COMPARATIVE STUDIES ON THE SKIN AND FEATHERS OF BROILER AND LAYER CHICKEN
Loading...
Date
2018
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES-MANNUTHY,THRISSUR
Abstract
The present study was undertaken to compare the histomorphology of
skin, physical, chemical, thermal and mechanical properties and radiolucency of
wing feathers in broiler and layer chicken. Skin samples and wing feathers were
collected from commercial broiler chicken of six to eight weeks of age and from
culled White Leghorn birds above 64 weeks of age, slaughtered at Meat
Technology Unit, Mannuthy. Samples were collected from a total of 24 birds
comprising of six male and female birds from the broiler and layer groups. From
each bird, 12 wing feathers were collected. The skin thickness, weight and per
cent contribution of skin to the total body weight and the average number of
feather follicles in unit area of skin, showed a significant difference between
broiler and culled White Leghorn chicken and was more in the latter in all the
regions but no significant difference was noted between the sexes. In histological
sections the skin consisted of an outer thin epidermis and inner thick dermis. The
epidermis presented two major layers viz., stratum germinativum and stratum
corneum. The dermis consisted of three distinct layers from superficial to deep
viz., stratum superficiale, stratum profundum and lamia elastica. The stratum
profundum consisted of a superficial stratum compactum and a deep stratum
laxum which was the thickest among all the layers of skin. Histochemical studies
revealed the presence of glycogen, neutral mucopolysaccharides and abundant
amount of cutaneous lipids. Layer birds possessed higher collagen content in the
skin than broilers. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM), of broiler and layer
feather barbs showed honeycomb shaped hollow cells, a unique cross-section not
seen in other natural fibres. The physical properties of feather like length,
diameter, aspect ratio of the rachis and barbs, feather weight and density, and
mean fineness of feather fractions was more in White Leghorn birds. Moisture
content and moisture regain values were similar in both groups and varied
between eight to eleven per cent. Relative radio-opacity at the base of the feather
was found to be slightly increased in layer birds. The proximate analysis, amino
acid composition, FTIR-ATR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy-
Attenuated Total Reflectance), X-ray diffraction studies, tensile strength and
thermal stability were similar in both the groups. The results of the present study
confirmed that both broiler and White Leghorn chicken feathers could be
beneficiated as good source of protein and energy and were suitable for use as a
raw material in textile sizing bioplastics, biomedical materials, enzyme
production, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics industry.
Description
Keywords
null