Behavior associated with parturition in the domestic goat

The behavior of does during labor, birth and the post-partum period and the behavior of kids during and after birth are described for domestic goats maintained under confined but undisturbed conditions. Most females (76%) separated themselves from herd-mates several hours prior to birth. The majority of births (65%) occurred about mid-day, between the hours of 11.00 and 16.00 h. Immediately after birth, does vigorously licked their kids and continued to groom them intermittently for 2–4 h. Mothers and kids began a series of vocal interchanges within minutes of the young's expulsion. Most newborns (62%) attempted to stand within 15 min of their birth, and 77% suckled within an hour of birth. Mother and young remained at the birth site, isolated from conspecifics, for 12–24 h post-partum, after which kids moved from their mothers and remained secluded, except during brief suckling bouts, for 4–7 days. Does and their kids had little contact during this first week following parturition. Results are compared with maternal and neonatal behavior of other domestic ungulates.     

Progesterone and the initiation of parturition in the goat

The corpora lutea were surgically removed from 6 goats between 134 and 136 days of pregnancy and progesterone was administered daily. Pregnancy was prolonged past normal term in 4 goats receiving 25 mgs. of progesterone daily as a split dose. However, eventual delivery following progesterone withdrawal was abnormal and foetal mortality high.The progesterone therapy regime maintained maternal jugular plasma concentrations of progesterone in excess of 3 ng/ml. In normal untreated goats, maternal plasma concentrations of progesterone declined over the last 6 days of gestation. In treated goats, plasma concentrations of progesterone fell only after the cessation of therapy. Maternal plasma concentrations of estrogen rose within 24 hours of parturition in normal untreated goats. In the 4 goats in which pregnancy was prolonged, by progesterone administration, maternal plasma concentrations of estrogen were elevated for several days in the period before eventual foetal delivery.     

Fetal and maternal endocrine changes associated with parturition in the goat

In 4 goats maternal jugular plasma concentrations of progesterone started to decline before labor commenced, but levels remained elevated above basal concentrations throughout parturition. Fetal and maternal plasma concentrations of estrogen rose before and during labor, increasing markedly just prior to fetal delivery. Fetal carotid plasma glucocorticoid concentrations appeared to rise over the 5 days prior to parturition, but a significant increase was only noted during labor. Maternal plasma concentrations of glucocorticoids were significantly lower than fetal plasma concentrations of glucocorticoids. Estradiol-17α was the predominant estrogen in both fetal and maternal plasma, less estrone was detected and apparently little estradiol-17β was present.No good correlation was found between plasma progesterone or estrogen and parturient uterine activity; the latter lasted from 22 to 78 hours, with the most dramatic increase occurring close to delivery. It is probable that other agents are involved in controlling uterine activity during parturition in the goat.     

Hiding behavior in domestic goat kids

This study assessed hiding behavior of domestic goat newborns when presented with appropriate hiding sites. The results indicate that hiding behavior in domestic goats has not been lost due to domestication. Newborn kids moved away from their mother and birth site 15–26 h after parturition, and secluded themselves from conspecifics for 4–7 days following birth. Mothers participated in the process by not attempting to induce following, by rejoining the adult herd group, and by maintaining a considerable distance from their young. Mothers were primarily responsible for determining the daily activity pattern and suckling frequency of their young. Kids were primarily responsible for choosing hiding sites, and achieving physical proximity to their dams at mother-infant reunions. These results demonstrate the importance of the active role of the domestic goat kid to the development of the mother-infant relationship.     

Hourly variations in rectal temperature and prolactinemia in the creole goat kept outside in a tropical environment

Rectal temperature and plasma prolactin level were measured hourly in "creole goats" during 27 consecutive hours in March, July and November. Simultaneously, air, "black-globe" temperature and relative humidity were measured at the height of the animals. Rectal temperature and plasma prolactin level varied according to hour and season and were always higher during the day than during the night. Plasma prolactin level increased dramatically for 3 h after dusk only in March. Rectal temperature showed a significantly higher correlation with air temperature than with "black-globe" temperature. On the contrary, plasma prolactin level was more significantly correlated with "black-globe" temperature than with air temperature. When all seasons and hours were pooled, "black-globe" temperature showed a threshold (32-34 degrees C), beyond which prolactin reached values higher than 100 ng/ml. Rectal temperature was always significantly correlated with plasma prolactin level. Plasma prolactin level as an index of thermal stress and the role of prolactin in thermoregulation have been discussed.     

