• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1394-1406
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• 2015

The AT motif-binding factor (ATBF1) not only interacts with protein inhibitor of activated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) (PIAS3) to suppress STAT3 signaling regulating embryo early development and cell differentiation, but is required for early activation of the pituitary specific transcription factor 1 (Pit1) gene (also known as POU1F1) critically affecting mammalian growth and development. The goal of this study was to detect novel nucleotide variations and haplotypes structure of the ATBF1 gene, as well as to test their associations with growth-related traits in goats. Herein, a total of seven novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (SNP 1-7) within this gene were found in two well-known Chinese native goat breeds. Haplotypes structure analysis demonstrated that there were four haplotypes in Hainan black goat while seventeen haplotypes in Xinong Saanen dairy goat, and both breeds only shared one haplotype (hap1). Association testing revealed that the SNP2, SNP5, SNP6, and SNP7 loci were also found to significantly associate with growth-related traits in goats, respectively. Moreover, one diplotype in Xinong Saanen dairy goats significantly linked to growth related traits. These preliminary findings not only would extend the spectrum of genetic variations of the goat ATBF1 gene, but also would contribute to implementing marker-assisted selection in genetics and breeding in goats.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.1256-1266
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• 2009

Effects of particle size and physical effective fibre (peNDF) of rice straw in diets on chewing activities, feed intake, flow, site and extent of digestion and rumen fermentation in goats were investigated. A 4${\times}$4 Latin square design was employed using 4 mature Liuyang black goats fitted with permanent ruminal, duodenal, and terminal ileal fistulae. During each of the 4 periods, goats were offered 1 of 4 diets that were similar in nutritional content but varied in particle sizes and peNDF through alteration of the theoretical cut length of rice straw (10, 20, 40, and 80 mm, respectively). Dietary peNDF contents were determined using a sieve for particle separation above 8 mm, and were 17.4, 20.9, 22.5 and 25.4%, respectively. Results showed that increasing the particle size and peNDF significantly (p<0.05) increased the time spent on rumination and chewing activities, duodenal starch digestibility and ruminal pH, and decreased ruminal starch digestibility and $NH_{3}$-N concentration. Intake and total tract digestibility of nutrients (i.e. dry matter, organic matter, and starch) and ruminal fermentation were not affected by the dietary particle size and peNDF. Increased particle size and peNDF did not affect ruminal fibre digestibility, but had a great impact on the intestinal and total tract fibre digestibility. The study suggested that rice straw particle size or dietary peNDF was the important influential factor for chewing activity, intestinal fibre and starch digestibility, and ruminal pH, but had minimal impact on feed intake, duodenal and ileal flow, ruminal and total tract digestibility, and ruminal fermentation.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.58 no.8
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• pp.30.1-30.12
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• 2016

Background: The effect of choline chloride supplementation through forced drinking combined with concentrate diets containing Ca-fish oil on milk production and milk composition of Etawah Grade goats was evaluated. Choline chloride is an essential component in ruminant diets as it is required for fat metabolism. Method: The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized block design with three types of treatments and eight replications. The trial had two successive experimental periods; the first, during the eight weeks of late pregnancy, and the second, during the first 12 weeks of lactation. Twenty-four Etawah Grade does in the second gestation period were divided into three treatment groups. Commercial choline chloride 60 % in corncobs-based powder was used as a source of choline chloride. The treatments were no supplementation (control) and supplemented with either 4 g or 8 g/2days of choline chloride. Choline chloride was given to the animals through a forced drinking technique, after dissolving it in 60 ml drinking water. The initial body weight of does was $38.81{\pm}3.66kg$. The does were penned individually, and were given fresh chopped King Grass ad libitum and 700 g/day of concentrate diets containing Ca-fish oil, starting eight weeks prior to expecting kidding and continuing for 12 weeks of parturition. Results: All nutrient intakes were not significantly different (p > 0.05) among the treatments during the late pregnancy and the lactation periods. Supplementation did not affect (p > 0.05) the average daily gains and feed conversion ratio during pregnancy but gave effects (p < 0.05) on the average daily gains, feed conversion ratio and income over feed cost during lactation. The highest average daily milk yields and 4 % fat corrected milk yields were found in goats supplemented with 4 g/2days of choline chloride and increased by 17.00 % and 24.67 %, respectively, compared to the control. Moreover, milk composition percentage and milk constituent yields improved significantly (p < 0.05) in those supplemented with 4 g/2days of choline chloride. Conclusion: The supplementation of 4 g/2days of choline chloride through forced drinking increased milk yields, the 4 % fat corrected milk yields, milk composition, milk constituent yields, and improved feed conversion ratio and income over feed cost of Etawah Grade goats.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.146-156
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• 1977

