Vetscan avian reptile profile plus

A flock of 11 Rhode Island Red hens (Gallus gallus domesticus) (range of body weight: 2.0–3.3 kg; mean weight: 2.5 kg), ranging in age from 1 to 2 years, was used in this study. Birds were housed as a group in a climate-controlled facility (15.6 m²) with wooden shavings substrate and maintained on a 12:12 (light:dark) h cycle. The flock was obtained from a private supplier and maintained on a Layer NCSU diet with water available ad libitum through automatic waterers. Bird health was monitored daily, and optimum welfare conditions were based on serial physical examinations, fecal floatation, serial packed cell volumes via microhematocrit tube and centrifugation, serial total solids via refractometer and serial biochemical panels (VetScan Avian/Reptile Profile Plus, Abaxis Inc., Union City, CA, USA). All procedures were authorized by the NCSU Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC # 21-152).

A flock of 30 Rhode Island Red hens (Gallusgallusdomesticus; body weight range: 1.9–2.8 kg; average weight: 2.4 kg) ranging in age from 2 to 3 years were used in this study. The birds were maintained under a photoperiod of 12:12 (light:dark) h and housed as a flock in a climate-controlled facility (15.6 m²) on a wood shaving substrate. Hens were obtained from a private breeder and fed an 18% protein layer diet with free access to water. The flock was monitored by veterinarians to ensure optimal health based on serial physical examinations, serial packed cell volumes via microhematocrit tube and centrifugation, serial total solids via refractometer and serial biochemical panels (VetScan Avian/Reptile Profile Plus; Abaxis Inc., Union City, CA, USA). All study procedures were approved by the NCSU Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC #21-152).