Dariusz Mikulski

University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn · Department of Poultry Science

This study investigated the effects of the early administration of enrofloxacin (E) or doxycycline (D) for the first 5 consecutive days of life, or the continuous administration of the coccidiostat monensin (M) throughout the rearing period on gastrointestinal function in turkeys infected with avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) in an early or...

It was assumed that early administration of enrofloxacin or doxycycline may impair immune function and alter the morphology of organs of the immune system in turkeys, and that diets containing the coccidiostat monensin, an ionophore antibiotic, can exert similar effects. The aim of this study was to determine whether early antibiotic administration...

The effect of a multi-carbohydrase (E) and its combination with an enzymatically modified yeast cell wall (Y) on the ileal and cecal microbiota and on gut function of turkeys was studied. The experimental diets, including the control (C), C + E, and C + E + Y, were fed to seven replicate pens of four birds from 22 to 56 days of age. The addition of...

The growth rate, tissue development and health status of turkeys are affected by the dietary supply of essential amino acids (AAs) such as lysine (Lys), methionine (Met) and arginine (Arg). According to various guidelines, the diets fed to turkeys in the first 4 weeks of the rearing period should contain 1.60–1.76% Lys, 1.60–1.80% Arg and 0.55–0.70...

This study investigated the effects of early and short-term administration of an antibiotic or feeding a diet containing a coccidiostat on gastrointestinal function and the blood levels of selected hormones in young turkeys. A total of 1540 Hybrid Converter turkeys were allocated to 4 groups on the day of hatch. Each group consisted of 7 pens with...

Arginine (Arg), lysine (Lys), and methionine (Met) can be used to support the health status of turkeys. The present study investigated selected performance, gut integrity, and immunological parameters in turkeys reared in optimal or challenge conditions. The experiment lasted for 28 days, and it had a completely randomized 2 × 3 factorial design wi...

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of two proportions of arginine (95% and 105%) relative to lysine (Lys), where Lys content in the diet is in accordance with NRC (1994) recommendations or 10% higher, on the metabolism, antioxidant status, and growth performance of turkeys. The experiment had a 2x2 factorial design with two levels of...

We postulated that the use of optimal levels and proportions of Arg and Met relative to a low or high concentration of Lys in diets for meat turkeys would reduce the occurrence of metabolic disturbances in the nervous tissue that can lead to neurodegenerative changes. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of various proportions of Lys, A...

The study was designed to investigate productivity parameters, egg quality and the cost effectiveness of feeding laying hens with diets where ground wheat was replaced with varying levels of whole hybrid rye grain cv. Brasetto. A total of 396 Hy-Line Brown hens at 34 weeks of age were allocated to three treatment groups with 66 replicates (cages) o...

The amino acid guidelines formulated by British United Turkeys postulate higher levels of lysine (Lys) in turkey diets than those recommended by the National Research Council. However, any modifications in the Lys content of turkey diets should be accompanied by changes in the inclusion rates of other amino acids, including methionine (Met) and arg...

This study investigated the effects of dietary replacement of soybean meal (SBM) with graded levels of pea seeds (PS) on the gastrointestinal function of turkeys. Seeds of 2 pea varieties, a colored-flowered variety and a white-flowered variety (CFP and WFP, respectively) were fed to 56-d-old birds for 8 wk. A total of 539 female Hybrid turkeys wer...

A 2 × 3 factorial experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of two dietary methionine levels (Met; 30% and 45% of Lys content) and three arginine levels (Arg; 90%, 100%, and 110% of Lys content) on plumage development in 4- and 16-week-old female turkeys. One-day-old turkey poults were assigned to six groups (eight replicate pens per group a...

Arginine (Arg) and lysine (Lys) may be important for the overall health of turkeys. The aim of this study was to determine whether low (consistent with the guidelines) and high (10% higher than recommended) levels of dietary Arg and Lys can modulate performance and the functional status of the gut. Female turkeys were allocated to four dietary trea...

