Energy and protein dilution in broiler breeder pullet diets reduced offspring body weight and yield

Abstract

The objective of the current research was to evaluate transgenerational effects of maternal dietary energy and protein on growth, efficiency, and yield of broiler offspring. A factorial arrangement of treatments consisting of high and low ME and CP levels fed during the rearing and laying phases was used. The study was a final 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments, including broiler sex. Ross 708 broiler breeder pullets (n = 933) were fed diets containing 2,736 (HE REAR ) or 2,528 kcal/kg ME (LE REAR ) with either 15.3% (HP REAR ) or 13.7% CP (LP REAR ). From 25 wk, dams were fed a 15% CP laying diet containing 2,900 (HE LAY ) or 2,800 kcal/kg ME (LE LAY ). Following artificial insemination of the dams at 35 wk, eggs were collected for 1 wk, incubated, and pedigree hatched to preserve maternal identity. Broiler offspring were placed sex-separately into 32 pens, according to laying phase maternal treatments, with rearing maternal treatments nested within pens. Individual BW and pen level feed intake were recorded weekly. Broilers were processed at 40 d of age to evaluate yield. Maternal diet effects on offspring BW were sex dependent and transient. Female LP REAR × LE LAY broilers had lower pectoralis major and carcass yield than HP REAR × LE LAY females. Male HP REAR × HE LAY broilers had increased breast yield (19.8%) compared with 18.4% in HP REAR × LE LAY broilers. Carcass yield was lower in LE REAR × HP REAR broilers (63.7%) compared with HE REAR × HP REAR broilers (64.9%). LE REAR × HP REAR dams had the lowest ME to CP ratio (E: P) diets and highest rearing phase CP intake. Maternal diet did not influence offspring FCR. The most consistent contributor to increased BW was higher maternal dietary CP and ME during rearing. Low ME maternal laying phase diets increased BW of male offspring more consistently than of female offspring. Maternal nutrition also influenced broiler yield, and is thus economically important. Energy and protein dilution in broiler breeder pullet diets may have detrimental effects on offspring performance.

Broiler growth and efficiency in response to relaxed maternal feed restriction

“…Moreover, proportional heart weight of males was greater than that of females. These results were expected because it is well established that females have a larger proportion of breast muscle ( Grey et al., 1982 ; Young et al., 2001 ; Moraes et al., 2014 , 2019 ; Zuidhof et al., 2014 ) and abdominal fat pad ( Brake et al., 1993 ; Moraes et al., 2014 ; Zuidhof et al., 2014 ; Humphreys, 2020 ) than males, whereas males have a greater proportional heart weight than females ( Brake et al., 1993 ; Zuidhof et al., 2014 ; Humphreys, 2020 ). In the restricted scope analysis, males had a greater proportional gut weight than females, which is consistent with van der Klein et al.…”

“…Male offspring have a greater final BW than females ( van der Klein et al., 2017 ; Humphreys, 2020 ). Moreover, females are documented to have a greater proportion of breast muscle ( Scheuermann et al., 2003 ; Zuidhof et al., 2014 ; van der Klein et al., 2017 ; Moraes et al., 2019 ) and fat pad ( Lippens et al., 2010 ; Zuidhof et al., 2014 ; van der Klein et al., 2017 ; Moraes et al., 2019 ; Humphreys, 2020 ) than males.…”

Effect of dietary N-carbamylglutamate on development of ovarian follicles via enhanced angiogenesis in the chicken

“…Protein undernutrition by partial albumen removal from the eggs during embryonic development diminished reproductive capacity of hens (Willems et al, 2016 ). Energy and protein dilution in pullet diets of broiler breeder may have detrimental effects on the performance of offspring (Moraes et al, 2019 ). Furthermore, progress of follicle development was attenuated although there were fewer developing follicles than the primordial follicles in malnutritional ewe fetuses (Lea et al, 2006 ).…”

Biochemical and molecular investigation of oxidative stress associated with urolithiasis induced by increased dietary calcium or protein in chickens

“…In addition, InfanteRodrيguez et al (2016) suggested that the increase in dietary protein in dry tropics enhanced growth performance and improved FCR of broiler chickens, which maintained BWG with lower feed intake. Another report suggested that reduced dietary protein in the broiler breeder pullets decreases offspring's body weight while moderate excess of dietary protein increases broiler meat yield (Bartov & Plavnik, 1998; Moraes, Pishnamazi, Wenger, Renema, & Zuidhof, 2019).…”