Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.9
2.7
Journals
Animals
Special Issues
Poultry Nutrition and Management
share announcement

Poultry Nutrition and Management

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Poultry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 8337

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Guangtian Cao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Standardisation, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
Interests: animal science; antibiotic replacement; brain–gut axis; gastrointestinal health; multi-omics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Poultry production, including meat and eggs, has become one of the major animal protein sources for decades. Heat stress, overdosed medicine, and irregular management induce plenty of problems, including oxidative stress damage and immune and gut barrier dysfunction. Moreover, the low-carbon and eco-efficient production of livestock and poultry is the foundation of global ecological and environmental governance. This Special Issue will focus on describing the interactions between the nutrition and management of poultry on the change of intestinal microbiota, antioxidant capacity, immune responses, metabolome, and then the growth performance, meat, and egg quality of birds. For instance, heat is one critical stress for poultry production to induce pathophysiological alterations and the gut barriers’ disruption based on the gut–liver axis, leading to reduced growth performance and even increased mortality. Both precision nutrition and functional feed additives are the major methods to dismiss the bad influence of in vitro and in vivo stresses on birds. Then, a great deal of research approaches have been applied for a deeper understanding of nutrition and management, including omics, etc. How these interactive modulations can help in enhancing production efficiency, decreasing in vitro and in vivo stress hostile effects, and reducing the use of antibiotics. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: poultry nutrition and management, antibiotic replacements, multi-omics analysis for gastrointestinal health, and metabolism.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Guangtian Cao
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • poultry
  • nutrition and management
  • multi-omics
  • antibiotic replacements
  • metabolism

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (7 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

13 pages, 266 KiB  
Article
Effect of Putrescine Inoculation In Ovo on Hatchability, Hepatic and Muscular Glycogen Reserve, Intestinal Morphology, and Performance of Broilers
by Katiucia Cristine Sonálio, Leopoldo Malcorra de Almeida, Lucas Schmidt Bassi, Leandro Nagae Kuritza, Isabela de Camargo Dias, Chayane da Rocha and Alex Maiorka
Animals 2025, 15(9), 1259; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15091259 - 29 Apr 2025
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the inoculation of nutrient solutions with increasing levels of putrescine on the hatchability, physiology, and performance of broilers during the initial phase. The study is composed of four treatments with increasing doses of putrescine (0.015; [...] Read more.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the inoculation of nutrient solutions with increasing levels of putrescine on the hatchability, physiology, and performance of broilers during the initial phase. The study is composed of four treatments with increasing doses of putrescine (0.015; 0.030; 0.060, and 0.090%) and a control group. At hatch, hatchability rate; ratio between egg weight and chick weight; ratio between yolk sac, liver, breast and intestine weight, and chick weight; glycogen concentration in the liver and breast; and morphometric characteristics of the jejunum and ileum were evaluated. After hatch, 400 birds were housed in metabolic cages according to the treatments received, and feed intake, body weight gain, and feed conversion ratio were assessed at specific time points. Hatchability, chick performance at hatch, and organ weight were not affected by the inoculation of increasing levels of putrescine. Intestinal villi at hatch were higher in groups supplemented with putrescine (p < 0.001). The amounts of hepatic glycogen per gram of tissue at hatch were higher in groups with the lowest levels of putrescine and decreased with increasing doses (p = 0.017). Growth performance from 1 to 21 days was not influenced by the inoculation of putrescine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Poultry Nutrition and Management)
10 pages, 231 KiB  
Article
Effects of Citric Acid, Synbiotic, and Probiotic Supplementation Through Drinking Water on Growth Performance, Carcass Yield, and Blood Biochemistry of Broiler Chickens
by Shahadot Hossain, Biswajit Kumar Biswas, Subir Das, Faija Sadia Pory, Rabin Raut, Fatima Yeasmin, Sharif Uddin Khan, Prantho Malakar Dipta, Sabbir Alom Shuvo, Tahera Yeasmin and Raihanul Hoque
Animals 2025, 15(8), 1168; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15081168 - 18 Apr 2025
Viewed by 245
Abstract
A study was undertaken to investigate the effects of non-antibiotic additives—citric acid, synbiotics, and probiotics—administered through drinking water on broiler growth performance, carcass characteristics, and blood biochemical profiles. A total of 400 one-day-old Cobb 500 broiler chicks were randomly divided into four treatment [...] Read more.
