Volume 41, December 2017 | Newsletter Editor: Dr G.B. Havenstein, |
Executive Committee
President's Report
I have attended several meetings and symposium in various parts of the world. I was at the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE), held at the Georgia World Congress Centre in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, from January 31 to February 2, 2017. WPSA had a complimentary booth. Senior Vice-President Bob Buresh helped to set up a room for an EC meeting to review issues of branch development, sponsorship, the planning of our next board meeting, and the drafting of a handbook of WPSA Board Policies & Procedures. While in Spain for the Board meeting, I also participated in the European Symposium on Poultry Nutrition, and made a presentation in the Opening Ceremony. I was invited to present as the WPSA President and talk in 6 meetings and seminars on various topics, mostly within China. My heavy workload as a professor at China Agricultural University has limited my time to travel long distance during this year, but I am trying to improve that situation for next year.
Recently, WPSA executive committee members have reviewed applications for travel grants from young scholars and students to attend several WPSA-related meetings. It is great to see that WPSA is a priority organization from which young people seek help. During WPC2016, the Young Scientist and Youth Programme was very impressive and successful. More than 50 students and young scholars were supported to attend the congress. The post-congress technical tour to Sichuan Province was especially enjoyed, and we have received a lot of wonderful feedback. I think it is crucial for us to encourage and support talented young people of the next the next generation to become an active part of our poultry research and production programmes. WPSA should do more of this in the future.
Prof Ning Yang
Secretary's Report
Board meeting 2018
The annual board meeting is planned 16-17 September 2018 in Dubrovnik, Croatia, prior to the European Poultry Conference.
WPSA programmes
WPSA has several programmes to support members and branches. Details can be found on the WPSA website. Criteria for eligibility are published together with the deadlines for the different programmes. Please follow the instructions as inaccurate, incomplete and late applications have to be rejected.
WPSA at symposia, conferences and exhibitions
During the last months WPSA was present at several occasions, symposia and conferences: the combined WG 6 and 12 meeting on Incubation and Fertility and Fundamental physiology in Wageningen, The Netherlands, the WG 4 and 5 EggMeat symposia in Edinburgh, UK, the International Poultry Science Symposium organized by the Polish branch, Poznan, Poland, the Regional Poultry Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, in connection with Poultry Africa 2017 and the 6th World Waterfowl Conference in Taipei, Taiwan. WPSA was also present at the Latin American Poultry Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Reports on these activities can be found in the December issue of the World’s Poultry Science Journal or elsewhere in this Newsletter.
The meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, was part of a series of meetings during Poultry Africa 2017. The WPSA conference: ‘How to produce more with less’ was the first conference in Africa, making use of the African Poultry Network. This network was created several years ago, but since the establishment activities have been limited. The programme of first day of the conference consisted of 8 presentations on several subjects important to the development of poultry in Africa, the second day was used to discuss better co-operation between poultry specialists and others, and between African branches. The presentations of the conference can be found on www.wpsa.com, under African Poultry Network. The new secretary of the African Poultry Network is Prof Ayao Missohou () from Senegal. The website of the network will become part of the WPSA website. The next conference activity will be the organization of an International Poultry Conference to be held in 2019 in Togo.
In 2018 WPSA will be active during many exhibitions (as the International Production and Processing Expo in Atlanta, USA, VIV MEA, Abu Dhabi, UAE, Victam, Asia, Bangkok, Thailand, and VIV Europe, Utrecht, The Netherlands) and conferences (the Asian Pacific Poultry Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, the Mediterranean Poultry Summit, Torino, Italy, and the European Poultry Conference, Dubrovnik, Croatia). Members are invited to come to the event and to meet WPSA representatives.
Cooperation with the organization on World Veterinary Education in Production Animal Health (WVEPAH)
The WVEPAH, a non-profit organization organizes training courses on poultry (for 3 à 4 weeks) in several countries. More details are on www.wvepah.org. All activities will also be announced on our website and in the WPS Journal.
