Search Results (117)

Lighting intensity (LI) affects broilers’ behavior, circadian rhythms, physiology, and welfare, making it essential in commercial broiler management. This study evaluated the effects of three LIs (50, 20, and 5 lux) on Ross 708 and Cobb 700 broilers from day 8 to 56 in separate trials conducted under identical conditions. Growth performance (body weight (BW), feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR)) and welfare indicators (gait, feather condition, temperature, and footpad dermatitis were assessed biweekly. Ross broilers at 50 lux showed reduced BW on day 42 (p = 0.03), with no BW differences observed on day 56 (p = 0.14). FCR was unaffected by LI for Ross broilers. For Cobb broilers, BW was not affected by LI, though birds under 5 lux exhibited approximately 2.6% lower FCR on day 28 (p = 0.04) and 7.8% lower FCR on day 42 (p = 0.01). LI of 50 lux was associated with increased back temperatures, while bird at 5 lux showed better feather coverage and lower belly temperature (p < 0.01). Ross under 20 lux showed poorer feather cleanliness (p < 0.01), while those under 50 lux had better gait scores on day 56 (p < 0.01). These results demonstrate that production and welfare responded differently to LI, and that these responses also varied between strains. These findings contribute to sustainable poultry production by balancing welfare, efficiency, and growth. Full article

The intensive development of livestock and poultry farming has heavily relied on antibiotics, leading to widespread antimicrobial resistance and posing serious threats to food safety and public health. As the industry transitions towards reduced antibiotic use and sustainable animal production, probiotics and their metabolites have garnered attention as functional alternatives. Probiotics are typically administered in the form of microecological preparations by mixing them into feed or water, offering advantages in cost-effectiveness and ease of use, with demonstrated efficacy in promoting animal health. Swine-derived probiotics, in particular, demonstrate host-specific advantages due to their natural adaptation to the porcine gastrointestinal environment, which improves intestinal colonization, pathogen inhibition, and immune modulation. Their metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids, bacteriocins, and exopolysaccharides, further contribute to these benefits through antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and barrier-strengthening effects. Recent studies have demonstrated improvements in average daily gain (18–22%) and feed conversion ratio (12–15%), along with a reduction in diarrhea incidence (up to 40–45%) in weaned piglets supplemented with certain probiotic consortia. It should be noted, however, that part of the supporting evidence is derived from in vitro or non-porcine models, and practical outcomes in swine may vary depending on husbandry conditions, probiotic strain, and husbandry conditions. This review systematically summarizes the isolation and identification of swine-derived probiotics, the active components and functions of their metabolites, and the mechanisms of action and application effects of these metabolites as antibiotic-alternative feed additives. It primarily focuses on innovative research advances in probiotic metabolites for enhancing antibacterial activity and improving pig growth performance. Furthermore, the review discusses the prospects for commercial applications and future research directions, aiming to provide theoretical foundations and technical references for green and healthy farming practices. Full article

The study analyzed energy, environmental impact, and costs in intensive broiler production systems in the southeast of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, comparing scenarios with and without photovoltaic systems. Four configurations were evaluated, considering different ventilation types (positive and negative pressure) and photovoltaic generation. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), with a functional unit of 1 kg of live weight of chicken and a cradle-to-gate approach, indicated that photovoltaic systems reduce between 2.58 t and 4.96 t of CO₂-eq annually, in addition to offering better energy efficiency. Economically, sheds with positive pressure ventilation have the lowest cost–benefit ratios, while the feeding subsystem was the one that contributed the most to global warming, among the environmental impact categories evaluated in the LCA. Photovoltaic systems demonstrated the potential to reduce electricity costs between 19.4% and 26.5% per year. However, coffee husks used as chicken litter accounted for 36.5% of production costs, highlighting the need for more economical alternatives. It was concluded that photovoltaic systems are a viable solution to reduce environmental impacts and increase profitability, reinforcing the importance of resource-use optimization strategies in poultry farming. Full article

Reliable individual detection under dense and cluttered conditions is a prerequisite for automated monitoring in modern poultry systems. We propose CF-DETR, an end-to-end detector that builds on RT-DETR and is tailored to chicken face detection in production-like environments. CF-DETR advances three technical directions: Dynamic Inception Depthwise Convolution (DIDC) expands directional and multi-scale receptive fields while remaining lightweight, Polar Embedded Multi-Scale Encoder (PEMD) restores global context and fuses multi-scale information to compensate for lost high-frequency details, and a Matchability Aware Loss (MAL) aligns predicted confidence with localization quality to accelerate convergence and improve discrimination. On a comprehensive broiler dataset, CF-DETR achieves a mean average precision at IoU 0.50 of 96.9% and a mean average precision (IoU 0.50–0.95) of 62.8%. Compared to the RT-DETR baseline, CF-DETR reduces trainable parameters by 33.2% and lowers FLOPs by 23.0% while achieving 81.4 frames per second. Ablation studies confirm that each module contributes to performance gains and that the combined design materially enhances robustness to occlusion and background clutter. Owing to its lightweight design, CF-DETR is well-suited for deployment in real-time smart farming monitoring systems. These results indicate that CF-DETR delivers an improved trade-off between detection performance and computational cost for real-time visual monitoring in intensive poultry production. Full article

In the chicken industry, sex determination significantly affects production efficiency and raises ethical concerns in poultry farming. As a key economic species, maximizing the advantages of each sex is vital in modern intensive breeding. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of sex determination and regulation is critical to advancing the poultry industry. Transcriptome analysis of 3.5-day-old White Leghorn chicken embryonic genital ridges (n = 30, 15 males and 15 females) was performed using sex-pooled samples (five embryos/replicate, three replicates/sex). Sequencing generated 39.6 GB of high-quality reads for inter-sex comparative analysis, revealing 283 significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The DEGs were primarily enriched in pathways such as ribosome biogenesis, glycan biosynthesis and metabolism, and TGF-β signaling, which are potential candidate pathways for the differentiation of chicken embryonic gonads. Key DEGs (including SMAD2Z, FREM1, NR2F1, SEMA6A, NFIB, RNF165, SMAD7B, SMAD2W, SPIN1W, and HINTW) were validated by RT-qPCR, confirming the transcriptome sequencing results. Among the DEGs, we predict binding sites for NR2F1 and NFIB within the DMRT1 gene promoter and suggest that these factors may serve as potential upstream activators for the expression of DMRT1, and they may initiate high DMRT1 expression in the subsequent stages of male embryos and regulate testicular development. In conclusion, this study investigated DEGs in the gonads of male and female chicken embryos after 3.5 days of incubation and found that NR2F1 and NFIB may serve as potential upstream activators for the expression of DMRT1, which is involved in the early determination of chicken sex. Full article

Environmental enrichment, such as lighting, has affected the behaviors, welfare, and production of commercial broiler chickens. However, most studies have focused on constant light intensities to determine their effect on welfare and performance. Research indicates that the significant contrast of light intensities in broiler houses promotes pronounced daily patterns of behavior and activity, impacting broiler chicken health. Birds exhibited preference behaviors in bright-intensity light during active behaviors, such as eating and drinking, but in darker areas when resting. Light intensity preferences may be associated with the voluntary instinctive movement of birds by providing choices for birds. Increasing broiler chickens’ movement may boost welfare, especially leg health, which is a leading cause of culling and late mortality in commercial production. In this review, we discuss the progress and results of practical environmental enrichments, enrichment lighting, and huts in commercial broiler houses. We briefly address interpretations of improved welfare and performance and suggest directions for future research that may interest poultry scientists. Full article

