• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.89-98
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• 1988

Three experiments were conducted to determine whether cobalt (Co) or nickel (Ni) could prevent zinc (Zn) deficiency signs in pigs fed a high calcium (Ca) corn-soybean diet. The basal diet contained 1.3% Ca, .93% phytic acid and means of 34 to 48 ppm Zn. After weanling, pigs in experiment I were fed the basal diet for 9 weeks, and was found that 50 ppm Co or Ni for 5 weeks increased average daily weight gain (ADG) and reversed skin lesions toward normal. These effects were similar to those of 100 ppm supplemental Zn. The Zn content and alkaline phosphatase activity of serum from pigs supplemented with Co or Ni were higher at 2 weeks and 4 weeks (P<.05) than those of the basal group. Zn content of bone, liver and kidney, and alkaline phosphatase activity in bone were increase after 5 weeks of supplementation with Co or Ni. In experiments 2 and 3, addition of 54 ppm and 27 ppm of either Co or Ni increased (P<.05) ADG and decreased incidence of skin lesions except in one group supplemented with 27 ppm Ni. Supplemental Co or Ni increased Zn in serum and alkaline phosphatase activity in serum and bone in both experiments. Over all experiments, supplemental Co or Ni decreased Zn deficiency signs in the following order of effectiveness: 54 ppm Co, 54 ppm Ni, 27 ppm Co and 27 ppm Ni. The alleviation of signs of Zn deficiency by Co or Ni may have been the result of increased availability of dietary Zn.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.81-88
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• 1988

Experiments were conducted with chicks and pigs to determine whether the sparing effects of cobalt (Co) or nickel (Ni) on zinc (Zn) nutrition were due to an improved Zn availability. They included a Zn balance study with New Hampshire X Leghorn cross chicks, a $^{65}Zn$ absorption study with Ancona chicks and a $^{65}Zn$ balance study with pigs. The basal diet was a corn-soybean type diet high in calcium. In the Zn balance study with New Hampshire X Leghorn cross chicks, Zn retention percentages for basal, + 54 ppm Ni or + 54 ppm Co were 39.4, 40.4 and 48.3, respectively. In the $^{65}Zn$ absorption study with chicks, adding these levels of Ni or Co to the basal diet increased $^{65}Zn$ absorption from 12.8% to 14.0% and 15.1%, respectively. Supplemental Ni and Co increased the proportion of body $^{65}Zn$ found in liver and bone. With the pig experiment, $^{65}Zn$ retention percentages for basal, +54 ppm Co and + 60 ppm Zn groups were 20.0, 26.7 and 12.2, respectively; while Zn retention values (mg) in the body were 29.5, 45.1 and 60.5, respectively. In addition, supplemental Co increased $^{65}Zn$ concentration in the blood, liver, kidney and duodenum. These studies showed that supplementation of the basal diet with Co resulted in increased absorption of dietary Zn in chicks and pigs. The effect of Ni in chicks was less than that of Co. The ability of supplemental Co and to a lesser extent of Ni to improve weight gain as well as reduce other Zn-deficient signs in both species fed a practical corn-soybean type diet high in in calcium can be explained, at least in part by an associated increase in Zn absorption. The possible mechanism involved in these effects are discussed.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.73-79
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• 1988

Experiments were conducted to determine whether supplemental cobalt (Co) or nickel (Ni) would prevent the signs of zinc (Zn) deficiency in chicks fed a high calcium (1.5%) corn-soybean diet and to examine the difference in $^{65}Zn$ absorption rates between inbred Ancona and crossbred New Hampshire X Single Comb White Leghorn chicks. In the initial experiment, the supplementation of 27 ppm Ni, 27 ppm Co or 54 ppm Co to a basal diet increased weight gain and reduced feather defects; 54 ppm Ni tended to increase weight gain but did not reduce feather defects. In further experiments, chicks fed the diet supplemented with 54 ppm Co usually showed increased weight gain and reduced feather defects; however, chicks fed a diet supplemented with 54 ppm Ni less frequently showed these effects. In another test, Ancona chicks fed a diet supplemented with 30 ppm Zn (except during a $^{65}Zn$ absorption study period) showed lower weight gain, more feather defects and less $^{65}Zn$ absorption than did New Hampshire X Leghorn cross chicks. Similar results were achieved with two strains of chicks fed the basal and 54 ppm Ni, 54 ppm Co or 60 ppm Zn supplemented diets. The sparing effects of Co on Zn which were commonly observed and the lesser effect of Ni or Zn were shown to be, at least in part, the result of increased availability of dietary Zn. That Ancona chicks required more Zn than New Hampshire cross chicks for the development of feathers and for growth is partly the result of decreased Zn absorption from the type of diets fed.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.671-674
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• 2002

This study investigated the use of multinutrient blocks (MNB) composed of 35% date syrup, 35% date syrup byproducts, 10% date fronds, 7% urea, 7% cement and 6% common salt for growing small ruminants, as partial substitute for the roughage component of the diet (Rhodes grass hay) and its effect on feedlot performance and economics of feeding. Eight growing local Omani goats and 8 sheep (each about one year old) were used in this study. Mean body weights for goats and sheep (kg), respectively were $21.1{\pm}4.5$ and $25.5{\pm}4.1$. The goats and sheep were subdivided into two sub-groups of more or less equal body weights for each species. Each sub-group in both species was either fed on 0.5 kg concentrate+ad libitum Rhodes grass hay or the same diet+restricted hay (about 0.2 kg/head/day) and ad libitum amount of MNB. Sheep significantly (p<0.05) consumed greater amounts of MNB ($36{\pm}17$g/head/day) than goats ($6{\pm}2.5$ g/head/day). Feeding of the MNB was effective in sparing about 40% of the roughage Rhodes grass hay for goats (from 240 to 140 g) and about 42% for sheep (from 252 to 146 g) or approximately 100 g/head/day for both goats and sheep. This reduction (or sparing) in the consumption of Rhodes grass hay was coupled by an improvement in daily liveweight gain (g/head/day) in both goats (from 29 to 46 by 58.6%) and sheep (from 26 to 39 by 50%) and also by an improvement in the feed conversion efficiency (g feed/g gain) of both goats (from 25 to 13.8 by 45%) and sheep (from 28.7 to 17.2 by 40%). Cost of daily consumed feeds as well as cost/kg gain (or cost of meat) were both reduced due to feeding of MNB. They were both respectively reduced by 7.5% (from 53 Baisa/day to 49) and 38% (from 1,828 Baisa/kg to 1,140). It was economically viable to feed MNBs containing date by-products and urea to small ruminants in the Sultanate of Oman.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.375-382
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• 2014

The competency of garlic and pennywort to improve broiler chicken growth and influence intestinal microbial communities and fatty acid composition of breast meat were studied. Two hundred forty, "day-old" chicks were randomly allocated to 4 treatment groups consisting of 6 replications of 10 chicks in each pen. The groups were assigned to receive treatment diets as follows: i) basal diet (control), ii) basal diet plus 0.5% garlic powder (GP), iii) basal diet plus 0.5% pennywort powder (PW) and iv) 0.002% virginiamycin (VM). Birds were killed at day 42 and intestinal samples were collected to assess for Lactobacillus and Escherichia coli. The pectoralis profundus from chicken breast samples was obtained from 10 birds from each treatment group on day 42 and frozen at $-20^{\circ}C$ for further analyses. Fatty acid profile of breast muscles was determined using gas liquid chromatography. Feed intake and weight gain of broilers fed with GP, PW, and VM were significantly higher (p<0.05) compared to control. Feeding chicks GP, PW, and VM significantly reduced Escherichia coli count (p<0.05) while Lactobacillus spp count were significantly higher (p<0.05) in the gut when compared to control group on day 42. Supplemented diet containing pennywort increased the C18:3n-3 fatty acid composition of chickens' breast muscle. Garlic and pennywort may be useful in modulating broiler guts as they control the enteropathogens that help to utilize feed efficiently. This subsequently enhances the growth performances of broiler chickens.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.23-28
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• 2016

The Fas (APO-1, TNFRSF6) gene known as a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily was selected for DNA marker development in Korean cattle. It is a cell membrane protein and mediates programmed cell death (apoptosis). We discovered single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within Fas gene in order to develop novel DNA markers related to economical traits at the genomic level. The sequences of whole exon and 1 kb range of both front and back of the gene were determined by direct-sequencing methods using 24 cattle. A total of 55 SNPs were discovered and we selected 31 common polymorphic sites considering their allele frequencies, haplotype-tagging status and linkage disequilibrium (LD) for genotyping in larger-scale subjects. The SNPs were confirmed genotype through the SNaPshot method (n = 274) and were examined for a possible genetic association between Fas polymorphisms and marbling score. So, the SNPs that were identified significant are g.30256G>C, g.31474C>A, g.31940A>G, and g.32982G>A. These results suggest that SNPs of Fas gene were associated with intramuscular fat content of meat quality traits in Korean cattle.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.549-554
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• 2016

The present study was conducted to investigate whether dietary essential oils could affect growth performance, relative organ weights, cecal microflora, immune responses and blood profiles of broiler chickens fed on diets containing different nutrient densities. A total of eight hundred-forty 1-d-old male broiler chicks were randomly allotted into twenty-eight pens (7 pens per treatment, 30 chicks per pen). There were four experimental diets containing two different nutrient densities and supplemented with or without essential oils. Experimental period lasted for 35 days. No clear interaction between nutrient density and essential oils on any of growth performance-related parameters was observed. Live body weights were affected (p<0.05) by nutrient density at 21 days and by dietary essential oils at 35 days. Essential oils significantly (p<0.05) increased daily body weight gain and feed conversion ratio during the periods of 22 to 35 and 1 to 35 days, but failed to affect feed intake during the entire experimental period. Daily weight gain at 1 to 21 days and feed intake at 1 to 21 and 1 to 35 days were significantly impaired (p<0.05) by nutrient density. There were significant treatment interactions (p<0.05) on relative weights of bursa of Fabricius and abdominal fat contents. Finally, either essential oil or nutrient density did not influence the relative percentages of breast and leg meats, the population of cecal microflora, blood parameters and antibody titers against Newcastle disease and infectious bronchitis in broiler chickens. It was concluded that dietary essential oils, independent to nutrient density, failed to stimulate feed intake, but increased growth performance in broiler chickens.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.1348-1354
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• 2008

