Productive Performance Characteristics Research Articles

Partial or complete replacement of soybean meal with black soldier fly larvae meal improves feed efficiency in laying hens between 22 to 30 weeks of age

Abstract The European Commission recently authorised the inclusion of insect meal in poultry feed. Black soldier fly larvae meal (BSF) has comparable nutritional value to soybean meal (SBM) and higher calcium content, making it an attractive alternative protein source for laying hens While a few studies have explored this objective, inconsistent results have been reported, likely due to variations in hen age, breed, husbandry systems, and sunflower meal composition across studies, making it difficult to draw clear conclusions. We hypothesised that partial or complete replacement of SBM with BSF has no adverse effects on egg production and quality in laying hens at the initiation of laying (22-30 weeks of age). This study consisted of three dietary treatments and nine replicates per treatment. Diets were a control diet, and two diets containing 5% (BSF5%) and 10% (BSF10%). The experimental unit was a pen (100 × 200 × 200 cm) of 14 Brown Nick laying hens resembling an aviary setting. We found that complete replacement of SBM with BSF10% in the diet of laying hens improved feed efficiency attributed to a lower feed intake in comparison to laying hens fed the BSF5% or the control diets, while production performance, body weight, and egg quality were maintained and the colour of the egg yolk increased. Therefore, replacing SBM with up to 10% BSF in brown laying hens in aviary pens at the initiation of laying had no adverse effects on production performance, chemical and physical characteristics, and sensory attributes of eggs. Maintaining production and egg quality with a lower intake of nutrients requires further investigation.

Evaluation of the Growth Performance and Meat Quality of Different F1 Crosses of Tengchong Snow and Xichou Black Bone Chicken Breeds

Unlike other chicken breeds, Xichuan Black Bone (XBB) chickens are an established breed in China with excellent production performance and unique characteristics, including black meat, beaks, skin, bones, and legs, and they produce blue-shelled eggs. The Tengchong Snow (TS) chicken breed has relatively lower growth performance than commercial breeds but is considered one of the main genetic treasures of black meat in China. To improve the production and meat quality traits of the TS chickens by hybridization, the current study aimed to investigate the growth performance, carcass indices, meat quality physical properties, and muscle fiber traits of fiber traits of F1 crosses of TS with XBB chickens. Three groups of crossbreeding combinations were produced: (1) XT group (XBB × TS ), (2) TX group (TS × XBB ), and (3) TT group (TS × TS ), with the TT group used as a control. A total of 725 healthy chicks (XT group: 247, TX group: 180, TT group: 298) were reared up to 20 weeks of age to estimate the growth performance and associated meat parameters. The results showed that the XT and TX groups had higher body weight and body size compared with the TT group (p < 0.05). Similarly, breast width, breast length, width of body, and carcass weights were also greater (p < 0.05) in the XT and TX groups compared with the TT group. Meat physical properties, including color, water-holding capacity, and tenderness, were improved (p < 0.05) for the XT and TX group compared to the TT group. The XT group had the better color of the leg muscles with the unique orientation of muscle fibers. Based on the results, the XT group is more in line with the future breeding direction as they have greater body weight, larger size, and lower abdominal fat. This study is a baseline technical reference for the protection, evaluation, and utilization of germplasm resources of Tengchong Snow chicken for screening the best matching lines and combinations with local chickens.

Power production characteristics of binary particles pulsed anaerobic fluidized bed microbial fuel cell

A novel binary particulate pulsating anaerobic fluidized bed microbial fuel cell (BPFB-MFC) was designed and constructed in order to improve the efficiency of low-grade energy conversion in sewage. The effects of pulsed liquid flow rate and bed filling rate on the electricity production performance and effluent treatment characteristics of the BPFB-MFC were investigated experimentally. The results showed that when the pulsed liquid flow was u=1.95sin(π/3)t cm·s-1 and when the bed materials in the anode chamber consisted of 10% bed height activated carbon particles and 10% bed height ceramic particles, the highest voltage produced was 519.7mV, the highest power density was 587.5mW·m-2, and the lowest internal resistance was 171.2Ω, which was the optimal experimental working condition. It was found that the electricity production performance and effluent treatment efficiency of the mixed particles system were better than those of a system with single particles. This work held promise of promoting the industrialization of MFC.

