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SummaryThe European Commission Recommendation 2006/576/EC, suggests that the maximum level of Ochratoxin A (OTA) in poultry feeds should be set at 0.1 mg OTA/kg. Thirty-six one-day-old male Hubburd broiler chickens were divided into two groups, a Control (basal diet) and an Ochratoxin A (basal diet + 0.1 mg OTA/kg) group. The growth and slaughter performance traits were recorded. The liver, spleen, bursa of Fabricius and thymus weights were measured. The erythrocyte and leukocyte numbers were assayed in blood samples, and the heterophils to lymphocytes (H/L) ratio was determined. Alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), lysozyme, the total protein and the electrophoretic pattern were evaluated in serum samples. Liver enzymes (alanino aminotransferase, ALT and aspartate aminotransferase, AST) and kidney function parameters (uric acid and creatinine) were quantified. The results revealed that feeding a 0.1 mg OTA/kg contaminated diet to chicks caused a decrease in the absolute thymus weight (p < 0.05) and a lower total protein (p < 0.01), albumin (p < 0.01), alpha (p < 0.05), beta (p = 0.001) and gamma (p = 0.001) globulins serum concentration in the Ochratoxin A group. Moreover, the albumin-to-globulin (A/G) ratio of the OTA-treated animals resulted to be higher (p < 0.05). Feeding broiler chickens, a diet contaminated with the maximum level admitted by the European Commission Recommendation (0.1 mg OTA/kg), did not affect the animal performance, slaughter traits, organ weights, haematological parameters, liver enzyme or renal function parameters concentrations but had an overall immunosuppressant effect, with reduction in the thymus weight and of the total serum protein, albumin, alpha, beta and gamma globulins concentration.

The purpose of this research was to identify pig welfare indicators that could help in recognizing stressful practices on farm. The study evaluated behavioral and physiological indicators (cortisol and negative acute phase proteins) in 2 groups of 20 female pigs 4 months old after a 48-hr transport. The first group (A) was transported at the end of May, the second (B) in June. Behavioral observations and blood collection occurred at arrival (D1) and 28 days later (D28). Compared with within-animal control samples obtained 28 days later, pigs of Group A had increased cortisol levels and decreased albumin concentrations after arrival. As demonstrated by lesion and behavior observations, the effect on cortisol and albumin was higher in Group B pigs after a tail-biting episode occurred. The study has reported no evidence of Retinol Binding Protein (RBP) in pigs. A method developed for swine RBP quantification found RBP strongly reduced in D28 samples of Group B, confirming it to be a negative protein in pigs. The suggested combination of physiological and behavioral indicators could provide useful information on the welfare state of an animal.

This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of transport and genotype on the welfare and fear response of laying hens through a comparison of three breeds reared in freerange conditions: a commercial strain, the Isa Brown (IBh), and two local chicken breeds, the Bionda Piemontese (BPh) and the Bianca di Saluzzo (BSh). After a journey of 67 km (75 min) from the farmhouse of origin to the experimental station, ninety hens, divided according to breed, were free-range reared for two months. Body weight (BW), tonic immobility (TI), red and white blood cells, heterophil to lymphocyte (H/L) ratio and 1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) were assessed at four different sampling times: at the farmhouse of origin (T1), at 1 day (T2), 15 days (T3) and at 2 months (T4) after arrival at the experimental station. No statistical differences were found between the four sampling times for BW, total red and white blood cells or for AGP. An increase in the H/L ratio (P<0.05) was recorded at time T2 for IBh and BSh, compared to BPh (P<0.05). TI was significantly higher (P<0.05) for the local breeds, BPh and BSh, than for the commercial strain IBh. The results of this study suggest that genetic and adaptive differences can affect both, physiological and ethological parameters.