BACKGROUND: Honey legislation has been addressed to establish the minimum marketing level of the product and the need for consumer protection through correct denominations. Research oriented toward assessment of floral origin and physicochemical properties may increase the commercial value of these products. The characteristics of 23 unifloral honeys of Erica sp., from Portugal, were studied. Pollen features and some physicochemical parameters (moisture, ash, pH, free acidity, electrical conductivity, hydroxymethylfurfural content, apparent sucrose, reducing sugars and diastase activity) were determined.

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Holstein-Frisia. Índice de temperatura humedad. Frecuencia respiratoria. Temperatura rectal. Producción de leche. resUMenLas vacas lecheras son animales muy sensibles a los cambios ambientales y requieren alojamientos cada vez más sofisticados para prevenir la aparición de estrés térmico en épocas calurosas que eviten importantes pérdidas económicas por la disminución de producción. El objetivo del presente estudio consistió en la valoración en explotación de indicadores ambientales y de indicadores fisiológicos de estrés de las vacas y su influencia sobre la producción de leche. Se monitorizaron la temperatura y la humedad relativa del aire a intervalos de una hora, a través de sondas digitales colocadas en 4 explotaciones durante 365 días. Paralelamente se recogieron indicadores fisiológicos (temperatura rectal y frecuencia respiratoria) en los animales, en invierno y en verano. Los resultados mostraron temperaturas superiores a 25° C durante 48 días del año, siendo los períodos más críticos primavera y verano. La humedad relativa tuvo una variación de 10 % entre invierno y verano. El índice temperatura humedad (ITH) superó el valor de 72 en 51 días anualmente y el período más crítico de la jornada fue entre las 12:00 y las 16:00 horas (P4), con un ITH medio de 68,0. El paso del ITH de 72 por encima de 78 significó un incremento de 1,3 °C y 37,3 respiraciones por minuto en las vacas lecheras. Se encontró una correlación alta entre la frecuencia respiratoria, temperatura rectal y ambas con el ITH, por lo que estos indicadores fisiológicos resultan ser excelentes predictores de estrés térmico. Los animales expuestos a ITH superior de 78 sufrieron una pérdida de producción de leche de 1,8 kg/vaca/día. Dairy cows have become very sensitive animals to environmental changes, requiring increasingly sophisticated accommodations to prevent the stress that would lead to major production and economic losses. The aim of this study was to assess environmental and physiological indicators of stress in cows and their influence on milk production. The temperature and relative humidity was monitored at intervals of one hour through digital probes placed in four farms for 365 days. Alongside two animal physiological indicators (rectal temperature and respiratory rate) were collected, in winter and summer. The results showed the presence of 48 days in a year with temperatures above 25 °C, with the most critical periods occurring in spring and summer. The relative humidity ranged from just 10 % between winter and summer. The Temperature Humidity Index (THI) exceeded the value of 72 on 51 days per year. The most critical period of the day recorded was between 12:00 to 16:00 p.m. (P4) where the average of THI was 68.0. From THI value below 72 to above 78, a rise of 1.3 °C and 37.3 breaths/minute was observed in the monitored dairy cows. We found a high correlation between respiratory rate and rectal temperature and of both with the THI, highlighting these physiological indicators as excellent predictors of heat stress. The animals ...

The object of this work was to study the effects of crossbreeding on meat quality and fatty acid profile of Holstein calves. Samples were taken from Longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle of 36 calves of three different groups (Holstein crossed with Rubia Gallega (HF×RG), Holstein crossed with Limousine (HF×LI) and Holstein crossed with Belgian Blue (HF×BB)). Significant differences were observed in carcass weight and killing out percentage (P < 0.001) among, groups reaching the highest values in the HF×BB group (228 kg and 59.4%, respectively), while the cross with Limousine presented the lowest values for carcass weight (191 kg) and the cross with Rubia Gallega showed the lowest killing out percentages (54.9%). Meat from HF×RG animals was redder (a* 13.31) and lightest (L* 39.55) than meat from HF×LI and HF×BB groups. With regard to fatty acid profile, the saturated fatty acids were the most abundant fatty acid, followed by monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids in the three groups. Crossbreeding did not affect the proportion of fatty acid. Finally, live weight, cold carcass weight, killing out, shear force, L* from LT, b*from LT, a* from fat, b* from fat, C14:0, C15:0, C16:0, C18:0, C18:3n-6, MUFA and price-to-sales ratio were the selected variables from discriminant analysis to classify the types of crossbreeding.

