Variance components for live weight, body measurements and reproductive traits of pair-mated ostrich females

Estimates of genetic parameters for reproductive traits, live weight and body measurements were obtained using data from a pair-mated ostrich flock at Oudtshoorn in South Africa. Reproductive traits included total egg and chick production, along with hatchability percentage. Live weight, chest circumference and tail circumferences were recorded at the commencement and cessation of breeding. Heritability estimates (h(2)) were 0.23 for egg production, 0.20 for chick production, 0.10 for hatchability, 0.20 to 0.34 for live weight, 0.12 for chest circumference and 0.30 to 0.38 for tail circumference. Female permanent environmental effects (c(2)) amounted to 0.18 for egg production, 0.18 for chick production, 0.21 for hatchability, 0.32 to 0.36 for live weight and 0.23 to 0.32 for chest circumference. Service sire exerted significant effects only on hatchability (0.22) and subsequently chick production (0.09). Genetic correlations of reproductive traits with live weight were low to moderate, variable in sign, and did not differ significantly from zero. Correlations between live weight recorded at the beginning and end of the breeding season were unity for additive genetic and permanent environmental effects. Egg and chick production were highly correlated genetically and phenotypically, with the genetic correlation exceeding the theoretical limit. In unconstrained analyses, hatchability was positively related to chick production, including at the service sire level. Selection gains in the current flock and future generations are likely. No significant adverse relationships were found between live weight, body measurements and reproductive traits.     

Effects of supplemental vitamin E during the laying period on the reproductive performance of Taiwan native chickens

1. One-day-old Taiwan Native Breeder female chicks were fed on maize/soybean growing diets without supplemental vitamin E from hatch to 17 weeks of age. After 17 weeks the birds (n = 300) were randomly assigned to 5 dietary treatments and fed on maize/soybean laying diets supplemented with 0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 mg/kg of vitamin E (dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate), respectively, until 46 weeks of age. The variates measured included: age at first egg, feed consumption (FC), feed efficiency (FE), egg production (EP), egg weight (EW), egg specific gravity (ESG), eggshell strength (ESS), fertility and hatchability. 2. The addition of 120mg/kg of vitamin E lowered the first EW (P<0.05); however, there was no significant difference in the age or body weight (BW) of pullets at first egg or mortality rate to 46 weeks of age among the treatments. FE and egg mass were improved (P<0.05) in pullets fed 80 mg/kg of supplemental vitamin E. A significant increase in EP was observed after peak EP in pullets given 80 mg/kg of supplemental vitamin E. However, this favourable effect decreased as supplemental vitamin E exceeded 80 mg/kg. 3. From 17 to 46 weeks of age, egg quality (ESG and ESS) decreased with age. However, there was no correlation between age and fertility or hatchability during the experimental period, suggesting that egg quality is more age-sensitive than reproductive performance for breeder pullets. 4. Compared with the control, fertility and hatchability of all eggs set for the treatment with 80 mg/kg supplemental vitamin E increased by 7.7 and 13.4%, respectively. There was no difference in the hatchability of fertile eggs. 5. These results suggest that using supplemental vitamin E during the laying period can improve the reproductive performance of breeder pullets. The addition of 80 mg/kg of vitamin E obtained the best performance in EP, egg mass, FE (feed/egg), hatchability and fertility.     

Egg production,fertility, hatchability and immune responses of some chicken strains under high ambient temperatures

This experiment was designed to investigate and compare the egg production, fertility, hatchability and immune responses of some local developed Egyptian chicken strains under high ambient temperatures. A total of 108 (26 weeks old) laying hens of Matrouh, Silver Montazah, Mandarah and Inshas (9 hens × 3 replicates × 4 strains) were used to evaluate the impact of thermal stress (24-34ºC) during summer season (June, July and August) on egg production, fertility, hatchability and immune responses. The obtained results revealed that final body weight (FBW/g) and body weight change (BWC/g) among different chicken strains were not affected. The daily feed consumption (FC/g) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) for Silver Montazah and Inshas strains were significantly (p ≤ .05) higher than those of Matrouh and Mandarah strains. The mean egg production (EP/%) and egg mass (EM) for Silver Montazah and Inshas strains were significantly (p ≤ .05) higher than those of Matrouh and Mandarah strains. The highest percentages of hatchability of total eggs (HTE) and fertile eggs (HFE) were recorded in Inshas chickens, while the lowest value was recorded in Mandarah chickens. Also, the highest embryonic mortalities (p ≤ .05) and lowest chick weight at hatch (CWH/g) were recorded in Mandarah chickens compared with the other strains. The highest values for antibody titres against phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P) were recorded in Mandarah chickens, while the least values were recorded in Inshas chickens.     

