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Keel bone damage (KBD) is a highly prevalent problem in commercial egg production. KBD consists of two different conditions affecting the keel: Keel bone deviation and keel bone fractures (KBF). Deviations are linked to pressure on the keel, e.g., from perching. The causative factors for KBF are not clear; however, selection for efficient egg production has been suggested as a major contributing factor. An important step to shed light on the role of selective breeding as an underlying cause of KBF in modern laying hens is to evaluate the keel bones of the ancestor, the red jungle fowl. To the authors’ knowledge, this has never previously been published. The aim of this study was therefore to describe the prevalence of KBD in a study group of red jungle hens and roosters housed in an aviary system. The present study examined 29 red jungle fowls 112 weeks of age post-mortem; 12 hens and 17 roosters. Keel bones were evaluated by external palpation for deviations and fractures. Palpation was followed by autopsy. No fractures were detected in the 17 roosters; one had a very slight deviation. Of the 12 red jungle hens in this pilot study, one had a single fracture and 10 hens had a very slight deviation.

Keel bone damage (KBD) is a highly prevalent problem in commercial egg production. KBD consists of two different conditions affecting the keel: Keel bone deviation and keel bone fractures (KBF). Deviations are linked to pressure on the keel, e.g., from perching. The causative factors for KBF are not clear; however, selection for efficient egg production has been suggested as a major contributing factor. An important step to shed light on the role of selective breeding as an underlying cause of KBF in modern laying hens is to evaluate the keel bones of the ancestor, the red jungle fowl. To the authors’ knowledge, this has never previously been published. The aim of this study was therefore to describe the prevalence of KBD in a study group of red jungle hens and roosters housed in an aviary system. The present study examined 29 red jungle fowls 112 weeks of age post-mortem; 12 hens and 17 roosters. Keel bones were evaluated by external palpation for deviations and fractures. Palpation was followed by autopsy. No fractures were detected in the 17 roosters; one had a very slight deviation. Of the 12 red jungle hens in this pilot study, one had a single fracture and 10 hens had a very slight deviation.

Domestication has taken place over thousands of years and during that time we have bred animals on different traits. The red jungle fowl is the ancestor to all domesticated chicks, including the white leghorn which is used in egg production. The domestication of the red jungle fowl has resulted in behavioral changes between itself and domesticated breeds, such as white leghorn. In this study we examine how these two breeds handle stress and whether or not they use social support when coping and recovering from a stress experience. The study took place in a built arena with two stimuli animals on each side. There the animal was studied for 5 minutes, stressed for 3 minutes and studied again for 5 minutes. We found that the red jungle fowl males spent more time in the unfamiliar zone before stress than males of the white leghorn. Our results also showed that the females of white leghorn and red jungle fowl spent more time in the familiar zone than males after being stressed. This is an indication that they are more dependent on social support from familiar animals after stress than the males are. Aggressive behavior was also observed among the males. Red jungle fowl males acted aggressively towards the unfamiliar stimuli animals and the white leghorn towards the familiar stimuli animals. In conclusion, we found that the females where in greater need of social support than the males., Biologi

Domestication has taken place over thousands of years and during that time we have bred animals on different traits. The red jungle fowl is the ancestor to all domesticated chicks, including the white leghorn which is used in egg production. The domestication of the red jungle fowl has resulted in behavioral changes between itself and domesticated breeds, such as white leghorn. In this study we examine how these two breeds handle stress and whether or not they use social support when coping and recovering from a stress experience. The study took place in a built arena with two stimuli animals on each side. There the animal was studied for 5 minutes, stressed for 3 minutes and studied again for 5 minutes. We found that the red jungle fowl males spent more time in the unfamiliar zone before stress than males of the white leghorn. Our results also showed that the females of white leghorn and red jungle fowl spent more time in the familiar zone than males after being stressed. This is an indication that they are more dependent on social support from familiar animals after stress than the males are. Aggressive behavior was also observed among the males. Red jungle fowl males acted aggressively towards the unfamiliar stimuli animals and the white leghorn towards the familiar stimuli animals. In conclusion, we found that the females where in greater need of social support than the males., Biologi

