<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">This study was conducted to investigate the behaviour, selected physiological indicators and body mass changes in Nigerian indigenous broody hens. The times spent by the hens sitting on eggs and on ingestive behaviours (feeding and drinking) were monitored between 14:00 and 18:00 h twice per week for three weeks. The growth and physiological indicators monitored were body mass, rectal temperature, breast temperature and blood glucose concentration. Data collected were analysed using repeated measures ANOVA of SPSS having week as the repeated factor. The time spent by hens sitting on the eggs (88.09 ± 5.38 – 92.91 ± 2.35 %) and on ingestive behaviours (0.06 ± 0.03 – 0.11 ± 0.07 %) were similar at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd week of brooding. The blood glucose concentration was reduced at the 1st and 2nd but increased at the 3rd week while the breast temperature (BT) increased at the 1st and 2nd but dropped at the 3rd week. The rectal temperature and body mass did not differ significantly (<italic>P</italic> > 0.05) during the three weeks of the brooding process. In conclusion, natural brooding of embryos by hens under tropical conditions was accompanied by changes in body metabolism required for generation of heat which is transferred through the breast region of the hens to the eggs without necessarily resulting in higher rectal temperature of the hens.</abstract>

This study was conducted to investigate the behaviour, selected physiological indicators and body mass changes in Nigerian indigenous broody hens. The times spent by the hens sitting on eggs and on ingestive behaviours (feeding and drinking) were monitored between 14:00 and 18:00 h twice per week for three weeks. The growth and physiological indicators monitored were body mass, rectal temperature, breast temperature and blood glucose concentration. Data collected were analysed using repeated measures ANOVA of SPSS having week as the repeated factor. The time spent by hens sitting on the eggs (88.09 ± 5.38 – 92.91 ± 2.35 %) and on ingestive behaviours (0.06 ± 0.03 – 0.11 ± 0.07 %) were similar at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd week of brooding. The blood glucose concentration was reduced at the 1st and 2nd but increased at the 3rd week while the breast temperature (BT) increased at the 1st and 2nd but dropped at the 3rd week. The rectal temperature and body mass did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) during the three weeks of the brooding process. In conclusion, natural brooding of embryos by hens under tropical conditions was accompanied by changes in body metabolism required for generation of heat which is transferred through the breast region of the hens to the eggs without necessarily resulting in higher rectal temperature of the hens.

Behaviour, physiology and body mass of Nigerian indigenous hens during brooding

Agricultura Tropica et Subtropica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

{"article-title":"Behaviour, physiology and body mass of Nigerian indigenous hens during brooding"}

This study was conducted to investigate the behaviour, selected physiological indicators and body mass changes in Nigerian indigenous broody hens. The times...

Behaviour, physiology and body mass of Nigerian indigenous hens during brooding

Publié en ligne: 21 nov. 2019

Pages: 43 - 47

Reçu: 06 juin 2018

Accepté: 18 sept. 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ats-2019-0005

Mots clés
behaviour, broodiness, ingestion, breast temperature, rectal temperature

© 2019 Oluwaseun Serah Iyasere et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Behaviour, physiology and body mass of Nigerian indigenous hens during brooding

Publié en ligne: 21 nov. 2019

Pages: 43 - 47

Reçu: 06 juin 2018

Accepté: 18 sept. 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ats-2019-0005

Mots clésbehaviour, broodiness, ingestion, breast temperature, rectal temperature

© 2019 Oluwaseun Serah Iyasere et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Mots clés
behaviour, broodiness, ingestion, breast temperature, rectal temperature