THE RECOVERY AND REARING OF GNOTOBIOTIC L AMBS AND THEIR USE IN VETERINARY-MEDICINE

Our own innovated method of the hysterectomy recovery of gnotobiotic l ambs, modified equipment for gnotobiote rearing, management and tendin g techniques were tested in this study. A hysterectomy hood (Fig. 1) w as made from plexiglass and it fully met the requirements for simple a nd rapid handling. Our own modified isolator for gnotobiotic lamb rear ing (Fig. 2) made out of glass-reinforced plastic with plexiglass sigh t holes was used for group rearing. It was more resistant to mechanica l damage in comparison with the isolators equipped with PVC sheet pouc hes. The use of an isolator for feed and material (Fig. 3) and of an i solator for waste material storage with a PVC sheet pouch was found to be very practical; these isolators were connected to the rearing isol ator through piping. The ventilation system was sufficient enough. An emasculator was used for hysterectomy. The method is simple and rapid, reliable and it enabled to preserve lambing ewes for other experiment al purposes. Gnotobiotic lambs were successfully fed a milk replacer f or calves. Samples of biological material (blood, rumen fluid, droppin gs) were taken from lambs kept in the isolator. The isolators were ste rilized with 2% solution of peracetic acid sprayed as aerosol. Milk, m aterials made of glass and metal were autoclaved at a temperature of 1 21-degrees-C, pressure 1.2 atm, for 30 minutes, and the concentrate mi xture was sterilized with an X-ray dose of 2.5 Mrad. All the used meth ods of sterilization were fully efficient. A modified method reliably detecting lamb and isolator contamination was used for microbiological monitoring. Gnotobiotic lambs are employed to study mainly the develo pment of and effects on the digestive activities of rummant youngs wit h respect to their stimulation, prevention and therapy of digestive di sorders, to an improvement of feed utilization and production.