Background and Objective: The US egg industry is currently moving away from conventional cage housing towards larger colony caging systems.However the most common breed in the U.S.A., the Hy-Line W-36™, has been selected based on conventional housing systems.The present study was designed to investigate the effect of housing hens in colony systems on the stress and fear response.Methodology: W-36 pullets were housed in either enriched colony (EC) system or conventional A-frame cages, with manure shields (CC), from 23-79 weeks of age.Plasma corticosterone (CORT, n = 60) and composite physical asymmetry (ASYM, n = 60) were used to evaluate the stress response.Tonic immobility (TI, n = 60) and inversion (INV, n = 60) were used to determine fear.Measurements were done at 23 week of age (T 1 ), 33 week of age (T2), 56 week of age (T3) and 79 week of age (T4).Results: No differences were observed (p>0.05) in CORT (20.8±8.6 ng mLG 1 ), ASYM (1.87±0.13mm), latency to right during T 1 testing (259.3±16.5 sec), or intensity of flapping during INV (4.2±0.2 flaps/sec) at 23 weeks of age.The EC and CC differed in CORT at T 2 (p = 0.02), T 3 (p = 0.03) and T 4 (p = 0.04).Similarly, EC and CC differed in ASYM at T 2 (p = 0.004), T 3 (p = 0.03) and T 4 (p = 0.05).While no difference (p>0.05) was still observed in the latency to right during T 1 at T 2 (284.5±19.1 sec) or T 3 (284.5±19.1 sec) the EC did differ from the CC at T 4 (p = 0.02).The EC also flapped more intensely during INV in T 2 (p<0.001),T 3 (p<0.001)and T 4 (p<0.001).Conclusion: This indicates that the EC were more stressed and were more flighty than CC.Furthermore, it appears that housing W-36 Leghorns in enriched colony systems may not be desirable over conventional cages based on these results.
Limited research has been performed to evaluate the effects of high-frequency electrical stunning (ES) methods on the lipid oxidative stability of the meat goose livers. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of high-frequency-ES current intensities on lipid oxidative stability and antioxidant capacity in the liver of Yangzhou goose (Anser cygnoides domesticus). Forty 92-day-old male Yangzhou geese were randomly divided into five treatments (n = 8). Geese were not stunned (control) or exposed to ES for 10 s with alternating current (AC) at 500 Hz in a water bath. Current intensities were set at 30 V/20 mA (E30V), 60 V/40 mA (E60V), 90 V/70 mA (E90V), or 120 V/100 mA (E120V), respectively. The malondialdehyde level at day 0 was the highest in 120 V (p < 0.05). Antioxidant enzymes’ activity on day 2 was the highest in E60V. The 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH·) elimination ability was lower in the E120V than that in the E60V at two days and four days postmortem (p < 0.05). A combination of 60 V/40 mA/ 500 Hz/ 10 s per bird could be applied in the ES of Yangzhou geese to improve the lipid oxidative stability and antioxidant capacity in the livers.
Clostridium perfringens is the etiologic agent of necrotic enteritis (NE) and is ubiquitous in nature. The incidence of NE has increased in countries and commercial companies that have stopped using antibiotic growth promoters. The mechanisms of colonization of C. perfringens and the factors involved in onset of NE are not fully understood. Previously, our laboratory has demonstrated that lactose could potentially reduce Salmonella and C. perfringens in ceca of poultry. In the present investigation, we hypothesized that dietary lactose would reduce the clinical signs of NE and could be used as an alternative to antibiotics. In experiment 1, day-of-hatch broilers were fed either a nonlactose control diet, a diet with 2.5% lactose, or a diet with 4.5% lactose throughout the experiment. Birds were administered C. perfringens (107 cfu/mL) daily via oral gavage for 3 consecutive days starting on d 17. When evaluating the intestinal lesions associated with NE, birds fed 2.5% lactose had significantly lower (P < 0.05) lesion scores (0.70 ± 0.52) compared with the control (1.55 ± 0.52) or the 4.5% lactose (1.60 ± 0.52). The data from the microbial analysis showed that the addition of lactose did not affect any bacterial populations when compared with the control birds that did not receive dietary lactose over the 21-d evaluation. The overall lesion scores in experiment 2 were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced in birds fed 2.5% lactose compared with the birds fed the control diet with mean lesion scores of 1.10 ± 0.73 and 1.80 ± 0.73, respectively. These experiments suggest that lactose could be used as a potential alternative to growth-promoting antibiotics to help control this costly disease.
