Two hundred and eighty eight of Sudani ducklings (144 from both males and females), 4-wks-old were used, weighed and divided into six experimental groups (three replicates each) for both sexes to investigate the effect of ducklings sex and dietary L-carnitine (LC) addition(0, 150, 300, 450, 600 and 750 mg/kg diet) in a factorial design (2 × 6) on growth performance, carcass traits and quality and blood constituents as well as economic efficiency under Egyptian summer conditions. Results indicated that, live body weight (LBW), body weight gain (BWG), feed consumption (FC) and production index (PI) were significantly (P≤0.01) higher for male ducklings than female, also, feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly (P≤0.05) improved during the whole experimental period (4-16 wks of age). However, dietary LC addition resulted in a significant (P≤0.01) improvement in BWG, FCR and PI during the experimental period than the control group. Abdominal fat and breast and thigh yield (%) were significantly higher for female than male ducklings. Eviscerated carcass and total edible parts (%) were significantly (P≤0.01) improved by supplementing different LC levels to the diet, while abdominal fat was significantly (P≤0.01) decreased. Breast yield (%) was significantly (P≤0.05) higher by feeding 450 mg LC/kg diet, only than the control, however, thigh yield (%) was significantly(P≤0.01) improved by feeding different LC levels except of 300 mg/kg. Furthermore, muscles ether extract (EE) content was significantly higher in both breast and thigh of female's ducklings than males, while crude protein (CP) was significantly decreased for female thigh muscles. Addition different LC levels to the diet resulted in a significant improvement of CP content for both breast and thigh muscles, while EE content was significantly decreased for them. Serum total cholesterol was significantly increased for female than male ducklings, whereas, both serum triglycerides and total cholesterol constituents were significantly decreased by supplementing different LC levels to the diet than the control. Supplementing different LC levels to the diet resulted in a significant increase in lymphocytes (L) cells (%), while heterophils (H) cells (%) and H/L ratio were significantly (P≤0.01) decreased than the control group. Net return and economic efficiency were significantly lowered for female ducklings than male, however, they significantly improved for ducklings fed different LC diets than those fed the control diet. These results indicated that dietary L-carnitine additionwith150 or 300 mg/kg could be maximize and improve the growth performance and carcass traits and quality as well as economic efficiency of Sudani ducklings especially males during growth period (4-16 wks of age) under Egyptian summer conditions.

This study was conducted to investigate effect of dietary different levels of crude fiber on productive performance and economic efficiency for growing Domiaty ducks from 6 to 18 weeks of age and subsequent effect during laying period. A total number of 117 local growing Domiaty ducks (90♀+27♂), 6 weeks old were weighed and divided into three dietary treatments on design as follow: control diet with 3.5 % crude fiber while the other treatments were given higher levels of dietary crude fiber (4.77 and 6.23%) as a result of usage different levels of olive cake (OK). The results illustrated that dietary different levels of CF had no significant effect on body weight and body weight gain at the end of growing period. The same manner, no significant influence of dietary feed conversion ration. The diet included 6.23% CF recorded significantly the highest value of ether extract digestibility, on the other hand, two levels of CF resulted in a significant improvement in digestibility of crude fiber (CF) as compared to the control diet. Ducks fed control diet recorded significantly lower value of organic matter (OM) digestibility than those received diet contained 4.77% CF. Nitrogen retention was significantly increased by the diet with 4.77 and 6.23% CF compared to the control diet. The dietary different levels of CF lead to significantly higher HDL and ratio HDL/LDL than control. The ducks fed diet contained 4.77% CF reached to sexual maturity (SM) at earlier age (145 days) than control group by 8 days which reached to SM at 153 days. The diet with 4.77% CF significantly improved egg number/duck as a subsequent effect compared to control diet. It is noted that total embryonic mortality was decreased as a result from the previous grower diet contained 4.77% CF by about 9.9% and there are improvement in hatchability of fertile eggs produced from ducks fed the same diet by about 2.26% compared to the control diet. It could be concluded that the grower Domiaty duck's diet which contained moderate levels of CF (4.77 and 6.23%) did not have any harmful impact on productive performance and the diet with 4.77% CF can be used to maximize productive, reproductive performance and economic efficiency as a subsequent impact during laying period.

A total of 261 Sudani ducks breeder (207 females and 54 drakes), 27-weeks old were used, weighed and divided into three experimental groups (each of three replicates) to investigate the effect of chamomile flower (Matericaria chamomilla L.) powder (CFP) addition at different levels (0, 1 and 3 g/kg diet) on productive performance, egg uniformity quality, hatchability and economic efficiency during the laying period. The results indicated that dietary CFP at level 1 g/kg significantly (P≤0.05) improved laying rate, egg number, egg mass, feed conversion ratio compared to the control group during the overall experimental period (27-39 weeks of age). In spite of, egg weight and egg uniformity, egg shape index, yolk index, haugh unit, yolk color score and hatchability percentage of fertile were not significantly affected by different levels of dietary CFP, while eggshell thickness was significantly increased. Feed consumption and fertile percentage of Sudani ducks were significantly decreased affected by levels of CFP. Economic efficiency was also improved for Sudani ducks fed diet supplemented with 1 g CFP/kg. From the obtained results, it could be concluded that dietary addition of 1 g CFP /kg for Sudani duck breeders during the laying period may be could improve productive performance, net revenue and the relative economical returns, besides reduce the feed consumption.

