جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه « growth performance » در نشریات گروه « علوم دام »

Japanese quail has a rapid growth rate (3 to 4 generations per year) and is relatively resistant to many diseases. Due to its high productivity, it has gained importance as an animal model in biological and genetic studies worldwide. Nutrition is a key factor that affects production efficiency in quails. Japanese quails require a diet that contains high-quality protein and a balanced profile of amino acids. Branched-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) not only contribute to protein synthesis but also play a role in other metabolic activities. Among the branched-chain amino acids, valine is a limiting amino acid in corn-soy-based diets. Protein is the most expensive component of the diet and has a significant impact on production costs in poultry. Nowadays, reducing the protein level in the diet has garnered attention for cost reduction in farming and for mitigating environmental pollution resulting from ammonia emissions and nitrogen excretion in the poultry industry. However, reducing the protein level in the feed without proper supplementation of amino acids can lead to decreased feed intake, reduced production levels, and changes in social behavior in birds. Published reports indicate that adding crystalline amino acids to low-protein diets in meat birds can have similar performance to high-protein diets at different growth stages. In most cases, valine becomes limiting with reduced protein levels in the diet. Considering the important metabolic roles of branched-chain amino acids, especially valine, in rapidly growing birds, the aim of this experiment was to investigate the effects of using diets containing different digestible valine levels on the performance, growth traits, and histology of the liver and magnum in Japanese quails during the growth period.

All experimental procedures for the care and use of animals in the present study were approved by the animal care committee of the University of Tehran. Thousand one-day-old quails were given 5 dietary treatments, such that each treatment was replicated 5 times and 40 birds per replicate in a completely randomized design, during 1–42 days of age. Experimental diets were formulated to meet nutrients recommendation of growing quails with different levels of dietary digestible valine concentration (0.75, 0.85, 0.95, 1.05 and 1.15 %) in diets with a low protein (17.7-17% protein). The experimental diets provided 2,9 kcal metabolizable energy per gram. Other nutrients were provided based on the recommended nutritional requirements for growing quails. Other nutrients were formulated based on the recommended nutritional requirements for growing quails. The experimental diets were adjusted for two age periods: 1-21 days and 22-42 days. The birds received 24 hours of light until three days of age, followed by 23 hours of light and one hour of darkness daily. The parameters investigated in this experiment included growth performance, feed consumption, conversion ratio and carcass performance. The bird weights were measured at the beginning of the experiment and on days 21 and 42. Feed consumption on days 21 and 42 was calculated based on the difference between the amount of feed provided and the remaining feed. The weight of dead birds was used to correct the amount of feed consumption. On day 42, one male quail and one female quail were randomly selected from each replicate and killed after 6 hours of starvation. Additionally, after sampling the liver and magnum tissues, their histomorphological characteristics (nuclear diameter of hepatocytes, diameter of sinusoids in the liver tissue; epithelial height, inner muscle thickness, outer muscle thickness, gland diameter, and gland depth in the magnum tissue) were investigated.

During the breeding period, the quails that received the diet containing 0.95% and 1.05% digestible valine had higher body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR), respectively. Feed intake (FI) and mortality were not affected by the treatments. Dietary treatments did not have any significant effect on the carcass characteristics (both male and female). However, the carcass yield was higher in male quails and the relative weight of breast and intestines was higher in female quails. In the treatments containing 1.05% and 1.15% of valine, the diameter of Liver cell nucleus and the diameter of liver hepatocytes were the highest, which indicates liver damage. The volume of sinusoids in female birds increased with increasing valine levels in the diet; So that in birds that received diets containing levels higher than 0.95% valine was more than birds fed with rations containing 0.75% valine. Based on the results of this study, different levels of valine in diets containing 17% crude protein had a significant effect on the histology of the magnum tissue (epithelial height, inner muscle thickness, outer muscle thickness, gland diameter), although only the depth of the glands showed a tendency for significance with 0.85% valine.

Based on the results, increasing the level of digestible valine in low protein diets up to 0.95% improves growth performance and feed conversion ratio in growing quails. However, it seems that the use of high levels of digestible valine in low protein diets (more than 0.85%) may lead to tissue damage in the liver and have a negative effect on growth performance. Further studies are recommended in this field.

To optimize livestock production and health, sufficient amounts of minerals are necessary in the diet. Zinc (Zn) is a trace element and an essential mineral in animal nutrition, and is found in many enzyme systems. The presence of Zn is necessary to ensure the physiological activities of several hormones. In addition, zinc plays an essential role in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, and its deficiency can disrupt several vital cellular reactions. Organic sources of Zn are more biologically active than inorganic sources, and their high accessibility has led to the use of more organic Zn compounds for feeding animals. However, results comparing the bioavailability of organic and inorganic sources of zinc in ruminant nutrition differ. According to the National Research Council (2007), the recommended requirement for Zn in growing lambs is approximately 33 mg Zn/kg DM. The amount of zinc in surface soils of Iran is usually less than 0.8 mg/kg and the plants grown in these soils and used as animal feed are deficient in this element. However, a few studies have been conducted to identify the best source of zinc for growing local lambs; therefore, the present study aimed to compare the effects of supplementing 30 mg Zn/kg DM from common organic sources of zinc (zinc methionine and zinc glycine) with inorganic sources of zinc (zinc sulfate and zinc oxide) on performance, digestibility, blood and rumen parameters in crossbred Zel fattening male lambs.  

This study was conducted at the research station of the Department of Animal Sciences, Sari University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Iran. Twenty-five male lambs aged 3-4 months and with average body weight (25.5 ± 1.4 kg) were assigned to five treatments with five repetitions, as a completely randomized design for 70 days, including 2 weeks of adaptation to basal diet and 8 weeks of data collection. The experimental treatments were as follows: 1) basal diet without zinc supplement (containing 19.39 mg Zn/kg DM) as the control group, 2) basal diet + 30 mg Zn/kg DM as zinc methionine, 3) basal diet + 30 mg Zn/kg DM as zinc glycine, 4) basal diet + 30 mg Zn/kg DM as zinc oxide, and 5) basal diet + 30 mg Zn/kg DM as zinc sulfate. Dry matter intake, daily weight gain, and feed conversion ratio were determined. The acid-insoluble ash (AIA) internal indicator method was used to determine the apparent digestibility of feed nutrients. Blood samples were collected on the 70th day prior to the morning meal. To determine rumen parameters, rumen fluid was collected 3h after morning feed consumption. The chemical compositions of the experimental samples, including (dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, NDF, and ADF) were measured according to standard methods.

The results showed that total weight gain, daily weight gain, and feed conversion ratio were significantly improved in lambs received organic zinc supplements (zinc methionine and zinc glycine) compared to the control group (P<0.05). The apparent digestibility of organic matter in the diets supplemented with zinc methionine and zinc glycine was significantly higher than that of the other treatments (P<0.05). The digestibility of NDF and ADF in lambs receiving zinc methionine, zinc glycine and zinc oxide was improved compared to the treatment containing zinc sulfate and the control group (P<0.05). Serum glucose and zinc concentrations were significantly higher in all lambs receiving zinc supplements than the control group (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in serum albumin, cholesterol, urea nitrogen, copper and iron concentrations between experimental treatments. Feeding zinc supplements had no effect on pH, ammonia nitrogen and the concentration of volatile fatty acids in the rumen fluid.

The results of this study show that the addition of 30 mg Zn/kg DM from organic zinc supplements (zinc glycine and zinc methionine) and inorganic zinc supplements (zinc sulfate and zinc oxide) meets the needs of growing lambs fed a basal diet containing 19.39 mg Zn/kg DM. The use of zinc supplements in the diet of fattening lambs improved growth performance, serum zinc and glucose concentrations, and crude fiber digestibility. There were no differences among the treatments supplemented with organic sources of zinc.

With the increase of the population in the last century, the need for protein sources, especially protein with animal origin, has increased. One of the important and inexpensive sources of animal proteins is poultry products. However, many food-borne diseases that are among the most obvious problems related to human health are transmitted to humans through poultry products. Generally, poultry are sensitive to pathogenic bacteria such as Clostridium, Salmonella, and Campylobacter. Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli are the main causes of bacterial enteritis in humans and account for about 90% and less than 10% of deaths in people with campylobacteriosis, respectively. Poultry farmers use antibiotic growth promoters to prevent the colonization of pathogenic bacteria, but their use has been banned in European Union since 2006 due to antibiotic resistance. However, in order to prevent the reduction of growth performance and mortality caused by the colonization of pathogenic bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, it is necessary to introduce suitable alternatives. The antimicrobial potential of several medicinal plants, some plant-derived bioactive compoundsas well as some organic acids against a suspension of two Campylobacter serotypes (including 8 strains of C. jejuni and 3 strains of C. coli) has been investigated, under in vitro study. It has been revealed that oregano, rosemary, and cinnamon have a higher potential in reducing campylobacter colonization, among other phytobiotic compounds. Considering that under in vivo conditions, no research has been conducted on these medicinal plants with broiler chickens exposed to Campylobacter colonization. Therefore, this research was conducted with the aim of investigating the growth performance, excreta microbiota, intestinal morphology, and nutrient digestibility of broiler chickens challenged with C. jejuni and evaluating the potential of oregano, rosemary, and cinnamon in reducing the negative effects of this pathogen.

A total of 192 one-day-old chicks were randomly allocated to 6 dietary treatments in a completely randomized design with 4 replicates of 8 birds. The dietary treatments were as follows: 1-negative control (NC; basal diet without additive and without of C. jejuni); 2-positive control (PC; basal diet without additives but challenged with C. jejuni); 3-basal diet + Erythromycin (55 mg/kg); 4-basal diet + oregano powder (3 g/kg); 5- basal diet + rosemary powder (3 g/kg) and 6-basal diet+cinnamon powder (3 g/kg). All chickens were orally gavaged once a day with a suspension of C. jejuni live culture (2×108 cfu/mL, 1 mL/bird) on days 21 to 25, with the exception of those fed the NC. Throughout the experimental period, the birds were fed ad libitum and had free access to water.

