The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of dry-powder yam (dioscorea) additive (DPYA) on carcass and meat quality parameters in finishing pigs. DPYA was made from dry-powdered yam and a mixture of Cnidium officinale, Lindera strychnifolia, Psoralea corylifolia, Rosa laevigata, rice bran and barley bran. The experimental diets were 0, 1 and 3% of DPYA added to finishing diets, which were called C, T1 and T2, respectively. In carcass parameter, carcass weight (kg), dressing (%) and backfat thickness (mm) were lower in T2 than C and T1 (P<0.05). Carcass grade improved with added levels of DPYA. Moisture, crude protein and crude ash (%) increased by added levels of DPYA (P<0.05). Crude fat (%) decreased by added levels of DPYA. In meat quality parameters, pH_<24> increased by added levels of DPYA (P<0.05). WHC (%) was higher in T1 and T2 than C (P<0.05). Cooking loss (%) was lower in T2 than C and T1 (P<0.05). CIE L and CIE a were higher by added levels of DPYA (P<0.05). In sensory evaluation, meat color was higher in T2 than C and T1 (P<0.05). Drip loss and hardness increased by added levels of DPYA (P<0.05). Flavor was higher in T2 than C and T1 (P<0.05). Overall acceptability was higher in T2 than C (P<0.05). The results indicate that carcass quality characteristics, meat quality parameters and sensory evaluation were improved by the addition of 3% dry-powder yam diet during finishing days.

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The objective of this study was to determine whether exposure to videos of familiar or conspecifics reduce stress response in socially isolated Holstein calves. Four castrated Holsteiu calves were habituated to be reared in stanchion stalls. One test-calf was isolated in its own stall by removing its peers for 3 hours, according to the social isolation protocol. A life-size video of the peers, own or blueback was projected during the isolation period onto a screen set about 1.5m away from the animal. The duration of specific behavioral categories (feeding, drinking, standing, lying, ruminating, and freezing), and the number of vocalizations during the isolation period were measured. Blood samples were collected at 30-min intervals during the isolation period via a jugular catheter used for the assay of cortisol and ACTH. The number of vocalizations and the standing time ratio tended to increase during the social isolation (P=0.068); the time ratio of feeding, ruminating, and lying tended to decrease (P=0.068); plasma concentration of cortisol and ACTH, however, did not change with isolation. The only effect of the video was that the time ratio of ruminating tended to increase during familiar cow videos (36.0±3.3%), compared with blueback videos (16.9±6.1%) (P=0.068). These results suggest that the video of familiar animals may partly reduce the behavioral stress response due to isolation.

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