Battery Cages Research Articles

Technical efficiency of biosecurity and animal welfare in the Taiwan egg industry

ABSTRACT Despite the pivotal role of the egg industry in the food supply chain, the absence of regular surveys over the past decades in Taiwan has resulted in a dearth of national-level data. This study endeavours to address the research void surrounding biosecurity while scrutinizing the technical efficiency of egg producers in an environment where there is no mandate to phase out battery cage systems and farmers have the autonomy to adjust their feeding strategies. We employ the stochastic frontier analysis framework to analyse farm-level data derived from a 2020 national survey of the egg industry in Taiwan, which includes 547 commercial egg farms, with 519 still utilizing battery cages and 28 farms having transitioned into alternative systems to meet higher Farm Animal Welfare standards. Our findings reveal that egg farmers who prioritize the improvement of biosecurity demonstrate greater technical efficiency. When considering the rearing systems, there is no significant difference in egg production rates between conventional and alternative systems. However, conventional systems exhibit higher efficiency in terms of total output. In essence, elevating FAW standards does not exert a discernible impact on the productivity of laying hens. Instead, farms employing conventional systems attain greater output due to their higher stocking density.

A microbial muramidase improves growth performance and reduces inflammatory cell infiltration in the intestine of broilers chickens under Eimeria and Clostridium perfringens challenge

The objective of the present studies was to evaluate muramidase (MUR) supplementation in broilers under Eimeria and/or Clostridium perfringens challenge. For this, 2 experiments were conducted. Experiment 1. A total of 256 one-day old male Cobb 500 chicks were placed in battery cages in a completely randomized design, with 5 treatment groups, 7 replicate cages per treatment and 8 birds per cage. The treatments were: nonchallenged control (NC), challenged control (CC), CC+MUR at 25,000 or 35,000 LSU(F)/kg, and CC+Enramycin at 10 ppm (positive control-PC). Challenge consisted of 15× the recommended dose of coccidiosis vaccine at placement, and Clostridium perfringens (108 CFU/bird) inoculation at 10, 11, and 12 d. Macro and microscopic evaluation, immunohistochemistry, and gene expression were evaluated at 7, 14, 21, and 28 d of age. Experiment 2. A total of 1,120 one-day old male Cobb 500 chicks were placed in floor pens with fresh litter in a completely randomized design, with 4 treatment groups, 8 replicate pens per treatment, and 35 birds per pen. The treatments were: Control, supplementation of MUR at 25,000 or 45,000 LSU(F)/kg, and a positive control (basal diet plus Enramycin). At 10, 11, and 12 d of the experiment all the birds were inoculated by oral gavage with a fresh broth culture of a field isolate Clostridium perfringens (0.5 mL containing 106 CFU/bird). It was observed that in Experiment 1 MUR supplementation reduced the infiltration of macrophages and CD8+ lymphocytes in the liver and ileum of infected birds, downregulated IL-8 and upregulated IL-10 expression. In Experiment 2, MUR linearly improved the growth performance of the birds, increased breast meat yield, and improved absorption capacity. MUR supplementation elicited an anti-inflammatory response in birds undergoing a NE challenge model that may explain the improved growth performance of supplemented birds.

Nutritional Composition and Apparent Metabolizable Energy (AME) Value of Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens L.) Full-Fat Meal for Broiler Chickens

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL; Hermetia illucens L.) is a proven high-cost protein source replacer and could be grown in a range of bio-degradable waste materials where hardly incorporated into broiler diets locally. The present study was aimed to assess the nutritional composition of BSFL, and apparent metabolizable energy (AME) value of BSFL meal provided to broiler chickens. BSFL full-fat meal produced from kitchen waste as a substrate were examined for their proximate composition, minerals and fatty acid profile. Eighty, 21-d old unsexed Cobb-500 broiler chickens (BW±SD: 665.8 ±14.3 g) were assigned randomly into 16 battery cages (04 replicates, five birds/replicate). A maize-soybean meal-based diet was used as the basal diet which was partially substituted by pre-analyzed BSFL meal at the rates of 5%, 10%, and 15% to produce three test diets. Birds were fed in a completely randomized design for 7-d with a 4-d adaptation period. Excreta were collected for three days from day 25 to 28. The results envisaged that the crude protein (CP) and ether extract (EE) contents of the kitchen waste were 12.3%, and 10.5%, respectively. BSFL meal when analyzed had 34.4% CP and 47.3%, EE. The fatty acid (FA) profile of the kitchen waste was more or less similar to that of BSFL‘s meal. The estimated AME of the BSFL full-fat meal fed for broilers was estimated to be 15.7 MJ/kg. The BSFL full-fat meal can be utilized sustainably in feed formulation and has a high potential to replace costlier feed ingredients.

Influence of cage tiers height on cloaca temperature, performance, and egg quality of Isa-Brown laying hens reared in a humid tropical climate

Abstract This research was carried out to evaluate the influence of cage tiers height on cloaca temperature, performance and egg quality of Isa-Brown laying birds. A total of One hundred and eight (108) Isa-Brown laying birds were selected from a healthy stock. The poultry house contained conventional battery cages arranged in a three-tier design. One unit of the battery cage made up of three (3) tiers with three (3) cells per tier was setup to accommodate three (3) birds per cell and a total of 27 birds per unit cage. This setup was replicated for three additional cage units. The performance of the birds was evaluated in terms of the egg weight, egg mass, feed conversion ratio, hen day production, and total feed consumed. The results revealed no significant (P >0.05) difference among cage tiers in terms of egg weight and feed conversion ratio but egg mass, hen day production and total feed consumed were significantly influenced. Highest egg mass (38.96g), highest Hen Day production (78.66%) and highest daily feed intake (99.01g) were recorded in birds raised in the upper tier of the cage. For the period of the study, cloaca temperature ranged between 36 °C and 41 °C. Cloaca temperature was not significantly (P >0.05) affected by cage tiers height. In comparison to layers raised in low-tier cages, those raised in high-tier cages had higher egg production and better feed efficiency. These findings suggest that cage tier heights play an important role in the production performance of laying hens but cloaca temperature was not affected. However, further researches on the effect of cage tiers height on cloaca temperature should be carried out in a controlled setting

Standardized ileal amino acid digestibility of high-oleic full-fat soybean meal in broilers

High-oleic (HO) soybean may serve as a value-added feed ingredient to enrich poultry meat due to its fatty acid content. However, the amino acid (AA) nutrient digestibility of soybean meal (SBM) made from these soybeans has yet to be determined. The objective of this study was to determine apparent ileal AA digestibility (AID) and standardized ileal AA digestibility (SID) of high-oleic full-fat (HO-FF) SBM compared to normal oleic full-fat (NO-FF), normal oleic extruded expeller (NO-EE), and solvent-extracted SBM (SE-SBM) in broilers. A nitrogen-free basal diet (NFD) was fed to 1 treatment group with 10 chicks/cage to determine basal endogenous losses (BEL). Titanium dioxide was used as an inert marker. The test diets contained 57.5% of the basal NFD and 42.5% of 1 of the 4 soybean sources. A total of 272 Ross-708 male broilers were placed in 40 battery cages with 5 treatments and 8 replicates per treatment. A common starter diet was provided to all the chickens for 14 d. Experimental diets were provided as a mash for 9 d before sample collection. Chickens were euthanized with CO2 on d 23, and contents of the distal ileum were collected, frozen, and freeze-dried. The BEL were similar to the values found in the literature. At d 23, broilers fed the SE-SBM had the highest body weight gain and best FCR compared to chickens fed the HO-FF and NO-FF treatments (P < 0.001). Broilers fed the SE-SBM and NO-EE experimental diets had (P < 0.001) higher apparent ileal AA digestibility and AA SID than broilers fed the HO-FF and NO-FF treatments. In conclusion, the SID of AA from HO-FF is similar to the digestibilities of other full-fat soybeans found in the literature and is lower than that of NO-EE and SE-SBM.

Regulating effects of chlorinated drinking water on cecal microbiota of broiler chicks

In this study, 2 types of drinking water were provided to broiler chicks to evaluate the relationship between the bacterial load of drinking water and cecal microbiota. One type of drinking water was untreated, while the other type was daily treated with sodium dichlorocyanurate (50 mg/L). A total of 240 broiler chicks were divided into 2 groups based on their initial body weight. There were 6 replicates in each group, and each replicate cage contained 20 birds. Each cage was assigned to a different floor of the battery cage. On the final day, water samples were collected from each replicate cage at the opening of the drinking cup height, and one bird was selected from each replicate cage to obtain cecal content samples for measuring microbiota composition using the 16S rRNA technique. We found that drinking water treated with sodium dichlorocyanurate significantly reduced the richness and diversity of microbiota and diminished/disappeared most gram-negative bacteria. Broiler chicks that consumed chlorinated drinking water exhibited changes in the composition of cecal microbiota, with Alistipes serving as the marker species in the cecal content of broiler chicks that consumed untreated water, whereas AF12 served as the marker species in the cecal content of broiler chicks that consumed chlorinated drinking water. Functional prediction using the MetaCyc database and species composition analysis of metabolic pathways showed that changes in 7 metabolic pathways were related to the abundance of Providencia. Therefore, we concluded that chlorinated drinking water reduced the bacterial load in drinking water, thereby altering the cecal microbiota composition and regulating the metabolic activity of broiler chicks.

Impacts of dietary betaine on rectal temperature, laying performance, metabolism, intestinal morphology, and follicular development in heat-exposed laying hens

This experiment assessed the influences of betaine (BET; 2000 mg/kg) on rectal temperature (Tr), laying performance, metabolism, intestinal morphology, and follicular development in heat-stressed hens. One-hundred and twenty-eight Hisex white hens (42wks) were housed in 4 battery cages (8 pens/cage; 4 hens/pen) and divided into 4 treatments: 1) thermoneutral (TN) environments and a control diet (TNCON), 2) TN and a diet accompanied with BET (TNBET), 3) heat stress (HS) environments and a control diet (HSCON), or 4) HS and a diet accompanied with BET (HSBET). Following acclimation (15d), hens of TNCON and TNBET remained in TN, while HSCON and HSBET hens were subjected to cyclical HS (5d; 16.9–37.5 °C). Cyclical HS increased Tr compared with TN hens (1.6 °C; P < 0.01), but supplemental BET decreased Tr (0.4 °C; P < 0.01). Relative to TN treatments, HS declined egg production, weight, and mass (18, 4.2, and 26%, respectively; P < 0.01), but BET ameliorated the egg production and mass (13.1 and 16.2%, respectively; P < 0.01). Compared with HSCON, feed conversion ratio and survival rate were improved in HSBET hens (12.3 and 6.25%, respectively; P ≥ 0.03). Relative to TN hens, HS elevated glucose and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels (15 and 4%, respectively; P ≤ 0.04). Supplemental BET decreased BUN levels (6.6%; P < 0.01) relative to HSCON hens. Furthermore, HS diminished jejunal villus height and villus surface area (∼27 and 35%, respectively; P < 0.01) relative to TN hens but were unaltered by BET supplementation. Relative to TN hens, HS decreased oviduct's weight, ovary's length, and ovarian primordial and primary follicles count (18, 23, 34 and 44%, respectively; P < 0.01) and caused fibrosis in shell gland (3-fold; P = 0.05). Collectively, HS impaired productivity, metabolism, intestinal architecture, and reproductive efficiency. Feeding BET reduced Tr, improved laying performance, and slightly altered metabolism but did not affect intestinal and follicular measurements in heat-stressed hens.

Evaluation of ionophore resistance in field isolates of Eimeria tenella from Jammu and Kashmir

The present study was conducted to evaluate resistance against ionophores (salinomycin and maduramicin) in four field isolates (F) of Eimeria tenella collected from four distantly located poultry farms from Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The purity of isolates was ascertained by COCCIMORPH and ITS-1 gene amplification for E. tenella. For the drug sensitivity trial, Cobb strain, day-old male broiler chicks were used. At the age of 10 days, the birds were transferred ad random in 13 groups to battery cage system. All birds, except non infected non-medicated control were infected with 105 sporulated oocysts each at two weeks. Prophylactic medication with ionophores commenced two days prior to infection in eight groups (two medicated groups for each of the four isolates). Another four groups served as infected and non-medicated control. Seven days post infection, all the surviving birds were sacrificed to study drug resistance by assessing the global index for individual ionophore compounds. The F-1 exhibited resistance against salinomycin and maduramicin whereas, the F-2 showed comparatively improved global index for both salinomycin and maduramicin thus indicating limited efficacy. The F-3 exhibited partial resistance against salinomycin and limited efficacy in case of maduaramicin, and the F-4 was observed to be resistant against salinomycin whereas partially resistant against maduramicin. The present study provides evidence of resistance against maduramicin and salinomycin in field isolates of E. tenella from Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir which may aid in management of poultry coccidiosis.

