Growing Broiler Chickens Research Articles

Development of a Light Intensity Monitoring System in Broiler Chicken Coops Based on Arduino IoT Cloud

The lighting system significantly influences the growth and productivity of broiler chickens, necessitating an efficient tool for monitoring light intensity in chicken coops. This study aims to design and develop an Arduino IoT Cloud-based light intensity monitoring system for broiler chicken coops. The system employs two BH1750 light sensors, positioned inside and outside the coop, to measure light intensity, which is then processed by an ESP32 microcontroller. The collected data is displayed on a 16x2 LCD screen and uploaded in real time to the Arduino IoT Cloud platform for remote monitoring. Testing conducted over a 6-hour period revealed that light intensity inside the coop remained stable at approximately 30 lux from 09:30 to 12:52, while the highest external light intensity reached 400 lux between 12:06 and 14:40, followed by a decrease after 14:50. These findings indicate that the system can assist farmers in timely actions, such as opening or closing coop curtains, through effective monitoring via the Arduino IoT Cloud platform.

Effect of terracotta drinker and/or water addition of ASPRO‐C plus on behavior, growth, and physiological response of broiler chickens exposed to high temperature

AbstractThis study aimed to evaluate the effects of a terracotta drinker and/or water supplementation with ASPRO‐C Plus on the zootechnical performance of broiler chickens reared in a hot environment. A total of 160 Cobb 500 broiler chicks of 15 days old (240.2 ± 39.82 g) were divided into four treatment groups in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of drinker type (plastic or terracotta) and water with or without ASPRO‐C Plus (1 g/L) supplementation, each consisting of 4 replicate pens. Respiratory rate, water intake, feed intake, and live body weight were recorded weekly. At 49 days old, 12 birds per group were randomly selected, fasted for 12 h, weighed, and slaughtered for carcass evaluation and blood collection. The respiration rate of broilers decreased significantly (p < 0.01) with the terracotta drinker as compared to the plastic drinker. The water intake, the feed intake and the body weight gain increased significantly (p < 0.01) with the terracotta drinker as compared to the plastic drinker. The water addition of ASPRO‐C Plus significantly increased (p < 0.01) the relative weight of abdominal fat and spleen in broilers. The alpha‐amylase activity was significantly decreased (p < 0.01) with the water addition of ASPRO‐C Plus. The serum content of total cholesterol was significantly increased (p < 0.01) with the terracotta drinker. It can be concluded that ASPRO‐C Plus can slightly improve liveability, but using the terracotta drinker can be more efficient in reducing the behavioral response to heat stress and can improve the growth performance.

Optimising Growth, Immunity, and Gene Expression in Broiler Chickens Through Dietary Threonine Levels and Oil Inclusion.

The inclusion of synthetic amino acids in poultry nutrition plays a crucial role in both enhancing the synthesis of immunoglobulins and elevating the overall comprehensiveness of the amino acid profile. This research examined the effects of consuming threonine (Thr) in various forms levels with low or high oil on broiler chickens' growth and immunity. We investigate the growth performance, feed efficiency, immune response, intestinal morphology, absorptive capacity, and expression of some genes related to the feed intake (Pro-opiomelanocortin [POMC]), fatty acid synthesis (Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase [ACC]), immunity (lipopolysaccharide-induced tumour necrosis like alpha factor [LITAF]), and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70). Eight groups of chicks were used, including four dietary Thr levels (100%, 115%, 130%, or 145%) with two oil levels (mixture of sunflower 50% and soybean oils 50%): (control) and high. The higher dietaryThrlevel (145%) with high oil inclusion significantly increased ACC and POMC gene expression, resulting in the lowest feed intake, body weight gain (BWG), and liver fat content. Combining high oil with 115% Thr was the optimum for the broilers. The birds have significant (p ≤.05) growth performance, immune parameters, and intestinal health, as well as the lowest expression of ACC, POMC, HSP70, and LITAF, which was reflected in better feed conversion ratio and lower incidence of fatty liver, thermo-resistance, and immune status of the birds. The combination of high oil and 115% Thr levels optimises broiler health and productivity, enhancing growth, immune function, and gut health. This diet lowers the expression of genes associated with fatty liver and stress, leading to better feed efficiency, thermo-resistance, and overall well-being. Adopting these dietary adjustments can improve broiler performance and economic viability in poultry farming by enhancing essential productivity metrics.

