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Special Issue "Effects of Dietary Interventions on Poultry Production"

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A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Farm Animal Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 May 2023) | Viewed by 4718

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Anna Milczarek

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Guest Editor

Institute of Animal Science and Fisheries, Siedlce University of Natural Sciences and Humanities, Bolesława Prusa 14, 08-110 Siedlce, Poland
Interests: feed; nutrition; rations; broiler chickens; pigs; performance results; slaughter value; meat quality

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, poultry farming has been one of the fastest developing branches of animal production. The main drive for developing broiler chicken production is the growing demand for poultry meat, which is mainly due to its dietetic values and great number of culinary applications, supported by its outstanding physical and chemical properties and sensory value. Those expectations are being met thanks to the appropriate choice of feed raw materials in poultry diets. It is necessary to promote research and the dissemination of results in the field of the performance, slaughter value and product quality of poultry which are modified due to dietary interventions.

This Special Issue focuses on the role that dietary interventions play in poultry production (broiler chickens, turkeys, laying hens, etc.). Original research articles and reviews are accepted.

Dr. Anna Milczarek
Guest Editor

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Keywords

rations
feeding
broiler chicken
hen
turkey
performance results
slaughter value
meat or egg quality

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

Open AccessArticle

Oat Hull as a Source of Lignin-Cellulose Complex in Diets Containing Wheat or Barley and Its Effect on Performance and Morphometric Measurements of Gastrointestinal Tract in Broiler Chickens

Tomasz Hikawczuk

Anna Szuba-Trznadel

Patrycja Wróblewska

and

Andrzej Wiliczkiewicz

Agriculture 2023, 13(4), 896; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13040896 - 19 Apr 2023

Viewed by 478

Abstract

The purpose of the experiment was to determine the effect of oat hull on the performance and morphometric measurements of the gastrointestinal tract, and to correlate the results of these measurements with the type of the determined dietary fiber in feed and the number of microorganisms. The Asp method is simpler and quicker than non-starch polysaccharide analysis, and can give quick information in the analysis of fiber fractions (soluble and insoluble) in the component or in a diet, and also related the obtained results with the performance of broiler chickens. The utilization of oat hull in the amount of 1% of the diet of broiler chickens results in the highest body weight on the 28th day of life (p < 0.05) in comparison to the group not receiving oat hull in the diet and with a 3% share of this structural component. Oat hull in the diet of broiler chickens in the amount of 1% also reduces the total length of the intestines (p < 0.05), compared with the share of 0 and 3%. The soluble fiber contained in the grains of barley and wheat has an influence on the higher metabolic weight of the glandular stomach of broiler chickens compared to the birds receiving corn grain in their diet. Barley grain and oat hull in the amount of 3% significantly (p < 0.01) increase the weight of gizzards. The increase in the weight of the proventriculus (r = 0.392), gizzard (r = 0.486) and duodenum (r = 0.657) was positively correlated with the growth of E. coli bacteria in the crop. The opposite effect in the case of negative correlation was determined in the case of the duodenum and E. coli count (r = −0.593). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Dietary Interventions on Poultry Production)

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Dietary Intervention Using Spirulina at Graded Levels on Productive Performance and Physiological Status of Quail Birds Reared under Elevated Temperatures

and

Agriculture 2023, 13(4), 789; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13040789 - 29 Mar 2023

Viewed by 581

Abstract

The current study aimed to explore the effect of Spirulina platensis (SP) inclusion at various levels in quail diets, in terms of their production performance, physiological traits, stress measurements, and immunological parameters under heat stress (HS) conditions. Four hundred Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) chicks, one day old, were equally distributed into forty wire cages, and the cages were placed in two chambers with environmentally controlled systems (20 cages in each chamber). From 21 to 42 d of age, the quails were randomly subjected to a factorial design of two HS treatments × four SP treatments. To induce HS treatments in the quails, the first chamber was maintained at a thermoneutral temperature of 24 °C (TN group), while the temperature of the second chamber was elevated to 35 °C during the daytime (9:00–17:00 h), followed by a thermoneutral temperature for the remaining 24 h cycle (HS group). The birds in each chamber were further allocated into four SP treatments (5 replicate cages × 10 birds per cage in each treatment), where the quails were fed on a basal diet that included 0, 5, 10, or 15 g/kg SP (SP0, SP5, SP10, and SP15 groups, respectively). After exposure to the HS, a significant (p < 0.05) reduction of 5% in body weight and 9% in both weight gain and feed intake was recorded, and the slaughter performance of the quails was adversely (p < 0.05) affected. In addition, HS significantly (p < 0.05) impaired the physiological traits (total protein, albumin, globulin, alanine transferase, aspartate transferase, creatinine, uric acid, cholesterol, and triglycerides) and immunological parameters (total white blood cells, heterophil to lymphocyte ratio, and T- and B-lymphocyte stimulation indexes), but increased the stress measurements (corticosterone, malondialdehyde, interleukin-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α). In contrast, most of these parameters were linearly (p < 0.05) improved by increasing the SP levels in the diets of the TN quail group. When the SP was included in the diets of the HS quail group, the deleterious effects of HS on the alanine and aspartate transferase activities, creatinine, uric acid, triglycerides, corticosterone, interleukin-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α levels, heterophil to lymphocyte ratio, and T- and B-lymphocyte stimulation indexes were remarkably (p < 0.05) relieved. These results concluded that SP nutritional application can improve the production performance and the overall physiological homeostasis of the Japanese quail, especially when suffering from heat stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Dietary Interventions on Poultry Production)

