British Poultry Science最新文献

{"title":"Resveratrol alleviates stress-associated bursal injury in chickens: a transcriptomic analysis.","authors":"F Laghari, H Zhang, C He, H Gong, J Zhang, Q Chang, J Bao, R Zhang","doi":"10.1080/00071668.2025.2512376","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2025.2512376","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>1. Resveratrol (RSV) is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory plant polyphenol that is widely used for the prevention of stress-related diseases. Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) significantly affects the immune system of layers, leading to substantial losses in growth performance and welfare. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of a multi-stress environment under CUMS conditions on the bursa of Fabricius and any therapeutic effects.2. A total of 288 healthy, one-day-old layer chicks were divided into three groups: a healthy control, challenged with CUMS or CUMS+RSV. At 42 d of age, bursa of Fabricius samples were collected and analysed. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, RNA-seq technology, qRT-PCR, Western blots, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemical staining were used to assess tissue damage and mRNA expression and enrichment pathways.3. The tissue damage under CUMS challenge was observed and RSV alleviated the degree of injury from the results of H&E staining and TEM. Transcriptome analysis identified a total of 631, 293 and 598 differentially expressed genes (DEG; log2 fold change > 1, <i>p</i> < 0.05) in the control <i>vs</i>. CUMS, CUMS <i>vs</i>. CUMS+RSV and control <i>vs</i>. CUMS+RSV group, respectively.4. Genes related to neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction were <i>NTSR1</i> and <i>GZMA</i> down-regulated while <i>KNG1</i>, <i>OPRL1</i> and <i>P2RY8</i> were up-regulated and calcium signalling pathway genes <i>CXCR4, PLCG2, PRKCB</i> and <i>CAMK2A</i> were up-regulated in the CUMS group compared to control group. However, <i>CXCR4, PLCG2</i> and <i>CAMK2A</i> were down-regulated, whereas <i>NTSR1</i> and <i>GZMA</i> were up-regulated genes in CUMS+RSV group compared to the CUMS group. Analyses of DEG was conducted based on the KEGG pathway and verified using qRT PCR and Western blots.</p>","PeriodicalId":9322,"journal":{"name":"British Poultry Science","volume":" ","pages":"1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144324560","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Protective effect of <i>Artemisia capillaris</i> on hepatic lipid accumulation in laying hens with fatty liver and the study of its mechanism.","authors":"L Fang, H Cao, Y Guo, Y Zhang, M Ge, Y Min, W Yu, X Jiang","doi":"10.1080/00071668.2025.2512585","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2025.2512585","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>1. <i>Artemisia capillaris</i> Thunb. (ACT) is a semi-scrubby herb from the Artemisia genus of the Asteraceae family that has hepatobiliary effects. This study evaluated the effect of ACT on hepatic lipid buildup in laying hens and, hence, as a feed additive to treat fatty liver in laying hens.2. Hens were randomly allocated into one of five treatment groups: positive control group (to 35 weeks of age; PC), fatty liver control group (to 75 weeks of age; 75W), ACT low-dose intervention (1 g/h/d) group (to 75 weeks of age; 75W+L), ACT medium-dose intervention (2 g/h/d) group (to 75 weeks of age; 75W+M) and ACT high-dose intervention (4 g/h/d) group (to 75 weeks of age; 75W+H).3. Feeding ACT decreased the liver index and tissue sections revealed that it minimised hepatocellular steatosis and vacuolar degeneration, considerably lowered liver indicator enzyme (aspartate transaminase, AST and alanine transaminase, ALT) concentrations and improved liver function. Regarding hepatic fat formation, ACT reduced the amount of lipid droplets in the liver; the ACT group dramatically lowered serum triglycerides (TG), serum total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) while increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). In terms of reproductive hormone markers, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH) and vitellogenin (VTG) levels were dramatically elevated, while oestradiol (E2) levels were decreased in hens fed the ACT diets.4. Cyberpharmacology and molecular docking revealed that ACT primary target was <i>AKT</i>, which was able to reduce <i>AKT</i> protein phosphorylation as well as the protein expression of fatty acid synthesis-related genes <i>ACC</i>, <i>FAS</i> and <i>SREBP-1c</i> in the liver.5. In conclusion, ACT was able to dramatically reduce the protein expression of fatty acid production genes, enhance hepatic lipid metabolism in laying hens, reverse hepatic and dyslipidemic abnormalities in laying hens and ameliorate fatty liver conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":9322,"journal":{"name":"British Poultry Science","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144246576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of cell-free supernatants produced by lactic acid bacteria on the safety and quality of poultry meat.","authors":"B Ozturk, I Y Sengun","doi":"10.1080/00071668.2025.2500344","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2025.2500344","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>1. This research characterised cell-free supernatants (CFS) obtained from lactic acid bacteria (<i>Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides</i> T139, <i>Pediococcus acidilactici</i> T115 and <i>Streptococcus thermophilus</i> T127) and examined the effects of CFS (10%) on the safety and quality of poultry meat stored at 4°C for 7 d.2. In the first stage of the study, metabolite production (exopolysaccharide, hydrogen peroxide and diacetyl production) and their bioactive properties (pH values, total acidity, total phenolic contents and antioxidant activities) were detected. In the second stage, poultry meat was inoculated with <i>Escherichia coli</i> O157:H7, <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> and <i>Salmonella</i> Typhimurium (≈5 log CFU/g) using the spot inoculation method and the counts of pathogens were examined. In the final stage of the study, the counts of background microbiota (total mesophilic aerobic bacteria, total psychrophilic aerobic bacteria, <i>Pseudomonas</i> spp. Enterobacteriaceae and lactic acid bacteria) were determined.3. The amounts of exopolysaccharide, hydrogen peroxide and diacetyl were in the range of 156.00-514.30 µg/ml, 0.01-0.07 µg/ml and 19.15-75.54 ng/ml, respectively. The pH values, total acidity, total phenolic contents and antioxidant activities (DPPH and ABTS⁺ radical scavenging activities) of the CFS were in the range of 4.08-4.34, 1.78-1.87 g lactic acid/100 ml, 3549-3864 mg GAE/l, 30.42-37.76% and 21.78-31.41%, respectively. In the second stage of the study, the counts of <i>E. coli</i> O157:H7, <i>L. monocytogenes</i> and <i>S</i>. Typhimurium inoculated on poultry meats were reduced by CFS treatment in the range of 0.82-1.41, 0.77-2.11 and 0.71-1.78 log CFU/g, respectively. In the final stage of the study, the counts of background microbiota on CFS-treated poultry meat samples were efficiently decreased during storage period (4°C for 7 d).4. The current study revealed that CFS are highly effective for ensuring meat safety and improving quality.</p>","PeriodicalId":9322,"journal":{"name":"British Poultry Science","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144233262","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of cottonseed meal bioactive peptides on growth performance, ileal digestibility, serum amino acid and immune responses of broiler chickens.","authors":"M Mohammadrezaei, B Navidshad, A Gheisari","doi":"10.1080/00071668.2025.2506073","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2025.2506073","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>1. The influence of different inclusion levels of a bioactive peptide derived from cottonseed meal by enzymatic hydrolysis was examined in broilers. Experimental diets contained six inclusion levels of cottonseed bioactive peptides (CBP) at 0, 2.5, 5, 10, 15 and 20 g/kg of diet. A total number of 432, one-day-old broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly allocated to one of six treatments, which were replicated six times based on a completely randomised design.2. The results showed that CBP in the diet linearly increased body weight gain feed consumption and so FCR. As a result of the higher feed intake, CBP linearly (<i>p</i> < 0.05) increased FCR. However, when corrected for the body weight differences (d 35), there was no significant effect of CBP on FCR.3. The CBP inclusion improved crude protein and Arg, His and Met ileal digestibility in a linear manner (<i>p</i> < 0.01). Serum concentration of Lys, Trp, Ala and Orn decreased linearly (<i>p</i> < 0.05) as the concentration of CBP increased in the diet.4. Antibody titres against Newcastle disease, sheep red blood cell (SRBC) and serum concentration of IgY, IgM, IgA and GSH, red blood cell count and haematocrit increased in line with CBP inclusion.5. There was both a linear (<i>p</i> = 0.001) and quadratic (<i>p</i> = 0.021) response for carcase yield percentage, although the liver's relative weight linearly (<i>p</i> = 0.001) decreased with higher CBP inclusion.6. Overall, the data showed that dietary supplementation of CBP in broiler diets has the potential to improve performance traits, ileal protein and amino acid digestibility and can be used as a novel functional protein in poultry diets.