Sampling broiler house litter for coccidial oocysts.

1. A method of sampling the surface litter of commercial broiler houses for laboratory estimation of numbers of coccidial oocysts is described. 2. The resulting estimates can be regarded as indices of the total number of oocysts present in the house at the time of sampling. 3. Using material from a variety of sources it was shown that reliable estimates for many practical purposes can be achieved with few samples, unless the birds are less than 3 weeks old. 4. Oocyst numbers usually reached a peak 4 to 5 weeks after introduction of the birds and then rapidly declined in the next few weeks.     

青贮饲料发酵品质评定体系及其新进展

牧草青贮发酵品质评定体系的建立是对青贮饲料质量好坏更好的监督与评价,是提高青贮饲料质量、减少资源浪费的重要途径与方法,同时对提高家畜饲草料营养价值以及生产性能有着重要的意义.牧草青贮发酵品质评定体系中常规的实验室评定指标一般以有机酸(乳酸、乙酸和丁酸)和氨态氮含量为基准,但目前的研究结果表明,青贮料中乳酸含量增多就容易发生二次发酵,而且牧草青贮的pH值和氨态氮含量与牧草本身化学成份不同有关,因此在青贮饲料发酵品质评定体系中不宜将这些指标用作青贮料发酵品质评定的统一标准.     

Pathogen re-colonization of in-house composted and noncomposted broiler litter

In-house litter composting has been reintroduced to the industry and shown to reduce bacteria by as much as 2 orders of magnitude. Other industries have demonstrated that pathogens can recolonize a waste-residual when microbial competition has been reduced or inhibited following composting. Poultry growers, in the process of shifting to in-house composting for pathogen control, should be aware of this potential problem. A laboratory microcosm study investigated pathogenic bacteria recolonization into composted and noncomposted broiler litter over a simulated broiler grow-out cycle. Objectives were to: 1) determine colonization potential for zoonotic and poultry bacterial pathogens, 2) identify beneficial bacteria which reduce pathogen recolonization, and 3) identify the effects of ammonia on pathogen recolonization. Composted broiler litter allowedListeria andCampylobacter to colonize within the first 2 wk of the grow-out period while noncomposted litter resisted colonization. Colonization was nearly identical by the end of the grow-out period, and showed that bacterial pathogens had essentially been overtaken by commensal or normal bacteria. 16S rRNA libraries demonstrated reductions in Proteobacteria associated with composted litter (48 vs. 16%), which may indicate that this phylum occupies a niche which zoonotic pathogens prefer to occupy. Ammonia generation neither inhibited nor promoted bacterial colonization, as levels were high for both litter treatments. This study neither suggests nor condemns the continued use of this cost-effective, litter-treatment process; findings suggest that while the beneficial microbial population was initially reduced, it quickly recovered and pathogen colonization was neither enhanced nor inhibited because of this. This study demonstrates that the recently adopted in-house composting process may continue to be used, provided poultry health gains continue to be seen.     

Evaluation of different litter materials for broiler production in a hot and humid environment: 2. Productive performance and carcass characteristics

The availability of wood by-products for bedding material is falling in many regions due to rising demand for other uses. The objective of this study was to evaluate six alternative litter sources—river bed sand, coconut husk, rice hulls, Guinea grass, newspaper, and corncob—as a substitute for wood shavings (WS). The trial was carried out over 35 days in an open-sided and naturally ventilated broiler house under conditions of high ambient temperatures and relative humidity. During the brooding period (0 to 14 days), chicks raised on grass had lower (P?<?0.05) footpad temperature than those grown on WS. After the brooding period (15 to 35 days), the temperatures of both litter and birds were higher (P?<?0.05) for coconut husk than for WS. Grass litter resulted in lower (P?<?0.05) final BW, FCR, and production efficiency. Sand and rice hulls were associated with lower (P?<?0.05) survival rate and higher (P?<?0.05) gizzard weight. Litter type did not affect carcass and meat yields. The footpad dermatitis score, associating incidence and severity, was not statistically different among the litter substrates tested, although numerically higher in coconut husk, grass, and corncob. The results obtained in this experiment indicate that, in a hot and humid environment, all materials except grass can be used as a substitute for wood shavings with comparable production efficiency.     

Effect of dietary copper on litter microbial population and broiler performance

Proprietary broiler diets, containing added copper (125 mg/kg) as sulphate, were fed to broilers in 4 trials (32 pens each) over a one year period without a change of litter. Mould counts in the litter of pens containing birds fed the standard diets decreased to 2 X 10(3) propagules per g in trial 4. Those in the pens with birds fed the diets containing supplemental copper decreased to 6 X 10(2) propagules per g. Litter bacterial counts (10(7) organisms/g) were not affected by dietary copper. Litter copper concentrations in pens where the birds were fed supplemented diets increased significantly to more than 600 mg/kg in trial 4. Dietary copper sulphate addition significantly increased broiler weight gains at 7 weeks in trials 3 and 4 (P less than 0.05) and the efficiency of food utilisation was significantly improved in trial 4. The copper content of the chicks' livers remained unchanged. It is suggested that broiler performance may be independent of dietary copper content. Litter copper concentrations and litter microbial alterations may be important factors.     

