Marconi Italo Lourenço da Silva

Dorsal cranial myopathy is a degenerative lesion that affects the anterior Latissimus dorsi muscle in broiler chickens, with an etiology that remains unknown. The objective was to investigate the influence of musculoskeletal biomechanical balance and gait on the prevalence of dorsal cranial myopathy in three broiler chicken strains with differing growth potential. Three-hundred and ninety-six broiler chickens from three genetic strains with differing growth potential (fast, intermediate, and slow, 132 birds/strain) were housed in 18 pens with 22 birds/pen. Five birds/pen (n = 30 birds/genetic strain) were randomly wing- or leg-banded to assess gait and musculoskeletal biomechanical balance (by calculating body angulation) at 1, 2, 3, and 3.7 kg weight sampling points. Dorsal cranial myopathy was assessed one day after birds reached final body weight. Gait and musculoskeletal balance were both negatively impacted by body weight in fast- and slow-growing strains but not in the intermediate-growing strain. Dorsal cranial myopathy was more prevalent in fast-growing broilers compared to other strains, with no case observed in the slow-growing strain. Impaired gait negatively affected musculoskeletal biomechanical balance and increased the prevalence of dorsal cranial myopathy. Our results suggest that genetic strain, musculoskeletal biomechanical imbalance, poor gait, and high body weight are all associated with the prevalence of dorsal cranial myopathy in broiler chickens. We successfully simplified a non-invasive body posture methodology to quantify the musculoskeletal biomechanical balance in broiler chickens.

Fear and anxiety are considered concerns for animal welfare as they are associated with negative affective states. This study aimed to pharmacologically validate an attention bias test (ABT) for broiler chickens ( Gallus gallus domesticus ) as a cognitive bias test to determine anxiety. Two-hundred-and-four male Ross 708 broiler chickens were arbitrarily allocated to either the anxiogenic or control treatment at day 25 of age, resulting in 102 birds per treatment. Birds from the anxiogenic group were administered with 2.5 mg/kg of β-CCM (β-carboline-3-carboxylic acid-N-methylamide [FG 7142]) through an intraperitoneal injection at a volume of 0.1 ml/100 g of body weight. Birds from the control group were administered with 9 mg/kg of a saline solution. During ABT, birds were tested in groups of three (n = 34 groups of three birds/treatment) with commercial feed and mealworms as positive stimuli and a conspecific alarm call as a negative stimulus. Control birds were 45 s faster to begin feeding than anxiogenic birds. Birds from the control group vocalized 40 s later and stepped 57 s later than birds from the anxiogenic group. The occurrence of vigilance behaviors did not differ between treatments. This study was successful in pharmacologically validating an attention bias test for fast-growing broiler chickens, testing three birds simultaneously. Our findings showed that latencies to begin feeding, first vocalization, and first step were valid measures to quantify anxiety.

Environmental enrichment can increase the occurrence of natural behavior and improve leg health and other animal welfare outcomes in broiler chickens. This study aimed to assess the effects of three environmental enrichments, specifically hay bales, step platforms, and laser lights, on subclinical spondylolisthesis prevalence, productivity, behavior, and gait of broiler chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus). Twenty-four hundred day-old male Ross® AP95 chicks from a commercial hatchery were used in a completely randomized design with four treatments and four replicate pens per treatment. Pens contained either a Control (C) treatment, an environment similar to a commercial broiler chicken system without environmental enrichments, or an environment with either additional hay bales (HB), additional step platforms (SP), or additional laser lights (LL). Performance, yield, behavior (frequencies), gait score, and subclinical spondylolisthesis prevalences were assessed. When raised with SP or LL access, fewer chickens had subclinical spondylolisthesis than chickens without enrichments (C) or with HB access. Chickens with access to SP exhibited higher wing yield and less abdominal fat than animals from the C group. Chickens from the LL and HB treatments explored more and rested less frequently than animals from the C and SP treatments. As chickens aged, they became less active, exploring less and increasing resting and comfort behaviors. Treatments did not affect gait. Gait was not associated with subclinical spondylolisthesis prevalence. Environmental enrichments benefitted chicken health (subclinical spondylolisthesis) and behavior (exploration) without negative consequences for performance and yield.

