Poultry or Avian Science Commons^™

An Indirect Elisa Using A Recombinant Envelope Protein For Detecting Antibody Against Duck Tembusu Virus Infection, Thaweesak Songserm

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Duck Tembusu virus (DTMUV) belonging to Flavivirus group, causes severe central nervous system disorders and decreased egg production as found in Thailand. To detect antibody against the DTMUV infection, we developed an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on the recombinant envelop (E) protein for coating antigen. The E protein coding gene of KPS54A61DTMUV was cloned into pPICzαA vector and expressed by using 2% (v/v) of absolute methanol as inducer in Pichia pastoris expression. The recombinant E protein was detected in the culture medium at a concentration of 4.55 mg/ml and analyzed a protein expected size by SDS-PAGE at 65 …

Assessment Of American Tannin-Free Grain Sorghum As Feedstuff For Poultry: Nutrient Composition, Amino Acid Digestibility And Bird Performance, Santiago Sasia

All Dissertations

Given the rising cost of poultry diets, alternative ingredients like sorghum are crucial for maximizing returns without compromising product quality. Sorghum's drought tolerance and adaptability, along with its nutritional profile, make it a viable corn substitute. This dissertation examines the nutrient composition, amino acid digestibility, and performance of poultry fed with American tannin-free grain sorghum. Chapter II evaluates the impact of sorghum-based diets, with or without phytase superdosing, on broiler performance, including body weight, weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio. Results indicate that sorghum can replace corn without adverse effects on broiler performance. Chapter III explores the partial …

Effects Of Interrupting The Scotophase Period On Bone Health And Performance Of Laying Hens, Alexis J. Clark

All Theses

This thesis aimed to evaluate the effects of interrupting the daily scotophase period on bone health and production in laying hens. Modern commercial laying hens are prone to high rates of bone demineralization due to the constant mobilization of calcium to withstand daily eggshell calcification mechanisms. The industry light standard for laying hens is 16 hours of continuous light (photophase) and 8 hours of continuous darkness (scotophase) daily. During scotophase, physical activity is reduced due to instinctive perching behaviors, and thus, feeding behaviors are halted. However, physiological processes, including digestion, excretion, and reproduction, remain active during scotophase.

Most eggshell formation …

The Influence Of Commercial Salmonella Vaccination Programs On Local- And Systemic-Immune Responses And Ceca Microbiome In Egg-Type Chickens, Chrysta Noelle Beck

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Salmonella vaccination is a widely accepted practice in the United States poultry industry. These vaccines stimulate a strong humoral response to Salmonella serovars and significantly reduce Salmonella load in the bird. In general, a Salmonella vaccination program for an egg-type pullet flock consists of two administrations of a live attenuated Salmonella vaccine at 1- and 6-wk-of-age followed by one administration of a Salmonella bacterin at 12-wk-of-age. Although these vaccines are regarded as effective against paratyphoid Salmonella infections, there are incidences of breakthrough Salmonella infections and severe injection site reactions after bacterin administration. Therefore, the main objective of this dissertation was …

Modeling Enterococcus Cecorum Horizontal Transmission To Investigate The Impact Of Perinatal Exposure On Extraintestinal Colonization, Disease Presentation, And Performance In Young Broiler Chickens, James Y. Higuita Valle

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Enterococcus cecorum (EC) has primarily been associated with osteomyelitis and lameness in older chickens. The recent emergence of pathogenic EC causing morbidity and mortality in young broiler chicken flocks requires further investigation. The purpose of this thesis was to develop a model to simulate horizontal transmission of virulent EC during the hatching phase in small scale hatchet cabinets. The model will be used to investigate novel pre- and post-hatch strategies to mitigate EC infections in young broiler chickens. The current thesis contains four chapters. Chapter I includes the thesis introduction. A literature review focusing on EC-associated disease in chickens, with …

Local And Systemic Inflammatory And Antibody Responses To Salmonella-Killed Vaccines In Egg-Type Pullets, Jossie Mair Santamaria Archbold

