THE "BROILER BREEDER PARADOX" DESCRIBES THE CURRENT MANAGEMENT SITUATION IN WHICH FEED RESTRICTION SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN THEHEALTH, LIVABILITY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF BREEDER HENS NEVERTHELESS ALSO RESULTS IN BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC HUNGER. MANYCHRONIC HUNGER BEHAVIORS REFLECT COPING STRATEGIES AND SO ARE REFLECTIVE OF STRESS THAT MANY BELIEVE MAY ALSO MANIFEST IN NON-BEHAVIORAL (PHYSIOLOGICAL) INDICATORS OF STRESS. OUR PROJECT AIMS TO ADDRESS AN ALTERNATIVE TO CURRENT RESTRICTED FEEDING THAT USESNATIVE SIGNALING PATHWAYS TO BOTH REDUCE APPETITE AND STRESS SIGNALING. THESE EFFECTS ARE ACHIEVED BY A PROBIOTIC (NAPE-ECN) THAT PROVIDES THE ENZYMATIC ACTIVITY TO PRODUCE LIGANDS CALLED N-ACYLETHANOLAMINES (NAE) THAT ACTIVATE A GROUP OF RECEPTORSRELATED TO ENDOCANNABINOID SIGNALING. THERE ARE COMPLEX INTERACTIONS AMONG LIGANDS AND SOME 6 RECEPTORS THAT WE WILL REFER TOCOLLECTIVELY AS ENDOCANNABINOID SIGNALING SYSTEM (ECBS). BECAUSE THE ECBS INTEGRATES MULTIPLE FACTORS THAT REGULATE FEEDINTAKE, SATIETY AND GASTROINTESTINAL PHYSIOLOGY THROUGH ACTIVATION OF NEURONS THAT CARRY INFORMATION TO AND FROM THE BRAIN, THEPROBIOTIC NAPE-ECN HOLDS THE PROMISE TO REDUCE METABOLIC HUNGER IN FEED RESTRICTED HENS WHILE IMPROVING BEHAVIOR AND OVERALLBREEDER WELFARE. IN THE SHORT TERM THIS STUDY IDENTIFIES A NEW PHYSIOLOGICAL SYSTEM THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDEREXPLORED IN REGARDS TOITS EFFECTS ON APPETITE, BEHAVIOR AND GUT HEALTH IN AVIANS. IN THE LONGER TERM, UNDERSTANDING THIS SYSTEM COULD ENABLE THEDEVELOPMENT OF ADDITIONAL NOVEL MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE GUT HEALTH AND BEHAVIORS IN POULTRY GENERALLY.