Influence of different doses of essential amino acids on growth and development of broiler chickens

Optimization of the amino acid balance of essential amino acids, as well as individual amino acids and probiotics, allows improving production indicators such as poultry livability, live weight gain, feed conversion and increasing the economic efficiency of meat production. The purpose of the research was to evaluate the eff ect of diff erent levels of arginine in poultry diets on average daily live weight gain and determine its effect on the livability of broiler chickens, optimize the amino acid composition of broiler chicken diets in accordance with the recommended standards of essential amino acids. The experiment was conducted at Kuratye LLC in Verkhniy Tagil in the Sverdlovsk region on the cross Arbor Acres of broiler chickens. The diet of the experimental group of broilers diff ered from the control diet in that the content of the amino acid arginine was brought to the standards recommended by German poultry farmers. It was found that the average daily live weight gain of broilers in the experimental group for the entire growing period was 47.7 g in the control group, in the experimental group it was 9.0 % higher than in the control and was 52.0 g. The European productivity index, calculated taking into account live weight, livability, fattening period of poultry and costs per unit of production in the control group was 274.0, and in the experimental group it was 309.2 units. From the conducted studies it follows that it is necessary to take into account the ratio of arginine to lysine in the diets of broiler chickens at the level of 1.04, 1.06 and 1.07, respectively, for the rearing phases such as starting, growth and finishing periods.

Fatty acid composition, lipid profile and oxidative stability of meat of broiler chickens fed diet containing bird eye pepper of varying inclusion level and sieve size.

Nutritional modifications to improve meat quality is targeted by farmers. Bird eye pepper (BEP) contains bio-compounds of physiological significance. The potency of BEP of varying inclusion level and sieve size on meat quality [fatty acid (FA), lipid profile and oxidative stability] of broiler chickens was investigated. A total of 246 birds fed diet-containing BEP [inclusion level (0, 0.15 and 0.3%), sieve size (0.05 and 0.1mm)] were randomized to six treatments replicated 4 times in a 2 by 3 factorial layout. After feeding (31 days), forty-eight birds (two per replicate) were slaughtered and breast muscles harvested. Meat lipid profile and 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARs) were determined on day (d) 0, while TBARs was further assessed on d 3 and 5, but FA on d 10 of refrigeration storage. BEP diet (0.15%) increased (p < 0.05) total monounsaturated FA (MUFA), unsaturated FA (UFA) and n-3 FA, while 0.05mm BEP lowered (p < 0.05) meat index of thrombogenicity (TI) but increased meat hypocholesteromic: hypercholesteromic (HH) value. Dietary 0.15% (0.05mm) BEP yielded low (p < 0.05) SFA but high MUFA: SFA, UFA: SFA and NVI, while 0.15% (0.1mm) BEP diet resulted in high total MUFA and higher (p < 0.05) UFA, n-3 and n-3: n-6 FA. Control, 0.15% and 0.05mm BEP diets reduced (p < 0.05) meat cholesterol value. This study has shown that 0.15% (0.05mm) BEP diet had no deleterious effect on the growth of broiler chickens but improved the NVI, IA, TI, HH, TBARs and cholesterol of the meat - a significance to health-conscious consumers.

Expression of Genes Related to Meat Productivity, Metabolic and Morphological Significance of Broiler Chickens with the Use of Nutritional Phytochemicals.