A study was carried out to compare the morphology of the digestive system, as well as the pancreatic and small intestinal enzymatics activities between the Red jungle fowl (RJF) and the native village chicken (NVC). The findings for the two breeds were compared with the commercial broilers (CBC) which had been consciously selected for high body weight. Ten male birds from each breed were serially euthanized at day 1, 10, 20, 56 and 120 post-hatch, respectively. The total body weight, as well as the absolute and relative weights of the digestive organs and the length of the intestinal segments were measured and recorded. Histological examinations of the digestive organs were carried out by light microscopy. The mucosubstances of the salivary glands and mucosa of the digestive tract were evaluated using histochemical methods. Histomorphometric evaluations of the intestinal mucosa, including the villus height, villus surface area and crypt depth, were also performed. In addition, the number of villi for each intestinal segment was counted through cross-sections of the villi obtained by a new method, and the intestinal surface area was also measured. The three-dimensional intestinal mucosa was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The enzymatic activities of amylase, trypsin and chymotrypsin of the pancreas and small intestinal (duodenum, jejunum and ileum) contents were also investigated. At day 10 post-hatch, the body weight of the CBC was higher (P<0.05) than those of the NVC and RJF by approximately 4 and 6 folds, respectively, and these were increased to approximately 5 and 10 folds, respectively at day 20 post-hatch onwards. Nonetheless, the NVC showed a higher (P<0.05) body weight than that of the RJF at approximately by two folds at day 20 post-hatch. The absolute weights and lengths of the digestive organs were dominantly greater (P<0.05) in the CBC followed by the NVC, while the RJF had the least value. However, the results were reversed when the

The current study was carried out with the main aim to define the morphology of muscle and to evaluate the meat characteristic of Red Jungle Fowl and Malaysian Village chicken which are known to have slow growth rates and an attempt was made to compare with the commercial broiler chicken which is known to have a fast growth rate. To our knowledge there is no data documented on the carcass composition of the Red Jungle Fowl and Village Chicken muscle at different ages. A total of 150 chickens from three different breeds were used in this study, they were Red Jungle Fowl (RJ), Malaysian Village Chicken (VC) and Commercial Broiler (CB) with 50 chickens for each breed. The eggs of RJ and VC were collected from Jenderam Hulu, Sepang, Selangor, hatched in the incubator and reared in the experimental house. The CB were collected from the CP (M) Private Limited hatchery in Kuala Kangsar, Perak as Day 1 chicks and reared in the same experimental house. All the chickens were given starter (201C) commercial feed from Day 1 to Day 21 and finisher (203 P) commercial feed from Day 22 to Day 120 post hatch and water was provided ad libitum. Ten chickens from each breed were serially euthanized at Day 1, 10, 20, 56 and 120 post hatch. The pectoralis major was used to represent breast muscle and bicep femoris representing the thigh muscle. The muscle samples were fixed in 10% formalin for histological examination. Muscle fiber typing was done to evaluate the types of muscle fiber composition by acidic myosin ATPase staining. The proximate analysis was done using oven method for moisture and dry matter, furnace method at 600°C for ash and Kjeldahl method for the crude protein. The collagen contents in muscles were measured by analysing the hydroxyproline using spectrophotometer. The fatty acids were determined by GLC after extraction and methylation and the amino acid concentration was determined by HPLC. The muscle samples were also evaluated for the meat characteristic including co

A study was carried out to compare the morphology of the digestive system, as well as the pancreatic and small intestinal enzymatics activities between the Red jungle fowl (RJF) and the native village chicken (NVC). The findings for the two breeds were compared with the commercial broilers (CBC) which had been consciously selected for high body weight. Ten male birds from each breed were serially euthanized at day 1, 10, 20, 56 and 120 post-hatch, respectively. The total body weight, as well as the absolute and relative weights of the digestive organs and the length of the intestinal segments were measured and recorded. Histological examinations of the digestive organs were carried out by light microscopy. The mucosubstances of the salivary glands and mucosa of the digestive tract were evaluated using histochemical methods. Histomorphometric evaluations of the intestinal mucosa, including the villus height, villus surface area and crypt depth, were also performed. In addition, the number of villi for each intestinal segment was counted through cross-sections of the villi obtained by a new method, and the intestinal surface area was also measured. The three-dimensional intestinal mucosa was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The enzymatic activities of amylase, trypsin and chymotrypsin of the pancreas and small intestinal (duodenum, jejunum and ileum) contents were also investigated. At day 10 post-hatch, the body weight of the CBC was higher (P<0.05) than those of the NVC and RJF by approximately 4 and 6 folds, respectively, and these were increased to approximately 5 and 10 folds, respectively at day 20 post-hatch onwards. Nonetheless, the NVC showed a higher (P<0.05) body weight than that of the RJF at approximately by two folds at day 20 post-hatch. The absolute weights and lengths of the digestive organs were dominantly greater (P<0.05) in the CBC followed by the NVC, while the RJF had the least value. However, the results were reversed when the

