The aim of this study was to determine the quality of corn silage as the dominant component in the diet of dairy cows in three counties of Eastern Croatia; Brod-Posavina, Osijek-Baranja, and ...Vukovar-Srijem. The practical part of the research included 25 dairy farms in each County in which corn silage was sampled and then analyzed. The monitored nutritional, fermentative, and physical indicators expressed as average values were satisfactory. Indicators of chemical composition: dry matter (DM) = 349 g/kg, crude protein = 71 g/kg DM, crude ash = 39 g/kg DM, crude fiber = 186 g/kg DM, acidic detergent fiber (ADF) = 212 g/kg DM, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) = 393 g/kg DM, acidic detergent lignin (ADL) = 17 g/kg DM, starch = 325 g kg DM, energy value expressed in net energy for lactation (NEL, MJ/kg DM) = 6.78, average digestibility of organic matter (dOM) = 75.8% and digestible neutral detergent fibers (dNDF)= 53.7%. Indicators of silage fermentation included the measurement of an average pH of 3.86, a concentration of lactic acid = 56.37 g/kg DM, and acetic acid of 20.68 g/kg DM. Physical indicator, determination of silage particle size distribution (three sieve system) recorded following values: sieve 1 = 7.1%; sieve 2 = 56.3%; sieve 3 = 24.8% and box at the bottom = 11.7%. Given the established statistical significance of the tested differences in average values for nine indicators of nutritional and energy value of corn silage between counties, it is possible to confirm that the quality of silage was better in Osijek-Baranja and Brod-Posavina counties than in Vukovar-Srijem County. Based on significant deviations in the minimum and maximum, and by determining a larger number of non-compliant samples in some indicators than the average values, it leads to the conclusion of uneven quality of silage in some producers.
Across the world, as well as in Croatia, there is a continuous increase in the consumption of chicken meat, and attempts are being made in modern poultry production to improve its quality as much as ...possible by using various natural additives. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of dietary supplementation with propolis and bee pollen on the quality of chicken meat. In order to determine this effect, the carcass body weight of slaughtered chickens and carcass yield were determined, as well as the average pH1 and pH2 of chicken breast muscle, drip loss values, and skin color and chicken breast muscle color expressed as values of L* (lightness), a* (redness), and b* (yellowness). The study was conducted on 200 Ross 308 chickens, divided into five groups. Throughout the study, the control group of chickens was fed with a basal diet, while the experimental groups of chickens were fed with the basal diet supplemented with propolis and bee pollen, each supplement given separately or in combination in specific proportions. At the end of the experiment (42nd day), 10 chickens from each group were slaughtered for the analyses mentioned above. The carcass yield values were significantly higher (P = 0.038) and the drip loss values were significantly lower (P = 0.003) in the experimental groups in comparison to the control group. In addition, there was a statistically significant difference in b* skin color (P = 0.017) and b* chicken breast muscle color (P<0.001) between the groups of chickens. The study showed that dietary supplementation with propolis and bee pollen has a significant positive effect on the quality of chicken meat.
This experimental study aimed to determine how propolis and bee pollen (each supplement separately or in combination in a certain proportion), as additives to broiler feed, affect performance, ...mortality and the values of the selected haematological blood parameters in chickens. This experimental study was conducted on 200 Ross 308 chickens of equally distributed sex, which were randomly divided into five groups. Throughout the whole study, the control group of chickens was fed ordinary feed mixture, while the feed mixture that was fed to the experimental groups of chickens contained propolis and/or bee pollen. The average values of body weight of chickens were significantly higher on the 1st (P=0.001), 2nd-5th (P<0.001) and 6th (P=0.002) weeks of fattening in the experimental groups of chickens in comparison to the control group; the average values of weight gain of chickens were significantly higher on the 1st (P<0.001), 2nd (P=0.002), 3rd (P<0.001), 4th (P=0.029) and 5th (P=0.009) weeks. Lower