Age- and Sex-Related Changes in Body Weight, Muscle, and Tibia in Growing Chinese Domestic Geese (Anser domesticus)
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The aim of the study was to evaluation the age and sex of Jiangnan White geese up to the age of 63 days depending on body weight, muscle mass and tibia characteristics. The Introduction chapter provides an overview of the current knowledge about the age, but the lack information about influence on gender on the studied traits. The amount of geese is sufficient. The applied research methods are correct. The Materials and Methods chapter requires corrections and additions. The discussion was conducted well. The conclusions are correct. Article requires corrections prior to printing in Agriculture. The recommended changes are listed below:
General comments:
Please prepare the article in accordance with the instructions for authors.
In the Authors' contributions chapter, first enter the action from the instructions for authors in Agriculture journal (the same), and then the initials of the people responsible for it.
For all entries in References, the short name of the journal should be provided.
The name of the journal and volume must be in italic
Year of publication must be in bold.
The page range "ï€ï€" must be given in accordance with the authors' instructions, long dashes from the insert symbol function, not with justification
Detailed comments:
L17 „significantly” heavier
L17 (m. Pectoral major and minor)
L19 „significantly” lower
L19 leg muscles (all drumstick and thigh muscles from both legs)?
L25 after 28 d also there is a big increase in ash content
L47 add reference after "market age"
L51 add a description of the impact of shank length on egg fertilization
L58 add a description of the influence of gender on the examined features
L70 + building type (closed, no windows)? Litter covered floor?; pen size (dimensions), light intensity and color, scales name, manufacturer's information, the need for use for BW, breast weight, leg weight
L108 Largest or axial length?
L114 add a detailed description of the tibia breaking strength measurement - see for examples the article by KokoszyÅ„ski et al. (2018) Growth performance, carcass composition, leg bones ... ”in the Canadian Journal of Animal Science.
Results
There is no description of the „Maximum growth dynamics” and the „Asymptotic value” from Table 3
Please add table with BWG data (g / d), breast muscle weight (g/d), leg muscle weight (g/d) in the following weeks of rearing
Figure 1 - „Gompertz” for legend instead of Compertz
In table 3 Thigh muscles and leg muscle weight? (thigh and drumstick muscles in both legs)?
I suggest Tibia length (mm), Tibia width (mm), Tibia fat-free weight (g) Tibia breaking strength (N), Tibia ash content (%) instead of current form
In Discussion, add information about the physiological (hormonal) the basis of the differences between males and females
L189 21.18 and 19.84 instead of the current form according to Table 3
L198 "and ash content" instead of „and ash”
Chapters Author Contributions and References according to general comments
L309 Köhn instead of K?hn
L319 Dzierzęcka instead of Dzierz?cka?
Author Response
We appreciate reviewer for their constructive comments and suggestions on our manuscript entitled “Age- and sex-related changes in body weight, muscle, and tibia in growing domestic geese (Anser domesticus)”. According to the reviewers' suggestions, we have made revisions as follows:
General comments:
- In the Authors' contributions chapter, first enter the action from the instructions for authors in Agriculture journal (the same), and then the initials of the people responsible for it.
Response: We have modified our Authors' contributions chapter. Please look at lines.
- For all entries in References, the short name of the journal should be provided.
The name of the journal and volume must be in italic.
Year of publication must be in bold.
The page range "ï€ï€" must be given in accordance with the authors' instructions, long dashes from the insert symbol function, not with justification
Response: We have modified the contents of journal abbreviations, fonts, and symbols in the reference list. In addition, it should be noted that literature 17 in the list is Chinese journals, and the journal abbreviations are not available.
Detailed comments:
- L17 „significantly” heavier
Response: We have modified it. Please look at line 17.
- L17 (m. Pectoral major and minor)
Response: We have modified it. Please look at lines 17-18.
- L19 „significantly” lower
Response: We have modified it. Please look at line 19.
- L19 leg muscles (all drumstick and thigh muscles from both legs)?
Response: We have modified it. Please look at line 20.
- L25 after 28 d also there is a big increase in ash content
Response: After 28 d, there was no significant difference in ash content regardless of the males or females (Figure 4E).
- L47 add reference after "market age"
Response: We added references. Please look at line 47.
- L51 add a description of the impact of shank length on egg fertilization
Response: Thank you very much for your comments and suggestions. We originally meant that leg disease in laying hens causes a reduction in egg production performance, not shank length. We have removed the section on laying hens to avoid ambiguity when reading. Please look at line 52.
- L58 add a description of the influence of gender on the examined features
Response: We added this description. Please look at lines 63-64.
- L70 + building type (closed, no windows)? Litter covered floor?; pen size (dimensions), light intensity and color, scales name, manufacturer's information, the need for use for BW, breast weight, leg weight
Response: We added this information. Please look at lines 81-85.
