Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry3020007
Authors: Maria Chiara La Mantia Massimo Calì Luigi Petrocchi Jasinski Michela Contò David Meo Zilio Gianluca Renzi Monica Guarino Amato
Organic poultry sector needs high-quality proteins sources to meet specific requirements. The EU’s organic regulation forbids synthetic amino acids; therefore, soybean, with its balanced essential amino acid content, has become the most used protein source, though much of it is imported from non-EU countries, with sustainability and crop competition issues; therefore, it should be substituted with a high-protein-value alternative such as insect meal. In this study, 900 Aviagen Savanna broilers were fed with three different organic diets: soybean only (S100), 50% black soldier fly larvae meal (BSL) and 50% soybean (BSL50), and 100% BSL only (BSL100). Broiler performance, welfare, and fatty acids (FA) were analyzed. BSL50 and BSL100 negatively affected growth, while only BSL100 worsened all of the market-related performances. Meat showed a significant increase in saturated FA (SFA) (p < 0.000) and a corresponding decrease in polyunsaturated FA (PUFA), in BSL50 and BSL100, but α-linolenic acid was not affected by BSL50 treatment (p < 0.000). The SFA increase could represent a negative aspect for human health (e.g., cardiovascular diseases), but, as reported by other authors, medium chain SFA, (i.e., lauric acid), may show beneficial effects as well (i.e., antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties).
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry3010006
Authors: Zachary Heinsohn Austin Brown Eric Sobotik Gabrielle House Austin Stiewert William Evan Chaney Vivek Kuttappan Gregory S. Archer
This study evaluated the effect of a concentrated yeast fermentation product on the performance and stress response of broiler chickens. Day-old Cobb 500 male broiler chicks were randomly allocated to one of two dietary treatments: Control (CON) or concentrated yeast fermentation product (CSCFP, 0.625 kg/MT). On d18, simultaneous feed withdrawal and heat stress challenges were performed for 12 h. Blood was analyzed for plasma corticosterone (CORT) and heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (HL) on d19 and d42. Performance parameters were collected throughout the trial: body weight (BW), feed consumption (FC), and feed conversion ratio (FCR). On d19, the CSCFP birds had lower (p ≤ 0.05) CORT (5320.3 ng/mL) and HL (0.14) than the CON birds (9049.6 ng/mL and 0.21). On d42, the CSCFP birds had lower (p ≤ 0.05) CORT (1623.8 ng/mL) and HL (0.74) than the CON birds (2920.2 ng/mL and 1.05). No differences were observed in mortality (p > 0.05). The CON birds had a higher (p ≤ 0.05) FCR than CSCFP throughout all phases. The CON birds consumed more feed than the CSCFP birds throughout all phases (p ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, CYFP reduced stress and improved feed conversion when compared to CON, making it a viable feed additive to improve welfare and production.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry3010005
Authors: Joana Bittencourt Mathias Margarida Neves Souza Diéssy Kipper André Salvador Kazantzi Fonseca Vagner Ricardo Lunge Nilo Ikuta
The Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium), Heidelberg (S. Heidelberg), and their monophasic variants (S. 1,4,[5],12:i:-, S. 1,4,[5],12:r:- and S. 1,4,[5],12:-:1,2) are highly disseminated in poultry farming and can contaminate chicken meat, eggs, and other foods of avian origin. A time-consuming bacteriological and serological analysis is usually required to identify serovars by traditional methods. Incomplete and inconclusive serological results are frequent in routine analysis, mainly due to the occurrence of bacterial isolates presenting similar antigenic profiles. Molecular biology assays have been developed to improve the detection of specific Salmonella serovars and strains. This study aimed to develop a multiplex real-time PCR (SHTAmp) for the rapid DNA detection of S. Typhimurium, S. Heidelberg, and their monophasic variants from poultry samples. The methodology was used in the analysis of 147 field isolates from Brazilian poultry flocks previously evaluated with serological analysis. The results demonstrated that it was able to specifically and rapidly detect 21 S. Typhimurium and 57 S. Heidelberg isolates with complete antigenic formulae. Furthermore, SHTAmp was able to differentiate nine S. Typhimurium and 44 S. Heidelberg isolates with incomplete serological formulae (monophasic and aphasic variants). The complete methodology was also successfully used to detect these bacteria directly from 34 poultry samples after pre-enrichment in buffered peptone water (BPW). In conclusion, SHTAmp is a fast and accurate method to detect the two frequent and concerning serovars S. Typhimurium and S. Heidelberg directly from poultry samples.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry3010004
Authors: Jill R. Domel Gabrielle M. House Eric B. Sobotik Gregory S. Archer
Dietary inclusion of copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) can improve egg shell quality through changing the membrane structure. This study aimed to compare the responses of egg shell to different mineral sources. In this study, 60-week-old laying hens (n = 378) were assigned to one of seven treatments with 18 replicates each in an RCBD. Treatments included the following: control (basal + sulfated minerals (CuSO4, MnSO4, and ZnSO4)), and basal + amino acid complexed (AAC) minerals (AAC Cu, AAC Mn, AAC Zn, AAC Cu + Mn, AAC Mn + Zn, AAC Zn + Cu). Trace minerals were added to a basal diet containing 20 ppm MnSO4 and 20 ppm ZnSO4 to achieve overall target concentrations of 20 ppm Cu, 60 ppm Mn, and 60 ppm Zn. The hens were fed the treatment diet for 15 weeks, and egg production and egg quality were assessed during weeks 5, 10, and 15 of the experiment. Egg shells, egg contents, and excreta were analyzed for Cu, Mn, Zn, Ca, and P during weeks 10 and 15. No treatment differences (p > 0.05) were observed for production or egg quality. Differences between excreta mineral content were observed. The mineral content of egg shells and egg contents did not differ (p > 0.05) at any time point. The mineral source did not affect egg mineral deposition and egg quality measures (p > 0.05). Some AAC trace minerals enhanced retention of zinc, calcium, and manganese, although AAC Cu increased Cu excretion. Taken together, feeding AAC trace minerals does not significantly affect egg production or egg quality during the late-lay period. More research is needed to demonstrate whether Cu excretion is increased when feeding AAC Cu due to increased bioavailability or other factors.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry3010003
Authors: Miloud Araba George Girgis Hannah McBride Troy Lohrmann
Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) is a major contamination concern in eggs and risk for Salmonellosis in humans. Strains of Bacillus subtilis and yeast cell wall can be used as substitutes for antibiotic substances in feed against Salmonella in poultry. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of BacPack® (Quality Technology International, Inc., Elgin, IL, USA) Q1+1 (BPQ11), a feed additive combination of a Bacillus subtilis strain and Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall, on SE cecal colonization in Lohmann LSL pullets. A control group (CON) and a test group (BPQ) were each randomly assigned 100-day-old chicks. CON was fed a corn–soybean meal-based vegetarian mash diet, and BPQ was fed the control diet supplemented with BPQ11 for the duration of the study. At 8 days of age, chicks were orally challenged with a nalidixic acid-resistant SE strain at a dose of 6.3 × 107 colony forming units (CFUs) per bird. At 7, 11, 15, and 19 days post-challenge (DPC), 25 birds per group were euthanized, and their cecal contents were collected and analyzed for SE. SE counts were 6.88, 7.98, 7.79, and 7.50 in CON and 7.18, 7.31, 6.35, and 6.30 log10 CFU/g in BPQ at 7, 11, 15, and 19 DPC, respectively. SE did not differ between CON and BPQ at 7 DPC; however, BPQ had lower (p < 0.0001) SE at 11 (−0.67), 15 (−1.45), and 19 (−1.20 log10 CFU/g) DPC. Results indicate that synbiotic BPQ11 may be a useful dietary pre-harvest tool for SE management in layer birds.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry3010002
Authors: Douglas E. Cosby Michael D. McIntyre Josh DeVoll Aaron Jordan Johnna K. Garrish Mark E. Berrang Elizabeth McMillan
With the changing regulations in poultry processing, increased pressure is placed on integrators to reduce the number of human enteropathogenic bacteria on the final carcass and/or parts. Reducing the total number of bacteria on broiler carcasses before entering the evisceration side of the processing plant is projected to reduce the number of bacteria on the carcasses after chilling. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of a prototype wash cabinet using low volume, fluidic nozzles in combination with high pressure (450 psi) and hot water (60 °C) to remove bacteria from pre-scald, post-scald, or post picked carcasses. Carcasses (n = 5) from each location were obtained from a commercial processing plant, placed into individual sterile sample bags, placed into an insulated container, and transported to the U.S. National Poultry Research Center Pilot Plant within 30 min of collection. Carcasses were hung in standard shackles and sampled pre-wash with pre-moistened, cellulose swabs. All carcasses were washed in the prototype wash cabinet with 60 °C water at 450 psi at a line speed of 52 birds/minute on 15.24 cm centered shackles. Post-wash breast sponge samples were collected identical to pre-wash swabs. Buffered peptone water (BPW) was added, sponges stomached and serially diluted before plating onto total aerobic count (TAC), Enterobacteriaceae (ENT) and Escherichia. coli (EC) Petrifilm® cards. All PetriFilm® cards were incubated at 37 °C for 24 ± 2 h. After incubation, bacterial counts were recorded and converted to log10 CFU/swab. Samples were processed for Campylobacter species using the Tempo® CAM protocol. Four replications were conducted on separate dates. Paired t-tests were used to compare numbers recovered from breast swabs collected before and after the wash cabinet, significance reported at p < 0.05. Pre-scald samples had significant reductions of 2.50, 2.01, and 1.73 log10 colony-forming units/carcass (CFU/carcass) for TAC, Ent, and EC Petrifilm®, respectively, and a 2.21 CFU/mL reduction of Campylobacter species using Tempo® CAM. Post-scald, there were significant reductions of 2.09, 1.23, and 0.90 CFU/carcass for TA, Ent, and EC Petrifilm®, respectively, and a 1.14 CFU/mL reduction of Campylobacter species using Tempo® CAM. Post-pick, significant reductions of 0.73, 1.53, and 0.99 CFU/carcass for TA, Ent, and EC Petrifilm®, respectively, and a 0.86 CFU/carcass reduction of Campylobacter species using Tempo® CAM were reported. These data indicate that hot water at high pressure can reduce total bacterial load on carcasses and reduce pathogenic bacteria on carcasses prior to evisceration.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry3010001
Authors: Giovana Camargo de Souza Giovanna Fernandes Esteves Franciana Aparecida Volpato Rovian Miotto Marcos Antônio Zanella Mores Adriana Mércia Guaratini Ibelli Ana Paula Bastos
The objective of the current investigation was to evaluate several Eimeria challenges and the resulting alterations in intestinal permeability, intestinal morphology, and intestinal lesion scores in broiler chickens. This study included four groups with ten replicate cages per treatment, in which each group received a different treatment dosage of Eimeria, characterizing high, medium-high, and medium-low challenges. Five days after the challenge, intestinal lesions and permeability were assessed. The results showed that the increase in Eimeria challenge led to a considerable decrease in the height of intestinal villosities, in the ratio between villosity size and crypt depth, and in goblet cells. Moreover, after the challenge, there was a considerable increase in intestinal permeability. In conclusion, the medium-low, medium-high, and high-challenge models can be utilized for experimental infection. In the context of clinical studies, it has been observed that the administration of medium-high and high-challenge doses has proven to be adequate. However, it is advisable to utilize a medium-low challenge level to develop a subclinical challenge model for forthcoming investigations that aim to evaluate nutritional recommendations.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2040038
Authors: Victor A. Palomino-Tapia Guillermo Zavala Sunny Cheng Maricarmen Garcia
The establishment of commercial infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) live-modified vaccines has relied on serial passaging in chicken embryo (CEO) and tissue culture (TCO) for attenuation. The objective of this study was to attenuate and adapt a virulent CEO-related ILTV field strain (6340) in immortalized cells (LMH), primary chicken embryo kidney cells (CEK), chicken embryo liver cells (CEL), and chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF). CEFs were refractory to parent ILTV, LMH cells produced low virus yields (~2.5 log10 TCID50 per mL), while CEK and CEL cells produced higher viral titers (≥log10 6.0 TCID50 per mL). After 52 passages in CELs, the cytopathic effect (CPE) was observed not only in hepatocytes but also in CEL fibroblasts. Once CPE was evident in CEL fibroblasts, 20 further passages in CEFs with viral titers reaching yields of ~4.4–5.5 log10 TCID50 per mL were performed. The attenuation of CEF-adapted viruses was evaluated after intra-tracheal and conjunctival inoculation in 28-day-old broilers by assessing clinical signs at five days post-inoculation (DPI). Virus CEL cells passages 80, 90, and 100, and CEF passages 10 and 20 were significantly attenuated compared to the parental strain. This is the first report of the attenuation of a virulent field CEO-related ILTV strain (RFLP Group V) in CEF cells—a cell type from a different embryonic germ layer (mesoderm) than ILTV target cells—the respiratory epithelium (endoderm). This finding underscores the potential use of CEF adaptation for the development of a live-attenuated ILTV vaccine.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2040037
Authors: Yauheni Shastak Wolf Pelletier
