Effect of mineral-vitamin premix supplementation on behavioral, performance, hormonal, oxidative stress, and serum biochemical profiles on rutting male Camelus dromedarius in Egypt.

Introduction: The rutting period imposes a stressful condition on male camels, which results in elevated serum cortisol levels and alterations in their sexual behavior. Therefore, the current work was carried out to investigate the effect of mineral-vitamin premix supplementation on behavior, reproductive performance, hormones, serum oxidative stress profile, and other serum biochemical parameters of Camelus dromedarius during the breeding season. Methods: Fourteen mature, fertile male Camelus dromedarius were divided into two groups, a control group (n = 7) and a mineral-vitamin premix group (n = 7). The present study lasted for 95 days during the rutting period (1st February to 5th May). Each camel in the premix group received a daily diet of 50 g of mineral-vitamin premix throughout the whole rutting period, during which the frequencies and durations of the following behaviors: maintenance, posture, aggressiveness, and sexual activity were collected every 20 min. At the end of the study, blood samples were collected. Results: Results revealed that the premix group showed higher (P < 0.05) maintenance (feeding and rumination), standing, and overall sexual desire-related behavior frequency, besides more times (P < 0.001) for rumination, standing, walking, and lying while showing lower (P < 0.001) frequencies of overall aggressive behaviors than the control group. The serum concentration of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, cortisol, blood glucose, and urea evidenced a significant decrease in the premix group compared with the control one, while significantly elevated levels of reduced glutathione, testosterone, total antioxidant capacity, triiodothyronine, and thyroxin, total protein, albumin, globulin, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium were recorded in the premix group in comparison with the control. Conclusion: It could be concluded that daily dietary supplementation of 50 g of mineral-vitamin premix to male camels during the breeding season is necessary to overcome the oxidative stress and serum cortisol concentration with a subsequent decrease in aggressive behavior and improvement to testosterone level in blood, body condition score and body weight gain.

Modulation of Immunity, Antioxidant Status, Performance, Blood Hematology, and Intestinal Histomorphometry in Response to Dietary Inclusion of Origanum majorana in Domestic Pigeons' Diet.

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of adding Origanum majorana (OM) powder to domestic pigeon diets on growth performance, feeding and drinking behaviour, blood hematology, blood biochemical parameters, blood inflammatory and oxidative markers, carcass characteristics, the weights of lymphoid organs, and and intestinal cecal, and bursa of Fabricius histology. A random distribution of fifty-four unsexed pigeon squabs (30 days old, average body weight; 321 g ± 7.5) into three groups was done. The first group was fed the grower basal diet without adding OM powder, while OM powder was added at levels of 0.5 and 1% to the basal diets of the second and third groups, respectively. The changes in growth performance parameters and feeding and drinking behavior under OM powder's effect were insignificant. However, the lymphoid organs (spleen and thymus) significantly increased in weight (p < 0.05) in the OM-fed groups. Moreover, blood examination showed positive responses to OM powder in terms of blood cell counts (RBCs andWBCs), and the values of hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, lymphocyte numbers, levels of globulin, and glutathione peroxidase enzyme were significantly increased. The numbers of heterophils, the ratio of heterophil to lymphocyte, malondialdehyde levels were reduced (p < 0.05). Histomorphometry examination revealed increases in intestinal villi height, cecal thickness, and bursal follicle area and number. These results indicated that adding OM powder to the pigeon diet may improve their immunity, increase their antioxidant status, and correct some hematological disorders.

Effect of Dietary Microalgae (Spirulina platensis) on Growth Performance, Ingestive Behavior, Hemato-Biochemical Parameters, and Economic Efficiency of Fayoumi Broilers.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with Spirulina platensis (SP) on the productive performance, carcass characteristics, behavior, blood serum metabolites, hematological indices, and economic efficiency of Fayoumi broiler chickens for a 56-day. In total, 120 one-day-old broiler chicks were randomly distributed among four dietary treatments with three replicates (n = 10/group) for 8 weeks. The dietary treatments were a control basal diet without SP and the same basal diets supplemented with 0.25, 0.5, or 1.0% SP. Birds fed 1% Spirulina-supplemented diets recorded significantly (p < 0.05) higher body weight, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio and less overall feed intake and feeding behavior than those in the control group. No significant changes (p > 0.05) were recorded in the dressing percentage or the relative weights of internal organs among the different experimental groups, except for the thymus. Diets containing 0.5 or 1.0% SP saw an increase (p < 0.05) in serum total protein and globulin and a reduction (p < 0.05) in serum cholesterol concentration. The lymphocyte percentage in birds fed SP diets was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than in birds fed the control diet. These results suggest that adding SP up to 1% to the broiler diets could positively affect some important blood biochemical parameters, enhance their immunity response, and improve their growth performance. However, from an economic point of view, supplementation with 0.25% of SP is recommended for Fayoumi broiler chickens.

