Search Results (128)

Coccidiosis is a major economic threat in poultry, and with anticoccidials being phased out, cost-effective alternatives like copper (Cu) supplementation are of interest. This study investigated whether in-feed monovalent Cu (100 ppm) could mitigate the effects of a mild Eimeria challenge in broilers. A total of 216 broiler chicks were randomly assigned to three treatments (six replicates, 12 birds/replicate): unchallenged control (NC), challenged control (PC), and challenged + Cu-supplemented. Birds were fed starter (days 1–10), grower (days 10–21), and finisher (days 21–35) diets. On day 14, all birds except the NC group were orally challenged with 5000 oocysts each of Eimeria acervulina and E. maxima. Feces were collected (days 17–28) for oocyst count, and growth performance, lesion scores (day 21), carcass traits and bone morphology (day 35), gut morphology (days 21 and 35), gizzard weight (days 21 and 35), and cecal bacterial load (days 21 and 35) were evaluated. The mild challenge was confirmed by the observed differences in lesion scores on day 21 (p < 0.05), fecal oocyst counts from days 17–28 (p < 0.05), and overall mortality (p > 0.05) between challenged and unchallenged groups. Copper supplementation tended to improve FCR during the grower phase (1.403 vs. 1.469; p = 0.057) and significantly reduced oocyst excretion on days 23–25 (p < 0.001) compared to the PC treatment. Although performance benefits were limited, Cu reduced oocyst shedding, indicating potential anticoccidial effects. However, further studies are needed to confirm the consistency of this effect across different doses of Cu in poultry production. Full article

Geese (Anser cygnoides) are popular worldwide with consumers for their unique meat quality, egg production, foie gras, and goose down; however, the key genes that influence geese growth remain elusive. To explore the mechanism of geese growth, a total of 500 Zhedong White geese were raised; four high-weight (HW) and four low-weight (LW) male geese were selected to collect carcass traits and for further transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis. The body weight and average daily gain of HW geese were significantly higher than those of the LW geese (p-value < 0.05), and the yields of the liver, gizzard, glandular stomach, and pancreas showed no significant difference between the HW and the LW group (p-value > 0.05). Compared with the LW geese, 19 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (i.e., COL11A2, COL22A1, and TF) were detected in the breast muscle from the HW geese, which were involved in the PPAR signaling pathway, adipocytokine signaling pathway, fatty acid biosynthesis, and ferroptosis. A total of 59 differential accumulation metabolites (DAMs), which influence the pathways of glutathione metabolism and vitamin B6 metabolism, were detected in the breast muscle between the HW and LW geese. In the liver, 106 DEGs (i.e., THSD4, CREB3L3, and CNST) and 202 DAMs were found in the livers of the HW and LW groups, respectively. DEGs regulated the pathways of the TGF-beta signaling pathway, pyruvate metabolism, and adipocytokine signaling pathway; DAMs were involved in pyrimidine metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, and phenylalanine metabolism. Correlation analysis between the top DEGs and DAMs revealed that in the breast muscle, the expression levels of COL11A2 and COL22A1 were positively correlated with the content of S-(2-Hydroxy-3-buten-1-yl)glutathione. In the liver, the expression of THSD4 was positively correlated with the content of 2-Hydroxyhexadecanoic acid. In addition, one DEG (LOC106049048) and four DAMs (mogrol, brassidic acid, flabelline, and L-Leucyl-L-alanine) were shared in the breast muscle and liver. These important results contribute to improving the knowledge of goose growth and exploring the effective molecular markers that could be adopted for Zhedong White goose breeding. Full article

