Poultry or Avian Science Commons^™

Effect Of Heat Stress On Jejunal Epithelial Barrier Integrity In Broilers Divergently Selected For High- And Low-Water Efficiency, Elizabeth S. Greene, Sara Orlowski, Sami Dridi

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Drought and water scarcity, exacerbated by global warming, are enormous threats to global food sustainability and security. Poultry, in particular, are highly impacted by adverse environmental stressors. As nutrient absorption and intestinal integrity are critical for growth and performance, understanding the impact on the broiler gastrointestinal tract is highly relevant. Here, we examined the effect of chronic cyclic heat stress (HS) on the jejunal expression profile of tight-junction, gap-junction, adherens, and desmosome genes in the 4th generation of broiler lines divergently selected for low (LWE)- and high-water efficiency (HWE). Male HWE and LWE broilers (n = 240/line) were allotted to …

Effects Of Perching Behavior In Broilers On Welfare And Production Benefits, Natalie G. Bunn

Honors Theses and Capstones

Broiler chickens are bred for feed efficiency, rapid growth rate, and muscle development. Conventional broiler farms utilize fast-growing breeds that reach market weight rapidly and present welfare concerns. Primarily raised indoors with little enrichment, the genetics and husbandry practices of broilers encourage inactivity and perpetuate health problems such as skeletal deformities, lameness, and pododermatitis. Despite the commonness of these issues, there is little research on the reduction of such health complications through production management. This study investigated methods to promote perching behavior and the effects of riser perch and platform perch utilization in broilers. A mixed flock of slow-growing Gray …

Effects Of Light Wavelength On Broiler Performance, Blood Cell Profiles, Stress Levels, And Tibiotarsi Morphology, Angela Perretti, Victor J. Oyeniran, Jaelen M. Cherry, Rosemarry H. Whittle, Zachary Grider, Alexander H. Nelson, Seong W. Kang, Gisela F. Erf, Shawna L. Wiemer

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Lighting influences broiler production, health, and behavior. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of three light wavelengths (White [350-780 nm], Blue [450 nm], and Green [560 nm]) on broiler production, activity, fear, stress, blood cell profiles, and tibiotarsi (tibia) morphology. Day-of-hatch male broiler chicks (N = 600) were housed in pens (N = 12) with one lighting treatment for 42 days. Body weight and feed consumption were recorded on day (D) 0, 14, 28, and 42, and the feed conversion ratio was calculated. The Tonic Immobility test was used to assess the latency (seconds) to right …

Genetic And Environmental Factors Contributing To The Pathogenesis Of Vertebral Osteomyelitis Caused By Enterococcus Cecorum In Broiler Chicken, Ummu Syauqah Al Musyahadah, Andi Asnayanti, Anh Dang Trieu Do, Adnan Alrubaye

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Enterococcus cecorum (EC) is the primary cause of Vertebral Osteomyelitis (VO) in poultry, characterized by a hock-sitting posture with legs extended forward. The disease begins with intestinal colonization, where pathogenic strains of E. cecorum establish themselves in the gut within the first week of a bird's lifecycle and translocate to the bloodstream later, reaching the organs, which finally infect the birds' Free Thoracic Vertebrae (FTV). Several factors contribute to the initiation and progression of the disease. Environmental factors such as heat stress, high blood sugar levels, prior infections, overcrowding, and rapid growth conditions weaken immunity and stimulate the emergence of …

Impact Of Lighting Wavelength On Broiler Behavior, Health, And Performance, Angela Perretti

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lighting influences broiler production, health, and behavior. Due to their advanced visual system, avian species perceive a wide spectrum of light. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of white (W, 350 to 780 nm) blue (B, 450 nm), and green (G, 560 nm) light on broiler production, processing performance, activity, fear, stress, blood cell profiles, tibiotarsi (tibia) morphology, and depth perception. Day-of-hatch by-product chicks from a Cobb 500 female line (N=600) were randomly assigned to 12 pens (N=4 treatment replicates). Body weight and feed consumption were recorded on day (D) 0, 14, 28, and 41, and …

Effect Of Dietary Tryptophan Supplementation And Heat Stress On Pasture Broiler Welfare And Performance, Jaelen Matthew Cherry

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pasture-raised broiler chickens face temperature extremes that can threaten welfare. In the study, we evaluated whether a 0.26 % tryptophan-supplemented diet (T) improved heat stress (HS) resilience in Ross-708 broilers raised on pasture. At D14, birds began the T or remained on the control diet (C) and were moved outdoors. On D20 and 41, half of each group underwent six-hour HS; the remainder stayed under thermoneutral (TN) conditions. Weekly body weight, feed intake on D20 and D41 were recorded, and fear was measured using the Tonic Immobility (TI) test. Neither diet nor HS affected body weight. However, tryptophan supplementation resulted …