In the present experiment, it was assumed that the appropriate dietary ratio of arginine (Arg) to lysine (Lys) can improve the immune status and growth performance of turkeys. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of two inclusion rates of Arg relative to Lys in turkey diets with Lys content consistent with National Research Council (NR...

An assumption was made in the study that the optimal inclusion levels and ratios of lysine (Lys), arginine (Arg) and methionine (Met) in diets with Lys content consistent with National Research Council (NRC) recommendations (1994) contribute to stimulate the antioxidant defense system and prevent disorders resulting from the oxidation and nitration...

The research hypothesis postulated that the optimal dietary inclusion levels and ratios of lysine (Lys), arginine (Arg), and methionine (Met) can increase the growth potential of hybrid turkeys and limit metabolic disorders that weaken immune function. The experiment was carried out in a full rearing cycle, from 1 to 16 wk of age, in a two-factoria...

We postulated that the use of optimal levels and proportions of Lys, Arg and Met in compound feed allows for optimal exploitation of the growth potential of con-temporary slaughter turkey hybrids and reduces metabolic disorders. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of different proportions of Lys, Arg and Met in diets whose Lys content...

We postulated that the use of appropriate levels and proportions of arginine (Arg) and methionine (Met) in compound feed with high lysine content (Lys) would make it possible to fully exploit the growth potential of modern fattening turkey crossbreds, without compromising their immune system. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of dif...

Two experiments were performed to investigate the effect of different ratios of arginine (Arg) to lysine (Lys) in diets with low (30% Lys; Experiment 1) and high (45% Lys; Experiment 2) methionine (Met) levels on selected metabolic parameters, oxidative and epigenetic DNA damage, and the mechanisms underlying intestinal barrier integrity in turkeys...

An experiment was conducted to investigate the potential inclusion of a wet corn grain preserved with organic acids in a turkey diet. A total of 357 one-day-old Hybrid Converter female turkeys were divided into three groups, each consisting of seven replicates of 17 birds. Throughout the 114-day feeding period, the birds received wheat soybean meal...

The aim of this study was to determine nutrient digestibility, short chain fatty acids (SCFA) production, bacterial enzyme activities and production performance effects of peas as an alternative dietary protein source. Diets containing peas were fed to growing turkeys for 8 weeks. The experimental design involved two diets, a wheat-soybean meal (SB...

This study was conducted to determine the effect of probiotic Pediococcus acidilactici (PA) strain MA18/5M supplementation of diets with different dietary energy levels on productive performance, egg quality, and body composition in Hy-Line Brown hens during a 16-week period from 32 to 47 wk of age. The experimental treatments with a 2 × 2 factoria...

This study investigated differences in the architecture of intestinal mucosa, digestive and fermentation processes in laying hens fed diets in which soybean meal (SBM) was replaced with increasing levels of yellow lupine seeds (YL) for 16 weeks. Two hundred twenty-four Lohmann Brown hens aged 32 weeks were placed in battery cages and were assigned...

For the effective utilization of meals derived from the newly developed yellow-seeded canola varieties in turkeys’ diets, it is critical to determine their nutritive value and their impact on growth and digestive physiological responses and the potential benefit of enzyme supplementation. Thus, the standardised ileal amino acid digestibility (SIAAD...

This study evaluated the effects of dietary replacement of soybean meal (SBM) with graded levels of faba bean (FB) seeds with high or low tannin content (HT or LT) on the gastrointestinal function and growth performance of turkeys at 13–18 weeks of age. Hybrid Converter turkeys were distributed into 7 treatments corresponding to 7 different finishe...

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of partial replace-ment of soyabean meal (SBM) with 35% of raw or fermented faba beans (RFB and FFB, respectively) on the development of the gastrointestinal tract and growth performance in young turkeys. FB were fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum. In comparison with RFB, FFB had similar crude pr...

A two-factor experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of varying dietary levels (10, 20 and 30%) of faba bean (FB; Vicia faba L.) seeds with high- and low-tannin content (HT and LT, respectively) on the gastrointestinal function and performance of turkeys during the last 6 weeks of rearing. In the control group (FB0), birds were fed maize-so...

