The Effect of Housing System and Gender on Relative Brain Weight, Body Temperature, Hematological Traits, and Bone Quality in Muscovy Ducks

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Free access to water with the possibility of swimming has the potential to be a good alternative to intensive housing of Muscovy ducks. The effect of this housing type was studied concerning hematological parameters, body temperature, relative brain weight, and bone quality. Birds with the possibility of swimming (S group) were compared to birds housed on deep litter with natural conditions (D group). Moreover, the effect of gender (G) was also studied. The housing of the birds had a significant effect on some hematological traits, body temperature, and relative brain weight. On the other hand, fracture toughness was not affected. Regarding the gender effect, it was found out that drakes had higher relative brain weight, lower body temperature, and higher fracture toughness of bones. These results help us understand the physiological and anatomical functioning of individual categories of animals monitored by us from a higher perspective with possible impacts on welfare and health. ABSTRACT: The study was conducted during the summer season (June–August 2020). Two hundred sixty-four 5-week-old sexed Muscovy ducklings were randomly divided into four equal experimental groups by housing system and by gender. Each group had three replicates (22 birds/replicate) in a randomized design experiment. Regarding the hematological traits, the volume of leukocytes was higher in the D group (by 0.34 × 10(9)/L; p < 0.05) than in the S group. Furthermore, body temperature was found to be higher in ducks (by 0.84 °C; p < 0.05) and in the D group (by 0.5 °C; p < 0.05) in comparison with drakes and birds from the S group. Considering relative brain weight, drakes had higher values than ducks (by 0.56 g; p < 0.05), and birds from the S group also manifested higher values (by 0.78 g; p < 0.05). In terms of bone quality, there were no differences in studied parameters of tibia and femur bones regarding housing systems. The results provide valuable evidence of differences in the fattening of intensively bred Muscovy ducks within the housing system but also regarding gender.