Abstract
Simple SummaryWith the development of the modern poultry industry, people have gradually transformed the floor rearing system into a cage rearing system. However, due to some factors, including the environment and management, the feather condition of caged ducks is generally poor, which impairs the healthy growth of ducks and the economic efficiency of breeders. It is believed that birds usually collect secretions from their uropygial gland and smear them on their feathers and cuticle scales during preening to improve their waterproofing and resistance to pathogens, thus protecting their health and growth. Therefore, we studied the uropygial glands of ducks in different rearing systems. The results showed that the cage rearing system affected the weight and metabolic components in the uropygial gland of ducks. Caged ducks have a lower relative weight of their uropygial gland and lower levels of certain amino acids and fatty acids that contribute to their development. This allows us to better understand the causes of the poor appearance of feathers in caged ducks.Background: As a unique skin derivative of birds, the uropygial gland has a potential role in maintaining feather health and appearance. Cage-reared ducks usually have a worse feather condition than floor-reared ducks. We suspected that the metabolic components in the uropygial gland might play a vital role in their feather conditions. Methods: Herein, the uropygial glands of floor- and cage-reared ducks were weighed, and a nontargeted metabolic analysis was performed. Results: At 20 weeks of age, the relative weight of floor-reared duck uropygial glands was significantly higher than that of cage-reared ducks, indicating that the floor rearing system is better for inducing the development of uropygial glands. The nontargeted metabolic data revealed 1190 and 1149 differential metabolites under positive and negative ion modes, respectively. Among them, 49 differential metabolites were annotated between the two rearing systems. Three sulfur-containing amino acids, namely, 2-ketobutyric acid, L-aspartate-semialdehyde, and N-formyl-L-methionine, and some lipids, including inositol and sphingosine, might be responsible for the changes in plumage appearance among the various rearing conditions. Conclusions: The results of our study revealed the differences in the metabolic components of the uropygial gland in ducks reared under different rearing systems and found metabolic components to be possibly responsible for the poor feather condition of caged ducks.
Highlights
The uropygial gland is a unique skin derivative of birds located in the back of the tail base [1]
We found that there was no significant difference in the total weight of the uropygial gland between the two groups (Figure 1C); the cage-reared ducks exhibited a lower relative weight of the uropygial gland than the floor-reared ducks (p < 0.05) at 20 weeks (Figure 1D), indicating that the cage rearing system is detrimental for the development of duck uropygial glands
Our study observed that the relative weight of the uropygial glands of floor-reared ducks was significantly higher than that of cage-reared ducks, providing evidence showing the influence of the environment on uropygial gland weight, which might affect plumage integrity
Summary
The uropygial gland is a unique skin derivative of birds located in the back of the tail base [1]. The uropygial gland comprises stratified epithelium containing secretory tubules filled with oil droplets. These oil droplets are discharged into the central cavity [5]. As a unique skin derivative of birds, the uropygial gland has a potential role in maintaining feather health and appearance. We suspected that the metabolic components in the uropygial gland might play a vital role in their feather conditions. Methods: the uropygial glands of floor- and cage-reared ducks were weighed, and a nontargeted metabolic analysis was performed. Conclusions: The results of our study revealed the differences in the metabolic components of the uropygial gland in ducks reared under different rearing systems and found metabolic components to be possibly responsible for the poor feather condition of caged ducks
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