Body Weight Of Birds Research Articles

Effect of dietary inclusion of 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ and vitamin E on performance, gut health, oxidative status, and immune response in laying hens infected with coccidiosis

Vitamin D3 (25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (VD)) and vitamin E (VE) have proven to have immunomodulatory and antioxidant functions along with capacities to improve the reproductive function in chickens. Coccidiosis in laying hens at different stages of growth has been shown to negatively affect performance, immune response, and oxidative status, thus increasing the cost of production. A study was conducted to evaluate the influence of dietary VD or VE on performance, gut health, immune response, and oxidative status of laying hens at peak production. Laying hens (23 wk-of-age, n = 225) were randomly allocated into 5 treatment groups (n = 9 hens/replicate) with 5 replicate groups each: 1) unchallenged control (UC), 2) pair-fed control (PF), 3) challenged control (CC), 4) challenged control top-dressed with 5,000 IU of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (VD) per kg of diet, and 5) challenged control top-dressed with 100 IU of DL-α-tocopherol (VE). At 25 wk-of-age, hens grouped in CC, VD, and VE were challenged with mixed Eimeria spp. to induce coccidiosis. VD or VE supplemented hens did not impact bird body weight; however, egg production increased by 10.36% and 13.77%, respectively (P < 0.0001). Furthermore, the gut health of the hens was improved with either VD or VE supplementation, as indicated by lowered gut permeability and intestinal lesion scores (P < 0.05). VE significantly reduced the heterophil count (P = 0.0490) alongside numerically increasing the peripheral CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and monocyte counts (P > 0.05). Both VD or VE increased the TAC at 14 DPI compared to UC (P<0.05). Preliminary findings suggest that dietary VD or VE supplementation has the potential to improve gut health, modulate the immune response, and increase egg production in coccidiosis-infected laying hens.

Applying machine learning to understand the relationship between body weight and beak and nail dimensions in broiler chickens

The aim of this research was to determine whether body weight could be used as a reliable indicator of beak and claw length in broiler chickens during the production cycle. Sixty broiler chickens were evaluated individually and evaluated weekly (1, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 days) throughout the production cycle. The following variables were measured: body weight, length of nails and beaks (maxillary mandible and beak area considering the presence of the nostril). The evaluation of body weight was performed using a digital scale. Nail lengths (U1, U2 and U3) were obtained using a digital calliper. The biomechanical analysis of the length of the beaks of the birds was carried out through photographs, using a digital camera and the analysis of the images carried out through the ImageJ software. It is concluded that the correlations between body weight x maxila, body weight x area of the beak with nostril and body weight x nails (U1, U2 and U3), can be a reliable indicator of dependence between the variables if we consider the complete breeding cycle of broiler chickens. However, when the correlations are evaluated weekly separately, they are not a reliable indicator. The first two main components revealed 94.7% of the data variation, with all morphological variables being important, as the communalities were greater than 0.93. The factorial analysis biplot revealed that nail characteristics, especially Nail1 and Nail 3, are strongly associated with the body weight of birds considering the complete cycle (42 days), i.e. nail characteristics are the main phenotypic predictors of body weight. The morphological traits of the nail and beak are predictors of body weight when evaluating the complete cycle (42 days), especially nail 1 and nail 3.

Sistem Monitoring Pakan dan Air Minum Burung Peliharaan Pemakan Biji Berbasis Internet Of Things

Grain-eating songbirds are often kept as a hobby. These birds have beautiful feather colors and melodious voices. One of the obstacles to maintaining songbirds is that the owner needs more time. The owner is busy working and going out of town, which can cause the bird not to get adequate feed and water, and the owner is also unable to monitor the health condition of the bird. Based on this, a songbird feeding and monitoring system based on IoT was created to monitor the remaining food and drinks in the tank using NodeMCU ESP32 as a system control and data sender to the internet. The system can provide feed and drinking water for pet birds automatically and is connected via the internet to Blynk to send monitoring results. Based on monitoring results, the feed consumption of seed-eating songbirds is 4.74 grams daily, equivalent to 43.14% of the bird's body weight.

