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The Effect of Humidity and Flooring Type on Body Weight and the Severity of Keel Bursae in Broilers1
RESEARCH NOTES
285
THE EFFECT OF HUMIDITY AND FLOORING TYPE ON BODY WEIGHT AND THE SEVERITY OF KEEL BURSAE IN BROILERS1 R. A. PETERSON, M. A. HELLICKSON,2 W. D. WAGNER AND A. D . L0NGHOUSE Divisions of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and Resource Management, Agricultural Engineering, West Virginia University Morgantown, West Virginia 26506 (Received for publication October 20, 1970)
EXPERIMENTAL The experiments were conducted in 4 environmental chambers previously described by Hellickson et al. (1970) with broiler type chickens fed a high energy ration. Relative humidity (RH) levels were maintained at 33, 58, 65 and 80%. The design of these experiments was described in detail by Peterson et al. (1970). In both trials broilers were maintained until 8 weeks of age. The types of flooring used were; 1.9 cm. flat wooden slats spaced 0.6 cm. apart, 1.3 X 2.5 cm. welded wire and 2.5 X 2.5 cm. welded wire. In experiment 1, 4 male and 4 female Cornish X White Rock broilers were used in each of 4 replications for each type of 1 Published with the approval of the West Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station as Scientific Paper No. 112S. 2 Present address: Department of Agricultural Engineering, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota.
flooring. The severity of keel bursae were scored on a scale of 0 to 3 with 3 being the most severe. Eight (8) White Rock type male broilers were used in each of 4 replications for each type of flooring in experiment 2. The severity of keel bursae were greater in this experiment, thus a score of 4 was given to the most severe. In both experiments keel bursae were scored before feather removal, as the feather picker tended to alter the appearance of the lesion. Keel bursae, body weight and feed conversion data were analyzed by the analysis of variance using the least squares method. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION In experiment 1 no significant differences due to either humidity or type of flooring were found for body weight and feed conversion of 8 week old broilers (Table 1). The occurrence of keel bursae in chickens on wooden slats was less for the females (23 and 22%) than for the males (69 and 67%, Table 1). Keel bursae were less severe in the females (0.23 and 0.39 keel bursae score or KBS) raised on the wooden slat floors than the males (1.31 and 1.08 KBS, Table 1). No difference was found in severity of keel bursae in either sex raised on wire and the males raised on wooden slats. Due to minimal variability in the scoring system for keel bursae the analysis of these data was at best only an approximation (Flanagan, 1970). In experiment 2 no differences were
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at NERL on June 15, 2015
Koonz et al. (1963) reported that chickens grown on wire floors had a higher incidence of keel bursae than those raised on rubber mats. McCune and Dellmann (1968) observed similar results in broilers grown on wire floors, but broilers grown on polyurethane foam mats had few keel bursae. The following experiments were conducted to determine the effect of humidity and flooring type on the severity of keel bursae and body weight in broilers.
286
RESEARCH NOTES TABLE 1.—Average body weights and keel bursae scores from two strains of broilers at 8 weeks of age raised on three types of flooring with 4 replications in four relative humidities Relative Average Humidity Body Weight (percent) (kg.)
. v e d Con7e r sion
Trial
Sexa
Floors b
Average0 K.B.S.
Incidence of Keel Bursae (percent)
1
M F M F M F
WS WS Wl Wl W2 W2
1.31 0.23 1.62 1.33 1.93 0.82
69 23 77 73 100 64
33 33 33 33 33 33
1.889 1.535 1.852 1.510 1.823 1.543
2.160
M F M F M F
WS WS Wl Wl W2 W2
1.08 0.39 1.67 1.31 1.60 0.86
67 22 73 62 87 64
65 65 65 65 65 65
1.902 1.548 1.814 1.417 1.700 1.465
2.066
M M M
WS Wl W2
0.48d 1.61 2.00
34 68 73
58" 58 58
1.739 1.659 1.760
2.22 2.28 2.16
M M M
WS Wl W2
0.38 d 2.45 2.21
25 93 89
80 80 80
1.774 1.757 1.866
2.22 2.18 2.15
2.215
2.065 2.215
a Trial 1, 4 male and 4 female Cornish White Rock crosses; trial 2, 8 male White Rock type broilers were used per replication. b (WS) 1.9 cm. wooden slats, (Wl) 1.3X2.5 cm. welded wire, (W2) 2 . 5 X 2 . 5 cm. welded wire, w i t h 4 replications of each being used. 0 Keel bursae scores (K.B.S.) for trial 1 were as follows: 0 = no blister, 1 = 60X17 mm., 2 = 55X25 mm., 3 = 74X30 mm. lengthXwidth. In trial 2 any blister larger than 3 was given a score of 4. d Significantly different at the P < .05 level of probability from non-lettered scores in trial 2. e These chambers were initially set at 35% RH. Due to a limited air drying capacity the relative humidity gradually increased as outside temperatures increased and the chamber temperatures were lowered.
