Poultry or Avian Science Commons^™

In Vitro Assessment Of The Antihistomonal Activity Of Methyl Jasmonate And Jasmonic Acid, Mckayla B. Williams

Poultry Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Histomonas meleagridis is a protozoan parasite and the causative agent of histomonosis in gallinaceous birds. There are currently no approved prevention or treatment options available for histomonosis control in the United States. Mortality in affected turkey flocks can exceed 80% which highlights the urgent need for research investigating novel strategies to mitigate histomonosis in the field. The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vitro antihistomonal and antibacterial effects of of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and jasmonic acid (JA), two plant-derived compounds, in a xenic culture of H. meleagridis. Assays were conducted using cultured H. meleagridis (PHL strain) treated …

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 …

Analysis Of The Scleroderma / Systemic Sclerosis Etiopathology Using The University Of California At Davis (Ucd)-Ssc Chicken Line, Angeline E. Rodriguez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Scleroderma/Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is a multifaceted autoimmune disorder affecting approximately 300,000 people in the United States. Main features include vasculitis, immune dysfunction (innate and adaptive), autoantibody production, perivascular leukocyte infiltration, and extensive tissue fibrosis. The University of California, Davis (UCD) SSc chicken line was shown to exhibit all clinical and biological manifestations of human SSc. One early and distinctive clinical sign in both humans and UCD-SSc chickens is Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP), characterized by decreased blood flow in extremities and skin lesions. RP-like lesions develop in combs of UCD-SSc chickens within one- to two-weeks post-hatch, progressing from erythema and edema to …

Effect Of Marination And Storage Time On The Properties And Meat Quality Of Broiler Breast, Mayra Mabel Herrera Rivera

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract The poultry industry has implemented numerous methods, as marination and aging, to improve meat quality and satisfy consumer demands. Three experiments were developed to assess the effects of vacuum tumble marination and aging on the proteins of chicken breast. These experiments utilized 0.75 % sodium chloride, 0.45 % phosphate, and water in a marinade. In experiment one, 270 fillets were allocated into six treatment groups, each comprising 45 fillets. Six days of storage time were used, marinating and storing the fillets in each group at a temperature of 4°C. Following each day of storage period, the fillets underwent a …

Hepatic Lipid Metabolism Of High And Low Water-Efficient Broiler Lines Under Heat Stress, Maria Fernandez Cuadrado

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Heat stress (HS) is one of the most critical environmental challenges negatively impacting global poultry production, significantly compromising broiler performance, welfare, and economic viability. Specifically, heat stress profoundly disrupts physiological and metabolic processes, including hepatic lipid metabolism. Two broiler lines were divergently selected for high (HWE) or low (LWE) water efficiency. Heat-stressed HWE birds showed reduced fat content compared to their LWE counterparts, and HS reduced abdominal fat content in both lines. The purpose of this study was to determine the difference in underlying molecular mechanisms involved in this divergent fat content between the lines. Day-old chicks were placed in …

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 …

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 …

Evaluation Of The Incremental Effect Of Fasting Length On Ph, Select Cecal Microbial Groups, Cecal Volatile Fatty Acid Concentrations, And Secretory Iga Excretion In Roosters, B.W. Parsons, M.R. Bedford, C.L. Wyatt

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of incremental fasting time on the gastrointestinal tract in chickens. Adult White Leghorn roosters with intact ceca were provided a nutrient-adequate corn-soybean meal diet ad libitum for 3 weeks. Prior to initiation of the experimental phase, ad libitum feed intake was recorded for 8 h and immediately after the fasting period commenced. In Experiment 1, roosters were fasted for either 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 16, or 24 h. At each time point birds were euthanized and pH in the crop, gizzard, and ceca were recorded and cecal contents were collected to …

Assessing The Impact Of Spraying An E. Faecium Probiotic At Hatch And Supplementing Feed With A Triple-Strain Bacillus-Based Additive On Bco Lameness Incidence In Broiler Chickens, Khawla Alharbi, Anh Dang Trieu Do, Abdulaziz Alqahtani, Ruvindu Perera, Alexa Thomas, Antoine Meuter, Adnan Ali Khalaf

