Resumo em Inglês:

The large amounts of feathers produced by the poultry industry, that is considered as a waste was explored for possible uses in various industries, such as meals for animals, biofuels, biodegradable plastic materials, combating water pollution and more. That review mentions these uses, but concentrate on the utilization of feathers for the diagnosis of viral infections and for monitoring vaccine viruses in chickens after vaccination. The viral diseases in which diagnosis using nucleic acids extracted from the feather shafts was described are, Marek's disease virus, circoviruses, chicken anemia virus, fowlpox virus, avian retroviruses, avian influenza virus and infectious laryngotracheitis virus. In two cases, of Marek's disease virus and of infectious laryngotracheitis virus, the differentiation of vaccine and wild-type viruses from feather shafts was made possible, thus allowing for monitoring the vaccination efficacy. The present review demonstrates also the stability of DNA viruses in feather shafts, and the possible evaluation of environmental dissemination of pathogens. When viruses are transmitted vertically, like in the cases of the retrovirus REV, a teratogenic effect on the development of feathers of the day-old newly hatched chick might occur in the case of avian influenza and the chicken anemia virus, which might indicate on a viral infection.

Resumo em Inglês:

Brazil is today the world's largest broiler meat exporter; however, in order to keep this position, it must comply with welfare regulations while maintaining low production costs. Locomotion problems restrain bird movements, limiting their access to drinking and feeding equipment, and therefore their survival and productivity. The objective of this study was to evaluate locomotion deficiency in broiler chickens reared under stressful temperature conditions using three different sampling methods of birds from three different ages. The experiment consisted in determining the gait score of 28, 35, 42 and 49-day-old broilers using three different known gait scoring methods: M1, birds were randomly selected, enclosed in a circle, and then stimulated to walk out of the circle; M2, ten birds were randomly selected and gait scored; and M3, birds were randomly selected, enclosed in a circle, and then observed while walking away from the circle without stimulus to walking. Environmental temperature, relative humidity, and light intensity inside the poultry houses were recorded. No evidence of interaction between scoring method and age was found however, both method and age influenced gait score. Gait score was found to be lower at 28 days of age. The evaluation using the ten randomly selected birds within the house was the method that presented the less reliable results. Gait score results when birds were stimulated to walk were lower than when they were not simulated, independently of age. The gait scores obtained with the three tested methods and ages were higher than those considered acceptable. The highest frequency of normal gait score (0) represented 50% of the flock. These results may be related to heat stress during rearing. Average gait score incresead with average ambient temperature, relative humidity, and light intensity. The evaluation of gait score to detect locomotion problems of broilers under rearing conditions seems subjective and difficult to be properly performed.

Resumo em Inglês:

Amino acid requirements can be studied maintaining or not the ratio of the amino acids to lysine and changing or not dietary crude protein level. A third alternative was studied in this study conducted to evaluate broiler performance and weight gain of carcass parts, in response to increasing dietary digestible lysine (dig Lys) levels (0.70, 0.80, 0.90, 1.00, 1.055, 1.11, 1.165, and 1.22%). Two basal diets were formulated to contain 19.0% (diet A) and 20.5% (diet B) crude protein, and Met, Arg and Thr levels were formulated to maintain their ideal ratio to Lys. Three hundred and twenty CobbXCobb500 broilers, from 19 to 40 days of age, were used. Basal diet A was set for the 4 lowest levels of dig Lys, and diet B for the other four levels. Body weight (BW), weight gain (WG), feed intake, Lys intake, feed conversion (FC), carcass part weights and carcass, breast, leg, and thigh protein and fat were evaluated. Body weight, WG and Lys intake linearly increased with increasing dietary dig Lys, independently of basal diet CP content. A multiple regression effect was observed for FC, with the best estimated levels of dig Lys of 0.96% and 1.18% for diet A and B, respectively. Breast and carcass weight gain and breast protein and water gain showed multiple regression and split curves as a function of basal diet. The best responses were obtained with the highest crude protein level in the basal diet. Therefore, we concluded that high levels of crude protein in basal diets are recommended to study amino acid requirements for broilers.

