- Email: [email protected]
Chicks Prefer Fat-Supplemented Diets1
RESEARCH NOTES
and seventh day of treatment were classed as white or off white. The hens were returned to the control rations after seven days of nicarbazin feeding, and color appeared on the shell surface of an egg laid the following day. After two or three days off the drug, the shells had all returned to their initial brown color. The untreated flock from which these birds were selected for treatment did not show any egg shell color changes during the test period. The effects of nicarbazin on the blue-green egg shell pigment oocyan was not determined in the test reported herein. Nicarbazin, at a level of .0125 percent of the ration, completely blocked some biochemical step within three chicken hens that prevented deposition of the brown pigment ooporphyrin on the egg shell. This was determined after field reports were received that brown egg shell breeds began to lay white shell eggs in overnight changes. By the above demonstrated influence on gene action, nicarbazin becomes a useful tool to further research. For a student of biochemistry, it should be a relatively
1165
simple matter to utilize information available on the chemical structure of nicarbazin and ooporphyrin, the red-brown pigment of egg shells, described from a literature review by Romanoff and Romanoff (1949), to reconstruct the biochemical changes taking place to produce a white egg shell. From that information the geneticist should move a little closer to an understanding of gene action. Any practical or applied uses of nicarbazin by the poultry industry with respect to changing egg shell color for vaious purposes must await results of research on its physiological effects on laying hens. ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Nicarbazin for this work was donated by Merck & Co., Inc. REFERENCES Kosin, I. L., 1954. Unpublished work at Washington State College on development of new "breeds. Color standard consists of six wax filled egg shells ranging in color from white (1) to medium brown (6). Romanoff, A. L., and A. J. Romanoff, 1949. The Avian Egg. pages 347-348. John Wiley and Sons, New York.
CHICKS PREFER FAT-SUPPLEMENTED DIETS 1 R. W. LEWIS, D. J. BRAY2 AND P. E. SANFORD Kansas State College, Manhattan (Received for publication April 15, 1955)
The supplementation of broiler diets with fat has been shown to improve feed efficiency by the following: Siedler and Scheweigert (1953), Yacowitz (1953), Carver el al. (1954), Donaldson el al. (1954), and Runnels (1955). 1
Contribution No. 217, Department of Poultry Husbandry, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Manhattan. 2 Present address: De£>t. of Animal Science, University of Illinois, Urbana.
Sunde (1954) attributed the effectiveness of fats in improving feed efficiency to the utilization of the glycerol portion of the fat molecule. It has been suggested that varying rates of nutrient absorption may contribute to improved feed utilization. In view of the lack of information on palatability, the experiment reported herein was designed to determine whether any preference could be shown for either fat-supplemented or nonsupple-
1166
RESEARCH NOTES TABLE 1.-—Feed consumption,
feed efficiency, and average weights of chicks by lots. 1-8 weeks of age
Lots
1
2
3
4
5
6
Diets
Basal
Basal Lard
Basal Corn oil
Lard Corn oil
Corn oil
Lard
Feeds consumed (lbs.) 111.9 % feed consumed — Feed efficiency* 2.46 Average weight (grams) t 1052 No. & sex of chicks per lot d" cf 13 9 9 8
50.8 58.2 46.6 53.4 2.45 1079 12 8
41.8 62.6 40.0 60.0 2.49 1113 8 11
57.4 56.8 50.2 49.8 2.48 1170 9 10
110.7
106.0
—
2.43 1109 12 8
•
—
•
2.47 1129 9 10
* Lb. feed per lb. gain, f Average weighted for sex.
mented diets as manifested by the amount of feed consumed by chicks from 1 to 8 weeks of age. One hundred twenty-three straight run White Wyandotte x White Rock dayold chicks were fed the Kansas State College all-vegetable protein high efficiency basal diet plus Aurofac* (chlortetracycline) in a wire floored battery for 1 week. The chicks were then divided (based on weights at that age) into 6 lots and fed the following diets: Lot 1—KSC basal (fed in both feeders) Lot 2—KSC basal (fed in one feeder) and KSC basal+2% lard (fed in opposite feeder) Lot 3—KSC basal (fed in one feeder) and KSC basal+2% corn oil (fed in opposite feeder) Lot 4—KSC basal 2% lard (fed in one feeder) and KSC basal+2% corn oil (fed in opposite feeder) Lot 5—KSC basal 2% corn oil (fed in both feeders) Lot 6—KSC basal 2% lard (fed in both feeders) The K.S.C. basal diet was that used by Lewis and Sanford (1953). All diets were supplemented with chlorotetracycline at * Aurofac supplied by American Cyanamid Company, Fine Chemicals Division, New York, N. Y.
