• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.831-837
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• 2013

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of Rhodobacter capsulatus KCTC-2583 on egg-yolk and serum cholesterol, egg production and quality parameters during the late laying periods in hens. A total of 160 Hy-Line Brown layers (54 wk-old) were randomly allotted to 4 treatment groups on the basis of laying performance. Each treatment had 4 replicates with 10 birds each (40 birds per treatment). Two hens were confined individually with cage size $35{\times}35{\times}40$ cm and each 10 birds (5 cages) shared a common feed trough between them forming one experimental unit. Dietary treatments were; basal diet supplemented with 0 (control), 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15% R. capsulatus KCTC-2583. Experimental diets were fed in meal form for 56 d. Dietary supplementation of increasing levels of R. capsulatus KCTC-2583 reduced (linear, p<0.05) egg-yolk cholesterol and triglycerides (d 28, 42 and 56) concentrations. Also, serum cholesterol and triglycerides (d 21, 42 and 56) concentrations were linearly reduced (p<0.05) with increasing dietary R. capsulatus KCTC-2583. Laying hens fed a diet supplemented with increasing levels of R. capsulatus KCTC-2583 had increased (linear; p<0.05) overall egg production, egg weight, egg mass and feed efficiency. However, dietary treatments had no effect (linear or quadratic; p>0.05) on feed intake of laying hens. At d 28 and 56, breaking strength and yolk colour of eggs were linearly improved (p<0.05) in laying hens fed dietary increasing levels of R. capsulatus KCTC-2583. Dietary treatment had no effects (linear or quadratic; p>0.05) on albumin height, shell thickness and shell weight at any period of experiment. These results indicate that dietary supplementation of R. capsulatus KCTC-2583 has the potential to improve the laying hen performance and lead to the development of low cholesterol eggs during late laying period in Hy-Line Brown hens.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.421-426
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• 2009

This study was conducted to clarify the characteristics of vocalization of laying hen related with space in battery cage. The size of cages were classified into control (0.30 m ${\times}$ 0.14 m ${\times}$ 0.55 m, length ${\times}$ width ${\times}$ height), small (0.21 m ${\times}$ 0.14 m ${\times}$ 0.55 m) and large (0.30 m ${\times}$ 0.30 m ${\times}$ 0.55 m) size. Vocalization of 16 individuals of laying hen in each group of Hy-Line Brown (80 week old) were recorded 3 hours per day (10:00am~11:00am, 3:00pm~4:00pm and 7:00pm~8:00pm) using digital recorder and microphone during October 2008 and February 2009. Characteristics of frequency, intensity and duration of vocalization were analyzed by GLM (general linear model) and Duncan's multi-test. There were differences in basic and maximum frequency, and intensity based on analysis of spectrogram and spectrum among different cage sizes. Vocalization of laying hen would be one of the indicators to understand the stress caused by rearing space in batter cage.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.137-145
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• 2008

A layer feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of high quality corn distiller's dried grains with solubles(DDGS) on laying performance and nutrient metabolizabilities. A total of 216 Hy-line Brown layers, 23-wk of age, were employed in a 10-wk feeding trial consisting of three dietary treatments(0%, 10%, and 20% DDGS), and six replicates per treatment. All experimental diets were prepared as iso-protein(17%) and iso-calorie(2,780 kcal/kg). At the end of the trial, the effect of DDGS on fecal ammonia emission was also estimated. The use of DDGS up to 20% in layer diets did not affect the feed intake, laying rate, egg weight, and feed conversion ratio(P>0.05). The DM metabolizability decreased significantly(P<0.05) by the DDGS supplementation(P<0.05). The NFE metabolizability decreased gradually as the level of DDGS increased(P<0.05). The fecal ammonia emission from DDGS-fed birds tended to decrease as the storage days extended. In conclusion, albeit DDGS has some unfavorable effects on DM and NFE metabolizabilities, it could be included in layer diets up to 20% level without any harmful effects on laying performance.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.97-103
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• 2013

