• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.73-92
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• 1993

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary metabolizable energy and crude protein levels on the performance and abdominal fat pad of broiler chicks. A total of 702, a day-old chicks were alloted into nine groups differing in dietary metabolizable energy (2,800, 3,000 and 3, 200kcal/kg) and crude protein(16, 18 and 20%) level from July 10 to September 4, 1990 for 8 weeks. The results obtained were summarized as follows. 1. Body weight gain was significantly increased by increasing of metabolizable energy level (p＜0.05), but there was no significant difference between 2,800kcal/kg and 3,000kcal/kg, or 3,000 kcal/kg and 3,200kcal/kg of metabolizable energy, and there was no significant difference among crude protein levels. 2. Feed consumption tended to decrease by increasing of metabolizable energy and crude protein levels, but there was no significant difference among treatments. 3. Feed conversion was significantly improved by increasing of metabolizable energy level (p＜0.01), and it was showed a tendency to improve by increasing crude protein level(p＜0.05), but the difference between 18% and 20% of crude protein level was not significant. 4. Eviscerated yield was not different significantly among treatments. 5. Abdominal fat pad was significantly increased by increasing of metabolizable energy level (p＜0.01), but there was no significant difference between 2,800kcal/kg and 3,000kcal/kg, or 3,000kcal/kg and 3,200kcal/kg of metabolizable energy. On the other hand, abdominal fat pad in 20% of crude protein level was significantly lower than those in 16% and 18% of crude protein level (p＜0.01). 6. The feed cost per kilogram body weight gain tended to decrease by increasing of metabolizable energy level, and that in 18% of crude protein level was slightly lower than those in 16% and 20% of crude protein level, but there was no significant difference among treatments.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.205-215
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of stocking density and strain on the performance and physiological adaptive responses including the plasma corticosterone content and the level of mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and antioxidant enzymes in broiler chicks. A total of 300 birds of two strains (150 Ross strain vs. 150 Cobb strain) aged 3-d old were allotted into two stocking densities (standard stocking density,$0.046m^2/bird$ vs. high stocking density, $0.023m^2/bird$) in battery cages by $2{\times}2$ factorial designs with ten replicates until 35 d of age. There was no significant strain effect on body weight, feed intakes and feed to gain ratio and the relative organ weights. However body weight, feed intakes and relative organ weight were found to be significantly (P<0.05) affected by the effect of stocking density. Plasma corticosterone level was not affected by both stocking density and strain effects. Hepatic mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-$1{\beta}$ (IL-$1{\beta}$), IL-6, IL-18 and interferon-gamma (IFN-${\gamma}$) was not significantly changed by the effects of strain and stocking density. However, the mRNA expression of glutathione peroxidase (GPX) was affected by strain, showing that Ross strain decreased (P<0.05) the GPX expression. With respect to the effect of stocking density, there was a significant (P<0.05) increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) and GPX mRNA expression in the liver from high stocking density group. Splenic pro-inflammatory cytokine expression was not also affected by stocking density and strain, except that IL-18 mRNA significantly (P<0.05) decreased in Cobb strain under high stocking density. The mRNA expression of SOD and CAT was significantly (P<0.05) affected by the effects of stocking density and strain. In conclusion, growth performance was not affected by strain but stocking density. Although mRNA expression of major pro-inflammatory cytokines was not changed by stocking density and strain, antioxidant enzyme was significantly affected by stocking density, strain or even organ in birds under summer conditions. More detailed studies still needed to be explored to elucidate the effects of environmental conditions and genetic background on physiological responses in birds.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.227-233
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• 2014

This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with the effective microorganism (EM) on the growth performance, blood parameter, small intestinal microflora, and noxious gas emission of broilers. A total 720 1-d old ROSS 308 was randomly assigned to 6 dietary treatment groups: control, virginiamycin (6 mg/kg), 0.1% PB 0.1% EM, 0.5% EM, and 1.0% EM. Each treatment was fed to 4 replicates of 30 birds per diet for d 35. Two-phase feeding program with a starter diet from 0 to 3 wk, and a finisher diet from 4 to 5 wk was used in the experiment. Within each phase, a diet was formulated to meet or exceed NRC requirements of broilers for macro- and micronutrients. The diet and water were available ad libitum. Result indicated that during overall periods of the experiment, final weight, body weight gain, and feed intake were not different among dietary treatments. Feed conversion ratio was less (P<0.05) for EM treatments than control, antibiotics, and PB. Total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TRG), glucose (GLU), total protein (TP), calcium (CA), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were not different among dietary treatments. White blood cell (WBC), hemoglobin (Hb), heterophils (HE), lymphocyte (LY), monocytes (MO), and eosinophils (EO) were not different among dietary treatments. HE:LY was less (P<0.05) for EM0.5 treatments than control, antibiotics, and PB. Lactobacillus was greater (P<0.05) for EM treatments than control and antibiotics. E. coli and Salmonella were not different among dietary treatments. $NH_3$ and $CO_2$ wereless (P<0.05) for EM treatments than control. These results indicated that EM treatments were effective feed conversion ratio, noxious gas emission and micro flora population on the cecum in broilers.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.845-855
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• 2013

