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Modern broilers are selected for fast growth and a large proportion of breast tissue, contributing to a top-heavy phenotype, leg disorders, and inactivity as birds reach market weight. Therefore, the objective was to motivate broilers to move through environmental enrichment. A total of 1,200 Ross 308 broilers were housed in pens of 30 for 6 wk: 600 birds were exposed to a novel laser enrichment device (LASER) and 600 were control. Each device projected 2 randomly moving red laser dots onto the floor 4 times/day for 4-min “laser periods.” Seven LASER and 7 control pens, with 5 focal birds/pen (n = 70), were randomly selected to be video-recorded day 0 to 8 and once weekly for the remainder of the trial. Videos were analyzed to measure broiler time-budget and behaviors such as latency to feed and distance walked during laser periods. Focal birds were gait scored weekly on-farm. A test of the human-approach paradigm was carried out on weeks 1 and 6 on all pens. LASER birds were more active on days 0, 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8, moving 254% more on day 7 (P ≤ 0.05). Time spent active was increased in LASER treatment by 114% on week 2; 157% on week 3; 90% on week 4; and 82% on week 5. LASER birds spent more time at the feeder on days 0, 1, 2, 5, 8, and on weeks 1 and 5, with 84% more time at feeder than control on day 5 (P ≤ 0.05). LASER birds walked further during laser periods on day 0 to 8, reaching 646.5 cm greater (day 1), and on weeks 2, 3, 4, and 5, with an increase of 367.5 cm on week 2 (P ≤ 0.05). Over week 1 to 6, 60.54 ± 7.4% of focal birds in the laser treatment were at the feeder during or within 5 min following laser periods. The laser enrichment device was successful in stimulating broiler physical activity and feeding, and did not negatively impact walking ability.

Modern commercial broilers have been genetically selected for fast growth and heavy breast muscling, contributing to a top-heavy phenotype and increased leg lameness. A quick-growing phenotype coupled with poor leg health fosters inactivity. The objective of this study was to stimulate broiler movement using novel environmental enrichment and determine the impact of movement on production, leg health, and environmental parameters. A total of 1,200 Ross 308 broilers were housed in 40 pens with 30 birds/pen for 6 wk in 2 separate rooms (laser enrichment or control). Each enrichment device was mounted above 2 adjoining pens, projected 2 independent, randomly moving laser beams at the floor to stimulate innate predatory behavior, and was active 4 times daily in 4-min periods. Performance outcomes were calculated by pen and averaged per bird for each performance period and overall days 0 to 42. A total of 70 randomly selected focal birds were examined for breast blisters and footpad dermatitis each week and euthanized on day 42 for tibia quality measures. Air quality and litter moisture were sampled by week. Laser-enriched pens had greater average bird feed intake in starter (P0.001), grower (P = 0.004), finisher periods (P = 0.004), and overall days 0 to 42 (0.19 kg/bird; P = 0.0003). Average bird weight gain was also increased in enriched pens in each performance period: starter (P = 0.043), grower (P = 0.001), finisher (P0.001), and overall days 0 to 42 (0.24 kg/bird; P0.001). Enriched pens had improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) vs. control with a decrease of 3 FCR points in the grower (P = 0.031), 18 points in the finisher (P0.001), and 7 points overall (P0.001). Enriched pens had higher ADG during starter (P = 0.048), finisher (P0.001), and overall (5.7 g/bird/d; P0.001). No differences were found in breast blister, footpad dermatitis, tibia, air, or litter quality measures (P0.05). In summary, a novel enrichment device based on bird visual feeding and predatory instincts positively affected performance through decreased FCR and increased ADG without sacrificing external animal-based measures, tibia quality, or air or litter quality.

Iowa State University (ISU) offers undergraduate certificates to demonstrate completion of a focused study in a specialized area across a variety of disciplines. The certificate has the significant benefit of allowing students to customize their curriculum and document an approved course of study. A Swine Production Management Certificate is now offered within the Animal Science Department at ISU. The certificate requirements are organized to correspond with faculty and employer-defined needs for a successful transition from ISU student to swine industry professional.The Swine Production Management certificate will integrate technical topics in animal science with practical considerations in enterprise management. Two critical components to the certificate are the capstone Swine Systems Management course and a required internship with a focus on swine production management. Students that complete the certificate will have the background to identify and address challenges in modern swine production enterprises. Further, the certificate assists employers in identifying students that have shown the interest, discipline, and ability to complete this specialized study program.&nbsp

Iowa State University offers undergraduate certificates to demonstrate completion of a focused study in a specialized area. The certificate has the significant benefit of allowing students to customize their curriculum and document an approved course of study. An Equine Science and Management Certificate is offered within the Animal Science Department at Iowa State University. The certificate requirements are organized to correspond with faculty and employer-defined needs for a successful transition from student to equine industry professional.The Equine Science and Management certificate will integrate technical topics in animal science with practical considerations in enterprise management. Two critical components to the certificate are the capstone Equine Systems Management course and a required internship in equine science and management. Students that complete the certificate will have the background to identify and address challenges in modern equine enterprises. Further, the certificate assists employers in identifying students that have shown the interest, discipline, and ability to complete this specialized study program.&nbsp

owa State University (ISU) offers undergraduate certificates to demonstrate completion of a focused study in a specialized area across a variety of disciplines. The certificate has the significant benefit of allowing students to customize their curriculum and document completion of an approved course of study. A Beef Cattle Production Management Certificate is offered within the Animal Science Department at ISU. The certificate requirements are organized to correspond with faculty and employer-defined needs for a successful transition from ISU student to beef cattle industry professional.The Beef Cattle Production Management certificate will integrate technical topics in animal science with practical considerations in enterprise management. Two critical components to the certificate are the capstone Beef Cattle Enterprise Management course and a required internship that focuses on beef cattle management. Students that complete the certificate will have the background to identify and address challenges in modern beef cattle production enterprises. Further, the certificate assists employers in identifying students that have shown the interest, discipline, and ability to complete this specialized study program.&nbsp

