Search

Due to consumer demand and changing welfare standards on health, ecology, equity, and safety concepts, poultry production has changed markedly over the past 20 y. One of the greatest changes to poultry production standards is now offering poultry limited access to the outdoors in alternative and organic poultry production operations. Although operations allowing access to the outdoors are still only a small portion of commercial poultry production, it may impact the gastrointestinal (GIT) health of the bird in different ways than birds raised under conventional management systems. The present review describes current research results in alternative systems by identifying how different poultry production operations (diet, environmental disruptive factors, diseases) impact the ecology and health of the GIT. Various research efforts will be discussed that illustrate the nutritional value of free-range forages and how forages could be beneficial to animal health and production of both meat and eggs. The review also highlights the need for potential interventions to limit diseases without using antibiotics. These alternatives could enhance both economics and sustainability in organic and free-range poultry production.

Volatile oils have potent antimicrobial activities that have allowed them to be used as food preservatives for millennia. The impact of concentrations of the monoterpene volatile oils camphor and eucalyptol on the growth of the cattle and foodborne pathogen Salmonella Newport was evaluated by examining changes in optical density (600 nm). Cultures of S. Newport were grown in Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB) overnight and inoculated into fresh TSB tubes at an initial concentration of ~106 CFU/mL in the presence of monoterpene concentrations (0 – 9.85 mM) and were incubated at 39℃. Final optical density and maximum specific growth rates (h-1) were determined. Data were analyzed using a PROC GLM procedure in SAS 9.4 for a 2*5 repeated measure factorial. Overall, there was a concentration (P < 0.01) and a time by concentration (P < 0.01) effect, but no differences between monoterpene types (P = 0.28) were observed. Camphor and eucalyptol concentrations of 3.28 and 9.85 mM reduced (P < 0.05) S. Newport growth. The highest dose (9.85 mM) of camphor and eucalyptol immediately inhibited S. Newport growth. Maximum specific growth rate was reduced (P < 0.01) by both monoterpenes compared to controls, most particularly at 9.85 mM concentrations, but were not different between the two monoterpenes. Collectively, our results suggest that monoterpenes at high concentrations can reduce the growth of Salmonella Newport; however, to fully understand practical implementation of monoterpene effects on foodborne or animal pathogens, studies using both mixed culture and in vivo models are needed. Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Abstract: Encroaching plant species in West Texas continue to significantly reduce livestock production capacity and cause an imbalance between plant and livestock ecology. Juniperus ashei and J. pinchotii are encroaching species, mainly due to evolutionary measures, such as phytochemicals that deter herbivory. These plants contain large percentages of monoterpenes in their essential oil profiles. Since 2005, two divergent bloodlines of meat goats have been selected to consume low or high (LJC or HJC) amounts of juniper foliage, through the use of screening fecal samples with near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy. Through the breeding process, it became unclear whether the HJC goats expressed a physiological ability to consume a greater amount of juniper or if there was a ruminal microorganism advantage in which the microbes where less susceptible to the juniper phytochemicals. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the ruminal fermentation byproduct impact of 0.00 and 1.97 mM of camphor at 0, 1, 2, 4, 12, and 24 hr of incubation at 39°C. Five LJC and five HJC goats were fed a juniper-free diet and five LJC and five HJC goats were fed a diet containing 30% fresh J. ashei leaves for 21 days prior to ruminal fluid collection. In vitro fermentations used LJC and HJC ruminal fluid inoculate (33% v/v) in anoxic media in sealed Balch tubes. Across all treatment groups, 1.97 mM of camphor increased propionate and decreased A:P (P < .05) at each incubation time point without negatively impacting pH (6.56 ± 0.09). Results suggested that there is no consistent difference in LJC and HJC microbial fermentation byproducts from the addition of 1.97 mM of camphor; however, the results suggest that camphor could increase propionate production and create more gluconeogenic potential.

An in vitro experiment was performed to evaluate the effect of quality and supplementation (CON-control, no supplement, DDG-dried distillers grains, 29.32% CP, LFD-liquid feed, 56.45% CP) on IVDMD, NDF disappearance (NDFD) and ruminal fermentation parameters of Tifton 85 Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon). Forage was harvested at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 wk over three growing seasons to simulate various forage management practices. Samples were analyzed by Near-infrared spectroscopy and stratified by relative forage quality (RFQ). Samples were selected to represent high (120), medium (100) and low (80) RFQ. The LFD was added at 5.4% of DMI, equivalent to 0.91 kg (as fed) per head per day. The DDG was included at equivalent of 16.99%, 14.36%, and 12.23% of total DM for the high, medium, and low low RFQ forages, respectively, to make the treatments isonitrogenous to the LFD treatments. Fermentations were carried out for 48 h on 3 d. The experiment was analyzed as a 3 x 3 factorial; arrangement with RFQ and type of supplement as factors. The IVDMD (46.9, 54.6, and 62.8%) and NDFD (41.7, 53.8, and 56.1%) increased (P < 0.001) as RFQ increased. Supplementation increased (P < 0.009) NDFD (39.7, 49.5, and 59.5%) but only the LFD increased IVDMD (52.7, 55.4 and 56.2%). An RFQ x supplement interaction was observed for IVDMD (P < 0.001) and NDFD (P < 0.007). No effects of supplementation were observed for high RFQ. For medium RFQ forage quality only LDF increased IVDMD and DDG was not different from CON or LDF; and no effect of supplementation was observed for NDFD. Supplementation increased IVDMD and NDFD for low RFQ forage. There was no effect of supplementation on total gas production or total VFA concentrations. Supplementation with LFD and DDG improves IVDMD and NDFD in low RFQ Bermudagrass, and LFD supplementation can enhance IVDMD in medium RFQ forage quality

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of altering dietary levels of manganese and selenium on growth performance and MnSOD specific activity. Weaned piglets were blocked by weight (n = 216; 5.21 ± 1.17 kg; 21 ± 3 d) and sex (2 barrows and 2 gilts/pen). Pens within a block were randomly assigned to dietary treatments in a factorial design with main effects of Se (0.1 and 0.3 ppm) and Mn (0, 12, and 24 ppm). Diets (n = 9 pens/treatment) were fed in three phases (P1 = d 1–7, P2 = d 7–21, P3 = d 21–35). Pigs and orts were weighed weekly and pigs were bled on d 0, 7, 21, and 35 for analysis of specific activity of red blood cell MnSOD. Data were analyzed as 2x3 factorial design via SAS PROC GLM. There were no Se effects or Mn x Se interactions observed. There was a linear increase (P < 0.05) in overall ADG (397, 424, and 438 g day-1pig-1 for 0, 12, 24 ppm Mn, respectively). There was a linear trend (P < 0.1) in overall ADFI (557, 560, 592 g day-1pig-1 for 0, 12, 24 ppm Mn, respectively). Feed efficiency (d 0–35) across increasing Mn levels were 0.71, 0.76, 0.74 (P > 0.1). MnSOD activity in RBC increased from d 0–7, peaked on d 7 and decreased to d 35. On d 7, diets with 12 and 0 ppm Mn had significantly increased (P < 0.05) MnSOD activity (0.91 and 0.87 IU mg-1 protein, respectively) compared to diets with 24 ppm Mn (0.67 IU mg-1 protein). The dietary treatment that best maintained MnSOD activity was 0.3 ppm Se and 12 ppm Mn supplemented, while ADG was maximized in the diet with 0.3 ppm Se and 24 ppm Mn supplementation.