Zeinab Pourazadi; Heshmatollah Khosravinia; Hassan Nourozian
Volume 17, Issue 2 , October 2015, , Pages 247-256
Abstract
Effects of post-hatch fasting (PHF) and subcutaneous injection of Ca-gluconate (Ca-g) on productive performance, immune response and mortality of broiler chicks were investigated using 640 one-day-old Ross 308 chicks in a 5×2 factorial experiment with five PHF levels (zero, 12, 24, 36 and 48 h) ...
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Effects of post-hatch fasting (PHF) and subcutaneous injection of Ca-gluconate (Ca-g) on productive performance, immune response and mortality of broiler chicks were investigated using 640 one-day-old Ross 308 chicks in a 5×2 factorial experiment with five PHF levels (zero, 12, 24, 36 and 48 h) and two Ca-g injection levels (zero and 0.7 ml) in a completely randomized block design in four replicate pens of 16 birds each up to day 28 of age. The extended PFD up to 36 h significantly decreased body weight and percentage of monocytes and increased mortality of the chicks. Injection of Ca-g increased mortality of the birds by six-fold compared with the control birds (P<0.05). The Ca-g injected birds showed greater antibody titer against Newcastle virus at day 15 of age. The mortality rate of the chicks was significantly affected by PHF×Ca-g interaction and the Ca-g injected birds showed greater mortality percent during all PHF periods. It was concluded that PHF greater than 24 h has adverse effect on productive performance and mortality in broiler chicks at day 28 of age. Administration of Ca-g into the neonate fasted chicks as a source of Ca, glucose and water increased mortality but maintained the yolk immunoglobulins and improved early immune response through day 15 of age.