Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Ultrasonographic Evaluation Of Cricoarytenoideus Lateralis Muscle In Standardbred Horse, Fulvio Laus, Emanuele Paggi, Matteo Cerquetella, Beniamino Tesei

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The cricoarytenoideus lateralis muscle (CALM) is an adductor of the arytenoid cartilages but is not directly involved in the pathogenesis of recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) as the abductor cricoarytenoideus dorsalis muscle (CADM) is. Nevertheless, the CALM is the first muscle to experience a neurogenic atrophy in the course of RLN and this feature explains its potential importance in RLN diagnosis. On 30 gelding and 30 female Standardbred horses weighing about 500 kg and aged between 3 and 9 years, an ultrasound examination of the larynx was performed in order to assess shape, size, and echogenicity of the CALMs. The mean …

Establishment And Biological Research Of The Jining Grey Goat Fibroblast Line, Chunyu Bai, Dianjun Wang, Xiaohua Su, Minghai Zhang, Weijun Guan, Yuehui Ma

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Using Jining Grey goat ear marginal tissues as experimental materials, we succeeded in establishing a fibroblast cell bank, including 32 samples, by means of a primary explant and cryopreservation technique. The results from the biological analysis suggested that the population doubling time of the cell line was approximately 48 h. The diploid accounted for 98.35%, the isozyme analysis of the lactic dehydrogenase and malic dehydrogenase disproved cross contamination, and the results of the bacterium, fungi, virus, and mycoplasma detection tests were all negative. The transfection rates of 3 fluorescent protein genes were high, which supported the opinion that exogenous genes …

Effect Of Cold Storage Period On The Quality Of Ram Cauda Epididymal Spermatozoa Recovered Postmortem, Suhail Salam Mir, Farooz Ahmad Lone, Mohammad Zaffarullah Khan, Asloob Ahmad Malik, Rafiqul Islam, Khursheed Ahmad Sofi

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Postmortem spermatozoa recovery is an important tool for harvesting germplasm from genetically meritorious animals and endangered species. The principal motive of this study was to find out whether ram spermatozoa within epididymides kept at 4 °C for 48 h retain their quality in terms of progressive motility, viability, and acrosomal status. Twenty-four testicles with attached epididymides were collected with 8 samples each processed at 0, 24, and 48 h of storage. A good number of motile spermatozoa could be recovered from epididymides by incision method with up to 48 h of storage, although their quality declined significantly (P < 0.05) as postmortem storage time increased (motility: 83.33 ± 1.05%, 63.33 ± 2.47%, and 44.17 ± 1.53%; and epididymal sperm output (millions): 3500.00 ± 73.97, 1220.00 ± 1.01, and 666.67 ± 19.78 for 0 (control), 24, and 48 h, respectively). Viability and intact acrosomes (%) were also acceptable, although they decreased significantly with up to 24 h of storage. In conclusion, ram epididymides could be stored at 4 °C for 48 h when epididymal spermatozoa cannot be immediately harvested and cryopreserved.

Craniometric Analysis Of Early Medieval Horses Equus Przewalskii F. Caballus (Linnaeus, 1758) From Chosen Areas In Poland, Edyta Pasicka, Aleksander Chrószcz, Maciej Janeczek, Anna Mucha

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

These studies were carried out on 14 adult (9 males and 5 females) Equus przewalskii f. caballus (Linnaeus, 1758) horses, using both the skulls and mandibles. All of the material originated from 3 Polish archaeological sites that date back to the Early Medieval period. The most extensive craniometrical investigations consisted of 40 skull measurements and 16 mandible measurements. In some cases, the conditions of the artifacts narrowed the number of accessible osteometric points. The aim of this study was an estimation of the craniometric measurement differences and an examination of their statistical importance according to animal sex, age, and origin. …

Effects Of Dietary Inclusion Of Clinoptilolite In Colostrum And Milk On Certain Haematological Parameters Of Calves, Konstantinos Pourliotis, Maria Karatzia, Efterpi Christaki, Panagiotis Katsoulos, Harilaos Karatzias`

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The administration of a natural zeolite, clinoptilolite, in newborn calves via colostrum and milk has been proven to be beneficial in enhancing the intestinal absorption of immunoglobulins and in reducing the incidence and the severity of diarrhoea syndrome. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a 2-month-long supplementation at 2 levels (1 g/kg body weight (BW) and 2 g/kg BW) of clinoptilolite in the colostrum and milk of dairy calves had any effect on their haematological parameters. A total of 84 clinically healthy Holstein calves were assigned to 1 of 3 groups immediately after calving. Group A (n …

The Effects Of Prestorage Leukoreduction And Storage Duration On The In Vitro Quality Of Canine Packed Red Blood Cells, Eli̇f Ergül Eki̇z, Murat Arslan, İbrahi̇m Akyazi, Evren Eraslan Uygur, Güldal İnal Gülteki̇n, Mukaddes Özcan

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The effects of prestorage leukoreduction and storage duration on the in vitro quality parameters of canine packed red blood cells (pRBCs) stored in saline-adenine-glucose-mannitol (SAGM) were investigated. Hematological, biochemical, and morphological changes in filtered and unfiltered pRBCs were determined each week during 42 days of storage. All of the parameters changed significantly during storage. The effects of leukoreduction on leukocyte and erythrocyte count, packed cell volume, hemoglobin content, and erythrocyte morphology were significant. While supernatant K increased during storage, glucose, Cl, and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) concentrations decreased. Filtered pRBCs had higher 2,3-DPG levels throughout storage than their unfiltered counterparts. It was …

Comparison Of Different Lactation Curve Models In Sahiwal Cows, Vilas Dongre, Ravindar Singh Gandhi, Avtar Singh

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The present investigation was carried out on 12,859 fortnightly test-day milk yield records of first lactation pertaining to 643 Sahiwal cows spread over a period of 49 years (1961-2009), maintained at the National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India. The comparison of 3 lactation curve models, i.e. the quadratic model, gamma-type function, and mixed log function, was done using fortnightly test-day milk yield records. The mixed log function was the best fit, with the highest (88.75%) coefficient of determination (R2 value) and the lowest (0.08 kg) root mean square error (RMSE) value, whereas the lowest (56.93%) R2 value was observed in …

Ingestion Of Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue Seed Induces Peripheral Vasoconstriction But Does Not Affect Cyclicity In Non-Pregnant Mares, And A Population Of Biogenic Amine Receptors Relative To Vasoconstriction Is Identified, Daniel Andrew Hestad

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Three experiments were conducted to explore the effect of fescue toxicosis on vasoconstriction and various parameters of the estrous cycle. In the experiment of Chapter 3, a 2x2 crossover experimental design with repeated measures was implemented to test whether the ingestion of endophyte-infected tall fescue seed would alter blood hormone concentrations of prolactin, progesterone, and estradiol, interovulatory intervals, and corpus luteum blood flow. Also, Doppler ultrasonography was used to assess whether palmar artery and palmar vein lumen diameter, area, circumference, and resistivity index could be altered by the ingestion of endophyte-infected tall fescue seed. Ingestion of endophyte-infected tall fescue seed …

The Transmission Dynamics Of Equine Herpesvirus Type 1 (Ehv-1) Infection In Outbreaks Characterized Predominately By Neurologic Or Respiratory Illness, Barry Jay Meade

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Formalized epidemiological field investigations were conducted to compare and contrast the transmission dynamics of EHV-1 neurological disease among horses stabled at Churchill Downs Racetrack, Louisville, Kentucky and of EHV-1 respiratory illness among horses stabled in the student barn at Murray State University. Differences were assessed by means of statistical and mathematical modeling techniques applied to survey and biological data collected over the course of the respective disease events.

