Higher Body Weight Gain Research Articles

Correlation of Sentul Chicken Body Weight at DOC age of 1, 2 and 3 Months

The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between body weight and body weight gain of Sentul chickens aged DOC, 1, 2, and 3 months. The research materials were Sentul and Merawang chicken. This research method was an experimental method with a sample of 41 males and 41 females from each breed. The data collected includes; body weight and body weight gain of DOC-3 months old. The data that have been collected were analyzed using the t-test of average differences (t-test), the relationship between body weights was analyzed using the correlation test. Based on the results and discussion, it can be concluded that the body weights of male and female of Sentul chicken aged DOC-2 months were not significantly different (P>0.05), but significantly different (P<0.05) at the age of 3 months. The highest body weight gain was at 1-2 months in both males and females. The highest correlation between body weights for a certain age is between 1-2 months so that 1-month body weight is a good bodyweight for selection based on body weight.

Designing Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles with the Co-Precipitation Technique to Improve Phosphorous Availability in Broiler Chicks.

Simple SummaryThe increase in phosphate prices has inflated the cost for poultry feeding. Dicalcium phosphate is an essential mineral involved in the metabolism and development and is commonly used as a dietary source of phosphorus (PT) for poultry. The use of nanoparticles of dicalcium phosphate (NDP) could increase the bioavailability of PT in the diet. The sizes of the nanoparticles formed were 20 and 80 nm. NDP had the Ca:P ratio 1:1.12. The digestibility of PT in birds improved by 67% in the treatment with 0.35% available P (Pa) of NDP. The highest contents of PT -breast were found with the levels of 0.35 and 0.46% Pa of NDP. In conclusion, the use of NDP as an ingredient for broilers was efficient with a Pa dose at 0.35%. This dose was ideal in chicks for digestibility and absorption values. Additionally, results showed an improvement in the amount of PT in breast.Dicalcium phosphate (DP) is a mineral involved in the metabolism and development and is used as a dietary source of phosphorus (PT) for poultry. Our study objective is to design nano-dicalcium phosphate (NDP) by co-precipitation. The methodological procedure was divided into two phases: (1) NDP synthesis, and (2) bird performance, digestibility, and Ca-P in chick’s tissues. The sizes of the NDP were 20–80 nm. NDP had the Ca: P ratio of 1:1.12. The birds were divided into control diet (available P (Pa) = 0.13%) and three supplementary P sources [Commercial (Calcium phosphate), analytical grade (DP) and nanoparticles (NDP)] with three Pa levels (0.24, 0.35, 0.46%). Supplementary P sources compared to the control treatment had the highest body weight gain (698.56 vs. 228; p < 0.05) and feed intake (FI) (965.18 vs. 345.82), respectively. The digestibility of PT (67%) improved with 0.35% NDP. The highest contents of PT -breast were with the levels of 0.35 and 0.46% NDP. The PT, ash, and diameters were higher (p < 0.05) with supplementary P compared to the control treatment. As conclusion, the use of 0.35% NDP was the ideal dose in the chicks for the digestibility, absorption values, and the amount of PT in the breast.

Effect of high and low energy based concentrate diet supplementation on nutrient intake and body weight changes of buffalo bull calves at Subornochar Upozila of Noakhali district in Bangladesh

