Feed Restriction Induced Changes in Behavior, Corticosterone, and Microbial Programming in Slow- and Fast-Growing Chicken Breeds

This study aimed to explore the difference between two Chinese local broilers, one slow- and one fast-growing, in their response to a stress challenge. We conducted the study on slow- (Weining chicken) and fast-growing (Jinlinghua chicken) breeds, with 50 chickens from each breed either feed restricted to 70% for 30 days as a stress or given ad libitum to evaluate the effects on behavior, corticosterone, and microbial programming. Standing behavior was more frequent while exploration was less common in fast-growing breeds compared to slow-growing breeds. Food seeking and ingestion, exploration, and drinking increased, while resting decreased in the feed restricted treatments. There was no difference in corticosterone concentration between slow- and fast-growing chickens, but the level was affected by feeding treatments, and the interaction of breed and feed restriction. At the genus-level, the relative abundance of Bacteroides and Lactobacillus was higher, while Cloacibacillus and Megasphaera was lower in the slow-growing breed compared to the fast-growing breed. Feed restricted birds had a higher abundance of Mucispirillum, but lower abundance of Cloacibacillus, Clostridium XlVa and Clostridium IV. In conclusion, feed restriction to 70% for 30 days as a chronic stress stimulation caused more activity, elevated the stress response, and altered gut microbiota composition, but some changes were only evident in slow- or fast-growing chickens.

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Domestication and Feed Restriction Programming Organ Index, Dopamine, and Hippocampal Transcriptome Profile in Chickens

Frontiers in Veterinary Science ◽

10.3389/fvets.2021.701850 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Siyu Chen ◽

Chao Yan ◽

Jinlong Xiao ◽

Wen Liu ◽

Zhiwei Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Neurodegenerative Disease ◽

Feed Restriction ◽

Transcriptome Profile ◽

Disease Category ◽

Fast Growing ◽

Organ Index ◽

Ad Libitum ◽

Slow Growing ◽

The Brain

The domestication process exerts different phenotypic plasticity between slow- and fast-growing breeds of chicken. Feed restriction has a critical role in production performance, physiological plasticity, and stress response. Our study aimed to explore how feed restriction programed the organ index, dopamine, and hippocampal transcriptome profile between slow- and fast-growing chickens, which were fed either ad libitum (SA and FA), or feed restricted to 70% of ad libitum (SR and FR), for 30 days. Results showed that feed restriction influenced the brain organ index (P < 0.05), but not the organ index of the heart, liver, and spleen. The slow-growing breed tested had a higher brain organ index than the fast-growing breed (P < 0.05). Under feed restriction conditions, both the slow- and fast-growing breeds had significantly elevated dopamine concentrations (P < 0.05) compared to those fed ad libitum. In the GO term, upregulated genes in the FA group were enriched in the mitochondria, respiratory chain, and energy metabolism compared to the SA group (P < 0.05). Membranes and ribosomes were enriched in the cellular component between the SR and FR groups (P < 0.05). In the KEGG functional pathways, upregulated DEGs in the FR group were enriched in the cardiovascular disease category and neurodegenerative disease category compared to the FA group (P < 0.05). Downregulated DEGs in the FA group were enriched in the oxidative phosphorylation and neurodegenerative disease categories (Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease) compared with the SA group (P < 0.05). Upregulated DEGs in the FR group were enriched in the cardiovascular disease category, neurodegenerative disease category, and energy metabolism than the SR group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, feed restriction had profound effects on the brain organ index and plasma dopamine in the slow- and fast-growing chickens. Feed restriction may result in issues relating to cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases in the fast-growing breed tested, but not in the slow-growing breed.

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Response of slow-growing chickens to feed restriction and effects on growth performance, blood constituents and immune markers

Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Pecuarias ◽

10.22319/rmcp.v8i2.4441 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 175 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Youssef A Attia ◽

Abd-Elhamid E Abd-Elhamid ◽

Manal Mustafa ◽

Mohammed A Al-Harthi ◽

Mai Muhammad

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Blood Cells ◽

Feed Restriction ◽

Control Group ◽

Immune Markers ◽

Blood Constituents ◽

Commercial Diet ◽

Ad Libitum ◽

Slow Growing

An experiment was conducted to study the response of a slow growing chickens breed “Sinai” to feed restriction (FR) and the effects on growth performance, blood constituents and immune markers using a total number of 60 unsexed 7-d-old chicks. Chickens were housed in battery brooders during d 1 to 35 of age and randomly distributed keeping similar initial body weight, in two FR treatment groups. During 0-6 d of age, chickens were fed ad libitum, a mash commercial diet. During d 7-14 of age, chickens were fed either 100 or 80 % of the daily amount of feed consumed by the control group during the previous day. From d 15 to d 35, chickens were fed ad libitum diets a mash commercial diet. At the end of the experiment, body weight gain on the FR regimen was significantly lower than that of the control group, but feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were not affected. In addition, red blood cells parameters and white blood cells traits were not negatively affected. However, hemagglutination inhibition titter for New castle disease virus, monocyte and total cholesterol were significantly decreased by FR regimen, but blood plasma albumin and immunoglobulin A significantly increased. In conclusion, slow growing chickens could tolerate 27.2 % FR during the 2nd week of age without significant differences in feed intake and FCR for the whole period, and general health status and metabolic profiles indicating a compensatory growth during 15-35 d of age although growth was in favour to the unrestricted group.

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Effect of age on digestibility of starch in chickens with different growth rate

Czech Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.17221/4222-cjas ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 50 (No. 9) ◽

pp. 411-415 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

J. Zelenka ◽

Z. Čerešňáková

Keyword(s):

Growth Rate ◽

Starch Digestibility ◽

Indicator Method ◽

Average Value ◽

Maize Type ◽

High Starch ◽

Ad Libitum ◽

The Difference ◽

Slow Growing ◽

Effect Of Age

Digestibility of starch was examined in slow-growing cockerels of laying type (SG) and in fast-growing male chickens (FG) of broiler type fed ad libitum on a maize-type diet until Day 22 of age in one-day periods and from Day 22 to Day 100 in three-day periods. Digestibility was estimated using the chromic oxide indicator method. In SG chicks, starch digestibility rapidly increased within the first days of their lives and reached the value of 0.986 already on Day 4 of life. It was maintained on this level till the end of the experiment, which was finished at the age of 100 days. In FG chicks, which in comparison with SG birds consumed more than a double quantity of feed, high starch digestibility was observed as late as on Day 8. From Day 8 to Day 100 of age, starch digestibility slightly but highly significantly (P < 0.01) decreased. The average value of digestibility was lower by 0.008 in broiler type chickens than in SG chickens at this time; nevertheless, digestibility was never below 0.96. The difference was highly significant (P< 0.001).

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Effect of age upon retention of mercury in chickens with a different growth rate

Veterinární Medicína ◽

10.17221/1885-vetmed ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 52 (No. 12) ◽

pp. 547-551 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

J. Zelenka ◽

J. Hedbavny

Keyword(s):

Growth Rate ◽

Total Mercury ◽

Experimental Period ◽

The Body ◽

Feed Mixture ◽

Fast Growing ◽

Maximum Value ◽

The Difference ◽

Slow Growing ◽

Effect Of Age

Retention of total mercury was examined in groups of 95 slowly-growing laying type chickens and 52 fast-growing broiler hybrids in 47 subsequent balance periods from 1 to 100 days of age. Chickens were fed ad libitum on a diet containing 5.41 µg of Hg per kilogram. Until Day 4 the values of coefficients of apparent retention of Hg were negative or very low. They were influenced by excretion of endogenous nutrients originating primarily from the yolk sac. When evaluating the period of 4 to 100 days of age, the dependence of Hg retention coefficients upon age was highly significant (P < 0.01). The course of this dependence was expressed by parabolas for laying type chickens with the maximum value at Day 61 of age and for broilers with the minimum value at Day 53. In fast growing chickens, Hg content in body gain decreased until Day 14 and then increased while in slow growing chickens it was linearly increasing for the whole experimental period. The average coefficients of Hg retention from the feed mixture were 48.18 ± 0.719 (mean ± SEM) and 47.90 ± 1.057% and Hg retained per g of live body gain were 7.494 ± 0.4682 and 6.775 ± 0.6233 ng in laying and meat type cockerels, respectively. The difference between hybrids was insignificant (P > 0.05). The growth rate of total amount of Hg in the body was lower (P < 0.01) than that of body weight of chickens, allometric coefficients were 0.706 and 0.747 for slow and fast growing chickens, respectively.

