Use of diet post-hatching on the first day of life on performance, enzymatic activity and intestinal morphometry broiler chickens

• Grant number: 13/08637-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2013
• End date: July 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Valquíria Cação Cruz-Polycarpo
• Grantee: Tatiane Souza dos Santos
• Host Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus Experimental de Dracena. Dracena , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 13/21763-2 - Effect of Lactobacillus reuteri usage on the intestinal morphology of broiler chicks newly hatched, BE.EP.IC

Abstract

The development of the gastrointestinal tract and its accessory glands is important for the growth of broiler chickens and can be influenced by several factors, including nutrition. This study aims to evaluate the performance of broilers fed from the first day of life with a newborn feed. We will analyze production performance, organ weights (small and large intestine, spleen, pancreas, gizzard, proventriculus, liver), the enzymatic activity of amylase and lipase, and intestinal morphology (height and width of villi, and crypt depth). 900 Cobb chicks will be used and housed in 30-floor pens in a completely randomized design, with six replicates. The treatments will be T1: positive control - commercial feed provided throughout the experimental period; T2: positive control + 2.5 grams of dry neonatal ration per chick provided in the housing; T3: positive control + 5.0 grams of dry neonatal ration per chick provided in the housing; T4: positive control + 7.5 grams of dry neonatal ration per chick provided in the housing; T5: positive control + 10.0 grams of dry neonatal ration per chick provided in the housing. From this performance data will be collected, the relative weight of organs and intestinal length, intestinal morphology, and enzyme activity. The data analysis will be performed using the statistical analysis system (SAS 2008). First, the analysis will be conducted of normality of residuals and homogeneity of variances. Subsequently, the data will be submitted to analysis of variance (ANOVA) by MIXED procedure at 5% significance, and the effect of treatment, when significant, deployed in polynomial regression analysis. (AU)