Resumo em Inglês:

Two experiments (EXP 1 and EXP 2) were conducted to compare soybean oil (SO) and semi-refined rice oil (RBO) added to broilers diets. In EXP 1, 400 male Ross x Ross 308 broilers were reared in battery cages, and their performance was evaluated. A metabolism assay was performed. In EXP 2, 1344 broilers from the same strain were reared in floor pens with rice husks litter. In addition to performance, carcass yield and meat oxidative stability were evaluated. In both EXP, birds were distributed in a 2x4 factorial arrangement, with two types of oils (SO or RBO) and four oil inclusion levels (1%, 2.5%, 4%, or 5.5%). Two periods were considered: starter (1 to 21 days of age) and grower (22 to 42 days). In both EXP, oil type had no influence on starter performance. Although treatments promoted similar in weight gain (WG) and feed intake (FI), grower birds fed RBO had better feed conversion (FCR) in EXP 2, but not in EXP1. In both trials, increasing dietary oil levels negatively influenced FI and positively FCR. Weight gain was similar among all treatments in EXP 1, whereas in EXP 2, WG was higher when 4 and 5.5% oil was included in the feed. RBO presented 94% fat metabolizability, and crude energy and metabolizable energy levels of 9.260 and 8.714 kcal/kg, respectively. Carcass yield was not influenced by oil type; however, oil inclusion level negatively affected breast yield. The experimental treatments had no effect on meat oxidative stability. RBO can be used as an alternative to soybean oil in broilers diets.

Resumo em Inglês:

Experiment was conducted to study the effect of Metabolizable Energy (ME) and Balanced Protein (BP) on the performance of 1- to 35-day-old male and female Hubbard x Hubbard broilers. Set in a factorial arrangement, dietary treatments involved 3 levels of ME (2650, 2750, or 2850 kcal per kg diet) and 4 levels of Balanced Protein (expressed as 8.4, 9.0, 9.6, or 10.2 g Standardized Ileal Digestible lysine per kg). Each diet was fed to 5 replicate pens of 17 chicks. Dietary ME and BP did not interact for any of the parameters studied (p>0.05). The main effect of ME was significant (p<0.05) for feed intake, body weight, and feed conversion ratio at all ages. Highest ME (2850 kcal) resulted in 35 day feed intake and feed conversion ratio that was significantly (p<0.05) low compared with those fed on lower levels of ME; while 35 day body weight was significantly (p<0.05) high at 2850 kcal compared with 2650 kcal ME. Feed intake and body weight improved linearly (p<0.05) with increasing BP from 8.4 to 10.2 g per kg, while the BP did not have any effect on feed conversion ratio. Dietary combinations of ME and BP to optimize body weight and feed conversion ratio are suggested on weekly basis.

Resumo em Inglês:

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the dietary inclusion of poultry viscera meal (VM) on broiler performance and carcass, parts, and abdominal fat yields in broilers by replacing a diet containing VM with a strictly vegetable diet and vice-versa. A number of 720 one-day-old broiler chicks were randomly distributed in 6 groups: G1-basal diet (BD) - corn and soybean based meal, with no VM from 1 to 42 days of age, G2- 8% VM diet from 1 to 42 days, G3- BD from 1 to 21 and 8% VM diet from 22 to 42 days, G4- BD from 1 to 35 and 8% VM diet from 36 to 42 days, G5- 8% VM diet from 1 to 21 days and BD from 22 to 42 days, G6- 8% VM diet from 1 to 35 and BD from 36 to 42 days. Average body weight, weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), production efficiency index, and mortality were determined from 1 to 42 days. There was no effect of treatments on performance or mortality, except for FCR, which was significantly better in the group fed VM from 1 to 35 days and withdrawn at the end of rearing (36-42 days). Also, there were no differences in carcass, parts, and abdominal fat yields, showing that VM in broiler diets does not influence yield parameters.

