Journal of World's Poultry Research

407-428

Authors: Liao Y

Much like other indigenous domesticated animals, Guangxi Three-yellow chickens (GX-TYC) in China have experienced strong selective pressure, and show specific phenotypic changes in physiology, morphology and behavior. To identify genomic footprints or selection signatures left by artificial selection during domestication of GX-TYC, the whole genomes of 12 GX-TYC hens were sequenced to executed selective sweep analyses and gene functional enrichment analysis (Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome pathways). A total of 10.13 million single nucleotide polymorphisms and 842,236 insertion/deletion polymorphisms (Indels) were found. Forty-six windows showed a Z score of heterozygosity (ZHp) lower than -5, which potentially were considered to be positively selected regions. Gene annotation identified 55 genes in these regions. Selection signatures were found mainly on the SSC5, SSC8, SSC23 and SSCZ. GO and KEGG analyses revealed that these genes were related to growth, immune responses as well as carbohydrate, lipid and amino acid metabolisms. In addition, two genes, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 2 were enriched into four signaling pathways, three of which are involved in carbohydrate metabolism and insulin signaling. SHC3, FANCC and PTCH1, in combination with FB1 and FBP2, were clustered together in a region of chromosome Z, and thus might have been selected together. The results have uncovered some genetic footprints of chicken domestication, providing not only an important resource for further improvements of fowl breeding, but also a useful framework for future studies on the genetics of domestic chickens as well as on the phenotypic variations and certain diseases of chickens.

436-442

Authors: Ardyansyah RH

The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of Agaricus bisporus and Auricularia auricula crude extracts as feed additives on the growth performance of broiler chickens. The samples included 240 one-day-old chicks randomly divided into 8 dietary treatments, each treatment consisted of 3 replicates with 10 chicks per replicate. The dietary treatment groups were control group (T0), basal diet + zinc bacitracin (T1), basal diets + 0.4% Agaricus bisporus extract (T2), basal diet + 0.8% Agaricus bisporus extract (T3), basal diet + 1.2% Agaricus bisporus extract (T4), basal diet + 0.4% Auricularia auricula extract (T5), basal diet + 0.8% Auricularia auricula extract (T6), and basal diet + 1.2% Auricularia auricula extract (T7). The measured variables included feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and production index. In addition, the study aimed to evaluate the reducing sugars level, antioxidant IC50, and antimicrobial efficacy of mushroom extracts prepared using three different solvents (i.e., water, ethanol, and methanol). The findings indicated that methanolic extract contained higher reducing sugars and had better antimicrobial efficacy. The results of experimental research revealed that mushrooms crude extracts had no significant effects on the growth performance of broiler chickens.

451-455

Authors: Pancapalaga W

The present study aimed to examine the effects of fermented soy isoflavones on the poultry feed towards the quality of eggs. A total of 100 Isa Brown chickens aged 32 weeks were divided into 4 groups and 5 replicates, including T0 (control feed without the provision of fermented soy isoflavones), T1 (feed with 4% of fermented soy isoflavones), T2 (feed with 8% of fermented soy isoflavones), and T3 (feed with 12% of fermented soy isoflavones). The treatments were given for 10 weeks. The observed chemical qualities of eggs included HDL, LDL, isoflavones in egg yolks, physical quality (e.g., their weight and eggshell thickness). All the data were analyzed by using analysis of variance. The results showed that the administration of fermented soy isoflavones in poultry feed had no significant effect on egg weight and eggshell thickness (p> 0.05), but had a significant effect on HDL, LDL, and isoflavones in egg yolk (p< 0.01). Based on the results, it can be concluded that 80 mg/100 g of the fermented soy isoflavones (equivalent to the addition of 12%) in laying hens’ feed would increase the content of isoflavones and egg yolks’ HDL, reduce egg yolks’ LDL, and lead to no significant change in the weight and thickness of eggshells.

