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The use of domestic sewage sludge on cultivated soils may increase agricultural yield in developing countries; nevertheless, the environmental damages must be properly examined and addressed before application. This research was undertaken to determine the physical and chemical characteristics of domestic sludge from Hawassa Industrial Park in Ethiopia and assess its potential applicability as organic fertilizer for crop production and hence to reduce environmental problems related with their disposal. For this purpose, five domestic sewage sludge samples were collected for five consecutive days for a week and the samples were then analyzed at the College of Agriculture soil laboratory of Hawassa University for physical and chemical properties. Descriptive statistics was conducted to describe the physico-chemical properties of the domestic sewage sludge. The results revealed that organic carbon, total nitrogen, and available phosphorus contents were high in all domestic sludge samples compared with conventional organic fertilizers. The bulk density of the sludge samples was low and the water holding capacities high. These results are indicators that the domestic sludge could improve the soil's physical and chemical properties. The analyses also revealed that the sludge is slightly alkaline (pH>7.4) and with low electrical conductivity (EC, 2.06 mS/cm). The analyses of concentrations of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb, Ni, and Cr) showed that concentrations in the domestic sewage sludge are below the Ethiopian standard and FAO limits. In general, the majority of the physical and chemical properties revealed that the sewage sludge is potentially suitable for use as a fertilizer. However, further research should be conducted on the effect of the sewage sludge on crop growth. Also, biological characteristics of sludge the content of polychlorinated byphenyls (PCB) should be studied for a solid recommendation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Income and capital breeding represent opposing ends of a continuum of reproductive strategies. Quantifying nutrient allocation to reproduction is challenging, but recent advances in compound‐specific stable isotope analysis hold promise for tracing the source of individual compounds allocated to reproduction. Here, we describe a novel approach of using measured carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope values of individual amino acids (AAs) in pectoral muscle of egg‐laying females and egg yolk as a useful tool to quantify the reliance on income versus capital breeding in migrating species. We used white‐fronted (Anser albifrons frontalis), lesser snow (A. caerulescens caerulescens) and black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) geese breeding in tundra ecosystems of northern Alaska as model organisms. All three species relied on mixed capital–income breeding strategies, but models based on AA isotope data estimated higher proportional contributions of endogenous resources to yolk synthesis compared to results based on bulk tissue isotope analyses. Tracing income versus capital nutrient allocation in migratory species at the compound level is a major advance from the current ‘elemental’ perspective obtained from bulk tissue stable isotope analyses. Our framework is applicable to all taxonomic groups, as long as there is a sufficient spatial or temporal isotopic gradient between resources obtained during the breeding and non‐breeding periods.

This study was designed to compare of laying performance, egg quality and bone characteristics of commercial and Türk laying hen genotypes kept in free-range system. A total of 720 laying hens (Atabey, Lohmann White, Atak-S, Lohmann Brown; n=180 hens/genotype) were used in the experiment. Production performance was determined as the mean of egg production, egg weight, and FCR value between 54 and 66 weeks of age. Egg quality parameters and bone characteristics of tibia and femur were measured at 66 weeks of age. The mean value of egg production was found to be higher in Lohmann Brown and Lohmann White genotypes compared to Atak-S and Atabey genotypes between 54 and 66 weeks of age (P

Objective The present study aimed to investigate the effect of dietary lutein on egg production, follicles, reproductive hormones, fertility, hatchability, and oxidative injury indexes of hens. Methods Treatments consisted of a control diet (CON) and three lutein-supplementing diets at 25 (L1), 50 (L2), or 75 (L3) mg/kg of diet. Egg production was measured using 576 Arbor Acres breeder hens at 61 to 65 wk and follicles grades, reproductive hormones, fertility, hatchability, tissue lutein contents, and oxidative injury indexes were determined at 65 wk. Results The results showed that at 65 wk, lutein-supplementing diets increased (p

ABSTRACT: Most characteristics of artificial light sources are well studied, however light-flicker frequency (F) has been overlooked. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of F on performance of Lohmann LSL-Lite (LW) pullets and Lohmann Brown-Lite (LB) pullets. In addition, pullets were followed through to the laying phase to evaluate long-term effects of F during rearing on productivity. Two trials were conducted with 3 F (30, 90, or 250 Hz) treatments. LW and LB pullets (n = 2,688 per strain [S]) were randomly assigned to floor pens within 8 light-tight rooms (15 pen replicates per F × S for 30 and 250 Hz; 18 pen replicates per F × S for 90 Hz). At 16 wk, pullets were transferred to conventional layer cages, with no flicker treatment applied. Pullet data collected included BW, feed disappearance, flock uniformity, and overall mortality. Hen data collected included BW, feed intake (feed efficiency calculated), mortality, egg production, and egg quality. Data were analyzed using Proc Mixed (SAS 9.4) and differences were considered significant when P ≤ 0.05. Frequency did not affect pullet uniformity or feed disappearance (0–8 wk and 0–16 wk). Pullets reared under 30 Hz had higher mortality (caused by “other”) than those reared under 250 Hz. Lohmann Brown-Lite pullets reared under 30 Hz had the highest feed disappearance. Overall mortality was higher for LW pullets reared under 30 Hz compared to LB reared under 30 Hz or 250 Hz. Lohmann Brown-Lite hens reared under 30 Hz were heavier at the beginning of the hen phase (17 wk), however differences related to F were not seen at 40 or 48 wk. Hen day production (%) was higher for hens reared under 30 compared to 90 Hz (P = 0.03), however no other egg parameters were affected by F. Hen feed efficiency and mortality were unaffected by F. These results indicate minor effects of F, during either the pullet or hen phases. The data also suggest that S (LW vs. LB) may affect response to F.

ABSTRACT: In this study, a total of 312 Hyline brown laying hen of 1.92 ± 0.12 kg acquired at 24-wk old were employed to evaluate the pharmaceutical effect of Korean wild ginseng residue extract administered via drinking water on the performance, microbiota quality, cytokine expression, and the ginsenoside saponin (GS) content of laying hen for 12 wk. In the experiments, basic feed (CON) was compared with basic feed + 0.05% wild ginseng in drinking water (WGD1), basic feed + 0.1% wild ginseng in drinking water (WGD2), and basic feed + 0.5% wild ginseng in drinking water (WGD3). At the end of study, hen-day egg production (HDEP), average egg weight (AEW), and egg mass (EM) were linearly higher (p < 0.05) in WGD3 at wk 30 to 33, 34 to 37 wk, and the cumulative wk compared with CON. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was linearly lower in WGD3 at 34 to 37 wk, and the cumulative wk compared with CON. Relative expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) was linearly lower (p < 0.05) in the WGD3 at wk 30 to 33, and 34 to 37 wk compared with CON. The GS in egg yolk was linearly higher (p < 0.05) in laying hens supplemented the WGD3 treatment at wk 34 to 37, while the fecal microflora quantity of Lactobacillus was linearly higher (p < 0.05) in WGD3 at wk 30 to 33, till 34 to 37 wk, and Escherichia coli (E. coli) was linearly lower (p < 0.05) in the WGD2 and WGD3 from 2637 wk compared with CON. We concluded the result in HDEP, AEW, EM, and FCR were due to the increase in GS content, tentatively leading to an improvement in the TNF-α, and fecal microflora quality such as Lactobacillus and E. coli in the WGD3. We therefore recommend the use of WGD3 at application level 0.5% in drinking water for optimum laying performance from 30 to 37 wk.

