The aim of this study was to compare physical and mechanical characteristics of Hisex hen eggs collected from three different housing systems: enriched cage housing, aviary housing, and free-range systems. The following physical and mechanical characteristics if eggs were compared: dimensions, surface area, volume, sphericity, shape index, shell thickness, weight, composition, yolk to albumen ratio, rupture force, specific deformation, absorbed energy, and firmness. The largest and heaviest eggs were collected from cage housing, followed by eggs from free-range systems and aviary housing. According to shape index, eggs from aviary housing can be described as round, while eggs from cage housing and free-range systems can be characterised as normal or standard. Eggs from free-range laying hens had the highest yolk percentage and yolk to albumen ratio (26.2% and 0.427). In comparison to eggs from aviary housing and free-range systems, eggs from enriched cage housing had the thickest shells and the highest shell strength, and required the highest force to rupture those eggs. The average force required to rupture Hisex Brown hen eggs from cage housing in all three axes was 44.14 N, which was 12.1% higher than the average force required to rupture eggs from a free-range system (39.37 N) and 17.1% higher than the average force required to rupture eggs from aviary housing (37.68 N). The highest forces required to rupture eggs from all three housing systems were determined on loading along the X-front axis and the lowest forces were determined along the Z-axis. The results obtained in this study can be useful to producers when selecting hen housing systems in order to reduce egg damage during storage and transport.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a supplementation diet for hens consisting of dried basil herb and flowers of calendula and dandelion for color, carotenoid content, iron-induced oxidative stability, and sensory properties of egg yolk compared with commercial pigment (control) and marigold flower. The plant parts were supplemented in diets at two levels: 1% and 3%. In response to dietary content, yolks from all diets differed in carotenoid profile (p < 0.001). The 3% supplementation level resulted in a similar total carotenoid content as the control (21.25 vs. 21.79 μg/g), but by 3-fold lower compared to the 3% marigold (66.95 μg/g). The tested plants did not achieve yolk color fan values as the control (13.47) or 3% marigold (11.47), and among them, calendula had the highest values (9.73). Despite the low carotenoid content in diets supplemented with basil herb, iron-induced malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration was low as for marigold (on average 106.83 vs. 92.68 ng/g after 250 min). The treatments differed in sensory color scores for fresh and hard-boiled yolks and flavor while other sensory properties were similar. In conclusion, the supplementation of plants in a hen diet may result in yolks containing carotenoids and other compounds showing a high antioxidant effect.

Research was focussed on investigating the influence of different quantities (0, 10, 20 and 30%) of rapeseed meal (RM), 00-cultivar Silvia on production results, as well as on the morphological and pathohistological changes in the internal organs of chicks during the course of the experiment, measured on the 21st and 42nd days of the 42-day experiment. The experiment involved 120 chicks divided into four groups: a control group (C) and three experimental groups (E 1-3 ). It was found that chicks in Groups C, E 1 and E 2 realised significantly (P < 0.05) higher gains than those in Group E 3 , both after the test period and at the end of the experiment. No significant differences with regard to feed conversion were found between groups of chicks. Throughout the experiment chicks in Groups E 1-3 were found to have a significantly (P < 0.05) heavier liver. Compared to Groups E 1-3, Group C chicks had a significantly (P < 0.05) heavier gizzard after 21 days, but following the finisher diet Group E 3 had a significantly (P < 0.05) lighter gizzard. Compared with birds in Group C, those in Groups E 2-3 had significantly heavier (P < 0.05) unevacuated intestines when fed the starter diet, and those in Groups E 1-2 showed a similar result when fed the finisher diet. Chicks in Group E 3 had a significantly lower grill weight than those in Groups C, E 1 and E 2 , both in the first half of the experiment and at the end. The starter diet did not result in any differences in the quantity of abdominal fat among groups, but following the finisher diet Groups E 2-3 showed significantly less abdominal fat in comparison to Groups C and E 1 (P < 0.05). Group C showed a significantly higher carcass yield than Groups E 1-3 (P < 0.05) in the first half of the experiment and at the end. Groups E 1-3 manifested a slight to medium hypertrophy of thyroid epithelial tissue as well as slight thymus hypertrophy and slight atrophy of the cloacal bursa follicles.

