The objective of this study was to analyze the thickness and medullation characteristics of the wool of a herd of Huacaya alpacas kept in Poland. Wool samples were collected from 36 adult alpacas, including 22 females and 14 males. Light (15 animals) and dark (21 animals) color varieties of wool were considered in this research. A projection microscope was used to measure the fiber diameter and assess the medullation. Each fiber was categorized according to the medulla as a non-medullated, discontinuous medullated or continuous medullated fiber. The mean fiber diameter (MFD), standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), comfort factor (CF) and prickling factor (PF) were determined for each sample. The MFD, SD and CV were also determined for the abovementioned fiber categories. The mean fiber diameter of all alpacas tested was 25.31 µm. The CF and PF were 77.79 % and 22.21 %, respectively. The medullation percentage in the wool of the study alpacas was 68.91 %. The mean fiber diameter was larger in males (P<0.05) than in females. There were no differences between males and females in terms of the proportion of fibers with a diameter < 30 µm (CF) and > 30 µm (PF). The non-medullated fibers in the wool of females were thinner (P<0.05) than in the wool of males. The wool of males also had a larger degree of medullation. Light wool was thinner (P<0.05) than dark wool. The discontinuous and the continuous medullated fibers were thicker (P<0.05) in dark wool than in light wool. In dark wool, the share of discontinuous fibers was higher (P<0.05) and the share of the non-medullated fibers was lower (P<0.05) than in light wool. The presence of various types of medulla or the absence of medulla was noted in fibers with smaller and larger diameters, regardless of the sex of the animals or the color of the wool.

Wet brewers grain (WBG) is successfully used in animal nutrition, and due to its high fiber content, especially in ruminants. The low cost of this fodder also has an impact on the economic of production. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of adding WBG to lamb fodder on the body weight gain, slaughter value and meat quality. The experiment was conducted on 40 male lambs of Polish Lowland sheep. The lambs were divided into two feeding groups, the control and the experimental (20 heads in each group), and fattened to their slaughter weight of 40 kg (± 2.5 kg). In the experimental group 35 % WBG was added to the feed. Lambs fed with WBG were characterized by higher daily weight gains (P ≤ 0.01) and reached their slaughter body weight significantly faster (P ≤ 0.01). Furthermore, the carcasses of the WBG group showed better hind leg conformation (P ≤ 0.01) and a higher content of prime cuts (P ≤ 0.05). The meat of lambs fed on WBG also had a lighter color and a lower intramuscular fat content. Additionally, the meat of this group was also characterized by higher PUFA (P ≤ 0.01) and C18 : 2 cis9, trans11 fatty acid (P ≤ 0.01) contents. The results obtained indicate that WBS could be successfully used in slaughter lamb production as a source of readily available, cheap fodder, especially when fattening takes place a short distance from a brewery.

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of dietary vitamin E level on cholesterol and vitamin E content and fatty acid profile in broiler chicken breast and leg muscles. Chickens (420 cocks) were randomly divided into two feeding groups (210 birds each). The control group was fed with standard diet containing 44 mg kg⁻¹ of vitamin E, whereas the experimental group was supplemented with extra 200 mg kg⁻¹ of vitamin E. The dietary addition of vitamin E caused a significant increase in its content in the muscles, with a higher value noted in the leg muscles. Meat of chickens fed with the higher dose of vitamin E was also characterized by a lower cholesterol level. The addition of vitamin E as well as type of the muscles had a significant effect on the fatty acid profile and values of atherogenicity (AI) and thrombogenicity (TI) indices. The recorded increase in the content of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and a decrease in the n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio indicate a positive effect of vitamin E on the fatty acid profile. In turn, lower values of AI and TI in leg muscles of chickens with a high intake of vitamin E prove the beneficial fatty acid profile in these muscles upon such supplementation.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of highly selenized yeast (SeY) or selenate (SeVI) on fatty acids (FA) profiles in musculus longissimus dorsi ( MLD ) and musculus biceps femoris ( MBF ) of male lambs. Lambs, divided into 3 groups of 6 animals each, were individually penned...

Wool characteristics vary depending on where on the body the wool is produced. Knowledge of this variation is important in order to separate the fleece into more homogenous parts. Similar parts from different animals can then be pooled to create batches of wool with similar characteristics. This will allow for better alpaca products with less variation. The aim of this study was to determine the variation in fiber diameter, medullation, and staple length across the body of alpacas from one herd. Wool samples were collected from 16 adult (3–5 years old) females: from the saddle (S), midside (MS), neck (N), and pieces (P). The mean fiber diameter (MFD) and medullation were measured using a projection microscope according to the IWTO-8-2011 standard. The fiber diameter of the pieces was greater (p < 0.05) than for the S, MS, and N areas. The highest medullation was found on the neck. The neck was also characterized by the shortest wool. The MFD for the fleece, excluding P, showed the strongest correlation (r = 0.927) with the MFD of MS. The study showed that due to the variation of fiber diameter, the incidence of medullation, and staple length, the wool from the pieces and the neck should be separated from the total fleece. The most appropriate site from where to collect a representative sample of wool from the fleece for testing purposes is the midside site of the animal.