Effects of injection of saline with and without vitamin C on heat tolerance of neonatal chicks.

Authors

  • A.A.M. Hamdy
  • A.M. Henken
  • W. van der Hel
  • A.K.I.A. Elmoty
  • A. Gh. Galal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18174/njas.v40i1.16525

Abstract

The effects of injection of saline (0.9% NaCl) with or without vitamin C on heat tolerance of newly hatched chicks were studied. Sham-treated chicks served as controls. The chicks hatched from eggs incubated at 45% RH or 55% RH. Between the first and the second treatment, a 48-h exposure period to a constant environmental temperature of 30 degrees C took place. Consecutively, production parameters were studied during a 4-week growing period. During heat exposure, chicks hatched from eggs incubated at 45% RH lost less body weight than those from eggs incubated at 55% RH. At the end of exposure, body temperature was lower in chicks hatched from eggs incubated at 45% RH compared to 55% RH. Incubation RH did not affect growth rate, feed intake, feed conversion and mortality during the post-exposure growing period. Injection of saline with or without vitamin C before exposure resulted in a higher body weight after heat exposure compared with controls. Injection of saline enhanced body weight to a greater extent than saline with vitamin C. Injection of either solution before or after exposure did not affect production parameters in the 4-week period after exposure, except for mortality. Mortality of sham treated chicks was higher than that of once or twice injected chicks. It is concluded that saline injection increased heat tolerance, but that addition of vitamin C did not have any contributing positive effect. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)

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Published

1992-03-01

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Section

Papers