An experiment was conducted to study calcium appetite and dietary calcium level related to laying hen performance. The experiment consisted of three periods: pre-experimental, training, and experimental. A total of 80 commercial strain laying hens (58 weeks old) were divided into two groups. One group (20 birds) served as a control throughout the experiment and was fed 3.5% dietary calcium without a free-choice calcium supplement. The other 60 birds were randomly divided into 3 sets of 20 and were all fed 3.5% dietary calcium for a pre-experimental period (13 days) as an adaptation period to a new environment prior to a training period (5 weeks). Dietary calcium level was decreased by .5% each week through the 5th week (to 1% Ca) for all 60 hens during the training period. The birds were given access to a free-choice calcium supplement (calcium carbonate granules) during both the pre-experimental and training periods. This dietary regimen was used in an effort to allow all hens to adapt to a supplemental feeding program and be prepared or conditioned for sudden changes in dietary calcium level. At the end of the training period, the 3 sets of 20 hens were fed either 1, 3, or 5% dietary calcium and a free-choice calcium supplement for 6 weeks. As dietary calcium level was increased, there was a decrease in free-choice supplemental calcium intake; however, all birds (except controls) consumed very large amounts of calcium. The training procedure was successful: no hens rejected the supplement. Neither dietary calcium level nor total calcium intake affected feed intake.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

This experiment was conducted in the wooden canopy of the Department of Horticulture and Landscaping – College of Agriculture and the Marshes –University of Dhi Qar in the winter season 2020-2021 to study the bio-fertilizer with four concentrations (0, 500, 1000, 1500) g. seedlings and two varieties of fig plant (Black Diyala, Waziri) and the interaction between them. The results showed the superiority of the cultivar Waziri in the traits (the content of the roots of phosphorous and the content of the roots of potassium), which reached(0.4233 % , 1.1983 %  The concentration exceeded 1500 g. Shell-1 of the bio-fertilizer in the characteristics of (leaved content of phosphorous, content of leaves of potassium, content of roots of nitrogen, content of roots of phosphorus, content of roots of potassium) reached (0.545  %  ,   1.545  %  , 1.6867  %    , 1.5683 % , reached  1.4017  % ) compared to the comparison treatment and the concentration exceeded 1000 gm. Shela-1 in the nitrogen content of leaves  2.002  %  The results of the statistical analysis indicate the presence of significant interactions that differ according to the variety and the concentration of the bio-fertilizer.

Two experiments using 64-week-old Single Comb White Leghorn roosters were conducted to determine the meal response to an abrupt change in dietary energy or environmental temperature. In the first experiment, dietary energy level was changed from 200 kcal to either 250 or 150 kcal/75 g. In the second experiment, environmental temperature was changed from 22.2 C to either 13.3 or 30.0 C. Feeding behavior was recorded throughout both experiments. Meal size, meal frequency, and time spent eating a meal were measured. Roosters changed to high-energy or low-energy diets consumed low or high amounts of feed, respectively. Those fed the high-energy diet tended to decrease meal size and meal duration and to increase the number of meals. Roosters changed to the low-energy diet decreased meal size and meal duration and increased the number of meals eaten. The results tend to confirm the chemostatic mechanism in birds as food intake was related to energy in the diet. Roosters changed to high or low environmental temperature responded by decreasing or increasing their feed intake, respectively. Roosters changed to a high environmental temperature significantly decreased meal size, meal duration, and increased the number of meals. Those changed to a low environmental temperature significantly increased meal size and decreased meal frequency and meal duration.

No abstract