This study evaluated the effects on the internal quality of eggs of various storage environments through which eggs may pass between being laid and being consumed. Commercial eggs (N = 648) from Dekalb White hens were used. Treatments consisted of T1: 28 days at 4 °C; T2: 28 days at 20 °C; T3: 7 days at room temperature (27 °C ± 2 °C) (humidity 55%) and 21 days at 4 °C; T4: 7 days at room temperature and 21 days at 20 °C; T5: 14 days at room temperature and 14 days at 4 °C; T6: 14 days at room temperature and 14 days at 20 °C; T7: 21 days at room temperature and 7 days at 4 °C; T8: 21 days at room temperature and 7 days at 20 °C; and T9: 28 days at room temperature. The characteristics that were evaluated consisted of Haugh unit (HU), yolk index (YI), colour (L*, a* and b*), albumen pH, yolk pH and lipid oxidation. Eggs stored 28 days were darker (L*), and had greater yolk pH and lipid oxidation than fresh eggs. Eggs stored under T1 and T3 conditions had greater HU and YI than eggs stored in the other environments. The albumin pH of eggs stored at room temperature (T9) was highest of the treatments. Yellowness was increased in eggs stored under T4, T6, T8, and T9 conditions. Eggs should be stored under refrigeration as this promotes maintenance of internal quality and mitigates negative effects of previous storage conditions.

This study evaluated the performance, immune response to vaccination, digestive organs, intestinal histomorphometry, and microbiological development in the diet and litter of Isa Brown strains at growing receiving phase alternative additives in the place of antibiotics. Four treatments were arrayed in a completely randomized design: T1) Basal diet without antibiotics, T2) Basal diet with antibiotics, T3) Basal diet with probiotics, and T4) Basal diet without antibiotics and water modified by a photoelectron generator. There were six replications of eight birds each and thus a total of 192 birds. Performance was evaluated for eight weeks and during this period blood samples were collected at 9, 12 and 15 weeks of age for serological evaluation. At the end of the experimental period, 24 birds were euthanized, collecting the intestinal tract and later performing histomorphometry. Microbiological analyses were performed in the experimental diets and in the material of the litter of the boxes. The results obtained were analyzed by analysis of variance and the contrast between treatment means when significant by Tukey's test. The results indicate that the replacement of antibiotics with T3 or T4 did not interfere negatively (P >0.05) in the performance of the birds, immunological response, viscera analyses and intestinal histomorphometry. In addition, use of T3 and T4 might lead to more rapid decomposition of excreta and reduce antibiotic residue in the soil when the litter is used in crop production.

RESUMO Ácidos orgânicos são utilizados como aditivos promotores de desempenho em leitões, pois podem prevenir a ocorrência de diarreias. Para tanto, foram conduzidos ensaios de desempenho, digestibilidade, e foi avaliada a viabilidade econômica das dietas. No desempenho, foram utilizados 64 leitões híbridos desmamados, com peso médio de 5,87±0,31kg, distribuídos em um delineamento em blocos ao acaso, com quatro tratamentos, oito repetições e dois leitões por unidade experimental (sendo um macho castrado e uma fêmea). Na digestibilidade, 24 leitões machos, castrados, híbridos, com peso médio de 8,21±0.79kg, foram alojados individualmente em quatro tratamentos e seis repetições. Em ambos os ensaios, os tratamentos foram: controle: dieta basal sem uso de acidificante; Blend: inclusão de 0,5% da mistura de ácidos orgânicos; butirato: inclusão de 0,1% de butirato de sódio; Blend+Butirato: inclusão de 0,5% da mistura de ácidos orgânicos e 0,1% butirato de sódio. Não houve efeito dos acidificantes (P>0,05) sobre o desempenho no período estudado. Não houve efeito dos ácidos orgânicos (P>0,05) sobre os coeficientes de digestibilidade aparente dos nutrientes. Dietas com suplementação de butirato de sódio apresentaram melhor vantagem econômica para o período de 10-24 dias. Não houve incidência de diarreia em nenhum período. Não ficou evidenciado o efeito dos aditivos acidificantes como promotores de crescimento em dietas complexas para leitões desmamados.

