The Characterization of the Dynamics of Physiologically Important Blood Indices in Broilers for Early Disease Diagnostics

Abstract

The assessment of the physiological status in poultry is presently based on the blood indices since the main function of blood is the maintenance of the homeostasis. The dynamics of the hematological blood indices in newly selected Russian broiler cross Smena-9 between 1 and 35 days of age were studied. The critical periods featuring the considerable alterations in the hematological status were found between 7 and 14 days of age. The increase in total concentration of white blood cells (WBC) by 48% (leukocytosis), decrease in the concentration of red blood cells by 16% (erythrocytopenia), decreases in the concentrations of hemoglobin by 15% and in the hematocrit by 12% in compare to 1 day of age were found at these critical periods. At 1 day of age the WBC are dominated by the fraction of heterophils while since 7 days of age WBC profile is dominated by the lymphocytes. At 28 days of age the sustainable equilibrium between the main fractions of the WBC was seen. The critical periods were also featured by the decreases in the count of eosinophils to 0.6% (eosinopenia).