A unique sperm behavior was observed in Egyptian chickens. Sperm showed a tendency to agglutinate forming motile thread-like bundles. Sperm agglutination behavior, kinematics, and some morphometric measures were studied in relation to sperm competition and fertility duration in Sharkasi and Dandarawi chickens. Sperm tendency to agglutinate was assessed by examining sperm morphology using scanning electron microscopy, Acridine orange-stained semen smears using fluorescence microscopy, and recording videos of sperm under phase contrast microscope. Sperm velocity and morphometric measures were evaluated using image-J software. To assess sperm competition, Sharkasi and Dandarawi hens were artificially inseminated by semen pools possessing equal number of Sharaksi and Dandarawi sperm. Artificial insemination was repeated ten times. The eggs obtained were incubated, and the hatchlings were discriminated as descending from Sharkasi or Dandarawi fathers according to their phenotype. To assess the fertility duration, Sharkasi and Dandarawi hens were inseminated by semen collected from roosters of the same strain. Eggs were collected for a period of 28 days post-insemination and incubated. Sharkasi spermatozoa showed higher tendency to agglutinate forming longer and thicker motile bundles. No significant differences were observed in sperm curvilinear and straight line velocity and in sperm morphometric measures between Sharkasi and Dandarawi chickens. Sharkasi roosters fathered 81.6% and 67.7% of the hatchlings produced by Sharkasi and Dandarawi mothers, respectively. The fertility period in Sharkasi and Dandarawi was 22 and 14 days, respectively. We suggest that the differences seen in sperm competitiveness and fertility duration can be attributed to sperm agglutination behavior.

Fertility in birds is dependent on their ability to store adequate populations of viable sperm for extended durations in sperm storage tubules (SSTs). The exact mechanisms by which sperm enter, reside, and egress from the SSTs are still controversial. Sharkasi chicken sperm showed a high tendency to agglutinate, forming motile thread-like bundles comprising many cells. Since it is difficult to observe sperm motility and behavior inside the opaque oviduct, we employed a microfluidic device with a microchannel cross-section resembling close to that of sperm glands allowing for the study of sperm agglutination and motility behavior. This study discusses how sperm bundles are formed, how they move, and what role they may have in extending sperm residency inside the SSTs. We investigated sperm velocity and rheotaxis behavior when a fluid flow was generated inside a microfluidic channel by hydrostatic pressure (flow velocity = 33 µm/s). Spermatozoa tended to swim against the flow (positive rheotaxis) and sperm bundles had significantly lower velocity compared to lonesome sperm. Sperm bundles were observed to swim in a spiral-like motion and to grow in length and thickness as more lonesome sperm are recruited. Sperm bundles were observed approaching and adhering to the sidewalls of the microfluidic channels to avoid being swept with fluid flow velocity > 33 µm/s. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed that sperm bundles were supported by a copious dense substance. The findings show the distinct motility of Sharkasi chicken sperm, as well as sperm's capacity to agglutinate and form motile bundles, which provides a better understanding of long-term sperm storage in the SSTs.

أدى استخدام جمیع المعاملات الى نقص فى نسبة المواد الصلبة الذائبة الکلیة والسکریات المختزلة والکلیة وزیادة في نسبة الحموضة لثمار کلا الصنفین السيوي والحياني مقارنة بالثمار الغیر معاملة خلال موسمي الدراسة.

شهد العالم في الآونه الاخيرة العديد من التطورات والتغيرات الاقتصادية التي ساهمت بشكل فعال في حدوث تغيرات جذرية في حركة التجارة الخارجية بين الدول بعضها البعض, حيث عقدت مصر العديد من الاتفاقيات التجارية التي وقعتها مع الكثير من مختلف الدول والتكتلات العالمية, ففي هذا البحث تم التركيز علي اتفاقية تجمع دول الساحل والصحراء Sahel-Sahara وهي من أحدث التجمعات الاقتصادية الأفريقية. حيث وقعت هذه الاتفاقية في 4 فبراير 1998 في مدينة طرابلس بليبيا ليكون أساسا لإقامة اتحاد اقتصادی شامل بين الدول الأفريقية، وهو من التجمعات الاقتصادية الرائدة التي تعمل على تنمية العلاقات الاقتصادية العربية الأفريقية. لذا استهدف البحث بصفة اساسية الوقوف علي أثر اتفاقية تجمع دول الساحل والصحراء (س.ص) Sahel-Sahara علي التجارة الخارجية وانعكاساتها علي الميزان التجاري المصري بصفة عامة والزراعي والغذائي بصفة خاصة

