The study aims to promote and enhance local breeds of chickens through the development of their crossbreeds for the promotion of alternative supply chains (meat and eggs). The know-how resulting from the project can therefore serve to improve the diffusion, sustainability, consumer acceptance and competitiveness of alternative poultry production systems, partly by exploiting the productivity gap between these systems. In fact, the alternative breeding system is mainly based on the use of pastures, high animal welfare standards, low intake diets (local ingredients, low protein and energy content) and chickens adapted outside; on the other hand, conventional systems established standard diets (high percentage of proteins and energy), high stocking density (33 kg / m2 for broilers and 0.75 m2 / hen) and high-performance hybrids with serious critical issues animal welfare. The evaluation of the autochthonous genotypes, which describes significant sources of Italian poultry biodiversity, is carried out and the results compared, both in an alternative and commercial breeding system with a complete factorial model. Specifically, we want to study an index of adaptability based on the behavior, well-being, immune response of animals in the various breeding systems, also through the study of some molecular mechanisms key factor in adaptation. To complete the research, we want to carry out evaluations, such as: Lyfe cycle, analysis of multicriteria in alternative and conventional breeding systems as well as low-input diets.
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• PRIN: Progetti di Ricerca di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale – Bando 2017 Prot. 2017S229WC

• Castellini C., Mugnai C., Moscati L., Mattioli S., Amato M. Guarino, Mancinelli A. Cartoni, Dal Bosco A. - Adaptation to organic rearing system of eight different chicken genotypes: Behaviour, welfare and performance - (2016) Italian Journal of Animal Science, vol. 15, p. 37-46, ISSN: 1594-4077, doi: 10.1080/1828051X.2015.1131893
• Dal Bosco A., Mugnai C., Mattioli S., Rosati A., Ruggeri S., Ranucci D., Castellini C. - Transfer of bioactive compounds from pasture to meat in organic free-range chickens - (2016) Poultry Science, vol. 95, p. 2464-2471, ISSN: 0032-5791, doi:10.3382/ps/pev383
• Ferrante V., Mugnai C., Ferrari L., Marelli SP., Spagnoli E., Lolli S. - Stress and reactivity in three Italian chicken breeds - (2016) Italian Journal of Animal Science, vol. 15, p. 303-309, ISSN: 1594-4077,doi: 10.1080/1828051X.2016.1185978
• Dal Bosco A., Mattioli S., Ruggeri S., Mugnai C., Castellini C. - Effect of slaughtering age in different commercial chicken genotypes reared according to the organic system: 2. Fatty acid and oxidative status of meat - (2014) Italian Journal of Animal Science, vol. 13, p. 462-466, ISSN: 1594-4077, doi: 10.4081/ijas.2014.3311
• Dal Bosco A., Mattioli S., Ruggeri S., Mugnai C., Castellini C. - Effect of slaughtering age in different commercial chicken genotypes reared according to the organic system: 1. Welfare, carcass and meat traits - (2014) Italian Journal of Animal Science, vol. 13, p. 467-472, ISSN: 1594-4077, doi: 10.4081/ijas.2014.3308
• Dal Bosco A., Mugnai C., Rosati A., Paoletti A., Caporali S., Castellini C. - Effect of range enrichment on performance, behavior, and forage intake of free-range chickens - (2014) Journal of Applied Poultry Research, vol. 23, p. 137-145,ISSN: 1056-6171, doi: 10.3382/japr.2013-00814
• Mugnai C., N Sossidou E., Dal Bosco A., Ruggeri R., Mattioli S., Castellini C. - The effects of husbandry system on the grass intake and egg nutritive characteristics of laying hens - (2014) Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, vol. 94, p. 459-467, ISSN: 0022-5142, doi: 10.1002/jsfa.6269
• Dal Bosco A., Ruggeri S., Mattioli S., Mugnai C., Sirri F., Castellini C. - Effect of faba bean (Vicia faba var. minor) inclusion in starter and growing diet on performance, carcass and meat characteristics of organic slow-growing chickens - (2013) Italian Journal of Animal Science, vol. 12, p. 472-478, ISSN: 1594-4077, doi: 10.4081/ijas.2013.e76
• Dal Bosco A., Mugnai C., Ruggeri S., Mattioli S., Castellini C. - Fatty acid composition of meat and estimated indices of lipid metabolism in different poultry genotypes reared under organic system - (2012) Poultry Science, vol. 91, p. 2039-2045, ISSN: 1525-3171, doi: 10.3382/ps.2012-02228
• Castellini C., Boggia A., Cortina C., Dal Bosco A., Paolotti L., Novelli E., Mugnai C. - A multicriteria approach for measuring the sustainability of different poultry production systems - (2012) Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 37, p. 192-201, ISSN: 0959-6526, doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2012.07.006

• Laboratorio genetica molecolare DSV, Università di Torino

• Castellini Cesare - Professore Associato confermato Università degli Studi di Perugia
• Birolo Marco - Ricercatore a t.d. - t.pieno (art. 24 c.3-a L. 240/10) Università degli Studi di Padova
• Alamprese Cristina - Professore Associato (L. 240/10) Università degli Studi di Milano
• Petracci Massimiliano - Professore Associato (L. 240/10) Università degli Studi di Bologna