The behavior of sheep and goats co-grazing on pasture with different types of vegetation in the karst region.

The Slovenian karst region and similar types of land are difficult to cultivate and often exposed to the process of being abandoned and overgrown with shrubs, trees, and brushwood. Co-grazing in a mixed group may be a way to optimize the management of sheep and goat flocks in such areas. To obtain more knowledge of the natural behavior of small ruminants, the experiment was designed on pasture in the mountain karst region. The experimental area was divided in 6 paddocks, of which 3 paddocks were covered with grass, herbs, and legumes (i.e., grassy paddock [GP]). In the other 3 paddocks the area was additionally overgrown with hazel, beech trees, and bushes (i.e., woody paddock [WP]). In a mixed flock of 40 Slovenian local sheep breed (Istrian Pramenka) and 10 crossbreed goats (Saanen × Alpine goat), 10 animals per species were focally observed during daylight (0500-2100 h). The natural behavior was scored on 12 d, 2 consecutive days in each of the paddocks. Animals were rotated between 6 paddocks according to the balanced schedule. They stayed at each paddock for 5 or 6 d. Observations started on the third day after moving the animals into a specific paddock, following 2 d of adaptation. The results indicated that botanically diverse paddock together with climate conditions affected the behavior. Goats were grazing more (P < 0.001) whereas sheep less in the WP (P = 0.05). In sheep, drinking and salt consumption were higher (both P < 0.001) in the WP, suggesting that salt triggered additional water consumption. The WP enabled conditions where more comfort behavior, that is, autogrooming (both species P < 0.001) and object grooming (both species P < 0.001), was performed. On the second day of observation, animals grazed more compared to the first day (both species P < 0.001), most likely due to lower forage availability. Goats drank (P < 0.001) and consumed more salt on the second day (P < 0.001). With higher temperature sheep and goats grazed less (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively) and goats drank more (P < 0.05). Sheep showed more while goats less autogrooming when temperature was lower (both P < 0.001). More autogrooming was shown on the second day of observation but only in goats (P < 0.001). The performed behavior of co-grazing sheep and goats suggests different foraging strategies and adaptation between the species, which may be taken into account for management decisions under specific environmental conditions in the mountain karst region.

Genome-wide analysis of Italian sheep diversity reveals a strong geographic pattern and cryptic relationships between breeds.

Italy counts several sheep breeds, arisen over centuries as a consequence of ancient and recent genetic and demographic events. To finely reconstruct genetic structure and relationships between Italian sheep, 496 subjects from 19 breeds were typed at 50K single nucleotide polymorphism loci. A subset of foreign breeds from the Sheep HapMap dataset was also included in the analyses. Genetic distances (as visualized either in a network or in a multidimensional scaling analysis of identical by state distances) closely reflected geographic proximity between breeds, with a clear north-south gradient, likely because of high levels of past gene flow and admixture all along the peninsula. Sardinian breeds diverged more from other breeds, a probable consequence of the combined effect of ancient sporadic introgression of feral mouflon and long-lasting genetic isolation from continental sheep populations. The study allowed the detection of previously undocumented episodes of recent introgression (Delle Langhe into the endangered Altamurana breed) as well as signatures of known, or claimed, historical introgression (Merino into Sopravissana and Gentile di Puglia; Bergamasca into Fabrianese, Appenninica and, to a lesser extent, Leccese). Arguments that would question, from a genomic point of view, the current breed classification of Bergamasca and Biellese into two separate breeds are presented. Finally, a role for traditional transhumance practices in shaping the genetic makeup of Alpine sheep breeds is proposed. The study represents the first exhaustive analysis of Italian sheep diversity in an European context, and it bridges the gap in the previous HapMap panel between Western Mediterranean and Swiss breeds.

On the origin of the Slovenian Cika cattle.

In 2002, it was discovered that several Cika cattle in the mountain areas of Slovenia had escaped the official policy of cross-breeding. Here, we report a genetic characterization to assess their status as autochthonous breed. We compared genotypes for 14 microsatellite markers in 150 Cika cattle individuals with data from 16 Central European cattle breeds. We show that Cika cattle are genetically as diverse as other Eastern Alpine breeds, are more diverse than Austrian Simmental but less than the Balkan Busha cattle. STRUCTURE analysis showed Pinzgauer admixture in several individuals but also indicated a unique genetic identity for Cika. This analysis also allowed a selection of the most genetically pure Cika individuals as assessed by the panel of microsatellites. These original Cika cattle form an Eastern Alpine breed cluster together with Pinzgauer and Pustertaler cattle. Cika cattle should be considered as an authentic and valuable genetic resource, which offers clear opportunities for sustainable agriculture and landscape conservation in marginal and mountain areas.

Importance of increased intestinal permeability after multiple injuries.

OBJECTIVE: To find out if there was a relationship between increased intestinal permeability and the development of multiple organ failure (MOF) after multiple injuries, we correlated the extent of injury and MOF with intestinal permeability on the second and fourth day after injury. DESIGN: Prospective open study. SETTING: University hospital, Slovenia. PATIENTS: 29 multiply injured patients, injury severity score (ISS) over 25, admitted shocked. INTERVENTION: Intestinal permeability measured by giving lactulose and mannitol solution enterally on days 2 and 4. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The lactulose: mannitol ratio calculated from the urinary portion of the probe molecules. ISS and the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE II) calculated on admission. RESULTS: The median lactulose: mannitol ratio for five volunteers was 0.014 (range 0.008-0.017) and that for 29 patients was 0.03 (0.01-0.1). On day 2 it was 0.03 (0.02-0.1), on day 4 0.02 (0.01-0.2). The ratio calculated on day 2 correlated with average and late MOF scores (r = 0.41 R2 = 0.1681, p <0.03 and r = 0.38, R2 = 0.1444, p <0.04) and that measured on day 4 correlated with overall, early, and late MOF scores (r = 0.47, R2 = 0.2209, p <0.01; r = 0.51, R2 = 0.2601, p <0.005; r = 0.39, R = 0.1512, p <0.04). No correlation was found between ISS, transport time, shock index, APACHE II, and days in intensive care. CONCLUSIONS: Even if intestinal permeability is invariably increased after injury, it seems to have some predictive value for MOF in multiply injured patients because it correlates with its development.