This study aimed to evaluate the effects of encapsulated postbiotics derived from various probiotic microorganisms, alone or in combination with inulin, on the growth performance, carcass traits, organ weights, blood parameters, and mRNA expression of selected hormones in broilers. A total of 588 one-day-old male Ross-308 chicks were randomly designated to six replicates of seven dietary treatments (initial body weight: 40.85 ± 0.56 g, per replicate, n = 14 chicks). The treatments consisted of a basal diet (C), supplemented with encapsulated postbiotics (0.30%) derived from Lactobacillus plantarum (ELP), Bacillus subtilis (EBS), or Enterococcus faecium (EEF), as well as combinations of these encapsulated postbiotics with 1.0% inulin (ELPI, EBSI, and EEFI) for six weeks. The results demonstrated that the body weight and body weight gain of birds that were fed diets supplemented with encapsulated postbiotics or their combinations with inulin significantly increased in comparison to the C group (p < 0.001). Feed intake (FI) remained unaffected during days 1–21, as did feed conversion ratios (FCR) during days 22–42, and days 1–42 demonstrated no significant differences (p > 0.05). However, FCR improved during days 1–21, and FI increased during days 22–42 and 1–42 (p < 0.05). Carcass yield, including breast, thigh, and abdominal fat yields, was enhanced (p < 0.001). Although the relative weights of the heart, spleen, pancreas, and liver were unaffected (p > 0.05), the relative weight of the bursa of Fabricius increased (p < 0.001). Serum antioxidant status and immunoglobulin A and M levels were higher, while liver enzymes, cholesterol, triglycerides, and total oxidant status were lower in the supplemented groups compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Serum glucose and protein levels remained unchanged (p > 0.05). The mRNA expression of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor was upregulated in the supplemented groups (p < 0.001). In conclusion, encapsulated postbiotics (0.30%) derived from different probiotics, alone or combined with inulin (1.0%), positively influenced growth performance, carcass traits, and immunity in male broilers.

Animal nutrition and feed science are the main scientific promote for today’s modern breeding and feed industries. Animal nutrition is the most important factor affecting performance, reproduction and products quality. Improving productivity through better nutrition is determined by some interrelated considerations such as the availability of nutrients, type of feeding system and the level of feeding management. Poor nutrition affects growth, reproduction and immune system. Besides, feed has financially the largest share in animal production, irrespective of species and production system. Feed accounts for 65–75% of total cost of livestock production. This chapter provides the fundamental concepts of animal nutrition a general awareness on nutrition and feeding of livestock (swine, poultry, beef and dairy cattle, sheep and goat). Besides, feed is financially the single most important element of animal production in most production system.

In intensive production, freshly hatched cockerels are culled in the layer hatchery (7 billion males each year), On the other hand, for meat production rearing female birds has not economic benefits because of male broiler chicks have a faster growth rate and better feed efficiency than females. In this regards several methods are being developed for sex determination in the chick embryo during the incubation period. But these methods need to be rapid, cost-efficient, and suitable practical for commercial use. Additionally, sex determination should be done before pain perception has evolved in chick embryos. Biotechnology by in ovo technique to sex determination of between male and female chicks or sex reversal could improve production and eliminate ethical dilemmas for poultry industries. In birds, the differentiation of embryonic gonads is not determined by genetic gender with the certainty that occurs in mammals and can be affected by early treatment with a steroid hormone. During the development of the chick embryo, the genotype of the zygote determines the nature of the gonads, which then caused male or female phenotype. The differentiation of gonads during the period called the "critical period of sexual differentiation" is accompanied by the beginning of secretion of sexual hormones. Namely, any change in the concentration of steroid hormones during the critical period affects the structure of the gonads. Many synthetic anti-aromatases such as federazole and non-synthetic in plants, mushrooms, and fruits containing natural flavonoids have been used in the experiments in ovo injection of anti-aromatase had no negative effect on the growth performance of sexual reversal female chickens. In conclusion, administration of an aromatase inhibitor causes testicular growth in the genetic female gender, and estrogen administration leads to the production of the left ovotestis in the genetic male gender. Therefore, in the early stages of embryonic development, sexual differentiation can be affected by changing the ratio of sexual hormones. In this review, effects of some substances applied by in ovo injection technique on sex reversal and performance in chicks.

Hayvansal üretimde sürdürülebilirlik; gelecek nesillerin gıda ihtiyaçlarını karşılama yeteneğinden ödün vermeden toplumun mevcut gıda ihtiyaçlarının karşılanması şeklinde tanımlanır. Kanatlı üretimi, hayvansal üretimin diğer alanlarına kıyasla daha çevre dostu olmasına rağmen sera gazları, ötrofikasyon ve asidifikasyon gibi çevresel etkileri göz ardı edilmemelidir. Kanatlı üretim zincirinde, yem üretimi ve nakliye küresel ısınma potansiyalinin %70’ini oluştururken, gübre yönetimi ise ötrofikasyon ve asidifikasyon potansiyalinin %40-60’ını oluşturmaktadır. Sürdürülebilir kanatlı üretiminde, yem üretimi ile besin madde atılımının etkisini azaltmak amacıyla bazı besleme stratejileri geliştirilmektedir. Yem üretimi etkisinin azaltılması amacıyla karma yemlerin "Yaşam Döngüsü Değerlendirmesi" kullanılarak oluşturulması, alternatif protein kaynaklarının kullanılması ve hidroponik tarım modellerinin uygulanması çevre dostu ve sürdürülebilir üretim yapmaya olanak sağlamaktadır. Gübre yönetiminin çevresel etkisi ise karma yemlerin ham protein düzeyi azaltılarak, ham selüloz ilavesi, sindirim sisteminin düzenlenmesi ve besin madde sindirilebilirliği artırılarak iyileştirilebilir. Bu derlemede, kanatlı beslemede sürdürülebilirlik stratejileri; yem üretiminin etkileri, besin madde atılımının azaltılması ve iyileştirilmiş sindirim sistemi ile ilişkisi irdelenecektir.

The growing consumption of ruminant animal products gives rise to a huge demand of animal feed in growing countries. By-product feeds, waste fruits-vegetables, and crop residues should be considered as a valuable alternative feed resource in ruminant nutrition. This waste can be reutilized and converted by ruminants to valuable products for human benefits as a new resource and in return to increase the effectiveness of limited feed sources. But, there are limited new information and research regarding the nutritive value of this waste for ruminants. For this purpose, the experiment was conducted to evaluate the nutritional potential of some agro-industrial by-products, waste fruits-vegetable, and crop residue for ruminants specifically. Fourteen by-products, waste fruits-vegetable and crop residue were collected from the west part regions of Turkey. Nine by-product feeds (whole cottonseed, rice bran, soybean hull, apple pomade, citrus pulp, grape pomade, tomato pomade, grape stalk, rice hull), three waste fruits (dry grape, dry fig, carrot), one waste vegetable (potato) and also one crop residue (cornstalk) were analyzed for nutritional composition and metabolizable energy values were calculated by crude nutrients for ruminants. Further, energy, DMD, and OMD of these samples were investigated by using the cellulose enzyme method. All samples were analyzed the macro minerals (Ca, P, Na, K, and Mg) and the microelements (Fe, Cu, Mn, and Zn) contents. In the research, all samples regarding the parameters in DM, ash, OM, CP, EE, CF, NFE, NSC, NDF, ADF, starch, sugar, Ca, P, Na, K, Mg, Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, DMD, OMD, MECN, and MECEL were different (P<0.05). The study showed that the waste fruits, vegetable, and by-products have valuable sugar (grape, fig, and carrot), starch (potato, rice bran), NSC (citrus pulp), and oil (cottonseed) content that is the main compounds making them high energetic feeds for ruminants. Also, most of these research materials have enough or much more macro and micro mineral concentrations for ruminant nutrition.