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis (BCO) is a major cause of lameness in broiler chickens. This condition arises when bacteria from the gastrointestinal or aerosol tract migrate to infect bone microfractures, often exacerbated by rapid growth, reduced blood flow, and mechanical stress. As concerns about antibiotic resistance grow, probiotics have gained attention for their potential to improve gut health and reduce systemic bacterial load. This study evaluated the efficacy of a probiotic program comprising an Enterococcus faecium-based spray (2 x 10(9) CFU/bird at hatch) and a triple-strain Bacillus-based feed additive (B. subtilis 597, B. subtilis 600, and B. amyloliquefaciens 516 at …

Judgment Bias, Fear, And Stress Responses Of Red Junglefowl And Athens Canadian Random Bred Chickens, Victor J. Oyeniran, Rosemary H. Whittle, Sara K. Orlowski, Shawna L. Weimer

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Understanding how poultry perceive and interpret their environment is essential to enhancing their welfare. Animal welfare science relies on measures of the behavioral and physiological components of affective states (positive and negative) as welfare indicators. There has been growing interest in using the judgment bias test (JBT) to study birds' affective states by assessing their responses to ambiguous cues. The objective of this study was to investigate the affective state of two chicken breeds with different evolutionary histories: the Red Junglefowl (RJF), the primary ancestor of modern chickens, and the Athens Canadian Random Bred (ACRB), a rustic domesticated breed, using …

Effects Of Spirulina And Nannochloropsis Supplementations On The Meat Quality And Sensory Properties Of Broiler Carcasses, Shreyash S. Patel

Master's Theses

Microalgae are a promising feed ingredient due to their high content of proteins, lipids, polysaccharides, vitamins, pigments, and enzymes. This study evaluated the effects of algae as a dietary supplementation on the appearance, quality, and sensory attributes of broiler carcasses. In each of experiment I and II, a total of 54 Ross-708 broilers were randomly obtained from the pool of 270 broilers in the 18 floor pens of soybean-mealbased diets at 0, 2.5%, and 5% Spirulina (Experiment I) and Nannochloropsis (Experiment II) supplements in the Poultry Unit at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA). Broiler carcasses …

An Unusual Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus Buccinator) In Nebraska: Albinism Or Leucism?, Jacob C. Cooper, Peggy M. Huss, Eugene A. Huryn, Cody Mcgregor

Nebraska Bird Review

On 26 January 2025, we observed a large mixed flock of Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) and Tundra Swans (C. columbianus) at Hansen Reservoir ca. 7 miles (11 km) NNW of North Platte along the east side of Nebraska Highway 97. The flock of 158 swans consisted of 4 “Whistling” Tundra Swans (C. c. columbianus), 153 typical Trumpeter Swans, and one individual that we were not immediately able to identify. Our unknown swan was in the company of a family group of Trumpeter Swans but immediately stood out due to its broad yellow base of …

Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Tri-State Meeting With Iowa Ornithologists' Union And South Dakota Ornithologists' Union, South Sioux City, Nebraska, May 16-18, 2025

Nebraska Bird Review

The NOU Spring Meeting was held at the Salvation Army Western Plains Camp in South Sioux City, Nebraska, in conjunction with the IOU and SDOU, with approximately 180 attending. The organizers of the meeting included Chris Anderson and Mark Schmidtbauer from South Dakota, Tyler Harms and Kevin Murphy from Iowa, and Ruth Stearns, Joel Jorgenson, and Paul Pearson from Nebraska.

A scientific poster session featuring the work of 9 ornithological researchers from UN-Kearney, USD-Vermillion, and Hitchcock Nature Center was held Friday evening. Thanks to Dr. Jacob Cooper from UNK, Dr. David Swanson from USD, and the students who participated.

