Animal Sciences Commons^™

Effect Of Cyclic Heat Stress On Hypothalamic Oxygen Homeostasis And Inflammatory State In The Jungle Fowl And Three Broiler-Based Research Lines, Giorgio Brugaletta, Elizabeth Greene, Alison Ramser, Craig W. Maynard, Travis Tabler, Federico Sirri, Nicholas B. Anthony, Sara K. Orlowski, Sami Dridi

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Heat stress (HS) is devastating to poultry production sustainability due its detrimental effects on performance, welfare, meat quality, and profitability. One of the most known negative effects of HS is feed intake depression, which is more pronounced in modern high-performing broilers compared to their ancestor unselected birds, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully defined. The present study aimed, therefore, to determine the hypothalamic expression of a newly involved pathway, hypoxia/oxygen homeostasis, in heat-stressed broiler-based research lines and jungle fowl. Three populations of broilers (slow growing ACRB developed in 1956, moderate growing 95RB from broilers available in 1995, and …

Histomonosis In Poultry: A Comprehensive Review, Lesleigh C. Beer, Victor M. Petrone-Garcia, B. Danielle Graham, Billy M. Hargis, Guillermo Tellez-Isaias, Christine N. Vuong

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Histomonas meleagridis, the etiological agent of histomonosis, is a poultry parasite primarily detrimental to turkeys. Characteristic lesions occur in the liver and ceca, with mortalities in turkey flocks often reaching 80–100%. Chickens and other gallinaceous birds can be susceptible but the disease was primarily considered sub-clinical until recent years. Treating and preventing H. meleagridis infection have become more difficult since 2015, when nitarsone was voluntarily removed from the market, leaving the poultry industry with no approved prophylactics, therapeutics, or vaccines to combat histomonosis. Phytogenic compounds evaluated for chemoprophylaxis of histomonosis have varied results with in vitro and in vivo …

Effects Of Tannin-Free Grain Sorghum Varieties On The Metabolizable Energy, Performance, And Intestinal Health Of Poultry, Alissa Moritz

All Dissertations

The single largest cost of poultry production is the cost of feed, and it is favorable to seek more sustainable, alternative feed ingredients to reduce the competition between human, animal, and industrial users. Grain sorghum is a potential alternative feedstuff to minimize the dependence of corn by the poultry industry. Not only is it nutritionally similar to corn, but it is tolerant to dry, sandy soils, which allows it to grow successfully in arid climates. This is highly desirable because of its potential to alleviate the production pressure of growing other cereal grains like corn that are less tolerant to …

Evaluation Of Grazing Techniques As A Nutrition Source For Horses In A Pasture Environment, Brittany Perron

All Dissertations

Horses require daily access to forage in order to support their gastrointestinal tract function as well as natural grazing behaviors. Well-managed pasture provides horses with a consistent forage source and diminishes health risks such as colic, ulcers and stereotypies. However, equine grazing behaviors are more intense than other livestock and may be detrimental to plant and soil health. A grazing management technique specifically for horses is necessary to prevent both health and environmental issues. The following dissertation explores both the movement of required maintenance elements, such as feed, shelter, and water, as well as the manipulation of feeding frequency and …

Repeated Boat Noise Exposure Damages Inner Ear Sensory Hair Cells And Decreases Hearing Sensitivity In Atlantic Croaker (Micropogonias Undulatus), Gina A. Badlowski

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Possible Surf And Turf Mutualism: The Potential Of Yeast Grown From Maine Wood As Feed For Atlantic Salmon, Gina Scott

All Theses And Dissertations

With fed aquaculture expanding, challenges are being faced with increasing demands for protein for feed. Fishmeal as a protein is at high cost and low supply, and meals from terrestrial agriculture can impact fish health; both also generate environmental challenges. One potential alternative protein is yeast, which can be grown using waste softwood. Simultaneously, Maine forestry has lost buyers of waste wood with several paper mill closures. If yeast is produced as an alternative protein for fish feed using this wood, both Maine Atlantic salmon farming, Maine’s most valuable form of aquaculture, and Maine forestry could benefit. Environmental impact and …