The current study was carried out with the main aim to define the morphology of muscle and to evaluate the meat characteristic of Red Jungle Fowl and Malaysian Village chicken which are known to have slow growth rates and an attempt was made to compare with the commercial broiler chicken which is known to have a fast growth rate. To our knowledge there is no data documented on the carcass composition of the Red Jungle Fowl and Village Chicken muscle at different ages. A total of 150 chickens from three different breeds were used in this study, they were Red Jungle Fowl (RJ), Malaysian Village Chicken (VC) and Commercial Broiler (CB) with 50 chickens for each breed. The eggs of RJ and VC were collected from Jenderam Hulu, Sepang, Selangor, hatched in the incubator and reared in the experimental house. The CB were collected from the CP (M) Private Limited hatchery in Kuala Kangsar, Perak as Day 1 chicks and reared in the same experimental house. All the chickens were given starter (201C) commercial feed from Day 1 to Day 21 and finisher (203 P) commercial feed from Day 22 to Day 120 post hatch and water was provided ad libitum. Ten chickens from each breed were serially euthanized at Day 1, 10, 20, 56 and 120 post hatch. The pectoralis major was used to represent breast muscle and bicep femoris representing the thigh muscle. The muscle samples were fixed in 10% formalin for histological examination. Muscle fiber typing was done to evaluate the types of muscle fiber composition by acidic myosin ATPase staining. The proximate analysis was done using oven method for moisture and dry matter, furnace method at 600°C for ash and Kjeldahl method for the crude protein. The collagen contents in muscles were measured by analysing the hydroxyproline using spectrophotometer. The fatty acids were determined by GLC after extraction and methylation and the amino acid concentration was determined by HPLC. The muscle samples were also evaluated for the meat characteristic including co

This study investigated telomeric array organization of diverse chicken genotypes utilizing in vivo and in vitro cells having phenotypes with different proliferation potencies. Our experimental objective was to characterize the extent and nature of array variation present to explore the hypothesis that mega-telomeres are a universal and fixed feature of chicken genotypes. Four different genotypes were studied including normal (UCD 001, USDA-ADOL Line 0), immortalized (DF-1), and transformed (DT40) cells. Both cytogenetic and molecular approaches were utilized to develop an integrated view of telomeric array organization. It was determined that significant variation exists within and among chicken genotypes for chromosome-specific telomeric array organization and total genomic-telomeric sequence content. Although there was variation for mega-telomere number and distribution, two mega-telomere loci were in common among chicken genetic lines (GGA 9 and GGA W). The DF-1 cell line was discovered to maintain a complex derivative karyotype involving chromosome fusions in the homozygous and heterozygous condition. Also, the DF-1 cell line was found to contain the greatest amount of telomeric sequence per genome (17%) as compared to UCD 001 (5%) and DT40 (1.2%). The chicken is an excellent model for studying unique and universal features of vertebrate telomere biology, and characterization of the telomere length variation among genotypes will be useful in the exploration of mechanisms controlling telomere length maintenance in different cell types having unique phenotypes.

This study investigated telomeric array organization of diverse chicken genotypes utilizing in vivo and in vitro cells having phenotypes with different proliferation potencies. Our experimental objective was to characterize the extent and nature of array variation present to explore the hypothesis that mega-telomeres are a universal and fixed feature of chicken genotypes. Four different genotypes were studied including normal (UCD 001, USDA-ADOL Line 0), immortalized (DF-1), and transformed (DT40) cells. Both cytogenetic and molecular approaches were utilized to develop an integrated view of telomeric array organization. It was determined that significant variation exists within and among chicken genotypes for chromosome-specific telomeric array organization and total genomic-telomeric sequence content. Although there was variation for mega-telomere number and distribution, two mega-telomere loci were in common among chicken genetic lines (GGA 9 and GGA W). The DF-1 cell line was discovered to maintain a complex derivative karyotype involving chromosome fusions in the homozygous and heterozygous condition. Also, the DF-1 cell line was found to contain the greatest amount of telomeric sequence per genome (17%) as compared to UCD 001 (5%) and DT40 (1.2%). The chicken is an excellent model for studying unique and universal features of vertebrate telomere biology, and characterization of the telomere length variation among genotypes will be useful in the exploration of mechanisms controlling telomere length maintenance in different cell types having unique phenotypes.

Ex situ conservation of threatened species may lead to behavioural adaptation, which can affect success of reintroduction attempts. In previous studies, we investigated the effects of captivity on the behaviour of red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus) and found that captive populations differed behaviourally as well as genetically. The aim of the present study was to compare the behaviour of two of the previously studied populations, raised under identical conditions. Eggs were collected from birds at Copenhagen zoo (Cop) and Götala research station (Got) and were incubated and hatched together. Twenty-eight birds (16 Got and 12 Cop) were reared together and tested in eight different behavioural tests, measuring different aspects of fear-related behaviours as well as exploratory and social behaviours. The study revealed several differences in fear-related behaviours between the populations but none in exploratory or social behaviours. In general, one of the populations (Cop) showed more intense fear behaviours than the other (Got), which instead were less fearful in their behaviours. This indicates that breeding animals in captivity may lead to behavioural modifications, which can affect the outcome of reintroductions. The results further suggest that fear-related behaviours are dependent on the genetic background of the animals while social behaviours may be more influenced by the social environment. Since fear-related behaviours, such as predator avoidance and fear of humans, are essential for a life in the wild, these aspects are crucial for the breeding of animals in captivity for conservation purposes.