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Early Feeding Strategy Mitigates Major Physiological Dynamics Altered by Heat Stress in Broilers
Ahmed Gouda1, Hanan Al-Khalaifah2, Afaf Al-Nasser2
1Department of Animal Production, National Research Center, El Buhouth St., Dokki, Giza P.O. Box 12622, Egypt.
Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI
|May 25, 2024
Summary
Early feed withdrawal (FWD) significantly improves broiler chicken performance and physiological health under heat stress. This nutritional strategy enhances thermotolerance, immunity, and antioxidant status, offering a promising solution for sustainable poultry production in hot climates.
Area of Science:
- Animal Science
- Poultry Nutrition
- Environmental Physiology
Background:
- Heat stress negatively impacts broiler production efficiency and profitability, particularly in hot climates.
- Improving heat tolerance in broiler chickens is crucial for sustained performance under adverse environmental conditions.
- Early feed withdrawal (FWD) is explored as a potential strategy to mitigate thermal stress effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of three early feed withdrawal regimes on broiler chickens exposed to chronic heat stress.
- To evaluate the impact of FWD on production performance, physiological parameters, and immune responses in broilers.
Main Methods:
- 240 one-day-old Cobb-500 chicks were divided into four groups: control (no FWD) and three FWD groups (24h, 12h, or 8h duration at specific ages).
- Production performance was monitored, and blood and liver samples were collected for physiological analysis.
- Key parameters assessed included hormone levels, blood metabolites, antioxidant markers, immune factors, and heat shock proteins.
Main Results:
- FWD treatments significantly improved broiler production performance and physiological parameters compared to the control group under heat stress.
- FWD modulated serum hormone levels (elevated thyroid, decreased leptin), improved blood profiles (higher protein, globulin, hemoglobin; lower cholesterol, uric acid), and enhanced antioxidant status.
- Immune markers (immunoglobulins, lysozyme, C3, HSP70, IL-1β, IFN-γ) were elevated in FWD groups, indicating improved immune function and stress adaptation.
Conclusions:
- Early feed withdrawal is a promising non-invasive nutritional strategy for broilers under chronic heat stress.
- FWD alleviates the negative effects of heat stress on broiler performance, immunity, and redox status.
- This strategy promotes physiological adaptation and enhances thermotolerance ability in broiler chickens.
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