The present study examined effects of production performance, immune activity and egg quality by raising on exercise yard in laying Hens, the results of which could be used as baseline data to enhance animal welfare and the safety of livestock products. A total of 90 Hy-line-Brown laying hens of 13 weeks old were used in the experiment for 38 weeks. The cage group (Cage group) was raised in a cage, where an area of $0.084m^2$ was assigned to two hens, while hens in the exercise yard $1.1m^2$ group ($1.1m^2$ group) was assigned to a combination of a chicken house ($0.11m^2$) and a exercise yard ($1.1m^2$) per a hen. Hens in the exercise yard $2.2m^2$ group ($2.2m^2$ group) was assigned to a combination of a chicken house ($0.11m^2$) and a exercise yard ($2.2m^2$) per a hen. Treatment was replicated 3 times with ten birds per replication. Ten birds were arranged according to randomized block design. While initial egg production rate was significantly higher in the Cage group, $1.1m^2$ group exhibited a slightly higher rate in the mid- and late-stage of the experiment, although the difference was not statistically significant. Exercise yard treatment groups exhibited a higher feed intake rate than the Cage group up until the hens were 39 weeks old (P<0.05), but the difference dissipated from that age on. The age at first egg in the exercise yard treatment groups was 16 days later than that for the Cage group (P<0.05), although differences in the quality of the eggs were not observed. The results of immune activity test showed that IgA in the exercise yard treatment groups was significantly higher than that in the Cage group (P<0.05). IgG, IgM, and corticosterone were also higher in the exercise yard treatment groups. The soil in exercise yard increased of organic matter and decreased of cation exchange capacity (CEC) in raised hens. In sum, raising hens in a exercise yard raise style decreased the rate of initial egg production, which was followed by a slight increase during the latter part of the experiment. The exercise yard raise hens' immune activity was heightened.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.694-699
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• 2009

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of chilled drinking water on the productivity of laying hens under constant high ambient temperature. A total of seventy-two, 123-day-old Hy-line brown layers was divided into two equal groups. The first group (UDWG) was given unchilled water ($23.0{\pm}2.5^{\circ}C$) as a control, and the second group (CDWG) was given chilled water ($16.0{\pm}0.5^{\circ}C$). The laying hens were kept at $30^{\circ}C$ constant temperature with 50% relative humidity and were exposed to 17 h of light per day. Feed intake, egg production, egg quality (egg weight, shell weight, shell thickness, egg color, yolk color, and Haugh unit), and blood samples were collected and analyzed. The results showed that the feed intake of CDWG laying hens was significantly higher (11.64%) than the UDWG counterparts (p<0.01). Egg production of CDWG was also significantly higher (11.27%) than the UDWG counterparts (p<0.001). Furthermore, we observed that the CDWG laying hens had significantly higher (11.72%) levels (p<0.10) of blood calcium, with a corresponding value of 21.92 mg/dl compared to the UDWG hens (19.62 mg/dl). The higher calcium concentration in the CDWG animals may contribute to increased egg production. The CDWG laying hens also contained higher (12.53%) phosphorus concentrations in blood compared to the UDWG (4.22 mg/dl vs. 3.75 mg/dl), although not statistically different (p>0.10). Egg weight and egg quality were not affected by chilled drinking water. In conclusion, providing chilled drinking for laying hens under high ambient temperature improved feed intake and egg production.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.1464-1469
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• 2016

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of red ginseng by-product (RGB) on the laying performance, blood biochemistry, and microbial population in laying hens. A total of 120 Hy-Line Brown laying hens (75 weeks old) were randomly allotted to 1 of 3 dietary treatments with 4 replicates per treatment. A commercial-type basal diet was prepared, and 2 additional diets were prepared by supplementing 5.0 or 10.0 g/kg of RGB to the basal diet at the expense of corn. The diets were fed to hens on an ad libitum basis for 4 weeks. There were no differences in feed intake, egg weight, and feed conversion ratio during 4 weeks of the feeding trial. However, hen-day egg production was significantly greater (p<0.05) for the RGB treatment groups than that for the basal treatment group. There were no differences in triglyceride, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase during the 4-week feeding trial. However, RGB supplementation increased (p<0.05) the serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM content compared with basal treatment group. The total cholesterol was lower (p<0.05) in the RGB treatments groups than that in the basal treatment group. The intestinal Lactobacillus population was greater (p<0.05) for the RGB treatments groups than that for the basal treatment group. However, the numbers of Salmonella and Escherichia coli were not different among dietary treatments. During the entire experiment, there was no significant difference in egg quality among all the treatments. In conclusion, in addition to improving hen-day production, there were positive effects of dietary RGB supplementation on serum immunoglobulin and cholesterol levels in laying hens.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.755-760
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• 2016

