1 Department of Morphology, Brazil
2 School of Veterinary Sciences, Brazil
*Corresponding author:Fernanda Radicchi Campos Lobato de Almeida, Department of Morphology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Brazil
Submission: January 21, 2019;Published: April 03, 2019
ISSN : 2576-9162Volume5 Issue5
The early management of one-day-old broiler chicks can have a tremendous impact on their subsequent development. Therefore, the establishment of management practices to improve their growth performance is essential, beginning at the hatchery. The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphological changes of the duodenum mucosa due to different incubation periods and fasting time in one-day-old broiler chicks. Twenty-four one-day-old chicks were divided in two groups of 12 animals according to two hatching periods: 490 and 496 hours. Each group was divided into three subgroups, which were subjected to different fasting periods: zero (control), 24 and 48 hours. Four chicks from each subgroup were euthanized at the respective fasting time and samples of the small intestine were collected for histomorphometrical analysis. The results showed that the incubation period affected body and small intestine weights, which were higher at 490-h (P < 0.05). Additionally, 496 hours of incubation promoted severe alterations in the duodenum wall such as Lower Villus Height (VH), Crypt Depth (CD), Mucosal Height (MH), and Smaller Absorptive Area (AA) (p< 0.01). When evaluating the fasting periods, similar changes in the duodenum wall were also observed, and became more evident at the longer fasting period (48 hours). An incubation/fasting period interaction was observed, revealing that longer incubation period reduce the absorptive area regardless of the fasting period duration. Therefore, longer incubation periods and extended fasting have deleterious effects on the development of the small intestine from broiler chicks, which can limit nutrient utilization and their subsequent growth performance.
Keywords: Fasting time; Incubation; Poultry; Performance; Duodenum morphology
Abbreviations: MH: Mucosa Height; VH: Villi Height; DV: Villus Diameter; CD: Crypt Depth; HE: Enterocytes Height; AA: Absorptive Area; V/C: Villus Height to Crypt Depth Ratio