Influence of zinc sulfate and threonine supplementation on mucin 5ac gene expression in the small intestine and intestinal mucosal morphology in broiler chickens

ABSTRACT A 42-day feeding trial was carried out to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation of zinc and threonine on the integrity of intestinal mucosa and expression of intestinal mucin 5ac (MUC5AC) gene in broiler chickens. A total of 640-day-old Arbor Acres broiler chicks were allocated to four dietary treatments with eight replicates of 20 birds in a completely randomized design. The experimental diets included T0: control (standard diet), T1: standard diet + 40 mg/kg Zinc Sulfate (ZnSO4), T2: standard diet + 2% L-Threonine (L-Thr) and T3: standard diet + (40 mg/kg ZnSO4 + 0.2% L-Threonine (L-Thr)). During the starter phase, the average daily gain and body weight of birds fed the T1 diet was lower (p < 0.05) than T2 and T0. The villus height (VH) of the jejunum in T2 was longer (p < 0.05) than in T0 and T3. In the ileum, VH for T1 was longer (p < 0.05) than for T0. The MUC5AC mRNA expression in the duodenum at the starter phase was lower (p < 0.05) in T3 than in T2 while in the jejunum, T1 was higher (p < 0.05) than the other treatment groups. The supplementation of zinc and threonine in the diet can improve the intestinal integrity of broiler chickens.

Daylight exposure and circadian clocks in broilers: part I—photoperiod effect on broiler behavior, skeletal health, and fear response

The aim of this study was to examine effects of various daylight exposure during the 24-h light-dark (L-D) cycle on growth performance, skeletal health, and welfare state in broilers. Environmental photoperiod and related circadian clock, the 24-h L-D cycle, are important factors in maintaining productive performance, pathophysiological homeostasis, and psychological reaction in humans and animals. Currently, various lighting programs as management tools for providing a satisfactory environmental condition have been used in commercial broiler production. Four hundred thirty-two 1-day-old Rose 308 broiler chicks were assigned to 24 pens (18 birds/pen). The pens were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 thermal and lighting control rooms, then the birds were exposed to (n=6): 1) 12L, 2) 16L, 3) 18L, or 4) 20L at 15 d of age. Lighting program effects on bird body weight, behavioral patterns, bone health, and stress levels were evaluated from d 35 to d 45, respectively. The birds of 12L as well as 16L groups, reared under short photoperiods close to the natural 24-h L-D cycle, had improved production performance, leg bone health, and suppressed stress reaction compared to the birds of both 18L and 20L groups. Especially, 12L birds had heavier final body weight and averaged daily weight gain (P < 0.05), higher BMD and BMC with longer and wider femur (P < 0.05), lower H/L ratio (P < 0.05), and more birds reached the observer during the touch test (P < 0.05) but spent shorter latency during the tonic immobility test (P < 0.05). Taken together, the data suggest that supplying 12 h as well as 16L of daily light improves performance and health while decreasing stress levels in broilers, making it a potentially suitable approach for broiler production.

Protective effects of feed additives on broiler chickens exposed to aflatoxins-contaminated feed: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aflatoxin contamination in feed is a common problem in broiler chickens. The present systematic review and meta-analysis examined the impact of aflatoxin-contaminated feed and the efficacy of various feed additives on the production performance of broiler chickens fed aflatoxin-contaminated feed (AF-feed). A total of 35 studies comprising 53 AF-feed experiments were selected following PRISMA guidelines. Feed additives included in the analyses were toxins binder (TB), mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS), organic acid (OA), probiotics (PRO), protein supplementation (PROT), phytobiotics (PHY), and additive mixture (MIX). Random effects model and a frequentist network meta-analysis (NMA) were performed to rank the efficacy of feed additives, reported as standardized means difference (SMD) at 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Overall, broiler chickens fed AF-feed had significantly lower final body weight (BW) (SMD = 198; 95% CI = 198 to 238) and higher feed conversion ratio (SMD = 0.17; 95% CI = 0.13 to 0.21) than control. Treatments with TB, MOS, and PHY improved the BW of birds fed AF-feed (P < 0.05) to be comparable with non-contaminated feed or control. Predictions on final BW from the broiler-fed aflatoxin-contaminated diet were 15% lower than the control diet. Including feed additives in the aflatoxins diet could ameliorate the depressive effect. Remarkably, our network meta-analysis highlighted that TB was the highest-performing additive (P-score = 0.797) to remedy aflatoxicosis. Altogether, several additives, especially TB, are promising to ameliorate aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens, although the efficacy was low regarding the severity of the aflatoxicosis.

