Feeding status of free-range scavenging chickens in different agro-climatic regions of India

ABSTRACT

1. The aim of this study was to determine the nutritional status of backyard chickens reared under 4 different agro-climatic conditions (tropical, humid subtropical, cool-temperate and semi-arid) of India during different seasons of the year and to compare their nutritional status with those reared under confined feeding system (CFS). In each season, 15 adult and 15 grower chickens were slaughtered for collecting content of crop and gizzard to assess the nutritional status from different agro-climatic conditions.

2. The dry matter content of crop and gizzard was higher (P < 0.01) in chickens reared under backyard conditions compared to those reared under CFS.

3. Higher (P < 0.01) crop and gizzard contents were recorded during winter compared to the rainy season. The proportion of grains in the crop during summer and winter season was higher compared to rainy season. Further, there were more insects present in the crop during the rainy season and winter compared to summer.

4. The proportion of insects was higher in chickens reared in humid, subtropical and cool temperate regions compared to semi-arid conditions. The consumption of grasses was higher in cool-temperate regions as compared to those reared under other areas.

5. Crude protein (CP), Ca, P and gross energy (GE) content of the crop were higher in chickens reared under CFS compared to those reared in backyard systems and CP in the crop contents was lower in backyard chickens reared in humid subtropical and semi-arid regions compared to other areas. Similarly, lower (P < 0.01) Ca levels were seen in crop and gizzard contents from birds reared in semi-arid Rajasthan, and P and GE were lower in tropical wet and dry Telangana (TWT) compared to the chickens reared in the backyard conditions in other regions.

6. Based on the results, the nutrient intake for birds utilising the scavenging feed resource base (SFRB) in the TWT region was below the requirements of backyard chickens from the other regions selected in the present study. GE and CP were critically deficient in the SFRB of the TWT region. Therefore, evolving location-specific supplementary diets using locally available feed resources to meet nutrient requirement of backyard chickens is required for optimising production potential.     

Optimization of drilling delamination behavior of GFRP/clay nano-composites using RSM and GRA methods

The effects of Nano-clay content on delamination factor during drilling operation on fiber-reinforced composites are optimized through Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Drilling is one of the basic operations on assembly section in many industries. In present work, the experiments are conducted by Box-Behnken Design (BBD) by RSM techniques, which is used to study influential factor on drilling process parameters such as cutting speed, feed rate, size of drill and Nano-clay. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) techniques are employed to evaluation of impact of process parameters on delamination. Developed regression models analyze the interaction properties of process parameters. In addition, the Gray Relational Analysis (GRA) is used to identify the best level of factors for both responses (Entry and Exit condition) to make quality of hole on composites. The experimental result shows that, the feed rate is the most significant factor among the other parameters. The delamination factor is decreased with addition of Nano-clay content at a certain percentile. Furthermore, of Nano-clay content, delamination factor may be increased. The proper propagation of filler content produces a high bonding between the fiber and matrix materials. Hence, the delamination factor may be decreased.     

Pollen–pistil interaction in the inter-specific crosses of Sesamum sp

The wild species of Sesamum have long been recognized as an important source of many valuable pest and disease resistance genes and other novel traits such as male sterility and plant type for the cultivated taxon. Utilization of these species in crop improvement is marginal because of their inherent low crossability with the cultigen. An understanding of the biological nature of incompatibility systems that impede hybridization offers tools for successful introgressions into cultivated sesame. The objective of this investigation was to observe pollen germination and pollen tube growth in cross pollinated S. indicum pistils as an indicator of pre-zygotic barriers operating in wide crosses involving S. indicum. Three wild species: S. alatum, S. radiatum and S. laciniatum were used as pollen donors in hybridization with S. indicum. In the cross S. indicum × S. alatum 85.23% of pollen grains germinated and pollen tubes reached ovaries within 8 h after pollination. In other two crosses, S. indicum × S. laciniatum and S. indicum × S. radiatum the level of incompatibility was high as evidenced by a reduced pollen germination and slow rate of pollen tube growth. Measures to circumvent incompatibility in these crosses to produce interspecific hybrids are discussed.     

Effects of Bacillus subtilis metabolites on larval Aedes aegypti L

The culture supernatant of a strain of Bacillus subtilis isolated from soil samples killed larvae of the mosquito Aedes aegypti. The metabolites produced by B. subtilis were characterized using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Mortality rate was dose-dependent for all larval instars of A. aegypti. Log probit analysis (95% confidence level) revealed an LC₅₀ of 1.73 and an LC₉₀ 3.71 μg/ml. Molecular weights/masses of B. subtilis metabolites were confirmed using SDS–PAGE analysis. B. subtilis metabolites were confirmed using HPLC analysis. We demonstrate that secondary metabolites from B. subtilis have larvicidal activity against A. aegypti and may be suitable for the control of this and other mosquito vectors of human disease. The larvae to the metabolites, significant reduction in the activities of acetylcholinesterse, α-carboxylesterase, and acid phosphatases were recorded.     

Flavor compounds and quality parameters of chevon as influenced by sericea lespedeza hay

This research assessed the utilization of sericea lespedeza (SL, Lespedeza cuneata ) hay, a highly condensed tannin (CT) forage (87-181 g CT/kg), as a dietary regimen of meat goats, and thereby the effects on physicochemical properties of goat meat (chevon) and flavor compounds in cooked chevon chops were evaluated. Although it is commonly believed that higher amounts of CT can have deleterious effects on animal performance due to low digestibility and low voluntary intakes in ruminants, feeding meat goats with SL hay increased the body weight compared to goats fed bermudagrass hay without altering the chemical composition and meat quality of chevon. Feeding SL hay to meat goats also did not significantly influence the flavor volatiles in cooked chevon chops. The findings indicate that SL hay can be used as a low-input forage to replace expensive forages.     

