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Providing Proteins To Belizean Residents Through Poultry Products, Ellis Freel

Poultry Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Belize is a food insecure, developing country. Although Belize has plenty of nutritious food in-country, the exportation of that food to generate income contributed to a distribution issue of that nutritious food. More impoverished areas of Belize do not have access to nutritious food because of the lack of affordability and high export rates. Diets with a lack of food, or lack of balanced, nutritious food can negatively impact growth and cognitive development, especially in children. Poultry is one of the only products in Belize not able to be exported. Implementing poultry into Belizean diets would affordably alleviate food insecurity …

Effects Of Maternal Infant-Directed Sensory Cues On Early Weaned Piglet Behavior, Mattie Still

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the commercial pig production industry, weaning is a stressful time. Stress is related to loss in production due to increased incidence of illness, increased aggression, and reduced rate of gain, which results in economic losses for the producer. The purpose of this continuous behavior study was to explore the effects of provisional own-mother olfactory and auditory stimuli on early weaned piglet behavior and growth. During days 7-14 postpartum, the grunting of 12 individual sows was recorded while their piglets nursed. The audio files were put into a single loop with grunting occurring for 20 minutes followed by 60 minutes …

Demographics, Sexual Dimorphism, And Ecological Aspects Of Ambystoma Annulatum (Ringed Salamander) In Northwest Arkansas, Usa, Brian M. Becker

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The need to study and monitor amphibian populations is increasing along with the threats to their population stability and persistence in nature. Northwest Arkansas is one of the fastest growing areas in the nation and with that growth comes rapid changes in land use, massive alterations to habitats, habitat loss, and the introduction of nonnative plants and animals. Ambystoma annulatum (Ringed Salamander) is an Ambystomatid endemic to the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains of southern Missouri, northern and western Arkansas, and eastern Oklahoma giving it a relatively small distribution compared to most Ambystoma. Therefore, Arkansas constitutes a significant portion of the …

Impact Of Reducing Ammonia Concentration By Ozone Technology And Its Potential Improvement On Broiler Performance, Odilpio Quintana Ortega

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The employment of ozone in livestock production as a means of mitigating ammonia is used for enhancing air quality within animal confinement facilities, such as swine or poultry barns. Ammonia is a byproduct of animal excrement. Elevated ammonia concentrations can adversely affect the well-being of both animals and humans. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the effects of Ozone Technology Machine Unit (OTMU) utilization in poultry barns regarding ammonia concentration and its potential benefit in terms of broilers performance and welfare. In recent years, there has been a significant boom in technological advances. New devices that help mitigate …

In Vitro And In Vivo Evaluation Of Antimicrobial Activity, Oocyst Sporulation Rate, Oocyst Integrity And Oocyst Infectivity In Eimeria Maxima M6 Oocyst Suspensions Treated With Chlorhexidine Salts In Comparison With Potassium Dichromate, Lauren Laverty

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Eimeria species oocysts cause coccidiosis, one of the costliest diseases in the poultry industry. Coccidiosis infections cause significant economic losses due to reduced performance in chickens and turkeys. The objective of this thesis was to determine fecal bacterial recovery from chlorhexidine (CHX) salt suspensions containing Eimeria maxima M6 oocysts and evaluate the effect of CHX salts on oocysts during long-term cold storage. For bacterial recovery experiments, CHX digluconate and CHX gluconate were tested at different concentrations on poultry fecal slurries during oocyst shedding. Eimeria maxima M6 oocysts were evaluated in CHX salt suspensions to test the effect on oocyst degradation …

Assessment Of Dietary Energy And Amino Acid Diet Formulation In The Modern Broilers, Matheus Freitas Costa

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As a result of the advancement of genetics, understanding broiler requirements for dietary energy and amino acids is essential for improving live performance and carcass characteristics. The energy system used to formulate diets in poultry is based on metabolizable energy (ME); this equation can be described as the total amount of energy in the feed minus gases and feces. However, the net energy (NE) system may be the best depiction of the energy utilized by birds for production and maintenance purposes once the heat increment (HI) is measured. Thus, a series of studies were conducted to establish the responsiveness of …