This study was designed to investigate the effects of supplementation of high and low energy based concentrate diets (13.77 Vs 12.14 MJ/kg DM metabolizable energy) on the nutrient intake and body weight changes of indigenous growing buffalo bull calves in Bangladesh. The crude protein contents of both the supplemented diets were similar (about 12.50% on DM basis). In this study, a total of fifteen indigenous growing buffalo bull calves (av. Live weight 85.10±0.874 kg) were selected from different villages. It was found that the total dry matter intake was the highest (28.22±0.015 g/kg W0.75/d) in group supplemented with high energy concentrate diet along with farmer’s practices (D1), thereafter, in group supplemented with low energy concentrate diet along with farmer’s practices (D2) (27.79±0.015 g/kg W0.75/d) and the lowest (26.39±0.016 g/kg W0.75/d) in control group (D0) in which the animals were fed only farmers practices diet. Similarly, the crude protein intake was the highest in D1 group (2.86 ±0.029 g/kg W0.75/d), followed by D2 group (2.83±0.010 g/kg W0.75/d) and the lowest in farmer’s practices diet, D0 (2.08b±0.021 g/kg W0.75/d). However, the final body weight of buffalo bull calves was higher in both groups supplemented with concentrate diets (D1 and D2) compared with control (D0) and differed significantly (p&lt;0.01) while there were no significant differences (p&gt;0.05) found between D1 and D2 where high energy concentrate supplementation group buffalo bull claves, D1 tended to be higher than low energy concentrate supplementation group buffalo bull claves, D2. The highest final (254.6 kg) body weight was recorded in high energy concentrate supplemented diets and the lowest (144.0 kg) was found in control. Additionally, the average final body weight was increased by 153.40 kg (151.58%), 150.40 kg (152.22%) and 45.60 kg (46.34%) in D1, D2 and D0 group buffalo bull calves, respectively. On the other hand, the average final body weight of D1 and D2 was increased by 110.60 kg (76.80%) and 105.20 kg (73.05%), respectively, compared with D0. In addition, the highest (6.46) feed conversion efficiency (FCE) was recorded in D1 followed by D2 (6.64) and the lowest (12.17) was found in D0. The trends of cost benefit ratio was the same like other considering factors, the highest (1:3.60) found in D1 followed by D2 (1:3.51) and the lowest (1:1.97) in D0. Finally, considering all the parameters, it was clearly indicated that supplementation of concentrate diet along with farmers practice is essential for fast growing, higher body weight gain and more benefits by rearing buffalo bull calves at Subornochar Upozila of Noakhali district in Bangladesh.&#x0D; Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2021. 50 (1):50-56

Application of proteins from different meat processing wastewater streams as a dietary protein source in animal feed

The present study aimed to investigate the protein quality indices of meat processing wastewaters protein hydrolysate (FWPH) obtained by Pediococcus lolii fermentation using a rat bioassay. Different diets namely, SD (100% casein), F50 (50% FWPH+50% casein), F75 (75% FWPH+25% casein), and F100 (100% FWPH) were formulated and fed to 28 days old albino male Wistar rats (6 rats each group). SD and F50 group rats showed higher feed and protein intake among all diet group rats (P < 0.05). However, the highest body weight gain (142.16 ± 2.84 g) was noticed in the rats fed with the F50 diet (P < 0.05). F50 group rats presented better feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed efficiency ratio (FER), and protein efficiency ratio (PER) values as compared to other diet group counterparts (P < 0.05). Furthermore, no differences in values of urine, haematological, and serum biochemical parameters were observed in SD and F50 group rats (P > 0.05). However, haematological and serum biochemical parameters were slightly elevated in F100 group rats. F50 group rats presented the higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities among all the diet groups (P < 0.05). Relative organ weights, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities of F50 group rats were found similar to SD rats. Histopathological examination revealed that no incidence of organ toxicity is attributed to the F50 diet. Overall, F50 group rats exhibited good growth and development with no adverse effects in biochemical, haematological, and histopathology parameters. Therefore, FWPH at the 50% level could be used as a potential dietary protein source in feed for better growth performance of the animal.

Efficacy of a live attenuated highly pathogenic PRRSV vaccine against a NADC30-like strain challenge: implications for ADE of PRRSV

BackgroundPorcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection can cause severe reproductive failure in sows and respiratory distress in pigs of all ages, leading to major economic losses. To date, there are still no effective strategies to prevent and control PRRSV. Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE), a phenomenon in which preexisting non-neutralizing antibodies or sub-neutralizing antibodies facilitate virus entry and replication, may be a significant obstacle in the development of effective vaccines for many viruses, including PRRSV. However, the contribution of ADE to PRRSV infection remains controversial, especially in vivo. Whether attenuated PRRSV vaccines prevent or worsen subsequent disease in pigs infected by novel PRRSV strains requires more research. In the present study, in vivo experiments were conducted to evaluate ADE under different immune statuses, which were produced by waiting different lengths of time after vaccination with a commercially available attenuated highly pathogenic PRRSV (HP-PRRSV) vaccine (JXA1-R) before challenging the pigs with a novel heterologous NADC30-like strain.ResultsPiglets that were vaccinated before being challenged with PRRSV exhibited lower mortality rates, lower body temperatures, higher bodyweight gain, and lower viremia. These results demonstrate that vaccination with JXA1-R alleviated the clinical signs of PRRSV infection in all vaccinated groups.ConclusionsThe obtained data indicate that the attenuated vaccine test here provided partial protection against the NADC30-like strain HNhx. No signs of enhanced PRRSV infection were observed under the applied experimental conditions. Our results provide some insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying vaccine-induced protection or enhancement in PRRSV.

