Search

Problems with indoor husbandry and immunological challenges are some of the stressors that broilers may face which can affect production. Infectious diseases can compound the effects of excessive concentrations of ammonia causing respiratory and ocular inflammation and increased lacrimal production in broiler chickens. The objectives of this investigation were to establish normal values of tear production in chicks and compare the practicality of the different methods. Palpebral fissure length (PFL) and tear production were evaluated in Cobb 500 chicks at 5 d old and then at 5 d of age by the following methods: modified Schirmer's test I (mSTT1), phenol red cotton thread tear test (PRCTTT), and standardized endodontic absorbent paper point test (EAPPTT). Ten chicks at the age of 5 and 42 d were evaluated for each method. In addition, at 42 d, when the palpebral fissure permitted, a regular-sized Schirmer tear test I (STT1) was performed in another group of 10 chickens. Overall, PFL and the secretion of the aqueous phase of the tear film increased with age. Mean mSTT1 results were 5.00 ± 1.83 mm and 10.45 ± 2.58 mm for 5- and 42-d-old chicks, respectively. Mean PRCTTT results were 12.37 ± 1.80 mm and 25.58 ± 4.8 mm for 5- and 42-d-old chicks, respectively. Mean EAPPTT results were 7.13 ± 0.72 mm and 12.03 ± 0.92 mm for 5- and 42-d-old chicks, respectively. Mean STT1 for 42-d-old chicks was 11.40 ± 2.60 mm. Results obtained with endodontic paper points showed the lowest coefficient of variation and investigators found the test easier to perform. These values reported for broilers at different ages may be applied in poultry ophthalmology to help the diagnosis of lacrimal production disorders and to detect early disease symptoms that could cause economic losses in poultry production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevention and controlled growth of pathogenic bacteria on eggs during storage and distribution at room temperature is important to ensure commercial eggs and egg products are safe for consumer. This study investigated the combined effects of orange oil (0.001%–0.004% v/w) and smoke for 10 min in paper egg tray packaging produce from the fungal pulp of Trametes versicolor. Eggs were kept in the developed paper egg tray at room temperature (30 ± 2°C). The mechanism of the combined antibacterial effects against Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus and egg quality were investigated. The combination of orange oil (0.004%) and smoke delayed all bacteria and suppressed changes in weight loss and the quality factor of eggs (Haugh unit, yolk index, albumen index) for at least 14 d. It was found that the volatile orange oil smoke in the egg tray could be passed through the structure of the cell wall and membrane of bacteria, giving rise to loss of cell viability by irreversibly damaging the cell membranes of all the bacteria in this test. Moreover, higher antioxidant activity was found on the eggs than on the eggshells, which is linked to greater shelf-life of treated eggs. The study demonstrates an improved paper egg tray packaging system and the possibility of combining released essential oils and smoke, which can be extended to egg products. Smoke can also be modified on the surface of paper egg trays easily, which shows potential in functionalizing implanted materials with antibacterial properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to avoid damaging viscera during poultry evisceration and enhance the economic value of poultry products, this paper proposes a predictive method for poultry carcass visceral dimensions based on 3D point cloud and a Genetic Algorithm-based Wavelet Neural Network (GA-WNN). In this study, a data set of poultry carcasses was obtained through the use of 3D point cloud scanning equipment combined with reverse engineering software. The inputs and predicted targets of the model were determined through correlation analysis of various carcass dimensions. Then, a prediction model of poultry visceral size (GA-WNN) was built by K-fold cross validation method, Genetic Algorithm and Wavelet Neural Network (WNN). By comparing the prediction results and analyzing Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of the six models, it was determined that the GA-WNN model had the best prediction results. Finally, in order to verify the generalizability of the method, generalizability experiments were conducted on different breeds of poultry, which proved that the method of this study had superior generalizability ability. In the comparative analysis of the six models, the MAPE and RMSE of the GA-WNN model for the prediction of the three visceral dimensions were the lowest except for the RMSE for the prediction of visceral length. Compared with the largest of the two kinds of errors, the MAPE and RMSE for the prediction of the position of the upper end of the left liver by the method of this study were lower by 5.56% and 0.915 cm, respectively, and the prediction effect had a significant advantage. The experimental results showed that the model built in this paper based on 3D point cloud and GA-WNN network can accurately predict the size of the viscera of poultry carcasses, thus providing theoretical references for the automated evisceration technology without damaging the viscera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As global demand for poultry products, environmental sustainability, and health consciousness rises with time, the poultry industry faces both substantial challenges and new opportunities. Therefore, this review paper provides a comprehensive overview of sustainable poultry farming, focusing on integrating genetic improvements, alternative feed, precision technologies, waste management, and biotechnological innovations. Together, these strategies aim to minimize ecological footprints, uphold ethical standards, improve economic feasibility, and enhance industry resilience. In addition, this review paper explores various sustainable strategies, including eco-conscious organic farming practices and innovative feed sources like insect-based proteins, single-cell proteins, algal supplements, and food waste utilization. It also addresses barriers to adoption, such as technical challenges, financial constraints, knowledge gaps, and policy frameworks, which are crucial for advancing the poultry industry. This paper examined organic poultry farming in detail, noting several benefits like reduced pesticide use and improved animal welfare. Additionally, it discusses optimizing feed efficiency, an alternate energy source (solar photovoltaic/thermal), effective waste management, and the importance of poultry welfare. Transformative strategies, such as holistic farming systems and integrated approaches, are proposed to improve resource use and nutrient cycling and promote climate-smart agricultural practices. The review underscores the need for a structured roadmap, education, and extension services through digital platforms and participatory learning to promote sustainable poultry farming for future generations. It emphasizes the need for collaboration and knowledge exchange among stakeholders and the crucial role of researchers, policymakers, and industry professionals in shaping a future where sustainable poultry practices lead the industry, committed to ethical and resilient poultry production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need to develop novel alternatives to antibiotics gained prominence following the ban on sub-therapeutic antibiotic applications for livestock growth enhancement. This prohibition led to a surge in research papers exploring potential alternatives to antibiotics to promote growth and health in poultry. As a result, it has become imperative to synthesize information regarding research accomplishments and publication patterns in antibiotic alternatives, to assess research gaps and aid regulatory, funding, and research entities in making informed decisions. Consequently, our study aims to systematically analyze and comprehend the research and publication trends related to growth-promoting antibiotic alternatives in poultry. We identified all publications during the search period from 2009 to 2022, utilizing various bibliometric analysis datasets from Scopus, Web of Science/InCites, and Dimensions. The Rayyan web application was employed for manual deduplicating, labeling, and screening the relevant publications. From an initial pool of 2038 publications, we screened and categorized 816 based on factors such as alternative antibiotic categories, publication years, countries, species, journals, and institutes. Our findings reveal that the most prevalent publications are centered around probiotic (30.51%) and phytogenic (24.02%). Notably, the United States leads publication output, followed by China and Egypt. Among poultry species, broilers emerge as the most extensively studied category, followed by layer chickens. Universities emerge as the foremost contributors to antibiotic alternative research, while government institutes and industry occupy the second and third positions, respectively. Upon scrutinizing the journals responsible for the highest publication count and most cited papers, it became evident that the journal " Poultry Science " leads with the highest percentage (13.51%) and the most highly cited publications, accounting for five out of eleven highly cited articles. This comprehensive review outlines research trends concerning diverse antibiotic alternatives, taking into account poultry species and geographical distribution. The future trajectory in this domain is projected to encompass a blend of various antibiotic alternatives that could be administered as a single product and/or the innovative use of novel antibiotic alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enclosed multistory poultry housing is a type of poultry enclosure widely used in industrial caged chicken breeding. Accurate identification and detection of the comb and eyes of caged chickens in poultry farms using this type of enclosure can enhance managers' understanding of the health of caged chickens. However, the accuracy of image detection of caged chickens will be affected by