Search Results (205)

To evaluate the response of broiler breeder hens submitted to different amino acid intakes of methionine+cystine, lysine, and threonine, and to determine the coefficients for egg output and body weight for maintenance. Three studies were performed using 160 broiler breeder hens housed individually in metabolic cages. A summit diet and a nitrogen-free diet were formulated. The levels ranged from 1.79 to 7.13, 2.49 to 8.3, and 2.04 to 6.79 g/kg of methionine+cystine, lysine, and threonine, respectively. The variables measured were feed intake, amino acid intake, rate of lay, egg weight, and egg output. The broken line model was used to evaluate the responses. It was verified that higher values of the rate of lay, egg weight, and egg output were observed for the higher concentrations of amino acids studied. A significant difference was observed for the variables rate of lay, egg weight, egg output, and body weight (p < 0.05) for the three amino acids evaluated. The amount of each amino acid required to produce one gram per egg was estimated at 12.4 mg, 14.5 mg, and 11.2 mg for methionine+cystine, lysine, and threonine, respectively. The values estimated by coefficient b that represent the amino acid for maintenance requirement were methionine+cystine, lysine, and threonine of 30.2, 32.2, and 42.4 mg/kg BW, respectively. The coefficients may be used to design additional models to study requirements nutrition in broiler breeders, allowing a better understanding of how these birds respond to different dietary amino acids. Full article

Environmentally modified housing [EMH; windowless, insulated sidewalls and ceiling, thermostatically controlled ventilation fans) versus conventional housing [CVH; cross-ventilated, insulated ceiling, ceiling fans) improved broiler performance in the summer. The objective of this investigation was to determine whether social behaviors differed between two population densities (0.06 m²/chick [HD] or 0.07 m²/chick [LD]) in these houses. We used a randomized block statistical design, involving houses, population densities, observation times, and bird age. Behaviors were observed weekly, during the morning and the afternoon. Individual observers focused on the group of broilers in one of three defined 26.76 m² areas in each of the four pens in each house. Aggressive encounters, tail and back pecking, feather eating, thermoregulatory, preening, and flock mobility were recorded. Feather pecking, eating and aggressive encounters were expressed at greater rates in HD birds in CVH. A salt-deficient diet caused increased feather pecking and aggressive encounters, which decreased after correction of the mistake. Increased heat indices (HIs), HD, and greater light intensity in CVH influenced behaviors and mortality more severely than in EMH. In CVH and EMH, burrowing/thermoregulatory/resting activity increased with increasing HIs. Afternoon preening was elevated significantly in EMH. It was concluded that broilers reared in EMH were more comfortable and experienced improved welfare compared to those reared in CVH. Full article

Rooster behavior and activity are critical for egg fertility and hatchability in broiler and layer breeder houses. Desirable roosters are expected to have good leg health, reach sexual maturity, be productive, and show less aggression toward females during mating. However, not all roosters are desirable, and low-productive roosters should be removed and replaced. The objectives of this study were to apply an object detection model based on deep learning to identify hens and roosters based on phenotypic characteristics, such as comb size and body size, in a cage-free (CF) environment, and to compare the performance metrics among the applied models. Six roosters were mixed with 200 Lohmann LSL Lite hens during the pre-peak phase in a CF research facility and were marked with different identifications. Deep learning methods, such as You Only Look Once (YOLO) models, were innovated and trained (based on a comb size of up to 2500 images) for the identification of male and female chickens based on comb size and body features. The performance matrices of the YOLOv5u and YOLOv11 models, including precision, recall, mean average precision (mAP), and F1 score, were statistically compared for hen and rooster detection using a one-way ANOVA test at a significance level of p < 0.05. For rooster detection based on comb size, YOLOv5lu, and YOLOv11x variants performed the best among the five variants of each model, with YOLOv5lu achieving a precision of 87.7%, recall of 56.3%, and mAP@0.50 of 60.1%, while YOLOv11x achieved a precision of 86.7%, recall of 65.3%, and mAP@0.50 of 61%. For rooster detection based on body size, YOLOv5xu, and YOLOv11m outperformed other variants, with YOLOv5xu achieving a precision of 88.9%, recall of 77.7%, and mAP@0.50 of 82.3%, while YOLOv11m achieved a precision of 89.0%, recall of 78.8%, and mAP@0.50 of 82.6%. This study provides a reference for automatic rooster monitoring based on comb and body size and offers further opportunities for tracking the activities of roosters in a poultry breeder farm for performance evaluation and genetic selection in the future. Full article

