The aim of the present study was to investigate potential hypocholesterolaemic antioxidant activities of cinnamon oil and antibiotic, and their effects on fatty acid compositions of serum and meat in broilers.

No abstract

This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of enrichment housing design on performance, selected welfare indicators, chicken meat composition and serum cholesterol concentration of broiler chicken.For this purpose, 480 Ross-308 chicks were assigned to two groups, Control and Test, each with 4 replications. The pens of the Test Group were enriched with perches and sand bedding. At the end of the study, 8 males and 8 females whose live weights were close to the group average from each group were slaughtered. Their blood was collected and serum was separated. For chemical analysis of the chicken meat, whole carcasses of 4 males and 4 females, and half of the breast and left thigh from the remaining 4 males and 4 females were collected. In the carcass group, whole carcass with its bones was minced, whereas in the other groups breast and tight meat were separated from the bones and minced in a meat grinder, homogenized with an electronic mixer, then flash frozen (-40 °C, 8-10 h) and stored (-20 °C, 3-4 weeks) until analysed.There was no significant difference between the groups in body weight, daily weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion and survivability. Litter moisture of the sand bedding was lower than that of the wood shavings. Contact dermatitis of hocks was reduced in the Test Group (P < 0.05). Length, width, bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) of the left tibiotarsus were similar between groups. The protein ratio of thigh meat was higher (P < 0.01), and fat ratio of the meat was lower (P < 0.05) in the Test Group. Enriched housing design increased serum HDL cholesterol level and decreased thigh meat cholesterol level (P < 0.05).In conclusion, it was found that housing enriched with perches and sand bedding in addition to wood shavings bedding improved broiler welfare and meat quality. Broiler chickens, environmental enrichment, housing design, performance, welfare, meat quality, serum cholesterolThe appetite, feeding system, physical activity and genetic factors play important roles in fat storage (Hood 1983). Broiler chickens, depending on age and rearing conditions, spend most of the time resting (Weeks et al. 2000). There is a significant correlation between decreasing physical activity and adiposity (Ekelund et al. 2006). The lack of exercise is considered the main cause of leg weakness, and extreme durations of sitting on poor quality litter result in skin lesions on the breast and legs (Bessei 2006).Enviromental enrichments can increase activity and thus improve both physical and psychological well-being. Maintaining balance while perching, and stepping onto and over perches exercise leg muscles and joints in a way that is different from simply walking. Wing and breast muscles are also utilized while walking and balancing on a perch (Newberry and Hall 1990; Le Van et al. 2000). Because of its attractiveness to broiler chickens for pecking and scratching behaviours, sand bedding could be utilized for exercise of body muscles (Shields et al. 2004). In addition ...

