Abstract The present study evaluated the productive characteristics, nutrient digestibility, and economic indexes of broiler chickens submitted to diets containing different nutritional levels, and identified advantages for the commercialization of poultry in the griller-type whole chicken model. A total of 180 COBB 500 chicks ™ were distributed in a completely randomized design, in a 2x3 factorial scheme: sex (male and female) and nutritional level (nutritional requirements for male, female or mixed flock); with 6 repetitions of 5 birds each. It was observed effect of the sex factor in the performance and the economic analysis, in which the male chickens presented the highest feed costs, in spite of exhibiting the best feed conversion rates and gross marketability, resulting from greater body weight. Considering nutritional levels, the most outstanding diet was that formulated according to the demands of the females, which did not affect the performance or carcass characteristics of the birds, obtained the highest gross margins with good feeding costs, showed good retention of dry matter and gross energy, regardless of sex. The diet of nutritional requirements of the females provides promising results for the production of broiler chickens. The female birds present marketing advantages in the griller-type chicken model.

ABSTRACT This study was performed to evaluate the effects of the association of different digestible arginine and phytogenic additive dietary levels on performance and health status of brown-egg layers. In this study, a total of 504 33-week-old Hisex Brown layers were distributed into a completely randomized experimental design to a 4 × 3 factorial arrangement (dietary digestible arginine levels: 880, 968, 1056, or 1144 mg/kg of feed × phytogenic additive levels: 0, 100, and 200 mg/kg of feed) with six replicate cages of seven birds per cage. The phytogenic additive was composed of extracts of Baccharis dracunculifolia (40%), Astragalus membranaceus lipopolysaccharides (20%), cinnamon, and grape seed (20%). Feed intake was reduced when diets containing 1056 mg of arginine were supplemented with 100 or 200 mg phytogenic additive per kg. Feed conversion ratio was improved when diets were supplemented with 100 mg of phytogenic additive or with 1056 mg of arginine per kg of feed. Egg mass was increased when diets were supplemented with 1056 mg arginine per kg of feed. Arginine supplementation quadratically increased albumen percentage and reduced yolk percentage. Higher arginine and phytogenic additive levels reduced heterophyl:lymphocyte ratio and blood uric acid, total cholesterol, very-low density lipoprotein, and triglyceride levels. Dietary supplementation of 100 mg of phytogenic additive associated with high arginine levels increased nitric oxide production by peritoneal macrophages and 1056 mg of arginine increased antibodies titers against Newcastle disease virus. Blood and intestinal malonaldehyde levels were reduced when 200 mg of the phytogenic additive was added. Dietary supplementation of 968 mg of arginine or 100 mg of a phytogenic additive (40% Baccharis dracunculifolia, 20% Astragalus membranaceus, 20% cinnamon, and 20% grape seed extracts) per kilogram of diet improves the feed conversion ratio and associated inclusion of 1144 mg of arginine and 100 mg of phytogenic additive per kilogram of diet improves immune responses and health status of brown-egg layers.

RESUMO Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito da inclusão do farelo da casca do pequi na ração de poedeiras sobre o desempenho e a qualidade dos ovos. Foram utilizadas 160 poedeiras comerciais da linhagem Hy-Line(r) Brown, com 55 semanas de idade e 1642±63g de peso corporal, distribuídas em delineamento inteiramente casualizado com cinco tratamentos com quatro repetições de oito aves cada. Os tratamentos consistiram na substituição isométrica do milho por farelo de casca de pequi nas doses de 0, 2,5, 5,0, 7,5 e 10%. Foram avaliados o desempenho e a qualidade interna e externa dos ovos. A produção de ovos, a massa de ovos e a conversão alimentar pioraram linearmente com substituição do milho por farelo de casca de pequi, enquanto a coloração da gema aumentou linearmente. As demais variáveis de desempenho e de qualidade interna e externa dos ovos não foram influenciadas significativamente pelos tratamentos experimentais. Conclui-se que a utilização do farelo da casca do pequi em substituição isométrica ao milho na alimentação de poedeiras não altera a qualidade interna e externa dos ovos, melhora a pigmentação da gema do ovo e prejudica o desempenho das poedeiras.

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the effect of pequi peel meal in the diet for laying hens on performance and egg quality. Hy-Line(r) Brown hens (n=160) aged 55 weeks with 1642±63g body weight were distributed in a completely randomized design with five treatments and four replications of eight birds each. The treatments consisted of isometric substitution of corn by pequi peel meal at 0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10%. The performance and internal and external egg quality were evaluated. Egg production, egg mass and feed conversion worsened linearly with increasing replacement of corn with pequi peel meal, while the yolk color increased linearly. The other variables related to performance and internal and external egg quality were not significantly affected by the treatments. It can be concluded that the use of pequi peel meal replacing corn in laying hen diet does not change the internal and external egg quality, improves the pigmentation of egg yolk, and impairs performance of laying hens.