Abstract. This study aimed to describe ovarian follicular dynamics in Boer goats (n = 14) during the breeding and non-breeding seasons in the tropics of Queensland. Progesterone profiles and follicular dynamics were compared over a 21-day period in the non-breeding season and one oestrous cycle in the breeding season. Between September and October, 100% of goats were in anoestrus while between April and May they were all undergoing ovulatory cycles. The number of follicular waves during a 3-week period of monitoring was greater during the non-breeding compared to the breeding season (4.8  0.1 vs 4.1  0.1, respectively; P < 0.05), while the number of codominant follicles (5.6  0.3 vs 6.8  0.3, respectively; P < 0.05), growth rate (0.61  0.05 mm/day vs 0.81  0.05 mm/day, respectively; P < 0.05) and the diameter of the largest follicle measured within follicular waves (6.7  0.1 mm vs 7.8  01 mm, respectively; P < 0.05) were less in the non-breeding compared to the breeding season. During the breeding season the interovulatory interval was 19.7  0.2 days. Total number of small follicles (2 to 3 mm) and the total number of follicles ≥3 mm from Days 2 to 14 of the period of examination were greater (P < 0.05) during the non-breeding compared to the breeding season. In the breeding season, 35.7% of cycling goats showed large anovulatory follicles, which persisted and became luteinized. Ovulatory follicles were derived from the fourth follicular wave in 71% of goats. These results have described differences in characteristics of follicular development in the same Boer goats examined during the breeding and non-breeding seasons. In the non-breeding season, the ovaries remained active and follicles continued to grow to reach the equivalent size of preovulatory follicles. Follicular dynamics in the * Corresponding author. +61 4 8894 3333. Email addresses: daniel.nogueira@embrapa.br , daniel.maianogueira@my.jcu.edu.au 2 breeding season was characterised by the development of larger follicles and greater follicular growth rates. Short oestrous cycles and follicular cysts may reduce ovulation rate in Boer goats in the breeding season.

Abstract. An interview based questionnaire survey was conducted on 31 goat properties in New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland (QLD) in 2013. This study has gathered information on goat herd management, reproductive performance and animal health, and has identified constraints that may limit goat productivity. Producers from high rainfall regions reported having full blood Boer goats for stud breeding. In contrast, producers from pastoral regions had rangeland goats and Boer-cross goats. Overall, 87% of the producers identified a natural breeding season in goats and 61% separated kids from their mothers at weaning. The weaning age varied between 3.0 to 6.0 months. A total of 52% of producers castrated male kids. Only 10% of producers used ultrasound to conduct pregnancy diagnosis on their goats. The reported pregnancy rate was 60% for the Pastoral regions and 94% for the High rain fall regions. The average prolificacy was 1.4 kids/doe and the kidding interval was 12 months. Overall, 68% of producers fed their goat herd with supplements, with the exception that most producers from western NSW and southwestern QLD did not use supplements. Producers considered gastrointestinal parasites (61%) and body lice (48%) as the main diseases associated with their goat herds, although only 52% mentioned drenching the animals with anthelmintics. In general, properties in the pastoral regions showed low pregnancy and kidding rates, early age at first mating, 2 high mortality rates, poor performance of Boer bucks and lower weights and weight gain than properties in the high rainfall regions. The survey has highlighted areas that require further study to validate the observations of producers, for instance, factors that may be limiting the fertility of Boer goats in rangeland environments, the incidence of diseases, the use of Kidplan ® and management strategies to improve goat productivity.

The aim of this study was to verify the length of post-partum anoestrus (PPA) in Anglo-Nubian and Saanen goats raised in Northeastern Brazil. Thirty-four Anglo-Nubian and 25 Saanen goats were used and the following parameters were observed: parity (order I or II), type of parturition (single or multiple), length of PPA, type of oestrous cycle, milk production and body condition score (BCS). No significant difference (P > 0.05) was observed between breeds for PPA length. Concerning order I, Saanen goats showed a higher PPA when compared to Anglo-Nubian (P < 0.05). In both breeds, order I goats showed a higher PPA than order II (P < 0.05). Concerning the type of parturition, no significant difference was observed for the length of PPA. Anglo-Nubian goats showed a shorter first oestrous cycle length (mean F S.E.M.) (23.89 F 5.64 days) when compared to Saanen goats (46.20 F 9.50 days) (P < 0.05). For both breeds it was observed a greater proportion of long oestrous cycles (P < 0.05). Saanen goats showed higher daily milk production in comparison to Anglo-Nubian breed (P < 0.001). A significant fall in BCS was observed (P < 0.05) in both breeds. In conclusion, when raised in Northeastern Brazil, Saanen goats showed more efficient milk production but presented a longer PPA in primiparous females.

This study aimed to evaluate ovarian follicular dynamics in goats submitted to synchronization of estrus and supplemented with diets that differed in the metabolizable energy source and amount of energy. The experiment was carried out using 42 does allocated into three treatments, fed for 9 days with a ration providing 1.0 times maintenance containing maize (1 MM, n = 14) or without maize (1 M, n = 14) or a ration providing 1.5 times maintenance containing maize (1.5 MM, n = 14). Estrus was synchronized with two injections of cloprostenol given 7 days apart. Does were also treated with intravaginal progesterone inserts and eCG. The number of ovulations and size of the follicles were measured using ultrasonography on Days 10, 11, and 12 after the start of the dietary treatment. The interval to estrus and duration of estrus did not differ between treatments (P = 0.382). Does fed with 1 and 1.5 MM had a similar number of ovulations but a greater number of ovulations than goats fed with 1 M (P = 0.028). The mean number of small, medium, large, and total number of follicles on Days 10 to 12 of ultrasound evaluations did not differ (P = 0.204) between treatments, but mean numbers changed over time (P < 0.001). The mean frequency and amplitude of LH pulses and concentrations of glucose, insulin, leptin, and insulin growth factor-1 in plasma were not significantly affected (P > 0.258) by any of the treatments. In summary, the inclusion of maize in the ration can stimulate ovulation rate at maintenance level. Similar results between groups fed diets that included maize and provided metabolizable energy at 1.0 and 1.5 maintenance demonstrate that to increase the ovulation rate when synchronizing estrous cycles in does, dietary supplementation with maize can be restricted to provide a maintenance level of metabolizable energy only, which would reduce dietary costs.

