School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences - Research Publications
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ItemReducing the Fermentability of Wheat with a Starch Binding Agent Reduces Some of the Negative Effects of Heat Stress in Sheep(MDPI, 2022-06)The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of reducing the fermentability of grains on thermoregulatory responses in heat stressed (HS) lambs. To achieve this, wheat grain treated with a commercial starch binding agent, Bioprotect, is compared to maize, which has already demonstrated effects in ameliorating heat stress-induced thermoregulation responses and untreated wheat grains. An initial in vitro experiment was conducted to examine cumulative gas production from the fermentation of wheat grain with different dosages of the commercial starch binding agent, Bioprotect. Based on the in vitro results, an in vivo lamb experiment was conducted using 24 Merino lambs (1 year old; 42.6 ± 3.6 kg BW). The lambs were offered one of three dietary treatments: a wheat-based diet (WD), a Bioprotect treated wheat-based diet (BD), and a maize-based diet (MD). Three successive 1-week experimental periods were conducted with lambs from all dietary groups (P1, P2, and P3). During P1, lambs were exposed to a TN environment and fed a 1.7× Maintenance feed intake (MF) level; in P2, lambs were kept in a HS environment and fed a 1.7× MF level; and in P3, animals were kept in a HS environment and fed a 2× MF level. The in vitro experiment revealed a reduction in cumulative gas production (p < 0.05) from the Bioprotect treated wheat compared to untreated wheat samples. In the in vivo component of the study, the replacement of wheat with maize or 2% Bioprotect-treated wheat reduced the respiration rate (p < 0.001) and heart rate (p ≤ 0.01) of lambs during HS. There was a reduction in the concentration of blood gas variables such as a base excess of blood (BE(b)) and extracellular fluid (BE(ecf)), bicarbonate (CHCO3−), the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), the total concentration of carbon dioxide (ctCO2), and sodium (Na+) (p ≤ 0.001 for all) during the periods of HS compared to the thermoneutral conditions. Moreover, BD- and MD-fed lambs had a higher blood potassium concentration (K+) than the WD-fed lambs (p = 0.008). The results of the present study suggest that Bioprotect can be a viable feed treatment strategy for treating rapidly fermentable grains such as wheat to alleviate the effects of HS. Further, Bioprotect-treated wheat could be an option to replace maize in concentrate rations in jurisdictions where maize is cost-prohibitive or unavailable.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableEffect of slaughter age and post-mortem days on meat quality of longissimus and semimembranosus muscles of Boer goats(ELSEVIER SCI LTD, 2021-05)This study investigated the effects of age of animal and days post-mortem (PM) on meat quality of Boer goats. Twenty-four (24) wether Boer goats of two age groups (2YO group: 2 years old and 9MO: 6-9 months, with 12 animals/group) were slaughtered in a commercial processing plant. The pH@Temp18 was estimated to be above 6 in both age groups with higher (P < 0.01) values in 2YO goats. The PM storage for 14 days reduced the shear force in both age groups (P < 0.01). 2YO goat muscles (longissimus and semimembranosus) exhibited higher (P < 0.01) Thiobarbituric acid reactive substance values (TBARS), indicating increased lipid oxidation. Glycogen (P < 0.01) and lactate content (20 min post-slaughter) in longissimus of 9MO were lower compared to 2YO, and total muscle glycogen concentration was lower (P < 0.01) in both age groups below the threshold levels. Hence, as hypothesized, age and days PM proved to play crucial roles on Boer meat quality.
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ItemImpact of Heatwaves on the Physiology and Retail Meat Quality of Lambs(MDPI, 2022-02)The experiment investigated the impact of heatwaves (HWs) on the physiology, postmortem muscle metabolism and meat quality of lambs. Seventy-two second-cross lambs (Poll Dorset × (Border Leicester × Merino)) were selected and exposed to either 1, 3 or 5 days of HWs or thermoneutal (TN) (28-38 °C and 40-60% relative humidity, RH; 18-21 °C, 40-55% RH) conditions in climate-controlled chambers. Lambs exposed to 1-5 days of a HW exhibited higher respiration rates (RRs), rectal temperatures (RTs), skin temperatures (STs) and heart rates (HRs) compared to lambs exposed to an equal duration of TN conditions. However, HWs had no significant effects on muscle metabolism (rate and extent of pH decline, muscle glycogen and lactate content) and meat quality (cooking loss and shear force). Similarly, there were limited impacts of 1-5 days of HW on the colour (L*, a*, b* and R630/580) and drip loss of the longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles for 4 days' overwrap retail display. Results suggest that short-duration HWs (1-5 days) had significant negative effects on animal physiology but had no effect on the muscle metabolism and meat quality.