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary replacement of soya bean meal (SBM) with faba bean (FB) and a blend of non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) degrading enzymes on the gastrointestinal function, growth performance and welfare of young turkeys (1 to 56 days of age). An experiment with a 2×2 factorial design was performed to co...

The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of different dietary fruit pomaces in reducing lipid oxidation in the meat of turkeys fed diets with a high content of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Over a period of 4 weeks before slaughter, turkeys were fed diets with the addition of 5% dried apple, blackcurrant, strawberry and seedle...

The effect of partial or complete substitution (2.5% and 5%, respectively) of flaxseed oil for soybean oil on the fatty acid (FA) profile, oxidative stability and sensory quality of turkey breast meat was studied. Turkeys were fed experimental diets for 3, 4, 5 and 6 weeks before being slaughtered at 16 weeks of age. The percentages of α-linolenic...

The present paper addresses the growing importance of sweet lupines (Lupinus ssp.) as domestic protein feedstuffs promoted by various governmental measures. Although the use of lupines in practical poultry diets in Poland and Germany remains marginal, extensive research into their nutritional value has been conducted both nationally and internation...

This study evaluated the effects of dietary replacement of soybean meal (SBM) with faba beans (FB) seeds with a different content of condensed tannins on growth performance and carcass traits and breast meat characteristics in finisher turkeys (13–18 weeks of age). Male Hybrid Converter turkeys were divided into 7 groups corresponding to 7 differen...

This study evaluated the effects of dietary replacement of soybean meal (SBM) with graded levels of high- and low- tannin faba bean (FB) seeds on growth performance and meat quality in finishing turkeys (13-18 weeks of age). Male Hybrid Converter turkeys were divided into 7 groups (7 different finisher diets): a control diet, which contained SBM, a...

Canola meal (CM) is a widely used protein supplement in poultry diets. Dietary inclusion levels of CM have traditionally been limited due to the high content of fiber and the presence of anti-nutritional factors, including glucosinolates (GLS). Over the years, the content of GLS in CM has been declining steadily, and it is now ~4.0 μmol/g. In the c...

Composition and physiological properties of polyphenol fractions from faba bean with low tannin content (LT), compared with high tannin FB (HT) and soybean meal (SBM) was to investigated. In comparison with HT seeds, in LT ones two times less polyphenols content, higher ABTS and DPPH and but lower FRAP values was determined. Irrespective of the FB...

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of lycopene addition to the curing mixture for steamed and grilled breast muscles on the chemical composition, sensory attributes and physicochemical parameters of the final products. The experimental material comprised a total of 48 breast muscles of Hybrid XL turkeys aged 15 weeks and fed commerci...

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of lycopene addition for curing turkey meat on the profile of fatty acids, total cholesterol, vitamin content, and the TBARS of the final products. The analyzed material comprised 64 breast muscles, of which 16 (RBM) were immediately transported to a laboratory. Another 16 (UBM) were heat treated in...

Körnerleguminosen finden als eiweißreiche Nahrungs- und Futtermittel weltweit Verwendung. Dieses Buch vermittelt alle pflanzenbaulichen Grundlagen für den mitteleuropäischen Bereich und stellt die nachhaltige Wirkung dieser Ackerfrüchte für die Land- und Ernährungswirtschaft und den Naturhaushalt dar. Ein Kapitel zu Inhaltsstoffen liefert Daten zu...

The effect of different dietary levels of raw yellow lupine seed meal (YLM) on the development and function of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), nutrient digestibility, the histological structure of intestinal mucosa, the composition and enzyme activity of gut microbiota and growth performance was evaluated in young turkeys. One-day-old Hybrid Conv...

The objective of this study was to determine the duration of diet administration required for effective modification of meat fatty acids (FA) in turkeys fed diets containing 10% of flaxseed. BIG‐7 female turkeys of 11 wk of age were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments and were fed wheat/soybean‐based diets containing 2.5% of flaxseed oil...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different dietary inclusion of raw yellow lupine seed meal (YLM) on laying hen performance, the fatty acid (FA) profile, physicochemical, and sensory properties of eggs. A total of 224 Lohmann Brown laying hens at 32 wk age were fed isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets for 16 wk. The control diet...

