Gallus gallus domesticus are resistant to infection with Neospora caninum tachyzoites of the NC-1 strain.

The aim of this study was to experimentally evaluate infection in Gallus gallus domesticus with Neospora caninum tachyzoites of the NC-1 strain. Experimental infection was conducted in 90-day-old chickens, embryonated eggs and bioassays in dogs. In the first experiment, poults were randomly divided into four groups. Groups I and II were provided feed with coccidiostat, whereas groups III and IV received feed without coccidiostat. When the poults from groups I and III reached 90 days of age, they received a subcutaneous inoculation of N. caninum. Once the hens entered their egg-laying period, during the following 30 days, the eggs were collected, identified, weighed and placed in an incubator. On the 70th day after inoculation, all animals, including the chicks, were euthanized. Tissue samples from the adult poultry and chicks were collected for histopathology, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and PCR. Brain tissue and pectoral muscle samples from infected birds were fed to two dogs. Notably, the average weight of the group III eggs was lower than that of the group IV eggs (p < 0.05). No changes consistent with infection in adult poultry or chicks were detected by histopathology or IHC; moreover, no amplified parasite DNA was detected in the birds' tissues or dogs' feces. No dog eliminated oocysts. In the second experiment, the embryonated chicken eggs were inoculated with 1 × 10(2)N. caninum tachyzoites, on the 10th day of incubation, and chicks born from these eggs were housed in boxes suitable for the species and received commercial feed and distilled water ad libitum. On the 30th day after infection (DAI), the poultry were euthanized, and their organs were processed as described in experiment I. The amplification of parasite DNA was observed in the spleen and pectoral muscles of one of the birds. The ingestion of bird tissues by dogs did not result in oocyst elimination. These results indicate that the parasite may have been eliminated by the host and that the use of tachyzoites to induce chronic disease might be a poor source for hens.

Inclusão da camomila no desempenho, comportamento e estresse em codornas durante a fase de recria / Chamomile inclusion on performance, behavior and stress in immature quails

Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito da Matricaria chamomila sobre o estresse de codornas japonesas na fase de recria (28 a 42 dias de idade). Foram utilizadas 192 codornas com 28 dias de idades, distribuídas em blocos casualizados e submetidas às dietas com 0, 250, 500 e 750mg de camomila/kg de ração, totalizando quatro tratamentos, com oito repetições e seis aves por parcela. Foram avaliados os parâmetros de desempenho (consumo diário de ração, conversão alimentar e ganho de peso), comportamentais (tempo em imobilidade tônica, ferimentos corporais e agressividade) e fisiológicos (concentração plasmática de corticosterona e relação heterófilo:linfócito). Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que a camomila adicionada na dieta não foi capaz de alterar os parâmetros de desempenho, bem como os de comportamento e fisiológicos.

The objective of this study was to test the effect of Matricaria chamomila on the stress of the Japanese quails in the rearing period. In the rearing phase, from 28 to 42 days old, 192 quails were lodged to cages and allotted to completely randomized blocks design, with four diets (0; 250; 500 and 750mg of chamomile/kg of ration), with eight replicates and six birds per cage. Performance (feed intake, body weight gain, and feed conversion ratio), behavior (body injury, tonic immobility and focal observation) and physiological parameters (corticosterone plasmatic and heterophil/lymphocyte ratio) were evaluated. The tested chamomile levels did not affect performance, behavior and physiological parameters of quails in the rearing phase.

