Journal of Applied Poultry Research最新文献

The microbial water quality of poultry water supplies can be correlated to bird health, livability, overall performance, and human food safety. On-farm microbial evaluations were conducted to understand microbial hygiene of poultry waterlines based on water sanitation practices. With on-farm study I, 2 farms were selected: Farm A and Farm B; that did not practice water sanitation consistently during the flock grow-out period. Prevalence tests for specific pathogens- Salmonella, E coli, Campylobacter, Listeria, and Staphylococcus were performed for both farms by collecting swab samples post bird harvest from waterlines and plating in specific growth media. With the on-farm study II, 1 broiler farm with 4 barn units that treated water (Chlorine [Cl]= ∼ 1 ppm) during the flock grow-out period and flushed waterlines between flocks using concentrated chlorine solution (>1,000 ppm) was selected. Swab samples (1 from each barn, n = 4; each sampling occasion) were collected on 3 occasions-before flushing, after flushing, and at the end of the grow-out period (d 42) to understand biofilm growth nature in poultry waterlines. Additionally, a separate in-vitro study was conducted to understand the efficacy of a commonly used poultry drinking water sanitizer product (sodium hypochlorite, 8.25%) against specific foodborne pathogens: Salmonella Enteritidis (SE), E. coli and Listeria. Results from the on-farm study I showed that Farm A and Farm B were positive for Listeria and Staphylococcus, whereas these farms were found negative for other species tested. The findings from on-farm study II showed that biofilm reestablished (>4 log₁₀ cfu/mL) in waterlines by the end of grow-out cycle despite waterline cleaning and consistent water sanitation during flock grow-out period. The in-vitro test showed that the efficacy of chlorine-based water sanitizer at the field application dose rates was affected by pathogen load in water and pathogen types. The overall results from on-farm or in-vitro studies indicated that poultry growers need to emphasize consistent and robust poultry drinking water sanitation practice in their farms to keep the acceptable bacterial levels in poultry water supplies or water systems.

Identifying chick's sex as early and as accurately as possible is a vital task in chicken farming. The prominent methods are feather, color, and vent sexing, in 1-day old chicks, but these tasks require a skilled examiner. Alternatively, gonad inspection is also adopted, but it is more invasive and usually involves anesthetic and surgical procedures. To resolve their shortcomings, in ovo sex determination was recently proposed. Some techniques relied on analyzing biochemical contents (hormone) or spectroscopic patterns (feather pigment) in a developing embryo. The others need to precisely make a small hole on an eggshell, while keeping the inner membrane intact. Furthermore, advanced and costly equipment involved has impeded wider adoption in most smaller farm settings. To address both issues, this paper proposes a noninvasive in ovo sexing technique that focuses on the phenotypic differences. Particularly, chorioallantoic maturation and vascular anastomosis at days 10 and 12 of incubation were characterized and hence discerned between sexes. The appearance of embryologic vasculature was represented by the entropy of its multiband visual features, extracted from a candled egg. These features were then used to identify their sexes by a supervised classifier. The experiments showed that, as early as day 12, the method could predict embryo's sex from its candled image with accuracy, precision, recall, and balanced accuracy of 83.33, 84.62, 73.33, and 81.90%, respectively. Moreover, false discovery and false omission rates, which reflect practical errors, were 15.38 and 17.39%, respectively.

Although several studies have explored the influence of calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and exogenous phytase (EP) on growth performance and bone mineralization responses to dietary nonphytate P (nPP) levels in broilers, there remains a gap in meta-analytical research focusing on these factors under Eimeria or necrotic enteritis (NE) infections. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the relevant literature to shed light on this issue. We found that regardless of infection status, reducing Ca and nPP levels in broiler diets led to decreased body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI) and bone ash percentage. Eimeria vaccination reduced BWG and bone ash weight, whereas Eimeria infection severely impacted BWG, FI, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and bone ash weight. However, phytase supplementation increased BWG, bone ash percentage and ash weight. Notably, the efficacy of phytase on bone ash percentage and ash weight were compromised when broilers were infected with Eimeria or necrotic enteritis. Our findings suggest that Ca, nPP, phytase, and infection conditions significantly influence the growth performance and bone mineralization of broilers. The effects of phytase on bone ash weight and ash percentage vary depending on different infection status. Given the complexity of these interrelationships, further research is warranted to deepen our understanding of their combined effects on broiler growth and bone mineralization under Eimeria infections.

The ongoing industry trend towards less intensive management systems is of interest to table egg producers, with antibiotic usage and stocking density being of primary concern. The present trial evaluated the effect of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product and stocking density on hen production performance and egg quality. Eleven white egg layer strains were equally represented in cages at either high (471 cm² per bird, HD) or low (497 cm² per bird, LD) stocking densities. Hens were fed either a control diet (CN) or one supplemented with S. cerevisiae (Original XPC included at 0.68 kg/T, SC) from 17 to 41 wk on a commercially relevant scale (70 replicates for each of the 4 treatments and a total of 5,740 hens). Data were collected every 4 wk and analyzed in a 2 × 2 factorial design, with stocking density and diet being the main effects. Feed intake and egg production were increased in both the LD and SC groups. Improvements in egg size were also noted for SC hens, concurrent with a reduction in cracks, leaks, and vitelline elasticity. The combination of SC-LD resulted in improved hen day production, shorter time to 50% production, and increased percentage of large eggs. Overall, the main effects of SC and LD were associated with improved production performance, with larger egg size also being noted for the SC hens. The combination of SC and LD may benefit producers in achieving both production and egg size performance targets, providing an economic incentive to transition to alternative management systems.

