Pre-natal Epigenetic Adaptation to Improve Thermotolerance Acquisition and Performance of Fast-growing Meat-type Chickens

: The necessity to improve broiler thermotolerance and performance led to the following hypothesis: (a) thethermoregulatory-response threshold for heat production can be altered by thermal manipulation (TM) during incubation so as to improve the acquisition of thermotolerance in the post-hatch broiler;and (b) TM during embryogenesis will improve myoblast proliferation during the embryonic and post-hatch periods with subsequent enhanced muscle growth and meat production. The original objectives of this study were as follow: 1. to assess the timing, temperature, duration, and turning frequency required for optimal TM during embryogenesis; 2. to evaluate the effect of TM during embryogenesis on thermoregulation (heat production and heat dissipation) during four phases: (1) embryogenesis, (2) at hatch, (3) during growth, and (4) during heat challenge near marketing age; 3. to investigate the stimulatory effect of thermotolerance on hormones that regulate thermogenesis and stress (T₄, T₃, corticosterone, glucagon); 4. to determine the effect of TM on performance (BW gain, feed intake, feed efficiency, carcass yield, breast muscle yield) of broiler chickens; and 5. to study the effect of TM during embryogenesis on skeletal muscle growth, including myoblast proliferation and fiber development, in the embryo and post-hatch chicks.This study has achieved all the original objectives. Only the plasma glucagon concentration (objective 3) was not measured as a result of technical obstacles. Background to the topic: Rapid growth rate has presented broiler chickens with seriousdifficulties when called upon to efficiently thermoregulate in hot environmental conditions. Being homeotherms, birds are able to maintain their body temperature (Tb) within a narrow range. An increase in Tb above the regulated range, as a result of exposure to environmental conditions and/or excessive metabolic heat production that often characterize broiler chickens, may lead to a potentially lethal cascade of irreversible thermoregulatory events. Exposure to temperature fluctuations during the perinatal period has been shown to lead to epigenetic temperature adaptation. The mechanism for this adaptation was based on the assumption that environmental factors, especially ambient temperature, have a strong influence on the determination of the “set-point” for physiological control systems during “critical developmental phases.” In order to sustain or even improve broiler performance, TM during the period of embryogenesis when satellite cell population normally expand should increase absolute pectoralis muscle weight in broilers post-hatch. Major conclusions: Intermittent TM (39.5°C for 12 h/day) during embryogenesis when the thyroid and adrenal axis was developing and maturing (E7 to E16 inclusive) had a long lasting thermoregulatory effect that improved thermotolerance of broiler chickens exposed to acute thermal stress at market age by lowering their functional Tb set point, thus lowering metabolic rate at hatch, improving sensible heat loss, and significantly decreasing the level of stress. Increased machine ventilation rate was required during TM so as to supply the oxygen required for the periods of increased embryonic development. Enhancing embryonic development was found to be accomplished by a combination of pre-incubation heating of embryos for 12 h at 30°C, followed by increasing incubation temperature to 38°C during the first 3 days of incubation. It was further facilitated by increasing turning frequency of the eggs to 48 or 96 times daily. TM during critical phases of muscle development in the late-term chick embryo (E16 to E18) for 3 or 6 hours (39.5°C) had an immediate stimulatory effect on myoblast proliferation that lasted for up to two weeks post-hatch; this was followed by increased hypertrophy at later ages. The various incubation temperatures and TM durations focused on the fine-tuning of muscle development and growth processes during late-term embryogenesis as well as in post-hatch chickens.