Turkey Diets Research Articles

The effect of dietary sodium chloride concentrations on blood electrolyte concentrations, the incidence of foot pad dermatitis and bone mineralization in broiler chickens and turkeys

Among numerous changes that have occurred in poultry feeding over the last decades, an important one consists in an increase in the dietary content of strong electrolytes (Na, K and Cl) for slaughter chickens and turkeys. This coincided with a higher incidence of such unfavourable developments as the wet litter syndrome, foot-pad dermatitis (FPD) and deformations of the birds’ legs. This paper reviews the results of the latest experiments that have analyzed the effect of different amounts of supplemental NaCl as a source of Na in diets for broiler chickens and turkeys on the concentrations of electrolytes in their blood, the incidence of FPD and leg bone deformations. It has been determined that an increase in Na in chickens’ diets within the range of 0-0.25% did not affect FDP symptoms. Turkey diets containing 0.20% of Na intensified the symptoms of FDP compared to a diet without added sodium chloride. In chickens, significant disorders in the mineral balance, including worse physicochemical parameters of the tibia, appeared only when the birds were given feeds with a very low content of sodium (0.02 and 0.07%), made without or with very low sodium supplementation. Increasing the amount

Feeding of Low-Fibre Sunflower (<i>Helianthus annus </i>L.) Meal as Substitute of Soybean Meal in Turkey Rations: Effects on Growth Performance and Meat Quality

Soybean meal (SBM) is the most widely and expensive protein source used in the formulation of poultry diets; however, when the price of SBM increases, poultry nutritionists seek alternative sources that are more economical in formulating least-cost rations. This research aimed to evaluate the effects of air classified sunflower meal (SFM) in diets of turkeys on their growth performance, carcass yields and meat quality. A total of 140 1-d-old female turkeys (Nicholas 500) were randomly assigned to two dietary treatments which were fed from hatch to 16 wk. The birds were fed two wheat middlings-based diets comprising of a control diet which contained SBM (145 g/kg) and a test diet containing micronized-air classified SFM (172 g/kg) as the main protein source. The substitution of SBM with sunflower had no adverse effect on growth performance and dressing percentage, improving breast and thigh muscles relative weights of the turkeys. A significant effect was found for feed intake (P<0.05) which was lower in birds fed diet containing sunflower compared to those fed soybean, without however any negative effects on feed efficiency (P<0.05). Meat from turkeys fed the sunflower diet had less cholesterol (P<0.01) and higher concentrations of phospholipids (P<0.01). Our results suggest that replacing the conventional SBM as protein source, with micronized-air classified SFM in diets of turkeys can improve carcass quality and favourable lipid profile without adverse effects on growth traits, reducing also the production costs.

Formation of fines during the pelleted feed manufacturing process and the resulting differences in nutrient composition of fines and pellets (2014)

A 3-wk study was conducted at a commercial feed mill in northwest Iowa to determine where the formation of fines occurs during pelleted feed manufacturing and if differences are present in nutrient composition between fines and pellets. During the study, 1,781pelleted feed samples were collected from 4 swine and 2 turkey diets. Samples were collected from 4 different locations throughout the mill to determine progression of fines formation during the manufacturing process. These locations included the pellet mill, pellet cooler, fat coater, and at load-out. Samples were taken on 7 to 10 different runs for each diet throughout the 3-wk period. Pellet durability index (PDI) and percentage fines were determined for all samples, and nutrient analysis was determined on a pooled sample from each run within diet. Nutrient analysis was determined via near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) at the processing site and via wet chemistry at a commercial lab.

