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ARS Home » Midwest Area » West Lafayette, Indiana » Livestock Behavior Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #312759
Title: Effect of propolis supplementations on behavioral activities of heat stressed broiler chickens

Author
item MAHMOUD, USAMA - Assuit University
item ABDEL-RAHMAN, MOOTAZ - Assuit University
item DARWISH, MADEHA - Assuit University
item APPLEGATE, TODD - Assiut University
item Cheng, Heng Wei

Submitted to: International Poultry Scientific Forum
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/20/2014
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: This experiment investigated effects of dietary supplementation of green Brazilian propolis on behavior of heat stressed broiler chickens. Five hundred and four 15-day old male Ross 708 broiler chicks were randomly allotted to six dietary treatments containing 0, 100, 250, 500, 1000 or 3000 mg kg-1 propolis. Each diet was fed to four replicates of 21 birds/pen. Heat stress was applied for 9 hrs/day at 32 °C from 15 to 42 days. Twelve birds from each treatment were randomly selected and marked with livestock color for individually recording their activities by using direct observation instantaneous scan sampling technique (2 hrs/day). The behavioral patterns of standing, walking, sitting, feeding, drinking, preening and feather pecking were recorded weekly for three consecutive days. The frequency of each behavior was presented as a percentage of total activities and analyzed by SPSS 22.00 software. The data were tested for normality prior to analysis using a two-way ANOVA using the GLM procedure followed by multiple regression models. Results indicated that propolis at both 250 and 3000 mg kg-1 significantly (P < 0.05) increased broilers' mobility activities (walking, standing) but reduced panting. While 100 mg kg-1 propolis significantly (P < 0.05) increased broilers' standing activity only. There were no treatment effects on sitting, preening, feeding, drinking, wing elevations and feather pecking activities. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of propolis treatment may be considered as a protective management practice in broilers by reducing the negative effects of heat stress, but it still needs further investigation to determine the affecting factors, such as the type and dose of propolis, and the time and duration of its application.