RESUMO

Behavior analysis is a widely used non-invasive tool in the practical production routine, as the animal acts as a biosensor capable of reflecting its degree of adaptation and discomfort to some environmental challenge. Conventional statistics use occurrence data for behavioral evaluation and well-being estimation, disregarding the temporal sequence of events. The Generalized Sequential Pattern (GSP) algorithm is a data mining method that identifies recurrent sequences that exceed a user-specified support threshold, the potential of which has not yet been investigated for broiler chickens in enriched environments. Enrichment aims to increase environmental complexity with promising effects on animal welfare, stimulating priority behaviors and potentially reducing the deleterious effects of heat stress. The objective here was to validate the application of the GSP algorithm to identify temporal correlations between heat stress and the behavior of broiler chickens in enriched environments through a proof of concept. Video image collection was carried out automatically for 48 continuous hours, analyzing a continuous period of seven hours, from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM, during two consecutive days of tests for chickens housed in enriched and non-enriched environments under comfort and stress temperatures. Chickens at the comfort temperature showed high motivation to perform the behaviors of preening (P), foraging (F), lying down (Ld), eating (E), and walking (W); the sequences <{Ld,P}>; <{Ld,F}>; <{P,F,P}>; <{Ld,P,F}>; and <{E,W,F}> were the only ones observed in both treatments. All other sequential patterns (comfort and stress) were distinct, suggesting that environmental enrichment alters the behavioral pattern of broiler chickens. Heat stress drastically reduced the sequential patterns found at the 20% threshold level in the tested environments. The behavior of lying laterally "Ll" is a strong indicator of heat stress in broilers and was only frequent in the non-enriched environment, which may suggest that environmental enrichment provides the animal with better opportunities to adapt to stress-inducing challenges, such as heat.

RESUMO

Vocalization seems to be a viable source of signal for assessing broiler welfare. However, it may require an understanding of the birds' signals, both quantitatively and qualitatively. The delivery of calls with a specific set of acoustic features must be understood to assess the broiler's well-being. The present study aimed to analyze broiler chick vocalization through the sounds emitted during social isolation and understand what would be the flock size where the chicks present the smallest energy loss in vocalizing. The experiments were carried out during the first 3 days of growth, and during the trial, chicks received feed and water ad libitum. A total of 30 1-day-old chicks Cobb® breed were acquired at a commercial hatching unit. The birds were tested from 1 to 3 days old. A semi-anechoic chamber was used to record the vocalization with a unidirectional microphone connected to a digital recorder. We placed a group of 15 randomly chosen chicks inside the chamber and recorded the peeping sound, and the assessment was conducted four times with randomly chosen birds. We recorded the vocalization for 2 min and removed the birds sequentially stepwise until only one bird was left inside the semi-anechoic chamber. Each audio signal recorded during the 40 s was chosen randomly for signal extraction and analysis. Fast Fourier transform (FFT) was used to extract the acoustic features and the energy emitted during the vocalization. Using data mining, we compared three classification models to predict the rearing condition (classes distress and normal). The results show that birds' vocalization differed when isolated and in a group. Results also indicate that the energy spent in vocalizing varies depending on the size of the flock. When isolated, the chicks emit a high-intensity sound, "alarm call", which uses high energy. In contrast, they spent less energy when flocked in a group, indicating good well-being when the flock was 15 chicks. The weight of birds influenced the amount of signal energy. We also found that the most effective classifier model was the Random Forest, with an accuracy of 85.71%, kappa of 0.73, and cross-entropy of 0.2.

RESUMO

The proper combination of environment and flock-based variables plays a critical role in broiler production. However, the housing environment control is mainly focused on temperature monitoring during the broiler growth process. The present study developed a novel predictive model to predict the broiler (Gallus gallus domesticus) rearing conditions' suitability using a data-mining process centered on flock-based and environmental variables. Data were recorded inside four commercial controlled environment broiler houses. The data analysis was conducted in three steps. First, we performed an exploratory and descriptive analysis of the environmental data. In the second step, we labeled the target variable that led to a specific broiler-rearing scenario depending on the age of the birds, the environmental dry-bulb temperature and relative humidity, the ammonia concentration, and the ventilation rate. The output (final rearing condition) was discretized into four categories ('Excellent', 'Good', 'Moderate', and 'Inappropriate'). In the third step, we used the dataset to develop tree models using the data-mining process. The random-tree model only presented accuracy for predicting the 'Excellent' and 'Moderate' rearing conditions. The decision-tree model had high accuracy and indicated that broiler age, relative humidity, and ammonia concentration play a critical role in proper rearing conditions. Using a large amount of data allows the data-mining approach to building up 'if-then' rules that indicate suitable environmental control decision-making by broiler farmers.

