Determination of corticosterone concentrations in egg albumen: A non-invasive indicator of stress in laying hens

• Published in: Physiology & behavior Vol. 95; no. 3; pp. 381 - 387
• Main Authors: Downing, J.A, Bryden, W.L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Elsevier Inc 20.10.2008; New York, NY Elsevier
• Subjects: Albumins - chemistry; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Arachis hypogaea; Behavior, Animal; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Chickens - blood; Chickens - physiology; Cold Temperature - adverse effects; Corticosterone; Corticosterone - metabolism; Corticosterone - pharmacology; Egg albumen; Eggs - analysis; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Handling (Psychology); Hens; Hot Temperature - adverse effects; Oviposition - drug effects; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Stress measurement; Stress, Psychological - diagnosis; Stress, Psychological - etiology; Stress, Psychological - metabolism; Time Factors; Hens; Corticosterone; Stress measurement; Egg albumen; Vertebrata; Steroid hormone; Adrenal hormone; Laying hen; Chicken; Aves; Glucocorticoid; Stress

Abstract Measurement of plasma corticosterone is difficult because the handling associated with blood sampling from birds is stressful. The use of non-invasive means of measuring stress could help to alleviate this problem. It was considered that the accumulation of plasma corticosterone into the eg...