An experiment was conducted to validate non-invasive evaluation techniques as in vivo evaluation tools for the myopathies wooden breast and white striping that affect broilers using biopsy as a support tool. It was evaluated thirty Cobb 500® broiler chickens in a completely randomized design consisting of two sexes (males and females) and 15 replications per treatment. At 14, 21, 35, 42 and 49 days, the surface temperature of the birds' breasts were recorded using infrared thermography, analysis of fillet depth, and echogenicity by ultrasound imaging. All broiler chickens were sent to biopsy at 21, 35 and 42 days to collect a fragment of the pectoral muscle for descriptive morphological analyses of histological lesions and muscle fiber morphometry. Males obtained higher echogenicity values at 14, 21 and 42 days. There was no influence of bird sex on the occurrence of the wooden breast and white striping myopathies at 49 days of age in broilers selected and submitted to the biopsy protocol. There was a general trend of decreasing surface temperature for both sexes according to the age. Muscles with less area occupied with fibers have a lower surface temperature. It was conclude that ultrasonography with a 3.5 MHz transducer detects muscle changes after 28 days of age, which is consistent with the myopathic lesions studied. Infrared thermography is a potential method that detected changes in breast temperature indicating myopathic lesions. Biopsy can be used as an auxiliary tool in the study of myopathies in broiler chicken breasts.

Conhecer os fatores nutricionais que limitam o crescimento de pastagem é fundamental para produção de forragem em quantidade e qualidade. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar a produção de massa seca da parte aérea e raízes e a concentração de nutrientes em condições de omissão de nutrientes na adubação, no desenvolvimento da Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu, durante três ciclos de crescimento. O experimento foi realizado em vasos com Argissolo Vermelho Amarelo distrófico na Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Tecnológicas - Câmpus de Dracena – FCAT/UNESP. O delineamento experimental foi de blocos casualizados, com oito tratamentos e cinco repetições. Os tratamentos foram: 1- Adubação completa; 2- Omissão da adubação; 3- Omissão de N; 4- Omissão de P; 5- Omissão de K; 6- Omissão de Mg; 7- Omissão de S e 8- Omissão de B. Os resultados apresentaram variação entre os cortes na produção de massa seca da parte aérea de Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu, mas em todos, a adubação completa estava entre os maiores rendimentos. O teor de nitrogênio foi, entre os elementos estudados, o mais afetado pelo efeito de concentração na forrageira. Os teores de fósforo, potássio e enxofre na parte aérea do Marandu apresentaram valores considerados adequados quando os nutrientes integravam a composição do tratamento. A omissão de N, K e S foram os nutrientes que mais afetaram a produção de raízes, enquanto os teores iniciais de Mg e B no solo foram suficientes para atender à demanda de Marandu.

Animal welfare (AW) is increasingly being discussed and mandated in chicken production, both by current Brazilian legislation and by importing markets. Industries continually seek greater financial returns, and within this context, it has been observed that the proper implementation of animal welfare principles effectively reduces losses by minimizing carcass condemnations due to injuries, thereby significantly contributing to in-creased profitability. The economic impact of non-compliance with these welfare standards in broiler production is well documented in the scientific literature. However, the same level of concern is not observed regarding the financial impact on integrated producers, who supply the raw materials. The present study aims to systematically map, contextualize, quantify, and qualitatively analyze articles evaluating the implementation of animal welfare in industrial broiler production and its impact on the financial returns of producers and integrated companies. The primary descriptor used was “animal welfare.” To quantify the relevant articles, the Proknow-C method was applied, followed by a similarity analysis using VoSViewer® software version 1.6.19 for systematic content evaluation. Descriptor combinations were led by animal welfare, followed by broiler pro-duction, poultry production, slaughter, economy, and rural producers. Although a significant number of articles address AW, those focused exclusively on chicken production are far fewer, declining even more when carcass condemnations are considered. Only six studies included the descriptor “economic,” and just three included “producer.” The con-tent of these nine studies was systematically reviewed, with two excluded and seven selected for discussion. Among the seven analyzed studies, none specifically examined the economic impact of AW implementation for the producer, clearly highlighting a significant research gap.

1. An experiment was carried out to validate techniques as predictive diagnostic tools for breast myopathies and to study the allometric growth of distinct parts of the body and meat quality of broilers. 2. Infrared thermography was performed at 35 d of age. The surface temperatures of breasts of 300 birds were recorded, followed by ultrasound imaging. 3. The birds were slaughtered and the cuts were made to weigh the body parts. Then, the breasts were evaluated as for the presence and severity of myopathies, from which nine treatments were established represented by the associated degrees of the myopathies white striping and wooden breast and breasts classified as normal. 4. There was no difference in surface temperatures and echogenicity values between normal breasts and breasts affected by myopathies. At 35 d of age few fillets classified as normal were found. 5. The breast showed late growth in relation to the body, regardless of characteristic lesions of myopathies. The most severe score of wooden breast affected meat quality variables.

Objetivou-se com o presente estudo relatar e discutir o contexto atual da utilização de aditivos emulsificantes em dietas avícolas. Buscou-se nas principais bases de pesquisa Web of Science e Google Scholar, artigos dos 20 últimos anos que relatavam este tema com enfoque na nutrição avícola. Para acompanhar o aumento do potencial produtivo das aves, a indústria avícola, tem escolhido fontes de gorduras para aumentar o teor de energia nas dietas. A ingestão de lipídeos é fundamental, não apenas para suprir as necessidades energéticas, mas também para atender as exigências em ácidos graxos essenciais, melhoria da palatabilidade da ração e na digestibilidade dos outros nutrientes. Neste contexto, usar ferramentas nutricionais que melhorem a digestibilidade dos lipídios é essencial, haja vista a importância deste nutriente para a produção animal. Assim, os emulsificantes são aditivos recentemente estudados na nutrição de aves com o objetivo de melhorar a absorção dos lipídeos, auxiliando na formação das micelas de gorduras, formando assim uma emulsão que é melhor absorvido pelo animal. A utilização de emulsificantes mostrou-se uma alternativa viável e com boa propensão de utilização em larga escala, com o objetivo de reduzir os níveis de energia das dietas e consequentemente os custos de produção devido ao grande crescimento da avicultura nacional.

This study aims to evaluate the residual effect of different lipid sources in the diet of Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) in the rearing phase on the performance and egg quality in the initial phase of egg-laying. In the first stage, 400 Japanese quails aged 21 days were used, being distributed in a completely randomized experimental design, with five treatments and ten replicates of eight birds/replicate Treatments consisted of basal ration (BR) with 2.5% soybean oil; BR with 2.5% corn oil; BR with 2.5% cottonseed oil; BR with 2.5% sunflower oil; and BR with 2.5% canola oil. At 42 days, maintaining the initial design, all quails received a basal ration with soybean oil, in order to evaluate the residual effect of the previous phase on the performance and egg quality in the initial phase of egg-laying (43 - 84 days). The different lipid sources did not affect the performance of quails in the initial phase of production. For egg quality, yolk height, yolk diameter, yolk index, gravity, and Haugh unit (HU) showed better results in the treatment using sunflower oil. There was a residual effect of the use of lipid sources of vegetable origin in the rearing phase diet of Japanese quails on egg quality traits. Lipid sources from soybean, corn, cottonseed, canola, and sunflower seeds can be used as energy sources in the rearing diet of egg-laying quails for not being harmful to their initial performance. The longevity in egg production of quails fed with different lipid sources in the rearing phase was similar.