        شهد العالم في الآونه الاخيرة العديد من التطورات والتغيرات الاقتصادية التي ساهمت بشكل فعال في حدوث تغيرات جذرية في حركة التجارة الخارجية بين الدول بعضها البعض, حيث عقدت مصر العديد من الاتفاقيات التجارية التي وقعتها مع الكثير من مختلف الدول والتكتلات العالمية, ففي هذا البحث تم التركيز علي اتفاقية تجمع دول الساحل والصحراء Sahel-Sahara وهي من أحدث التجمعات الاقتصادية الأفريقية. حيث وقعت هذه الاتفاقية في 4 فبراير 1998 في مدينة طرابلس بليبيا ليكون أساسا لإقامة اتحاد اقتصادی شامل بين الدول الأفريقية، وهو من التجمعات الاقتصادية الرائدة التي تعمل على تنمية العلاقات الاقتصادية العربية الأفريقية. لذا استهدف البحث بصفة اساسية الوقوف علي أثر اتفاقية تجمع دول الساحل والصحراء (س.ص) Sahel-Sahara علي التجارة الخارجية وانعكاساتها علي الميزان التجاري المصري بصفة عامة والزراعي والغذائي بصفة خاصة

Optimizing the dietary calcium (Ca) level is essential to maximize the eggshell quality, egg production and bone formation in poultry. This study aimed to establish the Ca requirements of egg-type duck breeders from 23 to 57 weeks of age on egg production, eggshell, incubation, tibial, plasma and ovary-related indices, as well as the expression of matrix protein-related genes. Totally, 450 Longyan duck breeders aged 21 weeks of age were allotted randomly into five treatments, each with six replicates of 15 individually caged birds. The data collection started from 23 weeks of age and continued over the following 35 weeks. The five groups corresponded to five dietary treatments containing either 2.8%, 3.2%, 3.6%, 4.0% or 4.4% Ca. The tested dietary Ca levels increased (linear, P <0.01) egg production and egg mass, and linearly improved (P <0.01) the feed conversion ratio (FCR). Increasing the dietary Ca levels from 2.8% to 4.4% increased (P <0.01) the eggshell thickness and eggshell content. The tested Ca levels showed a quadratic effect on eggshell thickness and ovarian weight (P <0.01); the highest values were obtained with the Ca levels 4.0% and 3.6%, respectively. Dietary Ca levels affected the small yellow follicles (SYF) number and SYF weight/ovarian weight, and the linear response (P <0.01) was significant vis-à-vis SYF number. In addition, dietary Ca levels increased (P <0.05) the tibial dry weight, breaking strength, mineral density and ash content. Plasma and tibial phosphorus concentration exhibited a quadratic (P <0.01) response to dietary Ca levels. Plasma calcitonin concentration linearly (P <0.01) increased as dietary Ca levels increased. The relative expression of carbonic anhydrase 2 in the uterus rose (P <0.01) with the increment of dietary Ca levels, and the highest value was obtained with 3.2% Ca. In conclusion, Longyan duck breeders fed a diet with 4.0% Ca had superior eggshell and tibial quality, while those fed a diet with 3.6% Ca had the heaviest ovarian weights. The regression model indicated that the dietary Ca levels 3.86%, 3.48% and 4.00% are optimal levels to obtain maximum eggshell thickness, ovarian weight and tibial mineral density, respectively.

