ABSTRACT:The effects of humic acid on feed consumption, egg production, feed efficiency, egg weight and external and internal egg quality of laying hens were studied during feeding periods. A total of 180 (Hysex Brown) layers (36 weeks of age) were used in this experiment. There was one control and two experimental groups, each containing 60 hens and 4 subgroups. The experimental period lasted 16 weeks. At the end of the experiment, the supplementation of humic acid had a significant effect on feed consumption and feed efficiency. An increase in egg production was determined when humic acid was added to the diets at 30 g/t of feeds (91.70%) and 60 g/t of feeds (91.32%). There were no significant differences between the groups in egg shell thickness, egg shell breaking strength, yolk index, albumen index and Haugh unit. It can be therefore concluded that the dietary supplementation of humic acid at doses of 30 and 60 g/t feed can be used to improve egg production, egg weight and feed efficiency.

This study was aimed at determining the effects of two phytogenic antioxidants, namely, cinnamaldehyde and 1,8-cineole, and an antibiotic added to laying hen feed on the fatty acid profile of egg yolk and the weight loss and lipid peroxidation levels of eggs stored for different periods. Ninety-six 48-week-old Bovans White hens were randomly assigned to four groups, each with four replicates of six hens per replicate. The four groups were provided with the following feeds: maize and soybean-based laying hen feed, basal ration (control group); basal ration added 500 mg/kg of an antibiotic; basal ration added 100 mg/kg of cinnamaldehyde; and basal ration added 100 mg/kg of 1,8-cineole. At the end of an eight-week feeding schedule, 48 eggs, including 12 from each group, were used for yolk fatty acid analysis. In total, 240 eggs, including 48 eggs for each of the five different storage periods tested (1, 14, 28, 42, and 56 days), were collected for the detection of egg weight loss and yolk malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. The feed supplements cinnamaldehyde and 1,8-cineole were determined to have significantly reduced lipid peroxidation in the yolk of eggs stored for 14, 28, 42, and 56 days, when compared with the results of the control group and antibiotic-treated group. Furthermore, dietary cinnamaldehyde supplementation was determined to have decreased the yolk level of myristic acid, a saturated fatty acid, and to have increased the yolk level of oleic acid, the major unsaturated fatty acid found in egg yolk (46.28%) in comparison with the levels measured in the other three groups. Cinnamaldehyde and 1,8-cineole were determined to extend the shelf life of eggs by providing protection against free oxygen radicals. Cinnamaldehyde could be used as an alternative feed supplement to enrich the yolk fatty acid profile in unsaturated fatty acids.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of vitamin E, grape seed extract and green tea extract with or without supplementation of coated calcium butyrate in broilers based on carcass traits, some biochemical parameters, intestinal morphology and lipid peroxidation in meat. Two hundred fifty-two one-day-old broiler chicks were divided into nine groups, one control and eight experimental. Control group fed only a basal diet (control). The experimental groups' diets contained feed additives as; coated calcium butyrate (CCB), vitamin E (VitE), grape seed extract (GSE), green tea extract (GTE), a combination of vitamin E with coated calcium butyrate (VitE+CCB), grape seed extract with coated calcium butyrate (GSE+CCB), green tea extract with coated calcium butyrate (GTE+CCB), and a combination of grape seed extract, green tea extract, and coated calcium butyrate (GSE+GTE+CCB) respectively. According to the study results; no significant differences were observed in gut morphology and serum biochemical parameters. The broilers fed with GSE and GTE with/without CCB had significantly higher hot carcass yield than control, VitE, and VitE+CCB. Furthermore, all groups showed significantly lesser lipid peroxidation in meat than control; however, the VitE group had the lowest malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. It can be concluded that the combination of CCB with natural antioxidants could be used to improve carcass traits and meat antioxidant capacity in broilers.