Resumo em Inglês:

The internal quality of conventional and ω-3 enriched commercial eggs stored at different temperatures was evaluated. Eggs derived from Isa Brown layers fed two different diets. In Group 1, 432 hens were fed throughout their productive life with a diet based on corn and soybean meal (production of conventional eggs). In Group 2, starting at 22 weeks of age, other 432 hens were fed a diet containing 1.5% of marine algae substrate and 1.8% of fish oil (production of ω-3 enriched eggs). The following parameters were evaluated: Haugh unit, yolk index, albumen pH, and yolk pH. There were no significant differences between conventional and enriched with ω-3 eggs as to internal quality parameters. Only the interaction between storage time and temperature was significant, and therefore their effects were evaluated, independent of egg type (conventional eggs and ω-3 enriched eggs). Eggs stored at 25ºC presented lower Haugh units and yolk index, and higher albumen pH and yolk pH as compared to those kept at 5ºC. In addition, internal quality was reduced when eggs were stored for 7, 14, and 21 days, particularly when maintained at 25ºC. It was concluded that conventional and ω-3 enriched eggs have good internal quality; however, to maintain this quality, eggs must be stored under refrigeration.

Resumo em Inglês:

The expression of immune response as a leukocytic infiltrate by CD4+ and CD8+ cells in the epithelium and in the intestinal lamina propria of chicks fed Lactobacillus spp or cecal microflora (CM) and experimentally challenged or not with Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) was studied using immunohistochemistry. Three hundred and twenty day-of-hatch broiler chicks were divided into four groups of 80 birds each and orally received L. reuteri, L. salivarius, L. acidophilus, or CM. Each group was subdivided into four subgroups of 20 birds each, classified as follows: a subgroup did not receive any oral treatment (negative control), subgroup treated with L. spp or CM, subgroup treated with L. spp or CM and challenged with SE, and subgroup only challenged with SE (positive control). The results show that the oral treatment with L. reuteri, L. salivarius, L. acidophilus, or CM and challenge or not with SE stimulated bird immune response as determined by the leukocytic infiltrate by CD8+ lymphocytes followed by CD4+ in the epithelium and in the lamina propria of the duodenum, jejunum, and cecum of chicks up to 12 days of age. CD8+ lymphocyte number was significantly higher in the intestine of chicks receiving CM and challenged with SE. The duodenum, followed by the jejunum, were the segments in which the immune response, as shown by T, CD4+ and CD8+ cells, was stimulated with the greatest intensity.

Resumo em Inglês:

The expansion of global poultry production has increased the need to reduce or control the agents responsible for economic losses, including Salmonella spp. These bacteria are also of public health concern due to their potential to cause food poisoning, and, more recently, due to the antimicrobial resistance presented by these bacteria. Molecular biology is an important tool currently used in the diagnosis and research studies of main poultry diseases. The present studied analyzed 100 samples of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) isolated from avian material aiming at detecting the class 1 integron gene, Integroninvolved in antimicrobial resistance, by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and comparing it with plate inhibition test. Subsequently, SE samples were evaluated for their capacity to horizontally transfer this gene. There was no direct relationship between the presence of the class 1 integron gene and SE resistance to the 14 antimicrobials tested, as 80% of the studied samples were resistant to up to three antimicrobials, and did not present the aforementioned gene. However, horizontal transfer of this gene was accomplished in vitro (from Escherichia coli to Salmonella Enteritidis), demonstrating that capacity class 1 integron gene can be disseminated among enterobacteria.

Resumo em Inglês:

This study determined the economic effects of avian influenza on the egg-production sector of Afyon Province, Turkey. Economic indicators were compared before and during the avian influenza outbreak. A questionnaire was conducted with 75 poultry farmers. Farms were divided into three groups according to their size. The profitability of the three farm size groups was compared during two study periods: before and during the avian influenza outbreak. The results indicate that, as compared to previous levels, farms experienced significantly reduced incomes during the avian influenza episode. While net income and profit margin were found to be negative in all three farm groups during the avian influenza period, only group I showed economic loss prior to avian influenza. Average net income per group was -19,576.14, -39,810.11, and -112,035.33 YTL respectively during the avian influenza outbreak, compared with prior incomes of -5,665.51, 8,422.92, and 16,3873.71 YTL (1 USD=1.43 YTL). The profit margin per egg during avian influenza was -0.029, -0.016, -0.010 YTL in group I, II, III, respectively, as compared to -0.007, 0.003, and 0.014 YTL/egg before avian influenza. It was found that, whereas larger farms were more profitable than small farms prior to the avian influenza period, larger farms suffered greater economic losses than small farms during avian influenza outbreak in the participating farms.