Research Notes E N E R G Y R E Q U I R E M E N T O F R O O S T E R S AS I N F L U E N C E D BY ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURE, DIETARY ENERGY A N D A G E 1 M A L I K M. AHMAD AND F . B E N MATHER
Department of Poultry and Wildlife Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583 (Received for publication December 9, 1975)
POULTRY SCIENCE 55: 1561-1563, 1976
INTRODUCTION
MATERIALS AND METHODS
HILE considerable research has been conducted on the energy requirement of laying hens under various conditions, very little data are available on the energy and other nutrient requirements of mature roosters. Although it is very beneficial to conduct research with laying hens because of its direct application, use of mature roosters may answer some important physiological questions since the variable of egg production is eliminated. No recommendation is available on the nutrient requirements of roosters by the National Research Council. However, in studying the amino acid requirements for roosters, Shapiro and Fisher (1962) and Leveille et al. (1960) provided 95 and 90 kcal. M.E./kg. body wt./day, respectively. A relatively higher maintenance energy requirement of 117 kcal. M.E./kg. body wt./day was found by Guillaume and Summers (1970). The following research provides information on the voluntary energy intake of roosters as influenced by environmental temperature, dietary energy and age.
Five month old roosters (Hy-Line 934-E) were individually caged in three environmental chambers and exposed to constant temperatures of 23, 30 and 37° C. Roosters exposed to the 23 and 30° C. temperatures were given one of three diets formulated to provide 200, 250 or 300 kcal. M.E./120 g. of feed while roosters exposed to 37° C. were only given the 300 kcal. M.E./120 g. diet. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. The diets were formulated using the method of Gleaves et al. (1968) such that energy level was the only nutritive dietary variable. Metabolizable energy intake was calculated on the metabolic body size basis (body weight in kilogram075), to minimize the effect of body weight variations. Feed intake and body weight measurements were started when the birds were 7 months old and continued to 9-13 months of age.
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1. Published as Paper Number 4099, Journal Series, Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Table 1 shows the energy intake of roosters on a metabolic body size basis as affected by environmental temperature and dietary energy. Energy intake was calculated from the feed intake data. It is evident that as the environmental temperature increased
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ABSTRACT Little information is available on the energy requirement of roosters. The voluntary energy intake is reported for roosters exposed to environmental temperatures of 23, 30 or 37° C. while fed one of three diets differing in energy level. There was a reduction in the energy intake as the environmental temperature increased. The data indicated that the energy requirement was reduced somewhat as the birds get older than 9-10 months of age.
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RESEARCH NOTES
TABLE 1.—Daily energy intake of roosters exposed to three environmental temperatures and fed three dietary energy levels Dietary energy 23° C. kcal. M.E. 200 115 ± 12' 250 126 ± 11 114 ± 17 300 Mean values ± standard deviation.
Environmental temperature 30° C. kcal. M.E./kg.0-75 body wt 94 ± 15 110 ± 7 97 ± 18
130 • X
80 ± 15
250 kcal. M.E.
X
120 110 100
A
A
A
•
9 10 II AGE IN MONTHS
FIG. 1. Energy intake (kcal. M.E.) response of roosters exposed to three environmental temperatures and fed three dietary energy levels. The temperatures were 23° C.(x),30° C. (A) and 37° C. (O). REFERENCES Gleaves, E. W., L. V. Tonkinson, J. D. Wolf, C. K. Harman, R. H. Thayer and R. D. Morrison, 1968. The action and interaction of physiological food regulators in the laying hen. Poultry Sci. 47: 38-67. Guillaume, J., and J. D. Summers, 1970. Maintenance energy requirement of the rooster and influence of plane of nutrition on metabolizable energy. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 50: 363-369.
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there was a reduction in the energy intake of roosters. No noticeable difference was observed in the energy intake of roosters at various levels of dietary energy. The results are in conformity with the mechanisms of food intake control as affected by thermostatic and chemostatic factors. The values for voluntary energy intake are probably very near the maintenance requirement of energy for roosters (not used for breeding), since the roosters were mature having practically no growth and voluntary activity was reduced by being caged individually. The birds given the middle level of dietary energy consumed slightly more energy than the birds fed either the lowest or highest level of dietary energy. The feed intake of the birds fed the lowest dietary energy level was possibly depressed by filling sensations from the gastrointestinal area, to the extent that energy needs could not be satisfied. The relatively reduced energy intake at the highest dietary energy level does not conform with the frequent observation that birds tend to overconsume energy when fed higher dietary energy levels. However, 300 kcal. M.E. may be an excessively high level for relatively inactive roosters and may have affected feed intake atypically. Figure 1 shows the energy intake response of roosters as affected by age at three different dietary energy and environmental temperature levels. It is quite clear that the energy requirement decreases as the birds increase in age, especially after 9-10 months of age. Thus, there is probably very little growth after that period of time.
37° C.
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RESEARCH NOTES
Leveille, G. A., R. Shapiro and H. Fisher, 1960. Amino acid requirements for maintenance in the adult rooster. IV. The requirements for methionine, cystine, phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan; the adequacy of the determined requirements. J. Nutr. 72: 8-15.
Shapiro, R., and H. Fisher, 1962. Protein reserves: Relationship of dietary essential and non-essential amino acids to formation and maintenance in the fowl. J. Nutr. 76: 106-112.
CLASSIFICATION OF ABNORMAL CHICKEN EGGS J. H. VAN MIDDELKOOP1 AND P. B.
SIEGEL 2
POULTRY SCIENCE 55: 1563-1566, 1976
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ESEARCH involving the egg production of broiler dams requires the classification of eggs into separate etiological categories. The initial studies by Jaap and his colleagues (Jaap and Clancy, 1968; Jaap and Muir, 1968) were fundamental because they classified eggs as either normal or abnormal, and thereby recognized the difference between yolk production and number of normal eggs laid. Although subsequently others studied egg production patterns in this way (Foster, 1970; van Middelkoop and Simons, 1970; Ivy et al., 1972; Udale et ah, 1972; Silber and Merat, 1974b), the assignment of eggs into proper categories still remained a problem because classification may be according to the amount of shell deposition, shape, occurrence of yolk material on the outer surface, number of yolks, etc. This results in numerous classes containing small samples which may preclude certain analyses unless certain groups are
1. Spelderholt Institute for Poultry Research, Beekbergen, Netherlands. 2. Poultry Science-Department, Virginia Polytechnic Instituteand State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061.
combined. Information is needed on the biological validity of pooling morphological types of abnormal eggs. The incidence of double-yolked eggs was increased through selection (Lowry, 1967; Sarvella, 1975). Also through selection, van Middelkoop (1973) demonstrated genetic influences on at least two different types of abnormal eggs namely, double-yolked (DY) and extra calcified (EC). Furthermore, juvenile body weights of chickens from the DY and EC lines were slightly but consistently heavier than those from a line selected for the laying of normal eggs. Also, Lowry and Abplanalp (1967) observed an increase in adult body weight when selecting for DY eggs in Leghorns. The experiment reported here was designed to provide additional information of the influence of selection for body weight and egg laying patterns. Data were obtained from lines selected for juvenile body weight with egg laying patterns as the unselected traits. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data were obtained from S 18 generation
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(Received for publication January 19, 1976)
ABSTRACT Differences in the frequency of abnormal eggs were found between lines of White Plymouth Rocks selected for high and low juvenile body weight, and between them and lines where selection for body weight was relaxed. Primary emphasis is given to double-yolked and extra calcified eggs, the incidence of which while apparently independent of each other is not independent of other types of egg abnormalities.