Improving the reproductive, immunity and health status of rabbit does using honey bee venom.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the long-term effect of using bee venom (BV) on the reproductive performance, immune, and health status of rabbit does and its effect on their litters. Sixty mature does, from Spanish V-line rabbit stock, were randomly assigned to four homogeneous groups with 15 does each. The 1st , 2nd and 3rd groups were injected twice weekly under the neck skin with 0.1 ml solution contains 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 mg BV/rabbit respectively. The 4th group served as a control group. From the results, litter size at birth, litter weight and survival rate at weaning age as well as milk yield were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased in BV groups than in the control group. Serum estradiol 17-ß (E2) was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher (15%) in the rabbit does treated with BV compared to the control group. The treated does with BV at any study doses showed a gradual and significant (p ≤ 0.05) decrease (12%) in serum progesterone levels (P4) compared to the control. They also showed a significant (p≤0.05) increase in conception (17%) and fertility rates (10%) compared to the control does. Treatment of rabbit does with BV caused a gradual and significant (p ≤ 0.05) reduction in both aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (16%) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (37%) liver enzyme activities. Additionally, results have shown that BV resulted in a gradual and significant (p ≤ 0.05) increase in total antioxidant capacity (TAC), antioxidative enzymes such as glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), serum IgG, IgM and IgA levels with significant (p ≤ 0.05) decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in BV groups compared to the control group. Results suggest that BV can be used in rabbit farming as an effective and safe alternative to artificial chemical drugs (sexual-stimulants) to improve certain reproductive traits, immune response and health.

Effect of bee venom on reproductive performance and immune response of male rabbits.

The current study aimed to investigate the effects of injecting bucks with different doses of bee venom (BV) on reproductive performance and immune response during the summer season. Forty-eight male V-line rabbits were randomly distributed among four homogeneous groups (12 bucks each). Three groups were injected BV under the neck skin with 0.1 (G1), 0.2 (G2) and 0.3 (G3) mg/rabbit twice weekly over 20 wks of treatment period. The 4th group (G0) was not injected BV and served as a control group. Buck groups that were treated with BV showed significantly (p≤0.05) shorter reaction time (increased libido) compared to the control, and this effect was BV dose-dependent manner. Viable sperm and concentration, total sperm output, live sperm, and fertility percentage were significantly (p≤0.05) higher in BV groups than in the control group. Additionally, testosterone concentration, and some other blood biochemical constituents (total protein, albumin, and glucose) were significantly (p≤0.05) higher in BV groups than those in the control group. The BV doses resulted in a significant (p≤0.05) increase of antioxidant indices (TAC, GST, and GSH) compared to the control group. Furthermore, the Immunoglobulin A (IgA) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) were significantly (p≤0.05) higher in BV groupscompared to the control group. From these results, we concluded that BV had significant positive impacts on some semen quality traits, sexual behavior, blood biochemical parameters, blood antioxidant content, lipid peroxidation biomarkers, and immune response in V-line bucks.

Effect of carbon dioxide during the early stage of duck egg incubation on hatching characteristics and duckling performance.

Gaseous exchange is very important for embryonic development during the incubation of bird eggs. The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of carbon dioxide (CO2) pumping during the first 10 days of Pekin duck egg incubation on hatching characteristics, embryonic growth, hormonal concentrations and the post-hatch weight of the ducks. Two different ventilation conditions were used in this study. In one condition (V), the incubator was ventilated standard. In the other condition (NV), CO2 was gradually pumped into a non-ventilated incubator to reach and maintain a 1% concentration through the first 10 days of incubation, after which the incubator was ventilated for the rest of the incubation period. The CO2 percentage in the V incubator was constant at approximately 0.18%; by contrast, in the NV incubator, the concentration was increased gradually from 0.17% to 1%, where it was maintained through the 10th day of incubation. Throughout the incubation period, the egg weight loss and the embryonic mortality percentages were significantly lower in NV than in V. The hatchability of fertile eggs and the weights of ducklings at hatch were significantly higher in NV than in V. The embryonic T3, T4 and corticosterone levels in NV were significantly higher than those in V. Additionally, the haematological parameters (haemoglobin, packed cell volume and red blood cells) of the embryos were significantly higher in NV than in V. Furthermore, a total of 1198 ducklings for the V and NV conditions, all one day old, were individually weighed and then transferred into randomly assigned floor pens with 3 replicates for each ventilation condition. The feed conversion ratio of the ducks was significantly lower in NV than in V, while the reverse was true of body weight at different ages. Therefore, we can conclude that the NV condition with circulation of CO2 for the first 10 days of incubation is preferable to the V condition.

