This study evaluated the effects of reducing total amino acid (AA) & crude protein (CP) level and supplementation of protease on egg production, egg quality, AA digestibility and economics of egg production in W-36 laying hens from 50-70 wk of age. Five hundred seventy-six Hy-Line W-36 hens were housed in 192 cages consisting of 12 reps of 2 side-by side cages containing 3 hens. Each replicate was fed one of 8 diets in a 4 x 2 factorial arrangement of AA&CP levels (85, 90, 95, and 100% of the breeder recommendations) and protease (exclusion or inclusion). Protease was incorporated into the feed at the dosage recommended by the manufacturer, which is 60 grams per metric ton. Corn and soybean meal-based diets were formulated to meet 100% of the breeder's recommendations for the standardized ileal digestibility of Lys, Met, Thr, Trp, TSAA, Ile, and Val. Our study explored the effects of varying levels of AA&CP set at 85, 90, 95, and 100% of the recommendations for the ileal digestibility of Lys, Thr, Trp, TSAA, Ile, and Val, in diets with and without protease supplementation. All diets were supplemented with phytase at 500 phytase units/kg. Data were analyzed using PROC GLM of SAS 9.4 (2019) and the means were separated using Tukey's multiple comparison tests (P < 0.05). Overall, an interaction was observed between AA&CP level and protease supplementation on egg weight (EW; P = 0.003). The main effect of AA&CP level was observed on haugh unit (HU; P < 0.001) and feed cost (P < 0.001) where higher values were observed in 100 and 95% CP level diets as compared to 90 and 85% CP level diets. Similarly, a decrease in the AA&CP level increased the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of CP (P < 0.001), Lys (P < 0.001), Met (P < 0.001), Thr (P < 0.001), Trp (P < 0.001), Ile (P < 0.001), and Val (P < 0.001). Protease supplementation increased the AID of CP (P = 0.003), Lys (P = 0.001), Thr (P = 0.009), Ile (P < 0.001), and Val (P < 0.001). In conclusion, lower levels of AA&CP supplemented with protease did not negatively affect the egg production, albumen quality and the cost of production in low AA&CP corn and soybean meal-based diets in the Hy-Line W-36 laying hen.

There is a demand for novel pathogen mitigation strategies in antibiotic-free poultry production, which has triggered the development of various probiotic application methods. One application method is the in ovo (in egg) administration of probiotics on incubation day (d) d ) 18, where the unhatched chick consumes a probiotic before hatch and prior to being exposed to environmental pathogens. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of in ovo L. animalis, B. licheniformis, , or L. animalis + B. licheniformis (10(6) 6 cfu/50 mL L each) administration on hatch performance (N = 21 egg flats/treatment, 30 eggs/flat), live performance (N = 12 pens/treatment), and d of hatch immuno-physiological parameters (N = 12 birds/treatment) among Ross 708 broiler chicks. Data were analyzed by 1-way ANOVA with significance established at P <= 0.05. All in ovo probiotic treatments had greater % hatch than the control treatment, and eggs in ovo-administered with B. licheniformis had lower % late dead and % culled-pipped eggs. However, all in ovo probiotic treatments had lower average chick weights compared to those of the HVT vaccine control group. At hatch, chicks administered with B. licheniformis or L. animalis + B. licheniformis had greater relative ceca weight and lower peripheral blood leukocyte levels compared to those belonging to the control group. There were no effects on live performance during the first 2 wk post-hatch. These results show that B. licheniformis and L. animalis are effective candidates for in ovo probiotic administration, but further investigations regarding immuno-physiological responses to in ovo B. licheniformis administration are necessary.

