Assessing the impact of hatching system and body weight on the growth performance, caecal short-chain fatty acids, and microbiota composition and functionality in broilers

作者：Muhammad Zeeshan Akram, Ester Arévalo Sureda, Luke Comer, Matthias Corion, Nadia Everaert · 发表于：Animal Microbiome · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1186/s42523-024-00331-6 · 被引用次数：26 · 研究领域：Animal Nutrition and Physiology、Gut microbiota and health、Aquaculture disease management and microbiota

BACKGROUND: Variations in body weight (BW) remain a significant challenge within broiler flocks, despite uniform management practices. Chicken growth traits are influenced by gut microbiota, which are in turn shaped by early-life events like different hatching environments and timing of first feeding. Chicks hatched in hatcheries (HH) experience prolonged feed deprivation, which could adversely impact early microbiota colonization. Conversely, hatching on-farm (HOF) allows early feeding, potentially fostering a more favorable gut environment for beneficial microbial establishment. This study investigates whether BW differences among broilers are linked to the disparities in gut microbiota characteristics and whether hatching systems (HS) impact the initial microbial colonization of broilers differing in BW, which in turn affects their growth patterns. Male Ross-308 chicks, either hatched in a hatchery or on-farm, were categorized into low (LBW) and high (HBW) BW groups on day 7, making a two-factorial design (HS × BW). Production parameters were recorded periodically. On days 7, 14, and 38, cecal volatile fatty acid (VFA) and microbiota composition and function (using 16 S rRNA gene sequencing and PICRUSt2) were examined. RESULTS: HOF chicks had higher day 1 BW, but HH chicks caught up within first week, with no further HS-related performance differences. The HBW chicks remained heavier attributed to higher feed intake rather than improved feed efficiency. HBW group had highe...