This study aims to evaluate environmental performance indicators and eco-controls in the poultry production chain in Goiás, with a focus on forest management, waste generation, water resources, energy use, emissions, and environmental accounting. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining qualitative and quantitative data from 13 agro-industrial companies, 230 farms, and 816 broiler houses. The results highlight the role of environmental management accounting (EMA) in monitoring and improving environmental practices, supporting continuous performance assessment. Econometric analysis revealed a positive link between sustainability practices and economic growth, as measured by GDP per capita. However, productive capacity and energy efficiency showed no significant impact at the 5% level. The study limitations include the focus on a single region and industry, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. Future research should expand to other chains and regions to assess broader applicability and explore the public policy impacts on environmental sustainability, as well as the impact of public policies on environmental sustainability within the sector. Full article

The origin of feed ingredients, particularly corn, can influence nutrient composition and availability, thereby affecting broiler growth performance and overall production efficiency. This study evaluated the effects of the dietary inclusion of different corn origins: United States (local) (USA-L), United States (reimported) (USA-R), Argentina (ARG), and Brazil (BRA) on broiler performance, nutrient digestibility, and processing yield from 1 to 35 d of age. A total of 1200 male broiler chicks (YPM × Ross 708) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments, with each diet incorporating corn from a specific origin. Birds were housed in controlled environmental conditions and fed isocaloric, isoproteic diets formulated based on corn nutrient profiles from each origin. Body weight (BW), body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were assessed at 10, 21, and 35 d. On d 35, ileal digestibility of nutrients was assessed using titanium dioxide as an indigestible marker, and processing yields were measured on d 36. Results indicated no impact of corn origin on BW or BWG during the grow-out. However, FI was greater in broilers fed with diets containing corn from ARG and BRA compared to corn from USA-L from 1 to 35 d (p = 0.012). Feed intake of birds fed diets with USA-R did not differ from diets with either BRA or USA-L corn. Feed conversion ratio remained unaffected at 10 and 21 d of age, but broilers fed diets with corn from USA-L and USA-R exhibited improved FCR at 35 d compared to those fed corn from BRA (p < 0.001). Processing weights and yields showed no differences among treatments; nonetheless, broilers fed corn from ARG had a higher chilled carcass weight than those fed corn from USA-R (p = 0.032). Nutrient digestibility analysis revealed no differences in crude protein, fat, calcium, and potassium digestibility, while phosphorus digestibility was significantly higher in broilers fed corn from ARG compared to corn from USA-L (p = 0.007). These findings suggest that corn origin minimally affected overall broiler growth performance and carcass characteristics. However, differences in FI, FCR, and nutrient digestibility may exist among different corn sources. Full article

