Comparisons of molting diets on skeletal quality and eggshell parameters in hens at the end of the second egg-laying cycle

Posted in: Welfare by admin on January 1, 2005 | No Comments

In order to evaluate skeletal quality and eggshell parameters, a study was conducted on molted hens at the end of the second laying cycle. Sixty hens were allocated to two control and four molting treatments: full-fed control 1 (82 weeks old), full-fed control 2 (122 weeks old), feed withdrawal, 100 % alfalfa, 90 % alfalfa/10 % layer ration, and 70 % alfalfa/30 % layer ration. Hens were euthanized at the end of the second laying cycle by CO2. The femur and tibia were collected. There were no differences in bone parameters among the two control treatment hens, or among the different molting treatment hens. Egg weights were heavier but percentage shell and egg production were lower among ‘full-fed control 2’ birds compared with ‘full-fed control 1’ birds. The ‘feed-withdrawal’ hens and ’90 % alfalfa/10 % layer ration’ hens had heavier shell weights than the ‘100 % alfalfa’ hens. Overall bone parameters were found to be negatively correlated with eggshell parameters. Bone parameters were highly correlated with each other. Shell weight, percentage shell, and shell thickness were positively correlated with each other while egg weight was negatively correlated with percentage shell. Results of the study indicated that the age of the hens and molting dietary treatments influence egg parameters, and eggshell formation is closely related to bone metabolism in laying hens.

Why in earth? Dustbathing in jungle and domestic fowl reviewed from a Tinbergian and animal welfare perspective.

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The dustbathing behaviour of captive birds has been studied extensively. This paper brings together past research on dustbathing in domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) and jungle fowl (Gallus gallus), in order to achieve a more thorough understanding of dustbathing. Research about the development, genetics, function and cause of dustbathing were all examined. Previous research has found that exposure to dustbathing substrates early in life can affect preferences later on, however the development of dustbathing is not reliant on the presence of a dustbathing substance. There is little research available that compares dustbathing in domestic and jungle fowl, which could provide a better understanding about the heritably of dustbathing behaviour. There are also few studies that examined the importance of dustbathing to the survival of the bird. It is known the number of lipids on the feathers is reduced following dustbathing, which increases the insulating ability of the feathers. However, whether dustbathing is also effective at controlling ectoparasites is unknown. The majority of the research about dustbathing focuses on the cause. Dustbathing follows a diurnal rhythm and is typically performed every two days. There is evidence that there is an internal motivation to dustbathe, as illustrated by the fact the birds will dustbathe quite quickly upon the return of litter, after it has been withheld. There also may be external factors, such as social facilitation that cause dustbathing, but recent research has brought doubt upon the external component. Hens demonstrate a preference for certain types of dustbathing substrate, and fine substrates like peat and sand will bring forth more dustbathing behaviours. The question of whether or not hens have the motivation to dustbathe is important, as it relates the hens’ welfare. What is needed to be determined is how sham dustbathing (performed by hens when the appropriate litter is not available) is related to actual dustbathing behaviour.

Bacteriocins of Streptococcus is a therapeutic alternatives to antibiotics for treating infections in swine

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Streptococcus suis is an important pathogen in swine that causes, among other conditions, meningites and endocardites. Antibiotic treatment can be efficient against this pathogenic bacteria when it is administrated soon enough. However, more and more strains of S. suis that are resistant to penicillin and other antibiotics are observed. At the same time, some non-pathogenic strains of S. suis are known to produce antibacterial substances of proteic nature called bacteriocins. This research project explored that antibacterial property in the context of fighting virulent strains of S. suis. The results showed that the non-pathogenic strain of S. suis 90-1330 can produce an antibacterial substance exhibiting the classical characteristics of bacteriocins, that is, low molecular weight, resistance to heat and susceptibility to proteolytic enzymes. This bacteriocin proved to be active against pathogenic isolates of S. suis, as well as other bacteria, both Gram positive and negative. Also, been found that adding yeast extract to the culture medium significantly simulated the producion of this bacteriocin by S. suis 90-1330. A purification procedure permitting to obtain an enriched fraction of bacteriocin 90-1330 have also been developed. Electrophoretic analysis on polyacrylamide gel suggests the molecular weight of bacteriocin 90-1330 to range between 4 and 5kDa. The results support potential utility of the non-pathogenic S. suis strain 90-1330 or its bacteriocin to prevent and fight infections in swine caused by virulent strains of S. suis. However, further research is needed before applying this new therapeutic principle.

