Animal Sciences Commons^™

A Comparative Study Of The Effects Of Microalgae On Poultry Production, Taylor Kaitlyn O'Lear Reid

Master's Theses

Research has shown Spirulina to be a viable feedstuff in poultry production. Other species of microalgae are being studied to determine their effects on poultry production. This project compared four microalgaes: Hydrodictyon, Vaucheria, Uronema, and Spirulina and was broken down into three trials. The first experiment investigated the digestibility of an algae species, Spirulina, in broiler chicken diets. Eighty, 25-day-old Ross 708 broiler chicks were sorted into 20 metabolism cages and received one of two diets: Control Diet or Test Diet (75% basal diet + 25% Spirulina). The apparent ileal amino acid digestibility (AIAAD) of lysine, methionine, cysteine, threonine, isoleucine, …

A Review Of Current Sea Cucumber And Apostichopus Californicus Knowledge And A Proposal For Future Research And Fishery Management, Lily Haug

University Honors Theses

The sea cucumber species Apostichopus californicus is fished in the Pacific Northwest region of North America and has the potential to be an economically beneficial fisheries species. An understanding of their population levels must be present to sustainably regulate their harvest. Current fisheries in North America vary in their methodology and level of regulation. The current regulations are presented and their strengths and shortfalls are described. This review gathers research done on tropical sea cucumber species and presents that knowledge alongside that regarding Apostichopus californicus to suggest future research and fishery management strategies. A. californicus takes four years to sexually …

Asas–Nanp Symposium: Mathematical Modeling In Animal Nutrition: Opportunities And Challenges Of Confned And Extensive Precision Livestock Production, Hector M. Menendez Iii, Jameson R. Brennan, Charlotte Gaillard, Krista Ehlert, Jaelyn Quintana, Suresh Neethirajan, Aline Remus, Marc Jacobs, Izabelle A.M.A. Teixerira, Benjamin L. Turner, Luis O. Tedeschi

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Modern animal scientists, industry, and managers have never faced a more complex world. Precision livestock technologies have altered management in confned operations to meet production, environmental, and consumer goals. Applications of precision technologies have been limited in extensive systems such as rangelands due to lack of infrastructure, electrical power, communication, and durability. However, advancements in technology have helped to overcome many of these challenges. Investment in precision technologies is growing within the livestock sector, requiring the need to assess opportunities and challenges associated with implementation to enhance livestock production systems. In this review, precision livestock farming and digital livestock farming …

A Review Of Animal Welfare And Current Enrichment Methods For Captive Marine Mammals, Ashleigh I. Richardson

University Honors Theses

Animal care and conservation facilities such as zoos, aquaria, and marine mammal parks often utilize a variety of enrichments to deter stereotypic behaviors and improve overall animal welfare. Facilities that go through the intense accreditation process of one or more accreditation organizations must uphold the animal care standards and education requirements that these organizations call for. These care standards typically include regulations regarding animal training and enrichment, though the extent to which these regulations go into detail often vary from species to species and between organizations. The goal of this review was to assess the current standard of animal enrichment …

Research Note: Virulence Gene Downregulation And Reduced Intestinal Colonization Of Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhimurium Phl2020 Isolate In Broilers By A Natural Antimicrobial (Neutrapath™), H. Hue, D. Wang, B. M. Hargis, G. Tellez-Isaias

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The reduction in antibiotic growth promoter use in poultry, due to antibiotic resistance concerns, has created a need for natural solutions that control enteric pathogens like Salmonella. One of these natural feed additives, a select blend of essential oils, fatty acids, and an enterosorbent mineral (NeutraPath), was assessed for its effects on the intestinal colonization of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium PHL2020 isolate (ST-PHL2020) in broiler chickens and ST-PHL2020 virulence gene expression. An in vitro digestion model simulating the pH and enzymatic conditions of 3 gastrointestinal compartments (crop, proventriculus, and intestine) was first used to evaluate the antibacterial effects of …

Subscription And Organization Information (June 2022)

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Bird Review is published quarterly by the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, Inc., as its official journal, and is sent to members not in arrears of dues. Annual subscription rates (on a calendar-year basis only): $25 in the United States and $35 in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $7 each, postpaid, in the United States and $9 elsewhere. Send orders for back issues to Anita Breckbill, NOU Librarian, c/o Music Library, WMB 30, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0101 (or at the email address listed below). Memberships in the NOU (on a calendar-year basis only): Active …

Rare Dark American Kestrel – Melanistic Or Sooty?, Joseph A. Gubanyi, Joel Rathe, Camden Sesna