Mushroom cultivation in the United States generates a considerable waste stream of inutile mushroom stumps. Stumps were dried and ground to create the current study's mushroom stump waste (MSW) product. This study aimed to determine the energy and amino acid profile of MSW and the optimal inclusion of MSW in broiler diets based on performance measurables and amino acid digestibility. The TME_n of MSW (1,173 kcal/kg) and proximate analysis results were used to formulate broiler diets containing 0% and 5% MSW which were blended to create experimental diets containing 1, 2, 3, and 4% MSW. Day 21 performance results indicate birds consuming 1% MSW improved LWG by 57.6 g per bird compared to birds fed 5% MSW. Birds fed 0, 2, 3 or 4% MSW were intermediate for LWG (P = 0.024). Broilers provided 1% MSW improved average body weight (BW) compared to those fed 4 or 5% MSW. Birds consuming 0, 2, or 3% were intermediate for BW (P = 0.026). Birds fed 1% MSW improved FCR by 0.105 compared to those fed 5% MSW. Broilers consuming 0, 2, 3 or 4% MSW were intermediate for FCR (P = 0.0002). Neither mortality nor feed intake were affected by MSW inclusion (P > 0.05). Although 16 of the 19 reported AA had reduced AIAAD when MSW was included (P < 0.05), amino acid digestibility coefficients were not affected by MSW inclusion (P > 0.05). These data support MSW inclusion in broiler diets up to 3% without detriment to performance or amino acid digestibility coefficients.

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of corn particle size (CPS) on turkey hen poult performance, intestinal permeability (IP), and litter dry matter. A total of 1,584 Hybrid turkey hen poults were raised in floor pens from 0 to 42 d. Poults were fed a crumbled starter 1 and pelleted starter 2 diet. The experiment was a 2 × 2 factorial with CPS in diet phase starter 1 (fine and coarse) and CPS in diet phase starter 2 (fine or coarse), resulting in 4 treatments of 18 replicates of 22 turkeys. Corn was ground using a hammermill with a 4.76 mm screen (581 µm; fine) or a 6.35 mm screen (964 µm; coarse). Pellet quality was determined using pellet durability index (PDI), modified pellet durability index (MPDI), and New Holmen Pellet Tester (NHPT). Body weight and feed intake were measured on D0 and D42. Feed conversion ratio was calculated from 0 to 42 d. Litter dry matter content and IP were measured on D42. Data were analyzed using JMP Pro 16.0 (P ≤ 0.05) and means were separated using Student's t test. Corn particle size did not impact starter 2 pellet quality (PDI, MPDI, and NHPT; P > 0.05). There were no interactions between dietary phase and CPS over 0 to 42 d. Overall, there was a CPS main effect over the starter 1 phase and hens fed coarse corn had decreased FI (P ≤ 0.01) and BW (P ≤ 0.01), however FCR was not affected (P > 0.05). Day 42 IP and litter dry matter content were not influenced by CPS in either diet phase (P > 0.05). These data indicate that coarse corn decreases both FI and BW of turkey hens when fed during starter 1, but had no effects on FCR, IP, and litter dry matter content when fed in starter 2. Although fine ground corn was needed to maximize performance in the starter 1 phase, coarse ground corn may be able to maintain turkey hen performance in the starter 2 phase while reducing milling costs.

Avian influenza viruses (AIV) of the H3N8 subtype pose a significant threat to both the poultry industry and public health. This study aimed to develop and validate a highly specific polyclonal antibody targeting the neuraminidase (NA) protein from a novel H3N8 AIV, which exhibits tri-basic hemagglutinin cleavage sites and shares genetic proximity to recent human isolates. The NA gene of H3N8 AIV was cloned and introduced into E. coli BL21 and Rosetta competent cells to induce the recombinant protein expression. Optimization procedures, including IPTG concentration, time, and temperature, were implemented to enhance protein expression efficiency. Polyclonal antibodies were generated and validated through western blotting, indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), and indirect ELISA. As a result, the pET-32a-NA (N8) vector was successfully constructed. The expression of recombinant NA protein with a size of approximately 70 KDa was obtained and then optimized with a final IPTG concentration of 0.6 mM, at 27°C for 14 h. Western blotting and IFA analysis demonstrated that the prepared polyclonal antibody effectively and specifically bound to NA(N8) protein. The titer of the polyclonal antibodies reached 1:409600 by indirect ELISA. These results indicate the potential of these antibodies for the development of detection assays and biological studies required for H3N8 AIVs.

