Study of Adaptation Mechanisms and Morphological Patterns in Broiler Chickens under Pharmacological Prevention of Combined Preslaughter Handling, Heat, and Transport Stresses in the Poultry Industry

Research studies were conducted to investigate the adaptation mechanisms in broiler chickens under the pharmacological prevention of combined preslaughter handling and heat and transport stresses in the poultry industry. Therefore, the Ross-308 clinically healthy chickens were allocated into three groups of 95 648 ± 931 chickens each based on the analogy principle in the summer season. The birds of the first (control) group were fed with the complete compound feeds. The birds of the second group (experimental group one) were fed with the complete compound feed containing the PiK-Antistress feed additive at a dose of 1270 g ton feed for 5 days before slaughter. The birds of the third group (experimental group two) were fed with the complete compound feeds containing the PiK-Antistress additive supplemented with L-carnitine at a dose of 1700 g/ton feed for 5 days before slaughter. Broiler chickens were slaughtered on the 38th day. The studies were conducted in three key periods: after fasting, after transportation of chickens for slaughter, and prior to being slaughtered. The adaptive pathways unfolding in broiler chickens in the slaughter period in a summer season are characterized, on average, by a 2.8-fold increase in the blood heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. The PiK-Antistress pharmacological product used separately and in combination with L-carnitine can provide the opportunity to reduce the function of stress-induced mechanisms and to improve both the chicken survival rates by 3.20 and 4.58%, respectively, and the European productivity index by 32 units and 45 units, respectively. Under the stress prophylaxis with the remedies indicated above, increases in the adrenocortical cell nuclear size by 43.0 and 36.0%, respectively, at the reference decreases of the cytoplasmic volume of the adenocortical cord cells by 11.2 and 22.8%, respectively, were recorded, proving the cellular metabolic pathway stability.