EVALUATING PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF HOUSE SHIFT STRESSED SINAI AND DOKKI-4 STRAINS AT TWO AGES

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of change stress on productive performance, immuno-physiological status, and hormonal changes that arise from a free-range to individual battery cages. The current study was carried out at the poultry and animal production research station in El-Serw-Damietta Governorate from May 28 to August 5, 2024. A total of 192 birds of Egyptian local strains, 96 birds of Sina, and 96 birds of Doki-4 strains were transferred from a free-range to individual battery cages. According to results, Dokki-4 and Sinai strains differ significantly in overall means of egg production only during chronic 1 period, being higher in Dokki-4. There were significant differences in overall meaning of HDEP% between the two breeds throughout the whole experimental period and within chronic 2. The significance was in favor of Sinai poults, with a difference of 2.52% for the entire experimental period and 6.66% for chronic 2. During the same period, the HDEP% of the two strains differed significantly by 2.52%, favoring the Sinai strain. With a very high significant difference in clutch cycles, the Sinai strain outperformed the Dokki-4 strain; this trend persisted in the significant difference in rest cycles, suggesting that the Sinai strain has a higher process of persistence in production than the Dokki-4 strain. Results clearly showed a dramatic increase in corticosterone level during acute stress as compared to open yard bird plasma or during the adaptation period, regardless of strain and age of hens. Plasma IgG concentration showed non-significant increase during acute stress period and significant increase with higher values than in open yard bird plasma and the adaptation period. T3 hormone level was significantly lower during adaptation than open yards bird plasma. T4 hormone level showed inconsistent trend in both strains and both ages. Much more research is required before the interactions between housing and the immune system and production parameters found in this study can be fully comprehended. The causes of the housing conditions' effects are sometimes unknown. Almost nothing is known about the stress that comes from housing laying hens in groups or individually.