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Barred Rock chickens were offered diets that had been pelleted at 55° or 85°C. In an 8-week feeding trial, the subjects receiving pellets processed at the higher temperature experienced significant (P ≤ .05) weight gain over those receiving the diet processed at 55°C. Although feed consumption for this treatment increased as well, the difference was not significant (P ≤ .05). Chemical investigation revealed that metabolizable energy and bioavailability of lysine of both heat treatments were similar. Starch availability as measured by in vitro enzyme susceptibility, however, was lowered by increased heat application. In a second experiment, the feeding behavior of 12-16 week old cockerels offered diets of varying particle size, resulted in significant (P ≤ .05) increases in feed consumption rate and therefore decreases in total feeding activity for birds offered pellets and crumbles as compared to mash and reground pellets. No differences were noted in meal size, meal frequency, interval between meals, or total consumption. In a parallel experiment, no differences were noted in the behavioral parameters of birds receiving diets pelleted at 55, 70, or 85°C of similar density and particle size. Mash controls, however, experienced significantly (P ≤ .05) decreased consumption rate and concurrent increase in feeding activity. The beneficial effects experienced with pelleting can therefore be attributed to the reduction in total feeding activity that allows an increased proportion of net energy to be utilized in support of growth. / M.S.

Influence of light, dietary amino acid levels, feeding space, and ambient temperature on male broiler body weight, feed efficiency, percentage abdominal fat, and incidence and severity of leg abnormalities was studied in two experiments. Broilers subjected to intermittent light (1 hr on:2 hrs off) had heavier 49 day body weights, and similar feed efficiencies than birds given continuous illumination. Feeding high [106 and 114% of NRC for lysine and total sulfur amino acids (TSAA), respectively] versus low (100% of NRC for lysine and TSAA) amino acid diets, improved body weight and feed efficiency at market age. Providing broilers with increased feeding space (from 1.47 to 2.94 cm/bd) resulted in improved body weight at market age. Birds under high ambient temperatures (29 to 26° C) had significantly higher feed efficiencies at four weeks of age than those given low temperatures (29 to 18° C). However, at market age broilers provided low temperatures had significantly greater gains with similar feed efficiencies. Birds fed high amino acid diets had significantly more abdominal fat than those given low amino acid diets. Light, feeding space, ambient temperature and relative humidity had no significant effect on percentage abdominal fat. Broilers provided intermittent light had significantly fewer and less severe leg abnormalities than birds under continuous illumination. Dietary amino acids, ambient temperature and relative humidity had no significant effect on the incidence or severity of the leg disorders. / Master of Science

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Thesis (Bsc. (Animal production)) --University of Limpopo, 2009. / Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of Hoodia gordonii meal supplementation at finisher stage on productivity and carcass characteristics of Ross 308 broiler chickens. Experiment 1 examined the effect of levels of Hoodia gordonii meal supplementation of grower diet fed to Ross 308 broiler chickens at the finisher stage (30 – 42 days of age) on productivity and carcass characteristics in a 12 day experimental period. The experiment was a completely randomized design with a 2 (two sexes of chickens) x 6 (levels of Hoodia gordonii meal [0, 100, 200, 300, 400 or 500 mg]) factorial arrangement of treatments in which three hundred and sixty broiler chickens at finisher stage were randomly allocated to twelve treatments with three replicates of ten birds each. Level of Hoodia gordonii meal supplementation had no effect (P>0.05) on diet intake, intake as percentage of live weight, growth rate, feed conversion ratio, live weight at 42 days of age and mortality of broiler chickens at finisher stage. All carcass characteristics were not affected (P>0.05) by the treatments except fat pads. Chickens given a daily dose of 300 mg of Hoodia gordonii meal had lower (P<0.05) fat pad weights than unsupplemented ones. Male broiler chickens had higher (P<0.05) feed intake and heavier drum sticks than female broiler chickens. Experiment 2 examined the effect of Hoodia gordonii meal dose interval at finisher stage in a 2 (two sexes of chickens) x 3 (dosage intervals) factorial, complete randomized design that involved three hundred and sixty chickens that were randomly allocated to six treatments with six replicates of ten birds each. Broiler chickens were fed either a grower diet without Hoodia gordonii meal; grower diet with 300 mg of Hoodia gordonii meal/ bird supplemented everyday for 12 days; or grower diet with 300 mg of Hoodia gordonii meal/ bird supplemented twice, on 30th and 36th days of age. Hoodia gordonii meal dose interval had no effect (P>0.05) on dry matter feed intake, intake as percentage of live weight, growth rate, live weight at 42 days of age, feed conversion ratio, mortality and all carcass characteristics except fat pad of broiler chickens. Daily dosing with 300 mg of Hoodia gordonii meal/ bird reduced (P<0.05) fat pad weights of broiler chickens by 18 percentage points. Male broiler chickens had higher (P<0.05) feed intake, nitrogen digestibility, nitrogen retention and live weight than female broiler chickens. It is concluded that chickens given a daily supplement of 300 mg of Hoodia gordonii meal had lower fat pad weights than unsupplemented ones. This could not be explained in terms of differences in feed intake, digestibility, or growth rate.