The results showed that the C. jejuni, while weakening performance during the growth period, caused an increase in campylobacter colonization and a decrease in lactobacilli counts of the excreta (P<0.05). The reason for the improvement of the microflora can be due to the presence of antibacterial compounds such as thymol, carvacrol, verbenone, and cinnamaldehyde in the composition of the mentioned medicinal plants. Campylobacter jejuni also decreased the digestibility of organic matter and led to a decrease in villous height, villous height to crypt depth ratio, and villi surface area in the jejunum (P<0.05). The reason for the improvement of the intestinal morphology by herbal additives can be due to the improvement of the microflora of the digestive tract. All the negative effects arising from C. jejuni were alleviated by dietary treatments containing feed additives (P<0.05).

In general, it can be concluded that oregano and rosemary have the potential to reduce the pathogenic effects of Campylobacter jejuni and can be used as suitable alternatives to antibiotics in feeding broilers.

Ziziphus mauritiana due to having a significant amount of protein and energy has been introduced as a part of fodder for light livestock, especially in conditions of food restrictions. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of Indian Ziziphus (Ziziphus mauritiana) leaves feeding on growth performance, hematology and blood biochemical parameters of Adani fattening goat kids.

In this study, 16 Adani male goat kids with an average age of 180 ± 11 days and an average weight of 17.28 ± 1.32 kg were used in a completely randomized design using 2 treatments and 8 replications. At first, based on regular random method, samples were taken from Ziziphus mauritiana leaves. In order to mix Ziziphus mauritiana leaves with other components of the ration, after drying in the sun, Ziziphus mauritiana leaves were cut into small pieces (2-3 cm). Experimental treatments include: 1) basal diet without Ziziphus mauritiana leaves (control diet), 2) basal diet with 20% Ziziphus mauritiana leaves (based on the percentage of dry matter of the ration). In the experimental diet, Ziziphus mauritiana leaves replaced with 20% of alfalfa in the control diet. In order to acclimatize the animals, a period of 15 days was considered. Goats were kept in individual stalls and fed experimental diets for 75 days. During the experiment, the feed consumed two times a day according to appetite and water was freely available to the Goats. Weighing of the goat kids was done weekly and before the morning feed, and the amount of feed given and remaining was weighed daily. On days 0, 35 and 75, blood samples were taken from the the jugular vein of goats kids and the blood parameters included RBC, WBC, PCV, MCV, MCH, MCHC, HGB, platelet, total protein, albumin, globulin, cholesterol, LDL, HDL. , urea, glucose, calcium and phosphorus were measured.

Investigating the growth performance did not show a significant effect between the final weight, daily weight gain, feed consumption and feed conversion ratio of the experimental treatments (P<0.05). The results of investigation of haematological parameters showed significant changes in the average concentration of white blood cells (WBC), the average volume of red blood cells (MCV) and platelets at the 35th day, as well as the average concentration of white blood cells and platelets at the 75th day of the experiment (P<0.05). The interaction effect of the feeding level of Ziziphus mauritiana leaves and the sampling time on the blood parameters of Adani fattening goat kids had only a significant effect on the average concentration of white blood cells (P<0.05). Investigation of blood biochemical parameters only showed that feeding of Ziziphus mauritiana leaves had significant effect on the average concentration of calcium at the 35th day and the average concentration of protein at the 75th day of the experiment (P<0.05). The interaction effect of the feeding level the Ziziphus mauritiana leaves and sampling time on the blood biochemical parameters of Adani goat kids had significant effect only on the average concentration of protein of the treatments (P<0.05).

Finally, the results of this study showed that Ziziphus mauritiana leaves can be used up to 20% of the forage consumption of Adni fattening goat kids without negative effect on haematological and blood biochemical parameters.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different levels of probiotic yeast supplement (Saccharomyces servicii) in the diet on growth performance, carcass traits, and some blood and rumen parameters in Zell cross-breed fattening lambs. For this purpose, a total of 24 crossbred of Zell-Atabai lambs with a mean weight of 26±2 kg and a mean age of 5.5 months were used in a completely randomized design with 4 treatments and 6 replications for 90 days. The results of growth performance showed that the treatment with 8 grams of probiotic supplement significantly had the highest final fattening weight, daily weight gain and the lowest feed conversion ratio (P<0.05). In apparent digestibility of nutrients, treatment with 8 grams of probiotic supplement had the highest digestibility of crude protein and NDF (P<0.05). In the results of blood parameters, there was a significant difference in the concentration of glucose, cholesterol and HDL between experimental treatments (P<0.05). The results of carcass traits showed that in live weight, thigh percentage and shoulder percentage, treatment with 8 grams of probiotic supplement significantly had the highest values (P<0.05). The highest value of pH, VFA, acetic acid, propionic acid, total population of bacteria and ruminal fluid protozoa was observed respectively in the treatment of 8 grams of probiotic supplement (P<0.05). The general result of the research showed that the consumption of 8 grams of yeast probiotic supplement improved growth performance, valuable carcass parts, apparent digestibility and morphological characteristics of rumen villi in fattening lambs.

