Research Note: Quantifying corticosterone in turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) feathers using ELISA

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Veterinary Medicine
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Feather corticosterone is a noninvasive biomarker for assessing glucocorticoid levels in birds.
• This method is valuable for evaluating the welfare of domestic poultry.
• Previous studies have not investigated feather corticosterone differences across turkey genetic lines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the use of ELISA for detecting corticosterone in turkey feathers.
• To investigate potential differences in feather corticosterone concentrations among three purebred turkey lines.

Main Methods:

• Feathers (primary feather 9) were collected from 123 turkeys across three genetic lines (A, B, C).
• A commercially available ELISA kit was used for corticosterone quantification.
• Assay validation included tests for accuracy, recovery, precision, and sensitivity.

Main Results:

• The ELISA method demonstrated sufficient accuracy, recovery, precision, and sensitivity for feather corticosterone analysis.
• Significant differences in feather corticosterone concentrations were observed among the three turkey lines.
• Line C exhibited significantly higher feather corticosterone levels compared to Line A and Line B.

Conclusions:

• Feather corticosterone quantification via ELISA is a valid approach for assessing glucocorticoid levels in turkeys.
• This study is the first to report variations in feather corticosterone among different purebred turkey lines.
• Observed genetic line differences in corticosterone warrant further research into the genetic basis of glucocorticoid regulation in turkeys.