Growth Performance Of Chickens Research Articles

Evaluation of the effects of an emulsifier and two lipid sources on growth performance and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens

Evaluation of the effects of an emulsifier and two lipid sources on growth performance and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens

Feeding a Novel Mannan-Rich Yeast Carbohydrate Product Improves Production Performance and Humoral Immunity of Broiler Chickens.

The current study examined the benefits of a novel mannan-rich yeast carbohydrate product (YM) on broiler chicken growth performance and immune response against sheep red blood cells (SRBCs). A total of 144 newly hatched male Cornish cross broiler chicks were randomly assigned to four treatments with 12 cages per treatment and three birds per cage. The treatments were (1) control, basal diet; (2) YCW, basal diet + 1 g/kg yeast cell wall; (3) YM1, basal diet + 0.5 g/kg of a novel yeast mannan-rich product (YM); and (4) YM2, basal diet + 1 g/kg YM. Growth performance was measured at 14, 28, and 35 days of age (d). At 26 and 27 d, nine birds per treatment were immunized intravenously with SRBCs, and antibody responses against SRBCs were analyzed through a hemagglutination assay 7 days post-inoculation. Supplementing YM tended to improve broiler chicken weight gain from 29 to 35 d (p = 0.053). An improvement in the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was observed in the birds fed YM diets during 29-35 d and over the entire experimental period (0-35 d; p < 0.05). Furthermore, birds fed YM2 diets had more robust antibody responses against SRBCs than the control birds (p = 0.033). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of YM improved broiler chicken growth performance and antibody response against SRBCs.

Dietary supplementation with sea buckthorn meal alone and in combination with bilberry leaves: assessment of growth performance, health status and intestinal microflora in broiler chickens

Abstract This experiment aimed to investigate the effect of sea buckthorn meal alone and in combination with bilberry leaves on growth performance, health status and intestinal microflora in broiler chickens. A total of 90 healthy 1-day-old Cobb 500 broilers were randomly divided into 3 treatment groups and housed in digestibility cages under controlled environmental conditions. The dietary treatments included a basal diet (T0), a basal diet +1% sea buckthorn meal (T1) and a basal diet + 1% sea buckthorn meal and bilberry leaves (T2). The results showed that experimental diets did not influenced the growth performance. At 42 d, T2 had the highest serum iron level among the three groups. Compared to T0, T1 and T2 significantly reduced Enterobacteriaceae, E.coli and staphylococci in the cecal and intestinal contents and improved the lactobacilli populations number. The most effective way to reduce the number of harmful bacteria in the cecal content was through the diet that contained sea buckthorn meal alone. In conclusion, adding sea buckthorn meal in the diet of broiler chickens can be an effective solution to promote a healthy gut microflora. This aligns with the current strategy of reducing agro-industrial food waste by repurposing it in other industries.

Effects of genotype and Phytolacca dodecandra (Endod) supplementation on growth performance, carcass traits, blood profiles, and breast meat quality of chickens

In this study, we investigated the effects of genotype and Phytolacca dodecandra (Endod) supplementation on the growth, carcass traits, blood profiles, and breast meat quality of chickens. The study lasted for 18 weeks and involved 360 unsexed day-old chicks divided into nine groups with 40 chicks each, replicated four times with 10 chicks per replication. The genotypes studied were Naked-neck * Tetra H, Normal-feathered * Tetra H, crosses and Tetra H * Tetra H, while the diets included a standard commercial ration (C), Phytolacca dodecandra (Endod) at 1 g/kg (C+1), and Phytolacca dodecandra (Endod) at 2 g/kg (C+2). Results showed that both diet and genotype influenced growth performance indicators like final body weight, body weight change, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio, particularly during the grower and entire phases. When compared to the control diet, the Phytolacca dodecandra (Endod) chicks supplemented at 1 g/kg showed better performances. The genotypes also affected dressing percentage, breast, thigh, keel bone, and gizzard components, with higher values found in the Naked-neck by Tetra H cross. The supplemented chicken group exhibited an improvement in the dressing percentage and breast muscle in comparison to the control. Blood parameters were also significantly influenced (P < 0.01) by genotype, diet, and their interaction. Supplementation significantly (P < 0.01) increased protein levels while reducing the cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood. Incorporating Phytolacca dodecandra (Endod) at a rate of 1 g/kg into the diet of chickens brought a significant improvement in the protein content, and a reduction in the fat content, of their breast muscles. In general, the study indicates that adding up to 2 g/kg of Phytolacca dodecandra (endod) to chicken feed enhances growth performance traits, carcass traits, blood profiles, and breast muscle protein levels, without any negative consequences.

