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Improving Body Composition In Broiler Chicks Through The Early Life Diet, Kamille Piacquadio

Masters Theses

The poultry industry relies heavily on the efficient growth performance of broilers to provide quality breast meat at a low cost to meet consumer demand. However, high efficiency of broilers is also related to the occurrence and severity of skeletal muscle abnormalities like wooden breast. This study investigated the efficacy of incorporating long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), into the diets of hens and their offspring on altering the causative features of wooden breast. Early exposure to these fatty acids in broilers has shown to reduce adiposity, and may address excess adipogenesis seen in …

Direct And Indirect Effects Of Climate On Bird Abundance Along Elevation Gradients In The Northern Appalachians, Timothy Duclos

Masters Theses

The stratification of bird species along elevational gradients is widely reported, with montane bird communities typically characterized by distinctive species occurring in relatively small and isolated populations; as such, these species are the subject of considerable interest to ecologists and conservationists. The stratification of species along elevation is largely attributed to compressed climatic zonation. Recent evidence that bird species are shifting up in elevation has fueled speculation that these species are tracking their climactic niches in response to climate change. However, there is also evidence plant communities are shifting in elevation, presenting a potential additional mechanism explaining changes observed in …

Manipulating Adipose Tissue Fatty Acid Oxidation To Reduce Fatness In Broiler Chickens, Tania Emmanuelle Torchon

Masters Theses

Compared to rodents, broiler chickens, those reared for meat, are an attractive model for studies of adipose biology, and obesity development in children. The broiler chicken lacks the gene for uncoupling protein 1, the hallmark for brown adipose tissue making them a useful model to study lipid metabolism in white adipocytes. Two studies were performed to investigate if white adipose tissue had the metabolic ability for fatty acid oxidation (FAO), and to investigate the effects of dietary fatty acids on abdominal fat development of young broiler chickens as a model for childhood obesity. In study one, chickens were fasted for …

Dietary Supplementation Of Choline And Betaine In Heat-Stressed Broilers, Kouassi Remi Kpodo

Masters Theses

A study was conducted to determine the effects of supplemental choline (CHO) and betaine (BET) on broiler performance, carcass characteristics, corticosterone levels, immune organ weights, intestinal morphology and choline metabolites under thermoneutral (TN: 23.9^oC) and heat stress (HS: 28-36^oC) conditions. Eight hundred day-old chicks (400 per temperature treatment) were assigned in groups of 10 to each of five dietary treatments: 1 (CON) the basal diet; 2 (CHO500), basal diet plus 500 ppm methyl equivalents added CHO; 3 (CHO1000), basal diet plus 1000 ppm methyl equivalents added CHO; 4 (BET500), basal diet plus 500 ppm methyl equivalents …

Development And Evaluation Of Novel Vaccination Strategies For Campylobacter Control In Poultry, Xiang Liu

Masters Theses

Chicken is the primary natural host of Campylobacter, the leading bacterial cause of human enteritis in the US and other developed countries. Thus, mitigation of Campylobacter in chicken using innovative approaches, such as vaccination, will have a significant impact on food safety and public health. Our previous studies have demonstrated that the two outer membrane proteins, CmeC (the essential component of the CmeABC multi-drug efflux pump) and CfrA (a ferric enterobactin receptor), are feasible candidates for immune intervention against Campylobacter. DNA vaccine has appeared to offer various advantages for poultry, particularly when combined with in ovo vaccination. Chitosan-encapsulated …

Molecular Marker Assisted Backcross Development And Evaluation Of An Environmentally Friendly, Commercially Acceptable Low Seed Phytate Soybean, Jeffrey David Boehm Jr.

Masters Theses

Soybean [Glycine max (L). Merrill] is the world’s top oilseed crop. High protein soymeal is a primary soybean use and staple food of livestock and fish. The storage form of phosphorus (P) in the seed is phytic acid, or phytate [myo-inositol 1,2,3,4,5,6 hexakisphosphate] which binds and chelates key nutritional cations forming stable salts that are non-digestible. Livestock waste laden with phytate P is an environmental concern, and a source of nonpoint P pollution causing eutrophication and surface water quality deterioration. The primary objective of this research was the development of a commercially acceptable low phytate (LP) soybean …

Manipulating Lipolysis To Reduce Fatness And Improve Carcass Composition In Commercial Broilers, Rodney Barnett Ray

Masters Theses

Betaine has been studied as an osmolyte and methyl group donor for many species. Recent studies have found that betaine is able to increase muscle mass and reduce adiposity in meat type broilers birds. In experiment one, eight-hundred Cobb 500 broiler chicks were supplemented with betaine at 0.6 g/kg and 1.2g/kg. Birds had access to feed and water for ad libitum consumption for forty-two, forty-four, and forty-nine days. Birds and feed were weighed weekly. Carcass parameters (dress weight, breast percentage, and leg percentage) were taken at slaughter on days forty- two and forty-nine. Blood was taken at day forty-four to …

Effect Of Choline Or Betaine Supplementation On Broilers Exposed To Different Temperature Treatments, Joseph D. Summers

Masters Theses

In this study, we looked at the effects of supplemental choline or betaine on broiler performance under different temperature conditions. In total there were eighty pens containing ten birds each for a total of 800 Cobb MX™ X Cobb 500™ (Cobb-Vantress, Incorporated, Siloam Springs, AR, USA). Each pen was randomly assigned to one of five dietary treatments in this study: Treatment 1, basal diet, Treatment 2, basal diet plus 500 methyl equivalents added choline, Treatment 3, basal diet plus 1000 methyl equivalents added choline, Treatment 4, basal diet plus 500 methyl equivalents added betaine, and Treatment 5 basal diet plus …

The Rise And Fall Of Kin Structure In The Neotropical, Family-Living Buff-Breasted Wren (Cantorchilus Leucotis) In Gamboa, Panama, Sarah C. Alessi

Masters Theses

Family-living species provide an exciting model to examine how natal dispersal and kin structure influence genetic structuring within local populations. Juvenile buff-breasted wrens (Cantorchilus leucotis) of both sexes delay dispersal and exhibit short-distance natal dispersal, which should lead to kin-structured populations in which relatives of both sexes occupy neighboring territories. Blood samples collected from juvenile and adult wrens in Gamboa, Panama were analyzed using microsatellite markers to determine whether related individuals are spatially clustered on neighboring territories, spatial clusters of relatives change over time, and if kin structure is sex-specific. Global and local spatial autocorrelation analyses detected genetic …

Effects Of Environmental Enrichment Strategies On Behavior And Production Performance Of Broiler Breeder Chickens Reared At Elevated Temperatures, Oluwatoyin Bukunmi Adeniji

Masters Theses

Enriched housing systems are embraced as better alternatives to bare housing systems for table egg laying hens. However, attention is presently turning to the meat type (broiler breeder) laying hens. Hence, this experiment investigated the effects of perch structures and sharp sand on behavior, physiology, and production performance of broiler breeder chickens reared under elevated temperatures.

Two hundred and eighty eight broiler breeder females and 48 males (Cobb 500) at 21-weeks-old were assigned to their respective treatments in two different rooms. One room was maintained at 23°C to mimic a thermoneutral environment while the second room cycled between 23°C and …

Effect Of Double Interspiking On Fertility, Behavior, And Blood Parameters In Broiler Breeder Males Reared Under Heat Stress Conditions, Karianne Mei-Ying Chung

Masters Theses

Broiler breeders experience a natural decline in fertility levels as a flock ages. A male management practice such as double interspiking could be applied to counteract this decline. Our objective was to investigate the effects of double interspiking on flock fertility, testosterone concentrations, stress responses, and behavioral responses of broiler breeders in heat stressed environments. Two hundred and eighty-eight broiler breeder pullets and thirty-six broiler breeder roosters (Ross 708) were assigned to three groups at 21 weeks of age (WOA). All three groups were housed in slatted floor pens in which room temperature cycled from 23.8 to 30 C to …

An Analysis Of Waterfowl Hunter Activity And Harvest On Selected Public Hunting Areas In Illinois, Gary E. Potts

Masters Theses

Hunter activity and waterfowl harvest were studied on 11 public waterfowl hunting areas (PHA) in Illinois which utilized 1, 2, or 3-year duck blind allocation systems from 1979-1983. The number of individual hunters, man-days, and average man-days hunted per season varied for each area in each year. The average man-days hunted per season for all study areas was 5.7 with a range of 4.4 to 6.4. Highly significant correlations existed between blind-days and man-days (r=.99), blind-days and man-hours (r=.97), and man-days and man-hours (r=.98) suggesting that the three variables are equally valid for evaluating hunter activity. On 1-year duck blind …

