Are parent-reared red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) better candidates for re-establishment purposes?

Aiming to produce game birds suitable for re-establishment purposes, we studied the survival and behavior of 31 adult red-legged partridges reared by their natural parents in captivity (parent-reared) and 67 wild red-legs (35 adults and 32 subadults). Birds were radio-tracked and released in a game estate where management targeting small game species was conducted and shooting was not allowed. Survival of parent-reared partridges was shorter (mean 108 d) than wild adults (mean 160 d), though no significant differences were found. Parent-reared birds showed a longer escape reaction (mean 11.7 sec) than wild adults (mean 0.4 sec) and were mainly predated by terrestrial predators (52%), whereas the most important source of predation in wild red-legs was raptors (49%). The home range of parent-reared (mean 23 ha) was not significantly lower than wild adults (mean 27 ha). Nineteen percent of parent-reared and 31.4% of wild adults paired successfully, and we recorded 6 pairs in which one bird was wild and the other parent-reared and one pair in which both birds were parent-reared. A small proportion of red-legs started incubation (parent-reared 12.9%, wild 20%), and the proportion completing incubation was similar among wild and parent-reared birds. Overall, parent-reared red-legs showed similar survival and behavior compared to wild red-legs and better than intensively reared, so parent-reared red-legs should be chosen for the re-establishment of wild populations.

Electrolyzed water as novel technology to improve hygiene of drinking water for dairy ewes.

Tap water alone (TW) or treated with 3% of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) were used in this experiment to study its effect on water quality, blood biochemical parameters and milk yield and composition. Each type of water was supplied to one group of 10 milking ewes for 25 days. Weekly water samples from troughs were taken. On days 1, 12 and 25, milk yield was measured, and milk and blood samples were taken. SAEW reduced (P < 0.05) bacterial counts (aerobic mesophilic, total coliform and streptococcus). Blood gases, biochemical parameters and milk yield and its composition were not affected (P > 0.05). SAEW can be used at 3% rate as a powerful and economic agent for sanitizing drinking water for dairy ewes with no effects on animal performance.