mortality was recorded in all the experimental groups in comparison to the control group of chickens (P=0.031). Higher values of MCV (P=0.009) and haematocrit (P=0.015) and lower values of the leukocyte count (P=0.029) and of the relative ratio of Mo (P<0.001) were recorded in the experimental groups of chickens in comparison to the control group on the 21st day of fattening. Higher values of the relative ratio of heterophils (P<0.001) and lower values of the relative ratios of lymphocytes (P<0.001) and monocytes (P=0.027) were recorded in the experimental groups of chickens in comparison to the control group on the 42nd day of fattening. The results of this study showed that supplementation with propolis and/or bee pollen improved the general health condition of the chickens and positively affected the performance and the values of the selected haematological blood parameters in the chickens.Key words: natural feeding additives; chickens; health; blood; chicken feeding VPLIV CVETNEGA PRAHU IN PROPOLISA NA RAST, SMRTNOST IN NEKATERE HEMATOLOŠKE KAZALNIKE PRI PIŠČANCIH BROJLERJIHNamen raziskave je bil ugotoviti, kako cvetni prah ali propolis posamezno ali v kombinaciji vplivata na prirast, smrtnost in nekatere hematološke kazalnike pri piščancih brojlerjih. V raziskavo je bilo vključenih 200 piščancev brojlerjev pasme ross308. Piščanci so bili razdeljeni naključno v pet poskusnih skupin, v katerih sta bila enakomerno zastopana oba spola. Kontrolna skupina piščancev je ves čas raziskave prejemala navadno hrano za brojlerje, medtem ko so 4 poskusne skupine prejemale hrano z dodatkom cvetnega prahu in sicer skupina 1 (P1) 0,25 g propolisa in 20 g cvetnega prahu/kg hrane, skupina 2 (P2) 0,5 g propolisa/kg hrane, skupina 3 (P3) 1 g propolisa/kg hrane in skupina 4 (P4) 20 g cvetnega prahu/kg hrane. Telesna teža piščancev je bila statistično značilno višja 1. (p < 0,001), 2. (p < 0,001) in 5. (p < 0,01) teden raziskave v vseh poskusnih skupinah v primerjavi s kontrolno skupino. Podobno je bil tudi povprečen dnevni prirast pri piščancih iz poskusnih skupin statistično značilno višji 1. (p < 0,001), 2. (p < 0,01), 3. (p < 0,001), 4. (p < 0,05) in 5. (p < 0,01) teden raziskave. Tudi smrtnost je bila statistično značilno nižja v vseh poskusnih skupinah v primerjavi s kontrolno skupino (p < 0,05). Piščanci iz poskusnih skupin so imeli 21. dan poskusa v povprečju višje vrednosti MCV (p < 0,01) in hematokrita (p < 0,05) ter nižje povprečno število levkocitov (p < 0,05) in relativno razmerje MO (p < 0,001). Na 42. dan poskusa smo ugotovili višje vrednosti razmerja med heterofilci (p < 0,001) ter nižje relativne vrednosti limfocitov (p < 0,001) in monocitov (p < 0,05) pri piščancih iz poskusnih skupin v primerjavi s piščanci iz kontrolne skupine. Rezultati raziskave kažejo, da dodajanje propolisa ali cvetnega prahu izboljša splošno zdravstveno stanje piščancev brojlerjev ter posledično izboljša njihov prirast ter zviša telesno maso, zato bi se ju lahko uporabljalo kot dodatka k hrani za piščance brojlerje.Ključne besede: piščanci; prirast; zdravstveno stanje; propolis; cvetni prah
Continuous growth of human population, combined with the changes in eating habits, calls for an intensification of agricultural production. However, apart from the increase in food production, its ...nutritional composition is important as well, particularly in terms of microelements. In diets of over two thirds of the world’s population, there is a lack of more than one microelement. Insufficient concentrations of microelements, which are important for proper growth, development and health of humans and domestic animals, can be eliminated with diverse nutrition, microelement supplementation and by increasing the concentration and bioavailability of microelements in feeds used in animal nutrition, or biofortification. By reviewing the literature, the factors that influence the increase in microelement concentration in fodder crops are presented. Agronomic and genetic approach to biofortification is advocated as an immediate strategy to eliminate the lack of microelements most commonly lacking in diets: iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iodine (I), selenium (Se). The nutrition of animals containing biofortified fodder aims to increase the concentration of the aforementioned microelements in blood and improve their growth, development and health. By increasing the concentrations of microelements in tissues and milk of domestic animals, the ultimate goal is to meet the microelement needs in humans.
