Publication Database

Comparative macroscopic, microscopic and morphometric study of the stomach, intestine and liver of a dual-purpose and a broiler chicken line (2020)

Art

Hochschulschrift

Autor

Alshamy, Zaher (WE 1)

Quelle

Berlin: Mensch und Buch Verlag Berlin, 2020 — II, 64 Seiten

ISBN: 978-3-96729-073-8

Sprache

Englisch

Verweise

URL (Volltext): https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/28843

Kontakt

Institut für Veterinär-Anatomie

Koserstr. 20
14195 Berlin
+49 30 838 75784
anatomie@vetmed.fu-berlin.de

Abstract / Zusammenfassung

The poultry industry has specialized in meat and eggs as the two major fields of production. Due to economic reasons, the fattening of male layer breeds is considered to be inefficient in modern chicken industry. Therefore, about 50 million male chicks of laying hens are killed in Germany every year on their first day of life. As an alternative to this, dual-purpose chickens have received much attention in the last years. The new genetic chicken line Lohmann Dual (LD) combines a good laying performance with an acceptable increase of body weight. However, there is still a demand for reliable data on the basic anatomical and physiological responsiveness of the gastrointestinal tract and the liver of LD chickens when fed high-energy diets. The aim of this doctoral thesis was to carry out comparative examinations on the gastrointestinal tracts and the livers of the new LD chicken line and the conventional broiler chicken line Ross 308. The body weight (BW), the weight of the stomach, intestine and liver as well as the intestinal length were measured. Villus and epithelial height, crypts´ depth, the enlargement factor of the intestinal mucosal surface and the thickness of the tunica muscularis were determined. Ultrastructural characteristics of the jejunum were analyzed via transmission electron microscopy. In addition, liver fat content and lymphatic aggregations in the liver were studied histologically; the ultrastructure of the hepatocytes was examined by electron microscopy. Results showed that the weight of the gastrointestinal tract and the liver of LD chickens increased in proportion to the body weight gain, with no abnormalities or deformations observed.. Anatomical differences between the LD chickens and the faster-growing Ross 308 birds were found that may have contributed to a slower growth rate of LD chickens. LD chickens may have lower nutrient absorption capacity due to their shorter intestinal tract and smaller intestinal mucosal surface area, resulting in slower body growth rates than Ross chickens. Liver lipid content of the two chicken lines examined in this study, were within the normal physiological range. Liver lipid content correlated negatively with age and body weight in both lines. In summary this study has not lead to indications that under the described experimental conditions the development of the gastrointestinal tract and the liver of LD chickens are impaired by breeding and selection methods.