Correction: da Silva et al. Increased Sulphur Amino Acids Consumption as OH-Methionine or DL-Methionine Improves Growth Performance and Carcass Traits of Growing-Finishing Pigs Fed under Hot Conditions. Animals 2022, 12, 2159.

In the original publication [...].

Hydroxy-selenomethionine enhances the productivity and egg quality of 50- to 70-week-old semi-heavy laying hens under heat stress.

Oxidative stress significantly compromises the production efficiency of laying hens. It has been reported in literature that selenium (Se) in poultry diets has a positive effect on mitigating these effects. This study has been carried out to evaluate the effects of Se supplementation in feeds, from either an inorganic or a hydroxy-selenomethionine (OH-SeMet) source, on the performance and physiological traits of 50- to 70-wk-old Dekalb Brown laying hens under heat stress, and on their egg quality after different storage durations. The treatments consisted in supplementing 0.3 ppm of Se as sodium selenite (SS; 45%-0.7g/ton) or OH-SeMet (2%-15g/ton) in twelve 16-bird replicates. Supplementation with OH-SeMet resulted in a better performance of the laying hens than with SS: -5% feed conversion ratio and +3.6% of egg mass. A reduction in egg quality was observed with prolonged egg storage, which was mitigated with the use of OH-SeMet in laying hen diets. The use of OH-SeMet increased the antioxidant capacity of the birds, which showed higher glutathione peroxidase levels in the blood, kidneys, liver, and intestinal mucosa, in addition to a higher Se content in the eggs and a greater bone resistance. Thus, supplementing feeds with 0.3 ppm of OH-SeMet to 50- to 70-wk-old semi-heavy laying hens enhances their antioxidant capacity and leads to a higher egg quality and productivity than SS supplementation.

Increased Sulphur Amino Acids Consumption as OH-Methionine or DL-Methionine Improves Growth Performance and Carcass Traits of Growing-Finishing Pigs Fed under Hot Conditions.

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of DL-Methionine (DL-Met) or OH-Methionine (OH-Met) when supplemented beyond the usually accepted requirements in sulfur amino acids (SAA) on the performance and carcass traits of growing-finishing pigs. Two hundred mixed sex pigs were distributed in a randomized block (body weight and sex), under a 2 × 2 factorial design with two methionine sources, DL-methionine, or OH-Methionine and two methionine doses (100% SAA or 120% of the SAA level present in the control). Diets were formulated to meet amino acids recommendations of the Brazilian Tables for Poultry and Swine (2017), except for SAA, which varied with the methionine doses. Daily feed intake, daily weight gain, and feed conversion were evaluated. Moreover, the carcasses were measured electronically for fat thickness (FT), longissimus dorsi muscle depth (LD), and lean meat (%). During the growing phase II (92 till 122 days of age), daily feed intake (p < 0.001) and daily weight gain (p < 0.05) increased with the high SAA levels. High SAA levels also provided greater daily weight gain during the entire period of the trial (0.90 versus 0.86 kg; p < 0.05) No significant interaction was observed between the methionine source and the SAA level for any carcass traits. However, animals that received OH-Met had greater (p < 0.05) loin depth (58.37 versus 55.21 mm) and those that received higher doses of methionine presented heavier (p < 0.05) carcass weight (78.16 versus 74.70 kg), and more (p < 0.05) lean meat weight (43.69 versus 41.90 kg). Taken together, these results demonstrated that supplementation of high sulfur amino acids levels under hot conditions provided heavier carcasses and more lean meat.

Performance and intestinal microbiota of chickens receiving probiotic in the feed and submitted to antibiotic therapy.

The purpose of this study was to verify the ability of a probiotic in the feed to maintain the stability of the gut microbiota in chickens after antibiotic therapy and its association with growth performance. One thousand six hundred twenty 1-day-old Cobb male were housed in floor pens (36 pens, 45 birds/pen) and were fed corn-/soya bean meal-based diets supplemented with or without probiotic (Bacillus subtilis) during the entire rearing phase. From 21 to 24 days of age (three consecutive days), the chickens were submitted to antibiotic therapy via drinking water (bacitracin and neomycin) in order to mimic a field treatment and induce dysbiosis. Growth performance was monitored until 42 days of age. At 2, 4 and 6 days after antibiotic therapy, three chickens from each pen were euthanized and the contents of the small intestine and caeca were collected and pooled. The trial was conducted with four treatments and nine replicates in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement for performance characteristics (with and without probiotic × with and without antibiotic therapy); for the intestinal microbiota, it was in a 2 × 2 × 3 factorial arrangement (with and without probiotic × with and without antibiotic therapy × 2, 4 and 6 days after the antibiotic therapy) with three replicates per treatment. Terminal restriction length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis showed that the structure of gut bacterial community was shaped by the intestinal segment and by the time after the antibiotic therapy. The number of 16S rDNAs copies in caecum contents decreased with time after the therapeutic treatment. The antibiotic therapy and dietary probiotic supplementation decreased richness and diversity indexes in the caecal contents. The improved performance observed in birds supplemented with probiotic may be related to changes promoted by the feed additive in the structure of the intestinal bacterial communities and phylogenetic groups. Antibiotic therapy modified the bacterial structure, but did not cause loss of broiler performance.

