Compounds such as pigments, antioxidants, and pro-vitamins A are found in carrots and beetroots and could increase the nutritional value of eggs when added to diets for laying hens. This research evaluated retinol concentrations and egg yolk colour with addition of freeze-dried carrot (Daucus carota L.) and beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) meal in the diets of 240 Hisex Brown laying hens. The hens were distributed in a completely randomized design in five groups according to five experimental diets: (1) maize and soybean meal; (2) sorghum and soybean meal; (3) sorghum and soybean meal plus 0.8% of freeze-dried carrot meal; (4) sorghum and soybean meal plus 0.8% of freeze-dried beetroot meal; (5) sorghum and soybean meal plus 0.4% of freeze-dried carrot meal and 0.4% freeze-dried beetroot meal. The diet containing maize and soybean meal resulted in a more intense egg yolk colour and higher retinol levels in comparison to other diets (P < 0.05). However, carrot meal increased egg yolk colour and beetroot meal increased egg yolk retinol concentration in comparison to sorghum and soybean meal diets (P < 0.05). The inclusion of 0.8% of the carrot and beetroot meal in the diet is not enough to reach the intensity of yolk colour and yolk retinol concentration obtained through the diet containing maize, however, it increases retinol level and yolk colour in comparison to the diet containing sorghum without carrot and beetroot meal.

The objective of the present research was to study the incidence of broiler carcass condemnations over eleven years and identify the productive phase that causes greater loss in slaughter process. The origin of these condemnations was determined before and after fasting. Evaluated broilers were reared in positive pressure warehouses and slaughtered between 28 and 34 days old with carcass weight ranging from 0.7 to 1.4 kg. Fasting occurred, on average, 9 h before the slaughter. Condemnation and slaughter data were collected from 2004 to 2014 in a slaughterhouse with slaughter capacity of 120,000 broilers/day. The causes of rearing condemnations were airsaccullitis, arthritis, abscess, ascites, cachexia, cellulitis, colibacillosis, dermatosis, salpingitis, hemorrhagic syndrome, and neoplasia; and the causes of pre-slaughter and slaughter condemnations were bruising, fracture, inadequate bleeding, excessive scaling, contamination, dehydration, death at the platform, disgusting appearance, and delayed evisceration. The mean values of total and partial condemnations per year, occurrence and proportion of condemnations index (OCI) for every thousand broilers slaughtered, and rates of pre and post-fasting condemnations were calculated. Condemnations rates (%) and OCI were higher after fasting; partial and total contamination stood out, with a frequency of 77% and 30%, respectively, after fasting. Long fasting, uneven lots or unbalanced equipment may cause extravasation of the gastrointestinal contents and contaminate broiler carcasses. Practices such as monitoring fasting and equipment adjustment to broiler carcass size may reduce carcass condemnation incidence.

Diets for feedlot cattle must be a higher energy density, entailing high fermentable carbohydrate content. Feed additives are needed to reduce possible metabolic disorders. This study aimed to analyze the post-rumen effects of different levels of starch (25%, 35%, and 45%) and additives (monensin or a blend of essential oils and exogenous α-amylase) in diets for Nellore feedlot cattle. The cecum tissue proteome was analyzed via two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and then differentially expressed protein spots were identified with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The use of blends of essential oils associated with α-amylase as a feed additive promoted the upregulation of enzymes such as triosephosphate isomerase, phosphoglycerate mutase, alpha-enolase, beta-enolase, fructose-bisphosphate aldolase, pyruvate kinase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), l-lactate dehydrogenase B, l-lactate dehydrogenase A chain, l-lactate dehydrogenase, and ATP synthase subunit beta, which promote the degradation of carbohydrates in the glycolysis and gluconeogenesis pathways and oxidative phosphorylation, support pyruvate metabolism through the synthesis of lactate from pyruvate, and participate in the electron transport chain, producing ATP from ADP in the presence of a proton gradient across the membrane. The absence of proteins related to inflammation processes (leukocyte elastase inhibitors) in the cecum tissues of animals fed essential oils and amylase may be because feed enzymes can remain active in the intestine and aid in the digestion of nutrients that escape rumen fermentation; conversely, the effect of monensin is more evident in the rumen and less than 10% results in post-ruminal action, corroborating the hypothesis that ionophore antibiotics have a limited effect on the microbiota and intestinal fermentation of ruminants. However, the increase in starch in these diets promoted a downregulation of enzymes linked to carbohydrate degradation, probably caused by damage to the cecum epithelium due to increased responses linked to inflammatory injuries.

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RESUMO: Objetivou-se com este trabalho estimar a exigência nutricional de sódio (Na) para poedeiras semipesadas criadas em clima quente, após o pico de postura. Foram utilizadas 120 galinhas da linhagem Hisex Brown, com 48 semanas de idade. As aves foram distribuídas em delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado, com cinco tratamentos, seis repetições e quatro aves por unidade experimental. As rações experimentais foram formuladas a base de milho e farelo de soja e os tratamentos foram constituídos por cinco níveis de sódio (0,12; 0,17; 0,22; 0,27 e 0,32%) derivados do sal comum. Foram avaliados: consumo de ração (g), produção de ovos (%), peso dos ovos (g), massa de ovos (g), conversão alimentar por massa (kg/kg) e por dúzia (kg/dz) de ovos, gravidade específica (g/cm 3 ), espessura de casca (mm), elementos dos ovos, tais como, gema (g e %), albúmen (g e %) e casca (g e %), viabilidade (%) e variação do peso corporal (g) das aves. Não foi verificado efeito (P>0,05) dos níveis de sódio sobre o peso da gema (g) e porcentagem de albúmen. Houve efeito linear (P<0,01) decrescente para o consumo de ração, diminuindo o consumo à medida que aumentou o nível de sódio na ração. Verificou-se efeito quadrático (P<0,01) para a produção de ovos, peso dos ovos, conversão alimentar por massa e dúzia de ovos, pesos de albúmen e casca, gravidade específica, espessura de casca e porcentagem de casca e gema (P<0,05). Os níveis de sódio analisados influenciaram os componentes dos ovos e o desempenho zootécnico das aves acima de 0,27%, negativamente. Recomenda-se a inclusão de 0,20% de sódio na ração de poedeiras semipesadas criadas em clima quente, após o pico de postura, para proporcionar melhor qualidade dos ovos e desempenho produtivo.Palavras-chave: gallus gallus domesticus, poedeiras comerciais, produção de ovos, sal comum. SODIUM LEVELS IN THE DIETS OF SEMI-HEAVY LAYING HENS REARED IN A HOT CLIMATE AFTER PEAK LAYABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to estimate the sodium (Na) requirements of semiheavy laying hens reared in a hot climate after peak lay. A total of 120 Hisex Brown hens, 48 weeks of age, were used. The birds were allocated in a completely randomized design consisting of five treatments, six replicates and four animals per experimental unit. The experimental diets were formulated with corn and soybean meal and the treatments consisted of five levels of sodium (0.12, 0.17, 0.22, 0.27 and 0.32%) derived from common salt. The following parameters were evaluated: feed intake (g), egg production (%), egg weight (g), egg mass (g), feed conversion (kg) per kilogram of eggs and per dozen eggs, specific gravity (g/cm 3 ), shell thickness (mm), egg components including egg yolk (g and %), albumin (g and %) and shell (g and %), viability (%), and variation in body weight (g) of the birds. There was no effect (P>0.05) of sodium levels on egg yolk weight (g) or albumin percentage. A decreasing linear effect (P<0.01) was observed for feed intake, which decreased with increasing sodium level in the diet. A quadra...

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