Two generations of selection on restricted BLUP breeding values were applied in an experiment with laying hens. Selection had been on phenotype of income minus feed cost (IFC) between 21 and 40 wk of age in the previous five generations. The restriction of no genetic change in egg weight was included in the EBV for power-transformed IFC (i.e., IFCt, with t-values of 3.7 and 3.6 in the two gener...

The present study was conducted to determine the effects of two types of housing systems and early age feed restriction on stress and fear reactions, and performance in broiler chickens raised in a hot, humid tropical climate. On day 1, chicks were housed either in windowless environmentally controlled chambers (temperature was set at 32°C on day 1 and gradually reduced to 23°C by day 21) or in...

The turkey hen, a photosensitive bird, will become photorefractory (PR) during the reproductive cycle and will cease laying despite a stimulatory day length. This response is thought to be "programmed" by hormonal events early in the reproductive cycle. The turkey tom, in contrast, produces semen for extended periods and has not been shown to exhibit PR. We compared hormone profiles following p...

Cyclic cows immunized against growth hormone-releasing factor (GRFi, n = 19), human serum albumin (HSAi, n = 10), or not immunized (CON, n = 18) were used to investigate the effects of feed restriction on serum and pituitary somatotropin (ST), pituitary ST mRNA, and serum and follicular IGF-I. Cows were either fed 2.7 kg/d cottonseed hulls (R) or given ad libitum access to feed (AL) for 15 d. O...

The objective of this study was to characterize the effect of feed restriction and compensatory growth during re-alimentation on the functionality of the somatotropic axis. We blocked 60 bulls into one of two groups: 1) restricted feed allowance for 125 days (period 1) (RES, n = 30) followed by ad libitum feeding for 55 days (period 2) or 2) ad libitum access to feed throughout (ADLIB, n = 30)....

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The mechanisms regulating oviduct function were investigated. In Experiment 1, porcine oviductal secretory protein (pOSP) mRNA, and pOSP and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) in oviductal flushings, decreased through the peri-ovulatory period. In Experiment 2, higher plasma steroids in oviductal veins, ipsilateral (INT), rather than contralateral (OVX), to the remaining ovary in unilaterally o...

During the transition period, the lipid metabolism of dairy cows is markedly affected by energy status. Fatty liver is one of the main health disorders after parturition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a negative energy balance (NEB) at 2 stages in lactation [NEB at the onset of lactation postpartum (p.p.) and a deliberately induced NEB by feed restriction near 100 d in mi...