The objective of this study was to compare the effects of applying a 50% wheat grain diet with those of a diet with 3% additional dietary fibre from various sources on the development of broiler chickens’ gastrointestinal tract and its related organs and to model this phenomenon based on data obtained from 35-day-old chickens using multiple regression equations. The use of various structural components, including oat hull (OH), sunflower hull (SH), sugar beet pulp (SBP), and wheat bran (WB), in proportions of 3% of the diet not only affects digestive processes in broiler chickens’ gastrointestinal tract but also causes a change in the length of their intestinal sections or the weight of related organs. These effects can be taken into account when creating an experimental model, the results of which can at least be partially applicable to human studies. The use of OH and SH (3%) in the birds’ diets resulted in a significantly higher body weight (p < 0.05) compared with the use of SBP and WB. OH in the diet significantly increased (p < 0.01) the weight of the chicken’s gizzards compared with the other dietary fibre sources, apart from SH. On the other hand, the weight of the proventriculus in chickens fed the diet containing OH was significantly lower than that of the chickens fed the diet containing SBP (p < 0.05). The use of SH in the diet caused a significant decrease (p < 0.01) in the weight of the chickens’ heart. Compared with other additional sources of dietary fibre, OH in the diet also significantly increased (p < 0.05) the lengths of the small and large intestines, as well as the total length of the intestines. A correlation analysis showed a significant, average, positive relationship (p < 0.05) between the content of TDF in the diet and the weight of the gizzard and indicated a significant positive correlation between the lengths of the jejunum and the remaining sections of the intestines. Additionally, the regression equation models indicated a significant effect (p < 0.01) of all the independent variables on the jejunal, ileal, and caecal lengths and the liver weight. The application of the regression model confirmed significant changes in the small intestine and liver weight depending on the type of dietary fibre and other independent variables, which can also be taken into account when assessing diseases in people with thin intestines. However, further studies with separate models still need to be conducted using experiments including both soluble and insoluble fibre. Full article

The concerns regarding Fowl Adenoviruses have gained significance in the poultry industry due to their association with various diseases, including Inclusion Body Hepatitis, Hepatitis-Hydropericardium Syndrome, and Adenoviral Gizzard Erosion (AGE). AGE is an emerging disease reported in several countries, particularly in Asia and Europe, causing significant economic losses in the poultry industry. In 2001, Fowl Adenovirus Serotype 1 was identified as the etiological agent of AGE in Japan. Since then, it has been spreading to other countries due to its transmission mode. Although Adenoviral Gizzard Erosion has been mostly described in broilers, it has also been observed in layers and pullets. This review offers a comprehensive analysis of Fowl Adenovirus Serotype 1, encompassing various key aspects of the virus. We also examine the pathogenesis and epidemiology of the virus, providing an overview of its distribution and prevalence in avian populations worldwide. Highlighting the most recent developments in serological and molecular techniques for virus detection, quantification, and genotyping and comparing them to conventional tests, this review aims to contribute to the understanding of the diagnostic workflow for this virus. Lastly, this review sheds light on some vaccine strategies to prevent Adenoviral Gizzard Erosion. Full article

Aflatoxin is a health threat to humans and domesticated animals. Chickens are often fed aflatoxin-contaminated grain and may retain some toxins in muscle, eggs, and other tissues. A critical food safety question is whether tissues from contaminated birds pose a threat to the humans that consume them. We evaluated literature published from 1984 to 2023 to determine the level of aflatoxin residues retained in chicken eggs, muscles, livers, gizzards, and hearts. In the studies evaluated (n = 33), ~8100 chickens in 334 trials were fed feed contaminated with 0.1–6400 µg/kg of aflatoxins for 7–180 days. There was a positive correlation between the level of feed contamination and residual aflatoxin concentrations (r² = 0.18, p < 0.05), but <1% of the aflatoxin in the feed carried over to edible broiler tissues. Only 0.6% of the trials reported >20 µg/kg of aflatoxin in the tissues, primarily in the muscle tissue, when the chickens were fed feed contaminated with >300 µg/kg of aflatoxins, which is above the US FDA maximum tolerable limit for components of poultry feeds. These composite results suggest a relatively low risk to public health from consuming chickens fed contaminated feed and a relatively high aflatoxin elimination mechanism in chickens that consume feed containing >300 µg/kg of aflatoxins. The data are consistent with chickens fed feed containing up to 500 µg/kg of aflatoxin being allowed in the human food chain without posing a significant health hazard. In reality, the maximum level of aflatoxin allowed in chicken feed will probably be limited by how much the birds can tolerate and still grow at a suitable rate without deformities rather than the risk that processed birds could present to human health. As chickens effectively act as an absorptive buffer for aflatoxin in contaminated feed, we expect that a contamination level that is acceptable for chicken growth performance is likely to be less than the amount that keeps chicken products safe for human consumption. Full article

