The current study was aimed to investigate the influence of housing system on female reproductive traits of Black Bengal goats at rural areas in Bangladesh during the period of July to December 2012. A total of 200 Black Bengal goats reared under semi-intensive (n=100) and extensive conditions (n=100) were selected considering their age, body weight, body shape, and conformation. In semi-intensive condition, average age at puberty was 197.82±12.58 days, and age at first conception was 292.96±0.50 days; whereas, these lengths were 208.82±12.60 days and 287.65±0.52 days in extensive condition, respectively. Age at first kidding was 448.26±25.48 days under semi-intensive condition, whereas under extensive condition it was 450.07±22.43 days. Under semi-intensive condition, average litter size at the first, second and third parity were 1.06±0.13, 1.76±0.12 and 1.96±0.12, respectively. In contrast, under extensive condition, these values were 1.01±0.10, 1.62±0.12 and 1.75±0.11, respectively. The average kidding interval under semi-intensive system was 190.2±20 days, and the length reduced to 178.23±0.50 days (p<0.01) in the case of extensive housing system. It is concluded that rearing under extensive condition provoked better reproductive performance in Black Bengal goats as compared to semi-intensive housing system at rural level in Bangladesh.

Twenty-four, adult, female Beagles were arranged by body weight from greatest to least and allocated to 2 groups of 12 dogs, using random numbers. Dogs were housed collectively in 2 adjacent metal buildings, each divided into 4 rooms measuring 2.1 X3.7 m. Each room was paneled and carpeted and had an access door to the outside with a connecting run that measured 2.1 X 9.1 m. Each run had a surface consisting of 5 cm of pea gravel overlayng 5 cm of sand, and was partially covered by an awning that provided shade at its proximal end. For placement in room/run units, dogs in each of the treated and control groups were allotted to 4 subgroups of 3 dogs each. Each subgroup of dogs was placed in a separate room/run unit. Units containing treatment or control subgroups were alternated to avoid placing identically treated subgroups adjacent to each other. Dogs of subgroups A, C, E, and G were treated with lufenuron monthly at a minimal target dosage of 10 mg/kg of body weight; those of subgroups B, D, F, and H were treated with excipient tablets. Dogs were treated on study days 7, 37, 68, and 98. Each dog was infested with 100 newly emerged, unfed, insectary-reared adult Ctenocephalides felis on each of study days 0 and 2. Thereafter, infestations on all dogs were dependent on continued development of fleas either in the indoor or outdoor environment. Numbers of fleas on each of the treated and control dogs were determined, using a nondestructive counting technique on days 6, 14, 21, 28, 35, 56, 70, 84, 98, 112, and 119. On study day 21 and on each collection day thereafter, numbers of adult fleas recovered from treated dogs were significantly (P < 0.05) fewer than those recovered from control dogs. Proportion reduction of fleas on treated vs control dogs exceeded 90% by study day 35 and 95% by study day 56. Efficacies exceeded 95% on all remaining study days except days 98 (94.4% and 119 (90%). Results of this study indicate that control of flea populations can be achieved in treated dogs approximately 4 to 5 weeks after initial treatment with lufenuron, and that continued monthly treatments will maintain effective control of flea infestations. Adverse reactions or side effects to treatment with lufenuron were not observed in dogs after treatment at any time throughout the study.