RESUMO

Feeding is one of the most critical processes in the broiler production cycle. A feeder can collect data of force signals and continuously transform it into information about birds' feed intake and quickly permit more agile and more precise decision-making concerning the broiler farm's production process. A smart feeding unit (SFU) prototype was developed to evaluate the broiler pecking force and average feed intake per pecking (g/min). The prototype consisted of a power supply unit with a data acquisition module, management software connected to a computer for data storage, and a video camera to verify the pecking force during signal processing. In the present study, seven male Cobb-500 broilers were raised in an experimental chamber to test and commission the prototype. The prototype consisted of a feeding unit (feeder) with a data acquisition module (amplifier), with real-time integration for testing and intuitive operation with Catman Easy software connected to a computer to obtain and store data from signals. The sampling of average feed intake per pecking per broiler (g) was conducted during the first minute of feeding, subtracting the amount of feed provided per the amount of feed consumed, including the count of pecking in the first minute of feeding. An equation was used for estimating the average feed intake per pecking per broiler (g). The results showed that the average broiler pecking force was 1.39 N, with a minimum value of 0.04 N and a maximum value of 7.29 N. The average feed intake per pecking (FIP) was 0.13 g, with an average of 173 peckings per minute. The acquisition, processing, and classification of signals in the pecking force information were valuable during broilers' feeding. The smart feeding unit prototype for broilers was efficient in the continuous assessment of feed intake and can generate information for estimating broiler performance.

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Yerba mate ( Ilex paraguariensis) has in its composition organic compounds wich can modify chemical composition of broiler meat. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of yerba mate in chemical composition and lipid profile of broiler breast and thigh meat. The trial was conducted using 500 broiler chicks distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatments (0.1; 0.2; 0.4, and 0.6%) and five replicates with 25 chicks each. The chicken were raised form 1 to 42 days old and slaughtered for analysis of breast and thigh meat. The addition of mate did not affect the chemical composition and the lipid profile of the chicken breast, however, the composition of the meat of thigh meat was affected. It was observed effect of the addition of the yerba mate to saturated, unsaturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in the chicken meat. Stands out the reduction in saturated fatty acid concentrations and the increase in the concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially Linolenic and Eicosapentaenoic, thus demonstrating the potential of mate grass in altering the lipid profile of poultry meat.(AU)

A erva mate ( Ilex paraguariensis) possui em compostos orgânicos com propriedades de modificar a composição química de carne de frangos de corte, desta maneira este estudo avaliou a influência da erva mate sobre a composição química e o perfil lipídico de carne de peito, coxas e sobrecoxas de frangos de corte. Foram utilizados 500 pintainhos de corte distribuídos em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado com inclusões de erva mate nas dietas (0.1; 0.2; 0.4, e 0.6%) com quatro repetições de 25 aves em cada tratamento, criados de 1 a 42 dias de idade para posterior abate e análises da composição de cortes cárneos. A adição de erva mate não afetou a composição química e o perfil lipídico dos peitos de frangos, porém a composição da carne de sobrecoxas foi afetada. Foi observado efeito da adição da erva mate em ácidos graxos saturados, insaturados, monoinsaturados e poli-insaturados na carne de sobrecoxas de frango, destacando-se a redução nas concentrações de ácidos graxos saturados e o aumento das concentrações dos ácidos poli-insaturados, em especial Linolênicoe Eicosapentaenoico, demonstrando assim o potencial da erva mate em alterar o perfil lipídico da carne de aves.(AU)

Assuntos

RESUMO

Yerba mate ( Ilex paraguariensis) has in its composition organic compounds wich can modify chemical composition of broiler meat. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of yerba mate in chemical composition and lipid profile of broiler breast and thigh meat. The trial was conducted using 500 broiler chicks distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatments (0.1; 0.2; 0.4, and 0.6%) and five replicates with 25 chicks each. The chicken were raised form 1 to 42 days old and slaughtered for analysis of breast and thigh meat. The addition of mate did not affect the chemical composition and the lipid profile of the chicken breast, however, the composition of the meat of thigh meat was affected. It was observed effect of the addition of the yerba mate to saturated, unsaturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in the chicken meat. Stands out the reduction in saturated fatty acid concentrations and the increase in the concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially Linolenic and Eicosapentaenoic, thus demonstrating the potential of mate grass in altering the lipid profile of poultry meat.

A erva mate ( Ilex paraguariensis) possui em compostos orgânicos com propriedades de modificar a composição química de carne de frangos de corte, desta maneira este estudo avaliou a influência da erva mate sobre a composição química e o perfil lipídico de carne de peito, coxas e sobrecoxas de frangos de corte. Foram utilizados 500 pintainhos de corte distribuídos em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado com inclusões de erva mate nas dietas (0.1; 0.2; 0.4, e 0.6%) com quatro repetições de 25 aves em cada tratamento, criados de 1 a 42 dias de idade para posterior abate e análises da composição de cortes cárneos. A adição de erva mate não afetou a composição química e o perfil lipídico dos peitos de frangos, porém a composição da carne de sobrecoxas foi afetada. Foi observado efeito da adição da erva mate em ácidos graxos saturados, insaturados, monoinsaturados e poli-insaturados na carne de sobrecoxas de frango, destacando-se a redução nas concentrações de ácidos graxos saturados e o aumento das concentrações dos ácidos poli-insaturados, em especial Linolênicoe Eicosapentaenoico, demonstrando assim o potencial da erva mate em alterar o perfil lipídico da carne de aves.

