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Antibiotic resistant is a critical issue that can be the first cause of death in developing countries in near future. Poultry nutritionist should determine antibiotic alternatives for applying in the broiler farms to ensure the meat quality. The effects of replacing antibiotic and/or probiotic with peppermint oil were investigated in a completely randomized design with 5 treatments, 5 replicates, and 25 mixed-sex broiler chicks (Arian strain, average body weight=40±0.12) in each replicate. The experimental treatments were: 1) basal diet (control), 2) basal diet + 150 mg/kg antibiotic Avilamycin, 3) basal diet + 100 mg/kg probiotic Protexin, 4) basal diet + 200 mg peppermint essential oil/kg, 5) basal diet + 400 mg peppermint essential oil/kg. After obtaining data in performance, production index, heterophil to lymphocyte ratio, digestion index and ileum microflora of broilers, the multiple attribute decision making (MADM), and the technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) was applied. Results showed that adding 200 mg peppermint essential oil per kg diet caused higher livability (93% vs. 90%), higher production index (224 vs. 222), lower ratio of hetrofil/limfosit (0.38 vs. 0.40), higher digestion index (7.45 vs. 5.20), higher Lactobacillus count (7.37 vs. 7.21), lower E. coli count (7.05 vs. 7.61) compared to the control group. Also, comparing 200 ppm peppermint essential oil versus probiotic treatment revealed higher production index (224 vs. 216), lower E. coli count (7.05 vs. 7.95), so it can be concluded that 200 ppm peppermint essential oil has priority to probiotic treatment. The group which fed with 400 ppm peppermint essential oil had the lowest body weight (1974 g), the highest feed conversion ratio (FCR) (2.03), the highest livability (96%), and the lowest dimension index (4.49). In conclusion, using peppermint at the level of 200 mg/kg of diet has the potential to be considered as a probiotic replacement in broilers’ diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of autoclaving and microwave radiation on the chemical composition, metabolic energy, and nutrient digestibility of wheat screening waste. Autoclave treatment involved heating the waste at 120 °C for 45 minutes, while microwave treatment utilized 1000 watts for 5 minutes. The experimental treatments included untreated waste, autoclaved waste, microwaved waste, and autoclaved followed by microwaved waste. Both heat treatments resulted in a decrease in gross energy, with the micro-wave treatment exhibiting the most significant effect. Additionally, the microwave treatment and the sequential autoclave followed by microwave treatment led to a slight reduction in dry matter content. Auto-claving improved the metabolisable energy of the waste by 23.4%, while the combined autoclave and microwave treatment improved it by 9.7%. However, microwave processing alone reduced the metabolisable energy by 25.4%. The heat treatments also resulted in notable changes in the waste's chemical composition, including decreased crude protein, gross energy, and sugar content, as well as increased dry matter, crude fiber, acid-insoluble ash, calcium, and phosphorus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the complexity and amount of information in a wide variety of comparative performance reports in poultry production, making a decision is difficult. This problem is overcomed only when all data can be put into a common unit. For this purpose, five different decision making analysis approaches including Maximin, Equally likely, Weighted average, Ordered weighted averages and Technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution were used to choose the best broiler strain among three ones based on their comparative performance and carcass characteristics. Commercial broiler strains of 6000 designated as R, A, and C (each strain 2000) were randomly allocated into three treatments of five replicates. In this study, all methods showed similar results except Maximin approach. Comparing different methods indicated that strain C with the highest world share market has the best performance followed by strains R and A.