- L108 Largest or axial length?
Response: Axial length. We have added this information. Please look at line 117.
- L114 add a detailed description of the tibia breaking strength measurement - see for examples the article by KokoszyÅ„ski et al. (2018) Growth performance, carcass composition, leg bones ... ”in the Canadian Journal of Animal Science.
Response: We added references. Please look at lines 122-126.
Results
- There is no description of the „Maximum growth dynamics” and the „Asymptotic value” from Table 3
Response: These descriptions are available in the results section for body weight. We made some changes to some terms for the consistency of the whole text. In addition, we added some descriptions in the muscle results section due to the mention in the discussion. Please look at Table 3 and lines 176-180.
- Please add table with BWG data (g / d), breast muscle weight (g/d), leg muscle weight (g/d) in the following weeks of rearing
Response: We have added this data. Please look at Figure 3. Besides, we also describe it in the results section. Please look at lines 149-151 and 170-175.
- Figure 1 - „Gompertz” for legend instead of Compertz
Response: We have corrected it. Please look at Figure 1.
- In table 3 Thigh muscles and leg muscle weight? (thigh and drumstick muscles in both legs)?
Response: Leg muscle. We have corrected it. Please look at table 3.
- I suggest Tibia length (mm), Tibia width (mm), Tibia fat-free weight (g) Tibia breaking strength (N), Tibia ash content (%) instead of current form
Response: We accepted the suggestions and made changes. Please look at table 3.
- In Discussion, add information about the physiological (hormonal) the basis of the differences between males and females
Response: We have added this information. Please look at 278-279.
- L189 21.18 and 19.84 instead of the current form according to Table 3
Response: We have corrected it. Please look at line 214.
- L198 "and ash content" instead of „and ash”
Response: We have modified it. Please look at line 223.
- Chapters Author Contributions and References according to general comments
Response: We have modified it.
- L309 Köhn instead of K?hn
Response: We have corrected it. Please look at line 357.
- L319 Dzierzęcka instead of Dzierz?cka?
Response: We have corrected it. Please look at line 374.
Reviewer 2 Report
Dear Authors
Regarding the manuscript title:
Age- and sex-related changes in body weight, muscle, and tibia in growing domestic geese (Anser domesticus).
The scientific background of the topic was well mentioned in the introduction part. The experiment design quite good, as well as the replicates and methods used, were quite good. The results obtained were presented in tables well discussed with other author’s results. However, there are some observation in the present paper should be corrected and add to improve the quality of the paper.
Discussion:
Needs more explanation as like;
- Why breast muscle weight increased slowly before 42 d and then increased rapidly after 42 d regardless of the sex of goslings?
- Why the breast muscle weight of males was lower than that of females?
- Why Goose leg muscle weight increased slowly from 0 to 14 d, rapidly from 15 to 49 d, and almost flat from 50 to 63 d?
- Why At 63 d, the leg muscle weight of males was higher than that of females?
- Why The tibia length and width increased with age,?
- Why the fat-free weight and breaking strength of the tibia increased with age until 49 d?
Table 1. Ingredient composition and nutrient content of experimental diets (as-fed basis).
What is the CP ratio of Soybean meal 44% or 46%? The same for Wheat bran and Rice husk?
Author Response
We appreciate reviewer for their constructive comments and suggestions on our manuscript entitled “Age- and sex-related changes in body weight, muscle, and tibia in growing domestic geese (Anser domesticus)”. According to the reviewers' comments, we have made response as follows:
Discussion:
Needs more explanation as like;
- Why breast muscle weight increased slowly before 42 d and then increased rapidly after 42 d regardless of the sex of goslings?
Response: Because the breast muscle is a late-maturing trait compared to the leg muscle, this has been explained in the manuscript. Please look at lines 284-256.
- Why the breast muscle weight of males was lower than that of females?
Response: Thank you for your question. We added explanations for the lower breast muscle weight in males than in females on d 42. Please look at lines 256-263.
3.Why Goose leg muscle weight increased slowly from 0 to 14 d, rapidly from 15 to 49 d, and almost flat from 50 to 63 d?
Response: Thank you for your question. We added explanations. Please look at lines 266-267.
- Why At 63 d, the leg muscle weight of males was higher than that of females?
Response: We added explanations. Please look at lines 263-266.
- Why The tibia length and width increased with age?
Response: We added explanations. Please look at lines 269-271.
- Why the fat-free weight and breaking strength of the tibia increased with age until 49 d?
Response: Thank you for your question. Our expression in the abstract was inaccurate, so we have made changes. Please look at lines 25-26.
- Table 1. Ingredient composition and nutrient content of experimental diets (as-fed basis).
What is the CP ratio of Soybean meal 44% or 46%? The same for Wheat bran and Rice husk?
Response: Thank you for your question. We have added this information. Please look at Table 1.