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This study aimed to identify the influence of climate pattern and rearing conditions on broiler carcass condemnations observed during processing. We evaluated the registered data of 2015 from the federal inspection files in all broiler slaughterhouses located in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Midwestern Brazil. The percentages of condemnations by airsacculitis, cellulitis, dermatosis, ascites syndrome, total carcass condemnations, and average broiler weight at 42 days were analyzed. Data were associated with housing systems and season of the year in which each flock was reared. Two-way ANOVA was applied to the data in a completely randomized design 4×3 (four seasons and three houses) and compared by Tukey's test. The results indicated that the housing system did not affect the studied condemnations, and seasons of the year did not change condemnation by airsacculitis; however, the other pathologies leading to carcass condemnations were affected by season. Condemnations by cellulite were higher during summer than in winter. For dermatosis, the maximum index appears during summer and the lowest during winter and spring. The ascites syndrome presented the smallest index in summer and winter, and the minimum value was found in spring. The average bird weight was higher in autumn than in winter and spring. Type of broiler rearing did not affect the carcass condemnation index. Summer was the most detrimental period regarding the condemnation rates for the pathologies studied, mainly cellulitis and dermatosis, while the highest average weight of birds was found during autumn and spring.(AU)

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Brazilian processing plants have identified the so-calledspaghetti breast myopathy characterized by muscular dystrophy of unknown etiology. This study aimed at estimating the incidence of spaghetti breast myopathyin broilers from three commercial genetic strains (Ross, Cobb, Hubbard) reared in two different housing systems (DH, Dark house, and TS, Tunnel system), presenting different controlled ventilation systems and light availability. Breast meat samples (n=5,580) were collected and macroscopically evaluated for spaghetti breast myopathy according to a 0-2 scale, as 0 = normal, 1 = intermediate or moderate, and 2 = severe. A higher number of broilers reared in DH presented normal breasts and moderate myopathy relative to TS-reared birds. Ross broilers presented a higher incidence of normal breasts compared with Cobb and Hubbard broilers. The risk of presenting spaghetti breast myopathy was higher in broilers reared in DH than those in reared in TS, indicating that the exposure to DH environmental conditions may increase the chance of myopathy incidence. Broilers reared in dark houses presented 26% higher chance and 13% higher risk of showing spaghetti-breast myopathy the than those reared in tunnel-ventilated systems.(AU)

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RESUMO

Brazilian processing plants have identified the so-calledspaghetti breast myopathy characterized by muscular dystrophy of unknown etiology. This study aimed at estimating the incidence of spaghetti breast myopathyin broilers from three commercial genetic strains (Ross, Cobb, Hubbard) reared in two different housing systems (DH, Dark house, and TS, Tunnel system), presenting different controlled ventilation systems and light availability. Breast meat samples (n=5,580) were collected and macroscopically evaluated for spaghetti breast myopathy according to a 0-2 scale, as 0 = normal, 1 = intermediate or moderate, and 2 = severe. A higher number of broilers reared in DH presented normal breasts and moderate myopathy relative to TS-reared birds. Ross broilers presented a higher incidence of normal breasts compared with Cobb and Hubbard broilers. The risk of presenting spaghetti breast myopathy was higher in broilers reared in DH than those in reared in TS, indicating that the exposure to DH environmental conditions may increase the chance of myopathy incidence. Broilers reared in dark houses presented 26% higher chance and 13% higher risk of showing spaghetti-breast myopathy the than those reared in tunnel-ventilated systems.

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RESUMO

This study aimed to assess the prevalence and influence of urinary tract infection on the reproductive performance of sows. The animals underwent urine tests using reagent strips and diagnosed as positive or negative. They were then divided into two groups of 30 positive and 30 negative sows for urinary tract infection. Each sow was considered an experimental unit and was followed from labor to weaning. The animals were assessed for their reproductive performance (labor duration, number of live births, mummified piglets, and stillbirths, and postpartum diseases). After weaning, the weaning-estrus interval and rate of return to estrus were assessed. A thermographic camera was used to identify hyperthermia of the mammary system and its relation with the onset of urinary tract infections. The prevalence of urinary tract infection in prepartum sows was 41.1%. Urinary tract infection does not impact labor duration, number of live births, mummified piglets, and stillbirths, number of sows culled, weaning-estrus interval, or return to estrus after insemination. However, it was considered a predisposing factor for the occurrence of postpartum vaginal discharge. There is no correlation between the occurrence of urinary tract infection and mammary system temperature in sows.(AU)

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