The Effect of Feeding Programs on Reproductive Traits and Selected Blood Chemistries of Caged Broiler Breeder Males

Buckner, R. E.; Renden, J. A.; Savage, T. F.

doi:10.3382/ps.0650085

Cited by 15 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Each diet was fed at a rate of 325 kcal ME (calculated)/ bird per day (103 g/bird per day for ST; 101 g/ bird per day for AC). This rate of caloric intake has been previously shown to meet breeder-recommended BW specifications (BRW) for breeder males (G. R. McDaniel, unpublished data; Buckner et al, 1986). It is also in agreement with the ME level provided by Leveille et al (1960) for the SCWL male.…”

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 84%

“…Values obtained were in agreement with those of Buckner et al (1986). They provided caged broiler breeder males with daily feed and energy levels very similar to those used in the present study (102 g feed/day per bird, 323 kcal ME/day per bird, 13.1% CP) and also did not detect differences in semen volume or number of sperm cells per ejaculate compared with control birds receiving 136 g/day per bird of the same feed.…”

Section: Reproductive Performancesupporting

confidence: 87%

“…(1987b) showed that a greater proportion of total males produced semen than when fed 12 or 15% CP, although overall proportions of birds that actually yielded semen were low (55% for the 9% CP group) and were not statistically different from proportions of birds in other treatments. Buckner et al (1986) and Sexton et al (1989) showed that severe restrictions can cause a decline in the number of birds producing semen and may inhibit sexual maturity. In the present study, there were no differences in the percentage of males producing semen at any age (Table 4).…”

Section: Reproductive Performancementioning

confidence: 98%

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Performance of Broiler Breeder Males Given Low Protein Feed

1991

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One hundred and eight 24-wk-old broiler breeder males were arranged into 18 groups of six birds of equal average BW. Six groups were killed for carcass evaluation at 24 wk of age; the other 12 groups were divided between two dietary treatments. One treatment was a typical breeder-recommended male broiler breeder ration (standard, or ST; 12% CP, 3,160 kcal ME/kg), whereas the other was a low-protein, corn-based diet (all corn, or AC; 8% CP, 3,220 kcal ME/kg) formulated to approximate minimum amino acid requirements for positive nitrogen balance. All birds were fed at a rate of 325 kcal ME/day per bird to 68 wk of age. Body weight, semen volume, and sperm concentration were evaluated weekly. All birds remaining at 68 wk were killed for carcass evaluation. Feed and age effects on BW were highly significant (P less than .001). However, birds did not respond similarly to treatments with increasing age. Birds fed ST were heavier and surpassed breeder-recommended BW by 38 wk of age, whereas birds given AC were lighter and remained below breeder-recommended weights throughout the study. Semen production was measured by semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm yield, and proportion of males producing semen; values were similar for treatments at all ages. Birds given the AC feed had more carcass fat than ST-fed birds at 68 wk of age, but ST-fed birds had the same proportion of fat at 68 wk as birds killed at 24 wk. Results suggest that the amino acid levels provided by the AC diet were less than adequate for optimal BW gain, but adequate for semen production.

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Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 84%

Section: Reproductive Performancesupporting

confidence: 87%

Section: Reproductive Performancementioning

confidence: 98%

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Performance of Broiler Breeder Males Given Low Protein Feed

1991

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“…Although several older reports indicated that feed restriction of breeder males could be accomplished with little to no effect on fertility and hatchability [13][14][15], this may not be necessarily true with the modern broiler breeder male. Scogin et al [16] reported that when cockerels were fed increased feed allotments, there was a significant increase in sperm cell numbers and semen volume as compared with a control group.…”

Section: Description Of Problemmentioning

confidence: 84%

Sperm production and testicular development of broiler breeder males reared on shortened growth cycles

