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The Poultry Science Association (PSA) leadership has created its first comprehensive 5-year strategic plan (2006 to 2010) as a guide to the organization's growth and development. As societal concerns about animal agriculture increase and as changes in the poultry industry and in universities reduce the numbers of poultry scientists and thus membership in PSA, it became apparent that, to maintain relevance, the PSA needed to undertake a more rigorous and comprehensive review of its assets, areas of weakness, and reasons for being. The strategic planning process provided the lens for organizational analysis and planning. Our new mission for the PSA is to be a global scientific society dedicated to discovery and dissemination of knowledge, generated by poultry research that enhances human and animal health and well-being and provides for the ethical, sustainable production of food. The Association's vision is to be a preeminent global organization of poultry scientists and industry leaders, firmly grounded in scientific endeavors related to the biology and production of poultry. Increased membership diversity will be pursued by recruiting people of varied geographic, gender, cultural, and scientific backgrounds—including health and medicine—leading to a diverse leadership. The PSA will serve as the clearinghouse for poultry science information and provide through its Foundation significant financial support to students and young scientists engaged in poultry science research, teaching, and outreach education. The PSA, in partnership with the Federation of Animal Science Societies (FASS), will be a highly credible, well-respected, powerful force that is able to influence policy makers at governmental levels for the benefit of animal agriculture by delivering sound scientific information. The strategic plan highlights strategic directions to be implemented as well as assessment of progress. It will take the vision, energy, and dedication of PSA leaders and members to ensure that the strategic plan is well implemented, monitored, and altered appropriately, keeping it a living plan of action.

Roxarsone (3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid) was fed to male broilers at different levels (22.7 and 45.4 g/ton) and withdrawn from the diet at various times prior to slaughter at 54 days of age to determine the influence on development of leg disorders. There was no indication of any effect from level of roxarsone used or time of withdrawal on mortality, tibia length, width of gastrocnemius tendon, or angle of deviation of the condyles of the distal tibia. Although leg disorders are a major concern in regard to production of the large male broiler, early removal of roxarsone prior to the mandated withdrawal time does not appear warranted and may compromise the anticoccidial program.

1Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907; 2Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409; 3Department of Poultry Science, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849; 4Department of Poultry Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701; 5Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Poultry Science Center, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701; 6Novus International, Inc., St. Louis, Missouri 63141; 7Poultry Science Association, Savoy, Illinois 61874; 8Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Delaware, Georgetown, Delaware 19947; 9Institute for Conservation Leadership, Bozeman, Montana 59715; 10Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108; 11Department of Animal Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546; 12Embrex, Inc., Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709; 13Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2P5; 14Department of Surgery, Section of Urology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia 30912; 15Animal Health/Nutrition, Archer-Daniels-Midland Co., Quincy, Illinois 62301; 16Department of Animal Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996; 17Akey, Inc., Marysville, Ohio 43040; 18Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30605; 19Department of Poultry Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh , North Carolina 27695; 20Department of Animal Science, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583; and 21Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716

Data for individual feed intake, liveweight, and egg production were recorded for five genetically different groups of 40 pullets each during 10 test periods of 28-days each. Average ambient temperature at cage level varied from 6.7 C during January to 21.1 C during June. A 2890 kcal/kg metabolizable energy (ME) diet with 16% crude protein (CP) was fed ad lib. Average egg production for the Small Leghorns (SL) was about 60%, for white-egg hybrids (WL) about 75%, for brown-egg hybrids (BL) about 72%, for female line broiler breeders (BB) about 48%, and for broiler-cross pullets (B) about 51%. Average grams liveweight and grams feed intake per hen day were: SL, 1426 and 83.7; WL, 1809 and 104.9; BL, 2610 and 122.9: BB, 4197 and 156.2; and B, 4158 and 167.7. Partition equations which describe the data for SL, WL, BL, and BB, assuming 70% efficiency of use of feed ME for maintenance, tissue formation, and egg formation were: F = (.534 − .004T)W .653 + 2.76ΔW + .80EM and F = (.259 −.00259T)W.75 + 2.76ΔW + .80EM. Similar equations for B, assuming 65% efficiency use of ME, are: F = (.589 − .0044T)W.653 + 2.9ΔW + .85EM and F = (.275 − .00275T)W.75 + 2.9ΔW + .85EM. The terms are: F = grams feed/hen day; T = ambient temperature in °C; W = grams liveweight; ΔW = grams daily change in liveweight; EM = grams egg mass per hen day. Equations which assume 70% efficiency of use of ME are shown to predict feed intake of a diet containing 2890 kcal of apparent ME per kilogram for white and brown-egg layers and broiler-breeder pullets varying in individual body weights from about 1 to 5 kg. Equations, assuming 65% energetic efficiency, describe feed intake for a group of broiler-cross pullets.

Two floor pen studies were conducted to determine the minimum arginine level needed to support maximum weight gain and optimum feed conversion during the 4-7 week period of growth for both males and females. Floor feather counts were used as an additional criteria for determining the arginine requirement. The basal diets were calculated to contain 0.74 and 0.80% arginine based on the analyzed values for corn, corn gluten meal, skimmilk and soybean meal. Regression equations were calculated from the data obtained for the males only. Based on the regression equations, the calculated requirement for maximum weight gain, optimum feed conversion, and floor feathers is 1.09, 1.10, and 1.13% arginine, respectively. When expressed as a function of energy, the requirements would be 0.329, 0.332, and 0.341% arginine per megacalorie of metabolizable energy per kg. of diet, respectively. The differences in rate of gain data for the females were non-significant, indicating the requirement of the females to be less than the males. The female requirement, based on floor feathers, would appear to be 0.98% dietary arginine.

Intact and cecectomized adult male, Single Comb White Leghorns were fasted for 24 hr prior to the initiation of the collection period. Excreta were quantitatively collected from each of the unfed control roosters for a 24 to 48 hr fasting period. The amino acids excretion values (mg/bird/24 hr) were not significantly different (P greater than .05) between the intact and cecectomized roosters for histidine or methionine. However, lysine and glutamic acid were significantly different (P less than .05) and all other reported amino acids were significantly different (P less than .01). The results of this preliminary experiment indicate the possible role of the ceca in altering the amino acid excretion values. Additional research is required in the elucidation of cecal involvement, as well as the selection of a proper control for this method of analysis for amino acid availability.