Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology: A, Oct 28, 2020
Feed ingredients can change physically or chemically when exposed to moisture, heat or pressure. ... more Feed ingredients can change physically or chemically when exposed to moisture, heat or pressure. These changes impact how well they flow through a bin and disperse throughout the feed. Microencapsulation is a relatively new technique used to reduce reactivity and improve storage and handling characteristics (HC) of nutrients. The authors hypothesize that lipid matrix microencapsulation of free vitamin and mineral (VM) premixes significantly improve their HC making them more desirable products for feed mills. Triplicate samples of free, standard and lipid microencapsulated VM premixes were evaluated for the following HC: particle size (d gw), particle size variability (S gw), flowability (measured by angle of repose (AOR) and minimum orifice diameter (MOD)), lumping, compressibility, bulk and tapped density, solubility and hygroscopic percent change in weight (day 0-1, 0-3, 0-5, 5-9, 0-9). Results were analyzed in a 3 × 2 factorial (JMP Pro 14) of form (free, standard, microencapsulated) by type (vitamin, mineral). Microencapsulated VM had the highest d gw (611.0 m and 722.7 m, respectively, p = 0.002); free and microencapsulated vitamins had the smallest S gw (1.67 and 1.49, respectively, p < 0.001). Microencapsulated premixes had significantly lower AOR (p < 0.001) and MOD values (p < 0.001) than other premixes, indicating improved flowability. From days 0-3 and 0-5, microencapsulated premixes absorbed approximately half as much moisture (1.62% and 2.24%, respectively) than the free (3.48% and 5.04%, respectively) or standard (3.74% and 5.26%, respectively) premixes (p = 0.001). The benefits gained from lipid matrix microencapsulation technology not only improve the HC of animal feed additives, but also improve the stability of VM premixes.
Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, 2020
This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of whey powder (... more This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of whey powder (WP), Bacillus subtilis (BAS), and their combination (MIX) on growth performance, intestinal morphology, caecal microflora, hepatic gene expression, blood metabolites, and skeletal muscle antioxidant capacity in Japanese quails. A total of 400 one‐day‐old Japanese quails were randomly distributed to 20‐floor pens (4 dietary treatments, 5 replications per treatment, 20 birds per pen). The birds were fed a basal diet (control, CON) or the basal diet supplemented with 40 g/kg WP, 1 g/kg BAS probiotic or 40 g/kg WP plus 1 g/kg BAS probiotic for five weeks. Feed intake was not affected by the treatments at any stage of the trial. However, the WP, BAS, and MIX feed had better weight gain and feed conversion ratio compared to the CON during the entire production period (day 1–35; p < .05). Feeding the WP, BAS, and MIX diets caused no significant difference in morphometric measures in the duod...
This study was designed to determine the serotypes, genotypes, and antibiotic resistance (AbR) pa... more This study was designed to determine the serotypes, genotypes, and antibiotic resistance (AbR) patterns of 42 Salmonella isolates recovered from either fecal or litter samples of 12 commercial turkey farms across two seasons (summer and winter) and two ages (3 and 19 weeks). Isolates were serotyped on the basis of the Kauffmann-White scheme. Genotyping was done by restriction digestion of cDNA (XbaI) and subsequent pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The AbR was determined with Sensititre susceptibility plates. Serovar Kentucky was the most prevalent serotype (26%), followed by Senftenberg (19%), Muenster (17%), Mbandaka (10%), Javiana (7%), Hadar (5%), Heidelberg (5%), 8,(20):nonmotile (5%), Agona (2%), Infantis (2%), and 4,12:r:− (2%). Serovars Kentucky, Heidelberg, Hadar, and 8,(20):nonmotile were isolated only from the 19-week-old bird samples, whereas Senftenberg and Muenster were isolated only from the young birds (3 weeks old). Isolates within any one serotype showed min...
SUMMARY A comparison of performance and P reduction in litter and manure from broilers fed ration... more SUMMARY A comparison of performance and P reduction in litter and manure from broilers fed rations with and without phytase enzyme was made with chickens reared on litter or in cages. Low-activity phytase supplemented as a dry powder to mash diets did not affect performance, but litter P accumulation was decreased 14 to 21% in the finisher phase. Manure P content of broilers in cages was reduced 14 to 19% during the starter and grower phases. Liquid phytase applied postpelleting to diets with 0.5% total P (0.3% available P) reduced litter P accumulation (14 to 19%) and reduced manure P content in starter, grower, and finisher phases of the study. Phosphorus content in raw manure was decreased by 55% during the finisher phase. Feed conversions of broilers in cages and on conventional litter-covered floors were improved significantly with postpellet application of liquid phytase. Feed conversion improvement was greater in birds in cages. Postpellet application of dry phytase was shown to be feasible based upon performance and reduction in litter P accumulation. Feed conversions were improved by 7 to 8 points (P < 0.05) when compared to those of birds given a normal P level (0.72% total P) diet without phytase. Litter P accumulation was reduced between 20.5 and 28.5% with dry phytase applied postpelleting. With liquid phytase applied postpelleting, litter P accumulation was reduced 26.6%. These reductions in litter P content represent about 4 lb of P per ton of litter.