Effect of Vitamin E And Selenium on Fertility, Hatchability And Survivability of Turkey

Effect of supplementing diets with vitamin E and selenium on fertility, hatchability and survivability of indigenous turkey was undertaken using 48, thirty two weeks old turkeys. They were randomly allotted to four treatments and each treatment was in triplicate of one tom to three hens per replicate. T1 (control-the basal diet), T2 (250mg/kg vitamin E supplementation), T3 (0.30mg/kg selenium supplementation) and T4 (combination of 125mg/kg vitamin E and 0.15mg/kg selenium supplementation) in a completely randomized design. Data collected on parent stock were average egg produced (AEP), average egg weight (AEW), feed intake, number of poult hatched (ANPH) while average hatched weight (AHWP), survivability, average survival weight (ASWP), weekly weight gain, weekly feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were taken for the poults. The AEP (T1-28, T2-9.0, T3-10.5, T4-3.5) varied significantly (p 0.05) variation among treatments. Percentage hatchability is significantly higher for birds on T4 (91.67%) compared with those on Treatments 1 (39.44), 2 (48.21) and 3 (33.33). No significant difference (p>0.05) was observed for AHWP, feed intake and FCR of the poults. Percentage survivability (T1-61.5%, T2- 85.0%, T3-66.67%, T4-90.0%) was improved significantly (p<0.05) by the treatments. Birds on T4 (205.97g) had significantly (p<0.05) higher value of ASWP than those on T1 (181.0g). From the study it can be concluded that supplementing parent turkey diet with vitamin E and selenium at 125 mg/kg and 0.15 mg/kg of the diet respectively improved percentage hatchability and percentage survivability of their poults.

Resolving poor pellet quality and maintaining amino acid digestibility in commercial turkey diet feed manufacture

SUMMARY Commercial turkey feed manufacturing often requires high throughput and high levels of fat, resulting in poor pellet quality. Many mills use low mixer-added fat (MAF) to improve ingredient binding and pellet quality, but this technique may decrease feed nutrient digestibility. Two experiments were conducted to determine the best feed manufacture technique (MTECH) to maximize pellet quality and maintain amino acid digestibility of commercial-type turkey diets. Experiment 1 was a 3-binder (binder 1, binder 2, or natural binder) × 2 MTECH [1% MAF + 38.1-mm die (MTECH1) or 3% MAF + 44.9-mm die (MTECH2)] factorial design that used commercial-type turkey starter diets manufactured at West Virginia University’s pilot feed mill. In experiment 1, both binders improved pellet quality. Employing MTECH2 decreased pellet quality (minimally; ~5% modified pellet durability index) and pellet mill electrical energy usage (~15%). Diets that contained binder 1, the marginally better binder, and natural binder used at each MTECH were chosen to test amino acid digestibility using the standardized digestibility assay with cecectomized roosters in experiment 2. The inclusion of binder 1 improved the digestibility of several tested amino acids. There was a binder × MTECH interaction, in that when binder was removed from diets manufactured utilizing MTECH1, the digestibility of some amino acids decreased, whereas MTECH2 maintained high amino acid digestibility regardless of binder.

Effect of phytase supplementation to diets varying in chloride level on performance, litter moisture, foot pad score, and gait score of growing turkeys

Phytase was examined as a means to improve turkey performance in diets with high Cl by modifying dietary electrolyte balance. Nicholas turkey toms (10 poults/pen; 10 replicates per pen) were fed corn-soy-distillers dried grains with solubles-canola meal-based diets (DDGS/CM) with varying Cl (0.2, 0.3, 0.4, or 0.5%) and phytase (0 or 500 phytase units/kg of diet), making 8 treatments (4 × 2 factorial). A ninth treatment was a corn-soy based diet (CS) with 0.3% Cl and without phytase (positive control). The diets were formulated to contain similar AMEn and digestible amino acid levels for each of 5 feeding periods (2 to 5, 5 to 8, 8 to 11, 11 to 14, and 14 to 17 wk of age) and fed in mash form. Turkey BW, ADG, ADFI, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were determined for each pen along with litter moisture, foot pad, and gait scores. An ANOVA was conducted to determine the effects of Cl, phytase, and their interaction. Turkey BW, ADG, and ADFI decreased in a linear or curvilinear manner with increasing diet Cl (P < 05). At 17 wk of age, litter moisture and foot pad score showed a cubic trend with diet Cl (P < 0.05). Phytase improved FCR during 8 to 11 wk and increased litter moisture at 11 wk of age (P < 0.003). Phytase modified the FCR response to Cl during 2 to 5 and 14 to 17 wk of age at the 2 lowest levels of dietary Cl (P < 0.05). Turkeys fed CS had better BW and FCR through 17 wk of age compared with those receiving DDGS/CM at 0.3% Cl. Based on BW, minimum dietary electrolyte balance based on Na, K, and Cl was found to be 247, 217, 200, and 171 mEq/kg during 5 to 8, 8 to 11, 11 to 14, and 14 to 17 wk of age, respectively. The present findings emphasized the importance of considering Cl, phytase, and associated dietary electrolyte balance in turkey diets containing high levels of alternative byproducts.