Genetic selection for fast growth rate and high breast muscle yield in modern broilers has unintended effects on animal welfare and behavior, namely in terms of inactivity and leg disorders. We hypothesized that exercise stimulated through environmental enrichment could positively stimulate pen-wide activity and improve bird welfare. The study objectives were to implement a laser enrichment device to motivate active and feeding behaviors throughout the pen. Twelve hundred Ross 708 broilers were randomly assigned to enrichment (LASER; laser enrichment, or CON; no laser enrichment) for 49 d. Seventy focal birds were randomly assigned to 14 video-recorded pens for behavioral analysis, including focal bird home pen behavior and walking distance. Pen-wide activity was also measured during the 4-min laser periods, four times daily, d0–8, and 1 day weekly, wk 1–6. Focal birds were gait scored wk 1–6, and were euthanized on d42 for tibia bone mineral content, density, and bone breaking strength analysis. Time spent active was increased in LASER-enriched birds compared to CON on wk 3–5 by up to 214% (wk 4), and percent of time at the feeder was increased in LASER-enriched birds by 761% on wk 4 (P< 0.05). Peak percent of birds following the laser (LASER-enriched pens only) was observed on d0 (8.52%). Over wk 1–6, peak laser-following behavior was observed on wk 3 (3.07% of birds). Percent of birds moving during laser periods was increased in LASER-enriched pens on d0, 1, 2, 6, 7, and 8, with a percent increase of 68.7% observed on d1 (P< 0.05). Percent of birds moving (laser-following or not) was increased on wk 1, 3, and 4 in LASER-enriched pens, with an increase of 69.7% observed on wk 4 (P< 0.05). No differences were found in tibia measures. These data indicate that laser enrichment stimulated voluntary locomotion through wk 5 and laser-following behavior through wk 6, and that the relatively small percent of birds actively following the laser stimulated pen-wide movement above the level of the CON through wk 4 on study.

Companion animal diets have moved beyond providing complete nutrition for growth or maintenance and into functional outcomes that maintain and improve health and longevity. Select dietary ingredients have additional effects, intended or not, on animal physiology and immune function. Many immune-altering nutrients are fats or fat-soluble, including omega-3 fatty acids, essential oils, phytogenic compounds, and Vitamins A, E, and D. Examples of other related ingredients to which the immune system is responsive include phytogenic compounds, zinc, and probiotics. Because composition and inclusion rate of these nutrients impact immune function and physiology, a focused and intentional selection of specific ingredients is one method to alter inflammatory cascades in animals consuming the diet. While work in human, livestock, and companion animal models is working to identify therapeutic inclusion rates for these nutrients and ingredients, it should be noted that physiological alterations are nutrient-specific and are seen in both over and under-inclusion. For example, inclusion above currently recommended levels may optimize immune function and reduce inflammation in the case of vitamin D or omega-3 PUFA, while for zinc, additional pharmacological supplementation above requirements may inhibit immune function. Probiotics need to be specifically selected and included continuously for maximal benefit. When choosing to formulate an anti-inflammatory diet for long-lived animals, it must also be considered that important “background” functions of the immune system, including monitoring for and clearing pathogenic microbial populations, may be downregulated due to a general reduction in immune reactivity. Continued work to understand how diet and nutrition impact immunity, and how to balance inflammation through nutrition, is an area of active research and will inform downstream users how to best use data to impact consumers of that feed in desirable ways.

The objectives of this experiment were to evaluate the effect of oil source and peroxidation status on broiler performance and oxidative stress. Broilers (initial BW 85.1 ± 7.8 g) were allotted to 40 cages with 5 birds per cage in a completely randomized design. The 4 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments consisted of oil source (palm oil, soybean oil, flaxseed oil, and fish oil) and peroxidation status (fresh or peroxidized). Broilers were fed experimental diets for 20 d to measure growth performance; on day 21 of the experiment, plasma and liver samples were harvested for analysis of oxidative stress including thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), protein carbonyls (PC), 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8- OH-2dG), glutathione peroxidase activity (GPx) and superoxide dismutase and catalase (CAT). An interaction occurred between oil source and peroxidation status where broilers fed peroxidized oils had reduced ADFI, ADG, G:F, and plasma GPx in all oil sources except for fish oil (P ≤ 0.04). Plasma 8-OH-2dG was increased by feeding peroxidized oils (P = 0.01). An interaction occurred in liver TBARS where broilers fed peroxidized palm oil had greater liver TBARS compared to fresh palm oil (P = 0.09). An interaction was noted for liver PC where broilers fed palm, flaxseed, and fish oil had similar liver PC regardless of peroxidation status, while broilers fed peroxidized soybean oil had increased liver PC compared to the fresh soybean oil diet (P = 0.04). Oil source affected plasma TBARS and 8-OH-2dG (P = 0.01), plasma PC (P = 0.09), liver 8-OH-2dG (P = 0.08), and liver CAT (P = 0.02). Correlations between oil composition with growth performance and oxidative stress markers imply that oil UFA:SFA, p-anisidine value, DDE, total polar compounds, and polymerized triglycerides should be measured as an indicator of oil quality, with growth performance being correlated to plasma TBARS, PC, and GPx. In conclusion, the degree of unsaturation and peroxidation status of dietary oils affected growth performance and markers of oxidative stress in poultry.