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Item275 Access to Shade Mitigate Heat Stress and Improves Growth Performance in Lambs During Summer(Oxford University Press (OUP), 2021-10-08)The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of provision of shade on behavior, physiology, and growth of Merino lambs exposed to natural Australian summer conditions. Sixty Merino lambs were randomly allocated to either pasture with shade (n = 30;paddock with trees) or a pasture without shade (n = 30;paddock without any trees) for one month during southern-Australian summer (February-2021). Sheep were grazing on the pastures as per standard protocols followed on the farm with ad libitum access to water. Lambs were monitored twice daily between 0900-1000h and 1400-1600h to record their behavior, and physiological parameters were recorded on hot days (environmental temperature (T) >30°C). Behavioral patterns were represented as the proportion of animals doing specific activities in each treatment group. Grazing was the most frequent activity observed in animals during morning measurement (> 60% in both groups). However, high temperature (T > 30°C) decreased grazing behavior in sheep to < 5% in both treatments. Standing behavior was significantly greater (65.2 vs 21.6%; P < 0.05) for animals under non-shade treatment, while lying behavior was more frequent (17.3 vs 76.3%; P < 0.01) in animals having access to shade. Significantly more animals were seeking water troughs (P < 0.05) in the non-shade group (33.2%) compared to the shade group (10.3%). On an average hot day (T >28°C), most lambs in the shade group were seeking shade (P < 0.01), and when the temperature exceeded >32°C, 90% of the lambs were seeking tree shade. Sheep with access to shade exhibited lower (P < 0.01) respiration rate (117breaths/min) and rectal temperature (39.7°C) than non-shade group (151breaths/min;40.2°C). Overall, access to shade improved (P < 0.001) average daily gain (+0.047kg/day) in sheep compared to the non-shade group (-0.028kg/day). In conclusion, our research confirms that providing access to shade is an effective ameliorative strategy to mitigate heat-stress in sheep during summer heatwaves.
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ItemAccess to Shade Mitigate Heat Stress and Improves Growth Performance in Lambs During Summer(American Society of Animal Science, 2021)The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of provision of shade on behavior, physiology, and growth of Merino lambs exposed to natural Australian summer conditions. Sixty Merino lambs were randomly allocated to either pasture with shade (n = 30;paddock with trees) or a pasture without shade (n = 30;paddock without any trees) for one month during southern-Australian summer (February-2021). Sheep were grazing on the pastures as per standard protocols followed on the farm with ad libitum access to water. Lambs were monitored twice daily between 0900-1000h and 1400-1600h to record their behavior, and physiological parameters were recorded on hot days (environmental temperature (T) >30°C). Behavioral patterns were represented as the proportion of animals doing specific activities in each treatment group.
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ItemTowards Sustainable Livestock Production: Estimation of Methane Emissions and Dietary Interventions for Mitigation(MDPI, 2021-06)The increasing need for sustainable livestock production demands more research in the field of greenhouse gas (GHG), particularly methane (CH4), measurement and mitigation. Dietary interventions, management, and biotechnological strategies to reduce the environmental impacts and economic implications of enteric CH4 emissions are needed. While the use of biotechnological interventions and management strategies can be challenging on a routine basis, feed additive supplementation appears to be the most researched, developed, and ready to use strategy to mitigate enteric CH4 emissions. This paper discusses various recently developed feeding strategies to reduce enteric CH4 emissions in livestock. Additionally, the manuscript reviews various technologies developed for CH4 estimation since the accurate and reliable estimation of CH4 emissions can be a limiting step in the development and adoption of any mitigation strategy.
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ItemAdaptive and Productive Sheep Breed for Changing Climate(MDPI, 2020-04-01)Sheep in semi-arid environments are likely to be affected by warming environment due to climate change. To identify genotypes best suited to warmer climates we assessed thermotolerance and meat quality of 5 female sheep of each of 4 breeds (Merino, Wiltshire, Dorper, and Southdown) under simulated summer conditions. The sheep were housed in metabolic crates within climate-controlled rooms and were exposed to thermo-neutral (TN; 18–21 °C and 40–50% relative humidity) or cyclic heat stress (HS; 28–40 °C and 30–40% RH) conditions for two weeks. Physiological responses were recorded 3 times daily, and brown fat tissue temperature was measured by data loggers inserted into the brisket. Sheep were slaughtered at an abattoir as per standard commercial procedure and samples obtained for carcass and meat quality attributes. When exposed to HS, Dorpers and Merinos exhibited lower respiration rate (151, 142 breaths/min, respectively) and rectal temperature (39.39, 39.32 °C, respectively) (P < 0.05) than Southdowns (192 breaths/min, 40.05 °C) and Wiltshires (200 breaths/min, 39.91 °C). Dorper and Wiltshire (n = 3) showed lowest sternal fat temperatures during HS indicating inherent differences in thermogenesis. HS had significant effect (P < 0.05) on post mortem muscle pH decline which was slower than TN sheep, except in Dorper again indicating better thermotolerance. There were significant (P = 0.03) breed effects on meat cooking loss % such that Southdown showed minimum cooking loss (17%) while Merino showed the greatest loss (24%). These results suggest that there are genetic (breed) differences in thermotolerance and meat quality of sheep, providing an opportunity to select best sheep suited to a warming climate.
