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The demonstration trail was conducted at Tselemti district northwestern zone of Tigray. Main objective of the study was to compare production performance of the Koekoek chicken. A total of 60 female headed households were included in the study. Twenty Koekoek chicks forty-five days old were delivered to each participant farmers. Quantitative data such as age at first laying, average weight of male and female chicken, average weight of eggs, average number of egg laying per year of the chicken and qualitative data farmers point of view was collected. The collected data was analyzed using the descriptive statistics such as mean and percentage. Based on the result, the average weight for male and female Koekoek were recorded 2.65 kg and 1.82 kg, respectively. While the local chickens were gave an average weight of 2.01kg and 1.3 kg both male and female, at twelve months age, respectively. The breeds produce an average egg production of 176.03 and 81.4 hen-1year-1, respectively both the Koekoek and local. The result from farmers response shows, the breeds are promising in most of the attributes such as, age to egg laying and slaughter, egg laying capacity, hatchability and market price of the egg as compared to the local. But farmers raised that the breeds are poor in brooding, resistant to diseases, in escaping from predators and low market preference of the chicken than the local. By giving strong emphasis on the management aspect like housing, vaccination and feeding, the breed is promising to the area.

The pleopodal fecundity of Pontastacus leptodactylus from Hirfanli Dam (Turkey) was investigated. Reproductive period, length at first maturity, as well as the number, weight and diameter of pleopo...

During egg laying, females face a trade‐off between self‐maintenance and investment into current reproduction, since providing eggs with resources is energetically demanding, in particular if females lay one egg per day. However, the costs of egg laying not only relate to energetic requirements, but also depend on the availability of specific resources that are vital for egg production and embryonic development. One of these compounds are carotenoids, pigments with immuno‐stimulatory properties, which are crucial during embryonic development. In this study, we explore how carotenoid availability alleviates this trade‐off and facilitates egg laying in a small bird species, the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus). Blue tits have among the largest clutch size of all European passerines and they usually lay one egg per day, although laying interruptions are frequent. We performed a lutein supplementation experiment and measured potential consequences for egg laying capacity and egg quality. We found that lutein‐supplemented females had less laying interruptions and thus completed their clutch faster than control females. No effects of treatment were found on the onset of egg laying or clutch size. Experimentally enhanced carotenoid availability did not elevate yolk carotenoid levels or egg mass, but negatively affected eggshell thickness. Our results provide hence evidence on the limiting role of carotenoids during egg laying. However, the benefits of laying faster following lutein supplementation were counterbalanced by a lower accumulation of calcium in the eggshell. Thus, even though single components may constrain egg laying, it is the combined availability of a range of different resources which ultimately determines egg quality and thus embryonic development., This study provides the first evidence of limiting role of carotenoid during egg production. Experimentally enhanced carotenoid availability facilitated egg laying in blue tit females.

1. Measures of the bilateral apex pubis (BAP) in White Leghorn (WLH) hens aged from 16 to 64 weeks (from the time ovaries were completely undeveloped to senility) were ranked into various groups so...

This study was focused on the comparison of the brown and white eggs from two laying hybrids. The objective was to assess basic quality traits of eggs from both groups of hens and compare them. The impact of how age influences the technological value of eggs was also observed. The most important correlations were calculated. Products of Czech original genetic programmes, Dominant Brown D 102 and Dominant Leghorn D 229 hens were included. A total of 1500 eggs were analysed. The egg collection was made for three consecutive days when the hens were at the 28, 35 and 59 weeks of age. The results showed that eggshell weight, yolk weight and yolk share increased with the age, while egg shape index, yolk index and albumen share decreased in both hybrids. Eggshell weight and share fluctuated with the age in both hybrids. Other traits differed within the hybrids. Interactions between age and hybrid were non-significant (P > 0.05) only in eggshell and yolk weight. The heaviest eggs were from 59-week-old Dominant Brown D 102 hens (68.89 g) and the lightest eggs were from 28-week-old Dominant Leghorn D 229 hens (57.76 g). Highly significant (P ≤ 0.001) positive correlations were found between egg weight and all individual egg components weights and between eggshell weight and yolk and albumen weight and eggshell thickness in both laying hybrids.

