Research Accomplishment Reports 2011

Nutritional and Management Abatement Strategies for Improvement of Poultry Air and Water Quality

A. H.Cantor, A. J. Pescatore
Department of Animal and Food Sciences

 

Non-Technical Summary

Commercial poultry production can affect the quality of the air exhausted from poultry houses. In addition, application of poultry manure or litter as a fertilizer to crop land and pastures can affect the level of nutrients in water. The purpose of this project is to examine the effectiveness of various nutritional methods, including altering dietary nutrient concentrations, supplementing diets with enzymes and using organic sources of trace minerals, on minimizing environmental ammonia levels and nutrient concentrations in manure.

2011 Project Description

Project results and implications were disseminated at regional, national and international scientific meetings and symposia, workshops for extension specialist and agents, workshops for producers, and in poultry and feed industry conferences, as well as publications of proceedings from these events.

2011 Impact

Studies with broiler chickens established that copper in the form of a proteinate, has a bioavailability value of 138%, compared with copper sulfates. This indicates that the amount of copper added to poultry diets can be decreased if the proteinate form is used. This can result in beneficial effects on the environment because the resulting manure will have a lower copper concentration.

Studies with laying hens in the later phases of production showed that distillers dried grains with soluble (DDGS) can be safely included in layer diets at high levels (up to 23%) when used in conjunction with a multi-enzyme supplement. No negative effects on production were observed while increased egg yolk pigmentation was noted. Thus, the use of DDGS with enzyme supplementation can be an important strategy for using the by-product from fuel ethanol production and for decreasing the demand for feed ingredients such as corn and soybean meal. The decreased feed intake can be important for improving feed efficiency for the producer and reducing manure production, resulting in environmental benefits.

Studies with broilers showed that supplementing diets with a commercial blend of antioxidants and organic selenium (yeast)can improve the selenium concentration and reduce oxidation of poultry meat. The use of this dietary supplement can be useful to provide consumers with poultry meat that is more nutritious and that has a longer shelf life.

2011 Publications

Ao, T., J.L. Pierce. 2012. The use of organic trace minerals in poultry production. Appl. Anim. Nutr. (in press).

Ao, T., J.L. Pierce, A.J. Pescatore, A.H. Cantor, K.A. Dawson, M.J. Ford and M. Paul. 2011. Effects of feeding different concentrations and forms of zinc on the performance and tissue mineral status of broiler chicks. Brit. Poult. Sci.52(4):466-471.

Brennan, K.M., C.A. Crowdus, K. Horgan, J.L Barger, R. Xiao, A.H. Cantor, R.F. Power and K.A. Dawson. 2011. Effects of organic and inorganic dietary selenium supplementation on gene expression profiles in oviduct tissue from broiler-breeder hens. Anim. Repro. Sci. doi:10.1016/j.anireprosci.2011.02.027.

Xiao, R., R.F. Power, D. Mallonee, C. Crowdus, K.M. Brennan, T. Ao, J.L. Pierce and K.A. Dawson. 2011. A comparative transcriptomic study of vitamin E and EconomasE as antioxidative agents: Investigation of replacing vitamin E with EconomasE in broiler diets. Poult. Sci. 90:136-146.

Ao, T., J.L. Pierce, M. Paul, A.J. Pescatore, A.H. Cantor, K.A. Dawson and M.J. Ford. 2011. Effects of supplementing Allzyme SSF and Allzyme PT in wheat based diet on the performance of chicks. Poult. Sci. 90(E-Suppl. 1):140.

Ao, T., J.L. Pierce, A.J. Pescatore, A.H. Cantor, K.A. Dawson, M. Paul and M.J. Ford. 2011. Evaluation of organic Cu (Bioplex Cu) as a Cu source for chicks. Poult. Sci. 90(E-Suppl. 1):267. In: International Poultry Scientific Forum Abstracts, Atlanta, GA, USA, January 24-25, p. 56.

Brennan, K.M., T. Ao, J.L. Pierce, A.H. Cantor, A. J. Pescatore, D. Mallonee, R.F. Power and K.A. Dawson. 2011. Effect of selenium source on testes weight, selenium content and gene expression profiles in Single Comb White Leghorn roosters. FASEB J. 25: 786.1.

Macalintal, L.M., A.H. Cantor, A.J. Pescatore, K.A. Dawson, J.L. Pierce, M.J. Ford, T. Ao, H.D. Gillespie and A.N. Meredith. 2011. Effect of in ovo selenium injection of broiler breeder eggs at 10 days of incubation on tissue selenium concentration and embryo viability. Poult. Sci. 90(E-Suppl. 1):39.

Macalintal, L.M., A.H. Cantor, A.J. Pescatore, K.A. Dawson, J.L. Pierce, M.J. Ford, H.D. Gillespie and A.N. Meredith. 2011. Toxicity and tissue selenium levels of chicken embryos resulting from in ovo selenium injection. Poult. Sci. 90(E-Suppl. 1):229. In: International Poultry Scientific Forum Abstracts, Atlanta, GA, USA, January 24-25, p. 21.

Meredith, A.N., A.H. Cantor, A.J. Pescatore, M.J. Ford, J.L. Pierce, T. Ao, K.A. Dawson, L.M. Macalintal and W.D. King. 2011. Impact of dietary supplementation of EconomasETM on egg selenium, production performance and egg quality of white egg laying hens. Poult. Sci. 90(E-Suppl. 1):149.

Meredith, A.N., A.H. Cantor, A.J. Pescatore, M.J. Ford, J.L. Pierce, T. Ao, K.A. Dawson, L.M. Macalintal and W.D. King. 2011. Influence of EconomasETM supplementation on egg selenium, production performance and egg quality parameters of brown egg laying hens. Poult. Sci. 90(E-Suppl. 1):149.

Spry, M.L., K.M. Brennan, K.E. Routt, A.J. Pescatore and J.L. Pierce. 2011. The effect of selenium supplementation on oxidative damage and mRNA levels of antioxidant genes in the testes of Single Comb White Leghorn roosters. Poult. Sci. 90(E-Suppl. 1):178.

Xiao, R., R.F. Power, D. Mallonee, K. Routt, L. Spangler, T. Ao, J.L. Pierce and K.A. Dawson. 2011. Differential effects of sodium selenite and Sel-Plex selenium yeast on the hepatic gene expression profile of laying hens. Poult. Sci. 90(E-Suppl. 1):168.

Pescatore, A.J., P. Rossi, A.H. Cantor, J.L. Pierce, T. Ao, L.M. Macalintal, M.J. Ford, W.D. King and H.D. Gillespie. 2011. The use of distillers dried grains with solubles in post peak diets for laying hens. Poult. Sci. 90(E-Suppl. 1):276. In: International Poultry Scientific Forum Abstracts, Atlanta, GA, USA, January 24-25, p. 65.

Quant, A.D., A.J. Pescatore, J.L. Pierce, T. Ao, P. Rossi, A.H. Cantor, M.J. Ford and W.D. King. 2011. Evaluating the effect of feeding up to 30 percent distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and an enzyme supplement on the performance and egg quality of brown egg layers through 30 weeks of production. Poult. Sci. 90(E-Suppl. 1):157-158.

Quant, A.D., A.J. Pescatore, J.L. Pierce, T. Ao, P. Rossi, A.H. Cantor, M.J. Ford and W.D. King. 2011. Production performance and egg quality of hens fed diets containing up to thirty percent distillers dried grains with soluble (DDGS) and an enzyme supplement. Poult. Sci. 90(E-Suppl. 1):157.

Rossi, P., A.J. Pescatore, A.H. Cantor, J.L. Pierce, T. Ao, L.M. Macalintal, M.J. Ford, W.D. King and H.D. Gillespie. 2011. Effect of distillers dried grains with solubles and an enzyme supplement on performance and egg quality of egg layers. Poult. Sci. 90(E-Suppl. 1):276-277. In: International Poultry Scientific Forum Abstracts, Atlanta, GA, USA, January 24-25, p. 66.

Rossi, P., A.J. Pescatore, A.H. Cantor, J.L. Pierce, T. Ao, L.M. Macalintal, M.J. Ford, W.D. King and H.D. Gillespie. 2011. Effect of distillers dried grains with solubles and an enzyme supplement on performance and egg quality of brown egg layers through 60 weeks of egg production. Poult. Sci.90(E-Suppl. 1):275. In: International Poultry Scientific Forum Abstracts, Atlanta, GA, USA, January 24-25, p. 65.

Xiao, R., R.F. Power, D. Mallonee, L. Spangler, K. Routt, K.M. Brennan, J.L. Pierce and K.A. Dawson. 2011. Gene expression study reveals the association of dietary supplementation of Actigen and the regulation of pathogen-influenced signaling pathways in broiler chickens. Poult. Sci. 90(E-Suppl. 1):142.