Table 1
Mean, maximum and minimum haematological parameters in broiler chickens and thermal environmental data of the pen under natural light-dark cycle.
| Parameters | Mean ± SEM | Maximum | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCV, % | 25.92 ± 1.5 | 30.20 | 21.90 |
| Hb, g/dL | 8.63 ± 0.8 | 10.03 | 7.26 |
| TP, g/dL | 3.51 ± 0.5 | 3.72 | 3.44 |
| WBC, × 109/L | 13.78 ± 1.8 | 14.78 | 11.18 |
| RBC, × 1012/L | 4.27 ± 0.3 | 5.14 | 3.74 |
| LYMP, % | 85.40 ± 7.5 | 89.00 | 82.3 |
| HET, % | 12.20 ± 2.2 | 14.60 | 10.10 |
| EOS, % | 0.86 ± 0.3 | 1.75 | 0.31 |
| MON, % | 1.50 ± 0.03 | 1.90 | 0.60 |
| H/L ratio | 0.14 ± 0.02 | 0.18 | 0.11 |
| AT, °C | 24.5 ± 0.6 | 29.01 | 20.10 |
| RH, % | 95.40 ± 10.5 | 100.00 | 85.00 |
| THI | 76.90 ± 7.4 | 81.64 | 70.12 |
[i] PCV = Packed cell volume, Hb = Haemoglobin, TP = Total protein, WBC = White blood cell, RBC = Red blood cell, LYMP = Lymphocyte, HET = Heterophil, EOS = Eosinophil, MON = Monocyte, H/L = Heterophil/lymphocyte ratio, AT = Ambient temperature, RH = Relative humidity, THI = Temperature humidity index.
Figure 1
Daily rhythm of a) packed cell volume, b) haemoglobin and c) total protein in broilers kept under natural photoperiod. Notes: Each data point represents the mean ± SEM of 10 birds at each period of measurements. The black horizontal bars denote the dark phases of the prevailing light-dark cycle. Measurements were made twice on separate dates at 3-h intervals for a period of 24 hours.
Figure 2
Daily rhythm of a) white blood cell and b) red blood cell counts in broilers kept under natural photoperiod. Notes: Each data point represents the mean ± SEM of 10 birds at each period of measurements. The black horizontal bars denote the dark phases of the prevailing light-dark cycle. Measurements were made twice on separate dates at 3-h intervals for a period of 24 hours.
Figure 3
Daily rhythm of differential leucocyte counts in broiler chickens kept under natural photoperiod. Notes: Each data point represents the mean ± SEM of 10 birds at each period of measurements. The black horizontal bars denote the dark phases of the prevailing light-dark cycle. Measurements were made twice on separate dates at 3-h intervals for a period of 24 hours.
Table 2
Characteristics of haematological parameters in broiler chickens kept under natural light/dark cycle. Measurements were made at 3-h intervals for a period of 24 hours.
| Blood parameters | Mesor | Amplitude | Acrophase (h) |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCV, % | 25.2 ±1.3 | 4.2 ± 0.5 | 09:00 ± 0.13 |
| Hb, g/dL | 8.2 ± 0.7 | 1.4 ± 0.4 | 09:00 ± 0.16 |
| WBC, × 109/L | 13.47 ± 2.2 | 1.8 ± 0.5 | 09:00 ± 0.18 |
| RBC, × 1012/L | 4.18 ± 1.5 | 0.7 ± 0.4 | 09:00 ± 0.25 |
| HET, % | 11.6 ± 1.0 | 2.3 ± 0.2 | 18:00 ± 0.23 |
| LYMP, % | 86 ± 12.5 | 3.4 ± 0.5 | 09:00 ± 0.17 |
| MONO, % | 0.99 ± 0.2 | 0.7 ± 0.01 | 09:00 ± 0.21 |
| EOS, % | 0.82 ± 0.3 | 0.7 ± 0.02 | 21:00 ± 0.30 |
| H/L ratio | 0.12 ± 0.03 | 0.04 ± 0.01 | 18:00 ± 0.20 |
[i] PCV = Packed cell volume, Hb = Haemoglobin, TP = Total protein, WBC = White blood cell, RBC = Red blood cell, LYMP = Lymphocyte, HET = Heterophil, EOS = Eosinophil, MON = Monocyte, H/L = Heterophil/lymphocyte ratio, AT = Ambient temperature, RH = Relative humidity, THI = Temperature humidity index.