Linseed is well known for abundant content of α-linolenic acid why it has been widely used as a source of n-3 fatty acid. Higher ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids can increase lipid peroxidation. ...Selenium (Se) plays a key role in antioxidant enzymes and can therefore be regarded for use in attempts focused on protection of fatty acids from oxidation. The organic Se has been shown to have higher bioavailability compared to the inorganic selenium. The aim of this research was to determine the influence of dietary replacement of n-6 with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on plasma and milk fatty acid composition in the dairy cows. The experiment was conducted on 30 dairy Holstein cows in the period from parturition until the 3rd week of lactation. Soybean meal from control (C) group was replaced with grounded linseed in the both experimental (LS and LS+Se) groups. In addition to that, in the 2nd experimental (LS+Se) group sodium selenite from premix was replaced with organic selenium. Blood and milk samples were collected at 21st day of lactation and fatty acids were determined using gas chromatography from it. Feeding dairy cows during transition period with linseed showed a positive impact on milk fatty acid composition by increasing (P<0.05) the proportion of n-3 fatty acids. Proportion of α-linolenic fatty acid increased (P<0.05) in the blood of both groups fed with linseed, but was significant (P<0.05) only in milk of LS+Se group. Such data indicated that the addition of organic selenium acted favourable on α-linolenic fatty acid increase in milk. During early postpartum period addition of linseed in meal of dairy cow’s increased (P<0.05) ratio of oleic acid, but in combination with organic source of selenium this increase was not evident (P>0.05).
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of diet supplementation with propolis and/or bee pollen on the performance indicators of broilers. This experimental study was conducted on 200 Ross ...308 broilers equally distributed by sex and divided into five groups. Throughout the whole study the control group of chickens was fed feed mixture. Feed mixture fed to the experimental groups of chickens contained additives (propolis and/or bee pollen, each supplement separately or in combination in a certain proportion). The average values of broilers body weight were significantly higher on 7th (p=0.001), 14th, 21st, 28th, 35th (p<0.001) and 42nd (p=0.002) day of feeding in the experimental groups of broilers compared to the control group. The average values of broilers weight gain were significantly higher on 1st (p<0.001), 2nd (p=0.002), 3rd (p<0.001), 4th (p=0.029) and 5th (p=0.009) week of feeding in the experimental groups of broilers compared to the control group. This study has undoubtedly shown that propolis and bee pollen have significant positive effect on performance indicators of broilers.
Cilj ovoga istraživanja bio je ispitati učinak hranidbe uz dodatak propolisa i/ili pčelinjega peluda na proizvodne pokazatelje brojlera. Ovaj pokus proveden je na 200 brojlera provenijencije Ross 308 ravnomjerno raspoređenih po spolu, koji su bili podijeljeni u pet skupina. Tijekom cijeloga pokusa kontrolna je skupina brojlera bila hranjena krmnom smjesom, dok su pokusne skupine brojlera hranjene istom krmnom smjesom uz dodatak propolisa i pčelinjeg peluda, svakim dodatkom zasebno ili u kombinaciji u određenome omjeru. Prosječne vrijednosti tjelesne mase brojlera bile su znatno više 7. (p=0,001), 14., 21., 28., 35. (p<0,001) i 42. (p=0,002) dana tova u pokusnim skupinama brojlera u usporedbi s kontrolnom skupinom. Prosječne vrijednosti prirasta bile su znatno više 1. (p<0,001), 2. (p=0,002), 3. (p< 0,001), 4. (p= 0,029) i 5. (p=0,009) tjedna tova u pokusnim skupinama brojlera u usporedbi s kontrolnom skupinom. Ovo istraživanje je nedvojbeno pokazalo kako propolis i pčelinji pelud imaju značajan pozitivan učinak na proizvodne pokazatelje brojlera.
The aim of this study was to determine the influence of dietary supplementation with propolis and bee pollen on the intestinal morphology and absorptive surface areas of chickens. Two hundred day-old ...Ross 308 chickens (100 male and 100 female) were equally allocated into five groups. Throughout the whole study, the control group of chickens was fed with a basal diet, while the experimental groups of chickens were fed with the same diet supplemented with propolis and bee pollen: P1 = 0.25 g of propolis/kg + 20 g of bee pollen/kg; P2 = 0.5 g of propolis/kg; P3 = 1.0 g of propolis/kg; P4 = 20 g of bee pollen/kg. The duodenal villi of chickens from all experimental groups were significantly higher and wider (
< 0.001), while their duodenal villi crypts were significantly deeper (
< 0.001) in comparison with these parameters in chickens from the control group. The villus height to crypt depth ratio, as well as the absorptive surface areas of broiler chickens, were significantly increased (
< 0.001) in experimental groups of chickens in comparison with the control group. These findings suggest that dietary supplementation with propolis and bee pollen has a beneficial effect on broilers chickens' intestinal morphophysiology.
