Li Ziying, Zhong Chenjiahui, Zhou Rongkang, Liang Huilin, Liu Can, Lu Haopeng, Tan Guohua, Chen Wuhao, Mo Shuangyan, Chai Huimin, Qin Xingyue, Lv Yantao, Huang Yanhua, Wang Wei, Zhou Shuo, Liang Yayan, Peng Jie
The European meat pigeon is an economically important poultry species; however, the metabolic characteristics of its reproductive cycle remain poorly understood. This study investigated body weight, crop and ovarian development, and key metabolic indices in the plasma, liver, crop, and ovaries of male and female pigeons during incubation (days 0, 6, 12, and 18) and lactation (days 0, 7, 14, and 21). Pigeons displayed enhanced anabolism and weight gain during incubation, but intensified catabolism during lactation. Males markedly lost weight with slow recovery, whereas female weight declined early during lactation and gradually recovered. Plasma total cholesterol levels increased during incubation and subsequently decreased. Female triglyceride and glucose (GLU) levels initially decreased and then increased. Total antioxidant capacity and catalase activities were higher during incubation than during lactation, with significant sex-related differences. In females, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels increased and were higher, whereas malondialdehyde (MDA) levels decreased. Male testosterone and female progesterone and estradiol levels increased during incubation and then decreased. Hepatic GLU levels increased during incubation and decreased during late lactation. Albumin levels showed an overall increasing trend. Hepatic total superoxide dismutase activity and MDA levels were low during incubation and increased during lactation. Hepatic H2O2 levels increased and then decreased in males, and showed the opposite trend in females. The crop developed rapidly during incubation, but regressed quickly during lactation, especially in females. Female ovaries and follicles developed slowly during incubation but grew rapidly during lactation. Overall, the incubation period of meat pigeons was characterized by anabolic dominance, crop development, low oxidative stress, and follicular stasis in females. The transition to lactation induced a shift toward catabolism, post-peak crop regression, heightened oxidative stress, rapid ovarian development, and more rapid body weight recovery in females compared with males.