Seasonal Lekking Behavior Of The Greater Prairie-Chicken In Illinois, Scott A. Simpson

Masters Theses

Spring behavior of prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus cupido) has been studied extensively, however there is little information on fall-winter lekking activity. Greater prairie-chickens were observed weekly on a lek from 25 September 1982 to 23 June 1983 during morning and evening hours in Jasper County, Illinois. The peak number of prairie-chicken males on the lek occurred in February although hen attendance did not occur until 10 March 1983. All spring lekking activities were higher compared to that of the fall-winter period. Fall-winter lek activity was aggression which centered on probably brief, less intense male aggression which probably establishes or maintains …

April Foods And Parasites Of Wild Turkeys In Northcentral Illinois, Kathleen M. Andrews

Masters Theses

Attempts prior to the late 1950's to reintroduce the eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) to much of its original range were through releases of game-farm reared, hybrid turkeys. While most releases throughout the eastern United States were complete failures, a remnant population of hybrid turkeys has survived in Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois. In 1981, the Illinois Department of Conservation opened a spring, gobbler-only hunting season in these counties. The purpose of this study was to compare April foods and parasites of the hybrid turkeys with results from studies on truly wild turkeys in southern Illinois. Crops, …

Analyses Of Illinois Wild Turkey Habitat And April Foods, Kim D. Price

Masters Theses

A vegetative analysis of turkey habitat was conducted in Alexander, Jackson, Union, and Calhoun Counties, Illinois. From these studies it was determined that turkeys inhabit relatively open stands of timber with agricultural fields and forest clearings in close proximity. Species of Quercus comprise approximately 40% or more of the tree species sampled, with Q. alba, Q. rubra, and Q. velutina being the most dominant. Found growing in association with Quercus are species of Carya, Cornus florida, Acer saccharum, Sassafras albidum, Fraxinus americana, and Ulmus rubra, in varying concentrations. The examination of food …

Evaluation Of Potential Wild Turkey Habitat In Eastern Illinois, Cara B. Daugherty

Masters Theses

Reestablishment of the wild turkey has been successful in the southern part of Illinois where large established tracts of woodland occur. However, turkeys are capable of surviving in areas with less forest cover, if food, nesting materials and protection are available. This project evaluated the potential turkey habitat of a 14-county area of eastern Illinois along the drainage of the Wabash River. Six potential release sites were selected and the habitat evaluated. In these areas, oak (Quercus spp.) and hickory (Carya spp.) were the dominant tree species. Disturbance from human populations was determined in each of …

Coccidian Parasites Of Wild Turkeys, Meleagris Gallopavo Silvestris, In Illinois, D. Michael Watkins

Masters Theses

Fecal samples from 124 wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris), collected in three southern Illinois counties, were examined for coccidia. Three and two tenths percent (4) of the birds sampled were infected with Eimeria of apparently four different species. These species were tentatively designated as: E. meleagridis, E. adendeides, E. meleagrimitis and E. subrotunda.

Breeding Birds And Vegetation Of The Central Illinois Floodplain Forest, Daniel Edward Varland

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

April Foods Of The Wild Turkey In Southern Illinois, David K. Fleenor

Masters Theses

A total of 95 gizzards and 106 crops were collected from 120 wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris Vieillot) at hunter check stations located in Alexander, Jackson, Union, and Pope Counties during April 1970, and 1972-1974 inclusive. Results are presented using total aggregate volume and per cent occurrence. The analyses indicated that during April, 96.6% of the foods eaten were of plant origin. Important plant foods in decreasing order by volume included corn, acorns, grasses and sedges, clover, miscellaneous plant materials, Jack-in-the-pulpit, hickory nuts, black gum, swamp buttercup, spring beauty, soybeans, hill blueberry, hawthorn, and ash. Animal foods were …

Blood Parasites Of Illinois Wild Turkeys, Ulrike G. Guenthner

Masters Theses

Blood smears, from 152 wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) killed during hunting seasons in southern Illinois, were examined for blood parasites. Haemoproteus meleagridis infected 34% of the 83 adult and 19% of the 69 immature turkeys. Of the infected birds, 54% had one or two infected cells per 5000 erythrocytes and 78% had one to five. Infection rates were significantly higher in counties along the Mississippi River than in Pope County, located about 40 miles east of the river. Other parasites specifically searched for but not found were Leucocytozoon, Plasmodium, Trypanosoma and microfilaria.

