Small R u m i n a n t Research ELSEVIER
Small RuminantResearch 14 (1994) 99-102
Book Reviews
Goat and sheep production in the tropics Isotope aided studies on goat and sheep production in the tropics. International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria. Paperback 210 pages, US$ 65.00. ISBN: 92-0-11109-X, ISSN: 0074-1876. This book covers the proceedings of the final research co-ordination meeting held at Perth, Australia on February 20-24, 1989, containing 15 papers by contributors from tropical and sub-tropical countries. First, an Australian group reports on the endocrine basis of prolificacy in the Booroola Merino. The second paper from Zimbabwe deals with the effect of the amount of dietary energy on growth and body composition of Sabi lambs. Then a joint report from Canada and Indonesia evaluated radio-labelled microspheres as digesta markers. A paper about improving the utilization of beech sawdust by sheep is from Czechoslovakia, followed by a paper by J.B. Rowe (Australia) about strategies for ruminant nutrition during harsh and extended dry seasons. The next ten contributions are by M. Ali et al. from Pakistan concerning the effect of feeding salt tolerant plants on growth and reproduction of goats; by Tuen and Dahan from Malaysia about chemical composition and utilization of rice straw by goats; from Dutch, Pakistani and Cuban researchers on the use of enzyme immunoassay to measure progesterone and oestrone sulphate in milk and/or plasma for monitoring fertility in goats; from Nigeria dealing with control of oestrus and ovulation rates in Yankasa ewes; and from Malaysia on ovarian function and growth performance of indigenous goats. Next are techniques for the improvement of fertility and prolificacy of anoestrous ewes in Spain, reproductive performance of Saanen goats, milk progesterone profiles and the effect of the buck during the anoestrous period in goats, milk and hair progesterone contents 0921-4488/94/$07.00 © 1994ElsevierScienceB.V. All rights reserved
during the oestrous cycle and gestation in goats; all from China, and finally from Kenya, a report on fertility of small East African goats following pre-pubertal infection with Trypanosoma congolense. The book ends with conclusions and recommendations from the meeting and is neatly produced with numerous tables and graphs, but lacks an index. Although "isotope aided studies" in the title can be somewhat misleading since most of the research reported did not include isotopes, nevertheless, the book is a valuable document on research conducted in tropical and sub-tropical countries with sheep and goats. M.H. FAHMY Agriculture Canada Research Station, P.O. Box 90 Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada, JIM 1Z3
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Reducing fat in meat animals Reducing fat in meat animals. 1990. J.D. Wood and A.V. Fisher (Editors). Elsevier Applied Science. Elsevier Science Publishers Ltd., Crown House, Linton Road, Barking, Essex, 1G11 8GU. Hardback 469 pages, £ 75. ISBN: 1-85168-455-6. This interesting new book written by prominent authorities from seven countries, presents the subject of reducing fat in meat of swine, small and large ruminants from different social and scientific aspects. A. Sinclair and K. O'dea from Australia, deal with fat in the human diet through history. After an analysis of the recent Western diet, the authors draw a comparison between that and the diet of aboriginal people in Australia who depend on hunting for their diet. Wild and domesticated meats are compared, and most of the