The study aimed to analyze gene expression linked to skeletal muscle growth and lipid metabolism in broiler chickens fed with plant extracts. Five groups of chickens were formed: four experimental groups and one control group. The diets of the experimental groups were supplemented with different plant extracts: chicory, St. John's wort, maral root, and creeping thyme, whereas the control group received feed without phytobiotic compounds. Weekly weighings were conducted (n = 36). The chickens were slaughtered at day 26 for tissue sampling of four birds from each group. Gene expression (MYOG, MSTN, FASN) related to muscle growth and fatty acid synthesis was analyzed using the β-actin ACTB gene as a reference. Blood samples were taken at day 35 for biochemical analysis and anatomical dissection was performed. The study revealed that using plant extracts from chicory, thyme, and maral root increased MYOG gene activity by 4.21, 7.45, and 8.93 times, respectively. T. serpyllum extract boosted the MSTN gene by 10.93 times, impacting muscle growth regulation. FASN gene expression for fatty acid synthesis increased significantly by 18.22-184.12 times with plant extracts. The best results regarding meat productivity of chickens were obtained when using R. carthamoides extract. The results of the study will serve as a basis for further development of a phytocomposition designed to increase the meat productivity of broiler chickens in the production of environmentally safe poultry products.

The results of research on technological indicators in the experimental module for growing broiler chickens

Russia ranks fifth in the world in poultry meat production. In the period from 2010 to 2021, the volume of production of this type of product increased by 1.77 times, which in physical terms is 2,190 thousand tons. The largest volume of poultry meat production, 89.7%, falls on the meat of broiler chickens. This indicator is justified by consumer preferences of the retail market, a low feed conversion rate, a high level of automation of production processes, as well as the possibility of up to 8 production cycles per year. The main share, amounting to 93%, of broiler chicken meat production is accounted for by large agricultural enterprises. Households of the population and peasant farms account for 7% of production. This result is observed due to the lack of technical and technological solutions for small-scale production, providing for the use of automation of production processes, which leads to a decrease in productivity and an increase in poultry mortality. The combination of these factors increases the cost of finished products, making small-scale production uncompetitive. To solve this problem, a project has been developed and a prototype of a technological module for fattening broiler chickens has been manufactured. The production capacity of the module is 2,800 broiler chickens per year. The module uses a cellular method of keeping poultry on a mesh flooring. As a result of the conducted studies, the feed conversion rate was 1.66, the cost of water was 3.4 liters, electricity was 3.22 kWh and labor was 0.051 people per kilogram of live weight. The obtained indicators are comparable with those of large poultry farms, which allows us to conclude that it is advisable to use technological modules at small poultry enterprises.

The use of partially slatted floor designs as an alternative to littered systems in broiler chickens. I. The effects on the performance, slaughter and carcass traits.

In this study, the effects of fully littered, slatted and their varying combinations on growth, performance, carcass and meat quality characteristics in broiler chickens were investigated. In the experiment, five treatment groups were formed as fully littered (FL), fully slatted (FS), 1/3 littered + 2/3 slatted (2/3 SF), 1/2 littered + 1/2 slatted (1/2SF), 2/3 littered + 1/3 slatted (1/3 SF). Each treatment group included 5 replicates (24 chicks in each) and a total of 600 male-female mixed fast growing broiler chicks (Ross-308) were used during 6 weeks. Weekly body weight (BW, g), feed intake (FI, g), feed conversion ratio (FCR, g.feed intake/g.weight gain), livability (%) and EPEF (European Production Efficiency Factor) were determined as performance characteristics. Carcass yield (CY, %), and the percentages of abdominal fat (AFP, %), edible internal organs (EIOP, %), gizzard (GP, %), breast (BRP, %) and thigh (TP, %) meat were the carcass characteristics. Meat quality measured by pH and color (L*: lightness, a*: redness, b*: yellowness) of breast and thigh meat, and occurrence of white striping and hemorrhaging in breast meat. The weekly BW differences among the floor treatments were significant (P < 0.01), and 1/3SF broilers were the heaviest at slaughter age (3311.6g). The 6-week FCR in FS broilers was significantly worse than the others (1.471), but FI, livability and EPEF were similar among treatments. AFP tended to be higher in FL birds (P = 0.066), while CY, EIOP, GP, BRP and TP did not differ between groups. Breast pH was similar between treatments, with 1/2SF showing the highest (6.34) and FL the lowest (6.24) breast pH (P < 0.01). The partially slatted systems caused lighter, redder and yellower color values in breast meat (P < 0.01) than the fully littered or slatted systems, but did not change the color of the thigh meat. White striping and hemorrhaging in breast meat were not affected by the floor treatments. This study suggests that the use of partially slatted systems in broiler chickens improves meat color without compromising performance traits (body weight, feed efficiency, EPEF), litter moisture and slaughter traits and these systems could be an alternative to fully littered systems.

