Animal Sciences Commons^™

Teratogenic Effects Of Zinc On Embryo-Larval Stages Of The Fathead Minnow (Pimephales Promelas), Barbara A. Ramey

KWRRI Research Reports

The effects of zinc on embryos and larvae of the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) were studied using standard 8-day embryo-larval bioassay techniques. The objective was to determine if there was a period in embryonic development which would be the most sensitive to the toxic and teratogenic effects of zinc. Five developmental stages were exposed to 0.5, 1.0 and 3.0 mg/L. After 96 hr, all animals exposed to 3.0 mg Zn/L were dead. The hatching stage was the most affected by 1.0 mg/L, with only 59% surviving after 96 hr, while the tailbud stage showed essentially control-level survival. However, virtually all …

Formulating Rations For Horses, Craig H. Wood, Stephen Jackson, John P. Baker

Agriculture and Natural Resources Publications

Formulating rations for horses may be accomplished by some rather basic mathematical calculations or by a series of complex procedures to formulate least-cost rations by computer. The most accurate method would be to consider the requirements for all nutrients--protein, energy, minerals and vitamins--in making the calculations. In practice, however, it usually is not necessary to be concerned with calculations of exact needs of all individual minerals and vitamins, since adequate amounts of trace minerals commonly are assured through inclusion of a trace mineralized salt in the ration. Other nutrients, such as the B vitamins, often are present in natural feedstuffs, …

Feeding Young And Growing Horses, Equine Section, Department Of Animal Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Agriculture and Natural Resources Publications

When you plan a feeding program for your young horses, several factors are very important:

• body changes involved in growth,
• nutrient requirements of that particular class of horse,
• the feed’s nutrient content,
• anatomical limitations of young horses’ digestive system, for instance, you cannot feed young horses low-energy, bulky feeds because their digestive tracts are not large enough. Instead, young horses need concentrated sources of energy, protein, vitamins and minerals to meet their nutritive needs.

The Mare: Breeding Soundness Examination & Reproductive Anatomy, Equine Section, Department Of Animal Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Agriculture and Natural Resources Publications

A complete breeding soundness examination should be conducted before you purchase a mare for breeding or the breeding season. This exam should include more than just an evaluation of the reproductive tract, but also a complete history and physical examination of the mare.

The Stallion: Breeding Soundness Examination & Reproductive Anatomy, Equine Section, Department Of Animal Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Agriculture and Natural Resources Publications

A breeding soundness exam of a stallion includes not only examination of various seminal characteristics, but also, the evaluation of the stallion’s physical condition and his ability to perform in the breeding shed. The physical examination should include evaluation of the locomotor system, including muscular, skeletal and neurological factors, as well as the stallion’s visual function.

The most reliable measure of fertility in a stallion is the pregnancy rate he obtains when bred to mares of normal fertility under ideal management. Most stallions selected for evaluation include those about to be, or recently, purchased, those about to enter the breeding …

Nutrition Of The Performance Horse, Equine Section, Department Of Animal Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Agriculture and Natural Resources Publications

In today’s industry where seconds mean the difference between 1st and “also ran” at the track, our equine athletes must retain a competitive edge. Renewed interest in research about the performance horse’s nutrient needs has allowed horsemen to feed the athletic horse more scientifically than ever before to maintain that edge. Horses can be selected, bred, managed and fed as athletes. However, because knowing the horse’s individuality and nutrient needs is very important, the horseman’s skill in feeding the horse will never be totally replaced, no matter how precise the feeding recommendations.

Nutrition Of The Broodmare, Equine Section, Department Of Animal Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Agriculture and Natural Resources Publications

Feeding horses has long been considered an art passed down from generation to generation. However, recent advances are rapidly making horse nutrition a more precise science. Research in horse nutrition has provided valuable information on the nutrient needs of all classes of horses.

In feeding broodmares, you must consider several important factors:

• nutrient requirements of the particular class of horse being fed,

• physiological events involved in pregnancy,

• nutrient content of the feed,

• physiological limitations to certain rations.

