• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.734-738
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• 2006

The present study was conducted to determine the effect of cold stress on broiler performance and ascites susceptibility. Male chicks were obtained from a commercial strain of broiler breeders. The trial was divided into two treatments (control and cold stress groups). Ascites was induced in broiler chickens in the trial by exposing the chickens to low temperature (Ta) and by supplying a pelleted diet. The two experimental treatments consisted of: 1) Control group, $33.3^{\circ}C$ the $1^{st}$ wk, $30.2^{\circ}C$ the $2^{nd}$ wk, and $27.5^{\circ}C$ the $3^{rd}$ wk. 2) Cold stress group, $29.0^{\circ}C$ the $1^{st}$ wk, $26.4^{\circ}C$ the $2^{nd}$ wk, and $23.1^{\circ}C$ the $3^{rd}$ wk. From the end of the $3^{rd}$ wk all broilers were reared to 6 wk of age at a constant temperature of $21^{\circ}C$. There was significant difference in live BW during wk 1 to 5. The control group was consistently the heaviest; however, at 6 wk of age, both groups weighed the same. Body weight gain up to 3 wk was significantly decreased by cold stress. During wk 3 and 6 the chicks in the cold stress group had greater BW gain compared with the chicks in the control group. There were significant differences in mortality due to ascites between the groups. During wk 3 and 6 the cold stress group exhibited the most ascites mortality (9.52%) when compared with the control group (1.90%). At 5 wk of age cold stress condition caused significant changes in packed cell volume (PCV), hemoglobin (Hb) and red blood cell counts (RBC). Right ventricle weight was significantly heavier in the cold stress group than the control. There were also significant differences in right ventricle/total ventricle (RV/TV) ratios at 5 wk. the right ventricle/total ventricle ratios in the cold stress group was higher (0.25) than the control group (0.20). It was concluded that, fast growth and cold temperatures are the primary triggers for ascites during commercial broiler production.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.249-253
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• 2019

Various factors negatively affect poultry production, including a multitude of avian pathogens. Among them, Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) and Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) cause world-wide economic losses in the poultry industry. Although respectively, MG and MS induce chronic respiratory disease and synovitis in poultry, these pathogens often manifest as clinically inapparent infections and many countries are therefore having difficulties effectively eradicating them. In this study, five broiler breeder farms in Korea were investigated for the presence of Mycoplasma infection from 2016 to 2018. Serum samples were collected for detection of antibodies to mycoplasma species using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Additionally, the production index and feed conversion rate of broilers were recorded. According to this investigation, broiler breeder farms in 2018 were serologically negative for Mycoplasma infection with broilers exhibiting a high production index and low feed conversion rate. Thus, eradicating mycoplasma in poultry farms is critical for improving chick quality and overall poultry production.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.545-551
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• 2005

A feeding trial was conducted to determine whether dietary vitamin C (200 mg/kg) and vitamin E (250 mg/kg) prevent any drops in egg shell quality under heat stress in broiler breeder hens. One hundred and sixty molted Ross broiler breeders were housed randomly in an individual cage at 83 weeks of age. Four dietary treatments with forty hens and four replications per treatment were control (no additional vitamins), vitamin C-, or vitamin E-supplemented and combined supplementation of the two vitamins. After a tenday-adaptation period at 25$^{\circ}C$, the ambient temperature was kept at 32$^{\circ}C$ for a three-week-testing period. Egg production dropped dramatically over week but it did not show a significant change among treatments (p<0.05). However, egg quality parameters such as egg weight, specific gravity, shell thickness, SWUSA, puncture force and shell breaking strength from the birds fed the diet with the combined vitamins C and E were significantly improved over those of the control group during the heat stress period (p<0.05). The hens fed the vitamin C diet improved tibia breaking strength (37.16 kg), statistically higher than the birds fed the control and the vitamin E diets (p<0.05). The hens fed the control diet showed higher serum corticosterone levels, a mean of 5.97 ng/ml, than those of the other treatments (p<0.05). The heat stress resulted in elevated heterophils and decreased lymphocytes in serum, increasing the H/L ratios for all the treatments. However, the increases in H/L ratios were alleviated by feeding the diets containing vitamin C alone or together with vitamin E, although there were no significant differences in the ratio between the two groups (p<0.05). In conclusion, vitamins C (200 mg/kg) and/or E (250 mg/kg) supplemented to the diets for broiler breeder hens could prevent drops in egg shell quality and tibia bone strength under highly stressful environmental temperatures.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.9
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• pp.1299-1304
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• 2005

An experiment was conducted to study the production performance of broiler breeder females (25 to 40 weeks of age) fed either reference diet or low non-phytate phosphorus (NPP) diet with or without microbial phytase (500 FYT/kg) supplementation. A weighed (160 g/b/d) quantity of feed from each diet was offered daily to 40 replicates of one bird each housed in California type cage having individual feeders. Each cage was considered as a replicate. A continuous 16-h light per day was provided using incandescent bulbs. Body weight, egg production, egg weight, feed per egg mass, egg specific gravity, egg breaking strength, shell thickness, tibia ash and serum Ca and protein concentrations were not affected by reducing the NPP level from 0.30 to 0.18% in the broiler breeder diet. Supplementation of phytase (500 FYT/kg) enzyme to the diet containing 0.18% NPP had no added advantage on any of the above production parameters. The serum inorganic P was increased significantly (p<0.05) by either enhancing the NPP content from 0.18 to 0.30% or supplementing phytase @500 FYT/kg to the diet containing low P which were found comparable. Retention of Ca and P was positive on all the diets. P retention decreased significantly (p<0.05) with either increase in NPP content or phytase supplementation in the diet. Neither NPP nor phytase supplementation influenced bone mineralization in terms of tibia ash and strength. The hatchability was not influenced by either increasing the NPP content or supplementing the enzyme phytase. Similarly, the P concentration in the egg yolk and day old chick, day old and 14th day body weight and leg score was not altered by increasing the level of NPP or supplementing phytase enzyme. The mortality was within the normal limits in all the three dietary groups. Thus, it can be concluded that 0.18% NPP (288 mg NPP intake/b/d) in the broiler breeder' diet is adequate in sustaining the optimum performance from 25 to 40 wks of age. Enhancing the NPP content or supplementation of phytase (500 FYT/kg diet) to diet containing 0.18% NPP had no added advantage on performance.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.161-165
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• 2003

Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (OR) is a recently described gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium associated with respiratory tract infection in poultry. In order to investigate current occurrence of OR infection and to evaluate antibiotic susceptibility, the prevalence of OR antibody in domestic chickens were examined and the minimal inhibitory concentrations(MICs) of 8 antibiotics for 11 OR isolates was determined. All isolates tested were mostly susceptible to three antibiotics, ampicillin (MICs ranging from 0.38 ${\mu}g$/ml to 2 ${\mu}g$/ml), tetracycline (MICs 0.094～3 ${\mu}g$/ml) and doxycycline (MICs 0.047～4 ${\mu}g$/ml) but resistant to genatmicin. Ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, enrofloxacin, and ofloxacin gave most isolates inhibition only in case of a higher concentration (MICs ranged in most cases from 3 ${\mu}g$/ml to 48 ${\mu}g$/ml). Out of 188 chicken flocks including broilers, broiler breeders, and layers, seropositive flock to OR were detected in 5 broilers (4%), 17 broiler breeders (50%), and 16 layers (55.2%), using commercial OR enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) kits. It suggested that OR infection was widespreaded in poultry farms in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.165-169
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• 2006

The objective of this study was to elucidate the basis for the difference in sperm production of broiler breeders. Nine sexually mature Hubbard broiler breeder males, 35 weeks of age, were trained for two weeks for semen collection on alternate days by abdominal massage technique. Following the training, the breeder males were collected daily for five successive days. The males were then classified as low or high sperm producers. The mean body weights of individual males were also recorded on the basis of body weight at the start and end of the experiment. Immediately after last collection the males were slaughtered and testes biometry was determined. Daily sperm output of individual males varied from $0.21{\times}10^9\;to\;2.64{\times}10^9$ sperm. The daily sperm production of low sperm producer males was lower ($0.47{\pm}0.13\;vs.\;2.06{\pm}0.20{\times}10^9$; P<0.05) than high sperm producer males. Testes weight of low sperm producer males was lower ($6.32{\pm}1.6\;vs.\;20.33{\pm}4.76\;gm$; P<0.05) than high sperm producer males. Moreover the testis weight of high sperm producer males was 3.22 times higher than low sperm producer males. The average body weight of high sperm producer males was higher ($4,389{\pm}116.3\;vs.\;3,960{\pm}131.77\;gm$; P>0.05) than low sperm producer males. The correlation coefficients indicate significantly positive correlation of body weight (P<0.05) and testes weight (P<0.01) on semen volume, sperm concentration and daily sperm production.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.1007-1012
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• 1996

