肉鸡胸深肌病的发病率

通过一个试验,研究集约化饲养条件下不同屠宰日龄(47～65d)的两个商品肉鸡品系(罗斯508和Cobb500)胸深肌病(deeppectoralmyopathy,DPM)的发病率。试验在意大利一家一流的家禽加工厂进行,在为期6个月的试验期内随机从151个屠宰肉鸡群中选取120700羽肉用公鸡,根据胸小肌有无眼观肌病以及肌肉损伤的病变程度(分发病早期(表现为出血)和发病后期(灰色或绿色)对肉鸡的DPM进行评估。检测表明,各肉鸡群屠体的DMP总体发病率平均为0.84%(其中处于发病早期和发病晚期的屠体比例分别为0.62%和0.22%),各试验肉鸡群之间的DPM发病率波动幅度很大(0%～16.7%),另外处于发病早期和发病晚期的肉鸡所占比例变化也很大,分别为0%～12.0%和0%～5.6%;对两个肉鸡品种的DMP发病率比较后发现,罗斯508肉鸡的发病率高于Cobb500肉鸡(P≤0.01),该结果是由于罗斯508肉鸡的DMP发病早期(0.94%(罗斯508)对0.26%(Cobb500),P≤0.01)和发病后期(0.33%对0.09%,P≤0.01)比例均高于Cobb500肉鸡。     

Effects of increasing photoperiod length and anticoccidials on performance and health of roaster chickens.

Male broiler chickens were raised to 63 days of age under different lighting and anticoccidial treatments. A constant-light program was compared with two interrupted and increasing-light programs in which the photoperiod length was 6 hours between 7 and 14 days of age and then increased gradually to continual light by 49 days of age in the first program and more gradually to 18 hours by 49 days of age in the second program. By 63 days of age, the increasing-light programs significantly increased body-weight gain and decreased feed/grain ratio, but not significantly. The increasing-light programs reduced the incidence of skeletal disease from 7.56% to 2.88% in the first program and to 3.53% in the second program, reduced the incidence of acute death syndrome from 5.94% to 3.37% in the first program and to 4.65% in the second program, and reduced total mortality from 18.81% to 11.71% in the first program and to 11.38% in the second program. The lighting programs had no effect on the incidence of ascites and right heart failure, the ratio of right ventricular weight to total ventricular weight, the incidence of clinical and subclinical tibial dyschondroplasia, and the number of cartilaginous and osseous nodules in the lungs. The anticoccidials compared were monensin and amprolium/ethopabate, from 0 to 35 days of age. These treatments had no significant direct effects on any of the parameters measured.     

Comparative studies on the histochemical properties of M. iliotibialis lateralis from Kumamoto Cochin crossbred roaster and broiler chickens

1. Histochemical properties of M. iliotibialis lateralis were compared between Kumamoto Cochin (a Japanese native breed) crossbred roasters (KC roasters, 112 d of age) and normal broilers (56 d of age).

2. Myofibres were divided into Types II‐R, II‐I and II‐W showing high, moderate and low reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase (NADH‐DH) activities, respectively.

3. Subsarcolemmal formazan granules indicating very strong NADH‐DH activity in Type II‐R fibres were observed only in KC roasters. In both sexes the percentage of Type II‐R fibres present was greater in KC roasters than in broilers.

4. These results indicated marked differences in histochemical properties and meat quality between KC roasters and broilers.     

The relationship of right ventricular hypertrophy, right ventricular failure, and ascites to weight gain in broiler and roaster chickens

Nine hundred twenty-five male progeny from 50 sire families of a commercial sire line were weighed at 14, 28, and 47 days and scored for right ventricular hypertrophydilation at 48 days. Broilers with marked hypertrophy of the right ventricle at processing (298 of 925) were significantly heavier than their more normal contemporaries at 14 and 28 days of age. These results suggest that rapidly growing broilers are more susceptible to increased pulmonary arterial pressure resulting in right ventricular hypertrophy, right ventricular failure, and ascites than slower-growing broilers. Thirty-five (3.5% of 997) broilers died from right ventricular failure and ascites, and 14 (1.5% of 925) has ascites at processing. Two hundred fifty-nine sibs were kept on full feed to 16 weeks of age. Between 7 and 16 weeks, 68 (26.3%) of these cockerels died from right ventricular failure and ascites and a further 27 (10.4%) had marked right ventricular hypertrophy-dilation when processed at 16 weeks. Thus most of the 298 broilers classified as having marked right ventricular hypertrophy at 7 weeks would likely have died from right ventricular failure and ascites if they had been kept on full feed until 16 weeks.     

Progress towards reduced-crude protein diets for broiler chickens and sustainable chicken-meat production

The prime purpose of this review is to explore the pathways whereby progress towards reduced-crude protein(CP)diets and sustainable chicken-meat production may be best achieved. Reduced-CP broiler diets have the potential to attenuate environmental pollution from nitrogen and ammonia emissions; moreover, they have the capacity to diminish the global chicken-meat industry's dependence on soybean meal to tangible extents. The variable impacts of reduced-CP broiler diets on apparent amino acid digestibility coefficients are addressed. The more accurate identification of amino acid requirements for broiler chickens offered reduced-CP diets is essential as this would diminish amino acid imbalances and the deamination of surplus amino acids. Deamination of amino acids increases the synthesis and excretion of uric acid for which there is a requirement for glycine, this emphasises the value of so-called "non-essential" amino acids. Starch digestive dynamics and their possible impact of glucose on pancreatic secretions of insulin are discussed, although the functions of insulin in avian species require clarification. Maize is probably a superior feed grain to wheat as the basis of reduced-CP diets; if so, the identification of the underlying reasons for this difference should be instructive. Moderating increases in starch concentrations and condensing dietary starch:protein ratios in reduced-CP diets may prove to be advantageous as expanding ratios appear to be aligned to inferior broiler performance. Threonine is specifically examined because elevated free threonine plasma concentrations in birds offered reduced-CP diets may be indicative of compromised performance. If progress in these directions can be realised, then the prospects of reduced-CP diets contributing to sustainable chicken-meat production are promising.     

Effect of cross-wise perch designs on perch use in laying hens

1. The use of cross-wise perches by laying hens was investigated in 8 groups of 6 hens. During a period of 5 weeks each group was exposed to 4 different perch arrangements: a single straight perch of 60 cm (P60), a 30-cm perch crossing the middle of another 30-cm perch (P30 + 30), crossing a 45-cm (P45 + 30) or crossing a 60-cm perch (P60 + 30). 2. Perch arrangement influenced perch use. Perch occupancy (the mean number of hens using the perches) was lowest in the P30 + 30 treatment during daytime, evening and night. Perch occupancy was lower for P45 + 30 than for P60 + 30 during daytime and for P60 during evening and night. Perch occupancy did not differ between P60 and P60 + 30. 3. Perch utilisation (perch use per unit of total perch length provided) was lower for the three cross-wise perch arrangements than for P60, indicating that the area near the crossing was not used optimally. 4. There were indications that the process of taking roosting positions was more disturbed with cross-wise perches. 5. Legislation and guidelines about the minimal perch length per hen should be refined to take into account the arrangement of the perches. A perch of 30 cm cross-wise to another perch should not be included in the total amount of perch length provided to the hens. For longer cross-wise perches, the precise distance near the cross that should be excluded remains to be determined.     

禽偏肺病毒

禽偏肺病毒(Avian metapneumovirus,aMPV)自从被确定为火鸡生产中具有重要经济性的病原以来,又发现该病毒还存在于其他家禽品种。该病毒在世界某些地区具有重要的意义,而在其它地区的情况尚不清楚。该病毒会对家禽产生怎样的影响?     

Behaviour and reproductive performance of Nigerian native chickens subjected to different mating ratios for a short term

To date, there is no reported standard mating ratio for Nigerian native chickens despite their large population in the country. This study investigated the effect of mating ratio on behaviour, semen quality and level of stress. Sixty-three (9 cocks and 54 hens) sexually matured birds were randomly assigned to three mating ratios (MR) of 1 cock to 3 hens (1C:3H), 1 cock to 6 hens (1C:6H) and 1 cock to 9 hens (1C:9H), and each MR was replicated three times. Each cock spent 2 weeks in a particular MR before it was moved to another. By the 6th week, all cocks had experienced the three mating ratios. Behaviour of the hens and sexual behaviour of the cocks were observed in the morning and evening, respectively, for 6 weeks. At the end of 2nd week in each MR, semen samples were collected and evaluated for motility, morphology, liveability and concentration, and blood samples were also taken from the cocks to determine the heterophil/lymphocyte (H:L) ratio, an indicator of stress. There was also no significant effect of mating ratio on the fertility of eggs and hatchability of the chicks. The number of hen–hen aggression instances, frequency of visits to the nest box and duration of nesting was not influenced by the mating ratio. However, the duration of nest seeking was higher at 1C:3H and lower at 1C:9H. A mating ratio of 1C:9H is therefore recommended for farmers interested in raising Nigerian native chickens.     

