-The effect of nursing method and ingestion of maternal faeces on the development of the bacteroides, lactobacillus and coliform flora of the caecum in the first 10 days of life were examined in freely nursed pups having access to maternal faeces (Group FF), pups nursed once a day and having access (Group CF), or having no access (Group CN) to maternal faeces. Colonisation of the caecum by Bacteroides commenced already on day 3 after birth. On day 2 the bacteroides counts were below 100, while on day 4 they were already between 100 and 10 000. In Group CN, the Bacteroides counts were lower (by 14 to 40%) throughout the 10-day period studied than in the groups having access to maternal faeces. Differences between groups were significant only on days 4 and 6. The average number of maternal faecal pellets left behind the doe in Group CN was 3-4 (between 0.5 and 6.4 per doe). In Groups FF and CF the pellets became smaller, crumbled and finally disappeared from the nest box, they were consumed by the pups and could be found in their gastric content. The lactobacillus counts decreased in all three groups with age, from 6.0 to 3.5 log10 CFU·g -1 (FF), 4.6 to 2.8 log10 CFU·g -1 (CF) and 5.1 to 3.1 log10 CFU·g -1 (CN), respectively. The coliform counts were higher in the first 4 days in FF (5.6 log10 CFU·g -1 ) than in CF (< 2 log10 CFU·g -1 ) and CN (2-3.6 log10 CFU·g -1 ) animals. Bacteroides could be cultured from the surface of the vulvar labia (max. 1000 colony count) and the vagina (max. 190 colony count), so young rabbits could become "infected" by them already in the doe's vagina. Thus prevention of ingestion of maternal faeces only slightly influenced the development of the bacteroides flora, the faeces left behind by the doe did not play an exclusive role in their colonisation. newborn rabbit / caecal microflora / bacteroides / controlled and free nursing Ő

1. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of production system on the meat quality of slow- and medium-growing chickens. A total of 1075 1-d-old male chicks were equally divided into 6 experimental groups, represented by three strains (SG: TETRA-H, MG1: TETRA HB Color, MG2: Shaver Farm) and were reared in a poultry house in floor pens (12 males/m(2)). 2. On d 49, 150 healthy birds (50/genotype) were placed in a free-range family farm while the rest of the birds remained indoors. All birds were fed ad libitum and consumed the same diet. On d 70, 20 birds of each experimental group were slaughtered and muscle samples were taken from the left breast and thigh muscles. 3. Thigh muscle of SG males kept on free range was darker (L* = 75.12 vs. 78.33) with lower frying loss (45.9% vs. 55.9%) compared with the indoor group. Similar results were obtained from the MG1 group. Free-range MG2 males had lighter thigh meat (L* = 50.7 vs. 57.8) and lower frying loss compared to the indoor group. 4. In general, the indoor treatment had a lower impact on breast meat than the outdoor system. Regardless of the rearing system, genotypic differences were more pronounced in thigh than in breast muscle.

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Summary Total body fat, crude protein and dry matter was determined both by X‐ray computer tomography (CT) and chemical analysis. Serial scans were taken from 406 growing Pannon White (P) and Danish White × Pannon White (D × P) rabbits at 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 weeks of age. Twenty‐seven CT images per animal were evaluated from the caput humeri to the femoral‐tibial articulation. The variables of the prediction equations were taken from the density values of the Hounsfield scale between −200 and +200, by summing the frequencies within each interval of 10 values. Several models were developed with multiple linear regression and principal component analysis. The R2 values of the estimations were high for total body fat (R2 = 0.85–0.92) and dry matter (R2 = 0.87–0.92), but medium in the prediction of crude protein content (R2 = 0.62–0.63). Three dimension ‘volumetric’ estimation of fat tissue was also carried out on the basis of so‐called fat indexes. With this method the development of fat deposition could be studied in the two genotypes. Zusammenfassung In dieser Arbeit wurden die Fett‐, Protein‐ und Trockensubstanzgehalte von insgesamt 406 Pannon Weiß (P) und Dänisch Weiß × Pannon Weiß (D × P) Jungkaninchen mit Computertomographie und chemischer Analyse bestimmt. Im Alter von 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 und 16 Wochen wurden die Tiere tomografiert. Von allen Tieren wurden 27 CT Schnittbilder aufgenommen vom caput humeri bis zum femoral‐tibial Gelenk. Die Variablen der Schätzungsgleichungen wurden von den Densitätswerten der Hounsfield‐Skala ‐ im Bereich von −200 bis +200 ‐ mit der Zusammenziehung der 10 Nachbarwerte gebildet. Der Anteil der einzelnen Körperkomponenten in vivo wurde mit verschiedenen Modellen, mit multiplikativer linearer Regression und Hauptkomponenten‐Analyse geschätzt. Die R2 Werte der Schätzungen waren 0.85–0.92 für Fett‐ und Trockensubstanzgehalte und 0.62–0.63 für Proteingehalt. Um die volumetrische Menge des Fettgewebes zu bestimmen wurden ‘Fett Indexe’ konstruiert. Mit der Hilfe dieser Indexnummern wurde der Fettansatz in beiden Genotypen geschätzt.