ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the inclusion of feather and blood meal (FBM) in broiler pre-starter and starter diets according to the processing method used. Performance, digestibility, and intestinal morphometry of broilers fed diets containing FBM were evaluated in two experiments, in the pre-starter (1-7 d) and starter (8-21 d) phases in a randomized block design with four treatments and five replicates of 12 birds, totaling 20 experimental units per trial. The criteria used for block formation was the battery floor. The meal was processed under different degrees of hydrolysis pressure (2.0 kgf/cm2 for 40 min; 2.5 kgf/cm2 for 30 min; and 3.0 kgf/cm2 for 20 min) and added at 9% to the pre-starter (Experiment I) and starter (Experiment II) diets. In each experiment, 480 male Cobb 500® chicks were allocated to batteries. The following variables were measured: live weight, weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, and digestibility and retention of dry matter, nitrogen, and ether extract. Performance was not influenced by the dietary inclusion of the ingredient. However, FBM subjected to the highest hydrolysis pressure resulted in the worst overall nutritional balances. The chickens were more susceptible to FBM processing in the pre-starter phase, when the hydrolysis pressure of 2.5 kgf/m2 for 30 min provided the best results. In the starter diet, FBM processed at a hydrolysis pressure of 2.0 kgf/m2 for 40 min provided the best performance results up to 14 days of age, without changing nutrient metabolism. Up to 9% feather and blood meal can be included in broiler pre-starter and starter diets as long as the ingredient processing method is well-known.

Resumo: Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito da idade da matriz e da variação da temperatura de incubação sobre a qualidade do pinto neonato. O delineamento foi inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 3x2 (três idades x duas temperaturas de incubação). Foram incubados 720 ovos, provenientes de matrizes com diferentes idades (30, 42 ou 64 semanas). A temperatura da máquina de incubar para os grupos controle foi mantida constante (37,5 ºC) e para os tratamentos com estresse por calor foi aplicada uma temperatura de 39,0 ºC por 6h durante o período de 10 a 18 dias de incubação. Cinco pintos por tratamento foram sacrificados para coletas de órgãos e realizada a histomorfometria intestinal, de baço e bursa. Os dados foram submetidos a análise de variância e foi utilizado o teste de Tukey (5%). A área dos folículos da bursa foi maior nos pintos oriundos de matrizes mais velhas quando os ovos foram incubados em temperatura ideal. A temperatura de 39,0 ºC estimulou o desenvolvimento intestinal. A variação na temperatura de incubação prejudicou a qualidade de pintos, sobretudo para pintos originados de matrizes jovens. Pintos oriundos de matrizes velhas apresentaram melhor resposta imune e desenvolvimento intestinal, independentemente da variação da temperatura de incubação.

Abstract: This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of breeder age and hatching temperature variations on chick quality. The experiment was a completely randomized design in a 3x2 factorial arrangement (three breeder ages and two hatching temperatures). We used 720 eggs from three breeder ages (30, 42, or 64 weeks). The hatching temperature for control group was 37.5 ºC during all the hatching period and for the elevated temperature group, it was 39.0 ºC during 6h between 10 and 18 days of incubation. Five chicks per treatment were euthanized by cervical dislocation for bursal and spleen morphological measurements. The data were analyzed using ANOVA and the differences among means were compared by Tukey test (5%). Chicks from older flock had larger follicular area of bursa de Fabricius when hatched under normal temperature. The higher hatching temperature induced intestinal development because chicks hatched under high temperature had bigger crypt depth. Changes in hatching machine temperature affected young flock chick quality. Chicks from older flocks had better immune response.

