https://asj.areeo.ac.ir/ Research Journal of Livestock Science en daily 1 Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0330 Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0330 https://asj.areeo.ac.ir/article_134894.html To study the possibility of using date meal in laying hens diet, 300 Hy-line W-36 (40 weeks old) were used based on a completely randomized design consisting 5 treatments and 4 replications. The experimental diets were formulated with same energy and protein content, and the experimental treatments were: 1) control, without date meal; 2 and 3) 5.0 and 7.5% of date meal with pit, respectively; 4 and 5) 5.0 and 7.5% of date meal without pit, respectively. The presence of pit in the date meal resulted a relative increase in the percentage of crude protein and fiber and a relative decrease in the metabolizable energy of the product. The concentration of cholesterol in the yolk was significantly decreased by feeding both levels of date meal with pit and its concentration in the blood also was fell significantly by inclusion 7.5% date meal with pit (P<0.05). Hens fed diets containing date meal with pit exhibited significantly lower yolk weight (P<0.05) and egg weight was decreased due to the inclusion of date meal with pit in both levels or 5.0% date meal with without pit in the diet (P<0.05). Consumption of date meal with pit decreased egg mass and increased food conversion ratio significantly (P<0.05). Feed intake and the feed cost per kilogram of produced egg were not affected by treatments. Despite the reduction of egg cholesterol, using of date meal, especially with pit, negatively affected the laying hen’s performance and could not improve the economic efficiency of the rearing period. https://asj.areeo.ac.ir/article_134895.html The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of different levels of peanut waste feed (PWF) on growth performance, fermentation parameters, rumen microbial hydrolytic enzyme activity and blood chemical metabolites of fattening lambs. For this purpose, 28 fattening male-lambs with average age of 120±6 days and average live weight of 30±2.5 kg were used with 4 experimental treatments and 7 replications in the form of completely randomized design. The experimental diets contained PWF at levels 0 (control), 4, 8 and 12% based on dry matter (DM), and fed to animals. Including different levels of PWF in the diet had no significant effect on final body weight, total weight gain, average daily gain, feed conversion ration and DM intake compared to the control treatment (P>0.05). By increasing the level of PWF in the diet except for rumen ammonia nitrogen concentration which decreased linearly (P<0.05), other parameters including pH, concentration of volatile fatty acids, carboxymethylcellulase enzyme activity, microcrystalline cellulase and rumen filter paper degrading and blood glucose concentration were not affected by experimental treatments (P>0.05). Rumen protease activity in all internal, external and total parts, total rumen alpha-amylase activity and blood total protein concentration increased linearly with increasing the level of PWF in the diet (P<0.05), while the concentration blood urea nitrogen decreased linearly with increasing PWF level in the diet (P<0.05). In general, the results of the present study showed that the use of peanut waste feed up to 8% of diet DM is recommended in fattening lambs. https://asj.areeo.ac.ir/article_134896.html this study was conducted to investigate effect of milk enrichment with manganese supplement in organic and inorganic forms on performance, digestibility, skeletal growth indices, fecal consistency and hematology of suckling calves. 24 newborn calves were randomly divided into 3 groups with 8 replications. Experimental treatments include: 1) control group (without manganese supplementation), 2) Adding mineral manganese supplement to milk consumption and 3) Adding organic manganese supplements to milk consumption. Calves were weighed and measured every 21 days to determine performance and skeletal growth indices. Daily feed intake and post-feeding amount were measured and three days a week, the feces of the calves were randomly evaluated. The results showed that the enrichment of milk with manganese supplements in organic and inorganic forms caused weight gain in the whole period, daily weight gain and dry matter consumption. Calves that receiving milk with organic and inorganic manganese supplements had better digestibility of dry matter. Enrichment of milk with supplements in organic and inorganic forms had no effect on skeletal growth indices. The greatest improvement in fecal consistency was related to the group receiving organic manganese and then mineral manganese. An increase in hemoglobin, hematocrit and white blood cells was observed in the treatments receiving organic and inorganic manganese, and the highest amount of red blood cells was related to the treatment receiving milk with organic manganese. In general, it can be concluded that adding 30 mg of organic manganese to milk results in better performance and health of calves. https://asj.areeo.ac.ir/article_134897.html Energy is used in different ways in the dairy industry and is wasted in the milk production process for various reasons. By using different production methods, livestock farmers play an essential role in the energy efficiency of their production