Katrien Rysman, Venessa Eeckhaut, Richard Ducatelle, Evy Goossens, Filip Van Immerseel
{"title":"Broiler performance correlates with gut morphology and intestinal inflammation under field conditions.","authors":"Katrien Rysman, Venessa Eeckhaut, Richard Ducatelle, Evy Goossens, Filip Van Immerseel","doi":"10.1080/03079457.2023.2201169","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Maintaining optimal gut health is a key driver for a well-performing broiler flock. Histology of intestinal sections and quantification of villus structure can be used to evaluate gut health. While these measurements have been used in experimental models to evaluate gut health, less is known about the associations of these parameters with performance in commercial broiler farms. The objective of the present study was to evaluate possible associations of intestinal villus structure and the inflammatory condition of the gut with Ross 308 broiler performance in 50 commercial farms. On day 28 of the production round, 20 randomly selected broilers per farm were weighed, euthanized, and a duodenal section was collected to determine villus length, crypt depth and the CD3<sup>+</sup> T-lymphocytes area percentage (CD3<sup>+</sup> %). We found a relatively low coefficient of variance (CV) for the villus length (between farms; 9.67%, within farms; 15.97%), while the CD3<sup>+</sup> (%) had a high CV (between farms; 29.78%, within farms; 25.55%). At flock level, the CD3<sup>+</sup> (%) was significantly correlated with the villus length (<i>r</i> = -0.334), crypt depth (<i>r</i> = 0.523) and the villus-to-crypt ratio (<i>r</i> = -0.480). The crypt depth was significantly correlated with the European production index (EPI) (<i>r</i> = -0.450) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) (<i>r</i> = 0.389). At broiler level, a significant association was found between the individual body weight (day 28), CD3<sup>+</sup> (%) and villus-to-crypt ratio. These data thus show that gut villus structure is significantly associated with bird performance under commercial conditions. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTSGut histology parameters vary between and within farms.Broiler performance is associated with gut morphology.</p>","PeriodicalId":8788,"journal":{"name":"Avian Pathology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5000,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"1","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Avian Pathology","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03079457.2023.2201169","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2023/5/3 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"VETERINARY SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 1
Abstract
Maintaining optimal gut health is a key driver for a well-performing broiler flock. Histology of intestinal sections and quantification of villus structure can be used to evaluate gut health. While these measurements have been used in experimental models to evaluate gut health, less is known about the associations of these parameters with performance in commercial broiler farms. The objective of the present study was to evaluate possible associations of intestinal villus structure and the inflammatory condition of the gut with Ross 308 broiler performance in 50 commercial farms. On day 28 of the production round, 20 randomly selected broilers per farm were weighed, euthanized, and a duodenal section was collected to determine villus length, crypt depth and the CD3+ T-lymphocytes area percentage (CD3+ %). We found a relatively low coefficient of variance (CV) for the villus length (between farms; 9.67%, within farms; 15.97%), while the CD3+ (%) had a high CV (between farms; 29.78%, within farms; 25.55%). At flock level, the CD3+ (%) was significantly correlated with the villus length (r = -0.334), crypt depth (r = 0.523) and the villus-to-crypt ratio (r = -0.480). The crypt depth was significantly correlated with the European production index (EPI) (r = -0.450) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) (r = 0.389). At broiler level, a significant association was found between the individual body weight (day 28), CD3+ (%) and villus-to-crypt ratio. These data thus show that gut villus structure is significantly associated with bird performance under commercial conditions. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTSGut histology parameters vary between and within farms.Broiler performance is associated with gut morphology.
期刊介绍:
Avian Pathology is the official journal of the World Veterinary Poultry Association and, since its first publication in 1972, has been a leading international journal for poultry disease scientists. It publishes material relevant to the entire field of infectious and non-infectious diseases of poultry and other birds. Accepted manuscripts will contribute novel data of interest to an international readership and will add significantly to knowledge and understanding of diseases, old or new. Subject areas include pathology, diagnosis, detection and characterisation of pathogens, infections of possible zoonotic importance, epidemiology, innate and immune responses, vaccines, gene sequences, genetics in relation to disease and physiological and biochemical changes in response to disease. First and subsequent reports of well-recognized diseases within a country are not acceptable unless they also include substantial new information about the disease or pathogen. Manuscripts on wild or pet birds should describe disease or pathogens in a significant number of birds, recognizing/suggesting serious potential impact on that species or that the disease or pathogen is of demonstrable relevance to poultry. Manuscripts on food-borne microorganisms acquired during or after processing, and those that catalogue the occurrence or properties of microorganisms, are unlikely to be considered for publication in the absence of data linking them to avian disease.