• Title/Summary/Keyword: poultry feed

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Effect of Supplementing Betaine on Performance, Carcass Traits and Immune Responses in Broiler Chicken Fed Diets Containing Different Concentrations of Methionine

  • Rao, S.V. Rama;Raju, M.V.L.N.;Panda, A.K.;Saharia, Poonam;Sunder, G. Shyam
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.24 no.5
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    • pp.662-669
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    • 2011
  • An experiment was conducted with broiler (Cobb 400) male chicks (n = 480) to determine the effect of betaine (Bet) supplementation (0 and 800 mg/kg) to diets containing five concentrations (15, 18, 20, 22 and 24 g/kg crude protein, CP) of methionine (Met) in a $2{\times}5$ factorial study for performance, carcass traits, immune responses, and serum parameters. Each diet was fed ad libitum from 1 to 42 d of age to 8 replicates of 6 chicks. Birds were housed in battery brooders placed in an open-sided poultry shed. Body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion efficiency and slaughter variables were recorded at 21 and 42 d of age. Serum biochemical profile, antibody production against Newcastle disease (ND) and lymphocyte proliferation ratio (LPR) were analysed at 42 d of age. Supplementing Bet to diets containing sub-optimal concentrations of Met (15 g/kg) improved weight gain and breast yield at 21 d of age (p<0.01), and feed conversion efficiency at 42 d of age (p<0.05). Feed efficiency at 21 d of age, body weight gain at 42 d of age, slaughter variables except breast yield at 21 d of age and ND antibody titres were not affected (p>0.05) by the interaction. LPR increased (p<0.05) with Bet supplementation at 20 g Met/kg CP equal to those broilers fed 24 g Met without Bet. Bet supplementation enhanced the concentrations of protein, globulin and cholesterol in serum of broilers fed sub-optimal concentrations of Met. Results suggested that Bet supplementation (800 mg/kg diet) enhanced growth (21 d), feed conversion efficiency (42 d), breast yield and lymphocyte proliferation in broilers fed a diet containing 15 g Met/kg CP.

Biochemical and Histopathological Study of Aflatoxicosis on Ross 308 Broiler Chicks

  • Ko, Myung-Soon;Ahn, Meejung;Shin, Dong-Jin;Son, Youngho
    • Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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    • v.44 no.4
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    • pp.283-290
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    • 2017
  • Totally, one hundred and sixty 1-day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were fed with a diet containing 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg of aflatoxin $B_1(AFB_1)/kg$ of feed for 21 days. Body weight was lower for the $AFB_1$-treated broilers than for the control group. At 14 and 21 DPF, the broilers fed with 2.0 mg of $AFB_1/kg$ of feed weighed significantly lower than those of the other groups (p<0.05). Relative liver weights increased significantly in a dose-dependent manner, and relative spleen weights were significantly high in the chicks fed with 2.0 mg of $AFB_1/kg$ of feed at 21 DPF (p<0.001). Biochemical analyses showed that total protein and albumin levels decreased significantly at 7 and 14 DPF for the chicks of the group fed with 2.0 of mg $AFB_1/kg$ of feed, compared with those fed with 0.5 and 1.0 mg of $AFB_1/kg$ of feed (p<0.05). AST and ALT levels increased significantly at 14 and 21 DPF (p<0.05), and the AST levels, particularly, increased dose-dependently (p<0.05). Histopathological analyses showed that the liver tissues of the $AFB_1$-treated chicks showed significant lesions, including hemorrhage, hepatocyte necrosis, inflammatory cell infiltration, and fatty degeneration. The severity of both hepatocyte necrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration appeared to increase dose- and time-dependently. Similarly, hepatic fibrosis increased dose-dependently (p<0.05). The results of this study could improve our understanding of parameters used for evaluating aflatoxicosis in poultry.