• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.1607-1614
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• 2011

This trial was conducted to determine the effects of including canola protein concentrate in diets fed to broiler chickens on nutrient digestibility and broiler performance (0-21 days). A total of 180, day-old, male broiler chicks weighing an average of 52.8${\pm}$0.6 g were assigned to one of six dietary treatments in a completely randomized design. The control diet was based on corn and soybean meal and contained 15% canola meal. The experimental diets contained 3, 6, 9, 12 or 15% canola protein concentrate added at the expense of canola meal. There were five birds per pen and six replicate pens per treatment. Feed and water were available ad libitum throughout the 21-day experiment. Chromic oxide (0.35%) was added to all diets as a digestibility marker and was fed throughout the experimental period. The digestibility of dry matter, energy and phosphorus increased linearly (p<0.01) with increasing levels of canola protein concentrate. Although nutrient digestibility was higher for birds fed diets containing canola protein concentrate, these improvements did not translate into improvements in broiler performance. Weight gain was unaffected (p = 0.24) by level of canola protein concentrate. Feed intake was significantly increased (p<0.01) with the result that feed conversion tended to be poorer (p = 0.07) for birds fed diets containing canola protein concentrate. Mortality was also unaffected (p = 0.56) by dietary treatment.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.367-371
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• 1993

The feeding value of maize cob meal was investigated in a trial involving one hundred and forty Arbor Acre day-old chicks raised to eight weeks of age. The maize cob meal which contained 32.5% fibre, 2.5% protein and had a gross energy value of 2,550 kcal/kg, was incorporated into the experimental diets at either 0, 2.9, 5.8, 11.6 or 23.2% level. All diets were formulated to contain 3,200 kcal/kg of metabolizable energy and approximately 22% protein by varying the proportions of maize and whole cooked soyabean meal in the diets. The inclusion of maize cob meal up to 11.6% in the diet did not significantly (p>0.05) affect body weight gains, feed consumption and utilization, as well as carcass yield and dressing percentage. However, at the 23.2% level of maize cob meal inclusion, body weight gains, feed utilization and carcass yields were significantly (p<0.05) reduced. The use of maize cob meal reduced feed cost for raising birds and either maintained or improved gross profit returns with up to 11.6% level of inclusion in the diet. It was concluded that maize cob meal can be included up to 11.6% in the diet of broiler chickens provided dietary energy concentration is maintained at 3,200 kcal of metabolisable energy per kilogramme of feed by using high energy density feed ingredient such as boiled whole seed soyabean meal.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.1545-1549
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• 2003

Broiler chickens were subjected to (i) pre-treatment for 24 h with 1,200 ppm L-ascorbic acid in their drinking water on day 42 (AA), (ii) 60% feed restriction on days 4, 5 and 6 (FR), (iii) combination of AA and FR (AAFR), or (iv) neither treatment (control). On day 43, the birds were crated and transported in an open truck for either 60 min or 120 min. Heterophil/lymphocyte ratios (HLR) were determined prior to ($T_0$) and 20 h following the 60 min ($T_60$) and 120 min ($T_120$) journeys. Prior to transportation, all treatment groups had similar HLR. Following $T_60$, the AAFR chicks had smaller increase in HLR than their control, AA and FR counterparts. The AA, FR and AAFR birds exhibited lower HLR than controls following $T_120$. The means HLR of AA, FR and AAFR did not differ significantly. Irrespective of journey time, AA and AAFR birds had shorter tonic immobility duration than their FR and control counterparts. The tonic immobility duration of all birds increased with journey duration.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2001

A study was conducted to assess the nutritive value of two diets based on a low-energy variety of wheat, RAC C1 and their effects on intestinal mucosal structure and function in broiler chickens. The diets were fed with or without microbial enzyme supplement to male and female broiler chickens. The digesta viscosity was reduced (p<0.001) through supplementation with a microbial enzyme in male and female chicks. Enzyme supplementation also improved the dietary apparent metabolizable energy content (p<0.001) and had slight but non-significant positive effects on chick growth and feed conversion ratio. Intestinal mucosal structure and enzyme function were not affected by microbial enzyme supplement. Male chicks consumed more feeds (p<0.001), attained higher final body weight (p<0.001) and were more efficient at feed utilization (p<0.01) than the female chicks. Except for duodenal villus surface area and ileal protein content, intestinal mucosal structure and enzyme activities were similar between the two sexes and dietary treatment groups. The study showed an improvement in the nutritive value of the diets in the presence of the microbial enzyme supplement.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.1773-1778
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• 2008

Two experiments were carried out to study the effects of corticosterone (CORT) administration on intestinal morphology and function of broilers. In both experiments, birds were randomly divided into two equal groups. One group was the control group (CTRL), and the birds were fed with a basal diet. The other was the experimental group (CORT), and the birds were fed with the basal diet plus 30 mg of CORT/kg diet. At 21 days of age, performance, morphological characteristics of intestine, D-xylose level in plasma, activities of digestive enzymes in digesta, digestibility of nutrients and 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdUrd)-labeling index of intestinal epithelial cells were determined. CORT administration decreased feed intake, daily gain and feed conversion ratio (p<0.05). CORT also decreased duodenal and jejunal villus height (p<0.05) as well as crypt depth (p<0.05). The D-xylose level in plasma of CORT-treated broilers was lower than that of the control (p<0.05). CORT treatment caused a decrease in apparent digestibility of protein (p<0.05), whereas fat and starch apparent digestibilities were unaffected (p>0.05). CORT administration increased activities of trypsin and amylase (p<0.05), and decreased BrdUrd-labeling index of duodenal and jejunal epithelial cells (p<0.05). In conclusion, CORT administration impaired the normal morphology and absorptive capacity of the small intestine of broiler chickens.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.880-883
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• 2003

