• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1445-1454
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• 2010

Two separate animal trials were conducted to evaluate the coincidence of dry matter intake (DMI) and average daily gain (ADG) predicted by the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) and observed actually in crossbred growing bulls kept in a traditionally confined feeding system in China. In Trial 1, 45 growing Simmental${\times}$Mongolia crossbred F1 bulls were assigned to three treatments (T1-3) with 15 animals in each treatment. Trial 2 was conducted with 60 Limousin${\times}$Fuzhou crossbred F2 bulls allocated to 4 treatments (t1-4). All of the animals were confined in individual stalls. DMI and ADG for each bull were measured as a mean of each treatment. All of the data about animals, environment, management and feeds required by the CNCPS model were collected, and model predictions were generated for animals on each treatment. Subsequently, model-predicted DMI and ADG were compared with the actually recorded results. In the three treatments in Trial 1, 93.3, 80.0 and 73.3% of points fell within the range from -0.4 to 0.4 kg/d for DMI mean bias; similarly, in the four treatments in Trial 2, about 86.7, 73.3, 73.3 and 80.0% of points fell within the same range. These results indicate that the CNCPS model can accurately predict DMI of crossbred bulls in the traditionally confined feeding system in China. There were no significant differences between predicted and observed ADG for T1 (p = 0.06) and T2 (p = 0.09) in Trial 1, and for t1 (p = 0.07), t2 (p = 0.14) and t4 (p = 0.83) in Trial 2. However, significant differences between predicted and observed ADG values were observed for T3 in Trial 1 (p<0.01) and for t3 in Trial 2 (p = 0.04). By regression analysis, a statistically different value of intercept from zero for the regression equation of DMI (p<0.01) or an identical value of ADG (p = 0.06) were obtained, whereas the slopes were significantly different (p<0.01) from unity for both DMI and ADG. Additionally, small root mean square error (RMSE) values were obtained for the unbiased estimator of the two variances (DMI and ADG). Thus, the present results indicated that the CNCPS model can give acceptable estimates of DMI and ADG of crossbred growing bulls kept in a traditionally confined feeding system in China.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.1007-1014
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• 2019

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the fermentation characteristics under low mesophilic temperature of spent instant coffee ground (SICG) and to estimate the effect of fermented SICG (FSICG) as alternative feed ingredient on milk productivity of dairy cows. Methods: In the fermentation trial, fermentation of SICG was performed to investigate changes in characteristics using the microbial mixture (Lactobacillus plantarum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Bacillus subtilis = 1:1:1) for 21 days at $20^{\circ}C$ under anaerobic conditions. Molasses was added at 5% of dry mass. In the animal trial, eighteen Holstein Friesian cows were used to evaluate the nutritive value of the FSICG which was fermented for 14 days under the same condition as the fermentation trial. Results: In the fermentation trial, the dry matter (DM) and organic matter content linearly decreased with fermentation time (p<0.001 and p = 0.008, respectively). The acid detergent insoluble nitrogen content linearly decreased with fermentation time (p = 0.037). The microorganism counts linearly increased for Lactobacillus plantarum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Bacillus subtilis across fermentation time (p<0.001). In the animal trial, the DM intake of the control and FSICG treatment were not significantly different, as were milk yield, 4% fat corrected milk, fat-protein corrected milk, and feed to milk conversion content. Fat, protein, lactose, non-fat solids, milk urea nitrogen, and somatic cell counts were also not significantly different in milk composition between treatments. Conclusion: FSICG should be considered a sufficient substitute for cottonseed as a feed component, and 5% DM of a dietary FSICG level was appropriate for dairy cow diets.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.230-234
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• 2005

