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This work was designed to assess the impact of varying zeolite concentrations in diet and litter to enhance broiler's growth performance, immunity, and litter quality. A complete random arrangement was used for distributing 525 unsexed "Cobb 500" broiler chicks into seven treatments (75 chick / treatment), each treatment divided into 3 replicates (25 chicks / replicate). The 1st group (control one) received the recommended basal diet. Zeolite has been introduced to the basal diet (ZD) of the second, third, and fourth groups at concentrations of 5, 10, and 15 g/kg, respectively. The 5th, 6th and 7th groups used zeolite mixed with litter (ZL) at 0.5, 1, and 1.5 kg/m 2 of litter, respectively. Due to the obtained results, adding zeolite with levels 15 g/kg of diet and 1.5 kg/1 m 2 of litter, a significant improvement occurred in live body weight (LBW), body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and European production efficiency factor (EPEF). Also, transaminase enzymes (ALT and AST), creatinine, white blood cells (WBCs) and different Immunoglobulins were significantly increased with different zeolite levels, except urea concentrations which showed reduced due to different zeolite treatments. In addition, spleen relative weight hasn't been affected by zeolite treatments, even though thymus and bursa relative weights had been affected significantly. Moreover, the antibodies' production to Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and Avian influenza virus (AIV) had increased significantly with adding zeolite with levels 10 g/kg of diet and 1.5 kg/1m 2 of litter. Litter quality traits (NH 3 concentration, pH values, and Moisture content) were improved with zeolite addition. So, zeolite could be employed in both feed and litter of broilers to maximize their production, immunity and improve farm's climate., Competing Interests: DISCLOSURES The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study investigated the effect of different levels of zeolite in laying hen (Silver Montazah) diet and litter on productive performance, egg quality criteria, and economics during the second stage of production (40-56 wk of age). An experiment with a 3 × 4 factorial design was performed to study the effects of four levels of zeolite (0, 10, 15, and 20 g/kg feed) in the diet and three levels of zeolite (0, 1.5, and 2 kg/m 2 ) in the litter. Adding zeolite to diet and litter significantly improved final BW and BW change, egg number, egg weight, egg mass, laying rate, feed consumption (FC), and feed conversion ratio (FCR), as well as egg quality criteria when compared to the unsupplemented group. Additionally, adding zeolite at a level of 2 kg /m 2 litter and 20 g/kg diet achieved the greatest enhancement in productive performance features. Therefore, it can be suggested that the greatest results were obtained in laying farms when zeolite was added as a litter addition and as a supplement to feed., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

This research aimed to investigate the effect of varying dietary crude protein (CP) and metabolizable energy (ME) quantity on growth, carcass characteristics, biochemical blood parameters and molecular aspects of growing geese. Overall, a total of 180 Egyptian goslings were used in a 2 × 3 factorial design. Two levels of CP (18% and 16%) and three levels of ME (3000, 2900 and 2800 kcal/kg diet) were employed. Growth traits showed no significant differences as a result of different CP or ME levels. Birds fed the higher CP level consumed more feed than the lower. Carcass, dressing, heart, spleen, abdominal fat and thigh percentages within the group fed 18% CP were higher than the other group. Compared with the other ME-based diet, geese fed a low-ME based diet had the highest heart percentage. Feeding growing geese on a 2900 Kcal/kg ME-based diet increased the serum content of total protein and globulin. Geese fed the high-ME diet showed the highest levels of ALP and C4 as compared with other ME levels. Regarding Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), different protein and energy levels did not affect the molecular weight of blood proteins of Egyptian geese during the growing phase. It could be concluded the levels of 16% CP and 2800 kcal/kg ME are enough to maintain the growth performance and the other physiological indices as well as molecular aspects.