Leg problems and resulting mortality can exceed 1% per week in turkey toms starting at approximat... more Leg problems and resulting mortality can exceed 1% per week in turkey toms starting at approximately 15 wk of age. Dietary supplementation of organic trace minerals (MIN) and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (HyD) may improve performance, decrease incidence of leg abnormalities, and increase bone strength. Nicholas 85X700 toms were assigned to 4 treatments consisting of a factorial arrangement of 2 concentrations of MIN (0 and 0.1% of Mintrex P Se , which adds 40, 40, 20, and 0.3 mg/kg of Zn, Mn, Cu, and Se, respectively) and 2 concentrations of HyD (0 and 92 μg/kg of HyD). Diets were formulated to be equal in nutrient content and fed ad libitum as 8 feed phases. Feed intake and BW were measured at 6, 12, 15, 17, and 20 wk of age. Valgus, varus, and shaky leg defects were determined at 12, 15, 17, and 20 wk of age. Tibia and femur biomechanical properties were evaluated by torsion and bending tests at 17 wk of age. There were no treatment effects on BW. Only MIN significantly improved feed conversion ratio through to 20 wk of age. Cumulative mortality at 3 wk of age was greater among the MIN birds, but it was lower by 20 wk (P = 0.085). The MIN decreased the incidence of varus defects at 17 wk of age; shaky leg at 12, 15, and 17 wk of age; and valgus defects at 15, 17, and 20 wk of age. There were no MIN × HyD interaction effects on individual gait problems. Maximum load and the bending stress required for tibias to break in a 4-point assay were increased with MIN supplementation, especially when HyD was also added. Maximum shear stress at failure of femoral bones in a torsion assay was increased by supplementation with both MIN and HyD together. Dietary supplementation of MIN and HyD may improve biomechanical properties of bones. Dietary MIN supplementation may improve feed conversion of turkeys, likely by decreasing leg problems.
Salmonella colonization in poultry may be influenced by grain type and particle size. Broilers re... more Salmonella colonization in poultry may be influenced by grain type and particle size. Broilers reared either in nonlitter cage-based housing or in a conventionally floored litter house from 0 to 42 d were assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments: 1) ground corn-soybean meal (C, 560 microm), 2) coarsely ground corn-soybean meal (CC, &amp;amp;gt;1,700 microm), 3) ground triticale-soybean meal (T, 560 microm), or 4) whole triticale-soybean meal (WT). A 4-strain cocktail of Salmonella enterica was orally gavaged into each chick at placement. Growth performance, cecal and fecal Salmonella populations, gizzard and proventriculus pH, intestinal size, jejunum histomorphometry, and carcass yields were measured. Broilers responded differently to the dietary treatments according to the housing system used. At 42 d, birds reared on litter and fed ground grain had greater BW than those fed coarse grain (2.87 vs. 2.71 kg), whereas cage-reared broilers fed ground triticale were heavier than those fed corn (2.75 vs. 2.64 kg). Broilers raised on litter had a better feed conversion ratio than those raised in cages (1.71 vs. 1.81 g/g). Independent of the housing system, relative eviscerated carcass weights of birds fed T and C were heavier than those of CC- and WT-fed broilers (762 vs. 752 g/kg). Generally, the jejunum villus area and mucosal depth were larger, whereas the small intestine was lighter and shorter in broilers raised on litter. Relative gizzard weights of broilers raised on litter and fed the coarser diets were heavier than those of broilers reared in cages and fed finely ground diets. Feeding whole or coarsely ground grains decreased cecal Salmonella populations in 42-d-old broilers (3.8, 3.9, 4.4, and 4.4 log most probable number/g for CC, WT, C, and T, respectively). Additionally, 42-d-old broilers reared on litter had lower cecal Salmonella populations than those in cages (3.8 vs. 4.4 log most probable number/g). In conclusion, as a feed ingredient, triticale is a good alternative to corn, resulting in improved BW and reduced Salmonella colonization. Broilers raised on litter may have achieved lower cecal Salmonella populations than caged birds because access to litter may have modulated the intestinal microflora by increasing competitive exclusion microorganisms, which discouraged Salmonella colonization.
