• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.255-265
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• 2021

Global warming and scorching summer seasons affect the growth ability of broilers and animal welfare. In modern broilers, vital organs, such as the heart and lungs, grow disproportionally under intensive selection, making it difficult to adapt to warmer climates. Changes in environmental temperature can affect muscle formation during embryonic development and the early posthatching period. Satellite cells are highly sensitive to heat stress. Heat stress affects the proliferation and differentiation activity of satellite cells and muscle growth and structure. Therefore, thermal manipulation during broiler chick embryogenesis and environmental temperature management at the beginning of hatching are critical for the development and growth of broiler muscles. This review focuses on the thermoregulation mechanism of birds, the muscle development process of broilers, and the function of satellite cells, the relationship between heat stress and muscle development of chicks shortly after hatching, and studies on heat resistance and muscle growth of broilers.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.752-769
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• 2022

Wheat gluten is an increasingly common ingredient in poultry diets but its impact on the small intestine in chicken is not fully understood. This study aimed to identify effects of high-gluten diets on chicken small intestines and the variation of their associated transcriptional responses by age. A total of 120 broilers (Ross Strain) were used to perform two animal experiments consisting of two gluten inclusion levels (0% or 25%) by bird's age (1 week or 4 weeks). Transcriptomics and histochemical techniques were employed to study the effect of gluten on their duodenal mucosa using randomly selected 12 broilers (3 chicks per group). A reduction in feed intake and body weight gain was found in the broilers fed a high-gluten containing diet at both ages. Histochemical photomicrographs showed a reduced villus height to crypt depth ratio in the duodenum of gluten-fed broilers at 1 week. We found mainly a significant effect on the gene expression of duodenal mucosa in gluten-fed broilers at 1 week (289 differentially expressed genes [DEGs]). Pathway analyses revealed that the significant DEGs were mainly involved in ribosome, oxidative phosphorylation, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathways. These pathways are involved in ribosome protein biogenesis, oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid metabolism, respectively. Our results suggest a pattern of differential gene expression in these pathways that can be linked to chronic inflammation, suppression of cell proliferation, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. And via such a mode of action, high-gluten inclusion levels in poultry diets could lead to the observed retardation of villi development in the duodenal mucosa of young broiler chicken.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.547-560
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• 2022

The present study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of peanut shell extract on the growth performance and physiological properties of broiler chicks. Two diet energy levels (Positive and Negative) and four additives (0.0, 0.05, and 0.1% peanut shell extract and commercial antioxidant) were factorially arranged for eight treatments. The overall weight gain of the broilers was slightly improved at 0.05% for the antioxidant treatments regardless of the diet energy levels, but there was no statistical difference among the treatments (p > 0.05). The carcass characteristics of the broilers, such as cooking loss, crude protein content, antioxidant activity, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values, were improved by the feeding diets containing the 0.05% peanut shell extract. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the dietary supplementation of peanut shell extract did not have a negative effect on the immune responses of the broilers show by the lack of statistical differences in the liver and bursa Fabricious weight and cytokine level among the treatments. From the economic analysis, dietary supplementation of peanut shell extract significantly influenced the compensatory growth and food efficiency and, in turn, led to a decrease in the duration needed to reach 1.5 kg compared to the control. These results suggest the possibility that the peanut shell extract could be used as a functional feed additive by improving the growth performance and carcass characteristics with no detrimental effects on broilers.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.596-604
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• 2022

Objective: To investigate the effects of enzyme-bacteria co-fermented feed on broilers, the basal diet (BF) was pretreated by microbial enzyme co-fermentation, and then different proportions of BF were replaced to study its effects on growth performance, nutrient metabolism and cecal microflora of broilers. Methods: Four hundred and eighty 1-day-old broilers were randomly divided into 6 groups. The control group was fed with BF, and groups 1 to 4 were treated with dried fermented feed (DFF) instead of 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25% the BF, and group 5 was treated with wet fermented feed (WFF) instead of 10% the BF, named BF, 10% DFF, 15% DFF, 20% DFF, 25% DFF, and 10% WFF, respectively. The trial period was 42 days. Results: The results showed that the average daily feed intake and average daily gain of 10% DFF, 15% DFF, and 10% WFF groups were significantly higher than those of the control group at 22 to 42 days and 1 to 42 days (p<0.05). Except for 10% DFF group, Firmicutes of all treatment were higher than that of control group. The Bacteroides of each treatment group were lower than that of the control group (p>0.05). At the same time, the nutrient apparent metabolic rate and cecal microbial abundance of each treatment group had an increasing trend (p>0.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, the feed fermented by enzyme and bacteria had a potential promoting effect on the growth performance and nutrient digestibility of broilers.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.927-936
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• 2022