In 2018 and 2019, Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from multiple post-molt commercial laying hens with unusually high mortality. A challenge study was conducted to elucidate the role of S. aureus in this disease outbreak and the work herein represents the assessment of immunological responses in laying hens experimentally infected with S. aureus isolates from these cases. A total of 200 laying hens at 22 or 96 weeks of age (100/ age group) were assigned to 1 of 4 experimental inoculation groups (negative control, oral gavage, subcutaneous injection, or intravenous injection) after a 72 h acclimation period. Blood samples were taken prior to inoculation (baseline), 6 h post-inoculation (pi), 24 hpi, 3 dpi, and 7 dpi. Additional spleen samples to further assess systemic immunity were taken at baseline, 3 and 8 dpi. Metabolic phenotypes of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated and assessed by Seahorse metabolic assay. Immune cell profiles in the spleen and PBMC were assessed by multicolor flow cytometry. At baseline, 96-week-old laying hens had 26.7% fewer PBMC-derived T cells compared to 22-week-old birds. Older hens had 28.9% increased helper T cell (TH) populations and 60.5% reduced γδ T cells (P = 0.03 and < 0.0001) which may contribute to variable clinical responses between age groups; however, no age-related differences in metabolic potential were observed. Metabolic outcomes showed that birds remained stressed from transport and re-housing past a 72 h acclimation period and through 24 h- 3 days post-inoculation. Inoculation with S. aureus generally reduced oxidative and glycolytic potentials compared to the control, with the greatest reductions observed in birds inoculated by intravenous injection (P < 0.05). Overall CD3+ T cell populations showed significant reductions in the intravenous group compared to other inoculation routes from 24 hpi to 7 dpi (23.6–39.0%; P ≤ 0.0001). These results suggest that age-related baseline differences in T cell populations and changes to T cell subpopulations and other immune cells due to inoculation route may have an additive effect on S. aureus- induced reductions in metabolic potential; however, further research linking metabolic potential and immune cell profiles is needed.

The use of alfalfa and similar forages in poultry products is often limited due to the detrimental effects of high-fiber ingredients on non-ruminant animal performance. Despite this, inclusion of alfalfa hay, specifically late-cutting hay, may confer health benefits that protect against the damaging effects of coccidiosis in poultry. The study objective was to examine performance outcomes in Ross 708 broilers fed 5% 5th-cutting alfalfa hay during a coccidiosis challenge. A total of 144 birds were assigned to a corn-soybean meal control or diet with 5% inclusion of ground 5th cutting alfalfa hay for 42d divided into 14d starter, grower, and finisher periods. At 14d, half of the birds were orally inoculated with 10X Coccivac® B-52 vaccine with a 2x2 factorial treatment arrangement of diet and inoculation. Body weight (BW) and feed intake (FI) was recorded weekly to calculate average performance outcomes. Prior to inoculation, 5% alfalfa did not negatively impact performance but increased week 2 FI by 5.1% (P = 0.04). As expected, coccidiosis reduced performance in week 3 (P < 0.05). Alfalfa inclusion did not alter coccidiosis-induced performance outcomes; however, numerical differences observed in non-inoculated birds supports future research into the benefits of feeding late-cutting alfalfa and its products to poultry.

Used restaurant oil offers a sustainable and affordable energy source in broiler diets but variable lipid composition and the presence of harmful peroxidation products may alter intestinal immunity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding different lipid sources with variable peroxidation statuses on immune cell populations producing interleukin-6 (IL6) and interferon-γ (IFNG) in the broiler ileum. Two hundred broilers were fed diets with 5% inclusion of control or peroxidized palm, soybean, flaxseed or fish oil in a 4 × 2 factorial treatment design. At 21d, 2 birds/ treatment were euthanized for ileum collection and immune cell populations were analyzed by RNAscope- in situ hybridization (ISH). Ileal production of IL6 increased 85.8% by feeding peroxidized flaxseed oil while IFNG-producing cells were increased 55.1-59.9% by feeding either control or peroxidized soybean oil (P ≤ 0.05). Feeding peroxidized lipid generally reduced CD3+ T cells not producing either IL6 or IFNG by 14.9-39.0% (P ≤ 0.05). Overall, these results suggest that IL6 and IFNG have differential responses to lipid source and peroxidation while lipid peroxidation negatively impacts T cell presence in the broiler chicken ileum. Inflammatory outcomes observed in broilers fed peroxidized flaxseed oil suggest that yellow grease containing this type of oil may detrimentally impact broilers, while soybean oil generally contributes to intestinal inflammation regardless of heat exposure

Mouse models allow for detailed preliminary research into the health-promoting effects of novel feed additives to identify candidates for livestock application. Alfalfa is a potential source of health-promoting feed additives, but detailed findings on factors that maximize its benefits are lacking. The study objective was to evaluate the effects of feeding late and early alfalfa as hay, aqueous, and lipid-soluble extracts on the body weight (BW) and colon microbiota of mice before and after pathogen challenge. A total of 98 female 6-week-old C57BL/6J mice were weighed and assigned to 1 of 7 diets consisting of basal diet ± hay (9%), aqueous extract (0.25%), and chloroform extract (0.25%) of late and early cutting alfalfa. After 14d, 6 mice/treatment were euthanized for baseline colon digesta sampling. The remaining animals were orally inoculated with Citrobacter rodentium and 4 mice/ treatment were euthanized for colon digesta collection at 4 and 21d post-inoculation (pi). While observed patterns in BW were not statistically significant, numerical improvements in early and late days post-inoculation (pi) indicated a protective effect of lipid-soluble extracts on BW during bacterial challenge. Corresponding to these observations, late cutting chloroform extracts significantly reduced pathogen abundance in the colon at 4dpi while increasing the abundance of beneficial community members at 21dpi (P = 0.02). These findings in mice support future research into the effects of late-cutting chloroform alfalfa extracts in livestock diets.

Since the Veterinary Feed Directive became effective in 2015, poultry producers have sought a replacement for antibiotics in commercial broiler diets to promote growth and gut health. A series of poultry feed additives including probiotics, prebiotics, yeast products, etc., have shown some success in improving growth performance of broilers. Two solid state fermentation DFM products from two different lactobacillus strains were fed at two inclusion levels (0.05 and 1%) to study the effects on weight gain, FCR, and ADG, and gut health parameters following feed restriction and FITC-dextran (FITC-d) gavage. Under our research conditions, certain dietary treatments decreased "gut leakage" as measured by FITC-d fluorescence in the serum, but performance paramaters were not significantly affected by dietary treatments.

Probiotics are supplemented in poultry diets to support beneficial intestinal microbial community members. The alteration of the microbiota due to probiotic supplementation is shown to improve host health, but the underlying changes to immune cell populations have not been well-described in poultry. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of probiotics at two different dietary inclusion levels on the immune cell populations in spleens of unchallenged broiler chickens. Probiotic supplementation did not impact overall percentages of leukocytes, but did alter the composition of cells making up leukocyte subpopulations (P ≤ 0.05). Additional research is needed to evaluate how these changes to immune cell populations translate to a modulated immune response under challenge conditions.

In April and November of 2018, multiple commercial laying hen flocks within the same company presented with a sharp increase in mortality and drop in egg production that persisted for several days. These flocks showed striking necropsy lesions consistent with systemic infection and responded to antimicrobial treatment in the feed. Staphylococcus aureus (SA) was the most frequently isolated organism from multiple tissues including comb and wattle lesions, lungs, liver, ovary, spleen, and bone marrow. Given such an uncommon presentation of SA, which is known as a secondary opportunistic pathogen, a challenge study was conducted to evaluate its role in these disease outbreaks. In the present study, laying hens of two ages (22 and 96 wk) were inoculated with SA via three routes: oral gavage, subcutaneous (SC) injection, and intravenous (IV) injection. Both young and old hens in the IV group showed a significant increase in body temperature and drop in body weight; however, the clinical signs observed in the naturally occurring outbreaks were not present. SA was reisolated at multiple time points postchallenge from all challenge groups except the negative control group. While the SC group showed localized necrosis at the injection site, microscopic changes were different from changes observed in birds from the natural outbreaks. Despite observed initial differences in route and age, the SA challenge strain was not capable of reproducing the disease on its own. The results of this study indicate that SA may have played a role in the increased mortality, clinical signs, and necropsy lesions reported with the naturally occurring outbreaks. However, SA should still be considered as a secondary opportunistic pathogen. Other factors that could have caused the initial insult are stress, immunosuppression, or other primary infectious agents. The results of this study may aid veterinary diagnosticians, clinicians, and all poultry professionals to include SA in their differentials list as a secondary opportunistic pathogen in similar cases. This is an uncommon presentation and further field observations and clinical studies are needed to better elucidate the pathogenesis of this disease, which will in turn help to prevent future outbreaks.

Immunotherapeutic iNKT cells interact with monocytes and T cells in human umbilical cord blood grafts to simultaneously limit inflammation while promoting hematopoietic activity., Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are a conserved population of innate T lymphocytes that interact with key antigen-presenting cells to modulate adaptive T-cell responses in ways that can either promote protective immunity, or limit pathological immune activation. Understanding the immunological networks engaged by iNKT cells to mediate these opposing functions is a key pre-requisite to effectively using iNKT cells for therapeutic applications. Using a human umbilical cord blood xenotransplantation model, we show here that co-transplanted allogeneic CD4+ iNKT cells interact with monocytes and T cells in the graft to coordinate pro-hematopoietic and immunoregulatory pathways. The nexus of iNKT cells, monocytes, and cord blood T cells led to the release of cytokines (IL-3, GM-CSF) that enhance hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell activity, and concurrently induced PGE2-mediated suppression of T-cell inflammatory responses that limit hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell engraftment. This resulted in successful long-term hematopoietic engraftment without pretransplant conditioning, including multi-lineage human chimerism and colonization of the spleen by antibody-producing human B cells. These results highlight the potential for using iNKT cellular immunotherapy to improve rates of hematopoietic engraftment independently of pretransplant conditioning.

Background Restaurant oil in poultry diets increases energy content, reduces production costs, and promotes sustainability within the food supply chain. However, variable oil composition and heating temperatures among restaurant oil sources can impact broiler chicken health due to heat-induced lipid modifications. Objectives A 21-d experiment was conducted to evaluate ileal morphology, liver cytokine gene expression, and ileal immune cell populations in broilers fed control or peroxidized lipids with varying chain and saturation characteristics. Methods Day-old broilers were housed in battery cages (5 birds per cage) and fed diets containing 5% control or peroxidized oils. Eight diets were randomly assigned in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement consisting of oil source (palm, soybean, flaxseed, or fish) and peroxidation status (control or peroxidized). At day 21, samples were collected for ileal histomorphology [villus height (VH), crypt depth (CrD), and the VH:CrD ratio], and liver cytokine expression (qPCR). Ileum cytokine expression and T-cell markers were analyzed by RNAscope in situ hybridization (ISH). Data were analyzed as a mixed model (SAS 9.4) with fixed effects of lipid source, peroxidation, and lipid × peroxidation interaction. Results CD3+ T-cells in the ileum decreased 16.2% due to peroxidation (P = 0.001) with 30.3% reductions observed in birds fed peroxidized flaxseed oil (P = 0.01). Peroxidation increased IL6+ and IL1B+ cells by 62.0% and 40.3%, respectively (P = 0.01). Soybean oil increased IFNG+ cells by 55.1% compared with palm oil, regardless of peroxidation status (P = 0.007). Lipid source and peroxidation did not alter ileal histomorphology or liver cytokine expression. Conclusions Lipid peroxidation increased ileal IL1B and IL6 in broiler chickens, whereas soybean oil diets increased IFNG. Generally, peroxidation decreased overall CD3+ T-cell populations, suggesting impaired T-cell presence or recruitment. These results identify potential immunomodulatory lipid profiles in restaurant oil while supporting RNAscope-ISH as a method to describe avian tissue-level immune responses.

Background The initial intestinal microbiota acquired from different sources has profound impacts on animal health and productivity. In modern poultry production practices, the source(s) of the establishing microbes and their overall contribution during development of gastrointestinal tract communities are still unclear. Using fertilized eggs from two independent sources, we assessed the impact of eggshell- and environmental-associated microbial communities on the successional processes and bacterial community structure throughout the intestinal tract of chickens for up to 6 weeks post-hatch. Results Culturing and sequencing techniques identified a viable, highly diverse population of anaerobic bacteria on the eggshell. The jejunal, ileal, and cecal microbial communities for the egg-only, environment-only, and conventionally raised birds generally displayed similar successional patterns characterized by increasing community richness and evenness over time, with strains of Enterococcus, Romboutsia, and unclassified Lachnospiraceae abundant for all three input groups in both trials. Bacterial community structures differed significantly based on trial and microbiota input with the exception of the egg-exposed and conventional birds in the jejunum at week 1 and the ileum at week 6. Cecal community structures were different based on trial and microbiota input source, and cecal short-chain fatty acid profiles at week 6 highlighted functional differences as well. Conclusion We identified distinct intestinal microbial communities and differing cecal short-chain fatty acid profiles between birds exposed to the microbiota associated with either the eggshell or environment, and those of conventionally hatched birds. Our data suggest the eggshell plays an appreciable role in the development of the chicken intestinal microbiota, especially in the jejunum and ileum where the community structure of the eggshell-only birds was similar to the structure of conventionally hatched birds. Our data identify a complex interplay between the eggshell and environmental microbiota during establishment and succession within the chicken gut. Further studies should explore the ability of eggshell- and environment-derived microbes to shape the dynamics of succession and how these communities can be targeted through interventions to promote gut health and mitigate food-borne pathogen colonization in poultry.

Alfalfa is a forage legume commonly associated with ruminant livestock production that may be a potential source of health-promoting phytochemicals. Anecdotal evidence from producers suggests that later cuttings of alfalfa may be more beneficial to non-ruminants; however, published literature varies greatly in measured outcomes, supplement form, and cutting. The objective of this study was to measure body weight, average daily feed intake, host immunity, and the colon microbiota composition in mice fed hay, aqueous, and chloroform extracts of early (1st) and late (5th) cutting alfalfa before and after challenge with Citrobacter rodentium. Prior to inoculation, alfalfa supplementation did not have a significant impact on body weight or feed intake, but 5th cutting alfalfa was shown to improve body weight at 5- and 6-days post-infection compared to 1st cutting alfalfa (P = 0.02 and 0.01). Combined with the observation that both chloroform extracts improved mouse body weight compared to control diets in later stages of C. rodentium infection led to detailed analyses of the immune system and colon microbiota in mice fed 1st and 5th cutting chloroform extracts. Immediately following inoculation, 5th cutting chloroform extracts significantly reduced the relative abundance of C. rodentium (P = 0.02) and did not display the early lymphocyte recruitment observed in 1st cutting extract. In later timepoints, both chloroform extracts maintained lower splenic B-cell and macrophage populations while increasing the relative abundance of potentially beneficially genera such as Turicibacter (P = 0.02). At 21dpi, only 5th cutting chloroform extracts increased the relative abundance of beneficial Akkermansia compared to the control diet (P = 0.02). These results suggest that lipid soluble compounds enriched in late-cutting alfalfa modulate pathogen colonization and early immune responses to Citrobacter rodentium, contributing to protective effects on body weight.

Probiotic feed additives with potential to enhance performance, health, and immunity have gained considerable popularity in commercial broiler production. The study objectives were to measure broiler performance, gut integrity, and splenic immune cell profiles in birds fed one of two probiotics at two inclusion levels. Nine hundred sixty Ross 708 broilers (12 per pen) were randomly assigned to no additive control, 0.05% or 0.10% LactoCare (Lactobacillus reuteri), or 0.05% or 0.10% LactoPlan (Lactobacillus plantarum) dietary treatments for 6 wk. On day 27, a 20-pen subset was utilized for a fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FITC-d) assay, where half of the pens were subject to a 12-h feed restriction (FR) pregavage. Serum collected from blood drawn 1-h postgavage was analyzed for relative fluorescence of FITC-d absorbed across the intestinal barrier as a gut leakiness indicator. On day 42, spleens from eight birds per treatment were collected for immune cell profile analysis by multicolor flow cytometry. Although performance outcomes were not affected by dietary treatment, FITC-d absorption post-FR was increased 57% in the 0.05% LactoPlan treatment, and was decreased by 12.6% in the 0.05% LactoCare diet, 12% in the 0.10% LactoCare diet, and 22% in the 0.10% LactoPlan diet compared with the control. This indicates a positive impact in barrier integrity maintenance due to 0.05% and 0.10% LactoCare and 0.10% LactoPlan diet following a challenge. Immune cell profiles varied between the two probiotic compositions, with an approximately 50% reduction in splenic innate immune cells (monocyte/macrophage+) in birds fed LactoPlan (P

