Cottonseed meal (CSM), an oil industry by-product, is an attractive alternative protein source in poultry diets. To investigate the effects of CSM on growth performance, small intestinal morphology, digestive enzyme activities, and serum biochemical parameters of geese, a total of 300 healthy, 28-day-old, male Jiangnan geese were randomly divided into 5 treatments, with 6 pens of 10 geese each. Five isonitrogenous and isocaloric experimental diets were formulated to produce diets in which 0% (control), 25% (CSM25), 50% (CSM50), 75% (CSM75), and 100% (CSM100) of protein from soybean meal was replaced by CSM (corresponding to 0, 6.73, 13.46, 20.18, and 26.91% CSM in the feed, respectively). At 28, 42, and 70 d, BW and feed intake for each pen were measured. Blood, small intestine, and chyme samples were collected at 70 d. The results showed that dietary 13.46% CSM or more decreased BW at 42 d and ADG from 28 to 42 d but increased the feed/gain ratio (F/G) from 28 to 42 d (P < 0.05). From 42 to 70 d, geese in the CSM groups had higher ADFI and ADG than those of the control group (P < 0.05). Geese in the CSM75 and CSM100 groups had a higher ADG from 28 to 70 d and BW at 70 d and a lower F/G from 42 to 70 d than those of the control group (P < 0.05). Dietary 6.73% CSM also improved ADFI from 28 to 70 d (P < 0.05). Compared to the control, geese in the CSM groups had decreased pepsin and lipase activities, and those in the CSM25, CSM50, and CSM75 groups had increased villus height in the jejunum at 70 d (P < 0.05). All groups had similar concentrations of total protein, blood urea nitrogen, uric acid, cholesterol, triglyceride, calcium, and phosphorus in serum (P > 0.05). In conclusion, excessive use of CSM (>6.73%) decreased growth performance at an early age (28 to 42 d) in geese, whereas 6.73 to 26.91% CSM in feed improved growth performance from 28 to 70 d.

A total of 240 28-d-old male goslings were used to investigate the effects of cottonseed meal (CSM) on performance, gossypol residue, liver function, lipid metabolism, and cecal microbiota. All birds were randomly allotted into five groups (eight goslings/replicate, six replicates/group) and subjected to a 35-d experiment. Five isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets were formulated to produce diets in which 0% (control), 25% (CSM25), 50% (CSM50), 75% (CSM75), and 100% (CSM100) of protein from soybean meal was replaced by protein from CSM. The free gossypol contents in the five diets were 0, 44, 92, 135, and 183 mg/kg, respectively. Dietary CSM did not affect the growth performance from 29 to 63 d and carcass traits at 63 d (P > 0.05). Liver gossypol residues were influenced (P < 0.05) by dietary CSM and increased linearly (P < 0.05) and quadratically (P < 0.05) as dietary CSM increased. The malondialdehyde content of the liver was lower in the CSM100 group than in the other groups (P < 0.05). Serum triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were influenced (P < 0.05) by dietary CSM and increased linearly (P < 0.05) with increasing dietary CSM. Dietary CSM altered (P < 0.05) the composition of some fatty acids in the liver and breast muscle. The concentration of linolenic acid and Σn-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) in the liver and breast muscle decreased linearly, but the Σn-6/Σn-3 PUFA ratio increased linearly with increasing dietary CSM (P < 0.05). Dietary CSM affected (P < 0.05) the hepatic gene expression of fatty acid synthase (FAS), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), and apolipoprotein B (ApoB). As the dietary CSM concentration increased, the hepatic gene expression of FAS increased linearly (P < 0.05) and quadratically (P < 0.05), but the hepatic gene expression of ACC and ApoB increased linearly (P < 0.05). The CSM diet decreased the relative abundance of the Bacteroidota and Bacteroides (P < 0.05), and the CSM50 diet increased the relative abundance of the Firmicutes and Colidextribacter (P < 0.05) compared to the control group. Overall, these results show that dietary CSM has no adverse effects on the performance of goslings from 29 to 63 d. However, CSM affected organismal lipid metabolism, reduced products’ edible value, and adaptively altered cecum microbiota. The shortage of feed resources and the rising price have become one of the significant challenges for animal husbandry worldwide. Considering the strong tolerance and adaptability to roughage of geese, less expensive crop byproducts are used in goose feed by animal nutritionists. Cottonseed meal (CSM) is a potential substitute for soybean meal, and the main concern for its use in poultry feed is free gossypol. This study aimed to investigate the effects of CSM on the performance, gossypol residue, liver function, lipid metabolism, and cecal microbiota in geese. Results showed that dietary CSM has no adverse effects on the performance and liver function of goslings. However, gossypol residue in goose liver increased with increasing dietary CSM. Besides, CSM affected organismal lipid metabolism, altered the tissue fatty acid composition, and adaptively changed cecum microbial microbiota. In summary, CSM is a good dietary protein source for geese, but further attention may be needed to its use for the edible value of goose products.