Gastrointestinal morphology and function in turkeys fed diets diluted with whole grain wheat

The aim of this study was to verify the hypothesis that moderate dilution of turkey diets with whole grain wheat (up to 22.5%) improves gastrointestinal function, thus contributing to sustained growth performance. A total of 900 male turkeys were allocated to 5 dietary treatments: basal diet (BD), BD diluted with low levels of ground and pelleted wheat or whole wheat, and BD diluted with high levels of ground and pelleted wheat or whole wheat (GH and WH, respectively). At successive stages of the experiment, diets containing 5 and 15%, 7.5 and 17.5%, 10 and 20%, 12.5 and 22.5% of wheat in different physical form were fed to turkeys aged 5 to 8, 9 to 12, 13 to 16, and 17 to 18 wk, divided into subgroups with low and high dietary levels of wheat, respectively. Dietary dilution with different levels of wheat did not reduce the BW gain of turkeys and did not deteriorate feed conversion despite a decrease in the amino acid content of diets. In comparison with BD, diet GH increased the thickness of the muscularis externa and the depth of cecal crypts (P < 0.05), increased Bacteria domain, and decreased Salmonella counts (P < 0.001), increased butyric acid concentrations, and decreased the levels of putrefactive compounds in the cecal digesta (P < 0.001). In comparison with BD, diet WH improved feed efficiency (P = 0.002) and contributed to significant (P < 0.01) changes in the parameters of gastrointestinal function, including lower pH of gizzard digesta, increased depth of jejunal crypts, lower ammonia concentrations, and lower pH of intestinal digesta, increased Bacteria and Bifidobacterium counts, decreased Salmonella counts, and higher concentrations of butyric acid and total short-chain fatty acids. In comparison with diet GH, diet WH enhanced the activity of bacterial α-glucosidase and β-glucosidase as well as α-galactosidase, reduced the activity of β-glucuronidase, and increased total fatty acid concentrations, mainly acetic acid levels, in the cecal digesta (P < 0.01). The observed changes indicate that diet supplementation with wheat grain enhances gastrointestinal function, thus improving feed conversion in turkeys.

Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of Bacillus subtilis PB6 (Bacillus subtilis) as a feed additive for turkeys for fattening and turkeys reared for breeding

Bacillus subtilis PB6 is the trade name for a feed additive based on viable spores of a strain of Bacillus subtilis. This species is considered by EFSA to be suitable for the qualified presumption of safety approach to establishing safety for the target species, consumers and the environment. This approach requires the identity of the active agent to be established and the absence of toxigenic potential and resistance to antibiotics of human or veterinary clinical significance to be demonstrated. EFSA considered these issues and reported the results in a previous opinion on the use of the product in chickens for fattening. The applicant is now requesting the authorisation of the additive in diets for turkeys for fattening and turkeys reared for breeding at a dose of 1 × 108 CFU/kg complete feedingstuffs. In the course of the former assessment, safety for users was also examined. In the view of the FEEDAP Panel, the use with these additional avian species will not introduce hazards not already considered. Therefore, in the current assessment, the FEEDAP Panel has considered only the efficacy data for turkeys for fattening and turkeys reared for breeding. Based on results of three trials carried out in turkeys for fattening, the Panel concluded that B. subtilis PB6 has the potential to improve the zootechnical performance parameters at the dose of 1 × 108 CFU/kg feed. This conclusion can be extended to turkeys reared for breeding.

