Journal of Poultry Science最新文献

This study aimed to assess the joint impact of water salinity, K₂CO₃, vitamin D₃ levels, and inclusion of 1α-hydroxycholecalciferol (1αOHD3) on broiler tibiae. A total of 1200 one-day-old male Ross broiler chickens were given four different levels of vitamin D₃ (2000, 5000, 7000, and 5000 IU + 20 µg/kg 1αOHD₃), three levels of water salinity (WS) (low, moderate, high), and two concentrations of K₂CO₃ (0 and 2.5 g/kg). Supplementation with 1αOHD₃ reduced body weight and increased the feed conversion ratio throughout the experimental period. Birds consuming water with low salinity up to 21 days of age presented significantly lower body weight and feed intake, but a higher feed conversion ratio. Water consumption was reduced by increasing WS during the first week, but increased during the grower and finisher periods. K₂CO₃ lowered water consumption. Higher WS increased litter moisture by 35% and 27% at 14 and 28 days of age, along with alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, but reduced plasma Ca, P, and K. Inclusion of K₂CO₃ lowered plasma Ca, P, and ALP activity at 14 days, but increased plasma K. Apparent total tract retention (TTR) of P decreased by increasing D₃ levels and adding 1αOHD₃ on day 14. Increasing WS linearly decreased TTR of P on day 14 and TTR of Ca and P on day 28, causing a significant loss of tibia ash, Ca, and P. Tibial shear force was reduced by increasing dietary D₃ on day 28. Tibial shear force and stress were decreased, while its elongation was improved, by increasing WS at 14 days of age. In conclusion, high WS lowered bird weight gain, increased water consumption and litter moisture, and reduced TTR of Ca and P, which significantly diminished tibia ash, Ca, and P, as well as tibial mechanical properties.

Olfaction plays a key role in the selection and acquisition of feed as well as its vision and gustation. Although olfactory behavior in chickens is speculated to depend on olfactory receptors, trace-amine-associated receptors (TAARs), and its signaling pathway, insufficient information is available regarding the expression of these molecules in chicken olfactory epithelium. Here, we investigated whether genes encoding representative olfactory receptors, TAARs, and olfactory signaling pathway molecules were expressed in this tissue. Based on real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and agarose gel electrophoresis, we confirmed the expression of 18 olfactory receptors, three TAARs, and six signaling pathway genes, suggesting that chickens possess molecular mechanisms for capturing odorants and transducing olfactory signals.

Aging and inflammation of the intestinal and oviductal mucosa reduce egg production in laying hens. In mammals, microbiota changes in the intestine and reproductive mucosa are linked to aging and mucosal inflammation, but this relationship remains unclear in hens. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of aging on microbiota and inflammation in the intestinal and oviductal mucosa of hens. Sixteen White Leghorn hens aged ~280 days (young) and ~730 days (aged) were used. Bacterial DNA was extracted from feces and vaginal swabs for 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Intestinal (ileum and cecum) and oviductal (uterus and vagina) tissues were processed for histological analysis. Real-time PCR was performed to profile pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, tight junction-related molecules, and calbindin in the uterus. Whereas microbial diversity and composition in the vagina did not change with age; alpha-diversity of intestinal bacteria was lower in the aged group, as suggested by 46 genera showing a decrease and five an increase. The morphology of the ileum mucosa deteriorated, with transforming growth factor (TGF)β3 being upregulated and claudin (CLA)3 being downregulated in the intestine of the aged group. Finally, fibrosis progressed with age in the uterine mucosa, along with overexpression of IL-1β, TGFβ3, TGFβ4, and CLA1, but downregulation of calbindin in the oviductal mucosa. These results suggest that aging may impair intestinal and oviductal health through mucosal inflammation in both the intestine and oviduct of laying hens. This change may be related to alterations in the intestinal microbiota but appears less evident in the vagina.