469-479

Authors: Syed B

In recent years, probiotics and synbiotics have gained considerable interest in poultry feeding as an alternative to antibiotics due to antibiotic resistance concerns. The objective of this dual study was to evaluate the efficacy of synbiotic supplementation alone or in combination with different Antibiotic Growth Promoters (AGPs), compared to the untreated control group of broiler chickens production performance. In the first experiment, a total of 1260 one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chickens were randomly assigned to 7 diet treatments, with 6 replicates per diet treatment and 30 birds per replicate over a 42-day period. The diet treatments included a control diet based on corn-soybean without additives (T1), and the diet treatment with bacitracin (BMD 100 ppm, T2), colistin (10 ppm, T3), synbiotic (PoultryStar me, 0.5 kg/t, T4), a combination of synbiotic (0.5 kg/t) and bacitracin (60 ppm, T5), synbiotic (0.5 kg/t) and colistin (5 ppm, T6), synbiotic (0.5 kg/t), bacitracin (60 ppm), and colistin (5 ppm, T7). During the critical period of rearing from hatch to day 10, the synbiotic supplementation resulted in a significantly higher body weight gain than its combination with bacitracin. No other dietary treatment showed a remarkable improvement in the body weight gain, feed intake, or feed conversion ratio, compared to the only synbiotic application (T4) during the entire trial period. The tendency towards an improved feed conversion ratio was observed during the use of symbiotic (T4, 1.87), compared to the control group (T1, 1.93) during the entire trial period. Compared with the control group (T1, 2.78%), broiler mortality was also lower in the synbiotic group (T4, 1.11%). In the second experiment, a total of 1500 one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chickens were randomly assigned to 4 diet treatments; with 15 replicates per diet treatment, and 25 birds per replicate over a 42-day period. The dietary treatments included a control group diet based on corn-soybean without additives (T1), and the treatment diets with bacitracin (BMD 1000 ppm, T2), synbiotic (PoultryStar me, 0.5 kg/t, T3), and a combination of synbiotic (0.5 kg/t) plus bacitracin (BMD 1000 ppm T4). Birds fed antibiotic or synbiotic alone or in a combination had numerically a higher body weight and an average daily gain than the control group. There was a tendency of improvement in the feed conversion ratio during the age of 1-24 days, and throughout the experimental period. The evaluated synbiotic could serve as an effective alternative to AGPs, such as bacitracin and colistin in broiler chicken diets, especially during the first crucial period. The synbiotic can serve this purpose without combining it with AGPs, such as colistin or bacitracin.

485-492

Authors: El-Kholy KH

The objective of this study was to determine the optimal level of coconut oil (CO) supplementation in the diet to enhance the performance of Domyati ducks. A total number of 300 Domyati ducks (240 females and 60 males) aged 25-week-old were randomly assigned to 4 experimental groups of three replicates, each replicate included 5 males and 20 females of Domyati ducks. The groups received CO at 0, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0% during the experimental period. The results indicated that egg weight, egg number, and egg mass significantly increased in treated groups, compared to the control group. Furthermore, fertility and hatchability percentages were superior in 1.0, and 1.5% CO groups, compared to other experimental groups. Low-density lipoprotein in ducks that received CO was significantly lower than that of the control group. It is concluded that the inclusion of CO at a 1.5% level could be enough and useful for improving the reproductive and physiological performance of Domyati ducks.

507-512

Authors: Castillo-Grijalva M

Avian Influenza and Newcastle disease are the two most important diseases of poultry and are globally considered as threats to public health and economy. There is little information published about these diseases in peacocks and other common backyard poultry in Guatemala. Therefore, an exploratory serosurvey was conducted to determine the presence of circulating antibodies to Avian Influenza (AI) and Newcastle Disease (ND) viruses in a semi-captive population of peacocks in southwestern Guatemala. Additionally, the circulation of antibodies to these pathogens in backyard chickens, ducks, and turkeys from a neighboring community was explored. Blood samples were obtained from 48 peacocks, 30 chickens, 6 ducks, and 4 turkeys. The samples were processed in the Regional Reference Laboratory for Animal Health, at the Veterinary Medicine Faculty, University of San Carlos of Guatemala, located in Guatemala City. Antibodies against AI virus were investigated by Agar Gel Immunodiffusion, and antibodies against ND virus were examined using Hemagglutination Inhibition. No antibodies against AI virus were detected. Most of the samples (97.7%) were negative for antibodies against ND virus, except for two turkeys that carried low antibody titers. The findings of the present study indicate that no virulent strains of AI or ND viruses were circulating in the investigated site.

520-526

Authors: Mohammed MH

Surveillance studies for Newcastle disease virus (NDV) are critical to monitor the potential spreading of these viruses among wild birds as well as domestic poultry. This study was conducted to determine the incidence of NDV in wild birds in Egypt in 2016. Out of 159 collected samples from eight different species of wild birds, six (3.77%) samples were positive for paramyxoviruses by semi-nested RT-PCR assay based on the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene. Of six positive samples, four NDVs were successfully isolated in 11-day-old specific-pathogen-free embryonated hens’ eggs. Partial sequences of the fusion gene of the four isolates were amplified using RT-PCR. Phylogenetic analysis of partial sequences of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene and fusion genes indicated that the detected NDV viruses in wild birds in Egypt are related to class I NDVs strains. Four Egyptian NDV isolates from wild birds exhibited sequence motif of 111GERQER↓LVG119 at the cleavage site as lentogenic virus in wild birds. Continuous active surveillance may help better monitoring of NDVs circulating in wild birds before newly emerging viruses in domestic poultry.