Dietary phytase effects on copper requirements of broilers.

Information on the availability of Cu from plant feedstuffs for broilers in the presence of phytase is scarce. The present research has been conducted with the objective of evaluating the Cu requirements of broilers when fed corn-soy diets with or without phytase. A total of 640 one-day-old male Cobb x Cobb 500, allocated into 80 battery cages with 8 chicks in each, were fed a low Cu content diet (formulated with 8.58 ± 0.21 mg/kg Cu) without phytase from placement to day 7. Starting on day 8, battery cages were distributed into a 2 × 5 factorial arrangement (phytase-added diets X 5 with graded increases of supplemental Cu) until day 28. Feeding treatments (feeds added or not with phytase and 5 graded increases of Cu) were randomly distributed with 8 cages of 8 chicks. The basal non-supplemented feeds were formulated with corn and soybean meal (SBM) without any other significant Cu contributors. Supplemental Cu was from laboratory-grade Cu sulfate pentahydrate (CuSO5H20) which was increasingly added to the feeds. Phytase was added in excess to the producer recommendation (2,500 FYT) and had average analyzed values of 2,768 ± 135.2 FYT/kg whereas analyzed Cu values were: 8.05 ± 0.25, 11.25 ± 0.15, 14.20 ± 0.40, 16.55 ± 0.05, and 19.45 ± 0.45 mg/kg. Statistics were conducted using linear and quadratic polynomial regression models. No interactions occurred between dietary Cu and phytase (p > 0.05) for any response and no effects were found for the individual factors (phytase or dietary Cu) for Ht, Hb, varus, valgus, rotated tibia, and tibia breaking strength, as well as for Cu contents in breast, gastrocnemius tendon, and kidney (p > 0.05). However, the phytase-added diets led to higher BWG, lower FCR, and increased ileal digestible Cu (p < 0.05). The gradual increase in dietary Cu produced linear increases in Cu content in livers, as well as in excreta and retention (p < 0.05). Supplementing phytase at levels expected to maximize phytate degradation was demonstrated to improve BWG and FCR; however, no effects were observed when dietary Cu was increased to a maximum of 19.45 mg/kg. An increase of 8.8% in ileal digestible Cu was observed when birds were fed phytase.

Effect of in-water administration of quorum system inhibitors in broilers’ productive performance and intestinal microbiome in a mild necrotic enteritis challenge

ABSTRACT The poultry industry has been facing the impact of necrotic enteritis (NE), a disease caused by the bacterium Clostridium perfringens producing the haemolytic toxin NetB. NE severity may vary from mild clinical to prominent enteric signs causing reduced growth rates and affecting feed conversion ratio. NetB production is controlled by the Agr-like quorum-sensing (QS) system, which coordinates virulence gene expression in response to bacterial cell density. In this study, the peptide-containing cell-free spent media (CFSM) from Enterococcus faecium was tested in NE challenged broilers in two battery cage and one floor pen studies. Results showed a significant reduction of NE mortality. Metagenomic sequencing of the jejunum microbiome revealed no impact of the CFSM on the microbial community, and growth of C. perfringens was unaffected by CFSM in vitro. The expression of QS-controlled virulence genes netB, plc and pfoA was found to be significantly repressed by CFSM during the mid-logarithmic stage of C. perfringens growth and this corresponded with a significant decrease in haemolytic activity. Purified fractions of CFSM containing bioactive peptides were found to cause reduced haemolysis. These results showed that bioactive peptides reduce NE mortality in broilers by interfering with the QS system of C. perfringens and reducing bacterial virulence. Furthermore, the microbiome of C. perfringens-challenged broilers is not affected by quorum sensing inhibitor containing CFSM.

