Effects of energy and protein allowances during lay on the reproductive performance of broiler breeder hens

1. Broiler parent stock were fed daily allowances of 1.88, 1.73 or 1.52 MJ apparent metabolisable energy (AME) per bird at two different daily protein intakes (27, 21.3 g crude protein (CP) per bird) or daily protein intakes of 24.6 and 19.4 g CP per bird at a daily energy intake of 1.88 MJ AME per bird from 21 to 64 weeks of age.

2. Body‐weight gain and carcass fat and water content increased and fertility decreased with increasing energy allowance. Maximum egg production occurred at an energy intake of 1.73 MJ AME/bird d.

3. Differences in egg weight and hatchability were related to differences in both energy and protein intake. The highest egg weight occurred at the highest allowance of energy and protein. Hatchability was depressed where the daily allowances of protein and energy were in a ratio of more than 15 g protein: 1 MJ AME.

4. Apart from egg size no significant effects on reproductive performance were observed when dietary protein intake was varied from 27 to 19.5 g/bird d.

5. Requirements of broiler breeder hens for protein during lay may be lower than previously thought. For the strain used a protein intake of 19.5 g/bird d appeared adequate provided essential amino acid concentrations were maintained.

6. The close relationships between body weight and energy allowance and the latter and egg production make body‐weight gain a useful guide to management. A body‐weight gain of about 1.1 kg from 21 to 36 weeks of age was associated with optimum performance in this study.     

Feeding standards during lay and reproductive performance of broiler breeders

1. Broiler parent stock (Marshall) were supplied with energy and protein from diets in amounts defined as percentages of an allowance such that nutrient intake increased or decreased in three consecutive periods from 23 to 63 weeks of age.

2. A 20% reduction in energy allowance from 23 to 34 weeks was associated with reduced body‐weight gain, egg weight and carcass constituents except ash, but had no significant effect on egg production or hatchability.

3. Increases in nutrient intake after 34 weeks were associated with an increase in body‐weight gain and carcass fat.

4. Moderate decreases in energy intake after 34 weeks were associated with reduced body‐weight gain, and a 15% reduction in nutrient intake resulted in a decrease in body weight and egg weight.

5. It is suggested that a feeding allowance which controls body‐weight gain during early lay, and then allows for a gradual increase in body weight over the breeding period may be the most efficient way of feeding the broiler breeder hen.     

PERINATAL FOAL MORTALITY ASSOCIATED WITH A HERPESVIRUS

An outbreak of perinatal foal mortality associated with a herpesvirus is described. Twenty two foals either were still-born, or died soon after birth, or were weak and soon developed severe respiratory signs, or were normal at birth and developed respiratory symptoms 18 to 24 hours later. Elevated temperatures, heart and respiratory rates were constant features. The animals were severely leucopaenic, and showed an absolute neutropaenia. At autopsy the lungs were enlarged, and showed varying degrees of aeration and moderate to severe oedema and congestion. Histopathology showed an acute focal necrotising bronchiolitis with the presence of intranuclear eosinophilic inclusion bodies. Herpesvirus was recovered from 9 foals in cell culture and identified by electron microscopy.     

Escherichia coli strains isolated from diarrheic piglets in the Province of Quebec.

During 1972 to 1974, 112 Escherichia coli strains isolated from diarrheic piglets were recieved from different parts of the Province of Quebec, Canada. Fifty-six strains elicited a positive gut loop response in three week old piglets and were then considered as Moon's class 1 enteropathogens, while four of the 56 remaining strains reacted only in ten day old piglets and were classified as class 2 enteropathogens. Forty-eight strains produced both a heat-labile and a heat-stable enterotoxin, while 12 isolates which included the four class 2 enteropathogens produced only a heat-stable enterotoxin. Fifty-one enterotoxigenic strains could be serogrouped using OK antisera against E. coli strains commonly associated with colibacillosis in piglets. The most common serogroups encountered were O157: K "V17"; 88a,c, O149:K91; 88a.c. O157:K"V1c, O149:K91; 88a.c, O157:K"V17"; 88 a,c or a,b and O45:K"E5"; 88a,c. No significant difference was observed in the fermentation patterns, antibiotic susceptibility, colicin production, production of a filterable hemolysin and transferable tetracycline resistance between the enterotoxigenic and the nonenterotoxigenic strains.     

TOTAL ANOMALOUS PULMONARY VENOUS CONNECTION IN A FOAL

An 8-day-old Arabian-Morgan cross colt underwent cardiac evaluation. The foal was tachycardic, tachypneic, exercise intolerant and had a loud right-sided heart murmur and cyanotic mucous membranes. Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection was diagnosed with echocardiography and confirmed at postmortem examination. Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection is a very rare congenital cardiac abnormality that has not been reported before in the horse.     

Effects of Latent Infection of Stock Plants and Abundance of Thrips on the Occurrence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tomato spotted wilt virus </Emphasis>in Chrysanthemum Fields

DAS-ELISA proved to be reliable enough to detect a latent infection by Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) in asymptomatic stock plants of chrysanthemum. A high density of Frankliniella occidentalis, the predominant vector, in the presence of latently infected stock plants resulted in a high incidence of disease in the chrysanthemum production field. The incidence of disease was low when the vector thrips were not abundant in spite of the presence of latently infected stock plants. These results suggest that an infestation of the vector thrips causes severe secondary spread of TSWV originating from latently infected stock plants in chrysanthemum production fields. Received 27 July 2001/ Accepted in revised form 27 November 2001