the rate of 10 grams per ton. The feeders for birds in Lots, 2, 3, and 4 were alternated daily (after lights were out) at the same hour throughout the duration of the experiment. This procedure was used to obviate the possibility that the birds would locate the preferred diet by feeder position. The total amount of feed consumed from 1-8 weeks of age by lots is shown in Table 1. In Lots 2 and 3 where consumption of the basal diet was compared with that of diets supplemented with 2% lard and 2% corn oil, respectively, the consumption of the fat-supplemented diet exceeded that of the basal diet in both lots. This substantiates results of experiments conducted by Sanford (1954) for the Ninth Kansas Formula Feed Conference. The birds in Lot 2 preferred the 2% lard diet to the basal diet as shown by a greater consumption of the supplemented diet (58.2 lbs.) than the basal diet (50.8 lbs.). On a total feed consumption basis, 6.8% more of the supplemented diet was consumed than the basal diet. Preference for the 2% corn oil diet was even more apparent as indicated by the amounts of each diet consumed by birds in Lot 3. The birds consumed 41.8 lbs. of the basal diet and 62.6 lbs. of the supplemented diet. Interpreted on a total feed consumption basis, 20% more of the sup-
RESEARCH NOTES
plemented diet was consumed than the basal diet. When the birds in Lot 4 were given a choice between lard and corn oil supplemented diets, the consumption of each diet was approximately equal. Approximately equal amounts of feed consumed by birds in Lot 4, fed both lard and corn oil supplemented diets, resulted in birds with the greatest mean weight of all lots. Birds in Lot 1 fed the K.S.C. basal weighed the least, an average of 1052 grams. Results of this experiment, using palatability preference as evaluated by feed consumption, indicate that chicks prefer diets supplemented with 2% fat. REFERENCES Carver, D. S., E. E. Rice, R. E. Gray and P. E. Mone, 1954. The utilization of fats of different
1167
melting points added to broiler feeds. Poultry Sci. 33: 1048. Donaldson, W. E., G. F. Combs and G. L. Romoser, 1954. Results obtained with added fat in chick rations. Poultry Sci. 33: 1053. Lewis, R. W., and P. E. Sanford, 1953. Use of equivalent levels of antibiotic and vitamin B ]S supplements with cottonseed and soybean oil meals in chick diets. Poultry Sci. 32: 268-275. Runnels, T. D., 1955. Animal fat in combination with various other ingredients in broiler rations. Poultry Sci. 34:140-144. Sanford, P. E., 1954. Use of waste fat for poultry. (Unpublished research). Kansas Agri. Exp. Sta. Siedler, A. D., and B. S. Schweigert, 1953. Effect of feeding graded levels of fat with and without cholineand antibiotic +B12 supplements tochicks. Poultry Sci. 32: 449-454. Sunde, M. L., 1954. The effects of fats and fatty acids on feed conversion in chicks. Poultry Sci. 33: 1084. Yacowitz, H. 1953. Supplementation of corn-soybean oil meal rations with penicillin and various fats. Poultry Sci. 32:930.
THE FERTILITY OF FOWL SPERMATOZOA IN GLYCEROL DILUENTS AFTER INTRAUTERINE INSEMINATION* T. E. ALLEN AND LIDIA W. BOBR Poultry Research Centre, Werribee, Victoria, Australia (Received for publication June 7, 1955)
It has been well established by Smith and Polge (1950) and Polge (1951), and our experience has been similar, that fowl sperm in diluents giving a final concentration of 15% glycerol are completely infertile whether the semen has been frozen or not unless the sperm suspension is dialysed to effect slow removal of the glycerol prior to insemination. The recommended time of dialysis has been given by Polge (1951) as 2 hours at 20°C. and the technique of insemination he used was * Contribution from Division of Animal Health and Production of Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (C.S.I.R.O.).
