Influence of different handling methods and crating periods on plasma corticosterone concentrations in broilers

Kannan, Govind; Mench, Joy A.

doi:10.1080/00071669608417833

Cited by 80 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Two hours of food deprivation is accompanied by an increase of corticosterone, which may result from metabolic stress and also have a psychological component (Kannan and Mench, 1996;Nijdam et al, 2005). After 24 h, the birds may lose up to 10% of their initial weight (Warriss et al, 1999).…”

Section: Fowlmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The birds are carried upside down by their legs and introduced in transport cages, which may cause bruising and dislocated and broken bones (Gregory and Wilkins, 1989;Kettlewell and Mitchell, 1994). In broilers, carrying the birds upside down caused an increase in plasma corticosterone (Kannan and Mench, 1996). During subsequent crating, corticosterone levels remained high, unless the crated birds were kept in a dark, quiet place (Kannan and Mench, 1996;Kannan et al, 1997b).…”

Section: Fowlmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In broilers, carrying the birds upside down caused an increase in plasma corticosterone (Kannan and Mench, 1996). During subsequent crating, corticosterone levels remained high, unless the crated birds were kept in a dark, quiet place (Kannan and Mench, 1996;Kannan et al, 1997b). Some automatic bird-catching machines exist.…”

Section: Fowlmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Pre-slaughter conditions, animal stress and welfare: current status and possible future research

Terlouw

Arnould

Aupérin³

et al. 2008

Animal

169

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The present paper describes the main procedures used to slaughter fowl, pigs, calves and adult cattle, sheep, and farmed fish, starting on the farm and ending with the death of the animal at the abattoir. It reviews the currently known causes of stress, indicated by behavioural and physiological measurements on the animal level, and by post-mortem muscle metabolism. During the pre-slaughter period, psychological stress is due to changes of environment, social disturbances and handling, and physical stress is due to food deprivation, climatic conditions, fatigue, and sometimes pain. The exact causes of stress depend, however, on the characteristics of each species, including the rearing system. For fowl, bird catching and crating, duration and climatic conditions of transport and of lairage and shackling are the main known pre-slaughter stress factors. For pigs, stress is caused by fighting during mixing of pens, loading and unloading conditions, and introduction in the restrainer. Handling and novelty of the situation contribute to the stress reactions. For veal calves and adult cattle, disruption of the social group, handling, loading and sometimes unloading conditions, fatigue, novelty of the situation and for calves mixing with unfamiliar animals are known stress factors. Gathering and yarding of extensively reared lambs and sheep causes stress, particularly when shepherd dogs are used. Subsequent transport may induce fatigue, especially if sheep are commercialised through auctions or markets. In farmed fish, stress is predominantly related to environmental aspects such as temperature, oxygen, cleanliness of the water and, to a certain extent, stocking density and removal of the fish from the water. If transport and lairage conditions are good and their durations not too long, they may allow pigs, calves and adult cattle, sheep, and fish to rest. For certain species, it was shown that genetic origin and earlier experience influence reactions to the slaughter procedure. Stunning techniques used depend on the species. Pigs and fowl are mostly electrically or gas-stunned, while most adult cattle are stunned with a captive bolt pistol. Calves and sheep may be electrically stunned or with a captive bolt pistol. Various stunning methods exist for the different farmed fish species. Potential causes of stress associated with the different stunning procedures are discussed. The paper addresses further consequences for meat quality and possible itineraries for future research. For all species, and most urgently for fish, more knowledge is needed on stunning and killing techniques, including gas-stunning techniques, to protect welfare.

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Section: Fowlmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Fowlmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Pre-slaughter conditions, animal stress and welfare: current status and possible future research

