Poultry or Avian Science Commons^™

Lifetime Inclusive Fitness Effects Of Cooperative Polygamy In The Acorn Woodpecker, Walter D. Koenig, Sahas Barve, Joseph Haydock, Eric L. Walters

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Although over 50 y have passed since W. D. Hamilton articulated kin selection and inclusive fitness as evolutionary explanations for altruistic behavior, quantifying inclusive fitness continues to be challenging. Here, using 30 y of data and two alternative methods, we outline an approach to measure lifetime inclusive fitness effects of cooperative polygamy (mate-sharing or cobreeding) in the cooperatively breeding acorn woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus. For both sexes, the number of offspring (observed direct fitness) declined while the number of young parented by related cobreeders (observed indirect fitness effect) increased with cobreeding coalition size. Combining these two factors, the observed inclusive …

Bird Articulation Guide, Kelsey Blaze Miller

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

No abstract provided.

Unraveling A Paradox Of Habitat Relationships: Scale-Dependent Drivers Of Temporal Occupancy-Abundance Relationships In A Cooperatively Breeding Bird, Natasha D.G. Hagemeyer, Mario B. Pesendorfer, Walter D. Koenig, Eric L. Walters

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Context Spatial occupancy and local abundance of species often positively covary, but the mechanisms driving this widespread relationship are poorly understood. Resource dynamics and habitat changes have been suggested as potential drivers, but long-term studies relating them to abundance and occupancy are rare. In this 34-year study of acorn woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus), a cooperatively breeding species, we observed a paradoxical response to changes in habitat composition: despite a reduction in the availability of high-quality breeding habitat, the population increased considerably.

Objectives We investigated the role of annual variation in food availability and long-term changes in habitat composition as predictors …

Antimicrobial Resistance Profile Of Escherichia Coli Isolated From Poultry Litter, M. J. Khong, A. M. Snyder, M. M. Young, N. L. Barbieri, S. L. Weimer

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Antimicrobial resistance is a threat to animal and human health. As a commensal and zoonotic bacterium, Escherichia coli has the potential to be a pathogenic source of antimicrobial resistance. The purpose of this study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial resistance profile of E. coli isolated from litter collected from pens in a broiler chicken experiment. E. coli was isolated from litter samples (n = 68 isolates) of 16 pens housing broilers to d 53 of age. Resistance to 10 antimicrobials was observed by disc diffusion. The presence of 23 antimicrobial and heavy metal resistance genes, O serogroups, and avian pathogenic …

Cluster Homolog Of Immunoglobulin-Like Receptor Genes In Chicken Immune Responses, Brandi A. Sparling

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation explores the identity and role of immunoglobulin-like (Ig-like) receptors in chickens, with focus on their implications in disease and disease progression. These receptors, wisely expressed across immune cells, interact with the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules to modulate immune responses in mammals. Due to the insufficient representation of chicken Ig-like receptors in online databases, this study systematically annotates the chicken Cluster Homolog of Immunoglobulin-like Receptors (CHIR) genes using advanced bioinformatic techniques, aligning with the release of the 7th edition of the chicken genome assembly that comprises builds for a broiler and layer chicken. The analysis identifies …

Evaluating The Effects Of Modifying Mixing And Pelleting Parameters On Feed Quality, Pellet Production Rate, And Broiler Performance, Lucas E. Knarr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In Chapter 2, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of different mixer types (MTY) and mix times (MTI) on mix uniformity (MU). A 2 (mix time) x 3 (mixer type) factorial was utilized in this experiment to create six treatments, each mixed in three randomized complete blocks. Mix times were designated adequate or inadequate, were based on the manufacturers’ recommendation, and varied based on the mixer utilized. The mixer types utilized included a vertical mixer, horizontal mixer, and transfer mixing system. The transfer mixing system can be described as a batch-to-mix system …

Impacts Of Temperature And Salt Concentrations For Thermal Inactivation Of Salmonella In Moisture Enhanced Reconstructed Chicken Patties, Alik D. Browning

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this experiment is to determine the thermal kinetic parameters of Salmonella in moisture-enhanced, reconstructed ground chicken patties as affected by temperatures and salt concentrations. Salmonella is responsible for 35% of the foodborne illnesses associated with poultry products (Batz et al., 2011). Nonintact reconstructed chicken meat is mixed with brine solutions containing various salt and polyphosphate concentrations to increase water-holding capacity, decrease cooking losses, improve sensory tasting scores, and maintain the good quality of completed chicken products (Gill et al., 2004). Increasing salt concentrations within meats can increase the thermal inactivation of pathogens. In this study, Salmonella Typhimurium …

A Multi-Isotope Approach Reveals Seasonal Variation In The Reliance On Marine Resources, Production Of Metabolic Water, And Ingestion Of Seawater By Two Species Of Coastal Passerine To Maintain Water Balance, Lucas Navarrete, Nico Lübcker, Felipe Alvarez, Roberto Nespolo, Juan Carlos Sanchez-Hernandez, Karin Maldonado, Zachary D. Sharp, John P. Whiteman, Seth D. Newsome, Pablo Sabat

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Tracing how free-ranging organisms interact with their environment to maintain water balance is a difficult topic to study for logistical and methodological reasons. We use a novel combination of triple-oxygen stable isotope analyses of water extracted from plasma (δ¹⁶O, δ¹⁷O, δ¹⁸O) and bulk tissue carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) isotopes of feathers and blood to estimate the proportional contribution of marine resources, seawater, and metabolic water used by two species of unique songbirds (genus Cinclodes) to maintain their water balance in a seasonal coastal environment. We …

Use Of Amino Acid Isotope Analysis To Investigate Capital Versus Income Breeding Strategies In Migratory Avian Species, Nico Lübcker, John P. Whiteman, Oliver N. Shipley, Keith A. Hobson, Seth D. Newsome

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

1. Income and capital breeding represent opposing ends of a continuum of reproductive strategies. Quantifying nutrient allocation to reproduction is challenging, but recent advances in compound-specific stable isotope analysis hold promise for tracing the source of individual compounds allocated to reproduction.

2. Here, we describe a novel approach of using measured carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope values of individual amino acids (AAs) in pectoral muscle of egg-laying females and egg yolk as a useful tool to quantify the reliance on income versus capital breeding in migrating species. We used white-fronted (Anser albifrons frontalis), lesser snow (A. …

The Birds And The Trees: Quantifying The Drivers Of Whitebark Pine Decline And Clark's Nutcracker Habitat Use In Glacier National Park, Vladimir Kovalenko

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis), recently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, is in steep decline in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA due to the non-native pathogen Cronartium ribicola, causal agent of the fatal disease white pine blister rust. A sample of the park’s population suggests that approximately 70 percent of whitebark pines have died, while 65 percent of the remaining trees are infected. Using landscape and climate variables, we show how geographic location, elevation, aspect, solar radiation, relative humidity, and snowpack interact with tree diameter to affect mortality, disease incidence, cone production, and regeneration. We also examine how …

Comparison Of Corticosterone Concentrations Between Serum And Fecal Samples As A Measure Of Stress In Male Broilers., Kayla Weinacht

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Stress has long been a topic of interest in the poultry industry due to its potential negative effects on chicken health and production of both eggs and meat. With increased global growth in egg and broiler production, more attention has been paid to the stressors that affect chickens in modern poultry operations, particularly environmental temperature and stocking density. Improving quantitative measurement of stress is always needed in poultry welfare research. In most studies, blood serum is measured for corticosterone, one of the biomarker hormones associated with stress in chickens. Methods of collecting blood serum are by their nature disruptive to …