Journal of Applied Poultry Research最新文献

{"title":"Evaluation of the efficacy of hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate at mitigating the negative impact of aflatoxicosis on nutrient digestibility and other production- and health-related indices in broiler chickens","authors":"Ahmed Ali Saleh ,&nbsp;Rashed A. Alhotan ,&nbsp;Mohammed A.A. Al-Badwi ,&nbsp;Elsayed Osman Hussein ,&nbsp;Livio Galosi ,&nbsp;Giuseppe Crescenzo ,&nbsp;Mahmoud Alagawany ,&nbsp;Walied Abdo ,&nbsp;Sara Mahmoud Omar ,&nbsp;Claudia Zizzadoro","doi":"10.1016/j.japr.2024.100483","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.japr.2024.100483","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dietary supplementation with aluminosilicates is a field-practical and cost-effective strategy to reduce the toxicity of feedborne aflatoxins in poultry. Importantly, not all types of aluminosilicates have the same decontaminating efficiency; thus, a full characterization of the protective properties of each single material would assist in selecting the most appropriate binder. Hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (<strong>HSCAS</strong>) has been proven protective against many of the deleterious effects produced by aflatoxin B₁ (<strong>AFB₁</strong>) in broiler chickens. However, to date, there is no information specifically concerning its ability to counteract AFB₁-induced impairment of nutrient digestibility in these animals. Therefore, expanding on previous research, we sought to fill this gap by incorporating new analyses on nutrient digestibility in a typical panel of aflatoxicosis-relevant endpoints. The aflatoxicated chickens that did not receive HSCAS showed many of the commonly reported signs of aflatoxicosis, including growth depression, liver injury, impaired immune function. Interestingly, some less common aflatoxicosis manifestations were also observed, such as increased serum glucose and cholesterol levels, and increased relative weight of abdominal fat. An unexpectedly low sensitivity to the challenge with AFB₁ was recorded for the digestibility-related parameters. In AFB₁-exposed chickens that received HSCAS, most of the abovementioned signs of aflatoxicosis were not observed, and the few still-occurring ones were substantially mitigated. Interestingly, some of the production- and health-related variables investigated showed significant improvement even when compared with control chickens. Overall, this study brings new knowledge regarding the potential manifestations of aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens and spectrum of HSCAS' beneficial effects, thereby contributing to better identification and control of an aflatoxin problem in poultry farms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15240,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Poultry Research","volume":"33 4","pages":"Article 100483"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142421231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In ovo administration of L. animalis, B. licheniformis, or their combination influences Ross 708 broiler chick hatch performance and immuno-physiological parameters","authors":"C.N. Beck ,&nbsp;K.G.S. Wamsley ,&nbsp;C.D. McDaniel ,&nbsp;A.S. Kiess","doi":"10.1016/j.japr.2024.100481","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.japr.2024.100481","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is a demand for novel pathogen mitigation strategies in antibiotic-free poultry production, which has triggered the development of various probiotic application methods. One application method is the <em>in ovo</em> (in egg) administration of probiotics on incubation day (<strong>d</strong>) 18, where the unhatched chick consumes a probiotic before hatch and prior to being exposed to environmental pathogens. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of <em>in ovo L. animalis, B. licheniformis</em>, or <em>L. animalis + B. licheniformis</em> (10⁶ cfu/50 μL each) administration on hatch performance (N = 21 egg flats/treatment, 30 eggs/flat), live performance (N = 12 pens/treatment), and d of hatch immuno-physiological parameters (N = 12 birds/treatment) among Ross 708 broiler chicks. Data were analyzed by 1-way ANOVA with significance established at <em>P</em> ≤ 0.05. All <em>in ovo</em> probiotic treatments had greater % hatch than the control treatment, and eggs in ovo-administered with <em>B. licheniformis</em> had lower % late dead and % culled-pipped eggs. However, all <em>in ovo</em> probiotic treatments had lower average chick weights compared to those of the HVT vaccine control group. At hatch, chicks administered with <em>B. licheniformis</em> or <em>L. animalis + B. licheniformis</em> had greater relative ceca weight and lower peripheral blood leukocyte levels compared to those belonging to the control group. There were no effects on live performance during the first 2 wk post-hatch. These results show that <em>B. licheniformis</em> and <em>L. animalis</em> are effective candidates for <em>in ovo</em> probiotic administration, but further investigations regarding immuno-physiological responses to <em>in ovo B. licheniformis</em> administration are necessary.