Poultry or Avian Science | Open Access Articles

Strong Concordance Between Transcriptomic Patterns Of Spleen And Peripheral Blood Leukocytes In Response To Avian Pathogenic Escherichia Coli Infection, Erin E. Sandford, Megan Orr, Xianyao Li, Huaijun Zhou, Timothy J. Johnson, Subhashinie Kariyawasam, Peng Liu, Lisa K. Nolan, Susan J. Lamont

Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine Publications and Papers

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) causes morbidity in chickens and exhibits zoonotic potential. Understanding host transcriptional responses to infection aids the understanding of protective mechanisms and serves to inform future colibacillosis control strategies. Transcriptomes of spleen and peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) of the same individual birds in response to APEC infection were compared to identify common response patterns and connecting pathways. More than 100 genes in three contrasts examining pathology and infection status were significantly differentially expressed in both tissues and similarly regulated. Tissue-specific differences in catalytic activity, however, appear between birds with mild and severe pathology responses. Early expression ...

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Isolation, Antibiotic Resistance, And Molecular Characterization Of Campylobacter From Poultry, Swine And Dairy Cows, Willie James Taylor

Doctoral Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine presence, antibiotic resistance, and genetic relatedness of Campylobacter on diverse farm types. Cloacal fecal samples from poultry (broilers, layers, and turkey breeders), and fecal rectal samples from non-poultry animals (farrowing sows, finisher pigs, and lactating dairy cows) were tested for Campylobacter using BAM protocols. Agar disk diffusion method was used to determine antibiotic resistance, and PFGE analysis to determine genetic relatedness of isolates recovered within the different farm types. Campylobacter was detected in 34.8% (range of 6.7 to 62.0%, P < 0.001) of cloacal samples from poultry, in 61.4% (range of 55.0 to 69.0%, P < 0.05), and 26.0% (range of 19.0 to 34.0%, P < 0.05) of rectal samples from pigs, and dairy cows, respectively. Antibiotic resistance was detected in 30.2% (range of ...

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Variable Stage Humidity Control System For Poultry Hatcheries, Joseph `L. Purswell, Berry D. Lott, Matthew J. Darr

Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Patents

The automated humidity control system controls the humidity within a setter hall. The system continuously monitors the existing setter hall thermal conditions and electronically compares the existing conditions to computerized data describing the targeted conditions. The system then takes action to conform the existing condition to the targeted condition.

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Avma Guidelines For The Euthanasia Of Animals: 2013 Edition, Steven Leary, Wendy Underwood, Raymond Anthony, Samuel Cartner, Douglas Corey, Temple Grandin, Cheryl B. Greenacre, Sharon Gwaltney-Bran, Mary Ann Mccrackin, Robert Meyer, David Miller, Jan Shearer, Roy Yanong

Cheryl B Greenacre DVM

No abstract provided.

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Application Of Genomic Selection Using An Evenly Spaced Low-Density Marker Panel In Broiler Chickens, Chunkao Wang, David Habier, Anna Wolc, Dorian J. Garrick, Rohan L. Fernando, Susan J. Lamont, Jack C.M. Dekkers, Andreas Kranis, Kellie A. Watson

Animal Industry Report

In this study, a commercial broiler chicken line was used to verify the feasibility and accuracy of genomic selection using an evenly spaced low-density marker panel. Body weight and hen house production (the cumulative egg production over the laying period, up to 22 weeks or until culled) were used as example traits. The training population included 2,302 birds, of which 1,259 were genotyped using a high-density marker panel with 36,455 markers across the genome, and the other 1,043 birds were genotyped with a low-density marker panel with 384 markers. The validation population included 3,720 birds ...

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New Model For Examining The Energy Metabolism Of Laying Hens, G. Raj Murugesan, Michael E. Persia

Animal Industry Report

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the energy utilization of laying hens fed diets containing two energy concentrations, using a holistic approach includingmeasurement of productive, maintenance and storage energy. The experiment was a 2 x 2 factorial arrangementwith two feeding levels (ad libitum and restricted feeding of 90 g feed/hen-d), and two dietary energy levels (HE-high metabolizable energy or ME content of 2,880 kcal/kg; and LE-low ME content of 2,790 kcal/kg). A total of 60 HyLine W36 first-cycle laying hens were fed treatment dietsfor 12 wk from hen age 27 to 39 wk, with 15 ...

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The Effect Of Chick Methionine Status On Broiler Performance And Physiological Response To Acute And Chronic Heat Stress, Kevin J. Bolek, Michael E. Persia

Animal Industry Report

An experiment was conducted to test methionine source and concentration on the growth performance and physiological responses of heat-stressed broiler chickens. Birds were fed either DL methionine or 2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutanoic acid (HMB) at two concentrations (adequate: starter 0.94%, grower 0.84% or superadequate: adequate concentrations +20% methionine) over a six day period at normal or elevated environmental temperatures. Heat treatment was initiated at 21 days of age within controlled environmental chambers. Blood samples were taken 6 hours and 6 days post treatment to determine the effects of acute and chronic heat stress on various blood parameters. Heat treatment significantly impaired ...

