Effects of dietary supplementation with vitamin E, selenium yeast or both on egg incubation response, embryonic development, keet quality, and posthatch growth of helmeted guinea fowl breeders.

This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with vitamin E (vit. E), selenium yeast (Se yeast), or both on egg incubation response, embryonic development, keet quality, and posthatch growth of helmeted guinea fowls. Two hundred and forty 24-week old helmeted guinea fowl hens (average weight 1.75 + 0.22 kg) and cocks (average weight 2.15 + 0.20 kg) were assigned into 24 pens; each pen housed 10 hens and 2 cocks. There were four dietary treatments consisting of a basal diet (control), basal diet supplemented with vit. E (30 IU/kg), Se yeast (0.3 mg/kg Se), or both. Six pens were assigned to each treatment. Egg incubation response were estimated using 504 settable eggs sampled from each treatment collected during 15 to 17 weeks in lay. A total of 72 fertile eggs sampled from each treatment were used for the estimation of embryonic development. Quality of day-old keets hatched was scored based on physical conditions, while posthatch growth was measured for 21 days. Guinea fowl breeders fed diet supplemented with both vit. E and Se yeast produced the highest (P < 0.05) number of fertile eggs, percentage fertility, number of hatchlings, hatchability of total eggs, and hatchability of fertile eggs. Supplementation with vit. E + Se yeast resulted in the heaviest (P < 0.05) embryo weight, relative embryo weight, least (P < 0.05) yolk sac weight, and relative yolk sac weight on 25 days of incubation. Hatchlings from breeders fed diet supplemented with Se yeast and vit. E + Se yeast showed normal swallowed yolk. Supplementation of maternal diet with vit. E, Se yeast, and vit. E + Se yeast resulted in improved (P < 0.05) feed conversion ratio of subsequent hatchlings during 1 to 7-day posthatch growth. It can be concluded that dietary supplementation of vit. E + Se yeast in guinea fowl breeders resulted in improved egg fertility, hatchability, heavier embryo weights, hatchlings of good quality, and improved posthatch growth during the first 7 days.

The effect of zinc, iron, calcium, and copper from organic sources in pheasant diet on the performance, hatching, minerals, and fatty acid composition of eggs.

The paper presents findings about how the substitution of calcium, iron, zinc, and copper salts with glycine chelates affects specific reproductive parameters of pheasants, the hatching potential and nutritional components of pheasant eggs, and the fatty acid profiles and cholesterol content in pheasant yolk. 4 groups were created for the experiment: the control, in which the birds received a feed containing standard calcium, iron, zinc, and copper salts, and 3 experimental groups in which chelates were used to replace 25, 50, and 75% of the mineral salts. The group with the 75% chelate share was not supplemented with the salts, and cholecalciferol was replaced with calcitriol. The groups included pheasant females (7 birds) and 1 male, respectively, and were maintained in outdoor aviaries. The birds were administered granulated feed mixes ad libitum, with free access to water. Their feed intake was recorded each day. The birds were weighed at the beginning and end of the egg-laying period. The eggs were collected throughout the egg-laying period, and the eggs gathered at the culmination of the egg-laying period were used for hatching. The eggs were morphometrically analyzed and the hatching process and subsequent hatchling survival rates were investigated. Nutritional components in the eggs were determined, and the fatty acid profiles and cholesterol content were assayed in the yolk. The results showed the use of Ca, Fe, Zn, and Cu chelates in place of salts in the pheasant brood hen diet had contributed to enhancing the egg-laying performance, with a concurrent fall in the size and weight of the eggs. The highest egg-laying performance, with the lowest egg weight, was observed in the group that consumed the highest (75%) share of mineral chelates and received calcitriol supplementation. This corresponded with the highest incubation yield and hatchling survival. The thickest shells and highest crude ash percentages were identified in the eggs of the pheasant group that received a 50% by 50% proportion of salts and glycine chelates. In comparison with the control birds that received the mineral salts, the yolk of the pheasants that consumed the feed with the 75% share of calcitriol and Ca, Fe, Zn, and Cu chelates had a higher percentage of n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), with a far more advantageous n-6/n-3 proportion. No differences related to the source and levels of Ca, Fe, Zn, and Cu in the feed were observed in the cholesterol content of the pheasant yolk.

Effect of laboratory-isolated Lactobacillus plantarum LGFCP4 from gastrointestinal tract of guinea fowl on growth performance, carcass traits, intestinal histomorphometry and gastrointestinal microflora population in broiler chicken.

The study aimed to investigate the effect of feed supplements, viz Lactobacillus plantarum LGFCP4 (laboratory isolate from GIT of Guinea fowl), Lactobacillus acidophilus (NCDC, Karnal) and in-feed antibiotic bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD) on growth performance, FCR, carcass traits and immune organs weight, intestinal histomorphometry and gastrointestinal microflora population in broiler chickens. In a completely randomized design, CARIBRO-Dhanraja broiler chicks (n = 160) were used with four treatment groups. During the entire experimental duration of 35 days, treatment groups were provided with different dietary treatments (T1 - basal diet (negative control), T2 - antibiotic growth promoter BMD 20 g/100 kg feed (positive control), T3 - 1 × 108  cfu of L. acidophilus/gm-fermented feed +MOS 1 g/kg feed and T4 - 1 × 108  cfu of laboratory-isolated L. plantarum LGFCP4/gm-fermented feed+ MOS 1 g/kg feed. After 35 days of experimental period, no significant results have been observed in different growth performance traits among treatment groups. Cut-up parts and edible organs' weight remained unaffected by dietary supplementation, whereas weight of immune organs were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in L. plantarum LGFCP4-supplemented group. At the end of feeding trial, significantly (p < 0.05) lower E. coli count was observed in crop of T4 birds, while in ileum, T2 and T3 showed lower count. In caeca, T2 group showed lowest E. coli count. Salmonella count in crop and ileum was significantly (p < 0.05) low in T3 and T4, while in caeca, T2 group showed lowest count. In terms of histomorphometry, duodenal villous height (VH), crypt depth (CD) and VH:CD ratio were higher for T3 and T4 and lowest values were obtained for T2 group. The results of the study showed that L. plantarum LGFCP4 isolated from GIT of guinea fowl can effectively replace in-feed antibiotic growth promoters in broiler diets by altering intestinal villi morphology and improving the gut health by reducing the pathogenic microbial load.

Does Wyoming's Core Area Policy Protect Winter Habitats for Greater Sage-Grouse?

Conservation reserves established to protect important habitat for wildlife species are used world-wide as a wildlife conservation measure. Effective reserves must adequately protect year-round habitats to maintain wildlife populations. Wyoming's Sage-Grouse Core Area policy was established to protect breeding habitats for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Protecting only one important seasonal habitat could result in loss or degradation of other important habitats and potential declines in local populations. The purpose of our study was to identify the timing of winter habitat use, the extent which individuals breeding in Core Areas used winter habitats, and develop resource selection functions to assess effectiveness of Core Areas in conserving sage-grouse winter habitats in portions of 5 Core Areas in central and north-central Wyoming during winters 2011-2015. We found that use of winter habitats occured over a longer period than current Core Area winter timing stipulations and a substantial amount of winter habitat outside of Core Areas was used by individuals that bred in Core Areas, particularly in smaller Core Areas. Resource selection functions for each study area indicated that sage-grouse were selecting habitats in response to landscapes dominated by big sagebrush and flatter topography similar to other research on sage-grouse winter habitat selection. The substantial portion of sage-grouse locations and predicted probability of selection during winter outside small Core Areas illustrate that winter requirements for sage-grouse are not adequately met by existing Core Areas. Consequently, further considerations for identifying and managing important winter sage-grouse habitats under Wyoming's Core Area Policy are warranted.

