사육 밀도가 육계 생산성, 면역 수준 및 계육 품질에 미치는 영향

Abstract

The present experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of stocking density on the growth performance, immune status, and meat quality of broilers. In total, 385 one-day-old Ross 308 broilers were randomly assigned to one of four distinct stocking densities: 26 birds/m², 22 birds/m², 19 birds/m², and 16 birds/m². They were fed the diet <i>ad libitum</i> for 5 weeks. Immunoglobulin (Ig) and corticosterone levels were evaluated, and growth performance, blood parameters, and breast meat quality were determined. It was observed that the weight gain and feed intake of growers (21~35 d) and broilers (0~35 d) were significantly reduced as the stocking density increased (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05). However, the feed intake of starters (0~21 d) significantly increased as the stocking density increased (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05). There were no significant differences in the biochemical profiles among the four different stock densities. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed in the stress parameters: (heterophils / lymphocytes ratio and corticosterone), IgA, and IgM; however, IgG significantly increased with stocking density (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05). The pH, water holding capacity, and cooking loss of the muscle were all unaffected by the stocking density, but the shear force (tenderness) increased slightly as the density increased. The findings of this study suggest that a lower stocking density (16 birds/m²) significantly improved the shear force of breast meat and IgG in broilers.