MSCAGR (Animal Science) / Department of Animal Science / The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of feed withdrawal and strain on laying performance and egg quality of White and Brown Hy-line layers. Fifty four hens for each strain (White Hy-Line and Brown Hy-line) aged 18 weeks (point of laying stage) were used in the investigation. Feed withdrawal had no effect (P>0.05) on laying performance, mortality rate, egg internal and external quality, but significantly affected (P<0.01) average feed intake, body weight, small and extra-large eggs percentages. Hens under ad libitum consumed more feed than hens under four hours and eight hours feed withdrawal. High body weight was observed on ad libitum fed hens, intermediate on eight hours feed withdrawn hens and lower at four hours feed withdrawn hens. High percentage of small graded eggs was observed on four hours feed withdrawn hens, intermediate on eight hours feed withdrawn hens and lower on ad libitum fed hens. High percentage of extra-large graded eggs was observed on ad libitum fed hens, intermediate on eight hours feed withdrawn hens and lower four hours feed withdrawn hens. Strain had a significant effect on average egg weight, median egg weight, albumen weight, extra-small, small, medium and large graded eggs percentages (P<0.01) and on body weight, egg height , egg width, average egg shell colour (P<0.05). Strain did not affect (P>0.05) average feed intake, body weight change, egg output, feed conversion ratio, mortality rate, egg shell breaking force, albumen height, yolk height, yolk weight, extra-large and jumbo graded eggs percentage. Brown Hy-Line layers had high average egg weight, median egg weight, egg height, egg width, and average egg shell colour and albumen weight than White Hy-Line layers. Small sized eggs percentage and body weight were high on White Hy-Line layers compared to Brown Hy-Line layers. Medium and large sized eggs were high on Brown Hy-Line layers than White Hy-Lines. Feed withdrawal by strain interaction effect was observed on body weight, average egg weight and median egg weight, albumen weight and egg height, percentage of small, medium and large graded eggs (P<0.05). Brown Hy-Line hens under eight hours feed withdrawal had high egg weight, median egg weight, egg height, albumen weight and under eight hours feed withdrawn White Hy-Line hens had lower albumen height compared to other interactions. In all interactions White Hy-Line had high percentage of small graded eggs whereas Brown Hy-line had high percentage of large and medium graded eggs. / NRF

Master of Science / Department of Animal Sciences and Industry / Joel DeRouchey / Thirteen experiments using a total of 7,589 nursery and finishing pigs were conducted to evaluate the effects of deoxynivalenol (DON), feed additives and processing conditions on nursery pig growth performance. In addition, feed withdrawal and diet blending were evaluated in finishing pigs. Experiment 1 tested 3 feed additives in DON-contaminated diets with only Defusion Plus improving performance. Experiment 2 evaluated Biofix in both low- and high-DON diets and showed no effects on growth. Experiments 3 and 4 further evaluated levels of Defusion and the effects of pelleting and supplemental nutrients in DON-contaminated diets. Defusion improved growth in low-DON diets, but had variable effects in high DON diets. Pelleting DON-contaminated diets resulted in comparable growth to pigs fed positive control diets in meal form. In Exp. 5 and 6, pilot studies evaluated DON-detoxification using sodium metabisulfite (SMB) with hydrothermal treatment in both an autoclave and a pellet mill. These conditions reduced analyzed DON by as much as 89 and 75% for the autoclave and pellet mill, respectively. In Exp. 7 and 8, pelleting DON-contaminated diets with SMB improved growth. Experiments 9 and 10 evaluated feed-withdrawal time on carcass composition and economic returns. These experiments showed that pre-slaughter fasting for up to 36 h prior can be used to avoid weight discounts in heavyweight pigs without negatively impacting carcass composition and maintaining overall revenue. However, these advantages come with a potential reduction in carcass weight and increased incidence of leaking ingesta, which can result in condemned heads. Experiments 11, 12, and 13 compared phase-feeding to blending diets using an automated feed delivery system. These studies showed that corn-supplement blending is not economical and feeding diets blended to a Lys curve results in lower feed costs compared to phase-feeding, but due to reductions in growth and carcass weight, these savings do not translate into higher income over feed cost. Finally, Exp. 13 showed that over- and under-budgeting situations do not significantly influence overall returns, but pigs fed under-budgeted diets performed more closely to those fed correctly estimated feed budgets.

