Iranian Journal of Animal Science
Year:2015 | Volume:46 | Issue:2 |Papers Count:14

This research was conducted to evaluate the effects of adding five levels of Ferula assa foetida powder (0, 0. 25, 0. 50, 0. 75 and 1 percent of diet) on performance, humoral and cellular immune status and cecal microbial population. A total of 200 one-day-old mixed sex Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 5 experimental groups with each four replicates and 10 birds in each replicate, using to a completely randomized design. Experimental periods were as 1-21 and 22-42 days of age. During 22-42 days of age, the highest body weight gain (BWG) was observed in birds fed diet containing 0. 75% Ferula assa foetida (FAF). At 1-21 days of age, adding FAF to the diet did not affect FCR (P>0. 05) but at 22-42 days of age the lowest FCR was observed in birds fed 0. 75% FAF compared to control group (P<0. 05). Birds fed FAF, had higher antibody titer against NDV, IB and cellular immunity 48h after challenging with 2, 4-Dinitrochlorobenzene (P<0. 05). Birds fed 0. 75 percent FAF, had higher relative bursa of Fabricius weight compared to birds in control group (P<0. 05). Cecal lactobacilli population improved by using FAF in diet (P<0. 05). Result of this experiment showed that using 0. 75% FAF powder in diet of broilers could improve FCR, humoral and cellular immune responses as well as cecal lactobacilli population.

Identification of selection targeted genomic regions is one of the most challenging areas of research in animal genetics, particularly in livestock. We carried out a genome-wide scan for signatures of positive selection to identify genomic regions that had been under selection in Iranian Khuzestani and Mazandrani buffalo breeds. A total of 148 water buffalo from Khuzestani (N=121) and Mazandrani (N=27) buffalo breeds were genotyped using Axiom® Buffalo Genotyping 90K Array. Unbiased method of population differentiation index (FST) was applied to detect signatures of selection. In total, 23 regions exceeding the 0. 1 percent threshold of the empirical posterior distribution were identified as extremely differentiated. These selected genomic regions were surveyed to find encoding putative candidate genes and 64 genes and 27 QTL were extracted from the corresponding areas in UMD3. 1 Bos Taurus Genome Assembly. Some of these genes have previously reported as signature of positive selection in the last studies. Some of these genes were also found to be involved in milk production traits and domestication-related changes include sensory perceptions, brain and neural system development, pigmentation, and geographic adaptation. Also, survey on extracted QTLs was shown that these QTLs involved in some economicl important traits in buffalo such as feed conversion ratio, subcutaneous fat, body weight, average daily gain, type, Meat tenderness, milk production conentent, udder attachment, calf size and calving ease traits. However, it will be necessary to carry out more association and functional studies to demonstrate the implication of these genes.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of bovine serum albomin (BSA) in stallion semen extender in cool condition. After collection, semen samples were pooled and divided into four equal parts. Each part was diluted with one of the following extenders: (1) extender without BSA (BSA-0), (2) extender containing 5 mg/mL BSA (BSA-5), (3) extender containing 10 mg/mL BSA (BSA-10), and (4) extender containing 15 mg/mL BSA (BSA-15). After 2, 24 and 48 hours in cool condtions, the effect of different extenders on motility, viability, plasma membrane functionality and Malondialdehyde (MDA) level were evaluated. The obtained results indicated that total sperm motility in BSA-5 and BSA-10 extenders was significantly higher compared to BSA-0 and BSA-15 extenders after 48 hours. BSA-10 extender resulted in significantly higher progressive motility compared to BSA-0 and BSA-15 extenders. Plasma membrane functionality was significantly lower in BAS-15 extender compared to other extenders after 48 hours. Viability was significantly decreased in BSA-15 extender compared to other extenders. In conclusion, BSA-15 extender had lower protective effect on total motility and plasma membrane functionality comared to other extenders at 48 hours.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of 0 (control), 0. 5, 1, 1. 5 and 2 ml/L of Shirazi thyme aqueous extract in drinking water on performance and immune response in broilers. Two hundred oneday-old broiler chicks (Ross 308) were allocated to five treatments with four replicates and 10 birds per cage in a completely randomized design. Daily feed intake, daily body weight gain and feed conversion ratio were measured. The birds were challenged by sheep red blood cell (SRBC) on days 8 and 22 of age and serum antibody levels produced in response to SRBC were measured on days 21, 28, 35 and 42. Skin response to Phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P) injection was assessed intradermally on day 16. The Shirazi thyme aqueous extract had no effect on feed intake, daily weight gain, feed conversion ratio and carcass traits. The consumption of 2 ml/L Shirazi thyme aqueous extract in drinking water increased total Anti-SRBC and IgM titers on day 21; 1 and 1. 5 ml/L increased IgM titer on day 28; 0. 5, 1. 5 and 2 ml/L increased total Anti-SRBC and IgG titers on day 35 and 1. 5 and 2 ml/L increased IgG titer on day 42 (P<0. 05). Cell immunity in response to PHA-P injection was not affected by treatment groups. It can be concluded that Zataria multifora Boiss have no effects on performance and cell immunity but improve humoral immunity in broilers.

