Poultry or Avian Science Commons^™

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 …

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 …

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 …}

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

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 …

Feed Composition And Isolate Of Histomonas Meleagridis Alter Horizontal Transmission Of Histomonosis In Turkeys. Proof Of Concept, Thaina L. Barros, Christine N. Vuong, Juan D. Latorre, Roberto S. Cuesta, Elizabeth Mcgill, Samuel J. Rochell, Guillermo Tellez-Isaias, Billy Hargis

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Outbreaks of histomonosis in turkeys are typically initiated by the ingestion of contaminated embryonated eggs of Heterakis gallinarum, potentially present in earthworms and mechanical vectors. Once an outbreak is started, infected turkeys can transmit the disease by horizontal transmission. Factors influencing horizontal transmission of histomonosis are poorly understood. Replication of horizontal transmission in experimental conditions has not been consistent, presenting an obstacle in searching for alternatives to prevent or treat the disease. Two pilot experiments and three validation experiments were conducted in the present study. In pilot experiment 1, one isolate of Histomonas meleagridis (named Buford) was used. Turkeys …

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 …

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, …

The Effect Of Sprinkler Cooling On Water Conservation, House Environment, And Broiler Performance, Jonathan W. Moon

Theses and Dissertations

Maintaining performance and mitigating heat stress of the modern broiler is a challenging task during hot weather conditions. Increased demand of high quality reasonably priced animal protein and predictions of future limited water availability make sustainability and water conservation a worthwhile goal for the poultry industry. The most used form for cooling broilers after wind speed is evaporative cool cell (CC) systems. Though highly effective at cooling the incoming air, they substantially increase the relative humidity inside the house, which hinders the bird’s ability to cool itself through evaporative respiration. Cool cells also utilize mass amounts of water. The objective …

Effects Of Sunrise/Sunset Lighting On Corticosterone Levels In Coturnix Quail (Coturnix Coturnix), Hannah Feuerborn

Poultry Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Both genetics and environment play an important role in the growth, performance and overall welfare of poultry species. Current commercial production practices typically do not mimic the natural environmental conditions of ancestral poultry species, specifically lighting requirements. In nature, poultry species are subjected to natural day length and the slow rising and setting of the sun. This is compared to commercial conditions in which lights are sudden on/off, not mimicking the natural trajectory of the sun in terms of light intensity and exposure. The current study aimed to evaluate the impact of genetics and the effect of sunrise/sunset lighting on …

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 …

Broiler Efficiency As Affected By Dietary Protein Supply And Grain Source, Victoria Reid

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

This experiment was conducted to compare the effects of different diet compositions on performance and carcass yield of male broilers from 15 to 36 days of age. In total, 593 male birds were divided across a randomized design that consisted of 6 dietary treatments, each with 8 replications. The treatments included pelleted diets that varied in grain type and crude protein (CP) value: 3 sorghum-based diets at 20%, 18.75%, and 17.5% CP and 3 corn-sorghum blended diets at the same CP levels. CP amounts impacted only body weight gain and feed conversion rate while feed intake only differed with grain …

Clostridium Perfringens-Induced Necrotic Diseases: An Overview, Ying Fu, Tahrir Jatli Alenezi, Xiaolun Sun

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Clostridium perfringens, a prevalent Gram-positive bacterium, causes necrotic diseases associated with abundant life loss and economic burdens of billions of USD. The mechanism of C. perfringens-induced necrotic diseases remains largely unknown, in part, because of the lack of effective animal models and the presence of a large array of exotoxins and diverse disease manifestations from the skin and deep tissues to the gastrointestinal tract. In the light of the advancement of medical and veterinary research, a large body of knowledge is accumulating on the factors influencing C. perfringens-induced necrotic disease onset, development, and outcomes. Here, we present …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Investigating Molecular Mechanisms Behind Bacterial Chondronecrosis With Osteomyelitis (Bco) Pathogenesis In Modern Broilers, Alison Ramser