found in body weight and feed conversion due to flooring and humidity (Table 1). Keel bursae were significantly less severe (P<.05) (0.48 and 0.38 KBS) for male broilers raised on salts as compared to those raised on either of the wire floors (1.61, 2.00, 2.45, 2.21 KBS, Table 1). This difference was reflected in the low incidence of keel bursae (34 and 25%) observed on birds raised on wooden slats vs. 68, 73, 93 and 89% for those grown on wire floors. No significant difference in severity or incidence of keel bursae was noted between the 2 types of wire flooring. Humidity had no effect upon the severity of keel bursae in either experiment. The data presented indicate that an inter-relationship exists between the severity of keel bursae and flooring type, sex, and
strain. Bezanson and Stephenson (1958) and Stephenson et al. (1960) have reported that age, weight, sex and breed differences tend to influence the severity of keel bursae. In the male Cornish X White Rock the severity of keel bursae persisted on all floors, while the female Cornish X White Rock and the White Rock males had markedly less severe keel bursae on the flat slat floor. Funk and Savage (1956) indicated that the thickness of feather cover is related to the severity of keel bursae. Although the male White Rocks appeared to have more feathers in the keel area this did not prevent them from having the most severe keel bursae on the wire floors. Body conformation may have been involved as reported by Rasplicka and Fry (1962).
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at NERL on June 15, 2015
2
2.097
RESEARCH NOTES
These data indicate that wooden flat slat flooring is more suited for maintaining broilers in small environmental chambers than wire flooring. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors are indebted to M. J. Flanagan for the statistical analysis.
chambers. A.S.A.E. Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana, June 22-25, 1969, Paper N o : 69-438. Koonz, C. H., E. J. Strandine and R. E. Gray, 1963. A study of factors responsible for keel blisters on poultry. Poultry Sci. 42: 1281. McCune, E. L., and H. D. Dellmann, 1968. Developmental origin and structural characters of breast blisters in chickens. Poultry Sci. 47: 852-858. Peterson, R. A., M. A. Hellickson, W. D. Wagner and A. D. Longhouse, 1970. The effect of humidity and flooring type on the moisture content of broiler excrements. Poultry Sci. 49: 439-443. Rasplicka, L. D., and J. L. Fry, 1962. Body conformation and breast blisters in market turkeys. Poultry Sci. 42: 423-428. Stephenson, E. L., J. M. Bezanson and C. F. Hall, 1960. Factors affecting the incidence and severity of a breast blister condition in broilers. Poultry Sci. 39: 1520-1524.
A MODIFICATION OF THE McCARTHY-SULLIVAN METHOD FOR THE ASSAY OF METHIONINE IN FEATHER MEAL HYDROLYSATES1 R. E. SMITH AND H. H. ELMAYERGI2 Department of Microbiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada (Received for publication October 20, 1970)
A study has been underway for some time in this laboratory to investigate the feasibility of improving the methionine content of feather meal by microbial conversions. Since this study in part involved screening large numbers of cultures for methionine production, it was desirable to use a rapid and simple method for the assay of methionine in hydrolysates of fermented meal. Our interest turned to the method of McCarthy and Sullivan (1941), which is based on the production of a colored compound when methionine reacts with sodium nitroprusside under controlled conditions of 1
Supported in part by the Ontario Department of Agriculture and Food. 'Present address: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario.
temperature and pH. This test, however, failed to give reproduceable results in our hands when standard solutions of methionine were assayed. A number of modifications reported by Block and Boiling (1945), Korpaczy (19S4), Hiraoka (1955), and Mikulowska and Slowinski (1963) were also tested, but either were not reproduceable or failed to yield linear standard curves. However, a version described by Shrivastava et al. (1963) gave curves which followed Beer's Law, but the presence of histidine (added to standard solutions of methionine) in concentrations as low as 20 [/.g./ml. produced an unacceptable error. This occurred in spite of the use of glycine as a test reagent, reported to eliminate histidine interference (McCarthy and Sullivan, 1941).