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Salmonella infection in chickens is a significant and complex challenge to manage, affecting poultry health and food safety. Vaccination against Salmonella is a promising preventative approach to control flock infection and decrease the loads of this pathogen. Vaccination strategies against Salmonella often comprise the application of live attenuated and killed (inactivated) vaccines, including inactivated autogenous vaccines. Live attenuated Salmonella vaccines stimulate both cellular and humoral immunity but can potentially return to a virulent state; meanwhile, inactivated Salmonella vaccines trigger more of a humoral response and are safer since they are entirely rendered inactive. However, there is a lack of information …

Efficacy Of Liver Free And Chitosan Against Eimeria Tenella In Chickens, Zhang Yu, Abdulaziz Alouffi, Ebtsam Al-Olayan, Gungor Cagdas Dincel, G. Tellez-Isaias, Inkar Castellanos-Huerta, Danielle Graham, Victor M. Petrone-Garcia, Beniamino T. Cenci-Goga, Luca Grispoldi, Luis Madeiro De Carvalho, Saeed El-Ashram

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Eimeria spp. are the pathogen that causes coccidiosis, a significant disease that affects intensively reared livestock, especially poultry. Anticoccidial feed additives, chemicals, and ionophores have routinely been employed to reduce Eimeria infections in broiler production. Therefore, the shift to antibiotic-free and organic farming necessitates novel coccidiosis preventive strategies. The present study evaluated the effects of potential feed additives, liver free and chitosan, against Eimeria tenella infection in White Leghorn broiler female chickens. One hundred sixty-five 1-day-old White Leghorn broiler female chicks were divided into 11 groups (15 female chicks per group), including the positive control group (G1), the negative control …

Increased Co2 Levels During The First Half Of Incubation At High Altitude Modifies Embryonic Development Of Fertile Leghorn Breeder Eggs, Marco A. Juarez-Estrada, Erik I. Lopez-Ruiz, Sonia Lopez-Cordova, G. Tellez-Isaias, Omar F. Prado-Rebolledo

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The exchange of oxygen (O₂) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) within an incubator has a significant impact on embryonic development (ED) and hatching processes. This study examines the influence of non-ventilation (NV) conditions during the first ten days of incubation at high altitudes on Leghorn hens hatching eggs. Five hundred four hatching eggs were equally divided into three treatment groups and placed in twelve incubators (R = 4). The first group was subjected to standard ventilated conditions (V) during the setting phase. The ventilation inlet holes of the remaining incubators in the NV treatments were closed with …

Study On Performance Behavior Of Fayoumi And Rhode Island Red Poultry Breeds, Rameez Raja Kaleri Rrk, Hubdar Ali Kaleri, Ghulam Mustafa Solangi, Zainab Lanjar, Raza Ali Mangi, Imran Ahmed, Sajid Mahmood Sajid, Deepesh Kumar Bhuptani, Zoya Parveen Soormro, Habibullah Janyaro, Abdul Wahid Solangi, Zahid A., Dilbar Hussain Jamali

Journal of Bioresource Management

The present study was conducted to compare the performance and behavior of Fayoumi and Rhode Island Red poultry breeds. A total of forty-two birds at 26 weeks of age, with thirty-six females and six males from each breed, were distributed into 6 groups with one male and six females each. All the experimental groups were reared in separate partitions with provisions of nests, feeders, and drinkers under proper management conditions. The results of the current study revealed that Rhode Island Red chickens showed significantly higher (P < 0.05) body weight, egg weight, daily egg production, eggshell thickness, and other quality parameters compared to Fayoumi chickens. It was also noted that Rhode Island Red chickens consumed less feed and gained heavier bodies with higher egg production than Fayoumi chickens. There was a non-significant difference in feed intake between both breeds. Rhode Island Red chickens produced eggs with better shell quality and higher breaking strength compared to Fayoumi chickens. In conclusion, the Rhode Island Red chicken breed is better in terms of body weight, egg performance, and feed efficiency compared to Fayoumi chickens.

