John T. Brake, Ph.D., PAS  
William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor  of Poultry Science, Physiology, and Nutrition
Department of Poultry Science, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7608 USA

 Abstract: A series of experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that the feeding management applied to broiler parent stock (broiler breeders) could alter the performance of the broiler progeny. The broiler breeders were reared in typical litter floor black-out facilities and were moved to slat-litter breeder facilities and photostimulated at 21-22 weeks of age.

Y. Piestun^1,2, O. Halevy² and S. Yahav¹

¹Department of Poultry and Aquaculture Sciences, ARO the Volcani Center, , P.O. Box 6, Bet-Dagan 50250, Israel ; Indirizzo e-mail protetto dal bots spam , deve abilitare Javascript per vederlo ; ²Dept. of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel

Abstract

During recent decades there is a significant improvement in the genetic selection for growth rate of broilers coincided with dramatic increase in metabolic rate.  However, this selection lacks in comparable development of visceral systems, causing inferior thermotolerance response in broilers. The situation, where growth rate (heat production) improves on a yearly basis and the future foresees increase in global surface temperature, demands an efficient means to economically improve the acquisition of thermotolerance by broiler chickens exposed to hot climatic conditions. To develop thermotolerance three direct responses are employed by the broiler: the rapid thermal shock response, acclimation/acclimatization, and epigenetic adaptation. The last one has been successfully modulated by early-age thermal manipulations of postnatal chicks. However, uniform post-hatch temperature manipulation is difficult to adopt, whereas the use of such manipulations during incubation would probably be more efficient and uniform. alteration of the energy balance set point.

Zehava  Uni¹*  and  Peter. R. Ferket² 

 Department of Animal Sciences,  Robert H. Smith  Faculty of Agricultural

Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.

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*Corresponding author.

²Department of Poultry Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7608

Abstract