Two experiments were conducted to determine the influence of Streptococcus faecium M-74 supplemen... more Two experiments were conducted to determine the influence of Streptococcus faecium M-74 supplementation of broiler diets. Mixed-sex or male only chicks were used in the experiments. Both experiments consisted of six dietary treatments and four replicates per treatment in a randomized block design. The S. faecium was fed alone for 21, 36, or 44 days or for 44 days with S. faecium supplemented in the water for the first 14 days. In another treatment, S. faecium was fed for 44 days, but the feed was restricted for Days 8 through 13. The S. faecium was also fed in combination with antibacterial products (AP) for 44 days. An additional diet was an unsupplemented basal, and another was supplemented only with AP. In Experiment 1, feed efficiency was significantly better with the basal and diets supplemented with S. faecium than with those diets supplemented with AP or AP and S. faecium. In Experiment 2, BW of broilers at 44 days of age were significantly heavier for broilers receiving S. faecium in the feed and also S. faecium in the water for the first 14 days as compared with broilers receiving AP or AP and S. faecium supplementation. There were no significant differences in carcass yield or composition characteristics. In Experiment 1, the scores representing S. faecium colonies found in the intestinal tract were not influenced by dietary treatment. The ceca had the highest S. faecium score of any of the intestinal tract locations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A total of 180 weanling pigs (21 ± 3 d of age; 5.98 ± 0.04 kg) were used to investigate the effec... more A total of 180 weanling pigs (21 ± 3 d of age; 5.98 ± 0.04 kg) were used to investigate the effect of chito-oligosaccharide (COS) on growth performance, intestinal barrier function, intestinal morphology, and cecal microflora. Based on initial BW, gender and litter, the pigs were given 5 treatments during a 14-d feeding experiment, including a basal diet (control), 3 diets with COS supplementation (200, 400, or 600 mg/kg), and a diet with colistin sulfate (CSE) supplementation (20 mg/kg). Six randomly selected pigs from each treatment were used to collect serum, duodenal, jejunal, ileal, and cecal samples on d 7 and 14 postweaning. From d 1 to 7 postweaning, pigs fed COS or CSE had greater ADG and ADFI compared with the control pigs. From d 1 to 14, diets with either 400 or 600 mg/kg COS, or 20 mg/kg CSE increased (P &lt; 0.05) ADG and G:F compared with the control diet. No significant differences were observed in ADG, ADFI, and G:F between the pigs fed COS and CSE. Pigs fed either 400 or 600 mg/kg COS, or 20 mg/kg CSE had less (P &lt; 0.05) diamine oxidase (DAO) in the serum, but greater concentration of (P &lt; 0.05) DAO in jejunal mucosa, than the control pigs on d 7 postweaning. Treatments did not affect villous height and crypt depth of the duodenum, jejunum, or ileum. Pigs fed COS at 400 mg/kg had greater (P &lt; 0.05) concentration of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli in the cecum than pigs fed the control diet and CSE diet on d 7 postweaning. Supplementation of COS or CSE decreased (P &lt; 0.05) the population of cecal Staphylococcus aureus compared with the control diet on d 7 postweaning. The number of cecal Bifidobacteria in pigs fed 600 mg/kg COS was greater (P &lt; 0.05) than that of pigs fed the control diet or CSE diet on d 14 postweaning. No significant differences were observed in Escherichia coli counts in the cecum among treatments. The present results indicate that dietary supplementation of COS at 400 or 600 mg/kg promotes growth performance and improves gut barrier function, increases the population of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, and decreases S. aureus in the cecum of weanling pigs.
Besides the challenges of mortality and litter disposal, the poultry industry must find economica... more Besides the challenges of mortality and litter disposal, the poultry industry must find economical means of disposing of laying hens that have outlived their productive lives. Because spent hens have low market value and disposing of them by composting and burial is often infeasible, finding alternative disposal methods that are environmentally secure is prudent. The feasibility of grinding or mechanically deboning spent hens with and without prior mechanical picking was evaluated for the production of various proteinaceous by-product meals. The end products were analyzed for nutrient content and found to be high in protein (35.3-91.9% CP) and, with the exception of the feathers, high in fat (24.1-58.3%), making them potentially valuable protein and energy sources. After considering physical and economic feasibility, mechanical deboning was determined to be a logical first step for the conversion of spent hens into value-added by-product meals. Because the hard tissue fraction (primarily feathers, bones, and connective tissue) generated by mechanically deboning the hens presents the greatest challenge to their utilization as feedstuffs, attention was focused on technologies that could potentially improve the nutritional value of the hard tissue for use as a ruminant protein source. Traditional hydrolysis of this hard tissue fraction improved its pepsin digestibility from 74% to 85%; however, subsequent keratinase enzyme treatment for 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, or 20 h after steam hydrolysis failed to improve the pepsin or amino acid digestibility any further (P > 0.10). Enzyme hydrolysis did, however, increase the quantities of the more soluble protein fractions (
Feed constitutes 60-80% of total production costs of tilapia (Oreochromis spp.). Reductions in qu... more Feed constitutes 60-80% of total production costs of tilapia (Oreochromis spp.). Reductions in quantity of feed used for fish growout and in the cost of formulated feeds are two approaches to containing feed costs. We evaluated combined feed reduction strategies, and less costly fishmeal-free and low crude protein diets as well as feed manufacturing options for improving production efficiency of Nile tilapia (O. niloticus). In a 120-day pond trial, fish subjected to a combined feed reduction strategy that incorporates a sequential series of a 60-day, 67% feeding rate with a 60-day 50% daily or 100% alternate day feeding rate had similar growth rates as fish fed daily at the 67% level throughout the trial. However, they exhibited lower survivorship, and hence the final extrapolated yield at harvest of animals on the combined feed reduction protocol was significantly lower. It appear sthat this protocol of incorporating a combination of feed reduction stategies is less effective than ...
