A selection experiment was initiated in 1996 in which selection for (HP line) and against (LP line) feather pecking was performed. The foundation stock was a White Leghorn layer strain established in 1970 and maintained since then as a random bred control line at the Institute. Six hatches were produced over three generations. At the age of 68 weeks (generation 0, 1996), 35 weeks (generation 1,...

BACKGROUND Carotenoid plumage is of widespread use in bird communication. Carotenoid-based feather colouration has recently been shown to be dependent on both pigment concentration and feather structure. If these two components are determined differently, one plumage patch may potentially convey different aspects of individual quality. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We evaluated the effects o...

Background; Feather waste is generated in large amounts as a by-product of commercial poultry processing. The main component of feather is keratin. The main purpose of this study was to identify Bacillus spp. (the keratinolytic bacteria) that are able to degrade the feather for producing keratin. Methods; Bacillus spp. Were isolated from the waste of poultries located in Miyaneh city. The bact...

A respective number of pigeon and quail were purchased from Churkhai Bazar, Mymensingh at their marketing weight to compare yield quality characteristics meat. The birds then slaughtered the meat compared against live weight. samples breast, thigh drumstick kept 4°C for 24 hours. Findings reveal that thigh, drumstick, head, liver, gizzard, heart, neck shank% significantly higher in but feather ...

The tiered aviary for laying hens includes a floor litter area to promote foraging and dust bathing. Data are needed on hens' use of different litter substrates and effectiveness of substrates in removing excess feather lipids to ensure a suitable litter area. Bovans White hens were housed in commercial-style aviaries with access to one of 3 litter substrates (wood shavings, straw, or plastic t...

The possible sources of Campylobacter spp. in poultry meat before slaughter were studied by examining samples of feathers, cloaca swabs, litter swabs, transport coops, rinse water from coop washing equipment, and chicken breast supports in the slaughter line just before stunning. The samples were collected from 8 broiler houses and from 8 different producers, from a poultry integration system i...

Feathers are complex, branched keratin structures that exhibit a diversity of pigmentation patterns. Feather pigments are transferred into developing feather keratinocytes from pigment cells that migrate into the tubular feather germ from the dermis. Within-feather pigment patterns are determined by differential pigmentation of keratinocytes within independent barb ridges during feather develop...

The assessment of plumage and integument condition in laying hens provides useful information about the occurrence of feather pecking and cannibalism. Although feather loss and skin injuries can result from mechanical abrasion or clinical diseases, they are valid animal-based indicators for behavioural disorders. This particularly applies to damage on the back and tail region of the hens. The a...

Bilcik, B. and L. J. Keeling (1999). "Changes in feather condition in relation to feather pecking and aggressive behaviour in laying hens." British Poultry Science 40(4): 444-451. 1. The aim of this experiment was to describe and examine the relationship between pecks received by individual birds and the feather and skin damage of those birds at different ages. The effect of group size was also...

To elucidate the genes involved in the formation of white and black plumage in ducks, RNA from white and black feather bulbs of an F(2) population were analyzed using RNA-Seq. A total of 2,642 expressed sequence tags showed significant differential expression between white and black feather bulbs. Among these tags, 186 matched 133 annotated genes that grouped into 94 pathways. A number of genes...