- Email: [email protected]
The Effect of Colored Light on Growth and Feed Efficiency of Chicks and Poults
268
RESEARCH NOTES
shown in Table 1. The presence of taurine in the diet of the chicks was associated with increased bone growth and decreased concentrations of S36. Decreased percentage of bone ash was also associated with the taurine supplementation, but this decrease did not account for the entire difference in bone weight as in some groups the ash weight was almost equal, indicating that most of the increase was in the organic fraction of the bone. The body weight was only slightly increased by supplemental taurine at 7 and 14 days of age, and of the few remaining chicks in each group at 21 days of age, there was decreased body weight in each breed group receiving the taurine supplemented ration. These data suggest that taurine donates sulfate for esterification into chondroitin sulfate of the young chick, and that this
role is temporary during only the early weeks of life. It is possible that the remainder of the taurine molecule is useful to the chick at this age. This study is being continued to test the practical use of taurine in a starter ration to stimulate early bone growth. REFERENCES Bostrom, H., and S. Aqvist, 1952. Utilization of S^-labelled sodium sulfate in the synthesis of chondroitin sulfuric acid, taurine, methionine and cystine. Acta Chemica Scand. 6: 1557. Lowe, I. P., and E. Roberts, 1955. Incorporation of radioactive sulfate into taurine and other substances in the chick embryo. J. Biol. Chem. 212: 477^83. Machlin, L. J., 1955. Studies on the growth response in the chicken from the addition of sulfate to a low-sulfur diet. Poultry Sci. 34: 1209. Machlin, L. J., P. B. Pearson and C. A. Denton, 1955. The utilization of sulfate sulfur for the synthesis of taurine in the developing chick embryo. J. Biol. Chem. 212: 469-475.
THE EFFECT OF COLORED LIGHT ON GROWTH AND FEED EFFICIENCY OF CHICKS AND POULTS P . A. KONDEA University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (Received for publication October 11, 1960)
With increasing use of heat bulbs for brooding, various colored bulbs were being recommended to help overcome certain brooding problems. About 1956, green colored heat bulbs were being advertised which the manufacturer claimed increased feed consumption, growth rate and reduced cannibalism. At that time no information could be found in the literature on the effect of various colors of heat bulbs. Two tests were carried out in 1957-58 on chicks and poults with the object of obtaining some information on this subject. Smith and Phillips (1959), using red, orange, yellow, and green colored neon light on different feeders, showed that
feed consumption was greatest under green light. However, when such light was used in separate pens, the test showed no difference in body weight and feed consumption of the poults exposed to the four colors of light. Experiment 1 involved two lots of 40 unsexed chicks of egg production stock which were floor brooded, one lot under a red colored heat bulb, and the other under a green colored bulb. Records were kept of mortality, bi-weekly body weights and feed consumption. The light treatments used during brooding in Exp. 1 were applied to unsexed crossbred turkey poults, in Exp. 2, with 27 birds in each lot. Anal-
269
RESEARCH NOTES
TABLE 1.—Body weight, feed conversion and liveabU-TABLE 2.—Body weight, feed conversion and liveability of chicks and poults brooded under red ity of chicks and poults brooded under white, and green colored heat lamps red and green colored heat lamps Exp. 1: Chicks at 6 weeks Exp. 2: Poults at 7 weeks Light
Exp. 3: Chicks at 8 weeks Exp. 4: Poults at 8 weeks
Wt. (gms.)
Feed conv.
Liveability
Wt. (gms.)
Feed conv.
Liveability
Light
Wt. (gms.)
Feed conv.
Liveability
Wt. (gms.)
Feed conv.
Liveability
Red 368.7 Green 352.0
2.86 2.89
100% 100%
1.314.4 1.386.5
1.77 1.88
96.1 96.3
White 990.1 991.3 Red Green 971.1
2.88 2.82 2.79
97.2 99.1 95.4
1,508.4 1,449.0 1,517.8
1.96 1.94 2.00
95.1 90.7 97.6
ysis of data shown in Table 1, using the t-test, revealed that there was no significant difference between red and green heat bulbs as they affect body weight, feed conversion and mortality of chicks and poults at 6 weeks and at 7 weeks of age respectively. In both of the above tests natural light of low intensity was present in the pens in addition to that given off by the heat lamps. In 1958, tests were carried out on brooding of chicks and poults under white, red or green lamps which, in each case, were the only source of light. Experiment 3 involved two replications of 50 chicks of broiler stock on each treatment to 8 weeks of age. Experiment 4 involved two replica-
tions of 20 heavy crossbred poults on each treatment to 8 weeks of age. The analysis of variance of data shown in Table 2 revealed that white, red or green colored heat lamps did not produce any significant differences in body weight or feed conversion of broiler chicks or turkey poults at 8 weeks of age. This agrees with the results obtained by Smith and Phillips in their second test. Mortality differences, as shown in Table 2, were small. REFERENCE Smith, L. T., and R. E. Phillips, 1959. Influence of colored Neon lights on feed consumption in poults. Poultry Sci. 38:1248.