Terlouw

Arnould

Aupérin³

et al. 2008

Animal

169

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…adrenal hormones and lead to an elevated plasma corticosterone concentration in broilers (Kannan and Mench 1996;Kannan et al 1997). Nijdam et al (2005) who compared manual catching with a mechanical catching method in broilers before their transport to the slaughterhouse reported that corticosterone levels indicate the same amount of stress for both methods.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Transport-induced Changes in Selected Biochemical Indices in Broilers as Affected by Ambient Temperatures

et al. 2010

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The effects of transportation to the slaughterhouse (catching, crating, loading, transport) at various ambient temperatures on selected biochemical indices were monitored in a group of unsexed ROSS 308 broiler chickens aged 42 days. The broilers were sampled at three different sampling times (prior to loading, after loading, and after 70 km transport) at three different ambient temperatures (-5 to +5 °C, 10 to 20 °C, 25 to 35 °C). Corticosterone contents in broilers after loading and after transport were significantly higher (P < 0.01) than before loading. The highest corticosterone concentration was found in broilers that were handled (loaded and transported) at lower temperatures (-5 °C to +5 °C) and this value was significantly (P < 0.01) lower than in broilers handled under both other monitored temperature ranges. The results of this study prove that the stress-inducing procedure to which commercial broilers are exposed in connection with transport to the slaughterhouse induces strong changes in selected biochemical indices, and that these changes are highest in winter months at a lower ambient temperature.

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“…Romero and Romero (2002) found that onset of the stress response in birds is influenced by trapping technique. Kannan and Mench (1996) noted that how a bird is handled prior to blood sampling affects corticosterone levels. Since the point of using a standardized capture and handling protocol is that it allows comparisons to be made among investigations, it is important to know which aspects of the protocol can or cannot be modified without affecting the results.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Stress Responsiveness in Nestlings: A Comparison of Two Sampling Techniques

Dufty¹

2008

The Auk

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I compared the effects on plasma corticosterone levels of two methods of collecting blood samples during standardized capture and handling stress protocols. In one method, individual nestling American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) were bled at three time periods: when initially removed from the nest, and 15 and 30 min later. In the other method, siblings removed from a nest were bled once each, either at the time of removal, or 15 or 30 min later. I found that there was no difference between the two groups in plasma corticosterone levels at the first sampling period, but 15 and 30 min after capture the singly-bled birds had significantly higher plasma corticosterone levels than the multiply-bled nestlings. The results suggest that data from multiplybled birds underestimate actual circulating hormone levels. The underlying mechanism for this phenomenon is unknown, although it may involve hemodilution.Key words: American Kestrel, stress, corticosterone, hemodilution, nestlings Organisms experiencing stressors typically secrete glucocorticoids to maintain or restore homeostasis (Wingfield and Romero 2001). The pattern of corticosterone secretion in response to a standardized stressor frequently is used to compare how different organisms respond to disruptive events. For birds, the most common technique is to use capture and handling stress to activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, with the sensitivity of the axis to the stressor determined through repeated blood sampling followed by radioimmunoassay (RIA) of the blood samples for corticosterone. Birds are held in a cloth bag between sampling sessions. This protocol facilitates comparison of adrenal responsiveness within and among species, and the results of such studies have enhanced our understanding of how ecological factors modulate stress responses (Wingfield et al. 1998, Wingfield andRomero 2001).The importance of a standardized approach in collecting blood samples to measure adrenoresponsiveness has been acknowledged, either explicitly or implicitly, in myriad papers. However, subtle, but possibly important, procedural differences occur among studies that use this protocol. For example, in many studies morphological measurements are taken after the last sampling period, so that the only time birds are handled is when blood samples are taken (Wingfield et al. 1992, Silverin et al. 1997, Blas et al. 2005. In contrast, sometimes morphological measurements are taken in between blood samples, when the birds would otherwise be in a cloth bag (Meddle et al. 2003, Adams et al. 2005. Similarly, occasionally birds are held in small cages in between sampling periods (e.g., Love et al. 2005) rather than in cloth bags. Furthermore, different trapping methods may be utilized in the same investigation (e.g., Lynn et al. 2003). In addition, in most studies similar amounts of blood are removed at each sampling period, but in others the initial blood sample may be larger, if additional hematological measurements are performed (e.g., Clinchy et al. 2004)....

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Influence of different handling methods and crating periods on plasma corticosterone concentrations in broilers

Cited by 80 publications

References 17 publications

Pre-slaughter conditions, animal stress and welfare: current status and possible future research

Pre-slaughter conditions, animal stress and welfare: current status and possible future research

Transport-induced Changes in Selected Biochemical Indices in Broilers as Affected by Ambient Temperatures

Stress Responsiveness in Nestlings: A Comparison of Two Sampling Techniques

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