Research On Animal Production
Year:2014 | Volume:5 | Issue:9|Papers Count:9

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of different levels of Satureja Hortensis essence on performance, carcass characteristics and immune response of broiler chickens. 220 one day old Ross 308 chicks were used in completely randomized design with 20 experimental units with 4 treatments, 5 replicates and 11 chicks in each replicate for 42 days. The dietary treatments consisted of a basal diet, and Satureja Hortensis essence (150, 300 and 450 ppm) added to the basal diet. Performance parameters were recorded weekly and carcass characteristics analyzed at 42 days of age. The results showed that consuming 300 ppm essence increased the feed intake of broiler chickens (P<0.05). The lowest relative weight of abdominal fat was related to 450 ppm Satureja Hortensis essence (P<0.05). At 35 and 42 days of age, highest antibody titer against SRBC was observed in group fed with diet containing 150 ppm essence (P<0.05). At 35 day, highest antibody titer against Newcastle at 150 ppm and at 42 day, the highest antibody titer was observed in group fed diet containing 300 ppm Satureja Hortensis essence. At 42 day, the highest antibody titer against Gumboro was related to 150 ppm essence (P<0.05). The lowest percentage of heterophile, the highest percentage of lymphocytes and the lowest ratio of heterophile to lymphocyte proliferation were observed in the 450 ppm essence (P<0.05). Our results suggest that addition of Satureja Hortensis essence to broiler diet did not affect performance and carcass characteristics but improved immune responses of broiler chicks.

This experiment was conducted to compare the effect of trimethylglycine supplementation in diets with sufficient or insufficient quantities of protein on blood electrolytes and lipid concentrations in broilers subjected to heat stress condition. Ross 308 broilers were fed with four dietary treatments from 21 to 42 d of age. The treatments consisted of a diet with sufficient levels of protein (protein recommendation by NRC, 1994) and a low protein diet (0.85 protein recommendation by NRC, 1994) that supplemented with trimethylglycine at 1.5 g/kg of diet. Each of 4 dietary treatments was fed to six replicates with 18 chicks in each replicate. Four birds were wing banded in each replicate to determining of blood parameters before and after heat stress challenge at 35 d. Birds were daily exposed to 37oC for 8 hours. Dietary protein levels had significant effects on body weight gain in the grower phase (P<0.05). Body weight gain was not significantly affected by dietary trimethylglycine levels from 2l to 42 d (P<0.05). Broiler feed consumption was affected by protein level (P<0.05). Feed intake of broiler chickens fed diets with NRC protein levels was higher than those birds fed the low protein diet. Supplementing of trimethylglycine and dietary protein level had not significant effect on feed conversion ratio (P<0.05). The results of the experiment also showed that dietary protein level, trimethylglycine supplementation and sex had not significant effect on blood electrolytes and lipids concentrations before and after heat stress challenge (P>0.05). Heat stress significantly decreased blood potassium (from 4.34 to 3.56) and increased triglyceride (from 64.01 to 80.46), cholesterol (from 112.69 to 135.57) and HDL concentrations (from 67.75 to 74.49) (P<0.05). Heat stress had not significant effect on blood sodium and calcium concentrations.

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of different levels of cinnamon powder (CNP), with antibiotic (Virginiamycin) and probiotic (Primalac) on performance and carcass characteristics in broiler chicks for 42 days using a completely randomized design. A total of 384 day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to 8 treatments, 4 replicates and 12 chicks per replicate. The experimental treatments consisted of: Basal diet (BD), BD+0.1% CNP, BD+0.2% CNP, BD+0.3% CNP, BD+Primalac, BD+0.2% CNP+Primalac, BD+Virginiamycin and BD+0.2% CNP+Virginiamycin. In starter period there were significant differences among treatments for feed intake. No significant differences were observed in among groups other performance parameters. Adding 0.1% and 0.3% CNP in treatments 2 and 3 (T2, T3) significantly decreased abdominal fat pad weight at 42d of age. This study showed that inclusion of CNP in broiler diets had not remarkable effects on performance, but adding 0.1% and 0.3% CNP significantly decreased abdominal fat pad of broiler chicks.

