• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.389-398
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• 2010

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of three strains of Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) supplemented to diets on egg production, egg quality, egg yolk cholesterol levels, the profile of cecal microflora, and tibia characteristics in laying hens. One hundred sixty 76-week-old Hy-Line Brown layers were randomly divided into 4 groups with 4 replicates per group (10 birds per replicate). Birds in the control group were fed a corn-soybean meal based diet. The remaining three treated groups were fed the control diet containing either 0.05% B. subtilis Ch3 (T1), 0.05% B. subtilis Ch3 + B. subtilis W1 (T2) or 0.05% B. subtilis commercial product (T3) for 6 weeks, respectively. There were no differences in feed intake, egg weight, egg production and egg mass among the groups. The dietary supplementation of B. subtilis improved eggshell strength and Haugh units compared to those of control (P<0.05). The activities of GOT and GPT in serum were not also affected by the dietary treatments. The population of total microbes and lactic acid bacteria in cecum were significantly increased by the dietary B. subtilis (P<0.05), but not the coliforms. The cholesterol concentration in egg yolk and serum in the treated groups were significantly decreased compared to those of control (P<0.05). Also, The levels of phospholipids in serum were significantly decreased compared to those of control (P<0.05). The supplementation of three strains of B. subtilis to diets significantly increased the contents of tibia ash compared to that of control (P<0.05). Thus, this study showed significant improvements in egg quality, such as eggshell strength and Haugh unit, by dietary B. subtilis strains. The B. subtilis strains added to the diets modulated the profiles of cecal microflora, reflecting beneficial effects in laying hens.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.153-162
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• 2008

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the dietary effects of mixture of probiotics and colistin on laying performance, intestinal microflora and egg yolk cholesterol in laying hens. One hundred sixty 50-wk-old Hy-Line Brown layers were divided into four treatments and fed a commercial diet (Control) or experimental diets containing 0.2% mixture of probiotics or probiotics and colistin mixture (T1, Bacillus subtilis + Aspergillus oryzae + Lactobacillus plantarum; T2, Bacillus subtilis + Aspergillus oryzae; T3, Bacillus subtilis + Aspergillus oryzae+colistin) for 8 wk. No significant differences were found in laying performance and liver weight among the groups. The Haugh unit of treated groups were significantly improved (P<0.05) compared to that of control, but eggshell qualities were not changed by the treatments. The cecal ammonia concentration was significantly decreased in both T1 and T3 groups. The number of coli forms in cecal content and feces were significantly reduced in all treated groups compared to that of Control (P<0.05). The egg yolk cholesterol contents in the groups fed the diet containing mixture of probiotics and colistin were reduced in comparison with that of Control. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of mixture of probiotics and colistin improved quality of egg albumen, and reduced the egg cholesterol contents. They also reduced intestinal coli forms without harmful effects on overall productive and physiological responses in laying hens.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.189-197
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• 2020

This study was conducted to compare the production performance and stress response of chickens kept in the conventional cages and floor pens. 491 female White Leghorns were used in this study, and their production characteristics and stress response indicators were analyzed from 34 to 43 weeks of age. The results showed that there was no significant difference in survival rate, hen-day egg production, and body weight between the chickens kept in the conventional cages and those kept in the floor pens. The chickens kept in the conventional cages had a significantly higher egg weight and egg quality compared with those kept in the floor pens (P<0.01). The amount of telomeric DNA in lymphocytes was significantly higher in the chickens kept in floor pens than in those kept in conventional cages (P<0.05). The heterophil-lymphocyte ratio, HSP-90β gene expression level, and DNA damage rate significantly increased in chickens kept in the conventional cages, as compared to the chickens kept in floor pens (P<0.01). In conclusion, there seems to be no difference in the production performance between chickens kept in conventional cages and those kept in floor pens. Furthermore, chickens kept in conventional cages had higher stress response values than those kept in floor pens for all stress response indicators. Therefore, conventional cage types are considered to be a more stressful environment for chickens than floor pens, regardless of the production performance of the chickens.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.378-382
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• 2000

The effects of bisphenol A (BPA), known as one of the endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), on the hatching of fertilized eggs (FE) and the spawning of adult fish in songsari, Oryzias latipes were investigated. In condition of the experimental groups, incubated water temperature was $25.0{\pm}0.5^{\circ}C$ and photoperiod was 16 h (light) : 8 h (dark). fE were exposed to aqueous solutions of BPA at nominal concentration of 50, 100 and $200 {\mu}g/l$. The time required in hatching of FE was long in the BPA $50 and 100 {\mu}g/l$ treatment groups when compared to the controls, and in the BPA $200 {\mu}g/l$ treatment group, FE failed to hatch. And also hatching rate was decreased in the BPA treatment groups in comparison to the controls, Adult fishes were reared to oral administration via a diet of 50, 100 and $200 {\mu}g/g$ body weight BPA concentration for 3 weeks, Number of total eggs spawned in the adult fish were fewer in the BPA 100 and 200 treatment groups than in the controls and BPA 50 treatment group. Frequency of abnormal eggs in the total eggs spawned was 11.8 and $16.2{\%}$ in the control and acetone carrier control lower than 36.8, 46,8 and $74.1{\%}$ in the BPA 50, 100 and 200 treatment groups, respectively. And hatching rate of FE decreased in the BPA treatment groups in comparison to the controls. In these results, inhibition of the hatching of FE and the quantity and quality of spawned eggs in adult fish were observed from BPA treatment groups when compared to the controls.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.53-60
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• 2007