Vitamin A, a critical micronutrient, plays a vital role in maintaining poultry health and maximizing productivity. This comprehensive review paper conducts a thorough analysis of the consequences of vitamin A deficiency in domestic fowl. It delves into the physiological functions of vitamin A and investigates how hypovitaminosis A impacts growth, immune function, reproduction, and overall poultry performance. Additionally, the review explores effective strategies for preventing and managing vitamin A deficiency, such as dietary adjustments and supplementation, while addressing the specific requirements for vitamin A intake. The implementation of these strategies holds immense importance in optimizing poultry management practices and achieving peak performance in poultry production. A profound understanding of the prevalence and factors contributing to clinical and subclinical vitamin A deficiency in domestic fowl is essential for ensuring the efficiency of poultry farming operations. Recognizing the pivotal role of vitamin A and applying the appropriate measures empowers poultry farmers to enhance the health outcomes and overall performance of their flocks.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2040036
Authors: Thiago L. Noetzold Jo Ann Chew Douglas R. Korver René P. Kwakkel Laura Star Martin J. Zuidhof
This study aimed to determine the effects of dietary energy and body-weight (BW) restriction on layer pullets’ growth, uniformity, and feed efficiency. Two experiments were conducted using a precision feeding (PF) system (Experiment 1) and a conventional feeding (CON) system (Experiment 2). Experiment 1 consisted of a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement (eight treatments) with two feed allocation (FA) levels: meal every visit (MEV) or restricted to the lower boundary of Lohmann Brown-Lite pullets; and three dietary metabolizable energy (ME) levels: Low, Standard (Std), and High (2600, 2800, and 3000 kcal/kg, respectively); the fourth treatment enabled birds to choose from the three diets (Choice). Experiment 2 consisted of a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement (six treatments): two FA levels (ad libitum or restricted) and three dietary ME levels (Low, Std, and High). In each experiment, BW, coefficient of variation (CV), average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily metabolizable energy intake (MEI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were recorded. Diet ADFI preferences and feeding motivation were determined only in the PF experiment. ANOVA was conducted on each experiment with the two main effects as fixed factors (FA and dietary ME), and age or period as the sources of variation. Differences were reported at p ≤ 0.05. MEV (PF experiment) and ad libitum-fed (CON experiment) pullets had greater BW compared to restricted-fed pullets (p < 0.05). The lowest CV was observed in the restricted-fed pullets from the PF experiment (p < 0.05). ADFI was greater in pullets fed the Low ME diet in the PF experiment compared to all the other groups, and the lower the dietary ME, the greater the ADFI in the CON experiment (p < 0.05). Choice-feeding pullets preferred feed with greater ME content in the PF experiment (p < 0.05). The lower the dietary ME, the greater the FCR in the CON experiment (p < 0.05). Restricted-fed pullets had greater daily visits, and lower daily meals, meal size, and successful visits to the PF system (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the results of this trial indicated that lower dietary ME increased FCR and ADFI, whereas feed restriction decreased BW and increased feeding motivation. Future steps after this trial will include examining the effects of dietary energy and feed restriction on carcass composition and sexual maturation.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2040035
Authors: Dênia Oliveira de Souza Cirano José Ulhoa Weslane Justina da Silva Denise Russi Rodrigues Nadielli Pereira Bonifácio Fabiana Ramos dos Santos Fabiano Guimarães Silva Cibele Silva Minafra
This study aimed to evaluate the addition of liquid cellulose, produced by Humicola grisea, in 21-day-old broiler chickens’ diets. The treatments comprised control rations of corn and soybean meal and rations to which 500 mL/t and 1000 mL/t of cellulase were added. A total of 180 male broiler chickens were used, distributed in a completely randomized design, with three treatments and six replicates. Broiler chicken performance was monitored during the period from 1 to 21 days old. Significant effects were detected for digestibility only between four and seven days old, when a reduced dry matter nitrogen intake was recorded, and for nitrogen digestibility in the broilers fed cellulase-supplemented rations at a dose of 1000 m/L. Among the analyzed digestive organs, only the biometrics of the large intestine were affected significantly at seven days old. The absolute weights of the liver and pancreas and the activities of amylase, alkaline phosphatase, and transaminases were not affected significantly, indicating that cellulase did not affect the metabolism of these organs. No significant effect was detected in the serum for electrolytes, total protein, or alkaline phosphatase. So, the addition of liquid cellulase produced by Humicola grisea did not affect performance and metabolism in 21-day-old broiler chickens.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2040034
Authors: Lenilson Fonseca Roza Evandro Menezes de Oliveira Lidiane Staub Tainara Ciuffi Euzébio Dornelas Paula Toshimi Matumoto Pintro Danielle Aparecida Munhos Hermoso Emy Luiza Ishii Iwamoto Alice Eiko Murakami Tatiana Carlesso Santos
The effects of Tagetes erecta flower extract (TFE) and increasing levels of vitamin E (VE) in the diet of Japanese quail breeders on progeny performance and oxidative status were studied. Methods: 480 Japanese quail breeders were distributed in a completely randomized design with five treatments and twelve replications of six females and two males each. A control diet (25 mg/kg VE) and four diets supplemented with TFE (3 g/kg) and VE (25, 100, 175, or 250 mg/kg) were used. Fresh yolk samples and the yolk sac and liver from embryos (11 and 15 days) and chicks (hatch and 3 days) were analysed. Data were subjected to ANOVA, a regression linear model, and contrast tests and the level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: TF and VE in the maternal diet improved the amount of alfa-tocopherol and total carotenoid content in the yolk. TFE + VE reduced lipid peroxidation and improved the oxidative status in the fresh yolk, in the embryo and chick yolk, and in the liver. Liver superoxide dismutase activity in hatched chicks increased linearly with the VE level and was not altered by TFE. Maternal diets did not influence progeny performance (1 to 28 days) or the relative expression of superoxide dismutase or glutathione peroxidase genes in the liver of chicks. Conclusions: TFE is an effective antioxidant in fresh eggs and supplementation of 3 g/kg TFE and high levels of VE in quail breeders improves the oxidative status of embryos and newly hatched chicks.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2040033
Authors: Seyed Abolghasem Fatemi Christopher J. Williams Joshua Deines Edgar David Peebles
In ovo injection of the Marek’s disease (MD) vaccine (MDV) has been widely practiced in commercial US hatcheries. However, the MDV is very sensitive and may not be compatible with some nutrients when administered together by in ovo injection. When individually administered by in ovo injection, L-Ascorbic acid (L-AA) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25OHD3) have previously exhibited very promising results on the post-hatch physiological and immunological characteristics of broilers subjected to stressful commercial conditions. However, the compatibility of the MDV with these vitamins has not been previously explored. Their compatibility must first be established before their combined administration by in ovo injection can be considered. Therefore, the objective in this study was to determine the compatibility of the MDV with various levels of 25OHD3 or L-AA. The treatments employed were MDV-alone, MDV in combination with 0.6 (low) or 2.4 (high) μg doses of 25OHD3, or MDV in combination with 1.2 (low) or 12 (high) mg doses of L-AA. The live and dead ratio of primary chick embryo fibroblast cells infected by the MD virus (CEF-MDV) in each treatment was determined every 30 min for 2 h. The L-AA at both the low and high doses resulted in a 70% death of CEF-MDV within 1 h, but either dose of the 25OHD3 exhibited only an approximate 5% lower CEF-MDV survival as compared to those in the MDV-alone treatment. Therefore, it is suggested that the two designated doses of 25OHD3 have the potential to be effectively combined with the MDV for subsequent administration by in ovo injection.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2030032
Authors: Sashka Chobanova Nikolay Karkelanov Stephen Charles Mansbridge Isobel Margaret Whiting Antonija Simic Stephen Paul Rose Vasil Radoslavov Pirgozliev
The production of soybean meal (SBM) has a substantial impact on the environment and reducing its inclusion in poultry diets by using alternative protein sources, such as insect meal, is an important challenge for nutritionists. This study aimed to compare the productive performance of broiler chickens fed one of two isonitrogenic (195 g/kg CP) and isocaloric (12.91 MJ/kg) diets. The first diet contained SBM as the main protein source, whereas SBM was completely replaced by defatted meal from Black Soldier Fly larvae (Hermetia illucens L.; BSFL) in the second diet. Compared to the BSFL diet, the final body weight (BW) and weight gain (WG) of birds fed the SBM diet was ~17% greater and feed was utilised 19% more efficiently (p < 0.05). The differences in WG and FCR were supported by improved energy metabolism metrics, fat digestibility and digestibility of acid detergent fibres (ADFD) (p < 0.05). The present study shows that a complete replacement of dietary SBM with BSFL meal must be achieved with care, ensuring that all other factors (e.g., insect processing technology, feed additive supplementation, non-protein nitrogen accounting, mineral balance, fatty acid profile, amino acid supplementation) have been considered.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2030031
Authors: Benjamin N. Alig Kenneth E. Anderson Ramon D. Malheiros Justin H. Lowery Lin L. Walker
Food safety is a major concern for commercial poultry producers and consumers. Currently, there is also pressure from retailers and legislators to increase the space per hen in cages. Five different density treatments consisting of six (208 in2/bird), nine (139 in2/bird), twelve (104 in2/bird), fifteen (83 in2/bird), and eighteen birds (69 in2/bird) per cage were examined in colony cage environments. Microbiological tests were performed at 39, 55, and 68 weeks of age. The populations of total aerobic bacteria; E. coli/coliform; Enterobacteriaceae; and yeasts and molds from an eggshell rinse, egg content, and cloacal swabs were enumerated. The prevalence of Salmonella spp. in these samples was also monitored. Overall, no bacteria were detected in any of the egg content, and there were no differences (p > 0.05) between treatments for the shell rinse. Stocking density did not influence the eggshell microbiota of the hens. Hens housed at 104 in2 per hen showed higher levels of total aerobic bacterial counts from the cloaca compared to hens at 208 in2 and 69 in2 per hen. Hens housed at 139 in2 per hen had the highest level of cloacal molds. This research demonstrates that stocking density does not influence eggshell microbiota or Salmonella contamination of the eggshell or cloaca, thereby indicating that allowing more space per hen will not positively or negatively affect the prevalence or concentration of foodborne pathogen-associated bacteria in or on the eggs.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2030030
Authors: Gabriela C. Dal Pont Annah Lee Cristiano Bortoluzzi Yuhua Z. Farnell Christos Gougoulias Michael H. Kogut
In the past decade, the withdrawal of antibiotics used as growth promoters (AGP) has increased some poultry industry challenges, such as the rise of intestinal diseases. Experts advocate that AGPs improve performance due to the modulation of the intestinal microbiota, with resulting anti-inflammatory effects. However, the impact and interactions of AGPs with the host intestinal immune system are still unknown, which represents issues in developing effective alternatives for AGPs. Therefore, this study was aimed at better understanding the potential mechanism of action of bacitracin used as AGP and its impacts on the intestinal immune system. Ninety day-of-hatch chickens were randomly assigned to two treatments with three repetitions of fifteen birds, a control (CNT) group with a corn/soybean meal standard diet, and a control diet supplemented with 50 g/ton of feed of bacitracin (BMD). The cytokines’ and chemokines’ production (IFN-α, IFN-γ, IL-16, IL-10, IL-21, IL-6, M-CSF, MIP-3α, MIP-1β, VEGF and CCL-5) were assessed in the jejunum and ileum at 14, 21, 28 and 36 days of age by using a chicken-specific cytokine/chemokine peptide ELISA array. Broilers with BMD supplementation were found to have a lower production of IL-16, IFN-γ, M-CSF, IL-21, MIP-1β and VEGF in the jejunum at 14 d. However, from 21 through 36 days, the effect of BMD on cytokine production in the jejunum was negligible except for CCL-5, which was reduced at D36. In the ileum, BMD effects on the cytokine profile started at 28 d, when BMD-supplemented broilers showed a reduced IL-6 production level. At day 36, BMD reduced IL-16 and MIP-3α production but increased VEGF concentration in the ileum tissue. The present study demonstrated that the use of bacitracin as an AGP modulates the small intestine immune system, especially in the first phase of the broiler’s life (up to 14 days). Moreover, BMD anti-inflammatory effects include not only innate immunity but also seemed to influence the development of the adaptive immune response as seen by the decreased production of IL-21 and IL-16. These results demonstrate that a commonly used AGP in broiler feed had a local anti-inflammatory effect.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2030029
Authors: Pallavi Mishra Akash Golaviya Ketankumar Panchal Ankit Hinsu Kavita Yadav Guillaume Fournié Tony Barnett Prakash Koringa Haidar Ul Iman Paleja Rajib Dasgupta
