This work investigated the effect of dietary green coffee powder (GCP) on the growth, body characteristics, antioxidant status, serum metabolites, and meat quality of 308 Ross broiler chickens. A total of 180 non-sexed seven-day old chicks were randomly distributed into three experimental groups. The untreated group received a basal diet (control), while the second and third groups were fed the original diet fortified with 1.25 and 2.5 g GCP/kg, respectively, for four weeks. Results revealed an improvement (p < 0.05) in live body weight in the group fed 2.5 g/kg GCP at five weeks of age compared to the other groups. Broiler Chicks fed the 1.25 g/kg GCP diet showed a more significant decrease in live body weight than the control group at five weeks of age. The GCP supplementation at level 2.5 g/kg GCP enhanced feed conversion ratio at 3–5 and 1–5 weeks of age. Dietary treatments did not affect (p > 0.05) carcass, dressing, and giblets percentages. Different levels of GCP significantly affected the liver, abdominal fat, intestinal length, and lymphoid organs percentages. The changes in serum blood traits and serum oxidative stress markers were not significant among the control and the treated groups. With the increment levels of GCP, results showed elevated values of meat pH, lightness (L*), and redness (a*), as well as a significant decrease in its yellowness (b*). Broilers fed 2.5 g/kg GCP diet showed a significant reduction in the total bacterial count, total yeasts and molds count, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp., and Salmonella spp., as well as increasing counts of lactic acid bacteria. The dietary GCP 2.5 g/kg diet supplementation could be used to decrease the pathogenic microorganisms’ populations in the broiler’s gut. The present experiment has shown that in unsexed broiler chickens, green coffee powder at level of 2.5 g/kg improved the live body weight and feed conversion ratio and decreased the pathogenic bacterial count in the gut.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of dietary Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) leaves and/or seed powder on laying Japanese quail performance in terms of egg production, egg quality, blood serum characteristics, and reproduction. In total, 168 Japanese quails (120 hens and 48 males) at eight weeks of age in laying period were randomly distributed to four treatment groups, with six replicates per group and seven birds (five hens and two males) per replicate. The first group (G1) served as a control group, while G2, G3 and G4 groups were supplemented with M. oleifera leaves (ML) and M. oleifera seeds (MS) and their combination ((1 g/kg ML; 1 g/kg MS; and 1 ML g/kg + 1 MS g/kg (MSL), respectively). From the results, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio, egg weight, fertility and hatchability from fertile eggs, egg and yolk index, and Haugh unit were not affected by dietary treatments. However, egg production, egg mass, eggshell thickness, and hatchability were significantly increased and blood aspartate transaminase (AST) and urea decreased in the MS treatment. Both triglycerides and total cholesterol were reduced (p < 0.05) in all treatments with ML, MS, and MSL, with no significant differences in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), albumin, total protein, globulin, and A/G ratio among dietary treatment. Our results clearly indicated that the inclusion of M. oleifera seeds in Japanese quail diet significantly increased egg production and improved hatchability, along with some egg quality parameters, and also lowered some blood biochemical components.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of different housing systems on Pekin ducks. A total of 300-day old Pekin ducklings were randomly divided into four experimental groups; the first housed in a closed house (CH), the second in closed house with open yard (HY), the third group in closed house with swimming pool (CHSP) and the fourth in a closed house with swimming pool and yard (HYSP). Results indicated that the HYSP and CHSP produced higher body weight comparing to the other groups. However, the HYSP gave the highest body weight followed by CHSP then HY and CH. The same trend was observed regarding weight gain and feed-conversion ratio (FCR). Moreover, HYSP, HY and CHSP showed higher dressing percentage, breast muscles and thighs and lower abdominal fat than the CH group. Serum protein was significantly higher in HYSP and HY than that of the closed house. While, lipids, cholesterol and triacylglycerol were significantly lower in groups housed in HY than that of CH. Meat cholesterol and triacylglycerol reduced in groups reared in HY. Housing ducklings in yards and using swimming pools significantly improved the general immunity (phagocytic index and activity and differential leucocytes count), and also improved the oxidative stress parameters. In conclusion, results confirmed that housing ducks in a house supplied with yard and swimming pool can improve its productivity, carcass traits, meat quality, blood lipid profile, immunity and antioxidative status.

This experiment investigated the role of graded dietary levels of two probiotic strains (Bacillus toyonensis; BT and Bifidobacterium bifidum; BB) on the growth rate, carcass traits, physiological and histological aspects of growing Japanese quail. One thousand and three hundred sixty one-day-old un-sexed Japanese quail chicks were distributed randomly into ten groups. The 1st group served as a control and fed the basal diet without supplement while the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th groups received the control diet supplemented with 0.05, 0.075, 0.10 and 0.125% BT, respectively. The 6th group fed the control diet plus 0.10% BB while the remaining groups (7th to 10th) received the basal diet incorporated with the previous levels of BT rich with 0.05% BB. Dietary supplementation of BT and/or BB increased body weight and gain; however, feed intake and feed conversion were not affected. Amylase activity was significantly elevated in 5th, 7th and 9th groups, while lipase activity was improved in all treatment groups except 3rd and 6th groups. Results obtained concluded that dietary supplementation of BT with or without BB is useful for performance, digestive enzyme activities, blood cholesterols, antioxidant status and ileal histomorphometry and microbiota of growing Japanese quail.

The objectives of this investigation were to evaluate the influence of dietary supplementation with different levels of Bacillus toyonensis ATCC 55050 (BT), Bifidobacterium bifidum ATCC 29521 (BB), and a combination of half the dose of BT and BB on the productive performance, carcass characteristics, physiological parameters, and gut microbiota of laying Japanese quails ( Coturnix coturnix japonica ). A total of 144 laying quail chicks (56 days old, Japanese quail) were assigned to four experimental groups in a fully randomized design experiment for 12 weeks. Twelve replicates, each consisting of two female and one male bird, were created for each group. The control group of birds received a corn-soybean basal diet from 56 to 140 days of the trial. In contrast, the groups receiving probiotics were given the same control diet supplemented with 0.1% Bacillus toyonensis (BT), 0.1% Bifidobacterium bifidum (BB), or a combination of 0.05% Bacillus toyonensis plus 0.05% Bifidobacterium bifidum (BT+BB). There was a significant enhancement (P<0.05) in performance traits during different weeks of age as a result of the treatments with Bacillus toyonensis (BT), Bifidobacterium bifidum (BB), and the combination of both (BT+BB), except for live body weight. The results demonstrated a significant influence (P<0.05) of various probiotic treatments on fertility (Fer) and hatchability (Ha) percentages. BT+BB showed the highest fertility (98.57%) and total embryonic mortality (15.95%) compared to the other treatments. Also, the digestive enzymes activity was significantly (P<0.05) enhanced by BT and BT+BB treatments; besides, the BT+BB treatment showed higher levels of all antioxidant traits. In summary, the addition of Bacillus toyonensis (BT), Bifidobacterium bifidum (BB), and their combination (BT+BB) to the diet of laying quails significantly improved performance, blood traits, and decreased total bacterial counts, coliform levels, total fungi, and the cecal microflora.