Reproductive characteristics of indigenous village chickens

BackgroundIndigenous village chickens (IVCs) show a wide variation in production performance and reproductive characteristics. This high variation is occurred due to genetic and environmental factors and gene-environment interactions.ResultsThis work reports the results of a cross-sectional study conducted using a face-to-face interview with 119 small-scale farmers regarding their insights on the production performance and reproductive characteristics of IVCs. It was reported that pullets were sexually mature on average at the age of 5.5 months and cockerels at 6 months. This comparatively early sexual maturity by the standards of IVCs might be associated with the impact of uncontrolled gene flow from production breeds. However, there is high variation in age at sexual maturity at an individual bird’s level. It was found that pullets mature earlier than cockerels (t = 3.250, df = 159, p = 0.001, 95% CI: -0.670, -0.166). According to the respondents, local hens laid on average 14 eggs per clutch. The average number of clutches per year was 4, which can culminate in the yearly production of 56 eggs. A significantly large proportion of the respondents reported that the dry season is appropriate for laying eggs (96.7%) and brooding chicks (94.1%). During the dry season, the scavenging feed resource is relatively abundant, the risk of infection is comparatively low, and the hot weather is suitable for laying eggs and brooding chicks. IVCs possess a long reproductive lifetime, that is, on average, 3 years in hens and 2 years in cocks, which makes them more productive than has been anticipated. For example, this study found that a hen, on average, can lay 174 eggs and hatch 58 chicks in its average reproductive lifetime of 3 years.ConclusionsThe high intrapopulation variation in the reproductive performance of IVCs is vital resource in genetic improvement programs.

Comparison of production performance and meat quality characteristics between Guizhou Black goats and F4 generation hybrids of South African Kalahari Goats

This study spanned 6 years and 4 generations, involving the progressive crossbreeding of South African Kalahari Goat (SK) and Guizhou Black Goat (GB) over three generations, followed by cross fixation F3 with F1 in the fourth generation, accompanied by the use of molecular markers technology to select a high fertility population, resulting in the creation of a hybrid goat, BKF4 (11/16 SK lineage and 5/16 GB lineage). A comparative evaluation of the BKF4 hybrid breed and its parental breeds was conducted. Reproductive and production parameters of GB, SK, and BKF4 goat groups were monitored, including lambing rate (LR), survival rate (SR), daily weight gain at 3 months of age (DWG), and adult body weight (ABW) (n = 110, 106, 112 per group). In addition, dressing percentage (DP) (n = 12 per group) and analyses of amino acids (n = 8, 6, 10 per group) and fatty acids (n = 6 per group) were conducted to evaluate meat quality indicators. Results: (1) Reproductive and production performance: The index of LR reached 199%, significantly higher than GB and SK (p ≤ 0.001), with a SR of 95.0%, markedly higher than SK (p ≤ 0.001); DWG was 276.5 g, ABW reached 56.6 kg and with a dressing percentage (DP) of 54.5%, they are significantly surpassing GB (p ≤ 0.001). (2) Regarding meat quality: pH45-value and crude protein content (CP) increased, while intramuscular fat content increased compared to GB and ash content decreased. The amino acid composition was similar to GB, but the taste was more similar to SK. However, there were some negative impacts on fatty acid composition and functionality. (3) PCA analysis revealed that: BKF4 exhibited superior meat quality compared to GB and SK, influenced by two key factors contributing 83.49% and 16.51% to the explained variance, respectively. The key factors affecting meat quality include intramuscular fat (IMF), nutrient index (NI), PUFAs/MUFAs, n-6FAs, and drip loss (DL).

Production performance and biochemical profile of sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca): Influence of site-specific ecological factors and cultivation strategies

Production performance and biochemical characteristics of seaweed under varying cultivation strategies and ecological conditions provide crucial insights for improving sustainable farming practices. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the production performance and biochemical profile of sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) under three farming systems, namely floating long-line (FLL), off-bottom long-line (OBLL), and off-bottom net (OBN), and three site-specific (Khurushkul, Nuniachora, and Sonapara) ecological conditions for a period of nine months (October 2022 to June 2023). Depending on the site suitability for different cultivation systems, 15 plots (5 FLL, 5 OBLL, and 5 OBN) were established in Nuniachora, 10 plots (5 FLL, 5 OBLL) were established in Sonapara, and 5 plots (FLL) were established in Khurushkul of the Cox's Bazar district, Bangladesh. Depending on the cultivation months, we partially harvested U. lactuca every 15–30 days once it reached 25–35 cm in length. Results showed that the gross weight biomass (GWB) of U. lactuca cultured in the FLL (F = 200.43, p < 0.001) cultivation system was 45.38% and 39.85% higher compared to OBN and OBLL, respectively. The average daily growth rate (DGR) was found to be 11%–13% higher in the FLL method (F = 236.11, p < 0.001). Location-based comparisons indicated a significantly higher (p < 0.05) U. lactuca production in Khurushkul, followed by the Nuniarchora, and the lowest was observed in Sonapara. Seasonality influenced the production performances of U. lactuca, with significantly higher (p < 0.05) growth observed from December to March due to favourable physio-chemical parameters. Multivariate analysis revealed that high salinity, pH, and nutrient concentrations positively influenced growth performances, while high temperature, turbidity, and total suspended solids (TSS) had negative effects. U. lactuca harvested from the FLL and OBN systems contained 14.3% and 9.44% higher amounts of protein (F = 36.77, p < 0.001) than the OBN system. The fatty acid analysis showed that U. lactuca from the FLL and OBN systems contained a significantly lower amount of saturated fatty acids but a higher amount of monounsaturated and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids compared to the OBLL system. Among the heavy metals and minerals analyzed, U. lactuca harvested from the FLL system contained significantly (p < 0.05) higher amounts of Na and K and lower amounts of Pb, Cr, Co, and Fe. The findings of the present study underscore the superiority of the floating long-line cultivation system for U. lactuca, highlighting its potential for sustainable farming practices to address global food security and utilization in various industrial applications.

Dietary Inclusion of Triticale and Bentonite Enhances Productive Performance and Carcass Meat Characteristics of Broiler Chickens

Background: Poultry production quality could be adjusted or improved through the introduction of local plant resources into the diet. The current study evaluated the effects of total corn substitution with triticale and bentonite supplementation on broiler performance, carcass meat characteristics and blood profiles. Methods: Ninety one-day old broiler Cobb 500 chicks were allocated in a completely randomized experimental design, with three dietary treatments totaling 30 birds per treatment. The treatments contained either corn as a control group (BD), triticale (TRT) as a sole grain source, or triticale + 2% bentonite (TRT2%). The diets were provided from 14 to 47 days of age. Growth performance, carcass and breast meat quality and serum components were measured. Result: The chicks fed a triticale-based diet (TRT2%) had a higher final body weight and weight gain (P less than 0.05), while the FCR increased in the birds fed a triticale-bentonite-based diet (TRT2%). The data obtained indicated that total replacement of triticale for corn and dietary supplementation with bentonite resulted in better growth performance and an increase in breast yield (P less than 0.05). Moreover, the dietary supplementation of bentonite and triticale had a significant influence (P less than 0.05) on the serum levels of triglycerides and calcium. The chicks fed a basal diet had significantly (P less than 0.05) higher triglycerides and lower calcium blood serum levels than those fed experimental diets. However, there was no significant effect on breast meat traits (P greater than 0.05).

