02598nas a2200253   4500000000100000000000100001008004100002260007000043653001900113653001900132653001500151653001200166100001500178700001600193700001500209700001500224700001600239700001500255700001400270245012100284490000800405520191700413022001402330       2017                            d  c06/2017bSchlütersche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KGaHannover10acaptive-reared10acorticosterone10apheasantry10awelfare1 aI Bedanova1 aV Pistekova1 aP Forejtek1 aJ Chloupek1 aE Voslarova1 aL Plhalova1 aV Vecerek00aShort-time effect of stress associated with transport of juvenile pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) as affected by age0 v1303 aShort-time effects of stress associated with transport were quantified by the concentration of plasma corticosterone in common pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) aged 8 and 16 weeks transported for 2 hours in transport containers or merely placed in transport containers for 2 hours and exposed to ambient stir (visual contact with people walking past, human communication, movements of the container). Furthermore, a difference in the stress response of younger and older birds was assessed to determine the appropriate period of transportation of pheasants from the rearing facility to the pheasantry or to the site of their subsequent release prior to hunting. The young pheasants (n = 40) were monitored in July, the experiment with the older pheasants (n = 40) took place in September. In both these periods, pheasants were divided into 3 groups: Control (n = 10), Container 2h (n = 10), and Transport 2h (n = 20). The corticosterone concentration was significantly higher in 16-week pheasants irrespective of group. The highest corticosterone level was found in pheasants of both age groups that were crated for 2 h. However, older birds showed a significantly higher corticosterone level than younger birds. No significant difference in corticosterone level was found between pheasants transported for 2 h at the age of 8 and 16 weeks. It can be said in conclusion that the level of plasma corticosterone is statistically significantly higher, regardless of the treatment used in the experiment, in older pheasants (aged 16 weeks) than in younger pheasants (aged 8 weeks). The greatest stress associated with pheasant transport is the handling of the birds and close contact with man, and this stress load is higher in older pheasants than in younger birds. Transport itself presents a smaller stress load since no difference was found between transported and control birds at the age of both 8 and 16 weeks.  a0005-9366