The Effect of Dietary Selenium Source on Embryonic Development in Turkeys

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of dietary selenium source on the growth and development of turkey embryos, and egg hatchability. White broad-breasted BUT Big 6 turkeys (1800 females and 150 males) were placed under optimum management conditions. Turkey diets were supplemented with organic selenium, and in the other with inorganic selenium, in the amount of 0.3 ppm. Eggs intended for incubation and examination were collected in week 2, 10, 18 and 23 of the laying season. The average egg weight was higher (p < or = 0.05) in laying hens fed a diet with organic selenium than in layers receiving inorganic selenium. The rate of yolk sac retraction was faster in embryos from the group fed a diet with inorganic selenium, and it reached 0.59 of the complete yolk sac on day 25 of incubation (p < or = 0.05). Selenium source had no effect on the hatching rates of fertilized eggs, which reached 79.61% and 79.84% in laying hens fed organic and inorganic selenium, respectively. In the flocks fed diets supplemented with organic selenium, dead embryos were more frequently characterized by problems with protein utilization (19.28%) and delayed pipping (10.83%). Embryo death rates at the first mortality peak were higher in layers fed inorganic selenium than in those receiving organic selenium (15% vs. 13.5%). The second embryo mortality peak occurred earlier (day 26) in laying hens fed inorganic selenium than in those fed organic selenium (day 28).

Fatty acid profile, oxidative stability, and sensory properties of breast meat from turkeys fed diets with a different n‐6/n‐3 PUFA ratio

AbstractThe objective of this study was to determine the effect of diets with a different n‐6/n‐3 PUFAs ratio (7.31, 4.43, and 0.99), resulting from the addition of different dietary oils: soybean, rapeseed, and linseed (diets S, R, and L, respectively), on the fatty acid (FA) profile, oxidative status, and sensory properties of turkey breast meat. After 15 wk of feeding, breast meat yield and chemical properties of the meat were similar in all groups. Raw breast meat of R turkeys had a significantly higher content of all‐trans‐retinol and α‐tocopherol, compared with S and L. The physicochemical properties of breast meat, including pH, color, drip loss, and cooking loss, did not differ significantly. Cooked meat samples differed significantly with respect to the concentrations of oleic acid, linoleic acid (S and R&gt;L), and linolenic acid (S and R&lt;L). Compared with S and R, breast meat of L turkeys was characterized by higher concentrations of total PUFAs (35.1 vs. 30.1 and 29.3%), a significantly lower n‐6/n‐3 PUFAs ratio (1.51 vs. 5.43 and 5.07%) and a higher thiobarbituric acid reactive substances content (TBARS; 31.9 vs. 26.4 and 26.7 nmol/g). After 4 months of deep‐freeze storage the n‐6/n‐3 PUFAs ratio did not deteriorate. It may be concluded that replacing soybean oil with linseed oil, but not with rapeseed oil, increased the proportion of PUFAs in the total FAs pool and improved the n‐6/n‐3 PUFAs ratio, yet it also adversely affected the sensory properties and oxidative stability of meat. Both raw and stored breast meat from L turkeys was susceptible to oxidative changes, as manifested by the significantly higher TBARS concentrations (17.07 and 81.06) compared with those of the S group (10.91 and 53.00 nmol/g, respectively).Practical applications: Studies investigating the possibility of increasing the health benefits of poultry meat have been performed mostly on broilers, while the problem remains poorly researched in turkeys. Our findings show that linseed oil, in contrast to rapeseed oil, is a good source of PUFAs, in particular n‐3 PUFAs, that can be effectively transferred from feed to carcass lipids. However, desirable changes in the fatty acid profile are accompanied by increased susceptibility to lipid oxidation and deterioration of the sensory properties of meat. Thus, the linseed oil content of turkey diets should be reduced, or diets supplemented with linseed oil should be fed for shorter periods of time to alleviate the negative effects of linseed oil on the sensory attributes and oxidative status of meat.

