The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of adding different turmeric amounts to sorghum-based diets for Japanese quails on animal performance, animal metabolism, yolk colour, egg quality, blood and liver biochemical parameters and sensory attributes of the eggs. The study included 210 egg-laying quails aged 50 days and lasted for 90 days. The study had a completely randomised design with six treatments and five replicates with seven birds per replicate. A control corn-based feed and sorghum-based feeds to which different turmeric levels were added (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 2%) were tested. The results showed that the sorghum-based feeds with added turmeric levels did not affect animal performance, metabolisation of protein and ether extract, internal and external quality of eggs, serum biochemical profile, including calcium, phosphorous, protein and liver transaminase enzymes. Blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels decreased when ≥0.5% percentages of turmeric were added to the feed. Yolk colour of the treatments differed significantly from that of the control, but the yolks were considered well suited for consumption. Turmeric reduced the cholesterol and triglyceride levels in egg-laying quails.

An investigation was made into the effects of different lairage times and the position of chicken crates during transport to the slaughterhouse on the biochemical and hematological profile and physical parameters of broilers, such as color and pH of their breast meat. The treatments were defined by the animals slaughtered after 0, 2, 4 and 6 hours of lairage time at the slaughterhouse, transported in crates located in the top and bottom layers of the truck. It was found that increasing the lairage time at the slaughterhouse to over two hours reduced the number of lymphocytes and increased the heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio and the basophil count in the hemogram. In addition, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and cholesterol levels increased and plasma triglyceride and glucose levels decreased. The position of the crates in the truck altered the creatine kinase (CK) activity, and the highest enzyme activity was found in birds transported in the top layer of crates in the truck. Furthermore, the long lairage time in the slaughterhouse increased the pH and the value of a* (redness value) and decreased the lightness value of breast fillets. The interaction significant between 4 and 6 hours of lairage time and the position of the crate in the top layer of the truck favored the development of dark, firm, dry (DFD) meat.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate a blend of functional oils (FO) composed of copaiba and garlic essential oils, pepper oleoresin and cashew nut liquid to mitigate the effects of heat stress on productivity, egg quality, organ morphology of the gastrointestinal tract, serum biochemical profile, nutrient metabolism and body temperature of Japanese quail. A completely randomized design was used in a 3 × 2 factorial scheme (without additive; 300 and 500 mg FO/kg of feed x birds raised in a thermal comfort (TC) and heat stress (HS) environment), with 6 replicates of 8 birds per plot. The birds under HS had lower feed intake (P = 0.0000), egg mass (P = 0.0000), laying rate (P = 0.0000) and higher percentage of infertile non-commercial eggs (P = 0.0004), lower head temperature amplitude (P = 0.0000) and higher average of body temperature (P = 0.0312). HS worsened the external and internal quality of the eggs. Birds kept in HS showed higher values of cholesterol (P = 0.0000) and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (P = 0.0272). The use of 300 and 500 g FO/ton of feed improved the feed conversion (P = 0.0000) and egg mass (P = 0.0000) of the quail bred under HS, respectively, by 8.4 and 7.2% and increased the relative weight of liver (P = 0.0064) and pancreas (P = 0.0492). The use of such additives also provided a higher % of yolk (P = 0.0018) and reduced the percentage of albumen (P = 0.0029) of the eggs produced in TC, in addition to reducing the amplitude of head temperature (P = 0.0484) of birds bred under HS. The breeding of Japanese quail under HS results in negative impacts on the production, physiological and qualitative aspects of the eggs. The use of 300 g/ton of FO in the diet of Japanese quail leads to improvements in feed conversion, increased liver capacity in nutritional metabolism and results in eggs with a higher proportion of yolks, being, therefore, an alternative for feeding quail in a hot climate.

