José Luís Mourão - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by José Luís Mourão
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A common problem in rabbits is the occurrence of digestive disorders just after weaning. This pro... more A common problem in rabbits is the occurrence of digestive disorders just after weaning. This problem is associated with instability of the cecal microflora, and characterized by diarrhea, loss of appetite and increased mortality. The supplementation of diets with fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) can improve animal’s health and performances by selective stimulation of beneficial endogenous bacteria in the cecum. A trial with the objective of evaluating the effects of FOS on growth performances and intestinal morphometry of growing rabbits was conducted. A total of 144 mixed-sex growing rabbits (817±35 g) were submitted from 35 to 70 days of age to 2 experimental treatments. The 2 treatments were applied to a common basal diet as follow: 1) Control (no FOS); 2) FOS (0.36 g.kg -1 diet). Experimental diets were offered ad libitum. No statistical differences on mortality and diarrhea frequency were observed during the essay. The Control and FOS rabbits had similar live weights at 35 (821 v...
The aim of the study was to compare the performance profiles of broilers fed with a commercial in... more The aim of the study was to compare the performance profiles of broilers fed with a commercial inorganic mineral premix (control) with the ones obtained using an organic treatment (OTM). OTM included; selenium yeast and organic mineral chelates of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe). Four identical houses with a total of 119.500 mixed-sex broiler chickens were used (2 treatments × 2 replicates). Trial was performed between 1 and 31 days of age. Birds fed the same corn/soybean based rations differing only in mineral premix. The control treatment provided Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn and Se at 8, 40, 50, 60 and 0.18 ppm, respectively. The OTM contained 5, 20, 5, 20 and 0.3 ppm, respectively. At 31 days, birds showed lower mortality with the OTM treatment, and no differences on the performance parameters. OTM improved feathering at 21 days of age (p<0.001). OTM birds showed no effect on carcass yield and lower carcass skin tearing (p<0.05). Birds with organic minerals showed r...
The characterisation of rabbit production in Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro was elaborated from inqu... more The characterisation of rabbit production in Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro was elaborated from inquiries made to rabbit-breeders of Braganca and Vila Real districts. In this region, the number of installed does is close to 26 000 animals, distributed by 40 rabbiteries. Sixty five percent of the rabbiteries and 70% of the females are located in the district of Vila Real. The municipality of Montalegre has the largest number of rabbiteries, with 17% of the explorations and the municipality of Vila Pouca de Aguiar has 27% of the total does. Almost half (47,5%) of the explorations in activity were installed after 2001. Most of the explorations (40%) has 300 to 500 does, use 3 or 4 types of feed, use artificial insemination (90%) and replace the does with animals obtained from grandparents (52%). All the explorations use a management with a band of 42 days with slaughter of the rabbits at 70 days. If we consider that the rabbiteries have medium productivity livels, in Tras-os-Montes e Alto...
A common problem in rabbits is the occurrence of digestive disorders just after weaning. This pro... more A common problem in rabbits is the occurrence of digestive disorders just after weaning. This problem is usually associated with instability of the cecal microflora and characterized by diarrhea, loss of appetite and increased mortality. In the current study the effects of a mannan oligosaccharide (MOS, Bio-MOS ® , Alltech Inc. USA) was compared to a commonly used antibiotic (AGP, Zn-Bacitracin). The current study investigated the effects of MOS and AGP on intestinal morphometry and cecal VFA production. A total of 220 weaned mixed-sex rabbits (32d) were divided into 5 experimental treatments and housed in groups of 4 in 55 flat deck cages located in an experimental rabbit house. The 5 experimental treatments were as follow: Control (no additives);MOS 1 (1 kg MOS/t); MOS 1.5 (1.5 kg MOS/t); MOS 2 (2 kg MOS/t) and AGP (0.1 kg/t). Experimental diets were based on alfalfa, sunflower meal and wheat and beet pulp and were offered ad libitum through out the experiment. Intestinal morpholo...