Thesis (M. Tech. Agriculture, Tshwane University of Technology, 2011. / To increase local growth linkages of smallholder broiler enterprises in rural areas a single-phase, on-farm processed, mash diet, consisting of boiled and ground full-fat soya beans and ground yellow maize grain fortified with lysine, methionine and selected mineral nutrients was first developed and then tested. Financial analysis showed that net operating expenses of broiler enterprises that used the experimental diet were higher than those of similar enterprises using the control diet, but differences in net operating income were only significant in one of the two runs of the experiment. The main economic benefit of using the experimental diet was the added value to the local economy, which increased from 20 % of the retail value of broiler chickens in the case of enterprises using the control diet to 70 % when using the experimental diet.

Fertility of Broiler Breeders (BBs) has been researched over many years with inconclusive findings. Genetic selection and improvements in growth traits have had negative effects on fertility of BB. One explanation is related to overweight birds, resulting in the inability of birds to copulate successfully, with no cloacal contact. The requirements of CP for egg production in BB females have been quantified, but there is less literature on how CP affects fertility in male BBs. The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects of feeding BB males different dietary CP intakes (10.4, 12.4, 14.2, 17.8, 19.3 and 20.1 g CP/bird/day) on fertility in flocks with natural mating and in birds that were artificially inseminated (AI). Results showed that birds consuming 10.4 and 12.4 g CP/bird/day resulted in weight loss (between 24.9 and 23.6% and 26.5 and 22.4% below target BW) over the 29 weeks of the experimental period in both natural mating and individual pens respectively. Intakes of higher protein content (17.8- 20.1 g CP/bird/day) however resulted in BW gain over the experimental period. Hatch percentage across all CP intakes throughout the duration of the study was found to be high, ranging between 75- 100 and 80-95 % in AI and naturally mated birds respectively, and not affected by CP intakes. Similar results for predicted fertility using the methods published by Brillard & Antoine (1990) and Wishart (1997) were found; however Brillard & Antoine (1990) is more lenient requiring less outer perivitelline layer (OPVL) sperm/mm2 to pronounce an egg fertile. Improved fertility predictions could have been made by using examination of inner perivitelline layer (IVPL). There was a tendency for a superior response in predicted fertility from birds with a protein intake of 14.2 g CP/bird/day. This intake also least affected the BW of the male birds and thus 14.2 g CP/bird/day can be recommended for optimal BB male performance. / Thesis (M.Sc.Agric.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.