The use of viscera and bone meal in poultry pre-starter and starter diets and its effects on performance, digestive organ development and digestibility and nutrient retention were evaluated. In the first assay, 280-day-old Avian Cobb® chicks were allotted in four experimental groups with five replicates of 14 birds each, in the pre-starter phase; in the second assay, 280 eight-day-old Avian Cobb 48® chicks were allotted in four experimental groups with five replicates of 12 birds each. The experimental diet consisted of increasing levels of viscera and bone meal: 0% (control diet), 3%, 6% and 9% in pre-starter (Assay 1) and starter (Assay 2) diets, to meet nutritional requirements and feed composition proposed by the Brazilian Tables, all of them isonutritive and isoenergetic. A metabolic assay was developed and the total excreta collection was performed from the 4th to the 7th days in Assay 1 and from the 14th to the 17th days in Assay 2. On these days, one chick per experimental unit, representing the mean body weight of the parcel, was euthanized to perform digestive organ morphometry. Mean body weight was 45.4±0.4 on the 1st day in Assay 1 and 179.5±0.8 at 8 days of age in Assay 2. In Assay 1, a negative linear effect was observed for weight gain. Levels of viscera and bone meal influenced quadratically nitrogen digestibility index (Y = 66.0101 + 0.482425X - 0.0481086X²) and linearly the digestibility of dry matter (Y = 71.7775 - 0.615792X) and ether extract (Y = 78.3678 - 0.309136X). Morphometric measures of digestive organs were not influenced by viscera and bone meal levels. For Assay 2, negative and linear effect was observed for viscera and bone meal levels on weight gain (Y = 551.667 - 5.08341X) and feed intake (Y = 955.961 - 7.48435X). Quadratic effect was observed for ether extract digestibility (Y = 82.557 + 1.12021X - 0.150117X²) and maximum point was obtained at 3.7% viscera and bone meal inclusion for ether extract retention. Mortality was not affected by treatments in either of the assays. Viscera and bone meal can be used at 3 or 4% inclusion in broiler pre-starter and starter diets.

Avaliou-se a substituição do sorgo pelo gérmen integral de milho em rações para frangos de corte. Foram conduzidos dois experimentos, em delineamento inteiramente casualizado com quatro níveis de substituição do sorgo pelo gérmen integral de milho (0; 33,3; 66,7 e 100%) como concentrado energético em rações com ingredientes de origem vegetal (experimento 1) ou de origem animal (experimento 2), cada um com quatro repetições. Avaliaram-se o desempenho (ganho de peso, consumo de ração e conversão alimentar) e o rendimento de carcaça e de cortes, em peso absoluto, em porcentagem do peso vivo e em porcentagem do peso da carcaça depenada e eviscerada. No experimento 1, os níveis de substituição tiveram efeito quadrático no peso final e no ganho de peso, que foram melhores nos níveis de 21,03 a 21,68% de substituição do sorgo pelo gérmen integral de milho. No experimento 2, verificou-se efeito quadrático para ganho de peso e conversão alimentar, que foram melhores nos níveis de 35,02 e 15,75% de substituição do sorgo pelo gérmen integral de milho. A substituição do sorgo pelo gérmen integral de milho não afetou os rendimentos de carcaça e dos cortes obtidos no experimento 1. No experimento 2, houve efeito quadrático para os pesos de carcaça, peito e asas. Em rações com ingredientes de origem vegetal, o sorgo pode ser substituído pelo gérmen integral de milho em níveis de 21,03 a 21,68% e, em rações com ingredientes de origem animal, de 15,75 a 35,02%.

In this experiment, sorghum substitution with full-fat corn germ meal was evaluated in feed for broiler chickens. Two experiments were carried out in a randomized complete design with four levels of substitution of sorghum substitution with full-fat corn germ meal (0, 33.3, 66.7 and 100%) as energetic concentrate in diets produced exclusively with vegetable ingredients (experiment 1) or with ingredients of animal origin (experiment 2) with four replications each. Performance (weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion) were evaluated and the carcass and cuts yield, at absolute weight, expressed as percentage of live weight or eviscerated or plucked carcass. In experiment 1, a quadratic effect was observed for final weight and weight gain, that were best at the 21.03 and 21.8% levels of sorghum substitution with full-fat corn germ meal. In experiment 2, a quadratic effect was observed weight gain and feed conversion, that were best at the 35.02 and 15.75% levels of sorghum substitution with full-fat corn germ meal. Sorghum substitution with full-fat corn germ meal did not affect carcass yield or the yield for the cuts in experiment 1. In experiment 2, a quadratic effect was observed for carcass, breast and wing weight. Sorghum can be replaced by full-fat corn germ meal in feeds containing only plant ingredients from 21.03 to 21.68% and in feeds containing ingredients of animal origin from 15.75 to 35.02%.