Effects of Dietary Inclusion of Angelica gigas Nakai root extract on the Growth Performance, Hematological and Serum Biochemical Parameters in Broilers

The study aimed to evaluate the impact of dietary supplementation with Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN) root extract on growth performance, hematological indices, and serum biochemical parameters in broiler chickens. A total of 320 straight-run Cobb broiler chicks from a commercial hatchery were distributed among four treatment groups: Basal diet (BD) as the Control; Treatment 1 (T1): BD + 2 g/kg AGN; Treatment 2 (T2): BD + 4 g/kg AGN; and Treatment 3 (T3): BD + 8 g/kg AGN), each comprising eight replicates with 10 birds per replicate. The supplementation of AGN resulted in dose-dependent improvements (P &lt; 0.05) in body weight, gain, and feed efficiency. On both day 21 and day 35, increasing AGN dosage in the diet led to a significantly higher (P &lt; 0.05) values of red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), hemoglobin (Hb), and packed cell volume (PCV). By day 21, AGN supplementation dose-dependently decreased (P &lt; 0.05) serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransaminase (AST), alanine aminotransaminase (ALT), urea, and creatinine levels. Meanwhile, AGN dose escalation correlated with a notable increase (P &lt; 0.05) in serum total protein (TP), albumin, and globulin levels. On day 35, increasing AGN levels led to a significant reduction (P &lt; 0.05) in serum AST and ALT activity, along with lowered serum glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, urea, and creatinine levels. In conclusion, AGN supplementation enhanced growth performance and positively influenced hematological indices and serum biochemistry profiles in broiler chickens. The study confirms the safe and effective utilization of AGN at an 8 g/kg (0.8 %) feed additive dosage to optimize broiler performance. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential benefits of AGN in poultry nutrition.

Effects of a Multi-Enzyme on Humeral Immune Response against NDV and Performance of Broiler Chickens

Non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs) are not fully digested by broiler’s endogenous enzymes and consequently the soluble NSPs in feed results in high digesta viscosity and poor retention of nutrients. Supplementation of NSPs digesting enzymes may release the nutrients from feed and reduce the anti-nutritional effects of NSPs. This study was executed to investigate the effect of NSPs digesting enzymes (Endo-Power) multi enzyme supplementation levels (500g/ton of feed) with standard diet (SD) on immune response, blood biochemistry and growth performance of broilers chickens during 1–35 days of age. A total of 200 unsexed 1-day-old Ross308 broiler chicks were randomly distributed, to four treatments. There were fifty chicks per treatments. Results showed that diet with multi enzyme supplementation significantly increased the humoral immune response against NDV of broilers. Addition of multienzymes at levels (500g/ton of feed) significantly increased body weight gain BWG and improved Feed consumption ratio FCR, compared to the control treatments. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspirate aminotransferase (AST) were significantly higher for treatments without multi enzyme than the treatments with multi enzyme. Supplementation of multienzymes significantly decreased ALT and AST compared to the control group.

