ABSTRACT The objective was to examine the effects of supplementing different levels of zeolite in the diet of laying hens during the laying phase, at 54 weeks of age, on production performance, egg quality, ammonia volatilization, excreta pH, blood parameters, weight, and organ morphometry. The treatments consisted of a control diet free of zeolite and five diets including increasing levels of zeolite (0.7, 1.4, 2.1, 2.8, and 3.5%). A completely randomized design was adopted with eight replicates of five birds per plot, totaling 240 laying hens, for four 28-day periods. Results were subjected to ANOVA, Dunnett’s test, and regression analysis at 5% probability. The zeolite levels had no significant effect on production performance, egg quality, and blood parameters. The zeolite levels have a significant effect on ammonia volatilization, excreta pH, liver weight, and organ morphometry specifically on the intestinal length. Ammonia and pH reached a linear plateau. Ammoniacal nitrogen levels in the excreta differed from that observed in the control group at all zeolite levels, whereas the pH was lowest at the zeolite inclusion levels of 0.7 and 1.4%. Ammonia volatilization and the pH value of the excreta decreased by 46.9% and 4.6%, when the laying hens consumed diets with 0.93% and 1.19% zeolite, respectively. There was an effect on the relative weight of the organs, with higher liver yield and intestinal length provided by zeolite inclusion. Therefore, zeolite can be included in the diet of commercial layers at up to 0.93% without affecting their production performance or egg quality.

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of diets formulated with corn plus soybean meal (CSM) or with 21% autoclaved castor meal (ACM), with the addition of two enzyme complexes (EC1 and EC2), on the performance and egg quality of laying quail. Two hundred and sixteen quails were selected by egg production and weight uniformity and distributed in a completely randomized design with six treatments (in a 2 × 3 cross-factorial arrangement) and six replicates with six birds each. Three CSM and three ACM diets supplemented withEC1, EC2, or unsupplemented were established. The trial lasted three cycles of 21 days. Feed intake, laying rate, egg mass, feed conversion per egg mass, and feed conversion per dozen eggs did not differ. The use of ACM diet reduced egg (EW), yolk (YW), and eggshell (SW) weights, egg specific gravity and increased yolk color. However, EW and YW were similar among quails fed diets containing CSM and ACM when supplemented with CE1.The use of enzyme complex containing xylanase, b-glucanase, and phytase is recommended when 21% autoclaved castor mealis included in the diet of laying quails.

ABSTRACT These experiments were performed to determine the chemical composition, coefficients of nutrient and energy metabolizability, amino acid composition, and cytotoxicity of different castor oil meals subjected to different detoxification processes and added to the diet of Japanese quails. In the trial, 180 46-d-old female Japanese quails were distributed according to a completely randomized design into five treatments and with replicates of six bird each. The treatments consisted of following detoxification methods of castor oil meal: Castor oil meal A (CMA) - recovery in alcohol at 80 °C for 20 minutes and drying at 80 °C; castor oil meal B (CMB) and C (CMC) - recovery in alcohol at 80 °C for 6 minutes, neutralization with 5% NaOH, and drying under direct sunlight sun for two days (CMB) or pelleted (CMC); castor oil meal D (CMD) - recovery in alcohol at 110 °C for 15 minutes and drying at 110 °C. Castor oil meal was added replacing 20% of the reference diet. There was slight chemical composition variation (1.21% in crude protein, 6% in dry matter, 2.2% in ether extract and 64 kcal/kg in gross energy) among the castor oil meals submitted to the different treatments. The castor oil meal submitted to treatment C showed the highest amino acid values. In the cytotoxicity test, treatment D presented lower ricin activity. Castor oil meals A, C, and D may be included in Japanese quail diets; however, castor oil meal D is recommended due to the simplicity its industrial process, its low toxicity, and metabolizability coefficients obtained.

An experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of the inclusion of 20% whole-grain or ground pearl millet (PM) in mash and pelleted diets on the performance, carcass traits, and organ weights of broilers reared until 21 days of age. A randomized block experimental design in a 3 x 2 factorial arrangement (diets containing corn and soybean meal, whole-grain PM, or ground PM x mash or pelleted diets), with five replicates per treatment and 10 birds per experimental unit, was applied. Diets were analyzed for mean geometric diameter, geometric standard deviation, pellet hardness, and density. Broiler performance, carcass yield, and organ weights were evaluated. On day 21, one bird with the average weight of each experimental unit was sacrificed for carcass evaluation. It was concluded that both as whole-grain and ground PM can be added to the diet of broilers up to 21 days of age. The dietary inclusion of PM results in higher abdominal fat deposition. Broilers fed the pelleted diets presented lower feed intake, better feed conversion ratio, lower gizzard and heart percentages, and higher carcass weight.

The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition, amino acid content and energy values, as well as to quantify the passage rate in the digestive tract of three different poultry offal meals (POM), in two experiments carried out with broilers. In the first experiment, metabolizable energy values were determined (AMEn and TMEn) using the method of total excreta collection. In this experiment, 150 15-d-old male and female broilers were distributed according to a completely randomized experimental design with 5 treatments of 5 replicates of 6 birds each. The following treatments were applied: a reference diet, three test diets consisting of 250 g/kg of the tested ingredient (POM) + 750 g/kg of the reference diet, and one group of birds fasted for excreta collection to determine endogenous and metabolic losses. In the second experiment, POM passage rate results were obtained using 90 26-d-old broilers distributed according a completely randomized design with three treatments of 5 replicates of 6 birds each. POM passage rate was correlated (r = -99.86%) with its EE content. The evaluated POMs presented the following ME values: 16,727; 15,781 and 17,443 MJ AMEn /kg and 17,877; 15,882 and 17,527 MJ TMEn /kg for samples A, B and C, respectively.