• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.274-276
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• 1997

The effects of cecectomy on nitrogen utilization and nitrogen excretion were examined in single comb white leghorn (SCWL) cockerels fed a 5% protein diet supplied with urea. The cecectomy tended to increase nitrogen balance and nitrogen utilization and significantly decreased uric acid excretion (p < 0.01). Urea and ammonia excretion tended to be about 60% increased and decreased by cecectomy in SCWL cockerels, respectively, but blood ammonia, urea and uric acid concentrations were not affected. The results are in good agreement with those obtained previously in cecum-ligated chickens. It is concluded that the improvement of nitrogen utilization and decreases in urinary uric acid excretion in cecectomized chickens do not result from the modification of cecal fermentation.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.249-253
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• 2002

A 2 ${\times}$ 2 factorial experiment was conducted to determine the effect of cecectomy and urea supplementation on nitrogen utilization In growing chicks. Birds were either cecectomized or shamoperated and fed a 19% protein diet with or without 1% urea supplementation. All chicks were provided ad libitum access to feed and water throughout the six-day experimental period. In the cecectomized chicks, fred efficiency was significantly decreased when fed a 19% protein diet supplemented with 1% urea (P<0.05). When chicks were fed a 19% protein diet, cecectomy significantly shortened gastrointestinal passage time (GPT) of food (P<0.05). However, the GPT was significantly lengthened in chicks fed a 19% protein diet supplemented with urea (P<0.05). Regardless of diets, cecectomized chicks increased the moisture contents of the excreta (P<0.05) and feeding a 1% dietary urea also significantly increased (P<0.05). Cecectomy significantly decreased uric acid N excretion by about 30 mg per 100 g body weight per day (P<0.05) and uric acid N/ total N excretion when fed both diets (P<0.05). The present study suggests that cecectomy improves nitrogen utilization rate by decreasing uric acid excretion in growing chicks. These results are in good agreement with those obtained previously in a cecectomy study of adult chickens.