Evaluation of Coccidiosis Vaccines in Chicken

Coccidiosis is a serious disease affecting poultry. It is caused by a protozoan parasite of genus Eimeria that occupies the intestinal tract, causes tissue damage, and results in interruption of feeding and high mortality. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different types of coccidial vaccines on the prevention of coccidiosis in chicken under field conditions. Chicks (n = 12; one-day-old; Avian-48 broiler) were randomly divided into 6 groups (G1, G2, G3, G4, G5, and G6), each group contained 20 chicks. The negative (G3) and positive (G6) control groups were non-vaccinated, while the remaining groups (G1, G2, G4, and G5) were vaccinated by live attenuated vaccine A (precocious strains, G1 and G4) and live non-attenuated vaccine B (wild strains, G2 and G5). G4-G6 were challenged on the 28th day by 1 x 105 sporulated oocysts of Eimeria tenella. The feed conversion rate (FCR), body weight gain (BWG), oocyst shedding, lesion score, oocyst index, and histopathology were observed and recorded in all groups. Vaccinated challenged groups (G4 and G5) had significantly lower FCR, oocyst count, and oocyst index but with higher BWG than the non-vaccinated challenged group (G6). Interestingly, G4 and G5 had lower lesion scores with no mortality as compared to G6 which showed 10% mortality. This study concludes that the usage of the anti-coccidial vaccine has significant protective efficacies in broilers with great potential with attenuated strain vaccine.

The Effect of Dietary Halloysite Supplementation on the Performance of Broiler Chickens and Broiler House Environmental Parameters.

Simple SummaryDietary supplementation of clays and clay minerals can moderate the processes of digestion and nutrient absorption, promoting animal growth and vitality. The mode of action of this process mostly relies on epithelium protection, preventing both irritation and lesions by binding pathogenic bacteria and toxins. Clays also help to reduce the volume of harmful gastrointestinal gases and other pollutants present in broiler facilities. However, minerals differ in structure and physico-chemical properties, which influences the results of their use in animal production. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of dietary supplementation of halloysite—one of the aluminosilicates included in the group of clay minerals (kaolinite group)—on the mortality, production indices, and water consumption of broiler chickens, as well as on chosen broiler house environmental parameters. The addition of halloysite to the diet of broiler chickens in the amount of 1% resulted in a favourable reduction in feed consumption per unit of body weight gain and higher utilisation of crude protein, which in turn led to improved fattening results. Moreover, halloysite addition reduced the consumption and excretion of water by chickens and the ammonia content in the air, thus improving the living conditions in the broiler house.The aim of the study was to determine the effect of supplementing broiler chickens’ diets with halloysite on daily body weight gain (BWG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), daily water consumption (DWC), and some broiler house hygiene parameters. The trial was conducted on 18,000 broiler chickens divided into two groups throughout the 42-day (D) rearing period. The birds were fed complete diets without (group C) or with halloysite addition (1%, group E) from D8 of rearing. No difference in the mortality rate was observed between groups C and E. Birds from group E had a tendency (0.05 < p < 0.10) towards a higher body weight at D32 and D42, a higher BWG, and a lower FCR compared to group C during the entire rearing period. Average DWC differed only in the finisher period, with a tendency towards lower overall DWC in group E. The concentration of ammonia in the air from D21 to D35 was increased more than 5-fold in group C but only 1.5-fold in group E. In conclusion, the use of halloysite as a feed additive in the diet of broiler chickens resulted in a reduction in feed consumption per unit of BWG and higher utilisation of crude protein, which led to improved environmental conditions.

