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The Effect of Fish Meal Supplementation of Chicken Breeder Rations on Hatchability*
The Effect of Fish Meal Supplementation of Chicken Breeder Rations on Hatchability* B. E. MARCH AND JACOB BIELY
The University of British Columbia, Department of Poultry Science, Vancouver, B.C., Canada AND
H. L. A. TARR
Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Vancouver, B.C., Canada (Received for publication April 17, 1967)
ISH meals, such as herring meal, out over a period of three years to compare which are manufactured from whole the effects on hatchability of breeder diets fish, are generally considered to be desir- supplemented with soybean meal, British able supplements in breeder rations. There Columbia herring meal and Atlantic coast are, however, several reports indicating white fish meal. The protein concentrates that fish meal may have an adverse effect were all commercial samples and many on the hatchability of hens' eggs. Some of different samples of each were employed in the reports (Byerly et al., 1933; Smith and the course of the three-year study. Branion, 1939) are based on experiments EXPERIMENTAL conducted prior to the discovery of all of the B-complex vitamins. In the light of Experiment 1. The diets fed contained present knowledge of the nutritional re- soybean meal, B.C. herring meal or Atlanquirements for hatchability the observa- tic coast white fish meal as sources of suptions accordingly might be assumed to be plementary protein. Because it has been of doubtful significance were it not for stated that white fish meal depresses more recent studies which likewise indicate hatchability (Black et al, 1954; Coles, that the inclusion of fish meal in breeder 1956; Martin et al, 1960), the levels of rations depresses hatchability (Black et al., herring and white fish meal used in the 1954; Coles, 1956; Martin et al., 1960). In diets were similar, and the diets were made only some of the reports in the literature isonitrogenous by the addition of soybean dealing with fish meal and hatchability has meal to the diets containing white fish the type of fish meal used been recorded. meal. Thus any difference in the response Although there is no information as to to the two types of meal could not be aswhether fish meals in general may depress cribed to a difference in the amounts inhatchability when fed at high levels, or cluded in the diets. Each diet was fed with whether the effect is confined to certain and without supplementary folacin in order types of meal, a prejudice has developed to determine whether a folacin deficiency against the use of fish meal in breeder diets might have been responsible for the adverse which extends to all types of fish meal re- results reported with fish meal in breeder gardless of the raw material or the method rations. The composition of the diets is of manufacture. given in Table 1. The following experiments were carried Each diet was fed to duplicate lots of approximately 110 White Leghorn pullets * Supported by a grant from the Fisheries Re- (U.B.C. stock) 10 months of age. The search Board of Canada. birds were housed in floor pens on deep lit1532
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Carleton University on May 5, 2015
F
FISH MEAL AND HATCHABILITY
1533
TABLE 1.—Composition of breeder diets in experiments 1, 2 and 3 Ingredients common to all diets: ground wheat ground oats ground corn dried distillers solubles iodized salt feeding oil (2,250 A—,300 D 3 per gm.) dicalcium phosphate limestone manganese sulphate vitamin B12 riboflavin
ter and were mass mated when they were put on test. Hatchability was determined on ten settings of eggs during the period from January 1964 to July, 1964. A total of 27,960 eggs was set. All eggs which did not hatch were examined and infertility or approximate embryonic age at death was recorded. Experiment 2. Diets 1-6 in experiment 2 were similar to the diets fed in Experiment 1. Diets 7 and 8 were similar to diets 4 and 5 respectively, except for the inclu-
sion of 2.5% of dehydrated cereal grass. The composition of the diets is given in Table 1. Each diet was fed to duplicate lots of 88-89 White Leghorn pullets of U.B.C. stock. They were placed on experiment at ten months of age. Management was as in experiment 1. Hatchability was determined on six settings of eggs during the period from February 1965 to July 1965. A total of 15,220 eggs was set. Infertility or time of em-
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Carleton University on May 5, 2015
50.6% 10.0% 15.0% 2.0% 0.35% 0.5% 2.0% 5.0% 0.015% 0.012 mg./kg. 2.2mg./kg. Expt. 1 3.3 mg./kg. Expt. 2 & 3 0.55 mg./kg. folacin Expt. 3 The calcium and phosphorus levels of the diets were adjusted to 2.5 and 0.7% respectively with dicalcium phosphate and limestone;. The total weight of the diet was adjusted to 100% with pulverized oat hulls. Experiment 1 Supplement Diet soybean meal 1 and 4 14.5% (4 with 0.55 mg. folacin/kg.) B.C. herring meal 2 and 5 10.0% (5 with 0.55 mg. folacin/kg.) Atlantic coast white fish meal 3 and 6 10.0% (6 with 0.55 mg. folacin/kg.) soybean meal 1.2% Experiment 2 soybean meal 1 and 4 14.5% (4 with 0.55 mg. folacin/kg.) B.C. herring meal 2 and 5 10.0% (5 with 0.55 mg. folacin/kg.) Atlantic coast white fish meal 3 and 6 10.0% (6 with 0.55 mg. folacin/kg.) soybean meal 2.8% 7 soybean meal 14.5% (with 0.55 mg. folacin/kg.) dehydrated cereal grass 2.5% 8 B.C. herring meal 10.0% (with 0.55 mg. folacin/kg.) dehydrated grass 2.5% Experiment 3 Diet 1 and 6 soybean meal 14.5% (6 with 2.5% dehydrated cereal grass) 2 and 7 10.0% (7 with 2.5% dehydrated cereal B.C. herring meal grass) 3 and 8 Atlantic coast white fish meal 10.0% (8 with 2.5% dehydrated cereal grass) soybean meal 1.3% 4 B.C. herring meal 5.0% soybean meal 7.25% 5 Atlantic coast white fish meal 5.0% soybean meal 7.9%
1534
B. E. MARCH, J. BIELY AND H. L. A. TARR
1966 to October 1966. A total of 23,280 eggs was set. All eggs which did not hatch were examined for infertility or age at embryonic death. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Hatchability. All data regarding embryonic mortality and viable chicks hatched were calculated on the basis of the numbers of fertile eggs set. The overall averages of hatchability and embryonic mortality for each diet in each experiment are given in Table 2. Hatchability was 84, 88 and 90% respectively in the three experiments. Most of the embryonic deaths occurred either during the last week of incubation and at hatching, or during the early stages
TABLE 2.—Hatchability and embryonic mortality in experiments 1, 2 and 3 The values given are averages of duplicate pens Percent of fertile eggs Diet
Embryonic mortality
Supplement
1st week
2nd week
3rd week
Pipped & cripples
Viable chicks
Experiment 1 1 SBM 4 SBM, folacin 2 HM, 10% 5 HM, folacin 3 WFM, 10% 6 WFM, folacin
3.7 3.2 3.9 3.3 3.S 4.0
0.8 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.5
7.5 6.0 6.5 5.4 7.3 5.7
5.4 5.1 5.4 4.1 6.5 5.4
82.6 85.4 83.5 86.3 82.2 84.5
Experiment Z 1 SBM SBM, folacin 4 HM, 10% 2 HM, folacin 5 WFM, 10% 3 WFM, folacin 6 SBM, folacin, DCG 7 HM, folacin, DCG 8
3.5 5.4 4.1 3.7 5.0 6.6 3.2 4.4
0.1 0.7 0.5 0.3 0.4 1.2 0.3 0.1
3.8 3.8 4.4 2.5 4.4 5.2 2.0 3.2
3.0 3.7 4.0 3.3 4.7 4.7 2.4 3.1
90.2 86.5 87.4 90.1 85.3 82.1 92.3 89.1
Experiment 3 1 SBM HM, 10% 2 WFM, 10% 3 4 HM, 5% WFM, 5% 5 SBM, DCG 6 7 HM, 10%, DCG 8 WFM, 10%, DCG
3.5 4.0 4.0 3.8 5.5 3.5 4.4 5.6
0.6 0.6 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.4
3.4 1.8 3.1 2.5 3.4 3.5 2.5 2.6
2.7 1.5 2.0 2.5 2.0 2.8 2.4 1.9
89.5 92.5 90.4 91.6 88.8 90.0 90.3 89.5
SBM, soybean meal; HM, B.C. herring meal; WFM, Atlantic coast white fish meal; DCG, dehydrated cereal grass.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Carleton University on May 5, 2015
bryonic death was noted for all eggs which did not hatch. Experiment 3. Diets 1-3 in this experiment were similar to diets 4-6 in the previous experiments. Diets 6-8 were likewise similar in composition except for the inclusion of 2.5% of dehydrated cereal grass. Diets 4 and 5 contained 5 % of herring meal and white fish meal respectively and sufficient soybean meal to make them isonitrogenous with diets 1-3. The composition of the diets is given in Table 1. Each diet was fed to duplicate lots of 110 White Leghorn pullets (U.B.C. stock) eleven months of age. Management of the birds was as described in experiment 1. Hatchability was determined on ten settings of eggs during the period from March
F I S H M E A L AND HATCHABILITY