The purpose of this experiment was to study the effect of varying levels of tryptophan on the performance and carcass character of broiler. Trial 1: Ninety-six, five-week-old male Hubbard chickens, average weight 1.97 kg, were used in the trial. All birds were allocated into 3 treatments of 32 birds each. Each bird was kept in an individual cage. The trial period was 3 weeks. Treatment 1: Tryptophan content 0.198%. Treatment 2: Tryptophan content 0.228%. Treatment 3: Tryptophan content 0.258%. Trial 2: Ninety-six, three-week-old male Hubbard chickens, average weight 1.23 kg, were randomly distributed into the following two treatments. Each treatment had 48 birds. Treatment 1: Tryptophan content 0.167%. Treatment 2: Tryptophan content 0.198%. Trial 3: Ninety-six, twoweek-old Hubbard chickens, average body weight 0.72 kg, were used in this experiment. There were three treatments as follows. Treatment 1. Tryptophan content 0.136%. Treatment 2. Tryptophan content 0.167%. Treatment 3. Tryptophan content 0.198%. The result of Trial 1 showed that the feed intake, performance, and carcass characteristics were not influenced by tryptophan content in the diet which between 0.198% and 0.258% (p>0.05). There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in feed intake in either treatment in Trial 2. However, weight gain, feed conversion efficiency, and most carcass characteristics in the 0.198% treatment were significantly better (p<0.05) than in the 0.167% treatment. There was a trend that feed intake increased with increasing level of tryptophan, but there was no significant difference in Trial 3. The weight gain and feed conversion efficiency were significantly reduced for the broiler in the 0.136% treatment. This series of experiment showed that broilers need about 0.198% of tryptophan.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.201-207
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• 1998

One growth trial and one digestibility trial were conducted to evaluate the nutritional value of HP300, a commercially processed soybean meal product for weanling pigs. Dried whey, fish meal and/or full fat extruded soybeans (FFES) as well as portions of soybean meal (SBM) were replaced with HP300 in weanling pig diets. The objectives were to investigate the effects of HP300 on growth performance, digestibility, ileal amino acid digestibility and blood amino acid concentration in weanling pigs. One hundred and twenty crossbred $(Duroc{\times}Beijing\;Black{\times}Landrace)$ pigs weaned at 28 days of age were used in the growth trial. The pigs were randomly allocated to five treatments, with three pens per treatment and eight pigs per pen. The trial duration was 28 days. The control (CTRL) diet contained no HP300; in treatments 2, 3 and 4, dried whey and fish meal were replaced by 3.0%, 7.5% and 10.5% HP300; in treatment 5, full fat extruded soybeans were replaced by 10.5% HP300 plus soybean oil to attain the same metabolic energy content as FFES. Five T-cannulated barrows were used in a digestibility trial with a $5{\times}5$ Latin square design to determine nitrogen retention and amino acid ileal digestibility of HP300 used alone or mixed with other ingredients. The results indicated that replacement of dried whey, fish meal, full fat extruded soybeans and a part of the soybean meal with HP300 in piglet diets improved average daily gain and feed conversion ratio (p < 0.05). There was a trend toward improved DM, crude protein and amino acid ileal digestibilities and improved protein and amino acid ileal digestibilities and improved protein net availability with the use of HP300 in swine diets.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.1495-1500
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• 2003

Two bio-assays were conducted to evaluate turmeric root powder and mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) as alternatives to feed antibiotics for broilers. In one trial, one hundred and eighty 19-days old broilers assigned to 18 groups of 10 were fed on one of six experimental diets with three replicates during four weeks. The diets included a basal feed without additives and with either virginiamycin, MOS, or turmeric at 1, 2 and 3 g/kg, respectively. In the second trial, one hundred and forty four 21-days old broilers arranged in 16 groups of nine were fed on the first four diets with four replicates for a similar period. Virginiamycin, MOS and turmeric (1 g/kg) in the first trial generally improved the weight gain of broilers by 3.4, 6.2 and 5.3%, respectively. In the second trial they increased the weight gain significantly (p<0.05) by 8.8, 8.0 and 15.1%, respectively. Additives improved the feed efficiency up to 15.1% and carcass recovery up to 3.1% (p<0.05). Virginiamycin, MOS and turmeric (1 g/kg) markedly reduced the abdominal fat content from 1.91% BW in the control to 1.44, 0.97 and 1.2% BW, respectively, in the first trial. The corresponding values obtained in the second trial were 1.01, 0.55 and 0.6%, respectively as compared to 1.22% in the control group. All additives showed a remarkable inhibition of duodenal coliform bacteria, yeast and mould in the caecum, and all viable microbes in the ileum. A significant (p<0.05) improvement in energy and protein utilization could be recorded with supplemented diets except for high turmeric diets. Dietary 2 and 3 g/kg addition of turmeric reduced energy and protein utilization as well as fat deposition. Present results reveal that turmeric and MOS are satisfactory alternatives to antibiotics in broiler feeds. Both MOS and turmeric possess an antimicrobial effect in vivo. Turmeric may also depress fat deposition in broilers.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.1019-1023
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• 2001

