Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/14
Outputs
Target Audience: Target audiences reached by the efforts include other scientist, commercial poultry companies, hatcheries, live haul personnel, poultry farmers, nurserymen, allied industry personnel, state and local governmental agents and agencies. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Opportunities to interact with producers and scientist from around the world to gain insight and understanding of poultry production have been possible as a result of completion and reporting of this work. Inclusion of metformin in the diet of broiler breeder chickens may represent a simple and practical approach to favorably altering metabolism for increased reproductive efficiency. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results have been communicated in conference proceedings, abstracts at professional meetings and in meetings with interested commercial poultry companies and poultry farmers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Broiler breeder hens have the poorest reproductive efficiency of all commercial avian species primarily due to excessive feed intake and adiposity. Poor egg production in broiler breeder hens results from either insufficient or excessive ovarian follicular recruitment. We have earlier found that metformin, a biguanide anti-diabetic drug, affects metabolic functions of the chicken ovarian follicular cells. The objective of the present study is to determine if inclusion of metformin in the diet would improve egg production in commercial broiler breeder hens. Metformin was administered at 0, 25, 50, and 75 mg per kilogram body weight between 35 and 60 weeks of age. This dosage regimen was well tolerated by the animals with no reduction in body weight and fat pad weight throughout the study period with significant increase in egg production. Metformin levels in the diet at 50 and 75 mg per kilogram body weight resulted in 15% and 20% increase in cumulative egg production, respectively, compared with 0 mg per kilogram body weight level. Levels of blood metabolites and hormones affecting metabolism in response to metformin treatment are being determined. Furthermore, molecular mechanisms the underlie the beneficial effects of metformin are being studied. The price and scarcity of broiler bedding materials has been increasing. This challenge has forced more cycles of birds on the same litter, increasing litter moisture, ammonia levels and issues for bird quality and health. Therefore a field study was initiated to follow up on promising results of a university pen trial indicating broiler performance and quality of Miscanthus gigantus (MG) bedded birds was equal to or greater than birds bedded on pine shavings (PS). A commercial broiler house (152.4 x 15.2m) was divided into 5 equal pens (30.4 x 15.2m) with tunnel migration fences. Two end pens were bedded with chopped MG straw (94.0% DM), the other two end pens were bedded with PS and the middle pen was a mixture of both bedding types. Bird body weight (BW), foot pad score (FPS), feather score (FS) and litter ammonia flux and nutrients (6 locations/treatment) were measured at 2, 4 and 6wks of age in the replicate MG and PS pens. Data from each 2 wk period was analyzed using a one-way ANOVA. Tukey's test was used for mean comparisons and P ≤ 0.05 was deemed statistically significant. Results indicated there were no significant differences in BW (mean 2.29kg), however, subjective FPS were significantly greater for the MG birds at 4 and 6 wks compared to the PS treatment. Subjective FS were also significantly greater for the MG birds at 6wks. Litter nutrient analysis indicated inorganic-nitrogen and ammonium-nitrogen levels were greater in pens bedded with MG compared to PS, however litter ammonia flux was significantly less for the MG vs. PS at 4wks (0.0255 and 0.0506 g/m2-day, respectively). These results indicated MG bedding did not influence bird body weight and improved nitrogen management in the bedding and atmosphere, however, there are concerns with greater litter nitrogen influencing foot pad and feather scores. Two studies were conducted to evaluate the incidence of Pendulous Crops (PC). The first trial used 2592 female poults over a period of 6 weeks. The factors evaluated were ambient temperature, water space per bird, and dietary energy. The room temperature was either typical temperature profile or held at a higher ambient temperature (31 to 29°C ). Water was supplied with half of the pens containing a red dome drinker and the others used half of the drinking area (424 vs 212 cm2/bird). Finally, the feed energy was at two different levels (2895 versus 3073 kcal/kg). The second trial used 3600 eggs divided into a High Incubation shell- temperature and a Normal Incubation shell-temperature treatment. Poults (2592) were divided in to 12 equal pens where they were fed Mash or Crumbles/Pellets (starter/grower) feed and put under either an intermittent light system (1 h L: 5 h D) or 16 h L: 8 h D from day 7 to 44. Birds and feed were weighed at three-week intervals following placement. Each bird showing PC was tagged and monitored. For the first trial, water intake and incidence of pendulous crop were significantly greater (P < 0.01) for the birds reared on the higher temperature profile when compared to those on the control temperature profile (1.51 vs 0.31%). For the second trial, a significant interaction between Diet Form and Lighting Treatments was found for greater incidence of PC lesions for birds on intermittent lighting and mash feed.