Studies were conducted to evaluate the nutritional value and inclusion levels of babassu meal (BM) in the diet of grower layer pullets in substitution to wheat meal. Digestibility, metabolism and growth trials were conducted. Twelve cecectomized roosters were used in the digestibility assay to determine the coefficients of standardized digestibility of amino acids (CSDAA). The metabolism trial was conducted with 30 adult roosters to determine the apparent metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen (AMEn) of BM. A growth trial was performed to determine replacement levels of wheat midds by BM diet using 360 six-week-old commercial layer pullets. BM was included at the 0, 75 and 150 g/kg of BM, during grower and development rearing phases, respectively. Feed intake, body weight gain, and feed conversion were evaluated. BM AMEn was determined as 1,474 kcal/kg, on as-fed basis. The CSDAA determined for BM were below 88% for all AA. The inclusion of BM in the feed of grower layers (7-18 week) significantly decreased feed intake (p < 0.05), but significantly improved body weight gain and feedconversion ratio (p < 0.05) at 15% inclusion level. Considering the nutritional value and performance results, BM can replace wheat midds in diets of grower layer pullets.

There is little information on the nutrition of red-winged tinamous (Rhynchotus rufescens) reared in captivity, and their nutritional requirements still need to be determined. This study aimed at determining dietary crude protein requirements and testing four organic selenium supplementation levels in the diet of red-winged tinamous during the breeding season. Birds were housed in a conventional broiler house divided in 16 boxes with one male and three females each. Iso-energy (2800kcal ME/kg) pelleted feeds, based on corn and soybean meal, were supplied in tube feeders. In the first experiment, treatments consisted of four different diets containing different crude protein (CP) contents (15, 18, 21, or 24%) and in the second experiment, the four diets contained equal protein level (22.5%) and four different organic selenium levels (0, 0.2, 0.4, or 0.8ppm). Data were analyzed by the least square method. The best egg weight and eggshell thickness were obtained with 22.5% dietary CP. Organic selenium did not influence the studied reproductive traits of red-winged tinamous (Rhynchotus rufescens) males or females.

The effects of water and feed fasting for 24, 48 and 72 hours post-hatching on blood parameters (mean corpuscular volume, MCV; red blood-cell, RBC; hematocrit, HCT; hemoglobin, HGB; plasma glucose, CGP; plasma total protein, PP, and differential leukocytes count), and on body, liver, spleen, bursa, and yolk sac weights were analyzed. Erythrogram data were obtained with a blood cell counter. Total plasma protein and plasma glucose were determined by using the Bradford method (1976) and a glucose PAP liquiform kit (Labtest, cat. n. 84), respectively. Specific leukocyte counts were carried out on blood smears stained with Rosenfeld solution. According to the obtained data, water and feed post-hatching fasting reduced MCV values, which also were lower in males than that in females. Fasting for 48 hours promoted an increase in PP, while fasting for 72 hours reduced HCT. Chicks submitted to fasting presented lower body weights as compared to fed chicks, but their liver weight did not increase between 48 and 72 hours of age. Fasting decreased spleen weight, but bursa and yolk sac weight were not affected. Data showed that female and male chicks react in a similar way to post-hatching fasting, which affects body weight, liver and spleen weight, and HCT and PP values. Moreover, 72 hours of fasting affected more intensely HCT and MCV values.

Este trabalho foi realizado para avaliar o efeito da adição de enzima e/ou probiótico, bem como do estresse calórico sobre a atividade de enzimas digestivas de frangos de corte aos 7, 14, 28 e 42 dias de idade. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado em parcelas subdivididas com 6 tratamentos primários, constituindo um esquema fatorial 6x2 (rações x temperatura) e 4 tratamentos secundários (idades de amostragem), com 2 repetições. Não foi verificado efeito significativo dos tratamentos sobre a atividade específica das enzimas, exceto para as atividades de amilase aos 14 dias e tripsina aos 28 dias de idade, nas quais a adição de enzima proporcionou maiores atividades. Já a idade de criação afetou significativamente todas as enzimas quantificadas, sendo que a atividade específica de lipase diminuiu e as atividades específicas de amilase, tripsina e quimotripsina aumentaram com a idade das aves. A temperatura ambiente (calor) também afetou a produção enzimática de acordo com a idade dos frangos de corte, com um aumento na atividade de lipase e redução na tripsina e amilase.

This investigation was undertaken to study the effect of enzyme and/or probiotic supplementation in broiler chicken diet, as well as heat stress on pancreatic enzymes activities at 7, 14, 28 and 42 days of age. The experiment was performed at randon in a subdivided parcel with 6 primary treatments in a factorial schedule 6 x 2 (diets and temperatures), and 4 secondary treatments (age), with 2 repetitions in each treatment. No significant effect (p > 0.05) of treatment was found on the specific enzymes activities, except for amilase activity at 14 days and trypsin at 28 days of life, in which the enzyme addition increased the amilase and trypsin activities. Broiler age affected significantly all studied enzymes, where lipase specific activity decreased and amilase, trypsin and quimotrypsin specific activities increased with broiler chicken age. Ambient temperature (heat) also affected enzimes production according to broiler chicken age, with an increase in lipase activity and reduction in trypsin and amilase.

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo estudar o efeito de diferentes temperaturas-ambiente durante a primeira semana de vida de pintos de corte sob parâmetros zootécnicos, desenvolvimento visceral e crescimento ósseo. Foram utilizados 240 pintos de um dia, alojados em 3 câmaras climáticas, com temperaturas constantes de 20, 25 e 35°C do 1° ao 7° dia de vida. Diariamente, o consumo de água e ração, bem como o peso vivo, o peso relativo do fígado, moela, coração, saco vitelino e bursa de Fabricius foram avaliados. A tíbia e o fêmur também foram pesados e o comprimento e espessura (diâmetro médio) mensurados. As aves criadas a 20°C ganharam menos peso e consumiram menos ração do que aves mantidas a 25°C e menos água do que aves mantidas a 35°C. O peso relativo do fígado, coração e moela foram afetados pela temperatura ambiente, entretanto, não foi observado efeito da temperatura de criação sobre o peso do saco vitelino e bursa de Fabricius. Os dados mostraram que todos os parâmetros ósseos pesquisados aumentaram com a idade das aves. A temperatura ambiente não afetou a espessura da tíbia e do fêmur, mas foi observado um aumento significativo no peso e comprimento dos ossos com o aumento da temperatura ambiente. Os resultados desse experimento mostraram que o estresse por frio (20°C) reduziu o crescimento ósseo bem como o peso vivo das aves, durante os primeiros sete dias após a eclosão.

The objective of the present study was to assess the development of broiler chicks during the first week post-hatching when reared at three different environmental temperatures. A total of 480 day-old chicks were placed in three environmentally controlled rooms (20, 25 and 35°C) from 1 to 7 days of age. Body weight gain, feed and water intake, as well as liver, gizzard, heart, yolk sac and bursa of Fabricius weights were measured daily. Tibia and femur bones were weighed and their length and width (medial diameter) were also obtained. The chicks reared at 20º C had lower weight gain and ingested less food than chicks reared at 25°C and less water than chicks kept at 35°C. Relative weights of the liver, heart, and gizzard were affected by environmental temperature, whereas yolk sac and bursa of Fabricius relative weights were not. The data showed that all bone parameters increased with bird age. Environmental temperature did not affect tibia or femur width, however a significant increase in bone weight and length occurred with increasing environmental temperature. These results indicate that brooding temperature of 20°C during the first seven days post-hatching was stressful decreasing broiler bone development and reducing chicks body weight.

O presente trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de determinar a composição em aminoácidos e os coeficientes de digestibilidade dos aminoácidos da soja integral extrusada, tostada e do farelo de soja reconstituído de óleo. Foi utilizada a metodologia da alimentação forçada (Sibbad, 1976) com galos adultos. Para o cálculo dos coeficientes de digestibilidade dos aminoácidos das sojas testadas, foram consideradas as perdas endógenas e metabólicas obtidas de galos em jejum. Os dados médios de digestibilidade verdadeira de todos os aminoácidos testados foram de 91,1% para a soja extrusada, 78,6% para a soja tostada e 90,5% para o farelo de soja. Os resultados obtidos permitem concluir que a digestibilidade dos aminoácidos da soja integral tostada foi inferior a da soja extrusada e farelo de soja + óleo, que por sua vez foram semelhantes entre si. Portanto, pode-se afirmar que os diferentes tipos de processamentos da soja integral conferem a esse alimento características nutricionais distintas para aves.

The present bird assays were conducted to determine the digestibility of amino acid content of process full-fat soybeans. Two types of process full-fat soybeans were utilized, the extruded and heated full-fat soybeans. The assay was developed by using the force-feeding adult rooster method. The results for amino acid digestibility of the extruded soybean were higher than that heated soybean. As the type of full-fat soybean processing caused differences on the amino acid availability of studied soybeans, it can be concluded that the different processing gave to those feedstuffs diverse nutritional characteristics for poultry.