A study was undertaken to investigate the effects of non-antibiotic additives—citric acid, synbiotics, and probiotics—administered through drinking water on broiler growth performance, carcass characteristics, and blood biochemical profiles. A total of 400 one-day-old Cobb 500 broiler chicks were randomly divided into four treatment groups: Control; no additives administered (CON); Citric acid @2.5 g/L water (CA); Synbiotic @0.2 g/L water (SB); Probiotic @0.5 g/L water (PB) and with each group having 4 replicates of 25 chicks. Growth performance metrics, such as body weight (BW), body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR), were recorded weekly. At the end of the trial, the probiotic-fed group had significantly higher BW (p = 0.018), BWG (p = 0.027), and an improved FCR (1.62) compared to the CON (1.74), CA (1.66), and SB (1.70) groups (p = 0.042). Biochemical parameters showed significant differences in total cholesterol (p = 0.013) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels (p = 0.039), with the PB group showing higher levels. These results suggest that citric acid, synbiotics, and probiotic additives provided through drinking water can enhance broiler growth performance, with probiotics offering the most promising benefits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Poultry Nutrition and Management)
12 pages, 252 KiB  
Article
Effect of Ideal Amino Acid Ratio of Arginine to Lysine on Intake, Nutrient Digestibility, Growth Performance, Antibody Titers of Newcastle Disease and Infectious Bronchitis Disease, and Carcass Characteristics of Broilers
by Wahab Liaqat, Urooj Anwar, Asfa Fatima, Azhar Rafique, Riaz Mustafa, Umar Farooq, Faisal Ramzan, Waseem Abbas, Muhammad Farooq Khalid, Muhammad Ashraf, Muhammad Riaz, Muhammad Qamar Bilal and Muhammad Aziz ur Rahman
Animals 2025, 15(2), 135; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15020135 - 8 Jan 2025
Viewed by 934
Abstract
This study aimed to assess the effects of different arginine (Arg) to lysine (Lys) ratios on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, growth performance, carcass characteristics, and antibody titers of Newcastle disease (ND) and infectious bronchitis (IB) disease in broilers during 35 days of trial. [...] Read more.
This study aimed to assess the effects of different arginine (Arg) to lysine (Lys) ratios on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, growth performance, carcass characteristics, and antibody titers of Newcastle disease (ND) and infectious bronchitis (IB) disease in broilers during 35 days of trial. For this purpose, a total of 816 day-old broiler birds having an average weight of 38 ± 3 g were divided into six dietary treatments in such a way that each treatment had eight replicates and each replicate had 17 birds. The treatments were 0.95 (1.19/1.25, 1.12/1.18, and 1.05/1.1), 1 (1.25/1.25, 1.18/1.18, and 1.1/1.1), 1.05 (1.31/1.25, 1.24/1.18, and 1.17/1.1), 1.10 (1.38/1.25, 1.30/1.18, and 1.23/1.1), 1.15 (1.44/1.25, 1.36/1.18, and 1.28/1.1), and 1.20 (1.50/1.25, 1.42/1.18, and 1.34/1.1) Arg/Lys divided into different amounts according to the nutritional needs of starter, grower, and finisher diets, respectively. The results showed that in the finisher phase, the FI was influenced cubically, while in the overall period, a quadratic effect was observed for the FI (p < 0.05). The results of BWG showed that BWG was linearly increased in birds given different Arg/Lys in the grower, finisher, and overall period (p < 0.05). The results also showed that during the grower, finisher, and overall phases, the body weight gain (BWG) was better in birds fed with 1.05 and 1.10 Arg/Lys (p < 0.05). Furthermore, a better feed conversion ratio (FCR) was shown in the starter and grower phases at 1.10 and 1.15 Arg/Lys (p < 0.05). The results of nutrient digestibility explored showed that the experimental treatments had a better effect (p < 0.05) on dry matter and crude fat digestibility in birds fed with 1.19/1.25, 1.12/1.18, and 1.05/1.1 and 1.25/1.25, 1.18/1.18, and 1.1/1.1 Arg/Lys in their diets while the crude protein digestibility remained unaffected with different treatments (p > 0.05). The treatments had no effect (p > 0.05) on relative organ weights, immune organs, and carcass characteristics. However, higher titers of ND and IBD were observed in birds fed with Arg/Lys of 1.38/1.25, 1.30/1.18, and 1.23/1.1 and 1.50/1.25, 1.42/1.18, and 1.34/1.1 in their diets (p < 0.05). Based on the results of the current study, it is concluded that the inclusion levels of 1.38/1.25, 1.30/1.18, and 1.23/1.1, and 1.44/1.25, 1.36/1.18, and 1.28/1.1 Arg/Lys resulted in better growth performance and immune response in the broiler birds, respectively. Therefore, adjusting the levels of Arg/Lys in feed is recommended to enhance broilers’ growth performance and immune response. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Poultry Nutrition and Management)
19 pages, 271 KiB  
Article
An Evaluation of the Arginine Requirements of Broiler Chickens and the Potential Arginine and Energy-Saving Effects of Guanidinoacetic Acid
by Adriaan Verhelle and Behnam Saremi
Animals 2025, 15(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15010004 - 24 Dec 2024
Viewed by 814
Abstract
Two 35-day trials were conducted to determine the arginine (Arg) requirement of broiler chickens and the Arg and energy-sparing effects of guanidinoacetic acid (GAA). In experiment 1, a low-Arg diet (basal diet) was supplemented with increasing levels (0.06–0.61%) of L-Arg or GAA. In [...] Read more.
Two 35-day trials were conducted to determine the arginine (Arg) requirement of broiler chickens and the Arg and energy-sparing effects of guanidinoacetic acid (GAA). In experiment 1, a low-Arg diet (basal diet) was supplemented with increasing levels (0.06–0.61%) of L-Arg or GAA. In experiment 2, a diet meeting the energy and amino acid requirements of broiler chickens served as the positive control (PC). Two negative control (NC) groups were assigned by reducing either 50 (NC1) or 100 (NC2) kcal nitrogen-corrected metabolizable energy. Test groups were supplemented with 0.06% GAA for NC1 and 0.12% GAA for NC2 to compensate for the lower energy in the feed. The low dietary Arg concentration (starter: 1.02%, grower: 0.88%, finisher: 0.75%) significantly reduced overall performance (p < 0.05). Supplementation of either L-Arg or GAA with a low-Arg diet both alleviated the lower performance (p < 0.05). However, more GAA was needed to provide the same level of growth attained with L-Arg at an equivalency rate of 1 GAA to 0.57 Arg. Reduction of dietary energy by 50 and 100 kcal did not significantly influence the performance of birds at all stages of growth. Moreover, no effect of GAA supplementation at 0.06% or 0.12% was observed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Poultry Nutrition and Management)
14 pages, 263 KiB  
Article
Effects of Dietary Protein Levels, Net Energy Levels, and Essential Amino Acid-to-True Protein Ratios on Broiler Performance
by Sosthene Musigwa, Pierre Cozannet, Collins A. Asiamah and Shu-Biao Wu
Animals 2024, 14(21), 3065; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14213065 - 24 Oct 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2762
Abstract
Supplementing essential amino acids (EAAs) without considering non-EAA (NEAA) and energy contents in reduced-crude protein (CP) diets may alter EAA-to-true protein (E:T) and energy-to-protein ratios, potentially compromising growth. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of CP, E:T, and net energy (NE) on [...] Read more.
Supplementing essential amino acids (EAAs) without considering non-EAA (NEAA) and energy contents in reduced-crude protein (CP) diets may alter EAA-to-true protein (E:T) and energy-to-protein ratios, potentially compromising growth. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of CP, E:T, and net energy (NE) on broiler performance. The treatments were as follows: T1—reduced CP (16%, RP), low NE (9.9 MJ/kg, LNE), low E:T (0.56, LE:T); T2—RP, LNE, high E:T (0.60, HE:T), with imbalanced EAA (excess Met and deficient Thr); T3—RP, high NE (10.4 MJ/kg, HNE), LE:T; T4—RP, HNE, HE:T; T5—normal CP (18%, NP), LNE, LE:T; T6—NP, LNE, HE:T; T7—NP, HNE, LE:T; and T8—NP, HNE, HE:T. The study employed as-hatched Cobb 500 broilers in two experiments. Exp.1 studied the broiler performance from d19 to 35, with eight replicates per treatment and 16 birds per replicate (n = 1024). Birds were randomly assigned to different treatments, and at the end of their lives, all were dissected to determine their sex and account for any gender-related effects. Exp.2 measured NE values in respiration chambers from d25 to 28, with six replicates per treatment, and two birds (a male and a female) per replicate (n = 96). The bird gender was determined through high-resolution melting curve analysis of feather DNA. The measured NE values were used to calculate NE intake (NEi) in Exp.1. The results showed that T4 improved (p < 0.001) weight gain (WG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and NEi relative to T1, T2, and T3, and protein efficiency (WG/CP intake) relative to all treatments. The live performance (feed intake, WG, FCR) and NEi of birds fed T4 reached a level equal to those of birds fed NP diets (T5 to T8). These results suggest that a dietary E:T ratio of 0.60 is necessary to maximize nutrient utilization and to restore growth rate in broilers fed RP diets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Poultry Nutrition and Management)
10 pages, 265 KiB  
Article
Impact of High-Dose Supplemental Paprika Extract Feeding on Egg Storage and Biochemical Parameters in Laying Hens
by Sadao Kojima
Animals 2024, 14(19), 2856; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14192856 - 4 Oct 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1218
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of paprika extract supplementation on egg storage and blood biochemical parameters in 63-week-old Rhode Island Red (RIR) and Silky Fowl (SF) hens. The hens were divided into three groups: a control group with a basal diet [...] Read more.