The effectiveness of herbal fermentation into drinking water on the performance of kampung chickens

Herbs are one of the natural ingredients that can be used in replacing the role of antibiotics as feed additives that can improve the performance of native chickens. This study aims to determine how long the fermented herbs remain effective in improving the performance of native chickens. The variables observed were feed consumption, body weight gain, and FCR. The research design used was a completely randomized design (CRD) with 5 treatments and 4 replications. The treatments in this study consisted of A0 = control (without herbal supplementation), A1 = herbal supplementation used for 1 week, A2 = herbal supplementation used for 2 weeks, A3 = herbal supplementation used for 3 weeks, A4 = herbal supplementation used for 2 weeks. used for 4 weeks. The quantitative data were analyzed with variance and if they were significantly different, it would be followed by multiple distance tests with a level of 5%. The results showed that the effectiveness of fermented herbs used in different timescales showed no significant difference (P> 0.05) on feed consumption, body weight gain, and native chicken Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR). The conclusion of this study is the use of fermented herbs in drinking water with different time ranges still shows the results of feed consumption and high body weight gain and can reduce FCR. This is due to the fermentation process in herbs which causes the active content of herbs to be well preserved and their quality does not decrease even though they are used for different periods.

Growth performance, organ attributes, nutrient and caloric utilization in broiler chickens differing in growth rates when fed a corn-soybean meal diet with multienzyme supplement containing phytase, protease and fiber degrading enzymes

Growth performance, organ weight, ceca digesta short chain fatty acids (SCFA), jejunal histomorphometry, tibia ash, apparent retention (AR) of components and caloric efficiency were investigated in broiler chicken strains differing in growth rate fed diets with multienzyme supplement (MES). The strains differed in estimated time to reach 2.1 kg BW: 37, 43, 47, and 50 d and were designated C, F, J, and N, respectively. A corn-soybean meal diet was formulated for 2-phase program (starter and grower) and fed without or with MES containing phytase, protease and fiber-degrading enzymes. A total of 640-day-old chicks (42.3 + 0.01 g/bird) were housed in cages (5 cockerels and 5 pullets/cage) and allocated to give 8 replicates/ strain and diet combination. Equal amount of feed was fed based on observed ad-libitum intake of C strain in the starter (d 0–14) and grower (d 15–28). Body weight was monitored, grab excreta samples taken and at completion of allocated feed one bird per cage necropsied for samples. With exception of P, apparent metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen (AMEn) and ceca digesta acetic acid, there was no (P > 0.05) interaction between strain and MES on examined responses. Strains differed (P < 0.01) on growth, FCR, gizzard weight, tibia ash, breast weight, ceca digesta concentration of lactic, propionic, and isobutyric acid and caloric efficiency. The final body weight (BW) was 1,344, 1,134, 959, and 916 g/bird for C, F, J, and N, respectively. Corresponding caloric efficiency was 4,930, 5,807, 6,680 and 7,199 kcal/kg BW gain, respectively. Birds fed MES had higher BW gain (P < 0.05) in grower phase, larger gizzard, higher AR of CP, crude fat, neutral detergent fiber, and Ca than non-MES birds. In conclusion, growth rate influenced organ attributes, nutrient, and caloric utilization. Enzyme supplementation improved growth in grower phase and nutrient utilization independent of strain, suggesting that effects of feed enzymes are not influenced by inherent growth rate.

Coating beef tallow with calcium soap improves dietary pellet quality and promotes an effective diet-induced obese mouse model

The obesity model is predominantly formed by feeding animals that are prone to obesity with high-fat diets, but this dietary intervention is not standardized. It is very difficult to pellet most high-fat diets, as they become rapidly oxidized due to their high-fat content. This study aimed to use calcium soap (Ca-soap) of beef tallow as a source of fat in high-fat mouse diets and to investigate its effects on pellet quality and its effectiveness in an obesity model. In the experiment, three diets were formed: a control diet (CD), a high-fat diet with beef tallow (HFD), and a high-fat diet containing beef tallow and Ca-soap of beef tallow (Ca-HFD). A total of 36 male C57BL/6 J mice aged six weeks were randomly divided into 3 groups: the Control (C), High-Fat (HF), and High-Fat with Ca-soap (Ca-HF) groups. The experiment lasted 20 weeks. Ca-HFD and HFD had higher hardness and pellet durability index (PDI) values than CD. Ca-HFD had a lower peroxide value than that of the HFD. At the end of the study, average body weight, body weight gain, food consumption, and calorie consumption were found to be the highest in the HF group and the lowest in the C group. The highest epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) ratio of the mice was seen in the Ca-HF group. Plasma triglyceride and insulin values ​​were higher in the HF group than in the C group. The highest level of steatosis was observed in the HF group. High body weight gain, fat deposition, hypercholesterolemia, hyperglycemia, glucose tolerance, and hepatic steatosis were observed in C57BL/6 J male mice fed the high-fat diets, but only HFD caused hyperinsulinemia. HFD and Ca-HFD can be used to model obesity, but only HFD can be used in type 2 diabetes modeling.