Effects of animal protein sources and sugarcane scraping-rumen content mixture on the performance of broiler chicken

The experiment was carried out to access the effect of animal protein sources (fishmeal and grasshopper meal) and sugarcane scrapping-rumen content mixture (SSRCM) on the performance of broiler chickens. The experiment lasted for 56 days. Two hundred and forty-one- day-old (Abor acre) was randomly allotted to eight dietary treatments with 30 birds per treatment. Each treatment was replicated three times in a 4 by 2 factorial arrangement having 10 birds per replicate, vaccinations was administered, feed and clean drinking water were provided ad libitum. The diets were compounded to be isonitrogenous and isocaloric with two animal protein sources. Treatments (FM + 0% SSRCM) and (GM + 0% SSRCM) were formulated without sugarcane scrapping-rumen content mixture (SSRCM) while (FM + 5% SSRCM), (GM + 5% SSRCM), (FM + 10% SSRCM), (GM + 10% SSRCM), (FM + 15% SSRCM) and (GM + 15% SSRCM) were formulated with SSRCM at 5, 10 and 15% inclusion level respectively with two animal protein sources (fishmeal and grasshopper meal) with (FM + 0% SSRCM) serving as the control diet. The results obtained showed that there was no significant (p &gt; 0.05) differences between fishmeal and grasshopper meal in growth performance of broiler chickens. The result also showed that there was no significant (p &gt; 0.05) difference between 0% SSRCM and 5% SSRCM on weight gain of broilers but there was significant (p &lt; 0.05) difference in growth performance of broiler chickens as the inclusion levels of SSRCM increased (10% and 15%). Based on these results, broiler chickens can strive well either grasshopper meal or fishmeal and sugarcane scrapping-rumen content mixture at 5% inclusion level relative to the other treatment.

Effects of Sex on Growth Performance, Carcass Traits, Blood Biochemical Parameters, and Meat Quality of XueShan Chickens.

The demand for high-quality chilled chicken has continued to increase in China. Chickens are sexually dimorphic, and to better understand the specific differences in chicken production based on sex, we examined how sex affects growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality of yellow-feathered chickens. Male and female Xueshan chickens were used as the experimental model. Although males exhibited better growth performance, including body weight (BW), body slope, keel, shank length, and shank girth (p < 0.05), as well as carcass traits, such as dressed weight, leg muscle, and lean meat, females had higher carcass and breast muscle yields (p < 0.05). Males had higher follicle density and yellowness (b*) of the skin and better skin than females (p < 0.05). Among blood biochemical parameters, the serum content of corticosterone (CORT) was higher in males, while those of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and catalase (CAT) were lower in males than in females (p < 0.05). The pH levels, shear force, and moisture content quality were better in male breast meat, while the intramuscular fat content (IMF) was lower in males than in females (p < 0.05). The redness (a*) and moisture content were higher in male leg meat, while the pH, water-loss rate (WLR), lightness (L*), and IMF were lower (p < 0.05). The muscle fiber diameter and cross-sectional area were also higher in males (p < 0.05). Consumers felt that soup of male chicken was better than female (p < 0.05), while mouthfeel and tenderness acceptance of breast meat were different between the sexes. These results indicate that female chickens can be marketed as a whole carcass, while males are more suitable for processed carcass products. This study provides significant insights into the production and processing methodologies of yellow-feathered chickens.

Growth performance of male broiler chickens in different growth phases in response to amino acid concentrations in the pre-starter diet

Growth performance of male broiler chickens in different growth phases in response to amino acid concentrations in the pre-starter diet

Effects of in ovo feeding of xylobiose and xylotriose on growth performance, carcass traits, ileal histomorphometry, and immune-related gene expression in broiler chickens