An on-farm trial was conducted in temperature-controlled lactation rooms at a commercial pig farm to investigate the efficacy of broadcasting sow suckling grunts from day 4 of lactation, on increasing piglet growth to weaning. In the Broadcast treatment, sows and litters were exposed to a 3-min broadcast from loud-speakers every 42 min. The Control treatment was not exposed to the broadcast. All sows and litters had similar husbandry and piglets were provided with creep feed on the floor twice daily. In each of the three replicates in time, the Broadcast and Control treatments were allocated to different lactation rooms at random and there were 12 sows and litters per treatment per replicate. A total of four identical lactation rooms were available for the trial, each containing 28 conventional sow and litter crates with piglet heater in the creep area. A non-trial room separated the two treatment rooms in each replicate to minimise the chance that the broadcast grunt stimulation was audible to the Control treatment litters. Five "normal and average-looking" piglets from the trial litters were weighed twice, 7 d apart. The cohort of five piglets was identified by ear-tags and formed the experimental unit for the statistical analysis. The average (${\pm}SD$) age of piglets at initial weighing was 7.7(${\pm}2.22$) days. For each litter, mean piglet live weight at day 14 of lactation was estimated by linear regression of the two weights recorded seven days apart, when on average, the Broadcast treatment had been exposed to the stimulation for 10 days. Piglets in the Broadcast treatment were heavier (p<0.01) at day 14 of lactation compared to Control treatment (4.24 and 3.92 kg, respectively) and tended to have a greater average daily weight gain over the 7-d period (245 and 228 g/day, respectively; p<0.08). The results suggest piglet growth was improved by about 8% in response to the regular, timed broadcast of sow suckling grunts in the lactation shed. The independent contributions of milk and creep feed to the improved growth remain to be determined.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.1285-1289
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• 2000

This study investigated the lipogenesis capacity of hepatocytes and lipolysis rate of adipocytes of broilers as affected by different fatty acids (trial one) and different linoleic acid (C18:2) levels (trial two). Twenty 6-wk old broilers were used; their hepatocytes and adipocytes were isolated for the in vitro study. In trial one, four treatments were tested. The control group in which no fatty acid was added, and the test groups to which were added $300{\mu}M$ of C16:0, C18:1 and C18:2, respectively. For trial two, different levels (0, $300{\mu}M$ and 1 mM) of C18:2 combined to fatty acid-free bovine serum albumin (BSA) were added to the medium. According to results of trial one, added fatty acids significantly reduced the incorporation by hepatocytes of [U,$^{14}C$]glucose into total lipid (p<0.05); the lipogenesis capacity in C18:2 group was the lowest. Although a similar pattern was found with [l,$^{14}C$]acetate, the groups only slightly differed in terms of lipogenesis capacity (p=0.11). In addition, the C18:2 group had a significantly (p<0.05) greater lipolysis rate than the C16:0 and control groups. Results of trial two indicated that C18:2 significantly (p<0.05) reduced lipogenesis capacity both for [U,$^{14}C$]glucose and [l,$^{14}C$]acetate, and markedly stimulated the lipolysis rate (p<0.05), displaying a dose response. Results presented herein demonstrate that C18:2 can reduce lipogenesis capacity and stimulate the lipolysis rate in broilers.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1684-1688
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• 2007

