Partial replacement of maize with cassava root-moringa leaf and vegetable oil concentrates in broiler finisher diets

Context. Roots and leaves have potential as feed ingredients for poultry, but antinutritional factors (ANFs), high fibre and low energy may limit their efficient utilisation. There is need to improve processing methods and diet formulation for maximum utilisation of these readily available resources and reduce feed cost. Aim. To investigate the replacement of maize with cassava root, moringa leaf meal and vegetable oil blend in finisher broiler diets. Methods. In total, 160 male broiler chickens aged 30 days were weighed and allotted randomly to 20 deep litter pens containing eight birds of similar individual weight (1500 g +/- 16.11). Four broiler finisher iso-energetic and isonitrogenous diets were formulated for the experiment. Diet 1 was based on maize and in Diets 2, 3 and 4, 15%, 30% and 45% of maize was replaced respectively, by a concentrate of cassava root meal, moringa leaf meal and vegetable oil combination (CMOC). Each diet was given to five pens in a completely randomised design for a period of 12 days. Key results. There were no significant differences in the growth parameters of birds among treatments. Except for drumsticks of birds on the 30% CMOC diet, there were no significant effects of diet on carcass components or digestive organ weights (P > 0.05). Gizzard pH was higher in the control birds than in the test groups. Feed cost per kilogram of carcass weight was significantly (P < 0.05) lower with the dietary inclusion of CMOC. Conclusion. Replacing up to 30% of the maize with CMOC is beneficial and replacement up to 45% is not detrimental. However, the economic benefits of maize replacement with CMOC need to be re-evaluated with ingredient costings less affected by the present COVID-19 pandemic. Implications. Maximum utilisation of cassava root and moringa leaf meal in the diet will reduce cost and improve income of small-to medium-holder broiler producers.

The influence of dietary Salvia and lavender powders on productive performance, some physiological parameters, and immunity of broiler under stocking density stress

The purpose of this experiment was to increase poultry meat production by increasing the number of chickens reared in the same area and managing it by using medicinal herbs Salvia officinalis L and Lavandula angustifolia L. in the broiler chicken diet. 705 one-day-old chicks were randomly distributed into to7 treatments with three replicates for an area of two m2 floor system in each replicate for each treatment, during 35 days of the study. T0 negative control 75 chicks, 25 chicks for each replicate 12-13 chicks per m2 fed standard diet. T1 positive control (stocking density without supplementation)105 chicks, 35 each replicate chicks 17-18 per m2 fed standard diet. The same stocking density for T2, T3, T4, T5, and T6 have been given standard feed with supplemented herbals, salvia 0.7%, 0.9%, lavender0.7%, 0.9%, and mixed 0.7% respectively. Depending on the results, chickens reared in stress stocking density with supplementations led to higher improvement of body weight, meat production, body weight gain (BWG), feed conversion ratio(FCR g feed/g weight), production index PI, carcass weight (g) and dressing percentage, RBCs 106cells/mm3, lymphocyte%, of increasing activity of thyroid hormones T3, T4 (nmol/L) boost antibody titers of ND and IBV when compared with positive control. However, heterophil%, stress indicator H/L ratio, glucose mg/ dL and cholesterol mg/ dL significantly reduced. The results showed that adding sage and lavender plants to broiler feed is effective in improving productivity, immunity, and resistance characteristics in reducing the adverse effects of stress caused by increasing the intensity of broiler rearing in the same area.

Outdoor recreation alters terrestrial vertebrate scavenger assemblage and carrion removal in a protected Mediterranean wetland

Outdoor recreation has increased in recent decades, with an intensification after the COVID-19 lockdown. Previous studies have shown that disturbances from this activity may affect species behaviour and fitness, but its effect on ecological processes has been overlooked. Here, we test the impact of outdoor recreation on terrestrial vertebrate scavenger assemblage and scavenging patterns in El Hondo Natural Park, a Mediterranean wetland located in south-eastern Spain. We placed 185 carcasses monitored with camera traps between February 2020 and May 2021 in two areas: 'public access area', where visitors can freely access and carry out outdoor recreation, and 'restricted area', where visitors are not allowed. Our results showed that outdoor recreation altered the scavenger assemblage composition, especially affecting large species such as raptors. Non-native species scavenged almost four times more often on carcasses in public access areas than in the restricted areas, showing that human activities promote the presence of non-native species. Furthermore, vertebrates completely consumed 68.2% of the carcasses in the restricted area, decreasing to 46.7% in the public access area. In the restricted area, consumption time was shorter (111.8 vs. 157.5 h) and consumed biomass by vertebrate scavengers was larger (73.9 vs. 52.2%) than in public access area, evidencing that outdoor recreation also affects scavenging processes. Our study shows that outdoor recreation profoundly alters not only the scavenger assemblage but also key ecological processes such as carrion removal. This highlights the urgency of regulating tourism and maintaining restricted areas to preserve biodiversity and ecological processes, especially in highly anthropized landscapes.

