• Animal Bioscience
• /
• v.36 no.6
• /
• pp.891-898
• /
• 2023

Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of crude oligosaccharide extract from coconut milk meal (CMM) and spent tea leaves (ST) on the performance and gut development of broiler chickens. Methods: A total of 240 one-day-old unsexed broiler chicks (ROSS 308) were raised on litter-floored pens and had ad libitum access to water for 42 days. The experiment was conducted on chicks fed with basal diet (CON), commercial mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS), crude oligosaccharide extract from CMM, and crude oligosaccharide extract from ST. The experimental diets were supplemented with 2 and 1 g/kg oligosaccharides during the starter and grower periods, respectively. Results: The body weight gain (BWG) of birds in the MOS group was higher than that of birds in the other groups (p<0.05) in the starter period. However, during the grower period, ST significantly improved the BWG compared to the MOS (p<0.05). MOS, CMM, and ST showed no influence on the carcass and visceral organ weight and the weight and length of intestine (p>0.05). The digestibility of gross energy was greater (p<0.05) in the CMM group than in the CON group during the grower period. Morphological changes were absent in the dietary treatments (p>0.05). Conclusion: The improvements in the growth performance were partly driven by nutrient digestibility of such oligosaccharides having prebiotic properties. This result can indicate that supplementing broiler diets with crude oligosaccharides from CMM and ST had no negative effect on the growth performance and gut development of broilers.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.313-320
• /
• 2022

Brazil is considered as a great broiler feet exporter, especially for the Chinese trade. Contact lesions at the tibiotarsal region are responsible for economic losses and there is no model for its classification, thereby this study presents a fast and practical grade system to be used in the poultry industry and proposes these lesion characterizations into three different grades. For this, correlation was made between macroscopic, histological findings and microbiological quantification (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp. and sulphite-reducing clostridia) from contact lesions in the tibiotarsal region of 112 broiler carcasses, divided in four groups (n=28), accordingly to the lesion's intensity. There were no significant differences in microbiological quantification among the groups (p>0.05) except for the grade 3 group, as grade 1 and 2 lesions were in the early stages and histopathological changes such as ulceration were not observed. In grade 3 lesion group, it was observed bacterial cocci grume and ulceration at the articular region and significantly higher microbiological count (p<0.05) for E. coli and Staphylococcus spp. In conclusion, the visual standard proposed in this work, correlated and confirmed by the histopathologic, and microbiologic characterization, allows to precise and fast ascertainment of the contact lesion grade in the tibiotarsal regions of broiler carcasses. Moreover, it should be highlighted that grades 1 and 2 alterations are not caused by an inflammatory process caused by pathogenic agents and should not be considered a public health risk.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.50 no.4
• /
• pp.603-616
• /
• 2023

This study was conducted to investigate the productivity, meat quality, blood variables, stress responses, and litter quality of broilers offered feed with different levels of Glycine (Gly) supplementation under heat stress condition. A total of 760 one-day-old Ross 308 broiler males were randomly assigned to one of the four dietary treatment groups: (1) basal diet (control; CON); (2) basal diet + Gly 0.1% (Gly 0.1%); (3) basal diet + Gly 0.2% (Gly 0.2%); and (4) basal diet + Gly 0.3% (Gly 0.3%). The environments for all the treatments groups were maintained according to broiler rearing guidelines from day 1 to day 21, and heat stress condition (32 ± 1℃, 60 ±5%) was created from day 22 to the end. The addition of Gly increased weight gain and affected feed intake (p < 0.05). Gly 0.1% group had higher pH and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) in the chicken meat and lower heterophil (HE)/lymphocyte (LY) ratio in the blood (p < 0.05). In particular, Gly 0.2% treatment group had lower serum corticosterone level (p < 0.05) than other groups. For jejunum morphology, the addition of Gly 0.2% significantly reduced the depth of the crypts (p < 0.05). However, the addition of Gly did not significantly affect litter quality (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the addition of glycine improved productivity and meat quality, alleviated heat stress, and improved intestinal function. Further studies are needed to determine the optimal level and mechanism of action of the additive when ingested.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.223-230
• /
• 2015

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary coconut oil as a medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) source on performance, carcass composition and serum lipids in male broilers. A total of 540, one-day-old, male Arbor Acres broilers were randomly allotted to 1 of 5 treatments with each treatment being applied to 6 replicates of 18 chicks. The basal diet (i.e., R0) was based on corn and soybean meal and was supplemented with 1.5% soybean oil during the starter phase (d 0 to 21) and 3.0% soybean oil during the grower phase (d 22 to 42). Four experimental diets were formulated by replacing 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100% of the soybean oil with coconut oil (i.e., R25, R50, R75, and R100). Soybean oil and coconut oil were used as sources of long-chain fatty acid and MCFA, respectively. The feeding trial showed that dietary coconut oil had no effect on weight gain, feed intake or feed conversion. On d 42, serum levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were linearly decreased as the coconut oil level increased (p<0.01). Lipoprotein lipase, hepatic lipase, and total lipase activities were linearly increased as the coconut oil level increased (p<0.01). Abdominal fat weight/eviscerated weight (p = 0.05), intermuscular fat width (p<0.01) and subcutaneous fat thickness (p<0.01) showed a significant quadratic relationship, with the lowest value at R75. These results indicated that replacement of 75% of the soybean oil in diets with coconut oil is the optimum level to reduce fat deposition and favorably affect lipid profiles without impairing performance in broilers.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.410-416
• /
• 2017

Objective: This study was to evaluate the sunflower cake and enzymatic complex fed to broilers from 22 to 42 d of age. Methods: In a completely randomized design, a total of 850 birds were allotted in a $2{\times}5$ factorial scheme (with and without enzymatic complex) and five inclusion levels (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%) of sunflower cake. There were 5 replications and 17 birds in each experimental unit. Data from performance, carcass yield and intestinal morphology were evaluated. Results: Feed intake, weight gain, final weight and feed:gain ratio linearly worsened as sunflower cake increased. For weight gain, final weight and feed:gain ratio, the birds whose diets contained levels of 15% and 20% of sunflower cake showed worse values (p<0.05) than the birds fed the control diet. When fed the enzymatic complex, birds improved (p<0.05) crypt depth and villus:crypt ratio in the jejunum. As inclusion levels of sunflower cake increased, villus depth and villus:crypt ratio in duodenum, jejunum and ileum linearly reduced and the crypt depth linearly increased. Carcass yield linearly reduced as sunflower cake increased. Conclusion: Based on performance, sunflower cake can be used up to 10% in broilers feeding from 21 to 42 days of age.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.56 no.1
• /
• pp.4.1-4.7
• /
• 2014

The effect of sodium and sodium salts on carcass and body organ characteristics of broilers under a four phase feeding program were investigated. A basal diet (0.08% dNa with NaCl) was formulated and one of two sources of dNa ($NaHCO_3$ and $Na_2SO_4$) were supplemented to obtain four different percentages of dNa (0.17, 0.26, 0.35, and 0.44%) for each treatment. There was a linear decrease in dressing percentage (DP) with source ${\times}$ level interaction ($p{\leq}0.001$), while there was a linear increase in breast yield and thigh yield with increasing dNa supplementation ($p{\leq}0.001$). Chicks fed 0.35% $NaHCO_3$ and 0.44% dNa $Na_2SO_4$ supplemental salts had lower abdominal fat ($p{\leq}0.04$). Chicks that received increasing levels of dNa (from 0.17 to 0.44%) showed increasing gizzard weight ($p{\leq}0.02$) and decreasing spleen weight ($p{\leq}0.02$). When both salts were supplemented at 0.26% dNa, the chicks showed their lowest bursa weight ($p{\leq}0.001$). Consequently, chicks at higher dNa showed an increase in breast and thigh meat yield, and increasing capacity of their digestive organ. The higher levels of dNa should be tested with other cations and anions to fully understand acid base homoeostasis.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.49 no.3
• /
• pp.547-560
• /
• 2022

The present study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of peanut shell extract on the growth performance and physiological properties of broiler chicks. Two diet energy levels (Positive and Negative) and four additives (0.0, 0.05, and 0.1% peanut shell extract and commercial antioxidant) were factorially arranged for eight treatments. The overall weight gain of the broilers was slightly improved at 0.05% for the antioxidant treatments regardless of the diet energy levels, but there was no statistical difference among the treatments (p > 0.05). The carcass characteristics of the broilers, such as cooking loss, crude protein content, antioxidant activity, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values, were improved by the feeding diets containing the 0.05% peanut shell extract. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the dietary supplementation of peanut shell extract did not have a negative effect on the immune responses of the broilers show by the lack of statistical differences in the liver and bursa Fabricious weight and cytokine level among the treatments. From the economic analysis, dietary supplementation of peanut shell extract significantly influenced the compensatory growth and food efficiency and, in turn, led to a decrease in the duration needed to reach 1.5 kg compared to the control. These results suggest the possibility that the peanut shell extract could be used as a functional feed additive by improving the growth performance and carcass characteristics with no detrimental effects on broilers.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.305-310
• /
• 2012