figures obtained over the three years from diets containing herring meal or soybean meal were not statistically different. Although analysis of the average values obtained for hatchability in the three experiments indicated that the slightly lower overall hatchability of eggs from birds fed white fish meal was significantly different from the values with soybean meal or fish meal, separate examinations of the data from each of the experiments showed a significant effect of white fish meal only in experiment 2. Except in the first experiment there was no consistent response in hatchability to folacin supplementation of the diets. In experiment 1 the difference in hatchability of eggs from breeders fed the different protein concentrates was evidently not due to differences in the folacin content of the concentrates, because the ranking of the hatchability values was similar with or without supplementary folacin. Supplementation of the breeder diets with dehydrated cereal grass in experiments 2 and 3 did not consistently affect hatchability. It may therefore be assumed that the diets were not deficient in any hatchability factor contained in dehydrated cereal grass. SUMMARY In a series of 26 hatches employing 66,460 eggs and conducted over a period of three years the effects on hatchability of using soybean meal, herring meal and white fish meal as protein supplements in breeder diets were compared. Hatchability of fertile eggs was 84, 88 and 90 percent in the respective years. Overall hatchability of eggs from diets supplemented with soybean meal, herring meal and white fish meal was 87.4, 88.3 and 85.7 percent respectively. REFERENCES Coles, R., 1956. Observations on the occasional depressing influence of fish meal on the hatchability of hens' eggs. J. Agr. Sci. 47: 354-362.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Carleton University on May 5, 2015
of incubation. Occasionally, embryos and newly hatched chicks showed symptoms of riboflavin deficiency in experiment 1. The level of supplementary riboflavin in the breeder diets was accordingly increased in the subsequent experiments. In experiment 2 some embryonic mortality was ascribed to a deficiency of biotin on the basis of typical symptoms. The biotin deficiency may have resulted from sub-normal levels of biotin in the dietary ingredients in experiment 2, or to an abnormally high requirement for biotin by the particular strain of birds employed in this experiment. It should be noted that white fish meal, because of the nature of the raw material, cannot be considered as reliable a source of vitamins of the B-complex as herring meal. A recent study in which different types of fish meals were compared showed that British Columbia herring meal and Atlantic coast white fish meal were similar in protein nutritive value for the chick, but that the latter contained appreciably less riboflavin, pantothenic acid, niacin and vitamin B12 (March et al., 1967). The values for hatchability from experiment 1 (diets 1-6), experiment 2 (diets 1-6), and experiment 3 (diets 1-3 and 6-8), were analyzed statistically to determine whether there were differences in performance depending upon whether the diets contained 14.5% of soybean meal, 10% of herring meal, or 10% of white fish meal as the source of supplementary protein. The average values for hatchability obtained in the six balanced comparisons thus afforded were 87.4, 88.3 and 85.7 percent respectively for the three protein concentrates. On the basis of a multiple range test (Duncan, 1955) the hatchability of eggs from breeder diets supplemented with white fish meal was significantly lower than the hatchability of eggs from diets supplemented with either herring meal or soybean meal (P < 0.05). Average hatchability
1535
1536
B. E. MARCH, J. BIELY AND H. L. A. TARR
Black, D. J. G., R. C. Jennings, T. R. Morris and J. A. Palgrove, 1954. A depressant effect of a white fish meal on hatchability. Proc. 10th World Poultry Congress, 10: 121-125. Byerly, T. C , H. W. Titus and N. R. Ellis, 1933. Production and hatchability of eggs as affected by different kinds and quantities of proteins in the diets of laying hens. J. Agr. Res. 46:1-22. Smith, J. B., and H. D. Branion, 1939. Influence of some protein supplements on hatchability.
Proc. 7th World's Poultry Congress 7: 195198. March, B. E., J. Biely, E. G. Bligh and A. W. Lantz, 1967. Composition and nutritive value of meals from alewife, sheepshead, maria and tullibee. J. Fisheries Res. Bd. Canada, 24: 12911298. Martin, R. S., L. G. Chubb, S. Fox, R. C. Jennings, and T. R. Morris, 1960. The effect of white fish meal on the hatchability of hens' eggs. Brit. Poultry Sci. 1: 135-143.
