In view of the alleged effect of humic acid (HA) on growth plate arthrosis in humans, we sought to find if poultry tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) is caused by HA that can occur as a ground water contaminant. In 2 separate trials, broiler chickens were fed different concentrations of HA added to their diet for 4 and 5 wk. The effects of these treatments were measured by general health indices such...

Migratory birds are exposed to a diverse pathogen fauna by virtue of their long-distance travels. Although the immune system is an organism’s primary defense against pathogenic microorganisms, few studies have investigated avian immune function during migration, much less shown seasonal differences in immune function. We describe the immunological condition of three intercontinental migratory s...

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the feeding of four medicinal mushrooms via fungus myceliated grain (FMG) at three levels on production performance, blood parameters and natural coccidiosis oocyst excretion in floor reared broiler chickens. Three hundred day-old female broiler chickens were weighed and randomly assigned to nine different treatment groups. Each group was replicated three...

Numerous bird species are highly susceptible to North American strains of West Nile virus (WNV), and although domestic chickens are relatively resistant to WNV-associated disease, this species currently represents the most practical avian model for immune responses to WNV infection. Knowledge of the immunomodulation of susceptibility to WNV in birds is important for understanding taxonomic diff...

Descriptive information regarding the peripheral blood of normal whale sharks Rhincodon typus Smith 1828 is presented based on samples collected from 2 healthy female specimens held in an aquarium collection. Erythrocyte morphology was similar to other orectolobiforms and major leukocyte types were similar to other non-carcharhinid sharks. The numerically dominant population was the lymphocyte ...

Blood collected from juvenile whooping cranes (Grus americana) in 2007 and 2008 was divided and placed in either the anticoagulant lithium heparin (LiHep) or tri-potassium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (K3EDTA) for diagnostic hematology. Thin smears were prepared from the anticoagulated blood in the field with no delay and in the laboratory after a 4-6-hour delay, and then used to determine d...

this study was carried out to investigate the effects of dietary levels of an active phospholipids source on immune system response in broilers using 180 male ross 308 broilers chicks. experimental diets containing 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6 % of active phospholipids were prepared in a way that metabolizable energy, protein and other nutrients was the same in them. blood samples we...

Background: The immune response of aged broiler breeder hens is influenced by many factors including obesity and aged lymphatic organs, but may improve by increasing the bioavailability of various nutrients such as zinc (Zn). Dietary supplementation of phytase can improve Zn availability in senescent broiler breeder hens. Aims:</st...