Cogeneration of electric energy and nitric oxide

A solid electrolyte fuel cell operating on ammonia fuel has been constructed and tested. The yield of nitric oxide can exceed 60 percent with simultaneous electric energy production. Two dimensionless numbers have been identified which govern the product selectivity and power output of this fuel cell. The cell appears to be a promising candidate for nitric acid and electric energy cogeneration.     

Evaluation of rabbit excreta as an ingredient in broiler diets

1. Dry rabbit excreta were found to contain 188.1 g crude protein, 6.6 g non‐protein nitrogen, 0.3 g ammonia, 89.8 g moisture, 8.0 g ether extractives, 135.2 g crude fibre, 266.9 g ash and 19.18 MJ gross energy/kg. Methionine and lysine contents were 3.95 and 4.29 g/100 g protein, respectively.

2. In one experiment, 0, 50, 100 or 200 g rabbit excreta/kg were substituted for maize in a broiler diet. Chickens receiving the diet containing 200 g rabbit excreta/kg gained significantly less weight to 8 weeks of age than those receiving other diets.

3. In a second experiment, 0, 100, 150 or 200 g rabbit excreta/kg were substituted primarily for maize in a broiler diet to provide equal energy and protein contents. Weight gains to 8 weeks of birds receiving these diets did not differ significantly. The uncorrected metabolisable energy content of the excreta was 9.15 MJ/kg.

4. There were no gross pathological changes in the birds fed on the experimental diets.     

Factors affecting the hatchability of eggs from broiler breeders

1. Four experiments were carried out on eggs from broiler breeding flocks between 26 and 60 weeks of age. The effects of storage and incubation conditions on hatchability were tested.

2. Collecting eggs hourly rather than five hours after lay slightly reduced hatchability (P<0.10). Pre‐storage fumigation of almost un‐contaminated eggs had no effect on hatchability even after storage for 8 d. Storing eggs in unsealed polythene bags did not affect hatchability of eggs stored for 5 or 8 d.

3. Eggs stored for 2 d hatched better when held at 18 °C than at 15 °C (P<0.05). Eggs stored for 8 d at 15 °C hatched better than eggs stored for 8 d at 18 °C (P< 0.01). Best hatchability was in eggs stored in unsealed polythene bags at a room temperature of 15 °C. When older eggs were allowed 30 to 40 min more in the setter for each day of storage, the decline in hatchability was 0.5 to 0.6 percentage units per day in storage as compared with a decline of 1.2 percentage units per day when eggs of different storage times, up to 8 d, were set simultaneously.

4. Those eggs which showed a weight loss during incubation of near average for their relative humidity (RH) treatment tended to hatch better than others except under conditions of very low RH (0.36), when best hatchability was associated with lower than average weight loss.

5. In eggs from a young flock (28 to 44 weeks of age) hatchability of fertile eggs was depressed by 1 percentage unit with an increase in RH of 0.17, and by 1 percentage unit with each decrease of 0.06 in RH from a control RH of 0.53. In eggs from the same flock between 48 and 60 weeks of age hatchability was depressed by 1 percentage unit with each 0.037 increase in RH from 0.44 to 0.70.

6. Eggs from a young flock (34–49 weeks) hatched significantly better when maintained at 0.82 rather than at 0.66 (P<0.05) or 0.95 (P<0.10) RH during the hatching period from 19 to 21 d of incubation. Eggs from an older flock (51–61 weeks) hatched better at 0.82 and at 0.‐92 than at 0.72 RH during the same period, but the differences were not significant.