unit. This research was carried out in 2023 in Tehran province with the aim of determining the indices of energy consumption, identifying efficient and inefficient dairy cattle producing farms in order to increase the efficiency of production units to the maximum and calculating the amount of energy that can be saved resulting from the optimization of energy consumption. Information was collected through questionnaires and document studies and random sampling from different dairy cattle units, and all the activities performed throughout the year were recorded. Energy indices including net energy gain, energy use efficiency, energy productivity and specific energy were determined. The results showed that the total amount of input energy is 172851.75 MJ per head of cow, and animal feed had the largest share of input energy with 72.36%. Among the main feeds consumed by dairy cows, concentrate, alfalfa, corn and straw contributed 40.87%, 11.20%, 20.01% and 0.28% of the total energy consumption, respectively. The amount of total energy output was 36886.482 MJ per head of cow, and milk production had the largest share with 87.02% of the total energy output. The energy use efficiency, net energy gain, energy productivity and energy intensity were determined as 0.21, -135965.27 MJ per a head of cow, 0.067 kg/MJ and 14.94 MJ/Kg respectively. https://asj.areeo.ac.ir/article_135016.html In order to evaluate of the effect of feeding milk enriched of inorganic, organic and chromium nanoparticles supplements on performance, digestibility of nutrients, nutritional behaviors and microbial protein synthesis of Holstein Suckling calves under heat stress conditions, 32 calves with average weight 37± 3 kg in a complete design were randomly selected with 8 replications and 4 treatments. Experimental treatments include milk without chromium supplement (control), milk containing 3 mg of chromium in mineral form per day, milk containing 3 mg of chromium in the form of chromium-methionine per day and milk contained 3 mg of chromium in the form of chromium nanoparticles per day. The results showed that milk enrichment with chromium nanoparticles increased final weight, daily weight gain, dry matter intake and skeletal growth indices and decreased feed conversion ratio. Fecal consistency, number of animals with diarrhea and days of diarrhea in calves consuming different forms of chromium decreased compared to the control group. Treatments receiving chromium nanoparticles showed higher red blood cell and hemoglobin levels than other treatments. Immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M were affected by the experimental treatments, such that the treatment receiving chromium nanoparticles showed the highest levels compared to other treatments, and the lowest level of immunoglobulin was specific to the control group. In general, the use of chromium, especially in the forms of chromium-methionine and chromium nanoparticles, is recommended in calves affected by heat stress. https://asj.areeo.ac.ir/article_134900.html The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effect of spirulina supplementation in diets containing different levels of fish oil on performance, blood and liver antioxidant parameters, and serum lipid parameters in laying hens. For this purpose, a number of 288 laying hens were used in a 2×3 factorial design, with 6 replications and 8 birds in each replication. Experimental treatments included diets containing 3 levels of fish oil (0, 1.5 and 3% of diet) and 2 levels of Spirulina platensis (0 and 5 g/kg diet). The results showed that the hens treated with 1.5 and 3% fish oil and 5 g of spirulina had the highest egg weight and mass, which were significantly higher than the control treatment (P<0.05). Diets containing 3% fish oil decreased the total antioxidant capacity, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase of the liver and the total antioxidant capacity of the serum, which the use of 5 g of spirulina increased the mentioned parameters (P<0.05). The interaction effect of spirulina and fish oil had synergistic effects on the concentration of triglyceride and LDL, and the levels of 1.5 and 3% fish oil along with 5 g of spirulina significantly reduced the concentration of triglyceride and LDL. In general, based on the obtained results, it is recommended to use 3% fish oil in the feeding of laying hens in order to improve animal performance while reducing blood fat, but to prevent lipid oxidation, it is necessary to use spirulina as a natural antioxidant. https://asj.areeo.ac.ir/article_134901.html The present experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of adding Iranian and foreign toxin binders to the diet of broiler chickens contaminated with aflatoxin, using 200 day-old Cobb 500 chicks with 5 treatments, 4 replicates, and 10 birds in each replicate. The experimental diets included: 1) a basal diet without aflatoxin and toxin binder (positive control), 2) basal diet containing 1200 ppm aflatoxin B1 and lacking toxin binder (negative control), 3) negative control+ commercial foreign toxin binder Mycofix plus® at a rate of 3 grams per kilogram, 4) negative control+ Iranian toxin binder Novitox alpha at a rate of 3 grams per kilogram, and 5) negative control+ Iranian toxin binder Novitox beta at a rate of 3 grams per kilogram of diet. After collecting data on growth performance, jejunal villus surface