Zagazig Journal of Animal and Poultry Production 61 EFFECTS OF EXPOSING OSTRICH EGGS TO DOSES OF GAMMA IRRADIATION ON SOME BLOOD BIOCHEMICALS AND HORMONAL LEVELS OF CHICKS Nour E. Gouda 2 , G-H.A. El-Sayiad 1 , KH.M. Mahrose 1* , M.A. Elsayed 2 and M. Elarousy 2 1. Poult. Dept., Fac. Agric., Zagazig Univ., Egypt 2. Biol. Appl. Dept., Nuclear Res. Center, Atomic Energy Authority, Egypt ABSTRACT The present work was carried out at the Ostrich Farm, Nuclear Research Center, Atomic Energy Authority, Inshas, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt, during the period from July to September, 2013. A total number of 72 ostrich eggs were collected from the breeding flock and distributed into 4 treatments (18 eggs per each), in an experiment of a completely randomized design to evaluate exposing ostrich eggs to gamma irradiation before incubation on some blood biochemical and hormonal levels of ostrich chicks at 35 days of age after hatching. The first experimental group was used as control and kept without exposure to gamma irradiation. The 2 nd , 3 rd and 4 th groups were exposed to 0.8, 1.6 and 3.2 Gray (Gy) of 60 Co gamma rays just before incubation. Serum total protein, Albumin, globulin, uric acid, Alkaline-phosphatase (ALP) creatinin, aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), total cholesterol, triglycride and triiodothyronin (T 3 ) were estimated. The results showed that the blood plasma of chicks from eggs of the control group and 1 st group exposed to 0.8 Gy gamma irradiation had significantly higher (P≤0.05 and 0.01) values of plasma total protein, albumen, globulin, T 3 , glucose than the other groups. Moreover, the control group had significantly (P≤0.01) higher values of plasma ALP and phosphorus than the other groups. However, the levels of blood plasma of creatinine, uric acid, cholesterol, triglycerides, ALT, AST and calcium were lower (P≤0.01) in the control group than the other groups. In conclusion; the present work needs more investigation. The results in the present work establish guideline values for blood plasma biochemical analyses of ostriches at 35 days of age after exposing ostrich eggs to gamma irradiation before incubation. Key words: Blood, gamma, ostrich. INTRODUCTION Ostriches have now become an important commercial species in many parts of the world (Mahrose, 2012). Ostrich (Struthio camelus) has become one of the new and valuable agricultural enterprises which have a new view for interest in Egypt since 1996 (Mahrose, 2007). Recent interest in ostrich fanning has led to an increasing demand for information about this bird and how to manage it in a commercial environment (Minka, 2003 ; El-Safty and Mahrose, 2009). Recently, there are attempts to document normal blood chemistry and haematology in ostriches in relation to age, sex, husbandry conditions and egg laying period (Levi et al., 1999; Mahrose, 2007; El-Safty and Mahrose, 2009 ; Elsayed et al., 2010). Blood chemistry profiles are extremely important in the health management of ostrich (Tully and Shane, 1998). Blood profiling, initially used to detect sub- clinical metabolic disorders due to incorrect management and on medium- large farms, metabolic profile determination can be very useful when a decrease in production and/or http:/www.journals.zu.edu.eg/journalDisplay.aspx?Journalld=1&queryType=Master Zagazig J. Agric. Res., Vol. 42 No. (1) 2015 Corresponding author: Tel. : +201001278452 E-mail address: khn_mahrose@yahoo.com 61-69