The effect of soybean oil quality and vitamin E supplementation on turkey diet nutrition

SUMMARY Oxidized fats added to diets have negative consequences that could be moderated by the antioxidant effect of vitamin E. In this research, we evaluated the effects of oxidized soybean oil with and without vitamin E supplementation on the oxidative stress, epithelium morphology, and 21-d growth performance of turkey poults. A total of 504 turkey poults were allotted, in a completely randomized 3 × 2 factorial design with 3 levels of oil oxidation (0, 110, 250 mEq of peroxide/kg of oil) and 2 levels of vitamin E supplementation (65 and 800 mg/kg of diet), to 6 replicate cages of 14 birds per cage. There was an interaction between the degree of oil oxidation and vitamin E level on villus height and crypt depth. The presence of 800 mg of vitamin E/kg of diet inhibited the formation of hydroperoxides in the jejunum of turkeys. Growth performance was not affected by the level of oil oxidation. Supplemental levels of vitamin E may act as an antioxidant by inhibiting lipid peroxidation of the membrane, maintaining its integrity and the gut health of birds fed oxidized oil.

Effects of dietary soyabean, rapeseed and linseed oils on performance, slaughter yield and fatty acid profile of breast meat in turkeys

The objective of this study was to determine the physiological effect of supplementing turkey diets with different vegetable oils, i.e. soyabean (S) oil, rapeseed (R) oil and linseed (L) oil, which have different concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The total contents of n-6 PUFA and n-3 PUFA were as follows: diet S, 49.7 and 7.02%, diet R, 33.0 and 7.96%, and diet L, 30.3 and 30.6%; the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio was 7.3, 4.4 and 1.0, respectively. The experimental materials comprised four groups of turkey hens (14 replications of fifteen birds each). The amount of dietary oil supplementation was increased from 2% in the first four weeks to 6% at the final stage of fattening (14-15 weeks). The apparent total tract digestibility of crude fat in 7-week-old turkeys (2.5% oil in diet) ranged from 89.9 to 91.1%, and showed no statistically significant differences. Dressing percentage, breast, thigh, and drumstick muscle contents did not differ among groups. Group L had a significantly higher intestinal fat weight (0.84% body weight (BW)) than the other groups (0.60-0.62%). In comparison with diet S, diets R and L contributed to a significant decrease in the levels of saturated fatty acids (from 32.9% to 30.3 and 30.2%) in breast meat lipids. In group L turkeys, the share of PUFA in total fatty acids in breast meat lipids was significantly higher (37.3%

The effect of different dietary sodium levels on blood mineral concentrations and tibia mineralization in turkeys

