The studies were aimed to establish a connection between polymorphism of egg-yolk and egg-white proteins and selected performance traits of laying hens. Data on performance of the studied breeds of hens were collected from breeding records. The following traits were measured in the analysed hens: body weight at 8, 18, and 20 days of age, age of sexual maturity, initial egg-laying rate, mean egg weight at 33 weeks of age, number of eggs with a complete eggshell, number of eggs with a broken eggshell, number of eggs without an eggshell or with a soft one, and a mean eggshell strength at 33 weeks of age.
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of age on the macro- and microscopic characteristics of the female reproductive tract in Polbar hens. Additionally, the authors of the study decided to verify whether this unique breed of polbar hens possesses specific characteristics of the reproductive tract, distinct from those presented in specialist literature. The research was conducted on the left ovary and oviduct extracted from 10 female birds from 6 age groups (one day old and 8, 12, 18, 24, 33 and 64 weeks old). The ovary and sections of the infundibulum, magnum, isthmus, shell gland and vagina were taken for preparation in order to define the histological characteristics. In the examined hens the weight of the left ovary increased until the 33rd week of life and then underwent considerable atrophy, which was reflected in the percentage of the proportion of the examined organs in the overall mass of the body. A continued lengthening of the left ovary until the 64th week of life was noted. The ovary length by body weight index had the highest value in the first day of life, after which it decreased until the 18th week of life, while after becoming fertile, this index value rapidly rose. The microscopic analysis of the reproductive organs of the polbar breed did not reveal any specific characteristics for this breed.
The aim of the presented research was to evaluate AmpFI STR MiniFilerTM kit from Applied Biosystems from the point of its reliability, limitations and usefulness in forensic genetics. Amplification products were detected in fluorescence-based automated genetic analyzer, whereas alleles were defined on the basis of the size of the internal standard. During the validation, the following parameters were determined: detection threshold and threshold determination, linearity and measuring range and sensitivity of the method. The reliable results were obtained in the range of concentrations from 2.00 ng to 0.03125 ng of template DNA in the sample. The method has a high detection rate of alleles, also in the range of 0.0625 ng to 2.0 ng of template DNA were full DNA profile. The case of “drop out” of individual alleles and the entire system for the content of 0.03125 ng of template DNA in the sample were observed. Mini Kit Filer is suitable for pure research profiles or mixtures. To a lesser extent it is suitable for the trace analysis of contact because of its high sensitivity.
The aim of this study was to analyse the physiological values of Ca+2-ATPase catalytic activity in the muscles of 8-, 12- and 18-week-old Polbar breed chickens of both sexes. The material for the analysis consisted of actomyosin homogenate sampled from the greater pectoral muscles (Musculus pectoralis maior) of 20 Polbar hens and 20 Polbar cocks, divided into three groups of 8-, 12- and 18-week-old birds. The studies proved the dependence of the calcium ATPase activity level on the sex and age of the birds examined. Among the three age groups the highest ATPase activity was observed in the birds in their 8th and 12th weeks of life. In the case of the cocks the highest level of the activity was determined in the 8th week of age, with a mean value of 0.37 U/mg, and in the case of the hens in the 12th week, when the mean value amounted to 0.39 U/mg. These results for the ATPase activity in a genetically consolidated hen breed can be used for comparisons with other poultry breeds. The preliminary studies to establish reference values are useful for diagnostic purposes.
The purpose of the study was to examine male reproductive organs of the Polbar breed of chickens with regard to age and with particular emphasis on morphometric values. In addition, an analysis was undertaken to check if this unique polbar breed of chickens had specific characteristics of the reproductive tract, distinct from those presented in specialist literature. Testicles and vas deferens were extracted from 10 males in 6 age groups (one day old and 8, 12, 18, 24, 33 and 64 week old) as material for analysis. A right testicle with epididymis and part of the semen duct (its middle section) were taken for histological examination. The weight of testicles as well as their percentage in the overall body weight grows along with age and increase in body weight. The length of vas deferens grew in relation to age and body weight until the 18th week of life, after which a reduction in length took place. No specific characteristics for the Polbar breed were observed in the microscopic analysis of their reproductive organs.