ABSTRACT: Investigating the impact of early egg production selection (the first 90 d of laying) on egg production features, cumulative selection response (CSR), and the mRNA expression of gonadotropins (FSHβ and LHβ), and their receptors (FSHR and LHR), in Japanese quails was the goal. The selection experiment involved 1293 females in all, 257 from the base group and 1036 from the 4 selected generations. Age and body weight at sexual maturity (ASM, BWSM), weight of the first egg (WFE), days to the first 10 eggs (DF10E), egg mass for the first 10 eggs (EMF10E), egg weight (EW), egg number at the first 90 d of laying (EN90D), and egg mass at the first 90 d of laying (EM90D) were all recorded. Most egg production traits had heritability estimates that were low to moderate and ranged from 0.17 to 0.33., where the highest estimates were reported for EN90D (0.33) and BWSM (0.32). With the exception of EN90D, low to moderate positive genetic correlations were observed between ASM and other egg production traits (0.17–0.44). The fourth generation showed significantly (P < 0.05) lower ASM and DF10E but higher BWSM, WFE, EN90D, EM10E, and EM90D when compared with the base generation. CSR were significant (P < 0.05) for ASM (−6.67 d), BWSM (27.13 g), WFE (0.93 g), DF10E (−1.25 d), EN90D (7.24 egg), EM10E (10.57 g), and EM90D (140.0 g). FSHβ, LHβ, FSHR, and LHR gene mRNA expression was considerably (P < 0.05) greater in the fourth generation compared to the base generation. In conclusion, selection programs depending on the efficiency of egg production (EN90D) could improve the genetic gain of egg production traits and upregulate the mRNA expression of FSHβ, LHβ, FSHR, and LHR genes in selected quails (fourth generation). These findings might help to enhance breeding plans and create commercial lines of high egg production Japanese quails.

Echinococcus multilocularis is the most important food-borne parasite in Europe. Its natural definitive host is the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) while other canid species play a secondary role in the maintenance of its endemics. However, recent studies call attention to the potential of golden jackal (Canis aureus) as a suitable definitive host for E. multilocularis. Our study aimed to evaluate the quantitative and qualitative egg production traits of adult E. multilocularis in different hosts as an indicator of reproductive success. Investigation of 111 and 82 parasites from 33 red foxes and 29 golden jackals, respectively, we ascertained that the proportion of worms with mature eggs was significantly lower in golden jackals than in red foxes. Those worms, which produced mature eggs in golden jackal hosts, originated from less crowded infrapopulations than their fox-originated counterparts. Other characteristics of the parasite’s reproductive ability, such as the proportion of fertile worms, and mean egg production were similar in the two hosts. Comparing these findings to evolutionary data on different canid taxa, we hypothesised that the mutual presence of red fox and a differently evolved host of E. multilocularis might contribute to the formation of stable parasite circulation in these multi-host systems.

ABSTRACT: The deposition of high levels of fat in broiler breeder hens can have a profound impact on follicular development and laying performance. This study was formulated with the goal of comparing egg production and follicular development characteristics at different laying stages in the Northeast Agricultural University broiler lines divergently selected for abdominal fat content (NEAUHLF). The egg production was analyzed using the birds from the 19th to 24th generations of NEAUHLF; the follicular development characteristics were analyzed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction using the birds from the 24th generation of NEAUHLF. The results showed that the age at first egg of lean hens was significantly earlier than that of fat hens in this study. While no significant differences in total egg output from the first egg to 50 wk of age were noted when comparing these 2 chicken lines, lean hens laid more eggs from the first egg to 35 wk of age relative to fat hens, whereas fat hens laid more eggs from wk 36 to 42 and 43 to 50 relative to their lean counterparts. No differences in ovarian morphology and small yellow follicle (SYF) histological characteristics were noted when comparing these 2 chicken lines at 27 wk of age. At 35 and 52 wk of age, however, lean hens exhibited significantly lower ovarian weight, ovarian proportion values, numbers of hierarchical follicles, hierarchical follicle weight, and SYF granulosa layer thickness as compared to fat hens, together with a significant increase in the number of prehierarchical follicles relative to those in fat hens. Gene expression analyses suggested that follicle selection was impaired in the fat hens in the early laying stage, whereas both follicle selection and maturation were impaired in the lean hens in the middle and late laying stages. Overall, these data highlight that fat deposition in broiler hens can have a range of effects on follicular development and egg production that are laying stage-dependent.

Behavior and organization of social groups is thought to be vital to the functioning of societies, yet the contributions of various roles within social groups toward population growth and dynamics have been difficult to quantify. A common approach to quantifying these role-based contributions is evaluating the number of individuals conducting certain roles, which ignores how behavior might scale up to effects at the population-level. Manipulative experiments are another common approach to determine population-level effects, but they often ignore potential feedbacks associated with these various roles.Here, we evaluate the effects of worker size distribution in bumblebee colonies on worker production in 24 observational colonies across three environments, using functional linear models. Functional linear models are an underused correlative technique that has been used to assess lag effects of environmental drivers on plant performance. We demonstrate potential applications of this technique for exploring high-dimensional ecological systems, such as the contributions of individuals with different traits to colony dynamics.We found that more larger workers had mostly positive effects and more smaller workers had negative effects on worker production. Most of these effects were only detected under low or fluctuating resource environments suggesting that the advantage of colonies with larger-bodied workers becomes more apparent under stressful conditions.We also demonstrate the wider ecological application of functional linear models. We highlight the advantages and limitations when considering these models, and how they are a valuable complement to many of these performance-based and manipulative experiments.

