Plasma catecholamine and corticosterone levels during manual restraint in chicks from a high and low feather pecking line of laying hens

Neurosympathetic and adrenal responsivity to manual restraint was studied in two White Leghorn chicken lines which differ in their tendency to feather peck. Blood samples were taken from freely moving cannulated birds during resting conditions and during manual restraint (placing the bird on its side for 8 min) to determine plasma noradrenaline, adrenaline and corticosterone. Plasma corticosterone levels in low feather peckers (LFP) were significantly higher during resting conditions and restraint as compared to the high feather peckers (HFP). In response to manual restraint the HFP hens showed a significantly larger plasma noradrenaline response than LFP hens. No difference in plasma adrenaline levels was observed under resting conditions or during manual restraint. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.