This study examined the caponization effects on the muscle characteristics (quality and quantity) of caponized male chickens fed before or after sexual maturity. Healthy and uniform Single Comb White Leghorn chickens were caponized at 3-week-old. Feeding was conducted until 16-week-old in trial 1 or from 12-week-old to 26-week-old in trial 2. Ten sham operated male chickens (Sham) were also assigned to each trial as the control group. Chickens used in both trials were housed in individual cages with each chicken representing one replicate. The results showed that early caponization (3-week-old) significantly increased (p<0.05) body weight and pectoral major muscle weight and percentage at 16-week-old compared to the Sham in trial 1. Caponization significantly increased (p<0.05) the protein content of the pectoral major muscle, but decreased (p<0.05) the ash content. Late caponization (12-week-old) significantly decreased (p<0.05) the ash content, myofibrillar ATPase activity and emulsification capacity of the pectoral major muscle in mature capons (26-week-old) compared to the Sham in trial 2. Early caponization (3-week-old) only increased the weight and protein content of the pectoral major muscle with decreased ash content in 16-week-old capons. Late caponization (12-week-old) showed no affects on pectoral major muscle quantity, while it decreased the ATPase activity and enhanced the emulsification capacity in mature (26-week-old) capons. Hence, the muscle quality improvement was shown as capons were fed to sexual maturity.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.952-959
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• 2016

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of 11 active compounds of essential oils (ACEO) on rumen fermentation characteristics and methane production. Two trials were conducted. In trial 1, ACEO (eugenol, carvacrol, citral, limonene, 1,4-cineole, p-cymene, linalool, bornyl acetate, ${\alpha}$-pinene, and ${\beta}$-pinene) at a dose of $1,000{\mu}L/L$ were incubated for 24 h in diluted rumen fluid with a 70:30 forage:concentrate substrate (16.2% crude protein; 36.6% neutral detergent fiber). Three fistulated Holstein cows were used as donors of rumen fluid. The reduction in methane production was observed with nine ACEO (up to 86% reduction) compared with the control (p<0.05). Among these, only limonene, 1,4-cineole, bornyl acetate, and ${\alpha}$-pinene did not inhibit volatile fatty acid (VFA) production, and only bornyl acetate produced less methane per mol of VFA compared with the control (p<0.05). In a subsequent trial, the effects on rumen fermentation and methane production of two concentrations (500 and $2,000{\mu}L/L$) of bornyl acetate, the most promising ACEO from the first trial, were evaluated using the same in vitro incubation method that was used in the first trial. In trial 2, monensin was used as a positive control. Both doses of bornyl acetate decreased (p<0.05) methane production and did not inhibit VFA production. Positive effects of bornyl acetate on methane and VFA production were more pronounced than the effects of monensin. These results confirm the ability of bornyl acetate to decrease methane production, which may help to improve the efficiency of energy use in the rumen.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.75-82
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• 1995

Two digestion trials were conducted to investigate the effect of feeding heated soybean meal (HSBM) on ruminal and post-ruminal digestion of organic matter (OM) and nitrogen (N), bacterial N flow to the duodenum and N balance in young calves weaned at 6 weeks of age. In trial 1, calves were fed concentrate diets containing soybean meal (SBM) or HSBM and hay mixed in the ratio of 6:4 to support daily weight gain of 0.5 kg. The same concentrate diets were used in trial 2, but the ratio of concentrate to hay was 7:3 to support body weight gain of 0.7 kg/d. Measurements were made 10 and 13 weeks of age in trial 1, and at 10 and 15 weeks in trial 2. Ruminal OM digestibility increased with advancing age in both trials. Ruminal OM digestion was not affected by the diets in trial 1, but it was greater for the SBM diet than for the HSBM diet at 10 weeks in trial 2. Net N loss from the rumen was lover for the HSBM diet than for the SBM diet in trial 1, but it was not affected by the diets in trial 2. Bacterial N flow to the duodenum, N digestion in the total digestive tract and N retention were not affected by the diets in either of the trials.