Dr Roel Mulder
Treasurer's Report
Past President Edir da Silva and I travelled to Guadalajara, Mexico in late September. The day before the start of the XXV Congreso Latinoamericano de Avicultura, WPSA hosted 44 students for a WPSA/WPSA-Mexico/ANECA Breakfast at the Hampton Inn. These were local students, many from Tepatitlan, the huge poultry centre in Jalisco. After a quick welcome, the breakfast was served. Then Edir gave a talk on the history and workings of WPSA. This was followed by remarks about ANECA and the Mexico Branch made by Maritza Tamayo, Miguel Angel Casillas (Pres. ANECA), and Julio Arellano Rodriguez (Gen. Admin. of ANECA). I gave the last talk, explaining about our WPSA Travel Grants (TG), with specific step-by-step advice on how to make a good application and what NOT to do, see article below). We ended by raffling off the registrations for ALA/Guadalajara. The WPSA-Mexico Branch sponsored three and the world body of WPSA sponsored six travel grants.
The students were extremely interested in our presentations, and interacted very well with the various WPSA representatives. None of them were yet WPSA members and they certainly did not know about WPSA Travel Grants. The professors at their local universities are not ones who are attending international WPSA events. I was very impressed with how poultry-centric they all were. Many had parents already in the poultry industry or friends who were in some way connected to poultry.
I told the students if they joined immediately, they would be in time to apply for a Travel Grant to the Poultry Science Association’s Meetings that will be held in San Antonio, Texas, next summer or to any of the many other WPSA events that will be held during the second half of 2018.
ANECA arranged for WPSA to have a small booth space in the area facing the largest room for the scientific sessions and on the walkway to the exhibit hall. I distributed material on the organization of WPSA as well as the promotional materials for the World’s Poultry Science Journal. The WPSA Mexico Branch officers were often in the booth with me. By the end of the first day we already had students (who had attended the breakfast) signing up and paying their dues. I am happy to report that Mexican students are continuing to join the Branch, and are expressing interest in our programmes.
As was evidenced by Dr Tamayo's comments at our WPSA Board Meeting in Salou, the Mexico Branch is working hard on recruiting young people. For nearly a decade I have been trying to put on a ‘student’ event in Latin America. It was thanks to the enthusiasm and hard work of Maritza, Julio, and Miguel that it all came together in Guadalajara.
There was good foot traffic by our WPSA booth in Guadalajara. Many people learned for the first time about WPSA. Old friends and WPSA officers were also welcomed, including Dr Carlos Lopez Coello (charter member of the Mexico Branch) and Dr Karen Schwean-Lardner (President of the. Canada Branch).
I am already working on the WPSA/United States Branch-sponsored Student Programmes for the 2018 Pacific Egg and Poultry Association’s (PePa) Convention set for Napa, California. While terrible fires destroyed acres of Napa County, the beautiful Silverado Resort is fine and ready to welcome you this coming February.
As the calendar year ends, I am working with our accountant on the 2017 financial records. All but one of our Journal supporters have paid, and most of our accounts are closed out for the year.
My wishes to all members for a safe and healthy end to this year and I look forward to seeing you at a WPSA function in 2018.
Dr Francine Bradley
Reminder about Travel Grant and Speaker’s Bureau Application Submissions
The WPSA Board fully supports the awarding of Travel Grants (both for young WPSA members/students and older members) as well as the assistance for branches utilizing the WPSA Speaker’s Bureau programme. Each of these programmes was developed with the intent to provide financial assistance to support members and branches demonstrating legitimate needs in these areas. All submitted applications are sent to the General Secretary of the WPSA for initial review and consideration. Those meeting ALL necessary application requirements are then forwarded to the WPSA Executive Committee for the next step in the application approval process.
To ensure your application receives timely consideration, it is imperative that ALL application conditions stated on the WPSA web site are fully adhered to. Travel grant applications must be submitted at least 3 months prior to the date of the meeting to be attended. As stated in the application conditions, incomplete or late submissions will not be considered for funding. One common oversight with Travel Grant applications is incomplete budget request and justification information in accordance with the stated conditions. Another frequent error is the failure to adhere to page length requirements for supporting documentation. If the conditions state the requirement for a 2-3 page length Curriculum Vitae, submitting more than 3 pages becomes cumbersome to the approval process and this failure to adhere to the conditions can be considered as justification for application rejection. One final reminder is that all budgets and invoices must have costs converted to US dollars, and the total amounts must be presented.
