Behavioral and rectal temperature responses of Black Harco pullets administered vitamins C and E and transported by road during the hot-dry season

Experiments were performed with the aim of investigating the behavioral activities, rectal temperature (RT) responses, and mortality of pullets administered antioxidant vitamins C (ascorbic acid, AA), E (E), or their combination (AA + E) and transported by road for 8 hours during the hot-dry season. The pullets were 18 weeks old, and they were divided into 4 groups of 60 birds each. Group I pullets (control) were administered 2 mL/kg of body weight of sterile water per os, whereas groups II (AA), III (E), and IV (AA + E) pullets were administered orally 60 mg, 30 mg, and a combination of 60 mg + 30 mg/kg body weight of AA, E, and AA + E, respectively, before being loaded. The RT value; number of birds that panted and laid down during the journey; number of inductions of tonic immobility (TI); duration of TI; mortality; and the time spent lying down, drinking, and feeding recorded post-transport were higher (P < 0.05) in control pullets compared to the corresponding values obtained in AA, E, and AA + E pullets. The results showed that the thermal load experienced by the pullets during transport induced hyperthermia and behavioral activities associated with stressful situations and that AA, E, and AA + E ameliorated the stress caused by transport. It is concluded that single administration of antioxidant vitamins AA and E, especially AA, prior to road transport reduces the risk of adverse effects of handling, loading, transport, and heat stress on pullets during the hot-dry season.