Experimental Methods

Fecal Corticosterone Metabolites Content:A Non-Invasive Index of Thermal Comfort in Broiler Chickens

  • SU Hongguang ,
  • ZHANG Minhong ,
  • FENG Jinghai ,
  • WU Xin ,
  • HU Chunhong
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  • State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China

Received date: 2014-02-21

  Online published: 2014-05-30

Abstract

Fecal corticosterone metabolites content of broiler chickens was studied as a non-invasive index of thermal comfort valuation. Three experiments were conducted in this study: diurnal rhythm of fecal corticosterone metabolites content was investigated in experiment 1; effects of 35 ℃ acute heat stress for 2 h on fecal corticosterone metabolites content were studied in experiment 2; and in experiment 3, effects of 10, 14, 18, 22, 26 and 30 ℃ prolonged temperature treatments for 14 days on fecal corticosterone metabolites content were researched. The results showed as follows: 1) there was no marked fluctuation of fecal corticosterone metabolites content both during 06:00 to 16:00 and 18:00 to 04:00 (P>0.05), but that was significantly lower at nighttime (20:00 to 06:00) than at daytime (08:00 to 18:00) as a whole (P0.05). In conclusion, fecal corticosterone metabolites content can be used as a timely non-invasive index for acute heat stress assessment in broiler chickens.

Cite this article

SU Hongguang , ZHANG Minhong , FENG Jinghai , WU Xin , HU Chunhong . Fecal Corticosterone Metabolites Content:A Non-Invasive Index of Thermal Comfort in Broiler Chickens[J]. Chinese Journal of Animal Nutrition, 2014 , 26(6) : 1563 -1569 . DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-267x.2014.06.017

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