Previous work has shown that dietary treatments affect woody breast (WB) incidence differently, which indicates that gut conditions such as gut barrier function, inflammation, and oxidative stress are likely related to WB. In this study, dietary supplementation with antibiotics (bacitracin) or probiotics (Bacillus subtilis) was investigated for their effects on the expression of transcripts related to gut barrier function, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the mucus lining of the jejunum from broilers with or without WB. A split-plot experimental design was used in this study. The dietary treatments served as the main plot factor and the breast muscle condition was the subplot factor. On d 41, jejunum mucus was collected from 1 bird from each of 3 replicate pens in each 3 dietary treatment groups that exhibited WB and an additional bird that contained a normal breast (3 biological replicates/treatment/phenotype; 3 × 3 × 2, total N = 18). Total RNA was extracted using a commercial RNA extraction kit. The expression levels of CLDN1, MUC6, TLR2A, TLR2B, TLR4, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-8L1, IL-10, NOS2, and SOD were determined using 2-step RT-qPCR analysis. The gene expression difference in ΔCt values was determined after normalizing with the chicken 18S rRNA gene. When the significant differences occurred between treatments, the relative fold change was calculated using the ΔΔCt method and the significance level was calculated. The PROC GLM procedure of SAS 9.4 was used, and the level of significance was set at P ≤ 0.05. There were no significant interactive effects between diet and the breast muscle condition on the expression of any of the genes tested. However, birds with WB exhibited higher MUC6 (P < 0.0001) gene expression levels than birds with normal breast muscles. In addition, the expression of SOD decreased in birds that were fed the antibiotic diet when compared to birds that were fed the probiotic diet (P = 0.014). In conclusion, WB identified in broilers tested in the current study is attributed to increased expression of mucin, indicating a correlation between WB incidence and gel-forming mucin secretion and pathogen signaling.

As hens age, egg production and quality decline. Producers are interested in extending the production of their hens to help with production costs and demand. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of the ratio of fine (F) and coarse (C) limestone and exogenous phytase at standard and superdosing levels on performance and egg quality of post-peak hens from 40 to 60 wk of age. A total of 560 Hy-Line W-36 hens (20 replicates of 4 hens per treatment) were randomly assigned into 7 experimental diets in a 2 pound 3 + 1 factorial arrangement. The positive control (PC) was formulated to an industry standard that consisted of a 40F:60C limestone ratio without phytase and contained 4.4% calcium (Ca) and 0.44% available phosphorus (avP) for both layer 2 and layer 3 diets. A common negative control (NC) diet was created by reducing Ca and avP by 0.19% and 0.17% respectively compared with the PC. The factorial treatments consisted of 2 limestone ratios (40F:60C and 15F:85C) and 3 Escherichia coli-derived phytase levels (0, 400, and 1,500 FTU/kg) formulated from the NC. Results indicated that 40F:60C at 0 and 400 FTU/kg increased hen-day egg production (HDEP). Limestone ratios of 15F:85C decreased feed intake (FI), increased both eggshell thickness (ST) and weight (SW), but also increased unsaleable eggs (UE) compared to 40F:60C. Additionally, 0 and 400 FTU/kg increased egg quality parameters such as Haugh unit (HU) and albumen height (AH) but 1,500 FTU/kg increased

To reduce pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella in feed and ensure a high-quality pel-let, diets for broilers, turkeys, and breeders may be pelleted using high conditioning tem-peratures and extended times. However, increased conditioning temperature and time may alter amino acid conformation regarding secondary and tertiary structure, decrease digest-ibility and subsequent bird performance, and necessitate increased amino acid formulation density. The objective of this study was to evaluate increased conditioning temperature and exposure time within the pelleting process using a hygienizer (hygienic pelleting) in diets that vary in digestible lysine and corresponding amino acid ratio on Hubbard x Ross 708 starter broiler performance, apparent ileal amino acid digestibility (AIAAD), and requirement. A 5 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments with 5 levels of digestible lysine (-20, -10%, 2019 Ross Broiler Starter Nutrition recommendation, +10, and +20%) and 2 techniques of pelleting (standard and hygienic) was utilized in a randomized complete block design. Standard pelleting utilized 77 & DEG;C conditioning for 30 s and hygienic pelleting utilized 88 & DEG;C conditioning for 60 s and 6-min retention time in a hygienizer. Each treat-ment was fed to 12 replicate pens of 10 male broiler Hubbard x Ross 708 chicks for a 21 -day period. Standard pelleting and hygienic pelleting demonstrated a 1.19 and 1.37% digestible Lys requirement, respectively, using the 2 straight line, 1-breakpoint broken -line regression model. Performance data, AIAAD, and the broken-line regression model suggest an approximate 10% increase in digestible Lys and corresponding amino acid ratio relative to 2019 Ross Broiler Starter Nutrition Specifications for Hygienic Pelleting. Nutri-tionists should be cognizant that nutritional detriment may accompany procedures used to create hygienic pelleted feed.