Department
D. FROMM AND J. D. GARCIA of Food Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607 (Received for publication April 17, 1967)
L
IVER biopsy can serve as both a quan' titative and qualitative technique in physiological research. Repeated liver biopsy sampling has been reported for sheep (Dick, 1944), humans (Clay and Dickinson, 1949) and cattle (Whitehair et al., 1952). With small animals the limiting factor of the liver biopsy technique is the necessity of using many animals rather than taking a biopsy from the same animal after each experimental treatment. Also, repeated biopsies with small animals have been limited because of hemorrhaging at the site of the biopsies with resultant mortality. It has been reported that a single liver biopsy of the chicken can be obtained with moderate success (Roncalli, 1964). The purpose of the present study was to determine if repeated liver biopsies could be obtained from chickens and to ascertain the influence of anaesthetics such as ethyl ether or chloroform on the level of glycogen in the chicken liver. * Contribution from the Department of Food Science, North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, Raleigh. Published with the approval of the Director of Research as paper No. 2374 of the Journal Series.
EXPERIMENTAL
General. The birds used in this study were of a White Plymouth Rock cross obtained from a commercial flock and fed ad libitum on a grower ration. The influence of repeated liver biopsies on the glycogen content in the chicken liver was studied by analyzing liver samples from 2 biopsies taken from the same bird within 3 minutes. This procedure was repeated with 6 birds at 2-day intervals for 12 days so that each bird was biopsied 14 times. All birds used in this study were 9 weeks of age during commencement of biopsy treatments. This experiment was replicated 3 times and the data combined in the statistical analysis. The effects of anaesthesia on liver glycogen were evaluated by repeating the preceding procedure with ethyl ether and chloroform. In the anaesthesia trials the initial biopsy was taken before the application of anaesthesia and the second biopsy was secured after the birds lost consciousness or in about 3 minutes. In order to determine if differences in glycogen levels existed between lobes of the same liver or between various positions within the same lobe, 10 nine-week-old
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Carleton University on May 5, 2015
A Method for Securing Repeated Liver Biopsies from the Chicken and its Use in Glycogen Determination*
The University of British Columbia, Department of Poultry Science, Vancouver, B.C., Canada AND
H. L. A. TARR
Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Vancouver, B.C., Canada (Received for publication April 17, 1967)
ISH meals, such as herring meal, out over a period of three years to compare which are manufactured from whole the effects on hatchability of breeder diets fish, are generally considered to be desir- supplemented with soybean meal, British able supplements in breeder rations. There Columbia herring meal and Atlantic coast are, however, several reports indicating white fish meal. The protein concentrates that fish meal may have an adverse effect were all commercial samples and many on the hatchability of hens' eggs. Some of different samples of each were employed in the reports (Byerly et al., 1933; Smith and the course of the three-year study. Branion, 1939) are based on experiments EXPERIMENTAL conducted prior to the discovery of all of the B-complex vitamins. In the light of Experiment 1. The diets fed contained present knowledge of the nutritional re- soybean meal, B.C. herring meal or Atlanquirements for hatchability the observa- tic coast white fish meal as sources of suptions accordingly might be assumed to be plementary protein. Because it has been of doubtful significance were it not for stated that white fish meal depresses more recent studies which likewise indicate hatchability (Black et al, 1954; Coles, that the inclusion of fish meal in breeder 1956; Martin et al, 1960), the levels of rations depresses hatchability (Black et al., herring and white fish meal used in the 1954; Coles, 1956; Martin et al., 1960). In diets were similar, and the diets were made only some of the reports in the literature isonitrogenous by the addition of soybean dealing with fish meal and hatchability has meal to the diets containing white fish the type of fish meal used been recorded. meal. Thus any difference in the