This study evaluated the effects of including Moringa oleifera (moringa) leaf meal on performance, carcass yield and characteristics, and relative organ weights of broilers from 10 to 42 days of age. We distributed 420 male Cobb 500 chicks in a completely randomized design with five treatments and six replicates with 14 birds each. Treatments consisted of five experimental diets in which the moringa leaf meal was included at 0, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, and 6.0% in the diets. The following [...] ABSTRACT This study evaluated the effects of including Moringa oleifera (moringa) leaf meal on performance, carcass yield and characteristics, and relative organ weights of broilers from 10 to 42 days of age. We distributed 420 male Cobb 500 chicks in a completely randomized design with five treatments and six replicates with 14 birds each. Treatments consisted of five experimental diets in which the moringa leaf meal was included at 0, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, and 6.0% in the diets. The following

The interest in the search for alternatives to antibiotics in poultry production has been increasing, especially with the focus on essential oils due to their remarkable bioactive properties. This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of essential oils on the performance and gut morphometry of broilers, by using an approach of systematic review and meta-analysis. In the conduction of the systematic review, three electronic databases (PubMed, Science Direct and Scielo) were consulted in January 2023. Out of an initial amount of 162 papers, only 27 met the requisites to be included in the database. Furthermore, after the use of established criteria for the meta-analysis, only 16 papers were qualified for the evaluation of the aimed parameters. In the meta-analysis, it was observed that the supplementation had significant impact (P < 0.05) of 2.88% in weight gain, in comparison to the basal diet. In addition, the supplementation of essential oils significantly improved (P < 0.05) gut morphometry parameters such as villus height in the ileum (15.66% higher), and 8.26% increase in the villus height to crypt depth ratio in jejunum compared to the basal diet. Dietary essential oils improve the growth performance and gut histomorphometry of broilers, even when combined with antibiotics as growth promoters.

The objective of this study was to determine the nutritional and energy compositions of cottonseed meal (CM), with or without enzyme supplementation, for broilers at different ages. A total of 672 male Cobb 500 chickens were distributed into four metabolism and ileal-digestibility trials. The experimental design was completely randomized, with four treatments and six replicates. The following treatments were tested: a corn- and soybean meal-based control diet without enzymes; control diet with enzyme addition; control diet with 25% replaced by CM; and control diet with enzyme addition and 25% replaced by CM. The following variables were investigated: apparent metabolizable energy (AME); nitrogen-corrected AME (AMEn); apparent metabolizability coefficients of dry matter, gross energy, phosphorus, and calcium; apparent ileal digestibility coefficients of dry matter, crude protein, calcium, and phosphorus; and digestible protein of CM. Enzyme supplementation did not affect the energy values of CM. The average values obtained in the pre-starter, starter, grower, and finisher phases were 2,958; 2,554; 1,676, and 1,963 kcal kg^-1 for AME and 2,519; 2,282; 1,423, and 1,680 kcal kg^-1 for AMEn, respectively. Enzyme addition improves the apparent digestibility coefficients of phosphorus and calcium of cottonseed meal in the grower phase. However, enzyme supplementation does not affect the ileal digestibility coefficients of these ingredients in broilers.