Rendimento e composição de carcaça de frangos de corte alimentados com dietas contendo sorgo grão inteiro / Performance and carcass composition of broiler chickens fed diets containing whole grain sorghum

Avaliou-se o efeito do sorgo inteiro em comparação ao milho sobre o rendimento de carcaça, rendimento de cortes comerciais e a composição química da carcaça de frangos machos e fêmeas aos 42 dias de idade. Foram utilizados 960 frangos da linhagem Hubbard Flex. O experimento foi conduzido num delineamento inteiramente casualizado com esquema fatorial 3 x 2, sendo 3 rações - milho grão moído (Mm), sorgo grão inteiro (Si) e sorgo grão moído (Sm) - e 2 sexos. No 42o dia 12 frangos de cada tratamento, metade de cada sexo, foram abatidos e determinados o rendimento e a composição de carcaça. Não houve interação entre os fatores estudados. As fêmeas apresentaram maior percentagem de vísceras, rendimento de asa e peito e carcaças mais calóricas. Os machos apresentaram melhor peso vivo e peso de carcaça. O sorgo, independente da forma física, melhorou parâmetros da carcaça sem interferir na sua composição química e no rendimento de cortes. Conclui-se que o sorgo inteiro pode substituir o milho sem prejudicar o rendimento de cortes comerciais bem como as características bromatológicas da carcaça.

Was evaluated the effect of whole sorghum compared to corn on carcass yield, commercial cuts and chemical carcass composition of male and female chickens at 42 days of age. Were used 960 Hubbard Flex broilers. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 3 x 2 factorial design, with 3 rations - ground corn grain (Mm), grain sorghum (Si) and ground sorghum grain (Sm) ­ and 2 sexes. In the 42nd day 12 chickens from each treatment, half of each sex, were slaughtered and determined the performance and carcass composition. There was no interaction between the factors studied. Females had a higher viscera percentage, wing and breast yield and more caloric carcasses. Males showed higher liveweight and carcass weight. Sorghum, regardless of physical form, improved carcass characteristics without interfering in their chemical composition and cuts yield. It was conclude that the whole sorghum can replace corn without harming the commercial cuts as well as the bromatologic characteristics of the carcass.

Desenvolvimento biométrico e desempenho de frangos de corte submetidos a diferentes períodos de jejum pós-eclosão / Biometric development and performance of broilers submitted to different periods of post-hatching fasting

Foram avaliados os efeitos do tempo de jejum pós-eclosao sobre a biometria dos orgãos do trato digestório e o desempenho zootecnico de frangos de corte. Foram utilizadas 640 aves.sexadas, distribuidas em delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado com quatro períodos de jejum pós-eclosão (0, 12, 24, 36 horas) e quatro repetições de 40 aves cada (20 fêmeas e 20 machos). A avaliação do peso vivo e da biometria dos órgãos no alojamento das aves revelou perda de peso relativo do saco vitelino e a redução no paso vivo nesta fase foi tanto maior quanto maior o tempo decorrido entre nascimento e alokamento. O jejum influenciou o peso relativo de todos os órgãos do trato digestório exceto para esôfago + papo que permaneceram inalterados. Com o aumento do tempo de jejum houve aumento do peso relativo de proventriculo + moela, intestino delgado + pancreas, intestino grosso e fígado + visícula biliar. O peso vivo aos 7 e 21 dias de idade foi maior nas aves que permaneceram em restrição de 24 a 36 horas de jejum, Todavia, as demais variáveis de desempenho não foram influenciadas pelo jejum. Portanto, o uso de até 36 horas de jejum p´´os-eclusão afetou o desenvolvimento biométrico do trato digestório, no entento, o desempenho zootecnico dos frangos de corte aos 42 dias de idade não foi influenciado pelas restrição alimentar.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of fasting time on biometrics organ digestive tract and performance of broilers. A total of 640 sexed birds were, distributed according to a completely randomized design with four periods of fasting after hatching (0, 12, 24 and 36 hours) and four replicates of 40 birds each (20 females and 20 males). The evaluation of body weight and biometrics of the organs during the housing of the birds showed that there was loss of relative weight of the yolk sac and reduction in weight as they increased the time between birth and accommodation. Fasting influenced the relative weight of all of the digestive tract, except for esophagus + craw that remained unchanged. With the increasing fasting time there was an increase in relative weight of the proventriculus + gizzard, small intestine + pancreas, large intestine, liver + gallbladder. The live weight at 7 and 21 days of age was higher in birds that remained in restriction of 24 and 36 hours of fasting. However, the other performance variables were not affected by fasting compared with birds with no fasting. Therefore, the use of up to 36 hours post-hatching fasting affects the development biometric digestive tract, however the production performance of broiler at 42 days of age is not affected by food restriction.