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of paprika extract supplementation on egg storage and blood biochemical parameters in 63-week-old Rhode Island Red (RIR) and Silky Fowl (SF) hens. The hens were divided into three groups: a control group with a basal diet and two groups receiving the basal diet with paprika extract. The trial lasted 28 days, with egg quality (yolk color and albumen pH) assessed after storing eggs at 25 °C for 21 days. A total of 144 eggs were used in 42 treatments (two breeds, three diets, and seven storage periods) with three eggs examined each (four eggs were used on day 0 and five eggs on day 21). Additionally, the yolk carotenoid content, yolk color, and pH of eggs stored at 4 °C and 25 °C were compared. Results showed that yolk color fan score (YCFS) decreased with storage, and SF had a higher albumen pH than RIR, with both breeds exhibiting an increase in pH over time. HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and the HDL-C to total cholesterol ratio were significantly influenced by breed, diet, and their interaction. The HDL-C level in SF was affected linearly and quadratically by diet, while no such trend was observed in RIR. The study concluded that paprika extract affects egg quality and blood lipid profiles differently in different breeds, highlighting breed-specific responses to dietary supplementation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Poultry Nutrition and Management)
17 pages, 8241 KiB  
Article
Assessing the Influence of Guanidinoacetic Acid on Growth Performance, Body Temperature, Blood Metabolites, and Intestinal Morphometry in Broilers: A Comparative Sex-Based Experiment
by Abdulaziz A. Al-Abdullatif, Mahmoud M. Azzam, Emad M. Samara, Mohammed A. Al-Badwi, Xinyang Dong and Abdel-Moneim Eid Abdel-Moneim
Animals 2024, 14(13), 1853; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14131853 - 22 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1830
Abstract
It is well known that female and male broilers showcase variations in their growth performance, influenced by various physiological factors. This experiment aims to explore potential differences between female and male broilers concerning growth performance, body temperature, blood metabolites, carcass traits, and intestinal [...] Read more.
It is well known that female and male broilers showcase variations in their growth performance, influenced by various physiological factors. This experiment aims to explore potential differences between female and male broilers concerning growth performance, body temperature, blood metabolites, carcass traits, and intestinal architecture in response to guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) supplementation. A total of 240 Ross 308 broiler chickens were arranged in a 3 × 2 factorial design and randomly allocated into 48 boxes, each containing 5 birds. The experiment comprised six treatments, with eight replicates per treatment. The main factors investigated were dietary GAA levels (0%, 0.06%, and 0.12%) and sex (male and female). Male broilers demonstrated superior body weight gain (BWG) and feed intake (FI) compared to females (p< 0.05). GAA supplementation at 0.12% concentration notably improved BWG and reduced FI and feed conversion ratio (FCR) across experimental phases (p < 0.05). However, interactions between sex and GAA were minimal except for reduced FI and FCR (p < 0.05) in both sexes during early growth stages. Regardless of GAA treatment, the male birds exhibited more elevated shank and head temperatures than the females. Carcass traits were largely unaffected by GAA supplementation or sex, except for higher heart yield in the males. Serum metabolite levels were not different between treatment groups at 10 and 24 days of age, except for a higher level of serum creatinine at 10 days in the female birds with 0.06% GA supplementation (p < 0.05). Intestinal morphology was significantly affected by GAA and sex, depending on the segment of intestine, in which GAA supplementation significantly increased villus height, crypt depth, villus width, surface area, and goblet cell count, while the males consistently exhibited higher values of these parameters than the females, and differences were observed between intestinal segments, especially in the ileum and duodenum, at different ages. In conclusion, the interactions between GAA and sex had minimal influences on growth performance indices. However, male broilers demonstrated a more pronounced response to GAA concerning ileal architecture. This study highlights the importance of supplementing broiler chicken diets with GAA for optimizing male broiler performance and intestinal function. The inclusion of GAA into broiler diets needs further study to reveal the underlying mechanisms driving these sex-specific responses and assess the long-term impacts of GAA supplementation on broiler health and productivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Poultry Nutrition and Management)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-7
Back to TopTop