Rendimento de carcaca e composicão química da carne da perdiz nativa (Rhynchotus rufescens) / Carcass income and chemical composition of the native partridge (Rhynchotus rufescens - Tinamiformes) meat

A composicão química da carne e o rendimento de carcaca de perdizes (Rhynchotus rufescens) adultas, com 12 meses, criadas em cativeiro com racões balanceadas, foram determinadas neste trabalho. Para rendimento de carcaca, após o abate e evisceracão, foram feitos dois cortes: peito e coxa+sobrecoxa+dorso. Para análise química, foram retiradas três amostras de cada corte para determinacão da composicão centesimal da umidade, proteínas totais, lipídeos totais, cinzas e colesterol. Os valores observados mostraram um rendimento médio de carcaca de 74,4 por cento com 36,6 por cento de carne de peito. Os componentes químicos apresentaram para os cortes de coxa-sobrecoxa e peito, respectivamente, umidade 62,4 e 55,9 por cento; proteínas 25,2 e 29,1 por cento; lipídeos 1,6 e 5,6 por cento; cinzas 1,4 e 1,2 por cento e colesterol 234 e 70mg/100g. O excelente rendimento de carcaca, somado à composicão química de sua carne, mostra o potencial desta espécie para a producão de carnes especiais.

Somatotrophic and thyroid hormones around the onset of lay in broiler breeders under different conditions.

Somatotrophic and thyroid hormones were determined around the onset of reproduction in broiler breeders reared in two different housing systems [dark, close-sided house (CH) and conventional, open-sided house (OH)]. In both groups age-related changes were obvious for thyroxine (T4), growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1); levels of T4 decreased, especially between 24 and 28 weeks in both groups; concomitantly GH sharply increased over the same period. A transient peak in triiodothyronine (T3) occurred between 25 and 27 weeks. The effect of housing was only present after the onset of lay. Between weeks 27-28 and the end of the period studied, the CH group showed higher levels of GH and T3 but lower T4 levels as compared to the OH group. A significant increase in GH after onset of lay, without any significant rise in T3 or in IGF-I, could point to a relative insensitivity to high plasma GH levels. Changes at GH receptor level, together with an increased pituitary GH secretion and/or decreased GH turnover may be expected. This may indicate that hypothalamo-pituitary changes at the onset of lay not only imply changes of gonadotrophic cell function, but also other hormonal axes. The relatively decrease in T4 without changes in T3, may point to a decrease in the activity of the thyrotropic axis.

Desempenho e qualidade de ovos de poedeiras de 50 a 66 semanas de idade suplementadas com probiótico / Performance and egg quality from 50 to 66-weeks-old-laying-hens supplemented probiotic

Objetivou-se, com este trabalho, avaliar o efeito de probiótico sobre o desempenho e qualidade de ovos de poedeiras. A suplementaçäo de probiótico foi iniciada na fase de recria e os efeitos foram avaliados de 50 a 66 semanas. O delineamento experimental adotado foi inteiramente ao acaso com quatro tratamentos (suplementaçäo de probiótico na fase de recria e postura, suplementaçäo de probiótico somente na fase de recria,suplementaçäo de probiótico somente na fase de postura e ausência de suplementaçäo) e seis repetiçöes de oito aves cada. Nas fases de recria e postura, as raçöes continham 15,50 e 17,00 por cento de proteína bruta e 2800 e 2750kcal de energia metabolizável/kg. Os resultados de consumo de raçäo (106,53, 110,81, 107,25, 109,72g), produçäo de ovos (85,20, 83,66, 79,18, 81,94 por cento), peso de ovos (59,84, 60,53, 61,11, 60,33g), conversäo alimentar por dz (1,50, 1,59, 1,64, 1,61) e por kg (2,09, 2,19, 2,24, 2,22), espessura de casca (0,387, 0,384, 0,386, 0,381mm), porcentagem de casca (9,44, 9,43, 9,37, 9,31 por cento), unidade Haugh (92,50, 93,14, 91,34, 91,57) e gravidade específica (1,0856, 1,0851, 1,0850, 1,0839) näo indicaram qualquer diferenças entre os tratamentos (P>0,05). A utilizaçäo do Bacillus subtilis como agente probiótico, quando utilizado a partir da recria, da postura ou durante as duas fases, näo possibilita melhoras no desempenho e qualidade de ovos de poedeiras de 50 a 66 semanas de idade.