Supplementation of natural antioxidants to diets of male poultry has been reported to be effective in reducing or completely eliminating heat stress (HS)-induced reproductive failures. In this study, the aim is to investigate whether rosemary oil (RO) has a protective effect on HS-induced damage in spermatozoa production, testicular histologic structures, apoptosis, and androgenic receptor (AR) through lipid peroxidation mechanisms in growing Japanese quail. Male chicks (n=90) at 15-days of age were assigned to two groups. The first group (n=45) was kept in a thermo-neutral (TN) room at 22°C for 24h/d. The second group (n=45) was kept in a room with a greater ambient temperature of 34°C for 8h/d (from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM) and 22°C for 16h/d. Animals in each of these two groups were randomly assigned to three subgroups (RO groups: 0, 125, 250ppm), consisting of 15 chicks (six treatment groups in 2×3 factorial design). Each of subgroups was replicated three times with each replicate including five chicks. The HS treatment significantly reduced the testicular spermatogenic cell counts, amount of testicular Bcl-2 (anti-apoptotic marker) and amount of AR. In addition, it significantly increased testicular lipid peroxidation, Bax (apoptotic marker) immunopositive staining, and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in conjunction with some histopathologic damage. Dietary supplementation of RO to diets of quail where the HS treatment was imposed alleviated HS-induced almost all negative changes such as increased testicular lipid peroxidation, decreased numbers of spermatogenic cells, and decreased amounts of Bcl-2 and AR, increased ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 and some testicular histopathologic lesion. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of RO for growing male Japanese quail reared in HS environmental conditions alleviates the HS-induced structural and functional damage by providing a decrease in lipid peroxidation.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cinnamon bark oil (CBO) on heat stress (HS)-induced changes in sperm production, testicular lipid peroxidation, testicular apoptosis, and androgenic receptor (AR) density in developing Japanese quails. Fifteen-day-old 90 male chicks were assigned to two main groups. The first group (45 chicks) was kept in a thermoneutral room at 22 °C for 24 h/day. The second group (45 chicks) was kept in a room with high ambient temperature at 34 °C for 8 h/day (from 9 AM-5 PM) and at 22 °C for 16 h/day. Each of these two main groups was then divided into three subgroups (CBO groups 0, 250, 500 ppm) consisting of 15 chicks (six treatment groups in 2 × 3 factorial order). Each of subgroups was replicated for three times and each replicate included five chicks. Heat stress caused significant decreases in body weight, spermatid and testicular sperm numbers, the density of testicular Bcl-2 (antiapoptotic marker) and AR immunopositivity, and significant increases in testicular lipid peroxidation level, the density of testicular Bax (apoptotic marker) immunopositivity, and a Bax/Bcl-2 ratio along with some histopathologic damages. However, 250 and 500 ppm CBO supplementation provided significant improvements in HS-induced increased level of testicular lipid peroxidation, decreased number of spermatid and testicular sperm, decreased densities of Bcl-2 and AR immunopositivity, and some deteriorated testicular histopathologic lesions. In addition, although HS did not significantly affect the testicular glutathione level, addition of both 250 and 500 ppm CBO to diet of quails reared in both HS and thermoneutral conditions caused a significant increase when compared with quails without any consumption of CBO. In conclusion, HS-induced lipid peroxidation causes testicular damage in developing male Japanese quails and, consumption of CBO, which has antiperoxidative effect, protects their testes against HS.

SummaryThis study was carried out to compare floor with cage housing systems used for broiler chicken production in terms of performance, some oxidative stress parameters and carcass defects. For this purpose, two cage and two floor housing farms were monitored simultaneously during summer, autumn and winter seasons. Capacities of farms in each housing system were 40.000 and 25.000 chickens. At the end of each summer, autumn and winter season, 15 broilers were selected in both housing systems with capacity of 25.000 chickens for carcass and oxidative stress parameters. Blood samples were taken in slaughtering period from chickens slaughtered with decapitation. Broiler reared in cage housing showed higher live weight at 7 and 14 days (P≤0.05). But this difference disappeared after three weeks, while slaughter weights were found to be similar at both systems. Better feed conversion ratio (FCR) and carcass yield were obtained in floor housing (P≤0.01). Serum malondialdehyde (MDA) level increased in cage housing (P≤0.01). Other carcass traits and antioxidant activity were found to be similar between groups (P>0.05). Cases of wing fractures, wing and breast bruising were found to be higher in cage housing (P≤0.05). Case of shank and drumstick bruising slightly increased in floor housing (P=0.074). The incidence and severity of food pad lesions increased in floor housing (P≤0.01). The results of this study indicated that floor housing had shown better performance and carcass quality at examined production capacities. Keywords: Broiler, Floor housing, Cage housing, Performance, Season Kafes ve Yer Sistemlerinin Etlik Piliç Üretiminde Besi Performansı, Oksidatif Stres ve Karkas Kusurları Üzerine Etkileri ÖzetBu araştırma, etlik piliç üretiminde kullanılan yer ve kafes sistemlerini performans, bazı oksidatif stres parametreleri ve karkas kusurları bakımından karşılaştırmak için yürütülmüştür. Bu amaçla, 2 yer ve 2 kafes kümesi yaz, sonbahar ve kış sezonları süresince eş zamanlı olarak takip edilmiştir. Her sistemde kümeslerin kapasitesi 40.000 ve 25.000 piliç şeklindedir. Yaz, sonbahar ve kış sezonları sonunda, 25.000 kapasiteli her iki yetiştirme sisteminden karkas ve oksidatif stres parametreleri için 15 piliç seçilmiştir. Kan numuneleri boyun uçurma yöntemi ile kesimi yapılan piliçlerden kesim esnasında alınmıştır. Kafes sisteminde yetiştirilen piliçler 7 ve 14. günlerde daha fazla canlı ağırlık göstermişlerdir (P≤0.05). Bu farklılık üçüncü haftadan sonra ortadan kaybolmuş ve kesim ağırlıkları her iki sistemde benzer bulunmuştur. Yer sisteminde yemden yararlanma ve karkas randımanı iyileşmiştir (P≤0.01). Serum malondialdehit (MDA) seviyesi kafes sisteminde yükselmiştir (P≤0.01). Diğer karkas özellikleri ve antioksidan aktivite araştırma grupları arasında benzer bulunmuştur (P>0.05). Kanat kırığı, kanat ve göğüs morarması olguları kafes sisteminde yüksek tespit edilmiştir (P≤0.05). İncik ve baget morarması olgusu yer sisteminde önemsiz derecede yükselmiştir (P=0.074). Taban yastığı nekrozlarının görülme oranı ve şiddet...