Effect of Bile Acids Supplementation in Fatty Liver Hemorrhagic Syndrome, Production Performance, Physiological and Quality Characteristics of Laying Hen Eggs.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of bile acids (BAs) supplementation on fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS), production performance, and physiological and quality characteristics of laying hen eggs. Sixty Sanhuang laying hens, aged 28 weeks, were randomly allocated to six dietary treatments over a 4-week period, including the control (CON) group (feeding basal diet), the high-fat diet (HFD)-treated group (basal diet containing 10% soybean oil), and HFD supplemented with 0.01% and 0.02% of chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) or hyodeoxycholic acid (HDCA) groups. Production performance, egg quality, liver morphology, serum biochemical indexes, antioxidant capacity, proinflammatory cytokines, and intestinal microbiota were evaluated. The average body weight in 0.01% CDCA was larger than in the HFD group (p < 0.05). Eggshell Thickness in the CON group was greater than in the HFD, 0.01% CDCA, and HDCA groups (p < 0.05). Albumen height in the 0.02% HDCA group was higher than the HFD group (p < 0.05). Eggshell weight in the HFD group was less than the CON group (p < 0.05). Haugh unit (HU) in the HDCA group was larger than the HFD group (p < 0.05). Albumen weight in the 0.02% HDCA group was greater than the CON and HFD groups (p < 0.05). In the HFD group, the levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipo-protein cholesterol (LDL-C) were surpassing the other groups (p < 0.05). The levels of catalase (CAT) and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) in the HFD group was smaller than the other groups (p < 0.05). The level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the HFD group was higher than in the other groups (p < 0.05). Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were larger in the HFD group than in the other groups (p < 0.05). The 16S rRNA sequencing analysis indicated significant variations in the relative abundance of specific bacterial populations among the different treatment groups. The treatment and CON groups exhibited a higher presence of bacteria that inhibit host energy absorption or promote intestinal health such as Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Ruminococcus, whereas the HFD group showed an increased prevalence of potentially pathogenic or deleterious bacteria, such as Desulfovibrio spp. In conclusion, the supplementation of BAs in poultry feed has been demonstrated to effectively mitigate the detrimental effects of FLHS in laying hens. This intervention regulates lipid metabolism, bolsters antioxidant defenses, reduces inflammation, and modulates the gut microbiota, offering a novel perspective on the application of BAs in the poultry industry.

Comparison of Production Performance, Carcass and Egg Characteristics, Egg Production and Hatching Characteristics of Three white, Gray and Brown Varieties of Japanese Quails

Comparison of Production Performance, Carcass and Egg Characteristics, Egg Production and Hatching Characteristics of Three white, Gray and Brown Varieties of Japanese Quails

The impact of multi-species bacteria as a probiotic on productive performance and egg quality of laying Japanese quail

This study investigated the effect of individual and/ or a mixture multi-species bacteria as a probiotic (Pediococcus acidilactici (T1), Enterococcus faecium (m74) + Pediococcus acidilactici (T2), and Bacillus licheniformis + B. subtilis (T3)) supplementation at different levels on productive performance and egg quality characteristics in laying Japanese quail. At 42 d, 350 chicks were chosen with nearly similar live body weight and divided into ten groups of 35 chicks/group. Chicks were fed the basal diet as a control group (L0) or basal diet supplemented with three levels L1 (1.25), L2 (1.75), and L3 (2.25) g/kg diet, respectively. The bacteria-supplemented diets (T1 and T2) had an average feed intake that was the lowest and similar to control group. Better feed conversion was obtained in T1 birds in the first and third month and in the second month in T2. Age at sexual maturity was gradually decreased by dietary supplementation of T3 and L1. Probiotics increased egg production (EP) and egg mass (EM). EP, egg weight (EW), and EM increased gradually due to T3 and L2 supplementation. Bacteria-supplemented diets markedly increased absolute albumen and yolk weight as well as absolute and relative eggshell weight. In conclusion, the mixture of E. faecium (m74) + P. acidilactici and B. licheniformis + B. subtilis improved feed conversion ratio (FCR), egg production, and egg quality traits of laying Japanese quail.

A multi-mechanism numerical simulation model for CO2-EOR and storage in fractured shale oil reservoirs