Repeatability and phenotypic correlations for body weight and reproduction in commercial ostrich breeding pairs

1. Reproduction is an important aspect of ostrich farming, where income is mainly derived from hides and meat. No estimates of repeatability or phenotypic correlations for reproduction and body weight are currendy available for commercial ostriches.

2. Means, standard deviations, repeatability coefficients and phenotypic correlations for and among reproductive traits and body weight were computed for the average yearly production of 42 to 67 mixed age ostrich breeding pairs maintained on the Klein Karoo Agricultural Development Centre from 1990 to 1994. The among‐breeding‐pair variance component was used in the repeatability estimations, as the pairing off of the same male:female combinations repeatedly resulted in the confounding of these effects.

3. Phenotypic correlations of male body weight with egg production performance ( — 0.20) and female body weight with hatchability percentage ( — 0.16) were negative. Correlations of egg production performance with infertility (— 0.20) and hatchability (0.23) percentages were favourable.

4. The repeatability of annual adult body weight was 0.68 ± 0.05 in male ostriches and 0.61 ±0.05 in females.

5. Ostrich reproduction traits were extremely variable. An appreciable portion of this variation could be attributed to the repeatable nature of breeding pair performance from year to year. All the reproduction traits analysed were moderately repeatable, ranging from 0.38 ± 0.07 (hatchability percentage) to 0.51 ± 0.06 (percentage of embryonic deaths). Egg production performance during the first breeding season of 17 breeding pairs for which data were available predicted subsequent performance satisfactorily, suggesting that selection decisions can be made at quite an early age.     

Effects of lighting intensity on growth and reproductive performance of breeder geese

This study investigated the effects of lighting intensity on egg production among white Roman geese kept in an environmentally controlled house. Two hundred and fifty-two White Roman geese aged 10 mo were randomly distributed among 12 pens, with each pen containing 5 ganders and 16 females on the floor, based on a completely random design (CRD). At the beginning of the study, each treatment group was comprised of 5 ganders and 16 geese in each pen; these groups included: control (40 lux group), geese under 170 lux (170 lux group), geese under 300 lux (300 lux group), and geese under 430 lux (430 lux group). The age of the geese at first lay was 10 mo, on average. The results showed that geese under 40 lux in egg number per goose or laying rate had lower than those of the 430 lux group. The reproductive characteristics were no different for the 170 lux, 300 lux, or 430 lux light groups. The hatchability in the 170 lux light group was significantly higher than in the 40 lux light group (P < 0.05). Moreover, the egg weight in the 170 lux and 430 lux groups was significantly heavier than the 40 lux light group (P < 0.05). Therefore, if lighting intensity supplementation of lux is defined as X (lux/geese), and egg number production is defined as Y₄ (egg), then Y₄ = 35.7 + 0.46X-0.002X²+0.00000296X³ (R² = 0.868, P < 0.001) for the entire experimental period. In conclusion, geese raised under 170 lux lighting intensity in an environmentally controlled house achieved higher hatchability and egg weight during the laying season.     

肉种鸡血浆极低密度脂蛋白质量浓度双向选择的效应

以父母代肉种鸡为材料，以血浆极低密度脂蛋白（very low density lipoprotein，VLDL）质量浓度为选择指标建立肉鸡高脂系和低脂系，个体测定一世代高、低脂系母鸡产蛋性能、种蛋受精率、孵化率、二世代6周龄体质量，观察血浆VLDL质量浓度选择效应。结果显示，一世代低脂系比高脂系早开产6．7d，低脂系40周龄和54周龄产蛋量显著高于高脂系零世代，一世代低脂系种蛋受精率、受精蛋孵化率、入孵蛋孵化率均优于高脂系；二世代高、低脂系6周龄体质量差异不显著。结果表明，对血浆VLDL质量浓度的低向选择使种鸡产蛋性能、种蛋受精率、孵化率产生了有益的间接反应，但对早期体质量没有影响。     

Effect of diet and natural variations in climates on the performance of laying hens

1. Laying hens raised in 3 natural tropical environments were fed on 2 series of diets with a view to defining the optimum combination of climate and dietary energy.

2. A combination of 3 growing climates, 3 laying climates (temperate, hot dry, hot humid), and 2 dietary energy concentrations (10.03 and 11.70 MJ ME/kg with protein concentrations proportional to energy) were tested for 46 weeks using 432 point‐of‐lay pullets.

3. Both growing and laying climates significantly affected most traits measured during the laying period. The patterns of egg production showed good persistency in all environments and differences observed reduced with age.

4. The difference between the high and low energy intake reduced at high ambient temperatures. Feeding low energy diets did not affect mean age at first egg, rate of lay or the egg output in the hot dry environment, nor egg weight in either hot dry or hot humid climates. Rather, feeding low energy diets resulted in improved body weight change in all 3 laying environments.

5. The growing climate and diet interacted significandy on body weight change, while highly significant interactions between laying climate and diet occurred on rate of lay, food and energy intake and egg weight during the laying period.     

Effect of dosage and application mode of l‐carnitine on plasma lipid and egg‐yolk cholesterol of turkeys,hatchability of eggs and post‐hatch growth of their offsprings

The effect of dosage and application mode of l ‐carnitine on plasma lipid and egg‐yolk cholesterol of breeder turkeys, hatchability of eggs and post‐hatch growth response was investigated using 180 breeder hens. The hens were assigned to six dietary treatments in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangements of two application modes of l ‐carnitine (diet and drinking water) supplemented at 0, 50 and 100 ppm (mg/kg or mg/l) levels, respectively. Each treatment was replicated five times with six hens per replicate. Dietary inclusion of 50 ppm l ‐carnitine showed the lowest (p < 0.01) plasma total cholesterol (TC) and low‐density lipoprotein concentration (LDL). Breeder hens offered 50 ppm l ‐carnitine with no regard to application mode recorded the highest (p < 0.01) plasma high‐density lipoprotein (HDL). Hens offered 50 and 100 ppm l ‐carnitine irrespective of application mode also showed reduced (p < 0.01) egg‐yolk TC concentration at 32 weeks of age. Dietary supplementation of 50 ppm l ‐carnitine for breeder turkeys recorded the lowest (p < 0.01) egg‐yolk triglyceride (TG) at 40 weeks of age. Hens offered 50 ppm l ‐carnitine irrespective of application mode recorded the highest (p < 0.05) hen‐day egg production. Incidence of dead‐in‐shell also reduced (p < 0.05) with increasing dosage of l ‐carnitine. Dietary supplementation of 50 ppm and oral application in drinking water of 100 ppm l ‐carnitine for breeder turkeys resulted in highest (p < 0.05) egg fertility. Offsprings from breeder hens fed diets supplemented with l ‐carnitine recorded no post‐hatch mortality. Highest (p < 0.05) post‐hatch final live weight and weight gain was obtained with poults obtained from hens fed diet supplemented with 50 ppm l ‐carnitine. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of 50 ppm l ‐carnitine for turkey hens showed improved serum lipid profile, egg fertility, reduced dead‐in‐shell, egg‐yolk cholesterol and resulted in improved post‐hatch growth performance.     

The Productive Performance and the Correlation Analysis Between Hatchability and Egg Quality in Jiangxi Green-eggshell Layers

The purpose of this study was to provide the reference to Jiangxi Green-eggshell breeding through the analysis of laying performance, hatchability and egg quality in the first generation of Jiangxi Green-eggshell layers at 300-days old. 306 Jiangxi Green-eggshell layers and 80 eggs were selected to determine the laying performance, hatchability and egg quality among families, and the correlation between the hatchability and egg quality were analyzed also. The results were as fellows:The average body weight of these hens was 1 596.99 g, the average egg weight was 50.57 g, the average egg-laying number was 14.53, the average fertility rate was 93.69%, the average dead fertile egg rate was 5.55%, the average healthy chick rate was 84.3%, the average dead embryo egg rate was 13.9%, the average egg shape index was 1.28, the average Haugh unit was 71.77, and the average eggshell strength was 4.44 kg/cm². The healthy chick rate and the egg weight had significant correlation,as well as the eggshell color and the egg shape index (P < 0.05). The healthy chick rate had extremely significantly correlation with the dead fertile egg rate(P < 0.01), as well as the eggshell strength and the eggshell thickness (P < 0.01). Generally, the first generation of Jiangxi Green-eggshell layers had good egg quality, higher laying performance and hatchability, but they still need to be further selected.     

Evaluation of two Indian native chicken breeds for reproduction traits and heritability of juvenile growth traits

The present study was conducted to evaluate two Indian native chicken breeds, namely, Aseel and Kadaknath for fertility, hatchability, genetic parameters of juvenile growth traits, and semen quality traits at the onset of sexual maturity. The fertility was similar in Aseel (86.96%) and Kadaknath (85.15%); however, a relatively higher hatchability was observed in Kadaknath (77.94%) than Aseel (70.74%). Heritability estimates of body weights at 4 weeks of age were almost similar in Aseel (0.37) and Kadaknath (0.39), while the estimate of body weight at 6 weeks of age was higher in Aseel (0.42) than Kadaknath (0.31). The heritability estimate of shank length at 6 weeks of age was lower in Aseel (0.16) compared to Kadaknath (0.35). The age at first egg in the flock was comparable in Aseel (148 days) and Kadaknath (150 days). Aseel breed with significantly (P ≤ 0.001) higher body weight, absolute and relative testes weights had significantly higher semen volume (P ≤ 0.05) and sperm motility (P ≤ 0.01) but had lower seminal plasma cholesterol level (P ≤ 0.05) as compared to Kadaknath. It can be concluded that there is a scope for genetic improvement of these two native breeds for juvenile growth traits since heritability estimates of these traits were relatively high.     

Impact of cage stocking density on egg laying characteristics and related stress and immunity parameters of Japanese quails in subtropics

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different cage stocking densities on egg production parameters, as well as related stress and immunity indices in Japanese quails under subtropical Egyptian conditions. Two hundred and sixteen birds of Japanese quail at 14th week of age were used in this experiment. The birds were divided randomly into three groups: 60, 72 and 84. Each group subdivided into 4 replicates, where the cages' floor spaces were 200 (S₁), 167 (S₂) and 143 (S₃) cm²/bird, respectively. Birds housed at 200 cm²/bird (S₁) had superior fertility (fertility % (p = 0.013) and hatchability % (p = 0.041)), egg production (egg weight (p = 0.034) and egg mass (p = 0.001)) and immunity parameters (higher geometric mean of antibody titres against Newcastle disease virus, p = 0.024). Furthermore, they had higher internal egg quality score: albumen height (p = 0.003), yolk height (p = 0.023), yolk index (p = 0.006) and Haugh unit (p = 0.035). Birds housed at 143 cm²/bird (S₃) had the lowest total leucocytic count and lymphocyte % (p = 0.022), but the highest H/L ratio (p = 0.001). Corticosterone concentration was lower in S₁ group (p = 0.031) than that in groups housed at higher densities. Japanese quail housed at high densities revealed drop in fertility, hatchability, production and immunity parameters, indicating a detrimental effects on both welfare and economic income.     