Impact of Fermented or Enzymatically Fermented Dried Olive Pomace on Growth, Expression of Digestive Enzyme and Glucose Transporter Genes, Oxidative Stability of Frozen Meat, and Economic Efficiency of Broiler Chickens.

The use of dried olive pomace as complementary energy sources in poultry feed is still limited due to its low protein and high fiber contents. Bioconversion of olive pomace through solid-state fermentation with or without exogenous enzymes is considered as a trial for improving its nutritional value. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of fermented olive pomace with or without enzymatic treatment on the growth, modulations of genes encoding digestive enzymes and glucose transporters, meat oxidative stability, and economic efficiency of broiler chickens. A total of 1400 day-old broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly allocated to seven dietary treatments with 10 replicates of 20 birds/replicate. Treatments included control (basal corn–soybean diet) and other six treatments in which basal diet was replaced by three levels (7.5, 15, and 30%) of fermented olive pomace (FOPI) or enzymatically fermented olive pomace (FOPII) for 42 days. The highest body weight gain was observed in groups fed 7.5 and 15% FOPII (increased by 6.6 and 12.5%, respectively, when compared with the control group). Also, feeding on 7.5 and 15% FOPII yielded a better feed conversion ratio and improved the digestibility of crude protein, fat, and crude fiber. The expression of the SGLT-1 gene was upregulated in groups fed FOPI and FOPII when compared with the control group. Moreover, the expression of the GLUT2 gene was elevated in groups fed 7.5 and 15% FOPII. By increasing the levels of FOPI and FOPII in diets, the expression of genes encoding pancreatic AMY2A, PNLIP, and CCK was upregulated (p < 0.05) when compared with the control. Fat percentage and cholesterol content in breast meat were significantly reduced (p < 0.05) by nearly 13.7 and 16.7% in groups fed FOPI and FOPII at the levels of 15 and 30%. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents in breast meat were significantly increased in groups fed 15 and 30% FOPI and FOPII when compared with the control group and even after a long period of frozen storage. After 180 days of frozen storage, the inclusion of high levels of FOP significantly increased (p < 0.05) the levels of glutathione peroxide and total superoxide dismutase and meat ability to scavenge free radical 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl. Furthermore, the highest net profit and profitability ratio and the lowest cost feed/kg body gain were achieved in groups fed 7.5 and 15% of FOPII, respectively. The results of this study indicated that dietary inclusion of 15% FOPII could enhance the growth performance and economic efficiency of broiler chickens. Moreover, a higher inclusion level of FOPI or FOPII could enhance the quality and increase the oxidative stability of frozen meat and extend the storage time.

Effects of exogenous β-glucanase on ileal digesta soluble β-glucan molecular weight, digestive tract characteristics, and performance of coccidiosis vaccinated broiler chickens fed hulless barley-based diets with and without medication.

Limited use of medication in poultry feed led to the investigation of exogenous enzymes as antibiotic alternatives for controlling enteric disease. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of diet β-glucanase (BGase) and medication on β-glucan depolymerization, digestive tract characteristics, and growth performance of broilers. Broilers were fed hulless barley (HB) based diets with BGase (Econase GT 200P from AB Vista; 0 and 0.1%) and medication (Bacitracin and Salinomycin Na; with and without) arranged as a 2 × 2 factorial. In Experiment 1, 160 broilers were housed in cages from d 0 to 28. Each treatment was assigned to 10 cages. In Experiment 2, broilers (2376) were housed in floor pens and vaccinated for coccidiosis on d 5. Each treatment was assigned to one floor pen in each of nine rooms. In Experiment 1, the soluble β-glucan weighted average molecular weight (Mw) in the ileal digesta was lower with medication in the 0% BGase treatments. Peak molecular weight (Mp) and Mw were lower with BGase regardless of medication. The maximum molecular weight for the smallest 10% β-glucan (MW-10%) was lower with BGase addition. In Experiment 2, Mp was lower with medication in 0% BGase treatments. Beta-glucanase resulted in lower Mp regardless of medication, and the degree of response was lower with medication. The MW-10% was lower with BGase despite antibiotic addition. Body weight gain and feed efficiency were higher with medication regardless of BGase use through-out the trial (except d 11-22 feed efficiency). Beta-glucanase resulted in higher body weight gain after d 11 and worsened and improved feed efficiency before and after d 11, respectively, in unmedicated treatments. BGase and medication caused the depolymerization of soluble ileal β-glucan. Beta-glucanase acted as a partial replacement for diet medication by increasing growth performance in coccidiosis vaccinated broilers.

