A preliminary in vivo study on the potential application of a novel method of e-tracking in the poultry food chain and its potential impact on animal welfare

The feasibility of using DataMatrix (DM) barcodes laser printed onto the beaks of poultry as a possible method of identification and therefore traceability of the individual was examined in this study, including a preliminary live trial on broiler chicks in a commercial environment. In vitro trials were initially conducted to select the optimal laser type and the optimal laser settings for this particular application. Frozen mature chicken head samples were sourced from commercial partners and DM barcodes were printed on the beaks of these samples and read using a high specification camera based 1-Dimensional/2-Dimensional DataMan 7500 barcode reader. A number of laser types and settings were assessed through a detailed Predetermined Readability Screening Procedure principally designed to examine the ability of the printed DM barcode to withstand physical abrasion such as that which may occur in a commercial environment. Following this selection process a preliminary live trial of this technology was instigated in a commercial broiler house to examine not only the effects of the growth of the broilers on the clarity and readability of the DM barcode, but also the ability of the printed DM barcodes to resist the physical and chemical environment of a commercial setting. The results show a four day window during which the barcode readability remains at a high level. Thereafter the readability deteriorates rapidly, due to the rapid growth and healing of the beak of broiler chicks. However, with high readability rates, even for such a short timeframe, this technology could well be used as a technique for movement control for live poultry, for example, from the producer to the processor, thereby preventing any fraud at these vulnerable points in the poultry food chain, where there is a transfer of ownership. The effects of such a treatment on the behaviour and weight gain of the broiler chicks was also observed, because in an industry where numbers are large and margins very small, it is important that any additional input to the system would not have any detrimental effect on final carcase weight and quality.     

A preliminary in vivo study on the potential application of e-tracking in poultry using ink printed 2D barcodes

A preliminary study on the potential application of electronic tracking in poultry in vivo has been conducted. The experimental procedure for this study was based on previous in vitro findings (Fröschle et al., 2009) as part of the same research programme. The study consisted of two phases whereby an initial experiment using inkjet printing of 10 × 10 DataMatrix barcodes onto the beaks of broiler chickens in a live commercial setting has been carried out. Results demonstrated very poor percentage of readability after a short period of time. Barcodes deteriorated very rapidly and this was attributed to the physical effects on the barcodes of the actions of the chickens in a commercial environment, together with the inability of the ink to bond to the hard keratinous surface of the beak. In a subsequent part of the study, a number of commercially available ink types were screened, using a predetermined abrasion testing procedure, for their ability to bond to the beak and provide a readable barcode on the beaks following some predetermined graduated physical abrasion.     

罗曼蛋鸡饲粮养分转化率的研究

对合肥市蜀山种鸡场 2 0 0只 40～ 44周龄罗曼蛋鸡日采食饲粮量及养分量和日产蛋成分量等进行了 3 4d的实测 ,在此基础上 ,测算了鸡对饲粮主要养分的转化率 ;并考察了温、湿度因子对其影响。结果表明 :温度对产蛋率、DM、CP、EE、Sac、Ash、Ca、P、Lys、Met、Trp、Thr、Val、Phe、Ile、Arg、His转化率影响显著 (P <0 .0 5 )或极显著 (P <0 .0 1) ;对只日采食饲粮、料蛋比、Leu转化率影响不显著 (P >0 .0 5 ) ;湿度对上述指标观测值的影响均不显著 (P >0 .0 5 )。     

DNA条形码技术在海马物种鉴定中的应用分析

海马具有重要的药用和观赏价值，但因其可供鉴定的形态特征较少，应用形态学对海马进行种水平的鉴定时经常会遇到很多困难。DNA条形码技术为海马物种鉴定提供了重要的鉴定方法。通过检索生命条形码数据库（BOLD）和GenBank数据库中海马的DNA条形码信息，应用MEGA软件计算海马种间遗传距离，分析DNA条形码在海马物种鉴定中的应用效果。结果表明，COI基因条码可以有效鉴别大部分种以上阶元的海马，但对亲缘关系较近的海马难以获得准确的鉴定结果。还有一些海马尚无相关的基因信息，也无法通过基因条形码进行鉴别。因此，应用DNA条形码鉴定海马物种尚有一定的局限性。     

禽流感流行病学调查及病原分离鉴定初报

采用病毒分离鉴定和血清学鉴测等方法 ,对不同地区 5群自然发病鸡进行流行病学调查、临床症状观察和病理解剖学及组织学检查 ,同时采集病料感染鸡胚和传代。每代鸡胚尿囊液用血清学检测效价滴度。结果 :共分离出 5件病毒 ,其中 4株感染和盲传鸡胚均能致死鸡胚 ,传代后能引起鸡胚肾单层细胞病变 ,HA价在 1∶ 40以上 ,DN和 EDS-76(A3除外 ) H1试验均为阴性 ,AGP试验阳性 ,证明为 AIV;另 1株则为NDV。     