No abstract

Although the EZ-DripLoss method has been performed in numerous studies, there is a deficiency in our knowledge of the EZ-DripLoss method’s suitability for poultry meat analysis. This study aimed to research the effect of different sample areas (10, 20, and 30 mm; n = 240), and fiber orientations (vertical vs. horizontal) on the EZ-DripLoss in chicken breast meat measured across a period of five days. The influence of sample area on the EZ-DripLoss of chicken breast meat with respect to the fiber orientation and across the five-day measurement interval was significant between 10 and 30 mm samples, and between 20 and 30 mm samples (p < 0.001). The estimated regression coefficient showed that EZ-DripLoss for the samples with horizontal and vertical fiber direction of 10 and 20 mm, significantly increased by 0.04% per hour, while for the samples with vertical fiber direction whose diameter was 30 mm, it significantly increased by 0.06% per hour, and for the horizontal fiber direction, it significantly increased by 0.07% per hour. The samples with vertical fiber orientation had 0.50% greater EZ-DripLoss compared to the samples with horizontal fiber orientation. EZ-DripLoss evaluation in chicken breast should be performed with a sample core diameter of 20 mm, a vertical fiber orientation, and over the course of longer measurement intervals.

A 21-day experiment with day-old broilers was conducted in order to assess the effect of phytase supplementation to different cereals-soybean meal based diets on nitrogen, calcium, total and phytate phosphorus excretion and retention. Diets were formulated to contain 4 different cereals (maize, wheat, triticale and barley), 2 levels of dietary calcium (0.6 and 1.0%) and 3 levels of supplemental phytase (0, 500 and 1 000 PU/kg). Nutrient intake, excretion and retention were determined in the first three days of the 2nd and 3rd week of trial. The increasing phytase level resulted in reducing phytate phosphorus excretion and increasing its retention. Significant differences were obtained only in the 2nd week (excretion P < 0.024 and retention P < 0.044). Phytase supplementation significantly influenced total phosphorus excretion in the 3rd week (P < 0.048) and retention in the 2nd week (P < 0.015). The effects of 500 and 1 000 PU/kg were not statistically different from each other. No significant influence of phytase supplementation on nitrogen and calcium excretion and retention was observed.

Commercial crossbred pigs slaughtered at different live weights were used to investigate the effect of G1426A polymorphism in the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) gene on carcass composition and meat quality traits. The significant effect of G/A substitution on backfat thickness (BF; P<0.01) was observed in pigs slaughtered at high live weight (123.0±6.5kg), but not in pigs slaughtered at low live weight (99.1±3.7kg). That was accompanied by tendency of decrease (P<0.10) in estimated lean meat percentage (LMP). The BF was higher and LMP was lower in AA compared to GG genotype (P<0.01). Meat quality traits were not affected by MC4R genotype. These results suggest that GG genotype could be favourable in pigs slaughtered at higher live weights due to lower BF and higher LMP

To investigate the influence of the Dalmatian ham processing conditions on weight loss and sensory characteristics, 20 hams were processed following different temperature conditions during salting and ripening. For that purpose, hams were evaluated using quantitative descriptive analysis. The weight loss was higher and all sensory traits except presence of tyrosine and phenylalanine crystals were higher rated for hams processed at higher temperatures. The most significant (P<0.0001) influence of temperature was established on subcutaneous fat color, muscle color and presence of tyrosine and phenylalanine, whereas no influence was established on appearance, marbling, flavor and melting. This concludes that there is overall significant effect of higher temperature on sensory characteristics most likely due to the more intense proteolysis and lipolysis