Characterizing the impact of Enterococcus cecorum infection during late embryogenesis on disease progression, cecal microbiome composition, and early performance in broiler chickens

Enterococcus cecorum (EC) has been associated with septicemia and early mortality in broiler chickens. There is limited research investigating the pathogenicity of EC field strains obtained from affected birds. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of in-ovo administration into the amnion with different EC field isolates at d 18 of embryogenesis (DOE18). In Exp 1, 7 EC field isolates alone or in combination (EC1-EC3, EC4-EC5, EC6, and EC7) were selected based on phenotypic characteristics and evaluated at different concentrations (1×102, 1×104, and 1×106 CFU/200 µL/embryo) to assess the impact on early performance and macroscopic lesions. Three isolates (n=3; EC2, EC5, EC7) were selected for additional evaluation based on the significant (P < 0.05) BWG reduction (d 0-21) compared to the negative control (NC) and the presence of macroscopic lesions observed during posting sessions at d 14 and d 21. An additional isolate associated with enterococcal spondylitis was included in Exp 2 (EC11B). Treatment groups for Exp 2 include: 1) NC, 2) EC2, 3) EC5, 4) EC7, and 5) EC11B (n=90-120/embryos/group). Groups 2 to 5 were challenged at 1×102 CFU/200 µL/embryo by in-ovo injection into the amnion at DOE18. Chicks were placed in battery cages for the duration of the study (21 d), and pen weights were recorded at d 0, d 7, d 14, and d 21 to calculate average BW and BWG. At d 14 and d 21 posthatch, liver, spleen, free thoracic vertebrae (FTV), and femoral head (FH) were aseptically collected to enumerate Enterococcus spp. using Chromagar Orientation as the selective media. Cecal contents were collected at d 21 to evaluate the effect of EC challenge on the cecal microbiome composition. There was a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in BW at d 21, and BWG from d 14 to 21 and d 0 to 21, for EC7 and EC11B. Enterococcus cecorum was recovered from the FTV of all challenged groups at d 14 and d 21. The most representative lesions were pericarditis, hydropericardium, focal heart necrosis, and FH osteomyelitis. However, lesions were not uniform across challenged groups or ages (d 14 and d 21). Alpha diversity of the cecal contents was markedly lower in EC5 and EC11B compared to all treatment groups suggesting that EC exposure during late embryogenesis affect the cecal microbiome up to 21 d posthatch. Additionally, these results highlight the differences in pathogenicity of EC strains isolated from field cases and suggest that hatchery exposure to EC during late embryogenesis is a potential route of introduction into a flock.

The Effect of Kacang Ratu BW on Ration to Production and Business Income of Layer Chickens

The research was conducted to determine the effect of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) substitution for laying hen performance. 108 Hy-Line strains on 26 weeks were put in battery cage and divided randomly into three treatments, (with six replications and every replication consisted six hens). The treatments were used 100% basal diet for control (A0), 99% basal diet + 1% Alfalfa (A1), and 97% basal diet + 3% Alfalfa (A2). Data recorded every day on three periods, with twenty-eight days per period. Feed and drink were given by ad libitum. The data collected every day consist of egg production, egg weight, while laying hen performance counted every week consist of Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR), Hen Day Average (HDA). In addition, the estimation of Income Over Feed Cost (IOFC) counted at the end of this period. Data were analyzed by factorial of classification of variance analysis (ANOVA) between Alfalfa and period. of treatment followed by testing significant means Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT). According to this research, it can be concluded that Alfalfa can be used for substitution on laying hen’s diet due to decrease the feed cost (increase feed efficiency) moreover without declined its production.

Morphometric Measurements of Several Body Parts of Laying Phase Arabian Chickens

The objective of this research was to investigate the body measurements of female Arabian chickens during the laying phase. The study utilized a sample of 95 female Arabian chickens, aged 94 weeks, which were housed in battery cages and utilized for egg production. Direct measurements were taken on each chicken, with variables including body weight, head circumference, beak length, comb height, neck length, back length, wing length, chest width, chest depth, upper thigh length, lower thigh length, shank length, shank circumference, the distance between the pubis bones, the distance between the pubic bone and sternum, and the length of the phalanges. The results of the study indicated that the body weight and morphometric measurements of the Arabian chickens were consistent with prior research. Furthermore, the size of the chest, back, neck, and wings displayed a significant correlation with body weight. Therefore, these measurements can be used as indicative markers for predicting the body weight of Arabian chickens.