Effects Of Supplemental Trace Minerals As Amino Acid Complexed Or Inorganic Sources For Beef Cattle From Receiving Through Finishing, Robin Ashley Cheek

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of experiments was to investigate the effects of inorganic or amino acid-complexed sources of trace minerals on health, gain performance, liver mineral concentrations, and carcass characteristics of beef heifers from receiving through finishing. To investigate the effects of inorganic or amino acid-complexed sources of trace minerals (zinc, copper, manganese, and cobalt) on performance and morbidity of beef heifers during the receiving period, crossbred beef heifer calves arriving on 3 delivery dates were used in a 42-day receiving trial. Treatments consisted of supplemental zinc (360 mg/d), copper (125 mg/d), manganese (200 mg/d), and cobalt (12 mg/d) from complexed (Availa-4, …

Evaluation Of Heat Stress And Dietary Amino Acid Density On Nutrient And Energy Partitioning In Broilers, Jean-Remi Teyssier

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The simultaneous increase in the global demand for animal-based protein products and the rise in temperature associated with global warming pose important challenges to the poultry industry. Heat stress (HS) occurs when an animal’s heat production (HP) surpasses its capacity to dissipate heat into the surrounding environment, ultimately leading to reduced feed intake (FI) and negative impacts on performance. A better understanding of bird responses to elevated temperatures is required to propose effective nutritional strategies that mitigate the adverse effects of HS. Therefore, this dissertation aimed to characterize the nutritional and physiological mechanisms explaining the loss in performance and carcass …

Investigation Of Consumer Freezing Practices, Condition And Duration On Palatability Of Beef, Elizabeth Sue Neal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of these studies was to determine: the impact of extended periods of frozen storage duration and packaging type on palatability traits of cooked beef steaks from two muscles and the impact of freezing type and storage duration on objective and subjective measures of ground beef palatability traits. In study 1, no differences were elicited from any of the possible interactions (P= 0.95) for SSF or CL: package × muscle × freezing duration, package × muscle, package × duration or muscle × duration. However, freezing duration did impact both SSF (P < 0.01) and CL (P < 0.001). Generally, for both SSF and CL steaks that were frozen for 9-months elicited both the highest SSF values as well as the greatest percentage of CL among all treatments. In comparison, EM was impacted by the interaction (P = 0.059) of packaging type  muscle  freezing duration. Samples from OW GM stored for 9-months elicited the highest percentage of EM while fresh OW LL samples resulted in the lowest. Additionally, expressible moisture was impacted by the interaction (P = 0.047) of muscle  freezing duration. Among all treatments, GM steaks that were frozen for 9-months elicited the highest EM values and fresh LL samples the lowest EM values. Contrastingly, there was no significant difference observed in expressible moisture for the interaction (P  0.18) of package type  freezing duration or for the interaction (P = 0.70) of package type  muscle. Generally, fresh OW GM steaks resulted in the greatest concentration of lipid derived volatile compounds such as aldehydes, hydrocarbons and alcohols which contrasted sensory ratings of trained panelists that indicated oxidized and refrigerator-stale ratings increased as storage time increased for OW steaks. In study 2, The interaction of freezer treatment × storage duration impacted gumminess (P = 0.05), a TPA attribute. In greater detail, samples stored in RF for 6-months resulted in the greatest gumminess values (P < 0.001), while those stored in the CF for 12-months elicited the lowest (P < 0.001). Similarly, flavor development was also impacted by the interaction (P = 0.05) of freezer treatment × storage duration. Three lipid derived compounds were of greatest concentration among RF patties stored for 1-month. In contrast, the interaction of freezer treatment × storage duration elicited no impact on consumer ratings, SF or TBARS. Nonetheless, frozen storage duration impacted TPA, flavor development, consumer ratings, SF and TBARS as a main effect (P < 0.05), especially in regard to tenderness and juiciness. Moreover, beef flavor development, tenderness and juiciness are impacted by freezing duration, muscle, freezer type and packaging, however these factors are not necessarily independent of one another. Furthermore, the retail display period is a critical period for fresh beef steaks, especially when packaged in aerobic conditions. For optimal eating experience, beef products should be stored for extended periods in a vacuum packaging, in a designated freezer that is not opened frequently to allow for optimal air flow regulation and minimize freezer burn to improve tenderness and juiciness.

