SummaryChitosan is a non-toxic polyglucosamine, widespread in nature, which is deacetylated to varying degrees form of chitin, a component of exoskeleton of shrimps, crabs and insects. Because chitosan contains reactive functional groups, that is, amino acids and hydroxyl groups, it is characterised by antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, antitumor, immunostimulatory and hypocholesterolemic properties when fed as dietary additive for farm animals. This article reviews and discusses the results of studies on the effects of dietary chitosan and its oligosaccharide derivatives on performance and metabolic response in poultry and pigs, that is, haematological, biochemical and immunological blood characteristics, microbiological profile of intestines, intestinal morphology and digestibility of nutrients, as well as on the quality of meat and eggs. The results of most of the experiments presented in this review indicate that chitosan used as a feed additive for poultry and pigs has some beneficial, biological effects, including immunomodulatory, anti-oxidative, antimicrobial and hypocholesterolemic properties. These properties of chitosan, unlike many other kinds of feed additives, were often reflected in improved growth performance (body weight gain and/or feed conversion ratio) of young animals, that is, broiler chickens and weaned pigs.

a high content of non-starch polysaccharides (nsp), namely arabinoxylans (aX), in rye is a reason for the potential adverse effect of this grain on intestinal functions, gut microflora, absorption of nutrients and performance indices. as such, the use of rye grain in intensively produced poultry diets is limited. however, recently developed new types of hybrid rye are characterised not only by increased yield potential, resistance to fungus and pests and low production costs, but also the content of antinutritive substances may be reduced in these varieties. the aim of this paper is to discuss the mechanisms of nsp effects in the digestive tract, as well as to review the results of recent studies on the use of rye in poultry nutrition. based on the literature data, it can be concluded that the use of new hybrid rye varieties with decreased nsp concentration and nsp-hydrolising enzymes may be a way of increasing the share of rye grain in poultry diets.

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The aim of the study was to determine the effect of caponisation on the morphometric traits and mechanical parameters of tibial and femoral bones in Greenleg Partridge cocks. The experiment involved 200 cocks. At the age of 8 weeks, 100 birds were subjected to surgical castration. At week 24, the birds were slaughtered and tibial and femoral bones were collected from 10 non-caponised cocks and 10 capons. The caponisation surgery had no effect on the weight and length of any of the long bones but resulted in reduction (P≤0.05) of the ash content in both bones and Ca in the femur. It also influenced the geometric structure of the bones, i.e. there was an increase (P≤0.05) in the second moment of inertia in the tibial bone and the cross-sectional area and mean relative wall thickness in the femoral bone of the capons. The three-point bending test revealed a negative effect of caponisation on the mechanical strength of the bone. Values characterising the highest bone material strength, i.e. yielding load (femur), maximum force moment (tibia) and yielding deformation, bending point resistance, and load-to-deformation (both bones), declined in the capons. The investigations demonstrated a negative effect of caponisation on the quality of long bones. The tibial bone seems to be slightly more sensitive to the caponisation effects than the femoral bone. It can be assumed based on the analysis of biomechanical traits that the bones of capons are more susceptible to deformations or fractures due to their modified geometry and mechanical brittleness.