Partial and total replacement of fishmeal with poultry by-product meal in diets for gibel carp, Carassius auratus gibelio Bloch

Triplicate groups of gibel carp Carassius auratus gibelio Bloch (initial body weight: 4.89 g) were fed for 8 weeks at 24.8-30.8 degrees C with nine isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets. The control diet (F1) used white fishmeal (FM) as the sole protein source. In the other eight diets (F2-F9), 40.5-100% of FM protein was substituted by poultry by-product meal (PBM) at 8.5% increments. The specific growth rate (SGR), feed efficiency ratio, protein efficiency ratio, protein retention efficiency and energy retention rate for fish fed PBM diets (F2-F9) were all higher, but not always significantly, than those for fish fed F1. All apparent digestibility coefficients for fish fed PBM diets were lower than those for fish fed F1. Fish fed F1 had a significantly higher hepatosomatic index value than fish fed PBM diets (P < 0.05). No significant (P > 0.05) effect of diet was found in whole-body moisture and fat content. Whole-body protein and energy content for fish fed PBM diets were slightly higher than that for fish fed F1. The optimal replacement level of FM by PBM was estimated by second-order polynomial regression to be 66.5% in protein.

Effect of replacement of dietary fish meal by meat and bone meal and poultry by-product meal on growth and feed utilization of gibel carp, Carassius auratus gibelio

Triplicate groups of gibel carp Carassius auratus gibelio (initial body weight: 5.25 +/- 0.02 g) were fed for 8 weeks at 20-25 degreesC on five isonitrogenous (crude protein: 400 g kg(-1)) and isoenergetic diets (gross energy: 17 kJ g(-1)). Meat and bone meal (MBM) or poultry by-product meal (PBM) were used to replace fish meal at different levels of protein. The control diet contained fish meal as the sole protein source. In the other four diets, 150 or 500 g kg(-1) of fish meal protein was substituted by MBM (MBM15, MBM50) or PBM (PBM15, PBM50). The results showed that feeding rate for the MBM50 group was significantly higher than for other groups except the PBM50 group (P < 0.05). Growth rate in the MBM15 group was significantly higher than that in the control (P < 0.05), while there was no significant difference in growth between the control and other groups (P > 0.05). Feed efficiency and protein efficiency ratio in MBM50 was significantly lower while that in MBM15 was significantly higher (P < 0.05). Replacement of fish meal by MBM at 500 g kg(-1) protein significantly decreased apparent dry matter digestibility (ADC(D)) and gross energy (ADC(E)) while apparent protein digestibility (ADC(P)) was significantly decreased by the replacement of MBM or PBM (P < 0.05). The results suggest that MBM and PBM could replace up to 500 g kg(-1) of fish meal protein in diets for gibel carp without negative effects on growth while 150 g kg(-1) replacement by MBM protein improved feed utilization.

Effect of replacement of fish meal by meat and bone meal and poultry by-product meal in diets on the growth and immune response of Macrobrachium nipponense

The potential use of poultry by-product meal (PBM) and meat and bone meal (MBM) as alternative dietary protein sources for juvenile Macrobrachium nipponense was studied by a 70-day growth trial. Triplicate groups of M. nipponense (initial body weight: 0.37 g) were fed at 20.7-22.4 degreesC on each of the five isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets (protein content about 38%) with different replacement of fish meal by MBM or PBM. The control diet used white fish meal as the sole protein source, the other four diets were prepared with 15% or 50% fish meal protein substituted by either MBM (MBM15, MBM50) or PBM (PBM15, PBM50). The results showed that replacement of fish meal by MBM in diets did not affect growth performance of M. nipponense (P > 0.05), while specific growth rate in PBM15 was significantly higher than that in other groups (P < 0.05). Survival rates of shrimp fed with MBM15 diet were significantly higher than that in other groups (P < 0.05). No significant differences in immunological parameters, including total haemocyte count (THC), phenoloxidase activity (PO) and respiratory burst (O-2(-)), were observed between the shrimps that were fed five experimental diets, and all determined immunological parameters in control groups were slightly higher than those in replacement groups. In conclusion, either MBM or PBM investigated could replace up to 50% fish meal protein in diets for M. nipponense. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An empirical examination of risk equalisation in a regulated community rated health insurance market

