Effects of maternal dietary energy restriction on breast muscle fibre development in the offspring of broiler breeders

Objective: The effects of maternal dietary energy levels on breast muscle fibre development in offspring of broiler breeders were investigated.Methods: A total of 480 20-week-old Arbor Acres (AA) healthy female broiler breeders, with an average body weight of 2.33±0.01 kg, were randomly divided into 4 treatment groups with 6 replicates and 20 broiler breeders for each replicate and fed a corn and soybean meal diet with 100%, 80%, 70%, and 50% energy levels, respectively. Approximately 300 eggs per treatment were collected for incubation for 6 days. Then, 120 0-day-old female broilers at each energy level were randomly selected and divided into 6 replicates with 20 broilers for each replicate, with this experimental phase with the offspring lasting for 49 days.Results: Compared with the 100% energy group, the breast muscle fibre diameter at embryonic day 21 in the 80% energy group was significantly reduced (p