Swiss Agricultural Research – Archive of the Online Journal

Animal production 1998

Stoll P.

In a joint project of the companies Hoffmann-la Roche, Micarna SA and the Swiss Federal Research Station for Animal Production (RAP), the effect of an additional vitamin E supplementation of 100 mg/kg in a standard diet on pork quality parameters and purchasing habits of consumers was investigated. The control treatment consisted of a standard diet…

Animal production 1998

Jost M., Bracher-Jakob A.

In a five week feeding trial with 160 rearing piglets, the effect of the multiactive probiotic growth promoter Sanobiotice® S was investigated alone or combined with 50 mg of Carbadox in comparison to a negative and positive control (50 mg of Carbadox) diet.<br>Only the treatment factor Carbadox increased growth rates. Due to differing animal losses,…

Animal production 1998

Hadorn R., Wiedmer H., Gloor A.

In a trial with 10 x 180 laying hens (LSL white), the effect of the exclusion of animal proteins from layer diets (diets B and C) was tested in comparison to a standard diet (diet A) from week 21 to week 72. Essential amino acids (EAA) were optimised on total base in diets A and…

Animal production 1998

Dufey P.-A.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant. Various papers report on positive effects of vitamin E supplementations on meat color and oxidation stability thus improving meat quality.<br>In a feeding trial with fattening pigs, the control diet contained, according to Swiss feeding recommendations, 40 mg of vitamin E per kg of feed. The experimental diet was supplemented with…

Animal production 1998

Wyss U.

The efficacy of different silage additives on aerobic stability was investigated in maize silage. The maize was harvested at two different dry matter levels (31 and 39 % dry matter) and ensiled in 1.5 liter laboratory scale silos. During the storage period different air stress conditions were made.<br>The silageadditives Lact-A-Pro containing lactic and propionic acid…

Animal production 1998

Daccord R., Arrigo Y.

A digestibility trial with sheep was conducted in order to verify the reliability of the nutritive value of triticale grain given in the main feed tables. The chemical composition of the tested triticale was similar to a great number of samples analyzed in the laboratory of our research station and to the standard values of…

Animal production 1998

Wechsler B., Oester H.

In 1981 an authorisation procedure for the sale of housing systems for farm animals was introduced in Switzerland. Authorisation shall only be granted if such systems provide proper living conditions for the animals. Requests for authorisations are handled at the two Centres for Proper Housing in Animal Production of the Swiss Federal Veterinary Office, which…

Animal production 1998

Gebert St., Messikommer R., Pfirter H.P., Bee G., Wenk C.

A study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary safflower oil and/or tallow with or without vitamin E supplementation (0, 100 or 200 mg/kg) in a feed for laying hens, on laying performance and traits of internal quality of eggs. The feed was based on wheat and corn. A total of 54 laying hens…

Animal production 1998

Walser P., Pfirter P.

Feed characteristics can influence behaviour in laying hens. Twelve hens (ISA-Brown, 56th to 68t th week of age) were used to analyse feeding patterns. Three diets, different in structure (fine vs. coarse particle size distribution) and composition (isoenergetic replacement of starch by fibre and fat) were tested. Diurnal distributions of number, size and duration of…

Animal production 1998

Schmid I., Wechsler B.

Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) kept for egg and meat production are typically housed in battery cages. In such intensive systems several welfare problems occur. Part of the results of a research project that aimed at developing an alternative housing system are presented. Groups of eight to nine quails were observed in Semi-natural outdoor aviaries. The…

Animal production 1998

Kessler J., de Faria A.

In a trial with 2 x 3 lactating cows, the effect of an organic (ORG) trace element supplement (BIOPLEX Cu, Mn, Zn and SEL-PLEX*) on performance and selected metabolic parameters was investigated in comparison to inorganic sources (INORG). Cu sulfate, Mn oxide, Zn oxide and Na selenite served as inorganic trace element sources. The experimental…

Animal production 1998

Wechsler B., Huber-Eicher B.

In order to test whether provision of foraging material and perch height have significant effects on feather pecking and feather damage in laying hens, 16 groups of 14 hens (white, Lohman Selected Leghorn’ hybrids) were kept in experimental pens from week 19 to 30 of age. There were eight pens each with or without polystyrene…

Animal production 1998

Kessler J., Morel I.

In five slaughterhouses across Switzerland, 40 calf livers were bought from the slaughter chain to determine vitamin A content. An additional investigation with ten calves fattened at the research station with 12’600 IU vitamin A per kg of feed dry matter was carried out at the same time.<br>Vitamin A concentration of the 40 slaughterhouse calf…

Animal production 1998

Bruckmaier R.

Milk yields, milk flow and the requirement for prestimulation were investigated during six machine milkings in 22 Eringer cows on a farm in the canton Wallis, Switzerland. Cows were mechanically prestimulated for 0, 40 or 60 seconds. The frequency of bimodal milk flow curves, i.e. transient interruption of milk flow after removal of the cisternal…

Animal production 1998

Stauffacher M., Leimbacher K., Ulusoy N.

Fallow deer farming offers an alternative to the conventional meat-production and is in line with the extensification of meadowland. The Swiss Ordinance on Animal Protection rules wild animal husbandry in general terms, only. There are no specific directions for fallow deer farming. In this paper the behaviour of four fallow deer herds was investigated in…

Animal production 1998

Münger A.

On a group of 95 heifers of the Fleckvieh / Red Holstein and Brown Swiss breeds, growth, fertility and first lactation culling decisions werde studied. Calf rearing, feeding and housing were according to current practice in Switzerland. The heifers were first bred relatively late, at 20,3 months average. When subdivided by calving age, the growth…

Animal production 1998

Wyss U.

The efficacy of the new silage additives, available in Switzerland to promote the main fermentation, was tested. The trials were carried out in small-scale silos with a mixture of lucerne and cocksfoot. Forage of the first and also second cut was ensiled at two different dry matter levels (about 20 and 30 % dry matter).…

Animal production 1998

Münger A.

In a feeding trial with 58 dairy cows in different stages of lactation, including 14 primiparous animals, the effects of using a high proportion of rapeseed cake (70 %) in a protein supplement were studied in comparison with a concentrate based on soybean meal and sunflower seeds and meal. The basal ration was restricted hay…

Animal production 1998

Fluri P., Imdorf A., Donze G.

Animal production 1998

Bee G., Messikommer R., Wenk C.

The aim of the experiment was to evaluate possible interactions of an enzyme complex and a feed antibiotic on growth and metabolism parameters in broiler chickens. The basal diet contained 400 g/kg barley. The four treatments were as follows: K – without supplements (control), A – antibiotic Zincbacitracin, 50 ppm, E – enzyme complex Bio-Feed…