Distribution and consistency of Ancona and Livorno poultry breed in Central Italy

Nowadays most of the Italian chickens’ breeds are replaced with commercial hybrids characterised by higher productive performance. However, the safeguard of biodiversity and consequently the genetic variability are a very important issue, and for this reason, it is fundamental to include local strains in preservation programs. In Italy, the poultry Genealogic Book has been recently constituted, and includes 22 chicken breeds. The diffusion of these strains is strictly linked to the territory of origin, in particular in the Central Italy, the Ancona and Livorno chicken breeds are the mainly widespread ones. The aim of this study was to determine the consistency and the characteristics of the farms involved in the farming of Ancona and Livorno chicken breeds in Central Italy. A survey to analyse the facilities, the human resources and the chicken population consistencies was conducted in the farms of Abruzzo, Lazio, Marche, Tuscany and Umbria regions. All the investigated farms can be identified as ‘hobby-farms’ being small scale ones and leading the breeding of Ancona and Livorno chickens as a secondary business. The survey also confirmed that the presence of the strains depends on the region: 100% of Marche farms bred Ancona whereas, in Tuscany the Livorno breed is the most common.Highlights A survey in centre Italy was carried out to determine the consistency of Ancona and Livorno chicken breeds; The Ancona and Livorno chickens breed were reared in small scale farms; The widespread of the breeds depend on the region: Ancona breed is most present in the Marche region while the Livorno is mainly bred in Tuscany

Performance and egg quality of laying hens fed flaxseed: highlights on n-3 fatty acids, cholesterol, lignans and isoflavones

Flaxseed is a rich source of \u3b1-linolenic acid and phytoestrogens, mainly lignans, whose metabolites (enterodiol and enterolactone) can affect estrogen functions. The present study evaluated the influence of dietary flaxseed supplementation on reproductive performance and egg characteristics (fatty acids, cholesterol, lignans and isoflavones) of 40 Hy-Line hens (20/group) fed for 23 weeks a control diet or the same diet supplemented with 10% of extruded flaxseed. The flaxseed diet had approximately three times the content of lignans (2608.54 ng/g) as the control diet, mainly secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (1534.24 v. 494.72 ng/g). When compared with the control group, hens fed flaxseed showed a similar deposition rate (72.0% v. 73.9%) and egg yield. Furthermore, there was no effect of flaxseed on the main chemical composition of the egg and on its cholesterol content. Estradiol was higher in the plasma of the control group (1419.00 v. 1077.01 pg/ml) probably due to the effect of flaxseed on phytoestrogen metabolites. The plasma lignans were higher in hens fed flaxseed, whereas isoflavones were lower, mainly due to the lower equol value (50.52 v. 71.01 ng/ml). A similar trend was shown in eggs: the flaxseed group had higher level of enterodiol and enterolactone, whereas the equol was lower (198.31 v. 142.02 ng/g yolk). Secoisolariciresinol was the main lignan in eggs of the flaxseed group and its concentration was three times higher then control eggs. Flaxseed also improved the n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids of eggs (3.25 v. 0.92 mg/g egg), mainly DHA, however, its oxidative status (thiobarbituric reactive substances) was negatively affected. In conclusion, 10% dietary flaxseed did not affect the productive performance of hens or the yolk cholesterol concentration, whereas the lignans and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid content of eggs improved. Further details on the competition between the different dietary phytoestrogens and their metabolites (estrogen, equol, enterodiol and enterolactone) should be investigated

Impact of chronic heat stress on behavior, oxidative status and meat quality traits of fast-growing broiler chickens

This research aimed to investigate, through a multifactorial approach, the relationship among some in-vivo parameters (i.e., behavior and blood traits) in broilers exposed to chronic HS, and their implications on proximate composition, technological properties, and oxidative stability of breast meat. A total of 300 Ross 308 male chickens were exposed, from 35 to 41 days of age, to either thermoneutral conditions (TNT group: 20 degrees C; six replicates of 25 birds/each) or elevated ambient temperature (HS group: 24 h/d at 30 degrees C; six replicates of 25 birds/each). In order to deal with thermal stress, HS chickens firstly varied the frequency of some behaviors that are normally expressed also in physiological conditions (i.e., increasing "drinking" and decreasing "feeding") and then exhibited a behavioral pattern finalized at dissipating heat, primarily represented by "roosting," "panting" and "elevating wings." Such modifications become evident when the temperature reached 25 degrees C, while the behavioral frequencies tended to stabilize at 27 degrees C with no further substantial changes over the 6 days of thermal challenge. The multifactorial approach highlighted that these behavioral changes were associated with oxidative and inflammatory status as indicated by lower blood gamma- tocopherol and higher carbonyls level (0.38 vs. 0.18 nmol/mL, and 2.39 vs. 7.19 nmol/mg proteins, respectively for TNT and HS; p < 0.001). HS affected breast meat quality by reducing the moisture:protein ratio (3.17 vs. 3.01, respectively for TNT and HS; p < 0.05) as well as the muscular acidification (ultimate pH = 5.81 vs. 6.00, respectively; p < 0.01), resulting in meat with higher holding capacity and tenderness. HS conditions reduced thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) concentration in the breast meat while increased protein oxidation. Overall results evidenced a dynamic response of broiler chickens to HS exposure that induced behavioral and physiological modifications strictly linked to alterations of blood parameters and meat quality characteristics