Today, medicinal plants and prebiotics are known as growth stimulants and can have beneficial effects on health and performance. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of plant growth promoters and a prebiotic (lactose) on growth performance, immune responses, and blood biochemical parameters in broiler chicks. Seven hundred and fifty Arian broiler chicks (mixed-sex) were allocated to six treatments and five replicates at one day of age. Three plant-based growth promoters (ASRI1, ASRI2, and commercial supplement (Optifeed)) and two dietary prebiotic levels (0 and 1 kg/ton) were evaluated in a completely randomized design with 3×2 factorial arrangements. The results showed that growth performance and humoral and cellular immunities did not differ among experimental treatments; therefore, the herbal compounds ASRI1 and ASRI2 can be used as growth promoters equivalent to the commercial products currently used in the broiler chicken industry. An interaction effect of growth promoter × prebiotic was detected for concentrations of calcium in the serum. Serum calcium concentrations of birds fed ASRI2 and 1 kg/ton prebiotic were greater than those of chickens receiving the commercial growth promoter. Serum triglycerides and VLDL-C concentrations were significantly lower in birds treated with ASRI1 growth promoter compared to those fed with a commercial growth promoter. In conclusion, there was no difference between ASRI1, ASRI2, and Optifeed growth promoters in their effectiveness as promoters of growth and immunity of broiler chicks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of dietary supplemental lysophospholipids (LPLs) and vitamin C (VC) on performance, activity of antioxidant enzymes, and thyroid hormones of broiler chickens reared under thermoneutral and high ambient temperatures were evaluated. A total of 1,680 broiler chicks (Cobb 500) in finishing rearing period (days 21-38 of age) were allotted to two groups: thermoneutral (TN) and heat stress (HS). In the TN group, 480 chicks were subjected to four treatments with four replicates (n = 30) and maintained in usual ambient temperature (24 ± 1°C). In HS group, the remaining 1,200 chicks were subjected to four treatments with 10 replicates (n = 30) and exposed to high ambient temperature (34 ± 1°C for 8 hr daily). In both groups, four iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous experimental diets based on a 2 × 2 factorial arrangements including supplemental LPLs (0 or 1,000 mg/kg) and VC (0 or 500 mg/kg) were formulated and used. Supplemental LPLs decreased (p < 0.05) body weight gain and increased FCR in the TN and HS groups. In the TN group, increased (p < 0.05) serum glucose was observed in chickens fed with dietary supplemental VC. In the HS group, decreased (p < 0.05) total protein concentration was detected in birds fed with supplemental LPLs. In both TN and HS groups, decreased (p < 0.05) uric acid concentration was detected in chicks fed with the VC-supplemented diets. A significant (p < 0.05) interaction between LPLs and VC on lactate concentration in the TN group was observed. In the HS group, decreased breast malondialdehyde concentration was detected in birds fed with the VC-supplemented diet. In the TN group, increased serum total antioxidant status was detected in birds fed with the LPLs-supplemented diet. In conclusion, LPLs improved oxidative stability and increased the antioxidant capacity of the serum. In addition, vitamin C modified heat stress and reduced lipid peroxidation., (© 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

The effects of dietary garlic bulb were studied separately on hematological parameters, ascites incidence, and growth performance of an ascites susceptible broiler hybrid under both standard temperature conditions ( STC: ) and cold temperature conditions ( CTC: ). A total of 336 one-day-old male broiler chickens were allocated to 4 experimental groups with 4 replicates of 21 birds each under STC. In addition, the same grouping with another 336 birds was used for CTC. Under CTC, the birds were exposed to cold temperatures for induction of ascites. Experimental groups were defined by the inclusion of 0 (control), 5, 10 or 15 g/kg garlic bulbs in the diets under both STC and CTC. Growth performance, systolic blood pressure (as a measure of systemic arterial blood pressure), physiological and biochemical parameters, as well as ascites indices (right ventricle [ RV: ], total ventricle [ TV: ] weights, and RV/TV: ) were evaluated. Systolic blood pressure was determined using an indirect method with a sphygmomanometer, a pediatric cuff, and a Doppler device. The final body weight decreased quadratically (P = 0.003), with increasing garlic bulb levels in the diets under STC. The feed conversion ratio showed no significant differences among all groups under both STC and CTC. No significant differences were observed in total mortality and ascites-related mortality in all groups under STC, although total mortality (L: P = 0.01; Q: P = 0.001) and ascites-related mortality (L: P = 0.007; Q: P = 0.001) were significantly different among the diets under CTC. Under STC, the systolic blood pressure, packed cell volume, hemoglobin, RV, TV, and RV/TV did not vary significantly among the diets. However, red blood cell count and erythrocyte osmotic fragility decreased linearly (P < 0.005) with increasing garlic bulb levels in the diets under STC. Under CTC, the systolic blood pressure, packed cell volume, red blood cell count, and erythrocyte osmotic fragility decreased (P < 0.05) with increasing garlic levels. It is concluded that the inclusion of 5 g/kg garlic bulb in susceptible broiler chicken diets has a systemic anti-hypertensive effect and could decrease ascites incidence without impairing broiler chicken performance., (© 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.)

In a trail the Apparent Metabolizable Energy (AME), Apparent Metabolizable Energy corrected to Nitrogen retention (AMEn), True Metabolizable Energy (TME) and True Metabolizable Energy corrected to Nitrogen retention (TMEn) content of some feeding stuffs for poultry were determined with cockerels. The test materials consisted of feed grade Oak (Quercusfaginea), Fig (Ficus carica), Olive (Olea europea) pulp with nucleolus and without nucleolus. The result showed that Oak, Fig, Olive pulp with nucleolus and without nucleolus according to their component can be noticed as an energy sources. Their crude protein was low. The nitrogen- corrected Apparent Metabolizable Energy (AMEn) values for Oak, Fig and Olive pulp with nucleolus and without nucleolus were 2775.04 +/- 29, 2558.7 +/- 35, 1347.05 +/- 64 and 3052.33 +/- 122 Kcal kg(-1) dry matter, respectively. The nitrogen-corrected True Metabolizable Energy (TMEn) value for the respective feeding stuffs were 3177.99 +/- 30, 2999.06 +/- 33, 1537.02 +/- 59 and 3243.34 +/- 126 Kcal kg(-1) dry matter.