Dietary incorporation of brown seaweed spent oyster mushroom substrate alters growth performance, physiological responses and meat quality parameters in Boschveld roosters.

Use of brown seaweed (Ecklonia maxima) as a nutraceutical source in indigenous chicken diets is limited by high dietary fibre levels. Inoculating seaweeds with oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) spawn (OMS) could enhance the utility of the spent mushroom substrate (SMS). This study investigated the effect of feeding incremental levels of brown seaweed SMS on growth performance, physiological responses, and meat quality parameters in Boschveld roosters. A total of 324, 4-week-old Boschveld roosters were weighed and randomly allotted to 36 pens (9 birds per pen) to produce six replicates per dietary treatment. The diets were formulated as follows: a standard grower diet (CON); and CON containing 150 g/kg of brown seaweed inoculated with OMS at 0 (SMS0), 20 (SMS20), 30 (SMS30), 40 (SMS40) and 50% (SMS50). Birds fed diet CON had the least feed intake (p < 0.05) than all the other SMS treatment levels in weeks 7, 8, 12, 14 and 15. Diet SMS40 promoted higher (p < 0.05) body weight gain (BWG) than CON in weeks 6, 7, 9 and 14. Gain-to-feed ratio linearly increased in weeks 7 [R2 = 0.288; p = 0.010], 11 [R2 = 0.581, p = 0.0001] and 14 [R2 = 0.389, p = 0.004], respectively. Quadratic responses (p < 0.05) were observed for BWG in week 5, white blood cells, heterophils, platelets, lymphocytes, monocytes, and relative spleen and large intestine weights as OMS levels increased. Linear increases were recorded for slaughter [R2 = 0.197, p = 0.017] and breast weights [R2 = 0.197, p = 0.020] as OMS levels increased. Diet SMS0 promoted higher (p < 0.05) relative caeca weights than the CON and SMS treatment groups. Neither quadratic nor linear responses (p > 0.05) were observed for breast meat quality parameters. In conclusion, feeding brown seaweed SMS improved growth performance and slaughter weight, altered some blood parameters and internal organs, without affecting breast meat quality of Boschveld roosters. Based on the quadratic response for BWG, the optimum OMS level was deduced at 20% in a brown seaweed-based Boschveld rooster diet.

Effect of dietary olive (Olea europea) pomace on productive performance, and physiological and meat quality parameters in Jumbo quail.

High levels of dietary fiber could restrict the inclusion of olive (Olea europea L.) pomace (OP) as a source of energy and bioactive compounds in Jumbo quail (Coturnix sp.) diets. In this study, the optimum inclusion level of dietary OP on growth and carcass performance, serum biochemistry, and meat quality parameters in Jumbo quail was investigated. One-week-old Jumbo quail (350; 28.9 ± 1.29 g live-weight) were reared on a standard mash grower diet with 0 (OP0), 100 (OP10), 150 (OP15), 200 (OP20), and 250 g/kg (OP25) OP for five weeks. The experimental diets were randomly allocated to 35 pens (experimental units) with seven replicates each. Overall body weight gain in Jumbo quail fed with diets OP20 and OP25 was lower (p < 0.001) than those fed diets OP0 and OP10. Including dietary OP had no effect on the overall gain-to-feed ratio, serum biochemistry, and internal organs but linearly reduced carcass yields. Diet OP25 promoted a higher (p < 0.022) meat hue angle value than the other diets. The inclusion of OP beyond 150 g/kg compromised growth and carcass performance, and altered some meat color attributes, but had no influence on serum biochemistry, and internal organs of the Jumbo quail.

A multi-strain probiotic administered via drinking water enhances feed conversion efficiency and meat quality traits in indigenous chickens.

Whereas the use of probiotics is commonplace in commercial production of improved chicken strains, little is known about the impact of these live microbial feed additives in indigenous chickens in South Africa. This study investigated the effect of a multi-strain probiotic (containing Bacillus safensis, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus megaterium and Cupriavidus metallidurans, total bacteria number was 1.4 × 108 cfu/mL), administered via drinking water, on growth performance, blood parameters, and carcass and meat quality characteristics of Potchefstroom koekoek cockerels for a period of 12 weeks. A total of 140 five-week-old cockerels were randomly allocated to 4 experimental diets formulated to have similar energy and protein levels as follows: 1) negative control diet (CON; commercial chicken grower diet without both antibiotics and probiotics), 2) positive control diet (ANTIB; commercial chicken grower diet with antibiotics [0.05% Coxistac and 0.04% olaquindox] but no probiotics), 3) negative control diet plus 2.5 mL of probiotics per litre of water (PROB25) and 4) negative control with 5.0 mL of probiotics per litre of water (PROB50). There was a significant (P < 0.05) week and diet interaction effect on average weekly feed conversion efficiency. At 9 weeks of age, cockerels in PROB50 group had higher (P < 0.05) feed conversion efficiency than those in CON and ANTIB groups. However, 14-week-old cockerels in PROB50 group had lower (P < 0.05) feed conversion efficiency than those in ANTIB group. Treatments had no significant (P > 0.05) effect on overall feed intake, overall weight gain and haemato-biochemical parameters of cockerels. Gizzard and spleen weights were similar (P > 0.05) in PROB50, CON and PROB25 groups. Cockerels in PROB50 group had shorter (P < 0.05) small intestine than those in CON and PROB25 groups. Cockerels in PROB50 group had larger (P < 0.05) breast weight than those in PROB25 group. Cockerels in ANTIB and PROB50 groups had greater (P < 0.05) wing and thigh weights than those in CON and PROB25 groups. Shank weight was similar (P > 0.05) in PROB50, CON and ANTIB groups. Meat pH measured after 24 h of slaughter was the highest (P < 0.05) in CON and ANTIB groups followed by PROBO25 and PROB50 groups. Cockerels in CON group had lower (P < 0.05) cooking losses than those in ANTIB, PROB25 and PROB50 groups. It was concluded that probiotics can be used in place of prophylactic antibiotics in Potchefstroom koekoek cockerels.

Growth performance, haematology, serum biochemistry and meat quality characteristics of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) fed canola meal-based diets.

The present study investigated the effect of partial replacement of soybean meal (Glycine max) with canola meal (CM) (Brassica napus) on the growth performance, haematology, serum biochemistry and meat quality characteristics of female Japanese quails in a 35-day feeding trial. One hundred and forty 6-week-old quails 158.28 ± 11.919 g were randomly allocated to 5 isonitrogenous and isoenergetic experimental diets: control diet (CM0; with no CM inclusion); CM0 with 2.5% (CM25), 5.0% (CM50), 12.5% (CM125) and 17.5% (CM175) soybean meal replaced with CM. Average weekly gain (AWG) and feed conversion efficiency (FCE) were determined. Haematology, serum biochemistry, carcass traits and meat quality parameters were determined at slaughter. Quails fed CM175 had the lowest (P < 0.05) feed intake whereas no differences were observed among the other 4 diets. No dietary effects on AWG, FCE and haematological parameters were observed. Serum biochemical parameters were not influenced by diets with the exception of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), where quails fed CM25 had higher ALP (161.0 U/L) than those fed CM0 (37.25 U/L). Quails fed CM25 had the highest chroma (7.39) while those fed CM125 had the lowest (3.58) at 24 h post-slaughter. Diets had no influence (P > 0.05) on cooking losses and peak positive force of quail meat. It was concluded that CM can replace soybean in quail diets up to 12.5% without compromising growth performance, health and quality of meat. Inclusion levels beyond 12.5% promoted poor voluntary feed intake and thus may require feed additives to enhance utilization.