Antimicrobial resistance determinants in silage

Animal products may play a role in developing and spreading antimicrobial resistance in several ways. On the one hand, residues of antibiotics not adequately used in animal farming can enter the human body via food. But resistant bacteria may also be present in animal products, which can transfer the antimicrobial resistance genes (ARG) to the bacteria in the consumer's body by horizontal gene transfer. As previous studies have shown that fermented foods have a meaningful ARG content, it is indicated that such genes may also be present in silage used as mass feed in the cattle sector. In our study, we aspired to answer what ARGs occur in silage and what mobility characteristics they have? For this purpose, we have analyzed bioinformatically 40 freely available deep sequenced silage samples from shotgun metagenome next-generation sequencing. A total of 57 ARGs occurred 616 times in the samples. More than half of these ARGs are mobile because they can be linked to integrative mobile genetic elements, prophages or plasmids. We believe that our results point to a substantial source of ARG in the food chain.

Administration of Palm Kernel Meal and ß-Mannanase on Laying Hens Productivity

The aim of this research was to observe the influence of palm kernel meal and ß-Mannanase on laying hens. Laying hens up to 2500 birds were reared in opened-house cage fed with commercial feed substituted with palm kernel meal and ß-Mannanase. All hens were divided into five groups in an order P0 as control group, groups without enzyme which are P1 with 7% palm kernel meal and P2 with 14% palm kernel meal, groups with ß-Mannanase which are P3 7% palm kernel meal and P4 with 14% palm kernel meal. The observed variables are feed intake, feed cost, egg weight, egg mass, feed conversion ratio, hen day production, and mortality rate. The results indicated that threr are no significant difference from all variables. The percentage of palm kernel meal for 14% with ß-Mannanase cannot give any influence on laying hens productivity.

Olive cake in the feeding of fattening rabbits

Nutritive effect of different levels (10% and 20%) of dried olive cake on the body mass, feed conversion ratio and histopathological changes in tissues in conventionally bred Hyla rabbits was investigated. During a 56-day experimental feeding regime, 60 rabbits were divided into a control group and two experimental groups with 20 animals each (10 males and 10 females). Control group received no olive cake, while the first experimental group received 10% and the second experimental group 20% of dried olive cake throughout the whole feeding period. No significant differences in the body mass were found between the groups in the trial. In both experimental groups, feed conversion was better than in the control group. Histopathological tests were performed on a total of 28 rabbits. Histopathological changes observed in the brain, heart and kidneys of rabbits were the consequence of pathological activity of microsporidian Encephalitozoon cuniculi found in all groups. In the rabbits of both experimental groups fed with olive cake, deposition of fat in the heart, liver, lymph nodes, thyroid gland, adrenal gland and pancreas might be explained by the greater amount of fat from olive oil in the meal. Statistically significant was only the fat deposition in the liver, namely, in hepatocytes. Histopathological screening identified pathological action of fungus Cyniclomyces guttulatus in the digestive tract of all rabbit groups which caused inflammation of the mucous membranes (enteritis) of the entire digestive system (from the stomach to the large intestine) and therefore possibly interfered with the absorption of certain nutrients (vitamins, minerals, etc.).

Determination of the rotation speed of chopped hay on the surface of the separator sieve of the leaf part of herbs

To increase the production of livestock products, it is necessary to feed the animals with full-feed mixtures. The main component of the feed mixture is feed, which consists of grain feed, vitamin-grass meal (VGM) and other additives. Currently, high-temperature methods of drying hay are used for the production of VGM, which require high costs and expensive technical means. Therefore, to reduce operating costs and equipment costs, authors proposed a technology and a line for the prepa-ration of VGM from the leaf part of herbs. As part of the VGM preparation line, the main machine is a separator of the leaf portion of grass from chopped hay. The separation process is due to the fact that when grinding dry hay in sieveless shredders, the delicate leaf part is finely chopped, this con-tributes to the process of separating the leaf part of the grasses. The purpose of the research is to determine the speed of hay moving along the surface of the sieve, which allows to determine the productivity of the line by mass feed and flour. For the theoretical determination of the average speed of movement of the sieve, the method of mathematical analysis was used. To determine the actual value of the speed of movement of hay on the surface of the sieve, the method of one-factor experimental research was used. As a result of theoretical studies, the analytical expressions were obtained to determine the performance of the separator, the average speeds of the sieve in the hori-zontal direction and the movement of hay on the surface of the sieve. As a result of experimental studies, a regularity of the change in the average speed of hay movement depending on the length of the sieve was obtained, and this regularity provides an empirical expression for determining the actual value of the average speed of hay layer movement on the surface of the sieve and it is 0.19 m/s. With the average line capacity for mass feeding, the thickness of the transported layer over the sieve surface was 0.0186 m, and it is not maximal for the separator of the leaf part of grasses.

