• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.524-530
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• 2012

Laying hens were fed commercial diets added with supplemented fat (SFAT) at 0.6, 1.2, and 1.8% in order to study the long term dietary effects - on - their productive performance from 22 to 75 wk of age. Five hundred and seventy six Single Comb White Leghorn hens were assigned to one of the four dietary treatments. The experimental phase consisted of three periods of 18 wk each. The final body weight and gain of hens fed on diets with SFAT at 1.2% and 1.8% were lower (p<0.05) than those hens given no SFAT. The SFAT at the 1.2% and 1.8% levels improved egg production rate, egg weight and mass, as well as FCR. Mortality and feed consumption were not affected by dietary SFAT. Administration of a diet with SFAT significantly decreased the cracked-broken egg ratio (p<0.01). The beneficial effects of SFAT on egg production performance were particularly more pronounced at intermediate and later ages. Hence, SFAT by period interactions were significant for all traits studied except feed intake. Hens fed SFAT deposited significantly higher abdominal fat than those on the no-SFAT diet. As a result, SFAT at 1.2% and 1.8% inclusion levels provided benefits in terms of efficient table egg production.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.873-878
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• 2005

Emissions of nitrous oxide (N$_2$O) and methane (CH$_4$) from poultry enteric fermentation were investigated using a respiration chamber. Birds were placed in a respiration chamber for certain intervals during their growing period or for the whole life cycle. The accumulated gas inside the chamber was sampled and analyzed for N$_2$O and CH$_4$ production. A curve for gas production during a life cycle was fitted. The calculated area under the curve estimated the emission factor of poultry enteric fermentation on a life cycle basis (mg bird$^{-1}$ life cycle$^{-1}$). This method can be used to estimate CH$_4$ or N$_2$O emissions from different types of avian species taking into account factors such as diet, season or thermal effects. The CH$_4$/N$_2$O emission factors estimated for commercial broiler chickens, Taiwan country chickens and White Roman Geese were 15.87/0.03, 84.8/16.4 and 1,500/49 (mg bird$^{-1}$ life cycle$^{-1}$), respectively, while the calculated CH$_4$/N$_2$O emission from enteric fermentations were 3.03/0.006, 14.73/2.84 and 9.5/0.31 (Mg year$^{-1}$), respectively in Taiwan in the year of 2000. The described method is applicable to most poultry species and the reported emission factors were applicable to meat type poultry only.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.567-576
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• 2016

Poultry industry has always been a dynamic and integral part of national economies in many countries. Economic losses incur especially in large-scale rearing facilities, often attributed to the deterioration of environmental conditions, poultry exposure to stressors and development of diseases. While antibiotics have been commonly used for prophylactic purposes and as growth stimulants, extensive documentation of antimicrobial resistance among pathogenic bacteria due to indiscriminate utilization of antibiotic in the industry has led to public and governmental outcries. Elimination of antibiotics from poultry production has thus encouraged intensive search for alternatives. In this review, we discuss the immense potential of probiotics to fill the gap as alternative growth promoters and evidences of beneficial effects of probiotic application in poultry production.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.471-481
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• 2021

