Indigenous chicken are the most commonly kept domestic animals in Pakistan and there are many large collections of this species at home and farm level. The demand for their veterinary care is increasing and hence the knowledge for the current methods of their restraint and sedation has become the present need.

The study was conducted on thirty clinically healthy male chickens of twelve to sixteen weeks of age and weight ranging from 1000-1200 grams. They were divided into three groups namely Group-A, B and C comprising ten chicken each. Each group was divided into subgroups i.e Al, A2, Bi, B2, & Cl, C2. To study the effect of surgical stress, castration was performed on birds of subgroup A2, B2 and 02. Birds of the three groups A, B, and C were anaesthelized with ketamine HOl @20 mg/kg body weight, kelarnine 1-101 (@ 20 mg/kg body weight) + xylazine HCL (@ 2mg/kg body weight) and ketamine HCL (@ 25 mg/kg body weight) ± Diazepam (@ 2.5 mg/kg body weight) intramuscularly, respectively.

After getting anaesthesia, the effects on various body reflexes were recorded in order to assess the induction and surgical stage longevity. The time taken by Ketamine 1-101 to induce anaesthesia was 3.6±0.22 minutes. Katamine 1-IC1 induced anaesthesia persisted upto 17 ±0.88 minutes with the presence of corneal, palpebral and wing stretching reflexes. The birds took 59.5±2.90 minutes to recover. Ketamine HCI/ Xylazine HC1 took 9.6±0.58 minutes to induce anaesthesia which persisted for 30± 1.84 minutes with almost complete absence of all reflexes. The birds took 90.4±9.61 minutes to stand on their feet. Ketamine HCL/Diazepam induced anaesthesia within 5 ±0.33 minutes for 38± 1.12 minutes with almost absence of corneal, palpebral, wing stretching and mandibular tone reflexes. The birds recovered after 162.4± 10.76 minutes.

The analgesia & muscle relaxation was very poor in group A as the birds of subgroup A2 exhibited severe pain and resentment when they underwent caponization. It was very good in group B & there was almost complete absence of all reflexes during surgical anaesthesia so caponization was easily performed on birds of subgroup-B2. However in group C, some birds showed unwanted movements (Excitement, shivering, backward pulling of neck) during the procedure.

The results of this study clearly indicated that the combination comprising Ketamine HCI and Xylazine HC1 proved to be an ideal cocktail to induce anaesthesia in the chicken. The study also proved that combination provided maximal analgesia which is normally required for a major surgical intervention. The said combination provided excellent muscle relaxation with smooth induction and recovery. It was also concluded that cocktail consisting of Ketamine HC1 and Diazepam can effectively be recommended for minor surgical exercises.