Transport coops are infrequently washed and have been demonstrated to cross-contaminate broiler carcasses. We hypothesized that peracetic acid or a chlorinated cleaner, commonly used within poultry processing plants, can also be used to disinfect transport coops when applied via a compressed air foam system (CAFS). A mixture of fresh layer manure and concentrated Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) was evenly applied to the floors of four pre-cleaned transport coops and allowed to dry for thirty minutes. Treatments consisted of a (1) water rinse only, (2) product application with a water rinse, (3) product application followed by power washing and (4) power washing followed by application of product. Each foaming treatment was applied with a compressed air foam system and allowed 10 min of contact time. Samples were aseptically collected from the transport coops prior to and following treatment using a sterile 2 × 2-inch stainless steel template and a gauze swab pre-enriched with buffered peptone water. The chlorinated cleaner significantly (p < 0.05) reduced aerobic bacteria and ST by 3.18 to 4.84 logs across application methods. The peroxyacetic acid (PAA) disinfectant significantly (p < 0.05) reduced aerobic bacteria and ST by 3.99 to 5.17 logs across application methods. These data indicate that a compressed air foam system may be used in combination with a commercially available cleaner or disinfectant to reduce aerobic bacteria and ST on the surfaces of commercial poultry transport coops.
Bismuth compounds have been used since the 18th century to treat gastrointestinal ailments in man. Colloidal bismuth subcitrate (De-Nol) is currently used in combination with antibiotics to reduce enteric Helicobacter pylori colonization as a treatment of stomach ulcers. We investigated whether bismuth citrate or its parent compound, colloidal bismuth subcitrate, would reduce colonization of the closely related foodborne pathogen, Campylobacter jejuni in chickens. In 2 studies, birds were either fed 0, 50, or 200 ppm bismuth citrate or bismuth subcitrate (De-Nol) for 10 or 21 d and were orally challenged with 7 combined strains of C. jejuni (n = 6 birds/treatment). For both treatment groups, cecal Campylobacter colonization was reduced when birds were fed 200 ppm for 10 d but not 21 d. For the 50 ppm treatment group, only birds dosed with bismuth citrate for 21 d demonstrated any reduction in cecal Campylobacter concentrations when compared with controls. These data suggest that bismuth citrate and colloidal bismuth subcitrate may reduce cecal colonization by Campylobacter in broilers, but these effects are inconsistent.
There is a need to develop nutritional methods for controlling pathogens in poultry production. A standardized yeast extract supplement, AlphamuneTM (YE), was added to turkey poult diets. Male poults were challenged by air sac injection with 60 cfu of E. coli at 1 week of age. At 3 weeks of age challenged birds were subjected to transport stress and birds were bled and necropsied the following morning. Blood cell numbers and percentages and hematological parameters were determined. Oxidative burst activity of isolated heterophils was measured using stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate and a 2 ,7 -dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCF-DA) assay. Data was analyzed using GLM and LS Means procedures of the SAS program. The percentage of heterophils in peripheral blood was increased and their oxidative burst activity was stimulated by YE. Transport stress also increased oxidative burst and this increase was modulated by YE treatment. Serum levels of calcium, phosphorus, and triglycerides were decreased and uric acid levels, erythrocyte numbers, hemoglobin and hematocrit were increased by YE supplementation. Bacteria were isolated from the air sac and liver of a lower percentage of birds provided with YE. These results suggest that dietary YE has potential as a non-antibiotic alternative for decreasing bacterial pathogens in turkey production. __________________________________________________________________________________
Salmonellosis is a zoonotic infection caused by Salmonella enterica serotypes contracted from contaminated products. We hypothesized that competitive exclusion between Salmonella serotypes in neonatal broilers would reduce colonization and affect the host immune response. Day of hatch broilers were randomly allocated to one of six treatment groups: (1) control, which received saline, (2) Salmonella Kentucky (SK) only on day 1 (D1), (3) Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) or Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) only on D1, (4) SK on D1 then ST or SE on day 2 (D2), (5) ST or SE on D1 then SK on D2, and (6) SK and ST or SE concurrently on D1. Salmonella gut colonization and incidence were measured from cecal contents. Livers and spleens were combined and macerated to determine systemic translocation. Relative mRNA levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-10, IL-18, and gamma interferon (IFN-γ) were measured in cecal tonsils and liver to investigate local and systemic immune responses. When a serotype was administered first, it was able to significantly reduce colonization of the following serotype. Significant changes were found in mRNA expression of cytokines. These results suggest competitive exclusion by Salmonella enterica serotypes affect local and systemic immune responses.
