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The effect of continuous aeration on the fertility of fowl and turkey semen stored above 0 degrees C.

1. Fowl and turkey spermatozoa were found to utilise oxygen when stored in tubes at 5 and 10 degrees C respectively; the storage medium becoming rapidly anaerobic. 2. This aerobic metabolism was encouraged by continuous introduction of air into the semen during storage. 3. Fertility of turkey semen stored at 10 degrees C for 24 h in diluent containing glucose was increased 2.4-fold by simple aeration and reached 99% of that achieved with fresh semen. 4. Fertilities of greater than 90% were also achieved with fowl semen stored for 48 h at 5 degrees C in a diluent with or without glucose. The increased fertility on aeration was greater (2.2-fold) with fowl semen stored in the absence of glucose.

Animals↗

Immunity to Newcastle disease in fowl of different breeds, primarily vaccinated with commercial inactivated oil-emulsion vaccines: a laboratory experiment.

Fowl were primarily vaccinated with commercial inactivated oil emulsion (IOE) Newcastle disease (ND) vaccines and immunity was established by both determination of haemagglutination inhibiting (HI) antibodies and by challenge, over periods similar to the economic life span of the birds. The effect of level of maternal antibodies, route of vaccine administration, and vaccine dose on the vaccination results were studied. In one experiment, immunity provoked by vaccination with IOE vaccine was compared with that obtained by vaccination with live vaccines. Vaccination by the subcutaneous route induced a significantly stronger HI response than intramuscular vaccination. Also the vaccine dose per bird and the level of maternal antibodies influenced the vaccination results. In both brown layer and White Leghorn (WL) hens a strong immunity was induced up to at least 45 and 78 weeks of age respectively, by vaccination with IOE vaccine at 6 weeks of age. Also WL hens primarily vaccinated with IOE vaccine at 70 weeks of age, responded with high levels of HI antibodies, which persisted for at least 39 weeks. However, immunity in meat type fowl vaccinated at 6 weeks of age was poor. Following subcutaneous vaccination of one-day-old broilers with high maternal antibody titres with one dose of IOE vaccine per bird, immunity during the fattening period was at an insignificantly lower level than in birds vaccinated with live vaccine at 7 days of age. Twofold vaccination with IOE vaccine at one day old and 18 weeks of age of meat type fowl with high maternal antibody titres provoked a moderate immunity up to at least 55 weeks of age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Avian retrovirus infection causes naturally occurring glioma: isolation and transmission of a virus from so-called fowl glioma.

So-called fowl glioma is characterized by multiple nodular gliomatous growths associated with disseminated non-suppurative encephalitis. To investigate the possibility of the induction of the gliomatous lesions, chicks of Japanese bantams (Gallus gallus domesticus) and specific pathogen free chickens (C/O strain White Leghorn) were intracerebrally inoculated with a brain homogenate or culture supernatant from a bantam affected with fowl glioma. All bantams and 16 chickens (89%) in the inoculated groups showed non-suppurative encephalitis, and the 18 bantams (82%) and five chickens (28%) developed multiple nodules consisting of aggregations of astrocytes in the cerebrum. These astrocytes had avian leukosis virus (ALV) antigen. By Southern blot analysis, the ALV sequence was detected both in DNA prepared from the brains of the inoculated birds and in DNA from the inoculum. Ultrastructurally, tadpole-shaped particles, approximately 100 nm in diameter, were detected in the concentrated supernatant of the chicken embryo fibroblasts, and budding of the particles was noted. These results substantiated that fowl glioma of the bantams could be transmitted by intracerebral inoculation of the affected tissue and that the causal agent was an unidentified strain of ALV.

Animals↗

An exploration of cryoprotective compounds for fowl spermatozoa.

Glycerol is an effective cryoprotective for fowl spermatozoa, but after thawing the frozen semen it must be reduced in concentration from the level adequate to protect spermatozoa during freezing, otherwise it has a contraceptive action. A series of alternative cryoprotective compounds were tested for their effect on fertility when fowl spermatozoa were inseminated fresh in their presence. Under these circumstances dimethylsulphoxide, dimethylacetamide, ethane-diol, propane-diol and methylpyrrolidone did not depress fertility when used in concentrations equivalent to that of glycerol or in amounts reported previously to be non-toxic and adequate to protect cells during freezing. Dimethylacetamide was compared with propane-diol for use in freezing fowl semen and the former enabled encouraging levels of fertility to be obtained.