Effects Of Acid Ph On Embryonic And Juvenile Freshwater Fish, Barbara A. Ramey, Lee E. Colton

KWRRI Research Reports

The effects of sulfuric acid on embryos, larvae, and juvenile fish were examined using standard bioassay techniques, as well as in a preference/ avoidance behavioral test. The objectives were to compare the sensitivities of the various ages of fish to acid and to assess the use of the behavioral test in a hazard assessment program. In an 8-day static renewal bioassay, embryos and larvae of the fathead minnow were not affected at a pH of 4.92 and above, but pH 3.57 produced complete mortality prior to hatching. In 96- hr acute bioassays, 8-wk juvenile fathead minnows survived 100% at pH's …

Toxicological Studies On Aquatic Contaminants Originating From Coal Production And Utilization: The Induction Of Tolerance To Silver In Laboratory Populations Of Fish And The Chronic Toxicity Of Nickel To Fish Early Life Stages, Wesley J. Birge, Jeffrey A. Black, James F. Hobson, Albert G. Westerman

KWRRI Research Reports

Aquatic toxicity studies were performed on two important coal-derived contaminants, silver and nickel. Silver was investigated with regard to metal-induced tolerance in laboratory populations of the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas). Fish were exposed to acute silver concentrations following acclimation to sublethal exposures of this metal. Based on median lethal times (LT50), animals which had received 14 days prior exposure to 1.5 and 15 μg Ag/L were three to four times more resistant to silver than were previously unexposed organisms. This metal-induced resistance was not a sustained response. After organisms which had been acclimated to 15 μg/L had been transferred to …

Method For Improving The Metabolic Stability And Survival Of Neonatal Pigs, Tim S. Stahly

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Patents

A method of improving the metabolic stability of neonatal pigs and increasing their survival rate by administering to the pregnant sow during its latter stages of gestation up to about 80 days prior to parturition an effective amount of a material selected from the group consisting of a dihydroxy alkanol having 3 to 10 carbon atoms; a triglyceride of glycerol and fatty acids wherein at least one of the fatty acid moieties containing 8 to 12 carbon atoms with the remaining acid moieties containing 13 to 20 carbon atoms; the mono and diol esters of said alkanols and said fatty …

The Induction Of Tolerance To Heavy Metals In Natural And Laboratory Populations Of Fish, Wesley J. Birge, William H. Benson, Jeffrey A. Black

KWRRI Research Reports

Aquatic toxicity studies were performed on two natural populations of fathead minnows. One group of organisms was taken from a metal-contaminated flyash pond associated with a coal-fired power plant and the other group was collected from relatively uncontaminated hatchery ponds. Acute tests indicated that flyash pond fish were significantly more tolerant to cadmium and copper than were hatchery fish. At an exposure concentration of 6.0 mg Cd/L in moderately hard water, the median period of survival for flyash pond fish was 50.0 hr compared to 6.8 hr for hatchery fish. Both groups of organisms were about equally sensitive to zinc. …

Limiting Swine Stress With Evaporative Cooling In The Southeast, Robert L. Fehr, K. T. Priddy, Samuel G. Mcneill, Douglas G. Overhults

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Three-hourly weather data for 7 locations in the Southeast and Central United States were used to evaluate the feasibility of evaporative cooling for reducing swine stress. Stress was defined as a relationship between dry and wet bulb temperatures which exceeded a stress index of 85. This analysis indicates that properly installed evaporative coolers could reduce the number of hours that stress would occur in swine facilities from 89.6 to 96.4% depending on location.

Some Variations In Distribution Of Fishes In Large Mainstream Reservoirs Associated With Artificial Cover, Donald W. Johnson, Elizabeth M. Choinski

KWRRI Research Reports

The influence of artificial cover (brush piles) on fish populations in Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley was studied. Mature and larval fishes were collected from deep and shallow sites with and without cover in a bay of each lake. Highest densities of mature crappie, bass, and sauger were found adjacent to deep attractors, while larval crappie and minnows were most concentrated at shallow brush piles. Shad (both adult and larvae) were not congregated at attractor sites. Information gathered supports the continuation of artificial cover installation and water level management procedures which will provide high and stable levels through spring spawning …

Method For Improving The Metabolic Stability And Survival Of Newborn Pigs, Tim S. Stahly

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Patents

The disclosed invention concerns improving the metabolic stability of newborn pigs and increasing their survival rate by administering to a pregnant sow during its late stages of gestation an effective amount of a material selected from the group consisting of a dihydroxy alkanol having 3 to 10 carbon atoms, a triglyceride of glycerol and fatty acids containing 8 to 12 carbon atoms and the mono-and diol esters of said alkanols and said fatty acids.

