Search

Wheat is the cereal grain of choice for Whole Grain Feeding (WGF) in poultry, despite the fact that globally maize is the most commonly used cereal grain. In this context, in the present study feeding of whole wheat to commercial broilers with two types of feeding systems were used ie. mixed and choice feeding systems of wheat with different levels of replacement with maize by 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100%. The body weight and body weight gain of birds fed with 20% and 40% choice feeding of wheat was found to be the highest (p

An experiment was conducted for six weeks to study the effect of mixed or choice feeding of whole wheat on the performance of commercial broiler chicken. A total of 352 straight-run day-old commercial broiler chickens were randomly divided into 11 treatments from T1 to T11, with 32 chicks in each treatment and eight chicks in each of four replicates. The corn soya control diet (T1) was fed to the broiler birds without the inclusion of wheat. Results indicated that final body weight, weight gain, and FCR were significantly (p < 0.05) improved in broiler birds fed with 40% choice feeding of wheat at marketing age without affecting feed consumption. The wheat consumption was linearly increased in the wheat choice feeding levels from 20 to 100 %. The study concluded that the choice feeding of wheat instead of maize at 40% was cost-effective and beneficial for improving growth performance.

The aim of the study was to supplementTwo cultures i.e. KGL4 (In the study, amongst various traits, the overall performance of the group treated along withThe present study conclude that it is safe to feed

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of choline from different sources on the performance and economics of commercial broiler chicken. Day old broiler chicks (Vencobb, n=216) were randomly distributed into nine experimental groups with four replicates of six birds each. The experimental groups (T1 to T9) were fed with diet containing choline chloride 60% @ 1000 g/ton, 750 g/ton, and 500 g/ton feed in T1 (Control), T2, and T3 ration. Similarly, herbal choline @ 1000 g/ton, 750 g/ton and 500 g/ton feed was given in T4,5,6 ration, and phosphatidylcholine @ 1000 g/ton 750 g/ton and 500 g/ton feed-in T7,8,9 ration, respectively. The trial was carried out in deep litter pen for 42 days. During the whole experiment, the mortality pattern of the birds was within the permissible limits and revealed no adverse effects of feeding choline from different sources in diet. The study results indicated that the supplementation of choline chloride 60% @1000 g/ton feed (Control group) showed higher body weight and body weight gain compared to other rations. Total feed consumption and feed conversion ratio of birds fed with treatment rations supplemented with different choline sources were at par among the rations. The return over feed cost was highest in broilers fed a diet with choline chloride 60 % @ 1000 g/ton feed.

An experiment was conducted to assess the effects of thyme and peppermint essential oils (EO) as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoter (AGP) on the performance of broiler chicken. Total 256 day-old Vencobb broiler chicks were randomly distributed into eight experimental groups with four replicates of eight birds each. Experimental groups were fed with control diet without supplementation of AGP and essential oils (T1), BMD (Bacitracin Methylene Disalicylate) antibiotic @ 500 mg/kg diet (T2), thyme essential oil @ 150 mg/kg diet (T3), 200 mg/kg diet (T4), 250 mg/kg diet (T5), peppermint essential oil @ 200 mg/kg diet (T6), 250 mg/kg diet (T7) and 300 mg/kg diet (T8). The supplementation of thyme oil @ 200 mg/kg and peppermint oil @ 300 mg/kg broiler diet significantly (p less than 0.05) improved b.wt. and b.wt gain. The peppermint oil supplementation @ 300 mg/kg was found to be more beneficial when compared among different oil-supplemented groups. The feed conversion ratio was significantly (p less than 0.05) improved with peppermint oil supplementation @ 300 mg/kg diet. A significant (p less than 0.05) reduction in the mean abdominal fat was observed in diet supplemented with higher levels of thyme oil (@ 250 mg/kg diet) and peppermint oil (@ 300 mg/kg diet). Return over feed cost was the highest in broilers assigned diet with AGP; however, it was statistically similar to the basal diet. Considering the net return over fed cost of broilers, use of thyme oil was uneconomical, but supplementation of peppermint essential oil @ 200 and 300 mg/kg diet increased the net return over feed cost and were economical, however less as compared to T1 and T2.

The productive and reproductive performance of Ankleshwar chicken under intensive management for three successive generations (S0, S1, and S2) was studied at Poultry Research Station, AAU, Anand, Gujarat. Total 546, 422, and 465 pullets of S0, S1, and S2 generation, respectively, were housed in individual layer cages at 16 weeks of age. Production parameters, viz., body weight (g) of day-old, 4th, 8th, 16th and 40th weeks of age; total feed consumption (kg) per bird; mortality (%) during 0-8, 9-16 and 17-40 weeks of age; total egg production (no.) up to 40 weeks of age and average egg weight (g) at the end of 28th and 40th week of age were recorded for three generations. The reproductive parameters, viz., age at sexual maturity (days), fertility (%) and hatchability (%) on Total Egg Set basis (TES) as well as hatchability on Fertile Egg Set basis (FES) were calculated. It was concluded that the rearing of Ankleshwar chicken in intensive management over three (S0, S1 and S2) generations significantly (p≤0.05) improved body weight at 4th, 8th and 16th weeks of age, required less feed, improved fertility and showed significantly (p ≤0.05) early age at sexual maturity (154 days) in S2 generation with significant (p≤0.05) decreasing trend in egg production up to 40th week of age from S0 to S2 generation. Hatchability showed a decreasing trend in progressive generations. The birds have shown better livability reared under intensive management in Gujarat.