The objective of this study was to measure performance of young broiler chickens fed three varieties of high-oil corn (HOC 1, 2, and 3) compared with eight varieties of normal corn (NC). HOC varieties contained about 80% more oil than NC (average crude fat; 6.71% vs 3.72%) and about 29% more protein (average CP; 9.54% vs 7.38%). Each experimental diet was formulated with the same amount (55.205%) of each corn hybrid. Experiment 1 had by six dietary treatments (HOC1 and five NC varieties, 360 chickens) and Experiment 2 had five treatments (HOC2, HOC3, and three NC varieties, 250 chickens). In Exp. 1, for feed efficiency (F/G), the treatment contained HOC1 had better performance (p<0.05) than other NC varieties except NC5. As expected, there was no significant difference in average daily feed intake (p>0.05) among dietary treatments. The dietary treatment of HOC1 gave an improvement of 4.3% in F/G that came from 6% higher gross energy (GE) value of HOC1. Compared with Exp. 2, the dietary treatments contained HOC hybrids gave 4.4% higher F/G than NC dietary treatments, which came from a 5% increase in GE value. HOC varieties had superior nutrients content to NC for poultry, due to the fact that HOC contained higher concentrations of energy, protein, lysine, and methionine, thus improving growth and F/G.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.582-587
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• 2007

The pale, soft, exudative (PSE) syndrome lowers storage quality and consumers acceptability in the particular meat. With the increase in the consumption of parted chickens in Korean meat consumption trade, a parallel increase in the concern over the PSE status of chickens have been noticed. The present study focused on the PSE status of broiler's breast to investigate the effects of different degrees of PSE on its quality and storage characteristics. A total of 46 broiler chickens of 35 days old averaging 1,251-1,350 g were selected for the study. Breast separated and skin was removed. The breast meat was stored at $4^{\circ}C$ for 3 days and were analysed for pH, lightness, yellowness, redness, shear force, water-holding capacity (WHC), cooking loss, Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and Volatile basic nitrogen (VBN) on day 1 and 3 during the storage. Increase in the degree of broilers breast PSE during storage caused fall in pH and shear force and increase in lightness, cooking loss, TBARS, VBN. Broilers breast PSE status confirms the actual pale soft and exudative nature of meat.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.1376-1382
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• 2008

The carcass characteristics and composition of both male and female commercial broiler chickens (CB) and the red jungle fowl (RJF) were compared at a common body weight of $800{\pm}25.6g$. The RJF and CB were 133 and 17 d of age, respectively, when they reached 800 g. The yields of breast and thigh portions and their muscle to bone ratios were higher for RJF as compared to CB. On the other hand, the latter had significantly greater hearts, livers and gizzards. The weights of the whole thigh and drumstick, and their muscles were lower in females than males. The CB had more abdominal fat than RJF. While sex had no significant effect on the absolute weights of abdominal fats in CB, the female RJF were fatter than their male counterparts. The fat and cholesterol contents of the breast and leg muscles of CB were significantly higher than those of RJF. The opposite was noted for protein content of both muscles. The effect of sex on fat and cholesterol contents varied according to muscle type. Comparison of CB and RJF at a common body weight suggested that the rate of development of body components have changed concomitantly with selection for rapid growth in the former.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.1758-1762
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• 2001

Equal number of red jungle fowl (JF) and commercial broiler chickens (CB), raised in battery cages, were provided a single complete diet (control) or a choice of a complete diet, ground corn and ground soybean from 21 to 56 days of age. There were significant genotype ${\times}$ feeding regimen interactions for several traits measured suggesting CB and JF responded differently to the two feeding regimens. The single fed CB had better growth and feed conversion ratios (FCR) than those under choice feeding. However, the body weight and FCR of JF were not affected by feeding regimen. While the single fed and choice-fed JF consumed similar amount of protein during days 21 to 55, the protein intake of the choice-fed CB was lower than the control. From days 21 to 55, irrespective of genotype, choice-fed chicks consumed less energy than their single fed counterparts. Regardless of genotype, the trend in the proportion of each feed consumed was similar with complete diet>corn>soybean. In conclusion, while choice-fed JF were capable to select nutrient necessary for maximum growth, choice feeding was detrimental to growth and feed conversion ratio in CB.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.1752-1756
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• 2011

This study was conducted to explore the effects of squid ink on growth performance, immune functions and antioxidant ability of broiler chickens during a period of six weeks. Either sex Arbor Acres broilers were equally allotted to 4 groups with 3 replicates of 20 chickens each. Broilers diets for the 4 test groups were prepared separately with starter and finisher phases. Control chickens were fed with basal diet and birds of group Exp 2, Exp 4 and Exp 6 were fed with the basal diet supplemented with 2%, 4% and 6% of squid ink, respectively. Broilers were sacrificed to investigate antioxidant parameters of sera, indices of thymus, spleen and bursa of fabricius and spleen lymphocyte proliferation, as well as growth performance on the $21^{th}$ and $42^{th}$ day. The results revealed that, i) squid ink promoted growth performance of broilers during days 22 to 42 and the whole trial period (p<0.05 or p<0.01); ii) squid ink elevated relative weight of the three immune organs during the starter phase and spleen lymphocyte proliferation throughout the experiment (p<0.05); iii) squid ink increased SOD activity and decreased MDA level in sera from broilers during the whole period (p<0.05). The above results suggest that squid ink could improve growth performance, antioxidant ability and immune functions of growing broiler chickens and be employed in the development of feed additives for animals.