area, feed cost per kilogram of live body weight and total serum protein concentration of the broiler chickens at 42 days of age, a multi-attribute decision-making model was used to assess and compare the effects of using Iranian and foreign toxin binders. The results showed that the highest management score in this model belonged to the positive control treatment (0.6862), followed by negative control+ Novitox Alfa (0.6730), negative control+ Novitox Beta (0.6699), and negative control+ Mycofix Plus® (0.5852). Overall, the Iranian and foreign toxin binders used in this study were able to compensate for the performance decline caused by the presence of toxins in the diets of broilers, with a preference for using domestic products over foreign samples. https://asj.areeo.ac.ir/article_134902.html Considering the crucial importance of overwintering, controlling and optimizing hive temperature can significantly aid in the survival of bee populations during the cold seasons. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of the type of hive insulation in winter on population level and honey production. For the current study, 35 honeybee hives were used in the framework of four treatments and one control group. The treatments included hives insulated with tarpaulin, plastic sacks, polystyrene, and dual-walled plastic hives. The control group consisted of uninsulated hives. The results indicated that the type of insulation had a significant impact on traits such as spring population, winter honey remainder, adult and brood populations in spring and summer, as well as honey production (P <0.05). The use of dual-walled plastic hives had the best effect on maintaining population and less honey consumption during the wintering period. Excluding the control hives, insulation with polystyrene showed the weakest performance in terms of population preservation (61.83% survival rate) and winter honey consumption (23.5% honey remaining) (P <0.05). The amount of honey produced in treatments with dual-walled plastic hives (38.10 kg), tarpaulin insulation (34.73 kg), sacks (32.34 kg), and polystyrene (32 kg) was higher than the control group (28.11 kg) (P <0.05). Although in general, plastic hives showed the best performance, if beekeepers do not have access to this type of hive, using insulation with tarpaulin can be a suitable alternative https://asj.areeo.ac.ir/article_134903.html The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of calcium levels and particle size of limestone on performance, egg quality, gizzard Ca, and apparent and true ileal Ca digestibility coefficient in commercial laying hens. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized factorial design (3×2) with three calcium levels (80%, 100%, and 120% of strain requirements; 3.27%, 4.09%, and 4.9%, respectively) and two particle sizes: fine (GMD= 406 µm) and coarse (GMD= 2766 µm) from 57-68 weeks in Lohmann (LSL lite) laying hens. Apparent and true ileal calcium digestibility coefficients increased with increasing limestone particle size (P < 0.01). The true calcium digestibility of fine limestone at 80%, 100%, and 120% of requirements was 0.494, 0.458, and 0.495, respectively, while for coarse limestone, it was 0.514, 0.644, and 0.698, respectively. The results of this experiment indicated that by increasing the particle size of calcium carbonate (from 406 to 2766 μm), the true calcium digestibility coefficients (0.482 vs. 0.619) and total tract retention increased, which was accompanied by an improvement in eggshell weight. A notable point in the results of this experiment was the lack of effect of calcium level on calcium digestibility coefficients and laying hen performance. Therefore, if in the laying hen industry, the desired eggshell thickness is achieved with 80% of the strain requirement, the calcium level in commercial diets can be reduced. https://asj.areeo.ac.ir/article_134904.html The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of reduced levels of organic trace elements on production performance, egg-chicken quality traits, ovarian condition and hatchability traits in aged broiler breeders. For this purpose, 144 broiler breeders of the Ross 308 strain (80 weeks) were used in a completely randomized design with 4 treatments and 6 replications (6 hens and one rooster in each replication) for 56 days. The experimental treatments included: 1) diet containing the mineral form of trace elements (0.25%), 2) diet containing 0.1% organic trace element supplement, 3) diet containing 0.15% organic trace element supplement and 4) diet containing 0.2% organic trace element supplement. The use of 0.15 and 0.20% organic trace elements in the diet of broiler breeder hens compared with 0.10% organic trace elements and 0.25% inorganic trace elements improved the egg laying percentage, egg weight, egg mass, feed conversion ratio, hatchability percentage, shell strength and egg shell thickness (P<0.05). The egg-chicken fertility percentage in hens fed 0.20% organic trace elements was significantly higher than the control treatment (P<0.05). The number of large yellow follicles, the weight of large yellow follicles and the weight of the largest follicle ready for ovulation in hens fed 0.15 and 0.20% organic trace elements were significantly higher than the control and 0.10% organic trace elements (P<0.05). Overall, it was found that levels of 0.15 and 0.20% organic