Veterinary Archives, Vol. 77 No. 1, 2007.
Original scientific paper
Road transportation effect on rectal temperature, respiration and heart rates of ostrich (Struthio camelus) chicks
Ndazo Salka Minka
; College of Agriculture and Animal Science, Ahmadu Bello University, Kaduna, Nigeria
Joseph Ayo
; Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
Abstract
The responses of rectal temperature (RT), respiratory rate (RR) and heart rate (HR) of ostrich (Struthio camelus) chicks during road transportation were investigated using standard recording procedures. The RT and RR of the ostriches increased significantly (P<0.05) from 39.5 ± 0.1 ºC and 12.2 ± 2.0 breaths per minute (bpm), respectively, before transportation, to 40.2 ± 0.3 ºC and 50.7 ± 9.1 bpm, respectively, following transportation. The pre-transportation HR value of 61.4 ± 1.0 beats per minute did not differ significantly (P>0.05) from the value of 68.5 ± 2.2 beats per minute recorded during the journey. The RT, RR and HR values recorded six hours after the journey were not significantly (P>0.05) different from the corresponding pre-transportation values of the ostriches. The results showed that transportation of ostrich chicks for four hours induced a transient increase in RT and RR values. It is concluded that road transportation of ostrich chicks for four hours apparently has no adverse effects on health and performance of ostrich chicks.
Keywords
heart rate; ostrich; rectal temperature; respiratory rate; transportation
Hrčak ID:
25178
URI
Publication date:
20.2.2007.
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