Agonistic interactions in developed and undeveloped breeds of chickens

1. Agonistic interactions were observed over a 24‐week period in Rhode Island Red and in Nigerian local fowl aged 32 weeks or 12 weeks at the start of the experiments.

2. Agonistic interactions were both more numerous and more severe (fights and peck avoidances) in groups of the local breed than in those of Rhode Island Reds.

3. The outcome of severe interactions favoured local males and Rhode Island females in the first experiment and Rhode Island males in the second.

4. Small body and comb size might account for the relatively high number of agonistic interactions and the submissiveness of local females and young males while physical strength or some other breed characteristic might account for the high number of agonistic interactions of local males as well as their dominance in breed encounters.     

Effect of different patterns of food restriction from different ages on growth and efficiency of broilers

1. The effect of restricted feeding on performance and carcass characteristics of broilers was determined in three experiments.

2. In the first experiment, removal of food for 8 h/d from 42 to 56 d of age significantly improved food conversion efficiency of broilers on deep litter. Removal of food for 16 h/d or on alternate days tended to cause slower growth and also improved conversion efficiency.

3. In the second experiment, denial of food for 8 h/d did not significantly affect either growth rate or conversion efficiency of caged broilers. Denial of food on alternate days, from 28 d of age, depressed food intake and growth rate. Food restriction decreased dressing percentage regardless of the age of introduction. With 32, 40 or 48 h food denial each 72 h there was a large depression in growth rate and dressing percentage. Carcass dry matter was also less, indicating less carcass fat, when food was denied for 48 h each 72 h.

4. In the third experiment, growth rate of broilers on deep litter was significantly improved by denying food for 8 h/d from 28 d of age, and was significantly depressed by food denial on alternate days. This depression was significantly more severe if restriction started at 28 d rather than at 42 d of age. Conversion efficiency was not significantly improved by denial for 8 h/d.

5. In the last two experiments conversion efficiency was much worse in severe restriction.     

The effects of meal feeding of calcium,protein and energy on production and calcium status of laying hens

1. Laying birds were allowed free access to a basal diet (treatment 1) or were restricted to either early morning and late afternoon access to the basal diet (treatment 2) or a high‐energy diet in the morning and a high‐protein, high‐calcium diet in the afternoon (treatment 3). The sum of the components fed in treatment 3 was equivalent to the basal diet. These diets were fed for 5 weeks. In the next phase of the experiment, which lasted for 3 weeks, the compositions of the diets for treatments 2 and 3 were altered so that the intakes of dietary components approached those of birds on treatment 1.

2. In both experimental phases birds on treatment 3 produced significantly fewer eggs of smaller mean weight and shell weight. Plasma calcium, inorganic phosphorus concentrations and alkaline phosphatase activity were indicative of decreased calcium status.     

The spoilage flora and shelf‐life of duck carcasses stored at 2 or ‐ 1°c in oxygen‐permeable or oxygen‐impermeable film

1. A comparison was made of” oven ready “ duck carcasses stored at 2 or — 1 °C and wrapped in either a low‐density oxygen‐permeable polyethylene film or a heat‐shrunk oxygen‐impermeable film.

2. At spoilage the main organisms at 2 and — 1 °C on the carcasses wrapped in the oxygen‐permeable film were pseudomonads, producing unacceptable “off odours” when their numbers were >10⁸/cm². This occurred in about 10 d at 2 °C but in about 19 d at ‐ 1° C.

3. The effect of wrapping in the heat‐shrunk oxygen‐impermeable film was to delay or inhibit the growth of pseudomonads and thus extend the shelf‐life by more than 50% at either temperature. The predominant organisms isolated from the spoiling carcasses were atypical lactobacilli and enterobacteria.

4. Sensory assessment of the carcasses stored at — 1 °C by a trained panel indicated that, although less obvious “ off odours “ were produced by the micro‐organisms growing on the carcasses wrapped in the impermeable film, differences were detected at 33 d when the numbers of bacteria reached about 10⁷/cm² whilst at 41 d the meat was described as rancid.     

Habituation by the immature fowl in response to repeated injections of corticotrophin.

1. Immature birds treated for 7 d with corticotrophin (30 IU/kg, one injection per day) had significantly poorer growth rates and decreased adrenal cholesterol concentrations. Plasma glucose, corticosterone and cholesterol concentrations and adrenal weight were within the normal range 24 h after the last injection.

2. The responses of birds pretreated as described above to a single injection of corticotrophin (30 IU/kg) were determined.

3. A similar degree of hyperglycaemia had developed in both groups after 2 h but thereafter the responses differed: the concentration of plasma glucose did not increase further in those pretreated with corticotrophin and had begun to decrease at 6 h, whereas that of the birds pretreated with saline increased progressively.

4. The concentrations of plasma corticosterone had increased similarly in the two groups to a peak at 2 h but there was a significantly more rapid decrease in the birds pretreated with corticotrophin.

5. Both groups showed a transient hypercholesteraemia but the increase was significant only in the group that had previously received saline.

6. There were decreases in the concentrations of adrenal cholesterol in both groups. The decrease, in absolute terms, was 2–4 times greater in the group receiving corticotrophin for the first time: percentage changes were similar, however.