Evaluation of adaptability response, through a behavioural observation, of four different chicken genotypes reared in a free-range system

Alternative poultry rearing systems such as organic and free range should be developed following the “One Welfare” concept, a link between animal and human welfare. Thus, the choice of chicken genotypes should take into account their adaptabiliy to environmental conditions strictly linked in turn to animal welfare. The aim of this study was to assess the adaptability through a behavioural observation, of four different Slow Growing (SG) chicken genotypes: RedjA (A), Lhomann Dual (LD) Necked Neck (NN) and a Crossbreed (CB, Robusta Maculata x Sasso) free range reared. At hatching 400 chickens were randomly housed into 8 pens (2 pens per genotype; 50 animals each, 25 females and 25 males) and given outdoor access from 35 days of age, (0.10 m2/bird indoor and 4 m2/bird outdoor). The behavioural pattern of each pen was video-recorded from 42 d of age during 5 weeks, 2 times week and 2 hours per recording (9:00 to 11:00 am). Static, active, eating, comfort and social behaviours were then scanned every 30 minutes to record the percentage of animals expressing each specific behaviour. Data were analyzed by ANOVA with genotype, day, and their interactions as fixed effects and pen as a random effect. Static behaviours were more frequently observed in A chickens followed by NN chickens compared to LD and CB genotypes (55.4% 46.3% vs. 34.8% and 35.4% of chickens; P<0.001), which depended on differences in chickens resting (13.5% and 11.9% vs. 8.5% and 9.9%; P<0.05) and roosting (41.8% and 34.4% vs. 26.3% and 25.5%, P<0.001). Conversely, LD and CB chickens showed more active behaviours compared to A and NN genotypes (33.9% and 32.0% vs 16.3% and 23.9%; P<0.001), which is determined by the number of birds walking (21.8% and 24.8% vs. 10.0% and 20.9% P<0.001). On the contrary, the number of birds hiding was lower in A, NN and CB chickens compared to LD (2.3%, 0.6% and 1.9% vs. 8.7%; P<0.001). Concerning the eating behavior a higher number of A and NN chickens were found eating grass as compared to CB and LD (15.7% and 18.9% vs. 14.8% and 10.3%; P=0.001). A lower number of A and NN birds showed comfort behaviours respect to CB and LD genotypes (7.0% and 5.1% vs. 7.9% and 11.3%; P<0.001), which was due to the lower percentage of birds scratching and dust bathing (P<0.001). In conclusion, the A genotype showed the less adaptive response, while LD chickens likely fitted better to free range systems based on their higher overall outdoor activity and a more complete ethogram

Breast muscle and plasma metabolomics profile of broiler chickens exposed to chronic heat stress conditions

Understanding the variations of muscle and plasma metabolites in response to high environmental temperature can provide important information on the molecular mechanisms related to body energy homeostasis in heat-stressed broiler chickens. In this study, we investigated the effect of chronic heat stress conditions on the breast muscle (Pectoralis major) and plasma metabolomics profile of broiler chickens by means of an innovative, high-throughput analytical approach such as the proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectrometry. A total of 300 Ross 308 male chicks were split into two experimental groups and raised in either thermoneutral conditions for the entire rearing cycle (0–41 days) (TNT group; six replicates of 25 birds/each) or exposed to chronic heat stress conditions (30 °C for 24 h/day) from 35 to 41 days (CHS group; six replicates of 25 birds/each). At processing (41 days), plasma and breast muscle samples were obtained from 12 birds/experimental group and then subjected to 1H NMR analysis. The reduction of BW and feed intake as well as the increase in rectal temperature and heterophil: lymphocyte ratio confirmed that our experimental model was able to stimulate a thermal stress response without significantly affecting mortality. The 1H NMR analysis revealed that a total of 26 and 19 molecules, mostly related to energy and protein metabolism as well as antioxidant response, showed significantly different concentrations respectively in the breast muscle and plasma in response to the thermal challenge. In conclusion, the results obtained in this study indicated that chronic heat stress significantly modulates the breast muscle and plasma metabolome in fast-growing broiler chickens, allowing to delineate potential metabolic changes that can have important implications in terms of body energy homeostasis, growth performance and product quality

