The objective of the study was to compare the carcass characteristics, meat quality, and blood parameters of slow and fast grown female broiler chickens fed in organic or conventional production system. The two genotypes tested were medium slow-growing chickens (SG, Hubbard Red JA) and commercial fast-growing chickens (FG, Ross 308). Both genotypes (each represented by 400 chickens) were divided into two sub-groups fed either organic (O) or conventional (C) systems. Chickens of each genotype and system were raised in a semi environmentally controlled poultry house until 21 d of age and were assigned to 5 pens of 40 chickens each. Then, O system chickens were transferred into an open-side poultry house with an outdoor run. At 81 d of age, 10 female chickens from each genotype and from each production system (n = 40) were randomly chosen to provide material for analysis, and were weighed and brought to the slaughterhouse to assess carcass characteristics and meat quality. The blood parameters were determined by using 5 female chickens from each genotype and from each production system (n = 20). FG had the higher live weight, along with carcass, breast, and thigh-drumstick weights compared to SG (p<0.05). FG had the higher breast yield, whereas SG had the higher thigh-drumstick yield (p<0.05). The O system resulted in a higher amount of abdominal fat (p<0.05). In addition, the O system values were higher for dry matter, crude ash, crude protein, and pH15 values in breast meat, and for crude ash, crude protein, and pH15 values in drumstick meat (p<0.05). In addition, total saturated fatty acids, total mono-unsaturated fatty acids, and total omega 3 were significantly higher in the O system than in the C system. Thus, the O system showed a positive advantage compared to the C system regarding female chicken meat quality, primarily within the ash, protein, and total omega 3 fatty acid profiles. In conclusion, the present study indicated that the main factor affecting the carcass characteristics of female chickens was genotype, whereas the organic system contributed to enhanced meat quality. These findings provide a better understanding of the relative roles of genotype and production systems in female broiler characteristics, and might aid producers in designing their facilities to optimize yield and quality while maintaining acceptable animal welfare standards.

The effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae supplementation (6.6×108 cfu) and anhydrous ammonia treatment (3%) of wheat straw (WS) were investigated on in-situ dry matter (DM) degradability, and on rumen fermentation and growth performance of lambs. Rumen-fistulated Menemen sheep fed a diet with and without live yeast were used to assess the DM degradability characteristics of WS and ammonia-treated wheat straw (WSNH3). Twenty-six yearling Menemen male lambs were fed in four groups. Lambs of control group (WS) received untreated WS without supplemental yeast, whereas other three groups were fed WS treated with anhydrous ammonia (WSNH3 group), untreated WS and yeast (WS+YEAST group) or WS treated with anhydrous ammonia and yeast (WSNH3+YEAST group). Supplemented live yeast (4 g/d) was added in the diet. Lambs were offered untreated or ammonia treated WS ad-libitum and concentrate was fed at 1% of live body weight. The degradability of the water-insoluble (fraction B) was significantly increased by all of the treatment groups. Potential degradability (A+B), effective DM degradability’s (pe2, pe5, and pe8) and average daily weight gain increased only in WSNH3+YEAST group (p<0.05). Voluntary DM intake was not increased by the treatments (p>0.05), but voluntary metabolizable energy and crude protein intake were increased by WSNH3 and by WSNH3+YEAST (p<0.05). Average daily rumen pH was not affected by any of the treatments, but average daily NH3-N was significantly higher in the WSNH3 and WSNH3+YEAST groups, and total volatile fatty acids were significantly higher in the WS+YEAST and WSNH3+YEAST groups. In conclusion, the improvement of feed value of WS was better by the combination of ammonia-treatment and yeast supplementation compared to either treatment alone.

