Impact of trace mineral supplementation and translucency score on eggshell quality, hatchability, fertility, and chick quality.

The broiler breeder industry is facing a problem with fertility, hatchability, and the number of broiler breeder eggs produced per hen. The supplementation of trace minerals such as zinc, manganese, and copper in broiler breeder diets has been previously linked to an increase in eggshell quality, which may lead to increased fertility, hatchability, and chick quality. The objective of this study was to explore the effect of amino-acid complexed mineral supplementation on eggshell quality, fertility, hatchability, chick quality, and shell translucency.

Research Note: Evaluation of manganese hydroxychloride in 45-wk-old white leghorn layers using yolk and shell manganese content.

The objective of the current study was to evaluate increasing levels of manganese hydroxychloride (MHC) in 45-wk-old white leghorn laying hens, using yolk and shell manganese (Mn) content as a potential marker for Mn concentration. A total of 80, 45-wk-old white leghorns were assigned to 6 dietary treatments, each consisting of 14 individually caged laying hens, with the exception of the reference diet containing 10 individually caged laying hens. The experiment consisted of a reference diet that contained 70 ppm of supplemental inorganic Mn in the form of Mn oxide and 5 experimental treatments each containing 0, 15, 30, 60, and 90 ppm supplemental MHC.

Impact of a multicarbohydrase containing α-galactosidase and xylanase on ileal digestible energy, crude protein digestibility, and ileal amino acid digestibility in broiler chickens.

Exogenous enzymatic supplementation of poultry feeds, including α-galactosidase and xylanase, has been shown to increase metabolically available energy, although little information has been published on the impact on amino acid digestibility. An experiment was conducted to investigate a multicarbohydrase containing α-galactosidase and xylanase on amino acid digestibility, ileal digestible energy (IDE), and CP in male broiler chicks. The experiment was a 2 × 2 (diet × enzyme) factorial arrangement with 15 replicates of 8 male broilers per replicate raised for 21 d in a battery setting.

Seasonal variability of soil CO2 flux and its carbon isotope composition in Krakow urban area, Southern Poland.

As urban atmosphere is depleted of (13)CO2, its imprint should be detectable in the local vegetation and therefore in its CO2 respiratory emissions. This work was aimed at characterising strength and isotope signature of CO2 fluxes from soil in urban areas with varying distances from anthropogenic CO2 emissions. The soil CO2 flux and its δ(13)C isotope signature were measured using a chamber method on a monthly basis from July 2009 to May 2012 within the metropolitan area of Krakow, Southern Poland, at two locations representing different levels of anthropogenic influence: a lawn adjacent to a busy street (A) and an urban meadow (B).

Partitioning of atmospheric carbon dioxide over Central Europe: insights from combined measurements of CO2 mixing ratios and their carbon isotope composition.

Regular measurements of atmospheric CO (2) mixing ratios and their carbon isotope composition ((13)C/(12)C and (14)C/(12)C ratios) performed between 2005 and 2009 at two sites of contrasting characteristics (Krakow and the remote mountain site Kasprowy Wierch) located in southern Poland were used to derive fossil fuel-related and biogenic contributions to the total CO (2) load measured at both sites. Carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere, not coming from fossil fuel and biogenic sources, was considered 'background' CO (2). In Krakow, the average contribution of fossil fuel CO (2) was approximately 3.