Resiliency of fast-growing and slow-growing genotypes of broiler chickens submitted to different environmental temperatures: growth performance and meat quality

Growth performance and meat quality were assessed in 238 chicks of both sexes belonging to a commercial crossbreed (Ross 308), and two Italian local breeds (Bionda Piemontese – BP and Robusta Maculata - RM). The chickens were kept in two rooms at standard environmental conditions or under heat stress (+4.7°C on average) until slaughtering (42 days of age for Ross 308 and 99 days for RM and BP chickens). The Ross chickens showed the highest final live weight, feed intake, and daily weight gain, and the best feed conversion ratio compared to the local breeds (P < 0.001), with RM performing better than BP chickens. Thus, Ross chickens had the heaviest carcasses, the highest slaughter, and breast yields followed by RM and BP chickens (P < 0.001). At the P. major muscle, Ross chickens showed the highest pH, lightness, and yellowness, besides the highest cooking losses, whereas BP showed the highest redness (P < 0.001). Ross meat had higher water and ether extract contents, and lower crude protein content compared to BP and RM (P < 0.001), whereas no differences among genotypes were measured for the fatty acid profile. At the sensory analysis, Ross breasts had a higher juiciness compared to BP ones, besides a lower score for “brothy and chickeny/meaty” and a higher one for “wet feathers” compared to local breeds (0.05 < P < 0.001). The increase of the room temperature decreased growth performance and cold carcass weight (P < 0.001) compared to standard conditions, whereas the rate of α-linolenic acid in the meat increased (P < 0.01). The effect of a high environmental temperature on growth performance and slaughter and meat quality traits was more pronounced in Ross compared to BP and RM chickens (0.05 < P <0.001; significant interaction genotype × temperature). In conclusions, local chicken breeds showed lower performance and slaughter yield compared to the commercial genotype, but more favorable meat quality traits and higher resilience to the environmental heat-stress

Implementation of husbandry practices improving quality and sustainability: a living lab approach

The living lab approach to innovation is receiving increasing attention also in the agricultural sector in view of the current environmental, economic, and social challenges. This contribution presents some preliminary results of INTAQT project (EU Horizon 2020), which aims to perform an in- depth multi-criteria assessment of the relationships between animal husbandry and qualities of products. In specific, this research aims to identify and implement on-farm changes in the production processes (e.g. feeding regimes, outdoor access, herd management), which are expected to improve intrinsic quality traits of the products and/or sustainability traits of the farms. A participatory approach was used to establish farmer field-groups (living labs) representative of the different geographic regions and of the main production systems involved in the project. Each farmer field group involves from 5 to 8 farms. The groups are established considering different husbandry systems according to a gradient of intensification (extensive vs intensive systems): 3 groups for dairy farms (Ireland, northern Italy and France); two groups for beef farms (Switzerland and northern Italy); two groups for poultr (France and Italy). The methodological approach is based on 5 steps: (1) tarting analytical phase: a critical analysis of trade-offs / synergies between sustainability and quality traits for each farmfield group; (2) decision phase: development of practices to improve the identified synergies / mitigate trade-offs; (3) implementation phase: implementation of practices for at least one year. During this time, 2-3 meetings of the whole farmers group on farms allow farmers discussions about their experiences, successes and drawbacks; (4) concluding analytical phase: the aim is to analyse the effects of the implementation of the practices during a last meeting in the farmer’s groups and presentation of the analysis results; (5) scientific data analysis and interpretation. The first results of this approach will be presented and discussed. The ambition is to establish a network of living labs usable as pilot and demonstration enterprises regarding practice improvements for better food quality and sustainability

Effect of trub and/or linseed dietary supplementation on in vivo oxidative status and some quality traits of rabbit meat

The objective of this study was to compare the effect of the dietary beer trub, alone or in combination with linseed, on meat quality, oxidative status and cholesterol content of rabbit. Eighty New Zealand White rabbits were divided at weaning (30 d) into four dietary groups: control (C) fed a standard diet, trub (T, 2% of lyophilized trub), linseed (L, 3% of extruded linseed), and trub-linseed in combination (TL, 2% of lyophilized trub and 3% of extruded linseed). At slaughtering (80 d) the oxidative parameters of blood and quality of Longissimus thoracis et lumborum were analysed. The in vivo lipid oxidation was similar in the supplemental groups, whereas it was higher in T, L and TL meat compared to C. Trub supplementation in rabbit diets slightly affected the fatty acid profile (MUFA) and worsened the oxidative status of meat, and its inclusion in combination with linseed did not counteract the oxidative instability induced by the higher PUFA content