Effect of Heat Stress and Stocking Density on Growth Performance, Breast Meat Quality, and Intestinal Barrier Function in Broiler Chickens

There is limited information on the interactive effects of heat stress (HS) and stocking density (SD) on broiler chickens. Our results indicated that both HS and high SD decreased broiler performance. HS affected intestinal barrier function by increasing intestinal permeability, but this result was not found with high SD. No interactive effects were observed between HS and SD for growth performance, meat quality, and intestinal barrier function in broiler chickens