育雏期母鸡母性行为消长试验初报

本试验采用母子共处或隔离以及注射丙酸睾丸酮的方法,对育雏期母鸡母性行为的消长进行了初步观察。试验结果初步说明,催乳激素是维持母鸡母性行为的物质基础,雏鸡形态、叫声、母子间的体表接触则是维持母鸡催乳激素含量在所需水平的首要条件。

AN EXPERIMENT OF THE INCREASE AND DECREASE OF MATERNAL BEHAVIOUR OF THE HEN DURING BROODING PERIOD

An experiment on the increase and decrease of maternal behaviour by letting the hen to stay with or isolate from its chicks as well as injecting of testosterone propionate was carried out in 5 hens naturally incubating to the time when all chicks were hatched.The result suggests that prolactin is the material foundation of maternal behaviour but the physique of chicks, the calling sounds, especially the surface contact of the hen with its chicks are the premier conditions to maintain the prolactin concentration at a requisite level during brooding period. During the early stage of brooding period and before the maternal behaviour declines completely, even though hens are injected with a high dose of testosterone propionate to antagonize prolactin in blood and to repress the continual release of prolactin from the distant part of hypophysis, the hens staying together with its chicks will still stimulate via nervous system the formation of prolactin to counteract the effect of testosterone propionate and to maintain the prominent maternal behaviour.