Oral and Poster Abstracts

complete random design (CRD). The research results show that
ruminal pH and also ruminal ammonia nitrogen concentration have no
statistical differences among treatments (p>0.05).
Results: Ruminal pH levels and rumen ammonia nitrogen
concentrations were not different (p>0.05) among treatments.
Discussion: Reasons for that ruminal pH and rumen ammonia nitrogen
concentration were not different (p>0.05) among treatments can be
connected with that diets were isoenergetic and had similar protein
percentages or equality of dry matter intake and also uniformity of
nutrients digestibility. Some researchers found similar and some other
researchers reached to different results from the present research
consequences may be due to multi enzyme contents, enzyme
application methods, enzyme types, enzyme levels, animal type or diet
formulations which were apply with enzyme.
Key words: NATUZYME, sheep nutrition, enzyme complex, ruminal
pH, ammonia nitrogen
802 Effects of DFM on Rumen Fermentation in Iranian Sheep
H. Khazanehei 1 , K. Rezayazdi 1 , A. Nikkhah 1 , M. Riazabas 2 , H.
Khalilvand 1 , N. Vahdani 1 , P. Hossein-Nia 3 , S. Ghovvati 4
1 University of Tehran, Animal Nutrition, Karaj, Tehran, Iran
2 University of Baghdad, Animal Nutrition, Baghdad, Iraq
3 Isfahan University of Technology, Animal Science, Isfahan, Iran
4 University of Mashhad, Animal Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
A study was conducted to determine whether a direct-fed microbial
(DFM) could be improvingruminal fermentation. Four Iranian sheep
(Zandi breed, average BW 34+4.2 kg), fitted with ruminal cannulas, were
used in a 2_2 cross-over design. Each experimental period was 21 days.
Four rations were formulated to be iso-nitrogenus and iso-caloric and
represent two sources of roughage with two levels of DFM (0 and 5
gr/day/head). Ingredients of diets were alfalfa hay and corn silage (as
different sources of roughage), wheat straw, barley grain, canola meal,
Mineral-vitamin mix, calcium carbonate and salt. DFM was contained
Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casaei,
Bacillus subtilis (lactate producing bacteria) and Saccharomyces
cerevisiae. DFM was added to control diet (TMR, 50% forage: 50%
concentrate, dry matter basis) just before feeding. Ruminal fluid samples
were taken from rumen at 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 h to determine rumen pH and
concentration of N-NH3, and at 4 h to determine concentration of VFA.
Total VFA increased and mean ruminal ammonia decreased in diets with
DFM compared to the control. DFM had no effect on propionate and
acetate concentrations, acetate:propionate ratio, mean ruminal pH and
maximum pH, however, decreased the nadir of ruminal pH. Increase in
total VFA and decrease in mean rumen ammonia concentrations could be
a result of higher microbial growth and activity in rumen of sheep that
used DFM. The presence of lactate-producing bacteria is thought to help
the ruminal microflora adapt to the presence of lactic acid and decreased
the drop in ruminal pH following meals in sheep that used DFM (Table 1).
Table 1. Characteristics of ruminal fermentation in sheep fed DFM
Item 1 2 3 4 SE
pH – – – – –
Mean 6.49 6.55 6.45 6.51 0.07
Min 5.85 b 5.93 b 6.04 a 6.1 a 0.04
Max 7.05 7.12 6.98 7.06 0.04
VFA
Total, mM 71.26 d 82.3 b 75.91 c 88.6 a 3.42
Acetate (A) % 37.69 b 41.97 a 38.21 b 43.63 a 1.5
Propionat (P) % 19.46 21.96 20.23 22.87 1.2
A:P 1.93 1.91 1.88 1.9 0.63
NH 3 N mg/l
Mean 8.47 bc 9 a 7.65 d 8.34 c 0.1
a, b, c dMeans within a row that do not have a common superscript are different
(p< 0.05), 1: control contain corn silage as a source of roughage, 2: control contain
alfalfa hay as a source of roughage, 3: diet 1 with DFM, 4: diet 2 with DFM.
Key words: DFM, alfalfa, corn silage, rumen fermentation
803 Effect of Season and Photoperiod on the Time of First
Postpartum Ovulation in Awassi Ewes
V. Faigl 1 , M. Keresztes 1 , A. Márton 2 , H. Fébel 3 , M. Kulcsár 1 ,
S. Cseh 1 , L. Solti 1 , Gy. Huszenicza 1
134 XXV. Jubilee World Buiatrics Congress 2008
1 Szent István University Faculty of Veterinary Science, Departament
of Animal Reproduction, Budapest, Hungary
2 Georgikon Faculty of Agriculture, University of Pannonia,
Keszthely, Hungary
3 Research Institution of Animal Breeding and Nutrition,
Herceghalom, Hungary
Our aim was to study the influence of season and photoperiod on the
time of first postpartum (pp) ovulation in non-suckling, dairy ewes.