that described by Burrows and Quinn (1939). The dialysis is time consuming and damaging to the sperm (if the semen has been deep frozen), therefore a more efficient insemination technique which would increase the fertility of poorly viable sperm samples would be useful since it might render the removal of the glycerol unnecessary. We have modified Burrows and Quinn's method of A.I. to permit the semen to be deposited in the uterus rather than the vagina which is the normal practice. The vagina is a coiled structure, kept in such a position by surrounding fatty tissue,
and seventh day of treatment were classed as white or off white. The hens were returned to the control rations after seven days of nicarbazin feeding, and color appeared on the shell surface of an egg laid the following day. After two or three days off the drug, the shells had all returned to their initial brown color. The untreated flock from which these birds were selected for treatment did not show any egg shell color changes during the test period. The effects of nicarbazin on the blue-green egg shell pigment oocyan was not determined in the test reported herein. Nicarbazin, at a level of .0125 percent of the ration, completely blocked some biochemical step within three chicken hens that prevented deposition of the brown pigment ooporphyrin on the egg shell. This was determined after field reports were received that brown egg shell breeds began to lay white shell eggs in overnight changes. By the above demonstrated influence on gene action, nicarbazin becomes a useful tool to further research. For a student of biochemistry, it should be a relatively
1165
simple matter to utilize information available on the chemical structure of nicarbazin and ooporphyrin, the red-brown pigment of egg shells, described from a literature review by Romanoff and Romanoff (1949), to reconstruct the biochemical changes taking place to produce a white egg shell. From that information the geneticist should move a little closer to an understanding of gene action. Any practical or applied uses of nicarbazin by the poultry industry with respect to changing egg shell color for vaious purposes must await results of research on its physiological effects on laying hens. ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Nicarbazin for this work was donated by Merck & Co., Inc. REFERENCES Kosin, I. L., 1954. Unpublished work at Washington State College on development of new "breeds. Color standard consists of six wax filled egg shells ranging in color from white (1) to medium brown (6). Romanoff, A. L., and A. J. Romanoff, 1949. The Avian Egg. pages 347-348. John Wiley and Sons, New York.
CHICKS PREFER FAT-SUPPLEMENTED DIETS 1 R. W. LEWIS, D. J. BRAY2 AND P. E. SANFORD Kansas State College, Manhattan (Received for publication April 15, 1955)
The supplementation of broiler diets with fat has been shown to improve feed efficiency by the following: Siedler and Scheweigert (1953), Yacowitz (1953), Carver el al. (1954), Donaldson el al. (1954), and Runnels (1955). 1
Contribution No. 217, Department of Poultry Husbandry, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Manhattan. 2 Present address: De£>t. of Animal Science, University of Illinois, Urbana.
Sunde (1954) attributed the effectiveness of fats in improving feed efficiency to the utilization of the glycerol portion of the fat molecule. It has been suggested that varying rates of nutrient absorption may contribute to improved feed utilization. In view of the lack of information on palatability, the experiment reported herein was designed to determine whether any preference could be shown for either fat-supplemented or nonsupple-
1166
RESEARCH NOTES TABLE 1.-—Feed consumption,
feed efficiency, and average weights of chicks by lots. 1-8 weeks of age
Lots
1
2
3
4
5
6
Diets
Basal
Basal Lard
Basal Corn oil
Lard Corn oil
Corn oil
Lard
Feeds consumed (lbs.) 111.9 % feed consumed — Feed efficiency* 2.46 Average weight (grams) t 1052 No. & sex of chicks per lot d" cf 13 9 9 8
50.8 58.2 46.6 53.4 2.45 1079 12 8
41.8 62.6 40.0 60.0 2.49 1113 8 11
57.4 56.8 50.2 49.8 2.48 1170 9 10
110.7
106.0
—
2.43 1109 12 8
•
—
•
2.47 1129 9 10
* Lb. feed per lb. gain, f Average weighted for sex.
mented diets as manifested by the amount of feed consumed by chicks from 1 to 8 weeks of age. One hundred twenty-three straight run White Wyandotte x White Rock dayold chicks were fed the Kansas State College all-vegetable protein high efficiency basal diet plus Aurofac* (chlortetracycline) in a wire floored battery for 1 week. The chicks were then divided (based on weights at that age) into 6 lots and fed the following diets: Lot 1—KSC basal (fed in both feeders) Lot 2—KSC basal (fed in one feeder) and KSC basal+2% lard (fed in opposite feeder) Lot 3—KSC basal (fed in one feeder) and KSC basal+2% corn oil (fed in opposite feeder) Lot 4—KSC basal 2% lard (fed in one feeder) and KSC basal+2% corn oil (fed in opposite feeder) Lot 5—KSC basal 2% corn oil (fed in both feeders) Lot 6—KSC basal 2% lard (fed in both feeders) The K.S.C. basal diet was that used by Lewis and Sanford (1953). All diets were supplemented with chlorotetracycline at * Aurofac supplied by American Cyanamid Company, Fine Chemicals Division, New York, N. Y.
