Individual Ranging Behaviour Patterns in Commercial Free-Range Layers as Observed through RFID Tracking

PubMed Central

Larsen, Hannah; Cronin, Greg M.; Gebhardt-Henrich, Sabine G.; Smith, Carolynn L.; Hemsworth, Paul H.; Rault, Jean-Loup

2017-01-01

Simple Summary Understanding of how free-range laying hens on commercial farms utilize the outdoor space provided is limited. In order to optimise use of the range, it is important to understand whether hens vary in their ranging behaviour, both between and within individual hens. In our study, we used individual tracking technology to assess how hens in two commercial free-range flocks used the range and whether they varied in their use of the range. We assessed use of three areas at increasing distance from the shed; the veranda [0–2.4 m], close range [2.4–11.4 m], and far range [>11.4 m]. Most hens accessed the range every day (68.6% in Flock A, and 82.2% in Flock B), and most hens that ranged accessed all three areas (73.7% in Flock A, and 84.5% in Flock B). Hens spent half of their time outside in the veranda adjacent to the shed. We found that some hens within the flocks would range consistently (similar duration and frequency) daily, whereas others would range inconsistently. Hens that were more consistent in their ranging behaviour spent more time on the range overall than those that were inconsistent. These different patterns of range use should be taken into account to assess the implications of ranging for laying hens. Abstract In this exploratory study, we tracked free-range laying hens on two commercial flocks with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology with the aim to examine individual hen variation in range use. Three distinct outdoor zones were identified at increasing distances from the shed; the veranda [0–2.4 m], close range [2.4–11.4 m], and far range [>11.4 m]. Hens’ movements between these areas were tracked using radio frequency identification technology. Most of the hens in both flocks (68.6% in Flock A, and 82.2% in Flock B) accessed the range every day during the study. Of the hens that accessed the range, most hens accessed all three zones (73.7% in Flock A, and 84.5% in Flock B). Hens spent half of their time outdoors in the veranda area. Within-individual consistency of range use (daily duration and frequency) varied considerably, and hens which were more consistent in their daily range use spent more time on the range overall (p < 0.001). Understanding variation within and between individuals in ranging behaviour may help elucidate the implications of ranging for laying hens. PMID:28282909

Expression of anti-Mullerian hormone in hens selected for different ovulation rates.

PubMed

Johnson, P A; Kent, T R; Urick, M E; Trevino, L S; Giles, J R

2009-05-01

In hens, the granulosa layer is the primary source of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), as it is in mammals. Small follicles express the greatest amount of Amh mRNA with less in the larger follicles. Laying hens have a distinct ovarian hierarchy of follicles while broiler breeder hens often have excessive follicle growth with a disrupted hierarchy. The objective of Experiment 1 was to examine Amh expression in two strains of hens differing in ovulatory efficiency. Amh expression was greater (P<0.01) in broiler breeder hens (n=6) as compared with laying hens (n=6). Experiment 2 was designed to examine whether alterations in follicular development due to diet, within the broiler breeder hens, were correlated with changes in the expression of Amh. Restricted feeding (RF) in broiler breeder hens promotes optimal follicular development. Egg production in broiler breeder hens on full feed (FF; n=8) was 78% that of hens on RF (n=9). The number of large follicles (P<0.05), total ovarian weight (P<0.01), and Amh mRNA expression were greater in FF hens as compared with RF hens (P<0.01). There was no difference in FSH receptor expression between the two groups. A direct nutritional effect was not supported because culture of granulosa cells with varying concentrations of glucose and insulin showed no effect on granulosa Amh expression. Finally, testis-conditioned medium resulted in a dose-related increase in granulosa cell proliferation, which could be inhibited by preincubation with AMH antibody. AMH may enhance granulosa cell proliferation through an autocrine or paracrine mechanism although excessive AMH may inhibit optimal follicle selection.

Beak condition and cage density determine abundance and spatial distribution of northern fowl mites, Ornithonyssus sylviarum, and chicken body lice, Menacanthus stramineus, on caged laying hens.

PubMed

Mullens, B A; Chen, B L; Owen, J P

2010-12-01

Adult White Leghorn hens (Hy-Line strain W-36) were inoculated with either northern fowl mites or chicken body lice, and the ectoparasite populations were monitored over periods of 9 to 16 wk. Two beak conditions (beak trimmed or beak intact) and 2 housing densities (1 or 2 hens per 25 × 31 cm suspended wire cage) were tested. Populations of both ectoparasites were at least 10 times lower on beak-intact hens compared with populations on beak-trimmed hens. Cage density did not influence mite numbers, but higher numbers of lice (2 to 3 times) developed on hens held at the higher cage density. Louse distribution on the body and louse population age structure were also influenced by host beak condition. Beak-intact hens had a higher proportion of lice under the wings, whereas beak-trimmed hens had the majority of lice on the lower abdomen. Louse populations on beak-trimmed hens also comprised relatively more immature stages than populations found on beak-intact hens. The effects are likely related to decreased grooming efficiency by beak-trimmed hens and, in the case of lice, the higher host density. The high mite and louse populations on most commercial caged laying hens are probably a direct result of beak trimming. However, selection of more docile breeds that can be held without trimming may allow the hens themselves to reduce ectoparasites below economically damaging levels. This could benefit producers, animal welfare advocates, and human health by reducing 1) costs of beak trimming, 2) pesticide treatment costs (including human and bird chemical exposure concerns), and 3) objections to beak trimming from the animal welfare community.

Intracellular lipid dysregulation interferes with leukocyte function in the ovaries of meat-type hens under unrestricted feed intake.

PubMed

Liu, Zu-Chen; Su, Chia-Ming; Xie, Yi-Lun; Chang, Chai-Ju; Chen, Jiang-Young; Wu, Shu-Wei; Chen, Yu-Hui; Walzem, Rosemary L; Huang, San-Yuan; Chen, Shuen-Ei

2016-04-01

Meat-type Red-feather country hens fed ad libitum (AD-hens) exhibit obesity-associated morbidities and a number of ovarian irregularities. Leukocyte participations in ovarian activities are unstudied in AD-hens. In contrast to feed-restricted hens (R-hens), ovulatory process of the F1 follicle appeared delayed in AD-hens in association with reduced F1 follicle progesterone content, gelatinase A (MMP-2) and collagenase-3 (MMP-13) activities coincident with elevated IL-1β and no production (P<0.05), and increased leukocyte infiltration of inflamed necrotic follicle walls. Extracts of AD-hen F1 follicle walls induced greater leukocyte migration than extracts from F1 follicle wall extracts of R-hens (P<0.05). Co-cultures of granulosa cells with increasing numbers of leukocytes from either AD-hens or R-hens exhibited dose dependent reductions in progesterone production and increases in cell death. AD-hen leukocytes were less proapoptotic than their R counterparts (P<0.05). Granulosa MMP-13 and MMP-2 activities were also suppressed in the co-cultures with heterophils or monocytes in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). AD heterophils and R monocytes had a greater inhibitory effect on MMP activities in the co-cultures than their respective counterparts (P<0.05). Both basal and LPS-induced IL-1β secretion and MMP-22 or MMP-2 activities in freshly isolated AD-hen leukocytes were reduced (P<0.05). Exposure of AD or R leukocytes to 0.5mM palmitate impaired IL-1β secretion and MMP-22 or MMP-2 activity. Inhibition of ceramide synthesis with FB1 and ROS production with n-MPG scavenging rescued MMP activity and IL-1β production in palmitate treated heterophils, but exacerbated monocyte suppression. These latter findings suggest that intracellular lipid dysregulation in leukocytes contributes to ovarian dysfunction in AD-hens. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of Furnished Cage Type on Behavior and Welfare of Laying Hens

PubMed Central

Li, Xiang; Chen, Donghua; Li, Jianhong; Bao, Jun

2016-01-01

This study was conducted to compare the effects of layout of furniture (a perch, nest, and sandbox) in cages on behavior and welfare of hens. Two hundred and sixteen Hyline Brown laying hens were divided into five groups (treatments) with four replicates per group: small furnished cages (SFC), medium furnished cages type I (MFC-I), medium furnished cages type II (MFC-II), and medium furnished cages type III (MFC-III) and conventional cages (CC). The experiment started at 18 week of age and finished at 52 week of age. Hens’ behaviors were filmed during the following periods: 8:00 to 10:00; 13:00 to 14:00; 16:00 to 17:00 on three separate days and two hens from each cage were measured for welfare parameters at 50 wk of age. The results showed that feeding and laying of all hens showed no effect by cage type (p>0.05), and the hens in the furnished cages had significantly lower standing and higher walking than CC hens (p<0.05). The birds in MFC-III had significant higher preening, scratching and feather-pecking behavior than in the other cages (p<0.05). No difference in nesting behavior was found in the hens between the furnished cages (p>0.05). The hens in MFC-I, −II, and −III showed a significant higher socializing behavior than SFC and CC (p<0.05). The lowest perching was for the hens in SFC and the highest perching found for the hens in MFC-III. Overall, the hens in CC showed poorer welfare conditions than the furnished cages, in which the feather condition score, gait score and tonic immobility duration of the hens in CC was significantly higher than SFC, MFC-I, MFC-II, and MFC-III (p<0.05). In conclusion, the furnished cage design affected both behavior and welfare states of hens. Overall, MFC-III cage design was better than SFC, MFC-I, and MFC-II cage designs. PMID:26954171

Egg production and egg quality in free-range laying hens housed at different outdoor stocking densities.

PubMed

Campbell, D L M; Lee, C; Hinch, G N; Roberts, J R

2017-09-01

Free-range laying hen systems are increasing in number within Australia. Variation in outdoor stocking densities has led to development of a national information standard on free-range egg labeling, including setting a maximum density of 10,000 hens per hectare. However, there are few data on the impacts of differing outdoor densities on production and egg quality. ISA Brown hens in small (150 hens) flocks were housed in identical indoor pens, each with access (from 21 weeks) to different sized ranges simulating one of three outdoor stocking densities (2 replicates each: 2,000 hens/hectare (ha), 10,000 hens/ha, 20,000 hens/ha). Hen-day production was tracked from 21 through 35 weeks with eggs visually graded daily for external deformities. All eggs laid on one day were weighed each week. Eggs were collected from each pen at 25, 30, and 36 weeks and analyzed for egg quality. There were no effects of outdoor stocking density on average hen-day percentage production (P = 0.67), egg weight (P = 0.09), percentages of deformed eggs (P = 0.30), shell reflectivity (P = 0.74), shell breaking strength (P = 0.07), shell deformation (P = 0.83), or shell thickness (P = 0.24). Eggs from hens in the highest density had the highest percentage shell weight (P = 0.004) and eggs from the lowest density had the highest yolk color score (P < 0.001). The amount of cuticle present did not differ between densities (P = 0.95) but some aspects of shell colors (P ≤ 0.01) and location of protoporphyrin IX (P = 0.046) varied. Hen age affected the majority of measurements. Stocking density differences may be related to hen diet as previous radio-frequency identification tracking of individual hens in these flocks showed birds used the range for longer in the lowest density and the least in the highest density, including depleting the range of vegetation sooner in the smaller ranges. An additional study assessing the relationship between individual hen range use, nutrition, and egg quality is warranted. © 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Evaluation of Salmonella enteritidis in molting hens after administration of an experimental chlorate product (for nine days) in the drinking water and feeding an alfalfa molt diet.

PubMed

McReynolds, J; Kubena, L; Byrd, J; Anderson, R; Ricke, S; Nisbet, D

2005-08-01

The method most commonly used to induce molting and stimulate multiple egg-laying cycles in laying hens for commercial egg production is to fast the hens. Unfortunately, increased risk of Salmonella enteritidis (SE) infection may result from the use of this method. Methods to stimulate multiple egg-laying cycles without increasing the risk of SE infection are needed. Hens over 50 wk of age were divided into 12 groups of 11 hens each and placed in individual laying cages. One week prior to dietary changes, hens were placed on an 8-h light and 16-h dark photoperiod that continued for the 9-d molt. All hens were challenged orally with 10(6) cfu of SE on the fourth day of the molt. Treatments were nonfed hens with distilled water (NFD), nonfed hens with the experimental chlorate product (ECP, which provided 15 mM chlorate ion) water (NFECP), alfalfa diets with distilled water (ALD), and alfalfa diets with ECP water (ALECP). In the NFD hens, 67% (log10 2.74) of the crops and 94% (log10 5.62) of the ceca were colonized, whereas for the NFECP hens significant reductions to 22% (log10 1.05) of the crops and 61% (log10 2.44) of the ceca were observed. In the ALD hens, 61% (log10 2.52) of the crops and 94% (log10 4.06) of the ceca were colonized. In the ALECP hens, highly significant reductions to 11% (log10 1.26) of the crops and 39% (log10 1.12) of the ceca were observed. When compared with the NFD hens, significant reductions in SE invasion of the ovary, liver, and spleen occurred in all other treatments, except the ovary in the ALD hens. The low alfalfa intake is probably a factor in our lowered protection against SE when compared with previous results. For several parameters, these results suggest that ECP or the combination of ECP and alfalfa may be a useful tool to reduce the risk of SE during an induced molt.

Influence of genetic strain and access to litter on spatial distribution of 4 strains of laying hens in an aviary system1

PubMed Central

Ali, A. B. A.; Campbell, D. L. M.; Karcher, D. M.; Siegford, J. M.

2016-01-01

Many laying hen producers are transitioning from conventional cages to new housing systems including multi-tier aviaries. Aviary resources, such as litter areas, are intended to encourage hens’ expression of natural behaviors to improve their welfare. Little research has examined the influence of laying hen strain on distribution and behavior inside aviaries, yet differences could influence a strain's suitability for an aviary design. This research examined how laying hens of 4 strains (Hy-Line Brown [HB], Bovans Brown [BB], DeKalb White [DW], and Hy-Line W36) distributed themselves among 3 enclosed aviary tiers and 2 litter areas at peak lay (25 to 28 wk of age) and after gaining access to litter on the floor (26 wk). Observations of hens’ spatial distribution were conducted immediately before and after, and 3 wk after hens gained access to litter. More HB and BB hens were in upper tiers in morning compared to DW and W36 (all P ≤ 0.05). However, DW and W36 hens roosted in upper tiers in larger numbers than HB and BB during evening (all P ≤ 0.05). More DW and W36 hens were on litter compared to BB and HB, particularly when litter was first accessible (all P ≤ 0.05). The number of hens on litter increased over time for all strains (P ≤ 0.06). White hens on litter occupied open areas in higher numbers (P ≤ 0.05), while more brown hens occupied litter under the aviary after acclimation (P ≤ 0.05). In the dark period, W36 and DW hens were present in higher numbers in upper tiers than HB and BB, while HB and BB showed higher tier-to-tier movement than DW and W36 (P ≤ 0.05). In general, more white hens roosted higher at night and explored litter sooner, while more brown hens were near or in nests in the morning and moved at night. Distinct strain differences indicate that attention should be paid to the match between configuration of the aviary design and strain of laying hen. PMID:27444438

Effect of light-emitting diode vs. fluorescent lighting on laying hens in aviary hen houses: Part 1 - Operational characteristics of lights and production traits of hens.

PubMed

Long, H; Zhao, Y; Wang, T; Ning, Z; Xin, H

2016-01-01

Light-emitting diode (LED) lights are becoming more affordable for agricultural applications. Despite many lab-scale studies concerning impact of LED on poultry, little research has been documented under field production conditions, especially for laying hens. This 15-month field study was carried out to evaluate the effects of LED vs. fluorescent (FL) lights on laying hens (Dekalb white breed) using 4 (2 pairs) aviary hen houses each at a nominal capacity of 50,000 hens. The evaluation was done regarding operational characteristics of the lights and hen production traits. The results show that spatial distribution of the LED light was less uniform than that of the FL light. Light intensity of the LED light decreased by 27% after 3,360 h use but remained quite steady from 3,360 to 5,760 h use. Eleven out of 762 (1.44%) LED lamps (new at onset of the study) in the 2 houses failed during the 15-month experiment period. The neck area of the LED lamp was hottest, presumably the primary reason for the lamp failure as cracks were noticed in the neck region of all failed LED lamps. No differences were observed in egg weight, hen-day egg production, feed use, and mortality rate between LED and FL regimens. However, hens under the FL had higher eggs per hen housed and better feed conversion than those under the LED during 20 to 70 wk production (P < 0.05). Hens under the LED tended to have less feather uniformity and insulation than those under the FL (P < 0.05). Moreover, hens under the LED showed a larger median avoidance distance than those under the FL at 36 wk age (P < 0.05), indicating that hens under the LED were more alert; but no difference at 60 wk age. More comparative research to quantify behavioral and production responses of different breeds of hens to LED vs. FL lighting seems warranted. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Hypothalamic vasotocin and tyrosine hydroxylase levels following maternal care and selection for low mortality in laying hens

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Feather pecking and cannibalism are major concerns in poultry farming, both in terms of animal welfare and farm economics. Genetic selection and introduction of (aspects of) maternal care have been suggested as potential interventions to reduce feather pecking in laying hens. Altered brain development has been proposed to reflect welfare states in animals, and can provide more insight into the underlying processes involved in feather pecking. Both vasotocin (the avian homologue of vasopressin) and dopaminergic neural circuitry have roles in control of social behaviors as well as in the stress response, and may be linked to feather pecking. Thus, the hypothalamus of adult laying hens selected for low early mortality (LML), which show low feather pecking, was examined and compared with a control line of adult laying hens selected for production characteristics only (CL). The effect of foster hen rearing on the two genetic lines and their hypothalamic morphology was also investigated. Results We demonstrated an increase in the number of neurons positive for the rate-limiting enzyme in dopamine production, tyrosine hydroxylase, in the periventricular area of the hypothalamus in the LML hens compared to CL hens. Hen-reared chicks showed more vasotocin -positive neurons in the medial pre-optic area compared to the hens raised without a hen. No correlations were found between behavior in an open field at 5–6 weeks of age, and the histology of the same hens at adulthood. Conclusion The hypothalamic dopaminergic and vasotinergic systems are altered in hens following genetic selection or maternal care, indicating a potential role for these systems in feather pecking. PMID:25080935

Determination of space use by laying hens using kinematic analysis.

PubMed

Mench, Joy A; Blatchford, Richard A

2014-04-01

Two states in the United States now have legislation requiring that laying hens be provided with sufficient space to perform particular behaviors. To provide a framework for translating these performance standards into a space requirement, kinematic analysis was used to measure the amount of space needed for White Leghorn hens to stand, turn around 180°, lie down, and wing flap. Hyline W-36 hens (n = 9) were marked on the tops of their heads and the tips of both wings and 3 toes with black livestock marker. Each hen was then placed in a floor pen (91.4 × 91.4 cm) and filmed using 2 high-speed cameras. The resulting images were processed using a software program that generated 3-dimensional space use for each behavior. Because none of the hens lay down in the test pen, the 2-dimensional space required for lying was determined by superimposing a grid over videos of the hens lying down in their home cages. On average, hens required a mean area of 563 (± 8) cm(2) to stand, 1,316 (± 23) cm(2) to turn around, 318 (± 6) cm(2) to lie down, and 1,693 (± 136) cm(2) to wing flap. The mean heights used were 34.8 (± 1.3) cm for standing, 38.6 (± 2.3) cm for turning, and 49.5 (± 1.8) cm for wing flapping. However, space requirements for hens housed in multiple-hen groups in cage or noncage systems cannot be based simply on information about the space required for local movement by a single hen. It must also incorporate consideration of the tendency of hens in a flock to synchronize their behaviors. In addition, it must include not just local movement space but also the space that hens may need to use for longer-distance movements to access resources such as food, water, perches, and nest boxes.

Using different ratios of bitter vetch (Vicia ervilia) seed for moult induction and post-moult performance in commercial laying hens.

PubMed

Mohammadi, L; Sadeghi, Gh

2009-03-01

1. The applicability of different ratios of bitter vetch seed as a new method for moult induction in laying hens was studied. The effectiveness of bitter vetch seed on post-moult production and post-moult egg quality was also investigated. 2. A total of 120 Single Comb White Leghorn hens, 78 weeks of age, were used in this study. The hens were randomly assigned to 5 treatment groups of 24 birds each. The treatments were 30% bitter vetch seed (BV30) diet, 60% bitter vetch seed (BV60) diet, 90% bitter vetch seed (90BV) diet, feed withdrawal method (FW) and full-fed non-moulted control (CON). 3. Egg production ceased first in FW and BV90 treated hens and last in BV30 treated hens. As the percentage of bitter vetch seed increased in the moulting ration, feed intake decreased and body weight loss increased during the 10-d moult induction period. Time to first egg production was significantly greater in hens exposed to the FW and BV90 diets. 4. FW and BV90 treatment hens had significantly higher hen-d egg production than non-moulted control hens. Egg weight was significantly higher in BV30 and BV90 treatments. There were no differences in egg mass, feed intake and mortality among experimental treatments during the post-moult period. 5. No significant improvements were observed in exterior or interior egg quality in moulted hens, except for Haugh units, which were significantly higher in moulted hens when compared to the non-moulted control hens. 6. In conclusion, the present study showed ad libitum feeding of a layer ration with 90% of bitter vetch seed for 10 d proved to be effective for inducing moult, increasing post-moult egg production and improving some internal egg quality parameters.

Nutrient digestibility and mass balance in laying hens fed a commercial or acidifying diet.

PubMed

Wu-Haan, W; Powers, W J; Angel, C R; Hale, C E; Applegate, T J

2007-04-01

The objectives of the current study were to evaluate the effect of an acidifying diet (gypsum) combined with zeolite and slightly reduced crude protein (R) vs. a control diet (C) on nutrient retention in laying hens and compare 3 approaches to estimating nutrient excretion from hens: 1) mass balance calculation (feed nutrients - egg nutrient), 2) use of an indigestible marker with analyzed feed and excreta nutrient content, and 3) an environmental chamber that allowed for capturing all excreted and volatilized nutrients. Hens (n = 640) were allocated randomly to 8 environmental chambers for 3-wk periods. Excreta samples were collected at the end of each trial to estimate apparent retention of N, S, P, and Ca. No diet effects on apparent retention of N were observed (53.44%, P > 0.05). Apparent retention of S, P, and Ca decreased in hens fed R diet (18.7, - 11.4, and 22.6%, respectively) compared with hens fed the C diet (40.7, 0.3, and 28.6%, respectively; P < 0.05). Total N excretion from hens fed the C and R diet was not different (1.16 g/hen/d); however, mass of chamber N remaining in excreta following the 3-wk period was less from hens fed the C diet (1.27 kg) than from hens fed the R diet (1.43 kg). Gaseous emissions of NH(3) over the 3-wk period from hens fed the C diet (0.74 kg per chamber) were greater than emissions from hens fed the R diet (0.45 kg). The 3-wk S excretion mass (estimated using the calculation, indigestible marker, and environmental chamber methods, respectively) was greater from hens fed the R diet (1.85, 1.54, and 1.27 kg, respectively) compared with hens fed the C diet (0.24, 0.20, and 0.14 kg, respectively). The 3-wk P excretion was similar between diets (0.68 kg). Results demonstrate that feeding the acidified diet resulted in decreased N emissions, but because of the acidulant fed, greatly increased S excretion and emissions.

Effects of the main cereal and type of fat of the diet on productive performance and egg quality of brown-egg laying hens from 22 to 54 weeks of age.

PubMed

Pérez-Bonilla, A; Frikha, M; Mirzaie, S; García, J; Mateos, G G

2011-12-01

The influence of the main cereal and type of supplemental fat in the diet on productive performance and egg quality of the eggs was studied in 756 brown-egg laying hens from 22 to 54 wk of age. The experiment was conducted as a completely randomized design with 9 treatments arranged factorially, with 3 cereals (dented corn, soft wheat, and barley) and 3 types of fat (soy oil, acidulated vegetable soapstocks, and lard). Each treatment was replicated 4 times (21 hens/replicate). All diets were formulated to have similar nutrient content, except for linoleic acid, which ranged from 0.8 to 3.4% depending on the combination of cereal and fat source used. This approach allows for the estimation of the minimum level of linoleic acid in the diets that maximizes egg weight. Productive performance and egg-quality traits were recorded every 28 d, and the BW of the hens was measured individually at the beginning and at the end of the experiment. No significant interactions between main factors were detected for any of the variables studied. Egg production, egg weight, and egg mass were not affected by dietary treatment. Body weight gain was higher (P < 0.05) for hens fed corn or wheat than for hens fed barley, and also higher for hens fed lard than for hens fed soy oil or acidulated vegetable soapstocks. Egg quality was not influenced by dietary treatment, except for yolk color, which was greater (P < 0.001) for hens fed corn than for hens fed wheat or barley, and greater for hens fed lard than for hens fed soy oil or acidulated vegetable soapstocks. We concluded that brown-egg laying hens do not need more than 1.0% of linoleic acid in their diet (1.16 g/hen per d) to maximize egg production and egg size. The 3 cereals and the 3 fat sources tested can replace each other in the diet provided that the linoleic acid requirements to maximize egg size are met.

Maternal corticosterone reduces egg fertility and hatchability and increases the numbers of early dead embryos in eggs laid by quail hens selected for exaggerated adrenocortical stress responsiveness.

PubMed

Schmidt, J B; Satterlee, D G; Treese, S M

2009-07-01

Quail hens selected for exaggerated (HS, high stress) rather than reduced (LS, low stress) plasma corticosterone (B) response to brief restraint deposit more B into their egg yolks than do LS hens. Female progeny of HS hens implanted with B also show reduced egg production when compared with female offspring of LS- and HS-control and LS-B-implanted hens. Herein, LS and HS hens were implanted (s.c.) with empty (controls, CON) or B-filled silastic tubes to assess the interactive influences of maternal B-treatment with quail stress line on egg fertility (FERT), total egg hatchability (TOTHATCH) and fertile egg hatchability, and the percentages of embryonic mortality (early dead, ED; late dead) and pipped eggs. Mean FERT was dramatically reduced in eggs of HS compared with LS hens and B-implanted compared with CON-treated hens (P < 0.0001, both cases). Line x implant treatment FERT outcomes partitioned (P < 0.05) as follows: LS-B = LS-CON > HS-CON > HS-B. In addition, TOTHATCH was also affected by line (LS > HS; P < 0.0001) and implant treatment (CON > B-implant; P < 0.0002) and line x implant treatment TOTHATCH means differed (P < 0.05) as follows: LS-CON = LS-B = HS-CON > HS-B. Fertile egg hatchability was reduced (P < 0.05) in HS-B-treated hen eggs when compared with LS-B and HS-CON hen eggs and more (P < 0.05) ED embryos were found in eggs laid by HS-B-implanted hens than in any other treatment group. Late dead and pipped egg percentages were unaffected by any treatment. The findings are important to avian geneticists because they further emphasize the benefits that selection for reduced adrenocortical responsiveness has on hen reproductive performance. The maternal B findings also warn poultry and hatchery managers that unless hen stress during egg formation is avoided, negative consequences in FERT, TOTHATCH, and ED can result, particularly in hens genetically predisposed toward exaggerated adrenal stress responsiveness.

Laying hens in aviaries with different litter substrates: Behavior across the flock cycle and feather lipid content

PubMed Central

Campbell, D. L. M; Ali, A. B. A; Karcher, D. M; Siegford, J. M

2017-01-01

Abstract The tiered aviary for laying hens includes a floor litter area to promote foraging and dust bathing. Data are needed on hens’ use of different litter substrates and effectiveness of substrates in removing excess feather lipids to ensure a suitable litter area. Bovans White hens were housed in commercial-style aviaries with access to one of 3 litter substrates (wood shavings, straw, or plastic turf mats—AstroTurf®, n = 4 aviary pens per substrate, 144 cage-reared hens populated per pen). Litter areas were videoed across 2 d each at 4 ages: immediately following first aviary opening (25 wk), then at 28, 50, and 68 weeks. Observations of hens throughout the d included percentages of all hens in each pen on the litter area, foraging and transitioning between the tiered enclosure and litter area. Percentages of hens dust bathing were observed from 11:00 to 15:00. Breast and back feather samples from 7 birds per pen at 28, 50, and 68 wk were analyzed for lipid content. Overall, fewer hens simultaneously accessed the AstroTurf® (P < 0.0001), but flocks showed relatively balanced transitions between the tiered enclosure and the litter area throughout the d, regardless of substrate. On average, less than 5% of all hens were observed dust bathing (peaks up to 15% of hens) with no differences among litter substrates or ages (P ≥ 0.18). On average, less than 2% of hens were observed foraging (peaks up to 4% of hens) with fewer hens foraging on AstroTurf® (P < 0.0001). Feather lipid differences among litter substrates (P < 0.0001) were inconsistent across sampling periods, possibly due to different birds sampled across time. At all ages, lipid levels were higher on the back over breast feathers (P < 0.0001) for hens housed with AstroTurf®. AstroTurf® may be suitable for nest boxes, but straw and shavings are more ideal litter substrates. Further study should investigate alternative substrates or regular substrate addition to encourage more foraging and dust bathing. PMID:29050413

Incidence of prelay squatting behavior is not related to subsequent egg laying in turkey breeder hens.

PubMed

Siopes, T D

1995-06-01

Sexual receptivity of turkey hens as indicated by squatting (sexual crouch) was evaluated in three strains of breeder hens, Nicholas (N), Hybrid (H), and British United (B). The incidence of squatting was compared among strains through 84 d of photostimulation and related to egg production characteristics. Significant strain, time, and strain by time interaction effects occurred for the incidence of squatting. In all three strains, squatting started within the 1st wk of photostimulation, rapidly peaked (75.0, 65.6, and 43.0% for H, B, and N hens, respectively) at 14 d of photostimulation, then returned to lower, basal levels at or before attainment of 50% hen-day egg production. Squatting incidence was highly variable within and between strains but was generally lower in N hens than H and B hens, which showed similar squatting expression. The incidence of prelay squatting was not correlated to onset or rate of egg production. However, there was a negative correlation between squatting behavior and percentage floor eggs in H (P = .03) hens. It was concluded that squatting incidence varies within and between strains of hens and is not related to subsequent egg laying performance.

Individual Ranging Behaviour Patterns in Commercial Free-Range Layers as Observed through RFID Tracking.

PubMed

Larsen, Hannah; Cronin, Greg M; Gebhardt-Henrich, Sabine G; Smith, Carolynn L; Hemsworth, Paul H; Rault, Jean-Loup

2017-03-09

In this exploratory study, we tracked free-range laying hens on two commercial flocks with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology with the aim to examine individual hen variation in range use. Three distinct outdoor zones were identified at increasing distances from the shed; the veranda [0-2.4 m], close range [2.4-11.4 m], and far range [>11.4 m]. Hens' movements between these areas were tracked using radio frequency identification technology. Most of the hens in both flocks (68.6% in Flock A, and 82.2% in Flock B) accessed the range every day during the study. Of the hens that accessed the range, most hens accessed all three zones (73.7% in Flock A, and 84.5% in Flock B). Hens spent half of their time outdoors in the veranda area. Within-individual consistency of range use (daily duration and frequency) varied considerably, and hens which were more consistent in their daily range use spent more time on the range overall ( p < 0.001). Understanding variation within and between individuals in ranging behaviour may help elucidate the implications of ranging for laying hens.

Laying hens in aviaries with different litter substrates: Behavior across the flock cycle and feather lipid content.

PubMed

Campbell, D L M; Ali, A B A; Karcher, D M; Siegford, J M

2017-09-01

The tiered aviary for laying hens includes a floor litter area to promote foraging and dust bathing. Data are needed on hens' use of different litter substrates and effectiveness of substrates in removing excess feather lipids to ensure a suitable litter area. Bovans White hens were housed in commercial-style aviaries with access to one of 3 litter substrates (wood shavings, straw, or plastic turf mats-AstroTurf®, n = 4 aviary pens per substrate, 144 cage-reared hens populated per pen). Litter areas were videoed across 2 d each at 4 ages: immediately following first aviary opening (25 wk), then at 28, 50, and 68 weeks. Observations of hens throughout the d included percentages of all hens in each pen on the litter area, foraging and transitioning between the tiered enclosure and litter area. Percentages of hens dust bathing were observed from 11:00 to 15:00. Breast and back feather samples from 7 birds per pen at 28, 50, and 68 wk were analyzed for lipid content. Overall, fewer hens simultaneously accessed the AstroTurf® (P < 0.0001), but flocks showed relatively balanced transitions between the tiered enclosure and the litter area throughout the d, regardless of substrate. On average, less than 5% of all hens were observed dust bathing (peaks up to 15% of hens) with no differences among litter substrates or ages (P ≥ 0.18). On average, less than 2% of hens were observed foraging (peaks up to 4% of hens) with fewer hens foraging on AstroTurf® (P < 0.0001). Feather lipid differences among litter substrates (P < 0.0001) were inconsistent across sampling periods, possibly due to different birds sampled across time. At all ages, lipid levels were higher on the back over breast feathers (P < 0.0001) for hens housed with AstroTurf®. AstroTurf® may be suitable for nest boxes, but straw and shavings are more ideal litter substrates. Further study should investigate alternative substrates or regular substrate addition to encourage more foraging and dust bathing. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Poultry Science Association.

The dopaminergic system and aggression in laying hens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Aggression and pecking behavior in laying hens is a serious concern to the production and well-being of the hens. Current breeding programs attempt to reduce aggression in hens without altering production have had limited success. Improved understanding of the neural mediation of aggression, will be...

Use of guar by-products in high-production laying hen diets.

PubMed

Gutierrez, O; Zhang, C; Cartwright, A L; Carey, J B; Bailey, C A

2007-06-01

A 5x5 Latin square experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding low concentrations of guar germ or a combination of guar germ and hull (guar meal) in high-production laying hen diets. A total of 125 Lohmann laying hens (21 wk old) of similar BW were randomly assigned to 5 blocks. Each block was divided into 5 experimental units, consisting of 5 hens per unit. Hens were fed either a nonguar control diet, or 1 of 4 diets containing either 2.5 or 5% guar germ, or 2.5 or 5% guar meal over a 20-wk trial period (five 4-wk periods). No significant differences were observed when feeding either 2.5 or 5% guar germ or meal (P>0.05) on hen-day egg production or feed consumption. Significant differences in egg weight, total egg mass per hen, and feed conversion ratio were detected in hens fed 2.5% guar meal, whereas they remained unchanged for diets containing either level of guar germ or 5% guar meal. Feeding either level of guar germ or guar meal did not affect shell quality (shell thickness, egg breaking force, and specific gravity), Haugh units, or egg yolk color (L*, a*, b*). The results showed that both guar germ and guar meal can be fed to high-production laying hens at up to 5% without adverse effects on laying hen performance.

Environmental assessment of three egg production systems--Part II. Ammonia, greenhouse gas, and particulate matter emissions.

PubMed

Shepherd, T A; Zhao, Y; Li, H; Stinn, J P; Hayes, M D; Xin, H

2015-03-01

As an integral part of the Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply (CSES) Project, this study simultaneously monitored air emissions of 3 commercially operated egg production systems at the house level and associated manure storage over 2 single-cycle flocks (18 to 78 wk of age). The 3 housing systems were 1) a conventional cage house (CC) with a 200,000-hen capacity (6 hens in a cage at a stocking density of 516 cm2/hen), 2) an enriched colony house (EC) with a 50,000-hen capacity (60 hens per colony at a stocking density of 752 cm2/hen), and 3) an aviary house (AV) with a 50,000-hen capacity (at a stocking density of 1253 to 1257 cm2/hen). The 3 hen houses were located on the same farm and were populated with Lohmann white hens of the same age. Indoor environment and house-level gaseous (ammonia [NH3] and greenhouse gasses [GHG], including carbon dioxide [CO2], methane [CH4], and nitrous oxide [N2O]) and particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5) emissions were monitored continually. Gaseous emissions from the respective manure storage of each housing system were also monitored. Emission rates (ERs) are expressed as emission quantities per hen, per animal unit (AU, 500 kg live BW), and per kilogram of egg output. House-level NH3 ER (g/hen/d) of EC (0.054) was significantly lower than that of CC (0.082) or AV (0.112) (P<0.05). The house-level CO2 ER (g/hen/d) was lower for CC (68.3) than for EC and AV (74.4 and 74.0, respectively), and the CH4 ER (g/hen/d) was similar for all 3 houses (0.07 to 0.08). The house-level PM ER (mg/hen/d), essentially representing the farm-level PM ER, was significantly higher for AV (PM10 100.3 and PM2.5 8.8) than for CC (PM10 15.7 and PM2.5 0.9) or EC (PM10 15.6 and PM2.5 1.7) (P<0.05). The farm-level (house plus manure storage) NH3 ER (g/hen/d) was significantly lower for EC (0.16) than for CC (0.29) or AV (0.30) (P<0.05). As expected, the magnitudes of GHG emissions were rather small for all 3 production systems. Data from this study enable comparative assessment of conventional vs. alternative hen housing systems regarding air emissions and enhance the U.S. national air emissions inventory for farm animal operations. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Poultry Science Association.

Environmental assessment of three egg production systems — Part II. Ammonia, greenhouse gas, and particulate matter emissions

PubMed Central

Shepherd, T. A.; Zhao, Y.; Li, H.; Stinn, J. P.; Hayes, M. D.; Xin, H.

2015-01-01

As an integral part of the Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply (CSES) Project, this study simultaneously monitored air emissions of 3 commercially operated egg production systems at the house level and associated manure storage over 2 single-cycle flocks (18 to 78 wk of age). The 3 housing systems were 1) a conventional cage house (CC) with a 200,000-hen capacity (6 hens in a cage at a stocking density of 516 cm2/hen), 2) an enriched colony house (EC) with a 50,000-hen capacity (60 hens per colony at a stocking density of 752 cm2/hen), and 3) an aviary house (AV) with a 50,000-hen capacity (at a stocking density of 1253 to 1257 cm2/hen). The 3 hen houses were located on the same farm and were populated with Lohmann white hens of the same age. Indoor environment and house-level gaseous (ammonia [NH3] and greenhouse gasses [GHG], including carbon dioxide [CO2], methane [CH4], and nitrous oxide [N2O]) and particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5) emissions were monitored continually. Gaseous emissions from the respective manure storage of each housing system were also monitored. Emission rates (ERs) are expressed as emission quantities per hen, per animal unit (AU, 500 kg live BW), and per kilogram of egg output. House-level NH3 ER (g/hen/d) of EC (0.054) was significantly lower than that of CC (0.082) or AV (0.112) (P < 0.05). The house-level CO2 ER (g/hen/d) was lower for CC (68.3) than for EC and AV (74.4 and 74.0, respectively), and the CH4 ER (g/hen/d) was similar for all 3 houses (0.07 to 0.08). The house-level PM ER (mg/hen/d), essentially representing the farm-level PM ER, was significantly higher for AV (PM10 100.3 and PM2.5 8.8) than for CC (PM10 15.7 and PM2.5 0.9) or EC (PM10 15.6 and PM2.5 1.7) (P < 0.05). The farm-level (house plus manure storage) NH3 ER (g/hen/d) was significantly lower for EC (0.16) than for CC (0.29) or AV (0.30) (P < 0.05). As expected, the magnitudes of GHG emissions were rather small for all 3 production systems. Data from this study enable comparative assessment of conventional vs. alternative hen housing systems regarding air emissions and enhance the U.S. national air emissions inventory for farm animal operations. PMID:25737568

The effects of housing systems for laying hens on egg safety and quality

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Transitions in laying hen management and housing systems have constantly occurred throughout the history of commercial egg production. Around the world, there has been a rapid shift in hen housing requirements since the turn of the current century. In most cases, the changes in hen housing require...

Influence of commercial laying hen housing systems on the incidence and identification of Salmonella and Campylobacter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The housing of laying hens is important for social, industrial, and regulatory aspects. Many studies have compared hen housing systems on the research farm, but few have fully examined commercial housing systems and management strategies. The current study compared hens housed in commercial cage-f...

Mineral content of eggs differs with hens strain, age and rearing environment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Egg nutrient quality is strongly influenced by hen diet but is also affected by rearing environment, hen strain and hen age. The objective of the current study was to determine the effect of: 1) conventional battery cages 2) enrichable cage systems 3) enriched colony housing 4) cage free and 5) free...

Horizontal transmission of Salmonella and Campylobacter among caged and cage-free laying hens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In each of five trials, laying hens (56-72 wk-of-age) were challenged orally, intracolonally, and intravaginally with Salmonella and Campylobacter. One wk post inoculation, challenged hens (n=3) were commingled with non-challenged hens (n=12) in conventional wire cages, on all wire slats, or on all...

Individual variation in prelaying behaviour and the incidence of floor eggs.

PubMed

Cooper, J J; Appleby, M C

1996-05-01

1. Floor eggs are a problem in non-cage systems for laying hens, as they require secondary egg collecting. Failure to lay in a well-defined nest site may also be a welfare problem for the hens, but only if their nesting motivation has been thwarted. We investigated the relationships between a hen's prelaying behaviour and its tendency to lay on the floor by recording the behaviour of 20 hens housed individually in wire cages with single littered nest boxes. 3. Most floor eggs (80%) were laid by the same 6 hens. These 6 "floor-layers" performed more nest seeking behaviour, less nest-building behaviour and less sitting prior to oviposition than the 14 hens that consistently laid in nest boxes. 4. The incidence of floor eggs declined with age. Both nest and floor laying hens performed less nest seeking behaviour with age. Floor layers, however, increased their performance of nesting behaviour, whilst nest layers performed less nesting behaviour with age. 5. Floor laying hens behaved as if they found the nest box less attractive than nest-laying hens; perhaps because they had lower nesting motivation, or perhaps because their nesting motivation was as high, but they less readily perceived the nest box as an appropriate nest site.

Statistical model and first-principles simulation on concentration of HenV cluster and He bubble formation in α-Fe and W

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yue-Lin; Yu, Yang; Dai, Zhen-Hong

2015-01-01

Using first-principles calculations, we investigate the stabilities of He and Hen-vacancy (HenV) clusters in α-Fe and W. Vacancy formation energies are 2.08 eV in α-Fe and 3.11 eV in W, respectively. Single He in both α-Fe and W prefers to occupy the tetrahedral interstitial site. We recalculated the He solution energy considering the effect of zero-point energy (ZPE). The ZPEs of He in α-Fe and W at the tetrahedral (octahedral) interstitial site are 0.072 eV (0.031 eV) and 0.078 eV (0.034 eV), respectively. The trapping energies of single He at vacancy in α-Fe and W are -2.39 eV and -4.55 eV, respectively. By sequentially adding He into vacancy, a monovacancy trap up to 10 He atoms distributing in the vacancy vicinity. Based on the above results combined with statistical model, we evaluate the concentrations of all relevant HenV clusters as a function of He chemical potential. The critical HenV concentration is found to be ∼10-40 (atomic) at the critical temperature T = 600 K in α-Fe and T = 1600 K in W, respectively. Beyond the critical HenV concentrations, considerable HenV aggregate to form HenVm clusters. By further growing of HenVm, the HenVm clusters grow bigger resulting in the larger He bubble formation.

[Light and hens as attraction factors of Nyssomyia whitmani in a rural area, Southern Brazil].

PubMed

Teodoro, Ueslei; Lonardoni, Maria Valdrinez Campana; Silveira, Thaís Gomes Verzignassi; Dias, Alessandra de Cassia; Abbas, Milia; Alberton, Dayane; Santos, Demilson Rodrigues dos

2007-06-01

To verify the influence of traps with electric light and hens as factors that attract sandflies and compare results between capture methods. The study was conducted in the Palmital Farm, Southern Brazil. Sandfly collections were conducted with Falcão traps and an electric aspirator, fortnightly, between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. in the presence or absence of light and hens in peridomiciliary areas, from September 1998 to June 1999. A total of 43,767 specimens from eight species of sandflies were collected: Nyssomyia whitmani, N. neivai and Migonemyia migonei constituting 99.9% of the total collected, with predominance of N. whitmani. The number of this species collected inside the hen's shed in the presence of hens (21,045) was greater than in their absence (10,434). In the presence of hens, with distinct intensities of light, a larger number of N. whitmani samples were collected with 3W light. In the presence of hens and light (3W), the number of N. whitmani collected with the electric aspirator (5,141) was superior to that collected with the Falcão trap (1,675). In the absence of light, with or without the presence hens, there was no difference between the numbers of N. whitmani collected with the electric aspirator or the Falcão trap. Hens and electric light together attract more N. whitmani to peridomicilary areas. The number of N. whitmani collected with an electric aspirator inside a hen's shed with the presence of hens and light is greater than those collected with a Falcão trap in the same conditions.

Immunogenic and protective efficacy of recombinant protein GtxA-N against Gallibacterium anatis challenge in chickens.

PubMed

Pedersen, Ida J; Pors, Susanne E; Bager Skjerning, Ragnhild J; Nielsen, Søren S; Bojesen, Anders M

2015-10-01

Gallibacterium anatis is a major cause of reproductive tract infections in chickens. Here, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the recombinant protein GtxA-N at protecting hens, by addressing three objectives; (i) evaluating the antibody response following immunization (ii) scoring and comparing lesions, following challenge with G. anatis, in immunized and non-immunized hens and (iii) investigating if the anti-GtxA-N antibody titre in individual hens correlated with the observed lesions. Two consecutive experiments were performed in hens. In the first experiment hens were immunized with GtxA-N on day 0 and day 14, infected with G. anatis on day 28 and euthanized on day 56. The GtxA-N antibody response was assessed in pooled serum samples throughout the experiment, using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In the second experiment the GtxA-N antibody titres were assessed in individual hens before and after immunization. Subsequently, the hens were inoculated with G. anatis and finally all hens where euthanized and submitted for post mortem examination 48 h after inoculation. Immunization elicited strong antibody responses that lasted at least 8 weeks (P < .0001). The individual antibody titres observed in response to immunization varied considerably among hens (range: 174,100-281,500). Lesion scores following G. anatis infection were significantly lower in immunized hens compared to non-immunized hens (P = .004). Within the immunized group, no correlation was found between the individual antibody titres and the lesion scores. This study clearly demonstrated GtxA-N as a vaccine antigen able of inducing protective immunity against G. anatis.

Quantification of horizontal transmission of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis bacteria in pair-housed groups of laying hens.

PubMed

Thomas, M E; Klinkenberg, D; Ejeta, G; Van Knapen, F; Bergwerff, A A; Stegeman, J A; Bouma, A

2009-10-01

An important source of human salmonellosis is the consumption of table eggs contaminated with Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis. Optimization of the various surveillance programs currently implemented to reduce human exposure requires knowledge of the dynamics of S. Enteritidis infection within flocks. The aim of this study was to provide parameter estimates for a transmission model of S. Enteritidis in laying-type chicken flocks. An experiment was carried out with 60 pairs of laying hens. Per pair, one hen was inoculated with S. Enteritidis and the other was contact exposed. After inoculation, cloacal swab samples from all hens were collected over 18 days and tested for the presence of S. Enteritidis. On the basis of this test, it was determined if and when each contact-exposed hen became colonized. A transmission model including a latency period of 1 day and a slowly declining infectivity level was fitted. The mean initial transmission rate was estimated to be 0.47 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.30 to 0.72) per day. The reproduction number R(0), the average number of hens infected by one colonized hen in a susceptible population, was estimated to be 2.8 (95% CI, 1.9 to 4.2). The generation time, the average time between colonization of a "primary" hen and colonization of contact-exposed hens, was estimated to be 7.0 days (95% CI, 5.0 to 11.6 days). Simulations using these parameters showed that a flock of 20,000 hens would reach a maximum colonization level of 92% within 80 days after colonization of the first hen. These results can be used, for example, to evaluate the effectiveness of control and surveillance programs and to optimize these programs in a cost-benefit analysis.

Vaccine to fibroblast growth factor 23 peptides increases eggshell strength.

PubMed

Ren, Z Z; Piepenburg, A J; Bütz, D E; Claus, J R; Cook, M E

2018-03-01

Strategies that would increase eggshell quality could be of considerable value to egg producers. This research demonstrated the effective use of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) peptide vaccines to increase eggshell quality of Single Comb White Leghorn laying hens (from 69 to 72 wk of age). Hens, fed a standard diet (containing 900 IU/kg vitamin D3), were intramuscularly injected (and boosted) with either a control vaccine (n = 14 hens) or one of 2 FGF-23 peptide vaccines (peptides NP1, GMNPPPYS; and NP7, YTSTERNSFH; n = 15 hens for each peptide). During peak antibody titer, eggs were collected for shell and internal quality analysis, hens were artificially inseminated, and the hatchability of fertilized eggs was determined. Laying hens vaccinated with either FGF-23 peptide NP1 or NP7 had increased (P < 0.05) plasma phosphate level (mmol/L; NP1 = 1.74, NP7 = 1.76, control = 1.47), egg specific gravity (NP1 = 1.083, NP7 = 1.083, control = 1.079), and eggshell strength (g of force; NP1 = 4002, NP7 = 4157, control = 3102) when compared to control vaccinated hens. FGF-23 peptide NP1 vaccinated hens also had increased eggshell thickness (mm, P < 0.001), shell weight (g, P = 0.032), and shell index (% of whole egg, P = 0.023) when compared to control vaccinated hens. FGF-23 peptide NP7 vaccinated hens tended to have decreased eggshell weight (P = 0.064) when compared to control vaccinated hens. Hatchability of fertilized eggs was not affected in incubations 1 and 3, but tended to be decreased (P = 0.097) by FGF-23 peptide NP1 vaccination in incubation 2. In conclusion, vaccines to FGF-23 peptides increased eggshell quality of laying hens with minimal adverse effects on egg internal quality. The effect of FGF-23 peptide vaccination on hatchability remains to be clarified.

Individual Consistency of Feather Pecking Behavior in Laying Hens: Once a Feather Pecker Always a Feather Pecker?

PubMed Central

Daigle, Courtney L.; Rodenburg, T. Bas; Bolhuis, J. Elizabeth; Swanson, Janice C.; Siegford, Janice M.

2015-01-01

The pecking behavior [severe feather, gentle feather, and aggressive pecks (AP)] of individual White Shaver non-cage laying hens (n = 300) was examined at 21, 24, 27, 32, and 37 weeks. Hens were housed in 30 groups of 10 hens each and on 3 cm litter with access to a feeder, perch, and two nest boxes. The number of severe feather pecks given (SFPG) and received (SFPR) was used to categorize hens as feather peckers (P), victims (V), neutrals (N), or feather pecker-victims (PV) at each age. Hens categorized as PV exhibited pecking behaviors similar to P and received pecks similar to V. SFP given were correlated with APs given, but not with gentle feather pecks (GFP) given throughout the study. State-transition plot maps illustrated that 22.5% of P remained P, while 44% of PV remained PV throughout the duration of the study. Lifetime behavioral categories identified hens as a consistent feather pecker (5%), consistent neutral (3.9%), consistent victim (7.9%), consistent feather pecker-victim (29.4%), or inconsistent (53.8%) in their behavioral patterns throughout their life. Consistent feather peckers performed more SFP than hens of other categories, and consistent neutral hens received fewer GFP than consistent feather PV. No differences in corticosterone or whole blood serotonin levels were observed among the categories. Approximately, half of the population was classified as a feather pecker at least once during the study, while the remainder was never categorized as a feather pecker. Therefore, even if the development and cause of feather pecking may be multifactorial, once the behavior has been developed, some hens may persist in feather pecking. However, as some hens were observed to never receive or perform SFP, emphasis should be made to select for these hens in future breeding practices. PMID:26664935

Productive performance and blood profiles of laying hens fed Hermetia illucens larvae meal as total replacement of soybean meal from 24 to 45 weeks of age.

PubMed

Marono, S; Loponte, R; Lombardi, P; Vassalotti, G; Pero, M E; Russo, F; Gasco, L; Parisi, G; Piccolo, G; Nizza, S; Di Meo, C; Attia, Y A; Bovera, F

2017-06-01

The aim of the research was to study the effects of an insect meal from Hermetia illucens larvae (HILM) as complete replacement of soybean meal (SBM) on productive performance and blood profiles of laying hens, from 24 to 45 wk of age. A total of 108 24-week-old Lohmann Brown Classic laying hens was equally divided into 2 groups (54 hens/group, 9 replicates of 6 hens/group). From 24 to 45 wk of age, the groups were fed 2 different isoproteic and isoenergetic diets: the control group (SBM) was fed a corn-soybean meal based diet, while in the HILM group the soybean meal was completely replaced by Hermetia illucens larvae meal. Feed intake, number of eggs produced, and egg weight were recorded weekly along the trial. At 45 wk of age, blood samples were collected from 2 hens per replicate. The use of HIML led to a more favorable (P < 0.01) feed conversion ratio in hens but lay percentage, feed intake, average egg weight, and egg mass were higher (P < 0.01) in hens fed the SBM diet. Hens fed insect meal produced a higher percentage of eggs from small (S), medium (M), and extra-large (XL) classes (P < 0.01) than SBM, while the SBM group had a higher percentage of eggs from the large (L) class (P < 0.01). The levels of globulin and albumin to globulin ratio were, respectively, higher and lower (P < 0.05) in HILM than the SBM group. Cholesterol and triglycerides were higher (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively) in hens from SBM than in the HILM group. Blood levels of Ca were higher (P < 0.01) in hens fed insect meal, while creatinine was higher (P < 0.01) in blood of hens fed SBM. Hermetia illucens larvae meal can be a suitable alternative protein source for laying hens even if the complete replacement of soybean meal needs further investigation to avoid the negative effects on feed intake. © 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Evaluation of limit feeding varying levels of distillers dried grains with solubles in non-feed-withdrawal molt programs for laying hens.

PubMed

Mejia, L; Meyer, E T; Studer, D L; Utterback, P L; Utterback, C W; Parsons, C M; Koelkebeck, K W

2011-02-01

An experiment was conducted with 672 Hy-Line W-36 Single Comb White Leghorn hens (69 wk of age) to evaluate the effects of feeding varying levels of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) with corn, wheat middlings, and soybean hulls on long-term laying hen postmolt performance. The control molt treatment consisted of a 47% corn:47% soybean hulls (C:SH) diet fed ad libitum for 28 d. Hens fed the other 7 treatments were limit fed 65 g/hen per day for 16 d, and then fed 55 g/hen per day for 12 d. Hens on treatments 2 and 3 were fed 49% C:35% wheat middlings (WM) or SH:10% DDGS diets (C:WM:10DDGS, C:SH:10DDGS). Hens on treatments 4 and 5 were fed 49% C:25% WM or SH:20% DDGS diets (C:WM:20DDGS, C:SH:20DDGS). Those on treatments 6 and 7 were fed 47% C:47% DDGS (C:DDGS) or 47% WM:47% DDGS (WM:DDGS) diets. Those on treatment 8 were fed a 94% DDGS diet. At 28 d, all hens were fed a corn-soybean meal layer diet (16% CP) and production performance was measured for 36 wk. None of the hens fed the molt diets went completely out of production, and only the C:SH and C:SH:10DDGS molt diets decreased hen-day egg production to below 5% by wk 4 of the molt period. Postmolt egg production was lowest (P < 0.05) for the C:WM:20DDGS treatment. No differences (P > 0.05) in egg weights were detected among treatments throughout the postmolt period. In addition, no consistent differences were observed among treatments for egg mass throughout the postmolt period. Overall results of this study indicated that limit feeding diets containing DDGS at levels of 65 or 55 g/hen per day during the molt period did not cause hens to totally cease egg production.

The Effect of Cooled Perches on Immunological Parameters of Caged White Leghorn Hens during the Hot Summer Months

PubMed Central

Strong, Rebecca A.; Hester, Patricia Y.; Eicher, Susan D.; Hu, Jiaying; Cheng, Heng-Wei

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine if thermally cooled perches improve hen immunity during hot summer. White Leghorn pullets at 16 week of age were randomly assigned to 18 cages of 3 banks at 9 hens per cage. Each bank was assigned to 1 of the 3 treatments up to 32 week of age: 1) thermally cooled perches, 2) perches with ambient air, and 3) cages without perches. Hens were exposed to natural ambient temperatures from June through September 2013 in Indiana with a 4 h acute heat episode at 27.6 week of age. The packed cell volume, heterophil to lymphocyte (H/L) ratio, plasma concentrations of total IgG, and cytokines of interleukin-1β and interleukin-6, plus lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis factor-α factor were measured at both 27.6 and 32 week of age. The mRNA expressions of these cytokines, toll-like receptor-4, and inducible nitric oxide synthase were also examined in the spleen of 32 week-old hens. Except for H/L ratio, thermally cooled perches did not significantly improve currently measured immunological indicators. These results indicated that the ambient temperature of 2013 summer in Indiana (24°C, 17.1 to 33.1°C) was not high enough and the 4 h heat episode at 33.3°C (32 to 34.6°C) was insufficient in length to evoke severe heat stress in hens. However, cooled perch hens had a lower H/L ratio than both air perch hens and control hens at 27.6 week of age and it was still lower compared to control hens (P < 0.05, respectively) at 32 week of age. The lowered H/L ratio of cooled perch hens may suggest that they were able to cope with acute heat stress more effectively than control hens. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of thermally cooled perches on hen health under higher ambient temperatures. PMID:26495988

Depopulation of Caged Layer Hens with a Compressed Air Foam System

PubMed Central

Gurung, Shailesh; Hoffman, John; Stringfellow, Kendre; Abi-Ghanem, Daad; Zhao, Dan; Caldwell, David; Lee, Jason; Styles, Darrel; Berghman, Luc; Byrd, James; Farnell, Yuhua; Archer, Gregory

2018-01-01

Simple Summary Reportable diseases, such as avian influenza, spread rapidly among poultry, resulting in the death of a large number of birds. Once such a disease has been diagnosed at a farm, infected and susceptible birds are rapidly killed to prevent the spread of the disease. The methods to eliminate infected caged laying hens are limited. An experiment was conducted to study the effectiveness of foam made from compressed air, water, and soap to kill laying hens in cages. The study found that stress levels of the hens killed using compressed air foam in cages to be similar to the hens killed by carbon dioxide or the negative control. Hens exposed to carbon dioxide died earlier as compared to the foam methods. The authors conclude that application of compressed air foam in cages is an alternative to methods such as gas inhalation and ventilation shutdown to rapidly and humanely kill laying hens during epidemics. Abstract During the 2014–2015 US highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak, 50.4 million commercial layers and turkeys were affected, resulting in economic losses of $3.3 billion. Rapid depopulation of infected poultry is vital to contain and eradicate reportable diseases like HPAI. The hypothesis of the experiment was that a compressed air foam (CAF) system may be used as an alternative to carbon dioxide (CO2) inhalation for depopulating caged layer hens. The objective of this study was to evaluate corticosterone (CORT) and time to cessation of movement (COM) of hens subjected to CAF, CO2 inhalation, and negative control (NEG) treatments. In Experiment 1, two independent trials were conducted using young and spent hens. Experiment 1 consisted of five treatments: NEG, CO2 added to a chamber, a CO2 pre-charged chamber, CAF in cages, and CAF in a chamber. In Experiment 2, only spent hens were randomly assigned to three treatments: CAF in cages, CO2 added to a chamber, and aspirated foam. Serum CORT levels of young hens were not significantly different among the CAF in cages, CAF in a chamber, NEG control, and CO2 inhalation treatments. However, spent hens subjected to the CAF in a chamber had significantly higher CORT levels than birds in the rest of the treatments. Times to COM of spent hens subjected to CAF in cages and aspirated foam were significantly greater than of birds exposed to the CO2 in a chamber treatment. These data suggest that applying CAF in cages is a viable alternative for layer hen depopulation during a reportable disease outbreak. PMID:29324639

Temporal changes in distribution, prevalence and intensity of northern fowl mite (Ornithonyssus sylviarum) parasitism in commercial caged laying hens, with a comprehensive economic analysis of parasite impact.

PubMed

Mullens, Bradley A; Owen, Jeb P; Kuney, Douglas R; Szijj, Coralie E; Klingler, Kimberly A

2009-03-09

Establishment and spread of Ornithonyssus sylviarum were documented through time on sentinel hens (50 per house of 28,000-30,000 hens) in the first egg production cycle of three large commercial flocks (12 houses) of white leghorn hens. Mites were controlled using acaricide, and the impacts of treatment on mite populations and economic performance were documented. Mite prevalence and intensity increased rapidly and in tandem for 4-8 weeks after infestation. Intensity declined due to immune system involvement, but prevalence remained high, and this would affect mite sampling plan use and development. Early treatment was more effective at controlling mites; 85% of light infestations were eliminated by a pesticide spray (Ravap), versus 24% of heavy infestations. Hens infested later developed lower peak mite intensities, and those mite populations declined more quickly than on hens infested earlier in life. Raw spatial association by distance indices (SADIE), incorporating both the intensity and distribution of mites within a house, were high from week-to-week within a hen house. Once adjusted spatially to reflect variable hen cohorts becoming infested asynchronously, this analysis showed the association index tended to rebound at intervals of 5-6 weeks after the hen immune system first suppressed them. Large, consistent mite differences in one flock (high vs. low infestation levels) showed the economic damage of mite parasitism (assessed by flock indexing) was very high in the initial stages of mite expansion. Unmitigated infestations overall reduced egg production (2.1-4.0%), individual egg weights (0.5-2.2%), and feed conversion efficiency (5.7%), causing a profit reduction of $0.07-0.10 per hen for a 10-week period. Asynchronous infestation patterns among pesticide-treated hens may have contributed to a lack of apparent flock-level economic effects later in the production cycle. Individual egg weights differed with mite loads periodically, but could be either higher or lower, depending on circumstances and interactions with hen weight. Individual hen weight gains were depressed by high/moderate mite loads, but the heavier hens in a flock harbored more mites. This led to compensatory weight gains after mites declined. Tradeoffs between resource allocation to body growth or production versus immune system function appeared to be operating during the early and most damaging mite infestation period, when high egg production was beginning and the hens were gaining weight. The results were related to other studies of mite impact on domestic hens and to wild bird-ectoparasite studies. Much of the mite economic damage probably is due to engaging and maintaining the immune response.

Habitat selection of Merriam's turkey (Meleagris gallopavo Merriami) hens with poults in the Black Hills, South Dakota

Treesearch

Mark A. Rumble; Stanley H. Anderson

1993-01-01

We studied habitat selection patterns of Merriam's Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo merriami) hens with poults in a ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) ecosystem. Thirty-six radio-marked hens produced 19 broods, and we obtained 230 locations of hens with poults. We described vegetation of habitats using criteria from the Rocky...

Effects of organic selenium and zinc on the aging process of laying hens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of the study was to determine whether supplementing the diets of post-molted hens with organic selenium (Se) (Sel-Plex®) and/or organic Zinc (Zn) (Bio-Plex®) could improve laying hen performance. Prior to molting, 120-78 wk old laying hens were separated into four treatment groups of ...

The influence of different single dietary sources on moult induction in laying hens.

PubMed

Mansoori, Behzad; Modirsanei, Mehrdad; Farkhoy, Mohsen; Kiaei, Mohammad-Mehdi; Honarzad, Jila

2007-11-01

An investigation was carried out to assess the possibility of using single dietary sources as alternatives to feed deprivation for the induction of moult in commercial laying hens. The study involved six dietary groups of 29 laying hens: unmoulted, dried tomato pomace, alfalfa meal, rice bran, cumin seed meal and feed withdrawal. The birds received the above diets during the moulting period (11 days), and body weight loss and ovary weight regression were measured. Post-moult production parameters (number of eggs produced per hen per day, egg weight, shell weight, yolk colour and Haugh unit) were measured for 12 weeks. Results showed that all dietary sources were as effective as feed withdrawal in causing ovary weight regression in birds. Birds provided with tomato pomace or alfalfa showed lower weight losses than feed-deprived birds at the end of the moulting period. Hens moulted by tomato pomace or alfalfa exhibited post-moult levels of egg production over a 12 week period that were superior to those of hens moulted by feed withdrawal. Post-moult eggs laid by hens moulted by all dietary sources were of comparable quality to eggs from feed-deprived hens and superior to those from unmoulted hens. As fibrous feeds with low metabolisable energy and an appreciable amount of protein, dried tomato pomace and alfalfa meal may be fed to hens on an ad libitum basis for effective moult induction while reducing the stress of severe starvation and retaining comparable egg quality and production. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry.

Housing system and laying hen strain impacts on egg microbiology.

PubMed

Jones, D R; Anderson, K E

2013-08-01

Alternative hen housing is becoming more commonplace in the egg market. However, a complete understanding of the implications for alternative housing systems on egg safety has not been achieved. The current study examines the impact of housing Hy-Line Brown, Hy-Line Silver Brown, and Barred Plymouth Rock hens in conventional cage, cage-free, and free range egg production systems on shell microbiology. Eggs were collected at 4 sampling periods. Egg shell emulsion pools were formed and enumerated for total aerobic organisms, Enterobacteriaceae, and yeast and mold counts. Hy-Line Brown and Hy-Line Silver Brown hens produced eggs with significantly (P < 0.05 and 0.001, respectively) different levels of aerobic organisms dependent on housing system. Eggs from conventional cages had significantly different (P < 0.05) levels of aerobic contamination in relation to hen strain with Hy-Line Silver Brown having the greatest (4.57 log cfu/mL). Hy-Line Brown and Barred Plymouth Rock hens produced eggs with significantly different (P < 0.01) levels of Enterobacteriaceae among housing systems with conventional caged eggs having the lowest level of contamination for the hen strains. There were no differences within each strain among housing systems for yeast and mold contamination. The study shows that hen strain has an effect on egg microbial levels for various housing systems, and egg safety should be considered when making hen strain selections for each housing system.

Comparison of hen preference for nesting substrate material, and performance in a free range production system

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This project consisted of 200 Hy-Line Brown hens and was conducted utilizing the brood-grow-lay range huts at the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Piedmont Research Station. Fifty hens were placed in each pen/paddock providing 1338 cm2/hen of floor space in the hut an...

Laying hen performance and well-being over two flock cycles on different litter substrates in an aviary housing

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The momentum to move toward aviary housing has continued to increase in the past eight months. The pressure to find consistent bedding sources for meat birds may impact litter substrate for the laying hen industry as the number of cage-free hens increases in the next nine years. Molting laying hens ...

Behavioural repertoire of free-range laying hens indoors and outdoors, and in relation to distance from the shed.

PubMed

Thuy Diep, A; Larsen, H; Rault, J-L

2018-04-01

Access to an outdoor area is believed to allow free-range hens to express a greater behavioural repertoire. However, very little research has been done in this area. We hypothesised that the type and frequency of behaviours would differ between areas that vary in their characteristics and distance from the shed. This preliminary study investigated the behaviour of free-range laying hens in indoor and outdoor areas on one commercial free-range farm, through video recordings and scan sampling of focal hens, with the aim of determining their behavioural repertoire and time budget. While ranging, hens spent most of their time foraging. Indoors, hens preened and rested. Behaviour in the wintergarden showed similarities to both the indoor and outdoor areas, with preening, resting and foraging behaviours. Differences were not in the main behavioural repertoire, but rather in terms of time budget, with access to the range and wintergarden encouraging exploration. There was no difference in the types of behaviours that hens performed in the outdoor range compared with inside the shed, but access to a wintergarden and the outdoor range were favoured by the hens for foraging. © 2018 Australian Veterinary Association.

Dietary menhaden oil contributes to hepatic lipidosis in laying hens.

PubMed

Van Elswyk, M E; Hargis, B M; Williams, J D; Hargis, P S

1994-05-01

Clinical and epidemiological investigations have indicated that there may be substantial human cardiovascular benefits associated with increased consumption of n-3 fatty acids commonly found in fish oils. Recent studies have indicated that egg yolk n-3 fatty acid content is significantly increased when hens are fed diets enriched with selected fish oils such as menhaden oil (MO). In the present study, reproductively active females but not males exhibited increased hepatic lipidosis following 6 mo of feeding 3% MO. Hens fed 3% animal-vegetable oil (AV) did not exhibit hepatic lipid accumulation. Serum triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations were reduced (P < or = .05) in hens fed MO. Subsequently, yolk and total egg weights of hens fed MO were decreased as compared with those of hens fed AV. A significant interaction of dietary MO and exogenous 17 beta-estradiol was noted among chick liver and gallbladder weights. These data suggest that dietary MO and estradiol may interact in a manner that enhances the lipogenic activity of the liver, thereby inducing hepatic lipidosis in laying hens.

Opportunities for exercise during pullet rearing, Part II: Long-term effects on bone characteristics of adult laying hens at the end-of-lay.

PubMed

Casey-Trott, T M; Korver, D R; Guerin, M T; Sandilands, V; Torrey, S; Widowski, T M

2017-08-01

Osteoporosis in laying hens has been a production and welfare concern for several decades. The objective of this study was to determine whether differing opportunities for exercise during pullet rearing influences long-term bone quality characteristics in end-of-lay hens. A secondary objective was to assess whether differing opportunities for exercise in adult housing systems alters bone quality characteristics in end-of-lay hens. Four flock replicates of 588 Lohmann Selected Leghorn-Lite pullets were reared in either conventional cages (Conv) or an aviary rearing system (Avi) and placed into conventional cages (CC), 30-bird furnished cages (FC-S), or 60-bird furnished cages (FC-L) for adult housing. Wing and leg bones were collected at the end-of-lay to quantify bone composition and strength using quantitative computed tomography and bone breaking strength (BBS). At the end-of-lay, Avi hens had greater total and cortical cross-sectional area (P < 0.05) for the radius and tibia, greater total bone mineral content of the radius (P < 0.001), and greater tibial cortical bone mineral content (P = 0.029) than the Conv hens; however, total bone mineral density of the radius (P < 0.001) and cortical bone mineral density of the radius and tibia (P < 0.001) were greater in the Conv hens. Hens in the FC-L had greater total bone mineral density for the radius and tibia (P < 0.05) and greater trabecular bone mineral density for the radius (P = 0.027), compared to hens in the FC-S and CC. Total bone mineral content of the tibia (P = 0.030) and cortical bone mineral content of the radius (P = 0.030) and tibia (P = 0.013) were greater in the FC-L compared to the CC. The humerus of Conv hens had greater BBS than the Avi hens (P < 0.001), and the tibiae of FC-L and FC-S hens had greater BBS than CC hens (P = 0.006). Increased opportunities for exercise offered by the aviary rearing system provided improved bone quality characteristics lasting through to the end-of-lay. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Poultry Science Association.

Causes of mortality in laying hens in different housing systems in 2001 to 2004

PubMed Central

Fossum, Oddvar; Jansson, Désirée S; Etterlin, Pernille Engelsen; Vågsholm, Ivar

2009-01-01

Background The husbandry systems for laying hens were changed in Sweden during the years 2001 – 2004, and an increase in the number of submissions for necropsy from laying hen farms was noted. Hence, this study was initiated to compare causes of mortality in different housing systems for commercial laying hens during this change. Methods Based on results from routine necropsies of 914 laying hens performed at the National Veterinary Institute (SVA) in Uppsala, Sweden between 2001 and 2004, a retrospective study on the occurrence of diseases and cannibalism, i.e., pecking leading to mortality, in different housing systems was carried out. Using the number of disease outbreaks in caged flocks as the baseline, the expected number of flocks with a certain category of disease in the other housing systems was estimated having regard to the total number of birds in the population. Whether the actual number of flocks significantly exceeded the expected number was determined using a Poisson distribution for the variance of the baseline number, a continuity correction and the exact value for the Poisson distribution function in Excel 2000. Results Common causes of mortality in necropsied laying hens included colibacillosis, erysipelas, coccidiosis, red mite infestation, lymphoid leukosis and cannibalism. Less common diagnoses were Newcastle Disease, pasteurellosis and botulism. Considering the size of the populations in the different housing systems, a larger proportion of laying hens than expected was submitted for necropsy from litter-based systems and free range production compared to hens in cages (P < 0.001). The study showed a significantly higher occurrence of bacterial and parasitic diseases and cannibalism in laying hens kept in litter-based housing systems and free-range systems than in hens kept in cages (P < 0.001). The occurrence of viral diseases was significantly higher in indoor litter-based housing systems than in cages (P < 0.001). Conclusion The results of the present study indicated that during 2001–2004 laying hens housed in litter-based housing systems, with or without access to outdoor areas, were at higher risk of infectious diseases and cannibalistic behaviour compared to laying hens in cages. Future research should focus on finding suitable prophylactic measures, including efficient biosecurity routines, to reduce the risk of infectious diseases and cannibalism in litter-based housing systems for laying hens. PMID:19146656

Relationship of Salmonella infection and inflammatory intestinal response with hematological and serum biochemical values in laying hens.

PubMed

Soria, Mario Alberto; Bonnet, María Agustina; Bueno, Dante Javier

2015-06-15

There are few studies about the blood serum of laying hens infected with Salmonella. The differential leukocyte count and blood chemistry values are an important aid in the diagnosis of human diseases, but blood parameters in the avian species are not well known. On the other hand, invasive forms of bacterial gastroenteritis, like Salmonella, often cause intestinal inflammation so this study was undertaken to find a biomarker of Salmonella infection and inflammatory intestinal response in the hematological or serum biochemical parameters in laying hens. Furthermore, we evaluated the association of some farm characteristics with Salmonella infection and fecal leukocytes (FL). A fecal sample with at least one fecal leukocyte per field was considered positive for inflammatory intestinal response. False positive serum reactions for Salmonella infection, by serum plate agglutination (SPA) test, were reduced by heating the sample to 56°C for 30 min and then diluting it 5-fold. The range of hematological and biochemical parameter values was very wide, in addition, there was a poor agreement between the SPA and FL results. Comparison of the positive and negative samples in SPA and FL showed that 1.3% and 79.8% of the laying hens were positive and negative in both tests, respectively. Hens with a positive SPA result showed a higher percentage of monocytes than those with a negative SPA result. Hens with a positive FL test had a higher percentage of heterophils, ratio of heterophils to lymphocytes and aspartate aminotransferase values, while the percentage of lymphocytes was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than those with a negative FL test. The risk of Salmonella infection increased when the age of laying hens and the number of hens per poultry house was greater than or equal to 18 months old and 10,000 laying hens, compared to less than 18 months old and 10,000 laying hens, respectively. On the other hand, the risk of inflammatory intestinal response was higher in laying hens ≥ 18 months old than in hens < 18 months old. Despite the fact that we did not find any specific biomarker of Salmonella infection, this is the first report about the change of Salmonella infection and inflammatory response in hematological/serum biochemical values for laying hens. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Parthenogenesis in mated Chinese Painted quail (Coturnix chinensis) hens decreases sperm-egg penetration and alters albumen characteristics.

PubMed

Santa Rosa, P; Parker, H M; Kiess, A S; McDaniel, C D

2016-10-15

Parthenogenesis, embryonic development without fertilization, resembles very early embryonic mortality in fertilized eggs. Also, parthenogenesis alters egg albumen characteristics in virgin Chinese Painted quail hens genetically selected for parthenogenesis (PV). When these PV hens are mated (PM), hatchability is reduced versus control mated (CM) hens that were not genetically selected for parthenogenesis. However, it is unclear if parthenogenesis, which occurs in PM hens, reduces hatchability due to infertility and altered albumen characteristics. Sperm-egg penetration (SEP) holes are indicative of true fertilization and may be useful in identifying if eggs from PM hens exhibit a decrease in fertility versus CM hens. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine if parthenogenesis in PM hens (1) decreases SEP, (2) alters albumen characteristics similar to parthenogenesis in eggs from PV hens, and (3) yields albumen characteristics similar to fertilized eggs containing early mortality. Daily, PV and PM eggs were collected, labeled, and incubated for 10 days, then broken out to determine the incidence of parthenogenesis and albumen characteristics. Also daily, fresh PM and CM quail eggs were macroscopically examined to determine if an egg was infertile with no embryonic development, parthenogenetic, or fertile. Each of these eggs was then microscopically examined for SEP. For both PV and PM incubated eggs, parthenogenesis decreased albumen pH, O2, and protein concentrations yet increased Ca(2+) and CO2 concentrations versus eggs with no development. For incubated PM eggs, albumen pH and O2 were lower, yet CO2 was higher for eggs containing parthenogens or early dead embryos versus infertile eggs. For SEP, fresh eggs classified as infertile or parthenogenetic from PM and CM hens had similar SEP holes but only one sixth as many SEP holes as eggs classified as fertilized. Eggs from CM hens had 3.5 times as many SEP holes as PM eggs. In conclusion, parthenogenesis that occurs in mated quail hens inhibits fertility and alters albumen characteristics similarly to parthenogenesis in unfertilized eggs and early embryonic mortality in fertilized eggs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparative study on histological structures of the vitelline membrane of hen and duck egg observed by cryo-scanning electron microscopy.

PubMed

Chung, Wen-Hsin; Lai, Kung-Ming; Hsu, Kuo-chiang

2010-02-10

The histological structures of the vitelline membranes (VM) of hen and duck eggs were observed by cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM), and the chemical characteristics were also compared. The outer layer surface (OLS) of duck egg VM showed networks constructed by fibrils and sheets (0.1-5.2 microm in width), and that of hen egg presented networks formed only by sheets (2-6 microm in width). Thicker fibrils (0.5-1.5 microm in width) with different arrangement were observed on the inner layer surface (ILS) of duck egg VM as compared to those (0.3-0.7 microm in width) of hen egg VM. Upon separation, the outer surface of the outer layer (OSOL) and the inner surface of the inner layer (ISIL) of hen and duck egg VMs were quite similar to fresh VM except that the OSOL of duck egg VM showed networks constructed only by sheets. Thin fibrils interlaced above a bumpy or flat structure were observed at the exposed surface of the outer layer (ESOL) of hen and duck egg VMs. The exposed surfaces of inner layers (ESIL) of hen and duck egg VMs showed similar structures of fibrils, which joined, branched, and ran in straight lines for long distances up to 30 microm; however, the widths of the fibrils shown in ESOL and ESIL of duck egg VM were 0.1 and 0.7-1.4 microm, respectively, and were greater than those (<0.1 and 0.5-0.8 microm) of hen egg VM. The continuous membranes of both hen and duck egg VMs were still attached to the outer layers when separated. The content of protein, the major component of VM, was higher in duck egg VM (88.6%) than in hen egg VM (81.6%). Four and six major SDS-soluble protein patterns with distinct localization were observed in hen and duck egg VMs, respectively. Overall, the different histological structures of hen and duck egg VMs were suggested to be majorly attributable to the diverse protein components.

Effect of four processed animal proteins in the diet on digestibility and performance in laying hens.

PubMed

van Krimpen, M M; Veldkamp, T; Binnendijk, G P; de Veer, R

2010-12-01

An experiment was performed to investigate the effect of animal vs. vegetable protein sources in the diet of laying hens on the development of hen performance. A diet containing protein sources of only vegetable origin was compared with 4 diets, each containing 1 of 4 processed animal proteins (PAP). Two PAP (Daka-58 and Sonac-60) were classified as meat meals, and the remaining 2 (Daka-40 and Sonac-50) were classified as meat and bone meals. First, fecal digestibility of nutrients in the PAP was determined in Lohmann Brown layers. Hens (n = 132) were housed in 22 cages (6 hens/cage) and allotted to 5 dietary treatments. In the PAP diets (4 replicates/treatment), 100 g/kg of CP of animal origin was added, replacing soybean meal and corn (Zea mays) in the basal diet (6 replicates/treatment). The PAP sources differed largely in chemical composition and digestibility coefficients. Energy content (AME(n)) varied from 1,817 (Daka-40) to 3,107 kcal/kg (Sonac-60), and digestible lysine varied from 15.4 (Daka-40) to 28.3 g/kg (Sonac-50). Subsequently, the effect of a control diet (without PAP) vs. 4 PAP diets (50 g/kg of CP of animal origin from the same batches as used in the digestibility study) on performance was determined. All diets were isocaloric (AME(n) = 2,825 kcal/kg) and isonitrogenous (digestible lysine = 6.8 g/kg). Hens were housed in 40 floor pens (12 hens/pen, 8 pens/treatment) from 20 to 40 wk of age. Feed intake levels of the hens fed the meat and bone meal diets were reduced compared with those of hens fed the meat meal diets, whereas the feed intake level of hens fed the control diet was intermediate. Laying hen performance differed between treatments, being was most favorable for the Sonac-50 treatment and most adverse for the Daka-40 treatment. Differences in laying hen performance seemed to be related partly to differences in feed intake and corresponding amino acid intake.

Effect of an artificial Ascaridia galli infection on egg production, immune response, and liver lipid reserve of free-range laying hens.

PubMed

Sharma, N; Hunt, P W; Hine, B C; McNally, J; Sharma, N K; Iqbal, Z; Normant, C; Andronicos, N M; Swick, R A; Ruhnke, I

2018-02-01

This study was conducted to determine the effect of Ascaridia galli infection on free-range laying hens. Lohmann Brown laying hens (n = 200) at 17 wk of age were allocated to 4 treatment groups (n = 50 per group), each with 5 replicate pens of 10 hens. Hens in 3 treatment groups were orally inoculated with different doses of embryonated A. galli eggs: low (250 eggs), medium (1,000 eggs), and high (2,500 eggs) levels, whereas hens of the control group were not infected. Infection levels were monitored using excreta egg counts and mature A. galli worm counts in the intestine. Anti A. galli antibody titers (IgY) in the serum were measured prior to infection, and at 6, 11, 15, and 20 wk post infection (PI) and in egg yolk at 11 and 20 wk PI. Parameters evaluated included feed intake, egg production, egg weight, egg mass, FCR, liver weight, liver fat, and intra epithelial immune cell infiltration. The results showed no difference in feed intake, body weight, or FCR among any treatment groups (P > 0.05). Egg production was lower in the low infection group compared to other groups at 20 wk of age (P < 0.01). Serum IgY was higher in the infected groups' hens at 20 wk PI compared to control group hens (P < 0.01). Yolk IgY increased significantly over time and was higher in infected hens compared to hens of the control group at 11 and 20 wk PI (P < 0.001). No differences were observed in liver lipid content or intraepithelial lymphocytes infiltration among treatment groups. Ascaridia galli eggs in the coprodeum content and adult A. galli worm count were higher in infected hens compared to hens of the control group (P < 0.01). In conclusion, the effects of artificial infection with A. galli on the parameters investigated were minor, and egg yolk antibody may be a more reliable indicator of A. galli infection than serum antibody or excreta egg count. © 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Comparison of dynamic change of egg selenium deposition after feeding sodium selenite or selenium-enriched yeast.

PubMed

Lu, J; Qu, L; Shen, M M; Hu, Y P; Guo, J; Dou, T C; Wang, K H

2018-05-19

The aim of this study was to compare the dynamic change of egg selenium (Se) deposition after sodium selenite (SS) or selenium-enriched yeast (SY) supplementation for 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21, 28, 56, and 84 d. A total of 576 32-wk-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were randomly assigned to 3 groups (192 laying hens per group) with 6 replicates, and fed a basal diet (without Se supplementation) or basal diets with 0.3 mg/kg of Se from SS or 0.3 mg/kg of Se from SY, respectively. The results showed that the Se concentrations in the eggs from hens fed a SY-supplemented diet were significantly higher (P < 0.001) than those from hens fed a SS-supplemented diet or a basal diet after 3 d. And the Se concentrations in the eggs from hens fed a SS-supplemented diet were significantly higher (P < 0.001) than those from hens fed a basal diet after 14 d. There was a positive linear and quadratic correlation between Se concentrations in the eggs from hens fed a SY-supplemented diet (r2 = 0.782, P < 0.001; r2 = 0.837, P < 0.001) or SS-supplemented diet (r2 = 0.355, P < 0.001; r2 = 0.413, P < 0.001) and number of feeding days. The Se concentrations in the breasts from hens fed a SY-supplemented diet were 126.98% higher (P < 0.001) than those from hens fed a SS-supplemented diet, and were 299.44% higher (P < 0.001) than those from hens fed a basal diet after the 84-d feeding period. In conclusion, the dietary Se was gradually transferred into eggs with the extension of the experimental duration. The deposition rate of Se in the eggs from hens fed a SY-supplemented diet was much more rapid than that from hens fed a SS-supplemented diet, and the organic Se from SY had higher bioavailability as compared to inorganic Se from SS.

Evidence that eating baked egg or milk influences egg or milk allergy resolution: a systematic review.

PubMed

Lambert, R; Grimshaw, K E C; Ellis, B; Jaitly, J; Roberts, G

2017-06-01

It has been proposed that the frequent ingestion of baked hen's egg or cow's milk accelerates the resolution of hen's egg or cow's milk allergy. This practice is being introduced into clinical practice. To systematically review the evidence to determine whether the introduction of baked hen's egg or cow's milk into the diet of children with hen's egg or cow's milk allergies respectively leads to a larger proportion of children outgrowing these allergies than expected. A systematic review of the literature was conducted in Medline, Embase and CINAHL. The inclusion criteria were as follows: randomized control trials, case-control or cohort studies; children aged 0-18 years with hen's egg or cow's milk allergy; baked hen's egg or cow's milk intervention with or without a comparator; and resolution of the hen's egg or cow's milk allergy as determined by food challenge as the outcome. Studies were critically appraised using the quality assessment tool for quantitative studies. PROSPERO reference CRD42015026029. We identified 851 and 2816 hen's egg and cow's milk articles respectively. Only three hen's egg and three cow's milk studies fulfilled our pre-specified inclusion criteria. The studies concluded that baked products either increased the likelihood of the resolution of allergy or accelerated resolution. However, when critiqued, all studies were classified as weak because they were observational, lacking an appropriate control group; this brings into doubt the study's conclusions. There were a number of examples of severe reactions to baked products. There is little evidence to address the hypothesis that the ingestion of baked hen's egg or cow's milk results in more patients outgrowing their hen's egg or cow's milk allergy respectively. Data are required from a trial comparing the resolution rates of baked-tolerant participants who are randomized to ingest or avoid baked products to assess the accuracy of this hypothesis. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Early Onset of Laying and Bumblefoot Favor Keel Bone Fractures

PubMed Central

Gebhardt-Henrich, Sabine G.; Fröhlich, Ernst K. F.