The Aquatic Toxicity Of Organic Compounds To Embryo-Larval Stages Of Fish And Amphibians, Jeffrey A. Black, Wesley J. Birge, Willaim E. Mcdonnell, Albert G. Westerman, Barbara A. Ramey, Donald M. Bruser

KWRRI Research Reports

Aquatic toxicity tests were conducted on 11 organic compounds considered hazardous to water resources. The toxicity of each compound was evaluated using embryo-larval stages of two to eight fish and amphibian species. Exposure was initiated at fertilization and maintained through 4 days posthatching. The animal test species exhibited varying degrees of sensitivity to the selected toxicants. Combined frequencies for mortality and teratogenesis at 4 days posthatching gave LC₅₀ ranges of 3.66 to 8.25 mg/L for benzene, 1.16 to 22.42 mg/L for carbon tetrachloride, 0.11 to 1.20 mg/L for chlorobenzene, 2.03 to > 68 mg/L for chloroform, 3.01 to 5.56 mg/L …

Effect Of Herbicides On Performance Of Aerobic Dairy Lagoons, John D. Bottom, Joseph L. Taraba

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The herbicides glyphosate, bromacil, and dalapon were assessed for their affect on the oxygen uptake of microorganisms from an aerated dairy lagoon at 20 °C. The maximum recommended addition of herbicide active ingerdient to a lagoon is: glyphosate (isopropyl amino salt)—0.42 mg/L; bromacil—3.70 mg/L; and dalapon (85.8 percent Na salt and 14.2 percent Mg salt)—1.95 mg/L. In addition, microorganism isolates from the aerobic dairy lagoon were incubated under aerobic and anerobic conditions at room temperature to assess the effects of the herbicides. Under aerobic incubation, it was found that neither herbicide type nor herbicide concentration affected isolate growth. Under anaerobic …

A Simulation Model For Assessing Alternate Strategies For Beef Production With Land, Energy And Economic Constraints, Otto J. Loewer, E. M. Smith, G. Benock, Thomas C. Bridges, Larry G. Wells, Nelson Gay, S. Burgess, L. Springate, David L. Debertin

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

A computer model has been developed to analyze alternate management strategies and energy and economic constraints. Daily production of beef animals and growing crops is simulated in response to prevailing conditions and system interactions using the GASP IV simulation language. Complete inventories of plant dry matter, animal status, production resources and economic net worth are maintained over the simulation period.

Dynamic Simulation Of Animal Growth And Reproduction, Otto J. Loewer Jr., Edward M. Smith, Gerald Benock, Nelson Gay, Thomas C. Bridges, Larry G. Wells

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

A rather unique systems analysis approach has been made to simulate the utilization of dry matter by ruminant animals, and the natural breeding and reproduction process within a herd. Physiological factors occurring over time and the time related effects of these factors are simulated.

Horse Pasture, Garry D. Lacefield, J. Kenneth Evans, John P. Baker

Agriculture and Natural Resources Publications

Pastures for horses should be more than mere exercise lots. High quality pasture can supply enough protein, vitamins, and minerals to meet the nutritional needs of most pleasure horses at relatively low cost. Although pastures furnish substantial amounts of energy, working horses will likely need additional energy supplementation. In addition, pasture will help to maintain healthy animals by furnishing the bulk needed in horse rations, as well as exercise areas, sunshine, and fresh air.

The pasture should be enclosed by a safe, strong fence. Fresh water and shade should also be provided. The pasture should be large enough to encourage …

Effects Of Organic Compounds On Amphibian Reproduction, Wesley J. Birge, Jeffrey A. Black, Robert A. Kuehne

KWRRI Research Reports

Aquatic toxicity tests were conducted with atrazine, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, methylene chloride, trisodium nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), and phenol. Each compound was administered to developmental stages of three to five amphibian species. Exposure was initiated at fertilization and maintained through 4 days posthatching. Test responses included lethality and teratogenesis. Different amphibian species exhibited varying degrees of tolerance to the selected compounds. Greatest tolerance usually was observed for the more broadly adapted semi-aquatic and terrestrial species (e.g., Bufo americanus, Bufo fowleri). The more sensitive amphibians usually included those species which normally are restricted to aquatic or moist habitats (e.g., Rana …

Sensitivity Of Vertebrate Embryos To Heavy Metals As A Criterion Of Water Quality, Wesley J. Birge, John J. Just

KWRRI Research Reports

Embryonic and/or larval stages of the leopard frog (Rana pipiens), domestic fowl (Gallus domesticus) and the goldfish (Carassiua auratus) were treated with cadmium chloride, mercuric chloride, lead chloride, zinc chloride and sodium arsenite. The principal objectives were (1) to determine the sensitivity of vertebrate embryos to certain metals which are of consequence in water pollution, and (2) to ascertain the suitalility of vertebrate embryos as bioassay organisms for monitoring metallic pollutants within water resources. Vertebrate embryos are found to be highly sensitive to the toxic effects of all the metals studied. Concentrations of mercury as low as 10 ppb, with …