Feasibility Of Applying Bacillus Amyloliquefaciens-Derived Solid State Fermentation Products Into The Hatch Cabinet Environment As A Method To Mitigate The Microbial Bloom During The Hatching Phase Authors, Mitchell C. Rowland, Lucas E. Graham, Callie Selby, Aaron J. Forga, Billy M. Hargis, Christine N. Voung, Graham Danielle

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Formaldehyde has been used to control microbial contamination in commercial hatch cabinets. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of spray application of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens solid state fermentation products on the microbial load in the hatch cabinet, pioneer colonization of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), and early performance compared to formaldehyde fumigation. An environmental challenge model was used to simulate the microbial bloom to compare the application of two B. amyloliquefaciens strains (MCR002, MCR009) to formaldehyde fumigation. Groups included 1) non-challenged control (NC), 2) challenged with pathogen mix (PM) containing Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus aureus …

The Effects Of Sirulina And Nannochloropsis Supplementation On Broiler Performance, Intestinal Morphology, And Gut Microbiology, Emily Beckerman

Master's Theses

The poultry industry is constantly searching for new nutritional strategies and better feed conversion ratio to enhance broiler growth and productivity. Microalgae have been shown to improve broiler performance and health depending on species and supplementation levels. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of Spirulina supplementation (Experiment I) and Nannochloropsis supplementation (Experiment II) on broiler production performance, intestinal morphology, and gut microbiology. In Experiment I, a total of 270 broiler chicks (one-day-old Ross 708) were obtained from a local hatchery after vaccinating against Newcastle, Marek’s disease, and Infectious Bronchitis. They were weighed and sorted into 18 …

Utilizing 16s Ribosomal Rna Sequencing To Identify Bacterial Species Colonizing Lame Birds With Bacterial Chondronecrosis With Osteomyelitis, Kara Hoover

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Broiler chicken lameness has become prevalent in recent years due to high growth rates in broilerchickens. Bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis (BCO), the main cause of lameness, is characterized by necrosis of femoral and tibial heads in affected birds. Heavier birds are more susceptible to mechanical stress in these regions, which results in microfractures, leading to lameness. BCO lameness poses huge financial pressure to the poultry industry, as 14-50% of flocks can become affected during outbreaks. The purpose of this experiment was to identify bacterial species present in birds with BCO lameness. A total of 1,560 chicks were randomly distributed into …

Effect Of Heat Stress On Ileal Epithelial Barrier Integrity In Broilers Divergently Selected For High- And Low-Water Efficiency, Elizabeth S. Greene, Brooklee Roach, Maria Fernandez Cuadrado, Sara Orlowski, Sami Dridi

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Water scarcity and rising global temperatures are two of the greatest current and future threats to poultry sustainability. Therefore, selection for water efficiency (WE) and heat resilience are of vital importance. Additionally, intestinal integrity is of critical importance under challenging conditions to maintain nutrient absorption and therefore, growth and performance of broilers. Here, we examined the effect of chronic cyclic heat stress (HS) on the ileal expression profile of tight-junction, gap-junction, adherens, and desmosome genes in the fourth generation of divergently selected low (LWE)- and high water efficient (HWE)-chicken lines. LWE birds exhibited higher levels of gut permeability, regardless of …

Mitochondrial Dysfunction Is A Hallmark Of Woody Breast Myopathy In Broiler Chickens, Elizabeth S. Greene, Paula R. Chen, Carrie Walk, Mike Bedford, Sami Dridi

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The woody breast (WB) myopathy poses significant economic and welfare concerns to the poultry industry, however, there is no effective strategy to mitigate this pathology due to its unknown etiology. After showing previously that hypoxia is a key factor in WB progression, we used here various techniques demonstrating dysregulated mitochondria (morphology, biogenesis, tethering, function, and bioenergetics) in WB-affected muscles and in hypoxic myoblasts compared to healthy tissues and normoxic cells, respectively. The increased levels of calcium (Ca2+) in both WB-affected tissues and hypoxic myoblasts suggested that mitochondrial Ca2+ overload is likely a leading cause for mitochondrial dysfunction that merits further …

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 …

Dietary Histidine: Broiler Responsiveness With And Without Endogenous Histidine Reserve Consideration, Kenneth Blake Nelson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the past, histidine warranted little concern from poultry nutritionists because it was seldom deficient in practical broiler diets. With most essential amino acids now commercially available as feed-grade forms to partially replace intact protein ingredients, histidine and its minimum in least-cost formulation are receiving fresh attention. Published histidine requirement data for broilers are sparce, and many of these studies have been conducted on males within the first three weeks post-hatch. Moreover, rudimentary dose-response experimental designs may not be applicable to estimate histidine requirements in later growth periods because histidine is uniquely stored within the body. In times of dietary …

