An experiment with a constant environment for the domestic fowl

1962 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan W. Greenwood

A pilot experiment is described to observe the effect of a constant environment (temperature 65° F., relative humidity, 60%, artificial light for 12 hours daily alternating with 12 hours darkness, and constant diet) on the subsequent reproductive performance of fowls maintained under these conditions from hatching to the end of the 3rd annual cycle of egg laying.The elimination of normal seasonal moulting of the plumage both at the beginning and at the end of the pullet laying year gave an advantage of 57 eggs for experimental birds over a group of sisters maintained under a more normal system of intensive husbandry.This advantage in eggs laid was much reduced in succeeding years owing to a persistent and continuing decrease in rate of lay of hens in the constant environment.All eggs were incubated and, although no differences in fertility, dead germs and hatchability were observed over the first full year of production in the birds in contrasting environments, the deleterious effects of a constant environment became increasingly apparent with age.It is suggested that control of the environment induces a premature senility in the domestic fowl.

2010 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 323-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabricio F. Pereira ◽  
José C. Zanuncio ◽  
José E. Serrão ◽  
Teresinha V. Zanuncio ◽  
Dirceu Pratissoli ◽  
...  

Palmistichus elaeisis Delvare and LaSalle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is a gregarious and polyphagous parasitoid mainly of Lepidoptera pupae. The objective of this paper as to study the developent of parasitoid on Bombyx mori L. (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) pupae exposed to one, nine, 18, 27, 36, 45 or 54 female P. elaeisis, respectively. The females of the parasitoid remained in contact with pupae for 24 hours in glass tubes (14.0 x 2.2 cm), packed in a climatic chamber regulated at 25 ± 2°C, 70 ± 10% relative humidity and photo phase of 12 hours. With the exception of density 1:1 (72.72%), in other densities parasitism was 100%. Adults of P. elaeisis did not emerge from pupae at densities of 1:1 and 9:1, but 100.0% of parasitoid emergence was observed at the density of 45:1 and 54.54% at 54:1. The duration of the life cycle of this parasitoid ranged from 20 to 28 days. P. elaeisis produced 49 to 589 descendants per pupa of B. mori. The sex ratio of P. elaeisis ranged from 0.93 ± 0.01 to 0.97 ± 0.01 without differences with 18, 27, 36, 45 and 54 females/host. This parasitoid should be reared with the density of 45 females per pupa of B. mori.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-214
Author(s):  
I Hossain ◽  
MMH Khan ◽  
SMH Jahan

The study was conducted to know the reproductive performance of spiralling whitefly on guava. Number of colony, eggs, 1st instar, 2nd instar, 3rd instar and 4th instar nymphs per five leaves ranged from 6 to 15, 8 to 32, 0 to 44, 0 to 22, 0 to 45 and 0 to 28, respectively. Maximum number of adults and nymphs were found in the month of January. Highest longevity of Aleurodicus dispersus (21.5 days) was recorded in adult while the lowest was in 2nd instar nymph (6.4 days). The number of colony/leaf and number of 3rd and 4th instar nymphs of A. dispersus had significant positive correlation with minimum and maximum temperature while non-significant positive correlation is observed between the number of egg/colony, the number 1st and 2nd instar nymphs with minimum and maximum temperature. A. dispersus showed nonsignificant positive correlation with minimum and maximum relative humidity regarding number of colony/leaf, 2nd instar nymph while nonsignificant negative correlation with 4th instar nymph.SAARC J. Agri., 15(2): 207-214 (2017)


2009 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 459-465
Author(s):  
B. Bülbül ◽  
M. B. Ataman

Abstract. In this study, the effect of climatic conditions on oestrus occurrence was investigated by using 9 972 oestrus records of cows recorded between 1995 and 2003. A distinct seasonal variation in the oestrus occurrence was determined. Oestrus occurrence observed in January, March, November and December was less than that in June and September (P<0.05). Annual distribution of the oestrus occurrence was positively correlated with environment temperature and insulation duration, but it was negatively correlated with rainfall (P<0.01). However, there was no relationship between oestrus occurrence and relative humidity. In addition to these, there was a slight decrease in the oestrus response when the temperature-humidity index (THI) was above 72; nevertheless, this decrease was not significant (P >0.05). The data presented in this study demonstrated that the increase in the environmental temperature up to 23 °C did not cause a suppressive effect on the ovarian activity. In conclusion, annual distribution of the oestrus occurrence is positively correlated with environment temperature and insulation duration whereas it is negatively correlated with rainfall in Holstein cows, in this study.


