This study was designed to investigate whether inclusions of humate and probiotic into diets of hens during the late laying period increases egg production and improves egg quality. Hisex Brown layers (n = 300), 54 wk of age, were fed a control diet, 0.1% humate, 0.2% humate, 0.1% probiotic, or 0.2% probiotic for 75 d. Active ingredients of humate and probiotic were polymeric polyhydroxy acids (humic, fulvic, ulmic, and humatomelanic acids) and bacterial cultures (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Streptococcus, and Enterococcus spp.), respectively. Egg production and feed intake were measured daily, and egg weight was measured biweekly. Also, a sample of 12 eggs from each group was collected randomly to determine egg quality every 25 d. The data were analyzed as repeated measures with time as subplot. There were no effects of dietary treatments on feed intake and egg weight. Egg production for hens supplemented with humate and probiotic was not different but was greater than for control hens. Egg production increased linearly and mortality and feed conversion efficiency (weight of feed/weight of eggs) decreased linearly with increasing levels of supplemental humate and probiotic. There were no effects of treatments on egg quality. In conclusion, supplementation of humate and probiotic during the late laying period increased egg production, reduced mortality, and improved feed conversion efficiency but did not improve egg quality.

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The impact of combined lower concentrations of organically-complexed versus inorganic copper, zinc and manganese on meat quality in chickens was investigated. A total of 200 male broiler chicks (Ross-308), 1-d-old and weighing approximately 40 g, were divided into 4 groups comprising three experimental groups and one control group, with each consisting of 50 chicks. All groups were also divided into 5 subgroups, with each containing 10 broiler chicks. All birds were given a starter diet from d 1 to d 21, and a grower diet from d 22 to d 49. The diets were formulated according to the NRC recommendations. The mineral contents of the control diet were supplied using a standard inorganic mineral premix (containing 8 mg Cu as CuSO₄, 40 mg Zn as ZnSO₄, and 60 mg Mn as MnO, per kg). For the experimental diets, a mineral premix was prepared using organically complexed forms of those minerals at 1/3 (L1), 2/3 (L2) and 3/3 (L3) proportions. After slaughtering and evisceration, the carcases were stored at 3 ± 0·5°C for 10-12 h, and then the breast fillets removed from the carcases, and stored in a deep-freezer (-86°C) until analysis (for 30 d). For analyses, the breast muscles were then thawed at 4-6°C for 24 h. 6. The concentration of organically complexed mineral in the diet had no statistically significant effect on pH values of breast fillets. Treatments significantly affected the Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS) values. Lightness (L* value) of the fillet from broilers fed the diet containing inorganic minerals was significantly lower than that for broilers fed on the diets containing organically complexed minerals. The redness (a* value) and Chroma (C* value) significantly decreased while Hues (H* value) were higher in the fillet from broilers fed organically complexed minerals compared with those fed inorganic minerals. The yellowness (b* value) was not changed by dietary treatment.

The experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of common vetch seed (CVS), used at various levels (0, 15 and 25%), as a protein source in diets replacing different proportion of barley, wheat bran and soybean meal on fattening performance, carcass and meat quality characteristics of Awassi male lambs at approximately 8 months of age. The lambs were divided into three treatment groups, T1 (control, fed a diet without CVS; n = 12), T2 (15% CVS; n = 12) and T3 (25% CVS; n = 12), at the beginning of the fattening period. The T2 and T3 lambs were fed with a concentrate including 15 and 25% of ground CVS. The main protein source was soybean meal in T1 diet treatment, partially replaced by vetch in T2 and T3 diet treatments. All groups were fed a diet consisting of concentrate mixture offered ad libitum, and 300 g of grass hay per lamb per day during the 60 day fattening period. Daily feed intake, daily weight gain and feed conversion efficiency (concentrate and hay consumption for 1 kg of live weight gain) were 1.716 kg, 0.26 kg and 6.60 for T1, 1.756 kg, 0.28 kg and 6.27 for T2 and 1.806 kg, 0.29 kg and 6.23 for T3, respectively. Growth, carcass and meat quality traits were almost the same across the groups. In conclusion, CVS supplementation to diets of Awassi lambs at a 0, 15 and 25% rates showed no statistical differences in fattening performance, wholesale cuts of carcasses, meat color parameters (L * = lightness, a * = redness, b * = yellowness, H = huge angle and C = chroma) and pH values, but there were numerical differences (improvement) in feed conversion efficiency.