One of the important by-products is the pomegranate pulps which is pulp left after pomegranate juice. The presence of significant amounts of biologically active compounds such as phenolic acid, flavonoids, and tannins in pomegranate fruit ensures its high nutritional value. Pomegranate peel is a part of the fruit that has very high antioxidant properties and contains high amounts of polyphenols such as tannins. There have been numerous reports of the negative effects of tannins on consumer animals. One of the compounds that can bind to tannins and reduce their harmful effects is the tannase enzyme. So, this study aimed to investigate the effects of using different levels of pomegranate pulp without or in combination with tannase enzyme in the diet of fattening lambs on performance, nutrient digestibility, and some blood parameters. After preparing pomegranate pulp, drying it, and preparing tannase enzyme, 25 male Moghani lambs with an average weight of 30±2 kg and the average age is about 7 months, were used in four treatments in a completely randomized design. experimental treatments include 1- control, 2- 2.5% pomegranate pulp powder, 3- 5% pomegranate pulp powder, 4- 2.5% pomegranate pulp powder + 0.05 % dry matter of tannase enzyme 5- 5% pomegranate pulp powder + 0.05 % dry matter of tannase enzyme. During the experimental period, the performance parameters including feed intake, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio were measured. The concentration of blood parameters and the activity of liver enzymes containing ALP, ALT, and AST in the blood of lambs were determined. The Data obtained were analyzed using SAS (9/1) statistical software. The experimental treatments demonstrated no significant impact on the weight gain and feed intake of the lambs. However, when examining the amount of feed consumption and daily feed consumption, higher values were observed during the second 30 days of the rearing period in comparison to the initial 30 days.While nutrient digestibility remained largely unaffected, a notable trend in the digestibility of dry matter was observed. Further comparisons between treatments revealed a higher digestibility of organic matter, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and ash in the group receiving 2.5% pomegranate pomace. These findings provide insights into the potential influence of pomegranate pomace supplementation on specific aspects of nutrient utilization in lamb diets. Fat in the treatment of 2.5% pomace with enzyme and digestibility of crude protein was higher in the treatment of 5% pomace with the enzyme. The comparison of different pomace levels showed that the use of high levels of pomegranate pomace (5%) increased blood glucose and the lowest blood urea concentration was obtained by feeding 5% pomace. The lowest concentrations of HDL and LDL in the blood also belonged to the control treatment. The use of tannase enzymes in the diet also increased the concentration of glucose parameters and decreased blood urea. The highest amount of glucose of the studied lambs were observed in the first thirty days of sampling. In the present study, the use of pomegranate pomace increased glucose in both rearing periods and decreased blood triglyceride levels in the second rearing period. Alanine phosphatase (ALP) enzyme activity was significant in the second period, the breeding period (P<0.05). The highest level of activity of this enzyme was observed in the blood of lambs fed with 2.5% of dung. The activity of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was not significant between sampling periods (P<0.05). Feeding different levels of pomegranate pomace powder with or without tannase enzyme had no significant effect on blood malondialdehyde concentration as an antioxidant index of the blood of fattening lambs. However, the comparison between the experimental treatments showed that the highest level of this index was found in the blood samples obtained from lambs fed with a diet containing 5% of pomegranate pomace powder + 0.05% of the dry matter of the tannase enzyme diet. The inclusion of different levels of pomegranate pomace in the diet led to a significant difference in the activity of the alanine phosphatase enzyme among the experimental treatments (P<0.05) and increased blood glucose (P<0.05). None of the functional parameters, including weight gain, and feed consumption, were affected by the use of pomegranate pulp with or without tannase enzyme during the entire experimental period. However, the food conversion coefficient improved in the treatments containing pomegranate pomace with tannin enzyme. The highest amount of antioxidant index related to the diet containing 5% of pomegranate pomace powder + 0.05% of the diet's dry matter was tannase enzyme. Therefore, the level of 5% of pomegranate pomace along with the tannase enzyme increases animal health and improves animal growth performance.

The use of agricultural by-products instead of grain seeds in livestock diets has been an important issue for scientific study. One of these products is potato waste that, if properly processed by methods such as ensiling, can replace cereal seeds such as barley in the diet, due to the proper nutritional value of this product, improving animal growth performance, reducing feed costsand prevent food from being wasting. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of replacing different levels of potato waste silage with barley on growth performance, digestibility, and rumen and blood parameters of fattening lambs.

In this study, 30 Zell and Afshar mixed male lambs with a mean weight of 26±2 kg and mean age of 5.5±0.4 months were used in a completely randomized design (CRD) with 5 treatments and 6 replications for 90 days. The experimental treatments included the control treatment (without potato waste silage) and the treatments containing 25, 50, 75 and 100 potato waste silage replacement of barley seeds (based on dry matter).