Two inorganic (zinc sulfate and zinc oxide) and three organic (zinc acetate, zinc-methionine, and zinc-lysine) zinc sources were evaluated for their effects on the performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chicks. The birds were randomly assigned to one control (non-supplemented) and 15 treatment (supplemented) groups consisting of four replicates of 10 chicks each in a $5{\times}3$ factorial arrangement of treatments (five zinc sources and three supplemental zinc levels). Birds were kept in floor pens in a temperature-controlled room from 1 to 42 d of age and fed a non-supplemented basal diet (control) or the basal diet supplemented with 40, 80 or 120 mg/kg of Zn as mentioned sources. Dietary zinc source had considerable effect on feed intake in all experimental periods. Increasing Zn level from 80 to 120 mg/kg decreased the average feed intake in the growth stage (p<0.01) and also in the entire experimental period (p<0.001). Similarly, the average daily gain during the entire trial period was affected by the type of Zn source (p<0.001) and supplemental level (p<0.01). One degree of freedom contrast comparisons showed that the inclusion of organic zinc sources into the diets caused significant increases in feed intake and body gain when compared with inorganic counterparts. Except in wk 1, dietary supplementation with organic sources improved (p<0.05) feed conversion ratio; FCR values were not affected by dietary Zn source or supplementation level. Breast meat yield increased with supplemental levels of organic Zn sources; however, other carcass parameters were not affected by dietary Zn source. On the other hand, organic versus inorganic zinc supplementation caused a significant increase in liver, breast and carcass weight percentages. The present findings suggest that supplemental levels of organic Zn compounds had beneficial effects on broiler performance, and Zn requirements can be reduced using these feed supplements in poultry rations.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.784-788
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• 2008

Studies to detect genes responsible for economic traits in farm animals have been performed using parametric linear models. A non-parametric, model-free approach using the 'expanded multifactor-dimensionality reduction (MDR) method' considering high dimensionalities of interaction effects between multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), was applied to identify interaction effects of SNPs responsible for carcass traits in a Hanwoo beef cattle population. Data were obtained from the Hanwoo Improvement Center, National Agricultural Cooperation Federation, Korea, and comprised 299 steers from 16 paternal half-sib proven sires that were delivered in Namwon or Daegwanryong livestock testing stations between spring of 2002 and fall of 2003. For each steer at approximately 722 days of age, the Longssimus dorsi muscle area (LMA) was measured after slaughter. Three functional SNPs (19_1, 18_4, 28_2) near the microsatellite marker ILSTS035 on BTA6, around which the QTL for meat quality were previously detected, were assessed. Application of the expanded MDR method revealed the best model with an interaction effect between the SNPs 19_1 and 28_2, while only one main effect of SNP19_1 was statistically significant for LMA (p<0.01) under a general linear mixed model. Our results suggest that the expanded MDR method better identifies interaction effects between multiple genes that are related to polygenic traits, and that the method is an alternative to the current model choices to find associations of multiple functional SNPs and/or their interaction effects with economic traits in livestock populations.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.590-600
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• 2005

The present report has been aimed at reviewing important factors which need to be closely analyzed or considered when increasing the market weight of finishing pigs. The pig market weight has increased worldwide during the past few decades, which is attributable primarily to an increased lean gain potential of finishing pigs. To increase the market weight, however, the acceptability of larger pigs by the packer as well as pork consumers should be met first. By increasing the market weight, total number of breeding stock, as well as the facility for them, necessary for producing a given weight of pork can be reduced, whereas more building space for finishing pigs and an additional nutrition program for the later finishing period are needed. Additionally, a more thorough disease prevention program especially against ileitis and mycoplasma pneumonia may also be needed, because outbreaks of these are known to increase with increasing body weight over 110 kg. Some larger finishing pigs may deposit excessive fat that may be reduced or prevented by using hormonal and/or nutritional agents. Backfat thickness increases linearly with increasing body weight between 110 and 130 kg, whereas intramuscular fat content does not change significantly. With increasing live weight within this range, the ratios of belly and loin to carcass weight also are known to increase. Some physicochemical characteristics related to fresh and cooked meat quality including color, firmness, juiciness, etc. are known to be unaffected or slightly changed following an increase of slaughter weight. In conclusion, ratios of primal cuts and pork quality characteristics are not significantly affected by increasing the market weight. Moreover, increasing the market weight of lean-type pigs approximately up to 130 kg is normally profitable to producers, as long as packers and consumers accept larger pigs.