An inquiry was carried out to assess the concentrations of plasma metabolites related to bone remodelling in 21 saddle horses of Warmblood breed aged 4-26 years, five draught horses of Ardennes breed aged 4-10 years, and 10 Ardennes foals aged 9-11 months. They were fed according to normal feeding practice in Belgium. The changes in some bone remodelling plasma metabolite concentrations were studied when an unbalanced diet was offered and later corrected for four Warmblood horses. Bone formation was evaluated by bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP), total alkaline phosphatase (TALP) and osteocalcin (bone gla-protein, OC). Bone resorption was assessed by hydroxyproline (HYP). Total calcium, ionized calcium, phosphorus (P) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25-(OH)D] concentrations were more or less constant. The comparison of four bone remodelling factors between the Ardennes and Warmblood horses showed higher concentrations in the Ardennes breed. Bone marker concentrations decreased according to age. The correction of the unbalanced Ca : P diet induced inconsistent effects at plasma level. The interpretation of the different bone parameters appeared to be difficult if not associated with other parameters such as a complete anamnesis and clinical examination of the animal in addition to dietary evaluation.
-Phytotechnical and zootechnical effects of a nitrogen fertilizer reduction or suppression on pasture grazed by dairy cows. Three levels of intensification were compared for a permanent pasture grazed over 6 consecutive years in a rotational grazing system. The three levels of intensification were as follow: a high nitrogen fertilizer input system with 136 kg N . ha -1 and with 3.35 cows . ha -1 -H-N group -, a system with a moderate fertilizer input in which nitrogen fertilization was reduced by 33% but with the same stocking rate -M-N group -with 91 kg N . ha -1 along with 3.35 cows . ha -1 and a system with no fertilization associated with a reduced stocking rate -0-N group -with 2.51 cows . ha -1 . There were no effects of the treatments on grass characteristics -e.g. post grazing height, percentage of refusals, total nitrogen content, fiber content. The absence of nitrogen fertilization reduced the pre-grazing height and DM yield of the pasture. The clover content was reduced in the first and sixth years in nitrogen fertilized groups. The individual milk yield was not affected by the treatments (15.4 kg . d -1 ) but the milk yield per hectare was largely affected by the stocking rate. The protein content and cell count were unaffected by the treatments but butter fat content was higher in the 0-N group than in the other two groups (4.10 vs. 3.90%; P < 0.05). The average daily liveweight gain was not affected by the treatments (0.23 kg . d -1 ). The plasma and milk urea contents were significantly higher in fertilized groups than in 0-N group (164 vs. 151 mg N . l -1 in plasma and 194 vs. 175 mg N . l -1 in milk respectively; P < 0.05). Daily nitrogen excretion per animal was similar for both treatments but when expressed per ha and year, the excretion was higher in the fertilized groups. Thus, it has appeared that a 33% reduction of nitrogen fertilization with a similar stocking rate allowed to maintain performances either on an individual animal or a per hectare basis. Grazing management with no nitrogen fertilization but with an adjusted stocking rate induced a reduction in performances expressed per hectare but maintained similar individual performances as with high input systems. Furthermore, there were both a higher nitrogen efficiency and a reduction in nitrogen excretion per hectare. dairy cows / nitrogen fertilization / grazing / milk yield / nitrogen balance F. Dieguez et al. 300
In Belgium, both dairy and beef cattle are managed intensively. Three commercial farms owning both a Belgian Blue —double muscled type- suckler beef herd and a Holstein-Friesian dairy herd were surveyed between 1994 and 1998. The aim of the study was to compare growth and reproduction performances of both breeds in a similar farm environment. The replacement heifers of both breeds were kept together until advanced pregnancy. Reproduction data were collected monthly from heifers older than fourteen months. The live weight of the replacement heifers was recorded quarterly until 20 months of age. Breed influenced the growth of replacement heifers at 6, 9 and 12 months (P < 0.001). The growth rate of Belgian Blue heifers was reduced after the age of one year and the live weight difference between breeds was not significant anymore. Belgian Blue heifers were always heavier than Holstein-Friesian heifers. Successfully bred heifers had a greater growth rate than non successfully bred heifers within the Belgian Blue breed. This was significant for the weight at 6 months (P < 0.05) and at 12 months (P < 0.05). Such an effect was not detected for the Holstein-Friesian breed (P > 0.05). Weight was not a limiting factor for fecundity of the Holstein-Friesian heifers. Management policies other than growth performance explained the difference between optimal fecundity and the fecundity index met in this study. Non successfully bred Belgian Blue heifers were lighter than successfully bred animals. Unsufficient weight performance had an impact on fecundity in that breed.
Lucerne and chalk are sources of calcium used to supplement horses diets. The voluntary ingestion of lucerne varies with its form (Cuddeford, 1994). The objectives of this study were to compare the appetency for different sources of calcium, measured by kinetic of ingestion and selection behaviour (sorting, refusal) and to evaluate the effect of those different sources of calcium supplements on the preference of diets offered as a simultaneous choice. The sources of calcium studied were chalk and dehydrated lucerne presented in three forms: 6 mm diameter pellets, 18 mm diameter pellets and ground.
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