A layer feeding trial was conducted for 10 weeks to investigate the effects of the addition of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) to layer diets on the laying performance, egg qualities, and yolk fatty acid composition. Nine hundred Hyline Brown layers, 24 weeks of age,were randomly allotted to 20 replicate laying cages, 45 birds per replicate. There were four diet treatments (0, 10, 15, and 20% DDGS), and five replicates per treatment. All experimental diets were prepared to contain iso-protein (17%) and iso-calorie (TMEn 2,780 kcal/kg). The use of DDGS up to 20% level in layer diets did not exert any influence on feed intake, laying rate, total egg mass, mean egg weight, and feed conversion ratio. DDGS did not exert any influence in weight of egg, breaking strength, and color of eggshell. The albumen height and Haugh unit was not influenced by DDGS addition. The yolk color was significantly increased by DDGS supplementation. As the DDGS level increased, the oleic acid content decreased, and the linoleic acid increased (P<0.05). The degree of saturation of yolk fatty acids was not affected by dietary DDGS. The inclusion of DDGS up to 20% in layer diets resulted in the decrease of feed cost per kg without any effect in the laying performance. In conclusion, the use of DDGS up to 20% level in layer diets could replace corn and soybean meal without any harmful effect on the laying performances.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.169-175
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• 1998

A feeding trial was carried out to evaluate optimum feeding system to Korean Native Chicken (KNC) with various feeding programs for 64 weeks. Eight hundreds and ten KNC＇one day birds were assigned to three feeding systems, NRC(T1), Japanese Feeding Standard(T2), Korean Feeding Standard(T3). Each treatment had three replicates of 90 birds a replicate. Data were obtained growing performance to 20 week of age and laying performance from twenty one to sixty four week. Viability to 20 week of age was similar to treatments. Growth characteristics by feeding systems were not significantly difference on body weight, feed intake and 50％ egg production days. However, body weight was less about 100g in T2. There were no different on egg production, egg weight, and egg mass during laying period. Feed intake of T1 was 104g daily and showed lower than other treatments, but was not different significantly. Feed conversion was significantly improved in T2(P <0.05) compared to other treatments(P<0.05). Egg production of all treatments was the highest between 27 to 30 week of age. ME intake of T1 was significantly maximized, whereas CP intake was the lowest of all treatments(P < 0.05). Nutrient requirements for egg mass tended to depend on nutrients intake. Interior egg and eggshell characteristics were not different among treatments except yolk color. Fertility and hatchability were similar to treatments, and the results at 39 week of age were higher than at 62 week in all treatments. In conclusion, treatments fed three or four phase feeding would be superior to other treatments during the growing period and suggest 2,800 ㎉/kg ME, 15％ CP for Korean native laying hen.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.83-90
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• 2003

This study was conducted to determine the effects of stocking density on performance and physiological responses of egg-type breeder layers in cages. A total of 264 Hy-Line Brown egg-type breeder layers at the age of 32 weeks were divided into 4 groups with 3 replicates of 22 birds (20 females, 2 males) per replicate and assigned to four stocking density treatments with 22 birds per cage with different sizes (980, 735, 640 and 560 $\textrm{cm}^2$/bird). The birds were fed the same experimental diet ad libitum for 12 weeks, and laying performance, egg and eggshell qualities, fertility and hatchability were determined. At the end of the experimental period, 9 birds were selected in each treatment in order to measure the scores of plumage condition. Antibody titers to Newcastle disease and infectious bronchitis were also determined. No significant differences were observed in laying performances, eggshell strength, Haugh unit, fertility and hatchability among the treatments. In birds housed 640 $\textrm{cm}^2$ per bird, eggshell thickness were significantly lower (P<0.05) than those of the other groups from 7 to 12 weeks. There was no significant difference in antibody titers to Newcastle disease. In birds housed 980 $\textrm{cm}^2$ per bird, antibody titers to infectious bronchitis were significantly (P<0.05) higher than those of the other groups. With increase in the level of stocking density, the scores of plumage condition were also significantly decreased (P<0.01). This study demonstrated that moderate increment of stocking density did not resulted in reduction in laying-performances of egg-type breeder layers. However, it seemed that the higher stocking density might give more stress to the birds from physical stimuli and thus were harmful environment causing higher mortalities compared to the lower ones.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.105-115
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• 2019

In this study, viability, growth performance and egg production performance were investigated to determine the productive characteristics of 12 Korean domestic chicken varieties which have been collected and conserved for over 25 years in National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Korea. The 1,134 hens were tested and their production traits including survival rate, body weight, age at first egg laying, hen-day and hen-housed egg production, egg weight, and egg quality were measured. Survival rate was the highest in Korean Rhode-D and Korean Native Chicken (KNC) White and the lowest in Korean Cornish Brown (92.2% and 54.3%, respectively). Body weights from 4 to 50 wks were consistently high in the order of Korean Cornish, Korean Rhode, KNC, Korean Ogye, and Korean Leghorn breeds. There was no significant difference in weight between varieties within a breed. Age at first egg laying was the shortest in Korean Leghorn, while it was the longest in Korean Cornish. The hen-day egg production from $1^{st}$ egg to 57 wks was the highest in Korean Leghorn-K, and the lowest in Korean Cornish Brown. Egg weight was the heaviest in Korean Leghorn-F and the lightest in KNC White. The Haugh unit was the highest in Korean Rhode-C and the lowest in Korean Ogye. Taken together, these results suggest that it is desirable that the Korean Cornish variety is improved as the Korean meat breed because of its excellent growth ability, the Korean Leghorn variety is improved as the Korean layer breed because of its good laying performance, and the Korean Rhode and KNC varieties are improved as strong viable breeds because of their good survival rate.