Regression methods applied to survey data enabled the construction of a statistical model to predict a date of onset of illness for horses within each equine cohort. Comparisons of the epidemic curves …

Breeding Induced Endometritis In The Mare: The Local Innate Immune Response, Elizabeth Moran Woodward

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Uterine inflammation after breeding is considered necessary for the clearance of excess semen and debris from the uterus. A subpopulation of mares fails to clear the inflammation in a timely fashion, and develops a persistent breeding induced endometritis (PBIE). Experiments were preformed to evaluate correlations of PBIE to endometrial quality and age. Mares of advanced age and poor endometrial quality had a higher incidence of PBIE. In addition, mares fluctuated in susceptibility to PBIE from one season to the next. The uterine inflammatory gene expression in susceptible and resistant mares within the first 24 hours after breeding was investigated. The …

Development Of Molecular Diagnostic Assays For Equine Respiratory Viruses And Analysis Of The Role Of Equine Arteritis Virus Envelope Proteins In The Early Events Of Virus Entry, Zhengchun Lu

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

There is an urgent need for detection of viral respiratory pathogens to identify the causal agent(s) involved and to prevent the spread of related diseases. The first part of this dissertation focuses on development, optimization and validation of Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) assays for the detection of several common equine viral pathogens: equine arteritis virus (EAV), equine influenza virus and equine rhinitis viruses A and B. Emphasis of the second part of this dissertation is on studying the role of EAV envelope proteins in virus attachment and entry. Using an infectious cDNA clone of EAV and reverse …

Role Of Intraocular Leptospira Infections In The Pathogenesis Of Equine Recurrent Uveitis In The Southern United States, Florence Polle

LSU Master's Theses

To investigate the role of intraocular leptospiral infections in horses with Equine Recurrent Uveitis (ERU), ocular fluid samples were collected from donated and client-owned horses with a history and ocular findings consistent with chronic ERU. Additionally, eyes were harvested from horses with normal ophthalmic examinations as a control group. Blood samples were obtained for Leptospira serology using microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Aqueous and vitreous humor samples were aseptically obtained and submitted for aerobic culture and Leptospira culture, PCR and MAT. Twenty-one control horses (40 eyes) and 31 ERU horses (46 eyes) were available for study. Serology results were available for …

The Effects Of Iodixanol Present During Equine Semen Cryopreservation, David Paul Beehan

LSU Master's Theses

The objectives of this study were to determine what effects iodixanol would have on total and progressive motility, plasma membrane integrity (viability), acrosome integrity and DNA structure when present during cryopreservation of equine spermatozoa,. We hypothesized that the addition of iodixanol would improve post-thaw values for measured parameters. Ejaculates from six stallions were collected, centrifuged at 900 x g for ten minutes to remove supernatant, and suspended to 200 x 106 cells/ml with 0%, 2.5% and 5% iodixanol in an egg-yolk based extender and cryopreserved. Before and after cryopreservation sperm motility was assessed by computer assisted semen analysis, and samples …

Evaluation Of Plasma Sprayed Hydroxyapatite Coated Ao Cortical Screws In Equine Third Metacarpal Bone, Myra Elizabeth Durham

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT Objectives - To compare the osteointegration of plasma sprayed hydroxyapatite (HA) coated and uncoated 5.5 mm cortical screws in equine third metacarpal (MC3) bones in combination with a 4.5mm broad dynamic compression plate (DCP). Study design - In vivo study. Animals – 6 Adult Thoroughbred horses. Methods – For each horse, four HA coated screws were placed unicortically through a 4.5mm broad DCP in the dorsal cortex of a randomly chosen MC3 bone, with 4 uncoated screws placed in an identical manner in the contralateral MC3 bone. All screws were tightened to a torque of 5.4 N-m. Extraction torques …

The Role Of Gylcoprotein K (Gk) In The Ocular And Neuropathogenesis Of Herpes Simplex Virus-Type 1 (Hsv-1), Andrew Timothy David

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a DNA virus that is a ubiquitous pathogen of humans. The hallmark of the HSV-lifecycle is infection of a mucosal surface with spread to sensory neurons where the virus establishes a latent infection with periodic recurrences for the life of the host. The most common course of symptomatic disease with HSV-1 is the typical mucocutaneous lesion that is self-limiting. HSV-1 can also cause acute encephalitis and ocular pathology on reactivation. Both of these manifestations of the disease have severe consequences. Although ocular infection is less frequent, the extensive prevalence of HSV makes it …

Immunization Of West Nile Recombinant Envelope Domain Iii With Equine Cd40 Ligand Protein Vaccine Induced Specific Immune Response In Rabbits And Horses, Shiliang Anthony Liu

LSU Master's Theses

West Nile virus (WNV) is one of several flaviruses known to infect mammalian species, including humans. There were 15,257 horse cases reported in 2002 and 1,086 in 2006 in United States. Recently, significant increases in equine and human cases have been reported in United States. Domain III of the WNV envelope protein binds to cellular receptors, and induces a significant portion of the neutralizing antibody response against the virus. CD40 Ligand (CD40L, CD154) enhances productive interactions between T cells and APC and has been shown to function as a potential adjuvant. In this study, we constructed and expressed a fusion …

Role Of Herpes Simplex Type I Glycoproteins In Entry And Cell-Cell Fusion, Sona Chowdhury

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Herpes simplex virus type I (HSV-1) is a neurotropic virus that infects primarily mucocutaneous epithelial cells and nervous tissue. Membrane fusion is an important aspect of the HSV-1 lifecycle, that occurs during viral entry (virus-cell fusion), viral spread (cell-to-cell fusion), as well as, during virion morphogenesis (assembly and egress). These membrane fusion steps involve complex interactions between multiple viral glycoproteins and cellular receptors. HSV-1 glycoprotein B (gB) is necessary but not sufficient for membrane fusion events. Despite the fact, that the majority of known hypermorphic mutations which cause extensive virus-induced cell fusion occur within glycoprotein K (gK); yet the role …

Development And Characterization Of A Murine Model Of Rickettsia Parkeri Rickettsiosis, Britton Grasperge

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Rickettsia parkeri, a member of the spotted fever group of Rickettsia, is the agent of an emerging rickettsiosis in the southeastern United States and South America. Despite increased recognition of human cases, limited information is available regarding infection of invertebrate and vertebrate hosts for this emerging tick-borne disease. Towards development of a viable transmission model and to further characterize the pathology associated with R. parkeri infection, inbred mouse strains (A/J, Balb/C, C3H/HeJ, and C3H/HeN) were intravenously and intradermally inoculated with R. parkeri. The C3H/HeJ strain of mice were identified as the most susceptible to R. parkeri infection and were found …

Essential Role Of Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 In Gram-Negative Bacterial Pneumonia, Gayathriy Balamayooran

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Acute gram-negative bacterial infections are a leading cause of mortality among the nosocomial infections. Increasing numbers of immunosuppressed individuals and growing numbers of antibiotic resistant strains make antibiotic treatment difficult. Neutrophils are the first cells recruited to the site of infection and are critical players in the host defense against gram-negative bacterial pneumonia. Therefore, identification of targets that boost neutrophil-associated host defense in the lung is essential in designing better therapies to control pulmonary infections. Production of chemokines is an important step for neutrophil recruitment. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) is a chemokine that is important for monocyte and T-lymphocyte influx. …

Koutango: Under Reported Arboviral Disease In West Africa, Jaime Matias De Araujo Lobo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) are among the most common agents of human febrile illnesses worldwide. As crucially important emerging pathogens, they have caused multiple, notable epidemics of human disease and unnoticed epizootics over recent decades. Despite the public health relevance, very little is known about the geographic distribution of the agents and vectors, relative impact, and risk factors associated to the arboviral infection in many regions of the world and in the tropics in particular. Presented in this dissertation is an experimental study that explores the serology screening of serum samples from 151 patients whom were diagnosed with undifferentiated febrile illness …

Isolation And Characterization Of Adult Progenitor Cells From Healthy And Laminitic Hoof Tissue, Vanessa Pinto

LSU Master's Theses

Laminitis is an often fatal condition in horses with few available and only moderately effective treatment options. Separation of laminar dermis and epidermis lead to rotation or ventral deviation of the third phalanx inside the hoof capsule. Despite being a modified skin, equine laminar tissue does not completely return to normal after laminitis. The hypothesis tested was that adult progenitor cells in the equine laminar tissue are irreversibly damaged by laminitis. A method to harvest and culture cells in vitro from the equine lamina was established; and progenitor cells from unaffected and laminitic hooves were characterized and compared. Laminar tissue …

Morphological Characterization Of The Immune Organs In Ostrich Chicks, Hui Song, Ke-Mei Peng, Sheng-He Li, Yan Wang, Lan Wei, Li Tang

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study describes the anatomical, light microscopic, and ultrastructural characterization of the immune organs in ostrich chicks. In this study 6 healthy 8-week-old ostrich chicks were processed for light and transmission electron microscopy. Hematoxylin and eosin as well as improved Weigert staining were used for light microscopy. The small thymus, which clustered caudally along both sides of the neck, contained Hassall's corpuscles in the medulla. The cloacal bursa, which formed the hanging and lateral walls of the cloaca, enveloped the cloaca but did not form a truly independent bursa. Inside the bursa convex papillae were densely distributed on the surface …

Full Length Cdna Synthesis Of Differentially Displayed Ests During Lactation In The Indian Buffalo (Bubalus Bubalis), Ajai Tripathi, Krishna M. Singh, Makrand N. Vaze, Umed V. Ramani, Dharamsi N. Rank, Chaitanya G. Joshi

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

In the present study, antisense primers were designed from 7 differentially displayed expressed sequence tags (ESTs) previously identified at our laboratory. Total RNA was isolated from the mammary gland tissue of lactating buffalo to carry out 5' rapid amplification cDNA ends (RACE) PCR. 5' RACE PCR amplicons, ranging from 161 bp to 336 bp, were cloned and sequenced. These 5' RACE sequences were analyzed using the blastn (Megablast) bioinformatics tool available from NCBI. Of these 7, only one 5' mRNA sequence did not show a match in the available database and another 1 failed to show a match with any …

A Retrospective Study Of Anaplasma In Minnesota Cattle, Aneela Durrani, Sagar Goyal

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

To determine the seroprevalence of Anaplasma in Minnesota cattle, the database of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL), University of Minnesota was searched over a 10 year period (2001 to July 2010). A total of 438,407 bovine serum samples were tested by complement fixation test (CFT) and competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent test (cELISA). The positive rate of seroprevalence by CFT was 2.4% out of 211,484 samples, with a 0.13% anticomplementary result. The VDL at the University of Minnesota started using cELISA after 2002, and CFT application was suspended as diagnostic test for anaplasmosis after 2005 due to its complexity. With cELISA, …

Effect Of Fermented Protein Feedstuffs On Pig Production Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, And Fecal Microbes, Juan Chang, Qingqiang Yin, Pengpeng Wang, Weimin Wang, Ruiyu Zuo, Qiuhong Zheng, Junxi Liu

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

In order to determine the availability of fermented protein feedstuffs (FPFS)-such as cottonseed, blood, and feather meals—with Aspergillus oryzae, 2 phases of feeding experiments were adopted for 7 weeks. Sixty 58-day-old crossbred pigs were assigned to 6 groups, 10 pigs per group. Group 1 was the control; groups 2, 3, and 4 were supplemented with 6%-7%, 12%-14%, and 18%-21% FPFS, respectively, by replacing the same percentage of soybean meal (SBM); group 5 was supplemented with 12%-14% unfermented protein feedstuffs (UFPFS) by replacing the same percentage of SBM; group 6 was on the same base as group 3 with digestive energy …

The Effect Of Bleeding On Peripheral Blood And Head Kidney Hematopoietic Tissue In Common Carp (Cyprinus Carpio), Elzbieta Kondera, Aneta Dmowska, Monika Rosa, Malgorzata Witeska

