Development of Strategic Pre-Natal Cycling Thermal Treatments to Improve Livability and Productivity of Heavy Broilers
Authors: Yahav Shlomo , Brake John , Meiri Noam 
Published: December 2021

The necessity to improve broiler thermotolerance and live performance led to the following hypothesis: Appropriate comprehensive incubation treatments that include significant temperature management changes will promote angiogenesis and will improve acquisition of thermotolerance and carcass quality of heavy broilers through epigenetic adaptation. It was based on the following questions: 1. Can TM during embryogenesis of broilers induce a longer-lasting thermoregulatory memory (up to marketing age of 10 wk) that will improve acquisition of thermotolerance as well as increased breast meat yield in heavy broilers? 2. The improved sensible heat loss (SHL) suggests an improved peripheral vasodilation process. Does elevated temperature during incubation affect vasculogenesis and angiogenesis processes in the chick embryo? Will such create subsequent advantages for heavy broilers coping with adverse hot conditions? 3. What are the changes that occur in the PO/AH that induce the changes in the threshold response for heat production/heat loss based on the concept of epigenetic temperature adaptation? The original objectives of this study were as follow: a. to assess the improvement of thermotolerance efficiency and carcass quality of heavy broilers (~4 kg); b. toimproveperipheral vascularization and angiogenesis that improve sensible heat loss (SHL); c. to study the changes in the PO/AH thermoregulatory response for heat production/losscaused by modulating incubation temperature. To reach the goals: a. the effect of TM on performance and thermotolerance of broilers reared to 10 wk of age was studied. b. the effect of preincubation heating with an elevated temperature during the 1ˢᵗ 3 to 5 d of incubation in the presence of modified fresh air flow coupled with changes in turning frequency was elucidated; c.the effect of elevated temperature on vasculogenesis and angiogenesis was determined using in ovo and whole embryo chick culture as well as HIF-1α VEGF-α2 VEGF-R, FGF-2, and Gelatinase A (MMP2) gene expression. The effects on peripheral blood system of post-hatch chicks was determined with an infrared thermal imaging technique; c. the expression of BDNF was determined during the development of the thermal control set-point in the preoptic anterior hypothalamus (PO/AH). Background to the topic: Rapid growth rate has presented broiler chickens with seriousdifficulties when called upon to efficiently thermoregulate in hot environmental conditions. Being homeotherms, birds are able to maintain their body temperature (Tb) within a narrow range. An increase in Tb above the regulated range, as a result of exposure to environmental conditions and/or excessive metabolic heat production that often characterize broiler chickens, may lead to a potentially lethal cascade of irreversible thermoregulatory events. Exposure to temperature fluctuations during the perinatal period has been shown to lead to epigenetic temperature adaptation. The mechanism for this adaptation was based on the assumption that environmental factors, especially ambient temperature, have a strong influence on the determination of the “set-point” for physiological control systems during “critical developmental phases.” Recently, Piestunet al. (2008) demonstrated for the first time that TM (an elevated incubation temperature of 39.5°C for 12 h/d from E7 to E16) during the development/maturation of the hypothalamic-hypophyseal-thyroid axis (thermoregulation) and the hypothalamic-hypophyseal-adrenal axis (stress) significantly improved the thermotolerance and performance of broilers at 35 d of age. These phenomena raised two questions that were addressed in this project: 1. was it possible to detect changes leading to the determination of the “set point”; 2. Did TM have a similar long lasting effect (up to 70 d of age)? 3. Did other TM combinations (pre-heating and heating during the 1ˢᵗ 3 to 5 d of incubation) coupled with changes in turning frequency have any performance effect? The improved thermotolerance resulted mainly from an efficient capacity to reduce heat production and the level of stress that coincided with an increase in SHL (Piestunet al., 2008; 2009). The increase in SHL (Piestunet al., 2009) suggested an additional positive effect of TM on vasculogenesis and angiogensis. 4. In order to sustain or even improve broiler performance, TM during the period of the chorioallantoic membrane development was thought to increase vasculogenesis and angiogenesis providing better vasodilatation and by that SHL post-hatch.