Poultry Science最新文献

{"title":"Effects of energy density of diets and dietary Pediococcus acidilactici supplementation on productive performance, egg quality, and intestinal function in laying hens","authors":"Airong Dong ,&nbsp;Xuemei Ding ,&nbsp;Jianping Wang ,&nbsp;Qiufeng Zeng ,&nbsp;Shiping Bai ,&nbsp;Yue Xuan ,&nbsp;Shanshan Li ,&nbsp;Sharina Qi ,&nbsp;Xiaojuan Bi ,&nbsp;Chao He ,&nbsp;Keying Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2025.105118","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2025.105118","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of supplementing <em>Pediococcus acidilactici</em> CNCM I-4622 MA 18/5 M (<strong>PA</strong>) into diets with two energy levels on the production performance and intestinal function of Lohmann pink laying hens from 49 to 65 weeks of age. A total of 1400 hens were used in this study. A 2 × 2 + 1 experimental design with 2 metabolic energy levels (2700.00 kcal/kg, <strong>NE</strong>; 2625.00 kcal/kg, <strong>LE</strong>), two PA levels (0 mg/kg, 110 mg/kg), and one group with intermittent PA supplementation (<strong>LE-0/PA</strong>). The experiment comprised 5 treatments with 14 replications each, and each replication had 20 hens. The results showed that reducing the dietary energy level tended to decrease body weight (<em>P</em> = 0.056). However, supplementing PA in low-energy diets tended to increase body weight in 16 weeks (<em>P</em> = 0.063). The LE-0/PA group had higher laying rates and feed utilization rates compared to other groups (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05), maybe resulting in greater economic benefits. The LE group had significantly lower eggshell strength, Haugh unit, trypsin activity, lipase activity, and tibia breaking strength compared to the NE group (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Dietary supplementation with PA significantly increased eggshell strength (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), tibia breaking strength, villus height/crypt depth ratio (<strong>VH/CD</strong>), lipase activity, and secretory immunoglobulin A (<strong>SIgA</strong>) content in the jejunum (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Additionally, PA supplementation significantly reduced the expression of interleukin 8 (<strong><em>IL-8</em></strong>), tumor necrosis factor-α (<strong><em>TNF-α</em></strong>), toll-like receptor 4 (<strong><em>TLR-4</em></strong>), and nuclear factor kappa-B (<strong><em>NF-κB</em></strong>) mRNA (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). In conclusion, reducing the dietary energy level of hens can reduce the body weight and feed utilization efficiency. However, dietary PA supplementation improved body weight, reduced the expression of intestinal inflammation-related factors, and enhanced intestinal health, particularly in low-energy diets. Intermittent PA supplementation may enhance performance benefits, suggesting its potential as a strategy to optimize production performance and intestinal health in hens.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"104 6","pages":"Article 105118"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143769323","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Butyric acid from ligilactobacillus animalis 2020MB acts on membrane BamA to control avian pathogenic escherichia coli","authors":"Haichang Yin ,&nbsp;Zunhe Du ,&nbsp;Xinjie Jiang ,&nbsp;Yao Zhou ,&nbsp;Zhenhua Jin ,&nbsp;Feng Cong","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2025.105119","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2025.105119","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Avian pathogenic <em>Escherichia coli</em> can cause high morbidity, mortality, and serious economic losses to the global poultry industry. Lactic acid bacteria inhibit the growth of many pathogens, including <em>E. coli</em>, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of the cell-free supernatant of <em>Ligilactobacillus animalis</em> 2020MB isolated from the intestinal tract of chickens on specific pathogen-free chickens infected with <em>E. coli</em>. The cell-free supernatant-induced inhibition of <em>E. coli</em> infection was determined through clinical symptom observation, pathological analysis, and qPCR. Protease and heat treatments did not affect the antibacterial activity of cell-free supernatant, suggesting that an organic acid was the antibacterial substance. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry and non-targeted metabolomics identified antibacterial activity for eight <em>L. animalis</em> 2020MB cell-free supernatant metabolites, including butyric, valeric, and succinic acids. The inhibitory activity of butyric acid was quantified by determining the minimal inhibitory concentration. Scanning electron microscopy, laser confocal microscopy, and proteomic analysis revealed that butyric acid altered the morphology and impaired the cell envelope integrity of target bacteria, leading to leakage of intracellular contents. BamA was identified as the membrane protein target for butyric acid. The findings reveal the molecular mechanism of action of <em>L. animalis</em> 2020MB in the chicken intestine against <em>E. coli</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"104 6","pages":"Article 105119"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143768725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Drying methods affected the fatty acids oxidation and bacterial community of traditional dry-cured ducks during processing and its relation with the aroma formation","authors":"Linyue Qi ,&nbsp;Liangwei Xu ,&nbsp;Hongbing Chen ,&nbsp;Haixing Li ,&nbsp;Yikui Lai ,&nbsp;Xiaohua Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2025.105110","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2025.105110","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The formation of volatile compounds in dry-cured ducks produced by hot and cold air circular drying (HCAD), hot air drying (HAD), and traditional sun drying (TSD) were analyzed by E-nose and GC-MS. The HCAD exhibited higher alcohols, aldehydes, esters, and furans than that of the other two. Six, five, and three key compounds were identified by OAV in HCAD, HAD, and TSD, respectively. Nonanal was the highest relative content of aldehydes in all groups. (<em>E</em>)-2-octenal was detected only in HCAD. HAD accelerated the oxidation of fatty acids. The POV and AV of HAD were 0.24 g/100 g and 2.02 mg/g when stored for 15 days, which were higher than that of HCAD and TSD. <em>Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota</em> and <em>Firmicutes</em> were the most abundant phylum, <em>Psychrobacter, Kocuria</em>, and <em>Macrococcus</em> were the primary dominant genus. The hightest abundance of <em>Firmicutes</em> and <em>Macrococcus</em> in the HCAD-15d might contribute to the aroma formation. HCAD showed a better quality and flavor than TSD and HAD, indicating it is an innovative method for producing dry-cured duck.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"104 6","pages":"Article 105110"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143768726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Spleen proteome profile reveals immune responses induced by dietary spray-dried plasma against Salmonella Enteritidis infection in broiler chicks","authors":"Tunde E. Ogundare ,&nbsp;Theresa M. Casey ,&nbsp;Uma K. Aryal ,&nbsp;Yewande O. Fasina","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2025.105091","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2025.105091","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Salmonella</em> infection severely impacts poultry health, productivity, and food safety. Spray dried plasma (SDP) shows good efficacy as an alternative to in-feed antibiotics for broiler chickens. Our objective was to identify potential mechanisms of SDP benefits by analyzing effects on spleen proteome and in response to <em>Salmonella</em> Enteritidis challenge (SE). A 2 × 2 factor study of broilers (n = 240) were assigned to CON (control) or SDP (30g/kg) diet at 1 day of age, and gavaged with tryptic soy or 7.46 × 10⁸ CFU SE /mL, resulting in 4 groups CON (n=60), SDP (n=60), CON-SE (n=60) and SDP-SE (n=60). On d 2 and d 5 post-challenge, chicks (n=4/treatment) were euthanized, and spleen collected to isolate proteins, and measure using label-free liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Data were mapped to <em>Gallus gallus</em> Uniprot database, and differentially abundant proteins (DAP; <em>P</em>&lt;0.05) identified using ANOVA. Across all samples, 4,300 proteins were identified, and SDP treatment resulted 116 DAP. Proteins (56) that decreased were associated with positive regulation of I-kappaß kinase/NF- kappaß signaling and positive regulation of apoptosis process. Proteins that increased (60) were associated with integral components of endoplasmic reticulum membrane and necroptosis pathway. Analysis of the interaction between SDP and SE challenge found 119 DAP. The proteins that increased (87) were associated with RNA binding, ATP binding, mRNA splicing, and protein phosphorylation. Proteomic signatures of spleen reveals that the actions of SDP in broiler chicks are anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic and predicted to inhibit pro-inflammatory response through the inhibition of NF-ĸB. However, in the presence of <em>Salmonella</em> infection, it promotes regulated inflammatory response.