The purpose of the survey was to understand the field situation on the occurrence of enteric diseases in poultry farms in Korea. During the period from January of 1991 to December, 1992, 279(35.8%) out of 779 farms surveyed experienced the cases of enteritis in their chickens. The farms with diarrheal problems consisted of 157(45.1%) of 348 broiler flock, 28(32.6%) of 86 breeder flock, and 94(27.2%) of 345 layer flock. The main diseases causing enteritis were frequently appeared as infectious bursal disease(27.3%), colibacillosis(22.6%), and coccidiosis(8.6%). Necrotic enteritis(NE) in chicken occurred in 21 farms(2.7%) among 779 farms examined. The outbreaks of NE were divided 4.7% in breeders, 4.0% in broilers, and 0.9% in layers, respectively. NE occurred mainly in the age(71.4%) of 20~30 days and the mortality was varying from 1.4% to 10.0% for broilers, 3.0% for layers and 0.8% for breeders. Seasonal prevalence of NE showed the highest as 52.4% in summer and followed by 33.3% in autumn, 9.5% in spring and 4.5% in winter.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.234-239
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• 2010

Effects of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and vitamin E (VE) supplementation in the diet of breeder hens on the egg quality and hatchability, lipid peroxides of the egg yolk, and development of the newly-hatched offspring chicks were investigated. A total of 800 Avian 48, 28 wk-old broiler breeders were assigned randomly to 4 groups with 4 replicates of 45 females and 5 males. Each group was fed one of the following four diets with different oil sources and levels of VE: corn oil (CO), fish oil (FO), CO+VE and FO+VE. The results showed that: i) Addition of FO in the breeder diet reduced the whole egg weight, yolk weight, albumen weight, yolk color score and neonatal offspring chick body weight without affecting the hatchability as compared to the CO treatment. ii) Addition of VE efficiently reduced the lipid peroxides of egg yolk from hens fed diets containing FO. iii) VE in the breeder diet significantly promoted the development of liver and heart of the chick offspring.

• The Korean Journal of Food & Health Convergence
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.11-16
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• 2020

Footpad dermatitis (FPD) can be considered as a threat for poultry production due to it causes losses due to condemnation in slaughterhouse. The prevalence and the severity of FPD in broiler breeders increase over time with development of poultry industry. The condition is produced by multifactorial including include drinker design and management, diet composition, house (temperature and humidity levels), litter (type, quality, and quantity) and gut health. Bacterial infections can be associated. FPD lesions can develop in less than a week. FPD is a variable size of inflammatory lesion of the footpad in commercial poultry characterized by necrotic lesions on the plantar surface of the footpad of poultry. These lesions can be exposed after removal of fecal mass and litter stuck on it. There are considerable and numerous interactions between the environment and the genetic traits. Prevention depends mainly on improvement of litter condition. Genetic selection against footpad dermatitis must be contributed to reduce pain and suffering for particular bird experiencing contact dermatitis as well as to avoid economic losses. The objective of this review is to collect different literature written about FPD to be available to students, researchers and veterinarian in poultry practical.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.169-175
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• 2003

This experiment was conducted to study the optimum energy feeding regimens fur broiler breeders peaked in winter season with 400 caged hens of Ross strain. Four energy supply regimens which were different in daily energy allotment during laying period were employed for 40 weeks from 24 to 64 weeks of age. All experimental diets were formulated to contain 2,750 kcal ME/kg with adjustments made in total feed allotment to provide the desired energy levels. Total consumption of the feed would provide 20 g of protein, 4 g of calcium and 0.35 g of available phosphorus. There were no difference in hen-day egg production and average egg weight among the regimens of energy supply. Feed, ME and feed cost required per egg or per kg egg were significantly increased as the level of energy allotment increased(p<0.05). It was concluded that the energy supply regimen, which supplied 280 kcal ME per day at the age of 24 weeks and then increased the energy supply up to 400 kcal ME per day at the peak period of 30∼34 weeks of age, was superior in feed, ME and feed cost required per egg or per kg egg without any adverse effect on eg production and egg weight.