Journal of Comparative Pathology, 2013
Revista Brasileira de Ciência Avícola, 2015
The meal of Jatropha curcas (JCM) seed is a by-product of the biofuel industry and may potentiall... more The meal of Jatropha curcas (JCM) seed is a by-product of the biofuel industry and may potentially to be used as animal feed. However, its toxicity has prevented its utilization in animal nutrition mainly due to its high concentration of phorbol esters. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the dietary inclusion of JCM on the growth performance, feed digestibility and internal organs development of broilers. Thirty two 48-d-old Ross 308 broiler chickens housed in 16 pens (2 birds/pen) were used in this study. Birds were randomly allocated to dietary treatments comprising four JCM levels (negative control, 25, 50, or 100 g JCM/kg of diet) for four weeks. Results showed that increasing levels of JCM had a negative impact on broiler performance, reducing live weight, weight gain, and feed intake. Treatments led to a decrease of the relative weight of testis and spleen, and to an increase in heart relative weight. In broilers fed diets containing JCM, the testis were atrophic, presenting reduced size of the seminiferous tubule, which were small and lined within active sertoli cells and rare spermatogonia. This study illustrates the negative impact of diets containing JCM on broiler performance and JCM pathological effects on several organs.
dialnet.unirioja.es
A composição química da carcaça foi estimada a partir de medidas do músculo Longissimus thoracis ... more A composição química da carcaça foi estimada a partir de medidas do músculo Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) de 52 coelhos, obtidas in vivo através da técnica de ultrasonografia em tempo real (UTR). Verificou-se que as medidas de área, espessura, largura e perímetro do LTL permitiram explicar a variação dos componentes da composição química da carcaça (r 2 entre 0,51 e 0,94; P<0,001). Os resultados sugerem que estas medidas do LTL obtidas in vivo por UTR poderão ser utilizadas para estimar a composição química da carcaça de coelhos.
The Journal of Applied Poultry Research
It is well established that the use of alfalfa in diets for monogastric animals is limited by its... more It is well established that the use of alfalfa in diets for monogastric animals is limited by its high fiber content. However, alfalfa is a natural source of xanthophylls and gives poultry products a desirably yellow color. In addition, alfalfa saponins may contribute to reduce the levels of cholesterol in the meat and egg yolk. We have investigated the potential utilization of β-glucanases and β-1,4-xylanases for enhancing the nutritive value of alfalfa for laying hens. An experiment was conducted with 864 ISA Brown layer hens from 40 to 52 wk of age and fed on diets containing rye (19.6%) or rye and alfalfa (15.1%). The results suggested that inclusion of alfalfa in the diets reduced body weights and total egg mass (P < 0.01). Dietary supplementation with polysaccharidases was unable to significantly improve the performance of laying hens. However, egg yolks from birds that consumed diets containing alfalfa were more deeply pigmented, presenting an increase in yellowness (b*). In contrast, at the percentage of incorporation tested, inclusion of alfalfa in the diets was unable to lower the levels of cholesterol content in the egg yolk. Taken together the results suggest that exogenous plant cell wall hydrolases are not effective for improving the nutritive value of alfalfa-containing diets for laying hens, although inclusion of small percentages of the dehydrated leguminous meal may directly affect the quality of the generated poultry products.
World Rabbit Science, 2010
This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of Bacillus cereus var. toyoi (Toyocerin ® 10 ... more This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of Bacillus cereus var. toyoi (Toyocerin ® 10 9) on performance of rabbit does during two reproductive cycles. A total of 102 does were assigned to three treatments: T0 (basal diet), T200 (basal diet + 0.2 g Toyocerin ® /kg feed) and T1000 (basal diet + 1 g Toyocerin ® / kg feed). The experimental diets contained a coccidiostat and were given ad libitum. No antibiotics were administered with the feed or water along the trial. Artificial insemination (AI) of does was performed 11 days (d) after kindling and kits were weaned at 35 d of age. Does, kits and feed were weighted at the beginning, AI, kindling, 18 d after kindling and weaning. Toyocerin ® increased feed intake of lactating does, mainly between 18 d after kindling and weaning (P<0.05). When T200 was compared with T0 treatment, feed intake increased 76 g/d in the first cycle and 34 g/d in the second one. These increases allowed higher kit growth from 18 th day to weaning and live weight at weaning (P<0.05). The weight of T200 kits was 43 g (4.9%) and 54 g (5.6%) higher than those of T0 kits in the first and second cycles, respectively. In the second cycle, Toyocerin ® reduced kit mortality during the first 18 days of life from 18.5% with T0 to 11.1% with T200 and 9.9% with T1000 (P<0.05). Feed efficiency was not affected by treatments. No effects of Toyocerin level were observed on any recorded traits. The results of this experiment suggest that Toyocerin ® can have a positive effect on productivity of rabbit does kept under an intensive system.