Lysine mediation of neuroendocrine food regulation in guinea fowl.

In poultry, obesity is partly influenced by food intake, and is increasingly becoming a nationwide problem. Hypothalamic food intake mechanisms are involved metabolically and neurologically via two peptide hormones, leptin and ghrelin, and the amino acid glutamate, which is enzymatically derived from lysine metabolism. We hypothesize that lysine homeostasis mediates regulation of feed intake and performance characteristics via the brain-liver axis through glutamate sensing. The objective was to examine the effects of lysine homeostasis in avian food regulation and performance through neuroendocrine signaling. One-day-old male French Guinea fowl (GF) keets (n = 270) were weighed and randomly assigned to 5 dietary treatments (0.80%, 0.86%, 0.92%, 1.10% control, and 1.22% lysine) in 3 replicates. At 4 and 8 wk of age 20% of experimental birds were randomly selected, weighed and euthanatized. The liver, pancreas, and hypothalamus were excised, snap frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -80°C until use. Tissue mRNA was extracted and cDNA synthesized for qPCR assays. Lysine at 0.80 and 0.86% hindered growth, development of digestive organs, expression of brain and liver glutamate and leptin receptors, and caused high mortality in GF. The fold change for metabotropic glutamate receptor I was lower (P < 0.05) in liver and higher in brain at 0.86 and 0.92% than the control (1.10%) and 1.22% lysine. The 1.22% lysine exhibited highest expression of ionotropic glutamate receptor, while brain ghrelin receptor expression was highest at 0.86 and 0.92% lysine. Therefore, dietary lysine concentration may influence signaling pathways regulating food intake in brain-liver axis via glutamate synthesis.

Western Juniper Management: Assessing Strategies for Improving Greater Sage-grouse Habitat and Rangeland Productivity.

Western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis subsp. occidentalis) range expansion into sagebrush steppe ecosystems has affected both native wildlife and economic livelihoods across western North America. The potential listing of the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) under the U.S. Endangered Species Act has spurred a decade of juniper removal efforts, yet limited research has evaluated program effectiveness. We used a multi-objective spatially explicit model to identify optimal juniper removal sites in Northeastern California across weighted goals for ecological (sage-grouse habitat) and economic (cattle forage production) benefits. We also extended the analysis through alternative case scenarios that tested the effects of coordination among federal agencies, budgetary constraints, and the use of fire as a juniper treatment method. We found that sage-grouse conservation and forage production goals are somewhat complementary, but the extent of complementary benefits strongly depends on spatial factors and management approaches. Certain management actions substantially increase achievable benefits, including agency coordination and the use of prescribed burns to remove juniper. Critically, our results indicate that juniper management strategies designed to increase cattle forage do not necessarily achieve measurable sage-grouse benefits, underscoring the need for program evaluation and monitoring.

Melatonin regulates splenocytes proliferation via IP3-dependent intracellular Ca2+ release in seasonally breeding bird, Perdicula asiatica.

Melatonin plays an important role in the immune regulation of birds. Both endogenous and exogenous melatonin modulates lymphocyte proliferation via its specific membrane receptors, Mel(1a), Mel(1b) and Mel(1c), though the mechanisms behind this process are poorly understood. We investigated the differences in melatonin membrane receptor Mel(1a), Mel(1b) and Mel(1c) expression by western blot and reverse transcription reaction and the in vitro effect of melatonin on the intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca2+]i) in splenocytes of the Indian Jungle Bush Quail, Perdicula asiatica. We used a non-selective melatonin receptor antagonist for Mel(1a) and Mel(1b), luzindole, and the selective Mel(1b) blocker, 4P-PDOT to check the specific role of melatonin receptor on ([Ca2+]i). The expression of Mel(1a), Mel(1b) and Mel(1c) receptors mRNA and protein was upregulated by melatonin (10(-7) M) with a significant high rise in ([Ca2+]i), which was differentially blocked by supplementation of antagonist, luzindole (10(-7) M) and 4P-PDOT (10(-7) M). Furthermore, we noted in vitro effect of melatonin and 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB), a cell-permeable antagonist of inositol 1, 4, 5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptor to check the rise in ([Ca2+]i) through the IP3 pathway. Significantly low ([Ca2+]i) was noted in melatonin and 2-APB pretreated splenocytes when compared with splenocytes where 2-APB was absent. Thus, our data suggest that melatonin through its membrane receptor induced the elevation of ([Ca2+]i) via IP(3)-dependent pathway for splenocyte proliferation in P. asiatica.

