JWSS - Journal of Water and Soil Science

---

An experiment was conducted to study the effects of substitution of the different levels (0.0, 10, 20, 30 and 40%) of oat grains for the corn with and without enzyme supplementation (β -Glucanase. 0.0 and 1%) on the performance of the broiler chickens. Four hundred and eighty (480) Arian broiler chicks were employed in a randomized complete block design with 10 treatments and 3 replications (16 chickens for each replicate) from 1-56 days of age. The chicks fed with 10 percent of oats in the diets, supplemented with enzyme, had significantly higher BW than other treatments. While with 40 % oat in diet body weight were significantly decreased. The feed conversion increased with increasing of the oats levels and the enzyme supplementation resulted in lower feed conversion. With increasing oats in the diet, the percentage of carcass weight decreased, but the pancreas weight increased significantly. Conversely, the enzyme supplementation resulted an increase in carcass weight and reduction in the pancreas weight. The percentage of the tibial ash, calcium and phosphorus were unsignificaulty decreased with the increasing of the oat but enzyme lementation resulted an increase in tibial ash, calcium and phosphorus. In the areas where the corn production is limited, including 30 percent of the oats supplemented with enzyme in the diet of the broiler chicks can be beneficial.

---

An experiment was conducted with the male Ross broiler chicks from 1 to 42 days of age to test the effects of different dietary protein and lysine levels on performance, carcass characteristics, and N excretion. Treatment diets consisted of three levels of supplemental lysine in starter and grower period (0, 0.15, and 0.30 %) and the two levels of protein (20.84, 17.84 in starter, and 18.12, 16.12% in grower period) with 2900 Kcal ME/kg diet. The results indicated that the Reducing dietary protein decreased significantly the weight gain in starter, grower, and total period up to 6, 4.6, and 5.6%respectively (P<0.05). It also decreased the feed consumption in starter period (P<0.05). Decreasing dietary protein had no significant effect on gain to feed ratio and breast meat yield, but increased abdominal fat percentage significantly (P<0.05). Increasing dietary lysine increased the feed consumption in starter and weight gain, gain to feed ratio in grower and total period of the experiment (P<0.05). Increasing lysine in diet caused a significant increase in breast meat and tight yield, and percentage. Adding supplemental lysine reduced the N excretion in starter period significantly (P<0.059). N excretion reduced significantly by decreasing dietary protein (P <0.05). Dietary treatments had not significant effect on mortality percentage. The results of the present experiment indicated that with providing limiting amino acids and adding supplemental lysine to diet, the crude protein could be reduced up to 3 and 2 percent in starter and grower periods respectively. Reducing the crude protein had not adverse effect on the feed efficiency.

---

In the current experiment seven catheterized broiler breeder hens were used at 60 weeks of age. Retention of ¹⁴CO₂ in the body of the hens following continuous infusion of NaH¹⁴CO₃ during each of tow-30-hr continuous infusion studies was determined. Oxidation rate plateau was established within two hours in each experiment. Recovery of ¹⁴CO₂ at the steady state in the first and second study were 91.09 and 87.55 percent respectively and were not significantly different. Mean breath ¹⁴CO₂ recovery was 89.32 percent and hence retention was 10.68 percent. Recovery of ¹⁴CO₂ in breath was not significantly affected by laying of egg or photoperiod. Recovery of ¹⁴CO₂ during the fed state was significantly lower than the fasted state. The results of this experiment indicated that, using of uncorrected data for the retained isotope into body, lead to 10.68 percent AA requirements underestimation in broiler breeder hens by indicator amino acid oxidation technique.