This study is aimed at characterizing scavenging and intensive chicken production system in Lume district of East Shoa Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Random samplings were employed to select sample kebeles and purposively select respondents based on numbers of chicken population in scavenging and production system (intensive) to identify the specific challenges affecting chicken production. Questionnaires were administered on three kebeles and 90 respondents’ from scavenging chicken keepers, and 10 intensive farms were interviewed. The respondents’ were stratified into 1st, 2nd and 3rd strata having 1-10, 11-20 or 21-49 chicken, respectively. Chicken houses were constructed with material stone wall and grass roof (40%). From the total respondents, those not cleaning the chicken house were 45.6%. Also, while mother took charge of sharing and offering feed for chicken, selling egg and chicken at 53 68, and 50%, respectively; and father is largely responsible for shelter constriction (17%); both mother and father participated nearly equally (29 and 28%) in purchasing drug for chicken. All respondents provided supplementary feed and water for their chicken with majority (63%) of feed supplemented being maize. Moreover, it was observed that feed supplementation can only improve egg production and growth (26.7%) in summer (July - September) session if supplemented most often (78.9%). Average egg productions per year were 76.4±3.4 whereas average age of cockerel at first mating and pullet first egg laying were 24.4±7.3 and 24.2±4.0, respectively. When the number of scavenging chicken in the household is increased, ownership pattern of males also increase. From the interviewed intensive farm, 50% joined in broiler and layer production system. There were so many opportunities available for intensive production; however, these were challenged by different factors in the study area. Overcoming the constraints of intensive production like high price of feed, poor quality and lack of sustainable market, as well as increased numbers of improved chicken per household with the minimum of 3rd strata will be able to ensure sustainable protein food source. Further research is necessary on how to increase number of chicken per households under scavenging production system. Key words: Intensive, scavenging, production system, strata.

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of age at photostimulation on sexual maturity and performance of layer breeders. A total of 192 fourteen-wk-old White Leghorn (WL) breeder hens were randomly allocated to 4 treatments of 48 birds each, with 2 replicates per treatment. The birds were photostimulated at 16 (PS16), 18 (PS18), 20 (PS20), and 22 (PS22) wk of age. Four birds per treatment were randomly selected to evaluate sexual organ development at 1 D before photostimulation and 2, 4, and 6 wk after photostimulation. The ovary weight, large yellow follicles number (LYF), oviduct weight, and oviduct length of PS18 increased sharply after photostimulation. Conversely, the increase in PS16 was not observed until 2 wk after photostimulation. There was no difference in age at sexual maturity between treatments (P > 0.05). The PS16 had the longest interval (28 D) from photostimulation to 5% egg production, while PS22 reached 5% egg production 7 D before photostimulation. The PS22 had lower peak production (P = 0.02) and less egg production (P = 0.02) than other treatments. The PS16 had more broken and abnormal eggs (P = 0.01) and lower hatchability (P = 0.04) than other treatments. In conclusion, photostimulation at 16 and 22 wk of age decreases hatchability and egg production, respectively, and photostimulation at 18 wk is appreciated for the WL breeder hens.