Infectious bursal disease (IBD) is a viral disease that most commonly affects young chickens and destroys lymphocytes, leading to immunosuppression. The field study aimed to investigate the effect of three different vaccines administered in ovo against IBD and spray against Newcastle disease (ND) on serological response tested for IBD and ND and histopathological analysis of the bursa of Fabricius (BF) and quantitative B lymphocytes in BF in broiler chickens. The study was conducted on a farm of four hen houses with 30,000 chicks in each building. Three different vaccination programs were used in the poultry hatchery, and one hen house IV was not vaccinated. All three groups were vaccinated at 18 days and 9 h in ovo during egg transfer against IBD at a dose of 0.05 mL/embryo, group I vector vaccine (strain vHVT013-69), group II immunocomplex vaccine (strain Winterfield 2512), group III immunocomplex vaccine (strain M.B, 0.05). Then, after hatching, the chicks were vaccinated in a spray (groups I, II, and III) against NDV (strain VG/GA, 20 mL/100 birds) and infectious bronchitis (IBV) in a spray (strain H-120, serotype Mass, and strain CR88121, serotype 793B) at a dose of 20 mL/100 chicks. On days 1, 21, 31, and 41, blood was collected for serological tests to determine the antibody titer against IBD, which was performed using two tests (IDEXX and ID-Vet) and against ND. During the necropsy of birds on days 21 and 31, the bursae of Fabricius were collected from five chickens for histopathological evaluation of BF and quantitative B lymphocyte counts; a total of 40 bursae were analyzed (10 per group). The vaccination program applied significantly (p < 0.05) affected the immune response expressed as a geometric mean titer (GMT) in the serum of the examined chickens against IBDV on days 21, 31, and 41. Differences were also demonstrated in the mass and level of BF damage and the number of B lymphocytes. No significant differences were demonstrated in the GMT in the serum of the examined chickens against NDV depending on the vaccination program applied. Full article

Modern poultry production demands scalable and non-invasive methods to monitor animal welfare, particularly as broiler strains are increasingly bred for rapid growth, often at the expense of mobility and health. This study evaluates two advanced computer vision techniques—Optical Flow and the Unrest Index—to assess movement patterns in broiler chickens. Three commercial broiler strains (Hybro^®, Cobb^®, and Ross^®) were housed in controlled environments and continuously monitored using ceiling-mounted video systems. Chicken movements were detected and tracked using a YOLO model, with centroid data informing both the Unrest Index and distance walked metrics. Optical Flow velocity metrics (mean, variance, skewness, and kurtosis) were extracted using the Farnebäck algorithm. Pearson correlation analyses revealed strong associations between Optical Flow variables and traditional movement indicators, with average velocity showing the strongest correlation to walked distance and the Unrest Index. Among the evaluated strains, Cobb^® demonstrated the strongest correlation between Optical Flow variance and the Unrest Index, indicating a distinct movement profile. The equipment’s movement and the camera’s slight instability had a minimal effect on the Optical Flow measurement. Still, its strong correlation with the Unrest Index and walking distance accredits it as an effective method for high-resolution behavioral monitoring. This study supports the integration of Optical Flow and Unrest Index technologies into precision livestock systems, offering a foundation for predictive welfare management at scale. Full article

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

Lipid matrix microencapsulation is hypothesized to improve bioavailability for broiler breeders supplemented with normal and protect against excessive levels of inorganic trace minerals. At 27 weeks (wk), nine females and two males were assigned to each of the 12 floor pens. Each pen was randomly assigned to dietary treatments (trt) in a factorial arrangement of two mineral premix forms, free (FRTM) and microencapsulated (MITM), and two mineral premix supplement dosages (100% and 300% of Aviagen recommendations). At 55 wk termination, 15 hens/trt were randomly selected to assess tibia and jejunum morphology. Breeders receiving MITM improved hen day % (HD %), hen housed (HH%), and FCR but produced the lightest chicks at hatch. The TM form had no significant effect on histology, but TM 100% had greater villus height (VH), crypt depth (CD), and villi area than TM 300% (p < 0.5). No significant treatment effects on bone weight, length, and bone mass density were observed. However, MITM treatments increased tibia thickness, and FRTM supplementation increased ash% and Cu content. Hens fed 300% TM had higher bone Mn content than 100% TM, whereas hens fed MI100 had the highest Fe content. Feeding lipid matrix microencapsulated trace minerals to broiler breeders does have positive impacts on the production of eggs, but no effects were observed in the histomorphology of the jejunum or tibia bone parameters. Full article

