Sex-related differences in hemato-biochemical indices of adult Vanaraja chickens during summer and winter seasons.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to evaluate the changes in hemato-biochemical indices in male and female Vanaraja chickens under tropical environment during summer and winter season.


METHODS
A total of 120 day-old sexed Vanaraja chicks were selected as experimental chickens and distributed equally in two groups having 60 female and 60 male chickens in each group, respectively. The experiment was continued for 8 weeks (56 days) and both male and female chickens were slaughtered by cervical dislocation method. All parameters were estimated at the end of the experiment in both seasons.


RESULTS
Male had higher blood glucose, Ca and P level. Blood glucose level significantly (p<0.05) reduced in summer. Female had higher total protein, albumin, globulin, and albumin/globulin ratio. Alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase enzyme concentration were significantly (p<0.05) higher in summer. Total erythrocyte count, total leukocyte count, hemoglobin (Hb), Hb/lymphocyte ratio, and packed cell volume were significantly (p<0.05) higher in males. Mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular Hb were significantly (p<0.05) higher in females.


CONCLUSIONS
Sex of chickens had a significant (p<0.05) effect on different parameters whereas season had nonsignificant (p>0.05) effect in most of the observed parameters. Hence, Vanaraja chickens are adaptable to local tropical climate and can be reared efficiently as backyard poultry.
Division of Livestock Production and Management, ICAR - National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal - 132 001, Haryana, India.
Kuldeep Kumar
KK
Panigrahy
Department of Livestock Production and Management, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Bhubaneswar - 751 003, Odisha, India.
Kumaresh
K
Behera
Department of Livestock Production and Management, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Bhubaneswar - 751 003, Odisha, India.
Lal Mohan
LM
Mohapatra
Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Bhubaneswar - 751 003, Odisha, India.
Aditya Prasad
AP
Acharya
Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Bhubaneswar - 751 003, Odisha, India.
Kamdev
K
Sethy
Department of Livestock Production and Management, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Bhubaneswar - 751 003, Odisha, India.
Sasmita
S
Panda
Division of Livestock Production and Management, ICAR - National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal - 132 001, Haryana, India.
Shailesh Kumar
SK
Gupta
Vanaraja chicken; indices; season; tropical climate; welfare