Feed restriction ameliorates metabolic dysregulation and improves reproductive performance of meat-type country chickens

Restricted feed intake improves egg production in Cornish × Plymouth Rock (broiler) hens. Red-feather (RF) and Black-feather (BF) chickens are 2 local strains of non-broiler meat-type chickens whose egg production has declined with continued selection for meat yield, and which are unstudied regarding restricted feeding and egg-laying improvement. Sixteen week old RF and BF pullets were either fed ad libitum (AL) or restricted to 85% AL intake (R). At 35 wk and 50 wk R-hens showed improved egg production and less abnormal ovarian morphology than AL-hens. Obesity, hepatic steatosis, lipotoxic change to plasma lipids, and systemic inflammation induced by AL feeding in RF and BF hens were similar to those observed previously in AL-broiler hens. Egg production was negatively correlated to body weight, fractional abdominal fat weight and plasma NEFA concentrations in AL hens (P < 0.05). AL-hen hierarchical follicles accumulated ceramide and increased interleukin-1β production (P < 0.05) in conjunction with increased granulosa cell apoptosis, follicle atresia, ovarian regression, and reduced plasma 17β-estradiol concentrations (P < 0.05). The present outcomes from non-broiler but nevertheless meat-type country chicken strains indicate that selection for rapid growth and increased meat yield fundamentally changes energy metabolism in a way that renders hens highly susceptible to reproductive impairment from lipid dysregulation and pro-inflammatory signaling rather than impaired resource allocation per se.