Behaviour, physiology and body mass of Nigerian indigenous hens during brooding

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the behaviour, selected physiological indicators and body mass changes in Nigerian indigenous broody hens. The times spent by the hens sitting on eggs and on ingestive behaviours (feeding and drinking) were monitored between 14:00 and 18:00 h twice per week for three weeks. The growth and physiological indicators monitored were body mass, rectal temperature, breast temperature and blood glucose concentration. Data collected were analysed using repeated measures ANOVA of SPSS having week as the repeated factor. The time spent by hens sitting on the eggs (88.09 ± 5.38 – 92.91 ± 2.35 %) and on ingestive behaviours (0.06 ± 0.03 – 0.11 ± 0.07 %) were similar at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd week of brooding. The blood glucose concentration was reduced at the 1st and 2nd but increased at the 3rd week while the breast temperature (BT) increased at the 1st and 2nd but dropped at the 3rd week. The rectal temperature and body mass did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) during the three weeks of the brooding process. In conclusion, natural brooding of embryos by hens under tropical conditions was accompanied by changes in body metabolism required for generation of heat which is transferred through the breast region of the hens to the eggs without necessarily resulting in higher rectal temperature of the hens.

An exploratory study on differences in maternal care between two ecotypes of Nigerian indigenous chicken hens

“…This implies that once BRD commenced, the hens' behaviors remained consistent irrespective of the stage of development of the embryo, until the chicks hatch. Iyasere et al ( 17 ) also observed consistent sitting on eggs and ingestive behavior in the YRE ecotype over the three weeks of BRD. Broodiness is controlled by the prolactin hormone ( 31 ).…”

“…It was our intention to have a minimum of 15 broody hens per ecotype, but within the 7-month experimental period (July 2021 and January 2022), only 10 out of 30 (33.3%) YRE and 5 out of 30 (16.7%) FLE hens became broody. A previous study by Iyasere et al ( 17 ) on BRD behavior, reported a 30% success of the YRE becoming broody in a similar intensive rearing system. The breakdown of when the hens became broody in the current study is as follows; July (three YRE and one FLE), September (three YRE), October (two YRE and one FLE), November (two YRE), and December (three FLE).…”

“…This implies that the hens were able to maintain their body temperatures at a level that was appropriate for the development of the embryo. Iyasere et al ( 17 ) previously reported that the rectal temperature of the YRE hens remained constant over the three weeks of BRD, but the breast temperature was higher during the first and second weeks than during the third week of BRD. The reason for this inconsistency could be related to the robust data available in the current study (hens' SBTs were measured three times a week and the average calculated per week), but a single measurement per week was taken in the study of Iyasere et al ( 17 ).…”

“…Since these two chicken ecotypes are reared under the scavenging system, selecting an ecotype with good productivity and mothering abilities will benefit the poultry industry. In the first, second, and third weeks of brooding, YRE hens spent 88–93% and 0.06–0.11% of their time sitting on the eggs and engaging in ingestive behavior, respectively ( 17 ). The YRE hens showed behavior indicative of distress (increased pacing) when separated from their chicks visually rather than physically ( 18 ).…”

Effects of Hexane Extract of Garlic on Hematological, Biochemical and Histological Parameters in F1 Crossbred Chicks Non-Infected and Infected with Salmonella typhimurium

“…The Nigeria native chickens are preferred by the population for their good source of protein, the flavour of their meat and eggs compared to exotic chickens. They are also characterised by their capacities to hatch their eggs, hardy and resistant to diseases (Iyasere et al 2019;Abou Zeid et al 2020). However, the productivity rate of these local chickens remains very low due to inadequate nutrition, poor disease management and unimproved genetic potential in terms of their body weight (Munisi et al 2015).…”