Determination of the standardized ileal digestible calcium requirement of Ross broilers from hatch to day 14 post-hatch.

An experiment was conducted to determine the standardized ileal digestible (SID) calcium requirement of fast-growing broilers from hatch to d 14 post-hatch. Ross 308 ( = 360) male broilers were obtained on day of hatch and allocated to 1 of 5 treatments in battery cages. There were 6 birds per cage and 12 pens per treatment.

Research Note: Formulating broiler diets using digestible calcium significantly improved growth performance but reduced apparent ileal digestibility of calcium and phosphorus.

An experiment was conducted to compare the use of a total and digestible Ca formulation system in broilers from hatch to d 37 post-hatch. Ross 308 (n = 288) male broilers were obtained and allocated to one of 2 dietary treatments in floor pens. There were 18 birds per pen and 8 replicate pens per diet.

[Anal symptoms of gastro-intestinal diseases].

In most cases the ano-cutaneous clinical symptoms correlated to diseases of the gastro-intestinal tract are not specific (erythema, itching, wounds or scarring). However in the following diseases occasional dermatological lesions may directly contribute to their diagnosis: in Crohn's disease, tuberculosis of bowel, chronic entamoebiasis and bilharziosis, the skin lesions of the anal area have the same histological structure as the gut lesions. Perianal fistulas and ulcers are frequent in Crohn's disease especially if there is a colonic and rectal spreading; they respond badly to steroid therapy and are often correlated with a worse prognosis.