Studies on the Impact of Acidified Feed and Feed Processing on Digestive Physiology in Broiler Chickens and Laying Hens

Feed has a major impact on the digestive physiology of chickens. In practice, acidification of feed, as well as particle size, particle size distribution and the milling method are of relevance in poultry nutrition. However, the specific impact of these parameters on the physiology of the intestinal tract of chicken has not been widely studied.
Therefore, the aim of this study was:

(I) to modify the Ussing chamber method for reliable assessment of transport physiology of the intestinal mucosa of poultry
(II) to evaluate the impact of acidified feed on apparent ileal digestibility of starch, the glucose transporter expression, and physiologic intestinal transport function in broiler chickens
(III) to investigate the impact of the milling method, thermal treatment, and particle size of feed on performance, apparent ileal digestibility, and pH of digesta in laying hens.