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis (BCO), a leading cause of lameness in broiler chickens, is characterized by infection, inflammation, and bone attrition. There are currently no effective treatments and positive diagnosis is only possible through necropsy evaluations. Lameness is also a rising animal welfare and economic concern, making prevention and detection of BCO all the more critical. These challenges are exacerbated by a lack of mechanistic understanding of BCO’s etiology. The question I asked during my dissertation was how bacteria induce bone attrition in BCO pathology. My research has shown that mitochondrial dysfunction is characteristic of BCO conditions along with autophagy …

Behavior And Immune Response Of Conventional And Slow-Growing Broilers To Salmonella Typhimurium, Ashlyn M. Snyder, Sean P. Riley, Cara I. Robison, Darrin M. Karcher, Carmen L. Wickware, Timothy A. Johnson, Shawna L. Weimer

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Fast growth rate in broiler chickens comes with welfare concerns and the contribution of growth rate to pathogen resistance and sickness behavior is relatively unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate physiological and behavioral responses of conventional (CONV) and slow-growing (SG) male broilers challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium. CONV (n = 156) and SG (n = 156) chicks were raised in a pen with wood litter shavings until day 7 of age, when birds were transferred to 24 isolators (n = 11 chicks/isolator). On day 14 of age, half of the birds (n = 12 …

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 …

Role Of Autophagy Machinery Dysregulation In Bacterial Chondronecrosis With Osteomyelitis, Alison Ramser, Elizabeth S. Greene, Adnan A.K. Alrubaye, Robert Wideman, Sami Dridi

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Autophagy is a cell survival and homeostasis mechanism involving lysosomal degradation of cellular components and foreign bodies. It plays a role in bone homeostasis, skeletal diseases, and bacterial infections as both a cell-survival or cell-death pathway. This study sought to determine if autophagy played a role in bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis (BCO). BCO is a prominent cause of lameness in modern broilers and results from bacterial infection of mechanically stressed leg bone growth plates. The protein and gene expression of key autophagy machinery was analyzed in both normal and BCO-affected broilers using real-time qPCR and immunoblot, respectively. Gene …

Experimental Cyclic Heat Stress On Intestinal Permeability, Bone Mineralization, Leukocyte Proportions And Meat Quality In Broiler Chickens, Alessandro Rocchi, Jared Ruff, Clay J. Maynard, Aaron J. Forga, Roberto Señas-Cuesta, Elizabeth S. Greene, Juan D. Latorre, Christine N. Vuong, Brittany D. Graham, Xochitl Hernandez-Velasco, Guillermo Tellez Jr., Victor Petrone-Garcia, Lauren Laverty, Billy Hargis, Gisela Erf, Casey M. Owens, Guillermo Tellez-Isaias

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The goal of this research was to assess cyclic heat stress on gut permeability, bone mineralization, and meat quality in chickens. Two separate trials were directed. 320 day-of-hatch Cobb 500 male chicks were randomly assigned to four thermoneutral (TN) and four cyclic heat stress (HS) chambers with two pens each, providing eight replicates per treatment in each trial (n = 20 chicks/replicate). Environmental conditions in the TN group were established to simulate commercial production settings. Heat stress chickens were exposed to cyclic HS at 35 °C for 12 h/day from days 7–42. Performance parameters, intestinal permeability, bone parameters, meat quality, …

Editorial: Fat Metabolism And Deposition In Poultry: Physiology, Genetics, Nutrition And Interdisciplinary Research, Volume I, Sami Dridi, Craig W. Maynard, Jie Wen, Elizabeth Gilbert

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Editorial on the Research Topic: Fat metabolism and deposition in Poultry: Physiology, Genetics, Nutrition and Interdisciplinary Research, Volume I

Impact Of Fluctuating Insect Availability Levels On Parental Care Behavior In Insectivorous Birds, Cole Bourque

Symposium of Student Scholars

Abstract Populations of aerially insectivorous birds are declining throughout North America. Urbanization may be indirectly contributing to this decline through its varying effects on populations of insects, an important food source in most insectivores' diet, especially those undergoing breeding efforts. How increasing urban sprawl and subsequent fluctuations in insect populations could impact various species at higher trophic levels is an important area of current study for future conservation endeavors. Certain habitats, with increased insect abundance, could facilitate higher provisioning rates and allow breeding parents to more effectively nourish their young. In addition, brooding and guarding behaviors in breeding birds may …