trace elements as optimal levels improved production performance, eggshell quality, ovarian follicle count, and hatching traits. https://asj.areeo.ac.ir/article_135017.html In order to evaluate the feasibility of producing date leaf silage using different levels of date molasses and urea, an experiment was conducted with 4 treatments including: 1) 90% green date leaves and 10% date molasses, 2) 90% green date leaves, 9.62% date molasses and 0.38% urea, 3) 85% dry date leaves, 14.38% date molasses and 0.62% urea, and 4) 85% dry date leaves and 15% date molasses. The composition of the silages was calculated based on fresh weight. The results showed that the highest percentage of dry matter and organic matter was significantly observed in treatments 1 and 2 (P<0.01). The highest amount of crude protein was observed in treatment 3 (P<0.05). Also, neutral and acidic detergent fibers were significantly higher in treatments 1 and 4 (P<0.05). The total quality assessment score of silages was significantly higher in treatment 3 (P<0.01). Under the influence of different levels of urea and molasses, the ammonia nitrogen of silages was significantly higher in treatment 3 (P<0.01). Also, the amount of water-soluble carbohydrates was significantly higher in treatments 2 and 3 (P<0.01). The highest volume of gas production, digestibility of organic matter and metabolizable energy were significantly observed in treatments 3 and 4 (P<0.01). The results of the present study showed that adding urea and date molasses improved the quality and nutritional value of date leaf silage, and the best silage was treatment 3 with a combination of 85% dry date leaves, 14.38% date molasses, and 0.62% urea. https://asj.areeo.ac.ir/article_135018.html The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of substituting different levels of urea with biuret on growth performance, rumen fermentation parameters, microbial hydrolytic enzyme activity, and rumen microbial protein synthesis in Afshari fattening male lambs. Twenty-eight lambs with average age of 135±15 days and average live weight of 34±3.45 kg were used with 4 treatments and 7 replications in a completely randomized design. Four experimental diets were used, including substitution of 0 (control), 34, 67 and 100% levels of biuret instead of urea on dty matter (DM) basis during a 70-day fattening period. Results showed that with increasing the level of biuret in the diet, total weight gain, average daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio significantly improved linearly compared to the control treatment (P<0.05). But, the average final weight and DM and organic matter intake were not affected by the experimental diets (P>0.05). With increasing dietary biuret level, rumen ammonia-N concentration and rumen protease activity decreased linearly (P<0.05). Ruminal acetate concentration and microcrystalline cellulase enzyme activity increased linearly with increasing dietary biuret level compared to the urea-containing treatment (P<0.05). The urinary allantoin concentration, total urinary purine derivatives excreted, total absorbed purine derivatives and microbial protein synthesis increased linearly with increasing biuret levels in the diet (P<0.05). The concentration of uric acid and xanthine+hypoxanthine were not affected by the experimental diets (P<0.05). Overall, replacing biuret with urea up to 100% in fattening lambs diet improved growth performance, fermentation parameters, and rumen microbial protein synthesis. https://asj.areeo.ac.ir/article_135019.html This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of calcium (Ca) source and organic acid on performance, egg quality, digestibility coefficient of Ca in limestone, oyster shell and their combination in commercial laying hens. A total of 288 Lohmann (LSL-Lite) laying hens were assigned to 6 treatments, 8 replicates, and 6 hens per each from 50 to 62 wk of age in a completely randomized trial according to a 3×2 factorial arrangement with 3 sources of Ca: limestone (Lim), oyster shell (OS) and their 50:50 combination (LiOS) with or without organic acid (Tegacid®, 2 g/kg). The TIDCa for Lim, OS and LiOS were 69.9, 65.4, and 62.2%, respectively while by organic acid addition was obtained as 74.4, 74, and 75.3%, respectively. Inclusion of organic acid significantly improved ileal digestibility of Ca in diets containing OS or LiOS (P < 0.01). The interaction between Ca source and organic acid were significant (P > 0.05) for the performance parameters at the end of the experiment. The greatest percent of egg production was observed in the birds fed oyster shell + organic acid, which had a significant difference with other experimental treatments (P < 0.01). Overall, there was no considerable difference in Ca apparent digestibility coefficients in three sources of Lim, OS and 50:50 combination of OS + Lim in laying hens, but the addition of organic acid improved calcium digestibility and shell quality of the hens fed oyster shell alone or in combination with limestone. https://asj.areeo.ac.ir/article_135020.html The effects of corn and soybean meal substitution by the graded levels of low tannin Faba bean in broiler finisher pellet diets on performance, carcass characteristics, and some biochemical and gastrointestinal tract parameters of broiler chickens were investigated. 