Effect of differently coloured clothes on fear and stress responses, some meat quality traits and performance in broilers
This study was conducted to investigate the effects of regular visual contact by the stockperson wearing clothes of different colour on fear and stress reactions, some meat quality traits and performance parameters in broiler chickens. A total of 192 one day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were r...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2014-08-01
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| Series: | Italian Journal of Animal Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.aspajournal.it/index.php/ijas/article/view/3453 |
| Summary: | This study was conducted to investigate the effects of regular visual contact by the stockperson wearing clothes of different colour on fear and stress reactions, some meat quality traits and performance parameters in broiler chickens. A total of 192 one day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to four different colour clothing groups (red, blue, green and gray), and two visual human contact groups (60 and 300 s durations) were designed. From day 15, the chickens were exposed to regular visual contacts with the stockperson, who wore different colour clothings every day. Tonic immobility (TI) test revealed that visual contact duration increase (300 s) has a positive effect on fear in broilers. The heterophil lymphocyte (H/L) ratio was the highest (0.89) in the green clothing group, but the lowest (0.45) in red clothing group (P<0.001). From meat quality traits in breast muscle (P<0.01) it was determined that clothing colour has statistically significant effects on lightness value. Final body weights were higher in blue coloured clothing group (2593.82 g) than the green one (2348.42). The results demonstrate that regular visual human contact has no effect on parameters such as H/L ratio, some blood parameters, meat quality, TI duration and performance traits, while colour of clothes has a significant effect on H/L ratio, lightness colour value, and body weight in broiler chickens. |
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| ISSN: | 1594-4077 1828-051X |