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Hulet, R. Michael, 2013. Turkey Euthanasia Options. 36th Annual North Carolina Turkey Industry Days. Wilmington, NC. October 2-3.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Steimling, Corissa A., R. M. Hulet, T. L. Cravener, and B. Wood, 2013. Management Effects on the Incidence of Pendulous Crop in Turkeys. 36th Annual North Carolina Turkey Industry Days. Wilmington, NC, October 2-3.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Hulet, R. M., 2014. Management of Modern Hatcheries. Zoetis Asia Pacific Breeder and Hatchery Symposium. Yogyakarta, Indonesia, April 9-11.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Burley, Heather and R. Michael Hulet, 2014. Supplementing organic broiler diets with fish meal, naked oats, or sunflower seed meal to meet bird requirements with limited use of synthetic methionine. International Poultry Scientific Forum. Atlanta, GA, January 27-28.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Burley, Heather, R. Michael Hulet,and Paul H. Patterson, 2014. Supplementing organic broiler diets with fish meal, naked oats, or sunflower seed meal to meet bird requirements with limited use of synthetic methionine. International Poultry Scientific Forum. Atlanta, GA, January 27-28.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Mayer, Amy, Katherine Caswell, Heather Burley, and Paul Patterson, 2014. Behavioral supplements for raising commercial pullets. International Poultry Scientific Forum. Atlanta, GA, January 27-28.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Steimling, Corissa, R. Michael Hulet, Benjamin Wood, Nico Buddiger, and Heather Burley, 2014. Influence of Incubation Temperature, Lighting, and Feed Form on Incidence of Pendlous Crop (PC). International Poultry Scientific Forum. Atlanta, GA, January 27-28.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Patterson, P. H., G. P. Martin, H. K. Burley, H. Li, and C. Lin, 2014. Miscanthus gigantus as a renewable bedding material for commercial broilers versus pine shavings. Poultry Science Association, Corpus Christi, TX, 175, July 14-17.
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Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/13
Outputs
Target Audience: The focus of our efforts are personnel from industry, academia, and government as well as egg layer, broiler, turkey and gamebird producers. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? A training program developed to reduce the spread of disease and improve handling and transportation of poultry included instructional materials to train truck drivers, hatchery and live haul personnel. Meetings with demonstrated knowledge are required before issuing a certificate of completion. In more than a dozen sessions over 300 people have been trained as well as 45 trainers certified. The National Poultry Waste Management Symposia since 1988 has been instrumental in providing cutting-edge information on poultry waste management and processing waste issues to the poultry industry and regulatory agencies. This years’ 13th biannual symposia conducted in Shreveport, LA had an excellent program with personnel from industry, academia, and government discussing issues involving nutrient management and utilization (84 attendees in 2012). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results of the activity has been distributed by educational meeting, training workshops, demonstration activities, professional and commercial articles, and webinars. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? More publications have been submitted for publication, seminars/webinars have been planned for distribution of the information, and projects have been submitted and planned for creation of more data to add to the body of literature.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Presentations on vegetative buffers for commercial poultry farms have communicated the merits of this environmental practice to reduce dust, odor, ammonia and microbial emissions. Buffers can also generate biomass to use as poultry bedding (willow, poplar, miscanthus grass) in place of pine shavings. The litter can also be incinerated as a fuel to replace propane for heating and remove the manure from sensitive watersheds. We have also supported the commercial development of a hen manure gasification plant (3.24 megawatt) on a 5.6 million hen complex in PA with manure and ash analysis and testing the ash as a feed P/Ca supplement for broiler and layer diets. This plant went on line in 2012 and will remove 195,000 tons of manure annually from the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Novel equipment (CUBO) that mixes air in poultry barns and eliminates temperature and noxious gas stratification has demonstrated greater bird performance and revenue in two field evaluations. These finding were reported to the cooperator companies and at the 2012 Worlds Poultry Congress in Brazil. Dietary studies have demonstrated how expelled soybean meal, citric acid and phytase enhanced phytate P utilization and reduced fecal P excretion in broilers. New National Organic Standards limiting synthetic methionine have greater cost, reduced performance and negative impacts on manure-N in broiler and layer studies.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2012
Citation:
Burley, H. K. 2012. Organic extraction of naturally concentrated methionine sources and their use as poultry feed supplements. Ph.D. Dissertation. The Pennsylvania State University.