Nou Spring Field Days And Annual Meeting, 125th Anniversary Of The Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, Birding Bowl Kickoff Weekend, Lincoln, Mary 3–5, 2024, Janis Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

The NOU Annual Meeting and Spring Field Days were held in Lincoln on May 3-5, 2024, with 80 in attendance. This year is the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, and this meeting also served as the kickoff of the Nebraska Birding Bowl.

Field trips were led by Olivia DaRugna, Thane Dinsdale, Joe Gubanyi, Thomas Labedz, Jason St. Sauver, T. J. Walker, and Michael Willison. Destinations included Wilderness Park, Bluestem Lake SRA, Killdeer WMA, Cottontail WMA, Pawnee Lake SRA, Branched Oak Lake, Butler County Prairie-Chicken lek, Marsh Wren Saline Wetland, Spring Creek Prairie, and Conestoga Lake …

The Nebraska Bird Review (June 2024) 92(2), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Spring Field Report, March–May 2024, by W. Ross Silcock

The Early Years of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union: People and Publications, by Daniel W. Leger

NOU Spring Field Days and Annual Meeting, 125th Anniversary of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, Birding Bowl Kickoff Weekend, Lincoln, May 3–5, 2024, by Janis Paseka

Subscription and Organization Information

Spring Field Report, March–May 2024, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

A major concern this spring was the widely lamented shortfall in numbers of migrant warblers and the shortened duration of the migration, with most sightings relatively early. Numbers of migrant warblers east of the 100th meridian were investigated by Joel Jorgensen and Stephen Brenner and the scarcity was indeed found to be supported by eBird data; see the “News and Updates” section in Birds of Nebraska-Online (BONO). At Oliver Reservoir in the Panhandle, however, Steven Mlodinow found that migration was at least normal for a range of common migrants, with some migrants above the levels of the last four years. …

Baseline Characterization Of Semen From Philippine Native Chickens: Banaba, Joloano And Paraoakan, Darcy Pamulaklakin, Carla Alilie Junsay, Consuelo Amor Estrella, Percival Sangel

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

The study aimed to characterize and establish baseline data on the quantity and quality of fresh avian semen utilizing a sample of Philippine native roosters. Twenty-two heads each were acquired from breeds Banaba, Joloano, and Paraoakan. The baseline data analysis revealed significant variations in semen volume among different genetic groups, with Banaba displaying the highest volume, followed by Joloano and Paraoakan. Banaba also exhibited the highest semen pH value of 7.27 when compared to the other two genetic groups (P < 0.05). Across various genetic groups of native chickens, the majority of semen samples demonstrated a thick and creamy consistency and color (42.6%), followed by thin and creamy (32.9%), with a statistical significance of P < 0.05. Furthermore, variations in sperm concentration were observed among genetic groups, with Paraoakan having the highest sperm concentration, followed by Banaba and Joloano (P < 0.05). When the semen from Banaba and Joloano native roosters were extended in Ringer’s solution, it exhibited good motility, with more than 50% of spermatozoa in motion, even after six hours of extension. In contrast, the pooled extended semen from Paraoakan native roosters displayed poor motility, particularly after eight hours of extension (P < 0.05). The study also showed that storage temperatures did not significantly affect all the sperm quality parameters of Banaba and Joloano. However, for Paraoakan, samples stored at low temperatures of 5 – 10ºC had significantly higher percent motile and progressive sperm, and lower percent static sperm than those stored at room temperature (22 – 25ºC) (P < 0.05).

The Early Years Of The Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union: People And Publications, Daniel W. Leger

Nebraska Bird Review

Nebraska once boasted that it had the greatest avian biodiversity of any state. Today, such a claim seems preposterous, but when it was made, back in 1899, it was serious. The antecedents of that claim underlie the objective of this article, namely to describe the early history of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union (NOU), its founding members, and its publications, one of which, the Nebraska Bird Review, you are reading today.