Objective: A comprehensive study was conducted to study the effects of partition of variance on accuracy of genetic parameters and genetic trends of economic traits in Vanaraja male line/project directorate-1 (PD-1) chicken. Methods: Variance component analysis utilizing restricted maximum likelihood animal model was carried out with five generations data to delineate the population status, direct additive, maternal genetic, permanent environmental effects, besides genetic trends and performance of economic traits in PD-1 chickens. Genetic trend was estimated by regression of the estimated average breeding values (BV) on generations. Results: The body weight (BW) and shank length (SL) varied significantly (p≤0.01) among the generations, hatches and sexes. The least squares mean of SL at six weeks, the primary trait was 77.44±0.05 mm. All the production traits, viz., BWs, age at sexual maturity, egg production (EP) and egg weight were significantly influenced by generation. Model four with additive, maternal permanent environmental and residual effects was the best model for juvenile growth traits, except for zero-day BW. The heritability estimates for BW and SL at six weeks (SL6) were 0.20±0.03 and 0.17±0.03, respectively. The BV of SL6 in the population increased linearly from 0.03 to 3.62 mm due to selection. Genetic trend was significant (p≤0.05) for SL6, BW6, and production traits. The average genetic gain of EP40 for each generation was significant (p≤0.05) with an average increase of 0.38 eggs per generation. The average inbreeding coefficient was 0.02 in PD-1 line. Conclusion: The population was in ideal condition with negligible inbreeding and the selection was quite effective with significant genetic gains in each generation for primary trait of selection. The animal model minimized the over-estimation of genetic parameters and improved the accuracy of the BV, thus enabling the breeder to select the suitable breeding strategy for genetic improvement.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 1985

To secure a higher percentage of fertility in hatching eggs and a higher percentage of hatchability of the fertile eggs should be of direct benefit to poultry breeder ana hatchery operators. This study was carried out to estimate the relationships of egg production and fertility in broiler breeder. The data analysed were the record of pullets (5 strains) of broiler breeder raised at Poultry Breeding Farm, Seoul National Univ. from 1982 to 1983. Since the purpose of the study was only to find out the relationships between egg Production and fertility, many other factors thought to be included in fertility were fixed as much as possible. The results were summarized as follows. 1. Mean figure of egg production rate and fertility from 30 weeks age to 60 Weeks of age to 60 weeks of age were 60.5-65.2 percent and 82.7-87.9 percent. 2. Correlation coefficients between egg Production rate and fertility were high and positive, except line K, and the coefficients have highly significant differences. 3. Regression coefficients of fertility on egg Production rate were 0.54-0.97, except line K. 4. Maximum fertility age estimated from the polynomial regression equation were 44-47 weeks. The results obtained in this study suggested that the selection of high performance strain in egg Production should improve the fertility.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.247-252
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• 2013

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of supplementing various concentrations (0, 100, 200, 300, or 400 ${\mu}g/kg$ diet) of organic Se on growth performance, carcass traits, oxidative stress, and immune responses in commercial broiler chickens reared in open-sided poultry house under tropical climatic conditions. Each diet was fed ad libitum to eight replicates consisting of six birds in each pen from 1 to 42 d of age. Body weight gain and feed efficiency, and relative weight of liver, abdominal fat and ready to cook yields were not affected (p>0.05) by organic Se supplementation to broiler diets. Lipid peroxidation in plasma decreased, while activities of glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase in plasma increased (p<0.01) linearly with Se concentration in diet. The ratios between heterophyls and lymphocytes and relative weight of lymphoid organs (bursa, spleen, and thymus), and antibody production to Newcastle disease vaccination were not affected (p>0.05) by Se supplementation to broiler diets. However, the cell-mediated immunity (lymphocyte proliferation ratio) increased (p<0.01) linearly with dietary Se concentration. The results of the present study indicate that the supplementation of Se did not influence body weight and feed efficiency. However, supplementation of Se increased antioxidant status and lymphocyte proliferation in broiler chickens.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.87-100
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• 2015

It is well known that dietary protein affects the growth performance and carcass composition of poultry. Over the last several decades, numerous studies have been carried out to investigate to optimize the level of dietary protein since the protein is an important and expensive constituent in poultry feed. It is generally accepted that dietary protein should represent a balance of amino acids supporting the requirements for growth and maintenance of birds. A protein with balanced essential amino acids that matches a bird's requirement and sufficient non-essential amino acid nitrogen to enable the synthesis of all of the non-essential amino acids, is referred to as an 'ideal protein'. Feeding of excess protein or amino acids may result in an amount of nitrogen emission. Most common method to reduce nitrogen emission is using diet formulation which has lower dietary crude protein level and higher concentration of amino acid supplements. However, there are conflicting reports whether low protein diets supplemented with synthetic amino acids can obtain the growth performance equal to high protein diets. Excessive nitrogen excretion caused by amino acid imbalance also may influence the environment of poultry house due to ammonia production from uric acid. These environmental conditions may increase the incidence of skin problem or respiratory diseases of chickens. Various strategies based on comprehensive understanding should be tested to optimize nitrogen utilization and reduce nitrogen emission while maintaining the performance in poultry production.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.668-677
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• 2024