2015-01-01

Simple Summary Numerous studies have documented a high prevalence of keel bone fractures in laying hens. In this longitudinal study, 80 white and brown laying hens were regularly checked for keel bone deviations and fractures while egg production was individually monitored. About 62% of the hens had broken keel bones at depopulation. More new fractures occurred during the time when laying rates were highest. Hens with broken keel bones at depopulation had laid their first egg earlier than hens with intact keel bones. All birds with bumblefoot on both feet had a fracture at depopulation. Abstract Numerous studies have demonstrated influences of hybrid, feed, and housing on prevalence of keel bone fractures, but influences of behavior and production on an individual level are less known. In this longitudinal study, 80 white and brown laying hens were regularly checked for keel bone deviations and fractures while egg production was individually monitored using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) from production until depopulation at 65 weeks of age. These focal birds were kept in eight pens with 20 hens per pen in total. About 62% of the hens had broken keel bones at depopulation. The occurrence of new fractures was temporally linked to egg laying: more new fractures occurred during the time when laying rates were highest. Hens with fractured keel bones at depopulation had laid their first egg earlier than hens with intact keel bones. However, the total number of eggs was neither correlated with the onset of egg laying nor with keel bone fractures. All birds with bumblefoot on both feet had a fracture at depopulation. Hens stayed in the nest for a longer time during egg laying during the ten days after the fracture than during the ten days before the fracture. In conclusion, a relationship between laying rates and keel bone fractures seems likely. PMID:26633520

Laying performance, digestibility and plasma hormones in laying hens exposed to chronic heat stress as affected by betaine, vitamin C, and/or vitamin E supplementation.

PubMed

Attia, Youssef A; Abd El-Hamid, Abd El-Hamid E; Abedalla, Ahmed A; Berika, Marfat A; Al-Harthi, Mohammed A; Kucuk, Osman; Sahin, Kazim; Abou-Shehema, Baha M

2016-01-01

Heat stress had a negative effect on laying hens' performance, thus this research was to study the influences of betaine (Bet, 1000 mg/kg betaine), vitamin C (VC, 200 mg/kg ascorbic acid), and vitamin E (VE, 150 mg/kg α-Tocopherol acetate) and their possible combinations on egg production, digestibility of nutrients, plasma hormones and reproductive organs of dual-purpose hens exposed to chronic heat stress. Two hundred and eighty eight hens and thirty-six cocks from 32 to 48 weeks of age were divided into nine treatment groups of four replicates, each containing eight hens and one cock. One group was kept under thermo-natural condition and the eight others were kept under chronic heat stress (CHS). One of these eight was used as a negative control, while the others were supplemented with VC, VE and/or betaine and their possible combinations. Body weights, laying rate, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio in hens reared under CHS rooster without any supplementation during 32 to 48 weeks of impairment (P = 0.0052) were recorded. Hens reared under heat stress and fed a diet supplemented with either Bet, VC, VE or combination of the supplements increased production traits. However, hens supplemented with VC showed the greatest production traits. Plasma glucose, estradiol-17 (E2), progesterone (P4), tri-iodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) decreased in hens reared under CHS and fed a diet with no supplementation compared to the other treatments (P = 0.001). Liver weights, spleen weights, thyroid gland weights, ovary weights, oviduct weights and oviduct lengths were lowest in hens reared under CHS and fed a diet with no supplementation (P = 0.0480). In conclusion, dual purpose hens reared under CHS and supplemented with VC at 200 mg/kg diet and Bet at 1000 mg/kg enhanced the laying performance and combated CHS.

Dustbathing in food particles does not remove feather lipids.

PubMed

Scholz, B; Kjaer, J B; Petow, S; Schrader, L

2014-08-01

Within the European Union, dustbathing material in cage-housing systems for laying hens became compulsory in 2012. In practice, most producers use food particles as litter substrate. The feed is dropped in small amounts on scratching mats by an automatic transporting system. However, because dustbathing behavior is meant to remove stale lipids from hens' plumage, food particles may not be a suitable substrate due to their fat content. This study analyzes feather lipid concentration (FLC) of laying hens with access to food particles (F) or lignocellulose (L) as litter substrates. In each of 2 identical trials, 84 laying hens of 2 genotypes (Lohmann Selected Leghorn, Lohmann Brown) were kept in 12 compartments (7 hens each). Compartments were equipped with a grid floor and additionally contained a closed dustbathing tray holding F or L. Feather samples (150 feathers) were taken 2 times throughout the experiment. At 23 wk of age, 4 hens per compartment were sampled after they were allowed pair-wise access to a dustbath for 2.5 h and 3 hens were sampled without access to a dustbathing tray (control). After 10 wk of free access to the dustbathing trays, all hens were sampled again. In trial 2, an additional third sampling was made after dustbaths had been closed again for 6 wk. Here, 6 hens per compartment were sampled immediately before and after a dustbath. Dustbathing in F resulted in higher FLC compared with L and control (P < 0.001), whereas no significant difference was found between L and control (P = 0.103). When open access to litter was provided, hens had higher FLC in F compared with L (P < 0.001). The FLC immediately after dustbathing in F was higher compared with the level before dustbathing (P < 0.001), whereas it was lower after dustbathing in L (P = 0.006). These results show that F are not suitable litter material for laying hens because they lead to lipid accumulation on the plumage. © Poultry Science Association Inc.

High, low, or familiar? Nest site preferences of experienced laying hens.

PubMed

Krause, E T; Schrader, L

2018-05-22

1. The aim of this study was to investigate which nest heights are preferred by laying hens in the absence of familiar nest locations and whether preferred nest heights are more attractive than a familiar location. In two experiments, a total of 108 hens of four different layer breeds, which were at least 50 weeks of age, were studied. 2. In the first experiment, hens were given individual free choice between nests for 1-week at four different heights (0 cm, 39 cm, 78 cm, and 117 cm above ground). Hens of the four breeds differed in their nest height preferences (P = 0.0013). However, hens of three breeds preferred ground level nests (P < 0.007) and the fourth line showed an equal preference for the ground level and level three, the latter level corresponding to the height of the nests in their home compartments. 4. In the second experiment, hens from the four breeds were given a choice between ground level nests and nests at a familiar location, i.e. at the same location as in their home compartment. Hens of all strains preferred the familiar nest location (P = 0.002) and preferences did not differ between strains (P = 0.77). 5. Laying hens seem to prefer nests at ground level in the absence of a familiar nest. However, if possible, experienced 50 week old hens continue to use a familiar nest location instead of a ground nest location. The results are discussed with respect to a potential primary preference that may be modifiable by experience and with respect to possible relevance in commercial housing.

Association of Egg Mass and Egg Sex: Gene Expression Analysis from Maternal RNA in the Germinal Disc Region of Layer Hens (Gallus gallus).

PubMed

Aslam, Muhammad Aamir; Schokker, Dirkjan; Groothuis, Ton G G; de Wit, Agnes A C; Smits, Mari A; Woelders, Henri

2015-06-01

Female birds have been shown to manipulate offspring sex ratio. However, mechanisms of sex ratio bias are not well understood. Reduced feed availability and change in body condition can affect the mass of eggs in birds that could lead to a skew in sex ratio. We employed feed restriction in laying chickens (Gallus gallus) to induce a decrease in body condition and egg mass using 45 chicken hens in treatment and control groups. Feed restriction led to an overall decline of egg mass. In the second period of treatment (Days 9-18) with more severe feed restriction and a steeper decline of egg mass, the sex ratio per hen (proportion of male eggs) had a significant negative association with mean egg mass per hen. Based on this association, two groups of hens were selected from feed restriction group, that is, hens producing male bias with low egg mass and hens producing female bias with high egg mass with overall sex ratios of 0.71 and 0.44 respectively. Genomewide transcriptome analysis on the germinal disks of F1 preovulatory follicles collected at the time of occurrence of meiosis-I was performed. We did not find significantly differentially expressed genes in these two groups of hens. However, gene set enrichment analysis showed that a number of cellular processes related to cell cycle progression, mitotic/meiotic apparatus, and chromosomal movement were enriched in female-biased hens or high mean egg mass as compared with male-biased hens or low mean egg mass. The differentially expressed gene sets may be involved in meiotic drive regulating sex ratio in the chicken. © 2015 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction, Inc.

The relationship of parthenogenesis in virgin Chinese Painted quail (Coturnix chinensis) hens with embryonic mortality and hatchability following mating.

PubMed

Parker, H M; Kiess, A S; Robertson, M L; Wells, J B; McDaniel, C D

2012-06-01

Unfertilized chicken, turkey, and quail eggs are capable of developing embryos by parthenogenesis. However, it is unknown if the physiological mechanisms regulating parthenogenesis in virgin hens may actually work against fertilization, embryonic development, and hatchability of eggs from these same hens following mating. Additionally, because most parthenogenic development closely resembles early embryonic mortality in fertilized eggs during the first 2 to 3 d of incubation, it is possible that many unhatched eggs classified as containing early embryonic mortality may actually be unfertilized eggs that contain parthenogens. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the relationship of parthenogenesis before mating with embryonic development and hatchability characteristics after mating. Based upon their ability to produce unfertilized eggs that contain parthenogens, 372 virgin Chinese Painted quail hens were divided into 7 groups, according to their incidence of parthenogenesis: 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and greater than 50% parthenogenesis. Males were then placed with these hens so that fertility, embryonic mortality, and hatchability could be evaluated for each hen. Hatchability of eggs set, hatchability of fertile eggs, and late embryonic mortality declined dramatically as the incidence of parthenogenesis increased. On the other hand, early embryonic mortality increased as parthenogenesis increased. Fertility was not different across the 7 parthenogenesis hen groups, perhaps because unfertilized eggs that exhibited parthenogenesis resembled and were therefore classified as early embryonic mortality. In conclusion, virgin quail hens that exhibit parthenogenesis appear to have impaired embryonic development and hatchability following mating. Additional sperm-egg interaction and embryonic research is needed to determine if a large portion of the early embryonic mortality experienced by mated hens that exhibit parthenogenesis as virgin hens is in fact embryonic development in unfertilized eggs.

Failed landings after laying hen flight in a commercial aviary over two flock cycles.

PubMed

Campbell, D L M; Goodwin, S L; Makagon, M M; Swanson, J C; Siegford, J M

2016-01-01

Many egg producers are adopting alternative housing systems such as aviaries that provide hens a tiered cage and a litter-covered open floor area. This larger, more complex environment permits expression of behaviors not seen in space-limited cages, such as flight. Flight is an exercise important for strengthening bones; but domestic hens might display imperfect flight landings due to poor flight control. To assess the potential implications of open space, we evaluated the landing success of Lohmann white laying hens in a commercial aviary. Video recordings of hens were taken from 4 aviary sections at peak lay, mid lay and end lay across two flock cycles. Observations were made in each focal section of all flights throughout the day noting flight origin and landing location (outer perch or litter) and landing success or failure. In Flock 1, 9.1% of all flights failed and 21% failed in Flock 2. The number of flights decreased across the laying cycle for both flocks. Proportionally more failed landings were observed in the double row sections in Flock 2. Collisions with other hens were more common than slipping on the ground or colliding with aviary structures across sections and flocks. More hens slipped on the ground and collided with physical structures at peak lay for Flock 2 than at other time points. More collisions with other hens were seen at mid and end lay than at peak lay for Flock 2. Landings ending on perches failed more often than landings on litter. These results indicate potential for flight-related hen injuries in aviary systems resulting from failed landings, which may have implications for hen welfare and optimal system design and management.

Influence of commercial laying hen housing systems on the incidence and identification of Salmonella and Campylobacter1

PubMed Central

Jones, D. R.; Guard, J.; Gast, R. K.; Buhr, R. J.; Fedorka-Cray, P. J.; Abdo, Z.; Plumblee, J. R.; Bourassa, D. V.; Cox, N. A.; Rigsby, L. L.; Robison, C. I.; Regmi, P.; Karcher, D. M.

2016-01-01

The housing of laying hens is important for social, industrial, and regulatory aspects. Many studies have compared hen housing systems on the research farm, but few have fully examined commercial housing systems and management strategies. The current study compared hens housed in commercial cage-free aviary, conventional cage, and enriched colony cage systems. Environmental and eggshell pool samples were collected from selected cages/segments of the housing systems throughout the production cycle and monitored for Salmonella and Campylobacter prevalence. At 77 wk of age, 120 hens per housing system were examined for Salmonella and Campylobacter colonization in the: adrenal glands, spleen, ceca, follicles, and upper reproductive tract. All isolates detected from environmental swabs, eggshell pools, and tissues were identified for serotype. Two predominant Salmonella were detected in all samples: S. Braenderup and S. Kentucky. Campylobacter coli and C. jejuni were the only Campylobacter detected in the flocks. Across all housing systems, approximately 7% of hens were colonized with Salmonella, whereas > 90% were colonized with Campylobacter. Salmonella Braenderup was the isolate most frequently detected in environmental swabs (P < 0.0001) and housing system impacted Salmonella spp. shedding (P < 0.0001). Campylobacter jejuni was the isolate most frequently found in environmental swabs (P < 0.01), while housing system impacted the prevalence of C. coli and jejuni in ceca (P < 0.0001). The results of this study provide a greater understanding of the impact of hen housing systems on hen health and product safety. Additionally, producers and academia can utilize the findings to make informed decisions on hen housing and management strategies to enhance hen health and food safety. PMID:26976901

Effects of DHA-enriched hen egg yolk and L-cysteine supplementation on quality of cryopreserved boar semen

PubMed Central

Chanapiwat, Panida; Kaeoket, Kampon; Tummaruk, Padet

2009-01-01

The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-enriched hen egg yolks and L-cysteine supplementation on the qualities of the cryopreserved boar semen. A total of 15 ejaculates from 5 Pietrain boars were divided into 4 groups according to the compositions of the freezing extenders used, that is, normal hen egg yolk (group I), DHA-enriched hen egg yolk (group II), normal hen egg yolk with 5 mmol L−1 of cysteine supplementation (group III) and DHA-enriched hen egg yolk with 5 mmol L−1 of cysteine supplementation (group IV). The semen was cryopreserved using controlled rate freezer and was thawed at 50°C for 12 s. Progressive motility, sperm viability, acrosome integrity and functional integrity of sperm plasma membrane of the post-thawed semen were evaluated. The supplementation of L-cysteine in the freezing extender alone (group III) improved progressive motility (P < 0.05), and the supplementation of L-cysteine in combination with DHA-enriched hen egg yolk (group IV) improved both progressive motility (P < 0.05) and acrosome integrity (P < 0.01). The use of DHA-enriched hen egg yolk alone (group II) did not enhance any of the post-thawed semen qualities (P > 0.05). In conclusion, the supplementation of antioxidant L-cysteine alone or in combination with DHA-enriched hen egg yolk significantly improved the post-thawed semen qualities, especially progressive motility and acrosome integrity. PMID:19633681

Effects of DHA-enriched hen egg yolk and L-cysteine supplementation on quality of cryopreserved boar semen.

PubMed

Chanapiwat, Panida; Kaeoket, Kampon; Tummaruk, Padet

2009-09-01

The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-enriched hen egg yolks and L-cysteine supplementation on the qualities of the cryopreserved boar semen. A total of 15 ejaculates from 5 Pietrain boars were divided into 4 groups according to the compositions of the freezing extenders used, that is, normal hen egg yolk (group I), DHA-enriched hen egg yolk (group II), normal hen egg yolk with 5 mmol L(-1) of cysteine supplementation (group III) and DHA-enriched hen egg yolk with 5 mmol L(-1) of cysteine supplementation (group IV). The semen was cryopreserved using controlled rate freezer and was thawed at 50 degrees C for 12 s. Progressive motility, sperm viability, acrosome integrity and functional integrity of sperm plasma membrane of the post-thawed semen were evaluated. The supplementation of L-cysteine in the freezing extender alone (group III) improved progressive motility (P < 0.05), and the supplementation of L-cysteine in combination with DHA-enriched hen egg yolk (group IV) improved both progressive motility (P < 0.05) and acrosome integrity (P < 0.01). The use of DHA-enriched hen egg yolk alone (group II) did not enhance any of the post-thawed semen qualities (P > 0.05). In conclusion, the supplementation of antioxidant L-cysteine alone or in combination with DHA-enriched hen egg yolk significantly improved the post-thawed semen qualities, especially progressive motility and acrosome integrity.

Evaluation of the Bacterial Diversity in Cecal Contents of Laying Hens Fed Various Molting Diets Using Bacterial Tag-Encoded FLX Amplicon Pyrosequencing (bTEFAP)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Laying hens are typically induced to molt in order to begin a new egg-laying cycle by withdrawing feed for up to 12-14 d. Fasted hens are more susceptible to colonization and tissue invasion by Salmonella Enteriditis. Much of this increased incidence in fasted hens is thought to be due to changes ...

Reduction of Salmonella Enteritidis in the spleens of hens by bacterins that vary in fimbrial protein SefD.

PubMed

Sanchez-Ingunza, Roxana; Guard, Jean; Morales, Cesar A; Icard, Alan H

2015-10-01

The objective of this research was to determine whether variation in the presence of fimbrial protein SefD would impact efficacy of bacterins as measured by recovery of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (Salmonella Enteritidis) from the spleens of hens. Two bacterins were prepared that varied in SefD content. Also, two adjuvants were tested, namely, water-in-oil and aluminum hydroxide gel (alum). Control groups for both adjuvant preparations included infected nonvaccinated hens and uninfected nonvaccinated hens. At 21 days postinfection, Salmonella Enteritidis was recovered from 69.7%, 53.1%, and 86.0% from the spleens of all hens vaccinated with bacterins lacking SefD, bacterins that included SefD, and infected nonvaccinated control hens, respectively. No Salmonella was recovered from uninfected nonvaccinates. Results from individual trials showed that both bacterins reduced positive spleens, but that the one with SefD was more efficacious. Alum adjuvant had fewer side effects on hens and egg production as compared to water-in-oil. However, adjuvant did not change the relative recovery of Salmonella Enteritidis from spleens. These results suggest that SefD is a promising target antigen for improving the efficacy of immunotherapy in hens, and is intended to reduce Salmonella Enteritidis in the food supply.

Peptide supplementation to nutrient-adequate diets enhanced internal egg quality during storage in hens at peak production.

PubMed

Olukosi, Oluyinka A; Xiao, Weiwei; Jia, Jing

2018-03-01

There is paucity of information on the use of dietary peptides in laying hens and its effects on egg production and quality. In the current study, peptide from enzymatic hydrolysis of soybean protein was incorporated into laying hens' diets to investigate its effect on egg production and internal egg quality. There were no treatment effects on egg production (average hen day production was 96%) during the experiment. Final body weight of the hens increased quadratically (P < 0.05) in response to peptide supplementation. There were no significant effects of peptide supplementation on internal egg quality of the fresh eggs. Peptide supplementation tended to increase yolk colour (P < 0.10) in eggs collected at 4 weeks of the study and stored at room temperature for 14 days. For the eggs collected at 8 weeks of the experiment and stored at room temperature for 14 days, peptide supplementation linearly increased (P < 0.05) albumen height, Haugh unit and yolk index but linearly decreased (P < 0.01) yolk width. Peptide supplementation to laying hens at peak production, receiving diets meeting their nutrient requirement, did not improve hen production but positively helped to maintain hens' body weight and egg quality during storage. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

The changes of nutrient composition of piled laying hen manure and anaerobic fermentation for recycling as a dietary ingredient for ruminants.

PubMed

Han, Tianlong; Wang, Liping; Zhang, Yanming; Zhang, Jun; Han, Dongsheng; Lv, Ning; Han, Xiaohua; Zhao, Guoqiang; Wang, Min

2018-01-15

This study investigated the changes of nutrient compositions of piled laying hen manure, detected the physical and chemical components of laying hen manure fermented by mixed strains, and analysed its application effects on feeding ruminants. The results showed that with increasing of piling time, the contents of crude protein (CP) and ether extract (EE) in laying hen manure were reduced, while the contents of crude ash (CA), calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) were increased. Fermentation could effectively decrease pH value, reduce Ca/P ratio, lessen the total bacterial counts, and maintain the organisms contents in laying hen manure. The results of ruminants feeding test indicated that replacing 20% diet with laying hen manure fermentation products (MFP), the weight gain and reproductive rate were respectively decreased by 9.99% and 2% compared with the control group, and the differences were not statistically significant. This technology could recycle laying hen manures as ruminant feeds, for the purpose of reducing environmental pollution and improving economic efficiency. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clearing of suspensions of Micrococcus lysodeikticus catalysed by lysozymes from hen, goose, and turkey egg whites, human milk, and phage T4. Assessment of potential as signal generators for homogeneous enzyme immunoassays for urinary steroids.

PubMed

Cooke, Delwyn G; Blackwell, Leonard F

2007-01-01

Lysozymes (3.2.1.17) from goose (Anser anser) egg white, turkey (Melagris gallopavo) egg white, phage T4 and human milk were compared with hen egg white lysozyme in their ability to clear a suspension of Micrococcus lysodeikticus. All of the lysozymes, except hen egg white lysozyme, catalysed the clearing of the Micrococcus lysodeikticus suspension in a biphasic fashion. Compared to hen egg white lysozyme, the total absorbance or transmission change over 5 and 20 minutes was less in all cases, except for human lysozyme. Human lysozyme was, therefore, a potential alternative, more rapid signal generator for the measurement of urinary estrone glucuronide excretion rates because of its structural similarity to hen egg white lysozyme. The apparent K(M) values for hen egg white lysozyme increased with the enzyme concentration.

Effect of superdosing phytase on productive performance and egg quality in laying hens.

PubMed

Kim, Jong Hyuk; Pitargue, Franco Martinez; Jung, Hyunjung; Han, Gi Ppeum; Choi, Hyeon Seok; Kil, Dong Yong

2017-07-01

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of superdosing phytase on productive performance and egg quality in laying hens. A total of 200 42-wk-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were allotted into 1 of 5 dietary treatments with 5 replicates consisting of 8 hens per replicate. The positive control (PC) and negative control diets (NC) were prepared based on the recommended P levels in layer diets. Supplemental phytase was added to the negative control diet at 10,000 (SD10), 20,000 (SD20), or 30,000 (SD30) fytase units (FTU)/kg. Productive performance was summarized for 6 weeks from 42 weeks to 47 weeks of age. Egg quality was assessed from 4 eggs per replicate randomly collected at the conclusion of the experiment. The SD20 treatment had greater (p<0.05) hen-day egg production than PC, NC, and SD10 treatment groups. There was no difference in hen-day egg production between SD20 and SD30 treatment groups. However, SD30 treatment had greater (p<0.05) hen-day egg production than PC treatment, but showed no difference in hen-day egg production as compared to NC and SD10 treatment groups. However, egg weight, egg mass, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio were not affected by dietary treatments. Egg quality including eggshell strength, eggshell color, egg yolk color, and haugh unit was not influenced by dietary treatments. Superdosing level of 20,000 FTU/kg phytase in diets has a positive effect on egg production rate, but no beneficial effect on egg quality in laying hens.

Depopulation of Caged Layer Hens with a Compressed Air Foam System.

PubMed

Gurung, Shailesh; Hoffman, John; Stringfellow, Kendre; Abi-Ghanem, Daad; Zhao, Dan; Caldwell, David; Lee, Jason; Styles, Darrel; Berghman, Luc; Byrd, James; Farnell, Yuhua; Archer, Gregory; Farnell, Morgan

2018-01-11

During the 2014-2015 US highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak, 50.4 million commercial layers and turkeys were affected, resulting in economic losses of $3.3 billion. Rapid depopulation of infected poultry is vital to contain and eradicate reportable diseases like HPAI. The hypothesis of the experiment was that a compressed air foam (CAF) system may be used as an alternative to carbon dioxide (CO₂) inhalation for depopulating caged layer hens. The objective of this study was to evaluate corticosterone (CORT) and time to cessation of movement (COM) of hens subjected to CAF, CO₂ inhalation, and negative control (NEG) treatments. In Experiment 1, two independent trials were conducted using young and spent hens. Experiment 1 consisted of five treatments: NEG, CO₂ added to a chamber, a CO₂ pre-charged chamber, CAF in cages, and CAF in a chamber. In Experiment 2, only spent hens were randomly assigned to three treatments: CAF in cages, CO₂ added to a chamber, and aspirated foam. Serum CORT levels of young hens were not significantly different among the CAF in cages, CAF in a chamber, NEG control, and CO₂ inhalation treatments. However, spent hens subjected to the CAF in a chamber had significantly higher CORT levels than birds in the rest of the treatments. Times to COM of spent hens subjected to CAF in cages and aspirated foam were significantly greater than of birds exposed to the CO₂ in a chamber treatment. These data suggest that applying CAF in cages is a viable alternative for layer hen depopulation during a reportable disease outbreak.

Anaphylactic reaction to probiotics. Cow's milk and hen's egg allergens in probiotic compounds.

PubMed

Martín-Muñoz, María Flora; Fortuni, Monserrat; Caminoa, Magdalena; Belver, Teresa; Quirce, Santiago; Caballero, Teresa

2012-12-01

Probiotics are used in the treatment of allergic diseases. We investigated the safety of probiotics for subjects with food allergy. Labels of probiotics commercially available in Spain were examined to assess their content of cow's milk or hen's egg. Skin prick tests with these compounds (20 mg/ml) were performed in five children allergic to cow's milk, five children allergic to hen's white egg, and five control subjects non-allergic to food. Three serum pools: I (positive-specific IgE to cow's milk and hen's egg white proteins), II (positive-specific IgE to cow's milk and negative to hen's egg white proteins), and III (negative-specific IgE to cow's milk and positive to hen's egg white proteins) were used to detect cow's milk and hen's egg white allergens in probiotics. ImmunoCAP(®) (Phadia), in-house ELISA, SDS-PAGE immunoblotting, and inhibition studies of these assays were performed. Proteins were quantified by enzyme-immunoassay. Eleven probiotics were studied. No label advertised about egg content, eight labels warned about lactose, lactic acid or cow's milk, one label claimed to be milk-free, and two gave no information. Cow's milk proteins were detected, by at least one lab technique, in 10/11 probiotics, three over 2.5 mg/kg (21, 52, 112 mg/kg). Hen's egg white proteins were detected in 3/11 probiotics, only one had more than 2.5 mg/kg (47 mg/kg). Probiotic compounds may contain hidden allergens of food and may not be safe for subjects with allergy to cow's milk or hen's egg. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Ghrelin plasma concentration does not covary with energy demand in adult laying hens.

PubMed

Höhne, A; Schrader, L; Weigend, S; Petow, S

2017-10-01

The peptide hormone ghrelin is suggested to be involved in food intake regulation in young growing chicken. Whether ghrelin is involved in the regulation of energetic balance associated with laying performance in adult laying hens was studied by use of 4 chicken lines that differ in laying performance and phylogeny (4 lines; 16 hens per line). As housing conditions are also known to affect energy demand, half of the hens per line were housed in single cages and the other half of hens were maintained in a floor housing system. Plasma samples were collected at 17 to 19, 33 to 35, 49 to 51, and 72 wk of age and analyzed with a chicken ghrelin ELISA Kit. From caged hens, individual food consumption and laying performance additionally was recorded. Due to its function in growth and its relationship with ghrelin, also GH plasma concentrations were analyzed. Ghrelin concentrations did not differ between the 4 lines at any of the test periods (all P > 0.05). Ghrelin was negatively related to food consumption only in the growing period of the high-performing lines (both P < 0.0001). During this phase, floor-housed hens showed greater ghrelin concentrations compared with caged hens (P < 0.0001). Our results suggest that in adult layers ghrelin is not involved in regulating energy intake related to laying performance but rather seems to be related to body growth and housing condition before start of lay, the latter possibly due to differences in hens' behavioral activity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Guar meal diets as an alternative approach to inducing molt and improving Salmonella enteritidis resistance in late-phase laying hens.

PubMed

Gutierrez, O; Zhang, C; Caldwell, D J; Carey, J B; Cartwright, A L; Bailey, C A

2008-03-01

Induced molting of laying hens is a practice used by commercial egg producers to increase the productive lifetime of their flock. However, the conventional method of inducing molt, which involves removal of feed, water, or both as well as a reduction in photoperiod to less than a natural day has drawn criticism due to animal welfare and food safety concerns. The objective of this study was to explore the efficacy of diets containing high levels of guar meal (GM) in inducing molt and reducing susceptibility to Salmonella Enteritidis colonization in late-phase laying hens. Late-phase (68 wk old) Lohmann laying hens were either full-fed standard laying hen diets (nonmolted control), induced to molt by feed withdrawal, or full-fed standard laying hen diets containing 20% GM with or without 250 units/kg of mannanase Hemicell supplementation. On the fourth day of treatment, all hens were orally challenged with SE (1.65 x 10(7) cfu). Hens were killed and evaluated for Salmonella colonization and differences in organ weights 5 d postinoculation. Salmonella Enteritidis present in crop, liver, ovary, and cecal contents were significantly reduced by feeding GM with enzyme supplementation compared with feed withdrawal hens. No significant differences were observed in reproductive tract weights of molted groups, although a difference in liver weight was detected. Results indicate that feeding diets containing 20% GM are as effective as complete feed withdrawal with respect to inducing molt with the added benefit of improved resistance to Salmonella Enteritidis colonization and translocation.

Oral administration of supplementary biotin differentially influences the fertility rate and oviductal expression of avidin and avidin-related protein-2 in low- and high-fertility broiler line hens.

PubMed

Daryabari, H; Akhlaghi, A; Zamiri, M J; Pirsaraei, Z Ansari; Mianji, G Rahimi; Deldar, H; Eghbalian, A N

2015-02-01

Probable involvement of avidin and avidin-related protein-2 (AVR2) in sperm viability in the sperm storage tubules of turkeys has been suggested. The high affinity of biotin to avidin and its analogs is also well documented. The present study aimed to determine the effect of oral biotin on reproductive performance and oviductal mRNA expression of avidin and AVR2 in 2 broiler hen lines with different fertility rates. Low-fertility (line B) and high-fertility (line D) hens (n=144) were randomly allotted to receive 0 (T0), 0.30 (T1), or 0.45 (T2) mg/L biotin in drinking water from 30 through 33 wk of age. The reproductive performance of the hens was evaluated using artificial insemination. At the end of the treatment period, 24 hens per line were killed to assay the expression of avidin and AVR2 in the uterovaginal junction. Supplementary biotin increased egg production from 73.5% for T0 to 87.8% for T2. Hens administered with biotin in line B, but not in line D, showed an increase (8.4%) in fertility rate. Hatchability, chick quality, and overall embryonic mortality were not different among the experimental groups. Real-time PCR data showed that both avidin (P=0.0013) and AVR2 (P<0.0001) expressions were influenced by a biotin×line interaction effect, where low-fertility line B hens receiving the high biotin level recorded respectively a 3.9 and 15.3% increase in avidin and AVR2 mRNA expression, although biotin did not affect these traits in line D hens. Control hens in line D had a dramatically higher AVR2 expression record (7.4-fold) compared with the control hens in line B. The correlation coefficients of fertility rate and avidin expression were 0.73 and 0.66 in lines B and D, respectively. However, the correlation of fertility and AVR2 (r=0.65) was significant for line D hens only. Overall, fertility rate and oviductal expression of avidin and AVR2 were dichotomously affected by oral biotin in low- and high-fertility line hens, where only low-fertility birds showed improvements in these attributes. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

An RFID-Based Smart Nest Box: An Experimental Study of Laying Performance and Behavior of Individual Hens

PubMed Central

Chen, Yu-Xian

2018-01-01

This study designed a radio-frequency identification (RFID)-based Internet of Things (IoT) platform to create the core of a smart nest box. At the sensing level, we have deployed RFID-based sensors and egg detection sensors. A low-frequency RFID reader is installed in the bottom of the nest box and a foot ring RFID tag is worn on the leg of individual hens. The RFID-based sensors detect when a hen enters or exits the nest box. The egg-detection sensors are implemented with a resistance strain gauge pressure sensor, which weights the egg in the egg-collection tube. Thus, the smart nest box makes it possible to analyze the laying performance and behavior of individual hens. An evaluative experiment was performed using an enriched cage, a smart nest box, web camera, and monitoring console. The hens were allowed 14 days to become accustomed to the experimental environment before monitoring began. The proposed IoT platform makes it possible to analyze the egg yield of individual hens in real time, thereby enabling the replacement of hens with egg yield below a pre-defined level in order to meet the overall target egg yield rate. The results of this experiment demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed RFID-based smart nest box in monitoring the egg yield and laying behavior of individual hens. PMID:29538334

An RFID-Based Smart Nest Box: An Experimental Study of Laying Performance and Behavior of Individual Hens.

PubMed

Chien, Ying-Ren; Chen, Yu-Xian

2018-03-14

This study designed a radio-frequency identification (RFID)-based Internet of Things (IoT) platform to create the core of a smart nest box. At the sensing level, we have deployed RFID-based sensors and egg detection sensors. A low-frequency RFID reader is installed in the bottom of the nest box and a foot ring RFID tag is worn on the leg of individual hens. The RFID-based sensors detect when a hen enters or exits the nest box. The egg-detection sensors are implemented with a resistance strain gauge pressure sensor, which weights the egg in the egg-collection tube. Thus, the smart nest box makes it possible to analyze the laying performance and behavior of individual hens. An evaluative experiment was performed using an enriched cage, a smart nest box, web camera, and monitoring console. The hens were allowed 14 days to become accustomed to the experimental environment before monitoring began. The proposed IoT platform makes it possible to analyze the egg yield of individual hens in real time, thereby enabling the replacement of hens with egg yield below a pre-defined level in order to meet the overall target egg yield rate. The results of this experiment demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed RFID-based smart nest box in monitoring the egg yield and laying behavior of individual hens.

No Evidence for Emotional Empathy in Chickens Observing Familiar Adult Conspecifics

PubMed Central

Edgar, Joanne L.; Paul, Elizabeth S.; Harris, Lauren; Penturn, Sarah; Nicol, Christine J.

2012-01-01

The capacity of animals to empathise is of high potential relevance to the welfare of group-housed domestic animals. Emotional empathy is a multifaceted and multilayered phenomenon which ranges from relatively simple processes such as emotional matching behaviour to more complex processes involving interaction between emotional and cognitive perspective taking systems. Our previous research has demonstrated that hens show clear behavioural and physiological responses to the mild distress of their chicks. To investigate whether this capacity exists outside the mother/offspring bond, we conducted a similar experiment in which domestic hens were exposed to the mild distress of unrelated, but familiar adult conspecifics. Each observer hen was exposed to two replicates of four conditions, in counterbalanced order; control (C); control with noise of air puff (CN); air puff to conspecific hen (APC); air puff to observer hen (APH). During each test, the observer hens' behaviour and physiology were measured throughout a 10 min pre-treatment and a 10 min treatment period. Despite showing signs of distress in response to an aversive stimulus directed at themselves (APH), and using methodology sufficiently sensitive to detect empathy-like responses previously, observer hens showed no behavioural or physiological responses to the mild distress of a familiar adult conspecific. The lack of behavioural and physiological response indicates that hens show no basis for emotional empathy in this context. PMID:22348100

Effect of housing environment on laying hen meat quality: Assessing Pectoralis major pH, colour and tenderness in three strains of 80-81 week-old layers housed in conventional and furnished cages.

PubMed

Frizzell, K M; Lynch, E; Rathgeber, B M; Dixon, W T; Putman, C T; Jendral, M J

2017-02-01

1. Meat quality is affected by factors such as stress, genetic strain and activity and is determined in part by measures of pH, colour and tenderness. In conventional laying hen cages (CC), lack of physical space and inability to perform highly motivated behaviours leads to stress and inactivity. Furnished cages (FCs) permit expression of highly motivated behaviours, but typically house larger group sizes than CC, thereby contributing to social stress. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of CC and FC laying hen housing environments and strain differences on meat quality of 80-81-week-old birds. 2. Pectoralis major meat quality was assessed for two flocks of Shaver White (SH), Lohmann Lite (LL) and Lohmann Brown (LB) hens housed in either 5-hen CC or 40-hen FC. Between 80 and 81 weeks, muscle samples were collected from randomly selected hens and analysed for muscle pH, colour and shear force (SF) using established methods. 3. In both flocks, the combined treatment body weights (BWs) were higher for CC than FC hens and the combined strain BWs were higher for LB than LL and SH hens. Flock 1 LB had lower initial and ultimate pH than SH and LL, and greater pH decline than SH. Muscle redness (a*) was higher for CC SH than FC SH in both flocks. Muscle a* was higher for LL than SH and LB in Flock 1, and higher than SH in Flock 2. Housing differences in muscle SF were absent. In CC, SF was higher for SH than LL and LB in Flock 1, and higher than LB in Flock 2. 4. Lack of housing differences suggests that environmental stressors present in both housing systems similarly affected meat quality. Strain differences for muscle pH, a* and SF indicate increased stress experienced by SH and LL hens. The absence of Flock 2 strain differences is consistent with the cannibalism outbreak that occurred in this flock and most severely impacted LB hens.

Production of Bio-omega-3 eggs through the supplementation of extruded flaxseed meal in hen diet.

PubMed

Imran, Muhammad; Anjum, Faqir Muhammad; Nadeem, Muhammad; Ahmad, Nazir; Khan, Muhammad Kamran; Mushtaq, Zarina; Hussain, Shahzad

2015-10-09

The full-fat flaxseed meal has obtained relatively new flourished concept as staple chicken feedstuff for the production of designer eggs. However, unprocessed flaxseed also encloses well documented anti-nutritional factors which are associated with growth depression of laying hens. The present research work was carried out to evaluate the impact of full-fat extruded flaxseed meal supplemented diets on productivity performance of hens and production of modified ω-3 fatty acids-enriched eggs. The full-fat flaxseed meal was extruded at barrel exit temperature (140 °C), screw speed (160 rpm) and feed rate (25 kg/h) for reduction of anti-nutritional compounds. One hundred and sixty, Babcock hens (age 24 weeks old) were selected at random from a large flock and ten hens were placed in each of 16 wire-mesh pens. The experimental diets prepared by supplementation of extruded flaxseed at 10%, 20% and 30% level were fed to hens along with control. The extruded flaxseed contained 86% and 76% less hydrocyanic compounds and tannin, respectively than the initial material. The hens fed with control diet consumed more feed, possessed heavy body weight and showed higher egg production as compared to hens fed on extruded flaxseed supplemented diets. The loss in body weight and egg production was recorded less for hens fed on 10% extruded flaxseed supplemented diets as compared to those fed on 30% extruded flaxseed supplemented diets. None of the experimental diets resulted in significant increase or decrease the total lipids and cholesterol content in egg yolk of hens. The extruded flaxseed supplemented diets resulted in a significant improvement of α-linolenic and docosahexaenoic acid in egg yolk with a concomitant reduction in arachidonic acid. The sensory scores were assigned higher to control eggs. Increasing level of extruded flaxseed in experimental diets decreased the scores for all sensory attributes of eggs. The present study suggested that extruded flaxseed meal up to 20% can be supplemented in the diets of hens for maximum deposition of α-linolenic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in egg yolk with acceptable detrimental effects on egg traits.

Effects of drinking water treatment on susceptibility of laying hens to Salmonella enteritidis during forced molt.

PubMed

Kubena, L F; Byrd, J A; Moore, R W; Ricke, S C; Nisbet, D J

2005-02-01

Feed deprivation is used in the layer industry to induce molting and stimulate multiple egg-laying cycles in laying hens. Unfortunately, the stress involved increases susceptibility to Salmonella enteritidis (SE), the risk of SE-positive eggs, and incidence of SE in internal organs. Leghorn hens over 50 wk of age were divided into 4 treatment groups of 12 hens each in experiment 1 and 3 treatment groups of 12 hens in experiments 2 and 3; hens were placed in individual laying hen cages. Treatment groups were 1) nonmolted (NM) and received feed and distilled water for 9 d, 2) force molted by feed removal for 9 d and received distilled water, 3) force molted by feed removal for 9 d and received 0.5% lactic acid (LA) in distilled water. An additional group (4) in experiment 1 only was force molted by feed removal for 9 d and received 0.5% acetic acid in distilled water. Seven days before feed removal hens were exposed to an 8L:16D photoperiod, which was continued throughout the experiment. Individual hens among all treatments were challenged orally with 10(4) SE on d 4 of feed removal. When compared with the NM treatments, weight losses were significantly higher in the M treatments, regardless of water treatments. When compared with NM treatments, crop pH was significantly higher in the M treatment receiving distilled water. Crop pH was reduced to that of the NM controls by 0.5% acetic acid in the drinking water. No consistent significant changes were observed for volatile fatty acids. The number of hens positive for SE in crop and ceca after culture and the number of SE per crop and per gram of cecal contents were higher in the M treatments, when compared with the NM treatments, but there was no effect of addition of either of the acids to the drinking water. Additional research using different acid treatment regimens may provide a tool for reducing the incidence of SE in eggs and internal organs during and following molting of laying hens.

Effects of a premolt calcium and low-energy molt program on laying hen behavior and heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratios.

PubMed

Dickey, E R; Bregendahl, K; Stalder, K; Fitzgerald, R; Johnson, A K

2010-11-01

The objectives of this study were to compare the behaviors, postures, and heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (H:L) of laying hens housed in a cage system when offered a Ca premolt treatment and low-energy molt diets vs. a traditional feed withdrawal (FW) treatment during and after molt. A total of 144 Hy-Line W-36 hens (85 wk of age), housed 3 hens/cage (413 cm(2)/hen), were used. Hens were allotted to treatments according to a randomized complete block design, with the cage location and initial BW as the blocking criteria. Six treatments were compared in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement with 2 Ca premolt treatments (fine or coarse) and 3 low-energy molt diets (FW, soybean hulls, or wheat middlings). The 2 Ca premolt treatments differed only in Ca particle size (fine was 0.14 mm and coarse was 2.27 mm mean diameter). Two postures and 5 behaviors were recorded and H:L was measured. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS, with P < 0.05 considered significant. There were no differences in behaviors, postures, or H:L during the premolt baseline period. The Ca premolt treatment had no carryover effects during or after molt for behaviors or postures. During molt, hens in the FW treatment were more active, and they ate and drank less compared with hens fed soybean hulls or wheat middlings, but there were no differences in aggression, nonnutritive pecking, or sitting. Drinking and aggression during and after molt were not different, but hens postmolt engaged in more sitting and feeding and less activity, nonnutritive pecking, and preening compared with during molt. There were no differences in H:L during or after molt. In conclusion, a Ca premolt treatment did not affect the behavior of the laying hen. The low-energy molt diets did not adversely affect behavior compared with FW and did not increase H:L; therefore, they could be useful alternatives for inducing molt in laying hens.

Impact of commercial housing systems and nutrient and energy intake on laying hen performance and egg quality parameters1

PubMed Central

Karcher, D. M.; Jones, D. R.; Abdo, Z.; Zhao, Y.; Shepherd, T. A.; Xin, H.

2015-01-01

The US egg industry is exploring alternative housing systems for laying hens. However, limited published research related to cage-free aviary systems and enriched colony cages exists related to production, egg quality, and hen nutrition. The laying hen's nutritional requirements and resulting productivity are well established with the conventional cage system, but diminutive research is available in regards to alternative housing systems. The restrictions exist with limited availability of alternative housing systems in research settings and the considerable expense for increased bird numbers in a replicate due to alternative housing system design. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to evaluate the impact of nutrient and energy intake on production and egg quality parameters from laying hens housed at a commercial facility. Lohmann LSL laying hens were housed in three systems: enriched colony cage, cage-free aviary, and conventional cage at a single commercial facility. Daily production records were collected along with dietary changes during 15 production periods (28-d each). Eggs were analyzed for shell strength, shell thickness, Haugh unit, vitelline membrane properties, and egg solids each period. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) coupled with a principal components analysis (PCA) approach was utilized to assess the impact of nutritional changes on production parameters and monitored egg quality factors. The traits of hen-day production and mortality had a response only in the PCA 2 direction. This finds that as house temperature and Met intake increases, there is an inflection point at which hen-day egg production is negatively effected. Dietary changes more directly influenced shell parameters, vitelline membrane parameters, and egg total solids as opposed to laying hen housing system. Therefore, further research needs to be conducted in controlled research settings on laying hen nutrient and energy intake in the alternative housing systems and resulting impact on egg quality measures. PMID:25630672

Impact of commercial housing systems and nutrient and energy intake on laying hen performance and egg quality parameters.

PubMed

Karcher, D M; Jones, D R; Abdo, Z; Zhao, Y; Shepherd, T A; Xin, H

2015-03-01

The US egg industry is exploring alternative housing systems for laying hens. However, limited published research related to cage-free aviary systems and enriched colony cages exists related to production, egg quality, and hen nutrition. The laying hen's nutritional requirements and resulting productivity are well established with the conventional cage system, but diminutive research is available in regards to alternative housing systems. The restrictions exist with limited availability of alternative housing systems in research settings and the considerable expense for increased bird numbers in a replicate due to alternative housing system design. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to evaluate the impact of nutrient and energy intake on production and egg quality parameters from laying hens housed at a commercial facility. Lohmann LSL laying hens were housed in three systems: enriched colony cage, cage-free aviary, and conventional cage at a single commercial facility. Daily production records were collected along with dietary changes during 15 production periods (28-d each). Eggs were analyzed for shell strength, shell thickness, Haugh unit, vitelline membrane properties, and egg solids each period. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) coupled with a principal components analysis (PCA) approach was utilized to assess the impact of nutritional changes on production parameters and monitored egg quality factors. The traits of hen-day production and mortality had a response only in the PCA 2 direction. This finds that as house temperature and Met intake increases, there is an inflection point at which hen-day egg production is negatively effected. Dietary changes more directly influenced shell parameters, vitelline membrane parameters, and egg total solids as opposed to laying hen housing system. Therefore, further research needs to be conducted in controlled research settings on laying hen nutrient and energy intake in the alternative housing systems and resulting impact on egg quality measures. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Poultry Science Association.

Oral food desensitization in children with IgE-mediated hen's egg allergy: a new protocol with raw hen's egg.

PubMed

Meglio, Paolo; Giampietro, Paolo G; Carello, Rossella; Gabriele, Ida; Avitabile, Simona; Galli, Elena

2013-02-01

Hen's egg allergy affects young children and can cause severe allergic reactions. Avoidance results in dietary limitations and can affect the quality of life, especially in cases where potentially life-threatening reactions exist. Our objective was to desensitize children with moderate-severe IgE-mediated hen's egg allergy over a 6-month period, by introducing increasing and very gradual daily doses of raw hen's egg in order to enable the children to assume 25ml of this food, or to induce tolerance to the highest possible dose. The protocol foresaw the egg reintroduction in the home setting. In this randomized, controlled open study, 20 hen's egg allergic children (10 in the active group) were admitted. A convincing history or a positive double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge confirmed the diagnosis. Oral desensitization was performed with increasing doses starting from 0.27 mg of hen's egg proteins (1 drop of raw hen's egg diluted 1:100). We adopted an original, mathematically calculated protocol in order to ensure a constant, daily increment of doses. 8/10 children (80%) in the active group achieved the daily intake of 25ml over a 6-month period. One child (10%) could tolerate up to 2ml/day while another child (10%) failed the desensitization. Six months after enrolment only 2 children in the control group (20%) could tolerate hen's egg. We successfully desensitized 8/10 children with IgE-mediated hen's egg allergy in a 6-month period. The partial outcome in the child who could tolerate 2ml/day reduced the risk of severe reactions after unnoticed introduction of egg. A regular protocol that ensures a daily constant increase of doses helps to reduce possible adverse events, thus improving safety and effectiveness. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Dietary Supplementation with Chromium Picolinate Influences Serum Glucose and Immune Response of Brown-Egg Laying Hens.

PubMed

Zhang, Shumin; Sun, Xiaoming; Liao, Xiudong; Lu, Lin; Zhang, Liyang; Ma, Qiugang; Luo, Xugang

2018-01-29

To investigate the effect of chromium picolinate (CrPic) on egg production performance, egg quality, blood indices, and immune function of laying hens, 270 23-week-old Beijing Red brown-egg laying hens were randomly assigned to one of three treatments with six replicates of 15 birds per replicate for each treatment in a completely randomized design. Laying hens were fed a Cr-unsupplemented corn-soybean meal basal diet (control, containing 0.45 mg Cr/kg by analysis) or the basal diet supplemented with 0.4 or 0.6 mg Cr/kg from CrPic for 10 weeks. Laying hens fed diets supplemented with CrPic had a lower (P < 0.05) serum glucose (GLU) concentration and higher (P < 0.03) serum antibody titer against Newcastle disease than those fed the control diet at 33 weeks of age. However, supplemental CrPic had no effect (P > 0.05) on egg production and egg quality of brown-egg laying hens from 24 to 33 weeks of age. The results from this study indicated that supplemental CrPic decreased serum GLU and enhanced the immune function of brown-egg laying hens.

Moving GIS Research Indoors: Spatiotemporal Analysis of Agricultural Animals

PubMed Central

Daigle, Courtney L.; Banerjee, Debasmit; Montgomery, Robert A.; Biswas, Subir; Siegford, Janice M.

2014-01-01

A proof of concept applying wildlife ecology techniques to animal welfare science in intensive agricultural environments was conducted using non-cage laying hens. Studies of wildlife ecology regularly use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to assess wild animal movement and behavior within environments with relatively unlimited space and finite resources. However, rather than depicting landscapes, a GIS could be developed in animal production environments to provide insight into animal behavior as an indicator of animal welfare. We developed a GIS-based approach for studying agricultural animal behavior in an environment with finite space and unlimited resources. Concurrent data from wireless body-worn location tracking sensor and video-recording systems, which depicted spatially-explicit behavior of hens (135 hens/room) in two identical indoor enclosures, were collected. The spatial configuration of specific hen behaviors, variation in home range patterns, and variation in home range overlap show that individual hens respond to the same environment differently. Such information could catalyze management practice adjustments (e.g., modifying feeder design and/or location). Genetically-similar hens exhibited diverse behavioral and spatial patterns via a proof of concept approach enabling detailed examinations of individual non-cage laying hen behavior and welfare. PMID:25098421

Comparison of the characteristics in hen and quail corneas as experimental models of refractive surgery.

PubMed

Gonçalves, G C; Pérez-Merino, P; Martínez-García, M C; Barcía, A; Merayo-Loves, J

2016-07-01

To compare the histological, morphological and the biophysical measurements between hen and quail corneas, in order to determine which of them were better suited for use as an animal model for research into corneal refractive surgery. A study was performed using the biophysical measurements of the cornea (curvature, thickness, refraction, and axial length) of 20 animals (10 hens and 10 quails). The corneas were then prepared for histological analysis under microscopy light. The analysis showed that both groups have the same number of corneal layers as the human cornea and with an evident Bowman's layer. The thickness of the hen cornea and axial length of the eye, 225.3±18.4μm and 12.8±0.25mm, respectively, were larger than that of the quail (P<.01 and P<.001, respectively). The radius of curvature for the hen central cornea, 3.65±0.08mm, was greater than that for the quail (P<.001), but the refractive power of each cornea was similar. The proportion of total corneal thickness of the hen stroma, 82.6%, was more similar to that of the human than was the quail stroma, 72.5%. Within the hen stroma, the density of keratocytes, 8.57±1.49 per 5,000μm(2), was about half that in the quail stroma (P<.005). Because of the large size of the hen cornea, the stromal thickness and proportional similarity of the corneal layers with human cornea, the hen maybe better than the quail as an alternative species suitable for use in studies of corneal refractive surgery. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Oftalmología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

VEGFR2-Targeted Ultrasound Imaging Agent Enhances the Detection of Ovarian Tumors at Early Stage in Laying Hens, a Preclinical Model of Spontaneous Ovarian Cancer.

PubMed

Barua, Animesh; Yellapa, Aparna; Bahr, Janice M; Machado, Sergio A; Bitterman, Pincas; Basu, Sanjib; Sharma, Sameer; Abramowicz, Jacques S

2015-07-01

Tumor-associated neoangiogenesis (TAN) is an early event in ovarian cancer (OVCA) development. Increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) by TAN vessels presents a potential target for early detection by ultrasound imaging. The goal of this study was to examine the suitability of VEGFR2-targeted ultrasound contrast agents in detecting spontaneous OVCA in laying hens. Effects of VEGFR2-targeted contrast agents in enhancing the intensity of ultrasound imaging from spontaneous ovarian tumors in hens were examined in a cross-sectional study. Enhancement in the intensity of ultrasound imaging was determined before and after injection of VEGFR2-targeted contrast agents. All ultrasound images were digitally stored and analyzed off-line. Following scanning, ovarian tissues were collected and processed for histology and detection of VEGFR2-expressing microvessels. Enhancement in visualization of ovarian morphology was detected by gray-scale imaging following injection of VEGFR2-targeted contrast agents. Compared with pre-contrast, contrast imaging enhanced the intensities of ultrasound imaging significantly (p < 0.0001) irrespective of the pathological status of ovaries. In contrast to normal hens, the intensity of ultrasound imaging was significantly (p < 0.0001) higher in hens with early stage OVCA and increased further in hens with late stage OVCA. Higher intensities of ultrasound imaging in hens with OVCA were positively correlated with increased (p < 0.0001) frequencies of VEGFR2-expressing microvessels. The results of this study suggest that VEGFR2-targeted contrast agents enhance the visualization of spontaneous ovarian tumors in hens at early and late stages of OVCA. The laying hen may be a suitable model to test new imaging agents and develop targeted therapeutics. © The Author(s) 2014.

Dietary safflower phospholipid reduces liver lipids in laying hens.

PubMed

An, B K; Nishiyama, H; Tanaka, K; Ohtani, S; Iwata, T; Tsutsumi, K; Kasai, M

1997-05-01

This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of dietary safflower phospholipids (crude safflower phospholipid and purified safflower phospholipid) on performance and lipid metabolism of laying hens. Sixty-week-old Single Comb White Leghorn laying hens were divided into four groups of seven birds each, and were given one of four experimental diets containing 5% beef tallow (served as a control, tallow), a mixture of safflower oil and palm oil (SP-oil), crude safflower phospholipid (Saf-PLcrude), or purified safflower phospholipid (Saf-PL) for 7 wk. Egg production ratio and daily egg mass were significantly higher in hens fed Saf-PLcrude diets than in hens of the other diet groups. There were no significant differences in egg weight among groups. Liver cholesterol and triglyceride contents were significantly decreased in all treated groups as compared with the control. The activity of hepatic 3-hydroxy-3 methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase was the highest in hens fed the Saf-PLcrude diet. Serum esterified cholesterol concentration was decreased by feeding of SP-oil, Saf-PLcrude, or Saf-PL diets. Serum lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase activity was highest in hens fed the tallow diet. Excreta neutral steroid excretion was significantly increased in the Saf-PLcrude or Saf-PL diet groups, although acidic steroid excretion was not affected by dietary treatments. Total cholesterol, triglyceride, and phospholipid contents in egg yolks were not different for any dietary treatments. The fatty acid compositions of egg yolks from hens fed Saf-PLcrude diets were not different with those fed the SP-oil diet, although eggs of hens fed the Saf-PL diet showed lower total polyunsaturated fatty acids. These results suggest that dietary safflower phospholipids may be a valuable ingredient to layers for reducing liver triglycerides and serum cholesterol without any adverse effects.

Transmission of an H5N8-Subtype Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus from Infected Hens to Laid Eggs.

PubMed

Uchida, Yuko; Takemae, Nobuhiro; Tanikawa, Taichiro; Kanehira, Katsushi; Saito, Takehiko

2016-06-01

We showed here that an H5N8-subtype highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) was transmitted to both the internal contents and shells of eggs laid by white leghorn hens experimentally infected with the virus. Seven of eight HPAIV-infected hens laid eggs until 4 days postinoculation (dpi). The mean number of eggs laid per head daily decreased significantly from 0.58 before inoculation to 0.18 after viral inoculation. The virus was detected in the eggs laid by three of the seven hens. Viral transmission was detectable beginning on 3 dpi, and virus titers in tracheal and cloacal swabs from the hens that laid the contaminated eggs exceeded 2.9 log10 EID50. The level of viral replication and its timing when virus replicates enough to be detected in oviduct after virus inoculation appear to be key factors in the transmission of H5N8 HPAIV from infected hens to laid eggs.

Breath-by-breath analysis of expiratory gas concentration in chickens.

PubMed

Itabisashi, T

1981-01-01

Expiratory oxygen and carbon-dioxide concentration were analysed breath by breath in order to examine their wave forms in adult awake hens restrained in various postural positions, including supine, prone and sitting positions. Expired gas was collected at the nostril in almost all the hens. In the sitting position free from vocalization, feeding, drinking, panting, and restlessness, hens showed various forms of stable pattern of oxygen-gas curves. These forms were classified into three types, or the ascending, flat and descending types, with respect to the plateau inclination. The waves of carbon-dioxide were not always a mirror image of those of oxygen. The rate of occurrence of each type varied with the hen's postural position. The wave form was altered with the experimental body-rotation of the hen. When placed between the deflections of stable pattern, the episodes of wave deformation resembling that seen at the time of uneven pulmonary ventilation in mammals could frequently be observed in any hen's posture examined. Cardiogenic oscillation appeared on the plateau of expired-gas curves.

Investigations into an Outbreak of Botulism Caused by Clostridium botulinum Type C/D in Laying Hens.

PubMed

Skarin, Hanna; Lindgren, Ylva; Jansson, Désirée S

2015-06-01

This case report describes a recent botulism outbreak in commercial laying hens with a history of increased mortality and flaccid paralysis. Routine diagnostic gross examination and microscopy from seven hens were inconclusive, but botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) in peripheral blood was neutralized with both type C and type D antitoxins in the mouse bioassay. During a farm visit, 10 additional hens from a 34-wk-old flock on the farm were selected for clinical examination and further sampling. Nine hens were observed in sternal recumbency, with flaccid paralysis of the neck, drooping wings and tail, inability to escape, and bilateral ptosis, and one hen showed nonspecific clinical signs. Samples from cecum and liver were collected, and the gene coding for BoNT was detected by PCR in all 10 cecal samples and in four of the liver samples. Clostridium botulinum mosaic type C/D was isolated from 5 out of 10 hens from either cecum or liver, and the isolates were subjected to pulsed-field gel electrophoresis subtyping. All five isolates produced the same banding pattern, which was identical or showed >90% similarity to isolates from three different outbreaks on broiler farms in Sweden and Denmark during the 2007-10 period. However, they were clearly distinguishable from the predominantly reported pulsotype associated with avian botulism outbreaks in Europe. The authors are unaware of any previous report of C. botulinum mosaic type C/D isolates from laying hens.

Effect of prenatal temperature conditioning of laying hen embryos: Hatching, live performance and response to heat and cold stress during laying period.

PubMed

Kamanli, S; Durmuş, I; Yalçın, S; Yıldırım, U; Meral, Ö

2015-07-01

This study was designed to determine the effect of prenatal temperature conditioning on hatching and live performance of laying chickens, and response to heat and cold stress during laying period. A total of 3600 eggs obtained from ATAK-S brown parent stock were incubated at control (37.5°C, CONT-Inc), cyclic low (36.5°C/6h/d from 10 to 18d of incubation, LOW-Inc) or high (38.5°C/6h/d from 10-18d of incubation, HIGH-Inc) incubation temperatures. Hatched chicks per incubation temperature were reared under standard rearing conditions up to 26wk. From 27 to 30wk, hens from each incubation temperature were divided into 3 environmentally controlled rooms and reared at control (20±2°C, CONT-Room), low (12±2°C, COLDS) or high (32±2°C, HEATS) temperatures. Hatching performance, body weight, egg production, and plasma triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) levels and oxidant and antioxidant activities were evaluated. The highest hatchability was for LOW-Inc chicks while HIGH-Inc chick had similar hatchability to CONT-Inc. There was no effect of incubation temperatures on plasma MDA, GSH-Px, activities and T4 concentrations on day of hatch. LOW- Inc chicks had higher SOD activities and T3 concentrations compared to the other groups. Although chick weight was similar among incubation temperature groups, CONT-Inc chicks were heavier than those cyclic incubation temperature groups until 12wk of age. Incubation temperature had no effect on sexual maturity age and weight and egg production of laying hens. From 27 to 30wk, regardless of incubation temperature, HEATS hens lost weight from day 0 to 10, had the highest cloacal temperatures and lowest feed consumption and egg production while COLDS hens had the lowest cloacal temperatures. At day 5, T4 level was higher in LOW-Inc hens at COLDS but it was higher in HIGH-Inc hens at HEATS compared to CONT-Inc. These data may suggest a modification in thyroid activity of hens that were conditioned during the incubation period. Moreover under COLDS condition, SOD production of LOW-Inc hens was higher than those of CONT- and HIGH-Inc hens indicating an induction in antioxidant enzyme activity. Nonetheless, prenatal temperature conditioning of laying hen embryos had no advantage on laying performance of hens under temperature stress conditions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ranging Behaviour of Commercial Free-Range Laying Hens

PubMed Central

Chielo, Leonard Ikenna; Pike, Tom; Cooper, Jonathan

2016-01-01

Simple Summary Commercial free-range production has become a significant sector of the fresh egg market due to legislation banning conventional cages and consumer preference for products perceived as welfare friendly, as access to outdoor range can lead to welfare benefits such as greater freedom of movement and enhanced behavioural opportunities. This study investigated dispersal patterns, feather condition and activity of laying hens in three distinct zones of the range area; the apron area near shed; enriched zone 10–50 m from shed; and outer range beyond 50 m, in six flocks of laying hens under commercial free-range conditions varying in size between 4000 and 24,000 hens. Each flock was visited for four days to record number of hens in each zone, their behaviour, feather condition and nearest neighbour distances (NND), as well as record temperature and relative humidity during the visit. Temperature and relative humidity varied across the study period in line with seasonal variations and influenced the use of range with fewer hens out of shed as temperature fell or relative humidity rose. On average, 12.5% of the hens were observed on the range and most of these hens were recorded in the apron zone as hen density decreased rapidly with increasing distance from the shed. Larger flocks appeared to have a lower proportion of hens on range. The hens used the range more in the early morning followed by a progressive decrease through to early afternoon. The NND was greatest in the outer range and decreased towards the shed. Feather condition was generally good and hens observed in the outer range had the best overall feather condition. Standing, pecking, walking and foraging were the most commonly recorded behaviours and of these, standing occurred most in the apron whereas walking and foraging behaviours were recorded most in the outer range. This study supported the findings of previous studies that reported few hens in the range and greater use of areas closer to the shed in free-range flocks. This study suggests that hens in the outer range engaged more in walking and foraging activities and showed signs of better welfare than those closer to the shed. Abstract In this study, the range use and behaviour of laying hens in commercial free-range flocks was explored. Six flocks were each visited on four separate days and data collected from their outdoor area (divided into zones based on distance from shed and available resources). These were: apron (0–10 m from shed normally without cover or other enrichments); enriched belt (10–50 m from shed where resources such as manmade cover, saplings and dust baths were provided); and outer range (beyond 50 m from shed with no cover and mainly grass pasture). Data collection consisted of counting the number of hens in each zone and recording behaviour, feather condition and nearest neighbour distance (NND) of 20 birds per zone on each visit day. In addition, we used techniques derived from ecological surveys to establish four transects perpendicular to the shed, running through the apron, enriched belt and outer range. Number of hens in each 10 m × 10 m quadrat was recorded four times per day as was the temperature and relative humidity of the outer range. On average, 12.5% of hens were found outside. Of these, 5.4% were found in the apron; 4.3% in the enriched zone; and 2.8% were in the outer range. This pattern was supported by data from quadrats, where the density of hens sharply dropped with increasing distance from shed. Consequently, NND was greatest in the outer range, least in the apron and intermediate in the enriched belt. Hens sampled in outer range and enriched belts had better feather condition than those from the apron. Standing, ground pecking, walking and foraging were the most commonly recorded activities with standing and pecking most likely to occur in the apron, and walking and foraging more common in the outer range. Use of the outer range declined with lower temperatures and increasing relative humidity, though use of apron and enriched belt was not affected by variation in these measures. These data support previous findings that outer range areas tend to be under-utilized in commercial free-range flocks and suggest positive relationships between range use, feather condition and increased behavioural opportunities and decline in the use of range in cold and/or damp conditions. PMID:27128946

Microbiological impact of three commercial laying hen housing systems

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Hen housing for commercial egg production continues to be a societal and regulatory concern. Controlled studies have examined various aspects of egg safety but a comprehensive assessment of commercial hen housing systems in the US has not been conducted. The current study is part of a holistic, mu...

A Survey of Home Enteral Nutrition Practices and Reimbursement in the Asia Pacific Region

PubMed Central

Banks, Merrilyn D.

2018-01-01

Literature regarding the use of home enteral nutrition (HEN) and how it is reimbursed in the Asia Pacific region is limited. This research survey aims to determine the availability of HEN, the type of feeds and enteral access used, national reimbursement policies, the presence of nutrition support teams (NSTs), and clinical nutrition education in this region. An electronic questionnaire was sent to 20 clinical nutrition societies and leaders in the Asia Pacific region in August 2017, where thirteen countries responded. Comparison of HEN reimbursement and practice between countries of different income groups based on the World Bank’s data was investigated. Financial support for HEN is only available in 40% of the countries. An association was found between availability of financial support for HEN and health expenditure (r = 0.63, p = 0.021). High and middle-upper income countries use mainly commercial supplements for HEN, while lower-middle income countries use mainly blenderized diet. The presence of NSTs is limited, and only present mainly in acute settings. Sixty percent of the countries indicated an urgent need for funding and reimbursement of HEN. This survey demonstrates the varied clinical and economic situation in the Asia Pacific region. There is a lack of reimbursement, clinical support, and inadequate educational opportunities, especially for the lower-middle income countries. PMID:29443950

Nutritional quality of eggs from hens fed distillers dried grains with solubles.

PubMed

Trupia, S; Winkler-Moser, J K; Guney, A C; Beckstead, R; Chen, C-Y O

2016-11-01

A feeding trial was conducted with laying hens where either 10% or 20% regular-fat distiller's dried grains with solubles (R-DDGS) or low-fat DDGS (L-DDGS) were incorporated into the feed. Production parameters and the effect of DDGS on egg nutritional quality, focusing on yolk lipids, were evaluated. Neither R-DDGS nor L-DDGS at up to 20% of laying hen feeds had a statistically significant impact on hen weight gain, egg production, feed intake, feed efficiency, egg mass, or egg weight. Specific gravity was slightly lower for eggs from hens fed 10% R-DDGS or 20% L-DDGS. Eggs from layers fed DDGS had enhanced levels of tocopherols, tocotrienols, and xanthophylls in the yolk, as well as also increased yolk yellow and red color. Eggs from L-DDGS diet had higher tocopherol content, but eggs from R-DDGS diets had higher xanthophylls. Fatty acid composition in eggs was slightly altered by DDGS, but the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids was very similar. Feeding DDGS to layer hens had no effect on lecithin or cholesterol content of the eggs. Thus, inclusion of DDGS in the diet of laying hens resulted in increases of several beneficial lipophilic nutrients in egg yolks with no apparent detrimental effects. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Reproductive responses of white leghorn hens to graded concentrations of mercuric chloride

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hill, E.F.; Shaffner, C.S.

1974-01-01

White Leghorn hens were maintained on diets containing 0, 4, 12 or 36 p.p.m. Hg as HgCl2 from hatching in an effort to confirm (with a second species) our previously reported effects on Japanese quail reproduction. In the quail study both onset of laying and rate of egg production were accelerated by 16 and 32 p.p.m. Hg as HgCl2, but ferti ity was depressed. After 1 year on diets containing HgCl2 none of the Leghorn hens manifested any observed signs of Hg poisoning. Hens fed 4 or 12 p.p.m. Hg began ovipositing an average of 10 days earlier than the controls (P < 0.05). Young hens (< 9 months old) fed 4 or 12 p.p.m. Hg laid significantly more eggs per hen-day than did either controls or those fed 36 p.p.m. Hg. Beyond 9 months of age there were no perceptible differences in rate of egg production among the treatments. These findings support our quail results. When the hens were inseminated with pooled semen from untreated roosters fertility, embryonic development and hatchability appeared to be unaffected by the treatments. This contrasts with our previous experiment with quail in which both sexes were fed HgCl2.

Reproductive performance and oviductal expression of avidin and avidin-related protein-2 in young and old broiler breeder hens orally exposed to supplementary biotin.

PubMed

Daryabari, H; Akhlaghi, A; Zamiri, M J; Mianji, G Rahimi; Pirsaraei, Z Ansari; Deldar, H; Eghbalian, A N

2014-09-01

Published data on the probable involvement of avidin and avidin-related protein-2 (AVR2) in sustaining sperm viability in sperm storage tubules in 38-wk-old turkeys, and the high affinity of avidin or its analogs to biotin suggest that supplementary biotin may increase oviductal avidin and AVR2 expression, thereby attenuating the adverse effect of aging on hen reproductive performance. Broiler breeder hens (n = 120) were randomly assigned to receive 0 (T0), 0.30 (T1), or 0.45 (T2) mg of biotin/L of drinking water from 30 to 33 (young) and 53 to 56 (old) wk of age, and artificially inseminated to determine their reproductive performance. At the end of each period of biotin administration, 8 hens from each treatment group were killed for RNA extraction from the uterovaginal junction. Egg production was lower in the old hens (44%) compared with the young ones (82%), and biotin supplementation increased egg production only in the latter. Administering supplementary biotin to young hens increased their oviductal expression of AVR2, which was much higher in the old hens (1.0 and 4.6 for young and old groups, respectively). Fertility rate was not different between young and old hens, and was increased (4.4%) at the higher level of biotin supplementation. Hatchability and hatchling quality were not affected by biotin supplementation. Embryonic mortality between 17 to 21 d of incubation was higher in young (5.2%) compared with old (1.4%) birds. Egg fertility rate showed a moderate correlation (P < 0.05) with avidin (r = 0.59) and AVR2 (r = 0.55) expression in the young-age group, and very low correlations in old-age group (0.04 and 0.17). Regardless of the hen's age, the correlation coefficient of hatchability with avidin or AVR2 expression was very low (-0.16 and 0.18). Overall, the effect of biotin supplementation on AVR2 expression, and the relationship between biotin administration and oviductal expression of avidin and AVR2 was dependent on the hen's age, being higher in the young hens. © 2014 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Effect of dosage and application mode of L-carnitine on plasma lipid and egg-yolk cholesterol of turkeys, hatchability of eggs and post-hatch growth of their offsprings.

PubMed

Oso, A O; Fafiolu, A O; Adeleke, M A; Ladokun, O A; Sobayo, R A; Jegede, A V; Peters, S O; Oyebamiji, O A; Akinsola, J

2014-08-01

The effect of dosage and application mode of L-carnitine on plasma lipid and egg-yolk cholesterol of breeder turkeys, hatchability of eggs and post-hatch growth response was investigated using 180 breeder hens. The hens were assigned to six dietary treatments in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangements of two application modes of L-carnitine (diet and drinking water) supplemented at 0, 50 and 100 ppm (mg/kg or mg/l) levels, respectively. Each treatment was replicated five times with six hens per replicate. Dietary inclusion of 50 ppm L-carnitine showed the lowest (p < 0.01) plasma total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein concentration (LDL). Breeder hens offered 50 ppm L-carnitine with no regard to application mode recorded the highest (p < 0.01) plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Hens offered 50 and 100 ppm L-carnitine irrespective of application mode also showed reduced (p < 0.01) egg-yolk TC concentration at 32 weeks of age. Dietary supplementation of 50 ppm L-carnitine for breeder turkeys recorded the lowest (p < 0.01) egg-yolk triglyceride (TG) at 40 weeks of age. Hens offered 50 ppm L-carnitine irrespective of application mode recorded the highest (p < 0.05) hen-day egg production. Incidence of dead-in-shell also reduced (p < 0.05) with increasing dosage of L-carnitine. Dietary supplementation of 50 ppm and oral application in drinking water of 100 ppm L-carnitine for breeder turkeys resulted in highest (p < 0.05) egg fertility. Offsprings from breeder hens fed diets supplemented with L-carnitine recorded no post-hatch mortality. Highest (p < 0.05) post-hatch final live weight and weight gain was obtained with poults obtained from hens fed diet supplemented with 50 ppm L-carnitine. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of 50 ppm L-carnitine for turkey hens showed improved serum lipid profile, egg fertility, reduced dead-in-shell, egg-yolk cholesterol and resulted in improved post-hatch growth performance.

Porous concrete block as an environmental enrichment device increases activity of laying hens in cages.

PubMed

Holcman, A; Gorjanc, G; Stuhec, I

2008-09-01

The purpose of this study was to consider the influence of simple and cheap environmental enrichment such as porous concrete on the behavior of laying hens in conventional cages. Forty brown laying hens were housed in individual wire mesh cages: 20 in experimental cages with porous concrete block provided for pecking and 20 in a control group without concrete block provided. Porous concrete block (5 cm length x 5 cm width x 5 cm height) was mounted on the side wall at the height of the hen's head. Behavior was studied from 42 to 48 wk of age. A group of 8 hens was filmed for 24 h, and the camera was moved each day so that all 40 hens were recorded over 5 d each wk. Videotaping was performed in wk 1, 3, 5, and 7 of the experiment. States (long-term behavior) were observed with 5-min interval recording (feeding, preening, resting, and remaining inactive), whereas events (short-term activities) were observed with instantaneous recording (drinking, pecking concrete, pecking neighbors, pecking cage, and attempting to escape). Data were analyzed with generalized linear mixed model with binomial distribution for states, and Poisson distribution for events. Monte Carlo Markov Chain methods were used to estimate model parameters. Because posterior distributions of quantities of interest were skewed, medians and standard errors are reported. Hens in experimental cages were more active in long-term behavior than controls (64.9 +/- 1.9 and 59.3 +/- 1.9% of the light period, respectively). Correspondingly, hens in the control group showed more long-term inactivity. In addition to pecking the porous concrete block, hens in experimental cages also showed other short-term activities with greater frequency (4.10 +/- 0.31 and 3.51 +/- 0.25 events per h, respectively). Our hypothesis that hens in enriched cages would have a greater level of activity was confirmed. Provision of a piece of porous concrete block as a pecking substrate enriched the environment of the birds at negligible cost.

Hen genetic strain and extended cold storage influence on physical egg quality from cage-free aviary housing system.

PubMed

Jones, D R; Karcher, D M; Regmi, P; Robison, C O; Gast, R K

2018-04-02

In the United States, there is an increase in need for cage-free eggs in retail and food manufacturing sectors. Understanding the impact of cage-free systems and the corresponding management on egg quality is pertinent as the U.S. industry adapts existing housing and builds new cage-free housing structures. A study was conducted comparing 2 brown shell and 2 white shell hen strains housed in a cage-free aviary system. Each set of eggs were placed in cold storage and assessed at 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12 wk. Eggs were collected at 21, 31, 42, and 60 wk of hen age. A full profile of physical quality measurements was conducted on up to 18 intact eggs for each hen strain/egg storage/hen age combination. Egg weight increased approximately 10 g for brown shell and 14 g for white shell eggs as hens aged. Many of the properties monitored were significantly impacted by all 3 main effects (hen strain, egg storage, and hen age) resulting in 3-way interactions. A brown and a white shell strain had stronger shells (44 N; P < 0.0001) than the remaining brown and white shell strains (42 N and 39 N, respectively). The current study also determined volume of shell, total length, maximum width, and percent length at maximum width to more accurately indicate egg shape than shape index. One brown shell strain produced eggs with the most consistent shape characteristics over the hen ages monitored. White shell eggs from the cage-free aviary housing produced the highest whole-egg total solids between 31 to 60 wk of hen age, whereas brown shell eggs resulted in the most consistent level of whole-egg total solids (22-23.5%). The brown and white shell strains in the current study produce cage-free aviary eggs with distinctive physical quality attributes. The outcomes from this study can be utilized by the U.S. egg industry in planning management strategies and market placement of cage-free eggs.

Aflatoxins, hydroxylated metabolites, and aflatoxicol from breast muscle of laying hens.

PubMed

Díaz-Zaragoza, M; Carvajal-Moreno, M; Méndez-Ramírez, I; Chilpa-Galván, N C; Avila-González, E; Flores-Ortiz, C M

2014-12-01

Aflatoxins (AF) are toxic fungal secondary metabolites that are pathological to animals and humans. This study identified and quantified AF (AFB(1), AFB(2), AFG(1), AFG(2)) and their hydroxylated metabolites (AFM(1), AFM(2), AFP(1)) and aflatoxicol (AFL) from laying hen breast muscles. Aflatoxins pass from cereal feed to the laying hen tissues, causing economic losses, and from there to humans. To detect the passage of AF from feed to hen breast muscle tissues, an experiment that included 25 Hy-Line W36 121-wk-old hens was performed for 8 d. Hens in individual cages were distributed into 3 groups: a control group, with feed free of AFB(1), and 2 experimental groups, with feed spiked with 2 AFB(1) dosages: 30 µg·kg(-1) (low) or 500 µg·kg(-1) (high). The daily feed consumption per hen was recorded and afterward hens were euthanized and breast muscles were collected, weighed, and dried individually. Aflatoxins were extracted by 2 chemical methods and quantified by HPLC. Both methods were validated by lineality (calibration curves), recovery percentage (>80%), limit of detection, and limit of quantification. The AF (µg·kg(-1)) averages recovered in control breast muscles were as follows: AFB(1) (18); AFG(1), AFM(2), and AFL (0); AFG(2) (1.3); AFM(1) (52), and AFP1 (79). Hens fed with feed spiked with 30 µg·kg(-1) of AFB(1) had AFG(1) (16); AFG(2) (72); AFM(1) (0); AFM(2) (18); AFP(1) (145); and AFL (5 µg·kg(-1)). Hens with feed spiked with 500 µg·kg(-1) of AFB(1) had AFG(1) (512); AFG(2) (7); AFM(1) (4,775); AFM(2) (0); AFP(1) (661); and AFL (21 µg·kg(-1)). The best AF extraction method was Qian and Yang's method, modified by adding additional AF from both Supelclean LC18 SPE columns; its limit of detection (0.5 ng·mL(-1)) was lower compared with that of Koeltzow and Tanner, which was 1 ng·mL(-1). ©2014 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Colonization of internal organs by Salmonella Enteritidis in experimentally infected laying hens housed in enriched colony cages at different stocking densities.

PubMed

Gast, Richard K; Guraya, Rupa; Jones, Deana R; Anderson, Kenneth E; Karcher, Darrin M

2016-06-01

Epidemiologic analyses have linked the frequency of human infections with Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Enteritidis to the consumption of contaminated eggs and thus to the prevalence of this pathogen in commercial egg-laying flocks. Contamination of the edible contents of eggs by Salmonella Enteritidis is a consequence of the colonization of reproductive tissues in systemically infected hens. The animal welfare implications of laying hen housing systems have been widely debated, but no definitive consensus has yet emerged about the food safety significance of poultry housing options. The present study sought to determine the effects of two different bird stocking densities on the invasion of internal organs by Salmonella Enteritidis in groups of experimentally infected laying hens housed in colony cages enriched with perching and nesting areas. In two trials, groups of laying hens were distributed at two different stocking densities into colony cages and (along with a group housed in conventional cages) orally inoculated with doses of 1.0 × 10(7) cfu of Salmonella Enteritidis. At 5 to 6 d post-inoculation, hens were euthanized and samples of internal organs were removed for bacteriologic culturing. For both trials combined, Salmonella Enteritidis was recovered at a significantly (P < 0.05) greater frequency from hens in enriched colony cages at the higher stocking density than at the lower density from livers (75.0% vs. 51.4%) and ovaries (51.4% vs. 30.6%). However, spleens from hens in enriched colony cages at the higher stocking density were significantly less often positive for Salmonella Enteritidis than from hens in conventional cages at that same density (90.3% vs. 68.1%). These results suggest that stocking density can influence the susceptibility of hens to Salmonella Enteritidis, but other housing systems parameters may also contribute to the outcome of infections. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Poultry Science Association 2016. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

Influence of sumac (Rhus Coriaria L.) and ginger (Zingiber officinale) on egg yolk fatty acid, cholesterol and blood parameters in laying hens.

PubMed

Gurbuz, Y; Salih, Y G

2017-12-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential effect of different levels of sumac (Rhus coriaria L.) seed powder and ginger (Zingiber officinale) root powder on egg yolk fatty acid composition, blood/yolk cholesterol in laying hen. A total of 63 (ATAK-S: Domestic Turkish Laying Hens) laying hens (average weight: 1470 g each hen, 25-weeks of age) were assigned to seven treatment diets including sumac seed (S) and ginger root powder (G) at 0 g/kg (control), 10 g/kg (S1), 20 g/kg (S2), and 30 g/kg (S3); 10 g/kg (G1), 20 g/kg (G2), or 30 g/kg in rations respectively, for 8 weeks. After a two-week adaptation period to cages, the hens were allocated to 7 groups with 9 replicates of 1 hen in per cage each. The replications were allotted equally into the upper and lower cages to minimize the effects of cage level. In this study, egg yolk cholesterol had a decrease (p <0.05) in supplemented diet( sumac seed and ginger root powder). Fatty acid content in yolk; saturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids and rate of n6/n3 were not significant (p <0.05). However, dietary supplementation with sumac and ginger powder reduced and yolk/blood cholesterol concentrations in laying hens. Supplementation of sumac and ginger affected on HDL, there was found a significant effect (p < 0.05) in treatment groups. Moreover, LDL positively decreased in all treatment groups compared with the control group. The findings of this study suggested that feeding sumac and ginger tend to be decreasing cholesterol levels in both yolk and blood on laying hens. It can be concluded that ginger root and sumac seed powder can be used as an effective feed additive to improve fatty acid composition and yolk and blood cholesterol in ATAK-S laying hens. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Effects of dietary organic chromium and vitamin C supplementation on performance, immune responses, blood metabolites, and stress status of laying hens subjected to high stocking density.

PubMed

Mirfendereski, E; Jahanian, R

2015-02-01

The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of chromium-methionine (CrMet) and vitamin C (VC) on performance, immune response, and stress status of laying hens subjected to high stocking density. A total of 360 Hy-Line W-36 leghorn hens (at 26 wk old) were used in a 2×3×2 factorial arrangement that had 2 cage densities (5 and 7 hens per cage), 3 Cr levels (0, 500, and 1,000 ppb as CrMet), and 2 dietary VC levels (0 and 500 ppm as L-ascorbic acid). The trial lasted for 12 wk. The first 2 wk were for adaptation (26 to 28 wk of age), and the remaining 10 wk served as the main recording period. In addition to performance, immune response to Newcastle disease virus (NDV) was assessed at d 7 and 14 postvaccination. Also, the birds' stress status was evaluated by analyzing appropriate plasma metabolites. The results showed that hens in cages with higher stocking density had lower hen-day egg production, egg mass, and feed intake compared with those in normal density cages (P<0.05). Dietary CrMet supplementation caused significant increases in egg production and egg mass (P<0.01). There were significant Cr × VC interactions related to egg production and feed conversion efficiency (P<0.01); dietary CrMet supplementation was more effective in improving egg production and feed conversion ratio in VC-unsupplemented diets. Although plasma concentrations of triglycerides and high-density lipoproteins were not influenced by dietary treatments, supplemental CrMet decreased plasma cholesterol levels (P<0.05). Plasma insulin and glucose levels of hens kept at a density of 7 hens/cage were significantly higher than those of hens in normal cage density (P<0.01), and dietary CrMet supplementation decreased plasma concentrations of insulin (P<0.001) and glucose (P<0.01), with higher impacts in high stocking density-challenged hens. While high stocking density caused a marked increase in plasma corticosterone (P<0.01), both supplemental CrMet and VC decreased it to near normal levels. There were significant stocking density×Cr interactions related to plasma insulin and corticosterone concentrations (P<0.01); supplemental CrMet was more effective in lowering these hormones in high stocking density-challenged hens. The high stocking density challenge suppressed NDV antibody response (P<0.001), while dietary supplementation of CrMet improved antibody titers against NDV at d 14 post vaccination particularly in hens kept at a density of 7 hens/cage (P<0.01). From the present observations, it can be concluded that CrMet can improve laying performance largely because it alleviates harmful responses to stressful conditions. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Differential pituitary response to GNRH and GNIH in low and high egg producing turkey hens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Turkey hens with low egg production have a negative economic impact on the industry as these hens produce fewer poults yet cost the same to maintain as their high egg-producing counterparts. Egg production begins with the secretion of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GNRH) from the hypothalamus caus...

Betaine does not improve performance of laying hens when the diet contains adequate choline.

PubMed

Harms, R H; Russell, G B

2002-01-01

An experiment was conducted with Hy-Line W36 hens to determine possible benefits from adding betaine to the diet of commercial laying hens. There was no benefit from the substitution of betaine for choline as measured by egg production, egg weight, egg content, or weight gain.

Onion consumption and bone density in laying hens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Onion and its flavonoid component, quercetin, are associated with increased bone density in humans, rabbits, and rodents. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a similar effect of onion on laying hens. Thirty-two Hy-line W36 White Leghorn hens at 30 weeks of age were randomly d...

Transfer of stimulus control from a TFT to CRT screen.

PubMed

Railton, Renee Caron Richards; Foster, T Mary; Temple, William

2010-10-01

The use of television and computer screens for presenting stimuli to animals is increasing as it is non-invasive and can provide precise control over stimuli. Past studies have used cathode ray tube (CRT) screens; however, there is some evidence that these give different results to non-flickering thin film transistor (TFT) screens. Hens' critical flicker fusion frequency ranges between 80 and 90 Hz--above standard CRT screens. Thus, stimuli presented on CRT screens may appear distorted to hens. This study aimed to investigate whether changing the flicker rate of CRT screens altered hens' discrimination. Hens were trained (in a conditional discrimination) to discriminate between two stimuli on a TFT (flickerless) screen, and tested with the stimuli on a CRT screen at four flicker rates (60, 75, 85, and 100 Hz). The hens' accuracy generally decreased as the refresh rate of the CRT screen decreased. These results imply that the change in flicker rate changed the appearance of the stimuli enough to affect the hens' discrimination and stimulus control is disrupted when the stimuli appear to flicker. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Probing the substrate specificity of the bacterial Pnkp/Hen1 RNA repair system using synthetic RNAs

PubMed Central

Zhang, Can; Chan, Chio Mui; Wang, Pei; Huang, Raven H.

2012-01-01

Ribotoxins cleave essential RNAs involved in protein synthesis as a strategy for cell killing. RNA repair systems exist in nature to counteract the lethal actions of ribotoxins, as first demonstrated by the RNA repair system from bacteriophage T4 25 yr ago. Recently, we found that two bacterial proteins, named Pnkp and Hen1, form a stable complex and are able to repair ribotoxin-cleaved tRNAs in vitro. However, unlike the well-studied T4 RNA repair system, the natural RNA substrates of the bacterial Pnkp/Hen1 RNA repair system are unknown. Here we present comprehensive RNA repair assays with the recombinant Pnkp/Hen1 proteins from Anabaena variabilis using a total of 33 different RNAs as substrates that might mimic various damaged forms of RNAs present in living cells. We found that unlike the RNA repair system from bacteriophage T4, the bacterial Pnkp/Hen1 RNA repair system exhibits broad substrate specificity. Based on the experimental data presented here, a model of preferred RNA substrates of the Pnkp/Hen1 repair system is proposed. PMID:22190744

On the size and structure of helium snowballs formed around charged atoms and clusters of noble gases.