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Growing goats of different sexes have distinct metabolic responses to continuous feed restriction

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an16419 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 58 (5) ◽

pp. 818

Author(s):

Nhayandra C. D. Silva ◽

Carla J. Härter ◽

Fernanda O. M. Figueiredo ◽

Rafael F. Leite ◽

José M. Santos Neto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Factor ◽

Aspartate Aminotransferase ◽

Protein Body ◽

Fat Deposition ◽

Feed Restriction ◽

Insulin Like Growth Factor ◽

Body Retention ◽

Ad Libitum ◽

The Difference ◽

Growing Goats

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of sex on the hormonal and metabolic changes in growing goats subjected to levels of feed restriction. We used 72 Saanen kids, including 24 intact males, 24 castrated males and 24 females with initial bodyweight of 15.76 ± 0.174 kg and initial age of 108.4 ± 18.86 days respectively. A split-plot design was employed (3 sexes = intact males, castrated males, and females; 3 levels of feed restriction = 0% (ad libitum), 25% and 50%). Groups of three goat kids were formed by sex (each goat eating one level of feed restriction); goats of each group were slaughtered when animals fed ad libitum reached 30 kg bodyweight. Fat and protein deposition were calculated by the difference between the determinations performed on samples of homogenates of control animals slaughtered at the start of the experiment and the experimental animals. Blood samples were collected every 10 days to evaluate glucose, total protein, albumin, urea, creatinine, cholesterol, non-esterified fatty acid, β-hydroxybutyrate, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma glutamyltransferase, creatine kinase, triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine and insulin-like growth factor. Females presented greater fat deposition than did castrated and intact males, regardless of feed restriction (P < 0.0001). Protein body retention (kg) was affected only by feed restriction (P < 0.0001). In females, aspartate aminotransferase activity was greater in those subjected to 50% feed restriction (83.83 ± 4.96 U/L). Regardless of sex, the greatest serum β-hydroxybutyrate concentration was observed when animals were subjected to 50% feed restriction (P < 0.0149). Plasma concentration of insulin-like growth factor 1 was similar in castrated and females, being lower than in intact males. Intact males showed lower plasma T3 concentration than did females (P < 0.05). Females changed their glycolytic metabolism to retain fat deposition even under feed restriction, whereas males mainly changed their protein metabolism to retain protein synthesis, and were less affected by feed restriction.

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Genotypic traits and tradeoffs of fast growth in silver birch, a pioneer tree

Oecologia ◽

10.1007/s00442-021-04986-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Juha Mikola ◽

Katariina Koikkalainen ◽

Mira Rasehorn ◽

Tarja Silfver ◽

Ulla Paaso ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Resource Competition ◽