In summary, the WPSA Board encourages all members and branches to utilize these programmes but asks that all members familiarize themselves with the application conditions. Submitting applications in compliance with these conditions will streamline the approval process and reduce the amount of extra work required for all parties involved.
Bob Buresh, Ph.D., WPSA Senior Vice President
Branch Development Programme
In the Board meeting held during WPC2016 in Beijing, China, the Board decided to increase the funds available for Branch Development by making a formal call for Branch Development Proposals. We have approved proposals from Italy, Sri Lanka and United Kingdom.
For more information click here.
Deadline for submission of Branch Development Proposals is January 1st
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Dubrovnik, Croatia, 17-21 September 2018 |
The submission of abstracts for poster and oral presentations for EPC2018 is now OPEN!!
The WPSA- Croatian Branch is fully engaged in the organization of EPC 2018 that will be held in Dubrovnik, Croatia, on September 17-21, 2018.
We are very pleased to announce that the registration and abstract submission for the XVth EPC 2018 is now open!
The Conference is to be held in Valamar Hotels & Resorts in Dubrovnik, Croatia, from 17th to 21st September 2018.
Organizers anticipate to attract more than 1,000 participants from all over the world, willing to improve their knowledge in poultry research and production.
We encourage you to register before 30th of April 2018 and to take the advantage of early bird rates. Special registration fees apply for WPSA members and students.
In order to make your stay in Dubrovnik as enjoyable as possible and to make the registration process easier, the organizer has prepared all in one registration form that include the accommodation and social programme.
More information can be found on the web site www.epc2018.com.
If you are interested to participate or to sponsor EPC 2018, please visit www.epc2018.com or contact us at .
Important Dates
Deadline for Abstract Submission February 28th, 2018
Notification of Acceptance April 15th, 2018
Early registration deadline April 30th, 2018
Conference topics
• Economics and Marketing
• Nutrition
• Breeding and Genetics
• Eggs safety and quality
• Poultry meet quality and safety
• Reproduction and incubation
• Poultry health
• Poultry housing and management
• Poultry welfare
• Turkeys
• Education and information
• Physiology
• Family poultry production
• Antibiotic resistance
• Other
WPSA’s Croatian Branch members are looking forward to welcoming you to Dubrovnik
European Federation
The European Federation has numerous conferences planned between now and the end of 2018.
News from a number of European Federation's working groups is provided below.
WPSA European Working Group News
Asia Pacific Federation
Coming up
The 11th Asia Pacific Poultry Conference, 25-27 March 2018, Plaza Athénée Hotel, Bangkok. This is the premier poultry conference for the Asia Pacific region. The conference themes are Sustainability and Emerging Topics in Poultry Production. Earlybird Registration is open until the end of December. For details www.appc2018.com.
Mission
As mentioned in our last newsletter the Board’s vision states that WPSA will be ‘The leading global network for poultry science and technology’. It is good to have adopted this as it points the way to making WPSA a much more vibrant organisation, one that gives more value to members than any other. But vision is only the start. As members, we can all contribute in some way to attaining the vision. This is our mission. Here are the six main ways the Board has decided will define our mission. WPSA must:
1. Share and disseminate knowledge
2. Be responsive to the challenges facing poultry science and industry
3. Develop and maintain branches that are active and engaged
4. Create an environment for professional development of members
5. Collaborate and link with other similar organisations
6. Be an advocate for science based policy
What can your branch do to help in this mission? What can you as a member do? It would be good to think about these things for a minute or two.
Alan Gibbins, President Asian/Pacific Federation
WPSA Asian-Pacific Working Group News
A/P WG2
Waterfowl
The 6th World Waterfowl Conference was held from 22-25 October 2017 in Taipei, Taiwan, and it was organized by Jeng-Fang Huang (Chairman 6th WWC, Taiwan) and Shu-Yin Wang (Co-Chairman, 6th WWC). With the support of the 6th WWC committee, we were able to invite an early-career researcher to serve as the keynote speaker: Roger Rouvier. The main themes of the WWC were Biosecurity, Environmental Friendliness, and Sustainability for Waterfowl Production. Four different fields of expertise were covered during the conference, including; genetics and breeding, nutrition and feeding, food processing and safety, and disease and its prevention. A total of 380 waterfowl specialists from 20 countries participated in the conference.