Poultry Pose Estimation With Deeplabcut, Chiyou Vang

Computer Science and Computer Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This honors thesis dives into the realm of deep learning-based pose estimation research and investigates the potential of DeepLabCut (Lauer, et al., 2021) in accurately and efficiently estimating the pose of poultry. With accurate pose estimation being a crucial aspect in understanding the behavior and movement of animals, this thesis aims to contribute to the development of more effective methods for pose estimation, especially for poultry.

To comprehensively evaluate the performance of DeepLabCut, two different types of chickens were tested in this thesis: a model toy chicken and actual live chickens. Videos were recorded for both types, and key points …

Evaluation Of The Effect Of Enterococcus Cecorum Exposure During Late Embryogenesis On Systemic Disease And Early Performance In Broiler Chickens, Marcela Arango

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis was to investigate the effects of Enterococcus cecorum (EC) administration into the amnion at day 18 of embryogenesis on performance and septicemia development in broiler chickens. Chapter I consists of a brief overview of the thesis. Chapter II provides a literature review on EC-related disease in broiler chickens and methods to isolate, detect, and differentiate between commensal and pathogenic strains of EC. Chapter III consists of a study conducted to determine if different EC strains isolated from field cases that exhibited septicemia and high mortality impacted hatchability, livability, organ colonization, and early performance in broiler …

Optimum Time To Add The Feed Additive Availa-Zmc To Reduce The Incidence Of Bacterial Chondronecrosis With Osteomyelitis Lameness In Broiler Chickens, Ashley Ault

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Lameness is a health condition threatening the welfare of broiler chickens in the poultry industry. It can be caused by a bacterial infection called Bacterial Chondronecrosis with Osteomyelitis (BCO). Zinpro has created Avalia-ZMC, a feed additive that has been proven to reduce lameness by 20% in wire-flooring pens and 25% in litter-flooring pens (Alrubaye et al., 2020). This experiment focuses on the optimal time to add Availa-ZMC to the diet of the broiler chickens to help reduce the incidence of lameness. This trial took 56 days with 26 pens at the University of Arkansas Poultry Research Farm. At the start …

Effects Of Cyclic Heat Stress On The Acute Inflammatory Response In Broilers, Alessandro J. Rocchi

Poultry Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Heat stress (HS) is a growing concern in broiler production due to increasing environmental temperatures. Little is known of the overall effect of HS on innate immunity. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an outer membrane component of Gram-negative bacteria, is commonly used to study the inflammatory response. In avian species, the local tissue and systemic inflammatory activities in response to LPS may be determined concurrently, over time, in an individual, using the growing feather (GF) pulp dermal test along with blood measurements (dual-window approach). To examine the effect of cyclic HS on the local and systemic acute inflammatory responses, Cobb 500 male broiler …

Temporal, Phenotypic, And Quantitative Characterization Of Thyroid Infiltrating Mononuclear Cells During Development Of Spontaneous Autoimmune Thyroiditis In Obese Strain Chickens, Katelyn M. Clark

Poultry Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Obese strain (OS) of chickens spontaneously develops autoimmune thyroiditis and is a well-established biomedical model for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in humans. Both conditions are characterized by the infiltration of the thyroid glands with mononuclear cells resulting in destruction of the thyroid tissue and impairment of the thyroid’s endocrinological functions. Past studies have described mononuclear cell infiltration in thyroids of the OS chickens, but the time-course, cell composition, and relative amounts of the various mononuclear cells infiltrating the thyroids has not been well defined. In this project, the mononuclear cell infiltrate was characterized phenotypically and quantitatively in OS chickens over the …