The specific objectives of this research were the study of the physical and nutritional propertie... more The specific objectives of this research were the study of the physical and nutritional properties of the In Ovo Feeding (IOF) solution (i.e. theosmostic properties and the carbohydrate: protein ratio composition). Then, using the optimal solution for determining its effect on hatchability, early nutritional status and intestinal development of broilers and turkey during the last quarter of incubation through to 7 days post-hatch (i.e. pre-post hatch period) by using molecular, biochemical and histological tools. The objective for the last research phase was the determination of the effect of in ovo feeding on growth performance and economically valuable production traits of broiler and turkey flocks reared under practical commercial conditions. The few days before- and- after hatch is a critical period for the development and survival of commercial broilers and turkeys. During this period chicks make the metabolic and physiological transition from egg nutriture (i.e. yolk) to exoge...
Background: Salmonella causes acute systemic inflammation by using its virulence factors to invad... more Background: Salmonella causes acute systemic inflammation by using its virulence factors to invade the intestinal epithelium. But, prolonged inflammation may provoke severe body catabolism and immunological diseases. Salmonella has become more life-threatening due to emergence of multiple-antibiotic resistant strains. Mannose-rich oligosaccharides (MOS) from cells walls of Saccharomyces cerevisiae have shown to bind mannose-specific lectin of Gram-negative bacteria including Salmonella, and prevent their adherence to intestinal epithelial cells. However, whether MOS may potentially mitigate systemic inflammation is not investigated yet. Moreover, molecular events underlying innate immune responses and metabolic activities during late inflammation, in presence or absence of MOS, are unknown. Methods and Principal Findings: Using a Salmonella LPS-induced systemic inflammation chicken model and microarray analysis, we investigated the effects of MOS and virginiamycin (VIRG, a sub-therapeutic antibiotic) on innate immunity and glucose metabolism during late inflammation. Here, we demonstrate that MOS and VIRG modulated innate immunity and metabolic genes differently. Innate immune responses were principally mediated by intestinal IL-3, but not TNF-a, IL-1 or IL-6, whereas glucose mobilization occurred through intestinal gluconeogenesis only. MOS inherently induced IL-3 expression in control hosts. Consequent to LPS challenge, IL-3 induction in VIRG hosts but not differentially expressed in MOS hosts revealed that MOS counteracted LPS's detrimental inflammatory effects. Metabolic pathways are built to elucidate the mechanisms by which VIRG host's higher energy requirements were met: including gene up-regulations for intestinal gluconeogenesis (PEPCK) and liver glycolysis (ENO2), and intriguingly liver fatty acid synthesis through ATP citrate synthase (CS) down-regulation and ATP citrate lyase (ACLY) and malic enzyme (ME) up-regulations. However, MOS host's lower energy demands were sufficiently met through TCA citrate-derived energy, as indicated by CS up-regulation. Conclusions: MOS terminated inflammation earlier than VIRG and reduced glucose mobilization, thus representing a novel biological strategy to alleviate Salmonella-induced systemic inflammation in human and animal hosts.
To provide an economically viable and environmentally sound method for disposing of spent laying ... more To provide an economically viable and environmentally sound method for disposing of spent laying hens, we manufactured a proteinaceous meal from the hard tissue fraction of mechanically deboned laying hens (primarily feathers, bones, and connective tissue). We hydrolyzed the hard tissue and coextruded it with soybean hulls to create a novel feather and bone meal (FBM) containing 94.2% DM, 23.1% CP, 54.5% NDF, and 7.3% fat (DM basis). We evaluated the FBM in supplements for meat goats in which it provided 0, 20, 40, or 60% of the N added to the supplement compared with a negative control supplement with no added N source. The remainder of the N was contributed by soybean meal (SBM). Supplementation of N resulted in greater DMI than the negative control (P = 0.005), and DMI changed quadratically (P = 0.11) as FBM increased in the supplement. Digestibility of DM was similar in all diets, including the negative control (P > 0.10). Fiber digestibility increased linearly as dietary inclusion of FBM increased (P = 0.04 for NDF, P = 0.05 for ADF), probably as a result of the soybean hulls in the FBM. Nitrogen digestibility declined linearly from 60.5% with 0% FBM to 55.6% with 60% FBM (P = 0.07), but N retention changed by a quadratic function as FBM replaced SBM (P = 0.06). Negative control goats had less N digestibility (P < 0.001) and N retention (P = 0.008) than N-supplemented goats. Feather and bone meal had a greater proportion of ruminally undegradable B 3 protein than SBM (23.1 vs. 0.3% of CP, respectively). Ruminal VFA and pH were unaffected by replacing SBM with FBM, but supplying no source of N in the concentrate resulted in reduced total VFA in ruminal fluid (P = 0.04). Ruminal ammonia concentration increased quadratically (P = 0.07) as FBM increased, reflecting increased intake, and it was much less in unsupplemented goats (P < 0.001). Serum urea had less variation between 0 and 4 h after feeding in goats receiving 40 or 60% of added N as FBM in comparison with those receiving only SBM or 20% FBM. Feather and bone meal promoted a more stable rumen environment, possibly because of reduced rates of protein degradation within the rumen. A palatable by-product meal for ruminants can be made from spent laying hen hard tissue, one that supports N metabolism similar to that of traditional protein sources.
Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology: A, Oct 28, 2020
Feed ingredients can change physically or chemically when exposed to moisture, heat or pressure. ... more Feed ingredients can change physically or chemically when exposed to moisture, heat or pressure. These changes impact how well they flow through a bin and disperse throughout the feed. Microencapsulation is a relatively new technique used to reduce reactivity and improve storage and handling characteristics (HC) of nutrients. The authors hypothesize that lipid matrix microencapsulation of free vitamin and mineral (VM) premixes significantly improve their HC making them more desirable products for feed mills. Triplicate samples of free, standard and lipid microencapsulated VM premixes were evaluated for the following HC: particle size (d gw), particle size variability (S gw), flowability (measured by angle of repose (AOR) and minimum orifice diameter (MOD)), lumping, compressibility, bulk and tapped density, solubility and hygroscopic percent change in weight (day 0-1, 0-3, 0-5, 5-9, 0-9). Results were analyzed in a 3 × 2 factorial (JMP Pro 14) of form (free, standard, microencapsulated) by type (vitamin, mineral). Microencapsulated VM had the highest d gw (611.0 m and 722.7 m, respectively, p = 0.002); free and microencapsulated vitamins had the smallest S gw (1.67 and 1.49, respectively, p &lt; 0.001). Microencapsulated premixes had significantly lower AOR (p &lt; 0.001) and MOD values (p &lt; 0.001) than other premixes, indicating improved flowability. From days 0-3 and 0-5, microencapsulated premixes absorbed approximately half as much moisture (1.62% and 2.24%, respectively) than the free (3.48% and 5.04%, respectively) or standard (3.74% and 5.26%, respectively) premixes (p = 0.001). The benefits gained from lipid matrix microencapsulation technology not only improve the HC of animal feed additives, but also improve the stability of VM premixes.
Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, 2020
This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of whey powder (... more This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of whey powder (WP), Bacillus subtilis (BAS), and their combination (MIX) on growth performance, intestinal morphology, caecal microflora, hepatic gene expression, blood metabolites, and skeletal muscle antioxidant capacity in Japanese quails. A total of 400 one‐day‐old Japanese quails were randomly distributed to 20‐floor pens (4 dietary treatments, 5 replications per treatment, 20 birds per pen). The birds were fed a basal diet (control, CON) or the basal diet supplemented with 40 g/kg WP, 1 g/kg BAS probiotic or 40 g/kg WP plus 1 g/kg BAS probiotic for five weeks. Feed intake was not affected by the treatments at any stage of the trial. However, the WP, BAS, and MIX feed had better weight gain and feed conversion ratio compared to the CON during the entire production period (day 1–35; p < .05). Feeding the WP, BAS, and MIX diets caused no significant difference in morphometric measures in the duod...
This study was designed to determine the serotypes, genotypes, and antibiotic resistance (AbR) pa... more This study was designed to determine the serotypes, genotypes, and antibiotic resistance (AbR) patterns of 42 Salmonella isolates recovered from either fecal or litter samples of 12 commercial turkey farms across two seasons (summer and winter) and two ages (3 and 19 weeks). Isolates were serotyped on the basis of the Kauffmann-White scheme. Genotyping was done by restriction digestion of cDNA (XbaI) and subsequent pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The AbR was determined with Sensititre susceptibility plates. Serovar Kentucky was the most prevalent serotype (26%), followed by Senftenberg (19%), Muenster (17%), Mbandaka (10%), Javiana (7%), Hadar (5%), Heidelberg (5%), 8,(20):nonmotile (5%), Agona (2%), Infantis (2%), and 4,12:r:− (2%). Serovars Kentucky, Heidelberg, Hadar, and 8,(20):nonmotile were isolated only from the 19-week-old bird samples, whereas Senftenberg and Muenster were isolated only from the young birds (3 weeks old). Isolates within any one serotype showed min...
SUMMARY A comparison of performance and P reduction in litter and manure from broilers fed ration... more SUMMARY A comparison of performance and P reduction in litter and manure from broilers fed rations with and without phytase enzyme was made with chickens reared on litter or in cages. Low-activity phytase supplemented as a dry powder to mash diets did not affect performance, but litter P accumulation was decreased 14 to 21% in the finisher phase. Manure P content of broilers in cages was reduced 14 to 19% during the starter and grower phases. Liquid phytase applied postpelleting to diets with 0.5% total P (0.3% available P) reduced litter P accumulation (14 to 19%) and reduced manure P content in starter, grower, and finisher phases of the study. Phosphorus content in raw manure was decreased by 55% during the finisher phase. Feed conversions of broilers in cages and on conventional litter-covered floors were improved significantly with postpellet application of liquid phytase. Feed conversion improvement was greater in birds in cages. Postpellet application of dry phytase was shown to be feasible based upon performance and reduction in litter P accumulation. Feed conversions were improved by 7 to 8 points (P < 0.05) when compared to those of birds given a normal P level (0.72% total P) diet without phytase. Litter P accumulation was reduced between 20.5 and 28.5% with dry phytase applied postpelleting. With liquid phytase applied postpelleting, litter P accumulation was reduced 26.6%. These reductions in litter P content represent about 4 lb of P per ton of litter.
