Effects of dietary butylated hydroxyanisole and cysteine on toxicity of Lathyrus odoratus to broiler and Japanese quail chicks.

The effect of .75% dietary butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and 1% cysteine on the toxicity of Lathyrus odoratus seed to Japanese quail and broiler chicks was examined. In both species, the feeding of Lathyrus seed as a component of a complete diet depressed (P less than .05) body weight gain and feed intake. Typical signs of lathyrism, including ruffled feathers, enlarged hocks, curled toes, ataxia, leg paralysis, and mortality, were observed. Neither BHA nor cysteine exerted protective effects against the lathyrogenic effects. As assessed by mortality, these additives appeared instead to potentiate Lathyrus toxicity.

A cage-related foot pad dermatitis in dwarf and normal-sized single comb white Leghorn layers.

Studies were conducted to determine if wire cage floors were involved in producing a foot pad dermatitis in dwarf and normal-sized Single Comb White Leghorn layers. Dermatitis scores were found to be higher for dwarf birds reared in cages versus litter floors. The use of plastic-coated cage floor inserts and wooden perches reduced the incidence of dermatitis in caged dwarf birds. Normal-sized layers consistently exhibited a lower incidence of dermatitis than did dwarf hens.

Effect of several dermatitis preventing agents on foot pad dermatitis in dwarf and normal sized single comb white Leghorn layers.

Studies were conducted to determine the effects of increased dietary levels of vitamin and trace mineral mixtures, methionine, meat and bone meal, fish meal, and safflower oil on foot pad dermatitis in dwarf and normal size Single Comb White Leghorn layers. All layers were maintained in individual wire cages throughout a 40-week experiment period. Individual birds were scored for the incidence of foot pad dermatitis and production parameters were recorded. No significant decrease in the incidence of dermatitis was observed from the following dietary supplements: a 50% increase in a vitamin or a complete trace mineral mixture; a 50% increase in an iron, copper, iodine, and cobalt or a manganese and zinc mixture; .05% methionine; 5% meat and bone meal; 3% herring fish meal; or 2% safflower oil. It was concluded that these mixtures or supplements containing such dermatitis preventative agents as pantothenic acid, zinc, and linoleic acid appeared without effect in minimizing expression of the condition in dwarfs.

Effect of biotin on dermatitis and hatchability in dwarf and normal size single comb white leghorn layers.

Dwarf Single Comb White Leghorn layers were observed to exhibit a marked incidence of cracked skin (dermatitis) on their foot pads and toes when compared to normal size layers, even though both types of layers were on similar rations except that the dwarfs received more methionine. An experiment was conducted to determine the influence of biotin supplementation on dermatitis and hatchability in both types of layers fed rations similar to those fed when the presumed deficiency symptoms were observed. Biotin supplementation did not affect the incidence of dermatitis in either the normals or the dwarfs. Hatchability was satisfactory in both types of layers, and it was significantly higher in the dwarfs, which is contrary to what would be expected if they had suffered from a biotin deficiency.

An observation of dermatitis in caged dwarf and normal-sized Single Comb White Leghorn laying hens.

Dermatitis was observed on the feet of Single Comb White Leghorn hens. Dermatitis scores and score ranges showed lesions to be predominately on the feet of dwarf compared with normal-sized hens. Statistical analysis by log-linear models showed that the percent incidence was closely related to the strains of hen tested and, to a lesser extent, to the type of ration fed the birds.

Anticoccidial drugs and duckling performance to four weeks of age.

Frequently, publications pertaining to waterfowl state that medicated feeds should not be fed to ducklings and goslings. In some localities, producers and hobbyists who raise a small number of ducklings and goslings can purchase only medicated chick, turkey, or gamebird starter and grower feeds. Because of the lack of documented information on this subject and the numerous requests for advice on this matter, anticoccidial drugs, zoalene, sulfaquinoxaline, and amprolium, were mixed in mash feed and fed to Khaki Campbell male ducklings to 4 weeks of age. No significant differences in mean body weight, mortality, and anatomical development were observed among the treatments. Medicated commercial crumble turkey and chick starter feeds produced significantly better feed conversion than the mash medicated or nonmedicated feeds. These differences can be attributed to greater feed spillage with the mash feed. Some ducklings in all treatments showed unsteadiness of gait and shaky legs. These conditions disappeared when the ducklings were moved from the battery brooder to an outside pen. Zoalene, sulfaquinoxaline, and amprolium used at the recommended levels for chickens and turkeys did not cause any leg or anatomical problems in ducklings.