This study was aimed at estimating the dietary manganese (Mn) requirement for laying duck breeders. A total of 504 Longyan duck breeders (body weight: 1.20 ± 0.02 kg) aged 17 wk were randomly allocated to 6 treatments. The birds were fed with a basal diet (Mn, 17.5 mg/kg) or diets supplemented with 20, 40, 80, 120, or 160 mg/kg of Mn (as MnSO₄·H₂O) for 18 wk. Each treatment had 6 replicates of 14 ducks each. As a result of this study, dietary Mn supplementation did not affect the productive performance of laying duck breeders in the early laying period (17–18 wk), but affected egg production, egg mass, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) from 19 to 34 wk (P < 0.05), and there was a linear and quadratic effect of supplement level (P < 0.05). The proportion of preovulatory ovarian follicles increased (P < 0.01) linearly and quadratically, and atretic follicles (weight and percentage) decreased (P < 0.05) quadratically with dietary Mn supplementation. The density and breaking strength of tibias increased (quadratic; P < 0.05), the calcium content of tibias decreased (linear, quadratic; P < 0.01), and Mn content increased (linear, quadratic; P < 0.001) with increase in Mn. The addition of Mn had a quadratic effect on serum contents of estradiol, prolactin, progesterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone (P < 0.001). Dietary Mn supplementation decreased serum contents of total protein (linear, P < 0.05), glucose (quadratic, P < 0.05), total bilirubin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and calcium (linear, quadratic; P < 0.05). The serum total antioxidant capacity and total and Mn-containing superoxide dismutase activities increased (linear, quadratic; P < 0.001), and malondialdehyde content decreased (linear, quadratic; P < 0.001) in response to Mn supplemental levels. The dietary Mn requirements, in milligram per kilogram for a basal diet containing 17.5 mg/kg of Mn, for Longyan duck breeders from 19 to 34 wk of age were estimated to be 84.2 for optimizing egg production, 85.8 for egg mass, and 95.0 for FCR. Overall, dietary Mn supplementation, up to 160 mg/kg of feed, affected productive performance, tibial characteristics, and serum biochemical and antioxidant status of layer duck breeders. Supplementing this basal diet (17.5 mg/kg of Mn) with 85 to 95 mg/kg of additional Mn was adequate for laying duck breeders during the laying period.

This study evaluated the effects of barley inclusion and glucanase supplementation on the productive
performance and digestive function in laying ducks. The experiment used a randomized design with a
5
2 factorial arrangement of 5 graded levels of barley (0%, 15%, 30%, 45% and 60%) with or without 1.5 g/
kg b-1,3-1,4-glucanase (15,000 U/kg). During the experimental period of 120 d, the weight and total
number of eggs within each pen were recorded daily, and egg quality was determined every 4 wk. At the
end of the experiment, 3 randomly selected ducks within each replicate were sacrificed, then duodenal
digesta and jejunal mucosa was collected. Dietary inclusion of barley had no effects on egg production,
daily egg mass or FCR, but supplementation with glucanase improved egg production and FCR (P < 0.01).
Barley did not affect feed intake of laying ducks, but glucanase tended to increase feed intake (P ¼ 0.09).
Neither barley nor b-glucanase had effects on the egg quality variables, except for yolk color score, which
was decreased with increasing barley supplementation. Glucanase, but not barley, increased the activity
of chymotrypsin and amylase in duodenal digesta. Barley inclusion affected the activity of alkaline
phosphatase and maltase in jejunal mucosa (P < 0.05), but b-glucanase had no effects on the activity of
these brush border enzymes. Barley inclusion increased the glucan content in duodenal digesta, but
supplementation of glucanase to barley-based diet reduced digesta glucan content and reduced total
volatile fatty acids and increased the proportion of acetic acid in cecal contents. The results indicate that,
without glucanase, the optimal dietary barley level in the diets of laying ducks is about 13% for maximal
production performance; glucanase supplementation of the barley diets improved production performance,
probably through enhancing digestive function.
 