Influence of solid state fermentation with Bacillus subtilis 67 strain on the nutritional value of rapeseed meal and its effects on performance and meat quality of broiler chickens

The study aimed to evaluate the influence of solid-state fermentation on the nutritional value and enzymatic activity of rapeseed meal and its effects on the performance of broiler chickens and meat quality, including physicochemical properties (proximate analysis, pH, water holding capacity), antioxidant capabilities, dipeptide composition of the meat and sensory traits. Three dietary treatments were evaluated using broiler chickens: a control without incorporation of rapeseed meal; a second treatment with the incorporation of 3% unfermented rapeseed meal; and a third with the incorporation of 3% rapeseed meal fermented with Bacillus subtilis 67. The study showed that fermented compared to unfermented rapeseed meal was characterized by a significantly higher content of dry matter, crude ash, crude fat and metabolic energy (P < 0.05), and a significantly lower content of crude fiber and glucosinolates (P < 0.05). The B. subtilis 67 strain shows cellulolytic and xylulolytic activity. Fermented rapeseed meal has a positive effect on body weight of birds, daily gain, and European Production Efficiency Factor (P < 0.05). Both rapeseed meal treatments significantly reduced the pH of leg muscles and the water-holding capacity of breast muscles (P < 0.05). The fermented meal had a negative impact on some sensory parameters of poultry meat. There was no significant influence of fermented rapeseed meal on the composition of dipeptides in poultry meat and its antioxidant status.

Inclusion of vermiculture biomass grown on a substrate of accelerated fermentation into combined feeds for broiler chickens

As the population increases, the problem of meat production will grow. An alternative method of solving this problem is growing broiler chickens; however, with this technology, the question of protein content and available amino acids in poultry feed remains open. Vermiculture biomass can be an inexhaustible source of protein for broiler chickens feeding. Under the vivarium of the Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University, worms were grown on a substrate containing poultry droppings with litter fermented by an accelerated method with the participation of a destructor. Therefore, the work aims to establish the effect of such vermiculture biomass on productivity and protein metabolism in the body of broiler chickens. For this purpose, the broiler chickens of the research groups were fed with compound feed with a content of 1.5, 3.0, and 4.5 % of vermiculture biomass. Poultry compound feed from the control group did not contain worm biomass. At the end of the experiment, the bird's body weight was recorded, the absolute and average daily gains were determined, and the indicators of protein accounting in the liver of broiler chickens were determined. It has been established that the body weight of broiler chickens varies depending on the content of vermiculture biomass in compound feed. Using a low dose of worms in the feed did not make it possible to obtain a statistically significant increase in the body weight of broiler chickens. By adding 3.0 and 4.5 % vermiculture biomass to the compound feed, the body weight of broilers increases by 3.5 and 3.7 % compared to the index of birds that were not fed worms. It was found that the absolute and average daily growth of broiler chickens that consumed compound feed containing 3.0 and 4.5 % vermiculture biomass increased by a statistically significant amount. It has been proven that using vermiculture biomass affects the protein metabolism indicators in broiler chickens' livers. In the liver of broiler chickens, which were fed with compound feed with a content of 3.0 and 4.5 % of vermiculture biomass, a tendency to an increase in the total protein content and a statistically significant increase in the activity of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase was established. In the liver of broilers, which were fed with compound feed with a content of 3.0 and 4.5 % of worm biomass, a tendency to increase the content of total and protein total groups was revealed.