Induction of tibial dyschondroplasia by carbamate and thiocarbamate pesticides

Tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) is a major poultry leg problem, the natural etiology of which is unknown. Certain dithiocarbamate pesticides such as tetramethyl thiuram disulfide (thiram) have been shown to induce the disease in chickens. Because many different carbamate and thiocarbamate chemicals are used in a number of agricultural, industrial, and household applications, the objective of this study was to determine whether all chemicals of these categories induce TD and whether there is a concentration-dependent relationship between the ingestion of these chemicals and the incidences and the severity of the disease. Week-old broiler chicks were fed diets containing thiram or other assorted carbamate and thiocarbamate pesticides mixed in feed for 24-48 hr between ages 8 and 10 days. The birds were killed on day 15 and the proximal tibial and tarsometatarsal growth plates were evaluated for the presence and severity of TD lesions. TD was distinguished by broadening of growth plates; upon histologic exam chondrocytes appeared to be shrunken and dead. When compared by including equimolar concentrations of these chemicals in the feed, the dithiocarbamates with more than two sulfide groups, such as disulfiram, ferbam, thiram, and ziram were potent inducers of TD, whereas those with two sulfides to no sulfide group appeared ineffective at inducing TD. Both thiram and ferbam also reduced the bird's body weights. Thiram increased the incidence and the severity of the disease, denoted by TD index, in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that inadvertent contamination of feed or litter with some of these or similar chemicals may cause leg problems in poultry.     

Influences of dietary regimens on microbial content in gastrointestinal tracts of meat goats

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary treatments on microbial loads and pH of gastrointestinal tract contents in meat goats, as well as the concentration of volatile fatty acid (VFA) in the rumen. Crossbred (Boer x Spanish) goats (n = 36; BW = 17.7 kg) were assigned randomly to one of three experimental diets (n = 12/diet or 3 pens/treatment) for 90 days:alfalfa (Medicago sativa) hay alone (AH-diet); 18% CP concentrate alone (C-diet); or, a combined diet (AHC-diet), consisting of the AH-diet for the first 45 days, followed by 45 days of the C-diet. After evisceration, pH values of rumen liquor and colon digesta were immediately measured from each animal, as well as aseptically collected rumen liquor and rectal samples to determine the microbial loads. Collected rumen liquor was also prepared for volatile fatty acid (VFA) contents. Feeding meat goats with alfalfa hay alone had higher (P < 0.05) rumen (7.17) and colon (7.10) pH compared with those fed either the concentrate alone or combined-diet. Although the acetate content was high in the AH-fed group (66.3 mM) compared to the AHC-diet group (34.6 mM), no significant differences were found in the total VFA contents in rumen liquor among the goats fed three different dietary regimens. Total plate counts were not significantly different among goats fed the experimental diets in the rumen or rectal samples. Escherichia coli counts in the rectal samples were lower (P < 0.05) in the AH-diet group (6.43 log₁₀ CFU/g) compared with the C-diet (8.21 log₁₀ CFU/g) or AHC-diet (8.40 log₁₀ CFU/g) groups. However, no significant differences were found in the E. coli counts of rumen samples from goats fed the experimental diets. The mean (± SEM) rumen E. coli counts were 1.38, 1.65, and 2.51 ± 0.560 log₁₀ CFU/g in the AH-, C-, and AHC-diet groups, respectively. The results indicate that feeding hay alone may decrease the fecal shedding of E. coli in meat goats with increasing the rumen and colon pH.     

Context-Dependent Effect of Dietary Phytochemicals on Honey Bees Exposed to a Pesticide,Thiamethoxam

Honey bees continue to face challenges relating to the degradation of natural flowering habitats that limit their access to diverse floral resources. While it is known that nectar and pollen provide macronutrients, flowers also contain secondary metabolites (phytochemicals) that impart benefits including increased longevity, improved gut microbiome abundance, and pathogen tolerance. Our study aims to understand the role of phytochemicals in pesticide tolerance when worker bees were fed with sublethal doses (1 ppb and 10 ppb) of thiamethoxam (TMX), a neonicotinoid, in 20% (w/v) sugar solution supplemented with 25 ppm of phytochemicals—caffeine, kaempferol, gallic acid, or p-coumaric acid, previously shown to have beneficial impacts on bee health. The effect of phytochemical supplementation during pesticide exposure was context-dependent. With 1 ppb TMX, phytochemical supplementation increased longevity but at 10 ppb TMX, longevity was reduced suggesting a negative synergistic effect. Phytochemicals mixed with 1 ppb TMX increased mortality in bees of the forager-age group but with 10 ppb TMX, mortality of the inhive-age group increased, implying the possibility of accumulation effect in lower sublethal doses. Given that the phytochemical composition of pollen and nectar varies between plant species, we suggest that the negative impacts of agrochemicals on honey bees could vary based on the phytochemicals in pollen and nectar of that crop, and hence the effects may vary across crops. Analyzing the phytochemical composition for individual crops may be a necessary first step prior to determining the appropriate dosage of agrochemicals so that harm to bees Apis mellifera L. is minimized while crop pests are effectively controlled.