response Although there is no information as to to the two types of meal could not be aswhether fish meals in general may depress cribed to a difference in the amounts inhatchability when fed at high levels, or cluded in the diets. Each diet was fed with whether the effect is confined to certain and without supplementary folacin in order types of meal, a prejudice has developed to determine whether a folacin deficiency against the use of fish meal in breeder diets might have been responsible for the adverse which extends to all types of fish meal re- results reported with fish meal in breeder gardless of the raw material or the method rations. The composition of the diets is of manufacture. given in Table 1. The following experiments were carried Each diet was fed to duplicate lots of approximately 110 White Leghorn pullets * Supported by a grant from the Fisheries Re- (U.B.C. stock) 10 months of age. The search Board of Canada. birds were housed in floor pens on deep lit1532
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Carleton University on May 5, 2015
F
FISH MEAL AND HATCHABILITY
1533
TABLE 1.—Composition of breeder diets in experiments 1, 2 and 3 Ingredients common to all diets: ground wheat ground oats ground corn dried distillers solubles iodized salt feeding oil (2,250 A—,300 D 3 per gm.) dicalcium phosphate limestone manganese sulphate vitamin B12 riboflavin
ter and were mass mated when they were put on test. Hatchability was determined on ten settings of eggs during the period from January 1964 to July, 1964. A total of 27,960 eggs was set. All eggs which did not hatch were examined and infertility or approximate embryonic age at death was recorded. Experiment 2. Diets 1-6 in experiment 2 were similar to the diets fed in Experiment 1. Diets 7 and 8 were similar to diets 4 and 5 respectively, except for the inclu-
sion of 2.5% of dehydrated cereal grass. The composition of the diets is given in Table 1. Each diet was fed to duplicate lots of 88-89 White Leghorn pullets of U.B.C. stock. They were placed on experiment at ten months of age. Management was as in experiment 1. Hatchability was determined on six settings of eggs during the period from February 1965 to July 1965. A total of 15,220 eggs was set. Infertility or time of em-
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Carleton University on May 5, 2015
50.6% 10.0% 15.0% 2.0% 0.35% 0.5% 2.0% 5.0% 0.015% 0.012 mg./kg. 2.2mg./kg. Expt. 1 3.3 mg./kg. Expt. 2 & 3 0.55 mg./kg. folacin Expt. 3 The calcium and phosphorus levels of the diets were adjusted to 2.5 and 0.7% respectively with dicalcium phosphate and limestone;. The total weight of the diet was adjusted to 100% with pulverized oat hulls. Experiment 1 Supplement Diet soybean meal 1 and 4 14.5% (4 with 0.55 mg. folacin/kg.) B.C. herring meal 2 and 5 10.0% (5 with 0.55 mg. folacin/kg.) Atlantic coast white fish meal 3 and 6 10.0% (6 with 0.55 mg. folacin/kg.) soybean meal 1.2% Experiment 2 soybean meal 1 and 4 14.5% (4 with 0.55 mg. folacin/kg.) B.C. herring meal 2 and 5 10.0% (5 with 0.55 mg. folacin/kg.) Atlantic coast white fish meal 3 and 6 10.0% (6 with 0.55 mg. folacin/kg.) soybean meal 2.8% 7 soybean meal 14.5% (with 0.55 mg. folacin/kg.) dehydrated cereal grass 2.5% 8 B.C. herring meal 10.0% (with 0.55 mg. folacin/kg.) dehydrated grass 2.5% Experiment 3 Diet 1 and 6 soybean meal 14.5% (6 with 2.5% dehydrated cereal grass) 2 and 7 10.0% (7 with 2.5% dehydrated cereal B.C. herring meal grass) 3 and 8 Atlantic coast white fish meal 10.0% (8 with 2.5% dehydrated cereal grass) soybean meal 1.3% 4 B.C. herring meal 5.0% soybean meal 7.25% 5 Atlantic coast white fish meal 5.0% soybean meal 7.9%
1534
B. E. MARCH, J. BIELY AND H. L. A. TARR
1966 to October 1966. A total of 23,280 eggs was set. All eggs which did not hatch were examined for infertility or age at embryonic death. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Hatchability. All data regarding embryonic mortality and viable chicks hatched were calculated on the basis of the numbers of fertile eggs set. The overall averages of hatchability and embryonic mortality for each diet in each experiment are given in Table 2. Hatchability was 84, 88 and 90% respectively in the three experiments. Most of the embryonic deaths occurred either during the last week of incubation and at hatching, or during the early stages
TABLE 2.—Hatchability and embryonic mortality in experiments 1, 2 and 3 The values given are averages of duplicate pens Percent of fertile eggs Diet
Embryonic mortality
Supplement