The research aimed to assess the effects of auditory environmental enrichment on sows in mixed housing (caged until 35 days after insemination and then collective pens) or collective housing (caged until 72 h after insemination and then collective pens). Reproductive performance, body surface and eye temperature (ET) were evaluated as sows’ welfare indicators. A sample of 56 sows between 2nd and 6th parity was submitted to the treatments from artificial insemination to weaning. The sows were assigned in a randomized block design with a 2 × 2 factorial scheme of treatments: mixed housing—control (MH-C), collective housing—control (CH-C), mixed housing—music (MH-M) and collective housing—music (CH-M). Auditory enrichment consisted of exposing sows daily throughout gestation and lactation to 6 h of classical music divided into 2 h periods. The ET of pregnant sows in collective housing was lower than that of sows in mixed housing (33.77 °C vs. 34.91 °C). Pregnant and lactating sows exposed to auditory environmental enrichment exhibited lower ET compared to those that had no access to the stimulus (pregnant 33.36 °C vs. 34.32 °C and lactating 34.21 °C vs. 34.83 °C). No housing type effect was found on the reproductive performance parameter; however, piglets from sows submitted to auditory environmental enrichment, regardless of the type of housing during gestation, were heavier at weaning (6.32 kg vs. 5.57 kg). Collective or mixed housing does not affect sows’ reproductive performance; perhaps, auditory environmental enrichment reduced stress in the gestation and lactation phases and provided greater piglet weight gain at weaning.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of partially fermentable insoluble dietary fiber supplementation on the behavior, surface temperature, and reproductive parameters of gestating and lactating sows, as well as on the performance of their litters. Four hundred hyper-prolific sows were assigned in a randomized block design with two treatment groups during the gestation phase: Control (C), corn-soy based diets, or corn-soy based diets with daily 55 g supplementation of eubiotic fiber (F) from the 85th day of gestation until the farrowing (late pregnancy). During the lactation phase, the sows were assigned in a 2 × 2 factorial design using the following treatment groups: (1) CC, no fiber included during gestation and lactation. (2) FC, daily inclusion of 55 g of fiber only during late pregnancy. (3) CF, daily inclusion of 55 g of fiber only during lactation. (4) FF, daily inclusion of 55 g of fiber during late pregnancy and lactation. Sows that received dietary fiber supplementation during the final third of gestation increased feed intake during lactation. Piglets from sows supplemented in both phases showed a significant increase in weight at weaning. The dietary supplementation of eubiotic fiber for sows in the end period of gestation and lactation improved performance and welfare, with positive consequences for developing their litters.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different levels of digestible lysine, at fixed amino acid ratios, in performance, blood parameters and diet digestibility of barrows from 15 to 30 kg. Fifty barrows of the Duroc breed with an average initial body weight of 14.95±3.22 kg were assigned to five treatments in a completely randomized experimental design with five replicates and of two animals per experimental unit. Treatments consisted of crude protein and lysine levels, maintaining a fixed ratio with the other digestible amino acids (8.4, 9.4, 10.4, 11.4, and 12.4 g kg-1lysine/kg of diet). The feed conversion decreased linearly according to lysine levels. The apparent digestibility coefficients of dry matter and crude protein increased linearly, and the same response was observed for serum total protein and urea. The results indicate that digestible lysine level for Duroc barrows in the starter phase is 12.4 g kg-1 of diet, as it improved feed conversion ratio and apparent nutrient digestibility.

The present study aimed to assess the influence of adding straw bales, step platforms, and laser projectors as environmental enrichment resources on the behaviour and welfare indicators of broiler chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus). A sample of 4,000 day-old male Cobb® 500 birds was used. The experimental treatments consisted of No Environmental Enrichment (NEE)—similar to a conventional environment; and Environmental Enrichment (EE)—environment enriched with straw bales, step platforms, and laser projectors, with four replicates per treatment of 500 animals. Behavioural characteristics (ethological observation through cameras, grab test, and modified touch test) and animal welfare indicators (pododermatitis and dorsal cranial myopathy) were assessed. The birds submitted to the EE treatment exhibited greater exploratory activity and expression of behaviours associated with comfort and welfare, whereas those in the NEE group were less active. Locomotion and play fighting behaviour decreased and behaviours associated with comfort increased as age advanced. The frequencies of interaction with laser spots and birds lying around straw bales were the highest in the 1^stweek (P<0.01). The behaviours of pecking at straw bales (P<0.0004), using the step platforms (P = 0.0001) and being on top of straw bales (P<0.0002) gradually increased. The chickens accessed the feeding troughs the most in the period of 0800 hours (P<0.0001) and expressed the highest frequencies of behaviours associated with comfort in the 1400 hours and 1700 hours periods. The birds in the EE group were calmer in face of human presence and touch and scored higher in animal welfare indicators. Adding straw bales, step platforms, and laser projectors increased locomotion, reduced expression of fear, and improved animal welfare indicators of broiler chickens.

RESUMO Objetivou-se avaliar níveis de proteína e aminoácidos, mantendo-se as relações entre os aminoácidos para suínos machos, castrados, de30kg a 50kg. Foram utilizados 50 suínos machos, castrados, com peso inicial de 30,35±1,96kg, distribuídos em delineamento experimental inteiramente ao acaso, com cinco tratamentos e cinco repetições com dois animais por unidade experimental. Os tratamentos consistiram em níveis de lisina digestível, mantendo-se a relação com os demais aminoácidos digestíveis: 0,73%; 0,83%; 0,93%; 1,03% e 1,13% na dieta. Avaliou-se desempenho, avaliação de carcaça, parâmetros sanguíneos e digestibilidade das dietas. Houve efeito quadrático para ganho de peso, conversão alimentar e níveis de creatinina em função dos níveis de lisina, com níveis ótimos estimados em 0,92%, 0,93% e 0,93%, respectivamente. As características de carcaça não foram influenciadas significativamente pelos tratamentos. Constatou-se efeito linear positivo para digestibilidade aparente da proteína bruta, da proteína total e da ureia sérica. Conclui-se que os níveis de proteína e lisina digestível recomendados para dietas de suínos machos, castrados, da raça Duroc, na fase de crescimento I, são de 16,70% e 0,93%, respectivamente, pois esses níveis proporcionaram melhorias no ganho de peso, na conversão alimentar e na creatinina sérica.

RESUMO Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito da inclusão da torta de algodão (TA) com adição de enzimas na ração de suínos na fase de crescimento e seus efeitos sobre o desempenho, as características de carcaças, bem como sua viabilidade econômica. Para tanto, foram utilizados 20 suínos machos castrados, distribuídos em um delineamento em blocos ao acaso, com peso corporal inicial de 56,28±5,78kg e final de 79,79±7,32kg. Os níveis de inclusão da TA foram 0%, 8%, 16% e 24%. Todas as rações tiveram os valores de exigência em energia metabolizável, proteína bruta e fósforo subestimados em 1,5% com a utilização de 300g/t do complexo enzimático. Os parâmetros de desempenho e as características de carcaça não apresentaram diferenças significativas entre os níveis de inclusão da TA. A torta de algodão pode ser utilizada em até o nível de 24% de inclusão com adição de complexo enzimático em rações de suínos na fase de crescimento II, sem alterar os parâmetros de desempenho e as características de carcaças, além de apresentar redução do custo/kg de suíno produzido.