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The objective of this study was to evaluate the inclusion of sunflower meal (SM) and the addition of enzymes in the diets of brown-egg laying pullets, in the grower phase (7 to 17 wk of age), as well as their effects on the variables feed intake and conversion, productive performance, sexual maturity, egg quality at the beginning of the laying phase. 480 brown egg laying pullets were assigned in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments, with sunflower meal (12 and 24%) and enzyme complex (with or without) and plus 1 (control) with 6 replications per treatment and 16 pullets per pen for the performance assay. At the end of the grower phase, 330 pullets were transferred to the laying house until 35 wk of age. There was no interaction between the inclusion rate of SM and enzymes, as the diets and enzymes influenced the feed intake and feed conversion ratio separately (P

The experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of the inclusion of different levels of ethanolic extract of mango seed (EEMS) on performance, carcass characteristics, relative weight of the digestive tract segments and blood parameters of broiler chickens. For this purpose, 756 one-day-old male Ross 308 chicks were distributed in a completely randomized experimental design with seven treatments and six replicates of 18 birds. The treatments consisted of: diet without addition of antioxidant (control); with addition of 200 mg/kg of the antioxidant butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT); and diets with 200, 400, 600, 800 or 1000 mg/kg of EEMS. There were no significant differences between the treatments for the performance variables, carcass characteristics, or the relative weight of the segments of the digestive tract. Regarding the serum lipid profile, it was observed that the broilers fed the control diet had significantly higher total cholesterol levels than the animals that received diets containing EEMS. However, there was no significant difference between the use of synthetic antioxidant BHT and the addition of EEMS at different levels. Ethanolic extract of mango seed in broiler chickens’ feeding from 1 to 42 days of age has no adverse effects on performance, carcass characteristics or relative weight of the segments of the digestive tract. However, it influences their lipid metabolism, reducing total plasma cholesterol from inclusion level 200 mg/kg.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of lighting programs for male and female meat quails raised in an equatorial region on performance and carcass traits. A total of 1,500 sexed quails (Coturnix coturnix) was distributed in a completely randomized design in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement, with 2 sexes (male and female) and 3 lighting programs (natural, intermittent, and continuous) with 5 replicates of 50 birds. The lighting programs were applied in the period from 7 to 49 d of age, being natural (12 h and 30 min of natural light and 11 h and 30 min of dark), intermittent (12 h and 30 min of natural light and 5 h and 30 min of artificial light, alternating lighting periods with one h and 06 min and periods of darkness with one h and 12 min), and continuous (23 h of natural + artificial light and one h of dark). Regardless of lighting program, female quails were heavier than males, and birds subjected to natural light weighed less than those exposed to continuous and intermittent lighting programs. Quails exposed to intermittent and continuous light presented higher weight gain and feed intake, and worse feed conversion ratio compared to birds under a natural light regimen. It is concluded that in an equatorial region, it is possible to use a lighting program with only natural light for raising male and female meat quails from 7 to 49 d of age.

Two experiments were carried out to determine the nutritional value of passion fruit seed (PFS) and the effects of dietary supply of this feedstuff on performance, carcass traits, meat quality, biochemical parameters, and economic viability of growing rabbits. In the digestibility experiment, 24 rabbits (12 males and 12 females) were allocated between 2 treatments (reference diet and test diet, composed by 70 % reference diet and 30 % PFS). The PFS contained 119.3 g/kg crude protein (CP), 218.2 g/kg ether extract (EE), 656.6 g/kg neutral detergent fibre (aNDFom), 625.5 g/kg acid detergent fibre (ADFom) and 9.4 MJ DE/kg dry matter. In the performance experiment, 100 rabbits (50 males and 50 females) were allocated in a 5 × 2 factorial design study, with five inclusion levels of PFS (0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 g/kg) and 2 genders. PFS promoted a linear increase on the activity and potential antioxidant of blood, meat color, and DM, CP and EE digestibility (P

Ethanol extract of mango seeds (EEMS) are composed of several polyphenolic compounds with considerable in vitro antioxidant activity that can be used in pig feed and may contribute positively to meat quality characteristics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of EEMS as a source of antioxidants in growing-finishing pig diets on meat quality, lipid stability, sulfhydryl groups non-proteinaceous (SG-NP), total phenolic compounds, total antioxidant potential and total antioxidant activity of meat after 1 and 7 days of refrigeration storage. Thirty-two (60-day-old) barrows, weighing 20.20 ± 1.34 kg, were used in a randomized block design consisting of eight animals with four treatment regimens. Treatments consisted of: Control = no dietary antioxidant; butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) = diet with 200 ppm BHT; EEMS200 = diet with 200 ppm EEMS; EEMS400 = diet with 400 ppm EEMS. At 145 days of age and average weight of 95.47 ± 6.19 kg, the animals were slaughtered and loin samples were collected and frozen before for qualitative analysis and evaluation of the effect of subsequent storage for 1 or 7 days at 8 °C on lipid stability, SG-NP, phenolic compounds, total antioxidant capacity and total antioxidant activity Meat from animals fed EEMS400 diet showed lower cooking loss (P

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of Ca anacardate and citric acid for weaned piglets on growth performance, diarrhea incidence, pH of gastrointestinal contents, blood profile, intestinal morphometry, and immunohistochemistry in the periods I (d 0 to 12), II (d 12 to 22), III (d 22 to 42), and total (d 0 to 42). A total of 96 barrows weaned at 21 d of age (5.96 ±0.81 kg) were allocated to 4 treatments with 8 replicates pens and 3 piglets per pen in a randomized block design. The experimental treatments were: positive control, diet with addition of antibiotic growth promoter (AGP, 0.05% zinc bacitracin); negative control, diet without addition of AGP; negative control diet with addition of 1% citric acid and 0.6% Ca anacardate; and negative control diet with addition of 1% citric acid and 1% Ca anacardate. Piglets fed the diets containing AGP or Ca anacardate and citric acid had decreased values of feed:gain during the period III and total period (P

The aim of this study was to evaluate dietary supplementation of sodium butyrate for mixed-parity sows during lactation on reproductive performance, milk composition, blood parameters and litter performance. A total of 192 sows were distributed in a completely randomized design in a 4 × 4 factorial arrangement, considering 4 experimental diets (diet without sodium butyrate, diet with 0.1% and 0.2% coated sodium butyrate, and diet with 0.066% uncoated sodium butyrate) and 4 parity order groups (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th, 5th to 7th), totaling 16 treatments with 12 replicates each, considering each sow and their litter as experimental unit. Dietary supplementation of sodium butyrate did not influence the reproductive performance of sows and productive performance of piglets during lactation (P > 0.05). There was an effect of parity orders on body weight at farrowing and weaning, average daily feed intake and estimated daily milk production of the sows (P < 0.05). There was influence of the different parity orders on litter weight at 48 h post-farrowing and at weaning, and also on the daily weight gain of the litter (P < 0.05). There was no interaction between the sodium butyrate supplementation and the different parity orders on blood parameters of sows (P > 0.05). There was interaction between the supplementation of sodium butyrate and the parity orders in caprylic, myristic and arachidonic acids in the milk of sows (P < 0.05). The butyric acid (C4:0) in the milk was influenced by dietary supplementation of sodium butyrate and parity orders (P < 0.05). Dietary supplementation of coated and uncoated sodium butyrate for lactating sows modifies the milk fatty acid profile, but does not affect the performance and blood parameters of sows, nor the performance of their progenies during lactation. Sows of 5th to 7th parity have better productive performance and heavier litter at 48 h post-farrowing and at weaning when compared to primiparous sows.