Gastrointestinal Tract Morphometrics and Content of Commercial and Indigenous Chicken Breeds with Differing Ranging Profiles

Abstract

Optimal development of the gut is important for nutrient absorption and for poultry to resist diseases. The aim of the study was to compare gastrointestinal tract morphometrics, small intestine microstructure, as well as the amount of pasture matter and feed ingested by the birds with outdoor access presenting either an outdoor-preferring, moderate-outdoor or indoor-preferring ranging profile. Sixty non-beak trimmed birds per strain: broiler hybrid Sasso and Polish indigenous green-legged partridge were housed from week 5 to 10 in groups of 10, under conditions of EU organic meat chicken production. Pens with outdoor ranges were video recorded, to obtain frequencies of the birds’ range use. Statistical analysis was conducted applying generalized linear mixed models, applying the ranging profile as a fixed effect and pen as a random factor. The weight of the pasture matter in bird crops was the highest in moderate-outdoor profiled green-legged partridges, as compared to other ranging profiles (p = 0.04). In Sasso, villi in the small intestines were significantly higher in the outdoor-preferring compared to indoor-preferring profiled birds (p = 0.04), while their area was larger in the outdoor-preferring Sasso birds (p = 0.01). The level of development of the gastrointestinal tract and its content may be a potential indicator of the birds’ ranging profile and forage consumption.

Gut microbiota activity in chickens from two genetic lines and with outdoor-preferring, moderate-preferring, and indoor-preferring ranging profiles

“…Birds reared with access to the pasture consume material found outdoors, such as plants, insects, and stones. In our previous study we found that the frequency of range use by the chicken was associated not only with the ingested material, but also with the development of the bird gut and those associations differed between Green-legged Partridges and Sasso birds ( Marchewka et al, 2021 ). However, it has not until now been investigated whether the relationship between outdoor range use and chicken gut microbiota exists.…”

“…Valeric acid glyceride esters, added to the feed, promoted broiler performance, positively affected the morphology of the small intestinal mucosa and reduced the incidence of necrotic enteritis ( Onrust et al, 2018 ). Previously, in moderate-outgoing Green-legged Partridges the weight of the pasture matter in the crop was 3 times higher, as compared to moderate-outgoing Sasso, and there was significantly more pasture matter identified, as compared to other ranging profiled birds of that breed ( Marchewka et al, 2021 ). Hence, it can be suspected that the higher concentrations of valeric acid in moderate-outgoing Green-legged Partridges were associated with the pasture matter-rich diet those birds had, supporting the favorable microbiota composition.…”

“…The level of development of the GIT and its content have been found to be potential indicators of the chickens’ ranging profiles developed for classifying the frequency with which birds used the outdoor ranges ( Marchewka et al, 2020 ) and forage consumption ( Marchewka et al, 2021 ). Therefore, as the outdoor range use differs among individual birds, the composition and the gut microbiota activity may also potentially differ.…”

Could Duodenal Molecular Mechanisms be Involved in the Hypocholesterolemic Effect of Silicon Used as Functional Ingredient in Late‐Stage Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus?

“…Absorptive surface area of duodenal villi was estimated by the formula: Area of absorption surface of the villi = 2 π × (Villi width/2) × Villi height. [ 23 ] The number of goblet cells per villus or crypt of AB sections was counted with ImageJ software (Fiji image J; 1.52i, NIH, USA).…”