Testing for effects of growth rate on isotope trophic discrimination factors and evaluating the performance of Bayesian stable isotope mixing models experimentally: A moment of truth?

Discerning assimilated diets of wild animals using stable isotopes is well established where potential dietary items in food webs are isotopically distinct. With the advent of mixing models, and Bayesian extensions of such models (Bayesian Stable Isotope Mixing Models, BSIMMs), statistical techniques available for these efforts have been rapidly increasing. The accuracy with which BSIMMs quantify diet, however, depends on several factors including uncertainty in tissue discrimination factors (TDFs; Δ) and identification of appropriate error structures.

Diet medication and beta-glucanase affect ileal digesta soluble beta-glucan molecular weight, carbohydrate fermentation, and performance of coccidiosis vaccinated broiler chickens given wheat-based diets.

Exogenous enzymes as alternatives to feed antibiotics in poultry has become an emerging research area with the emergence of antibiotic resistance. The objective was to evaluate the effects of diet medication (antibiotics) and β-glucanase (BGase) on digesta soluble β-glucan depolymerization, carbohydrate fermentation, and performance of coccidiosis-vaccinated broiler chickens fed wheat-based diets. A total of 1,782 broilers were raised on litter floor pens, and each treatment was assigned to 1 pen in each of the 9 rooms.

Fibre-based feed supplements - fermentation and moisture characteristics, edibility and particle size influence cage-reared laying hens' preference based on feed consumption and time at the feeder.

1. Past studies have shown that fibre-based feed supplements, such as silage, are well accepted by laying hens and can reduce feather pecking and cannibalism. What is uncertain is whether fermentation and moisture characteristics, edibility or particle size influence the hen's choice for a fibre-based feed supplement or if there are more preferred materials.

Effects of diet hulless barley and beta-glucanase levels on ileal digesta soluble beta-glucan molecular weight and carbohydrate fermentation in laying hens.

Exogenous β-glucanase (BGase) improves nutrient digestibility and production performance in laying hens fed barley-based diets, but the effect of enzyme and the dosage on β-glucan depolymerization and fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract is poorly understood. The objectives of the study were to determine the effects of hulless barley (HB) and BGase levels on digestive tract β-glucan depolymerization and fermentation in laying hens. A total of 108 Lohman-LSL Lite hens were housed in cages and fed 2 levels of HB (CDC Fibar; 0 and 73%) by substituting wheat in the diet and graded levels of BGase (Econase GT 200 P from ABVista; 0, 0.

The impact of infrared beak treatment on turkey tom and hen beak length and performance to 12 weeks of age.

Controlling injurious pecking in commercial turkeys remains a significant challenge to producers and the industry. Infrared beak treatment is an effective method of controlling injurious pecking in chickens; however, the effects of infrared beak treatment on turkey performance are still largely unknown. Two experiments were conducted to determine the impact of infrared beak treatment on the beak length and performance of turkeys raised to 12 wk of age.

The effect of infrared beak treatment on the welfare of turkeys reared to 12 weeks of age.

This study aimed to determine the effects of infrared beak treatment on the behavior and welfare of male and female turkeys reared to 12 wk of age. To do this, poults (236 males and 324 females) were assigned to one of 2 beak treatments: infrared beak treated on day of hatch (IR) or sham untreated control (C). Data collected included heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio, pecking force, feather cover, behavioral expression, and beak histology.

Hulless barley and β-glucanase affect ileal digesta soluble beta-glucan molecular weight and digestive tract characteristics of coccidiosis-vaccinated broilers.

Exogenous β-glucanase (BGase) in barley-based feed has been shown to reduce digesta viscosity in chickens, and thereby improve performance. Less well studied is the potential for BGase to convert barley β-glucan into low molecular weight carbohydrates, which might influence digestive tract function and enteric disease. Coccidiosis-vaccinated broiler chickens were fed graded levels of hulless barley (HB) and BGase to determine their effects on β-glucan depolymerization and digestive tract characteristics.

Development of a Coccidiosis Disease Challenge Model Using a Commercially Available Live Oocyst Vaccine.

With growing cross-disciplinary collaboration among researchers, it is increasingly important to record detailed methodology to prevent the repetition of preliminary experiments. The purpose of this paper is to explain the development of a coccidiosis challenge model for the investigation of dietary interventions to coccidiosis in broiler chickens. The objectives are to select a dose of mixed species coccidial vaccine and evaluate the suitability (ability to produce a consistent, marked change) of selected response variables important to nutritional studies at different times postinfection (PI).

