Abstract
Effects of Incubation Period and Fasting Time on the Duodenum Morphology from One-Day-Old Commercial Broiler Chicks: A Histomorphometrical Study
Highlights
The production chain of broiler chickens has an important position in the world poultry industry, especially in Brazil, which is the third world producer but the first in terms of technology [1]
The results showed that the incubation period affected body and small intestine weights, which were higher at 490-h (P < 0.05)
Considering that the body weight of one-day-old chicks has a high correlation with body weight at slaughter, inadequate management during this period may reduce the chick’s initial viability affecting body weight at slaughter, leading to low profitability. Considering these issues, the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of different incubation periods, associated to different fasting times, on the morphology of the duodenum in one-day-old broiler chicks using histomorphometrical approaches
Summary
The production chain of broiler chickens has an important position in the world poultry industry, especially in Brazil, which is the third world producer but the first in terms of technology [1] This is mainly due to its fast production cycle, reduced production costs compared to other protein sources, leading to an increase consumption by the massive world population [2]. To facilitate management, all chicks are removed from the hatchery at the same time, giving rise to individuals born at different stages of development (19 to 21 days after incubation) [5,6] Giving this scenario, chicks that are born first remain longer in the birth chambers, exposed to early dehydration. Such a procedure may have a tremendous impact on the chicks’ subsequent development mainly due to lack of feeding uniformity, as Approaches in Poultry, Dairy & Veterinary Sciences
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