Title
Effect of age on the immune and visceral organ weights and cecal traits in modern broilers
Date Issued
01 March 2021
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Zamorano University
Publisher(s)
MDPI AG
Abstract
This study aimed to determine the effect of age on the immune and visceral organ weights and cecal traits in modern broilers. 200 male Ross® 308 broilers were randomly selected, then 20 broilers were slaughtered every day (up to 10 days old) after six hours of fasting. All the organs measured had a progressive increase in absolute weight as the days progressed, apart from the spleen, which decreased its absolute weight on day 5, even though on day 10 it showed the highest values. Moreover, the small intestine relative weight increased from the fourth to the ninth day and was correlated (p ≤ 0.05) with the relative weight of the proventriculus, gizzard, small intestine, and cecum, although without statistical association with the of the heart. There was a correlation between the cecum relative weight and the cecal lactic acid bacteria, and between the primary lymphoid organs. The pH (from 5.74 to 7.40) and cecal lactic acid bacteria (from 6.11 to 8.79 log 10 CFU/g) changed according to the age of the broilers. The results could contribute to the understanding of the physiology and intestinal microbiology of the first 10 days old of modern broilers, which is crucial to improve the genetic expression of these animals.
Start page
1
End page
14
Volume
11
Issue
3
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Ciencia veterinaria
Ciencia animal, Ciencia de productos lácteos
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85102562986
Source
Animals
ISSN of the container
20762615
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus