Table 2.
Effect of early nutrition with different diets post-hatching (PH) on the relative weights (% of live body weight) and histomorphology of lymphoid organs and proventriculus (µm) of layer-type chicks at day 14 of age.
| Items 2 | Treatments 1 | SEM | p-Value | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CON-T1 | T2 | T3 | T4 | |||
| Lymphoid organs | ||||||
| Thymus gland | ||||||
| Relative weight | 0.215 | 0.241 | 0.253 | 0.243 | 0.011 | 0.11 |
| Cortex | 263.31 b | 263.97 b | 348.38 a | 258.95 b | 38.70 | 0.03 |
| Medulla | 182.19 | 184.26 | 218.07 | 218.07 | 12.85 | 0.13 |
| Cortex:Medulla | 1.45 | 1.43 | 1.60 | 1.19 | 0.142 | 0.11 |
| Bursa of Fabricius | ||||||
| Relative weight | 0.340 b | 0.415 a | 0.440 a | 0.495 a | 0.018 | 0.003 |
| Pelicae height | 23.37 c | 57.70 b,c | 88.87 b | 144.40 a | 12.57 | <0.001 |
| Follicle width | 123.63 | 172.01 | 191.56 | 174.22 | 22.53 | 0.08 |
| Cortex | 232.18 b | 397.96 a | 377.40 a | 298.00 a,b | 32.55 | 0.003 |
| Medulla | 133.28 | 171.13 | 148.71 | 144.61 | 16.28 | 0.21 |
| Cortex:Medulla | 1.74 | 2.35 | 2.55 | 2.13 | 0.309 | 0.13 |
| Spleen | ||||||
| Relative weight | 0.125 b | 0.130 b | 0.145 a | 0.140 a | 0.003 | 0.04 |
| Red pulp | 145.27 | 173.23 | 132.89 | 158.64 | 12.88 | 0.09 |
| White pulp | 141.30 b | 161.44 b | 154.11 b | 223.59 a | 25.17 | 0.03 |
| GCA | 0.21 b | 0.40 a,b | 0.50 a | 0.52 a | 0.082 | 0.04 |
| Digestive organs | ||||||
| Proventriculus | ||||||
| Relative weight | 0.950 b | 1.05 a,b | 1.180 a | 1.170 a | 0.032 | 0.01 |
| Fold height | 303.56 b | 700.76 a | 565.50 a | 580.69 a | 71.39 | 0.003 |
| Mucosa | 496.22 b | 600.92 b | 1035.28 a | 1210.45 a | 89.09 | <0.001 |
| Gland | 695.54 b | 886.75 a | 834.37 a | 829.36 a | 64.19 | 0.04 |
| Lumen | 94.46 b | 218.51 a | 186.91 a | 126.33 b | 17.87 | <0.001 |
| Liver | ||||||
| Glycogen density | 1.42 c | 2.41 b | 2.75 b | 3.42 a | 0.288 | 0.001 |
a–c values in the same row with different letters are significantly varied at p ˂ 0.05, SEM, pooled standard error of the means. 1 CON-T1, no feed or water during the first 72 h of PH; T2, chicks fed on a layer starter diet contained 20% CP and 11.84 MJ/kg; T3, chicks fed on a layer starter diet contained 20% CP and 11.81 MJ/kg (diet contained 3% molasses) and T4, chicks fed on a broiler starter diet contained 23% CP and 12.68 MJ/kg during the first 72 h PH. The experimental diets were provided on ad libitum. All birds after 72 h PH were fed a commercial layer starter mash diet (the diet T2) ad libitum for 42 days 2. GCA, germinal center area.