• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.416-423
• /
• 2020

Objective: This study examined the effects of divergence in residual feed intake (RFI) on expression profiles of key genes related to lipid transport in the liver and duodenal epithelium and their associations with feed efficiency traits in meat-type ducks. Methods: A total of 1,000 male ducks with similar body weight (1,042.1±87.2 g) were used in this study, and their individual RFI was calculated from 21 to 42 d of age. Finally, the 10 highest RFI (HRFI) and 10 lowest RFI (LRFI) ducks were chosen for examining the expression of key genes related to lipid transport in the liver and duodenal epithelium using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: In the liver, expression levels of albumin (ALB), CD36 molecule (CD36), fatty acid hydroxylase domain containing 2 (FAXDC2), and choline kinase alpha (CHKA) were significantly higher in LRFI ducks than in HRFI ducks (p<0.01); negative correlations (p<0.05) between expression levels of ALB, CD36, FAXDC2, and CHKA and RFI were detected in the liver. Additionally, ALB expression was strongly positively correlated (p<0.05) with CD36, FAXDC2, CHKA, and apolipoprotein H (APOH) expression in the liver. In duodenal epithelium, we found that mRNA levels of ALB, CD36, FAXDC2, and APOH were significantly higher in LRFI ducks than in HRFI ducks (p<0.01); RFI was strongly negatively correlated (p<0.05) with ALB, FAXDC2, and APOH expression, while ALB expression was strongly positively correlated with APOH expression (p<0.01) in duodenal epithelium. Furthermore, expression levels of both ALB and FAXDC2 genes were significantly associated with feed conversion ratio and RFI in both liver and duodenal epithelium (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our findings therefore suggest that ALB and FAXDC2 genes might be used as potential gene markers designed to improve feed efficiency in future meat-type duck breeding programs.

• Animal Bioscience
• /
• v.37 no.7
• /
• pp.1213-1224
• /
• 2024

Objective: Enterotypes (ETs) are the clustering of gut microbial community structures, which could serve as indicators of growth performance and carcass traits. However, ETs have been sparsely investigated in waterfowl. The objective of this study was to identify the ileal ETs and explore the correlation of the ETs with growth performance and carcass traits in Muscovy ducks. Methods: A total of 200 Muscovy ducks were randomly selected from a population of 5,000 ducks at 70-day old, weighed and slaughtered. The growth performance and carcass traits, including body weight, dressed weight and evidenced weight, dressed percentage, percentage of apparent yield, breast muscle weight, leg muscle weight, percentage of leg muscle and percentage of breast muscle, were determined. The contents of ileum were collected for the isolation of DNA and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The ETs were identified based on the 16S rRNA gene sequencing data and the correlation of the ETs with growth performance and carcass traits was performed by Spearman correlation analysis. Results: Three ETs (ET1, ET2, and ET3) were observed in the ileal microbiota of Muscovy ducks with significant differences in number of features and α-diversity among these ETs (p<0.05). Streptococcus, Candida Arthritis, and Bacteroidetes were the presentative genus in ET1 to ET3, respectively. Correlation analysis revealed that Lactococcus and Bradyrhizobium were significantly correlated with percentage of eviscerated yield and leg muscle weight (p<0.05) while ETs were found to have a close association with percentage of eviscerated yield, leg muscle weight, and percentage of leg muscle in Muscovy ducks. However, the growth performance of ducks with different ETs did not show significant difference (p>0.05). Lactococcus were found to be significantly correlated with leg muscle weight, dressed weight, and percentage of eviscerated yield. Conclusion: Our findings revealed a substantial variation in carcass traits associated with ETs in Muscovy ducks. It is implied that ETs might have the potential to serve as a valuable biomarker for assessing duck carcass traits. It would provide novel insights into the interaction of gut microbiota with growth performance and carcass traits of ducks.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.12 no.8
• /
• pp.1258-1262
• /
• 1999

With an attempt to elucidating the lipid metabolism of Tsaiya ducks, thirty ducks at growing (8 weeks of age) and laying periods (10 weeks after the onset of laying) were examined, respectively. The ducks were randomly allocated into ad libitum feeding and 3-day fasting groups, to investigate their in vitro hepatocytes lipogenesis capacity and adipocytes lipolysis rate. Results indicate that (1) the capacity of hepatocytes incorporation of glucose and acetate into total lipid and metabolite of $^{14}CO_2$ production during the laying period was greater than during the growing period. Approximately 50% of the glucose or acetate converted into triacylglycerol (TG) by the hepatocytes were recovered as fatty acid during the growing period, while it was 65-70% during the laying period. (2) Acetate used for lipogenesis ability was superior to glucose in both periods. (3) The adipocytes lipolysis rate was increased significantly (p<0.05) by fasting. In contrast, the capacity of incorporated glucose or acetate into total lipid, triacylglycerol, fatty acid and glycerol by hepatocytes was reduced significantly (p<0.05) by fasting.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.423-431
• /
• 2010

This work was carried out to investigate on the retail cut yield and the meat quality of crossbred ducks. A total of 360 pullets that were produced from 4 mating methods used in this work. Four mating method were A) native ducks (female) $\times$ native ducks (male), B) meat-type ducks (female) $\times$ native ducks (male), C) native ducks (female) $\times$ meat-type ducks (male), and D) meat-type ducks (female) $\times$ meat-type ducks (male). Ducks were bred at the flat house, and selected nine ducks with similar weights from each treatment at the certain weeks (A, B, C 8 weeks; D 6 weeks). Selected ducks were slaughtered, calculated the retail cut yield(wing, back, neck, breast, leg), analyzed the physico-chemical compositions, and tested the sensory evaluation. Wing and neck meat ratios of D treatment were lowest (P<0.05), and breast meat ratio of B treatment was high (P<0.05) compared to other treatments. pH of duck meat was no difference among treatments, fat and protein contents of B treatment was highest, and collagen contents of D treatment was highest among all treatments. Meat color and physical compositions was no difference among treatments. Juiciness of D treatment meats was highest, and there was no difference between B and D treatments. Finally, mating method of native duck and meat-type duck affected on the retail cut yield, but did not improve on the physico-chemical compositions and sensory evaluation.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.27 no.10
• /
• pp.933-936
• /
• 2018

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of a mixture of bentonite and illite as feed additives on the growth performance and litter quality of 90 Pekin ducks. The ducks were individually weighed and randomly divided into two treatments (control and 1% combination of silicate minerals), with three replicate pens per treatment, and 15 ducks per pen. Growth performance was not significantly affected (p>0.05) by the combination of bentonite and illite, but a trend of increased growth performance was observed in the control groups. Total nitrogen content and pH in the litter decreased following supplementation with the combination of bentonite and illite (p<0.05) when compared with the control group. This data indicates that the dietary supplementation with the combination of bentonite and illite (1% level) has no positive effect on the growth performance and litter quality of Pekin ducks.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.283-290
• /
• 2008

Highly pathogenic avian influenza(HP AI) is one of the most important zoonoses in the around of world. That occurred in the domestic ducks of 34 olds day in Jeonbuk of Korea on April 2008. All of infected ducks were died. We could found several clinical signs such as facial swelling with cloudy eyes, conjunctivitis, and neurological sign. In the autopsy, moderate congestion in the kidney, multifocal hemorrhagic foci in pancreas, and mild swelling in brain were observed. Gliosis in brain and severe congestion in kidney were also shown in histopathological findings. Specific band for H5 antibody was detected in polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.339-345
• /
• 2008

This survey was carried out to investigate the infection rate of Riemerella anatipestifer from domestic ducks by isolation. A total of 145 samples (nasal swabs and carcasses) were collected from farms to examine the biochemical properties and antimicrobial susceptibility test from November 2006 to February 2008. Riemerella anatipestifer was isolated from 13 of 145 sample and isolation rate was higher in the ducks below 25 days (76%, 10/13 isolates) than those over 26 days (23%, 3/13). However, there was no significant difference in isolation rate between region. The biochemical properties of isolate were Gram negative (-), non-fermentative rod that grows fastidiously on routine media. In the test of antimicrobial drug susceptibility the isolates were susceptible to tetracycline(100%), enrofloxacin (77%), ampicillin (70%).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.375-378
• /
• 1995

Three month old 600 ducklings of Khaki Campbell/KC Desi and KC X Desi were reared for a period of 13 months in the villages surrounding Bangladesh Agricultural University in order to study the economic traits of duck with and without extra feed to scavenging system of rearing. KC attained earlier sexual maturity followed by KC X Desi and Desi ducks and crossbred showed closeness to sire breed for this trait, KC X Desi found heavier and produce more eggs than their parental breeds. KC showed higher hatchability followed by KC X Desi and Desi ducks were more resistant followed by KC X Desi and KC to diseases. Extra feeding were found more beneficial to ducks irrespective of breed and types.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.403-408
• /
• 2003

The study investigated the lipid metabolism of Tsaiya ducks under fasting and ad libitum feeding conditions. Sixty Tsaiya ducks in their growing period (8-12 wk-old) and sixty Tsaiya ducks in their laying period (26-30 wk-old, 10-14 weeks after the onset of laying) were randomly divided into ad libitum feeding and 3-day fasting groups. The activities of lipid metabolism related enzymes were determined. Experimental results indicated that fasting depressed the activities of lipogenesis related enzymes such as fatty acid synthetase and NADP-malic dehydrogenase in both periods (p<0.05). Fasting also increased the activities of liver fatty acid $\beta$-oxidation enzymes (p<0.05). However, the activities of lipoprotein lipase in adipose tissue, heart and ovarian follicle in both periods and the hormone-sensitive lipase of adipose tissue in the growing period were decreased by fasting (p<0.01).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.187-193
• /
• 1991

Almost 1/4 of all the coconuts in the world is produced in the Philippines. During periods of high supply of coconuts it would be better to feed coconut meat to farm animals for conversion into meat and eggs. Three studies were conducted at the Visayas State College of Agriculture, Baybay, Leyte, Philippines from April, 1983 to April, 1985 to determine the response of Mallard ducks, Muscovy ducks and broilers to fresh coconut meat supplementation in their diets. Results showed that Mallard ducks on ration with coconut meat performed similarly with those on ration without coconut meat. Feed cost per dozen eggs was reduced by 28-30% with coconut meat. Feed cost per unit gain of muscovy ducks was reduced by 32-37% by coconut meat supplementation. With broilers, feed conversion, gain in weight and breast weight were significantly improved by coconut meat supplementation. Return-above-feed cost increased with increasing level of coconut meat in the ration.