1. The effects of injecting threonine in ovo on early growth, some immunological responses and the activity of digestive enzymes of broiler chicks were investigated. Fertile eggs were distributed into 6 groups, each of 60. These were: untreated control, sham control, 10, 20, 30 or 40 mg threonine. Threonine was dissolved in 0.5 ml sterile saline and inoculated into the yolk sac of the 14-d-old embryo through the narrow end of the egg. 2. The ratio of chick to egg weight was 1.6% higher in the group given 30 mg threonine and at 28 d of age chicks receiving threonine were 29 to 79 g heavier than untreated controls. 3. Food conversion ratio until 7 d after hatching was improved in those chicks receiving 10, 20 or 40 mg threonine but there was no significant effect on the activities of amylase, pepsin or trypsin. 4. The humoral response to sheep red blood cells was significantly greater in those groups receiving 10, 20 or 30 mg threonine supplementation than in untreated controls. 5. The response to phytohaemagglutinin-P, a measure of the cell-mediated immune response, was not affected, however. 6. It is concluded that injections of 20 to 30 mg threonine into yolk sac can improve post-hatching growth and humoral responses of broiler chicks.

Thee different combinations of ketamine hydrochloride were used to induce general anaesthesia for surgical operations (typhlectomy) in 30 adult, single-comb White Leghorn cockerels. They were randomly divided into three groups, each comprising 10 birds. Birds in Group I received xylazine-ketamine combinations at the dose rate of 2 mg xylazine and 10 mg ketamine per kg i.v., whereas birds of Group II received diazepam (2.5 mg / kg i.v.) and 5 min later ketamine (75 mg / kg i.m.). In the Group III, midazolam (2 mg / kg i.m.) and 5 min later ketamine (50 mg / kg i.v.) was administered. The onset of sedation / anaesthesia was shortest (1.60 + 0.27 min) in Group I, followed by Group II (8.40 + 0.83 min) and Group III (17.10 + 1.71 min). Recovery period was shortest in the Group I (65-75 min) followed by Group II (80-85 min) and Group III (92-105 min). Sedation, muscle relaxation and surgical anaesthesia was optimal and excellent in Group I compared with the other two groups. Torticollis, salivation and dyspnoea were observed in Group III. Short-term limb contractions were present in all birds in Groups II and III, up to 20 min of observation. Recovery from anaesthesia was smooth in all three groups. A Surgical procedure (typhlectomy) was performed on all birds. Hypothermia was observed in Group II, whereas heart and respiratory depression was recorded in Group I. Blood sugar level did not vary significantly in any anaesthetic regime. The reduction of haemoglobin was maximum in Group II compared with Groups I and III. Hypoxaemia and hypercapnaea were elevated in all birds in Groups II and III. Blood electrolytes did not vary significantly from the baseline values among the three groups of birds during the period of observation (120 min). The xylazine-ketamine combination was found to be the best anaesthesia for surgical intervention in chickens.

Leptospira, a member of the order Spirochaetales, is the causative agent of leptospirosis, an important zoonosis encountered worldwide. The Leptospira interrogans serovar Sejroe was grown in EMJH medium and its DNA was isolated using standard techniques. The LipL32 gene was amplified using the reported primer of Kirschneri of LipL32. The amplified product was found to comprise 756 base pairs. This amplified gene fragment of LipL32 lipoprotein was cloned in E. coli (DH5 alpha) cells using pDrive plasmid as a vector. The recombinant cells were selected on LB agar medium containing ampicillin, X-gal and isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside. Plasmid was extracted from the recombinant white colonies, and restriction endonuclease (RE) analysis was carried out using PstI and SalI. On partial sequence analysis, the product exhibited 756 base pairs, corresponding to 251 amino acids. The cloned gene could be further used for expression of recombinant protein for serodiagnosis of leptospirosis.

The aim of the present study was to determine the apparent and true digestibilities of amino acids of maize, low tannin sorghum, pearl millet and finger millet in adult caecectomized cockerels. Adult cockerels (n = 60), 25-weeks old, were used in this study of which 30 birds were caecectomized as per a standard method. The apparent digestibilities of amino acids of sorghum were not affected by caecectomy, but were higher for maize, finger millet and pearl millet in caecectomized cockerels. Caecectomy had no influence on the true digestibilities of amino acids of maize, but higher digestibilities were observed for most of the amino acids of sorghum and finger millet in caecectomized cockerels. Caecectomy lowered the true digestibility of cystine, threonine and serine of pearl millet. The apparent digestibilities of amino acids of maize, finger millet and pearl millet were underestimated in intact cockerels. The true digestibilities of most of the amino acids of sorghum and finger millet were underestimated, while those of cystine, threonine and serine of pearl millet were overestimated in intact cockerels. The findings suggest that the amino acid digestibility values of cereal grains determined using caecectomized cockerels might be appropriate and reliable for poultry diet formulations. Moreover, the digestibilities of amino acids of finger millet were inferior to other cereal grains, while those of pearl millet were comparable to maize and sorghum.