Effects of shallot (Allium ascalonicum) powder supplementation on growth, intestinal morphology, immune stimulation, and intestinal bacteria in broiler chickens

Background and Aim: Antimicrobial resistance in poultry farms is a significant global public health concern that has led farmers to explore alternative antibiotics, such as prebiotics in poultry production. This study aimed to examine the antimicrobial activity of ethanolic shallot extract (ESE) and the effects of adding shallot powder (SP) to broiler feed on broiler growth, immune response to Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccination, and gastrointestinal tract bacteria. Materials and Methods: We determined the antimicrobial effects of ESE against Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EOH) and Lactobacillus acidophilus TISTR 2365 (L2365) using the agar well diffusion method. We used a complete randomized design to assign 120 1-day-old Arbor Acre chicks to six groups with four replicates of five broiler chickens over 42 days. The treatment groups were as follows: T1-basal diet (B) + NDV vaccination (positive control), T2-B (negative control), T3-B + 2 g SP per kg of feed, T4-B + 2 g SP per kg of feed + NDV, T5-B + 4 g SP per kg of feed, and T6-B + 4 g SP per kg of feed + NDV. Results: The minimum inhibitory concentrations of ESE on EOH and L2365 were 62.50 and 125.00 mg/mL, respectively. The body weight gain, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio in the 4 g SP of T5 and T6 groups were significantly improved compared with the other groups (p &lt; 0.05). The immune organ (IO) and thymus gland weights in the T4 group were significantly greater than those observed in the positive and negative control groups (p &lt; 0.05). The IO weights of the bursae of Fabricius and spleen tended to be greater in the T4 group than in the other groups. T5 group broilers had the highest ratio of villus height to crypt depth. The humoral immunity titers against NDV vaccination were improved in the SP-supplemented groups compared with the non-supplemented groups (p &gt; 0.05). SP supplementation reduced the levels of coliform (p &lt; 0.05) and E. coli in the broiler intestine by adding 4 g of SP per kg of feed. However, L2365 was more tolerant to ESE in vitro and tended to increase in line with increased SP levels. Conclusion: ESE showed strong antimicrobial activity to reduce harmful bacteria, and SP supplementation may exhibit prebiotic effects to increase broiler chicken growth, immunity, and microbial balance. Keywords: broiler chickens, food security, immune stimulation, intestinal bacteria, intestinal morphology, shallot.

Intestinal microbiota composition in broilers fed protein-free or casein-based diets

Growing broiler chickens of the Cobb500 strain were used to determine the effects on intestinal microbiota composition of a protein-free (PF) diet as compared to a diet based in casein (CAS) as the only protein source. CAS was formulated to contain the same amount of protein (190 g kg-1) as a commercial Maize-soy diet which was used as a practical reference. The ileal AA flow (g kg-1 dry matter intake) was significantly higher (P < 0.001) than PF in birds fed protein containing diets (CAS or Maize-soy). Taken as a whole (discriminant and ANOSIM analysis), the intestinal (ileal and caecal contents and ileal tissue) microbiota composition of PF and CAS were significantly (P < 0.001) different from Maize-soy and not different from each other in some cases. RT-qPCR and sequencing analysis of the ileal and caecal microbiota revealed significant (P < 0.05) differences in a number of bacterial groups between broilers fed PF, CAS or Maize-soy diets. The main result was that the lack of protein in the intestinal medium of PF birds resulted in a drop of Lactobacillus spp. counts (on average, 43 in PF vs 1,734 in the Maize-soy diet) and increased Enterobacteriaceae (on average, 419 in PF vs 172 in the Maize-soy diet) and other potentially pathogenic bacterial groups (in both intestinal contents and tissue). Thus, the lack of protein in the intestinal medium of PF birds resulted in a microbiota composition compatible with a pro-inflammatory state, and this effect was somewhat less marked in birds fed CAS. The results reported here suggest that the adverse effects on microbiota composition in broilers fed CAS were less marked than in those fed PF, which would be in line with a preferential use of a highly digestible protein containing diet to determine endogenous AA excretion instead of a PF diet.