EFFICIENCY OF FEED ADDITIVE APPLICATION BASED ON BACTERIA OF THE GENUS BACILLUS

The article highlights the results of using a feed additive based on spore-forming bacteria of the genus Bacillus when growing broiler chickens. The addition of the studied additive to the diet of chickens in the first group at a dose of 0.5 and to the second group at a dose of 1 g/kg of feed increased the intensity of the bird's growth. In particular, the average daily weight gain of broilers in the experimental groups was, respectively, 11 and 11.8% higher than in the control group.&#x0D; At the same time, the yield of gutted broiler carcasses in the first and second experimental groups was higher, compared to the control group, by 245 and 275 g, respectively. Under these conditions, in the first experimental group with an average body weight of 2411.1 g, feed consumption during the experimental period was 4310 g/head, while feed conversion was 1.78. In the second experimental group with an average body weight of 2426.9 g, the feed consumption was 4253.3 g/head and the conversion was 1.75, while in the control group with an average body weight of 2178.4 g, the feed consumption was 4433.3 g/head, and the feed conversion was 2.03.&#x0D; When identifying microorganisms of the Enterobacteriaceae family, in the first research group were found: Escheriсhia coli, Escheriсhia fergusonii, Escheriсhia hermannii, Escheriсhia vulneris, Serratia odorifera; in the second experimental group: Escheriсhia coli, Escheriсhia fergusonii, Serratia odorifera, Kluyvera spp.; and in the control group: Escheriсhia terioteria enorita, Serratia oderofera cloacea, Shigella spp. Microorganisms of the genus Salmonella, and also Campilobacter and C. perfringens on day 42 in broilers of all groups were not detected.&#x0D; Therefore, the use of a feed additive based on spore-forming bacteria of the genus Bacillus leads to a decrease in feed conversion, an increase in the body weight of birds, and an increase in total and average daily weight gain, compared to the control group. Also was found the positive effect of feed additives on the qualitative and quantitative composition of the intestinal microflora, while the microflora of the bird is corrected in the direction of an increase in the normal flora and a decrease in pathogenic and conditionally pathogenic microflora.

Effect of graded levels of guava (Psidium guajava L.) leaf meal on productive performance and meat organoleptic properties of chicken

A study was carried out to determine the productive performance and meat organoleptic properties of finisher broiler fed diets supplemented with graded levels of dried guava leaf meal (DGLM) as a phytogenic feed additive. The study was conducted at the livestock experimental unit of National Veterinary Research Institute Vom, Nigeria. Two hundred and forty unsexed 5-weeks-old broilers of similar mean live weight were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 dietary groups with 3 replicates (0, 150g, 300g and 450g of DGLM per 100kg basal diets) over a four weeks finisher period, in completely randomized design. All the diets of iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric and water were served to the birds ad libitum. The results of the finisher phase of the experiment showed that, though the average daily feed intakes of all the treatments were the same, the final body weights of birds fed T4 diets were significantly (P&lt;0.05) higher than those fed other diets. Feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein efficiency ratio (PER) and feed cost/weight gain followed similar trend as in body weight gain. The organoleptic properties (colour, appearance, texture, taste and aroma) of all the treatment groups revealed that DGLM had no adverse effect on broiler meat. The study concluded that the supplementation of DGLM at 300g and 450g/ 100kg enhanced utilization of nutrients in the diets resulting in impressive growth performance, reduced feed cost/weight gain, and high survivability without influencing the organoleptic properties of finisher broiler chickens.

Spray-dried porcine plasma enhances feed efficiency, intestinal integrity, and immune response of broilers challenged with necrotic enteritis

