• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.79-83
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• 1991

Diurnal variation in faecal chromic oxide levels was estimated from 4 hourly faecal sampling of 56 wethers allotted to one of six different feeding patterns. Sampling occurred on days 6 and 7 (Period 1) after a controlled release device was administered, and was repeated on days 14 and 15 (Period 2) following re-randomisation of the wethers to the feeding patterns. Increasing the frequency of feeding tended to be associated with higher faecal chromic oxide levels (p < 0.05), particularly in wethers fed thrice daily at 8 hour intervals. There was no interaction between feeding pattern and period, sampling day or time within-day. There were significant period x time within-day (p < 0.05) and day x time within-day (p < 0.001) interactions, indicating that variation in faecal chromic oxide between sample times was not consistent. This implies that sampling at any time of day is unlikely to result in a biased estimate of pasture intake, providing sufficient samples are collected. Significant period (p < 0.001) and period x day (p < 0.01) effects were associated with slow faecal chromic oxide equilibration in period 1. Equilibration did not occur until after day 7, indicating a need for caution when commencing sampling.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.137-145
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• 1994

Amino acid (AA) substituted diets had no influence on rumen levels of total volatile fatty acids (VFA), ammonia and ${\alpha}$-amino-N, but tended to increase molar proportions of isovalerate and counts of total viable AA utilizing and celluloytic bacteria in the rumen as compared with the control urea diet. The AA diets did not affect daily flow to the duodenum of dry matter (DM), organic mater (OM) and acid detergent fibre (ADF), and rumen digestibility of these nutrients. However, the AA diets, in particular the 10 essential AA (EAA) diet improved total digestibility of DM, OM and ADF by decreasing faecal output of these fractions. Although N flow to the duodenum and N retention were not affected with the dietary treatments, duodenal bacterial flow appeared to increase by the AA diets when it was estimated by means of 2,6-diaminopimelic acid (DAP) and nucleic acid-purine bases (PB) as markers. The results suggest that AA supplements to a urea diet could improve feed utilization by stimulating microbial activity and proliferation in the rumen but and increased microbial activity per se is not necessarily associated with improvement of feed conversion.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.67-73
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• 1995

This study showed that models of energy utilization(EU) developed for grazing cattle in oil palm plantations is valid as the simulated results shows an agreement with actual data of calves and cows body weight changes collected from Brahman x Kedah-Kelantan herd on Pengeli Timor Plantation. Simulation runs on EU models demonstrated that the growth pattern of male and female calves and the weight changes of cows are similar and showed slight variation from the actual data but with no significant difference (p > 0.05). Parameter values such as metabolizability (q), dry matter digestibility(DMD) of herbage and voluntary intake of grazing cattle (VIG) and faecal output/body weight ratio (F) of the animals which were collected from the field are essential in bearing the pattern of body weight changes of the calves and cows in relation to increase in time, physiological status and quality of herbage grazed by these animals in the production system. The EU models is suitable for determining the metabolizable energy requirements and to predict the production of grazing cattle according to quality of the feed on offer.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.181-186
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• 2002

To examine the fate of Strongyloides venezuelensis, Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguicalatus) were orally infected with 1,000 $L_{3}$ larvae per animal. Altogether, 50 gerbils divided into 5 groups of 10 each were monitored for a period of 570 days to document the kinetics of faecal egg output, adults worm population, morphological development, fecundity, and hematological changes including peripheral blood eosinophilia. This study chronicled a life long parasitism of S. venezuelensis in the gerbil host, and showed that S. venezuelensis infection was quite stable throughout the course of infection and the worms maintained their normal development as evidenced by their body dimension. A progressive loss of body condition of the infected gerbils was observed as the level of infection advanced. However, no detectable pathological changes were observed in the gastrointestinal tract. The present findings indicate that an immunocompetent host, such as the Mongolian gerbil, can serve as a life long carrier model of S. venezuelensis if the worms are not expelled within 570 days after infection.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.1367-1373
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• 2007

The aim of this study was to determine the feeding value to sheep of Acacia saligna grown under temperate conditions. Pen trials were undertaken to determine the effects of feeding A. saligna, which had been grown in a Mediterranean environment, on feed intake, nitrogen balance and rumen metabolism in sheep. Sheep were given ad libitum access to A. saligna with or without supplementation with PEG 4,000 or PEG 6,000. PEG 4000 appears to be the major detannification agent used in trials involving high tannin feed despite the fact that PEG 6000 has been shown to be more effective, in vitro. For this reason it was of interest to compare the two, in vivo. Dry matter intake was greater (p<0.05) in sheep supplemented with either PEG 4,000 or PEG 6,000 compared to the control. There was no difference, however, in intake between those supplemented with either PEG 4,000 or 6,000. Although animals were not weighed throughout the trial, a loss in body condition was obvious, in particular in the control group. Intake of N was greater (p<0.05) in sheep supplemented with either PEG 4,000 or PEG 6,000 than in the control. There was no difference in N intake between those supplemented with either PEG 4,000 or PEG 6,000. There were no significant differences in either the faecal or urinary N output between any of the treatment groups and all treatment groups were in negative N balance. Neither the average nor maximum pH of ruminal fluid of the control group was different to those supplemented with PEG. The minimum pH for the control group, however, was significantly higher (p<0.05) than for either of the PEG treatments. The average and the maximum ammonia levels were lower (p<0.05) in the control group compared with those in either of the PEG treatment groups. For all dietary treatments ruminal ammonia levels were well below the threshold for maximal microbial growth. Feeding A. saligna, without PEG, had a definite defaunating effect on the rumen. For all dietary treatments ruminal ammonia levels were well below the threshold for maximal microbial growth. It was concluded that A. saligna was inadequate as the sole source of nutrients for sheep, even with the addition of PEG 4,000 or PEG 6,000. The anti-nutritional effects on the animals were largely attributed to the excessive biological activity of the phenolics in the A. saligna leaves. There is a need to determine other supplements that may be complimentary with PEG to enhance the nutritive value of A. saligna to maintain a minimum of animal maintenance.