Cattle Production’s Response to Packing Capacity Disruption

In August 2019, a fire at Tyson’s Finney County, Kansas, beef plant removed approximately 5% of U.S. beef packing capacity for 3 months. Subsequent COVID-19 pandemic-related precautions and workforce illness caused multiple packing plants across the country to decrease or stop production in the spring of 2020. Both events resulted in feedlots being unable to ship cattle at optimal finish points or according to projection. Estimates of the number of cattle backlogged during 2020 approach 1 million. Producers were faced with decisions on how to manage finished animals that could not be shipped while considering economic, animal welfare, and animal health outcomes. Many factors further complicated the situation including highly volatile markets, the possibility employee quarantine due to personal or family illness would cause operations to be under-staffed, and shortage of available pens for new cattle. Feeders had the option to slow the rate of growth of finished cattle due to the ability of ruminant animals to utilize low-energy feedstuffs or by calculating programmed rates of gain using the net energy system. Instead, many producers chose to attempt maximal rates of gain hoping persistent growth and feeding margins would offset discounts due to heavy carcass weights and excess fatness when the supply chain began moving again. Regarding new placements, the structure of the beef industry is uniquely developed to absorb cattle in stocker and backgrounding operations. This presentation will review the factors impacting cattle production and provide case-studies related to feeding at maintenance and growth rates, efficiencies, and carcass outcomes of held cattle from an operation and industry level.

Pathological and Microbiological Findings in Free-Ranging Bats in Italy

Introduction: Recent studies have shown that bats are the reservoir hosts of several novel viruses, increasing the interest in bats as potential vectors of zoonotic pathogens. Several studies investigated the presence of infectious agents in bats, but their impact on the individual host and their importance on bat mortality is largely unknown. The aim of this study was to describe the microbiological and histopathological findings in 77 deceased bats belonging to nine European species (families Vespertilionidae and Molossidae). Materials and Methods: Bat carcasses were collected in the Piedmont region (Italy) by the Unconventional Rehabilitation Centre (CANC), Torino University, and submitted to necropsy. Species, age and sex of each bat were recorded. Virological (orthoreovirus, coronavirus, flavivirus, rhabdovirus, poxvirus, kobuvirus) and histopathological examinations were performed on the main organs (liver, spleen, kidney, gut, lung, heart and brain). Results: Traumatic injuries (fractures, haemorrhages, skin lesions;43%) and predation injuries (8.4%) represented the two main causes of death. Regardless of species, age and sex, the pathological examination revealed inflammatory/degenerative lesions mainly involving liver (non-suppurative hepatitis and vacuolar degeneration;20.8%) and lung (bronchopneumonia;29.9%). Coronavirus, flavivirus, rhabdovirus and kobuvirus were not detected. Poxviruses were detected in three lungs, two with pneumonia, and 14.3% of animals were positive for reoviruses. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the importance of inflammatory lesions in bat mortality, and shows that bats can harbour infectious agents. However, there is no evidence that Italian bats may represent a severe risk for human health.

Epidemiological investigation of bovine tuberculosis infection dynamics in Turkey

A national epidemiological research project was carried out to define the dynamics affecting the epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) infection in Turkey and to identify the risk factors. Official veterinarian (OV) and breeder original questionnaires were produced separately as part of this study to collect thorough data regarding the disease from the field. The number of questionnaires that needed to be filled out was decided by 95% confidence interval (CI) and 5% margin of error. The findings of 371 OV and 317 breeder questionnaires completed online across the country were analyzed. In addition, 28 outbreaks determined by random method were visited. To observe regional differences and field conditions, the opinions of OVs who monitored the disease and breeders were compiled. It was observed that the data obtained from both questionnaires was largely compatible. The main factors in the epidemiology of bTB infection were found to be effective fight, development of state policy, providing adequate financing, animal purchase, ear tagging and records, animal traders, animal markets, animal movements, conditional slaughtering, slaughterhouses, postmortem inspection, premise conditions, socio-economic impact, evaluation of raw milk, disease-free premises, compensation payments, and quarantine processes.