Butterflies of the genus Zerynthia often have different host plants in the genus Aristolochia in the different parts of their distribution range. In Mediterranean France the Southern Festoon reaches its North Western distribution limit, where it generally lays eggs on A. rotunda in either coastal wet meadows or riparian and garrigue habitats in the backcountry. In the study area (Hérault and Gard departments), its distribution range overlaps with that of the Spanish Festoon Zerynthia rumina at its north-eastern limits. The Spanish Festoon lays its eggs on A. pistolochia plants growing in dry garrigues in the backcountry. Three types of field observations were conducted to determine : (1) whether habitat variation influences the rates of egg deposition by the Southern Festoon, (2) the extent to which A. rotunda is the preferential host plant and (3) if both Southern and Spanish Festoons are specialised if they co-occur with both their host plants in proximity. We found that A. rotunda is the main host plant of the Southern Festoon in both habitats where it grows in Mediterranean France although egg laying was observed on A. clematitis and more rarely on A. paucinervis in coastal sites. Finally, in parapatry, Southern and Spanish Festoons exchange their host plants but remain both more specialised on a different host. Despite their protection status, destruction of their habitats by urbanisation and infrastructures are a major threat to these specialised butterflies., Dans leurs différentes aires de distribution, les papillons du genre Zerynthia présentent des plantes-hôtes diverses au sein du genre Aristolochia. En France méditerranéenne, où Z. polyxena, la Diane, est en limite nord-ouest de distribution, elle pond généralement sur A. rotunda qui pousse à la fois dans les prairies humides littorales et certaines garrigues d’arrière-pays. Dans la zone d’étude (départements de l’Hérault et du Gard), son aire de distribution chevauche celle de Z. rumina, la Proserpine, dans sa limite orientale. Cette dernière pond sur A. pistolochia qui pousse dans les garrigues sèches d’arrière-pays. Trois axes d’observations de terrain ont été définis afin de voir (1) si la fréquence de ponte de Z. polyxena varie dans ses différents habitats, (2) dans quelle mesure A. rotunda est réellement la plantehôte préférentielle de Z. polyxena et (3) si Z. polyxena et Z. rumina demeurent spécialistes lorsqu’elles partagent le même habitat avec leurs deux plantes-hôtes en mélange ou en étroite proximité. L’ensemble de ces travaux a bien conforté qu’A. rotunda est l’hôte privilégié de Z. polyxena dans ses deux grands habitats de France méditerranéenne bien que des pontes puissent être observées sur A. clematitis et plus rarement sur A. paucinervis sur les sites littoraux. En parapatrie, Z. polyxena et Z. rumina peuvent ponctuellement changer de plante-hôte même si elles conservent une préférence pour la leur. Malgré leur statut de protection, ces papillons spécialistes sont principalement menacés par la destruction de leurs habitats par l’urbanisation et l’implantation d’infrastructures., Gauthier Perrine, Manincor Natasha de, Picquenot Manon, Pons Virginie, Schumpp Ugo, Thompson John D. Spécificité et flexibilité dans la ponte de Zerynthia polyxena sur différentes espèces du genre Aristolochia en région méditerranéenne française / Specificity and flexibility of egg laying by Zerynthia polyxena on different species of Aristolochia in Mediterranean France. In: Ecologia mediterranea, tome 46 n°2, 2020. pp. 47-63.

This study was conducted to assess production performance of chicken under farmers’ management and their roles in the household economy of local and exotic chickens reared at Yirgalem and Hawassa towns of Southern Ethiopia. Purposive sampling method was used for selecting the respondents. Totally, 180 respondents were selected based on their experience in chicken production. The study indicates that the average number of eggs set for incubation was 10.05 ± 0.81 of which the hatchability was 8.42 ± 1.19 eggs. The age at first egg laying for the native chickens raised at Hawassa and Yirgalem towns was 6.31 ± 0.53 and 6.10 ± 0.30 months respectively with differences recorded both within and between the locations. The age at first egg laying of the Sasso hens was 5.24 ± 0.43 months while the age at first egg lay for Bovans was 5.37 ± 0.49 months. The difference was observed (P < 0.05) across the studied locations. The values were lower when compared to those of the native chickens. It was also observed that the contributions of the exotic chickens to the livelihood and food security of the rearers were insignificant. It was concluded from this study that the exotic chickens in the study areas performed fairly well and could do so further if they are provided with better health care, scientific nutrition and management.

Two experiments evaluated feeding Brassica (B.) napus (canola) or B. juncea co-products to brown-shelled egg laying hens. In Exp. 1, diets including 20% B. napus or B. juncea extruded-expelled cakes (NC, JC) or solvent-extracted meals (NM, JM) compared to a control diet with no Brassica co-products, were fed to 120 hens (4 hens/cage, n = 6) for 36 wk. In Exp. 2, DM, gross energy, CP and amino acid (AA) retention/digestibility was determined by feeding diets containing 30% B. napus or B. juncea cakes or meals and basal diet to 240 hens (8 hens/pair of cages, n = 6) for 7 d. Cakes averaged 40 g/kg lower moisture, 28 g/kg lower CP, and 84 g/kg greater fat content compared with meals. In Exp. 1, there was no effect of diet on lay percentage or BW throughout the experiment. Feed consumption was 3.5 g/d lower in layers fed JM compared with controls and egg: feed was reduced by 14 mg egg/g feed in layers fed JC (P < 0.01). Although eggs from layers fed NM were 0.7 g heavier than controls, eggs from layers fed NC, JM or JC were 1.4 g lighter than controls (P < 0.01). Eggs from layers fed Brassica diets contained a greater proportion (1.6%-points) of monounsaturated fatty acids compared with controls (P < 0.01). Eggs from layers fed B. juncea had a relatively greater proportion (0.2%-points) of C18:3 (n3) compared with those of layers fed B. napus diets (P < 0.01). Feeding Brassica diets reduced digestibility of DM (5%-points), gross energy (7%-points) and CP (4%-points) vs. basal (P < 0.01). The digestibility of indispensable AA except tryptophan, was reduced feeding Brassica diets vs. basal (P < 0.01). We concluded that feeding B. napus and B. juncea extruded-expelled cakes and solvent-extracted meal at 20% of diets to hens supported acceptable lay performance and egg quality over a 36 wk production cycle. Digestibility data indicated that indispensable AA in Brassica co-products had moderately high (75 to 85%) apparent ileal digestibility.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of stocking density on productive performance, egg quality, and antioxidant capacity in laying ducks. A total of 720 20-week-old Jinding laying ducks were randomly assigned to 5 stocking densities (4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 birds/m2) with 8 replicate pens each treatment. The results showed that increasing stocking density linearly increased egg production and egg mass and linearly decreased FCR of laying ducks (P