PubMed

Bartl, Peter; Leidlmair, Christian; Denifl, Stephan; Scheier, Paul; Echt, Olof

2014-09-18

Helium nanodroplets doped with argon, krypton, or xenon are ionized by electrons and analyzed in a mass spectrometer. HenNgx(+) ions containing up to seven noble gas (Ng) atoms and dozens of helium atoms are identified; the high resolution of the mass spectrometer combined with advanced data analysis make it possible to unscramble contributions from isotopologues that have the same nominal mass but different numbers of helium or Ng atoms, such as the magic He20(84)Kr2(+) and the isobaric, nonmagic He41(84)Kr(+). Anomalies in these ion abundances reveal particularly stable ions; several intriguing patterns emerge. Perhaps most astounding are the results for HenAr(+), which show evidence for three distinct, solid-like solvation shells containing 12, 20, and 12 helium atoms. This observation runs counter to the common notion that only the first solvation shell is solid-like but agrees with calculations by Galli et al. for HenNa(+) [J. Phys. Chem. A 2011, 115, 7300] that reveal three shells of icosahedral symmetry. HenArx(+) (2 ≤ x ≤ 7) ions appear to be especially stable if they contain a total of n + x = 19 atoms. A sequence of anomalies in the abundance distribution of HenKrx(+) suggests that rings of six helium atoms are inserted into the solvation shell each time a krypton atom is added to the ionic core, from Kr(+) to Kr3(+). Previously reported strong anomalies at He12Kr2(+) and He12Kr3(+) [Kim , J. H.; et al. J. Chem. Phys. 2006, 124, 214301] are attributed to a contamination. Only minor local anomalies appear in the distributions of HenXex(+) (x ≤ 3). The distributions of HenKr(+) and HenXe(+) show strikingly similar, broad features that are absent from the distribution of HenAr(+); differences are tentatively ascribed to the very different fragmentation dynamics of these ions.

Opinion of Belgian Egg Farmers on Hen Welfare and Its Relationship with Housing Type

PubMed Central

Stadig, Lisanne M.; Ampe, Bart A.; Van Gansbeke, Suzy; Van den Bogaert, Tom; D’Haenens, Evelien; Heerkens, Jasper L.T.; Tuyttens, Frank A.M.

2015-01-01

Simple Summary Until 2012, laying hens in the EU were often housed in conventional cages that offered limited space and few opportunities to perform highly motivated behaviors. Conventional cages are now banned in the EU in order to improve animal welfare. In this study, egg farmers were surveyed (winter 2013–2014) to assess whether they perceived any changes in animal welfare since changing housing systems, what role hen welfare played in choosing a new housing system, and which aspects of hen welfare they find most important. The data show that the answers differ depending on which housing system the farmers currently use and whether they had used conventional cages in the past. Abstract As of 2012, the EU has banned the use of conventional cages (CC) for laying hens, causing a shift in housing systems. This study’s aim was to gain insight into farmers’ opinions on hen health and welfare in their current housing systems. A survey was sent to 218 Belgian egg farmers, of which 127 (58.3%) responded, with 84 still active as egg farmer. Hen welfare tended to be less important in choosing the housing system for farmers with cage than with non-cage systems. Respondents currently using cage systems were more satisfied with hen health than respondents with non-cage systems. Reported mortality increased with farm size and was higher in furnished cages than in floor housing. Feather pecking, cannibalism, smothering and mortality were perceived to be higher in current housing systems than in CC, but only by respondents who shifted to non-cage systems from previously having had CC. Health- and production-related parameters were scored to be more important for hen welfare as compared to behavior-related parameters. Those without CC in the past rated factors relating to natural behavior to be more important for welfare than those with CC. This difference in opinion based on farmer backgrounds should be taken into account in future research. PMID:26703742

On the Size and Structure of Helium Snowballs Formed around Charged Atoms and Clusters of Noble Gases

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Helium nanodroplets doped with argon, krypton, or xenon are ionized by electrons and analyzed in a mass spectrometer. HenNgx+ ions containing up to seven noble gas (Ng) atoms and dozens of helium atoms are identified; the high resolution of the mass spectrometer combined with advanced data analysis make it possible to unscramble contributions from isotopologues that have the same nominal mass but different numbers of helium or Ng atoms, such as the magic He2084Kr2+ and the isobaric, nonmagic He4184Kr+. Anomalies in these ion abundances reveal particularly stable ions; several intriguing patterns emerge. Perhaps most astounding are the results for HenAr+, which show evidence for three distinct, solid-like solvation shells containing 12, 20, and 12 helium atoms. This observation runs counter to the common notion that only the first solvation shell is solid-like but agrees with calculations by Galli et al. for HenNa+ [J. Phys. Chem. A2011, 115, 730021568337] that reveal three shells of icosahedral symmetry. HenArx+ (2 ≤ x ≤ 7) ions appear to be especially stable if they contain a total of n + x = 19 atoms. A sequence of anomalies in the abundance distribution of HenKrx+ suggests that rings of six helium atoms are inserted into the solvation shell each time a krypton atom is added to the ionic core, from Kr+ to Kr3+. Previously reported strong anomalies at He12Kr2+ and He12Kr3+ [KimJ. H.; et al. J. Chem. Phys.2006, 124, 21430116774401] are attributed to a contamination. Only minor local anomalies appear in the distributions of HenXex+ (x ≤ 3). The distributions of HenKr+ and HenXe+ show strikingly similar, broad features that are absent from the distribution of HenAr+; differences are tentatively ascribed to the very different fragmentation dynamics of these ions. PMID:24128371

Effect of coronavirus infection on reproductive performance of turkey hens.

PubMed

Awe, Olusegun O; Ali, Ahmed; Elaish, Mohamed; Ibrahim, Mahmoud; Murgia, Maria; Pantin-Jackwood, Mary; Saif, Yehia M; Lee, Chang-Won

2013-09-01

Turkey coronavirus (TCoV) infection causes enteritis in turkeys of varying ages with high mortality in young birds. In older birds, field evidence indicates the possible involvement of TCoV in egg-production drops in turkey hens. However, no experimental studies have been conducted to demonstrate TCoV pathogenesis in turkey hens and its effect on reproductive performance. In the present study, we assessed the possible effect of TCoV on the reproductive performance of experimentally infected turkey hens. In two separate trials, 29- to 30-wk-old turkey hens in peak egg production were either mock-infected or inoculated orally with TCoV (Indiana strain). Cloacal swabs and intestinal and reproductive tissues were collected and standard reverse-transcription PCR was conducted to detect TCoV RNA. In the cloacal swabs, TCoV was detected consistently at 3, 5, 7, and 12 days postinoculation (DPI) with higher rates of detection after 5 DPI (> 90%). All intestinal samples were also positive for TCoV at 7 DPI, and microscopic lesions consisting of severe enteritis with villous atrophy were observed in the duodenum and jejunum of TCoV-infected hens. In one of the trials TCoV was detected from the oviduct of two birds at 7 DPI; however, no or mild microscopic lesions were present. In both experimental trials an average of 28%-29% drop in egg production was observed in TCoV-infected turkey hens between 4 and 7 DPI. In a separate trial we also confirmed that TCoV can efficiently transmit from infected to contact control hens. Our results show that TCoV infection can affect the reproductive performance in turkey hens, causing a transient drop in egg production. This drop in egg production most likely occurred as consequence of the severe enteritis produced by the TCoV. However, the potential replication of TCoV in the oviduct and its effect on pathogenesis should be considered and further investigated.

High seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and probability of detecting tissue cysts in backyard laying hens compared with hens from large free-range farms.

PubMed

Schares, G; Bangoura, B; Randau, F; Goroll, T; Ludewig, M; Maksimov, P; Matzkeit, B; Sens, M; Bärwald, A; Conraths, F J; Opsteegh, M; Van der Giessen, J

2017-10-01

Serological assays are commonly used to determine the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in livestock, but the predictive value of seropositivity with respect to the presence of infective tissue cysts is less clear. The present study aimed at the identification of seropositive and seronegative free-range laying hens from organic and backyard farms, and the relationship with the presence of viable tissue cysts. In addition, potential risk and protective factors on the selected farms were investigated. An in-house T. gondii surface antigen (TgSAG1, p30, SRS29B) ELISA was validated with sera from experimentally infected chickens and used to examine 470 serum samples collected from laying hens from large organic and small backyard farms at the end of their laying period. A total of 11.7% (55/470) of all chickens tested positive, and another 18.9% (89/470) of test results were inconclusive. The highest seroprevalences were observed on small backyard farms with 47.7% (41/86) of chickens being seropositive while another 20.9% (18/86) of test results were inconclusive. Twenty-nine seropositive, 20 seronegative and 12 laying hens which yielded inconclusive ELISA results, were selected for further examination. Hearts and limb muscles of these hens were examined for T. gondii tissue cysts in a bioassay with IFNɣ-knockout or IFNɣ-receptor-knockout mice. Viable T. gondii was isolated from 75.9% (22/29) of the seropositive, 25.0% (3/12) of the inconclusive, and 5.0% (1/20) of the seronegative chickens. All 26 chickens tested positive in heart samples, while drumstick muscles (i.e. limb muscles) tested positive only in three. Data on putative risk and protective factors were collected on the farms using a standard questionnaire. Generalised multilevel modelling revealed farm size, cat related factors ('cats on the premise', 'cats used for rodent control'), hen house/hall related factors ('size category of hen house/hall', 'frequency category of cleaning hen house/hall', 'service period') as significantly associated with seropositivity to T. gondii in hens. The final model, which included the age of the birds as an effect modifier and farm as a random effect variable, revealed that the use of cats for rodent control and an area available per hen in the chicken run of ≥10sqm were statistically significant risk factors for T. gondii seropositivity. Overall this study showed that exposure to T. gondii is common in small backyard farms but is rare on large organic farms with a high density of free-range hens, even when cats were present on the premises. Copyright © 2017 Australian Society for Parasitology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors influencing wild turkey hen survival in southcentral Iowa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hubbard, M.W.; Garner, D.L.; Klaas, E.E.

1999-01-01

A decline in the population of eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) in southcentral Iowa necessitated more current estimates of population parameters. Survival of 126 eastern wild turkey hens in southcentral Iowa was investigated during 1993-96. Estimates of annual survival averaged 0.676 ?? 0.048% (x?? ?? SE) for adults and 0.713 ?? 0.125 for subadults. Mammalian predators, primarily coyotes (Canis latrans) and red fox (Vulpes fulva) accounted for 64% of all documented mortality. Age-specific annual survival distributions differed within years (P < 0.03), but no difference was detected in survival between age classes across years (P = 0.49). Based on chronological dates, survival of adult hens differed among seasons across years (P = 0.03). However, seasonal survival was not different when estimates were based on hen behavior (p = 0.48). Risk of mortality for hens increased by 2.0% for every 100-m increase in dispersal distance, decreased by 2.0% for every 10-ha increase in home range size, and decreased by 3.5% for each 1.0% increase in proportion of home range in woody cover. Although the exact cause of the population decline remains unknown, we suggest it was more likely related to a decrease in production than changes in hen survival. Declining turkey populations would likely benefit more from management designed to increase reproduction rather than hen survival.

Effect of macroalgae enriched with microelements on egg quality parameters and mineral content of eggs, eggshell, blood, feathers and droppings.

PubMed

Michalak, I; Chojnacka, K; Dobrzański, Z; Górecki, H; Zielińska, A; Korczyński, M; Opaliński, S

2011-06-01

This study presents results obtained from feeding experiment on laying hens, which were fed with the diet supplemented with two marine macroalgae: Enteromorpha prolifera and Cladophora sp., enriched with microelements [Cu(II), Zn(II), Co(II), Mn(II), Cr(III)]. The applicability of the preparation was tested on five experimental groups of laying hens and one control group. In the control group, microelements were supplemented in the inorganic form, whereas in experimental groups, Cu, Zn, Co, Mn and Cr were replaced by macroalgae enriched with a given microelement ion. During feeding experiment, weight of laying hens, weight of eggs, eggshell thickness and mineral content of blood, feathers, droppings, eggs content (separately yolk and egg white) and eggshell were measured. Also egg number was counted and microclimate (temperature and relative humidity) was monitored. Supplementing bio-metallic feed additives to the diet of laying hens resulted in higher microelement transfer to eggs and enhanced the colour of yolk. It was also found that the presence of Enteromorpha prolifera and Cladophora sp. in laying hens diet influenced advantageously eggs weight, eggshell thickness as well as body weight of hens. On the basis of these results, it could be concluded that Enteromorpha prolifera and Cladophora sp. enriched with microelement ions could be potentially used as mineral feed additives in laying hens feeding. © 2010 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Energy metabolism of broiler breeder hens. 2. Contribution of tissues to total heat production in fed and fasted hens.

PubMed

Spratt, R S; McBride, B W; Bayley, H S; Leeson, S

1990-08-01

In vitro rates of O2 consumption were investigated using excised biopsies from the liver, ileum, magnum, and latissimus dorsi muscle of Hubbard (H) broiler-breeder hens fed four levels of ME intake. Diet had no effect on O2 consumption of any tissue. The overall mean initial O2 consumption (microL of O2 per mg of dry weight per h) for latissimus dorsi, liver, ileum, and magnum tissues were 4.38, 13.33, 10.54, and 8.01, respectively. The Na+ and K(+)-adenosine triphosphatase-dependent respiration (ouabain-sensitive respiration) was 16% of the initial rate for latissimus dorsi, liver, and magnum tissues and 22% for ileum tissues. Fasting heat production of H and Arbor Acre (AA) meat-type hens measured over 3 days following an initial 24-h fast was 219 and 216 kilojoules (kJ) per kg per day (1 kJ = .239 kcal). There were no strain differences in the partitioning of O2 consumption into tissue components of fasted H and AA hens. Fasting metabolism accounted for 75% of the maintenance energy requirement in the hens. The liver, gut, and reproductive tract, which together make up 5 to 6% of BW, account for 26 and 30% of the total energy expenditure in fed and fasted hens, respectively.

Effect of dietary bacteriophage supplementation in internal organs, fecal excretion and ileal immune response in laying hens challenged with salmonella enteritidis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A study was conducted to evaluate the role of bacteriophage (BP) against Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) internal organs colonization and ileum immune response in laying hens. Hens were challenged both orally and intracloacally with 108 cfu/mL cells of nalidixic acid resistant Salmonell...

Immune response of laying hens exposed to 30 ppm ammonia for 25 weeks

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ammonia is one of the most prominent aerial pollutants inside poultry production facilities, affecting chicken health and well-being based on its levels and exposure durations. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 30 ppm ammonia on the immune response of laying hens. Hens at 18 wk ...

Changes of blood parameters associated with bone remodeling following experimentally induced fatty liver disorder in laying hens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Studies have demonstrated that obesity and osteoporosis are two linked disorders in humans. This study examined if excessive lipid consumption affects bone metabolism in laying hens. One hundred 63-week-old laying hens were randomly divided into two treatments, i.e., fed with a regular diet (control...

Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen Infused Compressed Air Foam for Depopulation of Caged Laying Hens.

PubMed

Gurung, Shailesh; White, Dima; Archer, Gregory; Styles, Darrel; Zhao, Dan; Farnell, Yuhua; Byrd, James; Farnell, Morgan

2018-01-03

Depopulation of infected poultry flocks is a key strategy to control and contain reportable diseases. Water-based foam, carbon dioxide inhalation, and ventilation shutdown are depopulation methods available to the poultry industry. Unfortunately, these methods have limited usage in caged layer hen operations. Personnel safety and welfare of birds are equally important factors to consider during emergency depopulation procedures. We have previously reported that compressed air foam (CAF) is an alternative method for depopulation of caged layer hens. We hypothesized that infusion of gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO₂) and nitrogen (N₂), into the CAF would reduce physiological stress and shorten time to cessation of movement. The study had six treatments, namely a negative control, CO₂ inhalation, N₂ inhalation, CAF with air (CAF Air), CAF with 50% CO₂ (CAF CO₂), and CAF with 100% N₂ (CAF N₂). Four spent hens were randomly assigned to one of these treatments on each of the eight replication days. A total of 192 spent hens were used in this study. Serum corticosterone and serotonin levels were measured and compared between treatments. Time to cessation of movement of spent hens was determined using accelerometers. The addition of CO₂ in CAF significantly reduced the foam quality while the addition of N₂ did not. The corticosterone and serotonin levels of spent hens subjected to foam (CAF, CAF CO₂, CAF N₂) and gas inhalation (CO₂, N₂) treatments did not differ significantly. The time to cessation of movement of spent hens in the CAF N₂ treatment was significantly shorter than CAF and CAF CO₂ treatments but longer than the gas inhalation treatments. These data suggest that the addition of N₂ is advantageous in terms of shortening time to death and improved foam quality as compared to the CAF CO₂ treatment.

Welfare of organic laying hens kept at different indoor stocking densities in a multi-tier aviary system. II: live weight, health measures and perching.

PubMed

Steenfeldt, S; Nielsen, B L

2015-09-01

Multi-tier aviary systems, where conveyor belts below the tiers remove the manure at regular intervals, are becoming more common in organic egg production. The area on the tiers can be included in the net area available to the hens (also referred to as usable area) when calculating maximum indoor stocking densities in organic systems within the EU. In this article, results on live weight, health measures and perching are reported for organic laying hens housed in a multi-tier system with permanent access to a veranda and kept at stocking densities (D) of 6, 9 and 12 hens/m2 available floor area, with concomitant increases in the number of hens per trough, drinker, perch and nest space. In a fourth treatment, access to the top tier was blocked reducing vertical, trough, and perch access at the lowest stocking density (D6x). In all other aspects than stocking density, the experiment followed the EU regulations on the keeping of organic laying hens. Hen live weight, mortality and foot health were not affected by the stocking densities used in the present study. Other variables (plumage condition, presence of breast redness and blisters, pecked tail feathers, and perch use) were indirectly affected by the increase in stocking density through the simultaneous reduction in access to other resources, mainly perches and troughs. The welfare of the hens was mostly affected by these associated constraints, despite all of them being within the allowed minimum requirements for organic production in the EU. Although the welfare consequences reported here were assessed to be moderate to minor, it is important to take into account concurrent constraints on access to other resources when higher stocking densities are used in organic production.

Individual differences in personality in laying hens are related to learning a colour cue association.

PubMed

de Haas, Elske N; Lee, Caroline; Hernandez, Carlos E; Naguib, Marc; Rodenburg, T Bas

2017-01-01

Personality can influence how animals perceive and learn cues. The behaviour and physiological responses animals show during stressful events is indicative of their personality. Acute induced stress prior to a cognitive test are known to affect the judgement of a stimulus, but personality of an individual could also affect learning of a specific cognitive paradigm. Here, we assessed if adult laying hens' behaviour and physiological responses, as indicators of their personality, were related to their cognitive performance. We assessed their behavioural responses to a tonic immobility test, an open field test, and a manual restraint test, and measured plasma corticosterone levels after manual restraint. After that, hens (n=20) were trained in a pre-set training schedule to associate a colour-cue with a reward. In a two-choice go-go test, hens needed to choose between a baited or non-baited food container displayed randomly on the left or right side of an arena. Success in learning was related to personality, with better performance of hens which showed a reactive personality type by a long latency to walk, struggle or vocalize during the tests. Only eight out of 20 hens reached the training criteria. The non-learners showed a strong side preference during all training days. Side preferences were strong in hens with high levels of plasma corticosterone and with a long duration of tonic immobility, indicating that fearful, stress-sensitive hens are more prone to develop side biases. Our results show that learning can be hindered by side biases, and fearful animals with a more proactive personality type are more sensitive to develop such biases. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reduction of aflatoxins by Korean soybean paste and its effect on cytotoxicity and reproductive toxicity--Part 3. Inhibitory effects of Korean soybean paste (doen-jang) on aflatoxin toxicity in laying hens and aflatoxin accumulation in their eggs.

PubMed

Kim, Jong-Gyu; Lee, Yong-Wook; Kim, Pan-Gyi; Roh, Woo-Sup; Shintani, Hideharu

2003-05-01

This study was conducted to determine the effects of Korean soybean paste (doen-jang [dwen-jahng]) (at concentrations of 0.5, 1, and 5%) on the toxicity of 500 ppb of aflatoxin in the diets of 60 laying hens (Isa Brown) divided into five groups and treated from week 15 to week 67. The aflatoxin-treated hens exhibited many deleterious effects, including reduced body weight; increased relative organ weights; decreased egg production; aflatoxin accumulation in eggs; decreased serum calcium, phosphorus, and alanino amonotransferase (ALT) levels; increased serum gammaglutamil transferase and lactic dehydrogenase levels; and, most significantly, severely altered cell foci and sinusoid dilatation in the liver, relative to control hens. The feeding of 1% soybean paste to hens reduced the adverse effects of aflatoxin on body weight, relative organ weights, egg production, and aflatoxin accumulation in eggs and improved serum calcium and ALT levels and the histopathological lesions of the liver. The feeding of 5% soybean paste to hens resulted in higher levels of the same types of improvements, especially with regard to the histopathological findings for the liver. On the basis of these results, it was suggested that a diet including 5% (and in some cases only 1%) Korean soybean paste protected laying hens and their eggs from the major deleterious effects of 500 microg of aflatoxin per kg of diet and from aflatoxin accumulation. These results indicate that dietary supplementation with Korean soybean paste reduces aflatoxin toxicity in laying hens that ultimately produce human foods such as eggs and poultry.

Aroclor 1242 and reproductive success of adult mallards (Anas platyrhynchos)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haseltine, S.D.; Prouty, R.M.

1980-01-01

Twenty-four pairs of adult mallards were fed a diet containing 0 or 150 ppm of the PCB Aroclor 1242 for 12 weeks during which egg laying was induced. Laying started in both groups an average of 33 days after PCB treatment began. All hens were allowed to lay a 20-egg clutch; 15 eggs from each clutch were artificially incubated. Eleven hens from each group completed the clutch. There was no difference between the two groups in the time taken to lay the clutch, nor was there a difference in fertility, embryo mortality, or hatching success. Eggshell thickness decreased 8.9% with PCB ingestion; eggs from hens fed PCB contained an average of 105 ppm PCB wet wt. No difference in survival or weight gain to 3 weeks of age was observed between young mallards from eggs laid by PCB-treated hens and control hens.

Validation of an automated mite counter for Dermanyssus gallinae in experimental laying hen cages.

PubMed

Mul, Monique F; van Riel, Johan W; Meerburg, Bastiaan G; Dicke, Marcel; George, David R; Groot Koerkamp, Peter W G

2015-08-01

For integrated pest management (IPM) programs to be maximally effective, monitoring of the growth and decline of the pest populations is essential. Here, we present the validation results of a new automated monitoring device for the poultry red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae), a serious pest in laying hen facilities world-wide. This monitoring device (called an "automated mite counter") was validated in experimental laying hen cages with live birds and a growing population of D. gallinae. This validation study resulted in 17 data points of 'number of mites counted' by the automated mite counter and the 'number of mites present' in the experimental laying hen cages. The study demonstrated that the automated mite counter was able to track the D. gallinae population effectively. A wider evaluation showed that this automated mite counter can become a useful tool in IPM of D. gallinae in laying hen facilities.

Potential miRNA regulators of differential HPG axis gene expression between low egg producing and high egg producing turkey hens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Expression differences exist in key genes of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis in low egg producing hens (LEPH) and high egg producing hens (HEPH); however, regulation of these differences is unknown. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that play a role in post-transcriptional re...

Single and combined effects of organic selenium and zinc on egg fertility, hatchability, and embryonic mortality of exotic cochin hens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A study was conducted to examine the effects of three diets supplemented with organic selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) on the performance of Cochin exotic breeder hens. Cochin hens (n=120) and males (n=12) at 42 wks of age were separated into four treatment groups with three replications per treatment. ...

Joint searches for gravitational waves and high-energy neutrinos with the ANTARES, LIGO and VIRGO detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Elewyck, V.

2010-12-01

Cataclysmic cosmic events can be plausible sources of both gravitational waves (GW) and high-energy neutrinos (HEN). Both GW and HEN are alternative cosmic messengers that may escape very dense media and travel unaffected over cosmological distances. For this reason, they could also reveal new or hidden sources that were not observed by conventional photon astronomy, such as the putative failed GRBs. After a brief discussion on the plausible common sources of GW and HEN, this constribution presents the strategies for coincident searches of GW and HEN that are currently developed by the ANTARES and VIRGO/LIGO collaborations within the GWHEN working group.

Effects of dietary vanadium in mallard ducks

USGS Publications Warehouse

White, D.H.; Dieter, M.P.

1978-01-01

Adult mallard ducks fed 0, 1, 10, or 100 ppm vanadyl sulfate in the diet were sacrificed after 12 wk on treatment; tissues were analyzed for vanadium. No birds died during the study and body weights did not change. Vanadium accumulated to higher concentrations in the bone and liver than in other tissues. Concentrations in bones of hens were five times those in bones of drakes, suggesting an interaction between vanadium and calcium mobilization in laying hens. Vanadium concentrations in most tissues were significantly correlated and increased with treatment level. Lipid metabolism was altered in laying hens fed 100 ppm vanadium. Very little vanadium accumulated in the eggs of laying hens.

Effects of housing system and age of laying hens on egg performance in fresh pasta production: pasta cooking behaviour.

PubMed

Alamprese, Cristina; Casiraghi, Ernestina; Rossi, Margherita

2011-03-30

Very few studies concern the effects of layer housing systems and age on egg technological properties. Thus the aim of this work was to study the influence of these two factors on egg performance in fresh pasta production, focusing on pasta cooking behaviour. Samples of pasta subjected to analysis were prepared with eggs laid by Hy-Line Brown hens (from 27 to 68 weeks old) housed in cage, barn and organic systems. Higher average values of weight increase and matter loss during pasta cooking were observed for samples prepared with eggs laid by older hens. Such cooking behaviour indicated the development of a weaker pasta protein network, resulting from a decrease in the quantity of albumen protein and an increase in fat content, which is due to the reduction in albumen/yolk ratio during hen aging. The housing system had a significant effect only on matter loss in cooking water, but differences between samples were so small as to be unlikely perceived by consumers. Both hen age and housing system significantly affected pasta cooking behaviour, but the greatest effect was exerted by the hen age. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.

Biofortified orange maize enhances β-cryptoxanthin concentrations in egg yolks of laying hens better than tangerine peel fortificant.

PubMed

Heying, Emily K; Tanumihardjo, Jacob P; Vasic, Vedran; Cook, Mark; Palacios-Rojas, Natalia; Tanumihardjo, Sherry A

2014-12-10

The xanthophyll β-cryptoxanthin provides vitamin A and has other purported health benefits. Laying hens deposit xanthophyll carotenoids into egg yolk. Hens (n = 8/group) were fed conventional-bred high β-cryptoxanthin biofortified (orange) maize, tangerine peel-fortified white maize, lutein-fortified yellow maize, or white maize for 40 d to investigate yolk color changes using L*a*b* scales, yolk carotenoid enhancement, and hen vitamin A status. Yolks from hens fed orange maize had scores indicating a darker, orange color and mean higher β-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, and β-carotene concentrations (8.43 ± 1.82, 23.1 ± 4.8, 0.16 ± 0.08 nmol/g, respectively) than other treatments (P < 0.0001). Yolk retinol concentrations (mean: 14.4 ± 3.42 nmol/g) were similar among groups and decreased with time (P < 0.0001). Hens fed orange maize had higher liver retinol (0.53 ± 0.20 μmol/g liver) than other groups (P < 0.0001). β-Cryptoxanthin-biofortified eggs could be another choice for consumers, providing enhanced color through a provitamin A carotenoid and supporting eggs' status as a functional food.

Bacterial contamination of eggs and behaviour of poultry flocks in the free range environment.

PubMed

Moyle, Talia; Drake, Kelly; Gole, Vaibhav; Chousalkar, Kapil; Hazel, Susan

2016-12-01

The free range production system is becoming more common in Australia and is expected to increase. Free range hens are exposed to more stressors in comparison to hens from barn and cage systems and it is suggested that stress can increase bacterial shedding on eggs. The aims of this study were to examine the level of total bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae populations, as well as the presence of Salmonella and Campylobacter, in eggs collected from two free range flocks on two different farms and to conduct longitudinal observations of the behaviour and welfare of hens in the free range production system. Hen age (weeks) was shown to have a significant effect (increase) on the level of total bacteria on the egg shell surface and in shell pores, as well as having an effect on feather condition score. As the hens aged, the frequency of external visual egg characteristics increased, as did feather condition score (where feather condition was poorer). These observations indicate areas which should be investigated further to improve the food safety of eggs and optimise the welfare of free range hens. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Avian maternal response to chick distress

PubMed Central

Edgar, J. L.; Lowe, J. C.; Paul, E. S.; Nicol, C. J.

2011-01-01

The extent to which an animal is affected by the pain or distress of a conspecific will depend on its capacity for empathy. Empathy most probably evolved to facilitate parental care, so the current study assessed whether birds responded to an aversive stimulus directed at their chicks. Domestic hens were exposed to two replicates of the following conditions in a counterbalanced order: control (C; hen and chicks undisturbed), air puff to chicks (APC; air puff directed at chicks at 30 s intervals), air puff to hen (APH; air puff directed at hen at 30 s intervals) and control with noise (CN; noise of air puff at 30 s intervals). During each test, the hens' behaviour and physiology were measured throughout a 10 min pre-treatment and a 10 min treatment period. Hens responded to APH and APC treatments with increased alertness, decreased preening behaviour and a reduction in eye temperature. No such changes occurred during any control period. Increased heart rate and maternal vocalization occurred exclusively during the APC treatment, even though chicks produced few distress vocalizations. The pronounced and specific reaction observed indicates that adult female birds possess at least one of the essential underpinning attributes of empathy. PMID:21389025

Antibody to fibroblast growth factor 23-peptide reduces excreta phosphorus of laying hens.

PubMed

Ren, Zhouzheng; Ebrahimi, Marziyeh; Bütz, Daniel E; Sand, Jordan M; Zhang, Keying; Cook, Mark E

2017-01-01

Novel strategies to minimize the excretion of phosphorus in swine and poultry are critical in minimizing environmental degradation. We have developed a synthetic peptide vaccine to produce autoantibodies to fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23), a bone-derived hormone that blocks kidney phosphate resorption and indirectly reduces intestinal phosphate absorption. Single Comb White Leghorn laying hens, fed a standard diet (inorganic phosphorus, Pi = 0.4%), were immunized over the course of 4 weeks with either a FGF-23 peptide vaccine or adjuvant control (without FGF-23 peptide). At peak antibody titer to the peptide (week 5), 24-h excreta were collected and hens were blood sampled (represents 0.4% Pi treatment). Hens were then fed a 0.8% Pi diet and blood was sampled at 24 and 72 h and 24-h excreta were collected at 12 to 36 and 60 to 84 h (represents 0.8% Pi treatment). Increasing Pi from 0.4 to 0.8% increased (P < 0.05) percent excreta phosphorus, total 24-h phosphorus excretion, and plasma levels of FGF-23 and phosphate in either control or FGF-23 peptide vaccinated hens as early as the first sampling period. FGF-23 peptide vaccinated hens fed 0.4% Pi had reduced (P < 0.05) percent excreta phosphorus, total 24 h phosphorus excretion, and plasma levels of FGF-23 and iPTH, and increased (P < 0.05) plasma levels of phosphate and 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 when compared to control vaccinated hens fed 0.4% Pi. In the first collection period post 0.8% Pi feeding, FGF-23 peptide vaccinated hens had reduced (P < 0.05) plasma levels of FGF-23 and iPTH, and increased (P < 0.05) plasma levels of phosphate and 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 , and tended to have reduced percent excreta phosphorus (P = 0.085) and total 24 h phosphorus excretion (P = 0.078) when compared to control vaccinated hens. Results during the second collection period post 0.8% Pi feeding were similar to that at the first collection period. These results are the first to show that the inhibition of FGF-23 action by a peptide vaccine (via neutralizing antibody) reduced phosphorus excretion. The approach presented provides new information on phosphorus metabolism in the laying hen. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

The effects of replacing eggs with chicks on mesotocin, dopamine, and prolactin in the native Thai hen.

PubMed

Sinpru, Panpradap; Sartsoongnoen, Natagarn; Rozenboim, Israel; Porter, Tom E; El Halawani, Mohamed E; Chaiseha, Yupaporn

2018-07-01

The mesotocinergic (MTergic) and dopaminergic (DAergic) systems have been documented to play pivotal roles in maternal behaviors in native Thai chickens. In native Thai chickens, plasma prolactin (PRL) concentrations are associated with maternal behaviors, which are also controlled by the DAergic system. However, the role of MT in conjunction with the roles of DA and PRL on the neuroendocrine regulation of the transition from incubating to rearing behavior has never been studied. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association of MT, DA, and PRL during the transition from incubating to rearing behavior in native Thai hens. Using an immunohistochemistry technique, the numbers of MT-immunoreactive (-ir) and tyrosine hydroxylase-ir (TH-ir, a DA marker) neurons were compared between incubating hens (INC; n = 6) and hens for which the incubated eggs were replaced with 3 newly hatched chicks for 3 days after 6, 10, and 14 days of incubation (REC; n = 6). Plasma PRL concentrations were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results revealed that the numbers of MT-ir neurons within the nucleus supraopticus, pars ventralis (SOv), nucleus preopticus medialis (POM), and nucleus paraventricularis magnocellularis (PVN) increased in the REC hens when compared with those of the INC hens at 3 different time points (at days 9, 13, and 17). On the other hand, the number of TH-ir neurons in the nucleus intramedialis (nI) decreased in the REC13 and REC17 hens when compared with those of the INC hens. However, the number of TH-ir neurons in the nucleus mamillaris lateralis (ML) only decreased in the REC13 hens when compared with the INC13 hens. The decrease in the numbers of TH-ir neurons within the nI and ML is associated with the decrease in the levels of plasma PRL. This study suggests that the presence of either eggs or chicks is the key factor regulating the MTergic system within the SOv, POM, and PVN and the DAergic system within the nI and ML during the transition from incubating to rearing behavior in native Thai chickens. The results further indicate that these two systems play pivotal roles in the transition from incubating to rearing behavior in this equatorial species. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pasture, multi-enzymes, benzoic acid and essential oils positively influence performance, intestinal organ weight and egg quality in free-range laying hens.

PubMed

Iqbal, Z; Roberts, J; Perez-Maldonado, R A; Goodarzi Boroojeni, F; Swick, R A; Ruhnke, I

2018-04-01

1. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of range type, multi-enzyme applications, and a combination of benzoic acid (BA) and essential oils (EO) on the productive performance, organ weight and egg quality of free-range laying hens. 2. Three hundred laying hens were evaluated for the short-term (6 weeks) and long-term (12 weeks) effects of range type (G = no pasture, P = pasture) and feed additives (T1 = control; T2 = betaglucanase/pectinase/protease; T3 = BA/EO). Body weight, feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), egg production (EP), digestive organ weight, and egg quality (EQ) were evaluated. Data were analysed using SPSS 2.2 in a 2×2×3 factorial arrangement. 3. Hens that ranged on pasture were significantly heavier (2043 g vs. 1996 g; p < 0.001), laid heavier eggs (61.9 g vs. 60.3 g; p < 0.001) and produced darker yolk colour (4.3 vs. 7.0; p < 0.001) compared to hens ranged on gravel. Hens fed T2 were significantly heavier (2050 g) compared to hens fed T1 (2005 g) or T3 (2008 g). Organ weights (gizzard, liver and pancreas) were significantly heavier in hens ranged on pasture (16.8 g/kg BW, 22.3 g/kg BW and 1.89 g/kg BW, respectively) compared to hens ranged on gravel (14.2 g/kg BW, 21.7 g/kg BW and 1.83 g/kg BW, respectively). Over time, body weight (1970-2070 g; p < 0.001) and egg weight (59.5-62.8 g; p < 0.001) increased, FI (123-120 g; p = 0.024) was reduced and FCR (2.36-2.10; p = 0.002) improved 4. In conclusion, hens housed on pasture and fed multi-enzyme supplemented diets had significantly heavier body weight and produced heavier eggs with darker yolk colour. Pasture intake and enzyme supplementation increased digestive organ weight significantly.

Rare earth element-enriched yeast improved egg production and egg quality in laying hens in the late period of peak egg production.

PubMed

Cai, L; Nyachoti, C M; Hancock, J D; Lee, J Y; Kim, Y H; Lee, D H; Kim, I H

2016-06-01

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of rare earth element-enriched yeast (RY) on egg production, coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD), egg quality, excreta gas emission and excreta microbiota of laying hens. A total of 216 ISA brown laying hens of 52 weeks of age were used in a 5-week feeding trial and data were collected every week. Birds were randomly allotted to three dietary treatments each with six replicates and 12 hens per replicate. Each cage (38 cm width × 50 cm length × 40 cm height) contained one hen. Treatments consisted of corn-soya bean meal-based diet supplemented with 0, 500 or 1000 mg/kg of RY. From weeks 55 to 56, inclusion of RY linearly increased (p < 0.05) egg production. The CTTAD of nitrogen was increased (linear, p < 0.05) with increasing dietary level of RY. In week 55, yolk height and Haugh units were increased linearly (p < 0.05) with increasing dietary RY content. However, no significant effects were observed in terms of excreta emissions and excreta microbiota in laying hens. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with RY improved egg production and CTTAD of nitrogen and slightly improved egg quality in laying hens of the late period of peak egg production. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Decreased egg production in laying hens associated with infection with genotype 3 avian hepatitis E virus strain from China.

PubMed

Zhao, Qin; Liu, Baoyuan; Sun, Yani; Du, Taofeng; Chen, Yiyang; Wang, Xinjie; Li, Huixia; Nan, Yuchen; Zhang, Gaiping; Zhou, En-Min

2017-05-01

To determine the relationship between decreased egg production and avian HEV infection, thirty healthy 23-week-old Hy-Line Variety Brown layer hens were randomly divided into 3 groups with 10 hens per group. Next, a genotype 3 avian HEV strain from China was used to inoculate laying hens via oronasal or intravenous routes using a 50% chicken infectious dose of 500. All hens were necropsied at 14 weeks postinoculation (wpi). Fecal virus shedding, viremia, seroconversion, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) increases and liver lesions showed that after intravenous (i.v.) and oronasal inoculation, the laying hens were successfully infected. Compared with the uninoculated group, the i.v. and oronasally inoculated groups exhibited egg production decreases at 1wpi and 2wpi, reaching peak production at 3wpi and 8wpi, respectively. In both groups, decreased production was evident for 12 weeks and overall decreases ranged from 10% to 30%. In addition, in the 7 field layer farms exhibiting decreased egg production, vaccination regimens had been completed against Newcastle disease, infectious bronchitis, avian influenza H9N2 and H5N1 and egg drop syndrome virus. However, circulating avian HEV was confirmed on these farms using tests to detect avian HEV IgG antibodies and RNA. Therefore, the experimental and field data indicate that avian HEV infection acting alone could account for observed decreases in egg production in laying hens. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Egg production, egg quality and crop content of Rhode Island Red hens grazing on natural tropical vegetation.

PubMed

Mohammed, Khaled Abouelezz Fouad; Sarmiento-Franco, Luis; Santos-Ricalde, Ronald; Solorio-Sanchez, Javier Francisco

2013-02-01

The aim of this experiment was to study the suitability of the outdoor system for Rhode Island Red hens under the tropical conditions of southern Mexico. Twelve floor pens, each containing four birds, were divided randomly into two groups. The first group was raised indoors only, while each of the second group replicates had access to an outdoor area with natural-grown vegetation from 0800 to 1700 hours daily. Both groups fed ad libitum on a commercial layers diet. The results revealed no differences in body weight between treatments. The outdoor group recorded significantly higher egg laying rate (86.90 vs. 78.05 %), higher egg mass (50.66 vs. 45.30 g egg/hen/day), and higher feed intake (103.70 vs. 97.67 g/day) versus the indoor group. The outdoor group had eggs with darker yellow yolks (9.46 vs. 5.46), lower yolk, and higher albumen proportions (P < 0.05) versus the indoor group. The crop content of the outdoor hens consisted of 86.55 % concentrated feed, 6.30 % plant material, 2.27 % grit stones, 1.69 % snails and oyster shells, 1.25 % seeds, 0.95 % farm wastes, and 0.99 % insects, worms, and larvae. Of the outdoor hens, 43.1 % was observed to be in the range at each scanning time. The outdoor system in the tropics had beneficial effects on Rhode Island Red hen performance, and the hens utilized the outdoor area effectively and obtained various feed items.

Effects of inositol, inositol-generating phytase B applied alone, and in combination with 6-phytase A to phosphorus-deficient diets on laying performance, eggshell quality, yolk cholesterol, and fatty acid deposition in laying hens.

PubMed

Zyla, K; Mika, M; Duliński, R; Swiatkiewicz, S; Koreleski, J; Pustkowiak, H; Piironen, J

2012-08-01

Phytase B, a product of Aspergillus niger phyB gene expressed in Trichoderma reesei, which increased myo-inositol concentrations in 20 mM sodium phytate solution 7.5-fold during 120-min incubation, a combination of phytase B with 6-phytase A, and pure myo-inositol were tested as feed supplements in Bovans Brown laying hens. In the 2-factorial experiment (2×5), birds from wk 50 to 62 were fed 2 basal diets, corn-soybean (CSM) or wheat-soybean (WSM), using 12 one-hen cages per treatment. For both basal diets, the dietary treatments included negative control (0.08% nonphytate P in CSM, 0.13% nonphytate P in WSM; NC); internal control groups, NC+0.04% nonphytate P from monocalcium phosphate, MCP (IC); NC+0.1% of myo-inositol (Inos), NC+phytase B at 1,300 units of phytase B-acid phosphatase activity (AcPU)/kg (PhyB), NC+phytase B at 1,300 AcPU/kg+6-phytase A at 300 FTU/kg (PhyA+B). Feed intake, laying performance, and eggshell quality were determined. The total lipid and cholesterol contents as well as fatty acid profile were assessed in egg yolks collected from hens fed CSM diets, as was fatty acid profile. The hens fed the WSM diet consumed significantly more feed, laid a higher mass of eggs daily with higher mean weights, and had a higher hen-day egg production than the birds receiving the CSM diets. Similarly, higher values for yolk weights, shell weights, shell thickness, shell density, and breaking strengths were determined in the eggs laid by the hens fed the WSM diets. In hens fed either the CSM diets with phytase B alone, or in combination with 6-phytase A, enhanced feed intakes, egg mass, and hen-day egg production were recorded. Phytases also enhanced the eggshell quality parameters in the hens fed both variants of the diets. Phytase B alone, or in combination with 6-phytase A, reduced the total lipid and cholesterol concentrations in egg yolks collected from the hens fed the CSM diets, whereas the combination of both phytases improved the n-6:n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ratio. In the CSM diets, the supplemental myo-inositol suppressed feed intakes, reduced egg production, had no effect on eggshell quality and reduced the deposition of eicosanoid fatty acids in yolks. When comparing the effects of feeding MCP, myo-inositol, and phytases on the nutritional quality of the eggs laid by the hens fed phosphorus-deficient CSM diets, it seems that the enhancements in nutritional quality cannot be attributed solely to higher phosphorus level or higher concentrations of myo-inositol.

A method for trapping prairie grouse hens on display grounds

Treesearch

John E. Toepfer; Jay A. Newell; John Monarch

1988-01-01

This paper describes a method for trapping prairie grouse hens on display grounds. The basic principle of the trap is a drift fence which funnels visiting hens into traps. The trap has been used successfully in at least 6 states and 2 provinces and on 4 species of prairie grouse. This method is less expensive and less disruptive than rocket or cannon nets.

Furnished Cage System and Hen Well-Being: Comparative Effects of Furnished and Battery Cages on Egg Production and Physiological Parameters of White Leghorn Hens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Laboratory animal well-being can be improved by housing the animals in a species-special “natural” or “near to natural” environment. This study was to examine if housing environment, furnished cages vs. battery cages, causes a similar impact on well-being in laying hens. One hundred seventy-two, on...

Short chain nitrocompounds as a treatment of layer hen manure and litter; effects on in vitro survivability of Salmonella, generic E. coli, and nitrogen metabolism

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Layer hen manure and litter contain appreciable amounts of uric acid, which makes these good crude protein sources for ruminants. Rumen microbial populations can upgrade the nitrogen in uric acid into high quality microbial protein of nutritional value to the host. Layer hen manure and litter can ...

Mass depopulation of laying hens in whole barns with liquid carbon dioxide: evaluation of welfare impact.

PubMed

Turner, P V; Kloeze, H; Dam, A; Ward, D; Leung, N; Brown, E E L; Whiteman, A; Chiappetta, M E; Hunter, D B

2012-07-01

Appropriate emergency disaster preparedness is a key priority for agricultural agencies to allow effective response to serious avian disease outbreaks. There is a need to develop rapid, humane, and safe depopulation techniques for poultry that are widely applicable across a range of farm settings. Whole barn depopulation with carbon dioxide (CO(2)) has been investigated as a humane and efficient means of killing large numbers of birds in the event of a reportable disease outbreak. It has also been considered as a method for depopulating barns containing end-of-lay hens, particularly when there is limited local slaughter and rendering capacity. Determining the best method of humanely killing large flocks of birds remains problematic and is being investigated by a coordinated international effort. While whole barn depopulation using CO(2) inhalation has been explored, physiologic responses of chickens have not been characterized in field settings and assessment of animal welfare is hampered without this information. In this study, 12 cull laying hens were surgically instrumented with telemetry transmitters to record electroencephalographs, electrocardiographs, body temperature, and activity during 2 large-scale field CO(2) euthanasia trials of end-of-lay hens. The day following surgery, instrumented hens were placed in barns with other birds, barns were sealed, and animals were killed by CO(2) inhalation delivered via a specially designed liquid CO(2) manifold. Instrumented birds were monitored by infrared thermography, and ambient temperature, CO(2), and O(2) concentrations were recorded. Results from these studies indicate that instrumented hens lost consciousness within 2 min of CO(2) levels reaching 18 to 20%. Mild to moderate head shaking, gasping, and 1 to 2 clonic muscle contractions were noted in hens before unconsciousness; however, brain death followed rapidly (<5 min). Evaluation of welfare costs and benefits suggest clear advantages over catching and transporting cull hens for slaughter. The financial costs with this method are greater, however, than those estimated for traditional slaughter techniques. Results of these studies are being used to develop national protocols for whole barn depopulation of hens by CO(2) inhalation.

Influence of grinding size of the main cereal of the diet on egg production and eggs quality of brown egg laying hens from 33 to 65 weeks of age.

PubMed

Herrera, J; Saldaña, B; Cámara, L; Berrocoso, J D; Mateos, G G

2018-04-17

The influence of grinding size of the main cereal of the diet on production and egg quality traits was studied in brown hens from 33 to 65 wk of age. The experiment was completely randomized with 6 treatments arranged as a 3 × 2 factorial with 3 main cereals (barley, corn, and wheat) and 2 grinding size of the cereal (6 and 10 mm screen). Each treatment was replicated 11 times (10 hens/replicate). Diets were isonutritive and contained 2,740 kcal/kg AMEn and 16.8% CP. Egg production, ADFI, egg weight, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were determined by period (4 wk) and for the entire experiment. Egg quality traits (percentage of undergrades, Haugh units, thickness, strength, color of the shell, and proportion of albumen, yolk, and shell) were measured also by period. No interactions between main cereal and grinding size of the main cereal of the diet were observed for any of the traits studied. Feed intake, egg production, and BW gain were not affected by diet or grinding size. Eggs were heavier (P < 0.01) in hens fed barley than in hens fed corn or wheat, probably because of the higher fat content of the barley diets. Also, FCR tended to improve in hens fed barley compared with hens fed corn or wheat (P = 0.07). Diet did not affect any of the egg quality traits studied. In summary, barley and wheat conveniently supplemented with enzymes, can be used in substitution of corn at levels of up to 55% in diets for laying hens, without any adverse effect on egg production or egg quality traits. Moreover, the substitution of corn by a combination of barley and supplemental fat increased egg size. Consequently, the inclusion of one or other cereal in the diet will depend primarily on their relative cost. Within the range studied, screen size (6 vs. 10 mm) of the cereal had limited effects on hen production.

Lack of developmental and reproductive toxicity of 2,3,3',4,4'-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB-105) in Ring-Necked Pheasants

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hornung, M.W.; Miller, L.; Goodman, B.; Melancon, M.J.; Peterson, R.E.

1998-01-01

Mono-ortho PCBs are global contaminants of wildlife with the potential to produce toxicity by an aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-mediated mechanism. To determine the potency of 2,3,3',4,4'pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB-105) for producing reproductive and developmental toxicity, adult ring-necked pheasant hens (Phasianus colchicus) were orally dosed with 0, 0.06, 0.6 or 6 mg PCB105/kg hen/week for 10 weeks to achieve cumulative doses of 0, 0.6, 6, or 60 mg PCB -105/hen after which hens were bred with untreated roosters once per week for 8 weeks. Except at week 6 of the egglaying period when cumulative egg production in the 6mg PCB 105/hen group was greater than controls, fertilized egg production was not significantly different between treatment groups. Embryo mortality and chick mortality were not significantly different between treatment groups. Total body and heart weights of all chicks 1 day posthatch (dph) were not different between groups, however liver weights of chicks from the 60mg/kg treatment groups were greater than controls at 1 dph. The first chick to hatch from each hen was reared to 21 dph and among these birds the total body, liver and heart weights were not different between groups. There were no dose-related malformations of the beak or limbs, and no signs of subcutaneous edema, ascites, or pericardial edema in chicks at 1 or 21 dph. Hepatic microsomal monooxygenase activities [ethoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase (EROD), benzyloxyresorufin-O-dealkylase (BROD), and methyloxyresorufin-O-dealkylase (MROD)] were significantly elevated in chicks at 1 dph from hens given a cumulative PCB105 dose of 6 mg/kg and in chicks at 21 dph from hens given a cumulative PCB dose of 60 mg/kg. These results indicate that a cumulative PCB-105 dose up to 60 mg/kg hen does not decrease the production of fertilized eggs or increase embryo or chick mortality in ring-necked pheasants, but does increase chick hepatic monooxygenase activity.

Survey of egg producers on the introduction of alternative housing systems for laying hens in Flanders, Belgium.

PubMed

Tuyttens, F A M; Sonck, B; Staes, M; Van Gansbeke, S; Van den Bogaert, T; Ampe, B

2011-04-01

In the context of the European Union ban on battery cages by 2012, a survey was conducted among Flemish egg producers (60% response rate, 140 completed questionnaires) about the introduction and opinion of alternative housing systems. Belgium appears to be among the countries in the European Union that are slower to adopt alternative housing. Belgium's egg industry is thus likely to undergo drastic changes to comply with the 2012 deadline. As of 2010, the battery cage was the dominant housing system (56% housing units, 67% hens), followed by floor housing (33% housing units, 15% hens) and aviary (10% housing units, 15% hens), whereas colony cages and furnished cages were extremely rare. Future- and market-oriented production was the most important reason for choosing a certain type of alternative system, although the importance of hen performance and amount of labor seemed to increase. A quarter of the producers with battery cages had detailed plans to convert to an alternative system (most planned to install aviaries, followed by colony cages, furnished cages, and floor housing) by 2012. Many older farmers indicated that they would stop farming, whereas others found it more profitable to delay the conversion as long as possible. Apart from hen welfare, producers expressed a negative opinion (relative to battery cages) about noncage systems and, to a lesser extent, furnished cages. However, users of alternative systems reported being quite satisfied, except for the amount of labor and hen health. The housing system had several effects on user satisfaction: positive effect of flock size, negative effect of experience with battery cages, and negative effect of outdoor area on hen health. Although not all opinions were supported by evidence, such surveys provide feedback about the success of alternative systems in practice. This information is valuable to further improve these systems and to producers who have yet to convert. Moreover, producer attitude may determine the extent to which legally imposed changes in husbandry environment result in the desired improvement of hen welfare in practice.

Effects of feeding diets varying in energy and nutrient density to Hy-Line W-36 laying hens on production performance and economics.

PubMed

dePersio, S; Utterback, P L; Utterback, C W; Rochell, S J; O'Sullivan, N; Bregendahl, K; Arango, J; Parsons, C M; Koelkebeck, K W

2015-02-01

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of feeding 5 different energy and nutrient dense diets to Hy-Line W-36 hens on long-term performance and economics. A total of 480 19 wk old Hy-Line W-36 Single Comb White Leghorn hens were weighed and randomly allocated to 6 replicate groups of 16 hens each (2 adjacent cages containing 8 hens per cage, 60.9×58.4 cm) per dietary treatment in a randomized complete block design. The hens were fed 5 treatment diets formulated to contain 85, 90, 95, 100, and 105% of the energy and nutrient recommendations stated in the 2009 Hy-Line Variety W-36 Commercial Management Guide. Production performance was measured for 52 wk from 19 to 70 wk age. Over the course of the trial, a significant increasing linear response to increasing energy and nutrient density was seen for hen-day egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed efficiency, energy intake, and body weight (BW). Feed intake showed no significant linear level response to increasing energy and nutrient density except during the early production cycle. No consistent responses were noted for egg quality, percent yolk, and percent egg solids throughout the study. Significant linear responses due to energy and nutrient density were seen for egg income, feed cost, and income minus feed cost. In general, as energy and nutrient density increased, egg income and feed cost per hen increased, but income minus feed cost decreased. Overall, these results indicate that feeding Hy-Line W-36 hens increasing energy and nutrient-dense diets will increase egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed efficiency, energy intake, BW, egg income, and feed cost, but decrease egg income minus feed cost. However, these benefits do not take effect in early production and seem to be most effective in later stages of the production cycle, perhaps "priming" the birds for better egg-production persistency with age. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Impact of supplementing diets with propolis on productive performance, egg quality traits and some haematological variables of laying hens.

PubMed

Abdel-Kareem, A A A; El-Sheikh, T M

2017-06-01

One hundred and twenty eight, 28-weeks-old Lohmann LSL hybrid layers were used in this experiment, which lasted 12 weeks to investigate the effect of propolis supplementation on the productive performance, egg quality traits and haematological variables of laying hens. All hens were randomly classified into four equal experimental groups, eight replicates (4 birds/each). Hens in group 1 were fed on a commercial diet and considered as control group, while those in groups 2, 3 and 4 were fed on the same commercial diet and supplemented with 250, 500 and 1000 mg propolis/kg diet. The obtained results revealed that daily feed consumption/hen increased insignificantly with increasing propolis level than that of the control group. Regarding the means of egg mass and egg production rate, it was observed that the laying hens fed diets containing 250 and 1000 mg propolis/kg significantly (p < 0.05) produced more and heaver egg in comparison with control group. External egg quality traits have not affected with increasing the level of propolis, while eggshell weight was significantly (p < 0.05) increased. The internal egg quality traits except albumen and yolk percentages increased significantly (p < 0.05) with increasing propolis level for treated hens as compared to those in the control. Concerning the haematological parameters, the results showed that the levels of total protein and globulin increased significantly with increasing propolis level, while cholesterol and liver enzymes were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Heterophils count of hens in the treated groups significantly decreased, whereas the lymphocyte count significantly increased, resulting in a decreased H/L ratio than that of the control group. Thus, it could be concluded that the supplementation of 250 mg propolis/kg diet is highly recommended to improving egg production, blood constituent and haematological parameters of the commercial laying hens. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Standardized Ileal Amino Acid Digestibility of Corn, Corn Distillers' Dried Grains with Solubles, Wheat Middlings, and Bakery By-Products in Broilers and Laying Hens.

PubMed

Adedokun, S A; Jaynes, P; Payne, R L; Applegate, T J

2015-10-01

Standardized ileal amino acid digestibility (SIAAD) of 5 samples of corn distillers dried grain with solubles (DDGS), 5 samples of bakery by-products (BBP), 3 samples of corn, and 1 sample of wheat middlings (WM) were evaluated in broilers and laying hens. Diets containing each of the 14 feed ingredients were evaluated in 21 day-old broiler chickens. The DDGS and BBP containing diets were fed to 30-week-old laying hens, while corn and wheat middling were evaluated in 50-week-old laying hens. All the diets were semi-purified with each feed ingredient being the only source of amino acid (AA). To obtain SIAAD values, apparent ileal AA digestibility was corrected for basal ileal endogenous AA losses using values generated from broilers and laying hens fed a nitrogen-free diet. Ileal crude protein digestibility for the 5 DDGS samples was higher (P < 0.05) in broilers than in laying hens. Broilers had higher SIAAD for DDGS 2, 3, 4, and 5 while there was no difference for DDGS 1 except for 4 AA where broilers had higher (P < 0.05) SIAAD values. Standardized ileal AA digestibility values for broilers were higher (P < 0.05) for BBP 1 and 4. Ileal CP digestibility for corn 1 was higher (P < 0.05) for broilers compared to laying hens, and SIAAD values for the 16 AA (9 indispensable and 7 dispensable) evaluated in this study were higher (P < 0.05) in broilers. Broilers had higher (P < 0.05) SIAAD values for 4 (histidine, leucine, phenylalanine, and valine) and 6 (histidine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, and valine) indispensable and 3 (cysteine, glutamic acid, and proline) and 4 (cysteine, glutamic acid, proline, and serine) dispensable AA for corn 2 and corn 3, respectively. No difference in SIAAD between broilers and laying hens was observed for WM. Results from this study confirm that high variability in digestibility exists between different samples of DDGS. Differences in SIAAD between broilers and laying hens were observed in some samples of DDGS and BBP. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Nutritional equivalency evaluation of transgenic maize grain from event DP-O9814O-6 and transgenic soybeans containing event DP-356O43-5: laying hen performance and egg quality measures.

PubMed

McNaughton, J; Roberts, M; Rice, D; Smith, B; Hinds, M; Delaney, B; Iiams, C; Sauber, T

2011-02-01

The objective of this study was to compare the nutritional performance of laying hens fed maize grain from event DP-Ø9814Ø-6 (98140; gat4621 and zm-hra genes) and processed soybean meal from soybeans containing event DP-356Ø43-5 (356043; gat4601 and gm-hra genes), individually or in combination, with the performance of hens fed diets containing nontransgenic maize and soybean meal. Healthy pullets (n = 216) placed in cages (3 hens/cage) were randomly assigned to 9 dietary treatments (8 cages/treatment): nontransgenic controls 1, 2, and 3 (comparable genetic background controls for 98140, 356043, and 98140 + 356043, respectively); reference 1, reference 2, and reference 3 (commercially available nontransgenic maize-soybean meal sources); and 98140 (test 1), 356043 (test 2), and 98140 + 356043 (test 3). The experiment was divided into three 4-wk phases (24 to 28 wk, 28 to 32 wk, and 32 to 36 wk of age), during which time hens were fed mash diets. Performance (BW, feed intake, and egg production) and egg quality data were collected. Data were analyzed using a mixed model ANOVA; differences between the control and respective test group means were considered significant at P < 0.05. Data generated from the reference groups were used only in the estimation of experimental variability and in generating the tolerance interval. Body weight and BW gain, egg production, and production efficiency for hens fed the test diets were similar to the respective values for hens fed the corresponding control diets. Haugh unit measures and egg component weights were similar between the respective test and control groups, and no differences were observed in quality grades or crack measures. All observed values of the control and test groups were within the calculated tolerance intervals. This research indicates that the performance and egg quality of hens fed diets containing 98140 maize grain, 356043 soybean meal, or a combination of the 2 was comparable with that of hens fed diets formulated with nontransgenic maize grain or soybean meal control diets with comparable genetic backgrounds.

Experimental Mycoplasma gallisepticum infections in captive-reared wild turkeys

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rocke, Tonie E.; Yuill, Thomas M.; Amundson, Terry E.

1988-01-01

The effects of Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) infections on egg production, fertility, and hatchability were studied in captive-reared wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo). Three groups of adult birds, each consisting of four hens and two toms, were exposed to MG by the respiratory route at the beginning of their breeding season. Fourteen control birds received sterile growth medium. Although no mortality of infected or control birds occurred, egg production during the first breeding season after infection was reduced. The mean number of eggs/hen/day produced by infected groups the first breeding season postexposure (PE) was significantly lower than the control value. The mean number of eggs produced daily by the same hens 1 yr later was unaffected by MG infection. The pecentage of fertile eggs produced by infected groups was slightly reduced in both the first and second breeding seasons PE. Hatchability of fertile eggs from infected hens was significantly lower than eggs from control hens. Productivity may be impaired if MG infections occur in free-ranging wild turkey populations.

Survival of wood duck and mallard broods in north-central Minnesota

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ball, I.J.; Gilmer, D.S.; Cowardin, L.M.

Duckling survival in wood duck (Aix sponsa) and mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) broods was estimated from data obtained from 71 radio-marked brood hens on a study area in north-central Minnesota. Radio-marked hens produced 30 broods during the study, and 41 hens already leading broods were captured and radio-marked. Production estimates based on brood size counts were inflated by about 38 percent for wood ducks and 30 percent for mallards if total-brood losses were not taken into account. Mortality during the first 2 weeks of life was most severe, accounting for 86 percent of total recorded mortality in wood ducks and 70more » percent in mallards. Rearing success was about 41 percent for wood ducks and 44 percent for mallards. Duckling survival was negatively correlated with distance of overland travel by young broods. Wood ducks had a shorter hen-brood bond than mallards, and presence of the hen appeared to affect duckling survival less in wood duck broods than in mallards.« less

The Little Red Hen: A Story of Productive Resources and Incentives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kehler, Abbejean

2005-01-01

"The Little Red Hen" is a classic story. Many children have not had the opportunity to see where a commercial loaf of bread comes from, or to feel the bounce of rising dough in a kitchen. "The Little Red Hen" not only helps to introduce the process, but gives the students an opportunity to reflect how they might feel if they did the work on a…

Early Onset of Laying and Bumblefoot Favor Keel Bone Fractures.

PubMed

Gebhardt-Henrich, Sabine G; Fröhlich, Ernst K F

2015-11-27

Numerous studies have demonstrated influences of hybrid, feed, and housing on prevalence of keel bone fractures, but influences of behavior and production on an individual level are less known. In this longitudinal study, 80 white and brown laying hens were regularly checked for keel bone deviations and fractures while egg production was individually monitored using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) from production until depopulation at 65 weeks of age. These focal birds were kept in eight pens with 20 hens per pen in total. About 62% of the hens had broken keel bones at depopulation. The occurrence of new fractures was temporally linked to egg laying: more new fractures occurred during the time when laying rates were highest. Hens with fractured keel bones at depopulation had laid their first egg earlier than hens with intact keel bones. However, the total number of eggs was neither correlated with the onset of egg laying nor with keel bone fractures. All birds with bumblefoot on both feet had a fracture at depopulation. Hens stayed in the nest for a longer time during egg laying during the ten days after the fracture than during the ten days before the fracture. In conclusion, a relationship between laying rates and keel bone fractures seems likely.

Foods of breeding pintails in North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Krapu, G.L.

1974-01-01

Food habits of breeding pintails (Anas acuta) were studied relative to sex, land use, and reproductive condition during the spring and summer of 1969, 1970, and 1971 in eastern North Dakota. Hens and drakes, respectively, consumed 79.2 percent and 30.0 percent animal matter on nontilled wetlands and consumed 16.6 percent and 1.1 percent animal matter on tilled wetlands. Aquatic dipterans (primarily larval forms), snails, fairy shrimp, and earthworms accounted for 71 percent of the diet of hens on nontilled wetlands, while barnyard grass (Echinochloa crusgalli) seeds formed 71 percent of the diet of hens on tilled wetlands. Cereal grain seeds formed 84 percent of the diet of 10 hens feeding on cropland. The diet of hens was influenced by reproductive status. Animal foods were predominant during the laying period (77.1 percent) but were less important in the postlaying diet (28.9 percent). Invertebrates formed 83.9 percent of the diet of renesting hens, 61.0 percent were dipteran larvae and snails. High consumption of animal foods during egg formation presumably is related to invertebrates being superior to plants in providing certain nutrients required for production of viable eggs. Research findings suggest that food requirements of prairie-nesting pintails can be met most effectively by providing pairs access to shallow, nontilled wetland habitat subject to periodic drawdowns.

Preliminary evaluation of a nest usage sensor to detect double nest occupations of laying hens.

PubMed

Zaninelli, Mauro; Costa, Annamaria; Tangorra, Francesco Maria; Rossi, Luciana; Agazzi, Alessandro; Savoini, Giovanni

2015-01-26

Conventional cage systems will be replaced by housing systems that allow hens to move freely. These systems may improve hens' welfare, but they lead to some disadvantages: disease, bone fractures, cannibalism, piling and lower egg production. New selection criteria for existing commercial strains should be identified considering individual data about laying performance and the behavior of hens. Many recording systems have been developed to collect these data. However, the management of double nest occupations remains critical for the correct egg-to-hen assignment. To limit such events, most systems adopt specific trap devices and additional mechanical components. Others, instead, only prevent these occurrences by narrowing the nest, without any detection and management. The aim of this study was to develop and test a nest usage "sensor", based on imaging analysis, that is able to automatically detect a double nest occupation. Results showed that the developed sensor correctly identified the double nest occupation occurrences. Therefore, the imaging analysis resulted in being a useful solution that could simplify the nest construction for this type of recording system, allowing the collection of more precise and accurate data, since double nest occupations would be managed and the normal laying behavior of hens would not be discouraged by the presence of the trap devices.

Impact of fowlpox-vectored Mycoplasma gallisepticum vaccine Vectormune FP MG on layer hen egg production and egg quality parameters.

PubMed

Leigh, S A; Branton, S L; Evans, J D; Collier, S D

2013-12-01

This study was conducted to determine the impact of vaccination with Vectormune FP MG on egg production and egg quality characteristics of Single Comb White Leghorn hens. Due to questions of the efficacy of this vaccine in preventing Mycoplasma gallisepticum-mediated pathology, the ability of this vaccine to protect against postproduction-peak egg losses associated with F-strain M. gallisepticum (FMG) vaccination was also investigated. Vaccination with Vectormune FP MG did not result in any significant change in egg production or egg quality parameters compared with control (unvaccinated) hens. Subsequent revaccination with FMG at 45 wk of age (woa) yielded no impact on egg production or egg quality parameters of Vectormune FP MG vaccinated hens, unlike prior results for postproduction-peak vaccination of M. gallisepticum-clean hens with FMG, which exhibited a drop in egg production of approximately 6%. No difference in egg size distribution was observed for any of the treatment groups before or after FMG revaccination. These results suggest that hens can be safely vaccinated with Vectormune FP MG as pullets and can be revaccinated with a live M. gallisepticum vaccine such as FMG at a later date with no deleterious effects on egg production or egg or eggshell quality parameters.

Preliminary Evaluation of a Nest Usage Sensor to Detect Double Nest Occupations of Laying Hens

PubMed Central

Zaninelli, Mauro; Costa, Annamaria; Tangorra, Francesco Maria; Rossi, Luciana; Agazzi, Alessandro; Savoini, Giovanni

2015-01-01

Conventional cage systems will be replaced by housing systems that allow hens to move freely. These systems may improve hens' welfare, but they lead to some disadvantages: disease, bone fractures, cannibalism, piling and lower egg production. New selection criteria for existing commercial strains should be identified considering individual data about laying performance and the behavior of hens. Many recording systems have been developed to collect these data. However, the management of double nest occupations remains critical for the correct egg-to-hen assignment. To limit such events, most systems adopt specific trap devices and additional mechanical components. Others, instead, only prevent these occurrences by narrowing the nest, without any detection and management. The aim of this study was to develop and test a nest usage “sensor”, based on imaging analysis, that is able to automatically detect a double nest occupation. Results showed that the developed sensor correctly identified the double nest occupation occurrences. Therefore, the imaging analysis resulted in being a useful solution that could simplify the nest construction for this type of recording system, allowing the collection of more precise and accurate data, since double nest occupations would be managed and the normal laying behavior of hens would not be discouraged by the presence of the trap devices. PMID:25629704

Low-fiber alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) meal in the laying hen diet: effects on productive traits and egg quality.

PubMed

Laudadio, V; Ceci, E; Lastella, N M B; Introna, M; Tufarelli, V

2014-07-01

This study was designed to determine the effects on laying performance and egg quality resulting from partial substitution of soybean meal (SBM) with low-fiber alfalfa (LFA; Medicago sativa L.) meal in the diet of early-phase laying hens. ISA Brown layers, 18 wk of age, were randomly allocated to 2 dietary treatments and fed for 10 wk. The hens were fed 2 wheat middling-based diets: a control diet, which contained SBM (15% of diet), and a test diet containing LFA (15% of diet) as the main protein source. Low-fiber alfalfa meal was obtained by a combination of sieving and air-classification processes. Feed intake was recorded daily, and egg production was calculated on a hen-day basis; eggs from each group were weekly collected to evaluate egg components and quality. The partial substitution of SBM with LFA had no adverse effect on growth performance of early-phase laying hens. Egg production and none of the egg-quality traits examined were influenced by dietary treatment, except for yolk color (P < 0.001) and yolk percentage (P < 0.05) as well as yolk cholesterol and β-carotene contents (P < 0.001), which were improved in hens fed the LFA diet. Including LFA increased serum β-carotene and reduced serum cholesterol concentrations (P < 0.001). Our results suggest that partially replacing conventional SBM as protein source with low-fiber alfalfa meal in the laying-hen diet can positively influence yolk quality without adversely affecting productive traits. © 2014 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Effects of separation of resources on behaviour, physical condition and production of laying hens in furnished cages.

PubMed

Shimmura, T; Azuma, T; Eguchi, Y; Uetake, K; Tanaka, T

2009-01-01

1. Based on our previous studies, we designed a medium-sized furnished cage with a dust bath and nest box on both sides of the cage (MFS) and evaluated its usefulness. 2. We used 180 White Leghorn layers. At the age of 17 weeks, the birds were distributed at random into one of the 4 cage designs: conventional cages (CC; 6 cages and 5 hens per cage), small (SF; 6 cages and 5 hens per cage) and medium furnished cages (MFL; 6 cages and 10 hens per cage) with a 'localised' dust bath and nest box on one side of the cage, and MFS (6 cages and 10 hens per cage). The total allocation of resources per bird was similar for all furnished cage designs. Behaviour, physical condition and production were measured in each cage. 3. Moving was more frequent in MFS and MFL than in CC and SF. The proportion of hens performing aggressive pecking and severe feather pecking was higher in MFL than CC and SF. These aggressive interactions occurred frequently in the dust bath area in MFL; however, these tendencies were not found in MFS. Egg production and egg mass were lower in MFL than in SF, while the production in MFS was similar to those in CC and SF. MFS hens laid eggs on the cage floor more often than in MFL. 4. In conclusion, these results demonstrate the possible usefulness of MFS. However, some inconsistent results and ways of improving MFS design were also identified.

Environmental contamination by Aspergillus spp. in laying hen farms and associated health risks for farm workers.

PubMed

Cafarchia, Claudia; Camarda, Antonio; Iatta, Roberta; Danesi, Patrizia; Favuzzi, Vincenza; Di Paola, Giancarlo; Pugliese, Nicola; Caroli, Anna; Montagna, Maria Teresa; Otranto, Domenico

2014-03-01

Data on the occurrence and epidemiology of Aspergillus spp. in laying hens farms are scant. With the aims of determining levels of airborne contamination in laying hen farms and evaluating the potential risk of infection for workers and animals, 57 air samples from 19 sheds (Group I), 69 from faeces (Group II), 19 from poultry feedstuffs (Group III) and 60 from three anatomical sites (i.e. nostrils, pharynx, ears) of 20 farm workers (Group IV) were cultured. The Aspergillus spp. prevalence in samples ranged from 31.6% (Group III) to 55.5% (Group IV), whereas the highest conidia concentration was retrieved in Group II (1.2 × 10(4) c.f.u. g(-1)) and in Group III (1.9 × 10(3) c.f.u. g(-1)). The mean concentration of airborne Aspergillus spp. conidia was 70 c.f.u. m(-3) with Aspergillus fumigatus (27.3%) being the most frequently detected species, followed by Aspergillus flavus (6.3%). These Aspergillus spp. were also isolated from human nostrils (40%) and ears (35%) (P<0.05) (Group IV). No clinical aspergillosis was diagnosed in hens. The results demonstrate a relationship between the environmental contamination in hen farms and presence of Aspergillus spp. on animals and humans. Even if the concentration of airborne Aspergillus spp. conidia (i.e. 70 c.f.u. m(-3)) herein detected does not trigger clinical disease in hens, it causes human colonization. Correct management of hen farms is necessary to control environmental contamination by Aspergillus spp., and could lead to a significant reduction of animal and human colonization.

Development of a Machine Vision Method for the Monitoring of Laying Hens and Detection of Multiple Nest Occupations.

PubMed

Zaninelli, Mauro; Redaelli, Veronica; Luzi, Fabio; Mitchell, Malcolm; Bontempo, Valentino; Cattaneo, Donata; Dell'Orto, Vittorio; Savoini, Giovanni

2018-01-05

Free range systems can improve the welfare of laying hens. However, the access to environmental resources can be partially limited by social interactions, feeding of hens, and productivity, can be not stable and damaging behaviors, or negative events, can be observed more frequently than in conventional housing systems. In order to reach a real improvement of the hens' welfare the study of their laying performances and behaviors is necessary. With this purpose, many systems have been developed. However, most of them do not detect a multiple occupation of the nest negatively affecting the accuracy of data collected. To overcome this issue, a new "nest-usage-sensor" was developed and tested. It was based on the evaluation of thermografic images, as acquired by a thermo-camera, and the performing of patter recognitions on images acquired from the nest interior. The sensor was setup with a "Multiple Nest Occupation Threshold" of 796 colored pixels and a template of triangular shape and sizes of 43 × 33 pixels (high per base). It was tested through an experimental nesting system where 10 hens were reared for a month. Results showed that the evaluation of thermografic images could increase the detection performance of a multiple occupation of the nest and to apply an image pattern recognition technique could allow for counting the number of hens in the nest in case of a multiple occupation. As a consequence, the accuracy of data collected in studies on laying performances and behaviors of hens, reared in a free-range housing system, could result to be improved.

Role of the Trypanosoma brucei HEN1 Family Methyltransferase in Small Interfering RNA Modification

PubMed Central

Shi, Huafang; Barnes, Rebecca L.; Carriero, Nicholas; Atayde, Vanessa D.

2014-01-01

Parasitic protozoa of the flagellate order Kinetoplastida represent one of the deepest branches of the eukaryotic tree. Among this group of organisms, the mechanism of RNA interference (RNAi) has been investigated in Trypanosoma brucei and to a lesser degree in Leishmania (Viannia) spp. The pathway is triggered by long double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and in T. brucei requires a set of five core genes, including a single Argonaute (AGO) protein, T. brucei AGO1 (TbAGO1). The five genes are conserved in Leishmania (Viannia) spp. but are absent in other major kinetoplastid species, such as Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania major. In T. brucei small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are methylated at the 3′ end, whereas Leishmania (Viannia) sp. siRNAs are not. Here we report that T. brucei HEN1, an ortholog of the metazoan HEN1 2′-O-methyltransferases, is required for methylation of siRNAs. Loss of TbHEN1 causes a reduction in the length of siRNAs. The shorter siRNAs in hen1−/− parasites are single stranded and associated with TbAGO1, and a subset carry a nontemplated uridine at the 3′ end. These findings support a model wherein TbHEN1 methylates siRNA 3′ ends after they are loaded into TbAGO1 and this methylation protects siRNAs from uridylation and 3′ trimming. Moreover, expression of TbHEN1 in Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis did not result in siRNA 3′ end methylation, further emphasizing mechanistic differences in the trypanosome and Leishmania RNAi mechanisms. PMID:24186950

Rheological properties, oxidative stability, and tocopherol content during storage of fried dough made with Silky fowl egg: comparison with hen egg.

PubMed

Toyosaki, T

2010-05-01

Eggs from Silky fowl and White Leghorn hens were used to prepare fried dough. The rheological properties, lipid oxidative stability, and trans, trans-2,4-decadienal and tocopherol content of fried dough made with Silky fowl egg were compared with dough made with hen egg. The fried dough was stored in a glass bottle at 50 degrees C in the dark for 12 d. The fried dough made with Silky fowl egg showed little change in hardness and adhesion for 12 d at 50 degrees C. However, in the fried dough made with hen egg, hardness increased drastically and adhesion decreased. The fried dough made with Silky fowl egg showed restricted generation of hydroperoxides during 12 d in storage at 50 degrees C. In contrast, the fried dough made with hen egg showed an increased amount of hydroperoxides during the 12-d storage. The lowest concentration of trans, trans-2,4-decadienal was observed in fried dough made with Silky fowl egg, whereas the concentration of trans, trans-2,4-decadienal in fried dough made with hen egg was significantly increased. Total tocopherols in fried dough made with Silky fowl egg were degraded 23.3 mg/100 g of fried dough by the end of the experimental period at 50 degrees C. In contrast, total tocopherols in the fried dough made with hen egg were degraded 40 mg/100 g of fried dough. The ratio of unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids decreased and the hydroperoxide content increased with storage time. The unsaturated fatty acid:saturated fatty acid ratio and hydroperoxide and tocopherol contents were lower in fried dough made with Silky fowl egg than in that made with hen egg, indicating decreased lipid oxidation. The present experiment suggests that the use of Silky fowl egg could improve the rheological properties, oxidative stability, and trans, trans-2,4-decadienal and tocopherol contents of fried dough.

Analysis of the Spanish national registry for pediatric home enteral nutrition (NEPAD): implementation rates and observed trends during the past 8 years.

PubMed

Pedrón-Giner, C; Navas-López, V M; Martínez-Zazo, A B; Martínez-Costa, C; Sánchez-Valverde, F; Blasco-Alonso, J; Moreno-Villares, J M; Redecillas-Ferreiro, S; Canals-Badía, M J; Rosell-Camps, A; Gil-Ortega, D; Gómez-López, L; García-Romero, R; Gutierrez-Junquera, C; Balmaseda-Serrano, E M; Bousoño-García, C; Marugán-Miguelsanz, J M; Peña-Quintana, L; González-Santana, D; López-Ruzafa, E; Chicano-Marín, F J; Cabrera-Rodriguez, R; Murray-Hurtado, M; Pérez-Moneo, B

2013-04-01

The home enteral nutrition (HEN) provides nutritional support to children with chronic diseases who are nutritionally compromised and allows them to be discharged more quickly from hospitals. In 2003, a web-based registry (Nutrición Enteral Pediátrica Ambulatoria y Domiciliaria, Pediatric Ambulatory and Home Enteral Nutrition -NEPAD-) was created with the objective of gathering information about pediatric HEN practices in Spain. The aim of this study was to report the implementation of the NEPAD (Nutrición Enteral Pediátrica Ambulatoria y Domiciliaria, Pediatric Ambulatory and Home Enteral Nutrition) registry of pediatric HEN in Spain and to analyze data evolution trends from 2003 to 2010. The data from the Spanish NEPAD registry were analyzed according to the following variables: demographic data, diagnosis, indication for HEN, nutritional support regime and administration route. Over the study period, 952 patients (1048 episodes) from 20 Spanish hospitals were included in the NEPAD registry. The most frequent indication for HEN was decreased oral intake (64%), and neurological disease was the most prevalent illness. HEN was delivered via a nasogastric tube in 573 episodes (54.7%), by gastrostomy in 375 episodes (35.8%), oral feeding in 77 episodes (7.3%) and by jejunal access in 23 episodes (2.2%). Significant differences in the mode of administration were observed based on the pathology of the child (χ(2), P<0.0001). The cyclic feeding was the most widely used technique for the administration of HEN. Most of the patients used a pump and a polymeric formula. Transition to oral feeding was the primary reason for discontinuation of this type of support. Since the NEPAD registry was established in Spain, the number of documented patients has increased more than 25-fold. Many children with chronic illness benefit from HEN, mainly those suffering from neurological diseases.

The effect of northern fowl mite (Ornithonyssus sylviarum) infestation on hen physiology, physical condition, and egg quality.

PubMed

Vezzoli, Giuseppe; King, Annie J; Mench, Joy A

2016-05-01

The northern fowl mite (NFM),Ornithonyssus sylviarum, is the most common ectoparasite of laying hens in North America. Infestation can cause a reduction in egg production, egg weights, and feed conversion efficiency. However, there is a lack of information on the effects of NFM on hen physiology, physical condition, and egg quality. Singly caged beak-trimmed White Leghorn hens (N=32) were infested with mites at 25 wk of age. The condition of each hen was assessed at wk 0 (infestation) and wk 5 and 7 post-infestation to determine comb temperatures and feather, skin, and comb condition. Heterophil-lymphocyte (H/L) ratios and body weight (BW) were evaluated at wk 0 and wk 1, 3, 5, and 7 post-infestation. Egg weight, egg specific gravity, yolk color, Haugh unit (HU), and eggshell thickness were determined prior to infestation (wk -1) and at 1, 3, 5, and 7 wk post-infestation. The H/L ratio (P<0.0001), HU (P<0.0001), and egg specific gravity (P=0.001) were lowest, and the egg yolk color was lightest (P=0.087) at wk 5, the peak of infestation. At wk 5 and 7, more than 65% of the hens had red skin and more than 75% had scabs on the vent; in addition more than 84% had grey-black vent feathers. There were no effects of infestation on comb color, comb temperature, feather cover, BW, or eggshell thickness. It was concluded that infestation with NFM has negative effects on interior egg quality and hen integument. A decrease in H/L ratio was also observed at the peak of infestation. However, the effects of NFM on the immune system are unclear, and H/L ratio might not be a good stress measure in hens highly infested with NFM. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Effects of ambient temperature, feather cover, and housing system on energy partitioning and performance in laying hens.

PubMed

van Krimpen, M M; Binnendijk, G P; van den Anker, I; Heetkamp, M J W; Kwakkel, R P; van den Brand, H

2014-11-01

Environmental factors, such as ambient temperature (T), feather cover (FC), and housing system (HS), probably affect energy requirements of laying hens. Using a 3 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, interaction effects of T (11, 16, and 21°C), FC (100 and 50%), and HS (cage and floor housing) on energy partitioning and performance of laying hens were investigated. Six batches of 70 H&N Brown Nick laying hens, divided over 2 respiration chambers, were exposed to the T levels in three 2-wk periods. Heat production (HP) was determined by indirect calorimetry. The ME intake was calculated by subtracting energy in manure/litter from that in feed and wood shavings. The NE was calculated by subtracting HP from ME. The ME intake increased by 1% for each degree reduction in T. In hens with intact plumage, HP was not affected by T, whereas at decreasing T, HP increased in hens with 50% FC (P < 0.01). At 21°C, HP was not affected by HS, whereas in the floor system, HP at 16 and 11°C was 5.8 and 3.0% higher, respectively, than in cages (P < 0.05). The NE for production was 25.7% higher in cages compared to the floor system (P < 0.05). In cages, 24.7% of NE for production was spent on body fat deposition, whereas in the floor system, 9.0% of NE for production was released from body fat reserves. The ME intake was predicted by the equation (R(2) = 0.74) ME intake (kJ/d) = 612 BW(0.75) - (8.54 × T) + (28.36 × ADG) + (10.43 × egg mass) - (0.972 × FC). Hen performances were not affected by treatments, indicating the adaptive capacity of young laying hens to a broad range of environmental conditions.

Tropism and infectivity of duck-derived egg drop syndrome virus in chickens.

PubMed

Kang, Min; Cha, Se-Yeoun; Jang, Hyung-Kwan

2017-01-01

Egg drop syndrome virus (EDSV) can markedly decrease egg production in laying hens. Duck is the natural host of EDSV. EDSV derived from ducks abrogate egg drop in laying hens. We have previously confirmed that duck-derived EDSVs have a variety of replication activities in chick embryo liver (CEL) cells. However, it is currently unclear whether duck-derived EDSV could display tropism and adaptation in laying hens. This study assessed whether duck-derived EDSV can adapt to laying hens, and estimated the inducing factors. Complete genome sequences of duck-derived EDSVs (D11-JW-012, D11-JW-017, and D11-JW-032 isolates) with various replication efficiency in CEL cells and C10-GY-001 isolate causing disease in laying hens were analyzed to find their differences. Phylogenetic analysis of complete genome sequence revealed that C10-GY-001, D11-JW-032, and strain 127 virus as vaccine were clustered into the same group, with D11-JW-012 and D11-JW-017 clustered in another group. Comparison between D11-JW-012 isolate that poorly replicated and D11-JW-017 isolate that replicated well in CEL cells in same cluster revealed six amino acid differences on IVa2, DNA polymerase, endopeptidase, and DNA-binding protein. These amino acids might be key candidates enhancing cellular tropism in chicken. When the pathogenicities of these isolates in laying hens were compared, D11-JW-032 showed severe signs similar to 127 virus, D11-JW-017 showed intermediate signs, while D11-JW-012 showed almost no sign. Eleven amino acids differed between D11-JW-032 and D11-JW-017, and 17 amino acids were different between D11-JW-032 and D11-JW-012. These results suggest that EDSVs derived from ducks have various pathogenicities in laying hens. Key amino acid candidates might have altered their affinity to tropism of laying hens, causing difference pathogenicities.

Evaluation of the nutritional equivalency of soybean meal with the genetically modified trait DP-3O5423-1 when fed to laying hens.

PubMed

Mejia, L; Jacobs, C M; Utterback, P L; Parsons, C M; Rice, D; Sanders, C; Smith, B; Iiams, C; Sauber, T

2010-12-01

An experiment using 336 Hy-Line W-36 Single Comb White Leghorn hens was conducted to evaluate transgenic soybeans containing the gm-fad2-1 gene fragment and the gm-hra gene. Transcription of the gm-fad2-1 gene fragment results in an increased level of oleic acid (18:1) in the seed, and expression of the soybean acetolactate synthase protein (GM-HRA) encoded by the modified gm-hra gene, is used as a selectable marker during transformation. Pullets (20 wk of age) were placed in cage lots (7 hens/cage, 2 cages/lot) and were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 corn-soybean meal dietary treatments (6 lots/treatment) formulated with the following soybean meals: nontransgenic near-isoline control (control), nontransgenic commercial reference soybean meal A (92M72), nontransgenic commercial reference soybean meal B (93B15), or transgenic soybean meal produced from soybeans containing event DP-3Ø5423-1 (305423). Weeks 20 to 24 were a preconditioning period, and the 4 experimental diets were then fed from 25 to 36 wk of age. Differences between the 305423 and control group means were evaluated, with statistical significance at P < 0.05. Body weight, hen-day egg production, egg mass, feed consumption, and feed efficiency for hens fed the 305423 soybean meal were not significantly different from the respective values for hens fed diets formulated with the near-isoline soybean meal. Likewise, egg component weights, Haugh unit measures, and egg weights were similar regardless of the soybean meal source. This research indicates that performance of hens fed diets containing 305423 soybean meal, as measured by egg production and egg quality, was similar to that of hens fed diets formulated with the near-isoline control and commercial soybean meals.