2000 one-day-old Ross broilers were fed a corn-soybean meal-based diet for the starter and grower period. Then 600 birds with almost similar weights (near the standard weight) were selected and divided into four treatments with 5 replicas (30 birds for each pen) to consume the experimental diets for 20 days (from 24 to 44d). The experimental diets were: control group corn-soybean meal-based diet without fava bean 3 other groups were fed 7/5, 15, and 25% faba bean, respectively. There was no difference in average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) among 4 experimental groups (P>0/05). Only birds received 15 and 25% faba bean had significantly lower total cholesterol in comparison with the control group (P<0/05). The results of carcass quality showed that only feeding 15% faba bean significantly increase l* indicator and breast muscle protein (P<0/05). This study showed that different levels of Faba bean (7/5, 15, and 25%) can be used in broiler diet finishers without any negative effects on birds' performance. Even though feeding all levels of low-tannin faba bean reduced the feed cost per kg live body weight in comparison with the control group, but the most economical level for using low-tannin faba bean in broiler feed was 7/5%. https://asj.areeo.ac.ir/article_135021.html The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences between male and female broilers and to determine the gender effect on performance, intestinal morphology, intestinal microbial population and blood parameters of broilers. For this purpose, 120 one-day-old male and female Ross 308 chicks were sexed and divided into 2 groups (60 males and 60 females) with 6 replicates and 10 birds each. The results showed that feed intake of grower finisher and whole experimental periods and body weight gain of grower and whole experimental periods were greater in male broilers than in female ones (P<0.05). The height of the duodenum and jejunum villus and the ratio of villus height to jejunum crypt depth were higher in male broiler chickens than in female birds (P<0.05). Female broilers had greater crypt depth in the jejunum. Blood glucose, uric acid, albumin, and total protein concentrations were significantly higher in male birds than in female birds (P<0.05). However, blood triglyceride, cholesterol, and T3 concentrations were higher in female broilers (P<0.05). Lactobacillus bacterial populations in the ileum and cecum of male broilers were higher than in female broilers (P<0.05). In general, male and female broilers differ in most of the parameters studied, and the use of male or female birds affects the results of the research. Therefore, it is recommended that researchers seek alternative methods, including estimating the sex effect using intelligent computational methods, due to the existing differences and difficulties in determining sex at day one of age. https://asj.areeo.ac.ir/article_135022.html Alhagi was cultivated under different irrigation regimes (conventional and drought stress conditions) and varying levels of water hardness at research farms in Yazd Province, Iran. The plants were harvested at the early flowering stage.The harvested forages were then transported to the National Animal Science Research Institute, where their chemical composition, in vitro gas production from ruminal fermentation(measured over incubation times ranging from2 to 96hours), two-stage digestibility, and methane gas output were measured.In addition, metabolizable energy and relative forage value were determined.The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with six treatments and three replications. The experimental treatments included:(1) Alhagi cultivated from seed and irrigated with fresh water under normal conditions;(2) Alhagi cultivated from seed and irrigated with fresh water under drought stress;(3) Alhagi cultivated from seed and irrigated with brackish water under normal conditions(4) Alhagi cultivated from seed and irrigated with saline water under drought stress;(5 Alhagi cultivated from seed and irrigated with saline water under normal conditions; and (6)Alhagi cultivated from seed and irrigated with saline water under drought stress.The results showed that the highest crude protein contents were observed in treatment3(10.7%DM),respectively, while the lowest values were found in treatmen2(8.5%DM), and6. The gas production(24h fermentation) was highest in treatment6 (36.2 mL/200mg) and lowest in treatment1(30.8mL/200mg).The highest metabolizable energy(7.7MJ/Kg) and OMD(59.2%DM) were observed in treatment3. Concluded: Regarding nutritional value, treatment 3 had the highest and treatment 6 the lowest values.Cultivating Alhagi with brackish water facilitates better fulfillment of livestock nutritional requirements and helps reduce feed costs in arid regions. https://asj.areeo.ac.ir/article_135023.html Honeybee (Apis mellifera) rank among ecologically significant insects, providing critical pollination services that maintain ecosystem stability. These pollination services substantially enhance global food security and contribute to agricultural economics. Consequently, optimizing beekeeping practices and enhancing colony productivity remain key research priorities. We investigated polymorphisms in the tyrmine receptor gene (AmTYR1) and their potential association with pollen- foraging performance in 125 honey bee colonies. This study recorded the pollen production of 125 honeybee colonies with high