Papilio peranthus is endemic to Indonesia, where it occurs on several islands and island groups. This beautiful butterfly is extensively traded, thus efforts to breed this species are very desirable. Captive breeding research was conducted on P. peranthus during September 2016 to December 2018. In total, 221 individuals were available for observation. Data on the life cycle of the species, together with observations on females being approached for mating, and female oviposition after mating, are presented. The result demonstrate that P. peranthus is not monogamous. Observations on other biological aspects are also reported.

A monitoring study of some main blood parameters of a flock of free-range guinea fowls has been conducted. The following results (depending on sex and laying intensity) have been established: hemoglobin content – between 145.8 (males - before peak of laying intensity) and 98 g/L (females - before the peak of laying intensity), hematocrit – between 43.8 (males – before the peak of laying intensity) and 28.8% (females – before the peak of laying intensity), glucose – between 11.7 (males – before the peak of laying intensity) and 8.24 mmol/L (females – end of the laying period) and total protein content – between 5.86 (females – during the peak of laying intensity) and 3.30 g/dL (males - during the peak of laying intensity).

SUMMARY: Resveratrol is a polyphenol known to have many beneficial biological activities. In our study, we investigated the effect of supplementing chicken feed with different concentrations of resveratrol. A total of 2,160 Jingfen white egg chickens in their 210-d old were selected for this study. They were randomly distributed into 4 diet groups with 6 replicates each. Each replicate group contained 90 chickens. Diets were supplemented with 1 of 4 doses of resveratrol: 0, 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg. Relative to that in controls, the egg production rate and mean daily food intake significantly increased upon 200 mg/kg resveratrol treatment (P < 0.05). The feed-to-egg ratio also significantly diminished in these animals (P < 0.05), as did the cull/death rate. Resveratrol was also linked with extended egg shelf lives and improved sensory scores. Supplementation with 400 mg/kg resveratrol significantly reduced levels of total serum cholesterol and triglycerides and activities of alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase (P < 0.05). These results therefore show that 200 mg/kg resveratrol supplementation improved the performance of laying hens, whereas 400 mg/kg dose was associated with better lipid metabolism, reduced egg cholesterol content, extended egg shelf life, improved antioxidant activity, and improved egg sensory scores.

Among odonates that exhibit endophytic oviposition, a few, mostly damselflies, are known to be able to perform underwater oviposition. Among them, just a few species do so very frequently. Here I report the first observation of underwater oviposition for the damselfly Ischnura genei, which becomes the eighth species of its genus known to adopt this strategy after I. asiatica, I. aurora, I. elegans, I. graellsii, I. hastata, I. nursei, and I. verticalis. The reasons why these species or other odonates choose this particular mode of oviposition on rare occasions are not yet known, although a number of possible costs and benefits have been proposed.