Nectar Source Preferences Of The Hummingbird: A Field Study From South Texas, Jasmine Benavidez

Honors Theses

With the rise of urbanization, comes a rise in urban-like activities—most notable is birdfeeding. Given the increasing popularity of bird-feeding, especially in hummingbird feeding, concern for implications, if any, has mounted. There is reason to believe that artificial feeders can impact the surrounding environment; that is, it is possible that feeders could attract pollinators away from flowering plants, which, in turn, could bring repercussions for pollination and all associated with it. However, literature, on the matter, is rather limited. To add to this, past studies provide two opposing arguments. This study aims to explore the nectar source preferences of hummingbirds …

Sex-Specific Effects Of Hatching Order On Nestling Baseline Corticosterone In A Wild Songbird, Madison A. Rittinger, Rachel M. Bowden, Logan A. Sauers, Ryan T. Paitz, Christine J. Poppe, Charles F. Thompson, Scott K. Sakaluk

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Variation in nestling growth and survival is often influenced by hatching order, with first-hatched offspring having an advantage over later-hatched younger siblings. In house wrens (Troglodytes aedon), this effect of hatching order is especially evident in asynchronously hatched broods and can lead to sex-specific differences in the size and condition of nestlings. Females appear to allocate the sex of their offspring across the laying order to capitalize on these differences. We hypothesized that levels of circulating corticosterone, the primary metabolic hormone in birds, mediates these sex-specific effects in nestlings. We predicted that: i) baseline levels of corticosterone in nestlings should …

Ileal Microbial Composition In Genetically Distinct Chicken Lines Reared Under Normal Or High Ambient Temperatures, Nima K. Emami, Lori L. Schreier, Elizabeth Greene, Travis Tabler, Sara K. Orlowski, Nicholas B. Anthony, Monika Proszkowiec‑Weglarz, Sami Dridi

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Heat stress (HS) has negative effects on poultry productivity, health and welfare resulting in economic losses. Broiler chickens are particularly susceptible to HS due to their high metabolic rate and rapid growth. The com‑ mensal intestinal bacterial populations have an important physiological role in the host and could ameliorate the negative effect of HS on the host. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare changes in the ileal (IL) microbiota in four different broiler lines during HS.

Results: Day‑old broiler chicks from Giant Jungle Fowl (JF), Athens Canadian Random Bred (ACRB), 1995 Random Bred (L1995), and Modern …

Quantitative Morphometric, Physiological, And Metabolic Characteristics Of Chickens And Mallards For Physiologically Based Kinetic Model Development, Colin G. Scanes, Johannes Witt, Stephan Schaller, Vanessa Baier, Audrey J. Bone, Thomas G. Preuss, David Heckmann

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Physiologically based kinetic (PBK) models are a promising tool for xenobiotic environmental risk assessment that could reduce animal testing by predicting in vivo exposure. PBK models for birds could further our understanding of species-specific sensitivities to xenobiotics, but would require species-specific parameterization. To this end, we summarize multiple major morphometric and physiological characteristics in chickens, particularly laying hens (Gallus gallus) and mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) in a meta-analysis of published data. Where such data did not exist, data are substituted from domesticated ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) and, in their absence, from chickens. The distribution of water …

Focused Review: The Role Of Drug Combinations For The Control Of Coccidiosis In Commercially Reared Chickens, H. David Chapman, Thilakar Rathinam

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

A survey of drug combinations employed by the poultry industry indicates that they have played an important role in the control of coccidiosis in chickens. The mode of action of their component drugs is described. Advantages that accrue from their use may include a reduction in potential toxicity, a broadening of their spectrum of activity against different species of Eimeria, activity against different stages of the life cycle, and improved efficacy due to synergism between component drugs. Integration of management procedures involving rotation of drug combinations with vaccination is desirable because this has been shown to result in a restoration …