An enhanced productive life cycle and improved animal welfare are aims pursued in dairy husbandry. This study assesses experimental observations on floor-associated behavior during the stepwise replacement of concrete slatted flooring by rubber mats. For this purpose, estrus (mounting) and hygiene behavior (licking while standing on 3 legs and caudal licking) within a herd of 50 loose-housed Brown Swiss dairy cows were analyzed by video observation before and after floor reconstruction. Still photographs and pedometers were used to asses step length and number of steps, representing walking behavior. Compared with the concrete floor surface, rubber coating led to an increase in step length (58 +/- 1 vs. 70 +/- 1 cm; n = 35) and in steps per day (4,226 +/- 450 vs. 5,611 +/- 495; mean +/- SEM; n = 9). Mounting was higher on the flooring covered with rubber mats (23 vs. 112). Collapsing or slipping during mounting only occurred on concrete slatted flooring (in 19 out of 23 mounting actions). Licking while standing on 3 legs and caudal licking increased up to 4-fold (105 vs. 511 observations). In conclusion, improvements were found in behavior when rubber-coated slatted floor surfaces were used in dairy cattle housing in transition from concrete flooring. Disorders in estrus and hygiene behavior were associated with the flooring of the barn and were relatively easy to investigate within the framework of farm welfare assessments.
To measure the immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration in colostrum, milk and serum samples, a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detection system was developed. The system provided high reproducibility and sensitivity for routine diagnostic purposes. The period of fluctuating serum concentrations of IgG was monitored in new-born foals and their mares for a period of 6 weeks postnatum and postpartum, respectively. All foals received colostrum from their mares. The mean IgG concentration in the precolostral mare serum was approximately 19.0 mg/ml and decreased significantly to 13.8 mg/ml within the first 24 h postpartum. The IgG value fell to a minimum of 11.2 mg/ml by day 21 and increased to 21.6 mg/ml by day 42 postpartum. Within the first 4 h postpartum, mean IgG concentrations of 54.5 mg/ml were measured in the colostrum. A significant decrease to 10.1 mg IgG/ml colostrum was then noted 9-12 h postpartum. The mean IgG concentrations in foal serum increased from 0.3 mg/ml (precolostral value) to 9.6 mg/ml within 5-8 h postnatum. After 13-16 h postnatum, the highest IgG value of 15.7 mg/ml was reached. Over time the mean IgG concentration decreased significantly to 7.9 mg/ml at day 35. At the end of the observation period (day 42 postnatum) the mean IgG concentration once again increased to 11.2 mg/ml serum. In addition, the possible influence of various parameters on IgG concentration were examined. No significant influences could be shown by the breed, mare age, number of pregnancies, days of gestation, month foaled, foal sex, or the different farms. Finally, the cumulative incidence of failure of passive transfer (FPT) defined as IgG levels < 4 mg/ml foal serum, and partial FPT (PFPT) at levels ranging from 4 to 8 mg/ml foal serum was determined. From a total of 70 foals, 10.0% showed FPT and 18.6% showed PFPT.
The present study deals with the immunohistochemical localization of S-100 protein in the testes of seven mammalian species including rat, cat, dog, pig, sheep, cattle and horse. Significant differences are demonstrated in the cellular distribution and intensity of immunoreaction for the protein. In bull, ram, boar and cat testes S-100 protein was localized in the cytoplasm and nuclei of Sertoli cells. A particularly intense staining was seen in the modified Sertoli cells of the terminal tubular segment. With the exception of the cat and horse S-100 protein immunoreactivity was additionally found in epithelial cells of the straight testicular tubules and in the epithelial cells of the rete testis. Endothelial cells of capillaries, veins and lymphatic vessels are regularly S-100 immunoreactive in ruminants. Leydig cells were found to be strongly positive for S-100 protein in the cat and rat testes and to a lower degree in pig and horse testes. Finally a distinct immunostaining of peritubular cells was restricted to the testis of dogs and rats. The remarkable species-specific variations of immunoreactivity for S-100 protein in different cell types of the testis support the hypothesis that S-100 protein is multifunctional protein and may have a different function in testicular physiology.
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