C. elegans nematodes are a well-established model organism in numerous fields of experimental biology. In nature, C. elegans live in a rich 3-dimensional environment. However, their behavior has been assessed almost exclusively on the open, flat surface of NGM (Nematode Growth Medium) plates, the golden standard for C. elegans culture in the lab. We present two methods to build 3-dimensional behavioral arenas for C. elegans, by casting, and by directly 3D printing NGM hydrogel. The latter is achieved by using a highly customized fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D-printer, modified to employ NGM hydrogel as ink. The result is the advancement of 3-dimensional complexity of behavioral assays. To demonstrate the potential of our method, we use the 3D-printed arenas to assess C. elegans physical barriers crossing. C. elegans decision to cross physical obstacles is affected by aging, physiological status (i.e., starvation), and prior experience. The 3D-printed structures can be used to spatially confine C. elegans behaviors, i.e., egg laying. We consider these findings a decisive step toward characterizing C. elegans 3-dimensional behavior, an area long overlooked due to technical constrains. We envision our method of 3D-printing NGM arenas as a powerful tool in behavioral neurogenetics, neuroethology, and invertebrate model organisms’ neurobiology.

Studies on breeding biology enable us to broaden our understanding of the evolution of life history strategies. We studied the breeding biology of the Green-backed Tit (Parus monticolus) to provide comprehensive data on nest and egg characteristics, parental behavior throughout egg laying and nestling periods, and reproductive outcome. Our study reveals adaptive behavioral patterns and reproductive strategies for P. monticolus.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the productive performance of laying quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica). The study was carried out at the poultry farm of the La Molina National Agrarian University in Lima, Peru. In total, 1296 quail distributed in 96 females and 48 males of three ages (45, 52 and 59 days) with 130, 140 and 150 g of body weight, respectively, at the beginning of the laying were used. A random block design with a 32 factorial arrangement was used, taking as factors age and weight at the beginning of laying and as a block the weeks of laying (8, 11 and 17). The highest egg mass (10.72 ± 0.41 g/day/bird) was obtained when the quails started laying with 150 g of live weight., El objetivo de la investigación fue evaluar el rendimiento productivo de codornices (Coturnix coturnix japonica) de postura. El estudio se realizó en la granja de aves de la Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina en Lima, Perú. Se utilizaron 1296 codornices distribuidas en 96 hembras y 48 machos de tres edades (45, 52 y 59 días) con 130, 140 y 150 g de peso al inicio de la postura, respectivamente. Se empleó un diseño de bloques aleatorios con arreglo factorial 32 teniendo como factores edad y peso al inicio de postura y como bloque a las semanas de postura (8, 11 y 17). Las mejores conversiones alimenticias fueron de 3.67±0.36 y de 3.68±0.35, sin diferencias estadísticas entre ellas, y se obtuvieron cuando las aves iniciaron su postura con pesos de 130 y 140 g, respectivamente. La mayor masa de huevos (10.72±0.41 g/día/ave) se obtuvo cuando las aves iniciaron su postura con 150 g de peso vivo.

Two experiments were carried out with the objective of evaluating the effect of superdosing of two phytases on performance, egg quality, digestive organ biometry and bone quality of light hens in the first (58 weeks) and second (87 weeks) productive cycle. In the first cycle, 270 light hens were used, in which a completely randomized design was adopted in a 2 x 2 + 1 factorial scheme (bacterial phytase or fungal phytase x 450 FTUs or 900 FTUs + control diet). In the second cycle, 270 hens were used, following the same design as the previous experiment. The performance and quality of the eggs were evaluated in both cycles, and the biometry of the digestive organs and bone characteristics were also evaluated in the first experiment. There was no effect in the comparison between the means for the performance and egg quality (in both experiments), or for the biometric variables and bone characteristics (first experiment). There was no significant interaction between the factors for any of the variables in the two experiments. In the first experiment, egg production was higher with bacterial phytase and egg weight with fungal phytase. The mineral matter showed greater value with 450 FTUs. It is recommended to use bacterial phytase produced from Escherichia coli as it improves the performance of light laying hens. The dosage of 450 FTUs improves the mineral content of light laying hens and the use of phytase in the laying hen diet implies a lower feed cost.

SummaryWhen presented with two egg-laying substrates, Drosophila lay most of their eggs on the option with higher relative value. How do flies make this relative-value decision? Might the strategy they use allow them to choose the best option even when they experience substrates with a more complex spatiotemporal profile than in canonical two-choice paradigms? We measured Drosophila egg-laying behavior in diverse substrate environments. In all cases, we found that flies dynamically increase or decrease their egg-laying rates as they explore substrates for a deposition site so as to target eggs to the best, recently visited option. Visiting the best option typically led to a strong reduction in egg laying on other substrates for several minutes, with this timescale varying across fly strains. Our data support a model in which flies compare the value of the current substrate with an internally constructed expectation on the value of available options to regulate the likelihood of laying an egg. We show that dopamine-neuron activity is critical for learning and/or expressing this expectation, similar to its role in certain tasks in vertebrates. Integrating sensory experiences over minutes to generate an internal sense of the quality of available options, i.e., forming an expectation, allows flies to use a dynamic reference point for judging the current substrate and might be a general way in which decisions are made, even beyond flies and egg laying.

