Evaluation Of Changes In Cloacal Temperature Tonic Immobility Vigilance And Performance Of Broiler Chickens Administered With Probiotic And Fisetin During The Early Rainy Season

High ambient temperature and high relative humidity occurring during the early rainyseason cause oxidative stress, adversely affecting broiler chicken production. The aim ofthe study was to evaluate the changes in cloacal temperature, tonic immobility andperformance indices of broiler chickens, administered with probiotic and fisetin during theearly rainy season. Sixty Arbo Acre breed of broiler chickens at day-old, allotted into fourgroups of 15 birds each, were used. Group I (Control) was given only distilled water;Group II, fisetin (5 mg/kg); Group III, probiotic (4.125 106 cfu/100 mL); and Group IV,fisetin and probiotic (5 mg/kg and 4.125 106 cfu/100 mL, respectively), for the first sevendays of life. All administrations were done orally through a gavage. Cloacal temperature ofthe broiler chickens, dry-bulb temperature, relative humidity and temperature-humidityindex in the pen were obtained bi-hourly, from 07:00 – 07:00 h, at days 21, 28 and 35 of thestudy period. Tonic immobility and vigilance were evaluated at 7:00, 13:00 and 18:00 h atdays 21, 28 and 35 of the study period. Body weight of each broiler chicken was recordedat days 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42. Feed and water intake were measured on daily basisbeginning from day 1-42 of the experiment. Absolute feed and water intakes werecalculated. The dry-bulb temperature, relative humidity and temperature-humidity index(30.57 ± 0.36 °C, 79.22 ± 1.26% and 30.10 ± 0.34, respectively) recorded werepredominantly outside the thermoneutral zone, indicating that the broiler chickens weresubjected to heat stress. At day 21, the cloacal temperature recorded in probiotic (40.32 ±1.90 °C) group was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than in the control group (41.39 ± 0.03°C). At day 28, the cloacal temperature in broiler chickens administered with fisetin + probiotic (40.40 ± 0.03 °C) was significantly lower (P < 0.05), when compared with that ofthe control group (41.58 ± 0.03 °C). Tonic immobility duration in broiler chickensadministered with fisetin + probiotic (99.90 ± 9.43 s) was lower than that of the controls(139.70 ± 11.69 s). The vigilance behavioural ranking was highest (1.64 ± 0.06) in thecontrol group, while the lowest value (1.45 ± 0.06) was obtained in fisetin + probioticgroup. Broiler chickens administered with probiotic alone, and fisetin + probiotic hadhigher (P < 0.05) feed intake at days 35 and 42, when compared respectively with those ofthe control and fisetin groups. Water intake was higher (P < 0.05) in the probioticadministered group than in any other group only at day 42. The feed conversion ratio waslower (P < 0.05) in the probiotic supplemented group (0.42 ± 0.13) than that of the controlgroup (1.20 ± 0.08). The live weight gain of the broiler chickens was highest (P < 0.05) inthe probiotic group. It was concluded that the administration of probiotic and/or fisetinameliorated the adverse effects of heat stress on broiler chickens during the thermallystressful early rainy season, and the best performance was obtained in broiler chickensadministered with probiotic alone.

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