Xylanase supplementation of pelleted wheat-based diets increases growth efficiency and apparent metabolizable energy and decreases viscosity of intestinal contents in broilers.

This study was designed to test graded supplementation of a thermostable xylanase in pelleted, wheat-based diets fed to broiler chickens over a 28-d period. A total of 600 Ross 708 male broilers were allotted to 1 of 5 dietary treatments: positive control (PC), negative control (NC; 125 kcal of AME/kg diet reduction relative to PC), and NC supplemented with 10, 15, or 30 g/ton of xylanase. Wheat-soybean meal-based diets were pelleted and fed in 2 feeding phases (14-d each).

Changes in the amount of lysine in protective proteins and immune cells after a systemic response to dead Escherichia coli: implications for the nutritional costs of immunity.

The nutritional demands of the immune system may result in tradeoffs with competing processes such as growth and reproduction. The magnitude of the nutritional costs of immunity is largely unknown. Thus, we examine the lysine content of the systemic components of the immune system in adult male chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) in a healthy condition (maintenance) and following a robust Escherichia coli-specific immune response.

Dynamics of the systemic components of the chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) immune system following activation by Escherichia coli; implications for the costs of immunity.

The immune response is thought to be costly and deters from growth and reproduction, but the magnitude and sources of these costs are unknown. Thus, we quantified the changes in mass of leukocytes (CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, Bu1(+) IgM(+) and Bu1(+) IgG(+) B cells, monocytes/macrophages, heterophils and thrombocytes) and protective plasma proteins in systemic (non-mucosal) components of adult chickens injected intravenously with dead Escherichia coli. During the first day after E.