1. The study aimed to investigate the effect of lysolecithin supplementation in low-energy diets on growth, nutrient digestibility and intestinal mucosa characteristics of broilers. 2. A total of 800 one-d-old Ross 308 broiler chickens were assigned to 4 dietary treatments consisting of 10 replicates of 20 broilers each. Broilers were fed with 4 different diets: (i) HE: positive control group broilers received a diet with unaltered energy; (ii) LE: negative control group broilers received a diet with lower energy of about 0.27 MJ/kg; (iii) LElys500: broilers received a diet similar to LE supplemented with 500 g/tn lysolecithin product (Lysoforte Booster Dry); and (iv) LElys300: broilers received a diet similar to LE supplemented with 300 g/tn lysolecithin product. The experimental period was 42 d. 3. Body weight gain in treatments HE was higher than LE during the overall experimental period, while LElys500 and LElys300 had intermediate values. Feed conversion ratio was lower in HE and LElys500 than LE group, while the LElys300 had intermediate values. Fat digestibility was improved in both LElys 500 and LElys300 compared to the HE group. Apparent metabolisable energy (AMEn) was higher in HE, LElys500 and LElys300 than LE. Ileum viscosity at 42 d was also affected, being higher in LE group compared to HE. At 28 d mucosal thickness was lower both in LElys500 and LElys300 compared to HE and LE, while no difference occurred between treatment proliferation patterns of duodenal epithelial cells. 4. These findings indicated that lysolecithin supplementation at 500 g/tn of feed in low-energy diets maintained broiler performance. Supplementation of reformulated low-energy diets induced an increase in digesta viscosity. Lysolecithin supplementation resulted in variable alterations in the duodenum mucosal morphology.
The novelty of this study lies to the beneficial effect of palygorskite (a clay mineral) to pullets growth and health, likely through modulation of the gut microbiota.
Reducing the energy content of broiler diets could lead to the formulation of diets with reduced production cost. Dimethylgycine (DMG) has been used as a dietary supplement to enhance dietary fat utilization in poultry. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of DMG supplementation in reduced energy diets on performance and nutrient digestibility in broiler chickens. Four hundred and eighty day-old broilers were randomly allocated to three dietary treatments: a standard energy diet (PC treatment), a reduced energy diet by 66 kcal/kg (NC treatment) and the reduced energy diet supplemented with 500 mg/kg of DMG (DMG treatment). Fat digestibility was significantly higher in DMG group, compared to PC and NC groups. Intestines and gizzard lesion scores were found to be lower in the DMG group compared to PC. DMG supplementation resulted in lower jejunum pH and ileum viscosity in broilers. Overall, the present study showed that DMG supplementation in reduced energy broiler diets restored growth performance to the levels obtained with a standard diet. This result was probably mediated by the positive effects on the gastrointestinal function of the broilers after DMG supplementation, as evidenced by the improved nutrient digestibility, the reduced gross lesion scores and the lower values in intestinal pH and viscosity.
The aim of the study was to investigate variations in lengths and lesions in claws of culled sows and to evaluate their association. All four feet of 185 sows from three Greek farrow-to-finish farms (Farm A: 57 sows; Farm B: 64 sows; Farm C: 64 sows) were examined for lesions and their lengths were measured. All claw lengths were lower in sows of farm C compared to those from sows of B and A. Claw lengths in sows of farm B were lower compared to those from A for all lateral toes of front feet and for all medial and four out of three lateral toes of rear feet. Sum of length measurements of the main toes of the front feet (SLF) associated with lesions on sole, white line and heel of front feet, while sum of length measurements of the main toes of the rear feet (SLR) associated with all lesions of the rear feet. The lengths of the main toes were correlated with the length of dew claws on front and rear feet. Overall, sows’ claw lesion severity and claw lengths may differ between farms and frequency of lesions is higher in longer claws.