The current study investigated the optimal standardized ileal digestible (SID) methionine (Met) requirement for the growth performance of white Pekin ducks from hatching to 21 days of age. A total of 288 one-day-old male white Pekin ducklings were initially weighed and randomly assigned to six dietary groups, with six replicates per group. Eight ducklings were housed in each floor cage, pre-littered with rice hulls. Basal diets (corn-soybean-based) included 0.30%, 0.35%, 0.40%, 0.45%, 0.50%, and 0.55% SID Met, representing the dietary treatment groups. Ducklings were offered unrestricted access to experimental diets and freshwater for the duration of the study. Body weight and feed intake were recorded weekly, and the average daily gain and feed conversion ratios were calculated. Overlapping linear- and quadratic-plateau regression models were employed to estimate SID Met requirements. Final body weight, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratios in white Pekin ducks exhibited significant quadratic growth with increasing dietary SID Met concentrations. In conclusion, estimated SID Met requirements for white Pekin ducks from hatching to 21 days, based on an average of linear and quadratic model responses, were determined to be 0.51% for body weight improvement, 0.51% for average daily gain, and 0.50% for feed conversion efficiency. These findings provided invaluable insight into optimized nutritional strategies for early growth performance in white Pekin ducks.

Endogenous water production is an important response for inducing water acquisition in birds, with proteins and lipids being major sources of endogenous water. However, the roles of protein and lipid metabolism-related gene expression in the regulation of their body fluid balance have not been investigated. This study aimed to clarify the roles of protein and lipid metabolism-related genes in osmoregulation in chicks. In Experiment 1, we examined the effects of 12 h of water deprivation on the mRNA levels of protein and lipid metabolism-related genes and feed intake in chicks. Feed intake was significantly decreased by water deprivation throughout the experimental period. The mRNA levels of vasotocin in the diencephalon were significantly increased by water deprivation. The mRNA levels of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A), the rate-limiting enzyme of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation, were significantly increased by water deprivation in the liver, breast muscle, and diencephalon of the chicks. The mRNA levels of atrogin-1, a regulatory enzyme of the ubiquitin proteasome-system, were significantly increased by water deprivation in the breast muscle of the chicks. In contrast, the mRNA levels of fatty acid synthase, the rate-limiting enzyme of fatty acid synthesis, were significantly decreased by water deprivation in the liver of the chicks. In Experiment 2, the effects of intraperitoneal administration of hypertonic saline were examined under feed and water-deprived conditions. The mRNA levels of renal aquaporin 1, breast muscle atrogin-1, and diencephalon CPT1A were significantly increased 1 h after hypertonic saline injection. These results suggest that osmotic stress may induce protein catabolism in the skeletal muscle and fatty acid catabolism in the diencephalon of the chicks.

The present study evaluated the effect of different dietary energy levels on reproductive performance in breeding pigeons, as well as growth performance and intestinal health in squabs. In total, 180 pairs of 12-month-old White King breeding pigeons were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments, each with six replicates of six pairs of birds, and fed diets containing 11.60, 11.80, 12.00, 12.20, and 12.40 MJ/kg for 46 days, respectively. Energy content beyond 12.00 MJ/kg shortened the laying interval (linear and quadratic, P<0.05), while boosting 38-day, 42-day, and 46-day laying rates (linear, P<0.05) in breeding pigeons. Except for the early stage of lactation, feed intake showed a linear and/or quadratic negative relationship with dietary energy content (P<0.05). Body weight at 1 week of age, average daily gain during the early growth stages, and serum total protein of squabs increased with increasing dietary energy content (linear, P<0.05); whereas alanine aminotransferase activity decreased (quadratic, P<0.05). Jejunal villus height and villus height to crypt depth ratio in squabs increased with increasing dietary energy levels (linear and quadratic, P<0.05), particularly in the 12.40 MJ/kg group. Higher dietary energy content increased jejunal malondialdehyde content (linear, P<0.05), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), and glutathione peroxidase activities (linear, P<0.05), as well as ileal T-SOD (linear and quadratic, P<0.05) and catalase (quadratic, P<0.05) activities in squabs. Hence, intakes greater than 12.00 MJ/kg altered the jejunal redox status. Finally, higher dietary energy content improved reproduction in breeding pigeons and intestinal morphology in squabs. Overall, 12.00 MJ/kg strikes the right balance as it promotes reproductive performance in breeding pigeons and intestinal health in squabs.

