• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.643-649
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• 2002

Availability of feeds and fodder and amount of their intake by large ruminants in eight different agro-ecological zones (AEZ) of Bangladesh were recorded over a year. Roughages such as straw, naturally grown green grass, water hyacinth, tree leaves, legumes and sugarcane tops were the major feedstuffs fed to the large ruminants. Amount of intake of these ingredients differed (p<0.01) across AEZ studied, but did not differ across seasons or farmers' categories (p>0.05) except for green grasses (p<0.01). Byproduct concentrates offered to animals in the studied areas were rice bran, wheat bran and different oil cakes. The amount of intake of concentrates by the animals also differed (p<0.01) across AEZs, but did not differ across seasons or farmers' categories (p>0.05), except for rice bran and wheat bran which differed between season and farm category, and season respectively (p<0.01). The large standard errors of mean indicate that there are wide variations in intake of roughages and concentrates across AEZ's, seasons and farmers' categories and even across days. This further indicates that the feeding practices of large ruminants are largely heterogeneous. In addition to feeding roughage and concentrates, the animals were allowed to graze for six hours a day. Grazing hours also differed (p<0.01) across AEZ, but not by farmers' categories or seasons.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.1483-1496
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• 2001

Small ruminants form an important economic and ecological niche in small farm systems and agriculture. Their current low level of contribution is dismal, and is not commensurate with the potential capacity for higher levels of production. The context for productivity enhancement and increased socio-economic contribution relates to large sizes of small ruminant populations; wide distribution across various agro-ecological zones and production systems; and diversity of breeds, where 66% of all goat and 57% of sheep breeds in Asia are found in China, India and Pakistan. The advantages and disadvantages of small ruminants over larger ruminants are enumerated with reference to adaptation and environment, small size, production systems and products and interactions with the environment. Discussion focuses especially on efficiency of meat production and niche markets for higher-priced goat meat, and inefficient marketing systems given an estimated 40-45% loss of income to farmers presently. Increasing the quantity of meat produced is related to live weight and the total number of animals at Slaughter, which in turn, depend on the total number of offsprings weaned and lifetime productivity. At the national level, priority attention is essential to build up numbers in concerted breeding programmes, selection for efficiency of reproduction and meat production, and improvements to make traditional markets and marketing systems to respond to the changing environmental and consumer preferences. Post-production systems are neglected and improvements are associated with collection, handling, marketing, slaughter facilities and consumer requirements. Potential opportunities to expand and benefit from integrating small ruminants into annual and perennial cropping systems remain largely unexplored. Important development imperatives include choice of species and better use of available breeds, appropriate production systems that match available feed resources, and linkages between production, products and by-products to markets. Affirmative action is necessary, backed by official policy support, institutional commitment and increased resource use, that can target poverty and directly benefit the poor, and shift subsistence production to a more market-oriented opportunity. These efforts together constitute the challenges for both the owners and producers of small ruminants in the immediate future, as also the will to accelerate increased productivity, improve their livelihoods and promote rural growth.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.453-461
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• 2018

The aim of this study is to delineate 'admixed hybrid' and 'introgressive' Fasciola genotypes present in the Fasciola population in Vietnam. Adult liver flukes collected from ruminants in 18 Provinces were morphologically sorted out by naked eyes for small (S), medium (M) and large (L) body shapes; and human samples (n=14) from patients. Nuclear ribosomal (rDNA) ITS1 and ITS2, and mitochondrial (mtDNA) nad1 markers were used for determination of their genetic status. Total 4,725 worm samples of ruminants were tentatively classified by their size: 6% (n=284) small (S)-, 13% (n=614) medium (M)-, and 81% (n=3,827) large (L)-forms. All the representative (n=120, as 40 each group) and 14 human specimens, possessed maternal mtDNA of only F. gigantica and none of F. hepatica. Paternally, all (100%) of the L-(n=40) and 77.5% (n=31) of the M-flukes had single F. gigantica rDNA indicating 'pure' F. gigantica. A majority (90%, n=36) of the S- and 15% (n=6) of the M-worms had single F. hepatica rDNA, indicating their introgressive; the rest (10%, n=4) of the S- and 7.5% (n=3) of the M-flukes had mixture of both F. gigantica and F. hepatica rDNAs, confirming their admixed hybrid genetic status. Fourteen human samples revealed 9 (64%) of pure F. gigantica, 3 (22%) of introgressive and 2 (14%) of admixed hybrid Fasciola spp. By the present study, it was confirmed that the small worms, which are morphologically identical with F. hepatica, are admixed and/or introgressive hybrids of Fasciola spp., and able to be the pathogens of human fascioliasis.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.349-355
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• 1992