The Asian/Pacific WG2 meeting was held during the WWC, and the following items were decided:
- Selection was made of a winning bid for hosting the 7th World Waterfowl Conference: The Indonesia Branch will serve as the host for that Conference.
- An election was held to elect a new Chairperson for the Asian/Pacific Federation’s WG2 Committee, and Dr Hardi Prasetyo from the Indonesia Branch was elected to serve in that capacity. He will be the 3rd Chair for the WG2 Committee.
Dr Jeng-Fang Huang, Chairperson
World's Poultry Science Journal
Upcoming articles
Articles in upcoming Journal(s)
- Gautam Khillare - Molecular and biochemical events in sperm storage tubules of oviduct in birds
- Hanan Al-Khalifa - Productive performance as affected by different strains of laying hens, with special reference to the brown and white laying hens
- Nuhad Daghir - Availability, quality and utilisation of oil seed meals produced in the Middle East and North Africa regions
- Ebru Onbasilar - Fattening performance and meat quality of Pekin ducks under different rearing systems
- Naga Raja Kallam - Ameliorative measures to counter heat stress in poultry
- Sun Chao - The use of chicoric acid from Echinacea purpurea as a feed additive in poultry nutrition
- Robert Swick - Unlocking the potential health and growth benefits of macroscopic algae for poultry
- Rob Gous - Nutritional and environmental effects on broiler uniformity
- Imran Rajput - Lycopene: a natural antioxidant for prevention of heat-induced oxidative stress in poultry
- Felipe Dalólio - Dietary chromium supplementation for heat-stressed broilers
- Ebru Onbasilar - Light wavelength on different poultry species
Summaries
Unlocking the potential health and growth benefits of macroscopic algae for poultry
S. HABERECHT, S. WILKINSON, J. ROBERTS, S. WU and R. SWICK
Macroscopic algae can be found in large open ponds or harvested from the sea. Macro algae includes three distinct groups based on colour: green, brown and red. They are unique in containing secondary metabolites that can be extracted and used for various purposes. This review examines the antimicrobial properties (bacteria, viruses and fungi) of macro algae and its extracts to improve poultry health and performance. This includes body weight gain, feed conversion efficiency and carcass yield improvements in broilers and egg weight and shell quality in layers. As an example, in one study, 35-day body weight of broilers was increased 7.6% with the inclusion of 0.5% Undaria pinnatifida (brown macroalgae) to the diet. The investigations discussed show the diversity of the species available and broad scope where research has been done and the potential for the future.
Nutritional and environmental effects on broiler uniformity
R.M. GOUS
Poor uniformity in a broiler operation reduces revenue and increases waste. Uniformity in body weight at harvest is influenced by variation in genotype, environment and feed composition and form. Variation in growth in broilers within each sex is usually relatively small, but increases markedly when a poor quality feed is given. In attempting to grow to meet their potential when fed a diet low in protein, birds need to overconsume energy and then release excessive amounts of heat to the environment, although this ability is constrained by both feather cover and the ability to fatten. Consequently, as broiler genotypes have become faster growing and leaner, there is an increased need to feed higher levels of balanced protein in a cooler environment as a means of improving uniformity. Separating the sexes and reducing the range in day-old body weights will assist in achieving better uniformity at harvest.
