Journal of Applied Poultry Research最新文献

The poor quality and safety of poultry feed in developing countries pose significant concerns as they negatively impact poultry performance and present potential health risks to human consumers. Aflatoxicosis, resulting from postharvest contamination of feed ingredients by certain mold species, severely affects birds' overall health and productivity. To address these challenges, various feed additives have become increasingly important in poultry nutrition. Phytogenics, natural plant-derived products, have gained popularity for their ability to mitigate aflatoxicosis by their rich composition of bioactive compounds that offer beneficial effects on physiological and immunological functions. In light of the growing significance of aflatoxicosis in poultry nutrition, this review provides an overview of aflatoxins and their harmful effects on poultry health. It highlights the role of phytogenic compounds as growth and health stimulators, emphasizing their potential application in poultry nutrition. Furthermore, the review explores the antioxidant and immunological mechanisms through which phytogenics mitigate aflatoxicosis in poultry, including specific compounds and pathways involved. The findings reveal that aflatoxins induce inflammation, and oxidative stress in poultry, resulting in cellular damage and immune dysfunction. Phytogenics play a crucial role in ameliorating the harmful effects of aflatoxins in birds by countering aflatoxin-induced oxidative stress, reducing inflammation, and restoring gut health and immune functions. In conclusion, phytogenics offer an invaluable tool for the mitigation of aflatoxicosis in poultry and serve as potent natural and safe alternatives to antibiotics and synthetic antioxidants, promoting sustainable production practices.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a commercially available Bacillus-based direct fed microbial (DFM, Amnil®, United Animal Health, Sheridan, IN) on Pekin duck performance and welfare. The study consisted of 5 dietary treatments, each consisting of 10 replicate pens and 25 straight-run day-of-hatch ducks/pen. The treatments included a commercial-type basal diet (CON), or the basal diet supplemented with 125 ppm (A-125), or 250 ppm (A-250), or 500 ppm (A-500), or 750 ppm (A-750) DFM. On D 14 and 35 performance was evaluated. Gait scores (GS), footpad lesions (FPL), complete cell blood counts, nitrogen digestibility, and total plasma corticosterone levels (CORT) were measured at D 35. The average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) overall were higher in the CON than all other treatments. Body weights did not differ between treatments. The H/L Ratio and total plasma corticosterone levels for CON were higher than all of treatments. Nitrogen digestibility for CON was lower than all other treatments. Gait Scores and Footpad Lesion Scores did not differ between treatments. Utilization of the DFM at any inclusion rate improved feed efficiency, reduced stress susceptibility, and improved nitrogen digestibility. While gait scores, footpad scores, and body weights were not affected by supplementation, feeding this DFM to Pekin ducks can improve their performance and welfare.

The current study aimed to evaluate the internal quality of Israeli eggs, exploring the influence of various pre-laying factors, mainly the housing system type and flock size, on internal egg quality. The study used a stratified random sample of eighty flocks, representing Israel's layer population, categorized by housing system (cage/non-cage) and flock size (≤/>10,000). A total of 1,600 eggs were tested using Haugh unit (HU) measurements. Additional 2,800 eggs were used to monitor internal egg quality over a period of 28 days at storage temperatures of 20°C and 4°C. The housing system (cage/non-cage) had no effect on internal egg quality as measured by HU, but for caged farms, egg quality was higher in small flocks. Internal egg quality was primarily influenced by the layer flock age, with older hens producing larger but lower-quality eggs. Additional factors impacted internal egg quality, but to a lesser extent: Newcastle disease (ND) when diagnosed in a flock, lowered egg quality. Higher percentage of protein in the feed (above 17%) improved egg quality; and the Dekalb strain had a higher egg quality compared to the Hy-Line breed (with no significant difference found between the major breeds Lohmann and Hy-Line). Eggs kept at low storage temperature (4°C) maintained their quality, in comparison to eggs kept at room temperature (20°C). This research sheds light on factors affecting internal egg quality in the Israeli egg industry and highlights the importance of proper storage conditions to preserve egg quality for consumers.

The objective of this study was to determine the appropriate number of replicates to identify significant differences in carcass and cut yields in broiler chickens. At 42 d of age, a total of 480 broiler chickens were selected, weighed, and processed to obtain the hot carcass yield. Subsequently, after cooling, the cold carcass yield was determined. The cold carcass was dismembered into boneless and skinless breast, tenders, legs, and whole wings, which were individually weighed to obtain the cuts yield. The collected data underwent normality analysis and subsequent determination of descriptive statistics, as well as analysis of variance, in both cases to determine mean values, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation (CV). The required number of replicates to detect differences between means for different magnitudes was determined. The CVs obtained were stable, with the highest CV observed for tenders’ yield (11.34%) and the lowest for the hot carcass (2.35%). To achieve significant differences in both, cold and hot carcass, a minimum of 8 replicates is needed for 5% differences in 97% of experiments. For breast fillet characteristics, 10 replicates are required to detect a 10% difference in 99% of experiments. Due to higher variation, tenders yield necessitates at least 10 replicates to detect a 20% difference in 90% of cases. For wing yield, 8 replicates suffice for 94% accuracy when differences exceed 15%. Lastly, 10 replicates enable detection of 7.5% differences in leg variables in 95% of experiments. Effective experimental planning, based on the statistical power of the test, is essential for determining the requisite number of replicates. Researchers must prioritize the specific carcass characteristic relevant to their study and design the number of replicates, accordingly, ensuring more reliable and realistic results.