Recessive white plumage color mutation of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) revealed morphological variations in the oropharyngeal roof structures, accompanied by behavioral differences.

Genetic background of experimental animals contributes mainly to the variations in the experimental outcomes. Therefore, quails of two lines of plumage color (brown and recessive white) were studied to investigate the impact of plumage color mutations on the morphological structures of the oropharyngeal roof and also on the ingestive behavior and quail performance. Feeding intake and feed conversion ratio were higher in the brown quails, associated with nonsignificant increase of the live body weight and body weight gain. In the recessive white quails, ingestive behaviors revealed significant declines. The roof of the oropharynx roof was significantly longer in the recessive white quails; however, the upper beak was significantly longer and narrower in the brown ones. The length of the palate and pharynx showed nonsignificant increase in the recessive white quails. The median palatine ridge was formed of rostral continuous and caudal interrupted parts, and the lengths of these parts were slightly higher in the recessive white quails, meanwhile the lateral palatine ridge length showed a slight increase in the brown birds. Openings of intraepithelial glands were more numerous in the recessive white quails. The brown quails demonstrated more detectable and larger caudally directed conical shaped palatine and pharyngeal papillae, in addition to more considerable palatine salivary glands openings. The infundibular cleft was significantly wider in the recessive white quails, where its edges were characterized by lack of the pharyngeal papillae. The findings of this study will be beneficial for the breeders during selection the suitable quail lines for meat production purposes.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles prevent multidrug resistant Staphylococcus-induced footpad dermatitis in broilers.

The current experiment was designed to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementations of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZONPs) on some behavioural, performance, welfare and histopathological changes in broilers exposed to multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-induced footpad dermatitis (FPD). Eighty-four male Indian River (IR) broilers were randomly allotted to six different dietary treatments as follows: C-ve, C+ve, 10, 20, 30 and 40 ppm ZONPs from 7 to 49d of age. At day 28, broilers (n = 70) were sub-cutaneously injected with 0.5 ml of saline containing 5.3 × 107 CFU/ml of S. aureus (MRSA) in each metatarsal foot pad. Control (non-infected) broilers were given 0.5 ml of saline (n = 14). Results clarified that non-infected birds and ZONPs-fed birds had significantly higher standing and feeding activities and lower resting activities in comparison with the infected group. Also, the S. aureus infected group had significantly lower body weight gain (BWG) and higher feed conversion ratio (FCR) than the non-infected group. In addition, the non-infected birds and ZONPs groups had significantly lower object crossing and tonic immobility times (TI) and gait scores (GS) in comparison with the S. aureus group. Only ZONPs 30, 40 ppm and non-infected groups had a significantly higher latency to lie time (LLT) and lower serum cortisol level in comparison with the S. aureus group. Moreover, there were significant changes in the gross lesion score and histopathological lesions between the different groups. In conclusion, the dietary supplementation of ZONPs can reduce S. aureus-induced negative effects of FPD in broilers.

Housing Management of Male Dromedaries during the Rut Season: Effects of Social Contact between Males and Movement Control on Sexual Behavior, Blood Metabolites and Hormonal Balance.

The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of different housing management systems on behavior, blood metabolites and hormonal balance in male dromedaries during the rutting season. Forty-eight adult male dromedaries were stratified in a two by three factorial experiment design, testing effects of social contact (single and group) and movement control (tied, fenced and exercise). During a ten-week experimental period, male dromedaries were filmed weekly for 20 min three times per day to evaluate their behaviors. Blood samples were collected and analyzed for serum metabolites and hormones. Both animal social contact and movement control significantly affected maintenance, posture and sexual behaviors. Male dromedaries housed in groups expressed higher frequencies of sexual desire-related behaviors (teeth grinding, open legs, tail flapping, dulla "soft palate exteriorization", blathering and urination) than those individually housed. Animal movement control significantly affected sexual behavior; fenced and exercised male dromedaries expressed higher frequencies of sexual desire-related behaviors than tied ones. Male dromedaries housed in groups and allowed to walk around had significantly higher frequencies of ruminating, standing, walking and sexual-related behaviors than those housed individually or tied. Movement control had significant effects on blood serum metabolites and hormone concentrations. Fenced and exercised male dromedaries had higher (p < 0.05) concentrations of blood serum transaminases, free radicals, glucose, cholesterol and testosterone (2.91 and 2.09 ng/mL, respectively) and lower (p < 0.05) concentrations of cortisol (44.12 and 53.52 nmol/L, respectively) and triiodothyronine (1.68 and 1.91 ng/mL, respectively) than tied male dromedaries. In conclusion, animal social interaction is of particular importance for maintaining physical, psychological and sexual behaviors. Allowing walking-around exercise for captive animals improves their metabolic status and decreases captive stress effects. Housing systems that guarantee social interaction and physical activity are the most suitable housing management systems for captive male dromedaries during the rutting season.