Animal and Poultry Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P. Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa.
Animal. 2013 Sep;7(9):1517-22. doi: 10.1017/S175173111300102X. Epub 2013 Jun 14.
Dehydration can be extremely damaging to the performance and welfare of indigenous chickens. The effect of water restriction on haematological and biochemical parameters was compared in Naked Neck (NNK) and Ovambo (OVB) chickens. A total of 54 8-week-old pullets each of NNK and OVB chickens with an initial average weight of 641 ± 10 g/bird were randomly assigned to three water intake treatments with three replications, each having six birds. The water restriction treatments were ad libitum, 70% and 40% of ad libitum intake. Nine experimental pens with a floor space of 3.3 m2 per strain were used. Feed was provided ad libitum. Packed cell volume (PCV), erythrocyte count (RBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and total leucocyte count (WBC), and biochemical parameters (uric acid (UA)), creatinine (CREAT), total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), globulin (GLOB), triglyceride (TGA), total cholesterol (TC), high- (HDLC) and low- (LDLC) density lipoprotein cholesterol and activity of alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and aspartate transaminase (AST) were determined from blood collected after 60 days of water restriction. PCV was higher (P < 0.05) in NNK than OVB chickens offered water ad libitum, but similar in birds offered 70% and 40% of ad libitum. There were no differences in RBC and MCV values between strains, but MCV was higher in birds on 40% than 70% of ad libitum water intake, irrespective of strain. Naked neck chickens had higher (P < 0.05) WBC values than OVB at 40% restriction level, but lower WBC than OVB at 70% water restriction level. UA, CREAT, TGA, TC, LDLC, TP and GLOB increased (P < 0.05) with each increment in water restriction, but the increase in CREAT and TC was more pronounced in OVB than NNK chickens. The opposite was observed for UA. ALT activity indicated that liver function was not affected by water restriction. It was concluded that the two strains can withstand up to 40% of ad libitum water restriction, but NNK tolerated water stress better than OVB chickens.
脱水会对本地鸡的性能和福利造成极大的损害。本研究比较了限水对裸颈鸡（NNK）和奥万博鸡（OVB）血液学和生化参数的影响。将 54 只 8 周龄、初始平均体重为 641±10g/只的 NNk 和 OVB 母鸡随机分为 3 个饮水处理组，每组 3 个重复，每个重复 6 只鸡。饮水限制处理分别为自由饮水、70%自由饮水和 40%自由饮水。使用每个品种 9 个实验鸡舍，每个鸡舍的占地面积为 3.3m2。自由提供饲料。采血后测定红细胞压积（PCV）、红细胞计数（RBC）、平均红细胞体积（MCV）和白细胞总数（WBC）以及生化参数（尿酸（UA））、肌酐（CREAT）、总蛋白（TP）、白蛋白（ALB）、球蛋白（GLOB）、甘油三酯（TGA）、总胆固醇（TC）、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇（HDLC）和低密度脂蛋白胆固醇（LDLC）、丙氨酸转氨酶（ALT）、碱性磷酸酶（ALP）和天冬氨酸转氨酶（AST）活性。NNK 鸡的 PCV 高于（P<0.05）自由饮水的 OVB 鸡，但与 70%和 40%自由饮水的鸡相似。两品种间 RBC 和 MCV 值无差异，但 MCV 在 40%自由饮水的鸡中高于 70%自由饮水的鸡，与品种无关。NNK 鸡在 40%限水水平时的 WBC 值高于 OVB 鸡（P<0.05），但在 70%限水水平时的 WBC 值低于 OVB 鸡。随着限水程度的增加，UA、CREAT、TGA、TC、LDLC、TP 和 GLOB 均增加（P<0.05），但 OVB 鸡的 CREAT 和 TC 增加更为明显。UA 则相反。ALT 活性表明，肝脏功能不受限水的影响。综上所述，这两个品种可耐受 40%的自由饮水限制，但 NNK 比 OVB 鸡更能耐受水应激。