Background: The poultry industry in India, estimated to be worth about one trillion INR, was severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was conducted in Gujarat, India to unpack the processes through which COVID-19-related factors affected the poultry production and distribution network and explore the impacts on the relevant actors. Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted among 34 poultry stakeholders using semi-structured interviews. The data were thematically analyzed by adopting an interpretative phenomenological approach. Results: Convincing evidence emerged that the lockdown and the pandemic significantly impacted the production, distribution, and consumption of poultry products. Movement restrictions during the first lockdown disrupted the supply of inputs and the distribution of poultry and poultry products. Between March and June 2020, rumors contributed to a substantial decrease in the consumption of poultry products. Consumption picked up following the reopening after the lockdown and the prices and availability of poultry products. The profits, however, failed to compensate for the losses that had been incurred. Conclusions: The experience and impacts of the first COVID-19 lockdown on the poultry industry unraveled several short- and medium-term challenges in the poultry sector in India that need to be addressed to make it more resilient to similar shocks.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2030028
Authors: Maddison L. Wiersema Brian J. Kerr Dawn A. Koltes
The adoption of methods detecting intestinal permeability in poultry has been slow due to the lack of urine availability in avian species. The objective of this study was to examine intestinal permeability assays in broilers using serum. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FITC-D) and lactulose/mannitol/sucralose (LMS), indigestible sugars, were used to detect intestinal permeability across two fed states (fed or fasted) and four sugar treatments (Control, FITC-D, LMS, or FITC-D+LMS). Broilers housed in pens were assigned one of eight treatments and sampled on 14, 28, and 42 days of age. Data were analyzed using PROC Glimmix for fed state, sugar treatment, age, and all interactions. Serum lactulose and FITC-D increased in fasted compared to fed birds (p < 0.006), whereas mannitol increased in fed compared to fasted birds (p < 0.001). Serum lactulose and FITC-D decreased on day 28 compared to other timepoints (p < 0.003). Serum FITC-D only had a significant sugar by fed state interaction (p < 0.05) with elevated concentrations in fasted and fed birds that received FITC-D. Serum lactulose was significant for all interactions with elevated concentrations in broilers provided lactulose and fasted (p < 0.001). The ability to detect a three-way interaction with serum lactulose suggests an increased sensitivity; however, additional studies are needed.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2030027
Authors: Md. Safiul Alam Bhuiyan Subir Sarker Zarina Amin Kenneth Francis Rodrigues Suryani Saallah Sharifudin Md. Shaarani Shafiquzzaman Siddiquee
Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is an avian coronavirus (CoV) that belongs to the genus Gammacoronavirus and has been listed as an important disease by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). It causes highly contagious respiratory, reproductive, and renal diseases in commercial poultry farms. Multiple IBV serotypes and genotypes have been identified in many countries and many detected variants do not provide cross-protection against infection, resulting in repeated outbreaks and significant economic losses worldwide. In addition, the high genetic mutations and recombination events in the prominent genomic regions of IBV, particularly in the spike glycoprotein (S) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins, are directly involved in the evolutionary processes of IBV and lead to increased pathogenicity and tissue tropism. The characterization of the different genotypes and the relationship between the structure, function, post-translational modifications (PTMs), and structural motifs will elucidate the mechanisms that promote replication and pathogenicity and affect the host’s immune response during infection. In this review, we discuss the molecular features of various IBV genes and proteins that contribute to the infection process. We also highlight the common PTMs and structural motifs that occur during protein synthesis and are essential components of IBV ecology.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2030026
Authors: Orie Hochman Wanhong Xu Ming Yang Chengbo Yang Aruna Ambagala Anna Rogiewicz Joseph J. Wang Yohannes Berhane
Influenza A viruses (IAVs) belonging to the goose/Guangdong (Gs/GD)-lineage H5Nx remain a major concern for the global poultry industry, wildlife, and humans. The hemagglutinin (HA) protein is the dominant antigenic epitope carrier within IAV, which in turn triggers substantial immunogenic responses in the infected host. The current study describes the development and validation of a highly sensitive competitive H5 ELISA (cELISA) based on a novel monoclonal antibody developed in mice immunized with inactivated virus H5N1 (A/Turkey/ON/6213/1966). The cELISA is capable of detecting the H5 antibody response to a wider range of H5-subtype viruses belonging to both North American and Eurasia lineages, including the Gs/GD H5Nx from clade 2.3.4.4b that is currently causing the highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks in Eurasia, Africa, and Latin and North America. The developed H5 cELISA provides a specific, sensitive, and species-independent serological assay for the rapid detection of H5 antibodies. The assay is more robust and more sensitive than the hemagglutination inhibition assay, which is the “Gold standard”. The assay can be used in serological diagnosis, serosurveillance, and vaccine monitoring of serum samples collected from different species of animals.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2020025
Authors: Dereje Tsegaye Berhan Tamir Getachew Gebru
Disease prevalence and seasonal outbreaks are challenging the poultry industry in Ethiopia. Proper and sustainable implementation of biosecurity practices is important to reverse such problems. This study was conducted in commercial poultry farms in two zones of Ethiopia to investigate farm characteristics, implementation of biosecurity practices, and biosecurity status (BS) using a structured questionnaire. The variables were grouped into three biosecurity factors, including conceptual, structural, and operational biosecurity, based on their homogeneity. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to summarize the results. Most commercial farms were owned by males (69.7%). The majority of the farms (40.3%) were located at a distance <50 m from residential areas. Farm owners do not provide biosecurity training to their employees (68.8%), which results in poor biosecurity implementation. The mean conceptual, structural, and operational BS were 50.4 ± 11.62, 63.27 ± 10.51, and 44.69 ± 13.04, respectively, indicating operational biosecurity measurements were less implemented. Overall, the BS indicated that 40.7% of the farms have BS < 50% questing for interventions. Farm characteristics and biosecurity measurements were positively associated with BS, which shows substantial room for improvement. Owners’ education, occupation, experience, farm flock size, and training were significantly associated with BS (p < 0.05). A disease prevention strategy through biosecurity improvement is an economical means for controlling poultry disease prevalence.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2020024
Authors: Ramesh Bahadur Bist Xiao Yang Sachin Subedi Milan Kumar Sharma Amit Kumar Singh Casey W. Ritz Woo Kyun Kim Lilong Chai
The welfare of laying hens in conventional caged houses has become an increased public concern, leading primary food chains, restaurants, and grocers in the United States to pledge to source only cage-free (CF) eggs by 2025 or 2030. Cage-free housing systems have been considered as a more humane alternative; however, they still come with certain challenges. One of the primary challenges with CF housing is the poor indoor air quality due to the high levels of ammonia (NH3) and particulate matter (PM). Despite the importance of air quality in animal welfare, most studies have focused on the egg-laying stage, thereby leaving a significant knowledge gap in the pullet phase. Addressing this gap is essential to ensure the well-being of laying hens in CF housing and to help producers and researchers identify effective strategies to mitigate the impact of poor indoor air quality on the bird’s health and welfare. Therefore, the objective of this study was to (a) examine the effect of the pullets’ age on NH3 and PM levels, and (b) find the effect of housing, litter moisture content (LMC), and relative humidity (RH) on air pollutant concentrations. The results show that the PM levels of PM2.5, PM10, and total suspended particles (TSP) increased significantly with the growth of birds from 1 to 16 weeks of age (WOA) (p < 0.01). For instance, PM2.5, PM10, and TSP levels were measured at 0.023 ± 0.003, 0.031 ± 0.004, and 0.058 ± 0.013 mg m−3 in the first week, and these levels increased to 1.44 ± 0.58, 2.723 ± 1.094, and 6.39 ± 2.96 mg m−3, respectively, by 16 WOA. In addition, PM levels measured near the perch were found to be three times higher than other locations inside the rooms (e.g., between the feeder and drinker or near the exhaust fan) (p < 0.01), as perching is one of the primary reasons for dust generation. Furthermore, a significant interaction between the age of the pullets and PM levels was found (p < 0.01), as the litter quality and the behaviors of birds were changing over time. For NH3 levels, average daily concentrations were lower than 1 ppm at 16 WOA for all rooms due to dry litter conditions (i.e., 9–10% LMC). Additionally, RH has been shown to have a significant effect on air pollutant concentration. Overall, the results indicate that the bird’s age significantly affects PM generation and PM variation within the rooms. The variation of PM was directly affected by RH inside the house. Therefore, this research will provide valuable information for both researchers and producers to control air pollutant emissions from the pullet stage in CF housing to ultimately improve the health and welfare of hens.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2020023
Authors: Igor A. Ionov Oleg O. Katerinich Viktor O. Kuchmistov Olga V. Anisimova Darren K. Griffin Michael N. Romanov Irina O. Zhukova
One of the major problems impeding the sustainable development of goose production is low egg hatchability. Thus, it is imperative to develop more efficient ways to improve the hatching qualities of goose eggs. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of changes in the temperature regime of incubation on the availability of vitamins A (retinol) and E (α-tocopherol), as well as important elements of antioxidant protection in embryos and goslings. The initial heating of eggs at temperatures of 39 and 39.5 °C during the first 24 or 36 h was used as the main factor influencing goose embryo development. The dynamics in the content of antioxidant retinol and α-tocopherol were analyzed in the liver of embryos and goslings (up to 9 days of age) using the standard regime of incubation (at 38 °C) and the prior heating of eggs (at 39 °C and 39.5 °C) in the first 24 and 36 h of incubation. The obtained results provided new information about the effect of the initial heating of eggs on the function of antioxidants in the gosling’s body. It was confirmed that the age-related changes of retinol and α-tocopherol levels in goslings are similar to those found in chicks, ducklings, and turkey-poults. In addition, the effect of an egg’s weight on hatchability was established, with the hatchability of eggs in the medium weight class being higher than that of smaller and larger eggs. The efficiency of the redistribution of retinol from the yolk to the liver in day-old goslings was higher by 6% when exposing eggs to a temperature of 39.5 °C for 36 h. The initial heating regime at 39.5 °C led to an increased hatch of goslings, and to the evenness of their hatch from eggs of different weights, approaching the hatch values of the medium class. Overall, the α-tocopherol concentration in the liver of embryos and goslings, using the starting heating of eggs, was higher than that with the standard temperature mode of incubation. At the same time, the hatch rate of goslings increased by 9–13%, and the hatchability of eggs by 10–16%. For use in the practice of hatcheries and breeding poultry farms, it is recommended that goose eggs are heated for 36 h at 39.5 °C.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2020022
Authors: Jessie Lee Michael J. Mienaltowski
With an increase in the demand and production of chicken products, broilers have been bred to grow larger at a faster rate. This has led to several myopathies, one of which being white striping, which is now common to almost all broilers and is characterized as the deposition of fat within the broiler breast muscles. The purposes of this review are to examine the change in chicken production over the years, and to consider normal muscle growth physiology and the suspected pathological process and causes of white striping, as well as white striping visualization and detection in fast-growing broilers. With the increase in growth rate and size, multiple biochemical processes are affected in broilers, leading to hypoxia and inflammation, subsequent formation of foam cells from macrophages, and the deposition of fat in the form of white stripes along the muscle tissues. The negative effects of white striping include increased fat content and calories and decreased protein content, as well as reductions in palatability and drip loss. Thus, this review also explores the effects of white striping on meat quality, and finally evaluates several strategies attempted to mitigate white striping.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2020021
Authors: Ramesh Bahadur Bist Sachin Subedi Xiao Yang Lilong Chai
Pecking is one of the most concerning poultry welfare issues in the layer houses, especially in the cage-free (CF) housing system. Pecking behavior may lead to severe feather pecking (SFP) and cannibalism when birds feel frustrated, stressed, and dominant over other birds. Since pecking is caused by multi-factorial problems (e.g., hormonal influence, environment, dietary composition, and genetic differences), it is very important to find optimal strategies for reducing pecking damage. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of pullet age and management practices on pecking behavior and to identify the optimal pecking mitigation strategy. Four climate-controlled rooms were used, each housing 200 Hy-Line W36 pullets, for a total of 800 pullets from 0 to 16 weeks of age (WOA). Pecking mitigation strategies were tested at different ages, including an isolated chamber (IC) at 14 WOA, an IC with lotion (water, aloe vera gel, tea tree oil, calendula, and methyl anthranilate), and a pecking block from 15 to 16 WOA. Data on severe feather pecking (SFP) and mortality were collected daily from 13 to 16 WOA during the pecking block, IC, and IC with lotion treatments and from 0 to 16 WOA for the entire pullet cycle of age treatment. Results show that the SFP significantly increased with the bird’s age (p < 0.01). The SFP started with 5 WOA. About 16% of birds were found with severe peck damages by 16 WOA. In this study, pecking blocks did not show a reduction in pecking order, possibly due to pecking at alarming rates. Isolating birds with SFP damages into the IC and applying lotion resulted in a significant decrease in SFP (p < 0.05) and cannibalism (p < 0.05). This study provides a reference for commercial CF egg producers to develop on-farm management strategies for mitigating pecking damage and cannibalism.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2020020
Authors: Dieter Liebhart Ivana Bilic Beatrice Grafl Claudia Hess Michael Hess
Controlling infectious diseases is vital for poultry health and diagnostic methods are an indispensable feature to resolve disease etiologies and the impact of infectious agents on the host. Although the basic principles of disease diagnostics have not changed, the spectrum of poultry diseases constantly expanded, with the identification of new pathogens and improved knowledge on epidemiology and disease pathogenesis. In parallel, new technologies have been devised to identify and characterize infectious agents, but classical methods remain crucial, especially the isolation of pathogens and their further characterization in functional assays and studies. This review aims to highlight certain aspects of diagnosing infectious poultry pathogens, from the farm via the diagnostic laboratory and back, in order to close the circle. By this, the current knowledge will be summarized and future developments will be discussed in the context of applied state-of-the-art techniques. Overall, a common challenge is the increasing demand for infrastructure, skills and expertise. Divided into separate chapters, reflecting different disciplines, daily work implies the need to closely link technologies and human expertise in order to improve bird health, the production economy and to implement future intervention strategies for disease prevention.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2020019
Authors: Rohollah Ebrahimi Mahdi Ebrahimi Majid Shakeri
Environmental pollution has increased over the past few decades, posing serious risks to all biological systems, including the poultry sector. Oxidative stress in chickens caused by dietary, environmental, and pathological variables influences how well chickens perform as well as the quality of meat and eggs. Lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) are two examples of heavy metals that are harmful for chicken health. They can cause oxidative stress by increasing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) and blocking antioxidants from protecting cells from increased amounts of free radicals. The oxidative state of heavy metals, their interactions with endogenous antioxidants, and chemical processes all affect how hazardous they are to the body. Today, scientists have investigated and applied a variety of nutritional tactics to lessen the harmful effects of oxidative stress on animal health brought on by heavy metals. Researchers have recently become interested in the chemicals because of their chelating and growth-stimulating functions, as well as the antioxidant qualities of useful plant components. The deleterious consequences of oxidative stress induced by two heavy metals on chickens is discussed in this review, along with phytogenic use as a potential intervention strategy to lessen these effects and maintain the redox equilibrium in poultry.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2020018
Authors: Benjamin N. Alig Ramon D. Malheiros Kenneth E. Anderson
Currently, the egg industry is experiencing a shift in demand for eggs from cage-free environments. This study aims to evaluate the egg quality parameters of white eggs laid in several different housing environments utilized in the industry. Egg quality parameters from battery cages, barren colony cages, enriched colony cages and cage-free pens were compared. Overall, most egg quality parameters were found to be different across housing environments. Battery cages produced the heaviest eggs and eggs with the highest Haugh unit (p < 0.05). Cage-free hens produced eggs with the darkest yolks, lowest Haugh units, strongest shells and highest solids percentage compared to other environments (p < 0.05). This study did not detect differences between any housing environment in shell color, shell elasticity, vitelline membrane strength or vitelline membrane elasticity (p > 0.05). Moreover, this study did not detect any differences in egg quality parameters between enriched and barren colony cages (p > 0.05). It appears that white egg-laying hens had superior egg quality performance in caged environments and that cage-free pens only improved yolk color. Furthermore, it appears that simply adding enrichments to cages does not affect any egg quality parameters. From the results of our study, we believe that current intensive environments, such as cages, are the most beneficial for white egg layer egg quality and that as the industry moves toward cage-free, new strategies will need to be developed to preserve egg quality. More research is needed, particularly evaluating free-range environments.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2020017
Authors: Benjamin N. Alig Peter R. Ferket Ramon D. Malheiros Kenneth E. Anderson
The housing environment has become a critical issue for consumers of eggs and egg products. Therefore, it is imperative to understand how various housing environments can affect the modern laying hen. In this study, alongside the 40th NC layer performance test, four different housing environments were chosen based on industry prevalence, which include conventional cages, barren, enrichable colony cages, enriched colony cages, and cage-free environments. Hens in these environments were raised following standard feeding and lighting practices. This study found that conventional cage and enriched colony cage hens had the highest egg production level, while hens from the barren colony cages had the lowest production level. Feed efficiency followed a similar trend, where conventional cage and cage-free hens had the best feed efficiency, followed by enriched colony cage and barren colony cage hens. This study also found that conventional cage hens had the largest eggs, while cage-free hens had the smallest eggs. Cage-free and conventional cage hens had the lowest mortality rate, while hens in the barren colony cage had the highest mortality rate. From the data shown, it appears that standard, conventional cages provide white egg layers with the most optimal environment for production performance. However, a further evaluation of health and stress is needed to determine which environment provides the hen with optimal welfare.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2020016
Authors: Herve Tchoffo Nathalie Ngwemetah Donatien Albert Atsamo Chongsi Margaret Mary Momo Christelle Yolande Djoukouo Signe Blandine Kambou Arius Baulland Nguedia Dongmo Nadege Djuissi Motchewo Ferdinand Ngoula
The leaf extracts of Dacryodes edulis possess high concentrations of alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, and tannins with various biological activities, including antimicrobial, antifungal, and antioxidant activities. These activities can be used in animal production to avoid the energy lost in favor of growth and reproduction. A total of 48 Brahma hens (45 days old), weighing on average 400 ± 12 g, were randomly distributed into four dietary treatment groups (12 birds each) with four replicates per group. The control group (T0) received 0% D. edulis, while the three test groups (T0.25, T0.50, and T0.75) were given feed with D. edulis powder leaves at concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75%, respectively, for a period of 60 days. Water and feed were supplied ad libitum. At the end of the study period (60 days), eight birds per treatment (two per replicate) were fasted, weighed, and slaughtered. Blood samples and organs were collected for analysis of growth characteristics, oxidative stress, and toxicity indices. This study revealed a significant (p < 0.05) increase in feed intake and live body weight with 0.75% D. edilus powder leaves. Abdominal fat was found to be significantly (p < 0.05) lower with 0.75% D. edilus powder leaves compared to the control group. Serum Aspartate aminotransferase activity was significantly (p < 0.05) lower in birds exposed to 0.75% D. edulis leaf powder compared to the control group. The use of D. edulis leaf powder as feed additive in feed could reduce oxidative stress and improve growth performance in Brahma. More research can be conducted on D. edilus, and it can be used in broiler feed at 0.75% concentration, which has shown a significant increase and decrease, respectively, in live body weight and serum aspartate aminotransferase activity.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2020015
Authors: Ali Zanaty Zienab Mosaad Wael M. K. Elfeil Mona Badr Vilmos Palya Momtaz A. Shahein Mohamed Rady Michael Hess
Avian reovirus (ARV) strains cause a variety of symptoms in chickens, including viral arthritis/tenosynovitis, a disease that has emerged as a significant cause of economic losses in commercial chicken flocks in recent years in various countries, including Egypt. Furthermore, ARV strains are frequently isolated from birds suffering from malabsorption. In the actual study, seventy-five samples were collected in 2021 and 2022 from broiler and vaccinated broiler breeder flocks at different farms in Giza Province, Egypt, with reovirus-like symptoms such as significant weight fluctuation and arthritis/malabsorption. ARV was screened using real-time PCR, and fifteen positive samples were detected (20%), which were then subjected to embryonated chicken egg (ECE) isolation and molecular characterization (11/15 sample) of a partial segment of the sigma (σ)C gene (S1-gene). Phylogenetically, nine strains were found to belong to genotypic cluster IV, with 82–89% identity with Israeli ARV 2018, and two strains belong to genotypic cluster V with a 78% nucleotide identity with Japan ARV 2021. No correlation between lesions and genotype was found. The strains under study had a low sequence identity (43–55%) when compared with various commercial vaccines belonging to genotypic cluster I (e.g., strain S1133). These findings imply that novel ARV genotypes representing clusters IV and V have recently been introduced to Egyptian poultry farms. A homologous vaccine is suggested; because this variation raises the possibility that commercial vaccines may not offer protection against circulating ARVs.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2020014
Authors: Ayoub Mousstaaid Seyed Abolghasem Fatemi April Waguespack Levy Joseph L. Purswell Hammed A. Olanrewaju Brittany Baughman Kaylin McNulty Patrick D. Gerard Edgar David Peebles
The effects of in ovo injection of L-ascorbic acid (L-AA) on tissue L-AA concentrations, systemic inflammation, plasma mineral concentrations, and tracheal histomorphology of Ross 708 broilers subjected to elevated atmospheric ammonia (NH3) levels after hatch were investigated. The four in ovo treatments included non-injected (control), saline-injected (control), or saline containing 12 or 25 mg of L-AA. The in ovo treatments were applied at 17 days of incubation by injecting a 100 μL volume of each pre-specified treatment into the amnion. At hatch, 12 male chicks were randomly allocated to each of the 12 replicate battery cages belonging to each treatment group. The cages were arranged in a randomized complete block design within a common room. All birds were exposed to 50 ppm of NH3 at 35 days of posthatch age (doa), and the concentration of NH3 in the room was recorded every 20 s. At 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 doa, one bird from each cage was arbitrarily selected and euthanized for determinations of liver and eye L-AA concentrations at 0, 7, 14, 21, 28 doa; plasma nitric oxide concentrations at 0, 14, 21, and 28 doa; and plasma calcium and trace mineral concentrations at 0 and 21 doa. Tracheal histomorphology evaluations were performed at 0, 21, and 28 doa. There were no significant treatment differences for plasma nitric oxide and mineral concentrations, and for liver and eye L-AA concentrations at each sampling timepoint. In ovo injection of either 12 or 25 mg of L-AA decreased tracheal attenuation incidence at 0 doa compared to the non-injected or saline-injected control groups. Furthermore, the percentage of mild tracheal inflammation scores was lower at 28 doa in response to the in ovo injection of 12 mg of L-AA compared to the non-injected or saline-injected control groups. These results indicate that in ovo injection of 12 mg of L-AA reduces tracheal inflammation in broilers subjected to elevated atmospheric NH3.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2020013
Authors: Ramesh Bahadur Bist Sachin Subedi Lilong Chai Prafulla Regmi Casey W. Ritz Woo Kyun Kim Xiao Yang
Perching is one of the essential natural behaviors for avian species. Providing an optimal perching design (e.g., shape, dimension, and materials) for commercial poultry production is critical for maintaining bird health, welfare, and production efficiency. This review paper summarized poultry perching studies and discussed the relationship between perch design, bird welfare, and production efficiency. Providing perches at an early stage may ensure optimum use during adulthood, reduce perching accidents, and lower the risk of floor eggs in cage-free (CF) hen houses. Therefore, a perch space of 15 cm per bird is recommended for the CF hen house. Similarly, rectangular perches are preferred to circular perches as the rectangular perch provides hens with an excellent tendon-locking mechanism to prevent slipping. In addition, perches with softer materials such as polyurethane and rubber coverings are recommended to increase the contact surface on the chicken’s toes. Perching behavior (PB) promotes a musculocutaneous system and reduces the incidences of footpad dermatitis and lesions. Generally, providing perching may reduce aggression and stress in birds and improve welfare and production efficiency. In the case of broilers, it is found that the broiler perches less during the latter stage of their lives because they are comparatively heavier and exhibit a more inactive lifestyle. Studies have investigated the effect of the surface temperature of the perch on broilers’ welfare. Perches with lower temperatures help improve performance and welfare by relieving heat stress and leg issues. Overall, PB is required to improve bird health and welfare.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2020012
Authors: Vasil Radoslavov Pirgozliev Stephen Charles Mansbridge Isobel Margaret Whiting Jalil Mahmwd Abdulla Stephen Paul Rose Kristina Kljak Amy Johnson Falko Drijfhout Atanas Georgiev Atanasov
Four wheat-based diets with either a low soluble content of non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs, 13 g/kg); low viscosity, LV) or a high content of NSPs (33.5 g/kg; high viscosity, HV), with and without exogenous xylanase (XYL), were fed to male Ross 308 broiler chickens from 7 to 21 days age. The enzyme was supplemented at 100 FXU/kg diet, and its preparation was based on endo-1,4-beta-xylanase produced by Aspergillus oryzae. Each diet was fed to eight pens, with five birds in each pen, following randomisation. Chicks fed XYL had an improved feed efficiency, hepatic coenzyme Q10, caecal butyric acid concentration, nitrogen digestibility (p < 0.05) and increased dietary ME (p < 0.001). Compared to HV, birds fed LV diets had reduced weight of proventriculus, gizzard and the pancreas and higher blood glutathione peroxidase and dietary ME (p < 0.05), but no differences were observed on nutrient digestibility and growth performance variables. This also suggests that birds may tolerate a greater dietary NSPs content; thus, further benefits may be obtained by the application of XYL in low energy wheat-based diets.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2010011
Authors: Camila Lopes Carvalho Ines Andretta Gabriela Miotto Galli Nathalia de Oliveira Telesca Camargo Thais Bastos Stefanello Marcos José Migliorini Raquel Melchior Marcos Kipper
The purpose of this study was to determine if adding β-mannanase to the diet can improve the quality of storage eggs from laying hens. Lightweight laying hens (36 weeks old), housed in cages with four birds each, were randomly assigned to one of two treatments: control group (diet without additives), or birds fed with 300 g/ton of β-mannanase. The experiment was carried out on a commercial farm (14 thousand birds). The study took 84 days to be completed, and each of its three productive phases lasted 28 days. On the final day of each phase, 125 eggs were randomly collected. The quality of the fresh eggs was assessed, and after each storage interval, the remaining eggs were kept and randomly divided to evaluate their quality (7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 days). Analysis of variance was used to compare means considering differences at 5 and 10%. When compared to the control group, β-mannanase was able to prevent the loss of egg weight and albumen weight during storage (p < 0.05). Yolk color (palette) also improved by 2.5% (p < 0.001), while lightness, red intensity, and yellow intensity all increased in comparison to the control group by 1.9% (p < 0.001), 7.7% (p < 0.001), and 4.10% (p < 0.001). Additionally, compared to the control treatment, β-mannanase was able to lower the yolk pH and TBARS levels by 2.4% (p < 0.001). As a result, adding β-mannanase to laying hen diets is a successful method for enhancing egg quality.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2010010
Authors: Awal Fuseini Mara Miele John Lever
Billions of poultry are slaughtered globally each year to provide protein for a rapidly expanding human population. The large number of birds produced in conventional systems presents animal welfare issues during production, transport, and at the time of slaughter. While we recognise the significance of welfare issues during rearing and transport, this paper highlights the welfare of poultry at the time of slaughter. The impacts of manual handling, inversion and shackling, use of inappropriate electrical stunning parameters, and the use of aversive gas mixtures during controlled atmosphere stunning are some of the evident welfare lapses; if the entrance to the water bath is wet and not isolated, bird welfare can also be compromised during water bath stunning because of pre-stun shocks. We also highlight the use of aversive stunning methods such as carbon dioxide gas at high concentrations, which has been shown to compromise bird welfare. In conclusion, we offer some reflections on ways to improve the welfare of birds during pre-slaughter handling, stunning, and neck cutting.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2010009
Authors: Gisela F. Erf Hyeonmin R. Kong Daniel M. Falcon Kristen A. Byrne
As previously reported, inflammatory activity initiated by intradermal injection of multiple growing feather (GF)-pulps of a chicken with lipopolysaccharide, and the subsequent periodic sampling of GFs and blood, enables the longitudinal evaluation of in vivo tissue- and systemic-inflammatory activities by ex vivo laboratory analyses. To demonstrate the suitability of this two-window approach to monitor and assess vaccine responses, two groups of chickens were immunized by intramuscular injection of mouse IgG (mIgG), mIgG in alum adjuvant (Alum&mIgG), or PBS-vehicle (Group I and II at 7- and 7- and 11-weeks, respectively). Plasma levels of mIgG-specific antibodies were monitored by ELISA for 28 days post-primary- and secondary-immunizations. To examine the cellular responses, 20 GF-pulps per bird were injected with mIgG on Day-10 or Day-5 post-primary- or -secondary-immunization, respectively. Two GFs were collected before- and at various times (0.25 to 7 days) post-injection for leukocyte population- and cytokine mRNA expression-analyses. The observed primary- and secondary-antibody response profiles were as expected for a T-dependent antigen. Leukocyte- and cytokine-profiles established in GF-pulps revealed temporal, qualitative, and quantitative differences in local naïve, primary, and secondary leukocyte-effector responses to antigen. This study demonstrates the unique opportunity in the avian model to monitor both cell- and antibody-mediated immune responses using minimally invasive techniques.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2010008
Authors: Bishnu Adhikari Alyson G. Myers Chuanmin Ruan Young Min Kwon Samuel J. Rochell
This study evaluated the effects of a Bacillus direct-fed microbial and microencapsulated calcium butyrate fed individually and in combination, as compared to an antibiotic growth promoter, on growth performance, processing characteristics, intestinal morphology, and intestinal microbiota of Ross 708 broilers reared from 0 to 47 d post-hatch. Dietary treatments included: (1) a negative control with no antimicrobial (NC), (2) a positive control diet containing bacitracin methylene disalicylate (PC), (3) a diet containing a Bacillus direct-fed microbial (CS), (4) a diet containing microencapsulated calcium butyrate (BP), and (5) a diet containing both CS and BP. Treatments were replicated with 10 pens of 20 birds each. From 0 to 15 d post-hatch, the FCR of broilers fed the PC, CS, BP, and CS + BP diets were lower (p < 0.05) than those fed the NC diet, but treatment effects (p > 0.05) were not observed on subsequent performance. BP supplementation improved (p < 0.05) total breast meat weight and yield at processing. Intestinal histology was not influenced (p > 0.05) by the treatment. Analysis of the jejunal microbiota collected at 15 d post-hatch revealed that the genus SMB53 was significantly lower for the CS group, and Sporanaerobacter was lower in the CS and CS + BP groups compared with the NC (p < 0.05). The jejunal microbiota from broilers in the CS + BP group had higher (p < 0.05) alpha and beta diversities compared with broilers fed the NC and CS diets. The results reflected synergistic effects between CS and BP in modulating the jejunal microbiota at 15 d that may have been related to enhanced feed efficiency (i.e., lower FCR) observed during this period.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2010007
Authors: Claudia Hess Ivana Bilic Delfina Jandreski-Cvetkovic Michael Hess
Erysipelas is a re-emerging disease in different poultry species. Antibiotic treatment is crucial to combat outbreaks in poultry flocks, but only very limited data on susceptibility are available. Recently, the Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute established standardized guidelines and minimal inhibitory concentration breakpoints for E. rhusiopathiae when using the broth microdilution method. In the present investigation, these guidelines were applied to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility of 30 E. rhusiopathiae isolates derived from field outbreaks in poultry flocks towards penicillins, macrolides, lincosamides and fluoroquinolones. All isolates were identified by MALDI-TOF MS. The majority of isolates belonged to two serovars, 1b and 5. More than 40% of the isolates proved resistant to penicillin G, with values ranging from 0.25 to 8 µg/mL. Furthermore, the majority of isolates were found resistant to erythromycin (76.7%; MIC 2–4 µg/mL) and enrofloxacin (60.0%; MIC ≥ 2 µg/mL), altogether limiting treatment options. In contrast, most of the isolates proved susceptible to ampicillin and ceftiofur with MICs ≤ 0.25 µg/mL and ≤2 µg/mL, respectively. A great variety of antimicrobial resistance patterns was found, and multidrug resistance was detected in one-third of the isolates. The presented data are helpful to raise awareness for the antimicrobial resistance of a zoonotic pathogen in context of the One Health concept.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2010006
Authors: Douglas E. Cosby Mark E. Berrang Arthur Hinton
The pH of pre-enrichment media containing feed/ingredients can become acidic during incubation due to bacterial utilization of feed carbohydrates. This decrease in pH can result in cell injury or death, negatively impacting the detection of Salmonella. Our objective was to evaluate a new triple buffered peptone (TBP) against buffered peptone water (BPW) and lactose broth (LB) for the recovery of Salmonella from feed. Liquid cultures of nalidixic acid resistant strains of Salmonella (Enteritidis, Heidelberg, Kentucky or Typhimurium) were added to the pre-enrichment media alone, to pre-enrichment media containing feed or to artificially inoculated feed stored 1 or 7 d to evaluate the effect of the medium on the recovery of Salmonella. Three replicates per treatment were conducted. After incubation at 37 °C for 24 h, the pH of the medium was measured prior to plating onto brilliant green sulfa agar plates supplemented with 200 ppm nalidixic acid (BGSNA). Plates were incubated and evaluated for presence of typical Salmonella colonies. The experiment was replicated. TBP was observed to exhibit significantly better buffering capacity than BPW or LB. Additionally, TBP was able to recover Salmonella 100% of the time compared to BPW (97.9%) and LB (61.5%). TBP shows promise to maintain neutral pH during pre-enrichment which may allow for a more accurate detection of Salmonella in feed.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2010005
Authors: Gemma Chaloner Lizeth Lacharme-Lora Amy Wedley Paul Wigley
There is growing pressure to find a way to eradicate or reduce the levels of foodborne pathogens such as Campylobacter in broiler chickens, whilst limiting the use of antimicrobials. For Campylobacter, there is currently no vaccine and on-farm biosecurity alone is insufficient to prevent colonization of broiler chicken flocks. Dipteran flies are proven carriers of Campylobacter and their entry into broiler houses may contribute to its transmission to broiler chickens. As there is currently no experimental vector transmission model for Campylobacter and chickens, we decided to examine experimentally whether Galleria mellonella could be used as vector to transmit Campylobacter to broiler chickens. More recently, the use of live insect feed has been proposed both for its nutritional qualities and improving bird welfare through the encouragement of natural foraging behaviours and it is unclear any risk this poses in terms of pathogen transmission. In this study, day-old chicks (n = 29) were obtained from a commercial hatchery. At three weeks of age, birds were split into 4 This groups; Group 1 was infected via oral gavage with 106 cells of C. jejuni-M1, Group 2 was fed Galleria mellonella infected with 106 cells of C. jejuni-M1, Group 3 was fed uninfected Galleria mellonella, whilst the remaining group was unchallenged. Cloacal swabs were taken at 2, 4, and 6 days post-infection (dpi) to follow transmission and at 8 dpi birds culled and C. jejuni load quantified in the caeca and liver. At 8 dpi, all birds in both the Campylobacter gavage group and those in the group fed the Campylobacter infected Galleria mellonella were Campylobacter positive, whereas those fed uninfected Galleria mellonella and the control group were all Campylobacter negative. The mean caecal Campylobacter load in the Campylobacter gavage group was 1.7 × 1010 per gram compared with 8.6 × 109 in the group fed the Campylobacter-infected Galleria mellonella. No liver positives were found in any of the groups. Our findings indicate that feeding broiler chickens with the vector Galleria mellonella infected with C. jejuni-M1 is sufficient to establish colonisation with C. jejuni. We propose that Galleria can be used as an easy and flexible model for vector transmission of foodborne pathogens in chicken.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2010004
Authors: Jiddu Joseph Madalyn Jennings Nicolle Barbieri Li Zhang Pratima Adhikari Reshma Ramachandran
Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) causes colibacillosis in poultry, a leading cause of poultry mortality worldwide. It is crucial to control APEC in broiler breeders as it is vertically transferred to progeny via eggs. However, there is only limited knowledge on the current APEC population in breeders. This study characterized 28 APEC strains isolated from broiler breeders with colibacillosis. The genotypic-virulence characteristics as well as antimicrobial and heavy-metal resistance patterns of the isolates were determined. Results showed that O88 is the most prevalent serogroup and B2 is the predominant phylogenetic group. Among virulence genes, genes for iron acquisition (iroN and iutA), protectins (iss and ompT), and toxin production (hlyF) exhibited the highest prevalence. Further, 93% of the isolates carried at least one antimicrobial resistance gene with highest prevalence for tetracycline gene tetA. Among the isolates, 10.71% exhibited multidrug resistance. All isolates carried at least one heavy-metal resistance gene with the highest prevalence for arsenic gene arsC and the highest resistance towards silver. Our findings provide insight into the characteristics of current APEC populations in broiler breeders in Mississippi. This will help future research on the pathogenesis of APEC and the development of effective prevention and control strategies against APEC in broiler breeders.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2010003
Authors: Poultry Editorial Office Poultry Editorial Office
High-quality academic publishing is built on rigorous peer review [...]