A video-sensor system for predicting the time of parturition in the chimpanzee

A system of predicting the time of parturition in the chimpanzee was developed to assure care of the newborn as soon as possible after delivery. To quantify activity, the number of times that a parturient chimpanzee crossed a sensor marker of a TV monitor was recorded by a videosensor on the market for crime prevention. The amount of activity increased remarkably just prior to parturition. A system using a personal pocket alarm ("beeper"), which rang automatically when the number of crossings by the chimpanzee exceeded a selected level within a certain period of time, was tested. In the present study, the threshold for sounding the alarm was set at 50 crossings within 10 minutes. As a result, the pocket alarm began to ring at about 40 minutes before parturition. This enabled us to be present at parturition and to tend to a newborn abandoned by its mother in one case. The present system could be useful to predict the time of parturition in the chimpanzee.     

Coccidia of the domestic goat (Capra hircus) in Saudi Arabia.

Faeces of 228 domestic goats (Capra hircus) from the central region of Saudi Arabia were examined for the presence of coccidian oocysts. Ten species of coccidia were identified and described. A total of 90.3% of the specimens were positive, most of them contained 100-1000 oocysts per g of faecal sample. Kids less than 1 year old had higher oocyst counts than goatlings or adult goats. Mixed infections with three to five species were found in 69.7% of the specimens and six to eight species were found in 10.1%. Eimeria arloingi and E. hirci were most prevalent. E. alijevi, E. ninakohlyakimovae, E. caprina, E. christenseni and E. apsheronica were less common. E. jolchijevi, E. caprovina and E. punctata were relatively rare.     

Photoperiodic control of the time of parturition in alpacas (Lama pacos)

Twenty-three mature female alpacas in late gestation in October (spring group) and in January (summer group), were randomly allocated to two treatments. In each season, one group was placed indoors under natural light and the other group was placed in a treatment room which could be totally blacked out to external light and had artificial lights controlled by an automatic time switch. Lights in the treatment room were switched on at 12:00 h and switched off at 02:30 h. Video cameras were used to record the times of parturition. The mean time of parturition for alpaces in the treatment room (16:43 h ± 69 min) was 6 h 23 min later (P < 0.001) than the alpacas in the control room (10:20 h ± 67 min). The mean intervals from sunrise or lights-on to parturition and from sunset or lights-off to parturition were similar for both treatment groups, and there were no effects of treatments on gestation length. The mean interval from the start of the treatments to parturition was shorter (P < 0.001) in the spring group(18 ± 2 days) than in the summer group (36 ± 2 days). In conclusion, the results showed that the time of parturition in alpacas is under photoperiodic control.     

Social hierarchy in the domestic goat: effect on food habits and production

Outside the scientific world, the effect of social behaviour on production is little taken into account, but the importance of this relationship has been sufficiently proven in some animal species. Nevertheless, there are scarce works that emphasise the importance of behaviour in the production of the goat. The main objective of this paper is to determine if there is a stable hierarchy of dominance in a flock of goats fed in pasture, and if this hierarchy influences somehow the diet selected in the pasture and in its production of milk and meat. The study was carried out in a flock of goats in semi-extensive grazing management. The interactions observed in the pasture during the supplementary feeding and during the milking were written down. This allowed us to determine the dominance rank. The diet was determined in the pasture by the direct observation method. The production of milk was measured daily. The meat production consisted on the weight of the kids in their first day of life and after a month. Among the most prominent results, the following should be indicated: (a) Within the herd, a clearly established, quite stable and linear hierarchic order exists. (b) The most aggressive animals are those that occupy the highest positions within the social hierarchy. (c) Age, large size and horns seem to be the physical factors that most favor dominance. (d) When more forage becomes available, differences appear in the diet chosen by dominant and subordinate animals, that is, they become more selective. In the months of greater shortage, these differences in feeding disappear, and they become more generalist. (e) The production of animals is affected by dominance. However, contrary to what might otherwise be thought, it is the middle range of goats that are the most productive.     

