Concentrations of iron, cadmium, cobalt and nickel in buffalo calves hair in relation to nutrition and age

Mineral concentrations [iron, cadmium, cobalt and nickel] in the hair of buffalo calves at different ages were quantitatively determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. It was found that the levels of the studied minerals were not greatly influenced by the nature of food and age of the animal. The data obtained for the mineral contents in this work, were tabulated, statistically analyzed and discussed

Effects of diets experimentally molded with penicillium and fusarium species on the performance, carcass characteristics and body composition of broiler chickens

Sixty feed samples were collected from commercial sources and subjected to mycological examination. The isolated fungi were: Penicillium [P] citrinum and P. viridicatum; Fusarium [F] solane, F. tricinctum, F. fusaroides, Yeast species, Asperigillus flavus, Asp. niger, Asp. fumigatus, Asp. parasiticus, Mucor, and Rhizopus. The effects of diets experimentally molded with Penicillium citrinum, Fusarium solane at levels that could be encountered in broiler diets under field conditions were investigated in Lohmann broiler chickens. Forty eight day-old chicks were randomly divided into 6 equal groups. Each group of chicks received one out of 6 different diets during the starting and finishing periods as follows: 1] nonautoclaved diet 2] non-autoclaved + Penicillium citrinum. [P] 3] nonautoclaved + Fusarium solane [F] 4] autoclaved 5] autoclaved + P. citrinum. 6] autoclaved + F. solane. P. and F organisms were inoculated in diets at a conctration of 10[3] org.s/g of diet. The measured parameters comprised body weight development, food conversion ratio, mortalities, dressed carcass, meat and edible organs [liver, gizzard, kidney, heart, spleen] weights of live-weight percentage, proximate chemical composition of both whole [intact] chicken and dressed chicken carcasses in different group. Feeding of P-and F-molded diets resulted in a marked decrease in the finishing body weight of chickens with the greatest depressing effect recorded in chickens fed on P-molded diets. Poor food conversion ratio was exhibited by groups of chickens fed either P-or F-molded diets. Autoclaving of diets did resultin decrease of growth rate and food utilization of chickens. Only 1 and 2 chickens died in groups 1 and 2 respectively. Slight numerical differences were detected between the dressed carcass and meat weight of live weight percentages of various groups. Gizzard, liver and kidney weights of live weight percentage were greater in chicken groups fed P- or F-molded diets compared to the controls