ABSTRACT. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of reusing a controlled internal drug release (CIDR) device for up to three times in the reproductive performance of dairy goats raised in the semi-arid zone of northeastern Brazil. Forty-five goats were allocated into three hormone treatments, as follows: CIDR1x, treated with new CIDR during nine days. Two days prior to device removal, injections of 75 g d-cloprostenol and 300 IU equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) were administrated. For the other treatments, the same hormone protocol was used, differing only by the use of the same CIDR for a second time in CIDR2x and for a third time in CIDR3x. The interval from device removal to the onset of estrus (13.3  1.1h vs. 13.8  2.6h vs. 13.3  1.4h), as well as estrus duration (33.6  7.3h vs. 29.6  3.2h vs. 32.8  4.5h), did not differ (p > 0.05) among groups CIDR1x, CIDR2x and CIDR3x, respectively. All synchronized females were found to be in estrus. The overall fertility and prolificacy after artificial insemination were 82.2% and 1.9 kids, respectively, without significant difference (p > 0.05) among treatments. The use of the same CIDR for up to three times was effective using 9-day estrus synchronization protocols in dairy goats. RESUMO. Uso do mesmo CIDR por até três vezes para sincronização do estro e inseminação artificial de cabras leiteiras. Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito da utilização do mesmo dispositivo de liberação controlada de drogas (CIDR) por até três vezes sobre o desempenho reprodutivo de cabras leiterias exploradas no semiárido do Nordeste Brasileiro. Foram utilizadas 45 cabras divididas em três tratamentos de sincronização do estro, sendo: CIDR1x, tratadas com CIDR novo durante nove dias. Dois dias antes da retirada do dispositivo, foram aplicados 75 g de d-cloprostenol e 300 UI de gonadotrofina coriônica eqüina (eCG). Para os demais tratamentos, foi utilizado o mesmo protocolo hormonal, diferindo apenas pelo uso do mesmo CIDR pela segunda vez no grupo CIDR2x e uso pela terceira vez no grupo CIDR3x. O intervalo entre a retirada do dispositivo e o início do estro (13,3  1,1h vs. 13,8  2,6h vs. 13,3  1,4h), bem como, a duração do estro (33,6  7,3h vs. 29,6  3,2h vs. 32,8  4,5h) não diferiram (p > 0,05) entre os grupos CIDR1x, CIDR2x e CIDR3x, respectivamente. Todas as fêmeas sincronizadas foram identificadas em estro. As médias de fertilidade e prolificidade média após inseminação artificial foram, respectivamente, de 82,2% e 1,9 crias, não havendo diferença significativa (p > 0,05) entre os tratamentos. A utilização do mesmo CIDR por até três vezes foi viável na sincronização do estro de caprinos leiteiros.Palavras-chave: tratamento hormonal, pequenos ruminantes, região Tropical, dispositivos vaginais.

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Twenty isolates from milk and goat cheese were confirmed as Staphylococcus aureus. These isolates were characterised for phenotypic properties related to cell adhesion and for the presence of enterotoxin production, intercellular adhesion and β‐lactam resistance genes. Staphylococcus aureus L47 showed cell adhesion ability and positivity for the sec, sed, icaD, mecA and blaZ genes. Three antimicrobial compounds were tested singly or in pairs for growth control of strain L47: gallic acid (GA), nisin and essential oil (EO) of Croton heliotropiifolius (velame). At 24 h, EO and EO + nisin showed higher inhibitory activity against S. aureus L47 in goat milk.

-Many simulation models that are used to assess the impact of mixed farming systems have a high level of complexity that is not suitable for teaching farmers about the impacts of their practices. In this paper, we present a model that was developed and used with farmers as a discussion support tool to address the impacts of farming management strategies on farm resources. We assumed that the characterization of biomass flows at the farm level would provide a simple framework for designing a discussion support tool for farmers. The study was carried out in the semi-arid region of Brazil, where areas of native vegetation of the Caatinga Biome have been reduced in recent decades due to population pressure. In this region, simulation models are not used to discuss the impact of practices. We decided that a model for this purpose should: (1) be simple enough to be used by farmers, (2) be consistent with existing data, and (3) take into account the three main biomass management strategies. The model we built simulates biomass exports (harvest, animal intake, clearing vegetation of Caatinga), imports (purchase of fodder), and returns (animal manure) for farms with different vegetation types (Cenchrus ciliaris, Sorghum bicolour, Opuntia sp. and Caatinga native vegetation). We used the model to compare three management strategies over a 15-year period and found that the strategy that allows for the preservation of Caatinga vegetation is less sensitive to bad years but results in a reduced herd size. We validated the use of this model by testing it with farmers. We found that farmers were interested in using the model as a learning (38%), management (33%), or prospective tool (24%). This study shows that the dynamic modeling of biomass flows provides a simple and operational framework to analyze the impact of farming systems on farm resources with farmers. Contrary to current dynamic biophysical models that are based on extensive experimental data, this model does not give accurate predictions but allows both farmers and researchers to learn the impacts of farming systems. The complexity of the model should be increased progressively as farmers improve their understanding of the underlying processes. mixed crop-livestock farming systems / simulation model / Caatinga / sustainable development