Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1 Canada.
Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1 Canada.
Poult Sci. 2017 Aug 1;96(8):2509-2517. doi: 10.3382/ps/pex059.
Increased load-bearing exercise improves bone quality characteristics in a variety of species, including laying hens. Providing increased opportunities for exercise during the pullet rearing phase, a period of substantial musculoskeletal growth, offers a proactive approach to reducing osteoporosis by improving bone composition. The main objective of this study was to determine whether differing opportunities for exercise during rearing influences pullet musculoskeletal characteristics. Two flock replicates of 588 Lohmann Selected Leghorn-Lite pullets were reared in either standard, conventional cages (Conv) or an aviary rearing system (Avi) from day-old chicks until 16 wk of age. The keel bone and the muscles and long bones of the wings and legs were collected at 16 wk to measure muscle growth differences between rearing treatments and quantify bone quality characteristics using quantitative computed tomography (QCT) and bone breaking strength (BBS) assessment. Keel bone characteristics and muscle weights were adjusted for BW and analyses for QCT and BBS included BW as a covariate. At 16 wk of age, rearing system had an effect on the majority of keel bone characteristics (P < 0.05). The length of the keel metasternum, caudal tip cartilage length, and the overall percentage of cartilage present on the keel at 16 wk was greater in the Avi pullets compared to the Conv pullets (P < 0.01). Wing and breast muscle weights of the Avi pullets were greater than the Conv pullets (P < 0.001), but leg muscle weights were greater in the Conv pullets (P = 0.026). Avi pullets had greater total bone density, total cross-sectional area, cortical cross-sectional area, total bone mineral content, and cortical bone mineral content than Conv pullets for the radius, humerus, and tibia (P < 0.001). Avi pullets had greater BBS compared to the Conv pullets for the radius, humerus, and tibia (P < 0.01). Increased opportunities for exercise offered by the aviary rearing system increased muscle and bone growth characteristics in pullets at 16 wk of age.
增加负重运动可改善多种物种的骨骼质量特征，包括产蛋母鸡。在育雏期（骨骼肌肉大量生长的阶段）为鸡只提供更多的运动机会，是通过改善骨骼成分来预防骨质疏松症的积极方法。本研究的主要目的是确定育雏期运动机会的差异是否会影响育雏鸡的骨骼肌肉特征。将 588 只罗曼洛曼 Select Leghorn-Lite 育雏鸡分为 2 个重复组，分别在传统笼（Conv）或禽舍饲养系统（Avi）中饲养，从 1 日龄雏鸡饲养至 16 周龄。16 周龄时采集龙骨和翅膀及腿部的肌肉和长骨，以测量不同饲养方式之间的肌肉生长差异，并使用定量计算机断层扫描（QCT）和骨断裂强度（BBS）评估来量化骨骼质量特征。对龙骨特征和肌肉重量进行体重调整，对 QCT 和 BBS 的分析包括体重作为协变量。16 周龄时，饲养系统对大多数龙骨特征有影响（P < 0.05）。禽舍饲养的雏鸡龙骨胸骨体长、龙骨尾端软骨长度和龙骨上软骨的总体百分比均大于传统笼饲养的雏鸡（P < 0.01）。禽舍饲养的雏鸡的翅膀和胸肌重量大于传统笼饲养的雏鸡（P < 0.001），但传统笼饲养的雏鸡腿肌重量更大（P = 0.026）。禽舍饲养的雏鸡的桡骨、肱骨和胫骨的总骨密度、总横截面积、皮质横截面积、总骨矿物质含量和皮质骨矿物质含量均大于传统笼饲养的雏鸡（P < 0.001）。禽舍饲养的雏鸡的桡骨、肱骨和胫骨的 BBS 均大于传统笼饲养的雏鸡（P < 0.01）。禽舍饲养系统提供的更多运动机会增加了 16 周龄育雏鸡的肌肉和骨骼生长特征。
