Newly hatched domestic chicks, reared with identical objects, when presented with sets of 3 vs. 2 objects disappearing one-by-one behind separate screens, spontaneously inspected the screen occluding the larger set; even when the continuous variables (area or perimeter) were controlled for (Rugani et al., 2009). Here, using a similar paradigm, we investigated the ability of chicks to perform ad...

Campylobacter jejuni cells entered the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state upon suspension in sterile water. Cell viability was determined with tetrazolium violet. VBNC cells suspended in water for 7, 10, or 14 days were given, by gavage, to day-of-hatch leghorn chickens. The ceca of control and challenged birds were examined for the presence of campylobacteria by conventional microbiological...

The efficacy of the commercial competitive exclusion product Broilact against Campylobacter jejuni was evaluated in broiler chickens in a 5-week pilot-scale study. Newly-hatched broiler chicks were brought from a commercial hatchery. After arrival 50 seeder chicks were challenged orally with approximately 10(3) cfu of C. jejuni, wing marked, and placed back in a delivery box and moved to a sepa...

Newly hatched chicks will spontaneously peck at conspicuous objects in their field of view, and soon learn to distinguish between edible food particles and unpleasant tasting objects. To examine whether the selective pecking is based on the ability to memorize shapes, we analyzed pecking behavior of 1- to 2-days-old quail chicks (Coturnix japonica) by using ball- and triangle-shaped beads both ...

Kanamycin, penicillin, and streptomycin were injected individually into air cells of newly set chicken and turkey hatching eggs, and assay was made throughout the incubation period to determine the location, potency, and duration of efficacy. By 24 hours, each antibiotic had diffused throughout the albumen. By six days, penicillin residues could not be detected, whereas kanamycin or streptomyci...

This study aimed to investigate the consequences of early-life microbiota transplantation using different caecal content sources in broiler chicks. We hypothesized that chicks receiving at-hatch from organic hens would harbour a distinct industry-raised after six weeks age. Three hundred Cobb broilers eggs were randomly assigned one four groups according received: laying (Organic); autoclaved (...

Betaine is reported to regulate hepatic cholesterol metabolism in mammals. Chicken eggs contain considerable amount of betaine, yet it remains unknown whether and how betaine in the egg affects hepatic cholesterol metabolism in chicks. In this study, eggs were injected with betaine at 2.5 mg/egg and the hepatic cholesterol metabolism was investigated in newly hatched chicks. Betaine did not aff...