Under the policy background and advocacy of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), CO2-EOR has become a promising direction in the shale oil reservoir industry. The multi-scale pore structure distribution and fracture structure lead to complex multiphase flow, comprehensively considering multiple mechanisms is crucial for development and CO2 storage in fractured shale reservoirs. In this paper, a multi-mechanism coupled model is developed by MATLAB. Compared to the traditional Eclipse 300 and MATLAB Reservoir Simulation Toolbox (MRST), this model considers the impact of pore structure on fluid phase behavior by the modified Peng–Robinson equation of state (PR-EOS), and the effect simultaneously radiate to Maxwell–Stefan (M–S) diffusion, stress sensitivity, the nano-confinement (N-C) effect. Moreover, a modified embedded discrete fracture model (EDFM) is used to model the complex fractures, which optimizes connection types and half-transmissibility calculation approaches between non-neighboring connections (NNCs). The full implicit equation adopts the finite volume method (FVM) and Newton–Raphson iteration for discretization and solution. The model verification with the Eclipse 300 and MRST is satisfactory. The results show that the interaction between the mechanisms significantly affects the production performance and storage characteristics. The effect of molecular diffusion may be overestimated in oil-dominated (liquid-dominated) shale reservoirs. The well spacing and injection gas rate are the most crucial factors affecting the production by sensitivity analysis. Moreover, the potential gas invasion risk is mentioned. This model provides a reliable theoretical basis for CO2-EOR and sequestration in shale oil reservoirs.

Lecitina integral de soja na produtividade e qualidade de carcaças de bovinos confinados

Abstract The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of different levels of whole soy lecithin on the apparent digestibility of the diet, ingestive behavior, productive performance, and carcass characteristics of feedlot-finished beef cattle. This was a completely randomized experimental design involving three treatments: Control diet; Diet with whole soy lecithin (10 g animal-1 day-1); and Diet with whole soy lecithin (20 g animal-1 day-1), with five replications. The diets were formulated and constituted of 33% corn silage and 67% concentrate, on a dry matter basis. Thirty non-castrated ½ Angus × ½ Nellore steers, with an average age of 14 months and average initial body weight of 432 kg, were used in the experiment. The dietary inclusion of whole soy lecithin improved the digestibility of ether extract and neutral detergent fiber but did not influence ingestive behavior. Supplementation with 10 g animal-1 day-1 of whole soy lecithin resulted in higher average weight gain (1.707 kg day-1) followed by non-supplemented animals (1.645 kg day-1) and those supplemented with whole soy lecithin at 20 g animal-1 day-1 (1.587 kg day-1). Carcass fatness was not altered with the supplementation of whole soy lecithin. The supply of whole soy lecithin improved the use of the ether extract and fiber fraction of the diet and resulted in the highest average weight gain. The level of 10 g animal-1 day-1 provided the best responses.

Effect of Moringa olifera leaf meal on production performance and egg quality characteristics of Swarnadhara breeders

Effect of Moringa olifera leaf meal on production performance and egg quality characteristics of Swarnadhara breeders

Mulberry silkworm biotechnology as the basis of a bioindustrial platform. Improvements on the upstream processing stage (USP)

Molecular engineering is an upstream engineering method for creating functional materials and devices using molecules, and atoms as building blocks. In 2000, Japan became the first country to genetically modify silkworms (Bombyx mori, hereinafter referred to as B. mori). The subsequent research in the development of new materials expanded the possibilities of using sericulture products, characterizing this situation as a "sericulture revolution". In the Russian Federation, molecular engineering in life sciences is aimed at solving the tasks of developing world-class technological platforms to create tools to produce new molecules (biopolymers, proteins, enzymes), bioproducts, cells and organisms. The main "bottom-up" approaches applied in the upstream process (USP) stage of silk production to improve the production and economic performance and quality characteristics of raw materials have been studied. The variety of improvement methods includes: the possibility of using artificial nutrient medium, molecular engineering based on transient expression techniques or stable germline transformation, genetic selection methods, breeding management, etc. The advantages of the mulberry silkworm (B. mori) such as low breeding costs, significantly higher production yield compared to other protein expression systems, favor its use as an effective producer of recombinant proteins, antimicrobial peptides and biologically active substances. USP stage biotechnologies enable the production of new raw materials for downstream processing (DSP) to produce a wide range of products that contribute to improving the quality of human life. A set of biotechnological solutions forms the modern basis of the mulberry silkworm bioindustrial platform.

