• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.1030-1034
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• 2003

Two experiments of four-week duration were conducted to investigate the effect of caecectomy on the intestinal characteristics, body weight gain and gas production in the caeca of White Roman goslings. In experiment I, forty eight 2-wk-old female goslings with similar body weight were randomly divided into four treatments: sham (SHAM), left side caecum removed (LSCR), right side caecum removed (RSCR) and both caeca removed (CAECECTOMY). Smimilarly, experiment II was conducted with twelve 5-wkold male goslings in two treatments: SHAM and CAECECTOMY. Free choice water with ad libitum feed was provided during experiment. At the end of experiment I, goslings were sacrificed and gut length and weight were determined. At 7 and 9 wks of age, birds in experiment II were subjected to respiration calorimetry studies. In both experiments, final body weights were not affected by caecectomy. Results of experiment I indicated that caecectomy did not significantly affect the relative weight (g/100 g BW) of gizzard, small intestine, rectum and colon (p>0.05); however, the relative length of colon and rectum did increase (p<0.05). The remaining caecum did not show compensatory growth in both LSCR and RSCR treatments. In experiment II, results indicated that the average enteric methane production from the caecetomised goslings was significantly lower than that from the bird in SHAM goslings (p<0.05). In comparison with SHAM goslings, calorific loss from entric methane in caecetomised birds was lower (p<0.05). There was no effect of age on methane production. The enteric nitrous oxide production in caeca of goslings was very low with no significantly different between two treatments.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.701-706
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• 2008

The aim of the present study was to determine the apparent and true digestibilities of amino acids of maize, low tannin sorghum, pearl millet and finger millet in adult caecectomized cockerels. Adult cockerels (n = 60), 25-weeks old, were used in this study of which 30 birds were caecectomized as per a standard method. The apparent digestibilities of amino acids of sorghum were not affected by caecectomy, but were higher for maize, finger millet and pearl millet in caecectomized cockerels. Caecectomy had no influence on the true digestibilities of amino acids of maize, but higher digestibilities were observed for most of the amino acids of sorghum and finger millet in caecectomized cockerels. Caecectomy lowered the true digestibility of cystine, threonine and serine of pearl millet. The apparent digestibilities of amino acids of maize, finger millet and pearl millet were underestimated in intact cockerels. The true digestibilities of most of the amino acids of sorghum and finger millet were underestimated, while those of cystine, threonine and serine of pearl millet were overestimated in intact cockerels. The findings suggest that the amino acid digestibility values of cereal grains determined using caecectomized cockerels might be appropriate and reliable for poultry diet formulations. Moreover, the digestibilities of amino acids of finger millet were inferior to other cereal grains, while those of pearl millet were comparable to maize and sorghum.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.1178-1182
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• 2008

The present study was designed to assess the influence of caeca on the availability of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese and copper from soybean, sunflower, rapeseed, sesame, fish and meat cum bone meal in adult roosters. The excretion of endogenous origin minerals viz., copper, magnesium, manganese and calcium was significantly (p<0.001) higher in caecectomized than in normal roosters. The difference in the endogenous excretion was 50; 60.45; 40.35 and 29.63 per cent for copper, magnesium, manganese and calcium, respectively, in caecectomized roosters. The caeca played a pivotal role in the reabsorption of endogenous origin calcium, magnesium, manganese and copper. The mechanism of phosphorus absorption by the caecal epithelium was negligible. The caecectomized roosters underestimated the bioavailability of copper in sunflower meal and manganese in almost all the test feedstuffs. The present investigation revealed that the caeca played a critical role in the absorption of minerals from vegetable protein feedstuffs which escape digestion and absorption in the small and large intestinal segments.