Search

This review explores the potential of white lupin seeds (Lupinus albus) as a sustainable protein source for rabbit nutrition and examines their effects on growth performance, carcass traits, health status, milk yield, milk composition and nutrient availability. The dietary inclusion of white lupin seeds leads to comparable or superior growth, milk yield, milk composition, nutrient digestibility and digestive health of rabbits, as well as meat quality and carcass outcomes relative to traditionally used protein sources for feeding rabbits, such as soybean meal and sunflower meal. Studies also show that it is possible to use white lupin byproducts, such as the hull and bran, for rabbit diets, which can be convenient in terms of providing an adequate supply of lignocellulose and enhancing the sustainability of rabbit feed, promoting circular economy principles. The cultivation of white lupin can contribute to environmental sustainability by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the use of synthetic fertiliser. Future research should focus on breeding improvements and comprehensive environmental assessments of white lupin seeds to maximise the benefits of white lupin for rabbit nutrition. These findings support the role of white lupin as a viable and eco-friendly alternative to traditional protein sources, such as soybean meal, which could support productivity and sustainability in rabbit farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to appraise the effect of humic substances (HS) in different concentrations on external and internal egg quality of laying hens. In total, 20 Oravka hens were allocated to 4 treatments, each containing 5 birds. The control birds were fed a diet without additives (0.00% HS), other treatment birds were fed with diets containing HS at 0.50%, 0.75 and 1.00%. The birds in all groups had available drinking water and feed mixtures ad libitum. The experimental period lasted 16 weeks. Also, 20 egg samples from each group were randomly every 2 weeks to assess egg quality parameters. Adding HS in different concentrations significantly increased (P<0.05) egg weight, albumen index, Haugh unit and yolk index and decreased yolk percentage (P<0.05), compared with control. There were no differences (P>0.05) in egg shape index, egg volume, eggshell weight, eggshell percentage, eggshell strength, eggshell thickness, albumen weight, albumen percentage, yolk weight and yolk colour among treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to appraise the effect of humic substances (HS) on laying performance. In total, 20 Oravka hens were allocated to 4 treatments, each containing 5 birds. The control birds were fed a diet without additives (0.00% HS), other treatment birds were fed with diets containing HS at 0.50%, 0.75 and 1.00%. The birds in all treatments had available drinking water and feed mixtures ad libitum. The experimental period lasted 16 weeks. Feed consumption and egg production were determined daily, egg weight was measured biweekly, and live body weights were recorded at the beginning and the end of the experiment. At the end of the experiment, the supplementations of HS had a significant effect (P<0.05) on live body weight, egg production and feed efficiency. In liver, gizzard, spleen, ovary and oviduct relative to live body there were no significant differences (P>0.05) among the among treatments. Carcass weight and oviduct weight were the highest (P<0.05) in Oravka hens fed HS diets compared with control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research was to evaluate the influence of the housing system (deep litter [DL] vs. deep litter with swimming pond [DLSP]) on productive performance, carcass traits, body temperature, blood profile, and the element composition of the femur and tibia in Muscovy ducks. At 5 weeks of age, sexed ducklings (264) were divided into 4 equal groups according to housing system and gender (drakes vs. ducks). The groups were as follows: 66 drakes/DL, 66 drakes/DLSP, 66 ducks/DL, and 66 ducks/DLSP. Each of the four groups was divided into three identical replicated subgroups of 22 animals. Regarding external body temperature, the DL birds had higher temperatures compared with the DLSP birds. In addition, drakes had lower temperature values than ducks. Regarding the blood analysis, the birds did not manifest any deviations in the biochemical traits of the blood. The DLSP birds had greater live weight, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio, but a lower proportion of breast meat than the DL birds. The housing conditions did not affect the fracture toughness of the tibia and femur of the birds; however, Muscovy ducks from the DLSP group had more Ca and Mg in the tibia and more Mg in the femur compared with the DL birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this review was to evaluate the effect of different housing systems on productive traits, carcass, meat quality and muscle fibre properties in growing rabbits. Rabbit breeding for meat production is nowadays under the pressure of decreasing rabbit meat consumption and unsatisfactory animal welfare conditions. It is necessary to review which housing systems are the most suitable from the production point of view with respect to animal welfare. It is crucial to implement environmental enrichment of these systems in order to eliminate aggressive or stereotypical behaviour. There are several studies in scientific literature, which examined effects of group size, stocking density and floor types on productive traits, carcass traits, meat quality or welfare, but very few studies considered the potential impact of these factors on muscle fibre properties, which are the determining factor of carcass quality. Nowadays, more possibilities to enrich the housing system environment are available. Generally, gnawing sticks are used to eliminate the negative behaviour, while platforms have no effect on productive traits, although the exercise function is well received by rabbits. Additionally, mirrors may be used to decrease the effect of feeling isolated and thus improve welfare conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was made because of the dominant use of cage housing systems in poultry husbandry worldwide. The aim was to evaluate the quality parameters of eggs of brown egglaying hybrid Lohmann Brown-Classic depending on age and housing system. The eggs were collected from 32, 42 and 64-week-old hens. In total, 1080 eggs from the enriched cages and 540 eggs from the litter were analysed. The evaluation of technological value included egg weight and shape index, eggshell surface, weight, proportion, thickness, strength and colour, albumen weight, proportion and index, Haugh units, yolk weight, proportion, index and yolk to albumen ratio. The significant effect of both, age and housing system, was found in all observed parameters except for the egg shape index, where significant effect was not found in the housing system. The significant interaction of age and housing system was found in all observed parameters except for the eggshell strength. The results did not confirm a trend of deteriorating egg quality with the age. In terms of the housing system, it is not possible to unambiguously claim that one housing system produced eggs with superior quality, but most of the values of the main parameters were higher in eggs from enriched cages. It is necessary to continue to monitor the quality of eggs, depending on the age and housing system, in context of the cage systems replacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Central European Agriculture is the property of Journal of Central European Agriculture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Central European Agriculture is the property of Journal of Central European Agriculture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses a study which investigated the effect of age on the egg quality traits of Japanese quails. In this study, the two traits of egg quality that were not affected by the age of the quails are the egg shape index and yolk colour. One significant indicator of egg value is the quality of eggshell. It was revealed in the study that the eggs' storage length or hatchability is possibly affected by the change in the egg quality traits of Japanese quail eggs.

The objective of this study was to determine and evaluate the effect of parity on the fatty acids groups' proportion in Holstein cows' milk during the first phase of lactations, with an emphasis on its potential importance for consumer health. A total of 25 Holstein cows, 9 primiparous, 9 in the 2nd, and 7 in the 3rd and subsequent parity, were observed and sampled at 7-day intervals through the first 17 weeks of lactation. The percentage proportion of saturated (hypercholesterolemic and volatile as its components) and unsaturated (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated as its components) fatty acids in the samples of milk fat (n=425) was determined. The effects of parity and negative energy balance, as well as regression, on the lactation week and the fat to protein ratio were evaluated using SAS 9.3. A significantly (P<0.01) lower proportion of unhealthy hypercholesterolemic fatty acids was detected in primiparous cows (-2.67 %) and those in the 3rd and subsequent lactation (-2.94 %) compared to the 2nd lactation, as well as a simultaneously higher proportion of healthy unsaturated fatty acids ( + 2.07, respectively +3.08 %). The determined relationships corresponded to organism stress evoked by the initiation of milk production and its maintenance in higher parities. Therefore, the generally required prolongation of dairy cows' longevity can influence on the quality of raw milk, especially considering composition of fatty acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]