EFFECT OF FEED AND WATER WITHDRAWAL ON GREEN LIVER DISCOLORATION, SERUM TRIGLYCERIDES, AND HEMOCONCENTRATION IN TURKEYS

Turkey poults at 1 d of age were obtained from a local hatchery (Exper iment 1), or at 14 wk of age from a local grower (Experiment 2), and k ept in floor pens with feed and water available for ad libitum consump tion. When the turkeys reached 16 wk of age (Experiment 1) and 18 wk o f age (Experiment 2), the treatments were established within a 2 x 2 f actorial arrangement and consisted of ad libitum consumption of feed a nd water (control), or feed, water, or both feed and water withdrawal. In Experiment 1, 1 turkey per pen, 6 turkeys per treatment, were kill ed every 4 h for 32 h, and in Experiment 2, 10 turkeys per treatment w ere killed at 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, and 54 h after feed, or water, or bo th had been withdrawn. The turkeys were bled at sampling times 16 and 32 h in Experiment 1 and at each sampling time in Experiment 2. Serum was collected and hematological and clinical chemistries performed. Th e turkeys were examined for green fiver discoloration and turkey osteo myelitis complex lesions. Withdrawal of feed, water, or both feed and water for up to 54 h did not affect the incidence of green liver disco loration in these studies. Serum triglyceride concentrations were the most sensitive blood constituent to either water or feed withdrawal, w ith reductions (P less than or equal to 0.05) occurring at 16 h after feed withdrawal. Hemoconcentration resulted in an increase in hematocr it and hemoglobin levels 30 h after water withdrawal.