Effects of rearing system (floor vs. cage) and sex on performance, meat quality and enteric microorganism of yellow feather broilers

This study investigated the effects of floor and cage rearing systems on performance, meat quality, and enteric microorganisms of male and female yellow feather broilers. Two hundred Xueshan chickens (42 days old; 100 of each sex) were divided into four groups, according to sex and rearing system (s...

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Main Authors: Lai-di WANG, Yang ZHANG, Ling-ling KONG, Zhi-xiu WANG, Hao BAI, Yong JIANG, Yu-lin BI, Guo-bin CHANG, Guo-hong CHEN
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2021-07-01
Series:Journal of Integrative Agriculture
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095311920634207
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author Lai-di WANG
Yang ZHANG
Ling-ling KONG
Zhi-xiu WANG
Hao BAI
Yong JIANG
Yu-lin BI
Guo-bin CHANG
Guo-hong CHEN
author_facet Lai-di WANG
Yang ZHANG
Ling-ling KONG
Zhi-xiu WANG
Hao BAI
Yong JIANG
Yu-lin BI
Guo-bin CHANG
Guo-hong CHEN
author_sort Lai-di WANG
collection DOAJ
description This study investigated the effects of floor and cage rearing systems on performance, meat quality, and enteric microorganisms of male and female yellow feather broilers. Two hundred Xueshan chickens (42 days old; 100 of each sex) were divided into four groups, according to sex and rearing system (stainless-steel cage or litter floor). Male and cage-reared broilers exhibited better (P<0.001) performance and higher (P≤0.001) eviscerated percentage than female and floor-reared broilers. The interaction between rearing system and sex had an effect (P<0.05) on the percentage of breast and thigh muscles. Female floor-reared broilers presented the highest (P<0.02) percentage of breast and thigh muscles among all the groups. In both sexes, the abdominal fat content in cage-reared broilers was higher (P<0.01) than that in floor-reared broilers. Female cage-reared broilers exhibited better (P<0.05) meat quality of breast muscle than other groups. An analysis of welfare observations indicated that the feather quality of floor-reared broilers was better (P<0.01) than that of cage-reared broilers, whereas the gait scores were not significantly affected (P>0.05) by rearing system. The enteric microbiota assessment by 16S rRNA amplicon-based sequencing showed that Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were the most prevalent phyla in both rearing systems, and that the cecum was relatively stable in terms of microbiome composition. Floor-reared broilers exhibited a richer diversity of bacteria in the intestinal tract than cage-reared broilers, while alpha diversity was not significantly different (P>0.05) among the groups. The ratio of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes and the abundance of Helicobacter and Romboutsia could potentially affect the production of broilers. These findings indicate that cage rearing improved the production of male Xueshan broilers, which may be due to the difference in enteric microbiota between cage and floor rearing systems.
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series Journal of Integrative Agriculture
spelling doaj-art-e7c385ff33ac445d887cbec1a8a619812025-08-20T03:58:04ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Journal of Integrative Agriculture2095-31192021-07-012071907192010.1016/S2095-3119(20)63420-7Effects of rearing system (floor vs. cage) and sex on performance, meat quality and enteric microorganism of yellow feather broilersLai-di WANG0Yang ZHANG1Ling-ling KONG2Zhi-xiu WANG3Hao BAI4Yong JIANG5Yu-lin BI6Guo-bin CHANG7Guo-hong CHEN8Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic, Breeding and Molecular Design, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, P.R.ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic, Breeding and Molecular Design, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, P.R.ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic, Breeding and Molecular Design, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, P.R.ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic, Breeding and Molecular Design, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, P.R.ChinaJoint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, Ministry of Education/Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, P.R.ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic, Breeding and Molecular Design, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, P.R.ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic, Breeding and Molecular Design, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, P.R.ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic, Breeding and Molecular Design, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, P.R.China; Correspondence CHANG Guo-binJiangsu Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic, Breeding and Molecular Design, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, P.R.China; Correspondence CHEN Guo-hongThis study investigated the effects of floor and cage rearing systems on performance, meat quality, and enteric microorganisms of male and female yellow feather broilers. Two hundred Xueshan chickens (42 days old; 100 of each sex) were divided into four groups, according to sex and rearing system (stainless-steel cage or litter floor). Male and cage-reared broilers exhibited better (P<0.001) performance and higher (P≤0.001) eviscerated percentage than female and floor-reared broilers. The interaction between rearing system and sex had an effect (P<0.05) on the percentage of breast and thigh muscles. Female floor-reared broilers presented the highest (P<0.02) percentage of breast and thigh muscles among all the groups. In both sexes, the abdominal fat content in cage-reared broilers was higher (P<0.01) than that in floor-reared broilers. Female cage-reared broilers exhibited better (P<0.05) meat quality of breast muscle than other groups. An analysis of welfare observations indicated that the feather quality of floor-reared broilers was better (P<0.01) than that of cage-reared broilers, whereas the gait scores were not significantly affected (P>0.05) by rearing system. The enteric microbiota assessment by 16S rRNA amplicon-based sequencing showed that Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were the most prevalent phyla in both rearing systems, and that the cecum was relatively stable in terms of microbiome composition. Floor-reared broilers exhibited a richer diversity of bacteria in the intestinal tract than cage-reared broilers, while alpha diversity was not significantly different (P>0.05) among the groups. The ratio of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes and the abundance of Helicobacter and Romboutsia could potentially affect the production of broilers. These findings indicate that cage rearing improved the production of male Xueshan broilers, which may be due to the difference in enteric microbiota between cage and floor rearing systems.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095311920634207cage rearingyellow feather broilersperformancemeat qualitymicrobiome
spellingShingle Lai-di WANG
Yang ZHANG
Ling-ling KONG
Zhi-xiu WANG
Hao BAI
Yong JIANG
Yu-lin BI
Guo-bin CHANG
Guo-hong CHEN
Effects of rearing system (floor vs. cage) and sex on performance, meat quality and enteric microorganism of yellow feather broilers
Journal of Integrative Agriculture
cage rearing
yellow feather broilers
performance
meat quality
microbiome
title Effects of rearing system (floor vs. cage) and sex on performance, meat quality and enteric microorganism of yellow feather broilers
title_full Effects of rearing system (floor vs. cage) and sex on performance, meat quality and enteric microorganism of yellow feather broilers
title_fullStr Effects of rearing system (floor vs. cage) and sex on performance, meat quality and enteric microorganism of yellow feather broilers
title_full_unstemmed Effects of rearing system (floor vs. cage) and sex on performance, meat quality and enteric microorganism of yellow feather broilers
title_short Effects of rearing system (floor vs. cage) and sex on performance, meat quality and enteric microorganism of yellow feather broilers
title_sort effects of rearing system floor vs cage and sex on performance meat quality and enteric microorganism of yellow feather broilers
topic cage rearing
yellow feather broilers
performance
meat quality
microbiome
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095311920634207
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