To obtain some results of the rate of abnormal keton body in urin of dairy animals by age calving rate, milk yield and some feeding and management condition, 104 cows and 107 dairy goats were investigated. And the results obtained were summerized as follows. 1. From about 23.1% of cows and 39.3% goats, abonormal condition of keton body in urine dectated. 2. The rate of abnormal keton bodies possession were lower at the age of 1~4 but higher at the age of 4~11. 3. From the calving animals, the highest rate of keton body were detected but the lowest from first and ninths calving animals. 4. The cows than 20kg milking per day and the goats 3~4kg milking were higher but the cows below 10kg milking and the goods 1~2kg milking were lower. 5. Under bad feeding and management condition, the amount keton bodies in urine of animals were increased much.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.1529-1534
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• 2004

The nutritive value of lentil straw (Lens culinaris) relative to 4% urea treated wheat straw (w/w) was assessed in adult bucks and milking buffaloes on-station and on-farm, respectively. A digestion-cum-nitrogen balance experiment was conducted with three bucks (24.35 kg) fed ad libitum lentil straw (LS), urea treated wheat straw (UTS) and a 1:1 (w/w DM basis) mixture of LS and UTS (LS:UTS) in a 3$\times$3 Latin square design. Though daily dry matter intake (g kg $W^{0.75}$ or % LW) of bucks fed LS and UTS did not differ significantly, that of LS:UTS was significantly (p<0.05) low. Similarly, digestibility of nutrients (DM, OM and CP) and nitrogen balance (g/day) did not differ significantly for bucks given LS or UTS although a significant positive improvement was evident in these parameters for LS:UTS. The digestibility of fibre fractions (NDF and ADF) was significantly (p<0.05) lower in LS as compared to UTS or LS:UTS. Except for the significantly (p<0.05) lower intake of DCP (g kg$W^{0.75}$), the bucks fed LS had statistically similar nutrient intake as compared to UTS. Feeding of LS:UTS resulted in significantly higher nutrient (DCP, TDN) intake by bucks. The important blood-biochemical parameters (haemoglobin,packed cell volume, glucose, urea nitrogen, total protein) and activity of serum enzymes (alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase) did not differ significantly in goats irrespective of dietary treatment. In the onfarm study, eighteen multiparous milking buffaloes were randomly assigned into three equal groups to assess the relative effect of feeding untreated wheat straw (WS), UTS and LS:UTS ad libitum as basal feed with a supplement. The study continued for 3 months and revealed that daily dry matter intake and average milk production (liters/day) by buffaloes offered LS:UTS and UTS was statistically similar but it was significantly higher compare to WS. However, milk composition did not differ significantly among the dietary treatments. It may be concluded that the nutritive value of lentil straw appeared to be no different to UTS, however, a positive synergistic effect was evident by feeding a mixture of LS and UTS on performance of goats and lactating buffaloes.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.1068-1075
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• 2000

A study involving nutrient balances and radioisotope labeling techniques was undertaken to study energy and protein metabolism, and glucose kinetics of female crossbred Etawah goats, using 12 weaned (BW $14.0{\pm}2.0kg$), 12 late pregnant (BW $27.8{\pm}1.8kg$) and 12 first lactation does (BW $25.0{\pm}5.0kg$). Each class of animal was randomly allotted into 3 dietary treatment groups R1, R2 and R3, that received 100%, 85%, and 70% of ad libitum feed. The rations offered were pellets containing 21.8% CP and 19.3 MJ GE/kg, except for the lactating does who received pellets (17.2% CP and 18.9 MJ GE/kg) and fresh Penisetum purpureum grass. Energy and nitrogen balance studies were conducted during a two-week trial. Daily heat production (HP, estimated by the carbon dioxide entry rate technique), glucose pool and flux were measured. Equations were found for metabolizable energy (ME) and protein intake (IP) requirements for growing goats: ME (MJ/d)=1.87+0.55 RE-0.001 ADG+0.044 RP $(R^2=0.89)$ and IP (g/d)=48.47+2.99 RE+0.029 ADG+0.79 RP $(R^2=0.90)$; for pregnant does: ME (MJ/d)=5.92+0.96 RE-0.002 ADG+0.003 RP $(R^2=0.99)$ and IP (g/d)=58.34+5.41 RE+0.625 ADG-0.30 RP $(R^2=0.98)$; and for lactating does: ME (MJ/d)=4.23+0.713 RE+0.003 ADG+0.006 RP+0.002 MY $(R^2=0.86)$; IP (g/d)=84.05-5.36 RE+0.055 ADG-0.16 RP+0.068 MY $(R^2=0.45)$, where RE is retained energy (MJ/d), ADG is average daily gain in weight (g/d), RP is retained protein (g/d) and MY is milk yield (ml/d). ME and IP requirements for maintenance for growing goats were 0.46 MJ/d.kg $BW^{0.75}$ and 7.43 g/d.kg $BW^{0.75}$, respectively. Values for the pregnant and lactating does were in the same order, 0.55 MJ/d.kg $BW^{0.75}$ and 11.7 g/d.kg $BW^{0.75}$, and 0.50 MJ/d.kg $BW^{0.75}$ and 10.8 g/d.kg $BW^{0.75}$, respectively. Milk protein ranged from 3.06 to 3.5% and milk fat averaged 5.2%. Glucose metabolism in Etawah crossbred female goat is active, but glucose flux is low compared to temperate ruminant breeds which may implicate its role to support production.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.1118-1125
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• 2003