Moyle¹,

Yoho²,

Whipple³

et al. 2012

Journal of Applied Poultry Research

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Primary Audience: Broiler Breeder Managers, Flock Supervisors, Researchers SUMMARYFeed restriction is an important tool used in the rearing of broiler breeders to control growth and maintain BW. Feed restriction during the growing phase typically provides 60 to 80% less feed than the birds would consume if provided feed ad libitum, resulting in a perceived animal welfare issue. Because males are typically more rigorously feed restricted than females, this is thought to be especially stressful to the growing cockerels. During this time, the reproductive systems of the males are undergoing formative stages, and improper management can have lifelong effects on their reproductive performance. Therefore, the objective of this study was to rear males under feed management programs that would require less severe feed restriction while still rearing replacement breeder males to the recommended target BW of 3.060 kg at 24, 21, 18, 15, and 12 wk of age, respectively. Males were placed at 3-wk intervals so that all males were light stimulated on the same calendar date and at the same time and BW but at different ages. A total of 5 treatment groups were used, based on age of the male at light stimulation. All males were reared in the same light-controlled house at the University of Arkansas Research Farm. Males were light stimulated and testicular development, semen analysis, fertility, and mating activity were recorded for each group of males. To measure semen production, males were housed in individual cages, with 24 males from each treatment group tested. Males light stimulated at 18 wk of age had the highest semen volume (0.46 mL), followed by males light stimulated at 24 (0.31 mL), 15 (0.29 mL), 21 (0.27 mL) and 12 wk of age (0.27 mL), respectively. Sperm count per ejaculate was highest for the males light stimulated at 18 wk of age, followed by males light stimulated at 21, 24, 15, and 12 wk of age, respectively. Males that were 21 wk of age or older at the time of light stimulation responded quicker to light stimulation than did younger males.

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“…In an experiment with another population of guppies, Gasparini et al [25] found that diet restricted males (fed limited Artemia ) showed significant reduction in sperm number. Parker and Thwaites [98] similarly reported a reduction in both body size and ejaculate volume in rams fed restricted diets (either 75% or 50% of the control maintenance diet), while Sexton et al [99] found that in chickens, fully fed broiler breeder males produced ejaculates comprising higher sperm concentrations than feed-restricted males (see also [100]). However, unlike previous studies on other taxa [93], [101]–[103], we found no significant effect of n3LC on sperm number.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

The Expression of Pre- and Postcopulatory Sexually Selected Traits Reflects Levels of Dietary Stress in Guppies

et al. 2014

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Environmental and ecological conditions can shape the evolution of life history traits in many animals. Among such factors, food or nutrition availability can play an important evolutionary role in moderating an animal's life history traits, particularly sexually selected traits. Here, we test whether diet quantity and/or composition in the form of omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (here termed ‘n3LC’) influence the expression of pre- and postcopulatory traits in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata), a livebearing poeciliid fish. We assigned males haphazardly to one of two experimental diets supplemented with n3LC, and each of these diet treatments was further divided into two diet ‘quantity’ treatments. Our experimental design therefore explored the main and interacting effects of two factors (n3LC content and diet quantity) on the expression of precopulatory (sexual behaviour and sexual ornamentation, including the size, number and spectral properties of colour spots) and postcopulatory (the velocity, viability, number and length of sperm) sexually selected traits. Our study revealed that diet quantity had significant effects on most of the pre- and postcopulatory traits, while n3LC manipulation had a significant effect on sperm traits and in particular on sperm viability. Our analyses also revealed interacting effects of diet quantity and n3LC levels on courtship displays, and the area of orange and iridescent colour spots in the males’ colour patterns. We also confirmed that our dietary manipulations of n3LC resulted in the differential uptake of n3LC in body and testes tissues in the different n3LC groups. This study reveals the effects of diet quantity and n3LC on behavioural, ornamental and ejaculate traits in P. reticulata and underscores the likely role that diet plays in maintaining the high variability in these condition-dependent sexual traits.

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The Effect of Feeding Programs on Reproductive Traits and Selected Blood Chemistries of Caged Broiler Breeder Males

Cited by 15 publications

References 8 publications

Performance of Broiler Breeder Males Given Low Protein Feed

Performance of Broiler Breeder Males Given Low Protein Feed

Sperm production and testicular development of broiler breeder males reared on shortened growth cycles

The Expression of Pre- and Postcopulatory Sexually Selected Traits Reflects Levels of Dietary Stress in Guppies

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