Role of light intensity on reproductive performance in female turkeys [electronic resouce].

Includes references.

Light exerts a major influence on the reproductive function of turkeys. The objectives of this study are: 1) light intensity manipulation during the starting growing and holding periods on subsequent reproductive performance of turkey hens. 2) Effect of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) immunoneutralization on reproductive performance of breeder hens. 3) Effect of light intensity manipulation and VIP immunoneutralizatian on reproductive hormone (prolactin). A total of 576 Nicolas Large White strain female turkeys were used in this study. The females were subjected to 3 different light intensities (18-20 F.C., 3 F.C. and 0.2-0.3 F.C.). Within each light treatment, hens were divided into two subgroups : 1) Control received. gave adjuvant-KLH 2) Treated birds were vaccinated against VIP. The results show that mean plasma levels of the prolactin in the KLH-cVIP immunized turkeys was significantly (P≤0.01) lower (57.20 ± 2.86 ng/ml) than that in the of KLH-immunized. control group (77.52 ± 6.45 ng/ml). Light intensity affects egg production, light treatment 1 (3 F.C.) exhibited the greatest egg production (2.81 ± 0.54 egg/hen/week). The difference between vaccinated and non-vaccinated groups under light treatments was Significant (P≤0.05) and average egg production of all vaccinated groups was greater than that of control ones.

Summary in Arabic.

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