Effect of Skip-a-Day Feed Restriction on the Jejunal Mucosa of Broiler Breeder Pullets

Abstract

Jejunal tissue was taken from 18-week-old broiler breeder pullets previously reared on a daily or skip-a-day feed restriction system. Light and scanning electron microscopy revealed no changes in mucosal appearance or structure related to feeding system. Comparable duodenal samples all revealed extensive desquamated epithelial damage possibly related to postmortem change.

Morphological Alterations of the Intestinal Villi and Absorptive Epithelial Cells in each Intestinal part in Fasted Chickens.

“…Although, in the case of the increasing of the villous size (YAMAUCHI et al, 1993) and height (NoDA, 1979) an increased cell mitosis has been interpreted as the main factor for their increases, the shrinkage of individual cell is also thought to be an important factor for the shortening of the villous height. PEER et al (1984) investigated that skip-a-day feed restriction from 3-to 18-week-old gave no changes to the jejunal mucosal appearance but caused the extensive damage to the duodenum of broilers. This suggests that the degree of the morphological damage due to fasting for the villi may be different among each intestinal part.…”