Poultry Science, 2010
Red-legged partridge breeders are frequently reared in captivity with the aim of producing fertil... more Red-legged partridge breeders are frequently reared in captivity with the aim of producing fertile eggs and chicks. However, little is known regarding the role of breeder age on fertility and egg production performance. Therefore, we investigated the effects of breeder age on egg size and shape, flock reproductive performance, fertility, hatchability, and embryonic mortality. In experiment 1, the effects of breeders' age on fertility, hatchability of eggs, and embryo mortality were evaluated. We found that partridge breeder age significantly affected the onset of egg laying, egg production, number and proportion of settable eggs, hatchability, and fertility. Specifically, 1-yr-old females laid their first egg 1 wk later than 2, 3, or 4-yr-old birds. Furthermore, 2-yr-old females produced a significantly higher number of settable and fertile eggs than other females (53.0 vs. 46.4 to 48.5) and had a lower incidence of embryo mortality. In experiment 2, we examined the effects of breeder age, egg size, and egg shape on egg hatchability. We found that small eggs (<17.6 g) had a significantly lower hatchability than medium (17.6 to 18.9 g) or large eggs (>18.9 g). However, we did not observe any significant correlation between egg shape and hatchability. These results suggest that red-legged partridge breeders attain maximum reproductive capacity at 2 yr of age and produce fewer eggs with lower weight and hatchability thereafter.
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2014
In a preliminary study the oxidative stability and tocopherol content of pork meat were shown to ... more In a preliminary study the oxidative stability and tocopherol content of pork meat were shown to be improved by olive leaf (OL) feed supplementation at 50 and 100 g kg(-1) . However, growth performance was affected negatively. Therefore the objective of the present study was to assess the influence of OL supplementation at a lower level on feed digestibility, growth performance and meat quality. Pigs were fed a basal diet (control), a basal diet with 25 g OL kg(-1) (OL2.5) or a basal diet with 50 g OL kg(-1) (OL5). The incorporation of OL significantly decreased growth rates (P = 0.010) and backfat thickness (P = 0.035) and increased feed/gain ratio (P = 0.032) in the OL5 group. Feed/gain ratio increased more for females (P = 0.001). The incorporation of OL decreased the crude fat (P = 0.006) and protein (P = 0.037) digestibility of both OL diets. Nevertheless, OL was effective in increasing the tocopherol content of meat (P = 0.009). However, meat from pigs fed the OL diets showed similar conjugated diene content, pH and colour parameters to that from pigs fed the control diet, even after 6 days of storage at 4 °C. The data indicate that olive leaves may be included in pig diets at 25 g kg(-1) in order to improve the tocopherol content of meat without excessively compromising growth performance.
British Poultry Science, 2006
1. The use of in vivo real-time ultrasonic (RTU) to predict breast and carcase weights and yields... more 1. The use of in vivo real-time ultrasonic (RTU) to predict breast and carcase weights and yields in 103 male broiler chickens was evaluated. Breast area (mm(2)), thickness (mm) and volume (cm(3)) were measured by RTU in three identified sites. After RTU measurements, the broiler chickens were weighed (live weight, LW, g) and slaughtered Carcase and breast weights (g) and physical measures of breast area (mm(2)), and thickness (mm) corresponding to the three identified sites, and volume (cm(3)) were recorded. 2. The best simple correlation between RTU and carcase measurements was obtained for breast volume. Breast and carcase weights were well predicted by LW. Furthermore, breast volume measured in carcase or by RTU was better in predicting breast weight and breast and carcase yields. 3. Multiple regression equations were fitted using LW (g) and RTU measurement of breast volume to predict breast and carcase weights and yields. The coefficients of determination were 0.52 and 0.65 for breast and carcase yields, respectively, and 0.92 and 0.99 for breast and carcase weights, respectively.