Primary Audience: Broiler Managers, Live Production Managers, Researchers SUMMARYThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of different stocking densities (22.5, 18.75, 15, 11.25, 7.5 broilers/m 2 ) in ad libitum (Al) and limited-or pair-feeding (Pf) regimens on meat composition; fatty acid profile of the total carcass, breast meat, and thigh meat; and serum cholesterol level in broiler chickens. (All the Pf groups were provided the same amount of feed per broiler, as determined for the Al-fed group with 22.5 broilers/m 2 .) Limited feeding increased the fat ratio of the chicken meat. Lowering the stocking density reduced the fat ratio and increased the protein ratio of the meat in both feeding regimens. The total saturated fatty acid (SFA) ratio was found to be quite high, whereas the total polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and n-3 fatty acid ratios were found to be low in the limit-fed broilers. Lowering the stocking density had a variable effect on fatty acid composition of the meat; total SFA and monounsaturated fatty acid ratios decreased, whereas total PUFA, n-3, and n-6 ratios increased in the Al groups. Total SFA and monounsaturated fatty acid ratios increased and total PUFA, n-3, and n-6 ratios decreased in the Pf groups. Serum total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were reduced with lower stocking densities in the Al groups, but only high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was reduced in the Pf groups. Consequently, stocking density and feeding regimen significantly changed the composition, fatty acid profile, and serum cholesterol level of chicken meat.

This study was conducted to investigate the performance of laying hens and to determine possible age-related changes on external and internal quality traits of their eggs and synthesis of heat shock protein 70 kDa (HSP70) in the conventional cage and organic rearing systems. For this purpose, 4 different Bovans White hybrid flocks of the same age were monitored in each of these two systems for 52 weeks. While a total of 360 eggs were examined to determine the effects of rearing system and age (30 and 60 weeks) on egg quality traits, 48 liver tissue samples were examined for the analysis of HSP70. Egg production (hen-day) and dirty egg ratio were higher in the organic rearing system (P<0.05). The age at 50% yield, the age at peak of lay, and peak production rate were calculated as 156, 218.75 days and 95.98% in the conventional system, and 155.75, 201.50 days, and 96.56% in the organic system, respectively (P>0.05). While egg weight, albumen weight, yolk weight, shell weight, shape index, and yolk colour were higher in the organic system, the crude ash ratio of eggshell and shell ratio were higher in the conventional system (P<0.05). It was also found that the egg weight, albumen weight, yolk weight, shell weight, and the percentage of yolk were higher at 60 weeks of age (P<0.001). The percentage of shell and albumen, shape index, and yolk colour were higher at 30 weeks of age (P<0.001). The interactions between rearing system and age were statistically significant in terms of shell thickness, shape index, crude ash ratio, and yolk colour (P<0.001). Stress protein (HSP70) level was affected only by the rearing system and was higher in the organic system (P<0.001). As a result, the organic system can be considered as advantageous in terms of egg production and quality traits and the eggs of young hens exhibited better properties. The high level of HSP70 in the organic system could indicate that hens were affected by the environmental conditions at higher rates and/or the hens reared in the organic system had a stronger antioxidant defence system.