Transmissible viral proventriculitis (TVP) and chicken proventricular necrosis virus (CPNV) affect the broiler industry globally and are emerging diseases of economic importance. Here, we present the findings of TVP from processed broiler carcasses in Argentina following marked condemnation at the processing plant. We studied a total of 122 abnormally presenting proventriculi at processing from 42-to-50-day-old, male Cobb500^™ broiler chicken carcasses from 11 farms belonging to the same company in 13 episodes of proventriculi–gizzards condemnation between December 2021 and April 2022. The proventriculi were enlarged and pale with a widened gastric isthmus. A histopathologic lesion score system was developed based on the presence of a combination of key microscopic findings, the distribution, and the severity of the lesions. Scoring of the affected proventriculi revealed 65% (79/122) with a score of 4, 23% (28/122) with a score of 3, and 12% (15/122) with a score of 2. Focal to multifocal immunoreactivity against the VP2-CPNV antigen within the necrotic glandular epithelial cells was noted in the affected proventriculi using immunohistochemistry. We found 84.4% (103/122) of the studied proventriculi with TVP lesions grossly and microscopically scored were positive for CPNV by RT-PCR. The sequencing results of the PCR product showed a high nucleotide sequence similarity (88.97%) to previously published VP1-CPNV sequences. We confirmed CPNV infection in most of the TVP affected proventriculi in all condemnation episodes at a broiler chicken processing plant in Argentina during the studied period. This study documents TVP associated with CPNV detection at processing plants in Argentina for the first time. Full article

The circular economy of animal by-products rich in collagen focuses on converting collagen into peptides with a defined molecular weight. Collagen hydrolysates prepared by biotechnological methods from chicken gizzards, deer tendons, and Cyprinus carpio skeletons can be an alternative source of collagen for cosmetic products that traditionally use bovine or porcine collagen hydrolysates. Collagen hydrolysates were characterized by antioxidant activity, surface tension, solution contact angle, and other parameters (dry weight, ash content, and solution clarity). Furthermore, the vibrational characterization of functional groups and their molecular weight was performed using the GPC-RID method. Subsequently, emulsion and gel cosmetic matrices were prepared with 0.5% and 1.5% collagen hydrolysates. Microbiological stability, organoleptic properties, and viscosity were investigated. Verification of the biophysical parameters of the topical formulations was performed in vivo on a group of volunteers by measuring skin hydration and pH and determining trans-epidermal water loss. Fish collagen hydrolysate was the most suitable for cosmetic applications in the parameters investigated. Moreover, it also effectively reduces wrinkles in the periorbital region when used in a gel matrix. Full article

A feeding trial was carried out using 576 Ross 308 male chickens to test the effects of an amorphous lignocellulose (LC) product (Arbocel). Three dietary treatments (control, 0.5% LC (LC 0.5), and 0.8% LC (LC 0.8) were used, and the diets were fed in eight replicate pens of 24 chickens. The LC treatments did not modify the weight gain of the chickens, but they tended to decrease the feed intake and FCR in the grower phase. The high swelling characteristics of LC resulted in lower dry matter (DM) contents in the crop (p < 0.002) and gizzard (p < 0.047) on day 14 and day 24, respectively. The lower pH in the gizzard and duodenum of LC diets suggests longer retention time and more HCl secretion in the proventriculus and gizzard. Except for α-amylase on day 24, the treatments did not modify the digestive enzyme content of the jejunum. The microbiota diversity and microbiota composition of ileal contents were affected only by the age of birds. The results suggest that the LC product can exert its potential positive effects mainly in the upper part of the digestive tract due to its special physical characteristics. LC can slow down the passage rate in the gizzard and modify the digestion and the dynamics of water absorption from the jejunum and ileum. Full article

Fowl adenovirus (FAdV) belongs to the Aviadenovirus genus within the Adenoviridae family. FAdVs are widely distributed and associated with various diseases in poultry, including adenoviral gizzard erosion (AGE), hepatitis-hydropericardium syndrome (HHS), and inclusion body hepatitis (IBH). In this study, we developed a multiplex conventional PCR for simultaneously detecting FAdV-4, -8b, and -11 by targeting the hexon gene. The multiplex PCR was optimized for primer concentrations and thermocycling conditions. The optimal primer concentration combination was set at 0.125 μM for FAdV-4, -8b, and 0.25 μM for FAdV-11. Under these conditions, the limit of detection (LOD) was 10³ copies/μL of plasmid standards for FAdV-4, -8b, and -11. These results demonstrated that the developed multiplex PCR method exhibits high specificity and sensitivity, with no observed cross-reactivity among these serotypes or with other poultry viruses. Therefore, this multiplex PCR will be an effective tool for accurate serotyping of FAdV-4, -8b, and -11, enabling more precise identification and differentiation of these three serotypes. Full article