Research was carried out to clarify whether a suppression of dry forage intake during the early stages of feeding in ruminants is caused by feeding induced hypovolemia which is produced by the accelerated secretion of parotid saliva. Goats with a parotid fistula were fed roughly crushed alfalfa hay cubes, commercial ground concentrate feed and $NaHCO_3$ twice daily (10:00-12:00, 16:00-18:00). The animals were free access to drinking water all day prior to, during and after experiments. The animals were intraruminally infused every day prior to the morning feeding period with parotid saliva collected from the parotid fistula over a 24 h period. The present experiment consisted of two treatments, non-infusion (RNI) and intraruminal infusion of parotid saliva (RSF). In the RSF treatment, 4-5 kg of parotid saliva (280-290 mOsm/l) collected over a 24 h period was intraruminally infused 1 h prior to the commencement of the morning feeding. During feeding, eating and parotid saliva secretion rates were measured. Blood samples were also periodically collected from the jugular vein. During and after 2 h feeding, water intakes were measured, respectively. These measurements were used to define thirst levels. It is thought that rumen fill in the RSF treatment was higher than the RNI treatment. Plasma osmolality in the RSF treatment increased in the first half of the 2 h feeding period due to the intraruminal infusion of parotid saliva. Therefore, parotid saliva secretion rates in the RSF treatment were lower than the RNI treatment for 30 min period from 30 to 60 min after the commencement of feeding. On the other hand, plasma total protein concentration and hematocrit in the RSF treatment decreased by 3.2 and 3.3% prior to the commencement of feeding due to the intraruminal infusion of parotid saliva. In the first half of the 2 h feeding period, plasma total protein concentration and hematocrit in the RSF treatment showed a tendency to decrease compared to the RNI treatment. Thirst level in the RSF treatment during feeding was approximately 31.3% less than the RNI treatment. Upon the completion of the 2 h feeding period, cumulative feed intake in the RSF treatment was significantly larger (19.7%) than the RNI treatment. The results suggest that a suppression of dry forage intake during the early stages of feeding in goats is partly caused by feeding induced hypovolemia, which is produced by the accelerated secretion of parotid saliva.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.997-1003
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• 2006

An experiment with twenty crossbred goat kids (male) of 2-3 months old, weighing about 12 kg was conducted to study the effect of feeding formaldehyde treated rape seed oil cake based diet supplemented with molasses on growth rate and histopathological changes of different organs. Goats were randomly divided into four groups of 5 animals each and were individually fed for a period of 120 days. The animals in group I (URC) and II (URCM) were fed concentrate mixture (CM-I) containing untreated rape seed oil cake (30%) while, the animals in group III (TRC) and IV (TRCM) were offered concentrate mixture (CM-II) containing formaldehyde treated rape seed oil cake. Further, molasses as energy source was additionally supplemented with the concentrate mixture at the rate of 8% of concentrate mixture on dry matter basis to animals in group II and IV. All the animals were maintained on roughage (Berseem hay:wheat straw = 2:1) and concentrate in 50:50 ratio. Average daily gain (g/d) of animals in group IV was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that in group I., but at par with group II and III. Feed conversion efficiency was also significantly (p<0.05) higher in group IV (10.14) than group I and II but at par with group III. The growth rate however increased by 50.2% in group IV showing more consistency in maintaining highest growth rate due to better balance of nutrients. At the end of four months of feeding trial, two animals from each group were sacrificed for histopathological study of different organs. Significant histopathological changes in liver, heart, lungs tissue of animals fed untreated rape seed oil cake diet were recorded which were totally absent in the organ of animals fed formaldehyde treated cake. The liver tissue of goats receiving control diet (containing untreated rape seed oil cake) were found to be associated with engorged central vein and blood vessels. Hepatocytes were swollen, pale and degenerated with cellular infiltration and fibrosis of portal areas. The muscles of heart were found to have intermyofibral edema. Emphysema accompanied by dilated and ruptured alveoli was also recorded in lung tissue. However, histopathological examination of various tissues of goats fed formaldehyde treated cake diet did not exhibit any degenerative changes. Additional supplementation of molasses with or without treated cake diet, apparently did not have any significant effect on ameliorating the above degenerative changes.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.37-49
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• 2015

