Abstract
Background: Due to the increasing consumer’s awareness of the impact of bird’s welfare on meat quality and overall nutritional value, the global demand for chicken meat production has been gradually shifting to slow-growing breeds. However, comparative data on slow-growing commercial and native chicken breeds are scarcely available. Methods: Tissue samples of the proventriculus and ventriculus from Darag and Hubbard Redbro that were raised at different time periods were processed using standard
staining technique for histomorphometric analysis. The measured histological parameters were then correlated with growth and selected production-related
variables. Results: The proventricular deep gastric gland lobule area (DGGA) and depth (DGGD) as well as the ventricular tubular glands and lamina propria thickness (TGLPT) were comparable between breeds except during the 8th week period wherein Darag
showed significantly higher TGLPT than Redbro. Interestingly, Darag exhibited a statistically significant strong positive correlation between DGGA and body weight, organ weight, and total feed consumption. Conversely, no significant correlation
was found in Redbro strain. Conclusion: The findings of this study offer novel information regarding the histomorphological characteristics of the Darag
chicken’s stomach, which can potentially provide insights in further optimizing the current aspects of its management and farm practices.
Keywords: Darag, Histomorphometry, Proventriculus, Ventriculus, Philippine native chicken