Effects of substituting yellow corn for sorghum in geese diets on magret and foie gras quality

Emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum)-based intervention in Japanese quail's diet and its impact on performance, carcass yield, meat fatty acids, and fecal volatile fatty acids

The high nutritional and nutraceutical qualities of emmer wheat make it a valuable cereal grain. The present study was designed to quantify the contribution of emmer wheat inclusion into Japanese quail's rations in terms of their productive responses, alterations in the fatty acid profile of their meat, and changes in the composition of volatile fatty acids in their feces. For this purpose, a total of 160, 1-day-old Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments (4 replicates and 10 quails/replicate) with different levels of emmer wheat including 0% (control), 5% (T5), 10% (T10), and 15% (T15). These dietary treatments were administered for a period of 35 days. The results obtained from the study showed that dietary changes led by incorporation of increasing levels of emmer wheat into quail rations had no negative impact on quail's health and production. Moreover, supplemental emmer could promote better feed conversion ratio and higher carcass yield, while it did not affect the relative weights of internal organs including liver, gizzard, and heart. In addition, the incorporation of increasing levels of emmer wheat into quail rations was characterized by a reduction in total saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, whereas an increase was observed in the levels of total unsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in breast meat. Emmer wheat inclusion also increased the levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in breast meat. Regarding volatile fatty acid profile, a lower percentage of propionic acid while a higher percentage of acetic acid were recorded in feces of quails fed emmer wheat-based diets when compared to those fed control diets. Overall, as confirmed by the present findings, the incorporation of emmer wheat into quail diets could be proposed as a valuable strategy for the promotion of animal health and performance. More research is needed to further investigate the promising roles of using emmer wheat in poultry nutrition.

Worldwide Mycotoxins Exposure in Pig and Poultry Feed Formulations

The purpose of this review is to present information about raw materials that can be used in pig and poultry diets and the factors responsible for variations in their mycotoxin contents. The levels of mycotoxins in pig and poultry feeds are calculated based on mycotoxin contamination levels of the raw materials with different diet formulations, to highlight the important role the stage of production and the raw materials used can have on mycotoxins levels in diets. Our analysis focuses on mycotoxins for which maximum tolerated levels or regulatory guidelines exist, and for which sufficient contamination data are available. Raw materials used in feed formulation vary considerably depending on the species of animal, and the stage of production. Mycotoxins are secondary fungal metabolites whose frequency and levels also vary considerably depending on the raw materials used and on the geographic location where they were produced. Although several reviews of existing data and of the literature on worldwide mycotoxin contamination of food and feed are available, the impact of the different raw materials used on feed formulation has not been widely studied.

Effects of replacing corn with sorghum on the performance of overfed mule ducks

The aim of this trial was to study the effects of replacing yellow corn (C) with condensed tannin-free sorghum (S) during the finishing period (F period; age 53 to 79 d) and/or overfeeding period (O period; age 80 to 91 d) on the performance of overfed mule ducks. 192 ducks were divided into 4 groups (48 in each) differing in the cereal (yellow corn or sorghum) included in the diet given during the F and/or the O periods, using a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments : SS, SC, CS, CC. At the end of the O period, the birds were slaughtered after 10 h of fasting to measure foie gras and magret qualities. Mortality (1%; P > 0.05) and weight gain (2,030 g; P > 0.05) during the O period were similar in the 4 groups. At the end of the O period, birds overfed with sorghum had foie gras that was heavier (723 vs. 694 g in CS+SS vs. CC+SC, respectively; P < 0.05) and less yellow (24.40 vs. 38.59 for b* in CS+SS vs. CC+SC, respectively; P < 0.001) than birds overfed with corn. Fat loss during foie gras cooking was similar in the 4 groups (18%; P > 0.05), but the foie gras was less yellow in birds overfed with sorghum (14.84 vs. 26.01 for b* in CS+SS vs. CC+SC, respectively; P < 0.001). Weight of magret was similar in the 4 groups (491 g, P > 0.05) but the color of the breast muscle and skin of magret was less yellow in birds overfed with sorghum compared with corn (12.26 vs. 12.92 and 13.84 vs. 18.30 in CS+SS vs. CC+SC, respectively; P < 0.001). In conclusion, the replacement of yellow corn with sorghum during finishing and/or overfeeding is possible and useful in a mule duck foie gras production system because it increases foie gras weight without decreasing the weight of magret However, it changes the quality of the products, mainly their color.

Carcass and Meat Quality Traits in an Embden×Toulouse Goose Cross Raised in Organic Dehesa

This study assessed the influence of genetic type (Embden-Anser anser, EE; Toulouse-Anser anser, TT and F1 cross, ET) for meat characteristics (carcass, meat quality and fatty acid (FA) profiles), of domestic geese "Anser anser domesticus" raised in dehesa as an alternative, organic feeding system. Carcass and breast muscle weight (p<0.01) were greater for the ET group at the same live weight. None of the groups showed differences in the production of fatty liver with this type of feeding. Higher values were found for maximum Warner-Bratzler shear force (between 7.62 and 8.87 kg/cm(2)), which implies the improvement of this parameter. High levels of oleic FAs were obtained, especially for the TT group. The polyunsaturated/saturated FA ratio was highest for the ET group (p<0.001), reflecting the optimum nutritional values as a component of a healthy consumer diet.