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as a significant metabolic disorder in modern poultry production, particularly affecting high-yielding laying hens. This condition compromises bird welfare, productivity, and economic sustainability within commercial farming systems. This narrative review provides a comprehensive overview of the underlying mechanisms through which hepatic lipid accumulation, metabolic dysfunctions, hormonal imbalances, genetic susceptibilities, and environmental stress contribute to the development of NAFLD. The multifactorial nature of NAFLD is explored through a critical assessment of the literature, highlighting the influence of diet composition, management practices, and physiological demands associated with intensive egg production. Emphasis is placed on recent advancements in nutritional modulation, selective breeding, and housing improvements aimed at prevention and mitigation of NAFLD. Furthermore, the review identifies key research gaps, including limited understanding of epigenetic influences and the long-term efficacy of intervention strategies. An integrative framework is advocated, synergizing genetics, nutrition, and environmental optimization to effectively address the complexity of NAFLD in poultry and supports the development of resilient production systems. The insights presented aims to inform both future research and practical applications for enhancing poultry health and performance. Full article

It is estimated that global meat production will show an upward trend, with the most dynamic growth projected in the poultry sector (it is estimated that poultry meat consumption will be 2.3 times higher by 2050 than in 2010). The expected increase in consumption of poultry meat, mainly from intensively reared broiler chickens, is associated with an increasing prevalence of diseases, particularly those affecting the digestive system. One important parasitic disease is coccidiosis, a gastrointestinal disease caused by widespread protozoa of the genus Eimeria. The occurrence of coccidiosis in broiler chicken flocks results in a significant deterioration of production rates. Coccidiostats are most commonly used in the prevention of this disease, which are introduced in rotation into the feed ration. However, long-term use of coccidiostats is associated with the risk of parasite resistance development and the possibility of residues in animal products. Therefore, there is a need to search for safe and effective alternatives to pharmacological coccidiostatic agents. This review aims to analyze the available literature data on the efficacy of vaccines and functional feed supplements, such as plant substances, probiotics, prebiotics, and organic acids, in the prevention of coccidiosis. Full article

The aim of this study is an interdisciplinary assessment of the potential of cement pastes to permanently bind carbon dioxide (CO₂) under anaerobic digestion conditions, considering technological, microstructural, environmental, and economic aspects. The research focused on three types of Portland cement: CEM I 52.5N, CEM I 42.5R-1, and CEM I 42.5R-2, differing in phase composition and reactivity, which were evaluated in terms of their carbonation potential and resistance to chemically aggressive environments. The cement pastes were prepared with a water-to-cement ratio of 0.5 and subjected to 90-day exposure in two environments: a reference environment (tap water) and a fermentation environment (aqueous suspension of poultry manure simulating biogas reactor conditions). XRD, TG/DTA, SEM/EDS, and mercury intrusion porosimetry were applied to analyze CO₂ mineralization, phase changes, and microstructural evolution. XRD results revealed a significant increase in calcite content (e.g., for CEM I 52.5N from 5.9% to 41.1%) and the presence of vaterite (19.3%), indicating intense carbonation under organic conditions. TG/DTA analysis confirmed a reduction in portlandite and C-S-H phases, suggesting their transformation into stable carbonate forms. SEM observations and EDS analysis revealed well-developed calcite crystals and the dominance of Ca, C, and O, confirming effective CO₂ binding. In control samples, hydration products predominated without signs of mineralization. The highest sequestration potential was observed for CEM I 52.5N, while cements with higher C₃A content (e.g., CEM I 42.5R-2) exhibited lower chemical resistance. The results confirm that carbonation under fermentation conditions may serve as an effective tool for CO₂ emission management, contributing to improved durability of construction materials and generating measurable economic benefits in the context of climate policy and the EU ETS. The article highlights the need to integrate CO₂ sequestration technologies with emission management systems and life cycle assessment (LCA) of biogas infrastructure, supporting the transition toward a low-carbon economy. Full article

Poultry diseases threaten animal welfare and productivity, especially in cage-free systems where communal environments increase disease transmission risks. Traditional diagnostic methods, though accurate, are often labor-intensive, time-consuming, and not suitable for continuous monitoring. This study aimed to develop a web-based disease screening tool to make this process faster and accurate using fecal images. A publicly available dataset consisting of 6812 PCR-verified images categorized into Coccidiosis, Newcastle Disease (NCD), Salmonella, and Healthy from commercial farms in Tanzania was used in this study. Augmentation was used to address the imbalance present in the dataset, with NCD underrepresented (376 images) compared to other classes (>2000 images). Five YOLOv11 detection models were trained, with YOLO11n selected due to its high mean average precision (mAP@0.5 = 0.881). For classification, EfficientNet-B0 was chosen over the EfficientNet-B1 variant because of its high accuracy (99.12% vs. 98.54% for B1). Despite high class imbalance, B0 had higher precision than B1 for the underrepresented NCD class (0.88 for B1 vs. 1.00 for B0). The system achieved an average total inference time of 25.8 milliseconds, demonstrating real-time capabilities. Field testing, expanding datasets across different regions, and incorporating additional diseases is required to further validate and enhance the robustness of the system. Full article