the enclosure's entrance, which will reduce the precision. Therefore, this paper proposes a cage-gate removal algorithm based on big data and deep learning Cyclic Consistent Migration Neural Network (CCMNN). The method achieves automatic elimination and restoration of some key information in the image through the CCMNN network. The Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM) between the recovered and original images on the test set is 91.14%. Peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) is 25.34dB. To verify the practicability of the proposed method, the performance of the target detection algorithm is analyzed both before and after applying the CCMNN network in detecting the combs and eyes of caged chickens. Different YOLOv8 detection algorithms, including YOLOv8s, YOLOv8n, YOLOv8m, and YOLOv8x, were used to verify the algorithm proposed in this paper. The experimental results demonstrate that compared to images without CCMNN processing, the precision of comb detection of caged chickens is improved by 11, 11.3, 12.8, and 10.2%. Similarly, the precision of eye detection for caged chickens is improved by 2.4, 10.2, 6.8, and 9%. Therefore, more complete outline images of caged chickens can be obtained using this algorithm and the precision in detecting the comb and eyes of caged chickens can be enhanced. These advancements in the algorithm offer valuable insights for future poultry researchers aiming to deploy enhanced detection equipment, thereby contributing to the accurate assessment of poultry production and farm conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review aimed to compile the available body of knowledge about microbiome-related nutritional interventions contributing to improve the chicken health and having an impact on the reduction of colonization by foodborne pathogens in the gut. Original research articles published between 2012 and 2022 were systematically searched in Scopus and PubMed. A total of 1,948 articles were retrieved and 140 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Overall, 73 papers described 99 interventions against colonization by Escherichia coli and related organisms; 10 papers described 15 interventions against Campylobacter spp. ; 36 papers described 54 interventions against Salmonella; 40 papers described 54 interventions against Clostridium perfringens. A total of 197 microbiome-related interventions were identified as effective against one or more of the listed pathogens and included probiotics (n = 80), prebiotics (n = 23), phytobiotics (n = 25), synbiotics (n = 12), organic acids (n = 12), enzymes (n = 4), essential oils (n = 14) and combination of these (n = 27). The identified interventions were mostly administered in the feed (173/197) or through oral gavage (11/197), in the drinking water (7/197), in ovo (2/197), intra amniotic (2/197), in fresh or reused litter (1/197) or both in the feed and water (1/197). The interventions enhanced the beneficial microbial communities in the broiler gut as Lactic acid bacteria, mostly Lactobacillus spp., or modulated multiple microbial populations. The mechanisms promoting the fighting against colonization by foodborne pathogens included competitive exclusion, production of short chain fatty acids, decrease of gut pH, restoration of the microbiome after dysbiosis events, promotion of a more stable microbial ecology, expression of genes improving the integrity of intestinal mucosa, enhancing of mucin production and improvement of host immune response. All the studies extracted from the literature described in vivo trials but performed on a limited number of animals under experimental settings. Moreover, they detailed the effect of the intervention on the chicken gut without details on further impact on poultry meat safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Omics techniques, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics, analyze entire sets of biological molecules to seek comprehensive knowledge on a particular phenotype. These approaches have been extensively utilized to identify both biomarkers and biological mechanisms for various physiological conditions in livestock and poultry. The purpose of this symposium was not only to focus on how recent omics technologies can be used to gather, integrate, and interpret data produced by various methodologies in poultry research, but also to highlight how omics and bioinformatics have increased our understanding of poultry meat quality problems and other complex traits. This Poultry Science Association symposium paper includes 5 sections that cover: 1) functional annotation of cis-regulatory elements in the genome informs genetic control of complex traits in poultry, 2) mass spectrometry for proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics, 3) proteomic approaches to investigate meat quality, 4) spatial transcriptomics and metabolomics studies of wooden breast disease, and 5) multiomics analyses on chicken meat quality and spaghetti meat. These topics provide insights into the molecular components that contribute to the structure, function, and dynamics of the underlying mechanisms influencing meat quality traits, including chicken breast myopathies. This information will ultimately contribute to improving the quality and composition of poultry products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Careers in the poultry industry are ever evolving to address global challenges and include collaborations with others from diverse backgrounds and cultures from around the world. Employers are seeking college graduates who are prepared to use novel approaches to address local and global industry challenges. A primary goal of undergraduate animal and poultry science programs should be to focus on courses and opportunities for students to engage in activities that promote workforce and essential skill development. A symposium at the 2024 Poultry Science Association annual meeting included a unique perspective from academic and industry professionals on the essential skills needed by graduates to be most successful in the industry. This paper is a summary of the symposium's presentations concerning workforce development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The meat industry has been significantly threatened by the risks of foodborne microorganisms and biofilm formation on fresh meat and processed products. A microbial biofilm is a sophisticated defensive mechanism that enables bacterial cells to survive in unfavorable environmental circumstances. Generally, foodborne pathogens form biofilms in various areas of meat-processing plants, and adequate sanitization of these areas is challenging owing to the high tolerance of biofilm cells to sanitization compared with their planktonic states. Consequently, preventing biofilm initiation and maturation using effective and powerful technologies is imperative. In this review, novel and advanced technologies that prevent bacterial and biofilm development via individual and combined intervention technologies, such as ultrasound, cold plasma, enzymes, bacteriocins, essential oils, and phages, were evaluated. The evidence regarding current technologies revealed in this paper is potentially beneficial to the meat industry in preventing bacterial contamination and biofilm formation in food products and processing equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to analyze the aspects affecting broiler welfare with the use of Text Mining technique. This approach converts text into numerical data and analyzes word frequency distributions, enabling the extraction of useful information and the identification of relationships between elements. Text mining has limitations, i.e. ambiguity and context sensitivity, making it difficult to capture nuanced meanings. The search was carried out with Scopus using the term "Welfare" with the keywords "Chicken", "Broiler", "Broiler chicken", and "Chicken meat", to create a database of abstracts. Text Mining and Topic Analysis were performed on the abstracts (1228 documents) using the Software R 4.3.1., analyzing also the weight of bigram and trigram. Publications on broiler welfare are present in the bibliography since 1990′s, but in the last 10 years, for the interest of public opinion, the numbers of publications significantly increased (76.5% of all documents published). USA, Brazil, and Europe-27 published 60% of the documents found. The works were published in a high number of journals, but 37% of them are published in only 4 journals (Poultry Science, Animals, Applied Animal Behavior Science and Animal Welfare). Text Mining analysis identified key terms related to the slaughter phase, housing management, and environmental conditions such as light quality and quantity. Moreover, a high correlation was found between some terms, underlying the importance of the effects of rearing, slaughter phases and litter management on broiler welfare. Most of the countries focused their research on some specific topics identified by Topic Analysis, mainly genetic selection, feeding, stocking density, slaughter, and consumer perceptions. Poultry Science published the highest number of papers (18%) and the topics more investigated were growing performance, transport and slaughter, and litter management. In conclusion, the high number of publications on chicken welfare underlines the importance of broiler welfare both in Europe and in other countries, even if it is difficult to identify common research topics among the geographic areas and the evolution over the time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Campylobacter species, predominantly Campylobacter jejuni , remains a significant zoonotic pathogen worldwide, with the poultry sector being the primary vector for human transmission. In recent years. there has been a notable rise in the incidence of human campylobacteriosis, necessitating a deeper understanding of the pathogen's survival mechanisms and transmission dynamics. Biofilm presence significantly contributes to C. jejuni persistence in poultry and subsequent food product contamination, and this review describes the intricate processes involved in biofilm formation. The ability of Campylobacter