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"104 6","pages":"Article 105091"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143768741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Dietary non-phytate phosphorus and phytase interaction affects growth performance, mineral transportation and metabolism in broiler chickens","authors":"Bingbing Ma ,&nbsp;Yan Zhang ,&nbsp;Mengyuan Liu ,&nbsp;Chuanxin Shi ,&nbsp;Yu Zhou ,&nbsp;Mengyue Chen ,&nbsp;Yuchun Chang ,&nbsp;Hongxia Qu ,&nbsp;Liao Zhang ,&nbsp;Chunmei Zhang ,&nbsp;Guanhua Chen ,&nbsp;Jincheng Han","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2025.105108","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2025.105108","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The interaction effects of dietary non-phytate phosphorus (<strong>NPP</strong>) and phytase on growth performance, mineral metabolism, and gene expressions of mineral transporters in broilers duodenum and kidney (0-3 weeks) were studied. The levels of NPP (0.45%, 0.35%, or 0.25%) and phytase (0 or 2,500 FTU/kg) in the diets were applied in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement to carry out rearing feeding strategies. Broilers received the diet containing 0.25% NPP showed lower (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) body weight gain (<strong>BWG</strong>), feed intake (<strong>FI</strong>), plasma calcium (<strong>Ca</strong>) and phosphorus (<strong>P</strong>) levels, bone attributes, and higher (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) mortality rate than those of broilers fed diets containing 0.45% NPP alone or in combination of phytase, 0.35% NPP or 0.25% NPP in combination of phytase. Significant interactions (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) of phytase and NPP were found in BWG, FI, bone attributes, and plasma Ca and P levels and mortality rate of broiler. Broilers received the diet containing 0.25% NPP had higher (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) mRNA expressions of nuclear vitamin D receptors (<strong>nVDR</strong>), Calbindin-D28k (<strong>CaBP-D28k</strong>) and Plasma membrane Ca ATPase 1b (<strong>PMCA1b</strong>) in duodenum, mRNA expressions of CaBP-D28k and sodium-dependent phosphate cotransporters type IIa (<strong>NaPi-IIa</strong>) in kidney, and liver 25-hydroxylase mRNA expression than those of broilers fed diets containing 0.45% NPP alone or in combination of phytase, 0.35% NPP or 0.25% NPP in combination of phytase. The interaction of NPP and phytase significantly affected (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) the mRNA expressions of nVDR, CaBP-D28k and PMCA1b in duodenum, the mRNA expressions of CaBP-D28k and NaPi-IIa in kidney, and liver 25-hydroxylase mRNA expression. Dietary phytase supplementation improved growth performance, bone attributes, and absorption of Ca and P even if dietary NPP level dropped to 0.25%.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"104 6","pages":"Article 105108"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143769324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Dietary bile acid supplementation influences protein digestibility and alters plasma amino acid profiles in broiler chickens fed conventional and reduced-protein diets","authors":"Yumin Bao ,&nbsp;Shemil P. Macelline ,&nbsp;Peter H. Selle ,&nbsp;Peter V. Chrystal ,&nbsp;Mengzhu Wang ,&nbsp;Sonia Y. Liu ,&nbsp;AiZhi Cao ,&nbsp;Mehdi Toghyani","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2025.105107","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2025.105107","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reduced crude protein (CP) diets based on wheat have been shown to lower body weight (BW), increase feed conversion ratio (FCR), and elevate fat-pad deposition in broiler chickens. Bile acids facilitate lipid digestion and nutrient absorption by emulsifying fats and promoting micelle formation in the intestine. Therefore, it was hypnotized that supplementing reduced CP diets with bile acids may enhance fat utilization, improve energy efficiency, and mitigate the negative effects of low-CP diets on broiler performance and nutrient digestibility. Four dietary treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial layout, with two CP levels (standard and a 30 g/kg CP reduction), with or without 0.2 g/kg bile acids. A total of 840 off-sex male Ross 308 chicks were randomly assigned into 24 floor pens, with six replicates of 35 birds per treatment. From 0 to 42 days post-hatch, there was no interaction between dietary CP and bile acids supplementation for BW, feed intake (FI), FCR, abdominal fat pad, and nutrient digestibility (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). As a main effect, reducing dietary CP decreased BW, FI, fat digestibility, and increased FCR and abdominal fat pad (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01). The reduced CP diet resulted in lower plasma concentrations of valine, isoleucine, arginine, histidine, phenylalanine, leucine, and tryptophan, while increasing lysine, methionine, and threonine concentrations (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01). Bile acids supplementation enhanced dry matter and protein digestibility (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Bile acids also showed a tendency to increase plasma methionine concentrations (<em>P</em> = 0.055). A significant interaction effect was observed for overall mortality, with bile acids supplementation reducing mortality in birds fed reduced CP diets (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01). These findings suggest that in reduced CP diets, the current ideal AA profile may be deficient in arginine and histidine, potentially contributing to increased fat pad weight. Elevated wheat-derived non-starch polysaccharide concentrations might lower fat digestibility in reduced CP diets. Supplementation of bile acids in these diets could mitigate endogenous taurine losses and improve overall health in broiler chickens.