The process of camel milk’s transformation into cheese is a delicate operation due to various difficulties in achieving coagulation. This study investigates the processing challenges of camel milk in the production of camel milk cheese using chicken gizzard inner lining extract (CGLE) as a coagulant. The crude extract presents an extraction yield of 55.05 ± 1.8% and a pH = 4.40 ± 0.05. The optimal coagulation conditions were pH 5 and temperature 45 °C. A fresh camel milk cheese was produced using CGLE and characterized as CME. The cheese yield of the CME was 26.88 ± 0.42%, which was higher than that obtained with chymosin (CC) at 12.66 ± 0.12%. The pH and acidity were 5.29 ± 0.09 and 56.25 ± 1.25°D. The gross composition of camel cheese (CME) was determined in comparison to (CC) fat (13.50 ± 2.82%), proteins (11.61 ± 0.19%), and dry matter (38.85 ± 1.22%). The sensory analysis demonstrated significant differences (p < 0.05) between the CME and CC in terms of white color, acidic taste, and consistency. Therefore, CME presents an overall acceptability in comparison to the control. The chicken gizzard inner lining extract could be used as an efficient coagulant for the production of fresh camel cheese. Full article

This floor pen study explored the effects of feeding mineral methionine hydroxyl analogue chelates (MMHACs) zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn) on growth performance, carcass processing weight and quality, nutrient digestibility, gizzard erosion score, and bone parameters of broilers. One-day-old Ross 308 male chicks (n = 384) were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments with eight replicate pens per treatment and 12 birds per pen. The treatments were as follows: (1) inorganic trace mineral ZnSO₄ 110 ppm, CuSO₄ 16 ppm, MnO 120 ppm (ITM); (2) MMHAC Zn 40 ppm, Cu 10 ppm, Mn 40 ppm (M10); (3) Inorganic trace mineral ZnSO₄ 110 ppm, tribasic copper chloride 125 ppm, MnO 120 ppm (T125); (4) MMHAC Zn 40 ppm, Cu 30 ppm, Mn 40 ppm (M30). The birds were fed nutritionally complete wheat sorghum soybean meal-based diets from days 0 to 42 with three feeding phases including starter (days 0–10), grower (days 10–21), and finisher (days 21–42). The findings revealed that birds on the T125, M10, and M30 groups possibly had higher feed intake (p = 0.052) and higher weight gain (p < 0.063) than birds on the ITM group from days 0 to 42. Furthermore, birds fed the M30 diet had higher thigh and drumstick weights compared to those fed the ITM diet at day 42 (p = 0.05). Additionally, birds offered the M30 diet had increased ileal Cu digestibility compared to birds offered the M10 and ITM diets at day 21 (p = 0.006). Gizzard erosion scores and bone parameters were similar between the dietary treatments. Hence, the supplementation of MMHACs to broiler diets at 30 ppm may be a more suitable strategy to increase weight gain and the thigh and drumstick processing weight while maintaining the bone health of broiler chickens. Full article

Antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in retail meat poses a public health threat requiring continuous surveillance. This study investigated the frequency of isolation, toxin genes, and antibiotic resistance profile of S. aureus recovered from retail poultry meat samples and presented results beneficial to public health interventions. Of 200 samples collected, 16% (32/200) tested positive for S. aureus, and these were recovered from thigh 37.5% (12/32), wing 34.4% (11/32), gizzard (15.6% (5/32), and liver 12.5% (4/32) samples. Findings of spa typing analysis revealed that 68.8% (22/32), 18.8% (6/32), 9.4% (3/32), and 3.0% (1/32) of the isolates belonged to the spa types t267, t160, t548, and t008, respectively. For antibiotic susceptibility testing, 12.5% (4/32) of the isolates were resistant to only penicillin, but one isolate (1/32; 3%) showed resistance to the antibiotics penicillin, erythromycin, ampicillin, and oxacillin. PCR analysis revealed that 9.4% (3/32) of the isolates carried the mecA gene associated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates. One MRSA isolate was identified as a t008 spa type, and harbored a 26,974 bp-sized plasmid, which was the source of its resistance to penicillin, ampicillin, erythromycin, and oxacillin. The staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE) genes seg, sei, sek, seb, selm, and seln were also identified among the isolates, and mostly the antimicrobial and enterotoxin genes were carried on plasmids of the isolates. This study raises awareness on the continuous circulation of pathogenic microbes like S. aureus in retail poultry meat. Full article

