Effects of Heat Stress on the Daily Behavior of Wenchang Chickens

ABSTRACT One-day old chicks were randomly distributed into acute heat stress (AHS) or persistent heat stress (PHS) groups. Each group was further divided into control (CK), and three AHS ages (1, 2,or 3 weeks of age) experimental subgroups. The chicks in AHS subgroups were submitted to acute heat st...

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Main Authors: M Li, J Wu, Z Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Fundação APINCO de Ciência e Tecnologia Avícolas 2015-12-01
Series:Brazilian Journal of Poultry Science
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-635X2015000400559&lng=en&tlng=en
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author M Li
J Wu
Z Chen
author_facet M Li
J Wu
Z Chen
author_sort M Li
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT One-day old chicks were randomly distributed into acute heat stress (AHS) or persistent heat stress (PHS) groups. Each group was further divided into control (CK), and three AHS ages (1, 2,or 3 weeks of age) experimental subgroups. The chicks in AHS subgroups were submitted to acute heat stress (40oC for two hours between 12:00 and 14:00 hours during the weekend) and the effects of heat stress on several daily behaviors were observed. At 8 days of age, the chicks of PHS subgroups were submitted to heat stress (40oC daily). The heat treatment ceased during the weekends and the effects on the behavior were observed three times daily for three consecutive days. The results showed that, compared with the CK group, the duration and frequency of drinking and lying-down behaviors of the AHS birds increased, whereas the duration of feeding and standing significantly decreased (p<0.01). The time spent walking by PHS birds was significantly longer than that of the CK groups (p<0.01), and drinking was also significantly longer than that of the CK group and was significantly different when birds were three weeks old (p=0.05). When heat stress lasted for two and three weeks in PHS group, the duration of lying down was longer compared with the CK group; however, this behavior was significantly shorter than the CK group when birds were three weeks old (p<0.05). These results indicate that heat stress significantly affects the daily behavior of broilers, including feeding, drinking, lying, standing, and walking.
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spelling doaj.art-d149dd3c15e94427a9aa74921cb803aa2022-12-22T02:02:01ZengFundação APINCO de Ciência e Tecnologia AvícolasBrazilian Journal of Poultry Science1806-90612015-12-0117455956610.1590/1516-635X1704559-566S1516-635X2015000400559Effects of Heat Stress on the Daily Behavior of Wenchang ChickensM LiJ WuZ ChenABSTRACT One-day old chicks were randomly distributed into acute heat stress (AHS) or persistent heat stress (PHS) groups. Each group was further divided into control (CK), and three AHS ages (1, 2,or 3 weeks of age) experimental subgroups. The chicks in AHS subgroups were submitted to acute heat stress (40oC for two hours between 12:00 and 14:00 hours during the weekend) and the effects of heat stress on several daily behaviors were observed. At 8 days of age, the chicks of PHS subgroups were submitted to heat stress (40oC daily). The heat treatment ceased during the weekends and the effects on the behavior were observed three times daily for three consecutive days. The results showed that, compared with the CK group, the duration and frequency of drinking and lying-down behaviors of the AHS birds increased, whereas the duration of feeding and standing significantly decreased (p<0.01). The time spent walking by PHS birds was significantly longer than that of the CK groups (p<0.01), and drinking was also significantly longer than that of the CK group and was significantly different when birds were three weeks old (p=0.05). When heat stress lasted for two and three weeks in PHS group, the duration of lying down was longer compared with the CK group; however, this behavior was significantly shorter than the CK group when birds were three weeks old (p<0.05). These results indicate that heat stress significantly affects the daily behavior of broilers, including feeding, drinking, lying, standing, and walking.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-635X2015000400559&lng=en&tlng=enHeat stressbroiler behaviorbehavioral observationsWenchang chicken
spellingShingle M Li
J Wu
Z Chen
Effects of Heat Stress on the Daily Behavior of Wenchang Chickens
Brazilian Journal of Poultry Science
Heat stress
broiler behavior
behavioral observations
Wenchang chicken
title Effects of Heat Stress on the Daily Behavior of Wenchang Chickens
title_full Effects of Heat Stress on the Daily Behavior of Wenchang Chickens
title_fullStr Effects of Heat Stress on the Daily Behavior of Wenchang Chickens
title_full_unstemmed Effects of Heat Stress on the Daily Behavior of Wenchang Chickens
title_short Effects of Heat Stress on the Daily Behavior of Wenchang Chickens
title_sort effects of heat stress on the daily behavior of wenchang chickens
topic Heat stress
broiler behavior
behavioral observations
Wenchang chicken
url http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-635X2015000400559&lng=en&tlng=en
work_keys_str_mv AT mli effectsofheatstressonthedailybehaviorofwenchangchickens
AT jwu effectsofheatstressonthedailybehaviorofwenchangchickens
AT zchen effectsofheatstressonthedailybehaviorofwenchangchickens