Mitochondrial DNA analysis provides new insights into the origin of the Chinese domestic goat

Many studies have focused on modern goats, however, few reports focused on origin and genetic structure of Chinese ancient goats. In this study, we analyzed the 289-bp fragment of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region from 14 Chinese ancient goats excavated from two archaeological sites in Inner Mongolia, China dating back about 2500 years. 10 haplotypes were successfully obtained from the 14 ancient goats. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the multiple maternal origins of Chinese domestic goats, three mtDNA lineages A, B, and D were identified in the Chinese ancient individuals, in which lineage A was predominant (70%), lineages B was moderate (20%), and lineage D was present at low frequency (10%). The network analysis showed that lineage B was subdivided into two subgroups B1 and B2. One of the Chinese ancient goats shared the founder haplotype in the center of subgroup B1, and the shared sequences of the founder haplotypes of subgroups B1 and B2 distributed mainly in China. These results implied that lineage B including subgroups B1 and B2 probably originated from China, and further supported the hypothesis that China may be one of the goat domestication centers. In addition, the analysis of shared sequences indicated that the ancient goats from Inner Mongolia were closely genetically related to Chinese modern goats, suggesting that the ancient goats from Inner Mongolia had the genetic contribution to Chinese modern goats.     

Changes in the size distribution of goat steroidogenic luteal cells during pregnancy

Experiments were conducted to investigate the size distribution of goat steroidogenic luteal cells throughout pregnancy. Corpora lutea were collected from very early (<6 weeks), early (6–8 weeks), middle (9–14 weeks) or late (15–18 weeks) stages of pregnancy. Luteal tissue was dissociated into single-cell suspension by enzyme treatments. Cells were stained for 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) activity, a marker for steroidogenic cells. The steroidogenic cells covered a wide spectrum of size ranging from 5 to 45 μm in diameter. There was a significant increase in mean cell diameter (P>0.01) as pregnancy progressed. Mean diameter of 3β-HSD positive cells increased from 14.73±0.35 μm in the corpus luteum of very early pregnancy to 24.20±0.45 μm in the corpus luteum of late pregnancy. The ratio of large (>20 μm in diameter) to small (5–20 μm in diameter) luteal cells was 0.28:1.0 in very early pregnancy, with the 7.5–15 μm cell size class being dominant. However, the ratio of large-to-small luteal cells was increased to 1.77:1.0 μm as pregnancy advanced and 25–35 μm cell sizes became predominant. It is likely that small luteal cells could develop into large cells as pregnancy progresses. Development of pregnancy is also associated with an increase in size of steroidogenic luteal cells.     

Mothering influences the distribution of activity in young domestic chicks

The aim of this study was to determine whether the presence of a maternal hen influences the quality, quantity, and distribution of activity in young chicks. Brooded and nonbrooded chicks were observed during the entire light phase when they were 4 d of age. Our results revealed that although both brooded and nonbrooded chicks expressed the same behavioral items and in quite the same quantity, activity bouts were much longer in brooded chicks. However, only brooded chicks presented a high level of ultradian rhythmicity. Moreover, the brooded chicks made greater use of the space. The presence and the behavior of maternal hens appeared to provide structuring factors for the expression of the chicks' behavior.     

Mothering influences the distribution of activity in young domestic chicks

The aim of this study was to determine whether the presence of a maternal hen influences the quality, quantity, and distribution of activity in young chicks. Brooded and nonbrooded chicks were observed during the entire light phase when they were 4 d of age. Our results revealed that although both brooded and nonbrooded chicks expressed the same behavioral items and in quite the same quantity, activity bouts were much longer in brooded chicks. However, only brooded chicks presented a high level of ultradian rhythmicity. Moreover, the brooded chicks made greater use of the space. The presence and the behavior of maternal hens appeared to provide structuring factors for the expression of the chicks' behavior.     

Arginase distribution in tissues of domestic animals.

1. A new colorimetric method was used for determination of arginase in different tissues of some domestic animals. 2. In all species studied liver was the richest source of arginase. 3. Significant differences were observed in the specific activity of arginase in livers from different species. 4. In all species, besides liver, kidney and brain also contained significant levels of arginase. 5. In the dog, in addition to the three organs mentioned above, lung, heart, spleen and skeletal muscle showed some arginase activity. 6. In sheep and cattle significant arginase activity was observed in the rumen. No differences were observed between epithelial and muscular layers of different parts of digestive system in all species studied. 7. These results are discussed in terms of the possible role of arginase in different tissues of animals.