| Autor: |
Mousstaaid A; Department of Poultry Science, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39759, USA., Fatemi SA; Department of Poultry Science, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39759, USA., Elliott KEC; Poultry Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Starkville, MS 39762, USA., Levy AW; DSM Nutritional Products, Parsippany, NJ 07054, USA., Miller WW; Advanced Animal Eye Care, 3308 Old West Point Road, Starkville, MS 39759, USA., Olanrewaju HA; Poultry Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Starkville, MS 39762, USA., Purswell JL; Poultry Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Starkville, MS 39762, USA., Gerard PD; Department of Mathematical Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA., Peebles ED; Department of Poultry Science, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39759, USA. |
| Abstrakt: |
Effects of the in ovo injection of various levels of L-ascorbic acid (L-AA) on the performance and corneal erosion incidence in Ross 708 broilers exposed to 50 parts per million (ppm) of atmospheric ammonia (NH 3 ) after hatch were determined. A total of 1440 Ross 708 broiler embryos were randomly assigned to 4 treatments: non-injected (control), 0.85% sterile saline-injected (control), or saline containing 12 or 25 mg of L-AA. At hatch, 12 male chicks were randomly assigned to each of 48 battery cages with 12 replicate cages randomly assigned to each treatment group. All birds were exposed to 50 ppm of NH 3 for 35 d and the concentration of NH 3 in the battery cage house was recorded every 20 s. Mortality was determined daily, and mean body weight (BW), BW gain (BWG), average daily BW gain (ADG), and feed intake, as well as feed conversion ratio (FCR), were determined weekly. From 0 to 35 d of post-hatch age (doa), six birds from each cage were selected and sampled for eye erosion scoring. Incidences of corneal erosion were significantly higher at 21 and 28 doa in comparison to those at 14 and 35 doa, and at 21 doa, birds in the saline-injected group exhibited a higher incidence of corneal erosion compared to all other treatment groups. The in ovo injection of 12 mg of L-AA increased BWG ( p = 0.043) and ADG ( p = 0.041), and decreased FCR ( p = 0.043) from 0 to 28 doa in comparison to saline-injected controls. In conclusion the in ovo administration of 12 mg of L-AA may have the potential to improve the live performance of broilers chronically exposed to high aerial NH 3 concentrations, but further study is needed to determine the physiological and immunological factors that may contribute to this improvement. |
