Population Of Broiler Chickens Research Articles

Effects of thyme (Thymus vulgaris), organic acid, probiotic and prebiotic on carcass characteristics and intestinal microbial population in broiler chickens fed with normal and low protein diets

The experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of thyme, organic acid, probiotic and prebiotic on carcass characteristics and intestinal microbial microflora in broiler chicks in normal and low protein diets. A total of 388 Ross 308 broilers were equally assigned to 5 treatments with 4 replicates in a completely randomized design. The experimental treatments were; 1: control, 2: thyme extract (2 kg/ton), 3: organic acid (3 kg/ton), 4: probiotics (50 g/ton) and 5: prebiotics (2 kg/ton) with normal and reduced protein levels (10% lower than usual). At d 42, two chicks per replicate were randomly chosen, slaughtered and carcass percentage and carcass components percentage including a thigh, breast, liver, heart, gizzard, spleen, bursa of fabricius, abdominal fat, and intestine were determined for live weight. The results showed that using a diet with a normal level of crude protein compared to a diet with a level of crude protein lower than usual, increased the percentage of spleen and heart of chickens (P<0.05). It seems that there is a close relationship between the percentage of fat in the abdominal cavity and the ratio of energy to protein in the diet. Also, there were no significant differences between treatments and their interactions about pH content of ileum of broilers (P > 0.05). Besides, the bacterial population of ileum of treated broilers had different behavior. The ileum bacteria improved with probiotic addition and it was predictable because of beneficial bacteria inclusion to diet. Comparing the means for litter traits, no significant differences were observed between the experimental treatments with each other and with the control group (P>0.05). Totally, before the common use of additives in different types of diets of poultry nutrition, thorough investigations should be carried out on mechanisms, compatibility with other components of the diet and safety evaluation.

Analisis Jiwa Kewirausahaan terhadap Keberhasilan Usaha Peternak Plasma Ayam Ras Pedaging di Gianyar-Bali

The increase in the population of broiler chickens is in line with the increasing public demand for chicken and the improving economy of Bali in the new normal period of Covid-19. The entrepreneurial spirit plays an important role in the progress of the broiler business. This study aims to analyze: the level of entrepreneurial spirit of farmers; which indicators of the entrepreneurial spirit and characteristics of farmers have the most dominant influence on the success of broiler business; and the influence of entrepreneurial spirit and farmer's characteristics on the success of broiler business in Gianyar Regency, Bali Province. The study was conducted using a purposive sampling method, simple random sampling was conducted on 40 farmers using a structured questionnaire to obtain primary research data. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Square (PLS). The results showed that most of the respondents had a fairly high entrepreneurial spirit. The entrepreneurial spirit of breeders is proven to be influenced by self-confidence, initiative, has a motive for achievement, has a leadership spirit, and likes, where liking challenges is the strongest indicator to reflect this variable. While the individual characteristics of breeders are influenced by age, education, skills, number of chicken ownership, and knowledge. The number of chicken ownership is the most dominant reflecting indicator.

Mekanisme Kemitraan dan Determinan Pemilihan Pola Kemitraan Usahaternak Ayam Broiler di Kabupaten Sukabumi, Provinsi Jawa Barat

The broiler industry is the livestock industry with the highest development compared to other livestock industries. The structure of the broiler industry, which is oligopoly in nature, causes the bargaining position of livestock companies, especially integrator companies, to be very large in determining input and output prices. In contrast with broiler breeders. Farmers face production risks, as well as input and output price risks. The partnership between livestock companies and breeders is one of the efforts to overcome the problems faced by breeders. The aims of this study were (1) to find out the mechanism of broiler farming partnerships, and (2) Analyze the determinants of selecting contract farming through the nucleus-plasma scheme (PIR) (PIR) or Makloon pattern. The research was located in Sukabumi Regency, which is a broiler production center in West Java Province. The research samples were PIR and Makloon breeders with 30 farmers each, who were PT. X (PIR pattern) and PT. Y (Macloon pattern). Data analysis using the Logit Model. The results of the study show that there are differences in the partnership mechanism between the PIR pattern and the Makloon pattern, especially the provision and cost of financing the main production facilities and operational costs, as well as the components of livestock business income. Livestock income and broiler chicken population are significant determinants in choosing a partnership pattern, but with different parameter signs, the PIR pattern is positive and the Makloon pattern is negative. This means that the higher the broiler livestock business income, the farmer tends to choose the PIR pattern, conversely if the livestock population is getting bigger, the breeder tends to choose the Makloon pattern