The study assessed the carcass characteristics and meat quality of spent laying ducks (Khaki Campbell hybrid ducks) compared to broiler ducks (Muscovy ducks), with a focus on their suitability for the meat market. Sixty carcasses of each breed underwent evaluation for carcass characteristics, pH₂₄, chemical composition, physical properties, and sensory characteristics. The findings showed that spent laying duck carcasses had lower weights and percentage cuts compared to broiler ducks, except for drumsticks, feet, backsides, neck and head, and remainders. Spent laying duck leg meat had higher moisture, fat, and pH₂₄ levels, while breasts contained more total non-essential amino acids, such as aspartic acid and glutamic acid. In contrast, broiler duck breast meat had higher protein, ash, soluble collagen, myoglobin content, total soluble protein, myofibrillar protein proportions, and total essential amino acids, particularly lysine and arginine. Broiler duck leg meat had the highest total collagen and stromal protein levels. In terms of physical properties, raw broiler duck breast meat and spent laying leg meat were more dark red in color. Cooked breast meat from both duck breeds was also darker than duck leg meat. Spent laying duck leg meat had the highest drip loss, while broiler duck leg meat had higher cooking loss and shear force but lower drip loss. Sensory evaluations indicated that both duck breeds' breasts and broiler duck legs received higher overall preference scores compared to spent laying duck leg meat. To enhance spent laying duck meat quality, particularly its water-holding capacity, further improvements and the development of value-added products are recommended to increase utilization in the meat market.

This study evaluated the effects of reducing total amino acid (AA) & crude protein (CP) level and supplementation of protease on egg production, egg quality, AA digestibility and economics of egg production in W-36 laying hens from 50-70 wk of age. Five hundred seventy-six Hy-Line W-36 hens were housed in 192 cages consisting of 12 reps of 2 side-by side cages containing 3 hens. Each replicate was fed one of 8 diets in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement of AA&CP levels (85, 90, 95, and 100% of the breeder recommendations) and protease (exclusion or inclusion). Protease was incorporated into the feed at the dosage recommended by the manufacturer, which is 60 grams per metric ton. Corn and soybean meal-based diets were formulated to meet 100% of the breeder's recommendations for the standardized ileal digestibility of Lys, Met, Thr, Trp, TSAA, Ile, and Val. Our study explored the effects of varying levels of AA&CP set at 85, 90, 95, and 100% of the recommendations for the ileal digestibility of Lys, Thr, Trp, TSAA, Ile, and Val, in diets with and without protease supplementation. All diets were supplemented with phytase at 500 phytase units/kg. Data were analyzed using PROC GLM of SAS 9.4 (2019) and the means were separated using Tukey's multiple comparison tests (P < 0.05). Overall, an interaction was observed between AA&CP level and protease supplementation on egg weight (EW; P = 0.003). The main effect of AA&CP level was observed on haugh unit (HU; P < 0.001) and feed cost (P < 0.001) where higher values were observed in 100 and 95% CP level diets as compared to 90 and 85% CP level diets. Similarly, a decrease in the AA&CP level increased the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of CP (P < 0.001), Lys (P < 0.001), Met (P < 0.001), Thr (P < 0.001), Trp (P < 0.001), Ile (P < 0.001), and Val (P < 0.001). Protease supplementation increased the AID of CP (P = 0.003), Lys (P = 0.001), Thr (P = 0.009), Ile (P < 0.001), and Val (P < 0.001). In conclusion, lower levels of AA&CP supplemented with protease did not negatively affect the egg production, albumen quality and the cost of production in low AA&CP corn and soybean meal-based diets in the Hy-Line W-36 laying hen.

