EU-MeatChanges

D.D. del MUR n. 104 del 02/02/2022

Codice progetto MUR: 

CUP: 20228ANBKH

Sostegno finanziario UE: 70.380,00 €

Durata: 14/10/2023 - 13/10/2025

Coordinatore di progetto: Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Science, University of Perugia 

Ruolo UNIBO: RL

Responsabile Scientifico: Massimiliano Petracci

Gruppo di ricerca: Massimiliano Petracci, Federico Sirri, Francesca Soglia, Marco Zampiga, Jonathan Dayan.

Ambiti di ricerca: Zootecnia

Objectives and Goals

The aim of the project is to characterize the metabolic response of ECC-approved strains according to management conditions (nutritional needs), resistance and resilience to environmental challenges (heat stress) and some genotypes-related factors (kinetic behaviours) that can occur in the productive scenario, in less-intensive farming systems, in order to evaluate the suitability of these genotypes for market requirements in terms of product quality, growth performance, production sustainability and animal welfare.

Expected Results

The key result expected by the project is the definition of management conditions for the optimal use of ECC-genotypes, with the aim to optimize the utilization of novel ECC-approved chicken genotypes for large-scale production, providing also information concerning their responses to environmental stressors in terms of growth performance, product qual-ity and animal welfare.

Results achieved

The project has completed the planned experimental activities aimed at characterizing poultry genotypes approved by the European Chicken Commitment, with particular reference to Ranger Gold and Kabir, respectively classified as medium- and slow-growing strains, in comparison with the conventional fast-growing Ross 308 hybrid. The experimental trials were carried out by the Universities of Perugia, Padova and Bologna under coordinated protocols, addressing the effects of increased kinetic activity, heat stress exposure, environmental enrichment and dietary modulation through low-protein feeding strategies. Productive performance, welfare indicators, metabolic traits, slaughtering traits, environmental impact and meat quality were assessed across the different experimental conditions.

The results highlighted that ECC-approved strains cannot be considered as a homogeneous category, since relevant differences emerged between Ranger Gold and Kabir in terms of growth pattern, behaviour, productive performance, muscle metabolism, oxidative status and meat quality traits. Ranger Gold showed an intermediate profile between Kabir and Ross 308, combining acceptable productive performance with favourable behavioural and quality-related characteristics. These findings suggest that medium-growing genotypes may represent a suitable compromise for production systems aiming to comply with ECC standards while maintaining an adequate balance among productivity, animal welfare and product quality.

The project also provided evidence that slower-growing strains require genotype-specific rearing and feeding strategies. In particular, the results support the need to adapt stocking conditions, environmental enrichment, opportunities for movement and nutritional programmes to the biological characteristics and resilience of each genotype. Low-protein diets may contribute to reducing the environmental burden associated with feed formulation,

although the lower productivity of slower-growing strains requires careful evaluation of economic, commercial and environmental trade-offs.

Overall, the results provide a scientific basis for the development of sustainable rearing strategies for ECC-compliant poultry production systems. The project outputs included the completion of the planned experimental trials, the organization of project meetings, the dissemination of results at scientific conferences and the preparation/submission of scientific articles. The findings support a multi-criteria approach to strain selection and management, integrating productive efficiency, animal welfare, meat quality, environmental impact and consumer expectations within a One Welfare perspective.