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15240,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Poultry Research","volume":"33 4","pages":"Article 100481"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142421282","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Application of pumpkin oil as a new feed additive in Cobb Avian 48 broilers: its effect on performance, carcasses, digestive enzyme, blood metabolites and cecal bacterial load","authors":"Fayiz M. Reda ,&nbsp;Mahmoud Alagawany ,&nbsp;Hemat K. Mahmoud ,&nbsp;Mohammad Y. Alshahrani ,&nbsp;Muath Suliman ,&nbsp;Mashail A. Alghamdi ,&nbsp;Tamer Ahmed Ismail ,&nbsp;Mohamed T. El-Saadony ,&nbsp;Nahed A. El-Shall","doi":"10.1016/j.japr.2024.100480","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.japr.2024.100480","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluated the effects of pumpkin oil (<strong>PKO</strong>), a novel feed additive, on growth, carcass, digestive enzymes, blood metabolites, and cecal bacterial load in broiler chickens. 250 one-wk-old chicks were randomly assigned into 5 equal groups. Group 1(control) was fed the basal diet (<strong>BD)</strong>. Groups 2, 3, 4, and 5 were fed the basal diet (<strong>BD</strong>) with 0.50, 1.00, 1.50, and 2.00 ml of PKO/kg diet, respectively. According to GC-MS analysis, pumpkin oil contains Anthracene, Pyrene, Anethole, Estragole, Oleic Acid, Eugenol, 1-Dodecanamine, N, N-dimethyl- and Hexadecanoic acid, etc. The broilers fed the PKO-supplemented diet had better growth and feed conversion ratio (<strong>FCR)</strong> than those fed the control diet, with no effect on feed intake (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). The highest body weight gain (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) was obtained with 1 and 2 ml of PKO/kg diet compared to 0.5 and 1.5 ml/kg. The best FCR (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) was achieved with 1 ml of PKO/kg diet compared to other treatments. Ileal lipase, amylase, and protease levels were increased significantly while the reverse was observed for plasma aspartate aminotransferase (<strong>AST</strong>), alanine aminotransferase (<strong>ALT</strong>), creatinine, urea, and uric acid (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) by PKO-supplemented diets. PKO supplementation did not, however, alter the percentage of giblets, internal organs, dressing, or carcass (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). When compared to control birds, broilers' plasma level of high-density lipoprotein (<strong>HDL</strong>) was higher and those of triglycerides (<strong>TG</strong>), total cholesterol (<strong>TC</strong>), very low-density lipoprotein (<strong>VLDL</strong>), and low-density lipoprotein (<strong>LDL</strong>) were lower at every tested level of PKO (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Similarly, all PKO levels increased Lactobacilli and decreased the caecal counts of Salmonella, coliforms, and <em>E. coli</em> (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Total antioxidant capacity (<strong>TAC</strong>) and superoxide dismutase (<strong>SOD</strong>) were significantly (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) increased while the malondialdehyde (<strong>MDA</strong>) was decreased in broilers fed PKO-supplemented diet vs control birds. PKO enhanced immune response parameters including total protein, globulin, <strong>IgA, IgG</strong>, and <strong>C3</strong> (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) dose dependently. It was concluded that adding PKO in the broilers’ diet positively affected growth performance, induced hypolipidemic effect, enhanced immunity, and antimicrobial and antioxidant activities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15240,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Poultry Research","volume":"33 4","pages":"Article 100480"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142421192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perch shape and material affect perch use and health parameters of laying hens during the rearing and laying phase","authors":"Ariane Stratmann ,&nbsp;Nadine Ringgenberg","doi":"10.1016/j.japr.2024.100474","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.japr.2024.100474","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Perches are an important resource for laying hens and differ in characteristics like shape, material and diameter. In this study, different perches were tested in regard to animal welfare, focusing specifically on the behavior and health of laying hens during rearing and lay. Five perches, i.e., square-fiber, mushroom-metal, mushroom-plastic, round-plastic and round-metal perches, were installed in 15 experimental pens with 1 perch type per pen. Each pen was populated with 20 hens (10 Lohmann Selected Leghorn and 10 Lohmann Brown hens) and kept in the same pen from d 1 until 40 wk of age. Different behaviors and health parameters (i.e., keel, footpad and plumage condition) were assessed at various ages by scan sampling and continuous observations of video recordings and live assessments, respectively. Perch use was affected by age, hybrid and perch type: it increased with age, white birds used perches more than brown birds, the round-metal perch was used the least and the mushroom-metal perch the most. In more than 50% of observed walking bouts on perches, balance movements occurred. These were observed more during the dusk phase and on the mushroom-shaped perches while birds with the round-metal perch had the least balance problems but also the least number of walking bouts. All health parameters were of minor severity. They were however influenced by perch type and age, where all of them increased with age and in birds with mushroom-metal perches. Hen behavior and health were affected by perch type, highlighting its significance for laying hen welfare.