Research note: a novel framework for investigating chronic intestinal stressors in commercial broiler chickens.

ABSTRACT: Traditional experimental models typically fail to capture the multifactorial stressors present in commercial environments, limiting their ecological validity. This study introduces a novel model designed to replicate cumulative production pressures by integrating mini-pens within an operational broiler house and applying bacterial enteritis (BE) scores and total mean lesion scores (TMLS) for Eimeria spp. as intestinal health indicators at fixed time points (days 21 and 28), where birds were subjected to a diet rich in non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs) without enzyme supplementation to induce chronic intestinal stress (CS). Performance metrics and intestinal health indicators (BE and TMLS scores) were compared across three environments: CS birds, a conventional production farm and a control

SUBMITTER: Gougoulias C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12513191 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature