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Age-Related Effects of Catching, Crating, and Transportation at Different Seasons on Core Body Temperature and Physiological Blood Parameters in Broilers

S. Yalçin^*, S. Özkan^*, G. Oktay, M. Çabuk, Z. Erbayraktar and S. F. Bilgili

^* Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ege University
Dokuz Eylul University, Faculty of Medicine Izmir-Turkey
Auburn University, Department of Poultry Science, Alabama 36849-5416

Correspondence: S. Yalçin, E-mail: yalcin{at}ziraat.ege.edu.tr

This study was designed to determine the physiological effects of 3 preslaughter treatments (catching, crating, and transportation) on male and female broiler chickens slaughtered at 35, 42, 49, and 56 d of age. At each age, 18 birds (3 birds per sex and pen; 3 replicate pens) were sampled after catching, crating, and transportation for 1 h for core body (rectal) temperature (Rt), blood pH, gases (partial CO₂ and O₂ pressures), ions (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca⁺⁺, HCO₃^-), hemoglobin, plasma glucose, albumin, uric acid, creatine kinase (CK) activity, and white blood cell differential counts. The experiment was repeated under fall and summer environmental conditions.

The preslaughter treatments (i. e., catching, crating, and transportation) imposed in this study were only moderately stressful in broiler chickens, as indicated by the low heterophil/lympocyte (H/L) ratios observed. In general, many of the blood parameters measured were of limited value in profiling the extent of stress in broiler chickens. Blood gas and hematological values varied primarily by age and season, with no consistent trends due to preslaughter treatments. As expected, Rt, plasma uric acid, and glucose levels were higher in the summer than fall. Crating caused the highest Rt in parallel with weight density. Plasma CK activity was higher in the fall and increased with crating and transportation. Overall, physiological responses to preslaughter treatments increased with age, largely due to increasing body mass. Transportation was more stressful in young broilers (i. e., <42 d of age), whereas crating appeared to be a major stressor in older birds (>49 d of age). Under the conditions of this study, alterations in most physiological parameters due to catching, crating, and transportation were moderate and may be considered a normal stress response in broiler chickens.

Key Words: broiler • preslaughter stress • physiological parameter

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