Effect of diets containing earthworm powder and vermihumus on egg production,hatchability, blood parameters and immunity of Japanese breeder quails

The present study is aimed to evaluate the effects of different levels of earthworm (EW) powder and vermihumus (VH) on the growth performance, humoral immunity response, plasma constituents and reproductive performance of Japanese breeder quails. A total of 336 birds were assigned to seven treatments in a completely randomized design from day 30 to 90 of age. The dietary treatments were carried out, one without any addition of EW and VH, the second had a standard rate of VH at 0.8%, while a range of EW additions was supplied from 0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2% and 2.5%. The effects of treatments on body weight and mortality were not significant (p > .05). The highest feed intake was observed in birds fed the diets supplemented with 1% and 1.5% EW (p < .05). The highest titre of antibodies against influenza virus and sheep red blood cells belonged to the EW and VH treatments (p < .05). The antibody titre against Newcastle disease virus vaccine was not affected by the treatments. In general, the birds receiving EW and VH had the highest egg weight, egg production and egg mass weight (p < .05). Nonetheless, various levels of EW powder negatively affected hatchability and increased mortality and leg disorders (p < .05). The results showed that the levels of dietary 1% and 1.5% of EW powder gave the best growth and reproductive performance to birds respectively.     

江西绿壳蛋鸡生产性能及孵化性能与蛋品质的相关性分析

本研究通过对江西绿壳蛋鸡F1代产蛋性能、孵化效果和蛋品质进行分析,为江西绿壳蛋鸡选育提供参考。试验选取300日龄江西绿壳蛋鸡306只及其鸡蛋80枚,分别测定、分析蛋鸡产蛋性能及种蛋孵化效果和蛋品质,并对这些指标进行相关性分析。经测定,试验蛋鸡平均体重为1 596.99 g,平均蛋重为50.57 g,平均产蛋数为14.53枚;群体平均受精率为93.69%,平均死精率为5.55%,平均健雏率为84.3%,平死胚率为13.9%。群体平均蛋形指数为1.28,平均哈氏单位为71.77,平均蛋壳强度为4.44 kg/cm²。相关分析显示,健雏率与蛋重、蛋壳颜色与蛋形指数间呈显著相关（P < 0.05）;健雏率与死胚率、蛋壳强度与蛋壳厚度间呈极显著相关（P < 0.01）。以上结果表明,江西绿壳蛋鸡F1代蛋品质优良,产蛋性能、孵化效果较好,但仍需进一步选育。     

Effect of Testosterone Administration and Spiking on Reproductive Success of Broiler Breeder Flocks

Age negatively affects reproductive success of broiler breeder flocks. One of the main hormones involved in the change of fertility with the age is testosterone (TT). The introduction of young males at later production stages of broiler flocks is known as spiking and is expected to reduce the fertility decline with age. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of injection of different levels of TT and the effect of spiking on reproductive fitness of broiler breeder flocks. Two experiments were conducted on Ross 308 breeder flocks for 10 weeks (41–50 weeks of age). The experiment 1 included a control and three treatments corresponding to three doses of TT (0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 cc), while the experiment 2 included a control and one treatment corresponding to spiking. The lower dose of TT (0.1 cc) and the spiking clearly slowed down the decline in hatchability. Therefore, either the external administration of TT to the males when the natural concentration of TT starts to decline or spiking the breeder flock with young roosters could contribute to improve reproductive success in later stages of the production cycle in broiler breeder flocks.     

Indigenous Muscovy Ducks in Congo Brazzaville. 2. Preliminary observations on indigenous Muscovy ducks reared under moderate inputs in Congolese conditions

To evaluate the potential of the native Muscovy ducks in Congo, a trial was conducted with closed housing, commercial feeding and veterinary care. The characterization included reproductive performance, daily weight gain, live body weight, feed conversion ratio, body live weight productivity, and meat productivity. The experimental genetic stock was bred under natural mating and natural incubation. The number of eggs recorded per female and per clutch was 14.6 ± 3 eggs with 2 clutches per year. The average (±SD) hatchability was 75% ± 3% and the average egg weight was 72 ± 8 g. The sexual dimorphism for body weight appeared after 3 weeks (p < 0.05). The maximum daily weight gain in males reached 55 ± 8 g/day and occurred at 5 weeks, whereas in females it occurred at 4 weeks and reached 35 ± 5 g/day. The carcass yield was 70% ± 5% and 51 ± 8% in males and females, respectively. The meat productivity was 26.7 and 11.5 kg/m² per year in males and females, respectively. From these findings, it can be concluded that the incubation by mother duck is preferred in the small farming duck and that males should be raised for meat and females for egg production. Further studies including local poultry-related issues are needed to optimize the performance of the native Muscovy duck in Congo Brazzaville.     