Functional additive based on natural premix in the diet of quails

The results of the experiment on the use of functional additive in the diet of growing quails on the basis of natural organomineral complex (sapropel) enriched with wheat bran, coniferous flour, pine nut shells and enzyme preparation Fitbest WP are presented. The experiment lasting 60 days was conducted according to the standard methodology on Japanese quails. For the experiment, two similar groups of 60 birds each (one control and one experimental group) were formed at one day of age. Both groups received basic mixed fodder corresponding to the physiological characteristics and age of the quails. In the ration of young animals of the experimental group 10% of the wheat mass was replaced by a functional additive consisting of sapropel (50%), wheat bran (20%), coniferous flour (15%) and pine nutshells (15%), enriched with the enzyme preparation Fitbest WP (100 g/t mixed fodder) designed to increase the absorption of phytate phosphorus. The birds were kept in a cage battery under the required microclimate conditions. The effect of feeding the experimental additive on the following indicators of quail chickens was studied: safety, average daily gain of live weight, meat productivity and meat quality, biochemical composition of blood. Introduction of the functional additive on the basis of natural premix (sapropel) into the mixed fodder of quails increased the safety of birds by 2.00%, live weight gain by 6.97% with no significant differences in the consumption of mixed fodder per unit production. The meat of the poultry that consumed the functional additive increased the dry matter content by 0.85%, ash by 0.61%, calcium and phosphorus by 1.05 and 1.30 times (p &lt; 0.05). Intergroup differences in protein content and fat content were insignificant. Hematological parameters of quail chickens in the experimental groups corresponded to the physiological norm.

GROWTH PERFORMANCE TRAITS AND EGG QUALITY OF INDIGENOUS YORUBA ECOTYPE CHICKENS CROSSBRED WITH LOHMANN BROWN COCKS

This study evaluates the growth performance, body linear parameters and egg quality of Yoruba ecotype chicken and their F1 and F2 crosses using Lohmann brown cocks under a low-input management system. Ten Lohmann brown cocks were mated with thirty indigenous hens to obtain the F1 progenies. Ten Lohmann cocks were also mated back to thirty F1 hens to obtain the F2 progenies. Also, ten indigenous male cocks were mated with 30 indigenous female hens as a basis for comparison. Mating was done at 1:3 in all the groups. Incubation and hatching were naturally done and properly monitored. After hatching, the hens and the chicks were intensively managed for 8 weeks in wooden cages, after which the chicks were transferred to battery cages, where they were raised till maturity. Initial weight at hatching, body weight at 24 weeks, average daily feed intake, body weight at initial egg laying and first egg weight were recorded appropriately, while the body linear parameters (shank length, comb length, keel length, back length, beak length, neck length and drumstick) were measured using standard procedures. Some selected egg quality parameters included egg weight, egg length, egg breadth, shell weight and albumen weight. Weight at hatching, body weight at 24 weeks, average daily feed intake, body weight at initial egg laying and first egg weight were significantly (P &lt; 0.05) higher in F2 birds than in F1 birds, while F1 birds had higher values compared to the indigenous birds. The F2 birds also had significantly (P &lt; 0.05) higher egg weight, egg length, egg breadth, shell weight, shell thickness, albumen height, albumen weight, yolk length and yolk weight than F1 birds. This study showed that the F1 and F2 progenies performed better in growth, body linear parameters and the egg quality parameters compared to the indigenous chicken. It can, therefore, be concluded that crossbreeding of indigenous chicken with Lohmann breed is beneficial for improving their growth performance and egg quality parameters, thereby enhancing their productivity.

Evaluating Behavior Recognition Pipeline of Laying Hens Using Wearable Inertial Sensors.

Recently, animal welfare has gained worldwide attention. The concept of animal welfare encompasses the physical and mental well-being of animals. Rearing layers in battery cages (conventional cages) may violate their instinctive behaviors and health, resulting in increased animal welfare concerns. Therefore, welfare-oriented rearing systems have been explored to improve their welfare while maintaining productivity. In this study, we explore a behavior recognition system using a wearable inertial sensor to improve the rearing system based on continuous monitoring and quantifying behaviors. Supervised machine learning recognizes a variety of 12 hen behaviors where various parameters in the processing pipeline are considered, including the classifier, sampling frequency, window length, data imbalance handling, and sensor modality. A reference configuration utilizes a multi-layer perceptron as a classifier; feature vectors are calculated from the accelerometer and angular velocity sensor in a 1.28 s window sampled at 100 Hz; the training data are unbalanced. In addition, the accompanying results would allow for a more intensive design of similar systems, estimation of the impact of specific constraints on parameters, and recognition of specific behaviors.

Effects of day-of-hatch intramuscular administration of a herbal extract mixture and its re-supplementation in drinking water on growth performance, stress indicators, and antioxidant status of broiler chickens reared under hot summer conditions.

Broilers under oxidative stress from high ambient temperatures may benefit from the use of additives that have antioxidant properties. This experiment investigated the efficacy of a herbal extract mixture (HEM; aqueous extracts from Ferula gummosa, Thymus vulgaris, and Trachyspermum copticum) in day-old chicks, injected intramuscular (deep pectoral muscle; (0, 30, 60, and 90 μL/0.1 mL of sterilized and distilled water)), and supplemented in drinking water (0 and 0.25 mL/L) during the rearing period. Broilers were reared in battery cages under summer temperature conditions, with average maximum temperature of 35.5°C, average minimum temperature of 25.5°C, and average relative humidity of 50-60%. A total of 400 1-day-old Ross 308 male broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 8 treatment groups (5 replicates/treatment with 10 birds per replicate). From d1 to d10, the indoor air temperature was adjusted to match fluctuating outdoor summer temperatures, and was set at 30-34°C and 50-60% relative humidity; and from d10 onwards, no adjustments were made. Injection of HEM linearly decreased feed:gain (P = 0.005), heterophile-to-lymphocyte (H/L) ratio (P = 0.007), and serum concentrations of cholesterol (P = 0.008), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) (P < 0.001), malondialdehyde (P = 0.005), and cortisol (P = 0.008). The 60 μL of HEM injection produced the best results in terms of final body weight (BW; P = 0.003), overall average daily gain (ADG; P = 0.002), European performance index (P < 0.001), carcass yield (P < 0.001), and serum glutathione peroxidase activity (P < 0.001). Supplementation of HEM in drinking water also increased final BW (P = 0.048), overall ADG (P = 0.047), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = 0.042), and total antioxidant capacity (P = 0.030), while decreasing the H/L ratio (P = 0.004) and serum LDL concentration (P = 0.031). There were interactions between injection and water supplementation for BW (day 24; P = 0.045), carcass yield (day 42; P = 0.014), and serum superoxide dismutase activity (day 42; P = 0.004). In conclusion, administering an injection of HEM at a dose of 60 μL at the time of hatching, followed by supplementation at a dose of 0.25 mL/L via drinking water during the rearing period could be a useful strategy for improving the performance and health status of heat-stressed broiler chickens.

The Effect of Housing Environment on Physical Egg Quality of White Egg Layers

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 &lt; 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 &lt; 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 &gt; 0.05). Moreover, this study did not detect any differences in egg quality parameters between enriched and barren colony cages (p &gt; 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.

Effects of the In ovo Administration of L-Ascorbic Acid on Tissue L-Ascorbic Acid Concentrations, Systemic Inflammation, and Tracheal Histomorphology of Ross 708 Broilers Subjected to Elevated Levels of Atmospheric Ammonia

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.

An integrated energy recovery system for productive biogas applications: Continuous mode operation and assessment

The application of biogas as a renewable energy source continues to face competition from conventional energy sources, which are readily available and seemingly cheap. In addition, productive biogas system deployments in Uganda are currently facing challenges related to sustainability of biogas production, which has led to massive dis-adoption in recent years. These systems have failed to utilize alternatives during scarcity of primary feedstock due to lack technical data for energy recovery, which could be linked to insufficient R&D in the biogas sector. Relatedly, global scientific research has placed focus mostly on methane yield improvements through optimization of anaerobic digestion kinetics on lab-scale, with little focus on the enabling environment for these kinetics to thrive in continuously operated systems.This study therefore aimed to develop an integrated energy recovery system that enables alteration of feedstock and control of digester operating parameters for sustainable biogas production in continuously fed digesters. An array of system components was developed and integrated into a state-of-art energy recovery system, which was prototyped and deployed in real working environment for pilot studies. The system was configured to measure the moisture content of the feedstock and then determine and display to the operator the amount of water to be added to optimize the quality of the substrate. The system also monitors the digester operating parameters and prompts corrective action to prevent possible inhibition of biogas production process. Results show that the system is about 33% more efficient than the conventional one, allows alteration of feedstocks, and can be deployed to replace conventional energy usage for productive applications. For instance, a poultry farm with 10,000 commercial layers may have its energy needs be met 100% by the proposed system with a pay-back period of 4.5 years for deep liter system and 3.7 years for battery cage system.