Fulfilling Koch’S Postulates And Evaluation Of Different Administration Routes In Poults Challenged With Streptococcus Gallolyticus, Latasha Gray

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Streptococcus gallolyticus (SG) is a Gram-positive found as commensal gut flora in animals and humans. SG has been associated with acute mortality in poults 2 to 3 weeks of age, with lesions mainly consisting of splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, and pericarditis. The objective of this thesis was to reproduce disease in poults caused by SG recovered from clinical field isolates and evaluate different routes of administration. Three field isolates from geographically disparate areas in Arkansas and Missouri were used for the experiments contained in this thesis. Antibiotic sensitives of the three field isolates revealed sensitivity to penicillin as well as a wide …

Factors That Affect Home Range Of Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Horridus) In Northwest Arkansas, Bannon Gallaher

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Conservation of animal populations requires knowledge of their habitat and spatial needs. Quantifying spatial requirements involves the analysis of home range. We examined the effects of sex, body size (SVL), body condition (log mass/log SVL), and year on home range in Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) in Northwest Arkansas. Individual locality data from an ongoing, 22+ year radio-telemetry study in Madison Co., Arkansas were analyzed using both minimum convex polygon (MCP) and Kernel Density Estimates (KDE). Plots of the number of sequential observations versus home range (MCP and KDE) determined that a minimum of 25 locations per individual per active season …

Determining The Effectiveness Of Rosemary Essential Oil On The Shelf Life Of Ground Beef Under Different Lighting Conditions, Jordan Looper

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of rosemary extract on the shelf life of ground beef patties under different retail display conditions. Ground beef patties were produced from an 85% lean and 15% fat blend purchased from a local grocery retailer, finely ground through a 0.953 cm plate and separated into 151.2 g patties (n=64). Patties were randomly assigned into a control group (no antioxidants added) or a 0.20% concentration rosemary extract group. Patties were individually packaged using polyvinyl chloride overwrap. Antioxidant and control patties were randomly assigned into one of two lighting intensity …

In-Service Education And The Provision Of Educational Materials To Improve Awareness Of Chronic Wasting Disease Management Efforts In Arkansas, Mary Claire Stewart

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a disease caused by an accumulation of misfolded prions throughout the nervous system. This disease affects animals within the Cervidae Family, which includes deer, elk, moose, and caribou. This disease is fatal and physical symptoms often do not materialize until the animal is near death. CWD has become an increasing issue in Arkansas since an elk (Cervus canadensis) in Newton County tested positive for CWD in 2016. Since then, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) has worked with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture (UADA) and others to develop management strategies to slow …

Molar Macrowear As A Proxy For Age In A Captive Sample Of Papio Hamadryas, Lauren Conrad

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study is methods-focused, centering around molar crown macrowear and its performance as a proxy for age in a sample of pedigreed, non-human primates. It analyzes the correlation between age-structured variables and molar wear among both males and females in a captive group of baboons. Here, I examined whether wear is significantly correlated with age-related variables (i.e., generations/cohorts) and whether the structure of the “age” dataset differed across wear categories. Because chronological age is unknown, I used documented pedigrees and parent-offspring relationships to group individuals into possible generations. I then used dental development charts to group individuals into cohorts based …

Effects Of Sow Vocalization And Scent On Complete Blood Cell Count During Early Weaning Period, Mason Paladino

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Piglets are deprived of their sows’ touch, sound, and smell after weaning which results in biological stress. The present study investigated continuing exposure of sow vocalization and scent during the early weaning period on complete blood cell count. A total of 12 litters, 8 piglets (4 male and 4 female) per litter were selected at weaning and assigned to 1 of 4 experimental treatments: control, O (olfactory group with scent and no vocal stimulation), V (non-olfactory with vocal stimulation), VO (vocal stimulation and olfactory stimulation) as a 2x2 factorial arrangement. Vocal stimulation was emulated by an audio recording of the …

