Research Note: Quantifying corticosterone in turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) feathers using ELISA

Leishman, Emily M.; Freeman, Nikole E.; Newman, Amy E. M.; Staaveren, Nienke van; Wood, Benjamin J.; Harlander-Matauschek, Alexandra; Baes, Christine F.

doi:10.1016/j.psj.2020.06.075

Cited by 11 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…However, if a metabolite is measured in juvenal primary 9, this should reflect the average circulating level during weeks 3 to 14 of life. This pattern may be an important factor when deciding which feather to use for measurement depending on the experimental design and to make inferences about certain stressors ( Leishman et al, 2020 ). Furthermore, our findings reinforce the need to use the same primary consistently across individuals when measuring feather metabolites to ensure it reflects the deposition over the same period.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Wing feathers were chosen as they are easily identifiable making repeated sampling within and between individuals consistent. This was done as part of a larger project aimed at developing novel welfare phenotypes in domestic turkey breeding ( Malchiodi et al, 2019 ), where we are particularly interested in using feather corticosterone as a noninvasive measurement ( Leishman et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Describing the growth and molt of modern domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) primary wing feathers

Leishman

Staaveren

McIntyre³

et al. 2020

Journal of Animal Science

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The use of feathers as non-invasive physiological measurements of biomarkers in poultry research is expanding. Feather molting pattern and growth rates, however, are not well described in domestic poultry. These parameters could influence the measurement of these biomarkers. Therefore, the objective of this study was to describe the juvenile primary feather molting pattern and feather growth rates for domestic turkeys. The ten primary wing feathers of 48 female turkeys were measured weekly from week 1 (0 days of age) to week 20. Feathers were manually measured, and the presence or absence of each primary feather recorded weekly. Generalized linear mixed models were used to investigate if feather growth differed between the primary feathers. The molting of the juvenile primary feathers followed a typical descending pattern starting with P1 (5 weeks of age) while P9 and P10 had not molted by the end of the study (20 weeks of age). Average feather growth rate was 2.4 cm/week, although there was a significant difference between the ten primary feathers (P<0.0001, 2.1 – 2.8 cm/week). Over time, feather growth followed a pattern where growth rate reaches a peak and then declines until the feather is molted. The results of this study provide a critical update of patterns of molting and feather growth in primary wing feathers of modern turkeys. This can have implications for the interpretation of physiological biomarkers, such as the longitudinal deposition of corticosterone, in the feathers of domestic turkeys.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Describing the growth and molt of modern domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) primary wing feathers

Leishman

Staaveren

McIntyre³

et al. 2020

Journal of Animal Science

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“…The FCORT extraction protocol is based on methods described by Leishman et al [22]. The whole feather was rinsed with water after collection to remove any dust/debris.…”

Section: Fcort Extractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Samples were run across 16 ELISA plates (same as used for PCORT analysis) in duplicate. This assay kit has been previously validated for use with domestic turkey primary feathers [22]. Intra-and inter-assay coefficients of variation were 4.1% and 3.2%, respectively.…”

Section: Assay Evaluation and Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Effect of Egg Laying on Feather and Plasma Corticosterone Concentrations in Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) Hens

Leishman

Staaveren

Mohr³

et al. 2021

Animals

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Phenological differences in energy demand (i.e., reproductive status) might influence the measurement of corticosterone. The objective of this study was to compare corticosterone concentrations in feathers (FCORT) and plasma (PCORT) for turkey hens before and during egg laying. Secondary feathers 1 and 3, and a plasma sample were collected from 50 hens at 30 weeks (before egg laying) from two purebred lines. The hens were reexamined during lay (45 weeks) to collect regrown feathers and plasma samples. Corticosterone concentrations were measured using an ELISA. Linear mixed models were used to assess the effect of genetic line (A vs. B) and period (pre-lay vs. lay) on FCORT and PCORT levels. An increase in FCORT during lay was detected for line B (p < 0.0001), but not line A (p = 0.3076). An increase in FCORT during lay was detectable in both feather types, but there was a difference between secondary 1 and 3 in FCORT concentration within each line studied. Conversely, PCORT decreased between the pre-lay and lay periods for both lines, although the decrease was more substantial for line A (p < 0.0001). Differences in metabolic investment in egg production between the two genetic lines may explain the different FCORT response during lay. The results from this study provide insight into how periods of high energy demand may influence corticosterone which should be considered when interpreting results.

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Biomarkers of heat stress and mechanism of heat stress response in Avian species: Current insights and future perspectives from poultry science

Oladokun

Adewole²

2022

Journal of Thermal Biology

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Research Note: Quantifying corticosterone in turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) feathers using ELISA

Cited by 11 publications

References 9 publications

Describing the growth and molt of modern domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) primary wing feathers

Describing the growth and molt of modern domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) primary wing feathers

The Effect of Egg Laying on Feather and Plasma Corticosterone Concentrations in Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) Hens

Biomarkers of heat stress and mechanism of heat stress response in Avian species: Current insights and future perspectives from poultry science

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