Approaches For Mitigating Woody Breast In Commercial Broilers Through Nutritional And Management Strategies, Clay Maynard

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Breast myopathies have caused significant economic losses to the poultry industry over the last decade. The induction of woody breast (WB), white striping (WS), and spaghetti meat (SM) have caused textural issues, functional issues, and a decline in consumer acceptance. Of these three myopathies, WB causes the most pronounced effects on product quality and reduces functional use. Woody breast is also commonly associated with expansive breast meat growth/high performing broilers. However, progress in reducing these myopathies has been limited without hindering other aspects of poultry rearing. Generally, production performance reduces as myopathy occurrence or incidence reduces. This response is primarily …

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 …

Broiler Vitamin Nutrition Guidelines, Nelson E. Ward

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

In a time of record feed prices, nutritionists and production managers continue to look for opportunities to lower growout costs. Even though their contribution seldom exceeds 1-2% of feed costs, vitamins are not immune to this cost-crunching scrutiny. Furthermore, in late 2017, an unparalleled drop in global vitamin supply resulted in sharply increased prices, and in some cases, outright shortages. Such events have placed pressure on vitamin fortification levels in broiler feeds. Nutritionists decide on the fortification rates based on a variety of criteria – bird age, production phase, field experience, research trials, and so forth. The rapid change in …

Recent Findings On Phosphorus Digestibility Of Feed Ingredients In Broilers, Jay Hampton, Wenting Li, Franco Mussini, Katie Hilton, Janet Remus, Samuel J. Rochell

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Accurately meeting the dietary P needs of broilers is critical to ensure optimal bird performance, health, and welfare without causing undue environmental burdens associated with excess dietary P excretion. Phosphorus is commonly supplied in broiler diets from inorganic phosphates derived from non-renewable sources, but it has been estimated that peak P production will occur between 2030-2040 and that the global supply of P could be depleted within this century (Cordell and Drangert, 2009; Nest and Cordell, 2012). To address these concerns, inorganic P use in agriculture, including use in broiler diet formulation, requires careful stewardship. To this end, the dietary …

Reduction Of Protein Levels In Broiler Feed For Commercial Application – A German Case, Andreas Lemme, Kilian Fenske, Heiner Westendarp, Mathias Guhe, Elmar Rother

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

A project was initiated to apply dietary CP reduction under commercial conditions. The main objective was to demonstrate and validate that dietary CP can be reduced without compromising broiler performance in a production system which is already rather efficient. In addition, we wanted to demonstrate the potential of dietary CP reduction on reducing N-excretions especially in the context of German revised regulations and monitoring attempts. Finally, as previous research suggested, few further aspects such as impact of dietary CP reduction on litter quality and quantity, footpad health, change of ingredient inclusion levels and related impact on sustainability impact factors were …

Application Of Simulation Modelling In Broiler Integration: Is It A Necessary Nutritional Tool?, Peter Chrystal

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Modelling techniques have been used in many industries globally to illustrate to others an understanding of the way processes work. Also, engineers and scientists employ models to predict the consequences of various courses of action. Simple pictorial models, such as the diagram of the chicken digestive system, are useful in education and may be more suitable than a photograph for the purposes of explaining how the animal converts ingested feed into components that can be assimilated, leaving residue that is excreted. Complex, predictive models seek to quantify a specified outcome based on defined inputs. Many attempts have been made over …

Amino Acids Were Not All Created Equal, Peter H. Selle, Shemil P. Macelline, Peter V. Chrystal, Sonia Y. Liu

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

The contention that amino acids were not all created equal is based on the simple premise that intestinal uptakes of non-bound (synthetic, crystalline, feed-grade) amino acids are more rapid than their protein-bound counterparts. The post-enteral ramifications of this difference in bioequivalence are amplified in broiler chickens given their express growth rates and just one complication is the post-prandial oxidation of amino acids. The lack of bioequivalence between non-bound and protein-bound amino acids is a real obstacle to the development and adoption of reduced-crude protein diets that have the potential to promote sustainable chicken-meat production Thus, the purpose of this paper …

Recent Advancements On Calcium And Phosphorus Recommendations In Broilers, Justina Caldas, Marcelo Silva

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Calcium and phosphorus have been recognized essential nutrients in chickens since 1950’s (Lesson & Summers, 2001) playing important roles in bone development, among other functions. Calcium is assumed an inexpensive nutrient in animal least cost formulation while phosphorus is considered expensive and scant. The actual economic impact comes from the influence of calcium on phosphorus requirements, changes in phosphorus digestibility, buffer capacity, gut health, trace mineral absorption, fat digestibility, welfare traits, etc. Both minerals have important interactions to be considered during formulation. Few changes have been made over the past 20 years to calcium and phosphorus recommendations because these values …

A Dynamic Approach To Feed Formulation, Rob Gous

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

The objective of this paper is to demonstrate that the opportunity cost of using fixed tables of nutrient requirements when formulating feeds for broilers can be considerable, and that nutritionists should consider a more dynamic approach to defining the lower bounds of amino acids in particular, in line with the objective of the business, which is to maximise profit. In order to do this, it is necessary to consider the potential growth rate of the broiler, the cost of feed and amount of feed consumed, and the income generated from the sale of product.