Revealing in vivo broiler chicken growth state: Integrating CT imaging and deep learning for non-invasive reproductive phenotypic measurement

The measurement of body dimensions in broiler chickens has long been of great interest to the poultry industry, especially regarding reproductive phenotypes closely linked to breeding traits and the growth status of roosters. Existing measurement methods suffer from subjectivity, destructiveness, and various limitations. Therefore, we propose a novel method for the in vivo measurement of broiler chicken reproductive phenotype based on a three-dimensional medical imaging segmentation network. Leveraging our proposed FDTR medical imaging segmentation algorithm, this method achieves robust segmentation performance on a broiler chicken dataset. However, due to the morphological diversity and extreme class imbalance of broiler chicken reproductive phenotypes, we introduce a meta-learning paradigm and design a specialized decoder path. Ultimately, we establish relationships between the predicted results obtained from the segmentation network and the reproductive phenotypes to achieve phenotypic measurement. To evaluate this method, we collected and constructed the YF2023 broiler chicken reproductive phenotype dataset. Extensive cross-validation experiments demonstrate that the proposed method effectively measures the reproductive phenotypes of live roosters using computed tomography (CT) medical imaging. The proposed segmentation model achieves a mean fold dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of 0.6353, a mean fold Hausdorff distance (HD) of 11.84 mm, and a mean fold average volume distance (AVD) of 1.72 mm3. In addition, we evaluated our model’s generalization performance on unseen data, where the model achieved a DSC of 0.6825, an HD of 7.58 mm, and an AVD of 1.40 mm3. The predicted results exhibit a mean correlation coefficient of 66.18% with the weights of reproductive phenotype. This validates the enormous potential of the method in broiler chicken breeding and provides new insights and solutions for the accurate segmentation of broiler chicken reproductive phenotype. The code is available at https://github.com/Github-XKou/MetaFDTR.

Dried Chlorella powder supplementation: Impact on broiler chicken growth, health, and intestinal microflora

The use of dried Chlorella as an immune and growth stimulant to enhance nonspecific host defense mechanisms or as an antimicrobial to inhibit bacterial growth has been reported. This study aimed to assess the effects of dried Chlorella powder (DCP) supplementation on the growth, health, and intestinal microflora of commercial broiler chicks, comparing a diet containing DCP with an antibiotic-based diet. A total of 120 pieces day-old Cobb 500 broiler chicks were reared at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University Poultry Farm, Dhaka, and randomly divided into four experimental groups of three replicates each, with 10 chicks per replication. One group was fed a control diet, while the remaining three groups were fed diets with 0.5% and 1.0% DCP, and antibiotics, respectively. Results indicated significant (P&lt;0.05) improvements in body weight and dressing percentage with DCP inclusion compared to control-fed broilers. A linear increase in body weight was observed with higher DCP levels, with birds on the 1% DCP diet achieving superior body weights (1665.13±8.82) compared to the control and antibiotic groups. Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) and feed consumption were also significantly (P&lt;0.05) improved, with the best FCR at 1% DCP (1.37±0.01) and the highest FCR in the control group (1.45±0.00). The highest feed consumption was noted in the control group. No significant (P&gt;0.05) differences were observed in the relative weight of spleen and bursa among the groups. DCP had no significant (P&gt;0.05) effects on liver, gizzard, intestine, and heart weights. Hematological studies revealed no significant (P&gt;0.05) differences, except for Hemoglobin and Red Blood Cells (RBC), which were significantly (P&lt;0.05) increased by DCP compared to control and antibiotic groups. DCP supplementation significantly (P&lt;0.05) reduced E. coli and Salmonella sp. counts while increasing Lactobacillus sp. counts. Additionally, treatments with DCP significantly (P&lt;0.05) boosted Newcastle disease (ND) titre levels compared to the control group. The study showed that DCP can be effectively replaced antibiotics in broiler diets, enhancing growth, health, and immune response, thereby promoting sustainable and safer poultry production practices.

