We examined the effect of dietary Turkish propolis and flavomycin on growth performance, carcass characteristics, internal organ weights and some serum variables in quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) birds. One hundred and fifty day-old quails were randomly divided into five groups, with ten replicate pens per treatment and three birds per pen. One group received the basal diet (antibiotic-free), the control. The flavomycin at 10 mg/kg diet and propolis at 0.5, 1 and 1.5 g/kg diet were added to the basal diet. Body weight gain, feed consumption and feed efficiency were determinated weekly. Carcass characteristics, internal organ weights and serum variables were determinated at the end of the study (35 day). The results showed that body weight gain, feed efficiency and carcass weight were improved significantly (p<0.01) when compared to control group for birds fed diets containing propolis and flavomycin between 14 to 35 days. The addition of 1 g/kg propolis to the diet resulted in significantly (p<0.01) better-feed efficiency as compared to control and other treatment groups. There were no significant differences in carcass yield, abdominal fat, liver gizzard, proventriculus and intestinal weight and intestinal pH among the groups. In addition, serum ALP, total protein, uric acid, cholesterol and triglyceride were not influenced by the any supplementation. However, birds fed with propolis tended to have higher serum HDL and lower level than birds fed the control diet. In conclusion, supplementation of propolis and flavomycin during the growth period showed similar effects on growth performance in quail. Therefore, it can serve as a natıral substitute for antibiotics in poultry diets.

Threonine is considered to be the third limiting amino acid for broilers. The aim of this study was to determine the threonine requirement of female broilers from 22 to 42 days of age. Seventy five, one-day of age female broiler chicks (Ross 308) were divided into five dietary treatment groups of similar mean weight, comprising 15 birds each, individually. They were fed a basal starter diet containing 23% CP, 3200 ME kcal/kg, 0.91% threonine and 1.10% lysine (Lys) during the first 3 weeks. At the end of the first feeding period, the broilers were randomly assigned to five dietary treatment groups receiving 0.70 (control diet), 0.75, 0.80, 0.85 and 0.90% of threonine. During the feeding period, growth performance parameters, body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were determined. The results obtained in the experiment showed that the group receiving 0.75% threonine attained the best performance. The results of our investigation also showed that the highest body weight gain occurred at 0.75% threonine; the tendency in better feed conversion ratio in the group receiving 0.80% threonine for female broilers. Our results suggest that the current NRC (1994), recommendation of 0.74% threonine for 21 to 42 days old broilers is adequate to support relative growth performance.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on the prevention of aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) toxicity in the broiler chicken. A total of 99 Ross 308 male broiler chicks was assigned to nine treatments for 42 d. The experiment had a 3 X 3 factorial arrangement of treatments involving 0, 2 and 4 g CLA/kg feed, and 0, 200 and 300 ng AFB 1 /kg feed. The parameters evaluated, were feed intake, body weight gain, feed efficiency, mortality, relative weights of liver and serum levels of total protein, total albumin, uric acid, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Aflatoxin B 1 in the diet negatively affected body weight gain and feed efficiency parameters when the birds were 21 and 42 days of age. Altered serum biochemical or hematologic measurements induced by AFB 1 treatments included increased serum activities of ALP, AST and ALT, decreased serum concentrations of albumin, total protein and uric acid. Liver weight was increased in birds given AFB 1 contaminated diet. The results indicated that CLA alone had insignificant effects on all parameters tested. However, birds receiving CLA+AFB 1 had a significantly higher body weight gain on day 42 than groups receiving AFB 1 alone. In addition, co-treatment with AFB 1 and CLA resulted in a significant improvement in feed efficiency and decreased relative weight of liver as compared with the AFB 1 groups. These results suggest that CLA provided protection against negative effects on liver damage induced by AFB 1 in broiler chickens.

Denli, M., Celik