Net energy, energy utilization, and nitrogen and energy balance affected by dietary pea supplementation in broilers.

Pea starch consists predominantly of C-type of amylopectin chain which is more resistant to digestive enzymes than A-type of starch thus slowly digested in poultry. It was hypothesized that the presence of slowly digested pea starch in broiler diets will increase net energy and the efficiency of energy utilization in broilers. Two experiments were performed to investigate starch digestibility of pea at different incubation times (in vitro study) and the effect of dietary pea on heat increment and net energy in broilers using an open-circuit respiratory calorimetry system (in vivo study).

Effects of exogenous β-glucanase on ileal digesta soluble β-glucan molecular weight, digestive tract characteristics, and performance of coccidiosis vaccinated broiler chickens fed hulless barley-based diets with and without medication.

Introduction: Limited use of medication in poultry feed led to the investigation of exogenous enzymes as antibiotic alternatives for controlling enteric disease. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of diet β-glucanase (BGase) and medication on β-glucan depolymerization, digestive tract characteristics, and growth performance of broilers.

Materials And Methods: Broilers were fed hulless barley (HB) based diets with BGase (Econase GT 200P from AB Vista; 0 and 0.

The role of biofactors in the prevention and treatment of age-related diseases.

The present demographic changes toward an aging society caused a rise in the number of senior citizens and the incidence and burden of age-related diseases (such as cardiovascular diseases [CVD], cancer, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD], diabetes mellitus, and dementia), of which nearly half is attributable to the population ≥60 years of age. Deficiencies in individual nutrients have been associated with increased risks for age-related diseases and high intakes and/or blood concentrations with risk reduction. Nutrition in general and the dietary intake of essential and nonessential biofactors is a major determinant of human health, the risk to develop age-related diseases, and ultimately of mortality in the older population.

Effects of hulless barley and exogenous beta-glucanase levels on ileal digesta soluble beta-glucan molecular weight, digestive tract characteristics, and performance of broiler chickens.

The reduced use of antibiotics in poultry feed has led to the investigation of alternatives to antibiotics, and one such substitution is fermentable carbohydrates. Exogenous β-glucanase (BGase) is commonly used in poultry fed barley-based diets to reduce digesta viscosity. The effects of hulless barley (HB) and BGase levels on ileal digesta soluble β-glucan molecular weight, digestive tract characteristics, and performance of broiler chickens were determined.

Contrasting the effects of phytase and pure myo-inositol on the performance, digestibility, blood and egg yolk inositol levels and digestion physiology of laying hens.

ABSRACT1. An experiment was designed to compare the effects of supplementing laying hen diets with phytase and myo-inositol (inositol).2.

Hulless barley and beta-glucanase levels in the diet affect the performance of coccidiosis-challenged broiler chickens in an age-dependent manner.

Diet β-glucanase (BGase) depolymerizes viscous β-glucan into lower molecular weight carbohydrates, which might act as a prebiotic in chickens exposed to enteric disease. Coccidiosis-challenged broiler chickens were fed graded levels of hulless barley (HB) and BGase to determine their effects on growth performance. Broilers were fed high β-glucan HB (CDC Fibar; 0, 30, and 60% replacing wheat) and BGase (Econase GT 200P; 0, 0.

[Magnesium: Relevance for general practitioners - a position paper of the Society for Magnesium Research e. V.].

Magnesium deficiency is to be expected in the population and particularly among risk groups. Magnesium deficiency can cause numerous symptoms, is per se pathological and thus requires treatment. Diagnostics is based on clinical symptoms in conjunction with anamnestic criteria and laboratory parameters.

In Vitro Methods of Assessing Protein Quality for Poultry.

Protein quality assessment of feed ingredients for poultry is often achieved using in vitro or in vivo testing. In vivo methods can be expensive and time consuming. Protein quality can also be evaluated using less expensive and time consuming chemical methods, termed in vitro.

Assessing the effect of starch digestion characteristics on ileal brake activation in broiler chickens.

The objective of this research was to evaluate activation of the ileal brake in broiler chickens using diets containing semi-purified wheat (WS; rapidly and highly digested) and pea (PS; slowly and poorly digested) starch. Diets were formulated to contain six WS:PS ratios (100:0, 80:20, 60:40, 40:60, 20:80, 0:100) and each starch ratio was fed to 236 Ross 308 male broilers housed in 4 litter floor pens. At 28 d of age, the effect of PS concentration was assessed on starch digestion, digestive tract morphology, and digesta pH and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentration.