animal, 2013
The goal of this research was to study the effect of the substitution of wheat starch by potato s... more The goal of this research was to study the effect of the substitution of wheat starch by potato starch (PS) on the performance, health and digestion of growing rabbits. Three experimental diets were formulated with 0%, 7% and 14% PS (PS0, PS7 and PS14, respectively) and similar starch contents (22% dry matter basis), proteins and fibre. The three diets were administered to three groups of 48 rabbits from weaning (28 days) to slaughter (70 days), and growth and health measurements were made. Another 10 rabbits per diet (30 rabbits at each age), reared under similar conditions, were slaughtered at 6 to 10 weeks of age, and the digesta were collected to analyse the caecal microbial activity (pH, volatile fatty acids (VFA) levels, fibrolytic activity) and the starch concentration in the ileal digesta. At the same ages, the whole tract digestibility coefficients were measured in 10 other rabbits for each treatment (30 rabbits). The feed intake between 28 and 42 days of age (days) increas...
Animal Feed Science and Technology, 2009
... As expected, age modified all the parameters studied. References. Abu-el-Zahab et al., 1992HS... more ... As expected, age modified all the parameters studied. References. Abu-el-Zahab et al., 1992HSH Abu-el-Zahab, YL Awad, SM Hegazi and MSH Farag, Effect of zinc bacitracin on performance of male Buschat rabbits, J. Appl. Anim. Res. 1 (1992), pp. 119125. ...
Animal Feed Science and Technology, 2009
The current experiment with 3 trials aimed to study the effect of two levels of dietary fibre – h... more The current experiment with 3 trials aimed to study the effect of two levels of dietary fibre – high fibre (HF; 323g aNDFom/kg) and low fibre (LF; 248g aNDFom/kg) – and the effect of mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) addition (1g/kg) to the LF diet (LFM) on the performances and health status of growing rabbits, digestibility and caecal fermentative characteristics. In the growth
Acceso de usuarios registrados. Acceso de usuarios registrados Usuario Contraseña. ...
A common problem in rabbits is the occurrence of digestive disorders just after weaning. This pro... more A common problem in rabbits is the occurrence of digestive disorders just after weaning. This problem is associated with instability of the cecal microflora, and characterized by diarrhea, loss of appetite and increased mortality. The supplementation of diets with fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) can improve animal’s health and performances by selective stimulation of beneficial endogenous bacteria in the cecum. A trial with the objective of evaluating the effects of FOS on growth performances and intestinal morphometry of growing rabbits was conducted. A total of 144 mixed-sex growing rabbits (817±35 g) were submitted from 35 to 70 days of age to 2 experimental treatments. The 2 treatments were applied to a common basal diet as follow: 1) Control (no FOS); 2) FOS (0.36 g.kg -1 diet). Experimental diets were offered ad libitum. No statistical differences on mortality and diarrhea frequency were observed during the essay. The Control and FOS rabbits had similar live weights at 35 (821 v...
The aim of the study was to compare the performance profiles of broilers fed with a commercial in... more The aim of the study was to compare the performance profiles of broilers fed with a commercial inorganic mineral premix (control) with the ones obtained using an organic treatment (OTM). OTM included; selenium yeast and organic mineral chelates of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe). Four identical houses with a total of 119.500 mixed-sex broiler chickens were used (2 treatments × 2 replicates). Trial was performed between 1 and 31 days of age. Birds fed the same corn/soybean based rations differing only in mineral premix. The control treatment provided Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn and Se at 8, 40, 50, 60 and 0.18 ppm, respectively. The OTM contained 5, 20, 5, 20 and 0.3 ppm, respectively. At 31 days, birds showed lower mortality with the OTM treatment, and no differences on the performance parameters. OTM improved feathering at 21 days of age (p<0.001). OTM birds showed no effect on carcass yield and lower carcass skin tearing (p<0.05). Birds with organic minerals showed r...