O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de diferentes períodos de jejum alimentar (3, 6, 9, 12, 15 e 18 horas) sobre a perda de peso vivo em frangos de corte criados em sistema convencional e o rendimento de carcaça quente e fria (antes e após o resfriamento), além de avaliar os atributos de qualidade da carne de peito de frango. Neste experimento foram utilizados frangos de corte da linhagem Ross com 46 dias de idade. Os resultados encontrados mostraram que o tempo de jejum prolongado teve efeito significativo (p&#8804;0,05) sobre a perda de peso das aves antes do abate, com perda de 5% para um jejum de 12h. Conforme os períodos de jejum aumentavam, também incrementava a quantidade de peso perdido na carcaça viva. Registrou-se um elevado rendimento de carcaça quente com um período entre 3 e 6 horas de jejum e reduzido, a partir de um período de 9 horas acusou uma diferença significativa (p&#8804;0,05). A carcaça fria apresentou uma diminuição no seu rendimento, à medida que aumentou o tempo do jejum, com diferença significativa (p&#8804;0,05), que foi observada a partir de 6 horas de jejum. Os resultados encontrados neste estudo não mostraram que o tempo prolongado da privação de alimentos tenha efeito significativo (p&#8804;0,05) sobre a força de cisalhamento (kgf. cm-2) da carne de peito. Quanto à coloração, o aumento do período do jejum alimentar, tornou a carne de peito mais escura, porém não apresentou diferença significativa. Pelos dados da correlação dos atributos de qualidade, foi observada, para o valor de L*, uma relação negativa com o valor do pH da carne, pois, conforme aumentava o pH, o valor de L* diminuía. Observou-se, também, a correlação positiva entre o valor do pH e o CRA. Portanto, à medida que o pH da carne de peito aumentava, a CRA também incrementava. A correlação positiva encontrada entre a perda por cocção e a força de cisalhamento demonstrou que o aumento da perda de peso pela cocção influenciou negativamente a maciez da carne. De acordo com os resultados encontrados em relação ao rendimento de carcaças, o período entre 3 e 9h de jejum alimentar apresentou o melhor resultado. E quanto às qualidades físico-químicas da carne de peito de frango, não se encontrou diferença significativa entre os diferentes períodos de jejum. / The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of different feed withdrawal periods (3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 hours) on the weight loss of broilers raised in the conventional system and the yield of the hot and cold carcass (before and after cooling), as well as to evaluate the quality attributes of the broilers breast meat. In this experiment, 46-day-old Ross broilers were used. The results found in this study show that the prolonged feed withdrawal time had a significant effect (p&#8804;0,05) on the weight loss of the birds before slaughtering, with a 5% loss for a 12-hour feed withdrawal period. As the feed withdrawal periods increased, so did the amount of weight loss in the living carcass. The hot carcass yield was higher between 3 and 6 hours of feed withdrawal and reduced after 9 hours with a significant difference (p&#8804;0,05). As to the cold carcass yield, it decreased as the fasting time increased, with a significant difference (p&#8804;0,05) on the shear force (kgf. cm-2) of the breast meat. As to coloration, the increase in the feed withdrawal period made the meat darker, but no significant difference was found. According to the data from the quality attributes correlation, a negative correlation was observed between the L* value and the pH of the meat, for as the pH increased, the L* value decreased. A positive correlation was observed between the pH and the WHC, since, as the pH of the breast meat increased, so did the WHC. The positive correlation between the cooking loss and the shear force showed that the increase in the weight loss by the cooking influenced negatively the tenderness of the meat. According to the results found for the carcass yield, the best results were found for the fasting periods between 3 and 9 hours. As to the physical-chemical quality of the chicken breast meat, no significant difference was found among the different feed withdrawal periods.