Leaf Growth ◽

N Uptake ◽

Insect Herbivory ◽

Fast Growth ◽

Grass Cover ◽

Soil N ◽

Fast Growing ◽

Slow Growing ◽

Leaf N

AbstractFast-growing and slow-growing plant species are suggested to show integrated economics spectrums and the tradeoffs of fast growth are predicted to emerge as susceptibility to herbivory and resource competition. We tested if these predictions also hold for fast-growing and slow-growing genotypes within a silver birch, Betula pendula population. We exposed cloned saplings of 17 genotypes with slow, medium or fast height growth to reduced insect herbivory, using an insecticide, and to increasing resource competition, using naturally varying field plot grass cover. We measured shoot and root growth, ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungal production using ergosterol analysis and soil N transfer to leaves using 15N-labelled pulse of NH4+. We found that fast-growing genotypes grew on average 78% faster, produced 56% and 16% more leaf mass and ergosterol, and showed 78% higher leaf N uptake than slow-growing genotypes. The insecticide decreased leaf damage by 83% and increased shoot growth, leaf growth and leaf N uptake by 38%, 52% and 76%, without differences between the responses of fast-growing and slow-growing genotypes, whereas root mass decreased with increasing grass cover. Shoot and leaf growth of fast-growing genotypes decreased and EM fungal production of slow-growing genotypes increased with increasing grass cover. Our results suggest that fast growth is genotypically associated with higher allocation to EM fungi, better soil N capture and greater leaf production, and that the tradeoff of fast growth is sensitivity to competition, but not to insect herbivory. EM fungi may have a dual role: to support growth of fast-growing genotypes under low grass competition and to maintain growth of slow-growing genotypes under intensifying competition.

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Studies on the Regulation of Algal Growth by Gibberellin

Australian Journal of Biological Sciences ◽

10.1071/bi9711115 ◽

1971 ◽

Vol 24 (4) ◽

pp. 1115 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

RC Jennings

Keyword(s):

Red Algae ◽

Algal Growth ◽

Red Alga ◽

General Phenomenon ◽

Hypnea Musciformis ◽

Fast Growing ◽

High Concentrations ◽

Amo 1618 ◽

Slow Growing

CCC and Amo.1618, at relatively high concentrations only, inhibited the growth of excised branch apices of the red alga Hypnea musciformis. Neither GA3 nor GA7 stimulated growth of the alga in the presence or absence of these compounds, and gibberellin-like material extracted from H. musciformis also failed to stimulate growth. However, both gibberellins stimulated the growth of slow-growing, but not fast-growing, branch apices of the related red alga Gracilaria verucosa. It is concluded that endogenous gibberellins may not regulate the growth of H. musciformis, but this is likely to be a peculiarity of this species and not a general phenomenon in red algae.

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A two-diet system andad libitumlactation feeding of the sow 1. Sow performance

Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s135772980001465x ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 62 (2) ◽

pp. 337-347 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

M. Neil ◽

B. Ogle ◽

K. Annèr

Keyword(s):

Food Consumption ◽

Post Partum ◽

Live Weight ◽

Metabolizable Energy ◽

Backfat Thickness ◽

Conventional Diet ◽

Feeding Regimes ◽

Ad Libitum ◽

The Difference ◽

Depth Condition

AbstractEffects of a two-diet system combined withad libitumlactation feeding of sows on food consumption, sow live weight (LW), backfat depth, condition scoring, rebreeding interval, symptoms of agalactia and culling were studied on 60 sows followed for four parities. Feeding regimes were: CR, conventional i.e. restricted during gestation and lactation; SA, a simplified diet offered at a restricted level during gestation and a conventional dietad libitumduring lactation; CA, conventional during gestation and the same dietad libitumduring lactation. During lactation CR sows consumed 5·9 kg food daily (71 MJ metabolizable energy (ME)), whereas SA and CA sows consumed on average 7·0 kg (85 MJ ME), the difference being larger in multiparous than in primiparous sows and larger in the first than in later weeks of lactation. From the second farrowing onward sows on CR treatment were lighter and had thinner backfat and lower condition scores than sows on CA treatment, with sows on SA treatment in between, i.e. approaching the CR sows in the gestation periods and the CA sows in the lactation periods. At first service LW was 130 kg and backfat thickness 14 mm. During the fourth lactation LW averaged 190 kg in CR sows and around 220 kg for SA and CA sows, and backfat thickness was 11 mm in CR sows and around 16 mm in SA and CA sows. SA sows tended to rebreed earlier after weaning than did CR or CA sows. CA sows and in particular SA sows had higher incidences of agalactia symptoms and higher rectal temperatures post partum than CR sows. The culling rates did not differ between feeding regimes, although the predominant causes for culling did, being shoulder lesions and abscesses in thin CR sows and leg disorders in SA and CA sows. At the end of the experiment, however, more SA sows than others were retained in the experimental herd. It was concluded that the SA feeding regime was superior in terms of sow performance, despite an increased incidence of agalactia symptoms.

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