Molecular and biochemical events in sperm storage tubules of oviduct in birds
G.S. KHILLARE, K.V.H. SASTRY, R. AGRAWAL, A. PRAKASH, J. MOHAN and R.P. SINGH
In birds, after natural mating or artificial insemination (AI), sperms are transported through cloaca or vagina at the utero-vaginal junction (UVJ) of oviduct. Only 1% of the deposited sperm passes through the selection process in the vagina to reach the UVJ. In the UVJ, sperm enter the tubular invagination of the surface epithelium of the mucosa collectively called ‘sperm storage tubules’ (SSTs) where they are stored for longer duration retaining their fertilising capacity. The storage capacity and duration varies from species to species. This enables the birds to produce fertile eggs continuously. Shortly before and during egg production, sperm residing in the SST upon release will ascend the oviduct to the site of fertilisation in the infundibulum. Within the SSTs, sperm motility is suppressed and is initiated at some stage before fertilisation. Restoration of sperm motility is necessary for the release of spermatozoa from the SSTs. The exact mechanism by which sperm are stored in these tubules and released has not been established and hence, this is the focus of this review.
Availability, quality and utilisation of oil seed meals produced in the Middle East and North Africa regions
N.J. DAGHIR and M.R. MURTADA
The population of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region was 432 million in 2007 and it is estimated that in 2050 this figure will rise to 692 million inhabitants. The poultry industry in the MENA region depends heavily on imported soybeans and soybean meals. About 8.5 million metric tons of soybean meal (SBM) are needed for the production of poultry meat and eggs every year, based on the production of about 8.2 million tons of poultry meat and 3.7 million tons of eggs. Poultry feed prices are consistently increasing because of dependence on imported soybean meal. Hence, it is essential to find sustainable alternative protein sources. Several countries in the region produce sizeable amounts of oil seed meals that can partially or fully replace soybean meal in poultry rations. Nearly 5 million tons of cottonseed meal (CSM), peanut meal, sesame meal, sunflower meal and rapeseed meal are produced yearly in this region. The neighbouring countries of India, Pakistan and Sudan produce over 36 million tons of these meals. This study focused on these five meals in relation to amounts produced, quality and possible levels of use in various poultry rations. Data will be presented on availability, constraints of these meals as replacements for SBM, economic feasibility, and methods of improvement for possible utilisation at higher levels. Oil seed meal digestibility, quality, naturally occurring toxins, antimetabolites, mycotoxins, nutrient imbalances, and prices play a major role in determining the use of these meals for the production of poultry meat and eggs.
Fattening performance and meat quality of Pekin ducks under different rearing systems
E.E. ONBAŞILAR and S. YALÇIN
Pekin ducks are easily reared in a wide range of conditions. As waterfowl, the growth, digestive system and visual perception of Pekin ducks are different to chickens. Generally, ducks are raised for meat production. The fat content as well as the myoglobin and haemoglobin content of duck meat are higher than that of chicken meat. In duck rearing, both the fattening performance and the quality of meat are important from the consumer’s and the producer’s point of view. Different rearing systems are used for ducks which affect the welfare, fattening performance, quality of meat and economics of the products. The aim of this review is to discuss the effects of different rearing systems used for Pekin ducks on fattening performance and quality of meat.
The use of chicoric acid from Echinacea purpurea as a feed additive in poultry nutrition
M. SAEED, D. BABAZADEH, M.A. ARAIN, M. NAVEED, Q.A. SHAH, A.A. KAMBOH, A. MOSHAVERI, F. MODARRESI-GHAZANI, V. HEJAZI and S. CHAO
Echinacea purpurea is one of the most widely used medicinal herbs that is of interest to animal scientists due to its valuable immuno-stimulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. It is thought that it activates the immune system through stimulating T-cell production, lymphocytic activity, phagocytosis, cellular respiration and inhibiting the secretion of the hyaluronidase enzyme. Chicoric acid (CA) is a major active constituent of Echinacea purpurea. The CA content in roots ranges between 16.80-24.30 mg/g which has gained a lot of renown due to its promising bio-activities. CA has shown to simulate growth promoters and have antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-HIV, anti-bacterial, hypoglycaemic and hepatocyte protective properties. There have been very few studies relevant to CA and its use in poultry diets. Previously published studies have included pharmacological and nutritional investigations in the poultry industry. CA could be used as an alternative to antibiotics, and may improve meat quality and health status in broiler chickens.