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at NERL on June 15, 2015
REFERENCES Bezanson, J. M., and E. L. Stephenson, 1958. Factors affecting a breast blister condition in broilers. Poultry Sci. 37 : 1185. Flanagan, M. J., 1970. Personal communication. Funk, E. M., and J. E. Savage, 1956. The incidence of breast blisters as related to the amount of breast feathering. Poultry Sci. 35: 1399-1400. Hellickson, M. A., A. D. Longhouse and R. A. Peterson, 1970. Evaluation of equipment performance in controlled environmental broiler
287
285
THE EFFECT OF HUMIDITY AND FLOORING TYPE ON BODY WEIGHT AND THE SEVERITY OF KEEL BURSAE IN BROILERS1 R. A. PETERSON, M. A. HELLICKSON,2 W. D. WAGNER AND A. D . L0NGHOUSE Divisions of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and Resource Management, Agricultural Engineering, West Virginia University Morgantown, West Virginia 26506 (Received for publication October 20, 1970)
EXPERIMENTAL The experiments were conducted in 4 environmental chambers previously described by Hellickson et al. (1970) with broiler type chickens fed a high energy ration. Relative humidity (RH) levels were maintained at 33, 58, 65 and 80%. The design of these experiments was described in detail by Peterson et al. (1970). In both trials broilers were maintained until 8 weeks of age. The types of flooring used were; 1.9 cm. flat wooden slats spaced 0.6 cm. apart, 1.3 X 2.5 cm. welded wire and 2.5 X 2.5 cm. welded wire. In experiment 1, 4 male and 4 female Cornish X White Rock broilers were used in each of 4 replications for each type of 1 Published with the approval of the West Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station as Scientific Paper No. 112S. 2 Present address: Department of Agricultural Engineering, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota.
flooring. The severity of keel bursae were scored on a scale of 0 to 3 with 3 being the most severe. Eight (8) White Rock type male broilers were used in each of 4 replications for each type of flooring in experiment 2. The severity of keel bursae were greater in this experiment, thus a score of 4 was given to the most severe. In both experiments keel bursae were scored before feather removal, as the feather picker tended to alter the appearance of the lesion. Keel bursae, body weight and feed conversion data were analyzed by the analysis of variance using the least squares method. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION In experiment 1 no significant differences due to either humidity or type of flooring were found for body weight and feed conversion of 8 week old broilers (Table 1). The occurrence of keel bursae in chickens on wooden slats was less for the females (23 and 22%) than for the males (69 and 67%, Table 1). Keel bursae were less severe in the females (0.23 and 0.39 keel bursae score or KBS) raised on the wooden slat floors than the males (1.31 and 1.08 KBS, Table 1). No difference was found in severity of keel bursae in either sex raised on wire and the males raised on wooden slats. Due to minimal variability in the scoring system for keel bursae the analysis of these data was at best only an approximation (Flanagan, 1970). In experiment 2 no differences were
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at NERL on June 15, 2015
Koonz et al. (1963) reported that chickens grown on wire floors had a higher incidence of keel bursae than those raised on rubber mats. McCune and Dellmann (1968) observed similar results in broilers grown on wire floors, but broilers grown on polyurethane foam mats had few keel bursae. The following experiments were conducted to determine the effect of humidity and flooring type on the severity of keel bursae and body weight in broilers.
286
RESEARCH NOTES TABLE 1.—Average body weights and keel bursae scores from two strains of broilers at 8 weeks of age raised on three types of flooring with 4 replications in four relative humidities Relative Average Humidity Body Weight (percent) (kg.)
. v e d Con7e r sion
Trial
Sexa
Floors b
Average0 K.B.S.
Incidence of Keel Bursae (percent)
1
M F M F M F
WS WS Wl Wl W2 W2
1.31 0.23 1.62 1.33 1.93 0.82
69 23 77 73 100 64
33 33 33 33 33 33
1.889 1.535 1.852 1.510 1.823 1.543
2.160
M F M F M F
WS WS Wl Wl W2 W2
1.08 0.39 1.67 1.31 1.60 0.86
67 22 73 62 87 64
65 65 65 65 65 65
1.902 1.548 1.814 1.417 1.700 1.465
2.066
M M M
WS Wl W2
0.48d 1.61 2.00
34 68 73
58" 58 58
1.739 1.659 1.760
2.22 2.28 2.16
M M M
WS Wl W2
0.38 d 2.45 2.21
25 93 89
80 80 80
1.774 1.757 1.866
2.22 2.18 2.15
2.215
2.065 2.215
a Trial 1, 4 male and 4 female Cornish White Rock crosses; trial 2, 8 male White Rock type broilers were used per replication. b (WS) 1.9 cm. wooden slats, (Wl) 1.3X2.5 cm. welded wire, (W2) 2 . 5 X 2 . 5 cm. welded wire, w i t h 4 replications of each being used. 0 Keel bursae scores (K.B.S.) for trial 1 were as follows: 0 = no blister, 1 = 60X17 mm., 2 = 55X25 mm., 3 = 74X30 mm. lengthXwidth. In trial 2 any blister larger than 3 was given a score of 4. d Significantly different at the P < .05 level of probability from non-lettered scores in trial 2. e These chambers were initially set at 35% RH. Due to a limited air drying capacity the relative humidity gradually increased as outside temperatures increased and the chamber temperatures were lowered.