Effects of Bacillus subtilis C‐3102 on production,hatching performance,egg quality,serum antioxidant capacity and immune response of laying breeders

To investigate the supplemental effects of Bacillus subtilis C‐3102 on the production, hatching performance, egg quality, serum antioxidant capacity and immune response of laying breeders, a total of 480 Xuefeng black‐bone (25‐week‐old) hens were randomly assigned into four treatment groups: Hens fed the basal diets with 0 (CON), 3.0 × 10⁵ (BS‐1), 6.0 × 10⁵ cfu/g (BS‐2) and 9.0 × 10⁵ (BS‐3) cfu/g of B. subtilis C‐3102. As the B. subtilis C‐3102 level increased, egg weight (linear, p < 0.01; quadratic, p = 0.003), fertility (linear, p = 0.021; quadratic, p = 0.059), hatchability (linear, p = 0.038; quadratic, p = 0.119) and yolk colour (linear, p = 0.006; quadratic, p = 0.021) increased in a linear or quadratic manner. Yolk index increased quadratically (linear, p = 0.054; quadratic, p = 0.017), and eggshell thickness (linear, p = 0.036; quadratic, p = 0.128), the activity of GSH‐Px (linear, p = 0.024; quadratic, p = 0.078), the concentration of IgM (linear, p = 0.016; quadratic, p = 0.056) and the level of AIV‐Ab (linear, p = 0.034; quadratic, p = 0.103) in the serum increased linearly as dietary supplementation of B. subtilis C‐3102 increased. The results showed that dietary treatments did not affect egg production, feed conversion ratio, egg mass, hatchability of fertile eggs, eggshell‐breaking strength, egg‐shape index, yolk percentage, Haugh unit, T‐SOD, T‐AOC, MDA, IgA and IgG concentrations and the level of NDV‐Ab in the serum. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of 9.0 × 10⁵ cfu/g B. subtilis C‐3102 in laying breeders diets may be a feasible means of effectively increasing egg weight, fertility and hatchability, and improving egg quality such as eggshell thickness, yolk index and yolk colour. Besides, B. subtilis C‐3102 can enhance the activity of GSH‐Px, the concentration of IgM and the level of AIV‐Ab in the serum.     

Stability of dietary ascorbic acid and the effect of supplementation on reproductive performance of broiler breeder chickens

1. The purpose of the study was to determine the stability of dietary ascorbic acid and the reproductive responses of broiler breeder chickens to supplemental 75 mg ascorbic acid/kg diet. 2. Six breeder flocks of 13,000 birds each were studied. Egg production, eggshell porosity, fertility, hatchability and plasma ascorbic acid were measured. 3. Storage of the diets under dry heat resulted in a linear decrease in ascorbic acid content and the rate of decline was 5-fold higher in the supplemented diet. 4. Differences were not detected between treatments in egg production, egg weight, eggshell porosity, fertility, hatchability or plasma ascorbic acid. 5. The results did not provide evidence of a beneficial reproductive response to the inclusion of ascorbic acid in commercial broiler breeder diets.     

Effects of supplemental vitamin E in diet of Japanese quail on male reproduction, fertility and hatchability