The current objective was to expand on previous research using the Cobb MV x Cobb 500 to determine its finisher digestible Lys (dLys) requirement (Req; d 28-41), as well as the effect of feeding varying finisher dLys levels on performance, processing, and economics. This was a 2 Sex (male or female) x 8 dLys factorial arrangement, wherein the experimental diets consisted of a practical control; (PRAC-CON; 0.94% dLys) and 7 other diets with varying dLys concentrations (0.72%, 0.80%, 0.88%, 0.94%, 1.02%, 1.10%, and 1.18%) Chicks were fed common starter (1.28% dLys) and grower diets (grower 1 and 2 dLys were 1.18 and 1.08%, respectively). In general, males had improved performance versus females while females had increased processing yield (% of live weight) vs. males. Also, increasing finisher dLys resulted in improvements in performance and processing metrics, regardless of sex. Quadratic regression (QR; 95% of vertex) and linear and quadratic broken line (LBL; QBL) models were utilized to estimate dLys Req for each sex. The estimated dLys Req range for females was 0.752-1.292% and males, 0.748 to 1.320%, when using all models. An economic model determined 1.10% finisher dLys to be most profitable. These data demonstrate that increasing finisher dLys can improve Cobb MV x Cobb 500 performance and processing; however, the optimal dLys Req can vary depending on sex, regression model, response parameter, and economics.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of feeding varying amino acid densi-ties (AAD) and AME levels during the finisher phase (d 28-41) on male Cobb MV pound Cobb 500 broiler performance, processing, and economics. A 3 AAD (Low-AAD, Medium (Med)-AAD, and High-AAD) pound 4 AME (Low-AME, Med-AME, High-AME, and Very High-AME) factorial arrangement was utilized. Feeding Med-AAD or High-AAD maximized d 28 to 40 BW gain (BWG) regardless of AME level fed. As AAD increased, a stepwise reduction in FCR and ADFI was observed from d 28 to 40. For the main effect of AME, broilers fed Very High-AME improved FCR from d 28 to 40, with those fed Low-AME having a higher FCR and FCR of birds fed Med-AME and High-AME being intermediate. Birds fed Low-AME increased ADFI throughout but were similar to Med-AME from d 28 to 40. An interaction was detected for carcass yield wherein broilers fed Med-AAD + Low-AME maximized car-cass yield. Feeding High-AAD maximized breast and tender yield and reduced fat pad yield. For the main effect of AME, fat pad yield was greatest in birds fed High-AME and Very High-AME. Overall, increasing d 28 to 41 AAD improved performance and processing varia-bles; Very High-AME level improved FCR and ADFI. These data demonstrate the importance of evaluating the response of a particular broiler strain to varying AAD and AME levels, as these nutrients can impact performance and ultimately producer profitability.

A previous companion study utilized a 2 GS (Fast Growing [FG] or High Yielding [HY]) x 2 FF (Crumbles [C] or Intact Pellets [IP]) x 3 FQ (Low, Medium, or High) factorial arrangement to determine their impact on broiler performance. The 2 FF, C or P, were fed in the starter diet (d 0-18) as one of 3 FQ: low-2,210 mm (C) or 40% intact pellets (IP), medium -3,010 mm (C) or 60% IP, and high-3388 mm (C) or 80% IP. From 0 to 18 d, feeding increased FQ improved overall BW and BWG. The current study determined the APSC from d 0 to 6 and d 0 to 18 among these GS, FF, and FQ. This study utilized a subsample of pens from the com-panion study. From d 0 to 6 and 0 to 18, HY GS had a higher APSC. At d 0 to 18, GS x FF interacted, demonstrating that APSC only differed between GS when pellets were fed, with HY consuming a larger size. A FF x FQ interaction on 0-6 and 0-18 d demonstrated that, regard-less of FF broilers fed high FQ, had larger APSC. For birds fed low and medium FQ as a C, APSC was larger, but smaller when fed as IP. Correlations were found showing that as APSC increased, d 0 to 6 BW, BW gain, and FCR improved; this also occured for d 0 to 18 FCR. Data suggest that APSC is dependent upon GS and FF presented; further research is needed to verify APS preference when provided ad libitum amounts of each particle size.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of protease supplementation and reduced digestible amino acid (dAA)/ crude protein (CP) level on productive performance, AA digestibility, and egg quality parameters in Hy-Line W-36 laying hen from 30 to 50 wk of age. A total of 768 hens (12 replicates of 8 hens per treatment) were equally and randomly allocated into 8 experimental diets in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement of dAA/CP level (100, 95, 90, and 85% of breeder recommendation) and protease (exclusion or inclusion). Protease was added at 60 g/metric ton of feed in the inclusion group. Hens were housed in raised-wire cages with a stocking density of 870 cm2/bird. The adequate (100%) diet was based on corn and soybean meal and formulated based on the digestible (d) Lys and dAAs (dMet, dThr, dTrp, dTSAA, dIle, and dVal) to meet 100% of the current management guide recommendation. Variations in dAA/CP (95, 90, and 85% diets) were accomplished by reducing the 100% dAA by 5, 10, and 15%, respectively. All diets were supplemented with phytase at 500 phytase units (FTU)/kg. Data were analyzed using PROC GLM of SAS 9.4. There was a main effect of dAA/CP level on 85% diet where it had a lower mean hen-day egg production (HDEP, P < 0.01), egg mass (EM, P < 0.01), and higher feed conversion ratio (FCR, P < 0.001). Higher egg weight (P < 0.01) was observed in 95 and 100% dAA/CP level diets. However, Haugh unit (P < 0.01) and albumen height (P < 0.01) were higher in 85 and 90% diets. The inclusion of protease reduced the feed consumption (P = 0.0247), FCR for dozens of eggs (P = 0.0049) from 30 to 49 wk of age without affecting the HDEP or EM. Protease supplementation and dAA/CP level had an effect on the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of CP (P = 0.019), Lys (P < 0.01), Thr (P < 0.01), Trp (P = 0.017), and Val (P < 0.01). Addition of protease significantly increased egg income (P = 0.033) and return on investment (P = 0.00223) from 30 to 37 wk of age. At 38 to 50 wk of age, dAA/CP level had a significant effect on egg income (P < 0.001), feed cost (P < 0.001), and return on investment (P < 0.001). This experiment indicates that the inclusion of protease in 90 and 95% lower dAA/CP diets could help improve the digestibility of CP, and key amino acids and maintain productive performance of corn and soybean meal-based diets in Hy-Line W-36 laying hen from 30 to 50 wk of age.

Digestible lysine (dLys) requirements in broilers is heavily researched due to lysine's importance in diet formulation, body protein accretion, and dietary protein cost. As such, when novel broiler strains are established, it is important to evaluate their dLys requirements. The current objective was to determine the dLys requirement of male Cobb MV pound Cobb 500 broilers from d 0 to 14 and evaluate the carryover effect (d 14-41) of feeding varying starter levels of dLys. Two basal diets were formulated (0.88% dLys and 1.44% dLys), then blended to create 6 intermediate dLys treatments (ranging from 0.96 to 1.36% dLys), creating a total of 8 dLys experimental diets. A control diet (treatment 9-1.28% dLys) was separately made to confirm blending techniques. Treatments were arranged as a randomized complete block design (RCBD) to 96 pens, with each pen having 14 male chicks. In general, increasing dLys resulted in improvements in performance metrics and processing weights. From d 0 to 14, feeding >= 1.20% dLys increased BW and BWG, feeding >= 0.96% dLys increased FI, with an exception in birds fed 1.44% dLys; stepwise reductions in FCR were observed as dLys increased from 0.88 until 1.20% dLys. Estimated dLys requirements ranged from 1.17 to 1.30% for BWG and 1.29 to 1.49% for FCR (using multiple regression methods). In general, carryover effect data (d 0-41) demonstrated that increasing starter dLys improved performance and d 42 processing. Future research should evaluate higher dLys levels than those used in this study and the dLys requirements of female Cobb MV pound Cobb 500 broilers during the starter phase.

Continuous genetic improvement of high yielding broiler strains necessitates reevaluation of amino acid requirements. The objective of this study was to evaluate the dIle requirement of Ross 708 x Ross YP male broilers from d 0 to 18. Experimental diets were created from a common deficient corn and soybean meal-based diet providing a dIle:dLys of 52%; after manufacturing, half was retained for the creation of the summit diet (82% dIle:dLys). The remaining 5 experimental diets ranged from 57 to 77% dIle:dLys and were blended proportions of deficient and summit dIle diets. A practical control diet (PRAC-CON; 67% dIle: dLys) was manufactured separately for verification of the blended control diet (50 deficient:50 summit blend; BLEND-CON; 67% dIle:dLys); all diets were subsequently pelleted/crumbled. On d of hatch, 2,400 male chicks were equally allocated to 96 pens (12 replications/treatment). All dIle:dLys ratios were estimated using quadratic regression (QR; 95% of the asymptote), as well as linear and quadratic broken line models (LBL; QBL). Performance data demonstrated that feeding higher than starter breed nutrient specifications, for broilers, at the time of this study (67% dIle:dLys) improved broiler performance from 0 to 18 d. After considering the estimated requirements produced by the multiple regression models for all measured variables (BW, BW gain, FCR, and CV of ending BW), these data suggest that the optimum starter dIle:dLys ratio for male Ross 708 pound Ross YP broilers from 0 to 18 d, ranged from 63 to 74% dIle:dLys. Further research should evaluate dIle:dLys requirements of male Ross 708 pound Ross YP broilers during the remaining grow-out phases.

Recent research within our laboratory has determined the optimal Ross 708 pound Ross YP male broiler dIle:dLys ratio for the starter and grower phases to be 70 and 68%, respectively. Thus, the current objective was to continue to re-evaluate the optimal dIle:dLys ratio for this broiler, focusing on the finisher phase. On d of hatch, 2,400 chicks were equally allocated to 96 pens and fed a common starter (d 0-14; 70% dIle:dLys) and grower diet (d 14-28; 68% dIle:dLys). Pen weights were equalized at d 28 by block (12/treatment). Experimental finisher diets (d 28-42;18.0% crude protein, 3,200 kcal/kg, 0.97% dLys, 130% dLeu:dLys) were created from a common deficient (54% dIle:dLys) corn and soybean meal-based diet and contained animal protein. Half of the deficient was retained to create the summit (84% dIle:dLys). The remaining 5 diets were blended proportions of the deficient and summit diets (ranging from 59 to 79% dIle:dLys). A practical control diet (PRAC-CON; 69% dIle:dLys) was manufactured separately to verify the blended control diet (BLEND-CON). All dIle:dLys ratios were estimated using quadratic regression (QR; 95% of the asymptote), as well as linear and quadratic broken line models (LBL; QBL). Feeding equivalent to or slightly lower than current breeder dIle:dLys recommendations (69%) improved broiler performance from d 28 to 42. Based on the current data and multiple regression models, the estimated ratios ranged from 62 to 66% for BW and BWG and 63 to 66% for FCR. Further research should evaluate the optimal dIle:dLys ratio for this broiler throughout the remaining withdrawal phase.