The effect of various confinement conditions on physical fitness in dogs was evaluated. Eighteen 9.5- to 10-month-old female purpose-bred Beagles were maintained individually for 3 months at a time in 1 of 6 confinement conditions: Condition A--an outdoor housing area with a conventional dog house and free access to a 6.1 X 9.1-m pen; condition B--outdoor kennel with a conventional dog house and free access to a 1.8 X 6.1-m run; condition C--indoor environmentally controlled 1.2 X 3.66-m run; condition D--0.9 X 1.2 X 0.84-m conventional laboratory cage in an indoor environmentally controlled room; condition E--0.9 X 1.2 X 0.84-m conventional laboratory cage in an indoor environmentally controlled room with treadmill exercise (7 km/h at a 10% grade) for 30 min/d, 5 d/wk; condition F--0.71 X 0.86 X 0.69-m conventional laboratory cage in an indoor environmentally controlled room. During the final week of each 3-month interval, muscle succinate dehydrogenase enzyme activities and submaximal exercise heart rates (during treadmill exercise) were determined to estimate physical fitness. Also, 5 days after being moved into a different housing condition, blood samples were collected for plasma cortisol determination. The type of confinement condition for dogs had little effect on muscle succinate dehydrogenase activity, but had a modest effect on submaximal exercise heart rates of dogs. At the fifth and tenth minutes of the treadmill exercise period, heart rates of dogs maintained in the smallest cages (condition F) were higher than those of dogs maintained in outside pens and runs (conditions A and B), indicating decreased fitness in the dogs maintained in the smallest cages. Differences in heart rates were not detected among dogs in other conditions. The confinement conditions used in this study had no detectable effect on plasma cortisol concentrations. We concluded that neither cage or pen size nor a regular mandatory exercise program substantially impacted on physical fitness of laboratory confined dogs, as long as the cages complied with federal standards and guidelines. Dogs maintained in substandard cages did have modest decreases in fitness.

Amendments to the Animal Welfare Act (PL 99-198) require that an exercise program for dogs be established by the attending veterinarian. A 6-week study was conducted to determine the effects of a moderate exercise program in purpose-bred Beagles. Sixteen male Beagles (4/group) were maintained as follows: (1) standard cage without exercise; (2) standard cage with individual exercise periods (35 minutes, 3 times/week); (3) large cage without exercise; and (4) standard cage with group-release exercise periods. Blood samples were collected for CBC, serum biochemical analysis including determination of serum cortisol concentration, and immune function (lymphocyte transformation assay). Group-released dogs interacted with each other during most of the exercise time. Fighting in these dogs occurred only during the third week. Dogs had little inclination to exercise when released along into the exercise area. Regardless of the size of the cage, dogs did not exercise unless human beings were present in the room. There were no significant differences in laboratory findings among dogs in the 4 groups. This moderate exercise program had no demonstrable effects. Similarly, continuous cage housing, without a formal exercise program, could not be determined to be detrimental to the physiologic or health status of dogs.

A cross-sectional epidemiologic study associating air quality with swine health was conducted on 28 swine farms in southern Sweden. Correlation of housing air environment to swine diseases and productivity (data collected over the preceding 12 months) were investigated. The most prevalent swine health problems detected at slaughter were pneumonia and pleuritis. In farrowing and nursery operations, the most prevalent problem was neonatal pig mortality. Several air contaminants (dust, ammonia, carbon dioxide, and microbes) were found to be correlated with these swine health problems. Maximal safe concentrations of air contaminants were estimated on the basis of dose-response correlation to swine health or human health problems. Recommended maximal concentrations of contaminants were: dust, 2.4 mg/m3; ammonia, 7 ppm; endotoxin, 0.08 mg/m3; total microbes, 10(5) colony-forming units/m3; and carbon dioxide, 1,540 ppm. The overall quality of the ventilation system was correlated with lower concentration of ammonia, carbon dioxide, microorganisms, and endotoxin, but not with dust concentrations. High animal density was related to high ammonia and air microbe concentrations. Animal density measured as kilograms of swine per cubic meter (compared with kilograms of pig weight or swine per square meter) had the highest correlation to animal health and air contaminants.

An indexing system for hygiene variables associated with egg production was developed by use of datacollected from chicken flocks in southern California. The data were analyzed by factor and regression analysis. On the basis of our findings, hygiene index in relation to egg production consists of ventilation system, cooling system, manure removal, and truck movement. Flocks kept under natural ventilation produced, on the average, 2% more hen-day eggs than flocks kept under artificial ventilation. Flocks placed in houses with roof sprinklers produced 3.3% more hen-day eggs, compared with flocks placed in houses with inside foggers and pad. Flocks kept under the system of frequent removal of manure produced 2% more hen-day eggs than flocks kept under the system for which the manure was removed less frequently. Flocks kept in farms that restricted trucks collecting dead birds from entering the premises produced 3.4% more hen-day eggs than those that allowed such trucks to enter the farm.