Immunogenicity of an Escherichia coli multivalent pilus vaccine in chickens

Immunogenicity of an oil-emulsified Escherichia coli multivalent pilus vaccine was evaluated in 4-week-old chickens. The vaccine contained 180 micrograms of pilus protein from each of serotypes O1 and O78 and 170 micrograms of pilus protein from serotype O2. Chickens were vaccinated twice subcutaneously at 4 and 6 weeks old and challenged via the posterior thoracic air sac with E. coli serotype O1, O2, or O78 2 weeks after the last vaccination. Unvaccinated challenged chickens suffered 8% to 26% mortality; no vaccinated chickens died. Vaccinated chickens had very mild gross lesions in the air sacs, livers, and pericardial sacs and eliminated E. coli more efficiently than the unvaccinated challenged chickens. The results showed that a multivalent pilus vaccine protects chickens against active respiratory infection.     

鸡球虫病早熟弱毒苗实验室应用研究

鸡球虫病是一种全球性的原虫病 ,它是集约化养鸡业最为多发、严重和防治困难的疾病之一 ,其发病率高达 5 0 %～ 70 % ,死亡率为 2 0 %～ 30 % ,严重者可达 80 %。我国是养鸡大国 ,占世界总养鸡量的 1 /1 0 ,每年因鸡球虫病造成的直接和间接经济损失难以估量。迄今为止 ,鸡球虫病的防治主要依赖药物预防 ,但目前药物防治球虫病遇到了两大问题的困扰 ,首先是球虫极易产生抗药性 ,其次是药物残留 ,一些国家对禽肉、蛋制品中球虫药含量有着严格的限制 ,我国已加入 WTO,解决禽蛋制品的药物残留问题已成当务之急。因此利用免疫预防来代替药物防…     

Behaviour of laying hens in aviaries--review. Part 2: Feeding behaviour, reproductive and dust bathing behaviour of chickens

This literature review gives information about important behaviour patterns concerning feeding, reproduction and dust bathing of laying hens kept in aviary systems. The behaviour of hens in aviaries is compared to the behaviour of hens living under "close to natural" conditions. Feeding behaviour can be performed to a great extent in aviaries. The same is true for nesting behaviour, while mating behaviour can only be shown in mixed flocks. Dust bathing behaviour in aviaries should be further investigated. Although a litter area is provided and therefore dust bathing is basically possible, further research is needed, to which amount dust bathing behaviour is performed and how it is influenced by composition and height of the dust bathing substrate. Feather pecking and cannibalism can cause more deaths in housing systems with large groups of birds than in cage systems. Considering these results and the results of a first paper dealing with social and resting behaviour, aviaries provide an environment, where hens can perform a large part of their species typical behaviour repertoire. Therefore, under the aspect of behaviour, for laying hens in aviaries the potential to experience good welfare can be evaluated as fairly high.     

Effect of an automatic milking system on milking traits

Recent studies in Japan of the effect of automatic milking systems (AMS) on the behavior of dairy cows have confirmed the labor-saving aspect of AMS, but have not solved some of the problems affecting milking traits. The influence of AMS on milking was examined in 39 Holstein cows at Iwate Agricultural Research Center from June 1998 to December 1999, by measuring and recording the yield per milking, milking finish time, milking frequency, and daily yield of milking. Four milking traits were analyzed separately as the objective variable in a linear model, with parity, days in milking, month after installation of the AMS as independent variables. Primiparous cows milked more frequently in the middle and late stage of lactation, yielded less per milking and less per day in the early stage of lactation than multiparous cows with the AMS. Lower frequencies were observed at noon and midnight for cleaning of the bulk tank. By contrast, higher milking frequency in the forenoon was shown. The yield per milking rose and declined, following a normal lactation curve. However, milking frequency rose slowly, and declined gradually in the late stage of lactation. After installing a one-way gate, the cows milked more frequently, with a lower yield per milking and a greater daily milk yield, than before installation.