Effect of low salt, sodium, and chloride levels in poult rations on growth, bone development, and related factors.

Two 4-week trials were conducted to determine the role of sodium chloride (salt) on field rickets in poults. A comparison of added dietary salt at 0, .075, .10, .25, and .45% to a corn-soy basal with .103% salt showed significant differences (P less than .05) in body weight gains, blood calcium, magnesium and sodium, feed conversion, and adrenal gland weights among the treatments. Mortality and abnormal bone scores decreased with increasing salt. When sodium was added to the basal diet as a single element for the poults at either 0, .09, .10, .11, and .12%, or chloride at 0, .009, .01, .02, and .03% in comparison to a control group with .20% sodium and .30% chloride, significant differences were found in weekly gain, bone ash, bone breaking strength, tibia weight/body weight, and serum alkaline phosphatase levels between the sodium, chloride, and the combined element groups. Bone abnormality scores decreased with increasing levels of both sodium and chloride in diets.

Distribution of inorganic elements of poultry house dust.

Distribution of inorganic elements was measured in poultry house dust from five types of poultry houses during either winter, spring, or summer. With varied environmental conditions at the time of sampling, the levels of calcium, sodium, iron, zinc, magnesium, and aluminum were higher than the other elements found in dust samples from the five types of poultry houses. The most abundant element in poultry house dust was calcium. The level of this element samples from the mechanically ventilated house used for research purposes corresponded closely to the level found in the feed fed at sampling time. High zinc levels in layer houses may be attributed to either the abrasive actions of feathers and feet of layers against the galvanized wire cages on the high zinc content in feathers. The ash content of dust from the five types of poultry houses ranged from .31 to 3.54%. Air particulate counts for particles ranging in size from .5 to 10 micro meter were much higher in the layer house used for commercial purposes (ranged from 34.9 to 66.3 X 10(6) /m3) than in the layer houses used for research purposes (ranged from 5.8 to 9.8 X 10(6)/m3) than the level during summer (66.3 X 10(6)/m3). The commercial broiler house was dustier than the commercial layer house during the summer.

True metabolizable energy values of corn and different varieties of wheat and barley using normal and dwarf single comb White Leghorn Roosters.

An experiment with four trials was conducted to measure the true metabolizable energy value of corn and different varieties of wheat and barley using normal and dwarf Single Comb White Leghorn (SCWL) roosters. Maxigene, Purple, Red, and Yamhill wheats and corn were assayed for TME using normal sized and dwarf roosters in Trials 1 and 2, respectively. Hannchen, No. 2 Western, Lady Godiva, and Hiproly barleys were assayed using normal sized and dwarf SCWL roosters in Trials 3 and 4, respectively. The pooled results indicated that normal sized roosters gave (P less than .01) significantly higher TME values than dwarf roosters. There was no significant difference in TME found between wheat and barley cultivars, although both types of grain were significantly (P less than .01) lower in TME than the value found for corn. Average dry matter TME values for corn, wheat, and barley were 4.17, 3.70, and 3.54, respectively. A bird x grain interaction was found to be significant (P less than .05).

An application of response surface methodology to research in poultry nutrition.

Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is an experimental procedure for exploring and examining the nature of responses obtained from the simultaneous variation of quantitative factors. The method has been used only to a limited extent in poultry research. Statistical procedures were discussed for fitting a response surface to experimental data. An outline was made of the mathematical process for finding the stationary point, yield at the stationary point and nature of the response surface. A poultry example was given which involved the investigation of the protein and energy requirements of Japanese quail. The advantage of RSM was shown when it was determined by RSM procedures that the optimum response for body weight was out of the exploratory region covered in the first trial. A second trial was then conducted based on the levels of protein and energy predicted to give an optimum body weight. Optimum responses were shown for both body weight and feed conversion. Examination of the responses by three dimensional figures and computer plotting of contours was shown. The RSM procedure appears to offer an efficient method for examining the requirements and relationships of nutrients for poultry.

Accumulation and depletion of zinc in chick tissue metallothioneins.

