scholarly journals Myostatin Mutation in Japanese Quail Increased Egg Size but Reduced Eggshell Thickness and Strength

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 47
Author(s):  
Joonbum Lee ◽  
Cameron McCurdy ◽  
Christopher Chae ◽  
Jinwoo Hwang ◽  
Madeline C. Karolak ◽  
...  

Recently developed myostatin (MSTN) mutant quail and chickens demonstrated similar effects of MSTN on muscle and fat developments between avian and mammalian species. However, the effect of MSTN mutation on the quality of eggshells, an important avian specific characteristic, has not yet been investigated although egg production traits of mutant quail have been studied. In this study, several parameters for eggshell quality, including eggshell size, eggshell weight, eggshell breaking strength (EBS), and eggshell thickness, were all compared between MSTN mutant and wild-type (WT) eggs. MSTN mutant eggs had greater height and width along with heavier eggshell weight compared to WT eggs, which shows proportional improvement in egg size as affected by the MSTN mutation. However, EBS and eggshell thickness were decreased in mutant eggs compared to WT eggs. In addition, the palisade layer, the thickest and most important layer for the strength of an eggshell, was also decreased without a change in the number of vesicular holes. These data indicated that decreases in the thickness of the eggshell and the palisade layer would be a main factor contributing to a lower EBS in mutant eggs. MSTN mutant quail provide a useful model to better understand the function of MSTN on avian uterine cell development and eggshell biomineralization.

1977 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 421-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. ROBBLEE ◽  
D. R. CLANDININ ◽  
R. T. HARDIN ◽  
G. R. MILNE ◽  
K. DARLINGTON

In two experiments, White Leghorn pullets kept in batteries were fed rations containing 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 or 30% raw faba beans (Vicia faba L.) for 336 days. The rations were designed to be isocaloric, isonitrogenous and to have equal levels of methionine plus cystine. The results obtained indicated that levels up to and including 20% faba beans in ration ssupplemented with methionine had no adverse effect on mortality, rate of egg production, efficiency of feed conversion or body weight. A level of 30% faba beans resulted in increased mortality, and decreased egg production and feed conversion in one experiment but had no effect in the other. Egg size tended to decrease as the level of faba beans in the ration increased, resulting in a considerable decrease in the percentage of "large size" eggs graded according to Canadian standards. There was an increase in interior quality of the eggs as measured by Haugh units as the level of faba beans used increased. Specific gravity of the eggs was not affected by use of faba beans in the rations.


Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2120
Author(s):  
Mohamed Ketta ◽  
Eva Tůmová ◽  
Michaela Englmaierová ◽  
Darina Chodová

The objective of this study was to evaluate hen performance and eggshell quality response to genotype, housing system, and feed calcium (Ca) level. For this purpose, an experiment was conducted on 360 laying hens of ISA Brown, Bovans Brown (commercial hybrids), and Moravia BSL (traditional Czech hybrid). Laying hens were kept in enriched cages and on littered floor and fed similar feed mixtures with different Ca content (3.00% vs. 3.50%). In terms of hen performance, ISA Brown had the highest egg production (84.2%) compared to Moravia BSL (74.3%) and Bovans Brown (71.4%). Regarding eggshell quality, Bovans Brown showed the highest values of all eggshell quality parameters. Increasing feed Ca level augmented egg production (p ≤ 0.001) but had no effect on other performance parameters. Except eggshell thickness, all eggshell quality parameters were affected by the three-way interaction of genotype, housing, and Ca. Bovans Brown, which had the strongest eggshells (5089 g/cm2) when housed on a littered floor system and fed 3.00% Ca, while Moravia BSL housed on a littered floor had the weakest eggshells (4236 g/cm2) at 3.50% Ca. The study pointed out the importance of the interactions between studied factors on performance and eggshell quality compared to an individual factor effect.


2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (No. 9) ◽  
pp. 377-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Tůmová ◽  
J. Vlčková ◽  
D. Chodová

The differences in egg production traits in six laying hen genotypes (brown-egg hens Bovans Brown, Bovans Sperwer, ISA Sussex; white-egg hen Dekalb White; laying hens with tinted shells Moravia Barred and Moravia BSL) and the interactions of genotype and oviposition on egg quality were evaluated. The genotype affected the laying rate (P ≤ 0.003), mean sequence length (P ≤ 0.001), and time of oviposition (P ≤ 0.001). The brown-egg genotypes laid eggs approximately 1 h earlier than the white-egg genotypes and approximately 2 h earlier than the tinted-egg genotypes. Egg shell strength was the lowest in tinted-egg genotypes (P ≤ 0.001) and declined with the time of oviposition (P ≤ 0.002). Egg shell percentage (P ≤ 0.011) and thickness (P ≤ 0.011) were affected by the interaction of genotype and oviposition. None of the effects affected egg weight; however, the proportion of egg components was significantly influenced by the interaction of genotype and oviposition. The study confirmed that the differences in the egg production and egg quality of various genotypes are associated with the laying pattern.


2018 ◽  
Vol 68 ◽  
pp. 01022
Author(s):  
Eli Sahara ◽  
Feni Despedia ◽  
Raden Ayu Aminah

Poultry has low ability to digest dietary fibre and to process phytate. Rice bran is intensively used in poultry ration although it contains little bit higher in fibre and phytate. The purpose of this study was to find out the optimal level of phytase the enzyme that could break down phytate in the ration of Golden Arabian chicken to increase performance and physical quality of the eggs. This study used 90 golden arabian chickens (Golden Brakel Kriel), approximately five months of age. Individual cage with a wire floor was equipped with a feed and drinking troughs. Experimental ration was with a mixture of corn, rice bran, commercial concentrate, and mineral mixture. Phytase was added at the level of: zerro, without phytase = P1; 100 FTU/ kg of ration; 200 FTU/kgof ration = P2; 300 FTU/kg of ration =P3; 400 FTU/ kg of ration = P4; and 500 FTU/kg of ration = P5. Experimental design that used in this study was Complete Randomized Design (CRD) with six treatments and five replications and three golden arabian chickens per experimental unit. Results showed that the addition of phytase in golden arabian chickens ration improved the hen day production (P <0.05) up to 71.43% and increased the physical quality, especially weight of eggshell significantly (P <0.05) up to 4.516 gram (phytase enzyme 300 FTU/kg) . In conclusion, that the level of the phytase of 300 FTU/kg of ration was the most optimal dose to increase the daily egg production and improve the physical quality. However, the addition of phytase did not affect to feed consumption, feed efficiency, eggshell thickness and eggshell thickness index.


2016 ◽  
Vol 95 (11) ◽  
pp. 2570-2575 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.M. Fathi ◽  
A.E. El-Dlebshany ◽  
M. Bahie El-Deen ◽  
L.M. Radwan ◽  
G.N. Rayan

Parasitology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 142 (12) ◽  
pp. 1535-1542 ◽  
Author(s):  
IRINA S. KHOKHLOVA ◽  
ELIZABETH M. DLUGOSZ ◽  
BORIS R. KRASNOV

SUMMARYTo understand mechanisms behind positive interspecific co-occurrences in flea infracommunities, we asked whether co-infestation results in an increase of flea fitness (quantity and/or quality of the offspring). We studied reproductive performance of Xenopsylla ramesis and Parapulex chephrenis when they exploited their characteristic host (Meriones crassus and Acomys cahirinus, respectively) either alone or together with another species. We used egg production, the number of new imagoes, pre-imaginal survival and egg size as fitness-related variables and predicted that fitness will be higher in fleas feeding in mixed- than in single-species groups. In both fleas, mean number of eggs produced per female flea did not depend on experimental treatment. No effect of single- vs mixed-species infestation on the mean number of new imagoes per female and the number of emerged imagoes per egg was found for X. ramesis, whereas both these numbers were higher in mixed- than in single-species groups for P. chephrenis. X. ramesis produced eggs of similar size independently of treatment, whereas eggs produced by P. chephrenis in mixed-species groups were significantly larger than eggs produced in single-species groups. We conclude that an increase in reproductive performance as a response to co-infestation may be one of the mechanisms behind aggregative structure of flea infracommunities. However, this response may vary among flea species.


2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 256-263
Author(s):  
M. A. Tion ◽  
P. C. Njoku

Two hundred and twenty four pullets of shaver Star Cross 579 x Hubbard Golden Comet, that were 30 weeks of age and laying at 50% hen day production, were utilized in a completely randomized design to assess the suitability of limestone sources (procured from different cement factories) for laying hen performance and eggshell quality. Oystershell and bone meal were used in the control diet. Results showed that there were no significant (P>0.05) differences between the treatment mean values for initial body weight of chicken, egg production. Feed per dozen eggs. Eggshell thickness and eggshell percentage. However. Feed intake. Final body weight and egg weight varied significantly (P<0.05) among diets. Generally, diets that produced numerically higher rate of egg production resulted in significantly (P<0.05) smaller egg weights.


2015 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Świątkiewicz ◽  
A. Arczewska-Włosek ◽  
J. Krawczyk ◽  
M. Puchała ◽  
D. Józefiak

Abstract. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of particle size of a dietary Ca source on egg production and eggshell quality when added to hens' diets that have different levels of calcium. The experiment was carried out on 216 ISA Brown hens (25 to 70 weeks of age), allocated to 9 groups of 12 replicates (cages), with two birds in each cage. A 3 × 3 factorial arrangement was used, with three dietary levels of calcium (3.20, 3.70 and 4.20 %) and three levels of dietary substitutions (0, 25 and 50 %) of fine particles of limestone (FPL, diameter 0.2–0.6 mm) with large particles of limestone (LPL, diameter 1.0–1.4 mm) as a Ca source. The level of Ca in the diet had no effect on egg production, mean egg weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio or eggshell quality parameters (P > 0.05). Substitution of FPL with LPL did not affect laying performance indices or eggshell quality at 30, 43 and 53 weeks of age (P > 0.05); however, it increased (P < 0.05) eggshell percentage, thickness, density and breaking strength in older hens (69 weeks of age). In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrated that a level of 3.20 % Ca in a layer's diet is sufficient through the entire laying cycle to maintain good egg production and eggshell quality and that partial (25 or 50 %) substitution of fine- with large-particle limestone can, irrespective of the level of Ca in the diet, improve eggshell quality in aged laying hens.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document