No abstract

Current experiment conducted on 5850 hatching egg (av. 59.5g) purchased from EL-KASABE for investment Shiver® Breeder farms (34 weeks old). A total of 2250 egg were assigned into 5 treatments of 450 egg representing storage periods of (0, 7, 14, 21 and 29 days) and the other 3600 egg were subdivide into 4 groups of 900 egg each according to SPIDES-short period incubation (fresh, 0, 2.5 and 5 hours) at 99.5°F. After SPIDES, treated egg placed for 2.5 hours in setter room and back into storage room at 12-16 o C and 75-85% relative humidity according to the storage time. Egg storage for 7 days had better (P≤0.05) values for fertile egg, hatchability percentages, hatch window, embryonic mortality (early, mid and late), piped and chick quality. However, storage until 29 days showed the lowest significantly (P≤0.05) percent hatchability, hatchability for fertile egg, long incubation time, highest number of total embryonic morality and lowest number of chick quality. SPIDES (2.5 h) recorded higher hatchability traits, but SPIDES 5 hours showed the highest significantly (P≤0.05) number of early embryonic mortality and lowest number of chick quality. Accordingly, when egg stored for more than 7, 14, 21 and 29 days, it should be SPIDES-short period incubation 2.5 h every five days once, twice or fourth time during storage period to minimize the harmful impact of storage.

A total of 216 day old broiler chicks (Arbor Acers) were weighed and distributed into equal 4 experimental groups of three replicates for each to explore the effect of dietary grape seeds (0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5%) addition on growth parameters, nutrients utilization and carcass characteristics as well as economic efficiency during fattening period (1-35 days of age). The results indicated that live body weight, body weight gain , feed conversion ratio and production index traits significantly (P≤0.05) improved for chicks fed diet contained 1.0% grape seeds (GS), while these parameters recorded non-significant improvement by 0.50 and 1.5%GS levels compared with chicks fed the control diet during the entire experimental period (0-35 days of age). Using GS in broilers diet recorded nonsignificant improvement for nutrients digestibility than the control except for fiber digestibility which was significantly improved. Feeding value improved (P>0.05) for chicks by dietary grape seeds addition. Total edible parts (%) insignificantly elevated by feeding different GS diets than the control. Chicks fed 1.0% GS diet recorded the best economic efficiency compared with the control at the entire experimental period. Therefore, it might be concluded that feeding diet contained 1.00% GS for broiler chicks might be used to improve growth performance and nutrients utilization as well as economic efficiency during the fattening period.

The present study investigated the effects of dietary curcumin or nano-curcumin on carcass traits, caecum activity, caecum microbial count and haematological parameters of growing rabbits reared under heat stress conditions. APRI line growing rabbits (n=100, 5-wk of age) were distributed to five equal groups (n=20/group). Rabbits in the 1 st group were fed a control diet without any additives, whereas 2 nd , 3 rd , 4 th and 5 th groups were fed control diet supplemented with curcumin (25 or 50 mg), and nano-curcumin (2.5 or 5 mg)/kg diet up to 13-wk of age. Carcass traits, meat chemical composition, pH values of gastro-intestinal tract contents, caecum activity, caecum microbial counts, and haematological parameters were determined at 13-wk of age. The mean temperature-humidity index during the experimental period was 29.54. Results showed curcumin or nano-curcumin levels increased (P<0.05) count of red blood cell and platelets, and caecum activity parameters (ammonia nitrogen and volatile fatty acids), while reduced (P<0.05) white blood cells, total microbial and E. coli counts in the caecal content. Haematocrit value increased (P<0.05) only by nano-curcumin groups (2.5 or 5 mg/kg diet). Carcass traits, chemical composition of meat and pH values of gastro-intestinal tract contents were not significant among groups. Dietary curcumin or nano-curcumin levels, as natural antioxidants and growth promoters, can alleviate adverse impacts due to heat stress on caecal activity and health status without affecting the carcass traits of growing rabbits. Generally, the dietary addition of curcumin in nano-particles form could contribute to produce healthy and high-quality rabbit's meat for human consumption.