The results of performance traits showed that there was a significant difference in fattening weight, daily weight gain, dry matter intake and feed conversion ratio between experimental treatments (p<0.05). The highest and lowest final weight, daily weight gain and dry matter intake were observed in the treatment containing 50% of potato waste silage and the control treatment, respectively. The results of the apparent digestibility of nutrients of experimental diets showed that there was a significant difference in the apparent digestibility of raw protein and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) between experimental treatments (p<0.05). The highest and lowest apparent digestibility of crude protein (CP) was observed in the treatment containing 50% of potato waste silage and the control treatment, respectively. The results of some blood serum parameters showed that there was a significant difference in the concentration of glucose, triglyceride, Low density Lipoprotein (LDL) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) between the experimental treatments (p<0.05). The results of rumen fermentation parameters showed that there was a significant difference in the population of lactic acid bacteria, coliforms, protozoa, rumen liquid ammonia nitrogen, total volatile fatty acids (VFAs), acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid and isovaleric acid between experimental treatments (p<0.05). The highest population of lactic acid bacteria 100%, the lowest coli form population, the highest population of protozoa and the highest concentration of VFAs were observed in the treatment containing 100%, 70%, 100% and 50% of potato waste silage, respectively.

The overall results of the present study showed that growth performance, the appearance of crude protein digestion, the total concentration of rumen fluid fatty acids and the population of bacteria and protozoa improved by consuming 50 % of potato waste silage

The use of dairy by-products as a new feed source in order to reduce the costs of raising livestock is very important. Whey powder is a residual cheese or casein, which is one of the animal proteins used in the human food chain. It is also a feed source of protein and contains some useful minerals. Whey can be used in the diet of livestock due to its proper nutrient balance. Also, the fact that whey can reduce the consumption of concentrate without any negative effect on daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio, so the purpose of this study was performed to investigate the effect of using different levels of whey powder in diet on growth performances traits, apparent digestibility of nutrients and some blood parameters in fattening male crossed Zell lambs.

To perform this study, 24 mixed fattening Zell lambs were examined with a means age of 4.5±0.52 months and a means initial weight of 24±2 kg in a completely randomized design for 90 days. Experimental treatments included control treatment (without adding whey powder in the diet) and treatments containing 1.5, 3 and 4.5% whey powder in the diet. Chemical analysis of whey powder used included pH, 6.8 to 5.8, protein 12.5%, lactose 64%, fat 1.5%, moisture 4.5%. Whey powder used in the study was given to the experimental animals at different levels after mixing with the diet. The daily diet was given as a TMR to the animal twice and the amount consumed was recorded. Live weight measurement was performed every 14 days with 12 hours of feed and water deprivation. Measurement of the apparent digestibility of nutrients in the last days of the experiment as well as the study of carcass traits and blood parameters were performed on day 90 of the experiment.

The growth performance results of experimental lambs showed that there was a significant difference in end weight, DMI and daily weight gain between experimental treatments (P <0.05); So that the highest final weight and daily weight gain was observed in the treatment containing 4.5% whey and the highest dry matter intake was observed in the treatment containing 3% whey. The results of apparent digestibility of nutrients showed that there was a significant difference in apparent digestibility of dry matter, crude protein and NDF between experimental treatments (P<0.05). The highest apparent digestibility of dry matter and crude protein was observed in the treatment containing 4.5% whey and the highest apparent digestibility of NDF was observed in the treatment containing 3% whey. The results of some blood parameters showed that there was a significant difference in the concentration of glucose, triglyceride, HDL and BUN between experimental treatments (P<0.05). The results of quantitative traits of carcasses of fattening lambs showed that there was a significant difference in hot carcass weight, hot carcass percentage, cold carcass weight, cold carcass percentage, thigh percentage and shoulder percentage between experimental treatments (P<0.05). The results of qualitative traits of carcasses of fattening lambs showed that there was a significant difference in the rate of TBARS of the straight muscle 48 hours after slaughter between experimental treatments (P <0.05).

The overall result of the present study showed that the weight at the end of the fattening period, dry matter intake and also the apparent digestibility of nutrients were significantly improved by consuming 3 and 4.5% levels of whey powder. There was a higher carcass percentage and improvement in valuable carcass parts in the treatment containing 3% whey powder.

In recent decades, with the ban on the use of antibiotics in the poultry industry, the use of new alternatives such as probiotics and prebiotics have increased. Some of these alternatives can improve the growth and health of birds by creating optimal changes in the microbial population of the digestive tract. Therefore, the present experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of kappa-carrageenan polysacharid and primalac probiotic on the growth response and health of broilers.

240 one-day-old broilers of Ross 308 strain in a completely randomized design with 2× 2 factorial arrangement, including two levels of probiotic additive (zero and 0.1 % of food ration) and two levels of kappa-carrageenan additive (zero and 0.1 % of food ration) distributed in 24 cages (six replicates each containing ten birds) and reared on floor system for 24 days.

