• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.541-551
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• 2012

The effects of dietary additives and holding time on resistance and resilience of broiler chickens to Clostridium perfringens challenge were investigated by offering four dietary treatments. These were a negative control (basal), a positive control (Zn-bacitracin) and two dietary additives, mannanoligosaccharides (MOS), and acidifier. Two holding times included (a) immediate access to feed and water post hatch (FED) and (b) access to both feed and water 48 h post hatch (HELD). Chicks fed Zn-bacitracin had no intestinal lesions attributed to necrotic enteritis (NE), whereas chicks fed both MOS or acidifier showed signs of NE related lesions. All dietary treatments were effective in reducing the numbers of C. perfringens in the ileum post challenge. The FED chicks had heavier body weight and numerically lower mortality. The FED chicks also showed stronger immune responses to NE challenge, showing enhanced (p<0.05) proliferation of T-cells. Early feeding of the MOS supplemented diet increased (p<0.05) IL-6 production. The relative bursa weight of the FED chicks was heavier at d 21 (p<0.05). All the additives increased the relative spleen weight of the HELD chicks at d 14 (p<0.05). The FED chicks had increased villus height and reduced crypt depth, and hence an increased villus/crypt ratio, especially in the jejunum at d 14 (p<0.05). The same was true for the HELD chicks given dietary additives (p<0.05). It may be concluded that the chicks with early access to dietary additives showed enhanced immune response and gut development, under C. perfringens challenge. The findings of this study shed light on managerial and nutritional strategies that could be used to prevent NE in the broiler industry without the use of in-feed antibiotics.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.295-300
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• 2004

In the breeding colony of black-tailed gull, as nests of conspecific neighbors are very closely located, chicks are permanently exposed by sound and visual stimuli produced by adult conspecifics approaching their nests. The chicks, therefore, may need to learn ways to appropriately respond to their parents approach. In this study we experimentally manipulated sensory stimulation that is potentially provided by the parents to the offspring. Chicks incubated in the laboratory were exposed to a mew call of the conspecific adult. Then they were tested in three situations differing in sensory stimulation: 1) visual stimulation only, 2) auditory stimulation only, and 3) Simultaneous visual and auditory stimulations. We observed occurrence of different response of the chicks, which were categorized into three behaviors (begging call response, chirirah call and pecking behavior). We also investigated intensity of the chicks call in response to the different stimulations and the degree of response with age. The chicks exposed to only auditory stimulation made significantly more chirirah calls. The intensities (dB) of the mew call and chicks chirirah call were directly correlated. On the other hand, when chicks just saw the stuffed adult gull, they responded significantly more with a begging call and pecking behavior. In the situation of costimulation, the chicks responded with a begging call and pecking, but less frequently than visual stimulation only. The results suggest that young black-tailed gulls use call repertories to properly respond to parents behavior. Such results suggest an evolutionary process for uncreasing their survival rate in a group breeding site.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 1998

Two experiment were conducted to evaluate the feeding value of probiotics for the broiler chicks. Basal diets based on corn and soybean meal with no supplemental probiotics contained 21% dietary crude protein for the first 3 weeks and 19% for the rest of two weeks. In experiment 1, 0.2 % probiotics containing 2X 10 6 cfu /ml of Saccharomyces cerevisiae(S), Clostridium butyricum(C), Lactobacillus acidophilus(L), Bacillus polyfermenticus(B) were respectively supplemented to control groups. Two hundred day-olo chicks were randomly assigned to five treatments which had four replicates of 10 chicks each per treatment. Weight gain, feed consurnption, feed conversion ratio (FCR) were weekly measured for 5 weeks. The number of intestinal microflora was examined at the end of experiment. In experiment 1, Weight gain and feed intake of chicks fed probiotics exhibited a significant response compared to those of control for the first three weeks(P<0.01). Weight gain of S or C treatments was higher than that of control for the rest of two weeks, whereas it was significantly lower in L and B treatments than S or C treatments (P<0.01). Chicks fed S or C was significantly increased weight gain(P <0.05) compared to that of control at five weeks of age. FCR of C treatment seemed to improve relative to other supplemental probiotics groups, but was not significantly different. The number of intestinal anaerobes and Lactobacillus in large intestine of chicks fed probiotics supplements was significantly decreased compared to control groups(P<0.01). In experiment 2, there were six treatments: Ti, control; T2, 0.2%S; T3, 0.2%S + 0.2%C; T4, 0.2%S + 0.2%L; T5, 0.2%S + 0.2%B; T6, 0.2%S + 0.1%C + o.i%L + 0.1%B. Control diet based on corn soybean meal contained 21% CP and 3,2OOca1 /g ME with no probiotics. There were four replicates of 10 chicks each per treatment. Weight gain of chicks fed probiotics tended to increase compared to control groups, but were not significantly different between them. FCR was also improved in probiotics treatments. However, there were no significant differences between probiotics supplementation and control groups. The results of these experiments indicated that dietary supplemental probiotics improved weight gain, feed efficiency for the first three weeks of young broiler chicks, whereas supplementation of C, L, B combined probiotics to young broiler chicks was not superior to those of single or two probiotics.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2021

