H. Zahiraddini, S.r. Mirai Ashtiani, M. Shivazad, A. Nikkhah,
Volume 5, Issue 2 (summer 2001)
Abstract
Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of dietary energy levels on the performance of Arian broiler chicks. Trial 1 was performed in summer and trial 2 in fall. Both experiments were accomplished in 5×2 factorial designs, involving 5 levels of dietary metabolizable energy and two sexes. Each of the 10 resulting treatments was replicated 4 and 3 times in trials 1 and 2, respectively. The metabolizable energy contents in diets number 1 to 5 were 2800, 2900, 3000, 3100 and 3200 Kcal/kg for starter (0-4 weeks) period and 2900, 3000, 3100, 3200 and 3300 Kcal/kg for grower (4-7 weeks) period, respectively. The ratios of energy to each nutrient were the same for all diets in each stage of the experiments.
In both experiments, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio improved significantly (P<0.01) when diets with higher levels of energy were consumed. Feed intake was affected (P<0.01) by the dietary energy content only in summer (trial 1) resulting from the reduced intake of chicks fed with the lowest energy level. Abdominal fat percentage was decreased (P<0.01) in chicks fed with the lowest energy diet in summer. In both experiments, the cost of the feed per unit of live body weight was reduced (P<0.01) in accordance with the reduction in diet density. As expected, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, abdominal fat and cost of the feed per unit of live body weight for male chicks were significantly better than the same values for females (P<0.01).
S. Yarahmadi, S.r. Mirai Ashtiani, R. Ebadi, G.h. Tahmasebi,
Volume 5, Issue 2 (summer 2001)
Abstract
In this study 130 honeybee colonies in 4 locations (Damavand, Tehran, Qum and Karaj-Savojbolagh) were sampled to determine the phenotypic correlations among 9 morphological and 3 production traits. The morphological traits were length (FL) and width (FB) of fore wing, cubital index (CI), length of hind leg (HL), length of probosics (LP), slender index (SI), length (WL) and width (WT) of wax mirror, distance between wax mirror (WD), index of wax mirror (IW) and corbicular area (CA). The production traits were honey yield (WH), pollen gathering (WP) and wax: production (WW). Data were subjected to analysis of variance, phenotypic correlations, stepwise regression and path coefficient analysis. Results of phenotypic correlations demonstrated that correlations between FL with FB (0.65), WL (0.361), WT (0.261), HL (0.555) and LP (0.257), WH with WP (0.300), WW with WH (0.560) and CA with WH (0.234) were significant (P≤0.01). FB with WH (r=0.204) was also significant but there was no significant correlation between CA and WP. Results of stepwise regression and path coefficient analysis showed that whereas morphological traits were settled as independent variables, much of the corresponding changes in production traits remain uninterpreted. In spite of the significant correlations among several morphological and production traits, body measurements alone are not suitable criteria to select colonies for high productions of honey, pollen and wax.