Xylooligosaccharides (XOS) are known as prebiotics which promote beneficial gut microbes, improve gut health and the performance of broilers. Xylobiose (XOS2) and xylotriose (XOS3) are two compounds in the XOS group. In ovo feeding could deliver these prebiotics to the embryo, and this is considered as an effective method for studying the effects of the prebiotics during embryonic development and the post-hatch period. This study investigated the effects of in ovo feeding of XOS2 and XOS3 on growth performance, carcass traits, ileal histomorphometry, and immune-related gene expression in broilers. A total of 144 fertilized eggs of Cobb 500 broilers were divided into three groups: (a) non-injected control (CON), (b) XOS2, and (c) XOS3. The eggs from XOS2 and XOS3 groups were injected with 0.5 ml of 0.85% normal saline solution containing 3 mg of XOS2 and 3 mg of XOS3, respectively, into their amniotic sac on the 17th embryonic day. A total of 131 hatched chicks were raised in 18 replicate pens (5 or more chicks per pen) following standard management practices and fed a corn-soybean meal-based diet for 21 days. The feed intake and body weight (BW) data were recorded weekly. The chickens were euthanized on day 7, day 14, and day 21 to collect ileum sections, and the carcass traits were recorded on only day 21. Total RNA was extracted from ileum tissues, and qPCR was performed to measure the gene expression. All the statistical analyses considered the significance level at a P value <0.05. The result showed that in ovo treatments did not affect the hatchability of the eggs. The XOS2 group showed a trend to increase the BW on day 0, compared to CON (P=0.052), and the XOS3 group showed better FCR improvement than the XOS2 group in the first week. There was no difference (P>0.05) among the groups for the weight of the breast muscle, drumsticks, gizzard, proventriculus, and carcass weight at the age of 21 days. The histomorphometry of the ileum on day 7 revealed a significant reduction (P<0.05) of villi height (VH), villi width (VW), and crypt depth (CD) in XOS2, compared to the CON group. On day 7, a lower CD and a higher VH to CD ratio were recorded in XOS3, compared to CON. On day 14, XOS3 showed an increase in VW and villi surface area (VSA) compared to XOS2 birds. On day 7, the expression of IL10 in XOS2 was higher compared to CON and XOS3, and CD56 was significantly higher (P<0.05) in the XOS2 compared to CON group. On day 21, the XOS2 and XOS3 significantly lower the expression of IFNγ. Overall, XOS2 and XOS3 significantly increased immunity until day 21. In conclusion, in ovo XOS feeding demonstrated the potential to modulate gut morphology and immunity of the chickens during the post-hatch days.

Efficacy of supplementing Aspergillus awamori in enhancing growth performance, gut microbiota, digestibility, immunity, and antioxidant activity of heat-stressed broiler chickens fed diets containing olive pulp

BackgroundGut microbes play a significant role in digestion, developing immunity, and intestinal health. Therefore, direct-fed microbials are used to modify gut microbiota, maintain a healthy digestive system, enhance immunity, and promote the broilers’ performance. In addition, it has a role in improving the utilization of unconventional feed ingredients (olive pulp, OP). This study provides the potential role of Aspergillus awamori in enhancing gut microbial content, nutrient utilization, growth performance, and antioxidative status in heat-stressed broiler chickens fed diets containing olive pulp.MethodsThree hundred chicks (Ross 308; one day old) were divided into four treatment groups (75 chick/ group) randomly, as follows; CON: chicks fed a basal diet based on corn and soybean meal, OP10: chicks fed a diet containing 10% OP, OA1: chicks fed a diet containing OP with A. awamori at 100 mg per kg, OA2: chicks fed a diet containing OP with A. awamori at 200 mg per kg.ResultsAdding A. awamori to the broiler diet that contains OP had a positive effect on productive performance via enhancing nutrition digestibility, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and carcass characteristics. A. awamori supplementation had a positive impact on immune responses by increasing serum immunoglobulin G and the relative weight of bursa of Fabricius (P < 0.05) compared to the other groups. Chickens fed A. awamori showed a noticeable improvement in the oxidative status through the increase in the level of serum superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase, and the decrease in the level of malondialdehyde. Feeding A. awamori also modified the intestinal microbial content by increasing the population of Lactobacillus (P < 0.05).ConclusionsOur study indicated that adding 200 mg A. awamori reduced the negative effect of heat stress by modifying the microbial content of the intestine, immune response, and enhancing feed utilization, thus improving broiler performance, as well as, improving the nutritional value of the olive pulp. Therefore, adding A. awamori to the OP diet can be effectively used in heat-stressed broiler diets.

