Background: Since it is not yet clear whether it is possible to satisfactorily avoid sampling-induced stress interference in poultry, more studies on the pattern of physiological response and detailed quantification of stress connected with the first few minutes of capture and pre-sampling handling in poultry are required. This study focused on detection of changes in the corticosterone level and concentrations of other selected biochemical parameters in broilers handled in two different manners during blood sampling (involving catching, carrying, restraint, and blood collection itself) that lasted for various time periods within the interval 30-180 seconds. Methods: Stress effects of pre-sampling handling were studied in a group (n = 144) of unsexed ROSS 308 broiler chickens aged 42 d. Handling (catching, carrying, restraint, and blood sampling itself) was carried out in a gentle (caught, held and carried carefully in an upright position) or rough (caught by the leg, held and carried with lack of care in inverted position) manner and lasted for 30 s, 60 s, 90 s, 120 s, 150 s, and 180 s. Plasma corticosterone, albumin, glucose, cholesterol, lactate, triglycerides and total protein were measured in order to assess the stress-induced changes to these biochemical indices following handling in the first few minutes of capture. Results: Pre-sampling handling in a rough manner resulted in considerably higher plasma concentrations of all biochemical indices monitored when compared with gentle handling. Concentrations of plasma corticosterone after 150 and 180 s of handling were considerably higher (P < 0.01) than concentrations after 30-120 s of handling regardless of handling technique. Concentrations of plasma lactate were also increased by prolonged handling duration. Handling for 90-180 seconds resulted in a highly significant elevation of lactate concentration in comparison with 30 s handling regardless of handling technique. Similarly to corticosterone concentrations, a strong positive correlation was found between plasma lactate and duration of pre-sampling handling. Other biochemical indices monitored did not show any correlation pattern in connection with duration of pre-sampling handling. Conclusions: These results indicate that the pre-sampling procedure may be a considerably stressful procedure for broilers, particularly when carried out with lack of care and exceeding 120 seconds.

Background: This study evaluated physiological responses to repeated handling and blood collection in laboratory rabbits using infrared thermography, serum cortisol, and faecal cortisol metabolites (FCMs), and assessed responses in non-handled rabbits housed in the same room. Methods: Sixteen healthy adult rabbits were randomly allocated to experimental (n = 8) and non-handled control (n = 8) groups. Experimental rabbits underwent nine blood collections over 5 h as part of a pharmacokinetic study, with periocular surface temperature measured by infrared thermography before each collection. Controls underwent thermography at identical time points without handling or blood sampling. Serum cortisol was measured in experimental rabbits, whereas FCMs were analysed in both groups. Results: Following the first blood collection, periocular temperature increased by 1.0 °C in experimental and 1.3 °C in control rabbits. Experimental serum cortisol increased from 13.6 ± 5.5 to 23.7 ± 7.3 ng/mL at 30 min and declined to 8.1 ± 2.1 ng/mL at final sampling. FCMs increased approximately 9 h after the first collection in both groups and remained elevated for up to three days in experimental rabbits. Conclusions: Repeated handling and blood collection elicited measurable physiological responses. Changes in controls suggest that procedure-related environmental cues may also influence nearby non-handled rabbits.