Differential leucocyte responses to various degrees of food restriction in broilers, turkeys and ducks

M H Maxwell, Paul Hocking, Graeme W Robertson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

1. White blood cell responses of broilers, turkeys and ducks were examined at regular intervals after being subjected to various degrees of food restriction. 2. Restricted-fed broilers showed increases in heterophil and basophil numbers, together with a corresponding decrease in lymphocytes. The heterophil/lymphocyte ratio was raised. There were no differences between broiler strains. 3. After only one week of feeding restricted diets, heterophils were significantly raised in selected and unselected 2-week-old ducks. At 21 weeks of age, those ducks receiving 50% of food required to achieve their ad libitum-fed body weight had raised heterophils. 4. Ducks receiving food to achieve 25% of ad libitum-fed birds produced a marked basophilia, but no heterophilia. 5. After two weeks of food restriction, turkeys responded with significant heterophil/lymphocyte ratios following two degrees of restricted feeding. 6. It was concluded that in some poultry, a heterophilia may be the response to mild to moderate stress but a basophilia may result after severely stressing birds.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)177-87
Number of pages11
JournalBritish Poultry Science
Volume33
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 1992

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • Animals
  • Body Weight
  • Chickens/blood
  • Chickens/immunology
  • Ducks/blood
  • Ducks/immunology
  • Female
  • Food Deprivation/physiology
  • Leukocyte Count/veterinary
  • Leukocytes/cytology
  • Male
  • Turkeys/blood
  • Turkeys/immunology

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