Requirements of dietary chloride (dCl) and chloride salts were determined by using $4{\times}2$ factorial arrangement under four phase feeding program. Four levels (0.31, 0.45, 0.59 and 0.73%) and two sources ($NH_4Cl$ and $CaCl_2$) of the dCl were allocated to 1,472 chicks in eight dietary treatments in which each treatment was replicated four times with 46 birds per replicate. The four phase feeding program was comprised of four dietary phases: Prestarter (d 1 to 10), Starter (d 11 to 20), Grower (d 21 to 33) and Finisher (d 34 to 42); and diets were separately prepared for each phase. The cations, anions, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS) and salinity were analyzed in drinking water and were not affected by dietary treatments. BW gain (BWG; $p{\leq}0.009$) and feed:gain (FG; $p{\leq}0.03$) were improved in $CaCl_2$ supplemented diets during d 1 to 10. The maximum response of BWG and FG was observed at 0.38% and 0.42% dCl, respectively, for d 34 to 42. However, the level of dCl for BWG during d 21 to 33 ($p{\leq}0.04$) and d 34 to 42 ($p{\leq}0.009$) was optimized at 0.60% and 0.42%, respectively. The level of dCl for optimized feed intake (FI; $p{\leq}0.006$), FG ($p{\leq}0.007$) and litter moisture (LM; $p{\leq}0.001$) was observed at 0.60%, 0.38% and 0.73%, respectively, for d 1 to 42. Water intake (DWI) was not affected by increasing dCl supplementation (p>0.05); however, the ratio between DWI and FI (DWI:FI) was found highest at 0.73% dCl during d 1 to 10 ($p{\leq}0.05$) and d 21 to 33 ($p{\leq}0.009$). Except for d 34 to 42 ($p{\leq}0.006$), the increasing level of dCl did not result in a significant difference in mortality during any phase. Blood pH and glucose, and breast and thigh weights (percentage of dressed weight) were improved while dressing percentage (DP) and gastrointestinal health were exacerbated with $NH_4Cl$ as compared to $CaCl_2$ supplemented diets ($p{\leq}0.001$). Higher plasma $Na^+$ and $HCO_3{^-}$ and lower $Cl^-$ and $Ca^{{+}{+}}$ were observed in $NH_4Cl$ supplemented diets ($p{\leq}0.001$). Increasing supplementation of dCl increased plasma $Cl^-$ ($p{\leq}0.04$; quadratically) and linearly reduced plasma $K^+$ ($p{\leq}0.001$), $Ca^{{+}{+}}$ ($p{\leq}0.003$), $HCO_3{^-}$ ($p{\leq}0.001$), and $Na^+$ ($p{\leq}0.001$; quadratically). Consequently, higher requirements of dietary chloride are suggested for feed intake; nevertheless, lower levels of dietary chloride are sufficient to support optimal BWG and FG with increasing age. The $NH_4Cl$ supplemented diets ameliorate breast and thigh meat yield along with overall energy balance (glucose).

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.123-129
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• 2008

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of antibiotic and yeast supplemental high energy diet on growth performance, blood characteristics and carcass trait in broilers. Total of four hundred-eighty broilers were randomly allocated into three treatments with eight replications for five weeks. Dietary treatments included 1) CON (control; basal diet), 2) HED (high energy diet) and 3) YD (HED; yeast added to HED instead of virginiamycin, Sacchromyces cerevisiae, $15{\times}10^{10}$). During whole period, weight gain had high tendency in HED treatment. However, there were not significant among treatments (P>0.05). Feed intake was higher in YD treatment than others. However, there were not significant among each treatments (P>0.05). Feed/Gain ratio was significantly lower in HED treatment than others (P<0.05). In blood characteristics, RBC, WBC and lymphocyte were not significant (P>0.05) among treatments. Liver weigh, LW/BW ratio, leg meat weigh, LMW/BW ratio, breast meat weigh, BMW/BW ratio, abdominal fat weigh and AF/BW ratio were not significant (P>0.05). However, body weight was improved (P<0.05) in HED treatment. In conclusion, this experiment is shown that HED treatment affects Feed/Gain ratio and body weight at final period in broilers.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.73-79
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• 1988

