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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
agricultural and biological sciences
Effects of thermal manipulation during early and late embryogenesis on thermotolerance and breast muscle characteristics in broiler chickens
Poultry Science, Volume 86, No. 5, Year 2007
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Description
Genetic selection has significantly improved the muscle development of fast-growing broiler chickens in the last 50 yr. However, improvement in muscle growth has coincided with relatively poor development of visceral systems, resulting in impaired ability to cope with high environmental temperatures. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of thermal manipulation (TM) during different periods of embryogenesis on chick hatchability, BW and thermoregulation upon hatching, on their ability to cope with thermal challenge at 42 d of age, and on carcass and breast meat traits. Control embryos were incubated at 37.8°C. The TM embryos were incubated at 37.8°C and treated for 3 h at 39.5°C on the following days of embryogenesis: E8 to E10 [early (EA)], E16 to E18 [late (LA)], and both E8 to E10 and E16 to E18 (EA-LA). Body weight and body temperature (Tb) were measured at hatching and throughout the growth period as well as during exposure of 42-d-old chickens to a thermal challenge at 35°C for 6 h. The LA and EA chicks exhibited significantly lower Tb than control chicks (37.9 vs. 38.2°C) at hatching, but during the growth period, differences in Tb between treated and control chicks decreased with age. Significant hyperthermia (over 44°C) was monitored in all groups during the thermal challenge, but mortality was higher in treated than in control chickens. No effect of treatments on BW was found during the entire growth period. However, breast yield was higher in LA chickens than in controls at slaughter. The EA and EA-LA treatments slightly decreased the ultimate pH of breast meat, whereas the LA treatment had no effect. In conclusion, none of the TM conditions tested in the present study were able to improve long-term thermotolerance in chickens. Late treatment favored breast muscle growth without affecting ultimate pH and drip loss of breast meat. ©2007 Poultry Science Association Inc.
Authors & Co-Authors
Collin, Anne
France, Orleans
Centre Inrae Val de Loire
Berri, Cécile M.
France, Orleans
Centre Inrae Val de Loire
Tesseraud, Sophie
France, Orleans
Centre Inrae Val de Loire
Duclos, Michael Jacques
France, Orleans
Centre Inrae Val de Loire
Rideau, Nicole
France, Orleans
Centre Inrae Val de Loire
Tona, Kokou
Belgium, Leuven
Ku Leuven
Buyse, Johan Zoons
Belgium, Leuven
Ku Leuven
Bruggeman, Veerle
Belgium, Leuven
Ku Leuven
Decuypere, Eddy M.P.
Belgium, Leuven
Ku Leuven
Yahav, Shlomo
Israel, Bet Dagan
Agricultural Research Organization of Israel
Statistics
Citations: 152
Authors: 10
Affiliations: 4
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1093/ps/86.5.795
ISSN:
00325791
Research Areas
Genetics And Genomics
Infectious Diseases