The 2015 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N2 outbreak affected more than 200 Midwestern U.S. poultry premises. Although each affected poultry operation incurred substantial losses, some operations of the same production type and of similar scale had differences between one another in their ability to recognize evidence of the disease before formal diagnoses and in their ability to make proactive, farm-level disease containment decisions. In this case comparison study, we examine the effect of HPAI infection on two large egg production facilities and the epidemiologic and financial implications resulting from differences in detection and decision-making processes. Each egg laying facility had more than 1 million caged birds distributed among 18 barns on one premises (Farm A) and 17 barns on the other premises (Farm B). We examine how farm workers' awareness of disease signs, as well as how management's immediate or delayed decisions to engage in depopulation procedures, affected flock mortality, levels of environmental contamination, time intervals for re population, and farm profits on each farm. By predictive mathematical modeling, we estimated the time of virus introduction to examine how quickly infection was identified on the farms and then estimated associated contact rates within barns. We found that the farm that implemented depopulation immediately after detection of abnormal mortality (Farm A) was able to begin repopulation of barns 37 days sooner than the farm that began depopulation well after the detection of abnormally elevated mortality (Farm B). From average industry economic data, we determined that the loss associated with delayed detection using lost profit per day in relation to down time was an additional $3.3 million for Farm B when compared with Farm A.

Several studies described the effect of human TNF-α on Schistosoma mansoni. It affects the worm’s development, metabolism, egg-laying, changes in the parasite´s gene expression and protein phosphorylation. Data available concerning the influence of hTNF-α on egg-laying are controversial and understanding the mechanism of egg-laying regulation is essential in combating schistosomiasis. We characterized the effects of in vitro treatment of S. mansoni adult worms with different doses of hTNF-α (5, 20 and 40ng/mL) for five days. We explored the effects on the egg-laying rate, glucose, ATP metabolism, mRNA expression levels of lactate dehydrogenase, of glucose transporters and of SmTNFR, the parasite gene for hTNF-α receptor. hTNF-α influenced egg-laying in a time and dose dependent manner: with 40ng/mL, egg-laying increased on day 2 and decreased on days 3 and 4; 20 ng/mL dose, egg-laying decreased on day 3, while at 5ng/mL dose, egg-laying decreased on day 4. The total number of eggs produced was not affected, but the egg-laying dynamic was altered; the median egg-laying time decreased significantly due to treatment. At 5 and 20ng/mL hTNF-alpha, lactate production diminished on days 3 up to 5, while glucose uptake increased on day 5. At 40ng/mL, glucose uptake diminished on days 1 up to 3, while ATP accumulation was detected on day 5. No significant changes in the mRNA expression were detected in all treatments. Crosstalk involving the hTNF-alpha and the parasite signaling play a role in the fine regulation of the worm´s metabolism and physiology and points to new strategies for disease control.

Some graminaceous fodder crops were compared to grain sorghum for larval feeding and ovipositional preference by Sesamia cretica Led., under laboratory conditions. The percentages of S. cretica larvae attracted to each host of the four gramineous plants studied in free choice test after one hour, for the sorghum, broom corn, pearl millet and sudan grass were 20.00%, 10.00%, 20.00% and 24.00% of larvae, respectively, with no significant differences between them. The four gramineous plants studied in free choice test after 24 hours varied significantly, sudan grass was the most attractive crop (32.00%), however, broom corn was the lowest in attractiveness (8.00%). The non-responded larvae number decreased from 26.00% in one hour observation to 17.00% in 24 hours observation. Data indicated a strong ovipositional preference for pearl millet (34.46%), however, broom corn harbored the lowest percent of egg deposit (14.04%).

