Huff G, Huff W, Rath N, Donoghue A, Anthony N, Nestor K
Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
Poult Sci. 2007 Jul;86(7):1294-303. doi: 10.1093/ps/86.7.1294.
Three lines of turkeys were tested for response in T-maze and open-field tests during the first 8 d after hatch, and behavior was observed after catching, moving, and transport. They were also compared for corticosterone (CORT) levels and heterophil:lymphocyte ratios (H:L) at 15 wk of age in response to an Escherichia coli challenge followed by transport stress. Large commercial-(COMM) line birds were faster and more active in the T-maze at d 2 than egg-line birds. Male COMM-line birds were faster than male egg-line birds when tested in an open field at d 8. Egg-line birds had more sleeping behavior after moving to a new floor pen as compared with both an intermediate-sized line (F line) and the COMM line. Transport stress increased CORT levels in all 3 lines, and the increase was greater in males compared with females. The egg line had higher basal CORT levels (P = 0.03) and higher levels after transport (P < 0.0001). The H:L ratios were affected by both transport stress and line but not by sex. The H:L ratio was lower in the egg line as compared with both the F line and the COMM line (P < 0.0001), with the COMM line having the greatest increase in response to transport. These data, combined with those from previous studies of these lines, suggest that differences in activity of fast-growing turkeys may be used to select birds that are less susceptible to inflammatory bacterial disease and that the H:L ratio may be more useful than serum CORT in evaluating the deleterious effects of stress.
在孵化后的前8天，对三个品系的火鸡进行了T迷宫和旷场试验的反应测试，并在捕捉、移动和运输后观察其行为。还比较了它们在15周龄时对大肠杆菌攻击并随后施加运输应激后的皮质酮（CORT）水平和嗜异性粒细胞：淋巴细胞比率（H:L）。大型商业（COMM）品系的鸟类在第2天的T迷宫中比蛋用品系的鸟类更快且更活跃。在第8天的旷场试验中，雄性COMM品系的鸟类比雄性蛋用品系的鸟类更快。与中型品系（F品系）和COMM品系相比，蛋用品系的鸟类在转移到新的地面围栏后有更多的睡眠行为。运输应激使所有三个品系的CORT水平升高，并且雄性升高幅度大于雌性。蛋用品系的基础CORT水平较高（P = 0.03），运输后的水平也较高（P < 0.0001）。H:L比率受运输应激和品系影响，但不受性别影响。与F品系和COMM品系相比，蛋用品系的H:L比率较低（P < 0.0001），COMM品系对运输的反应增加最大。这些数据与之前对这些品系的研究数据相结合，表明快速生长的火鸡在活动方面的差异可用于选择对炎性细菌疾病不太敏感的鸟类，并且在评估应激的有害影响方面，H:L比率可能比血清CORT更有用。
