The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of sumac and turmeric on performance, egg quality traits, and blood parameters of laying hens. Forty Lohman Brown hens at 30 weeks of age were distributed into four groups, consisting of five replicates with two hens in each. The experiment lasted for 42 days. Laying hens were fed different basal diets in treatment groups and control groups. The groups consisted of hens fed a basal diet with 0.5% sumac, a basal diet with 0.5% turmeric, and a basal diet with 0.25% sumac + 0.25% turmeric. Hens were given ad libitum access to feed and water during the experiment. The results revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in terms of final body weight, egg production, egg weight, and feed intake after the groups were fed according to the diets as 0.5% sumac, 0.5% turmeric, and 0.25% sumac + 0.25% turmeric. Addition of turmeric increased egg production and egg weight, but reduced the feed conversion ratio compared with the control group. On the other hand, dietary supplementation with sumac decreased egg weight. Shape index, yolk index, albumen index, Haugh unit, and yolk color parameters were also not affected by dietary supplementation of turmeric and sumac. When layers were fed the 0.25% sumac + 0.25% turmeric-supplemented diet, yolk index was higher in number, but Haugh unit and albumen index were lower. Dietary addition of sumac and turmeric does not have any negative influence on performance and egg quality traits of laying hens. Dietary treatments do not significantly affect blood serum cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels. With the supplementation of turmeric, AST and ALT levels are higher in number among all the groups. Dietary sumac and turmeric can be added at 0.5% level to laying hen rations without changing animal performance.

-The influence of different levels of expanded perlite on the performance and egg quality traits was studied in laying hens. Forty Lohmann Brown females at 30 weeks of age were randomly assigned to four groups consisting of five replicates with two hens in each. Four diet groups were supplemented with 0% (control group), 1%, 2%, and 3% perlite, respectively. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. There were no significant differences in final body weight, feed intake, egg yield, and egg weight. Feed conversion ratio and egg weight decreased with addition of 2% perlite. Dietary perlite supplementation has no significant effects on shape, yolk, and albumen index. Haugh unit was affected significantly by addition of 2% perlite. Fecal pH, dry matter, and NH 3 -N did not significantly differ among treatments. Dietary perlite has no negative effect on performance and egg quality traits except 2% perlite group. Dietary expanded perlite can be added at 1% level in laying hen rations without changing the animal performance.Key Words: egg, performance, perlite, poultry Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of probiotics on ruminal pH, ammonia nitrogen, production of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and number of Ruminococcus albus and Ruminococcus flavefaciens. The probiotics blend was tested in vitro for 48 h incubation using "Hohenheim Futterwert Test" (HFT). There was no interaction effect of the treatment and incubation time on the ruminal pH and ammonia-nitrogen concentration. A supplemental probiotics blend tended to increase the total SCFA concentration in comparison to the non-supplemented control fermenter fluids (P> 0.05). There was a significant interaction effect of the treatment groups and incubation time on butyrate (P=0.042), valerate (P=0.045) and isovalerate (P= 0.028) concentrations. Total protozoa and total bacteria numbers were higher in probiotics supplemented fluid than in non-supplemented control fluid (P<0.001 and P<0.01, respectively). Dietary supplementation of a probiotics blend to the fermenters did not influence (P>0.05) the number of copies of R. albus. However, the population of R. flavafaciens was lower (P<0.01) in the probiotic supplemented group as compared with the non-supplemented control group. Our results showed that the probiotics blend might modulate both microbial metabolic activity and the population of ruminal microorganisms.

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The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of lactic acid bacteria inoculant on quality, fermentation profile and nutritive value of alfalfa silage at different fermentation periods. After harvesting, fresh alfalfa samples were packed into polyethylene film and the commercial lactic acid bacteria inoculant was used as silage additive. Totally of 21 silage packages were opened by weekly for the analysis. Smell, color, structure, and total scores of alflalfa silage were significantly increased from the first week. Silage quality was determined medium at 7 th day; good between 14 th and 42 th days; excellent at 49 th day. The Flieg point was gradually increased after d 28 of ensiling (P<0.05). While pH was reduced at 5.15; NH3-N/TN content of alfalfa silage was increased at 15.70% at the end of the study. We observed an increase in acetate concentration and decrease in propionate and butyrate concentrations in the alfalfa silage. Lactate concentration was significantly increased on day 35 of the fermentation (P<0.05). Crude fiber (CF), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) contents of alfalfa silage were decreased, whereas nitrojen free extract (NFE) and non-fiber carbohydrate (NFC) were increased during ensiling period. According to our findings, fermentation period had a significant effect on digestible dry matter, dry matter intake and relative feed value of alfafa silage (P<0.05).

The study was conducted to determine the effects of different additives on the fermentation and physical characteristics in Lenox Silage. For this purpose, Lenox sample was collected and chopped by using scissors. Then, Lenox was treated with 10% barley (B), 0.5% formic acid (FA), 5% sugar (S), and 5% molasses (M), respectively. Treated lenox samples with silage feed additives were ensiled in glass jar with 5 replicates for 90 days and, the silage was analyzed in terms of physical characteristics and fermentation pattern. The results revealed that the smell of Lenox silage in molasses and sugar group was significantly better in all other groups (P<0.05). No statistical difference was observed among all the groups in terms of structure and color value (P>0.05). Dry matter of the silage was significantly affected by addition of barley and molasses (P<0.05). Flieg point significantly increased by addition of molasses, but pH decreased (P<0.05). It was also found that ammonia-nitrogen/total nitrogen (NH 3-N/TN) concentration of the silage ranged from 0.48 to 0.67% but the difference between them was not statistically significant (P>0.05). Based on the results, Lenox silage can be used as an alternative in the field of animal nutrition and in the future studies.

Bu çalışma hasılmatikte üretilen arpa ve yulaf yeşil hasılının farklı günlerdeki besin madde içeriklerini belirlemek amacıyla yapılmıştır. Çalışmada %100 arpa tohumu; % 100 yulaf tohumu ve %75 arpa tohumu+ %25 yulaf tohumu karışımı kullanılmıştır. Yeşil hasıl örnekleri 5. ve 7. günlerde alınmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda arpa grubunun yeşil hasıl boyu ve yaş ağırlığı en yüksek bulunmuştur (P<0.05). Kuru madde değeri 7. günde en düşük arpa hasılında en yüksek yulaf hasılında tespit edilmiştir (P<0.05) Denemenin 7 gününde hasılların ham kül, ham selüloz, ham yağ, asit deterjan lif ve nötral deterjan lif içerikleri düzeyleri 5. güne göre tüm gruplarda artış göstermiştir (P<0.05). Bunun aksine yeşil hasılın nispi yem değerlerinde azalma görülmüştür (P<0.05). Denemenin sonunda arpa ve arpa+yulaf hasılı karışımlarının yeşil hasıl özelliklerinin daha iyi olduğu tespit edilmiştir.