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Irrigation, Nitrogen Fertilization and Amino Acid Biostimulant on Proximate Composition and Energy Value of Pisum sativum L. Seeds

Wioletta Biel

Cezary Podsiadło

Robert Witkowicz

Jagoda Kępińska-Pacelik

and

Sławomir Stankowski

Agriculture 2023, 13(2), 376; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13020376 - 04 Feb 2023

Viewed by 950

Abstract

The study investigated the impact of biological and agricultural conditions on the chemical composition and energy value of pea seeds for poultry feed. In the experiment, the species assessed was pea (Pisum sativum L.), a determinate form, cultivar (cv.) Cysterski. During the field experiment, the response of peas to the following experimental factors was assessed: first factor—irrigation (yes, no), second factor—nitrogen fertilization (0, 20 and 40 kg N·ha⁻¹), third factor—amino acid biostimulant (yes, no). In both years of experiments, representative seed samples were collected, in which the chemical composition was assessed for the content of dry matter, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, and nitrogen free extract. Additionally, in order to assess the suitability of the evaluated pea seeds as poultry feed, the energy value expressed in the form of apparent metabolizable energy (AME_n) was estimated. The protein content in pea seeds increased after the application of the biostimulant, both with and without irrigation. Statistically significant differences in the crude fiber content in pea seeds were found under the influence of the interaction of irrigation and nitrogen fertilization. The use of the biostimulant significantly increased the energy value of pea seeds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Dietary Interventions on Poultry Production)

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Open AccessArticle

Effects of Genotype and Diet on Performance, Carcass Traits, and Blood Profiles of Slow-Growing Chicks Obtained by Crosses of Local Breed with Commercial Genotype

Nicoleta Aurelia Lefter

Elena Narcisa Pogurschi

and

Dana Catalina Popa

Agriculture 2022, 12(11), 1906; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12111906 - 12 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 957

Abstract

The effects of genotype and diet on growth performance, carcass traits and blood metabolites were investigated. The commercial Ross 308 (R) chickens genotype, a local Black Transylvanian Naked Neck (BTNN) breed, and their crosses were used in an 81-day study. A total of 720 one-d-old chicks were allotted into eight groups in a 4 × 2 factorial design with 4 genotypes: Rmale × Rfemale (R), BTNNmale × Rfemale (BTNN-R), BTNNmale × BTNNfemale (BTNN), Rmale × BTNNfemale (R-BTNN), and 2 diets: control and low-metabolisable energy (LME). Genotype affected performance parameters, namely body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), energy intake (EI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), energy conversion ratio (ECR), and production efficiency factor (PEF), irrespective of growth phase (p < 0.05). Diet had no significant effect on overall BWG, EI, ECR and PEF, except that it increased FI and FCR. Genotype influenced the carcass and organ yields (p < 0.05), except bursa weight, while diet had no significant effect. Blood parameters (total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, albumin and phosphorus) were affected only by genotype (p < 0.05). In summary, results show that from the two crossbreedings obtained between R and BTNN genotypes, the BTNN-R growth performance and carcass traits were superior to R-BTNN, even though both have had a similar improved plasma response. Lowering the ME level did not significantly affect the BWG but increased FI and FCR, whereas the production index was similar regardless of the genotype. Based on the present results, we concluded that the BTNN-R crosses are the most suitable for use in alternative rearing systems for slow-growing chickens. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Dietary Interventions on Poultry Production)

Open AccessArticle

Rearing Performance and Carcass Composition of Broiler Chickens Fed Rations Containing Guar Meal at Graded Levels

and

Agriculture 2022, 12(9), 1385; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12091385 - 03 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 876

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate how different percentages of guar meal in feed rations for broiler chickens affect their rearing performance and carcass composition. The experiment was conducted in a group of one hundred sixty Ross 308 broilers randomly allocated to four equinumerous groups (K, G4, G8 and G12). The birds were reared over 42 days with the application of three feeding periods: starter (days 1–21), grower (days 22–35) and finisher (days 36–42). All the feed rations were prepared using maize meal, soybean meal, oil and mineral and vitamin additives. An experimental factor was the share of guar meal in feed rations: group K—0%, G4—4%, G8—8% and G12—12%. It was demonstrated that a higher percentage (8% or 12%) of guar meal in the feed rations had a negative effect on the chickens’ weight gain and feed intake. The birds receiving feed rations supplemented with guar meal featured higher feed conversion levels than those fed rations in which soybean meal was the only protein-rich component (p ≤ 0.05). Birds fed rations with the highest percentage (12%) of guar meal showed a significant decrease in chilled carcass weight and dressing percentage compared with other chickens. A higher percentage (8% or 12%) of guar meal in feed rations had an adverse effect on the birds’ muscularity. In addition, it was demonstrated that their meat was DFD (dark, firm and dry; pH₁ > 6.4), but from a dietary point of view, it contained the smallest amount of intramuscular fat. To sum up, 4% of guar meal should be recommended in broiler chicken feeding to ensure their satisfactory rearing performance and carcass composition, including the physico-chemical properties of their muscles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Dietary Interventions on Poultry Production)

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