In order to study the effects of feeding time (08：00 and 14：00 hours) and frequency (once a day, twice a day and once every other day) on the performances of broiler breeder hens, two experiments were conducted with 1, 248 hens of Maniker strain during 24－2 weeks (Experiment 1) and 42－60 weeks (Experiment 2) of age. The results obtained are summarized as follows ： 1. No significant differences were observed in hen－day egg production and feed conversion rate between feeding times or among feeding frequencies through the entire experimental period. 2. Mean egg weight during the age of 24－42 weeks was significantly increased by feeding in the afternoon (p＜0.01). But it was not significantly affected by feeding time or frequency during 42－60 weeks of age. 3. Fertility and hatchability of eggs at 36 weeks and 60 weeks of age were not significantly different among treatments. 4. By feeding in the afternoon egg breaking strength at 60 weeks of age was significantly improved (p＜0.05), but not at 36 weeks of age. 5. In diurnal distribution of egg production, hens fed in the afternoon produced more eggs in the afternoon than hens fed during the morning (p＜0.01).

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.173-180
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• 2010

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of mulberry leaves and dandelion extracts on performance, proximate composition, heating loss, drip loss, and blood characteristics of chickens. One hundred sixty broiler chicks were fed diets for five weeks containing 1% mulberry leaves extracts (T1), 2% mulberry leaves extracts (T2), 1% dandelion extracts (T3), and 2% dandelion extracts (T4). At the end of five week feeding experiment, broiler were slaughtered, and stored at $4^{\circ}C$. T2 resulted in much better weight gain and feed conversion than other treatment groups. As storage time increased, all treatment groups resulted in increased heating loss and drip loss (P<0.05) but no significant difference were observed among the treatment groups. In blood composition, GOT (glutamic oxaloacetate transaminase), GPT (glutamic pyrubic transaminase), total cholesterol, and triglyceride were significantly decreased by the supplementation of mulberry leaves and dandelion extracts compared to the control (P<0.05). Especially, T4 was significantly (P<0.05) more effective in improving blood composition compared to other treatment groups. However, no significant difference (P>0.05) were found in LDL-cholesterol among all treatment groups. In conclusion, these data indicate that compared to other treatments, supplementation of 2% dandelion extracts (T4) were most effective in decreasing total cholesterol and triglyceride and increasing HDL-cholesterol.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.1026-1032
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• 2006

The present experiment was conducted to assess the efficacy of liquid methionine hydroxy analogue-free acid (MHA-FA) in comparison to DL-methionine (DL-Met) in broilers. 567 day-old Avian chicks were divided into 7 treatments with 5 replicates of 16 birds each. During the 35d (7-42 d) experimental periods chicks were given two basal diets. From 7 to 21d of age, a starting basal diet containing 19.5% protein and 0.33% methionine was supplemented with two graded levels of DL-Met (0.070 and 0.160%) or four levels of MHA-FA (0.118, 0.143, 0.221 and 0.268%). From 22 to 42d of age DL-Met (0.050 and 0.080%) or MHA-FA (0.071, 0.074, 0.112 and 0.140%) were added to a finishing basal diet with 18.0% protein and 0.28% methionine. Chicks fed on supplemental DL-Met or MHA-FA had significantly higher (p<0.05) body weight gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR) than the control group from 7-21d of age. During the finishing phase (22-42 d), body weight and weight gain of chicks in DL-Met or MHA-FA treatments were similar to those in the control, but FCR was improved (p<0.05) with supplementation of DL-Met or MHA-FA. Breast yield was higher (p<0.05) on DL-Met or MHA-FA supplemented than un-supplemented diets. The thigh meat yields emanating from diets with DL-Met or MHA-FA were lower (p<0.05) than that in control. Abdominal fat was also higher in broilers fed the control diet than in DL-Met or MHA-FA supplemented treatments. Methionine requirement of broilers was calculated to be 0.44 and 0.35% and cystine requirement was 0.35 and 0.31% for the starting (7-21 d) and finishing phase (22-42 d), respectively. The efficacy of MHA-FA in comparison to DL-Met for weight gain was 64 and 85% and for FCR was 55 and 60% at 7-21 and 22-42 d of age, respectively, while it was 74, 72, 52 and 48% for breast yield, thigh meat production, body energy content and energy deposition ratio at 42 d of age, respectively. In conclusion, in practical diet formulation for broiler chicks the average bioavailability of MHA-FA relative to DL-Met could be considered as 60 and 73% for 7 to 21d and 22 to 42 d of age, respectively.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.1732-1741
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• 2013