Effects of Different Photoperiods during Incubation on Post-Hatch Broiler Performance and Stress Response.

This study evaluated the subsequent effect of photoperiods during incubation on post-hatch growth and stress response of commercial broiler chickens. A total of 875 Ross 308 broiler breeder (48 weeks of age) eggs were hatched using different durations (0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 h a day) of dichromatic light [green and red (495 to 750 nm); 2700 K; 250 lux; SUNJIE; China] throughout the whole period of incubation. A total of 50 0-day-old hatched straight run broiler chicks from each photoperiod during incubation were used to evaluate subsequent growth performance (feed intake, body weight, and feed conversion ratio); stress parameters (physical asymmetry, tonic immobility, and vocalization,); welfare traits (feather score and gait score); carcass traits (live weight, dressed weight, carcass yield, liver weight, gizzard weight, heart weight, abdominal fat weight, breast weight, and leg weight); and serum chemistry (globulin, total protein, cholesterol, glucose, and uric acid). There were no influences of photoperiod during incubation on post-hatch growth, stress parameters, welfare, and carcass traits. Heart yield was higher in birds incubated under 20 h light than in those from the 16 h light group. Incubation under different lighting durations also altered blood biochemical profile but did not influence serum globulin and cholesterol levels. It was concluded that under experimental conditions, incubation of broiler eggs under different lighting durations did not impact subsequent post-hatch performance (21-35 d).

Relative bioavailability of L-methionine and DL-methionine in growing broilers

Two separate studies were conducted in growing broiler chickens to examine the relative bioavailability (RBA) of L-smethionine (L-Met) vs. DL-methionine (DL-Met) in the starter (0-10 d, Experiment 1) and grower (11-24 d, Experiment 2) periods. In each experiment, 540 male Arian broilers were weighed and randomly allocated to nine dietary treatments in a completely randomized design with 6 replicates: basal diet (BD) with no methionine (Met) supplementation and eight diets supplemented with incremental levels (0.8, 1.6, 2.4, and 3.2 g/kg) of DL-methionine (DL-Met) or L-methionine (L-Met). Supplementation of the BD with either DL-Met or L-Met improved growth performance (P < 0.05), breast percentage (P < 0.05), and antioxidant status (P < 0.05) of broilers in both experiments. Orthogonal contrasts showed that L-Met supplementation compared to DL-Met (specifically at levels 0.8 and 1.6 g/kg) improved average daily gain (ADG, P < 0.05), average daily feed intake (ADFI, P < 0.01), and feed to gain ratio (F:G, P < 0.01) in the starter phase. In the grower phase, L-Met supplementation (specifically at levels 0.8 and 1.6 g/kg) only improved F:G (P < 0.05) compared to DL-Met, with no significant differences in the other performance parameters. Nonlinear regression analysis showed that RBA of L-Met based on carcass percentage was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of DL-Met in the starter phase. Based on the findings of this study, it seems that using L-Met compared to DL-Met may improve the feed efficiency and carcass percentage of young growing broiler chickens.