Haemato-biochemical indices and intestinal microbial population of broiler chickens fed diet supplemented with Prosopis africana (African mesquite) essential oil

The objective of this present study was to investigate the haemato-biochemical indices and intestinal microbial population of broiler chickens fed diets supplemented with Prosopis africana (African mesquite) essential oil (PAEO). A total of 540 one-day old broiler chicks of Ross 302 strain were allotted to six treatments with 6 replicates consisting of 15 birds each in a completely randomized design. Feed and water were given ad libitum, and all necessary management practices were strictly observed throughout the experiment, which lasted for 8 weeks. The birds in treatment 1 (T1) was fed a basal diet with no PAEO, T2 was fed basal diet plus 1.2 g kg-1 Oxytetracycline, T3, T4, T5 and T6 were fed basal diet plus PAEO at 200 mg, 400 mg, 600 mg and 800 mg kg-1 respectively. All haematological parameters and intestinal microbial population were influenced by the dietary treatments (p ˂ 0.05). Total protein, triglycerides, cholesterol and urea were significantly different (p < 0.05) across the dietary treatments and are within the physiological ranges reported for healthy chicken. However, serum tryglycerides, low density lipoprotein, high density lipoprotein, magnesium and chloride ion values were not affected by PAEO (p ˃ 0.05). It was concluded PAEO possess several properties – antioxidant, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, immune-stimulatory, anti-inflammatory and physiological amongst others all of which are vital for the health enhancing effects in birds. Prosopis africana essential oil can be supplemented up to 800 mg kg-1 in the diets of broiler chickens without causing any deleterious effect on their blood profile.

ANALYSIS OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND OF BROILER CHICKEN MEAT IN BALI PROVINCE

This study aims to analyze factors such as broiler chicken population, DOC prices, feed prices and drug prices on boiler chicken meat supply, and population, per capita income, boiler chicken meat prices, tourist visits and religious holidays to demand boiler chicken meat in Bali Province. The research method used is multiple linear regression analysis with the help of the SPSS program and trend analysis. Used 2 dependent variables and 9 independent variables. The data used in this study are primary data obtained from interviews with 100 respondents, while secondary data is obtained from annual data from 2009 to 2019. The results of the study concluded that the broiler chicken population, DOC prices, feed prices and drug prices had no effect on the supply of boiler chicken meat at the 95% confidence level and R2 of 0.641. This is because most breeders have partnerships with companies. Meanwhile, partially the demand for boiler chicken meat is determined by the population with a coefficient of 0.045 at 95% confidence. This shows that the increase in population is directly proportional to the consumption of broiler chicken meat. While other variables do not affect the demand for broiler chicken in Bali Province.

Analysis Of Entrepreneurial Spirit on The Success of Broiler Plasma Farmer in Gianyar District, Bali Province

The growth in broiler chicken population is consistent with rising public demand for chicken and Bali's growing economy in the new normal period of Covid-19. The entrepreneurial spirit is critical to the advancement of the broiler industry. The purpose of this study is to examine: 1) the level of entrepreneurial spirit of farmers, 2) which indicators of entrepreneurial spirit and farmer characteristics have the most dominant influence on the success of broiler business, and 3) the influence of entrepreneurial spirit and farmer characteristics on the success of broiler business in Gianyar Regency, Bali Province. The study used a purposive sampling strategy, with simple random sampling on 40 farmers utilizing a standardized questionnaire to collect primary research data. Partial Least Squares was used to examine the data (PLS). The findings revealed that the majority of respondents had a strong entrepreneurial spirit. Breeders' entrepreneurial spirit is influenced by self-confidence, initiative, a desire for success, a leadership spirit, and likes, with liking challenges being the strongest indicator of this characteristic. While age, education, skills, quantity of chickens owned, and knowledge all impact the individual features of breeders. The most important reflecting indicator is the number of chickens owned.