Nitric oxide-dependent activation of pig oocytes: Role of calcium

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Alternatives to Antibiotics in Swine Diets: A Molecular Approach

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There is a growing concern in agriculture about the inclusion of antibiotics into animal feeds. This is increasing herd resistance. Unfortunately with a reduction of feed antibiotics comes lowered productivity and increased disease, which often results in more antibiotics. In the past, as price of antibiotics decreased, feed antibiotic inclusion increased. Today, there is the concern of whether antibiotics in animal feed increase human antibiotic resistance. Studies have shown that animals given sub-therapeutic levels of antibiotics in their feed did not show a significant increase in antibiotic resistance over an extended period of time (although the research is debatable). Since antibiotics are effective in improving growth and efficiency of feed utilization, the benefits of its use is far greater than the risk of antibiotic resistance. In 1986, Sweden banned the use of feed antibiotics, and that resulted in a two-fold increase in piglet diarrhea, and similar attempts since then has showed a decline in nursery pig health, consequently increasing the need for therapeutic antibiotic administration. The result of omitting antibiotics in finisher feed is a reduction in feed efficiency and average daily gain. Alternatives to antibiotics can only really be found once the microbial ecology and microbiology of the digestive tract is determined. Some alternatives already in use include probiotics, prebiotics, organic acids and enzymes. Probiotics are essentially microbes added to animal feed that prevent pathogens from affecting the animal. Prebiotics exist to promote the growth of already established good (“non-pathogenic”) bacteria that live in the gut. Organic acids can influence the microbes of the gut by changing the physical conditions, making it less optimal for growth of bad (“pathogenic”) species. Enzymes can work for and against (respectively) non-pathogenic and pathogenic species in the gastrointestinal tract.

Is that what Consumers really think of us?

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Over the past few years the public impression of the hog industry has been improving. The most important issue for consumers is the environmental impact on large-scale swine facilities and they see the industry as being harder on the environment than other agricultural areas. The safety of Canadian pork has a very positive reputation. Animal welfare is surprisingly not a big issue as most of the public feel that the pigs are treated humanely. The fact that the public learns what they know about the industry through media is poor, as images can be distorted this way.

Prebiotic Feed Additives: Rationale and Use in Pigs

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Disease has always been a critical issue in pig production. It affects not only animal health and well-being, but also the physical and economic health of the producer. Growth promotant antibiotics have been fed to livestock since the 1940’s and have generally enhanced pig performance. The gut is full of “symbiotic” microbes, which means that they work with the pig to benefit each other. In the case of the pigs most of these microbes protect against harmful pathogens via competition for nutrients, production of toxic conditions, competition for attachment sites on intestine, or stimulation of the immune system. Prebiotics are defined as “A non-digestible food ingredient that beneficially affects the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon.” Prebiotic compounds act by enriching beneficial bacterial populations to influence the defensive capability of the animal by altering immune function, intestinal structure, microbial populations, intestinal pH, fatty acid concentrations, mineral absorption and disease resistance. Some prebiotic studies have shown to improve growth performance, decrease variation, decrease morbidity and mortality, and decrease medicinal costs.

CLIMATE CONTROL BASED ON TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT IN THE ANIMAL−OCCUPIED ZONE OF A PIG ROOM WITH GROUND CHANNEL VENTILATION

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Calcium, phosphorus, and amino acid digestibility in low-phytate corn, normal corn, and soybean meal by growing pigs

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Nine growing barrows were equipped with a T-cannula in the distal ileum and used to determine apparent ileal (AID) and apparent total-tract digestibility (ATTD) coefficients of Ca and P in low-phytate corn, normal corn, soybean meal, and in diets where soybean meal was mixed with low-phytate corn or normal corn. The AID and the standardized ileal digestibility coefficients (SID) of CP and AA also were determined. The animals (initial BW = 29.3 ± 1 kg)
were allotted to a 9 × 9 Latin square with nine diets and nine periods. Three diets contained low-phytate corn, normal corn, and soybean meal as their sole source of CP, AA, Ca, and P, respectively. Three additional diets were identical to these diets except that limestone and monosodium phosphate were added. Two diets contained low-phytate corn or normal corn and soybean meal, limestone, and monosodium phosphate, and the final diet was a N-free diet. The AID and ATTD of Ca were higher (P < 0.05) for low-phytate corn than for normal corn (70.0 and 69.1% vs. 47.4 and 49.6%, respectively). The AID and ATTD for Ca in soybean meal (50.9 and 46.7%, respectively) did not differ from values for normal corn but were lower (P < 0.05) than for lowphytate corn. The AID and ATTD for P from low-phytate corn (56.5 and 54.5%, respectively) were greater (P < 0.05) than from normal corn (28.3 and 28.8%, respectively), whereas soybean meal had intermediate AID and ATTD for P (37.2 and 38.0%, respectively). The AID and ATTD of P increased (P < 0.05) when monosodium phosphate was added to normal corn (44.9 and 49.8%, respectively) and soybean meal (49.6 and 46.2%, respectively), but adding monosodium phosphate to low-phytate corn, did not alter either AID (49.7%) or ATTD (50.7%) of P. No differences between AID and ATTD for Ca or P within the same diet were observed. The AID of Arg, Asp, Gly, Ile, Lys, Phe, Thr, and Val were greater (P < 0.05) in low-phytate corn than in normal corn. The AID of all AA in soybean meal were greater (P < 0.05) than in both types of corn, with the exception of Ala, Cys, Leu, and Met. The SID of Lys, Phe, and Thr were higher (P < 0.05) in low-phytate corn than in normal corn. Because low-phytate corn has a higher digestibility of Ca and P, less inorganic Ca and P need to be supplemented to diets containing low-phytate corn than to those containing normal corn, and P excretion may be decreased when low-phytate corn is used in the diet.

Evaluation of the F1 and backcrosses of Nigerian local pigs and the Large White for litter characteristics in Southwest Nigeria

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