Effect of The Critical Period and Gene Silencing on Blood Cellular Traits in Local Chicken and Level of Welfare

Abstract

The study aimed to tame the ferocious local chickens and calm them down by changing the behavioral or genetic factors and improving the blood traits that are reflected in the level of welfare. 144 one-day-old chicks were used from local chickens White and (36) broiler chicks. The chicks were divided into six treatments with four replicates for each treatment (24 chicks for treatment, 6 chicks for replicates) as follows: T1 was a control treatment consisting of 24 local chicks, T2 welfare treatment consisting of 24 local chicks,T3 consisted of 25% broilers + 75% local chicks, T4 consisted of 50% broilers + 50% local chicks, and T5 consisted of From 75% broiler chickens + 25% local chicks, and T6 siRNA consisting of 24 local chicks White, was using silencing of the corticosterone hormone pathway to the (CYP11B2 and CYP11B1 genes) by injected in the jugular vein at the age of 16 and 18 weeks. The results showed a significant improvement in Hemoglobin (Hb), Hematocrit (PCV), Red Blood Cells (RBC), and White Blood Cells (BWC).and significant improvement (P≤0.05) in Platelets for T6 compared with other treatments, a significant improvement (P≤0.05) in the level of heterophil /lymphocytes for T6 compared to other treatments. That there is an effect of the critical period and gene silencing on blood traits that have a final effect on the level of welfare chickens.