This work was carried out to investigate performance and carcass yield of large-type broilers at different stocking densities. Treatments were T1 (9.1 birds/$m^2$), T2 (10.3 birds/$m^2$) and T3 (11.5 birds/$m^2$) by the stocking density. Four hundred eight 1-day-old Arbor Acre broiler chicks were used for six weeks (starter, 0~1 wks; earlier, 1~3 wks; finisher, 3~6 wks) and divided into 3 treatments (4 replications/treatment, 30, 34 or 38 birds/replication). Research indexes were rearing viability ratio, body weight, body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, production efficiency factor and carcass ratio. Rearing viability ratio (%) was 89% or more for all treatments and there was no significant difference on weekly rearing viability ratio (%). Body weight of T2 was the greatest and that of T3 was the lowest at 1 weeks old (P<0.05). Body weight gain of T2 was the greatest and that of T3 was the lowest at 0~1 weeks old (P<0.05). However, body weight gain of T3 was the greatest and that of T1 was the lowest at 1~2 weeks old (P<0.05). Body weight gain of T2 was the greatest as 3,031 g among treatments at 0~6 weeks old (P<0.05). Feed intakes of T1, T2 and T3 were 1,417 g, 1,265 g and 1,355 g, respectively, and that of T1 was the greatest among treatments (P<0.05). There was no significant difference on body weight, body weight gain and feed intake. Feed conversion ratio of T1 was the greatest among treatments at 1~2 wks, 3~4 wks and 0~6 wks old (P<0.05). Production efficiency factors of T1, T2 and T3 were 363.5, 388.3 and 358.3, respectively, and there was no significant difference among treatments. Wing meat ratio of T1 was the higher compared to other treatments at the age of 4 wk (P<0.05). There was no significant difference on carcass ratio and partial meat ratio among treatments. Neck meat ratio of T2 was the lowest among treatments (P<0.05). This result may provide the standard data of different stocking densities for large-type broiler and the further research is needed.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.27-34
• /
• 1992

Seventy-five commercial male day-old broiler chicks were used to investigate the effects of Oxytetracycline(OTC) and Lonicera japonica Thunberg(LJT) to be active in anti-bacteria and anti-virus on the growth rate, carcass rate and various intestinal organs sizes in broiler at 3 wk of age. Five experimental diets were formulated to have similar protein and energy levels, with OTC 0.04％ as low-level antibiotics and OTC 0.34％ as high-level antibiotics and 0.5％, 1.0％, 3.0％ level of LJT. Birds were housed randomly in 15 battery cages. Birds were 3 replicates per treatment and 5 chicks per replicate. In the body gain, 0.5％ level of LJT addition grew significantly higher than the other birds. The feed intake and feed efficiency were not significantly between other birds. The addition levels in OTC and LJT did not any consistent effect on the carcass rate. However, the chest meat percentage vs carcass volume in LJT 0.5％ treatment and the leg meat percentage vs carcass volume in DTC 0.04％ addition level were significantly higher than those of birds fed other diets. The liver weight rate was significantly higher in OTC 0.04％ level. However, the 0％ and LJT levels did not exert any consistent effect on the weights of gizzard, heart, bursa of fabricius, head and spleen of broilers. The abdominal and gizzard surrounding fat content rate was higher in bird LJT 1.0％ level than birds fed other levels.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.29 no.5
• /
• pp.674-680
• /
• 2016

This study investigated the effects of feeds naturally contaminated with mycotoxins on growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, carcass traits, and splenic heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) mRNA expression levels in broiler chickens. The efficacy of yeast cell wall (YCW) adsorbent in preventing mycotoxicosis was also evaluated. Three hundred 1-d-old Arbor Acres broiler chicks were randomly allotted to 3 treatments in completely randomized design for 42 d. Each treatment group had 5 replicate pens with 20 birds. The treatments were as follows: i) basal diet (control), ii) naturally contaminated diet (NCD), and iii) NCD+0.2% YCW adsorbent (NCDD). The NCD decreased average daily gain (ADG) (p<0.01) of 0 to 21 d, 22 to 42 d, and 0 to 42 d, and increased feed conversion ratio (p<0.01) of 22 to 42 d and 0 to 42 d. Both the breast meat percentage and thigh meat percentage of the NCD group were significantly higher (p<0.01) than that of the control group on d 21. The NCD group showed significantly increased levels of triglycerides (p<0.05) and cholesterol (p<0.05) on both d 21 and d 42 compared to the control group. However, the NCD significantly reduced (p<0.01) the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) on d 42 compared to controls. Compared with the NCD, supplementation with YCW significantly improved (p<0.01) the ADG of 0 to 21 d and 0 to 42 d, and increased (p<0.01) concentrations of HDL on d 42, and on d 21, and triglycerides (p<0.05) on d 21 and d 42. Supplementation with YCW reduced (p<0.01) the breast meat percentage, the thigh meat percentage, the concentrations of cholesterol (p<0.01) and the low-density lipoprotein (p<0.05) on d 21, and improved (p<0.01) the splenic Hsp70 mRNA expression levels compared with the NCD group. The results of this study indicated that feeding NCD for 42 d had adverse effects on broiler chickens, and that YCW might be beneficial in counteracting the effects of mycotoxins.