Influence of Hemicell® Addition on Diets Containing Different Levels of Crude Fiber on Performance of Laying Hens

This study was conducted to examine the effect of Hemicell® addition on diets containing different levels of crude fiber on performance and egg quality of laying hens. A total of 72 laying hens aged 21 weeks were randomly divided into 18 experimental units. A completely randomized design with factorial design 2×3 and 3 replications was employed in this study. Factor A was crude fiber level (5% and 8%) and factor B was the level of Hemicell®(0, 100x103 and 200x103 IU/kg ration). Results showed that crude fiber significantly (P<0.01) increased feed consumption and decreased the performance of laying hens. The addition of Hemicell®in diets significantly (P<0.01) decreased feed consumption and increased the performance of laying hens. Hemicell®addition (100 IU) to a diet containing 8% crude fiber significantly (P<0.05) affected egg mass, feed conversion ratio, egg yolk score and egg weight. It can be concluded that diet with 8% crude fiber added with Hemicell® (100 IU) could increase egg mass, feed conversion ratio, egg weight and yolk color score.

Banana leaf in the diet of laying hens in cage free system

The aim of this research was evaluate the productive performance, egg quality and the endoparasites presence on Carijo laying hens in Cage Free system, fed with two experimental diets, one of them supplemented with fresh banana leaf in natura. Were used 196 laying hens with twenty-four weeks of age, distributed in a completely randomized design with 14 boxes, two experimental diets and seven replicates, by treatment with fourteen birds per experimental unit. The variables analyzed were: feed intake; egg production; egg mass: feed conversion per egg mass; feed conversion per dozen eggs; egg weight; albumen weight; yolk weight; shell weight; yolk percentage; albumen percentage shell percentage; yolk pigmentation and the presence of endoparasites. No influence (p > 0.05) were found, for performance and egg production, in Carijo laying hens fed supplemented with banana leaf in natura. For the treatment with inclusion of banana leaf, yolk pigmentation were superior (p < 0.05) when compared to control diet, producing eggs with more yolks orange color. In respect to endoparasite analysis, there was significant effect (p < 0.05) in the percentage of infections present in excretas. Among the treatments evaluated, the one with banana leaf supplementation reduced in 26.54% the endoparasites presence. The inclusion of banana leaf in the diet of Carijo laying hens does not affect performance and eggs quality and decreases the amount of endoparasites of the genus Strogyloides spp.

REDUCTION IN ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE OPERATION OF COMBINE HARVESTERS DURING THE HARVESTING OF WINTER OILSEED RAPE

When harvesting winter oilseed rape (WOSR), leaving higher (~0.3–0.4 m) crop stubble is an effective method of reducing fuel consumption and contaminant emissions of a combine harvester equipped with the tangential threshing apparatus and straw walkers. At a speed of 4 km h−1, when the stubble height of WOSR was increased from 0.2 to 0.4 m, the mass of material other than grain (MOG) fed to the harvester was reduced by 7 t h−1, resulting in a reduction of 6.2 l h−1 in fuel consumption, 5.7 kg h−1 in carbon equivalent (CE), and 16.3 kg h−1 in CO2 emissions. A more accurate estimate of harvester performance is the fuel consumption per ton of threshed seeds. On increasing the MOG mass feed rate to 15.6 t h−1, the fuel consumption per ton of threshed rapeseeds decreased to 3.33 l t−1, CE reached 40.2 kg h−1 or 3.0 kg t−1, and CO2 emissions reached 121.3 kg h−1 or 9.2 kg t−1 of threshed rapeseed. When optimizing the automatic speed control system of the combine harvester, the MOG mass feed rate, the permissible limit of seed losses, and fuel consumption per ton of threshed seeds must be considered.

Techno-Economic Assessment of a Scaled-Up Meat Waste Biorefinery System: A Simulation Study

While exports from the meat industry in New Zealand constitute a valuable source of foreign exchange, the meat industry is also responsible for the generation of large masses of waste streams. These meat processing waste streams are largely biologically unstable and are capable of leading to unfavourable environmental outcomes if not properly managed. To enable the effective management of the meat processing waste streams, a value-recovery based strategy, for the complete valorisation of the meat processing waste biomass, is proposed. In the present study therefore, a biorefinery system that integrates the biomass conversion technologies of hydrolysis, esterification, anaerobic digestion and hydrothermal liquefaction has been modelled, simulated and optimized for enhanced environmental performance and economic performance. It was determined that an initial positive correlation between the mass feed rate of the waste to the biorefinery system and its environmental performance exists. However, beyond an optimal total mass feed rate of the waste stream there is a deterioration of the environmental performance of the biorefinery system. It was also determined that economies of scale ensure that any improvement in the economic performance of the biorefinery system with increasing total mass feed rate of the waste stream, is sustained. The present study established that the optimized meat waste biorefinery system facilitated a reduction in the unit production costs of the value-added products of biodiesel, biochar and biocrude compared the literature-obtained unit production costs of the respective aforementioned products when generated from stand-alone systems. The unit production cost of biogas was however shown to be comparable to the literature-obtained unit production cost of biogas. Finally, the present study showed that the optimized meat processing waste biorefinery could achieve enhanced economic performance while simultaneously maintaining favourable environmental sustainability.

PENGARUH PENAMBAHAN EKSTRAK KAYU SECANG (Caesalpinia sappan L.) DAN MINYAK IKAN LEMURU SEBAGAI ADITIF PAKAN TERHADAP PERFORMA TELUR DAN PRODUKTIVITAS PUYUH

This research aimed is to determine the effect of Secang extract addition and sardinella fish oil as feed additive on eggs performance and production of quail. The 98 quails and 10 weeks divided into 4 groups with unequal replication using the completely randomized design. The treatment which are P0 (based ration), P1 (based ration + 0,2% secang extract + 4% sardinella fish oil), P2 (based ration + 0,4% secang extract + 4% sardinella fish oil), P3 (based ration + 0,6% secang extract + 4% sardinella fish oil). The parameters observed were length storage time of egg, egg cholesterol rate, feed consumption, egg weight, hen day production, egg mass, feed conversion and mortality. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and Duncan’s analysis. The results showed that Secang extract addition and sardinella fish oil were increase egg cholesterol (P<0.05) and not significantly (P>0.05) on length storage time of egg and production of quail.

Laying performance and cost-benefits of feeding brown laying hens with raw or processed tropical sickle pod (Senna obtusifolia) seed meal based-diets

A feeding trial was conducted for 16 weeks to evaluate the effects and cost-benefits of feeding raw or processed Senna obtusifolia (S. obtusifolia) seed meal based-diets on the laying performance of ISA brown laying hens. Six experimental diets were compounded to contain 0% S. obtusifolia seed meal (T1) and 20% each of the raw, boiled, soaked, sprouted and fermented S. obtusifolia seed meals designated as T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6, respectively. One hundred and eighty (180) ISA brown laying hens aged 36 weeks were housed in battery cages (5 birds/0.95m2) and assigned to the six (6) dietary treatments in groups of thirty (30) birds in a completely randomized design. Each replicate cage contains 10 laying hens. Data were collected on feed intake, hen-day egg production (HDEP), hen-house egg production (HHEP), egg weight, egg mass, feed conversion ratio per egg mass, feed cost per kilogram, feed cost per egg mass and mortality. The results indicated that the group of laying hens fed raw S. obtusifolia seed meal based diet recorded the lowest HDEP (52.42%), egg weight (53.08g) and egg mass (2782.45g). Among the hens fed the processed S. obtusifolia seed meal based diets, the laying hens fed the fermented S. obtusifolia seed meal based diet indicated significantly (p<0.05) better HDEP (64.05%), egg weight (58.45g) and egg mass (3743.72g). On economic grounds, the use of raw S. obtusifolia is not cost effective because feed cost per kilogram egg was relatively high (N317.47 or $0.82) in the group of laying hens fed raw S. obtusifolia seed meal based diet. However, the processed S. obtusifolia seed meal based diets showed some economic advantage. In conclusion, 20% of fermented S. obtusifolia seed meal can be incorporated in the diets of laying hens with little or no depreciation in laying performance and economic-benefits.