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2010002
Authors: Bhaskar Ganguly Ashwini Kumar Verma Balwinder Singh Arup Kumar Das Sunil Kumar Rastogi Alireza Seidavi Diamanto Lazari Ilias Giannenas
Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) is a serious poultry pathogen responsible for causing major economic losses to the poultry industry globally. The virus is closely related to several other important viral pathogens of fishes, crabs, and mollusks and evolutionarily related to important viral pathogens of humans. Previously, we demonstrated the inhibition of this virus by the extracts of roots of Withania somnifera Dunal, commonly known as Indian ginseng, both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, many studies reported the inhibition of diverse types of viruses by nanoparticles of silver. In the present study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of silver nanoparticles obtained by green synthesized with Indian ginseng extract against IBDV. Conditions for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles were optimized, and the nanoparticles thus obtained (WS AgNPs) were characterized physically. Thereafter, the maximum non-cytotoxic dose of these nanoparticles for treating chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF) was determined. Treatment of IBDV-infected CEF with the WS AgNPs decreased the infective virus titer by >93%, intracellular viral load by >71%, and virus-induced cytopathy by >51%, demonstrating the strong inhibitory effect of the WS AgNPs against IBDV, and encouraging similar applications against related veterinary and human viruses.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry2010001
Authors: Michael Pees Gerzon Motola Sarah Brüggemann-Schwarze Josef Bachmeier Hafez Mohamed Hafez Wiebke Tebrün
Hatching egg disinfection, as part of the quality assurance system, is a standard procedure in commercial hatcheries. Formaldehyde was and is broadly used but bears high risks for the personnel. In preliminary studies, the spray application of hydrogen peroxide was successfully tested and was chosen to compare its efficacy and impact on hatchability, as well as performance during fattening, and at slaughter, to formaldehyde under field conditions. The trial was set up with hatching eggs from two breeder flocks, running parallelly in three groups (H2O2, formaldehyde and non-disinfected control) at four different flock ages (at 38, 39, 56, 57 weeks). No significant differences were noticed in the hatchery, whereas in the rearing period higher 7-day- and total mortalities occurred during trials 1 and 2 in all non-disinfected groups and one formaldehyde-treated group, making an antibiotic treatment necessary. At slaughter, the findings in all groups were comparable. Trials 3 and 4 passed without significant differences between all groups, leading to the conclusion that hatching egg disinfection lowers the risk of infection-related losses. Meanwhile, formaldehyde fumigation and the spraying of hydrogen peroxide produced similar results in all stages.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry1040023
Authors: Lauren L. Lindsey Katie Elaine Collins Elliott Seyed Abolghasem Fatemi Jeff D. Evans Ayoub Mousstaaid Patrick D. Gerard Edgar David Peebles
The effects of injecting the Poulvac E. coli vaccine (PECV) into either the air cell (AC) or amnion (AM) at different dosages at 18 days of incubation (DOI) on Hy-Line W-36-layer embryo and hatchling development were investigated. Serial dilutions of the PECV in diluent provided either 6.5 × 104, 6.5 × 103, 6.5 × 102, or 6.5 × 101 CFU dosages of E. coli. A diluent only injection treatment was included as a control. A total of 19 live embryonated eggs in each of 10 treatment groups were represented on each of 16 replicate levels (3040 total) in the hatcher unit. At 19 DOI, swabs of the AM indicated that the 6.5 × 101 and 6.5 × 102 CFU dosages provided a 50% level of PECV presence, whereas the 6.5 × 103 and 6.5 × 104 CFU dosages provided a 100% level of PECV presence. Conversely, only the 6.5 × 103 and 6.5 × 104 CFU dosages provided a 50% level of PECV presence in the AC. At all E. coli dosage levels, injection in the AM led to higher percentages of live or dead embryos that failed to pip (PEIS) (p = 0.001) or complete hatch (PEPE) (p ≤ 0.001) and a lower percentage of live fully hatched chicks (HI) (p ≤ 0.001), when compared to those injected in the AC. Like HI, significantly lower percentages of female hatchlings were also observed at 22 DOI for the AM compared to the AC injection, for all dosages except for the 6.5 × 102 CFU dosage. However, at all the dosages above the 6.5 × 101 CFU dosage, the AM injection resulted in a lower mean hatchling body weight (p = 0.010) at 22 DOI. In conclusion, E. coli populations were more prevalent in the AM than in the AC after the injection of the PECV in those sites. Furthermore, the injection of the PECV in the AM at all E. coli dosages generally increased late embryo mortality and decreased hatchability and hatchling body weight in comparison to an AC injection. It is concluded that the negative impact of the in ovo administration of the PECV in the AM at 18 DOI on the hatch process is dose dependent. However, effects of an increase in AC dosages and a decrease in AM dosages should be further investigated.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry1040022
Authors: Alexandra Desbruslais Alexandra Wealleans
Oxidative reactions in premixes or final-compound feed pose considerable challenges to the poultry industry, both in terms of rancidity reducing palatability and shelf life and in vivo oxidative stress negatively impacting animal performance. Whilst there has been broad awareness of feed oxidation for many years, recognition of the impact of oxidative stress on the poultry industry has grown in the past twenty years. The appearance of woody breast and associated muscle meat myopathies has led to a rapid increase in research output and awareness of in vivo oxidative reactions. Oxidative stress has been widely demonstrated to damage tissue, lipids, and DNA, and is thought to be linked to conditions such as leaky gut, coccidiosis, and ascites, amongst others. The use of dietary antioxidants has been found to both protect feed from oxidation and ameliorate some of the detrimental effects associated with oxidative stress, including improving performance, increasing antioxidant capacity, and mitigating the effects of heat and transport stress. Therefore, the aim of this review is to provide insight into the process of in-feed oxidation and in vivo oxidation including a summary of the benefits of different kinds of antioxidants in feed as well as their potential in vivo added value, based on findings reported within all scientific literature.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry1040021
Authors: Elly Vogelaar Michael N. Romanov Annett Güntherodt
This year we mark the 80th anniversary of the renowned and internationally recognized Italian poultry writer, expert, fancier and breeder Dr. Elio Corti [...]