肉仔鸡霉玉米中毒的诊治

2004年下半年我区某养鸡户饲养的35日龄AA肉鸡381只,在饲喂霉变玉米后,引起40多只死亡。经临床检查、病理剖解、实验室检查、动物试验及停喂霉变玉米后,病情得到有效控制。     

热应激条件下采用不同种类或不同处理方式的垫料对肉鸡生产性能和垫料质量性状的影响

本试验的目的是研究在热应激条件下,在树叶和碎玉米芯两种肉鸡垫料代用品的表面喷洒抗菌液或油,或者同时喷洒这两种液体后,对肉鸡生产性能产生的影响效果。将675羽1日龄混合性别Arian肉鸡随机分入45个圈(饲养密度为0.09平方米/羽),饲养在半开放式、部分条件可控的鸡舍内。鸡舍使用木刨花(WS)、碎玉米芯(GCC,长1.5厘米)和树叶3种垫料;选择一定数量鸡圈,在其垫料的表面喷洒动物食用级葵花油(0.4升/平方米)、抗菌液(浓度为3%),或者同时喷洒这两种液体。采集试验肉鸡的生产性能、胸部和足垫病变情况以及垫料的特性数据,并采用适当的析因模型对数据进行分析。研究表明,试验肉鸡56日龄体重、1～14日龄的采食量、28日龄时垫料含水量、14日龄时垫料pH值以及14及56日龄时的垫料温度,受垫料种类的显著影响(P<0.05);垫料处理可显著影响了试验肉鸡28、42及56日龄的体重、29～42日龄及1～42日龄的采食量、至56日龄的死亡率、28及56日龄时垫料温度和28及56日龄时垫料pH。研究表明,树叶和碎玉米芯可以作为合适的肉鸡垫料代用品。在垫料表面喷洒抗菌液、油以及同时喷洒这两种液体并不是促进肉鸡健康和提高其生产性能的有效方法。肉禽饲养者和大型联合企业是本研究成果主要的受益者。     

添加剂对不同含水量多花黑麦草青贮发酵品质及有氧稳定性的影响

为研究不同添加剂对不同含水量多花黑麦草（Lolium multiflorum Lam.）样品青贮品质以及有氧稳定性的影响,在含水量分别为75%和65%条件下的多花黑麦草中添加3种不同的添加剂（甲酸、植物乳杆菌、布氏乳杆菌）青贮,在60天时开袋对青贮料进行测定。结果表明,75%和65%水分条件下的植物乳杆菌组pH值显著低于其他处理组（P<0.05）,且乳酸含量显著高于其他处理组（P<0.05）;布氏乳杆菌处理组的氨态氮/总氮和乙酸含量显著高于其他处理组（P<0.05）;甲酸组可溶性碳水化合物含量显著高于其他处理组（P<0.05）。就有氧稳定性而言,75%水分条件下布氏乳杆菌处理组的有氧稳定性（186 h）显著高于其他处理组（P<0.05）。在75%和65% 2种水分条件下,3种不同类型的添加剂都能有效改善多花黑麦草青贮品质,改善程度依次为：植物乳杆菌 >甲酸 >布氏乳杆菌;开袋后,75%和65% 2种水分条件下,添加布氏乳杆菌能有效改善多花黑麦草青贮料的有氧稳定性。     

Ammonia emissions from broiler litter: response to bedding materials and acidifiers

1. In a pen study, NH(3) flux estimates were performed when clean wheat straw or wood shavings were used as bedding materials in combination with two NH(3) control amendments: sodium bisulphate and a commercial premix of phosphoric + hydrochloric + citric acids. 2. Ammonia emissions from wood shavings were 19% greater than from wheat straw around waterers, but statistically similar around feeders. These results could be due to the greater caking observed when wheat straw was used. 3. Sodium bisulphate reduced NH(3) emissions significantly only in the first half of the rearing period; the loss of efficacy in the second half resulted in total NH(3) volatilisation not statistically different from the untreated control. The treatment containing phosphoric + hydrochloric + citric acids did not have a significant effect in decreasing NH(3) emissions. 4. Bird mortality was not affected by the treatments, but broiler weight gain when wheat straw was used was significantly lower than with wood shavings, which could have been caused by the greater caking observed with wheat straw.     

Utilization of phosphorus and certain other minerals from swine waste and broiler litter

Two trials were conducted with 15 wethers surgically equipped with duodenal and ileal cannulas to study the utilization of P, Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe and Zn from swine waste and broiler litter. For each trial, animals were fed a low-P basal diet until serum inorganic P averaged 5.5 mg/dl; then they were allotted at random to the following 50% DM ensiled diets: low-P basal, basal + swine waste, basal + broiler litter, basal + dicalcium phosphate and basal + soybean meal. Each trial consisted of a 7-d preliminary period, a 7-d collection of feces and urine and 6-d sampling of duodenal and ileal digesta and feces. Apparent P absorption was not different (P greater than .05) between sheep fed waste-supplemented diets (37%) and those fed the conventionally supplemented diets (28%). Phosphorus absorption, calculated by difference, tended (P less than .1) to be higher from the waste supplements (59%) than from dicalcium phosphate and soybean meal (37%). Less (P less than .05) Ca was absorbed from the waste diets (.62 g/d) than from the conventional diets (1.28 g/d). More (P less than .05) Cu (mg/d) was absorbed from the waste diets, but no difference was found when absorption was expressed as percentage of intake. Broiler litter and swine waste were good sources of available P and Mg for ruminants.     

