Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T23:48:29.694Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Early transition of the digestive system to exogenous nutrition in domestic post-hatch birds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Y. Pinchasov
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 76-100, Israel
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The effect of early transition of the digestive system to exogenous nutrition was examined in three experiments with growing birds. A nutrient mixture (0·5 ml) of glucose, starch and oil (1:1:0·5, by vol) was orally administered immediately after hatch to turkey poults (Meleagris gallopavo) having immediate or delayed access to feed (Expt 1). Increasing amounts (0, 0·25 and 0·5 ml) of this mixture were administered immediately after hatch to turkey poults (Expt 2), or to broiler chicks (Gallus domesticus; Expt 3). The relative weights of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and its ingesta content, and the amylolytic capability of the pancreas were examined during the immediate post-hatch period (to 30 h). Oral administration of nutrients immediately after hatching only slightly influenced the growth of the pancreas and its amylolytic activity, but significantly increased GIT weight in both species, in a dose-dependent manne. It is suggested that early post-hatching of the digestive system by the forced administration of nutrient mixture induces anatomical and metabolic changes in the digestive system slightly earlier than in birds with late access to feed. This increases GIT content and plasma glucose levels, resulting in enhanced feed consumption and growth promotion.

Type
Early transition to exogenous nutrition in birds
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1995

References

Bernfeld, P. (1955). Amylases α and β. In Methods in Enzymology, Vol. 1, pp. 149153 [Colowick, S. B. and Kaplan, N. O., editors]. New York: Academic Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chamblee, T. N., Brake, J. D., Schultz, C. D. & Thaxton, J. P. (1992). Yolk sac absorption and initiation of growth in broilers. Poultry Science 71, 18111816.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Daly, K. R. & Peterson, R. A. (1990). The effect of age of breeder hens on residual yolk fat, and serum glucose and triglyceride concentrations of day-old broiler chicks. Poultry Science 69, 13941398.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Donaldson, W. E., Brewer, C. E., Ferket, P. R. & Christensen, V. L. (1992). Posthatch carbohydrate feeding and subsequent performance of turkey poults. Poultry Science 71, 128132.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Donaldson, W. E. & Christensen, V. L. (1992). Effects of injections of L-alanine, L-glucose and L-ascorbic acid in newly-hatched turkey poults on glucose metabolism. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A 101, 849852.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kienholz, E. W. & Ackerman, R. V. (1970). Oral food slurry injection for newly hatched poults. Poultry Science 49, 678680.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moran, E. T. Jr. (1990). Effects of egg weight, glucose administration at hatch, and delayed access to feed and water on poult at 2 weeks of age. Poultry Science 69, 17181723.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Murakami, H., Akiba, Y. & Horiguchi, M. (1992). Growth and utilization of nutrients in newly-hatched chick with or without removal of residual yolk. Growth Development and Aging 56, 7584.Google ScholarPubMed
Nitsan, Z., Benavraham, G., Zoref, Z. & Nir, I. (1991). Growth and development of the digestive organs and some enzymes in broiler chicks after hatching. British Poultry Science 32, 515523.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Noble, R. C. & Cocchi, M. (1990). Lipid metabolism and the neonatal chicken. Progress in Lipid Research 29, 107140.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Noy, Y. & Pinchasov, Y. (1993). Effect of a single posthatch intubation of nutrients on subsequent early performance of broiler chicks and turkey poults. Poultry Science 72, 18611866.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phelps, P. V., Gildersleeve, R. P. & Edens, F. W. (1987). Effect of prefeeding on physiological parameters associated with turkey poult mortality. Poultry Science 66, 18821884.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pinchasov, Y. & Noy, Y. (1992). A single post-hatch intubation of various nutrients improves subsequent early performance of young birds. Proceedings 19th World's Poultry Congress, Amsterdam 19–24 September 1992 3, 614–618 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Pinchasov, Y. & Noy, Y. (1993). Comparison of post-hatch holding time and subsequent early performance of broiler chicks and turkey poults. British Poultry Science 34, 111120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pinchasov, Y. & Noy, Y. (1994). Early postnatal amylolysis in the gastrointestinal tract of turkey poults Meleagris gallopavo. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A 107, 221–226. Proudfoot, F. G. (1982). Effect of hatching egg size from semi-dwarf and normal maternal meat parent genotypes on performance of broiler chickens. Poultry Science 61, 655660.Google Scholar
SAS Institute (1985). SASR User's Guide: Statistics, 5th ed. Cary, NC: SAS Institute Inc.Google Scholar
Sell, J. L., Angel, C. R., Piquer, F. J., Mallarino, E. G. & Al-Batshan, H. A. (1991). Developmental patterns of selected characteristics of the gastrointestinal tract of young turkeys. Poultry Science 70, 12001205.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tarvid, I. (1992). Effect of early postnatal long-term fasting on development of peptide hydrolysis in chicks. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A 101, 161166.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Waldroup, P. W., Hillard, C. M., Grigg, J. E. & Harris, G. C. Jr (1974). The effectiveness of nutrient solutions given to young turkey poults in drinking water by oral and parenteral dosage. Poultry Science 53, 10561060.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Warriss, P. D., Kestin, S. C. & Edwards, J. E. (1992). Responses of newly hatched chicks to inanition. Veterinary Record 130, 49–53. Whiting, T. S. P. (1984). Broiler performance and hatching egg weight to marketing weight relationships of progeny from standard and dwarf broiler dams. Poultry Science 63, 425429.Google Scholar
Wyatt, C. L., Weaver, W. D. & Beane, W. L. (1985). Influence of egg size, eggshell quality and posthatch holding time on broiler performance. Poultry Science 64, 20492055.CrossRefGoogle Scholar