The growth performance of birds was not affected by the interaction of probiotics and kappa-carrageenan in the diet. However, the use of kappa-carrageenan in diets significantly increased the body weight gain of birds during 1 to 10 days of age. Feed intake of the birds was not affected by the experimental treatments and dietar levels of probiotic and kappa-carrageenan, but the feed conversion ratio was improved by adding 0.1% of probiotic in the diet at day 24 (P< 0.05). The relative weight of thigh in birds that received kappa-carrageenan was higher compared to the zero level of kappa-carrageenan in the diet (P< 0.05). Probiotic supplementation alone in the diet increased the relative weight of the liver of birds. Also, the relative weight of the liver was significantly lower in the birds that received diets containing kappa-carrageenan. In broilers fed with kappa-garakinan, the villus length increased in the duodenum and decreased the crypts depth in the ileum. The use of 0.1% of probiotics significantly increased the population of lactic acid bacteria in the ileum of birds. The population of lactic acid bacteria in the ileum of birds under 0.1% of probiotic increased significantly. Consumption of kappa-carrageenan and probiotics separately or mixed in the diet reduced the population of coliforms in the cecum (P< 0.05). Using a mixture of kappa-carrageenan and probiotic in the diet the activity of superoxide desmutase enzyme improved compared to the treatment containing kappa-carrageenan (P< 0.05).

The results of the present experiment showed that the use of probiotics and kappa-carrageenan in the diet of young broiler chickens can be effective in improving some parameters of the growth response during separate periods of rearing and optimally changing the microbial population of the digestive tract.

The worldwide population growth leads to an increase in livestock production that along with the challenges caused by climate change and water scarcity highlights the importance of raising resistance livestock such as camels. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of partial and total replacement of dietary alfalfa with camelthorn. Total 18 fattening Sandi growing dromedary camels (9 to 10 months old with an average initial weight of 115±7.7 kg) were randomly assigned to one of three experimental treatments in a completely randomized design, with 6 replicates for each treatment. Experimental diets included: 1- control diet (without camelthorn), 2- diets containing 25% camelthorn, and 3- diets containing 50% camelthorn (dry matter basis). The feed intake was recorded daily and the animals were weighed monthly (on days 0, 30, 60, 90, and 150 of the experiment). The results showed that dry matter intake was increased with increasing camelthorn inclusion in the diet (P ≤ 0.05). Although, the average daily gain was reduced in the diet containing 50% DM camelthorn (P ≤ 0.05), but no significant difference was observed between the treatment containing 25% DM camelthorn and control. Feed cost per kilogram weight gain and profit per kilogram of weight gain tended to increase (P = 0.01) with increasing the inclusion of camelthorn in the diet. Overall, the findings of this study showed that feeding camels with camelthorn up to 50% of dietary DM, not only did not have severe deleterious effects on growth performance, but also reduced the production costs.

Choline and methionine are crucial nutrients for livestock as they provide methyl groups. The relationship between these two nutrients is intricate, with varying opinions on their interdependence. Methionine is often a limiting amino acid in dairy diets and its metabolism is linked to that of choline and betaine. Choline as an alternative to methionine, can act as a precursor to phosphatidylcholine, which is important for dairy cows around calving time. Furthermore, choline and betaine impact methionine requirements and methionine can affect choline metabolism. Given that limited study and experimentation have been conducted so far to investigate the effects of unprotected methionine and choline on calves, this research aimed to examine the impact of unprotected methionine and choline on feed intake, growth, digestibility, fecal score, blood metabolites, and feed behavior of pre-weaned calves. The expected hypothesis of the study was the significant effect of utilizing unprotected methionine and choline on feed intake, growth, digestibility, fecal score, blood metabolites, and feeding behavior of pre-weaned calves due to their mono-gastric nature and lack of rumen development.

A total number of 32 Simmental male suckling calves, aged approximately one month old with an initial weight of 44±2.1 kg, were used in this study. The experimental treatments included: 1) a basal diet without choline and methionine (control), 2) the basal diet with three grams of methionine, 3) the basal diet with three grams of choline, and 4) the basal diet with 1.5 grams of methionine and 1.5 grams of choline per head per day. The calves were randomly assigned to the experimental treatments in a completely randomized design with eight replications. The study lasted for 45 days, including a 7-day adaptation period. Blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, and urea nitrogen levels were measured on the last day of the study, four hours after morning feeding, to evaluate the metabolic profile of the animals. Additionally, feed consumption behavior was visually observed for 24 hours on the last day of the study to calculate the animal's rumination, eating, chewing, and resting time. To determine the digestibility of dry matter, samples were collected from feed and feces during the last three days of the experiment using the acid-insoluble ash internal indicator method. Stool consistency was scored for all of the calves as an indicator of animal health.