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Adverse environmental conditions (contamination of water with nitrite, pesticides, or other pollutants), nutritional deficiencies, bacterial and viral infections, and parasitic invasions may induce anemia in fish, in both natural and aquaculture conditions. Changes in hematological values and cellular composition of peripheral blood and head kidney hematopoietic tissue of bled common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) were evaluated over a 4 week period post-bleeding (30% blood loss). The results showed that fish very quickly compensated for anemia. Erythrocyte count (RBC), hemoglobin concentration (Hb), and hematocrit (Ht) gradually increased to values significantly higher than they were before bleeding; this was accompanied by an …

The Effect Of Different Extenders On The Motility And Morphology Of Ram Sperm Frozen Or Stored At 4 °C, Recai̇ Kulaksiz, Çi̇ğdem Çebi̇, Ergün Akçay

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects on sperm motility and abnormality in ram semen extended with skimmed milk (M), sodium citrate (SC), Tris (T), and Bioxcell® (B) after storage in liquid form at 4 °C and in frozen form. Ejaculates were collected from 3 Akkaraman rams by artificial vagina twice a week during the non-breeding season. After pooling, each pooled ejaculate was split into 4 equal aliquots and diluted with skimmed milk (M), sodium citrate (SC), Tris (T), and Bioxcell® (B) extenders. Sperm motility was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in M compared with B, SC, and T on the first and second days (48 h) of storage. With regard to the percentage of total abnormal spermatozoa, the results in M were different from (P < 0.05) from those of SC and T on the first day (24 h) of storage but no different from B. Differences among extenders were found to be significant post-thawing for spermatozoa motility and the percentage of total abnormal spermatozoa. The total abnormality of semen diluted with M was significantly lower than that observed in the other extenders. Consequently, it was found that skimmed milk was better than the other extenders in terms of the sperm parameters evaluated during liquid storage and post-thaw.

Reproductive Performance Of Primiparous And Multiparous Saanen Goats After Laparoscopic Intrauterine Insemination: A Field Study, Recai̇ Kulaksiz, Ali̇ Daşkin

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The objective of this study was to evaluate the reproductive performance of primiparous and multiparous Saanen goats after intrauterine laparoscopic artificial insemination with frozen semen. Twenty-four Saanen goats, divided in 2 groups: group 1 consisted of 11 primiparous goats and group 2 consisted of 13 multiparous goats. Estrus was synchronized by 20 mg fluorogestone acetate (FGA)-impregnated intravaginal sponges and the IM administration of 125 mg of cloprostenol (PGF2\alpha) and eCG (400 IU), 48 h before sponge removal. Intrauterine fixed time artificial insemination (AI) was carried out 55 h after removal of the FGA sponges. Results of the present study indicate …

A Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (Lamp) Assay For Rapid Detection Of Anaplasma Phagocytophilum Infection In Dogs, Chungchen Lee, Yungchang Lin, Chauloong Tsang, Yangtsung Chung

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

A simple and rapid diagnostic method of Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection was established, employing the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) reaction. With 1 set of 4 specific primers targeting the citrate synthase (gltA) gene of A. phagocytophilum, the LAMP assay rapidly amplified the target DNA sequence in a single tube in 1 h, requiring only a water bath for reaction. When visualized by gel electrophoresis, the LAMP products appeared as a ladder-like pattern, with many bands of different sizes from 180 base pairs up to the loading well. The results obtained from testing 32 clinical blood samples of dogs demonstrated that the …

Evaluation Of Elevated Bait Trays For Attracting Blackbirds (Icteridae) In Central North Dakota, George M. Linz, Jamison B. Winter, William J. Bleier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) became an economically important crop in North Dakota in the 1970s, providing a major source of food for post-breeding blackbirds (Icteridae). Reducing local blackbird populations with rice grains treated with an avicide is one proposed alternative for reducing sunflower damage. In fall 2007 and 2008, we evaluated the idea of attracting blackbirds to rice-baited trays attached to wire cages supplied with live blackbirds. During our observations (1011 h), we saw 3888 birds, consisting of 25 species and 12 families, on the bait trays. Blackbirds made up 90.4% of the bird observations, whereas sparrows (Emberizidae) made …