to form biofilms on various surfaces, including stainless steel, plastic, and glass, is a critical survival strategy. Campylobacter biofilms, with their remarkable resilience, protect the pathogen from environmental stresses such as desiccation, pH extremes, biocides and sanitizing agents. This review explores the molecular and genetic mechanisms of C. jejuni biofilm formation, highlighting regulatory genes involved in motility, chemotaxis, and stress responses. Flagellar proteins, particularly flaA, flaB, flaG , and adhesins like cadF and flpA , are identified as the main molecular components in biofilm development. The role of mixed-species biofilms, where C. jejuni integrates into existing biofilms of other bacteria to enhance pathogen resilience, is also discussed. This review also considers alternative interventions to control C. jejuni in poultry production, in the context of increasing antibiotic resistance. It explores the effectiveness of prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, bacteriocins, bacteriophages, vaccines, and organic acids, with a focus on their mechanisms of action in reducing bacterial colonization and biofilm formation. Studies show that mixtures of organic acids and compounds like Carvacrol and Eugenol significantly downregulate genes linked with motility and adhesion, thereby disrupting biofilm integrity. It discusses the impact of environmental factors, such as temperature and oxygen levels on biofilm formation, providing insights into how industrial conditions can be manipulated to reduce contamination. This paper stresses the need for a multifaceted approach to control Campylobacter in poultry, integrating molecular and genetic insights with practical interventions. By advancing our understanding of biofilm dynamics and gene regulation, we aim to inform the development of more effective strategies to enhance food safety and protect public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc is one of the most prevalent trace minerals in both the environment and in the body. It was used as a component for industrial coatings dating back to the 18th century and toxicity in smelter employees was a concern. Zinc was first reported in plants in the mid 1800′s and later that century was the first report of zinc in the liver and muscle in mammals. At this point in nutrition history, there had been research interest in iron and copper with their visible, bright colors. The first series of experiments and publications on zinc in animal systems used the marine mollusc, Sycotypus canaliculatus, with the final paper reporting the storage of copper and zinc in the liver. One hurdle to recognizing zinc's importance to animal growth was the lack of easily observed deficiency symptoms as was the case with rickets (Vitamin D) and perosis (manganese). While zinc can accumulate in selected tissues (i.e., liver, bone), its role as a cofactor in the 2 key enzymes carbonic anhydrase and alkaline phosphatase will be the focus of this review as these enzymes are critically important to optimizing egg production, egg shell quality, skeletal development and embryonic development. These enzymes can occur as different isoforms and their biochemical importance was discovered prior to the recognition that zinc was an important co-factor. Over the last 20 yr, 3 factors have dominated the zinc literature: phytase, organic versus inorganic zinc supplements and the application of molecular techniques toward the discovery of previously ignored zinc containing proteins/enzymes. The objective of this review will be to discuss the history of zinc as an essential enzymatic co-factor regulating animal growth and development with an emphasis on the aforementioned poultry systems egg production, shell quality, and skeletal development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poultry farming generates significant poultry litter (broiler litter and laying hen manure), posing environmental and human health risks. Heat treatment, particularly through drying, can mitigate these adverse effects. This paper aimed to explore the impact of various drying methods of poultry litter on key process indicators. The literature review showed that the drying kinetics of the broiler litter in a hot air dryer is affected by the manure depth, air velocity, drying temperature, and air relative humidity. Nevertheless, the effect of the air relative humidity is insignificant on drying laying hen manure. Hot air drying, freeze drying, and oven drying have significant effects on the nutrient content of the broiler litter. In drying both broiler litter and laying hen manure, the specific energy consumption decreases as air temperature and relative humidity rise. Low temperatures cause poor bacteria destruction in poultry litter, but at temperatures over 50°C, Salmonella is completely destroyed. The ammonia release from laying hen manure and broiler litter is very sensitive to moisture content. Generally, air temperature, air velocity, manure depth, and air relative humidity positively correlate with ammonia emission. The average ammonia emission during belt drying of laying hen manure is about 209.3 mg NH 3 d-1 hen-1. Finally, the lack of comprehensive research on poultry litter drying with modern drying methods (ultrasound, microwave, infrared rays, and freeze drying) is evident. One approach that may offer new opportunities is hybrid methods, such as a combination of dryers that use hot air drying agents with these modern drying methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coccidiosis is one of the most significant diseases affecting the poultry industry, with recent estimates indicating that it causes annual losses exceeding £10 billion globally. Increasing concerns over drug residues and resistance have elevated the importance of safe and effective vaccines as the primary method for controlling coccidiosis and other animal diseases. However, current commercial live vaccines for coccidiosis can negatively impact the feed conversion rates of young broilers and induce subclinical symptoms of coccidiosis, limiting their widespread adoption. Eimeria species, the causative agents of coccidiosis, exhibit unique biological characteristics. Their life cycle involves 2 or more generations of schizogony and 1 generation of gametogony within the host, followed by sporogony in a suitable external environment. Sporogony is crucial for Eimeria oocysts to become infectious and propagate within the host. Focusing on the sporogony process of Eimeria presents a promising approach to overcoming technical challenges in the efficient control of coccidiosis, addressing the urgent need for sustainable and healthy farming practices. This paper systematically reviews existing control strategies for coccidiosis, identifies current challenges, and emphasizes the research progress and future directions in developing control agents targeting sporogony. The goal is to provide guidance for the formulation of scientific prevention and control measures for coccidiosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterococcus cecorum (EC) infection is an emerging endemic disease in UK and global broiler poultry with major economic impact and welfare concerns. There are significant research gaps with regards to EC pathogenesis, source of infection, transmission routes and early detection of disease, which this study aimed to address. In this prospective study, 725 environmental samples were collected from 4 broiler farms (A–D) the day before chick placement (d 1) and through the subsequent crop (d 7, 14, and 21). Cecal swabs were collected from birds that died of natural causes during the study period. A sample of birds that had been found dead or were culled for health reasons, were presented for post-mortem and samples were taken from lesions for EC culture. DNA was extracted from all environmental samples and EC detected using a qPCR and MALDI-TOF. Two EC isolates from diseased birds were inoculated on concrete slabs and incubated at 23°C and 32°C followed by swabbing of concrete culturing and determination of EC cfu at defined time points. Alongside environmental and bird sampling commercially available, smart camera systems were installed in selected houses on each farm to monitor bird activity and distribution. No EC outbreak occurred during the study, however, it was detected by qPCR in 215/725 (29.7 %) of all samples collected. Also, EC DNA was detected on average in 37% of samples collected on d 1, with approx. 88% of samples from chick paper being positive. Despite this, it was only cultured from 3 ceca samples and joint fluids of two infected birds from farm B on d 14 and 21. The survival experiments using isolates from infected chickens showed EC can survive on concrete for at least 21 d. This study provides invaluable insights into transmission pathways and tenacity of EC. Further studies are needed to determine strain characteristics in relation to their ability to cause disease and to further elucidate the sources of infection on poultry farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine prevalence and perform genomic analysis of Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter spp. isolated from different stages of an integrated NAE broiler complex. Environmental samples were screened with 3M-Molecular Detection System (MDS) and MDS positive samples were further processed for confirmation of results and identification. Core genome-based phylogenies were built for both bacteria isolated from this study along with selected NCBI genomes. The odds ratios and 95% confidence limits were compared among stages and sample types (α < 0.05) using multivariable model. Based on MDS results, 4% and 18% of total samples were positive for Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter spp. respectively. The odds of Salmonella detection in hatchery samples were 2.58 times as likely as compared to its detection in production farms' samples (P = 0.151) while the odds of Campylobacter detection in production farms' samples were 32.19 times as likely as its detection in hatchery (P = 0.0015). Similarly, the odds of Campylobacter detection in boot swabs, soil, water, and miscellaneous samples were