1. Physiological responses of indigenous mother hens to a short-term separation from her chicks
IYASERE OLUWASEUN SERAH
Department of Animal Physiology,
Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria, P.M.B. 2240, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria

2. Introduction
Natural behaviours of indigenous hens are: egg laying, brooding of eggs and post hatch care for chicks (Chen and Li, 2007)
Extensive system: exposed to several stressors (predator, nutritional, high or low temperatures, rainfall)
Maternal-offspring separation result in welfare problems such as stress or rejection (Hersher and Richmond, 1958)
Chick separation – stress paradigm has traditionally been used as a biobehavioral assay to study attachment processes (Sufka et al., 1994)
On a commercial scale, playback of hen feed calls to broiler chicks improved feed conversion ratios, body weight, were closer to the feeder than control chicks (Woodcock et al., 2004)

3. Hen-chick model Hen-chick relationship
Pre-hatching vocalisations: as early as a day before hatching.
Post-hatch maternal calls: roosting calls, maternal cluck calls, alarm calls and feeding calls
Mother hen have positive effect on chicks:
1. Development of feeding behavior and food preferences in chicks.
2. Hen brooded chicks are less fearful (Rodenburg et al., 2009; Shimmura et al., 2010).
Mother hens show empathy for chicks under distress condition (Edgar et al., 2011)
Physiological changes (increased heart rate & decreased eye temperature)
Behavioural changes (increased time spent alert and cluck calling & reduced preening)

4. MATERIALS AND METHODS Housing of birds Transfer to brooding pen
Physical separation
Housing of birds
Transfer to brooding pen
Post hatching
Types of separation test
Physical separation (Day 8 and 16)
Visual separation (Day 12 and 20)
Data collection
Blood glucose, eye temperature and heart rate
visual separation

5. Statistical analysis Paired sample T-test
To determine the differences between the first and second separation periods
To determine differences before and after each separation.

6. Change in eye temperature (oC) Change in heart rate (beats/minute)
Table 1: Changes in eye temperature, heart rate and blood glucose levels of Nigerian indigenous mother hens separated from her chicks
Change in eye temperature (oC)
Change in heart rate (beats/minute)
Change in blood glucose (g/dL)
Physical separation
1st
-0.04±0.23
2.00±5.00
-22.43±12.91
2nd
0.13±0.26
-2.29±1.87
-5.57±5.56
Visual separation
-0.16±0.25
9.14±6.53a
-3.43±11.76
-0.16±0.40
-9.43±6.74b
-20.43±4.85
ab Means with different superscript for each separation method differs significantly at P<0.05, n=8

7. Heart rate (beats/minute) Blood glucose (g/dL)
Table 2: Average eye temperature, heart rate and blood glucose levels of Nigerian indigenous mother hens before and after subjection to two different separation methods
Eye temperature (oC)
Heart rate (beats/minute)
Blood glucose (g/dL)
Physical separation
Before
37.26±0.25
176.57±5.92
203.14±10.41a
After
37.30±0.25
176.43±5.71
189.14±8.57b
Visual separation
37.63±0.33
176.57±7.30
185.36±13.30
37.63±0.34
176.43±7.03
173.43±9.49
ab Means with different superscript for each separation method differs significantly at P<0.05, n=8

9. References
CHEN SJ and LI WB, Studies on the broodiness in Wumeng black-bone chicken. Bulletin of Shanghai Husbandry and Veterinary 5:84.
EDGAR JL, LOWE CJ and PAUL ES, Avian maternal response to chick distress. Proceedings of the Royal Society of B: Biological Sciences 278(1721):
RODENBURG TB, UITDEHAAG KA, ELLEN ED and KOMEN J, The effects of selection on low mortality and brooding by a mother hen on open-field response, feather pecking and cannibalism in laying hens. Animal Welfare, 18:
SHIMMURA T, KAMIMURA E, AZUMA T, KANSAKU N, UETAKE K and TANAKA T, Effect of broody hens on behaviour of chicks. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 126:
SIEGEL HS, Adrenal, stress and environment. World’s Poultry Science, 27:
STĚHULOVA I, LIDFORS L and ŠPINKA M, Response of dairy cows and calves to early separation: Effect of calf age and visual and auditory contact after separation. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 110:
TATA DA Maternal separation as a model of early stress: effects on aspects of emotional behaviour and neuroendocrine function. Hellenic Journal of Psychology, 9:84-101
von WALTER LW, LIDFORS L, MADEJ A, DAHLBORN K and HYDBRING-SANDBERG E, Cardiovascular, endocrine and behavioural responses to suckling and permanent separation in goats. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, 52:51-59