Influence of Stocking Density on Health Condition in Meat Turkey Flocks
under Field Conditions
Hafez, HM1*, N Hagen1 and Tamer S Allam2
1Institute of Poultry Diseases, Free University Berlin
königsweg 63,14163 Berlin, Germany; 2Department
of Clinical pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of
Sadat city, Egypt *Corresponding author:
Hafez.Mohamed@fu-berlin.de
Abstract
The objective of the
present study was to determine the effect of the stocking density on health
condition, haematology, immune response and application of medicaments in male
meat turkey flocks reared under field conditions. Three different stocking
densities namely 25, 48 and 58 kg/m2 were compared. The stocking
density was calculated according to expected body weight at slaughter. Clinical
signs, treatments, daily weight gains and mortalities were recorded. In addition
blood samples were collected from each group at week 7, 12, 16 and 20 for
haematological and serological investigations. The results revealed that the
stocking density in all groups and farms didn't influence the frequencies and
durations of the treatments. The haematological results showed that there is no
stocking density cause significant difference of hematocrit, red blood cells
count, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin
amount (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), thrombocytes
count, total leukocytes count and differential leukocytes. Also no significant
difference could be determined by the calculation of Heterophils/Lymphocytes
ratio, which is used as stress indicator. The immune response to applied
vaccines such as Newcastle disease (ND) and/or to field infections with avian
metapneumovirus (AmPV) and Ornithobacterium Rhinotracheale (ORT) were measured
at several points using ELISA for ND and for TRT and ORT as well as
haemagglutination inhibition test. The obtained results showed that there were
no stocking density specific differences. On the other hand the daily weight
gain on both farms was slightly higher in the 25 kg/m2-groups
compared to other groups.