The objective of present study was to investigate the effect of feeding diets containing different levels (0, 15, 30 or 45 %) of corn-with-cobs (CWC) meal in two forms (mash or pellets) with or without adding exogenous enzyme preparation (Sicozyme) on the broiler growth performance, carcass traits, blood constituents, and nutrient digestibility. Five hundred seventy-six Hubbard broiler chicks were randomly divided into 16 equal experimental groups; each contained 3 equal replications. The chicks were kept in brooding and growing batteries during the starter and finisher periods, 0-3 and 3-7 weeks of age. Sixteen starter and finisher experimental diets were formulated and used. Each experimental group was given its respective diet and all birds were managed similarly and had free access to feed and water. The results obtained can be summarized in the following: Apart from the effect of diet form (DF) or enzyme addition (EA), feeding CWC-diets had no adverse effect on live body weight (LBW) or body weight gain (BWG) of broilers during the entire experimental period. When the dietary CWC level reached 45% feed intake (FI) of broilers was significantly increased while feed conversion (FC) was negatively affected compared with their control counterparts. Birds fed pellets exhibited significantly better LBW and BWG than those of birds fed the mash diets, while FI and FC were not affected, regardless of the effect of dietary CWC level or EA. Similarly, LBW and BWG of broilers were positively affected due to dietary EA as compared to those of birds fed the un-supplemented diets, irrespective of the effect of DF or dietary CWC level. Increasing dietary CWC level to 30 or 45% adversely affected digestibilities dry matter, organic matter and crude protein and rate of nitrogen retention. Birds fed the pelleted diets had better digestibilities for crude protein and ether extract and nitrogen retention compared with those fed the mash diets. Dietary EA led to an increase in the rate of nitrogen retention. Carcass traits of broilers were not significantly affected by dietary CWC level with the exception of significant reductions in dressing-out and abdominal fat percentages and an increase in relative weight of gizzard for birds fed the 45% CWC-diets compared with the controls. Dietary EA and DF had no effect on carcass traits, except that gizzard percent slightly reduced due to feeding pellets as compared to feeding the mash diets. There were significant reductions in serum levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol for broilers fed the CWC-containing diets, particularly having the 45%level. However, blood parameters were not affected by EA or DF, with the exception of a significant decrease in triglycerides level in broilers fed pellets as compared to those fed the mash diets. Economic efficiency of broiler production was not affected by including CWC up to 30% in their diets; pelleting of diets and enzyme addition might have a beneficial effect. It could be concluded that corn-with-cobs meal can be inclu...

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The present study aimed to the effects of chromium (Cr) supplementation with different levels on growth performance, digestibility nutrients, carcass characteristics, some blood constituents and economic efficiency of the growing Japanese quail. A total number of 450 one-day-old Japanese quail's chicks was used divided randomly into five experimental groups. Each group was distributed by 3 replicates pens containing (30 birds in each) until 6 weeks of age. The 1 st group fed the basal experimental diet without supplementation (as control), while the other groups were fed on diets supplemented with 200, 400, 800, and1200 µg chromium (Cr)/kg ration as chromium picolinate (Cr pic.), respectively. The results showed that the addition of chromium in the diets of growing Japanese quail resulted in an improvement (P<0.05) in body weight, and weight gain of group which received 1200 µg Cr/kg diet as compared to control one at the first three and six weeks of age. Moreover, at the same level addition of chromium in quail diets significantly (P≤0.05) improved the feed conversion, protein efficiency ratio and efficiency of energy utilization when compared with those fed unsupplemental diet, during the experimental periods (0-3 and 0-6 weeks of age). However, the addition up to 800 µg /kg of Cr in the diets improved significantly (P<0.05) the digestibility of organic matter and nitrogen free extract, while crude protein, crude fibre and ether extract digestibility were insignificantly affected. The results, also demonstrated that the abdominal fat decreased as the levels of chromium increased while, carcass percentage was increased. Serum total cholesterol, glucose were significantly (P<0.05) decreased by Cr supplementation. On the other hand total lipid, total tri-glycerides and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL %) showed the inverse trend. The highest value of economic efficiency (EE) was obtained for quails fed on diets supplemented by Cr up to 800 µg /kg. The results from this study demonstrate that a supplementation up to 800 µg /kg of Cr in the ration improved the growth performance, digestibility, carcass characteristics and blood constituents of the growing Japanese quail.

A 2X4 factorial design experiment was performed including two sources of zinc (inorganic or organic). The inorganic Zn was provided as zinc oxide 72% and organic Zn was provided as Bioplex Zn, a chelated Zn proteinate that contained 10% Zn (Bioplex, Alltech Inc). The inorganic or organic zinc were added to the basal diet containing 22.21 mg zinc /Kg diet completed to 35(NRC, 1994), 70, 105 and 140 mg Zn / Kg diet. A total number of 240 laying hens and 24 cocks of Inshas strain (local strain) of 24 weeks old was used to study the effect of sources and levels of Zn addition to birds rations on their productive performance, reproductive traits, immune response to SRBC and economic efficiency. Birds were randomly distributed into eight equal groups (30 hens and 3 cocks each). Each group was subdivided into three replicates (10 hens and 1 cocks each) laying hens of each group nearly equal in average body weight (1430.55± 19.95) and average daily egg production. The experiment period extended from 24 to 36 weeks of age, during hot summer season (from June to September, 2008). The average minimum and maximum ambient temperatures ranged between 23.6 and 34.7 0 C, relative humidity from 31.8 to 80.7% and temperature-humidity index (THI) from 21.64 to 33.52% under Inshas, Sharkia Province, Egypt. Results obtained showed that feed conversion, egg production% , egg mass)24-28 weeks of age(, semen ejaculate volume (ml), percentages of sperm motility and sperm-cell concentration and antibody titer against SRBC'S were improved significantly (P<0.05) ,while dead spermatozoa(%) were decreased significantly (P<0.05) for birds fed diets 105 mg Zn/ Kg diet improved most physiological productive and reproductive traits of Inshas strain under hot summer condition in Egypt.

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