In order to explore feeding practices of large ruminants and methods followed in the rural areas, an exploratory survey was made during the period from January 1988 to January 1989 in eight different agro-ecological areas of Bangladesh in relation to the existing seasons and farmers' categories. The study shows what feeding practices varied (p<0.01) from area to area and season to season but not with the farmers' category. Considering the overall picture of feeding practices existing in the country, it can be observed that bigger proportion of farmers practiced stall feeding and tethering ($38.4{\pm}35.1$) followed by stall fed ($34.3{\pm}35.2$) and grazing or tethering ($17.3{\pm}26.7$). The figure with wider deviations indicates that farmers in the rural areas did not follow a smooth feeding practice, the system is rather a complex, heterogenous and a mere consequence of existing land use system. The results of feeding methods of by-product concentrates indicate that it also varied (p<0.01) from area to area but however, not with seasons and farmers' category. It is observed that bigger proportion of farmers fed concentrates to their animals mixed with water ($74.1{\pm}30.3$) followed by mixed with roughage and water ($10.3{\pm}13.3$) or fed alone ($5.6{\pm}14.2$). The method like feeding practice is also complex and heterogenous in the rural areas of Bangladesh. Hence, it is needed to develop a strategic feeding system and method identifying the problems associated with those.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.42.1-42.6
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• 2023

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is one of the most important emerging transboundary diseases. Recently, LSD has emerged in many countries in the northern hemisphere. The LSD virus has a huge genome and is highly resistant to environmental conditions. The virus is also host-specific and large ruminants, such as cattle and domestic water buffalo, are particularly susceptible. In addition, wild ruminants can serve as potential reservoirs for spreading the LSD virus. The emergence might be related to climate change in various regions because LSD is an arthropod-borne infectious disease. This disease causes enormous economic losses, such as leather damage, decreased milk production, abortion, and death in infected ruminants. The economic importance of LSD in the bovine industry has forced countries to develop and implement control strategies against the disease. With the recent global spread and the economic impact, LSD will be discussed intensively. In addition, effective preventive measures are suggested based on the presence or absence of LSD outbreaks.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.915-922
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• 2009

Ruminants possess the capacity to digest very large amounts of starch. However, in many cases diets approach 60% starch and even small inefficiencies present opportunities for energetic losses. Ruminal starch digestion is typically 75-80% of starch intake. On average, 35-60% of starch entering the small intestine is degraded. Of the fraction that escapes small-intestinal digestion, 35-50% is degraded in the large intestine. The low digestibility in the large intestine and the inability to reclaim microbial cells imposes a large toll on post-ruminal digestive efficiency. Therefore, digestibility in the small intestine must be optimized. The process of starch assimilation in the ruminant is complex and remains an avenue by which increases in production efficiency can be gained. A more thorough description of these processes is needed before we can accurately predict digestion occurring in the small intestine and formulate diets to optimize site of starch digestion.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.1305-1318
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• 2007

On a global scale agriculture and in particular enteric fermentation in ruminants is reported to produce about one fourth (21 to 25%) of the total anthropogenic emissions of methane ($CH_4$). Methane is produced during the anaerobic fermentation of hydrolyzed dietary carbohydrates in the rumen and represents an energy loss to the host besides contributing to emissions of greenhouse gases into the environment. However, there appears to be uncertainty in the $CH_4$ estimation from livestock due to the limited availability of data to document the variability at the farm level and also due to the significant impact of diet on the enteric $CH_4$ production. The methane mitigation strategies require robust prediction of emissions from rumen. There are many methods available which would be suitable for measuring $CH_4$ produced from the various stages of animal production. However, several factors need to be considered in order to select the most appropriate technique like the cost, level of accuracy required and the scale and design of the experiments to be undertaken. Selection of any technique depends on the accuracy as each one has its advantages and disadvantages. Screening of mitigation strategies may be evaluated using individual animal before large-scale trials on groups of animals are carried out. In this review various methods for the estimation of methane production from ruminants as well as for the determination of methane production potential of ruminant feeds are discussed. The advantages and disadvantages of the methods starting from respiration chamber, ventilated hood, facemask, sulphur hexafluoride ($SF_6$) tracer technique, prediction equations and meteorological methods to in vitro methods are detailed.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.680-692
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• 2010