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry1040020
Authors: Maria Pia Franciosini Irit Davidson
Infectious bursal disease (IBD), caused by an Avibirnavirus, belonging to the family Birnaviridae, is an immunosuppressive disease that affects 3–6-week-old chickens, resulting in clinical or subclinical infection. Although clinical disease occurs in chickens, turkeys, ducks, guinea fowl, and ostriches can be also infected. IBD virus (IBDV) causes lymphoid depletion of the bursa, which is responsible for the severe depression of the humoral antibody response, primarily if this occurs within the first 2 weeks of life. IBD remains an issue in chicken meat production due to economic losses caused by the spread of variants or subtypes, resistant to the most common vaccines, responsible for a subclinical disease characterized by reduced growth performance and increased susceptibility to secondary infections. Very virulent strains of classical serotype 1 are also common in several countries and can cause severe disease with up to 90% mortality. This review mainly focuses on the immunosuppressive effect of the IBDV and potential vaccination strategies, capable of overcoming challenges associated with the optimal time for vaccination of offspring, which is dependent on maternal immunity and IBDV variant occurrence.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry1040019
Authors: Hiruni Wickramasinghe Edirisinghe Abeyrathne Ki-Chang Nam Dong Ahn
Peptides produced from food sources possess numerous bioactivities that make them useful in improving human health and preventing diseases. Although many studies related to egg protein hydrolysis are available, little work has been conducted on the production of bioactive peptides from apo-ovotransferrin (OTF) using two-step enzyme hydrolysis. The objectives of this study were to produce bioactive peptides from OTF using two enzymes and to determine their functional properties. Lipolyzed OTF was prepared at a concentration of 20 mg/mL and treated with protease (3 h at 55 °C), papain (3 h at 37 °C), elastase (24 h at 25 °C), and α-chymotrypsin (3 h at 37 °C) as the first enzyme treatment. The hydrolysates from the first step of hydrolysis were treated with the above enzymes in different combinations and incubated for 24 h at their optimum temperatures, followed by heat inactivation at the end of each treatment. Based on 15% SDS-PAGE results, the nine best enzyme combinations were selected for further analysis. Papain + protease (PapPro, 0.0075 ± 0.004 malondialdehyde (MDA) mg/kg), α-chymotrypsin + papain (ChyPap, 0.081 ± 0.003 MDA mg/kg), and elastase + α-chymotrypsin (ElaChy, 0.083 ± 0.015 MDA mg/kg) showed strong antioxidant activity. PapPro showed the highest Fe-chelating activity (5.40 ± 0.85%) but lacked Cu-chelating activity. In conclusion, PapPro, ChyPap, and ElaChy treatments of OTF produced peptides with strong antioxidant and Fe-chelating activities but lacked Cu-chelating activity. Thus, ovotransferrin hydrolysates produced using PapPro, ChyPap, and ElaChy treatments have the potential to reduce oxidative stress in the body.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry1040018
Authors: Adamou Guisso Taffa Nassim Moula Salissou Issa Chaibou Mahamadou Johann Detilleux
This review analyzes the processes of phenotypic and morpho-biometric characterization of West African local chicken. Data were collected on a set of 44 articles, and other reference documents were used to analyze and discuss the data collected. Existing studies on the phenotypic and molecular characterization of local chicken populations in West Africa indicate the presence of a wide variety of plumage colors and conformations, and intra-population genetic diversity. However, none of these studies have been able to identify the existence of a differentiated subpopulation that can be assimilated into a distinct race. The conclusions of this studies are not sufficient to ensure the non-existence of “race” in West Africa because many of these studies focus only on the phenotypic aspect, while molecular characterization makes it possible to identify differentiated populations with certainty. Additionally, the populations studied are often small in size, though remaining within the FAO recommendation standards. The spatial distribution used to compare the subpopulations was based on agroecological zones with strong interconnections to and shared with West African human populations, to the detriment of socio-cultural realities. In order to be more effective and conclusive, characterization work could consider the spatial distance of subpopulations in a comparison and the levels of exchange between the human communities from which these chicken subpopulations originate.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry1030017
Authors: Andrew Benson Josh Steed Mia Malloy R. Keith Bramwell Adam J. Davis
The avian inner perivitelline layer (IPVL), containing the zona pellucida (ZP) family of proteins, surrounds the ovulated ovum. Sperm binding at the germinal disc (GD) region of the IPVL initiates fertilization in avian species, and the amount of sperm binding at the GD reflects female fertility. RT-PCR and quantitative Western blot analyses were used to determine differences in ZP protein mRNA expression and protein concentration between GD and nongerminal disc (NGD) regions among four genetic strains of broiler breeders. Both the mRNA expression and protein concentration of chicken ZPB2 was greater in the GD region, compared to the NGD region, and ZPB2 protein was more abundant in the small prehierarchical follicles. Chicken ZPC mRNA, but not ZPC protein, was greater in the NGD region compared to the GD region, and hepatically expressed ZPB1 protein was more concentrated in the NGD region. Testosterone increased the expression of both ZPC mRNA and protein in cultured granulosa cells from prehierarchical follicles. The current research is the first to investigate the relative amount of ZP proteins between the GD region and NGD region in chicken IPVL. The results provide further evidence that ZPB2 may be critical for avian sperm binding at the GD region of the IPVL.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry1030016
Authors: Camila Lopes Carvalho Ines Andretta Gabriela Miotto Galli Thais Bastos Stefanello Nathalia de Oliveira Telesca Camargo Maiara Marchiori Raquel Melchior Marcos Kipper
The objective of this study was to evaluate whether probiotic supplementation to laying hens can improve the quality of eggs during storage. The trial was developed in a commercial farm, in which light-weight laying hens (36 weeks old) housed in cages were randomly selected for one of two different treatments: a control group fed non-supplemented diets, or birds fed with diets supplemented with 50 g/ton of probiotics. The trial lasted for 84 days, comprising three productive phases of 28 days each. The fresh egg quality was evaluated and then the eggs were stored and randomly separated for quality assessment at each storage interval (7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 days). Means were compared using variance analysis considering differences at 5 and 10%. The probiotic was able to improve albumen weight, yolk length, yolk height, and yolk index (p < 0.05) during storage. Yolk color (fan) was also improved by 3.9% (p < 0.001), while increases of 1.35% (p < 0.001) in luminosity, 8.05% (p < 0.001) in red intensity, and 3.4% (p < 0.001) in yellow intensity were observed in comparison to the control group. Probiotic treatment was able to reduce by 2.03% (p < 0.001) yolk pH, and by 19.65% (p < 0.05) TBARS levels when compared to the control treatment. Therefore, the addition of probiotics to laying hen diets is an effective strategy to improve egg quality during storage.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry1030015
Authors: Chandapiwa Moses Freddy Manyeula Malebogo Virginia Radikara Molebeledi Horatious Dambe Mareko Othusitse Ricky Madibela
In this study, the effects of malted sorghum-based diets (MSBD) on carcass characteristics and meat quality were investigated in broiler chickens. Two-week-old Ross 308 broilers were randomly allocated to three groups (each with five replications) and were then reared on either 0 or 100% (red (Mr Buster) or white (Segaolane)) malted sorghum commercial diets. The highest (p < 0.05) slaughter weights, hot carcass weights, and cold carcass weights were observed for the broilers reared on the control diets. Broilers reared on MSBD had high (p < 0.05) drumstick–thigh and vertebrae weights. The broilers fed the malted red sorghum-based diet (MRSBD) had the longest (p < 0.05) small intestine and highest gizzard and liver percentage. The pHi of the broilers fed MRSBD was higher (p < 0.05) than the broilers on the control or malted white sorghum-based diet (MWSBD). Breast muscle crude fibre was the lowest (p ˂ 0.05) for the MRSBD and phosphorus was low (p ˂ 0.005) for MSBD broilers. The highest (p < 0.05) muscle potassium and magnesium was found in the control diet broilers. The carcass characteristics, internal organs, and meat quality traits of the broilers fed MSBD compared well to those fed the control diets. It is concluded that malted sorghum grains are a potential alternative energy source to maize for broiler diets and could reduce competition for maize grains between livestock and human use.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry1030014
Authors: César A. Betancur-Hurtado Luis Miguel Barreto Lopez Ana Julia Rondon Castillo Maria C. Trujillo-Peralta Xochitl Hernandez-Velasco Guillermo Tellez-Isaias Brittany D. Graham
The objective of the present study was to characterize the probiotic potential of nine strains of Lactobacillus spp. isolated from the gastrointestinal tract of Creole hens through in vitro and in vivo tests. The following parameters were evaluated in vitro: (1) growth at four pH levels, (2) resistance to four bile salt concentrations, (3) tolerance to four NaCl concentrations, (4) growth capacity in the culture medium, and (5) the antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Klebsiella, and Staphylococcus aureus. The candidate LP-40 had significantly (p < 0.05) increased resistance to pH 3 and 0.3% bile salts and elevated antimicrobial activity in vitro compared to the other strains evaluated. This strain was identified as Lactobacillus salivarius by 16S rRNA sequencing. An in vivo experiment was conducted to assess the effect of LP-40 supplementation in the drinking water on 42-day performance parameters in broiler chickens as compared to a non-treated control or dietary treatment with enrofloxacin. The administration of LP-40 in the drinking water significantly (p < 0.05) improved body weight, feed conversion compared to the antibiotic-treated control. Thus, the in vitro and in vivo results suggest that Lactobacillus salivarius LP-40 demonstrates probiotic potential and, perhaps, could be utilized as an alternative to antibiotic treatment.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry1030013
Authors: Majid Shakeri Hieu Huu Le
Managing and controlling environmental temperature conditions using practical strategies is crucial to avoid the negative impacts of high environmental temperature, improving poultry production and welfare. High environmental temperature is one of the significant factors challenging poultry production during hot seasons or in tropical areas causing heat stress (HS). The detrimental effects of HS on broilers range from reduced growth performance to impaired poultry meat quality. HS impairs physiological responses caused by alteration in blood parameters, which could lead to impaired product quality by reducing moisture content and altering the production of antioxidant enzymes resulting in increased oxidative stress. There has been a focus on the use of nutritional supplements as a cost effective HS amelioration strategy, such as betaine and polyphenols. Supplementing broiler chicken’s diets with polyphenols aims to enhance growth performance via reduced levels of oxidative stress in tissues under HS conditions. Furthermore, using betaine as an osmolyte aims to protect tissues during osmotic stress conditions. The current review reveals that betaine and polyphenols are essential under crucial conditions such as HS to protect tissues from oxidative damage.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry1020012
Authors: Daniel Adams Erika Gruber Hannah Sather Maria Correa Rocio Crespo
Point-of-care analyzers such as the Vetscan VS2 (VS2) that provide fast results are becoming an important tool in a variety of clinical and research settings. Several studies have explored the use of the VS2 to evaluate blood chemistry values in chickens; however, the VS2 analyzer has not yet been tested in turkeys. The first objective of this study was to utilize the VS2 to evaluate possible time-dependent changes in biochemical blood analytes over time, such as glucose, calcium, or sodium. Blood samples from 30 turkeys were analyzed with the VS2 at three time points (0, 15–20, and 40–60 min post collection), and it was found that the blood biochemistry values were stable when stored at 4 °C and analyzed within 60 min of collection. Next, we assessed the agreement between the VS2 portable analyzer and the reference benchtop analyzer (Cobas c501) and found that all of the blood analytes were comparable between both analyzers. Finally, we determined reference intervals using 120 blood samples collected from turkeys in the brooding period (0–7 days) and 118 samples collected from turkeys in the growing period (1–12 weeks). Although the values were compared to the published data, the understanding of any observed differences was challenging because reference intervals for the biochemical values in turkeys are limited, and the origin of these interval values could not be traced. Significant differences in the whole blood analytes were noted between brooding and growing birds. This study offers reassurance of the validity of the use of portable analyzers in the field for turkey veterinarians. We conclude that the VS2 can be used to measure biochemical analytes in turkeys and provide the first reference intervals for brooding and growing turkeys using this instrument.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry1020011
Authors: Louise Hedlund Enya Van Poucke Per Jensen
Under commercial conditions, laying hen chicks are exposed to a range of stressful events immediately after hatch. Here, we studied whether environmental enrichment was able to reduce the stress sensitivity of these chicks. A total of 50 hatchery chicks (HC) and 50 control chicks (CC) were raised in enriched pens (E), while 53 HC + 53 CC were raised in standard non-enriched floor pens (NE). HC weighed less on day one, but there was no effect of hatchery treatment at later ages. HC were more pessimistic in a cognitive judgement bias test and emitted more distress calls when socially isolated, indicating that hatchery stress affected behaviour and stress sensitivity. However, enrichment did not affect the behaviour in any of these tests. We found no effects of hatchery stress in a novel environment, but indications that enrichment may have increased fearfulness of HC. The sensitivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis was reduced in HC-E compared to HC-NE, indicating that enrichment buffered the physiological stress sensitivity in HC; however, the opposite pattern was found in CC. In conclusion, our results show complex and somewhat contradictory effects on the ability of enrichment to buffer the consequences of stress in commercial hatcheries.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry1020010
