Vitamin E Supplementation and Early Age Heat Conditioning to Alleviate the Negative Effects of Heat Stress in Quail Chicks.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Inclusion of vitamin E in poultry diets and manipulation of temperature at early age has been known to help birds cope with heat stress at later age of their life. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of early age heat conditioning (EHC) and vitamin E addition on the performance and blood parameters to alleviate deleterious impact of heat stress in quail chicks. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Three hundred one-day-old quail chicks were randomly divided into 4 groups of 5 replicates with 15 birds of each. Treatments were: Control, vitamin E: Chicks were fed the basal diet supplemented with 200 IU kg-1 diet vitamin E, EHC: Chicks were exposed to 40±1°C for 2 h at days 7th and 13th of embryogenesis and EHC+vitamin E: Chicks were exposed to 40±1°C for 2 h at days 7th and 13th of embryogenesis and fed the basal diet supplemented with 200 IU kg-1 vitamin E. The experiment lasted from 1-40 days of age. RESULTS: The results indicated that using early age heat conditioning and/or supplementation of vitamin E significantly (p<0.05) improved body weight, feed intake and feed conversion ratio at 40 days of age. Significantly (p<0.05) improvement was observed in blood pH, H/L ratio and Hb concentration, thyroid hormones (T3 and T4), plasma protein fractions and antioxidant status (Total antioxidant capacity, catalase and superoxide dismutase). CONCLUSION: Exposed quail chicks to early age heat conditioning and addition of vitamin E at 200 IU kg-1 diet can effectively alleviate the adverse effects of heat stress.

Effects of phytase supplementation on growth performance, jejunum morphology, liver health, and serum metabolites of Japanese quails fed sesame (Sesamum indicum) meal-based diets containing graded levels of protein.

A 2 × 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments was used to investigate the effects of two levels of dietary crude protein (200 or 240 g kg(-1)) and two inclusion rates of phytase enzyme supplementation (with or without) on performance, jejunum morphology, and some hematological parameters of Japanese quails fed diets based on three graded levels of sesame (Sesamum indicum) meal (0, 120, and 240 g kg(-1) of the diet). A total of 480 Japanese quail chicks were randomly allocated to 12 treatments with 4 replicates of 10 Japanese quails. The results showed that feed intake was decreased in quails fed diets containing 240 g kg(-1) of sesame meal (P < 0.05). Diets with 120 and 240 g kg(-1) inclusion rates of sesame meal improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) in Japanese quail (P < 0.05). Results indicated that the higher level of crude protein improved protein efficiency ratio (PER) and increased feed intake (P < 0.05). The results of jejunum morphology showed that diets containing 120 and 240 g kg(-1) sesame meal increased villus height and the ratio of VH to CD and decreased crypt depth (P < 0.05). Enzyme addition increased serum calcium and phosphorous of Japanese quails (P < 0.05). The liver weight was greater in Japanese quails fed diets containing 200 g kg(-1) crude protein and 120 g kg(-1) sesame meal (P < 0.05). The serum concentration of uric acid was increased in birds that received 240 g kg(-1) protein (P < 0.05). It is concluded that the use of sesame meal improved growth performance (FCR) of Japanese quails. Moreover, serum concentration of calcium and phosphorous was greater in quails with phytase supplementation included in their diet.

Dietary supplementation of Gracilariopsis persica is associated with some quality related sera and egg yolk parameters in laying quails.

BACKGROUND: Gracilariopsis persica (Gp) is one of the most abundant red algae distributed in the Persian Gulf, containing various bioactive components with hypolipedimic, hypoglycemic and antioxidant properties. Therefore using laying quails as a model we aimed to investigate the effect of dietary Gp on body weight, feed conversion, estradiol, progesterone, calcium and lipid levels in serum, as well as the high-density:low-density lipoprotein (HDL:LDL) ratio. Yolk cholesterol and yolk lipid oxidation were also evaluated. To accomplish this, diets containing 0, 10, 30 and 50 g kg(-1) Gp were fed to 5-week-old laying quails for 12 weeks. RESULTS: Our data revealed that Gp had no effect on body weight, feed conversion, triglycerides and estradiol levels of serum. Dietary Gp decreased the serum and yolk cholesterol in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the sera progesterone and calcium levels and HDL:LDL ratios were increased by feeding diets containing 50 g kg(-1) Gp. Our results relating to yolk lipid oxidation showed that malondialdehyde content was decreased in Gp-fed laying quails. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study demonstrate that not only serum and egg yolk cholesterol levels, but also susceptibility of yolk lipids to oxidation, can be decreased by feeding Gp to laying quails.

Effect of a rosemary and oregano volatile oil mixture on performance, lipid oxidation of meat and haematological parameters in Pharaoh quails.