Field …

Nou Tri-State Meeting—South Sioux City [Spring 2025 Nou Meeting Species Tally]

Nebraska Bird Review

Bird species tally (185) for the Spring 2025 NOU Tri-State Meeting, South Sioux City (Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Tri-State Meeting with Iowa Ornithologists’ Union and South Dakota Ornithologists’ Union, South Sioux City, Nebraska, May 16–18, 2025)

Abstracts Of Posters Presented At South Sioux City Nou Meeting

Nebraska Bird Review

A scientific poster session featuring the work of 9 ornithological researchers from UN-Kearney, USD-Vermillion and Hitchcock Nature Center was held Friday evening. Thanks to Dr. Jacob Cooper from UNK, Dr. David Swanson from USD, and the students who participated.

Wandering from the River: On- and Off-River Abundance of Interior Least Terns along the 59-Mile Reach of the Missouri National Recreational River. Zoe Donelan, Hannah Slattery, Kyle Jorgensen, and David L. Swanson, University of South Dakota, Department of Biology.

Preliminary Results of Raptor Migration Monitoring at Hitchcock Nature Center. Kellie Hayden, Jerry Toll, and Sandy Reinken, Hitchcock Nature Center, Pottawattamie Conservation, …

Spring Field Report, March–May 2025, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

Perhaps the most important takeaway this spring is the continuing phenomenon of large numbers of species with early spring arrival dates. Although about half as many as 2024, there were 64 examples of either tied or new early arrival dates, most obviously of insectivores such as swifts, flycatchers, vireos, swallows, pipits, longspurs, and 10 warbler species. Among these, record or near-record early were Whip-poor-will, Black-necked Stilt, Marbled Godwit, Black Tern, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Purple Martin, Rock Wren, Gray Catbird in central, Spotted Towhee in north and west, and Hooded Warbler.

Following along logically perhaps with early arrival dates were a number …

The Nebraska Bird Review (June 2025) 93(2), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Spring Field Report, March–May 2025, by W. Ross Silcock

NOU Spring Field Days and Annual Meeting in South Sioux City, May 16–18, 2025

Abstracts of posters presented at Spring 2025 NOU Meeting

Spring 2025 NOU Meeting Species Tally

An Unusual Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) in Nebraska: Albinism or Leucism? by Jacob C. Cooper, Peggy M. Huss, Eugene A. Huryn, and Cody McGregor

Subscription and Organization Information

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 …

One Health Interventions And Challenges Under Rural African Smallholder Farmer Settings: A Scoping Review, Evanson R. Omuse, Honest Machekano, Bonoukpoè M. Sokame, Daniel M. Mutyambai, Thomas Dubois, Sevgan Subramanian, Frank Chidawanyika

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The global human population is rapidly increasing, escalating interactions of people, animals and the environment. This has led to more convoluted health challenges, for which African smallholder farmers bear the brunt. The One Health (OH) approach recognises the interconnectedness of these health challenges and thus follows a transdisciplinary approach involving diverse stakeholders to address them. Although there have recently been global concerted efforts and studies on OH, an information gap exists in Africa, particularly regarding smallholder farmers and their needs. Additionally, evaluation frameworks and outcome metrics for OH initiatives are still unclear. Thus, this study was conducted to critically map …

Genetic Factors Of Campylobacter Jejuni Required For Its Interactions With Free-Living Amoeba, Deepti Pranay Samarth, Asim Z. Abbasi, Young Min Kwon

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Acanthamoeba, a free-living amoeba ubiquitous in environmental water, has been considered as the environmental reservoir of certain bacterial pathogens, including Campylobacter jejuni, an intracellular human pathogen causing self-limiting gastroenteritis. Acanthamoeba-C. jejuni interaction mechanisms may help clarify how the otherwise fastidious bacterium C. jejuni survives in environmental waters. In this study, we constructed single deletion mutants of C. jejuni strain 81-176 for the 10 selected genes (motAB, ciaB, kpsE, virB11, cheY, flaAB, cstII, docB, sodB, and cadF) previously shown to be important for the interaction (invasion and intracellular survival) of C. jejuni with mammalian hosts. We used a modified gentamicin protection …