A Cross-Sectional Study on Calf Health and Management Problems on Small Scale Dairy Farms of Selected Zones, Southern Ethiopia

The dairy industry is a large and dynamic segment of the agricultural economy of many nations and the major suppliers of milk and milk products to the urban and periurban consumers. Periurban and urban dairies are intensive productionsystems, which keep high grade cows and have improved management practices but this is usually associated with increase susceptibility to disease, poor survival rate and poor reproductive performance.

Farms in young stock, a good nutritional strategy optimize rumen development and growth while minimizing stress and disease. Livestock housing conditions greatly affects health and productivity. A relationship between housing and health during the rearing period has been described by several authors. Cleanliness of the barn influences calf health, as calves housed in unclean barns are at higher risk of disease than calves housed in clean barns.Colostrum contains a high level of nutrients important for lamb health and performance. it contains a high level of antibodies against a variety of infectious agents. The poor immune system and lack of previous exposure to infection make new born calves susceptible to infectious diseases and poor management.(Read more)

Update on Epidemiology, Diagnosis and Control Technique of Newcastle Disease

Newcastle disease is a highly contagious economically devastating viral disease of poultry. The virus that cause Newcastle disease is grouped under family paramyxoviridae,genus Avulavirus and species Newcastle disease virus or avian paramyxovirus type 1 (APMV-1). The genus of this virus has RNA nucleotide, enveloped, single-stranded (SS) and has negative sense. The avian paramyxovirus contain six structural protein matrix(M), RNA polymerase(L), phosphoprotin(P), nucleoprotein(NP), hemagglutinin neuraminidase(NH) and fusion(F). Protein V and W are additionally encoded by RNA editing of P protein. Paramyxovirus type 1 can cause disease in birds of all types, sex and age.

Based on their virulence avia paramyxovirus (APMV-1) has been divided in to three or more pathotypes. Velogenic neurotropic strain typically associated with neurological andrespiratory sign. Velogenic viscerotropic strain typically associated with gastrointestinal lesion. These two strains are more virulent. Mesogenic strain is moderate virulence while, lantogenic strains is the least virulence and used for vaccine preparation.

Recent Advances in Reproductive Biotechnologies in Sheep and Goat

The recent advances in reproductive biotechnologies in sheep and goat were focused on this review. Some of these technologies are already widely used in the cattle industry, and some are new to the goat and sheep industry. There are some aspects that were discussed which are related to veterinary and biomedical field importance in artificial insemination using the copulated semen, in vitro or in vivo fertilization, interspecies in vitro fertilization, multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET), somatic cell nuclear transfer and transgenic animal production in sheep and goat.

The world sheep and goat populations in 2006 were recorded as 416 and 489 million, respectively. Reproductive biotechnologies are playing an increasingly important role in the production and management of these species. Animal biotechnology encompasses the application of science and engineering principles to the processing or production of materials to provide services or goods for human use.