Three experiments were conducted to determine the nutrient availability of extruded and fermented food waste (FW) and subsequent effects on growth performance of broilers. Dining hall food waste was either mixed with soybean meal (SBM) and extruded (CFW) or was fermented for 14 d to create a value-added product (FFW). One-day old male broilers (Ross 708 Byproduct Broiler, Sallisaw, OK) were used in 3 separate 21-d studies to determine AMEn (Exp. 1, n = 300) and apparent ileal digestibility (AID, Exp. 2, n = 240) of CFW and FFW, and their effects on growth performance (Exp. 3, n = 420). Treatments for Exp. 1 and 2 consisted of 1) CFW, 2) conventional SBM (CSBM), 3) extruded SBM (ESBM), 4) SBM + FFW (SFFW). A basal treatment was added to Exp. 1 as a control. Treatments for Exp. 3 consisted of 1) corn/SBM basal, 2) 10% CFW, 3) 30% CFW, 4) 1.5% FFW, 5) 5.5% FFW, 6) basal + commercial astaxanthin, and 7) basal + commercial antibiotic. There were 10 cages per treatment with 6 broilers per cage and balanced by body weight. Data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS vs. 9.4 (Cary, NC). The ESBM had a greater (P < 0.01) AMEn content than CSBM and SFFW whereas CFW was intermediate. Broilers fed CFW and CSBM had increased (P < 0.05) AID of indispensable amino acids compared to SFFW, except Met whereas ESBM was increased (P < 0.05) compared to SFFW with the exception of His, Met, and Try. Broilers fed 1.5% FFW had increased (P < 0.01) feed intake (FI) and BWG compared to those fed the control basal diet. Broilers fed the commercial astaxanthin or 30% CFW had poorer (P < 0.01) FCR compared to those fed the basal control. In conclusion, 2 different forms of food waste successfully served as a nutrient source for broilers. Composite food waste and SFFW had similar AMEn to CSBM while CFW had a similar AID of amino acids to CSBM. Including 30% of CFW reduced FCR of broilers; however, including 5.5% of SFFW increased FI and BWG.

Poultry coccidiosis is a catastrophic parasitic disease and the industry is currently seeking alternative compounds to replace conventional antibiotics. Accordingly, the current study determined the effect of dietary violacein supplementation on growth performance and anticoccidial indices of Eimeria-infected broiler chickens. A total of 336-day-old “Ross 308” broiler chicks were allotted to 6 treatments: that is, positive control (PC), negative control (NC), 1 treatment with salinomycin (6 ppm), and 3 treatments with different violacein concentrations (10, 15, 20 ppm). Experimental coccidiosis was induced in all chickens (except NC) by inoculating 3.2 × 10⁵ sporulated oocysts. The treatment with 15 ppm violacein (VIO 15) significantly improved chicken growth performance compared to PC. Furthermore, significant reductions in lesion score, oocyst per gram of feces (OPG), and oocysts index (OI) were observed in the VIO 15 and the salinomycin treatments compared to other treatments. Violacein was reported as ‘moderately effective’ on Eimeria spp. based on the “anticoccidial index (ACI),” whereas “reduction in lesion score (RLS)” and “percentage anticoccidial activity (POAA)” indices designated its 15 ppm treatment as “highly sensitive” on them. Additionally, VIO 15 downregulated “interleukin-8 (IL-8)” and “interleukin-6 (IL-6)” compared to PC, in both spleen and cecal tonsils. Besides, expression levels of “chemokine C–C motif ligand 2 (CCLi-2),” were reduced in cecal tonsils of VIO 15 broiler chickens compared to PC. Conclusively, dietary violacein supplementation suppressed the deleterious effects of coccidial infection in broiler chickens with improved growth, and its 15 ppm level is recommended for use.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of essential oils (garlic and cinnamon extracts) and betaine on growth performance and oocyst shedding of 42-day-old male broilers raised on used litter seeded with coccidia oocysts. Treatments included: negative control (NC) a nonsupplemented diet with broilers raised on fresh shavings, positive control (PC) the same nonsupplemented diet with broilers raised on used litter, the same diet formulation with 50 ppm of active salinomycin sodium (Bio-Cox 60;PC+Sal) raised on used litter, or the same diet formulation with 500 ppm of essential oils and 250 ppm of betaine (PC+EO+B) raised on used litter. The PC worsened performance (BW gain; BWG or mortality corrected FCR; FCRm) in comparison to NC and PC+Sal over 0 to 16 and 0 to 29 d (P ≤ 0.05) and 0 to 42 d (P ≤ 0.10). The PC+EO+B increased BWG relative to PC over 0 to 16 and 0 to 29 d (P ≤ 0.05) and from 0 to 42 d (P = 0.07). The PC+EO+B improved FCRm in comparison to PC over 0 to 16 and 0 to 42 d (P ≤ 0.05). The PC+EO+B was similar to NC and PC+Sal for BWG and FCRm across all time periods (P > 0.05). Oocyst counts were lowest in NC, highest in PC, and intermediate in PC+Sal and PC+EO+B for all periods. In conclusion, the reduced performance and increased oocyst shedding in the PC validate a mild coccidiosis infection and the combination of essential oils and betaine were able to ameliorate the negative effects.