ORIGINAL PAPER
Effect of tyrosine and phenylalanine supplementation
on the colour and behaviour of chinchillas
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1
University of Agriculture in Krakow, Faculty of Animal Science, Department of Zoology and Animal Welfare,
Al. Mickiewicza 24/28, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
2
University of Agriculture in Krakow, Faculty of Animal Science, Department of Genetics, Animal Breeding and Ethology,
Al. Mickiewicza 24/28, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
Publication date: 2023-05-25
Corresponding author
S. Łapiński
University of Agriculture in Krakow, Faculty of Animal Science, Department of Zoology and Animal Welfare, al. Mickiewicza 24/28, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
J. Anim. Feed Sci. 2023;32(4):468-476
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
The purpose of the study was to verify whether increasing the
content of tyrosine and phenylalanine in the feed would result in more intense
colouration of chinchilla fur and affect the animals’ reactions to behavioural tests.
Chinchillas were divided into 3 groups: G-1 fed complete commercial fodder
(Tyr 6.91 mg/g, Phe 7.45 mg/g), G-2 fed commercial and experimental fodder
(1:1 ratio), and G-3 fed with experimental fodder (Tyr 14.31 mg/g, Phe 21.65 mg/g).
During the experiment, the fur colouration type was assessed using two methods: objective, with a colorimeter (CIE L*a*b* colour space: L* – light-dark axis,
a* – red-green axis, b* – yellow-blue axis, C* – colour saturation), and subjective,
by a qualified chinchilla judge. A behavioural hand test was used to categorise
the chinchillas’ responses to human intrusion into their cage. The results from
the colorimeter measurements did not show any significant differences in the L*
(P > 0.05) component; however, significant differences were observed for the
a* (P = 0.0029), b* (P = 0.0218), and C* (P = 0.0342) components in relation to
the fur colouration of individual groups. The assessment of the colour type by
a qualified specialist found statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) between
the initial and final measurements. Spearman’s correlation coefficients between
colour type assessment and colour components were mostly low or medium, but
with stronger values observed for L* compared to a*, b* or C*. There were no
significant effects of the feeding group on the results of the and test. However,
a decreasing trend was observed in the hand test results for G-3 from
week 5 of the measurements
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The Authors declare that there is no conflict of
interest.
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