Abstract
Background: Darag is a native Philippine chicken breed valued for its resilience and adaptability to free-range systems. Gastrointestinal morphology reflects interactions among diet, environment, and host genetics; thus, comparative evaluation with commercial broilers provides insights into gut health and productivity. This study assessed cecal histomorphometry in Darag and broiler-type Redbro chickens and examined correlations with body weight and feed intake. Methods: Cecal samples were collected from 15 Darag and 15 Redbro chickens across five age groups (1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks; n = 3 birds per breed per age). Tunica muscularis thickness, villus height, villus width, crypt depth, and villus height-to-crypt depth (VH:CD) ratio were measured using ImageJ. Two-way ANOVA with Šidák post hoc tests and Pearson correlation analyses were performed. Results: Both breeds showed age-related increase in the measured parameters. Only at week 1, Redbro chickens had a greater tunica muscularis thickness than Darag chickens (p = 0.0198). No other between-breed comparisons were statistically significant (p > 0.05). Cecal parameters strongly correlated with body weight and feed intake, particularly muscular thickness (r = 0.9692–0.9921). Crypt depth correlated significantly in Redbro, while villus width was significant in Darag. VH:CD ratio showed strong negative correlations. Conclusion: Darag chickens showed numerically higher late-stage values for selected cecal parameters; however, there was no statistically significant between-breed differences.
Keywords
Chicken, Cecal histology, Darag, Villi