Re-emergence of enteric diseases in the postantibiotic era has imposed severe loss to the poultry industry leading to the urgent need for appropriate additives to maintain gut health. Recently, more attention has been paid to animal plasma due to its high concentrations of active components such as albumins and globulins. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of spray-dried porcine plasma (SDP) supplementation during the starter phase (d 0-10) on growth performance, intestine health, and immune response of broilers under necrotic enteritis (NE) challenge. A total of 720 day-old male broiler parental line chicks (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to a 2 (NE challenge: no, yes)×2 (SDP: 0, 2%) factorial arrangement with 12 replications of 15 chicks each. To induce NE, birds were inoculated with live Eimeria vaccine on d 9 and Clostridium perfringens on d 14. The body weight of birds and feed consumption were measured per pen on d 8, 10, 24, and 29 to calculate performance parameters. On d 16, three birds per pen were sampled to analyse the intestinal lesion score, gut permeability, villi morphology, relative weight of organs, and immune response. Results showed that SDP improved (P < 0.001) FCR in the pre-challenge phase (d 0-8). The results indicated that supplementing SDP lowered (P < 0.01) FCR at the end of the experiment (d 29). Dietary SDP decreased (P < 0.05) the concentration of FITC-d in serum samples of challenged broilers, although it did not affect the intestinal morphology and lesion score. Birds fed with SDP had a higher (P < 0.05) relative weight of bursa (g/kg live body weight) compared to non-supplemented birds. Supplementing SDP reduced the concentration of interleukin-6 (P < 0.05) and α-1 acid glycoprotein (P=0.051) in serum samples of broilers. In conclusion, supplementation of SDP in the starter phase enhanced feed efficiency and gut integrity in NE challenged broilers, possibly through manipulating the immune response, while further studies targeting intestinal microflora and key genes are required to explore the mode of action.

Evaluation of an Innovative Zn Source on Feed Efficiency, Growth Performance, Skin and Bone Quality of Broilers Suffering Heat Stress.

One thousand two hundred male broilers were used to evaluate the effect of different dosages of HiZox® on feed efficiency, growth performance and bone quality of broilers suffering from heat stress. A completely randomized design was used, with four treatments and ten replicates. Basal corn−soybean meal diets supplemented with 75, 100 and 125 mg/kg zinc from HiZox and 100 mg/kg zinc from regular ZnO were used to make four treatments. Heat stress was induced after the third week by keeping house temperature between 28−34 °C, from 1 pm until 5 pm. The body weights of the birds that received the diet supplemented with HiZox or ZnO showed no significant difference at 7 and 14 days. Body weight of heat stressed birds fed diets containing different levels of HiZox or ZnO were not different at 28 and 42 days of age. In comparison to the Ross 308 management guide, induced heat stress diminished body weight and feed intake by approximately 17 and 21%, respectively. At 28 days, chickens who received 125 mg/kg Zn from Hizox had better feed efficiency (p < 0.05). The mortality rate of heat-stressed male broiler chickens who received different dosages of HiZox was 2.85% less than that of the regular ZnO group (p < 0.06). The results showed that addition of HiZox to the diet of male broiler under heat stress doubled the skin resistance during feather plucking in the slaughter plant and improved carcass quality (p < 0.07). Tibia breaking strength, included elongation and extension were improved by consumption of a diet supplemented with 75 mg HiZox/kg (p < 0.09). The HiZox-75 fed broilers required higher amounts of energy (MJ) for tibia breaking at break and peak points at 42 days (p < 0.09; p < 0.07). Jejunum Zn concentrations reflected the quantity of ingested Zn (p < 0.0001). Gizzard Zn solubility was dependent on dietary treatment (p < 0.03). Solubility of Zn in the gizzard of chickens who received HiZox was higher (about 30%) than broilers fed regular ZnO. In conclusion, Zn from HiZox was more efficient in decreasing heat stress mortality, increasing skin resistance and bone breaking strength compared to a regular ZnO source.

Environmental enrichment impact on the Japanese quails productivity

The aim of this study was to evaluate the production parameters and eggs quality of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) as a possible response to the enrichment of the birds' living environment. The study material consisted of 280 individually marked Japanese quails (56♂:224♀). Birds at 5 weeks of age were randomly divided into 7 equal-sized groups with replication subgroups (4 per group, 10 birds in each replication). Birds were maintained in 0.5 m2 cages with unlimited access to water and feed. The differentiating factor was the presence or absence of enrichment in the birds' cages. The following groups were used: 1 – control (reared without any enrichment), 2 - nest box, 3 - scratching surface, 4 - corrugated flexible tube (tunnel), 5 - limestone cubes, 6 - sand bath box, 7 - drilled feed box. Bird liveability and productivity indices (laying rate, egg weight, body weight of birds) were recorded throughout the experiment. After 6 weeks of the experiment, 24 eggs were randomly collected from each group for qualitative analysis. It was shown that the presence of an enriched environment positively influences the production parameters and the quality of eggs obtained from Japanese quails compared to birds kept under standard environmental conditions.

Ascaridia galli eggs obtained from fresh excreta, worm uteri or worms cultured in artificial media differ in embryonation capacity and infectivity

Ascaridia galli infection models use eggs isolated from chicken excreta, worm uteri and worms cultured in artificial media. The aim of this study was to compare the infectivity of A. galli eggs isolated from these sources under two infection regimens. A 3 × 2 factorial arrangement was employed to test the infectivity of A. galli eggs from the three sources and two modes of infection (single or trickle infection). One hundred and fifty-six Isa-Brown one day-old cockerels randomly assigned to the six treatment groups (n = 26) were orally infected with embryonated A. galli eggs obtained from the three A. galli egg sources (worm uteri, excreta or eggs shed in vitro) administered either as single dose of 300 eggs at one day-old or trickle infected with 3 doses of 100 eggs over the first week of life. Twenty-two negative control birds remained uninfected. Eggs obtained from cultured worms or excreta exhibited a higher embryonation capacity (P = 0.003) than eggs obtained from worm uteri. There were higher worm establishment (infectivity) rates from embryonated eggs originating from cultured worms and worm uteri compared with eggs obtained from fresh excreta (P < 0.0001). Trickle infection resulted in a significantly higher total worm burden (P = 0.002), establishment rate (P = 0.002) and excreta egg counts (EEC, P = 0.025) than single infection. Worm length was greater in birds infected with embryonated eggs from excreta than from uteri or cultured worms (P < 0.0001). However, mode of infection did not affect worm length (P = 0.719) and weight (P = 0.945). A strong significant positive linear correlation was observed between EECs and female worm counts at 12 weeks of post infection sampling (r = 0.75; P < 0.0001). Body weight of birds was negatively correlated with both worm burden (r = − 0.21; P < 0.01) and EEC (r = − 0.20; P < 0.05) at 12 weeks post infection. In conclusion, our results show that eggs shed by cultured worms or isolated from worm uteri had greater infective capacity than eggs harvested from excreta and that trickle rather than bolus infection resulted in higher worm establishment. These factors should be taken into account when considering artificial infection protocols for A. galli.

Efficacy of turmeric (Curcuma longa) and garlic (Allium sativum) powder to protect broiler chicken receiving diet containing exogenous aflatoxin

Aflatoxin (AF), a secondary metabolite of Aspergillus species, is carcinogenic and mutagenic for chicken. Chickens are highly sensitive to the adverse effect of AF and it is causing economic loss in poultry industry. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy of turmeric powder (TP) and garlic powder (GP) on broiler receiving diet containing exogenous AF. Randomly selected 14 days old cobb-500 broiler chicks (N=84) were equally divided into four treatments. Four isonitrogenous and isocaloric experimental diets were prepared viz; diet-A: 1.5 mg of AF; Diet-B: 1.5 mg of AF and 1g of TP; Diet-C: 1.5 mg of AF and 1 g of GP contained per kg feed and control diet had no AF, TP and GP. Each dietary treatment had 3 replications (having 7 birds in each) and respective feed was offered to the broilers according to the entire duration (35 days) of experiment. All experimental broilers were reared following same management practices. At 36 days of age all experimental broiler were slaughtered for examining the necroscopic changes in internal organs such as liver, kidney and spleen to estimate AF residues. Growth of the broiler chicken was monitored and feed conversion ratio (FCR) was calculated. The study demonstrated significant (P&lt;0.01) effect of turmeric and garlic powder on final body weight of birds and so also the FCR. Liver and kidney weight use showed significantly (P&lt;0.01) the highest in diet-A, followed by diet-B, diet-C and the control diet, respectively but, spleen weight did not differ significantly (p&gt;0.05) with the treatments. The residue of AF in different internal organs was also significantly (P&lt;0.05) different between the treatments; being higher in diet-A as compared to the rest of the dietary treatment groups. Evidently, the present study substantiated the potentiality of TP in broiler chicken to overcome the adverse effect of AF, a common mycotoxin. Bangladesh J. Agri. 2019-2021, 44-46: 89-95

