Effect of pinealectomy on broodiness of turkey hens.
Large White breeder hens with a history of broody behavior were recycled into a second reproductive cycle following pinealectomy. Pinealectomy did not alter the performance of broody hens with respect to time to first egg, duration of egg production, eggs per hen, number and duration of egg sequences, number and duration of pauses, time to onset of broody nesting behavior, or persistency of nesting. It was concluded that the pineal gland does not play an essential role in the onset or maintenance of broodiness in turkey hens.
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D009425:Nesting Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D010058:Oviposition; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000502:physiology*; D014422:Turkeys / Q000502:physiology*