Supplementation of dormant tallgrass-prairie forage: I. Influence of varying supplemental protein and(or) energy levels on forage utilization characteristics of beef steers in confinement

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate effects of supplemental protein vs energy level on dormant forage intake and utilization. In Exp. 1, 16 ruminally cannulated steers were blocked by weight (avg wt = 242 kg) and assigned randomly to a negative control or to one of three isocaloric supplement treatments fed at .4% BW: 1) control, no supplement (NS); 2) 12% CP, low protein (LP); 3) 28% CP, moderate protein (MP); 4) 41% CP, high protein (HP). In Exp. 2 and 3, 16 ruminally cannulated steers were blocked by weight (avg wt = 332 kg, Exp. 2; 401 kg, Exp. 3) and assigned randomly to a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. The treatments contrasted low (LP) and high (HP) levels of supplemental protein (.66 g CP/kg BW vs 1.32 g CP/kg BW) with low (LE) and high (HE) levels of supplemental ME (9.2 kcal/kg BW vs 18.4 kcal/kg BW). In Exp. 1, forage DMI as well as ruminal DM and indigestible ADF fill at 4 h postfeeding were greater (P less than .10) with the MP and HP steers than with control and LP steers. Total DM digestibility increased (P less than .10) for supplemented steers (35.5% for control vs 47.3 for supplemented steers); however, LP depressed (P less than .10) NDF digestibility. In Exp. 2, forage DMI, indigestible ADF flow and liquid flow were depressed (P less than .10) in LP-HE supplemented steers. In Exp. 3, HP steers had greater (P less than .10) forage DMI, indigestible ADF fill values (4 h postfeeding), liquid volume and tended (P = .11) to have greater ruminal DM fill (4 h postfeeding). In summary, increased levels of supplemental protein increased intake and utilization of dormant tallgrass-prairie forage (less than 3% CP). Increasing supplemental energy without adequate protein availability was associated with depressed intake and digestibility.     

饲用小黑麦的特性与应用

饲用小黑麦是小麦与黑麦的属间杂交种,具有明显的杂种优势,生物产量高、营养品质好、抗病抗逆性强,适应性广.饲用小黑麦作为新作物已在饲草工业和生态建设中显示出强大的生命力和很高的生态价值及经济价值,发展潜力巨大.     

Epidemiological associations between characteristics of registered broiler chicken flocks in Canada and the Salmonella culture status of floor litter and drinking water

A Canada-wide flock management survey of 294 randomly selected commercial broiler chicken flocks was conducted during 1989-1990. The prevalence of flocks that yielded Salmonella from cultures of floor litter or drinking water, and the prevalence of floor litter samples that yielded Salmonella, were significantly associated (p < 0.05) with the age of the flock and the region of Canda in which the flock was located. Culture of Salmonella from the drinking water was significantly associated (p < 0.05) with the type of drinker used, the dead bird disposal method, and the region of Canada in which the flock was located. There was a significantly greater risk (p < 0.05) of contamination of drinking water with Salmonella from trough drinkers (odds ratio = 7.99) and plastic bell drinkers (odds ratio = 6.10) than from nipple drinkers. No significant associations were found between pest control, restrictions on visitors, clean-out methods, or water sanitization and the culture of salmonellae from floor litter or drinking water.     

Influence of in-house composting of reused litter on litter quality,ammonia volatilisation and incidence of broiler foot pad dermatitis

1. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the residual effects of two windrow composting methods for reused litter on its quality (pH, moisture, ammonia), ammonia (NH₃) volatilisation and the prevalence (scores 0–4) of foot pad dermatitis (FPD) and hock burn (HB) on d 1, 7, 14 and 21 of age in broilers. Litter was allowed to compost for 8 d within a 14-d interval between flocks.

2. The composting methods studied were with or without a PVC plastic sheet. The same procedures were applied for three consecutive flocks, with litter initially having been used for 12 flocks. Data were analysed with a mixed model of repeated measures of day, with main effects and interactions of day, composting method, litter age (block) and house nested within method.

3. At d 1, litter NH₃ and NH₃ volatilisation were higher in the covered litter method. Litter moisture increased to 45.3% as broilers aged. The incidence of FPD also increased with age. No signs of HB were found in any bird throughout the trials.

4. There was no effect of litter composting methods on the prevalence of FPD or body weight at any age.

5. Litter moisture should be controlled to avoid NH₃ volatilisation reaching critical levels. Windrow composting of litter with a PVC plastic sheet may not be required when considering the broiler housing environment.