Changes in haematological parameters in hens under short-term exposure to adverse environmental factors

Abstract

Short-term exposure to adverse factors is a common phenomenon in industrial egg production. An urgent problem is to understand the impact of environmental changes on poultry use. A comparative analysis of changes in haematological parameters in hens under short-term exposure to adverse environmental factors of different natures was performed. For this purpose, a control and 3 experimental groups of hens were established in a modern complex for the production of food eggs. Within 24 hours, the hens of the 2nd group were deprived of fodder, the 3rd group – of light, and the 4th group – were kept in significant overcrowding. The smallest changes in the blood system of hens were observed under the influence of the factor of lack of fodder, namely an increase, within the physiological standard, in the content of leukocytes and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, a decrease in haemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, erythrocytes, platelets, and a violation of the ratio of different forms of leukocytes – an increase in the concentration of heterophils (3.3%>normal) against a decrease in the concentration of monocytes (1.6%<normal), lymphocytes and basophils. Therewith, under the influence of the factor of the absence of light, a higher content of leukocytes in the blood by 10.6%, a lower concentration of haemoglobin by 22.4%, hematocrit – by 4.2%, platelets – by 9.8%, and a higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate by 9.8%, a higher concentration of heterophils by 5.9% and a lower concentration of lymphocytes – by 4.6% were identified compared to the factor of the absence of fodder. The most significant changes in the blood system were noted under the influence of the factor of significant over-consolidation of hens, namely, a higher content of leukocytes in the blood by 17.1 and 5.9%, a lower concentration of haemoglobin by 29.6 and 9.2%, hematocrit – by 5.9 and 1.7%, erythrocytes – by 10.3%, platelets – by 35.8 and 28.8%, and higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate by 4.9%, a higher concentration of heterophils by 11.3 and 5.4 % and lower concentration of monocytes by 0.8 and 0.4%, lymphocytes by 9.4 and 4.8% and eosinophils by 0.7% compared to the factor of lack of fodder and lack of light, respectively. Thus, in production conditions, it is necessary to avoid the over-compaction of poultry, as this factor has the greatest adverse effect

Keywords

• hens
• adverse environmental factors
• haematological parameters
• stress