Effect of the competitive exclusion culture on the growth, blood parameters, leg health, and innate immunity of broiler chickens

Abstract The primary aim of poultry production is to obtain a high yield and quality end product. To reduce the risk of disease, many direct-fed microbial products have been developed. That appears to be an excellent tool for disease prevention. We evaluated the influence of the commercial, competitive exclusion (CE) product, Broilact®, on the growth rate, hematology, serum biochemistry, and innate immunity in male ROSS-308 chickens, randomly divided into two groups (Broilact® treatment and control) raised for 42 days. The birds’ body weight was determined at 1, 7, 14, 28, 35, and 42 days, and the blood samples were collected at days 22 and 42 of life. We observed lower mortality, better gait score, and higher final body weight in the Broilact® group. At day 22, birds from the treated group presented higher white blood cells counts (WBC) and T cytotoxic lymphocyte (CD8+) counts, higher total protein (TP) (fraction globulin and albumin), and lower triglyceride (TAG) and Ca2+ plasma concentrations. No differences were found in acute phase proteins (APPs). At day 42, only the K+ and Na+ concentrations were higher, while the IL-10 was lower in treated birds’ blood serum. Our results indicate that treatment with one dose of the Broilact® product at day one of life has a beneficial influence, which improves the chickens’ performance, leg health and some serum enzymes activity, maintains electrolyte homeostasis, and influences leukocyte count with the rise of T CD8+ subpopulations.

Impact of long-term feeding a high level of Spirulina combined with enzymes on growth performance, carcass traits and meat quality in broiler chickens.

This study evaluates the effect of prolonged feeding with a high inclusion level of Spirulina, combined with peptidases, on broiler chicken's growth performance, digesta viscosity, carcass attributes and meat quality. The experiment involved 120 male broilers divided into 40 battery brooders, each housing 3 birds. Post 7-day acclimatisation with a corn and soybean-based diet, the birds were provided with one of four diets: a corn and soybean meal-based diet (CON), a mix incorporating 15% Spirulina (SP), a Spirulina-rich mix supplemented with 0.025% of commercial VemoZyme® P (SPV), or a Spirulina-rich mix supplemented with 0.10% of porcine pancreatin (SPP). The CON group had higher body weight and weight gain (p < 0.001) and a lower feed conversion ratio (p < 0.001) from day 7-21, compared to the Spirulina-fed groups. Spirulina-fed chickens significantly increased ileum viscosity (p < 0.05). Spirulina also elevated the weight (p < 0.05) of the duodenum and the length (p < 0.001) of the entire gastrointestinal tract compared to CON. Breast and thigh muscles from Spirulina-fed broilers displayed higher values of yellowness (b*) (p < 0.001), pigments (p < 0.05), and n-3 PUFA (p < 0.01), while n-6/n-3 ratio (p < 0.001) and α-tocopherol (p < 0.001) decreased relative to the CON. In conclusion, the introduction of a high level of Spirulina into broiler diets for an extended duration, has the potential to diminish birds' growth performance, possibly due to increased digesta viscosity. However, it does enhance the nutritional quality of the meat.

Effect of Synbiotic Supplementation on The Growth and Hematological Attributes of Broiler Chicken (Gallus Gallus) Infected with Coccidiosis

Effect of Synbiotic Supplementation on The Growth and Hematological Attributes of Broiler Chicken (Gallus Gallus) Infected with Coccidiosis

Effects of Moringa oleifera Leaf Powder on the Growth Performance, Meat Quality, Blood Parameters, and Cecal Bacteria of Broilers.

The effect of dietary inclusion of Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MLP) on the growth, meat quality, carcass characteristics, hematobiochemical profile, and cecal bacteria of broiler chicken was investigated in this research trial. In this study, 192-day-old Arbor Acre broiler chicks were assigned in a completely randomized design to three groups: control, antibiotic, and MLP. A standard basal diet was given to the control group, while the antibiotic group received 75 mg/kg chlortetracycline, and the MLP group received 100 mg/kg M. oleifera leaf powder supplemented basal diet. Each group was further divided into eight replicates consisting of eight birds each, and the trial ran for 35 days. Among the groups, the MLP-fed broilers achieved the highest final body weight (FBW), average daily gain (ADG), and average daily feed intake (ADFI). Notably, the FCR for the whole experimental period was lower in the MLP group, indicating a more efficient use of feed for growth. Supplementation of MLP with basal diet significantly increased (p < 0.05) the weight of thighs and drumsticks relative to live weight %, while the spleen and abdominal fat weight (% of live weight) were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Adding MLP to the diet improved the meat quality of broilers, as indicated by the highest pH of meat at 45 min and the lowest cooking loss (%) observed in this group. MLP exhibited hypocholesterolemic and hypolipidemic effects, with the lowest total cholesterol and triglyceride levels compared to non-supplemented groups. The hematological profile revealed that the MLP group exhibited the highest RBC count and Hb level, while also showing the lowest H/L ratio. Moringa supplementation significantly (p < 0.05) modulated the cecal bacterial population, reducing pathogenic E. coli and Shigella spp. while increasing beneficial Lactobacillus spp. and the total aerobic plate count (TAPC). In conclusion, Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MLP) can be used as a natural feed supplement for promoting the growth, meat quality, healthy blood, and sound health of broilers.

