Abstract
An experiment was carried out to compare the body weight, shank length, rectal temperature, comb area, abdominal fat, blood parameters and bone traits of capon, slip and intact birds in Taiwan country chicken cockerels. One hundred and sixty-six Taiwan country chicken cockerels were randomly assigned to caponized or intact male groups. Caponized birds were surgically altered at 10 weeks old and raised to 28 weeks old. At 28 weeks of age, the capons were separated into capon and slip groups, depending on the atrophy of the comb and wattle in size. The results showed that body weight and shank length in slips were significantly (p<0.05) greater than in intact birds. Intact birds had the highest(p<0.05)feather scores and the lowest (p<0.05) rectal temperature. Compared with intact birds and slips, capons had a significantly (p<0.05) smaller comb area. Bone percentage, stress and cortical thickness, and bone and ash calcium content and plasma testosterone concentration, in intact birds were the highest (p<0.05) followed by slips and capons. However, intact birds had the lowest (p<0.05) plasma ionized calcium and phosphorus concentrations. Bone and ash manganese contents in capons were significantly (p<0.05)lower than those in others. These findings support the hypothesis that androgenic effects on secondary sexual characteristics are stronger than anabolic growth promoting response. Androgens can directly influence calcium fluxes in male chickens. Caponized caused a reduction in the bone percentage, stress, cortical thickness and bone calcium content. (Asian- Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2003. Vol 16, No. 1 : 50-56)
Highlights
Androgens have demonstrated high anabolic activities in a variety of tissues that can stimulate muscle, bone, and connective tissue growth and erythropesis; a high androgenic activities can stimulate the reproductive system, behavioral, psychological and the secondary sexual growth characteristics or changes in the male (Griggs et al, 1989; Wakley et al, 1991; Fennell and Scanes, 1992a,b; Katznelson et al, 1996; Lin, 1999; Wang, 2001)
At 28 weeks of age, the capons were separated into calcium, manganese, magnesium, or phosphorus contents capon and slip groups depending on the atrophy of the were analyzed with a Polarized Zeeman Atomic Absorption comb and wattle in size
These results are in agreement with the findings blood was kept on ice, centrifuged (1,500 G for 30 min) at of Mast et al (1981), who reported that partial caponization
Summary
Androgens have demonstrated high anabolic activities in a variety of tissues that can stimulate muscle, bone, and connective tissue growth and erythropesis; a high androgenic activities can stimulate the reproductive system, behavioral, psychological and the secondary sexual growth characteristics or changes in the male (Griggs et al, 1989; Wakley et al, 1991; Fennell and Scanes, 1992a,b; Katznelson et al, 1996; Lin, 1999; Wang, 2001). Taiwan country chicken cockerels exhibit significantly higher aggression and sexual behavior than female birds after 7 weeks of age. This behavior leds to decreased body weight, feed intake and feed efficiency (Peh and Lee, 1985; Gan, 1986). GROWTH AND PHYSIOLOGICAL TRAITS OF CAPON, SLIP AND INTACT CHICKENS score, comb area, blood contents, bone percentage, length, 5°C and the recovered plasma was placed into three vessels. At 28 weeks of age, the capons were separated into calcium, manganese, magnesium, or phosphorus contents capon and slip groups depending on the atrophy of the were analyzed with a Polarized Zeeman Atomic Absorption comb and wattle in size. All birds were individually weighed and rectal temperature measured; thereafter, shank length, feather scores, and
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