A Most Unusual Tail: Scoliosis In A Wild Australian Skink, And Reported Incidences And Suggested Causes Of Similar Malformations Amongst Squamates, Philip W. Bateman, Robyn Benken, Ryan Glowacki, Robert A. Davis

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Malformations of vertebrae potentially occur across many taxa, particularly in Testudines, which are susceptible to kyphosis (dorsoventral curvature of the spine). Such malformations may stem from either genetic or environmental origins, and their prevalence and associated impacts on survival remain poorly understood. However, scoliosis (sideways curvature of the spine) is rarely reported and especially so in wild lizards. We report here on the first known case of scoliosis in a wild Australian lizard, the skink Ctenotus fallens, from Perth, Western Australia. This occurrence is the first of 805 individuals captured in a natural population monitored annually for the past 11 …

World Association For The Advancement Of Veterinary Parasitology (Waavp): Second Edition Of Guidelines For Evaluating The Efficacy Of Anthelmintics In Poultry, T. A. Yazwinski, J. Hoglund, A. Permin, M. Gauly, C. Tucker

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

This revision of the original poultry guidelines has been prepared to assist in the planning, conduct and interpretation of studies designed to assess the anthelmintic efficacy of drugs (newly discovered or currently used) against helminth parasites of chickens and turkeys. The original set of poultry guidelines was published in 2003. The current version provides an update on procedures to study and quantify the most important helminth parasites of chickens and turkeys, and to integrate these poultry guidelines with a new series of general, reflective and host-specific guidelines relative to assessing anthelmintic efficacy in production and companion animals. General considerations required …

Intercontinental Movement Of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5n1) Clade 2.3.4.4 Virus To The United States, 2021, Sarah N. Bevins, Susan A. Shriner, James C. Cumbee Jr., Krista E. Dilione, Kelly E. Douglass, Jeremy W. Ellis, Mary Lea Killian, Mia K. Torchetti, Julianna B. Lenoch

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We detected Eurasian-origin highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus belonging to the Gs/GD lineage, clade 2.3.4.4b, in wild waterfowl in 2 Atlantic coastal states in the United States. Bird banding data showed widespread movement of waterfowl within the Atlantic Flyway and between neighboring flyways and northern breeding grounds.

Temporal Dynamics And Seed Dispersal In Plant-Frugivore Communities Of The Dominican Republic, Spencer Christian Schubert

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Plant-animal mutualisms are a foundational component of biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems. Most tropical forest plants have adapted to produce fleshy fruits to attract frugivorous animals to disperse seeds. Interaction patterns among plant taxa and their seed dispersers are driven by a complex suite of factors involving their evolutionary history and environmental context, and the structure of these mutualistic networks are theoretically tied to their ecological function. I carried out a series of field studies to investigate the temporal dynamics of mutualistic interactions of plant and avian frugivore communities in the central Dominican Republic and how their characteristics affect seed dispersal …

Relative Palatability And Efficacy Of Brodifacoum-25d Conservation Rodenticide Pellets For Mouse Eradication On Midway Atoll, Peter J. Kappes, Shane R. Siers, Israel L. Leinbach, Robert T. Sugihara, Wesley J. Jolley, Jonathan H. Plissner, Elizabeth N. Flint, Kelly L. Goodale, Gregg R. Howald

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive mice (Mus spp.) can negatively impact island species and ecosystems. Because fewer island rodent eradications have been attempted for mice compared to rats (Rattus spp.), less is known about efficacy and palatability of rodenticide baits for mouse eradications. We performed a series of bait acceptance and efficacy cage trials using a standard formulation of brodifacoum-based rodenticide on wild-caught mice from Sand Island, Midway Atoll, to help inform a proposed eradication there. Mice were offered ad libitum brodifacoum pellets along with various alternative food sources, and a “no choice” treatment group received only bait pellets. Mortality in the no choice …

The Effects Of Poor Maternal Nutrition During Gestation In Sheep On The Reproductive Efficiency Of The Offspring, Morgan Dougherty

