The Effects of In ovoInjection of Ascorbic Acid on Hatchability, Growth Performance, Intestinal Morphology, and Tibia Breaking Strength in 36h Post Hatch Fasted Broiler Chickens

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of intra-amnion administration of different doses of ascorbic acid (AA) on hatchability, growth performance, blood metabolites, jejunal morphology, and tibia breaking strength in 36h post hatch fasted broiler chickens. Two hundred eighty-eight Ross-308 fertile eggs at the 15thday of incubation were divided into four treatment groups, each containing four replicates of 18 eggs. The treatments included non-injected (control), injected into the amnion with 0.7 mL diluent (distilled water; sham treatment), and injected with 0.7 mL diluent containing 3 or 6 mg AA. The neonatal chicks were deprived of feed and water for 36 h. Hatched chicks were raised till 10 d of age. Hatch percentage was increased due to in ovo injection of 6 mg/egg AA.In ovo injection of different levels of AA had no significant effect on body weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio. In ovo injection of AA, especially at the 6 mg level, significantly increased villus height, villus width, and villus height: crypt depth ratio at 3 d of age. Tibia resistance and breaking strength were improved by in ovo injection of 6 mg AA when compared to the control at 10 d of age. In conclusion, it seems in ovo injection of 6 mg AA/egg on 15th d of incubation could have a positive impact on hatchability, intestinal morphology, and bone characteristics in broiler chickens

Effect of Zinc Sulfate and Organic Chromium Supplementation on the Performance, Meat Quality and Immune Response of Japanese Quails under Heat Stress Conditions

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different levels of zinc sulfate and chromium picolinate on the performance, immune response and meat quality of Japanese quails under heat stress condition. The birds (n = 540; 7-d-old) were randomly assigned to 9 treatment groups consisting of 3 replicates of 20 birds each in a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments [zinc (0, 40, 80 mg/Kg); chromium (0, 500, 1000 μg/Kg)]. Birds were kept in floor cages in a temperature controlled room and subjected to heat stress for 8 h/d (9.00 to 17.00) from 7 d to the end of the study. Zn was supplemented to the basal diet as ZnSO4 and Cr as chromium picolinate. A linear decrease in feed intake and an improvement in feed conversion ratio were found by supplementing Zn and Cr to the quails diets. Chromium supplementation increased daily weight gain linearly. By  increasing the level of dietary Zn and Cr in the diet, heterophil to lymphocyte ratio and meat quality parameters were improved linearly. The results of this study revealed positive effects of Zn and Cr supplementation on the performance, immune responses and meat quality of quails under heat stress condition. It seems that supplementation of the quail's diets with 80 mg/Kg Zn and 1000 mg/Kg Cr can be greatly helpful for improving the adverse effects of heat stress