</p>","PeriodicalId":9322,"journal":{"name":"British Poultry Science","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144214996","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"MFSnet: a multi-scale feature screening network for chicken counting in dense environments.","authors":"G Ma, Z Xiao, F Yuan, E Sun, S Chen, J Liu, B He","doi":"10.1080/00071668.2025.2500346","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2025.2500346","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>1. Machine-vision-based chicken counting is a highly efficient approach. Nonetheless, in scenarios with high breeding densities, chickens in the captured images frequently overlap with one another. This research addressed the challenge of accurately counting chickens within a free-range chicken coop in densely environments. It proposes a chicken-counting network specifically designed for dense scenarios, namely MFSnet.2. The study extracted multi-scale feature maps and subjected them to processing during the fusion stage via a Feature Screening Module (FSM). This module generated feature maps that were richly endowed with features from diverse scales to enhance information, thereby augmenting the network's capacity to accurately identify chickens.3. The dataset was collected and labelled and denominated as Chicken2023. It consisted of 550 images, which, in aggregate, encompassed a total of 49 747 chickens. To validate its efficacy, it was compared with extant counting algorithms. The experimental findings derived from the Chicken2023 dataset illustrated that this method attained a better counting performance level. It achieved a mean absolute error (MAE) of 2.7 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 3.6. When juxtaposed with the top-performing network, it showed a notable improvement, with a 6.25% reduction in MAE and a 6.26% reduction in RMSE.4. The network model proposed in this study accurately recognised the number of chickens in dense environments and improved the efficiency of poultry farming.</p>","PeriodicalId":9322,"journal":{"name":"British Poultry Science","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144198294","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Different energy and protein levels for growth performance, serum biochemistry and intestinal development of squabs (<i>Columba livia</i>) under artificial feeding conditions.","authors":"T W Liu, J G Zhu, J Y Chen, X M Meng, Y Q Shi, Z Y Zhang, H X Huan, Y Liu, P Xie","doi":"10.1080/00071668.2025.2508215","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2025.2508215","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>1. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different metabolisable energy (ME) and crude protein (CP) levels on the growth performance, serum biochemical indices, and intestinal development of pigeon squabs.2. A total of 324, 12 d old squabs were used and fed one of three ME (13, 12.5 and 12 MJ/kg) and three CP levels (18, 17 and 16%) to give nine experimental diets with six replicates each containing six birds (<i>n</i> = 6).3. Body weight of squabs at 28 d of age were the highest in group 3 (13 MJ/kg ME, 16% CP). Increasing ME or CP levels significantly elevated the relative weight of abdominal fat of squabs.4. A higher ME level in the diet induces higher serum content of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein, and greater levels of aspartate aminotransferase activity in 28 d old squabs. Compared with lower CP (16%) treatment, 18% dietary CP significantly increased the contents of serum urea nitrogen and uric acid. Duodenal villus length and pancreatic trypsin activity were the greatest in diet 3.5. The optimal dietary energy and protein levels of artificial crop milk for pigeon squabs in the late stage of growth were 13 MJ/kg ME and 16% CP from days 12-28 of age.