NEWS AND NOTES {Continued from page 263) After leaving the U.S.D.A., he served on the staff Association. He is an honorary life member of the of several companies pioneering in poultry process- Institute of American Poultry Industries and was ing plants in Tennessee and Kentucky. In 1924 he named Poultryman of the Year at the Fact Finding was appointed Consulting Specialist for the Depart- Conference in 1952. He also is a life member of the ment of Agriculture, and spent much of the following American Poultry Association, an honorary life year surveying the poultry industry in some 15 member of the National Turkey Federation, and European countries. His report was published in was a founder of the American Poultry Historical 1926 as U.S.D.A. Bulletin No. 1385 entitled "The Society. In 1950 he received the Franklin L. Sewell Poultry and Egg Industry in Europe." This survey Citation and, in 1951 was made a Fellow of the served for many years as a reference by the industry. Poultry Science Association. In 1958 he was elected He was author or co-author of a number of bulle- a Fellow of the American Association for the Adtins and articles dealing with poultry and egg vancement of Science, and in 1960 was named to the handling and packing equipment, and with E. W. Poultry Industry Hall of Fame. Benjamin and W. D. Termohlen authored Marketing RALSTON PURINA FELLOWSHIPS Poultry Products. The Ralston Purina Company, St. Louis, Mis"Doc" joined the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company in 1927 as Poultry Buyer and in 1938 be- souri, has announced the Ralston Purina Research came National Poultry Research Director for the Fellowship Awards for the 1961-62 academic year. Ten fellowships in the amount of $2000 each will be Company. In 1908 he helped organize the Poultry Science granted for graduate study in agricultural research^ {Continued on page 273)
RESEARCH NOTES
shown in Table 1. The presence of taurine in the diet of the chicks was associated with increased bone growth and decreased concentrations of S36. Decreased percentage of bone ash was also associated with the taurine supplementation, but this decrease did not account for the entire difference in bone weight as in some groups the ash weight was almost equal, indicating that most of the increase was in the organic fraction of the bone. The body weight was only slightly increased by supplemental taurine at 7 and 14 days of age, and of the few remaining chicks in each group at 21 days of age, there was decreased body weight in each breed group receiving the taurine supplemented ration. These data suggest that taurine donates sulfate for esterification into chondroitin sulfate of the young chick, and that this
role is temporary during only the early weeks of life. It is possible that the remainder of the taurine molecule is useful to the chick at this age. This study is being continued to test the practical use of taurine in a starter ration to stimulate early bone growth. REFERENCES Bostrom, H., and S. Aqvist, 1952. Utilization of S^-labelled sodium sulfate in the synthesis of chondroitin sulfuric acid, taurine, methionine and cystine. Acta Chemica Scand. 6: 1557. Lowe, I. P., and E. Roberts, 1955. Incorporation of radioactive sulfate into taurine and other substances in the chick embryo. J. Biol. Chem. 212: 477^83. Machlin, L. J., 1955. Studies on the growth response in the chicken from the addition of sulfate to a low-sulfur diet. Poultry Sci. 34: 1209. Machlin, L. J., P. B. Pearson and C. A. Denton, 1955. The utilization of sulfate sulfur for the synthesis of taurine in the developing chick embryo. J. Biol. Chem. 212: 469-475.