statistically significant (P < 0.05) as compared with fly paper as reference group. The serovars identified for Salmonella were Typhimurium, Barranquilla, Liverpool, Kentucky, Enteritidis, Luciana, and Rough_O:r:1,5. For Campylobacter, the species identified were Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli. Phylogeny results show close genetic relatedness among bacterial strains isolated from different locations within the same stage and between different stages. The results show possibility of multiple entry points of such bacteria entering broiler complex and can potentially contaminate the final raw product in the processing plant. It suggests the need for a comprehensive control strategy with strict biosecurity measures and best management practices to minimize or eliminate such pathogens from the poultry food chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sensory characteristics of poultry products are crucial in defining their quality and widely influence consumer choices. Even though the scientific literature clearly indicates that for muscle foods the sensory profile is relevant in purchase decisions and overall acceptability, sensory evaluation has often been underestimated and considered complementary to instrumental and/or chemical assessments. Sensory analysis includes different types of validated tests (discriminative, descriptive, and affective), applied depending on the purpose of the research study, requiring special attention in the sample preparation phase, in particular for nonhomogeneous products such as poultry meat, requiring reproducible cutting, cooking and presentation to the tasters. The aim of this paper is to review, critically assess and discuss sensory methods, standardized procedures and sample preparation tailored for chicken meat, through the literature from 2000 to 2023, with a section dedicated to ethical aspects that must be carefully considered when designing a sensory protocol. The target readers are both the research and the business communities, as the information can be widely applied for quality control, to develop new food products, to understand or drive preferences or, for example, to assess potential sensory differences among chickens fed with different diets. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this review represents a useful first guide for those approaching the sensory analysis of chicken meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on "alternative methods for initial broiler processing" and exploration of alternative processing including slaughter at the farm immediately after catching. On-farm slaughter and transport (FSaT) is envisioned as a mobile unit that stuns, slaughters, and shackles the broiler carcasses at the farm. A separate trailer-unit then transports the shackled broiler carcasses to the processing plant. Once at the processing plant carcasses are mechanically transferred into plant shackle lines and moved into processing. The hypothesis is that the FSaT approach will dramatically improve overall bird welfare and well-being by reducing live handling and eliminating live transport from the farm to the processing plant. In addition, ancillary impacts could include: improving yield efficiencies by eliminating dead on arrivals, potentially reducing water and energy consumption, reducing labor requirements at the processing plant with the elimination of live rehang, and offering an economically sustainable alternative. The FSaT approach represents a radical change from traditional processing, and its effects on poultry processing need to be evaluated. This paper presents results of experiments conducted at a commercial poultry processor to evaluate feather picking efficiency, carcass bacteriological loading, and meat quality for delayed processed carcasses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Control of meat quality traits is an important goal of any farm animal production, including poultry. A better understanding of the biochemical properties of muscle fiber properties that drive muscle development and ultimately meat quality constitutes one of the major challenging topics in animal production and meat science. In this paper, the existing classification methods of skeletal muscle fibers in poultry were reviewed and the relationship between contractile and metabolic characteristics of muscle fibers and poultry meat quality was described. Finally, a comprehensive review of multiple potential factors affecting muscle fiber distribution and conversion is presented, including breed, sex, hormones, growth performance, diet, muscle position, exercise, and ambient temperature. We emphasize that knowledge of muscle fiber typing is essential to better understand how to control muscle characteristics throughout the life cycle of animals to better manage the final quality of poultry meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eggshell quality is a significant characteristic that influences consumer preferences. Eggshell translucency is a common defect in the appearance of eggshells, which are characterized by gray spots that are visible to the naked eye under natural light. The presence of various defects resulting from eggshell translucency has caused a decrease in consumer willingness to purchase eggs, leading to considerable economic losses in the egg industry. Although the impact of eggshell translucency on food safety, egg quality, and hatchability has been extensively investigated, the classification and causes of eggshell translucency remain unclear and lack a systematic summary. In recent studies, new interpretations of evaluation methods and causes of eggshell translucency have been proposed, along with numerous innovative solutions. Therefore, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the evaluation methods, classification, causes, effects, and influencing factors of eggshell translucency and to summarize the treatments for translucent eggs. We believe that this review will serve as a valuable reference for researchers involved in the study of translucent eggs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The culling of day-old male chicks has caused ethical and economic concerns. Traditional approaches for detecting the in ovo sex of chicken embryos involve opening the eggshell and inner membrane, which are destructive, time-consuming, and inefficient. Therefore, noncontact optical sensing techniques have been examined for the in ovo sexing of chicken embryos. Compared with traditional methods, optical sensing can increase determination throughput and frequency for the rapid sexing of chicken embryos. This paper presented a comprehensive review of the different optical sensing techniques used for the in ovo sexing of chicken embryos, including visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy, hyperspectral imaging, Raman spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and machine vision, discussing their advantages and disadvantages. In addition, the latest research regarding different detection algorithms and models for the in ovo sexing of chicken embryos was summarized. Therefore, this paper provides updated information regarding the optical sensing techniques that can be used in the poultry industry and related research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broiler chickens are commonly placed on wood shavings as litter, but alternative litter sources are required due to the scarcity of wood shavings in many parts of the world. This study aimed to compare pelleted straw, chopped wheat straw, wood shavings, rice hulls, and shredded paper as litter candidates. Three-hundred-sixty Ross 308 one-day-old male chicks were used in this study. There were 5 litter treatments with 6 replicate pens, each with 12 birds. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) of birds reared on pelleted straw was improved compared (P < 0.05) to that of birds raised on rice hulls, whereas it did not differ for birds placed on wood shavings, rice hulls, chopped straw, or shredded paper. It was observed that the birds reared on wood shavings had higher relative gizzard weight at d 24 compared to those reared on pelleted straw (P < 0.05). Gizzard pH and measured cecal bacterial groups were not affected by the type of bedding material. Cecal bacterial groups measured at d 10 were not affected by bedding material. Birds reared on pelleted wheat straw had a lower incidence of footpad lesions than those on chopped straw and shredded paper on d 24 (P < 0.001) and 29 (P < 0.01). Litter source did not affect the occurrence of breast blisters at d 24, 29, or 35. On d 24, 29, and 35, pelleted straw litter was less caked than chopped straw and shredded paper (P < 0.001) whereas no significant differences were observed among pelleted straw, wood shavings, and rice hulls. The study demonstrated the potential benefits to using pelleted wheat straw as a bedding material. Further assessment of pelleting of wheat straw and other materials on broiler health, performance, and welfare are needed to determine the economic benefits of pelleted litter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2015, an outbreak of an infectious disease in broilers caused by fowl adenovirus serotype 4 (FAdV-4) has occurred in China, resulting in substantial economic losses. Rapid, accurate, and specific detection are significant in the prevention and control of FAdV-4. In this study, an FAdV-4 detection method combining loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and Pyrococcus furiosus Argonaute ( Pf Ago) was established. Specific primers, guide DNAs (gDNAs), and molecular beacons were designed to target a conserved region of the FAdV-4 hexon gene. After optimizing the reaction conditions, the minimum detection of this assay could reach 5 copies. It only amplified FAdV-4, and there was no cross-reactivity with other pathogens. The assay took about only 50 min, and the results could be visualized with the naked eye under ultraviolet or blue light, getting rid of specialized instruments. This novel LAMP- Pf Ago assay was validated by using 20 clinical samples and the results were identical to gold-standard real-time polymerase chain reaction method. In