Brood parasites lay their eggs in the nests of other females, thereby shifting the costs of offspring care onto others. Given that care is costly, potential hosts should evolve mechanisms to avoid brood parasitism. Meanwhile, brood parasites should evolve mechanisms to circumvent host defences. Here we investigate whether hosts or intraspecific brood parasites adjust their egg laying behaviour as a mechanism to reduce or increase the effectiveness of brood parasitism. We use the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides as our study system, in which hosts and brood parasites lay their eggs in the soil around a carcass controlled by the host. To test whether females adjust their egg laying behaviour when breeding as a host or brood parasite, we used an experimental design with three treatments: hosts, where focal females bred alongside a smaller female; brood parasites, where focal females bred alongside a larger female; and controls, where focal females bred alone. We used focal females from a narrowly defined size range to control for potential effects of body size. We found that hosts delayed the start of egg laying, which may allow them to recognise brood parasitic offspring that arrive too early. Meanwhile, brood parasites laid their eggs over an extended period, which may increase the chances that their egg laying overlapped with the host. Our results suggest that adjusting egg laying behaviour is a mechanism used by both hosts and brood parasites that may contribute to the differences in reproductive success shown in prior studies.

The influence of nutrient density and standardized ileal digestible lys (DLys) content of the diet on egg production and egg quality traits, was studied in brown-egg laying hens from 19 to 59 wk of age. The experimental design was completely randomized with eight treatments arranged as a 2×4 factorial with two AMEn concentrations (2,680 and 2,780 kcal/kg) and four levels of DLys (0.68, 0.72, 0.76, and 0.80%). Each treatment was replicated nine times and the experimental unit was a cage with nine hens. Hen production, egg components (proportion of albumen, yolk, and shell), egg quality traits (Haugh units, egg shell strength, and incidence of broken, dirty, and shell-less eggs) were measured by period (28 d) and cumulatively. Data were analyzed as a completely randomized design with energy concentration, level of DLys, and their interactions as main effects. In addition, the effects of the level of DLys on the variables studied, were partitioned into its linear and quadratic components. No interactions between AMEn and DLys content of the diet were detected for any of the traits studied and therefore, only main effects are presented. An increase in the AMEn concentration of the diet from 2,680 to 2,780 kcal/kg increased energy intake (P < 0.05) and egg weight (P < 0.001) and improved feed conversion ratio (P < 0.05). An Increase in DLys from 0.68 to 0.80% did not affect the number of eggs produced but increased linearly egg weight (P < 0.01) and egg mass production (P < 0.05). Diet did not affect egg quality. In conclusion, an increase in the AMEn content of the diet from 2,680 to 2,780 kcal/kg increased egg weight and improved feed efficiency. Laying hens require no more than 744 mg DLys/d (corresponding to 0.68% DLys) to optimize egg production. However, when the objective is to maximize egg weight, hens should consume at least 843 mg DLys/d (corresponding to 0.76% D Lys).

Dropping moisture (DM) refers to the water content in feces. High DM negatively affects poultry production, environment, production costs, and animal health. Heredity, nutrition, environment, and disease may affect DM level. DM has medium inheritability and is related to cage height in henhouses. We examined the relationship among DM level, production performance, and environmental factors at different locations at the same henhouse height and effects of three types of additives. We measured the correlation between environmental factors including temperature, humidity, CO2 concentration, absolute pressure, and DM levels and laying performance of 934 Rhode Island Red hens. DM level was not significantly associated with environmental factors or production performance. We divided 64 persistently high DM hens into control and treatment groups supplied with different additives (probiotics, anisodamine, and antibiotics). DM levels, laying performance, egg quality, and serum biochemical indices were determined. Compared with the control and antibiotics, probiotics significantly reduced DM levels and eggshell strength while improving yolk color but did not significantly affect production performance. The additives reduced the b value of eggshell color, compared with probiotics, anisodamine decreased serum globulin levels. Exogenous active yeast supplementation can significantly reduce DM levels.