---

In a completely randomized design with 3×5 factorial arrangement, the metabolizable energy and nutrients digestibility of three varieties of sorghum grains (low, medium and high tannin) with and without supplemental phytase were determined and was compared with corn and wheat. Three varieties of sorghum were selected from the 36 varieties according to their tannin content and were grown togther with corn and wheat under the same environmental conditions. Supplemental phytase was added at three levels (0.0, 500 and 1000 FTU/kg) to each grain. The metabolizable energy (ME) and nutrients digestibilities were determined by the mature male Leghorn with the method of Sibbald. The results indicated that different grains had different ME, apparent and true digestibilities regarding dry matter, nitrogen and phosphorus. Medium tannin sorghum had the highest apparent and true metabolizable (AME and TME) energy, whereas the high tannin sorghum showed the lowest AME and TME. The apparent and true dry matter digestibilities of corn was more than the other grains (P<0.001). Medium tannin sorghum had the highest apparent and true nitrogen digestibilies than the other two varieties (P<0.001). Difference between tested grains regarding apparent and true phosphorus digestibilities were not significant. All measured criteria were the lowest for the high tannin sorghum. Adding 500 FTU/Kg phytase caused an improvement (P<0.001) in AME, apparent and true dry matter digestibilities and true nitrogen digestibility. Although added phytase improved apparent and true phosphorus digestibilities and true nitrogen digestibility, but the differences were not significant. The differences between 500 and 1000 units phytase was not significant and the results indicated that 500 FTU/Kg phytase was sufficient to improve the nutritional value of grains under study.

---

This experiment was carried out to determine the effects of different levels of (Kabuli) chickpea grains with different processing methods on the performance of broilers. In a factorial experiment with completely randomized design, 576 Rose broiler chicks were divided into 16 treatments with three replications of 12 chicks each. The first factor comprised three levels of chickpea (10, 20 and 30 percent) in ration, and the second factor five processing methods of chickpea (raw, cooked for 10 and 20 mins, and soaked for 24 and 48 hrs). Treatments included one control ration (without chickpea) and 15 experimental rations, all of which were isoenergetic and isonitrogenous. The experimental period lasted 8 weeks for the 1 to 56 day old chicks. Body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio were determined at three age periods of 7 to 21, 7 to 42 and 7 to 56 days. Carcass, abdominal fat, intestine and pancreas weight percentages to live weight were measured. Maximum body weight gain belonged to chickens fed on %30 chickpea grains soaked for 48h in age periods of 7 to 42 and 7 to 56 days, which was significantly different from control diet (P<0.05). The effect of chickpea grains levels and processing methods on chicken feed intake in age periods of 7 to 56 days was not significant. Interaction effects of chickpea levels with processing methods on feed conversion ratio in three age periods was not significant either. The effect of chickpea grains levels and processing methods on carcass, abdominal fat and intestine weight percentages to live weight were not significant except for the pancreas weight percentage (P<0.05). Therefore, it seems that chickpea grain is a suitable source of energy and protein in broiler diet (20% as raw or 30% as soaked for 48% h) when soyabean meals and corn grains are unavailable.

---

In order to assess and determine amino acids profile and their availability in different sorghum grain (SG) varieties, three SG varieties including low tannin (0.09% , LTS), medium tannin (0.19%, MTS) and high tannin (0.37%, HTS) were grown at the same location. The grains were analysed for their proximate analyses, tannin and amino acids. True amino acid availability (TAAA) was obtained by Sibbald’s method using ceacectomized single comb leghorn cockerels. The results showed that methionine and cystine were the first and the second limiting amino acids, respectively in LTS and MTS. But in HTS, lysine (0.166%) was the first and methionine (0.176%) was the second limiting amino acid. Methionine content was 0.114% , 0.182% and 0.176% for LTS, MTS and HTS, respectively. Although, crude protein was lower in HTS (10%) than the other SG, but histidine, methionine and isoleucine were higher for HTS in comparison to LTS and MTS. TAAA decreased when tannin content increased and all amino acids had a lower availability in HTS than LTS and MTS (P<0.05). Methionine in HTS and LTS and glutamic acid in MTS had the highest availability. The availability of proline was most affected by tannin, and its availability was 91.55% for LTS, 84.82% for MTS and 22.82% for HTS (P<0.05).

---

This study was conducted to determine chemical composition and evaluated apparent metabolisable energy (AME) and true metabolisable energy (TME) values of five Iranian barley cultivars. Basal diet contained corn soybean and in each of the test diets barley was substituted for 30% of corn and soybean fractions. The study was carried out in 3 experiments. In experiment 1, metabolisable energy (ME) values were measured by both total collection and markers (chromic oxide) in excreta of 35-d-old chicks. In experiment 2, ME values of the barley cultivars were determined by ileal digesta procedure. In experiment 3, 36 48-d-old broiler chicks (used in experiment 1 and 2) were used to determine TME and the nitrogen corrected TME (TME_n) of the barley cultivars. Highly significant differences (P<0.05) between bioassay methods were observed on average barley ME values. The average barley AME_n value measured by ileal digesta method was significantly (P<0.05) higher than excreta (total collection and markers in excreta) (2716 Vs. 2318 and 2124 kcal/kg, respectively). Barley ME values were influenced by cultivar (P<0.05) and the hullless cultivar showed greater AME value than the hulled cultivars (2695 vs. 2407.5 kcal/kg AME 2630 vs. 2324.7 kcal/kg AME_n). Cultivar had no significant effect on barley TME value. It was concluded that there is high variation between energy contents of Iranian barley cultivars. In addition, ileal digesta was found not to be an accurate bioassay for determination of barley AME value in broiler chicks.