Recent research has tried to maximize broiler chick health and performance by utilizing commercial in-feed probiotics to inoculate fertile hatching eggs, and thus expose birds earlier to beneficial bacteria. However, the in ovo inoculation of a specific serotype of Bacillus subtilis was detrimental for broiler hatchability. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine if other B. subtilis serotypes negatively affect hatchability or if it is associated with a specific serotype. It was also of interest to determine if the B. subtilis serotype influence chick performance and intestinal microflora. On d18 of incubation, 1886 fertile broiler eggs were in ovo inoculated with the following treatments (T): T1 = Marek's vaccine (MV), T2 = MV + B. subtilis (ATCC 6051), T3 = MV + B. subtilis (ATCC 8473), and T4 = MV + B. subtilis (ATCC 9466). It should be noted that in a previous study, T2 was detrimental to hatchability. Inoculated eggs were transferred to 3 hatchers/T. At hatch, chicks were weighed, feather sexed, and hatch residue analysis was conducted. Male chicks were randomly assigned to 40 raised wire cage so that there were 10 birds/cage. On d 0, 7, 14, and 21 of the grow-out, chicks and feed were weighed to calculate performance data. On these days, the ileum and ceca were aseptically collected to enumerate total aerobes and coliforms. No differences were observed for percentage of mid dead embryos, cracked eggs, and cull chicks (P > 0.05). However, hatch of transfer was significantly reduced by T2 compared to T1, T3, and T4 (P < 0.001). T2 had significantly higher percentages of late dead embryos and pips when compared to the other treatments (P = 0.002 and P < 0.001, respectively). Chicks hatched from T2 were not vigorous and, thus, not used for the grow-out trial. No differences were observed for growth performance characteristics for any of the treatments (P > 0.05). For bacterial enumeration, the ileum had equal or fewer bacterial counts for T3 and T4 when compared to T1 on most sampling days, except on d21 where T4 had higher aerobic and coliform counts (P ≤ 0.0001). For the ceca, T3 and T4 had equal or fewer bacterial counts than T1 on every sampling day (P ≤ 0.0001). These data demonstrate that not all B. subtilis evaluated are detrimental to hatchability, but rather, serotype dependent. In addition, different B. subtilis serotypes can modify the intestinal microflora with potential to reduce pathogenic bacteria present in young broiler, without impacting overall performance.

Probiotics, such as Bacillus licheniformis (BL), and some trace minerals, such as copper (supplied via tribasic copper chloride; [TBCC]), have been explored singularly in the literature for use in antibiotic-free poultry production. However, these additives are often applied in combination, without much peer-reviewed research conducted on their interactive effects. Therefore, the objective was to examine the individual and interactive effects of supplementing commercially available BL (yes or no) and TBCC (0, 125, or 250 ppm) within an all-vegetable diet on day 0-42 male broiler performance. Interactions between BL x TBCC were established for day 18-30 BW gain (BWG) and day 0-30 feed intake (FI)/bird. For BWG, 125-ppm TBCC maximized gain, whereas including BL 1 TBCC decreased gain. For day 0-30 FI, feeding TBCC alone increased the FI, whereas inclusions of BL 1 TBCC decreased the FI; from day 0 to 30, regardless of the FI, the feed conversion ratio was not affected. For day 30-42 BWG, broilers receiving 250-ppm TBCC had the highest BWG, whereas broilers fed all other TBCC inclusions performed similarly. On day 42, 5 birds/treatment were randomly selected for cecal tonsil sampling to determine the presence of Salmonella or Escherichia coli. Although Salmonella was not detected, birds fed diets containing TBCC had less E. coli as compared with birds fed diets without TBCC; BL had no effect on E. coli. Overall, no significant overall performance differences were found. However, the observed intermittent BL 3 TBCC interactions demonstrate their combined use may negatively affect performance, warranting further research to ensure they and other combined antibiotic alternatives do not have antagonistic effects.

Previous research within our laboratory determined the optimal male Ross 708 dIle:dLys ratio for the starter phase to be greater than recent breeder recommendations (70 vs. 67%). Thus, the current objective was to assess the subsequent growth phase (grower) in order to evaluate the optimal dIle:dLys ratio for maximized growth performance of Ross 708 x Ross YP male broilers. On d of hatch, 2,400 chicks were equally allocated to 96 pens and fed a common starter diet. On d 14, pen weights were equalized by block (12 replications/treatments). Experimental grower diets (d 14-28) were created from a common Deficient (53% dIle:dLys) corn and soybean meal-based diet. After batching, half of the Deficient diet was used to create the Summit diet (83% dIle:dLys). The remaining 5 experimental diets ranged from 58 to 78% dIle:dLys and were blended proportions of the Deficient and Summit diets. A practical control diet (PRAC-CON; 68% dIle:dLys) was manufactured separately to verify the blended control diet (BLEND-CON; 68% dIle:dLys). All dIle:dLys ratios were estimated using quadratic regression (QR; 95% of the asymptote), as well as linear and quadratic broken line models (LBL; QBL). Based on the current data and using multiple regression models the estimated ratios ranged from 62 to 68% for BW and BWG, and 67-70% for FCR and are similar to the current breeder nutrient specifications for the grower phase. Further research should evaluate dIle:dLys requirements of male Ross 708 x Ross YP broilers during the remaining grow-out phases.

