Changes in selected haematological and biochemical parameters in debeaked pheasant hens during the laying period

Abstract

Summary:Changes in selected haematological and biochemical parameters during the laying period were monitored in pheasant hens kept in a cage system. Thermal cauterization of one-third of the upper part of the beak was performed before the birds were placed in the cage at the beginning of the laying period. Randomly selected pheasant hens were sampled for haematological and biochemical analysis at the beginning of the laying period, and the same hens were subsequently sampled after 6 and 12 weeks of the laying period. The results showed significant changes in the monitored haematological and biochemical parameters during egg laying. At the time when laying capacity approached a maximum, a fall was seen (P<0.05) in haematocrit, haemoglobin, erythrocytes and plasma glucose values, whereas leukocytes, lymphocytes, basophils and plasma uric acid exhibited an increase (P<0.05). At the end of the laying period, a higher (P<0.05) count of leukocytes, lymphocytes, eosinophils, basophils, monocytes, plasma alanine aminotransferase, uric acid, lactate and calcium concentrations were seen, whereas for haematocrit, heterophil to lymphocyte ratio, plasma total protein, and glucose lower (P<0.05) values were recorded in comparison with the values of the given indicators at the beginning of the laying period. The results determined provide new information about the dynamics of selected haematological and biochemical indicators in clinically healthy common pheasant layers during the course of the laying period.

Effect of predation risk and ectoparasitic louse flies on physiological stress condition of the red-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda) from Rapa Nui and Salas & Gómez islands

“…However, further studies are necessary to elucidate the exact origin of this observation. It has been reported that blood parameters commonly differ in relation to incubation stage in birds (Hõrak et al, 1998;Jakubas, Wojczulanis-Jakubas & Kreft, 2008;Hrabcakova et al, 2014;Wojczulanis-Jakubas et al, 2014;Wojczulanis-Jakubas et al, 2015). However, we were unable determine the laying date of the breeding birds to discriminated between early and late incubation stage to take this into account in our analyses.…”

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“…Polysaccharides silkrose contained in the 10% of pupae powder extract was assumed can increase the number of laying quail leukocytes which were experiencing stress on the production period. According to Hrabcakova et al (2014), a lot of factors that affect the levels of leukocytes in poultry i.e., genetic (species and strains), exposure to stress (stress may be temperature, environment uncomfortable cage, handling), system maintenance, feed, production period (starter, grower, layer) and the lighting program.…”