Objective: The current experiment was performed to investigate the influence of different dietary levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) on productive performance, nutrient digestibility, blood parameters, immune response, caecal microbiota, and carcass characteristics of Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata) during 7 to 63 d of age. Methods: A total of 240 unsexed 7-d-old ducklings were distributed into five (treatment) groups; each one contained six replicates with eight ducklings each. Birds of the first group were fed basal diet without MOLM and served as control, while the other four groups were fed basal diet with 0.25%, 0.50%, 1.0%, and 2.0% MOLM inclusion level, respectively. Results: The obtained results revealed that including MOLM in the diets significantly improved body weight, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and economic efficiency compared with the control group. Among the different MOLM inclusion treatments, increasing MOLM inclusion level decreased (p<0.05) such previous parameters. Decreasing MOLM inclusion levels in duckling diets increased (p>0.05) the digestibility of organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, and nitrogen free extract, however all MOLM treatments were significantly higher than the control group. Results also revealed that feeding ducks lower MOLM inclusion levels (0.25% or 0.50%) improved blood parameters (p<0.05) compared with the higher inclusion levels (1.0% or 2.0% MOLM) and the control group. Ducks fed different MOLM levels had significantly higher phagocyte index and activity, immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, total antioxidant capacity, glutathione peroxidase activity, and superoxide dismutase activity compared with control group. Conclusion: Despite the beneficial effects of all MOLM treatments on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, physiological status, and immune response of duckling, the increasing MOLM inclusion level in the diet had deleterious effects on such studied traits, consequently 0.25% was the best MOLM inclusion level in duckling diets.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.723-731
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• 1992

Two similar experiments were designed to evaluate the interaction of dietary CP and ME levels on the production performance parameters at the age between 155 and 300 days in Starcross layers. In both experiments, the feed intake and mortality decreased but the egg weight, body weight gain and feed conversion efficiency increased as the dietary CP and ME levels increased. The CP intake was highest CP and lowest ME levels. With the increasing CP and decreasing ME levels, the ME intake decreased significantly (Experiments 1 & 2). The $CP{\times}ME$ interactions were significant only on mean egg weight and egg production in Experiment 2. In both the experiments, the CP levels were positively correlated with CP intake, egg weight, body weight gain and egg production and negative correlation with feed intake, mortality percentage and ME intake. The ME levels showed negative correlation with feed intake, protein intake, mortality percentages and positive correlation with all other parameters in both experiments. The highest values were noted for all the parameters (except mortality percentages) in Experiment 1 than that recorded in Experiment 2.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.249-254
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• 1994

An experiment was conducted to investigate the performance and production cost of Pekin ducklings fed varying levels of dietary protein. One hundred and twenty ducklings in four separate groups received either 16, 18, 20 or 22% CP in the starter period (day-old to 3rd week of age). These four groups ate either 12, 14, 16 or 18% CP respectively during the grower-finisher period (4th week to 12th week of age). The results of the study indicated that in a tropical country like Bangladesh, the protein needs of Pekin ducklings should be satisfied depending on the age at which the birds are to be marketed. If the ducklings are to be marketed at 6 weeks, 22/18% CP would be sufficient. When the marketing is aimed at 9 weeks of age, 20/16% would be adequate. For ducklings which are to be marketed at 12 weeks of age, a protein level of 18/14% would be required. All these results should help the producers to keep production cost to a minimum. The exceptional capacity of ducklings for compensatory growth would help keep birds on low protein levels if they are reared upto 9 or 12 weeks before marketing.