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ItemDifferences in Thermoregulatory Responses between Dorper and Second Cross Lambs to Heat Stress Challenges(MDPI, 2020-04-07)We compared the thermotolerance of Dorper (D) and second cross (SC) (Poll Dorset x Merino/Border Leicester) lambs by assessing physiological and biochemical responses. After acclimatization, 4–5 month old lambs of each breed were exposed to either thermo-neutral (18 °C–21 °C, 40%–50% RH, n = 12/group) or cyclic heat stress (HS) (28 °C–40 °C; 40%–60% RH, n = 12/group) for 2 weeks in climatic chambers. The HS involved exposure to temperatures of 38 °C–40 °C between 0800 and 17.00 h daily; otherwise the temperature was maintained at 28 °C. Elevated temperature increased rectal temperature (p < 0.01), respiration rate (p < 0.01) and skin temperature (p < 0.01) in both breeds, (data for 12.00 and 16.00 h pooled), but to a lesser extent in D than in SC lambs (p < 0.01). The HS increased (p < 0.01) water intake to a greater extent in SC than in D lambs and HS reduced (p < 0.05) food intake in SC lambs but not in D lambs. There were no treatment effects on blood glucose and lactate levels in either breed. Significant effects of breed (p < 0.01) and treatment (p < 0.01) were observed in blood creatinine levels, being higher in SC lambs. Higher pH (p < 0.01) and lower pCO2 (p < 0.01) were recorded under HS in both breeds. Among blood electrolytes, Cl−, Na+ and base excess were significantly (all p < 0.01) reduced under HS, with no breed differences. In conclusion, the attenuated physiological responses to HS in Dorper lambs indicates better adaptation of this breed to high environmental temperature.
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ItemImpacts of Heat Stress on the Physiological and Production Responses of Lactating Dairy Cows Grazing Pastures over Hot Summer Months(MDPI, 2020-01-19)Heat stress (HS), a major challenge for sustainable livestock production justifies the need for productive thermotolerant cattle. We measured body temperature (non-invasively using a FLIR T1200 thermal imaging camera), respiratory rate and panting scores of 120 Holstein Friesian cows at the University of Melbourne Dookie Dairy Farm weekly during the summer period (December 2018-February 2019). The effect of Temperature-Humidity Index (THI) on milk production, protein content, fat content was also measured. We categorized THI as low (≤72), moderate (73–82) and high (≥83) and observed a highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) effect of THI on respiratory rate (66.7, 84.7 and 109.1/min), panting scores (1.4, 1.9 and 2.3) and average body temperature of cows (38.4, 39.4 and 41.5). Average milk production parameters were also significantly (P ≤ 0.01) affected by THI: daily milk production dropped by 14% from high to low THI, milk temperature and fat% increased by 3% whilst protein% increased by 2%. Highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) positive correlations were obtained between THI and milk temperature, fat% and protein% whilst the reverse was observed between THI and milk yield, feed intake and rumination minutes. Under moderate and high THI, most cows sought shade, spent more time around watering points and showed signs of distress (excessive drooling and open mouth panting). These findings clearly indicate that lactating dairy cows grazing summer pastures experience severe HS compromising their welfare. The quantum of production losses, though significant may however be lower than previously reported in studies using climatic chambers.
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ItemAssociation of Thermotolerance with Milk Production, Feed Saver, Fertility and Fat Percentage Breeding Values in Holstein Friesian Dairy Cattle(MDPI, 2020-01-19)In Australia, heat waves are becoming hotter and longer, and more frequent, compromising dairy cattle welfare and productivity. Selection for heat tolerance (HT) may help to ensure sustainability of production under hot summer conditions. In a study at the University of Melbourne’s Dookie Robotic Dairy Farm, we identified the 20 most heat-sensitive and 20 most heat-tolerant cows in a herd of 150 Holstein Friesian lactating cows based on phenotypic responses (increase in body temperature, panting score, and decline in milk production) of dairy cows grazing pasture and given concentrate at milking during hot summer conditions for 3 months. Hair samples were collected from the tip of the tail according to a standard protocol for genotyping (Zoetis). Results based on 36 successfully genotyped cows indicated a significant variation in feed saved (FS) genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) across age indicating a potential for its selection. The thermotolerant group had relatively higher GEBV for FS and fat% but lower milk production potential. Highly significant (P≤ 0.05) negative correlations (-0.39 to -0.69) were observed between heat tolerance and current dairy industry economic indices (Balanced Performance Index (BPI), Type Weighted Index (TWI), Australian Selection Index (ASI) and milk production), while positive correlations exist between HT and feed saved (0.44) and fertility (0.27). These findings indicate a positive association between HT and feed saved, fertility, and fat percent breeding values. However, a more extensive study including large number of lactating cows is required to confirm these genomic associations and incorporating in future breeding objectives.