Effects of feeding high-moisture corn on performance, meat quality, and cecal microbiota of Jinling Yellow chickens.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of high- moisture corn (HMC) on the performance, meat quality, and cecal microbiota of Jinling Yellow chickens. A total of 216 healthy male Jinling Yellow chickens were randomly assigned to three dietary groups: a control group (CK, 100% dry cracked corn), an HMC50% group (50% dry cracked corn + 50% HMC), and an HMC100% group (100% HMC). Each group consisted of three replicate pens with 24 birds per pen, and the trial included a 7‑day adaptation period followed by a 60‑ day feeding period. On day 60, growth performance, slaughter traits, muscle nutrients, meat quality, untargeted metabolomics, and cecal 16S rRNA sequencing were evaluated. The HMC100% group showed significantly lower average daily gain (ADG) than the CK group (p < 0.05). The HMC50% group had significantly increased muscle valine, isoleucine, linoleic acid, and arachidonic acid (p < 0.05). Metabolomics identified 405 differential metabolites, with amino acid biosynthesis and glutathione metabolism significantly enriched, and high Ratio values for unsaturated fatty acid and glycerophospholipid pathways indicating lipid metabolism trends. The cecal Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio increased, with Weissella enriched and Lactobacillus decreased; these microbial shifts correlated with fatty acid changes. These findings suggest that 50% HMC is the optimal inclusion level, which reshapes the cecal microbiota and improves meat quality through modulation of host lipid and amino acid metabolism.