. . .

To say that many changes have occurred in ornithology and birding since the NOU started in 1899 would be a severe understatement. Most of these changes have …

Duck Gut Metagenome Reveals The Microbiome Signatures Linked To Intestinal Regional, Temporal Development, And Rearing Condition, Lingyan Ma, Wentao Liu, Tao Zeng, Wen Wang, Qu Chen, Jiangchao Zhao, Guolong Zhang, Lizhi Lu, Hua Yang, Yingping Xiao

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The duck gastrointestinal tract (GIT) harbors an abundance of microorganisms that play an important role in duck health and production. Here, we constructed the first relatively comprehensive duck gut microbial gene catalog (24 million genes) and 4437 metagenome-assembled genomes using 375 GIT metagenomic samples from four different duck breeds across five intestinal segments under two distinct rearing conditions. We further characterized the intestinal region-specific microbial taxonomy and their assigned functions, as well as the temporal development and maturation of the duck gut microbiome. Our metagenomic analysis revealed the similarity within the microbiota of the foregut and hindgut compartments, but distinctive …

Dispersal Movement And Overwintering Ecology Of A Cryptic Migratory Forest Owl, Mitchell Lee Pruitt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding species’ distributions and how a species uses its environment is a vital aspect of ecology and important for the development and implementation of conservation planning. In migratory species, with distinct breeding and nonbreeding ranges, understanding distributions is a complex endeavor. Nevertheless, evaluating movement behavior by linking seasonal distributions and identifying source areas is vital for understanding a species’ full annual cycle ecology. Understanding distributions is particularly important for predators, like birds of prey, that can exert top-down effects on community structure and ecosystem function through their influence on prey populations. Among raptors, owls are severely understudied in large part …

Migration And Breeding Ecology Of King Rails (Rallus Elegans) In Southeast Arkansas, Jessica Schmit

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

King Rails (Rallus elegans) are a secretive marsh bird species of conservation concern in Arkansas. Freddie Black Choctaw West WMA in southeast Arkansas has multiple confirmed pairs of breeding King Rails and offered an opportunity to investigate King Rail migration ecology, as well as nesting ecology and nest site selection. In Chapter 1, we determined migratory status (resident vs. migratory) and described seasonal movement. To do this, we captured and outfitted 23 birds with Argos GPS tags to track migration patterns throughout the season. We found that most of the population did not make long distance migrations but instead were …

Optimizing Laying Hen Behavior, Bone Health, And Welfare Through Environmental And Nutritional Enrichments, Mallory Anderson

All Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation was to evaluate the impact of environmental and nutritional enrichments on the behavior, bone health, and welfare of Hy-line brown and Hy-line W-36 laying hens. Laying hens are prone to experiencing a progressive increase in bone fragility due to the ongoing mobilization of calcium from the bones for eggshell formation. Over time, this increases their susceptibility for bone fracture, which is a welfare concern. Prior research suggests that exercise, especially during the developmental stage, can aid in minimizing bone fractures by strengthening muscles and increasing bone mass. Furthermore, nutrition plays an integral role in laying …

The Influence Of Feed Additives On Laying Hen Health, Welfare, And Egg Quality, Alexa Johnson

All Dissertations

Natural feed additives like oregano essential oil and synbiotic (prebiotic and probiotic) are options with great potential for increasing the health and welfare of laying hens. The first two studies explored the effects of dietary oregano essential oil (EOO) on performance, gastrointestinal traits (GIT), blood lipids, antioxidant capacity, and egg quality in laying hens from 0 to 40 weeks of age. The third study was conducted to examine dietary EOO on layers on the shelf life and fatty acid profile of eggs. The final study aimed to examine the effects of a dietary synbiotic on agonistic behavior, plasma and brain …