This study evaluated the effects of dietary replacement of soyabean meal (SBM) with yellow lupine seed meal (YLM) in turkeys. A total of 1120 one-day-old Hybrid Converter female turkeys were fed diets containing 0%, 8%, 16% and 24% of YLM (LM0, LM8, LM16, LM24, respectively) in a 16-week experiment. In the first phase of feeding (weeks 0–4), an inc...

The objective of this study was to verify the hypothesis that adding dried fruit pomaces differing in their polyphenol contents to diets for young turkeys does not compromise bird performance. Young turkeys aged up to 15 weeks were fed diets containing a cellulose preparation (C) or 5% dried apple pomace (AP), blackcurrant pomace (BCP), strawberry...

The aim of this study was to determine body weight gains, feed intake and feed consumption patterns in turkeys, when offered a choice of various feed ingredients (protein-fat-mineral-vitamin concentrate pellets, ground-pelleted wheat and whole grain wheat). The experiment started on 264 male Hybrid Converter turkeys aged 4 weeks, divided into four...

Effects of increased stocking density and heat stress on growth, feed conversion, carcase characteristics and skeletal system properties in turkeys were determined. One-day-old males (n=1674) were divided into two weight-matched groups exposed to different environmental conditions. Controls were reared at a stocking density of 2.8 birds/m2 and at t...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary replacement of soybean meal (SBM) with blue lupine meal (BLM) on gastrointestinal tract (GIT) function, growth performance and meat quality in growing-finishing turkeys (13–18 weeks of age). The control diet contained SBM, and in experimental diets SBM was replaced with BLM at 60, 120 and...

This study was undertaken to determine the effect of partial replacement of soybean meal with 10% and 20% of blue lupine (Lupinus angustifolius) seeds in layer diets on laying performance, the fatty acid profile, physicochemical and sensory properties of eggs. A 20-week study was performed on 150 Lohman Brown hens with 50 birds in each group. Diet...

Earlier research from this laboratory, as documented in the accompanying Part 1 of this series, has demonstrated superior quality characteristics (i.e., increased protein and sucrose and reduced dietary fiber contents) of newly developed yellow-seeded B. napus canola and canola-quality, yellow-seeded B. juncea mustard. As opposed to our earlier res...

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of whole wheat feeding on selected parameters of humoral and cell-mediated immunity in growing turkeys. A total of 210 one-day-old heavy-type Hybrid Converter male turkeys were randomly divided into three different dietary treatment groups, each consisting of 7 replicate pens of 10 birds per p...

The objective of the current study was to evaluate the chemical and nutritive composition of meals derived from newly developed yellow-seeded canola and canola-quality B. juncea mustard. Meals for this study were produced using the pre-press solvent extraction process. In comparison with the conventional black-seeded canola, meals derived from yell...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a different dietary content of sweet yellow lupine seed meal (YLM) on gastrointestinal tract development and function, the growth performance (13-18 weeks of age) and meat quality of growing-finishing turkeys. Control grower and finisher diets contained soybean meal (SBM), and in experimental die...

The objective of this study was to determine the physiological responses and growth performance of turkeys fed 20% whole wheat (WW) in two feeding programmes, diets A and B, consistent with the NRC (1994) and B.U.T. (2012) recommendations, respectively. In diet B, in successive feeding periods (weeks 5–18), the soyabean meal content was increased b...

The objective of this study, performed on 350 four-wk-old heavy-type Hybrid Converter male turkeys, was to assess the effect of increasing dietary levels of whole grain wheat (W) applied at the expense of ground-pelleted wheat (GW) on intestinal development and morphological indices, cecal microbiota, and the growth performance of birds. The basal...

