The performance, carcass traits, and litter humidity of broilers fed increasing levels of glycerine derived from biodiesel production were evaluated. In this experiment, 1,575 broilers were distributed according to a completely randomized experimental design into five treatments with seven replicates of 45 birds each. Treatments consisted of a control diet and four diets containing 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, or 10% glycerine. The experimental diets contained equal nutritional levels and were based on corn, soybean meal and soybean oil. The glycerine included in the diets contained 83.4% glycerol, 1.18% sodium, and 208 ppm methanol, and a calculated energy value of 3,422 kcal AMEn/kg. Performance parameters (weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, live weight, and livability) were monitored when broilers were 7, 21, and 42 days of age. On day 43, litter humidity was determined in each pen, and 14 birds/treatment were sacrificed for the evaluation of carcass traits. During the period of 1 to 7 days, there was a positive linear effect of the treatments on weight gain, feed intake, and live weight gain. Livability linearly decreased during the period of 1 to 21 days. During the entire experimental period, no significant effects were observed on performance parameters or carcass traits, but there was a linear increase in litter humidity. Therefore, the inclusion of up to 5% glycerine in the diet did not affect broiler performance during the total rearing period.

The purpose of this study was to verify the ability of a probiotic in the feed to maintain the stability of the gut microbiota in chickens after antibiotic therapy and its association with growth performance. One thousand six hundred twenty 1‐day‐old Cobb male were housed in floor pens (36 pens, 45 birds/pen) and were fed corn‐/soya bean meal‐based diets supplemented with or without probiotic (Bacillus subtilis) during the entire rearing phase. From 21 to 24 days of age (three consecutive days), the chickens were submitted to antibiotic therapy via drinking water (bacitracin and neomycin) in order to mimic a field treatment and induce dysbiosis. Growth performance was monitored until 42 days of age. At 2, 4 and 6 days after antibiotic therapy, three chickens from each pen were euthanized and the contents of the small intestine and caeca were collected and pooled. The trial was conducted with four treatments and nine replicates in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement for performance characteristics (with and without probiotic × with and without antibiotic therapy); for the intestinal microbiota, it was in a 2 × 2 × 3 factorial arrangement (with and without probiotic × with and without antibiotic therapy × 2, 4 and 6 days after the antibiotic therapy) with three replicates per treatment. Terminal restriction length polymorphism (T‐RFLP) analysis showed that the structure of gut bacterial community was shaped by the intestinal segment and by the time after the antibiotic therapy. The number of 16S rDNAs copies in caecum contents decreased with time after the therapeutic treatment. The antibiotic therapy and dietary probiotic supplementation decreased richness and diversity indexes in the caecal contents. The improved performance observed in birds supplemented with probiotic may be related to changes promoted by the feed additive in the structure of the intestinal bacterial communities and phylogenetic groups. Antibiotic therapy modified the bacterial structure, but did not cause loss of broiler performance.

This study evaluated the metabolic response of broilers fed diets containing increasing crude glycerine levels in two bioassays. Birds were house in metabolic cages, and were distributed according to a completely randomized experimental design with five treatments of 4 replicates each (1 st assay: 5 birds/ cage; 2 nd assay: 1-20 days = 8 birds/ cage, and 21-42 days = 4 birds/cage). Treatments consisted of a control diet based on corn and soybean meal, and four other diets containing 2.5%, 5.0%, 7.5% and 10.0% glycerine derived from biodiesel. In experiment I, there was no effect (p>0.05) of glycerol level on liver weight or blood parameters. Serum blood glycerol levels of the birds fed 10% crude glycerine increased during the first nine days of diet intake (p<0.05). In experiment II, water intake increased (p<0.05) in the birds fed 7.5 and 10.0% crude glycerine at 4 and 8 days of age. Feed intake increased (p<0.05) on days 8 and 12 in birds fed 2.5 and 7.5% glycerine. Fecal moisture increased (p<0.05) in birds fed diets with 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0% crude glycerine on days 16 and 20. Ileal content moisture was not different (p>0.05) among treatments when birds were 42 days old. High dietary glycerine levels may induce metabolic change in broilers, such as increased blood glycerol level, water intake and fecal moisture.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Bacillus subtillis PB6, chromium propionate or a combination of the two on the performance, egg and eggshell quality, nutrient metabolizability and serum biochemistry of layer breeders. White Plymouth Rock and Red Rhodes Island breeder hens at 55 weeks of age were allocated in individual cages using a completely randomized block design with 16 replicates. Hens were fed control, control + probiotic (500 g/ton of Bacillus subtilis PB6), control + CrProp (50 g/ton of chromium propionate) and control + probiotic + CrProp diets from 55 to 70 weeks of age. Productive parameters and eggshell quality as well as cortisol and blood biochemistry were grouped each 28 d as well as for the overall period. The metabolizability of nutrients and energy was determined at 70 weeks of age. In the overall period, hens fed the control + probiotic or control + probiotic + CrProp diets had significantly higher egg production, egg mass, shell percentage, thickness and shell strength. The metabolizability of dry matter, nitrogen and energy increased in hens that were fed the control + probiotic + CrProp diet. In conclusion, diets supplemented with Bacillus subtillis PB6 and chromium propionate resulted in improved productive performance, eggshell quality and nutrient metabolizability of layer breeders, without modifying serum cortisol, albumin and triglycerides.

RESUMOObjetivou-se avaliar o efeito da suplementação com glutamina e nucleotídeos na dieta sobre o desempenho e morfologia da mucosa intestinal de frangos de corte criados no sistema alternativo. Foram utilizados 600 pintos de corte machos distribuídos em delineamento em blocos casualizados, no esquema fatorial 3x2 (três níveis de glutamina: 0,0; 0,5 e 1,0% e dois níveis de nucleotídeos purificados na dieta: 0,0 e 0,04%), totalizando 6 tratamentos, com 4 repetições de 25 aves cada. Foram obtidos os dados de desempenho (peso corporal, ganho de peso, consumo de ração, conversão alimentar e mortalidade) aos 7, 21 e 42 dias de idade. Ao final do experimento foram abatidas 4 aves/tratamento para avaliação do peso de órgãos e da morfologia intestinal. A adição de 1% na dieta melhorou o ganho de peso, consumo de raçao e conversão alimentar na primeira semana de idade. Não sendo encontrados resultados positivos nos períodos de 21 e 42 dias de idade. A suplementação de glutamina e nucleotídeos em dietas de frangos de corte criados no sistema alternativo não influencia o desempenho e a morfologia intestinal, a inclusão de 1,0% de glutamina no período de 1 a 21 dias de idade, favorece o desempenho das aves. SUMMARYThe experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of supplementing glutamine and nucleotides on growth performance and development intestinal morphology in broiler chicks. In the trial, 600 male broiler chicks distributed in randomized blocks in a 3x2 factorial arrangement (consisting of a uniform basal diet supplemented with: 0.0, 0.5 or 1.0% glutamine, and 0.0 or 0.04% nucleotides), for a total of 6 treatments with 25 birds each. Means of performance (weight, weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion and mortality) were obtained 7, 21 and 42 days of age. At the end of the experiment 4 broilers per treatment were used to determine organs weight and development intestinal morphology. Glutamine supplementation (1%) improved the body weight, feed intake and feed conversion in the first week. Glutamine and nucleotides supplementation did not affect performance in broiler chicks in the period one to 21 and one to 42 days of age. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that feeding 1.0% glutamine improved growth performance of broiler birds at 21 days of age. INTRODUÇÃONo Brasil, como em outros países, temse observado crescente preocupação dos consumidores com a origem e qualidade dos produtos, exigindo alimentos saudáveis e ausência de resíduos. Com isso, as empre-