1. Two experiments were conducted to examine the effect of feeding higher supplemental vitamin E (VE) concentrations on male reproductive variables, fertility and hatchability of quails. 2. In experiment 1, sixty 5-week-old male quails, reared in individual cages, were fed male breeder diets supplemented with 0, 75, 150, 225 or 300 IU alpha-tocopherol acetate/kg. At 10 weeks, observations on cloacal gland size, foam production, testes weight and blood samples for testosterone estimation were taken. 3. In experiment 2, 50 male and 50 female cage-reared quails (5 weeks old) were fed male breeder and layer rations, respectively, supplemented with 0, 75, 150, 225 or 300 IU/kg. At 13 weeks, 9 different mating pairs (5 pairs/group) were formed. Group 1 contained one control male and one control female in each of 5 pens. In groups 2 to 5, control males were paired with females on supplements of 75, 150, 225 or 300 IU/kg. In groups 6 to 9, control females were paired with males on supplements of 75, 150, 225 and 300 IU/kg. During subsequent adaptation and egg collection periods, each of 10 d, control layer ration was fed to all groups. All the eggs laid during the 10-d egg collection period were incubated artificially to estimate fertility and hatchability. The trial was repeated at 15 weeks. 4. Adult male quails receiving moderate supplemental VE (75 and 150 IU/kg) had a higher cloacal gland index, quantity of foam secretion, testicular weight and plasma testosterone than quails fed on either VE-deficient or more highly supplemented diets (225 and 300 IU alpha-tocopherol acetate/kg). 5. It was concluded that a supplement of 75 IU VE/kg in maize/soybean diet could provide the best reproductive performance of male breeder quails. Cloacal gland index, quantity of foam secretion, testicular weight and plasma testosterone can serve as indirect indicators of testicular activity and fertilising ability in quails. Supplemental VE did not affect the fertility and hatchability of male and female Japanese quails.     

Reproductive performance of breeder quails fed diets supplemented with L‐cysteine‐coated iron oxide nanoparticles

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of L‐cysteine‐coated iron oxide nanoparticles on reproductive performance in breeder quails. The five treatment diets consisted of (i) negative control diet not supplemented with iron, (ii) positive control diet supplemented with 60 mg/kg of Fe₃O₄ and (iii) experimental diets supplemented with 0.6, 6 and 60 mg/kg of L‐cysteine‐coated iron oxide nanoparticles. A total of 100 seven‐day‐old quail chicks were weighed and randomly placed to five groups of five replicate cages. Four quails (one male and three females) were raised in each cage (50 × 15 × 17 cm). Egg production, feed consumption and egg weight were recorded daily and calculated on a hen per day basis. Egg components, fertility, hatchability and day‐old chicks hatched from their eggs were measured at the end of the experiment. The percentage of egg production and egg mass of the 6 mg/kg Fe₃O₄‐Cys NPs group were significantly higher than those of the control groups. Throughout the experimental period, the highest weekly egg weight was recorded for the 60 mg/kg Fe₃O₄‐Cys NPs group. Fertility was improved by diet supplemented with iron, both FeSO₄ and Fe₃O₄‐Cys NPs. The breeder fed Fe₃O₄‐Cys NPs had the highest day‐old chicks weight. The results of this study showed that Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles that were coated by L‐cysteine could improve availability and utilization of iron in diet. Finally, it was proposed that Fe₃O₄‐Cys NPs could be used as feed additives in quails.     

Egg yolk fatty acid profile of avian species – influence on human nutrition

Lipids are an important nutritional component of the avian egg. A review of the literature was completed to determine the fatty acid compositions in egg yolk from some avian species. Additionally, the nutritional influence of lipid and lipoprotein content on the plasma of male participants during 30‐day feeding was discussed. The ostrich eggs had the highest unsaturated fatty acid and the lowest cholesterol content in relation to other avian species. Ostrich had a higher proportion of 18:3n‐3 (p < 0.01) compared with other species. Chicken yolk numerically contained much higher levels of 22:6n‐3 than those found in turkeys, quails and geese, but the amount of 22:6n‐3 in ostrich egg was lower by comparison with other species (p < 0.01). After the storage of eggs at the room temperature, there was a notable loss of vitamin E (vitE) in the yolks of all species and this decrease was marginal (p < 0.01) in ostrich compared with other species. There were significant (p < 0.05) increases in plasma low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) level in all male subjects. Plasma high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) level decreased (p < 0.05) only in men who were fed chicken or ostrich eggs daily. Consumption of different species’ eggs had no influence on the total male plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels. LDL‐C:HDL‐C ratio increased (p < 0.05) after goose and turkey egg consumption. Consumption of one egg/month by healthy human subjects had no effect on serum total cholesterol and triglyceride. The LDL‐C:HDL‐C ratio (which is a strong predictor of coronary heart disease risk) increased, although non‐significantly, by consuming chicken, quail and ostrich eggs.