Measuring urofecal glucocorticoid metabolites in broiler chicken : a noninvasive tool for assessing stress as a marker of welfare

dc.contributor.authorWolf, Tanja Esther
dc.contributor.authorToppel, Kathrin
dc.contributor.authorJacobsen, Lea
dc.contributor.authorAndersson, Robby
dc.contributor.authorTouma, Chadi
dc.date.accessioned2025-05-28T04:54:07Z
dc.date.available2025-05-28T04:54:07Z
dc.date.issued2024-11
dc.descriptionSUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL : FIIGURE S1. The so called ‘fecal box’ can help collecting fresh fecal samples without contamination with old fecal material. In order to assist the chicks to access the box, metal ramps were added in the first 3 weeks of the rearing period. FIGURE S2. Litter samples collected from the floor of the housing pens at different time points during the rearing period were tested in the assay for assessing the effects of a possible cross-contamination of the droppings. Fresh litter samples did not influence the measurements in the enzyme-immunoassay (EIA). However, with feces contaminated litter samples showed elevated concentrations.
dc.description.abstractThe poultry industry is an important and still growing sector in many parts of the world. For ethical reasons and due to increased consumer awareness for animal welfare in production animals, it is of importance to establish a reliable and objective test system for monitoring and improving health and welfare. During the rearing process, broiler chickens are exposed to numerous potential stressors and management interventions (e.g. weighing of individual animals, preslaughter fasting and capture processes), but assessing the level of stress perceived by the animals entirely through behavioral observations can be challenging. Monitoring stress-related physiological markers, such as glucocorticoids, can be an accurate and presumably more objective addition. To avoid additional stressors induced by blood collection, a noninvasive approach using urofecal samples is advisable. However, a thorough validation is needed to establish a suitable test system for measuring stress hormone levels, including potential effects of the time of day of collection or the time that has elapsed since defecation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test the stability of urofecal glucocorticoid metabolites (ufGCM) postdefecation, to determine time of day effects on ufGCM levels, and to investigate the effect of standard management procedures on ufGCM concentrations in broiler chickens. Our results revealed a time window of 4 h in which fecal samples from broilers can be collected without major alterations to the ufGCM concentrations. In this regard, a “fecal box” proved useful for collecting uncontaminated fresh samples. The time of day of sample collection did not influence ufGCM concentrations significantly. Moreover, the used assay proved to be sensitive enough to detect even small and short-lasting activations of the HPA axis induced by handling, confinement, and fasting. Thus, the system used can be a powerful and easy to apply tool in a chicken production setup for assessing stress as a marker of welfare in commercially housed broiler chickens, which in the long-term can also improve production, particularly with regard to process quality.
dc.description.departmentMammal Research Institute
dc.description.librarianam2025
dc.description.sdgSDG-02: Zero Hunger
dc.description.sdgSDG-12: Responsible consumption and production
dc.description.sdgSDG-03: Good health and well-being
dc.description.urihttps://www.journals.elsevier.com/poultry-science/
dc.identifier.citationWolf, T.E., Toppel, K., Jaconsen, L. et al. 2024, 'Measuring urofecal glucocorticoid metabolites in broiler chicken : a noninvasive tool for assessing stress as a marker of welfare', Poultry Science, vol. 103 pp. 104-162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2024.104162.
dc.identifier.issn0032-5791 (print)
dc.identifier.issn1525-3171 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.1016/j.psj.2024.104162
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/102546
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.rights© 2024 The Authors. This is an open access article under the CC BY license.
dc.subjectUrofecal glucocorticoid metabolites (ufGCM)
dc.subjectCorticosterone
dc.subjectProduction animal
dc.subjectBroiler
dc.subjectStress physiology
dc.titleMeasuring urofecal glucocorticoid metabolites in broiler chicken : a noninvasive tool for assessing stress as a marker of welfare
dc.typeArticle

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