The Effect of Substituting De-Hulled Sunflower Meal Instead of Soybean Meal with or Without Adding Xylanase Enzyme to the Ration on Productive Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Broiler Chicks

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of replacing de-hulled sunflower meal (Dh-SFM) with soybean meal (SBM) by (0, 33, 66 and 100)% as a protein source in diets with or without the addition of xylanase on productive performance and some Characteristics of broiler carcasses. Where he used (360) unsexed broiler chicks (Ross-308), distributed randomly in a two-factor experiment (4×2) into eight treatments, in each treatment three replications, with (15) chicks for each replicate, homogeneous in weights. and for a period lasted (42) days. The results showed that the replacement of de-hulled sunflower meal by (33%) did not significantly affect the live body weight, feed consumption, feed conversion factor and the percentage of dressing compared with the control treatment. While a significant deterioration (P≤0.05) was observed in all of these traits when the substitution level was increased to 66 and 100%. The results also showed that the partial substitution treatment (33% Dh-SFM with xylanase enzyme) did not differ significantly from the negative and positive control treatments in live body weight, weight gains, feed conversion factor, and the relative weight of the gizzard. While a significant decrease (P≤0.05) was observed for the partial and total substitution treatments (66 and 100% Dh-SFM with or without xylanase enzyme) in live body weight, feed consumption, feed conversion factor, and carcass characteristics, with an increase in relative weight compared with the control treatment.

The Effect of Using Different Levels of Cyperus Rotundus Tubers in the Diet on the Productive Performance Characteristics of Broilers

The experiment was conducted at the Poultry Research Station of the General Authority for Agricultural Research / Ministry of Agriculture from 12/5/2022 to 23/6/2022, the aim of studying the effect of adding different levels of Cyperus rotundus tuber powder to the diet on the productive performance of broiler chickens, using 225 chicks (Ross 308), one day old, with an average starting weight of 42.26 gm/chicks, distributed randomly to five treatments each treatment included 3 replications (15chicks/replicate), and the experimental treatments included the following: the first treatment (T1), the control treatment, was fed on the standard diet (without any addition), T2, T3, T4 and T5 was the addition of Cyperus rotundus tubers powder at a rate of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4%, respectively. The results showed a significant improvement (P<0.05) in the average live body weight, weekly weight gain, and feed conversion efficiency at ages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 weeks in favor of the bird treatments fed on tuberculosis powder compared to the control treatment. It can be conclude from this study that the addition of tubers powder to broilers diets led to an improvement of productive performance of broilers.

The antioxidative influence of dietary creatine monohydrate and L-carnitine on laying performance, egg quality, ileal microbiota, blood biochemistry, and redox status of stressed laying quails

The experiment was implemented to assess the influence of dietary supplementation of laying quails with creatine monohydrate (CrM), L-carnitine (CAR) and their mixture (CrMCAR) as antioxidants against oxidative stress (OS) induced by 2.5 ppm lead acetate (LA) in drinking water on productive, physiological and microbial aspects. In total, 400 laying quail females at 10 wk of age were divided into a randomized design with 5 groups and 4 replicates of 20 birds each. Birds were fed ad libitum with a balanced diet for 8 wk. The control group was kept under no-stress conditions and was given fresh water without any additives (G1). While birds in other groups were exposed to OS induced experimentally by 2.5 ppm LA in drinking water with no feed additive (G2) or supplemented with 500 mg/kg CrM (G3) or 500 mg/kg CAR (G4) or combination of 250 mg/kg each of CrM and CAR (CrMCAR, G5) to feed mixture. Compared to G2, G5 demonstrated the reduction (P ≤ 0.05) of feed conversion ratio, feed intake, mortality and ileal total coliform, as well as serum and egg malondialdehyde and serum lipid hydroperoxide, uric acid, glucose, cholesterol, enzymatic activities (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, creatine phosphokinase, γ-glutamyl transferase), and heterophils/lymphocytes ratio. In the meanwhile, there was an increase (P ≤ 0.05) in egg production, egg mass, and weight with the improvement of egg quality, serum sex hormones level and ileal lactic acid bacteria for G5 followed by G4 and G3. Moreover, G5 enhanced (P ≤ 0.05), the total antioxidant capacity of egg and serum glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, protein and calcium levels. Therefore, dietary CrMCAR, CAR and CrM have analogous influence to control by improving the antioxidant and physiological parameters which resulted in better productive performance and egg characteristics of stressed quails. These antioxidants, especially in their equal combination, are beneficial to alleviate oxidative stress incidence and can be recommended for poultry feeding under various aspects of environmental stresses.