Effect of a prebiotic on performance of partridge.

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of a prebiotic on performance of partridge. The experiment was carried out with a total of eighty-day-old male Chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar chukar) chicks in a completely randomized design. The dietary treatments consisted of a control and an experimental treatment, and each treatment was replicated four times with 10 chicks per replicate. The experimental period lasted 16 weeks with a starter period (0-8 weeks) and a grower period (9-16 weeks). The control group was fed the basal diet, while the experimental group was fed the basal diet supplemented with 0.18% prebiotic Aspergillus meal in each period. Performance parameters included body weight gain, cumulative feed consumption and cumulative FCR and were recorded at biweekly intervals. Carcass characteristics and blood parameters were measured at the end of the experiment (week 16). Although the results showed that prebiotic had no significant effect on body weight gain and cumulative feed conversion ratio; however, the supplementation of Aspergillus meal significantly (p < 0.05) decreased cumulative feed consumption. Also prebiotic significantly increased percentages of breast and gastrointestinal tract, decreased percentage of back-neck, decreased blood triglyceride and total cholesterol content and increased blood calcium content. From this study, it was concluded that dietary supplementation of 0.18% Aspergillus meal might offer beneficial effects on partridge feed consumption, carcass quality and blood cholesterol.

Effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, serum metabolites, gut morphology, and microflora of growing guinea fowl.

A 56-day feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of dried ginger meal (DGM) on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, serum parameters, gut morphology, and microflora of growing helmeted guinea fowl (Numidia meleagris). One hundred sixty 28-day-old male keets were assigned to four dietary treatments. There were 40 birds per treatment replicated four times with 10 keets each. The experimental diets consisted of the basal diet (control), ginger-supplemented diets containing 20, 40, and 60 g/kg DGM, respectively. Guinea fowls fed diet supplemented with DGM had higher (P <0.05) final body weight, body weight gain and lower (P <0.05) feed intake. Optimum weight gain was obtained with supplementation level of 36.15-g DGM (R (2) = 0.923). Guinea fowls fed diet supplemented with 40 g/kg DGM recorded the highest (P <0.05) coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility of dry matter, ether extract and longest (P <0.05) duodenal and ileal villus heights. The crypt depth of the duodenum and ileum reduced (P <0.05) with increasing level of dietary supplementation of DGM. Dietary supplementation of DGM resulted in increased (P <0.05) total serum protein, serum albumin and low (P <0.05) serum cholesterol concentration. Ileum content of birds fed diet supplemented with 40 g/kg DGM recorded the highest (P <0.05) lactobacillus count. In conclusion, dietary inclusion of 40-g DGM per kilogram diet is hereby recommended for improved growth, apparent nutrient digestibility, gut morphology, serum chemistry, and stimulation of balanced intestinal microflora in growing guinea fowl.

Effects of dietary selenium supplementation on tissue selenium distribution and glutathione peroxidase activity in Chinese Ring necked Pheasants.

