Malena M., E. Voslářová, A. Kozák, P. Bělobrádek, I. Bedáňová, L. Steinhauser, V. Večerek: Comparison of Mortality Rates in Different Categories of Pigs and Cattle during Transport for Slaughter. Acta Vet. Brno 2007, 76: S109 -S116.The death of animals during transport for slaughter is a major factor indicating the level of welfare in transported animals. However, research data that report the level of animal welfare as reflected in transport-related mortality rates of individual animal species and categories are missing. The present study focused on losses of pigs and cattle in the period from 1997 to 2006. Transport-related mortality rates were recorded by species and categories of animals and also for the following travel distances: up to 50 km, 51-100 km, 101-200 km, 201-300 km, and over 300 km. Rates differed according to species and category. The highest mortality rates were found in young sows, sows, and boars (0.2562%) followed by fattened pigs (0.1075%), excluded dairy cows (0.0396%), calves (0.0269%), and fattened cattle (0.0069%). Significant differences were found among mortality rates (p < 0.05). The lowest mortality rates occurred with shorter travel distances (< 50 km and 51-100 km) when compared to long travel distances (101-200 km, 201-300 km and > 300 km), with a significant difference (p < 0.05) between short and long travel distances being found in fattened pigs, fattened cattle and dairy cows. Mortality rates in animals during transport for slaughter show young sows, sows, and boars to be the most susceptible to transport-related stress, followed by fattened pigs, dairy cows, and calves, whereas the highest resistance was observed in fattened cattle.

Antibiotic resistant bacteria can be easily isolated from the faeces of cattle, pigs or poultry. However, whether the production of different farm animals is associated with a higher or lower prevalence of antibiotic resistance is not clear. In this study we therefore used real time PCR for the quantification of antibiotic gene prevalence in the DNA purified from the faeces of farm animals. First we showed that experimental streptomycin therapy of 12-week-old chickens and 46-week-old hens significantly increased the relative prevalence of strA and sul2 genes though this did not necessarily indicate an absolute increase of strA-encoding bacteria. Next we quantified antibiotic gene prevalence in the DNA purified from the faeces of cattle, pigs and laying hens. The lowest prevalence of strA, aadA, sul1, sul2, tet(A), tet(B), tet(G) and cat genes was recorded in the intestinal contents of laying hens. In cattle and pig faecal samples, an intermediate prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes was observed with strA and sul2 dominating by two logs over the remaining six tested genes. The differences in strA and sul2 prevalence between cattle and pig microbiota were not significant whilst the prevalence of strA and sul2 in laying hen microbiota was significantly lower than in the other two species. Cattle and pig production systems may therefore represent a more important reservoir of antibiotic resistant bacteria than laying hens.

The present paper extends the current knowledge of biochemical and mineral profiles in selected species of feathered game such as helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris), common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica), chukar (Alectoris chucar), grey partridge (Perdix perdix) and wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) reared in the Czech Republic and throughout Europe. The work evaluates potential interspecies differences among the values and compares the findings with the results reported for related domesticated species of birds. Indicators investigated in the individual species of feathered game such as total protein (TP), glucose (GLU), total cholesterol (CHOL), triacylglycerides (TAG), uric acid (UA), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and Ca, P, Mg, Na, K, Cl varied in ranges typical for layers and broiler chickens. Except for wild turkey where mineral metabolism values reached or even exceeded the upper limit of the physiological range, which may indicate a specific interspecies difference. However, with regard to the wide physiological range of biochemical indicators in the blood of birds, significant (P ≤ 0.05) and highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) differences in most mean values for the monitored indicators can not be evaluated as interspecies differences. Blood chemistry, helmeted guineafowl, common pheasant, japanese quail, chukar, grey partridge, wild turkeyThe monitoring of biochemical indicators in blood samples from poultry is now a routine part of experimental papers in the area of veterinary medicine and animal husbandry. However, there is still a lack of information on the biochemical profile in feathered game reared in European conditions. Sporadic papers report on the assay of biochemical indicators in domesticated birds, particularly in layers and broilers, to show potential metabolic changes of different origin in a variety of experiments that focus on different objectives. The values of blood indicators are affected by many factors such as genotype, age, physiological condition, gender, diet, micro-and macro-climatic conditions, the method of rearing, season, and pathological factors. In addition, the collection samples of biological material and the methods of laboratory analysis also play an important role (Meluzzi et al. 1992). Partial results of biochemical screening in gallinaceous poultry (the order Galliformes), namely hens, are reported in papers by

The main objective of this experimental study was to determine how diets containing lupin meal affect the performance indicators, carcass value, and chemical composition of breast and thigh muscles in broiler chickens. The diets tested in experimental groups E1 and E2 differed as follows: in group E1, one third of nitrogen-containing substances (NSs) from extracted soybean meal was replaced with NSs from lupin meal; in group E2, two thirds were replaced compared to the control group. The replacement of soybean meal with lupin meal in experimental diets failed to produce any significant effect on the average live weight of chickens on Day 42 of the fattening period compared to the control group. The replacement of soybean meal with lupin meal resulted in decreased average weight of carcass and breast muscles and in decreased yield of breast muscles. Differences between the control group (C) and group E2 were significant (P ≤ 0.01). Chickens in group E2 also showed a significant increase (P ≤ 0.01) in the yield of the heart and stomach compared to the control group. The differences in weight and yield of thigh muscles between the control group and the experimental groups (E1 and E2) were not significantly affected. As far as chemical composition is concerned, chickens receiving the lupin-containing feed showed a significant (P ≤ 0.01) increase in the ash content in breast muscles. On the contrary, in thigh muscles in group E2, the ash content decreased significantly (P ≤ 0.01). The content of calcium showed an increasing trend in both breast and thigh muscles in both experimental groups. In contrast, the content of magnesium in chicken muscles in both experimental groups decreased. These differences were significant (P ≤ 0.01) only in thigh muscles. Our results show that lupin seed is a suitable substitute for NSs contained in soybean extracted meal. It is considered optimal to replace up to one third of NSs contained in soybean meal with lupin seed. Higher inclusion rate of lupin meal in diets may reduce the growth intensity of chickens, particularly the yield of breast muscles. Due to substantial inter-varietal differences, it is necessary to optimize individual nutrients, particularly amino acids when formulating lupin-containing diets. Broiler chickens, weight and yield of organs and muscles, chemical composition of breast and thigh musclesFrom a nutritional point of view, the seed of cultivars of the genus Lupinus is a proteinenriched raw material used as feed or in feeding mixtures intended for the nutrition of practically all species and categories of farm animals. For these reasons, lupin growing areas in Europe are expanding. In the Czech Republic, growing and using lupin is not as common as in the neighbouring countries. Ecologically speaking, lupins are promoted because most lupin varieties are not genetically modified.The use of lupins in diets for poultry was tested by a number of authors, for example by Schams-Schargh et al. (1994). Their experiment examined the effect of sweet lupins in diet...

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of two modified atmospheres with a different combination of gases on selected groups of microorganisms and on concentrations of biogenic amines (BAs) in samples of poultry breast muscle. The samples were packaged under modified atmosphere A (75% O 2 a 25% CO 2 ) or B (75% N 2 and 25% CO 2 ) and stored at temperatures from +2 to +4 °C for 14 days. During the storage period, O 2 concentrations in modified atmosphere A (MA A) decreased from the initial 74.8 ± 0.3% to 55.9 ± 6.6% at the end of the storage period. In all samples, counts of psychrotrophic bacteria counts, Brochothrix thermosphacta, lactic acid bacteria and coliform microorganism were determined. The tests were made on the packaging day, and then after three, nine and fourteen days of storage. At the end of the storage period, higher numbers of psychrotrophic bacteria (6.5 ± 0.7 log 10 cfu·g -1 ), Brochothrix thermosphacta (4.8 ± 0.3 log 10 cfu·g -1 ) and lactic acid bacteria (1.7 ± 0.4 log 10 cfu·g -1 ) were found on samples packaged under MA A. Samples packaged under modified atmosphere B on the other hand contained higher numbers of coliform bacteria (4.1 ± 0.6 log 10 cfu·g -1 ) at the end of the storage period. In addition to microbiological indicators, concentrations of biogenic amines (putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, tyramine, spermine, spermidine and β-phenylethylamine) were also determined. In fresh samples and after three days of storage, only spermine and spermidine were found. After 9 and 14 days, also other BAs were detected. The biogenic amine totals at the end of the storage period was 60.0 ± 13.2 mg·kg -1 in samples packaged under MA A and 129.0 ± 41.3 mg·kg -1 in samples packaged under MA B. The most abundantly represented biogenic amines in samples packaged under MA A were putrescine and spermine (49.7 and 24.8%, respectively, at the end of the storage period), and putrescine and cadaverine in samples packaged under MA B (47.0 and 32.9 %, respectively, at the end of the storage period).