Growth performance, organ biometrics, bone characteristics, and intestinal morphometry were evaluated in broilers fed a diet containing orange (Citrus sinensis L.) essential oil. A completely randomized design was used, with five treatments with orange essential oil (0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 mg kg−1 diet) and six replications with 20 birds per experimental unit. In the pre-starter phase, feed intake and weight gain of all birds linearly increased, while feed conversion decreased with the addition of orange essential oil [...] ABSTRACT Growth performance, organ biometrics, bone characteristics, and intestinal morphometry were evaluated in broilers fed a diet containing orange (Citrus sinensis L.) essential oil. A completely randomized design was used, with five treatments with orange essential oil (0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 mg kg−1 diet) and six replications with 20 birds per experimental unit. In the pre-starter phase, feed intake and weight gain of all birds linearly increased, while feed conversion decreased with the addition of orange essential oil

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effect of pelleted and expanded sorghum-based feeds prepared with different moisture levels and particle size of ingredients on metabolizable energy, ileal digestibility of amino acids and broiler performance. Methods: The experiment was performed with 720 male broiler chicks of the Cobb strain, with treatments of six replications, with 15 birds each; they were arranged in a completely randomized design and 2x2x2 factorial scheme (pelleted or expanded feed processing, 0.8% or 1.6% moisture addition in the mixer, and particle size of 650 or 850 microns). Results: Higher pellet quality (pellets, % and pellet durability index [PDI]) was obtained in expanded diets and inclusion of 1.6% moisture. The particle size of 850 microns increased the PDI of final diet. All studied treatments had no significant effect on weight gain and broiler carcass and cut yields. Lower feed conversion occurred for birds fed pelleted feed at 42 d. The highest apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and apparent metabolizable energy corrected to zero nitrogen balance (AMEn) values of feed in the initial rearing phase (10 to 13 days) were observed in birds fed pelleted feed or for feed prepared with 1.6% moisture. The highest ileal digestibility coefficients of amino acids were obtained with the consumption of pelleted feed prepared with a particle size of 650 microns and 1.6% moisture. Conclusion: Pelleted feed prepared with a milling particle size of 650 microns and 1.6% moisture provided increased ileal digestibility of amino acids and AMEn in the starter period. However, the expanded feed improved pellet quality and feed conversion of broilers at 42 days of age. We conclude that factors such as moisture, particle size and processing affect the pellet quality, and therefore should be considered when attempting to optimize broiler performance.

Com este trabalho, objetivou-se avaliar o efeito da formulação de rações para frangos de corte de crescimento lento, com a utilização de valores de energia metabolizável (EMAn) dos alimentos determinados por linhagens de crescimento rápido e lento, sobre o desempenho, características de carcaça, biometria de órgãos digestórios e valores energéticos das rações experimentais. Utilizaram-se 72 pintos de um dia, machos, da linhagem Isa Label, distribuídos em delineamento de blocos ao acaso, com dois tratamentos (energia dos alimentos) e seis repetições de seis animais cada. As médias foram comparadas pelo teste de Tukey a 5% de probabilidade. Os tratamentos consistiram na formulação de rações baseadas na energia do milho e no farelo de soja determinados com frangos Cobb (EMAn Cobb) e Isa Label (EMAn Isa Label). O experimento foi conduzido na fase inicial, e as aves consumiram as dietas por 28 dias. A formulação da dieta baseada na EMAn Cobb e Isa Label não afetou o desempenho, a biometria de órgãos digestórios e as características de carcaça de aves de crescimento lento. Porém, a dieta formulada com a EMAn Isa Label resultou em melhor conversão calórica e menor deposição de gordura abdominal na carcaça das aves. EMAn da ração semelhante ao nível calculado foi determinada com a formulação baseada na EMAn do milho e do farelo de soja determinada com a linhagem Isa Label (2.750 x 2.728 kcal/kg). Os valores de EMAn do milho e do farelo de soja determinados com aves Isa Label não afetam o desempenho dos frangos de crescimento lento, porém resultam em menor gordura abdominal, atendendo aos anseios dos consumidores de aves alternativas.