Effect of feeding duration of diets containing corn distillers dried grains with solubles on productive performance, egg quality, and lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations of egg yolk in laying hens.

PubMed

Shin, H S; Kim, J W; Kim, J H; Lee, D G; Lee, S; Kil, D Y

2016-10-01

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding duration of diets containing corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) on productive performance, egg quality, and lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations of egg yolk in laying hens. A total of 300 57-week-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were randomly assigned to one of 5 treatment groups (feeding duration) with 6 replicates consisting of 5 consecutive cages with 2 hens per cage. Diets were formulated to contain either 0% (the control diet) or 20% DDGS. Experimental diets were fed to hens for 12 wk. The feeding duration of diets containing 20% DDGS was 0, 3, 6, 9, or 12 wk before the conclusion of the experiment. Feeding the diet containing 20% DDGS for 3, 6, or 9 wk followed feeding the control diet for 9, 6, or 3 wk, respectively. The data for productive performance were summarized for 12 wk of the feeding trial. Results indicated that increasing feeding duration of diets containing 20% DDGS had no effects on productive performance of laying hens, but increased egg yolk color (linear, P < 0.01), hunter a* value (linear and quadratic, P < 0.01), and b* values (linear, P < 0.05) with a decrease in hunter L* value (linear and quadratic, P < 0.05). Lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations of egg yolks also were increased (linear, P < 0.01) by increasing the feeding duration of diets containing 20% DDGS. In conclusion, feeding diets containing 20% DDGS to laying hens has no adverse effects on productive performance. Increasing the feeding duration of diets containing 20% DDGS improves egg yolk coloration with a concomitant increase in lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations of egg yolks in laying hens. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Effects of faba beans with different concentrations of vicine and convicine on egg production, egg quality and red blood cells in laying hens.

PubMed

Lessire, M; Gallo, V; Prato, M; Akide-Ndunge, O; Mandili, G; Marget, P; Arese, P; Duc, G

2017-08-01

The faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is a potential source of proteins for poultry, mainly for laying hens whose protein requirements are lower than those of other birds such as growing broilers and turkeys. However, this feedstuff contains anti-nutritional factors, that is, vicine (V) and convicine (C) that are already known to reduce laying hen performance. The aim of the experiment reported here was to evaluate the effects of a wide range of dietary V and C concentrations in laying hens. Two trials were performed with laying hens fed diets including 20% or 25% of faba bean genotypes highly contrasting in V+C content. In Trial 1, faba beans from two tannin-containing cultivars, but with high or low V+C content were dehulled in order to eliminate the tannin effect. In addition to the contrasting levels of V+C in the two cultivars, two intermediate levels of V+C were obtained by mixing the two cultivars (70/30 and 30/70). In Trial 2, two isogenic zero-tannin faba bean genotypes with high or low V+C content were used. In both trials, a classical corn-soybean diet was also offered to control hens. Each experimental diet was given to 48 laying hens for 140 (Trial 1) or 89 (Trial 2) days. Laying performance and egg quality were measured. The redox sensitivity of red blood cells (RBCs) was assessed by measuring hemolysis and reduced glutathione (GSH) concentration in these cells. Egg weight was significantly reduced by the diets containing the highest concentrations of V+C (P<0.0001) in Trial 1 and slightly reduced (P<0.10) in Trial 2, but only weak linear relationships between egg weight and dietary V+C concentration were established. No negative effect of V+C level was observed for egg quality parameters. In contrast, certain parameters (i.e. Haugh units, yolk color) were improved by feeding low V+C diets (P<0.05). Hemolysis of RBCs was higher in hens fed high V+C diets. A decrease in GSH concentration in RBCs of hens fed the highest levels of V+C was observed. Faba bean genotypes with low concentrations of V+C can therefore be used in laying hen diets up to 25% without any detrimental effects on performance levels or egg characteristics, without any risk of hemolysis of RBCs.

Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen Infused Compressed Air Foam for Depopulation of Caged Laying Hens

PubMed Central

Gurung, Shailesh; White, Dima; Archer, Gregory; Styles, Darrel; Zhao, Dan; Farnell, Yuhua; Byrd, James; Farnell, Morgan

2018-01-01

Simple Summary Compressed air, detergent, and water make up compressed air foam. Our laboratory has previously reported that compressed air foam may be an effective method for mass depopulation of caged layer hens. Gases, such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen, have also been used for poultry euthanasia and depopulation. The objective of this study was to produce compressed air foam infused with carbon dioxide or nitrogen to compare its efficacy against foam with air and gas inhalation methods (carbon dioxide or nitrogen) for depopulation of caged laying hens. The study showed that a carbon dioxide-air mixture or 100% nitrogen can replace air to make compressed air foam. However, the foam with carbon dioxide had poor foam quality compared to the foam with air or nitrogen. The physiological stress response of hens subjected to foam treatments with and without gas infusion did not differ significantly. Hens exposed to foam with nitrogen died earlier as compared to methods such as foam with air and carbon dioxide. The authors conclude that infusion of nitrogen into compressed air foam results in better foam quality and shortened time to death as compared to the addition of carbon dioxide. Abstract Depopulation of infected poultry flocks is a key strategy to control and contain reportable diseases. Water-based foam, carbon dioxide inhalation, and ventilation shutdown are depopulation methods available to the poultry industry. Unfortunately, these methods have limited usage in caged layer hen operations. Personnel safety and welfare of birds are equally important factors to consider during emergency depopulation procedures. We have previously reported that compressed air foam (CAF) is an alternative method for depopulation of caged layer hens. We hypothesized that infusion of gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen (N2), into the CAF would reduce physiological stress and shorten time to cessation of movement. The study had six treatments, namely a negative control, CO2 inhalation, N2 inhalation, CAF with air (CAF Air), CAF with 50% CO2 (CAF CO2), and CAF with 100% N2 (CAF N2). Four spent hens were randomly assigned to one of these treatments on each of the eight replication days. A total of 192 spent hens were used in this study. Serum corticosterone and serotonin levels were measured and compared between treatments. Time to cessation of movement of spent hens was determined using accelerometers. The addition of CO2 in CAF significantly reduced the foam quality while the addition of N2 did not. The corticosterone and serotonin levels of spent hens subjected to foam (CAF, CAF CO2, CAF N2) and gas inhalation (CO2, N2) treatments did not differ significantly. The time to cessation of movement of spent hens in the CAF N2 treatment was significantly shorter than CAF and CAF CO2 treatments but longer than the gas inhalation treatments. These data suggest that the addition of N2 is advantageous in terms of shortening time to death and improved foam quality as compared to the CAF CO2 treatment. PMID:29301340

Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer by Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound-Targeted Imaging

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

and Pam Utterback and Doug Hilgendorf, staff of the University of Illinois at 400 Urbana-Champaign Poultry Research Farm , for maintenance of the hens...Utterback and Doug Hilgendorf, staff of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Poultry Re- search Farm , for maintenance of the hens. The authors also...and Doug Hilgendorf, staff of the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign Poultry Research Farm , for maintenance of the hens. They also thank

Real-time variations in body temperature of laying hens with increasing ambient temperature at different relative humidity levels.

PubMed

Chang, Y; Wang, X J; Feng, J H; Zhang, M H; Diao, H J; Zhang, S S; Peng, Q Q; Zhou, Y; Li, M; Li, X

2018-05-16

In order to measure the real-time variations in body temperature with increasing ambient temperature (AT) at different relative humidity (RH) levels, 60 Jinghong laying hens (35-wk-old) were raised in 3 controlled climate chambers (10 cages with 2 birds per chamber). The RH was fixed at one of 3 levels comprising 35, 50, or 85%, and the AT was increased gradually by 1 degree per 0.5 h from 18 to 35°C in the 3 chambers. The core temperature (CT) and surface temperature (ST) of the hens, as well as the AT in the 3 chambers were recorded at 3 min intervals using mini temperature data loggers. The data were analyzed with a broken-line model to determine the inflection point temperature (IPT, the certain AT above which the body temperature of the hens started to change). The experiment was repeated 3 times on 3 d. The IPTs of the laying hens were 23.89 and 25.46°C based on ST and CT at 50% RH, respectively, which indicated that the upper critical temperature of the thermoneutral zone of hens may be a specific temperature between 23.89°C and 25.46°C. The IPTs of the laying hens were 24.11 and 25.20°C based on ST and CT at RH 35%, respectively, and 21.93 and 24.45°C at RH 85%. The RH significantly affected the IPT of ST (P < 0.001). The IPTs were higher at 35 and 50% RH than that at 85% RH (P < 0.05). The coefficients of variation for the IPTs between individual hens were 2.96 to 4.51, and coefficients of variation for the IPTs for the same bird measured on 3 d were 0.69 to 1.59, thereby indicating that this method for estimating the IPTs of hens is stable and repeatable, although more samples are needed. In conclusion, our results indicate that analyzing the real-time variation in body temperature with increasing AT is a reliable method for estimating the IPT to provide an important reference for regulating the temperature in poultry houses.

Contrast-Enhanced Sonography Depicts Spontaneous Ovarian Cancer at Early Stages in a Preclinical Animal Model

PubMed Central

Barua, Animesh; Bitterman, Pincas; Bahr, Janice M.; Basu, Sanjib; Sheiner, Eyal; Bradaric, Michael J.; Hales, Dale B.; Luborsky, Judith L.; Abramowicz, Jacques S.

2011-01-01

Objective Our goal was to examine the feasibility of using laying hens, a preclinical model of human spontaneous ovarian cancer, in determining the kinetics of an ultrasound contrast agent indicative of ovarian tumor-associated neoangiogenesis in early-stage ovarian cancer. Methods Three-year-old White Leghorn laying hens with decreased ovarian function were scanned before and after intravenous injection of a human serum albumin–perflutren contrast agent at a dose of 5 µL/kg body weight. Gray scale morphologic characteristics, Doppler indices, the arrival time, peak intensity, and wash-out of the contrast agent were recorded and archived on still images and video clips. Hens were euthanized thereafter; sonographic predictions were compared at gross examination; and ovarian tissues were collected. Archived clips were analyzed to determine contrast parameters and Doppler intensities of vessels. A time-intensity curve per hen was drawn, and the area under the curve was derived. Tumor types and the density of ovarian microvessels were determined by histologic examination and immunohistochemistry and compared to sonographic predictions. Results The contrast agent significantly (P < .05) enhanced the visualization of microvessels, which was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Contrast parameters, including the time of wash-out and area under the curve, were significantly different (P < .05) between ovaries of normal hens and hens with ovarian cancer and correctly detected cancer at earlier stages than the time of peak intensity. Conclusions The laying hen may be a useful animal model for determining ovarian tumor-associated vascular kinetics diagnostic of early-stage ovarian cancer using a contrast agent. This model may also be useful for testing the efficacy of different contrast agents in a preclinical setting. PMID:21357555

Effect of feeding low-fiber fraction of air-classified sunflower (Helianthus annus L.) meal on laying hen productive performance and egg yolk cholesterol.

PubMed

Laudadio, V; Ceci, E; Lastella, N M B; Tufarelli, V

2014-11-01

The present study was designed to determine the effect on laying performance and egg quality resulting from total substitution of soybean meal (SBM) with low-fiber sunflower meal (SFM; Helianthus annus L.) meal in diet of hens. ISA Brown layers, 28 wk of age, were randomly allocated to 2 dietary treatments and fed for 10 wk. The hens were kept in a free-range environment and fed 2 wheat middling-based diets consisting of a control diet, which contained SBM (153 g/kg of diet), and a test diet containing low-fiber SFM (160 g/kg of diet) as the main protein source. Each dietary treatment was replicated 4 times. Low-fiber SFM was obtained by a combination of sieving and air classification processes. Feed consumption was recorded daily and egg production was calculated on a hen-day basis; eggs from each group were collected weekly to evaluate egg components and quality. The total substitution of SBM with low-fiber SFM had no adverse effect on growth performance of laying hens. Egg production and none of egg quality traits examined were influenced by dietary treatment, except for yolk color (P < 0.05) and percentage of large-size eggs (P < 0.05) that were improved in hens fed the low-fiber SFM diet. Including low-fiber SFM decreased serum and egg yolk total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations (P < 0.001), and increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level. Our results suggest that the replacement of conventional soybean with low-fiber sunflower meal may be a valid alternative in diets for laying hens to improve egg quality and to develop low-cholesterol eggs. ©2014 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Single and combined effects of peppermint and thyme essential oils on productive performance, egg quality traits, and blood parameters of laying hens reared under cold stress condition (6.8 ± 3 °C)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akbari, Mohsen; Torki, Mehran; Kaviani, Keyomars

2016-03-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of adding peppermint essential oil (PEO), thyme essential oil (TEO), or their combination to diet on productive performance, egg quality traits, and blood parameters of laying hens reared under cold stress condition (6.8 ± 3 °C). Feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), egg weight (EW), egg production (EP), and egg mass (EM) were evaluated during the 56-day trial period using 120 Lohmann LSL-lite laying hens. Significant interactions between PEO and TEO on FCR, EP, and EM were observed ( P < 0.05). The EP and EM increased, whereas FCR decreased ( P < 0.05) in the hens fed the diets supplemented by the combined form of PEO and TEO compared to those fed the basal diet. Also, increased EW and FI were observed in the laying hens fed the diet added by PEO compared to the birds fed the basal diet. There were significant interactions between PEO and TEO on the serum level of cholesterol, shell thickness, and Hough unit of egg ( P < 0.05), so that serum content of cholesterol decreased, but egg shell thickness and Hough unit increased in the hens fed the diet supplemented by the combined form of PEO and TEO compared to those fed the basal diet. From the results of the present experiment, it can be concluded that diet supplementation by combined form of PEO and TEO could have beneficial effects on performance parameters of hens reared under cold stress condition.

The influence of Citrosept addition to drinking water and Scutellaria baicalensis root extract on the content of selected mineral elements in the blood plasma of turkey hens.

PubMed

Rusinek-Prystupa, Elżbieta; Lechowski, Jerzy; Zukiewicz-Sobczak, Wioletta; Sobczak, Paweł; Zawiślak, Kazimierz

2014-01-01

The aim of this research work was to indicate the influence of Citrosept preparation and Scutellaria baicalensis root extract, administered per os to growing turkey hens in 3 different dosages, on the content of selected mineral elements in blood plasma of slaughter turkey hens. An attempt was also made to specify the most effective dosage of the applied preparations with the highest efficiency as regards increased levels of examined macro- and microelements in the birds' blood. The research experiment was conducted on 315 turkey hens randomly divided into seven groups, each consisting of 45 turkey hens. Group K constituted the control group without experimental additions of the above-mentioned preparations. When it comes to turkey hens which belonged to groups II-IV, Citrosept preparation was instilled to water in the following dosages: Group II - 0.011 ml/kg of bm; Group III - 0.021 ml/kg of bm; Group IV - 0.042 ml/kg bm. For birds which belonged to groups V-VII preparation, which was Scutellaria baicalensis root extract, was instilled to water in the following dosages: Group V - 0.009 ml/kg of bm; Group VI - 0.018 ml/kg of bm, Group VII - 0.036 ml/kg bm. In the examined plant extracts and blood plasma of the birds the levels of Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, and Fe were identified. The use of examined extracts influenced the changes in the levels of all tested elements in slaughter turkey hens' blood plasma. An upward tendency was recorded which regarded the level of calcium and magnesium, and a downward tendency of sodium, potassium, copper, zinc, and iron in relation to the results achieved in the control group.

Outer membrane vesicles of Gallibacterium anatis induce protective immunity in egg-laying hens.

PubMed

Pors, Susanne E; Pedersen, Ida J; Skjerning, Ragnhild Bager; Thøfner, Ida C N; Persson, Gry; Bojesen, Anders M

2016-11-15

Gallibacterium anatis causes infections in the reproductive tract of egg-laying hens and induce increased mortality and decreased egg production. New prophylactic measures are needed in order to improve animal welfare and production efficiency. Bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) have previously shown promising results in protection against infections and we hypothesized that OMVs could serve as an immunogen to protect egg-laying hens against G. anatis. To investigate the immunogenic potential of G. anatis OMVs, two in vivo studies in egg-laying hens were made. The trials assessedthe degree of protection provided by immunization with G. anatis OMV against challenge and the IgY responses in serum after immunization and challenge, respectively. A total of 64 egg-laying hens were included in the trials. OMVs for immunization were produced and purified from a high-producing G. anatis ΔtolR mutant. Challenge was done with G. anatis 12656-12 and evaluated by scoring lesions and bacterial re-isolation rates from peritoneum. Finally, levels of OMV-specific IgY in sera were assayed by ELISA. Immunization with OMVs decreased the lesions scores significantly, while the bacterial re-isolation remained unchanged. Furthermore, a high OMV-specific IgY response was induced by immunization and subsequent challenge of the hens. The results strongly indicate that immunization with G. anatis OMVs provides significant protection against G. anatis challenge and induces specific antibody responses with high titers of OMV-specific IgY in serum. The results therefore show great promise for OMV based vaccines aiming at providing protecting against G. anatis in egg-laying hens. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of a model forecasting Dermanyssus gallinae's population dynamics for advancing Integrated Pest Management in laying hen facilities.

PubMed

Mul, Monique F; van Riel, Johan W; Roy, Lise; Zoons, Johan; André, Geert; George, David R; Meerburg, Bastiaan G; Dicke, Marcel; van Mourik, Simon; Groot Koerkamp, Peter W G

2017-10-15

The poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae, is the most significant pest of egg laying hens in many parts of the world. Control of D. gallinae could be greatly improved with advanced Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for D. gallinae in laying hen facilities. The development of a model forecasting the pests' population dynamics in laying hen facilities without and post-treatment will contribute to this advanced IPM and could consequently improve implementation of IPM by farmers. The current work describes the development and demonstration of a model which can follow and forecast the population dynamics of D. gallinae in laying hen facilities given the variation of the population growth of D. gallinae within and between flocks. This high variation could partly be explained by house temperature, flock age, treatment, and hen house. The total population growth variation within and between flocks, however, was in part explained by temporal variation. For a substantial part this variation was unexplained. A dynamic adaptive model (DAP) was consequently developed, as models of this type are able to handle such temporal variations. The developed DAP model can forecast the population dynamics of D. gallinae, requiring only current flock population monitoring data, temperature data and information of the dates of any D. gallinae treatment. Importantly, the DAP model forecasted treatment effects, while compensating for location and time specific interactions, handling the variability of these parameters. The characteristics of this DAP model, and its compatibility with different mite monitoring methods, represent progression from existing approaches for forecasting D. gallinae that could contribute to advancing improved Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for D. gallinae in laying hen facilities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Horizontal transmission of Salmonella Enteritidis in experimentally infected laying hens housed in conventional or enriched cages.

PubMed

Gast, Richard K; Guraya, Rupa; Jones, Deana R; Anderson, Kenneth E

2014-12-01

The majority of human illnesses caused by Salmonella Enteritidis are attributed to contaminated eggs, and the prevalence of this pathogen in commercial laying flocks has been identified as a leading epidemiologic risk factor. Flock housing and management systems can affect opportunities for the introduction, transmission, and persistence of foodborne pathogens in poultry. The animal welfare implications of different types of housing for laying hens have been widely discussed in recent years, but the food safety consequences of these production systems remain incompletely understood. The present study assessed the effects of 2 different housing systems (conventional cages and colony cages enriched with perching and nesting areas) on the horizontal transmission of experimentally introduced Salmonella Enteritidis infection within groups of laying hens. In each of 2 trials, 136 hens were distributed among cages of both housing systems and approximately one-third of the hens in each cage were orally inoculated with doses of 10(8) cfu of Salmonella Enteritidis (phage type 13a in one trial and phage type 4 in the other). At regular intervals through 23 d postinoculation, cloacal swabs were collected from all hens (inoculated and uninoculated) and cultured for Salmonella Enteritidis. Horizontal contact transmission of infection was observed for both Salmonella Enteritidis strains, reaching peak prevalence values of 27.1% of uninoculated hens in conventional cages and 22.7% in enriched cages. However, no significant differences (P > 0.05) in the overall frequencies of horizontal Salmonella Enteritidis transmission were evident between the 2 types of housing. These results suggest that opportunities for Salmonella Enteritidis infection to spread horizontally throughout laying flocks may be similar in conventional and enriched cage-based production systems. ©2014 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Red Ginseng By-product on Laying Performance, Blood Biochemistry, Serum Immunoglobulin and Microbial Population in Laying Hens.

PubMed

Kang, H K; Park, S-B; Kim, C H

2016-10-01

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of red ginseng by-product (RGB) on the laying performance, blood biochemistry, and microbial population in laying hens. A total of 120 Hy-Line Brown laying hens (75 weeks old) were randomly allotted to 1 of 3 dietary treatments with 4 replicates per treatment. A commercial-type basal diet was prepared, and 2 additional diets were prepared by supplementing 5.0 or 10.0 g/kg of RGB to the basal diet at the expense of corn. The diets were fed to hens on an ad libitum basis for 4 weeks. There were no differences in feed intake, egg weight, and feed conversion ratio during 4 weeks of the feeding trial. However, hen-day egg production was significantly greater (p<0.05) for the RGB treatment groups than that for the basal treatment group. There were no differences in triglyceride, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase during the 4-week feeding trial. However, RGB supplementation increased (p<0.05) the serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM content compared with basal treatment group. The total cholesterol was lower (p<0.05) in the RGB treatments groups than that in the basal treatment group. The intestinal Lactobacillus population was greater (p<0.05) for the RGB treatments groups than that for the basal treatment group. However, the numbers of Salmonella and Escherichia coli were not different among dietary treatments. During the entire experiment, there was no significant difference in egg quality among all the treatments. In conclusion, in addition to improving hen-day production, there were positive effects of dietary RGB supplementation on serum immunoglobulin and cholesterol levels in laying hens.

Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Red Ginseng By-product on Laying Performance, Blood Biochemistry, Serum Immunoglobulin and Microbial Population in Laying Hens

PubMed Central

Kang, H. K.; Park, S.-B.; Kim, C. H.

2016-01-01

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of red ginseng by-product (RGB) on the laying performance, blood biochemistry, and microbial population in laying hens. A total of 120 Hy-Line Brown laying hens (75 weeks old) were randomly allotted to 1 of 3 dietary treatments with 4 replicates per treatment. A commercial-type basal diet was prepared, and 2 additional diets were prepared by supplementing 5.0 or 10.0 g/kg of RGB to the basal diet at the expense of corn. The diets were fed to hens on an ad libitum basis for 4 weeks. There were no differences in feed intake, egg weight, and feed conversion ratio during 4 weeks of the feeding trial. However, hen-day egg production was significantly greater (p<0.05) for the RGB treatment groups than that for the basal treatment group. There were no differences in triglyceride, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase during the 4-week feeding trial. However, RGB supplementation increased (p<0.05) the serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM content compared with basal treatment group. The total cholesterol was lower (p<0.05) in the RGB treatments groups than that in the basal treatment group. The intestinal Lactobacillus population was greater (p<0.05) for the RGB treatments groups than that for the basal treatment group. However, the numbers of Salmonella and Escherichia coli were not different among dietary treatments. During the entire experiment, there was no significant difference in egg quality among all the treatments. In conclusion, in addition to improving hen-day production, there were positive effects of dietary RGB supplementation on serum immunoglobulin and cholesterol levels in laying hens. PMID:26954140

Oral immunisation of laying hens with the live vaccine strains of TAD Salmonella vac E and TAD Salmonella vac T reduces internal egg contamination with Salmonella Enteritidis.

PubMed

Gantois, Inne; Ducatelle, Richard; Timbermont, Leen; Boyen, Filip; Bohez, Lotte; Haesebrouck, Freddy; Pasmans, Frank; van Immerseel, Filip

2006-09-11

Eggs are a major source of human infections with Salmonella. Therefore controlling egg contamination in laying hen flocks is one of the main targets for control programmes. A study was carried out to assess the effect of oral vaccination with TAD Salmonella vac E, TAD Salmonella vac T and with both vaccines TAD Salmonella vac E and TAD Salmonella vac T, on colonization of the reproductive tract and internal egg contamination of laying hens with Salmonella Enteritidis. Three groups of 30 laying hens were vaccinated at 1 day, 6 weeks and 16 weeks of age with either one of the vaccine strains, or a combination of both vaccine strains, while a fourth group was left unvaccinated. At 24 weeks of age, the birds were intravenously challenged with 0.5 ml containing 5 x 10(7)cfu Salmonella Enteritidis PT4 S1400/94. The number of oviducts from which Salmonella was isolated, was significantly lower in the vaccinated than in the non-vaccinated hens at 3 weeks post-challenge. Significantly less egg contents were Salmonella positive in the birds vaccinated with TAD Salmonella vac E or TAD Salmonella vac T (12/105 batches of eggs in both groups) than in the unvaccinated birds (28/105 batches of eggs). Internal egg contamination in the hens vaccinated with both TAD Salmonella vac E and TAD Salmonella vac T was even more reduced, as over the whole experiment, only one batch of eggs was positive. In conclusion, these data indicate that vaccination of laying hens with these live vaccines could be considered as a valuable tool in controlling internal egg contamination.

Colonization of reproductive organs and internal contamination of eggs after experimental infection of laying hens with Salmonella heidelberg and Salmonella enteritidis.

PubMed

Gast, Richard K; Guard-Bouldin, Jean; Holt, Peter S

2004-12-01

Internal contamination of eggs laid by hens infected with Salmonella enteritidis has been a prominent international public health issue since the mid-1980s. Considerable resources have been committed to detecting and controlling S. enteritidis infections in commercial laying flocks. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also reported a significant association between eggs or egg-containing foods and S. heidelberg infections in humans. The present study sought to determine whether several S. heidelberg isolates obtained from egg-associated human disease outbreaks were able to colonize reproductive tissues and be deposited inside eggs laid by experimentally infected hens in a manner similar to the previously documented behavior of S. enteritidis. In two trials, groups of laying hens were orally inoculated with large doses of four S. heidelberg strains and an S. enteritidis strain that consistently caused egg contamination in previous studies. All five Salmonella strains (of both serotypes) colonized the intestinal tracts and invaded the livers, spleens, ovaries, and oviducts of inoculated hens, with no significant differences observed between the strains for any of these parameters. All four S. heidelberg strains were recovered from the interior liquid contents of eggs laid by infected hens, although at lower frequencies (between 1.1% and 4.5%) than the S. enteritidis strain (7.0%).

Differences in stride between healthy ostriches (Struthio camelus) and those affected by tibiotarsal rotation.

PubMed

Cooper, R G

2007-03-01

Twenty healthy ostriches (ten cocks and ten hens), and twenty birds with tibiotarsal rotation (nine cocks and 11 hens) (14 months old) were isolated, hooded and weighed. A run (50 m x 2.5 m) was divided into sections marked 5 m, 10 m, 15 m and 20 m. Time taken for each bird to pass these points was recorded and speed computed. The degree of tibiotarsal rotation in the right foot was mean +/- SEM, 156 +/- 2.69 degrees. Comparisons between left and right foot length in healthy birds showed no significant differences. Foot length was significantly lower in tibiotarsal rotation (P = 0.03). The right foot in tibiotarsal rotation was significantly shorter than the left foot. The number of strides per each 5 m division were significantly (P < 0.05) greater in tibiotarsal rotation by comparison with healthy birds. At 20 m, healthy cocks had more strides than hens. The stride length in hens was significantly (P < 0.05) greater than cocks at 5, 10 and 15 m, respectively, but lower throughout in tibiotarsal rotation (P = 0.001). The speed of hens was significantly (P < 0.05) greater than cocks. Tibiotarsal rotation resulted in significantly (P < 0.05) reduced speeds. Hens may be able to escape danger faster than cocks. The occurrence of tibiotarsal rotation necessitates consideration of genetics, management, sex, nutrition and growth rates.

Characteristics of atmospheric Ar/NH3 DBD and its comparison with He/N2 DBD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Congwei; Chen, Sile; Wang, Shuai; Chang, Zhengshi; Sun, Anbang; Mu, Haibao; Zhang, Guan-Jun

2018-06-01

The discharge mode and photoelectric characteristics of Ar/NH3 DBD (dielectric barrier discharge) are studied to discuss the stability of the discharge under the influence of Penning ionization and attachment reaction. There are three discharge modes, including stable uniform glow discharge, unstable glow discharge and unstable columnar discharge. Discharge instability, including nonuniform discharge and discharge channel split, occurs under low (<0.10%) or high (>0.35%) volume fractions of NH3, which are understood to be caused by an insufficiently strong Penning effect or a strong attachment reaction, respectively. The attachment reaction of NH3 can also lead to a weaker emission intensity for Ar/NH3 DBD, in particular regarding the emission of OH(A2Σ+). Ar/NH3 and He/N2 DBDs are also compared. In He/N2 DBD, the emission intensity of OH(A2Σ+) changes less with increasing N2 volume fraction, which may be attributed to the lack of attachment reaction. Compared with Ar/NH3 DBD, the single discharge channel in He/N2 DBD is narrower, but the discharge area is wider, which should be induced by the higher Townsend ionization coefficient nonlinearity of He/N2 and the absence of attachment reaction in He/N2, respectively. In the end, a one-dimensional fluid model of Ar/NH3 DBD is built to verify the explanation of experimental results.

Effect of lipopolysaccharide on sickness behaviour in hens kept in cage and free range environments.

PubMed

Gregory, N G; Payne, S R; Devine, C D; Cook, C J

2009-08-01

The aim of this study was to assess whether environmental enrichment and environmental conditions can influence the expression of sickness behaviour. The behaviour in response to injection of lipopolysaccharide or saline was examined in a total of 96 62-weeks old hatchmate hens kept in a free range or cage environment. There were eight experimental treatments, each with 12 birds. Half the birds were sourced from a commercial cage layer unit (C/-) and half from a commercial free range unit (FR/-). After intraperitoneal injection with either lipopolysaccharide or saline (as a control), the hens were placed in either a cage (-/C) or free range (-/FR) environment. Lipopolysaccharide caused greater suppression of activity in free range (FR/FR) than in caged hens, including less walking (53% reduction), roosting (-86%) and preening (-60%) (p<0.05). Those responses were not observed in caged birds released into free range, nor in free range birds introduced to cages, suggesting that both the presence of and the familiarity with an environment affected sickness behaviour patterns. Increased sleeping was the most consistent response (+147%; p<0.001), and it was least influenced by environment. It was concluded that free range layer hens can express a greater range of sickness behaviours than caged hens, and this may make it more difficult to recognise disease expression in the caged environment.

Infrared Spectroscopy of Symbiotic Stars. XI. Orbits for Southern S-type Systems: Hen 3-461, SY Mus, Hen 3-828, AND AR Pav

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fekel, Francis C.; Hinkle, Kenneth H.; Joyce, Richard R.; Wood, Peter R.

2017-01-01

Employing new infrared radial velocities, we have computed spectroscopic orbits of the cool giants in four southern S-type symbiotic systems. The orbits for two of the systems, Hen 3-461 and Hen 3-828, have been determined for the first time, while orbits of the other two, SY Mus and AR Pav, have previously been determined. For the latter two systems, we compare our results with those in the literature. The low mass of the secondary of SY Mus suggests that it has gone through a common envelope phase. Hen 3-461 has an orbital period of 2271 days, one of the longest currently known for S-type symbiotic systems. That period is very different from the orbital period proposed previously from its photometric variations. The other three binaries have periods between 600 and 700 day, values that are typical for S-type symbiotic orbits. Basic properties of the M giant components and the distance to each system are determined.

Changes in the somatosensory evoked potentials and spontaneous electroencephalogram of hens during stunning in argon-induced anoxia.

PubMed

Raj, A B; Gregory, N G; Wotton, S B

1991-01-01

This study examined the time to loss of consciousness in hens during stunning in argon-induced anoxia. Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) and the spontaneous electroencephalogram (EEG) were recorded in 12 culled hens prior to and during stunning in less than 2% oxygen (air displaced by argon). An additional 20 hens were stunned with a similar concentration of oxygen and the time to loss of posture, eye closure, and the onset and duration of clonic and tonic convulsions were recorded. A further 10 hens were immersed in less than 2% oxygen for 15-17 s and their response to comb pinching was tested as soon as they had been transferred to atmospheric air. It is concluded that the birds had not lost the primary response in their SEPs by the time they started convulsing, but the reduction in the amplitude of the SEPs, changes in their spontaneous EEG and a negative response to comb pinch before the start of the convulsions indicated that the birds were unconscious when they convulsed.

Study of the Cross-Reactions of Hen and Duck Ovalbumins. Immunochemical Relationship between Native Proteins and Precipitating Fragments obtained after Proteolysis

PubMed Central

Kaminski, Marie

1962-01-01

The enzymatic digestion of duck ovalbumin yields precipitating fragments similar to those obtained with hen ovalbumin. In an anti-ovalbumin serum, the amount of antibody precipitating with the two fragments of degraded homologous ovalbumin and the amount of antibody precipitating with the heterologous ovalbumin are independent. The absorption of an anti-ovalbumin serum with the heterologous ovalbumin does not remove selectively the antibodies against one or another fragment of the degraded homologous antigen. The corresponding fragments obtained by digestion of hen and duck ovalbumins give cross-reactions when tested with anti-hen-ovalbumin serum, anti-duck-ovalbumin serum and anti-degraded-hen-ovalbumin serum. On double diffusion in agar, the cross-reaction between the native ovalbumin and its fragment yields a spur which is shorter than the spur formed by the two native ovalbumins or by the two corresponding fragments. ImagesFIG. 1FIG. 2FIG. 3FIG. 4FIG. 5FIG. 6FIG. 7FIG. 8FIG. 9FIG. 11FIG. 12FIG. 13 PMID:14453463

INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY OF SYMBIOTIC STARS. XI. ORBITS FOR SOUTHERN S-TYPE SYSTEMS: HEN 3-461, SY MUS, HEN 3-828, AND AR PAV

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fekel, Francis C.; Hinkle, Kenneth H.; Joyce, Richard R.

Employing new infrared radial velocities, we have computed spectroscopic orbits of the cool giants in four southern S-type symbiotic systems. The orbits for two of the systems, Hen 3-461 and Hen 3-828, have been determined for the first time, while orbits of the other two, SY Mus and AR Pav, have previously been determined. For the latter two systems, we compare our results with those in the literature. The low mass of the secondary of SY Mus suggests that it has gone through a common envelope phase. Hen 3-461 has an orbital period of 2271 days, one of the longest currently known for S-type symbiotic systems.more » That period is very different from the orbital period proposed previously from its photometric variations. The other three binaries have periods between 600 and 700 day, values that are typical for S-type symbiotic orbits. Basic properties of the M giant components and the distance to each system are determined.« less

The metabolite products of chlorocholine chloride (CCC) in eggs and meat of laying hens fed 15N-CCC containing diets.

PubMed

Chakeredza, S; Edrada, R A; Ebel, R; ter Meulen, U

2006-04-01

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the metabolic products of chlorocholine chloride (CCC) in eggs and meat of laying hens fed a diet containing (15)N-CCC. Ten brown laying hens were randomly divided into two groups of five each. One group was offered (15)N-CCC free diet while the other group received a diet with 100 ppm (15)N-CCC for 11 days. Samples of eggs and meat from the laying hens were collected. Egg yolks and albumen were separated. Meat was collected from the breast and femur. The metabolic products of CCC were measured using ion trap electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ion trap-ESI-MS/MS). Determination of CCC or its metabolites in eggs and meat showed that CCC was metabolised to choline. Corresponding MS/MS spectra were obtained for m/z 104 (choline) or 105 ((15)N-choline), whereas nothing was detected at m/z 122 (CCC) or 123 ((15)N-CCC). The results from this study indicate that CCC will be metabolised in tissues of laying hens.

Hepatic lipidosis in turkeys.

PubMed

Gazdzinski, P; Squires, E J; Julian, R J

1994-01-01

Two flocks of 14,000 twenty-week-old turkey hens each experienced increased mortality due to hepatic lipidosis. Some hens showed signs of dyspnea and cyanosis before death. Necropsy revealed dark muscles and enlarged livers with pale areas and numerous hemorrhages. Petechial and ecchymotic hemorrhages were also found on the abdominal fat and epicardium. Lung congestion and edema were prominent. In the heart and blood vessels, the blood was uncoagulated. Mortality was elevated for 12 days and resulted in the death of 0.7% of the turkey hens in one flock and 1.7% in the other. Vitamin E administered in water at a dose of 25 IU per hen appeared to reduce mortality. The nutritional and environmental factors that may contribute to the development of hepatic lipidosis in turkeys are discussed.

The effect of clomiphene-citrate on broody turkey hens.

PubMed

Robinzon, B; Shafir, Z; Perek, M; Snapir, N

1984-11-01

The effect of clomiphene-citrate (CC) on broody turkey hens was examined in three experiments. Turkey hens were categorized as broody if found in the laying nest during 6 successive checks per day, if they were reluctant to leave the nest for a period of 24 hr or more, if they had ruffled feathers, and if their cloacal orifices were contracted so as to prevent vaginal exposure by abdominal massage during artificial insemination. In each experiment, 20 hens, selected as broody from commercial breeding flocks, were treated; half were treated with CC at a dosage of 6 mg/kg body weight/day (per os) for 5 consecutive days, and the rest (control) received parallel treatment with a placebo (CaCO3). In all experiments, the CC administration alleviated brooding behavior and increased egg production.

Determining the Complexity of the Quantum Adiabatic Algorithm using Quantum Monte Carlo Simulations

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-18

of this printing. List the papers, including journal references, in the following categories: Received Paper 12/06/2012 4.00 Itay Hen, A. Young...PhysRevLett.104.020502 12/06/2012 3.00 A. P. Young, Itay Hen. Exponential complexity of the quantum adiabatic algorithm for certain satisfiability problems...Physical Review E, (12 2011): 0. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.84.061152 12/06/2012 5.00 Edward Farhi, David Gosset, Itay Hen, A. Sandvik, Peter Shor, A

Effect of hen age and maternal vitamin D source on performance, hatchability, bone mineral density, and progeny in vitro early innate immune function.

PubMed

Saunders-Blades, J L; Korver, D R

2015-06-01

The metabolite 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 (25-OHD) can complement or replace vitamin D3 in poultry rations, and may influence broiler production and immune function traits. The effect of broiler breeder dietary 25-OHD on egg production, hatchability, and chick early innate immune function was studied. We hypothesized that maternal dietary 25-OHD would support normal broiler breeder production and a more mature innate immune system of young chicks. Twenty-three-week-old Ross 308 hens (n=98) were placed in 4 floor pens and fed either 2,760 IU vitamin D3 (D) or 69 μg 25-OHD/kg feed. Hen weights were managed according to the primary breeder management guide. At 29 to 31 wk (Early), 46 to 48 wk (Mid), and 61 to 63 wk (Late), hens were artificially inseminated and fertile eggs incubated and hatched. Chicks were placed in cages based on maternal treatment and grown to 7 d age. Innate immune function and plasma 25-OHD were assessed at 1 and 4 d post-hatch on 15 chicks/treatment. Egg production, hen BW, and chick hatch weight were not affected by diet (P>0.05). Total in vitro Escherichia coli (E. coli) killing by 25-OHD chicks was greater than the D chicks at 4 d for the Early and Mid hatches, and 1 and 4 d for the Late hatch. This can be partly explained by the 25-OHD chicks from the Late hatch also having a greater E. coli phagocytic capability. No consistent pattern of oxidative burst response was observed. Chicks from the Mid hatch had greater percent phagocytosis, phagocytic capability, and E. coli killing than chicks from Early and Late hatches. Overall, maternal 25-OHD increased hatchability and in vitro chick innate immunity towards E. coli. Regardless of treatment, chicks from Late and Early hens had weaker early innate immune responses than chicks from Mid hens. The hen age effect tended to be the greatest factor influencing early chick innate immunity, but maternal 25-OHD also increased several measures relative to D. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

The effect of cage and house design on egg production and egg weight of White Leghorn hens: an epidemiological study.

PubMed

Garner, J P; Kiess, A S; Mench, J A; Newberry, R C; Hester, P Y

2012-07-01

Hen performance can be affected by many interacting variables related to cage design, such as floor area, height, tier arrangement, and feeder and drinker type and placement within the cage. Likewise, features of house design such as waste management and lighting can also affect hen productivity. The influence of these design aspects on hen performance has not been fully assessed. Determining the effects of numerous, interacting variables is impractical in a traditional experiment; therefore, an epidemiological approach, using variability in cage and house design among and within commercial producers, was employed to identify features that affect egg production and egg weight. A universal cage measurement system was created to calculate cage design variables. A database for recording information on cage design, resource location, waste management, environmental conditions, and hen productivity was developed. Production outcomes were assessed from placement to 60 wk of age in White Leghorns (n = 165-168 houses). Using GLM, a statistical model was identified that best described the variance in egg traits. Eggs/hen-housed increased with greater feeder space allocation (P = 0.031); taller cages (P = 0.029); rear (vs. front) drinker location in vertical cages (P = 0.026); and regular removal of manure from the house (P = 0.005). Case weight of eggs was greater in A-frame houses where manure was removed regularly instead of being left in the house (P < 0.001); with increasing cage floor slope (P = 0.001); in cages where drinkers were placed more toward the front or back of the cage as compared with the middle of the cage (P < 0.001); with more space/hen (P = 0.024); and with higher caloric intake (P < 0.001). Perhaps because of its negative correlation with egg production, case weight of eggs increased with less feeder space allocation (P = 0.004) and shorter cage heights (P < 0.001). These results reveal important effects of feeder space, floor space, cage height, drinker position, and waste management on hen productivity.

Factors and characteristics of ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, and particulate matter emissions from two manure-belt layer hen houses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, Ji-Qin; Diehl, Claude A.; Chai, Lilong; Chen, Yan; Heber, Albert J.; Lim, Teng-Teeh; Bogan, Bill W.

2017-05-01

Manure-belt layer hen houses are a relatively newer design and are replacing the old high-rise layer hen houses for egg production in USA. However, reliable aerial pollutant emission data from comprehensive and long-term on-farm monitoring at manure-belt houses are scarce. This paper reports the emission factors and characteristics of ammonia (NH3), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), carbon dioxide (CO2), and particulate matter (PM10) from two 250,000-bird capacity manure-belt layer hen houses (B-A and B-B) in northern Indiana, USA. The 2-year continuous field monitoring followed the Quality Assurance Project Plan of the National Air Emission Monitoring Study (NAEMS). Only days with more than 18 h (or 75%) of valid data were reported to avoid biased emission calculation. The results of 2-year average daily mean (ADM) gas emissions per hen from the two houses, excluding emissions from their manure shed, were 0.280 g for NH3, 1.952 mg for H2S, and 103.2 g for CO2. They were 67% lower for NH3, 77% higher for H2S, and 10% higher for CO2 compared with reported emissions from high-rise layer hen houses. Emissions of NH3 and CO2 exhibited evident seasonal variations. They were higher in winter than in summer and followed the NH3 and CO2 concentration seasonal patterns. Annual emission differences were observed for all the four pollutants. Reduced emissions of the three gases were shown during periods of layer hen molting and flock replacement. The 2-year ADM PM10 emission from B-B was 25.2 mg d-1 hen-1. A unique weekly PM10 emission pattern was identified for both houses. It was characterized with much lower Sunday emissions compared with the other single-day emissions of the week and was related to the weekly schedule of in-house production operations, including maintenance and cleaning.

Low protein and high-energy diet: a possible natural cause of fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome in caged White Leghorn laying hens.

PubMed

Rozenboim, I; Mahato, J; Cohen, N A; Tirosh, O

2016-03-01

Fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) is a metabolic condition of chicken and other birds caused by diverse nutritional, hormonal, environmental, and metabolic factors. Here we studied the effect of different diet composition on the induction of FLHS in single comb White Leghorn (WL) Hy-line laying hens. Seventy six (76) young WL (26 wks old) laying hens and 69 old hens (84 wks old) of the same breed were each divided into 4 treatment groups and provided 4 different diet treatments. The diet treatments included: control (C), 17.5% CP, 3.5% fat (F); normal protein, high fat (HF), 17.5% CP, 7% F; low protein, normal fat (LP), 13% CP, 3.5% F; and low protein, high fat (LPHF), 13% CP, 6.5% F. The diets containing high fat also had a higher ME of 3,000 kcal/kg of feed while the other 2 diets with normal fat had a regular lower amount of ME (2750 kcal/kg). Hen-day egg production (HDEP), ADFI, BW, egg weight, plasma enzymes indicating liver damage (alkaline phosphatase [ALP], aspartate aminotransferase [AST], gamma-glutamyl transferase [GGT]), liver and abdominal fat weight, liver color score (LCS), liver hemorrhagic score (LHS), liver fat content (LFC), liver histological examination, lipid peroxidation product in the liver, and genes indicating liver inflammation were evaluated. HDEP, ADFI, BW, and egg weight were significantly decreased in the LPHF diet group, while egg weight was also decreased in the LP diet group. In the young hens (LPHF group), ALP was found significantly higher at 30 d of diet treatment and was numerically higher throughout the experiment, while AST was significantly higher at 105 d of treatment. LCS, LHS, and LFC were significantly higher in young hens on the LPHF diet treatment. A liver histological examination shows more lipid vacuolization in the LPHF treatment diet. HF or LP alone had no significant effect on LFC, LHS, or LCS. We suggest that LP in the diet with higher ME from fat can be a possible natural cause for predisposing laying hens to FLHS. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Performance, egg quality, and blood plasma chemistry of laying hens fed hempseed and hempseed oil.

PubMed

Neijat, M; Gakhar, N; Neufeld, J; House, J D

2014-11-01

The aim of this study was to compare the performance of hens (feed intake, rate of lay, egg weight, and BW gain), egg quality and blood biochemistry (enzymes, electrolytes, proteins, and other plasma constituents) of laying hens fed diets containing hemp products. Forty-eight Lohmann LSL-Classic (white-egg layers; 19 wk of age) were individually caged and fed 1 of 6 wheat-barley-soybean-based diets for a period of 12 wk. The diets consisted of hempseed (HS; 10, 20, or 30%), hempseed oil (HO; 4.5 or 9.0%), or a control diet (corn oil-based). All diets were formulated to contain similar levels of crude fat (11%), energy (2,800 kcal/kg), and CP (17%). Data were analyzed as a completely randomized design using the repeated measure analysis of the PROC MIXED procedure of SAS. The results indicated that the inclusion of up to 30 and 9.0% HS and HO, respectively, to diets of laying hens had no significant effects on hen performance, egg quality, or plasma level of metabolites (proteins, glucose, uric acid, and cholesterol) and electrolytes (Na, K, Cl, P, and Ca). Overall plasma enzyme concentrations, particularly gamma-glutamyl transferase, were significantly (P < 0.01) lowest at the 10 and 20% levels of HS inclusion, or at the 4.5% HO level of inclusion of the hempseed products compared with the higher levels or control fed hens. Similar effects were also observed for plasma aspartate aminotransferase levels but with the HS enriched diets only (P < 0.05), particularly being lowest at the inclusion levels of 10 and 20% HS compared with the control. The results may imply a possible protective effect of HS- and HO-containing diets, particularly at 10% HS, 20% HS, and 4.5% HO levels, on liver damage/injury. In summary, both HO and HS appear to be well tolerated by laying hens as judged by markers of plasma clinical chemistry supporting the safety and efficacy of hemp products for use in laying hen rations. ©2014 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Effect of calcium with and without probiotic, lactose, or both on organ and body weights, immune response and caecal microbiota in moulted laying hens.

PubMed

Dastar, B; Khosravi, A; Boldajie, F; Ghoorchi, T

2016-04-01

A total of 72 laying hens were used to investigate the effect of probiotic and lactose on body weight loss, tibia ash, antibody production against sheep red blood cell (SRBC), heterophile-to-lymphocyte (H/L) ratio and gut microbiota in a common moulting method for 14 d. Hens were randomly allocated to 6 experimental groups consisting of (i) full feed (FF), (ii) feed withdrawal (FW), (iii) FW with calcium (Ca), (iv) FW with Ca and offering 7 g/lit lactose in drinking water (CaL), (v) FW with Ca and offering 1 g/lit probiotic in drinking water (CaP), and (vi) FW with Ca and offering a mixture of lactose and probiotic in drinking water (CaLP). The results showed body weight loss in all FW groups were more than 25% that was significantly higher than FF group (p < 0.05). The relative organ weights of hens in FW groups were lower than FF group; especially, it was significant for liver and ovary (p < 0.05). No significant difference was observed between all groups for tibia ash. The highest H/L ratio was related to FW group and offering Ca and lactose numerically and probiotic alone significantly resulted in decrease of this ratio (p < 0.05). The results also showed no significant difference for antibody production against SRBC among experimental groups. The highest coliform bacteria numeration observed in FW group and lactose could significantly reduce this population (p < 0.05). Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) numeration demonstrated a significant difference among treatments, so that FF hens had higher LAB than others (p < 0.05). In addition, FW moulted hens had significantly lower LAB compared to other moulted hens (p < 0.05), except for Ca group. In conclusion, probiotic and lactose was effective in maintaining caecal microbiota balance and improving immunity in hens exposed to moulting. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Effect of γ-Aminobutyric Acid-producing Lactobacillus Strain on Laying Performance, Egg Quality and Serum Enzyme Activity in Hy-Line Brown Hens under Heat Stress.

PubMed

Zhu, Y Z; Cheng, J L; Ren, M; Yin, L; Piao, X S

2015-07-01

Heat-stress remains a costly issue for animal production, especially for poultry as they lack sweat glands, and alleviating heat-stress is necessary for ensuring animal production in hot environment. A high γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-producer Lactobacillus strain was used to investigate the effect of dietary GABA-producer on laying performance and egg quality in heat-stressed Hy-line brown hens. Hy-Line brown hens (n = 1,164) at 280 days of age were randomly divided into 4 groups based on the amount of freeze-dried GABA-producer added to the basal diet as follows: i) 0 mg/kg, ii) 25 mg/kg, iii) 50 mg/kg, and iv) 100 mg/kg. All hens were subjected to heat-stress treatment through maintaining the temperature and the relative humidity at 28.83±3.85°C and 37% to 53.9%, respectively. During the experiment, laying rate, egg weight and feed intake of hens were recorded daily. At the 30th and 60th day after the start of the experiment, biochemical parameters, enzyme activity and immune activity in serum were measured. Egg production, average egg weight, average daily feed intake, feed conversion ratio and percentage of speckled egg, soft shell egg and misshaped egg were significantly improved (p<0.05) by the increasing supplementation of the dietary GABA-producer. Shape index, eggshell thickness, strength and weight were increased linearly with increasing GABA-producer supplementation. The level of calcium, phosphorus, glucose, total protein and albumin in serum of the hens fed GABA-producing strain supplemented diet was significantly higher (p<0.05) than that of the hens fed the basal diet, whereas cholesterol level was decreased. Compared with the basal diet, GABA-producer strain supplementation increased serum level of glutathione peroxidase (p = 0.009) and superoxide dismutase. In conclusion, GABA-producer played an important role in alleviating heat-stress, the isolated GABA-producer strain might be a potential natural and safe probiotic to use to improve laying performance and egg quality in heat-stressed hens.

Vaccination of chickens decreased Newcastle disease virus contamination in eggs.

PubMed

Sá E Silva, Mariana; Susta, Leonardo; Moresco, Kira; Swayne, David E

2016-01-01

Newcastle disease is an important health issue of poultry causing major economic losses and inhibits trade worldwide. Vaccination is used as a control measure, but it is unknown whether vaccination will prevent virus contamination of eggs. In this study, hens were sham-vaccinated or received one or two doses of inactivated LaSota vaccine, followed three weeks later by virulent Newcastle disease virus (NDV) challenge. Eggs were collected daily and shell, albumen and yolk were subjected to virus isolation, as were oral and cloacal swabs at 2 and 4 days post-challenge (dpc). A second experiment evaluated the distribution of the virus in the reproductive tract of non-vaccinates. All vaccinated chickens survived challenge, and the levels of virus shed from cloacal swabs were decreased significantly when compared to shams. In non-vaccinated hens, virus was detected in the ovary and all segments of the oviduct. Yolk, albumen and eggshell surface from eggs laid at day 4 and 5 post-infection by sham-vaccinated hens were positive for NDV, but eggs from LaSota vaccinated hens lacked virus in internal egg components (i.e. yolk and albumen) and had reduction in the number of positive eggshell surfaces. These results indicate virulent NDV can replicate in the reproductive tract of hens and contaminate internal components of eggs and eggshell surface, but vaccination was able to prevent internal egg contamination, reducing eggshell surface contamination, and reducing shedding from digestive and respiratory tracts in virulent NDV challenged hens.

Effects of adding aqueous extract of Tribulus terrestris to diet on productive performance, egg quality characteristics, and blood biochemical parameters of laying hens reared under low ambient temperature (6.8 ± 3 °C)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akbari, Mohsen; Torki, Mehran

2016-06-01

A study was conducted using 144 laying hens to evaluate the effects of adding aqueous extract of Tribulus terrestris to diets on productive performance, egg quality traits, and some blood parameters of laying hens reared under cold stress condition (6.8 ± 3 °C). The birds were randomly assigned to each of four dietary treatments (C, T1, T2, and T3) with six replicate cages of six birds. Diet inclusion of aqueous extract of T. terrestris at the rate of 10, 20, and 30 ml/Lit offered to groups T1, T2, and T3, respectively, while group C served as the control diet with no addition. Feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), egg weight (EW), egg production (EP), and egg mass (EM) were evaluated during the 42-day trial period. The EP and EM increased, whereas FCR decreased ( P < 0.001) in the hens fed the extract-included diet as compared to those fed the basal diet. The serum content of cholesterol decreased and the thickness of egg shell increased in the hens fed the T2 and T3 diet compared to those fed the basal diet. Overall from the results of the present experiment, it can be concluded that diet supplementation with aqueous extract of T. terrestris has beneficial effects on productive performance of laying hens reared under cold stress condition.

An integrated analysis of social stress in laying hens: The interaction between physiology, behaviour, and hierarchy.

PubMed

Carvalho, Renata Rezende; Palme, Rupert; da Silva Vasconcellos, Angélica

2018-04-01

Livestock is the category of animals that suffers the most severe welfare problems. Among these, physical, physiological, and behavioural distress caused by artificial grouping are some of the challenges faced by these animals. Groups whose members are frequently changed have been reported as socially unstable, which could jeopardise the welfare of animals. Here, we assessed the effect of social instability on aggression, stress, and productivity in groups of laying hens (Gallus gallus domesticus). We studied 36 females, distributed into three stable groups (without group membership change) and three unstable groups (where the dominant member was rotated every week) over the course of 10 weeks. We evaluated the frequency of agonistic interactions, glucocorticoid metabolites (GCM) concentrations, and egg production. In both treatments, dominant hens produced more eggs compared to intermediate and subordinates, and intermediate hens had the highest GCM concentrations. Socially unstable groups had lower productivity and higher frequencies of agonistic interactions than stable groups. Social instability also affected GCM of the animals: in stable groups, subordinate hens had higher concentrations than dominants; in unstable groups, this pattern was reversed. Our results point to a social destabilisation in groups whose members were alternated, and suggest the welfare of individuals in unstable groups was compromised. Our results pointed to a complex relationship between hierarchy, productivity, physiological stress and aggression in laying hens, and have implications for their husbandry and management and, consequently, for their welfare levels. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Single and combined effects of zinc and cinnamon essential oil in diet on productive performance, egg quality traits, and blood parameters of laying hens reared under cold stress condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torki, Mehran; Akbari, Mohsen; Kaviani, Keyomars

2015-09-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of adding zinc (Zn), cinnamon essential oil (Ci), or their combination in diet on productive performance, egg quality, and blood parameters of laying hens reared under cold stress condition (8.8 ± 3 °C). Feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), egg weight (EW), egg production (EP), and egg mass (EM) were evaluated during the 56-day trial period using 120 Lohmann LSL-Lite laying hens. Significant interactions between Ci and Zn on FCR, EW, EP, or EM were observed ( P < 0.05). The EP, EM, and EW increased, whereas FCR decreased ( P < 0.05) in the hens fed the diets including Ci and Zn (as single or combined form) compared to those fed the basal diet. There were significant interactions between Ci and Zn on the serum level of glucose and triglycerides as well as plasma concentration of zinc ( P < 0.05), so that serum content of glucose and triglyceride decreased and the plasma content of zinc increased in the hens fed the diets including Ci and Zn (together) compared to those fed the basal diet. From the results of the present experiment, it can be concluded that diet supplementation by the combined form of Ci and Zn could have beneficial effects on performance and blood parameters of hens reared under cold stress condition.

Effects of dietary zinc supplementation on hen performance, ammonia volatilization, and nitrogen retention in manure.

PubMed

Kim, W K; Patterson, P H

2005-01-01

This investigation was undertaken to evaluate the effects of dietary ZnSO4 supplementation on ammonia volatilization and nitrogen retention in hen manure. One hundred twenty, 45-wk-old commercial Leghorn laying hens were sequentially fed diets with 1000, 2000, and 3000 ppm Zn as ZnSO4 (Zn-1000, Zn-2000, and Zn-3000), then followed by two control dietary periods with 114 ppm Zn (Control-1 and Control-2) for a total of five consecutive eight-day experiment periods, respectively. When hens were fed the 1000 and 2000 ppm Zn treatment diets, room ammonia levels were significantly reduced compared to the control diets. Dietary Zn treatments reduced the decomposition of uric acid, resulting in an increase in manure total-N retention compared to the control fed birds. The 1000 ppm Zn supplement had no adverse effects on hen body weight, feed consumption, egg production, egg weight, albumen height, or shell thickness. However, hens fed the diet containing 3000 ppm Zn had significantly depressed body weight, feed consumption, egg production, egg weight, and shell thickness. Zinc levels of egg contents increased linearly as dietary Zn levels increased. These levels in eggs would not be a problem for human consumption because these are much less than the daily Zn recommended dietary allowance. Although land application of such manure will not cause environmental problems or crop toxicity, proper monitoring of soil and crop Zn levels and effective nutrient management planning would be well advised.

Performance of laying hens fed diets containing DAS-59122-7 maize grain compared with diets containing nontransgenic maize grain.

PubMed

Jacobs, C M; Utterback, P L; Parsons, C M; Rice, D; Smith, B; Hinds, M; Liebergesell, M; Sauber, T

2008-03-01

An experiment using 216 Hy-Line W-36 pullets was conducted to evaluate transgenic maize grain containing the cry34Ab1 and cry35Ab1 genes from a Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) strain and the phosphinothricin ace-tyltransferase (pat) gene from Streptomyces viridochromogenes. Expression of the cry34Ab1 and cry35Ab1 genes confers resistance to corn rootworms, and the pat gene confers tolerance to herbicides containing glufosinate-ammonium. Pullets (20 wk of age) were placed in cage lots (3 hens/cage, 2 cages/lot) and were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 corn-soybean meal dietary treatments (12 lots/treatment) formulated with the following maize grains: near-isogenic control (control), conventional maize, and transgenic test corn line 59122 containing event DAS-59122-7. Differences between 59122 and control group means were evaluated with statistical significance at P < 0.05. Body weight and gain, egg production, egg mass, and feed efficiency for hens fed the 59122 corn were not significantly different from the respective values for hens fed diets formulated with control maize grain. Egg component weights, Haugh unit measures, and egg weight class distribution were similar regardless of the corn source. This research indicates that performance of hens fed diets containing 59122 maize grain, as measured by egg production and egg quality, was similar to that of hens fed diets formulated with near-isogenic corn grain.

Single and combined effects of zinc and cinnamon essential oil in diet on productive performance, egg quality traits, and blood parameters of laying hens reared under cold stress condition.

PubMed

Torki, Mehran; Akbari, Mohsen; Kaviani, Keyomars

2015-09-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of adding zinc (Zn), cinnamon essential oil (Ci), or their combination in diet on productive performance, egg quality, and blood parameters of laying hens reared under cold stress condition (8.8 ± 3 °C). Feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), egg weight (EW), egg production (EP), and egg mass (EM) were evaluated during the 56-day trial period using 120 Lohmann LSL-Lite laying hens. Significant interactions between Ci and Zn on FCR, EW, EP, or EM were observed (P < 0.05). The EP, EM, and EW increased, whereas FCR decreased (P < 0.05) in the hens fed the diets including Ci and Zn (as single or combined form) compared to those fed the basal diet. There were significant interactions between Ci and Zn on the serum level of glucose and triglycerides as well as plasma concentration of zinc (P < 0.05), so that serum content of glucose and triglyceride decreased and the plasma content of zinc increased in the hens fed the diets including Ci and Zn (together) compared to those fed the basal diet. From the results of the present experiment, it can be concluded that diet supplementation by the combined form of Ci and Zn could have beneficial effects on performance and blood parameters of hens reared under cold stress condition.

Effects of egg and yolk weights on yolk antibody (IgY) production in laying chickens.

PubMed

Li, X; Nakano, T; Sunwoo, H H; Paek, B H; Chae, H S; Sim, J S

1998-02-01

Twenty 35-wk-old chickens, including 10 Single Comb White Leghorn (SCWL) and 10 Rhode Island Red (RIR) hens, were used to examine the effects of egg and yolk weights on egg yolk antibody (IgY) production in the two strains of chickens immunized with BSA. The SCWL chickens had a greater (P < 0.01) percentage hen-day production and greater egg and yolk weights than did the RIR chickens. However, the anti-BSA antibody activities determined by ELISA in the serum and the egg yolk were similar (P > 0.05) between the SCWL and RIR chickens. Similarities between the two strains of hens were also observed in protein and total IgY contents (expressed as the percentage of wet weight of yolk) and the percentage of BSA-specific antibody in the total IgY. It was concluded that both the SCWL and RIR chickens immunized with BSA can produce egg yolk IgY containing similar proportions of BSA-specific antibodies. Therefore, the egg yolk weight and the percentage hen-day production, both of which are greater in the SCWL hens, are considered to be important factors for the efficient production of IgY.

Outbreak of Type C Botulism in Commercial Layer Chickens.

PubMed

Sato, Yuko; Wigle, William L; Gallagher, Susan; Johnson, Amy L; Sweeney, Raymond W; Wakenell, Patricia S

2016-03-01

This report describes an outbreak of type C botulism in two organic, free-range commercial layer farms in the Midwest. Hens affected were 64-wk-old Hy-Line brown hens and 34-wk-old Hy-Line brown hens owned by the same company, but housed on different premises, with approximately 20,000 birds per house. Mortality over the 2 wk of investigation was estimated to be up to 8% and 2.8%, respectively, with birds acting listless, lethargic, and depressed. Clinical signs consisted of progressive paralysis, and severely affected birds were moribund and laterally recumbent. Hens had ruffled feathers that easily epilated, with loss of muscular tone in the neck, tail, and wings. Hens had closed eyes and were reluctant to move. There were no significant gross or histopathologic lesions. Intestinal samples were submitted to the University of Pennsylvania Botulism Diagnostic Laboratory for real-time PCR and were positive for Clostridium botulinum organisms containing the Type C neurotoxin gene. Speculations on the source of the botulinum toxins include poor mortality removal leading to cannibalism of decomposing carcasses, as well as birds on the farm having access to putrid carcasses in the compost pile from a hole in their outdoor access fence.

Low-energy collisions of helium clusters with size-selected cobalt cluster ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Odaka, Hideho; Ichihashi, Masahiko

2017-04-01

Collisions of helium clusters with size-selected cobalt cluster ions, Com+ (m ≤ 5), were studied experimentally by using a merging beam technique. The product ions, Com+Hen (cluster complexes), were mass-analyzed, and this result indicates that more than 20 helium atoms can be attached onto Com+ at the relative velocities of 103 m/s. The measured size distributions of the cluster complexes indicate that there are relatively stable complexes: Co2+Hen (n = 2, 4, 6, and 12), Co3+Hen (n = 3, 6), Co4+He4, and Co5+Hen (n = 3, 6, 8, and 10). These stabilities are explained in terms of their geometric structures. The yields of the cluster complexes were also measured as a function of the relative velocity (1 × 102-4 × 103 m/s), and this result demonstrates that the main interaction in the collision process changes with the increase of the collision energy from the electrostatic interaction, which includes the induced deformation of HeN, to the hard-sphere interaction. Supplementary material in the form of one pdf file available from the Journal web page at http://https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2017-80015-0

Shell thinning and reproductive impairment in black ducks after cessation of DDE dosage

USGS Publications Warehouse

Longcore, J.R.; Stendell, R.C.

1977-01-01

Captive black ducks (anas rubripes) were fed dietary DDE [1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)ethylene] at 10 ppm (dry weight; about 2 ppm on a natural diet basis) for 2 breeding seasons, then untreated feed for 2 succeeding years. Residues of DDE in the carcasses of adults declined 90% during the 2-year clean-up period. Following 2 years of dietary DDE, mean residues in eggs reached 64.9 ppm. Even after 2 years on clean feed, DDE residues in the eggs averaged 6.2 ppm or 9.5% of the mean DDE level reached after 2 years on treated feed. Shells of eggs from treated hens were about 20% thinner than shells of eggs from controls. Stoppage of DDE dosage resulted in progressively thicker shells, yet even after 2 years on untreated feed hens laid eggs with shells about 10% thinner than control hens. After DDE was removed from the diet, DDE residues in the eggs decreased, shell thickness increased, and reproductive success improved. Hens previously exposed to DDE, but then fed clean feed for 2 years, still produced significantly fewer surviving ducklings than did control hens.

Social capital on poultry farms in South Sulawesi, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sri Lestari, V.; Natsir; Patrick, I. W.; Ali, H. M.; Asya, M.; Sirajuddin, S. N.

2018-05-01

Social capital plays an important role in the development of poultry farms in South Sulawesi. Poultry farms consisted of laying hen and broiler farms. Most of laying hen farms were located in Sidrap Regency, while broiler farms were located in Maros regency. The aim of this research was to know social capital on beef cattle farms in South Sulawesi. Population of this research was 120 farmers which consisted of 6o were laying hen farmers and 60 were broiler farmers. Variable of social capital was mutual trust, reciprocity, shared norms and linkage. The data were collected from observation and depth interview by using questionnaire. There were 10 questions. The answer was scored by using Likert scale ranging from 1 refer to strongly agree; 2 refer to agree; 3 refer to not sure; 4 refer to disagree and 5 refer to strongly disagree. The data were analyzed descriptively using frequency distribution. The research revealed that mutual trust and shared norms members of the group in broiler farms have higher level than that on laying hen farms, on the other hand, linkage or net working members of the group among laying hen farmers has higher level than that on broiler farms.

Ultradian activity rhythms in large groups of newly hatched chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus).

PubMed

Nielsen, B L; Erhard, H W; Friggens, N C; McLeod, J E

2008-07-01

A clutch of young chicks housed with a mother hen exhibit ultradian (within day) rhythms of activity corresponding to the brooding cycle of the hen. In the present study clear evidence was found of ultradian activity rhythms in newly hatched domestic chicks housed in groups larger than natural clutch size without a mother hen or any other obvious external time-keeper. No consistent synchrony was found between groups housed in different pens within the same room. The ultradian rhythms disappeared with time and little evidence of group rhythmicity remained by the third night. This disappearance over time suggests that the presence of a mother hen may be pivotal for the long-term maintenance of these rhythms. The ultradian rhythm of the chicks may also play an important role in the initiation of brooding cycles during the behavioural transition of the mother hen from incubation to brooding. Computer simulations of individual activity rhythms were found to reproduce the observations made on a group basis. This was achievable even when individual chick rhythms were modelled as independent of each other, thus no assumptions of social facilitation are necessary to obtain ultradian activity rhythms on a group level.

Demonstrating Cell Traction--Using Hens' Egg Vitelline Membrane as Substratum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Downie, Roger

1987-01-01

Suggests ways in which hens' egg vitelline membranes can be used to demonstrate cell traction effects. Reviews procedures for using and culturing the membranes and identifies topic areas for student projects. (ML)

Effect of varying concentrations of dietary crude protein and metabolizable energy on laying performance of Pearl Grey guinea fowl hens.

PubMed

Nahashon, S N; Adefope, N A; Amenyenu, A; Wright, D

2007-08-01

This study was conducted to evaluate optimum dietary concentrations of ME and CP for egg production performance of the Pearl Gray guinea fowl laying hens. In a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement, 360 Pearl Gray guinea fowl replacement pullets (22 wk of age) were randomly assigned to experimental diets with 2,800 and 2,900 kcal of ME/kg of diet, each containing 14, 16, and 18% CP, respectively. Each dietary treatment was replicated 4 times, and feed and water were provided ad libitum. Experimental birds were raised in laying cages and received 16 h of light throughout the study period. The birds were observed for feed consumption, hen-day egg production (HDEP), egg weight (EW), egg mass (EM), feed conversion ratio, internal egg quality, shell thickness (ST), and BW at the end of each 28-d lay period at 26 to 50 wk of age and at 62 to 86 wk of age. Mortality was recorded as it occurred. Mean HDEP, EW, EM, and ST were higher (P < 0.05) in hens receiving diets with 2,800 kcal of ME/kg of feed than those fed diets containing 2,900 kcal of ME/kg of diet. Hens on 14% CP diets also exhibited higher (P < 0.05) HDEP, EM, and ST than those fed diets containing 16 and 18% CP diets. Mean feed conversion ratio of birds on 2,800 kcal of ME/kg of diet and 14% CP diets were significantly lower than those of hens on other dietary treatments. Differences in feed consumption, EW, internal egg quality, BW, and mortality among dietary ME and CP concentrations were not significant (P > 0.05). Overall, diets composed of 2,800 kcal of ME/kg of diet and 14% CP were utilized more efficiently by the Pearl Gray guinea fowl laying hens at 26 to 50 and 62 to 86 wk of age.

Brazil nut meal and spray-dried egg powders as alternatives to synthetic methionine in organic laying hen diets.

PubMed

Burley, H K; Patterson, P H

2017-09-01

The United States organic poultry industry is currently facing a limitation on dietary inclusion of synthetic methionine (Met). This study investigated Brazil nut protein powder (BNPP), spray-dried egg white (SDEW), and spray-dried egg blend (70:30 albumen: yolk) (SDEB) as alternatives to synthetic Met in organic laying hen diets. A total of 270 Hy-Line Brown laying hens was fed 5 diets from 22 to 38 wk of age, with 6 replicates of 3 adjacent cages per diet and 3 hens per cage. Diets included a commercial control (COM) (non-organic with standard CP and synthetic Met), an organic control (ORG) (with no synthetic Met, but higher CP to meet Met requirements), and 3 organic treatment diets with no synthetic Met, but including BNPP, SDEW, or SDEB at levels to meet Met requirements. Egg production and quality, body weight (BW), feed intake, and manure nutrients and ammonia were assessed. Data were analyzed using the PROC MIXED procedure of SAS, with Tukey's test used for multiple mean comparisons, and P ≤ 0.05 was deemed statistically significant. Body weight was greatest for the COM diet, and feed conversion improved for hens fed egg-based diets compared to controls. Egg weight and production did not differ between COM and treatment diets. The SDEW diet had greater albumen height and Haugh units compared to ORG and BNPP diets and greater percent albumen compared to COM and BNPP diets. Specific gravity was greatest for BNPP fed hens. Manure DM and potash were highest from COM and BNPP diets, respectively. Both egg-based diets increased ammonia flux relative to the COM diet. The BNPP and egg-based diets were lower in cost for $/metric tonne, $/dozen eggs, and $/kg of eggs compared to the ORG diet. The ingredients assessed herein could, therefore, cost-effectively replace synthetic Met in organic hen diets without negatively impacting egg production. © 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Effects of carbohydrase enzyme supplementation on performance, eggshell quality, and bone parameters of laying hens fed on maize- and wheat-based diets.

PubMed

Olgun, Osman; Altay, Y; Yildiz, Alp O

2018-04-01

1. This study was conducted to determine the effects of enzyme supplementation of maize/wheat-based diets on the performance, egg quality, and serum and bone parameters of laying hens. 2. During the 12-week experimental period, a total of 72 laying hens aged 52 weeks were randomly distributed among 6 experimental groups. Each experimental group contained 4 replicates, each with three birds. The experiment was a randomised design consisting of a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement, with three levels of wheat substitution and two levels of enzyme (xylanase: 1500.00 U/kg, β-glucanase: 100 000 U/kg, cellulase: 1 000 000 U/kg, α-amylase: 160 000 U/kg) inclusion in the diet. Wheat replaced 0, 50, or 100% of maize with or without 1.0 g/kg enzyme supplementation in iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric experimental diets. 3. Body weight, egg production, egg weight, egg mass, eggshell thickness, and the feed conversion ratio were adversely affected by the wheat-based diet. The eggshell quality parameters decreased with enzyme supplementation to the diet. 4. Wheat-based diets adversely affected calcium and phosphorus concentrations in the tibia, but the addition of the enzymes to the wheat-based diet prevented the negative effects of wheat-based diets on tibia mineralisation in laying hens. The wheat-based diets tended to reduce plasma mineral contents, and the addition of enzymes tended to affect plasma minerals and biomechanical properties of the tibia positively in laying hens. 5. These results indicate that wheat-based diets in aged laying hens adversely affected the mineral metabolism compared with maize-based diets, and the negative effects of wheat on bone mineralisation can be prevented by enzyme supplementation to the diets in laying hens.

Maternal hyperthyroidism is associated with a decreased incidence of cold-induced ascites in broiler chickens.

PubMed

Akhlaghi, A; Zamiri, M J; Zare Shahneh, A; Jafari Ahangari, Y; Nejati Javaremi, A; Rahimi Mianji, G; Mollasalehi, M R; Shojaie, H; Akhlaghi, A A; Deldar, H; Atashi, H; Ansari Pirsaraei, Z; Zhandi, M

2012-05-01

A hypothesis was tested that providing the breeder hens with exogenous thyroxine (T(4)) would help their offspring to better survive the ascites-inducing condition during the growing period. In total, 132 broiler breeder hens were randomly assigned to one of 3 treatments: control (CON), hypothyroid [HYPO; 6-N-propyl-2-thiouracil (PTU)-treated], and hyperthyroid (HYPER; T(4)-treated). The hens were artificially inseminated, and the hatching eggs (n = 1,320) were incubated. No eggs in the HYPO group hatched. The 1-d-old male chicks (n = 288) from other groups were reared for 42 d under standard or low ambient temperature to induce ascites. Blood samples were drawn from the hens, embryos, and broilers for determination of T(4) and triiodothyronine (T(3)). The hematocrit was also determined in broilers. The PTU-treated hens had an increased BW along with lower plasma T(3) and T(4) concentrations. Plasma T(4) was higher in the HYPER hens compared with CON hens, but T(3) concentration was not different between these groups. The fertility rate was not affected by either hypo- or hyperthyroidism. The embryos in the HYPO group had lower plasma T(3) and T(4) concentrations at d 18 of embryonic development and internal pipping. Higher plasma T(4) was recorded in the HYPER birds at internal pipping, although plasma T(3) concentration was not affected at this stage. Maternal hyperthyroidism decreased the overall incidence of ascites in the cold-exposed chickens (10.0 vs. 33.4% for HYPER and CON groups, respectively). Although the effect of maternal PTU or T(4) treatment on plasma thyroid hormones and on the right ventricle-to-total ventricular weight ratio in the broilers was not significant, the cold-exposed healthy CON chicks showed higher hematocrit values, compared with the HYPER birds. It was concluded that maternal hyperthyroidism could decrease the incidence of cold-induced ascites in broiler chickens; however, probable causal mechanisms remain to be elucidated.

Persistence of fecal shedding of Salmonella Enteritidis by experimentally infected laying hens housed in conventional or enriched cages.

PubMed

Gast, Richard K; Guraya, Rupa; Jones, Deana R; Anderson, Kenneth E

2015-07-01

Salmonella Enteritidis can be deposited inside eggs laid by infected hens, so the prevalence of this pathogen in commercial egg-producing flocks is an important risk factor for human illness. Opportunities for the introduction, transmission, and persistence of salmonellae in poultry are potentially influenced by flock housing and management systems. Animal welfare concerns have spurred the development of alternatives to traditional cage-based housing. However, the consequences of poultry housing systems for food safety have not been fully resolved by prior research. The present study assessed the effects of two different housing systems (conventional cages and colony cages enriched with perching and nesting areas) on the persistence of fecal shedding of Salmonella Enteritidis by groups of experimentally infected laying hens. In each of two trials, 136 hens were distributed among cages of both housing systems and orally inoculated with doses of 10(8) cfu of Salmonella Enteritidis (phage type 13a in one trial and phage type 4 in the other). At weekly intervals, samples of voided feces were collected from beneath each cage and cultured to detect Salmonella Enteritidis. Fecal shedding of Salmonella Enteritidis was detected for up to 8 wk post-inoculation by hens housed in enriched colony cages and 10 wk by hens housed in conventional cages. For both trials combined, the frequency of positive fecal cultures was significantly (P < 0.05) greater for conventional cages than for enriched colony cages at 1 wk (84.7 vs. 71.5%), 2 wk (54.2 vs. 31.3%), 3 wk (21.5 vs. 7.6%), and 4 wk (9.7 vs. 2.8%) post-inoculation. These results demonstrate that the susceptibility of hens to intestinal colonization by Salmonella Enteritidis can differ between conventional and enriched cage-based production systems, although this effect does not necessarily translate into a corresponding difference in the longer-term persistence of fecal shedding. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Identification and quantification of aflatoxins and aflatoxicol from poultry feed and their recovery in poultry litter.

PubMed

Cortés, G; Carvajal, M; Méndez-Ramírez, I; Avila-González, E; Chilpa-Galván, N; Castillo-Urueta, P; Flores, C M

2010-05-01

Aflatoxins (AF) are toxic fungal secondary metabolites and are known mycotoxins pathological to animals and humans. Poultry litter is frequently used as a food supplement for ruminants, and when poultry feed contains AF, the litter becomes contaminated as well, thus having an effect on livestock health. This study identified and quantified AF (AFB(1), AFB(2), AFG(1), and AFG(2)) from poultry feed and their recovery, together with their metabolites (AFM(1), AFM(2), AFP(1), and aflatoxicol) in litter. An experiment with 25 Hy-Line W-36 hens, in their second production stage, 121 wk old, was carried out. Hens were distributed in 3 groups placed in individual cages and 1 ration of 250 g of feed was given to each hen daily. Nine hens of the control group were fed with clean feed, without AFB(1); the other 2 experimental groups, with 8 hens each, were fed with 2 AFB(1) concentrations: 30 and 500 microg.kg(-1). The feed was replaced and weighed daily throughout a 7-d period to register the amount of feed consumed by the hens. Litter from each hen was collected, weighed, and dried individually. The chemical analysis of 40 g of each one of the 200 feed and 200 litter samples was chemically extracted and concentrated with immunoaffinity columns for total AF. To quantify AF, calibration curves for each AF were done by HPLC. Feed samples of the 3 groups presented significant difference with AFB(2) and AFG(2), whereas in litter samples, there were significant differences for AFG(2) in the 500 microg.kg(-1) group. Poultry litter had traces of AFM(1), AFM(2), AFP(1), and AFL with no significant differences among treatments. Aflatoxin B(1) prevalence in litter samples can cause damages in livestock because this mycotoxin reduces the digestibility of ruminant feed up to 67%.

Effects of taurine and housing density on renal function in laying hens*

PubMed Central

Ma, Zi-li; Gao, Yang; Ma, Hai-tian; Zheng, Liu-hai; Dai, Bin; Miao, Jin-feng; Zhang, Yuan-shu

2016-01-01

This study investigated the putative protective effects of supplemental 2-aminoethane sulfonic acid (taurine) and reduced housing density on renal function in laying hens. We randomly assigned fifteen thousand green-shell laying hens into three groups: a free range group, a low-density caged group, and a high-density caged group. Each group was further divided equally into a control group (C) and a taurine treatment group (T). After 15 d, we analyzed histological changes in kidney cells, inflammatory mediator levels, oxidation and anti-oxidation levels. Experimental data revealed taurine supplementation, and rearing free range or in low-density housing can lessen morphological renal damage, inflammatory mediator levels, and oxidation levels and increase anti-oxidation levels. Our data demonstrate that taurine supplementation and a reduction in housing density can ameliorate renal impairment, increase productivity, enhance health, and promote welfare in laying hens. PMID:27921400

Reduction of fecal parasites by Arecha catechu L. seed and Anredera cordifolia (Ten) Steenis leaves powder in laying hens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusumanti, Endang; Murwani, Retno

2018-02-01

Arecha catechu L (bettle nut) seed and Anredera cordifolia (Ten) Steenis (“Binahong”) have been shown to have anti helmintic and wound healing activities respectively. Their combine use as phytogenic additives in layers have been shown to reduce serum transaminase. Further study was conducted to evaluate the effect of A. catechu seed and A. cordifolia leaves powder supplementation on fecal parasites number and the performance of laying hens obtained from outdoor small scale layer farmers. Forty eight of 42 weeks old laying hens were allocated randomly into 4 treatment groups i.e. no supplementation (T0), supplemented with 0.025% A. catechu seed and A. cordifolia leaves powder (T0.025%), 0.05% A. catechu seed and A. cordifolia leaves powder (T0.05%), 0.1% A. catechu seed and A. cordifolia leaves powder (T0.1%). Each treatment consisted of six replicates with two hens per replicate. Supplementation were carried out by administering alternately A. catechu seed powder for 3 days followed by A. cordifolia leaves powder for another 3 days. The alternate supplementation for each groups was conducted for 18 days. Feed consumption, egg production, egg weight, hen day production (HDP) were recorded daily. Parasites counts were sampled and enumerated at the beginning and at the end of supplementation. The result showed that alternate supplementation of 0.0.025% A. catechu seed and A. cordifolia leaves powder up to 18 days to 42 weeks old laying hens reduced fecal parasites without affecting performance.

Success rates of intrauterine inoculations of layers via the vagina.

PubMed

Landman, W J M; Matthijs, M G R; van Eck, J H H

2013-02-01

Intrauterine inoculation of layer hens has been documented previously in the literature; however, its efficiency has only been assessed on a very small scale. Attempts were therefore made to inoculate 14 experimental groups each consisting of 10 commercial table egg-producing hens intrauterinely with methylene blue. The effect of four variables-oviposition (natural, hormonally induced or not), position of the hen at inoculation (vertical/horizontal), technique to access the uterus (three methods) and inoculation device (four types)-on the success rate of intrauterine inoculation of layers of different breed and age was studied. Immediately after inoculation, hens were euthanized and the presence of methylene blue and perforations in the oviduct were examined. Successful inoculation rates ranged from 0/10 to 10/10. The 100% success rate was obtained in birds without an egg in the uterus, which were restrained in a horizontal position and inoculated with a hard catheter after exposure of the uterovaginal junction. The second best score was obtained in hens inoculated shortly after natural oviposition, maintained in a vertical position and using a corkscrew-shaped saliva ejector after exposure of the vaginal orifice (7/10). In all other groups the success rate was 5/10 or less. Vaginal perforation occurred in none to eight birds per group. It is concluded that intrauterine inoculation of laying hens is only reliable in birds without an egg in the uterus after exposure of the uterovaginal junction. All other methods proved unreliable and often caused vaginal perforations. However, intravaginal inoculation can be performed with 100% accuracy providing the vaginal orifice is exposed.

Effects of adding aqueous extract of Tribulus terrestris to diet on productive performance, egg quality characteristics, and blood biochemical parameters of laying hens reared under low ambient temperature (6.8 ± 3 °C).

PubMed

Akbari, Mohsen; Torki, Mehran

2016-06-01

A study was conducted using 144 laying hens to evaluate the effects of adding aqueous extract of Tribulus terrestris to diets on productive performance, egg quality traits, and some blood parameters of laying hens reared under cold stress condition (6.8 ± 3 °C). The birds were randomly assigned to each of four dietary treatments (C, T1, T2, and T3) with six replicate cages of six birds. Diet inclusion of aqueous extract of T. terrestris at the rate of 10, 20, and 30 ml/Lit offered to groups T1, T2, and T3, respectively, while group C served as the control diet with no addition. Feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), egg weight (EW), egg production (EP), and egg mass (EM) were evaluated during the 42-day trial period. The EP and EM increased, whereas FCR decreased (P < 0.001) in the hens fed the extract-included diet as compared to those fed the basal diet. The serum content of cholesterol decreased and the thickness of egg shell increased in the hens fed the T2 and T3 diet compared to those fed the basal diet. Overall from the results of the present experiment, it can be concluded that diet supplementation with aqueous extract of T. terrestris has beneficial effects on productive performance of laying hens reared under cold stress condition.

The efficacy of inactivated Escherichia coli autogenous vaccines against the E. coli peritonitis syndrome in layers.

PubMed

Landman, W J M; van Eck, J H H

2017-12-01

Autogenous Escherichia coli vaccines to prevent the E. coli peritonitis syndrome (EPS) in laying hens are often used in the field, although their effectiveness has not been demonstrated yet. Therefore, in this study, which consisted of two experiments, their efficacy was assessed. In the first experiment, the EPS-inducing ability of three E. coli isolates originating from bone marrow of hens that died due to EPS and with different Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis patterns, was examined by intravenous inoculation of the isolates in 17-week-old brown layers. Based on the results one isolate was chosen for the preparation of the vaccines and for homologous challenge and another one for heterologous challenge performed in the second experiment. In the named experiment, groups of laying hens which had been vaccinated intramuscularly at 14 and 18 weeks of age with inactivated vaccine either formulated as aqueous suspension or as water-in-oil emulsion were homologously or heterologously challenged per aerosol at 30 weeks of age. The vaccines contained ≥10 8.2 formaldehyde-inactivated colony-forming units (cfu) of E. coli per hen dose in 0.5 ml. The estimated E. coli challenge dose uptake ranged from 10 5.8 to 10 6.5  cfu per hen. Groups consisted of 18 hens each and were housed in separate isolators from 27 weeks of age. Control groups were included in this experiment, which was ended eight days after challenge. Vaccinations had no effect on body growth and both vaccine types induced (almost) complete protection against homologous challenge, while protection against heterologous challenge was inconclusive.