DETECTION OF QUANTITATIVE LOCI CORRELATION WITH GROWTH TRAITES IN LOCAL QUAIL USING PCR- RFLP TECHNIQUE

The objective of this study was to investigate the polymorphisms of three loci (SEMA3E, GH and TLX) that related with growth traits in local quail. A total of 720 birds (males and females) from three lines (desert, brown and white) were used. The results revealed that the effects of the line were significant on bird body weight and carcass weight and dressing percentage at 180 days at age. The Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) value overall birds for body weight was ranged from -9.2173 to 10.0117, these results showed there were significant differences among high and low BLUP value groups in three quail lines under study. The PCR-RFLP results overall three lines showed that there were three, three and two alleles for SEMA3E, TLX and GH locus, respectively. This alleles gives twelve differences genotypes, the desert male quail with ACABAA genotype and desert female quail with AAABAA genotype (high group) for three loci under study give significantly higher body and carcass weight compared with another groups. In conclusion results showed that there are agreements between BLUP values with PCR-RFLP results to select best birds and the selection process with molecular technique can play a major positive and rapid role to improve and increase growth traits in these lines of local quail in Iraqi Kurdistan region.

Effects of genotype, generation and slaughter age on carcass characteristics of indigenous chickens of Bangladesh under intensive system

The aim of this study was to compare the carcass characteristics of three improved indigenous chicken genotypes at Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI), Bangladesh according to genotype, generation, slaughter age and their interactions. The name of chicken genotypes was Non-descript Deshi (ND), Hilly (H) and Naked-neck (NN). A total of 1585 day-old chicks (918 ND, 378 H and 289 NN) were produced to form foundation stocks for their improvement both egg production and growth rate by selection in generations (foundation stock G0; generation G1; generation G2). Selection was practiced firstly at 8 weeks of age (based on breeding value) and secondly, at 40-weeks of age (based on index value). Data on growth traits, egg production and reproductive traits, fertility and egg shell quality of birds were kept and analyzed in a non-orthogonal factorial experiment using the general linear model procedure of SPSS 11.5, 1998. However, this study was carried out on a total of 99 male birds of three chicken genotypes, having 5, 10 and 18 birds of ND, H and NN genotype from each generation, respectively. The close mean body weight of birds were selected according to age at 8, 10 and 12 weeks and sacrificed. Results showed that the dressing percentage was varied (p&lt;0.001) in among the genotypes and slaughter age of birds. Breast meat and thigh plus drumstick meat weight was influenced (p&lt;0.001) genotype, generation, and slaughter age of birds. Wing meat weight was shown differ (p&lt;0.001) for generation of birds. However, carcass traits were observed greater percentage in NN genotype followed by other two genotypes. With increasing of age from 8 to 12 weeks there was a significant (p&lt;0.001) increase proportion of pre-slaughter weight (60.95%) and thigh plus drumstick weight (6.28%). Overall mean of pre-slaughter weight, percent weight of dressing, breast meat, thigh plus drumstick and wing meat of indigenous chicken were 756.9±6.4 g, 66.5±0.1%, 13.4±0.0%, 19.8±0.0% and 6.6±0.0%, respectively. Present results indicate that the carcass characteristics of indigenous chickens can be influenced by genotype, generation and slaughter age under intensive system. Bang. J. Livs. Res. Vol. 28 (1&amp;2), 2021: P. 16-28

DYNAMICS OF SERUM PROTEIN CONTENT AND PRODUCTIVITY OF CHICKENS WITH DIFFERENT TONUS OF THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