Authors: Luis P. Avila Samuel F. Leiva Gerardo A. Abascal-Ponciano Joshua J. Flees Kelly M. Sweeney Jeanna L. Wilson Bradley J. Turner Gilberto Litta April M. Waguespack-Levy Anthony Pokoo-Aikins Charles W. Starkey Jessica D. Starkey
Dietary inclusion of the vitamin D3 (D3) metabolite, 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25OHD3), was demonstrated to improve broiler growth performance and breast meat yield. To assess the effect of combined maternal (MDIET) and post-hatch (PDIET) dietary 25OHD3 inclusion on broiler growth performance and carcass characteristics, a randomized complete block design experiment with a 2 × 2 factorial treatment structure was conducted. From 25 to 38 weeks of age, broiler breeder hens were provided with 1 of 2 MDIET formulated to contain: 5000 IU D3 (MCTL), or 2240 IU of D3 + 2760 IU of 25OHD3 per kg of feed (M25OHD3). Their chick offspring (n = 448; 224 per MDIET) hatched from eggs collected from 37 to 38 weeks of age were reared in 16 replicate pens with 7 birds per pen and fed 1 of 2 PDIET in 3 phases up to day 40 formulated to contain: 5000 IU of D3 per kg of feed (PCTL), or 2240 IU of D3 + 2760 IU of 25OHD3 per kg of feed (P25OHD3). No additive or synergistic effects of combining 25OHD3 inclusion in MDIET and PDIET were observed. Broilers from 25OHD3-fed hens (M25OHD3) were heavier on day 40 than those from hens fed only D3 (MCTL; 2.911 vs. 2.834 kg; p = 0.040). Tender weight (123 vs. 117 g) and yield (5.63 vs. 5.44%) were greater in the M25OHD3 broilers than the MCTL broilers (p = 0.006). Broilers fed 25OHD3 (P25OHD3) tended to have heavier breasts (637 vs. 615 g; p = 0.050), bone-in wings (215 vs. 210 g; p = 0.070), and boneless thighs (279 vs. 270 g; p = 0.078) compared with those fed only D3 (PCTL). Neither MDIET nor PDIET altered the severity of Wooden Breast and White Striping (p ≥ 0.106). Overall, including 25OHD3 in either the maternal or broiler diet increased broiler meat yield.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry1020009
Authors: Leena Awawdeh Rachel Forrest Conny Turni Rowland Cobbold Joerg Henning Justine Gibson
Avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) can cause avian colibacillosis, an economically important disease that contributes to bird mortality and the high costs associated with prevention and treatment. Little is known about APEC in the context of Australian conditions. The current study aimed to estimate the prevalence of APEC and determine the risk factors associated with cloacal carriage of APEC among commercial healthy meat chickens in Queensland. Cloacal swabs were collected at slaughter from 400 healthy meat chickens (ten per farm) originating from 40 farms. A total of 2200 E. coli isolates were selected from cultured swabs and screened for the presence of five APEC-associated virulence genes (VGs). Farm-level data were collected using a questionnaire. Binominal general linear models were used to identify farm-level risk factors associated with bird-level APEC prevalence. Thirty-four per cent of the cultured E. coli isolates (n = 751) were classified as APEC, with all farms testing positive for APEC, and the overall bird-level prevalence of APEC was 63.0%. Higher APEC within-farm bird-level prevalence was positively associated with the usage of well water as a source of drinking water (OR = 6.2, 95% CI: 2.3, 16.5, p < 0.001); not having shower facilities available for farm visitors (OR = 3.6, 95% CI: 1.8, 7.1, p < 0.001); distances greater than 20 m between the car park and the poultry shed (OR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.4, 3.4, p = 0.001); not applying water line disinfection after each flock cycle (OR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.4, 3.5, p = 0.001); the presence of wild birds within 50 m of the poultry shed (OR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.4, 3.7, p = 0.001). Chlorine combined with automatic drinking water filtration reduced within-farm bird-level APEC prevalence (OR = 0.07, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.34, p = 0.001). This study identified a number of important factors associated with APEC and showed that improving biosecurity and water treatments might reduce the prevalence of APEC. The notable high APEC prevalence on all farms requires further epidemiological investigations.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry1020008
Authors: Stelios Vasilopoulos Stella Dokou Georgios A. Papadopoulos Soumela Savvidou Stamatia Christaki Anastasia Kyriakoudi Vassilios Dotas Vasilios Tsiouris Eleftherios Bonos Ioannis Skoufos Ioannis Mourtzinos Ilias Giannenas
The purpose of this trial was to evaluate the effects of Punica granatum L. and Allium cepa L. peels aqueous and cyclodextrin extracts on broiler chicks’ performance and welfare status, as well as on the meat chemical composition and oxidative stability. A total of 120 one-day-old male Ross-308 chicks were randomly allocated to three treatments with four replicate pens (10 chicks per pen). Broiler chicks in the control group were fed typical commercial rations in mash form, based on maize and soybean meal. The rations of the other two treatments were further supplemented with the mixture of Punica granatum and Allium cepa aqueous and cyclodextrin extracts at the level of 0.1% of the feed, respectively. At the end of the trial (day 35), tissue samples were collected for analysis. Body weight (BW), feed intake (FI), average daily gain (ADG) and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) during the period of 1–10 days, 11–24 days, 25–35 days and 1–35 days were evaluated. Litter score, dry matter in litter, pododermatitis and feather score were also assessed at the end of the trial. Data were analyzed with ANOVA using SPSS v25 software. The results showed that BW, FI and FCR values did not differ among the groups. Scoring of pododermatitis, diarrhea, feather, fecal moisture, wooden breast and white stripping did not differ (p ≥ 0.05) among the groups. Punica granatum and Allium cepa aqueous and cyclodextrin extracts favorably affected (p < 0.05) meat composition, color parameters, TBARS and protein carbonyls. Diet supplementation also increased (p < 0.05) ∑n-3 fatty acids as well as ∑n-6 fatty acids in the thigh meat. The cis-4,7,10,13,16,19-Docosahexaenoic acid fatty acids in the breast meat of broilers fed with diets supplemented with the aqueous pomegranate and onion peel extracts were found to be higher (p < 0.05), while these fatty acids in the thigh meat were found increased (p < 0.05) in the cyclodextrin group. Aqueous and cyclodextrin pomegranate and onion peel extracts may provide a promising additive to the broilers diet with functional properties, in the absence of stressful conditions.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry1020007
Authors: Caroline R. Gregg Oscar J. Tejeda Lindsey F. Spencer Allan J. Calderon Dianna V. Bourassa Jessica D. Starkey Charles W. Starkey
Research on the impact of supplementing additional dietary choline to modern, large-frame broiler chickens is limited, and current choline recommendations are outdated. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of additional dietary choline chloride supplementation on growth performance and carcass characteristics of modern broilers reared to 32 days of age. Corn and soybean meal-based diets were formulated to contain an additional 0, 400, 800, 1200, 1600, or 2000 mg of choline chloride per kg of feed above the choline present in the basal diet ingredients. As-hatched Ross 708 × Yield Plus broiler chicks (n = 2160; 30 birds per pen; 44 ± 0.2 g initial BW) were randomly allotted to the experimental diets, reared for 31 days, and processed at day 32. Growth performance, carcass yield, and breast myopathy incidence were not impacted by supplemental choline. However, abdominal fat pad weight tended to diminish with increasing dietary choline, and drumstick yield was reduced in birds fed over 800 mg per kg of feed. These results indicate feeding additional choline does not impact growth performance but may result in changes in carcass characteristics of modern, high-yielding broilers reared for 32 days.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry1020006
Authors: Anzai Mulaudzi Caven Mguvane Mnisi Victor Mlambo
High fiber levels (165 g neutral detergent fibre (NDF)/kg DM) in Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MOLP) could limit its utilization as a nutraceutical source in Jumbo quail diets. Pre-treating MOLP with exogenous fibrolytic multi-enzymes could reduce the nutrient-encapsulating effect of non-starch polysaccharides and subsequently increase nutrient and bioactive compound utilization. Thus, this study investigated the effect of pre-treating dietary MOLP with an exogenous fibrolytic enzyme mixture on some physiological parameters and meat quality characteristics in Jumbo quail. A total of 396 Jumbo quail were randomly distributed to 6 experimental diets, with 6 replicate pens each and 11 birds per replicate. The experimental diets were: CON = a standard grower diet (156.5 g NDF /kg) without MOLP; ENZ0 = CON + 10% MOLP; and CON + MOLP pre-treated with 0.25% (ENZ25), 0.50% (ENZ50), 0.75% (ENZ75) and 1% (ENZ100) fibrolytic enzymes. There were no significant linear or quadratic effects on growth performance parameters and carcass characteristics in response to incremental levels of fibrolytic enzymes. However, neutrophils linearly increased, while breast meat lightness and 24 h hue angle linearly declined with enzyme levels. Quadratic effects were observed on gizzard weights and 1 h hue angle in response to enzyme levels. All the hemato-biochemical values fell within the normal ranges for healthy quail. It was concluded that the maximum fibrolytic multi-enzyme application rate of 1% may not have been adequate to enhance feed utilization and positively affect weight gain in Jumbo quail, thus higher levels may need to be investigated further.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry1010005
Authors: Anthony Pokoo-Aikins Jennifer Rumsey Timmons Byungrok Rok Min William Robert Lee Samuel Njoroge Mwangi Callie Megan McDonough Chongxiao Chen
This study evaluated the effects of feeding varying levels of dietary DL-methionine (MET) supplementation on breast meat (BM) quality of broilers of different sex. The 1-day-old, sexed chicks (Ross 708, 1552) were randomly allocated into four groups (each with 4 replicates) and were raised with diets supplemented with 0, 0.5, 1, or 2 g MET/kg of feed to a common weight (2.72 kg). Color, pH, drip loss (DL), water-holding capacity, moisture uptake, cooking yield (CY), texture, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and lipid oxidation (LO) were determined using BM samples harvested 24 h postmortem. The male BM had higher redness, TAC, firmness, and toughness but lower yellowness (p < 0.01) than the female BM. In both sexes, birds fed 0.5 g/kg MET had lower DL (p < 0.01) than those fed 1 and 2 g/kg MET. For storage up to 3 days, MET suppressed LO in cooked BM (p < 0.01) and suppression increased as MET increased. CY for 1 and 2 g/kg MET were higher (p < 0.01; 79.04 and 78.60%, respectively) than CY for 0 and 0.5 g/kg MET (66.18 and 68.03%, respectively). These results suggest that MET supplementation at 1 g/kg or higher for broilers can improve oxidative stability, muscle functionality, and breast meat CY.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry1010004
Authors: Kevin M. Downs Joseph P. Gulizia Emily K. Stafford Wilmer J. Pacheco
This research evaluated the influence of kudzu leaf meal particle size on body weight, feed consumption, feed conversion, breast weight, and organ weights of broilers. Treatments (4) included a control and kudzu leaf meal added to replace 2.5% soybean meal in a broiler starter diet at three particle sizes (1.00, 2.00, and 3.35 mm). Dietary treatments were fed to 240 male broilers over a 21 day grow out. Overall, there were no significant treatment effects for body weight, feed consumption, breast weight, or organ weights. There were no treatment effects for day 1 to 7 feed conversion (p > 0.05). There tended to be treatment differences for day 1 to 14 feed conversion (p = 0.052) and a significant effect between day 1 to 21 (p = 0.002). Feed conversion between day 1 to 21 was depressed at the 1.00 mm kudzu particle size. Based on this study, kudzu remains a viable protein source for inclusion in broiler diets and a particle size of 2 to 3 mm would be recommended.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry1010003
Authors: Dominga Soglia Irene Viola Joana Nery Sandra Maione Stefano Sartore Emiliano Lasagna Francesco Perini Marta Gariglio Valentina Bongiorno Riccardo Moretti Stefania Chessa Paola Sacchi Domenico Bergero Ilaria Biasato Laura Gasco Achille Schiavone
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of high levels of Tenebrio molitor dietary inclusion (15%) on molecular mechanisms that influence poultry health in a broiler chicken diet. The global gene expression of four tissues (breast, liver, jejunum, and caecum) was evaluated using the RNA-Seq approach. The analysis of differentially expressed genes suggested that the use of Tenebrio molitor leads to the overexpression of genes related to protein elongation required for tissue growth and development in the gut and liver. It would also appear to contain nutrients that reduce the expression of genes related to the immune system and inflammation of the mucosa. The dietary inclusion of Tenebrio molitor in poultry could also lead to a possible inactivation of the growth factor and a reduction of tissue free-radicals. No genes alterations have been detected in liver RNA expression that would discourage the use of larvae in feeding broilers.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry1010002
Authors: Miguel Ángel Matus-Aragón Josafhat Salinas-Ruiz Fernando González-Cerón Eliseo Sosa-Montes Arturo Pro-Martínez Omar Hernández-Mendo Juan Manuel Cuca-García Sergio Iban Mendoza-Pedroza Berenice Hernández-Blancas
Mexican Creole birds are a poorly researched genetic resource whose nutritional requirements are unknown. The objective was to evaluate the productive performance and nutrient use efficiency of Mexican Creole birds, using four diets with different concentrations of metabolizable energy (EM, MJ/kg) and crude protein (PC, g/kg). The experimental diets with constant ME/CP ratios equal to 0.06, were: 12.55/200, 11.92/190, 11.30/180 and 10.67/170. One hundred and ninety-two 12-week-old creole birds (96 males and 96 females) were randomly distributed amongst the diets (24 males and 24 females each). Due to the diet × sex interaction, males fed the 10.67/170 diet had higher feed intake, and males under 10.67/170, 11.92/190 and 11.30/180 had higher final body weight and weight gain than the other birds. Feed conversion ratio was lower in birds with diets 12.55/200 and 11.92/190. Total body fat retention was higher in females with the diet 12.55/200, 11.92/190 and 11.30/180. In conclusion, males with the 10.67/170 (lowest ME and CP) diet showed a high productive performance, without compromising carcase yield and body composition, while females with all diets did not show differences in productive performance, carcass yield and body composition.
]]>Poultry doi: 10.3390/poultry1010001
Authors: Michael Hess
In recent years poultry meat became the main animal protein for human consumption on a global level with a continuous increase being predicted [...]
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