No abstract

The sample consisted of 480 hatching eggs of Japanese quails and was divided into 4 groups. Before the transfer to the incubator, the first group was not disinfected (negative control). In the second group, eggs were disinfected by means of formaldehyde fumigation (positive control). In the third and fourth group, reactive oxygen forms were used for disinfection— perhydrol ( H 2 O 2 ) and ozone ( O 3 ), respectively. Eggs were incubated under standard conditions. On the 14th D, eggs were candled, and proportions of fertilized eggs and died embryos were calculated. In addition, samples were collected for microbiological examination. After 17.5 D, the results of the whole hatching were evaluated. Chicks were reared for 14 D. Their survivability and body weight gain were recorded. Disinfection by means of reactive oxygen forms did not prove to be more effective in reducing the number of bacterial colonies on the shell. Reduced hatching and significantly increased mortality in the O 3 group may indicate the negative impact of this gas on developing embryos. The results of hatching from eggs disinfected with H 2 O 2 did not differ from those obtained in control groups. The biggest chicks were obtained from O 3 disinfected eggs. However, during rearing, their growth did not match the one observed for birds in the remaining groups. Chicks hatched from eggs disinfected with H 2 O 2 were characterized by the largest survivability. Disinfection with reactive oxygen forms did not significantly improve the hygiene of hatching eggs, hatching performance, and quality of hatched chicks. Hydrogen peroxide, whose application offered satisfactory hatching results, may be the recommended disinfectant. On the other hand, O 3 appears to be undesirable because of its negative impact on bird embryos.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the ameliorative effect of dietary rocket salad and apple cider vinegar on the oxidative stress (OS) status of broilers. Specifically, 720 Ross 308 chicks were divided into six groups: negative and positive controls (NC and PC with and without additives, Vi1 and V12 experimental groups fed with diets mixed with 5 and 10 mL of vinegar/kg, and Ro1 and Ro2 groups fed with diets mixed with 2 and 3 g of rocket salad/kg, respectively). The experimental groups Vi1 and Vi2 were fed with feed mixture moisturized with 5 and 10 mL of vinegar/kg, and Ro1 and Ro2 were fed with 2 and 3 g of rocket salad/kg, respectively. The birds’ productivity, oxidative serum parameters, and morphometric indices of the gastrointestinal tract were registered at 6 weeks of rearing. The vinegar or rocket salad additive had powerful potentials to significantly suppress (p ≤ 0.05) OS through improving the birds’ survivability, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and carcass yield. The highest villus height and villus height/crypt depth ratio of the duodenum were achieved by Vi2, Ro1-2, and NC (p ≤ 0.05). The villus surface area and muscular layer thickness were smallest in the PC, while they did not differ significantly in other groups (p > 0.05). Similar relationships were found in serum superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, hydroperoxide, and malondialdehyde; however, higher doses of both additives were more effective. It seems that liquid vinegar and rocket salad could have beneficial influences on the antioxidant status of birds.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the time to sexual maturity and quality of initial eggs of Japanese quail affected by in ovo injection of plant extracts: ginger (GR), garlic (GC), oregano (O) and cinnamon (C). In total, 2400 eggs of Japanese quails were divided into six groups on the fifth day of incubation. Group I was the control group (NC), which was not injected. Other eggs were injected with 0.1 mL of liquid: group II – the positive control (PC) – with distilled water, group III with 1 % solution of GR, group IV with GC, group V with O and group VI with C. After hatching, the birds were reared in a cage system and fed with balanced mixtures, and 24 h lighting was used. The time at which birds reached sexual maturity was registered, while in the seventh week of rearing, 120 eggs were subject to quality evaluation. The traits of a whole egg (shape index as the ratio of egg width to egg length, weight, specific gravity), shell (strength, weight, thickness and density), albumen (weight, height), yolk (color, weight, index) were evaluated. At the earliest, on 36th day of life, eggs were laid by birds from the GC group, followed by C (37th day), O and NC (38th day), GR (39th day), and PC (41st day). During the first 2 weeks significantly more eggs were collected from the GC than from the other groups. The heaviest eggs derived from GC and GR groups, whereas the lightest came from the C group. Eggs from the GC group had the best shell strength and the greatest proportion of yolk. The use of medicinal herbs by injection in ovo may considerably modify both time of sexual maturity and quality of the initial eggs of Japanese quail.