The Company of Biologists

Table 4.

Body mass and organ size of Sephanoides sephaniodes acclimated to different nitrogen intakes and in field conditions

	Diet
Number of birds:	N-0 6	N-2 5	N-11 7	Control field 6	F	P-value
Body mass (g)	5.61±0.22^a	6.09±0.17^a,b	6.47±0.25^b	6.53±0.22^b	3.84	0.02
Carcass	1.55±0.10^a	1.99±0.17^a,b	1.98±0.18^a,b	2.06±0.05^b	3.31	0.04
Feathers	0.51±0.02	0.48±0.02	0.53±0.02	0.49±0.02	1.16	0.35
Fat	0.63±0.10	0.63±0.05	0.50±0.07	0.58±0.03	0.43	0.73
Carcass without fat	0.92±0.07^a	1.36±0.10^a,b	1.42±0.12^b	1.49±0.08^b	11.23	<0.001
Organs (mg dry mass)
Heart	32.07±2.22	35.00±0.71	36.13±1.46	30.90±1.00	2.77	0.07
Lung	19.24±3.11	15.77±0.79	19.45±1.77	19.22±1.33	0.46	0.71
Kidney	10.62±1.36^a	14.15±1.01^a,b	17.60±0.78^b,c	19.90±2.03^c	5.50	0.007
Liver	43.87±7.64^a	47.87±4.24^a	83.32±13.97^b	54.47±3.73^a	6.92	0.003
Gizzard	2.67±0.09^a	3.30±0.27^a,b	3.77±0.15^b	3.92±0.15^b	7.62	0.002
Small intestine
Mass (mg)	32.89±4.30^a	33.10±4.03^a	52.52±2.01^b	49.2±2.40^b	5.26	0.009
Length (mm)	58.33±2.70^a	65.00±0.41^a,b	75.33±0.98^c	71.67±2.17^b,c	12.54	0.0001
Nominal area (mm²)	275.26±9.95^a	276.17±9.78^a	370.84±19.59^b	328.71±16.39^a,b		0.003

	Diet
Number of birds:	N-0 6	N-2 5	N-11 7	Control field 6	F	P-value
Body mass (g)	5.61±0.22^a	6.09±0.17^a,b	6.47±0.25^b	6.53±0.22^b	3.84	0.02
Carcass	1.55±0.10^a	1.99±0.17^a,b	1.98±0.18^a,b	2.06±0.05^b	3.31	0.04
Feathers	0.51±0.02	0.48±0.02	0.53±0.02	0.49±0.02	1.16	0.35
Fat	0.63±0.10	0.63±0.05	0.50±0.07	0.58±0.03	0.43	0.73
Carcass without fat	0.92±0.07^a	1.36±0.10^a,b	1.42±0.12^b	1.49±0.08^b	11.23	<0.001
Organs (mg dry mass)
Heart	32.07±2.22	35.00±0.71	36.13±1.46	30.90±1.00	2.77	0.07
Lung	19.24±3.11	15.77±0.79	19.45±1.77	19.22±1.33	0.46	0.71
Kidney	10.62±1.36^a	14.15±1.01^a,b	17.60±0.78^b,c	19.90±2.03^c	5.50	0.007
Liver	43.87±7.64^a	47.87±4.24^a	83.32±13.97^b	54.47±3.73^a	6.92	0.003
Gizzard	2.67±0.09^a	3.30±0.27^a,b	3.77±0.15^b	3.92±0.15^b	7.62	0.002
Small intestine
Mass (mg)	32.89±4.30^a	33.10±4.03^a	52.52±2.01^b	49.2±2.40^b	5.26	0.009
Length (mm)	58.33±2.70^a	65.00±0.41^a,b	75.33±0.98^c	71.67±2.17^b,c	12.54	0.0001
Nominal area (mm²)	275.26±9.95^a	276.17±9.78^a	370.84±19.59^b	328.71±16.39^a,b		0.003

Values are mean ± 1 s.e.m. Different letters show significant differences (Tukey test).

Body and organ mass were recorded after the 12^th day of acclimation.

F and P values are from a one-way ANCOVA, using body mass as covariate.

Diets: N-0, 0% nitrogen; N-2, 2.3% nitrogen; N-11: 11.2% nitrogen.