This study evaluated the effects of two types of plastic flooring—one with and one without nanotechnological antimicrobial additives—used as complete or partial replacements for wood shavings on broiler chicken performance, yield, meat quality, and litter microbiology over 42 days. A total of 1500 Ross 408^® male broiler chicks were randomly assigned to five treatment groups: wood shavings (WS), plastic flooring (PF), a 50/50 mix of plastic flooring and wood shavings (PF + WS), plastic flooring with antimicrobial additives (PFA), and a 50/50 mix of antimicrobial plastic flooring and wood shavings (PFA + WS). This study evaluated organ biometrics (liver, heart, spleen, and gizzard), the severity of Eimeria lesions, microbiological profiles, performance indices, and meat quality. The results indicated that plastic flooring, particularly when used alone, presented challenges such as increased intestinal lesions related to coccidiosis and a higher prevalence of Salmonella. Moreover, broilers raised on plastic flooring presented worse feed conversion and lower body weights and carcass yields than those raised on wood shavings. The meat quality was also negatively affected, with plastic flooring leading to less favorable fillet characteristics. Overall, the use of plastic flooring reduced the performance and health parameters of broiler chickens. Full article

We evaluated the effect of replacing maize with graded levels of banana (Musa acuminata) peels (BPs) on feed utilisation, physiological performance, and meat quality traits in Jumbo quail. In a completely randomised design, 341 one-week-old, unsexed quail chicks were randomly allocated to 30 cages and reared on five experimental diets containing 0 (BP0), 25 (BP25), 50 (BP50), 75 (BP75), and 100 g/kg BP (BP100) in a conventional grower diet. Dry matter, organic matter, and gross energy digestibility values linearly declined (p < 0.05) with BP levels. Feed intake in the 5^th week linearly declined (p < 0.05) as BP levels increased. The BP0 diet promoted greater overall body weight gain than BP100. Similarly, birds on BP0 had a higher (p < 0.05) overall gain-to-feed ratio than birds on BP75 and BP100. Significant linear increases were observed for relative gizzard, and small and large intestine weights. There were negative quadratic effects (p < 0.05) for relative proventriculus weight, breast lightness, and thigh chroma as BP levels increased. Furthermore, thigh yellowness linearly decreased, while hue angle linearly increased with BP levels. The partial substitution of maize with BP in Jumbo quail diet compromised feed digestibility and performance parameters, stimulated visceral organ development, and altered some meat colour attributes. Full article

Gizzard erosion and ulceration (GEU) is characterized by defects and necrosis in the koilin layer, particularly in broilers. This condition has been associated with growth retardation, runting, and economic implications for poultry producers; nevertheless, its influence on gut microbiota remains unknown. This study investigated the compositional changes in the bacterial community of the ileum of seven-day-old broiler chicks with GEU using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. Twenty-two samples were obtained from the ileal mucosa and contents of sixteen chicks with GEU and six without GEU raised in a conventional system located on a farm in southeast Brazil. The results revealed that bacterial phyla in both groups exhibited a similar composition, with Firmicutes representing the most abundant. Porphyromonas, Candidatus Arthromitus, and Limosilactobacillus were statistically more abundant in the group without GEU. The most prevalent genera in the group with GEU were Lactobacillus and Enterococcus, and the relative abundance of Enterococcus in the ilea of some chicks with GEU was considerable. Based on the results of the current study, necrosis in the koilin layer can change the composition of ileal microbiota. Therefore, further studies should be carried out to clarify whether GEU and consequently poor digestibility of the feed cause significant changes in the intestinal microbiota. Full article