Breeding improvements in the fermentation quality of timothy (Phleum pratense L.) silage should result in enhanced livestock productivity. This study investigated selection indices useful for improving the fermentation quality of non-wilted timothy-based silage preparations. Possible relevant indices were investigated using eight timothy clones in 2013 to 2014 in Kunneppu, Japan. Some fermentation quality indices, pH, V-SCORE, and Mr. freak rating, but not volatile basic nitrogen/total nitrogen, showed moderate to high broad-sense heritability values, suggesting the potential of breeding improvement. Dry matter in harvesting, water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) and low-digestible fiber contents showed moderate to strong genetic correlations with most of the fermentation quality indices. Both multiple regression and discriminant analyses selected dry matter in harvesting and WSC contents. The latter also showed a high indirect selection efficiency for all the fermentation quality indices. Therefore, the indirect selection of the WSC and dry matter in harvesting contents will likely be useful in improving the silage fermentation quality of non-wilted timothy. In addition, the selection of low-digestible fiber content is also potentially useful for the production of good quality silage.

There is a demand to take body temperature easy and quick without using sensor device. In order to measure cow surface temperatures using an infrared thermometer, we obtained the radiation coefficients (ε) for different body parts. Heifers, drying-off cows, and milking cows were used in this study. Surface temperatures were measured using an infrared thermometer and compared to those obtained using a contact type surface thermometer. It is necessary beforehand to determine ε values when using an infrared thermometer. For body regions covered with hair, it was difficult to obtain accurate measurements using the infrared thermometer; these regions were therefore shaved to remove the hair before measurements were made. The results showed εvalues in the range 0.85－0.95 for the back, shoulder, and fore shank of heifers after shaving the measurement region. For temperature measurement of the nose of the heifers, a value ε =0.98 gave similar results for the infrared thermometer and digital thermometer. For the udders of drying-off cows, ε =0.85 gave similar temperature results for the infrared and digital thermometers. For udders of milking cows, ε=0.90 gave similar temperature results for the infrared and digital thermometers. In cows with mastitis, cell numbers in the milk were correlated with udder surface temperature. Mastitis could generally be detected by measurement of udder surface temperatures using the infrared thermometer. However, in a few cows, cell numbers in the milk did not conform to the udder surface temperature trend. In these animals, mastitis could not be detected by udder surface temperature measurements.

Effects of diets including unutilized local resources on production, quality, and chemical composition of eggs of laying hens were examined. The unutilized resources included crushed brown rice, dried rice bran, lees of bean curd, asparagus stems, and seashell powder. The experimental design involved three treatments: a control group (100% commercial feed), a 25% group (75% commercial feed, 25% unutilized resources), and a 45% group (55% commercial feed, 45% unutilized resources). The experiment involved 30 hens (49-weeks old) divided into three groups of 10 each. To reduce systematic error, hen housing involved a 3 x 3 Latin square experimental design for a period of 70 days (a preliminary 10 days followed by a 60-day treatment period). The results show that with increasing replacement rate, yolk pigmentation was significantly reduced (P<0.01) while the content of crude protein tended to decrease (P<0.1). Retinol level in the eggs of the 45% group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.1). However, there were no significant differences among treatments in terms of the egg-laying rate or other parameters of egg quality and composition. Therefore, the 45% alternative feed supply designed in this study can be used to feed egg-laying chickens, although there are differences in egg yolk color and composition.