Gao Zhouyang, Mao Zhiqiong, Xuan Lin, Ma Guoming, Wu Yan, Xu Guiyun
College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
Beinongda Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing, China.
Front Vet Sci. 2025 Jul 7;12:1624978. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1624978. eCollection 2025.
The selection of high feed-efficiency animals is essential to address the increasing global demand for animal-derived products while ensuring sustainability. Residual Feed Intake (RFI), a crucial metric in poultry production, enhances feed utilization, optimizes management strategies, and promotes economic viability and environmental stewardship. However, the mechanisms underlying RFI variation remain inadequately understood. This study examined the regulatory pathways of RFI in 70-week-old Rhode Island Red laying hens through comparative analysis of phenotypic parameters, organ characteristics, and serum biochemical profiles between low-RFI (LRFI) and high-RFI (HRFI) groups. The findings demonstrate that RFI functions as a reliable indicator for feed efficiency selection, with LRFI hens demonstrating enhanced immune modulation and metabolic homeostasis while maintaining equivalent egg production performance. These results establish fundamental insights for understanding RFI regulatory mechanisms and developing precision breeding strategies for feed-efficient laying hens.
选择高饲料效率的动物对于满足全球对动物源性产品日益增长的需求同时确保可持续性至关重要。剩余采食量（RFI）是家禽生产中的一个关键指标，可提高饲料利用率、优化管理策略，并促进经济可行性和环境管理。然而，RFI变异背后的机制仍未得到充分理解。本研究通过比较低RFI（LRFI）和高RFI（HRFI）组之间的表型参数、器官特征和血清生化谱，研究了70周龄罗德岛红蛋鸡RFI的调控途径。研究结果表明，RFI可作为饲料效率选择的可靠指标，LRFI母鸡在保持同等产蛋性能的同时，表现出增强的免疫调节和代谢稳态。这些结果为理解RFI调控机制和制定高效蛋鸡精准育种策略奠定了基础。