光照节律调控鸡繁殖性能机制研究进展

光照是生物体重要的环境因子。现代家禽生产普遍采用人工光照。禽类视觉敏感,光照对禽类的生长发育和繁殖的影响直接关系到生产效率。光照是温度、湿度和通风因素之外的另一个重要的环境因子。此外,鸡作为一种重要的模式动物,光照对其繁殖生理的影响和相关作用机制研究也具有重要科学意义。文章就禽类对光照的感知,光照节律对鸡性成熟和繁殖的影响进行归纳总结,同时概述了非自然光照节律、光照不应性和种蛋孵化期光照技术的研究进展,为深入理解光照节律对鸡繁殖性能的影响及其调控机制提供理论参考。禽类的光感受器如眼球(视网膜)、丘脑深部和松果体,能够将光信号转变为生物信号,并依靠神经内分泌系统,尤其是下丘脑-垂体-性腺轴,影响鸡的生殖系统发育和繁殖行为。育成期鸡群性腺发育很快,并对光照时间长短反应敏感。光照时长过短或者过长,可能导致鸡只生长受阻或者性成熟提前;每天维持恒定8或9 h的光照时长,可保证体况和体重在性成熟时达标,充分发挥繁殖潜力。产蛋期光照节律主要包括光照刺激时间和光照时长。光照刺激能促进鸡性成熟,但必须在恰当的阶段实施才能有效发挥其促进适时和整齐开产的作用。对于黄羽种鸡光照刺激时间的研究鲜有报道,生产中多参照蛋鸡的光照方案,或适当推延。进入产蛋期的鸡群,光照节律则由恒定短光照转变为恒定长光照,光照时长的选择也是提高鸡繁殖力的关键控制点之一。母鸡产蛋期需要较长的光照时长以维持其高产,但肉种鸡与蛋鸡在体况、饲喂方式和生理特点等不同,如光照不应性等生理特征。因此,肉种鸡的光照时长短于蛋鸡或蛋种鸡,一般为14或15h,而蛋鸡或蛋种鸡为16或17h。种公鸡性早熟在实际生产中具有重要作用,随着精液稀释和存储,以及种公鸡隔代利用等技术的应用发展,种公鸡光照调控技术研究也逐步开展。种公鸡性成熟后采取与母鸡同样的光照时长可能会降低精液品质,提示在公母分饲的条件下有必要对公鸡和母鸡进行有区别的光照节律管理。与常规24h光照节律不同,非自然光照节律的光照制度可以提高蛋重,但可能降低产蛋数。非自然光照周期不符合欧盟规定动物福利标准,与饲养人员的正常作息时间不一致,在实际生产中并未广泛应用,但是研究非自然光照周期对了解家禽的生物节律具有一定的参考价值。     

Tetrachloroanisol: a source of musty taste in eggs and broilers

Ingestion by hens and broilers of specific chloroanisols present in some wood shavings used in poultry cages can result in a musty taste in poultry products.     

菌物DNA条形码技术的研究进展

DNA条形码技术是通过对一个DNA片段的分析比对,进而对物种进行鉴定的方法。研究的基因片段可以是1个或多个,进而完成物种识别和鉴定或者发现新物种。该项技术的优势在于整个鉴定过程不受研究对象不同发育阶段的影响。由于菌物具有独特而复杂的生活史,因此对菌物的鉴定工作相对较困难。世界上许多科学家都尝试过寻找适合于大多数菌物的标准DNA条码,但还没有找到能满足条件的基因片段。笔者对DNA条形码技术的发展历史、目的基因片段的筛选和研究进展等方面进行了综述,并讨论了DNA条形码技术存在的问题和今后研究的方向。     

灭幼脲Ⅰ号胶悬剂对家禽安全性的试验

使用灭幼脲Ⅰ号防治森林害虫,必须考虑到它对家禽以至鸟类的影响。其试验方法是,将灭幼脲Ⅰ号混入家禽饲料中,每只鸡每日饲喂药量为每公斤体重1—2g,试鸡为成鸡,连续饲喂14—15天,通过体重、羽毛、冠色和产蛋等观察、检验,均无影响。对血清白蛋白、总蛋白、胆碱酯酶、谷丙转氨酶和血液葡萄糖等生理指标进行测定均无改变。由此可见,灭幼脲Ⅰ号在防治生产中,对家禽是安全的。