This paper gives an overview of the availability, nutritive quality, and possible strategies to improve the utilization of rice straw as a feed ingredient for ruminants. Approximately 80% of the rice in the world is grown by small-scale farmers in developing countries, including South East Asia. The large amount of rice straw as a by-product of the rice production is mainly used as a source of feed for ruminant livestock. Rice straw is rich in polysaccharides and has a high lignin and silica content, limiting voluntary intake and reducing degradability by ruminal microorganisms. Several methods to improve the utilization of rice straw by ruminants have been investigated in the past. However, some physical treatments are not practical because of the requirement for machinery or treatments are not economical feasible for the farmers. Chemical treatments, such as NaOH, $NH_3$ or urea, currently seem to be more practical for onfarm use. Alternative treatments to improve the nutritive value of rice straw are the use of ligninolytic fungi (white-rot fungi), with their extracellular ligninolytic enzymes, or specific enzymes degrading cellulose and/or hemicellulose. The use of fungi or enzyme treatments is expected to be a more practical and environmental-friendly approach for enhancing the nutritive value of rice straw and can be costeffective in the future. Using fungi and enzymes might be combined with the more classical chemical or physical treatments. However, available data on using fungi and enzymes for improving the quality of rice straw are relatively scarce.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.141-145
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• 2011

Seven male Himalayan tahrs were strongly assumed to have accidently fed on foreign bodies in 2007. At the time, zoo caretakers witnessed missing fence padding, such as carpet, plastic awning, and ropes. The incident occurred the morning after the items had been set up to protect indigenous, wild long-tailed gorals from self injury caused by head butting the steel fence. Adult male Himalayan tahrs were obviously suspected of mostly eating the paddings mainly composed of carpet, thin and long plastic awning, and ropes. Even though they had not shown digestive problems, surgery was determined necessary in order to remove any indigestible foreign bodies. Left flank rumenotomy was conducted on seven male Himalayan tahrs from April to May, 2011. After anesthesia with xylazine, rumenotomy was performed on a concrete floor, with legs and head secured by ropes. No access to water and hay prior to operation for two days was needed to make the surgical procedure done quickly. Two sheets of small hand towels protecting against inflow of ruminal contents were beneficial during surgery. Antibiotics were administered intramuscularly for seven days. No abscesses at the surgical site were found after surgery. Like domestic ruminants, wild ruminants also ingest metalic or non-metalic, indigestible foreign bodies by accident. Therefore, simplified rumenotomy must be developed to apply to those wild animals to lengthen their longevity and to advance the quality of life in captivity. This case report is the first showing how to perform rumenotomy of Himalayan tahr, a wild ruminant, in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.185-200
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• 2012

It has been reported that world population continues to increase so that a matter of food security can be a world-wide problem for mankind. An anticipated rise in world population of 30% and the subsequent increased demand for food brings with it challenges in terms of global resource usage and food security. However, ruminant livestock production and consumption make a large contribution to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions which can be attributable to food production. Given the association between GHG and climate change, this is clearly of great concern to the livestock industry worldwide. Nevertheless, ruminant livestock also play an important role in global food security as they can convert the plant cell wall materials and non-protein nitrogen compounds, found widely in plants but indigestible to all monogastric animals including man, into high value proteins for human consumption. Much effort has been made to maximize animal production, feed conversion ratio, and to improve animal breeding in ruminant agriculture. In addition improving feed formulation techniques, developing chemical additives, plant extracts, and new plant varieties for grazing have been tested. Future ruminant production systems will need to capitalize on important benefits of ruminants. It is therefore suggested that ruminant agriculture has a key role to play in maintaining and enhancing provision of quality proteins and essential nutrients for human being but the challenge of reducing GHG emissions, and methane in particular, needs to be successfully addressed.