Effects of the pesticide carbendazim on broiler chicken health and carbendazim residue levels in broiler tissues.

Pesticide residues may enter the human body through the food chain when livestock and poultry consume pesticide-contaminated feed. Therefore, monitoring and limiting pesticide residues in animal feed and animal-origin foods is necessary. Carbendazim is one of the most frequently detected pesticides in food and feed and has various toxic effects on non-target animals. This study investigated the effects of varying concentrations of carbendazim contamination in feed on broiler chicken growth performance, serum biochemical indicators, histopathology, and carbendazim residues in broiler muscles and livers. The results demonstrated that contamination of 5-100mg/kg carbendazim in feed did not affect broiler growth performance or health. Carbendazim contamination in feed at 200-800mg/kg slightly reduced growth performance. Broiler kidneys showed minor histopathological alterations after 400mg/kg carbendazim exposure. Furthermore, when the carbendazim content in feed was less than 25mg/kg, the residual carbendazim in the muscles and livers of broilers did not exceed the maximum residue level set by the European Union and China. Based on the above findings, carbendazim residues in the feed of less than 25mg/kg can be considered safe for chicken products.

The Combined Use of Cinnamaldehyde and Vitamin C Is Beneficial for Better Carcass Character and Intestinal Health of Broilers.

The use of cinnamaldehyde and Vitamin C can improve immunity and intestinal health. A two-way factorial design was employed to investigate the main and interactive effects of cinnamaldehyde and vitamin C on the growth, carcass, and intestinal health of broiler chickens. A total of 288 one-day-old female Arbor Acres broiler chicks were randomly distributed among four treatment groups, consisting of six replicate cages with 12 birds each. Four treatments were basal diet or control (CON), supplemental cinnamaldehyde (CA) 300 g/ton (g/t), vitamin C (VC) 300 g/t, and cinnamaldehyde 300 g/t, and vitamin C 300 g/t (CA + VC), respectively. The results showed that supplemental CA did not affect the growth performance or slaughter performance of broilers at 21 days (d), 42 days (d), and 1-42 days (d); however, it could improve intestinal barrier function at 42 d of age and reduce the mRNA expression of inflammatory factors in the intestine at 21 d and 42 d of age. Supplemental VC showed a trend towards increasing body weight gain (BWG) at 21 d (p = 0.094), increased breast muscle rate (at 21-d 5.33%, p < 0.05 and at 42-d 7.09%, p = 0.097), and decreased the abdominal fat (23.43%, p < 0.05) and drip loss (20.68%, p < 0.05) at 42-d. Moreover, VC improves intestinal morphology and intestinal barrier function and maintains a balanced immune response. The blend of CA and VC significantly upregulated the mRNA expression of myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD-88) in the intestine at 21 d of age, the mRNA expression of catalase (CAT), Occludin, Claudin-1, Mucin-2, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) in the intestine at 42 d of age (p < 0.01), and downregulated the mRNA expression of interleukin 10 (IL-10), interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in the intestine at 21-d and 42-d of age, and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) mRNA in intestine at 42 d of age (p < 0.01). This study suggested that the combination of CA and VC had the potential to regulate intestinal health and result in better carcass character of broilers.