summary, the LAMP- Pf Ago assay established in the paper provides a rapid, reliable, convenient, ultra-sensitive and highly specific tool for the on-site detection and clinical diagnosis of FAdV-4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Routine antibiotic administration has been used in intensive animal industries for a long time for health and production benefits. There is now a concerted effort to limit antibiotics administration to only treatment of clinically affected animals and to look for other alternative solutions combined with better husbandry practices for the benefits routine antibiotic administration seems to provide in intensive farming systems. In this paper it is argued that the benefits from routine antibiotics in chickens administration in lay are from suppression of the effects of mycoplasma infections. Mycoplasma freedom has been recommended but is not always practical. Vaccination of mycoplasma negative chickens with live mycoplasma vaccines is now being used (with biosecurity) to decrease antibiotic dependence in lay of poultry in many parts of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaccination is one of the most important control tools to reduce Salmonella in poultry production. In order for a live vaccine to be licensed for field use it should be provided with the detection methods to differentiate it from field strains. This paper aims to describe the validation of an alternative method for the differentiation of the Salmonella 441/014 vaccine strain from field strains, using a chromogenic Media, ASAP from bioMérieux. The ASAP-based differentiation method was compared with already authorized methods, namely the Anicon SE Kylt PCR DIVA 1 assay and Ceva S-Check Salmonella differentiation kit , following the ISO 16140-6:2019 validation method guidelines. A Generalised Linear Model was fitted to the data to determine the inclusivity and exclusivity of differentiation methods (PCR Kylt vs. S-Check vs. ASAPTM). Statistical differences were based on a P-value level of < 0.05 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). In this study, we show that the ASAP media was able to differentiate Salmonella Enteritidis vaccine strains from field strains, obtaining 100% agreement between the three differentiation assays. This differentiation approach is quicker, easier to deploy and cheaper as compared to alternative methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tons of keratin waste are produced by the poultry and meat industry which is an insoluble and protein-rich material found in hair, feathers, wool, and some epidermal wastes. These waste products could be degraded and recycled to recover protein, which can save our environment. One of the potential strategy to achieve this target is use of microbial biotreatment which is more convenient, cost-effective, and environment-friendly by formulating hydrolysate complexes that could be administered as protein supplements, bioactive peptides, or animal feed ingredients. Keratin degradation shows great promise for long-term protein and amino acid recycling. According to the MEROPS database, known keratinolytic enzymes currently belong to at least 14 different protease families, including S1, S8, S9, S10, S16, M3, M4, M14, M16, M28, M32, M36, M38, and M55. In addition to exogenous attack (proteases from families S9, S10, M14, M28, M38, and M55), the various keratinolytic enzymes also function via endo-attack (proteases from families S1, S8, S16, M4, M16, and M36). Biotechnological methods have shown great promise for enhancing keratinase expression in different strains of microbes and different protein engineering techniques in genetically modified microbes such as bacteria and some fungi to enhance keratinase production and activity. Some microbes produce specific keratinolytic enzymes that can effectively degrade keratin substrates. Keratinases have been successfully used in the leather, textile, and pharmaceutical industries. However, the production and efficiency of existing enzymes need to be optimized before they can be used more widely in other processes, such as the cost-effective pretreatment of chicken waste. These can be improved more effectively by using various biotechnological applications which could serve as the best and novel approach for recycling and degrading biomass. This paper provides practical insights about molecular strategies to enhance keratinase expression to effectively utilize various poultry wastes like feathers and feed ingredients like soybean pulp. Furthermore, it describes the future implications of engineered keratinases for environment friendly utilization of wastes and crop byproducts for their better use in the poultry feed industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feather pecking is a multi-factorial behavioral disorder and a serious welfare issue in the poultry industry. Several studies report early life experience with litter to be a major determinant in the development of feather pecking. The current study aimed to test the large-scale on-farm efficiency of a simple and cheap husbandry procedure applied during the rearing period with the ultimate goal of reducing the incidence of feather pecking and plumage damage during the production stage in laying hens. Five laying hen-rearing farmers from across Norway participated in the study. These farmers were asked to create divisions within their hen rearing houses and to separate their chicks into 2 groups: one reared with access to a paper substrate from the first d of age, the other a control group without access to paper substrate during rearing. All flocks were visited at the production farms at 30 wk of age and observed for pecking behavior and feather damage. Birds in the control group had higher odds of having more feather damage compared to the birds from the treatment group. In addition, flocks provided with environmental enrichment at the production farms had a reduced incidence of feather pecking, irrespective of the treatment. These results indicate that husbandry procedures during both rearing and production stages have the potential to alleviate feather pecking and increase laying hen welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing separation of the public from production agriculture means there is often a lack of knowledge among consumers about current production practices and a perception that increased productivity and economic efficiency are necessarily associated with a decline in animal welfare. A symposium was organized to present information about animal welfare issues and the challenges they pose for both scientists and the poultry and allied industries. Companion papers provide information about understanding public attitudes and physiological/immunological approaches to welfare assessment, while this paper outlines current and future challenges to egg and meat production and industry responses to those challenges. For broiler chickens, increases in growth rate result in corollary increases in metabolic heat generation and water consumption, leading to the need for continuing improvements in housing, ventilation, and litter management. Stocking densities, lighting programs, muscle myopathies, and use of antibiotics are also areas that require research attention. In the layer industry, the key challenge is housing, with the industry undergoing a shift from conventional cage housing to alternatives like enriched colonies or cage-free. While these alternative systems have hen welfare advantages, there are also welfare disadvantages that require the development of mitigation strategies, and it is also essential to address associated issues including economic, environmental, egg safety, and worker health impacts. Concerns on the horizon include euthanasia of surplus male chicks and spent hens as well as beak-trimming. The humaneness of slaughter methods is an important welfare and consumer confidence issue, and the current regulations for poultry slaughter in the USA are discussed and compared to those for livestock. The poultry and allied industries, including retailers, are responding to these concerns by consulting with experts, developing sciencebased animal care standards and auditing programs, strengthening training and oversight programs, promoting research, and improving communication channels. In future, intensifying multi-disciplinary research efforts and developing mechanisms to improve communication between scientists and stakeholders, including the public, will be critical to addressing these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic selection that has been carried out for several dozen years has led to significant progress in poultry production by improving productive traits and increasing the profitability of broiler breeder and layer hen production. After hatching, broilers and layers differ mainly in feed intake, growth rate, efficiency of nutrient utilization, and development of muscles and adipose tissue. A key role can be played by hormonal mechanisms of appetite control in broilers and layers. The paper discusses the consequences of different growth rates resulting from longterm genetic selection on feed intake, efficiency of nutrient utilization, and development of muscles and adipose tissue, with particular consideration of the hormonal mechanisms of appetite control in broilers and layers. The information presented in this review paper shows that it would be worth comparing these issues in a meta-analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hedonic modeling and retail scanner data were utilized to investigate the influence of local, organic, nutrition benefits, and other attributes of shell eggs on retail price premium in Hawaii. Within a revealed preference framework, the analysis of local and organic attributes, simultaneously, under a single unified setting is important, as such work is highly deficient in the published literature. This paper finds high to moderate price premiums in four key attributes of shell eggs -- organic (64%), local (40%), nutrition benefits claimed (33%), and brown shell (18.4%). Large and extra-large sized eggs also experience price premiums over medium sized eggs. With each