Two experiments were conducted with Hubbard broiler chicks on the metabolism of high levels of dietary zinc. In the first experiment, chicks were fed a basal diet or the basal diet plus 500, 1,000, 2,000 or 4,000 ppm zinc, and in the second experiment chicks were fed the basal diet or the basal diet plus 1,000, 2,000, 4,000, 8,000 or 16,000 ppm zinc, using zinc acetate. Zinc was found to be associated with 4 peaks when the cytosols from tissues (liver, kidney, pancreas and intestinal mucosa) were eluted through columns of G-75 Sephadex. Although the zinc content of all four peaks increased with increased zinc content of the diet, the greatest elevation occurred in metallothionein (MT). This protein was purified from all four tissues (liver, kidney, pancreas and intestinal mucosa) and the amino acid analysis revealed the presence of about 30% cysteine. Zinc accumulated to the greatest extent (microgram in MT/g tissue) in MT of the pancreas. The zinc in MT disappeared very rapidly when chicks which had been fed a diet containing high levels of zinc were fed a low zinc diet, indicating the extreme lability of this metal in this protein. The results suggest the involvement of MT in zinc homeostasis.

Effect of chlorinated hydrocarbons on reproductive performance of adult White Leghorn male chickens.

Two experiments of 20 and 40 weeks duration were conducted to determine the effects of feeding dieldrin or PCB (Aroclor 1254) on the reproductive performance of adult White Leghorn males. Dieldrin at the levels used (0, 25, and 50 ppm) produced no significant changes in semen volume, semen concentration, fertility, and hatchability of fertile eggs. Mortality increased with increased levels of dieldrin and appeared related to duration of exposure to the pesticide. A significant reduction (P less than .05) in feed consumption was observed at the 25 ppm level. No significant differences in body weights were observed except shortly before death when marked reductions in both feed consumption and body weight were noted. PCB at the levels used (0, 10, 20, and 40 ppm) produced no differences in fertiluty, hatchability of fertile eggs, body weights, feed consumption, or mortality. However, over a period of 40 weeks, PCB significantly (P less than .05) reduced semen volume, semen concentrations, and testes weights,

Effect of DDE, DDT and calcium on the performance of adult Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica).

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of DDE, DDT and calcium on performance of quail. The quail received diets containing 0 or 100 p.p.m. of DDE for eight 28-day periods in Exp. 1 and 0, 100 or 300 p.p.m. of DDE or 100 p.p.m of DDT for six periods in Exp. 2. Diets containing either 0.5 or 3% calcium were used with each pesticide level. No differences in egg shell thickness, cracked eggs, egg production, feed consumption, egg weights, female body weights, fertility or hatchability were obtained from DDE or DDT up to 100 p.p.m. Three hundred p.p.m. of DDE did result in a decrease in female body weights and in fertility on the low calcium diet. Egg shell thickness, cracked eggs, egg production and hatchability were affected by the lower calcium level. Male body weights were adversely affected from 100 p.p.m. or more of DDE. Mortality increased as the level of DDE increased for females, while no effect was observed with DDT. Males appeared more sensitive to 100 p.p.m. of DDE in Exp. 1 and 300 p.p.m of DDE and 100 p.p.m. of DDT in Exp. 2. Livability and growth of chicks from hens receiving rations containing DDE AND DDT were unaffected by maternal treatment. In summary, DDE and DDT were without effect on egg shell quality or most other reproductive factors, but DDE at 300 p.p.m. did exert a detrimental effect on adult body weights, fertility and mortality.

Effect of toxaphene on the performance of White Leghorn layers and their progeny.

An experiment involving 48 white leghorn layers fed 0, 10 and 100 p.p.m. of toxaphene has been conducted. Except for a slight decrease in egg production, no adverse effects on various performance parameters including fertility, hatchability and survival of progeny were observed. A significant increase (P less than .05) in average 7-day weights of progeny was noted.

Effect of dieldrin and calcium on the performance of adult Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica).

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of dieldrin and calcium on reproductive performance of quail. At 25% egg production the quail received diets containing 0,10 or 25 p.p.m. of dieldrin for 6, 28-day periods in experiment 1 and 0, 5, or 25 p.p.m. of dieldrin for 4, 28-day periods in experiment 2. Pesticide treatments were employed with diets containing 0.5% and 3.0% calcium. The results show that egg shell thickness, cracked eggs, egg production, feed consumption, egg weights, fertility, hatchability and body weights were not affected by dieldrin treatments. However, egg shell thickness, cracked eggs, egg production and hatchability were adversely affected by the lower calcium level. Female body weights were consistently heavier for the low calcium diet. Mortality increased in the presence of 10 and especially 25 p.p.m. of dieldrin. Livability of chicks from hens receiving rations with 10 and 25 p.p.m. of dieldrin was significantly lower than those fed no dieldrin. In summary, dieldrin was without effect on egg shell quality or other reproductive factors but did exert a detrimental effect on adult mortality and livability of progeny.