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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2019, Vol. 18 Issue (1): 152-159    DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(18)62049-0
Animal Science · Veterinary Medicine Advanced Online Publication | Current Issue | Archive | Adv Search |
Effect of relative humidity at either acute or chronic moderate temperature on growth performance and droppings’ corticosterone metabolites of broilers
ZHOU ying*, LI Xiu-mei*, ZHANG Min-hong, FENG Jing-hai 
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, P.R.China
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Abstract  
The present study aimed to investigate the effect of relative humidity (RH) at either acute or chronic moderate ambient temperature (Ta) on growth performance and droppings’ corticosterone metabolites of broilers.  Two experiments were conducted: effect of RH (35, 60 or 85%) on average daily feed intake (ADFI) and droppings’ corticosterone metabolites at acute (1 d: 20–26 or 31–20°C, 26 or 31°C for 6 h d–1 at 10:00–16:00) moderate Ta (experiment 1) and effect of RH (35, 60 or 85%) on growth performance and droppings’ corticosterone metabolites at chronic (step-wisely increasing temperature by 3°C every 3 d from 20 to 32°C within 15 d: 20–23–26–29–32°C) moderate Ta (experiment 2).  Droppings were collected at the 2, 4, 6, 8, and 22 h after Ta-RH controlled in experiment 1 and at the 2, 4, 6, and 22 h after Ta controlled to 32°C in experiment 2.  The results showed that: 1) In experiment 1, 85% RH increased (P<0.05) the droppings’ corticosterone metabolites at the 2, 6, 8, and 22 h and 35% RH increased (P<0.05) it at the 2 and 22 h compared to the 60% RH.  Moreover, 85% RH further increased (P<0.05) it compared to the 35% RH, however, no difference (P>0.05) was found in ADFI among the three RH groups at acute moderate 26°C; 35 and 85% RH increased (P<0.05) droppings’ corticosterone metabolites at the 2, 6, 8 and 22 h and decreased (P<0.05) ADFI compared to the 60% RH, moreover, 85% RH further increased (P<0.05) droppings’ corticosterone metabolites and further decreased (P<0.05) ADFI compared to the 35% RH at acute moderate 31°C; and the average of droppings’ corticosterone metabolites in the whole period had a negative correlation (P<0.02) with the ADFI.  2) In experiment 2, 85% RH increased (P<0.01) droppings’ corticosterone metabolites only at the 2 h and decreased (P<0.02) ADFI and average daily gain (ADG) compared to the 60% RH, no difference (P>0.05) in droppings’ corticosterone metabolites was found between the 35 and 60% RH, however, 35% RH decreased (P<0.01) ADG compared to the 60% RH, and the average of droppings’ corticosterone metabolites in the whole period also had a negative correlation (P<0.02) with ADFI and ADG.  In conclusion, droppings’ corticosterone metabolites could be used as a RH stress index and low and high RH, especially high RH, reduced growth performance possibly through inducing RH stress at moderate temperature.
Keywords:  broiler       droppings&rsquo      corticosterone metabolites        relative humidity        acute moderate temperature        chronic moderate temperature  
Received: 19 January 2018   Accepted:
Fund: The authors gratefully thank our team for helping to complete the experiments and animal care. The present study was funded by the Key National Research and Development Program Project of China (2016YFD0500509), the National Science and Technology Support Plan Project of China (2012BAD39B02), and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Team Project (ASTIP-IAS07).
Corresponding Authors:  Correspondence ZHANG Min-hong, E-mail: zmh66@126.com   
About author:  ZHOU Ying, E-mail: 1361841518@qq.com; * These authors contributed equally to this study.

Cite this article: 

ZHOU ying, LI Xiu-mei, ZHANG Min-hong, FENG Jing-hai. 2019. Effect of relative humidity at either acute or chronic moderate temperature on growth performance and droppings’ corticosterone metabolites of broilers. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 18(1): 152-159.

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