Effects of bee pollen inclusion on performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens.

This study was conducted to determine the effect of bee pollen (BP) inclusion on performance and carcass characteristics in broiler chickens. A total of 240 Ross 308 broiler chicks were allocated to 4 treatments (BP inclusion levels of 0, 4, 8, or 12 g/kg DM feed) in a randomized complete block design with sex as a block having 3 replicates with 10 chickens per replicate. After 21 d, the chickens remained in their treatment groups and fed standard grower diet. The results of the current study revealed that BP inclusion had positively improved (P < 0.05) average weekly feed intake (FI), body weight (BW), body weight gain (BWG), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) in both sexes. However, the apparent nutrient digestibility, metabolizable energy (ME), and nutrient digestibility were not affected by the dietary BP. Furthermore, carcass yield in both sexes was improved (P < 0.05) by BP inclusion levels. In contrast, meat pH, shear force, and sensory evaluation in both sexes were not affected (P > 0.05). The results suggest that the broiler chicks can utilize bioactive compounds in BP when supplemented in the starter diets and subsequently improve their growth parameters throughout the growing period as well as carcass yield at slaughter age. These positive improvements could be due to high quality amino acids, essential oils, vitamins, and minerals of BP. Therefore, it is concluded that BP inclusion level of 12 g/kg or more in the starter diets could have positive effects on growth performance and carcass yield at slaughter age without causing adverse effects on meat physico-chemical properties and sensory evaluation in both male and female broiler chickens.

The Influence of Different Amaranth Leaf Meal Inclusion Levels on Performance, Blood Profiles, and Gut Organ Characteristics of Ross 308 Broiler Chickens.

This study aimed to determine the effect of varying inclusion levels of amaranth leaf meal on the performance, blood profiles, and gut organ characteristics of Ross 308 broiler chickens. A total of 200, day-old, Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly allocated to five dietary treatments in a complete randomized design, with each group having four replicates with ten chicks. Amaranth leaf meal (ALM) inclusion levels used in this study were 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20%. Body weight and feed intake were measured weekly to calculate the feed conversion ratio. Gut organ weights, lengths, organ pH, and blood profiles were measured and the general linear model of statistical analysis software was used to analyze collected data. ALM had no effect (p > 0.05) on feed intake, body weight, or the feed conversion ratio of Ross 308 broiler chickens between 1-21 and 22-42 days, respectively. Furthermore, ALM inclusion levels had no effect (p > 0.05) on dry matter (DM) or gross energy (GE) digestibility of Ross 308 broiler chickens. Ross 308 broiler chickens, which were fed with 5% ALM inclusion levels, had higher (p < 0.05) white blood cells, lymphocytes, and eosinophils than those fed with diets containing 0, 10, 15, and 20%. Chickens that were fed with 0 and 20% ALM inclusion levels had higher (p < 0.05) heterophils than those fed with diets containing 5, 10, and 15%. Chickens that were fed with 15% ALM inclusion levels had higher (p < 0.05) monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils than those fed with diets containing 0, 10, and 20%. Apart from Ile, ALM inclusion of 5 and 10% had higher (p < 0.05) essential and nonessential amino acid digestibility in Ross 308 broiler chickens. ALM inclusion levels had no effect (p > 0.05) on gut organ lengths or weights of Ross 308 broiler chickens aged 21 and 42 days. In conclusion, 5, 10, and 15% ALM inclusion levels can be included in broiler chicken diets as they showed favor in most of the affected parameters.

Chemical Composition and Metabolomic Analysis of Amaranthus cruentus Grains Harvested at Different Stages.

This study aimed at investigating the impact of early versus normal grain harvesting on the chemical composition and secondary metabolites of Amaranthus cruentus species grown in South Africa. Mature harvested grain had higher (p < 0.05) DM, CF, NDF and ADF content compared to prematurely harvested grain. There were no significant (p > 0.05) differences between CP, ADL and GE of premature and mature harvested grains. Mature harvesting resulted in higher grain Ca, P, Mg and K content. Essential amino acids spectrum and content remained similar regardless of maturity at harvest. The grains displayed an ample amount of unsaturated fatty acids; the highest percentage was linoleic acid: 38.75% and 39.74% in premature and mature grains, respectively. ß-Tocotrienol was detected at 5.92 and 9.67 mg/kg in premature and mature grains, respectively. The lowest was δ-tocotrienol which was 0.01 and 0.54 mg/kg in premature and mature grains, respectively. Mature harvested grain had a higher secondary metabolite content compared to premature harvested grains. The results suggest that mature harvested Amaranthus cruentus grain contain more minerals and phytochemicals that have health benefits for human and livestock immunity and gut function, which ultimately improves performance. This study concludes that A. cruentus grown in South Africa is a potential alternative cereal to major conventional cereals.

Effect of dietary ascorbic acid supplementation level on productivity, mortality, and carcass characteristics of Venda chickens.

Two experiments were carried out to determine the effect of dietary ascorbic acid supplementation levels on productivity, carcass characteristics, and mortality of indigenous Venda chickens. The first experiment determined the effect of dietary ascorbic acid supplementation levels on productivity and mortality rate of 175 unsexed Venda chickens between 1 and 6 weeks old. The second experiment determined the effect of dietary ascorbic acid supplementation levels on productivity, carcass characteristics, and mortality rate of 140 female Venda chickens between 8 and 13 weeks old. A completely randomized design was used in both experiments. Supplementation of grower diets with ascorbic acid ranged from 0 to 2,000 mg per kg DM feed in both experiments. Levels of ascorbic acid supplementation for optimum feed intake, feed conversion ratio, growth rate, live weight, and breast meat yield were determined using a quadratic equation. The optimal dietary ascorbic acid supplementation levels for feed conversion ratio, growth rate, and live weight of Venda chickens during the starter phase were 1,050, 1,301, and 1,500 mg/kg DM feed, while, at the grower phase, the optimal supplementation levels for feed conversion ratio, growth rate, live weight, and breast meat yield were 1,000, 1,250, 1,482, and 769 mg/kg DM feed, respectively. Results indicate that different levels of ascorbic acid supplementation optimized feed conversion ratio, growth rate, and live weight of Venda chickens at each growth phase. However, levels of ascorbic acid supplementation for optimum feed conversion ratio, growth rate, and live weight were higher than that for breast meat yield. These findings have implications on ration formulation for Venda chickens.