Background: Changshun green-shell laying hens are unique to the Guizhou Province, China, and have high egg quality but relatively low yield. Egg production traits are regulated by the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Thus, we conducted RNA sequencing of hypothalamic and pituitary tissues from low- and high-yielding Changshun green-shell laying hens to identify critical pathways and candidate genes involved in controlling the egg production rate. Results: More than 39 million clean reads per sample were obtained, and more than 82% were mapped to the Gallus gallus genome. Further analysis identified 1,817 and 1,171 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the hypothalamus and pituitary, respectively. Nineteen DEGs were upregulated in both the hypothalamus and pituitary of high-yielding chickens. The functions of these DEGs were mainly associated with ion transport or signal transduction. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that the pathways enriched in the hypothalamus were mainly associated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion, neurotransmitter release, and circadian rhythms. The pathways enriched in the pituitary were mainly associated with GnRH secretion, energy metabolism, and signal transduction. Five and four DEGs in the hypothalamus and pituitary, respectively, were selected randomly for qRT-PCR analysis. The expression trends determined via qRT-PCR were consistent with the RNA-seq results. Conclusions: The current study identified 19 DEGs upregulated in both the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, which could provide an important reference for further studies on the molecular mechanisms underlying egg production in Changshun green-shell laying hens. In addition, enrichment analysis showed that GnRH secretion and signal transduction, especially neurotransmitter release, play crucial roles in the regulation of egg production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Cold stress is considered an environmental stress and is an important managemental factor in regions where winter temperatures drop below 18 °C. Although a low temperature lowered the productive performance of laying hens, there are still unanswered questions as to the physiological changes that occur when they are exposed to low temperature, especially changes in antioxidants and stress indicators, which prompted us to set up the current study. Laying hens reared at low temperature (12 ± 4.5 °C) showed impaired laying performance compared with laying hens reared at normal temperature (24 ± 3 °C). However, eggshell color was intensified in laying hens exposed to low temperature. During the early stage of exposure to low-temperature stress, malondialdehyde levels in the egg yolk increased in laying hens raised at low temperature vs. normal temperature. However, yolk corticosterone, an indicator of stress responses, remained unchanged. Low temperature had an impact on total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in serum increases in laying hens reared at low temperature. In essence, low temperature in laying hens altered antioxidant systems and lipid metabolism without inducing stress responses. The present study investigated the effect of low temperature on laying performance, egg quality, body temperature, yolk malondialdehyde, yolk corticosterone, and serum biochemistry in laying hens. A total of 40 laying hens (Hy-Line Brown) aged 36 weeks were housed in one of two environmental chambers kept at 12 ± 4.5 °C (low temperature) or 24 ± 3 °C (normal temperature) for 4 weeks. Low vs. normal temperature significantly increased (p < 0.05) live body weight, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio in laying hens. Skin surface temperature, but not rectal temperature, was decreased in laying hens exposed to low vs. normal temperature. Hens exposed to low temperature laid an intense eggshell color compared with those raised in a normal temperature. Malondialdehyde concentrations in yolk were increased in low-temperature-exposed laying hens compared with those at normal temperature conditions, but this effect was only noted on day 7, post the low-temperature exposure (p = 0.04). Finally, low vs. normal temperature increased the concentrations of total cholesterol and triglyceride in serum. Collectively, this study indicates that exposure to low temperature in laying hens initially disrupted antioxidant system and altered lipid metabolism in laying hens without inducing stress responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: A study was conducted to investigate how different mineral supplements, along with an enzyme called phytase, impact egg-laying hens. This study involved 512 hens, divided into 8 groups, who were given 8 different diets. The main differences in the diets were: (1) the presence of the phytase enzyme; and (2) the proportion of minerals derived from amino acid-bound minerals. One group received 100% of the minerals from amino acid-bound sources; another group received 70%; and another group received 40%. Additionally, there were two control groups with and without phytase. The diet with 70% amino acid-bound minerals, combined with the phytase enzyme, resulted in the highest egg-laying percentage and the most efficient feed conversion. Eggs from the groups receiving 40%, 70%, and 100% amino acid-bound minerals had heavier yolks, while the group receiving only inorganic minerals had lighter yolks and whites. The groups receiving 100% and 70% amino acid-bound minerals produced eggs with the strongest eggshells. The ideal amounts of amino acid-bound minerals were: 42 mg kg−1 zinc, 49 mg kg−1 manganese, 5.6 mg kg−1 copper, 28 mg kg−1 iron, 0.175 mg kg−1 selenium, and 0.70 mg kg−1 iodine. A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different sources and levels of supplemental amino acid-complexed minerals (AACM), with and without enzyme phytase (EZ). A total of 512 Dekalb White laying hens at 67 weeks of age were used in a 2 × 3 + 2 factorial arrangement of 8 treatments and 8 replications each. The main effects included EZ supplementation (10,000 FTU kg−1) and AACM inclusion level (100, 70, and 40% of inorganic mineral recommendations), plus 2 control treatments. The group of hens fed AACM-100 showed lower feed intake than the inorganic mineral (IM) group. The diet containing AACM-EZ-70 provided a higher (p < 0.05) laying percentage and a lower (p < 0.05) feed conversion ratio than both the IM and IM-EZ diets. The groups fed AACM-EZ-40, AACM-EZ-100, and AACM-70 produced heavier yolks (p < 0.05). Hens fed IM laid eggs with the lowest yolk and albumen weights (p < 0.05). Layers fed with AACM-100 and AACM-70 produced the most resistant eggshells to breakage (p < 0.05). In diets containing phytase, the optimal AACM recommendations for better performance and egg quality in older laying hens are: 42, 49, 5.6, 28, 0.175, and 0.70 mg kg−1 for Zn, Mn, Cu, Fe, Se, and I, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the late 1970s the international ICES mackerel egg survey takes place in the Northeast Atlantic to obtain an estimate of total annual egg production (TAEP), to assess the spawning stock biomass and to support the sustainable management of the mackerel stock. However, its standard calculation of TAEP has some shortcomings: egg production is estimated from arithmetic averages of individual observations regardless whether they are extreme, rarely observed values, and has shown difficulties coping with the spatial expansion of mackerel spawning observed since 2007 (increasing the number of interpolated estimates). Various previous modeling efforts attempted to map the habitat of spawning mackerel to obtain more accurate egg production estimates by using generalized additive models (GAMs). In this study, we review and improve these models by introducing new features: We model both the western and southern components of the mackerel stock with a Tweedie distribution and test more than 400 model forms, including new predictors (like population size) and complex covariate interactions. We select the best model with various metrics, including the score of a tenfold cross validation. Our results show that environmental variables should be included in the model as simple functional, unimodal terms. This leads to a model that is more similar to a generalized linear mixed model than the typical GAM with smoothers. Models including only smoothers performed worse as they have a poor skill to extrapolate beyond the sampled region. Additionally, accounting for the effect of population size on the spatial distribution of eggs was shown to be fundamental to better model performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Killing male one-day-old chicks, especially from layer lines, is banned in some European countries. Therefore, dual-purpose chickens, where each sex is used for meat and egg production, respectively, offer an alternative production solution. This study evaluated the British purebred breed Ixworth as a dual-purpose chicken for meat and egg production. 2. Ixworth chicks (n = 167) were hatched and reared mixed-sex in a floor housing system, with two groups receiving a commercial pullet diet (treatment 1) and two groups receiving a diet composed for males of layer lines (treatment 2). Individual chick performance data were recorded. Males were slaughtered at 12 weeks of age, and their growth rate and carcase variables were analysed. All hens were continuously reared on the pullet diet and kept in a free-range system from 20 weeks old for one laying period (52 weeks). In addition, group-based feed consumption and mortality were recorded. 3. Cockerels in treatment 1 and 2 showed significantly different [T(88) = −2.846, P = 0.003] growth rates (25.3 vs. 27.4 g/day) and average final weights (2166 g vs. 2344 g). The hens in treatment 1 (n = 41) laid an average of 193 eggs per hen housed (mean egg weight: 56.9 g), whereas those in treatment 2 (n = 35) laid 195 eggs per hen housed (mean egg weight: 56.5 g). Nest acceptance was >97.5% and feed consumption was up to 140 g/bird/day. 4. The results showed that the Ixworth may be a suitable breed for dual-purpose use and could be improved through selective breeding, offering potential for preservation of this local breed as well as general biodiversity in poultry farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining is notorious for contaminating the environment with heavy metals, disrupting the activities of soil fauna such as nematodes, and causing changes in the functions of organisms in the soil ecosystem. This study investigated the survival, reproduction, and typical life history traits (LHTs) of free-living nematodes collected from an artisanal and small-scale gold mine (ASGM) site, including how heavy metals influenced these parameters. Morphological and molecular analyses identified Heterocephalobellus sp. and Cephalobus sp. (Rhabditida: Cephalobidae) from the soil, which were cultured in a bacteriological agar to assess their LHT using the hanging drop technique. These cultured nematodes were then exposed to different temperatures (20, 25, and 30 °C) to determine the optimum conditions for their survival and reproduction. Cultured nematodes were also exposed to copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) to elucidate the effects of these heavy metals on the nematode's survival, reproduction, and LHT. Our results suggest that the ideal temperature for survival with a high reproduction rate for both species was at 25 °C. Exposure to heavy metals led to decreased survival and reproduction at 25 and 30 °C in both nematodes. In contrast, these nematodes survived longer at 20 °C with delayed reproductive maturity. At 25 °C, the LHT of Heterocephalobellus sp. showed a shorter population generation time with a decreased number of offspring. Although a shorter population generation time was also observed in Cephalobus sp., more offspring were produced when exposed to heavy metals. Altogether, these results suggest that when exposed to heavy metals, Heterocephalobellus sp. and Cephalobus sp. led to changes in their survival and reproduction. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report evaluating the survival, reproduction, and LHTs of Heterocephalobellus sp. and Cephalobus sp. in the Philippines and how these parameters are affected by heavy metals ubiquitous in mine sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A meta-analysis was conducted to determine the effects of different types of oligosaccharides (OS) on the egg quality, intestinal profile, nutrient digestibility, and immunity of laying hens. A dataset was constructed from articles published between 2006 and 2023 via a literature search using several keywords related to oligosaccharides and laying hens' performance. After careful evaluation, the final dataset was developed from 25 in vivo studies comprising 165 comparisons. The meta-regression showed that levels of OS supplementation curvilinearly increased (p < 0.05) hen day egg production (HDEP), and crude protein digestibility (CPD). However, OS supplementation did not affect (p > 0.05) feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), egg mass, egg weight, eggshell thickness, shell strength, and Haugh unit. OS supplementation showed a positively improved antioxidant activity, as indicated by the curvilinear effect on superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration. In the categorical meta-analysis, mannan oligosaccharide (MOS), xylooligosaccharides (XOS), and chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) significantly increased (p < 0.01) HDEP and CPD. MOS was the only type of OS that decreased (p < 0.05) FCR while FOS showed to increase (p < 0.01) Haugh unit. To sum up, oligosaccharides could generally increase HDEP but MOS is superior to improving HDEP and FCR while FOS is better than other OS to increase eggshell thickness. Oligosaccharides increase egg production and protein digestibility in laying hens. Mannan oligosaccharide improves feed conversion ratio in laying hens. Elevated trends of IgG and IgA after supplementation with oligosaccharides. Fructo-oligosaccharides improve eggshell thickness and suppress Malondialdehyde (MDA) in laying hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of dietary replacement of inorganic copper (CuO) with its organic or nano source on productive performance, egg quality and blood biochemical constituents of layers. Three hundred, 55 weeks old of Isa Brown hens were randomly allotted into 5 groups. First group received CuO at 8 mg/kg diet, while the second and third group supplemented with the organic form of Cu (copper polysaccharide complex) at 8 and 4 mg/kg diet, respectively. Fourth and fifth group received the Cu as nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) at the same levels of the organic form, respectively. Birds fed the experimental diets for 10 weeks at 110 g/hen/day. Organic Cu failed to compensate body weight losses (P > 0.05), and the CuO-NPs significantly increased it (P < 0.05). Both organic and CuO-NPs non-significantly increased average egg production, shell composition of calcium and phosphorus % and yolk Cu contents (P > 0.05). In contrast, the organic and Nano-CuO salts reduced egg yolk cholesterol contents (P < 0.05). Besides, they caused an interesting reduction of cracked egg percentage (P < 0.05). Additionally, both organic and CuO-NPs increased serum Cu levels, MDA and SOD activities while reduced serum glutathione peroxidase activity compared with CuO (P < 0.05). Moreover, serum lipid profile was significantly altered as triglycerides concentration was increased while total cholesterol was reduced in birds received organic and CuO-NPs. So, the organic or Nano forms of Cu could be used as safe alternative sources in layer diets replacing the inorganic Cu without compromising their productive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social dynamics and lighting conditions influence floor egg-laying behavior (FELB) in hens. Hens prefer to lay eggs in darker areas, leading to mislaid eggs in cage-free systems. Consistent lighting is crucial to prevent mislaid eggs, but equipment obstructions can result in a dark floor area. These dark areas entice hens to lay their eggs outside the designated nesting area, which can lead to potential losses, damage, or contamination, creating hygiene problems and increasing the risk of bacterial growth, resulting in foodborne illnesses. Therefore, additional lighting in dark areas can be a potential solution. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of providing additional light in darker areas in reducing the number of mislaid eggs and FELB. Approximately 720 Hy-Line W-36 hens were housed in four cage-free experimental rooms (180 hens per room), and 6 focal hens from each room were randomly selected and provided with numbered harnesses (1–6) to identify which hens were performing FELB and identify the effect of illuminating solutions. Eggs laid on the floor and in nests were collected and recorded daily for two weeks before and after the light treatment. Statistical analysis was performed using paired t-tests for mislaid eggs and logistic regression for FELB in R Studio (p < 0.05). This study found that additional lighting in darker areas reduced the number of mislaid eggs by 23.8%. Similarly, the number of focal hens performing FELB decreased by 33.3%. This research also unveiled a noteworthy disparity in FELB, with approximately one-third of hens preferring designated nesting areas, while others opted for the floor, which was influenced by social dynamics. Additionally, egg-laying times varied significantly, ranging from 21.3 to 108.03 min, indicating that environmental factors and disturbances played a substantial role in this behavior. These findings suggest that introducing additional lighting in darker areas changes FELB in hens, reducing mislaid eggs and improving egg quality in cage-free systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments were carried out to study the possibility of increasing the productivity level of quails by feeding a new probiotic feed additive based on microorganisms of the genus Enterococcus. The work was carried out in 2022 on Phoenix quails. From the age of one day, in addition to the main diet, the birds of the experimental group daily received a suspension culture of Enterococcus faecium ICIS 96 with a cell concentration of 1 × 109 in 1 mL at the rate of 0.1 mL per 1 kg of live weight. To achieve this goal, a scientific and economic experiment was carried out. At the first stage, the influence of the Enterococcus faecium ICIS 96 strain on the growth, development, and meat productivity of quails up to 42 days was determined, and at the second stage on the egg productivity of quails. The live weight of quail in the experimental group was higher than in the control group at all age periods: on the 28th day by 19.4 g, or 15.02%, on the 42nd day by 23.8 g, or 9.0%. The weight of gutted quail carcasses, which received in addition to the main diet a suspension of Enterococcus faecium ICIS 96 culture, was greater than in the control by 25.42%, half-gutted by 25.33%, and slaughter yield by 8.9%. The highest egg production during the productive period (30 weeks) was observed in quails of the experimental group: the gross collection of eggs was 5365 pcs, which was 701 pcs more than in the control group. At the same time, the thickness of their shell was 8.6% higher. As a result, revenue from the sale of eggs was higher by 4429.2 rubles, and the level of profitability by 4.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waterfowl is an important animal-protein source, which has the potential to get a bigger share in the animal production sector. However, waterfowl farming practices and welfare standards are not well established yet. Stocking rate is one of the farming standards that can enhance the productivity, behavior, and well-being of birds; however, rare studies are available in this area. Thus, this article (1) gives an overview of the recent global waterfowls’ meat and egg production and their population distribution, (2) reviews the effects of stocking rate on social, feeding, and sexual behaviors, (3) shows the effects of stocking rate on growth performance, carcass weight, and meat quality of ducks and geese, and (4) declares the relationship between the stocking rate and egg production. Conclusively, an optimal stocking rate standard can improve behaviors, productivity (meat-egg), and meat quality. Moreover, using weight (kg)/m2 will help in affording the required space allowance for different ducks and geese under various housing systems. The fish-waterfowl production system could be a promising and sustainable solution for increasing waterfowl production, maintaining the welfare of birds, saving energy, and reducing the water footprint of waterfowl meat. Based on prior research findings, we recommended adopting the stocking rate (SR) standard for specific duck and goose breeds to achieve an optimal production-welfare balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Understanding the order of limiting amino acids (AA) in reduced-protein (RP) diets for laying hens will facilitate precise feed formulation and ensure that AA requirements are met cost-effectively. The order of the first three limiting AAs—lysine (Lys), methionine (Met), and threonine (Thr)—has been well established in RP laying hen diets. This study aimed to determine the priority order of eight additional limiting AAs (critically important AAs) when formulating wheat–sorghum-based RP diets for laying hens: tryptophan (Trp), valine (Val), isoleucine (Ile), arginine (Arg), leucine (Leu), histidine (His), phenylalanine (Phe), and glycineequivalent (Gly). A total of 330 Hy-Line Brown laying hens were randomly assigned to 11 dietary treatments (30 replicates of individual birds per treatment) from 20 to 39 weeks of age (WOA). Treatments were a standard-protein (17.24% CP) diet as the control (SP); a reduced-protein (15.00% CP) diet with sufficient levels of Lys, Met, and Thr but insufficient levels of the eight experimental essential AA (RP); a reduced-protein diet with sufficient levels of all essential AAs (RP-EAA); and eight subsequent dietary treatments of the RP-EAA diet with one of the experimental essential AAs removed: Trp (RP-EAA-Trp), Val (RP-EAA-Val), Ile (RP-EAA-Ile), Arg (RP-EAA-Arg), Leu (RP-EAA-Leu), His (RP-EAA-His), Phe (RP-EAA-Phe), and Gly (RP-EAA-Gly). Eggs were collected and weighed daily, and feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were calculated weekly. External and internal egg quality was measured at 29 and 39 WOA. Nutrient digestibility, serum uric acid concentration, caecal microbiota composition, and tibia parameters were measured at 40 WOA. Overall, hens fed the RP-EAA-Val, RP-EAA-Ile, and RP diets presented significantly lower egg mass compared to hens fed the SP, RP-EAA-His, and RP-EAA-Gly diets (p < 0.001). Hens fed the RP diet and RP-EAA-Val diet had a higher FCR compared to those offered the RP-EAA, RP-EAA-Leu, RP-EAA-Phe, and RP-EAA-Gly diets (p = 0.046). Lower protein intake and excretion were observed in hens offered the RP diets compared to hens fed the SP diet (p = 0.001 and 0.018, respectively). Based on the egg mass, Ile may be considered the fourth and Val the fifth limiting AA, after Lys, Met, and Thr, in laying hens fed wheat–sorghum-based RP diets during peak lay. However, if ranked based on FCR, Val may be considered the fourth limiting AA, followed by Trp, Ile, Arg, and His as the co-fifth limiting AAs. Leu, Phe, and Gly may be considered as non-essential AAs for laying hens fed RP diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of macro-morphological changes is important for recognizing disturbances in egg formation that cause pathologies, especially co-infection. The current study aimed to evaluate the level of egg productivity and macromorphological parameters of eggs in domestic chickens of the Rhode Island breed with co-infection of Histomonas, Trichomonas, and Eimeria. Clinical and parasitological, coproscopic, morphometric research, and statistical analysis methods were used for this research. Pathogens of Histomonas and Trichomonas were detected by microscopy of smears of fresh feces, and Eimeria oocysts were identified by flotation according to the Fullenborn method. During 30 days of research, there was a significant decrease in egg production (52%), a decrease in egg weight by 16.8%, and a decrease in the shell thickness by 30.43% during spontaneous Eimeria-Histomonosis-Trichomonosis coinfection in laying hens. The eggshell indicated noticeable macro-morphological changes, including deformations and defects resulting from insufficient calcification. These changes manifest as combined damage to the shell, characterized by small cracks, roughness, bumpy or spilled thickenings, and complete or partial depigmentation. When evaluating the internal content of eggs in 12% of their samples, there were bloody spots, relatively smaller and lighter yolks, thinning of the protein part. Thus, the specified macro-morphological changes and egg defects were the result of the negative impact of co-infection on the processes of egg formation, which indicates the systemic nature of the lesion and the morphofunctional insufficiency of the egg-forming organs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella is one of the leading causes of foodborne disease worldwide, usually related to contaminated poultry or poultry products, such as eggs. Since egg contamination with Salmonella depends on multiple factors that make it challenging to control, consumers' knowledge about food safety and the proper handling of eggs is crucial. The aims of the study were (1) to determine the prevalence of Salmonella in eggs from conventional and alternative production systems, (2) to characterize the Salmonella isolates according to phenotypic-genotypic and antimicrobial-resistant traits, and (3) to understand how consumers manage the hazards related to egg contamination in the household. A total of 426 egg samples were analyzed (conventional systems = 240; alternative systems = 186). Culture-based and molecular microbiological methods were used to identify Salmonella and bioinformatics analysis of whole genome sequences was used to determine the serotype and antimicrobial-resistant genes. Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis was detected only in eggs from alternative systems (1.1%, 2/186). Isolates showed resistance to nalidixic acid (100%, 2/2), and the aac(6′)-Iaa gene and a mutation in the gyrA gene were identified in both isolates. Overall, consumers demonstrated knowledge regarding food safety; however, many still engage in practices that pose a risk of acquiring foodborne illnesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The egg production of chickens is a complex polygenic type of inheritance and is controlled by many genes. The laying performance of chickens is the result of a complex process regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal system. This review summarizes the information on the effect of polymorphisms of follicle stimulating hormone (FSHR), luteinizing hormone (LHCGR), progesterone (PR), and prolactin (PRLR) receptor genes on the egg production and reproductive performance of chickens. The data presented show that the polymorphisms of these genes are promising for use in breeding programs to improve egg production and reproductive performance of chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food security has increased the agriculture production due to satisfying demand of ever-growing population. Due to this growth in population, the demand of protein also increased. A significant amount of population depends upon the chicken and egg to fulfil the demand of protein. The meat and egg production depends on the quality of poultry farming. The presence of air contaminants causes poor air quality within the poultry house which affects health of layers, production of eggs and workers in poultry farm. The proposed work uses data analysis approach and machine learning concept to automatize the process of air quality monitoring in poultry farms. A Convoluted Neural Network Long Short-Term Memory model, along with bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory model is proposed to improve the forecasting performance. This method predicts the Air Quality Index based on air quality parameters. The proposed approach is tested on poultry farm air quality dataset which is collected from different poultry farms. Finally, the obtained performance is compared with existing techniques in terms of RMSE, MAE, MAPE and correlation coefficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A pivotal study was designed to investigate the effect of Hydroxy (HYC) Cu, Zn, and Mn on egg quality and laying performance of chickens under tropical conditions. Methods: A total of 1,260 Babcock White laying hens (20-wk-old) were randomly assigned to one of 4 treatments with 15 replicates of 21 hens each in a Randomized Complete Block Design. The birds were reared for 16 weeks and were fed the corn-soybean meal diets supplemented with one of the following mineral treatments: T1, inorganic (INO, 15 ppm CuSO4, 80ppm MnSO4 and 80 ppm ZnO); T2, Hydroxy-nutritional level (HYC-Nut, 15 ppm Cu, 80 ppm Mn, 80 ppm Zn from Hydroxy); T3, Hydroxy-Low (HYC-Low, 15 ppm Cu, 60 ppm Mn, 60 ppm Zn from Hydroxy); T4, Hydroxy plus inorganic (HYC+INO, 7.5 ppm HYC Cu+7.5 ppm CuSO4, 40 ppm HYC ZnO+40 ppm ZnSO4, 40 ppm HYC Mn+ 40 ppm MnSO4). The egg production was recorded daily, while the feed consumption, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and egg mass were determined at the end of each laying period. The egg quality parameters were assayed in eggs collected over 48 h in each laying period. Results: Overall, no significant effect of treatments was observed on percent egg production, egg weight and FCR (p>0.05). Feed intake was significantly lower in birds fed Hydroxy plus inorganic (p<0.05) diet. The supplementation of HYC-Low significantly increased the egg mass compared to the other treatments (p<0.05). HYC supplementation alone or in combination with INO elicited a positive effect on shell thickness, shell weight, shell weight per unit surface area, yolk colour, albumen and yolk index for a certain period (p<0.05), but not throughout the whole laying period. Conclusion: Dietary supplementation of HYC-Low (15-60-60 mg/kg) showed similar effects on production performance and egg quality characteristics in laying hens as compared to 15-80-80 mg/kg of Cu-Zn-Mn from inorganic sources. This indicates that sulphate based inorganic trace minerals can effectively be substituted by lower concentration of hydroxyl minerals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Supplementing poultry diets with certain natural phytogenic additives has positive impacts on performance parameters like feed intake, egg production and quality of layer hens. Objectives: The study aimed to examine how supplementing papaya seed as phytogenic feed additive (PFA) to the diets of layer chickens affected their egg production, quality and blood serum biochemical parameters. Methods: One hundred twenty 28‐week‐old Bovans brown laying hens were randomly assigned to one of four treatments with varying levels of papaya seed supplementation at 0 g/kg (T1), 5 g/kg (T2), 10 g/kg (T3) and 15 g/kg (T4) in a complete randomized design. Result: Layer chickens supplemented with 0.5% (T2), 1% (T3) and 1.5% (T4) papaya seed as a PFA had significantly (p < 0.05) improved dry matter intake, egg production%, egg mass and feed conversion. On the other hand, papaya seed supplementation decreased (p < 0.05) the bodyweight gain of laying hens. Papaya seed supplementation significantly (p < 0.05) increased egg weight, length, width, yolk height and yolk colour compared to the control group. Serum total protein on T4 and liver enzyme of alkaline phosphatase on T3 were significantly greater (p < 0.05) than in the control group. However, there were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in serum albumin, glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride and aspartate aminotransferase levels among treatments laying hens. Conclusion: Papaya seed can be a potential candidate as a PFA at 5–15 g/kg of the basal diet to improve egg‐laying performance and quality without deteriorating effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Injuries of the sternum and humerus are an important welfare concern in domestic chickens (Gallus domesticus), especially laying hens. Published anatomic references using standardized terminology from the Nomina Anatomica Avium (NAA) are lacking. Objectives of the current retrospective, descriptive study were to provide a user‐friendly hierarchical table of NAA‐compliant anatomic terms and labeled images illustrating anatomic structures for the sternum and humerus of domestic chickens. Three‐dimensional model images were downloaded from a publicly accessible platform, labeled in consultation with a veterinary anatomist, and enhanced by a medical illustrator. Findings can serve as a resource for future clinical and research applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Egg is a staple food in the human diet, containing all nutrients except vitamin C and dietary fibre. As the layers age, egg production and egg quality drop. Betaine is a natural compound widely found in many plants and animals, such as beets, spinach, wheat, and shellfish. It is readily available and cheap. Many studies have addressed betaine as a valuable dietary addition to alleviating inflammation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress. However, it is unclear whether dietary betaine consumption can improve the laying performance during the late-laying period. In this study, betaine was added to the diet of 65-week-old Jinghong-1 layers, whose laying performance declines after 60 weeks and can be below 80% at 80 weeks when the commercial cycle ends. We found that dietary betaine increased egg production and eggshell thickness. Our data further suggested that dietary betaine improved the function of the uterus and ovary, manifested by increased antioxidation capacity, higher expression of calcification-associated genes and hormone receptors, and decreased expression of pro-apoptotic genes. Considering the tendency to keep hens in production longer and the hens' welfare, this study may offer a partial solution to the problem of egg production and quality. Betaine has been found to alleviate oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. However, whether dietary betaine can protect late-laying hens against these adverse effects is unknown. Here, 270 65-week-old Jinghong-1 laying hens were randomly divided into the Control, 0.1% Betaine, and 0.5% Betaine groups and fed a basal diet, 0.1%, and 0.5% betaine supplemented diet, respectively. The trial lasted for seven weeks. Birds that consumed 0.5% betaine laid more eggs with thicker eggshells. Accordingly, uterine reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), and ovarian superoxide dismutase (SOD) contents were increased. The uterine calcium ion content and the mRNA expression of ovalbumin, ovotransferrin, and carbonic anhydrase two were increased. Moreover, ovarian IL-1β, Caspase-1, Caspase-8, and Caspase-9 mRNA expressions were decreased; luteinising hormone receptor (LHR) and follicle-stimulating hormone receptor mRNA expressions were increased. Furthermore, dietary betaine decreased the ovaries' mRNA expression of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT)1, DNMT3a, and DNMT3b. The methylation level at the promoter region of ovarian LHR decreased. These results indicated that dietary betaine consumption with a concentration of 0.5% could increase the laying rate and the eggshell thickness during the late-laying period. The underlying mechanism may include antioxidative, anti-apoptosis, and hormone-sensitivity-enhancing properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within insects, corticotropin-releasing factor/diuretic hormones (CRF/DHs) are responsible for the modulation of a range of physiological and behavioural processes such as feeding, diuresis, and reproduction. Rhopr-CRF/DH plays a key role in feeding and diuresis in Rhodnius prolixus, a blood-gorging insect and a vector for human Chagas disease. Here, we extend our understanding on the role of this neurohormone in reproduction in adult female R. prolixus. Double-label immunohistochemistry displays co-localized staining of CRF-like and the glycoprotein hormone (GPA2/GPB5) subunit GPB5-like immunoreactivity in the same neurosecretory cells (NSCs) in the mesothoracic ganglionic mass (MTGM) and in their neurohemal sites in adult female R. prolixus, suggesting these peptides could work together to regulate physiological processes. qPCR analysis reveals that the transcript for Rhopr-CRF/DH receptor 2 (Rhopr-CRF/DH-R2) is expressed in reproductive tissues and fat body (FB) in adult female R. prolixus, and its expression increases post blood meal (PBM), a stimulus that triggers diuresis and reproduction. Using RNA interference, transcript expression of Rhopr-CRF/DH-R2 was knocked down, and egg production monitored by examining the major yolk protein, vitellogenin (Vg), the number and quality of eggs laid, and their hatching ratio. Injection of dsCRFR2 into adult females reduces Rhopr-CRF/DH-R2 transcript expression, accelerates oogenesis, increases the number of eggs produced, and reduces hatching rate in female R. prolixus. Downregulation of Rhopr-CRF/DH-R2 leads to an increase in the transcript expression of RhoprVg1 in the fat body and ovaries, and increases the transcript level for the Vg receptor, RhoprVgR, in the ovaries. A significant increase in Vg content in the fat body and in the hemolymph is also observed. Incubation of isolated tissues with Rhopr-CRF/DH leads to a significant decrease in transcript expression of RhoprVg1 in the fat body and RhoprVg1 in the ovaries. In addition, Rhopr-CRF/DH reduces transcript expression of the ecdysteroid biosynthetic enzymes and reduces ecdysteroid titer in the culture medium containing isolated ovaries. These results suggest the involvement of the CRF-signaling pathway in reproduction, and that Rhopr-CRF/DH acts as a gonad-inhibiting hormone in the adult female R. prolixus, as previously shown for the colocalized glycoprotein, GPA2/GPB5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The onset of egg laying for hens is affected by genotype, nutritional body status and environmental conditions. Local breeds (white eggshell breeds—Padovana and Polverara; tinted eggshell breeds—Pepoi, Ermellinata di Rovigo, Robusta Maculata and Robusta Lionata) from the Veneto region, in Northern Italy, were reared outdoors from spring (6 weeks of age; 6 WA) to autumn and winter. The onset of laying varied according to the breed (22–28 WA): only the tinted eggshell breeds started laying at the end of summer/beginning of autumn, in the presence of a decreasing natural photoperiod, and the egg production lasted for some weeks. At 38 WA, artificial light was gradually added to the photoperiod to obtain 14L:10D, and at 42 WA, all six breeds were laying. For hens reared outdoors, interactions among environment, body energy and nutritional requirements should be considered. The data on the productive yield and egg quality of the local breed hens are useful for the management of the birds and for an adequate supply of eggs, both for market and for brooding throughout the year. The month of hatching and the rearing management, especially temperature and photoperiod, are important factors for pullets and hens reared outdoors. The yield performance and egg quality of dual-purpose chicken breeds from the Veneto region (Italy), Pepoi (PP), Ermellinata di Rovigo (ER), Robusta Maculata (RM) and Robusta Lionata (RL), with different adult body weights (ABW, kg, PP = 1.3; ER = 2.3, RM and RL = 3.1), were studied, using a factorial model (4 × 2), considering breed and age (26–33 weeks, first age, summer–autumn, under decreasing natural photoperiod—on average, 12L:12D, and 42–53 weeks, second age, winter, under implemented photoperiod-14L:10D) as the main effects and interaction. The chicks hatched in spring, and they started laying at the end of summer/beginning of autumn. Significant (p < 0.05) results were shown for many traits. ER showed higher hen–day egg production than that of PP, and RM and RL were the lowest; ER, RM and RL showed medium-size eggs and PP showed small-size eggs. RM produced the most spherical eggs and ER the most ovoid, and they showed the highest and the lowest eggshell thickness, respectively. RM showed the highest yolk to albumen ratio, and RL showed the lowest. The age increased the laying rate and the egg weight in all the groups. At 26–33 weeks, ER and PP showed higher hen–day egg production (on average 24%) than RM and RL (on average, less than 10%). The onset of laying (at least 10% laying rate) was shown, at different ages, according to the % ABW the breeds had reached: PP was the first, followed by ER, then RM, and RL was the last. At 42–53 weeks, the hen–day egg production ranged, on average, from 38 to 52%, according to the breeds; orthogonal contrasts on two-weekly data showed, at first age, increasing linear (ER) and quadratic (other groups) trends, and at second age, positive linear (ER, RM) and cubic (PP, RL) trends. Age (32 vs. 53 weeks) affected almost all the eggshell traits in PP and ER, whereas in RL, and especially RM, fewer traits changed. The age increased the yolk to albumen ratio (unchanged in PP). These results may be useful for the effective management of local purebred chickens, with the purpose to ensure the wellbeing of the hens and for supplying eggs of different quality throughout the year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The locally manufactured small-scale agricultural machinery in Egypt has recently acquired high importance in order to localize technology and innovation at the farm level. This study aims to design a cost-effective multi-seed planting raisedbed machine to rationalize water use and enhance land productivity in the Nile Delta of Egypt. The small farmers will adopt this technique to enable water, energy, seeds, and effort saving. The design of the machine went through a systematic process of tests to ensure that the design fit for purpose considering a set of design criteria such as soil type, crop type, and varieties as well as seeds size, planting rates, roads networks, farm sizes, cost-effectiveness, and available existing traction forces. The analyses using SolidWorks, a solid modelling computer-aided design and engineering application program, and Ansys simulation software were carried out to the loads and stresses subjected to different parts of the machine in order to identify the proper thickness and materials to manufacture the machine. Based on the stress and strain analysis, the machine structure and its components were designed. The main components of the machine include the main skeleton, seed drill box, planter seed box, feeding chambers, and cells as well as a feeding tube, gearbox, ditchers, ground-driving wheel and transmission mechanism, and mounting triangle. After building the machine components, various investigations were performed by subjecting the used materials to ascending loads to analyze shearing force, normal stress, shear stress, strain, and strength analysis in a micro meshes scale in all machine components. These tests enabled the identification of deformations, equivalent elastic strain, and Safety factor on different machine parts. The simulated values of the machine's parts in thicknesses and dimensions were in good correspondence and consistency with the actual design values. The model showed that the boundary conditions were accurate and rational, and it would provide a scientific basis for the optimum design of the raisedbed machine under multiple and interlinked loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benzophenone-3 (BP-3) is a lipophilic organic compound that occurs naturally in flower pigments. Since it adsorbs ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the UVA and UVB regions, it is one of the most common UV filters found in sunscreen and cosmetic products. We explored by in vivo micronuclei (MNi) assay the genotoxic effects of BP-3 on hemocytes from the freshwater gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis. We also studied its possible toxic effects on life-history traits: body growth in L. stagnalis and egg production of both L. stagnalis and the marine polychaete worm Ophryotrocha diadema. Adult individuals were exposed to increasing concentrations of BP-3 (0.025, 0.050, 0.100, and 0.200 mg/L) once a week for 4 weeks. In L. stagnalis, exposure to BP-3 at concentrations of both 0.2 and 0.1 mg/L produced genotoxic effects on the micronuclei frequencies, but only concentrations of 0.2 mg/L affected the NBUDs frequencies. Similarly, negative effects on body growth were observed at the concentrations of 0.2 and 0.1 mg/L and a significant reduction of egg production at 0.2 mg/L. In O. diadema, a negative correlation between egg production and increasing BP-3 concentrations was observed. Our findings suggest the need for more stringent measures to reduce the presence of BP-3 in the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensification of production systems raises concerns about animal welfare. In egg production, the use of cages is the main reason for discussion. The current transition from the production system to cage-free systems raises questions about consumer perception. The objective of this study was to typify, characterize and differentiate the profile of Brazilian consumers regarding animal welfare in laying poultry. For this, a questionnaire with 28 questions, addressing questions about sociodemographic indicators (SOC), eating habits (HAB), knowledge about the production chain (CON), general perception of animal welfare in egg production (HPW) and about eggs with an animal welfare guarantee (PEAWG) was answered by 1415 consumers. Machine learning techniques were applied to characterize; typify and holistic perception. Three groups of consumers were defined: interested, emerging and indifferent. All indicators under study showed discriminatory power (P < 0.001). The indicators that showed the greatest importance for the classification of the three profiles were HPW < EHAB < COM < PEAWG < SOC. The results indicate the potential of interested and emerging groups to become consumers of cage-free eggs and also indicate the need to inform the population about animal welfare in egg production. The results reinforce the need to create specific public policies for the production chain, in order to value egg production and reaffirm interest in the area, especially in specific niches such as production in cage-free systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European eel, Anguilla anguilla (Linnaeus, 1758), is a species of high conservation and commercial value. Also, with a high aquacultural value, it was one of the most farmed species in Europe before its decline. Conservation measures for this species are currently being implemented, some of which are the release of adults to allow them to migrate to spawning grounds and artificial reproduction to minimise the impact of overfishing. Much progress has been made regarding the closing of the life cycle, but several problems remain to be solved, such as the weaning and growth of larvae. In this regard, the study of local populations and the identification of the best spawners could be a good way forward as it would help to identify spawners with high reproductive potential and good offspring quality. In this study, we compared the reproductive performance of female eels from migratory areas of the Northern Adriatic Sea at different maturation stages (10 pre-migrant stage; 10 migrant stage), treating both groups with the same hormonal protocol (weekly carp pituitary extract, injection of 17α,20β-Dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one at complete oocyte maturation). The research showed that eels at the beginning of metamorphosis (SI III), i.e., eels not yet ready to undertake migration, achieve reproductive performance equal to that of eels ready for migration (SI IV). Their performance was on par in both qualitative and quantitative terms. The optimal results in hatching (with values of 65.8 ± 3.2% for pre-migrant and 68.2 ± 4.1% for migrant) and survival rates (with value of 25.7 ± 5.4% pre-migrants; 27.2 ± 3.7% migrants), as well as the results about the time to reach full gonadal maturation, may have positive implications when considering release and restocking measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The better understanding of laying pattern of birds is crucial for developing breed-specific proper breeding scheme and management. Methods Daily egg production until 50 wk of age of six chicken breeds including one layer (White Leghorn, WL), three dual-purpose (Rhode Island Red, RIR; Columbian Plymouth Rock, CR; and Barred Plymouth Rock, BR), one synthetic dwarf (DY), and one indigenous (Beijing-You Chicken, BYC) were used to characterize their clutch traits and egg production. The age at first egg, egg number, average and maximum clutch length, pause length, and number of clutches and pauses were calculated accordingly. Results The egg number and average clutch length in WL, RIR, CR, and BR were higher than those in DY and BYC (p