Background Urinary tract infections (UTI) of sows characterized by cystitis, which may progress to ureteritis and pyelonephritis, can affect their productivity, longevity and welfare. In this study, we determined the prevalence of UTI by histopathology and bacteriology. Furthermore, we investigated possible associations between histologically confirmed cystitis and the results of urinalysis and urine cultures in culled sows from three farrow-to-finish herds in Greece. Materials and methods One hundred eighty-five routinely culled sows were included in the study. Their urinary bladder was collected from abattoirs and subjected to histopathology. Furthermore, urinalysis and urine cultures were performed on urine samples aseptically collected from the bladders. Results Histologically confirmed cystitis was evident in 85/185 (45.94%) culled sows. Among those, 44 (51.76%) suffered from acute and 41 (48.24%) from chronic inflammation. The majority of positive urine cultures were due to colonization of the urinary tract with E.coli, which accounted for 55.81% of the total cases, followed by Staphylococcus spp. which accounted for 18.60% of detected infections. Evidence of cystitis was associated with bacteriuria and sows with bacteriuria were 2.30 (P = 0.03, 95% CI: 1.10–4.83) times more likely to have histologically confirmed cystitis compared to sows with negative urine cultures. Bacteriuria was associated with proteinuria (P < 0.01, OR = 9.72, 2.63–35.88), increased urine pH (P < 0.01, 3.40, 1.10–10.56) and presence of sediment (P < 0.01, 6.00, 1.50–23.76) in urine. Sows with proteinuria had 9.72 (P < 0.01, 2.63–35.88) times higher odds of bacteriuria than those without. Histologically defined cystitis was associated with proteinuria (P < 0.01, 2.03–13.20) and decreased urine pH (P < 0.01, 0.13–0.72). Sows with proteinuria were 5.18 (P < 0.01, 2.03–13.2) times more likely to have histological lesions consistent with cystitis, than those without. For one unit increase in pH, it was 3.20 (P = 0.006, 1.39–7.69) times less likely for a sow to have chronic or acute cystitis compared to absence of cystitis. Conclusion In the studied population, UTI affected almost one out of two culled sows. Bacteriuria, which was more common among sows with UTI than those without, was mainly ascribed to members of the intestinal and environmental bacteria. Proteinuria and the existence of urine sediment which were associated with UTI, could be used as proxy traits for UTI in live sows.
Whey is a highly nutritious byproduct of the cheese industry that can be used effectively in the animal feed industry. However, the use of whey in poultry diets is limited by its high lactose and mineral contents. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of whey in poultry diets on the performance, intestinal microbiota and physico-chemical parameters of the intestinal ecosystem, as well as on the bone morphology and its strength in broiler chicks. One hundred and twenty-eight, day-old, male broiler chicks were randomly allocated into four treatment groups of 32 chicks each. The treatment groups were: group A, which served as negative control and groups B, C and D, supplemented with 1, 2 and 5% of dietary whey, respectively. Performance of the groups was evaluated throughout the experiment. Following necropsies, the gastrointestinal tract from each bird was removed, divided into its anatomical parts and intestinal samples were taken for microbiological analysis and for pH and viscosity measurement as well. Tibiotarsus was also collected for morphometric analysis and strength evaluation. The statistical analysis of the experimental data revealed that the dietary supplementation of 1 and 2% of whey improved significantly (p ≤ 0.05) the body weight, while the addition of 5% of whey reduced significantly (p ≤ 0.05) the body weight. Furthermore, the addition of 1, 2 and 5% of dietary whey increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) the pH of jejunum digesta and reduced significantly (p ≤ 0.05) the pH of caecum digesta compared to the control group. The addition of 1 and 2% of whey reduced significantly (p ≤ 0.05) the viscosity in the jejunum and ileum digesta, compared to the addition of 5% of whey which reduced significantly (p ≤ 0.05) the viscosity in jejunum digesta but increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) the viscosity in ileum digesta. Moreover, the addition of 1, 2 and 5% of dietary whey increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) the caecal counts of Lactobacillus spp. and Lactococcus lactis, while the addition of 5% of whey reduced significantly (p ≤ 0.05) the tibiotarsus length. It can be concluded that the addition of low quantities of whey up to 2% promoted the performance and gut health of birds, while the addition of higher quantities of whey at the level of 5% had a detrimental effect on the performance and tibiotarsus length.
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