The weight information of broilers is important for understanding the growth progress of broilers and adjusting the breeding schedule, and predicting the broiler live weight at the time of shipment is an important task for producing high-quality broilers that meet consumer demand. To this end, we plan to analyze the broiler weight data automatically measured in a smart broiler house with an intelligent system and conduct a study to predict the weight until the time of shipment. To estimate the accurate daily body weight representative value of broiler body weight data, the K-means clustering method and the kernel density estimation method were applied, and the growth trends generated by each method were used as training data for the Prophet predictor, double exponential smoothing predictor, ARIMA predictor, and Gompertz growth model. The experimental results showed that the K-means + Prophet predictor model recorded the best prediction performance among the algorithm combinations proposed in this paper. The prediction results of the algorithm presented in this paper can analyze the growth progress of broilers in actual broiler houses and can be used as meaningful judgment data for adjusting the breeding schedule considering the time of shipment. Full article

Salmonellosis in broilers is a disease with considerable economic implications for the poultry industry. As a foodborne illness, it also poses a public health risk due to potential cross-contamination. Probiotics have been proposed as alternative feed additives aiming to enhance growth, livestock productivity, and overall health. This study investigated the dietary impact of Lactococcus lactis JNU 534 on growth performance, blood characteristics, internal organ weight, and meat quality in broilers inoculated with Salmonella enteritidis (SE). A total of 96 one-day-old Arbor Acres broiler chickens, comprising both sexes, were challenged with SE and randomly assigned into two treatment groups and housed in eight pens (four pens per each treatment, with 12 birds per pen). They were fed a commercial broiler diet for 35 days. The two dietary treatment groups consisted of a control group receiving commercial feed, and a treatment group receiving commercial feed supplemented with 0.3% L. lactis JNU 534. Probiotic supplementation significantly improved average body weight gain, feed efficiency, and carcass yield compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Notably, the abdominal fat pad was significantly reduced in the probiotics group (p < 0.05). Meat quality assessments revealed no significant differences between the groups in terms of meat pH, cooking loss, drip loss, and water-holding capacity. These findings suggest that L. lactis JNU 534 is a promising candidate to mitigate the negative effects of Salmonella on growth performance in commercial broiler farms, without adversely affecting health. Extending the research to other types of livestock could help confirm its wider use as an alternative to antibiotics. Full article

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the on-farm solar photovoltaic (PV) generation to offset grid electricity consumption on a commercial poultry farm in the US. Hourly electricity production by PV systems was estimated using the System Advisor Model (SAM) of the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) and compared with the estimated electric load demand of a broiler house. We analyzed the economic benefits of installing solar systems of three capacities under net energy metering and net energy billing pricing scenarios. Results suggested that a smaller PV installation of 35 kW_p, while substantially short of meeting energy needs, resulted in an 85% self-consumption ratio, whereas the larger 70 kW_p and 105 kW_p PV systems, led to 59% and 42% self-consumption ratios, respectively. This is important when analyzing pricing schemes as lesser amounts of PV energy created are sold to the grid with the smallest system, and, thereby, the least pricing effects on profitability occur across pricing scenarios. Although all scenarios lead to positive net present values (NPVs), under either type of the pricing scenarios, farm business owners realize more favorable energy sales with NEM, which would spur PV system adoption. Results of this study thus provide information to both poultry farmers, considering the size of system installations and policy makers interested in affordably increasing renewable energy supplies and/or rural development. Full article

Effective poultry management practices that promote chicken health are crucial for producing higher-quality chicken meat at a lower cost. This study examined the hypothesis that increasing space while maintaining stocking density may positively impact poultry health. We evaluated body weight (BW) as an indicator of growth, stress markers, and the composition of the gut microbiome by comparing two housing sizes: smaller (control) and larger (treatment) spaces, with 10 birds per space and a stocking density of 12.3 birds/m². Chickens in the larger space had 15% higher BW (p = 0.06) compared to those in the smaller space when significance was evaluated at p < 0.10. Stress indicators such as blood cortisol (acute) and brain FKBP51 did not differ significantly. Faith’s phylogenetic diversity was marginally higher in the larger space (p = 0.05), and microbial communities differed significantly between the two groups. The relative abundance of several genera, including Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 (p = 0.02), Lactobacillus (p = 0.03), and Paracoccus (p < 0.01), was greater in the larger space, whereas Turicibacter (p = 0.02), Escherichia–Shigella (p = 0.01), and Lysinibacillus (p = 0.01) were more abundant in the smaller space. The larger and smaller spaces were associated with a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the abundance of 39 and 25 MetaCyc pathways, respectively, involved in amino acid and nitrogen metabolisms. These findings suggest that increasing housing space without altering stocking density or additional treatments may improve both growth and gut microbiome health in broilers. Our results provide insights into the relationship between chicken housing environments and the gut microbiome. Full article

This study investigated the effects of the dietary supplementation of mineral methionine hydroxyl analogue chelates (MMHACs) zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn) on excreta nitrogen and mineral levels, housing conditions, and the welfare status of broilers. Three-hundred eighty-four day-old Ross 308 male chicks were randomly distributed to four dietary treatments, each consisting of eight replicate pens of twelve birds per pen. The treatments were (1) inorganic trace mineral ZnSO₄ (110 ppm), CuSO₄ (16 ppm), and MnO (120 ppm) (ITM); (2) MMHAC Zn (40 ppm), Cu (10 ppm), and Mn (40 ppm) (M10); (3) inorganic trace mineral ZnSO₄ (110 ppm), tribasic copper chloride (125 ppm), and MnO (120 ppm) (T125); and (4) MMHAC Zn (40 ppm), Cu (30 ppm), and Mn (40 ppm) (M30). Three feeding phases including the starter (days 0–10), grower (days 10–21), and finisher (days 21–42) were used. The findings showed that birds offered MMHACs at both levels had significantly lower Zn and Mn levels, and birds offered the T125 diet had higher Cu levels in the excreta compared to those fed the other diets on days 10, 16, 21, 28, and 42 (p < 0.001). The life cycle assessment showed that MMHAC supplementation at 30 ppm can be expected to improve the sustainability of the poultry industry in terms of reduced emissions into the environment, whereas excreta nitrogen and moisture content, litter conditions, levels of air gases (ammonia, carbon dioxide, and methane), and welfare indicators were similar between the dietary treatments. Hence, the supplementation of MMHACs to broiler diets at 30 ppm could maintain litter quality and welfare status while reducing emissions into the environment and the Zn, Mn, and/or Cu excretion of broilers, therefore reducing the environmental impacts of broiler production. Full article

As animal welfare becomes more active in livestock industry, research is being conducted on ways to improve poor housing environments, reduce stress, and meet welfare standards. Among these, environmental enrichment methods are effective in reducing stress and creating a welfare-friendly rearing environment, but there are few cases of actual application to farms. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of providing pecking materials (grain blocks), known as one of the environmental enrichment methods, to commercial broiler farms. This study used two facilities that could accommodate 32,000 one-day-old broilers (Arbor acres) per building, and two groups (control and treatment groups) were designed after creating two identical areas within each building (total two treatments, two replicates, 16,000 birds per replicate). Two identical zones within the house were created by installing a partition in the center; one side was provided with grain blocks (one grain block per 1000 birds), and the other side was not. Analysis items included productivity (body weight, uniformity), environmental variables (litter and air), welfare indicators (leg, gait score, feather cleanliness score), and serum corticosterone levels. Analysis of all items was conducted twice, on the 19th and 27th, taking into account the farm’s feed change date and slaughter schedule. Other environmental conditions (density, lighting, ventilation, temperature, humidity, feed, and water) were the same. As a result, no difference in productivity was observed according to enrichment, and the quality of litter and air was similar. Also, there was no significant difference in welfare indicators. Interestingly, however, provision of the environment enrichment lowered serum corticosterone levels (p < 0.05). The implications of our study are that grain blocks as a pecking material are an effective way to reduce stress without adversely affecting broiler performance and rearing environment. However, it is still necessary to explore optimal enrichment materials that can help not only the welfare level but also the broiler performance. Full article