The objective of this study was to determine the concentration of total selenium (Se) and the proportions of total Se comprised as selenomethionine (SeMet) and selenocysteine (SeCys) in the postmortem tissues of female pheasants (Phasianus Colchicus Torquator) offered diets that contained graded additions of selenised-enriched yeast (SY) or a single comparative dose of sodium selenite (SS). Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and tissue glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity of breast (Pectoralis Major) were assessed at 0 and 5 days postmortem. A total of 216 female pheasant chicks were enrolled into the study. Twenty-four birds were euthanased at the start of the study, and samples of blood, breast muscle, leg muscle (M. Peroneus Longus and M. Gastrocnemius), heart, liver, kidney and gizzard were collected for determination of total Se. Remaining birds were blocked by live weight and randomly allocated to one of four dietary treatments (n = 48 birds/treatment) that either differed in Se source (SY v. SS) or dose (control (0.17 mg total Se/kg), SY-L and SS-L (0.3 mg/kg total Se as SY and SS, respectively) and SY-H (0.45 mg total Se/kg)). Following 42 and 91 days of treatment, 24 birds per treatment were euthanased, and samples of blood, breast muscle, leg muscle, heart, liver, kidney and gizzard were retained for determination of total Se and the proportion of total Se comprised as SeMet or SeCys. Whole blood GSH-Px activity was determined at each time point. Tissue GSH-Px activity and TBARS were determined in breast tissue at the end of the study. There were increases in both blood and tissues to the graded addition of SY to the diet (P < 0.001), but the same responses were not apparent with the blood and tissues of selenite-supplemented birds receiving a comparable dose (SY-L v. SS-L). Although there were differences between tissue types in the distribution of SeMet and SeCys, there were few differences between treatments. There were effects of treatment on erythrocyte GSH-Px activity (P = 0.012) with values being higher in treatments SY-H and SS-L when compared with the negative control and treatment SY-L. There were no effects of treatment on tissue GSH-Px activity, which is reflected in the overall lack of any treatment effects on TBARS.

Sunflower oil supplementation alters meat quality but not performance of growing partridges (Alectoris chukar).

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of sunflower oil supplementation (0%, 3%, 6% and 9%) to partridge chicks (Alectoris chukar) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and carcass characteristics. Feed consumption and live weight gain were responsive to dietary sunflower oil inclusion during the starter period, but not during the grower period. Increasing sunflower oil level linearly increased crude protein and fat digestibilities. Except for abdominal fat, weights of inedible parts and edible organs remained unchanged by the diets. The treatments linearly decreased weight and efficiency of carcass and weights of wings and breast and did not alter weights of thighs and neck. Breast meat saturated fatty acids decreased linearly by 17.9% and unsaturated fatty acids increased linearly by 10.6%, as sunflower oil level increased in the diets. Monounsaturated fatty acids decreased linearly by 27.3%, whereas polyunsaturated fatty acids increased linearly by 51%. Overall, n-3 (0.78% vs. 0.59%) and n-6 (42.6% vs. 29.8%) were greater in breast meat in treatment groups than in control group. In conclusion, sunflower addition into diets has minimal effects on performance of growing partridges, but significantly alters meat fatty acid composition.

Effects of beta-carotene supplementation on chick growth, immune status and behaviour in the grey partridge, Perdix perdix.

Carotenoids are important for various functions during chick development. Since these pigments cannot be synthesized, they can be considered limited resources that the mother optimally allocates between herself and her offspring (maternal effect). Some studies have examined the effects of carotenoids on growth and immune function but little is known about their role in behaviour. In this study of the grey partridge, we conducted two supplementation experiments: (1) laying females were fed with beta-carotene enriched or impoverished diets; (2) chicks were fed directly with beta-carotene enriched or impoverished diets. We then evaluated the effects of this carotenoid on chick growth, immunocompetence and anti-predator behaviour (reactions to a raptor model). In the first experiment, the beta-carotene enriched diet given to mothers did not cause any difference in chick physiology. In the second experiment, beta-carotene supplementation of chicks had a significant beneficial effect on their growth and immune response, although their behavioural reactions did not differ in relation to the diet. Therefore, beta-carotene supplementation had beneficial effects on growth and immunocompetence only when directly supplied to chicks. The beneficial effect reported in other species for begging or pecking behaviours was not confirmed for the anti-predator behaviour of grey partridge chicks.