Age-dependent morphometric changes of different parts of small and large intestines in the ross broilers

Abstract

To study morphometric changes of different parts of small and large intestines with age, 100 Ross broiler chickens were divided into five age groups: 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 days. The following parameters of intestines were analysed: the duodenal length (DL), and weight (DW), jejunal length (JL), and weight (JW), ileal length (IL), and weight (IW), caecal length (CeL), and weight (CeW), colon length (CoL), and weight (CoW), alimentary canal length (AL), and weight (AW), with relation to the birds’ body weight (BW). The weights of all the various parts of small intestine in the 10 days group had significantly higher values for bigger females, compared to the smaller males, whereas in other age groups that males, larger than females, were more than females. As the age increased, all the indices of relative values of intestinal parameters decreased. In all age groups, the highest and lowest weights, lengths and all the intestinal parameters indices were belonged to jejunum and colon respectively. All the intestinal weight and length parameters were highly correlated with body weight and alimentary canal length. These findings suggest that morphometry of alimentary canal might be one of the major determining patterns of growth in a bird species, especially in different ages.