Aim:The aim was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementations of prebiotic, probiotic, and synbiotic on growth performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens.Materials and Methods:A total of 360 1-day-old Vencobb broiler chickens of either sex were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments each consisting of three replicates and each replicate having 30 birds for 6 weeks. The dietary treatments were (1) control group with basal diet, (2) basal diet supplemented with prebiotic (at 400 g/tonne of starter as well as finisher ration), (3) basal diet supplemented with probiotic (at 100 g/tonne of starter ration and 50 g/tonne of finisher ration), and (4) basal diet supplemented with synbiotic(at 500 g/tonne of starter as well as finisher ration). The birds were provided with ad-libitum feed and drinking water during the entire experimental period.Results:The highest body weight observed in asynbiotic group, which was non-significantly (p>0.05) higher than thecontrol group. Prebiotic and probiotic groups showed lower body weight than synbiotic and control groups. A total feed intake did not show any significant (p>0.05) difference between experimental groups. There were no significant (p>0.05) differences in feed conversion ratio of broiler chickens in prebiotic, probiotic, and synbiotic groups as compared with control group. There was no significant (p>0.05) difference in the carcass traits with respect to dressing percentage, carcass percentage, heart weight, liver weight and gizzard weight, wing percentage, breast percentage, back percentage, thigh percentage, and drumstick percentage in Cobb broilers under study.Conclusion:The growth performance and percentage of carcass yield did not show any significant increase by the dietary inclusion of prebiotic, probiotic, and synbiotic compared with unsupplemented control in a commercial broiler chicken.

Aim:The present study was conducted to evaluate the performance of gray, brown, and white varieties of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) with respect to body weight, egg production, and egg quality traits in the coastal climatic condition of Odisha.Materials and Methods:A total of 500-day-old straight run Japanese quail chicks of three varieties, viz., gray, brown, and white were randomly selected and reared in deep litter system at Central Poultry Development Organization, Eastern Region, Bhubaneswar. The weekly body weight of the birds was recorded till their egg production stage (up to 6 weeks of age). The average egg production was recorded every biweekly from 6th to 20th week. Exterior and interior quality of eggs from each variety was determined at 6 weeks of age.Results:The initial average weekly body weight of three varieties did not differ (p>0.05) among the varieties. However, from 1st to 6th week significantly higher body weight was observed in gray than white and brown. Brown varieties had reached 50% egg production 1 week earlier than gray and white. Brown had higher peak hen day (HD) production or hen-housed egg production followed by white and gray. External quality such as: Egg weight, egg length, egg width, volume, shape index, shell weight, shell thickness depicted no significant difference among the varieties except circumference length and circumference width, which were significantly higher (p≤0.05) in gray varieties than brown varieties. Internal egg characteristics such as: Albumen length, albumen width, albumen height, albumen index, yolk length, yolk width, yolk height, yolk index, albumen weight, yolk weight, Haugh unit revealed no significance difference among the varieties.Conclusion:It may be summarized from the findings that gray excelled in body weight followed by white and brown. Egg production potential in terms of hen house egg production or HD egg production was higher for brown followed by white and gray in the coastal climatic condition of Odisha.

Aim:The objective of this study was to investigate the dietary advantages of inclusion of unconventional nutrient source, i.e., Azolla in the basal diet of White Pekin broilers.Materials and Methods:All ducklings were randomly distributed into three treatment groups with three replicates each and each replicate having 12 ducklings and were reared in deep litter system. Groups were subjected to three dietary treatments such as G1: Basal diet, G2: Basal diet + 5% fresh Azolla of basal diet, G3: Basal diet + 10% fresh Azolla of basal diet. During experimental period, parameters, such as bodyweight, bodyweight gain, feed consumption,feed conversion ratio(FCR), and economic of production,wererecorded.Results:The result showed that body weights in every week, except the 5th week, did not differ significantly between groups. However, no significant difference was observed between the groups in any week in terms of absolute body weight gain and feed consumption. As regard to FCR, the 10% Azolla group (G3) showed the best feed efficiency followed by the 5% Azolla group (G2) and the control group (G1). On the basis of profit/bird or profit/kg live weight, each of the Azolla-fed group showed a higher economic efficiency than the control.Conclusion:From the experiment, it was concluded that Azollaat 5 or 10% level can be included in the diet to economize the White Pekin broiler farming, and it can be great impetus to poultry farming to include unconventional nutrient source as a dietary supplement.

