Serum biochemical profile, enzymatic activity and lipid peroxidation in organs of laying hens fed diets containing cashew nut shell liquid.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of feeding laying hens diets containing cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) as a source of anacardic acid on the blood biochemical parameters as well as the enzymatic activity and lipid peroxidation of liver and tissues of the reproductive system (ovary, magnum, and uterus). A total of 216 Hisex White commercial laying hens were distributed randomly into six treatments, with six replicates of six birds. Treatments consisted of a diet without growth promoter (GP); a diet with GP; and diets without GP, with addition of increasing levels of CNSL (0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0%). Addition of CNSL to the diet did not affect the blood biochemical parameters (uric acid, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total cholesterol, high density lipoproteins, low-density lipoproteins and triglycerides), the enzymatic activity (superoxide dismutase and nonprotein sulphydryl groups) in the organs (liver, ovary, magnum and uterus) or the peroxidation of lipids from the blood serum, liver, magnum and uterus (p > 0.05). However, the addition of 0.75% and 1.00% CNSL provided a lower thiobarbituric acid reactive substances content in the birds' ovary (p < 0.001) compared to birds of other treatments, whereas the treatment without the GP provided a higher value. Addition of up to 1% of the CNSL as a source of anacardic acid in the laying hens' diets does not influence blood biochemical parameters or the endogenous enzymatic activity in the liver, ovary, magnum and uterus, but affects the lipid peroxidation in the ovary, although the problem is reduced from the inclusion of 0.75% CNSL.

Lighting programs for male and female meat quails (Coturnix coturnix) raised in equatorial region.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of lighting programs for male and female meat quails raised in an equatorial region on performance and carcass traits. A total of 1,500 sexed quails (Coturnix coturnix) was distributed in a completely randomized design in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement, with 2 sexes (male and female) and 3 lighting programs (natural, intermittent, and continuous) with 5 replicates of 50 birds. The lighting programs were applied in the period from 7 to 49 d of age, being natural (12 h and 30 min of natural light and 11 h and 30 min of dark), intermittent (12 h and 30 min of natural light and 5 h and 30 min of artificial light, alternating lighting periods with one h and 06 min and periods of darkness with one h and 12 min), and continuous (23 h of natural + artificial light and one h of dark). Regardless of lighting program, female quails were heavier than males, and birds subjected to natural light weighed less than those exposed to continuous and intermittent lighting programs. Quails exposed to intermittent and continuous light presented higher weight gain and feed intake, and worse feed conversion ratio compared to birds under a natural light regimen. It is concluded that in an equatorial region, it is possible to use a lighting program with only natural light for raising male and female meat quails from 7 to 49 d of age.

Torta de mamona não destoxificada na indução da muda forçada em poedeiras comerciais / Non-detoxified castor bean for molt induction in laying hens

Avaliou-se o uso de dietas com diferentes porcentagens de torta de mamona não destoxificada (TM) na indução da muda forçada, sendo utilizadas 120 poedeiras Lohman LSL de 81 semanas, distribuídas ao acaso em quatro tratamentos, com cinco repetições de seis aves. Um dos tratamentos consistiu na indução da muda pelo método do jejum por 11 dias, e os demais no uso de dietas de muda, compostas pela mistura de dieta de postura e TM nas quantidades de 20, 30 e 40 por cento, por até 21 dias ou até quando as aves atingissem 23 por cento de perda do peso. Diferenças significativas foram observadas nos eritrócitos, no hematócrito, na concentração média de hemoglobina globular, na proteína total do plasma, nos leucócitos e na alanina aminotransferase, medidos durante a indução da muda, bem como no desempenho das aves após a muda, no que diz respeito ao consumo de ração, à porcentagem de postura, ao peso do ovo, à massa do ovo e à conversão alimentar. A qualidade dos ovos não variou estatisticamente entre os métodos avaliados. A utilização da dieta de muda forçada contendo 40 por cento de TM promoveu resultados semelhantes aos obtidos com o método do jejum, tanto para consumo de ração, porcentagem de postura, peso do ovo, massa do ovo, e conversão alimentar, como inerentes à qualidade dos ovos, quanto para densidade específica, unidade Haugh, porcentagens de gema, casca e albúmen. No entanto, menores alterações nos valores de eritrócitos, hematócrito e alanina aminotransferase foram observadas nesse método supracitado. O uso da dieta de muda contendo 40 por cento de TM mostrou-se uma alternativa viável ao uso do método do jejum...

We evaluated diets with different percentages of non-detoxified castor bean (TM) in the induction of molt, with 120 Lohman LSL hens at 81 weeks of age being used, randomly allotted to four treatments with five replicates of six birds each. One of the treatments consisted in the induction of changes by the method of fasting for 11 days, and the others used diet switches, composed by mixing posture and TM diet in the amounts of 20, 30 and 40 percent for up to 21 days or until when the birds reach 23 percent weight loss. Significant differences were observed in erythrocytes, hematocrit, mean concentration of corpuscular hemoglobin, total protein in plasma, leukocytes and alanine aminotransferase measured during induction of changes, and the performance of birds after moulting, such as feed intake, percentage of laying, egg weight, egg mass and feed conversion. The quality of the eggs did not vary significantly among the methods evaluated. The use of forced molting diet containing 40 percent of TM promoted results similar to those obtained with the method of fasting, both feed intake and the percentage of egg, egg weight, egg mass, and feed conversion, as inherent quality of eggs, as the specific gravity, Haugh unit, yolk percentage, albumen and shell. However, minor changes in the values of erythrocytes, hematocrit and alanine aminotransferase were observed in the method above. The use of diets containing 40 percent change TM proved to be a viable alternative to the use of the fasting method...

Prediction of the energy values of feedstuffs for broilers using meta-analysis and neural networks.

Several researchers have developed prediction equations to estimate the metabolisable energy (ME) of energetic and protein concentrate feedstuffs used in diets for broilers. The ME is estimated by considering CP, ether extract, ash and fibre contents. However, the results obtained using traditional regression analysis methods have been inconsistent and new techniques can be used to obtain better estimate of the feedstuffs' energy value. The objective of this paper was to implement a multilayer perceptron network to estimate the nitrogen-corrected metabolisable energy (AMEn) values of the energetic and protein concentrate feeds, generally used by the poultry feed industry. The concentrate feeds were from plant origin. The dataset contains 568 experimental results, all from Brazil. This dataset was separated into two parts: one part with 454 data, which was used to train, and the other one with 114 data, which was used to evaluate the accuracy of each implemented network. The accuracy of the models was evaluated on the basis of their values of mean squared error, R 2, mean absolute deviation, mean absolute percentage error and bias. The 7-5-3-1 model presented the highest accuracy of prediction. It was developed an Excel® AMEn calculator by using the best model, which provides a rapid and efficient way to predict the AMEn values of concentrate feedstuffs for broilers.

Equações de predição para estimar valores da energia metabolizável de alimentos concentrados energéticos para aves utilizando meta-análise / Prediction equations to estimate metabolizable energy values of energetic concentrate feedstuffs for poultry by the meta-analysis process

Obtiveram-se equações de predição dos valores de energia metabolizável aparente corrigida (EMAn) para alimentos energéticos mais utilizados nas dietas de frangos de corte por meio do princípio da meta-análise. Foi realizada uma revisão bibliográfica de estudos realizados no Brasil para catalogar informações sobre valores de EMAn e composição química dos alimentos (PB; EE; MM; FB, FDN e FDA). Também foram considerados os efeitos de sexo, macho, fêmea e mistos de idade (primeira e segunda semanas, terceira e quarta semanas, quinta e sexta semanas e acima de seis semanas ou indefinido), e da metodologia empregada no metabolismo (coleta total de excretas ou alimentação forçada + coleta total de excretas), formando um esquema fatorial (3x4x2). Adotou-se o procedimento de Stepwise para estudar a associação entre as variáveis, incluindo-as na equação em função de suas importâncias, e o Proc Reg do SAS para ajustar o modelo de regressão linear múltipla. As melhores equações para estimar a EMAn dos alimentos foram EMAn = 4371,18 - 26,48PB + 30,65EE - 126,93MM - 52,26FB - 25,14FDN + 24,40FDA (R²=0,81) e EMAn = 4205,23 + 30,58EE - 130,35MM - 58,29FB - 28,31FDN + 16,71FDA (R²=0,81). As variáveis FDN e FDA foram importantes nas equações ao influenciarem os valores energéticos dos alimentos.

Prediction equations were obtained for the apparent metabolizable energy (EMAn) values of energetic feedstuffs used in broiler chicken diets by meta-analysis. A bibliographical review of the studies carried out in Brazil was performed to collect information concerning energy values and chemical composition (CP, EE, MM, CF, NDF, and ADF) of feedstuffs. The effects of gender (male, female and mixed), age (1st and 2nd week, 3rd and 4th week, 5th and 6th week, and older 6th weeks or indefinite), and the metabolism assay methodology (excrete total collection or forced fed + excrete total collection) were also considered, constituting a factorial scheme (3x4x2). The stepwise procedure was used to study the association among equation variables by their importance, and Proc Reg (SAS) was used to fit the multiple linear regression model. The equations which best estimated the EAMn of the energetic feedstuffs were AME = 4,371.18 - 26.48CP + 30.65EE - 126.93MM - 52.26CF - 25.14NDF + 24.40FDA (R²=0.81) and AME = 4,205.23 + 30.58EE - 130.35MM - 58.29CF - 28.31NDF + 16.71NDA (R²=0.81). NDF and ADF variables were important in the equations, influencing the feedstuffs energetic values.