The effects of different levels of alcoholic chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) extract were investigated on performance, cellular and humoral immunity in 200 one-day chicks (Ross 308) in a completely randomized design with 5 treat ments and 4 replicates and 10 chicks per replicate. The treatment groups received 0 (control), 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 ml/Lit of alcoholic chicory extract, (provided from Chicory roots), in drinking water respectively, during days 3 to 42. Daily feed intake, daily body weight gain and feed conversion ratio were measured. The birds were immunized with sheep red blood cells (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) injected intradermally on day 16 were measured 24 h after injection. The results indicated that consumption of 2 ml Chicory extract increased feed intake and daily weight gain (P<0.05). Doses of 0.5, 1 and 1.5 ml Chicory extract increased the breast weight and 0.5 ml increased thymus weight percentage (P<0.05). Adding 2 ml chicory extract increased total Anti-SRBC, IgG and IgM titer in the experimental groups compared to control group (P<0.05). Consumption of 0.5 and 2 ml Chicory extract increased cellular immunity on PHA-P injection (P<0.05). It is concluded that use of 2 ml chicory extract in drinking water increases performance, cellular and humoral immunity in broilers.

This study carried out to determine of chemical compositions and nutritive value of five species of range plants in Sistan including Oshnan (Seidlitzia rosmarinus), Rendouk (Salsola yazdiana Assadi), Siyah Shor (Suaeda fruticosa), Shoran (Salsola vermiculata) and Anabasis (Anabasis setifera) by in vitro and in situ techniques. Samples were collected by systematic and random sampling procedure in autumn according to standard methods. The samples were dried in shade and after milling, chemical compositions including dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), ash (ASH), crude protein (CP), crude fat (EE), cell wall (NDF) and cell wall- hemicellulose free (ADF), dry matter degradability (in situ), cumulative gas production at 2, 4, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h, the organic matter digestibility (OMD) and metabolisable energy (ME) were determined. The results of this experiment showed that, there were significant differece in terms of chemical compositions of these samples (p<0.05). Crude protein, ADF and NDF contents were between 6.05 and 11.95%, 28.02 and 36.54% and 41.14 and 48.94% respectively. There was significant difference (p<0.01) between dry matter degradability, degradability parameters and effective degradability in different incubation times. The maximum potential degradability and effective degradability (k=0.02) was in Oshnan species. Also, the maximum cumulative gas volume at 96 hours was related to Rendouk. But, the gas production parameters (b, OMD, ME) in Oshnan species was higher than other species. The results showed that in these plants, Oshnan species has the highest nutritive value and also, there was a high positive correlation between in situ and in vitro experiments in these species and can use the gas production technique for assessing of nutritive value of these species.

This study has been conducted in order to investigation the effects of Iranian clover silage processing with easily degradable carbohydrates and enzyme on intake, digestibility, chewing behavior and weight gain in Zell sheep. 16 head of zell lamb fed with TMR (Dry Matter basis) including 40% forage (25% clover silage and 15% wheat bran) and 60% concentrate. The experimental design was CRD. Daily samples of forage, total mixed ration (TMR), orts and total feces were collected in order to determine of apparent digestibility. Eating and ruminating activities were monitored visually for sheep in the treatments over a 24 h period for 3 d of each experimental period. The body weight (BW) of lambs was measured weekly in order to measure of weekly weight gain. The highest amount of Dry Matter Intake, as fed consumption of feed and apparent digestibility of nutrients belonged to treatment including silage treated with beet pulp and the lowest amounts belonged to treatment contained silage treated with enzyme. The most and the lowest weekly weight gain achieved at 4th and 3nd week, respectively. At the end of period, treatment 3 including silage treated with beet pulp and treatment 4 contained silage treated with enzyme had the highest and the least weight gain, respectively. The same results found for daily weight gain. Silage treated with easily degradable carbohydrates had better quality and thus their feed intake, rumination and total chewing activity reduced, so that treatment including silage treated with barley and treatment 1 including silage treated with enzyme had the lowest and the highest chewing activity, respectively.

This experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of adding Poly-Ethylene-Glycol (PEG) on grape and lime pomaces on methane production by ruminal fermentation, digestion and metabolism energy. Grape and lime pomaces remained from in fruit juices were collected and were transferred to laboratory. The pomaces were dried (by fit ventilation) and were milled (by sieve 1mm). Chemical compositions including CP, NDF, Ash, EE, GE, OM, NFC, TP and TT were measured. The gas production test for various ruminal fermentation periods and methane production were analysed using six treatments containing different amounts of grape pomace, lime pomace and control. Results were analyzed by R statistical software, using factorial design with three repetitions. Chemical composition of grape and lime pomaces were significantly (P<0.05) different. Methane production (in 24 hours for per 200 mg) of the grape pomace (with and without PEG) was 13.3 and 27.7 ml and for lime pomace (with and without PEG) was 73.8 and 67.3 ml respectively. In conclusion, a significant increase on digestion and metabolic energy was observed after adding PEG to grape and lime pomaces. Adding PEG to grape pomace increased methane production while it decreased methane production in lime pomace.

One of the latest methods which can improve the accuracy of prediction and response to selection is the selection based on markers. Research has shown that the POU1F1 (Pit-1) gene has important role in the regulation of animal growth and associated with carcass, weight and milk traits. The purpose of this research was to study polymorphisms of POU1F1 gene and their association with growth and milk production traits in Mahabadi goat breed. For this purpose blood samples were taken from 136 doe and kids and DNA was extracted by optimized salting-out method. Polymerase chain reactions were used to amplify a 324-bp fragment from exon six of POU1F1 gene and 5'flanking regions using a specific primer pairs. POU1F1 gene is genotyped by AluI PCR-RFLP method. Polymorphism POU1F1-AluI locus (thymine to cytosine) had significant relationship with somatic cell count but on milk yield, milk fat, milk protein and growth traits had no significant effect. Therefore, T allele at POU1F1-AluI locus may be used as a suitable allele for reducing somatic cell count in selection based on molecular marker.

Diacylglycerol transferase is a microsome enzyme that plays an important role in glycerol lipid metabolism. The acyl CoA-diacylglycerol- acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) is considered to be the key enzyme in controlling the synthesis of triglycerides in adipocytes. This enzyme catalyzes the final step of triglyceride synthesis (transform triacylglycerol (DAG) into triacylglycerol (TAG). The present study has been designed to determine polymorphism in exon 17 of DGAT1 gene and their association with milk production traits in Mahabadi goat breed using PCR-SSCP. Blood sample were collected from 79 Mahabadi from research station of Animal Science Department at University of Tehran. DNA was extracted according to optimized salting out method. DNA quality and quantitative was determined with spectrophotometer and 1% agarose gel. A Fragment from exon 17 of DGAT1 gene was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction and SSCP technique was used to analyze polymorphism in this segment of DNA. PCR products were run in 12% polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and were stained with silver nitrate. In overall, four SSCP patterns were observed with frequency of 0.25 (1), 0.24 (2), 0.06 (3) and 0.45 (4), respectively. The findings showed that DGAT1 gene had significant effect on milk production (P<0.01) and fat percent (P<0.05). Comparison of LS means showed that pattern 3 had the most effect on milk production (P<0.01) whereas pattern 1 was more effective on fat percentage (P<0.05). Polymorphism of DGAT1 gene and its relationship with milk trait indicated that it probably can be useful in marker assisted selection and breeding programs.