Magnetized drinking water improves productivity and blood parameters in geese / El agua de bebida magnetizada mejora la productividad y los parámetros sanguíneos en gansos / A água magnetizada melhora a produtividade e os parâmetros sanguíneos em gansos

Abstract Background: Quality of drinking water is an issue that imposes limits on animal farming. Improving water quality can be a solution to animal farming and to the enhancement of animal production in areas with limited water supplies. Objective: To evaluate the effect of water quality and magnetized water on productivity and blood parameters of Egyptian geese. Methods: One hundred and eight (108) Egyptian geese were randomly distributed among four water treatments in a 2×2 factorial design that included two types of water (tap water and well water) and exposure or non-exposure to magnetized tap water and magnetized well water. Results: Well water was of poor quality. Geese consuming this water exhibited lower productive and reproductive performance, lower progesterone and estrogen levels, impaired renal and liver functions and lower total antioxidant capacity. Their eggs had lower weight, lower yolk percentage and reduced shell thicknesses. The magnetic treatment improved the quality of both types of water, with a greater effect on well water. Magnetized water increased water consumption and performance of geese, along with improved renal and liver functions, reproductive hormones, and antioxidant status. Magnetized water improved growth performance, dressing percentage of goslings, and the amount of meat produced. Conclusion: Magnetized tap water improved body weight and feed conversion rate, besides renal and hepatic functions. It also increased production, quality and hatchability of eggs, and levels of reproductive hormones (i.e. progesterone and estrogen), and the antioxidant status in blood.

Resumen Antecedentes: La calidad del agua de bebida es un problema que limita la cría de animales. Mejorar la calidad del agua puede ser una solución para la cría de animales y para aumentar su producción en áreas con limitado suministro de agua Objetivo: Evaluar el efecto de la calidad del agua y del agua magnetizada sobre la productividad y los parámetros sanguíneos de gansos egipcios. Métodos: Ciento ocho gansos se distribuyeron al azar en cuatro tratamientos con un diseño factorial 2×2, que incluyó el efecto de dos tipos de agua (agua de grifo o agua de pozo) y el efecto de la magnetización de ambos tipos. Resultados: El agua de pozo presentó baja calidad. Los gansos que consumieron dicha agua exhibieron peor desempeño productivo y reproductivo, menor nivel de progesterona y estrógeno, deficiencia en las funciones renal y hepática y menor capacidad antioxidante total. Sus huevos mostraron menor peso, bajo porcentaje de yema y reducido espesor de cáscara. El tratamiento magnético mejoró la calidad de ambos tipos de agua, con mayor efecto sobre el agua de pozo. El agua magnetizada mejoró el consumo de agua y el desempeño de los gansos, lo cual contribuyó a una mejoría en las funciones renal y hepática, en las hormonas de la reproducción y en los índices antioxidantes. El agua magnetizada indujo una mejora en el crecimiento, rendimiento en canal y cantidad de carne producida. Conclusión: El agua de pozo magnetizada mejoró el peso corporal y la conversión alimenticia de las aves, además de las funciones renal y hepática; aumentó la producción, calidad y eclosión de los huevos, así como los niveles de hormonas reproductivas (i.e. progesterona y estrógeno) y el estatus antioxidante en sangre.

Resumo Antecedentes: A qualidade da agua é um problema que limita a criação de animais. Melhorar a qualidade da água pode ser uma solução para a criação extensiva de animais e para ampliar a produção animal em áreas com limitado fornecimento de água. Objetivo: Avaliar o efeito da qualidade da água e da água magnetizada sobre a produtividade e os parâmetros sanguíneos de gansos Egípcios. Métodos: Cento e oito gansos Egípcios foram distribuídos ao acaso entre quatro tratamentos de água em arranjo fatorial 2×2 incluindo dois tipos de água - água da torneira × água de poço e a exposição ou não à água de torneira magnetizada × água de poço magnetizada. Resultados: A água de poço apresentou baixa qualidade. Os gansos que receberam esta água exibiram piores desempenhos produtivo e reprodutivo, menores níveis de progesterona e estrógeno, deficiências nas funções renal e hepática, e menor capacidade antioxidante total. Seus ovos mostraram baixo peso, porcentagens menores de gema e espessura de casca reduzida. O tratamento magnético melhorou a qualidade de ambos os tipos de água, com maior efeito na água de poço. A água magnetizada melhorou o consumo de água e o desempenho dos gansos, o qual contribuiu para a melhora nas funções renal e hepática, nos hormônios da reprodução e nos índices antioxidantes. A água magnetizada induziu uma melhora no crescimento, no rendimento de carcaça e na quantidade de carne produzida. Conclusaõ: A água de poço magnetizada melhorou o peso corporal e a conversão alimentar das aves, além das funções renal e hepática, aumentou a produção, qualidade e eclodibilidade dos ovos, também os níveis de hormônios reprodutores (i.e. progesterona e estrógeno) e o status antioxidante no sangue.