The Hatching Time of Broiler Chickens Modifies Not Only the Production Traits but Also the Early Bacteriota Development of the Ceca

This trial was carried out to find out the effects of the parent flock and hatching time of broiler chickens on the production traits and bacteriota development of animals. Two sets of 730 hatching eggs were collected from two different parent flocks with ages of 25 and 50 weeks. In the hatchery, bo...

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Main Authors: Nikoletta Such, Kornél Schermann, László Pál, László Menyhárt, Valéria Farkas, Gábor Csitári, Brigitta Kiss, Kesete Goitom Tewelde, Károly Dublecz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-08-01
Series:Animals
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/17/2712
Description
Summary:This trial was carried out to find out the effects of the parent flock and hatching time of broiler chickens on the production traits and bacteriota development of animals. Two sets of 730 hatching eggs were collected from two different parent flocks with ages of 25 and 50 weeks. In the hatchery, both groups were divided into two subgroups: those hatched during the first 10 and the subsequent 10 h of the hatching window. A feeding trial was carried out afterwards, using the four treatments in six replicate floor pens and feeding commercial starter, grower, and finisher diets that contained all the nutrients according to the breeder’s recommendations. The day-old chickens of the older parent flock and those hatched later were heavier, and this advantage remained until the end of the production period. The different ages and origins of the parent flocks failed to modify the microbiological parameters of the chicken’s ceca; however, the hatching time significantly influenced the different bacteriota diversity indices: the late-hatched chickens showed higher <i>Bacteroidetes</i> and lower <i>Firmicutes</i> and <i>Actinobacteria</i> abundances at day 11. These treatments resulted in differences in the main families, <i>Ruminococcaceae</i>, <i>Lactobacillaceae</i>, and <i>Bacteroidaceae.</i> These differences could not be found at day 39.
ISSN:2076-2615