1st week
2nd week
3rd week
Pipped & cripples
Viable chicks
Experiment 1 1 SBM 4 SBM, folacin 2 HM, 10% 5 HM, folacin 3 WFM, 10% 6 WFM, folacin
3.7 3.2 3.9 3.3 3.S 4.0
0.8 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.5
7.5 6.0 6.5 5.4 7.3 5.7
5.4 5.1 5.4 4.1 6.5 5.4
82.6 85.4 83.5 86.3 82.2 84.5
Experiment Z 1 SBM SBM, folacin 4 HM, 10% 2 HM, folacin 5 WFM, 10% 3 WFM, folacin 6 SBM, folacin, DCG 7 HM, folacin, DCG 8
3.5 5.4 4.1 3.7 5.0 6.6 3.2 4.4
0.1 0.7 0.5 0.3 0.4 1.2 0.3 0.1
3.8 3.8 4.4 2.5 4.4 5.2 2.0 3.2
3.0 3.7 4.0 3.3 4.7 4.7 2.4 3.1
90.2 86.5 87.4 90.1 85.3 82.1 92.3 89.1
Experiment 3 1 SBM HM, 10% 2 WFM, 10% 3 4 HM, 5% WFM, 5% 5 SBM, DCG 6 7 HM, 10%, DCG 8 WFM, 10%, DCG
3.5 4.0 4.0 3.8 5.5 3.5 4.4 5.6
0.6 0.6 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.4
3.4 1.8 3.1 2.5 3.4 3.5 2.5 2.6
2.7 1.5 2.0 2.5 2.0 2.8 2.4 1.9
89.5 92.5 90.4 91.6 88.8 90.0 90.3 89.5
SBM, soybean meal; HM, B.C. herring meal; WFM, Atlantic coast white fish meal; DCG, dehydrated cereal grass.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Carleton University on May 5, 2015
bryonic death was noted for all eggs which did not hatch. Experiment 3. Diets 1-3 in this experiment were similar to diets 4-6 in the previous experiments. Diets 6-8 were likewise similar in composition except for the inclusion of 2.5% of dehydrated cereal grass. Diets 4 and 5 contained 5 % of herring meal and white fish meal respectively and sufficient soybean meal to make them isonitrogenous with diets 1-3. The composition of the diets is given in Table 1. Each diet was fed to duplicate lots of 110 White Leghorn pullets (U.B.C. stock) eleven months of age. Management of the birds was as described in experiment 1. Hatchability was determined on ten settings of eggs during the period from March
F I S H M E A L AND HATCHABILITY
figures obtained over the three years from diets containing herring meal or soybean meal were not statistically different. Although analysis of the average values obtained for hatchability in the three experiments indicated that the slightly lower overall hatchability of eggs from birds fed white fish meal was significantly different from the values with soybean meal or fish meal, separate examinations of the data from each of the experiments showed a significant effect of white fish meal only in experiment 2. Except in the first experiment there was no consistent response in hatchability to folacin supplementation of the diets. In experiment 1 the difference in hatchability of eggs from breeders fed the different protein concentrates was evidently not due to differences in the folacin content of the concentrates, because the ranking of the hatchability values was similar with or without supplementary folacin. Supplementation of the breeder diets with dehydrated cereal grass in experiments 2 and 3 did not consistently affect hatchability. It may therefore be assumed that the diets were not deficient in any hatchability factor contained in dehydrated cereal grass. SUMMARY In a series of 26 hatches employing 66,460 eggs and conducted over a period of three years the effects on hatchability of using soybean meal, herring meal and white fish meal as protein supplements in breeder diets were compared. Hatchability of fertile eggs was 84, 88 and 90 percent in the respective years. Overall hatchability of eggs from diets supplemented with soybean meal, herring meal and white fish meal was 87.4, 88.3 and 85.7 percent respectively. REFERENCES Coles, R., 1956. Observations on the occasional depressing influence of fish meal on the hatchability of hens' eggs. J. Agr. Sci. 47: 354-362.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Carleton University on May 5, 2015
of incubation. Occasionally, embryos and newly hatched chicks showed symptoms of riboflavin deficiency in experiment 1. The level of supplementary riboflavin in the breeder diets was accordingly increased in the subsequent experiments. In experiment 2 some embryonic mortality was ascribed to a deficiency of biotin on the basis of typical symptoms. The biotin deficiency may have resulted from sub-normal levels of biotin in the dietary ingredients in experiment 2, or to an abnormally high requirement for biotin by the particular strain of birds employed in this experiment. It should be noted that white fish meal, because of the nature of the raw material, cannot be considered as reliable a source of vitamins of the B-complex as herring meal. A recent study in which different types of fish meals were compared showed that British Columbia