larger packing size, the estimated coefficients were negative, indicating a price discount, relative to the baseline packing size. However, there is no evidence to support the overwhelming influence of "local" over "organic", as hypothesized in other research work. Overall, the findings in this paper suggest industry producers and retailers should highlight and market effusively the primary attributes of their shell eggs, including "local", to remain competitive in the marketplace. Effective communication channels are crucial to delivering the product information, capturing the attention of consumers, and securing retail sales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the first report providing estimates of the genetic basis of breast muscle myopathies (BMM) and their relationship with growth and yield in broiler chickens. In addition, this paper addresses the hypothesis that genetic selection for increase breast yield has contributed to the onset of BMM. Data were analyzed from ongoing recording of BMM within the Aviagen breeding program. This study focused on three BMM: deep pectoral myopathy (DPM; binary trait), white striping (WS; 4 categories) and wooden breast (WB; 3 categories). Data from two purebred commercial broiler lines (A and B) were utilized providing greater than 40,000 meat quality records per line. The difference in selection history between these two lines has resulted in contrasting breast yield (BY): 29% for Line A and 21% for Line B. Data were analyzed to estimate genetic parameters using a multivariate animal model including six traits: body weight (BW), processing body weight (PW), BY, DPM, WB, and WS, in addition to the appropriate fixed effects and permanent environmental effect of the dam. Results indicate similar patterns of heritability and genetic correlations for the two lines. Heritabilities (h²) of BW, PW and BY ranged from 0.271-0.418; for DPM and WB h² <0.1; and for WS h² ≤0.338. Genetic correlations between the BMM and BW, PW, or BY were ≤0.132 in Line A and ≤0.248 in Line B. This paper demonstrates the polygenic nature of these traits and the low genetic relationships with BW, PW, and BY, which facilitates genetic improvement across all traits in a balanced breeding program. It also highlights the importance of understanding the environmental and/or management factors that contribute greater than 65% of the variance in the incidence of white striping of breast muscle and more than 90% of the variance of the incidence of wooden breast and deep pectoral myopathy in broiler chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an integral part of the special publication series that arose from the multidisciplinary and multi-institutional project of the Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply (CSES). The CSES project involves 3 housing systems for egg production at the same research farm site in the Midwest, USA, namely, a conventional cage (CC) house, an aviary (AV) house, and an enriched colony (EC) house. The CC house (141.4 m L × 26.6 m W × 6.1 m H) had a nominal capacity of 200,000 hens (6 hens in a cage at a stocking density of 516 cm2/hen), and the cages were arranged in 10 rows, 8 tiers per cage row, with a perforated aisle walkway at 4-tier height. The AV house (154.2 m L × 21.3 m W × 3.0 m H) and the EC house (154.2 m L × 13.7 m W × 4.0 m H) each had a nominal capacity of 50,000 hens. The AV house had 6 rows of aviary colonies, and the EC house had 5 rows of 4-tier enriched colonies containing perches, nestbox, and scratch pads (60 hens per colony at a stocking density of 752 cm2/hen). The overarching goal of the CSES project, as stated in the opening article of this series, was to comprehensively evaluate the 3 egg production systems from the standpoints of animal behavior and well-being, environmental impact, egg safety and quality, food affordability, and worker health. So that all the area-specific papers would not have to repeat a detailed description of the production systems and the management practices, this paper is written to provide such a description and to be used as a common reference for the companion papers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Duck plague (DP) is one of the contagious diseases caused by Duck plague virus (DPV), which is a serious threat to the development of duck farming. Us3 is a PKA-like protein kinase in alphaherpesvirus, which can regulate the biological functions of many viral proteins, but whether Us3 regulates pUL48 protein has not been reported. In this paper, Western Blot, qRT-PCR, dual luciferase reporter system and Co-IP were used to investigate the relationship between pUL48 and Us3. The results showed that: 1) pUL48 interacted with Us3 at 138-256aa through its DBD region. 2) Us3 enhanced the protein expression of pUL48 in a dose-dependent manner. 3) Us3 promoted the mRNA level of pUL48 by activating its promoter activity. 4) Us3 inhibited the transcriptional activation function of pUL48. The results can provide scientific data for perfecting and supplementing the function of alpha herpesvirus Us3 and pUL48. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to study the interactive effects of the addition of soluble arabinoxylans (AX) and the particle size (PS) of soybean hulls (SBH) on digesta mean retention time (MRT) and nutrient digestibility in broiler chickens. A total of 288 one-day old Ross 308 female chicks were assigned to 32 pens (9 birds/pen) and fed a commercial starter diet for 10 d. At 10 d of age, pens were assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments (8 pens/diet) containing 120 g/Kg coarse or fine SBH, with or without addition of 50 g/Kg of soluble wheat AX, substituting maize starch. Titanium dioxide (4 g/Kg) and cobalt-EDTA (1 g/Kg) were added as inert markers. Excreta were quantitatively collected from d 22 to 25. Gastrointestinal tract and digesta were collected on d 28, 29, or 30. Arabinoxylans reduced the weight of the gizzard relative to body weight (RW) by 0.07% units (P = 0.005), and increased ceca RW (0.28 vs. 0.34%, P < 0.001) and length (10.45 vs. 11.21 cm/Kg BW, P < 0.001). Arabinoxylans increased digesta MRT in the crop (solids/liquids: +12 min, P < 0.05), small intestine (solids/liquids: +17 min, P < 0.01), and hindgut (liquids: +77.5 min, P < 0.05); and reduced apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and apparent total tract retention (ATTR) of DM (−5.4 and −3.9%, P < 0.001, respectively) and starch (−1.35 and −0.7%, P < 0.001, respectively). Particle size of SBH only affected the ATTR of non-starch polysaccharides, presenting higher retention values with fine SBH (−4.3%-units, P = 0.034). The addition of AX reduced AID of N by 4.3%-units, only in presence of fine SBH (interaction, P < 0.05). In conclusion, arabinoxylans greatly influenced digestion in the chicken GIT, while PS of SBH had marginal effects. Arabinoxylans reduced AID of N only with fine SBH, suggesting coarse SBH counteracted AX effects on N digestion, speculatively by modifying digesta viscosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5), a type II arginine methyltransferase, controls arginine dimethylation of a variety of substrates. While many papers have reported the function of mammalian PRMT5, it remains unclear how PRMT5 functions in chicken cells. In this study, we found that chicken (ch) PRMT5 is widely expressed in a variety of chicken tissues and is distributed in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Ectopic expression of chPRMT5 significantly suppresses chIFN-β activation induced by chMDA5. In addition, a prmt5 gene-deficient DF-1 cell line was constructed using CRISPR/Cas9. In comparison with the wild-type cells, the prmt5−/− DF-1 cells displays normal morphology and maintain proliferative capacity. Luciferase reporter assay and overexpression showed that prmt5−/− DF-1 cells had increased IFN-β production. With identified chicken PRMT5 and CRISPR/Cas9 knockout performed in DF-1 cells, we uncovered a functional link of chPRMT5 in suppression of IFN-β production and interferon-stimulated gene expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to evaluate the effect of 3 kinds of TCM polysaccharides instead of antibiotics in preventing salpingitis in laying hens. After feeding the laying hens with Lotus leaf polysaccharide, Poria polysaccharide, and Epimedium polysaccharide, mixed bacteria (E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus) were used to infect the oviduct to establish an inflammation model. Changes in antioxidant, serum immunity, anti-inflammatory, gut microbiota, and serum metabolites were evaluated. The results showed that the 3 TCM polysaccharides could increase the expression of antioxidant markers SOD, GSH, and CAT, and reduce the accumulation of MDA in the liver; the contents of IgA and IgM in serum were increased. Decreased the mRNA expression of TLR4, NFκB, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL1β, IL6, and IL8, and increased the mRNA expression of anti-inflammatory factor IL5 in oviduct tissue. 