The inclusion of three grams of methionine in the experimental treatments resulted in a decrease in dry matter intake, and when methionine and choline were added, it increased the daily weight gain of the animals (P<0.05). However, the treatments did not have a significant effect on the feed conversion ratio (P>0.05). The results of other studies showed that the addition of choline did not have a significant effect on the amount of dry matter consumed, daily weight gain, and feed conversion ratio of Holstein bull calves. Consistent with the results of the present study, no improvement was observed in the feed efficiency of steers with the addition of a protected choline supplement, and no effect was observed on dry matter intake. The treatments did not have a significant impact on dry matter digestibility, stool consistency, blood glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, and urea nitrogen (P>0.05). In agreement with the results of the present study, the digestibility of dry matter and organic matter in steers was not affected by choline. Researchers reported that the use of protected biocholine and methionine did not have a significant effect on the digestibility of dry matter in calves. Also, it was observed that the use of choline did not have a significant effect on the digestibility of dry matter in sheep and pre-weaned calves. Researchers have reported that the use of protected methionine and choline did not have a significant effect on the levels of glucose and triglycerides in the blood of dairy cows before calving. In another study, the urea nitrogen in the blood of dairy cows was not affected by methionine and choline. Additionally, the experimental treatments did not affect feed consumption behavior (P>0.05).

Feeding unprotected choline and methionine did not have a significant effect on glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood urea nitrogen, digestibility of dry matter, fecal consistency score, and feeding behavior. However, the use of methionine improved dry matter intake and daily weight gain. Feeding Simmental calves with three grams of methionine per day is recommended to improve dry matter intake and daily weight gain, although it does not significantly affect the feed conversion ratio.

Aflatoxins are produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus mold, and aflatoxin B1 is the most dangerous form of this toxin. In addition, aflatoxin B1 in poultry causes low productivity and high sensitivity to diseases and the use of inorganic and organic toxin binders is one of the nutritional strategies to confront aflatoxins. In this research, the effects of adding multi-component toxin binder to diets containing aflatoxin B1 on growth performance, blood parameters, and liver histology by using 180 male broilers day-olds (Ross 308) in a factorial experiment (3×3), with three levels of toxin binder (0.0, 0.5, and 1.0 kg/ton) and three levels of aflatoxin B1 (0.0, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/kg) were studied based on a completely randomized design in nine treatments, four replications, and five chickens in each replicate. The results showed that using the 1.0 kg/ton of toxin binder, significantly reduced negative effects of 0.5 mg/kg of aflatoxin B1 on the average daily weight gain, live weight and average daily feed intake in the total period (P<0.05). But the birds consuming the treatment containing 0.5 mg/kg of aflatoxin B1 and 1.0 kg/ton of toxin binder did not show a significant difference, in the average feed conversion ratio compared to all treatments except the treatment that containing 0.0 mg/kg of aflatoxin B1 and 0.5 kg/ton of toxin binder. The regression equation (Y= 7.5298x+ 53.377) with (R2= 0.78), was obtained to predict the average daily weight gain of birds fed with treatments containing 0.5 mg/kg of aflatoxin B1 and different levels of toxin binder. Feeding chickens with diets containing aflatoxin B1, significantly decreased the serum concentration of cholesterol, albumin, and total protein and increased serum concentration of creatinine and urea (P<0.05). In addition, there were not significant effects for the main and interaction of aflatoxin B1 and toxin binder for the blood serum alkaline phosphatase. For liver histological results, portal inflammation was evident in all treatments, but the amount of fibrosis and necrosis was higher in treatments with 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg of aflatoxin B1 than 0.0 level of its, and in the liver of birds fed with the highest level of aflatoxin B1 (1.0 mg/kg), micro and macro lipid vesicles were observed, which indicates a fatty liver. Also, some hepatocytes lost their cytoplasm due to the storage of a type of glycogen and in some parts, a proliferation of fibroblasts with fine collagen fibers deposition, was observed. The toxin binder did not prevent of the negative effects of aflatoxin B1 on the destruction of liver tissue. Based on the results, adding 1.0 kg/ton level of multi-component toxin binder to diets containing 0.5 mg/kg aflatoxin B1 can improve the average daily weight gain, live weight, and average daily feed intake of broilers.

The production of dairy goat breeds such as Saanen has become widespread in many countries and factors like the nutritional value of goat milk, high amounts of milk yield compared to body weight, and less methane gas production have played important role for the mentioned development. Previous studies have shown that reaching the insemination weight (35 kg) of replacement female goats is one of the most important points in the breeding of the dairy goat breeds. Subsequently, other studies have shown that improving growth and weight gain during suckling period reduces the time to reach the required weight and body size for insemination, the growth of mammary glands and increases milk production, and it is economically important. Protein is one of the factors which play important role in growth and body frame development of goats especially at life's early stages. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of different levels of crude protein in milk replacer on performance of Saanen suckling kids. Sixteen Saanen female kids with 10 days of age and 4.678± 0.57 kg of BW were randomly assigned to two experimental treatments, including milk replacer with 22% crude protein (22CP; milk replacer contain 22% crude protein) and milk replacer with 28% crude protein (28CP; milk replacer contain 22% crude protein plus 10 gram of whey protein concentrate per liter of milk replacer). The experimental kids were weaned at 64 days of age and during this time milk replacer, starter, and alfalfa hay intake of kids was recorded daily, and the weight of the goats was measured weekly. The results showed that average daily weight gain of kids fed with 28CP treatment was significantly higher (P < 0.05) compared to the 22CP treatment during the first month, the second month and whole experimental period. Also, the kids body weight at the end of second month for 28CP treatment was significantly higher (P = 0.05) compared to the 22CP treatment (16.14 vs. 14.21 kg).  The amount of total dry matter intake (DMI) during the entire experimental period was higher (P < 0.05) for the 28CP treatment compared to the 22CP treatment (509.65 vs. 459.68 grams per day). There were no significant differences among the experimental treatments for the feed conversion ratio (FCR) during the first month, the second month and the entire experimental period. In fact, although the 28 CP treatment had a higher daily weight gain compared to the CP22 treatment, due to higher DMI, but it had a similar FCR compared to the CP22 treatment. Results showed that feeding milk replacer containing high levels of crude protein (28%) can results to the higher average daily gain and subsequently heavier weaning weight in Saanen goat kids.

‎‏ ‏Biochar is one of the carbon compounds that has been introduced ‎as a suitable substitute for some food additives, including antibiotics. The purpose of this study ‎was to investigate the effect of using different levels of a type of mineral Biochar from ‎Kohbanan Biochar mine in Kerman on growth performance, digestibility of nutrients, some ‎blood parameters and rumen fermentation of weaned Holstein calves.‎

‎‏ ‏In the present study,‎‏ ‏‎40 Holstein weaned calves (male and female) with ‎an average age of 128±7 days and an average weight of 99.4 ± 0.4 kg were used in a completely ‎randomized design with 4 treatments and 10 replications. Experimental treatments include: 1) ‎basic diet without mineral Biochar (control diet), 2) basic diet with 0.33% mineral Biochar, 3) ‎basic diet with 0.66% mineral Biochar, 4) The basic ration was with 1% mineral Biochar (all ‎based on the percentage of dry matter of the ration). A two-week habituation period was ‎considered. Weaned calves were weighed upon entering the design and weighing was repeated ‎every two weeks until the end of the experiment. Calves were kept in individual stalls and fed ‎experimental diets for three months. During the experiment, the feed consumed three times a ‎day was provided to the calves at the limit of optional consumption. The amount of feed ‎consumption was measured daily and average daily weight gain, average feed consumption and ‎feed conversion efficiency were calculated. At the end of the experiment, a blood sample was ‎taken from the jugular vein of the calves and blood parameters including urea nitrogen, glucose, ‎total protein and triglyceride, albumin , alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase, very ‎low-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein were determined. ‎Also, at the end of the test, the digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, protein Crude, ‎insoluble fiber in neutral detergent, pH and ammonia nitrogen concentration of rumen liquid ‎were measured.‎

The results showed that the use of mineral Biochar in feeding weaned calves had no ‎significant effect on dry matter consumption, daily weight gain, total weight gain and average ‎feed conversion efficiency. The highest apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, ‎protein and insoluble fiber in neutral detergent was related to calves fed with a diet containing ‎‎1% Biochar (P< 0.05). The concentration of glucose, urea and high-density lipoproteins in the ‎blood of calves fed with a ration containing one percentage of Biochar was higher than that of ‎the calves of the control group (P<0.05). The concentration of cholesterol, triglyceride, aspartate ‎transaminase, alanine aminotransferase, albumin, total protein, very low density lipoproteins, ‎low density lipoproteins, gamma globulin did not differ significantly between the experimental ‎groups. Also, calves fed with a diet containing 1% Biochar had more ammonia nitrogen and ‎lower rumen pH than the control group (P< 0.05).‎

In general, the results of this experiment showed that the use of 1% mineral ‎Biochar in the ration of weaned calves can have positive effects on digestibility, some blood ‎parameters and rumen fermentation.‎

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of fodder beet on performance, carcass traits and blood parameters of fattening male lambs. 32 fattening male lambs with an initial weight of 28.05 ± 0.25 kg by using a completely randomized block design with four treatments and four blocks for 84 days were fed with experimental diets including control (zero), 10, 20 and 30% fodder beet with the ratio 60% of the concentrate and 40% of the fodder as total mixed ration twice a day. During the experiment period, there was no significant difference in the weight of the lambs among the control group and the groups in which different levels of fodder beet were used in their diets. There was no significant difference in average daily gain among all groups except for the lambs fed with 20% fodder beet diet. In the group that received 30% fodder beet, the feed intake (DM/d) was the lowest compared to other groups (P<0.05). No significant difference in the feed conversion ratio among the experimental groups was observed. There was no difference in slaughter weight, empty-body weight, hot and cold carcass weight, carcass traits and carcass dressing percentage of lambs among different groups (P>0.05). The experimental treatments had no effect on the biochemical characteristics of lambs blood, but fodder beet intake increased blood hemoglobin (P<0.05). Based on the results, fodder beet up to 30% could be used in fattening lamb diets without negative effect on performance, carcass characteristics and blood parameters.