Growth performance, meat quality, strength of jejunum and leg bones of both sexes Cherry Valley ducks fed with zeolite

Zeolite, as a natural mineral, could be a good additive for ducks, in line with pro-environmental trends. The study aimed to evaluate zeolite additives in feed for broiler ducks of both sexes on production results, meat quality, and the strength of the jejunum, tibia, and femur. The experiment used 200 Cherry Valley ducks, divided into a control group of males (CM) and females (CF) and an experimental group of males (ZM) and females (ZF). In the control groups, a commercial diet was used. In the experimental groups, 1% zeolite was added. The ZM group demonstrated higher body weight and weight gain than the CM group. Zeolite reduced the feed conversion ratio. A higher liver weight was found in the experimental group (ZM). Notably, zeolite influenced the weight of male pectoral muscles. Higher water loss in the pectoral muscles and higher protein content in the leg muscles were found in the same group. Females had a higher weight of neck and wings with skin. Female pectoral muscles had lower protein and water content. Zeolite in feed at a 1% level for broiler ducks could be recommended as a natural additive that positively affects the ducks' production results concerning good quality meat.

A meta-analysis of the effects of clay mineral supplementation on alkaline phosphatase, broiler health, and performance

The crucial constraint in the broiler production sector is feed efficiency; many feed additives have been widely employed to increase broiler growth. Nonetheless, some of these substances exacerbate health and animal-based food product safety concerns. This meta-analysis examines the effect of clay minerals on alkaline phosphatase (ALP), broiler health, and performance. Metadata was constructed from 369 data items that were harvested from 86 studies. The addition of clay minerals was set as a fixed effect and the difference between experiments was established as a random effect. The metadata were fitted using a linear mixed model. Due to the presence of clay minerals, growth performance as assessed by body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), and performance efficiency index (PEI) increased significantly (P < 0.01). In the total period, the increases of BW, ADG, and PEI were 4.12 g, 0.0714 g/d, and 0.648, respectively, per unit of clay minerals added. Clay minerals did not affect blood serum parameters (e.g., ALP and calcium). The IgA and IgM concentrations in the jejunum and ileum were significantly greater (P < 0.01) in the starter phase. Among clay minerals, broilers fed diets with aluminosilicate, halloysite, kaolin, and zeolite consistently exhibited higher (P < 0.05) BW, ADG, PEI, and lower feed conversion ratio (P < 0.05) in the finisher phase. Aluminosilicate was the only clay that increased (P < 0.05) secretory IgA concentration in both jejunum and ileum. In conclusion, clay minerals could be used as a growth promoter, especially during the finisher phase, without adversely affecting feed intake, liver function, and mineral metabolism in broiler chickens. Aluminosilicate was superior in improving the mucosal immunity status of broiler chickens.

Dietary inclusion of AZOMITE improves feed efficiency in broilers and egg production in laying and broiler breeder hens

The dietary inclusion of aluminosilicates has been reported to enhance pellet quality, improve feed mill throughput, bind toxins, improve feed efficiency, and promote immunological function across a variety of production systems. AZOMITE is a product marketed as a hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate containing macro and trace minerals, and rare earth elements and the potential benefits of its dietary inclusion in broiler, layer, and broiler breeder diets was investigated. In a battery study, broilers were fed diets containing 0, 0.125, 0.250, or 0.500% AZOMITE from 0 to 21 d of age. Laying hens were fed a control diet or this diet supplemented with 0.25% AZOMITE from 54 through 98 wk of age, with the hens fed a standard molting diet or this diet supplemented with 0.25% AZOMITE from 71 to 72 wk of age. Broiler breeder hens were fed a control diet or this diet supplemented with 0.25% AZOMITE from the onset of photostimulation at 21 wk of age through 65 wk of age. All 3 dietary inclusion rates of AZOMITE improved (P < 0.05) the feed to body weight gain ratio in broilers fed these diets relative to broilers fed the control diet. In laying hens total marketable eggs, and in broiler breeder hens total settable eggs were increased (P < 0.05) with the dietary inclusion of AZOMITE by 8 eggs per hen. The inclusion of dietary AZOMITE also improved apparent Ca and P digestibility in broilers and tibia ash content in laying hens. The results indicate the dietary inclusion of AZOMITE in poultry diets improves bird performance.

Effects of montmorillonite on the growth performance, immunity, intestinal morphology and caecal microflora of broilers

Context Montmorillonite (MMT), as a potential antibiotic alternative, has rarely been reported in broiler chickens. Aims The present study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary MMT supplementation on the growth performance, immunity, intestinal microflora and morphological features of broilers. Methods One-day-old male broilers (Arbor Acres; n = 240) were randomly assigned to the following four groups before a 42-day feeding trial: (i) basal diet with no supplementation (control group); (ii) basal diet supplemented with 0.1% MMT; (iii) basal diet supplemented with 0.2% MMT; and (iv) basal diet supplemented with 0.3% MMT. Key results The results demonstrated that supplementation with 0.1% and 0.2% MMT markedly improved the average daily gain of broilers compared with the control group. Moreover, supplementation with 0.1% MMT remarkably decreased the total viable count of Escherichia coli in the caecum of broilers. Compared with the control group, 0.1% MMT supplementation significantly elevated the concentrations of secretory immunoglobulin A and systemic immunoglobulin G in the jejunal mucosa of broilers (P &lt; 0.05). Furthermore, MMT supplementation was associated with a greater villus height (VH) and a higher ratio of VH to crypt depth (CD) in the intestinal mucosa of broilers (P &lt; 0.05). However, in the duodenal and jejunal mucosa, dietary supplementation with MMT exhibited no significant (P &gt; 0.05) impact on the CD values of broilers compared with the control group. Conclusions This study showed that supplementation with 0.1% MMT could enhance broiler growth, increase the small intestinal VH and the VH:CD ratio, promote the intestinal-mucosa development, affect microflora population and improve immune function in the intestinal tract of broilers. Implications Supplementation with MMT could alter morphological changes in the intestinal villi, regulate microbial population and improve immune function in the intestinal tract, thus contributing to broiler growth. Our results indicated that MMT may serve as a natural beneficial feed additive for poultry gut health.

