Study on the bone mineral density of broiler suffering femoral joint degenerative lesions

An experiment was carried out with male and females broilers of two different commercial breeds to evaluate bone mineral density of the right femur head. A number of 600 one-day-old broilers were raised in an experimental poultry house up to 42 days of age at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science of UNESP, Botucatu, Brazil. After slaughter, three males and three females in each breed in each of the established gross scores were selected. Their femora heads were submitted to gross examination, and subsequently the thighs were submitted to the Veterinary Hospital for radiographic analysis. Femora were also submitted to bone resistance, Seedor index, and dry matter content analyses. All these bone quality characteristics were different between males and females, independent of breed. Breeds presented similar behavior. It was possible to establish correlations between bone quality parameters, and confidence intervals for bone mineral density values, correlating them to femoral degeneration score, which allows characterizing femoral head lesions by radiographic optical densitometry.

Quality parameters of the tibiae and femora of ostriches

An experiment was carried out to establish mean bone quality values of the tibiae and femora of ostriches and to evaluate these bones. The right leg bones of 10 males and 10 female African Black ostriches were evaluated. Birds were radiographed immediately after slaughter (during bleeding), with the aid of a portable X-ray apparatus. The obtained radiographs were scanned and bone mineral density means were obtained using software. Bone strength, Seedor index, and dry matter percentage were evaluated and correlated to weight gain during the finishing period (3-13 months of age). Mean values of the evaluated bone quality traits, not previously found in literature, were established. There were no significant differences between males and females in performance or bone quality parameters. It was concluded that male and female ostriches present similar performance and bone quality at slaughter age.

Use of radiograph optical densitometry to monitor bone quality in broiler breeders

This study was carried out at Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brazil, and evaluated bone quality in broiler breeders. Twenty-three families of Ross broiler breeders were housed in 5.0-m² pens. The families were comprised of 13 females and one male at the onset of the experimental period. The mean number of females per family was 9.34 at the end of the trial. The feeding program and management followed strain guidelines (Agroceres Ross, 2003). Bone analyses were performed in the right tibia and femur using optical radiographic densitometry at 4, 8, 12, 15, 20, 24, 30, 35, 42, 47 and 52 weeks of rearing. Trap nests were used to collect eggs from the breeders two weeks before and after the evaluation weeks. At each evaluation day, five birds were sacrificed after radiographs were taken and the tibias and femurs were collected to perform the following analyses: fatfree dry matter, ash percentage, bone resistance and Seedor index. Therefore, it was possible to establish correlations between bone quality and eggshell quality. Characteristics of bone quality were highly correlated to each other; on the other hand, there were no correlations between bone quality and external egg quality. In conclusion, there was no effect of egg production on egg quality, possibly because there was no reabsorption of bone minerals.

Efeito do cálcio na qualidade óssea e de ovos de poedeiras

The experiment was carried out, with hens of the Shaver Brown strain in production, during 27 weeks. The objective was to evaluate the mobilization of bone calcium and phosphorus for the formation of the shell eggs, as well as to follow the variations in the bone quality along the production cycle. 64 birds had been used. The experimental desing was entirely randomized with two treatments (calcium percentage in the diet) and four repetitions of eight birds each. The used diets were isoproteic and isoenergetic adequate (3.8%) and low (1.8%) calcium levels. Analysis of bone (tibiae and femurs) mineral density (DMO) were done at 16, 22, 28, 34 and 40 weeks of age were developed. After each radiographic collection, 4 birds/treatment, were abated for the analysis of bone resistance (RO), Seedor index (IS), dry matter (MS), total mineral (MIN) and calcium and phosphorus (Ca and P). The values of egg production, production of egg mass and quality of the egg shell were also evaluated. It was possible to conclude that the birds mobilized bone minerals for the egg production, independently of the treatment and the birds receiving diets with low levels of calcium had the quality of the eggs shell damaged.

Avaliação morfométrica e densitométrica dos fêmures de cordeiros Ile de France tratados com rações contendo silagem de milho ou cana-de-açúcar em dois níveis de concentrado

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Efeitos das antocianinas, ácidos hidroxinâmicos e vitamina C sobre a biometria, composição corporal e qualidade óssea de ratos Wistar

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FCAV