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effects of graded levels of crude glycerine addition to diets on growth and economic performance, carcass yield, organ weights and moisture levels of meat in broiler chickens. For this purpose, a total of 270 one day old male chicks (Ross 308) were randomly divided into 3 equal groups which fed with isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets with graded levels (0%, 5% and 10%, respectively) of crude glycerine. Each of experiment group was constituted by 5 subgroups with 18 birds each. The birds had ad libitum access to feed and water until termination of the experiment at d 42. Results indicated that 5% dietary crude glycerine addition improved body weight, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio compare with birds fed with basal diet at d 42 (P<0.01). Similarly, dietary 10% crude glycerine supplementation also increased growth performance and improved FCR in broiler chickens at 28 th and 42 nd days of experiment (P<0.05 and P<0.001, respectively). Moreover, birds fed with 5% dietary crude glycerine had showed over 20% higher relative economic efficiency compare than birds fed basal diet. As a conclusion, dietary crude glycerine addition improved growth and economic performance and Feed Conversion Ratio of broilers in both supplementation levels. Keywords: Broiler, Carcass, Economic efficiency, Glycerine, Growth performance Rasyona Artan Düzeylerde Ham Gliserin İlavesinin Broylerlerde Büyüme Performansına, Karkas Özelliklerine ve Ekonomik Etkinliğe Olan Etkileri ÖzetBu araştırmanın amacı, rasyona artan düzeyde ham gliserin ilavesinin broylerlerde büyüme ve ekonomik performans, karkas randımanı, iç organ ağırlıkları ve etin nem düzeyi üzerine etkilerinin belirlenmesidir. Bu amaçla toplam 270 adet bir günlük yaşta erkek broyler civciv (Ross 308) her biri izokalorik ve izonitrojenik olan ve artan düzeylerde (sırasıyla %0, %5 ve %10) ham gliserin içeren yemlerle beslenen üç eş gruba ayrılmıştır. Her bir deneme grubu her biri kendi içinde 18 adet civciv içeren 5'er alt gruba ayrılmıştır. Hayvanlar denemenin sonlandığı 42. güne kadar yem ve suya ad libitum olarak ulaşmışlardır. Deneme sonunda %5 düzeyinde ham gliserin ilavesinin canlı ağırlık, canlı ağırlık artışı ve yemden yararlanma oranlarını bazal rasyonla beslenen hayvanlara göre önemli ölçüde iyileştirdiği belirlenmiştir (P<0.01). Benzer olarak rasyona %10 düzeyinde ham gliserin ilavesi denemenin 28. ve 42. günlerinde büyüme performansını arttırmış ve yemden yararlanma oranını iyileştirmiştir (sırasıyla, P<0.05 ve P<0.001). Buna ilaveten, %5 ham gliserin ile beslenen hayvanlar bazal rasyonla beslenenlere göre %20 daha yüksek göreceli ekonomik etkinlik göstermiştir. Sonuç olarak rasyona ham gliserin ilavesi, her iki düzeyde de, broylerlerde büyüme ve ekonomik etkinlik ile Yemden Yararlanma Oranı'nı iyileştirmiştir.

This study evaluated the effects of a graded concentration of dietary calcium soaps of tallow (CST) supplementation on broiler performance, carcass characteristics, abdominal fat fatty acid profile, bone biomechanical properties, and bone mineral composition. One hundred and forty 11-d-old male broiler chickens were randomly allocated to 4 experimental groups with 5 replicate pens containing 7 birds per each. The birds received cornsoybean meal based diet and CST (CST0, CST10, CST20, and CST30, respectively) was included in the grower (0, 10, 20, and 30 g/kg) and finisher (0, 15, 30, and 45 g/kg) diet at the expense of vegetable acid oil and limestone. Dietary supplementations had no significant effect on BWG and FI during the entire experimental period. However, FCR was improved in CST0 and CST10 groups in comparison to those of the CST20 group from d 11 to d 42.According to the present study result, dietary supplementation of low level of CST significantly influenced intestinal microarchitecture of the jejunum and ileum by improving villus height/crypt ratio and villus height, respectively. Femur (P=0.001) and tibia (P=0.020) stiffness increased linearly with the increasing level of dietary CST. Tibia Ca (P=0.009) and P (P=0.009) concentration of CST10 and CST30 groups were lower than the CST0 group. Increasing levels of CST in diets significantly reduced the Fe and Mn concentrations in tibia samples. In conclusion, supplementation of CST has no detrimental effect on broiler performance parameters and might be used as an alternative dietary fat source in the broiler industry.

No abstract

In the current study, organic and conventionally produced rice and lentil samples purchased from the supermarkets in Ankara, Turkey were analyzed for their nutritional composition, nitrate/nitrite content and aflatoxin contamination. Nitrate/nitrite concentrations were found to be significant (p<0.05) only for nitrate (higher in organic) and nitrite level (higher in conventional) in rice. No aflatoxin contamination was observed over limit of quantification (LOQ) and no difference was observed for dry matter. Ash value was found higher in organic than the conventional (p<0.05) rice; and vice versa for the lentil samples. Nitrogen and crude protein were higher in organic green lentil samples (p<0.001) than the conventional; whereas the differences of organic-conventional samples in terms of crude protein and the nitrogen content of the rice samples were insignificant (p>0.05). Since organic food market is increasing rapidly, more analysis regarding the nutrition composition and other potential risks such as mycotoxins are required to enlighten the consumers.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of some environmental factors like calving year, season, buffalo cow age and village on some milk yield traits of Anatolian buffaloes, such as daily milk yield for lactation length (MYLL), total lactation milk yield (TLMY), lactation length (LL), and daily milk yield for calving interval (MYCI). 1838 milk yield records obtained from 851 Anatolian buffaloes reared under different environmental conditions from 2015 through 2019 within the scope of the Bartın Anatolian Buffalo Breeding Project were assessed. The 2 least square means and standard errors for MYLL, TLMY, LL, and MYCI were 4.07  0.02 kg, 1078.6  7.54 kg, 263.83  1.16 days, and 2.75  0.03 kg, respectively. As a result of the study, the effects of village, calving year and age (P<0.001) and calving season (P<0.05) on MYLL; village, calving year and age (P<0.001) on TLMY; village, calving year and age (P<0.001) and calving season (P<0.05) on MYCI; calving age, village (P<0.001) and calving year (P<0.05) on LL were found statistically significant.Moreover, high positive phenotypic correlations between TLMY and MYLL (r = 0.78, P<0.001) and LL and TLMY (r = 0.67, P<0.001) were estimated. The results revealed that milk production traits might be improved by considering calving season and age in breeding studies and stud-selection programs in Anatolian buffaloes. Besides, it will remarkably contribute to the number of limited studies that have focused on this breed.