found in body weight and feed conversion due to flooring and humidity (Table 1). Keel bursae were significantly less severe (P<.05) (0.48 and 0.38 KBS) for male broilers raised on salts as compared to those raised on either of the wire floors (1.61, 2.00, 2.45, 2.21 KBS, Table 1). This difference was reflected in the low incidence of keel bursae (34 and 25%) observed on birds raised on wooden slats vs. 68, 73, 93 and 89% for those grown on wire floors. No significant difference in severity or incidence of keel bursae was noted between the 2 types of wire flooring. Humidity had no effect upon the severity of keel bursae in either experiment. The data presented indicate that an inter-relationship exists between the severity of keel bursae and flooring type, sex, and
strain. Bezanson and Stephenson (1958) and Stephenson et al. (1960) have reported that age, weight, sex and breed differences tend to influence the severity of keel bursae. In the male Cornish X White Rock the severity of keel bursae persisted on all floors, while the female Cornish X White Rock and the White Rock males had markedly less severe keel bursae on the flat slat floor. Funk and Savage (1956) indicated that the thickness of feather cover is related to the severity of keel bursae. Although the male White Rocks appeared to have more feathers in the keel area this did not prevent them from having the most severe keel bursae on the wire floors. Body conformation may have been involved as reported by Rasplicka and Fry (1962).
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at NERL on June 15, 2015
2
2.097
RESEARCH NOTES
These data indicate that wooden flat slat flooring is more suited for maintaining broilers in small environmental chambers than wire flooring. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors are indebted to M. J. Flanagan for the statistical analysis.
chambers. A.S.A.E. Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana, June 22-25, 1969, Paper N o : 69-438. Koonz, C. H., E. J. Strandine and R. E. Gray, 1963. A study of factors responsible for keel blisters on poultry. Poultry Sci. 42: 1281. McCune, E. L., and H. D. Dellmann, 1968. Developmental origin and structural characters of breast blisters in chickens. Poultry Sci. 47: 852-858. Peterson, R. A., M. A. Hellickson, W. D. Wagner and A. D. Longhouse, 1970. The effect of humidity and flooring type on the moisture content of broiler excrements. Poultry Sci. 49: 439-443. Rasplicka, L. D., and J. L. Fry, 1962. Body conformation and breast blisters in market turkeys. Poultry Sci. 42: 423-428. Stephenson, E. L., J. M. Bezanson and C. F. Hall, 1960. Factors affecting the incidence and severity of a breast blister condition in broilers. Poultry Sci. 39: 1520-1524.
A MODIFICATION OF THE McCARTHY-SULLIVAN METHOD FOR THE ASSAY OF METHIONINE IN FEATHER MEAL HYDROLYSATES1 R. E. SMITH AND H. H. ELMAYERGI2 Department of Microbiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada (Received for publication October 20, 1970)
A study has been underway for some time in this laboratory to investigate the feasibility of improving the methionine content of feather meal by microbial conversions. Since this study in part involved screening large numbers of cultures for methionine production, it was desirable to use a rapid and simple method for the assay of methionine in hydrolysates of fermented meal. Our interest turned to the method of McCarthy and Sullivan (1941), which is based on the production of a colored compound when methionine reacts with sodium nitroprusside under controlled conditions of 1
Supported in part by the Ontario Department of Agriculture and Food. 'Present address: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario.
temperature and pH. This test, however, failed to give reproduceable results in our hands when standard solutions of methionine were assayed. A number of modifications reported by Block and Boiling (1945), Korpaczy (19S4), Hiraoka (1955), and Mikulowska and Slowinski (1963) were also tested, but either were not reproduceable or failed to yield linear standard curves. However, a version described by Shrivastava et al. (1963) gave curves which followed Beer's Law, but the presence of histidine (added to standard solutions of methionine) in concentrations as low as 20 [/.g./ml. produced an unacceptable error. This occurred in spite of the use of glycine as a test reagent, reported to eliminate histidine interference (McCarthy and Sullivan, 1941).
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at NERL on June 15, 2015
REFERENCES Bezanson, J. M., and E. L. Stephenson, 1958. Factors affecting a breast blister condition in broilers. Poultry Sci. 37 : 1185. Flanagan, M. J., 1970. Personal communication. Funk, E. M., and J. E. Savage, 1956. The incidence of breast blisters as related to the amount of breast feathering. Poultry Sci. 35: 1399-1400. Hellickson, M. A., A. D. Longhouse and R. A. Peterson, 1970. Evaluation of equipment performance in controlled environmental broiler
287