Effect of dietary supplementation with recombinant human lysozyme on growth performance, antioxidative characteristics, and intestinal health in broiler chickens.

Lysozyme is often used as a feed additive to act as an antibacterial protein that boosts the immune system of livestock and poultry while protecting against pathogens. To investigate the effects of recombinant human lysozyme (rhLYZ) from Pichia pastoris and chlortetracycline on broiler chicken's production performance, antioxidant characteristics, and intestinal microbiota, a total of 200, 1-d-old male Arbor Acres broiler chickens (46.53 ± 0.42g) were selected for a 42-d experiment. Dietary treatments included a basal diet of corn-soybean meal supplemented with either 0mg/kg (CON), 50mg/kg aureomycin (ANT), 20mg/kg rhLYZ (LOW), 60mg/kg rhLYZ (MEDIUM), or 180mg/kg rhLYZ (HIGH). Compared with CON, MEDIUM diet increased (P < 0.05) average daily gain (67.40g) of broilers from day 22 to 42. In the early (1.29) and overall phases (1.69), MEDIUM led to a reduction (P < 0.05) in the feed conversion ratio of broiler chickens. Furthermore, in comparison to the CON and ANT, MEDIUM exhibited reduced (P < 0.05) levels of INF-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α in the serum. In the cecum, the abundance of Monoglobus and Family_XIII_AD3011_group was lower (P < 0.05) in the MEDIUM treatment compared to CON. Overall, supplementation of 60mg/kg of rhLYZ improved growth performance, nutrient utilization efficiency, and serum immune function, while also influencing the composition of intestinal microbiota. This suggests lysozyme's potential to replace antibiotic additives in feed.

Evaluation of Carcass, Growth Performance, Hematological and Biochemical Parameters of Broiler Chickens Fed Additive of Onion Bulb Peel Powder

The study evaluated the effect of the powder of onion bulb peel waste (Allium cepa) as feed additives on growth performance, blood profile and carcass features of broiler chickens. A total of 150-day old Arbo acre strains of broiler chicks were randomly allocated into five treatments group with 30 birds in each treatment with three replicates of 10 birds each. The birds were reared on the floor of a pen partitioned into experimental units. The study was conducted in two phases; starter phase (0-28 day) and finisher phase (28-56 day). A basal experimental diet was formulated for the broiler chickens and varying levels of onion bulb peel powder was added as a supplement at 0mg/kg (control), 25mg/kg, 50mg/kg, 75mg/kg and 100mg/kg in diets 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. The results obtained in this study revealed that there was significant difference (p&lt;0.05) in feed intake, body weight, daily weight gain, feed conversion ratio, hematological and bio-chemical parameters, carcass weight, non-carcass weight, percentage of carcass cut-part relative to the dressed weight and percentage non carcass relative to live weight between treatment diets. Onion bulb peel powder at 100mg/kg enhanced growth performance, reduced total blood cholesterol, triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein, increased the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and improved carcass yield of the birds. Since the feeding of onion bulb peel powder up to 100mg/kg as feed additives did not constitute nutritional disorder or any adverse effect on heamatological parameters of broiler chickens, it can be concluded that onion bulb peel powder at this level of inclusion is good for broiler chicken production.

Increasing concentrations of dietary threonine, tryptophan, and glycine improve growth performance and intestinal health with decreasing stress responses in broiler chickens raised under multiple stress conditions