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"104 6","pages":"Article 105107"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143769322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Corrigendum to “Comparative efficacy of tannin-free grain sorghum varieties for the control of necrotic enteritis caused by Clostridium perfringens in broiler chickens” [Poultry Science, Volume 102, Issue 2, February 2023, 102300]","authors":"A.H. Moritz ,&nbsp;B. Lumpkins ,&nbsp;G.F. Mathis ,&nbsp;W.C. Bridges ,&nbsp;S. Wilson ,&nbsp;M.E. Blair ,&nbsp;R.E. Buresh ,&nbsp;J.R. Strickland ,&nbsp;M. Arguelles-Ramos","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2025.104935","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2025.104935","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"104 5","pages":"Article 104935"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143715525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Comparative assessment of growth performance and meat quality in Water Hyacinth and antibiotic (growth promoter) supplemented broilers","authors":"Afrina Mustari ,&nbsp;Md. Iqramul Haque ,&nbsp;Samia Rashid ,&nbsp;Md Sabbir Khan ,&nbsp;Mahabub Alam ,&nbsp;Mohammad Alam Miah ,&nbsp;Md. Abul Kalam Azad ,&nbsp;Emdadul Hauqe Chowdhury","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2025.105105","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2025.105105","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The use of growth promoters in broiler feed is a common practice to enhance feed efficiency and accelerate growth rates. Ciprofloxacin, a widely used antibiotic in poultry farming, promotes growth and disease prevention but raises concerns about antibiotic residues in meat and the development of antibiotic resistance. This study examines the dietary effects of WH and ciprofloxacin on broiler growth rate, feed conversion ratio (FCR), meat quality, and muscle histology. Ninety broilers were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a control group, a WH-supplemented group (2.5% of daily feed), and a ciprofloxacin (Cipro) group (8 mg/kg body weight). Feed consumption and body weight were monitored daily, and after sacrifice, breast muscles were collected for meat quality assessment and histopathological analysis. WH supplementation significantly improved (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) body weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and meat quality in broilers. Compared to control and ciprofloxacin groups, WH-treated broilers exhibited lower cooking and drip loss (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), higher water-holding capacity (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01), and reduced shear force value (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), indicating improved texture. Ciprofloxacin treatment resulted in reduced redness (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) and increased yellowness (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01), while lightness remained unchanged across groups. Histological analysis revealed greater perimysium thickness and intermuscular adipose infiltration in WH-treated broilers, suggesting enhanced muscle structure. WH supplementation presents a safer, sustainable alternative to antibiotics in broiler production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"104 6","pages":"Article 105105"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143769325","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 purple corn anthocyanin on slaughter performance, immune function, the caecal microbiota and the transcriptome in chickens","authors":"Xingzhou Tian ,&nbsp;Chao Ban ,&nbsp;Di Zhou ,&nbsp;Hui Li ,&nbsp;Jiaxuan Li ,&nbsp;Xu Wang ,&nbsp;Qi Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2025.105104","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2025.105104","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Poultry are susceptible to oxidative stress, which decreases immune function and negatively affects production performance under highly intensive feeding conditions. Moreover, anthocyanins can alleviate oxidative stress and improve immune functions in chickens. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of purple corn anthocyanin extract (PCE) on slaughter performance, immune function, the caecal microbiota and the transcriptome in chickens. A total of 180 female chickens were randomly divided into two groups, with one receiving a basal diet (CON) and one receiving a treatment (PCE) supplemented with 360 mg/kg PCE according to a completely randomized design. The results indicated that the levels of plasma immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin G, immunoglobulin M, complement 3, and complement 4 in the PCE treatment group were greater (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) than those in the CON group. The slaughter performance and caecal short-chain fatty acid parameters did not differ (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05) between the PCE and CON groups. The inclusion of PCE significantly increased (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) the bursa of Fabricius/live weight value compared with those of the CON. Chickens receiving PCE had significantly (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) increased relative abundances of norank_f_<em>Muribaculaceae, Anaerofilum, Shuttleworthia, Brachyspira</em>, and <em>Tuzzerella</em> but significantly decreased (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) relative abundances of unclassified_f__<em>Rikenellaceae, Oscillospira</em>, norank_f__<em>Barnesiellaceae</em>, norank_f__<em>Christensenellaceae</em>, and <em>Candidatus</em>_<em>Soleaferrea</em>. A total of 2,846 differentially expressed genes (DEGs; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), which consisted of 1,140 upregulated genes and 1,706 downregulated genes, were identified. Among them, 201 genes were annotated to the Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database for immune-related genes. Protein-protein interaction network analysis revealed that DEGs associated with the joining chain of multimeric IgA and IgM were significantly upregulated immune-related genes, and those associated with forkhead box P1, cathelicidin 1, cathelicidin 2, and cathelicidin 3 were significantly downregulated immune-related genes in chickens. The findings demonstrated that dietary supplementation with PCE has the potential to improve plasma immunoglobulin, immune organ, caecal potentially beneficial bacteria levels and immune-related gene expressions, which can increase the immune function of chickens.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"104 6","pages":"Article 105104"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143768728","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Feeding behaviour patterns in relation to body weight and gait in broilers","authors":"Malou van der Sluis ,&nbsp;Britt de Klerk ,&nbsp;István Fodor ,&nbsp;Esther D. Ellen","doi":"10.1016/j.psj.2025.105103","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psj.2025.105103","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Collecting data on broiler behaviour patterns in group-housed settings can be challenging, as broilers are difficult to recognize individually. However, broiler behaviour patterns can be valuable for assessing health, welfare and performance. Here, individual feeding patterns of group-housed broilers were studied. Data on feeder visits of 58 randomly selected and subsequently RFID-tagged broilers were used, that were housed in a group of approximately 800 birds in a 45 m² pen. Feed and water were provided <em>ad libitum</em>, with a total of 16 feeders available to the broilers. All feeders except one (due to farm equipment blocking the access) were fitted with an RFID antenna to detect presence of the broilers at the feeders. The number of feeder visits and feeding durations at the individual level during the period from 20 to 30 d old were examined. In addition, birds’ individual body weights (g) were determined at 14, 21, 27 and 35 d of age, and at 21, 27 and 35 d of age gait scores were determined by experienced observers. The feeders used within the pen (i.e., whether feeding occurred in one area or was spread out across the pen) varied between individuals, and for some birds also changed with age. Furthermore, with higher body weights at 14 d of age, the number of different feeders visited in a day was lower (estimate = -0.011, <em>P</em> = 0.002) and the mean feeding bout duration was higher (estimate = 0.130, <em>P</em> = 0.007). In contrast, larger body weight gain between 14 and 35 d of age was related to more different feeders visited within a day (estimate = 0.028, <em>P</em> = 0.005) and shorter feeding bout durations (estimate = -0.390, <em>P</em> = 0.005). No relationships of feeding descriptors with gait classification were observed. Overall, feeding patterns vary between individual broilers and, given the observed relationships between feeding patterns and weight gain, feeding patterns have potential to be informative for broiler growth in research and commercial conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20459,"journal":{"name":"Poultry Science","volume":"104 6","pages":"Article 105103"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143734769","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}