Research note: Cecal microbiota and growth performance in Hubbard JA 757 broilers with and without outdoor access

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Microbiology
• Poultry Science

Background:

• Poultry farming practices influence broiler chicken health and productivity.
• Gut microbiota composition is crucial for host health and performance.
• Outdoor access is a welfare consideration with potential impacts on broiler physiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of outdoor access, initiated at three weeks of age, on the cecal microbiota and growth performance of Hubbard JA757 broiler chickens.
• To determine if late-onset and limited outdoor exposure affects key performance indicators in broilers.

Main Methods:

• Forty-eight Hubbard JA757 broiler chickens were divided into control (no outdoor access) and outdoor access groups.
• Cecal samples were collected on day 56 and analyzed via full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing.
• Growth performance parameters including final body weight, carcass weight, breast weight, and leg weight were measured.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were observed in alpha-diversity or species-level relative abundance of cecal microbiota between the control and outdoor access groups.
• Productive performance parameters, such as final body weight and carcass yield, showed no significant variation between the treatment groups.
• The study found no measurable impact of the implemented outdoor access regimen on the measured outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Limited outdoor access, introduced later in the broiler's life cycle, did not induce significant changes in cecal microbiota composition.
• The growth performance of Hubbard JA757 broilers was not measurably affected by the tested outdoor access conditions.
• Findings suggest that the duration and timing of outdoor exposure in this study were insufficient to elicit detectable effects on broiler gut health or productivity.