Acetamides↗

Electron microscope observations on in vitro cultures of the isolated fowl embryo otocyst.

In vitro cultures of isolated fowl embryo otocysts were studied with the electron microscope. Hair cells of the developing organ of Corti and crista ampullaris have been examined with particular reference to the structure of the cilia and of the cell membrane. Two types of hair cells could be distinguished on the basis whether or not they possessed a "kinocilium" and "stereocilia," or "stereocilia" only. The cytoplasmic membranes were simple and there were no multiple vesicular layers in any of the hair cells. The supporting elements consisted of supporting cells flanking the hair cells, fibroblasts, and the cartilaginous otic capsule. Both the cochlear and vestibular sensory area showed rich innervation by mainly non-myelinated fibers with partial myelinization in others. There were well developed ganglion cells present. Bare axons penetrated the basement membrane and spread, amongst the supporting cells sheltering them, to the base of the hair cells where they formed bud-shaped nerve endings but, at the stage of development examined, no calyces. These in vitro cultures of the isolated fowl embryo otocyst provided convenient and suitable material for the electron microscope study of the sensory epithelium of the ear and revealed further that the isolated fowl embryo otocyst possesses great powers of self-differentiation also at the ultrastructural level.

Cell Differentiation↗

Tenderizing spent fowl meat with calcium chloride. 2. The role of delayed application and ionic strength.

Solutions of 0.6 M NaCl and 0.3 M CaCl2 having similar conductivities were used to evaluate the ionic strength effects on spent fowl meat tenderness. Breast fillets were deboned immediately after bleeding (hot-boned) and NaCl or CaCl2 was injected into them at two different times (< 30 min post-mortem and after 24 h storage) followed by tumbling and solution replenishment to evaluate the effects of delayed application. Hot-boned and cold-boned (24 h) were used as controls. All tumbling was conducted at -635 mm Hg, 20 C, 20 rpm for 1 h. All fillets were baked and then sheared with an Allo-Kramer cell. The results indicated that CaCl2 and NaCl reduced the shear values similarly, suggesting that elevated ionic strength at a similar conductivity to NaCl may play a major role in spent fowl meat tenderization with CaCl2. Replenishing muscle at 24 h post-mortem with 0.3 M calcium solution to 10% (wt/wt) after tumbling did not exert further tenderization, indicating that injecting a 10% level of 0.3 M calcium solution into spent hen fillets was sufficient to cause maximum tenderization. The delayed application of both CaCl2 and NaCl solutions resulted in a tenderizing effect, perhaps by eliminating the toughening effect of the prerigor physical stimulation effect of the earlier injection process. The additional tenderizing effects of calcium or sodium solutions injected at 24 h post-mortem may allow poultry processors to tenderize their spent fowl meat without the time constraints present in the prerigor state.

Animals↗

Research notes: Sodium bicarbonate supplementation in diets for guinea fowl raised at high environmental temperatures.

An experiment was designed to verify the effect of dietary NaHCO3 supplementation on performance of guinea fowl raised under high environmental temperatures (23.8 to 33.9 C) and average relative humidity of 78.7%. One hundred and forty guinea fowl in their final period of growth (56 to 84 d of age) were allotted to individual wire cages. Five isocaloric (3,000 kcal ME/kg) 16% CP diets based on corn and soybean meal and containing 0, 0.6, 1.2, 1.8, and 2.4% sodium bicarbonate were fed to the birds. The experiment followed a randomized block design with 28 birds per treatment (14 of each sex) with each bird being considered as one repetition. Results showed that weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion, mortality, blood pH, carcass yield, and carcass composition were not affected (P > 0.05) by dietary sodium bicarbonate supplementation. Weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion, carcass moisture, and fat content, however, were significantly (P < 0.05) affected by sex. Females showed 17.49% better weight gain, 7.16% greater feed intake, and 9.6% better feed conversion than males. These differences were exacerbated at supplementation levels of 1.2 and 1.8% sodium bicarbonate in the diet. Male birds showed carcass moisture values significantly (P < 0.05) greater than those of female birds; the opposite occurred with carcass fat levels. The use of sodium bicarbonate in levels up to 2.4% of the diet did not affect the performance of guinea fowl raised under the environmental conditions registered in this study.

Animals↗

Analysis of genetic relationships between various populations of domestic and jungle fowl using microsatellite markers.

