Effects of diet quality on serum oxidative status and body mass in male and female pigeons during reproduction

The quality of diet can affect the oxidative status of an animal and its susceptibility to oxidative damage. However, such effects can be expected to differ among phases of life cycle (e.g., reproduction, migration, moult), because they face the animals with different nutrient requirements and levels of stress. In this study, I investigated the effects of diet quality (standard vs. decreased quality diet) on the patterns of variation in serum oxidative status (oxidative damage, serum antioxidant capacity, serum thiols) and body mass in male and female pigeons (Columba livia) across the incubation and chick-rearing phases. This study shows that effects of environmental quality (diet) on oxidative status and body mass of breeding pigeons can emerge more strongly while chick feeding, but now while incubating. This study also suggests that males and females may differ in oxidative status and in how environmental quality (diet in this study) affects their oxidative status.