A study was conducted with the objective of evaluating the combined application of tiamulin (TIA) and salinomycin (SAL) in broiler diets fed from 1 to 42 d of age. One thousand and two hundred Cobb x Cobb 500 male broilers were housed in 48 floor pens and fed corn-soybean meal diets containing 66 ppm of SAL combined or not with TIA at 30 or 20 and 20 or 15 ppm, respectively, in the starter (1-21 d) and grower feeds (22-42 d); however, TIA was withdrawn from the feeds 7 days before slaughter. The experimental design was completely randomized with 3 treatments and 16 replicates of 25 birds each. Broilers were weekly evaluated for live performance whereas carcass yield, abdominal fat and commercial cuts were assessed at 42 d using 6 birds randomly taken from each pen. Results obtained at the end of the study demonstrated that body weight gain was not affected (P > 0.05) by the treatments, whereas feed intake was reduced (P < 0.05) and feed conversion was improved (P < 0.05) for birds on diets containing TIA at 30/20 and 20/15 ppm, respectively. Carcass yield, abdominal fat, and commercial parts were not affected (P > 0.05) by the treatments. Live performance and post-slaughter yields data obtained in this study did not indicate that combinations of TIA with SAL could be detrimental. In fact, an improvement in feed conversion was observed at the lowest dose of TIA.

This study investigated the hatching distribution of eggs from broiler breeders of different ages in distinct periods of incubation. Eggs were incubated in a single-stage experimental incubator. A number of 3.510 eggs were distributed into 3 treatments with 13 replicates of 90 eggs each. Treatments corresponded to breeder age: young (34 weeks), intermediate-age (44 weeks) and old (72 weeks) breeders. Eggs were transferred to the hatcher at 432 incubation hours, hatching was first checked at 449 hours, after which the number of hatched chicks was counted every 6 hours up to 515 incubation hours. After each count, hatched chicks were removed from the hatcher. Data were submitted to analysis of variance using measures repeated. A significant interaction between breeder age and incubation time was found. The total period required to hatch all incubated fertile eggs was not influenced by breeder age, which, however, affected hatching distribution. Eggs from old breeders hatched later as compared to young and intermediate-age breeders. More than 71% of the eggs had already hatched at 485 incubation hours, and 94% at 491 hours. Eggs laid by old breeders presented higher infertility and total embryo mortality, resulting in lower hatching percentage.

This research included two studies evaluating the live performance of broilers fed Sangrovit® (minimum of 1.5% sanguinarine, a quaternary benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloid extracted from Macleaya cordata). Both studies were conducted using Ross 308 female broiler chicks. Birds were fed corn-soybean meal all-vegetable diets without growth promoters with 5 treatments and 8 replications in each study. In the first study, treatments were composed of a Negative Control without feed additive and four diets with graded increases of Sangrovit of 12.5, 25, 37.5, and 50 ppm. In the second study, chicks received a similar diet from placement to 21 days of age and subsequently were given feeds with graded reductions in crude protein (CP) as follow: a Negative Control with 19.7% CP without sanguinarine, and then 19.7, 19.2, 18.8 and 18.3% CP supplemented with Sangrovit at 20 ppm. It was demonstrated that body weight was increased when birds were fed 50 ppm of Sangrovit at 21 d when compared to the Negative Control. Also comparatively to the Negative Control, cumulative feed conversion was improved for birds fed with Sangrovit at 37.5 ppm as well as feed intake from placement to 7 days at 12.5 ppm. No differences were observed in feed intake. Birds supplemented with Sangrovit and 18.8% CP had similar body weight gain and feed intake as the Negative Control with 19.7% CP. Mortality in both studies was not correlated with the treatments. Results from both studies indicate benefits of the supplementation of Sangrovit in diets for broilers.

A study was conducted to compare live performance and digestive metabolism of broiler chickens fed all-vegetable diets (All-Veg) compared to a regular diet including animal by-products. Three feeds were formulated and provided to broilers according to the feeding program: pre-starter from 1 to 10 days, starter from 11 to 21 days, and grower from 21 to 35 days. All feeds had corn and soybean meal as major ingredients; however, two of them were all-vegetable diets having either Degummed Soybean Oil (DSO) or Acidulated Soybean Soapstock (ASS) as fat sources. The third diet included poultry by-product and poultry fat. A total number of 360 day-old broiler chicks were allocated to 1m² battery cages, 10 chicks in each, and 12 replicates per treatment. Live performance was similar between groups of birds receiving the different diets with the exception of weight gain, which was increased for birds fed the All-Veg diet with ASS. Birds fed All-Veg diets had increased water intake and produced more excreta with a concurrent reduced feed metabolizability at both ages, regardless of fat source. Metabolizable Energy was not different for the three diets.

This study aimed to evaluate broiler responses to increases in feed energy (2,870, 3,000 and 3,100 kcal ME/kg) and the inclusion of Acidulated Soybean Soapstock (ASS) when compared to Degummed Soybean Oil (DSO) in feeds from placement to 7 days of age. From 7 to 42 days ASS or DSO were included in diets that contained similar energy and nutrient levels. Metabolizable energy values used to formulate the diets for ASS and DSO were 8,351 and 7,701 kcal ME/kg in the first week and 9,314 and 8,559 kcal ME/kg afterwards, respectively. Diets were based on corn and soybean meal and were fed to 1,600 one-d-old male broiler chicks randomly placed in 40 floor pens. No differences in performance due to fat source were seen at 7 days. However, the increase in energy levels to 3,100 kcal ME/kg reduced feed intake, whereas feed conversion was improved with energy at 3,000 kcal ME/kg. Live performance, and the yields of carcass and commercial cuts were not affected by the type of fat included in the feeds from 7 to 42 days, except for increased body weight at 21 and 35 days with ASS supplementation. Litter moisture at 7, 21, 35 and 42 days was not affected by any of the factors and there were no residual effects of treatments at 21, 35 and 42 days of age. On the other hand, body weight at 35 days was affected by the interaction of diets fed in the first week with those provided afterwards. The results showed that ME values used for DSO and ASS are adequate and that ASS may be used as fat source in broiler feeds from placement to 42 days of age.