Nebraska Bird Review

On April 13 in Seward County, we noticed a dark bird flying relatively low over fields east of Seward near 224th and Bluff Rd. Initially, because of its size, dark coloration and pointed wingtips, we were unsure of its identification and followed the bird to get better looks and identify it. We were able to observe and photograph the bird perched (Figure 1). We also observed the bird hovering and diving to the ground multiple times in search of prey. After better looks, based on size, wing shape, hooked beak, claws, and behavior (repeated hovering over field), we concluded the …

The Nebraska Bird Review Volume 90 Number 2, June 2022

Nebraska Bird Review

Spring Field Report, March - May 2022, by W. Ross Silcock ….46

Rare Dark American Kestrel – Melanistic or Sooty?, by Joseph Gubanyi, Joel Rathe, Camden Sesna …. 71

Remembering Rosalind Morris …. 76

Remembering Lanny Randolph by William Flack … 77

NOU Spring field Days and Annual Meeting in Gering, May 20-22, 2022 ….78

Subscription and Organization Information …. 87

Fisheries Science Update - Australian Herring - June 2022, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Science Updates

The latest weight of evidence stock assessment for Australian herring indicates that management arrangements introduced in 2015, combined with suitable environmental conditions, have led to the recovery of the resource.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) tracks our aquatic resources by undertaking weight of evidence stock assessments every three to five years.

DPIRD has undertaken four contemporary weight of evidence stock assessments of Australian herring since 2000.

The 2000 assessment (22 years ago) indicated the catch was sustainable. However, by 2013 the Australian herring stock status had become high risk and ‘unacceptable’, and new measures were introduced. …

Duodenal Metabolic Profile Changes In Heat-Stressed Broilers, Jalila S. Dridi, Elizabeth Greene, Craig W. Maynard, Giorgio Brugaletta, Alison Ramser, Courtney J. Christopher, Shawn R. Campagna, Hector F. Castro, Sami Dridi

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Heat stress (HS) is devastating to poultry production sustainability worldwide. In addition to its adverse effects on growth, welfare, meat quality, and mortality, HS alters the gut integrity, leading to dysbiosis and leaky gut syndrome; however, the underlying mechanisms are not fully defined. Here, we used a high-throughput mass spectrometric metabolomics approach to probe the metabolite profile in the duodenum of modern broilers exposed to acute (AHS, 2 h) or chronic cyclic (CHS, 8 h/day for 2 weeks) HS in comparison with thermoneutral (TN) and pair-fed birds. Ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC–HRMS) identified …

Failure Of Excess Leucine To Impact Live Performance And Carcass Traits In Male And Female Cobb Mv X 500 Broilers During A 15-To 32-Day Grower Period, C. W. Maynard, G. J. Mullenix, C. J. Maynard, J. T. Lee, S. K. Rao, L. D. Butler, J. Z. Hiltz, S. K. Orlowski, M. T. Kidd

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Modern broiler diets may contain excess levels of leucine due to the increased level of this amino acid in cereal grains. Excessive levels of leucine have previously been shown to negatively influence broiler performance due to branched-chain amino acid antagonism. Therefore, 2 leucine titrations were conducted in male and female Cobb 500 broilers. Low and high leucine diets were formulated to contain leucine to lysine ratios of 115 and 170, respectively. These diets were subsequently blended to produce 6 experimental diets containing leucine to lysine ratios of: 115, 126, 137, 148, 159, and 170. Pelleted diets were fed to 8 …

Interactions Of The Branched-Chain Amino Acids. 2. Practical Adjustments In Valine And Isoleucine, C. W. Maynard, G. J. Mullenix, C. J. Maynard, J. T. Lee, S. K. Rao, L. D. Butler, S. K. Orlowski, M. T. Kidd

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Reductions in dietary crude protein have potentially allowed for the occurrence of branched chain amino acid antagonism which can negatively influence live performance and carcass traits. Therefore, 2 factorial studies were conducted with the first experiment evaluating valine and leucine interactions during a 32 to 45 d finisher period, while the second experiment evaluated valine and isoleucine interactions during a 39 to 52 d withdrawal period. Valine, leucine, nor their subsequent interaction influenced broiler live performance or carcass traits in Experiment 1. However, a valine x leucine interaction was observed for average woody breast score and occurrence of scores of …

Vaccines Using Clostridium Perfringens Sporulation Proteins Reduce Necrotic Enteritis In Chickens, Ying Fu, Mohit Bansal, Tahrir Jatli Alenezi, Ayidh Almansour, Hong Wang, Xiaolun Sun

