Welfare problems, such as hunger, frustration, aggression, and abnormal sexual behavior, are commonly found in broiler breeder production. To prevent or reduce these welfare problems, it has been suggested to provide stimulating enriched environments. We review the effect of the different types of environmental enrichment for broiler breeders, which have been described in the scientific literat...

The poorly known winter foraging ecology of the king penguin, a major Southern Ocean consumer, was investigated at the subantarctic Crozet Islands where the largest global population breeds. Blood δ13C and δ15N values were used as proxies of the birds' foraging habitat and diet, respectively, and circulating prolactin levels helped in determining the birds' reproductive status. Plasma prolactin...

The wildlife trade is becoming increasingly more relevant in discussions concerning conservation biology and the sustainable management of natural resources. The aim of this study was to document the trade and breeding of wildlife in Santa Catarina state, in southern Brazil. Data was collected from annual reports (1996-2008) of wildlife breeders which were sent to IBAMA. By the end of 2008, the...

An 8-wk experiment using 180 Lingnan Yellow broiler breeders was conducted to investigate the effect of different sources of Se on the concentration and gene expression of selenoprotein P (SEPP1) in broiler breeders and their offspring. After receiving a low-Se basal diet for 8 wk, broiler breeders were randomly allocated to 3 treatments (6 replicates per treatment) and fed corn-soy-based diets...

Among cooperatively breeding species, helpers are hypothesised to increase the survival of breeders by reducingbreederworkload inoffspring care and increasedgroupvigilance against predators. Furthermore, parental nepotism or other benefits of group living may provide a survival benefit to young that delay dispersal to help. We tested these hypotheses in the Karoo Scrub-robin (Cercotrichas coryp...

We examined the proximate causes of delayed breeding and alloparental behavior in the cooperatively breeding red-cockaded woodpecker by measuring plasma concentrations of testosterone (T) and prolactin (PRL) in female breeders, male breeders, and male helpers during different stages of the reproductive cycle. Male breeders and helpers have low T during the prebreeding period, highest T during c...

In animal populations, a minority of individuals consistently achieves the highest breeding success and therefore contributes the most recruits to future generations. On average, foraging performance is important in determining breeding success at the population level, but evidence is scarce to show that more successful breeders (better breeders) forage differently than less successful ones (po...

In many cooperatively breeding birds and mammals, group size is positively correlated with reproductive success. In marmoset and tamarin monkeys, species that display cooperative breeding, the presence of helpers appears to be critical for offspring survival, and breeders might be expected to display social strategies that would regulate group size. This study investigated the association betwe...

BACKGROUND The European Farmers' Study has indicated that sheep farmers might be at risk for the development of respiratory symptoms. AIMS To assess the prevalence of respiratory symptoms in sheep breeders and potential work related risk factors. METHODS All sheep breeders listed in two regions of South Germany were asked to answer a mailed questionnaire on respiratory symptoms, work relate...

The objective of this study was to describe two clinical cases of toxicosis by accidental administration of salinomycin in feed in broiler breeders and turkeys. In the first clinical case, a 32000 broiler breeders flock, 30 weeks of age, suffered a severe mortality during the first week, a sharp decrease in egg production and a dramatic reduction in food consumption together with an increase of...