Honors Scholar Theses

Poor maternal nutrition during gestation negatively impacts fetal programming and the development of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis in the offspring. Reproductive health of ewes can be characterized by concentrations of reproductive hormones including follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and progesterone, particularly during the estrous cycle. We hypothesized that ewes born to dams that experienced poor maternal nutrition during gestation would have reduced reproductive capability and efficiency. This means that they would take longer to become pregnant and have reduced concentrations of reproductive hormones compared with those born to mothers fed the control diet. Pregnant dams (F0) were fed one …

Harvester Ant (Pogonomyrmex Sp.) Seed Preferences And Distribution In A Suburban Setting, Lilly V. Elliott

Theses and Dissertations

Harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex sp.) are omnivorous ants native to Texas and are the main food source for the threatened Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum). Little research has been conducted on harvester ants in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) and their interactions with their environment. For this purpose, a variety of experiments were conducted to better understand these interactions and preferences. In CHAPTER I, suburban harvester ants were exposed commonly used cover crop seeds in the LRGV and inoculated seeds via seed depots over the course of 24 hours. We found that harvester ants do …

Oestrogenic Subterranean Clover Guide. Identification And Remediation, Kevin J. Foster, Megan H. Ryan, Daniel R. Kidd

Bulletins 4000 -

Subterranean clover (subclover, Trifolium subterraneum L.) is an annual pasture legume that provides high quality feed for livestock. It is estimated to be sown over 30 million hectares across southern Australia, with cultivars developed for the low, medium and high rainfall zones. Unfortunately, some older cultivars contain high levels of phytoestrogen which can affect the reproductive system of sheep and cause other health issues. This became a significant issue for sheep producers from the 1940s as new land was cleared and sheep grazed subclover-dominant pastures. There was a collection of livestock issues observed and these were grouped together under the …

A Music Composition Through The Use Of Animal Sounds, Andy Nguy

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The knowledge on animals has been studied over many years by researching and understanding animal behavior and creativity with music. Bioacoustics shows a great deal when it comes to collecting sounds through many principles for sound data collection. With saved recording of animals, music, speeches, and so much more, it has impacted the way music is created through technology. Music production has been advancing in many creative ways. The foundation of sound manipulation is musique concrète. The project uses these concepts of audio recording and digital sounds to produce a composition that includes animal sounds.

Effects Of Providing Novel Feedstuffs To Livestock On Production And Skeletal Muscle Growth, Laura A. Motsinger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As the population increases and available land for food production decreases, it is necessary for livestock producers to continually work towards increasing livestock production efficiency. In livestock operations, feed accounts for the majority of input costs associated with raising livestock. As such, it is necessary to improve growth and production of livestock animals, while also optimizing feed utilization. Different feedstuffs can be included in the diet of livestock animals to maximize growth and production. However, the effects of some of these novel feedstuffs on growth and production of livestock animals has not been elucidated. As such, we investigated the effects …

Greater Sage-Grouse Brood Responses To Livestock Grazing In Sagebrush Rangelands, Hailey Peatross Wayment

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The distribution and abundance of the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) have declined in the last 60 years. Range contractions and population declines have been attributed to loss and fragmentation of their sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats. Grazing by livestock remains the predominant anthropogenic land-use across sagebrush ecosystems in North America, occurring on 87% of remaining sage-grouse habitat. Most of the peer-reviewed literature reports the potential for negative impacts of sagebrush reduction treatments, to increase livestock forage, on sage-grouse habitat. However, few studies have linked livestock grazing at the landscape level to vital rates (e.g., nest initiation rates, …

Heritability Of Maxillary Dental Arch Dimensions In A Pedigreed Sample Of Hamadryas Baboons, Samuel Park

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis presents a study of heritability of maxillary dental arch dimensions in a captive baboon colony. Arch dimensions are important subject because they influence the entirety of the craniofacial and masticatory complex. The goal of this study was to quantify the relative genetic influence on arch dimensions and the nature of this influence at different points along the maxillary arcade. Referencing virtual, three-dimensional dental cast scans, widths were measured at different points between the a) maxillary left and right canines, and b) maxillary left and right first molars (M1). Specifically, measurements were taken at the inner (lingual) gingival margin, …