Modification of the lipid profile and antioxidant status of the blood plasma of turkey hens fed mixtures with raw or extruded linseed.

PubMed

Czech, A; Ognik, K; Laszewska, M; Cholewińska, E; Stępniowska, A

2018-02-01

The aim of the study was to determine the most beneficial proportion of raw linseed in complete feed mixtures for turkey hens on the basis of lipid and redox indicators in the blood. In experiment 1, the turkey hens received the complete mixture with 2%, 4% or 6% linseed. On the basis of the results obtained in experiment 1, we selected the most effective proportion of linseed, which was given to the birds in the group receiving a 4% linseed additive. In experiment 2, the birds were fed mixtures with a 4% addition of raw or extruded linseed. The use of 4% raw linseed was found to improve production effects (improvement of weight gain, and lower feed conversion ratios), while extruded linseed in the diet of turkey hens did not affect growth performance. The use of linseed (4% and 6%) as a feed component for turkey hens led to an increase in indicators of antioxidant potential, that is the total antioxidant potential of the plasma, vitamins E and C, bilirubin and creatinine. A benefit resulting from the use of linseed, particularly in the amounts of 2% and 4% was a marked improvement in lipid indicators in the blood. The reduced percentage of unsaturated fatty acids (n-3) following the use of extruded linseed resulted in a decrease in lipid peroxidation (lower content of malondialdehyde, superoxide and vitamins C and E in the blood). The most effective dose and form of linseed in the diet of turkey hens is 4% raw linseed. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Dietary choline and phospholipid supplementation enhanced docosahexaenoic acid enrichment in egg yolk of laying hens fed a 2% Schizochytrium powder-added diet.

PubMed

Wang, H; Zhang, H J; Wang, X C; Wu, S G; Wang, J; Xu, L; Qi, G H

2017-08-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary phospholipid supplementation on laying hen performance, egg quality, and the fatty acid profile of egg yolks from hens fed a 2% Schizochytrium powder diet. Three-hundred-sixty 28-wk-old Hy-line W-36 laying hens were randomly allocated to one of the 5 dietary treatments, each treatment with 6 replicates of 12 birds each. All diets included 2% Schizochytrium powder (docosahexaenoic acid [DHA], 137.09 mg/g). The control group was not supplemented with any additional phospholipids, whereas the other 4 experimental diets were supplemented with 1,000 mg/kg choline (CHO), 1,000 mg/kg monoethanolamine (MEA), 1,000 mg/kg lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), or 500 mg/kg LPC + 500 mg/kg MEA (LPC + MEA). The experimental diets were isocaloric (metabolizable energy, 11.15 MJ/kg) and isonitrogenous (crude protein, 16.60%). The feeding trial lasted 28 days. Laying hen performance and egg quality were not affected (P > 0.05) by the diets used. The monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) level was reduced in the LPC group at d 28 (P < 0.01), whereas the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) level was increased (P < 0.05). The omega-6 (n-6) PUFA level of the egg yolks in the LPC group had a trend to increase in comparison to the control (P = 0.07). The CHO and LPC groups had higher omega-3 (n-3) PUFA and DHA levels and lower n-6/n-3 ratios than the other groups at d 28 (P < 0.01). The DHA content in egg yolk reached a plateau after the laying hens consumed the experimental diets for 14 days, and higher yolk DHA contents were observed in the CHO and LPC groups as compared with the other groups at d 14. It was concluded that dietary choline supplementation for more than 14 d enhanced egg yolk enrichment with n-3 PUFA and DHA when laying hen diets were supplemented with 2% Schizochytrium powder. All the diets had no adverse effect on hen performance, egg quality, or egg components under the experimental condition. © 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Reduced bone breakage and increased bone strength in free range laying hens fed omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplemented diets.

PubMed

Tarlton, John F; Wilkins, Lindsay J; Toscano, Michael J; Avery, Nick C; Knott, Lynda

2013-02-01

The omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are the immediate precursors to a number of important mediators of immunity, inflammation and bone function, with products of omega-6 generally thought to promote inflammation and favour bone resorption. Western diets generally provide a 10 to 20-fold deficit in omega-3 PUFAs compared with omega-6, and this is thought to have contributed to the marked rise in incidence of disorders of modern human societies, such as heart disease, colitis and perhaps osteoporosis. Many of our food production animals, fed on grains rich in omega-6, are also exposed to a dietary deficit in omega-3, with perhaps similar health consequences. Bone fragility due to osteoporotic changes in laying hens is a major economic and welfare problem, with our recent estimates of breakage rates indicating up to 95% of free range hens suffer breaks during lay. Free range hens housed in full scale commercial systems were provided diets supplemented with omega-3 alpha linolenic acid, and the skeletal benefits were investigated by comparison to standard diets rich in omega-6. There was a significant 40-60% reduction in keel bone breakage rate, and a corresponding reduction in breakage severity in the omega-3 supplemented hens. There was significantly greater bone density and bone mineral content, alongside increases in total bone and trabecular volumes. The mechanical properties of the omega-3 supplemented hens were improved, with strength, energy to break and stiffness demonstrating significant increases. Alkaline phosphatase (an osteoblast marker) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (an osteoclast marker) both showed significant increases with the omega-3 diets, indicating enhanced bone turnover. This was corroborated by the significantly lower levels of the mature collagen crosslinks, hydroxylysyl pyridinoline, lysyl pyridinoline and histidinohydroxy-lysinonorleucine, with a corresponding significant shift in the mature:immature crosslink ratio. The improved skeletal health in laying hens corresponds to as many as 68million fewer hens suffering keel fractures in the EU each year. The biomechanical and biochemical evidence suggests that increased bone turnover has enhanced the bone mechanical properties, and that this may suggest potential benefits for human osteoporosis. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spatial Cognition and Range Use in Free-Range Laying Hens

PubMed Central

Campbell, Dana L. M.; Loh, Ziyang A.; Dyall, Tim R.; Lee, Caroline

2018-01-01

Simple Summary Individual free-range laying hens vary in their use of the outdoor range. The outdoor environment is typically more complex and variable than indoor housing and thus range use may be related to differences in spatial abilities. Individual adult hens that never went outside were slower to learn a T-maze task—which requires birds to repeatedly find a food reward in one arm of the maze, compared to outdoor-preferring hens. Pullets that were faster to learn the maze also showed more visits to the range in their first month of range access but only in one of two tested groups. Early enrichment improved learning of the maze but only when the birds were tested before onset of lay. Fear may play a role in inhibiting bird’s spatial learning and their range use. More studies of different enriched rearing treatments and their impacts on fear and learning would be needed to confirm these findings. Overall, these results contribute to our understanding of why some birds choose to never access the outdoor range area. Abstract Radio-frequency identification tracking shows individual free-range laying hens vary in range use, with some never going outdoors. The range is typically more environmentally complex, requiring navigation to return to the indoor resources. Outdoor-preferring hens may have improved spatial abilities compared to indoor-preferring hens. Experiment 1 tested 32 adult ISA Brown hens in a T-maze learning task that showed exclusively-indoor birds were slowest to reach the learning success criterion (p < 0.05). Experiment 2 tested 117 pullets from enriched or non-enriched early rearing treatments (1 pen replicate per treatment) in the same maze at 15–16 or 17–18 weeks. Enriched birds reached learning success criterion faster at 15–16 weeks (p < 0.05) but not at 17–18 weeks (p > 0.05), the age that coincided with the onset of lay. Enriched birds that were faster to learn the maze task showed more range visits in the first 4 weeks of range access. Enriched and non-enriched birds showed no differences in telencephalon or hippocampal volume (p > 0.05). Fear may reduce spatial abilities but further testing with more pen replicates per early rearing treatments would improve our understanding of the relationship between spatial cognitive abilities and range use. PMID:29419742

[Food value of spiruline algae for the laying hen].

PubMed

Blum, J C; Guillaumin, S; Calet, C

1975-01-01

The three diets (composition in table I) were isonitrogenous (16,4 p. 100 crude protein), similar in their content of lysine and sulfur amino acids, but with different levels of spiruline algae : 0 (control); 7.5 or 15 p. 100. Each diet was used for the feeding of 48 hybrid pullets of medium size during a 24-week test period (32 to 56 weeks). Egg production (table II) was slightly better (47.1 g/hen/day) with 7.5 p. 100 of spirulines, compared to the control (45.3 g/hen/day), the difference being significant (P less than 0.01). With 15 p. 100 of spirulines egg production was similar to that observed in the control, but the average egg weight was reduced (58.5 vs 60.5 g) as a result of a lower albumen content. The colour of the egg yolk (table IV) was very light in the controls, but was a deep orange (above the maximum in the Roch scale) with 7.5 or 15 p. 100 of spirulines in the laying hen diet. The diet consumption, feed conversion and live weight variations (table III) show that the energy level is no higher in laying hens (about 2 500 kcal M.E./kg spirulines) than in the broiler.

VEGF expression and the effect of NSAIDs on ascites cell proliferation in the hen model of ovarian cancer.

PubMed

Urick, M E; Giles, J R; Johnson, P A

2008-09-01

We aimed to determine the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the effect of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on the proliferation of cells isolated from ascites in the hen model of ovarian cancer. Ovarian tumor and normal ovary were collected from hens and ascites cells were isolated from hens with ovarian cancer. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to quantify mRNA expression. Immunohistochemical and/or Western blot analyses were used to localize protein expression in ovarian tumors, normal ovaries, and ascites cells. Cells were treated with a nonspecific, COX-1-specific, or COX-2-specific NSAID and proliferation was determined. VEGF mRNA was increased in ascites cells and there was a trend for a correlation between VEGF mRNA in ascites cells and ascites volume. VEGF protein was localized to theca cells of normal ovaries, in glandular areas of tumors, and to the cytoplasm of ascites cells. Aspirin and a COX-1-specific inhibitor decreased the proliferation of ascites cells, whereas a COX-2-specific inhibitor did not. VEGF may play a role in ovarian cancer progression in the hen and the proliferation of ascites cells can be decreased by targeting the COX-1 but not COX-2 pathway.

Modeling the surface tension of complex, reactive organic-inorganic mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwier, A. N.; Viglione, G. A.; Li, Z.; McNeill, V. F.

2013-01-01

Atmospheric aerosols can contain thousands of organic compounds which impact aerosol surface tension, affecting aerosol properties such as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) ability. We present new experimental data for the surface tension of complex, reactive organic-inorganic aqueous mixtures mimicking tropospheric aerosols. Each solution contained 2-6 organic compounds, including methylglyoxal, glyoxal, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, oxalic acid, succinic acid, leucine, alanine, glycine, and serine, with and without ammonium sulfate. We test two surface tension models and find that most reactive, complex, aqueous organic mixtures which do not contain salt are well-described by a weighted Szyszkowski-Langmuir (S-L) model which was first presented by Henning et al. (2005). Two approaches for modeling the effects of salt were tested: (1) the Tuckermann approach (an extension of the Henning model with an additional explicit salt term), and (2) a new implicit method proposed here which employs experimental surface tension data obtained for each organic species in the presence of salt used with the Henning model. We recommend the use of method (2) for surface tension modeling because the Henning model (using data obtained from organic-inorganic systems) and Tuckermann approach provide similar modeling fits and goodness of fit (χ2) values, yet the Henning model is a simpler and more physical approach to modeling the effects of salt, requiring less empirically determined parameters.

Sex-based comparison of limb segmentation in ostriches aged 14 months with and without tibiotarsal rotation.

PubMed

Cooper, R G; Naranowicz, H; Maliszewska, E; Tennett, A; Horbańczuk, J O

2008-09-01

The aim of this study was to propose equations to predict changes that occur over time in the angular position of the bones during motion and the angular velocity of the bones in forward motion as a consequence of tibiotarsal rotation (TTR) in ostriches aged 14 months. Twenty-four normal 14-month-old ostriches (12 cocks and 12 hens) and 20 birds with TTR (9 cocks and 11 hens) were used in the study. Daily readings of temperature, relative humidity and rainfall, the lengths of the different segments of the legs and wings, the perpendicular height from the top of the torso to ground level and the length of the erect neck were recorded. Measurements of the degree of valgus deformity in the left foot were made where applicable. TTR hens and cocks were smaller in stature than normal birds. Comparing TTR hens and cocks, the toe, claw, humerus, perpendicular height and angle of rotation were larger in cocks, indicating a larger body in cocks. Hens were more severely affected by TTR. We suggest that the equations used in this study will assist in measuring movement of ostriches and how movement is compromised by overcrowding and TTR. Birds suffering from TTR may experience an increased degree of stress due to movement restrictions in confinement.

[Head and neck cancer patients included at home enteral nutrition by tube].

PubMed

Cots Seignot, I; Cárdenas Lagranja, G; Puiggròs Llop, C; Chicharro Serrano, L; Pérez-Portabella Maristany, C; Planas Vilà, M

2009-01-01

To know characteristics and the patients' evolution with head and neck cancer who received radiotherapy treatment and they were included at a home enteral nutrition (HEN) by feeding tube programme. To analyse the weight evolution according to the start of HEN before or after radiotherapy. Observational study of tube feeding patients with head and neck cancer who were included in HEN programme in our hospital for two years. Variables analysed: gender, age, Body Mass Index (BMI), Karnofsky Index (KI), reason for nutritional support, type of feeding tube, formula used and prescribed caloric contribution, necessity to change access device and HEN days. 62 patients were studied (77.4% men; 22.6% women). Age 64 +/- 10.1 years (rang: 39-90). The dysphagia was the main cause to begin enteral nutrition by feeding tube in these patients. Naso-gastric tube was prevalence (67.7%). The most used formula was polymeric hypercaloric diet with a mean of caloric contribution of 1,629 +/- 267.09 kcal/day. Overall, there was a weight loss in all patients during the study period time. However, patients who began the HEN by feeding tube before the radiotherapy treatment, the BMI did not decrease. All patients who began feeding tube before oncological treatment didn't lose weight for the period of study.

Partial albumen removal early during embryonic development of layer-type chickens has negative consequences on laying performance in adult life.

PubMed

Willems, E; Wang, Y; Willemsen, H; Lesuisse, J; Franssens, L; Guo, X; Koppenol, A; Buyse, J; Decuypere, E; Everaert, N

2013-07-01

To examine the importance of albumen as a protein source during embryonic development on the posthatch performance of laying hens, 3 mL of the albumen was removed. At hatch, no difference in BW could be observed. Chicks from the albumen-deprived group had a lower residual yolk weight due to higher yolk utilization. During the rearing phase (hatch to 17 wk of age), the BW of the albumen-deprived pullets was lower compared with the control and sham pullets. The feed intake of the albumen-deprived pullets was also lower than the control pullets. However, during the laying phase (18 to 55 wk of age) these hens exceeded the control and sham hens in BW, although this was not accompanied by a higher feed intake. The albumen-deprived hens exhibited a lower egg production capacity as demonstrated by the reduced egg weight, laying rate, and egg mass and increased number of second grade eggs. In addition, the eggs laid by the albumen-deprived hens had a higher proportional yolk and lower proportional albumen weight. In conclusion, prenatal protein deprivation by albumen removal caused a long-lasting programming effect, possibly by differences in energy allocation, in favor of growth and maintenance and impairing reproductive performance.

Development and evaluation of a home enteral nutrition team.

PubMed

Dinenage, Sarah; Gower, Morwenna; Van Wyk, Joanna; Blamey, Anne; Ashbolt, Karen; Sutcliffe, Michelle; Green, Sue M

2015-03-05

The organisation of services to support the increasing number of people receiving enteral tube feeding (ETF) at home varies across regions. There is evidence that multi-disciplinary primary care teams focussed on home enteral nutrition (HEN) can provide cost-effective care. This paper describes the development and evaluation of a HEN Team in one UK city. A HEN Team comprising dietetians, nurses and a speech and language therapist was developed with the aim of delivering a quality service for people with gastrostomy tubes living at home. Team objectives were set and an underpinning framework of organisation developed including a care pathway and a schedule of training. Impact on patient outcomes was assessed in a pre-post test evaluation design. Patients and carers reported improved support in managing their ETF. Cost savings were realised through: (1) prevention of hospital admission and related transport for ETF related issues; (2) effective management and reduction of waste of feed and thickener; (3) balloon gastrostomy tube replacement by the HEN Team in the patient's home, and optimisation of nutritional status. This service evaluation demonstrated that the establishment of a dedicated multi-professional HEN Team focussed on achievement of key objectives improved patient experience and, although calculation of cost savings were estimates, provided evidence of cost-effectiveness.

Spatial Cognition and Range Use in Free-Range Laying Hens.

PubMed

Campbell, Dana L M; Talk, Andrew C; Loh, Ziyang A; Dyall, Tim R; Lee, Caroline

2018-02-08

Radio-frequency identification tracking shows individual free-range laying hens vary in range use, with some never going outdoors. The range is typically more environmentally complex, requiring navigation to return to the indoor resources. Outdoor-preferring hens may have improved spatial abilities compared to indoor-preferring hens. Experiment 1 tested 32 adult ISA Brown hens in a T-maze learning task that showed exclusively-indoor birds were slowest to reach the learning success criterion ( p < 0.05). Experiment 2 tested 117 pullets from enriched or non-enriched early rearing treatments (1 pen replicate per treatment) in the same maze at 15-16 or 17-18 weeks. Enriched birds reached learning success criterion faster at 15-16 weeks ( p < 0.05) but not at 17-18 weeks ( p > 0.05), the age that coincided with the onset of lay. Enriched birds that were faster to learn the maze task showed more range visits in the first 4 weeks of range access. Enriched and non-enriched birds showed no differences in telencephalon or hippocampal volume ( p > 0.05). Fear may reduce spatial abilities but further testing with more pen replicates per early rearing treatments would improve our understanding of the relationship between spatial cognitive abilities and range use.

Nutritional quality and amino acid composition of diets consumed by scavenging hens and cocks across seasons.

PubMed

Ncobela, Cyprial Ndumiso; Chimonyo, Michael

2016-04-01

The objective of the study was to determine the effect of season on nutritional quality and amino acid composition of diets that scavenging hens and cocks consume. Thirty hens and 30 cocks were purchased and slaughtered during each of the rainy, post rainy, cool dry and hot dry seasons. A total of 240 birds were used in the study. Fresh crop content weights were high (P < 0.05) during the cool dry season. Cereal grains, kitchen wastes, green materials, animal protein sources and inorganic materials were the main components of the crop contents. Crop contents varied with season and sex of bird (P < 0.05). The cereal grain weights were high during cool dry and hot dry seasons. Weights of animal protein sources (insects, locusts and termites) were higher (P < 0.05) during the rainy and post rainy seasons. Hens contained more animal protein sources (P < 0.05) than cocks. Hens had a higher (P < 0.05) lysine content during the rainy season than cocks. Histidine, serine, arginine, threonine, cysteine and lysine contents varied with seasons (P < 0.05). Methionine did not vary with season and sex of the bird. Nutritional supplementation of village chickens should, therefore, vary with seasons.

Hen Welfare in Different Housing Systems

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Egg production systems have become subject to heightened levels of scrutiny due to animal welfare concerns. Multiple factors such as disease, skeletal and foot health, pest and parasite load, behavior, stress, affective states, nutrition, and genetics influence the level of welfare laying hens exper...

21 CFR 558.366 - Nicarbazin.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... allow rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, horses, or ruminants access to feeds containing lincomycin... laying hens in production. Nicarbazin as provided by No. 066104; bacitracin methylene disalicylate and... consumption to allow for elimination of the drug from edible tissue. Do not feed to laying hens in production...

Kinetic study of chlordecone orally given to laying hens (Gallus domesticus).

PubMed

Jondreville, Catherine; Fournier, Agnès; Mahieu, Maurice; Feidt, Cyril; Archimède, Harry; Rychen, Guido

2014-11-01

The former use of chlordecone (CLD) in the French West Indies has resulted in long-term pollution of soils. In this area, CLD may be transferred into eggs of hens reared outdoors, through soil ingestion. In order to assess this risk, a kinetic study involving the contamination of laying hens (22 weeks of age) with a diet containing 500 μg CLD kg(-1) during 42 d, followed by a depuration period of 35 d was carried out. Forty-four hens were sequentially slaughtered all over the experimental period and their liver, egg, abdominal fat and serum were collected. Two additional edible tissues, pectoral and leg muscles, were collected in hens slaughtered at the end of the contamination period. The depuration half-life of CLD in liver, egg, abdominal fat and serum was estimated at 5.0 ± 0.38 (mean ± SE), 5.5 ± 0.29, 5.3 ± 0.37 and 5.1 ± 0.66 d, respectively. CLD concentration at the end of the contamination period reached 1640 ± 274, 460 ± 41, 331 ± 23, and 213 ± 8.5 μg kg(-1) fresh matter (FM), respectively. The corresponding concentrations in pectoral and leg muscles were 119 ± 8.4, 127 ± 11 μg kg(-1) FM, respectively. The steady state carry over rate of CLD in eggs reached 43 ± 7.6%. This experiment demonstrates the preferential accumulation of CLD in liver, its significant transfer to eggs and its quite short half-life. It is concluded that raising hens on even mildly contaminated areas would lead to products exceeding the regulatory maximum residue limit of 20 μg CLD kg(-1). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Demographics and practices of semi-intensive free-range farming systems in Australia with an outdoor stocking density of ≤1500 hens/hectare

PubMed Central

Ruhnke, Isabelle; de Koning, Carolyn; Drake, Kelly; Skerman, Alan G.; Hinch, Geoff N.; Glatz, Philip C.

2017-01-01

Baseline information on demographics and practices on semi-intensive free-range egg farms with an outdoor stocking density of ≤1500 hens/hectare in Australia is presented. Free-range egg production is changing the structure of the egg industry in Australia and a broad variety and tiers of free-range systems have emerged due to lack of concrete legislative standards on outdoor stocking densities in the past. Information was extracted from a pre-existing online free-range poultry survey dataset, consisting of a total of 79 questions related to nutrition, pasture management, welfare and health, animal housing, environmental impact and economics. Forty-one free-range egg farms, with an outdoor stocking density of ≤1500 hens/hectare, were identified in the dataset from all major Australian states. Two types of semi-intensive free-range housing systems were documented: mobile (modified caravan/trailer) housing (56%), and fixed sheds (44%). Seventy-two percent of respondents reported >75% of the hens in the flock used the outdoor range. All respondents reported ingestion of range components by hens in the form of vegetation, insects, stones and grit. Up to 10% mortality was reported by 40% respondents with predation (34%), cannibalism (29%), heat stress (24%) and grass impaction (19.5%) as major causes. Biosecurity on farms was sub-optimal with 8 of the 10 actions implemented by <50% respondents. Customer demand, consumer sentiment and welfare were the major factors for farmers moving into free-range egg production. This study resulted in identification of current practices and key challenges on semi-intensive free-range egg farms. Applied research and communication of results to farmers is highly recommended to ensure optimum health and welfare of free-range laying hens and sustained egg production. PMID:29065169

Effect of Vanadium and Tea Polyphenols on Intestinal Morphology, Microflora and Short-Chain Fatty Acid Profile of Laying Hens.

PubMed

Yuan, Z H; Wang, J P; Zhang, K Y; Ding, X M; Bai, S P; Zeng, Q F; Xuan, Y; Su, Z W

2016-12-01

Vanadium (V) is a trace element which can induce dysfunction of gastro-intestine and egg quality deterioration of laying hens. This study was conducted to determine the effect of tea polyphenols (TP) on intestinal morphology, microflora, and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) profile of laying hens fed vanadium containing diets. A total of 120 Lohman laying hens (67-week-old) were randomly divided into 4 groups with 6 replicates and 5 birds each for a 35-day feeding trial. The dietary treatments were as follows: (1) control (CON), fed a basal diet; (2) vanadium treatment (V10), CON +10 mg V/kg; (3) TP treatment 1 (TP1): V10 + 600 mg TP/kg; (4) TP treatment 2 (TP2): V10 + 1000 mg TP/kg. Fed 10 mg V/kg diets to laying hens did not affect the cecum flora diversity index (H), degree of homogeneity (EH), and richness (S), but hens fed TP2 diet decreased the H, EH, and S (P < 0.05). The cecum butyrate acid concentration was lower in V10 treatment and higher in TP2 treatment (P < 0.05). Addition of 10 mg/kg V resulted in an increased (P < 0.01) duodenal cell apoptosis rate, and 1000 mg/kg TP supplementation overcame (P < 0.01) this reduction effect induced by vanadium. The results indicated that supplementation of 10 mg/kg vanadium increased duodenal cell apoptosis and reduced cecum butyrate acid content. Addition of 1000 mg/kg TP increased the SCFA production to affect cecum flora ecology and protected the duodenal cell from excess apoptosis caused by vanadium.

Prevalence of gastrointestinal helminth infections in free-range laying hens under mountain farming production conditions.

PubMed

Wuthijaree, K; Lambertz, C; Gauly, M

2017-12-01

1. A cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2015 to July 2016 in South Tyrol, Northern Italy to examine the prevalence of gastrointestinal helminths in free-range laying hens under mountain farming production conditions. 2. A total of 280 laying hens from 14 free-range mountain farms (4 organic, 10 conventional) were randomly collected at the end of the laying period. Faecal samples were taken to analyse faecal egg counts (FEC) and faecal oocyst counts (FOC). The gastrointestinal tracts were removed post mortem and examined for the presence of helminths. 3. In faeces, FEC values averaged 258 eggs per g of faeces, which were dominated by Ascaridia galli and Heterakis gallinarum. Mean FOC was 80 oocysts/g. In the gastrointestinal tract, at least one nematode species was found in 99.3% of the examined hens. H. gallinarum was the most prevalent nematode (95.7%), followed by Capillaria spp. (66.8%) and A. galli (63.6%). Thirty per cent of the chickens were infected with cestodes (tapeworms). Correlation coefficients between worm counts of H. gallinarum, Capillaria spp. and A. galli ranged from 0.41 to 0.51. 5. The helminth prevalence did not differ between conventional and organic farms, whereas total worm burden was higher in organic compared with conventional farms (318.9 vs. 112.0). Prevalence and infection intensity did not differ between farms that used anthelmintic treatments and those that did not. 6. In conclusion, free-range laying hens under the studied mountain farming conditions are at high risk of nematode infection, especially in organic systems. The vast majority of hens are subclinical infected with at least one helminth species.

Effect of a plant preparation Citrosept on selected immunity indices in blood of slaughter turkey hens.

PubMed

Rusinek-Prystupa, Elzbieta; Tatara, Marcin R

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of per os administration of 3 various dosages of a Citrosept preparation (a grapefruit extract)to growing turkey hens on changes in their selected haematological and immunological blood indices. An attempt was also undertaken to select the most efficient dose of the preparation with respect to the mentioned indices in turkey hens. The experiment was conducted on 180 turkey hens allocated at random to 4 groups, 45 birds in each group. Samples of their full blood were analyzed for haematological indices, such as red blood cell count (RBS), haemoglobin content (Hb), haematocrit value (Ht), and white blood cell count (WBC). Samples of blood plasma were assayed to determine the activity of lysozyme (chamber-diffusive method) and heterophils capability to reduce nitro blue tetrazolium (stimulated and spontaneous NBT test). Phagocytic activity of leucocytes against Staphylococcus aureus 209P strain was assessed and expressed as the percentage of phagocytic cells (% PC) and phagocytic index (PI). The administration of the grapefruit extract to turkey hens with drinking water caused a significant increase in haemoglobin content in blood, as well as an increase in non-specific humoral immunity marker (activity of lysozyme) and non-specific cellular immunity marker (percentage of phagocytic cells; P ≤ 0.05). The results obtained enabled the positive evaluation of the advisability of applying the Citrosept preparation in the feeding of turkey hens at the age of 6-9 weeks. Among the doses examined, the most efficient with respect to the stimulation of the non-specific humoral and cellular immunity was the dose of 0.021 ml/kg of body weight.

Utilizing fungus myceliated grain for molt induction and performance in commercial laying hens.

PubMed

Willis, W L; Isikhuemhen, O S; Allen, J W; Byers, A; King, K; Thomas, C

2009-10-01

Molting in poultry is used to rejuvenate hens for a second or third laying cycle. Feed withdrawal was once the most effective method used for molt induction; however, it has being phased out due to food safety and animal welfare concerns. This study evaluated the utilization of fungus myceliated grain as a safe and effective alternative for inducing molt, enhancing immunity, reducing Salmonella growth, and returning to egg production. Laying hens were subjected to 1 of 5 treatments: 1) nonfed (NF), 2) full-fed (FF), 3) fungus myceliated meal (FM), 4) 90% fungus myceliated meal+10% standard layer ration (FM-90), and 5) 90% alfalfa meal+10% fungus myceliated meal (AF-90). Each treatment condition was replicated 9 times during a 9-d molt period. The results revealed that egg production for treatments 1 and 3 ceased completely by d 5, whereas hens in treatments 4 and 5 ceased egg production by d 6. The percentage of BW loss decreased significantly (P<0.05) in treatments 1 (57%), 2 (8%), 3 (35%), 4 (37%), and 5 (44%). Ovary weights of hens fed all molting diets decreased significantly from the full-fed control but did not differ significantly (P<0.05) from each other. Salmonella population in the crop, ovary, and ceca from hens differed significantly (P<0.05) among treatments. Return to egg production differed between treatments with higher production beginning in treatment 3 and ending in treatment 5. Antibody titers did differ (P<0.05) among treatments. From these results, fungus myceliated meal appears to be a viable alternative to conventional feed withdrawal and other methods for the successful induction of molt and retention of postmolt performance.

Effects of colored light-emitting diode illumination on behavior and performance of laying hens.

PubMed

Huber-Eicher, B; Suter, A; Spring-Stähli, P

2013-04-01

The best method for lighting poultry houses has been an issue for many decades, generating much interest in any new systems that become available. Poultry farmers are now increasingly using colored LED (light-emitting diodes) to illuminate hen houses (e.g., in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and England). In Switzerland all newly installed systems are now equipped with LED, preferably green ones. The LED give monochromatic light from different wavelengths and have several advantages over conventional illuminants, including high energy efficiency, long life, high reliability, and low maintenance costs. The following study examines the effects of illumination with white, red, and green LED on behavior and production parameters of laying hens. Light intensities in the 3 treatments were adjusted to be perceived by hens as equal. Twenty-four groups of 25 laying hens were kept in identical compartments (5.0 × 3.3 m) equipped with a litter area, raised perches, feed and drinking facilities, and nest boxes. Initially, they were kept under white LED for a 2-wk adaptation period. For the next 4 wk, 8 randomly chosen compartments were lit with red LED (640 nm) and 8 others with green LED (520 nm). Behavior was monitored during the last 2 wk of the trial. Additionally weight gain, feed consumption, onset of lay, and laying performance were recorded. The results showed minor effects of green light on explorative behavior, whereas red light reduced aggressiveness compared with white light. The accelerating effect of red light on sexual development of laying hens was confirmed, and the trial demonstrated that this effect was due to the specific wavelength and not the intensity of light. However, an additional effect of light intensity may exist and should not be excluded.

Antimicrobial susceptibility of Brachyspira spp. isolated from commercial laying hens and free-living wild mallards (Anas platyrhynchos).

PubMed

Jansson, Désirée S; Pringle, Märit

2011-08-01

In vitro antimicrobial susceptibility to tylosin, valnemulin, tiamulin, doxycycline, lincomycin and ampicillin was investigated by broth dilution in 48 Brachyspira spp. isolates from commercial laying hens (n=30) and free-living wild mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) (n=18). Presumed pathogens (Brachyspira alvinipulli, Brachyspira intermedia, Brachyspira pilosicoli), commensals (Brachyspira murdochii, Brachyspira innocens, "Brachyspira pulli"), and isolates of undetermined species affiliation were included. The laying hens had not been exposed to therapeutic levels of antimicrobials for at least 50 weeks before sampling, and low levels of environmental antimicrobial exposure were presumed in mallards. No isolates with decreased susceptibility to tylosin, valnemulin, tiamulin or doxycycline were found. Decreased susceptibility to lincomycin (minimum inhibitory concentration 16 µg/ml) was detected in two isolates (Brachyspira sp.) from laying hens. Five isolates showed decreased susceptibility to ampicillin (minimum inhibitory concentration 16 to >32 µg/ml), including two "B. pulli" and one B. alvinipulli from laying hens, and isolates of B. pilosicoli and "B. pulli" from mallards. Decreased susceptibility to ampicillin was associated with β-lactamase activity in four isolates. A new variant of a class D β-lactamase gene designated bla (oxa-192) was identified in a B. pilosicoli isolate of mallard origin. This is the first time the genetic basis for antimicrobial resistance is described in Brachyspira spp. from a free-living wild bird. Isolates displaying decreased susceptibility to ampicillin were accompanied by fully susceptible isolates of the same species or other genotypes within three laying hen flocks. This underlines the need for performing antimicrobial susceptibility tests on single clones/genotypes, and to analyse multiple isolates from the same flock.

Effects of Bacteriophage Supplementation on Egg Performance, Egg Quality, Excreta Microflora, and Moisture Content in Laying Hens

PubMed Central

Zhao, P. Y.; Baek, H. Y.; Kim, I. H.

2012-01-01

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of bacteriophage supplementation on egg performance, egg quality, excreta microflora, and moisture content in laying hens. A total of 288 Hy-line brown commercial laying hens (36-wk-old) were randomly allotted to 4 treatments in this 6-wk trial and dietary treatments included: i) CON, basal diet; ii) T1, CON+0.020% bacteriophage; iii) T2, CON+0.035% bacteriophage; iv) T3, CON+0.050% bacteriophage. There were 6 replicates for each treatment with 6 adjacent cages (2 hens/cage). Laying hens in T2 and T3 treatments had higher (p<0.05) egg production than those in CON and T1 treatments during wk 0 to 3. In addition, egg production in T1, T2, and T3 treatments was increased (p<0.05) compared with that in CON treatment during wk 4 to 6. At wk 4 and 5, birds in T2 group had higher (p<0.05) HU than those in CON. In addition, at wk 5 and 6, HU in birds fed T1 and T3 diets was greater (p<0.05) than those fed CON diet. E. coli and Salmonella spp. concentrations in excreta were decreased (p<0.05) by T1, T2, and T3 treatments. However, egg weight, egg shell color, yolk height, yolk color unit, egg shell strength, egg shell thickness, egg gravity, and excreta moisture content were not influenced by dietary treatments during the entire experimental period. In conclusion, bacteriophage supplementation has beneficial effects on egg production, egg albumen, and excreta microflora concentration in laying hens. PMID:25049658

Demographics and practices of semi-intensive free-range farming systems in Australia with an outdoor stocking density of ≤1500 hens/hectare.

PubMed

Singh, Mini; Ruhnke, Isabelle; de Koning, Carolyn; Drake, Kelly; Skerman, Alan G; Hinch, Geoff N; Glatz, Philip C

2017-01-01

Baseline information on demographics and practices on semi-intensive free-range egg farms with an outdoor stocking density of ≤1500 hens/hectare in Australia is presented. Free-range egg production is changing the structure of the egg industry in Australia and a broad variety and tiers of free-range systems have emerged due to lack of concrete legislative standards on outdoor stocking densities in the past. Information was extracted from a pre-existing online free-range poultry survey dataset, consisting of a total of 79 questions related to nutrition, pasture management, welfare and health, animal housing, environmental impact and economics. Forty-one free-range egg farms, with an outdoor stocking density of ≤1500 hens/hectare, were identified in the dataset from all major Australian states. Two types of semi-intensive free-range housing systems were documented: mobile (modified caravan/trailer) housing (56%), and fixed sheds (44%). Seventy-two percent of respondents reported >75% of the hens in the flock used the outdoor range. All respondents reported ingestion of range components by hens in the form of vegetation, insects, stones and grit. Up to 10% mortality was reported by 40% respondents with predation (34%), cannibalism (29%), heat stress (24%) and grass impaction (19.5%) as major causes. Biosecurity on farms was sub-optimal with 8 of the 10 actions implemented by <50% respondents. Customer demand, consumer sentiment and welfare were the major factors for farmers moving into free-range egg production. This study resulted in identification of current practices and key challenges on semi-intensive free-range egg farms. Applied research and communication of results to farmers is highly recommended to ensure optimum health and welfare of free-range laying hens and sustained egg production.

Development of a Machine Vision Method for the Monitoring of Laying Hens and Detection of Multiple Nest Occupations

PubMed Central

Redaelli, Veronica; Luzi, Fabio; Mitchell, Malcolm; Bontempo, Valentino; Cattaneo, Donata; Dell’Orto, Vittorio; Savoini, Giovanni

2018-01-01

Free range systems can improve the welfare of laying hens. However, the access to environmental resources can be partially limited by social interactions, feeding of hens, and productivity, can be not stable and damaging behaviors, or negative events, can be observed more frequently than in conventional housing systems. In order to reach a real improvement of the hens’ welfare the study of their laying performances and behaviors is necessary. With this purpose, many systems have been developed. However, most of them do not detect a multiple occupation of the nest negatively affecting the accuracy of data collected. To overcome this issue, a new “nest-usage-sensor” was developed and tested. It was based on the evaluation of thermografic images, as acquired by a thermo-camera, and the performing of patter recognitions on images acquired from the nest interior. The sensor was setup with a “Multiple Nest Occupation Threshold” of 796 colored pixels and a template of triangular shape and sizes of 43 × 33 pixels (high per base). It was tested through an experimental nesting system where 10 hens were reared for a month. Results showed that the evaluation of thermografic images could increase the detection performance of a multiple occupation of the nest and to apply an image pattern recognition technique could allow for counting the number of hens in the nest in case of a multiple occupation. As a consequence, the accuracy of data collected in studies on laying performances and behaviors of hens, reared in a free-range housing system, could result to be improved. PMID:29303981

Feed deprivation affects crop environment and modulates Salmonella enteritidis colonization and invasion of leghorn hens.

PubMed

Durant, J A; Corrier, D E; Byrd, J A; Stanker, L H; Ricke, S C

1999-05-01

Leghorn hens over 50 weeks of age were assigned to two treatment groups designated as either unmolted controls or molted. A forced molt was induced by a 9-day feed withdrawal, and each hen was challenged orally with 10(5) Salmonella enteritidis organisms on day 4 of feed withdrawal. On days 4 and 9 of molt, the numbers of lactobacilli and the concentrations of lactate, acetate, propionate, and butyrate, and total volatile fatty acids in the crops decreased while crop pH increased significantly (P < 0.05) in the molted hens compared to the controls. S. enteritidis crop and cecal colonization, in addition to spleen and liver invasion, increased significantly (P < 0.05) in the molted hens compared to the controls. The invasive phenotype of Salmonella spp. is complex and requires several virulence genes which are regulated by the transcriptional activator HilA. Samples of the crop contents from the molted and unmolted birds were pooled separately, centrifuged, and filter sterilized. The sterile crop contents were then used to measure the expression of hilA. By using a lacZY transcriptional fusion to the hilA gene in S. enteritidis, we found that hilA expression was 1.6- to 2.1-fold higher in the crop contents from molted birds than in those from control birds in vitro. The results of the study suggest that the changes in the microenvironment of the crop caused by feed deprivation are important regulators of S. enteritidis survival and influence the susceptibility of molted hens to S. enteritidis infections. Furthermore, our in vitro results on the expression of hilA suggest that the change in crop environment during feed withdrawal has the potential to significantly affect virulence by increasing the expression of genes necessary for intestinal invasion.

Feed Deprivation Affects Crop Environment and Modulates Salmonella enteritidis Colonization and Invasion of Leghorn Hens

PubMed Central

Durant, Juliet A.; Corrier, Donald E.; Byrd, J. Allen; Stanker, Larry H.; Ricke, Steven C.

1999-01-01

Leghorn hens over 50 weeks of age were assigned to two treatment groups designated as either unmolted controls or molted. A forced molt was induced by a 9-day feed withdrawal, and each hen was challenged orally with 105 Salmonella enteritidis organisms on day 4 of feed withdrawal. On days 4 and 9 of molt, the numbers of lactobacilli and the concentrations of lactate, acetate, propionate, and butyrate, and total volatile fatty acids in the crops decreased while crop pH increased significantly (P < 0.05) in the molted hens compared to the controls. S. enteritidis crop and cecal colonization, in addition to spleen and liver invasion, increased significantly (P < 0.05) in the molted hens compared to the controls. The invasive phenotype of Salmonella spp. is complex and requires several virulence genes which are regulated by the transcriptional activator HilA. Samples of the crop contents from the molted and unmolted birds were pooled separately, centrifuged, and filter sterilized. The sterile crop contents were then used to measure the expression of hilA. By using a lacZY transcriptional fusion to the hilA gene in S. enteritidis, we found that hilA expression was 1.6- to 2.1-fold higher in the crop contents from molted birds than in those from control birds in vitro. The results of the study suggest that the changes in the microenvironment of the crop caused by feed deprivation are important regulators of S. enteritidis survival and influence the susceptibility of molted hens to S. enteritidis infections. Furthermore, our in vitro results on the expression of hilA suggest that the change in crop environment during feed withdrawal has the potential to significantly affect virulence by increasing the expression of genes necessary for intestinal invasion. PMID:10223980

Heritability of body surface temperature in hens estimated by infrared thermography at normal or hot temperatures and genetic correlations with egg and feather quality.

PubMed

Loyau, T; Zerjal, T; Rodenburg, T B; Fablet, J; Tixier-Boichard, M; Pinard-van der Laan, M H; Mignon-Grasteau, S

2016-10-01

Exposure of laying hens to chronic heat stress results in loss of egg production. It should be possible to improve hen resilience to chronic heat stress by genetic selection but measuring their sensitivity through internal temperature is time consuming and is not very precise. In this study we used infrared thermography to measure the hen's capacity to dissipate heat, in a commercial line of laying hens subjected to cycles of neutral (N, 19.6°C) or high (H, 28.4°C) ambient temperatures. Mean body temperatures (BT) were estimated from 9355 infrared images of wing, comb and shank taken from 1200 hens. Genetic parameters were estimated separately for N and H temperatures. Correlations between BT and plumage condition were also investigated. Wing temperature had low heritability (0.00 to 0.09), consistent with the fact that wing temperature mainly reflects the environmental temperature and is not a zone of heat dissipation. The heritability of comb temperature was higher, from 0.15 to 0.19 in N and H conditions, respectively. Finally, the shank temperature provided the highest heritability estimates, with values of 0.20 to 0.22 in H and N conditions, respectively. Taken together, these results show that heat dissipation is partly under genetic control. Interestingly, the genetic correlation between plumage condition and shank and comb temperatures indicated that birds with poor condition plumage also had the possibility to dissipate heat through featherless areas. Genetic correlations of temperature measurements with egg quality showed that temperatures were correlated with egg width and weight, yolk brightness and yellowness and Haugh units only under H conditions. In contrast, shell colour was correlated with leg temperature only at thermo-neutrality.

Evaluation of efficacy of impregnated curtains in experimental hen houses as a phlebotomine control tool in northeast Argentina.

PubMed

Manteca Acosta, M; Santini, M S; Pérez, A A; Salomón, O D

2017-06-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of insecticide-impregnated curtains against the entry of phlebotomine (Diptera: Psychodidae) flies into experimental slatted hen houses in an area endemic for American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL). Three treatments in experimental dwellings containing three chickens each were applied using, respectively, an impregnated curtain (IC), a non-impregnated curtain (NIC) and no curtain (NC). A control site without chickens (WC) was included. The study used permethrin at 0.05 g/m 2 . During each month for 1 year, each experimental hen house randomly received all treatments. Phlebotomine sandflies were captured using REDILA BL traps placed inside the hen house. Significant differences in abundances of phlebotomine flies/trap/night were observed between treatments (χ 2  = 17853.58, d.f. = 3, P < 0.0001): 59.7% of phlebotomines were captured in the NC treatment, 26.3% in the NIC treatment, 8.0% in the IC treatment and 6.1% in the WC condition. Nyssomyia whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho) was the most abundant species in all collections (89.9%). These results showed a lower abundance of phlebotomines in the experimental hen house in the IC condition than in the hen house in the NC condition (P < 0.05) and that the presence of NIC represents an effective physical barrier against phlebotomines (P < 0.05). Therefore, the use of curtains may be an alternative eco-friendly method for the prevention of indoor ACL transmission in slatted dwellings, which represent a common house type in northeast Argentina. © 2017 The Royal Entomological Society.

Effects of feeding grains naturally contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins on brain regional neurochemistry of laying hens, turkey poults, and broiler breeder hens.

PubMed

Yegani, M; Chowdhury, S R; Oinas, N; MacDonald, E J; Smith, T K

2006-12-01

Three experiments were conducted to compare the effects of feeding blends of grains naturally contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins on brain regional neurochemistry of laying hens, turkey poults, and broiler breeder hens. In Experiment 1, thirty-six 45-wk-old laying hens were fed diets including the following for 4 wk: 1) control, 2) contaminated grains, and 3) contaminated grains + 0.2% polymeric glucomannan mycotoxin adsorbent (GMA). Concentrations of brain neurotransmitters and metabolites were analyzed in pons, hypothalamus, and cortex by HPLC with electrochemical detection. Neurotransmitters and the metabolites measured included dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxylphenyacetic acid, homovanillic acid, serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)], 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. The feeding of contaminated grains significantly increased concentrations of 5-HT and decreased the 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid:5-HT in the pons region in the brain stem. Dietary supplementation with GMA prevented these effects. There was no effect of diet on concentrations of other neurotransmitters or metabolites in the pons, hypothalamus, or cortex. In Experiment 2, thirty-six 1-d-old turkey poults were fed diets including the following for 4 wk: 1) control, 2) contaminated grains, and 3) contaminated grains + 0.2% GMA. Hypothalamic, pons, and cortex neurotransmitter concentrations were not affected by diet. In Experiment 3, forty-two 26-wk-old broiler breeder hens were fed diets including the following for 15 wk: 1) control, 2) contaminated grains, and 3) contaminated grains + 0.2% GMA. There was no effect of diet on neurotransmitter concentrations in the pons, hypothalamus, or cortex. It was concluded that differences in intraspecies effects of these mycotoxins on brain neurotransmitter concentrations might explain the intraspecies differences in the severity of Fusarium mycotoxin-induced reductions in feed intake.

Reconstitution and structure of a bacterial Pnkp1RnlHen1 RNA repair complex

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Pei; Selvadurai, Kiruthika; Huang, Raven H.

Ribotoxins cleave essential RNAs for cell killing, and RNA repair neutralizes the damage inflicted by ribotoxins for cell survival. We report a new bacterial RNA repair complex that performs RNA repair linked to immunity. This new RNA repair complex is a 270-kDa heterohexamer composed of three proteins—Pnkp1, Rnl and Hen1—that are required to repair ribotoxin-cleaved RNA in vitro. The crystal structure of the complex reveals the molecular architecture of the heterohexamer as two rhomboid-shaped ring structures of Pnkp1–Rnl–Hen1 heterotrimer fused at the Pnkp1 dimer interface. The four active sites required for RNA repair are located on the inner rim ofmore » each ring. Furthermore, the architecture and the locations of the active sites of the Pnkp1–Rnl–Hen1 heterohexamer suggest an ordered series of repair reactions at the broken RNA ends that confer immunity to recurrent damage.« less

LUTEAR CELLS AND HEN-FEATHERING

PubMed Central

Boring, Alice M.; Morgan, T. H.

1918-01-01

The experimental evidence had made clear that some substance is produced in the testis of the male Sebright that suppresses in him the development of the secondary sexual plumage of the cock of his species. The detection in his testis of lutear cells like those in hens makes the conclusion highly probable that it is these cells that cause the suppression of cock-feathering in both the Sebright male and in hens of all fowls. Genetic work by Morgan had shown that one or two Mendelian factor-differences are responsible for hen-feathering in the Sebright. These factor-differences produce their effects through the testes. The presence of these genetic factors, we now see, causes the testes of the Sebright to produce a kind of secretory cell that is ordinarily only produced in the female, or possibly to a slight extent in young males (Boring), or in numbers insufficient to suppress the male plumage in the testes of some ordinary cock birds (Reeves). PMID:19871722

[Dynamics of amino acid and protein metabolism in laying hens after the administration of 15N-labeled wheat protein. 11. Incorporation of 15N in the tissues and the amino acids of the muscles].

PubMed

Gruhn, K; Zander, R

1989-03-01

Over a period of 4 days 12 colostomized laying hens daily received 36 g 15N labelled wheat with 15N excess (15N') of 14.37 atom-% together with a conventional feed mixture for laying hens. The labelling of the lysine N in the wheat was 13.58 atom-%, that of histidine N 14.38 and that of arginine 15N' 13.63 atom-% 15N'. Three hens each were butchered 12, 36, 60 and 108 h after the last 15N' feeding. The first three hens did not receive any feed before being butchered. The following three hens each received the unlabelled feed ration for another 1, 2 or 4 days resp. after the main period until they were butchered. The total of skeleton muscles, the heart and the stomach muscle (without inner skin) of each hen were combined into one sample, cut thinly, drenched with fluid nitrogen and pulverized. N, 15N' and the basic and non-basic amino acids as well as their 15N' were determined in the individual samples. In contrast to the organs, the proteins in the muscle tissue have a long half life so that a slight decrease of atom-% 15N' in the muscles could only be detected after 108 h. The 14N and 15N' quota of the non-basic amino acids in the total nitrogen of the muscles is 50%. The 14N quota of the basic amino acids is 30% and the 15N' quota only 22.5% in the total muscle N. The heavy nitrogen of the free lysine in the TCA soluble N fraction is hardly detectable 36 h and 60 h after the last 15N' supply and not at all after 108 h. In contrast to this, the other two free basic amino acids remain significantly higher labelled in dependence on the last butchering time.

Home enteral nutrition reduces complications, length of stay, and health care costs: results from a multicenter study.

PubMed

Klek, Stanislaw; Hermanowicz, Adam; Dziwiszek, Grzegorz; Matysiak, Konrad; Szczepanek, Kinga; Szybinski, Piotr; Galas, Aleksander

2014-08-01

Home enteral nutrition (HEN) has always been recognized as a life-saving procedure, but with the ongoing economic crisis influencing health care, its cost-effectiveness has been questioned recently. The unique reimbursement situation in Poland enabled the otherwise ethically unacceptable, hence unavailable, comparison of the period of no-feeding and long-term feeding and the subsequent analyses of the clinical value of the latter and its cost-effectiveness. The observational multicenter study in the group of 456 HEN patients [142 children: 55 girls and 87 boys, mean (±SD) age 8.7 ± 5.9 y; 314 adults: 151 women and 163 men, mean age 59.3 ± 19.8 y] was performed between January 2007 and July 2013. Two 12-mo periods were compared. During the first period, patients were tube fed a homemade diet and were not monitored; during the other period, patients received HEN. HEN included tube feeding and complex monitoring by a nutrition support team. The number of complications, hospital admissions, length of hospital stay, biochemical and anthropometric variables, and costs of hospitalization were compared. Implementation of HEN enabled weight gain and stabilized liver function in both age groups, but it hardly influenced the other tests. HEN implementation reduced the incidence of infectious complications (37.4% compared with 14.9%; P < 0.001, McNemar test), the number of hospital admissions [1.98 ± 2.42 (mean ± SD) before and 1.26 ± 2.18 after EN; P < 0.001, Wilcoxon's signed-rank test], and length of hospital stay (39.7 ± 71.9 compared with 11.9 ± 28.5 d; P < 0.001, Wilcoxon's signed-rank test). The mean annual costs ($) of hospitalization were reduced from 6500.20 ± 10,402.69 to 2072.58 ± 5497.00. The study showed that HEN improves clinical outcomes and decreases health care costs. It was impossible, however, to determine precisely which factor mattered more: the artificial diet itself or the introduction of complex care. © 2014 American Society for Nutrition.

Parthenogenesis in unfertilized eggs of Coturnix chinensis, the Chinese painted quail, and the effect of egg clutch position on embryonic development.

PubMed

Parker, H M; McDaniel, C D

2009-04-01

Parthenogenesis, embryonic development of an unfertilized egg, was studied for many years in turkeys. In fact, as many as 49% of unfertilized Beltsville Small White turkey eggs develop embryos. However, no research exists on parthenogenesis in quail. The Chinese painted quail is a close relative of the more common Japanese quail and, unlike turkeys or chickens, the small Chinese painted quail reaches sexual maturity rapidly, making it a great candidate for further research on parthenogenesis. Obviously, a better understanding of avian parthenogenesis should increase our knowledge of avian fertilization and early embryonic development. Therefore, we determined if unfertilized Chinese painted quail hens produce embryos. Second, we explored the possibility that position of the egg within the clutch influences parthenogenesis. When initial secondary sexual plumage was apparent at 4 wk of age, male chicks were separated from females to prevent fertilization. Hens were placed in individual cages near sexual maturity, at approximately 6 wk of age. Individual eggs were collected daily and labeled with hen number and date. Eggs were stored for 0 to 3 d at 20 degrees C before incubation at 37.5 degrees C. After 10 d of incubation, approximately 4,000 eggs from 300 laying hens were examined for embryonic development under a magnifying lamp. On average, 4.8% of the unfertilized eggs contained an abortive form of embryonic development consisting of undifferentiated cells and unorganized membranes. Approximately 27% of the laying hens produced at least 1 egg with parthenogenic development. However, about 10% (30) of these hens exhibited a predisposition for parthenogenesis by producing 2 or more unfertilized eggs with embryonic development. Twenty percent of the eggs from 2 hens produced embryonic development. Additionally, the first egg laid in a clutch was most likely to produce embryonic development, with a steady decline in the percentage of eggs with embryonic development as position in the clutch increased. In conclusion, the Chinese painted quail does exhibit parthenogenesis and clutch position influences the rate of naturally occurring parthenogenesis.

Commercial Hy-Line W-36 pullet and laying hen venous blood gas and chemistry profiles utilizing the portable i-STAT®1 analyzer.

PubMed

Schaal, T P; Arango, J; Wolc, A; Brady, J V; Fulton, J E; Rubinoff, I; Ehr, I J; Persia, M E; O'Sullivan, N P

2016-02-01

Venous blood gas and chemistry reference ranges were determined for commercial Hy-Line W-36 pullets and laying hens utilizing the portable i-STAT®1 analyzer and CG8+ cartridges. A total of 632 samples were analyzed from birds between 4 and 110 wk of age. Reference ranges were established for pullets (4 to 15 wk), first cycle laying hens (20 to 68 wk), and second cycle (post molt) laying hens (70 to 110 wk) for the following traits: sodium (Na mmol/L), potassium (K mmol/L), ionized calcium (iCa mmol/L), glucose (Glu mg/dl), hematocrit (Hct% Packed Cell Volume [PCV]), pH, partial pressure carbon dioxide (PCO2 mm Hg), partial pressure oxygen (PO2 mm Hg), total concentration carbon dioxide (TCO2 mmol/L), bicarbonate (HCO3 mmol/L), base excess (BE mmol/L), oxygen saturation (sO2%), and hemoglobin (Hb g/dl). Data were analyzed using ANOVA to investigate the effect of production status as categorized by bird age. Trait relationships were evaluated by linear correlation and their spectral decomposition. All traits differed significantly among pullets and mature laying hens in both first and second lay cycles. Levels for K, iCa, Hct, pH, TCO2, HCO3, BE, sO2, and Hb differed significantly between first cycle and second cycle laying hens. Many venous blood gas and chemistry parameters were significantly correlated. The first 3 eigenvalues explained ∼2/3 of total variation. The first 2 principal components (PC) explained 51% of the total variation and indicated acid-balance and relationship between blood O2 and CO2. The third PC explained 16% of variation and seems to be related to blood iCa. Establishing reference ranges for pullet and laying hen blood gas and chemistry with the i-STAT®1 handheld unit provides a mechanism to further investigate pullet and layer physiology, evaluate metabolic disturbances, and may potentially serve as a means to select breeder candidates with optimal blood gas or chemistry levels on-farm. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Poultry Science Association.

Specific characteristics of the aviary housing system affect plumage condition, mortality and production in laying hens.

PubMed

Heerkens, Jasper L T; Delezie, Evelyne; Kempen, Ine; Zoons, Johan; Ampe, Bart; Rodenburg, T Bas; Tuyttens, Frank A M

2015-09-01

Feather pecking and high mortality levels are significant welfare problems in non-cage housing systems for laying hens. The aim of this study was to identify husbandry-related risk factors for feather damage, mortality, and egg laying performance in laying hens housed in the multi-tier non-cage housing systems known as aviaries. Factors tested included type of system flooring, degree of red mite infestation, and access to free-range areas. Information on housing characteristics, management, and performance in Belgian aviaries (N=47 flocks) were obtained from a questionnaire, farm records, and farm visits. Plumage condition and pecking wounds were scored in 50 randomly selected 60-week-old hens per flock. Associations between plumage condition, wounds, performance, mortality, and possible risk factors were investigated using a linear model with a stepwise model selection procedure. Many flocks exhibited a poor plumage condition and a high prevalence of wounds, with considerable variation between flocks. Better plumage condition was found in wire mesh aviaries (P<0.001), in aviaries with no red mite infestation (P=0.004), and in free-range systems (P=0.011) compared to plastic slatted aviaries, in houses with red mite infestations, and those without a free-range area. Furthermore, hens in aviaries with wire mesh flooring had fewer wounds on the back (P=0.006) and vent (P=0.009), reduced mortality (P=0.003), and a better laying performance (P=0.013) as compared to hens in aviaries with plastic slatted flooring. Flocks with better feather cover had lower levels of mortality (P<0.001). Red mite infestations were more common in plastic slatted aviaries (P=0.043). Other risk factors associated with plumage condition were genotype, number of diet changes, and the presence of nest perches. Wire mesh flooring in particular seems to have several health, welfare, and performance benefits in comparison to plastic slats, possibly related to decreased feather pecking, better hygiene, and fewer red mite infestations. This suggests that adjustments to the aviary housing design may further improve laying hen welfare and performance. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Effects of feeding ervil (Vicia ervilia) seeds soaked in water or acetic acid on performance and internal organ size of broilers and production and egg quality of laying hens.

PubMed

Farran, M T; Halaby, W S; Barbour, G W; Uwayjan, M G; Sleiman, F T; Ashkarian, V M

2005-11-01

Experiment 1 was conducted to study the effects of feeding 60% untreated ervil seeds (UE) or ervil soaked in water at room temperature (RTWE) or at 40 degrees C (40WE) for 72 h with water change every 12 h on the performance and internal organ size of broilers. Isocaloric and isonitrogenous corn-soybean meal diet (control) and diets containing 60% UE, RTWE, or 40WE were fed to battery caged broilers in 4 replicates with 8 birds per replicate, from 8 to 49 d. Broilers consuming UE from 8 to 28 d gained less weight, used feed less efficiently, and had heavier liver, pancreas, and gall bladder weights (%BW) than the other treatments (P < 0.05). Compared with control birds, broilers on 40WE had similar relative organ weights, except for kidney, but lower BW gain at 49 d (P < 0.05). In experiment 2, ervil seeds were soaked in 1% acetic acid at room temperature (RTAAE) or at 40 degrees C (40AAE) for 24 h. A conventional diet and diets containing 60% UE, 40WE, RTAAE, or 40AAE were fed to individually caged laying hens in 4 replicates per treatment with 5 hens per replicate for 42 d. Hens on UE had the poorest performance followed by RTAAE, 40WE, and then 40AAE (P < 0.05). Compared with the control, all treated ervil diets resulted in lower shell thickness values but higher Haugh unit scores (P < 0.05). In experiment 3, 30% dietary UE and 40AAE at 10, 20, and 30% were fed to layers for 56 d. The general performance of hens on 30% 40AAE was comparable with that of the control except for BW and feed conversion (P < 0.05). Compared with UE, the performance of broilers and layers was improved by 40WE and that of hens was further enhanced by 40AAE. In addition, diets containing up to 20% 40AAE had no adverse effects on feed conversion, egg production, or quality of hens.

Variability and interaction of some egg physical and eggshell quality attributes during the entire laying hen cycle.

PubMed

Sirri, F; Zampiga, M; Berardinelli, A; Meluzzi, A

2018-05-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the variability and relationships between some egg physical (egg weight, width, length, shape index, and surface area) and eggshell parameters (weight and percentage, thickness, breaking strength, and L*, a*, and b* values) during the entire laying hen cycle. A total of 8,000 eggs was collected every 5 wk, from 30 to 81 wk of hen age (10 samplings of 400 eggs/house), in 2 identical poultry houses equipped with enriched cages. For the statistical analysis, ANOVA, Bivariate Correlation, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis were used. An increase of egg weight, length, and eggshell lightness (L*) associated with a reduction of eggshell percentage, breaking strength, and redness (a*) was observed as the hen aged (P < 0.05). Overall, the coefficients of variation resulted in <5% in width, length, shape index, and egg surface area; from 5 to 10% of egg weight, shell weight, shell percentage, shell thickness, L*, and b*; and >10% of eggshell breaking strength and a*. According to the PCA, the highest changes during the laying cycle are related to egg physical parameters (32%) and to eggshell breaking strength, percentage, and thickness (26%). The egg physical parameters appeared to be strongly correlated to each other, whereas a slight correlation between eggshell breaking strength and color attributes were evidenced (-0.231 and 0.289, respectively, for L* and a*; P < 0.01). Hierarchical cluster analysis, based on principal components of the overall egg attributes, is hereby considered, and evidenced dissimilarities for eggs laid from peak production up for 39 wk of hen age from the eggs laid afterwards. The latter group could also be divided into 2 subgroups, one comprising eggs laid from 44 and 53 wk of hen age and the other from 58 wk to the end. In conclusion, the large dataset created in this study allowed to extrapolate some robust information regarding the variability and correlations of the egg physical and eggshell quality attributes throughout the entire laying hen cycle.

Equations of prediction for abdominal fat in brown egg-laying hens fed different diets.

PubMed

Souza, C; Jaimes, J J B; Gewehr, C E

2017-06-01

The objective was to use noninvasive measurements to formulate equations for predicting the abdominal fat weight of laying hens in a noninvasive manner. Hens were fed with different diets; the external body measurements of birds were used as regressors. We used 288 Hy-Line Brown laying hens, distributed in a completely randomized design in a factorial arrangement, submitted for 16 wk to 2 metabolizable energy levels (2,550 and 2,800 kcal/kg) and 3 levels of crude protein in the diet (150, 160, and 170 g/kg), totaling 6 treatments, with 48 hens each. Sixteen hens per treatment of 92 wk age were utilized to evaluate body weight, bird length, tarsus and sternum, greater and lesser diameter of the tarsus, and abdominal fat weight, after slaughter. The equations were obtained by using measures evaluated with regressors through simple and multiple linear regression with the stepwise method of indirect elimination (backward), with P < 0.10 for all variables remaining in the model. The weight of abdominal fat as predicted by the equations and observed values for each bird were subjected to Pearson's correlation analysis. The equations generated by energy levels showed coefficients of determination of 0.50 and 0.74 for 2,800 and 2,550 kcal/kg of metabolizable energy, respectively, with correlation coefficients of 0.71 and 0.84, with a highly significant correlation between the calculated and observed values of abdominal fat. For protein levels of 150, 160, and 170 g/kg in the diet, it was possible to obtain coefficients of determination of 0.75, 0.57, and 0.61, with correlation coefficients of 0.86, 0.75, and 0.78, respectively. Regarding the general equation for predicting abdominal fat weight, the coefficient of determination was 0.62; the correlation coefficient was 0.79. The equations for predicting abdominal fat weight in laying hens, based on external measurements of the birds, showed positive coefficients of determination and correlation coefficients, thus allowing researchers to determine abdominal fat weight in vivo. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Maternal antibody transfer to broiler progeny varies among strains and is affected by grain source and cage density.

PubMed

Leandro, N M; Ali, R; Koci, M; Moraes, V; Eusebio-Balcazar, P E; Jornigan, J; Malheiros, R D; Wineland, M J; Brake, J; Oviedo-Rondón, E O

2011-12-01

Two experiments were conducted to examine the effects of broiler breeder dietary grain source and cage density on maternal antibody (MatAb) transfer to progeny in 2 genetic strains (A and B). Broiler breeders were assigned to 16 litter floor pens and fed either corn- or wheat-based diets. Breeders were administered 4 live vaccines against Newcastle disease virus (NDV). At 23 wk of age, pullets and cocks, which reflected the full BW distribution from each treatment, were moved to a cage breeder house and placed at 1 or 2 hens/cage. Breeders were artificially inseminated at 44 wk (experiment 1) and 52 wk of age (experiment 2). Eggs were collected for 8 d, incubated, and placed in individual pedigree bags at d 19 of incubation. Blood samples from 5 chicks per treatment combination were collected at hatch in both experiments. Spleen and bursa were collected from the same chicks for histomorphometry analyses in experiment 2. In the second experiment, 12 chicks per treatment were placed in cages. Progeny were provided diets based on the same grain (corn or wheat) as their parents. Serum samples were collected at 5, 9, and 13 d of age and analyzed for anti-NDV MatAb. Data were analyzed as a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design considering strain, dietary grain source, and cage density as main factors. Interaction effects were observed in breeders and progeny. Experiment 1 showed that strain A chicks had lower levels of MatAb when hens were housed at 2 hens/cage rather than 1 hen/cage. The MatAb levels of strain B chickens were not affected by cage density in either experiment. Experiment 2 demonstrated similar effects of cage density on MatAb levels and the area of bursa follicles for both strains. Progeny of breeders fed corn-based diets had smaller spleen white pulp only when hens were housed at 2 hens/cage compared with 1 hen/cage. The results of these experiments suggest that breeder strain and cage-density conditions affected MatAb transfer to progeny and embryo development of spleen and bursa.

Influence of red light on reproductive performance, eggshell ultrastructure, and eye morphology in Thai-native hens.

PubMed

Gongruttananun, N

2011-12-01

In total, 120 Thai-native pullets (Gallus domesticus) aged 18 wk were housed in floor pens, located in a conventional open-sided shed under natural daylight (12L:12D) and randomly divided into 3 groups; Groups 1 (DF) and 2 (DR) were reared under natural daylight and supplemented with fluorescent or red light, respectively, whereas group 3 (R) was maintained in light-controlled pens and exposed only to red light. The red light was produced by light-emitting diodes. All treatments were provided with 16 h of light per day (16L:8D) during a 26-wk egg-laying period, and there were 4 replicate pens of 10 hens for each treatment. Photostimulation of these light sources was initiated at 18 wk of age and subsequent effects on reproductive performance were observed during the experimental period. Morphological characteristics of the eyes and eggshell microstructure were examined at the end of the study. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. There were no significant differences in BW, feed intake, egg weight, egg quality, or mortality rate due to the treatment. Pullets in the R and DR treatment groups commenced egg production significantly earlier than those in the DF treatment group. In early-season egg production (0-8 wk), cumulative egg number was significantly (P < 0.05) higher for the R treatment (25.9 eggs/hen) than for the DR (20.9) and DF (19.5) treatment groups. No significant differences in total egg production per hen occurred among the treatment groups. At 2 wk following photostimulation, hens in the R treatment group had significantly (P < 0.05) higher serum estradiol concentrations compared with hens in the other treatment groups. Neither eggshell structure nor eye morphology was affected by the treatments. It was concluded that the spectrum of red light did not affect live performance, egg production, egg quality, eggshell microstructure, or eye morphology of Thai-native hens, except for in accelerating sexual development. The light-emitting diode lighting system would be beneficial for energy savings and the reduction of rearing costs.

Evaluation of limit feeding corn and distillers dried grains with solubles in non-feed-withdrawal molt programs for laying hens.

PubMed

Mejia, L; Meyer, E T; Utterback, P L; Utterback, C W; Parsons, C M; Koelkebeck, K W

2010-03-01

An experiment was conducted using 504 Hy-Line W-36 Single Comb White Leghorn hens (69 wk of age) randomly assigned to 1 of 7 treatments. These treatments consisted of a 47% corn:47% soy hulls diet (C:SH) fed ad libitum; a 94% corn diet fed at a rate of 36.3, 45.4, or 54.5 g/hen per day (CORN 36, CORN 45, and CORN 54, respectively); and a 94% corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) diet fed at the same rates as the previous corn diets (DDGS 36, DDGS 45, and DDGS 54, respectively) during the molt period of 28 d. The intent was to feed the DDGS diets for 28 d; however, all hens on these diets had very low feed intakes and greater than anticipated BW loss. Thus, they were switched to a 16% CP corn-soybean meal layer diet on d 19 of the molt period. At d 28, hens on all treatments were fed the same corn-soybean meal layer diet for 39 wk (73 to 112 wk of age). All DDGS diets and the CORN 36 diet resulted in total cessation of egg production during the molt period and egg production of hens fed the CORN 45, CORN 54, and C:SH diets had decreased to 3 and 4%, respectively, by d 28. Body weight loss during the 28-d molt period ranged from 14% for the CORN 54 diet to approximately 23% for the 3 DDGS diets. Postmolt egg production (5 to 43 wk) was higher for hens fed the DDGS molt diets than those fed the corn diets. There were no consistent differences in egg mass, egg-specific gravity, feed efficiency, or layer feed consumption among molt treatments for the postmolt period. These results indicate that limit feeding corn diet and DDGS diet in non-feed-withdrawal molt programs will yield long-term postmolt performance that is comparable to that observed by ad libitum feeding a C:SH diet.

Use of space and its impact on the welfare of laying hens in a commercial free-range system.

PubMed

Rodriguez-Aurrekoetxea, A; Estevez, I

2016-11-01

The aim of this study was to explore the factors influencing patterns of space use of commercial free-range laying hens and their relation to welfare indicators. Three free-range laying hen flocks were studied during one production cycle by collecting spatial locations on 150 individually tagged hens per flock. At the end of production, welfare and morphometric measures were collected. The results indicated that use of the outdoor area was lower during midday (P < 0.05), but remained stable across age periods (P > 0.05). Tagged hens were classified according to their use of the outdoor area (heavy, medium, light, or never) per age period. A total of 49.5% were never observed using the outdoor area, which was higher than any other category (P < 0.05). In addition, the early experience of the hens using the outdoor area during the first 16 wk (20 to 36 wk) determined the level of use of the outdoor area at later ages (P < 0.05). Most use of space parameters did not vary according to age period (P > 0.05); only activity center indoors increased (P < 0.05), while mean distance from the hen house tended to increase (P = 0.053). However, birds with a higher frequency of use of the outdoor area had larger home ranges and activity centers (r = 0.956, r = 0.964 P < 0.05, respectively) and showed lower plumage damage (r = -0.337, P < 0.05) and a lower incidence of footpad dermatitis (r = -0.307, P < 0.05). On the contrary, birds showing higher total walked distance indoors showed a higher incidence of footpad dermatitis (r = 0.329, P < 0.01). We conclude that there exist individual differences in the use of the outdoor area, with early experience (20 to 36 weeks) during the production period being the most relevant factor affecting outdoor area use. Birds visiting the outdoor area more frequently also used larger areas. In addition, individual patterns of space use had some relevance on the incidence on foot pad dermatitis and plumage condition. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Effects of peptides Lys-Glu-Asp-Gly and Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly on hormonal activity and structure of the thyroid gland in hypophysectomized young chickens and old hens.

PubMed

Kuznik, B I; Pateyuk, A V; Rusaeva, N S; Baranchugova, L M; Obydenko, V I

2011-02-01

Hypophysectomy in 5-days chickens and old hens was followed by hormonal disturbances and structural changes in the thyroid gland. Administration of peptides Lys-Glu-Asp-Gly and Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly synthesized on the basis the amino acid composition of extracts from the anterior and posterior lobes of the pituitary gland, respectively, to hypophysectomized birds for 40 days significantly reduced the degree of these changes. The normalizing effect of synthetic peptides on the concentration of thyrotrophic hormone and thyroid hormones in old hens was less pronounced than in chickens.

Hatchability tests with eggs from captive wood ducks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Doty, H.A.

1972-01-01

The effect of diet and artificial incubation on fertility and hatchability of wood duck (Aix sponsa) eggs and survival of young was measured. Hatchability of eggs from hens fed a diet containing 37 percent protein was increased significantly (P <0.05) over that of hens fed a diet containing 17 percent protein. Hatchability was also significantly (P<0.005) greater for eggs incubated 10 days under hens before being placed in an incubator than for eggs placed in an incubator for the entire period. Ducklings that hatched from naturally started incubation survived at a much higher rate (P<0.001). Egg fertility was not affected by the diets.

Metabolic rate and thyroid activity of hens in relation to the state of feathering.

PubMed

Pietras, M

1981-01-01

Heat production, rectal temperature and thyroid activity were determined in NH X Lg hens that were 40 and 80% defeathered. Within individual groups there was a significant increase in heat production only in hens that were 80% defeathered. In comparison with the control group, defeathered chickens had higher metabolic rates during each examined period. During the third week of the experiment there was a temporary drop in the rectal temperature of the experimental birds. After nine weeks chicken with the greatest degree of defeathering had the highest thyroid weight and the highest levels of thyroxin in the blood plasma.

KINETIC STUDY ON THE INHIBITION OF HEN BRAIN NEUROTOXIC ESTERASE BY MIPAFOX

EPA Science Inventory

A direct method of assaying neurotoxic esterase (NTE) activity, using 4-nitrophenyl valerate, has been described. The technique was used to determine the biomolecular rate (ki), phosphorylation (k2), and affinity (kd) constants for the reaction of hen brain microsomal NTE with mi...

Effect of air velocity on laying hen performance and egg quality

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Increasing convective cooling can improve performance and thermal comfort of commercial poultry when weather or system design limit cooling through other means such as evaporative cooling. Previous work in young hens showed increased egg production rate as feed intake is maintained under heat stres...

The Case for Bull Dogs and Mother Hens.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neugebauer, Bonnie; Neugebauer, Roger

1996-01-01

Describes traits of effective child care team members: instigator--develops ideas; day-dream believer--suggests solutions; jester--relieves tension; mother hen--ensures fair treatment; nervous Nellie--critiques ideas; keeper of the faith--focuses on center's mission; bull dog--keeps on task; compromiser--preserves unity; and mover and…

Effect of hesperidin dietary supplementation on hen performance, egg quality and yolk oxidative stability.

PubMed

Goliomytis, M; Orfanou, H; Petrou, E; Charismiadou, M A; Simitzis, P E; Deligeorgis, S G

2014-02-01

1. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with hesperidin (one or 3 g/kg of feed) for 31 d on the performance, egg quality and yolk oxidative stability of brown and white laying hens (26-wk old). 2. Supplementation with hesperidin did not affect egg production, egg weight and egg quality traits. 3. No hesperidin effect on yolk and plasma cholesterol was observed. A strain effect was found with lower total and per g yolk cholesterol of brown hens in comparison to the white ones. 4. Oxidative stability of egg yolk, expressed as ng MDA/g yolk, was significantly improved in the hesperidin groups even from the first week of supplementation. At the same time, a significant improvement in the oxidative stability of egg yolk due to the incorporation of hesperidin in hens' diet was observed after 30 and 90 d of storage at 20°C and 4°C, respectively. 5. No hesperidin by strain interaction was detected for any of the traits measured. 6. In conclusion, incorporation of hesperidin to laying hens' feed did not affect productive and egg qualitative traits. On the other hand, dietary hesperidin supplementation significantly improved oxidative stability of both fresh and stored eggs. Antioxidant properties of hesperidin seem to make it a promising natural agent for improving the shelf life of eggs.

Exterior and interior physical quality of egg of laying hens fed diets containing different dietary purslane levels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kartikasari, L. R.; Hertanto, B. S.; Pranoto, D.; Salim, W. N.; Nuhriawangsa, A. M. P.

2017-04-01

Purslane is considered a rich vegetable source of alpha-linolenic acid, beta-carotene and various antioxidants. The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of different dietary levels of purslane meal (Portulaca oleracea) in the diets of laying hens on physical quality of eggs. A total of 125 Hy-Line Brown hens (54 weeks old) were placed at individual cages and assigned to five dietary treatments. The diets were supplemented with 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8% purslane meal. Laying hens were fed for 5 weeks after a typical period of adaptation (7 days). Water and feed were provided ad libitum. A total of 25 egg samples of day 28 and day 35 (n = 5 egg yolks for each treatment) were collected to analyse exterior and interior physical quality of eggs. The data were analysed using ANOVA. Differences between treatment means were further analysed using Duncan’s New Multiple Range Test. Results showed that feeding different purslane meal levels in the diets improved egg weight, yolk weight, albumen weight and yolk colour. The highest intensity of yolk colour was obtained with the diet containing 8% purslane meal. However, dietary treatments did not affect egg index, albumen index, yolk index, shell weight, shell thickness and Haugh Unit. It is concluded that including purslane meal to laying hen diets increases the physical qualities of the eggs.

Modeling the surface tension of complex, reactive organic-inorganic mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwier, A. N.; Viglione, G. A.; Li, Z.; McNeill, V. Faye

2013-11-01

Atmospheric aerosols can contain thousands of organic compounds which impact aerosol surface tension, affecting aerosol properties such as heterogeneous reactivity, ice nucleation, and cloud droplet formation. We present new experimental data for the surface tension of complex, reactive organic-inorganic aqueous mixtures mimicking tropospheric aerosols. Each solution contained 2-6 organic compounds, including methylglyoxal, glyoxal, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, oxalic acid, succinic acid, leucine, alanine, glycine, and serine, with and without ammonium sulfate. We test two semi-empirical surface tension models and find that most reactive, complex, aqueous organic mixtures which do not contain salt are well described by a weighted Szyszkowski-Langmuir (S-L) model which was first presented by Henning et al. (2005). Two approaches for modeling the effects of salt were tested: (1) the Tuckermann approach (an extension of the Henning model with an additional explicit salt term), and (2) a new implicit method proposed here which employs experimental surface tension data obtained for each organic species in the presence of salt used with the Henning model. We recommend the use of method (2) for surface tension modeling of aerosol systems because the Henning model (using data obtained from organic-inorganic systems) and Tuckermann approach provide similar modeling results and goodness-of-fit (χ2) values, yet the Henning model is a simpler and more physical approach to modeling the effects of salt, requiring less empirically determined parameters.

Search for a Novel Allergen in Hen's Egg Allergy Using an IgE Immunoblotting Assay.

PubMed

Sogawa, Kazuyuki; Takahashi, Yuria; Shibata, Yui; Satoh, Mamoru; Kodera, Yoshio; Nomura, Fumio; Tanaka, Toshio; Sato, Hironori; Yamaide, Fumiya; Nakano, Taiji; Iwahashi, Kazuhiko; Sugita-Konishi, Yoshiko; Shimada, Akinori; Shimojo, Naoki

2018-04-18

Food allergy is a serious health issue affecting roughly 4% of children, with a substantial effect on quality of life. Chicken egg allergy is frequently observed in infants. Therefore, some of them have to exclude hen's eggs from their daily diet to avoid allergenic symptoms. Hen's egg is composed of 2 soluble parts; one is egg white, which has been characterized as the major source of allergenicity, while the other is egg yolk, which is estimated as a miner source. Only 2 allergens from egg yolk, α-livetin (Gal d 5) and YGP42 (Gal d 6), have been described to date. Sera from 53 patients allergic to hen's eggs and 2 patients allergic to sesame were obtained from the Department of Pediatrics, Chiba University Hospital. The study was performed using SDS-PAGE, IgE immunoblotting, and dot blotting. Seven bands of egg yolk were detected by IgE immunoblotting. Out of these bands, a possible new allergen was further characterized by LC-MS/MS. The 33-kDa band was identified as yolk glycoprotein (YGP40) by LC-MS/MS. A total of 21 of the 53 patients (47%) had YGP40 detected by dot blotting. We identified YGP40 as a new hen's egg yolk allergen and detected 4 sites of YGP40 as linear epitopes. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Deposition of carotenoids in egg yolk by short-term supplement of coloured carrot (Daucus carota) varieties as forage material for egg-laying hens.

PubMed

Hammershøj, Marianne; Kidmose, Ulla; Steenfeldt, Sanna

2010-05-01

Supplying egg-laying hens with different forage materials may influence egg production and quality. The aim of this study was to examine the short-term effects of standard feed plus 70 g day(-1) per hen of three coloured carrot varieties (orange, yellow and purple) as forage material in comparison with a standard feed control on egg production, egg yolk colour and deposition of carotenoids in the yolk. Carrot supplementation reduced feed intakes significantly, but not on a dry matter basis. Orange carrot treatment significantly reduced egg mass production, whereas yellow and purple carrot treatments did not differ from the control. Egg and yolk weights of all carrot-supplemented treatments were significantly lower than those of the control, but yolk percentages were similar. Yolk redness increased significantly in the order control < yellow < orange < purple. A similar trend was seen for yolk yellowness, but yellow and orange carrots reached the same level. Yolk colour and carotenoid contents correlated positively and significantly. In particular, purple carrot treatment increased the yolk content of lutein (>1.5-fold) and beta-carotene (>100-fold) compared with the control. Supplementing the feed of egg-laying hens with coloured carrots efficiently increased yolk colour parameters and carotenoid contents, which gives opportunities for improved nutritional value of eggs from forage material-supplemented hens.

Characterization of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae isolates from laying hens and poultry red mites (Dermanyssus gallinae) from an outbreak of erysipelas.

PubMed

Eriksson, Helena; Brännström, Sara; Skarin, Hanna; Chirico, Jan

2010-12-01

Infection with the zoonotic bacterium Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae causes severe disease outbreaks (erysipelas) in poultry flocks. As this bacterium has been isolated from the poultry red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae), this parasite has been suggested as a possible means of transmission of E. rhusiopathiae on and between poultry farms. To further elucidate the capacity of the mite as a reservoir, we analysed and compared 56 bacterial isolates from laying hens and nine isolates from mites by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), using the restriction enzyme SmaI. The isolates originated from one outbreak in a laying hen flock housed in an indoor litter-based aviary system. Except for two isolates, a homogeneous banding pattern was obtained from all isolates analysed, suggesting that a single strain was the cause of the outbreak. Another finding was that isolates from individual hens could exhibit slightly different PFGE patterns. Mites collected from the same house at the end of the production period of the following flock were negative for the presence of E. rhusiopathiae. An increasing number of erysipelas outbreaks as well as escalating problems with D. gallinae are expected in other European countries related to the forthcoming changes in housing systems for laying hens. Consequently, further studies are needed to investigate the importance of erysipelas in poultry and the importance of D. gallinae in the transmission of E. rhusiopathiae.

Interleukin 16- (IL-16-) Targeted Ultrasound Imaging Agent Improves Detection of Ovarian Tumors in Laying Hens, a Preclinical Model of Spontaneous Ovarian Cancer.

PubMed

Barua, Animesh; Yellapa, Aparna; Bahr, Janice M; Adur, Malavika K; Utterback, Chet W; Bitterman, Pincas; Basu, Sanjib; Sharma, Sameer; Abramowicz, Jacques S

2015-01-01

Limited resolution of transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) scanning is a significant barrier to early detection of ovarian cancer (OVCA). Contrast agents have been suggested to improve the resolution of TVUS scanning. Emerging evidence suggests that expression of interleukin 16 (IL-16) by the tumor epithelium and microvessels increases in association with OVCA development and offers a potential target for early OVCA detection. The goal of this study was to examine the feasibility of IL-16-targeted contrast agents in enhancing the intensity of ultrasound imaging from ovarian tumors in hens, a model of spontaneous OVCA. Contrast agents were developed by conjugating biotinylated anti-IL-16 antibodies with streptavidin coated microbubbles. Enhancement of ultrasound signal intensity was determined before and after injection of contrast agents. Following scanning, ovarian tissues were processed for the detection of IL-16 expressing cells and microvessels. Compared with precontrast, contrast imaging enhanced ultrasound signal intensity significantly in OVCA hens at early (P < 0.05) and late stages (P < 0.001). Higher intensities of ultrasound signals in OVCA hens were associated with increased frequencies of IL-16 expressing cells and microvessels. These results suggest that IL-16-targeted contrast agents improve the visualization of ovarian tumors. The laying hen may be a suitable model to test new imaging agents and develop targeted anti-OVCA therapeutics.

2-Hydroxy-4-Methylselenobutanoic Acid as New Organic Selenium Dietary Supplement to Produce Selenium-Enriched Eggs.

PubMed

Tufarelli, V; Ceci, E; Laudadio, V

2016-06-01

Food-based strategies need to be developed to improve the selenium (Se) status of individuals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a new organic Se [2-hydroxy-4-methylselenobutanoic acid (HMSeBA)] on selected performance criteria and Se deposition in egg of laying hens. Isa Brown laying hens, 18 weeks of age were randomly allocated to two dietary treatments and fed for 10 weeks. The hens were fed two corn-soybean meal-based diets comprising a control basal diet without Se supplementation and a test diet supplemented with Se at 0.2 mg/kg from HMSeBA. No difference was observed among dietary treatments on feed intake, egg weight and laying rate, whereas egg yolk fatty acid profile and vitamin E content were positively influenced by HMSeBA supplementation. Hens fed Se-supplemented diet exhibited greater (P < 0.001) egg yolk total Se contents, which averaged 21.2 mg/100 g dry matter (DM) compared to control diet (11.7 mg/100 g DM). Our results suggested that HMSeBA as Se supplement influences positively egg yolk quality without affecting hens' productive traits. Moreover, HMSeBA offers an efficient alternative to fortify eggs with Se, which can consequently lead to greater supply of Se for humans.

Long term administration of low doses of mycotoxins in poultry. 2. Residues of ochratoxin A and aflatoxins in broilers and laying hens after combined administration of ochratoxin A and aflatoxin B1.

PubMed

Micco, C; Miraglia, M; Benelli, L; Onori, R; Ioppolo, A; Mantovani, A

1988-01-01

The effects of combined administration of ochratoxin A (OA) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on the occurrence and the levels of residues of mycotoxins in poultry have been investigated. Male broilers and laying hens were fed from 14 days old with standard diets contaminated with 50 micrograms/kg OA and 50 micrograms/kg AFB1. Two groups of broilers and hens were withdrawn from contaminated feed at 37 and 88 days, respectively. At the time of sacrifice no significant lesions were found. Residues were compared with those found after administration of either toxin alone in former trials. Combined treatment resulted in higher content of OA in broiler livers (40 versus 5.0 micrograms/kg) and, to a lesser extent, in kidneys and skin, and of AFB1 in broiler liver and kidney (0.15 versus 0.02 microgram/kg and 0.40 versus 0.05 microgram/kg respectively). Laying hens showed smaller differences (0.20 versus 0.10 microgram/kg in liver and 0.32 versus 0.08 in kidneys). Withdrawal from treatment led to the almost complete disappearance of OA residues in broilers and in hens. These results show a synergistic effect of OA and AFB1, particularly in broilers.