Leg problems and resulting mortality can exceed 1% per week in turkey toms starting at approximat... more Leg problems and resulting mortality can exceed 1% per week in turkey toms starting at approximately 15 wk of age. Dietary supplementation of organic trace minerals (MIN) and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (HyD) may improve performance, decrease incidence of leg abnormalities, and increase bone strength. Nicholas 85X700 toms were assigned to 4 treatments consisting of a factorial arrangement of 2 concentrations of MIN (0 and 0.1% of Mintrex P Se , which adds 40, 40, 20, and 0.3 mg/kg of Zn, Mn, Cu, and Se, respectively) and 2 concentrations of HyD (0 and 92 μg/kg of HyD). Diets were formulated to be equal in nutrient content and fed ad libitum as 8 feed phases. Feed intake and BW were measured at 6, 12, 15, 17, and 20 wk of age. Valgus, varus, and shaky leg defects were determined at 12, 15, 17, and 20 wk of age. Tibia and femur biomechanical properties were evaluated by torsion and bending tests at 17 wk of age. There were no treatment effects on BW. Only MIN significantly improved feed conversion ratio through to 20 wk of age. Cumulative mortality at 3 wk of age was greater among the MIN birds, but it was lower by 20 wk (P = 0.085). The MIN decreased the incidence of varus defects at 17 wk of age; shaky leg at 12, 15, and 17 wk of age; and valgus defects at 15, 17, and 20 wk of age. There were no MIN × HyD interaction effects on individual gait problems. Maximum load and the bending stress required for tibias to break in a 4-point assay were increased with MIN supplementation, especially when HyD was also added. Maximum shear stress at failure of femoral bones in a torsion assay was increased by supplementation with both MIN and HyD together. Dietary supplementation of MIN and HyD may improve biomechanical properties of bones. Dietary MIN supplementation may improve feed conversion of turkeys, likely by decreasing leg problems.
Salmonella colonization in poultry may be influenced by grain type and particle size. Broilers re... more Salmonella colonization in poultry may be influenced by grain type and particle size. Broilers reared either in nonlitter cage-based housing or in a conventionally floored litter house from 0 to 42 d were assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments: 1) ground corn-soybean meal (C, 560 microm), 2) coarsely ground corn-soybean meal (CC, &amp;amp;gt;1,700 microm), 3) ground triticale-soybean meal (T, 560 microm), or 4) whole triticale-soybean meal (WT). A 4-strain cocktail of Salmonella enterica was orally gavaged into each chick at placement. Growth performance, cecal and fecal Salmonella populations, gizzard and proventriculus pH, intestinal size, jejunum histomorphometry, and carcass yields were measured. Broilers responded differently to the dietary treatments according to the housing system used. At 42 d, birds reared on litter and fed ground grain had greater BW than those fed coarse grain (2.87 vs. 2.71 kg), whereas cage-reared broilers fed ground triticale were heavier than those fed corn (2.75 vs. 2.64 kg). Broilers raised on litter had a better feed conversion ratio than those raised in cages (1.71 vs. 1.81 g/g). Independent of the housing system, relative eviscerated carcass weights of birds fed T and C were heavier than those of CC- and WT-fed broilers (762 vs. 752 g/kg). Generally, the jejunum villus area and mucosal depth were larger, whereas the small intestine was lighter and shorter in broilers raised on litter. Relative gizzard weights of broilers raised on litter and fed the coarser diets were heavier than those of broilers reared in cages and fed finely ground diets. Feeding whole or coarsely ground grains decreased cecal Salmonella populations in 42-d-old broilers (3.8, 3.9, 4.4, and 4.4 log most probable number/g for CC, WT, C, and T, respectively). Additionally, 42-d-old broilers reared on litter had lower cecal Salmonella populations than those in cages (3.8 vs. 4.4 log most probable number/g). In conclusion, as a feed ingredient, triticale is a good alternative to corn, resulting in improved BW and reduced Salmonella colonization. Broilers raised on litter may have achieved lower cecal Salmonella populations than caged birds because access to litter may have modulated the intestinal microflora by increasing competitive exclusion microorganisms, which discouraged Salmonella colonization.