THE EFFECT OF COLORED LIGHT ON GROWTH AND FEED EFFICIENCY OF CHICKS AND POULTS P . A. KONDEA University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (Received for publication October 11, 1960)
With increasing use of heat bulbs for brooding, various colored bulbs were being recommended to help overcome certain brooding problems. About 1956, green colored heat bulbs were being advertised which the manufacturer claimed increased feed consumption, growth rate and reduced cannibalism. At that time no information could be found in the literature on the effect of various colors of heat bulbs. Two tests were carried out in 1957-58 on chicks and poults with the object of obtaining some information on this subject. Smith and Phillips (1959), using red, orange, yellow, and green colored neon light on different feeders, showed that
feed consumption was greatest under green light. However, when such light was used in separate pens, the test showed no difference in body weight and feed consumption of the poults exposed to the four colors of light. Experiment 1 involved two lots of 40 unsexed chicks of egg production stock which were floor brooded, one lot under a red colored heat bulb, and the other under a green colored bulb. Records were kept of mortality, bi-weekly body weights and feed consumption. The light treatments used during brooding in Exp. 1 were applied to unsexed crossbred turkey poults, in Exp. 2, with 27 birds in each lot. Anal-
269
RESEARCH NOTES
TABLE 1.—Body weight, feed conversion and liveabU-TABLE 2.—Body weight, feed conversion and liveability of chicks and poults brooded under red ity of chicks and poults brooded under white, and green colored heat lamps red and green colored heat lamps Exp. 1: Chicks at 6 weeks Exp. 2: Poults at 7 weeks Light
Exp. 3: Chicks at 8 weeks Exp. 4: Poults at 8 weeks
Wt. (gms.)
Feed conv.
Liveability
Wt. (gms.)
Feed conv.
Liveability
Light
Wt. (gms.)
Feed conv.
Liveability
Wt. (gms.)
Feed conv.
Liveability
Red 368.7 Green 352.0
2.86 2.89
100% 100%
1.314.4 1.386.5
1.77 1.88
96.1 96.3
White 990.1 991.3 Red Green 971.1
2.88 2.82 2.79
97.2 99.1 95.4
1,508.4 1,449.0 1,517.8
1.96 1.94 2.00
95.1 90.7 97.6
ysis of data shown in Table 1, using the t-test, revealed that there was no significant difference between red and green heat bulbs as they affect body weight, feed conversion and mortality of chicks and poults at 6 weeks and at 7 weeks of age respectively. In both of the above tests natural light of low intensity was present in the pens in addition to that given off by the heat lamps. In 1958, tests were carried out on brooding of chicks and poults under white, red or green lamps which, in each case, were the only source of light. Experiment 3 involved two replications of 50 chicks of broiler stock on each treatment to 8 weeks of age. Experiment 4 involved two replica-
tions of 20 heavy crossbred poults on each treatment to 8 weeks of age. The analysis of variance of data shown in Table 2 revealed that white, red or green colored heat lamps did not produce any significant differences in body weight or feed conversion of broiler chicks or turkey poults at 8 weeks of age. This agrees with the results obtained by Smith and Phillips in their second test. Mortality differences, as shown in Table 2, were small. REFERENCE Smith, L. T., and R. E. Phillips, 1959. Influence of colored Neon lights on feed consumption in poults. Poultry Sci. 38:1248.
NEWS AND NOTES {Continued from page 263) After leaving the U.S.D.A., he served on the staff Association. He is an honorary life member of the of several companies pioneering in poultry process- Institute of American Poultry Industries and was ing plants in Tennessee and Kentucky. In 1924 he named Poultryman of the Year at the Fact Finding was appointed Consulting Specialist for the Depart- Conference in 1952. He also is a life member of the ment of Agriculture, and spent much of the following American Poultry Association, an honorary life year surveying the poultry industry in some 15 member of the National Turkey Federation, and European countries. His report was published in was a founder of the American Poultry Historical 1926 as U.S.D.A. Bulletin No. 1385 entitled "The Society. In 1950 he received the Franklin L. Sewell Poultry and Egg Industry in Europe." This survey Citation and, in 1951 was made a Fellow of the served for many years as a reference by the industry. Poultry Science Association. In 1958 he was elected He was author or co-author of a number of bulle- a Fellow of the American Association for the Adtins and articles dealing with poultry and egg vancement of Science, and in 1960 was named to the handling and packing equipment, and with E. W. Poultry Industry Hall of Fame. Benjamin and W. D. Termohlen authored Marketing RALSTON PURINA FELLOWSHIPS Poultry Products. The Ralston Purina Company, St. Louis, Mis"Doc" joined the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company in 1927 as Poultry Buyer and in 1938 be- souri, has announced the Ralston Purina Research came National Poultry Research Director for the Fellowship Awards for the 1961-62 academic year. Ten fellowships in the amount of $2000 each will be Company. In 1908 he helped organize the Poultry Science granted for graduate study in agricultural research^ {Continued on page 273)