genetic diversity (derived from different queens) in an apiary located in Urmia County over five consecutive weeks (July to early August 2024) using standard pollen traps and a digital scale. Three to four pupal per colony were collected from the monitored colonies for genetic analysis. Pupal samples were preserved in 70% ethanol and subsequently flash-frozen in liquid nitrogen for homogenization. Genomic DNA was isolated using a modified CTAB protocol. A 526-bp fragment of AmTYR1 was PCR- amplified, with polymorphism screening performed via single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) electrophorsis on 12% poacrylamide-gels. The mean pollen collected per session was 51.59 grams (range: 5–201 grams), highlighting significant functional diversity in pollen-foraging performance. While obtaining high-quality DNA from honey bee larvae presented technical challenges, we successfully optimized the extraction protocol. Target loci demonstrated robust amplication, and SSCP analysis showed consistent detection sensitivity. SSCP profiling revealed monomorphisms at the examined AmTYR1 locus across all Iranian Apis mellifera samples. This monomorphism may reflect population-specific genetic conservation or intrinsic stability of examined locus. https://asj.areeo.ac.ir/article_135024.html The present study was conducted to investigate the silage properties and nutritional value of total mixed ration silage (TMRS) based on sugarcane pith and rice straw in feeding fattening lambs under in vitro and in vivo conditions and in a completely randomized design. The experimental treatments included 1) control diet based on wheat straw and alfalfa), and experimental diets containing 10, 20 and 30% sugarcane pith and rice straw mixture based on dry matter (DM) in diet containing forage corn and concentrate. The results of in vitro experiments showed that there was no significant difference between the different treatments in terms of the volume of gas production (GP) at different times, the potential (b) and rate (c) of GP, DM disappearance, organic matter (OM) disappearance and metabolizable energy (P<0.05). In vivo experiment showed that DM and OM intake, average daily gain and total weight gain in TMRS diet based on 20% sugarcane pith and rice straw were significantly higher compared to the control diet (P<0.05). The rumen ammonia-N concentration and acetate increased significantly in TMRS diet compared to control (P<0.05). The total blood protein concentration was higher in TMRS diet compared to control diet (P<0.05). Overall, the use of complete feed silage containing 20% sugarcane peat and rice straw improved growth performance and metabolic indices of fattening lambs while reducing feeding costs. https://asj.areeo.ac.ir/article_135025.html Hygiene behavior of honey bee has been considered as a potential trait associated with resistance to honey bee pests and diseases especially the Varroa destructor, and its expression in worker bees contributes to the social immunity of honey bee colonies. The ability of workers to detect and remove unhealthy or dead brood prevents the transmission of brood diseases inside the colony. Over the last five decades, this behavior has been extensively studied and improved in several research and breeding programs. Until the 1990s, there have been no major new insights on the efficiency of this behavior against American foulbrood and chalkbrood. In the last two decades, extensive studies have been conducted on the hygienic behavior of bees against the Varroa destructor, fueling the debate regarding the efficiency of hygienic behavior against this parasite. Breeding programs have shown that selection for one particular trait might also affect other traits. Thus, we also review the cost of trade-offs between hygienic behavior and other economically important traits for bee breeders. Generally, the benefits of hygienic behavior seem to largely outweigh its costs for both colonies and bee breeders. https://asj.areeo.ac.ir/article_135026.html This study was conducted to investigate the effects of replacing corn grain with triticale in the diet on the performance, carcass characteristics, small intestine morphology, and acidity of small intestine and cecal contents in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) from 15 to 38 days of age. In this experiment, 300 Japanese quails were distributed in a completely randomized design with 20 experimental units (5 treatments with 4 replicates of 15 birds each). The experimental treatments included: 1) control diet based on corn and soybean meal, 2) replacing 25% of corn with triticale, 3) replacing 50% of corn with triticale, 4) replacing 75% of corn with triticale, and 5) 100% replacement of corn grain with triticale grain. Compared to the control group, replacing corn grain with triticale up to 100% in the diet had no significant effect on feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and feed cost per kilogram of live weight produced throughout the entire rearing period (P≤0.05). No significant differences were observed between the experimental treatments and the control group in terms of carcass characteristics, acidity of small intestine digesta, and intestinal histological indices (P≤0.05). Therefore, it is possible to replace 100% of corn grain with triticale in balanced diets of Japanese quails during the growth period (15 to 38 days of age).