Where Can We Go With Net Energy In Poultry?, Katie Hilton

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Metabolizable energy (ME) is the main system used globally in poultry industry for feed formulation and for evaluating feed ingredients and mixed feeds (de Boer and Bickel, 1988). ME is considered a reliable index of what is available to the bird for maintenance and production but is not a predictor of how efficiently the bird uses the available energy (MacLeod, 2000). The ME system developed by Hill and Anderson (1958) was reported to provide less variation in energy values for feed and ingredients than the Fraps PE system, but MacLeod (1994, 1997, 1999) suggest that the low variation …

Limestone Solubility: What Can You Do About It?, Wenting Li, Katie Hilton, Franco Mussini, Janet Remus

Proceedings of the Arkansas Nutrition Conference

Calcium (Ca) is essential for bone development mineralisation, as well as for eggshell formation, muscle and neural functions. Depending on the type of diets (veggie vs. non-veggie), species (turkey, chicken, duck), and age of animal (young vs. adult), limestone can contribute up to 95% total Ca in the final diet, with more Ca from limestone for younger animals with veggie diet. Despite the significant contribution of limestone to total diet Ca levels, the bioavailability variation of limestone Ca is rarely considered. Phosphorus (P) is a limited resource and is the third most costly ingredient in poultry …

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, …

Evaluation Of Selected Nuproxa Feed Additives For Protection Against Lameness And Improving The Wellbeing Of Broilers In A Lameness Challenge Model, Jaren Hernandez

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

A common concern in commercial industries profiting from broiler chickens is their inability to yield a completely healthy flock. Bacterial Chondronecrosis with Osteomyelitis poses a threat to these companies by impairing the birds' proximal and distal tibial and femoral heads. In 2000, roughly 17.3% of broiler chickens were affected by Bacterial Chondronecrosis with Osteomyelitis which caused a substantial economic loss in the industry (McNammee et al., 2000). BCO cannot be tied to a particular bacterial species; this experiment focuses on evaluating the efficacy of certain commercial feed additives while determining the bacterial species causing BCO in this set of the …

Snp-Based Breeding For Broiler Resistance To Ascites And Evaluation Of Correlated Production Traits, Katie Pepper Lee, Nicholas B. Anthony, Sara K. Orlowski, Douglas D. Rhoads

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background

The goal of this study was to evaluate marker-assisted selection (MAS) in broiler chickens using previously mapped gene regions associated with ascites syndrome incidence. The second-generation MAS products were assessed for impact on ascites phenotype and whether there were associated changes in important production traits. Previously, we used whole genome resequencing (WGR) to fine-map 28 chromosomal regions as associated with ascites phenotype in our experimental ascites broiler line (Relaxed, REL) based on a hypobaric chamber challenge. Genotypes for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in mapped regions on chromosomes 2 and 22, were used for MAS in our REL line. After …

The Effects Of Feed Additives And The Use Of A Novel Wood Boiler Heat Exchanger On Litter Quality, Broiler Performance, And Immune Status, Victoria Ayres

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of varying feed ingredients and heating systems on boiler performance metrics. Chapter Two investigated the effects of two corn-expressed phytases, differing in enzyme concentration within the grain (3,000 or 9,677 FTU/g), on broiler performance and tibia mineralization, when used as a component in pelleted feed. Dietary treatments included a positive control (PC), with industry-recommended levels of calcium and phosphorous, and a negative control (NC), lower in calcium and non-phytate phosphorous. Six diets containing corn-expressed phytase at high or low grain concentrations, formulated to 3,000, 6,000, or 9,000 FTU/kg, were …

Molecular, Somatic, And Performance Characteristics Of Broilers Exhibiting Woody Breast Myopathy, And The Effects Of Dietary And Challenge Intervention Strategies, Linan Jia

Theses and Dissertations

Woody breast (WB) is a meat quality problem that has caused significant economic losses for the poultry industry. Ross × Ross 708 chicks were randomly assigned to a 3 (diet) × 2 (cocci challenge) × 2 (sex) factorial arrangement of treatments. The three diets included the control diet (corn-soybean meal basal diet), antibiotic diet (basal diet + 6.075 mg bacitracin /kg feed), and probiotic diet (basal diet + 2.2 × 108 CFU Bacillus subtilis PB6 /kg feed). Birds in the cocci challenge treatment group received 20 × the live cocci vaccine as an inoculum on d 14. Growth performance and …

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 …