A trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of adding an exogenous α-amylase-β-glucanase complex produced from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens on the growth performance, carcass yield, and relative AME bioequivalence in broilers fed corn-soy diets from 1 to 40 d of age. One thousand seven hundred and fifty one-day-old Cobb x Cobb 500 slow-feathering male broilers were randomly allotted to seven treatments with 10 replicates of 25 birds each as follows: control diet (C); C diet with reduction of 60 (C-60), 90 (C-90), or 120 (C-120) kcal AME/kg; C diet with reduction of 120 kcal AME/kg and supplemented with 200 (C-120-200), 300 (C-120-300), or 400 (C-120-400) mg of the enzyme complex/kg. Each g of the enzyme complex corresponded to 200 kilo-Novo α-amylase and 350 fungal β-glucanase units. On d 40, eight birds were randomly taken from each pen and processed to evaluate carcass and commercial cuts yields. Percent mortality was not affected by the treatments (p > 0.05). Live performance, as indicated by BW gain (BWG) linearly decreased (p < 0.05) and FCR linearly increased with the reduction in AME. Birds fed diets supplemented with the enzyme complex showed weekly improvements in BWG and FCR. There were no effects of the treatments on the yield of the carcass or of commercial cuts; however, abdominal fat was significantly lower (p < 0.0343) in birds fed the C-120-400 compared to the C-120 feeding program (1.67% vs. 1.90%); all other treatments were intermediate. Average AME equivalence of the enzyme complex varied weekly. Estimations for the entire period were 40, 46, and 56 kcal for BWG and 58, 76, and 99 kcal AME/kg for FCR (p < 0.001) for the diets containing 200, 300, and 400 mg enzyme complex/kg, respectively.

The influence of age (85, 140, and 270 days) of European quails breeders on the egg quality and hatching, fertility and progeny performance was evaluated. The experimental design was completely randomized in a 3x3 factorial arrangement (females' age x males' age), with ten replicates and six birds per experimental unit (four females and two males). Egg production and quality were determined during 3 periods of 14 days and incubation parameters were evaluated in eggs obtained in five consecutive days. The live performance of the progenies was analyzed until 35 days. There was no effect of male age or any interaction between the age of males and females for the evaluated variable. The female's age influenced egg production, egg weight and chick weight, with better results obtained for 140-d-old breeders. The age of females reduced the hatchability, increased the late mortality in incubated eggs, and had no effect on fertility, total embryo mortality or eggshell structure, when analyzed by electron microscopy. The number of sperm trapped in the outer perivitelline layer (sptz/mm²) was determined in 10 fertile eggs per experimental unit. Young females fertilized by young males (80 days) had reduced sptz/mm². Progeny live performance was not affected by breeder's age. Breeders with 270 days retain fertility; however, their egg production, weight and hatchability of fertilized eggs is reduced. In conclusion, European quail breeders with 140 days of age have better egg quality, hatching and breeding results.

The objective of this study was of evaluate the influence of different drinker types on the egg production, water intake, mortality, poultry litter relative humidity, egg weight, eggshell percentage, and egg specific gravity of broiler breeders. The experiment was carried out in a commercial farm with 37- to 44-wk-old broiler breeders. A randomized block experimental design, consisting of two treatments (bell or nipple drinkers) with four replicates of 4.000 females each, was applied. Data were submitted to analysis of variance, and means were compared by the test of Student-Newman-Keuls at 5% significance level. Birds submitted to nipple drinkers presented lower water intake (p<0.05). There was no influence (p>0.05) of drinker type on egg production or mortality. Poultry litter relative humidity was lower (p<0.05) under the nipple-drinker system. Birds drinking from bell drinkers produced heavier eggs (p<0.05) between weeks 39 and 40. Hens drinking from bell drinkers laid eggs with higher specific gravity and eggshell percentage. It was concluded that nipple drinkers can be used for broiler breeders during lay.

Este trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de avaliar o desempenho produtivo de matrizes de corte submetidas a dietas contendo aflatoxinas e adsorvente à base de glucomananos esterificados. Foram utilizados 300 fêmeas e 40 machos da linhagem Ross 308 alojados em 20 boxes experimentais na fase de 61 a 72 semanas de idade. Da 61ª à 68ª semana, as aves receberam dietas contendo três níveis de aflatoxina (0; 0,500; 0,750 mg/kg) em combinação ou não a adsorvente (0,10%) e, nas quatro últimas semanas, receberam dietas isentas de aflatoxina e adsorvente. As aves foram distribuídas em delineamento inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial (níveis de aflatoxina vs níveis de adsorvente) com 4 repetições, cada uma de 15 fêmeas e 2 machos. A partir da 65ª semana, as aves alimentadas com dietas contendo aflatoxina e adsorvente apresentaram menor taxa de postura em relação àquelas que receberam dietas comuns, sem esses aditivos. O peso corporal das matrizes, assim como o peso, o peso específico dos ovos, a eclodibilidade, e a qualidade dos pintos produzidos não são afetados pelos níveis de aflatoxinas e adsorvente presentes na dieta.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the productive performance of broiler breeder hens fed diets containing aflatoxins and adsorbent on the basis of esterified glucomannan. It was used 300 Ross 308 females and 40 males broiler breeders, housed in 20 experimental pens in the 61-72 week of age phase. From the 61st to the 68th week, birds were fed diets containing three levels of aflatoxin (0; 0.500; 0.750 mg/kg) combined or not to adsorbent (0.10%) and on the last four weeks they received diets without aflatoxin and adsorbent. The birds were distributed in a complete randomized design in a factorial scheme (levels of aflotoxin vs levels of adsorbents) with 4 replicates, each one with 15 females and 2 males. From the 65th week, birds fed diets with aflotoxin and adsorbent showed lower laying rate compared to those fed regular diets, without those additives. Body weight of the breeders as well as egg weight, specific egg weight, hatchability and quality of chicks produced are not affected by the levels of aflatoxins and adsorbent present in the diet.