Hormones and peptides key to optimizing chicken feed efficiency, flags research

A new research paper highlights the role of hormonal and molecular factors in regulating food intake in chickens, with findings that could reduce waste and improve poultry farming practices in broiler and layer chickens. 

According to the corresponding author, Dr. Takaoki Saneyasu of the Graduate School of Agricultural Science at Kobe University in Japan, food intake mechanisms in chickens differ significantly from those in humans.

“Many factors, such as hormones, nutrients, and neurological signaling, control food intake in living beings. Some of these factors differ between humans and poultry,” he says.

Reducing waste and optimizing poultry diets

With eggs and chicken being the most consumed animal proteins globally, the industry plays a central role in food supply and the agricultural sector, according to research by the Japan Poultry Science Association, publisher of The Journal of Poultry Science, where the new study is featured.

“Broiler chickens are genetically selected for rapid growth and meat yield, yet their overconsumption of food leads to fat accumulation, which often results in poultry waste,” says Dr. Saneyasu.

He emphasizes that understanding the mechanisms of food intake is crucial for improving feed efficiency and reducing waste.

The author reviewed the role of peptides, such as spexins, adipokines, and intracellular signaling mechanisms, in impacting food intake among chicks.

Spexins were found to reduce consumption by influencing specific brain receptors. Adipokines showed mixed effects, with the protein hormone adiponectin increasing food intake while others reduced it.

“Understanding the variations in the regulation of feeding via adipokines can lead to species-specific strategies for optimizing poultry diets,” notes Dr. Saneyasu.

Discussing the methods involved in most of the studies, he says the majority of them “explored the central feeding regulation in chicks through intracerebrovascular injections, which is a simple and reliable method.”

He believes that more work on cell-signaling molecules and gut hormone production in neonatal chicks is needed to support the findings.

“Species-specific research could also lead to new strategies for enhancing production and promoting sustainable poultry farming worldwide,” Dr. Saneyasu concludes.

Meanwhile, despite geopolitical conflict, avian influenza, and potential disruptions in global trade policies predicted to impact the meat industry in 2025, recent RaboResearch analysis indicates that the global poultry industry is poised for robust growth.