The genomes of domestic and jungle fowl populations maintained in Ukraine and Germany were screened using microsatellites as molecular markers. Genetic variation and genetic distances between strains of different origins and performance potentials were determined. In total, 224 individuals of 20 populations were genotyped for 14 microsatellite markers covering 11 linkage groups. Of the 14 microsatellite loci, the number of alleles ranged between 2 and 21 per locus, the mean number of alleles being 11.2 per locus. By using Nei's standard distance and the Neighbor-Joining method, a phylogenetic tree was reconstructed; its topology reflected general patterns of relatedness and genetic differentiation among the chicken populations studied. Three major phylogenetic tree groupings were found. The red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus) formed a separate branch and demonstrated a specific allele distribution when compared with domestic fowl breeds analyzed. The second branch comprised commercial layer lines and chicken breeds that were subject to intense selection in the past or had common ancestral breeds with commercial strains. The third group encompassed the German native breed populations. The information about population and breed genetic relationships estimated by microsatellite analysis may be useful as an initial guide in defining objectives for designing future investigations of genetic variation and developing conservation strategies.

Alleles↗

Laying performance of pearl gray guinea fowl hens as affected by caging density.

The caging density required for optimal egg production by various avian species and varieties is highly variable. Even so, little is known of the required cage density for optimum performance of the laying guinea fowl (Numida meleagris). The objective of this study was to assess the effect of varying cage densities on production performance of pearl gray guinea fowl laying hens. In 3 replicates, 270 pearl gray guinea hens [28 wk of age (WOA)] were weighed individually and randomly assigned to laying cages at densities of 1, 2, and 3 birds/cage, equivalent to 1394, 697, and 465 cm2/bird, respectively. During the experiment, all birds received a 16-h lighting regimen and were fed the same diet, comprising 2800 kcal of ME/kg of diet and 16% CP (28 to 59 WOA) and 2800 kcal of ME/kg of diet and 14% CP (60 to 76 WOA). Feed and water were provided for ad libitum consumption. Experimental birds were observed for feed consumption (FC), hen-day egg production (HDEP), egg weight, egg mass (EM), feed conversion ratio, internal egg quality, and shell thickness at the end of each 28-d lay period for 11 consecutive periods. Mean FC and HDEP decreased significantly with increases in cage density, such that 1394 > 697 > 465 cm2/bird. Mean EM was also higher (P < 0.05) for birds reared in cages at 1394 cm2/bird than those reared in cages at 697 and 465 cm2/bird (24.8, 17.4, and 14 g/hen per d, respectively). Feed conversion, HDEP, and EM were negatively correlated with cage density (P < 0.05). Mean feed conversion ratio and percentage of mortality were also lower in birds reared in cages at 1394 cm2/bird than in other treatment groups. Therefore, laying guinea fowl hens exhibited superior performance when raised at a density of 1 bird/cage (1394 cm2/bird) than those reared at densities of 2 and 3 birds/cage (697 and 465 cm2/bird, respectively).

Aging↗

Fowl (Gallus domesticus) sperm motility depends upon mitochondrial calcium cycling driven by extracellular sodium.

A relationship between extracellular Ca(+2), fowl sperm phospholipase A2 activity, long-chain acylcarnitine content, and motility was demonstrated in previous work. Sperm motility appeared to depend upon Na+-dependent Ca(+2) cycling when sperm were incubated at body temperature without glucose. In the present work, motility decreased as a function of time when sperm were incubated in 2 mM Ca(+2) prepared with either buffered isotonic sucrose or LiCl. However, this effect was less pronounced in the case of LiCl. The sparing effect of Li+ was attributed to the mitochondrial Na+/Ca(+2) exchanger. Motile concentration decreased exponentially in response to micromolar concentrations of CGP 37157, a specific inhibitor of the mitochondrial Na+/Ca(+2) exchanger. KB-R7943 mesylate, an inhibitor of the reverse mode of the Na+/Ca(+2) exchanger, prevented re-initiation of motility when exogenous Ca(+2) was added to sperm rendered immotile by incubation with 1,2-bis-(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid, a high-affinity Ca(+2) chelator. The presence of voltage-gated Ca(+2) channels was confirmed by the effect of nifedipine on motile concentration. Neither motile concentration nor straight line velocity was affected by either ouabain or orthovanadate, which inhibit Na+-K+ ATPase and Ca(+2)-ATPase, respectively. In summary, we infer that 1) fowl sperm motility is dependent upon extracellular Ca(+2) cycling through mitochondria; 2) such cycling is dependent upon extracellular Na+; and 3) fowl sperm conserve ATP by moving neither Na+ nor Ca(+2) by active transport. Understanding the relationship between mitochondrial Ca(+2) cycling and ATP production may be applicable to long-term semen storage.

Animals↗

A variant in the restriction endonuclease cleavage pattern of mitochondrial DNA in the domestic fowl, Gallus gallus domesticus.

The cleavage patterns of mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) were investigated from 15 lines of domestic fowls, Gallus gallus domesticus, using 11 restriction endonucleases. The cleavage patterns with 10 restriction endonucleases were identical in all the lines. A variant was found in a line of White Leghorn in the pattern with MspI digestions. Cleavage patterns of the red jungle fowl, Gallus gallus gallus, were identical to the common patterns shown by the 14 lines of domestic fowls.

Animals↗

Infectivity of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts is retained upon intestinal passage through a migratory water-fowl species (Canada goose, Branta canadensis).

Five Cryptosporidium-free Canada geese (Branta canadensis) were individually orally dosed with 3.5 x 10(6) Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts infectious to neonatal BALB/c mice. After intestinal passage, inoculum-derived oocysts extracted from goose faeces established severe infection in 14 neonatal BALB/c mice (inoculum dose 2.5 x 10(5)/mouse). The inoculum-derived oocysts were detected in goose faeces up to 9 days post-inoculation (PI); the number of intact oocysts and oocyst shells shed during the first 3 days PI was significantly higher than for the remaining 6 days PI (P < 0.01). Based on acid-fast stained air-dried direct wet smears, 62% of the oocysts in goose faeces were intact (oocyst shells) constituted 38%) and conformed to morphological features of viable and infectious inoculum oocysts. The fluorescence scores of the inoculated oocysts, obtained by use of the MERIFLUOR test, were identical to those obtained for the faeces-recovered oocysts (majority 3+ to 4+). The dynamics of oocyst shedding showed that overall, the birds released a significantly higher number of intact oocysts than oocyst (P < 0.01). Retention of the viability and infectivity of C. parvum oocysts following intestinal passage through a migratory water-fowl species has serious epidemiological implications. Water-fowl can serve as mechanical vectors for the water-borne oocysts and can contaminate surface waters with C. parvum. As the concentration of Cryptosporidium oocysts in source waters is attributable to water-shed management practices, water-shed protection programme officials should consider water-fowl as a potential factor enhancing contamination of the source water with Cryptosporidium.

Animals↗

Species-typical and individually distinctive acoustic features of crow calls of red jungle fowl.

Crow calls of red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus) were analyzed for the purposes of (a) determining the extent of commonality and variability of acoustic features within and between individual roosters, and (b) characterizing the modal crow call of this species. Comparisons were made between crow calls of jungle fowl and those of domestic fowl to assess the extent to which domestication has affected these motor patterns.

Animals↗

Changes in intrapulmonary chemoreceptor discharge in response to the adjustment of respiratory pattern during hyperventilation in domestic fowl.

It has been suggested that avian vagal intrapulmonary CO2-sensitive receptors (i.p.c.) may be capable of monitoring the rate and extent of CO2 wash-out from the lung during spontaneous breathing. The purpose of this study was to record i.p.c. discharge activity in spontaneously breathing domestic fowl when minute volume (VI) was elevated from resting levels. This was accomplished by administration of almitrine (2 mg X kg-1 I.V.), a respiratory stimulant drug that has been shown to have a specific long-lasting stimulatory action on carotid body chemoreceptors. Unanaesthetized decerebrate fowl were tracheotomized and single-unit activity was recorded from sixteen vagal i.p.c. When ventilation was elevated 2.2-fold by almitrine (initially by increases in tidal volume (VT)) i.p.c. discharge was increased in both inspiration and expiration, and the delay period before the onset of i.p.c. discharge in inspiration was markedly shortened. Within 5-10 min after the administration of almitrine, the breathing pattern changed to one of rapid, shallow breathing, although the 2.2-fold elevation of the rate of gas flow through the parabronchi (V) and mean inspiratory flow rate (VT/TI) were maintained. The i.p.c. continued to fire phasically, with peaks of discharge in both inspiration and expiration, though there were fewer spikes per breath and mean inspiratory peak discharge rate returned to control (eupnoeic) levels. It is concluded that i.p.c. discharge is increased when VI is elevated in the spontaneously breathing fowl and that the pattern of discharge is dependent on the pattern of breathing. I.p.c. show high dynamic sensitivity to changes in the PCO2 of their microenvironment and it is possible to explain the changes in discharge pattern observed in terms of the PCO2 changes in the lungs and air sacs. These results support proposals that the pattern of breathing is to some extent dependent upon the intensity and timing of i.p.c. activity.