Determination Of Ileal Digestible Phosphorous Values In Various Inorganic Sources Meat And Bone Meal Sources, Jay Hampton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Concerns around the economic and environmental consequences of suboptimal or excess dietary P levels in broiler diets has led to increased interest in determining ileal P digestibility values for feed ingredients. Therefore, two experiments (EXP) were conducted to determine the apparent (AID) and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of P in various inorganic phosphates and meat and bone meals (MBM) using the direct method. In both EXP 1 and 2, ileal samples were collected at 22 d post-hatch from birds fed semi-purified diets based on dextrose and corn starch containing test ingredients and one N and P free (NPF) diet for …

Evaluation Of The Effect Of A Commercial Lippia Origanoides Essential Oil Extract On Salmonella Serovar Enteritidis As A Natural Alternative To Antibiotics In The Poultry Industry, Abdiel Atencio

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present research was to evaluate the bactericidal activity of a microencapsulated Lippia origanoides essential oils (LOEOs) against Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) in an in vitro crop assay and in a prophylactic broiler chicken model using three low doses of the product: 75 ppm, 150 ppm and 300 ppm. Two trials of each assay were conducted. Day-of-hatch male Cobb-Vantress broiler chickens were randomly allotted to one of four groups: 1) positive control group; 2) 75 ppm LOEOs group; 3) 150 ppm LOEOs group; 4) 300 LOEOs group. Chicks were fed and watered ad libitum in heated brooder batteries …

Heterogenous Impacts Of Pathogenic Avian Diseases On Global Poultry Production, Elsbeth Hamilton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Globally, poultry is one of the most versatile and cost-effective sources of animal-based protein. Due to its wide variety of uses and variability of growing styles, poultry production is applicable in nearly every country. With the increase of scale and concentration of production, pathogenic diseases have decreased the efficiency of production through worsened feed conversion, morbidity, and mortality. In addition to physiological health, climate largely impacts the suitable conditions for growing. With more extreme climate events, locations once ideal for poultry are less efficient due to increased resource cost. This analysis seeks to determine the heterogeneity of production and the …

Evaluation Of Protein Turnover, Lipid Turnover, And Calcium Utilization On Broiler Breeder Performance, Cole Umberson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Broiler breeder performance is based upon egg production. Breeders are reared from day of hatch to ovulation with the main goal of controlling body weight. Maintaining body weight in breeders is highly emphasized prior to first egg as to reach optimum peak production feeding increases dramatically to meet energy needs. Energy is supplied to the breeder in three forms carbohydrates (fast energy), protein (medium energy), and fat (slow energy). Carbohydrates are quickly used by the breeders, while protein is constantly being utilized by the breeder for growth and egg production, fat is stored and used lastly as the energy requirements …

A Sublethal Concentration Of Chlorine Induces Antibiotic Resistance In Salmonella Via Production Of Reactive Oxygen Species, Mohammed Aljuwayd, Israa Abdullah Malli, Steven C. Ricke, Young Min Kwon

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Studies have shown that the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is triggered by bactericidal antibiotics, which contributes significantly to the killing of bacterial cells and increasing mutations in surviving cells. In this study, we hypothesized that exposure of Salmonella to sublethal concentrations of hypochlorite (NaOCl), a commonly used sanitizer in household and food industries increases mutation rates, leading to the development of antibiotic resistance. We found that a sublethal concentration (20 ppm) of NaOCl increased the mutation rates of S. typhimurium 14028s significantly (p < 0.05), which was prevented by the ROS scavenger thiourea, supporting that the increased mutation was due to NaOCl-triggered ROS production. We further found that the exposure of S. typhimurium 14028s to the same sublethal concentration of NaOCl increases resistance to kanamycin among the 3 antibiotics evaluated. The results of this study suggest that when NaOCl applied as a sanitizer fails to kill Salmonella due to diluted local concentrations or presence of organic materials, it can cause an adverse outcome of developing antibiotic resistance of the pathogen.

