Fly emergence from manure of Japanese quail fed thymol or isoeugenol supplemented diets

IGNACIO LYNCH IANNIELLO ; MOIRA BATTÁN HORENSTEIN; MARÍA C LÁBAQUE; AGUSTÍN LUNA; RAÚL H MARIN; RAQUEL M GLEISER

POULTRY SCIENCE

POULTRY SCIENCE ASSOC INC

Año: 2014

0032-5791

Many problems in poultry production arecaused by a combination of interrelated factors such asmanagement, stress, nutrition, and exposure to pathogens.Saprophagous flies that develop in poultry manureare a potential route of pathogen transmission.Besides being a nuisance, defecation and regurgitationof flies soil equipment and structures and can reducelight levels of lighting fixtures. These effects clearly affectmanagement and may contribute to reductions inpoultry egg production, health, and welfare. Many essentialoils or their main components have bioactiveeffects such as natural repellents and insecticides, antioxidants,anticholesterolemics, and antimicrobials.This study evaluated if supplementing quail feed withthymol or isoeugenol as functional food could alter theproduction of flies from manure. Dropping samples depositedby quail fed with a supplementation of 2,000 mgof thymol or isoeugenol per kg of feed or no supplement(control) were collected. Each sample was incubatedinside an emergence cage that was inspected daily tocollect emerging adult flies. Fewer flies emerged fromdroppings of quail fed a thymol-supplemented diet (P= 0.01) and there was a tendency to a lower emergencefrom droppings of isoeugenol-fed quail (P = 0.09). Thenumber of positive containers for Musca domestica wassmaller from quail droppings of thymol- (P = 0.02) orisoeugenol- (P = 0.01) supplemented feed than fromthe control counterparts, suggesting an oviposition repellenteffect. Supplementing quail feed with thymol orisoeugenol has an overall moderate effect against flies,reducing M. domestica emergence.