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The effects of transportation stress on J apanese quail ( C oturnix Coturnix japonica ) fed corn‐based diet in comparison with wheat‐based diet supplemented with xylanase and phytase
Author(s) -
Mehraei Hamzekolaei M. H.,
Zamani Moghaddam A. K.,
Tohidifar S. S.,
Dehghani Samani A.,
Heydari A.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.651
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1439-0396
pISSN - 0931-2439
DOI - 10.1111/jpn.12398
Subject(s) - xylanase , quail , phytase , zoology , japonica , biology , coturnix , coturnix coturnix , food science , botany , biochemistry , ecology , enzyme
Summary Harvesting, handling and transporting quails to the slaughterhouses, other farms and laboratories might covertly reduce their welfare. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of two major sources of energy in poultry nutrition on reducing transportation stress in Japanese quail ( Coturnix Coturnix japonica ). Male quails ( n = 60) were divided into two groups. The first group was fed corn‐based diet, and the second was fed wheat‐based diet supplemented with xylanase and phytase. At the end of the experiment (day 35), quails were subjected to 80 km of transportation. Immediately on arrival and after 24 h, heterophil counts, lymphocyte counts and H:L ratios were measured. On arrival, H counts were lower, L counts were higher, and H:L ratios were lower for corn‐fed group. After 24 h, wheat‐fed group showed lower increment of H counts, greater increment of L counts and also decrement of H:L ratios rather than corn‐fed group which showed increment of H:L ratios. However, these ratios were still lower in corn‐fed group. Results indicate that corn‐based diets can help Japanese quail to better resist transportation stress, although it seems that feeding wheat‐based diets supplemented with xylanase and phytase could have positive effects for coping better with stress after journeys.