The characterisation of rabbit production in Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro was elaborated from inqu... more The characterisation of rabbit production in Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro was elaborated from inquiries made to rabbit-breeders of Braganca and Vila Real districts. In this region, the number of installed does is close to 26 000 animals, distributed by 40 rabbiteries. Sixty five percent of the rabbiteries and 70% of the females are located in the district of Vila Real. The municipality of Montalegre has the largest number of rabbiteries, with 17% of the explorations and the municipality of Vila Pouca de Aguiar has 27% of the total does. Almost half (47,5%) of the explorations in activity were installed after 2001. Most of the explorations (40%) has 300 to 500 does, use 3 or 4 types of feed, use artificial insemination (90%) and replace the does with animals obtained from grandparents (52%). All the explorations use a management with a band of 42 days with slaughter of the rabbits at 70 days. If we consider that the rabbiteries have medium productivity livels, in Tras-os-Montes e Alto...
A common problem in rabbits is the occurrence of digestive disorders just after weaning. This pro... more A common problem in rabbits is the occurrence of digestive disorders just after weaning. This problem is usually associated with instability of the cecal microflora and characterized by diarrhea, loss of appetite and increased mortality. In the current study the effects of a mannan oligosaccharide (MOS, Bio-MOS ® , Alltech Inc. USA) was compared to a commonly used antibiotic (AGP, Zn-Bacitracin). The current study investigated the effects of MOS and AGP on intestinal morphometry and cecal VFA production. A total of 220 weaned mixed-sex rabbits (32d) were divided into 5 experimental treatments and housed in groups of 4 in 55 flat deck cages located in an experimental rabbit house. The 5 experimental treatments were as follow: Control (no additives);MOS 1 (1 kg MOS/t); MOS 1.5 (1.5 kg MOS/t); MOS 2 (2 kg MOS/t) and AGP (0.1 kg/t). Experimental diets were based on alfalfa, sunflower meal and wheat and beet pulp and were offered ad libitum through out the experiment. Intestinal morpholo...
Journal of Comparative Pathology, 2013
Revista Brasileira de Ciência Avícola, 2015
The meal of Jatropha curcas (JCM) seed is a by-product of the biofuel industry and may potentiall... more The meal of Jatropha curcas (JCM) seed is a by-product of the biofuel industry and may potentially to be used as animal feed. However, its toxicity has prevented its utilization in animal nutrition mainly due to its high concentration of phorbol esters. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the dietary inclusion of JCM on the growth performance, feed digestibility and internal organs development of broilers. Thirty two 48-d-old Ross 308 broiler chickens housed in 16 pens (2 birds/pen) were used in this study. Birds were randomly allocated to dietary treatments comprising four JCM levels (negative control, 25, 50, or 100 g JCM/kg of diet) for four weeks. Results showed that increasing levels of JCM had a negative impact on broiler performance, reducing live weight, weight gain, and feed intake. Treatments led to a decrease of the relative weight of testis and spleen, and to an increase in heart relative weight. In broilers fed diets containing JCM, the testis were atrophic, presenting reduced size of the seminiferous tubule, which were small and lined within active sertoli cells and rare spermatogonia. This study illustrates the negative impact of diets containing JCM on broiler performance and JCM pathological effects on several organs.
dialnet.unirioja.es
A composição química da carcaça foi estimada a partir de medidas do músculo Longissimus thoracis ... more A composição química da carcaça foi estimada a partir de medidas do músculo Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) de 52 coelhos, obtidas in vivo através da técnica de ultrasonografia em tempo real (UTR). Verificou-se que as medidas de área, espessura, largura e perímetro do LTL permitiram explicar a variação dos componentes da composição química da carcaça (r 2 entre 0,51 e 0,94; P<0,001). Os resultados sugerem que estas medidas do LTL obtidas in vivo por UTR poderão ser utilizadas para estimar a composição química da carcaça de coelhos.