Two experiments were conducted to determine the influence of Streptococcus faecium M-74 supplemen... more Two experiments were conducted to determine the influence of Streptococcus faecium M-74 supplementation of broiler diets. Mixed-sex or male only chicks were used in the experiments. Both experiments consisted of six dietary treatments and four replicates per treatment in a randomized block design. The S. faecium was fed alone for 21, 36, or 44 days or for 44 days with S. faecium supplemented in the water for the first 14 days. In another treatment, S. faecium was fed for 44 days, but the feed was restricted for Days 8 through 13. The S. faecium was also fed in combination with antibacterial products (AP) for 44 days. An additional diet was an unsupplemented basal, and another was supplemented only with AP. In Experiment 1, feed efficiency was significantly better with the basal and diets supplemented with S. faecium than with those diets supplemented with AP or AP and S. faecium. In Experiment 2, BW of broilers at 44 days of age were significantly heavier for broilers receiving S. faecium in the feed and also S. faecium in the water for the first 14 days as compared with broilers receiving AP or AP and S. faecium supplementation. There were no significant differences in carcass yield or composition characteristics. In Experiment 1, the scores representing S. faecium colonies found in the intestinal tract were not influenced by dietary treatment. The ceca had the highest S. faecium score of any of the intestinal tract locations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A total of 180 weanling pigs (21 ± 3 d of age; 5.98 ± 0.04 kg) were used to investigate the effec... more A total of 180 weanling pigs (21 ± 3 d of age; 5.98 ± 0.04 kg) were used to investigate the effect of chito-oligosaccharide (COS) on growth performance, intestinal barrier function, intestinal morphology, and cecal microflora. Based on initial BW, gender and litter, the pigs were given 5 treatments during a 14-d feeding experiment, including a basal diet (control), 3 diets with COS supplementation (200, 400, or 600 mg/kg), and a diet with colistin sulfate (CSE) supplementation (20 mg/kg). Six randomly selected pigs from each treatment were used to collect serum, duodenal, jejunal, ileal, and cecal samples on d 7 and 14 postweaning. From d 1 to 7 postweaning, pigs fed COS or CSE had greater ADG and ADFI compared with the control pigs. From d 1 to 14, diets with either 400 or 600 mg/kg COS, or 20 mg/kg CSE increased (P &lt; 0.05) ADG and G:F compared with the control diet. No significant differences were observed in ADG, ADFI, and G:F between the pigs fed COS and CSE. Pigs fed either 400 or 600 mg/kg COS, or 20 mg/kg CSE had less (P &lt; 0.05) diamine oxidase (DAO) in the serum, but greater concentration of (P &lt; 0.05) DAO in jejunal mucosa, than the control pigs on d 7 postweaning. Treatments did not affect villous height and crypt depth of the duodenum, jejunum, or ileum. Pigs fed COS at 400 mg/kg had greater (P &lt; 0.05) concentration of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli in the cecum than pigs fed the control diet and CSE diet on d 7 postweaning. Supplementation of COS or CSE decreased (P &lt; 0.05) the population of cecal Staphylococcus aureus compared with the control diet on d 7 postweaning. The number of cecal Bifidobacteria in pigs fed 600 mg/kg COS was greater (P &lt; 0.05) than that of pigs fed the control diet or CSE diet on d 14 postweaning. No significant differences were observed in Escherichia coli counts in the cecum among treatments. The present results indicate that dietary supplementation of COS at 400 or 600 mg/kg promotes growth performance and improves gut barrier function, increases the population of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, and decreases S. aureus in the cecum of weanling pigs.
Besides the challenges of mortality and litter disposal, the poultry industry must find economica... more Besides the challenges of mortality and litter disposal, the poultry industry must find economical means of disposing of laying hens that have outlived their productive lives. Because spent hens have low market value and disposing of them by composting and burial is often infeasible, finding alternative disposal methods that are environmentally secure is prudent. The feasibility of grinding or mechanically deboning spent hens with and without prior mechanical picking was evaluated for the production of various proteinaceous by-product meals. The end products were analyzed for nutrient content and found to be high in protein (35.3-91.9% CP) and, with the exception of the feathers, high in fat (24.1-58.3%), making them potentially valuable protein and energy sources. After considering physical and economic feasibility, mechanical deboning was determined to be a logical first step for the conversion of spent hens into value-added by-product meals. Because the hard tissue fraction (primarily feathers, bones, and connective tissue) generated by mechanically deboning the hens presents the greatest challenge to their utilization as feedstuffs, attention was focused on technologies that could potentially improve the nutritional value of the hard tissue for use as a ruminant protein source. Traditional hydrolysis of this hard tissue fraction improved its pepsin digestibility from 74% to 85%; however, subsequent keratinase enzyme treatment for 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, or 20 h after steam hydrolysis failed to improve the pepsin or amino acid digestibility any further (P > 0.10). Enzyme hydrolysis did, however, increase the quantities of the more soluble protein fractions (
Feed constitutes 60-80% of total production costs of tilapia (Oreochromis spp.). Reductions in qu... more Feed constitutes 60-80% of total production costs of tilapia (Oreochromis spp.). Reductions in quantity of feed used for fish growout and in the cost of formulated feeds are two approaches to containing feed costs. We evaluated combined feed reduction strategies, and less costly fishmeal-free and low crude protein diets as well as feed manufacturing options for improving production efficiency of Nile tilapia (O. niloticus). In a 120-day pond trial, fish subjected to a combined feed reduction strategy that incorporates a sequential series of a 60-day, 67% feeding rate with a 60-day 50% daily or 100% alternate day feeding rate had similar growth rates as fish fed daily at the 67% level throughout the trial. However, they exhibited lower survivorship, and hence the final extrapolated yield at harvest of animals on the combined feed reduction protocol was significantly lower. It appear sthat this protocol of incorporating a combination of feed reduction stategies is less effective than ...
