Arabinoxylan-oligosaccharides kick-start arabinoxylan digestion in the aging broiler.

While arabinoxylans (AX), an important dietary fiber fraction of wheat-based broiler diets, are known for exerting antinutritional effects in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of broilers, the prebiotic potential of arabinoxylan-oligosaccharides (AXOS) is also well-documented. However, inconsistent performance responses as well as the effectiveness of low amounts of AXOS used in diets of previously conducted experiments put into question the classical prebiotic route being the sole mode of action of AXOS. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary AXOS addition on the rate of AX digestion in the gastrointestinal tract of broilers as a function of broiler age to gain more insight into the mode of action of these oligosaccharides. A feeding trial was performed on 480 one-day-old chicks (Ross 308) receiving a wheat-based diet supplemented with or without 0.50% AXOS, containing no endoxylanases. Digesta samples from ileum and caeca and fecal samples were analyzed for AX content, AX digestibility, intestinal viscosity, and microbial AX-degrading enzyme activities at 6 different ages (day 5, 10, 15, 21, 28, 35). Chicks fed from hatching with 0.50% AXOS demonstrated a higher ileal viscosity (P < 0.05). Also higher levels of AX solubilization and fermentation compared to control birds at 10 D were observed. This was noted by the higher total tract AX digestibility of water-extractable AX (WE-AX) and total AX (TOT-AX) at this age (P < 0.05). Although no significant difference in AX-degrading enzyme activities was observed among the dietary treatments, AXOS supplementation in young broilers was shown to stimulate or "kick-start" dietary AX digestion, thereby speeding up the development of a fiber-fermenting microbiome in the young broiler. This stimulation effect of AXOS could enable greater functional value to be extracted from dietary fiber in broiler feeds.

The effect of reduced balanced protein diet on the behavior of female broiler breeders in 2 generations.

The behavior of 2 generations of broiler breeders undergoing a 25% reduced balanced protein (RP) dietary treatment was investigated in the current study. There were 2 treatments for the F0 generation: control (C) breeders fed with standard C diets and RP breeders fed with RP diets. The female progeny of each treatment was again subjected to 2 dietary treatments, resulting in 4 treatments for F1 generation: C/C, C/RP, RP/C, and RP/RP (breeder feed in F0/F1 generation). To maintain the target body weights throughout the trial, breeders on RP diet received on average 10% more feed than C diet breeders. The behavior of the breeders at 8h30 (30 min before feeding at 9h00), 12h00, and 15h30 in weeks 23 and 37 of the F0 generation and in week 6, 11, and 22 of the F1 generation was observed. Litter scratching, feather pecking, and object pecking were occasionally increased by RP diet feeding which indicated feeding frustration. Drinking behavior decreased dramatically by the RP dietary feeding and resulting in a better litter condition which could benefit dust bathing behavior. In addition, feeding the breeders RP diet in the F0 generation decreased litter scratching (week 6) and feather pecking (week 22, 15h30) but increased sitting (week 11, 15h30) and drinking (a tendency in week 6 and a significant effect in week 11) behavior of offspring breeders (F1 generation). In general, breeders fed with reduced balanced protein diets, to some extent, spent less time drinking and their offspring could have an adaptation to the maternal RP diet. The mechanism of this adaptation still needs to be further investigated. In general, positive effects were found by reducing protein level of breeder diets. However, negative side effects such as feeding frustration were also observed, which merit further study.

Age-related arabinoxylan hydrolysis and fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract of broilers fed wheat-based diets.

Endoxylanases are frequently used in cereal-based broiler feeds to improve the nutritional quality of the feed. It is hypothesized that the age of broilers and the age-related development of their intestinal microbiota influence the efficacy of these enzymes. Hence, the objective of this study was to identify possible age-related changes in arabinoxylan (AX) digestion in the different parts of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of broilers. A feeding trial was performed with 240 1-day-old chicks (Ross 308) receiving a wheat-based feed containing no supplemented endoxylanase. Digesta samples from every section of the GI tract were collected at 5, 10, 15, 21, 28, and 35 d of age and analyzed for AX content, AX digestibility, intestinal viscosity, and microbial endoxylanase and arabinofuranosidase activities. In the first 2 wk, the microbiota were able to solubilize a part of the water-unextractable arabinoxylan (WU-AX), thereby increasing intestinal viscosity and water-extractable arabinoxylan (WE-AX) concentrations in the GI tract. In these young birds, WU-AX and WE-AX with low arabinose to xylose ratios were able to enter the caeca but were not yet extensively fermented by the caecal microbiota as indicated by the high caecal AX concentrations at 5 and 10 d (P < 0.01). Establishment of a more mature microbial community at 3 wk of age resulted in a further increase in both the solubilization of WU-AX and fermentation of WE-AX at the ileum and caecum (P < 0.10). Furthermore, the increase in AX degrading enzyme activities with age denotes the high AX degrading capacity of the caecal microbiota. Finally, a total tract AX digestion of 24% was achieved at slaughter age (day 35). Our results clearly indicate that the capacity of intestinal microbiota to degrade AX in the hindgut increases as the broiler ages. This suggests that the benefits of endoxylanase supplementation of broiler feeds depend on the interaction of the intestinal microbiota and AX present in the GI tract at specific broiler ages.

Multigenerational effects of a reduced balanced protein diet during the rearing and laying period of broiler breeders. 1. Performance of the F1 breeder generation.

