• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.31 no.5 s.118
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• pp.436-442
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• 2006

This research was conducted to design and develop a wired monitoring system for judging if sick or dead layers (SDL) exist in multi-tier layers battery (MLB) by machine vision, and to analyze its performance. In this study, 20 Brown Leghorn (Hi-Brown) layers aged 37 weeks old, were used as the experimental animals. The intensity of concern paid by layers on feed was over 90% during 5 minutes and 30 seconds after providing feed, and normal layers (NL) had been standing to take feed for that period. Therefore, in this study, the optimal judging time was set by this test result. The wired monitoring system developed was consisted of a driving device for carrying machine vision systems, a control program, a RS232 to RS485 convertor, an automatic positioning system, and an image capture system. An image processing algorithm was developed to find SDL in MLB by the processes of binary processing, erosion, expansion, labeling, and reckoning central coordinate of the captured images. The optimal velocity for driving unit was set up as 0.13 m/s by the test results for wired monitoring system, and the proximity switch was controlled not to be operated for 1.0 second after first image captured. The wired monitoring system developed was tested to evaluate the remote monitoring performance at lab-scale laying hen house. Results showed that its judgement success.ate on normal cage (without SDL) was 87% and that on abnormal cage (with SDL) was 90%, respectively. Therefore, it would be concluded that the wired monitoring system developed in this study was well suited to the purpose of this study.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.577-586
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• 2017

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of fermented earthworm cast feed prepared with three complexed probiotics containing Bacillus subtilis separated from the earthworm casts, on egg production, egg quality and odor removal from poultry house. A total of 240 laying hens were divided into 4 treatments and completely randomized. Experimental groups were divided into control, 0.3 to 0.5% (fermented earthworm cast feed FECF3, FECF5) and 0.2% commercial probiotics (CP). The egg production rate was significantly higher in the FECF groups compared to the control group fed the normal feed, but there was no difference in the CP group. Haugh units, egg shell thickness, breaking strength, egg yolk index and albumen height were increased in FECF groups compared to control but not in CP group. The n-3 content of eggs was higher in the FECF groups than in the control group, while the n-6/n-3 ratio was lower and there was no difference from the CP group. Ammonia production was lower in the CP and FECF groups compared to the control group after 5 days storage at room temperature to poultry feces.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Poultry Science Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.64-84
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• 2002

These studies were conducted to evaluate the Properties of lactic acid Producing bacteria(LAB), isolated from broiler and laying hens cecum and select the optimum strains to improve the performance, environment of poultry house, immunity, and intestinal microflora of broiler and laying hens. In experiment I , 23 LAB strains were isolated from broiler and laying hens cecum as a colony form. Six strains were selected by acid tolerance, bile salt tolerance, viability, enzyme release, antagonism, and antibiotics susceptibility. In Experiment II, selected LABs from Ex. 1 were conducted to investigate the effects of feeding various Lactobacillus on performance, nutrients digestibility, intestinal microflora, villi development and observation of epithelium surface, blood chemicals and fecal noxious gas of broiler chicks. One thousand eighty one day old broiler chicks were fed into Lactobacillus crispatus avibrol(LCB), Lactobacillus reuteri avibro2(LRB), Lactobacillus crispatus avihen1(LCH), and Lactobacillus vaginalis avihen2(LVH) at the level of 10$^4$ and 10$\^$7/cfu/g diet. Weight gam of chicks fed Lactobacillus tended to increase from the first week and was higher from 50 to 100g in Lactobacillus treatments than control. Feed intake and feed conversion were not statistically different of all treatments. Dry Matter digestibility of Lactobacillus treatments was prone to improve compared to that of control, but was not significantly different. Protein and Ca digestibility were also tended to improve in Lactobacillus treatments relative that of control. Lactobacillus treatments showed improved tendency in crude ash and fat compared to those of control, whereas phosphorus digestibility was not consistency. Nutrients digestibilities of bird fed LCH were superior to those of other treatments, It showed significantly higher in Ca and P digestibility than control(P〈0.05). Total Lactobacillus spp. of birds fed various Lactobacillus was significantly higher in illeum for five weeks(P〈0.05), but was not different at cecum. Yeast was thought to be not completely attached to intestinal lumen for one week. However, total number of yeast was significantly increased in cecum and illeum of three weeks old chicks (P〈0.05). The number of anaerobes exhibited to tendency the increase in Lactobacillus treatments from one week old of age at both ileum and cecum.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.51-62
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• 2010

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of multiple probiotics on the performance, small intestinal microflora and immune response in laying hens and broilers. In Exp.1, a total of 800, 82 wk old Hy-line Brown$^{(R)}$ laying hens were assigned to one of the following five dietary treatment; Control, Antibiotics (avilamycin 6 ppm), Probiotics; PB-M (Micro-ferm$^{(R)}$ 0.2%), PB-L (Lacto-sacc$^{(R)}$ 0.1%), PB-Y (Y University probiotics 0.2%). Each treatment was replicated eight times with 20 birds in each replicate and two birds were housed in each cage. Twenty birds units were arranged according to completely randomized block design. Feeding trial lasted 6 wk under 16 h lighting regimen. The Exp. 2, was conducted with a total of 1,000 broilers chicks (Ross$^{(R)}$). They were divided into five treatments, same as those of Exp. 1. Birds were fed starter (0~3 wk) and grower (4~5 wk) diets. Each treatment was replicated four times with 50 birds per pen comprising of deep litter. In Exp. 1, egg production parameters, such as hen-day and hen-house egg production, egg weight, broken and soft shell egg production, feed intake and feed conversion were not significantly different among treatments. However, strength and thickness of eggshell were significantly (P<0.05) different. Among the probiotics, PB-Y showed the highest strength and thickness of eggshell. Eggshell color, egg yolk color and Haugh unit were not significantly influenced. In Exp. 2, overall weight gain (0~5 wk) and mortality were not significantly different among treatments. However, weight gain of birds from PB-Y treatment during starter (0~3 wk) was significantly lower than the birds from Control and Antibiotic treatment. During the whole period (0~5 wk), birds from Antibiotics treatment had higher feed intake and Production Index (PI) and lower feed conversion than birds from Control treatment. Probiotics treatments were not significantly different from the Control on feed intake and feed conversion. In Exp.1, there were significant (P<0.05) differences in leukocytes parameters, such as white blood cell (WBC), hetrophil (HE), lymphocytes (LY), monocyte (MO), eosinophil (EO) and stress index (SI; HE/LY) in the blood of layers. Birds from Antibiotics and probiotics treatments tended to increase these parameters. In Exp. 2, however, only SI was significantly (P<0.05) decreased in Antibiotics treatments. Concentration of serum immunoglobulin (IgG) were higher (P<0.05) in PB-M and PB-Y treatments when compared with Control treatment in Exp. 1. The population of E. coli significantly (P<0.05) decreased in birds from Antibiotics, PB-L and PB-Y treatments when compared with birds from Control treatment in Exp. 1. Metalbolizability of crude fat decreased significantly (P<0.05) in birds from probiotic treatments in Exp. 2. It was concluded that the response of probiotics on the productivity of layers and broilers were different. Probiotics increased strength and thickness of eggshell in layers, and decreased feed conversion and increased PI in broilers. Leukocytes and IgG tended to increase by supplementation of antibiotics and probiotics in layers. Intestinal E. coli tended to decrease in layers. Digestibility of crude fat of diet decreased in probiotics treatments broilers. Parameters of blood and microbial were more sensitive in layers than broilers.