The aim of this study was to determine whether increase in proportion of the rumen undegradable starch (RUS) and rumen undegradable protein (RUP) affects the production performance and health status ...of calves. The experiment was done on 36 Holstein, seven-day-old calves, divided into three groups of 12 calves, with equal sex ratio. The experiment was conducted in two periods. In the first period, calves were fed with full pasteurized milk and milk replacer and additionally fed with starter mixture with different proportions of rumen undegradable protein and starch: Group I 36.6% RUP and 16.5% RUS, Group II 49.1% RUP and 27.6% RUS and Group III 53.5% RUP and 36.5% RUS. In the second period, calves were fed with milk replacer and grower mixture with different proportions of rumen undegradable protein and starch: Group I 33.5% RUP and 15.8% RUS, Group II 48% RUP and 26.3% RUS and Group III 54.3% RUP and 34.6% RUS. In the first period, calves from the Group III had significantly (P<0.01) higher body weight compared to calves in Group I and II (74.75; 59.36; 66.58 kg), as well as daily weight gain (0.76, 0.49, 0.61 kg/d). At the end of the experiment, there was no significant difference in body weight and daily weight gain. The calves in Group I and III had significantly (P<0.05) higher consumption of starter mixture compared to the calves in Group II (7.48; 7.11; 4.33 kg/d), and a significantly (P<0.05) higher overall feed consumption compared to the calves in Group II. The calves in Group II and III had significantly (P<0.05) better feed conversion ratio than the calves in Group I (1.37; 1.50; 2.08 kg/kg). The results of health monitoring (diarrhea, pneumonia) indicate a different proportion of rumen undegradable starch and protein ratio did not have significant effect on calves’ health.
Cilj ovoga istraživanja bio je utvrditi utjecaj dodatka propolisa i/ili pčelinjeg peluda krmnim smjesama brojlera na sastav mikrobiološke flore voljke. Istraživanje je provedeno na ukupno 200 ...jednodnevnih pilića hibrida Ross 308 ravnomjerno raspoređenih spolova, koji su bili podijeljeni u pet skupina. Tijekom cijeloga pokusa kontrolna je skupina pilića hranjena krmnom smjesom, dok su pokusne skupine pilića hranjene istom krmnom smjesom uz dodatak propolisa i pčelinjeg peluda, svakim dodatkom zasebno ili u kombinaciji u određenome omjeru. Tov pilića trajao je 42 dana, podnim načinom držanja na stelji od drvene strugotine. Pilići su od 1. do 21. dana istraživanja bili hranjeni standardnom krmnom smjesom starter, a od 22. do 42. dana istraživanja krmnom smjesom finišer. Hranidba kao i napajanje pilića tijekom istraživanja bili su po volji. Na kraju istraživanja, 42. dan te nakon 10-satnog gladovanja slučajnim je odabirom žrtvovano po 10 pilića iz svake skupine. U sterilne bočice uzeti su uzorci sadržaja voljki u kojima se u ovlaštenom mikrobiološkom laboratoriju utvrđivao ukupni broj bakterija, broj bakterija iz roda Enterobacteriaceae te broj bakterija iz roda Lactobacillus. Mikrobiološka analiza sadržaja voljke pokazala je kako među skupinama pilića nisu postojale statistički značajne razlike u ukupnom broju bakterija i broju bakterija iz roda Lactobacillus dok su postojale statistički značajne razlike u broju bakterija iz roda Enterobacteriaceae (P=0,042) u sadržaju voljke pilića kontrolne i pokusnih skupina. Provedeno istraživanje potvrdilo je kako dodatak propolisa i/ili pčelinjeg peluda krmnoj smjesi za tov pilića značajno pozitivno utječe na pojavu korisnih i patogenih mikroorganizama u sadržaju voljke brojlera, što se očitovalo statistički značajno manjom vrijednosti broja bakterija iz roda Enterobacteriaceae u sadržaju voljke pilića pokusnih skupina 42. dana tova u odnosu na piliće kontrolne skupine.
