No abstract

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of nutritional plans on the productive and economic performance of Hubbard Flex broiler chickens. A completely randomized experimental design was applied, consisting of five treatments. Treatments consisted of five different nutritional plans: a basal diet containing the nutrient and energy levels recommended by literature and designated reference diet; two diets containing 1.5% and 3% lower levels than the reference diet; and two diets containing 1.5% and 3% higher levels than the reference diet (-3%,-1.5%, reference plan, +1.5% and +3%). Feed intake (FI), body weight (BW), feed conversion rate (FCR), livability (L) and productive efficient index (PEI) were determined when broilers were 42 days old. Broilers were processed, and carcass and parts (breast fillet, leg, and wings) yields were determined. The economic viablility of the nutitional plans was evaluated as a function of feed cost/kg live and carcass weights, economic efficiency index (EEI), and cost index (CI). Feed intake and the feed conversion rate decreased as dietary nutrient and energy levels increased. Feed cost/kg live weight, economic efficiency index, and cost index cost increased as dietary nutrient and energy levels increased. Feed intake, feed conversion ratio, production efficiency index, and breast yield improved with increasing nutritional and energy levels. However, worse economic results were obtained with higher nutritional and energy levels.

This study aimed at evaluating the replacement of inorganic copper, manganese, and zinc sources by organic sources in the diet of laying hens during the second laying cycle in trace mineral excretion, egg production, and eggshell quality. Two hundred and fifty 100-week-old Dekalb hens were distributed according to a completely randomized design into five treatments with five replicates of ten birds each. The control treatment consisted of a basal diet with all trace minerals in the inorganic form. The other treatments consisted of a basal diet with a mixture of the minerals copper, manganese, and zinc in the organic form with concentrations of 100%, 90%, 80%, and 70% of the levels of inclusion of inorganic mineral sources in the control treatment. Trace mineral excretion was determined in five layers per treatment by the method of total excreta collection. Excreta trace mineral contents were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Egg production and eggshell quality were determined by the mass of the eggs and the egg specific gravity, respectively. For all trace minerals examined, the dietary supplementation with organic sources reduced trace mineral excretion compared with the control group, even at 70% inclusion level, without compromising egg production or eggshell quality. The replacement of the inorganic trace mineral sources by organics source effectively reduced the excretion of copper, manganese, and zinc by laying hens in the second laying cycle.

Broiler breeders. Eggshell thickness. Shell area. Shell index.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the supply of a specific-male diet on rooster body weight, hatchability, and fertility. Two diets were supplied during the egg production period: treatment 1, diet formulated for females and containing, in average, 2,830 kcal ME/kg and 15% CP; and treatment 2, diet specifically formulated for male broiler breeders, containing 2,750 kcal ME/kg and 13.5% CP. In the experiment, 26 flocks, with approximately 7,000 females and 840 males each, belonging to the same broiler breeder commercial strain, were distributed into 26 houses (1200m 2 ) on the same farm, and submitted to the same management practices. Body weight was evaluated in 13 flocks per treatment and for five weeks (45, 50, 55, 60, 65), and hatchability and fertility in four incubation lots per treatment and for the same weeks. Data were evaluated by the analysis of mixed models for repeated measurements, using the PROC MIXED of SAS 9.3 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA), and means were compared by the test of Tukey-Kramer at 5% significance level. The specific-male diet allowed body weight control during all analyzed weeks and promoted high hatchability and egg fertility. The increase in the number of chicks hatched demonstrates the economic viability of feeding a specific diet for male broiler breeders.

Performance and meat chemical composition of quails fed with different sorghum levels instead of corn.Ciência Rural, v.46, n.5, mai, 2016.

This study evaluated the effects of millet and corn oil additions to sorghum-based diets on the performance, carcass yields and prime cuts (i.e., wings, breasts, thighs and drumsticks) and the relative weights of edible offal (i.e., gizzard, heart, and liver)

ResumoForam avaliados os efeitos do tempo de jejum pós-eclosão sobre a biometria dos órgãos do trato digestório e o desempenho zootécnico de frangos de corte. Foram utilizadas 640 aves, sexadas, distribuídas em delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado com quatro períodos de jejum pós-eclosão (0, 12, 24 e 36 horas) e quatro repetições de 40 aves cada (20 fêmeas e 20 machos). A avaliação do peso vivo e da biometria dos órgãos no alojamento das aves revelou perda de peso relativo do saco vitelino e que a redução no peso vivo nesta fase foi tanto maior quanto maior o tempo decorrido entre nascimento e alojamento. O jejum influenciou o peso relativo de todos os órgãos do trato digestório, exceto para esôfago + papo que permaneceram inalterados. Com o aumento do tempo de jejum houve aumento do peso relativo de proventrículo + moela, intestino delgado + pâncreas, intestino grosso e fígado + vesícula biliar. O peso vivo aos 7 e 21 dias de idade foi maior nas aves que permaneceram em restrição de 24 e 36 horas de jejum. Todavia, as demais variáveis de desempenho não foram influenciadas pelo jejum. Portanto, o uso de até 36 horas de jejum pós-eclosão afetou o desenvolvimento biométrico do trato digestório, no entanto, o desempenho zootécnico dos frangos de corte aos 42 dias de idade não foi influenciado pela restrição alimentar.Palavras-chave: Biometria. Restrição Alimentar. Crescimento compensatório. AbstractThe objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of fasting time on biometrics organ digestive tract and performance of broilers. A total of 640 sexed birds were, distributed according to a completely randomized design with four periods of fasting after hatching (0, 12, 24 and 36 hours) and four replicates of 40 birds each (20 females and 20 males). The evaluation of body weight and biometrics of the organs during the housing of the birds showed that there was loss of relative weight of the yolk sac and reduction in weight as they increased the time between birth and accommodation. Fasting influenced the relative weight of all of the digestive tract, except for esophagus + craw that remained unchanged. With the increasing fasting time there was an increase in relative weight of the proventriculus + gizzard, small intestine + pancreas, large intestine, liver + gallbladder. The live weight at 7 and 21 days of age was higher in birds that remained in restriction of 24 and 36 hours of fasting. However, the other performance variables were not affected by fasting compared with birds with no fasting. Therefore, the use of up to 36 hours post-hatching fasting affects the development biometric digestive tract, however the production performance of broiler at 42 days of age is not affected by food restriction.