The aim of this study was to compare biochemical indicators of blood plasma of laying hens housed in three different housing systems (conventional cage system, enriched cage system and deep litter system). In each housing system, 12 ISA Brown laying hens were observed during the laying period from week 22 to 75 of age. Blood samples for determination of biochemical indicators in plasma were collected during this period in week 22, 47 and 75. Indicators of blood plasma metabolic profile of laying hens of all monitored groups during the laying period ranged in intervals stated for healthy animals. In some cases, significant differences between housing systems were found, however, these differences do not give clear evidence of the influence of the housing system on the health of animals. The differences were apparently due to different efficiency of each group during the laying period.

The aim of this study was to compare the blood plasma mineral profile (Ca, P, K, Mg, Zn, Cu and Se) and egg-shell quality (eggshell weight, eggshell breaking strength and thickness) of laying hens housed in three different housing systems (traditional cage system, enriched cage system and deep litter system). In each housing system, 12 ISA Brown laying hens were observed during the laying period from week 22 to 75 of age. The effect ( p < 0.05 and p < 0.01) of age and/or phase of the laying cycle on all mineral concentrations was determined. Eggshell breaking strength decreased ( p < 0.001) with the age of birds. The results of this study indicate that the housing systems compared had no significant effect on the blood plasma mineral profile of laying hens under study and the values were within the physiological range. However, a significant effect of housing system on eggshell breaking strength and eggshell weight was found. Improved eggshell quality was obtained in most periods of the laying cycle in the enriched cage systems.

Selected indicators for the metabolic profile of blood plasma in 22 Aberdeen Angus bulls reared by the extensive method were monitored during postnatal development (from 4 to 564 days of age), including total proteins, albumin, urea, creatinine, glucose, cholesterol, triacylglycerols, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, tyroxin, triiodothyronine, calcium, inorganic phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium, chlorides, copper, zinc and iron. In assessing the relationship of age to the indicators of the internal environment, values of correlation coefficients for total proteins (r = –0.70; p < 0.01), albumin (r = –0.56; p < 0.01), urea (r = –0.73; p < 0.01), glucose (r = –0.38; p < 0.01) and triiodothyronine (r = –0.82; p < 0.01) were established. Significant relationships were shown between the temperature of the external environment and the amount of total proteins (r = –0.38; p < 0.01), urea concentration (r = –0.41; p < 0.01), ALP (r = 0.58; p < 0.01) and ALT (r = 0.45; p < 0.01) activity. Temperature also showed a significant impact on the concentration of P (r = 0.57; p < 0.01), K (r = –0.69; p < 0.01) and Zn (r = 0.33; p < 0.01). The work yields important information on changes in the indicators of the metabolic profile of the blood plasma of bulls during postnatal development under defined nutritional and temperature conditions that can be used as reference values for evaluating health status as well as nutrition level.

The study aimed to investigate the efficacy of new mycotoxin adsorbents based on purified and activated bentonites combined with yeast and phytogenic compounds in fattening pigs. The experiment involved 96 pigs (31.2±2.4 kg). Control (C) group was fed a diet naturally contaminated with mycotoxins (5 mg/kg deoxynivalenol, DON) without an adsorbent. Treated groups received the feed with mycotoxin adsorbents: purified and activated bentonite (T1), purified and activated bentonite, yeast derivatives, phytogenic substances (T2), and purified, activated, and sulphurated bentonite with phytogenic substances (T3). Evaluated parameters involved growth performance, organ weight, small intestine and liver histopathology, complete blood count, serum biochemistry, antioxidant status of the organism and total and free DON content in urine. In all treated groups, an significant increase in intestinal GSH and GSH/GSSG ratio was observed when compared to C. No significant effects on liver and kidney weight, complete blood count, serum or intestinal malondialdehyde concentration, or total/free DON content in urine were observed. All adsorbents improved histopathological findings in the liver when compared to C. Moreover, T1, and T2 groups showed no presence of inflammatory reaction or necrotic changes in the livers. Although, mycotoxin adsorbents investigated in this study had no significant impact on pig growth performance, they reduced the oxidative stress, and on the tissue level they protected the jejunal tissue and liver parenchyma under deoxynivalenol challenge.

The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that keeping laying hens in an enriched environment supposed to represent a better welfare for the birds is accompanied by decreased corticosterone levels, compared to hens kept under traditional conditions. Plasma corticosterone levels in hens reared in standard and enriched cages and those kept on deep litter from 15 to 75 weeks of age were evaluated. The highest corticosterone levels were observed in hens kept on deep litter, which was associated with a lower intensity of egg production, longest time of movement and a high percentage of time spent dustbathing and scratching. Hens housed in the enriched environment exhibited low levels of aggression, low body weight at the end of the experiment and similar or higher corticosterone levels compared to those of hens kept under standard conditions. Thus, the results of the present study show that housing technologies which are more similar to the animal’s natural environment need not be associated with decreased levels of plasma corticosterone. Keeping hens in traditional cage technology was not found to be particularly stressful, which may be an important finding with respect to the current restrictions on outside housing in regions with an increased risk of viral infection.