Effect of dietary protein lowering and supplementation of peppermint extract on yield, carcass, blood parameters and microbial population of broiler chickens

Effect of dietary protein lowering and supplementation of peppermint extract on yield, carcass, blood parameters and microbial population of broiler chickens

Effects of acid-hydrolyzed soybean meal on growth performance, jejunal morphology, digestive enzyme activities, nutrient utilization, and intestinal microbial population in broiler chickens.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of soybean meal (SBM) treated with acetic or citric acids on growth performance, microbial population, digestive enzyme activities, nutrient digestibility, and jejunal morphology in broiler chickens. A total of 350 one-day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly distributed into 7 experimental groups with 5 replicates per each. Experimental treatments were diets containing untreated SBM (control) and SBM treated with two acid sources and their concentrations including 5, 10, and 15% acetic acid (A1, A2, and A3) or 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75% citric acid (C1, C2, and C3). Results showed that trypsin inhibitors and lectins as the main SBM anti-nutrients significantly reduced in acid-treated SBM compared with untreated SBM (P < 0.05). During 1-24days, body weight gain increased in chicks fed the C2 diet (P < 0.05). Feeding of the C2 diet increased feed intake compared with A1, A2, and C3 groups (P < 0.05). Feed conversion ratio improved in chicks fed with C2, C3, and A2 diets compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The greatest villus length, villus length to crypt depth ratio, and villus surface area were observed in the C2 diet (P < 0.05). A significant increase in protease and lipase activity was found in broilers which received a C2 diet compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Broiler chickens fed with the C2 diet had a higher organic matter and crude protein digestibility than the chicks which received the control diet (P < 0.05) and dry matter digestibility was the lowest in broilers fed with the A3 diet (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the acid hydrolyzing process had a beneficial effect on the nutritional value of SBM. In addition, data showed that acid-hydrolyzed SBM had the potential to exert positive influences on growth performance, jejunal morphology, and nutrient utilization in broiler chickens.

Efficacy of whole wheat grain in combination with acidified drinking water on growth performance, gizzard development, intestinal morphology, and microbial population of broiler chickens

A 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments was used to study the effects of acidified drinking water (ADW) as 0 or 350 mL acidifier/1,000 L with 3 different wheat forms including ground wheat (GW), whole wheat (WW), or pelleted whole wheat (PWW) on growth performance, gizzard and proventriculus development, intestinal morphology, and microbial population of broiler chickens fed pelleted corn-soybean meal-based diets. GW, WW, and PWW were added at 50, 100, and 150 g/kg of the diet during starter (d 0 to 10), grower (d 10 to 24), and finisher (d 24 to 35) phases, respectively. A total of 300 male broiler chickens at 1-d-old were randomly distributed into six treatments of five replicate pens each. During the starter and grower phases, GW inclusion tended to increase feed intake (P < 0.05), while WW improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) during all experimental phases (P < 0.05). Feed intake during the grower phase decreased and FCR during the starter and grower phases improved in broiler chickens, which received ADW (P < 0.05). An interaction between the wheat form and ADW were observed for the relative weight and muscular thickness of gizzard and pH of gizzard and proventriculus contents (P < 0.05). Inclusion of WW improved the relative weight, length, and width of gizzard and proventriculus and gizzard muscular thickness (P < 0.05). The gizzard weight increased in broiler chickens received ADW, while pH of gizzard contents decreased in those receiving ADW (P < 0.05). Feeding WW increased villus length (VL) and villus area (VA) compared to PWW inclusion, while the ratio of VL to crypt depth (CD) was the greatest in broilers fed WW (P < 0.05). An increase in VL, VA, or VL/CD was observed in broiler chickens, which received ADW (P < 0.05). In microbial population, ADW tended to increase Lactobacillus and decrease Escherichia coli populations (P < 0.05). Lactobacillus population increased in broiler chickens fed WW diet (P < 0.05). In conclusion, WW inclusion in combination with ADW was found to be a suitable promoting of growth performance, gizzard development, intestinal morphology, and microbial population in broiler chickens.

