Behavioural s tudy of broiler chickens, reared in ecological stress, after provoking and treatment of muscular dystrophy
2008
Bozakova, N. | Stoyanchev, Kr. | Girginov, D. | Stoyanchev, T.
Increased air temperature and humidity, and the constant exposure to ammonia concentrations close to upper allowed limits are common phenomena in floor-reared birds. They result in reduced natural resistance of birds, more severe course of a number of diseases and more difficult treatment of existing disorders. Every alteration related to avian health is influencing their behaviour too. The aim of the present study was to follow the behavioural changes of broiler chickens, reared in ecological stress conditions, after induction and treatment of muscular dystrophy. The study was performed on 20 broiler chickens, reared under stress microclimatic conditions- high temperature, humidity and concentration of ammonia. The birds were divided into two groups: group I (control group) and group II – birds with nutritionally induced muscular dystrophy. The rearing period lasted from the age of 1 to 60 days. Chickens' behaviour was recorded by momentary visual observation at 15-minute intervals for a total time of 6 hours. The ingestive behaviour (ingestion of food and water), the gregarious behaviour (resting, movements, and dust bathing), the sexual behaviour and the agonistic behaviour (conflicts) were observed. In conditions of ecological stress muscular dystrophy in experimental birds is manifested by significantly higher number of lying chickens and a lower number of ingesting, walking and dust bathing birds compared to controls (p 0.01). At this time the number of conflicts in control birds was higher than in experimental birds (p 0.01).Three days after the end of the treatment, the difference in the feeding behaviour between experimental and control birds was preserved (p 0.01), due to stressful microclimatic rearing conditions.
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