Nutritional value of Dorper (n = 10) and Merino (n = 10) by-products were evaluated. Proximate composition differed between organs and breeds with Merino heart (68.9 g/100 g), spleen (77.2 g/100 g) and testicles (83.7 g/100 g) having higher moisture contents than their Dorper counterparts. Dorper brain (10.1 g/100 g), heart (15.2 g/100 g), spleen (20.4 g/100 g) and testicles (12.9 g/100 g) had higher protein contents than Merino. Dorper organs also tended to have a lower fat content. Amino acid and fatty acid profiles differed between organs and breeds. Few differences were noted in total SFA and MUFA. Dorper heart (1.8%) had significantly lower total PUFA than Merino heart (7.3%). All the organs showed favourable P:S ratios, with the exception of the tongue, heart and stomach. Dorper and Merino brain, lungs and testicles had favourable n − 6/n − 3 ratios. Cholesterol content differed between both organs and breeds. The value of offal as food is discussed further.

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This paper describes the successful national program initiated by the South African government to produce disease-free African buffalo so as to ensure the sustainability of this species due to threats from diseases. Buffalo are known carriers of foot-and-mouth disease, bovine tuberculosis, Corridor disease and brucellosis. A long-term program involving multiphase testing and a breeding scheme for buffalo is described where, after 10 years, a sustainable number of buffalo herds are now available that are free of these four diseases. A large portion of the success was attributable to the use of dairy cows as foster parents with the five-stage quarantine process proving highly effective in maintaining the "disease-free" status of both the calves and the foster cows. The projects proved the successfulness of breeding with African buffalo in a commercial system that was unique to African buffalo and maintained the "wildness" of the animals so that they could effectively be released back into the wild with minimal, if any, behavioral problems.

Objective To evaluate the immobilization quality and cardiopulmonary effects of etorphine alone compared with etorphineeazaperone in blesbok (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi).Study design Blinded, randomized, crossover design.Animals A total of 12 boma-habituated female blesbok weighing [mean ± standard deviation (SD)] 57.5 ± 2.5 kg.Methods Each animal was administered etorphine (0.09 mg kg e1 ) or etorphineeazaperone (0.09 mg kg e1 ; 0.35 mg kg e1 ) intramuscularly with 1-week intertreatment washout period. Time to first sign of altered state of consciousness and immobilization time were recorded. Physiological variables were recorded, arterial blood samples were taken during a 40-minute immobilization period, and naltrexone (mean ± SD: 1.83 ± 0.06 mg kg e1 ) was intravenously administered. Recovery times were documented, and induction, immobilization and recovery were subjectively scored. Statistical analyses were performed; p < 0.05 was significant.Results No difference was observed in time to first sign, immobilization time and recovery times between treatments. Time to head up was longer with etorphineeazaperone (0.5 ± 0.2 versus 0.4 ± 0.2 minutes; p ¼ 0.015). Etorphine caused higher arterial blood pressures (mean: 131 ± 17 versus 110 ± 11 mmHg, p < 0.0001), pH, rectal temperature and arterial oxygen partial pressure (59.2 ± 7.7 versus 42.2 ± 9.8 mmHg), but lower heart (p ¼ 0.002) and respiratory rates (p ¼ 0.01). Etorphineeazaperone combination led to greater impairment of ventilatory function, with higher end-tidal carbon dioxide (p < 0.0001) and arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (58.0 ± 4.5 versus 48.1 ± 5.1 mmHg). Immobilization quality was greater with etorphine-azaperone than with etorphine alone (median scores: 4 versus 3; p < 0.0001).Conclusions and clinical relevance Both treatments provided satisfactory immobilization of blesbok; however, in addition to a deeper level of immobilization, etorphineeazaperone caused greater ventilatory impairment. Oxygen supplementation is recommended with both treatments.

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