Coccidiosis is a major contributor to economic losses in the poultry industry due to its detrimental effects on growth performance and nutrient utilization. We hypothesized that the combined effects of supplemental dietary Thr and purified fiber may modulate the intestinal environment and positively affect intestinal immune responses and barrier function in broiler chicks infected with Eimeria maxima. A Thr-deficient basal diet (3.1 g of Thr/kg of diet) was supplemented with 70 g/kg of silica sand (control) or high-methoxy pectin and 1 of 2 concentrations of Thr (1.8 or 5.3 g/kg of diet; 4 diets total), and fed to chicks from hatch to d 16 posthatch. On d 10 posthatch, chicks received 0.5 mL of distilled water or an acute dose of Eimeria maxima (1.5 × 10(3) sporulated oocytes) with 6 replicate pens of 6 chicks per each of 8 treatment combinations (4 diets and 2 inoculation states). Body weight gain, feed intake, and G:F increased (P < 0.01) with addition of 5.3 g of Thr/kg of diet. Eimeria maxima schizonts were present only in intestinal tissue sampled from infected birds (P < 0.01). Weights of cecal digesta were highest (P < 0.01) in pectin-fed birds, and ceca with the heaviest weights also had the highest concentrations of total short-chain fatty acids. Expression of interleukin-12 in ileal mucosa was highest (P < 0.01) in infected birds receiving the control diet with 5.3 g of supplemental Thr/kg. In cecal tonsils, interferon-γ expression was highest in infected birds receiving the control diet (fiber × infection, P < 0.05); interferon-γ expression was lowest in infected birds fed the high Thr diet (Thr × infection, P < 0.05). There were no differences due to infection or Thr supplementation for cytokine expression in birds fed pectin-containing treatments. Overall, we conclude that although pectin has some protective function against coccidiosis, Thr supplementation had the greatest effect on intestinal immune response and maintenance of near normal growth in young broiler chicks infected with E. maxima.

Characterization of intestinal health in poultry has become imperative as specialized ingredients become more common in poultry diets. We tested whether purified fiber affects dietary Thr requirements and intestinal morphology of young chicks. In experiment 1, three diets containing 7% added silica sand (control), cellulose, or high-methoxy pectin were used. Six replicate pens of 6 chicks received dietary treatments through d 14 posthatch, at which time growth performance and nutrient digestibility were determined. In experiment 2, the effect of purified fiber on dietary Thr requirements was determined using a Thr-deficient basal diet (3.2 g of Thr/kg of diet) and 7 graded levels of supplemental Thr (0 to 9.6 g/kg of diet). Six replicate pens of 5 chicks were tested from d 8 to 21 posthatch, and ileal tissue was collected at the conclusion of the study for histological evaluation. In experiment 1, pectin reduced (P < 0.05) weight gain, feed efficiency, DM digestibility, and AME(n) compared with the control diet. In experiment 2, supplemental Thr requirements were estimated by fitting growth performance data to a 1-slope, broken-line (i.e., piece-wise) regression model. For the control and cellulose- and pectin-containing diets, supplemental Thr requirements were estimated at 3.64, 2.60, and 2.38 g of Thr/kg of diet, and at 778, 737, and 576 mg of supplemental Thr intake over the 21-d study, respectively, based on BW gain. For histological measures, crypts were deepest (P < 0.03) in the cellulose treatment; total goblet cell count and density were highest (P < 0.03) in the pectin-fed birds, and mixed goblet cell counts were highest (P < 0.03) in the control treatment. The serosa was thickest in the cellulose treatment with adequate supplemental Thr, and acidic and neutral goblet cell counts were highest in the control treatment with adequate Thr supplementation (fiber × Thr, P < 0.05). These findings suggest both dietary Thr concentration and fiber source affect growth performance, intestinal morphology, and mucin secretion in young chicks, which may directly affect poultry feeding strategies.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate effects of administration of a 4.7-mg deslorelin acetate implant on egg laying in healthy cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus). ANIMALS 52 cockatiels. PROCEDURES 26 breeding pairs (a female and its respective male in each pair) were selected on the basis of their history of egg laying. Female birds were sedated and received a 4.7-mg deslorelin acetate implant (n = 13) or placebo implant (13) in the subcutaneous tissues between the scapulae. Male and female birds of each breeding pair were placed in separate but adjacent cages. Birds were exposed to 16 hours of light and 8 hours of darkness. A nest box was placed in cages of female birds to stimulate reproductive activity. Egg production and quality were monitored daily for 365 days. RESULTS Deslorelin acetate implants significantly suppressed egg laying in cockatiels, compared with effects for the placebo implants. Eleven of 13 placeboimplanted birds laid eggs between 12 and 42 days after implantation. None of the deslorelin-implanted birds laid eggs within 180 days after implantation, and only 5 of 13 deslorelin-implanted birds laid an egg during the study period (first egg laid between 192 and 230 days after implantation). No differences in egg quality or number of eggs per clutch were observed between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Insertion of a 4.7-mg deslorelin acetate implant suppressed egg laying in healthy cockatiels for at least 180 days. Studies are necessary to evaluate effects of a deslorelin acetate implant in other avian species or in association with reproductive disorders.