SUMMARY Soybean meal (SBM), a co-product of soybean oil obtained via solvent or mechanical extrusion, is the key protein source in broiler diet formulations. Mechanical extrusion, or high-temperature processing with high-shear dry extrusion, has demonstrated 1 to 2% increased amino acid digestibility in broilers versus solvent-extracted SBM through reduction of antinutritional factors (ANF). High-shear dry extrusion followed by mechanical pressing using a screw press (extruding-pressing) produces soy oil and partially de-oiled soymeal (ExPress). The extruding-pressing process has been growing in popularity due to improved cost and material efficiency by eliminating the need for solvents or steam dryers in the production of animal feed ingredients. Corn extrusion is likewise linked with increased nutritive value through improved palatability and approximately 20% increased starch gelatinization, resulting in superior growth performance and in one reported case, reduced mortality in broilers. In the present study, high-shear dry extruded corn and ExPress SBM were formulated in combination with conventional corn and solvent-extracted SBM to determine impact on growth performance in male broilers. Extruded corn increased feed intake and ExPress SBM increased weight gain. The diet containing dry extruded corn and ExPress SBM outperformed all other diet combinations, including unprocessed, ground corn and conventional, solvent-extracted SBM variations. The diet containing unprocessed, ground corn and ExPress SBM had the most efficient overall feed conversion ratio (FCR). The combination of lower feed intake observed with the ground corn ingredient and the improved protein digestibility reflected by superior growth in ExPress SBM made this the ideal formulation, out of the 4 diets examined, in terms of feed efficiency.

Required auditing of on-farm broiler welfare in the United States has increased; however, a lack of validated tools exists for assessment of enrichment. National Chicken Council (NCC) guidelines were used on a subset of 300 Ross 308 broilers out of 1200 to validate and adapt welfare measures. Half of the broilers were exposed to environmental enrichment, hence these measures were used to evaluate the enrichment within the context of behavior and welfare, although the nature of the enrichment is not described in detail here as the aim is to serve solely as a description and validation of methods using a subset of example data. Birds were recorded in repeated 4-min periods to quantify behavior and walking distance. Outcomes were categorized to improve auditing and make recommendations to producers and researchers. Bone mineral density, content, and breaking strength were successful in determining numerical differences. Quantifying lameness using an enclosed walkway and measuring footpad dermatitis weekly are recommended on-farm. We recommend including additional measures not required by the NCC: monitoring breast condition in the flock and including a behavior component with a scoring ethogram.

1. New production processes and additional uses for corn co-products have increased the availability of distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) with varying energy and amino acid digestibility, for use in poultry feed. The objective of this study was to determine the performance, N-corrected metabolisable energy (AMEn), and amino acid (AA) digestibility of a 34% CP (as fed) high-protein DDGS (HP-DDGS) included in poultry diets for Cobb 500 broiler chickens.2. A total of 832 Cobb 500 broilers were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments containing 5% conventional DDGS (CV-DDGS) as a control or 10%, 15% and 20% HP-DDGS and fed for 42 d. After the performance trial, 240 birds from the original 832 were selected for a concurrent AMEn and AA digestibility experiment consisting of two AMEn diets and two AA diets.3. Birds fed diets containing 15% and 20% HP DDGS gained less weight than birds fed the CV-DDGS (P < 0.05) but did not differ in feed intake (FI), and therefore had a less efficient FCR than the control (P < 0.05). The AMEn of HP-DDGS was determined to be 11.4 MJ/kg. The standardised ileal amino acid digestibility (SIAAD) of the essential amino acids Lys and Met were determined to be 80.9% and 88.6%, respectively.4. HP-DDGS can be included in broiler diets up to 10% without any negative impact on performance or requiring supplemental Lys and Arg. The results from the AA digestibility study indicated that HP-DDGS could be a good source of digestible Lys.

Distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) are a common feedstuff in poultry diets, however, digestibility estimates vary with production method and strain (broiler vs layer). The objective of this study was to determine the amino acid digestibility of 34.1% (as fed) high-protein DDGS in straight-run Cobb 500 broiler chickens. Calculated standardized ileal amino acid digestibility (SIAAD) of indispensable amino acids (AA) ranged from 81.20 to 90.41%. The SIAAD of dispensable AA ranged from 16.16 to 89.78%. The digestibility of limiting AA in HiP DDGS was greater than reported digestibility values of the same AA in DDGS. Additional research is needed to further illustrate the effect of DDGS production on the value of feeding high protein (HiP) DDGS in broiler chickens.

Changes to the production method of distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), a common feedstuff in poultry diets, can alter the nutrient profile and energy content. Estimates of DDGS digestibility vary as a result of the altered production method, removal of value-added products like distiller’s corn oil, as well as the strain of chicken used (broiler vs. layer). The objective of this study was to determine the energy digestibility of high protein DDGS (HiP DDGS) fed to straight-run Cobb 500 broiler chickens. The apparent nitrogen-corrected metabolizable energy of HiP DDGS was calculated at 2,710 kcal/kg. Additional research is needed to further illustrate the influence of production method on HiP DDGS feeding value in broiler chickens.

Anecdotal evidence suggests health benefits from feeding late cutting alfalfa to non-ruminants, but there is a lack of published literature to support these claims. The objective was to compare early (1st) and late (5th) cutting alfalfa as ground hay, aqueous, or chloroform-extracted hay in combination with a gastrointestinal challenge to understand the effect of supplementation form and cutting on the overall health, microbiome, and immune system of mice. 163 C57BL/6J mice were housed for 35 d (Innovive system; 2–4 mice/cage) and fed treatments that consisted of an 18% protein rodent diet (alfalfa-free control), or control supplemented with 1st or 5th cutting 9% ground alfalfa hay, 0.25% aqueous extract (AAE), or 0.25% chloroform extract (CAE). After a 14 d enrichment period, 6 mice/treatment were euthanized for baseline tissue and digesta sampling, and remaining mice were orally gavaged with 2x1010 CFU Citrobacter rodentium. On d18, 22, 28, and 35, 4 mice/treatment were euthanized for sampling. Body weight (BW) and feed intake (FI) were recorded, 13 serum cytokines were measured, and changes in the microbial communities were analyzed using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED and linear discrimination analysis effect size (LEfSe), with significance at P ≤ 0.05. No BW differences were observed between treatments at the key timepoints (P > 0.05). Mice fed hay diets ate 16% more per day during the enrichment period (P = 0.03), 19% more from d14–18 (P = 0.001), and 17% more from d18–22 (P = 0.03) versus mice fed AAE. Citrobacter rodentium infection was confirmed via MiSeq in colon digesta. Significant shifts in microbial taxa were observed in mice fed alfalfa hay regardless of cutting (P < 0.05). Cytokine analysis, flow cytometry, and microbiome analysis is ongoing. Preliminary results show that alfalfa form significantly impacts FI and microbiome while cutting impacts weight (P < 0.05).

