The purpose of the study was to specify full leukocytic responses in broilers to chronic intermittent noise exposure at two different levels (70 and 80 dB) and to assess the effect of the timing of the beginning of exposure to intermittent noise (from day 1 or day 7 of fattening). Noise treatment of 80 dB resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) elevation of heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (HLR) indicating a stress response of the broilers to the noise stimulus at the level of 80 dB in the course of fattening, in contrast to the 70 dB noise that did not cause any significant changes in HLR when compared to the control without noise treatment. Noise treatment of both 70 and 80 dB intensities also resulted in a significant elevation of basophil granulocytes. We found a different leukocytic response in broilers exposed to chronic intermittent noise from the first day of fattening in comparison to broilers exposed to this noise stimulus from the seventh day. There was a significantly smaller total number of leukocytes (P < 0.01) and significantly smaller differential counts of heterophils (P < 0.01), lymphocytes (P < 0.01) and basophils (P < 0.05) in broilers treated with noise (both 70 dB and 80 dB) from day 7 (group Day7) than in broilers treated with noise from day 1 (group Day 1). Differential counts of eosinophils and monocytes were not affected by the time of exposure to intermittent noise in this study.

• MeSH
• bazofily fyziologie   MeSH
• eozinofily fyziologie   MeSH
• hluk škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• hmotnostní přírůstek MeSH
• kur domácí krev   MeSH
• leukocyty fyziologie   MeSH
• počet leukocytů MeSH
• počet lymfocytů MeSH
• referenční hodnoty MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

In the perspective of animal protection and welfare, the most common and potentially the most frightening events encountered by the domestic fowl are procedures connected with transport. This study provides an evidence that reduction in floor space during crating, which is approximately 10% above requirements given to EEC Directives (accompanied with mixed social and heat stress due to high animal density), induces markedly elevated stress in broilers which is manifested by changes in haematological indices. The experiment was performed on ROSS 308 broilers (total number 70, mean body weight 3.05 kg). At 42 days of age, the broilers were crated for 2-hours either with reduction in floor space to 115 cm2/kg (S115) or 105 cm2/kg (S105) of body weight. The total erythrocyte and leukocyte count, haematocrit, haemoglobin, MCV (mean cell value), MCH (mean cell haemoglobin) and MCHC (mean cell haemoglobin concentration) values were monitored and differential leukocyte count was assessed 20 h following crating. When compared with uncrated control, S105 broilers exhibited highly significant increase in haemoglobin level, MCH and MCHC values, significant increase in MCV values and significant decrease in total erythrocyte count. S115 broilers did not manifest any significant changes in haematological parameters compared with control. When compared with S115 broilers, S105 broilers manifested significantly elevated haemoglobin level and MCV values, highly significantly elevated MCH and MCHC values and depressed erythrocyte count. It follows from results that the reduction in floor space to 115 cm2/kg for 2 hours did not induce any significant changes in both total and differential leukocyte counts in blood of broilers when compared with control chickens. However, reduction in floor space to 105 cm2/kg resulted in highly significant increase in heterophil counts and subsequently also HLR (heterophil/lymphocyte ratio) was significantly elevated. When compared S105 and S115 broilers, mean values of heterophil counts and HLR ratio were higher due to reduction in floor space to 105 cm2/kg. The differences, however, were not statistically significant.

• MeSH
• bydlení zvířat MeSH
• doprava MeSH
• erytrocytární znaky MeSH
• financování organizované MeSH
• fyziologický stres etiologie   krev   veterinární   MeSH
• imobilizace MeSH
• kur domácí krev   MeSH
• počet erytrocytů veterinární   MeSH
• počet leukocytů veterinární   MeSH
• podlahy a podlahové krytiny normy   MeSH
• pohoda zvířat MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH