Pervasive transition of the Brazilian land-use system

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Oil and fat in broiler nutrition

The terms "fat" and "oil" refer to triglycerides of several profiles of fatty acids. Fatty acids that are not bound to other organic components as glycerol are the so-called free fatty acids. Lipids constitute the main energetic source for animals and they have the highest caloric value among all the nutrients. Linoleic acid is the only fatty acid whose dietetic requirement has been demonstrated. Besides supplying energy, the addition of fat to animal diets improves the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, decreases pulverulence, increases diet palatability, and the efficiency of utilization of the consumed energy. Furthermore, it reduces the rate of food passage through the gastrointestinal tract, which allows a better absorption of all nutrients present in the diet. The energetic value of oils and fats depend on the following: the length of the carbonic chain, the number of double bonds, the presence or absence of ester bonds (triglycerides or free fatty acids), the specific arrangements of the saturated and unsaturated fatty acids on the glycerol backbone, the composition of the free fatty acid, the composition of the diet, the quantity and the type of the triglycerides supplemented in the diet, the intestinal flora, the sex and the age of the birds. In birds, body fat composition is similar to the composition of the fat from the diet. The apparent digestibility of unsaturated fats is high in the first days of life of birds, whereas apparent digestibility of saturated fats is low. The quantity of oils or fats is assessed by the following methods: titration, moisture, impurities, unsaponifiable, saponification value, percentage of fat, percentage of free fatty acids/acidity and the profile of fatty acids. The methods initial peroxide value, active oxygen method, osi, iodine value, and analysis of the thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) are specific to evaluate the oxidative stability. Considering diets with the same nutritive values, birds fed with rations containing oil present better performance than birds fed no oil. Moreover, the use of oil or fat in diets for broilers may change both the composition and the quality of the carcass

Effect of maternally-derived antibodies on the performance and immunity of broilers induced by in ovo or post-hatching immunizations with a live vaccine against infectious bursal disease

The interference of low or high maternal antibodies titers on the attenuated infectious bursal disease (IBD) virus (IBDV) vaccine infection and its effects on the performance of broilers vaccinated at the 18th day of incubation (in ovo), at one day of age (subcutaneously-SC), or at 15 days of age (drinking water-DW) were investigated. After a series of three live vaccinations, breeders were given or not an IBD oil emulsion vaccine (IBD-OEV) prior to sexual maturity. At day 18 of incubation (in ovo), a commercial vaccine containing HVT and an intermediate IBDV strain or the single HVT vaccine was given. An intermediate IBDV vaccine was given SC at one day of age, or at 15 days of age via DW. The progeny of unvaccinated breeders presented higher neutralizing IBDVspecific antibody (IBDVab) titers at 25 and 40 days of age than those of the progeny of IBD-OEV breeders (p<0.05) at any broilers vaccination age and route. The lower IBDV RNA detection by RT-PCR in the bursa of Fabricius (BF) and the lower IBDV antibody titers in the serum of the groups vaccinated at one and 15 days of age derived from IBD-OEV breeders may indicate antibody-mediated IBDV neutralization. The inovo and one-day vaccinations did not interfere with performance, both in low and high antibody-titered progenies. The in-ovo vaccination against IBD is considered convenient and safe for industrial chickens, irrespective their maternal antibody levels

Effect of dietary energy concentration on performance parameters and egg quality of white leghorn laying hens

An experiment was carried out with 1200 23-week-old white Dekalb commercial laying hens to investigate production responses, egg quality, and energy utilization of laying hens fed different dietary energy levels at the beginning of lay. Birds were housed and divided in five groups of 240 birds according to dietary apparent metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen (AMEn): 2700 kcal/kg; 2775 kcal/kg; 2850 kcal/kg; 2925 kcal/kg; and 3000 kcal/kg, with six replicates of 40 birds each. Birds were fed the experimental diets based on corn and soybean meal for 17 weeks. Diets were iso-nutritive, except for energy level. Increasing AMEn levels had a negative effect on egg production and egg mass (p≤0.05). AMEn levels did not influence body weight, egg weight, or livability (p>0.05). Increasing AMEn levels increased (p≤0.05) feed intake and AMEn conversion ratio and feed conversion ratio. AMEn intake remained constant, independently of dietary AMEn level (p>0.05). There were no differences in albumen height, yolk total solids content, or egg component percentages (p>0.05). Egg specific weight improved with increasing AMEn levels (p≤0.05). Therefore, the energy level of 2700 kcal/kg of feed may be fed to young laying hens

Effects of lipid sources in the diet of laying hens on the fatty acid profiles of egg yolks

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)The effects of different dietary lipids on the fatty acid profiles of eggs produced by 20- and 54-wk-old Dekalb laying hens were investigated. The 4 treatments were based on the lipid source added to the diet: soybean oil, sunflower oil, linseed oil, or control (no added oil). The experimental design was a simple random-sample design using a 4 X 2 factorial arrangement (4 treatments and 2 ages). The fatty acid composition of the yolks of eggs produced by the laying hens was analyzed. The fatty acid profiles found in the egg yolks were the same as those provided in each diet. Eggs laid by hens fed the diet containing soybean oil had a large amount of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), whereas eggs laid by hens fed the diet containing linseed oil had the highest percentage of n-3 PUFA. A decrease in PUFA deposition in egg yolks was observed as the laying hens got older. Eggs of hens fed the diet containing linseed oil presented an n-6:n-3 ratio of 2.01 in younger chickens and 2.17 in older ones. The trans fat percentages found in the egg yolks of all treatments were very low. It was concluded that the quantity of fatty acids present in the egg yolk may be altered according to the source of lipids in the diets; the addition of linseed oil to the ration of laying hens resulted in the production of n-3-enriched eggs and excellent n-6:n-3 ratios, and the egg yolks had insignificant amounts of trans fat, irrespective of the different lipid sources added to the diets or the age of the chickens.891124842490Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq