Association between plumage condition and fluctuating asymmetry and between feathers removal, heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and tonic immobility duration in chickens
The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between plumage condition and fluctuating asymmetry and between removal of feathers and heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and tonic immobility duration of chickens. In experiment 1, cocks (n=46; 36 wk old) from 2 Spanish breeds (Black Castellana and Red Villafranquina), and hens (n=40; 36 wk old) from the Quail Castellana breed, having bad or good plumage condition were used. The fluctuating asymmetry of several traits (middle toe length, leg length, wing length, wattle length, and leg width) was measured in these birds. In cocks, the effect of plumage condition on the relative asymmetry of leg width and the combined asymmetry depended on the genotype, differences being significant (P < 0.05) in the Red Villafranquina breed. In this breed, the relative asymmetry of cocks with bad plumage condition was significantly larger. The relative asymmetry of leg width in females with poor plumage condition was significantly (P < 0.05) larger than that of females with good plumage condition. In experiment 2, cocks from the Birchen Leonesa breed (n=40; 36 wk old) in which five feathers of the hackle and five feathers of the saddle have been removed at one instance or not, were used. The heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and the duration of tonic immobility were measured in these birds. The effect of feathers removal was not significant, suggesting that the levels of stress and fear were similar in both groups of birds. Two housing system (deep litter and free range) were used in this experiment, the tonic immobility duration being significantly longer (P < 0.05) within the group of birds housed in deep litter than within the group of free-ranged birds. Thus, plumage condition can be negatively associated with some measures of stress depending on the genotype, whereas a single event of feathers removal was not associated with these indicators of the stress and fear levels of males. © Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart.
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | journal article biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
| Published: |
2009
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12792/5664 |
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