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ABSTRACT: The effect of microbial phytase and limestone particle size (LmPS) was assessed in Lohmann Tradition laying hens from 31 to 35 wk of age. Seventy-two hens were used in a completely randomized trial according to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with 2 levels of phytase/basal available P (aP); 0 FTU/kg with 0.30% aP or 300 FTU/kg with 0.15% aP, and 2 limestone particle sizes; fine particles (FL,

The ability of birds to modify dietary phosphorus utilisation when fed with low-phosphorus and calcium (Ca) diets was studied using different sequences of dietary phosphorus and Ca restriction (depletion) and recovery (repletion) during the grower and the finisher phases. A total of 3600 Ross 708 broilers were randomly divided into 10 replicate pens per treatment (60 per pen, six pens per block). Chicks were fed a common starter diet from days 0 to 10, then a grower control diet (C: 0.90% Ca, 0.39% non-phytate phosphorus, nPP), mid-level diet (M: 0.71% Ca, 0.35% nPP) or low Ca and nPP diet (L: 0.60% Ca, 0.30% nPP) from days 11 to 21, followed by a finisher diet C, M or L containing, respectively, 0.85%, 0.57% or 0.48% Ca and 0.35%, 0.29% or 0.24% nPP from days 22 to 37. Six treatment sequences were tested: CC, MM, LL, ML, LC and LM. Bone mineral content by dual-energy X-ray, tibia ash, toe ash weight and tibia breaking strength were measured on days 21 and 37. No significant effect was observed on growth performance throughout the experiment. Diet L reduced bone mineral content, breaking strength, tibia and toe ash by 9%, 13%, 11% and 10%, respectively, on day 21 (compared with diet C, for linear effect, P

The optimization of dietary phosphorus (P) and calcium (Ca) supply requires a better understanding of the effect of dietary fiber content of co-products on the digestive utilization of minerals. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of dietary fiber content from 00-rapeseed meal (RSM) on P and Ca digestibility throughout the gastrointestinal tract in growing pigs fed diets without or with microbial phytase. In total, 48 castrated male pigs (initial BW=36.1±0.4 kg) were housed in metabolic crates for 29 days. After an 8-day adaptation period, pigs were allocated to one of the eight treatments. The impact of dietary fiber was modulated by adding whole RSM (wRSM), dehulled RSM (dRSM) or dRSM supplemented with 4.5% or 9.0% rapeseed hulls (dRSMh1 and dRSMh2). Diets contained 0 or 500 phytase unit of microbial phytase per kg. From day 14 to day 23, feces and urine were collected separately to determine apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) and apparent retention (AR) of P and Ca. At the end of the experiment, femurs and digestive contents were sampled. No effect of variables of interest was observed on growth performance. Microbial phytase increased ATTD and AR of P (P

Selection programs have enabled broiler chickens to gain muscle mass without similar enlargement of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems that are essential for thermoregulatory efficiency. Meat-type chickens cope with high ambient temperature by reducing feed intake and growth during chronic and moderate heat exposure. In case of acute heat exposure, a dramatic increase in morbidity and mortality can occur. In order to alleviate heat stress in the long term, research has recently focused on early thermal manipulation. Aimed at stimulation of long-term thermotolerance, the thermal manipulation of embryos is a method based on fine tuning of incubation conditions, taking into account the level and duration of increases in temperature and relative humidity during a critical period of embryogenesis. The consequences of thermal manipulation on the performance and meat quality of broiler chickens have been explored to ensure the potential application of this strategy. The physiological basis of the method is the induction of epigenetic and metabolic mechanisms that control body temperature in the long term. Early thermal manipulation can enhance poultry resistance to environmental changes without much effect on growth performance. This review presents the main strategies of early heat exposure and the physiological concepts on which these methods were based. The cellular mechanisms potentially underlying the adaptive response are discussed as well as the potential interest of thermal manipulation of embryos for poultry production.

The increasing use of unconventional feedstuffs in chicken’s diets results in the substitution of starch by lipids as the main dietary energy source. To evaluate the responses of genetically fat or lean chickens to these diets, males of two experimental lines divergently selected for abdominal fat content were fed isocaloric, isonitrogenous diets with either high lipid (80 g/kg), high fiber (64 g/kg) contents (HL), or low lipid (20 g/kg), low fiber (21 g/kg) contents (LL) from 22 to 63 days of age. The diet had no effect on growth performance and did not affect body composition evaluated at 63 days of age. Glycolytic and oxidative energy metabolisms in the liver and glycogen storage in liver and Sartorius muscle at 63 days of age were greater in chicken fed LL diet compared with chicken fed HL diet. In Pectoralis major (PM) muscle, energy metabolisms and glycogen content were not different between diets. There were no dietary-associated differences in lipid contents of the liver, muscles and abdominal fat. However, the percentages of saturated (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) in tissue lipids were generally higher, whereas percentages of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were lower for diet LL than for diet HL. The fat line had a greater feed intake and average daily gain, but gain to feed ratio was lower in that line compared with the lean line. Fat chickens were heavier than lean chickens at 63 days of age. Their carcass fatness was higher and their muscle yield was lower than those of lean chickens. The oxidative enzyme activities in the liver were lower in the fat line than in the lean line, but line did not affect energy metabolism in muscles. The hepatic glycogen content was not different between lines, whereas glycogen content and glycolytic potential were higher in the PM muscle of fat chickens compared with lean chickens. Lipid contents in the liver, muscles and abdominal fat did not differ between lines, but fat chickens stored less MUFA and more PUFA in abdominal fat and muscles than lean chickens. Except for the fatty acid composition of liver and abdominal fat, no interaction between line and diet was observed. In conclusion, the amount of lipids stored in muscles and fatty tissues by lean or fat chickens did not depend on the dietary energy source.

Les poulets à croissance rapide sont sensibles à la chaleur en période de finition. En effet, leur sélection pour la croissance a favorisé la masse musculaire au détriment d’organes impliqués dans la thermorégulation. Ceci peut se traduire par des baisses de performances en cas de chaleur modérée et chronique, mais également des problèmes de bien-être et des mortalités lors d’un coup de chaleur. Durant la dernière décennie les efforts ont porté sur l’acclimatation à la chaleur pendant la période périnatale, notamment pendant l’embryogenèse. Cette stratégie nécessite de mettre au point les conditions d’incubation (température, phase de l’embryogenèse, durée d’exposition…) qui favorisent la thermotolérance jusqu’en finition. Les conséquences sur les performances des poulets (croissance, qualité de viande…) sont évaluées. L’acclimatation périnatale met en jeu des mécanismes de régulation épigénétiques qui modulent à long terme la température interne des volailles. A terme, si cette technique se révélait applicable à grande échelle, elle pourrait favoriser la robustesse et le bien-être des volailles face aux variations de températures, tout en préservant leurs performances zootechniques. Dans cet article, sont rappelés les principales techniques d’exposition thermique embryonnaire et les fondements physiologiques de leur mise en œuvre. Sont évoquées ensuite les voies de recherche concernant la compréhension des mécanismes mis en jeu et l’intérêt potentiel de cette technique pour la filière avicole.

Cet article fait partie du Dossier Typologie et ontogenèse des fibres musculaires chez différentes espèces d’intérêt agronomique.

Chez les espèces d’intérêt agronomique, les caractéristiques des fibres musculaires jouent un rôle important dans le déterminisme de la qualité organoleptique de la viande. Ce dossier fait le point des connaissances concernant la caractérisation des fibres musculaires et l’acquisition de leurs propriétés (contractiles et métaboliques) dans les principales espèces productrices de viande (bovins, porcs, volailles) et chez les poissons. La mise en place des fibres musculaires, qui débute très tôt au cours de la vie fœtale, implique des vagues successives de plusieurs générations de cellules myogéniques qui sont à l’origine des différents types de fibres. Le nombre total de fibres reste stable après la naissance chez le bovin, le porc et les volailles. En revanche, chez certains poissons, il augmente encore au cours de la vie postnatale. Chez le bovin, les principales étapes de la différenciation contractile et métabolique des fibres ont lieu durant le dernier tiers de la vie fœtale. En revanche, l’acquisition de ces propriétés se fait principalement pendant les deux semaines qui suivent la naissance chez le porc ou la volaille. Ainsi, si les principes généraux du développement musculaire sont comparables dans les différentes espèces, ils se déroulent selon une cinétique différente en relation avec la maturité de chaque espèce à la naissance. Toutefois, dans toutes les espèces, les propriétés des fibres sont caractérisées par une large plasticité tout au long de la vie des animaux, ce qui laisse la possibilité de les modifier par le biais des facteurs d’élevage.

Cet article fait partie du dossier : Le déterminisme génétique du développement musculaire