Lupu Mihnea, Tăpăloagă Dana, Mitrănescu Elena, Rizac Raluca Ioana, Nicolae George Laurențiu, Militaru Manuella
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, 105 Splaiul Independentei, District 5, 050097 Bucharest, Romania.
Life (Basel). 2025 Aug 3;15(8):1232. doi: 10.3390/life15081232.
This review explores sexual aggression in broiler breeder males, aiming to synthesize existing scientific evidence regarding its causes, behavioral manifestations, and consequences, while addressing the genetic, neuroendocrine, and environmental mechanisms involved. Through an extensive analysis of scientific literature, the paper highlights that intensive genetic selection aimed at enhancing growth and productivity has resulted in unintended behavioral dysfunctions. These include the reduction or absence of courtship behavior, the occurrence of forced copulations, and a notable increase in injury rates among hens. Reproductive challenges observed in meat-type breeder flocks, in contrast to those in layer lines, appear to stem from selection practices that have overlooked traits related to mating behavior. Environmental and managerial conditions, including photoperiod manipulation, stocking density, nutritional imbalances, and the use of mixed-sex rearing systems, are also identified as contributing factors to the expression of sexual aggression. Furthermore, recent genetic findings indicate a potential link between inherited neurobehavioral factors and aggressive behavior, with the gene emerging as a relevant candidate. Based on these insights, the review emphasizes the importance of considering behavioral parameters in breeding programs in order to reconcile productivity objectives with animal welfare standards. Future research may benefit from a more integrative approach that combines behavioral, physiological, and genomic data to better understand and address the multifactorial nature of sexual aggression in poultry systems.
本综述探讨了肉种鸡雄性的性攻击行为，旨在综合有关其成因、行为表现和后果的现有科学证据，同时探讨其中涉及的遗传、神经内分泌和环境机制。通过对科学文献的广泛分析，该论文强调，旨在提高生长速度和生产力的高强度遗传选择导致了意想不到的行为功能障碍。这些包括求偶行为的减少或缺失、强迫交配的发生以及母鸡受伤率的显著增加。与蛋鸡品系相比，肉用种鸡群中观察到的繁殖挑战似乎源于忽视交配行为相关性状的选择做法。环境和管理条件，包括光照周期控制、饲养密度、营养失衡以及采用混养系统，也被确定为性攻击行为表现的促成因素。此外，最近的遗传学研究结果表明，遗传神经行为因素与攻击行为之间存在潜在联系， 基因成为一个相关候选基因。基于这些见解，该综述强调了在育种计划中考虑行为参数的重要性，以便使生产力目标与动物福利标准相协调。未来的研究可能受益于一种更综合的方法，该方法结合行为、生理和基因组数据，以更好地理解和应对家禽系统中性攻击行为的多因素性质。