Phenological differences in energy demand (i.e., reproductive status) might influence the measurement of corticosterone. The objective of this study was to compare corticosterone concentrations in feathers (FCORT) and plasma (PCORT) for turkey hens before and during egg laying. Secondary feathers 1 and 3, and a plasma sample were collected from 50 hens at 30 weeks (before egg laying) from two purebred lines. The hens were reexamined during lay (45 weeks) to collect regrown feathers and plasma samples. Corticosterone concentrations were measured using an ELISA. Linear mixed models were used to assess the effect of genetic line (A vs. B) and period (pre-lay vs. lay) on FCORT and PCORT levels. An increase in FCORT during lay was detected for line B (p &lt, 0.0001), but not line A (p = 0.3076). An increase in FCORT during lay was detectable in both feather types, but there was a difference between secondary 1 and 3 in FCORT concentration within each line studied. Conversely, PCORT decreased between the pre-lay and lay periods for both lines, although the decrease was more substantial for line A (p &lt, 0.0001). Differences in metabolic investment in egg production between the two genetic lines may explain the different FCORT response during lay. The results from this study provide insight into how periods of high energy demand may influence corticosterone which should be considered when interpreting results.

International audience; Schistosomiasis is a major neglected parasitic disease that affects more than 265 million people worldwide and for which the control strategy consists of mass treatment with the only available drug, praziquantel. In this study, we chemically optimized our previously reported benzhydroxamate-based inhibitors of Schistosoma mansoni histone deacetylase 8 (smHDAC8). Crystallographic analysis provided insights into the inhibition mode of smHDAC8 activity by the highly potent inhibitor 5o. Structure-based optimization of the novel inhibitors was carried out using the available crystal structures as well as docking studies on smHDAC8. The compounds were evaluated in screens for inhibitory activity against schistosome and human HDACs (hHDAC). The in vitro and docking results were used for detailed structure activity relationships. The synthesized compounds were further investigated for their lethality against the schistosome larval stage using a fluorescence-based assay. The most promising inhibitor 5o showed significant dose-dependent killing of the schistosome larvae and markedly impaired egg laying of adult worm pairs maintained in culture.

Background It is of great significance to clarify the role of biologically active ingredients in soybean meal to solve the shortage of soybean meal resources. The objective of this experiment was to design a low soybean meal basal diet and measure the effects of dietary soya saponin (SS) on egg-laying performance and immune function. Results Results showed that egg production rate, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and eggshell quality tended to be improved in the 50 SS groups. Besides, peripheral blood LPS stimulation index and proportion of B lymphocytes ratio at 5th week were increased. Serum follicle stimulating hormone and Interleukin-4 (IL-4) levels were significantly elevated at 10th week in the 50 SS groups. We also found that mRNA levels of follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) in ovarian, nuclear transcription factor kappa B (NF-κB), Interleukin-12 (IL-12), Transforming growth factor (TGF-β) and Interferon γ (IFN-γ) in spleen were up-regulated at the end of the trial. Beyond that, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria in the ileal flora was dropped, and the relative abundances of Lactobacillus, Romboutsia and Lactobacillus delbrueckii were elevated in the 50 SS group. Similar to the above were that at the end of the 5th week, there are same biological effects on laying hens about 50 and 500 mg/Kg SS. While at the end of the trial, the blood levels of alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, IFN-γ, and the ratio of IFN-γ to IL-4 were significantly increased in the 500 SS group. What’s more, the gene mRNA levels of NF-κB, IL-12, IFN-γ, Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and the ratio of IFN-γ to IL-4 about spleen were up-regulated in the 500 SS group. The mRNA levels of genes such as the gonadotropin releasing hormone 1 (GnRH1) in Hypothalamus, the estrogen related receptor (ERR) in ovaries were down-regulated with 500 mg/kg SS supplementation. Conclustions: The egg production performance was improved by dietary supplementation with 50 mg/kg SS via stimulating ovaries development, increasing ovarian FSHR transcription level and serum estrogen level. The intestinal microflora was regulated, and the immune function of laying hens also was improved with 50 mg/kg SS supplementation. Unexpectedly, the immune homeostasis of the laying hens tilted towards the pro-inflammatory direction with 500 mg/kg SS supplementation. It resulted in a negative impact on the laying performance of laying hens and physiological functions of the liver.

Sixty-four rice genotypes were screened against rice hispa Dicladispa armigera Olivier during kharif 2018 and 2019. The rating of genotypes on the basis of grading revealed that five genotypes were moderately resistant, one moderately susceptible, 38 susceptible and 21 were highly susceptible. No egg laying was observed on moderately resistant genotypes. During 2019, HPR 2617 was observed to be the most promising and moderately resistant.

Magnolia tamaulipana powder extract inhibited egg laying and food intake of adult female Tetranychus urticae. These effects increased according to concentration, being highly effective between 500 ...