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Clostridium perfringens is the prevalent enteric pathogen in humans and animals including chickens, and it remains largely elusive on the mechanism of C. perfringens-induced enteritis because of limited animal models available. In this study, we investigated the role of C. perfringens sporulation proteins as vaccine candidates in chickens to reduce necrotic enteritis (NE). C. perfringens soluble proteins of vegetative cells (CP-super1 and CP-super2) and spores (CP-spor-super1 and CP-spor-super2) were prepared, and cell and chicken experiments were conducted. We found that deoxycholic acid reduced C. perfringens invasion and sporulation using the Eimeria maxima and C. perfringens co-infection necrotic enteritis (NE) …

Titration Of Dietary Isoleucine And Evaluation Of Branched-Chain Amino Acid Levels In Female Cobb 500 Broilers During A 22-To 42-Day Finisher Period, C. W. Maynard, G. J. Mullenix, C. J. Maynard, S. C. Wells-Crafton, J. T. Lee, S. K. Rao, L. D. Butler, S. K. Orlowski, M. T. Kidd

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recent research into the branched-chain amino acids has indicated that broiler responses to dietary isoleucine may vary from classic data. Current isoleucine data has focused on male broilers leaving a gap in the literature for female data. An experiment was conducted to determine the isoleucine requirements for a 22 to 42 day finisher period in Cobb MV & POUND; 500 female broilers. A basal diet was formulated to contain dietary isoleucine, valine, and leucine to lysine ratios of 56, 78, and 135, respectively, and graded amounts of L-isoleucine were added to achieve isoleucine to lysine ratios of 56, 59, 62, …

Development Of An Environmental Contamination Model To Simulate The Microbial Bloom That Occurs In Commercial Hatch Cabinets, B. D. Graham, C. M. Selby, A. J. Forga, M. E. Coles, L. C. Beer, L. E. Graham, K. D. Teague, G. Tellez-Isaias, B. M. Hargis, C. N. Vuong

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Microbial blooms that emerge in commercial hatch cabinets consist of apathogenic and pathogenic microorganisms, including Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, and Aspergillus fumigatus. Objectives of the present study included the development of a multipathogen contamination model to mimic commercial conditions and optimization of sampling methods to quantify bacterial or fungal presence within the hatch cabinet. The pathogen challenge mix (PM) was recreated from select bacterial or fungal isolates recovered from an egg homogenate (EH) derived from the contents of infertile eggs and late embryonic mortalities. Isolates selected for PM included Enterococcus faecalis (~10^{8 …}

Differences In Carcass Composition And Meat Quality Of Conventional And Slow-Growing Broiler Chickens Raised At 2 Stocking Densities, S. L. Weimer, S. Zuelly, M. Davis, D. M. Karcher, M. A. Erasmus

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The fast growth rate of broiler chickens is a welfare concern that has increased consumer interest in chicken from slower growing (SG) broilers. Replacing conventional (CONV) broilers with SG broilers will reduce chicken supply and SG broilers require different management practices than CONV. This study evaluated the effects of 2 stocking densities on the carcass composition and meat quality of CONV broilers that reach market weight at 42 d and SG broilers that reach market weight at 63 d. Male broilers from each strain were exclusively stocked into 16 pens at a density of either 29 …

Effects Of Heat Stress On Cyto(Chemo)Kine And Inflammasome Gene Expression And Mechanical Properties In Isolated Red And White Blood Cells From 4 Commercial Broiler Lines And Their Ancestor Jungle Fowl, Elizabeth S. Greene, Elizabeth Adeogun, Sara K. Orlowski, Karthik Nayani, Sami Dridi

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Commercial broilers have been selected for high growth rate and productivity; however, this has negatively impacted their susceptibility to heat stress (HS). Insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying this vulnerability can help design targeted strategies for improvement of HS tolerance. Red blood cells (RBC) and white blood cells (WBC) were isolated from red jungle fowl and 4 lines of commercial modern broilers. Lines A and B are considered standard-yielding lines, whereas Lines C and D are high-yielding. Cells were cultured at either 37 degrees C or 45 degrees C for 2 h to induce …

Interactions Of The Branched-Chain Amino Acids. 1. Influence Of Dietary Isoleucine And Leucine On The Valine Requirement Of Male Cobb Mv X 500 Broilers For A 29-To 42-Day Finisher Period, C. W. Maynard, G. J. Mullenix, C. J. Maynard, J. T. Lee, J. Caldas, J. Z. Hiltz, S. K. Orlowski, M. T. Kidd