Fecal samples were collected from 200 feeder-calves on farms in Tennessee, after assembly at a Tennessee auction market, and after transport to a Texas feedyard. A final fecal sample was collected from each calf after 30 days of feedyard confinement. The fecal samples were cultured for the presence of Salmonella spp. Salmonella isolates were serotyped and antimicrobial drug-resistance patterns determined. The number of calves fecal culture-positive for Salmonella spp increased from 0 on the Tennessee farms and auction market to 3/200 (1.5%) at entry into the Texas feedyard, and 16/200 (8%) after 30 days of feedyard confinement. Salmonella serotypes isolated and the number of isolates of each serotype were S reading (8), S cerro (4), S newbrunswick (3), S anatum (2), and S typhimurium (copenhagen; 2). All Salmonella isolates were resistant to 5 or more of 13 antimicrobial drugs tested. Salmonella reading isolates were resistant to 10 or 11 of 13 antimicrobial drugs. The results indicated that the calves could have been infected with Salmonella spp prior to or during the course of the study, and that marketing stress as they moved from farm through feedyard may have induced fecal excretion of salmonellae. In addition, the pattern of antimicrobial drug resistance in the Salmonella isolates was broad.

Over periods of 22 and 14 months, IgG antibody concentrations in serum samples obtained monthly from 14 mares and 19 foals, respectively, were measured by use of ELISA against antigens of the following environmental microbes: Aspergillus umbrosus, Penicillium brevicompactum, Rhodotorula glutinis, Absidia corymbifera, Aspergillus fumigatus, Humicola grisea, Micropolyspora faeni, and Thermoactinomyces vulgaris. The mares and foals were on pasture from early June until early October, then were stabled during the winter season until the following June. In the mares, increased antibody concentrations against most microbes were observed typically in midwinter and late spring when the horses were stabled; antibody concentrations against R glutinis, however, peaked in August. Concentrations differed between the summer and winter seasons and, in most instances, between 2 consecutive years and correlated with amounts of rainfall during the previous harvest season. In the foals, circulating passively acquired antibodies disappeared within 3 to 4 months after birth. During the first year of life, substantially increased autogenous antibody concentrations were observed only against R glutinis. Antibody concentrations against the other microbes increased gradually toward the end of the indoor season. In a group of foals transferred indoors in autumn, 6 weeks later than the other foals, antibody concentrations were lower when measured in December. Results supported the view that, to minimize exposure to microbial spores during the winter season, horses should be kept outdoors as much as possible and attention should be focused on improving the ventilation in stables and the quality of feeds and beddings.

We studied 6 singly caged adult female rhesus monkeys to determine whether increased cage size had any effect on behavior or heart rate. Two monkeys at a time were placed in cages 40% larger than their standard cage for 1 week on 2 occasions, using a counter-balanced design. Direct behavioral observations were performed 75 minutes/week on each monkey. Heart rate and general activity were monitored 35 hours/week by a telemetry system. Statistically significant differences were not found in aggressive, submissive, abnormal, or self-abusive behavior, nor in time spent in the front half of the cage, duration of grooming, looking at the observer, or stereotyped or nonstereotyped locomotion. Vocalizations increased the first time in the larger cage, but not the second, and decreased upon the second return to the standard cage. Differences with respect to cage size were not found in heart rate or activity level, although there were significant variations at different times of day. We conclude that modest increases in cage size are unlikely to enrich the environment of singly caged laboratory primates.

An index was developed to measure the proportion of intramammary infections caused by environmental microorganisms on dairy farms. This environmental index can be interpreted as the probability that an intramammary infection was caused by an environmental pathogen, rather than by a contagious pathogen. Using the environmental index as the outcome variable, risk factors for environmental mastitis were studied on 10 dairy farms in New York. Turning the cows outside was associated with lower environmental index, and having cows drink from a stream increased the environmental index. Selective (rather than uniform) nonlactating cow intramammary treatment was related to a lower environmental index (apparently because the farms practicing selective nonlactating cow treatment suffered from epizootics of contagious mastitis).