Climate Change-Associated Declines In Water Clarity Impair Feeding By Common Loons, Walter H. Piper, Max R. Glines, Kevin C. Rose

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Climate change has myriad impacts on ecosystems, but the mechanisms by which it affects individual species can be difficult to pinpoint. One strategy to discover such mechanisms is to identify a specific ecological factor related to survival or reproduction and determine how that factor is affected by climate. Here we used Landsat imagery to calculate water clarity for 127 lakes in northern Wisconsin from 1995 to 2021 and thus investigate the effect of clarity on the body condition of an aquatic visual predator, the common loon (Gavia immer). In addition, we examined rainfall and temperature as potential predictors …

Effects Of Supplementing Selenium-Enriched Cardamine Violifolia To Laying Hens On Egg Quality And Yolk Antioxidant Capacity During Storage At 4 °C And 25 °C, Hubei Key, Xin Cong, Hui Wang, Mengke Yan, Xianfeng Xu, Mingkang Liu, Fulong Song, Dan Wang, Xiao Xu, Jiangchao Zhao, Shuiyan Cheng, Yulan Liu, Huiling Zhu

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Oxidative stress occurs in the process of egg storage. Antioxidants as feed additives can enhance egg quality and extend the shelf life of eggs. Selenium-enriched Cardamine violifolia (SEC) has strongly antioxidant properties. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of dietary supplementation with SEC on egg quality and the yolk antioxidant capacity of eggs stored at 4 °C and 25 °C. Four hundred fifty 65-week-old, Roman hens that were similar in laying rate (90.79 ± 1.69%) and body weight (2.19 ± 0.23 kg) were divided into 5 groups. The birds were fed diets supplemented with 0 mg/kg …

Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Treasurer's Report, December 31, 2023, Jan Johnson

Nebraska Bird Review

No abstract provided.

Birds And The People They Were Named For

Nebraska Bird Review

This year the theme for our color photo section was birds named for people. For the purposes of our selections, we looked only at the common names of birds, although some species also reflect the names of people in their scientific names. Many species are named for people, but photos of the ones listed here are on the first six pages of this year’s color section.

Baird’s Sandpiper, Baird’s Sparrow Spencer Fullerton Baird (1823-1887) was the first curator and later secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and was instrumental in expanding the Institution’s natural history collections. John James Audubon named the …

Winter Field Report, December 2023–February 2024, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

As was the case for winter 2022–2023, the big general story was the large number of reports of tardy fall migrants and unexpectedly northerly occurrences in midwinter, an apparent residue of relatively mild early winter temperatures. These reports involved at least 50 species, many of them waterbirds and native sparrows, but including several other passerines as well. Notable were about 12 waterfowl species, five grebe species, an interesting late Dec peak in each of the last three years of Sandhill Cranes, record late Whooping Cranes, a 4th winter record of Dunlin, high numbers of Double-crested Cormorants, a wintering Rock Wren, …

Annual Color Photo Section

Nebraska Bird Review

Annual color photograph section (the first six pages show examples of this year’s theme: species whose common names include the names of people):

Cassin’s Finch
Cassin’s Kingbird
Steller’s Jay
Cooper’s Hawk
Baird’s Sandpiper
Baird’s Sparrow
Bullock’s Oriole
Hybrid Baltimore × Bullock’s Oriole
Clark’s Grebes
Sprague’s Pipit
Forster’s Tern
Brewer’s Sparrow
Nelson’s Sparrow
Swainson’s Hawk
Swainson’s Thrush
Clark’s Nutcracker
Ross’s Goose
Sabine’s Gull
LeConte’s Sparrow
Harris’s Sparrow
Henslow’s Sparrow
Townsend’s Solitaire
Wilson’s Warbler
Wilson’s Snipe
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Wilson’s Phalarope
Franklin’s Gulls
Pine Grosbeak
Bald Eagle
Pine Siskin
Piping Plover
Ovenbird
Blackheaded Grosbeak
Red Crossbill
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Long-eared Owl
Horned Grebes