Effect of phloretin on growth performance, serum biochemical parameters and antioxidant profile in heat-stressed broilers

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of phloretin on growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, antioxidant profile, glutathione (GSH)-related enzymes, nuclear factor erythroid 2–related 2 (Nrf2) and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in heat-stressed broilers. A total of 240, 22-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were divided into 4 groups. The control group was housed at 23.0 ± 0.61°C and fed with basal diet, while the 3 heat-stressed groups (A, B, and C groups) were housed at 30.5 ± 0.69°C and fed with basal diet containing 0, 100, and 200 mg/kg phloretin, respectively. Serum was taken form 42-day-old broilers. Results showed that heat stress decreased (P < 0.05) the final body weight (FBW), body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), serum total protein (TP), triglyceride (TG), triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), GSH, catalase (CAT), and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) levels, but increased (P < 0.05) the feed-to-gain ratio (FGR) and serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in broilers compared with that in the control group. Among the heat-stressed groups, supplementary 200 mg/kg phloretin increased (P < 0.05) the FBW, BWG, FI, serum TP, TG, T4, GSH, CAT, and T-AOC levels, and decreased (P < 0.05) the FGR and serum MDA in broilers. There were significant decreases (P < 0.05) in the glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS), and Nrf2, but significant increases (P < 0.05) in the HSP70 of the broiler serum after heat stress treatment. Among the heat-stressed groups, supplementary 200 mg/kg phloretin increased (P < 0.05) the GSH-Px, γ-GCS, and Nrf2 levels, but decreased (P < 0.05) the serum HSP70 level in the heat-stressed broilers. Under high temperature condition, FBW, BWG, FI, FGR, serum TP, TG, T4, MDA, GSH, CAT, T-AOC, GSH-Px, γ-GCS, Nrf2 and HSP70 were linearly affected by inclusion of phloretin. These results indicated that phloretin may improve growth performance, serum parameters, and antioxidant profiles through regulated GSH-related enzymes, Nrf2 and HSP70 in heat-stressed broilers.

The effects of oil palm leaf meal-based diets on the growth performance and haematological indices of Red Sokoto goats

An experiment was carried out to determine the growth performance and haematological indices of Red Sokoto goats placed on oil palm leaf meal (OPLM)-wheat offal based diet. Six goats aged 12-18 months, weighing 15 – 20kg were randomly assigned to three treatments, comprising two animals each in a Completely Randomized Design. Each animal received 1kg of the diet daily for 56 days and weighed weekly. Results showed that final body weight was significant (P&lt;0.05) with goats on T3 having the highest (21.50kg). The feed intake, body weight gain and Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) were significantly different (P&lt;0.05). T3 had the highest feed intake (305.35g/d), highest body weight gain (90.84g/d) and the best FCR (3.36). Significant differences (P &lt;0.05) were observed in the Red Blood Cell (RBC), Packed Cell Volume (PCV) and Haemoglobin (Hb) counts, ranging between 3.12 - 4.20x106ml; 23.00 -30.50% and 7.70 - 10.15g/dl respectively with goats on T3 having the highest. The inclusion of OPLM enhanced body weight gain, FCR, RBC, PCV, and Hb counts of the goats. Therefore the oil palm leaf meal diets are recommended for better goat production.&#x0D; Key word: Growth performance; Oil Palm Leaf meal., Blood profile., Creatinine., Red Sokoto Goat.