Previous research in our laboratory demonstrated that feeding broiler chicks crumbles of 2,200 to 3,736 µm improved starter performance, suggesting chicks may be able to consume larger particles, even pellets, earlier than perceived. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effects of 0 to 18 d variations in feed form (FF; crumble or intact pellets [IP]) and feed quality (FQ; low, medium, high) on starter performance utilizing 2 different genetic strains (GS; high yielding [HY] or fast growing [FG]). Starter FF and FQ carryover effects were also examined by feeding common pelleted diets for the remainder of the grow-out phases and measuring d 62 performance and d 63 processing. Day 0 to 18 FF and FQ interacted, whereas birds fed crumbles had the highest BW and BWG, regardless of crumble FQ; birds fed IP achieved increased weights when FQ was highest, similar to birds fed crumbles. Examining the carryover effects, 0 to 32 d FCR was improved by providing high FQ crumbles (3,388 µm). Overall data (d 0–62) demonstrated no significant differences for measured performance variables. Interactive differences were found for d 63 breast yield (BY), dependent on the FF and FQ presented from d 0 to 18 for each GS. In particular, HY strains demonstrated improved BY if fed low FQ crumbles or high FQ IP, whereas FG broilers demonstrated similar yields, regardless of FF and FQ. These data suggest that the length of the grow out is important when determining which FQ and FF to present in the starter growth phase.

Research is needed to maximize the use of common feed enzymes, phytase and carbohydrase in combination. The objective was to determine effects of 2 phytase doses (PD; 250 [single dose] or 1,500 [super dose] FTU/kg) and 3 carbohydrase enzymes (xylanase [XAN]; mannanase [MAN]; or their combination [XM]) on 0to 55-d broiler performance and processing (day 45 and 56). Enzymes were applied to a negative control (NC) diet formulated to 95% of breeder recommendations; Ca and available P reduced by 0.145%, and AME by 100 kcal/kg. A positive control diet only differing in AME was also tested, as well as NC alone; results were used for preplanned contrast comparisons. For the factorial, a 0to 14d interaction demonstrated optimal feed conversion ratio (FCR) for 1,500 FTU/kg + XM but worst for 250 FTU/kg + XM; feeding XAN regardless of PD brought FCR comparable to 1,500 FTU/kg + XM. Inclusion of MAN resulted in similar 0to 14-d FCR to 250 FTU/ kg + XM. Significant carbohydrase enzyme effects demonstrated maximized 0to 44-d and 55-d BW and BW gain (BWG) for XAN. Tender yields (day 45) improved with 1,500 FTU/kg PD, but no day-56 PD significance. Foot pad dermatitis scoring was only significant for PD, with increased scores of 1 for 1,500 FTU/kg. Contrasts demonstrated improved day-0 to day-44 BWG and day-45 breast and drumstick weight for XAN + 1,500 FTU/kg vs. NC. Furthermore, feeding 1,500 FTU/kg + XAN increased day-45 scores of 0 and decreased day-56 woody breast scores of 2 when individually compared to NC and positive control. Overall data demonstrate performance/processing benefits for XAN and 1,500 FTU/kg alone and combined.

