Science et technologie vétérinaires

The present study was carried out to evaluate the inflammatory response during acute ruminal drinking in milkfed calves and to describe the correlation between production of acute phase cytokines and the occurrence of depression in this clinical condition. For this purpose, twenty calves with acute ruminal drinking as well as ten clinically normal calves were included in the study. Blood and ruminal fluid samples were collected from all examined calves. The blood samples were used to obtain a blood gas profile and for estimation of selected acute phase proteins and pro-inflammatory cytokines. A depression score was adopted to emphasize the relationship between the severity of the clinical signs and levels of acute phase cytokines. It was found that interleukin-1beta; interleukin-6, interferon gamma, c reactive protein, haptoglobin, and fibrinogen were significantly higher in diseased calves compared to the control group. There was also a positive correlation between the depression score and the examined acute phase cytokines. Our findings suggest that the acidity of the rumen Leads to inflammation of papillae with subsequent distinct inflammatory reaction. It seems that the pro-inflammatory cytokines play a role in the pathogenesis of acute ruminal drinking in milk-fed calves.

The present study has been conducted to observe some behavioral traits of ostrich under captive conditions. The observations have been carried during the period 14 June to 24 June, 2005, for 8 equal time period, extending for 24 hours from 06:00 p.m hour to 06:00 p.m hour next day. The bird flack consisted of two adult males and adult female, kept in the College farm, in a cage joined to a fence to allow for free movement. The recorded behavioral activities included: standing in the sun, standing in shade, laying in the shade, laying in the sun, staying in the cage, movement and sitting on the knees, feeding, drinking, quarrel, urination, defecation, ritual display, courtship, and preening. It was noticed that the most time consuming activities were standing in the sun, standing in the shade, laying in the shade, and movement. The longest period of the time budget was taken in laying in shade (250.3 min.). The shortest fraction of the time budget was spent in courtship maneuvers (3.25 min.). The main target of the study was to provide ostrich breeders with useful information for better management.