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- Title
Taste Preferences in Broilers: Effect of Age, Delivery Matrix, and Number of Chickens per Pen on Selection and Consumption Behaviour.
- Authors
Cordero, Paloma; Herrera-Alcaíno, Sofía; Philp, Victoria; Muñoz, Geraldine; Luna, Daniela; Guzmán-Pino, Sergio A.
- Abstract
Simple Summary: Taste perception in birds still needs to be clarified, and it is essential to advance investigations into improving nutrition in poultry farming. This study evaluated the effects of age, compound delivery matrix, and number of birds per pen on broilers' preferences and consumption behaviour and obtained preference values for four taste compounds. The results indicated that chickens in the initial stage showed higher preferences and expressed more consumption behaviours. Birds in front of a water matrix showed higher preferences and increased their consumption behaviours, while in front of a ground wheat matrix, they increased their number of pecks. Furthermore, pairs of birds showed higher preference and consumption behaviours than single chickens. Finally, we registered significant preference values for sucrose and monosodium glutamate at different times. We concluded that the variables evaluated in this research condition the preferences and consumption behaviour of the birds, suggesting the use of early-stage chickens in pairs or groups and employing liquid matrices for compound delivery to enhance future trials. Due to substantial differences between studies, the understanding of avian taste perception remains incomplete. Also, studies on chicken taste preferences have mainly focused on measuring consumption differences, neglecting consumption behaviour patterns. This study investigated how age, the compound delivery matrix, and the number of birds per pen affect broiler chicken preferences and consumption behaviour, and established their preference values for four taste compounds. Ninety-six one-day-old male broiler chickens (Ross 308) were divided into two age groups (initial: days 7–23; final: days 26–42), with two compound delivery matrices (water or ground wheat) and two numbers of birds (one or two chickens per pen), following a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design. Four taste compounds (sucrose, monosodium glutamate (MSG), L-lysine, and calcium carbonate) were tested at different concentrations. Preferences were assessed at 2, 4, and 8 h post-test, along with recording various behavioural parameters. Initial-stage birds showed higher (p < 0.001) preference values, time of approach (TA), number of bouts (NB), duration of bouts (DB), and number of pecks (NP) than final-stage birds. Birds exposed to a water matrix also exhibited higher (p < 0.001) preference and NB, while those exposed to a ground wheat matrix showed a higher (p < 0.001) NP. Pens with a pair of birds had a higher (p < 0.003) 2 h preference, TA, NB, DB, and NP, than pens with a single chicken. Chickens showed significant preference values for 100 mM sucrose at 2 h (p = 0.025), 150 mM MSG at 4 h (p = 0.026) and 8 h (p = 0.013), and 300 mM MSG at 2 h (p = 0.013). We concluded that all the variables evaluated influence broilers' taste preferences and consumption behaviour during selection tests. Future studies should prioritize including chickens in the initial stage of the production cycle, testing them in pairs or groups, and delivering compounds via a liquid matrix.
- Subjects
CONSUMPTION (Economics); POULTRY growth; BROILER chickens; FOOD preferences; MONOSODIUM glutamate; CHICKENS; WATER birds; TASTE perception
- Publication
Animals (2076-2615), 2024, Vol 14, Issue 10, p1507
- ISSN
2076-2615
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/ani14101507