Life Sciences Commons^™

Divergent Selection For Water Conversion Ratio In Broiler Populations, Joseph Hiltz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Water scarcity is a global reality and with the anticipated population growth, freshwater resources will be further strained to meet both human needs and agriculture applications. To ensure a water sustainable and food secure future, all aspects of agriculture must become more efficient. Two strategies were explored. The potential of improving water efficiency in broilers was examined. The first strategy was to develop a more efficient and accurate method for measuring water consumption/inputs in agriculture. To date, water measuring technology has lacked the necessary sophistication to assure accuracy and repeatability of low flow water usage.

After establishing a low flow …

Efficacy Of Spirulina (Arthrospira Platensis) Utilization In Broiler Diets, Garrett James Mullenix

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) is a cyanobacteria microalgae that has potential as an animal feed ingredient. Five experiments were conducted to further assess its ability to serve as a protein source in broiler diets. Experiment 1 consisted of an amino acid digestibility and apparent metabolizable energy assay. The results indicated that the standardized ileal amino acid levels of spirulina are comparable with typical soybean meal. Experiment 2 assessed the performance and processing parameters of broilers fed 10% spirulina in low crude protein diets, using published digestibility coefficients. Spirulina inclusion improved footpad quality and increased redness and yellowness of the breast, skin …

Reducing Dietary Crude Protein: Characterization Of Branched-Chain Amino Acid Antagonism In Modern Broiler Chickens, Craig William Maynard

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Reducing the crude protein content of broiler diets while maintaining performance has been a primary research area in nutrition. During the late 20th century, the bulk of this research has involved supplementing broiler diets with feed-grade amino acids and proving the economic benefits of their additions. To date, widespread adoption of feed-grade amino acids is limited to methionine, lysine, threonine, and to some extent valine. With valine and isoleucine gaining prevalence in commercial formulation, classic data on the antagonisms associated with the branched-chain amino acids has returned to the forefront of practical broiler nutrition research. Therefore, a series of 23 …

The Importance Of Exercise And Nutrition In Early Life, Elisabet Borsheim

Seminars

Dr. Børsheim will present her research on the important of exercise and nutrition in early life. In her presentation Dr. Børsheim will focus on childhood obesity and show that this can increase risk for later life metabolic dysfunction. She will discuss if physical fitness can attenuate negative effects of obesity in children and if there are critical windows of development where physical activity is of specific importance. Finally, she will present data on impact on early physical activity and nutrition on response to exercise later in life.

Practical Pullet And Breeder Nutrition, David J. Burnham

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Modern meat chicken breeding stock have been selected for extremely efficient conversion of feed into protein and rapid growth. As a result, it has become increasingly more difficult to rear pullets and breeders to achieve the healthy chick numbers needed to supply the ever-expanding poultry meat market. There are many factors involved in producing a healthy pullet and breeder chicken. These include; housing, lighting, temperature and air control, health, animal husbandry, feed management and nutrition. This presentation is titled, Practical Pullet and Breeder Nutrition. Feed nutrient composition is important, but feed management is critical to make the nutrition effective. The …

Nutrition And Coccidiosis, Po-Yun Teng, Fernanda Castro, Woo Kyun Kim

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Coccidiosis is the most common parasitic disease caused by Eimeria spp., leading to over $14 billion economic loss worldwide annually. The most prevalent Eimeria spp. in poultry include E. tenella, E. maxima, E. acervulina, E. brunetti, E. necatrix, E. praecox, and E. mitis and have different level of pathogenicity and specific infection sites in the intestine. Eimeria spp. invade intestinal epithelial tissues and induce intestinal damage, causing inflammation, oxidative stress, hemorrhage, and diarrhea. Furthermore, coccidiosis causes reduction of growth performance, intestinal integrity, nutrient digestibility, and increase of mortality and mobility in poultry. Nutrition strategies have been evaluated to mitigate detrimental …

Dfend Wrap Up, Jamie Baum, Erin Howie

Diet, Food, Exercise, and Nutrition (D-FEND)

This is an overview of DFEND from the beginning and what was learned and shared.

Evaluation Of Nutritional Factors That Influence The Efficacy Of Tributyrin As A Feed Additive For Broilers, Brooke Bodle

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Tributyrin (TB) is a glyceride ester of butyrate that has the potential to improve broiler performance and intestinal development. Therefore, to fully evaluate this potential, three experiments were conducted to evaluate effect of tributyrin (TB) on broiler growth performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass characteristics, intestinal morphology, and gastrointestinal function in birds fed diets varying in composition reared in battery cages and floor pens. Experiment 1 explored the supplementation of graded doses of TB and its impact upon growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and carcass characteristics in a step-down program when added to a reduced energy and amino acid diet. A linear reduction …

How Background Factors Affect Culinary Skills And Knowledge, Mackenzie Harrell

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Students preparing to be registered dietitians must learn and retain culinary skills and knowledge so they can use it in their future career. If dietitians’ nutritional knowledge is limited to medical situations, they cannot educate the public about planning and preparing healthy meals. The purpose of this study was to determine if a student’s history of cooking, shopping for groceries, and other background factors affect culinary skills and knowledge, and to determine the appropriate curriculum for undergraduate students to prepare them for their career as a dietitian. This study was in part a continuation of an assessment conducted by my …

Exploring How Maternal Phosphorus Status Affects Calf Growth And Performance, Elizabeth Lafferty

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study will focus on how maternal phosphorus status of beef heifers affects the growth and performance of their calves. Heifers have been offered free-choice mineral with either 0 or 4% supplemental phosphorus from 30 days after weaning until calving. A study by H. Hilfiker, a University of Arkansas honors student, investigated the effects of these treatments from 30 days after weaning until 60 days after the breeding season when heifers were confirmed to be bred or open. For this developing heifer project 64 crossbred Angus heifers were assigned randomly into 8 groups (8 heifers/ group) before assigning each group …

Impact Of Different Plant-Based Foods Consumption On The Composition And Diversity Of Gut Microbiota, Ayoub Al Othaim

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Plant-based diets are primarily derived from plant sources, including fruits and vegetables. Such patterns are associated with health benefits by promoting general health and preventing many diseases and metabolic disorders. Fruits and vegetables are key sources of high-quality nutrients such as dietary fibers and polyphenols. Since they are rich in dietary fibers and polyphenols, whole fruits and vegetables represent unique and somewhat understudied modulators of the gut microbiota and its associated functions. This study aims to (i) investigate the impact of varying dilutions of cherry juices concentrate on the composition of the murine gut microbiota, (ii) investigate the impact of …

Exploring How Maternal Phosphorus Status Affects Calf Growth And Performance, Elizabeth Lafferty, Beth Kegley, Brittni Littlejohn, Jeremy Powell

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Phosphorus is an important component of bodily functions and is critical for adequate growth and development. This experiment evaluated the effect of maternal phosphorus intake on the growth and health of the calves. Treatments were 1) a free-choice mineral containing no supplemental P or 2) a free-choice mineral with 4% supplemental phosphorus. Primiparous, or pregnant for the first time, crossbred Angus beef cows (n = 36) were stratified by body weight and pregnancy status (bred by artificial insemination or natural service) then assigned to pasture groups (4 groups, 2/treatment, 9 heifers/group). These bred heifers had been receiving these same dietary …