Age Dependent Growth Performance and Blood Profiling of Broiler Chicken Reared at High Altitude.

Background: Leh-Ladakh is situated at an altitude of 3500 m above mean sea level which poses many climatic hallenges to the dwellers and animals of this region including the chickens. Chicken rearing is a huge challenge keeping in view the fact that Leh does not have a native chicken breed of its own that is adapted to this conditions. It is necessary to have an high-altitude adapted chicken breed in order to meet the demands of fresh chicken meat and eggs for the locals and the armies deployed in Ladakh. Therefore, the present study was carried out to evaluate growth performances like body weight, feed conversion ratio (FCR), hematological and serum-biochemical parameters of broiler chicken reared at high altitude. Methods: During the experimental period the birds were fed according to the rations scale formulated by DIHAR for broiler chicken at high altitude. Body weight was taken weekly up-to 28th week and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were calculated up to 7th week. Blood samples were collected on 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th week of the birds age. Whole blood was used to study different hematological parameters while serum sample was used to study various biochemical parameters. Result: It was found that broiler reared at high altitude attained 701.3 g at 7th week of their age whereas lowlander broilers are known to attain the equivalent weight by 4th 5th week. Mean FCR by 7th week was found to be 2.38. Among various hematological parameters, hemoglobin (%) increased with the age of birds. Red blood cell also increased with the age. Drop in hematocrit (%) and mean corpuscular volume (fl) value was observed at 14th week and then it increased by 21st and 28th week of age. There was increase in value of mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration at 14th and 21st week. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate value also dropped with age. Among biochemical parameters; calcium, total protein, aspartate aminotransferase and uric acid was observed to increase with age of the birds whereas triglyceride decreased from 7th week to 28th, thus indicating that the birds are adapting to the environmental condition of high altitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]