Effects of different environmental temperatures on the physiological performance of japanese quail

Abstract EN

A total number of five hundred and forty sexed Japanese quail birds were used to study the effect of different environmental temperature on the physiological performance.

Birds were assigned randomly into four equal groups, each group containing 135 birds in nine replicates of 15 birds each (5 males +10 females), in laying batteries.

The four groups were raised at different temperatures (20, 25, 30 and 35oC).

The birds were fed diet containing 19.5% CP and 2852 Kcal ME / Kg diet.

Blood samples were collected from 5 birds (2 males and 3 females) at slaughter during the periods of sexual maturity, peak of egg production and at the end of egg production phase.

Hemoglobin, packed cell volume, Red blood cells (RBCs), White blood cells (WBCs) and lymphocyte were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) under heat stress at beginning, peak and end of egg production.

Heat stress significantly (P < 0.05) increased heterophil cells and H / L at the beginning, peak and end of egg production.

Eosinophils, basophil and monocyte were not affected by heat stress.

Heat stress resulted in significantly (P < 0.05) decrease total plasma protein, albumin and globulin at the beginning, peak and end of egg production.

Serum phosphorus and calcium levels were decreased due to the effect of heat stress.

Heat stress resulted in significantly (P< 0.05) increase plasma triiodothyronine (T3) level, but it decreased the plasma tetra-iodothyronine (T4) level at the beginning, peak, and end of egg production.

Significant effect of the temperature stress was noticed on thyroid gland and adrenal gland of the exposed groups of Japanese quail.

The effect was remarkable mainly on size of the organs than the morphological characters.