SummaryThis study was conducted to determine the effects of plant extract mixture (PEM) inclusion at different levels and copper into diets of hens on performance, egg quality traits, yolk and serum cholesterol content and yolk fatty acid composition. A total of 192 Lohmann white layers, 38 wks of age, were used in this study. The experiment was carried out on a control and 7 treatments groups (basal diet plus 200 mg/kg copper (CuSO 4 .5H 2 O), 500 mg/kg PEM, 500 mg/kg PEM + 200 mg/kg copper, 750 mg/kg PEM, 750 mg/kg PEM + 200 mg/kg copper, 1000 mg/kg PEM + 200 mg/kg copper). PEM, copper and PEM plus copper combinations did not affect performance parameters. Increasing level of PEM increased quadratically shell stiffness and linearly shell thickness, but did not affect other egg traits. Treatments had no a significant effect on cholesterol and trigliserid concentrations of egg and serum. While supplemented PEM and copper did not affect fatty acid level of yolk, PEM plus copper combination increased oleic acid and total MUFA levels. Results obtained from present study showed that supplementation of a mixed herbal product containing Origanum vulgare (dried leaf ), Thymus vulgaris (dried leaf ), thyme oil, origanum oil, garlic oil, anise oil and fennel oil to diets of laying hens can be beneficial to improve egg quality traits especially such as shell stiffness and thickness. Keywords ÖzetBu çalışma, yumurtacı tavuk rasyonlarına ilave edilen farklı seviyelerde bitki ekstrakt karışımının ve bakırın performans, yumurta kalitesi, yumurta sarısı ve serum kolesterol içeriği ile yumurta sarısı yağ asidi kompozisyonu üzerine etkisini belirlemek amacıyla yürütülmüştür. Araştırmada; 38 haftalık yaşta 192 adet Lohmann beyaz yumurtacı tavuk kullanılmıştır. Deneme, bir kontrol ve 7 muamele (200 mg/kg bakır, 500 mg/kg bitki ekstrakt karışımı, 500 mg/kg bitki ekstrakt karışımı + 200 mg/kg bakır, 750 mg/kg bitki ekstrakt karışımı, 750 mg/kg bitki ekstrakt karışımı + 200 mg/kg bakır, 1000 mg/kg bitki ekstrakt karışımı, 1000 mg/kg bitki ekstrakt karışımı + 200 mg/kg bakır) grubundan oluşmuştur. Bitki ekstrakt karışımı, bakır ve bakır ile bitki ekstrakt karışımının performans parametrelerini etkilemediği tespit edilmiştir. Bitki ekstrakt karışımının artan seviyesi kırılma mukavemetini ve kabuk kalınlığını artırmasına rağmen diğer yumurta kalite kriterlerin de önemli bir etkiye sahip olmadığı saptanmıştır. Muamele grupları arasında yumurta sarısı kolesterol ve trigliserid oranı ile serum kolesterol ve trigliserid oranları bakımından önemli bir farklılığın olmadığı tespit edilmiştir. Bitki ekstrakt karışımı ile bakır kombinasyonu yumurta sarısında oleik asit ve toplam MUFA seviyesini artırırken diğer uygulamaların yumurta sarısı yağ asidi oranı üzerine etkisinin olmadığı belirlenmiştir. Sonuç olarak; yumurtacı tavuk rasyonlarına kekik, kekik otu, kekik yağı, sarımsak yağı, anason ve rezene yağından oluşan bitki ekstrakt karışımı ilavesinin yumurta kalite kriterlerini özellikle kabuk kalınlığı ve kırılma mukavemetini artırmada faydalı...