This study investigated dietary supplementation with Bacillus subtilis (BS) ATCC19659 on growth performance, biochemical indices, intestinal morphology, and cecum microflora in broiler chicks. A total of 600 Arbor 1-day Acres broilers of either sex were allotted to 5 treatments: chicks were fed a corn- and soybean-based diet (CON); chicks were fed basal diet containing 500 mg ZnB/kg (ZnB); chicks were fed basal diet containing 1 × 10⁸ CFU/g feed of BS-ATCC19659 (BS-1); chicks were fed basal diet containing 3 × 10⁸ CFU/g feed of BS-ATCC19659 (BS-3); and chicks were fed basal diet containing 5 × 10⁸ CFU/g feed of BS-ATCC19659 (BS-5). Each treatment comprised 6 replicates with 20 birds for each replicate pen. Chicks in the BS-5 and BS-3 groups had higher body weight at the 21^st and 42^nd days and average daily gain from 1 to 21 days than that in the CON group (p < 0.05). Chicks in the BS-5 and ZnB groups had higher serum antioxidant activities and immunity response than those in the CON group (p < 0.05). Compared with the CON group, the liver mRNA abundance of GHR, TGF-β, IGF-1, IFN-γ, SOD, CAT, and GPX of chicks in three BS groups and the ileum villus length (μm) of chicks in BS-3 and ZnB groups was increased (p < 0.05). Compared with the CON group, the villus height-to-crypt depth ratio of the ileum of chicks in the BS-5 and BS-3 groups and the crypt depth and villus height-to-crypt depth ratio of the jejunum in the BS-5 and ZnB groups were increased (p < 0.05). The abundance of the Cyanobacteria phyla in the cecum decreased in response to treatment with both BS-ATCC19659 and ZnB groups (p < 0.05). Compared with the CON group, the cecum abundance of genera GCA-900066575 (Lachnospiraceae), Anaerofustis, and Papillibacter (Firmicutes phylum) in three BS groups were increased (p < 0.05); The abundance of genus Escherichia–Shigella reduced in the BS-3 group (p < 0.05). Compared with the CON group, the cecum abundance of genus Clostridia_unclassified in ZnB and BS-5 groups was decreased (p < 0.05) of broilers. Generally, Bacillus subtilis ATCC19659 as feed additive positively affected growth performance, immunity response, and cecal microflora of broilers.

High-energy diets improve growth rates and shorten the growth period while resulting in excessive fat deposition in the liver of birds. The effect of different energy diets on lipid content and liver transcriptome in finisher Huxu chickens was examined here. A total of 200 90-d-old Huxu chickens with an average BW of 1.08 kg were randomly divided into two dietary treatments. The birds were fed diets either containing 12.06 MJ ME/kg (low metabolic energy, LME) or 13.31 MJ ME/kg (high metabolic energy, HME) for 45 days. Chickens fed the HME diet had significantly higher total triglyceride and total cholesterol concentrations in both plasma and liver than did those fed the LME diet. Transcriptomic profiling showed 480 known differentially expressed genes (DEG), with 180 down-regulated and 300 up-regulated chickens from the HME diet compared with the LME diet. Notably, these genes were mostly enriched in lipid metabolism including the PPAR signalling pathway, fatty acid elongation, and glycerophospholipid metabolism. The relative mRNA expression level of 14 lipid metabolism-related genes, included 13 up-regulated (MBOAT2, PLA2G2E, AGPAT2, AGPAT3, PCYT2, PEMT, ELOVL2, HADHA, ACOT1L, FABP3, FABP1, PLIN1, RXRG) and one down-regulated (LCAT) gene. In conclusion, the present findings indicate that a high-energy diet likely regulates gene expression of the 14 lipid metabolism-related genes through the PPAR signalling pathway, fatty acid elongation, and glycerophospholipid metabolism resulting in excessive fat accumulation in the liver of Huxu chickens. These results provide a better understanding of the biological mechanisms by which the increased dietary energy induces fat accumulation in the liver.