Immunomodulatory nutrients alter the immune response to pathogens. This study was conducted to determine the effects of immunomodulatory nutrients on the immune response to a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge of layer chicks fed supplemental corn oil (control; 3%), fish oil (3%), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA; 1%), lutein (0.05 g/kg), or vitamin E (90 I.U./ kg). Four-week-old layer chicks were allotted to 10 treatment groups arranged as a 2 × 5 factorial with 2 sexes and 5 dietary treatments (TRT; 5 replicate pens of 2 male and 2 female chicks per TRT). After a 2-week diet adaptation, all birds were injected intraperitoneal with 1.5 mg/kg BW LPS. Twelve hours post challenge, samples were collected. Fish oil fed birds had greater (P = 0.03) spleen weight (% final BW) than the CLA fed birds. In the liver, the fish oil TRT had higher (P = 0.040) IL-12 expression than the corn oil TRT, but the corn oil TRT had greater (P = 0.001) IL-4 expression than the CLA, lutein, and vitamin E TRT. There was a main effect of sex of the birds on growth parameters at 12 h post LPS challenge in which male birds had greater beginning BW (P < 0.001), final BW (P < 0.001), and greater 12-hour BW loss (P = 0.020) than the female birds, but not relative weight loss. There were also main effects of sex on immune-related gene expression with the females having greater gene expression than the males in the duodenal mucosal scrapings [IL-1β, IL-12, and TLR-4 gene expression (P = 0.026, 0.011, and 0.002, respectively)]; liver [IL-10, IL-4, and iNOS gene expression (P = 0.017, 0.032, and 0.006, respectively)]; and spleen [IL-1β, IL-10, IL-4, and iNOS gene expression (P = 0.001, 0.001, 0.001, and 0.005, respectively)]. Therefore, each immunomodulatory nutrient added to the diets of layer chickens resulted in different immune responses to an LPS challenge.

OBJECTIVE To investigate water intake and urine measures in healthy cats provided free-choice access to a nutrient-enriched water with (NWP) or without (NW) added poultry flavoring offered at 3 different volumes in addition to tap water (TW). ANIMALS 36 domestic shorthair cats. PROCEDURES Control group cats (n = 4) received dry food with TW ad libitum throughout the study. Cats of the NW and NWP groups (n = 16/group) received the same food with TW only (period 1; 7 days) followed by TW and the assigned treatment ad libitum at 1X, 1.5X, and 2X the volume of TW consumed in period 1 during periods 2 (17 days), 3 (10 days), and 4 (10 days), respectively. Liquid consumption, food intake, and total water intake (from all sources) were measured; urine collected over 48 hours in each period was measured, and urine specific gravity (USG) was determined. Data were analyzed with mixed-effects models. RESULTS TW and food calorie intake were similar among groups in period 1; TW consumption by control cats did not differ during the study. Liquid consumed by drinking increased 18%, 57%, and 96% for the NWP group in periods 2, 3, and 4, respectively, with increases of 25% and 44% for the NW group in periods 3 and 4, respectively, compared with period 1 values for the same groups. Increased urine output and decreased USG were significantly associated with period and treatment. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Increasing the volumes of NW or NWP offered to healthy cats led to increased free liquid consumption and was associated with greater urine output and dilution as measured by USG. Studies are warranted to determine whether these treatments provide health benefits for cats in need of greater water consumption.

Immunomodulatory nutrients alter the immune response to pathogens; modulating that individual's resistance to pathogen challenges. Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) causes mild illness in poultry, but causes over 1 million cases of human illness yearly, mostly due to contaminated eggs or undercooked meat. Pathogens undergo fast‐paced evolution creating problems for vaccination and antibiotic control; therefore it is important to investigate alternative avenues. The objective of this study was to characterize the immune response of juvenile chicks treated with known immunomodulatory nutrients: corn oil (control), fish oil, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and lutein, during a SE infection. Diets were isocaloric and isonitrogenous, with the basal diet consisting of soy‐bean meal, and rice. Four‐week‐old Hyline W‐36 chicks (n=96), were randomly allotted to 1 of 4 dietary treatments replicated in 6 pens of 4 birds per diet. All birds were orally dosed with 1 ml of 7.3 x 106 CFU/ ml SE in PBS after a 7 day diet adaptation. Liver, spleen, and duodenal (DMS) and ileal mucosal scrapings (IMS) were collected for immune related gene expression by rtPCR. The corn oil diet increased IL‐6 and iNOS expression across tissues. The fish oil and lutein diets increased IL‐1β, TLR‐4, and IL‐10 expression in DMS. The lutein diet decreased iNOS and TLR‐4 expression in the spleen. The lutein diet decreased SE presence in the DMS, but increased presence in the spleen where inflammatory cytokine expression was suppressed. The CLA diet decreased inflammatory cytokine expression across tissues, and SE presence was correspondingly increased in both the DMS and spleen. Thus, each dietary treatment altered the immune response to SE differently and this was reflected in the invasion of SE into tissues.