The current study aimed to compare the effects of increasing concentrations of dietary threonine (Thr), tryptophan (Trp), and glycine (Gly) on growth performance, stress biomarkers, and intestinal function in broiler chickens under multiple stress conditions. Five hundred sixty broiler chickens at 21 d old were randomly allotted to 5 treatments with 8 replicates. Birds in a positive control (PC) treatment were raised under low stock density (16.9 birds/m2 per cage) with recommended environmental conditions, whereas birds in 4 treatments were subjected to multiple stress conditions: a cyclic heat stress of 30 ± 0.3 °C for 10 h and 23 ± 0.2 °C for 14 h per day with high stock density (25.3 birds/m2 per cage). A basal diet was assigned to both PC and negative control (NC) treatments. Three additional diets were individually formulated to contain double concentrations of digestible Thr, Trp, or Gly + Ser compared with their concentrations in the basal diet. The experiment lasted for 14 d. Results showed that NC treatment had less growth performance (P < 0.001), jejunal goblet cell counts (P = 0.018), and trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER; P < 0.001), but greater (P = 0.026) feather corticosterone (CORT) concentrations than PC treatment. Thr treatment showed the least (P < 0.001) feed conversion ratio (FCR) among treatments under multiple stress conditions. Thr, Trp, and Gly treatments had less (P = 0.026) feather CORT concentrations, but had greater (P < 0.001) TEER than NC treatment. In conclusion, increasing concentrations of dietary Thr, Trp, or Gly improve the growth performance and intestinal health in broiler chickens with decreasing stress response under multiple stress conditions.

Effect of dietary aspirin eugenol ester on the growth performance, antioxidant capacity, intestinal inflammation, and cecal microbiota of broilers under high stocking density

This study was designed to examine the impact of aspirin eugenol ester (AEE) on the growth performance, serum antioxidant capacity, jejunal barrier function, and cecal microbiota of broilers raised under stressful high density (HD) stocking conditions compared with normal density broilers (ND). A total of 432 one-day-old AA+ male broilers were randomly divided into 4 groups: normal density (ND, 14 broilers /m2), high density (HD, 22 broilers /m2), ND + AEE, and HD + AEE. The results of the study revealed a significant decrease in the growth performance of broiler chickens as a result of HD stress (P < 0.05). The total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in serum demonstrated a significant decrease (P < 0.05) at both 28 and 35 d. Conversely, the serum level of malondialdehyde (MDA) exhibited a significant increase (P < 0.05). Dietary supplementation of AEE resulted in a significant elevation (P < 0.05) of serum GSH-PX, SOD and T-AOC activity at both 28 and 35 d. Moreover, exposure to HD stress resulted in a considerable reduction in the height of intestinal villi and mRNA expression of tight junction proteins in the jejunum, along with, a significant elevation in the mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines (P < 0.05). However, the administration of AEE reversed the adverse effects of HD-induced stress on villus height and suppressed the mRNA expression of the pro-inflammatory genes, COX-2 and mPGES-1. Additionally, the exposure to HD stress resulted in a substantial reduction in the α-diversity of cecal microbiota and disruption in the equilibrium of intestinal microbial composition, with a notable decrease in the relative abundance of Bacteroides and Faecalibacterium (P < 0.05). In contrast, the addition of AEE to the feed resulted in a notable increase in the relative abundance of Phascolarctobacterium and enhanced microbial diversity (P < 0.05). The inclusion of AEE in the diet has been demonstrated to enhance intestinal integrity and growth performance of broilers by effectively mitigating disruptions in gut microbiota induced by HD stress.

A Review on cLF36, a Novel Recombinant Antimicrobial Peptide-Derived Camel Lactoferrin.

Lactoferrin is an antimicrobial peptide (AMP) playing a pivotal role in numerous biological processes. The primary antimicrobial efficacy of lactoferrin is associated with its N-terminal end, which contains various peptides, such as lactoferricin and lactoferrampin. In this context, our research team has developed a refined chimeric 42-mer peptide known as cLF36 over the past few years. This peptide encompasses the complete amino acid sequence of camel lactoferrampin and partial amino acid sequence of lactoferricin. The peptide's activity against human, avian, and plant bacterial pathogens has been assessed using different biological platforms, including prokaryotic (P170 and pET) and eukaryotic (HEK293) expression systems. The peptide positively influenced the growth performance and intestinal morphology of chickens challenged with pathogen bacteria. Computational methods and in vitro studies showed the peptide's antiviral effects against hepatitis C virus, influenza virus, and rotavirus. The chimeric peptide exhibited higher activity against certain tumor cell lines compared to normal cells, which may be attributed to the peptide's interaction with negatively charged glycosaminoglycans on the surface of tumor cells. Importantly, this peptide exhibited no toxicity against host cells and demonstrated remarkable thermal and protease stability in serum. In conclusion, while our investigations suggest that the chimeric peptide, cLF36, may offer potential as a candidate or complementary option to some available antibiotics, antiviral agents, and chemical pesticides, significant uncertainties remain regarding its cost-effectiveness, as well as its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic characteristics, which require further elucidation.