Soil Governance in a Pandemic

COVID-19 exacerbated many threats to soil health. Long-term consequences of pandemics on soils are likely to include increased threats of contamination and exhaustion. Abrupt border restrictions and changes in demand for agricultural products will create pressure to increase crop yields and surplus animal disposal. Soils also are threatened by demand to convert agricultural lands to housing in response to pandemic-induced changes in how and where work is completed. Several governance mechanisms are outlined that support interactions between humans and soil that promote soil health during a pandemic. Maximizing soil fertility, minimizing contamination, and preventing land-use conversion are critical soil governance objectives.

Enhancing Growth Performance, Organ Development, Meat Quality, and Bone Mineralisation of Broiler Chickens through Multi-Enzyme Super-Dosing in Reduced Energy Diets.

This study identified the optimal multi-enzyme dose rate at three energy levels based on the production performance of broiler chickens. A 42-day grow out trial was conducted using 576 day-old mixed-sex ROSS308 broiler chickens in a 3 × 4 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design. Diets consisting of three metabolizable energy (ME) levels: standard energy (STD), 150 kcal/kg energy reduction (STD-150), and 200 kcal/kg energy reduction (STD-200), were cross factored with four multi-enzyme inclusion levels (0, 350, 700, and 1000 g/ton). The average daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio increased linearly (p < 0.001) as the dietary ME was reduced, and the multi-enzyme addition improved the feed conversion ratio (p < 0.05) and mitigated the negative effect of the reduced energy diets (RED) on feed intake and feed conversion ratios. Carcass composition, organ weights, and meat quality were not affected by the experimental diets. The RED decreased abdominal fat weight (p < 0.05). Total ash, calcium, and phosphorous contents of the tibia bone were improved (p < 0.04) when the RED were supplemented with the multi-enzyme. Super-dosing multi-enzymes in RED mitigates the negative effect of ME reduction on growth performance while maintaining organ development and meat quality and improving bone mineral content.

Economic Analysis of the Use of VCS2000 for Pork Carcass Meat Yield Grading in Korea.

Currently, the pork industry is incorporating in-line automation with the aim of increasing the slaughtered pork carcass throughput while monitoring quality and safety. In Korea, 21 parameters (such as back-fat thickness and carcass weight) are used for quality grading of pork carcasses. Recently, the VCS2000 system-an automatic meat yield grading machine system-was introduced to enhance grading efficiency and therefore increase pork carcass production. The VCS2000 system is able to predict pork carcass yield based on image analysis. This study also conducted an economic analysis of the system using a cost-benefit analysis. The subsection items of the cost-benefit analysis considered were net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), and benefit/cost ratio (BC ratio), and each method was verified through sensitivity analysis. For our analysis, the benefits were grouped into three categories: the benefits of reducing labor costs, the benefits of improving meat yield production, and the benefits of reducing pig feed consumption through optimization. The cost-benefit analysis of the system resulted in an NPV of approximately 615.6 million Korean won, an IRR of 13.52%, and a B/C ratio of 1.65.

Efficacy of Soya Protein Concentrates on the Performance and Immunity of Broiler Chickens.

This study examines the supplementation of soy protein concentrates (SPC) in the diet of straight run broiler chickens and its effect on their immunity and productive performance. Eight hundred Ross 308 mixed chicks were randomly assigned to four varied dietary treatments (200 birds each), four replicates per dietary treatment (50 chicks/replicate). The diets were a control without supplement (T0) or supplemented with T1 (7g), T2 (8g), and T3 (9g)/bird of 5% SPC, which replaced SBM in the basal starter diet at a rate of 5% (W/W). Each bird received a total of 300 g of the starter diet during the first 12 days of rearing and then was fed ad-libitum grower and finisher diets without SPC inclusion for 35 d. On day 35, 2 birds/replicate (8/treatments, 32 birds) were randomly selected and slaughtered for carcass evaluation. Results showed that 9g showed the lowest body weight (P < 0.05) compared to other SPC treatments. SPC addition did not improve performance. 8g had significant (P < 0.05) dressing %. Carcass characteristics were not affected by SPC. Newcastle disease blood titers showed significantly higher protection for 9g and 8g SPC on d 20. Avian Influenza blood titers gave the best results with (9g) at d 30, while Infectious Bursal Disease and Infectious Bronchitis blood titers were not affected by changing dietary levels with SPC. In conclusion, results indicated that supplementing soya protein concentrates to broiler chickens in the starter period has an effect on body weight and dressing %, and that it enhanced immunity against Newcastle and Avian influenza diseases.