When laying hen diets are enriched with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids to generate value-added eggs for human consumption markets, concentrations of alpha-linolenic (ALA), eicosapentaenoic (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) in the yolk can reach 250 mg/50 g whole egg. Flaxseed, a rich source of ALA, is commonly used for omega-3 enrichment; however, the impact of dietary flaxseed source (extracted oil vs. milled seed) on fatty acid transfer to egg yolk in laying hens is unknown. Therefore, transfer of ALA, EPA, and DHA into egg yolk from extracted flaxseed oil or milled flaxseed was evaluated in Hy-Line W-36 laying hens over an 8-week feeding period (25 to 33 wk old). Hens (n = 132) were randomly housed with 3 birds/cage (4 replicates/treatment) for each of the 11 treatment groups. Diets were isocaloric and consisted of a control diet, 5 flaxseed oil diets (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, or 5.0% flaxseed oil), and 5 milled flaxseed diets (calculated flaxseed oil concentration from milled flaxseed 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 5.0%). Increasing dietary concentrations of flaxseed oil and milled flaxseed resulted in increased ALA, EPA, and DHA concentration in egg yolk, and fatty acid deposition from flaxseed oil was 2 times greater compared to milled flaxseed when fed at the same dietary inclusions (P < 0.01). Egg yolk EPA and DHA concentrations were not different due to oil or milled source (P = 0.21); however, increasing dietary inclusion rates of flaxseed oil from either source increased yolk EPA and DHA (P < 0.01). Hens fed either flaxseed oil or milled flaxseed resulted in reduced BW change as dietary concentrations increased (P = 0.02). Feed efficiency increased as flaxseed oil increased in concentration, while feeding milled flaxseed decreased feed efficiency (P = 0.01). Analysis of the nitrogen corrected apparent metabolizable energy of flaxseed oil resulted in 7,488 kcal/kg on an as-fed basis. Dietary flaxseed oil improved feed efficiency and increased ALA deposition into yolk compared to a milled source, demonstrating flaxseed oil to be a viable alternative for ALA egg enrichment.

SUMMARY The increased cost of energy for laying hen diets has resulted in the use of enzymes, such as xylanase, to increase energy digestibility and thereby reduce the need for dietary energy. A 24-wk-long experiment was conducted using 432 twenty-week-old Hy-line W36 first-cycle laying hens to determine the effects of energy concentrations and xylanase supplementation (Hostazym X 100) on hen performance, ME, and body composition. Three concentrations of dietary energy were fed with and without xylanase supplementation in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Diets were reformulated twice over the experiment (wk 30 and 40) due to increased feed intake or changes in egg production. Dietary energy main effect treatments included a control (C), C − 77 kcal/kg, and C − 154 kcal/kg diets. Egg production, feed intake, BW, egg weight, egg mass, and FE data were collected during the experiment. Nitrogen-corrected AME was determined at 32 and 44 wk of age, and featherless body composition (crude fat, CP, and ash) was determined at 44 wk of age. Hen-day egg production was increased in hens fed dietary xylanase during wk 31 to 40 and 20 to 44. Feed intake was increased with reduced dietary energy during all periods evaluated. Egg mass and FE were improved with xylanase supplementation during wk 31 to 40 and 20 to 44. Hen BW was not different among treatments and egg weight was only significantly different at select time periods with no consistent responses over time. Main effects at hen wk 32 showed that reduced energy resulted in reduced AMEn and xylanase increased AMEn. In contrast, xylanase treatment resulted in reduced AMEn when measured at the end of wk 44. overall, supplementation of xylanse to laying hens increased egg production, egg mass, and FE, although AMEn results were inconsistent and body composition data were dependent on dietary energy.

The demographics of incoming university animal science majors have shifted from students with a farm background to urban students with no history of direct livestock contact. Research completed before the Internet was a central source of information indicated that incoming urban students tend to express no opinion or a neutral opinion regarding livestock agriculture issues. Due to the changing background of incoming students enrolled in introductory university-level animal science classes, we sought to determine 1) if livestock background (self-identified as raised in a farm or urban setting), sex, or animal science career interest influenced the opinions of incoming students regarding critical issues involving livestock farming practices and 2) if 15 wk of introductory animal science instruction changed student opinions. A total of 224 students were given 2 identical anonymous surveys (start and end of 15 wk) with 5 demographic questions and 9 animal issue statements. For each statement, students marked their opinion by placing a vertical line on a continuous 130 mm horizontal line, where a vertical line placed at 0 mm = strongly agree and 130 mm = strongly disagree. Data were analyzed by ANOVA to determine any significant effects of instruction, background, sex, and future career preference on survey responses. Before instruction, urban students were less agreeable than farm students that animal farming was moral and humane and that farmers are concerned about animal welfare and livestock are of value to society (P ≤ 0.05). Urban students were more likely than farm students to purchase organic foods or food based on environmental/welfare standards (P ≤ 0.05). Introductory animal science instruction resulted in students becoming more agreeable that animal farming was humane, farmers are concerned about animal welfare, and animal agriculture is a value to society (P ≤ 0.05). Postinstruction, students were more likely to buy food products based on price (P ≤ 0.05). Males found farm practices more humane than females (P ≤ 0.05), but sex differences were not evident for other questions. Future professional career plans did not affect student opinions. Data showed that incoming urban students tend to be more neutral with regards to animal farming issues, and introductory animal science instruction fosters a more agreeable attitude towards animal farming practices, especially in students with urban backgrounds.

