Effects of an Unexpected Change in Housing Environment on Stress in Poultry
2012
Kim, J.M., Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea | Yoon, H.S., Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea | Hwangbo, J., National Institute of Animal Science, RDA, Seonghwan, Republic of Korea | Kim, S.H., National Institute of Animal Science, RDA, Seonghwan, Republic of Korea | Choi, Y.H., Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of an unexpected change in housing environment on stress in poultry. Laying hens (Hy-line Brown), adapted to a free-range housing system for more than a month, were randomly divided into two groups to be subjected to an unexpected change of their housing environment: one half of them were individually housed into conventional battery cages and the other continually left in the same housing system throughout the entire period of the study. The sudden change resulted in an increase in egg production and albumen height (P less than 0.05), but decrease in eggshell thickness (P less than 0.05). The change had tendency to increase Haugh unit (P less-than or equal to 0.061) and to decrease eggshell color (P less-than or equal to 0.074), but did not affect body weight for 5 days thereafter. No significant changes were detected in liver color. Plasma concentrations of corticosterone was acutely increased one day after the change (P less than 0.05), then returned to similar control levels. The results of the present study indicate that unexpected changes in housing environment cause acute increase in stress hormone concentrations, but interpretation of the results should be cautious due to the experimental conditions.
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