Effects of dietary zinc supplementation on nutrient digestibility, haematological biochemical parameters and production performance in male sika deer (Cervus nippon)

2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (6) ◽  
pp. 997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bao Kun ◽  
Sun Weili ◽  
Li Chunyi ◽  
Wang Kaiying ◽  
Li Zhipeng ◽  
...  

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of dietary zinc (Zn) supplementation on antler growth, haematological biochemical parameters and nutrient digestibility in farmed male sika deer. Twenty-five 2-year-old growing male sika deer were randomly divided into five Groups (A, B, C, D and E; 5/group). Animals in Groups A, B, C, Dand E received 0, 5, 15, 40, 100 mg Zn/kg, respectively. Group A, without supplementation acted as a control. The treatment diets were the same basal diet supplemented with 5, 15, 40 and 100 mg Zn/kg (provided as Zn methionine), respectively. The results showed that the digestibility of dry matter (DM) and crude protein in Groups D and E were greater than that in Groups A, B and C (P < 0.05). Digestibility of neutral detergent fibre in Group E was higher than in the control group (P < 0.05). Plasma Zn concentrations were increased by Zn supplementation and were higher (P < 0.01) for the treatment groups supplemented with 15, 40 and 100 mg Zn/kg DM than for the control and 5 mg/kg Zn groups (P < 0.01). Faecal Zn content in Groups D and E was higher than that in Group A (P < 0.01). The content of albumin in plasma from Group E was greater than in the control and Groups B, C and D (P < 0.05). The concentrations of testosterone in plasma from Groups C, D and E were decreased (P < 0.05) compared with the control. The days between antler initiation and harvesting of deer in Groups D and E were decreased (P < 0.05). Average daily gain of fresh antler and dry antler of deer in Groups D and E was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, a control diet containing 58.6 mg Zn/kg was inadequate for achieving optimal productivity for sika deer. The recommended Zn supplementation is from 76.7 to 99.0 mg/kg for 2-year-old male sika deer.

2016 ◽  
Vol 88 (3) ◽  
pp. 463-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun Bao ◽  
Kaiying Wang ◽  
Xiaoxu Wang ◽  
Tietao Zhang ◽  
Hanlu Liu ◽  
...  

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 511
Author(s):  
Xiaoxiang Xu ◽  
Canyu Yang ◽  
Juan Chang ◽  
Ping Wang ◽  
Qingqiang Yin ◽  
...  

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with compound probiotics and berberine (CPB) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and fecal microflora in weaned piglets. A total of 200 piglets 35 days old were randomly allocated to 5 groups, 4 replications in each group, and 10 piglets in each replication. Group A was the basal diet; group B was supplemented with antibiotics and zinc oxide; groups C, D and E were supplemented with 0.06%, 0.12% and 0.18% CPB, respectively. The experimental period was 42 d. The results indicated that there were no significant differences in average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion rate (FCR) among five groups (p > 0.05). However, mortality, diarrhea and rejection rates in the control group were higher than that in other groups. CPB could increase protein digestibility and serum IgG content (p < 0.05), while it could decrease serum urea nitrogen content and alkaline phosphatase activity (p < 0.05). Analysis of fecal microbiota showed that the relative abundances of Bacteroides and Firmicutes were increased, while the relative abundances of opportunistic pathogens such as Spirochaetae and Protebactreria were dramatically decreased in piglets fed with CPB or antibiotics, compared with the control group. Furthermore, CPB intervention increased the relative abundances of Prevotella_9, Megasphaera and Prevotella_2, while decreased the relative abundance of Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group. Correlation analysis revealed that there was good correlation between serum indexes and fecal microbiota. It was suggested that CPB might be a promising antibiotic alternative for improving piglet health and immunity, decreasing mortality by positively altering gut microbiota.


Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qin Huo ◽  
Bo Li ◽  
Long Cheng ◽  
Tingting Wu ◽  
Peihua You ◽  
...  

Five experiments were conducted to examine effects of lysophospholipids (LPL) on live weight gain, nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation parameters, serum biochemical parameters and rumen bacterial community profile in fattening lambs. Two dietary treatments (pelleted complete feed supplemented without (control diet; CON) or with 0.05% LPL on dry matter basis) were tested in these experiments. Feed and water were provided ad libitum to lambs. The results showed that average daily gain (ADG) tended to increase or was not affected by LPL supplementation. Compared with CON, the supplementation of LPL resulted in an increase in dry matter, crude protein and organic matter digestibilities, and a decrease in neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber digestibilities. Ruminal pH values did not change with LPL supplementation, but the concentrations of ammonia and total short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were increased. The molar proportion of major individual SCFAs and the ratio of acetate to propionate were not affected by LPL supplementation. While the activity of lipase was decreased with LPL supplementation, all other serum biochemical parameters did not change. Rumen bacterial community was altered by LPL supplementation with the relative abundance of fibrolytic bacteria in the total bacterial population, such as Prevotella, decreased. In conclusion, LPL supplementation can alter feed digestion, but may not result in consistent positive responses in animal growth performance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 74-79
Author(s):  
Ahmed Elbaz ◽  
Said El-sheikh

Objective: To investigate the effect of antibiotics and/or probiotics on broiler performance, some serum metabolites, cecum microflora composition, and ileum histomorphology under the Egyptian conditions. Design: Randomized controlled experimental study. Animals: Two hundred forty 1-day-old Ross (308) chicks were reared till 35 days of age. Procedures: The birds were randomly allocated into four main groups: a control diet without additives (CON); probiotic (Lactobacillus acidophilus) supplemented diet (PRO); antibiotic (Avilamycin) supplemented diet (ANT) and a mix group (AP) that received antibiotic in the diet form 1 to 4 days of age and treated during the rest of the experimental period with probiotics. Results: Chickens fed on probiotic or antibiotic diets had linear improvement in live body weight (LBW) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared with the control group, while the best LBW and FCR were in the AP group. An improvement in the nutrient digestibility was observed in the probiotic added groups (PRO and AP). Serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol contents decreased when antimicrobial (probiotic or antibiotic) supplementations were used, while there was an increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol contents, serum total protein, and albumin levels. Among all groups, cecum Clostridium perfringens and Escherichia coli counts decreased; however, there was an increase in Lactobacillus count compared to the control group. In probiotic supplemented groups (PRO and AP), a significant (P<0.05) improvement in ilea architecture. Conclusion and clinical relevance: Using probiotic after initial treatment with an antibiotic in broiler diets had a positive effect on broiler growth performance, gut health (improved cecum microbial populations and ileum histomorphology), and nutrient digestibility.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1581
Author(s):  
Artur Rybarczyk ◽  
Elżbieta Bogusławska-Wąs ◽  
Alicja Dłubała

The objective of the study was to determine the effects of probiotic bacteria Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis on microbiological properties of feed mixtures and on the digestive tract content as applicable to production traits and carcass characteristics of fatteners. The experiment was performed on 83,838 fatteners from four successive (insertions) productions in two groups. From the seventy eighth day of age till marketing to the slaughter plant, the pigs were supplied with BioPlus YC probiotic (Chr. Hansen) in the amount of 400 g/t. The preparation contained a complex of probiotic bacteria Bacillus licheniformis DSM 5749, and Bacillus subtilis DSM 5750 spores in a 1:1 ratio. From the fourth insertion, after reaching a body weight of approximately 112 kg, 60 fatteners were selected from each group to measure carcass quality and half of them for meat quality evaluation. Moreover, microbiological analyses in feed and colon were performed. The study showed that BioPlus YC probiotics supplementation resulted in a significantly higher count of B. subtilis and B. licheniformis in the feed, a higher count of B. subtilis, B. licheniformis and LAB, as well as a lower count of Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus, Clostridium and Bacillus sp. in the mucosa and in the colorectal content of the test pigs. Our work has shown that supplementation with the BioPlus YC probiotic had a positive effect on the production traits of pigs mainly by reducing mortality (2.83%, p = 0.010), lowering feed conversion ratio—FCR (2.59 kg/kg, p = 0.013), better average daily gain—ADG (0.95 kg/day, p = 0.002) and shorter fattening period (77.25 days, p = 0.019) when compared to the control group (4.19%; 2.79 kg/kg; 0.89 kg/day; 92.8 days, respectively). The addition of the specific Bacillus bacteria did not influence carcass and meat characteristics of the test fatteners.


Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 662
Author(s):  
Sabrin Abdelrahman Morshedy ◽  
Ahmed M. Abdelmodather ◽  
Mohamed M. Basyony ◽  
Soliman A. Zahran ◽  
Mohamed A. Hassan

Vegetable oils are a source of natural antioxidants, including tocopherols, sterols, phenolic compounds, coenzymes, and polyunsaturated fatty acids that provide nutritional value, organoleptic properties, and significantly delay or prevent lipid oxidation. Eighty-four V-line rabbits at 5 weeks of age with an initial body weight (BW) of 535.60 ± 13.48 g were assigned randomly to four experimental groups (seven replicates in each group with three rabbits each). The first group served as a control and received 0.3 mL/kg BW of distilled water (CON), while the second and third groups received 0.3 mL/kg BW of rocket seed oil (RSO) and wheat germ oil (WGO), respectively. The fourth group received a mixture of oils consisting of 0.15 mL of RSO and 0.15 mL of WGO/kg BW (MOs). The experiment lasted 7 weeks. The study investigated the effects of RSO, WGO, and their mixture on growth performance, feed utilization, antioxidant status, and immune response of growing rabbits. The results indicated that the rabbits that were administered orally with RSO and WGO or their mixture had higher (p ≤ 0.05) final BW, weight gain, and average daily gain when compared to the control group. In addition, the feed conversion ratio improved significantly with RSO, WGO, and MOs treatments. Different oil treatments improved nutrient digestibility, nutritive value, and nitrogen balance. Moreover, the rabbits that received RSO, WGO, and their mixture had an improvement the meat fatty acid composition compared to the control rabbits. Oral administration of RSO, WGO, and their mixture significantly improved serum protein fractions, decreased blood urea nitrogen, and had a positive effect on serum total lipids, HDL-c, and LDL-c. Furthermore, the treatments of RSO, WGO, and MOs had a significant improvement in the antioxidative status and immune response.


Author(s):  
Amr M.A. Elmasry ◽  
Luis A. Miranda ◽  
Germán Mendoza ◽  
Fernando X. Plata

Background: The effects of the probiotics vary with the doses and strains used for this reason, a study was conducted over 35 days to determine the effect of live yeast supplementation in the diet of growing rabbits on growth performance and apparent nutrient digestibility.Methods: A total of 60 New Zealand and California rabbits (5 weeks old, average body weight 0.881±0.015 kg) were housed in 30 cages. They were fed with a control diet based on alfalfa and maize or barley grains and supplemented with Procreatin®7 (Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I 1077) or Biosaf® SC47 (Saccharomyces cerevisiae NCYC Sc47) at three doses, namely 0, 6.4, or 12.8 ×109 CFU per kg basal diet.Result: The higher yeast concentration had a positive effect (P less than 0.01) on final body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG) and carcass weight (CW). However, there were no significant differences in dry matter intake. As a result of this, the feed conversion ratio (FCR) decreased (P less than 0.01). Significant increases (P less than 0.05) in nutrient digestibility (DM, OM, NDF and ADF) were observed with both grains. The use of yeast in maize and barley-based diets of rabbits has positive effects on growth performance and nutrient digestibility.