ROBIN (Rf Operated Beam source in India for Negative ion research) is an Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) device, which is powered by a 1 MHz Radio Frequency (RF) generator of 100 kW power. During the experiment in ROBIN source in IPR, plasma is monitored and characterized by two independent diagnostics based on optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and two separate Langmuir probes (LP) powered by ramped bias voltage. In the present work, an algorithm has been developed in LabVIEW to analyse the digitized LP signal to study the time evolution of different plasma parameters. The software is developed for both real time as well as post hoc analysis of Langmuir probe data and is normally applicable for low temperature, non magnetized, collisionless plasmas. The unprocessed LP data contains significant noise level and so noise filtration is adopted. In present case, Savitzky-Golay (SG) noise filtering method is used for data conditioning for its ability to preserve the area under the signal curve. The analysis software is implemented in ROBIN data acquisition setup to study the plasma evolution in ROBIN in-situ, to optimize the operational parameter regime.

Indian negative-ion source development program has gained momentum with planned integration of Indian Test Facility (INTF) for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER)—Diagnostic Neutral Beam (DNB) characterization at the Institute for Plasma Research (IPR). Eight RF driver-based negative-ion source, being developed for DNB will be tested and operated in INTF. The Two driver-based Indigenously built Negative ion source (TWIN) source provides a bridge between the operational single driver-based negative-ion source test facility, ROBIN in IPR, and an ITER-type multidriver-based ion source. The source is designed to be operated in continuous mode with 180 kW, 1 MHz, 5-s on/600-s off duty cycle and also in 5-Hz modulation mode with 3-s on/20-s off duty cycle for three such cycles. The complete design of TWIN source and its test facility, from conceptual to detailed engineering, has been carried out in IPR. The manufacturing design has been optimized to match the capability of Indian manufacturers, without compromising on the specifications. Some examples of optimization are: 1) an improvised design of the Faraday shields where electrodeposition has been replaced by vacuum brazing; 2) a simplified design of the side walls of the plasma source, where jointing process is simplified, without the application of Electron Beam Welding; and 3) introduction of a fiber reinforced polymer-based integrated electrical and vacuum isolation scheme that replaces the application of a large ceramic. Finite-element analysis (FEA) based on heat load and structural load calculation ensure the functionality and structural integrity of each component of the source. Due to nonnuclear environment in TWIN source experimental area, vacuum brazing is an acceptable manufacturing process. The contract for manufacturing of the ion source has been awarded to an Indian manufacturing company for the first indigenous production of a large-size fusion grade ion source. TWIN source is designed in such a way that it can be operated both in air mode (RF driver coil antennas are exposed to air) as well as vacuum mode. (Whole source is immersed inside vacuum.) The TWIN source shall be manufactured as per ASME guidelines for pressure vessel. Experiments on the TWIN source are foreseen in the last quarter of 2015, as all the auxiliary systems such as 180-kW, RF generator system, vacuum vessel with pumping station, cooling water system, data acquisition and control system, and other power supply systems are already installed in the lab premises. This paper discusses the FEA-based engineering design, simplified manufacturing design, manufacturing experience with highlighting quality control, and the system integration activities undertaken for the TWIN source test facility.

Background and Aim: In today era, broiler industry facing a problem of price hiking of feed of broiler, also in competitive era there should be lower feed cost, lower feed conversion ratio, low feed consumption yet good body weight at marketable age. Materials and Methods: Day-old commercial broiler chicks (n=200) were distributed randomly into 5 dietary treatment groups viz. control (T 1 ), probiotic in the feed @ 100 g/tonne of feed (T 2 ), prebiotic in the feed @ 500 g/tonne of feed (T 3 ), probiotic + prebiotic @ 100 g/tonne and 500 g/tonne of feed, respectively (T 4 ) and probiotic + prebiotic @ 50 g/tonne and 250 g/tonne of feed (T 5 ). The growth of broilers and dressing weight along with the weight of giblet (liver without gall bladder, gizzard without serous layer, and heart without pericardium), Kidney, Abdominal fat, Length of Intestine and dressing percentage were measured. Economics in terms of Return Over Feed Cost (ROFC) and European Performance Efficiency Index (EPEI) was calculated. Results: Among all carcass traits, dressing percentage, abdominal fat weight and abdominal fat percentage (as a percentage of dressed weight) were recorded significant (p

ROBIN is inductively coupled plasma (ICP) based negative hydrogen ion source, operated with a 100kW, 1MHz Tetrode based RF generator (RFG). Inductive plasma ignition by the RFG in ROBIN is associated with electron seeding by a hot filament and a gas puff. RFG is triggered by the control system to deliver power just at the peak pressure of the gas puff. Once plasma is ignited due to proper impedance matching, a bright light, dominated by Hα (∼656nm wavelength) radiation is available inside RF driver which is used as a feedback signal to the RFG to continue its operation. If impedance matching is not correct, plasma is not produced due to lack of power coupling and bright light is not available. During such condition, reflected RF power may damage the RFG. Therefore, to protect the RFG, it needs to be switched off automatically within 200ms by the control system in such cases. This plasma light based RFG interlock is adopted from BATMAN ion source. However, in case of vacuum immersed RF ion source in reactor grade NBI system, such plasma light based interlock may not be feasible due to lack of adequate optical fiber interfaces. In reactor grade NBI system, neutron and gamma radiations have impact on materials which may lead to frequent maintenance and machine down time. The present demonstration of RFG interlock by Bias Current (BC) in ROBIN testbed gives an alternate option in this regard. In ROBIN, a bias plate (BP) is placed in the plasma chamber near the plasma grid (PG). BP is electrically connected to the plasma chamber wall of the ion source and PG is isolated from the wall. A high current ∼85 A direct current (DC) power supply of voltage in the range of 0 - 33V is connected between the PG and the BP in such a way that PG can be biased positively with respect to the BP or plasma chamber. This arrangement is actually made to absorb electrons and correspondingly reduce co-extracted electron current during beam extraction. However, in case of normal plasma operation, BC rises due to the presence of plasma electrons, almost in the same timescale as plasma light detection system and so, BC signal can also be used as RFG interlock. The BC signal transmission is through optical isolation to reduce noise interference with the signal. The response of the current monitoring signal available from the PG power supply of ROBIN is quite slow (in the order of few tens of milliseconds). Therefore, a fast response current detection electronic circuit having the ability to generate a PG current detection pulse with adjustable threshold set point has been developed and integrated with ROBIN, and the above concept has been demonstrated in ROBIN recently. The present paper will discuss this experimental activity and its results.

ROBIN, the first step in the Indian R&D program on negative ion beams has reached an important milestone, with the production of negative ions in the surface conversion mode through Cesium (Cs) vap...

The Indian Test Facility (INTF) for Neutral Beams is designed with the objective to not only test the performance of an ion source but also to characterize the transmission of the Neutral Beam to a length of 20.66 m and thereby generate adequate database on the quality of the beam that is required for the CXRS diagnostics for measurement of Helium ash content in the fusion plasma.

TWIN Source (TS) experimental setup is a stepping stone towards INTF, a test-bed to characterize ITER Diagnostic Neutral Beam (DNB) and its ion source. in IPR, India. The electrical system for TS experiments involves design of the scheme, layout, procurement activities, testing, installation & commissioning of power supplies, LT Panels, cables, High Voltage (HV) transmission line, HV deck, RF shielding, grounding and bonding for its safe, reliable and successful operation. The operation of TWIN source will try to mimic some operational features of INTF / DNB source like, 5Hz modulation with 3s ON 20s OFF duty cycle, Few kA current through Plasma Grid (PG) ,based transverse magnetic field electrical feedthroughs through high voltage bushing (HVB) and source operation in vacuum immersed condition. The control of those power supplies will be carried out through CODAC type data acquisition and control platform. The TS electrical system comprises of 180kW 1MHz RF Generator (RFG) system, Filament Heating power supply (16VDC, 10A), Filament Bias power supply (128VDC, 1A), Grid Bias power supply (60VDC, 333A), Filter field power supply (3VDC, 6kA), 150kVA 50Hz 100kVDC isolation transformer, HV transmission line, Air Circuit Breaker (ACB) based LT Panel of 1600A and 800A with 50kA breaking current capacity. This paper discusses the schematic layout of the electrical system, operational modes of 180kW 1MHz RFG including the interfaces with cooling water system and electrical interface with CODAC type Data Acquisition & Control System (DACS). It also discusses the design of HV transmission line & its prototype, shielding, grounding & bonding and highlights the design considerations to mitigate challenges of HV isolation during beam extraction & acceleration mode.

To characterize ITER Diagnostic Neutral Beam (DNB) system with full specification and to support IPR's negative ion beam based neutral beam injector (NBI) system development program, a R&D facility, named INTF is under commissioning phase. Implementation of a successful DNB at ITER requires several challenges need to be overcome. These issues are related to the negative ion production, its neutralization and corresponding neutral beam transport over the path lengths of ~ 20.67 m to reach ITER plasma. DNB is a procurement package for INDIA, as an in-kind contribution to ITER. Since ITER is considered as a nuclear facility, minimum diagnostic systems, linked with safe operation of the machine are planned to be incorporated in it and so there is difficulty to characterize DNB after onsite commissioning. Therefore, the delivery of DNB to ITER will be benefited if DNB is operated and characterized prior to onsite commissioning. INTF has been envisaged to be operational with the large size ion source activities in the similar timeline, as with the SPIDER (RFX, Padova) facility. This paper describes some of the development updates of the facility.