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Evaluation Of Energy Values Of Various Oil Sources When Fed To Broiler Chicks, G. Raj Murugesan, Brian J. Kerr, Michael E. Persia

Animal Industry Report

The nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) values of seven different oil and fat sources used in broiler diets, primarily across the Midwestern US, were determined in a digestibility experiment. Fifteen days old, Ross 308 male broiler chicks were fed diets containing each oil or fat source at 0%, 3%, 6%, and 9% inclusion levels for 7 days before excreta samples were collected to analyze AMEn on day 21. The AMEn was calculated using 2 different methods, including a linear equation slope method as well as calculating the difference between basal diet and oil containing diets. The AMEn values determined by ...

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Roof Insulation In Laying-Hen Houses To Ease Summer Heat, Yang Zhao, Hongwei Xin

Animal Industry Report

Use of roof insulation in laying-hen houses to reduce heat transfer through the roof in summertime in Iowa was assessed through modeling and field measurement. The results indicate that roof insulation is effective to reducing heat transfer through the roof, thus may help to relieve hen heat stress. One inch-thick polystyrene board (R5) is sufficient to prevent majority of the roof heat transfer

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Ammonia Concentrations And Emissions Of Aviary Hen Houses, Yang Zhao, Hongwei Xin

Animal Industry Report

Ammonia (NH3) concentrations and emissions were monitored in four aviary laying-hen houses for one year. The mean indoor NH3 concentration of the four houses (mean ± SE) was 5.2 (±0.1) ppm. The NH3 concentrationswere below 25 ppm, the commonly recommended threshold, on all sampling days. Ammonia emission rate was 0.14(±0.01) g/d-hen. The NH3 concentrations and emission rateof the aviary houses were between those of manure-belt and high-rise cage houses reported in the literature.

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Winter Ecology Of Sandhill Cranes (Grus Canandensis) In Northern Mexico, Ingrid Barcelo

Dissertations & Theses in Natural Resources

Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) are a widespread species in North America and one of the most studied cranes in the world. However, most of the research has focused on the breeding grounds of Canada and Alaska and the staging grounds of Nebraska. Although an important proportion of the Mid-continent Population of Sandhill Cranes winters in northern Mexico, little information exists on distribution, status, and ecology of the species in Mexico. The goal of this dissertation was to provide new information on Sandhill Crane winter ecology from a regional perspective to better understand population trends. I examined the physiological state of ...

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The Effects Of Social And Environmental Enrichments On Leg Strength And Welfare Of Tomturkeys, Patricia A. Weber

Theses and Dissertations in Animal Science

Two trials (T1, T2) were conducted to determine the effects of enrichment: A) broiler chick addition on early mortality and B) providing environmental enrichments on leg strength and welfare of tom turkeys. Trial 1A utilized 248 1d poults and 8 3d broiler chicks. Four pens of 32 poults were placed for the control. Four pens of 30 poults and two 3d broiler chicks were placed for the trt group. Trial 2A utilized 296 1d poults and 24 3d broiler chicks. Four trts were randomly divided among 16 pens (20 birds/pen). Trt 1 brooders were placed with assistance finding resources ...

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Stopover Decisions Of Migratory Shorebirds: An Assessment Of Habitat Use, Food Availability, Behavior And Phenology, Ryan Stutzman

Dissertations & Theses in Natural Resources

Habitat loss and alteration from land use change, species invasion, and more recently, climate change has reduced biodiversity and ecosystem function worldwide. Habitat decisions have important implications to individual fitness as well as population dynamics and community structure. Resource limitation, predation, competition, and unfavorable abiotic conditions all have the potential to influence survival and future reproductive potential. Understanding how changes to ecosystem structure and function impact species and populations of conservation concern is essential for conservation delivery to be effective. Similar to many migratory species, shorebird populations are declining worldwide and declines may be related to the loss of important ...

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A Study Of Mexican Free-Tailed Bat Chirp Syllables: Bayesian Functional Mixed Modeling Of Nonstationary Time Series Data With Time-Dependent Spectra, Josue G. Martinez, Kirsten M. Bohn, Raymond J. Carroll, Jeffrey S. Morris

Jeffrey S. Morris

We describe a new approach to analyze chirp syllables of free-tailed bats from two regions of Texas in which they are predominant: Austin and College Station. Our goal is to characterize any systematic regional differences in the mating chirps and assess whether individual bats have signature chirps. The data are analyzed by modeling spectrograms of the chirps as responses in a Bayesian functional mixed model. Given the variable chirp lengths, we compute the spectrograms on a relative time scale interpretable as the relative chirp position, using a variable window overlap based on chirp length. We use 2D wavelet transforms to ...

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