The specific objectives of this research were the study of the physical and nutritional propertie... more The specific objectives of this research were the study of the physical and nutritional properties of the In Ovo Feeding (IOF) solution (i.e. theosmostic properties and the carbohydrate: protein ratio composition). Then, using the optimal solution for determining its effect on hatchability, early nutritional status and intestinal development of broilers and turkey during the last quarter of incubation through to 7 days post-hatch (i.e. pre-post hatch period) by using molecular, biochemical and histological tools. The objective for the last research phase was the determination of the effect of in ovo feeding on growth performance and economically valuable production traits of broiler and turkey flocks reared under practical commercial conditions. The few days before- and- after hatch is a critical period for the development and survival of commercial broilers and turkeys. During this period chicks make the metabolic and physiological transition from egg nutriture (i.e. yolk) to exoge...
Background: Salmonella causes acute systemic inflammation by using its virulence factors to invad... more Background: Salmonella causes acute systemic inflammation by using its virulence factors to invade the intestinal epithelium. But, prolonged inflammation may provoke severe body catabolism and immunological diseases. Salmonella has become more life-threatening due to emergence of multiple-antibiotic resistant strains. Mannose-rich oligosaccharides (MOS) from cells walls of Saccharomyces cerevisiae have shown to bind mannose-specific lectin of Gram-negative bacteria including Salmonella, and prevent their adherence to intestinal epithelial cells. However, whether MOS may potentially mitigate systemic inflammation is not investigated yet. Moreover, molecular events underlying innate immune responses and metabolic activities during late inflammation, in presence or absence of MOS, are unknown. Methods and Principal Findings: Using a Salmonella LPS-induced systemic inflammation chicken model and microarray analysis, we investigated the effects of MOS and virginiamycin (VIRG, a sub-therapeutic antibiotic) on innate immunity and glucose metabolism during late inflammation. Here, we demonstrate that MOS and VIRG modulated innate immunity and metabolic genes differently. Innate immune responses were principally mediated by intestinal IL-3, but not TNF-a, IL-1 or IL-6, whereas glucose mobilization occurred through intestinal gluconeogenesis only. MOS inherently induced IL-3 expression in control hosts. Consequent to LPS challenge, IL-3 induction in VIRG hosts but not differentially expressed in MOS hosts revealed that MOS counteracted LPS's detrimental inflammatory effects. Metabolic pathways are built to elucidate the mechanisms by which VIRG host's higher energy requirements were met: including gene up-regulations for intestinal gluconeogenesis (PEPCK) and liver glycolysis (ENO2), and intriguingly liver fatty acid synthesis through ATP citrate synthase (CS) down-regulation and ATP citrate lyase (ACLY) and malic enzyme (ME) up-regulations. However, MOS host's lower energy demands were sufficiently met through TCA citrate-derived energy, as indicated by CS up-regulation. Conclusions: MOS terminated inflammation earlier than VIRG and reduced glucose mobilization, thus representing a novel biological strategy to alleviate Salmonella-induced systemic inflammation in human and animal hosts.
To provide an economically viable and environmentally sound method for disposing of spent laying ... more To provide an economically viable and environmentally sound method for disposing of spent laying hens, we manufactured a proteinaceous meal from the hard tissue fraction of mechanically deboned laying hens (primarily feathers, bones, and connective tissue). We hydrolyzed the hard tissue and coextruded it with soybean hulls to create a novel feather and bone meal (FBM) containing 94.2% DM, 23.1% CP, 54.5% NDF, and 7.3% fat (DM basis). We evaluated the FBM in supplements for meat goats in which it provided 0, 20, 40, or 60% of the N added to the supplement compared with a negative control supplement with no added N source. The remainder of the N was contributed by soybean meal (SBM). Supplementation of N resulted in greater DMI than the negative control (P = 0.005), and DMI changed quadratically (P = 0.11) as FBM increased in the supplement. Digestibility of DM was similar in all diets, including the negative control (P > 0.10). Fiber digestibility increased linearly as dietary inclusion of FBM increased (P = 0.04 for NDF, P = 0.05 for ADF), probably as a result of the soybean hulls in the FBM. Nitrogen digestibility declined linearly from 60.5% with 0% FBM to 55.6% with 60% FBM (P = 0.07), but N retention changed by a quadratic function as FBM replaced SBM (P = 0.06). Negative control goats had less N digestibility (P < 0.001) and N retention (P = 0.008) than N-supplemented goats. Feather and bone meal had a greater proportion of ruminally undegradable B 3 protein than SBM (23.1 vs. 0.3% of CP, respectively). Ruminal VFA and pH were unaffected by replacing SBM with FBM, but supplying no source of N in the concentrate resulted in reduced total VFA in ruminal fluid (P = 0.04). Ruminal ammonia concentration increased quadratically (P = 0.07) as FBM increased, reflecting increased intake, and it was much less in unsupplemented goats (P < 0.001). Serum urea had less variation between 0 and 4 h after feeding in goats receiving 40 or 60% of added N as FBM in comparison with those receiving only SBM or 20% FBM. Feather and bone meal promoted a more stable rumen environment, possibly because of reduced rates of protein degradation within the rumen. A palatable by-product meal for ruminants can be made from spent laying hen hard tissue, one that supports N metabolism similar to that of traditional protein sources.
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