The present study 180, day-old broiler chicks (Vencobb) were randomly distributed into 3 treatment groups with three replicates in each group. The chicks were placed in 9 pens with 20 chicks in each pen and reared in deep litter system under uniform management conditions. Control starter (0-3 wk) and finisher (4-6 wk) diets were formulated to meet the entire nutrients. Subsequently two test diets were prepared by incorporating acid treated fish silage at 5 and 10% level. Each diet was offered ad libium to 3 pens of 20 chicks each throughout the experimental period (0-6 wks). Dietary incorporation of acid treated fish silage up to 10% had no influence on body weight gain and feed consumption of broilers. The feed conversion ratio improved significantly by incorporation of fish silage at both 5 and 10%, during starter phase, but no influence was noticed subsequently. Fish silage up to 10% in the diet did not affect the dressed percentage and relative weight of other carcass parameters such as liver, heart, gizzard, breast and abdominal fat. The albumin to globulin ratio increased significantly (P<0.05) due to incorporation of fish silage at 10% in the diet compared to that of control. The serum triglyceride concentration increased significantly (P<0.05) at 10% level of inclusion of fish silage in diet. Lowest cholesterol concentration was found in the dietary group fed the control diet. The serum cholesterol concentration increased significantly (P<0.05) and linearly by increasing the level of fish silage from 5 to 10%. It is concluded that acid treated fish silage can be incorporated upto 10% in the diet without any adverse effect on performance of broiler chickens.

No abstract

Aim:Studies on the prevalence of gastrointestinal helminths infection in Banaraja fowls of three blocks (Chandua, Shamakhunta and Bangriposi) of Mayurbhanj district in Odisha with respect to semi-intensive system of rearing.Materials and Methods:A total of 160 Banaraja birds (30 males and 130 females) belonging to two age groups (below 1 month age and above 1 month) were examined for the presence of different species of gastrointestinal helminth infection over a period of 1-year. The method of investigation included collection of fecal sample and gastrointestinal tracts, examination of fecal sample of birds, collection of parasites from different part of gastrointestinal tract, counting of parasites, and examination of the collected parasites by standard parasitological techniques followed by morphological identification as far as possible up to the species level.Results:Overall, 58.75% birds were found infected with various gastrointestinal helminths. Total five species of parasites were detected that included Ascaridia galli (25.63%), Heterakis gallinarum (33.75%), Raillietina tetragona (46.25%), Raillietina echinobothrida (11.87%), and Echinostoma revolutum (1.87%). Both single (19.15%) as well as mixed (80.85%) infection were observed. Highest incidence of infection was observed during rainy season (68.88%) followed by winter (66.66%) and least in summer season (41.81%). Sex-wise incidence revealed slightly higher occurrence among females (59.23%) than males (56.67%). Age-wise prevalence revealed that chicks were more susceptible (77.77%) than adults (51.30%) to gastrointestinal helminths infection.Conclusions:Present study revealed that mixed infection with gastrointestinal helminths of different species was more common than infection with single species and season-wise prevalence was higher in rainy season followed by winter and summer. Chicks were found to be more prone to this parasitic infection and a slight higher prevalence among female birds was observed.

A feeding experiment was carried out to study the effect of feeding different levels of protein during laying (20-40 weeks) on growth, feed consumption and mortality in Khaki Campbell ducks. 180 ducks were distributed randomly into three treatment groups viz. T1, T2 and T3 with three replicates of 20 ducks (15 females and 5 males) in each replicate. Birds were allotted to different groups in such a manner that there was no significant difference between the average 20th week body weight among the treatment groups. Between 20-40 weeks, ducks were provided with isocaloric diets with 16, 18 and 20 per cent crude protein in to groups T1, T2 and T3 respectively with ad lib provision of feed and water. Results indicated that supplementation of crude protein of about 18% in the ration during laying period might be sufficient with respect to growth trait in Khaki Campbell layer ducks. Further, the mortality ranged from 2 to 3.2% during laying stage, which was within normal range indicating that the different levels of protein supplementation in diet could not influence the health condition of ducks. The effect of different levels of protein supplementation in the diet during active stage of laying (30th week) was found to be non-significant, with respect to blood biochemicals like total protein, albumin, abumin:gobulin ratio, glucose, urea and creatinine concentration. The level of primary antibody in T1, T2 and T3 of female ducks were 6.00 ± 0.00, 5.33 ± 0.33 and 6.33 ± 0.33 and for combined sex they were 5.00 ± 0.52, 5.33 ± 0.33 and 5.67 ± 0.42, respectively.

An investigation was carried out to compare the serum biochemical profile of two prominent avian species: ducks vis a vis chickens, at peak egg production phases. The genotypes consisted of 3 breeds of ducks: Khaki Campbell, White Pekins and a native duck breed: Kuzhi (reared in Odisha and adjoining regions) and besides the White Leghorn chickens, at 50 week age, numbering 30 each, with rearing done in individual cages. The result revealed significant (p<0.0001) genotypeassociated differences for almost all the serum biochemical parameters, except globulin. There existed a significant (p<0.0001) difference between the species (duck verses chicken) for these parameters, with distinct inter-breed variations. Among the lipid profile HDL of ducks remained comparable to that of chickens, with the indigenous Kuzhi ducks displaying the most desirable lipid-profile of all the genotypes except LDL. The serum liver-enzymes (SGOT and SGPT) were well within normal ranges, expected or laying birds with significant difference between species, with between-breed variations among ducks. It was concluded that, ducks had significantly-distinct and variant serum biochemical profiles compared to chickens, where the indigenous ducks (of Odisha region) possessed the most-desirable estimates, as expected from tableegg laying species.