Evaluation Of Anaplasma Marginale Elisa Positive Cattle For Co-Infection With Ehrlichia Spp., Grayson Robbins

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Bovine Anaplasmosis is an infectious, hemolytic disease transmitted by the rickettsia parasite Anaplasma marginale in cattle. A. marginale parasitizes the red blood cells of an animal throughout their lifetime. The beef cattle industry is the fifth largest agricultural commodity in Arkansas, so potential economic losses due to bovine anaplasmosis is a critical issue. Previously tested beef cattle herds at the University of Arkansas’ Savoy and Batesville units have tested seropositive for A. marginale with low percent inhibitions; however, all seropositive animals tested negative for infection on DNA analysis. The objective of this study was to determine the current infection status …

Effect Of Soy Co-Products In Supplements For Grazing Cattle On Growth, Complete Blood Cell Counts, And Physiological Response Following A Lipopolysaccharide Challenge, Bralee Lansdell

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of soy co-products (soybean meal and soy oil) in the diet on the growth and hemocytology of cattle during a 56-day growing phase and the physiological/behavioral response to an endotoxin challenge. Angus crossbred steers (n = 36; 289 ± 31 kg, initial body weight ± SD) were stratified by body weight and sire; and assigned randomly to pastures (n = 9; 0.45 ha/mixed-grass pasture). Pastures were assigned randomly to 1 of 3 dietary treatments: 1) a control supplement containing no soy co-products, 2) a supplement containing soybean meal, or 3) …

Exploring A Potential Bias In Detection Of Mesopredators By Cameras, Rylee Gibson

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Mesopredators, such as the raccoon (Procyon locor), Virginia opossum (Didpelphis virginiana), and striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) play crucial ecological roles as predators, prey, and disease vectors across much of the United States. Because of their importance and the way that populations of these mesopredators can dramatically increase due to human-subsidized resources, it is imperative that studies attempting to quantify mesopredator community composition are accurate and unbiased. However, it has recently been suggested that not all mammals trigger motion-activated wildlife game cameras at the same rate and for some species detection probability may be biased. My goals for this thesis were …

Approaches For Mitigating Woody Breast In Commercial Broilers Through Nutritional And Management Strategies, Clay Maynard

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Breast myopathies have caused significant economic losses to the poultry industry over the last decade. The induction of woody breast (WB), white striping (WS), and spaghetti meat (SM) have caused textural issues, functional issues, and a decline in consumer acceptance. Of these three myopathies, WB causes the most pronounced effects on product quality and reduces functional use. Woody breast is also commonly associated with expansive breast meat growth/high performing broilers. However, progress in reducing these myopathies has been limited without hindering other aspects of poultry rearing. Generally, production performance reduces as myopathy occurrence or incidence reduces. This response is primarily …

Influence Of Pregnant Cattle Grazing Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue On Offspring Immune Function, Sidney Nicole Dunkel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective was to evaluate the influence of pregnant cattle grazing endophyte-infected tall, toxic, fescue (E+) during gestation on innate immune response of male offspring to an endotoxin challenge. Crossbred multiparous cows (n = 36) were bred to Red Angus sires and housed in replicated E+ or novel endophyte-infected, non-toxic, fescue (NE+) pastures prior to breeding and throughout gestation. From this calf-crop, a subset of post-weaned steers (n = 8 E+; n = 8 NE+) were selected for a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. Blood was collected every 30 min beginning 2 h prior to (Pre-LPS) and continuing 9 h following (Post-LPS) …

The Effect Of Spirulina Platensis Algae Inclusion In Feed Of Commercial Broilers Subjected To Cyclic Heat Stress, Kirsten Shafer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The effect of Spirulina platensis inclusion in feed of commercial broilers was evaluated over one experiment. The study aimed to investigate the effects of Spirulina platensis freshwater algae inclusion on live performance and processing characteristics of commercial broilers subjected to daily cyclic heat stress. Day old Ross 708 male broilers were placed into 8 environmentally controlled chambers. At d 21, four chambers remained on a control diet containing no algae (CON) while 4 chambers received a diet that included algae at an inclusion rate of 2.5% (ALG). An 8 hour daily cyclic heat stress (24°C to 36°C) was applied to …

