Total Blood and Corpuscular Volume in Turkey Hens

The present study was conducted because reports of the blood volume of turkeys are apparently lacking in the literature. In chickens, Newell and Shaffner (1950) and Pino and Weiss (1950) have shown that blood volume can be accurately estimated by a single intravenous injection of a preparation containing the colorimetrically measurable dye Evans Blue (T-1824). EXPERIMENTAL In this study blood volume was determined for a group of 30 one-year-old White Holland turkey breeder hens. The technique followed was that of Nitsche and Cohen (1947), except for the following modifications. An undyed sample of 10 ml. of blood was withdrawn from the right wing vein and approximately 0.3 mg. of dye per kilogram of body weight was injected through the same needle into the same vein. After ten minutes had elapsed for mixing of the dye in the blood stream, a dyed sample of 10 ml. of blood was withdrawn from . . .