Light wavelength on different poultry species
H. ÇAPAR AKYÜZ and E.E. ONBAŞILAR
Factors involved in light management of poultry include source, intensity, duration, uniformity and wavelength (light colour) of light. Research trials have examined the effects of short (blue and green) and long wavelengths (orange and red) on animal welfare, body weight gain, and egg productions in chickens, quail, turkeys, geese and ducks. Blue or green illuminations have a positive effect on body weight and red or white are beneficial to the production of eggs in chickens and quail. During the pre- and post-maturity periods of turkeys, blue light was preferred in the pre-maturity period, whereas the red or white light was better for the post-maturity period. Any noticeable change has not been observed within the body weight gain among the geese under different coloured light; whereas white-coloured light has played an important role in their egg production and semen quality. Positive results have been seen for body weight gain by exposure to red and white light in ducks. The available literature shows that different wavelengths can have positive or negative effects on welfare, body weight gain and egg production of the poultry.
Lycopene: a natural antioxidant for prevention of heat-induced oxidative stress in poultry
M.A. ARAIN, Z MEI, F.U. HASSAN, M. SAEED, M ALAGAWANY, A.H. SHAR and I.R. RAJPUT
Heat stress is one of the most important physiological factors challenging poultry production throughout the world especially in tropical and sub-tropical countries. Oxidative stress induced by heat stress not only compromises productivity and performance but also results in morbidity and mortality losses leading to the economic burden for poultry producers. It reduces the shelf life of poultry product in addition to poor meat and egg quality. Recently, a trend towards using phytochemicals derived from natural sources with potential antioxidant activities has increased. Lycopene is a predominant carotenoid pigment which is universally found in fruits and vegetables, with tomatoes and their products being key sources. Several in vivo and in vitro studies have suggested that lycopene is a powerful antioxidant compared to other carotenoids. Supplementation of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) derived lycopene revealed numerous health promoting activities in poultry birds, such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulation, improved performance and better meat as well as egg quality. Lycopene maintains oxidative balance in birds through various ways including serving as a free radical scavenger, inhibiting signalling pathways and activating host antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT). The aims of this current review are to summarise mechanisms of action through which lycopene quench reactive species and maintain oxidative balance, highlight the potential role of lycopene as a natural antioxidant agent for poultry industry and examine the benefits to poultry producers when using this natural antioxidant on commercial basis in poultry diets to alleviate the adverse effects of heat stress.
Productive performance as affected by different strains of laying hens, with special reference to the brown and white laying hens
H. AL-KHALAIFAH, A. AL-NASSER, G. RAGHEB, S. AL-QALAF, R. AFONSO and A. AHMED
A major breed used for egg production worldwide is the Leghorn and the main strain is the Single Comb White Leghorn. Recently, different strains of Leghorn that lay brown eggs in addition to other strains that lay white eggs were developed. Strains such as Lohmann (LSL, white), Lohmann Brown, Hy-Line-W-36 and W-98 and Hy-Line Brown have been developed from the Leghorn breed. The brown strains were developed when consumers started to show interest in buying brown eggs. These strains vary in their production performance, including their criteria of egg production. Studies have been conducted to investigate differences in egg production and quality between different white and brown egg strains have been studied. Strains used were Hy-Line-W-36, Hy-line-W-98, Bovans (white), DeKalb (white) and DeKalb (sigma) for white eggs, and Hy-Line (Brown), Bovans (Brown) and DeKalb (Brown) for brown eggs. The results revealed that the average age at sexual maturity for the brown hens was 132.7 d, which was shorter than that of white hens (137.8 d). Overall average of hen-day egg production for the brown hens was 85.6%, which was higher than that of white hens (83.2%). Egg weight was higher for brown hens (61.1 g) than that of white hens (58.3 g) and, although feed efficiency was similar in both brown and white hens, mortality was higher in brown than in white hens. The Hy-Line International Company reported in their commercial management guide that hens of the Hy-line W-98 (white hens) reached sexual maturity (i.e. 50% egg production) at 139 d and Hy-line brown at 145 d. However, the company reported that, at 27 weeks of age, peak production for Hy-Line brown strain was 95.0 versus 94.0 for the white strain. Furthermore, the brown egg weighed 60.6 g and the white egg weighed 57.9 g. The feed efficiency was 2.100 for brown hens and 2.252 for the white hens. Shell thickness, specific gravity and Haugh units were higher for eggs from brown hens than for eggs from white hens. Lohmann Tierzucht Company performance statistics for LSL-Classic layers white egg layers showed they reached sexual maturity at 145-150 d and Lohmann Brown at 140-150 d. Furthermore, at 27 weeks of age, percent hen-day egg production of the brown strain was 93.8, and white strain was 93.0. Furthermore, the brown egg weighed 59.7 g, and white egg weighed 58.4 g. The reviewed data indicated that performance, both in quantity and quality, of brown hens is better than that of white hens.