1. This study was conducted to determine the utility of a volatile oil (VO) mixture in quail diets as a natural growth promoter. Different levels of VO mixtures, derived from rosemary and oregano, were added to a basal diet to determine the effects of the mixture on live weight (LW), live weight gain (LWG), feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), carcase yield (CY), lipid oxidation level in thigh meat samples, and blood constituents. 2. A total of 880 one-day-old Pharaoh (Coturnix coturnix Pharaoh) quails, including both males and females, were divided into 4 groups containing 220 quails and treated as follows: (1) a control treatment with 0 mg VO/kg of diet; (2) 100 mg/kg rosemary VO plus 100 mg/kg oregano VO (50:50%); (3) 140 mg/kg oregano VO plus 60 mg/kg rosemary VO (70:30%); and (4) 60 mg/kg oregano VO plus 140 mg/kg rosemary VO (30:70%). The diets were prepared fresh for each treatment. The experiment was carried out for 42 d. 3. The results of the study showed that the highest concentration of rosemary oil (140 mg/kg) caused a significant increase in live weight, live weight gain and carcase yields during the growing and finishing periods. However, feed intake and FCR were not significantly influenced by treatments. 4. The quails fed with rations containing the VO mixture derived from rosemary and oregano had reduced thiobarbituric acid levels (TBA) in raw breast meat samples at different storage times. There is possibly a synergistic effect between oregano and rosemary volatile oils in preventing lipid oxidation in stored meat. 5. In this study, the haemoglobin (PCV) and haematocrit values and the heterophile/lympohocyte (H/L) ratio increased in the blood samples taken from Treatment 2. 6. In conclusion, a volatile oil containing a mixture of rosemary and oregano oils could be a potential natural growth promoter for quails, depending on the plants from which the VOs were extracted, the dosage and the synergetic effects of the mixture.

Solid state fermented potato pulp can be used as poultry feed.

1. Potato pulp is the industrial waste produced during starch extraction from potatoes. Its discharge has become an environmental pollution problem and a decisive cost factor due to stricter environmental legislation and associated expense in the potato starch industry. 2. To date, little information has been provided regarding the nutritive value and any possible toxic effects of potato pulp for poultry feed. 3. In the present paper, a model was developed to assess potato pulp for use as a new poultry feed, which will help starch factories to decrease waste discharge. 4. First, a solid-state fermentation technique to change potato pulp to poultry feed is briefly described; then, the major nutrient compositions of this feed are analysed; lastly, related toxicological effects are studied and the safety of the feed assessed. 5. The results indicated that no unintended effects were found on layer quails during a 30-d feeding study, and the new feed initially showed its safety for poultry in our assessment procedure. However, additional work on limiting nutrients analysis, appetite depressant effects, and egg-laying in a large-scale experiment is required to further establish the findings.

Evidence for a daily rhythmicity in the acute release of luteinizing hormone in response to electrical stimulation in the Japanese quail.

This study was undertaken to examine the effect of electrical stimulation of the hypothalamus at different times of day on luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion in male castrated quail on short days (8L:16D). The posterior hypothalamus was stimulated with square-wave pulses of 80 microA for 2 min through chronically-implanted platinum microelectrodes. Stimulation was carried out on each quail at 4 (treatment A), 10 (B), or 14 h (C) after dawn. Plasma LH levels were increased markedly within 2 min of ending the stimulation but reached basal levels again over the next 20 min or so. The absolute increase was significantly greater in treatment B (10 h after lights on) than at the other times tested. This is consistent with a rhythm in hypothalamic responsivity. The results are discussed in the context of the rhythm of photoinducibility which occurs early in the night and which is used by quail as a photoperiodic clock to regulate seasonal reproduction.

Comparison of plasma thyroxine levels following short exposure to cold and TRH administration in intact and pituitary autografted quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica).

The thyrotropic functional abilities of ectopically transplanted anterior pituitaries were tested by subjecting quail bearing their adenohypophysis in juxtarenal position either to a short cold exposure or to an intravenous injection of TRH. Thyroxine was determined in plasma samples collected from 20 to 120 min after treatment. Intact birds exhibited increasing T4 levels up to a peak at 40 min, then decreasing slowly within 2 hr after either cold or TRH stimulation. Autografted birds exhibited significant although lower and delayed increase of plasma thyroxine following both stimuli.

Divergent selection for body weight and yolk precursor in Coturnix coturnix japonica. 2. Correlated responses in plasma lipoproteins and lipids.

Lipoproteins from generations five and six of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) divergently selected for increased (HW) or decreased (LW) body weight at 4 weeks of age or increased (HP) or decreased (LP) plasma yolk precursor at the initiation of egg production were separated into fractions of d less than 1.006 and d greater than 1.006. A randombred control (R1) was also sampled. Total lipids (TL), neutral lipids (NL), and phospholipids (PL) were determined. The NL's of the d less than 1.006 lipoprotein fractions were also analyzed for cholesterol esters (CE), triglycerides (TG), cholesterol (C), and a fraction of minor lipid components including digycerides (DG+). A correlation of .960 between total plasma phosphorus and TL of the d less than 1.006 lipoprotein fraction was observed. No strain effect was noted for TL, NL, or PL for either generation in the d greater than 1.006 fraction. In the d less than 1.006 fraction, TL, NL, and PL all varied concurrently, with the order being HP greater than HW, LW, R1 greater than LP. Percent NL and PL did not vary with strain in the S5 generation in the d less than 1.006 fraction. In the S6, the HP strain had a higher % NL and lower % PL in the d less than 1.006 fraction. No differences in % NL and PL were noted for the d greater than 1.006 fraction. In the d less than 1.006 fraction all lipid classes in the NL's tended to vary together. It was concluded that selecting for total plasma phosphorus in laying female Japanese quail is effective in quantitatively but not qualitatively altering the d less than 1.006 lipoprotein levels in the laying hen plasma, without affecting the d greater than 1.006 lipoproteins levels. It was also concluded that selecting for body weight for six generations did not affect laying female lipoprotein concentration.