Individual Acclimatization of Apis mellifera L. to the Thermal Homeostasis of the Colony

Bees play an important role in maintaining biodiversity by promoting the pollination of numerous plant species. Recent global climate changes are affecting the average air temperature, thereby altering the biological processes of many species. The objective of this study was to evaluate the adaptation of Apis mellifera L. bees to temperature increases and their responses to thermal homeostasis in the colony. Research was performed at the Federal University of Paraíba Laboratory of Bees using three treatments: Control, 33 °C and 40 °C. For the latter two treatments, colonies were kept in a 24 m² climate chamber with an opening at the hive entrance, giving the bees access to the outside environment. The following parameters were evaluated: difference between internal and external hive temperature, thorax surface temperature and total protein concentration in the hemolymph. Internal colony temperature varied according to the external hive temperature. Nurse bees that care for larvae exhibited higher heat production, expressed as thorax surface temperature. Total protein content in the hemolymph was highest in the 40 °C treatment and decreased with ambient temperature. External hive temperature influences internal hive temperature, and nurse bees have higher capacities for thermogenesis

Multivariate characterization of the adaptive profile in Brazilian and Italian goat population

Abstract The aim of this study was to characterize the adaptive profile and identify variables with great discriminatory power of the Brazilian Azul goat population and Italian Garfagnina population, through the use of principal component and canonical discriminant analysis. A total of 110 Garfagnina milking females (60 in winter and 50 in summer) and 80 Brazilian Azul (40 in winter and 40 in summer) were considered. Air temperature (°C), black globe temperature (BGT) and relative humidity (%) were measured with the aid of an automatic weather station. Some physiological parameters (rectal temperature – RT, respiratory rate – RR, skin temperature – ST and heart rate – HR), some anatomical parameters (hair diameter – HD and hair length – HL), some hematological parameters (erythrocyte – RBCs, packed cell volume – PCV and mean corpuscular volume – MCV), some blood biochemical parameters (glucose – GLI, cholesterol – COL, triglycerides – TRI, creatinine – CRE, urea – URE, total protein – PRT, albumin – ALB, globulin – GLO, albumin and globulin ratio – A/G, gamma – glutamyl transferase – GGT and aspartate aminotransferase – AST) and some stressed hormones (thyroxine – T4, triiodothyronine – T3 and cortisol – COR) were measured. The variables with greater discriminant power were T3, ST, COR, T4, GGT, HD, GLO, HL and PCV to Garfagnina population and PRT, MCV, PCV, ALB, T4, ST, HL, RBCs, TRI and GGT in the Azul Brazilian population. Classification of the animals was more accurate when considering morphological, physiological, hematological, biochemical and hormonal variables jointly

Efeito da utiliza??o de microminerais org?nicos sobre o desempenho e a qualidade externa dos ovos de poedeiras comerciais em final de postura

Um experimento foi realizado com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito da utiliza??o de microminerais na forma org?nica sobre o desempenho e a qualidade dos ovos de poedeiras comerciais em final de postura. Foram utilizadas 480 galinhas da linhagem Hisex com 72 a 80 semanas de idade, distribu?das em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com 6 repeti??es e 16 aves por parcela. Foram avaliadas cinco dietas: ra??o basal suplementada com todos os microminerais na forma inorg?nica (controle); ra??o basal suplementada com 50% dos microminerais zinco (Zn) + mangan?s (Mn) + cobre (Cu) na forma org?nica e 50% na forma inorg?nica; ra??o basal suplementada com 50% de zinco na forma org?nica e 50% na forma inorg?nica; ra??o basal suplementada com 50% de mangan?s na forma org?nica e 50% na forma inorg?nica e ra??o basal suplementada com 50% de cobre na forma org?nica e 50% na forma inorg?nica. N?o houve efeito das dietas sobre a produ??o de ovos, o consumo de ra??o, a convers?o alimentar, a porcentagem e a espessura de casca. As aves que consumiram a ra??o basal suplementada apenas com zinco ou mangan?s na forma org?nica produziram ovos com menor peso espec?fico. A utiliza??o da ra??o basal suplementada com cobre na forma org?nica proporcionou menor perda de ovos. Por?m, os melhores resultados foram obtidos com a ra??o basal suplementada com os microminerais Zn + Mn + Cu na forma org?nica, pois proporcionou menor perda de ovos, maior peso espec?fico e maior peso dos ovos, sendo, portanto, recomendada para a alimenta??o de poedeiras comerciais em final de postura.Funda??o de Amparo ? Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG)The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of using microminerals in organic form on the performance and quality of eggs from commercial laying hens at the end of laying. Four hundred and eighty Hisex strain hens, 72 to 80 weeks of age, were used. A randomized complete design was used, with six replications and 16 birds for each experimental unit. Five diets were evaluated: basal feed supplemented with all microminerals in inorganic form (control); basal feed supplemented with 50% microminerals zinc (Zn) + manganese (Mn) + copper (Cu) in organic form and 50% in inorganic form; basal feed supplemented with 50% zinc in organic form and 50% in inorganic form; basal feed supplemented with 50% manganese in organic form and 50% in inorganic form; and basal feed supplemented with 50% copper in organic form and 50% in inorganic form. There was no effect of diets on egg production, feed intake, food conversion and egg shell percentage and thickness. Birds fed basal feed supplemented only with zinc or manganese in organic form produced eggs with lower specific weight. The use of basal feed supplemented with copper in organic form has minimized egg loss. However, the best results (lower egg loss, higher specific weight and higher weight of eggs) were obtained with the basal feed supplemented with microminerals Zn + Mn + Cu in organic form and, therefore, it is recommended for feeding of commercial laying at the end of laying

Threonine-to-lysine ratio in laying hens: physiological parameters and organ weight

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of threonine:digestible lysine ratio in the diet on the physiological variables and weight of organs of light laying hens. Two hundred and ten 47 week-old Dekalb White laying hens were distributed in a completely randomized design, with five levels of threonine (0.507; 0.552; 0.597; 0.642 and 0.677%) and seven replicates of six birds each. The experimental period was 10 weeks, totaling 62 days and more eight days for the animals to adapt. The physiological parameters of cloacal temperature (CT), respiratory rate (RR) and average surface temperature (AST) were recorded weekly (7:00 am, 10:00 am, 1:00 pm, 4:00 pm, and 7:00 pm); after solid and water fasting, the birds were slaughtered to assess the absolute weight of the organs. The time of day influenced (p < 0.05) the physiological parameters RR and AST, and CT showed a significant effect (p < 0.05) of increasing levels of digestible threonine. The total weight of the pancreas, proventriculus and lung showed a significant effect (p < 0.05) of the increase in the levels of digestible threonine. The respiratory rate is affected by the levels of threonine in the diet. The 0.687% level promoted hypertrophy of the pancreas, proventriculus and lung, promoting more significant activity of these organs

Evaluation of Protein Sources in Different Base Formulations Based on Total and Digestible Amino Acids for Japanese Quails

The Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) rearing activity has grown considerably over the past few years. The purpose of this study was to compare diet formulations based on total (TAA) and digestible amino acids (DAA) and the use of different protein sources such as meat cum bone meal and feather meal in Japanese quails. The first three treatments were based on TAA, formulated based on corn and soybean meal (CST); meat and bone meal (CSMT); feather meal (CSMFT). The three other treatments received the same sequence of ingredients as the previous treatments; however, the diets were formulated based on digestible amino acids (DAA) (CSD, CSMD, and CSMFD). The results show that the base of diet formulation improves the performance of quails from 1-21d and the quails show that is possible to replacement of soybean meal with animal-origin by-products such as meat bone meal and feather meal, buts is needed to evaluate more aspects. In conclusion, diets formulated base on DAA for Japanese quails can be utilized with the same efficiency as diets based on TAA