ... -
Conservation of indigenous cattle genetic resources in Southern Africa’s smallholder areas : turning threats into opportunities - A review
(Asian-Australasian Association of Animal Production Societies, 2017)The current review focuses on characterization and conservation efforts vital for the development of breeding programmes for indigenous beef cattle genetic resources in Southern Africa. Indigenous African cattle breeds ... -
Genetic traits of relevance to sustainability of smallholder sheep farming systems in South Africa
(MDPI, 2017)Sustainable livestock production is important to ensure continuous availability of resources for future generations. Most smallholder livestock farming systems in developing countries have been perceived to be environmentally, ... -
Effects of whey, molasses and exogenous enzymes on the ensiling characteristics, nutrient composition and aerobic stability of maize cobs
(South African Society for Animal Science, 2016)The study was conducted to assess the effects of whey, molasses and exogenous enzymes on fermentation, aerobic stability and nutrient composition of ensiled maize cobs. Five treatments were ensiled in 1.5 L anaerobic glass ... -
Comparison of shear force tenderness, drip and cooking loss, and ultimate muscle pH of the loin muscle among grass-fed steers of four major beef crosses slaughtered in Namibia
(South African Society for Animal Science, 2016)The authors investigated the effects of breed (Brahman, Bonsmara, Simbrah and Simmental crosses) and post-mortem ageing on meat tenderness, purge, cooking loss and ultimate pH of the longissimus muscle under commercial ... -
Evaluation of the OvineSNP50 chip for use in four South African sheep breeds : short communication
(South African Society for Animal Science, 2016)Relatively rapid and cost-effective genotyping using the OvineSNP50 chip holds great promise for the South African sheep industry and research partners. However, SNP ascertainment bias may influence inferences from the ... -
Potential of using maize cobs in pig diets : a review
(Asian-Australasian Association of Animal Production Societies, 2015)The quest to broaden the narrow range of feed ingredients available to pig producers has prompted research on the use of low cost, unconventional feedstuffs, which are typically fibrous and abundant. Maize cobs, a by-product ... -
Suspected lead poisoning in two captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus) in South Africa, in 2008 and 2013
(AOSIS Publishing, 2015-08)Whilst lead poisoning in raptors, scavenging birds and waterfowl is well studied and common knowledge, there is surprisingly little literature detailing the risk to mammalian scavengers and captive carnivores fed hunted ... -
Carcass traits and cutting yields of entire and immunocastrated pigs fed increasing protein levels with and without ractopamine hydrochloride supplementation
(American Society of Animal Science, 2015)The objective of this study was to determine the effects of increasing balanced protein, with and without ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC), in the finisher diets of immunocastrates on their carcass cutting yields and ... -
Pork as a Source of Omega-3 (n-3) Fatty Acids
(MDPI, 2015-12)Pork is the most widely eaten meat in the world, but typical feeding practices give it a high omega-6 (n-6) to omega-3 (n-3) fatty acid ratio and make it a poor source of n-3 fatty acids. Feeding pigs n-3 fatty acids can ... -
Guidelines for the harvesting & processing of wild game in Namibia 2016
(Republic of Namibia, Ministry of Environment & Tourism, 2016)The wildlife industry in Namibia has shown tremendous growth over the past decades and is currently the only extensive animal production system within the country that is expanding. Several factors are responsible for ... -
The scope for manipulating the polyunsaturated fatty acid content of beef : a review
(BioMed Central, 2015-06-24)Since 1950, links between intake of saturated fatty acids and heart disease have led to recommendations to limit consumption of saturated fatty acid-rich foods, including beef. Over this time, changes in food consumption ... -
Genomic population structure and prevalence of copy number variations in South African Nguni cattle
(BioMed Central, 2015-11)Background: Copy number variations (CNVs) are modifications in DNA structure comprising of deletions, duplications, insertions and complex multi-site variants. Although CNVs are proven to be involved in a variety of ... -
Fatty acid composition of beef steers as affected by diet and fat depot
(South African Society for Animal Science, 2015-10-09)Subcutaneous and perirenal fatty acid (FA) profiles were compared in steers fed a control diet (70 : 30 red clover silage (RC) : barley concentrate), a diet with sunflower seed (SS) substituted for barley, and diets with ... -
Influence of frozen storage on the fatty acid composition of ostrich meat enriched with linseed and rapeseed
(South African Society for Animal Science, 2015-05-16)The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of the duration (24 hours, 60 days and 120 days) of frozen storage (−20 ºC) on the fatty acid composition of meat from ostriches supplemented with linseed and rapeseed. The ... -
Genetic prediction models and heritability estimates for functional longevity in dairy cattle
(South African Society for Animal Science, 2015)Longevity is a major component of the breeding objective for dairy cattle in many countries because of its high economic value. The trait has been recommended for inclusion in the breeding objective for dairy cattle in ... -
Environmental and genetic factors affecting faecal worm egg counts in Merinos divergently selected for reproduction
(South African Society for Animal Science, 2015-12-09)Infestation with gastrointestinal nematodes is probably among the most pervasive problems in small-stock production worldwide. Faecal worm egg count (FWEC) has been reported as an indirect measure of parasite resistance ... -
An exploratory analysis to determine the impact of fixed effects and to establish genetic parameters across six types of ostrich feathers
(South African Society for Animal Science, 2015-02-24)After a decline in value, ostrich feathers have again become an important part of the income of ostrich producers. Between 22586 and 22753 feather weights, as well as length and width measurements, were obtained from ... -
In vitro degradation of melamine by ruminal microorganisms
(South African Society for Animal Science, 2015)An in vitro study was conducted to determine the extent of melamine degradation in rumen liquor. Rumen liquor was collected from two ruminally cannulated Holstein cows on four separate dates, one week apart. Erlenmeyer ...
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