Haemato-Biochemical and Immunological Profiling of Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) under Intensive Rearing System in India

Abstract

The present study aimed to assess haematological, biochemical, and immunological parameters in turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) reared under an intensive housing system suited to Indian conditions. Seventy-two day-old healthy turkey poults were wing-banded, weighed, and randomly allocated into three replicates of 24 birds each, and reared following standard management practices according to ICAR (2013) feeding guidelines. Observations were recorded at 6 and 12 weeks of age to evaluate physiological and immunological development. Among haematological parameters, total erythrocyte count (TEC: 3.34 × 10⁶/µl) and total leukocyte count (TLC: 13.6 × 10³/µl) were significantly higher (p<0.01) at 6 weeks, whereas haemoglobin (Hb: 10.95 g/dl), packed cell volume (PCV: 36.8%), mean corpuscular volume (MCV: 148.2 fL), and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC: 28.58 g/dl) were significantly higher (p<0.01) at 12 weeks. In terms of biochemical parameters, significant age-related and replicate-wise variations were observed in blood glucose (247.79 mg/dl), AST (301.4 U/L), and ALT (5.16 U/L), while no significant differences were found in total protein, creatinine, BUN, cholesterol, or triglycerides. Immunological evaluation revealed a significant enhancement (p<0.01) in both humoral immunity (HA titre: 4.6) and cell-mediated immunity (PHA-P response: 0.93 mm) at 12 weeks compared to 6 weeks. The results demonstrate that age has a significant effect on various blood and immune parameters, and that intensive rearing systems, when properly managed, can effectively support normal physiological and immunological development in turkeys. These outcomes provide valuable reference data for further research and optimization of turkey production practices.