Pandemics And Animal Welfare: A Quantitative Inquiry Into How The Covid-19 Pandemic Has Affected The Companion Animal Industry In Northwest Arkansas, Kayla N. Desmet

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2019, industries have been impacted globally. The companion animal care industry has not received much recognition in mainstream news, and though multiple grants have been allocated (Nolen, 2020), limited resources were available to individual facilities such as animal shelters, animal day cares, and boarding facilities. Little is known about the long-term effects of the pandemic on these facilities and how companion animal care may have changed. The purpose of this study was to explore the day-to-day impacts and long-term effects of COVID-19 on the companion animal industry in Northwest Arkansas from …

Time Course Investigation Of The Dermal Leukocyte Response To Lipoteichoic Acid In Chickens, Ian Gilbert

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is component of the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria that stimulates inflammation during bacterial infection. However, few studies have investigated the in vivo immune response to LTA, and none of the in vivo studies done have been performed in birds. For this project, the pulp (a skin-derivative) of growing feathers (GFs) of chickens were used as a test site to investigate the in vivo effects of intradermally injected LTA. In Study 1, the pulp of 12 GFs of 11-week-old Light-brown Leghorn (LBL) males were injected with 10 μL of differing concentrations of LTA (0.1, 1.0, 10, 100 …

Targeting Inflammation In Heat-Stressed Wethers Improves Growth And Efficiency And Alters Body Composition: A Brief Exploration And Application Of Extension Principles, Micah Samuel Most

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The objective of our first study was to determine how administering anti-inflammatory dexamethasone and ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-rich fish oil affects growth efficiency and body composition in heat-stressed finishing lambs. Commercial wethers were randomly assigned to be fed under heat stress (35-40 ℃) or thermoneutral (19 ℃, n = 10) conditions for 30 d, and controls were pair-fed to eliminate differential feed intake. Heat-stressed wethers were randomly assigned to receive clinical-dose dexamethasone IM injections every 72 h, twice daily fish oil capsule oral boluses, or placebos. Heat stress decreased (P < 0.05) growth and efficiency, but dexamethasone and fish oil supplementation recovered these performance measures. Heat stress also decreased (P < 0.05) predictive body composition metrics that were at least partially improved by administration of dexamethasone and fish oil. Proximate analyses of muscles showed that heat stress decreased (P < 0.05) percentage of protein and increased (P < 0.05) percentage of intramuscular fat, neither of which was improved by dexamethasone or fish oil. Immunohistochemistry revealed that heat stress decreased (P < 0.05) myoblast differentiation and muscle fiber size, but anti-inflammatory supplementation recovered differentiation only. Plasma IGF-1 concentrations were not different among groups throughout the study. These findings demonstrate how heat stress-induced inflammation contributes to impaired growth, efficiency, and body composition observed in heat-stressed feeder lambs. However, targeting inflammation with dexamethasone or fish oil recovers many of these deficits.

The Cooperative …

Evaluation Of Corn Processing Method And Sweet Bran Inclusion On Beef Cattle Performance And Nutrient Digestion And Individual Sweet Bran Components On Nutrient Digestion, Rebecca L. Sjostrand

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

One feedlot trial (Exp. 1) and one digestion trial (Exp. 2) were conducted to evaluate the interaction of corn processing method and Sweet Bran inclusion on nutrient digestion, ruminal fermentation parameters, and feedlot performance. In Exp. 1 when no Sweet Bran was fed, cattle fed steam-flaked corn (SFC) had greater ADG, HCW and a 12.4% improvement in feed efficiency compared to cattle fed a high-moisture corn/ dry-rolled corn (HMC/DRC) blend. However, as Sweet Bran increased in the diet to 40%, cattle fed HMC/DRC had greater improvements in ADG and HCW than cattle fed SFC resulting in similar performance at 40% …

Impact Of Ph And Palmitic Acid On Ruminal Fermentation And Microbial Community Composition, Lexie Padilla

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary palmitic acid and pH on rumen fermentation, fiber digestibility, and bacterial community composition. The two factors in the experiment were palmitic acid treatment and pH treatment. Palmitic acid treatments included a control diet compared to a diet containing 1.5% palmitic acid. pH treatments included normal pH (6.6 to 7.0) compared to low pH (6.0 to 6.4). Rumen fluid from a cow was added to artificial rumens to study the effects of the two treatments relative to fermentation and changes within the microbial community. Results of the study showed …

Growth, Sexual Dimorphism And Resource Allocation In The Túngara Frog, Kaitlyn D. Tonnu

Pacific Undergraduate Research and Creativity Conference (PURCC)

No abstract provided.