Previous studies have suggested the use of probiotics, as alternative to antibiotics, to enhance broiler performance. The administration of probiotics in feed has been widely explored; however, few studies have evaluated the in ovo inoculation of probiotics. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the impact of in ovo inoculation of different concentrations of GalliPro Hatch (GH), an Enterococcus faecium–based probiotic, on hatchability, live performance, and gastrointestinal parameters. Ross x Ross 708 fertile eggs were incubated, and on day 18, injected with the following treatments: 1) 50 μL of Marek's vaccine (MV), 2) MV and 1.4 × 105 cfu GH/50 μL, 3) MV and 1.4 × 106 cfu GH/50 μL, 4) MV and 1.4 × 107 cfu GH/50 μL. On the day of hatch, chicks were weighed, feather sexed, and hatch residue was analyzed. Male birds (640) were randomly assigned to 40 floor pens. On day 0, 7, 14, and 21 of the grow-out phase, performance data were collected. One bird from each pen was used to obtain yolk weight and intestinal segment weight and length. Hatchability was not impacted by any GH treatment (P = 0.58). On day 0, yolk weight was lower for all treatments than for MV alone. On day 0 to 7, feed intake was lower for 105 and 107 GH; the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was lower for all treatments than for MV alone (P = 0.05; P = 0.01, respectively). From day 14 to 21, the 107 GH treatment had higher BW gain (P = 0.05). For day 0 to 21, 107 GH had a lower FCR than MV alone (P = 0.03). On day 0, all GH treatments resulted in heavier tissues and longer jejunum, ileum, and ceca lengths than MV alone (P < 0.05). Spleen weight was higher for 105 and 107 GH than for MV alone. In conclusion, GH does not impact hatchability, and some concentrations improved live performance through the first 21 d of the grow-out phase. These improvements could result from the increased yolk absorption and improved intestinal and spleen morphology seen in this study.

Previous research has shown that feeding high amino acid density (AAD) diets or increased AME improved broiler performance, though the relationship between AAD and AME on performance needs to be further explored. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of feeding 2 AAD and 4 AME levels from day 0 to 14 on performance and yield of 42-day-old Cobb MV X Cobb 500 males. Starter diets were formulated to medium or high AAD (HAA), and very low (VLE), low (LE), medium (ME), or high (HE) AME. Common diets were provided from day 15 to 41. A 2 X 4 factorial arrangement of treatments was used, with day 0 BW considered as a covariant. On day 0 to 14, birds receiving HAA had the lowest feed conversion ratio (FCR) corrected and uncorrected for mortality (uFCR). Birds receiving VLE diets had the highest day 0 to 14 FCR when compared to birds fed other AME levels. Feeding LE diets resulted in higher day 0 to 14 FCR when compared to ME and HE diets. An AAD X AME interaction for day 0 to 14 total Lys intake/bird found that Lys intake/bird decreased when increasing dietary AME for HAA diets. An AAD X AME interaction was observed for day 0 to 28 uFCR whereas increasing starter AAD in diets formulated to ME and HE increased day 0 to 28 uFCR; no change was observed for VLE and LE diets. However, overall performance and processing was not affected by varying starter AAD and AME levels. Further research should investigate similar feeding strategies, but in other feeding phases.

Research using a commercial broiler house demonstrated physical/nutrient feed segregation as feed varying in percent pellets (PP) and manufacturing technique was augered throughout a feed line (FL); these factors impacted bird performance and uniformity. The current objective was to investigate feed flow and segregation of pellets and fines as a bin of feed is augered throughout a commercial feed system. Over 1.5 wk, feed manufactured at a commercial mill was delivered (n = 4) to an empty feed bin at a commercial broiler house; feeds averaged 84 PP. Within the house, there were 6 FL (feft and right for each front, middle, and back line) and on each FL, 3 feed pan locations (0, 25, and 50 m) from which samples were obtained. Augering time (AT; n = 9; 56 h) was represented by the 6.5-h period between sampling. A FL 3 feed pan location interaction demonstrated PP at 0 m was higher for the entire right FL; at 25 m, PP increased for all FL except for back FL; at 50 m, all PP decreased, with feed pan locations at right front and back FL decreasing by the greatest magnitude. For AT, there were slight fluctuations in PP from AT 1-7 and a stepwise increase occurred from AT 7-9; PP was highest at AT 9. Data demonstrate that PP can be affected by AT because of feed segregation within the feed bin. In addition, beginning PP and mechanical equipment variations among FL may have affected pellet attrition and ultimately physical segregation of feed.