We investigated the effects of breed, laying age, and egg storage period on the vitality of chicks using the Hwanggalsaek Jaeraejong, Korean Rhode Island Red, and Korean White Leghorn chicken breeds. Their eggs were collected during the early laying period (27~29 weeks) and late laying period (50~52 weeks) and were stored for 3 days, 7 days and 14 days. After the eggs hatched, the hatching time, production performance, and organ weight of chicks were investigated. IL-6 gene expression level and relative length of telomeres were analyzed to determine the physiological activity of the chicks. HSP gene expression level and heterophil to lymphocytes ratio were also analyzed to examine the degree of stress response in the chicks. The results showed that breed and laying age influenced the vitality of chicks, but the egg storage period did not. Korean Leghorn chicks were considered the weakest breed in terms of vitality owing to their low survival rate, small heart size, low physiological activity, and high stress response level. Although the survival rate of chicks produced in the early laying period was low, their high physiological activity and low stress response indicated that they had a high vitality than the chicks produced in the late laying period. In conclusion, to obtain chicks with high vitality, it would be desirable to select a high vitality breed and avoid the use of chicks produced in the late laying period.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.591-596
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• 2001

The chicks from 6 field broiler farms revealed peripheral neuropathy including leg weakness, curled toes and drooped wings. Grossly distinctive enlargements of sciatic nerve, branchial nerve and lumbar nerve were observed in the chicks. Histologically nerve lesions consisted of demyelination of myelin sheaths, Schwann cell proliferation and swelling, and interstitial edema in the peripheral nerves of all birds examined. Axonal swelling and infiltration of small lymphocytes were observed, but not a primary lesion. After treatment of riboflavin, neurological disorder was markedly recovered. From these results, it is suggested that the peripheral nerve lesions in these cases were caused by dietary riboflavin deficiency.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.1750-1757
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• 2000

A total of 864 broiler chicks were used at Kansas State University and the University of Nebraska to determine the effects of heat treatment of two soybean genotypes on the growth performance. The soybeans were Williams 82 variety with (+K) and without (-K) gene expression for the Kunitz trypsin inhibitor. Heat treatment (autoclaving at $121^{\circ}C$ and $1.1kg/cm^2$) was applied for 0, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 min, resulting in a $2{\times}6$ factorial arrangement of treatments. Station and station treatment effects occurred, indicating that response in nutritional value of the soybean genotypes to heat treatment varied from year to year and location to location. However, the interactions were in magnitude of response rather than direction of response, with greater reductions in trypsin inhibitor concentrations for the soybeans heat processed at the Nebraska location. Pooled data indicated that -K supported greater (p<0.001) ADG, ADFI and gain/feed than the +K genotype. As the length of heat treatment increased, the ADG, ADFI, and the gain/feed ratio increased for chicks fed both soybean genotypes (p<0.0001). However, heating the -K soybeans resulted in a greater response in ADG, ADFI, and gain/feed than heating the +K soybeans (genotype heat treatment interaction, p<0.001). Pancreatic weights (mg pancreas/g of BW) of chicks fed -K soybeans were reduced compared to those from chicks fed +K (p<0.001). Increasing heat treatment decreased pancreas weights in chicks fed both soybean genotypes (p<0.001). Chicks fed heated soybeans in the Nebraska experiment had lower pancreatic weights than chicks fed heated soybeans in the Kansas experiment (station heat treatment interaction, p<0.0001). Chick growth performance was improved and pancreatic weights decreased by feeding raw -K soybeans versus raw +K soybeans, and by increasing heat treatment of both soybean genotypes. However, the response to heat treatment was not independent of genotype. Both +K and -K soybeans heated for 24 min supported similar ADG, ADFI, gain/feed, and pancreas weights, although chicks fed raw +K soybeans had lower growth performance than chicks fed -K soybeans. In conclusion, raw -K soybeans supported greater growth performance in broiler chicks than raw +K soybeans, although this advantage was lost when both soybean genotypes were heated for 24 min. Heat treatment of +K soybeans supported similar growth performance to heated -K soybeans, even though +K soybeans supported lower rates and efficiencies of gain than -K soybeans when fed raw.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.247-254
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• 1992

