Comparative efficacy of different injectable anaesthetics in indigenous chicken

Indigenous chickens are the most commonly kept domestic animals in Pakistan and there are many large collections of this species at home and farm level. The demand for their veterinary care is increasing and hence the knowledge for the current methods of their restraint and sedation has become the present need. The study was conducted on thirty clinically healthy male chicken of twelve, to sixteen weeks of age and weight ranging from 1000-1200 grams. They were divided into three groups namely Group-A, B and C comprising ten chickens each. Each group was divided into subgroups i.e., Al, A2, B1, B2, & C1, C2. To study the effect of surgical stress, castration was performed on birds of subgroup A2, B2 and C2. Birds of the three groups A, B, and C, were anaesthetized with ketamine HCl at the rate of 20 mg/kg body weight, ketamine HCl (at the rate of 20 mg/kg body weight) + xylazine HCL (at the rate of 2 mg/kg body weight) and ketamine HCL (at the rate of 25 mg/kg body weight) + Diazepam (at the rate of 2.5 mg/kg body weight) intramuscularly, respectively. After getting anaesthesia, the effects on various body reflexes were recorded in order to assess the induction and surgical stage longevity. The time taken by Ketamine HCI to induce anaesthesia was 3.6 plus minus 0.22 minutes. Katamine HCI induced anaesthesia persisted upto 17 plus minus 0.88 minutes with the presence of corneal, palpebral and wing stretching, reflexes. The birds took 159.5 plus minus 2.90 minutes to recover. Ketamine HCL/Xylazine HCl took 9.6 plus minus 0.58 minutes to induce anesthesia which persisted for 30+ 1.84 minutes with almost complete absence of all reflexes. The birds took 90.4 plus minus 9.61 minutes to stand on their feet. Ketamine HCL/Diazepam induced anaesthesia within 5 plus minus 0.33 minutes for 38 plus minus 1.12 minutes with almost absence of corneal, palpebral, wing stretching and mandibular tone reflexes. The birds recovered after 162.4 plus minus 10.76 minutes. The analgesia & muscle relaxation was very poor in-group A as the birds of subgroup A2 exhibited severe pain and, resentment when they underwent caponization. It was very good in-group B & there was almost complete absence of all reflexes, during surgical anaesthesia so caponization was easily performed on birds of subgroup-B2. However in-group C, some birds showed unwanted movements (Excitement, shivering, backward pulling of neck) during the procedure. The results of this study clearly indicated that the combination comprising Ketamine HCl and Xylazine HCl proved to be an ideal cocktail to induce anaesthesia in the chicken. The study also proved that combination provided maximal analgesia, which is formally required for a major surgical intervention. The said combination provided excellent muscle relaxation with smooth induction and recovery. It was also concluded that cocktail consisting of Ketamine IICI and Diazepam can effectively be recommended for minor surgical exercises.