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15240,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Poultry Research","volume":"33 4","pages":"Article 100474"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142421189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dose response of xylanase enzyme on ileal viscosity, digestibility of nutrients, and performance of broiler chickens fed wheat-based diets","authors":"J.I. Vargas ,&nbsp;J.P. Gulizia ,&nbsp;J.R. Hernandez ,&nbsp;C.T. Simões ,&nbsp;E.G. Guzman ,&nbsp;J. Lee ,&nbsp;R. Adhikari ,&nbsp;S.E. Han ,&nbsp;W.J. Pacheco","doi":"10.1016/j.japr.2024.100479","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.japr.2024.100479","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This experiment investigated the dose-response effect of xylanase inclusion on growth performance, ileal digesta viscosity, and nutrient digestibility of broilers fed wheat-based mash diets from 1 to 42 d of age. A total of 1,500-day-old YPM × Ross 708 male broilers were randomly sorted in 50 floor pens and assigned to 5 treatments with 10 replicates per treatment. For each feeding phase, a positive control (<strong>PC</strong>) was formulated to meet the nutrient requirements of broilers, a negative control (<strong>NC</strong>) was formulated to contain 100 kcal/kg less AME_n than the PC, and 3 additional treatments were created by including xylanase to the NC at 1,200 (<strong>NC + 1,200</strong>), 2,400 (<strong>NC + 2,400</strong>) and 4,800 (<strong>NC + 4,800</strong>) U/kg. Feed intake, BW, and mortality corrected FCR were determined at 14, 28, and 42 d of age. Ileal digesta was collected from 7 birds per pen on d 28 to analyze nutrient digestibility and viscosity. In addition, the severity of footpad dermatitis and litter moisture were evaluated at 42 d of age. Data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design using the ANOVA procedure and means were separated by Tukey's HSD test, considering statistical significance at <em>P</em> ≤ 0.05. Broilers fed the NC + 4,800 U/kg diet exhibited a higher BW at 14 (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) and 28 (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) d of age in comparison to the NC. Similarly, improvements on FCR from 1 to 28 (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) and 1 to 42 (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) d of age were observed with a xylanase dose of 1,200 U/kg and higher, in comparison to the NC. In addition, broilers fed the NC supplemented with xylanase at all doses effectively reduced (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) ileal digesta viscosity in comparison to the NC. Finally, xylanase supplementation at a dose of 2,400 U/kg to the NC increased CP (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01), and apparent ileal total amino acid digestibility (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) compared to the NC. Overall, supplementation of mash wheat-based diets with incremental doses of xylanase improved broiler performance and nutrient digestibility while reducing ileal digesta viscosity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15240,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Poultry Research","volume":"33 4","pages":"Article 100479"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142421193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of probiotic supplementation in early or late feeding programs on growth performance and mucin gene expression in broiler chickens","authors":"Mostafa Abbasnejad Shani ,&nbsp;Mehrdad Irani ,&nbsp;Seyed Soheil Ghaemmaghami ,&nbsp;Arman Farzanegan ,&nbsp;Seyed Davood Sharifi","doi":"10.1016/j.japr.2024.100477","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.japr.2024.100477","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This experiment aimed to assess the effects of combining early or late feeding programs with prebiotics on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, blood metabolites, mucin-2 gene expression, and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens. A total of 720 day-old male and female (50:50) broiler chicks were randomly assigned to a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement with 24 experimental units (pens) and 30 birds/pen for 6 wk. Six treatments consisted of 2 feeding programs (early: fed at hatchery; or late: 48 h feed deprivation) and 3 levels of prebiotic supplementation (none, recommended dosage, or 3 times the recommended dosage). Late access to feed during the starter phase resulted in decreased feed intake (<strong>FI</strong>) and weight gain (<strong>WG</strong>), as well as increased feed conversion ratio (<strong>FCR</strong>) (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). During the entire rearing period, broilers in the early