This study evaluated the changes in body weight (BW), muscle mass, and tibial parameters of growing domestic geese from hatching to 63 days. A total of 256 Jiangnan White geese (128 males and 128 females) were assigned to 16 pens (8 pens of males and 8 pens of females) and fed with the same diet until the age of 63 d. Geese were weighed at hatch and then at 7-d intervals by pen, and then sixteen birds (8 males and 8 females) were selected for measuring breast and leg muscle weights and tibial characteristics. The BW of goslings increased with age throughout the whole study, with males being significantly heavier than females after 28 d. The breast muscle (pectoral major and minor) weight increased slowly before 42 d and then increased rapidly after 42 d regardless of the sex of goslings. At 42 d, the breast muscle weight of males was significantly lower than that of females. Goose leg muscle (thigh and drumstick) weight increased slowly from 0 to 14 d, rapidly from 15 to 49 d, and almost flat from 50 to 63 d. At 63 d, the leg muscle weight of males was higher than that of females. The leg muscle of goslings grew synchronously with their BW, while the growth of the breast muscle lagged behind the leg muscle and BW. The tibia length and width increased with age, especially from hatching to 35 d and then remained with little change from 35 d onward. The fat-free weight and breaking strength of the tibia significantly increased with age, especially from 0 to 49 d. The tibia ash content of goslings increased rapidly before 28 d and gradually flattened after 28 d. During the growth of the tibia, changes in ash were considerably more advanced, followed by morphology and finally by fat-free weight and breaking strength. In summary, the BW, muscle mass, and tibial parameters of goslings showed sex differences after 28 d. After hatching, geese rapidly grew leg muscle and tibia to support their increased BW and movement.

This experiment aimed to investigate effects of the different dietary levels of vitamin E (VE) on the growth performance, immunity and antioxidant capacity of goslings. A total of 240 1-day-old, male Jiangnan white goslings were selected and randomly divided into 6 groups. Each treatment included five replicates. The basal diet was supplemented with 6 concentrations of VE (0, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 mg DL-α-tocopherol acetate/kg). The results were as follows: (1) The α-tocopherol content in the serum and liver of goslings increased linearly as supplemental VE increased in diet (p < 0.05). (2) The body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG) increased quadratically with increasing dietary VE supplementation (p < 0.05). Dietary VE supplementation could significantly reduce the feed/gain ratio (F/G) (p < 0.05). (3) Dietary supplementation with VE could significantly improve the contents of immunoglobulin A (IgA) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) in the serum of the goslings (p < 0.05). The content of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in the serum was significantly reduced with VE supplementation (p < 0.05). (4) Dietary supplementation with VE could significantly improve serum and liver catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and liver total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) (p < 0.05); Serum and liver MDA contents were significantly reduced with VE supplementation (p < 0.05). In summary, dietary supplementation with VE could improve growth performance, immunity and antioxidant capacity. Based on broken-line regression analysis, the dietary VE supplementation level for ADG was 12.51 mg/kg, but higher supplementation level should be considered to improve immunity and antioxidant capacity.

This study aims to investigate the effects of dietary vitamin C supplementation on vitamin C synthesis, transport, and egg deposition in breeding geese. A total of 450 female and 90 male 221-day-old Yangzhou geese were randomly assigned to five treatment groups with six replicates each (15 females and 3 males per replicate). The control group received a basal diet, while the other four groups were fed diets supplemented with 100, 200, 300, and 400 mg/kg vitamin C over a 16-week feeding trial. The results showed that dietary vitamin C supplementation increased the vitamin C content in both serum and egg yolks and modulated the expression of key vitamin C-related genes. Specifically, the intestinal and ovarian sodium-dependent vitamin C transporters 1 and 2 (SVCT1/SVCT2) were upregulated, whereas hepatic and renal L-Gulonolactone oxidase (GLO) and SVCT1 were suppressed. These findings indicate that exogenous vitamin C enhances intestinal absorption, inhibits hepatic synthesis, and promotes yolk deposition, with 300 mg/kg emerging as an effective and practical supplementation level that provides a physiological basis for its application in poultry nutrition.

Background and Aim: As living standards improve and consumption patterns shift, the market for goose meat continues to grow because of its exceptional dietary quality and distinctive flavor. The composition and content of amino acids are critical for determining the nutritional value and flavor of meat. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional value and flavor of 10 Chinese native geese germplasms based on their amino acid content and composition. Materials and Methods: A total of 568 geese from 10 Chinese native geese germplasms reared under identical conditions were slaughtered at 10 weeks of age. The pectoralis and thigh muscles (thighs) were collected to determine the amino acid content using an amino acid analyzer. Subsequently, diversity, variance, cluster, and principal component analyses were performed to identify superior germplasm with improved nutrition and flavor. Results: The results revealed 17 amino acids in goose meat, with Glutamate and Aspartate being the most abundant. The amino acid scores of goose meat exceeded the values recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization. The Shannon–Wiener Diversity Index (1.72–2.07) indicated a high degree of diversity in amino acid content among geese germplasms. The pectoralis exhibited significantly higher amino acid content (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01) than the thigh, except for the essential amino acids to total amino acids ratio (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). The 10 germplasms were categorized into four clusters, with Wanxi (WX) and Taizhou (TZ) geese grouped in Cluster I, displaying significantly higher nutritional value and flavor (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01) than other germplasms. Conclusion: Germplasms with superior nutritional value and flavor (WX and TZ) were identified among 10 Chinese native geese germplasms, providing valuable insights for the conservation of existing germplasms and the cultivation of new goose breeds with improved meat quality. Keywords: amino acids, diversity analysis, flavor, geese germplasms evaluation, nutrition.