During pregnancy, the maternal body undergoes significant physiological changes. The present study assessed the changes on calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na) and potassium (K) metabolism in singleton and twin-pregnant dairy goats. The 42 goats used ($49.5kg{\pm}7.6$ body weight [BW]) were assigned at random to treatments that were factorially arranged to account for 2 breeds (Oberhasli and Saanen), 2 pregnancy types (singleton and twin) and 3 gestation periods (80, 110, and 140 days). Digestibility trials were performed at 80, 110, and 140 days of gestation. Mineral retention during pregnancy was determined in the maternal body, femur, uterus, mammary gland, fetus and fetal fluid. Blood samples were taken during pregnancy before and after a meal, and Ca, P, Mg, Na, K ions and alkaline phosphatase activity determined in serum. Bone mineral density was determined in the right femur. Statistical analyses were performed using the SAS MIXED procedure. Dry matter intake decreased linearly up to 140 days of gestation. Maternal BW gain, and Ca, P, and Mg retention (g/kg) decreased linearly with the advance of gestation days. Macromineral retention in maternal body (g/kg) was greater in Oberhasli than Saanen goats, and their fetuses had higher Ca, P, and Mg deposition (mg/g). Mineral retention (mg/g) increased in fetuses according to pregnancy development, with no differences between singleton and twin pregnancy. In the mammary gland, the retention of all minerals (g) increased with the days of pregnancy. In conclusion, related to Ca, P, and Mg metabolism can be divided into two stages. Up to 80 days of gestation, was characterized by the preparation of the maternal body reserves for future mineral demands. From 80 days of gestation onward, was characterized by the transfer of maternal body reserves for fetal development and colostrum production. Na and K supply was provided by adjustments in endogenous excretion and an increase in intestinal absorption. Finally, mineral metabolism was specific to each genotype and, except for Na, was not affected by the number of fetuses.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.1843-1848
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• 2007

Thirty-six 1.5 year-old Inner Mongolian White Cashmere wether goats (body weight $28.14{\pm}1.33$ kg) were used to determine the effects of dietary copper (Cu) concentration on ruminal fermentation, nutrient digestibility and cashmere fibre characteristics. Wethers were fed a basal diet (containing 7.46 mg Cu/kg DM) that was supplemented with either 0 (control), 10, 20 or 30 mg Cu/kg DM. To ensure full consumption, animals were fed restrictedly with 0.75 kg feed (DM) in two equal allotments per day. The results indicated that: (1) supplemental 10 mg Cu/kg DM in the basal diet significantly (p<0.05) decreased ruminal fluid pH value and total VFA concentrations were significantly (p<0.05) increased on all Cu treatment groups. (2) Cu supplementation had no influence on DM intake and digestibility of DM, CP and ADF (p>0.05); however, NDF digestibility of groups supplemented with 10 and 20 mg Cu/kg DM were significantly higher than that of the control group (p<0.05). Apparent absorption and retention of copper were decreased with increasing level of supplementation. (3) 20 mg Cu/kg DM treatment significantly (p<0.05) improved cashmere growth rate, but cashmere diameter was not affected by Cu supplementation (p>0.05). In conclusion, supplementation of cashmere goats with Cu at the rate of 10 to 20 mg/kg DM in the basal diet resulted in some changed rumen fermentation and was beneficial for NDF digestibility, while supplementation of 20 mg Cu/kg DM improved cashmere growth. Collectively, the optimal supplemental Cu level for cashmere goats during the fibre growing period was 20 mg/kg DM (a total dietary Cu level of 27.46 mg/kg DM).