Sources and levels of copper affect liver copper profile, intestinal morphology and cecal microbiota population of broiler chickens fed wheat-soybean meal diets

Super dosing copper (Cu) has long been used as an alternative to antibiotic growth-promoters in broiler chickens’ diet to improve gut health. This study was designed to compare nutritional and growth-promoting levels of Cu hydroxychloride (CH) with CuSO4 on gut health bio-markers and liver mineral profile of broiler chickens. Ross 308 chicks (n = 864) were randomly assigned to eight treatments, as basal diet containing no supplemental Cu; the basal diet with 15 or 200 mg/kg Cu as CuSO4; or 15, 50, 100, 150 or 200 mg/kg Cu from CH. The highest liver Cu content was observed in birds fed the diets with 200 mg/kg CuSO4 (P < 0.01). Serum FITC-d concentration as the leaky gut marker, and liver malondialdehyde concentration were not affected. Copper level or source had no effect on cecal short chain fatty acid and the mRNA expression of five jejunal genes involved in gut integrity. Negative linear responses of Cu were observed on Lactobacillus (P = 0.032), Bacteroides (P = 0.033), and Enterobacteriaceae (P = 0.028) counts. The jejunal villus height increased in birds fed CH at 200 and 100 mg/kg (P < 0.05). Increasing Cu levels, linearly and quadratically (P < 0.001), increased Cu excretion.

Effect of Broiler Litter Based Complete Feed Fermentation Time on Nutrient Content and In vitro Digestibility

Broiler litter waste is increasing as the population of broiler chickens increases, on the other hand the need for ruminant feed is increasing so that alternative feeds are needed in the form of complete feed made from litter. This study was aimed to determine the effect of fermentation time on the nutritional content and digestibility of the complete feed. A completely randomized design with 4 treatments and 5 replications were applied in this study. Treatment T0 = not fermented; T1 = fermentation for 10 days; T2 = fermentation for 24 days; T3 = fermentation for 38 days. Parameters observed were nutrient content, VFA, NH3, dry matter digestibility and organic matter digestibility &lt;em&gt;in vitro&lt;/em&gt; using cow rumen. Results showed that fermention of complete feed with 2.5% EM4 starter and 5% probiofeed for 38 days (T3) had a significant effect (P&amp;lt;0.05) on nutrient content, dry matter digestibility, organic matter digestibility, VFA and NH3. The T3 significantly affected ash content, crude fat, crude protein, BETN, TDN, dry matter digestibility, organic matter digestibility, VFA, and NH3 but had no significant effect on water content and crude fiber. It is concluded that the complete feed could be used as an alternative feed for ruminants, and it is easy to obtain, cheap and able to reduce environmental pollution.

Encapsulation of essential oils of rosemary (

Context Dietary supplementation with phytobiotics may form part of an alternative strategy to the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in the poultry industry. Essential oils of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) may have antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Aims The aims were to evaluate in vitro characteristics of non-encapsulated and encapsulated rosemary essential oils, and to investigate their effects on growth performance, intestinal morphology and microbial population in broiler chickens. Methods Essential oil main components were determined, and the minimum inhibitory concentration and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical assay methods were applied for determination of antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, respectively. In an in vivo study of performance, 1-day-old male chicks (n = 420) were randomly assigned to seven dietary treatments with five replicates of 12 birds in a completely randomised experimental design. Treatments were control (basal) diet, and basal diet supplemented with chitosan (encapsulating agent) at 150 mg/kg, encapsulated and non-encapsulated rosemary essential oils at both 150 and 300 mg/kg, and the antibiotic flavophospholipol at 650 mg/kg. Key results Non-encapsulated essential oil had stronger antioxidant activity than the encapsulated form (IC50 values 0.969 and 1.879 mg/mL, respectively). Non-encapsulated essential oil had greater antimicrobial effect against Escherichia coli, whereas the encapsulated form was more effective against Staphylococcus aureus. During the whole growing period of the in vivo study, supplementation with different levels of non-encapsulated or encapsulated essential oils significantly (P &lt; 0.01) improved bodyweight gain and feed conversation ratio compared with control and antibiotic diets. Furthermore, feed intake in birds receiving essential oils (150 or 300 mg/kg) was lower (P &lt; 0.01) than in other groups. Villus height was increased (P &lt; 0.01) in birds supplemented with essential oils compared with all other treatments. Ileal coliform count was lower in birds supplemented with non-encapsulated essential oil at 150 mg/kg than in birds fed the control diet. Conclusion Use of non-encapsulated rosemary essential oils at 150 mg/kg is recommended. Encapsulation did not provide additional benefits for most parameters. Implications Rosemary essential oils offer a potential replacement to conventional antibiotics in poultry nutrition, reducing the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and presence of antibiotic residues in animal tissues.