In this study, we aimed to identify the mechanism responsible for tissue degeneration and fibrosis in pectoral and supracoracoideus muscles. Ten chickens fed ad libitum broiler feed (Bro) were compared to 10 chickens fed breeding feed (Adj), which has lower metabolizable energy. The median body weight of Bro and Adj birds at 48 days of age was 4.9 and 0.9 kg, respectively. In Bro birds, hind legs were farther apart and tended to abduct, whereas their standing posture was often tilted forward, making them unstable. The two Bro males were heavier than the average, markedly less stable when standing or walking, and often flapped their wings vigorously to maintain balance. Myofiber damage and fibrosis were observed at the myoaponeurotic junction of the pectoralis major and supracoracoideus muscles in Bro birds. Myofiber damage and fibrosis were detected also in areas distal to the myoaponeurotic junction in the two heavier males but were otherwise less evident. By contrast, in Adj birds, almost no degeneration or fibrosis of muscle tissue was observed at the myoaponeurotic junction. In addition, the supracoracoideus muscle of one of the Bro birds showed coagulative necrosis of muscle tissue, surrounded by prominent fibrous tissue. Numerous incompletely formed blood vessels with irregular shapes and prominent branching proliferated in the fibrous tissue. These findings suggest that injury at the myoaponeurotic junction and abnormal capillary proliferation may be closely related to the formation of lesions, along with prominent fibrosis in the pectoralis major and supracoracoideus muscles.

Regulation of food intake, especially during the neonatal period, is important to ensure optimal nutrition and meet the metabolic requirements of growing and healthy animals. However, many problems associated with neonatal chicks remain unsolved. Feeding behavior during the neonatal stage is characterized by short resting periods between very brief times spent taking up food. Accordingly, neuropeptides, which take time to synthesize and release, as well as nutrients that are taken up via feeding, may be involved in feeding regulation. The present review summarizes current knowledge about the role of amino acids and their interaction with neuropeptides on the regulation of food intake in neonatal chicks with special emphasis on L-arginine metabolism and neuropeptide Y. Fasting and subsequent short-term refeeding influence amino acid metabolism in the brain. Short-term refeeding induces a rapid increase in the concentrations of several amino acids, which may contribute to satiety signals in the neonatal chick brain. The function of L-arginine is related to its metabolite, L-ornithine, which acts as an innate satiety signal in the control of food intake. Co-injection with L-ornithine attenuates the orexigenic effect of neuropeptide Y in a dose-dependent manner. This implies a potent interaction in the brain between the regulation of food intake by neuropeptide Y and acute satiety signals by L-ornithine. The roles of other amino acids in feeding and their relationship with the stress response are also discussed in this review. In conclusion, endogenous neuropeptides and endogenous and/or exogenous nutrients such as amino acids are believed to coordinate the feeding behavior of neonatal chicks.

The present study aimed to determine the inheritance and effect of dwarfism, which occurs naturally in the Nicobari chicken breed, on various growth and production traits. The dwarf character did not affect body weight for up to 4 weeks; but had a negative impact from 8 weeks onward, with body weight declining by 5.5%-9.0% in males and 9.0%-16% in females. Shank length was 22% and 27% shorter in male and female dwarf birds, respectively, than in full-size birds. The average age at first egg was 3.08% higher in dwarf hens than in their normal counterparts, and was accompanied by a non-significant decline (5.63%) in 40 weeks egg production. Egg weights were 2.23% and 2.64% lower at 32 and 40 weeks, respectively, in dwarf hens. Instead, the shape index and shell thickness were better in dwarf hens. The eggs of dwarf hens were darker and red, with less hue than those of normal hens; whereas internal egg quality was the same. Fertility and hatchability were lower in dwarf dams mated with dwarf sires than in crosses or reciprocal crosses between normal and dwarf birds. Breeding experiments and sequencing of transmembrane protein 263 ruled out the sex-linked (dw) and autosomal dwarfism (adw), as the genetic causes of dwarfism in the Nicobari breed, which instead appears to follow a novel pattern and has a unique effect on growth traits.