In general, the storage life of hardy kiwifruit (Actinidia arguta) is approximately one month, even in cold storage, which is a limiting factor for its commercialization due to the short marketing period. This short shelf life is in contrast to those of green kiwifruit (A. deliciosa, 6 to 8 months) and gold kiwifruit (A. chinensis, 4 to 6 months). To increase the storage life of hardy kiwifruit, we performed a cross between A. arguta (a local collection, 'Hy2-1', female) and A. deliciosa ('Matua', male) at Wando station at the Fruit Research Institute of JARES, Korea in 1999. After the first selection in 2006, we clonally propagated the hybrid plants by grafting them onto A. arguta seedlings in Gwangyang and Haenam province, Korea. We performed the final selection of this cultivar in 2012 and applied for plant protection rights from the Korea Forest Research Institute in 2013. Several experimental orchards have been established for commercial production. 'Mansu' begins to flower on May 20 in Gwangyang. The horticultural maturity date in 'Mansu', when the soluble solid content reaches $7^{\circ}Bx$, is October 15, whereas that of the control variety ('Chiak') is October 5. The average fruit size of 'Mansu' is approximately 15 g. The soluble solid content of 'Mansu' is approximately 16 to $17^{\circ}Bx$ after ripening. The total yield of mature 'Mansu' vines is estimated to be 2.2 to 2.5 tons per 10a. The fruit firmness of 'Mansu' exceeded 1.5 kg/5 mmØ until 70 days after storage (at 0 and $1^{\circ}C$). Therefore, 'Mansu' fruits have much longer storability than the control. The cultivation and production of 'Mansu' may extend the marketing period for hardy kiwifruit.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.9
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• pp.1532-1536
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• 2015

To investigate the memory-enhancing effect of lactic acid bacteria, we selected the probiotic mixture KF, which consisted of Lactobacillus plantarum KY1032 and Lactobacillus curvatus HY7601 (1 × 10¹¹ CFU/g of each strain), and investigated its antilipidemic and memoryenhancing effects in aged Fischer 344 rats. KF (1 × 10¹⁰ CFU/rat/day), which was administered orally once a day (6 days per week) for 8 weeks, significantly inhibited age-dependent increases of blood triglyceride and reductions of HDL cholesterol (p < 0.05). KF restored agereduced spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze task to 94.4% of that seen in young rats (p < 0.05). KF treatment slightly, but not significantly, shortened the escape latency daily for 4 days. Oral administration of KF restored age-suppressed doublecortin and brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in aged rats. Orally administered KF suppressed the expression of p16, p53, and cyclooxygenase-2, the phosphorylation of Akt and mTOR, and the activation of NF-κB in the hippocampus of the brain. These findings suggest that KF may ameliorate age-dependent memory deficit and lipidemia by inhibiting NF-κB activation.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.254-260
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• 2017

The primary goals of this research were to evaluate the impact of diet supplemented with 25-hydroxyvitamin $D_3$ ($Hy{\cdot}D(R)$) on sow's body condition and reproduction performance. A total of sixteen multiparous sows [(Landrace ${\times}$ Yorkshire), average parity = $3.79{\pm}0.32$] and their litters were randomly allotted to 2 treatments to give 8 replicates per treatment. Diet treatments were randomized to receive a non-active (ND) or active 25-hydroxyvitamin $D_3$ (AD) diet (0.36 mg cholecalciferol/g) during pregnancy. The results of this experiment were observed at the gestation of d 58 - 75, d 76 - 95, d 96 - 110, and d 111 - 115. A corn-soybean meal-based diet was formulated to meet or exceed the nutrient requirements recommended by NRC (2012). Results indicated that the sows' farrowing duration was shortened (4.71, 5.38 h), and the average number of mummified fetuses decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in AD treatment compared with ND treatment (0.1, 0.5) while birth weight was significantly (p < 0.05) improved (1.44, 1.18 kg). There were no significant effects on body weight, backfat thickness, and fecal score during the gestation of sows in different phases (p > 0.05). And the total birth, stillbirth, live birth, and survival rates of the litter did not change (p > 0.05). The results of this study suggest that the farrowing duration of sow pigs will be shortened and the number of mummies will be decreased while their litters' body weight may be improved, if fed active 25-hydroxyvitamin $D_3$ (0.36 mg/g) during pregnancy phase.