The effects of seasonal differences and crating densities on the preslaughter losses, breast meat quality, and physiological indices of broilers were determined. A total of 600 broilers aged 35 days were divided into 10 treatment groups based on five crating densities (10.3, 11.5, 12.8, 14.1, 15.4 birds·m^-2) with two seasons (i.e., summer and winter) to give six replicates and were placed at various locations in the truck. The birds were transported in crates having dimensions of 1.0 m × 0.78 m × 0.26 m. The transportation distance was 20 km for 40 minutes (average 30 - 50 km·h^-1) during the early morning. The results revealed that broilers transported at densities of 14.1 and 15.4 birds·m^-2 recorded lower (p < 0.05) pH, water-holding capacity (WHC), and muscle redness compared to those at densities of 11.5 birds·m^-2. Furthermore, higher (p < 0.05) cooking loss was found in birds stocked at more than 14.1 birds·m^-2 compared to the other treatments. However, no effect (p > 0.05) with different crating densities on body weight loss, carcass traits, glucose, lactate, or muscle yellowness was observed. Crating density of 14.1 birds·m^-2 showed lower (p < 0.05) cortisol contents compared with birds at 10.3 and 15.4 birds·m^-2. Winter transportation had higher (p < 0.05) relative breast meat weight, cooking loss, muscle redness, and cortisol contents whereas summer transportation had higher (p < 0.05) glucose and lactate contents in the blood plasma of broilers. In conclusion, the stocking of 12.8 birds·m^-2 is recommended to minimize stress responses and undesirable changes that could negatively affect muscle quality.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.8
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• pp.1252-1262
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• 2023

Objective: Microencapsulation technologies have been developed and successfully applied to protect the probiotic bacterial cells damaged by environmental exposure. This study aimed to investigate the effects of microencapsulation of Lactobacillus plantarum MB001 on the growth performance, ileal nutrient digestibility, jejunal histomorphology and cecal microbiome of broiler chickens in a tropical climate. Methods: A total of 288 one-day-old female broilers (Ross 308) were randomly allocated into 4 groups (6 replicates of 12 birds). Treatments included, i) a basal diet (NC), ii) NC + avilamycin (10 mg/kg) (PC), iii) NC + non-encapsulated L. plantarum MB001 (1×10⁸ colony-forming unit [CFU]/kg of diet) (N-LP), iv) NC + microencapsulated L. plantarum MB001 (1×10⁸ CFU/kg of diet) (ME-LP). Results: Dietary supplementation of ME-LP improved average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio of broilers throughout the 42-d trial period (p<0.05), whereas ME-LP did not affect average daily feed intake compared with NC group. Both N-LP and ME-LP improved apparent ileal digestibility of crude protein and ether extract compared with NC group (p<0.05). The broilers fed ME-LP supplemented diet exhibited a beneficial effect on jejunal histomorphology of villus height (VH), crypt depth (CD) and villus height to crypt depth ratio (VH:CD) of broilers compared to NC group (p<0.05). At the phylum level, Firmicutes was enriched (p<0.05) and Proteobacteria was decreased (p<0.05) only in the ME-LP group. At the genus level, the ME-LP diets increased (p<0.05) the number of both Lactobacillus and Enterococcus compared to NC, PC, and N-LP groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: Microencapsulation assists the efficient functioning of probiotics. ME-LP could be potentially used as a feed additive for improvement of cecal microbiota, gut integrity and nutrient utilization, leading to better performance of broilers.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.223-229
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• 1995

The effects of palm oil and soybean oil as a high energy source diet on the performance of broilers under the warm humid environment were studied. Palm oil and soybean oil, either singly or mixed, were incorporated in the experimental diets to a total of 6% of the diet. The performance of the chicken improved (though not significant) with increasing unsaturated fatty acid content in the diets, but the responses to treatments were not consistent. The carcass fat content was generally higher in all the treated groups compared to the control but the differences were not statistically significant. The results also failed to show any effect of combining two sources of oils. Fatty acid composition in the body was found to be influenced greatly by dietary fat. When soybean oil was used instead of palm oil, the amount of linoleic and linolenic acids in the carcass were increased proportionately.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.234-238
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• 1998

Two experiments were conducted with broiler chickens to determine cage floor preferences, the strength of preference for a particular floor type and to evaluate the effect of rearing broilers on the preferred cage floor on productivity. In experiment 1, chicks when offered free access to either wire (WF) or plastic (PF) mesh flooring, preferred the former. However, when the perferred floor type (WF) was illuminated at 800 lux, birds spent longer time on PF. Also provision of incandescent lamps at PF resulted in broilers spending significantly longer period on WF. In experiment 2, while floor type had no effect on growth of female chicks throughout the duration of study, male chicks grown on PF were heavier than their WF counterparts on Days 21, 28, 35 and 42. Neither livability, nor incidence of breast blisters and leg deformities was affected by floor type.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.8
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• pp.1177-1180
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• 1999

This study describes the growth of broiler chickens to the two forms of Gompertz function for application in broiler production models. The first form is based on the estimated mature weight ($W_A$), while the second is based on the estimated hatch weight ($W_O$). Both equations gave identical estimation because they are mathematically identical. To fit the growth curve of commercial broilers that marketed at 35-42 days, it is unnecessary to keep broilers to near maturity (> day 140) to obtain growth data for deriving the Gompertz function. This date does not improve the curve fitting of the early growing period. Additionally, a high mortality and health problem occurred to this type of chicken after day 105.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.607-610
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• 1995

An experiment was conducted to study the effects of Ascorbic Acid (AA) supplementations in the layer and broiler diets kept in the natural hot humid tropical climate ($20-35^{\circ}C$). The layers and the broilers were fed on normal commercial diet as control while supplementation of 400 and 600 mg/kg Ascorbic Acid made up the experimental diets. The results showed that AA supplementation in the layers significantly reduced egg weight and increased Haugh unit values of the eggs, but produced no significant effects on feed intake, body weight, egg production, respiratory rate and body temperature. The shell thickness was slightly improved, though not significantly, with AA supplementation. AA supplementation in broilers improved body weight gain and FCR and reduced the effect of heat stress as shown by lower body temperature and respiratory rates.