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SUMMARY:Body measurements in Portuguese Holstein-Friesian breed and its association with the dimensions of the cubicles were investigated. During a period of 5 months, body measurements and cubicles size data from 55 commercial Portuguese dairy herds were collected including in total 1054 individual cows. Data were analyzed using the general linear model and principal components. The most relevant body measurements were: height at withers (141.1±4.72 cm), height at rump (144.2±4.47 cm), length of trunk (170.8±8.31 cm), width of biiliac (55.9±4.17 cm) and perimeter of the thorax (206.8±10.43 cm). In general, the first class of parity showed significant different measures (P<0.001) associated with the development of animals. Head to head cubicle length and cubicle width were 223.0±11.0 cm and 113.0±5.0 cm respectively; whereas in cubicle against wall length was 227.0±18.0 cm and width 111.0±7.0 cm. The highest correlations were found for body measures between the different heights and between the height at chest and perimeter of the thorax. The analysis showed no relation between body measurements and dimensions of the cubicles. Principal component analysis of the different body measurements and cubicles dimensions expressed 51.4% of the total variability, in which the first factor represented 40.2% and the second factor 11.1%.

The effect of including chestnuts in the formulation of the feed on carcass characteristics and meat quality from 24 castrated males Celta pigs was studied. The inclusion of 15% of chestnut (CH15) improved (p<0.01) the carcass (118 vs. about 104 kg) and live weights (149 vs. 133-139 kg). Killing out percentage was also better for chestnuts groups than for control group. With regards the morphometric parameters, there were no statistically significant (p>0.05) differences except for the carcass length and ham length, for which the CH15 group proved to be the group with the longest sizes. The diet did not affect the physicochemical properties (colour parameters, water holding capacity and shear force) of longissimus dorsi muscle. The composition of some fatty acids of the longissimus dorsi muscle was affected by diet. The total saturated (35-38%) and total polyunsaturated fatty acids (8-10%) did not present differences. However, the increase of chestnut in the diet increased (p<0.05) the monounsaturated fatty acids in intramuscular fat (57% in CH25 vs. 53% in control and CH15). Within monounsaturated fatty acids, the C18:1n9 was the most influenced by the diet. The expression of the enzyme that synthesizes C18:1n9 depend on the composition of the diet. Therefore, the lower content of protein and the higher amounts of C18:1n9 and C18:2n6 in the chestnut could be explaining the greater content of C18:1n9 in muscle of chestnut-fed animals. The main conclusion is that including chestnuts in the diet would allow reduce production costs with no effect or even improving carcass measurements and meat quality.

Keywords: dairy cows behavior type of milking parlor stepping kicking milk production a b s t r a c t We studied the relationship between behavior during milking with milking parlor management, measuring the occurrence of steps and kicks, and cow-related factors. We also investigated the link between stepping and kicking during milking and udder health. A total of 2,903 direct observations of milking behavior were collected in 44 dairy herds in the north of Portugal. The results showed great variability in the occurrence of stepping and kicking among herds during milking. Mixed linear and logistic regression models for factors associated with stepping and kicking were developed. Cows in tandem milking parlors took fewer steps (P < 0.003) than in herringbone ones, although in the tandem milking system, more kicking occurred than in parallel and herringbone systems. Milking room temperatures of more than 27 C led to a higher frequency of kicks among cows (P < 0.010). The practice of overmilking also produced a significantly greater frequency of cow stepping (P < 0.001). Primiparous cows stepped a third less frequently than did greater parity cows but showed a greater tendency to kick compared with the multiparous ones. Cows with somatic cell counts for more than 200,000 cells/mL at the time of the visit also showed a trend toward higher kicking frequency. The results suggest that animal welfare measures, like kicking and stepping, are suitable for epidemiologic studies. Significant interactions were observed when animals were affected by challenging health and welfare situations.