Despite universal access entitlements to the public healthcare system in Ireland, over half the population is covered by voluntary private health insurance. The market operates on the basis of community rating, open enrolment and lifetime cover. A set of minimum benefits also exists, and two risk equalisation schemes have been put in place but neither was implemented. These schemes have proved highly controversial. To date, the debate has primarily consisted of qualitative arguments. This study adds a quantitative element by analysing a number of pertinent issues. A model of a community rated insurance market is developed, which shows that community rating can only be maintained in a competitive market if all insurers in the market have the same risk profile as the market overall. This has relevance to the Irish market in the aftermath of a Supreme Court decision to set aside risk equalisation. Two reasons why insurers’ risk profiles might differ are adverse selection and risk selection. Evidence is found of the existence of both forms of selection in the Irish market. A move from single rate community rating to lifetime community rating in Australia had significant consequences for take-up rates and the age profile of the insured population. A similar move has been proposed in Ireland. It is found that, although this might improve the stability of community rating in the short term, it would not negate the need for risk equalisation. If community rating were to collapse then risk rating might result. A comparison of the Irish, Australian and UK health insurance markets suggests that community rating encourages higher take-up among older consumers than risk rating. Analysis of Irish hospital discharge figures suggests that this yields significant savings for the Irish public healthcare system. This thesis has implications for government policy towards private health insurance in Ireland.

Risk management and the potential of cattle insurance in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

This study explores the role of livestock insurance to complement existing risk management strategies adopted by smallholder farmers. Using survey data, first, it provides insights into farmers’ risk perception of livestock farming, in terms of likelihood and severity of risk, attitude to risk and their determinants. Second, it examines farmers’ risk management strategies and their determinants. Third, it investigates farmers’ potential engagement with a hypothetical cattle insurance decision and their intensity of participation. Factor analysis is used to analyse risk sources and risk management, multiple regressions are used to identify the determinants; a Heckman model was used to investigate cattle insurance participation and intensity of participation. The findings show different groups of farmers display different risk attitude in their decision-making related to livestock farming. Production risk (especially livestock diseases) was perceived as the most likely and severe source of risk. Disease control was perceived as the best strategy to manage risk overall. Disease control and feed management were important strategies to mitigate the production risks. Disease control and participation on safety net program were found to be important to counter households’ financial risks. With regard to the hypothetical cattle insurance scheme, 94.38% of households were interested to participate in cattle insurance. Of those households that accepted cattle insurance, 77.38% of the households were willing to pay the benchmark annual premium of 4% of the animal value while for the remaining households this was not affordable. The average number of cattle that farmers were willing to insure was 2.71 at this benchmark. Results revealed that income (log income) and education levels influenced positively and significantly farmers’ participation in cattle insurance and the number of cattle to insure. The findings prompt policy makers to consider livestock insurance as a complement to existing risk management strategies to reduce poverty in the long-run.

Effects of Environmentally Relevant Concentrations of Poultry Litter Associated Contaminates on the Sexual Development of Xenopus laevis

Poultry litter contains high levels of natural sex hormones, nitrogen, phosphorous, and trace amounts of heavy metals. Poultry litter runoff from poultry and farming operations in the Delmarva region can have serious impacts on frog development in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. In this study, we investigated potential effects of litter compounds on Xenopus laevis development when exposed to environmental levels (0.35 and 0.70 g/L) of litter solution. We found that despite rapid hormone degradation, poultry litter solution still affected X. laevis development. Hormones were also more persistent in the lower poultry litter concentration, leading to even greater effects. Slowed growth and increased female gonadal abnormalities were observed after exposure to 0.35 g/L but not to 0.70 g/L of litter solution, and increased male gonadal abnormalities were observed after treatment to both litter concentrations. The developmental impacts examined in this study may have greater environmental impacts on frog reproduction and survival.