The aim of this study was to determine the influence of the addition of propolis and/or bee pollen to broiler feed mixtures on the composition of the microbiological flora of a broiler’s crop. The study was conducted on a total of 200 one-dayold chickens of the Ross 308 hybrid, evenly distributed between the sexes, which were divided into five groups. During the entire experiment, the control group of chickens was fed with a feed mixture, while the experimental groups of chickens were fed with the same feed mixture with the addition of propolis and bee pollen, each additive separately or in combination in a certain ratio. Fattening was conducted on the wooden sawdust, and lasted for 42 days. From days 1-21 of the study chickens were fed a feed mixture of starter, and from days 22-42 of the study they were fed a finisher feed mixture. During the study, feed and water were given to chickens’ ad libitum. At the end of the study, on the 42nd day and after a 10-hour starvation, 10 chickens were randomly selected from each group and sacrificed. Samples of the broiler’s crop contents were taken in sterile vials, in which the total number of bacteria, the number of bacteria from the genus Enterobacteriaceae and the number of bacteria from the genus Lactobacillus were determined in an authorized microbiological laboratory. Microbiological analysis of the broiler’s crop contents showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the groups of chickens in the total number of bacteria and the number of bacteria from the genus Lactobacillus, while there were statistically significant differences in the number of bacteria from the genus Enterobacteriaceae (P=0.042) in the broiler’s crop content of the chickens of the control and experimental groups. The present study confirmed that the addition of propolis and/or bee pollen to the feed mixtures has a significantly positive effect on the occurrence of beneficial and pathogenic microorganisms in the contents of broiler’s crop, which was manifested by a statistically significantly lower number of bacteria from the genus Enterobacteriaceae in the broiler’s crop content of chickens of the experimental groups on the 42nd day of fattening compared to chickens of the control group.
Cilj ovoga istraživanja bio je utvrditi u kojoj mjeri silaže kukuruza zadovoljavaju optimalne vrijednosti distribucije frakcije čestica kao fizičkoga pokazatelja u ukupnoj ocjeni silaže. Za ovo ...istraživanje distribucije frakcije čestica silaže kukuruza provedena su trogodišnja istraživanja u deset županija Republike Hrvatske na 234, 231 i 230 uzoraka u 2021., 2022. i 2023. godini. Distribucija strukture čestica kukuruzne silaže mjerena je metodom prosijavanja preko triju sita (sustav Penn State Particle Separator), a prema ovoj metodi fizička kvaliteta silaža kukuruza ocjenjivana je na temelju ciljanih vrijednosti distribucije čestica po sitima: 1. sito 3 – 8 %, 2. sito 45 – 65 %, 3. sito 20 – 30 % te na dnu kutije do 10 %. Prosječne vrijednosti distribucije čestica silaže kukuruza u 2021. i 2022. godini između županija nisu bile statistički značajne (P>0,05), dok su razlike vrijednosti u 2023. godini bile statistički značajne (P<0,05) samo između Međimurske i Varaždinske županije. Praćenjem vrijednosti strukture čestica po pojedinim sitima u sve tri godine najbolje su vrijednosti zabilježene na situ 2, što je bilo i statistički značajno u odnosu na sito 1, sito 3 i sito 4 (kutija na dnu). Vrijednosti frakcija čestica između pojedinih razreda silaže potvrdile su statistički značajne razlike (P<0,05) samo u 2022. godini. Na temelju dobivenih rezultata vezanih za distribuciju frakcije čestica, evidentno je da treba poboljšati tehniku spremanja silaže.
The aim of this study was to determine to what extent the corn silages meet the recommended values for the distribution of particle fractions, as a physical parameter in the overall silage evaluation. For this study of the distribution of fractions of corn silage particles, three –year studies were conducted in ten counties of the Republic of Croatia, having 234, 231, and 230 samples, respectively, in the years 2021, 2022, and 2023. The distribution of particle structure of corn silage was measured by a method of sieving over three sieves using the Penn State Particle Separator. According to this method, a physical quality of the corn silage was evaluated based on the target values of particle distribution per sieve: 1st sieve 3 –8%, 2nd sieve 45 –65%, 3rd sieve 20 –30%, and at the bottom of the box up to 10%. In an intercounty comparison, the distribution values of corn silage particles in the years 2021 and 2022 were not statistically significant (P>0.05), while the differences in values in the year 2023 were statistically significant (P<0.05) only between Međimurje and Varaždin Counties. Following the values of the particle fractions by individual sieves, the best values were recorded on the sieve 2 in all three years, which was also statistically significant if compared to the sieve 1, sieve 3, and sieve 4 (box at the bottom), respectively. The values of particle structure between the individual classes of silage confirmed the statistically significant differences (P<0.05) only in the year 2022. Based on the obtained results related to the distribution of particle fractions, it is evident that the silage preparing technique needs to be improved.
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