The Journal of Applied Poultry Research
It is well established that the use of alfalfa in diets for monogastric animals is limited by its... more It is well established that the use of alfalfa in diets for monogastric animals is limited by its high fiber content. However, alfalfa is a natural source of xanthophylls and gives poultry products a desirably yellow color. In addition, alfalfa saponins may contribute to reduce the levels of cholesterol in the meat and egg yolk. We have investigated the potential utilization of β-glucanases and β-1,4-xylanases for enhancing the nutritive value of alfalfa for laying hens. An experiment was conducted with 864 ISA Brown layer hens from 40 to 52 wk of age and fed on diets containing rye (19.6%) or rye and alfalfa (15.1%). The results suggested that inclusion of alfalfa in the diets reduced body weights and total egg mass (P < 0.01). Dietary supplementation with polysaccharidases was unable to significantly improve the performance of laying hens. However, egg yolks from birds that consumed diets containing alfalfa were more deeply pigmented, presenting an increase in yellowness (b*). In contrast, at the percentage of incorporation tested, inclusion of alfalfa in the diets was unable to lower the levels of cholesterol content in the egg yolk. Taken together the results suggest that exogenous plant cell wall hydrolases are not effective for improving the nutritive value of alfalfa-containing diets for laying hens, although inclusion of small percentages of the dehydrated leguminous meal may directly affect the quality of the generated poultry products.
World Rabbit Science, 2010
This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of Bacillus cereus var. toyoi (Toyocerin ® 10 ... more This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of Bacillus cereus var. toyoi (Toyocerin ® 10 9) on performance of rabbit does during two reproductive cycles. A total of 102 does were assigned to three treatments: T0 (basal diet), T200 (basal diet + 0.2 g Toyocerin ® /kg feed) and T1000 (basal diet + 1 g Toyocerin ® / kg feed). The experimental diets contained a coccidiostat and were given ad libitum. No antibiotics were administered with the feed or water along the trial. Artificial insemination (AI) of does was performed 11 days (d) after kindling and kits were weaned at 35 d of age. Does, kits and feed were weighted at the beginning, AI, kindling, 18 d after kindling and weaning. Toyocerin ® increased feed intake of lactating does, mainly between 18 d after kindling and weaning (P<0.05). When T200 was compared with T0 treatment, feed intake increased 76 g/d in the first cycle and 34 g/d in the second one. These increases allowed higher kit growth from 18 th day to weaning and live weight at weaning (P<0.05). The weight of T200 kits was 43 g (4.9%) and 54 g (5.6%) higher than those of T0 kits in the first and second cycles, respectively. In the second cycle, Toyocerin ® reduced kit mortality during the first 18 days of life from 18.5% with T0 to 11.1% with T200 and 9.9% with T1000 (P<0.05). Feed efficiency was not affected by treatments. No effects of Toyocerin level were observed on any recorded traits. The results of this experiment suggest that Toyocerin ® can have a positive effect on productivity of rabbit does kept under an intensive system.
Poultry Science, 2010
Red-legged partridge breeders are frequently reared in captivity with the aim of producing fertil... more Red-legged partridge breeders are frequently reared in captivity with the aim of producing fertile eggs and chicks. However, little is known regarding the role of breeder age on fertility and egg production performance. Therefore, we investigated the effects of breeder age on egg size and shape, flock reproductive performance, fertility, hatchability, and embryonic mortality. In experiment 1, the effects of breeders' age on fertility, hatchability of eggs, and embryo mortality were evaluated. We found that partridge breeder age significantly affected the onset of egg laying, egg production, number and proportion of settable eggs, hatchability, and fertility. Specifically, 1-yr-old females laid their first egg 1 wk later than 2, 3, or 4-yr-old birds. Furthermore, 2-yr-old females produced a significantly higher number of settable and fertile eggs than other females (53.0 vs. 46.4 to 48.5) and had a lower incidence of embryo mortality. In experiment 2, we examined the effects of breeder age, egg size, and egg shape on egg hatchability. We found that small eggs (<17.6 g) had a significantly lower hatchability than medium (17.6 to 18.9 g) or large eggs (>18.9 g). However, we did not observe any significant correlation between egg shape and hatchability. These results suggest that red-legged partridge breeders attain maximum reproductive capacity at 2 yr of age and produce fewer eggs with lower weight and hatchability thereafter.
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2014
In a preliminary study the oxidative stability and tocopherol content of pork meat were shown to ... more In a preliminary study the oxidative stability and tocopherol content of pork meat were shown to be improved by olive leaf (OL) feed supplementation at 50 and 100 g kg(-1) . However, growth performance was affected negatively. Therefore the objective of the present study was to assess the influence of OL supplementation at a lower level on feed digestibility, growth performance and meat quality. Pigs were fed a basal diet (control), a basal diet with 25 g OL kg(-1) (OL2.5) or a basal diet with 50 g OL kg(-1) (OL5). The incorporation of OL significantly decreased growth rates (P = 0.010) and backfat thickness (P = 0.035) and increased feed/gain ratio (P = 0.032) in the OL5 group. Feed/gain ratio increased more for females (P = 0.001). The incorporation of OL decreased the crude fat (P = 0.006) and protein (P = 0.037) digestibility of both OL diets. Nevertheless, OL was effective in increasing the tocopherol content of meat (P = 0.009). However, meat from pigs fed the OL diets showed similar conjugated diene content, pH and colour parameters to that from pigs fed the control diet, even after 6 days of storage at 4 °C. The data indicate that olive leaves may be included in pig diets at 25 g kg(-1) in order to improve the tocopherol content of meat without excessively compromising growth performance.
British Poultry Science, 2006
1. The use of in vivo real-time ultrasonic (RTU) to predict breast and carcase weights and yields... more 1. The use of in vivo real-time ultrasonic (RTU) to predict breast and carcase weights and yields in 103 male broiler chickens was evaluated. Breast area (mm(2)), thickness (mm) and volume (cm(3)) were measured by RTU in three identified sites. After RTU measurements, the broiler chickens were weighed (live weight, LW, g) and slaughtered Carcase and breast weights (g) and physical measures of breast area (mm(2)), and thickness (mm) corresponding to the three identified sites, and volume (cm(3)) were recorded. 2. The best simple correlation between RTU and carcase measurements was obtained for breast volume. Breast and carcase weights were well predicted by LW. Furthermore, breast volume measured in carcase or by RTU was better in predicting breast weight and breast and carcase yields. 3. Multiple regression equations were fitted using LW (g) and RTU measurement of breast volume to predict breast and carcase weights and yields. The coefficients of determination were 0.52 and 0.65 for breast and carcase yields, respectively, and 0.92 and 0.99 for breast and carcase weights, respectively.
animal, 2013
The goal of this research was to study the effect of the substitution of wheat starch by potato s... more The goal of this research was to study the effect of the substitution of wheat starch by potato starch (PS) on the performance, health and digestion of growing rabbits. Three experimental diets were formulated with 0%, 7% and 14% PS (PS0, PS7 and PS14, respectively) and similar starch contents (22% dry matter basis), proteins and fibre. The three diets were administered to three groups of 48 rabbits from weaning (28 days) to slaughter (70 days), and growth and health measurements were made. Another 10 rabbits per diet (30 rabbits at each age), reared under similar conditions, were slaughtered at 6 to 10 weeks of age, and the digesta were collected to analyse the caecal microbial activity (pH, volatile fatty acids (VFA) levels, fibrolytic activity) and the starch concentration in the ileal digesta. At the same ages, the whole tract digestibility coefficients were measured in 10 other rabbits for each treatment (30 rabbits). The feed intake between 28 and 42 days of age (days) increas...
Animal Feed Science and Technology, 2009
... As expected, age modified all the parameters studied. References. Abu-el-Zahab et al., 1992HS... more ... As expected, age modified all the parameters studied. References. Abu-el-Zahab et al., 1992HSH Abu-el-Zahab, YL Awad, SM Hegazi and MSH Farag, Effect of zinc bacitracin on performance of male Buschat rabbits, J. Appl. Anim. Res. 1 (1992), pp. 119125. ...
Animal Feed Science and Technology, 2009
The current experiment with 3 trials aimed to study the effect of two levels of dietary fibre – h... more The current experiment with 3 trials aimed to study the effect of two levels of dietary fibre – high fibre (HF; 323g aNDFom/kg) and low fibre (LF; 248g aNDFom/kg) – and the effect of mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) addition (1g/kg) to the LF diet (LFM) on the performances and health status of growing rabbits, digestibility and caecal fermentative characteristics. In the growth