Poultry farming plays a significant role in ensuring food security and economic growth in many countries. However, various factors such as feeding management practices, environmental conditions, and diseases lead to poultry mortality (dead birds). Therefore, regular monitoring of flocks and timely veterinary assistance is crucial for maintaining poultry health, well-being, and the success of poultry farming operations. However, the current monitoring method relies on manual inspection by farm workers, which is time-consuming. Therefore, developing an automatic early mortality detection (MD) model with higher accuracy is necessary to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in poultry. This study aimed to develop, evaluate, and test the performance of YOLOv5-MD and YOLOv6-MD models in detecting poultry mortality under various cage-free (CF) housing settings, including camera height, litter condition, and feather coverage. The results demonstrated that the YOLOv5s-MD model performed exceptionally well, achieving a high mAP@0.50 score of 99.5%, a high FPS of 55.6, low GPU usage of 1.04 GB, and a fast-processing time of 0.4 h. Furthermore, this study also evaluated the models’ performances under different CF housing settings, including different levels of feather coverage, litter coverage, and camera height. The YOLOv5s-MD model with 0% feathered covering achieved the best overall performance in object detection, with the highest mAP@0.50 score of 99.4% and a high precision rate of 98.4%. However, 80% litter covering resulted in higher MD. Additionally, the model achieved 100% precision and recall in detecting hens’ mortality at the camera height of 0.5 m but faced challenges at greater heights such as 2 m. These findings suggest that YOLOv5s-MD can detect poultry mortality more accurately than other models, and its performance can be optimized by adjusting various CF housing settings. Therefore, the developed model can assist farmers in promptly responding to mortality events by isolating affected birds, implementing disease prevention measures, and seeking veterinary assistance, thereby helping to reduce the impact of poultry mortality on the industry, ensuring the well-being of poultry and the overall success of poultry farming operations.

Piling behavior (PB) is a common issue that causes negative impacts on the health, welfare, and productivity of the flock in poultry houses (e.g., cage-free layer, breeder, and broiler). Birds pile on top of each other, and the weight of the birds can cause physical injuries, such as bruising or suffocation, and may even result in death. In addition, PB can cause stress and anxiety in the birds, leading to reduced immune function and increased susceptibility to disease. Therefore, piling has been reported as one of the most concerning production issues in cage-free layer houses. Several strategies (e.g., adequate space, environmental enrichments, and genetic selection) have been proposed to prevent or mitigate PB in laying hens, but less scientific information is available to control it so far. The current study aimed to develop and test the performance of a novel deep-learning model for detecting PB and evaluate its effectiveness in four CF laying hen facilities. To achieve this goal, the study utilized different versions of the YOLOv6 models (e.g., YOLOv6t, YOLOv6n, YOLOv6s, YOLOv6m, YOLOv6l, and YOLOv6l relu). The objectives of this study were to develop a reliable and efficient tool for detecting PB in commercial egg-laying facilities based on deep learning and test the performance of new models in research cage-free facilities. The study used a dataset comprising 9000 images (e.g., 6300 for training, 1800 for validation, and 900 for testing). The results show that the YOLOv6l relu-PB models perform exceptionally well with high average recall (70.6%), mAP@0.50 (98.9%), and mAP@0.50:0.95 (63.7%) compared to other models. In addition, detection performance increases when the camera is placed close to the PB areas. Thus, the newly developed YOLOv6l relu-PB model demonstrated superior performance in detecting PB in the given dataset compared to other tested models.