16sRNA high-throughput sequencing revealed that the 3 TCM polysaccharides improved the intestinal flora disturbance caused by bacterial infection, increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Bacteroides and Actinobacillus , and decreased the abundance of harmful bacteria such as Romboutsia, Turicibacter , and Streptococcus. Metabolomics showed that the 3 TCM polysaccharides could increase the content of metabolites such as 3-hydroxybutyric acid and isobutyl-L-carnitine, and these results could alleviate the further development of salpingitis. In conclusion, the present study has found that using TCM polysaccharides instead of antibiotics was a feasible way to prevent bacterial salpingitis in laying hens, which might make preventing this disease no longer an issue for breeding laying hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scoring is a common method to evaluate eggshell translucency, and it mainly depends on the area and the density of translucent spots in eggshells. However, the lack of common scoring criteria and the difficulty of quantitatively measuring spots in eggshells impede effective comparisons between research papers and greatly hinder the progress of research on translucent eggshell. To make measurement of translucent eggshells more objective, we optimized the scoring method and compared it with 2 new methods: grayscale recognition and the colorimeter method. Briefly, a total of 354 eggs from 600, 395-day-old dwarf brown laying hens were collected and classified into 4 score groups according to their degree of translucency. This subjective process was repeated 5 times. Then, we captured the profile side of each egg using a camera and measured spot characteristics using grayscale recognition, which involved measuring the quantity of spots (QS), diameter of each spot (DS), average area of each spot (AAES), sum of spot areas (SUSA), sum of shell area (SUSHA), and ratio of SUSA to SUSHA (RSS) on the eggshell. Furthermore, the L, A, and B values of each egg at the sharp, middle, and blunt ends were separately measured using a colorimeter. As a result, average values of 31.31, 29.78, 29.81, and 9.08% of all eggs were divided into score levels 1, 2, 3, and 4 (from opaque to translucent), which correspond with RSS values of 1.34, 3.23, 6.21, and 11.89%, respectively. By grayscale recognition, QS, DS, AAES, SUSA, SUSHA, and RSS all increased along with increased translucency scores (P < 0.05). Using scoring, an egg with a specific RSS value was more easily assigned to a specific score level (50%) or adjacent score levels (50%). The L, A, and B values of eggshells in score level 1 were significantly different from those of eggshells in levels 3 or 4; however, there were no significant differences between any adjacent score levels. In summary, the present study explored objective reference metrics to measure eggshell translucency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pullorum disease caused by Salmonella Pullorum is one of the most important infectious diseases in the poultry industry worldwide, which leads to serious economic losses in many developing countries because of its high mortality rate in young chicks. The traditional slide agglutination test with low cost, fast reaction, and on-site detection has been widely used in the diagnosis of Pullorum disease. However, in practice, the test performance is with the disadvantages of false positive results and unstable detection results. In this paper, we developed self-made agglutination antigens prepared by local isolates in the poultry farm and compare the detection performance with commercial agglutination antigens (China Institute of Veterinary Drug Control) and Group D Salmonella ELISA kit (BioChek UK Ltd). The results of detecting 200 serum samples indicated that the consistency of commercial agglutination antigen detecting in 2 times was only 79.5%. Using the ELISA kit as the reference method, the commercial agglutination antigen detecting results of the Kappa test were only moderately consistent (0.58 ∼ 0.59). Meanwhile, positive and total coincidence rates of the self-made agglutination antigen test with more reliable repeat could reach 97.4 and 88%, respectively, and the result of Kappa test was highly consistent (0.75). The Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analysis clarified that the area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve values of self-made and commercial agglutination antigen tests could reach 0.861 and 0.804, respectively. These results were coincident when detecting known positive serum from the infected chickens. It's worth mentioning that the visible positive reaction of self-made agglutination antigen test appeared faster and stronger than commercial antigen test. In conclusion, self-made Salmonella Pullorum agglutination antigen developed in this study was much better than commercial agglutination antigen and is expected to be a valuable tool in the diagnosis of the epidemiology of Salmonella Pullorum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents findings about how the substitution of calcium, iron, zinc, and copper salts with glycine chelates affects specific reproductive parameters of pheasants, the hatching potential and nutritional components of pheasant eggs, and the fatty acid profiles and cholesterol content in pheasant yolk. 4 groups were created for the experiment: the control, in which the birds received a feed containing standard calcium, iron, zinc, and copper salts, and 3 experimental groups in which chelates were used to replace 25, 50, and 75% of the mineral salts. The group with the 75% chelate share was not supplemented with the salts, and cholecalciferol was replaced with calcitriol. The groups included pheasant females (7 birds) and 1 male, respectively, and were maintained in outdoor aviaries. The birds were administered granulated feed mixes ad libitum, with free access to water. Their feed intake was recorded each day. The birds were weighed at the beginning and end of the egg-laying period. The eggs were collected throughout the egg-laying period, and the eggs gathered at the culmination of the egg-laying period were used for hatching. The eggs were morphometrically analyzed and the hatching process and subsequent hatchling survival rates were investigated. Nutritional components in the eggs were determined, and the fatty acid profiles and cholesterol content were assayed in the yolk. The results showed the use of Ca, Fe, Zn, and Cu chelates in place of salts in the pheasant brood hen diet had contributed to enhancing the egg-laying performance, with a concurrent fall in the size and weight of the eggs. The highest egg-laying performance, with the lowest egg weight, was observed in the group that consumed the highest (75%) share of mineral chelates and received calcitriol supplementation. This corresponded with the highest incubation yield and hatchling survival. The thickest shells and highest crude ash percentages were identified in the eggs of the pheasant group that received a 50% by 50% proportion of salts and glycine chelates. In comparison with the control birds that received the mineral salts, the yolk of the pheasants that consumed the feed with the 75% share of calcitriol and Ca, Fe, Zn, and Cu chelates had a higher percentage of n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), with a far more advantageous n-6/n-3 proportion. No differences related to the source and levels of Ca, Fe, Zn, and Cu in the feed were observed in the cholesterol content of the pheasant yolk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selenium (Se) is an essential nutrient for humans and all food-producing animal species. Nutritional deficiencies of Se and (or) vitamin E induce exudative diathesis, nutritional pancreatic atrophy, and nutritional muscular dystrophy in chicks. Although these diseases are presumably associated with the need of Se for the synthesis of the 21st amino acid, selenocysteine (Sec, U) in selenoproteins, metabolic functions of the 25 selenoproteins identified in avian species remain largely unknown. This paper reviews regulations of the whole selenogenome and selected selenoproteins by different concentrations and chemical forms of dietary Se and (or) vitamin E in various affected tissues. The avian selenogenome may be divided into 2 groups: responders and non-responders, based on its response to dietary Se and vitamin E changes. Mechanisms for the gene-, tissue-, and age-dependent responses and the correlation with the stress and cell death signaling are explored. Overall, this review intends to link the novel regulation and function of avian selenogenome to the protection by Se against oxidative insults associated with the classical Se/vitamin E deficiency diseases in chicks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a companion study, the effects of dietary antibiotic alternative and coccidial vaccination on the growth performance of male broilers have been reported. In this paper, the effects of dietary probiotics and coccidial vaccination on diversity and composition of cecal microbiota were investigated using a 3 (diets) × 2 (vaccinated or non-vaccinated) factorial setting of treatments. Three diets, including a corn and soybean-meal control diet, an antibiotic diet (a control diet supplemented with bacitracin and salinomycin), and a probiotic diet (a control diet supplemented with Bacillus subtilis) were provided to broiler chicken from day 0 to 42. To simulate an Eimeria challenge in the field, all chicks were gavaged with a 20× dose of commercial coccidial vaccine containing live Eimeria oocysts on day 14. Cecal contents were collected on day 42. High-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was used to determine microbial diversity and composition. Coccidial vaccination to broilers reduced bacterial diversity (Shannon index) of the cecal microbiota. There was a significant interaction between the dietary additive and coccidial vaccination on the observed bacterial species number. Diets supplemented with B. subtilis increased bacterial species of non-vaccinated broilers but decreased bacterial species of vaccinated broilers. In contrast, diets supplemented with antibiotics reduced bacterial species of broilers from both groups. Interactions between dietary additive and coccidial vaccination were also observed on microbial composition. Vaccinated broilers fed the B. subtilis diet exhibited the lowest Firmicutes percentage and highest Bacteroidetes percentage within the microbial community. In addition, vaccinated broilers fed the B. subtilis diet exhibited the highest Rikenella microfusus percentage. From this study, the coccidial vaccination on the day of hatch reduced the microbial diversity of broilers at a later age. The inclusion of B. subtilis -probiotics in the feed of vaccinated broilers may reduce microbial diversity in cecal content by increasing the proportion of a predominant bacterial species, R. microfusus , in the microbial community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial poultry production is associated with a range of stresses, including environmental, technological, nutritional, and internal/biological ones, responsible for decreased productive and reproductive performance of poultry. At the molecular level, most of them are associated with oxidative stress and damages