Studies on mammals and poultry showed that maternal dietary treatments can alter the offspring performance. However, in contrast to rodent studies, little is known about multigenerational dietary manipulations in broiler breeders. The presented research aimed to investigate the effects of a reduction of 25% in the dietary crude protein (CP) level in the F0 generation on the body composition and reproductive performance of F1 broiler breeders. In the F0 generation, breeders were fed either a control (C) or reduced balanced protein (RP) diet, 25% reduction in crude protein and amino acids. Female F0-progeny of each treatment were fed a C or RP diet, resulting in 4 treatments in the F1 breeder generation: C/C, C/RP, RP/C, and RP/RP. The reproductive performance of breeders fed RP diets was negatively influenced by the dietary CP reduction in the F1 generation (P < 0.001). Moreover, breeders descending from hens that received RP diets in the F0 generation showed a significantly reduced reproductive capacity compared to their control fed counterparts (P < 0.001). Breeders fed RP diets in the F1 generation were characterized by higher plasma T3 concentrations (P < 0.001), an increased proportional abdominal fat pad (P < 0.001) and proportional liver weight (P < 0.001). During the rearing phase, the RP fed breeders needed a higher feed allowance, whereas no differences could be observed between the C/C and RP/C or the C/RP and RP/RP breeders. However, breeders originating from birds fed RP diets in the F0 generation needed lower feed allocations in the laying phase to maintain a similar body weight. Egg weight was reduced for the C/RP and RP/RP breeders. At 34 wk of age, eggs from C/RP and RP/RP breeders showed a reduced proportional albumen weight, whereas no effects on egg composition were found at 42 wk of age. It was concluded that prenatal protein undernutrition triggered hens to relocate more energy towards growth and maintenance and less towards reproductive capacity.

Multigenerational effects of a reduced balanced protein diet during the rearing and laying period of broiler breeders. 2. Zootechnical performance of the F1 broiler offspring.

Several studies in mammals focused on the maternal programming of the metabolism by epigenetic mechanisms, while currently, the consequences of a maternal dietary treatment on the offspring performance of farm animals are of particular interest for commercial purpose. In the present study, we investigated if the zootechnical performance of the progeny was altered by a maternal dietary treatment, being a lower dietary crude protein (CP) of the grandparent and/or parent generation. The multigenerational effects of a reduced maternal CP content were investigated by reducing the dietary CP level by 25% in rearing and laying diets of pure line A breeders. The F0 generation breeders were fed either control (C) or reduced balanced protein (RP) diets. The F1 breeder generation was constructed by dividing the F0 female progeny again over a C or RP diet, resulting in 4 dietary treatments in the F1 generation: C/C, C/RP, RP/C, and RP/RP (letters indicating the diets in, respectively, F0 and F1 generations). The offspring performance was evaluated by a zootechnical and nitrogen retention trial on C and low-protein (LP) broiler diets. For the C broiler diet, the C/RP and RP/RP offspring were characterized by a higher BW from d 35 until d 42 compared to the C/C progeny, whereas the RP/C offspring had an intermediate BW that did not differ from the other groups. A tendency (P = 0.067) towards a better nitrogen retention was observed for the offspring of breeders that received the RP diets in F0 and/or F1 generation compared to the C/C progeny. For the LP broiler diet, the C/RP (P = 0.021) and RP/C (P = 0.001) offspring had a higher BW compared to the C/C progeny during the entire grow-out period. In addition, the C/RP offspring were characterized by a lower FCR from d 28 onwards (P = 0.021). In conclusion, dietary treatments imposed on mother hens can have direct effects on the next generation, as well as indirect effects on multiple generations.

The effects of a reduced balanced protein diet on litter moisture, pododermatitis and feather condition of female broiler breeders over three generations.

Protein content reduction in broiler breeder diets has been increasingly investigated. However, broiler breeders reared on low protein diets are characterized by a deterioration of the feather condition. Furthermore, polydipsia induced by controlled feed intake increases litter moisture and as a consequence pododermatitis. This project aimed to study the litter moisture, pododermatitis and feather condition of breeders fed with a 25% reduced balanced protein (RP) diet during the rearing and laying period over three successive generations. The experiment started with two treatments for the F0 generation: control (C) group fed with standard C diets and RP group fed with RP diets. The female F0-progeny of each treatment was divided into the two dietary treatments as well, resulting in four treatments for the F1 generation: C/C, C/RP, RP/C and RP/RP (breeder feed in F0/F1 generation). The RP diet fed breeders received on average 10% more feed than C diet fed breeders to achieve the same target BW. The female F1-progeny of each treatment were all fed with C diets which resulted in four treatments for the F2 generation: C/C/C, C/RP/C, RP/C/C and RP/RP/C (breeder feed in F0/F1/F2 generation). Litter moisture, footpad and hock dermatitis were recorded at regular intervals throughout the experimental period in all three generations. For the F0 and F1 generation, the pens of breeders receiving C diets had significantly higher litter moisture than the RP diets fed groups (P<0.05), resulting in an elevated footpad dermatitis occurrence (FDO) (P<0.05). No difference was found in the F2 generation. The feather condition was scored during the laying period for each generation. F0 and F1 breeders reared on the RP diets had poorer feather condition than those receiving the C diets (P<0.05). The C/RP breeders had a significantly poorer feather condition than RP/RP breeders (P<0.05). For the F2 generation, RP/RP/C breeders had a significantly better feather condition compared with the other three groups (P<0.05). The RP/C/C breeders were significantly better feathered than C/C/C breeders (P<0.05). In conclusion, providing RP diets to broiler breeders improved litter condition and hence reduced FDO whereas impaired feather condition. Furthermore, positive transgenerational effects of the maternal RP diets on the feather condition may be inferred, hence potentially altering the welfare status.