TY - JOUR T1 - Effect of Dietary Humate and Organic Acid Supplementation on Social Stress Induced by High Stocking Density in Laying Hens AU - Cetin, Nazmi AU - Guclu, Berrin Kocaoglu AU - Cetin, Ebru JO - Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances VL - 10 IS - 18 SP - 2402 EP - 2407 PY - 2011 DA - 2001/08/19 SN - 1680-5593 DO - javaa.2011.2402.2407 UR - https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=javaa.2011.2402.2407 KW - social stress KW -laying hen KW -lymphocyte KW -organic acid KW -Humate KW -Turkey AB - This study was conducted to determine the anti-stress effect of the dietary humate and organic acid supplementation on laying hens when subjected to high stocking density as a social stress factor. A total of hundred, 40 weeks, brown laying hens were housed at two different stocking densities of 287.7 (high density) and 500 (low density) cm2/hen. For the control group, 16 hens were randomly assigned to 4 groups, 4 replicates of 4 birds each and were kept in low density. The control group received a basal diet. The remaining 84 hens were divided into 3 treatment groups, 4 replicates of 7 birds each and were housed at high density. The treatment group were fed either a basal diet (crowded control) or the basal diet supplemented with either 0.15 humate (Humate group) or 0.20 % organic acid (organic acid group) of diet for 60 days. The results show that in hens kept in high density heterophils and Heterophil to Lymphocyte (H:L) ratios, an indicator of stress were raised while lymphocytes decreased. Humate supplementation resulted in significant increases in the lymphocyte counts and significant decreases in the heterophil counts and H:L ratios compared with those of the crowded control. The heterophils, lymphocytes and H:L ratio were not influenced by organic acid treatment. The present results suggest that humate supplementation to diet may be a favorable alternative for help poultry to cope with social stresses. ER -