Safety of fluralaner oral solution, a novel systemic antiparasitic treatment for chickens, in laying hens after oral administration via drinking water.

PubMed

Prohaczik, Angella; Menge, Monika; Huyghe, Bruno; Flochlay-Sigognault, Annie; Traon, Gaëlle Le

2017-08-08

Poultry mites are the most significant pest affecting production systems in the egg-laying industry. Fluralaner is a novel systemic insecticide and acaricide that is effective against poultry mites (Dermanyssus gallinae, Ornithonyssus sylviarum) in chickens after oral administration. This study investigated the safety of oral administration of a 1% solution of fluralaner in drinking water to laying hens at the recommended treatment dose and at multiples of this dose. One hundred-twenty healthy 28-week-old laying hens, weighing 1.4-2.1 kg at first administration, were included in the study, and allocated to 4 treatment groups of 30 hens each receiving daily doses of 0, 0.5, 1.5 and 2.5 mg fluralaner/kg body weight, equivalent to 0, 1, 3, and 5 times the recommended dose of fluralaner. The product was administered via drinking water on a total of six occasions, as 3-day treatment periods twice with an interval of 4 days with no treatment (treatment on days 1, 2, 3 and 8, 9, 10), representing 3 times the recommended number of administrations. Hens supplied with non-medicated drinking water served as controls. During the study, all hens were clinically observed, and their health was carefully monitored including body weight, food and water consumption, hematology, clinical chemistry, and withdrawal reflex test. Eggs laid over the study were evaluated for main characteristics (e.g. weight, shape, strength, shell thickness and soundness, albumen height, yolk color, Haugh unit and presence of blood and/or meat spots). Following euthanasia of the hens at the end of the second treatment period (day 11) or 18 days later (day 29), complete gross post-mortem examination, including organ weight determination, and histopathological examination of multiple tissues were conducted. There were no clinical findings related to fluralaner treatment. Statistically significant differences between the treated groups and the control group were observed for some clinical pathology parameters; none of these findings were considered to be of clinical nor zootechnical relevance. Organ weights, gross post mortem and histopathological examinations did not reveal any finding associated with treatment with fluralaner. Oral administration of fluralaner via drinking water at the recommended treatment dose (0.5 mg/kg body weight twice at 1-week interval), is well tolerated and has a high safety margin up to an overall dose of 15 times the recommended one (5 times the daily dose given 3 times the number of days) in healthy adult laying hens. Based on the present results, the use of the new mite treatment based on fluralaner administered via drinking water is expected to be safe for laying hens under industrial conditions, and to have no negative impact on their egg quality and production.

Health and Welfare in Dutch Organic Laying Hens.

PubMed

Bestman, Monique; Wagenaar, Jan-Paul

2014-06-20

From 2007-2008, data on animal health and welfare and farm management during rearing and laying periods were collected from 49 flocks of organic laying hens in the Netherlands. Our aim was to investigate how organic egg farms performed in terms of animal health and welfare and which farm factors affected this performance. The flocks in our study were kept on farms with 34 to 25,000 hens (average 9,300 hens). Seventy-one percent of the flocks consisted of 'silver hybrids': white hens that lay brown eggs. Fifty-five percent of the flocks were kept in floor-based housing and 45% of the flocks in aviaries. No relation was found between the amount of time spent outdoors during the laying period and mortality at 60 weeks. Flocks that used their outdoor run more intensively had better feather scores. In 40% of the flocks there was mortality caused by predators. The average feed intake was 129 g/day at 30 weeks and 133 g/day at 60 weeks of age. The average percentage of mislaid eggs decreased from three at 30 weeks to two at 60 weeks. The average mortality was 7.8% at 60 weeks. Twenty-five percent of the flocks were not treated for worms in their first 50 weeks. Flubenol(©) was applied to the flocks that were treated. Ten percent of the flocks followed Flubenol(©) instructions for use and were wormed five or more times. The other 65% percent were treated irregularly between one and four times. Sixty-eight percent of the flocks showed little or no feather damage, 24% showed moderate damage and 8% showed severe damage. The feather score was better if the hens used the free-range area more intensely, the laying percentage at 60 weeks was higher, and if they were allowed to go outside sooner after arrival on the laying farm. In 69% of the flocks, hens had peck wounds in the vent area: on average this was 18% of the hens. Keel bone deformations were found in all flocks, on average in 21% of the birds. In 78% of the flocks, an average of 13% of the hens had foot-sole wounds, mostly a small crust. Combs were darker in flocks that used the range area more intensively. More fearful flocks had lighter combs. We conclude that organic farms are potentially more animal friendly than other poultry systems based on the animal welfare benefits of the free range areas. However, we also observed mortality rates, internal parasites, keel bone deformities, and foot sole lesions on organic farms that were comparable to or worse than in other husbandry systems. It is unclear whether these 'remaining' problems can be attributed to housing or if they are the result of keeping high productive genotypes in an artificial environment. Organic farms use the same high productive genotypes as other husbandry systems.

Assessment of density in enriched colony cages: Egg quality

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Enriched colony cage production systems are becoming more prevalent in the US. A study was undertaken to determine the impact of housing density on hen health, well-being, egg production and quality. Six densities were examined with 8 housing replicates per density. Egg quality was assessed at hen a...

Steroidogenic follicular response differences to LH and FSH treatment in low and high egg producing turkey hens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Low egg production in turkey hens is correlated with decreased ovulation frequency. Ovulation frequency is governed at the ovarian level by the steroid hormones progesterone and estradiol. The avian ovary is comprised of follicles in varying stages of maturation, which serve specialized roles in ste...

The effects of housing environment on liver health of laying hens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fatty liver is a common energy metabolic disorder in caged hens. Considering that the egg industry is shifting from conventional cages to alternative housing systems such as enriched cages, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of type of housing, including access to perches, on f...

Nutritional quality of eggs from hens fed distillers dried grains with solubles

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A feeding trial was conducted with laying hens where either 10% or 20% regular-fat distiller’s dried grains with solubles (R-DDGS) or low-fat DDGS (L-DDGS) were incorporated into the feed. Production parameters and the effect of DDGS on egg nutritional quality, focusing on yolk lipids, were evaluate...

The relationship between the immune response and susceptibility to Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis infection in the laying hen

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Chicken eggs are one of the main sources of human salmonellosis, with Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis the most frequent cause of human non-typhoid salmonellosis. Laying hens colonized with S. Enteritidis generally do not show clinical signs. The bacteria colonize and invade the intestinal ...

Variation in selection of microhabitats by Merriam's turkey brood hens

Treesearch

Mark A. Rumble; Stanley H. Anderson

1997-01-01

We studied microhabitats of Merriam‘s turkey (Meleagris gallopavo merriami) brood hens in a ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) ecosystem in South Dakota from 1986 to 1988. Cluster analysis indicated three groups of microhabitats, open-shrub, open-grasslforb and forest, based on vegetation characteristics at sites selected by brood...

Microbiological differences between laying hen strains housed in various production systems.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sister flocks of three strains of laying hens were housed in conventional cage, free range, and cage free production systems. All flocks were located on a single, commercial-style research facility and provided the same dietary and lighting regimens. Once a season, a sample of shell eggs was asept...

One Hen: Teaching Elementary-Level Economics for Civic Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitlock, Annie McMahon

2013-01-01

This dissertation is a qualitative case study focused on describing and analyzing the student and teacher experience with One Hen, a project-based learning unit specifically designed to teach civic engagement. In this study I address three questions: 1) Do fifth-grade students' knowledge and skills in economics change after participating in a…

Persistence of fecal shedding of Salmonella Enteritidis by experimentally infected laying hens housed in conventional or enriched cages

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

: Because Salmonella Enteritidis can be deposited inside eggs laid by infected hens, the prevalence of this pathogen in commercial egg-producing flocks is an important risk factor for human illness. Opportunities for the introduction, transmission, and persistence of salmonellae in poultry are poten...

Persistence of fecal shedding of Salmonella Enteritidis by experimentally infected laying hens housed in conventional or enriched cages.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Because Salmonella Enteritidis can be deposited inside eggs laid by infected hens, the prevalence of this pathogen in commercial egg-producing flocks is an important risk factor for human illness. Opportunities for the introduction, transmission, and persistence of salmonellae in poultry are potenti...

Interaction of resident sperm with sperm-storage tubule (SST) epithelial cell microvilli in the turkey breeder hen

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Interaction of resident sperm with sperm-storage tubule (SST) epithelial cell microvilli in the turkey breeder hen M.R. Bakst*1 and C. Murphy2, 1Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory, 2Electron & Confocal Microscopy Unit, Beltsville Area, ARS, USDA, Beltsville MD Sustained fertilization o...

The effect of perch availability during pullet rearing and egg laying on musculoskeletal health of caged White Leghorn hens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A major skeletal problem of conventionally caged hens is increased susceptibility to osteoporosis mainly due to lack of exercise. Osteoporosis is characterized by a progressive decrease in mineralized structural bone. Whereas considerable attention has been given to enriching laying cages, little r...

Egg quality in laying hens exposed to Mycoplasma gallisepticum F-strain attenuated vaccine.

PubMed

Machado, L D S; Santos, F F D; Togashi, C K; Abreu, D L D C; Pimentel, J C; Sesti, L; Pereira, V L D A; Nascimento, E R D

2017-04-01

Mycoplasma gallisepticum causes coughing, ocular and nasal discharge, reduction in feed intake, lower and uneven growth, decline in egg production and quality, and increase in mortality. Among the attenuated vaccination strains, MGF can reduce clinical signs and lesions in layer hens, stimulate immune responses of cellular and humoral basis, act as an instrument of competitive exclusion in relation to field strains, and reduce the use of antimicrobials. This study aimed to investigate the effects of attenuated MG F-strain vaccination on egg quality in 3 groups of 30 hens each, being one control and 2 vaccinated. Vaccination was applied by ocular route at 8 and 12 wk of age. Comparisons were made among unvaccinated hens; vaccinated at 8 wk of age; and vaccinated at 8 and 12 wk of age. There were no statistical differences in eggshell thickness and weight among groups. Eggs from twice vaccinated birds yielded a Haugh unit significantly lower than the other groups without affecting egg classification. There was no significant difference in ELISA results between the vaccinated groups. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Effect of dietary pomegranate seed oil on laying hen performance and physicochemical properties of eggs.

PubMed

Kostogrys, Renata B; Filipiak-Florkiewicz, Agnieszka; Dereń, Katarzyna; Drahun, Anna; Czyżyńska-Cichoń, Izabela; Cieślik, Ewa; Szymczyk, Beata; Franczyk-Żarów, Magdalena

2017-04-15

The objective of the study was to determine the effects of pomegranate seed oil, used as a source of punicic acid (CLnA) in the diets of laying hens, on the physicochemical properties of eggs. Forty Isa Brown laying hens (26weeks old) were equally subjected to 4 dietary treatments (n=10) and fed a commercial layer diet supplying 2.5% sunflower oil (control) or three levels (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5%) of punicic acid in the diets. After 12weeks of feeding the hens, eggs collection began. Sixty eggs - randomly selected from each group - were analysed for physicochemical properties. Eggs naturally enriched with CLnA preserve their composition and conventional properties in most of the analysed parameters (including chemical composition, physical as well as organoleptic properties). Dietary CLnA had positive impact on the colour of the eggs' yolk, whereas the hardness of hard-boiled egg yolks was not affected. Additionally, increasing dietary CLnA led to an increase not only the CLnA concentrations, but also CLA in egg-yolk lipids. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Application of an anti-HQIgY antibody for the measurement of IgY concentrations of hen's and quail's serum and yolk.

PubMed

Losonczy, S; Szabó, C; Kiss, Z; Bárdos, L

1999-01-01

The development of a sensitive ELISA for the measurement of quail IgY (QIgY) was the main purpose of our study. The suitable antibody (AB) was prepared in rabbits. Both quail IgY (QIgY) and hen IgY (HIgY) were precipitated by this developed AB. For this reason it was marked as anti-hen-quail-IgY (a-HQIgY). The purified AB was conjugated with horseradish peroxidase (aHQIgY-HRP) and a sensitive direct ELISA was developed, based on this labeled AB. The prepared aHQIgY AB which was used in this developed ELISA method was suitable for the measurement of total and specific IgY concentration in domestic hen (Gallus domesticus) and Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) either. As a result of our experiments it is very likely that there are identical sequences of IgYs of both species. This part of IgY has good antigen character at the same time. Probably, this phenomenon has occurrence in other Galliform species, too. Further investigations will be carried out in this field.

Modelling hen harrier dynamics to inform human-wildlife conflict resolution: a spatially-realistic, individual-based approach.

PubMed

Heinonen, Johannes P M; Palmer, Stephen C F; Redpath, Steve M; Travis, Justin M J

2014-01-01

Individual-based models have gained popularity in ecology, and enable simultaneous incorporation of spatial explicitness and population dynamic processes to understand spatio-temporal patterns of populations. We introduce an individual-based model for understanding and predicting spatial hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) population dynamics in Great Britain. The model uses a landscape with habitat, prey and game management indices. The hen harrier population was initialised according to empirical census estimates for 1988/89 and simulated until 2030, and predictions for 1998, 2004 and 2010 were compared to empirical census estimates for respective years. The model produced a good qualitative match to overall trends between 1989 and 2010. Parameter explorations revealed relatively high elasticity in particular to demographic parameters such as juvenile male mortality. This highlights the need for robust parameter estimates from empirical research. There are clearly challenges for replication of real-world population trends, but this model provides a useful tool for increasing understanding of drivers of hen harrier dynamics and focusing research efforts in order to inform conflict management decisions.

Disk Accretion in the 10 Myr Old T Tauri Stars TW Hydrae and Hen 3-600A.

PubMed

Muzerolle; Calvet; Briceño; Hartmann; Hillenbrand

2000-05-20

We have found that two members of the TW Hydrae association, TW Hydrae and Hen 3-600A, are still actively accreting, based on the ballistic infall signature of their broad Halpha emission profiles. We present the first quantitative analysis of accretion in these objects and conclude that the same accretion mechanisms which operate in the well-studied 1 Myr old T Tauri stars can and do occur in older (10 Myr) stars. We derive the first estimates of the disk mass accretion rate in TW Hya and Hen 3-600A, which are 1-2 orders of magnitude lower than the average rates in 1 Myr old objects. The decrease in accretion rates over 10 Myr, as well as the low fraction of TW Hya association objects still accreting, points to significant disk evolution, possibly linked to planet formation. Given the multiplicity of the Hen 3-600 system and the large UV excess of TW Hya, our results show that accretion disks can be surprisingly long lived in spite of the presence of companions and significant UV ionizing flux.

Growth curves for ostriches (Struthio camelus) in a Brazilian population.

PubMed

Ramos, S B; Caetano, S L; Savegnago, R P; Nunes, B N; Ramos, A A; Munari, D P

2013-01-01

The objective of this study was to fit growth curves using nonlinear and linear functions to describe the growth of ostriches in a Brazilian population. The data set consisted of 112 animals with BW measurements from hatching to 383 d of age. Two nonlinear growth functions (Gompertz and logistic) and a third-order polynomial function were applied. The parameters for the models were estimated using the least-squares method and Gauss-Newton algorithm. The goodness-of-fit of the models was assessed using R(2) and the Akaike information criterion. The R(2) calculated for the logistic growth model was 0.945 for hens and 0.928 for cockerels and for the Gompertz growth model, 0.938 for hens and 0.924 for cockerels. The third-order polynomial fit gave R(2) of 0.938 for hens and 0.924 for cockerels. Among the Akaike information criterion calculations, the logistic growth model presented the lowest values in this study, both for hens and for cockerels. Nonlinear models are more appropriate for describing the sigmoid nature of ostrich growth.

Modelling Hen Harrier Dynamics to Inform Human-Wildlife Conflict Resolution: A Spatially-Realistic, Individual-Based Approach

PubMed Central

Heinonen, Johannes P. M.; Palmer, Stephen C. F.; Redpath, Steve M.; Travis, Justin M. J.

2014-01-01

Individual-based models have gained popularity in ecology, and enable simultaneous incorporation of spatial explicitness and population dynamic processes to understand spatio-temporal patterns of populations. We introduce an individual-based model for understanding and predicting spatial hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) population dynamics in Great Britain. The model uses a landscape with habitat, prey and game management indices. The hen harrier population was initialised according to empirical census estimates for 1988/89 and simulated until 2030, and predictions for 1998, 2004 and 2010 were compared to empirical census estimates for respective years. The model produced a good qualitative match to overall trends between 1989 and 2010. Parameter explorations revealed relatively high elasticity in particular to demographic parameters such as juvenile male mortality. This highlights the need for robust parameter estimates from empirical research. There are clearly challenges for replication of real-world population trends, but this model provides a useful tool for increasing understanding of drivers of hen harrier dynamics and focusing research efforts in order to inform conflict management decisions. PMID:25405860

Sleep in the domestic hen (Gallus domesticus).

PubMed

van Luijtelaar, E L; van der Grinten, C P; Blokhuis, H J; Coenen, A M

1987-01-01

Electrophysiological recordings were made of five closely observed hens, all permanently implanted with both EEG and EMG electrodes. Five behavioural postures were distinguished and percentages of wakefulness, sleep and presumably paradoxical sleep (PS) were determined during the third and sixth hour of the dark period. Substantial agreement was generally found between behaviour and sleep with the exception of sitting or standing motionless with at least one eye open. During two thirds of this behavioural posture, the EEG showed large amplitude slow waves undistinguishable from slow wave sleep. Characteristics of PS were determined: periods were short, whereas its percentage increased during the night. Furthermore, EMG atonia was never found. An all night recording was made, and delta activity (2-5 Hz) was filtered and plotted against time for three of the hens. A significant decrease in delta activity across the night was found. Differences and similarities between sleep in hens and in mammals are discussed. Although large similarities exist it is concluded that some properties of birds' sleep make it unique and are a challenge for further study.

Similar Idiotypic Specificities in Immunoglobulin Fractions with Different Antibody Functions or Even without Detectable Antibody Function

PubMed Central

Oudin, J.; Cazenave, P. A.

1971-01-01

Idiotypy has been studied in antibodies against a protein antigen: hen ovalbumin. Various fractions of antisera to hen ovalbumin have been compared from the standpoint of the idiotypic specificities found on the immunoglobulins that they contain. Idiotypic specificities were found to be common to (a) antibodies that were not eluted from the same immunoadsorbent by the same MgCl2 concentration, but by four different concentrations. (b) Antibodies that were precipitable only by hen ovalbumin, only by hen and turkey ovalbumin, or also by duck ovalbumin. (c) Antibodies that were precipitated or not precipitated by the homologous ovalbumin, and proteins apparently devoid of antiovalbumin antibody function. These findings are discussed from the standpoint of (i) the differences in function between the various fractions with the same idiotypic specificities, and (ii) what may be common in the cellular origin of immunoglobulins with a common idiotypic specificity, and what may be different in immunoglobulins with different antibody functions or without antibody function. The same idiotypic specificities have been found in certain IgG and IgM antiovalbumin antibodies. Images PMID:4109410

Studies on some feed additives and materials giving partial protection against the suppressive effect of ochratoxin A on egg production of laying hens.

PubMed

Stoev, Stoycho D

2010-06-01

The protective effects of various feed supplements against the harmful effect of ochratoxin A on egg production and sexual maturation of two-weeks old Plymouth Rock female chicks designed for laying hens were studied. A significant protective effect of the feed additives or materials: water extract of artichoke (WEA), sesame seed (SS), Roxazyme-G (RG) and l-beta phenylalanine (PHE) against the suppressive effect of ochratoxin A (OTA) on egg production of laying hens was found. A similar protection was also seen on the toxic effect of OTA on various internal organs of the same hens. A significant protection was found against the decrease of the weight or the quantity of eggs as well as against the delay of the beginning of the laying period of chicks, both of which were provoked by ochratoxin A. These protective effects were strongest in chicks treated with SS or WEA, but were slightest in chicks treated with l-beta PHE. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

IgY Technology: Extraction of Chicken Antibodies from Egg Yolk by Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Precipitation

PubMed Central

Pauly, Diana; Chacana, Pablo A.; Calzado, Esteban G.; Brembs, Björn; Schade, Rüdiger

2011-01-01

Hens can be immunized by means of i.m. vaccination (Musculus pectoralis, left and right, injection volume 0.5-1.0 ml) or by means of Gene-Gun plasmid-immunization. Dependent on the immunogenicity of the antigen, high antibody-titres (up to 1:100,000 - 1:1,000,000) can be achieved after only one or 3 - 4 boost immunizations. Normally, a hen lays eggs continuously for about 72 weeks, thereafter the laying capacity decreases. This protocol describes the extraction of total IgY from egg yolk by means of a precipitation procedure (PEG. Polson et al. 1980). The method involves two important steps. The first one is the removal of lipids and the second is the precipitation of total IgY from the supernatant of step one. After dialysis against a buffer (normally PBS) the IgY-extract can be stored at -20°C for more than a year. The purity of the extract is around 80 %, the total IgY per egg varies from 40-80 mg, dependent on the age of the laying hen. The total IgY content increases with the age of the hen from around 40 mg/egg up to 80 mg/egg (concerning PEG precipitation). The laying capacity of a hen per year is around 325 eggs. That means a total potential harvest of 20 g total IgY/year based on a mean IgY content of 60 mg total IgY/egg (see Table 1). PMID:21559009

The Deposition and Elimination of Glucosinolate Metabolites Derived from Rapeseed Meal in Eggs of Laying Hens.

PubMed

Zhu, L P; Wang, J P; Ding, X M; Bai, S P; Zeng, Q F; Su, Z W; Xuan, Y; Zhang, K Y

2018-02-14

This study was to investigate the deposition and elimination of glucosinolate metabolites including 5-vinyl-1,3-oxazolidine-2-thione (5-VOT) and thiocyanate ion (SCN - ) derived from rapeseed meal (RSM) in hen eggs. During 12 weeks accumulation phase, the serum triiodothyronine, thyronine, blood urea nitrogen, kidney index, and thyroid index linearly increased with the RSM at week 12 (P < 0.05). The thyroid histopathology revealed a sign of hyperplastic goiter in hens fed with 17.64-29.40% RSM. The 5-VOT content of eggs (Y, ng/g) was correlated with 5-VOT intake (X 2 , μg/d·bird) and 5-VOT feeding time (X 1 , week): Y = 54.94X 1 + 0.51X 2 - 430.34 (P < 0.01, R 2 = 0.80). The SCN - content of eggs (Y, mg/kg) was correlated with RSM intake (X 2 , μg/d·bird) and RSM feeding time (X 1 , week): Y = 0.095X 1 + 0.302X 2 - 0.4211 (P < 0.01, R 2 = 0.70). After a 4-week withdrawal of RSM, the 5-VOT and SCN - did not show in eggs. Taken together, 5.88% RSM with dietary supplements of 23.55 mg/kg 5-VOT and 10.76 mg/kg SCN - had no effects on hens with regard to serum parameters, organ index, and thyroid histopathology, and more than 4 weeks withdrawal should be considered for human and hen health.

The Oral Provocation Test for Raw Egg in Patients with Hen Egg Allergy.

PubMed

Kido, Jun; Nishi, Natsuko; Matsumoto, Tomoaki

2018-06-06

Many researchers have made efforts to develop diagnostic tools for predicting the outcome of oral food challenges (OFCs). The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of the skin prick test (SPT) and blood-specific IgE concentrations based on the outcome of the OFCs for heated and raw hen egg. This study included 103 children with suspected hen egg allergy (HEA; median age 23 months, range 10-155; 72 boys, 31 girls). Forty-three patients were diagnosed with HEA by OFC. Of 60 patients who tolerated heated egg white (HEW), 22 underwent the OFC for raw hen egg and 7 developed adverse reactions after ingesting raw egg. Their wheal diameters and specific IgE levels for egg white and ovomucoid were determined. Wheal diameters as well as blood-specific IgE levels for egg white and ovomucoid were significantly larger in children with positive OFC results for HEW than in those with negative results. However, there were no significant differences between the positive and negative test results for raw hen egg white (REW) in wheal diameter or blood-specific IgE levels. The SPT and blood-specific IgE can be used to diagnose HEA. However, the provocation test for REW in children without HEW allergy is important because the values of SPT and specific IgE were not significantly different between children with and without raw egg allergy. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Effect of increasing levels of apparent metabolizable energy on laying hens in barn system.

PubMed

Kang, Hwan Ku; Park, Seong Bok; Jeon, Jin Joo; Kim, Hyun Soo; Park, Ki Tae; Kim, Sang Ho; Hong, Eui Chul; Kim, Chan Ho

2018-04-12

This experiment was to investigate the effect of increasing levels of apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) on the laying performance, egg quality, blood parameter, blood biochemistry, intestinal morphology, and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of energy and nutrients in diets fed to laying hens. A total of three-hundred twenty 33-week-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens (Gallus domesticus) were evenly assigned to four experimental diets of 2,750, 2,850, 2,950, and 3,050 kcal AMEn/kg in floor with deep litter of rice hulls. There were four replicates of each treatment, each consisting of 20 birds in a pen. AMEn intake was increased (linear, p < 0.05) with inclusion level of AMEn in diets increased. Feed intake and feed conversion ratio were improved (linear, p < 0.01), but hen-day egg production tended to be increased as increasing level of AMEn in diets increased. During the experiment, leukocyte concentration and blood biochemistry (total cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, total protein, calcium, asparate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine transferase (ALT) were not influenced by increasing level of AMEn in diets. Gross energy and ether extract were increased (linear, p < 0.01) with inclusion level of AMEn in diets increased. Laying hens fed high AMEn diet (i.e., 3,050 kcal/kg in the current experiment) tended to overconsume energy with a positive effect on feed intake, feed conversion ratio, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal morphology but not in egg production and egg mass.

Effects of phyto-oestrogen quercetin on productive performance, hormones, reproductive organs and apoptotic genes in laying hens.

PubMed

Yang, J X; Chaudhry, M T; Yao, J Y; Wang, S N; Zhou, B; Wang, M; Han, C Y; You, Y; Li, Y

2018-04-01

Quercetin, a polyphenolic flavonoid with diverse biological activities including anti-inflammatory and antiviral, inhibits lipid peroxidation, prevents oxidative injury and cell death. The purpose of the research was to investigate the effect of quercetin on productive performance, reproductive organs, hormones and apoptotic genes in laying hens between 37 and 45 weeks of age, because of the structure and oestrogenic activities similar to 17β-oestradiol. The trial was conducted using 240 Hessian laying hens (37 weeks old), housed in wire cages with two hens in each cage. These hens were randomly allotted to four treatments with six replicates, 10 hens in each replicate and fed with diets containing quercetin as 0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 g/kg feed for 8 weeks. The results showed that dietary quercetin significantly increased (p < .05) the laying rate and was higher in group supplemented with 0.4 g/kg, and feed-egg ratio was decreased (p < .05) by quercetin. Dietary quercetin has no effect (p > .05) on average egg weight and average daily feed intake. Compared with control, secretion of hormones, oestradiol (E 2 ) , progesterone (P4), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), insulin-like growth factors-1 (IGF-1) and growth hormone (GH), was found to be significantly higher (p < .05) in quercetin-supplemented groups. Also ovary index, uterus index and oviduct index were not significantly influenced (p > .05) by quercetin, whereas magnum index, isthmus index, magnum length, isthmus length and follicle numbers were significantly increased (p < .05) with quercetin supplementation. Additionally, expression of apoptotic genes was significantly (p < .05) up-regulated or down-regulated by quercetin. These results indicated that quercetin improved productive performance, and its mechanism may be due to the oestrogen-like activities of quercetin. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Effect of strain of layer and age at photostimulation on egg production, egg quality, and bone strength.

PubMed

Silversides, F G; Korver, D R; Budgell, K L

2006-07-01

Bone strength in layers is a concern for economic reasons and animal welfare concerns. Bone characteristics were investigated in 3 strains of hens: Babcock B-300, a small-bodied commercial white-egg layer; ISA-Brown, a commercial brown-egg layer; and an unselected Brown Leghorn line (BL). After being reared together in a single pen with 8 h of light per day, hens were caged with 14 h of light per day. Half of the hens were caged at 18 wk of age and the other half at 20 wk of age, resulting in a 2-wk difference in the age at photostimulation. Body weights, egg production, feed efficiency, and egg quality were measured throughout production. At 15, 25, 50, and 74 wk of age, hens were euthanized for sampling of the radius and the humerus. Breaking strength of the radius and humerus was measured, and the area and density of trabecular (largely medullary bone) and cortical bone were measured using quantitative computed tomography. Egg production and feed conversion of ISA-Brown hens was as good as or better than that of Babcock B-300 hens, and both commercial strains had higher production than the BL. Photostimulation late delayed sexual maturity and improved albumen and shell characteristics but had only minor effects on egg production and did not affect the yolk weight. The delayed photostimulation resulting from caging 2 wk later affected the radius by increasing the area of the trabecular space at 50 wk of age and the density of the bone in the trabecular space at 74 wk of age. Breaking strength of the humerus at 25 wk of age was greater for the birds that were photostimulated late but was not different later in the trial. The humerus, but not the radius, of the BL had a greater breaking strength than that of the commercial strains, suggesting that selection has decreased humeral breaking strength.

Dietary inclusion of raw faba bean instead of soybean meal and enzyme supplementation in laying hens: Effect on performance and egg quality.

PubMed

Abd El-Hack, M E; Alagawany, M; Laudadio, V; Demauro, R; Tufarelli, V

2017-02-01

An experiment was conducted with 160 Hisex Brown laying hens to evaluate the effect of different inclusion levels of faba bean (FB) and enzyme supplementation on productive performance and egg quality parameters. The experimental diets consisted of five levels of FB: 0% (control), 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%, substituting soybean meal (SBM), and two levels of enzyme supplementation (0 or 250 mg/kg). Each dietary treatment was assigned to four replicate groups and the experiment lasted 22 weeks. A positive relationship ( P  < 0.05) was found between FB inclusion and body weight (BW) change of hens when compared to those of the control treatment. Enzyme supplementation significantly affected the final hens' BW. Feed consumption (FC) of hens was statistically increased with increasing FB level up to 50%. Supplementing dietary enzyme mixture at 250 mg/kg led to improvement in FC at all studied ages ( P  < 0.05). Inclusion of 25% or 50% FB in diets had no adverse effects on feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to the higher FB inclusion levels (75% or 100%). Egg weight (EW), egg number (EN) and egg mass (EM) were significantly ( P  < 0.05) influenced by FB inclusion in diet during the entire experimental periods, except for EN and EM at 20-24 weeks of age. Egg productive parameters were not influenced by enzyme mixture supplementation ( P  > 0.05). The main effect of FB levels replacing for SBM affected ( P  < 0.05) yolk and shell percentages, yolk index, yolk to albumen ratio, shell thickness and egg shape index. It can be concluded that FB and enzyme supplementation could be included in hens diet at less than 50% instead of SBM to support egg productive performance, however higher raw FB levels negatively affected egg production indices and quality.

Effects on performance of ground wheat with or without insoluble fiber or whole wheat in sequential feeding for laying hens.

PubMed

Traineau, M; Bouvarel, I; Mulsant, C; Roffidal, L; Launay, C; Lescoat, P

2013-09-01

Sequential feeding (SF) is an innovative system for laying hens consisting of nutrients separating energy, protein, and calcium supplies to fulfill nutrient requirements at the relevant time of day. In previous studies, hens received whole wheat in the morning and a balancer diet (rich in protein and calcium) in the afternoon. To improve SF utilization, the aim was to substitute whole wheat in the morning by an alternative energy supply: ground wheat and ground corn, with or without a proportion of whole wheat and insoluble fiber. The goal was to obtain the advantages observed in previous experiments with whole wheat [bigger gizzard, thinner hens, reduced feed conversion ratio (FCR)]. Four hundred thirty-two ISA Brown hens were housed in collective cages from 20 to 35 wk of age divided into 8 different treatments: a continuous control diet, a sequential diet with whole wheat in the morning, 3 wheat-based diets (ground wheat, ground wheat and 20% whole wheat, and ground wheat with 5% insoluble fiber) and 3 ground corn-based (ground corn, ground corn and 20% whole wheat, and ground corn with 5% insoluble fiber) provided in the morning. All sequential regimens received the same balancer diet rich in protein and calcium in the afternoon. Whole wheat SF gave the best results with an improved FCR compared with continuous control and all other SF diets. Wheat- and corn-based diets showed intermediate results between whole wheat SF and continuous feeding. Gizzard weight was higher and hens were lighter than with conventional continuous feeding, leading to an average FCR improvement of 3.2% compared with a continuous control. Thus, it is possible in SF diets to substitute, at least partially, whole wheat by ground wheat or ground corn with added insoluble fiber or some whole wheat, allowing more flexibility and economic optimization.

Review of rearing-related factors affecting the welfare of laying hens

PubMed Central

Janczak, Andrew M.; Riber, Anja B.

2015-01-01

Laying hens may face a number of welfare problems including: acute and chronic pain caused by beak trimming; exaggerated fearfulness that may cause stress and suffocation; difficulties in locating resources, resulting potentially in emaciation and dehydration; frustration and boredom, caused by an environment that is barren; feather pecking; cannibalism; foot lesions; and bone fractures. In Europe, a greater proportion of laying hens are housed in non-cage systems compared to the rest of the world. The extent of the different welfare problems may therefore vary between countries as the type of housing system influences the risk of suffering. More generally, many of these welfare problems are influenced by the rearing environment of the pullets. This article therefore focuses on welfare problems in laying hens that can be traced back to rearing. Factors that have been studied in relation to their effects on bird welfare include beak trimming, housing type, furnishing, enrichment, feeding, stocking density, flock size, sound and light levels, concentration of gasses, age at transfer from rearing to production facilities, similarity between rearing and production facilities, competence of staff, and interactions between bird strain and environment. The present review aims to summarize rearing-related risk factors of poor welfare in adult laying hens housed according to European Union legislation. It aims to identify gaps in current knowledge, and suggests strategies for improving bird welfare by improving rearing conditions. Two main conclusions of this work are that attempts should be made to use appropriate genetic material and that beak trimming should be limited where possible. In addition to this, the rearing system should provide constant access to appropriate substrates, perches, and mashed feed, and should be as similar as possible to the housing system used for the adult birds. Finally, young birds (pullets) should be moved to the production facilities before 16 weeks of age. The measures outlined in this review may be useful for improving the welfare of pullets and adult laying hens. PMID:26009752

Calculations of long-range three-body interactions for He(n0λS )-He(n0λS )-He(n0'λL )

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Pei-Gen; Tang, Li-Yan; Yan, Zong-Chao; Babb, James F.

2018-04-01

We theoretically investigate long-range interactions between an excited L -state He atom and two identical S -state He atoms for the cases of the three atoms all in spin-singlet states or all in spin-triplet states, denoted by He(n0λS )-He(n0λS )-He(n0'λL ), with n0 and n0' principal quantum numbers, λ =1 or 3 the spin multiplicity, and L the orbital angular momentum of a He atom. Using degenerate perturbation theory for the energies up to second-order, we evaluate the coefficients C3 of the first-order dipolar interactions and the coefficients C6 and C8 of the second-order additive and nonadditive interactions. Both the dipolar and dispersion interaction coefficients, for these three-body degenerate systems, show dependences on the geometrical configurations of the three atoms. The nonadditive interactions start to appear in second-order. To demonstrate the results and for applications, the obtained coefficients Cn are evaluated with highly accurate variationally generated nonrelativistic wave functions in Hylleraas coordinates for He(1 1S ) -He(1 1S ) -He(2 1S ) , He(1 1S ) -He(1 1S ) -He(2 1P ) , He(2 1S ) -He(2 1S ) -He(2 1P ) , and He(2 3S ) -He(2 3S ) -He(2 3P ) . The calculations are given for three like nuclei for the cases of hypothetical infinite mass He nuclei, and of real finite mass 4He or 3He nuclei. The special cases of the three atoms in equilateral triangle configurations are explored in detail, and for the cases in which one of the atoms is in a P state, we also present results for the atoms in an isosceles right triangle configuration or in an equally spaced collinear configuration. The results can be applied to construct potential energy surfaces for three helium atom systems.

Induced molt using cassava meal. 2. Effects on eggshell quality, ultrastructure, and pore density in late-phase laying hens.

PubMed

Gongruttananun, N

2018-03-01

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of a non-fasting induced molt using cassava meal on the eggshell quality, ultrastructure, and porosity in late-phase (74 wk old) H&N Brown laying hens. Hens were randomly assigned to 3 treatments of 90 birds each: 1) Controls with no induced molt (CONT); 2) molted by full feeding with cassava meal for 3 wk (FP3); and 3) molted by full feeding with cassava meal for 4 wk (FP4). Following the treatments, groups 2 and 3 were fed a pullet developer diet for 3 weeks. During the molt period, the birds were exposed to an 8L:16D photoperiod and had access to drinking water at all times. Thereafter, all hens were fed a layer diet (17% CP) and exposed to a 16L:8D photoperiod until the end of the study. Compared to the CONT treatment, significant reductions (P < 0.05) in shell weight, thickness, and breaking strength were identified on the sixth d of feeding the molt diet. Significant (P < 0.05) improvements in these parameters were observed for the FP3 and FP4 treatments during the post-molt period, with the greater degree in the FP4 treatment. In addition, scanning electron microscopy revealed a smaller size of mammillary knobs accompanied by a higher density of mammillae in eggs taken from the molted treatments. Evidence of type B mammillae was detected in an egg produced by the CONT hens, whereas confluent and cuffing mammillae were observed in an egg taken from the FP4 birds. Reduced pore densities were found in the molted treatments in some periods of the post-molt production as compared to the CONT treatment. It was concluded that feeding the cassava molt diet for 4 wk could be an effective non-fasting molt method for improving eggshell quality, ultrastructure, and porosity in post-molt laying hens.

Descriptive survey and Salmonella surveillance of pastured poultry layer farms in California.

PubMed

Dailey, Naomi; Niemeier, Deb; Elkhoraibi, Carine; Sentíes-Cué, C Gabriel; Pitesky, Maurice

2017-04-01

While pasture-raised poultry comprises a small portion of the commercial poultry industry in North America, these alternative rearing systems have become increasingly popular. As such, it is critical to improve our understanding of husbandry practices and prevalence of zoonotic and epizoonotic diseases in these systems. This research reviews the results of a survey sent to 82 commercial pastured poultry farms in California. While the survey response was low (13.4%), it was enhanced by detailed in-person interviews and farm visits. In addition, we conducted drag swabs for Salmonella Enteritidis. On average, farms utilized 12.3% of their total farmland for pastured poultry operations, which often coexisted with other livestock (45%), touch crops (27%), and non-touch crops (45%). While the mean (44.6 sq. ft./hen) and median (22.2 sq. ft./hen) pasture stocking densities were within auditing guidelines, the mean (1.2 sq. ft./hen) and median (0.5 sq. ft./hen) coop stocking densities were below the pending USDA (2016) guidelines recommended in 7 CFR Part 205. Drag swab results showed the presence of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) in the environment of one of the 11 farms (9.1%). In addition, Salmonella Pullorum (SP) whole blood agglutination tests were used to understand the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in laying hens within the studied farms. Results showed the presence of antibodies in flocks at six of the seven non-SE vaccinated farms, with a mean on-farm prevalence of 25.6% in laying hens. Logistic regression was used to determine risk factors for Group D Salmonella exposure in non-vaccinated flocks, using the SP blood agglutination data as the dependent variable and the survey questions as the independent variables. Statistically significant (P < 0.05) risk factors included exposed wire floors and flock size. These results improve our understanding of Salmonella prevalence and husbandry practices on commercial pastured poultry farms in California. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Age-related changes in fear, sociality and pecking behaviours in two strains of laying hen.

PubMed

Hocking, P M; Channing, C E; Waddington, D; Jones, R B

2001-09-01

1. Two lines of commercial hybrid layers (Tetra and ISA Brown) were reared from hatch to 30 weeks of age in groups of 8. The objectives of the experiment were to evaluate the significance of the different selection practices involved in the development of the lines and to assess the potential association between selected behavioural states and the potential for feather damage and cannibalism. 2. Behavioural tests related to fear (tonic immobility, novel object, open field), sociality (runway, proximity in the home pen) and pecking (feather bunch and focal observations of inter-bird and environmental pecking) were conducted at 0 to 2, 5 to 7, 12 to 14, 19 to 21 and 29 to 31 weeks of age. Scan sampling of general behaviour was also conducted at these ages. 3. Underlying sociality was greater in Tetras than in ISA Brown hens. 4. There were no apparent overall strain differences in fearfulness although ISA Brown hens showed significantly longer tonic immobility fear reactions than Tetras at 31 weeks of age. 5. ISA Brown hens gave and received more gentle pecks than Tetra hens whereas preening was commoner among Tetras. There were no strain differences in the number of pecks at litter or food. 6. As birds aged they showed less avoidance of novel objects and Tetras, though not ISA Browns, showed progressively shorter tonic immobility responses. Birds of both strains spent less time resting, more foraging (pecking and scratching) and pecked more at the feather bunch at older ages. 7. Measures taken in the TI, open field, runway (social affiliation) and feather bunch tests were stable over time whereas focal observations of pecking at hens and the environment were not. 8. Factor Analysis showed that 3 factors defined by the novel object test, environmental pecking and pecking ata feather bunch explained most of the variation in the correlation matrix between summary measures for the 8 behavioural traits.

A Monitoring System for Laying Hens That Uses a Detection Sensor Based on Infrared Technology and Image Pattern Recognition.

PubMed

Zaninelli, Mauro; Redaelli, Veronica; Luzi, Fabio; Bontempo, Valentino; Dell'Orto, Vittorio; Savoini, Giovanni

2017-05-24

In Italy, organic egg production farms use free-range housing systems with a big outdoor area and a flock of no more than 500 hens. With additional devices and/or farming procedures, the whole flock could be forced to stay in the outdoor area for a limited time of the day. As a consequence, ozone treatments of housing areas could be performed in order to reduce the levels of atmospheric ammonia and bacterial load without risks, due by its toxicity, both for hens and workers. However, an automatic monitoring system, and a sensor able to detect the presence of animals, would be necessary. For this purpose, a first sensor was developed but some limits, related to the time necessary to detect a hen, were observed. In this study, significant improvements, for this sensor, are proposed. They were reached by an image pattern recognition technique that was applied to thermografic images acquired from the housing system. An experimental group of seven laying hens was selected for the tests, carried out for three weeks. The first week was used to set-up the sensor. Different templates, to use for the pattern recognition, were studied and different floor temperature shifts were investigated. At the end of these evaluations, a template of elliptical shape, and sizes of 135 × 63 pixels, was chosen. Furthermore, a temperature shift of one degree was selected to calculate, for each image, a color background threshold to apply in the following field tests. Obtained results showed an improvement of the sensor detection accuracy that reached values of sensitivity and specificity of 95.1% and 98.7%. In addition, the range of time necessary to detect a hen, or classify a case, was reduced at two seconds. This result could allow the sensor to control a bigger area of the housing system. Thus, the resulting monitoring system could allow to perform the sanitary treatments without risks both for animals and humans.

A Monitoring System for Laying Hens That Uses a Detection Sensor Based on Infrared Technology and Image Pattern Recognition

PubMed Central

Zaninelli, Mauro; Redaelli, Veronica; Luzi, Fabio; Bontempo, Valentino; Dell’Orto, Vittorio; Savoini, Giovanni

2017-01-01

In Italy, organic egg production farms use free-range housing systems with a big outdoor area and a flock of no more than 500 hens. With additional devices and/or farming procedures, the whole flock could be forced to stay in the outdoor area for a limited time of the day. As a consequence, ozone treatments of housing areas could be performed in order to reduce the levels of atmospheric ammonia and bacterial load without risks, due by its toxicity, both for hens and workers. However, an automatic monitoring system, and a sensor able to detect the presence of animals, would be necessary. For this purpose, a first sensor was developed but some limits, related to the time necessary to detect a hen, were observed. In this study, significant improvements, for this sensor, are proposed. They were reached by an image pattern recognition technique that was applied to thermografic images acquired from the housing system. An experimental group of seven laying hens was selected for the tests, carried out for three weeks. The first week was used to set-up the sensor. Different templates, to use for the pattern recognition, were studied and different floor temperature shifts were investigated. At the end of these evaluations, a template of elliptical shape, and sizes of 135 × 63 pixels, was chosen. Furthermore, a temperature shift of one degree was selected to calculate, for each image, a color background threshold to apply in the following field tests. Obtained results showed an improvement of the sensor detection accuracy that reached values of sensitivity and specificity of 95.1% and 98.7%. In addition, the range of time necessary to detect a hen, or classify a case, was reduced at two seconds. This result could allow the sensor to control a bigger area of the housing system. Thus, the resulting monitoring system could allow to perform the sanitary treatments without risks both for animals and humans. PMID:28538654

Effect of dietary adipic acid and corn dried distillers grains with solubles on laying hen performance and nitrogen loss from stored excreta with or without sodium bisulfate.

PubMed

Romero, C; Abdallh, M E; Powers, W; Angel, R; Applegate, T J

2012-05-01

Effects of dietary adipic acid (0 vs. 1%) and corn dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS; 0 vs. 20%) were evaluated on hen performance and egg characteristics from 26 to 34 wk of age. Four isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets were randomly assigned to blocks of 6 consecutive cages (36 cages per diet; 2 hens per cage). On wk 2 and 7 of the experiment, excreta were collected by cage block, mixed, and equally split into 2 containers. Sodium bisulfate (SBS) was spread (8.8 kg/100 m(2)) on the top surface of half of the containers. All containers were stored uncovered for 14 d at room temperature. Excreta pH, DM, and N content were measured on d 0, 7, and 14 of storage. Feed intake (112 g/d per hen), egg production (96.1%), and egg specific gravity (1.079 g/g) were not affected by diet. On excreta collection day, a synergy (P = 0.014) between dietary adipic acid and DDGS was detected, as the lowest excreta pH was obtained with the diet including both adipic acid and DDGS. On d 7 of storage, excreta pH was still reduced by dietary adipic acid (P = 0.046) and DDGS (P < 0.001), but a week later, only dietary DDGS decreased excreta pH (8.91 vs. 9.21; P < 0.001). Whereas dietary adipic acid had no influence on excreta N loss, excreta from hens fed 20% DDGS lost 19.7% more N (P = 0.039) during storage than hens not eating DDGS. Surface amendment of excreta with SBS increased excreta DM content, with the effect being even more marked on d 14 of storage (increase of 6.7 percentage units; P < 0.001), consistently decreased excreta pH during storage (P < 0.001) and reduced N loss by 26.1% for the 14 d of storage period.

Comparative evaluation of three egg production systems: Housing characteristics and management practices

PubMed Central

Zhao, Y.; Shepherd, T. A.; Swanson, J. C.; Mench, J. A.; Karcher, D. M.; Xin, H.

2015-01-01

This paper is an integral part of the special publication series that arose from the multidisciplinary and multi-institutional project of the Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply (CSES). The CSES project involves 3 housing systems for egg production at the same research farm site in the Midwest, USA, namely, a conventional cage (CC) house, an aviary (AV) house, and an enriched colony (EC) house. The CC house (141.4 m L × 26.6 m W × 6.1 m H) had a nominal capacity of 200,000 hens (6 hens in a cage at a stocking density of 516 cm2/hen), and the cages were arranged in 10 rows, 8 tiers per cage row, with a perforated aisle walkway at 4-tier height. The AV house (154.2 m L × 21.3 m W × 3.0 m H) and the EC house (154.2 m L × 13.7 m W × 4.0 m H) each had a nominal capacity of 50,000 hens. The AV house had 6 rows of aviary colonies, and the EC house had 5 rows of 4-tier enriched colonies containing perches, nestbox, and scratch pads (60 hens per colony at a stocking density of 752 cm2/hen). The overarching goal of the CSES project, as stated in the opening article of this series, was to comprehensively evaluate the 3 egg production systems from the standpoints of animal behavior and well-being, environmental impact, egg safety and quality, food affordability, and worker health. So that all the area-specific papers would not have to repeat a detailed description of the production systems and the management practices, this paper is written to provide such a description and to be used as a common reference for the companion papers. PMID:25737566

Comparative evaluation of three egg production systems: Housing characteristics and management practices.

PubMed

Zhao, Y; Shepherd, T A; Swanson, J C; Mench, J A; Karcher, D M; Xin, H

2015-03-01

This paper is an integral part of the special publication series that arose from the multidisciplinary and multi-institutional project of the Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply (CSES). The CSES project involves 3 housing systems for egg production at the same research farm site in the Midwest, USA, namely, a conventional cage (CC) house, an aviary (AV) house, and an enriched colony (EC) house. The CC house (141.4 m L×26.6 m W×6.1 m H) had a nominal capacity of 200,000 hens (6 hens in a cage at a stocking density of 516 cm2/hen), and the cages were arranged in 10 rows, 8 tiers per cage row, with a perforated aisle walkway at 4-tier height. The AV house (154.2 m L×21.3 m W×3.0 m H) and the EC house (154.2 m L×13.7 m W×4.0 m H) each had a nominal capacity of 50,000 hens. The AV house had 6 rows of aviary colonies, and the EC house had 5 rows of 4-tier enriched colonies containing perches, nestbox, and scratch pads (60 hens per colony at a stocking density of 752 cm2/hen). The overarching goal of the CSES project, as stated in the opening article of this series, was to comprehensively evaluate the 3 egg production systems from the standpoints of animal behavior and well-being, environmental impact, egg safety and quality, food affordability, and worker health. So that all the area-specific papers would not have to repeat a detailed description of the production systems and the management practices, this paper is written to provide such a description and to be used as a common reference for the companion papers. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Poultry Science Association.

Effect of an acidifying diet combined with zeolite and slight protein reduction on air emissions from laying hens of different ages.

PubMed

Wu-Haan, W; Powers, W J; Angel, C R; Hale, C E; Applegate, T J

2007-01-01

The objectives of the study were to evaluate the effectiveness of a reduced-emission (RE) diet containing 6.9% of a CaSO(4)-zeolite mixture and slightly reduced CP to 21-, 38-, and 59-wk-old Hy-Line W-36 hens (trials 1, 2, and 3, respectively) on egg production and emissions of NH(3), H(2)S, NO, NO(2), CO(2), CH(4), and non-CH(4) total hydrocarbons as compared with feeding a commercial (CM) diet. At each age, 640 hens were allocated, randomly to 8 environmental chambers for a 3-wk period. On an analyzed basis, the CM diet contained 18.0, 17.0, and 16.2% CP and 0.25, 0.18, and 0.20% S in trials 1, 2, and 3, and the RE diet contained 17.0, 15.5, and 15.6% CP and 0.99, 1.20, and 1.10% S in trials 1, 2, and 3. Diets were formulated to contain similar Ca and P contents. Average daily egg weight (56.3 g), average daily egg production (81%), average daily feed intake (92.4 g), and BW change (23.5 g), across ages, were unaffected by diet (P > 0.05) over the study period. Age effects were observed for all performance variables and NH(3) emissions (P < 0.05). In trials 1, 2, and 3, daily NH(3) emissions from hens fed the RE diets (185.5, 312.2, and 333.5 mg/bird) were less than emissions from hens fed the CM diet (255.1, 560.6, and 616.3 mg/bird; P < 0.01). Daily emissions of H(2)S across trials from hens fed the RE diet were 4.08 mg/bird compared with 1.32 mg/bird from hens fed the CM diet (P < 0.01). Diet (P < 0.05) and age (P < 0.05) affected emissions of CO(2) and CH(4). A diet effect (P < 0.01) on NO emissions was observed. No diet or age effects (P > 0.05) were observed for NO(2) or non-CH(4) total hydrocarbons. Results demonstrated that diet and layer age influence air emissions from poultry operations.

Effects of dietary cottonseed meal and iron-treated cottonseed meal in different laying hen genotypes.

PubMed

Panigrahi, S; Morris, T R

1991-03-01

The effects of dietary screw-pressed cottonseed meal (CSM) and iron-treated CSM on laying performance and discolourations in eggs were examined in a range of hen genotypes. In experiment 1, six genotypes, obtained at point-of-lay from various sources, were fed on a non-CSM diet, a diet with 300 g CSM/kg, and a diet containing iron-treated CSM at 300 g/kg. In experiment 2, two of these genotypes were reared together from day-old and were fed from 10 to 18 weeks on a non-CSM diet or a diet containing iron-treated CSM at 250 g/kg. They were then fed on a non-CSM layer diet or a diet containing iron-treated CSM at 300 g/kg, in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design that also examined the effects of the rearing diet. 2. The effects on food intakes and egg production of including CSM and iron-treated CSM in layer diets depended on the genotype of the hens. The strongest interaction between breed and diet was on food intake, the breed Hubbard Golden Comet (HGC) being the least tolerant of CSM and iron-treated CSM. 3. Inclusion of iron-treated CSM in the rearer diet to supply approximately 70% of the dietary protein had no adverse effects on growth or age at first egg. Food intake and egg production between 18 and 26 weeks were affected by the iron-treated CSM layer diet, but there were no carry-over effects attributable to the rearing diets. 4. Genotype was not a factor in the development of the gossypol-related brown yolk discolouration in fresh or warm-stored eggs of hens fed on a CSM-based diet containing 197 mg free gossypol/kg and 52 mg cyclopropenoid fatty acids (CPFA)/kg (experiment 1). 5. In both experiments, the susceptibility of eggs to the CPFA-related cold storage effects depended on the genotype of the hen, eggs from hens of the HCG breed being more affected than those of ISA hens. 6. Treatment of CSM with crystalline ferrous sulphate heptahydrate, at a 4:1 weight ratio of iron to free gossypol, prevented brown yolk discolourations in all genotypes tested, as assessed by subjecting egg yolks to atmospheres of ammonia, and cold storage of eggs.

Feed Supplementation with Red Seaweeds, Chondrus crispus and Sarcodiotheca gaudichaudii, Reduce Salmonella Enteritidis in Laying Hens

PubMed Central

Kulshreshtha, Garima; Rathgeber, Bruce; MacIsaac, Janice; Boulianne, Martine; Brigitte, Lehoux; Stratton, Glenn; Thomas, Nikhil A.; Critchley, Alan T.; Hafting, Jeff; Prithiviraj, Balakrishnan

2017-01-01

Salmonella Enteritidis is vertically transmitted to eggs from laying hens through infected ovaries and oviducts. S. Enteritidis can also penetrate the eggshell from contaminated feces. Reducing S. Enteritidis in laying hens is vital to provide safer eggs and minimize the spread of salmonellosis to humans. Antibiotics have been widely used to control bacterial diseases in broilers and laying hens. However, there is a major concern that the use of antibiotics leads to the development of antibiotic resistance and adverse effects on microbiota of the treated birds. Thus, there is an interest in developing alternatives to antibiotics, such as dietary prebiotics. In the present study, feed supplemented with the red seaweeds: Chondrus crispus (CC) or Sarcodiotheca gaudichaudii (SG), was offered to laying hens late in production to control S. Enteritidis. Diets contained one of the following; 2% or 4% Chondrus crispus (CC2, and CC4, respectively) or Sarcodiotheca gaudichaudii (SG2 and SG4, respectively). Chlortetracycline was used in the positive control diet. During week-4, 48 birds were orally challenged with 2 × 109 CFU/mL of S. Enteritidis. Eggs and fecal samples were collected 1, 3, 5, and 7 days’ post inoculation. Birds were euthanized and organs (ceca, ovary, liver, and spleen) were sampled and analyzed for the presence of S. Enteritidis, 7 days’ post inoculation. Results showed that seaweed reduced the negative effect on body weight and egg production in S. Enteritidis-challenged laying hens. Analysis of fecal samples showed that the antibiotic (CTC) reduced S. Enteritidis in the intestinal tract and fecal samples, 3 days’ post inoculation. Fecal samples from Chlortetracycline and CC4 supplemented birds tested negative for S. Enteritidis on days 5 and 7 post inoculation (lowest detection limit = 10-1). S. Enteritidis colonization in the ceca was also significantly reduced in birds fed CC (4%) and Chlortetracycline. Blood serum profiles revealed that there were no significant differences in serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and sodium. However, the level of serum immunoglobulin (IgA) was higher in the CC4 treatment. The relative abundance of Lactobacillus acidophilus was significantly higher in CC4 while, the abundance of the pathogenic bacteria, Clostridium perfringens and Salmonella Enteritidis were reduced compared to control. Results indicate that feed supplemented with 4% CC is effective in providing protection against Salmonella Enteritidis colonization in laying hens. PMID:28443073

Ranging Behaviour of Commercial Free-Range Laying Hens.

PubMed

Chielo, Leonard Ikenna; Pike, Tom; Cooper, Jonathan

2016-04-26

In this study, the range use and behaviour of laying hens in commercial free-range flocks was explored. Six flocks were each visited on four separate days and data collected from their outdoor area (divided into zones based on distance from shed and available resources). These were: apron (0-10 m from shed normally without cover or other enrichments); enriched belt (10-50 m from shed where resources such as manmade cover, saplings and dust baths were provided); and outer range (beyond 50 m from shed with no cover and mainly grass pasture). Data collection consisted of counting the number of hens in each zone and recording behaviour, feather condition and nearest neighbour distance (NND) of 20 birds per zone on each visit day. In addition, we used techniques derived from ecological surveys to establish four transects perpendicular to the shed, running through the apron, enriched belt and outer range. Number of hens in each 10 m × 10 m quadrat was recorded four times per day as was the temperature and relative humidity of the outer range. On average, 12.5% of hens were found outside. Of these, 5.4% were found in the apron; 4.3% in the enriched zone; and 2.8% were in the outer range. This pattern was supported by data from quadrats, where the density of hens sharply dropped with increasing distance from shed. Consequently, NND was greatest in the outer range, least in the apron and intermediate in the enriched belt. Hens sampled in outer range and enriched belts had better feather condition than those from the apron. Standing, ground pecking, walking and foraging were the most commonly recorded activities with standing and pecking most likely to occur in the apron, and walking and foraging more common in the outer range. Use of the outer range declined with lower temperatures and increasing relative humidity, though use of apron and enriched belt was not affected by variation in these measures. These data support previous findings that outer range areas tend to be under-utilized in commercial free-range flocks and suggest positive relationships between range use, feather condition and increased behavioural opportunities and decline in the use of range in cold and/or damp conditions.

Evaluation of the performance of Hy-Line Brown laying hens fed soybean or soybean-free diets using cage or free-range rearing systems.

PubMed

Al-Ajeeli, M N; Leyva-Jimenez, H; Abdaljaleel, R A; Jameel, Y; Hashim, M M; Archer, G; Bailey, C A

2018-03-01

This study evaluated egg production and quality variables of caged and free-range Hy-Line Brown laying hens fed soybean meal (SBM) and soybean-meal-free (SBMF) diets. Hens were randomly assigned to the same 2 dietary treatments within 3 location blocks. SBM and SBMF diets with equivalent calculated nutrient content were prepared based on Hy-Line Brown rearing guidelines. The SBMF diets utilized cottonseed meal, corn distillers dried grains with solubles, corn gluten meal, and wheat middlings in place of dehulled soybean meal. The experiment was conducted between August 2015 and January of 2016 within the TAMU Poultry Research Center and data analyzed over 6 consecutive 28-day periods. Data were analyzed as a split-plot with rearing systems designated whole plots and diets designated as subplots. Hens reared in the free-range rearing system peaked a couple of wk later than those hens within the more conventional indoor caged system, and cumulative production data were considerably more variable for hens raised in the free-range environment. Cumulative egg production, feed per dozen eggs and feed conversion ratio (g feed/g egg) were 92 ± 1.23 and 86 ± 1.84%, 1.45 ± 0.02 and 1.89 ± 0.05 kg, and 2.14 ± 0.04 and 2.77 ± 0.08 (P < 0.05), respectively, for the caged vs. free-range rearing systems. Cumulative egg weight, feed per dozen eggs, and feed conversion ratio were 59.9 ± 0.59 and 56.5 ± 0.60 g, 1.57 ± 0.04 and 1.77 ± 0.05 kg, and 2.24 ± 0.06 and 2.67 ± 0.08 kg (P < 0.05) for SBM and SBMF diets, respectively. Diet did not affect cumulative egg production (P > 0.05). With respect to egg quality, there were no differences in cumulative albumen height, Haugh unit, or breaking strength, but there was a significant rearing system by diet interaction for shell thickness, with the free-range hens averaging 40.77 ± 0.19 and 39.86 ± 0.31 μm (P < 0.05), respectively, for the hens fed SBM vs. SBMF diets. In conclusion, the results suggested free-range production is more variable than traditional closed-house cage systems based on standard errors, and SBMF diets containing cottonseed meal can be used in both caged and free-range production systems without affecting egg production, although one might see lower egg weights.

Assessment of Plumage and Integument Condition in Dual-Purpose Breeds and Conventional Layers

PubMed Central

Spindler, Birgit; Kemper, Nicole

2017-01-01

Simple Summary Behavioural problems, such as injurious pecking, are major welfare concerns in laying hen husbandry. To take adequate measures at the right time, useful information about the occurrence of these problems in a flock can be obtained by examining the hens for feather loss and skin injuries. Although feather loss and injuries can also result from mechanical abrasion or health issues, they provide strong evidence of behavioural problems in a flock, particularly when observed on the back and the tail of the animals. In our study, the behaviour of two genetic strains of laying hens (conventional layers and dual-purpose breeds) was evaluated by means of two different methods for assessing the feathers and the skin on distinct body parts of the animals. One method was a mere visual inspection of the flocks, whereas the other included the capture and handling of individual hens. Damaging behaviour, which resulted in severe feather loss and skin injuries, only occurred in the conventional layers. Both of the methods provided similar results for feather loss and injuries for most of the tested body regions and weeks. Therefore, the mere visual method was sufficient to detect injurious behaviour in laying hens. Abstract The assessment of plumage and integument condition in laying hens provides useful information about the occurrence of feather pecking and cannibalism. Although feather loss and skin injuries can result from mechanical abrasion or clinical diseases, they are valid animal-based indicators for behavioural disorders. This particularly applies to damage on the back and tail region of the hens. The aim was to evaluate the behaviour of dual-purpose breeds (Lohmann Dual, LD) and conventional layer hybrids (Lohmann Brown plus, LB+), and to compare a mere visual assessment (Visual Scoring, VSc), with a method involving the handling of individual animals (Hands-on Scoring, HSc). During weekly VSc, the hens’ plumage and integument were scored on five body parts. HSc was carried out on seven study days applying the same scoring scale as for VSc. In LB+ hens, minor plumage damage started at 25 weeks and increased to the 71st week. With 99.5% of LB+ showing feather loss to a different extent, the back was the most severely affected body part. In contrast, only between 4.5% and 7% of LD showed minor feather loss at the end of the study. Integument damage reached a peak, with 6% affected LB+ in week 66. Injuries were found only sporadically in LD hens. Spearman’s rho for the comparison of plumages scores given in VSc and HSc was >0.90 (p < 0.01) in both hybrids for most of the tested body regions and weeks, except for the breast/belly region. However, VSc and HSc were equally valid for detecting skin injuries of all of the body regions (rs > 0.86, p < 0.01). Damaging behaviour only occurred in the LB+ flocks, though both of the genetic strains were kept under the same conditions. The visual scoring method was suitable for detecting both plumage and integument damage. PMID:29231892

In vivo and in vitro evaluation of tissue colonization and survival capacity of Salmonella Oranienburg in laying hens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Salmonella Oranienburg (SO) was linked to a human salmonellosis outbreak in the Midwest in 2015 and 2016 from consumption of eggs. However, unlike Salmonella Enteritidis (SE), little is known regarding the potential of SO to colonize in laying hens and contaminate eggs. We used in vivo and in vitr...

Cooled perch effects on performance and well-being traits in caged White Leghorn hens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We assessed the effects of chilled water cooling perches on hen performance, feather condition, foot health, and physiological and behavioral parameters during the 2013 summer with a 4-h acute heating episode. White Leghorn pullets at 16 wk of age were randomly assigned to 18 cages arranged into 3 b...

Apical blebs on sperm-storage tubule epithelial cell microvilli: their release and interaction with resident sperm in the turkey hen oviduct

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Technical Abstract: Located at the anterior end of the turkey hen vagina are numerous discrete tubular invaginations of the surface epithelium, collectively referred to as the sperm-storage tubules (SSTs). Following mating or artificial insemination, sperm ascend the vagina, enter the SSTs, and ove...

The Little Red Hen: Bringing a Folktale to Life. Grades K-1. Tapestries for Learning Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Kelly; Westley, Joan

This thematic unit involves kindergarten and 1st grade students in the production of a theatrical performance based on the folktale, "The Little Red Hen." The interdisciplinary unit connects knowledge related to theater arts, art, language arts, music, applied mathematics, social studies, and science. Students visit a local theater and…

Counting Affects: Mo(ve)ments of Intensity in Critical Avian Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pedersen, Helena

2011-01-01

This article seeks to contribute to the idea of "posthumanist education" by unfolding an educational situation where an assemblage of two humans and 33 former battery hens is gathered to carry out a so-called cognitive bias experiment for two days. A Deleuzian repertoire is set in motion to configure the dynamics of hens intervening in…

Colonization of mature laying hens with salmonella enteritidis by oral or intracloacal inoculation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A major route of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) infection is the fecal-oral route. Evidence of SE in internal organs of laying hens once they are inoculated via the oral (OR) or intracloacal (IC) route has not been reliably demonstrated. The current study evaluated OR or IC route of inoculation of a na...

Colonization of internal organs by Salmonella Enteritidis in experimentally infected laying hens housed in enriched colony cages at different stocking densities

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The frequency of human infections with Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) has been linked to contaminated eggs and thus to SE prevalence in commercial egg-laying flocks. Contamination of the edible contents of eggs is a consequence of SE colonization of reproductive tissues in systemically infected hens. T...

Mechanisms of lipid mobilization towards egg formation in broiler breeder hens using stable isotopes.

PubMed

Salas, C; Ekmay, R D; England, J A; Cerrate, S; Coon, C N

2017-02-01

The contribution of dietary, mobilized, or newly synthesized fatty acids in yolk formation at different periods of egg production was determined. In an initial experiment, a single dose of 13 C-linoleic acid was administered to pullets at the onset of egg production and their presence in follicles determined over the subsequent 10 days. In a second experiment, pullets were fed a daily 15 mg dose of U- 13 C-glucose beginning 2 wk prior to sexual maturity through the end of the experimental period. A 50 mg meal of U- 13 C-linoleic acid was orally administered approximately 10 d prior to sexual maturity (defined as first egg) representing body linoleic acid. Upon each hen's first egg, each bird received a 25 mg meal of 2 D 31 -linoleic acid representing dietary linoleic acid. All eggs were collected for the next 10 days. The incorporation of labeled linoleic acid and palmitic acid in egg yolk was then determined using GC-MS. This process was repeated at peak production and at 45 wk of age. At sexual maturity, the deposition of labeled palmitic acid in the yolk was higher compared with its deposition at peak production and 45 wk of age. The deposition of both 13 C- and 2 D 31 -linoleic acid increased with hen age. These results suggest that dietary and tissue linoleic acid is utilized to a greater extent in older hens and that lipogenesis (synthesis of palmitic acid) plays a larger role at sexual maturity in the young hen. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Performance of an image analysis processing system for hen tracking in an environmental preference chamber.

PubMed

Kashiha, Mohammad Amin; Green, Angela R; Sales, Tatiana Glogerley; Bahr, Claudia; Berckmans, Daniel; Gates, Richard S

2014-10-01

Image processing systems have been widely used in monitoring livestock for many applications, including identification, tracking, behavior analysis, occupancy rates, and activity calculations. The primary goal of this work was to quantify image processing performance when monitoring laying hens by comparing length of stay in each compartment as detected by the image processing system with the actual occurrences registered by human observations. In this work, an image processing system was implemented and evaluated for use in an environmental animal preference chamber to detect hen navigation between 4 compartments of the chamber. One camera was installed above each compartment to produce top-view images of the whole compartment. An ellipse-fitting model was applied to captured images to detect whether the hen was present in a compartment. During a choice-test study, mean ± SD success detection rates of 95.9 ± 2.6% were achieved when considering total duration of compartment occupancy. These results suggest that the image processing system is currently suitable for determining the response measures for assessing environmental choices. Moreover, the image processing system offered a comprehensive analysis of occupancy while substantially reducing data processing time compared with the time-intensive alternative of manual video analysis. The above technique was used to monitor ammonia aversion in the chamber. As a preliminary pilot study, different levels of ammonia were applied to different compartments while hens were allowed to navigate between compartments. Using the automated monitor tool to assess occupancy, a negative trend of compartment occupancy with ammonia level was revealed, though further examination is needed. ©2014 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Sensory quality of mayonnaise formulated with eggs produced by laying hens fed diet enriched with purslane meal (Portulaca oleracea)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kartikasari, L. R.; Hertanto, B. S.; Nuhriawangsa, A. M. P.

2018-01-01

The objective of the study was to assess the sensory quality of mayonnaise formulated by egg yolks produced by hens fed purslane meal as a source of omega-3 (n-3) fats, alpha-linolenic acid. Eggs used were produced by Hy-Line Brown hens (38 weeks old) fed five diets suplemented with 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8% purslane meal. A total of 40 eggs of day 29 (n = 8 eggs for each treatment) were collected to formulate mayonnaise. The ingredient composition of mayonnaise was 14% egg yolks, 9% vinegar, 74% corn oil, 1% salt, 1% sugar, and 1% mustard. The parameters included colour, emulsion stability, texture, homogeneity, aroma, taste and flavour of mayonnaise. The findings of sensory evaluation by quantitative descriptive analysis showed that the use of egg yolk from hens fed dietary purslane meal up to 8% resulted in a significant effect on the yellow color of mayonnaise, but did not significantly affect emulsion stability, texture, homogeneity, aroma, taste, and flavour. Based on consumer preference, consumers did not detect any differences in the sensory characteristics between mayonnaise prepared from control eggs and those formulated with eggs produced from dietary treatment. Apparently, there was an increase in colour liking by inclusion of purslane meal. In conclusion, eggs from laying hens fed diets supplemented with purslane meal improved the colour intensity of mayonnaise. Mayonnaise formulation using eggs from diets added with Portulaca oleraceae meal up to a level of 8% can be applied without influencing mayonnaise sensory characteristics and consumer acceptance.

Identification and evaluation of vaccine candidate antigens from the poultry red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae)

PubMed Central

Bartley, Kathryn; Wright, Harry W.; Huntley, John F.; Manson, Erin D.T.; Inglis, Neil F.; McLean, Kevin; Nath, Mintu; Bartley, Yvonne; Nisbet, Alasdair J.

2015-01-01

An aqueous extract of the haematophagous poultry ectoparasite, Dermanyssus gallinae, was subfractionated using anion exchange chromatography. Six of these subfractions were used to immunise hens and the blood from these hens was fed, in vitro, to poultry red mites. Mite mortality following these feeds was indicative of protective antigens in two of the subfractions, with the risks of mites dying being 3.1 and 3.7 times higher than in the control group (P < 0.001). A combination of two-dimensional immunoblotting and immunoaffinity chromatography, using IgY from hens immunised with these subfractions, was used in concert with proteomic analyses to identify the strongest immunogenic proteins in each of these subfractions. Ten of the immunoreactive proteins were selected for assessment as vaccine candidates using the following criteria: intensity of immune recognition; likelihood of exposure of the antigen to the antibodies in a blood meal; proposed function and known vaccine potential of orthologous molecules. Recombinant versions of each of these 10 proteins were produced in Escherichia coli and were used to immunise hens. Subsequent in vitro feeding of mites on blood from these birds indicated that immunisation with Deg-SRP-1 (serpin), Deg-VIT-1 (vitellogenin), Deg-HGP-1 (hemelipoglycoprotein) or Deg-PUF-1 (a protein of unknown function) resulted in significantly increased risk of mite death (1.7–2.8 times higher than in mites fed blood from control hens immunised with adjuvant only, P < 0.001). The potential for using these antigens in a recombinant vaccine is discussed. PMID:26296690

[Karnosfsky index as a mortality predicting factor in patients on home-based enteral nutrition].

PubMed

Puiggròs, C; Lecha, M; Rodríguez, T; Pérez-Portabella, C; Planas, M

2009-01-01

Karnofsky Index (KI) is a widely used functional scale developed for oncology patients. It has proved useful as outcome predictor with cancer and geriatric patients. Theoretically, KI could be used to predict mortality in patients with home enteral nutrition (HEN). To determine baseline KI and its 6-month evolution in HEN patients, and to assess its relation with the mortality rate. Observational and prospective study carried out during 2002 and 2003 with tube feeding neurologic and cancer patients followed during 10 months since their HEN programme inclusion. 201 patients were included, 131 (65.2%) with neurological diseases and 70 (34.8%) with neoplasm. There were not significant differences between groups in age, days with HEN and mortality rate at the end of the study period (35.1% in neurologic patients and 40% in cancer ones). 27.1% of cancer patients had resumed full oral nutrition after ten months from the beginning of the study, whereas only 10.7% of neurologic patients did (p < 0.05). In the three measurement phases (initial, past-3 and past-6 months) KI values were higher for cancer patients than for neurologic ones (p < 0.001). In both groups we didn't found statistically significant differences in KI along the three measurements. A significant relation was observed overall between initial KI values and average survival after 10 months (p < 0.001), and an inverse relation was found between the former and mortality rate (p < 0.001). KI is a useful tool to predict mortality rate in cancer and neurologic patients under HEN.

Infectious bronchitis virus and brown shell colour: Australian strains of infectious bronchitis virus affect brown eggshell colour in commercial laying hens differently.

PubMed

Samiullah, Sami; Roberts, Juliet; Chousalkar, Kapil

2016-10-01

The aim of the current study was to assess any effect of wild and vaccine Australian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) strains on shell colour in brown-shelled eggs. In Experiment 1, eggs were collected from day 1 to day 13 post-inoculation (p.i.) from unvaccinated laying hens challenged with IBV wild strains T and N1/88 and from a negative control group of hens. In Experiment 2, eggs were collected from 2 to 22 days p.i. from unvaccinated and vaccinated laying hens challenged with either a wild or a vaccine strain of IBV. In Experiment 1, there was a significant effect (P < 0.05) of day p.i. and of viral strain on shell reflectivity, L* and protoporphyrin IX (PP IX) in eggshells, with and without cuticle. The mean PP IX/g of shell with and without cuticle was significantly higher on day 1 p.i. compared to day 7, after which PP IX increased with day p.i. In Experiment 2, shell reflectivity and L* increased and PP IX decreased with increased day p.i. until day 12. Shell reflectivity and L* decreased slightly after day 12 and increased again towards day 22. Shell reflectivity, L* and PP IX were not significantly different for eggshells from unvaccinated and vaccinated laying hens in the intact eggshell, but were significantly different in shells from which cuticle had been removed. In conclusion, the IBV strains reduced the intensity of brown shell colour to different extents with a lower amount of PP IX in eggshells.

IgE-mediated food allergies in Swiss infants and children.

PubMed

Ferrari, Giovanni Gaspare; Eng, Peter Andreas

2011-10-12

To determine the most frequent food allergens causing immediate hypersensitivity reactions in Swiss children of different age groups and to investigate the clinical manifestation of IgE-mediated food allergies in young patients. The study was a prospective analysis of children referred for assessment of immediate type I food hypersensitivity reactions. The diagnostic strategy included a careful history, skin prick tests with commercial extracts and native foods, in vitro determination of specific IgE to food proteins and food challenges when appropriate. A total of 278 food allergies were identified in 151 children with a median age of 1.9 years at diagnosis. Overall, the most frequent food allergens were hen's egg (23.7%), cow's milk (20.1%), peanut (14.0%), hazelnut (10.4%), wheat (6.1%), fish (4.3%), kiwi and soy (2.2% each). In infancy, cow's milk, hen's egg and wheat were the most common allergens. In the second and third year of life however, the top three food allergens were hen's egg, cow's milk and peanut, whereas above the age of 3 years, peanut was number one, followed by hen's egg and fish. Overall, urticaria (59.0%) and angioedema (30.2%) were the most frequent clinical manifestations. Gastrointestinal symptoms were found in 25.9% and respiratory involvement in 25.2%. There were 13 cases (4.7%) of anaphylaxis to peanut, fish, cow's milk, hen's egg, wheat and shrimps. A total of eight allergens account for 83% of IgE-mediated food allergies in Swiss infants and children, with differences in the distribution and order of the most frequently involved food allergens between paediatric age groups.

Identification and evaluation of vaccine candidate antigens from the poultry red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae).

PubMed

Bartley, Kathryn; Wright, Harry W; Huntley, John F; Manson, Erin D T; Inglis, Neil F; McLean, Kevin; Nath, Mintu; Bartley, Yvonne; Nisbet, Alasdair J

2015-11-01

An aqueous extract of the haematophagous poultry ectoparasite, Dermanyssus gallinae, was subfractionated using anion exchange chromatography. Six of these subfractions were used to immunise hens and the blood from these hens was fed, in vitro, to poultry red mites. Mite mortality following these feeds was indicative of protective antigens in two of the subfractions, with the risks of mites dying being 3.1 and 3.7 times higher than in the control group (P<0.001). A combination of two-dimensional immunoblotting and immunoaffinity chromatography, using IgY from hens immunised with these subfractions, was used in concert with proteomic analyses to identify the strongest immunogenic proteins in each of these subfractions. Ten of the immunoreactive proteins were selected for assessment as vaccine candidates using the following criteria: intensity of immune recognition; likelihood of exposure of the antigen to the antibodies in a blood meal; proposed function and known vaccine potential of orthologous molecules. Recombinant versions of each of these 10 proteins were produced in Escherichia coli and were used to immunise hens. Subsequent in vitro feeding of mites on blood from these birds indicated that immunisation with Deg-SRP-1 (serpin), Deg-VIT-1 (vitellogenin), Deg-HGP-1 (hemelipoglycoprotein) or Deg-PUF-1 (a protein of unknown function) resulted in significantly increased risk of mite death (1.7-2.8times higher than in mites fed blood from control hens immunised with adjuvant only, P<0.001). The potential for using these antigens in a recombinant vaccine is discussed. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Eggshell bacterial levels of non-washed and washed eggs from caged and cage-free hens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The bacteria levels of non-washed and washed eggs obtained from caged and cage-free laying hens housed on either all shavings or all wire slat floors were determined. On eight sample days (from 22 to 52 weeks at 4 week intervals), 20 eggs were collected from each pen (n=120/sample day). Ten eggs p...

"One Hen:" Using Children's Literature in Project-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitlock, Annie McMahon; Fox, Kim

2014-01-01

Can reading a book about a boy and a hen in Ghana make a difference to fifth graders in their Michigan community? Indeed, it can, and in myriad ways. At a suburban elementary school in Michigan, the authors introduced fifth graders to economic concepts in a project-based learning (PBL) unit. They began by reading aloud and discussing the picture…

Charged Analogues of Henning Knutsen Type Solutions in General Relativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Y. K.; Kumar, Sachin; Pratibha

2011-11-01

In the present article, we have found charged analogues of Henning Knutsen's interior solutions which join smoothly to the Reissner-Nordstrom metric at the pressure free interface. The solutions are singularity free and analyzed numerically with respect to pressure, energy-density and charge-density in details. The solutions so obtained also present the generalization of A.L. Mehra's solutions.

Camelina meal increases egg n-3 fatty acid content without altering egg quality or production in laying hens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Camelina sativa is an oilseed plant rich in n-3 and n-6-fatty acids and extruding defatted seed meal results in high protein meal (~40%) containing residual n-3 fatty acids. We examined the effects of feeding extruded defatted camelina seed meal to commercial laying hens on egg production, quality, ...

Publications - SR 48 | Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys

Science.gov Websites

and Facilities Staff Seismic and Well Data Data Reports Contact Us Frequently Asked Questions Ask a , R.C., Clough, A.H., Henning, M.W., and Hansen, E.W. Publication Date: 1994 Publisher: Alaska Division ., Swainbank, R.C., Clough, A.H., Henning, M.W., and Hansen, E.W., 1994, Alaska's mineral industry 1993: Alaska

Publications - SR 49 | Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys

Science.gov Websites

and Facilities Staff Seismic and Well Data Data Reports Contact Us Frequently Asked Questions Ask a , T.K., Clough, A.H., Henning, M.W., and Hansen, E.W. Publication Date: 1995 Publisher: Alaska Division ., Bundtzen, T.K., Clough, A.H., Henning, M.W., and Hansen, E.W., 1995, Alaska's mineral industry 1994: Alaska

Reduction of Salmonella Enteritidis in the spleens of hens by bacterins that vary in fimbrial protein SefD

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Gene sefD is part of operon sefABCD, and it is required for production of the SEF14 fimbria by Salmonella Enteritidis. We compared strains that varied in SefD content for their ability to reduce recovery of Salmonella Enteritidis from the spleens of hens infected by parenteral challenge. The two bac...

Demand Equations for Qualitatively Different Foods under Fixed-Ratio Schedules: A Comparison of Three Data Conversions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, T. Mary; Sumpter, Catherine E.; Temple, William; Flevill, Amanda; Poling, Alan

2009-01-01

Concurrent schedules were used to establish 6 hens' preferences for three foods. The resulting biases suggested wheat was preferred over honey-puffed and puffed wheat, and puffed wheat was the least preferred food. The hens then responded under fixed-ratio schedules for each food in 40-min (excluding reinforcer time) sessions, with the response…

Early Life in a Barren Environment Adversely Affects Spatial Cognition in Laying Hens (Gallus gallus domesticus)

PubMed Central

Tahamtani, Fernanda M.; Nordgreen, Janicke; Nordquist, Rebecca E.; Janczak, Andrew M.

2015-01-01

Spatial cognition in vertebrates is adversely affected by a lack of environmental complexity during early life. However, to our knowledge, no previous studies have tested the effect of early exposure to varying degrees of environmental complexity on specific components of spatial cognition in chickens. There are two main rearing systems for laying hens in the EU: aviaries and cages. These two systems differ from one another in environmental complexity. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that rearing in a barren cage environment relative to a complex aviary environment causes long-lasting deficits in the ability to perform spatial tasks. For this purpose, 24 white Dekalb laying hens, half of which had been reared in an aviary system and the other half in a conventional cage system, were tested in a holeboard task. Birds from both treatment groups learnt the task; however, the cage-reared hens required more time to locate rewards and had poorer levels of working memory. The latter finding supports the hypothesis that rearing in a barren environment causes long-term impairment of short-term memory in chickens. PMID:26664932

The effects of antioxidants on the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the hen's egg.

PubMed

Kassab, A; Abrams, J T; Sainsbury, D W

1979-01-01

In experiments to see whether, in the possible interests of human health, the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content of the chicken's egg can be increased by nutritional means, three strains of hen, light, medium, and heavy, each at the peak of lay, were first fed a basal, commercial, low-fat diet. The hens were then transferred to one of the following diets: basal + safflower oil (SO); basal + SO + butylated hydroxytoluene; or basal + SO + dl-a-toco-pheryl acetate. The diets were designated "Blank", "BHT", and "Vitamin E", respectively, the second and third containing the added antioxidants. The eggs produced were weighed, and their yolks weighed and analysed for lipid components. Additional of SO (7.5%) to the basal diet led to the PUFA content of the yolk lipids rising by 15.4% (linoleic acid, 14.1%), the magnitude of the increases being unaffected by the antioxidants. Diet "BHT" produced larger eggs and yolks than the other diets, but the proportion of yolk was the same on the three types of feed. The total cholesterol content of egg yolks was significantly affected neither by diet, nor by strain or age of hen. The implications of these results are discussed.

Extraction and characterization of elastin from poultry skin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nadalian, Mehdi; Yusop, Salma Mohamad; Mustapha, Wan Aida Wan; Azman, Mohd Azri; Babji, Abdul Salam

2013-11-01

Poultry by-products have a great economic potential that need to be exploited. Poultry skin could be utilized to produce elastin, which is often incorporated in the production of functional food or medicine due to its antioxidative properties. This study was conducted to determine the physicochemical and microstructural characteristics of elastins isolated from broiler and spent hen skin. Analyses including proximate and amino acid composition along with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were carried out. In this study, elastin was successfully extracted from broiler and spent hen skin using three successive solvents extract of NaCl, acetone and NaOH respectively. It was apparent that the fat content of extracted elastin from broiler skin was higher (P < 0.05) than spent hen's, with both samples recording less than 1% fat. Moreover, broiler skin elastin also had a higher protein content (68.3%) than spent hen's (67.8%). Both skin sources contained glycine as the major amino acid (19-20%), followed by glutamic acid, proline, alanine and arginine. The results of TEM indicated that the use of collagenase enzyme or further purification efforts should be incorporated along with the extraction methods used because of the presence of collagen and other debris in the resultant elastin.

Distribution of ingested americium in chickens and transport to eggs. Final report, 1975

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mullen, A.A.; Lloyd, S.R.; Mosley, R.E.

1976-05-01

The soluble citrate complex of americium-241 was orally administered to 20 white Leghorn laying hens daily for two weeks. The yolks, whites, and shells from the eggs were analyzed for their americium content. Yolk was the only egg fraction in which radioactivity was observed. The americium-241 activity in yolks reached a maximum on the 14th day of dosing. Biological half-times of 2.00 plus or minus 0.18 days and greater than 33 days were indicated by the average concentration values of americium-241 in yolks laid after the maximum activity was reached. The hens were serially sacrificed at 1, 10, and 20more » days after the final administration of americium-241. Tissue samples were collected and the americium content determined in the edible portions and feathers of the hens. Americium was detected in most tissues shortly after dosing; the main concentrations were found in the liver and the skeleton. The highest concentration per organ (3.03 X 0.001 percent of the dose) occurred in the liver of the hens sacrificed 10 days after final administration of americium-241. (GRA)« less

Fear of humans and its relationships with productivity in laying hens at commercial farms.

PubMed

Barnett, J L; Hemsworth, P H; Newman, E A

1992-09-01

1. The relationship between the behavioural responses of laying hens to humans and productivity was determined at 16 commercial sheds from 14 farms. 2. A number of behaviour variables were moderately to highly correlated with production variables; for example, the proportion of birds that moved away from an approaching experimenter in an unfamiliar environment ('shute test') was negatively correlated with peak hen day production, (PKHDP). 3. Behavioural responses to humans accounted for between 23 and 63% of the variation in a number of production variables, including PKHDP and the duration of a high level of production. 4. Inclusion of farm factor variables increased the amount of variation accounted for by the behaviour variables. For example, adding the variable 'time/day spent in the shed by stockpeople' to the behaviour variables 'the proportion of birds that moved away from an approaching human' in the shute test and 'the number of times birds in cages adopted an erect posture' in response to an approaching human increased the variation accounted for in PKHDP from 53 to 61%. 5. The results suggest that fear of humans may be a factor that limits the productivity of commercial laying hens.

Short-term effects of lower oil dried distillers grains with solubles in laying hen rations.

PubMed

Purdum, Sheila; Hanford, Kathy; Kreifels, Brett

2014-10-01

Extraction of oil from dried distillers grains has become a common practice among US ethanol producers. The valuable oil has been diverted to markets other than poultry feed, leaving new dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) products higher in fiber and purportedly lower in ME. This study compared 3 DDGS products with 10.3, 7.3, or 5.2% ether extract, respectively, with a corn-soy control ration in young Bovan laying hens for a feeding period from 20 to 33 wk of age. The DDGS was fed at the rate of 20% of the ration. Lower oil content of DDGS had no effect on short-term egg production parameters: feed intake, egg production, egg weight or mass, and hen weight gain. The diets containing lower fat DDGS (5.2%) did have reduced AME and kilocalories per day intake for laying hens. For each percent reduction in oil from a normal DDGS sample (10.3%) to medium oil (7.3%) DDGS, AME decreased 42.3 kcal/kg of diet. However, total kilocalories per day intake did sustain good egg production during this short trial. ©2014 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Toxicity studies on agents Gb and Gd (Phase 2): Delayed neuropathy study of soman in SPF white leghorn chickens. Final technical report, July 1985-August 1991

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bucci, T.J.; Parker, R.M.; Gosnell, P.A.

1992-05-01

A dose rangefinding study, a delayed neuropathy study, and a neurotoxic esterase study, were performed in White Leghorn chickens using the organophosphate ester Soman. The hens used for the Rangefinding study were dosed once orally with 500, 250, 100, 50, 25, or 0 microns g/Kg GD, on Day 1. They were pretreated and protected daily through Day 7 with atropine. Surviving hens were euthanized with sodium pentobarbital on Day 21. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) to be used in the Delayed Neuropathy Study was chosen based upon the rangefinding data. Fifty hens were assigned to a Single Dose Delayed Neuropathymore » study. Groups of ten hens were given 14.2 (MTD), 7.1 (MTD/2), 3.5 (MTD/4), 0 (negative control) microns/Kg GD or 51 0 mg/Kg tri-ortho-cresyl phosphate (TOCP) (positive control). Rangefinding study. They were evaluated for signs of neurologic toxicity/ataxia. Necropsy examination was performed on all animals. Sections of cerebellum, medulla, spinal cord (cervical, thoracic, and lumbar), both sciatic nerves and their tibial branch were examined microscopically.... Delayed neuropathy; Agents; Soman; Chickens.« less

Activation of mitochondria-mediated apoptotic pathway in tri-ortho-cresyl phosphate-induced delayed neuropathy.

PubMed

Zou, Chaoshuang; Kou, Ruirui; Gao, Yuan; Xie, Keqin; Song, Fuyong

2013-06-01

Previous studies suggest that abnormal neurons death has been implicated in organophosphate-induced delayed neuropathy (OPIDN). However, the precise mechanism of neuronal death in OPIDN remains largely unknown. In this study, adult hens were treated with a dosage of 750 mg/kg tri-ortho-cresyl phosphate (TOCP) by gavage, and then sacrificed on the time-points of 1, 5, 10, and 21 days after dosing TOCP, respectively. The apoptotic change of spinal cord neurons induced by TOCP was examined, and the role of mitochondria-mediated apoptosis of neurons during OPIDN was investigated. TUNEL assays showed that apoptotic neurons in hen spinal cords began to appear on day 5 following TOCP exposure. Immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis revealed a translocation of cytochrome C from mitochondria to cytoplasm after dosing TOCP. Moreover, the level of Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, Pro-caspase3 and Pro-caspase9 in hen spinal cord was significantly decreased, whereas that of Bax and cleaved-PARP was significantly elevated. Taken together, these findings indicate that the administration of TOCP can induce neuron apoptosis in hen spinal cords, which might be mediated by the activation of mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of replacing dietary vitamin E by sage on performance and meatiness of spent hens, and the oxidative stability of sausages produced from their meat.

PubMed

Loetscher, Y; Kreuzer, M; Albiker, D; Stephan, R; Messikommer, R E

2014-01-01

A total of 3960 hens (half ISA Warren and half Dekalb White) were housed in 18 compartments with 220 hens each. The effect of replacing dietary vitamin E by sage on productivity, meat yield and oxidative stability of sausages was studied. One third of all animals received either a vitamin E deficient diet (negative control) or diets supplemented with 30 mg/kg α-tocopherylacetate (positive control) or 25 g sage leaves/kg. At slaughter, meat yield was assessed and sausages were produced (n = 12 per treatment). The omission of vitamin E did not impair the oxidative stability of the raw sausage material or the spiced sausages in comparison to the positive control. Sage supplementation improved oxidative stability after 7 m of frozen storage, but not after 1, 4 and 10 m. Spice addition during meat processing had an antioxidant effect regardless of dietary treatment. Diet supplementation of any type did not affect laying performance and sausage meat yield. Feeding antioxidants to spent hens seemed to be not as efficient as in growing chickens, while seasoning with spices during sausage production proved to be a feasible way to delay lipid oxidation.

HPLC residues of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin in eggs of laying hens.

PubMed

Gorla, N; Chiostri, E; Ugnia, L; Weyers, A; Giacomelli, N; Davicino, R; García Ovando, H

1997-05-01

Eggs of 12 laying hens with 5 mg/kg/day oral administration of 5% enrofloxacin (EFX) or ciprofloxacin (CFX) solution during 5 days contained residues from 0.02 to 1.98 microg/g (EFX) or 0.14 to 0.28 microg/g (CFX). At identical dosage regime High Performance Liquid Chromatograhy (HPLC) residues of EFX were 6-fold greater than CFX ones. Maximun concentrations were detected at the second day after the administration withdrawal. The limits of detection were 0.019 microg/g for EFX and 0.156 microg/g for CFX. The recovery was 36-50% for CFX and 49-85% for EFX. The withdrawal treatment periods in hens are six days for EFX and five days for CFX in order to avoid violative levels of egg residues.

[Detection of Brachyspira pilosicoli and other Brachyspira species in Argentine poultry farms].

PubMed

Illanes, Natalia V; Tamiozzo, Pablo J; Cabral, Ana; Bertone, Judith; Romanini, Silvia; Yaciuk, Raúl; Vázquez, Mercedes; Pelliza, Bibiana R

2016-01-01

Some species of the genus Brachyspira such as Brachyspira pilosicoli, Brachyspira intermedia and Brachyspira alvinipulli are pathogenic species capable of producing disease in laying hens. In our country, the presence of B. pilosicoli and other species of Brachyspira has been reported in pigs and dogs but there is no record of their presence in poultry. Fecal and cecal content samples from 34 laying hens of 4, 12 and 24 months of age from two farms were analyzed by isolation, biochemical tests and PCR. B. pilosicoli and Brachyspira spp. were identified in samples taken from laying hens of 12 and 24 months of age. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Dietary supplementation of organic selenium could improve performance, antibody response, and yolk oxidative stability in laying hens fed on diets containing oxidized fat.

PubMed

Laika, M; Jahanian, R

2015-06-01

The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of organic selenium (Se) on performance, egg quality indices, and yolk oxidative stability in laying hens fed diets with different fat sources. A total of 270 Hy-line W-36 Leghorn hens of 47 weeks of age were randomly distributed into the 5 replicate cages of 9 dietary treatments. Experimental diets consisted of a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments with three different fat sources (soybean oil, SO; yellow grease, YG; and palm fat powder, PFP) and three different levels of supplemental Se (0, 0.2, and 0.4 mg/kg of diet) as supplied by zinc-L-selenomethionine (ZnSeMet) complex, which fed during a 77-day feeding trial including 7 days for adaptation and 70 days as the main recording period. Results showed that the highest (P < 0.05) egg weights assigned to the hens fed on SO-supplemented diets. Hen-day egg production was affected by both dietary fat source (P < 0.01) and Se level (P < 0.05) throughout the trial period. Regardless of dietary fat source, dietary supplementation of ZnSeMet improved (P < 0.05) egg mass during all trial periods. Moreover, the significant (P < 0.05) fat  source× Se interactions were observed for egg mass, so that dietary supplementation with 0.4 mg/kg Se was more effective in diets supplemented with YG. Although feed intake was not affected by experimental diets during the first 35-day period, dietary inclusion of PFP reduced feed intake during both second 35-day (P < 0.01) and entire trial period (P < 0.05). The best (P < 0.01) feed conversion ratio during the first 35-day period was assigned to the birds fed on SO-diets, followed by those fed YG-diets. Dietary supplementation of ZnSeMet improved (P < 0.05) feed efficiency during the first 35-day period. Supplementation of ZnSeMet into the diets increased yolk index, with more impact in hens fed on YG-diets. The highest concentration of yolk malondialdehyde was observed in YG-fed groups, and ZnSeMet supplementation of diets decreased (P < 0.05) yolk malondialdehyde. The highest (P<0.01) glutathione peroxidase activity was observed for hens fed on diets supplemented by YG, followed by those on SO-diets. Although different fat sources had no effect on antibody titer against Newcastle disease virus, supplemental ZnSeMet improved (P < 0.05) antibody response. The present findings indicate that dietary supplementation of ZnSeMet could improve performance parameters and egg oxidative stability in laying hens, with the highest impact in diets containing oxidized (high peroxide values) fat sources.

Review: welfare perspectives on hens kept for egg production.

PubMed

Craig, J V; Swanson, J C

1994-07-01

The wild ancestors of chickens, along with those of most other farm animals, were preadapted to domestication because their lack of specialized requirements allowed them to adapt to a wide variety of environments provided by humans. Currently most commercial chickens kept for table-egg production are incubated, reared, and maintained as productive adults in high-density, artificial environments. Nevertheless, there are limits to adaptability as indicated by behavioral, physiological, immunological, and individual productivity indicators when environmental conditions become extreme. However, with the exception of obvious injury, no single criterion is likely to be adequate. Multiple indicators are required to obtain reliable evaluation of whether husbandry practices and environmental conditions reduce hens' welfare significantly. Concern for the well-being of hens has led to the phasing out of cages in two European countries. Although cages are known to be associated with some problems of well-being, it is known also that they have some welfare advantages for hens over alternative systems of production and they have definite economic advantages for producers. Therefore, it is doubtful whether the use of cages should be denied without exploring further the possibilities of cage modification or genetic selection aimed at improving the well-being of hens in such environments. Ethical perspectives relative to animals have been evolving since the time of Aristotle more than 300 yr B.C. Recent developments include divergence of welfare concerns between utilitarian and animal rights based philosophies. The utilitarians generally agree that animals may be used for human benefit if unnecessary pain and suffering are avoided and humane care and management criteria are met. Fundamentally, rights-oriented groups reject such exploitation. The general public exhibits a continuum of attitudes towards animals. However, there are indications that they are moving towards a protectionist attitude toward farm animals. Many requirements for good husbandry are known. However, uncertainty prevails in some areas, particularly with the necessity of routine procedures such as beak trimming and the amount of space needed, optimal group size, and whether nests, roosts, litter, and other quality of environment features are necessities or luxuries in terms of hens' welfare. Floor and feeder space and group size seem to be of paramount importance, and space that is adequate for well-being seems to be greater than that which yields the greatest net income. Genetic solutions to several behavior-related problems that compromise hens' well-being seem to be feasible and worthy of greater emphasis by commercial poultry breeders.

Vaccine-induced protection from egg production losses in commercial turkey breeder hens following experimental challenge with a triple-reassortant H3N2 avian influenza virus.

PubMed

Kapczynski, Darrell R; Gonder, Eric; Liljebjelke, Karen; Lippert, Ron; Petkov, Daniel; Tilley, Becky

2009-03-01

Infections of avian influenza virus (AIV) in turkey breeder hens can cause a decrease in both egg production and quality, resulting in significant production losses. In North Carolina in 2003, a triple-reassortant H3N2 AIV containing human, swine, and avian gene segments was isolated from turkey breeder hens (A/turkey/NC/16108/03). This viral subtype was subsequently isolated from both turkeys and swine in Ohio in 2004, and in Minnesota in 2005, and was responsible for significant losses in turkey production. The objective of this study was to determine if currently available commercial, inactivated avian influenza H3 subtype oil-emulsion vaccines would protect laying turkey hens from egg production losses following challenge with the 2003 H3N2 field virus isolate from North Carolina. Laying turkey hens were vaccinated in the field with two injections of either a commercial monovalent (A/duck/Minnesota/79/79 [H3N4]) or autogenous bivalent (A/turkey/North Carolina/05 (H3N2)-A/turkey/North Carolina/88 [H1N1]) vaccine, at 26 and 30 wk of age, and subsequently challenged under BSL 3-Ag conditions at 32 wk of age. Vaccine-induced efficacy was determined as protection from a 50% decrease in egg production and from a decrease in egg quality within 21 days postchallenge. Results indicate that, following a natural route of challenge (eye drop and intranasal), birds vaccinated with the 2005 North Carolina H3N2 subtype were significantly protected from the drop in egg production observed in both the H3N4 vaccinated and sham-vaccinated hens. The results demonstrate that groups receiving vaccines containing either H3 subtype had a decreased number of unsettable eggs, increased hemagglutination inhibition titers following challenge, and decreased virus isolations from cloacal swabs as compared to the sham-vaccinated group. Phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequence of the HA1 gene segment from the three H3 viruses used in these studies indicated that the two North Carolina turkey isolates had 90.4% similarity in HA1 nucleotide sequence, but had only 77.4% and 76.1% sequence similarity to the HA1 of the H3N4 duck isolate. This study provides the first detailed description of the clinical protection afforded to laying turkey hens by vaccination against challenge with a circulating field isolate of a H3N2 triple-reassortant AIV.

Early enrichment in free-range laying hens: effects on ranging behaviour, welfare and response to stressors.

PubMed

Campbell, D L M; Hinch, G N; Downing, J A; Lee, C

2018-03-01

Free-range laying hen systems are increasing within Australia. The pullets for these systems are typically reared indoors before being provided first range access around 21 to 26 weeks of age. Thus, the rearing and laying environments are disparate and hens may not adapt well to free-range housing. In this study, we reared 290 Hy-Line® Brown day-old chicks divided into two rooms each with feed, water and litter. In the enriched room, multiple structural, manipulable, visual and auditory stimuli were also provided from 4 to 21 days, the non-enriched room had no additional objects or stimuli. Pullets were transferred to the laying facility at 12 weeks of age and divided into six pens (three enriched-reared, three non-enriched-reared) with identical indoor resources and outdoor range area. All birds were first provided range access at 21 weeks of age. Video observations of natural disturbance behaviours on the range at 22 to 23 and 33 to 34 weeks of age showed no differences in frequency of disturbance occurrences between treatment groups (P=0.09) but a decrease in disturbance occurrences over time (P<0.0001). Radio-frequency identification tracking of individually tagged birds from 21 to 37 weeks of age showed enriched birds on average, spent less time on the range each day (P<0.04) but with a higher number of range visits than non-enriched birds from 21 to 24 weeks of age (P=0.01). Enriched birds accessed the range on more days (P=0.03) but over time, most birds in both treatment groups accessed the range daily. Basic external health scoring showed minimal differences between treatment groups with most birds in visibly good condition. At 38 weeks of age all birds were locked inside for 2 days and from 40 to 42 weeks of age the outdoor range was reduced to 20% of its original size to simulate stressful events. The eggs from non-enriched birds had higher corticosterone concentrations following lock-in and 2 weeks following range reduction compared with the concentrations within eggs from enriched birds (P<0.0001). Correspondingly, the enriched hens showing a greater increase in the number of visits following range area reduction compared to non-enriched hens (P=0.02). Only one rearing room per treatment was used but these preliminary data indicate 3 weeks of early enrichment had some long-term effects on hen ranging behaviour and enhanced hen's adaptability to environmental stressors.

The effect of space allowance and cage size on laying hens housed in furnished cages, Part II: Behavior at the feeder.

PubMed

Widowski, T M; Caston, L J; Casey-Trott, T M; Hunniford, M E

2017-09-01

Standards for feeder (a.k.a. feed trough) space allowance (SA) are based primarily on studies in conventional cages where laying hens tend to eat simultaneously, limiting feeder space. Large furnished cages (FC) offer more total space and opportunities to perform a greater variety of behaviors, which may affect feeding behavior and feeder space requirements. Our objective was to determine the effects of floor/feeder SA on behavior at the feeder. LSL-Lite hens were housed in FC equipped with a nest, perches, and a scratch mat. Hens with SA of either 520 cm2 (Low; 8.9 cm feeder space/hen) or 748 cm2 (High; 12.8 cm feeder space/hen) per bird resulted in groups of 40 vs. 28 birds in small FC (SFC) and 80 vs. 55 in large FC (LFC). Chain feeders ran at 0500, 0800, 1100, 1400, and 1700 with lights on at 0500 and off at 1900 hours. Digital recordings of FC were scanned at chain feeder onset and every 15 min for one h after (5 scans × 5 feeding times × 2 d) to count the number of birds with their head in the feeder. All occurrences of aggressive pecks and displacements during 2 continuous 30-minute observations at 0800 h and 1700 h also were counted. Mixed model repeated analyses tested the effects of SA, cage size, and time on the percent of hens feeding, and the frequency of aggressive pecks and displacements. Surprisingly, the percent of birds feeding simultaneously was similar regardless of cage size (LFC: 23.0 ± 0.9%; SFC: 24.0 ± 1.0%; P = 0.44) or SA (Low: 23.8 ± 0.9%; High: 23.3 ± 1.0%; P = 0.62). More birds were observed feeding at 1700 h (35.3 ± 0.1%) than any at other time (P < 0.001). Feeder use differed by cage area (nest, middle, or scratch) over the d (P < 0.001). The frequency of aggressive pecks was low overall and not affected by SA or cage size. Frequency of displacements was also low but greater at Low SA (P = 0.001). There was little evidence of feeder competition at the Low SA in this study. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Poultry Science Association.

Frequency and Duration of Fecal Shedding of Salmonella Enteritidis by Experimentally Infected Laying Hens Housed in Enriched Colony Cages at Different Stocking Densities

PubMed Central

Gast, Richard K.; Guraya, Rupa; Jones, Deana R.; Anderson, Kenneth E.; Karcher, Darrin M.

2017-01-01

Human infections with Salmonella Enteritidis are often attributed to the consumption of contaminated eggs, so the prevalence of this pathogen in egg-laying poultry is an important public health risk factor. Numerous and complex environmental influences on Salmonella persistence and transmission are exerted by management practices and housing facilities used in commercial egg production. In recent years, the animal welfare implications of poultry housing systems have guided the development of alternatives to traditional cage-based housing, but their food safety consequences are not yet fully understood. The present study assessed the effects of different bird stocking densities on the frequency and duration of fecal shedding of S. Enteritidis in groups of experimentally infected laying hens housed in colony cages enriched with perching and nesting areas. In two trials, groups of laying hens were distributed at two stocking densities (648 and 973 cm2/bird) into enriched colony cages and (along with a group housed in conventional cages at 648 cm2/bird) orally inoculated with doses of 1.0 × 108 cfu of S. Enteritidis. At 10 weekly postinoculation intervals, samples of voided feces were collected from beneath each cage and cultured to detect S. Enteritidis. Fecal shedding of S. Enteritidis was detected for up to 10 weeks postinoculation by hens in all three housing treatment groups. The overall frequency of positive fecal cultures was significantly (P < 0.05) greater from conventional cages than from enriched colony cages (at the lower stocking density) for the total of all sampling dates (45.0 vs. 33.3%) and also for samples collected at 4–9 weeks postinfection. Likewise, the frequency of S. Enteritidis isolation from feces from conventional cages was significantly greater than from enriched colony cages (at the higher hen stocking density) for the sum of all samples (45.0 vs. 36.7%) and at 6 weeks postinoculation. Moreover, the frequency of S. Enteritidis fecal recovery from enriched colony cages at the higher hen stocking was significantly greater than from similar cages at the lower stocking density for all 10 sampling dates combined (39.4 vs. 33.3%). These results suggest that stocking density can affect S. Enteritidis intestinal colonization and fecal shedding in laying hens, but some other difference between conventional and enriched colony cage systems appears to exert an additional influence. PMID:28443289

Room environment influence on eggshell bacterial levels of non-washed and washed eggs from caged and cage-free laying hens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The bacteria levels of non-washed and washed eggs obtained from caged and cage-free hens housed in either wire slats or shaving-covered pens were determined. On eight days (from 22 to 52 wk), 20 eggs were collected from each pen. Ten eggs/pen were washed with a commercial egg washing solution, whi...

Impact of vaccination on infection with Vietnam H5N1 high pathogenicity avian influenza virus in hens and the eggs they lay

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

High pathogenicity avian influenza virus (HPAIV) infections in chickens decrease egg production and eggs that are laid contain HPAIV. Vaccination once or twice was examined as a way to protect chickens from Vietnamese H5N1 HPAIV. Eighty-three percent of hens without vaccination died within 3 days ...

Pathology and distribution of velogenic viscerotropic newcastle disease virus in the reproductive system of vaccinated and unvaccinated laying hens (gallus gallus domesticus) by immunohistochemical labelling

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study investigated the pathological changes in the reproductive system of laying hens that lead to the poor egg production and quality in Newcastle disease (ND) and the distribution of the virus in the system. Two hundred and forty Isa-Brown pullets were divided randomly into vaccinated and unv...

Comparisons of Sperm Storage Tubule Distribution and Number in Four Strains of Mature Broiler Breeders and in Turkey Hens Before and After the Onset of Photostimulation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The biological basis of sustained fertility in broiler and turkey hens is their capacity to store sperm in the oviductal sperm storage tubules (SSTs) located in the uterovaginal junction. The objectives of this study were to determine if the numbers of SST varied between four strains of broiler bre...

Evidence for conjugated linoleic acid-induced embryonic mortality that is independent of egg storage conditions and changes in egg relative fatty acids.

PubMed

Leone, V A; Stransky, D L; Aydin, R; Cook, M E

2009-09-01

Three experiments were performed to determine the effect of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on embryonic development in the absence of vitelline membrane disruption. In experiment 1, when eggs from control and CLA (0.5%)-fed hens were stored at 21 or 15 degrees C for 48 h, mineral movement between the yolk and albumen was not observed (with the exception of Mg and Na). Also, it was found that CLA-induced changes in yolk fatty acid content (e.g., increased saturated fatty acids and CLA) had begun to change after 5 d of feeding hens CLA, and no differences were detected in fatty acid composition after 14 d. In experiment 2, the hatchability of eggs incubated directly after oviposition or stored 24 h at 21 or 15 degrees C was determined from hens fed control or 0.5% CLA diets. Regardless of storage conditions, CLA reduced hatchability. These data showed that CLA elicits negative effects on hatchability independent of vitelline membrane disruption or egg storage condition. In experiment 3, eggs were collected from hens fed 0 or 1% CLA daily for 3 wk, stored at 21 degrees C for 24 h, and incubated. Not only did CLA decrease hatchability, the data showed as the days of CLA feeding increased, the days of survival during incubation decreased. Average days of embryonic survival during incubation for the CLA group diminished to 18.0, 13.4, and 6.3 d for wk 1, 2, and 3 of CLA feeding, respectively, and control remained at 20.6, 20.8, and 19.8 for the 3 wk. These studies suggested that without the disruption of the vitelline membrane, hatchability and embryonic days of survival were significantly reduced by maternal CLA feeding in comparison to control-fed hens. Evidence that embryos die earlier the longer the hens are fed CLA, even though no additional changes in the fatty acid content of eggs were found, suggested that factors other than storage and egg yolk fatty acid composition played a role in CLA-induced embryonic mortality.

Potential for amelioration of aflatoxin B1-induced immunotoxic effects in progeny of White Leghorn breeder hens co-exposed to vitamin E.

PubMed

Khan, Wajid Arshad; Khan, Muhammad Zargham; Khan, Ahrar; Ul Hassan, Zahoor; Saleemi, Muhammad Kashif

2014-01-01

This study was designed to evaluate the protective activity of Vitamin E (Vit E) on the immunotoxic effects induced by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in the progeny of breeder hens. For this purpose, 192 White Leghorn (WL) layer breeder hens were divided into 12 groups (A-L) and then fed test diets for either 1, 2 or 3 weeks. Group A was kept on basal feed (2900 Kcal/kg metabolizable energy) and served as control, while group B was offered a feed supplemented with Vit E at 100 mg/Kg. Groups C-G were offered feed containing 0.1, 0.5, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 mg/Kg AFB1, respectively, whereas groups H-L were offered the same dietary levels of AFB1 along with 100 mg/Kg Vit E supplementation. Hatching eggs were shifted to an incubator on a weekly basis to get progeny chicks. Hatched chicks in each group were maintained on basal ration and then subjected to different immunological assays. Lymphoproliferative responses (against PHA-P), antibody titers (against SRBC), oxidative damage to RBC, as well as phagocytic and nitrite production potential of the peritoneal macrophages from the chicks, were all adversely impacted by hen exposure to the higher doses of AFB1 or by increased intake (time) by the hens at a given dose of the toxin. No consistent ameliorative effects from Vit E were noted in these studies, i.e. effects seen against lower AFB1 doses were no longer apparent with the highest doses of AFB1. As such, for now it can be concluded that, with this particular single dose level of Vit E, AFB1-associated immunotoxic effects in progeny chicks can potentially be mitigated by dietary intake of Vit E by their hen dams. However, this is clearly an outcome that is driven by the level of the mycotoxin present in the feed. Future studies need to examine what impact higher Vit E doses than those employed herein might have in these ameliorative outcomes.

Arsenic in Eggs and Excreta of Laying Hens in Bangladesh: A Preliminary Study

PubMed Central

Awal, M. A.; Majumder, Shankar; Mostofa, Mahbub; Khair, Abul; Islam, M. Z.; Rao, D. Ramkishan

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to detect arsenic concentrations in feed, well-water for drinking, eggs, and excreta of laying hens in arsenic-prone areas of Bangladesh and to assess the effect of arsenic-containing feed and well-water on the accumulation of arsenic in eggs and excreta of the same subject. One egg from each laying hen (n=248) and its excreta, feed, and well-water for drinking were collected. Total arsenic concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer, coupled with hydride generator. Effects of arsenic-containing feed and drinking-water on the accumulation of arsenic in eggs and excreta were analyzed by multivariate regression model, using Stata software. Mean arsenic concentrations in drinking-water, feed (dry weight [DW]), egg (wet weight [WW]), and excreta (DW) of hens were 77.3, 176.6, 19.2, and 1,439.9 ppb respectively. Significant (p<0.01) positive correlations were found between the arsenic contents in eggs and drinking-water (r=0.602), drinking-water and excreta (r=0.716), feed and excreta (r=0.402) as well as between the arsenic content in eggs and the age of the layer (r=0.243). On an average, 55% and 82% of the total variation in arsenic contents of eggs and excreta respectively could be attributed to the variation in the geographic area, age, feed type, and arsenic contents of drinking-water and feed. For each week's increase in age of hens, arsenic content in eggs increased by 0.94%. For every 1% elevation of arsenic in drinking-water, arsenic in eggs and excreta increased by 0.41% and 0.44% respectively whereas for a 1% rise of arsenic in feed, arsenic in eggs and excreta increased by 0.40% and 0.52% respectively. These results provide evidence that, although high arsenic level prevails in well-water for drinking in Bangladesh, the arsenic shows low biological transmission capability from body to eggs and, thus, the value was below the maximum tolerable limit for humans. However, arsenic in drinking-water and/or feed makes a significant contribution to the arsenic accumulations in eggs and excreta of laying hens. PMID:23304904

Arsenic in eggs and excreta of laying hens in Bangladesh: a preliminary study.

PubMed

Ghosh, Amalendu; Awal, M A; Majumder, Shankar; Mostofa, Mahbub; Khair, Abul; Islam, M Z; Rao, D Ramkishan

2012-12-01

The aim of this study was to detect arsenic concentrations in feed, well-water for drinking, eggs, and excreta of laying hens in arsenic-prone areas of Bangladesh and to assess the effect of arsenic-containing feed and well-water on the accumulation of arsenic in eggs and excreta of the same subject. One egg from each laying hen (n = 248) and its excreta, feed, and well-water for drinking were collected. Total arsenic concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer, coupled with hydride generator. Effects of arsenic-containing feed and drinking-water on the accumulation of arsenic in eggs and excreta were analyzed by multivariate regression model, using Stata software. Mean arsenic concentrations in drinking-water, feed (dry weight [DW]), egg (wet weight [WW]), and excreta (DW) of hens were 77.3, 176.6, 19.2, and 1,439.9 ppb respectively. Significant (p < 0.01) positive correlations were found between the arsenic contents in eggs and drinking-water (r = 0.602), drinking-water and excreta (r = 0.716), feed and excreta (r = 0.402) as well as between the arsenic content in eggs and the age of the layer (r = 0.243). On an average, 55% and 82% of the total variation in arsenic contents of eggs and excreta respectively could be attributed to the variation in the geographic area, age, feed type, and arsenic contents of drinking-water and feed. For each week's increase in age of hens, arsenic content in eggs increased by 0.94%. For every 1% elevation of arsenic in drinking-water, arsenic in eggs and excreta increased by 0.41% and 0.44% respectively whereas for a 1% rise of arsenic in feed, arsenic in eggs and excreta increased by 0.40% and 0.52% respectively. These results provide evidence that, although high arsenic level prevails in well-water for drinking in Bangladesh, the arsenic shows low biological transmission capability from body to eggs and, thus, the value was below the maximum tolerable limit for humans. However, arsenic in drinking-water and/or feed makes a significant contribution to the arsenic accumulations in eggs and excreta of laying hens.

Plasma dispositions and concentrations of ivermectin in eggs following treatment of laying hens.

PubMed

Cirak, V Y; Aksit, D; Cihan, H; Gokbulut, C

2018-05-01

To determine the plasma disposition and concentrations of ivermectin (IVM) in eggs produced by laying hens following S/C, oral and I/V administration. Twenty-four laying hens, aged 37 weeks and weighing 1.73 (SD 0.12) kg were allocated to three groups of eight birds. The injectable formulation of IVM was administered either orally, S/C, or I/V, at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg liveweight, following dilution (1:5, v/v) with propylene glycol. Heparinised blood samples were collected at various times between 0.25 hours and 20 days after drug administration. Eggs produced by hens were also collected daily throughout the study period. Samples of plasma and homogenised egg were analysed using HPLC. Maximum concentrations of IVM in plasma and mean residence time of IVM were lower after oral (10.2 (SD 7.2) ng/mL and 0.38 (SD 0.14) days, respectively) than after S/C (82.9 (SD 12.4) ng/mL and 1.05 (SD 0.24) days, respectively) administration (p<0.01). The time to maximum concentration and elimination half-life were shorter following oral (0.14 (SD 0.04) and 0.23 (SD 0.11) days, respectively) than S/C (0.25 (SD 0.00) and 1.45 (SD 0.45) days, respectively) administration (p<0.01). IVM was first detected in eggs 2 days after treatment in all groups and was detected until 8 days after oral and I/V administration, and until 15 days after S/C administration. Peak concentrations of IVM were 15.7, 23.3 and 1.9 µg/kg, observed 2, 5 and 4 days after I/V, S/C and oral administration, respectively. The low plasma bioavailability of IVM observed after oral administration in laying hens could result in lower efficacy or subtherapeutic plasma concentrations, which may promote the development of parasitic drug resistance. Due to high IVM residues in eggs compared to the maximum residue limits for other food-producing animal species, a withdrawal period should be necessary for eggs after IVM treatment in laying hens.

Effect of tea polyphenols on production performance, egg quality, and hepatic antioxidant status of laying hens in vanadium-containing diets.

PubMed

Yuan, Z H; Zhang, K Y; Ding, X M; Luo, Y H; Bai, S P; Zeng, Q F; Wang, J P

2016-07-01

This study was conducted to determine the effect of tea polyphenols (TP) on production performance, egg quality, and hepatic-antioxidant status of laying hens in vanadium-containing diets. A total of 300 Lohman laying hens (67 wk old) were used in a 1 plus 3 × 3 experiment design in which hens were given either a diet without vanadium and TP supplementation (control) or diets supplemented with 5, 10, or 15 mg V/kg and TP (0, 600, 1,000 mg/kg) diets for 8 wk, which included 2 phases: a 5-wk accumulation phase and a 3-wk depletion phase. During the accumulation phase, dietary vanadium addition decreased (linear, P < 0.01) albumen height and Haugh unit (HU), and TP supplementation mitigated (linear effect, P < 0.01) this reduction effect induced by vanadium. Eggshell thickness (linear, P < 0.01), redness (linear and quadratic, P < 0.05), and yellowness (linear and quadratic, P < 0.05) were decreased by vanadium and increased by the effect of TP when a vanadium-containing diet was fed. In the depletion phase, the bleaching effect on eggshells induced by vanadium disappeared one wk after vanadium withdrawal. Eggshell thickness, eggshell strength, albumen height, and HU were lower (P < 0.05) in the 15 mg/kg vanadium group compared with the control diet until 2 wk post vanadium challenge, but hens fed 15 mg/kg vanadium and 600 mg/kg TP showed no difference from the control diet only after 1 wk withdrawal. In the liver, the activity of glutathione S-transferases and glutathione peroxidase was increased (linear, P < 0.01) with the TP addition at 5 wk in the accumulation phase in the vanadium-containing diet; the malondialdehyde content increased (linear effect, P = 0.02) with the addition of vanadium. The results indicate that supplementation of 10 and 15 mg/kg vanadium resulted in reduced albumen quality, bleaching effect on eggshell color, and antioxidant stress in the liver. The effect of TP addition can prevent laying hens from the adverse effect of vanadium on egg quality, liver antioxidant stress and shorten the recovery time. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Dietary fibers and crude protein content alleviate hepatic fat deposition and obesity in broiler breeder hens.

PubMed

Mohiti-Asli, M; Shivazad, M; Zaghari, M; Aminzadeh, S; Rezaian, M; Mateos, G G

2012-12-01

The effects of inclusion of cellulose or inulin as a source of dietary fiber and CP content of the diet on hepatic fat deposition were investigated in hens fed restricted or close to ad libitum consumption. There were 12 dietary treatments forming a 2 × 3 × 2 factorial with 2 feeding regimens [restricted and liberal (close to ad libitum consumption; LIB)], 3 fiber sources (control, 3% inulin, and 3% cellulose), and 2 levels of CP (14.5 and 17.4%). Hens were assigned in groups of 6 to 60 floor pens. From 43 to 55 wk of age, hens fed LIB showed increased activity of the hepatic malic enzyme (MalE; P < 0.01), which led to an increase (P < 0.001) in liver weight and hepatic lipid deposition and was associated with enhancements (P < 0.05) in plasma levels of glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Abdominal fat deposition and BW of the hens increased (P < 0.001) with liberal feeding. Inclusion of inulin in the diet reduced (P < 0.05) liver and abdominal fat weight, whereas cellulose inclusion decreased (P < 0.05) feed intake, abdominal fat, and BW. An increase in CP content of the diet from 14.5 to 17.4% reduced MalE activity (P < 0.001), liver weight (P < 0.001), and the accumulation of lipids and cholesterol in the liver, as well as plasma triglyceride concentration and abdominal fat pad weight (P < 0.05). It is concluded that fiber inclusion reduced abdominal fat and liver weight, with effects being more pronounced with cellulose than with inulin. An increase in dietary CP reduced MalE activity and alleviated hepatic and plasma lipid concentration; therefore, it might be a practical approach to reduce the incidence of obesity-linked problems in broiler breeder hens. The combination of high-CP diets and the inclusion of a fiber source did not suppress liver lipid content over that observed with the high-CP diet, exclusively.

Salmonella spp. contamination in commercial layer hen farms using different types of samples and detection methods.

PubMed

Soria, M C; Soria, M A; Bueno, D J; Godano, E I; Gómez, S C; ViaButron, I A; Padin, V M; Rogé, A D

2017-08-01

The performance of detection methods (culture methods and polymerase chain reaction assay) and plating media used in the same type of samples were determined as well as the specificity of PCR primers to detected Salmonella spp. contamination in layer hen farms. Also, the association of farm characteristics with Salmonella presence was evaluated. Environmental samples (feces, feed, drinking water, air, boot-swabs) and eggs were taken from 40 layer hen houses. Salmonella spp. was most detected in boot-swabs taken around the houses (30% and 35% by isolation and PCR, respectively) follow by fecal samples (15.2% and 13.6% by isolation and PCR, respectively). Eggs, drinking water, and air samples were negative for Salmonella detection. Salmonella Schwarzengrund and S. Enteritidis were the most isolated serotypes. For plating media, relative specificity was 1, and the relative sensitivity was greater for EF-18 agar than XLDT agar in feed and fecal samples. However, relative sensitivity was greater in XLDT agar than EF-18 agar for boot-swab samples. Agreement was between fair to good depending on the sample, and it was good between isolation and PCR (feces and boot-swabs), without agreement for feed samples. Salmonella spp. PCR was positive for all strains, while S. Typhimurium PCR was negative. Salmonella Enteritidis PCR used was not specific. Based in the multiple logistic regression analyses, categorization by counties was significant for Salmonella spp. presence (P-value = 0.010). This study shows the importance of considering different types of samples, plating media and detection methods during a Salmonella spp. monitoring study. In addition, it is important to incorporate the sampling of floors around the layer hen houses to learn if biosecurity measures should be strengthened to minimize the entry and spread of Salmonella in the houses. Also, the performance of some PCR methods and S. Enteritidis PCR should be improved, and biosecurity measures in hen farms must be reinforced in the region of more concentrated layer hen houses to reduce the probability of Salmonella spp. presence. © 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.

The ability of White Leghorn hens with trimmed comb and wattles to thermoregulate.

PubMed

Al-Ramamneh, D S; Makagon, M M; Hester, P Y

2016-08-01

It is estimated that each year over 19 million pullets in the United States have their combs partially trimmed at a young age to improve egg production and feed efficiency. A possible disadvantage of trimming is that the comb and wattles may be essential for thermoregulation during hot weather allowing for conductive cooling of the blood through vasodilation of superficial vessels in these integumentary tissues. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of partial comb and wattle removal, performed at 21 d of age, on the ability of White Leghorns to thermoregulate before, during, and after an imposed heating episode that averaged 34.6°C for 50.5 h. An increase in mortality at 20 h and body temperature at 48 h post initiation of the heating episode demonstrated that hens with trimmed comb and wattles were not able to cope with heat stress as effectively as controls. The increase in wattle temperature in controls as compared to trimmed hens during the heating episode and following heat stress provides supportive evidence that blood pools to the peripheral surface for conductive heat loss. During high temperatures typical of summer, trimmed hens attempted to compensate for their lack of ability to transfer heat from their comb and wattles to the environment through increased proportion of panting and wing spreading. Under less extreme conditions with lowered ambient temperatures, the trimming of the comb and wattles did not impair the ability of hens to thermoregulate, as body temperatures and behavior were similar to controls with no mortality. Egg weight was the only production parameter adversely affected by the trimming of the comb and wattles as compared to controls. The implication is that hens need their combs and wattles to thermoregulate effectively during periods of high environmental temperature. Pullets should not be subjected to a comb and wattle trim if they are housed in laying facilities that are not appropriately cooled during the summer. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

The correlation of chemical and physical corn kernel traits with production performance in broiler chickens and laying hens.

PubMed

Moore, S M; Stalder, K J; Beitz, D C; Stahl, C H; Fithian, W A; Bregendahl, K

2008-04-01

A study was conducted to determine the influence on broiler chicken growth and laying hen performance of chemical and physical traits of corn kernels from different hybrids. A total of 720 male 1-d-old Ross-308 broiler chicks were allotted to floor pens in 2 replicated experiments with a randomized complete block design. A total of 240 fifty-two-week-old Hy-Line W-36 laying hens were allotted to cages in a randomized complete block design. Corn-soybean meal diets were formulated for 3 broiler growth phases and one 14-wk-long laying hen phase to be marginally deficient in Lys and TSAA to allow for the detection of differences or correlations attributable to corn kernel chemical or physical traits. The broiler chicken diets were also marginally deficient in Ca and nonphytate P. Within a phase, corn- and soybean-based diets containing equal amounts of 1 of 6 different corn hybrids were formulated. The corn hybrids were selected to vary widely in chemical and physical traits. Feed consumption and BW were recorded for broiler chickens every 2 wk from 0 to 6 wk of age. Egg production was recorded daily, and feed consumption and egg weights were recorded weekly for laying hens between 53 and 67 wk of age. Physical and chemical composition of kernels was correlated with performance measures by multivariate ANOVA. Chemical and physical kernel traits were weakly correlated with performance in broiler chickens from 0 to 2 wk of age (P<0.05, | r |<0.42). However, from 4 to 6 wk of age and 0 to 6 wk of age, only kernel chemical traits were correlated with broiler chicken performance (P<0.05, | r |<0.29). From 53 to 67 wk of age, correlations were observed between both kernel physical and chemical traits and laying hen performance (P<0.05, | r |<0.34). In both experiments, the correlations of performance measures with individual kernel chemical and physical traits for any single kernel trait were not large enough to base corn hybrid selection on for feeding poultry.

Effect of level of fiber of the rearing phase diets on egg production, digestive tract traits, and body measurements of brown egg-laying hens fed diets differing in energy concentration.

PubMed

Guzmán, P; Saldaña, B; Bouali, O; Cámara, L; Mateos, G G

2016-08-01

This research studied the effects of additional fiber in the rearing phase diets on egg production, gastrointestinal tract (GIT) traits, and body measurements of brown egg-laying hens fed diets varying in energy concentration from 17 to 46 wk of age. The experiment was completely randomized with 10 treatments arranged as a 5 × 2 factorial with 5 rearing phase diets and 2 laying phase diets. During the rearing phase, treatments consisted of a control diet based on cereals and soybean meal and 4 additional diets with a combination of 2 fiber sources (cereal straw and sugar beet pulp, SBP) at 2 levels (2 and 4%). During the laying phase, diets differed in energy content (2,650 vs. 2,750 kcal AMEn/kg) but had the same amino acid content per unit of energy. The rearing diet did not affect any production trait except egg production that was lower in birds fed SBP than in birds fed straw (91.6 and 94.1%, respectively; P < 0.05). Laying hens fed the high energy diet had lower feed intake (P < 0.001), better feed conversion (P < 0.01), and greater BW gain (P < 0.05) than hens fed the low energy diet but egg production and egg weight were not affected. At 46 wk of age, none of the GIT traits was affected by previous dietary treatment. At this age, hen BW was positively related with body length (r = 0.500; P < 0.01), tarsus length (r = 0.758; P < 0.001), and body mass index (r = 0.762; P < 0.001) but no effects of type of diet on these traits were detected. In summary, the inclusion of up to 4% of a fiber source in the rearing diets did not affect GIT development of the hens but SBP reduced egg production. An increase in the energy content of the laying phase diet reduced ADFI and improved feed efficiency but did not affect any of the other traits studied. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of chicken osteocalcin and its use in evaluation of perch effects on bone remodeling in caged White Leghorns.

PubMed

Jiang, S; Cheng, H W; Hester, P Y; Hou, J-F

2013-08-01

Osteocalcin (OC) is a sensitive biochemical marker for evaluating bone turnover in mammals. The role of avian OC is less clear because of the need for a chicken assay. Our objectives were to develop an assay using indirect competitive ELISA for detecting chicken serum OC and use the assay to examine the effects of perches on bone remodeling in caged hens. Anti-chicken OC polyclonal antibody was produced by immunization of rabbits with a recombinant OC from Escherichia coli. Chicken OC extracted from bone was used as a coated protein, and purified chicken OC was used for calibration. The limit of detection of the developed OC ELISA was 0.13 ng/mL. The intra- and interassay CV were <7 and <12%, respectively. The sensitivity of the developed OC ELISA was compared with a commercial Rat-Mid OC ELISA in laying hens housed in conventional cages with or without perches. Serum samples were collected from 71-wk-old White Leghorn hens subjected to 4 treatments. Treatment 1 was control chickens that never had access to perches during their life cycle. Treatment 2 chickens had perches during the pullet phase (0 to 16.9 wk of age), whereas treatment 3 chickens had perches only during the egg-laying phase of the life cycle (17 to 71 wk of age). Treatment 4 chickens always had access to perches (0 to 71 wk of age). Correlation between the 2 assays was 0.62 (P < 0.0001). Levels of serum OC using the developed chicken ELISA were higher than that detected using the Rat-Mid ELISA (P < 0.0001). Results from the chicken ELISA assay showed that hens with perch access had higher concentrations of serum OC than hens without perches during egg laying (P = 0.04). Pullet access to perches did not affect serum OC levels in 71-wk-old hens (P = 0.15). In conclusion, a chicken OC ELISA has been validated that is sensitive and accurate with adequate discriminatory power for measuring bone remodeling in chickens.

The acaricidal speed of kill of orally administered fluralaner against poultry red mites (Dermanyssus gallinae) on laying hens and its impact on mite reproduction.

PubMed

Brauneis, Maria D; Zoller, Hartmut; Williams, Heike; Zschiesche, Eva; Heckeroth, Anja R

2017-12-02

Dermanyssus gallinae, the poultry red mite, is a growing threat to chickens in poultry farms. This nocturnal hematophagous ectoparasite has a rapid rate of proliferation with a negative impact on the birds' health, welfare and productivity resulting in severe economic consequences for poultry farmers. A study was performed with fluralaner, a novel systemic ectoparasiticide, to evaluate its effect on mite vitality and reproduction after oral administration to laying hens. Sixteen healthy hens were randomly allocated to two study groups (n = 8). One group was orally treated with fluralaner by gavage at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg bodyweight twice 7 days apart. The negative control group received no treatment. Hens in each group were repeatedly infested with approximately 200 unfed adult D. gallinae at 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22 and 26 days after the initial administration. After infestation and feeding for 2.5 h, 25 engorged mites per hen were collected and incubated in tubes. Mites were assessed for vitality (dead/live) at 4, 8, 12, and 24 h after each infestation. Tubes containing eggs and/or living mites were incubated another 8 days for assessment of mite reproductive capacity. Fluralaner demonstrated a fast speed of kill in mites within 4 h post-infestation for 12 days after treatment initiation. An efficacy (mite mortality) of 98.7-100% was achieved. At 15 days after treatment initiation, 100% efficacy was achieved within 24 h post-infestation, and no mite oviposition occurred during this period. Nineteen days after treatment initiation, the mites' ability to generate nymphs was reduced by 90.8%, which decreased to < 24.1% at later infestations. Fluralaner administered orally to hens twice, 7 days apart, provides efficacy against experimental poultry red mite infestation for at least 2 weeks. The demonstrated rapid speed of kill results in substantial depletion of the mites' oviposition and suggests that fluralaner can be an effective tool in the control of D. gallinae, one of the most urgent problems in poultry farms.

Effect of flaxseed oil and microalgae DHA on the production performance, fatty acids and total lipids of egg yolk and plasma in laying hens.

PubMed

Neijat, M; Ojekudo, O; House, J D

2016-12-01

The incorporation of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the egg is dependent on both the transfer efficiency of preformed dietary omega-3 fatty acids to the eggs as well as endogenous PUFA metabolism and deposition. Employing an experimental design consisting of 70 Lohmann LSL-Classic hens (n=10/treatment) in a 6-week feeding trial, we examined the impact of graded levels of either flaxseed oil (alpha-linolenic acid, ALA) or algal DHA (preformed docosahexaenoic acid, DHA), each supplying 0.20%, 0.40% and 0.60% total omega-3s. The control diet was practically low in omega-3s. Study parameters included monitoring the changes of fatty acid contents in yolk, measures of hen performance, eggshell quality, total lipids and fatty acid contents of plasma. Data were analysed as a complete randomized design using Proc Mixed procedure of SAS. No significant differences were observed between treatments with respect to hen performance, eggshell quality and cholesterol content in plasma and egg yolk. Individual and total omega-3 PUFA in the yolk and plasma increased (P<0.0001) linearly as a function of total omega-3 PUFA intake. At the highest inclusion levels, DHA-fed hens incorporated 3-fold more DHA in eggs compared with ALA-fed hens (179±5.55 vs. 66.7±2.25mg/yolk, respectively). In both treatment groups, maximal enrichment of total n-3 PUFA was observed by week-2, declined by week-4 and leveled thereafter. In addition, accumulation of DHA in egg yolk showed linear (P<0.0001) and quadratic (P<0.05) effects for flaxseed oil (R 2 =0.89) and algal DHA (R 2 =0.95). The current data, based on defined level of total omega-3s in the background diet, provides evidence to suggest that exogenous as well as endogenous synthesis of DHA may be subject to a similar basis of regulation, and serve to highlight potential regulatory aspects explaining the limitations in the deposition of endogenously produced omega-3 LCPUFA. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative Effect of Dietary Soybean Oil, Fish Oil, and Coconut Oil on Performance, Egg Quality and Some Blood Parameters in Laying Hens.

PubMed

Dong, X F; Liu, S; Tong, J M

2018-04-14

Two hundred and sixteen 28-wk-old Hy-line laying hens were randomly distributed to three dietary treatments and fed 1of 3 diets containing 8% soybean oil, fish oil, or coconut oil from 28 to 47 wk of age to investigate comparative effect of dietary soybean oil, fish oil, and coconut oil on the performance, egg quality and blood malondialdehyde (MDA), aspartate transaminase (AST) and uric acid (UA). Hens fed fish oil showed poor performance compared with soybean oil or coconut oil, and especially egg weight throughout the trial was significantly and consistently decreased (P < 0.05) due to dietary fish oil. Unexpectedly, shell reflectivity throughout the majority of the trial was consistently and significantly higher (P < 0.05) when hens fed fish oil than that when fed soybean oil or coconut oil. Dietary treatments affected (P < 0.05) shell shape at 4 of 8 time points tested. Average shell shape in fish oil treatment was higher (P < 0.05) than that of coconut oil group. Albumen height, Haugh unit and yolk color were influenced by dietary treatments only at 1 or 2 time points. However, average albumen height and Haugh unit in fish oil treatment were higher (P < 0.05) than that of soybean oil or coconut oil treatments and average yolk color in coconut oil treatment was higher (P < 0.05) than that of soybean oil group. Serum MDA, AST and UA concentrations were increased (P < 0.05) by fish oil during the majority of the first 2 mo of the trial. These data suggested that the inclusion of fish oil into feed may reduce the performance of laying hens, especially the egg weight, decrease the intensity of egg brown color and increase blood MDA, AST and UA levels compared with soybean oil or coconut oil. As a result, hens fed fish oil may lay smaller, longer and lighter-brown eggs whereas those fed coconut oil produce blunter and darker-brown eggs relative to soybean oil.

Variability in amino acid digestibility of triticale grain from diverse genotypes as studied in cecectomized laying hens.

PubMed

Zuber, T; Maurer, H P; Möhring, J; Nautscher, N; Siegert, W; Rosenfelder, P; Rodehutscord, M

2016-12-01

Triticale, an anthropogenic hybrid grain, is increasing in importance as a feed grain for laying hens. However, our limited knowledge of its nutritional qualities and their impact on hen performance prevents optimization of its use. The present study investigated the digestibility of amino acids ( AA: ) in triticale grain in laying hens, and additionally examined relationships between AA digestibility and chemical and physical characteristics of the grain. Twenty genotypes of triticale were grown under standardized agronomic and environmental conditions and were characterized according to their physical properties (thousand-seed weight, test weight, falling number, extract viscoelasticity), chemical composition (proximate nutrients, non-starch polysaccharides, AA, minerals, inositol phosphates) and gross energy concentration. Additionally, the in vitro solubility of nitrogen was determined. The animal trial comprised 4 Latin Squares (6 × 6) distributed among 2 subsequent runs. Twelve cecectomized LSL-Classic hens were individually housed in metabolism cages and either fed a basal diet containing 500 g/kg cornstarch or one of 20 triticale diets, each replacing the cornstarch with one triticale genotype, for 8 d. During the last 4 d, feed intake was recorded and excreta were collected quantitatively. Amino acid digestibility of the triticale genotypes was calculated by linear regression. The digestibility of all AA differed significantly between the 20 genotypes, including Lys (digestibility range 68 to 80%), Met (77 to 86%), Thr (68 to 78%) and Trp (74 to 83%). However, AA digestibility only correlated with characteristics of the grain in few cases, without a consistent pattern among AA. Equations to predict AA digestibility based on the grain's physical and chemical characteristics were calculated by multiple linear regression. The explanatory power (adjusted R 2 ;) of these prediction equations was below 0.7 for most AA and thus not sufficiently precise to be suitable for practical application. In conclusion, AA digestibility of triticale grain is high overall in laying hens but varies significantly between crop genotypes. This variation could not be well explained by physical and chemical characteristics of the grain. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Effect of excess dietary L-valine on laying hen performance, egg quality, serum free amino acids, immune function and antioxidant enzyme activity.

PubMed

Azzam, M M M; Dong, X Y; Dai, L; Zou, X T

2015-01-01

1. The aim of this study was to evaluate the tolerance of laying hens for an excessive L-valine (L-val) supply on laying performance, egg quality, serum free amino acids, immune function and antioxidant enzyme activities of laying hens. 2. A total of 720 HyLine Brown hens were allocated to 5 dietary treatment groups, each of which included 6 replicates of 24 hens, from 40 to 47 weeks of age. Graded amounts of L-val were added to the basal diet to achieve concentrations of 0 (control), 1, 2, 3 and 4 g/kg, respectively, in the experimental diets. 3. Supplementing the diet with L-val did not affect egg production, egg mass, egg weight, feed conversion ratio (FCR) or egg quality. The average daily feed intake response to supplemental L-val was quadratic and was maximised at 2.0 g L-val/kg diet. No differences were observed for total protein, total amino acids, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), uric acid, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), Ca and P concentrations among the treatments. 4. Serum albumin concentration increased significantly in response to supplemental L-val and was also maximised at 2.0 g/kg. In addition, serum glucose increased quadratically to peak at 2.0 g L-val/kg diet. Serum free valine increased as L-val concentration increased to 2.0 g/kg diet and then decreased linearly. 5. Supplementation of L-val did not affect the serum concentrations of total antioxidative capability (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA). L-val supplementation did not affect the concentrations of immunoglobulins IgG, IgA, IgM and complements (C3 and C4). Serum concentration of triiodothyronine (T3) increased significantly at 2.0 g L-val/kg diet. 6. It is concluded that high concentrations of L-val are tolerated and can be successfully supplemented into diets without detrimental effects on laying performance or immune function of laying hens.

Pop hole passages and welfare in furnished cages for laying hens.

PubMed

Wall, H; Tauson, R; Elwinger, K

2004-02-01

1. This study included two designs of furnished cages for 16 hens; H-cages divided into two apartments by a partition with pop holes in the middle of the cage, and fully open O-cages, without a partition. The hypothesis was that in this rather large group of birds the pop hole partition would benefit the birds by allowing them to avoid or escape from potential cannibals, feather-peckers or aggressive hens. All cages had two nests, two perches and one litter box. 2. A total of 10 cages (5 H and 5 O) were stocked with Lohmann Selected Leghorn (LSL) and 8 cages (4 H and 4 O) with Hy-Line W36. No birds were beak-trimmed. 3. Heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratios, duration of tonic immobility (TI) and exterior appearance (scoring of plumage condition and wounds at comb or around cloaca) were used as indicators of well-being. Total mortality and deaths due to cannibalism were also recorded. 4. Visits to nests and passages through partition pop holes were studied in samples of 35 and 21 birds, respectively, using a technique based on passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags. 5. Cage design (H- vs O-cage) had no effect on the welfare traits chosen. 6. Hy-Line birds showed higher H/L ratios, longer duration of TI and better plumage condition than LSL birds. These differences are discussed in terms of stress thresholds and copying strategies. 7. On days when a hen made visits to nests, the visiting frequency was 1.4 and the total time in the nest was 41 min on average. Hens made use of the pop hole passages between 1 and 8 times per hen and day. 8. Overall low levels of aggression, lack of injuries or deaths due to cannibalism, and plumage condition indicating moderate feather pecking, together imply a low need to escape. The pop holes were used frequently and birds distributed well between compartments showing that the system worked well. However, at this group size there was no evidence in the measured traits that H-cages provided a better housing environment.

The Influence of Keel Bone Damage on Welfare of Laying Hens

PubMed Central

Riber, Anja B.; Casey-Trott, Teresa M.; Herskin, Mette S.

2018-01-01

This article reviews current knowledge about welfare implications of keel bone damage in laying hens. As an initial part, we shortly describe the different conditions and present major risk factors as well as findings on the prevalence of the conditions. Keel bone damage is found in all types of commercial production, however with varying prevalence across systems, countries, and age of the hens. In general, the understanding of animal welfare is influenced by value-based ideas about what is important or desirable for animals to have a good life. This review covers different types of welfare indicators, including measures of affective states, basic health, and functioning as well as natural living of the birds, thereby including the typical public welfare concerns. Laying hens with keel bone fractures show marked behavioral differences in highly motivated behavior, such as perching, nest use, and locomotion, indicating reduced mobility and potentially negative affective states. It remains unclear whether keel bone fractures affect hen mortality, but there seem to be relations between the fractures and other clinical indicators of reduced welfare. Evidence of several types showing pain involvement in fractured keel bones has been published, strongly suggesting that fractures are a source of pain, at least for weeks after the occurrence. In addition, negative effects of fractures have been found in egg production. Irrespective of the underlying welfare concern, available scientific evidence showed that keel bone fractures reduce the welfare of layers in modern production systems. Due to the limited research into the welfare implications of keel bone deviation, evidence of the consequences of this condition is not as comprehensive and clear. However, indications have been found that keel bone deviations have a negative impact on the welfare of laying hens. In order to reduce the occurrence of the conditions as well as to examine how the affected birds should be treated, more research into the welfare implications of keel bone damage is needed. Research should focus on effects of genetic lines, genetic selection, housing, and nutrition for the development, prevalence, and severity of these conditions, preferably conducted as longitudinal and/or transnational studies. PMID:29541640

Passive maternal exposure to environmental microbes selectively modulates the innate defences of chicken egg white by increasing some of its antibacterial activities

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Egg defence against bacterial contamination relies on immunoglobulins (IgY) concentrated in the yolk and antimicrobial peptides/proteins predominantly localized in the egg white (EW). Hens contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms export specific IgYs to the egg (adaptative immunity). No evidence of such regulation has been reported for the antimicrobial peptides/proteins (innate immunity) which are preventively secreted by the hen oviduct and are active against a large range of microbes. We investigated whether the egg innate defences can be stimulated by the environmental microbial contamination by comparing the antimicrobial activity of EW of hens raised in three extreme breeding conditions: Germ-free (GF), Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) and Conventional (C) hens. Results The difference in the immunological status of GF, SPF and C hens was confirmed by the high stimulation of IL-1β, IL-8 and TLR4 genes in the intestine of C and SPF groups. EW from C and SPF groups demonstrated higher inhibitory effect against Staphylococcus aureus (13 to 18%) and against Streptococcus uberis (31 to 35%) as compared to GF but showed similar activity against Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Gallinarum, Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes. To further investigate these results, we explored putative changes amongst the three main mechanisms of egg antimicrobial defence: the sequestration of bacterial nutrients, the inactivation of exogenous proteases and the direct lytic action on microorganisms. Lysozyme activity, chymotrypsin-, trypsin- and papain-inhibiting potential of EW and the expression of numerous antimicrobial genes were not stimulated suggesting that these are not responsible for the change in anti-S. aureus and anti-S. uberis activity. Moreover, whereas the expression levels of IL-1β, IL-8 and TLR4 genes were modified by the breeding conditions in the intestine of C and SPF groups they were not modified in the magnum where egg white is formed. Conclusions Altogether, these data revealed that the degree of environmental microbial exposure of the hen moderately stimulated the egg innate defence, by reinforcing some specific antimicrobial activities to protect the embryo and to insure hygienic quality of table eggs. PMID:23758641

Effect of addition of a detoxifying agent to laying hen diets containing uncontaminated or Fusarium toxin-contaminated maize on performance of hens and on carryover of zearalenone.

PubMed

Dänicke, S; Ueberschär, K H; Halle, I; Matthes, S; Valenta, H; Flachowsky, G

2002-11-01

16-wk experiment with laying hens was carried out to examine the effects of feeding of mycotoxin-contaminated maize (CM) on performance, nutrient digestibility, weight of organs, serum chemical parameters, and antibody titers to Newcastle disease virus (NDV) in serum. Also tested were fimbrien antigen K88 in egg yolk and zearalenone (ZON) residues in eggs and tissues. The Fusarium-toxin-contaminated maize contained 17,630 microg deoxynivalenol and 1,580 microg ZON/kg. Moreover, Mycofix Plus (MP), a so-called detoxifying agent, was added to both the uncontaminated control (UCM) and to the CM diet (70% dietary maize inclusion). Each of the four resulting diets (UCM, UCM-MP, CM, CM-MP) was tested on 25 laying hybrids (Lohmann Brown). Feeding of the CM diets significantly depressed feed intake compared to the control groups by approximately 5%. This was mainly due to the effects observed at the beginning of the experiment. Daily egg mass production/hen was 56.6, 58.4, 53.9, and 55.2 g in groups UCM, UCM-MP, CM and CM-MP, respectively. Nutrient digestibility and metabolizability of gross energy were slightly depressed by feeding the CM diets and improved by MP addition. Feeding of the CM diets resulted in a significant decrease in serum titers to NDV and to an increase in yolk titers to antigen K88. No residues of ZON or of its metabolites were found in yolk, albumen, abdominal fat, breast meat, follicles greater than 1 cm in diameter, ovaries including follicles smaller than 1 cm in diameter, magnum, and serum. ZON and alpha-zearalenol (alpha-ZOL) were detected in livers of hens fed the CM diets at mean concentrations of 2.1 and 3.7 microg/kg, respectively. It was concluded that feeding maize which was highly contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins adversely influenced performance of hens and modulated immune response. At the given level of zearalenone and at the indicated detection limits, no residues of ZON and its metabolites were found in eggs. The effects of the tested detoxifying agent were quite mycotoxin-independent.

Effect of nest design, passages, and hybrid on use of nest and production performance of layers in furnished cages.

PubMed

Wall, H; Tauson, R; Elwinger, K

2002-03-01

Production performance, including egg quality, and proportion of eggs laid in nests were studied in furnished experimental cages incorporating nests, litter baths, and perches. The study comprised a total of 972 hens of two genotypes: Lohmann Selected Leghorn (LSL) and Hy-Line White. The birds were studied from 20 to 80 wk of age, and conventional four-hen cages were included as a reference. In furnished cages for six hens, the effects of 30 or 50% vs. 100% nest bottom lining (Astro turf) were studied with LSL hens. Nest bottom lining had no significant effect on egg production or proportions of cracked or dirty eggs, but the use of nests was significantly higher in cages incorporating nests with 100% lining, compared with 50 or 30%. The two hybrids were compared when housed in large, group-furnished cages for 14 or 16 hens of two designs; with a rear partition with two pop holes or fully open, i.e., no rear partition. LSL birds produced significantly better and had a significantly lower proportion of cracked eggs. There was no difference between H- and O-cages, either in production or in egg quality. LSL birds laid a significantly lower proportion of eggs in the nests, especially in O-cages, implying a significant hybrid x cage interaction. When housed in conventional cages, the hybrids did not differ in proportion of cracked eggs but differed in production traits. It was concluded that with the present nest design, the proportion of nest bottom lining cannot be reduced without affecting birds' use of nests, but the proportion did not affect exterior egg quality. The effect of genotype should be considered in the further development of furnished cages.

Single and Combined Impacts of Vitamin A and Selenium in Diet on Productive Performance, Egg Quality, and Some Blood Parameters of Laying Hens During Hot Season.

PubMed

Abd El-Hack, Mohamed E; Mahrose, Khalid; Askar, Ali A; Alagawany, Mahmoud; Arif, Muhammad; Saeed, Muhammad; Abbasi, Farzana; Soomro, Rab Nawaz; Siyal, Farman Ali; Chaudhry, Maria Tabassum

2017-05-01

A study was conducted using 162 Bovans laying hens to investigate the impacts of extra dietary vitamin A (0, 8000, 16,000 IU/kg), selenium (0, 0.25, 0.50 mg/kg), and their combinations on the performance, egg quality, and blood biological parameters of laying hens during summer months. Supplemental vitamin A up to 16,000 IU/kg diet significantly (P < 0.05) improved all productive traits studied except feed intake which increased with 8000 IU/kg diet compared with control. Feed intake and feed conversion of hens fed diet supplemented with selenium revealed high statistical (P = 0.001) differences. All egg quality criteria were not significantly (P < 0.05) affected by dietary vitamin A except albumin percentage and Haugh units, since Haugh unit score was gradually increased with increasing vitamin A level. Vitamin A-enriched groups showed significant (P < 0.05 and 0.01) decreases in plasma albumen, total lipids, and total cholesterol in respect to the unsupplemented groups. Compared with unsupplemented groups, total protein, albumin, total lipid, and total cholesterol were increased in selenium-enriched groups. There were no significant impacts of selenium treatments in layer diets on thyroid hormones and liver enzymes studied except alanine transferase (ALT) and thyroxin (T 4 ), as compared with the control group. Hematological parameters were not affected by vitamin A treatment except PCV% which decreased with vitamin A supplementation. Hemoglobin and lymphocytes were increased with increasing dietary selenium level. In conclusion, the combined supplementary concentrations of vitamin A (16,000 IU/kg) and selenium (0.25 mg/kg) might be needed for better production and health of laying hens reared under heat stress conditions.

Declining ring-necked pheasants in the Klamath Basin, California: II. Survival, productivity, and cover

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grove, Robert A.; Buhler, D.R.; Henny, Charles J.; Drew, A.D.

2001-01-01

Cover condition and its influence on nesting success, survival, and body condition of ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) were evaluated at Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge (TLNWR) and Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge (LKNWR). Inadequate nesting cover was responsible for extremely low nest success early in the nesting season at TLNWR. Later in the season at TLNWR, spring-planted crops provided cover to conceal nesting and renesting hens; however, only 0.07 young were produced (to 1 August) per hen during the study. The extremely low reproductive rates were well below those required to maintain a stable population. At TLNWR, most adult mortality during spring and early summer (before crops provided adequate cover) apparently resulted from predation by golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos). This mortality occurred weeks before insecticide applications. Hard winters (cold temperatures and heavy snowfall) periodically reduce the pheasant population in the Klamath Basin and again greatly reduced numbers during the last year of this study. Unfortunately, pheasant populations declined under the conditions found during this study and were unable to recover from the hard winter of 1992 to 1993. Mean body mass and tarsal length of adult hen pheasants at TLNWR, which is intensively farmed, were less than those for hens at LKNWR, which is not intensively farmed. Results of our study suggest that TLNWR hens may have been nutritionally stressed, and that the amount and distribution of vegetative cover needs to be improved at TLNWR. Habitat management of edge cover along agricultural crops should feature perennial grasses and legumes with small tracts of land interspersed throughout the agricultural fields to provide alternative cover for wildlife in general including pheasants.

Exterior egg quality as affected by enrichment resources layout in furnished laying-hen cages.

PubMed

Li, Xiang; Chen, Donghua; Meng, Fanyu; Su, Yingying; Wang, Lisha; Zhang, Runxiang; Li, Jianhong; Bao, Jun

2017-10-01

This study aimed to investigate the effects of enrichment resources (a perch, dustbath, and nest) layout in furnished laying-hen cages (FC) on exterior quality of eggs. One hundred and sixty-eight (168) Hy-Line Brown laying hens at 16 weeks of age were randomly distributed to four treatments: small furnished cages (SFC), medium furnished cages type I (MFC-I), medium furnished cages type II (MFC-II), and medium furnished cages type III (MFC-III). Each treatment had 4 replicates or cages with 6 hens for SFC (24 birds for each SFC) and 12 hen/cage for MFC-I, -II, and -III (48 birds for each MFC-I, -II and -III). Following a 2-week acclimation, data collection started at 18 weeks of age and continued till 52 weeks of age. Dirtiness of egg surface or cracked shell as indicators of the exterior egg quality were recorded each week. The results showed that the proportion of cracked or dirty eggs was significantly affected by the FC type (p<0.01) in that the highest proportion of cracked or dirty eggs was found in MFC-I and the lowest proportion of dirty eggs in SFC. The results of this showed that furnished cage types affected both dirty eggs and cracked eggs (p<0.01). The results also indicated that not nest but dustbath lead to more dirty eggs. Only MFC-I had higher dirty eggs at nest than other FC (p< 0.01). The results of dirty eggs in MFC-I and MFC-II compared with SFC and MFC-III seemed suggest that a low position of dustbath led to more dirty eggs. SFC design affected exterior egg quality and the low position of dustbath in FC resulted in higher proportion of dirty eggs.

Effects of dietary supplementation of resveratrol on performance, egg quality, yolk cholesterol and antioxidant enzyme activity of laying hens.

PubMed

Feng, Z H; Gong, J G; Zhao, G X; Lin, X; Liu, Y C; Ma, K W

2017-10-01

1. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of resveratrol on laying performance, egg quality, egg yolk cholesterol and antioxidant enzyme activities of laying hens. 2. A total of 360 Beijing PINK-1 laying hens (60 weeks old) were randomly distributed among five dietary treatments, each of which included 6 replicates of 12 hens. Dietary treatments were basal diet supplemented with 0 (control), 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 g/kg diet resveratrol. The study lasted for 9 weeks including 1 week of adaptation and 8 weeks of the main experimental period. 3. The results indicated that dietary resveratrol significantly improved feed conversion ratios during 5-8 weeks and 1-8 weeks of the trial. Increasing dietary concentrations of the resveratrol linearly improved Haugh unit and albumen height of eggs. 4. The content of total cholesterol (TC), total triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) in serum and cholesterol in yolk was significantly decreased by dietary resveratrol, and there were significant linear correlations between these indexes and resveratrol supplemental levels. 5. Dietary resveratrol supplementation significantly improved serum Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) enzyme activity and decreased serum malondialdehyde (MDA) content in groups with 2.0 and 4.0 g/kg resveratrol as compared to the control, respectively. However, supplementation of resveratrol did not affect the activity of serum superoxide dismutase (SOD). 6. It is concluded that resveratrol supplementation has a positive effect on performance, lipid-related traits and antioxidant activity of laying hens.

Effects of dietary fiber on cecal short-chain fatty acid and cecal microbiota of broiler and laying-hen chicks.

PubMed

Walugembe, M; Hsieh, J C F; Koszewski, N J; Lamont, S J; Persia, M E; Rothschild, M F

2015-10-01

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding dietary fiber on cecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentration and cecal microbiota of broiler and laying-hen chicks. The lower fiber diet was based on corn-soybean meal (SBM) and the higher fiber diet was formulated using corn-SBM-dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) and wheat bran to contain 60.0 g/kg of both DDGS and wheat bran from 1 to 12 d and 80.0 g/kg of both DDGS and wheat bran from 13 to 21 d. Diets were formulated to meet or exceed NRC nutrient requirements. Broiler and laying-hen chicks were randomly assigned to the high and low fiber diets with 11 replicates of 8 chicks for each of the 4 treatments. One cecum from 3 chicks was collected from each replicate: one cecum underwent SCFA concentration analysis, one underwent bacterial DNA isolation for terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP), and the third cecum was used for metagenomics analyses. There were interactions between bird line and dietary fiber for acetic acid (P = 0.04) and total SCFA (P = 0.04) concentration. There was higher concentration of acetic acid (P = 0.02) and propionic acid (P < 0.01) in broiler chicks compared to laying-hen chicks. TRFLP analysis showed that cecal microbiota varied due to diet (P = 0.02) and chicken line (P = 0.03). Metagenomics analyses identified differences in the relative abundance of Helicobacter pullorum and Megamonas hypermegale and the genera Enterobacteriaceae, Campylobacter, Faecalibacterium, and Bacteroides in different treatment groups. These results provide insights into the effect of dietary fiber on SCFA concentration and modulation of cecal microbiota in broiler and laying-hen chicks. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Characterizing the histopathology of natural co-infection with Marek's disease virus and subgroup J avian leucosis virus in egg-laying hens.

PubMed

Wen, Yawen; Huang, Qi; Yang, Chengcheng; Pan, Ling; Wang, Guijun; Qi, Kezong; Liu, Hongmei

2018-02-01

Marek's disease virus (MDV) and avian leucosis virus (ALV) are known to cause tumours in egg-laying hens. Here, we investigated the aetiology of tumours in a flock of egg-laying hens vaccinated against MDV. We carried out gross pathology and histopathological examinations of the diseased tissues, identified virus antigen and sequenced viral oncogenes to elucidate the cause of death in 21-22-week-old hens. At necropsy, diseased hens had distinctly swollen livers, spleens, and proventriculus, and white tumour nodules in the liver. The spleen and liver had been infiltrated by lymphoid tumour cells, while the proventriculus had been infiltrated by both lymphoid tumour cells and myeloblastic cells. Subtype J ALV (ALV-J) and MDV were widely distributed in the proventricular gland cells, and the lymphoid tumour cells in the liver and the spleen. In addition, positive ALV-J signals were also observed in parts of the reticular cells in the spleen. MDV and ALV-J antigens were observed in the same foci of the proventricular gland cells; however, the two antigens were not observed in the same foci from the spleen and liver. The amino acid sequence of the AN-1 (the representative liver tumour tissue that was positive for both ALV-J and MDV) Meq protein was highly similar to the very virulent MDV QD2014 from China. Compared to the ALV-J HPRS-103 reference strain, 10 amino acids (224-CTTEWNYYAY-233) were deleted from the gp85 protein of AN-1. We concluded that concurrent infection with MDV and ALV-J contributed to the tumorigenicity observed in the flock.

Physical Properties of the Very Young PN Hen3-1357 (Stingray Nebula) Based on Multiwavelength Observations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Otsuka, Masaaki; Parthasarathy, M.; Tajitsu, A.

We carried out a detailed analysis of the interesting and important very young planetary nebula (PN) Hen3-1357 (Stingray Nebula) based on a unique data set of optical to far-IR spectra and photometric images. We calculated the abundances of nine elements using collisionally excited lines (CELs) and recombination lines (RLs). The RL C/O ratio indicates that this PN is O-rich, which is also supported by the detection of the broad 9/18 μ m bands from amorphous silicate grains. The observed elemental abundances can be explained by asymptotic giant branch (AGB) nucleosynthesis models for initially 1–1.5 M {sub ⊙} stars with Zmore » = 0.008. The Ne overabundance might be due to the enhancement of {sup 22}Ne isotope in the He-rich intershell. Using the spectrum of the central star synthesized by Tlusty as the ionization/heating source of the PN, we constructed the self-consistent photoionization model with Cloudy to the observed quantities and derived the gas and dust masses, dust-to-gas mass ratio, and core mass of the central star. About 80% of the total dust mass is from warm–cold dust component beyond ionization front. Comparison with other Galactic PNe indicates that Hen3-1357 is an ordinary amorphous silicate-rich and O-rich gas PN. Among other studied PNe, IC4846 shows many similarities in properties of the PN to Hen3-1357, although their post-AGB evolution is quite different from each other. Further monitoring of observations and comparisons with other PNe such as IC4846 are necessary to understand the evolution of Hen3-1357.« less

Quality of eggs from Lohmann Brown Classic laying hens fed black soldier fly meal as substitute for soya bean.

PubMed

Secci, G; Bovera, F; Nizza, S; Baronti, N; Gasco, L; Conte, G; Serra, A; Bonelli, A; Parisi, G

2018-01-08

Soya bean is the main protein source in poultry feed but rising prices make an alternative protein source necessary. Insects, such as the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens), may be an attractive solution for hens, although little information is available on their effect on egg quality. The present study aims to fill this gap by testing the effect of 100% replacement of soya bean with H. illucens larva meal in the diet of Lohmann Brown Classic laying hens for 21 weeks. At the end of the trial, the eggs were characterized for parameters such as weight, colour, proximate composition of albumen and yolk, and content of carotenoids, tocopherols and cholesterol. The fatty acid profile of yolks was also determined. Hens fed the insect-based diet produced eggs (HIM group) with a higher proportion of yolk than the group fed the soya bean-based diet (SBM group). HIM was associated with redder yolks (red index 5.63 v. 1.36) than SBM. HIM yolks were richer in γ-tocopherol (4.0 against 2.4 mg/kg), lutein (8.6 against 4.9 mg/kg), β-carotene (0.33 against 0.19 mg/kg) and total carotenoids (15 against 10.5 mg/kg) than SBM yolks. The fatty acid composition of HIM yolks was almost identical to that of SBM yolks. Finally, HIM yolks contained 11% less cholesterol than SBM yolks. These results suggest that H. illucens larva meal is a suitable total substitute for soya bean meal in the diet of Lohmann Brown Classic laying hens. A sustainable alternative to the plant protein source therefore seems feasible.

An Optimal Dietary Zinc Level of Brown-Egg Laying Hens Fed a Corn-Soybean Meal Diet.

PubMed

Qin, Shizhen; Lu, Lin; Zhang, Xichun; Liao, Xiudong; Zhang, Liyang; Guo, Yanli; Luo, Xugang

2017-06-01

An experiment was conducted to estimate the optimal dietary zinc (Zn) level of brown-egg laying hens fed a corn-soybean meal diet from 20 to 40 weeks of age. A total of 120 20-week-old Beijing Red commercial laying hens were randomly allotted by bodyweight to one of five treatments with six replicates of four birds each in a completely randomized design, and fed a Zn-unsupplemented corn-soybean meal basal diet containing 27.95 mg Zn/kg by analysis and the basal diets supplemented with 30, 60, 90, or 120 mg Zn/kg as Zn sulfate (reagent grade ZnSO 4 ·7H 2 O) for a duration of 20 weeks. Laying performance, egg quality, tissue Zn concentrations, and activities of serum alkaline phosphatase (AKP), and liver copper-Zn superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) were measured. Regression analyses were performed to estimate an optimal dietary Zn level whenever a significant quadratic response (P < 0.05) was observed. Tibia Zn concentration (P = 0.002) and serum AKP activity (P = 0.010) showed significant quadratic responses to dietary supplemental Zn levels. The estimates of dietary Zn requirements for brown-egg laying hens from 20 to 40 weeks of age were 71.95 and 64.63 mg/kg for tibia Zn concentration and serum AKP activity, respectively. The results from this study indicate that the tibia Zn might be a more suitable and reliable parameter for Zn requirement estimation, and the optimal dietary Zn level would be about 72 mg/kg for brown-egg laying hens fed a corn-soybean meal diet from 20 to 40 weeks of age.

Electrophysiologic changes following treatment with organophosphorus-induced delayed neuropathy-producing agents in the adult hen.

PubMed

Robertson, D G; Schwab, B W; Sills, R D; Richardson, R J; Anderson, R J

1987-03-15

Although clinical, pathological, and biochemical effects of organophosphorus-induced delayed neuropathy (OPIDN) have been intensively investigated in the adult hen, detailed electrophysiological studies are lacking. Adult white leghorn hens were treated with a single oral dose of either 30 mg/kg tri-2-cresyl phosphate (TOCP), 750 mg/kg TOCP, 4 mg/kg di-n-butyl-2,2-dichlorovinyl phosphate (DBCV), or 30 mg/kg di-n-butyl-2,2-dichlorovinyl phosphinate (DBCV-P). The 750 mg/kg TOCP and DBCV, but not the 30 mg/kg TOCP and DBCV-P, treatments resulted in clinical signs of OPIDN and mild to marked damage of the tibial nerve 21 days after dose. Twenty-four hr lymphocyte neurotoxic esterase (NTE) inhibition was used as an index of brain NTE inhibition for the various organophosphorus compound (OP) treatment. Twenty-four hr lymphocyte NTE inhibition for 30 mg/kg TOCP, 750 mg/kg TOCP, DBCV, and DBCV-P was 54.1, 87.1, 84.8, and 68.3%, respectively. Twenty-one days after dose, the TOCP-treated hens exhibited some abnormalities in conduction velocity and action potential duration in the tibial or sciatic nerves. No abnormalities were observed in action potential parameters of either the DBCV or DBCV-P treatments. Neurotoxic OP (TOCP and DBCV) treatment resulted in decreased refractoriness in the tibial nerve, increased refractoriness in the sciatic nerve, and elevated strength duration threshold for both nerves. These changes were not present in nerves from DBCV-P (a non-neurotoxic NTE inhibitor)-treated hens. These results suggest that refractory period and strength duration abnormalities in peripheral nerve correlate well with the production of OPIDN and are evident without coincident clinical signs or histopathology.

Florfenicol induces early embryonic death in eggs collected from treated hens.

PubMed

Al-Shahrani, S; Naidoo, V

2015-08-18

Florfenicol, a commonly used veterinary antibiotic, was reported to have caused a severe drop in egg hatchability following its off-label use on a broiler breeder farm in South Africa. According to the pharmacovigilance report, hatchability dropped by 80 % for up to a week following a five day course at 10 mg/kg (both males and females treated metaphylactically) to manage an Escherichia coli infection. While mammalian toxicity studies indicate the potential for early embryonic death in utero or testicular damage, no literature is available on the avian toxicity of florfenicol. For this study we investigated the effects of florfenicol at various doses from 10 to 90 mg/kg on the egg hatchability in a breeder flock we kept and established under controlled conditions, with the same cockerels and hens being exposed in a phased manner. Following five days of oral exposure, no toxic signs were evident in any of the cockerels or hens treated at doses up to 90 mg/kg. Treatment of only the cockerels had no effect on egg hatchability, while treatment of only the hens at doses of 60 and 90 mg/kg resulted in decreased hatchability of 0 % in comparison to 70 % of the control as early 24 h after treatment. In all cases, decreased hatchability was associated with embryonic death at 5 days of development. The toxic effects of florfenicol were completely reversible with comparable hatchability being present by day 4 post-treatment withdrawal. Toxicity correlated with total egg florfenicol concentrations with an LC50 of 1.07 μg/g. Florfenicol appears to be toxic to the developing chick embryo at around day 5 of incubation, in the absence of related toxicity in the hen or cockerel.

Reduced egg production in hens associated with avian influenza vaccines and formalin levels.

PubMed

Meng, Di; Hui, Zhang; Yang, Jianming; Yuan, Jilei; Ling, Yong; He, Cheng

2009-03-01

A rapid drop in egg production and a high culling rate in hens are associated with using four avian influenza (AI) inactivated vaccines. Average formalin levels in 22 batches of commercial AI vaccines are 0.34%, 0.59%, 0.79%, and 0.33%, respectively, in H5N1 Re-1, Re-4, Re-1+Re-4, and Re-1+H9N2 vaccines. Laying production rate dropped from the expected 96.1% to 68.3%, 62.6%, and 54.1%, respectively, in hens that received H5N1 Re-1 strain, Re-4 strain, or Re-1+Re-4 strain vaccines, and the culling rate was 8.8%, 15.0%, and 18.0%, respectively. AI vaccines containing 0.66%-0.81% formalin could significantly induce lower estradiol levels and decreased antibody titers of H5 subtype in a field study. In an experimental study, 200 16-wk-old laying hens were randomly divided into four groups and intramuscularly injected 0.5 ml per chicken formalin-oil preparation at the dose of 0.10%, 0.40%, and 0.81% formalin, respectively. The control hens were given 0.5 ml phosphate buffered saline. Egg performance and degenerative combs were examined daily. The results showed that 0.81% formalin preparation significantly induced an egg production drop and lower estradiol levels as compared to the lower formalin preparations. Significant degeneration of combs and ovarian follicles was also observed. These changes suggest that vaccines with more than the recommended formalin concentration lower hemaglutination inhibition antibody levels and induce an imbalance in estradiol secretion, resulting in degenerative change in ovarian follicles and uterus. Hence, new H5N1 vaccines with recommended formalin levels are urgently needed.

Apoptosis induction and release of inflammatory cytokines in the oviduct of egg-laying hens experimentally infected with H9N2 avian influenza virus.

PubMed

Wang, Jingyu; Tang, Chao; Wang, Qiuzhen; Li, Ruiqiao; Chen, Zhanli; Han, Xueying; Wang, Jing; Xu, Xingang

2015-06-12

The H9N2 subtype avian influenza virus (AIV) can cause serious damage to the reproductive tract of egg-laying hens, leading to severe egg-drop and poor egg shell quality. However, previous studies in relation to the oviductal-dysfunction resulted from this agent have not clearly been elucidated. In this study, apoptosis and pathologic changes in the oviducts of egg-laying hens caused by H9N2 AIV were evaluated. To understand the immune response in the pathogenic processes, 30-week old specific pathogen free (SPF) egg-laying hens inoculated with H9N2 subtype of AIV through combined intra-ocular and intra-nasal routes. H9N2 AIV infection resulted in oviductal lesions, triggered apoptosis and expression of immune related genes accompanied with infiltration of CD3(+)CD4(+) and CD3(+)CD8α(+) cells. Significant tissue damage and apoptosis were observed in the five oviductal parts (infundibulum, magnum, isthmus, uterus and vagina) at 5 days post-inoculation (dpi). Furthermore, immune-related genes, including chicken TLR3 (7, 21), MDA5, IL-2, IFN-β, CXCLi1, CXCLi2, XCL1, XCR1 and CCR5 showed variation in the egg-laying hens infected with H9N2 AIV. Notably, mRNA expression of IFN-α was suppressed during the infection. These results show distinct expression patterns of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines amongst segments of the oviduct. Differential gene expression of inflammatory cytokines and lymphocytes aggregation occurring in oviducts may initiate the infected tissue in response to virus replication which may eventually lead to excessive cellular apoptosis and tissue damage. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Digestibility, productive performance, and egg quality of laying hens as affected by dried cassava pulp replacement with corn and enzyme supplementation.

PubMed

Khempaka, Sutisa; Maliwan, Prapot; Okrathok, Supattra; Molee, Wittawat

2018-02-24

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the potential use of dried cassava pulp (DCP) supplemented with enzymes as an alternative feed ingredient in laying hen diets. In experiment 1, 45 laying hens (Isa Brown) aged 45 weeks were placed in individual cages to measure nutrient digestibility for 10 days. Nine dietary treatments were control and DCP as a replacement for corn at 20, 25, 30, and 35% supplemented with mixed enzymes (cellulase, glucanase, and xylanase) at 0.10 and 0.15%. Results showed that the use of DCP at 20-35% added with mixed enzymes had no negative effects on dry matter digestibility, while organic matter digestibility and nitrogen retention decreased with increased DCP up to 30-35% in diets. Both enzyme levels (0.10 and 0.15%) showed similar results on nutrient digestibility and retention. In experiment 2, a total of 336 laying hens aged 32 weeks were randomly allocated to seven dietary treatments (control and DCP-substituted diets at 20, 25, and 30%) supplemented with mixed enzymes (0.10 and 0.15%). Diets incorporated with 20-30% of DCP and supplemented with mixed enzymes at both levels had no significant effects on egg production, egg weight, feed intake, egg mass, feed conversion ratio, protein efficiency ratio, or egg quality, except for egg yolk color being decreased with an increase of DCP in diets (P < 0.05). In conclusion, it is suggested that DCP supplemented with enzymes can be used as an energy source in laying hen diets up to 30% without showing negative effects on nutrient digestibility, productive performance, or egg quality.

New objects with the B[e] phenomenon in the Large Magellanic Cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levato, H.; Miroshnichenko, A. S.; Saffe, C.

2014-08-01

Aims: The study is aimed at discovering new objects with the B[e] phenomenon in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Methods: We report medium-resolution optical spectroscopic observations of two newly found (ARDB 54 and NOMAD 0181-0125572) and two previously known (Hen S-59 and Hen S-137) supergiants with the B[e] phenomenon in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The observations were obtained with the GMOS spectrograph at the southern Gemini telescope. Results: The optical spectra and the fundamental parameters of ARDB 54 and NOMAD 0181-0125572 are presented for the first time. We found that the Balmer line profiles of Hen S-59 and Hen S-137 were different from those observed in their spectra nearly 20 years ago. We suggest a higher effective temperature and luminosity for both objects. With the new fundamental parameters, the lowest luminosity for known supergiants with the B[e] phenomenon in the Magellanic Clouds is higher that previously thought (log L/L⊙ ~ 4.5 instead of 4.0). The object Hen S-59 may be a binary system based on its UV excess, variable B - V color-index and radial velocity of emission lines, and periodically variable I-band brightness. Based on observations obtained at the Gemini Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the NSF on behalf of the Gemini partnership: the National Science Foundation (United States), the National Research Council (Canada), CONICYT (Chile), the Australian Research Council (Australia), Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovacão (Brazil) and Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva (Argentina).

Lycopene Protects Against Spontaneous Ovarian Cancer Formation in Laying Hens.

PubMed

Sahin, Kazim; Yenice, Engin; Tuzcu, Mehmet; Orhan, Cemal; Mizrak, Cengizhan; Ozercan, Ibrahim H; Sahin, Nurhan; Yilmaz, Bahiddin; Bilir, Birdal; Ozpolat, Bulent; Kucuk, Omer

2018-03-01

Dietary intake of lycopene has been associated with a reduced risk of ovarian cancer, suggesting its chemopreventive potential against ovarian carcinogenesis. Lycopene's molecular mechanisms of action in ovarian cancer have not been fully understood. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the effects of lycopene on the ovarian cancer formation using the laying hen model, a biologically relevant animal model of spontaneous ovarian carcinogenesis due to high incidence rates similar to humans. In this study, a total of 150 laying hens at age of 102 weeks were randomized into groups of 50: a control group (0 mg of lycopene per kg of diet) and two treatment groups (200 mg or 400 mg of lycopene per kg of diet, or ~26 and 52 mg/d/hen, respectively). At the end of 12 months, blood, ovarian tissues and tumors were collected. We observed that lycopene supplementation significantly reduced the overall ovarian tumor incidence ( P < 0.01) as well as the number and the size of the tumors ( P < 0.004 and P < 0.005, respectively). Lycopene also significantly decreased the rate of adenocarcinoma, including serous and mucinous subtypes ( P < 0.006). Moreover, we also found that the serum level of oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde was significantly lower in lycopene-fed hens compared to control birds ( P < 0.001). Molecular analysis of the ovarian tumors revealed that lycopene reduced the expression of NF-κB while increasing the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2 and its major target protein, heme oxygenase 1. In addition, lycopene supplementation decreased the expression of STAT3 by inducing the protein inhibitor of activated STAT3 expression in the ovarian tissues. Taken together, our findings strongly support the potential of lycopene in the chemoprevention of ovarian cancer through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms.

Chronic acceleration and egg production in domestic fowl

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, A. H.; Besch, E. L.; Burton, R. R.

1985-01-01

A study of the influence of chronic acceleration on egg production of commercially raised hens placed on a large animal centrifuge at 90 days of age, was performed. S8 generation hens were stepped up from 1.25 G to 2 G, which was maintained for 30 days. Fifty percent ceased to be in the laying condition at 1.5 G, and 10.8 percent suffered oviduct prolapse above 1.8 G. S21 generation hens had no incidents of oviduct prolapse despite 170-day retention at 2 G, and, assuming a 30 percent population not in the laying condition, approximated the commercial production rate. Chronic acceleration did not appear to affect the relative sizes of albumen or yolk, but it did appear to reduce the relative shell size, consistent with a decrease in plasma calcium. Dry matter content was not affected.

Evaluation of Two Compressed Air Foam Systems for Culling Caged Layer Hens.

PubMed

Benson, Eric R; Weiher, Jaclyn A; Alphin, Robert L; Farnell, Morgan; Hougentogler, Daniel P

2018-04-24

Outbreaks of avian influenza (AI) and other highly contagious poultry diseases continue to be a concern for those involved in the poultry industry. In the situation of an outbreak, emergency depopulation of the birds involved is necessary. In this project, two compressed air foam systems (CAFS) were evaluated for mass emergency depopulation of layer hens in a manure belt equipped cage system. In both experiments, a randomized block design was used with multiple commercial layer hens treated with one of three randomly selected depopulation methods: CAFS, CAFS with CO₂ gas, and CO₂ gas. In Experiment 1, a Rowe manufactured CAFS was used, a selection of birds were instrumented, and the time to unconsciousness, brain death, altered terminal cardiac activity and motion cessation were recorded. CAFS with and without CO₂ was faster to unconsciousness, however, the other parameters were not statistically significant. In Experiment 2, a custom Hale based CAFS was used to evaluate the impact of bird age, a selection of birds were instrumented, and the time to motion cessation was recorded. The difference in time to cessation of movement between pullets and spent hens using CAFS was not statistically significant. Both CAFS depopulate caged layers, however, there was no benefit to including CO₂.

Sound attenuation in the ear of domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) as a result of beak opening

PubMed Central

Claes, Raf; Dirckx, Joris J. J.

2017-01-01

Because the quadrate and the eardrum are connected, the hypothesis was tested that birds attenuate the transmission of sound through their ears by opening the bill, which potentially serves as an additional protective mechanism for self-generated vocalizations. In domestic chickens, it was examined if a difference exists between hens and roosters, given the difference in vocalization capacity between the sexes. To test the hypothesis, vibrations of the columellar footplate were measured ex vivo with laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV) for closed and maximally opened beak conditions, with sounds introduced at the ear canal. The average attenuation was 3.5 dB in roosters and only 0.5 dB in hens. To demonstrate the importance of a putative protective mechanism, audio recordings were performed of a crowing rooster. Sound pressures levels of 133.5 dB were recorded near the ears. The frequency content of the vocalizations was in accordance with the range of highest hearing sensitivity in chickens. The results indicate a small but significant difference in sound attenuation between hens and roosters. However, the amount of attenuation as measured in the experiments on both hens and roosters is small and will provide little effective protection in addition to other mechanisms such as stapedius muscle activity. PMID:29291112

Reaction to frustration in high and low feather pecking lines of laying hens from commercial or semi-natural rearing conditions.

PubMed

Rodenburg, T B; Koene, P; Spruijt, B M

2004-02-27

The effect of rearing conditions on feather pecking and reaction to frustration was studied in two lines of laying hens. From commercial rearing conditions (large group, no mother hen), seven birds from a high feather pecking line (HC birds) and eight birds from a low feather pecking line (LC birds) were used. From semi-natural rearing conditions (small group, mother hen present) seven birds from the high feather pecking line (HN birds) were used. Feather pecking behaviour of HC, LC, and HN groups was recorded for 30 min. After that, each bird was food deprived and trained to peck a key for a food reward in a Skinnerbox. After training, each bird was subjected to a frustration session in a Skinnerbox, where the feeder was covered with Perspex. Three HC birds showed severe feather pecking, compared with one HN bird and zero LC birds. Differences in reaction to frustration were found between birds from different lines, but not in birds from different rearing conditions. LC birds tended to put their head in the feeder more frequently than HC birds over all sessions. Although limited, this study indicates that rearing conditions influence feather pecking, but not reaction to frustration.

Transfer of pyrrolizidine alkaloids from various herbs to eggs and meat in laying hens.

PubMed

Mulder, Patrick P J; de Witte, Susannah L; Stoopen, Geert M; van der Meulen, Jan; van Wikselaar, Piet G; Gruys, Erik; Groot, Maria J; Hoogenboom, Ron L A P

2016-12-01

To investigate the potential transfer of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), laying hens were fed for 14 days with diets containing 0.5% of dried common ragwort, common groundsel, narrow-leaved ragwort or viper's bugloss, or 0.1% of common heliotrope. This resulted in total PA levels in feed of respectively 5.5, 11.1, 53.1, 5.9 and 21.7 mg kg - 1 , with varying composition. PAs were transferred to eggs, in particular yolk, with steady-state levels of respectively 12, 21, 216, 2 and 36 µg kg - 1 . Overall transfer rates for the sum of PAs were estimated between 0.02% and 0.23%, depending on the type of PAs in the feed. In animals slaughtered shortly after the last exposure, levels in meat were slightly lower than those in eggs, levels in livers somewhat higher. When switched to clean feed, levels in eggs gradually decreased, but after 14 days were still above detection limits in the hens exposed to higher PA levels. Similar was the case for meat and especially kidneys and livers. It is concluded that the intake of PA containing herbs by laying hens may result in levels in eggs and meat that could be of concern for consumers, and as such should be avoided.

Occurrence of infectious laryngotracheitis outbreaks in commercial layer hens detected by ELISA.

PubMed

Aras, Zeki; Yavuz, Orhan; Sanioğlu Gölen, Gökçenur

2018-02-09

Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) is an acute respiratory disease of chickens and a cause of great economic loss in commercial layers. The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of ILT in the field outbreaks and to compare the characteristics of ILT-infected and free flocks of commercial layers. A total of 625 blood serum samples were collected from 25 different layer flocks. The presence of antibodies against infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) in each sample was determined by ELISA. Of the 625 serum samples, 266 (42.56%) were found to be positive for ILTV antibodies. A total of 16 (64%) flocks were detected ILT positive by ELISA method. The mortality of infected flocks was statistically higher (P < 0.05) than uninfected flocks. The egg production of positive flocks was lower than that of the free flocks, but this difference was not statistically significant. The average live weight of hens in infected flocks was lower (P > 0.05) than hens in free flocks. In conclusion, the results of this study indicated a high prevalence of ILT infection in the commercial layer flocks in Konya region, Turkey. In outbreaks, ILT significantly increased the mortality rate and decreased the average live weight in layer hens.

Quantification of antibody (IgY) titers in hen eggs following immunization and their use in detecting cell surface molecules on nitrocellulose membranes.

PubMed

Ruan, Guang-Ping; Ma, Li; Meng, Xiao-Jing; Meng, Min-Jie; Wang, Xiao-Ning; Lin, Ying; Wu, Zheng-Qiang; He, Xiao-Wei; Wang, Ju-Fang; Zhu, Yong

2007-01-01

HLA-A*0201 alpha chain and beta2m were expressed from a prokaryotic system, and after refolding and purification, the alpha chain and beta2m were used to immunize eight laying hens. The titer of egg yolk antibody against alpha chain increased from 10(2) to 10(5.3) The titer of egg yolk antibody against beta2m increased from 10(1) to 10(4.7). The extent of titer increase is similar between the two antigens. An average of 135 mg purified polyclonal antibody (IgY) can be easily obtained from one egg yolk. The use of egg collection rather than serum collection is compatible with modern animal protection regulations. An average of 28 eggs were obtained from a laying hen every month, with a total amount of 3780 mg immunoglobulin extracted from one immunized hen every month, which would be equivalent to 630 mL of serum or 1260 mL of blood per month. Chickens are an optimal host for the production of polyclonal antibodies with high titer and high yield. Purified IgY was labeled with horseradish peroxidase and reacted with PBMC on nitrocellulose membranes indicating that the antibody can bind to the native conformation of class I HLA molecule on PBMC.

Effect of dietary karaya saponin on serum and egg yolk cholesterol in laying hens.

PubMed

Afrose, S; Hossain, M S; Tsujii, H

2010-12-01

1. The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of dietary karaya saponin on cholesterol deposition in laying hens. 2. A total of 40 Boris Brown hens were randomly assigned at 20 weeks of age to 4 treatment groups and fed on diets supplemented with 0 (control), 25, 50 or 75 mg/kg karaya saponin for an 8-week experimental period. 3. After 8 weeks of dietary supplementation, karaya-saponin-treated groups had significantly lower serum cholesterol (23·0%) and triglycerides but increased high density lipoproteins cholesterol concentration than controls, irrespective of karaya saponin content in the diet. Egg yolk cholesterol and triglycerides were also significantly reduced by dietary karaya saponin. Hepatic cholesterol and triglycerides were significantly reduced by karaya saponin but bile acids concentration in the faeces and liver were significantly increased by karaya saponin. The concentrations of oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids in the yolk were greater in hens receiving karaya saponin than in controls. Karaya saponin significantly increased egg production, feed efficiency and yolk colour compared with controls. Karaya saponin tended to increase egg weight, feed consumption, Haugh units, albumen weight and yolk index. 4. In conclusion, karaya saponin is a potential agent for reducing yolk cholesterol concentration together with an overall increase of production performance and improvement in egg quality.

A comparison of transmission characteristics of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis between pair-housed and group-housed laying hens.

PubMed

Thomas, Ekelijn; Bouma, Annemarie; Klinkenberg, Don

2011-02-23

Human cases of bacterial gastro-enteritis are often caused by the consumption of eggs contaminated with Salmonella species, mainly Salmonella enterica serovar Enteriditis (Salmonella Enteritidis). To reduce human exposure, in several countries worldwide surveillance programmes are implemented to detect colonized layer flocks. The sampling schemes are based on the within-flock prevalence, and, as this changes over time, knowledge of the within-flock dynamics of Salmonella Enteritidis is required. Transmission of Salmonella Enteritidis has been quantified in pairs of layers, but the question is whether the dynamics in pairs is comparable to transmission in large groups, which are more representative for commercial layer flocks. The aim of this study was to compare results of transmission experiments between pairs and groups of laying hens. Experimental groups of either 2 or 200 hens were housed at similar densities, and 1 or 4 hens were inoculated with Salmonella Enteritidis, respectively. Excretion was monitored by regularly testing of fecal samples for the presence of Salmonella Enteritidis. Using mathematical modeling, the group experiments were simulated with transmission parameter estimates from the pairwise experiments. Transmission of the bacteria did not differ significantly between pairs or groups. This finding suggests that the transmission parameter estimates from small-scale experiments might be extrapolated to the field situation.

Copper activation of organophosporus compounds detoxication by chicken serum.

PubMed

Monroy-Noyola, Antonio; Sogorb, Miguel Angel; Díaz-Alejo, Nuria; Vilanova, Eugenio

2017-08-01

Avian species contain low levels of enzymes that hydrolyze organophosphorus compounds (OPs), and chickens are used as a model of OPs delayed neurotoxicity. For both reasons, we studied the ability of chicken tissue for OP detoxication. A significant activating effect of Cu 2+ on the hydrolysis of O-hexyl O-2,5-dichlorophenyl phosphoramidate (HDCP) was observed in hen plasma and the microsomal fractions of the liver, brain, and mainly in hen serum, by spectrophotometric and chiral chromatography methods. The concentration of 1 mM of Cu 2+ or Zn 2+ showed 200% and 168% activation, respectively, in hen plasma compared with the Ca 2+ -dependent hydrolysis, whereas these cations had an inhibitory effect on soluble liver and brain fractions. An increase of 1.5 to 19.5 fold in HDCP hydrolyzing activity was obtained for the 30-250 μM Cu 2+ range when using chicken serum instead of hen plasma. This Cu 2+ -dependent hydrolysis in chicken serum was stereoselective for the R-(+)-HDCP isomer, which proved the opposite to the Ca 2+ -dependent stereoselective hydrolysis of the S-(-)-HDCP isomer reported in rat and rabbit serum. The level of copper needed to exert this effect should be further evaluated for its suitability for potential therapeutic and biotechnological applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Winter ecology of the greater prairie chicken on the Sheyenne National Grasslands, North Dakota

Treesearch

John E. Toepfer; Robert L. Eng

1988-01-01

Twenty radio-tagged prairie-chickens (6 cocks, 14 hens) were followed during the winter of 1984-85 on the Sheyenne National Grasslands in North Dakota. A total of 3,945 (2,879 day and 1,066 night) locations were obtained from 9 December to 15 March. Winter survival was high at 58.8%. Mean winter home range was 8.4 km2 and slightly larger for hens...

Salmonella typhimurium phage type 141 infections in Sheffield during 1984 and 1985: association with hens' eggs.

PubMed Central

Chapman, P. A.; Rhodes, P.; Rylands, W.

1988-01-01

Food poisoning due to Salmonella typhimurium phage type 141 was unusual in the Sheffield area before 1984. The sudden increase in incidence of this phage type during 1984 and 1985, and its causative role in several small outbreaks in this period have been investigated. Epidemiological and laboratory investigations suggested that hens' eggs were the most likely source of S. typhimurium phage type 141. PMID:3042440

Nucleotide Intermediates in the Biosynthesis of Heteropolymeric Polysaccharides

PubMed Central

Strominger, Jack L.

1964-01-01

The role of nucleotides as “carriers” of small molecules for biosynthetic reactions is discussed. Following this introduction, the particular problem of nucleotide intermediates in chondroitin sulfate synthesis is presented. The egg shell of the hen contains a form of chondroitin sulfate and particular emphasis is placed on the biosynthesis of sulfated polysaccharides in the hen oviduct, which has been studied in the author's laboratory. ImagesFigure 16Figure 19 PMID:14104074

In vitro and in vivo antioxidant activities of inulin.

PubMed

Shang, Hong-Mei; Zhou, Hai-Zhu; Yang, Jun-Yan; Li, Ran; Song, Hui; Wu, Hong-Xin

2018-01-01

This study was designed to investigate the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activities of inulin. The in vitro assays demonstrated that the antioxidant activities of inulin, including the DPPH radical scavenging activity, ABTS scavenging activity and ferric reducing power, were weak and significantly lower than those of Vitamin C (P < 0.05). The influence of dietary supplementation with inulin on the antioxidant status of laying hens was evaluated with in vivo antioxidant assays. The results indicated that inulin supplementation quadratically improved the egg production rate of the laying hens (P < 0.01). The antioxidant enzyme activities in the serum, including SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px, and the total antioxidant capacity increased quadratically as inulin levels increased (P < 0.001). The levels of MDA in the serum decreased quadratically as inulin levels increased (P < 0.001). These findings suggest that inulin has the potential to improve the antioxidant status of laying hens.

In vitro and in vivo antioxidant activities of inulin

PubMed Central

Yang, Jun-Yan; Li, Ran; Wu, Hong-Xin

2018-01-01

This study was designed to investigate the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activities of inulin. The in vitro assays demonstrated that the antioxidant activities of inulin, including the DPPH radical scavenging activity, ABTS scavenging activity and ferric reducing power, were weak and significantly lower than those of Vitamin C (P < 0.05). The influence of dietary supplementation with inulin on the antioxidant status of laying hens was evaluated with in vivo antioxidant assays. The results indicated that inulin supplementation quadratically improved the egg production rate of the laying hens (P < 0.01). The antioxidant enzyme activities in the serum, including SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px, and the total antioxidant capacity increased quadratically as inulin levels increased (P < 0.001). The levels of MDA in the serum decreased quadratically as inulin levels increased (P < 0.001). These findings suggest that inulin has the potential to improve the antioxidant status of laying hens. PMID:29394273

Protection of rats against dental caries by passive immunization with hen-egg-yolk antibody (IgY).

PubMed

Otake, S; Nishihara, Y; Makimura, M; Hatta, H; Kim, M; Yamamoto, T; Hirasawa, M

1991-03-01

Hen-egg-yolk antibody (IgY) was prepared against Streptococcus mutans MT8148 serotype c that was cultivated in medium containing sucrose, and it was used in passive caries-immunity studies. Specific pathogen-free rats infected with S. mutans MT8148 (c) and fed with a cariogenic diet containing more than 2% immune yolk powder developed significantly lower caries scores than did the ones infected with the same strain and fed with a diet containing only control yolk powder obtained from non-immunized hens. Similar results were obtained in an experiment with rats infected with S. mutans JC-2 (c) strain. Rats provided a diet supplemented with 0.5% immune water-soluble protein fraction containing S. mutans-specific IgY and challenged with S. mutans MT8148 exhibited significantly fewer caries lesions, compared with control rats on the normal diet.

Free range hens use the range more when the outdoor environment is enriched.

PubMed

Nagle, T A D; Glatz, P C

2012-04-01

To evaluate the role of using forage, shade and shelterbelts in attracting birds into the range, three trials were undertaken with free range layers both on a research facility and on commercial farms. Each of the trials on the free range research facility in South Australia used a total of 120 laying hens (Hyline Brown). Birds were housed in an eco-shelter which had 6 internal pens of equal size with a free range area adjoining the shelter. The on-farm trials were undertaken on commercial free range layer farms in the Darling Downs in Southeast Queensland with bird numbers on farms ranging from 2,000-6,800 hens. The first research trial examined the role of shaded areas in the range; the second trial examined the role of forage and the third trial examined the influence of shelterbelts in the range. These treatments were compared to a free range area with no enrichment. Aggressive feather pecking was only observed on a few occasions in all of the trials due to the low bird numbers housed. Enriching the free range environment attracted more birds into the range. Shaded areas were used by 18% of the hens with a tendency (p = 0.07) for more hens to be in the paddock. When forage was provided in paddocks more control birds (55%) were observed in the range in morning than in the afternoon (30%) while for the forage treatments 45% of the birds were in the range both during the morning and afternoon. When shelterbelts were provided there was a significantly (p<0.05) higher % of birds in the range (43% vs. 24%) and greater numbers of birds were observed in areas further away from the poultry house. The results from the on-farm trials mirrored the research trials. Overall 3 times more hens used the shaded areas than the non shaded areas, with slightly more using the shade in the morning than in the afternoon. As the environmental temperature increased the number of birds using the outdoor shade also increased. Overall 17 times more hens used the shelterbelt areas than the control areas, with slightly more using the shelterbelts in the afternoon than in the morning. Approximately 17 times more birds used the forage areas compared to the control area in the corresponding range. There were 8 times more birds using a hay bale enriched area compared to the area with no hay bales. The use of forage sources (including hay bales) were the most successful method on-farm to attract birds into the range followed by shelterbelts and artificial shade. Free range egg farmers are encouraged to provide pasture, shaded areas and shelterbelts to attract birds into the free range.

Anti-inflammatory effects of fish oil in ovaries of laying hens target prostaglandin pathways.

PubMed

Eilati, Erfan; Small, Carolynn C; McGee, Stacey R; Kurrey, Nawneet K; Hales, Dale Buchanan

2013-10-24

An effective way to control cancer is by prevention. Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy. Progress in the treatment and prevention of ovarian cancer has been hampered due to the lack of an appropriate animal model and absence of effective chemo-prevention strategies. The domestic hens spontaneously develop ovarian adenocarcinomas that share similar histological appearance and symptoms such as ascites and metastasis with humans. There is a link between chronic inflammation and cancer. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is the most pro-inflammatory ecoisanoid and one of the downstream products of two isoforms of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes: COX-1 and COX-2. PGE2 exerts its effects on target cells by coupling to four subtypes of receptors which have been classified as EP1-4. Fish oil is a source of omega-3 fatty acids (OM-3FAs) which may be effective in prevention of ovarian cancer. Our objective was to assess the potential impact of fish oil on expression of COX enzymes, PGE2 concentration, apoptosis and proliferation in ovaries of laying hens. 48 white Leghorn hens were fed 50, 100, 175, 375 and 700 mg/kg fish oil for 21 days. The OM3-FAs and omega-6 fatty acids contents of egg yolks were determined by Gas Chromatography. Proliferation, apoptosis, COX-1, COX-2 and prostaglandin receptor subtype 4 (EP4) protein and mRNA expression and PGE2 concentration in ovaries were measured by PCNA, TUNEL, Western blot, quantitative real-time qPCR and ELISA, respectively. Consumption of fish oil increased the incorporation of OM-3FAs into yolks and decreased both COX-1 and COX-2 protein and mRNA expression. In correlation with COXs down-regulation, fish oil significantly reduced the concentrations of PGE2 in ovaries. EP4 protein and mRNA expression in ovaries of hens was not affected by fish oil treatment. A lower dose of fish oil increased the egg laying frequency. 175 and 700 mg/kg fish oil reduced proliferation and 700 mg/kg increased apoptosis in hen ovaries. Our findings suggest that the lower doses of fish oil reduce inflammatory PG and may be an effective approach in preventing ovarian carcinogenesis. These findings may provide the basis for clinical trials utilizing fish oil as a dietary intervention targeting prostaglandin biosynthesis for the prevention and treatment of ovarian cancer.

Dietary genistein supplementation in laying broiler breeder hens alters the development and metabolism of offspring embryos as revealed by hepatic transcriptome analysis.

PubMed

Lv, Zengpeng; Fan, Hao; Zhang, Beibei; Ning, Chao; Xing, Kun; Guo, Yuming

2018-03-08

Genistein (GEN) is a type of isoflavone mainly derived from soy products. In this experiment, we added 40 and 400 mg/kg GEN to the diet of laying broiler breeder hens to clarify the maternal effects of GEN on the development and metabolism of chick embryos. GEN treatment at 40 mg/kg increased embryonic length, weight, and liver index, as well as the width of the proliferative zone in the tibial growth plate of chick embryos. Gene ontology (GO) cluster analysis of the hepatic transcriptome showed that GEN treatment promoted embryonic development and cell proliferation. Low-dose GEN treatment increased insulin growth factor-binding protein (IGFBP)3 mRNA expression in the embryonic liver, whereas high-dose GEN treatment increased IGFBP5 expression and activated the apoptosis and protein tyrosine kinase signaling pathways. Furthermore, adding supplemental GEN to the diet of hens promoted the glycolysis process in the embryonic liver through the insulin-signaling pathway, upregulated target genes (phosphoglucomutase-2, hexokinase 1, dihydroxyacetone phosphate by aldolase, phosphofructokinase, platelet, and enolase 2), and enhanced the transport of carboxylic acids and cholesterol and the synthesis of unsaturated fatty acid (arachidonic acid) in the embryonic liver through upregulation of liver X receptor, sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1, and patatin-like phospholipase A. Additionally, GEN treatment increased fatty acid β-oxidation and Na + /K + -ATPase activity in the embryonic liver through activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs; PPARα and PPARδ) and the AMPK signaling pathway, which could provide energy for embryonic development. In addition, GEN treatment in hens increased superoxide dismutase activity and metallothionein expression in the chick embryonic liver and promoted lymphocyte proliferation through upregulation of mRNA expression of CDKN1A, IL12RB1, Sox11, PRKAR1A, PRKCQ, and TCF3. The improved immunity and antioxidant capacity, as a result of maternal GEN effects, was conducive to embryonic development. In conclusion, the addition of GEN to the diet of laying broiler breeder hens significantly promoted the development and metabolism of chick embryos.-Lv, Z., Fan, H., Zhang, B., Ning, C., Xing, K., Guo, Y. Dietary genistein supplementation in laying broiler breeder hens alters the development and metabolism of offspring embryos as revealed by hepatic transcriptome analysis.

Influence of hot exposure on 12-week-old turkey hen physiology, welfare, and meat quality and 16-week-old turkey tom core body temperature when crated at transport density.

PubMed

Vermette, C J; Henrikson, Z A; Schwean-Lardner, K V; Crowe, T G

2017-09-01

The influence of hot conditions on 12-week-old turkey hens and 16-week-old toms while crated at transport density was evaluated. Forty-eight hens and 48 toms (8 birds per flock × 3 flocks × 2 humidity levels) were used in neutral treatments (trt; 20°C), and 16 hens and 16 toms (8 birds per flock × 1 flock × 2 humidity levels) were used in the hot trt (35°C). Birds were placed in crates at a transport stocking density of approximately 83 kg/m2, then inside a pre-conditioned chamber for 8 hours. Live shrink, core body temperature (CBT), heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio, and breast and thigh pH and color were recorded. Differences were declared significant at P ≤ 0.05. Live shrink after exposure to the 35°C trt (4.92%) was greater (P < 0.0001) than when birds were exposed to 20°C (1.48%). The 35°C trt (P < 0.0001) had higher Δ CBT (final minus initial) compared to the 20°C trt. The 35°C trt also caused higher (P < 0.0001) H/L ratio, 4.07 vs. 1.57 for the 20°C trt. Breast (P = 0.0110) and thigh pH levels (P < 0.0001) measured 27 h postmortem were lower for the 35°C trt at 5.64 and 5.73 compared to the 20°C trt at 5.70 and 5.92, respectively. Breast meat from birds exposed to 35°C was darker (P < 0.0001), while the color of thigh meat was unaffected. Toms quickly became distressed in the hot conditions, forcing those tests to be aborted. Only CBT data were analyzed. The CBT increased at a mean rate of 0.09°C/min for hens at both RH levels, while the CBT of toms increased at 0.12 and 0.18°C/min when exposed to 35°C, 30%; and 35°C, 80%, respectively. Exposure to hot temperatures caused higher CBT, greater live shrink, and greater H/L ratio. Toms were more greatly affected than hens to the hot trt, with CBT increasing at a greater rate. © 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Response of laying hens to feeding low-protein amino acid-supplemented diets under high ambient temperature: performance, egg quality, leukocyte profile, blood lipids, and excreta pH

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torki, Mehran; Mohebbifar, Ahmad; Ghasemi, Hossein Ali; Zardast, Afshin

2015-05-01

An experiment was conducted to determine whether, by using a low-protein amino acid-supplemented diet, the health status, stress response, and excreta quality could be improved without affecting the productive performance of heat-stressed laying hens. The requirements for egg production, egg mass, and feed conversion ratio were also estimated using second-order equations and broken-line regression. A total of 150 Lohmann Selected Leghorn (LSL-Lite) hens were divided randomly into five groups of 30 with five replicates of six hens. The hens were raised for an 8-week period (52 to 60 weeks) in wire cages situated in high ambient temperature in an open-sided housing system. The five experimental diets (ME; 2,720 kcal/kg) varied according to five crude protein (CP) levels: normal-CP diet (control, 16.5 % CP) and low-CP diets containing 15.0, 13.5, 12.0, or 10.5 % CP. All experimental diets were supplemented with crystalline amino acids at the levels sufficient to meet their requirements. The results showed that under high temperature conditions, all productive performance and egg quality parameters in the birds fed with 15.0, 13.5, and 12.0 % CP diets were similar to those of birds fed with control diet (16.5 % CP), whereas feeding 10.5 % CP diet significantly decreased egg production and egg mass. Estimations of requirements were of 13.93 and 12.77 % CP for egg production, 14.62 and 13.22 % CP for egg mass, and 12.93 and 12.26 % CP for feed conversion ratio using quadratic and broken-line models, respectively. Egg yolk color index, blood triglyceride level, and excreta acidity were also significantly higher in birds fed with 12.0 and 10.5 % CP diets compared with those of control birds. The heterophil to lymphocyte ratio, as a stress indicator, was significantly decreased by 15.0, 13.5, and 12 % CP diets. On the basis of our findings, reducing dietary CP from 16.5 to 12.0 % and supplementing the diets with the essential amino acids showed merit for improving the stress response and excreta quality while maintaining acceptable production performance from laying hens under high ambient temperature conditions.

Pilot Study: Colostomy and Urine Collection Protocol for Investigating Potential Inciting Causes of Hen Diuresis Syndrome.

PubMed

Jones, Kelli; Turner, Bradley; Brandão, João; Hubbard, Sue Ann; Magee, Danny; Baughman, Brittany; Wills, Robert; Tully, Thomas

2015-06-01

Hen diuresis syndrome has emerged over the past 5 yr as a significant cause of mortality in the U.S. broiler breeder industry. The condition affects hens in production and is characterized by transient muscle weakness in the vent region, transient diuresis, and often urate deposits on the skin below the vent. Affected hens are often seen straining to lay an egg, which suggests oviduct contraction is also impaired. Related hen mortality, often reaching 1% or more a week, is believed to be primarily the result of male aggression of the vent region (Turner et al., "Investigating Causes of Excessive Urate Production in Broiler Breeder Hens Associated with Peritonitis and Cannibalism Mortality," Oral Presentation at The American Association of Avian Pathologists Annual Meeting, p. 139, 2010). The exact association between the cause of mortality and this syndrome is unknown, but it may be the consequence of transient partial to full oviduct prolapse, which predisposes or stimulates cannibalism and aggression. Based on unpublished work done prior to this study (Turner et al., ibid.), the evidence suggests the underlying problem is metabolic. We feel that urine collection and analysis is an essential component to understanding this condition. This study serves as a pilot study for future investigations that attempt to identify the nature and cause of the metabolic disturbance through paired urine and serum collection and analysis. For the purpose of this study, a small sample of 10 affected and 10 unaffected birds was used for sample collection. In order to collect pure urine, the birds were surgically colostomized. Colostomy did prove to be a useful means of collecting urine free of feces, and for the purposes of our study it yielded adequate urine samples for analysis. There were statistically relevant urine values observed. Affected birds had a higher presence of blood in the urine, a lower uric acid excretion rate (mg/hr), higher concentration (mEq/L) of urine Na+, and a lower concentration (mEq/L) of urine K+ than unaffected birds. This pilot study helps to address some of the pitfalls previously associated with colostomy and to determine when collection can begin postoperatively so that we can better understand when and how to begin our sampling in future trials to address the etiology of this condition.

Improving productive performance and mitigating harmful emissions from laying hen excreta via feeding on graded levels of corn DDGS with or without Bacillus subtilis probiotic.

PubMed

Abd El-Hack, M E; Mahgoub, S A; Alagawany, M; Ashour, E A

2017-10-01

An experiment that included some inclusions of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) with or without supplementation of probiotic bacteria to Hi-sex Brown laying hen diets was conducted to evaluate the impacts on performance, egg quality, blood metabolites and nitrogen and phosphorus excretion in the manure. A total of 216 twenty-two-week-old Hi-sex Brown laying hens were randomly divided into eight treatment groups in a factorial design (4 × 2) experiment, which included four levels of DDGS (0, 50, 100 and 150 g/kg diet) plus two levels of Bacillus subtilis probiotic (0 or 1000 mg/kg diet, with a concentration of 1.5 × 108 CFU/g of dried product). The experimental period extended from 22 to 34 weeks of age. The results showed that linear increase in DDGS level up to 150 g/kg improved (p ≤ 0.01) the values of feed consumption, egg shape index and yolk colour compared to the control and other treatment groups. Inclusion of dietary DDGS up to 150 g/kg in layer diets led to a significant decrease in egg mass and a significant increase in Haugh unit score compared to other groups. In the bacillus group, the values of feed conversion, egg weight and egg mass enhanced by 6.45, 3.27 and 7.60% respectively compared with the control diet. Total protein, albumin, triglycerides, cholesterol, calcium and ammonia in serum were significantly (p ≤ 0.01) influenced by DDGS inclusion. The excreted nitrogen decreased by 8.62 and 4.31% in hens fed 50 or 100 g/kg of DDGS respectively, while excreted phosphorous decreased by 3.33, 7.22 and 10.56% in hens fed 50, 100 or 150 g/kg of DDGS respectively as compared to the control group. It could be concluded that increasing DDGS inclusion level in the diet up to 10% and the supplementation of probiotic bacteria improved the productive performance of laying hens and mitigated the harmful emissions from chicken manure; this means better production within environmentally friendly conditions. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Effect of various sources and levels of iodine, as well as the kind of diet, on the performance of young laying hens, iodine accumulation in eggs, egg characteristics, and morphotic and biochemical indices in blood.

PubMed

Słupczyńska, M; Jamroz, D; Orda, J; Wiliczkiewicz, A

2014-10-01

Young hens were fed over a period of 150 d with 2 kinds of diets including corn and soybean meal or corn, soybean, and rapeseed meal. Diets were enriched with potassium iodide (KI) or potassium iodate (KIO3) as an I source in amounts equal to 1, 3, or 5 mg of supplemented I/kg of feed. The hen performance, egg quality, hematological and morphotic indices in blood, hepatic enzyme activity, lipid indices in blood serum as well as I accumulation in wet egg content were determined. Introduction of 00-variety rapeseed meal into the diet improved the laying rate and feed conversion (P < 0.05); however, better egg weight was noted by feeding the hens with a diet without rapeseed meal. Use of KI as an I source enhanced the egg weight. The increased I level in the diet had an equivocal influence on egg weight, improved the feed conversion per 1 kg of eggs, and decreased the proportion of damaged eggs. The use of corn, soybean, and rapeseed meal in hen diets significantly improved yolk color; similar results were noted after an increase in I levels in the diets after 3 mo of feeding. Hematological indices of hen blood demonstrated significantly higher red blood cells numbers and hemoglobin concentrations with the use of KI. The use of a diet containing rapeseed meal led to an enhancement of hepatic enzyme activity, especially of alkaline phosphatase (P = 0.007). Lipid metabolism indices were not influenced by the kind of diet or the I source or level. The accumulation of I in wet egg content was negatively influenced by the use of a diet containing rapeseed meal (P = 0.000). The application of KI as an I source enhanced (P = 0.003) the accretion of I in eggs after 5 mo of treatment. Enhanced I supply significantly increased accumulation of I in eggs (P = 0.000) after 3 and 5 mo of the experiment from 260 and 310 to 1,011 and 1,256 µg/kg of wet egg content, respectively. ©2014 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Gut-Associated Lymphoid Tissue: A Key Tissue Inside the Mucosal Immune System of Hens Immunized with Escherichia coli F4.

PubMed

Peralta, Maria F; Magnoli, Alejandra; Alustiza, Fabrisio; Nilson, Armando; Miazzo, Raúl; Vivas, Adriana

2017-01-01

Immunoglobulin Y (IgY) is the predominant antibody found in hen's ( Gallus domesticus ) egg yolk. This antibody, developed against several microorganisms in hen egg yolk, has been successfully used as an alternative to immunoglobulins from mammals for use in immunodiagnostics and immunotherapy. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (E.coli) F 4 is the main etiological agent associated with swine neonatal diarrhea, and it causes notable economic losses in swine production. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between humoral immune response and the activation of gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) in laying hens intramuscularly immunized with E. coli F 4 . Adult laying Shaver hens were immunized with a bacterin based on an inactivated lysate E. coli F 4 strain that was originally isolated from neonatal piglet diarrhea, following a recommended schedule. The percentage of B lymphocytes in blood and spleen homogenates was determined by flow cytometry. Villi histomorphometry and the size of germinal centers (GC) activated in GALT and the spleen were measured in histological samples either stained with hematoxylin/eosin or through immunofluorescence. Antibody and isotype-specific antibodies in serum and egg yolk were measured using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Secretory and serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) were measured by ELISA tests. Laying hen with intramuscular immunization with E. coli F 4 lysate, activated both mucosal and systemic protection. Mucosal protection was provided through B lymphocytes, and most of them were activated on Peyer's patches and esophageal tonsils, in GALT. Furthermore, increased B lymphocyte number in the lamina propria of the gut, and increased intraepithelial plasmatic cell number, produced high levels of mucosal IgA. Activated B lymphocytes interacted with absorptive cells, immune cells, and microbiota in the gut, producing signals that were translated into a powerful physical defense by producing a greater volume of mucin from an increased number of goblet cells. Systemic protection was provided through B lymphocyte activation of spleen GC, which produced hugely specific IgY serum levels. One week later, this specific IgY was deposited in the yolk. This suggests that GALT is a key immunologic tissue inside the mucosal immune system, acting as the "command center" for humoral reaction.

Metropolitan Spokane Region Water Resources Study. Appendix D. Wastewater Generation and Treatment

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-01-01

equipment and toxic to the anaerobic organisms in the digesters . Plant operating policy requires that, when the influent chloride concentration reaches...sheep e. 55,000 turkeys f. 100,000 laying hens or broilers g. 30,000 laying hens or broilers wiL!, liquid manure handling systems h. 5000 ducks i...study area is currently off from the levels indicated in the census due to unfavorable feed and price levels. There is essentially no broiler production

Effects of ipriflavone on caged layer bone metabolism in vitro and in vivo.

PubMed

Yao, J; Zhang, J; Hou, J-F

2007-03-01

The effects of ipriflavone on caged layer bone metabolism were examined in vitro and in vivo. Ipriflavone at 10(-8) M stimulated the activity of osteoblasts cultured from embryonic chick calvariae, and 10(-9) to 10(-7) M inhibited osteoclasts from chick tibias and humeri. Ipriflavone concentrations of 10(-4) and 10(-5) M inhibited osteoblast activity. These results suggest that ipriflavone influences bone metabolism by regulating the functional balance between osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Based on these in vitro experiments, in vivo studies were conducted to further clarify the effects of ipriflavone. Five hundred 58-wk-old ISA caged layers were divided into 5 groups that were fed diets containing 0, 15, 25, 50, and 100 ppm of ipriflavone. The experiment lasted 70 d. Egg production increased in hens fed 25 ppm and decreased in hens fed 50 and 100 ppm when compared with the controls and hens fed 15 ppm (P < 0.05). Egg weight, shell quality, BW, and serum P, Ca, estrogen, and bone mineral content were not affected by inclusion of ipriflavone in the diet. Hens consuming 25 ppm of ipriflavone had greater serum alkaline phosphatase and bone gla-protein levels than controls. Adding 25 ppm of ipriflavone to the feed appears to be close to an ideal level for clinical treatment of osteoporosis because of improved egg production while maintaining bone mineral content.

Isolation of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis from houseflies (Musca domestica) found in rooms containing Salmonella serovar Enteritidis-challenged hens.

PubMed

Holt, Peter S; Geden, Christopher J; Moore, Randle W; Gast, Richard K

2007-10-01

Houseflies (Musca domestica) released into rooms containing hens challenged with Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (Salmonella serovar Enteritidis) rapidly became contaminated with Salmonella serovar Enteritidis. Forty to 50% of the flies were contaminated at 48 h, and the percentage increased to 50 to 70% at 4 and 7 days postexposure and then decreased to 30% at day 15. Initial attempts at recovering surface organisms for culture using an aqueous rinse were largely unsuccessful, while cultures of internal contents readily recovered Salmonella serovar Enteritidis. However, when 0.5% detergent was incorporated into the rinse, high recovery levels of bacteria were observed from both external and internal culture regimens, indicating equal distribution of the organism on and in the fly and a tighter interaction of the organism with the host than previously thought. Salmonella serovar Enteritidis was isolated routinely from the fly gut, on rare occasions from the crop, and never from the salivary gland. Feeding contaminated flies to hens resulted in gut colonization of a third of the birds, but release of contaminated flies in a room containing previously unchallenged hens failed to result in colonization of any of the subject birds. These results indicate that flies exposed to an environment containing Salmonella serovar Enteritidis can become colonized with the organism and might serve as a source for transmission of Salmonella serovar Enteritidis within a flock situation.

Exploratory and descriptive study on nutritional characteristics and quality of eggs from Chilean partridge (Nothoprocta perdicaria).

PubMed

Arias, José Luis; Matthei, Alberto; Valenzuela, Carolina

2018-01-01

This work aims to contribute more information on tinamou eggs by performing an exploratory and descriptive study of some of their nutritional and quality characteristics. The chemical composition of tinamou egg showed a high protein content in white (85% dry basis) and high lipid concentration in yolk (52% db). The iron (Fe) content in white was higher than hen egg (0.47 mg/100 g) and this could be associated with the observed pinkish color of the white. As in the hen egg, the major fatty acids in tinamou yolk were: oleic (39%), linoleic (23%) and palmitic (20%). The cholesterol content of tinamou was 21.2 mg/g of yolk, and 100 g of whole egg provides 589 mg of cholesterol. As in the hen egg, tinamou egg white showed high levels of lysine, sulfur-containing amino acids, threonine and valine with respect to the recommended allowance for an adult man. All essential amino acids with the exception of histidine cover the adult requirements. The shell inorganic composition of these eggs is calcium carbonate and the morphology was similar to other avian eggs. Tinamou egg is small and elongated, with a dark brown color. The eggshell is thinner and experiences more deformation but less breaking strength than hen eggshell. © 2017 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Supplementation of laying-hen feed with palm tocos and algae astaxanthin for egg yolk nutrient enrichment.

PubMed

Walker, Laurie A; Wang, Tong; Xin, Hongwei; Dolde, David

2012-02-29

Adding supplements to hen feed can increase egg nutritional value. Astaxanthin, tocotrienols, and tocopherols are potent antioxidants that provide health benefits to humans. We hypothesized that the addition of these nutrients to hen feed would result in an increased nutrient content in egg yolk with minimum changes in functional properties. Laying hens (Hy-Line W-36 breed) were fed four diets with different supplementation levels of palm toco concentrate and algae biomass containing astaxanthin for 8 weeks. Egg yolks were analyzed for physical, chemical, and functional properties. The feed with the highest nutrient concentration was also studied for stability of these antioxidants using the Arrhenius approach. No significant differences were observed in functional properties except for emulsification capacity and sensory characteristics among eggs from different diet treatments. Changes in egg yolk color reached the maximum values at day 8. Incorporation of tocopherols and tocotrienols increased until day 8, astaxanthin incorporation increased until day 10, and all decreased thereafter. Feed nutrients resulted in a dose-response relationship of these compounds in the egg yolk. The transfer efficiency ranged from 0 to 9.9% for tocotrienols and tocopherols and from 7.6 to 14.9% for astaxanthin at their peak values. Results of the Arrhenius accelerated stability study showed significant differences in the shelf life of various nutrients, and these results can be used to properly formulate and store the feed materials.

Effects of karaya saponin and Rhodobacter capsulatus on yolk cholesterol in laying hens.

PubMed

Afrose, S; Hossain, M S; Maki, T; Tsujii, H

2010-06-01

1. It has been reported that karaya saponin and Rhodobacter capsulatus individually have hypocholesterolaemic activity in laying hens. This study focuses on the effect of adding karaya saponin with R. capsulatus to hen's diet with regard to serum and egg yolk cholesterol and triglycerides. 2. A total of 56 Boris Brown laying hens were divided into 7 groups at 20 weeks of age. Combinations of 25, 50, 75 mg kg(-1) karaya saponin and R. capsulatus 200 and 400 mg kg(-1) were used as treatment groups. 3. After 8 weeks of supplementation, the effects of all the combinations of karaya saponin and R. capsulatus on serum and egg yolk cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol were greater than either karaya saponin or R. capsulatus alone. The combination of karaya saponin 50 mg kg(-1)+ R. capsulatus 400 mg kg(-1) exhibited the greatest reduction of serum (325%) and yolk (225%) cholesterol and the greatest increase of faecal, liver bile acids and yolk fatty acid (oleic, linoleic and linolenic) concentrations. In addition, egg production and yolk colour were significantly improved by the combined use of karaya saponin and R. capsulatus supplementation. 4. Therefore, the dietary supplementation of karaya saponin and R. capsulatus may lead to the production of a low-cholesterol egg, with production performance maintained at a standard level.

Response of male turkeys hatched from first-cycle and force-molted breeder hens to a regimen providing progressive feeds by weight and the value of increased lysine prior to marketing.

PubMed

Moran, E T; Krueger, K K; Acar, N

1992-11-01

Male poults originating from 41- and 85-wk-old Nicholas Large White breeder turkey hens were compared using a six-feed system provided on the basis of weight. Each source of poult was compared further in its response to lysine at .65 and .80% in the final feed (14.5% CP and 3.40 kcal AMEn/g) before marketing at 18 wk of age. Poults from 85-wk-old hens were heavier at placement than those from 41-wk-old hens. Equalization of body weights occurred once the allotment of starting feed had been consumed and for the most part remained similar thereafter. Increasing lysine content of the final feed did not improve body weight of both sources of birds at marketing (P < .13). Feed conversions included accrued mortality, and treatment differences were not apparent. Commercial processing of the flock and measurements on sample birds indicated no ready differences in chilled carcass yield nor proportions of parts occurred among treatments. The overall effects of breeder age with the progeny were negligible, and the .65% level of lysine that presently serves as the 1984 National Research Council minimum requirement when associated with 14% CP and 3.30 kcal/g appears to be adequate for the Nicholas strain of turkey from 16 to 18 wk of age.

Implications for Welfare, Productivity and Sustainability of the Variation in Reported Levels of Mortality for Laying Hen Flocks Kept in Different Housing Systems: A Meta-Analysis of Ten Studies

PubMed Central

Weeks, Claire A.; Lambton, Sarah L.; Williams, Adrian G.

2016-01-01

Data from ten sources comprising 3,851 flocks were modelled to identify variation in levels of mortality in laying hens. The predicted increase with age was curvilinear with significant variation between the seven breed categories. Mortality was higher in loose housing systems than in cages and variable within system, confirming previous reports. Cumulative mortality (CM) was higher in flocks with intact beaks (χ2 = 6.03; df 1; p = 0.014) than in those with trimmed beaks. Most data were available for free-range systems (2,823 flocks), where producer recorded CM at 60–80 weeks of age averaged 10% but with a range from 0% to 69.3%. Life cycle assessment showed that the main effect of increased levels of hen mortality is to increase the relative contribution of breeding overheads, so increasing environmental burdens per unit of production. Reducing CM to levels currently achieved by the 1st quartile could reduce flock greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 25%. Concurrently this would enhance hen welfare and better meet the expectation of egg consumers. More research to understand the genetic x environment interaction and detailed records of the causes of mortality is required so that improved genotypes can be developed for different systems and different breeds can be better managed within systems. PMID:26734933

Influence of Zeolite on fatty acid composition and egg quality in Tunisian Laying Hens

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The health benefits of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are generally recognized. Unfortunately, in most Mediterranean countries, the recommended daily intake of these compounds is rarely met. Therefore, enrichment of commonly occurring foods can boost intake of these fatty acids. In this regard, eggs are an interesting target, as they form an integral part of the diet. Result Zeolite (Clinoptilolites) was added to Laying Hens feed at concentrations 1% or 2% and was evaluated for its effects on performance of the production and on egg quality. The Laying Hens were given access to 110 g of feed mixtures daily that was either a basal diet or a ‘zeolite diet’ (the basal diet supplemented with clinoptilolite at a level of 1% or 2%). It was found that zeolite treatment had a positive and significatif (p < 0.05) effect on some parameters that were measured like egg height and eggshell strength. While dietary zeolite supplementation tended to/or has no significant effects on total egg, eggshell, yolk and albumen weights. It was found also that zeolite mainly increases level of polyunsaturated fatty acids in egg. Conclusion This study showed the significance of using zeolite, as a feed additive for Laying Hens, as part of a comprehensive program to control egg quality and to increase level of polyunsaturated fatty acids on egg. PMID:22676421

Effect of nitrogen fertilisation on the amino acid digestibility of different triticale genotypes in caecectomised laying hens.

PubMed

Siegert, Wolfgang; Boguhn, Jeannette; Maurer, Hans Peter; Weiss, Jochen; Zuber, Tobias; Möhring, Jens; Rodehutscord, Markus

2017-01-01

The influence of nitrogen fertilisation and genotype on the amino acid (AA) digestibility of triticale grain was investigated in caecectomised laying hens. Three genotypes, Grenado, EAW6002 and Lasko, were cultivated with and without nitrogen fertilisation at the end of the heading stage. The six triticale variants as well as a basal diet were each used to feed seven laying hens in a 7 × 7 Latin square design. Nitrogen fertilisation influenced the digestibility of Cys, Glu, Phe and Ser in some triticale genotypes and reduced Ala, Ile, Lys, Met and Val digestibility in all genotypes (P < 0.05). Nitrogen fertilisation increased the concentration of all AAs in the grain. Consequently, the concentration of digestible AAs in the grains was increased for most AAs upon nitrogen fertilisation. Overall, Lys had the lowest digestibility, whereas that of Glu and Pro was the highest. For the triticale genotypes, the level of AA digestibility was highest for EAW6002 followed by Lasko and Grenado, with significant differences (P < 0.05) between genotypes for some but not all AAs. The results indicated that the accuracy of the digestible AA supply for hen feeding might benefit from considering fertilisation and genotype-specific digestibility data in feed formulation. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of feeding on the plasma disposition kinetics of the anthelmintic albendazole in laying hens.

PubMed

Bistoletti, M; Alvarez, L; Lanusse, C; Moreno, L

2014-01-01

1. To optimise the use of albendazole (ABZ) as an anthelmintic in hens, the effects of fasting and type of diet on the plasma kinetics of ABZ and its metabolites were evaluated. 2. Twenty-four hens were distributed into 4 groups: In experiment I the Fed group were fed ad libitum, while the Fasted group was fasted over a 12-h period. In experiment II the Pelleted group was fed with pelleted commercial food, while the Grain group was fed with cereal grains. All the groups were treated with ABZ by oral route. Blood samples were taken and plasma analysed by HPLC. 3. ABZ and its metabolites albendazole-sulphoxide (ABZSO) and albendazole-sulphone (ABZSO2) were recovered in plasma in all the groups. The 12-h fasting period did not modify the disposition kinetics of ABZ in hens. The type of feed affected ABZ kinetics. ABZSO concentration profile was higher and detected for longer in the Grain group compared to the Pelleted group. Statistical differences were not found for AUC0-∞ values, whereas the T1/2for and T1/2el were different between groups. 4. Factors affecting ABZ kinetic behaviour should be taken into account to optimise its use to ensure the sustainability of the limited available anthelmintic therapeutic tools in avian parasite control.

Implications for Welfare, Productivity and Sustainability of the Variation in Reported Levels of Mortality for Laying Hen Flocks Kept in Different Housing Systems: A Meta-Analysis of Ten Studies.

PubMed

Weeks, Claire A; Lambton, Sarah L; Williams, Adrian G

2016-01-01

Data from ten sources comprising 3,851 flocks were modelled to identify variation in levels of mortality in laying hens. The predicted increase with age was curvilinear with significant variation between the seven breed categories. Mortality was higher in loose housing systems than in cages and variable within system, confirming previous reports. Cumulative mortality (CM) was higher in flocks with intact beaks (χ2 = 6.03; df 1; p = 0.014) than in those with trimmed beaks. Most data were available for free-range systems (2,823 flocks), where producer recorded CM at 60-80 weeks of age averaged 10% but with a range from 0% to 69.3%. Life cycle assessment showed that the main effect of increased levels of hen mortality is to increase the relative contribution of breeding overheads, so increasing environmental burdens per unit of production. Reducing CM to levels currently achieved by the 1st quartile could reduce flock greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 25%. Concurrently this would enhance hen welfare and better meet the expectation of egg consumers. More research to understand the genetic x environment interaction and detailed records of the causes of mortality is required so that improved genotypes can be developed for different systems and different breeds can be better managed within systems.

Emissions of ammonia, carbon dioxide and particulate matter from cage-free layer houses in California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Xingjun; Zhang, Ruihong; Jiang, Shumei; El-Mashad, Hamed; Xin, Hongwei

2017-03-01

Cage-free housing systems have attracted considerable attention in the United States recently as they provide more space and other resources (such as litter area, perches, and nest boxes) for hens and are considered to be more favorable from the standpoint of hen welfare. This study was carried out to quantify emissions of aerial ammonia (NH3), carbon dioxide (CO2) and particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) from cage-free layer houses in California and compare the values with those for other types of layer houses. Two commercial cage-free houses with 38,000 hens each were monitored from March 1, 2012 to April 1, 2013. Results show that NH3 and CO2 concentrations in the houses were affected by ventilation rate, which was largely influenced by ambient air temperature. The PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations in the houses depended on the activity of birds, ventilation rate and relative humidity of the ambient air. The average emission rates of NH3, CO2, PM10 and PM2.5 were 0.29, 89.9, 0.163 and 0.020 g d-1 hen-1, respectively. The NH3 emission rate determined in this study was higher than those of aviary houses. The PM10 and PM2.5 emission rates were higher than those reported for high-rise layer houses.

Effect of dietary γ-aminobutyric acid on laying performance, egg quality, immune activity and endocrine hormone in heat-stressed Roman hens.

PubMed

Zhang, Min; Zou, Xiao-Ting; Li, Hui; Dong, Xin-Yang; Zhao, Wenjing

2012-02-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on laying performance, egg quality, digestive enzyme activity, hormone level and immune activities in Roman hens under heat stress. Roman hens (320 days old) were fed with 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 mg/kg GABA, respectively during a 60-day experiment. Compared with control, supplementation of 50 mg/kg GABA improved the laying performance and egg quality by significantly increasing egg production, average egg weight and shell strength (P < 0.05), while decreasing the feed-egg ratio and cholesterol level. Anti-oxidation activity was improved by significantly increasing the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), but decreasing malondialdehyde level in serum (P < 0.05), while significantly increasing the glucose and total protein (TP) level, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E(2) ), insulin, triiodothyronine (T(3) ) and free triiodothyronine (FT(3) ) levels, and IgG, IgA and complement (C3)activity in serum (P < 0.05). The results indicated that oral GABA improved laying performance and physical condition mainly by modulating hormone secretion, enhancing anti-oxidation and immune activity, and maintaining electrolyte balance. Fifty mg/kg was the optimum level for laying hens under heat stress in the present study. © 2011 The Authors. Animal Science Journal © 2011 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

The refuge in pheasant management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dale, F.H.

1951-01-01

1. Cock pheasants in favorable habitats have demonstrated ability to withstand hunting pressures up to 300 gunhours per hundred acres and maintain a satisfactory remnant for breeding purposes. 2. Sex ratios of 10 or more hens per cock are adequate for the production of fertile eggs, and there is evidence that much wider ratios could be tolerated without loss of fertility. 3. Sex ratios divergent enough to reduce egg fertility have not been reported, even in areas of high hunter concentration. 4. Since other pheasant management goals can be attained without protection from hunting, the refuge, per se, must be judged solely on results of a reduced hunting season kill. 5. Even with unusually effective refuges, the reduction in statewide hen kill attributable to refuges is not likely to amount to more than 2 per cent of the hen population. This would be accompanied by a larger reduction in harvest of cocks. 6. Since the usable pheasant population is measured by the harvest, any unnecessary reduction in cock kill must be considered a waste of the game crop and contrary to good management. 7. Legal protection and educational programs designed to save hen pheasants are more selective and probably more effective than refuges in pheasant management. 8. Pheasant populations are products of habitat. Improvement of the entire range within economic limitations and the full utilization of annual population surpluses wherever practicable appear to be reasonable goals of management.

Inheritance and Establishment of Gut Microbiota in Chickens

PubMed Central

Ding, Jinmei; Dai, Ronghua; Yang, Lingyu; He, Chuan; Xu, Ke; Liu, Shuyun; Zhao, Wenjing; Xiao, Lu; Luo, Lingxiao; Zhang, Yan; Meng, He

2017-01-01

In mammals, the microbiota can be transmitted from the placenta, uterus, and vagina of the mother to the infant. Unlike mammals, development of the avian embryo is a process isolated from the mother and thus in the avian embryo the gut microbial developmental process remains elusive. To explore the establishment and inheritance of the gut microbiome in the avian embryo, we used the chicken as the model organism to investigate the gut microbial composition in embryos, chicks, and maternal hens. We observed: (1) 28 phyla and 162 genera of microbes in embryos where the dominated genus was Halomonas (79%). (2) 65 genera were core microbiota in all stages with 42% and 62% gut microbial genera of embryo were found in maternal hen and chick, respectively. There was a moderate correlation (0.40) between the embryo and maternal, and 0.52 between the embryo and chick at the family level. (3) Gut microbes that are involved in substance metabolism, infectious disease, and environmental adaptation are enriched in embryos, chicks, and maternal hens, respectively. (4) 94% genera of gut microbial composition were similar among three different chicken breeds which were maintained under similar conditions. Our findings provide evidence to support the hypothesis that part of the microbial colonizers harbored in early embryos were inherited from maternal hens, and the gut microbial abundance and diversity were influenced by environmental factors and host genetic variation during development. PMID:29067020

Economic and market issues on the sustainability of egg production in the United States: analysis of alternative production systems.

PubMed

Sumner, D A; Gow, H; Hayes, D; Matthews, W; Norwood, B; Rosen-Molina, J T; Thurman, W

2011-01-01

Conventional cage housing for laying hens evolved as a cost-effective egg production system. Complying with mandated hen housing alternatives would raise marginal production costs and require sizable capital investment. California data indicate that shifts from conventional cages to barn housing would likely cause farm-level cost increases of about 40% per dozen. The US data on production costs of such alternatives as furnished cages are not readily available and European data are not applicable to the US industry structure. Economic analysis relies on key facts about production and marketing of conventional and noncage eggs. Even if mandated by government or buyers, shifts to alternative housing would likely occur with lead times of at least 5 yr. Therefore, egg producers and input suppliers would have considerable time to plan new systems and build new facilities. Relatively few US consumers now pay the high retail premiums required for nonconventional eggs from hens housed in alternative systems. However, data from consumer experiments indicate that additional consumers would also be willing to pay some premium. Nonetheless, current data do not allow easy extrapolation to understand the willingness to pay for such eggs by the vast majority of conventional egg consumers. Egg consumption in the United States tends to be relatively unresponsive to price changes, such that sustained farm price increases of 40% would likely reduce consumption by less than 10%. This combination of facts and relationships suggests that, unless low-cost imports grew rapidly, requirements for higher cost hen housing systems would raise US egg prices considerably while reducing egg consumption marginally. Eggs are a low-cost source of animal protein and low-income consumers would be hardest hit. However, because egg expenditures are a very small share of the consumer budget, real income loss for consumers would be small in percentage terms. Finally, the high egg prices imposed by alternative hen housing systems raise complex issues about linking public policy costs to policy beneficiaries.

Effect of heat stress on the gene expression of ion transporters/channels in the uterus of laying hens during eggshell formation.

PubMed

Bahadoran, Shahab; Dehghani Samani, Amir; Hassanpour, Hossein

2018-01-01

Heat stress is a problem in laying hens as it decreases egg quality by decreasing eggshell mineralization. Heat stress alters gene expression, hence our aim was to investigate effects of heat stress on gene expression of ion transport elements involving in uterine mineralization (TRPV6, CALB1, ITPR3, SCNN1G, SLC4A4, KCNJ15, SLC4A9, and CLCN2) by real time quantitative PCR. Forty 23-week-old White Leghorn laying hens were housed in two rooms. The control group (n = 20) was maintained at 21-23 °C, and the heat stress group (n = 20) was exposed to 36-38 °C for 8 weeks. All parameters of egg quality including egg weight, surface area, volume, and eggshell weight, thickness, ash weight, and calcium content were decreased in the heat stress group compared to the control group (by 26.9%, 32.7%, 44.1%, 38.4%, 31.7%, 39.4%, and 11.1%, respectively). Total plasma calcium was decreased by 13.4%. Levels of ITPR3, SLC4A4, and SLC4A9 transcripts in the uterine lining were decreased in the heat stress group compared to the control group (by 61.4%, 66.1%, and 66.1%, respectively). CALB1 transcript level was increased (by 34.2 fold) in the heat stress group of hens compared to controls. TRPV6, SCNN1G, KCNJ15, and CLCN2 transcript levels did not significantly differ between control and heat stress groups of laying hens. It is concluded that the down-expression of ITPR3, SLC4A4, and SLC4A9 genes may impair transportation of Cl - , HCO 3 - , and Na + in eggshell mineralization during heat stress. Increased CALB1 gene expression may increase resistance of uterine cells to detrimental effects of heat stress.

Red light is necessary to activate the reproductive axis in chickens independently of the retina of the eye.

PubMed

Baxter, M; Joseph, N; Osborne, V R; Bédécarrats, G Y

2014-05-01

Photoperiod is essential in manipulating sexual maturity and reproductive performance in avian species. Light can be perceived by photoreceptors in the retina of the eye, pineal gland, and hypothalamus. However, the relative sensitivity and specificity of each organ to wavelength, and consequently the physiological effects, may differ. The purpose of this experiment was to test the impacts of light wavelengths on reproduction, growth, and stress in laying hens maintained in cages and to determine whether the retina of the eye is necessary. Individual cages in 3 optically isolated sections of a single room were equipped with LED strips providing either pure green, pure red or white light (red, green, and blue) set to 10 lx (hens levels). The involvement of the retina on mediating the effects of light wavelength was assessed by using a naturally blind line (Smoky Joe) of chickens. Red and white lights resulted in higher estradiol concentrations after photostimulation, indicating stronger ovarian activation, which translated into a significantly lower age at first egg when compared with the green light. Similarly, hens maintained under red and white lights had a longer and higher peak production and higher cumulative egg number than hens under green light. No significant difference in BW gain was observed until sexual maturation. However, from 23 wk of age onward, birds exposed to green light showed higher body growth, which may be the result of their lower egg production. Although corticosterone levels were higher at 20 wk of age in hens under red light, concentrations were below levels that can be considered indicative of stress. Because no significant differences were observed between blind and sighted birds maintained under red and white light, the retina of the eye did not participate in the activation of reproduction. In summary, red light was required to stimulate the reproductive axis whereas green light was ineffective, and the effects of stimulatory wavelengths do not appear to require a functional retina of the eye.

Electronic Relaxation Processes of Transition Metal Atoms in Helium Nanodroplets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kautsch, Andreas; Lindebner, Friedrich; Koch, Markus; Ernst, Wolfgang E.

2014-06-01

Spectroscopy of doped superfluid helium nanodroplets (He_N) gives information about the influence of this cold, chemically inert, and least interacting matrix environment on the excitation and relaxation dynamics of dopant atoms and molecules. We present the results from laser induced fluorescence (LIF), photoionization (PI), and mass spectroscopy of Cr and Cu doped He_N. From these results, we can draw a comprehensive picture of the complex behavior of such transition metal atoms in He_N upon photo-excitation. The strong Cr and Cu ground state transitions show an excitation blueshift and broadening with respect to the bare atom transitions which can be taken as indication for the solvation inside the droplet. From the originally excited states the atoms relax to energetically lower states and are ejected from the He_N. The relaxation processes include bare atom spin-forbidden transitions, which clearly bears the signature of the He_N influence. Two-color resonant two-photon ionization (2CR2PI) also shows the formation of bare atoms and small Cr-He_n and Cu-He_n clusters in their ground and metastable states ^c. Currently, Cr dimer excitation studies are in progress and a brief outlook on the available results will be given. C. Callegari and W. E. Ernst, Helium Droplets as Nanocryostats for Molecular Spectroscopy - from the Vacuum Ultraviolet to the Microwave Regime, in Handbook of High-Resolution Spectroscopy, eds. M. Quack and F. Merkt, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, 2011. A. Kautsch, M. Koch, and W. E. Ernst, J. Phys. Chem. A, 117 (2013) 9621-9625, DOI: 10.1021/jp312336m F. Lindebner, A. Kautsch, M. Koch, and W. E. Ernst, Int. J. Mass Spectrom. (2014) in press, DOI: 10.1016/j.ijms.2013.12.022 M. Koch, A. Kautsch, F. Lackner, and W. E. Ernst, submitted to J. Phys. Chem. A

OTX2 exhibits cell-context-dependent effects on cellular and molecular properties of human embryonic neural precursors and medulloblastoma cells

PubMed Central

Kaur, Ravinder; Aiken, Christopher; Morrison, Ludivine Coudière; Rao, Radhika; Del Bigio, Marc R.; Rampalli, Shravanti; Werbowetski-Ogilvie, Tamra

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant primary pediatric brain tumor and is currently divided into four subtypes based on different genomic alterations, gene expression profiles and response to treatment: WNT, Sonic Hedgehog (SHH), Group 3 and Group 4. This extensive heterogeneity has made it difficult to assess the functional relevance of genes to malignant progression. For example, expression of the transcription factor Orthodenticle homeobox2 (OTX2) is frequently dysregulated in multiple MB variants; however, its role may be subtype specific. We recently demonstrated that neural precursors derived from transformed human embryonic stem cells (trans-hENs), but not their normal counterparts (hENs), resemble Groups 3 and 4 MB in vitro and in vivo. Here, we tested the utility of this model system as a means of dissecting the role of OTX2 in MB using gain- and loss-of-function studies in hENs and trans-hENs, respectively. Parallel experiments with MB cells revealed that OTX2 exerts inhibitory effects on hEN and SHH MB cells by regulating growth, self-renewal and migration in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. This was accompanied by decreased expression of pluripotent genes, such as SOX2, and was supported by overexpression of SOX2 in OTX2+ SHH MB and hENs that resulted in significant rescue of self-renewal and cell migration. By contrast, OTX2 is oncogenic and promotes self-renewal of trans-hENs and Groups 3 and 4 MB independent of pluripotent gene expression. Our results demonstrate a novel role for OTX2 in self-renewal and migration of hENs and MB cells and reveal a cell-context-dependent link between OTX2 and pluripotent genes. Our study underscores the value of human embryonic stem cell derivatives as alternatives to cell lines and heterogeneous patient samples for investigating the contribution of key developmental regulators to MB progression. PMID:26398939

Immune cells in the normal ovary and spontaneous ovarian tumors in the laying hen (Gallus domesticus) model of human ovarian cancer.

PubMed

Bradaric, Michael J; Penumatsa, Krishna; Barua, Animesh; Edassery, Seby L; Yu, Yi; Abramowicz, Jacques S; Bahr, Janice M; Luborsky, Judith L

2013-01-01

Spontaneous ovarian cancer in chickens resembles human tumors both histologically and biochemically. The goal was to determine if there are differences in lymphocyte content between normal ovaries and ovarian tumors in chickens as a basis for further studies to understand the role of immunity in human ovarian cancer progression. Hens were selected using grey scale and color Doppler ultrasound to determine if they had normal or tumor morphology. Cells were isolated from ovaries (n = 6 hens) and lymphocyte numbers were determined by flow cytometry using antibodies to avian CD4 and CD8 T and B (Bu1a) cells. Ovarian sections from another set of hens (n = 26) were assessed to verify tumor type and stage and to count CD4, CD8 and Bu1a immunostained cells by morphometric analysis. T and B cells were more numerous in ovarian tumors than in normal ovaries by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. There were less CD4+ cells than CD8+ and Bu1a+ cells in normal ovaries or ovarian tumors. CD8+ cells were the dominant T cell sub-type in both ovarian stroma and in ovarian follicles compared to CD4+ cells. Bu1a+ cells were consistently found in the stroma of normal ovaries and ovarian tumors but were not associated with follicles. The number of immune cells was highest in late stage serous tumors compared to endometrioid and mucinous tumors. The results suggest that similar to human ovarian cancer there are comparatively more immune cells in chicken ovarian tumors than in normal ovaries, and the highest immune cell content occurs in serous tumors. Thus, this study establishes a foundation for further study of tumor immune responses in a spontaneous model of ovarian cancer which will facilitate studies of the role of immunity in early ovarian cancer progression and use of the hen in pre-clinical vaccine trials.

Immune Cells in the Normal Ovary and Spontaneous Ovarian Tumors in the Laying Hen (Gallus domesticus) Model of Human Ovarian Cancer

PubMed Central

Bradaric, Michael J.; Penumatsa, Krishna; Barua, Animesh; Edassery, Seby L.; Yu, Yi; Abramowicz, Jacques S.; Bahr, Janice M.; Luborsky, Judith L.

2013-01-01

Background Spontaneous ovarian cancer in chickens resembles human tumors both histologically and biochemically. The goal was to determine if there are differences in lymphocyte content between normal ovaries and ovarian tumors in chickens as a basis for further studies to understand the role of immunity in human ovarian cancer progression. Methods Hens were selected using grey scale and color Doppler ultrasound to determine if they had normal or tumor morphology. Cells were isolated from ovaries (n = 6 hens) and lymphocyte numbers were determined by flow cytometry using antibodies to avian CD4 and CD8 T and B (Bu1a) cells. Ovarian sections from another set of hens (n = 26) were assessed to verify tumor type and stage and to count CD4, CD8 and Bu1a immunostained cells by morphometric analysis. Results T and B cells were more numerous in ovarian tumors than in normal ovaries by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. There were less CD4+ cells than CD8+ and Bu1a+ cells in normal ovaries or ovarian tumors. CD8+ cells were the dominant T cell sub-type in both ovarian stroma and in ovarian follicles compared to CD4+ cells. Bu1a+ cells were consistently found in the stroma of normal ovaries and ovarian tumors but were not associated with follicles. The number of immune cells was highest in late stage serous tumors compared to endometrioid and mucinous tumors. Conclusions The results suggest that similar to human ovarian cancer there are comparatively more immune cells in chicken ovarian tumors than in normal ovaries, and the highest immune cell content occurs in serous tumors. Thus, this study establishes a foundation for further study of tumor immune responses in a spontaneous model of ovarian cancer which will facilitate studies of the role of immunity in early ovarian cancer progression and use of the hen in pre-clinical vaccine trials. PMID:24040191

Factors predicting distress among parents/caregivers of children with neurological disease and home enteral nutrition.

PubMed

Pedrón-Giner, C; Calderón, C; Martínez-Costa, C; Borraz Gracia, S; Gómez-López, L

2014-05-01

Caregivers of children with chronic diseases included in a home enteral nutrition (HEN) programme are at risk of experiencing a feeling of burden, high level of anxiety and psychological distress. The aims of this study were: first, to examine the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety-depression in caregivers of children with neurological diseases requiring HEN by gastrostomy tube (GT); second, to compare the characteristics of caregivers with high or low risk of exhibiting symptoms of anxiety-depression; and third, to investigate possible associations to child disease severity and nutrition support mode. A cross-sectional observational study was performed in 58 caregivers of children (31 boys, aged 0.3-18 years) with neurological diseases and GT feeding. The characteristics of caregivers with high or low risk of presenting symptoms of anxiety-depression were compared regarding the following variables: socio-demographic characteristics, the primary caregiver's intrapsychic factors, anthropometric parameters of the child, length of HEN, type of nutrients delivered by GT and infusion regime. All primary caregivers were mothers. Fifty-three per cent of them showed high risk of exhibiting symptoms of anxiety-depression. Mothers with high or low risk of presenting symptoms of anxiety-depression were comparable in age and family socio-economic status. They were also similar in terms of age, anthropometric conditions and length of HEN in their children.No differences were found between the two groups of mothers according to the level of the child's motor function impairment, type of nutrients delivered by GT and infusion regime. Higher levels of psychological distress and perception of burden overload were found in mothers with high risk of exhibiting symptoms of anxiety-depression. This study found a high prevalence of symptoms of anxiety-depression, perception of burden overload and psychological distress in caregivers of children with HEN. Thus, greater practical and emotional support is required for these families. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Differences in Physicochemical and Nutritional Properties of Breast and Thigh Meat from Crossbred Chickens, Commercial Broilers, and Spent Hens

PubMed Central

Chen, Yulian; Qiao, Yan; Xiao, Yu; Chen, Haochun; Zhao, Liang; Huang, Ming; Zhou, Guanghong

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to compare the physicochemical and nutritional properties of breast and thigh meat from commercial Chinese crossbred chickens (817 Crossbred chicken, 817C), imported commercial broilers (Arbor Acres broiler, AAB), and commercial spent hens (Hyline Brown, HLB). The crossbred chickens, commercial broilers and spent hens were slaughtered at their typical market ages of 45 d, 40 d, and 560 d, respectively. The results revealed that several different characteristic features for the three breeds. The meat of the 817C was darker than that of the other two genotypes. The 817C were also characterized by higher protein, lower intramuscular fat, and better texture attributes (cooking loss, pressing loss and Warner-Bratzler shear force [WBSF]) compared with AAB and HLB. The meat of the spent hens (i.e. HLB) was higher in WBSF and total collagen content than meat of the crossbred chickens and imported broilers. Furthermore, correlation analysis and principal component analysis revealed that there was a clear relationship among physicochemical properties of chicken meats. With regard to nutritional properties, it was found that 817C and HLB exhibited higher contents of essential amino acids and essential/non-essential amino acid ratios. In addition, 817C were noted to have highest content of microelements whereas AAB have highest content of potassium. Besides, 817C birds had particularly higher proportions of desirable fatty acids, essential fatty acids, polyunsaturated/saturated and (18:0+18:1)/16:0 ratios. The present study also revealed that there were significant differences on breast meat and thigh meat for the physicochemical and nutritional properties, regardless of chicken breeds. In conclusion, meat of crossbred chickens has some unique features and exhibited more advantages over commercial broilers and spent hens. Therefore, the current investigation would provide valuable information for the chicken meat product processing, and influence the consumption of different chicken meat. PMID:26954114

Feed supplementation with red seaweeds, Chondrus crispus and Sarcodiotheca gaudichaudii, affects performance, egg quality, and gut microbiota of layer hens.

PubMed

Kulshreshtha, Garima; Rathgeber, Bruce; Stratton, Glenn; Thomas, Nikhil; Evans, Franklin; Critchley, Alan; Hafting, Jeff; Prithiviraj, Balakrishnan

2014-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the inclusion of red seaweed supplementation to standard poultry diets on production performance, egg quality, intestinal histology, and cecal short-chain fatty acids in Lohmann Brown Classic laying hens. A total of 160 birds were randomly assigned to 8 treatment groups. Control hens were fed a basal layer diet; positive control hens were fed a diet containing 2% inulin; and 6 treatment groups were fed a diet containing one of the following; 0.5, 1, or 2% Chondrus crispus (CC0.5, CC1, and CC2, respectively) and one of the same 3 levels of Sarcodiotheca gaudichaudii (SG0.5, SG1, and SG2, respectively). Dietary supplementation had no significant effect on the feed intake, BW, egg production, fecal moisture content, and blood serum profile of the birds. The feed conversion ratio per gram of egg was significantly more efficient (P = 0.001) for CC2 and SG2 treatments. Moreover, SG1 supplementation increased egg yolk weight (P = 0.0035) and birds with CC1 supplementation had higher egg weight (P = 0.0006). The SG2 and CC2 groups had greater (P < 0.05) villus height and villus surface area compared with the control birds. Seaweed supplementation increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria [e.g., Bifidobacterium longum (4- to 14-fold), Streptococcus salivarius (4- to 15-fold)] and importantly reduced the prevalence of Clostridium perfringens in the gut of the chicken. Additionally, the concentrations of short-chain fatty acids, including acetic acid, propionic acid, n-butyric acid, and i-butyric acid, were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in CC and SG treatments than in the control. In conclusion, dietary supplementation using red seaweed inclusions can act as a potential prebiotic to improve performance, egg quality, and overall gut health in layer hens. ©2014 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Colloquium: Multimessenger astronomy with gravitational waves and high-energy neutrinos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ando, Shin'ichiro; Baret, Bruny; Bartos, Imre; Bouhou, Boutayeb; Chassande-Mottin, Eric; Corsi, Alessandra; Di Palma, Irene; Dietz, Alexander; Donzaud, Corinne; Eichler, David; Finley, Chad; Guetta, Dafne; Halzen, Francis; Jones, Gareth; Kandhasamy, Shivaraj; Kotake, Kei; Kouchner, Antoine; Mandic, Vuk; Márka, Szabolcs; Márka, Zsuzsa; Moscoso, Luciano; Papa, Maria Alessandra; Piran, Tsvi; Pradier, Thierry; Romero, Gustavo E.; Sutton, Patrick; Thrane, Eric; Van Elewyck, Véronique; Waxman, Eli

2013-10-01

Many of the astrophysical sources and violent phenomena observed in our Universe are potential emitters of gravitational waves and high-energy cosmic radiation, including photons, hadrons, and presumably also neutrinos. Both gravitational waves (GW) and high-energy neutrinos (HEN) are cosmic messengers that may escape much denser media than photons. They travel unaffected over cosmological distances, carrying information from the inner regions of the astrophysical engines from which they are emitted (and from which photons and charged cosmic rays cannot reach us). For the same reasons, such messengers could also reveal new, hidden sources that have not been observed by conventional photon-based astronomy. Coincident observation of GWs and HENs may thus play a critical role in multimessenger astronomy. This is particularly true at the present time owing to the advent of a new generation of dedicated detectors: the neutrino telescopes IceCube at the South Pole and ANTARES in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the GW interferometers Virgo in Italy and LIGO in the United States. Starting from 2007, several periods of concomitant data taking involving these detectors have been conducted. More joint data sets are expected with the next generation of advanced detectors that are to be operational by 2015, with other detectors, such as KAGRA in Japan, joining in the future. Combining information from these independent detectors can provide original ways of constraining the physical processes driving the sources and also help confirm the astrophysical origin of a GW or HEN signal in case of coincident observation. Given the complexity of the instruments, a successful joint analysis of this combined GW and HEN observational data set will be possible only if the expertise and knowledge of the data is shared between the two communities. This Colloquium aims at providing an overview of both theoretical and experimental state of the art and perspectives for GW and HEN multimessenger astronomy.

Assessment of Plumage and Integument Condition in Dual-Purpose Breeds and Conventional Layers.

PubMed

Giersberg, Mona Franziska; Spindler, Birgit; Kemper, Nicole

2017-12-12

The assessment of plumage and integument condition in laying hens provides useful information about the occurrence of feather pecking and cannibalism. Although feather loss and skin injuries can result from mechanical abrasion or clinical diseases, they are valid animal-based indicators for behavioural disorders. This particularly applies to damage on the back and tail region of the hens. The aim was to evaluate the behaviour of dual-purpose breeds (Lohmann Dual, LD) and conventional layer hybrids (Lohmann Brown plus, LB+), and to compare a mere visual assessment (Visual S c oring, VSc), with a method involving the handling of individual animals (Hands-on S c oring, HSc). During weekly VSc, the hens' plumage and integument were scored on five body parts. HSc was carried out on seven study days applying the same scoring scale as for VSc. In LB+ hens, minor plumage damage started at 25 weeks and increased to the 71st week. With 99.5% of LB+ showing feather loss to a different extent, the back was the most severely affected body part. In contrast, only between 4.5% and 7% of LD showed minor feather loss at the end of the study. Integument damage reached a peak, with 6% affected LB+ in week 66. Injuries were found only sporadically in LD hens. Spearman's rho for the comparison of plumages scores given in VSc and HSc was >0.90 ( p < 0.01) in both hybrids for most of the tested body regions and weeks, except for the breast/belly region. However, VSc and HSc were equally valid for detecting skin injuries of all of the body regions ( r s > 0.86, p < 0.01). Damaging behaviour only occurred in the LB+ flocks, though both of the genetic strains were kept under the same conditions. The visual scoring method was suitable for detecting both plumage and integument damage.

The net energy values of corn, dried distillers grains with solubles and wheat bran for laying hens using indirect calorimetry method.

PubMed

Ning, D; Yuan, J M; Wang, Y W; Peng, Y Z; Guo, Y M

2014-02-01

The present study was conducted to estimate the NE values of corn, dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) and wheat bran (WB) for laying hens based on an indirect calorimetry method and nitrogen balance measurements. A total of 576 twenty-eight-wk-old Dwarf Pink-shell laying hens were randomly assigned to four groups fed a basal diet (BD) or a combination of BD with 50% corn or 20% DDGS or 20% WB, with four replicates each. After a 7-d adaptation period, each replicate with 36 hens were kept in one of the two respiration chambers to measure the heat production (HP) for 6 days during the feeding period and subsequent 3-d fasting. The equilibrium fasting HP (FHP) provided an estimate of NE requirements for maintenance (NEm). The NE values of test feedstuffs was estimated using the difference method. Results showed that the heat increment that contributed 35.34 to 37.85% of ME intake was not influenced by experimental diets (p>0.05) when expressed as Mcal/kg of DM feed intake. Lighting increased the HP in hens in an fed-state. The FHP decreased over time (p<0.05) with the lowest value determined on the third day of starvation. No significant difference between treatments was found on FHP of d 3 (p>0.05). The estimated AME, AMEn, and NE values were 3.46, 3.44 and 2.25 Mcal/kg DM for corn, 3.11, 2.79, and 1.80 Mcal/kg DM for DDGS, 2.14, 2.10, and 1.14 Mcal/kg DM for WB, respectively. The net availability of AME of corn tended to be numerically higher than DDGS and WB (p = 0.096). In conclusion, compared with corn, the energy values of DDGS and WB were overestimated when expressed on an AME basis.

Chicken lines divergently selected for antibody responses to sheep red blood cells show line-specific differences in sensitivity to immunomodulation by diet. Part I: Humoral parameters.

PubMed

Adriaansen-Tennekes, R; de Vries Reilingh, G; Nieuwland, M G B; Parmentier, H K; Savelkoul, H F J

2009-09-01

Individual differences in nutrient sensitivity have been suggested to be related with differences in stress sensitivity. Here we used layer hens divergently selected for high and low specific antibody responses to SRBC (i.e., low line hens and high line hens), reflecting a genetically based differential immune competence. The parental line of these hens was randomly bred as the control line and was used as well. Recently, we showed that these selection lines differ in their stress reactivity; the low line birds show a higher hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity. To examine maternal effects and neonatal nutritional exposure on nutrient sensitivity, we studied 2 subsequent generations. This also created the opportunity to examine egg production in these birds. The 3 lines were fed 2 different nutritionally complete layer feeds for a period of 22 wk in the first generation. The second generation was fed from hatch with the experimental diets. At several time intervals, parameters reflecting humoral immunity were determined such as specific antibody to Newcastle disease and infectious bursal disease vaccines; levels of natural antibodies binding lipopolysaccharide, lipoteichoic acid, and keyhole limpet hemocyanin; and classical and alternative complement activity. The most pronounced dietary-induced effects were found in the low line birds of the first generation: specific antibody titers to Newcastle disease vaccine were significantly elevated by 1 of the 2 diets. In the second generation, significant differences were found in lipoteichoic acid natural antibodies of the control and low line hens. At the end of the observation period of egg parameters, a significant difference in egg weight was found in birds of the high line. Our results suggest that nutritional differences have immunomodulatory effects on innate and adaptive humoral immune parameters in birds with high HPA axis reactivity and affect egg production in birds with low HPA axis reactivity.