The objective of this study was to develop a specific equation for the conversion of pressure values (psi) to volume (ml) for the Laboratory of Bromatology of the Federal University of Western Pará. To this end, the ruminal fermentation kinetics of regional feedstuffs were evaluated using the semi-automatic technique of in-vitro gas production. To set up the targeted equation, samples of ground corn, soybean meal, rice bran, Mombasa grass, cupuassu pie, cassava residues, and banana leaves were incubated and the pressure and volumes of the gases produced during the fermentation process were measured at predetermined times and related. These data on the volume of produced gases were used to determine, by applying the bi-compartmental logistic model, the ruminal fermentation kinetics parameters. The equation found for the laboratory was V = 0.3757P2 + 1.5972P + 0.2189. Ground corn and cassava residue showed a higher degradation rate of non-fibrous carbohydrates (0.120 and 0.163 %/h respectively) and higher final gas volume (228.91 and 273.17 ml/g of DM, respectively). As for the degradation rate of fibrous carbohydrates, ground corn (0.023 %/h), rice bran (0.023 %/h), and cassava residue (0.021 %/h) presented the highest degradation rate. Thus, a specific equation to be used at the Laboratory of Bromatology of the Federal University of Western Pará was identified, according to the method applied and the altitude of the premises. Ruminal fermentation kinetics of cassava residue and rice bran showed the same parameters as corn, which may suggest the possibility of replacing corn in the diet of ruminant animals.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of including whole corn germ (WCG) on the performance; diet metabolizability; yields of carcass, cuts, and offal; and quality of meat of broilers. A total of 648 chicks were assigned to six treatments in a completely randomized design with six replicates, with 18 birds in each. Treatments consisted of a corn- and soybean meal-based control diet (0 g kg⁻¹ WCG) and five test diets including WCG at the levels of 40, 80, 120, 160, and 200 g kg⁻¹. Birds and diets were weighed at each seven days to determine feed intake (FI), body weight gain (BWG), and feed conversion ratio (FCR). The partial collection methodology was employed to determine the apparent metabolizable energy (AME), nitrogen-corrected AME (AME_n), and the apparent metabolizability coefficients of gross energy (AMC_GE), dry matter (AMC_DM), crude protein (AMC_CP), and ether extract (AMC_EE) of the diets. In the evaluation of meat quality, we analyzed the pH, cooking losses, shear force, water-holding capacity, color, and peroxide index of the meat. There was a difference for BWG and FCR in the total rearing period (1 to 42 days), for which optimum BWG was estimated as 2921 g/bird, with 118 g kg⁻¹ inclusion of WCG. There was no difference for the AME, AME_n, and AMC_CP of the diets, although AMC_GE, AMC_DM, and AMC_EE declined as WCG was included. The increasing levels of WCG did not influence the yields of carcass and cuts or the meat quality. There was an increase in the yield of gizzard and proventriculus. Whole corn germ can be used at low levels in the diet of broilers without compromising their productive rates.

With the objective of determining the optimal digestible tryptophan to lysine ratios (Trp : Lys) in feed, 192 crossbred piglets were weaned at 26.3 ± 2.0 days, with initial weights of 8 ± 0.360 kg. The piglets were blocked by bodyweight and randomly allotted into six treatments, eight repetitions and four piglets per experimental unit. The treatments included five ratios of digestible Trp : Lys of 0.15, 0.17, 0.19, 0.21 and 0.23 with 1.26% digestible lysine and one positive control treatment (C+) with a Trp : Lys ratio of 0.19 and digestible lysine of 1.33%. The piglet’s performance and other characteristics were evaluated in phases: Phase I lasted from weaning up to Day 14 of the experiment, and Phase II lasted from weaning up to Day 21 of the experiment. The feed intake during Phase I, including the protein and fat deposition rates, the kidney relative weights and carcass yield were not influenced by the Trp : Lys ratios (P > 0.05). The Trp : Lys ratios had a linear effect on the liver and kidney absolute weights (P < 0.05). The ratio also had a linear effect (P < 0.01) on the bodyweight, the average daily gain, the gain : feed ratio of the piglets during Phases I and II and on the feed intake during Phase II (P < 0.05). The effect of the Trp : Lys ratios on the digestible lysine level (P = 0.04) demonstrated that digestible lysine was a limiting factor. The Linear Response Plateau model indicated that the best Trp : Lys ratio (P = 0.04) was 0.20 during Phase I and 0.22 (P < 0.01) during Phase II. Thus, the optimal digestible Trp : Lys ratio for piglets during the initial growth phase (from 26 to 47 days of age) is 0.22.