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Branched-chain amino acid requirements have traditionally been determined using dose-response titrations without accounting for the influence of branched-chain amino acid antagonism. As recent data has indicated that inherent levels of the non-tested amino acid may influence response curves in diets mimicking industry, these methods may result in over or under estimation of requirement values. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to determine if dietary levels of isoleucine and leucine influence 29 to 42 day valine needs through the implementation of a 5 x 2 x 2 factorial design. Twenty diets were fed to 7 replicate pens of 12 broilers. Body weight …

Can Financialization Save Nature? The Case Of Endangered Species, Diane-Laure Arjalies, Delphine Gibassier

Business Publications

The current biodiversity loss is dramatic. Over the past 50 years, more than 68% of the mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish on earth have disappeared, putting the planet's survival and its inhabitants – including human beings – at risk (WWF, 2020). Financialization, or the transformation of nature into financial assets, is increasingly proposed as a solution to the biodiversity crisis. Proponents of financialization believe that assigning a monetary value to nature will incentivize human beings to protect habitats and their species. This article offers a four-mechanism model of nature’s financialization, explaining why it is virtually impossible to financialize nature. …

Orthochirus Kovariki Sp. N. From Takhar Province, Afghanistan (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Ersen A. Yağmur, Faizurrahman Khalili

Euscorpius

A new species, Orthochirus kovariki sp. n. is described and illustrated based on both sexes from Takhar Province of Afghanistan. O. kovariki sp. n. appears to be close to O. feti Kovařík, 2004, reported from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan; both species have the movable finger of pedipalp without outer denticles. Detailed illustrations of O. kovariki sp. n. are given.

The Reproductive Biology Of Small Fishes And The Clutch Concept: Combining Macroscopic And Histological Approaches, David C. Heins, Nancy J. Brown-Peterson

Faculty Publications

Accurate estimates of reproductive parameters important in understanding life history evolution and conservation of small fishes are dependent upon careful assignment of ovarian phases. Proper assignment is based upon the stages of propagule (oocyte) development, oocyte maturation and the location of any clutch or portion thereof within the ovaries. Macroscopic inspection and assignment of ovarian developmental phases have often been used for small freshwater fishes. By contrast, histological methods for assignment of reproductive phases have been developed and are widely used for marine fishes, but they have rarely been used for small freshwater fishes. We review oocyte development, ovum maturation, …

Modeling The Impact Of Climate Change On Cervid Chronic Wasting Disease In Semi-Arid South Texas, Md Rafiul Islam, Ummugul Bulut, Teresa Patricia Feria-Arroyo, Michael G. Tyshenko, Tamer Oraby

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a spongiform encephalopathy disease caused by the transmission of infectious prion agents. CWD is a fatal disease that affects wild and farmed cervids in North America with few cases reported overseas. Social interaction of cervids, feeding practices by wildlife keepers and climate effects on the environmental carrying capacity all can affect CWD transmission in deer. Wildlife deer game hunting is economically important to the semi-arid South Texas region and is affected by climate change. In this paper, we model and investigate the effect of climate change on the spread of CWD using typical climate scenarios. …

Assessing The Activity Of Antimicrobial Peptides Against Common Marine Bacteria Located In Rotifer (Brachionus Plicatilis) Cultures, Chelsea Woods, Lindsey Woolley, Gavin Partridge, Mengqi Chen, Evan F. Haney, Robert E.W. Hancock, Nicky Buller, Andrew Currie

Fisheries Research Articles

Rotifers are used as the first feed for marine fish larvae and are grown in large cultures that have high loads of organic matter and heterotrophic bacteria; these bacteria are passed on to the developing fish larvae and can potentially lead to bacterial infections. A modified minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) protocol for antimicrobial peptides was used to determine the potency of ten antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in artificial seawater relevant to a rotifer culture (salinity of 25‰) against common marine pathogens. All of the AMPs had antimicrobial activity against the bacterial isolates when the salt concentration was approximately zero. However, in …

Development Of Monoclonal Antibodies Against Perkinsus Olseni Using Whole Cells, Eliot Hanrio, Jacqueline Batley, Kathleen Davern, Cecile Dang

Fisheries Research Articles

The genus Perkinsus is comprised of multiple species, notably P. olseni and P. marinus that are on the list of notifiable pathogens of the World Organisation for Animal Health. These protozoans are responsible for mass mortalities in mollusc populations worldwide. Current diagnostic tests for these parasites include incubation in Ray’s fluid thioglycollate medium associated with microscopy, and molecular assays such as PCR or qPCR using species-specific primers, which can be time and labour consuming. To simplify the detection of Perkinsus spp. infections, the current study developed monoclonal antibodies with strong potential for diagnostic use in immunoassays. Mice were immunised with …

Female Presence Does Not Increase Testosterone But Still Ameliorates Sickness Behaviours In Male Japanese Quail, Brenna M. G. Gormally, Kaelyn Bridgette, Aubrey Emmi, Delilah Schuerman, Patricia C. Lopes

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Infections can dramatically modify animal behaviour. The extent of these changes depends on an animal's environment. It has been proposed that testosterone modulates the suppression of behavioural symptoms of sickness under certain reproductive contexts. To further understand the role played by testosterone in modulating sickness behaviours under reproductive contexts, we studied a species, the Japanese quail, in which female exposure rapidly decreases circulating testosterone in males. Males received either an immune challenge (lipopolysaccharide – LPS) or a control injection and their behaviours, mass change and testosterone levels were quantified in the presence or absence of a female. Both the presence …

A New Scorpion Genus And Species From China, Qianxie Solegladi Gen. Et Sp.N. (Scorpiones: Pseudochactidae), Victoria Tang

Euscorpius

A new monotypic genus belonging to the basal scorpion family Pseudochactidae Gromov, 1998, Qianxie solegladi gen et. sp. n., is described from Yunnan Province of China. The family is recorded from China for the first time, vastly extending its known geographic range. The new genus shares morphological characters with both Pseudochactas Gromov, 1998 and Troglokhammouanus Lourenço, 2007. It differs from Pseudochactas and is similar to Troglokhammouanus in the shapes of anterior and posterolateral carapace margins, form of the circumocular sutures, distance between median ocelli, development of dorsoventral projection of patella, length of tarsal spinules, recurvature of the lateral margins and …

A Standardized List Of Scorpion Names In Chinese, With An Etymological Approach, Victoria Tang

Euscorpius

The scientific (Latin) names of scorpion species are widely used across the world by both experts and amateurs. However, in China, there is a great need for designating standardized Chinese names for various scorpions since it is difficult for those not familiar with Latin alphabet to memorize the scientific names. Currently used Chinese names often cause confusion and misunderstanding due to a lack of standardized, unified naming. The present work critically revises the existing formal Chinese scorpion names, vernacular names (used by local population and amateurs), and the names used in Chinese scientific publications, along with the confusion they have …

How Environmental Change Will Impact Mosquito-Borne Diseases, Arsal Khan

Master's Projects and Capstones

Mosquitos, the most lethal species throughout human history, are the most prevalent source of vector-borne diseases and therefore a major global health burden. Mosquito-borne disease incidence is expected to shift with environmental change. These changes can be predicted using species distribution models. With the wide variety of methods used for models, consensus for improving accuracy and comparability is needed. A comparative analysis of three recent modeling approaches revealed that integrating modeling techniques compensates for trade-offs associated with a singular approach. An area that represents a critical gap in our ability to predict mosquito behavior in response to changing climate factors, …

Impacts Of Sea Ice Loss On Polar Bear Diet, Prey Availability, Foraging Behaviors, And Human-Bear Interactions In The Arctic, Jasmin Chen

Master's Projects and Capstones

Anthropogenic-induced climate change has warmed the Arctic 2-3 times faster than the rest of the world, causing sea ice declines that introduce challenges for specialist species, such as polar bears, in adapting to rapid environmental changes. Comparative and quantitative analyses of three Hudson Bay polar bear subpopulations were used to determine the impacts of sea ice loss on polar bear diet, prey availability, foraging behaviors, and human-bear interactions in the Arctic. The study reveal that Hudson Bay polar bears experience the most severe impacts from sea ice declines, resulting in a 30% population decline. Due to their smaller body size, …

Using Pooled Data For Genomic Prediction In A Bivariate Framework With Missing Data, Johnna L. Baller, Stephen D. Kachman, Larry A. Kuehn, Matthew L. Spangler

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Pooling samples to derive group genotypes can enable the economically efficient use of commercial animals within genetic evaluations. To test a multivariate framework for genetic evaluations using pooled data, simulation was used to mimic a beef cattle population including two moderately heritable traits with varying genetic correlations, genotypes and pedigree data. There were 15 generations (n = 32,000; random selection and mating), and the last generation was subjected to genotyping through pooling. Missing records were induced in two ways: (a) sequential culling and (b) random missing records. Gaps in genotyping were also explored whereby genotyping occurred through generation 13 …