Supplemental effects of different production methods of pine needle additives on growth performance, intestinal environment, meat quality and serum of broiler chickens.

Pine needles are rich in many nutrients and exhibit antibacterial and antioxidant biological activities; however, the effects of different production methods of pine needle additives on the growth performance and intestinal flora of broiler chickens are not known. Normal diets were supplemented with pine needle fermentation juice (PNF), pine needle soaking juice (PNS), or pine needle powder (PNP), and the associated effects on growth performance, relative organ weights, intestinal development, intestinal histological morphology, intestinal flora, meat quality, and serum indicators in broiler chickens were observed. The results showed that PNF, PNS, and PNP all significantly improved feed utilisation and promoted the growth and development of broilers. All three additives also significantly improved the structure of the intestinal flora, specifically increasing the diversity of bacteria; increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria, such as Faecalibacterium, Rikenella, and Blautia; and decreasing the abundance of harmful bacteria, such as Staphylococcus. The antioxidant properties of pine needles were also found to intensify lipid metabolic reactions in the blood, thus leading to lower triglycerides and total cholesterol. Meanwhile, high doses of PNF reduced jejunum and ileum weights and also increased meat yellowness. Lastly, none of PNF, PNS, or PNP had an effect on relative organ weights or intestinal histological morphology. The addition of pine needles to the diet of broiler chickens can effectively promote their growth performance as well as improve their intestinal flora and serum status without side effects; in particular, the dose of 0.2% of either PNF and PNS is expected to have the capacity to replace growth-promoting antibiotics as diet additives.

Effects of high dietary inclusion of Arthrospira platensis, either extruded or supplemented with a super-dosing multi-enzyme mixture, on broiler growth performance and major meat quality parameters

BackgroundThis investigation assessed the effects of high dietary inclusion of Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) on broiler chicken growth performance, meat quality and nutritional attributes. For this, 120 male broiler chicks were housed in 40 battery brooders (three birds per brooder). Initially, for 14 days, a standard corn and soybean meal diet was administered. Subsequently, from days 14 to 35, chicks were assigned to one of the four dietary treatments (n = 10 per treatment): (1) control diet (CTR); (2) diet with 15% Spirulina (SP); (3) diet with 15% extruded Spirulina (SPE); and (4) diet with 15% Spirulina plus a super-dosing enzymes supplement (0.20% pancreatin extract and 0.01% lysozyme) (SPM).ResultsThroughout the experimental period, both SP and SPM diets resulted in decreased final body weight and body weight gain compared to control (p < 0.001), with the SPE diet showing comparable results to CTR. The SPE diet prompted an increase in average daily feed intake (p = 0.026). However, all microalga treatments increased the feed conversion ratio compared to CTR. Dietary inclusion of Spirulina notably increased intestinal content viscosity (p < 0.010), which was mitigated by the SPM diet. Spirulina supplementation led to lower pH levels in breast meat 24 h post-mortem and heightened the b* colour value in both breast and thigh meats (p < 0.010). Furthermore, Spirulina contributed to an increased accumulation of total carotenoids, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and saturated fatty acids (SFA), while diminishing n-6 PUFA, thus altering the n-6/n-3 and PUFA/SFA ratios favourably (p < 0.001). However, it also reduced zinc concentration in breast meat (p < 0.001).ConclusionsThe findings indicate that high Spirulina levels in broiler diets impair growth due to increased intestinal viscosity, and that extrusion pre-treatment mitigates this effect. Despite reducing digesta viscosity, a super-dosing enzyme mix did not improve growth. Data also indicates that Spirulina enriches meat with antioxidants and n-3 PUFA but reduces α-tocopherol and increases saturated fats. Reduced zinc content in meat suggests the need for Spirulina biofortification to maintain its nutritional value.