2019 ◽  
Vol 98 (12) ◽  
pp. 7022-7029 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z.P. Lv ◽  
S.J. Yan ◽  
G. Li ◽  
D. Liu ◽  
Y.M. Guo

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1935) ◽  
pp. 20201831 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Becker ◽  
Devraj Singh ◽  
Qiuyun Pan ◽  
Jesse D. Montoure ◽  
Katherine M. Talbott ◽  
...  

Urban habitats can shape interactions between hosts and parasites by altering not only exposure rates but also within-host processes. Artificial light at night (ALAN) is common in urban environments, and chronic exposure can impair host immunity in ways that may increase infection. However, studies of causal links between this stressor, immunity, and infection dynamics are rare, particularly in migratory animals. Here, we experimentally tested how ALAN affects cellular immunity and haemosporidian parasite intensity across the annual cycle of migrant and resident subspecies of the dark-eyed junco ( Junco hyemalis ). We monitored an experimental group exposed to light at night and a control group under natural light/dark cycles as they passed through short days simulating early spring to longer days simulating the breeding season, followed by autumn migration. Using generalized additive mixed models, we show that ALAN increased inflammation, and leucocyte counts were greatest in early spring and autumn. At the start of the experiment, few birds had active infections based on microscopy, but PCR revealed many birds had chronic infections. ALAN increased parasitaemia across the annual cycle, with strong peaks in spring and autumn that were largely absent in control birds. As birds were kept in indoor aviaries to prevent vector exposure, this increased parasitaemia indicates relapse of chronic infection during costly life-history stages (i.e. reproduction). Although the immunological and parasitological time series were in phase for control birds, cross-correlation analyses also revealed ALAN desynchronized leucocyte profiles and parasitaemia, which could suggest a general exaggerated inflammatory response. Our study shows how a common anthropogenic influence can shape within-host processes to affect infection dynamics.


2001 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 661-666 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. TESTON ◽  
A. SPECHT ◽  
E. CORSEUIL

Larvae of Anicla infecta (Ochsenheimer, 1816) (Noctuidae) feed upon many grasses and may be harmful to cereals and fodder of economic importance. This study was developed aiming to contribute to knowledge of the biology of this species. The rearing was done in an environmental chamber with the following settings: temperature of 25 ± 1ºC; relative humidity of 70% <FONT FACE=Symbol>±</FONT> 10%, and photoperiod of L14: D10. The larvae fed on ryegrass, Lolium multiflorum Lam. The results express the mean and standard error for the length of every stage in days. For each stage we observed the following time of development: egg 3.2 <FONT FACE=Symbol>±</FONT> 0.09; larvae 18.7 <FONT FACE=Symbol>±</FONT> 0.07; pre-pupae 3.3 <FONT FACE=Symbol>±</FONT> 0.04; pupae 12.6 <FONT FACE=Symbol>±</FONT> 0.14; and adult longevity was 12.1 <FONT FACE=Symbol>±</FONT> 1.03. Also the pre-egg-laying period was 4.4 <FONT FACE=Symbol>±</FONT> 0.59; the egg-laying period was 8.1 <FONT FACE=Symbol>±</FONT> 0.84; and the post-egg-laying period was 0.3 <FONT FACE=Symbol>±</FONT> 0.14. The mean number of egg-laying cycles per female was 6.7 <FONT FACE=Symbol>±</FONT> 0.73; that of eggs per cycle was 77.5 <FONT FACE=Symbol>±</FONT> 4.37; and total eggs per female was 521.4 <FONT FACE=Symbol>±</FONT> 47.36.


Bird Study ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-129
Author(s):  
Bourhane-Eddine Belabed ◽  
Mohammed Athamnia ◽  
Laïd Touati ◽  
Farrah Samraoui ◽  
Abdennour Boucheker ◽  
...  

<sec><title>Capsule</title>Age, arrival date and egg laying date are essentially closely related and determine reproductive performance in the White Stork Ciconia ciconia.</sec><sec><title>Aims</title>To describe the impact of age, arrival date and egg laying date on breeding success in the White Stork.</sec><sec><title>Methods</title>Ringing data from a White Stork breeding colony of 212 nests at Dréan, Algeria, were used to model the relationship between age, arrival date, laying date and reproductive performance. Seventy breeders that were individually colour-ringed as nestlings were monitored.</sec><sec><title>Results</title>Birds breeding on the periphery of the colony had significantly smaller nests and showed a tendency towards later laying dates, but they did not differ from centrally nesting birds in age or arrival date. First year birds did not breed and second year birds were significantly more likely than older age groups to occupy nests but fail to lay eggs. Older birds arrived earlier at the breeding colony and had a higher probability of initiating laying than younger birds. They also had a higher probability of nesting successfully and fledging a larger number of young.</sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title>Age determined arrival and laying dates and influenced breeding performance in the White Stork.</sec>


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document