Pesticide Residues In The Illinois Wild Turkey, John M. Bridges

Masters Theses

Adipose tissue from 55 turkeys, killed during the 1974 hunting season in southern Illinois, was grouped by age and location of the birds, and the pesticide concentrations in them were determined by gas/liquid chromatography. Twelve different pesticides were identified in the samples with only four, total DDT, heptachlor epoxide, toxaphene, and linuron, being present in all samples. Concentrations ranged from 0.02 ppm to 0.88 ppm.

Homing Studies Of Bank Swallows In Eastern Illinois, Jennifer Eileen Hagerstrom

Masters Theses

A series of homing experiments using 39 color-marked Bank Swallows (Riparia riparia) were carried out in eastern Illinois during the summer of 1975. The swallow colony was located four km east-northeast of Charleston, Illinois at the Charleston Stone Quarry. Eight release sites were located in the four compass directions from the home colony at distances of 14.4 to 32.3 km away.

The colony was approached before dawn and swallows were captured using tube traps. Birds were color-marked, banded, and taken in individual bags to the release site by automobile. Cloud cover, wind velocity, wind direction, and orientation behavior …

Status Of The Wild Turkey In Southwestern Illinois In 1970, Robert Merle Cottingham

Masters Theses

Wild-trapped turkey were first released in southwestern Illinois in 1959. This, and subsequent releases have established a huntable population of wild turkey in the area. Until 1970, no evaluation of the status of the bird had been made. This study was conducted in June, July, August and September, 1970, to determine the distribution, productivity and relative abundance of the wild turkey in Alexander, Jackson, Union and Williamson Counties and to make recommendations for future management of the population. Information was supplied by rural mail carriers, Illinois Department of Conservation and U. S. Forest Service personnel and local residents together with …

Helminth Parasites Of Illinois Wild Turkeys, James W. Jackson

Masters Theses

Viscera from 69 wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) collected from Jackson, Union and Alexander counties, Illinois, were examined for helminth and coccidian parasites. A total of eight species of parasites was found, all in the alimentary tract. The coccidian parasite Eimeria sp. was found in 9.6% of birds examined. The nematodes Heterakis gallinarum, Ascaridia galli and Ascaridia dissimilis were found in 13.2%, 27.9% and 48.5% respectively of all birds examined. Three species of cestodes, Raillietina williamsi, Metroliasthes lucida and Hymenolepis sp., were recovered from 41.1%, 27.9% and 1.4% respectively of birds examined. One species of trematode, …

A Comparison Of Nocturnal Restlessness Of Caged Thrushes And Migration Of Free Thrushes, Charles Goodwin Kjos

Masters Theses

Nocturnal activity (Zugunruhe) of eight caged, radio-tagged thrushes (Hylocichla spp.) was compared by signal analysis with the occurrence of migration in 16 free, radio-tagged thrushes over a 37-night period during the autumn of 1970 in central Illinois. The study was conducted to determine the extent of synchrony of Zugunruhe and migration in these nocturnal migrants in fall. Zugunruhe frequently occurred on nights when there was no migration, but migration occurred only on nights when at least 50 per cent of the caged birds were active. Except for one departure which was atypical in several respects, migration occurred …

Gastro-Intestinal Helminths Of Illinois Bobwhites, Michael Eugene Gordon

Masters Theses

The viscera of 103 bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus), from east central Illinois counties, were collected during November and December of 1971 and examined for helminth parasites. Two nematodes were identified: Dispharynx nasuta (9.7%) and Ascaridia sp. (7.8%). The rate of infection varied significantly between counties but there was no difference in parasitism of males and females.

Effect Of Splenectomy On Relapse Of Hemal Parasites In Pigeons, Phillip James Sprino

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Seasonal Changes In Densities, Distribution And Movements Of Sparrow Hawks, Martin D. Jakle

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Method Of Slide-Making For Early Nervous System Study In The Chick Embryo, Roger L. Pscherer

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Factors Affecting The Performance Of Broilers, G. R. Nair

Masters Theses

The efficiency of broiler production has increased greatly in recent years and can be attributed to advancements in the areas of breeding, management, nutrition, and disease control. No single factor in any one of these areas can be said to account for the major share of this increased efficiency but rather it is the combination of a large number of factors such as breeding techniques, and breed improvement, of improved management practices, and of advances in nutrition and disease control.

The optimum combination of conditions or factors for broiler production is seldom, if ever, realized. Information which might have been …