Effects of carriers for oils in compound feeds on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and gut microbiota in broiler chickens

Carrier materials for oils in compound feeds may be used in animal nutrition to supply liquid feed additives. However, implications of such carriers for the digestibility of the contained oil are unknown. This study investigated the potential of oil carriers in compound feed and their effect on performance, metabolizable energy, fatty acid (FA) retention, amino acid (AA) digestibility, and gut microbiota in broiler chickens. Six experimental diets were formulated following a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement with 20 g/kg or 40 g/kg of rapeseed oil supplied with no carrier or bound in a silica-based (SC) or lignocellulose-based (LC) carrier in a 1:1 mass ratio. The diets were assigned to 48 metabolism units with 15 animals each based on a randomized complete block design and fed from day 18 to 28 of the trial. Total excreta were collected from day 24 to 27 and used to determine total tract retention (TTR) of FA and MEn. On day 28, AA digestibility both by the distal half of the jejunum and the distal half of the ileum was determined, and microbiota of ileal and cecal digesta was analyzed using 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing. There were significant interactions for ADG, ADFI, the gain:feed ratio (G:F), MEn, and the TTR of crude fat and most fatty acids (P≤0.046) except for C18, C18:2, and C22:0. Addition of SC decreased ADG, ADFI, and G:F (P<0.001), while LC at 40 g/kg oil inclusion increased G:F and MEn (P<0.001) for both inclusion levels. The TTR of crude fat and the FA C18:1, C18:2, C18:3, and C22:0 was increased by the addition of SC (P≤0.016), while LC increased the TTR of the FA C18:1 and C18:2 as well as the TTR of C18:3 at 20 g/kg oil inclusion (P≤0.016). Adding SC and LC increased the digestibility of seven and two AA by the distal half of the jejunum, respectively, and the digestibility of eight and 13 AA by the distal half of the ileum, respectively (P≤0.039). The β-diversity and abundance of some taxa were altered by addition of LC and SC in the ceca while no treatment effect on the ileal microbiota was found. The results give no indication of an incomplete release of the oil from the carriers because the TTR of most FA was increased upon addition of SC and LC. LC may be used to supply liposoluble feed additives without drawbacks for nutrient digestibility and growth while SC requires further examination.

The Effects of Pineapple Leaf Powder on Growth Performance and Carcass Traits of Noi Crossbred Broilers

To meet the increasing demand of consumers on poultry products, poultry feed does not only improve the growth performance but also enhance meat quality. By this reason, the study was to evaluate the effects of pineapple leaf powder on growth performance and carcass characteristics of Noi broiler chickens from 5-12 weeks of age. The study was conducted at Tra Vinh University – experimental farm involving with 120 Noi crossbred broilers from 4 weeks of age. The study was a completely randomized design with 04 treatment and 03 replicates, consisting of 0% (control treatment, T0), 0.1% (treatment 1), 0.3% (treatment 2) and 0.5% (treatment 3) of pineapple leaf powder in the diet. Birds were fed ad libitum throughout the experiment. The results showed that body weight (1603 g/bird at 12 weeks of age), daily weight gain (21.90 g/bird/day) had the highest performance while feed intake (55.28 g/bird at treatment 2) and feed conversion ration (2.610) showed the lowest performance in the treatment 3 (P&lt;0.05). However, the study did not record any significant changes in carcass traits, pH and cooking loss of broiler meat between treatments (P&gt;0.05). It can be concluded that the inclusive of pineapple leaf powder on diets could improve growth rate of Noi crossbred chickens from 5-12 weeks of age.