ABSTRACT:The present study was conducted to determine the quality and composition of colostrum samples obtained from Simmental and Brown Swiss heifers on a Turkish dairy farm in Ödemiş, İzmir. The average volume of colostrum obtained from Simmental and Brown Swiss heifers at the first milking was 3.4 L and 3.8 L, respectively. Average colostrometer (Ig) and Brix values were determined as 105.1 mg/mL and 104.9 mg/mL, 29.97 % and 29.68 % of the samples (P>0.05). No significant differences were observed between colostrums' chemical compositions-including total solids, total protein, solids-not-fat, somatic cell counts (SCC), total bacterial counts (TBC), and energy values of the breeds -except for lactose concentration (P<0.05). The means of TBC were 781,000 and 634,000 CFU/mL for Simmental and Brown Swiss, respectively. The correlations between colostrometer and Brix values in Simmentals and Browns Swiss were 0.85 and 0.81, respectively (P<0.01). On the other hand, the correlations between Log 10 SCC and Log 10 TBC in both breeds were found to be 0.66 and 0.65 (P<0.05), respectively. According to the results of the present study, the fat, protein, lactose, and total solid concentrations of both Simmental and Brown Swiss (dual-purpose breeds) were higher than the values reported for Holstein dairy breeds. Although colostrum quality of both breeds was found to be good in terms of Ig concentration, their total bacterial counts were high. Bacterial counts can be reduced with adequate hygiene practices and good colostrum management.

The objective of this experiment was to estimate in situ effective crude protein degradability (EPD) with Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) parameters [crude protein fractions (A, B 1 , B 2 , B 3 and C) and degradable protein intake value (DIP) values] of six energyrich feedstuffs. Four cereals: maize, wheat, barley, rye and two wheat middling (WM-1 and WM-2) were tested. The in situ effective protein degradability (EPD) was calculated using the nylon bag method where the test feedstuffs incubated in the rumen of three Tahirova wethers. The EPD's were estimated as EPD2, EPD5 and EPD8 assuming rumen outflow rates of 0.02, 0.05 and 0.08 h -1 . The crude protein fractions i.e. A=NPN, B 1 =fast, B 2 =intermediate, B 3 =slow and C=not fermented and unavailable to the animal were calculated using the soluble protein (SolP), the non-protein nitrogen (NPN, % of SolP), the neutral detergent insoluble protein (NDIP) and the acid detergent insoluble protein (ADIP=C) values of feedstuffs based on CNCPS. Then, DIP was calculated by using CNCPS crude protein fractions, degradation rate of B fractions (Kd) and coefficients of outflow rate on the different levels of dry matter intake (Kp): (DIP 1X =at 1x maintenance level of intake, DIP 2x =at 2x maintenance level of intake, and DIP 3x =at 3x maintenance level of intake). It was found that there was a significant multiple regression relation between the EPD8 (g/kg DM) and crude protein fractions (g/kg DM) (R 2 =0.96, n=18, P<0.001), and simple regression relation between the EPD8 (g/kg DM) and DIP 3X (g/kg DM) (R 2 =0.98, n=18, P<0.001). These regression relations did not improve when the different rumen outflow rates were used to estimate EPD. In conclusion, we claimed that in situ effective protein degradation (EPD) can be reliably and accurately predicted from CP fractions and DIP values in cereals and wheat middling. Keywords: Nylon bag method, CNCPS parameters, Protein degradation, Energy-rich feedstuffs Ruminantlarda Enerjice Zengin Yem Hammaddelerin In Situ Etkin Ham Protein Yıkımlanabilirliklerinin Cornell Net Karbonhidrat ve Protein Sistemi Kullanılarak Tahmin Edilmesi ÖzetBu çalışma, enerjice zengin altı adet yem hammaddesinin ruminantlarda in situ etkin ham protein yıkımlanabilirliklerinin (EPD), Cornell Net Karbonhidrat and Protein Sistemi (CNCPS) parametreleri [ham protein fraksiyonları (A, B 1 , B 2 , B 3 and C) ve tüketilen parçalanabilir protein (DIP)] kullanılarak belirlenmesi amacıyla yapılmıştır. Çalışmanın yem materyali mısır, buğday, arpa, çavdar ile iki farklı buğday kepeğinden (WM-1 ve WM-2) oluşturulmuştur. Yem hammaddelerinin in situ etkin ham protein yıkımlanabilirlikleri (EPD), üç adet Tahirova koçu kullanılarak nylon kese tekniği ile belirlenmiştir. EPD değerleri (EPD2, EPD5 and EPD8) 0.02, 0.05 ve 0.08 s -1 rumenden geçiş hızı katsayılarında hesaplanmıştır. Ham protein fraksiyonları A=NPN, B 1 =Hızlı, B 2 =Orta, B 3 =Yavaş ve C=yararlanılamayan protein, CNCPS ile tahıllar ve buğday kepeklerinin çözünebilir protein (SolP), protein t...