Microencapsulated and uncoated butyric acid as alternative additives to the regeneration of intestinal mucosa in broilers challenged with Eimeria spp

ABSTRACT 1. The effect of microencapsulated and uncoated butyric acid as an alternative to antibiotics on performance, intestinal morphology and regeneration of intestinal mucosa was studied in birds experimentally infected with Eimeria spp. 1 to 42 d-old. 2. A total of 1,320 male Cobb® broiler chicks were allocated to one of five treatments in a completely randomised design, comprising a negative control, uncoated butyric acid (UA), microencapsulated butyric acid (MA), combined U + M butyric acid and a positive control (antibiotic+anticoccidial) in six replications. At 16 d-old, the birds were inoculated orally with 0.5 ml of a solution containing an Eimeria spp. pool. 3. At 21 d of age, the birds receiving butyric acid alone had higher body weight gain (BWG) and feed intake (FI) compared to those supplemented with the blend of acids. For the total rearing period, in all variables, the positive control performed best (P < 0.001). 4. At 14 d of age, birds that received diets containing UA had a deeper crypt depth in the jejunum than those fed diets containing microencapsulated acid (P = 0.0194). At 21 d of age, the birds fed the acids had higher villi (P = 0.0058) in the duodenum, compared to the negative control group. 5. Supplementation with microencapsulated acid contributed to the intestinal health and recovery of post-challenge birds, but did not result in improvements in performance.

Effect of Lactobacillus Species Probiotics on Growth Performance of Dual-Purpose Chicken

IntroductionIn-feed probiotics are becoming attractive alternatives to antibiotics in the poultry industry due to the ever-growing strict prohibitions on antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) in animal production.MethodsThe study was conducted to investigate the effects of Lactobacillus paracaseis sparacasei and Lactobacillus rhamnosus on the growth performance of 120 day-olds randomly selected Sasso dual-purpose chicken. They were divided into four groups with two replicates per group and 15 chicks per replicate. The treatments were T1 (control), T2 (supplement diet with 4g probiotic), T3 (supplement diet with 2g probiotic), T4 (supplement diet with 1g probiotic). The experimental feeding trials were conducted after two weeks adaptation period.ResultsThe present findings revealed that the chickens supplemented with Lactobacillus species probiotics during the first week of age have shown higher body weight than control (p < 0.05). The feed intake of week one of T2 and T3 were significantly higher (p< 0.05) than the T1 (control). However, there was no significant difference (p> 0.05) in feed intake in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th weeks of all treatment groups. The present result showed that there was a significant body weight gain (p< 0.05) in all probiotic fed groups than the control group. The highest body weight gain was observed in chickens found in the T4 treatment group. Whereas the body weight gains significantly higher and improved the feed conversion (p<0.05) in the T2 and T4 than the T1 (control). However, the feed conversion ratio was significantly influenced by probiotic inclusion in T3 as compared to the control group.ConclusionOverall, the results suggest that Lactobacillus paracaseis sparacasei and Lactobacillus rhamnosus have a positive effect on the growth performance of broilers.

Comparative efficacy of spray-dried plasma and bacitracin methylene disalicylate in reducing cecal colonization by Salmonella Enteritidis in broiler chickens

Spray-dried plasma (SDP) contains immunoglobulins and glycoproteins that possess antibacterial properties. Two floor-pen trials were conducted to determine the efficacy of dietary SDP and bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD) antibiotic in reducing intestinal colonization by Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) in broiler chickens. Experiment 1 was a 2-wk, 3 × 2 factorial design consisting of 6 treatments. Treatment CON consisted of chicks fed unmedicated corn-soybean meal (SBM) basal without SDP. Treatment BMD consisted of chicks given unmedicated corn-SBM basal into which BMD was added at 0.055g/kg diet. Treatment SDP consisted of chicks given unmedicated corn-SBM basal into which SDP was added at 30g/kg diet. Treatments CON-SE, BMD-SE, and SDP-SE consisted of chicks that were given diets similar to CON, BMD, and SDP, respectively, and were each inoculated with 7.46 × 108 CFU SE /mL at 1 day of age. Experiment 2 was a 42-day trial that was similar to Experiment 1 in design, except that chicks were placed on fresh clean litter. On d 3, 7, 14, and 28 post-challenge (PC), ceca SE concentration was enumerated on xylose lysine tergitol-4 (XLT4) agar. Body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were also recorded. Results for d 3 showed that BMD- and SDP-fed chicks had similar (P > 0.05) cecal SE (3.39 log 10 CFU / g and 3.58 log 10 CFU / g, respectively), but these levels were lower (P < 0.05) than that of CON-fed chicks (5.68 log 10 CFU / g). A similar trend was observed on d 7 and 14 PC. The BMD- and SDP-fed chicks also had higher BWG and FCR (P < 0.05) when compared with CON-fed chicks up to d 14. Thereafter, only BMD treatment sustained this growth-promoting effect till d 42 in SE-challenged birds. In conclusion, BMD and SDP showed similar efficacy in reducing cecal Salmonella and in mitigating consequent growth-depressing effect(s) in broiler chicks up to 2 wk of age.

