Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42617259›Full record

ArticlePoultry science2026

Effects of rearing system and environmental enrichment on production performance and welfare of slow-growing broilers.

Haixuan Deng, Liuting Wu, Yibiao Zhang, Leilei Peng, Kunlong Qi, Yang Liu, Yinuo Wang, Yingjie Wang, Gang Shu, Xiaoling Zhao

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Poultry science, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Haixuan DengState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China; Farm Animal Germplasm Resources and Biotech Breeding Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China.
Liuting WuState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China; Farm Animal Germplasm Resources and Biotech Breeding Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China.
Yibiao ZhangState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China; Farm Animal Germplasm Resources and Biotech Breeding Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China.
Leilei PengState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China; Farm Animal Germplasm Resources and Biotech Breeding Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China.
Kunlong QiState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China; Farm Animal Germplasm Resources and Biotech Breeding Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China.
Yang LiuState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China; Farm Animal Germplasm Resources and Biotech Breeding Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China.
Yinuo WangState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China; Farm Animal Germplasm Resources and Biotech Breeding Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China.
Yingjie WangState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China; Farm Animal Germplasm Resources and Biotech Breeding Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China.
Gang ShuDepartment of Basic Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China.
Xiaoling ZhaoState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China; Farm Animal Germplasm Resources and Biotech Breeding Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China. Electronic address: zhaoxiaoling@sicau.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Although consumers place significant emphasis on healthy poultry products, research on welfare-oriented production systems for broilers remains relatively scarce. This study aimed to explore a tailored production system to improve the welfare of slow-growing broilers. Totally 1350 females of Mountain Plum Blossom chickens from Southwest China were randomly allocated into four production systems, each with three replicates per group and 90 chickens per replicate. The systems included plastic net rearing without environmental enrichment (PNR+NEE group), free-range rearing without environmental enrichment (FR+NEE group), plastic net rearing with environmental enrichment (PNR+EE group), and free-range with environmental enrichment (FR+EE group). The environmental enrichment provided in this experiment consisted of sand bathing pool, perches, ramps, platforms, and hide houses. Results showed that the broilers reared in the PNR+NEE and PNR+EE groups had higher final weight than those in the FR+NEE and FR+EE groups (P < 0.05). However, the FR groups, with or without environmental enrichment, showed a higher eviscerated percentage and lower abdominal fat weight and abdominal fat index than the PNR groups without environmental enrichment (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the FR groups, with or without environmental enrichment, showed higher redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) values in breast muscles than the PNR groups with or without environmental enrichment (P < 0.05). Monounsaturated fatty acids in both breast and thigh muscle from the FR+NEE and FR+EE groups were higher than those from the PNR+NEE and PNR+EE groups (P < 0.05). Broilers in the FR+EE and PNR+EE groups had better welfare indicators, with lower feather scores and TI duration than the FR+NEE and PNR+NEE groups (P < 0.05). Notably, FR treatment increased serum dopamine levels compared with PNR treatments, regardless of with or without environmental enrichment (P < 0.05). In addition, serum TNF-α levels were lower in the FR+EE and PNR+EE groups than in the FR+NEE and PNR+NEE groups (P < 0.05). These results indicated that the production system with environmental enrichment optimized both animal welfare and meat quality, providing a practical system for broiler production.

Indexed as

Animal welfareEnvironmental enrichmentRearing systemSlow-growing broiler

Identifiers

PMID42617259
PMCPMC13521016

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.