to important biological molecules. Poultry feed contains a range of feed-derived and supplemented antioxidants and, among them, vitamin E is considered as the "headquarters" of the antioxidant defense network. It is well-established that dietary supplementation of selenium, vitamin E, and carotenoids can modulate antioxidant defenses in poultry. The aim of the present paper is to present evidence related to modulation of the antioxidant capacities in poultry by vitamin E. Using 3 model systems including poultry breeders/males, semen, and chicken embryo/postnatal chickens, the possibility of modulation of the antioxidant defense mechanisms has been clearly demonstrated. It was shown that increased vitamin E supplementation in the breeder's or cockerel's diet increased their resistance to various stresses, including high polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), mycotoxin, or heat stress. Increased vitamin E supplementation of poultry males was shown to be associated with significant increases in α-tocopherol level in semen associated with an increased resistance to oxidative stress imposed by various external stressors. Similarly, increased vitamin E concentration in the egg yolk due to dietary supplementation was shown to be associated with increased α-tocopherol concentration in the tissues of the developing embryos and newly hatched chicks resulting in increased antioxidant defenses and decreased lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, increased vitamin E transfer from the feed to egg yolk and further to the developing embryo was shown to be associated with upregulation of antioxidant enzymes reflecting antioxidant system regulation and adaptation. The role of vitamin E in cell signaling and gene expression as well as in interaction with microbiota and maintaining gut health in poultry awaits further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To confirm the role of high-pressure processing in enhancing the quality of Eucheuma spinosum chicken breast batters, low-field nuclear magnetic resonance, scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used to explore the effect of E. spinosum and high-pressure processing on water migration, protein conformation, and microstructure in chicken breast batters. The water-holding capacity, surface hydrophobicity, and reactive sulfhydryl group content significantly increased as the pressure increased (0.1 to 300 MPa), while the peak ratio of non-flowable water (T 22) decreased (P > 0.05). The secondary structure composition changed significantly, and the β -sheet, β -turn, and random coil content significantly increased (P < 0.05) as the α -helix content decreased. The –OH stretching vibration (3,100 to 3,500 cm−1) was shifted to higher wavenumbers, and the number of hydrogen bonds in each water molecule increased. The scanning electron microscopy images reveal that proper pressure produced a dense network structure with small cavities. Moreover, these characteristics were further enhanced when E. spinosum was added from 0 to 0.4%. Overall, this paper could provide crucial theoretical support for the application of high-pressure processing of low-salt seaweed chicken breast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cuticle is the first barrier against bacterial trans-shell penetration. To evaluate the cuticle quality among different colored eggshells, an efficient and reliable method is proposed in this paper on the basis of the opacity theory. It is shown that the Spearman's rank correlation coefficients between the proposed opacity method and the reported reflectance and ΔE *ab methods are all more than 0.90 in measuring the cuticle deposition for the same breed eggs, indicating that the result measured by the opacity method is credible. In addition, the validity of opacity method is also verified by the Escherichia coli penetration experiments performed on the eggs of Dwarf Layer (tinted-shelled), Hy-Line Brown (brown-shelled), and White Leghorn (white-shelled) birds. Results show that the Dwarf Layer eggs, with the thickest cuticle deposition, have the lowest bacterial penetration ratio than the eggs of the other 2 investigated breeds. We found that eggshell thickness is another important factor influencing bacterial penetration apart from the cuticle. Therefore, enhancing cuticle deposition and eggshell thickness would significantly improve the eggs' antibacterial efficiency. It is found that the antibacterial efficiency will reach as high as 98% in such a case where the cuticle opacity is over 27.5% and the eggshell is thicker than 340 μm. No significant difference was found in pore density between the penetrated and non-penetrated eggs. Moreover, according to the data for 3 regions of the penetrated eggs, we found that the sharp end shows the highest proportion of bacterial contamination compared with the blunt end and equator. The cuticle quality at equator shows a strong positive correlation between the blunt and sharp end (r2 = 0.8 and 0.7, respectively, P < 0.05). The cuticle at the equator can be selected as an indicator for cuticle breeding to improve the cuticle quality at the blunt and sharp end simultaneously. These results are of significance for the improvement of egg quality and safety in modern commercial breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the antagonism and synergy among environmental factors in the poultry house, the influence process becomes extremely complex. As a result, it is difficult to predict and evaluate the degree of such influence accurately. In this paper, we study the poultry house environment factor and its relationship with poultry production performance, using the gray relation analysis (GRA) to filtrate the main factors that influence the evaluation of the poultry house environment. Put forward using the gray relation degree (GRD) to improve the method for structuring the judgment matrix, and weights are more objective and reasonable. The evaluation index system and evaluation model are constructed through the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). It is expected that the comprehensive evaluation of the indoor environment status of the poultry house can guide the optimization of the environmental control in the poultry house and obtain better production indicators of the poultry. In this study, the experimental broiler house was enclosed in autumn. Because of the ventilation system, the indoor environment is still affected by the outdoor environment. The top 3 in the calculation of weights were outdoor environment (0.4315), indoor temperature (0.2384), and indoor air quality (0.1687), which were consistent with experience. From October 24 to 27, the environmental evaluation values of the experimental broiler house were {2.4367, 2.8149, 2.3857, 2.5669}, that is, the evaluation results were {good, good, good, good}; consistent with the expert manual judgment. The correctness and practicability of the proposed method were verified. This paper provides a scientific basis for environmental evaluation and environmental control in the poultry house. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to perform a meta-analysis comparing the biological efficiency of DL-methionine and L-methionine (DL-Met and L-Met) in broiler nutrition. This analysis was based on a dataset comprising experiment results published in peer-reviewed papers since 2007. All experiments investigated the response of broilers (aged 0–21 d) to different dietary concentrations of DL- and L-Met, achieved by supplementing crystalline Met. A graphical analysis was conducted on the database using ellipses coverage and nonparametric density techniques. Two methods of linear and nonlinear exponential meta-regression analysis were used to determine relative bioavailability based on average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) responses to dietary Met sources. The analyses of ADG and FCR obtained from both linear and exponential models showed a relative difference between the tested methionine sources. The results showed that both ADG and FCR were improved in L-Met compared to DL-Met supplemented diets. Linear regression analysis revealed that DL-Met was 94.97% (for ADG) and 95.63% (for FCR) as efficacious as L-Met (P < 0.01). In contrast, the analysis of the fitted nonlinear exponential model showed that the biological efficiencies of DL-Met were 91.33% and 76.57% of the values for L-Met for ADG (P = 0.01) and FCR (P = 0.09), respectively. Based on the meta-analytical results, an equivalence of relative biological efficiency of DL-Met in comparison with L-Met for young broilers could not be confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early embryonic exogenous feeding of bioactive substances is a topic of interest in poultry production, potentially improving gastrointestinal tract (GIT) development, stimulating immunization, and maximizing the protection capability of newly hatched chicks. However, the biophysiological actions and effects of in ovo administered bioactive substances are inconsistent or not fully understood. Thus, this paper summarizes the functional effects of bioactive substances and their interaction merits to augment GIT development, the immune system, and microbial homeostasis in newly hatched chicks. Prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics are potential bioactive substances that have been administered in embryonic eggs. Their biological effects are enhanced by a variety of mechanisms, including the production of antimicrobial peptides and antibiotic responses, regulation of T lymphocyte numbers and immune-related genes in either up- or downregulation fashion, and enhancement of macrophage phagocytic capacity. These actions occur directly through the interaction with immune cell receptors, stimulation of endocytosis, and phagocytosis. The underlying mechanisms of bioactive substance activity are multifaceted, enhancing GIT development, and improving both the innate and adaptive immune systems. Thus summarizing these modes of action of prebiotics, probiotics and synbiotics can result in more informed decisions and also provides baseline for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]