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

The measurement of corticosterone in feathers is an appealing tool for assessing glucocorticoids in wild and domestic bird species. Feather corticosterone measurements can be performed noninvasively and can provide a means for comparing glucocorticoid secretion between individual birds; thus, such measurements can be used to assess the welfare of domestic poultry. The focus of this study was to assess the validity of detecting corticosterone in turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) feathers using an ELISA and investigate differences between genetic lines. Primary feather 9 was obtained at a processing plant from 123 individuals from 3 different purebred turkey lines (line A [N = 46], line B [N = 24], and line C [N = 53]). Assay validation tests were performed using a commercially available ELISA kit (Cayman Chemicals, Cedarlane Labs, Canada). Indicators of accuracy, recovery, precision, and sensitivity were sufficient. Significant differences in feather corticosterone concentration between the 3 lines were observed. Line C had significantly higher feather corticosterone than line A (P < 0.0001) and line B (P = 0.036). These results indicate that the quantification of feather corticosterone using an ELISA is a valid method for assessing glucocorticoid levels in turkeys. This is the first report of differences in feather corticosterone between different purebred turkey lines. Differences observed between purebred lines provide an intriguing basis for further investigation into the genetic parameters of glucocorticoid levels in turkeys.