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Artificial selection for improved energy efficiency is reaching its limits in broiler chickens.
C W Tallentire1, I Leinonen2,3, I Kyriazakis2
1Agriculture, School of Natural and Environmental sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, United Kingdom. c.w.tallentire@newcastle.ac.uk.
Scientific Reports
|January 20, 2018
Summary
Modern broiler chickens achieve high efficiency, but further gains are limited. Slower-growing birds for welfare increase environmental impact, suggesting minimal future improvements in sustainable broiler production.
Area of Science:
- Animal Science
- Agricultural Sustainability
- Bioenergetics
Background:
- Modern broiler chickens represent a significant advancement in animal husbandry, optimizing resource use and environmental sustainability.
- Continued artificial selection for rapid growth and efficiency faces biological limitations and raises animal welfare concerns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To predict the biological limits of artificial selection in broiler chickens using an energy flow model.
- To assess the potential for further improvements in broiler efficiency and environmental sustainability.
- To evaluate the environmental impact of alternative breeding strategies focused on slower growth for enhanced welfare.
Main Methods:
- Development and application of a novel analytical energy flow modeling approach.
- Analysis of biological constraints on energy intake and partitioning in broiler chickens.
- Comparative assessment of environmental burdens between current and alternative broiler production models.
Main Results:
- The biological potential for significant further improvements in broiler efficiency is minimal compared to historical gains from artificial selection.
- Reducing the environmental impact of broiler production through enhanced efficiency has limited scope.
- Breeding slower-growing broiler chickens to meet higher welfare standards results in increased environmental burdens compared to current production systems.
Conclusions:
- Biologically sound guidelines for sustainable broiler production planning are provided by this analytical approach.
- Future strategies for broiler production must balance efficiency, biological limits, and animal welfare considerations.
- Significant further reductions in the environmental footprint of broiler production via enhanced efficiency are unlikely.
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