The housing environment has become a critical issue for consumers of eggs and egg products. Therefore, it is imperative to understand how various housing environments can affect the modern laying hen. In this study, alongside the 40th NC layer performance test, four different housing environments were chosen based on industry prevalence, which include conventional cages, barren, enrichable colony cages, enriched colony cages, and cage-free environments. Hens in these environments were raised following standard feeding and lighting practices. This study found that conventional cage and enriched colony cage hens had the highest egg production level, while hens from the barren colony cages had the lowest production level. Feed efficiency followed a similar trend, where conventional cage and cage-free hens had the best feed efficiency, followed by enriched colony cage and barren colony cage hens. This study also found that conventional cage hens had the largest eggs, while cage-free hens had the smallest eggs. Cage-free and conventional cage hens had the lowest mortality rate, while hens in the barren colony cage had the highest mortality rate. From the data shown, it appears that standard, conventional cages provide white egg layers with the most optimal environment for production performance. However, a further evaluation of health and stress is needed to determine which environment provides the hen with optimal welfare.

A study was conducted to determine the effect of selenium (sodium selenite) added to palm kernel cake (PKC) before fermentation on production, selenium content, and quality of eggs. The PKC was added with 0.1% sodium selenite and 1% baking yeast (Fermipan®). The mixture was added with ster-ile distilled water to increase the water content of the substrate. The substrates were fermented at room temperature for 5 days. The fermented products of selenium-rich fermented palm kernel cake (SRFPKC) were dried and fed to the laying hens. The experimental diets used were T-0: without SRF-PKC, T-1: 0.25% SRFPKC, T-2: 0.50% SRFPKC, T-3: 0.75% SRFPKC and T-4: 1.0 % SRFPKC. The diets were given to 180 laying hens aged 22 weeks for 14 weeks. Data on egg production, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were recorded. Feed digestibilities of dry matter and protein were measured based on the method of total fecal collection. Egg qualities and egg weight loss were done using eggs stored for 1 and 30 days. Selenium and cholesterol contents of eggs were also measured. This study used a completely randomized design and was analyzed by analysis of variance. The results showed that the addition of SRFPKC increased egg production, hen day, egg weight, egg selenium, feed digest-ibility, improve FCR (P

This study was conducted in the fields of the Department of Animal Production - College of Agriculture at Kirkuk University for the period from 6/14/2021 to 7/30/2022. 750 quail chicks were supplied from the Poultry Research Station of the Agricultural Research Department in Abu Ghraib. The chicks were fed the starter ration until the age of 30 days, and then they were fed the production ration. At the age of 4 weeks, the chicks were vaccinated with the attenuated Newcastle vaccine, and the chicks were divided into six experimental treatments: the first treatment represented the negative control group that was not vaccinated and did not have the amino acid arginine added to it, the second treatment represented the positive control group whose chicks were vaccinated with the Newcastle vaccine with no arginine added to their diet As for the third and fourth treatments, they were vaccinated with the Newcastle vaccine with the addition of 5% arginine higher than the bird''s needs. The fifth and sixth treatments represented groups of birds vaccinated with the Newcastle vaccine, while feeding the birds with diets to which the amino acid arginine was added, 10% higher than the bird''s needs. A week after the initial immunization, the bird was vaccinated again with Newcastle vaccine, and the immune level was examined by the agglutination test to find out the level of the birds'' immune response, dividing them into two levels of high immune response and low immune response. This process was repeated for the next three generations. The characteristic of egg production at the age of 90 and 120 days, and the egg mass was recorded. The data were analyzed according to the general linear model method using the ready-made statistical program SAS. The genetic equivalent and the genetic and phenotypic correlations were estimated. The characteristics of egg production decreased until the age of 90 and 120 days, as well as the mass of eggs at the age of 120 days, compared to the base population (21.61 vs. 34.84), (22.01 vs. 26.53), (323.47 vs. 545.97), respectively. The egg mass was significantly affected by the level of immunity and the percentage of added arginine, where the highest value of the egg mass was for birds selected for the high immune level and to which arginine was added by 10% higher than the needs of the bird. Estimates of genotyped egg production at 90 and 120 days of age and egg mass at 120 days of age were (0.64, 0.65 and 0.21), respectively. The results showed weak genetic correlations (0.0263) between egg production at the age of 90 days and egg production at the age of 120 days, but the phenotypic correlations were high (0.6248) between egg production at the age of 90 days and egg production at the age of 120 days. The current study indicates that the selection of birds according to the immune response against Newcastle disease led to decrease in egg production and egg mass. Addition the Arginine amino acid did not increase production at the age of 90 and 120 days. While the addition of arginine 10% led to an increase in the egg mass.

Poultry is one of the most consumed sources of animal protein around the world. To meet the global demands for poultry meat and eggs, it is necessary to improve their nutrition to sustain the poultry industry. However, the poultry industry faces several challenges, including feedstuff availability, the banning of antibiotics as growth promoters, and several environmental stressors. Therefore, there is a critical need to include available nutraceuticals in the diet to sustain the poultry industry. Nutraceuticals are natural chemical substances that positively influence animal physiological and productive traits. Botanical products (such as fenugreek seeds, ginger roots, and olive leaves) are among the most commonly used nutraceuticals and are gradually gaining popularity in the poultry industry due to their immense benefits in nutrition and therapeutic properties. They can be added to the diet separately or in combination (as a natural antioxidant and immunostimulant) to improve poultry health and production. Botanical products are rich in essential oils and essential fatty acids, which have multiple benefits on the animal's digestive system, such as activating the digestive enzymes and restoring microbiota balance, enhancing poultry health, and production. These nutraceuticals have been shown to stimulate the expression of several genes related to growth, metabolism, and immunity. In addition, the essential oil supplementation in poultry diets up-regulated the expression of some crucial genes associated with nutrient transportation (such as glucose transporter-2 and sodium-glucose cotransporter-1). Previous studies have suggested that supplementation of botanical compounds increased broiler body weight and hen egg production by approximately 7% and 15%, respectively. Furthermore, the supplementation of botanical compounds enhanced the reproductive efficiency of hens and the semen quality of roosters by 13%. This review article discusses the significant effects of some botanical products in the poultry industry and how they can benefit poultry, especially in light of the ban on antibiotics as growth promoters.

Abstract Background Acidifier are substances with antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial, performance and health benefits that are frequently employed in feed acidification, especially in poultry diet. Meanwhile, the most important factor for acidifier efficiency is the proportion of different acids in the final product. Objectives This study aimed to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of a commercial acidifier on egg production and histology of the small intestine in laying Japanese quail. Methods One‐hundred and sixty female quails at 15 weeks of age were divided into four groups and fed basal diet supplemented with different levels of acidifier (0, 1, 2 and 3 gr acidifier/kg of basal diet) for 8 weeks. Egg production, egg quality attributes and body weight (BW) were measured every 2 weeks. Histology of the small intestine and bacterial population of cecum as well as pH of crop, duodenum, jejunum, ileum and cecum contents were also investigated at the end of the experiment. Results Feed conversion ratio (FCR), yolk height, shell thickness, pH of the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum; duodenum, villus width (VW), villus height (VH), crypt depth (CD); jejunum VH, VW and ileum VH to CD ratio (VCR) were linearly improved by the increasing levels of acidifier supplementation (P 0.05). Conclusions In conclusion, as calculated, the supplementation of 1 and 2.6 g acidifier per kg of diet was associated with beneficial effects on egg production and quality, gastrointestinal tract pH and histology of the small intestine in laying quails.