RESUMO
Three groups of Hybro broiler chickens, of which one group were controls, a second treated intragastrically with histamine, and a third stressed by immersion in water, were used in the experiment. Serum activities of aspartate and alanine aminotransferase and creatine kinase were evaluated. Gizzard erosion length, body weight during fattening, slaughter-house or final body weight, food consumption and antibody titre after vaccination for Newcastle disease were also measured. Stress induced severe gizzard erosion and decreased body weight, especially in male birds, whilst both stressed and histamine-treated groups of chicks had decreased antibody titres that were especially pronounced in the stressed animals. Food consumption and aspartate aminotransferase and creatine kinase activities were increased in the stressed chicks.