---

This experiment was carried out to determine the nutritional value and the effect of different levels of tomato seed and pomace on performance of broilers. Corn grains and soyabean meals were replaced by tomato seed at levels of 6, 12 and 18 % and tomato pomace at levels of 3, 9 and 12 %. At first, the metabolizable energy of tomato seed and pomace was determined by the Sibbald method. In this experiment, 504 commercial broiler chicks (Ross 308) were used for 8 weeks (from 7 to 56 days old ) in a completely randomized design in 7 treatments with 4 replications per treatment. After 21 days, protein digestibility of the ration in illeum was determined. Apparent metabolizable energy was 3394 kcal/kg for seed and 2329 kcal/kg for pomace and crude protein was 31, 22.7, respectively . The result showed that body weight, protein digestibility of rations in illeum and carcass characteristics were not significantly different . Best energy and protein conversion efficiencies were obtained at the level of 6 % seed and 9 % pomace, that were not significantly different from control treatment. Cheeks fed with seed and 12% tomato pomace had significantly (p<0.5) higher feed intake than control group.The difference between diets containing 6% seed and 3% pomace and control group was not significant regarding feed conversion ratio.

---

This experiment was conducted to determinate the effects of different levels of Amet protein binder (0, 1.5, 3, 4.5 and 6) in substitution for fish meal on performance and digestibility of nutrients. This study used 400 broiler chickens (Ross strain) with 5 treatments of 4 replications in a completely randomized design. Weight gain, feed consumption, and feed conversion ratio were determined at the end of each phase of the experiment. In addition, the digestibility of nutrients and apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) of the whole diets were measured by sampling excreta. The results showed that levels of 4.5 and 6% of Amet significantly decreased feed consumption (P< 0.01). Feed consumption was higher for 1.5, 0(control), and 3% Amet in diets, respectively. At the starting phase, 1.5% Amet treatment improved feed conversion ratio (P<0.01). The treatments 6% and 4.5% Amet increased feed conversion ratio in all phases of experiment and the final phase. Percentages of abdominal fat were not significantly affected by treatments. Replacement of different levels of Amet except the treatment 6% had no significant effect on percentage of carcass. The level of 1.5% Amet versus control significantly increased AMEn (P<0.01). It seems that the inclusion of 1.5% Amet binder in the diet can positively affect performance and AMEn of diet in broiler chickens.

---

This experiment was conducted to determine the phosphorus relative bioavailability of eight samples of dicalcium phosphate. Bioavailability of Samples of dicalcium phosphate was evaluated and their effects on performance of laying hens were investigated. Commercial samples of Dicalcium Phosphate were provided from the following manufacturers: Iran Phosphate, Partove Bashash, Godaze, Poya Khojaste, Dan Razy Kimia, Phosphore Iran, Golbar Shimi and Dan Avar. The Parameters measured were shell strength, shell thickness, shell ash percentage, shell percentage, shell calcium and phosphorus percentage, Haugh unit, egg weight, egg production, egg output, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio, tibial ash, and tibial calcium and phosphorus. One hundred and six, and 36 weeks old white Leghorn hens, from strain Hi-line W-36, were randomly allocated to 8 dietary treatments and 4 blocks in a completely randomized block design. The experiment lasted for 3 months, starting in the 36th week and ended in the 48week of age. Shell thickness, shell ash percentage, shell percentage, feed consumption, tibial ash and tibial calcium percentage were significantly different (P< 0.05) among treatments. Effect of experimental period on shell calcium and phosphorus percentage, egg weight, egg production, feed consumption, egg output was significant (P< 0.05). Relative bioavailability of samples ranged from 85 to 105.7%. Overall, samples of Phosphate Iran (F) were considered most effective with regard to relative bioavailability and performance.