Two experiments were conducted to determine physical and chemical properties of vermicelli waste (VW) and effect of VW inclusion levels on growth performance of broilers. In experiment 1, VW samples were randomly collected from vermicelli industry in Thailand to analyze nutritional composition. Vermicelli waste contained 9.96% moisture, 12.06% CP, 32.30% crude fiber (CF), and 0.57% ether extract (EE), as DM basis. The ratio of insoluble:soluble non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) was 43.4:8.9. A total of 120 chicks (6 pens per treatment and 10 chicks per pen) were fed a corn-soybean meal-based diet or 20% VW substituted diet to determine the apparent metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen retention ($AME_n$) of VW. The $AME_n$ of VW was $1,844.7{\pm}130.71$ kcal/kg. In experiment 2, a total of 1,200 chicks were randomly allotted to 1 of 4 dietary treatments for 42-d growth assay. There were 300 chicks with 6 pens per treatment and 50 chicks per pen. The dietary treatments contained 0%, 5%, 10%, or 15% VW, respectively. All diets were formulated to be isocaloric and isonitrogenous. From 0 to 18 d of age chicks fed VW diets had higher (p<0.001) feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared with those fed the control diet. No difference was observed during grower and finisher phase (19 to 42 d). Chicks fed VW diets had lower relative weight of abdominal fat (p<0.001) but higher relative weight of gizzard (p<0.05) than those of chicks fed the control diet. Increasing VW inclusion levels increased ileal digesta viscosity (p<0.05) and intestinal villus height of chicks (p<0.001). For apparent total tract digestibility assay, there were 4 metabolic cages of 6 chicks that were fed experimental treatment diets (the same as in the growth assay) in a 10-d total excreta collection. Increasing VW inclusion levels linearly decreased (p<0.05) apparent total tract digestibility of DM and CF.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.544-550
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• 2015

This study was conducted to investigate effects of heat-oxidized soy protein isolate (HSPI) on growth performance, serum biochemical indices, apparent nutrient digestibility and digestive function of broiler chickens. A total of 320 1-day-old Arbor Acres chicks were randomly divided into 4 groups with 8 replicates of 10 birds, receiving diets containing soy protein isolate (SPI, control group) or the same amount of SPI heated in an oven at $100^{\circ}C$ for 1, 4, or 8 h, for 21 days, respectively. The results indicated that compared with the control group, body weight gain and feed intake of birds fed diet containing SPI heated for 8 h were significantly lower (p<0.05). Serum urea nitrogen concentration was higher in the broilers fed diet containing SPI heated for 4 or 8 h at d 21 (p<0.05). In contrast, serum glucose content was decreased by HSPI substitution at d 21 (p<0.05). The relative pancreas weight in HSPI groups was higher than that in the control group at d 21 (p<0.05). Meanwhile, the opposite effect was observed for relative weight of anterior intestine and ileum in broilers fed a diet containing SPI heated for 8 h (p<0.05). Birds fed diets containing SPI heated for 4 or 8 h had a decreased lipase activity in anterior intestinal content at d 14 and 21 (p<0.05), respectively. In addition, the same effect was also noted in broilers given diets containing SPI heated for 1 h at d 21 (p<0.05). Similarly, amylase, protease and trypsin activity in anterior intestinal content were lower in broilers fed diets containing SPI heated for 8 h at d 21 (p<0.05). The apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM) from d 8 to 10 and DM, crude protein (CP), and ether extract from d 15 to 17 were lower in broilers fed diets containing SPI heated for 8 h (p<0.05). Besides, birds given diets containing SPI heated for 4 h also exhibited lower CP apparent digestibility from d 15 to 17 (p<0.05). It was concluded that HSPI inclusion can exert a negative influence on the growth performance of broilers, which was likely to result from the simultaneously compromised digestive function.