the rate of 10 grams per ton. The feeders for birds in Lots, 2, 3, and 4 were alternated daily (after lights were out) at the same hour throughout the duration of the experiment. This procedure was used to obviate the possibility that the birds would locate the preferred diet by feeder position. The total amount of feed consumed from 1-8 weeks of age by lots is shown in Table 1. In Lots 2 and 3 where consumption of the basal diet was compared with that of diets supplemented with 2% lard and 2% corn oil, respectively, the consumption of the fat-supplemented diet exceeded that of the basal diet in both lots. This substantiates results of experiments conducted by Sanford (1954) for the Ninth Kansas Formula Feed Conference. The birds in Lot 2 preferred the 2% lard diet to the basal diet as shown by a greater consumption of the supplemented diet (58.2 lbs.) than the basal diet (50.8 lbs.). On a total feed consumption basis, 6.8% more of the supplemented diet was consumed than the basal diet. Preference for the 2% corn oil diet was even more apparent as indicated by the amounts of each diet consumed by birds in Lot 3. The birds consumed 41.8 lbs. of the basal diet and 62.6 lbs. of the supplemented diet. Interpreted on a total feed consumption basis, 20% more of the sup-
RESEARCH NOTES
plemented diet was consumed than the basal diet. When the birds in Lot 4 were given a choice between lard and corn oil supplemented diets, the consumption of each diet was approximately equal. Approximately equal amounts of feed consumed by birds in Lot 4, fed both lard and corn oil supplemented diets, resulted in birds with the greatest mean weight of all lots. Birds in Lot 1 fed the K.S.C. basal weighed the least, an average of 1052 grams. Results of this experiment, using palatability preference as evaluated by feed consumption, indicate that chicks prefer diets supplemented with 2% fat. REFERENCES Carver, D. S., E. E. Rice, R. E. Gray and P. E. Mone, 1954. The utilization of fats of different
1167
melting points added to broiler feeds. Poultry Sci. 33: 1048. Donaldson, W. E., G. F. Combs and G. L. Romoser, 1954. Results obtained with added fat in chick rations. Poultry Sci. 33: 1053. Lewis, R. W., and P. E. Sanford, 1953. Use of equivalent levels of antibiotic and vitamin B ]S supplements with cottonseed and soybean oil meals in chick diets. Poultry Sci. 32: 268-275. Runnels, T. D., 1955. Animal fat in combination with various other ingredients in broiler rations. Poultry Sci. 34:140-144. Sanford, P. E., 1954. Use of waste fat for poultry. (Unpublished research). Kansas Agri. Exp. Sta. Siedler, A. D., and B. S. Schweigert, 1953. Effect of feeding graded levels of fat with and without cholineand antibiotic +B12 supplements tochicks. Poultry Sci. 32: 449-454. Sunde, M. L., 1954. The effects of fats and fatty acids on feed conversion in chicks. Poultry Sci. 33: 1084. Yacowitz, H. 1953. Supplementation of corn-soybean oil meal rations with penicillin and various fats. Poultry Sci. 32:930.
THE FERTILITY OF FOWL SPERMATOZOA IN GLYCEROL DILUENTS AFTER INTRAUTERINE INSEMINATION* T. E. ALLEN AND LIDIA W. BOBR Poultry Research Centre, Werribee, Victoria, Australia (Received for publication June 7, 1955)
It has been well established by Smith and Polge (1950) and Polge (1951), and our experience has been similar, that fowl sperm in diluents giving a final concentration of 15% glycerol are completely infertile whether the semen has been frozen or not unless the sperm suspension is dialysed to effect slow removal of the glycerol prior to insemination. The recommended time of dialysis has been given by Polge (1951) as 2 hours at 20°C. and the technique of insemination he used was * Contribution from Division of Animal Health and Production of Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (C.S.I.R.O.).
that described by Burrows and Quinn (1939). The dialysis is time consuming and damaging to the sperm (if the semen has been deep frozen), therefore a more efficient insemination technique which would increase the fertility of poorly viable sperm samples would be useful since it might render the removal of the glycerol unnecessary. We have modified Burrows and Quinn's method of A.I. to permit the semen to be deposited in the uterus rather than the vagina which is the normal practice. The vagina is a coiled structure, kept in such a position by surrounding fatty tissue,