A conventional hatchery vs "on-farm" hatching of broiler chickens in terms of microbiological and microclimatic conditions.

"On-farm hatching" is one of the proposed alternatives to conventional hatchery-hatching. This solution reduces distress and improves the welfare of the chicks around the hatching period. Therefore, it seemed interesting to compare conventional hatchery and "on-farm" hatching in terms of microbiological and microclimatic conditions. Hatching eggs (Ross 308) were incubated in a commercial hatchery. The control group (HH, 683 eggs) hatched in a conventional hatcher, while the other eggs were transported into the experimental chicken-hall for on-farm hatching, and set in pens directly on litter (OL, 667 eggs) or plastic trays (OT, 678 eggs). One-day-old chicks were also placed in the experimental hall. Microclimatic parameters were controlled every 12 h. The microbiological status of the surface of the eggshells and the litter was assessed based on the total number of aerobic mesophilic microorganisms and also the selected individual genus/species of bacteria. The hatchability of HH was 96.4% in comparison to 93.9% and 95.8% for OL and OT, respectively (P > 0.05). On the other hand, 2.1% of the HH chicks were found injured/dead, while only 0.2-0.3% of the on-farm groups were. The total number of aerobic mesophilic microflora on the surface of as-hatched shells was 4.93 ± 0.629 log CFU/g in HH, while only 1.14 ± 0.995 and 1.93 ± 1.709 log CFU/g in OL and OT, respectively (P < 0.001). Similarly, the total count of bacteria in the litter in the on-farm hatched pens was 1.9-fold lower than in pens set with HH chicks (P < 0.001). In summary, on-farm hatching results in hatchability that is no worse than in a conventional hatcher, while the microbiological status of as-hatched eggshells and litter is significantly better. Therefore, on-farm hatching seems to provide appropriate environmental conditions for newly hatched chicks and poses no epizootic risk.

[The dynamics of drug release from suppositories. Part 2: Phenylpyrazolone derivatives in animal experimentation (author's transl)]. / Dynamik der Arzneimittelabgabe aus Suppositorien. 2. Mitteilung: Penylpyrazolonderivate im Tierversuch.

The authors studied the in vivo absorption of aminophenazone and aminoantipyrine from suppositories produced by means of, respectively, hydrophilic vehicles (PEG 1000, PEG 1500, PEG 2800, PEG 4000, PEG 5000) and lipophil vehicles (Witepsol H 15 and cocoa butter). It was found that the above-mentioned drugs were absorbed more rapidly from the suppositories with a hydrophilic vehicle than from those with a lipophil vehicle. The absorption time decreased with the increase in molecular mass of the polyethylene glycols used. The absorption times of the two drugs from suppositories with cocoa butter and Witepsol H 15 were relatively short. A correlation has been established between in vitro release and in vivo absorption.