The influence of clove leave extract (Syzygium aromaticum) on growth performance and bacterial population of broiler chickens raised in stressful conditions of high stocking density

Broilers maintenance at high stocking density impacts uncomfortable conditions; this increases the potential for stress, reduces feed consumption, and reduces production performance and health in broiler chickens. This study aims to evaluate the effect of clove leaf extract on growth performance and microbial population in the digestive tract of broiler chickens reared at high density. From the eighth day, five treatment groups, T0 (negative control with a typical density of 10 birds/m2), T1 (positive control with a high density of 16 birds/m2), T2, T3, and T4 with a high density of 16 birds/m2, were randomly assigned from 444 broilers (bodyweight of 129.78±0.75 g) with six repetitions each on the eighth day. The feed includes clove leave extract as much as 0.5, 0.75, and 1 ml/kg for T2, T3, and T4, respectively. The weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio were tracked weekly. One chicken from each replicate was taken randomly, slaughtered, and feathered on day 35. The digesta was taken from the ileum and cecum to measure the intestinal bacterial population and put into a sterile container. Digesta from the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and cecum were also collected to determine pH levels. MRS agar was used to determine the amount of LAB in the digesta. The findings revealed that giving clove leaf extract of feed to broiler chickens kept at high stocking density could higher body weight gain (P < 0.05), higher feed consumption (P < 0.05), decreased the pH of the ileum and cecum (P < 0.05), increased lactic acid bacteria and decreased coliform bacteria in the ileum and cecum (P < 0.05).

Growth performance, internal organ traits, intestinal morphology, and microbial population of broiler chickens fed quinoa seed-based diets with phytase or protease supplements and their combination.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of quinoa seed-based diets with phytase and protease enzymes, individually or in combination, on the productive performance, internal organs, microbiota activity, and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens. A total of 250 1-day-old broiler chicks (ROSS 308) were randomly distributed into five treatments with each five replicate pens of 10 birds in a 42-day trial. Dietary treatments were a conventional diet (CC) based on a corn-soybean meal or an experimental diet (EC) which contained 150g/kg of quinoa seed. Other treatments were EC diet supplemented with 500 FTU/kg phytase (EPH), 0.2g/kg protease (EPR) enzymes, or their combination (EPPC). At the end of the trial, the feed intake of the EPH broilers was higher than those of the EC and EPPC birds (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, broiler chickens fed the EPH and EPPC diets had higher body weight gain compared with those of the birds fed the other diets (P < 0.05). The EC and EPPC broilers consumed less feed than the EPH birds (P < 0.05), while CC and EPR birds were intermediate. The EC group had the highest feed conversion ratio among all groups (P < 0.05). The EPPC group had the best feed conversion ratio compared with other groups except for the EPH group (P < 0.05). The highest relative weight of the bursa and spleen was observed in EPPC and CC groups, respectively. The pancreas had the lowest weight in the broilers fed protease-supplemented diet. An increase in villus length and villus width was observed in birds fed EPH and EC diets, respectively (P < 0.05). The ratio of VL to crypt depth was greater in the phytase-supplemented group (P < 0.05). Inclusion of phytase or phytase + protease to QS diet increased the cecal Lactobacillus population, while the count of Coliforms decreased in EPR and EPPC groups (P < 0.05). It is concluded that addition of phytase and protease enzymes to QS-based diet may have beneficial effects on the growth performance, gut bacteria ecology, and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens.

Effect of Dietary Inclusion of Ginger and Garlic Oil Mixture on the Growth Performance and Caecal Microbial Population of Broiler Chickens

The objective of the present study was to determine effect of dietary inclusion of (Zingiber officinale) and garlic (Allium sativum) oil mixture (GIGM) on the growth performance and caecal microbial population of broiler chickens. One hundred and fifty one-day-old broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly allocated into 5 treatments with three replicates consisting of 10 birds each in a completely randomized design. Birds in treatment 1 (T1) was fed basal diet with 0 % inclusion of GIGM while T2, T3, T4 and T5 were given 0.1 %, 0.2 %, 0.3 % and 0.4 % respectively. Clean feed and water were offered ad libitum and all other management practices were strictly observed throughout the experiment which lasted for 56 days. Results obtained were used to determine weight gain (WG), average daily weight gain (ADWG), total feed intake (TFI), average daily feed intake (ADFI), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and microbial population of E.coli, Salmonella spp and Lactobacillus spp. ADWG, ADFI and FCR were significantly (P ˂ 0.05) influenced by the dietary inclusion of GIGM. ADWG were highest in T5 (47.80 g), T4 (45.75 g) and T3 (45.09 g), intermediate in T2 (39.59 g) and lowest in T1 (30.72 g). Lactobacillus spp increased as the level of dietary inclusion of GIGM increases (P ˂ 0.05). E.coli and Salmonella spp counts were significantly (P ˂ 0.05) different among the treatments. It was concluded that GIGM could be included in the diet of broilers up to 0.4 % without causing any deleterious effect on the performance and health of birds.

Effect of dietary inclusion of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) and Garlic (Allium sativum) oil Mixture on the Growth Performance and Caecal Microbial Population of Broiler Chickens

The objective of the present study was to determine effect of dietary inclusion of (Zingiber officinale) and garlic (Allium sativum) oil mixture (GIGM) on the growth performance and caecal microbial population of broiler chickens. One hundred and fifty one-day-old broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly allocated into 5 treatments with three replicates consisting of 10 birds each in a completely randomized design. Birds in treatment 1 (T1) was fed basal diet with 0 % inclusion of GIGM while T2, T3, T4 and T5 were given 0.1 %, 0.2 %, 0.3 % and 0.4 % respectively. Clean feed and water were offered ad libitum and all other management practices were strictly observed throughout the experiment which lasted for 56 days. Results obtained were used to determine weight gain (WG), average daily weight gain (ADWG), total feed intake (TFI), average daily feed intake (ADFI), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and microbial population of E.coli, Salmonella spp and Lactobacillus spp. ADWG, ADFI and FCR were significantly (P ˂ 0.05) influenced by the dietary inclusion of GIGM. ADWG were highest in T5 (47.80 g), T4 (45.75 g) and T3 (45.09 g), intermediate in T2 (39.59 g) and lowest in T1 (30.72 g). Lactobacillus spp increased as the level of dietary inclusion of GIGM increases (P ˂ 0.05). E.coli and Salmonella spp counts were significantly (P ˂ 0.05) different among the treatments. It was concluded that GIGM could be included in the diet of broilers up to 0.4 % without causing any deleterious effect on the performance and health of birds.

PSXII-9 Modeling genetic differences of combined broiler chicken populations in single-step GBLUP

Abstract The objectives of this study were to model the inclusion of a group of external birds into a local broiler chicken population for the purpose of genomic evaluations and evaluating the behavior of two accuracy estimators under different model specifications. The pedigree was composed by 242,413 birds and genotypes were available for 107,216 birds. A five-trait model that included one growth, two yield, and two efficiency traits was used for the analyses. The strategies to model the introduction of external birds were to include a fixed effect representing the origin of parents and to use UPG or metafounders. Genomic estimated breeding values (GEBV) were obtained with single-step GBLUP (ssGBLUP) using the Algorithm for Proven and Young (APY). Bias, dispersion, and accuracy of GEBV for the validation birds, i.e., from the most recent generation, were computed. The bias and dispersion were estimated with the LR-method, whereas accuracy was estimated by the LR-method and predictive ability. Models with fixed UPG and estimated inbreeding or random UPG resulted in similar GEBV. The inclusion of an extra fixed effect in the model made the GEBV unbiased and reduced the inflation, while models without such an effect were significantly biased. Genomic predictions with metafounders were slightly biased and inflated due to the unbalanced number of observations assigned to each metafounder. When combining local and external populations, the greatest accuracy and smallest bias can be obtained by adding an extra fixed effect to account for the origin of parents plus UPG with estimated inbreeding or random UPG. To estimate the accuracy, the LR-method is more consistent among models, whereas predictive ability greatly depends on the model specification, that is, on the fixed effects included in the model. When changing model specification, the largest variation for the LR-method was 20%, while for predictive ability was 110%.

Effect of the replacement of soybean meal with a processed protein meal mix on performance, carcass characteristics, blood parameters and cecum microbial population in broiler chickens

BACKGROUND: The mixture of processed protein meal is a high protein source which is used as a replacement source for soybean meal in poultry feed industry. OBJECTIVES: the effect of the different levels of protein meals mixture were investigated on performance, carcass characteristics, blood parameters and cecum microbial population in broiler chickens METHODS: The current experiment was conducted by three hundred and seventy five one-day-old male broiler chicks with five treatments in a completely randomized design to investigate the effects of different levels of 0.0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% soybean meal replacement with processed protein meal. RESULTS: During whole the experimental period, replacement of 100% mix of soybean meal with processed protein meal deceased the feed consumption whereas increased the feed conversion ratio (P<0.05). All the replacement levels of mix of soybean meal with processed protein meal deteriorated the weight gain and the lowest weight gain was related to highest processed protein meal level (P<0.05). The birds fed the highest processed protein meal (100%) had the higher liver weight as compared to the other birds (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, 75 and 100% replacement of mix of soybean meal with processed protein meal deteriorate the performance and carcass weight of broiler chickens.

Propolis supplementation affects performance, intestinal morphology, and bacterial population of broiler chickens

A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effect of supplementing the diet of broiler chickens with propolis on growth, bacterial population of the intestine, antiviral serum concentration, intestinal morphology, and digestive enzyme activities in broiler chickens. Forty peer-reviewed articles that had been published between 2003 and 2019 were identified using the PRISMA protocol and included in the study. Data were analysed with mixed model methodology, in which the studies were considered random effects, whereas the level of supplemental propolis was considered a fixed effect. Responses to propolis supplementation in bodyweight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG) were quadratic, but average daily feed intake (ADFI) was not affected. Propolis supplementation improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) significantly as a linear function of the level of supplement. The optimum level of supplementation was between 256 and 262 mg/kg feed and produced maximum ADG and final BW. There was a tendency for mortality to decrease because of propolis supplementation. Propolis had no detectable effect on serum antiviral concentration, intestinal bacterial population or intestinal morphology. Among digestive enzymes, only sucrase increased linearly as propolis was increased. Thus, supplementation with propolis increased the growth performance of broiler chickens positively and the effect was dose dependent. This may have been partly because of an improvement in sucrase activity and other factors related to the nutritional content of propolis. Future study to evaluate specific bioactive compounds of propolis is therefore warranted.

Effect of mash and pellet diets containing different sources of fiber on the growth performance and cecal microbial population of broiler chickens

The effects of different sources of fiber in mash or pellet diets on growth performance and cecal microbial population of broiler chicken were studied for 42 days. The experimental design was completely randomized with 10 treatments arranged as a 2 × 5 factorial with 2 feed forms (mash vs. pelleted) and 5 diets consisted of 4 feeds containing 4 different fiber sources (i.e., sugar-beet pulp (SBP), wheat bran (WB), sunflower hull (SFH), all of which in 30 g/kg of diet and cellulose (CEL) in 5 g/kg of diet) and a control diet. The results showed that in the starter phase, all diets in pellet form results in a higher BWG of birds compared to those fed mashed forms of fiber sources and control diet (P < 0.05). Also, feed conversion ratio (FCR) was improved in birds offered diets contained fiber, except for SBP, in the pelleted form, compared to the birds fed fiber in mashed forms, in the starter phase (p <0.05). Birds fed pelleted diets containing WB and SFH had lower (P < 0.05) Coliforms and E. coli populations in the cecum, compared to the other treatments. Dietary inclusion of SFH and CEL in pellet form reduced blood TG. In summary, pelleting the diets contained WB, SFH, and CEL was more beneficial for improving FCR than the inclusion of SBP at starter phase. Also, the results suggest that the inclusion of 30 g/kg of natural fibers or 5 g/kg of CEL in the diets, based on corn-soybean meal, can improve the growth performance, with effects being more pronounced in pellet-fed birds than in mash-fed ones.