The main role in maintaining the functioning of the body, its growth, and development belongs to protein. It is involved in the formation of the muscular skeleton and is s part of enzymes, neurotransmitters, hormones. The effect of the autonomic nervous system on total protein metabolism has not been sufficiently studied. It is known that the autonomic nervous system is a structure that is responsible for the homeostasis and stability of the whole organism. It participates in the regulation of the heart, endocrine and external secretion glands, gastrointestinal tract, excretory organs, and more. In our studies, it was found that in chickens of Cobb 500 strain with different tones of the autonomic nervous system during the growing period from the 35th to the 60th day, different contents of total protein, albumin, and globulins were observed and different body weights were recorded. Vagotonic chickens showed the lowest protein metabolism at the age of 35 and 45 days (P ˂ 0.05–0.001) compared with sympathicotonics and normotonics, which tended to increase between 35 and 60 days of rearing compared with other groups of birds, where the studied protein fractions on the contrary decreased. Correlations between total protein, albumin, and bird body weight had a high linear relationship in all groups of chickens (P ˂ 0.05–0.001) and a negative relationship between the 45th and 60th days of rearing in sympathicotonics and normotonics. In birds with a predominance of parasympathetic tone of the autonomic nervous system, this correlation maintained its direction with high reliability (P ˂ 0.05) between body weight and total protein on the 60th day of rearing.

DYNAMICS OF SERUM PROTEIN CONTENT AND PRODUCTIVITY OF CHICKENS WITH DIFFERENT TONUS OF THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

The main role in maintaining the functioning of the body, its growth, and development belongs to protein. It is involved in the formation of the muscular skeleton and is s part of enzymes, neurotransmitters, hormones. The effect of the autonomic nervous system on total protein metabolism has not been sufficiently studied. It is known that the autonomic nervous system is a structure that is responsible for the homeostasis and stability of the whole organism. It participates in the regulation of the heart, endocrine and external secretion glands, gastrointestinal tract, excretory organs, and more. In our studies, it was found that in chickens of Cobb 500 strain with different tones of the autonomic nervous system during the growing period from the 35th to the 60th day, different contents of total protein, albumin, and globulins were observed and different body weights were recorded. Vagotonic chickens showed the lowest protein metabolism at the age of 35 and 45 days (P ˂ 0.05–0.001) compared with sympathicotonics and normotonics, which tended to increase between 35 and 60 days of rearing compared with other groups of birds, where the studied protein fractions on the contrary decreased. Correlations between total protein, albumin, and bird body weight had a high linear relationship in all groups of chickens (P ˂ 0.05–0.001) and a negative relationship between the 45th and 60th days of rearing in sympathicotonics and normotonics. In birds with a predominance of parasympathetic tone of the autonomic nervous system, this correlation maintained its direction with high reliability (P ˂ 0.05) between body weight and total protein on the 60th day of rearing.

Nutritive value of full-fat dehulled sunflower seeds in diets for broiler chickens

The goal of this research was to evaluate the nutritive value of full-fat de-hulled sunflower seeds (DHSS) in feeding broiler chickens. Three experiments were conducted. Experiment 1 determined the proximal analysis of DHSS, the essential amino acid content, and apparent metabolizable energy (AME). In experiment 2, two diets were formulated, namely a control and a diet containing 10% DHSS. Apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), and ether extract (EE) were calculated. In experiment 3, the performances of broilers fed the two diets were evaluated in terms of the relative weights of digestive system organs, breast meat colour, growth and feed consumption. Full-fat de-hulled sunflower seeds were characterized as having 507.9 g/kg EE, 282.1 g/kg CP, 21.02 MJ/kg AME and 9.3 g/16 g N arginine. Apparent ileal digestibility of DM in the 10% DHSS diet was 658.0 g/kg, similar to that of the control diet (643.0 g/kg). Partial substitution of DHSS for soybean meal (SBM) did not affect the relative weight of digestive system organs, except for the liver. The relative weights of the liver were 17.90 g/kg bodyweight in birds fed the DHSS diet and 16.37 g/kg bodyweight (P &lt;0.05) in the control. The colour of the breast meat was 3.5% darker and 13.8% less yellow for DHSS birds compared with the control. Growth and feed consumption were unaffected by the dietary treatments. Therefore, 10% DHSS can partially replace SBM in broiler finisher diets.