Effect of protein sources on performance characteristics of turkeys in the first three weeks of life.

The effect of nutrition during the early life of turkey poults has a long-lasting impact on bird performance. This study assessed the digestibility of 5 high protein feed ingredients (soybean meal [SBM], corn gluten meal [CGM], canola protein concentrate [CPC], fish meal [FM], and porcine meal [PCM]) in broiler chickens, as well as their use in turkey pre-starter diets fed to 21 d of age. The first experiment (5 × 2 factorial arrangement) determined nitrogen corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) and apparent ileal amino acid digestibility (AIAAD) of each ingredient in broiler chickens at 5 and 21 d of age, using 6 replications of 30 and 8 chicks, respectively.

The influence of indigestible protein on broiler digestive tract morphology and caecal protein fermentation metabolites.

Indigestible dietary protein fermentation products have been suggested to negatively influence broiler performance due to their impact on health and digestive tract morphology. This study evaluated the digestive tract morphology and caecal protein fermentation metabolites of broiler fed 3 dietary protein levels (24%, 26% and 28%) with low or high indigestible protein (LIP, HIP). Two completely randomized 3 × 2 factorial trials were conducted with protein level (PL) and indigestible protein (IDP) as the main factors.

Dietary Inositol Reduces Fearfulness and Avoidance in Laying Hens.

Myo-inositol (inositol) affects memory, and the incidence of depression and anxiety in mammals. An experiment was designed to determine if pure inositol (0.16%), or high levels of phytase (3000 FTU/kg) affect the behaviour of fully beaked Lohmann LSL lite hens fed amino acid sufficient (19% crude protein (CP)) and deficient diets (16% CP), from 19 to 59 weeks of age.

The effect of beak tissue sloughing and post-treatment beak shape on the productivity of infrared beak-treated layer pullets and hens.

Infrared beak treatment (IRBT) results in a change in beak shape; however, it is unclear what effect variations in post-treatment beak shape have on young pullets. Additionally, the impact of sloughing of the treated beak tissue is not fully understood. Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of beak tissue sloughing and post-treatment beak shape on the productivity of infrared beak-treated Lohmann Brown (LB) and Lohmann LSL-Lite (LW) pullets and hens.

Phytate degradation in gnotobiotic broiler chickens and effects of dietary supplements of phosphorus, calcium, and phytase.

Gnotobiotic broiler chickens were used to study interactive effects of supplemented phosphorus, calcium (PCa), and phytase (Phy) on myo-inositol 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexakis (dihydrogen phosphate) (InsP6) degradation and release of myo-inositol in the digestive tract. In 2 subsequent runs, the chickens were subjected to 1 of 4 dietary treatments with and without PCa and Phy supplementation. Sanitized eggs were hatched in 8 germfree isolators, and a minimum of 9 male Ross 308 chickens were placed in each pen (total 16 pens).

The impact of beak tissue sloughing and beak shape variation on the behavior and welfare of infrared beak-treated layer pullets and hens.

This research examined how infrared beak treatment (IRBT), sloughing of the treated beak tissue, and the variations in beak shape that can occur post-IRBT impact the welfare and mortality of Lohmann LSL-Lite (LW) and Lohmann Brown (LB) pullets and hens. Two experiments were conducted and birds for both experiments were treated on the day of hatch. IRBT equipment settings were adjusted to create 4 specific beak shapes: shovel (SHV), step (STP), standard (STAN), and an untreated sham control (C).

The influence of indigestible protein on the performance and meat quality of broilers vaccinated for coccidiosis.

High dietary protein and the use of poorly digested protein sources have been suggested to negatively impact broiler health, possibly because of protein fermentation in the distal intestinal tract. The effect of dietary protein levels with low or high indigestible protein fractions (LIP or HIP) on male and female broiler performance were evaluated. The trial was completely randomized with a 2 × 3 × 2 factorial arrangement, where gender, dietary protein levels (24, 26, and 28%), and dietary protein digestible fractions were the main factors.

The effects of stocking density on turkey tom performance and environment to 16 weeks of age.

Stocking density (SD) of turkey toms (n = 2,868 Nicholas Select) was evaluated in 2 16-wk trials. Poults were randomly allocated to 1 of 8 independently ventilated rooms (6.71 × 10.