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of different dietary levels of sodium in diets with and without sodium chloride on mineral metabolism, including blood electrolyte levels and tibia mineralization parameters, in young turkeys (to six weeks of age). The influence of diets with a low (L), medium (M) and high (H) sodium content, at 0.34, 1.34 and 2.82 g/kg respectively, was compared. The content of chloride and potassium in turkey diets (1.7 - 5.9 and 11 g/kg, respectively) was above the recommended levels. The sodium-deficient diet L decreased the serum concentrations of sodium, chloride and phosphorus, and it increased the serum levels of calcium and magnesium in turkeys, compared with groups M and H. Relative to group L, different dietary sodium levels in groups M and H contributed to a similar increase in the body weights of birds (1.06 vs. 1.46 and 1.44 kg, p < 0.001) and in the absolute (4.60 vs. 6.83 and 6.62 g, p < 0.001) and relative tibia weight (0.42 vs. 0.46 and 0.46% body weight, p = 0.031). No significant differences were found between groups with respect to the content of ash, calcium and phosphorus in tibia dry matter. Supplemental sodium increased the bone density index (from 50.6 to 68.4 and 66.3 mg/mm in groups L, M and H, respectively, p < 0.001), the maximum bending moment (from 5.27 to 7.40 and 7.33 N/mm, p = 0.002) and the minimum breaking strength of tibia (from 0.136 to 0.191 and 0.189, p = 0.002). In conclusion, our study indicates that the applied dietary treatment with a moderate sodium level (1.34 g/kg) resulted in a rate of bird growth and tibia mineralization similar to those observed with the treatment with much higher Na content (2.82 g/kg).

Artrópodos componentes de la dieta de guajolotes de traspatio en el estado de Michoacán, México

This note presents the arthropods as part of the diet of creole turkeys reared in backyards. Fifty turkey crops collected from five physiographic regions of Michoacan were examinated; half of them collected during rainy season and the other half during dry season. Arthropods were found only in turkey crops obtained in rainy season, being adult and immature stages of insects (Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera) and myriapods (Diplopoda) the common groups component of the diet of backyard-reared creole turkeys.

The effect of partial replacement of soyabean meal with sunflower meal on ileal adaptation, nutrient utilisation and growth performance of young turkeys

1. A 4 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments was used to investigate the effect of graded levels of sunflower meal (SFM; 0, 70, 140 and 210 g/kg) and enzyme supplementation on gut morphology, nutrient utilisation and growth performance of young turkeys from 0 to 8 weeks of age. The enzyme supplement used in the study contained non-starch polysaccharide (NSP)-degrading activities and supplied 500 U pectinase, 40 U cellulase, 1600 U xylanase, 800 U glucanase, 200 U mannanase, 20 U galactanase per kg diet. 2. The use of SFM resulted in an increase in the height and width of intestinal villi, and a linear decrease in crypt depth. Dry matter digestibility and energy metabolisability decreased in groups fed diets with a moderate (140 g/kg) and high (210 g/kg) SFM content. 3. A decrease in dry matter digestibility and energy metabolisability was most likely the reason for a reduction in body weights of 8-week-old turkeys fed on diets containing 140 g/kg (from 4·17 to 4·01 kg) and 210 g/kg (from 4·17 to 3·93 kg) of SFM. 4. The addition of enzyme resulted in a slight increase in villus height, a significant increase in the number of goblet cells and an increase in digestibility coefficients for crude fat. 5. The results of this study demonstrate that turkey diets can be effectively supplemented with high-quality sunflower meal at a concentration of approximately 70 g/kg. It should be noted, however, that at 8 weeks of age the body weight of turkeys fed on diets containing 140 and 210 g/kg of SFM could be lower by 4 and 6%, respectively, than in those receiving the soyabean meal-based diets.

Evaluation of Soybean Hulls in Grower Turkey Diets

A 42 day study was carried out to evaluate the effect of soybean hulls (SBH) in diets of grower turkeys. Four experimental turkey grower diets were formulated such that soybean hulls made up of 0.0 (control diet), 10.0, 20.0 and 30.0% of the diets respectively replacing maize and soybean meal. These diets were offered randomly to ninety six (96), six week old black coloured local turkeys divided into four groups of 24 birds each replicated 3 times with 8 birds per replicate in a completely randomized design experiment. Results indicated that grower turkeys on the diet (0.0% SBH) produced significantly (p 0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR) than those fed 10.0, 20.0 and 30.0% SBH diets. Feed intake increased significantly (p 0.05) for turkeys fed diets containing 0.0 and 10.0% SBH and those on 10.0, 20.0 and 30.0% SBH diets. It appears that Soybean hulls at 10.0, 20.0 and 30.0% dietary levels depressed body weight gain and increased feed intake of grower turkeys significantly. Nevertheless, 0.0 and 10.0% dietary SBH produced similar (p>0.05) feed cost per kg weight gain.

