No abstract

A study was conducted using 162 Bovans laying hens to investigate the impacts of extra dietary vitamin A (0, 8000, 16,000 IU/kg), selenium (0, 0.25, 0.50 mg/kg), and their combinations on the performance, egg quality, and blood biological parameters of laying hens during summer months. Supplemental vitamin A up to 16,000 IU/kg diet significantly (P < 0.05) improved all productive traits studied except feed intake which increased with 8000 IU/kg diet compared with control. Feed intake and feed conversion of hens fed diet supplemented with selenium revealed high statistical (P = 0.001) differences. All egg quality criteria were not significantly (P < 0.05) affected by dietary vitamin A except albumin percentage and Haugh units, since Haugh unit score was gradually increased with increasing vitamin A level. Vitamin A-enriched groups showed significant (P < 0.05 and 0.01) decreases in plasma albumen, total lipids, and total cholesterol in respect to the unsupplemented groups. Compared with unsupplemented groups, total protein, albumin, total lipid, and total cholesterol were increased in selenium-enriched groups. There were no significant impacts of selenium treatments in layer diets on thyroid hormones and liver enzymes studied except alanine transferase (ALT) and thyroxin (T), as compared with the control group. Hematological parameters were not affected by vitamin A treatment except PCV% which decreased with vitamin A supplementation. Hemoglobin and lymphocytes were increased with increasing dietary selenium level. In conclusion, the combined supplementary concentrations of vitamin A (16,000 IU/kg) and selenium (0.25 mg/kg) might be needed for better production and health of laying hens reared under heat stress conditions.

No abstract

No abstract

The present study was performed to evaluate the influence of low crude protein ( CP ) levels, zinc sources (organic as zinc methionine-Zn-Met and inorganic as zinc oxide-ZnO) and their interactions on growth performance, carcass traits, and blood components of growing Japanese quail. A total of 450 one-wk-old Japanese quail with the same body weights were randomly distributed into 9 groups of 50 birds. The 9-diet treatments comprised 3 levels of CP (20, 22, and 24%) and 3 Zn source (0 g of Zn/kg diet, 0.1 g ZnO/kg diet, and 0.1 g Zn-Met/kg diet). The results obtained from this study showed that there were no significant differences among the groups, except for differences in body weight ( BW ) and body weight gain ( BWG ) at 3 to 5 – and 1 to 5 wk of age for quail supplemented with 24% and 20% CP. All the studied biochemical parameters were significantly influenced by different levels of CP and Zn, except urea and creatinine, which were affected by CP levels only. In conclusion, dietary protein level for growing Japanese quails could be reduced to 20% without negative effects on their performance, carcass traits, and blood metabolites.

Fresh buffalo sausage was prepared with 3 % sodium alginate, 0.5 ' 7" sodium pyrophosphate or 3 % alginate + 0.5 76 sodium pyrophosphate and stuffed in natural mutton casing or alginate casing. All samples were stored at +4 "C and analysed.Addition of 3 :; alginate was more effective in protection of sausages from drying, increased markedly the water holding capacity (WHC), increased considerably the cooking yield of sausage and plasticity when compared with 0.5 % pyrophosphate samples. During storage at +4 "C the WHC of control and pyrophosphate sausages decreased while that of 3 % alginate samples was almost constant. Alginate casings lowered the rate of moisture loss during storage; in this case addition of pyrophosphate or alginate in the sausage emulsion seemed to be unnecessary.Alginate as used in the sausage emulsion did not raise the rate of total volatile nitrogen (T.V.N.) and thiobarbituric acid value (TBA value) increase during storage of sausage, while pyrophosphate reduced the rate of T.V.N. and TBA value increases.Incorporation of 0.5 % pyrophosphate with 3 "/o alginate was useful only for the decrease of T.V.N. and TBA value during storage.It is known that phycocolloids such as alginates possess the advantages of high water absorption ability and high viscosity even at low concentrations; being soluble in cold water. According to WYLIE [14] alginates could be used as thickening agent in meat products and as sausage casings. The texture of sausage was improved when 40 % of the meat was replaced with alginate fibers plus plasma protein isolateThe aim of this investigation was to study the effect of alginates on the chemical and physical properties of fresh buffalo sausage when compared with pyrophosphate. Alginate casings were also prepared and evaluated in comparison with the natural sausage casings.Fresh sausage was prepared using buffalo lean meat obtained from the hind quarter of females, 8 years old after 3 h of slaughter. Fat tissues were obtained from different parts of the same carcasses.

Effect of heat stress throught the first and second parities of NZW doe rabbits on some reproductive and physiological traits was evaluated. Fourty four parturitons (22 in each parity) were used in this study. Parturitions in each parity were divided into two main groups, each group of 11 ones. The first group was maintained at 21. 9±0.9 °С and 46.1±2.7 RH % (20.8 THI, comfort conditions) and served as a control (C) group. The second one was exposed for about 8 h. to cyclic ambient temperature of 37. 1±0.5 °С and 44.8±2.2 RH % (33.2 THI, severe heat stress conditions) from 13:00 to 21:00. Then, the temperature was lowered to the temperature in the rabbitry of control group from 21:00 to 13:00. Results obtained showed that high temperature cuased a significant increase (P<0.05 or 0.01) in respiration rate; rectal and skin temperature values (126.8 breaths/min., 39.6 and 38.5 ˚C, resp.) as compared with those maintained under comfort conditions (112.0, 38.5 and 38.2, resp.). Number of services per conception was increased while litter size significantly decreased (P<0.05 or 0.01) for heat stressed does compared with those of does kept in comfort conditions. Gestation period was not significantly affected by ambient temperature treatment. Number of services per conception of does at second parity were higher (P<0.01) than those at first one. Heat stressed does showed an acute decrease (-24 to -29 %) in milk yield compared to does reared in comfort conditions. High ambient temperature significantly decreased (P<0.01) hemoglobin concentration, red and white blood cell counts compared with those of does maintained under comfort conditions. Interaction effects between ambeint temperature and parity order on the studied parameters were mostly insignificant, however, differences among interaction groups were significant (P<0.05) only for number of services per conception and gestation period. Does at the second parity, which maintained in hot temperature had the highest value of number services per conception, while those of the first parity in comfort conditions were the lowest one. Most of the studied traits were correlated significantly by a valuable magnitude, especially the thermo-respiratory traits that negatively correlated with litter size and blood hematological traits and positively correlated with number of services per conception, while each of litter size and milk yield were positively correlated with blood hematological traits. Histological features showed that heat stress had a deleterious effect on the histological statues of ovaries and uteruses of rabbit does. These results indicate that high ambient temperature was of bad effects on most of the reproductive and physiological traits of rabbit does. Consequently, rabbit breeders must use the available methods to alleviate the heat stress on their animals during periods of hot conditions, particullary during summer months in Egypt.

No abstract