Almitrine↗

Effects of exteriorization of the ureters on the water metabolism of the domestic fowl.

1. Six domestic fowls were operated for exteriorization of the ureters.2. Three weeks after the operation their food and water intake was compared with that of six unoperated control fowls of similar weight.3. Water intake was calculated from the amount of water drunk, the metabolic water and the water content of the food eaten; while water loss was estimated from the water content of urine and faeces excreted and from evaporation.4. Fowls with exteriorized ureters drank more than the control birds. The excess of water drunk by these birds approximated the amount of water lost in the urine.

Animals↗

Contribution of Salmonella gallinarum large plasmid toward virulence in fowl typhoid.

Four strains of Salmonella gallinarum isolated from independent cases of fowl typhoid all possessed both an 85-kilobase and a 2.5-kilobase plasmid. Each plasmid was eliminated in turn from one of the strains by transposon labeling and curing at 42 degrees C. Elimination of the small plasmid had no effect on the high virulence of the strain for newly hatched and 2-week-old chickens. Whereas oral inoculation of 2-week-old chickens with the parent strain produced 90% mortality with characteristic signs of fowl typhoid, inoculation of the large-plasmid-minus strain produced 0% mortality. A corresponding increase in the 50% lethal dose from log10 1.1 to greater than log10 7.3 was seen with the large-plasmid-minus strain after intramuscular inoculation. Reintroduction of the large plasmid completely restored virulence. A role for the plasmid-linked virulence genes in both invasion and growth in the reticuloendothelial system is suggested by the failure of the large-plasmid-minus strain to penetrate to the liver and spleen after oral inoculation and by its increased clearance from the reticuloendothelial system after intravenous inoculation. These results clearly demonstrate that the large plasmid of S. gallinarum contributes toward virulence in fowl typhoid of chickens.

Animals↗

Random amplified polymorphic DNA and amplified fragment length polymorphism analyses of Pasteurella multocida isolates from fatal fowl cholera infections.

Fowl cholera, a disease caused by Pasteurella multocida, continues to be a major problem for the poultry industry. The sources of pathogenic organisms responsible for most sporadic epidemics remain unconfirmed, although attenuated vaccines that retain a low level of virulence have occasionally been implicated in outbreaks of the disease. One of the vaccines most commonly used to prevent fowl cholera is the M-9 strain. In the present study, 61 clinical isolates from turkeys that died of fowl cholera from 1997 to 1999 on 36 Utah farms were analyzed and compared to the M-9 vaccine strain. Genetic analyses of the isolates were done by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprinting. The results of these genetic analyses were correlated with the vaccination status of the flock, isolate serotype, and geographic location. Although both genetic techniques effectively identified similar subtle genomic differences, RAPD analysis provided only 77% of the detail provided by AFLP analysis. While a relationship between genetic profile and serotype was evident, no significant relationship indicating geographic influence was found (P = 0.351). Interestingly, organisms isolated from vaccinated flocks were significantly closer genetically to the M-9 vaccine strain than isolates from unvaccinated birds were (P = 0.020). Statistical analyses revealed that this relationship could not have been determined by serotyping alone (P = 0.320), demonstrating the value of AFLP and RAPD analyses in the characterization of disease-causing strains.

Animals↗

The effect of some phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase inhibitors on the adrenaline content in the domestic fowl diencephalon.

The concentration of adrenaline in the domestic fowl diencephalon was determined by a mass spectrometric or fluorimetric method. The values obtained were 701 and 803 ng/g, respectively. The administration of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) (EC 2.1.1.28) inhibitors (SK&F 7698 or SK&F 64139) to the domestic fowl produced a marked reduction in the diencephalic noradrenaline methylation (from 25% in the controls ot 7--8% in the PNMT-inhibitor-treated animals); the large decrease in adrenaline concentration (to 14--18% of controls) was accompanied by a moderate decrease in noradrenaline concentration (to 63--84% of controls). Reserpine, in contrast, produced a marked reduction of both adrenaline and noradrenaline (to 12 and 17% of controls, respectively) but did not affect the percentage of methylation. It would seem a reasonable assumption that in the domestic fowl diencephalon, adrenaline is formed by N-methylation of noradrenaline and functions there as a transmitter in some specific adrenergic neuronal pathways.

Animals↗