K. Ghareeb
Department of Animal Behaviour and Mangement, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,South Valley University, Qena, Egypt
J. Bohm
Department of Veterinary Public Health and Food Science, Institute of Nutrition,University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterin�rplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
ABSTRACT
There is a growing interest concerning the welfare problems associated with harvesting, transportation and pre-slaughter handling of broilers. Transportation is a multifactor process associated with a variety of stressors which may covertly reduce welfare. Plasma corticosterone is elevated following a road which is consistent with the post-transport increase of heterophil: lymphocyte ratios (H/L ratios). Plasma corticosterone was compared with H/L ratio responses to various stressors and the latter was the better indicator of stress in poultry. In the present study, stress responses were evaluated in broiler chickens fed for 5 weeks a synbiotic Biomin® IMBO (a combination of Enterococcus faecium), a pre-biotic (derived from chicory) and immune modulating substances (derived from sea algae), with a dose of 1 kg/ ton of the starter diets and 0.5 kg/ton of the grower diets). The birds were subjected to 80 km transport journey (90 min approximately). Heterophil (H) counts, Lymphocyte (L) counts and Heterophil to Lymphocyte (H/L) ratios were determined immediately on arrival and at 24 h following birds transport. The H/L ratios decreased after 24 h from arrival from transport journey by about 17 % for birds fed synbiotic BIOMIN IMBO compared with controls. However, a non significant increase in L counts and a non significant decrease in H counts and H/L ratios at 24 h following birds transport for birds fed BIOMIN IMBO compared with controls. In conclusion, feeding of BIOMIN IMBO relatively modulates the stress indicator of transported birds and relatively enhances tolerance to stress after pre-slaughter handling and transportation.
PDF References Citation
How to cite this article
K. Ghareeb and J. Bohm, 2009. Stress Indicators to Pre-Slaughter Transportation of Broiler Chickens Fed Diets Supplemented with a Synbiotic. International Journal of Poultry Science, 8: 621-625.
DOI: 10.3923/ijps.2009.621.625
URL: https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=ijps.2009.621.625
DOI: 10.3923/ijps.2009.621.625
URL: https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=ijps.2009.621.625
REFERENCES
- Bayliss, P.A. and M.H. Hinton, 1990. Transportation of broilers with special reference to mortality rates. Applied Anim. Behav. Sci., 28: 93-118.
Direct Link - Cashman, P.J., J.C. Nicol and R.B. Jones, 1989. Effects of transportation on the tonic immobility fear reactions of broilers. Br. Poult. Sci., 30: 211-221.
CrossRefDirect Link - Freeman, B.M., P.J. Kettlewell, A.C.C. Manning and P.S. Berry, 1984. The stress of transportation of broilers. Vet. Rec., 114: 286-287.
PubMed - Ghareeb, K., W.A. Awad, S. Nitsch, S. Abdel-Raheem and J. Bohm, 2008. Effects of transportation on stress and fear responses of growing broilers supplemented with prebiotic or probiotic. Int. J. Poult. Sci., 7: 678-685.
CrossRefDirect Link - Gross, W.B., 1990. Effect of exposure to a short duration sound and the stress response of chickens. Avain Dis., 34: 759-761.
PubMed - Gross, W.B. and H.S. Siegel, 1983. Evaluation of the heterophil/lymphocyte ratio as a measure of stress in chickens. Avian Dis., 27: 972-979.
CrossRefPubMedDirect Link - Huff, G.R., W.E. Huff, C. Enders, U. Sonnenborn, M.B. Farnell, F.S.D.L. Santos and A.M. Donoghue, 2006. Oral treatment with the probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 improves body weight and modulates the stress response of poultry in respiratory challenges with avian pathogenic E. coli. Proceedings of the 12th European Poultry Conference, September 10-14, 2006, Verona, Italty, pp: 1-6.
Direct Link - Khajavi, M., S. Rahimi, Z.M. Hassan, M.A. Kamali and T. Mousavi, 2003. Effect of feed restriction early in life on humoral and cellular immunity of two commercial broiler strains under heat stress conditions. Br. Poult. Sci., 44: 490-497.
CrossRefDirect Link - Knowles, T.G. and D.M. Broom, 1990. The handling and transport of broilers and spent hens. Applied Anim. Behav. Sci., 28: 75-91.
Direct Link - Maxwell, M.H., 1993. Avian blood leucocyte responses to stress. World Poult. Sci. J., 49: 34-43.
CrossRef - Mitchell, M.A. and P.J. Kettlewell, 1998. The physiological stress and welfare of broiler chickens in transit: Solutions not problems. Poult. Sci., 77: 1803-1814.
Direct Link - Mitchell, M.A., P.J. Kettlewell and M.H. Maxwell, 1992. Indications of physiological stress in broiler chickens during road transportations. Anim. Welfare, 1: 91-103.
Direct Link - Maxwell, M.H., 1993. Preslaughter handling and transport of broiler chickens. Applied Anim. Behav. Sci., 28: 57-73.
Direct Link - Rahimi, S. and A. Khaksefidi, 2006. A comparison between the effects of a probiotic (Bioplus 2B) and an antibiotic (Virginiamycin) on the performance of broiler chickens under heat stress conditions. Iran. J. Vet. Res., 7: 23-28.
Direct Link - Robertson, G.W. and M.H. Maxwell, 1990. Modified staining techniques for avain blood cells. Br. Poult. Sci., 31: 881-886.
PubMed - Satterlee, D.G., I. Aguilera-Quintana, B.J. Munn and B.A. Krautmann, 1989. Vitamin C amelioration of the adrenal stress response in broiler chickens being prepared for slaughter. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A Comp. Physiol., 94A: 569-574.
PubMed - Warris, P.D., E.A. Bevan and S.N. Brown, 1990. Time spent by broiler chickens in transit to processing plants. Vet. Rec., 127: 617-619.
Direct Link