One-day-old male turkey poults were randomly assigned to eight dietary treatments and were fed diets containing 0, 60, 120, or 180 g kg−1 of low-glucosinolate rapeseed meal (RSM) from 1 to 56 d of age without or with a commercial non-starch polysaccharide-degrading enzyme product containing pectinase, cellulase, xylanase, glucanase, mannanase and g...

The aim of this study was to verify the hypothesis that moderate dilution of turkey diets with whole grain wheat (up to 22.5%) improves gastrointestinal function, thus contributing to sustained growth performance. A total of 900 male turkeys were allocated to 5 dietary treatments: basal diet (BD), BD diluted with low levels of ground and pelleted w...

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of varying levels of whole-grain wheat in the diet (12.5%, 25%, 37.5% and 50%) on the particle size spectra of duodenal digesta and nutrient digestibility in young turkeys. After feeding from 4 to 8 weeks of age, a linear increase in particles larger than 2 mm (P = 0.002) and a linear decre...

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of moderate dilution (gradually up to 22.5%) of standard diets (C) with wheat in different physical forms, ground and pelleted (GW) or whole (WW), on growth rate, feed conversion ratio (FCR), carcass yield, and incidence of footpad dermatitis (FPD) in growing heavy-type turkeys. Dietary treatm...

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of moderate dilution (gradually up to 22.5%) of standard diets (C) with wheat in different physical forms, ground and pelleted (GW) or whole (WW), on growth rate, feed conversion ratio (FCR), carcass yield, and incidence of footpad dermatitis (FPD) in growing heavy-type turkeys. Dietary treatm...

The nutritive value of meals derived from black- and yellow-seeded Brassica napus and canola-quality B. juncea was determined with broiler chickens and young turkeys. A higher apparent ileal digestibility of total amino acids was observed in chickens fed diet containing yellow-seeded B. napus than those fed conventional black-seeded B. napus or can...

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of dietary probiotic Pediococcus acidilactici (PA) strain MA18/5M on performance, egg traits, egg cholesterol content, and fatty acid composition in laying hens during a 24-wk period. A total of 222 Hy-Line Brown laying hens, 22 wk of age, were divided into 3 treatment groups. Control group (C...

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of diets with a different n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) ratio (7.31, 4.43 and 0.99), resulting from the addition of different dietary oils: soybean, rapeseed and linseed (diets S, R and L, respectively), on the fatty acid profile, oxidative status and sensory properties of turkey...

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of diets with a different n-6/n-3 PUFAs ratio (7.31, 4.43, and 0.99), resulting from the addition of different dietary oils: soybean, rapeseed, and linseed (diets S, R, and L, respectively), on the fatty acid (FA) profile, oxidative status, and sensory properties of turkey breast meat. After 1...

The objective of this study was to determine the physiological effect of supplementing turkey diets with different vegetable oils, i.e. soyabean (S) oil, rapeseed (R) oil and linseed (L) oil, which have different concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The total contents of n-6 PUFA and n-3 PUFA were as follows: diet S, 49.7 and 7.02%...

The objective of this study was to determine the physiological effect of supplementing turkey diets with different vegetable oils, i.e. soyabean (S) oil, rapeseed (R) oil and linseed (L) oil, which have different concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The total contents of n-6 PUFA and n-3 PUFA were as follows: diet S, 49.7 and 7.02%...

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of moderate dilution (gradually up to 22.5%) of standard diets (C) with wheat in different physical forms, ground and pelleted (GW) or whole (WW), on growth rate, feed conversion ratio (FCR), carcass yield, and incidence of foot-pad dermatitis (FPD) in growing heavy-type turkeys. Dietary treat...

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of moderate dilution (gradually up to 22.5%) of standard diets (C) with wheat in different physical forms, ground and pelleted (GW) or whole (WW), on growth rate, feed conversion ratio (FCR), carcass yield, and incidence of footpad dermatitis (FPD) in growing heavy-type turkeys. Dietary treatm...

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of different dietary levels of low-glucosinolate rapeseed meal (RSM) on growth performance, blood thyroid hormone concentration, carcass traits, and chemical composition, physicochemical properties, and fatty acid profile of breast meat in growing turkeys. The experiment lasted for 21 wk. Larg...

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of genotype (slower-growing vs. fast-growing) and production system (access to outdoors vs. indoor) on the growth performance, carcass yield and meat quality (chemical composition, physicochemical and sensory properties) of chickens. The experiment was performed on 1,040 day-old hybrid male ch...

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the probiotic Pediococcus acidilactici (PA) MA18/5M on laying hens production results and egg quality. 222 Hy-Line laying hens aged 22 weeks, divided into three groups were followed for 24 weeks. Control (C) hens were fed a basal diet. In group P1, the basal diet was supplemented with PA a...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a varied content of sodium in diets for broiler chickens on serum levels of macroelements and on the percentage of CD4 +, CD8 +, and CD4 +CD8 + T-lymphocyte subpopulations in blood. The study was conducted on 432 one-day-old cockerels representing six experimental groups (eight replications,...

The effect of different dietary content of sunflower meal (SFM; 0, 7, 14 and 21%) on fermentation processes and caecal microflora in 8-week-old male turkeys was investigated. All diets were isonitrogenous and isocaloric, but they differed substantially with regard to crude fibre content (2.92%, 4.18%, 4.72% and 5.56% on average in groups SFM0, SFM7...

The aim of this study was to examine the effect supplementation of diet with 20 mg Cu/kg from copper sulphate (Cu-SUL) and/or copper amino acid chelate (Cu-AA) on the copper balance, bone mineralization status and growth performance of turkeys. A total of 840 one-day-old heavy Large White BIG-6 turkey males were randomly assigned to 4 groups: Cu-0,...

The objective of this study was to determine whether silica grit is a necessary dietary additive for turkeys raised in intensive production farms, and whether it can be replaced by other supplements such as charcoal or hardwood ash. The conclusions were formulated based on performance results, blood hematological and biochemical indices, the slaugh...

Modulation of the intestinal bacteria towards a "healthy" community by diet-related strategies, including direct antimicrobial activity, competitive exclusion as well as augmentation of immunity, is currently under active research. The objective of the study was to quantify selected dominant bacterial groups in the ceca of 8-weeks old turkeys. The...

The aim of the present study was to verify the assumption that supplementation of the diet for turkeys with selenium, especially in an organic source of Se, improves the antioxidative status of the organism and the stability of the meat. Seven hundred and twenty 1-d-old BUT9 female turkeys were randomly assigned into three experimental groups (8 pe...

BUT-9 female turkeys were fed with feed mixtures without (Se-0) or with 0.3 ppm selenium supplementation in a form of sodium selenite (SS) or Se-enriched yeast (SY). At 113 days of age, 40 females from each treatment were killed and chilled carcasses (4"C, 12 h) were dissected. Breast muscle samples (total 120) were used for a pH, drip loss, chemic...

The microflora of avian gastrointestinal tract has received increased attention as the focus of efforts to improve animal nutrition and to minimize food-borne illness in humans. This microflora is subjected to variations according to diet, environment and treatments. Conventional methods for determining the flora composition rely on the cultivation...

Two muscles, breast and thigh, were excised from 3 pigeon meat-type breeds (Europigeon, Wrocławski, King) and were analyzed for proximate analysis, cholesterol content, and fatty acid (FA) profile. Among the breeds considered, the lowest protein content of breast muscle was found in Kings (21.73%), whereas the highest fat (7.07%) and ash (1.11%) co...

In two experiments on Wistar rats, the influence of chicory fructans and their dietary combination with polyphenols on nitrogen excretion routes and mineral absorption in the ileum was examined. In the first experiment, during 15 days, twenty four rats were randomly divided into three equal groups of eight animals. The rats were assigned to the fol...

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of dietary supplementation with the yeast extract Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the growth performance of turkeys. Big-6 male turkeys were fed a mixture without any feed additives (control group), with an addition of yeast extract Saccharomyces cerevisiae (0.5 kg/t) containing mannan-oligosaccharides an...