Effects of evisceration and storage temperature on changes in meat quality of traditional farm‐fresh Turkeys

1. Conditions affecting the keeping quality of traditional farm‐fresh turkeys were investigated.

2. Storage of uneviscerated Wrolstad turkeys at 4 °C for 10 days caused no statistically significant changes in meat flavour or texture.

3. During further storage at —2 °C, however, there was a slight but significant change in flavour, which became more marked with time in birds which had been eviscerated after the initial period at 4 °C.

4. Both eviscerated and uneviscerated birds became slightly tougher during storage.

5. Initial holding at 4 °C increased the numbers of psychrotrophic bacteria on the skin by about 10³ but subsequent changes at — 2 °C were slight for uneviscerated birds.

6. Eviscerated carcases had higher counts than uneviscerated birds after storage at — 2 °C and, although ‘off’ odours were not detected, spoilage appeared to be imminent at the end of the 20‐d period.     

Book reviews

Birds Their Structure and Function, By A. S. King and J. McLelland, 1984. 2nd ed. 334 pp. illustrated. London, Baillière Tindall. £9.50. ISBN 0 7020 0872 9.

Proceedings of the 2nd European Symposium on Poultry Welfare, 1985. 360 pp. illustrated. German Branch of the World's Poultry Science Association, Celle, Institut für Kleintierzucht.     

Some diagnostic, biologic and morphologic characteristics of Francisella tularensis strains isolated from the ticks Ixodes ricinus (L.) in the Prague agglomeration

Four infectious agents were isolated from the ticks Ixodes ricinus (L.) collected in the recreational area and park-forest of Prague. On the basis of cultivation, staining, biochemical, serologic properties, pathogenicity for animals and histological tests they were identified as Francisella tularensis with the following features: they are short, gram-negative rods of approximate dimensions of 0.3 X 0.8 micron, growing in enriched media after 3-4 day incubation at 37 degrees C. They form small circular, at first transparent, later greyish turbid colonies with regular rims. They are little active biochemically. They are susceptible to streptomycin and some broad spectrum antibiotics. They react positively with tularemic serum, but in lower titres than those in which this serum reacts with standard antigen. The microbes are highly pathogenic for mice, guinea-pigs, young rats, in which a massive bacteriemia occurs before death, but they do not kill rabbits. They multiply well in chick embryo, but do not grow in cell or tissue cultures. The most important histologic changes were observed in liver and spleen of mice. No pathologic changes were found in brain, lungs, heart, kidneys. Necroses were found in liver and in their marginal zones the microbes were present. Conspicuous were changes in numerous hepatocytes which became enlarged due to microbial multiplication and finally transformed into "sacs" packed with microbes. Histological and electronoptical examination showed that these are intracellular parasites fringed with a light lytic zone. Discussed is the problem to what extent the properties of the isolated strains are typical of F. tularensis as well as the importance of their detection from the aspect of epidemiology and differential diagnostics.     

Braconidae (Hymenoptera) associated with forest and ornamental trees and shrubs in Israel

Data are presented on the occurrence of Braconidae (Hymenoptera parasitica) parasitizing insects associated with forest and ornamental trees and shrubs in Israel. Fifty-five genera of plants are listed, the richest in braconid fauna being tamarisk (9 species); acacia, pistachio and poplar (8 species each); carob and oak (7 species each). Of the 95 species of insect hosts mentioned, 53 are Lepidoptera, mostly Gelechiidae (7 species), Pyralidae (6 species), Noctuidae (5 species), Gracillariidae, Tortricidae, Geometridae, Lymantriidae and Lycaenidae (3 species each); 44 are Coleoptera, mostly Cerambycidae (13 species), Scolytidae (12 species), and Bostrichidae (9 species); three are Diptera. Of the 92 species of braconids listed, of which only 65 have been fully named, 56 develop in Lepidoptera, mostly Noctuidae (15 species), Gelechiidae (11 species) and Pyralidae (9 species); 33 species develop in Coleoptera, mostly Cerambycidae (12 species, Bostrichidae (10 species) and Scolytidae (5 species); and three species develop in Diptera. Thirty-eight species are new to the fauna of Israel; at least three of them are new to science,viz., Gnaptodon, Gildoria andDendrosotinus titubatus Papp.     

The effect of some benzoyl phenylureas on the larvae of earias insulana

Diflubenzuron, PH 60-38, PH 6043, penfluron (PH 60-44), PH 6045, triflumuron, chlorfuazuron (IKI-7899), teflubenzuron (CME 134), XRD473 and Dowco 439 were tested for their efficacy against the larvae of the spiny bollworm,Earias insulana (Boisd.), in laboratory experiments. The compounds were incorporated at different concentrations in an artificial diet and 5-day-old larvae were introduced and grown on the treated diets until pupation and adult emergence. Teflubenzuron was active at 0.1 ppm, chlorfuazuron at 0.75 ppm and PH 60-38 at 10 ppm; triflumuron and diflubenzuron were active only at 50 ppm; all the rest of the compounds were even less active. When cotton bolls were dipped in teflubenzuron and offered to 6-day-old larvae in the laboratory, only 4% and 10% of the larvae penetrated inside the bolls treated with 50 and 25 ppm a.i., respectively, whereas 68% penetrated inside untreated bolls.     

Spring invasion of Heterodera schachtii in sugarbeet; a simulation study

A simulation model was developed for the spring invasion of the beet cyst nematode,Heterodera schachtii Schmidt, into sugarbeet roots, according to the state variable approach. This model describes the processes of egghatch, emergence of second stage larvae from cysts, migration to roots and penetration into roots quantitatively, using published data.In 1983 a field experiment was conducted to test this model.H. schachtii cysts were introduced at depths 6–29 cm in PVC-cylinders, buried in the soil. The rooting depth of sugarbeet seedlings, growing in these cylinders, was limited to 5 cm by 50 m mesh nylon gauze. Every 10 days the second stage larvae, which had penetrated into the roots of these seedlings were counted. After 50 days, about 40% of the eggs had hatched. More than 20% of the emerged larvae penetrated if the cysts had been buried undeeply, and only 4% if the cysts had been buried at 29 cm depth.The model predicted the course of penetration into the root during the first 40 days with reasonable accuracy (r²=0.79), but in the 5th period of 10 days the model made an overestimation of more than 100%. Egghatch after 50 days was correctly simulated. The differences in penetration into the root between the model and the experiment might result from an oversimplified simulation of the penetration success or the neglection of mortality of second stage larvae. Detailed experiments should be done to provide better parameters for these factors.Samenvatting Volgens de toestandsvariabele-benadering werd een simulatiemodel ontwikkeld van de voorjaarspenetratie van het bietecystenaaltje. Het model beschrijft aan de hand van literatuurgegevens het uikomen van de eieren, het verlaten van de cyst door de larven, de migratie naar en de penetratie in de wortel.In 1983 werd een veldproef uitgevoerd om het model te toetsen. Cysten vanH. schachtii werden op 5 dieptes tussen 6 en 29 cm ingegraven in PVC-cylinders, welke waren verzonken in de bodem. De bewortelingsdiepte van de suikerbiete-zaailingen die hierin groeiden werd beperkt tot 5 cm door nylon gaas van 50 m maaswijdte. Elke 10 dagen werden de larven geteld die in de wortels van deze plantjes waren gepenetreerd. Na 50 dagen was 40% van de eieren uitgekomen. Meer dan 20% van de gelokte larven penetreerden als de cysten ondiep waren ingegraven, en slechts 4% als de cysten op 29 cm diepte waren ingegraven.Gedurende de eerste 40 dagen werd het verloop van de penetratie in de wortel met redelijke nauwkeurigheid door het model voorspeld (r²=0.79). In de 5e periode van 10 dagen maakte het model echter een overschatting van meer dan 100%. Het uitkomen van de eieren werd correct gesimuleerd. De verschillen in penetratie tussen het model en de proef zouden het gevolg kunnen zijn van een oververeenvoudigde simulatie van het penetratiesucces of van het verwaarlozen van de mortaliteit van de migrerende larven. Betere gegevens hierover zullen moeten komen uit detailproeven.     

Shell strength of eggs from medium‐bodied hybrid hens housed in cages or on range in outside pens

1. On average, over the laying year, a higher proportion of eggs were cracked from cages (4.6%) than from range (2.0%); the difference tended to increase as the flocks aged.

2. There was evidence that eggs from range had stronger shells: they required more energy to crack, shell thickness was greater and shell deformation at 70 weeks was less (though the difference was not significant).

3. The differences between systems in shell strength, although real, were small. It is probable that environmental insults make a much larger contribution than shell strength to differences in crack incidence.

4. Eggs laid by hens on range were larger (+ 6.8% at 36 weeks and + 2.9% at 70 weeks) than those laid by the same stock housed in cages.     

Behaviour of roaster chickens towards an automatic weighing perch

1. Automatic weighing equipment was tested on a flock of 752 roaster chickens reared on litter to 10 weeks of age.

2. Mean body weights obtained automatically were lower than those obtained manually, mainly because of birds perching on the automatic weighing perch with part of their body in contact with the floor.

3. Birds observed on the weighing perch on one day of the week were 3–5 times more likely to use the perch again on the following 2 d than expected on the basis of random perch use by flock members. These birds were also more likely to be seen in the area immediately surrounding the perch than in similar areas elsewhere in the pen.