Physiological adaptive indicators in fasted neonate broiler chicks in response to calcium gluconate injection.

Abstract

Four hundred and eighty mixed-sex broiler chicks aged 3h after hatching were allotted according to a completely random design in a 6×2×2 factorial schedule into two groups of 12 replications of 20 chicks each. The main experimental factors were fasting for 0, 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48h after chick placement and calcium gluconate (Ca-glu) injection (0 and 0.6ml). Live body weight (BW) of chicks decreased linearly (Y=43.36-0.109BW0h , r(2) =0.876) as neonatal fasting extended. Injection of 0.6ml Ca-glu at 3h post-hatching did not affect weight loss of chicks. Yolk residuals (YR) utilized linearly (Y=5.75-0.062YR, r(2) =0.956) by 0.062g/h in neonate fasted chicks up to 48h, showing no effect of Ca-glu injection. Neonatal fasting periods longer than 12h increased liver weight (p<0.05). The mean absolute and proportional (% of BW0h ) breast and leg weight were reduced linearly as neonatal fasting extended (p<0.05). Serum glucose concentration increased up to 6h and then reduced linearly to 150mg/dl after 48-h fasting. The Ca-glu treatment influenced serum glucose level for a short period up to 6h of fasting. Serum Ca concentration sharply increased up to threefolds in the birds received Ca-glu injection resulting in acute hypercalcemia, then decreased to the initial level after 24-h feed withdrawal (p<0.05). The mean serum level for creatinine, uric acid, cholesterol, HDL, albumins and total proteins significantly increased during the fasting periods of 6 to 48h and significantly elevated in the birds receiving 0.6-ml Ca-glu injection compared with the non-treated chicks (p<0.05). It was concluded that subcutaneous administration of 0.6ml Ca-glu in the chick's neck did not suitably support the increased metabolic demands for glucose and calcium in feed-deprived neonate chicks.