The potential of lignin and mannanoligosaccharides (MOS), as alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters was evaluated in broilers. Dietary treatments included: (1) negative control (CTL-, antibiotic free); (2) positive control (CTL+, 11 mg/kg virginiamycin); (3) MOS (diet 1 + Bio-Mos: 0.2% to 21 d and 0.1% thereafter); (4) LL (diet 1 + 1.25% Alcell lignin); (5) HL (diet 1 + 2.5% Alcell lignin). Bodyweight and feed conversion were not different when broilers were fed the CTL+, MOS, LL or HL diet. Birds fed MOS or LL had increased jejunum villi height (P &lt; 0.05) and greater goblet cell number per villus (P &lt; 0.05) when compared to those fed the CTL+ diet. MOS and LL increased (P &lt; 0.05) the cecal populations of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria when compared to CTL+ fed birds. However, Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria loads were lowest (P &lt; 0.05) in birds fed the CTL+ or HL diet. Litter E. coli load was reduced (P &lt; 0.05) when birds were fed MOS than when fed the CTL+ diet, but comparable to LL or HL fed birds. In birds challenged with pathogenic strains of E. coli (O2 and O88 serotypes) and fed the MOS or HL diet, the cecal population of total E. coli was lower (P &lt; 0.05) than those fed the CTL+ diet; LL fed birds tended to have lower E. coli load than CTL+ fed birds. In summary, birds fed the MOS or LL diet had comparative advantage over CTL+ fed birds as evidenced by increased cecal populations of Lactobacilli and Bifdobacteria, increased villi height and greater goblet cell number in the jejunum, lower E. coli load in the litter, and lower cecal population of E. coli after an in vivo challenge with pathogenic strains of E. coli. Therefore, MOS and lignin could be regarded as natural alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters in poultry production. / Key words. Antibiotics, mannanoligosaccharides, lignin, gut health, broilers.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:27:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-06-08Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:31:17Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 gamba_jp_me_.pdf: 1043148 bytes, checksum: b0a0191eb557834ac568021e9b13ad91 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / O estresse calórico é o agente desencadeador de diversos distúrbios metabólicos em frangos de corte, entre eles o desequilíbrio ácido- base. Com a finalidade de evitar esses efeitos e melhorar o desempenho dos animais, faz-se necessário a utilização de níveis adequados de eletrólitos e, também, uma correta proporção entre esses na ração, obtendo assim uma formulação com um equilíbrio eletrolítico apropriado para os animais. Assim, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o desempenho e a mortalidade de frangos de corte submetidos a diferentes balanços (Na++K+–Cl-)e relações eletrolíticas [(K++Cl-)/Na+] na dieta em condições de termoneutralidade e sobre estresse térmico. Para tanto um primeiro experimento foi realizado com um total de 1575 pintos de corte machos de 1-21, em condições termoneutras, em que os tratamentos consistiam de cinco dietas decorrentes de combinações BE/RE (150/3, 250/2, 250/3, 250/4 e 350/3). Foram avaliados os parâmetros peso corporal, consumo de ração e conversão alimentar, os quais se apresentaram sensíveis aos níveis de suplementação de BE e RE, enquadrados numa análise de superfície que permitiu melhor avaliação dos crescentes níveis de BE e relação estreita e larga do RE. Os resultados indicaram que o melhor desempenho foi obtido somente com as combinações simultâneas de eletrólitos para BE entre 251 e 255mEq/kg e RE entre 2,73:1 e 3,5:1. Em um segundo experimento, foram utilizados os mesmos animais, porém de 21-46 dias de idade, distribuídos em arranjo fatorial 5x3, totalizando 15 tratamentos. Os tratamentos consistiram das mesmas cinco dietas com diferentes combinações entre BE e RE, associado com a aplicação do estresse por calor, no 25° ou 35° dia de idade. Foi possível verificar que a formulação estratégica do correto equilíbrio de eletrólitos melhora o desempenho e é capaz de evitar o efeito do estresse / The heat stress is the causative agent of several metabolic disorders in broiler chickens, including the acid-base imbalance. In order to avoid these effects and improve animal performance, it is necessary to use adequate levels of electrolytes and also a correct proportion of these in the diet, thereby obtaining a formulation with an appropriate electrolyte balance for the animals. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the performance and mortality of broilers submitted to different balances Na++K+–Cl-) and relations electrolyte [(K++Cl-)/Na+] in the diet at thermoneutrality and on thermal stress. Therefore, a first experiment was conducted with a total of 1575 male broiler chicks of 1-21 in thermoneutral conditions, in which treatments consisted of five diets resulting from combinations BE/RE (150/3, 250/2, 250/3, 250/4 and 350/3). The parameters evaluated were body weight, feed intake and feed conversion, which were susceptible to dietary supplementation of BE and RE, embedded in a surface analysis which allowed a better assessment of rising levels of BE and close and wide-RE. The results indicated that the best performance was obtained only with simultaneous combinations of electrolytes to between 251 and 255mEq/kg BE and RE and between 3,5:1-2,73:1. In a second experiment, we used the same animals, but in 21-46 days of age in a factorial arrangement 5x3, totaling 15 treatments. The treatments were the same five diets with different combinations of BE and RE, together with the application of heat stress on the 25th or 35th day of age. It was possible to verify that the correct formulation of the strategic balance of electrolytes improves performance and is able to avoid the effect of heat stress in broilers, whereas a diet with BE of 250 mEq/kg and RE 3 for better performance and a diet with BE of 350 mEq/kg and 3 RE aimed at survival of animals