Stress: what it does to the chicken's body and how to measure it without instruments
The word stress is everywhere, but it means something precise: a reaction of the body, with hormones, with measurable effects on appetite, growth, laying and defences. A bird stressed for three days eats less, grows less, defends itself less for two weeks. The farmer who knows how to recognise and measure stress without instruments, from four simple tests, gains kilos and eggs that others lose without knowing why.
12 min read · 5-question quiz at the end
By Abdul Hussein ChoumanFounder of NEXTEKCI · Agnibilékrou hatchery since 2006Lesson reserved for students following the steps
This lesson is part of Level 6 — The bird: anatomy, physiology, behaviour. It opens to registered students who have passed the level 5 exam. Levels 1 to 5 and the tracks remain readable by everyone.
What you will learn
- ✓Define stress and describe the body's two reactions, the rapid alarm and the long resistance, with their hormones
- ✓List what stress costs in growth, laying, immunity and behaviour, with orders of magnitude
- ✓Measure a flock's stress with four tests without instruments and a score from 0 to 10
- ✓Classify the stress sources on your farm and reduce them one by one