The present study was carried out to investigate the toxic effects of dietary inclusion of raw Jatropha cucas meal [RJM, 3.5%] on productive and reproductive performances of laying Japanese quail and the influence of physical treatment of jatropha meal by heating at [100 o c] for 24 or 48 h [JH 24 or JH 48 respectively] on reducing these effects. The inclusion of RJM in quail diets significantly decreased the egg production, fertility and hatchability percentages and resulted in a high mortality rate. While heat-treated jatropha meal [JH 24 or JH 48 ] improved such undesirable effects. The levels of hepatic proteins related to lipid synthesis, cholesterol metabolism and those related to lipid synthesis and transporting to egg yolk were increased in JH 24 and JH 48 groups than RJM group. Hepatic contents of vitellogenin [VGT-II] and estrogen receptor α [ERα] and circulating estradiol [E2] were improved in JH 48 than RJM and JH 24 groups however still under the control values. On the other hand, estrogen receptor β [ERβ] were restored to normal control value in both JH 24 and JH 48 groups. Histopathological investigation revealed that RJM produced various alterations in the histoarchitecture of liver, ovary and oviducts but these alterations were reduced in both JH 24 and JH 48 groups. From the obtained data we concluded that heating of jatropha meal for 24 h improved its nutritive value and increasing the time of heating is preferable for reduction of the most of toxic impacts indicating that heat treatment can convert toxic jatropha meal to an alternative protein source for livestock feed in a cheap and clean way without combining any other types of treatments., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of zinc methionine (Zn-Met) supplementation on the performance, egg quality, antioxidant status and some biochemical parameters of blood serum in laying hens from 22 to 34 weeks of age. A total of 120 Hisex Brown laying hens of 22-week-old were randomly allocated into five treatments with six cage replicates for each (four hens/replicate). Dietary treatments consisted of the basal diet with no Zn-Met supplementation (control group) and basal diet supplemented with 25, 50, 75 or 100 mg Zn-Met/kg diet. No significant differences were observed on body weight, body weight gain or feed conversion ratio due to dietary Zn-Met supplementation. However, highly significant impact was observed on daily feed intake. Egg number, egg weight and egg mass were increased in the group fed diet supplemented with the highest level of Zn-Met (100 mg/kg of diet) as compared to other groups. All egg quality traits were statistically (p > .05 or .01) affected as a response to dietary Zn-Met supplementation except egg shape index, shell percentage and yolk index. In comparison with the control group, dietary supplementation of 25, 50, 75 or 100 mg Zn-Met/kg decreased serum triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol levels. Serum cholesterol level was increased with all dietary levels of Zn-Met in comparison with the control group. Dietary Zn-Met supplementation increased the serum content of zinc, where the highest values were recorded with 50 and 100 mg Zn-Met/kg diet. Dietary Zn-Met levels did not affect the antioxidant indices in blood serum except for the activity of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu-Zn-SOD). The activity of Cu-Zn-SOD was increased with Zn-Met supplementations with no differences among supplemental zinc levels. It is concluded that dietary Zn-Met supplementation reduced serum triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol and increased Zn status and resulted in promoting antioxidant ability of laying hens, and the addition of 100 mg Zn-Met/kg to layer diet was appropriate for improving the above parameters in addition to egg production indices and Haugh unit score., (© 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

This study evaluated the effect of Yucca schidigera extract on productive performance, egg quality, blood metabolites, immune function, and antioxidant parameters in laying hens. A total of 96 36-week-old hens were allocated into four groups, the control diet or the diet supplemented with 50, 100, or 150 mg/kg of yucca extract, from 36 to 52 weeks of age. Hens were divided into four equal groups replicated six times with four hens per replicate. As a result of this study, there were no linearly or quadratically differences in body weight change (BWC), feed consumption (FC), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and egg weight (EW) due to yucca treatments at different ages, except FCR and EW that were improved with yucca supplementation during 36-40 weeks of age. Supplemental dietary yucca up to 100 mg/kg diet led to significant improvement in egg number (EN) and egg mass (EM). Egg qualities were not linearly or quadratically affected by yucca treatments except shell thickness was quadratically (P < 0.001) increased with increasing yucca level up to 100 mg/kg diet. Dietary supplementation of yucca exhibited a positive impact on albumin and immunoglobulin G (IgG). Comparing to the control group, yucca addition to laying hen diets resulted in a significant linear (P < 0.001) and quadratic (P = 0. 010) decrease in blood ammonia-N and urea-N, respectively. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduced glutathione (GSH) level in serum were quadratically improved in yucca groups. The malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration was decreased with yucca addition in comparison with the control group. In conclusion, yucca supplemented up to 100 mg/kg diet can be used as effective feed additive to improve productive performance, blood profile, and antioxidant enzyme activities in laying hens.