Assessment Of Novel Protein Ingredient Arthrospira Platensis (Microalgae) And Soybean Genotype Amino Acid And Oil Selection Improvements On Broiler Performance, Savannah Wells Crafton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two experiments were conducted to assess the efficiency of including novel protein ingredient Arthrospira platensis or improved soybean meal in a broiler diet. The first experiment aimed to determine the feeding value of soybean meal produced from varieties of soybeans bred for increased amino acid content (SBAA) improved oil content (SBO) compared to a conventional soybean variety in an ANOVA design fed to Cobb 500 female broilers for 28-42d of age. The SBAA and SBO soybeans contained overall higher amino acid content and lower oligosaccharide content compared to the conventional soybean variety in addition to improved oil quality. The second …

Isolation Of Drug-Sensitive Eimeria Species From Wild Turkey Feces And Development Of A Model Bioshuttle Program For Eimeria Meleagrimitis For Domestic Turkeys, Maria Carolina Trujillo Peralta

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis was to determine the anticoccidial profile of Eimeria spp. derived from wild turkeys. These drug-sensitive Eimeria spp. have potential to be used as vaccine candidates to control coccidiosis in commercial turkeys. Chapter two consists of a brief literature review focused on coccidiosis in turkeys. Chapter three addresses the methodologies utilized to isolate, recover, and speciate Eimeria recovered from wild turkey feces in the eastern two-thirds of the United States. From this, we successfully obtained single oocyst-derived stocks for E. meleagrimitis, E. dispersa, E. meleagridis, E. gallopavonis, and E. adenoeides. Chapter four describes the experiment conducted …

Evaluation Of Extended Aging Type And Cooking Practices On Palatability Of Beef Steaks, Katharine Anne Bugenhagen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two studies were conducted to determine if sous vide was a viable way to improve palatability of various beef cuts, and to determine whether extended aging duration and the presence of a bone impacts the consumer ratings of beef short loins.When evaluating the impact of sous vide cooking (SVG) on multiple beef muscles, there was a muscle × method interaction for overall liking (P = 0.04). The traditionally cooked (TRAD) Longisimus lumborum (LL) was rated the highest (P < 0.05). The Chuckeye steak (CHE) was rated next, both TRAD and SVG, with the traditional ranked higher, this was followed by the Triceps brachii (TB) also for both TRAD and SVG, however for the TB the SVG ranked higher (P < 0.05). The TRAD Biceps femoris (BF) rated the lowest (P < 0.05) of all of the muscles. Shear force did no differ between the cooking treatments (P > 0.05), or was there an interaction between muscle × method for shear force measurements (P < 0.05). The LL was rated the highest for tenderness (P < 0.05) while the BF was rated the lowest (P < 0.05). The second study compared subprimals aged over three aging periods (21, 42 63 days), then split into bone-in or boneless steaks, there were no interactions observed within the consumer data (P ≥ 0.05). BI steaks were rated higher (P < 0.05) for juiciness and overall liking by consumers, however BI and BL were rated similarly by consumers for tenderness and flavor (P > 0.05). When evaluated by consumers, aging did …

Pilot Testing A Survey To Evaluate Horse Owner And Trainer Perceptions Of The Importance And Ideality Of Equine Hoof Balance, Katherine Gilmore

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Balance plays an integral role in the healthy equine hoof, yet there is a significant deficiency of research investigating horse owner and trainer knowledge of hoof balance. This study aimed to pilot test an online survey instrument evaluating horse owner and trainer perceptions of proper hoof care and balance. The survey instrument sought to collect demographic information of horse owners and trainers, determine horse owners’ and trainers’ abilities to identify ideally balanced equine forehooves, and assess horse owner and trainer knowledge of best hoof trimming and shoeing practices. Ninety-one horse owners and trainers with facilities that were within a 150-mile …