The objective of this analysis was to quantify how changes in the protein content of soybean meal (SBM) impact the economic value and environmental impact of SBM used in U.S. poultry and swine diets. A recent study presented a framework to quantify SBM value in poultry and swine diets using digestible amino acids and energy as the primary determinants of end-user value. While improved SBM nutritional composition (higher digestible amino acids and energy) results in increased SBM market value, one aspect not well understood is how ingredient quality and composition impact the environmental assessment when formulating animal diets. This study demonstrated that the economic value of SBM in swine and poultry diets increases as SBM protein (amino acids and energy) increases and that this coincides with reduced dietary Green House Gas (GHG) emissions (gCO2e/kg). Least cost diet formulation was conducted on poultry and swine diets to estimate inclusion, diet cost, relative value of SBM, and GHG emissions for the calculated diets. Results show that for each 1% increase in SBM crude protein (CP) from 44.0% to 48.0%, SBM value increases over $19 per metric ton while reducing GHG emissions by 5.5% in poultry diets, and SBM value increases almost $16 per metric ton while reducing GHG emissions 4.8% in swine diets. Furthermore, increasing SBM CP content was confirmed to be favorable financially due to diet cost reductions in poultry and swine diets, with improvements in GHG emissions (gCO2e/kg), and estimated nitrogen excretion being unchanged across SBM CP.

Feedstuff variability negatively affects the poultry production chain. The nutritional value of soybean meal (SBM) is variable, especially among countries of origin. Complete nutrient analysis by traditional laboratory methods takes time, and not all this data is applied timely for feed formulation. The nutrient, energy, and digestibility information obtained with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) could be used to describe feedstuffs, improve feed formulation, potentially reduce feed costs, and enhance accuracy to meet nutrient target levels. Diets for broilers and laying hens were formulated using variability due to country of origin, harvest year, SBM and corn prices to demonstrate the effects of applying NIRS information on feed cost and SBM valuation. The nutritional data was obtained from the NIRS Precision Nutrition Evaluation (PNE) service (Adisseo) for all feedstuffs. Only SBM by origin (Argentina, Brazil, and the USA) harvested in 2 yr varied in 3 feeding phases for broilers and in 2 phases for white and brown laying hens. The 378 diets were formulated to meet recommended nutrient levels and be similar within each feeding phase. Feed prices were analyzed using a 3 × 2 × 3 × 3 factorial arrangement with SBM origin, harvest year, corn, and SBM prices as main factors in a mixed model where SBM origin was the only fixed effect. Almost all diets that included USA SBM were cheaper than using other sources. Therefore, USA SBM was the base for estimating relative and premium SBM values. This exercise demonstrated the economic value of segregating SBM by origin and utilizing NIRS to obtain nutritional information.

Considerable variability has been reported for soybean meal (SBM) nutrient and energy content and protein and amino acid (AA) digestibility. Furthermore, analytical variability among labs can introduce bias in feedstuff valuation. Energy values are typically estimated with prediction equations that may require digestibility values and nutrient contents that are not always available for every SBM batch. Adequate valuation of SBM nutrient value remains an issue. Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) can reduce analytical inconsistencies and aid with valuation. Direct NIRS calibration curves obtained with in vivo data can estimate ME and AA digestibility. We evaluated the effects of SBM origin and year of harvest on SBM nutrient, AME, AMEn, AA content, and digestibility using data estimated with the NIRS Precision Nutrition Evaluation (PNE) service (Adisseo). The database contained 77,478 SBM samples from Argentina, Brazil, and the United States (USA) scanned in nine countries between 2018 and 2021. Results confirmed that SBM varied by country of origin and year of harvest. Generally, Argentina had the lowest CP, EE, CF, Leu, Phe, His, and Arg, intermediate Lys, Ile, and energy values. Brazilian SBM had the highest CP, EE, CF, and Lys digestibility values but the lowest AME, AMEn, Lys, Met, Cys, and Trp per unit of CP. The USA SBM had the highest AME, AMEn, Lys, and Arg content per unit of CP, nutritional uniformity, and AA digestibility, similar to Argentina. The NIRS PNE service detected the variability caused by the origin and harvest year interaction on SBM nutrient and energy value.

The present study aimed to determine the effects of adding Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens to laying quail diets on performance, egg quality, and internal organ weights. We used 96 laying Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix Japonica) at 12 wk of age. The birds were divided into 3 treatment groups (32 quails per group), each divided into 8 replicates (4 quails per replicate). The research was carried out in 3 periods of 28 d each. We used 3 diets; the 1st group served as a control group, receiving only a basal diet. The 2nd and 3rd experimental groups received 0.1% (1×10⁹ CFU/g) B. megaterium and B. amyloliquefaciens as an addition to the basal diet, respectively. Adding B. megaterium and B. amyloliquefaciens did not influence the performance parameters statistically. Also, adding B. megaterium and B. amyloliquefaciens significantly (p < 0.05) impacted the albumen index, Haugh unit, and egg yolk compared to the control group. In contrast, the applied Bacillus species did not affect other egg quality parameter values. The addition of B. megaterium and B. amyloliquefaciens did not significantly influence body weight, heart weight, liver weight, gizzard weight, small intestine length, and cecum length among the slaughter parameters examined. Adding 0.1% (1 × 10⁹ CFU/g), of B. amyloliquefaciens to the laying quail diets can be used without causing a significant difference in performance, egg quality characteristics, and visceral weights compared to the control group.