Assessment of dietary chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus) fruit extract on growth performance, hemato-biochemical parameters, and mRNA levels of growth and appetite-related genes in goldfish (Carassius auratus)

In this study, the effect of oral administration of chaste tree fruit (CTF) extract was evaluated on growth performance, hematological indices, serum biochemical parameters, and the expression of growth and appetite-related genes in goldfish (Carassius auratus). The fry (N = 300; 2.40 ± 0.12 g) were randomly dispersed into 12 aquaria and fed with different levels of CTF extract (0 (control), 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5%) for 56 days. At the end of the trial, the highest body weight gain and the lowest feed conversion ratio were observed in the fish fed with 1.5% CTF extract (P < 0.05). The group fed with CTF extract at 1.5% showed the highest levels of red blood cell, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and serum albumin (P < 0.05), while no significant changes were observed for mean corpuscular volume, mean hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration among all groups (P > 0.05). The levels of aspartate transaminase and lactate dehydrogenase were decreased by increasing the supplementation levels of CTF extract and the lowest values were obtained in 1.5% CTF extract diet (P < 0.05). The expression of growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor 1, and ghrelin genes was significantly up-regulated in the fish fed with 1.5% CTF extract compared to other treatments (P < 0.05). Overall, the enrichment of goldfish diet with 1.5% CTF extract could interfere positively in the growth-related traits and hematological parameters.

Dietary Supplementation of Nano Zinc Oxide on Performance, Carcass, Serum and Meat Quality Parameters of Commercial Broilers.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of supplementation of zinc in the diet in the form of nano zinc oxide (nano ZnO) on the performance of broilers. A total of 240 day-old commercial broiler chicks were distributed in a completely randomized design into 6 treatments with 8 replicates of 5 chicks each. Treatments comprised of T1- basal diet (BD) without ZnO supplementation, T2- 2.5 ppm ZnO, T3- 5 ppm ZnO, T4- 10 ppm ZnO, T5- 20 ppm ZnO, and T6- 40 ppm inorganic ZnO. The results revealed that supplementation of nano ZnO at 2.5 ppm recorded significantly (P < 0.05) higher body weight gain, feed intake, and better feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to control and other treatment groups at 42 days of age. All dietary treatments failed to exert any significant (P > 0.05) effect on various carcass parameters (dressing percentage, abdominal fat, giblet yields), serum protein and cholesterol concentrations, and meat quality parameters (water holding capacity and pH) of broiler chicken at 42 days of age. Finally, it could be concluded that supplementation of nano ZnO at 2.5 ppm improved the performance of broilers.

Implications of Tannin Containing Plants for Productivity and Health in Small Ruminant Animals: A Review

Infection with parasitic nematodes is a serious threat to health and production of small ruminant worldwide. It causes reduction in feed intake, weight gain and eventually death of the host. The primary control method of the nematode infection relied on frequent use of anthelmintic drugs. Unfortunately, this control strategy is no longer effective due to widespread anthelmintic resistance, which necessitates search for novel approaches to control nematodes. Condensed tannin (CT) containing forages have been used as anthelmintic to control parasitic nematodes for years. This paper reviews available information about effects of CT on productivity and health of small ruminants infected with parasitic nematodes. Many of temperate and tropical forages are nutraceutical plants (possess both nutritional and health benefits). Consumption of CT containing forages reduced negative impacts of gastrointestinal parasitism in sheep and goat by regulating establishment of worm as shown in reduced worm burdens, fecal egg count (FEC) and worm fecundity. Parasitized sheep and goats fed forages containing CT had high feed intake and body weight gain, probably due to increase in protein and amino acids supply. Condensed tannins containing feeds result in lighter meat color and tend to improve antioxidant activity. Therefore, the use of CT containing forages to control parasitic nematodes and improve production of small ruminants is one the alternatives to anthelmintic drugs.