herring meal and Atlantic coast white fish meal were similar in protein nutritive value for the chick, but that the latter contained appreciably less riboflavin, pantothenic acid, niacin and vitamin B12 (March et al., 1967). The values for hatchability from experiment 1 (diets 1-6), experiment 2 (diets 1-6), and experiment 3 (diets 1-3 and 6-8), were analyzed statistically to determine whether there were differences in performance depending upon whether the diets contained 14.5% of soybean meal, 10% of herring meal, or 10% of white fish meal as the source of supplementary protein. The average values for hatchability obtained in the six balanced comparisons thus afforded were 87.4, 88.3 and 85.7 percent respectively for the three protein concentrates. On the basis of a multiple range test (Duncan, 1955) the hatchability of eggs from breeder diets supplemented with white fish meal was significantly lower than the hatchability of eggs from diets supplemented with either herring meal or soybean meal (P < 0.05). Average hatchability
1535
1536
B. E. MARCH, J. BIELY AND H. L. A. TARR
Black, D. J. G., R. C. Jennings, T. R. Morris and J. A. Palgrove, 1954. A depressant effect of a white fish meal on hatchability. Proc. 10th World Poultry Congress, 10: 121-125. Byerly, T. C , H. W. Titus and N. R. Ellis, 1933. Production and hatchability of eggs as affected by different kinds and quantities of proteins in the diets of laying hens. J. Agr. Res. 46:1-22. Smith, J. B., and H. D. Branion, 1939. Influence of some protein supplements on hatchability.
Proc. 7th World's Poultry Congress 7: 195198. March, B. E., J. Biely, E. G. Bligh and A. W. Lantz, 1967. Composition and nutritive value of meals from alewife, sheepshead, maria and tullibee. J. Fisheries Res. Bd. Canada, 24: 12911298. Martin, R. S., L. G. Chubb, S. Fox, R. C. Jennings, and T. R. Morris, 1960. The effect of white fish meal on the hatchability of hens' eggs. Brit. Poultry Sci. 1: 135-143.
Department
D. FROMM AND J. D. GARCIA of Food Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607 (Received for publication April 17, 1967)
L
IVER biopsy can serve as both a quan' titative and qualitative technique in physiological research. Repeated liver biopsy sampling has been reported for sheep (Dick, 1944), humans (Clay and Dickinson, 1949) and cattle (Whitehair et al., 1952). With small animals the limiting factor of the liver biopsy technique is the necessity of using many animals rather than taking a biopsy from the same animal after each experimental treatment. Also, repeated biopsies with small animals have been limited because of hemorrhaging at the site of the biopsies with resultant mortality. It has been reported that a single liver biopsy of the chicken can be obtained with moderate success (Roncalli, 1964). The purpose of the present study was to determine if repeated liver biopsies could be obtained from chickens and to ascertain the influence of anaesthetics such as ethyl ether or chloroform on the level of glycogen in the chicken liver. * Contribution from the Department of Food Science, North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, Raleigh. Published with the approval of the Director of Research as paper No. 2374 of the Journal Series.
EXPERIMENTAL
General. The birds used in this study were of a White Plymouth Rock cross obtained from a commercial flock and fed ad libitum on a grower ration. The influence of repeated liver biopsies on the glycogen content in the chicken liver was studied by analyzing liver samples from 2 biopsies taken from the same bird within 3 minutes. This procedure was repeated with 6 birds at 2-day intervals for 12 days so that each bird was biopsied 14 times. All birds used in this study were 9 weeks of age during commencement of biopsy treatments. This experiment was replicated 3 times and the data combined in the statistical analysis. The effects of anaesthesia on liver glycogen were evaluated by repeating the preceding procedure with ethyl ether and chloroform. In the anaesthesia trials the initial biopsy was taken before the application of anaesthesia and the second biopsy was secured after the birds lost consciousness or in about 3 minutes. In order to determine if differences in glycogen levels existed between lobes of the same liver or between various positions within the same lobe, 10 nine-week-old
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Carleton University on May 5, 2015
A Method for Securing Repeated Liver Biopsies from the Chicken and its Use in Glycogen Determination*