November 23, 2024
Enayat Rahmatnejad

Enayat Rahmatnejad

Academic Rank: Assistant professor
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Degree: Ph.D in Poultry Nutrition
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Faculty: Faculty of Agricultural Engineering

Research

Title Embryonic thermal manipulation and post-hatch dietary guanidinoacetic acid supplementation alleviated chronic heat stress impact on broiler chickens
Type Article
Keywords
broiler, guanidinoacetic acid, heat stress, thermal manipulation
Journal JOURNAL OF THERMAL BIOLOGY
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2024.103976
Researchers Gholamreza Zaboli (First researcher) , Enayat Rahmatnejad (Second researcher)

Abstract

The study investigated the effects of embryonic thermal manipulation (TM) and post-hatch guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) supplementation on male broiler chickens exposed to chronic heat stress (HS). Ross 308 eggs (n = 710) were randomly assigned to control (37.8°C, 56% RH) or TM (39.5°C, 65% RH for 12 hours/day from embryonic day 7 to 16) treatments. After hatching, chicks were further assigned to four dietary treatments (n = 12 birds/pen, 5 replicates/treatment): control, control with 1.2 g/kg GAA supplementation (CS), TM, and TM with 1.2 g/kg GAA supplementation (TMS). All birds were subjected to chronic HS (32-36°C, 6 hours/day, 55% RH) from day 28 to 42. Embryonic TM treatment decreased hatchability, hatching weight (HW), and facial temperature (FT). During the pre-HS period (days 1-28), no significant differences in feed conversion ratio (FCR) and mortality were observed, although the TM group exhibited the lowest body weight gain (BWG). Following HS exposure (days 29-42), the TMS group displayed significantly higher BWG than the control and CS groups. The TM and TMS groups also demonstrated significantly lower FCR and mortality rates during this period. Across the entire period (days 1-42), BWG was significantly higher in the TMS group compared to other groups. Furthermore, TM and TMS treatments were associated with lower mortality rates, improved FCR, better European Performance Efficiency Index (EPEI), and reduced abdominal fat deposition. The experimental treatments did not significantly affect intestinal morphology or most blood parameters, except triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and uric acid. Plasma concentrations of T3, T4, and uric acid were significantly lower in the TM and TMS groups compared to the control and CS treatments. The findings suggest that a combined strategy of embryonic TM and post-hatch dietary GAA supplementation may not only alleviate the detrimental effects of HS but also promote beneficial physiological responses in broiler chicke