It is critical to provide proper environmental conditions in poultry houses to maintain birds’ health, boost productivity, and improve the overall economic viability of the poultry industry. Among the myriad of environmental elements, indoor air quality has been a determining factor that directly affects poultry well-being. Elevated concentrations of harmful gases—in particular Carbon Dioxide ($C{O}_2$), Methane ($C{H}_4$), and Ammonia ($N{H}_3$)—decomposition products of poultry litter, feed wastage, and biological processes have draconian effects on bird health, feed efficiency, the growth rate, reproduction efficiency, and mortality rate. Despite their importance, traditional air quality monitoring systems are often operated manually, labor intensive, and cannot detect sudden environmental changes due to the lack of real-time sensing. To overcome these limitations, this paper presents an interdisciplinary approach combining cloud computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to measure real-time poultry gas concentrations. Real-time sensor feeds are transmitted to a cloud-based platform, which stores, displays, and processes the data. Furthermore, a machine learning (ML) model was trained using historical sensory data to predict the next-day gas emission levels. A web-based platform has been developed to enable convenient user interaction and display the gas sensory readings on an interactive dashboard. Also, the developed system triggers automatic alerts when gas levels cross safe environmental thresholds. Experimental results of $C{O}_2$ concentrations showed a significant diurnal trend, peaking in the afternoon, followed by the evening, and reaching their lowest levels in the morning. In particular, $C{O}_2$ concentrations peaked at approximately 570 ppm during the afternoon, a value that was significantly elevated (p < 0.001) compared to those recorded in the evening (~560 ppm) and morning (~555 ppm). This finding indicates a distinct diurnal pattern in $C{O}_2$ accumulation, with peak concentrations occurring during the warmer afternoon hours. Full article

Seaweed is a rich and valuable marine biological resource that contains various bioactive substances, including polysaccharides, polyphenols, fatty acids, and more. These compounds exhibit a range of biological activities, such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, and immunomodulation effects. In the face of challenges related to intensive farming, poultry are often exposed to multiple stressors during production, which can lead to oxidative stress, impaired intestinal barrier function, and excessive inflammatory responses. Due to their potent biological activities, seaweeds and their bioactive components have shown potential in improving poultry health and performance. This paper mainly reviews the classification of seaweeds and their extracts, their main biological functions, and the research progress on the application to poultry, with the aim of providing a reference for the research and application of seaweed active substances as functional feed additives in poultry. Full article

The overuse of nonrenewable resources has motivated intensive research and the development of new types of green bio-based and degradable feedstocks derived from natural sources, such as cellulose derivates, also in nanoforms. The inclusion of such nanoparticles in bio-based polymers with the aim of providing reinforcement is a trend, which, when associated with the incorporation active compounds, creates active packaging suitable for the packaging of highly perishable food, thus contributing to the product’s shelf-life extension. Chitosan (Ch)/sage essential oil (SEO) bionanocomposite reinforced with nanocrystalline cellulose (CNC) was cast as active packaging for the preservation of fresh poultry meat. Meat samples were wrapped in different bioplastics (pristine chitosan, chitosan with commercial CNC, chitosan with CNC obtained from three different lignocellulosic crops, giant reed (G), kenaf (K), and miscanthus (M), chitosan with SEO, and chitosan with SEO and CNC), while unwrapped samples were tested as the control. Periodically, samples were evaluated in terms of their physicochemical properties and microbial growth. Additionally, bionanocomposites were also evaluated in terms of their in situ antimicrobial properties, as well as migration toward food simulants. Meat samples protected with bionanocomposites showed lower levels of microbiological growth (2–3 logs lower than control) and lipid oxidation (20–30% lower than in control), over time. This was attributed to the intrinsic antimicrobial capacity of chitosan and the high oxygen barrier properties of the films resulting from the CNC inclusion. The SEO incorporation did not significantly improve the material’s antimicrobial and antioxidant activity yet interfered directly with the meat’s color as it migrated to its surface. In the in vitro assays, all bionanocomposites demonstrated good antimicrobial activity against B. cereus (reduction of ~8.2 log) and Salmonella Choleraesuis (reduction of ~5–6 log). Through the in vitro migration assay, it was verified that the SEO release rate of phenolic compounds to ethanol 50% (dairy products simulate) was higher than to ethanol 95% (fatty food simulate). Furthermore, these migration tests proved that nanocellulose was capable of delaying SEO migration, thus reducing the negative effect on the meat’s color and the pro-oxidant activity recorded in TBARS. It was concluded that the tested chitosan/nanocellulose bionanocomposites increased the shelf life of fresh poultry meat. Full article

This review explores sexual aggression in broiler breeder males, aiming to synthesize existing scientific evidence regarding its causes, behavioral manifestations, and consequences, while addressing the genetic, neuroendocrine, and environmental mechanisms involved. Through an extensive analysis of scientific literature, the paper highlights that intensive genetic selection aimed at enhancing growth and productivity has resulted in unintended behavioral dysfunctions. These include the reduction or absence of courtship behavior, the occurrence of forced copulations, and a notable increase in injury rates among hens. Reproductive challenges observed in meat-type breeder flocks, in contrast to those in layer lines, appear to stem from selection practices that have overlooked traits related to mating behavior. Environmental and managerial conditions, including photoperiod manipulation, stocking density, nutritional imbalances, and the use of mixed-sex rearing systems, are also identified as contributing factors to the expression of sexual aggression. Furthermore, recent genetic findings indicate a potential link between inherited neurobehavioral factors and aggressive behavior, with the SORCS2 gene emerging as a relevant candidate. Based on these insights, the review emphasizes the importance of considering behavioral parameters in breeding programs in order to reconcile productivity objectives with animal welfare standards. Future research may benefit from a more integrative approach that combines behavioral, physiological, and genomic data to better understand and address the multifactorial nature of sexual aggression in poultry systems. Full article

Avian influenza A viruses (IAVs) pose a persistent threat to the poultry industry, causing substantial economic losses. Although traditional vaccines have helped reduce the disease burden, they typically rely on multivalent antigens, emphasize humoral immunity, and require intensive production. This study aimed to establish a genetically matched host–cell system to evaluate antigen-specific immune responses and identify conserved CD8+ T cell epitopes in avian influenza viruses. To this end, we developed an MHC class I genotype (B21)-matched host (Lohmann VALO SPF chicken) and cell vector (DF-1 cell line) model. DF-1 cells were engineered to express the hemagglutinin (HA) gene of clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 either transiently or stably, and to stably express the matrix 1 (M1) and nucleoprotein (NP) genes of A/chicken/South Korea/SL20/2020 (H9N2, Y280-lineage). Following prime-boost immunization with HA-expressing DF-1 cells, only live cells induced strong hemagglutination inhibition (HI) and virus-neutralizing (VN) antibody titers in haplotype-matched chickens. Importantly, immunization with DF-1 cells transiently expressing NP induced stronger IFN-γ production than those expressing M1, demonstrating the platform’s potential for differentiating antigen-specific cellular responses. CD8+ T cell epitope mapping by mass spectrometry identified one distinct MHC class I-bound peptide from each of the HA-, M1-, and NP-expressing DF-1 cell lines. Notably, the identified HA epitope was conserved in 97.6% of H5-subtype IAVs, and the NP epitope in 98.5% of pan-subtype IAVs. These findings highlight the platform’s utility for antigen dissection and rational vaccine design. While limited by MHC compatibility, this approach enables identification of naturally presented epitopes and provides insight into conserved, functionally constrained viral targets. Full article