Effects of genotype on hematological and serum biochemical responses of turkey hens to stress
Stress accompanying animal production is both an indicator of welfare and a factor that affects economic parameters. Dynamic development of alternative poultry production systems such as outdoor, free range or ecological, strives to achieve best-quality products and to improve the living conditions...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2017-01-01
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| Series: | Archives Animal Breeding |
| Online Access: | http://www.arch-anim-breed.net/60/9/2017/aab-60-9-2017.pdf |
| Summary: | Stress accompanying animal production is both an indicator of
welfare and a factor that affects economic parameters. Dynamic development
of alternative poultry production systems such as outdoor, free range or
ecological, strives to achieve best-quality products and to improve the
living conditions of birds. Apart from the type and intensity of the
external stimuli, the response to stress is determined genetically. Poultry
rearing in the aforementioned systems requires selecting the appropriate
genotype of birds, often including crosses of fast-growing and slow-growing
lines. The objective of this study was to demonstrate differences in the
physiological response to stress of fast-growing (FG) and slow-growing (SG)
turkeys and their crosses: SF (SG × FG) and FS (FG × SG), based on
hematological and biochemical blood analyses. Blood was sampled from 30 turkey hens from each of four genotypes, aged 14 weeks, subjected to
standard pre-slaughter handling procedures. Compared to FG and FS turkeys,
the SG and SF birds had a high total protein concentration, a higher
heterophil (<i>H</i>) ∕ lymphocyte (<i>L</i>) ratio and a higher concentration of
cortisol. In turn, the FG turkeys had the highest activity of enzymes:
alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase,
creatine kinase. Conversely, the FS turkeys had the highest concentrations of
total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDLC) and the lowest
concentration of cortisol. Significant positive effects of crossing were
reported for total protein, cholinesterase and cortisol. Effects of
crossbreeding on the percentage of <i>H</i>, concentrations of total cholesterol,
and LDLC and activity of aspartate transaminase in blood of the crosses were
significant but negative and more dependent on the sire line. Except for
albumins, whose concentration in blood of crosses was higher compared to
birds of pure lines, there were no advantages of heterosis. Negative
heterosis was estimated for creatinine, the enzymes alanine transaminase and
lactate dehydrogenase, and for cortisol. The most similar regarding
creatinine, bilirubin, albumins, total protein, <i>H</i>, <i>L</i> and <i>H</i> ∕ <i>L</i> were the FS and
SF groups. The greatest differences were in the following parameters:
triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDLC), LDLC,
glucose and lactate, which occurred between the pure lines of turkeys. Study
results demonstrate various responses to stress in the analyzed groups of
turkeys, with the level of stress measured with hematological and biological
blood markers being mostly determined by additive genetic variation,
and to a lesser extent by the maternal and sire effects. |
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| ISSN: | 0003-9438 2363-9822 |