Medial Edge Chondrification Of The Vocal Folds Of E. Pustulosus And Its Function In Sexual Selection, Helena Soon Czochanski

Pacific Undergraduate Research and Creativity Conference (PURCC)

No abstract provided.

The Microbiome Characterization And Comparison Of Loggerhead (Caretta Caretta) And Green (Chelonia Mydas) Sea Turtle Eggs In Broward County, Florida, Colleen Mcmaken

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

All seven extant species of sea turtles are classified as threatened or endangered due to natural and anthropogenic impacts. Sea turtle conservation efforts are largely dedicated to ensuring healthy nesting activity. Hatching success of sea turtle eggs can be affected by several factors including the proliferation of pathogenic microbes. However, it is unclear as to which microbes have the most impact on hatching success and how they are transmitted into the eggs. The primary aims of this study characterized and compared the bacterial communities (microbiomes) from the i) cloaca of nesting sea turtles; ii) sand within and surrounding the nests …

Evaluating The Microbial Quality And Use Of Antimicrobials In Raw Pet Foods, Leslie Pearl Cancio

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Raw meat-based diets (RMBDs) are emerging pet foods that pose food safety risks because of the potential presence of pathogens that could cause illness to humans. In this research, the microbial quality of select RMBD products sold by pet food companies online and the use of chemical antimicrobials to reduce the microbial load in chicken liver, a common RMBD ingredient, were evaluated.

Ground meat blends and livers from four animal species (beef, pork, chicken, turkey) were purchased from four online companies that delivers directly to consumers through parcel businesses. Products were procured at three different times during one year and …

Effects Of Feeding Probiotics To Pre-Weaned Dairy Calves, Sara Tomis

Honors Scholar Theses

Pre-ruminant calves are particularly susceptible to pathological and environmental stressors that may have negative effects on their health and growth. Supplementing probiotics to this vulnerable population may have positive implications for the dairy industry, as probiotics may encourage improved growth rates and enhanced health in dairy neonates. However, there is variation in existing literature with regard to effectiveness. This study seeks to explore the impact of dietary probiotic supplement on health and growth parameters in pre-weaned dairy calves. Holstein and Jersey calves (n=30) were assigned to 1 of 2 treatment groups, receiving either 0 or 5 grams of probiotic containing …

Nm-Rs Au Naturale: Investigations Into Simulating A Natural Environment, Jenna Pantophlet

Theses and Dissertations

Naked Mole-rats (NM-Rs) have been studied in laboratories for decades due to their unique behavior and physiology. However, due to the scope and complexity of the NM-R’s natural subterranean tunneling system, it has been difficult to replicate in the laboratory environment. From a researcher’s perspective, optimal housing is cost- and space-efficient and easily cleaned. On the other hand, optimal animal welfare and husbandry encourages the most biologically relevant enclosure to evoke the fullest range of an animal's behavioral repertoire. While there is an abundance of works centered on the biomedical potential of these odd rodents (Buffenstein et al, 2012; Delaney …

Validation Of Rotoscoping Method For Two-Marker Bones In The Alligator Forearm, Nina Pitre

Biology Student Scholarship

Nina Pitre ’22
Majors: Biology and Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Baier, Biology

XROMM methods "re-animate" 3D skeletal motion of living animals by aligning digital bone models to X-ray videos. Surgically implanted markers permit automatic alignment of bone models if three or more markers are used. However, one of our specimens only had two markers implanted. These bones could be automatically positioned and partially oriented using the two markers, but then required manual alignment to the X-ray images to orient about the axis passing between the two markers. Here, we validated the method by digitally removing a marker from a …