A 360-Sudani ducklings (180 ♂+ 180 ♀)-26 d-old, weighed and allocated for eight groups (four groups from each sex) to assess the impact of dietary Echinacea purpurea (EP) addition (0, 2.5, 5.0 and 7.50 g/kg diet) in a factorial design (4 × 2) on productive performance and economical efficiency during summer season. Results indicated that, all studied traits of growth performance were (P ≤ 0.01) higher for ducklings males than females through the studied period (26-110 day). However, dietary EP addition resulted in a significant (P≤0.01) improvement in body weight gain and feed efficiency during the whole studied period than control. Dietary EP addition (P≤0.01) enhance lymphocytes (L) cells (%), decrease in heterophils (H) cells (%) and H/L ratio than the control. Serum triglycerides was significantly increased for females than males ducklings, whereas, it significantly attenuated by EP supplementation comparing with control. Antioxidant enzymes activity were significantly enhanced by different EP addition, while MDA was significantly decreased comparing with control group.Abdominal fat (%) was significantly attenuated by EP addition than the control, but total edible parts (%) was (P≤0.01) higher with 5.00 and 7.50 g EP/kg addition. Economic efficiency significantly enhanced by feeding 2.50 g EP/ kg diet than the control and other EP groups. So that, dietary EP addition with 2.5 g/ kg could be maximize and improve the growth, carcass traits and economical efficiency of Sudani ducklings especially males during growth period under Egyptian summer conditions.

No abstract

This study was planned to evaluate varying dietary calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) levels effects on the productive performance of Sudani ducklings during the growth period. A total of 240 unsexed ducklings, 7 days-old were split into four empirical groups, each of three replicates (20 ducklings each). The ducklings in the 1 st up to the 4 th group fed diet contained Ca plus P levels as follows 0.70% Ca+0.35% P (T1), 0.85% Ca+0.40% P (T2, as a control), 1.0% Ca+0.45% P (T3) and 1.15% Ca+0.50% P (T4), respectively during the starter and grower periods. Ducklings in T4 group recorded a significant improvement of live body weight, body weight gain, and feed conversion ratio compared to the ducklings in T1 group at 7-91 days-old period. Both eviscerated carcass and total edible parts (%) were ameliorated (P>0.05) by increasing levels of Ca and P. All hematological parameters not significantly affected except for hemoglobin, which decreased by increasing levels of Ca and P. Serum Ca, P, vitamin D and alkaline phosphatase content for ducklings were not differed by varying Ca and P levels. Duckling's tibia calcium content significantly augmented by mounting Ca and P levels; however, their content from P not affected. From the obtained results, it could be concluded that the necessity to use the diet containing 1:1.15 Ca with 0.45: 0.50 P (%) to achieve the best growth characteristics and the ratio of edible parts, as well as tibia Ca content for Sudani ducklings during the growing period.

No abstract

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of the incubator system and broiler strain on broiler performance, carcass traits and economic evaluation. Total number of 900 hatchable eggs were distributed in a factorial arrangement 2×3 with 2 incubator system [multi stage (MS) and single stage (SS)] and three broiler strains [Cobb (CB), Avian (AV) and Indian River (IR)] totaling six groups with three replicates (50 eggs of each). After complete hatching, 180 unsexed broiler chicks one day-old were wing-banded, weighed individually and divided into at the same design into 18 floor pens according to their incubator system and strain. Live body weight, weight gain, feed consumption and feed conversion ratio were measured at 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 days of age. Carcass traits, blood plasma constituents and economic efficiency were recorded at the end of trial (day 35). The broiler chicks produced from (SS) had significantly differences in live body weight, weight gain, feed consumption and feed conversion ratio than those produced from (MS). The same trend was observed in (AV) strain for these traits than the other strains (CB) and (IR).Carcass traits and blood plasma constituents showed insignificant figures in most parameters. Blood parameters showed insignificant figures in most parameters. However AST activity and A/G ratio have significant difference (P≤0.05) for (AV) strain and their interaction with incubator system (SS) than the other groups. The incubator system (MS) had highest net return and economic efficiency compared with the incubator system (SS). While, Avian broilers strain had the highest net return, economic efficiency and performance indexes compared to Cobb and Indian River broiler chick strains. These results conclude that the incubator system (single stage) realize the best values of most productive performance traits, also Avian strain was recorded higher productive performance compared with as compared with Cobb and Indian River strains. The best economic efficiency and performance index were recorded for Avian broiler chicks strain which produced from incubator system (multi stage).