</p>","PeriodicalId":9322,"journal":{"name":"British Poultry Science","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144207796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Plant-based calcitriol reduced the requirements of calcium and available phosphorus in broiler chicken diet.","authors":"S V Rama Rao, E T Reddy, M V L N Raju, B Prakash, S S Paul, T Srilatha, A Kannan, D Nagalaksmi","doi":"10.1080/00071668.2025.2506089","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2025.2506089","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>1. An experiment was conducted to study the effects of supplementing calcitriol (CT) on performance and bone mineralisation in broilers (1-42 d) fed a calcium and available phosphorus (Ca-aP)-deficient diet. The CT (10 mg/kg 1,25-di-OH-VitD3) was derived from <i>Solanum glaucophyllum</i> leaf.2. A control diet (CD) with the recommended (Cobb 400) levels of Ca (9.4, 9.2 and 8.8 g/kg) and aP (4.5, 4.2 and 4 g/kg, respectively, in starter, grower and finisher) was prepared. Six experimental diets were prepared, which include two reduced diets (RD) formulated with 80% (R80) and 70% (R70) of the recommended levels of Ca and aP. Both RDs were supplemented with three levels of CT (0, 1 and 2 µg/kg). Each diet was offered <i>ad libitum</i> to 10 replicate pens (198 × 122 cm) containing 25 male broilers each from 1 to 42 d of age.3. Body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion (FCE) were recorded bi-weekly. The degree of hock joint deformity was measured as leg abnormality score (LAS) and concentrations of Ca and P in serum were analysed on d 43. The right tibia was analysed for total ash, Ca and P in tibia ash.4. The BWG was not affected by either the reduction of Ca and aP or the supplementation of CD to the RD. Similarly, FCE was not affected by reducing the Ca and aP to 80%, while at 70%, the FCE was reduced compared to the CD group. Supplementation with CT significantly improved the FCE similar to the CD group during the starter phase and overall period (1-42 d).5. The LAS increased and bone minerals (as tibia ash and its Ca and P contents) reduced in broilers fed both RD. Supplementation with CT at 2 µg/kg significantly reduced LAS and improved the bone mineral variables similar to those fed the CD.6. Dietary Ca and aP levels can be reduced to 70% of the dietary recommendations for the broiler breed with supplementation of calcitriol at 2 µg/kg without affecting the performance and bone mineralisation.</p>","PeriodicalId":9322,"journal":{"name":"British Poultry Science","volume":" ","pages":"1-6"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144198295","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A comparison of immersion-based and spray-based crate washing systems on the impact of <i>Campylobacter</i> spp. reduction.","authors":"M Van der Eycken, K Hertogs, S Willems, M Heyndrickx, G Rasschaert","doi":"10.1080/00071668.2024.2435013","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00071668.2024.2435013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>1.During transport of broilers from farms to slaughterhouses, the interior of crates may become contaminated with faeces. When these crates are not cleaned and disinfected adequately, they pose a potential risk for the dissemination of pathogens, including <i>Campylobacter</i> spp., between slaughterhouses and farms.2. The aim of the trial was to compare the efficacy of immersion-based crate washing systems with a spray-based washing system in reducing <i>Campylobacter</i> spp. Therefore, the crate washing systems in two slaughterhouses were sampled. In one of these two slaughterhouses, the immersion-based crate washing system was replaced by a new spray-based system which was sampled. Samples were collected from the slaughterhouse equipment, the crate washing system as well as from the crates both before and after cleaning and disinfection (C&D). All samples were screened for the presence of <i>Campylobacter</i> spp.; water and crate samples were used for enumeration. Molecular typing was performed to investigate the source and routes of contamination.3. In all cases, crates were contaminated with <i>Campylobacter</i> spp. prior to washing. However, only the spray-based system achieved a significant reduction after C&D Molecular typing revealed that the same strains were present on the crates after C&D as before cleaning. Additionally, crates could become contaminated by previously cleaned crates <i>via</i> wash water in the immersion-based crate washing system.</p>","PeriodicalId":9322,"journal":{"name":"British Poultry Science","volume":" ","pages":"358-366"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142930672","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of extended lairage periods on physio-metabolic status and meat quality in commercial broilers.","authors":"P M Bagade, A K Wankar, P M Kekan, S N Rindhe, K K Khose, P B Ghorpade, Manimaran S","doi":"10.1080/00071668.2024.2430620","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00071668.2024.2430620","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>1. This study investigated the impact of different lairage duration on physiology, metabolism and meat quality in commercial broilers.2. A total of sixty, one-d-old Vencobb broilers were reared until 42 d of age and subjected to five lairage treatments (T0-T5), with the control with no lairage and then each timepoint increasing by 2 h.3. Head, eye and feet temperature increased progressively (P˂0.05), from 21 to 42 d. During lairage, temperature for the head, eye and feet were significantly higher in birds held until T3-T4 (P˂0.05), than at T0-T2 and T5 treatments.4. Serum total protein, creatinine, lipase and TBARS showed no variation due to lairage (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Glucose levels were highest at T4 (<i>p</i> < 0.05) than at T1-T3 or T5 and serum albumin increased only at T4 as compared to T5 (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Higher levels for blood triglycerides were recorded for T0, T1 and T5 (<i>p</i> < 0.05), than at T2-T4 and total blood antioxidants were significantly higher at T1 (<i>p</i> < 0.05), than at T0 and T2-T5 treatments, respectively.5. There was no significant difference for meat pH, ERV and WHC (<i>p</i> > 0.05), while, higher tyrosine levels (<i>p</i> < 0.05) were noted for birds in T5 than for the rest of the lairage treatments (T0-T4). On the same trend, TBA concentration was highest for birds in T5, as compared to T4 (<i>p</i> < 0.05).6. In conclusion, lairage over eight hours for commercial broilers is not recommended, as there are drastic changes in physiology, metabolism and deterioration of meat, reducing meat quality.</p>","PeriodicalId":9322,"journal":{"name":"British Poultry Science","volume":" ","pages":"324-330"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142766392","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of the early incubation temperature on the muscle physiology, meat quality, bone strength and gait score in Ross broilers.","authors":"T Kettrukat, J S Petersen, E Grochowska, M Therkildsen","doi":"10.1080/00071668.2024.2419614","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00071668.2024.2419614","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>1. Modern broiler chickens are among the most efficient livestock in terms of resource requirements and production time. To maintain and improve production efficiency and meat quality and account for welfare problems, early interventions, such as incubation temperature, require investigation2. In this study, Ross 308 broiler eggs were incubated at either 36.5°C or 38.5°C on embryonic days (ED) 4-7. The control group eggs were incubated at a constant temperature of 37.5°C. <i>Musculus pectoralis</i> and <i>musculus gastrocnemius</i> samples were taken for the investigation of muscle physiology, and the tibia was sampled for bone strength analysis from chickens aged 35 and 36 d. In addition, meat quality was analysed and gait scoring was performed.3. The performance of chickens in the 36.5°C group was inferior to those in the other groups up to d 10 post-hatch, but compensatory growth was seen by d 35 of age. Meat quality was unaffected, but significant differences between sexes were observed. Males had lighter meat colour than females. Muscle glycogen and intramuscular fat were unaffected by the incubation temperature, but the <i>muscularis pectoralis</i> and <i>gastrocnemius</i> intramuscular fat contents were greater in males than in females, accompanied by the increased expression of enzymes involved in lipolysis. In the 38.5°C group, males had less bone elasticity than females, and the inverse was observed in the other groups. Gait scores were affected by sex but not incubation temperature.4. The results of this study showed a stronger effect of sex than incubation temperature on broiler muscle physiology, bone strength, performance and meat quality.</p>","PeriodicalId":9322,"journal":{"name":"British Poultry Science","volume":" ","pages":"401-412"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142646592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}