MORPHOLOGY OF BLOOD CELLS AND CONCENTRATION OF CORTISOL IN PLASMA OF GILTS DEPENDING ON POSITION IN THE SOCIAL HIERARCHY
C. Klocek1, J. Nowicki1, B. Kalinowska1,J. Bulla2, W. Kapelański3
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1Agricultural University of Krakow, 24/28 Mickiewicza, Kraków, Poland
2Slovak University of Agriculturein Nitra, 2 Tr. A. Hlinku, Nitra, Slovakia
3 University of Technology and Life Sciences, 28 Mazowiecka, Bydgoszcz, Poland
In farm animals stress often occurs in chronic form. This problem is very important because the hormonal changes connected with social hierarchy affect the metabolic status.
The experiment was carried out on 28 Polish Landrace x Polish Large White crossbreds gilts. Gilts were housed in straw bedded 240 x 350 cm pens in groups of 7 animals each. The two repeats of four day behavioural observations were made using video camera and time lapse video recorder. The ranking of gilts to the proper social hierarchy level on the basis of behavioural observations was made.Ranking of gilts was made on the basis of lying arrangement (taking lying places) and by the number and results of agonistic behaviour. The blood samples were taken from the vein and centrifuged directly after collection during 10 minutes and 3500 r.p.m. The plasma was stored at –18 ºC.
The highest cortisol level was found in low ranking animals and the lowest in dominants. The lowest values of blood cell parameters were observed in submissive animals. Stress response connected with social hierarchy establishment lead to the changes in hormone concentration Besides cortisol the indicators of stress may be some morphological parameters of blood such as WBC (number of leukocytes) RBC (number of erythrocytes), HGB (hemoglobin), HCT (hematocrite) and PLT (number of trombocytes).
Keywords: GILTS, SOCIAL HIERARCHY, CORTISOL, HEMATOLOGY