Dietary chromium supplementation for heat-stressed broilers
F.S. DALÓLIO, L.F.T. ALBINO, J.N. SILVA, P.H.R.F. CAMPOS, H.J.D. LIMA, J. MOREIRA and V. RIBEIRO JUNIOR
Studies have shown that dietary chromium (Cr) supplementation beneficially affects physiological functions such as cell preservation, antioxidant activity and immune response that are of utmost importance to animal homeostasis and thermoregulatory capacity under heat stress conditions. For instance, Cr is essential for the synthesis of the specific low molecular weight Cr-binding-substance (LMWCr) that upon conversion to chromodulin, activates the insulin signalling cascade. This results in greater cell permeability to insulin, with a subsequent positive effect on the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. Furthermore, Cr has antioxidant properties which help to attenuate the negative effects of oxidative stress. With regards to meat quality, Cr decreases lipid peroxidation. It has been suggested that Cr supplementation increases antibody responses and lymphocyte counts in broiler chickens exposed to high environmental temperatures. In addition, trivalent Cr supplementation increases growth performance and decreases the circulating levels of undesirable metabolites and hormones such as cholesterol and corticosterone in broiler chickens exposed to heat stress. The aim of this review was to report the effects of Cr supplementation as a nutritional strategy to increase growth performance, immune response, carcass characteristics and meat quality of broilers produced under hot conditions. This knowledge may contribute to improve the productivity and sustainability of broiler production in a context of global warming and development of livestock production in hot climate areas.
Ameliorative measures to counter heat stress in poultry
K. NAGA RAJA KUMARI and D. NARENDRA NATH
Heat stress is one of the main challenges in poultry production as it reduces performance in broilers and layers. This review focuses on the impact of heat stress in poultry production with emphasis on broilers and layers, methodologies to measure the severity of stress and dealing the preventive measures to alleviate stress due to heat. Potential use of naked neck and frizzle genes is highlighted. Nutritional interventions including offering a balanced diet, increasing energy, required amino acids, vitamins like vitamins A, E, Se and minerals like Ca, Na, Cl and K additional supplementation of vitamin C, provision of cool water at levels of up to five times of feed intake to satisfy the special needs during heat stress all have proven advantages. Designing housing with gable type roofing and open sided, wet curtains/exhaust fans, tunnel ventilation in environment control houses, provision of more floor space and free movement, to exhibit natural movement and decreasing flock density is useful to minimise stress as well as to regulate the temperature in micro environment. Thermos tolerance in birds can be enhanced by early feed restriction, good management with better ventilation and developing of heat tolerant breeds by selecting for less feathers. Selection of breeds suitable to climate, nutritional manipulation and small management changes can minimise heat stress in birds.
New Books
NEW poultry and eggs books from Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing – Achieving sustainable production of poultry meat Vols 1-3 edited by Steven C Ricke, University of Arkansas, USA and Todd Applegate, University of Georgia, USA and Achieving sustainable production of eggs Vols 1-2 edited by Julie Roberts, University of New England, Australia. Full details can be found here and a freely available chapter excerpt can be found here: Maintaining the health of laying hens: a practical approach - Richard M. Fulton, Michigan State University, USA, and we can also make the whole chapter freely available to you when you sign up to our emailing list at the Burleigh Dodds website here.
Order your own copy with a special 20% discount online in our Bookshop (quote promotion code: WPSA20) or you can use the Librarian Recommendation form at http://bdspublishing.com/library.
Felicity Davie, Marketing - livestock
Email:
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