Effects of Dietary Inclusion of Bilberry and Walnut Leaves Powder on the Digestive Performances and Health of Tetra SL Laying Hens

Simple Summary

In poultry, diet composition influences growth performance, egg production, as well as digestion. In this study, the effects of dietary additives obtained from bilberry and walnut leaves powder on the digestive performances of Tetra SL hens were evaluated by histologic and morphometric analyses of the intestinal mucosa as well as by the enzymatic activity measurements of alpha-amylase, invertase, maltase, and trypsin correlated with cecum microbiota.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of dietary inclusion of two additives at the final concentration of 0.5% bilberry (E1) and 1% walnut (E2) leaves powder in the basal diet on digestive health of hens. A total number of 90 Tetra SL hens were divided into two experimental groups (E1 and E2) and one control group (C) consisting of 30 hens each. After four weeks, 10 hens of each group were sacrificed and tissue samples and intestinal content were taken from the duodenum, jejunum, and cecum in order to perform histological, enzymatic, and microbiota analyses. In groups E1 and E2, the histological analysis showed a significant increase of villus height, resulting probably in increased absorption of nutrients in duodenum and jejunum. A decrease in the specific activity of alpha-amylase and trypsin in E1 and E2 for both duodenum and jejunum compared to the control one was also recorded. In addition, the maltase and invertase specific activity in duodenum increased, a tendency that was kept for maltase but not for invertase in jejunum. The cecal microbiota of E1 and E2 individuals was characterized by an increase of Firmicutes and Lactobacilli and a decrease of Enterobacteriaceae. In conclusion, our results indicate that bilberry and walnut leaves additives in feed may improve the health status of the poultry gastrointestinal tract.

Evaluation of whey protein sources on performance, liver antioxidants and immune responses of broiler chickens challenged with ethanol

To evaluate the effects of whey protein (WP) sources on performance, liver antioxidants and immune responses of broiler chickens, 300 one-d-old male Ross 308 chickens were randomly allocated into six treatments with five replications of 10 birds each. This study was conducted on the basis of a completely randomized design in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement with dietary supplemental WP sources (no WP; 2% WP and 2% whey protein concentrate (WPC)) and ethanol (zero and 6%) into drinking water. Birds were challenged with ethanol 6% from 10 to 24 days of age. Growth performance, immune responses, intestinal morphology and antioxidant enzymes were assessed in both challenged and non-challenged groups. There was a significant interaction between ethanol and WP sources for growth performance, so that weight gain (WG), feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were significantly improved in broiler chickens challenged with ethanol and fed with WP (p < .05). Intestinal morphology, humoral responses and heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (H/L) were not affected by WP sources. Cellular immunity responses were significantly lower in control group and challenged birds fed with WP compared with other groups after 48 hr of phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P) injection. Ethanol challenge decreased liver antioxidant enzyme activities and increased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities. Dietary inclusion of WP and WPC increased levels of liver antioxidant enzymes and decreased MDA and ALT activities. It can be recommended to use WP for improving the growth performance and liver antioxidant enzymes in broiler chickens challenged with ethanol.

Toxicity of high uranium doses in broilers and protection with mineral adsorbents

The aim of this study was to determine the uranium distribution and histopathological changes in broiler organs (kidney, liver, and brain) and muscle after 7 days of contamination with high doses of uranyl nitrate hexahydrate (UN), and the protective efficiency of three different mineral adsorbents (organobentonite, organozeolite, and sepiolite). During the 7 days, the UN administration was 50 mg per day, and administration of adsorbents was 2 g per day immediately after UN. In control group where broilers received only UN, histopathological changes such as necrosis of intestinal villi, oedema, vacuolisation and abruption of epithelial cells in renal tubules, oedema and vacuolisation of the cytoplasm of hepatocytes, and dystrophic changes in the neurons of the medulla oblongata were observed. In contrast, when the adsorbents organobentonite, organozeolite, and sepiolite were administered, no histopathological changes were observed in liver and brain. The investigated adsorbents showed the highest protective effects in liver (80-92%), compared to the kidney (77-86%), brain (37-64%), and meat (31-63%).

Incorporation of Lactobacillus plantarum and zeolites in poultry feed can reduce aflatoxin B1 levels

The aim of this work was to evaluate the incorporation of a freeze-dried probiotic strain (Lactobacillus plantarum CIDCA 83114) into zeolites. The bacteria-zeolite mixture was added to poultry feed together with thyme, and the obtained product was stored for 60 days at 25 °C and 60-70% relative humidity. The ability of the obtained product to remove aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was studied. The highest bacterial viability was observed when 50% w/w bacteria were added to zeolites. The bacterial:zeolite mixtures were then incorporated into poultry feed containing or not thyme. Initial counts of L. plantarum were in the range of 1-2 × 10⁸ CFU/g for all samples. In all cases, bacterial viability decreased one logarithmic order after 20 days of storage, and three logarithmic orders after 60 days. No significant viability loss was observed after exposure of the poultry feed to gastro-intestinal conditions. Freeze-dried L. plantarum and zeolite were able to remove AFB1, with an average reduction of 20 and 80%, respectively. Moreover, the freeze-dried bacteria-zeolite mixture was capable to remove up to 90% AFB1. This work contributes to enhance the nutritional quality of poultry feed, with a strong impact in production.