feeding program, fed diets without prebiotics had higher mortality rates compared to other treatment groups (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Also, the feeding programs and inclusion of prebiotics in the diets did not have a significant effect on FI, WG, or FCR. In both feeding programs, the supplementation of prebiotic resulted in improved ileal morphology indicators and increased mucin-2 gene expression (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). The use of prebiotic in both the early and late access to feed groups led to decreased serum levels of triglycerides and uric acid (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). In conclusion, late access to feed negatively affected the early growth performance of broiler chicks. Prebiotic supplementation positively influenced mucin-2 gene expression, especially in early feeding programs. Early feed access combined with prebiotics improved intestinal health compared to late access. While prebiotic did not affect overall growth performance, it reduced mortality rates. Further studies are recommended.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15240,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Poultry Research","volume":"33 4","pages":"Article 100477"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142421190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of methionine supplement sources and crude protein on Ross 708 male broiler performance and carcass yield","authors":"D.R. Boontarue ,&nbsp;F.L.S. Castro ,&nbsp;C.M. Poholsky ,&nbsp;B.S. Liebross ,&nbsp;J.W. Boney","doi":"10.1016/j.japr.2024.100478","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.japr.2024.100478","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This 42 d experiment investigated the influence of crude protein (<strong>CP</strong>) levels, methionine (<strong>Met</strong>) supplement sources, and their interaction on growth performance, processing measurements, footpad lesion scores (<strong>FLS</strong>), and litter moisture. A total of 3,072 Ross 708 by-product males received diets varying in CP (Standard [SCP] or Reduced 2% [RCP]) and Met sources (None, Methionine hydroxy analog [<strong>MHA</strong>], or 65% DL-Met [65DLM]). Treatments were arranged in a 2 (CP) x 3 (Met sources) factorial in a randomized complete block design. Each treatment was fed to 16 replicate floor pens with 32 birds/pen across a 3-phase (starter, d 1–10; grower, d 11–24; finisher, d 25–42) feeding program. Performance was measured during d 1 to 10, 1 to 24, and 1 to 42. On d 24 and 42, litter moisture was determined, and 3 birds/pen were selected for FLS. On d 42, 3 birds were selected for processing. Regardless of Met source, RCP-fed birds showed reduced performance compared to birds fed SCP treatments. Birds fed SCP diets increased litter moisture when compared to birds fed RCP diets. Likewise, birds fed either MHA or 65DLM had higher litter moisture content than birds provided a diet with no Met supplementation. On d 42, 90% of FLS across all treatments had a score of “0”. Breast weight was highest when 65DLM was in SCP diets and reduced when MHA was in either RCP or SCP diets. This experiment indicates that 65DLM and MHA can be used interchangeably in formulation, achieving similar performance and improved breast weight with 65DLM in SCP diets.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15240,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Poultry Research","volume":"33 4","pages":"Article 100478"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142421270","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of the effects of maintaining a moderate humidity (50–60%) and increased air movement on litter moisture and footpad health in a commercial broiler house","authors":"C.T. Mou,&nbsp;M. Czarick III,&nbsp;B.D. Fairchild","doi":"10.1016/j.japr.2024.100476","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.japr.2024.100476","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>High litter moisture (&gt;25%) strongly correlates with higher ammonia and increased footpad lesions. Although there are methods to help reduce the occurrence of high litter moisture, such as ventilation and proper drinker management, these methods need to evolve due to increasing consumer demands and more stringent animal welfare guidelines. A potentially cost-effective method may be ventilating houses to maintain a moderate RH level (60% or lower) and increasing the amount of air movement (150 ft/min) over the litter surface through circulation fans. This field study examined the possible effects of this combination on litter moisture and footpad health. The combination (TRT) had the greatest impact during the first 3 wk of a flock. The mean litter moisture was below 25% during this period in TRT houses. While litter moisture in the control (<strong>CTL</strong>) houses (no circulation fans- same RH) was 30% or greater. During the first 21 d, in 3 out of the 4 study flocks, less than 10% of birds had signs of lesions in the TRT house compared to up to 29% of birds in the CTL house. At the end of the flock, birds in the CTL house had, on average, a 23% higher rate of severe lesions than birds in the TRT house. These findings suggest moderate RH and supplemental air movement over the litter surface (150 ft/min) can benefit litter moisture control and footpad health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15240,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Poultry Research","volume":"34 1","pages":"Article 100476"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142757558","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Applied research note: comparison of the locomotor activity and circadian rhythm in 3 strains of laying hens as measured by tri-axial accelerometers","authors":"J.A. Abecia ,&nbsp;C. Palacios ,&nbsp;J. Plaza ,&nbsp;J. Nieto ,&nbsp;F. Canto","doi":"10.1016/j.japr.2024.100475","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.japr.2024.100475","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The objective of this study was to use tri-axial accelerometers to quantify circadian changes in the locomotor activity of 3 strains of laying hens. Animals were from either the White, Brown or Black strain of a farm that breeds free-range laying hens. Hens were fitted with commercially available sensors that record high resolution raw acceleration data, which were attached to the back of the hen by nylon harnesses and remained in place for 7 d. Separately, animals from each of the strains were allocated to an indoor hen house (density = 0.5 m²/hen), which had an artificial photoperiod (16L:8D), and an adjacent outdoor pen (4 m²). Minute-by-minute activity data values (Vector Magnitude, VM) were calculated from the activity counts of each of the 3 axes. Mean (± S.E.) activity (counts/min) of the White strain (was significantly (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) higher than that of the other 2 strains. Hens were quiet in the dark period of the day, and were significantly (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) more active in the light period. Locomotor activity differed significantly (P&lt;0.001) among strains in both the dark and the light periods. All hens exhibited a 24-h circadian rhythm in activity, and significantly different MESOR and acrophases (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). In conclusion, the tri-axial accelerometers tested in this study were useful for measuring locomotor activity in laying hens, and the animals adapted quickly to wearing the devices attached to harnesses. Hens from the 3 strains exhibited the same pattern in locomotor activity throughout the day, although they differed in the intensity of their activity</p></div>","PeriodicalId":15240,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Poultry Research","volume":"33 4","pages":"Article 100475"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1056617124000734/pdfft?md5=1e6f76c2ef379d14bdb61b79604b7d2b&pid=1-s2.0-S1056617124000734-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142243199","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of light exposure during late incubation, early feeding, and litter access posthatch on the stress response and body weight gain in laying hen chicks","authors":"Catharina M.H. Broekmeulen ,&nbsp;Yamenah Gómez ,&nbsp;Sabine G. Gebhardt-Henrich ,&nbsp;Bettina Almasi ,&nbsp;Rupert M. Bruckmaier ,&nbsp;Michael J. Toscano","doi":"10.1016/j.japr.2024.100473","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.japr.2024.100473","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>In-ovo</em> sexing opens the door to on-farm hatching in the laying hen sector, but knowledge on the implications of different hatching system factors remains limited. This study addressed the influence of continuous light exposure during the last 3 d of incubation, posthatch feed and water access, and posthatch litter access on stress responsivity and body weight gain in laying hen chicks. Through a pilot experiment and two replicated experiments, we investigated the influence of these factors on physiological stress responsivity and body weight gain up to 8 wk of age. Short-term stress responsivity was evaluated by serum corticosterone and cloacal temperatures during processing procedures (e.g., sexing, sorting, vaccinating). Additionally, cumulative stress responsivity until 8 wk of age was assessed through corticosterone analysis in feather samples, and chick weights were recorded throughout. The presence of continuous lighting during the last 3 d of incubation affected stress responsivity, potentially by disrupting the circadian release of melatonin and thus corticosterone secretion. Immediate access to posthatch feed and water affected serum corticosterone levels, indicating a relationship between early feeding and stress responsivity. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Posthatch feed and water access did not have long-term effects on body weight gain, as fully deprived chicks were able to catch up within a day. Despite our study's exploratory nature, a complex relationship between stress responsivity and the hatching environment was shown, highlighting the need for future research to focus on disentangling and optimizing hatching system factors to minimize early life stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15240,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Poultry Research","volume":"33 4","pages":"Article 100473"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142421232","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}