Hunde, A. R., P. H. Patterson, S. C. Ricke, and W. K. Kim. (2012). Supplementation of poultry feed with Zinc, other minerals and compounds to mitigate nitrogen emissions-Review. Biological Trace Element Research 147:386-394.
Burley, H. K. P. H. Patterson, 2013. Brazil nut meal and inedible egg as alternatives to synthetic methionine in organic laying hen diets. International Poultry Scientific Forum, Atlanta, GA.
Burley, H. K., R. M. Hulet, P. H. Patterson, 2013. Alternative ingredients to synthetic methionine for organic broiler diets. International Poultry Scientific Forum, Atlanta, GA.
Hile, M. L., E. F. Wheeler and P. H. Patterson. 2012. Ammonia emissions from chopped willow vs. pine shavings as bedding for broiler chickens. In Proceedings for the 9th International Livestock Environment Symposium sponsored by ASABE, Valencia, Spain.
Hulet, R. M., T. L. Cravener, and R. G. Bock, 2013. Evaluation of captive bolt method of turkey euthanasia device (TED) for humane euthanasia of poultry. Poultry Sci 92: (Suppl. 1) M76.
Hulet, R.M., K. Herkleman, and T. L. Cravener, 2012. Effect of feeding high protein expelled soybean meal containing either Hhigh or low oligosaccharides on the performance of broilers. In Proceedings XXIV World�s Poultry Congress, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
Hunde, A. R., P. H. Patterson, S. C. Ricke, and W. K. Kim. (2012). Supplementation of poultry feed with Zinc, other minerals and compounds to mitigate nitrogen emissions-Review. Biological Trace Element Research 147:386-394.
Patterson, P., M. Hulet, T. Cravener, M. Hile and E. Wheeler. 2012. A comparison of pine shavings vs. chopped willow as bedding for rearing broiler chickens. Poultry Sci. 91(Suppl 1):M71. International Poultry Science Forum. Atlanta, GA.
Patterson, P., G. Martin, L. Kime, and J. Harper, 2012. Small-Scale Egg Production (Organic and Conventional) EE0021, 8pp. Penn State University, College of Agricultural Sciences.
Patterson, P. H. 2012. Feeding Hens in Alternative Housing Systems. In Proceedings for the Midwest Poultry Federation Convention, Pre-Show Nutrition Symposium. Saint Paul, MN.
Patterson, P. H., G. P. Martin, R. M. Hulet and T. L. Cravener. 2012. The impact of air mixing/de-stratification equipment on the house environment, air quality and performance of commercial broiler chickens. In Proceedings for the Worlds Poultry Congress, Salvador, Brazil.
Patterson, P. H., T. L. Cravener, H. K. Burley and G. H. Perdew. 2012. Hen manure ash as a feed supplement for broiler chickens. In Proceedings, 2012 National Poultry Waste Management Symposium J. B. Hess, J. P. Blake and K. S. Macklin Eds. Shreveport, LA.
Patterson, P. H., T. L. Cravener, H. K. Burley and G. H. Perdew. 2012. Hen manure ash as a feed supplement for laying hens. In Proceedings, 2012 National Poultry Waste Management Symposium J. B. Hess, J. P. Blake and K. S. Macklin Eds. Shreveport, LA.
Patterson, P.H., and H. K. Burley. 2013. Gasified hen manure ash as a calcium and phosphorus supplement for laying hens. Poultry Sci. 92:(Suppl 1).
Patterson, P.H., and H. K. Burley. 2013. Gasified hen manure ash as a calcium and phosphorus supplement for broiler chickens. Poultry Sci. 92:(Suppl 1).
Steimling, C. A., R. M. Hulet, T. L. Cravener, B. Wood, and N. Buddiger, 2013. The effect of different management factors on the incidence of pendulous crops (PC) in commercial female turkeys. Poultry Sci. 92: (Suppl 1) P175.
- Wheeler, E. F., P. H. Patterson and H. K. Burley. 2012. Ammonia emissions and productivity of laying hens fed diets containing distillers dried grains. In Proceedings for the 9th International Livestock Environment Symposium sponsored by ASABE, Valencia, Spain
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