In the experiment in which young chicks were fed the semisynthetic diet devoid of choline or the same diet with butanolamine supplementation, the weight gain was decreased significantly accompanied by the reduction of feed consumption in choline deficient chicks as compared to control chicks. However, the overall effects of choline deficiency on the relative liver weight, lipid contents of liver, and plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels were not observed, nor was the response to choline deficiency on the incorporation of $^{14}$ C-oleic acid into lipids in the liver microsomes. When hyperlipidemia was induced by estrogen treatment, the liver lipids, as well as relative liver weight, showed a tendency to be increased only in the chicks fed the semisynthetic diet devoid of choline with butanolamine supple-mentation. And the magnitude of elevation of VLDL lipids by estrogen treatment was the lowest in the above group. These results indicated that young chicks were not able to synthesize considerable choline for normal growth ; nevertheless, the release of VLDL by hepatocytes was performed normally. But it was also implied that there might be some problems of VLDL release under the condition of hyperlipidemia in chicks in choline deficiency accelerated by butanolamine supplementation.

• 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.15 no.2
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• pp.243-246
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• 2002

This experiment was conducted to study the effect of dietary propionic acid on inhibitory effect of Salmonella gallinarum. Day-old 144 broiler chicks were randomly distributed into four dietary treatments, three replicates per treatment. The four dietary treatments consisted of 0.0, 0.6, 1.2, and 1.8% dietary propionic acid. Chicks were challenged orally on three days of age with $10^6$ cfu Salmonella gallinarum. Sample of crop and cecal contents were obtained on Days 1, 8 and 15 post-inoculation. The pH of crop contents decreased significantly (p<0.01) for groups of chicks provided 1.2 and 1.8% propionic acid in the diet as compared with those provided 0.6% propionic acid and control group. The pH of cecal contents decreased significantly (p<0.01) for groups of chicks provided with 0.6, 1.2 and 1.8% of propionic acid as compared with control group. The number of Salmonella gallinarum positive culture in the crop and ceca of chicks, decreased significantly (p<0.01) from the groups provided with 0.6, 1.2 and 1.8% of propionic acid in the diet at day 1, 8 and 15 post-inoculation. The addition of 1.8% propionic acid in the diet provided a high level of protection against colonization than did 0.6 and 1.2%. These results indicate that the addition of propionic acid in a concentration of 1.2 or more to the diet of newly hatched chicks significantly decreases crop and cecal colonization by Salmonella gallinarum.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.1629-1634
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• 2008

A trial was conducted to determine the effect of low crude protein (CP) diets with constant metabolizable energy to crude protein (ME:CP) ratio on growth, body composition and nutrient utilization of broiler chicks from 1 to 26 days of age. Four dietary treatments having four levels of CP and ME as 23, 22, 21 and 20% and 3,036, 2,904, 2,772 and 2,640 kcal/kg, respectively, were formulated and a ME:CP ratio of 132 was maintained in all the diets. Digestible lysine was maintained at 1.10 of the diet. A total of 1,760 day-old Hubbard broiler chicks were randomly divided into 16 experimental units and each diet was offered to four experimental units at random. Feed intake was increased (p<0.05) while weight gain and feed conversion ratio were adversely affected (p<0.05) when the diets with low CP and ME were fed to broilers. Total protein intake and total ME intake were linearly decreased (p<0.05) and protein efficiency ratio and energy efficiency ratio were lower (p<0.05) than in the chicks fed dietary regimen with 22% CP and 2,904 kcal/kg ME. The whole body analysis of the birds revealed that chicks fed the lowest dietary regimens retained less (p<0.05) nitrogen and more ether extract than chicks fed the control diet, however, body dry matter, total body ash and fat free body protein were not affected. Similarly, protein and energy utilization were also unaffected by the dietary treatments. In summary, chicks fed low CP diets with constant ME:CP ratio grew slower, used feed less efficiently and retained less protein and more body fat than chicks fed the control diet.