O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de diferentes períodos de jejum alimentar (3, 6, 9, 12, 15 e 18 horas) sobre a perda de peso vivo em frangos de corte criados em sistema convencional e o rendimento de carcaça quente e fria (antes e após o resfriamento), além de avaliar os atributos de qualidade da carne de peito de frango. Neste experimento foram utilizados frangos de corte da linhagem Ross com 46 dias de idade. Os resultados encontrados mostraram que o tempo de jejum prolongado teve efeito significativo (p&#8804;0,05) sobre a perda de peso das aves antes do abate, com perda de 5% para um jejum de 12h. Conforme os períodos de jejum aumentavam, também incrementava a quantidade de peso perdido na carcaça viva. Registrou-se um elevado rendimento de carcaça quente com um período entre 3 e 6 horas de jejum e reduzido, a partir de um período de 9 horas acusou uma diferença significativa (p&#8804;0,05). A carcaça fria apresentou uma diminuição no seu rendimento, à medida que aumentou o tempo do jejum, com diferença significativa (p&#8804;0,05), que foi observada a partir de 6 horas de jejum. Os resultados encontrados neste estudo não mostraram que o tempo prolongado da privação de alimentos tenha efeito significativo (p&#8804;0,05) sobre a força de cisalhamento (kgf. cm-2) da carne de peito. Quanto à coloração, o aumento do período do jejum alimentar, tornou a carne de peito mais escura, porém não apresentou diferença significativa. Pelos dados da correlação dos atributos de qualidade, foi observada, para o valor de L*, uma relação negativa com o valor do pH da carne, pois, conforme aumentava o pH, o valor de L* diminuía. Observou-se, também, a correlação positiva entre o valor do pH e o CRA. Portanto, à medida que o pH da carne de peito aumentava, a CRA também incrementava. A correlação positiva encontrada entre a perda por cocção e a força de cisalhamento demonstrou que o aumento da perda de peso pela cocção influenciou negativamente a maciez da carne. De acordo com os resultados encontrados em relação ao rendimento de carcaças, o período entre 3 e 9h de jejum alimentar apresentou o melhor resultado. E quanto às qualidades físico-químicas da carne de peito de frango, não se encontrou diferença significativa entre os diferentes períodos de jejum. / The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of different feed withdrawal periods (3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 hours) on the weight loss of broilers raised in the conventional system and the yield of the hot and cold carcass (before and after cooling), as well as to evaluate the quality attributes of the broilers breast meat. In this experiment, 46-day-old Ross broilers were used. The results found in this study show that the prolonged feed withdrawal time had a significant effect (p&#8804;0,05) on the weight loss of the birds before slaughtering, with a 5% loss for a 12-hour feed withdrawal period. As the feed withdrawal periods increased, so did the amount of weight loss in the living carcass. The hot carcass yield was higher between 3 and 6 hours of feed withdrawal and reduced after 9 hours with a significant difference (p&#8804;0,05). As to the cold carcass yield, it decreased as the fasting time increased, with a significant difference (p&#8804;0,05) on the shear force (kgf. cm-2) of the breast meat. As to coloration, the increase in the feed withdrawal period made the meat darker, but no significant difference was found. According to the data from the quality attributes correlation, a negative correlation was observed between the L* value and the pH of the meat, for as the pH increased, the L* value decreased. A positive correlation was observed between the pH and the WHC, since, as the pH of the breast meat increased, so did the WHC. The positive correlation between the cooking loss and the shear force showed that the increase in the weight loss by the cooking influenced negatively the tenderness of the meat. According to the results found for the carcass yield, the best results were found for the fasting periods between 3 and 9 hours. As to the physical-chemical quality of the chicken breast meat, no significant difference was found among the different feed withdrawal periods.