Students enrolled in a poultry science course were surveyed at the start and end of the semester in the first part of a multi-year study to quantify the effect of science-based education on opinion of the poultry industry. Students marked a vertical line on a 130mm horizontal line to indicate their level of agreement with 16 poultry issue statements. Surveys were collected anonymously using self-assigned code names in order to compare responses before and after taking the course. Post-survey, the 130mm line was separated into 5 sections; 0–20% agreeability was categorized as strongly disagree, 21–40% disagree, 41–60% neutral, 61–80% agree, and 81–100% strongly agree. Additionally, students were asked to answer three demographic questions regarding 1) Level of farm-animal experience (grew up on livestock farm, from an urban/city environment with no livestock experience, or other significant livestock experience), 2) Sex, and 3) Career goals (poultry industry, other livestock industry, or non-animal industry). Anonymous demographic data obtained from the office of the registrar showed that of the 29 students surveyed at the beginning of the semester: 8 were male, 21 were female, 23 were residents of Iowa, 6 were non-Iowa residents, 7 were agricultural studies majors, 21 were animal science majors, and one student was classified as a general undergraduate pre-vet major. Student responses were compared using the means procedure of SAS 9.4 based on answers to demographic questions (categorized as: farm, urban, other animal experience; female or male; poultry career, livestock career, or non-animal career). Results before science-based poultry education showed that responses on poultry issue statements (poultry welfare, industry ethics, commercial laying hen housing, and poultry product purchasing decisions) were significantly affected by experience, sex, and career plans (P < 0.05). Responses from the end of semester are forthcoming.

SUMMARY Commercial broiler producers and nutritionists have questioned the performance consequences of sulfur (S) from various dietary and water sources combined in current commercial production. The combination of high-S feed ingredients, including dried distillers grains with solubles, and dietary additives that contain S, such as lysine sulfate or copper sulfate, has the potential to create high S exposure, especially when combined with high-S drinking water. The tolerance of growing broiler chicks to S was determined by supplementation of a corn-soybean-5% dried distillers grains with solubles diet with up to 1% lysine sulfate or an equal amount of S from sodium sulfide. An additional diet containing copper and zinc sulfate served as a positive control for the source of S and high-S inclusion. These diets were fed to chicks provided with normal (0.008% or 80 ppm) or high water S (0.113% or 1130 ppm). We hypothesized that the addition of S sources to a commercial diet would not reduce the performance of growing chicks given access to normal or high-S water. Data showed dietary S requirements were met and excess S was easily excreted, hence, under the experimental feeding conditions, supplementation with up to 1% additional lysine sulfate (or a similar product) did not reduce performance in comparison with chicks fed a lower S diet with access to normal or high-S water. The high-S diet from copper and zinc sulfate resulted in reduced water and feed consumption, although there were no effects on chick weight gain.

There is current interest in increasing human vitamin D dietary intake without having to modify human eating habits. One method to increase human dietary vitamin D intake is to generate eggs with increased concentrations of vitamin D through high-concentration vitamin D feeding in the diets of laying hens. Although eggs can be produced with high concentrations of vitamin D, the consequences of these diets on hen performance and egg quality have not been validated. The objective of this research is to quantify the effects of high concentrations of cholecalciferol (D3) on laying hen performance and egg quality. Hy-Line W36 laying hens were placed on 1 of 5 experimental diets for 40 wk: 1) control (contained 2,200 IU of D3/kg of diet), 2) control + 7,500 IU of D3/kg of diet (9,700 IU of D3/kg of diet total), 3) control + 15,000 IU of D3/kg of diet (17,200 IU of D3/kg of diet total), 4) control + 22,500 IU of D3/kg of diet (24,700 IU of D3/kg of diet total), and 5) control + 100,000 IU of D3/kg of diet (102,200 IU of D3/kg of diet total). Egg production and hen mortality were monitored daily. Feed intake was determined weekly. Eggs were collected at predetermined points throughout the 40-wk period (19 to 58 wk of bird age) for assessment of egg weight, egg component weights, Haugh unit, yolk color score, specific gravity, egg mass, and feed efficiency. There were no consistent differences among the dietary treatments over the experimental period. Hens supplemented with up to 102,200 IU of D3/kg of diet resulted in no significant reductions in egg production, feed intake, feed efficiency, egg component weights, yolk color, Haugh units, and specific gravity in comparison with the control-fed hens (P > 0.05). These data suggest the addition of cholecalciferol to the diet of the laying hen at concentrations up to 102,200 IU of D3/kg of diet had no consistent negative effects on laying hen performance or egg quality.

Phosphate in manure of monogastric animals pollutes the environment if improperly applied to soil. Strategies that reduce phosphate inputs into animal production systems reduce environmental pollution. Using a novel vaccine to fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23), we induced neutralizing antibodies that reduced the phosphate requirement of growing chickens. Breeding hens were injected with a FGF-23 peptide (AFLPGMNP) conjugate. Antibody was passively transferred from hen to chick and chick response to deficient dietary phosphate intake was determined. Chicks without passive anti-FGF-23 antibody had a 43% and 21% reduction in blood phosphate and bone ash, respectively, when fed a phosphate deficient diet and compared to chicks fed a phosphate replete diet (P0.05). Chicks with circulating anti-FGF-23 antibodies fed the phosphate deficient diet had plasma phosphate and bone ash that did not differ from chicks fed the phosphate replete diet (P0.05). Neutralization of FGF-23 offers a new approach to reduce phosphate requirements of farmed animals and may provide a new means to reduce phosphate pollution related to animal farming.