Effects of high dietary levels of soybean meal and its constituents (potassium, oligosaccharides) on foot pad dermatitis in growing turkeys housed on dry and wet litter

Soybean meal (SBM) is the main protein source in diets for turkeys. High dietary levels of SBM are thought to increase the incidence of foot pad dermatitis (FPD). Therefore, this study was conducted to test potential effects of high SBM and to elucidate which constituents in SBM might be associated with the development of FPD. Two week-old female turkeys were allotted to four groups of 29 birds each, and housed on dry wood shavings in floor pens over a period of three weeks. Four different diets were fed: control, high SBM, high potassium (K) or high oligosaccharide (OL) diet. Additionally, for only 8 h/d half of the animals in each group were exposed to wet litter (27% DM) in adjacent separate boxes. The foot pads of all birds were assessed on days 0, 7, 14 and 21 for external lesions. For the histopathology of the foot pads, on day 0 three birds from each group, and on days 7 and 14 six birds per feeding group were selected. The remaining birds in each group were sacrificed on day 21 and their pads were evaluated histologically. High dietary levels of SBM, potassium or oligosaccharides did not influence the severity of FPD on dry litter, but slightly increased the severity on wet litter. However, there were no histopathological differences in FPD severity between these dietary treatments within each litter form compared to the control. Nevertheless, the FPD severity was in general higher on wet litter. Thus, litter moisture appears to be one of the most important factors involved in FPD in turkeys. In addition, all nutritional factors which increase water intake and excreta or litter moisture may contribute to an increased development and severity of FPD in turkeys.

Ideal Protein Based Diets for Turkeys

Ideal Protein Based Diets for Turkeys

Effect of protein-xanthophylls (PX) concentrate of alfalfa supplementation on physico-chemical properties of turkey breast and thigh muscles during ageing

The objective was to evaluate the effects of a dietary protein-xanthophylls (PX) concentrate of alfalfa to turkey diets (at 15 and 30 g kg(-1) feed) on the physico-chemical properties of breast and thigh muscles during ageing. The experiment involved 120 turkeys (Big-6 type) allotted to 3 groups (group I-control group; group II--with 1.5% supplementation of the protein-xanthophylls (PX) concentrate; group III--with 3% supplementation of the protein-xanthophylls (PX) concentrate). Measurements of pH, water holding capacity, color, oxymyoglobin content, TBARS and oxidation-reduction potential showed that the addition of protein-xanthophylls (PX) concentrate of alfalfa to a turkey diet did not cause deterioration of breast and thigh meat quality. In addition, changes in color, oxymyoglobin content, TBARS and oxidation-reduction potential values suggested that the inclusion of the concentrate to turkey diets acts as an antioxidant in the raw meat.

Growth of Juvenile Crayfish Procambarus llamasi (Villalobos 1955) Fed Different Farm and Aquaculture Commercial Foods

In this study, a range of commercially available animal and fish feeds were tested in the production of juveniles of the crayfish Procambarus llamasi, an endemic species of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. A randomized block design was implemented to observe the effect of commercial shrimp (Crude Protein, CP = 38%), trout (CP = 43.2%), tilapia (CP = 31.8%), rabbit (CP = 16.1%), turkey (CP = 18%), and pig (CP = 15.2%) diets in a recirculating aquaculture system. Shrimp food showed the best results in terms of growth performance, while lowest growth values (P<0.05) were obtained with farm animal diets. Trout and tilapia diets were intermediate. Pig feed was the most cost-effective at US$ 0.44 per kg of crayfish growth. Where no feeds specifically for crayfish are available, terrestrial animal feeds have the advantage of low price, ready availability in the market, and acceptable performance.