The objective of this study was to consider economic consequence of delayed conception of milking cows in large dairy farms in Iran. Optimum open days and milk production at peak were assumed to be 110 days and 45 kg respectively. Price of milk, feed, semen and hormones were calculated based on average prices of autumn, 2013. Results of this study showed that increasing days in milk (DIM) from 110 to 170 has doubled costs of sperm and veterinary hormones. Delaying of each day of conception in cows with 45 kg of milk production at peak, during first; second, third and fourth estrous cycle beyond the optimum days open (110 d) cause economic losses of 308503, 572818, 812689 and 1013331 Rials, respectively. Feed costs compromise 54. 7 to 56. 6 percent of the loss, and any one percent change in feed price will directly cause 0. 55 percent changes of the loss.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different levels of creatine and protein in diets on performance and meat quality of broiler chickens. A total of 320 day old Ross broiler chicks were used in a 2×4 factorial arrangement of dietary treatments comprised two levels of protein (Ross recommendation and 10% higher than recommendation) and four levels of creatine (0, 0. 1, 0. 3 and 0. 5% of diet) in a completely randomized design with four replicates and 10 chicks per replicate. Performance characteristics were measured at the end of starter (0-10 d), grower (11-24 d) and finisher (25-42 d) periods. The concentration of MDA was measured in breast meat after induced oxidation by ferrous sulphate and ascorbic acid. pH and WHC were measured in breast and tight meat at the end of period. The results showed that chicks fed on diets containing high level of protein had more feed intake and weight gain and showed better feed conversion ratio (P<0. 05). Body weight gain and feed conversion improved by increasing in the amount of dietary creatine (P<0. 05). Water holding capacity of the breast and thigh meat increased by increasing in dietary protein and creatine (P<0. 05). Also different levels of protein and creatine monohydrate had no significant effect on the pH and MDA contents of breast and thigh meat after slaughtering. The results obtained in this experiment indicate that creatine supplementation of broiler diets containing recommended protein level by manuals or 10% higher than it, improve growth performance and meat quality.

The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of feeding high levels of L-arginine on growth performance, blood metabolites, and carcass meat quality of female Ross broiler chickens at the starter period. In this experiment, 192 day old chicks were fed with 4 dietary treatments (100%, 153%, 168% and 183% of digestible arginine, based on the Ross catalogue recommendation) with 4 replications in a completely randomized design from day 1 to 10. On 10th day of experiment, chicks were weighed, feed consumption was recorded, and feed efficiency was calculated. Also, three chickens per replication were selected after sampling, blood were euthanized to measure breast and thigh muscle weights, meat quality of the breast muscle (color, pH, and shear force). Data were analyzed based using proc GLM of SAS software. According to the results, the highest increasing percentage for body weight (2. 33%), feed efficiency (6. 35%), relative weight of breast (22. 16%) and thigh (17. 53%) muscles were observed in diet with 168% digestible arginine relative to control group (P<0. 05). Also, the highest increasing percentage in plasma triiodothyronine (60. 45%), thyroxine (26. 91%), and relative triiodothyronine to thyroxine (25. 91%) was observed in diet with 183% digestible arginine relative to control group (P<0. 01). On the other hand, in 183% digestible arginine group noticeable decrease in percentages of plasma cholesterol (14. 93%) and triglyceride (25. 19%) concentrations, shear force (26. 39%) and 24 (2. 05%) and 48 (2. 63%) h meat pH was observed (P<0. 05) relative to the control group. The overall results of this study showed that consumption level of 168% digestible arginine, as based of Ross catalogue recommendation, had the best desirable results on growth, meat quality and plasma metabolites.

The objective of this study was to estimate variance components, genetic and phenotypic trends for somatic cell score. Dataset that collected by the Animal Breeding Center of Iran was used in this study. Data file included 850, 729 test day records of somatic cell counts (SCC) on 32, 955 cows from lactations one to four, in 472 herds, gathered from years 2002 to 2013 in Iran. A test day repeatability animal model was used to estimate the genetic parameters and variance components using ASReml. The heritability was estimated 0. 176. Estimated repeatability (± SE) for within (rwit) and between (racr) parities were 0. 362± 0. 006 and 0. 230± 0. 002, respectively. The genetic and phenotypic trend based on regression of average breeding values of SCS on year of birth, was-0. 0246 and-0. 047, respectively. This trend could be due to genetic improvement and mastitis management control programs that are widely being used across the dairy farms in country.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of eCG, PGF2α and GnRH hormone on improvement of reproduction performance of CIDR synchronized Zandi ewes in breeding season. 500 ewes with age of 2. 5-4 years and same nutritional condition were selected for this study and received CIDR for 12 days. Then these ewes were assigned to five equal groups. First group received no hormone (control group). In the second group, ewes were injected 400 Iu of eCG at the time of CIDR removal. The ewes of third group received 400 IU of eCG and 1 ml PGF2α at the time of CIDR removal. The ewes of forth group received 400 IU of eCG at the time of CIDR removal and 1 ml GnRH in 14th day. The ewes of fifth group were received 400 IU of eCG and 1 ml PGF2α at the time of CIDR removal and 1 ml GnRH in 14th day. All ewes were inseminated 54 hours after CIDR removal. Results showed that heat rate was higher in hormone treated groups than control group (P<0. 05), but the differences between treated groups were not significant. Groups receiving GuRH had higher pregnancy rate, parturition rate and lambing rate than other groups (P<0. 05). Pregnancy rate, parturition rate and lambing rate of eCG and PGF2α groups were higher than control group (P<0. 05). In conclusion using of eCG injection at the time of CIDR removal and GnRH in the day of artificial insemination could improve reproductive efficiency in Zandi ewe in the breeding season.

Genomic selection is a method to predict the breeding values of individuals using a large number of single nucleotide polymorphism markers. The cost of the high-density marker panel genotyping is very high, which prevents the widely application of genomic selection. The present simulation study was carried out to evaluate the use of low to medium marker density panels to predict direct genomic values. In this study, a trait with heritability of 0. 10, 0. 20, and 0. 40 was simulated. The simulated genome was consisted of 25 autosomes with the same distance (1morgan). Different marker density (12. 5, 27. 5 and 50 k) and 125, 250, 500 and 1000 random distributed QTL were simulated. The least square means of genomic accuracy varied between the different levels of heritability and the different marker density (P<0. 05). For low heritable trait (10℅ ), increasing the markers density had no effect on genomic accuracy with low (125) or high (1000) number of QTL, but did with the moderate number of QTLs (250 and 500 QTLs). The results showed that along with increasing in the number of markers, genomic accuracy was not changed in traits with medium heritability (20℅ ). For high heritable trait (40℅ ), increasing the marker density had no effect on genomic accuracy whit the moderate to high QTL density (250, 500 or 1000 QTLs), but it increased the accuracy with low number of QTLs (125 QTLs).

The effects of a multi enzyme were evaluated on performance and nutrient digestibility in African domesticated ostrich at 14 months ages. There were three treatments as; common diet (1), common diet plus multi enzyme (0. 350 gkg-1) (2) and common diet plus multi enzyme (0. 700 gkg-1) (3). 18 ostrich were used in this experiment (6 birds per treatment). There was significant effect of enzyme supplementation on feed intake, dry matter intake parameters (P>0. 05). Digestibility of Gross energy (GE), dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) (P>0. 05) was significantly affected by enzyme supplementation. Treatment one showed the lowest organic matter digestibility than treatments 2 and 3. Enzyme in barley contained diet significantly increased the digestibility of Crude protein (CP) and crude fat (EE) compared with treatment one. Different enzyme level also significantly increased the digestibility of NDF and ADF compared with treatment one. Generally, the use of multi enzyme especially at level of 0. 700 gkg-1 affected to improve performance traits and feed intake parameters, nutrient digestibility, especially crude protein, NDF, ADF and NFC in growing ostrich chicks.