ABSTRACT Organic acids are used as feed additives to promote growth of weaned piglets since they prevent the occurrence of diarrhea. Thus, performance and digestibility assays were conducted and economic viability of diets was evaluated. In the performance assays, 64 hybrid piglets weaned with a mean weight of 5.87±0.31kg were divided in a randomized block design consisting of 4 treatments, 8 repetitions and 2 piglets per experimental unit (1 castrated male and 1 female). In the digestibility assay, 24 castrated male hybrid piglets with a mean weight of 8.21±0.79kg were individually assigned to 4 treatments and 6 repetitions. The treatments in the two assays were as follows: control, basal diet without addition of an acidifier; blend: inclusion of 0.5% of a mixture of organic acids; butyrate: inclusion of 0.1% of sodium butyrate; blend+butyrate: inclusion of 0.5% of a mixture of organic acids and 0.1% sodium butyrate. There was no effect (P>0.05) of the acidifiers on animal performance during the period studied. Organic acids exerted no effect (P>0.05) on the apparent digestibility coefficients of nutrients. Diets supplemented with sodium butyrate had an economic advantage for the period of 10-24 days. No episode of diarrhea was observed. This study demonstrated no effect of acidifier feed additives as growth promoters in complex diets for weaned piglets.

Objetivou-se no presente estudo avaliar a qualidade interna de ovos brancos e vermelhos, comercializados durante o inverno e o verão, no estado de São Paulo. Para tal análise, utilizaram-se ovos classificados como tamanho grande, e a avaliação da qualidade interna realizada por meio das seguintes variáveis: massa média do ovo, gravidade específica, unidade Haugh, índice de gema, coloração da gema e incidência de partículas estranhas nos ovos. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente ao acaso, em fatorial 2 x 2 (cor da casca x épocas do ano), sendo as cores da casca: branca e vermelha, e as épocas do ano: inverno e verão. Verificou-se que, no verão, foram obtidos os menores valores de massa média do ovo, de unidade Haugh e de índice de gema, o que evidencia maior perda da qualidade do produto, provavelmente devido às elevadas temperaturas, comparativamente ao inverno. Entretanto, durante o inverno, foram observados ovos contendo discos germinativos fecundados. Conclui-se que os ovos comercializados no Vale do Ribeira, SP, apresentaram baixa qualidade e, portanto, estavam impróprios ao consumo e à industrialização.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the internal quality of white and red eggs marketed during the winter and summer in the state of São Paulo. For this analysis, eggs classified as big were used, with the evaluation of the internal quality carried out according the following variables: Average egg mass, specific gravity, Haugh unit, yolk index, yolk color and strange particles in eggs. The experimental design was completely randomized in a 2 x 2 factorial (shell color x seasons), with shell color: white and red; and seasons: winter and summer. Through the results we found that summer had the lowest values of average egg weight, Haugh unit and yolk index, showing a greater loss of product quality, probably due to the high temperatures compared to the winter. However, during the winter we observed fertilized eggs containing germ discs. We conclude that eggs sold in the Ribeira Valley - SP are of low quality and therefore unfit for consumption and industrialization.

Foram utilizados 1600 pintos de corte de um dia de idade, distribuídos em delineamento, em blocos ao acaso, com esquema fatorial 4×2 (quatro linhagens, sendo uma delas comercial (Ross-308) e as demais específicas para a produção colonial (Caipirinha, Pescoço Pelado e Paraíso Pedrês) e dois sistemas de criação (confinado e com acesso a piquete), com quatro repetições de 50 aves cada. A ração não continha promotores químicos de crescimento e produtos de origem animal. Avaliaram-se o ganho de peso, o consumo de ração, a conversão alimentar, a mortalidade e os rendimentos de carcaça e das partes (peito, pernas, asas e dorso) aos 56, 63, 70, 77 e 84 dias de idade. O comprimento e a porcentagem (em relação ao peso vivo) dos intestinos e o peso e a porcentagem (em relação ao peso vivo) do fígado, moela e pâncreas foram avaliados aos 84 dias de idade. Houve efeito (P<0,05) da linhagem para as características de desempenho e da linhagem e do sexo para rendimentos da carcaça e das partes, assim como para as características do sistema digestório (P<0,05). O sistema de criação não influenciou as características avaliadas.

One thousand and six hundred day-old-chicks were randomly assigned to a 4×2 factorial design (4 strains and 2 production systems) with 4 replicates of 50 birds each. A commercial strain Ross and three strains (Caipirinha, Pescoço Pelado and Paraíso Pedrês) for free range chicken production systems were used. The production systems were confined and semi-confined supplemented with grass paddock (3m²/bird). The diets did not contain chemical growth promoters and animal by products. Weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion, mortality and carcass yield and parts were evaluated at 56, 63, 70, 77 and 84 days. Length and percentage of gut, liver, gizzard and spleen were evaluated at 84 days. Differences (P<0.05) among strains for performance, carcass yield and parts and gut characteristics and no differences (P>0.05) among production systems were observed.