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Maternal stress, the potential impact on broiler breeders and subsequent chick development Managing stress in broiler breeders has been a continual topic of discussion since the early 1980’s, but our understanding of stress and its influence on gastrointestinal health and reproductive performance in poultry has only recently received attention. R.E.A Forder and M. Lane School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy Campus, Roseworthy SA; bec.forder@ adelaide.edu.au
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Evidence from both mammalian and ecology literature, in regards to maternal stress and developmental programming, highlights the need for further investigation into the physiology and behaviour of hens during lay; to find novel strategies to alleviate stress and in turn potentially improve welfare and production outcomes of both the hen and her progeny.
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