Study on production performance characteristics of horizontal wells in low permeability and tight oil reservoirs

Low permeability and tight oil reservoirs are rich in microscale pores and contain a large amount of dissolved gas. With the progress of production, the volatile gas gradually forms a continuous gas phase and has an important impact on the productivity of oil wells. In this paper, the characteristics of oil and gas separation in the production process of low permeability and tight reservoirs are described, a productivity prediction vector model is established considering the characteristics of starting pressure in the percolation process, and the coupled influence of "oil film thickness - high pressure effect - multi-element gas effect" on dissolved gas flow is analyzed. Results show that: (a) The horizontal section length and production pressure difference of horizontal wells are the key factors affecting the productivity of low permeability or tight oil reservoirs, while the influence of wellbore radius and reservoir thickness is not obvious. (b) The increase in the length of the horizontal section effectively increases the well control range, increases the oil drainage volume, and thus improves the productivity. (c) With the development of low permeability or tight oil reservoirs, the reservoir pressure and oil saturation have decreased. This results in a decrease in oil film thickness and an increase in volatile gas content. With the change of volatile gas pressure and the change of percolation pore size, the Knudsen number changes in a large range, resulting in the change of the microscale transport mechanism of volatile gas.

Study of correlation coefficients in the productive performance of different groups in feathers color and egg quality characteristics in quail

The study aimed to compare the productive performance and egg characteristics of the different groups with the color of the feathers and to estimate the correlation coefficient between the traits in quail (white, brown, and black). The results of the study showed a significant superiority in live body weight, feed consumption, number of eggs produced, and an improvement in feed conversion efficiency in favor of the 8-week-old brown group compared to the rest of the groups. White and brown outweighed the weight and mass of whites over blacks. As for the qualitative characteristics of the egg, it was noted that the brown and black colors were superior in egg width and shell thickness over the white, a highly significant negative correlation was recorded between the two characteristics of the number of eggs produced/female with the values of feed conversion efficiency -0.92 and the characteristics of egg mass and conversion efficiency diet -0.82. Describe the number of eggs produced, the mass of adult eggs 0.83, the number of eggs produced, the characteristics of egg production, weight of eggs, the mass of eggs 0.21, and the characteristics of the egg mass. And egg production was 0.27 and it had a significant positive correlation between the characteristics of the egg-laying weight and the weight of the egg-laying was 0.73 and the weight of the egg-laying with height. The albedo was 0.69 and the albedo weight and height were. It was 0.72, and there was a highly significant correlation between egg width and height 0.81.

A Review on Production, Reproduction, Morphometric, and Morphological Characteristics of Ethiopian Native Chickens

Native chickens in Ethiopia are characterized in a fragmented manner for their performance characteristics and genotypes. This review aimed to explore the production and reproduction performance characteristics as well as the morphometric and morphological diversity of Ethiopian native chickens. The investigation was performed on four production performance characteristics, including average egg per clutch, average clutch/hen/year, average egg set/hen, and average egg/hen/year, as well as six reproductive performance characteristics, including age at first laying, age of male chickens at first bred, age at which female chickens are first bred, the reproductive life span of males and females, and fertility percentage in various parts of Ethiopia. Some economically practical morphometric characteristics of native chickens, such as shank length, chest circumference, comb length, body weight, body length, keel length, wattle length, neck length, back length, and morphological diversity, were also summarized. Regarding performance characteristics, there were some variations in eggs’ average production performance per clutch (13.56-15.4 eggs) and clutch/hen/year (3.0-4.29) in Ethiopia. The average reproduction performance characteristics of Ethiopian native chickens for age at first laying (6.90-7.13 months), age of male chickens at first bred (5.87-6.15 months), female at first bred (5.20-5.93 months), the reproductive life span of males (3.79 years) and hens (3.56 years), and chicks hatched from set eggs revealed variation across Ethiopia. In various locations of Ethiopia, the average trait values reported for Ethiopian native chickens under the farmer’s management differed in terms of morphometric and morphological features. The variation observed in performance characteristics, as well as morphometrics and morphological characteristics for Ethiopian native chicken ecotype population, can help the native breed classification, unique trait conservation, and breed improvement intervention programs.