Trials were conducted in a commercial Awassi flock, where lambs are
weaned immediately after birth. In the first experiment (Exp.1.) autumn
lambing (AL; n=27) and spring lambing (SL; n=38), 1-11 parity ewes
were used. Milk progesterone (P4) was determined trice weekly
between d 7 and 110 pp. The time of the first ovulation was estimated
by means of individual P4 profiles. Blood samples were collected 1
week before lambing and again on week 1, 2 and 5 pp and assayed for
some metabolites (non-esterified fatty acid, ‚OH-butyrate) and
metabolic hormones (insulin, IGF-I, thyroxin). High proportion (89%)
of AL dams ovulated before d 35 and became cyclic thereafter. 41% of
them became pregnant from the 1-4 th ovulation. The non-conceiving
ewes (n=16) became acyclic by Jan-Febr. Incidence of persistent
corpus luteum (CLP; n=5) and short luteal phases (sCL; n=8; CLP and
sCL together in 4 cases) was frequent among non-conceiving dams. In
contrast only 39% of the SL ewes ovulated before d70 pp. P4 levels
during luteal phase in cyclic animals were lower, and length of cycle
was longer in SL compared to AL. No CLP or sCL was detected in SL.
61% of SL remained acyclic till the end of trial. Plasma metabolits and
metabolic hormones were in physiological range in the periparturian
period. In Exp. 2. 48 autumn-lambing, 2-7 parity ewes were used.
Animals were housed in open sheds. In mid September (1 week before
the expected date of parturition) ewes were allotted into two treatment
groups with regard to equal distribution of age, lambing date and
former milk yield. Long-day photoperiod (LD) group (n=23) was
exposed to artificial light from sunset till midnight (approx 16 hours
light/8 hours dark). Control group (n=25) received no treatment
(natural photoperiod). Sampling protocol was similar to Exp. 1. The
time of first pp ovulation tended to delay in LD animals compared to
Control (average 25.87±1.63 vs 21.5±1.72 days pp; surv. analysis
P=0.093). Metabolic parameters remained between normal ranges
throughout the experiment. In conclusion: i) ovarian function of awassi
population became seasonal under temperate continental weather. ii)
First pp ovulation of non-suckling, autumn-lambing dams may happen
very early, even before the completion of uterine involution. iii)
Additional artificial lightening may retard the time of first pp ovulation.
Key words: seasonality, reproduction, sheep, ovulation, photoperiod
804 Concurrent Peste des Petits Ruminants Virus and Pestivirus
Infection in Stillborn Twin Lambs
O. Kul 1 , N. Kabakci 1 , A. Ozkul 3 , H. Kalender 2 , H. Atmaca 1
1 Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kirikkale University, Veterinary
Pathology, Kirikkale, Turkey
2 Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kirikkale University, Animal
Reproduction, Gynaecology & Obstetrics, Kirikkale, Turkey
3 Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ankara University, Veterinary
Virology, Ankara, Turkey
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a contagious viral disease of small
ruminants that is characterized by pseudomembranous oral lesions,
bronchointerstitial pneumonia and enteritis. Infection with PPRV is
generally thought to be transmitted via oral and/or respiratory routes but
vertical transmission of PPRV has not been reported. In this study, we
report the pathologic, immunohistochemical and molecular diagnostic
features of concurrent PPRV and BDV infection in stillborn twin lambs.
Dead twin lambs were extracted from the birth canal of a 2.5-year-old ewe
in dystocia in the fifth month of pregnancy and they were necropsied.
Tissue samples were fixed in 10% buffered formalin and embedded in
parafin and then sectioned 4-µm in thickness. Unfixed samples of skin,
spleen, lymph node, lung and brain were submitted for virologic analyses.
There were 33 ewes in the flock of origin. According to the attending
veterinarian, clinical findings consistent with PPR, such as oral mucosal
erosions, coughing, nasal discharge and diarrhea, were observed in this
flock. Twelve ewes aborted during the lambing season; surviving lambs
were weak and some had arthrogryposis. The PPRV primers were
selected to detect the F coding gene of the virus. For pestiviral RT-PCR,
the selection of primers directed to the p125 protein coding region of the
BVDV genome was based on the close relationship between ruminant