Author(s):  
De Xin Dang ◽  
In Ho Kim

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of Quillaja saponin (QS) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal microbiota, and fecal gas emission in growing pigs. A total of 50 crossbred growing pigs [(Yorkshire × Landrace) × Duroc] with an initial body weight of 23.83 ± 1.95 kg were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments for a 56-day trial with 5 replicate pens per treatment and 5 pigs (2 barrows and 3 gilts) per pen. Dietary treatments including control diet and control diet supplemented with 200 mg/kg QS. The average daily gain was significantly increased during days 0-56, while the fecal ammonia emission on day 56 and fecal coliform bacteria counts on day 28 were significantly decreased in pigs fed with QS containing diet. However, dietary supplementation of QS had no significant effects on apparent total tract digestibility. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of 200 mg/kg QS had beneficial effects on growth performance, fecal microbiota, and fecal gas emission in growing pigs. Considering the carry-over effects, the adaption period should be at least 28 days when supplementing 200 mg/kg QS to the diet of growing pigs for improving the growth performance.


Author(s):  
Priscila Torres NOBRE ◽  
Roberto Germano COSTA ◽  
Neila Lidiany RIBEIRO ◽  
Francisco Fernando Ramos de CARVALHO ◽  
George Rodrigo Beltrão da CRUZ ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of increasing levels of guava agro-industrial waste (GAW) on the ingestive behavior of Santa Inês lambs. Forty non-castrated sheep of the Santa Inês breed were used, at an initial weight of 21.33 ± 2.62 kg, and at the age of 120 days, distributed in a completely randomized design, with five treatments and fed with increasing GAW levels (0.0, 7.5, 15.0, 22.5 and 30.0%). The average daily gain (ADG) showed orthogonal contrast (P <0.05), in which the animals that ingested the control diet had lower performances. The animals with GAW added to the diet obtained more significant weight gains reflected by a better feed conversion. Among the variables, idleness, feeding, and total chewing time had a significant effect (P<0.05); animals spent more time idle at the 30.0% inclusion level and less time in the control group. However, the means of the 7.5, 15.0, and 22.5% GAW inclusion levels were statistically similar to the control group and the 30.0% level. There was a significant effect (P<0.05) on feed efficiency, with the lowest values being presented for the control group and the highest values at the 30% inclusion level of GAW. The 30.0% GAW feed for lambs in confinement reduces feed time, and total chewing prolongs idleness and increases feed efficiency without compromising dry matter intake, neutral detergent fiber intake, and ADG.


Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Wang ◽  
Yongjie Chen ◽  
Yanju Bi ◽  
Peng Zhao ◽  
Hanqing Sun ◽  
...  

In order to investigate the effect of gentle handling on the behavior, performance, and meat quality of pigs from weaning to slaughter, 144 6-week-old weaned hybrid Min piglets (a native breed) were selected and divided into a handling group (HG: 9 pens × 8 pigs) and a control group (CG: 9 pens × 8 pigs). After 6 weeks of handling, we observed and then evaluated the pigs’ responses to a handler with behavioral scores. Moreover, we measured heart rate and production performance. Three pigs were randomly selected from each of the 18 pens and divided into a handling group (HG: n = 27) and a control group (CG: n = 27), and the HG pigs were given gentle handling until slaughter. Subsequently, we evaluated meat quality and the production performance of six pigs from each group. The results show that AA test (approaching–avoidance test) scores in HG pigs, the number of contacts with the handler and absence of contact with the handler, were significantly higher than in the CG pigs (p < 0.01). The occurrences of avoidance and looking at the handler were lower in the HG than in the CG group (p < 0.01); however, heart rate was not found to be significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.63). No significant difference was found in the average daily gain, average daily feed intake, and feed conversion ratio between the two groups during the two periods (p > 0.05). The b* value was determined 45 min after slaughter, and it was significantly lower in the HG than that in the CG group (p = 0.002). Furthermore, 2 h after slaughter, the L value of the HG group was significantly higher than that of the CG group (p = 0.047), but no difference was observed in carcass quality or other meat quality indicators between the two groups (p > 0.05). The results indicate that gentle handling could reduce pigs’ anxiety and increase their willingness to approach the handler, increasing the intimacy of the pigs and handlers. However, long-term gentle handling had little effect on pig performance, carcass quality, and meat quality.


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